cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric pathology in primary progressive aphasia with progranulin mutations and TDP inclusions.

Objective: To investigate quantitative regional distribution and hemispheric asymmetry of TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) inclusions, neurons, and activated microglia in primary progressive aphasia (PPA) with progranulin ( GRN ) mutations, and to determine concordance between distribution of pathology, clinical phenotype, and known atrophy patterns. Methods: Antibodies to phospho–TDP-43, NeuN (neuronal nuclei), and HLA-DR were used to visualize inclusions, neurons, and activated microglia in paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 4 participants with PPA: 2 of the agrammatic and 2 of the logopenic subtype. Unbiased stereological counting techniques were used for quantitation of immunoreactive profiles in language- and memory-related cortical areas bilaterally. Patterns of pathology across cortical areas and hemispheres were compared and their relationships with known patterns of atrophy investigated. Results: Numerical densities of TDP-43 inclusions, and less so of activated microglia, were greater in language-related areas compared with memory-related areas. In language areas, neuronal density displayed a pattern opposite to inclusions and activated microglia. Densities of inclusions and microglia were greater ( p p Conclusions: Distribution of TDP-43 inclusions and neurons, and to a smaller extent of activated microglia, show a regional and hemispheric pattern consistent with disease phenotype and known patterns of atrophy in PPA with GRN mutations.
What is the Jordan Curve Theorem

(1942). What is the Jordan Curve Theorem? The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 49, No. 5, pp. 281-286.
Lifestyle modifications in the management of type 1 diabetes: still relevant after all these years?

As we progress into the 21st century, the landscape of research and treatment in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is undergoing a massive transformation, characterized by rapid advances on numerous scientific fronts, including insulin and other hormonal therapies, technologies for blood glucose (BG) monitoring and insulin delivery, stem cell therapies, genetic engineering, β-cell transplantation, and even xenotransplantation. Clearly, these scientific advances have enormous implications for future diabetes management. These rapid developments and cutting-edge discoveries may also have important, but not always obvious, implications for our perspectives on how different aspects of diabetes management should be prioritized in research and patient care. For example, with the enthusiasm generated by recent technological breakthroughs, especially those associated with closed-loop control (CLC) or the artificial pancreas (AP), is there a reason to be concerned that more traditional (and perhaps less “exciting”) aspects of T1D management, such as lifestyle modifications, will receive less attention in research and diabetes care? How relevant are lifestyle factors, including diet and exercise, to contemporary views and practice of T1D treatment? What role will they play in future diabetes management? This column explores the potential impact of recent scientific advances on attitudes regarding the importance of lifestyle modification in T1D treatment, as well as the possibility that there is a growing tendency to undervalue their role as essential determinants of clinical outcome.
Characterization of Shape and Monodispersity of Anisotropic Nanocrystals through Atomistic X-ray Scattering Simulation

Nanocrystals with anisotropic shape and high uniformity are now commonly produced as a result of significant advances in synthetic control. In most cases, the morphology of such materials is characterized only by electron microscopy, which makes the extraction of statistical information laborious and subject to bias. In this work, we describe how X-ray scattering patterns in conjunction with Debye formula simulations can be used to provide accurate atomisitic models for ensembles of anisotropic nanocrystals to complement and extend microscopic studies. Methods of sample preparation and measurement conditions are also discussed to provide appropriate experimental data. The scripts written to implement the Debye function are provided as a tool to allow researchers to obtain atomisitic models of nanocrystals.
Dietary Macronutrients and Sleep

This study examined the effects of macronutrient diets on sleep quantity and quality. Using a repeated-measures, randomized crossover study design, 36 young adults served as their own control, and consumed high protein, carbohydrate, fat, and control diets. Treatment orders were counterbalanced across the dietary groups. Following consumption of the study diets, sleep measures were examined for within-subject differences. Fatty acid intakes and serum lipids were further analyzed for differences. Sleep actigraphs indicated wake times and wake minutes (after sleep onset) were significantly different when comparing consumption of macronutrient diets and a control diet. Post hoc testing indicated high carbohydrate intakes were associated with significantly shorter (p < .001) wake times. Also, the Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index© post hoc results indicated high fat intake was associated with significantly better (p < .05) sleep in comparison with the other diets. These results highlight the effects that dietary manipulations may have on sleep.
Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase in vascular cells: changes during cell cycling and exposure to hyperoxia

Conditions that generate reactive oxygen species elevate Cu,Zn superoxidase dismutase (SOD) in endothelial cells (EC) concomitant with decreased cellular proliferation. The current studies were undertaken with both vascular EC and smooth muscle cells (SMC) to compare the influences of cellular proliferation with those of hyperoxia on induction of Cu,Zn SOD. To assess cell cycling alone, EC and SMC were growth arrested, then released from arrest. Cell cycling was monitored by [3H]thymidine incorporation, counts, and flow cytometry. SOD catalytic activity was measured spectrophotometrically and SOD protein by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A digoxigenin-labeled probe was used to quantify SOD mRNA by Northern analysis. EC reached the S phase of the cell cycle in 18 h and completed one cycle in 24-30 h, whereas SMC took 24-30 h to reach the S phase and 48 h to complete one cycle. Cu,Zn SOD mRNA for both EC and SMC was very low during the Go/G1 phase, peaked during the S phase, and then reverted to lower values as cells progressed through their cycles. Cu,Zn SOD activity and immunoprotein content showed corresponding changes to those of mRNA. Exposure to hyperoxia (95% O2) delayed the entry of released cells into the S phase of the cell cycle and blocked the cells in the S or G2 phase, but induced Cu,Zn SOD mRNA before the S phase and caused persistence of elevation of Cu,Zn SOD mRNA as cells progressed through their cycles. Exposure to hyperoxia also induced Cu,Zn SOD mRNA in growth-arrested cells within 24-48 h. Thus our studies support roles for both cells cycle dependency and reactive oxygen species in the induction of Cu,Zn SOD.
Cooperative stabilization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis rrnAP3 promoter open complexes by RbpA and CarD

The essential mycobacterial transcriptional regulators RbpA and CarD act to modulate transcription by associating to the initiation complex and increasing the flux of transcript production. Each of these factors interacts directly with the promoter DNA template and with RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme. We recently reported on the energetics of CarD-mediated open complex stabilization on the Mycobacterium tuberculosis rrnAP3 ribosomal promoter using a stopped-flow fluorescence assay. Here, we apply this approach to RbpA and show that RbpA stabilizes RNAP-promoter open complexes (RPo) via a distinct mechanism from that of CarD. Furthermore, concentration-dependent stopped-flow experiments with both factors reveal positive linkage (cooperativity) between RbpA and CarD with regard to their ability to stabilize RPo The observation of positive linkage between RbpA and CarD demonstrates that the two factors can act on the same transcription initiation complex simultaneously. Lastly, with both factors present, the kinetics of open complex formation is significantly faster than in the presence of either factor alone and approaches that of E. coli RNAP on the same promoter. This work provides a quantitative framework for the molecular mechanisms of these two essential transcription factors and the critical roles they play in the biology and pathology of mycobacteria.
Langerhans Cell Sarcoma

Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS) is a high-grade malignant neoplasm composed of cells with morphologic, immunophenotypic, and/or ultrastructural features of Langerhans cells. LCS is a rare neoplasm that usually arises in adults with a median age of 39 years (range, 10–72 years). Similar to Langerhans cell histiocytosis, the disease appears to affect males more commonly than females. Langerhans cell sarcoma most often involves the skin, soft tissue, lymph nodes, lung, liver, spleen, and bones. A case of LCS arising in a patient with Langerhans cell histiocytosis has been described. Rare patients with LCS and clonally related lymphoid malignancies have been also described. LCS is generally an aggressive neoplasm with a high rate of disease-related mortality.
El Salvador 1991–1997

This chapter is concerned with the United Nations Operation in El Salvador (ONUSAL), which was officially launched in May 1991 to verify compliance with the San Jose Agreement of July 1990. To ensure the implementation of outstanding commitments the UN continued its presence in the country through two consecutive, though smaller, missions. Launched in May 1995 and May 1996 respectively, these were the United Nations Mission in El Salvador (MINUSAL) and the United Nations Office of Verification in El Salvador (ONUV). Only in July 1997, a full six years after its initial deployment, did the UN feel sufficiently satisfied to end its peacekeeping presence.
An Exploratory Investigation of the Impact of Consumer Emotions and Attitudes on Patronage Intention After Mall Shooting Episodes

Acts of gun violence at shopping malls have been occurring with greater frequency in recent years (O’Donnell 2014). These incidents can have a devastating impact on business if consumers do not return to the mall after the incident (Morris and Stevens 2014). While managing consumer perceptions of the shopping mall is very important, little research has been conducted on post-incident consumer behavior at shopping malls. The purpose of this exploratory research was to investigate consumers’ emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral responses to acts of gun violence at shopping malls. The research is grounded by the stimulus-organism-response framework (Mehrabian and Russell 1974) as well as the attitude-behavior connection (Ajzen and Fishbein 1977). Data were collected via an online questionnaire. Amazon’s Mechanical Turk was utilized to recruit participants to complete the questionnaire. A total of 244 usable questionnaires were completed by U.S. consumers. The questionnaire contained four sections. Participants were first asked to respond to Likert-type scale items to assess their current intentions to visit their favorite shopping mall (Stoehl et al. 2004). In the second section of the questionnaire, participants read a fictional newspaper article about a shooting that recently occurred at their favorite shopping mall. The newspaper account was based on a collection of actual newspaper articles about recent mall shooting incidents. In the fictional newspaper article, the act of gun violence was described as being a random event in which one customer was killed by a gunman who later killed himself. After participants read the fictional newspaper article, they completed a semantic differential scale designed to assess their feelings of pleasure and arousal associated with visiting their favorite shopping mall following the shooting incident (Donovan et al. 1994). Next, participants were directed to respond to Likert-type scale items designed to assess their attitudes toward the mall following the shooting incident (Yoo and MacInnis 1998). Participants then responded to the same items from the first section of the questionnaire again to assess their post-incident intentions to visit the mall. Demographic information was collected in the fourth and final section of the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The structural model exhibited a moderate, but acceptable, fit. Participants’ intention to visit the shopping mall following an act of gun violence was predicted by their attitudes toward the shopping mall. Although level of pleasure and level of arousal were both hypothesized to be emotional antecedents of consumers’ post-incident attitudes toward the shopping mall, only level of pleasure was significantly related to attitudes in the model. Hence, mall managers should perhaps try to emphasize the pleasurable aspects of the shopping mall to encourage consumers to re-patronize the mall following a shooting episode.
Adaptive traffic parameter prediction: Effect of number of states and transferability of models

Abstract Traffic parameters can show shifts due to factors such as weather, accidents, and driving characteristics. This study develops a model for predicting traffic speeds under these abrupt changes within regime switching framework. The proposed approach utilizes Hidden Markov, Expectation Maximization, Recursive Least Squares Filtering, and ARIMA methods for an adaptive forecasting method. The method is compared with naive and mean updating linear and nonlinear time series models. The model is fitted and tested extensively using 1993 I-880 loop data from California and January 2014 INRIX data from Virginia. Analysis for number of states, impact of number of states on forecasting, prediction scope, and transferability of the model to different locations are investigated. A 5-state model is found to be providing best results. Developed model is tested for 1-step to 45-step forecasts. The accuracy of predictions are improved until 15-step over nonadaptive and mean adaptive models. Except 1-step predictions, the model is found to be transferable to different locations. Even if the developed model is not retrained on different datasets, it is able to provide better or close results with nonadaptive and adaptive models that are retrained on the corresponding dataset.
Quasi-static strains and tilts due to faulting in a viscoelastic half-space

abstract Recently derived quasi-static surface displacements resulting from a finite rectangular vertical strike-slip fault in a viscoelastic half-space are used to derive the surface strains and tilts for both Voigt and Maxwell viscoelastic models. Contour maps are obtained for various strain and tilt components. The variation with time and epicentral distance is studied in some representative cases. Detailed numerical calculations reveal significant differences between the viscoelastic and the elastic results in the case of a vertical strike-slip fault. This contrasts with the results for a vertical dip-slip fault in a uniform half-space, where the surface strains and tilts for the viscoelastic and the elastic models are identical.
Hardware is the new Software

Moore's Law may be slowing, but, perhaps as a result, other measures of processor complexity are only accelerating. In recent years, Intel's architects have turned to an alphabet soup of instruction set extensions such as MPX, SGX, MPK, and CET as a way to sell CPUs through new security features. Unlike prior extensions, which mostly focused on accelerating user-mode data processing, these new features exhibit complex interactions and give system designers plenty to think about.This calls for a rethink of how we approach the instruction set. In this paper we highlight some of the challenges arising from recent security-focused extensions, and speculate about the longer-term implications.
Feynman’s lecture utilizing the Aharonov–Bohm effect

Volume II of The Feynman Lectures on physics is primarily devoted to explicating classical electromagnetism. Quantum theory arises in just one lecture, 15-5, entitled “The vector potential and quantum mechanics”. He emphasizes a remarkable conceptual change that the classically central notion of force “becomes quite secondary—if it is there at all” in quantum physics. He wishes to demonstrate, with as little quantum theory apparatus as possible, how the quantum notion of a wave function’s phase carries information about the classical force. To that end, he uses the Aharonov–Bohm effect in two thought experiments involving a two-slit electron interference pattern and two different configurations of magnetic field. Here I review Feynman’s argument with the benefit of more specificity about the quantum calculation than Feynman wished to give. Tiwari (Phys Rev Lett 113:158901, 2014, Quantum Stud.: Math. Found. 4:1 2017) recently criticized Feynman’s lecture for not providing a classical explanation of the Aharonov–Bohm effect. I believe this criticism is unwarranted because Feynman never set out to do that. What Feynman does is consider a two-slit interference experiment for an electron with a special magnetic field configuration, and he shows in this case that, when the magnetic field is turned on, the interference pattern on the detection screen shifts by the same distance as the classical trajectories emanating from the slit shift due to the magnetic force. That there is such an example, although unique, which suggests how the quantum phase may be connected to the classical trajectory, appears to be all that Feynman wishes to convey. If Feynman’s presentation is to be faulted, it is that this example is unique, that reasonable extensions of this thought experiment do not show this connection.
American Urogynecologic Society Prolapse Consensus Conference Summary Report

Objectives The 2016 American Urogynecologic Society Prolapse Consensus Conference brought together thought leaders in the field of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The goal was to identify critical areas of need for future research. This article summarizes the findings. Methods Prior to the conference, 5 major focus areas were identified. Focus areas were explored over the 2-day conference. Clinicians, clinical and basic science researchers, and representatives from government agencies, industry, patient advocacy groups, and the public convened to identify the major gaps in knowledge in each of these focus areas. Results The 5 major topics were as follows: (1) mechanistic research on pelvic supportive structures and how these are altered with pregnancy, delivery, and aging; (2) novel prostheses or implants that address pathophysiology and provide mechanical support; (3) large-scale community-based research; (4) clinical trials to optimize outcomes after POP surgery; and (5) evidence-based quality measures for POP outcomes. Key recommendations were made for each topic. Conclusions Critical gaps in our knowledge were identified. These limit scientific discovery across all 5 topic areas. Further scientific progress would be advanced by (1) developing a standardized group of POP outcomes and quality measures for large trials and community-based research, (2) creating specimen biorepositories that are integrated with robust clinical data, and (3) developing collaborative teams with expertise from a variety of disciplines, convened to tackle our most challenging and complex scientific questions.
Anisotropic Polarizability-Induced Plasmon Transfer

Despite the large number of technological applications relying on noble metal nanoparticles’ collective electron oscillations, or localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR), a complete understanding of all factors affecting their dynamics has not yet been achieved. In this paper, a nonadiabatic Ehrenfest dynamics approach is employed to investigate the dynamics of a linear chain of silver atoms initialized in the transverse LSPR state. Out-of-chain motions are shown to cause the increase of one specific off-diagonal component of the molecular polarizability, inducing a polarization orthogonal to the direction of the transverse LSPR oscillation and consistent with the molecule’s geometrical orientation. These geometry changes allow the transfer from the initially excited transverse plasmon to a multipolar longitudinal plasmon. This unique plasmon transfer mechanism, allowed only by the symmetry change of the system and never observed before, sheds light on a previously unknown feature of metal nanoparticles.
A brand equity model for an internet portal website

The value of branded websites as critical elements of an e-commerce strategy is without dispute (Reynolds, 2000; Ward and Lee, 2000; Flores, 2004; Ibeh et al., 2005). Yet knowledge about how the various characteristics of websites influence critical customer brand related cognitions, attitudes and behaviors is in its infancy compared to the non-web commerce world (Argyriou et al., 2006). This paper reports the results of an exploratory empirical investigation into how website brand equity is developed in the mind of consumers for a branded internet portal. The study proposes and tests the explanatory power of a customer-based brand equity (CBBE) model formed from indices of brand meaning, brand responses and brand resonance as postulated by Keller (2008). While this perspective has been suggested by a wide variety of previous research findings (Muller and Chandon, 2003; Ha, 2004; Ha and Perks, 2005; Na and Marshall, 2005), this study expands on the previous work by modeling how user experiences with website performance affects brand preferences, brand image perceptions and subsequent brand loyalty and advocacy.
Life Without Pigs: Decisions, Community Action, and Subsistence Changes Among the Irakia Awa, Papua New Guinea

The Irakia Awa are one of eight Awa-speaking communities totaling approximately 1,400 people who live on both sides of the Lamari River in the southeastern corner of the Eastern Highlands Province (geographical coordinates: 145°43′E, 6°38′S) (Fig. 1). Irakians control a home territory of 21.5 km2 (8.3 mi2) that ranges in elevation from 900 to 2,400 m (2,950-7,875 ft). Approximately 60% of their territory is grassland, and the remainder is secondary and primary forest. With a population of 299 in 1996 (gross density = 14/km2 or 36/mi2), the Irakia Awa still do not press heavily on their resource base. They continue to depend largely on subsistence production for their daily fare. Their gardens produce the standard array of Melanesian tuber crops (yams, taros, sweet potatoes, manioc), bananas, maize, squash, sugarcane, and a variety of leafy greens and other vegetables, many recently introduced (e.g., scallions, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, chayote, carrots, etc.). They also produce modest amounts of coffee beans as a cash crop. Significant developmental initiatives, however, have eluded them. It still is a one-day walk to the nearest road, school, medical aid post, or trade store.
Differences in molecular features of triple-negative breast cancers based on the age at diagnosis.

BACKGROUND Although the proportion of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) diagnosed among older women is low, the number of TNBC cases is substantial because of the high incidence of breast cancer after the age of 65 years. The molecular features of TNBC in this age group have not been well described. METHODS This study examined a population-based cohort of women with stage I to III TNBC diagnosed between the ages of 25 and 91 years with the PAM50 gene expression subtyping assay. The concordance between the TNBC classification by immunohistochemistry and the gene expression classification by PAM50, the expression of individual genes, and 5-year recurrence and breast cancer mortality in older women (≥65 years old) and younger women (<50 years old) was assessed. RESULTS The molecular subtype distribution in TNBC was significantly different according to the age at diagnosis. TNBC was more likely to be classified as basal-like in women younger than 50 years (sensitivity, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.97) than women 65 years old or older (sensitivity, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-0.87); 35% of clinical TNBC cases in the latter group were the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched subtype by molecular classification. Older women with TNBC also had significantly higher expression of ERBB2 and lower expression of all 10 proliferation-associated genes tested (P < .01). The risk of breast cancer death within 5 years was significantly higher in women with TNBC in comparison with women with hormone receptor-positive cancers in all age groups. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed differences in molecular subtypes among clinical TNBC cases based on patient age. A potentially targetable HER2-enriched group raises the possible need for intrinsic subtyping in older women with TNBC.
An integrative intervention for cultivating gratitude among adolescents and young adults

Emerging evidence indicates that practicing gratitude contributes to well-being. The goal of this investigation was to develop a comprehensive, effective intervention for promoting gratitude among ...
Bacteriophage trigger antiviral immunity and prevent clearance of bacterial infection

Bacteriophage are abundant at sites of bacterial infection, but their effects on mammalian hosts are unclear. We have identified pathogenic roles for filamentous Pf bacteriophage produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) in suppression of immunity against bacterial infection. Pf promote Pa wound infection in mice and are associated with chronic human Pa wound infections. Murine and human leukocytes endocytose Pf, and internalization of this single-stranded DNA virus results in phage RNA production. This triggers Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent type I interferon production, inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and the suppression of phagocytosis. Conversely, immunization of mice against Pf prevents Pa wound infection. Thus, Pf triggers maladaptive innate viral pattern-recognition responses, which impair bacterial clearance. Vaccination against phage virions represents a potential strategy to prevent bacterial infection.
From Lapdog to Watchdog: Giving Citizens a Voice in Monitoring the Oil Industry Through RCACs

Regional Citizens’ Advisory Councils in Alaska, created in the wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill of 1989, have provided citizens in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet with a meaningful role in oil spill prevention and cleanup plans. Although the history of these RCACs show that their formation left room for improvement, in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010, it is clear that innovative and creative solutions involving those most affected by oil spills are desperately needed throughout the country to prevent such disasters in the future. Moving forward, future RCACs should be created that build on the successes of the existing Councils, while fixing their three primary shortfalls: (1) their reliance on the oil industry for funding; (2) their “advisory” function limitations; and (3) their lack of subpoena power.
Effects of predator presence and habitat complexity on reef fish communities in The Bahamas

Reef ecosystems are highly diverse habitats that harbor many ecologically and economically significant species. Yet, globally they are under threat from multiple stressors including overexploitation of predatory fishes and habitat degradation. While these two human-driven activities often occur concomitantly, they are typically studied independently. Using a factorial design, we examined effects of predator presence, habitat complexity, and their interaction on patch reef fish communities in a nearshore ecosystem on Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas. We manipulated the presence of Nassau groupers (Epinephelus striatus), a reef predator that is critically endangered largely due to overharvest, and varied patch reef structure (cinder blocks with and without PVC) to reflect high or low complexity-four treatments in total. To assess changes in fish community composition we measured fish abundances, species richness, and evenness. We found that predators present and high reef complexity had an additive, positive effect on total fish abundance: fish abundance increased by ~ 250% and 300%, compared to predators absent and low complexity reef treatments, respectively. Species richness increased with reef complexity. Variation in community structure was explained by the interaction between factors, largely driven by juvenile Tomtate grunt (Haemulon aurolineatum) abundances. Specifically, Tomtate grunt abundance was significantly higher on high complexity reefs with predators present, but on low complexity reefs predators present had no effect on Tomtate grunt abundance. Our data suggest that both fisheries management of large-bodied piscivores and reef habitat restoration are critical to the management and conservation of reef ecosystem functions and services.
Broad-based subsidies or targeted transfers? Distributional equity vs macroeconomic costs

We study the trade-off between “broad-based energy subsidy” and “subsidy reform and targeted transfer” in the developing country context. We analyze the incidence of an electricity tariff different...
Racial Disparity in Surgical Therapy for Thymic Malignancies.

Background The primary curative treatment for thymic malignancies is surgery. For lung and esophageal cancer, substantive disparities in outcomes by race exist. Many of these disparities are attributed to the decreased use of surgery in non-White patients. Although thymic malignancies are treated by the same specialists as lung and esophageal cancer, it is unknown if there are racial disparities in the treatment of thymic malignancies. Research Question Do racial disparities exist in the surgical treatment of thymic malignancies? Study Design and Methods A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the National Cancer Data Base of patients diagnosed with thymoma and thymic carcinoma between 2004 and 2016. Univariate comparisons of demographics were compared using χ 2 and rank-sum tests. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine if race was an independent variable associated with receiving surgical resection. Preoperative and postoperative care was compared between races. Results Seven thousand four hundred eighty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Four thousand nine hundred sixty-two (66%) were White, 1,311 (18%) were Black, 487 (7%) were Hispanic, 580 (8%) were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 143 (2%) were other races. Black patients with thymic malignancies were more likely to have a median income Interpretation A racial disparity exists in surgical therapy for thymic malignancies.
Sustainable building technology: thermal control of solar energy to cool and heat the building naturally

A sustainable building design technology is being proposed to heat and cool inside the building naturally by using exterior curtain wall to control the solar energy. Simply, the thermal state of photon is being controlled by inducing Bose–Einstein (B–E) discrete photon mechanics and Higgs bosons (H → γγ¯) electro-quantum charge application to cool and heat the building naturally by its exterior curtain wall. Thus, in this research to cool the building naturally, helium (He)-aided curtain wall is being utilized to capture the solar energy to cool the photons by employing Bose–Einstein (B–E) photonic band gap in order to form a cooling-state photon. Here, this cooling-state photon is named as the Hossain Cooling Photon (HcP¯) which is actively functioned to cool the building by the process of photonic thermodynamics. When needed this HcP¯ can be reformed into a heating-state photon here denoted as Hossain Thermal Photon (HtP¯), which is created by Higgs bosons (H → γγ¯) electro-magnetic quantum empowered by a single-diode semiconductor to heat the building naturally. It is because of the Higgs bosons (H → γγ¯) quantum which is being instigated through the extreme low-range weak force which regulates the HcP¯ quantum to get agitated in order to convert it into heating state photon of HtP¯. The formation of HcP¯ and the reformation of HtP¯ have been confirmed by the use of set of computational mathematics. Interestingly the results revealed that the feasibility of reformation of photons (HcP¯ and HtP¯) is positively doable into the exterior curtain wall to cool and heat the building naturally which indeed world be an innovative technology for sustainable building science to mitigate global energy and environmental vulnerability.
Comparing Visual Odometry Systems in Actively Deforming Simulated Colon Environments

This paper presents a new open-source dataset with ground truth position in a simulated colon environment to promote development of real-time feedback systems for physicians performing colonoscopies. Four systems (DSO, LSD-SLAM, SfMLearner, ORB-SLAM2) are tested on this dataset and their failures are analyzed. A data collection platform was fabricated and used to take the dataset in a colonoscopy training simulator that was affixed to a flat surface. The noise in the ground truth positional data induced from the metal in the data collection platform was then characterized and corrected. The Absolute Trajectory RMSE Error (ATE) and Relative Error (RE) metrics were performed on each of the sequences in the dataset for each of the Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) systems. While these systems all had good performance in idealized conditions, more realistic conditions in the harder sequences caused them to produce poor results or fail completely. These failures will be a hindrance to physicians in a real-world scenario, so future systems made for this environment must be more robust to the difficulties found in the colon, even at the expense of trajectory accuracy. The authors believe that this is the first open-source dataset with groundtruth data displaying a simulated in vivo environment with active deformation, and that this is the first step toward achieving useful SLAM within the colon. The dataset is available at www.colorado.edu/lab/amtl/datasets.
Characterize the Interaction of the DNA Helicase PriA with the Stalled DNA Replication Fork Using Atomic Force Microscopy

In bacteria, the restart of stalled DNA replication forks requires the DNA helicase PriA. PriA can recognize and remodel abandoned DNA replication forks, unwind DNA in the 3'-to-5' direction, and facilitate the loading of the helicase DnaB onto the DNA to restart replication. ssDNA-binding protein (SSB) is typically present at the abandoned forks, protecting the ssDNA from nucleases. Research that is based on the assays for junction dissociation, surface plasmon resonance, single-molecule FRET, and x-ray crystal structure has revealed the helicase activity of PriA, the SSB-PriA interaction, and structural information of PriA helicase. Here, we used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to visualize the interaction between PriA and DNA substrates with or without SSB in the absence of ATP to delineate the substrate recognition pattern of PriA before its ATP-catalyzed DNA-unwinding reaction. The protocol describes the steps to obtain high-resolution AFM images and the details of data analysis and presentation.
Introduction JDR Special Issue Disabling Theological Education

Dolmage in Academic Ableism (2017) exposed the ableist and eugenic character of academic culture explaining, “The ethic of higher education still encourages students and teachers alike to accentuat...
Probing Kinetic Inductance Pulses Below the Hotspot Activation Threshold of a Superconducting Nanowire

Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) have demonstrated timing and efficiency properties that have placed them at the frontier in single photon sensing applications (e.g. photon counting, deep space optical communications, quantum communication, and quantum encryption). Properties such as timing jitter as low as 3 ps, dark counts under 90 counts per day, high detection efficiency ( $>90\%$ ), short dead time and sensitivity over a wide range of photon energies (UV to IR). SNSPDs have a cutoff energy where the photon does not have enough energy to trigger the detection mechanism. In this paper, we lay out the framework and experimental setup to explore a modified approach in detecting photons below the cut off energy typical in an SNSPD. Leveraging the nanowire's change in kinetic inductance from photon absorption, the resulting voltage pulse is measured through a coupled quantum-noise-limited parametric amplifier. We consider nanowires with widths less than the vortex entry limit of w $ , where $\xi$ is the coherence length, limiting the sources of noise.
Functional communication training is effective for treating problem behavior and requires additional study in natural contexts to become an evidence-based practice in psychology

Q (1) Is there sufficient empirical evidence for functional communication training (FCT) to be considered an evidence-based practice in psychology?(2) What is the strength of the evidence of FCT ef...
Tannock, S. (2018). Educational Equality and International Students. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan

As an international student, until recently I had never thought about educational equality for international students because it seemed impossible for an international student to have the same opportunities or resources as domestic students. Educational Equality and International Students, recently published by Tannock (2018), explores and highlights how to conceptualize and promote principles of educational equality for both international and domestic students in the United Kingdom. Tannock’s book includes empirical research consisting of 60 interviews with higher education staff and students, as well as the use of higher education institutional documents and secondary statistics collected from universities and national higher education organizations around the UK. Tannock addresses the contradictions between the missions of higher education institutions (universalistic principles of human rights in equal education) and their practices regarding international students as “cash cows” that keep the university afloat (p. 110).
Mechanisms of Cortical Reorganization in Lower-Limb Amputees

The human motor system undergoes reorganization after amputation, but the site of motor reorganization and the mechanisms involved are unknown. We studied the site and mechanisms of motor reorganization in 16 subjects with traumatic lower-limb amputation. Stimulation at different levels in the CNS was used to determine the site of reorganization. The mechanisms involved were evaluated by measuring the thresholds for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and by testing intracortical inhibition and facilitation. With TMS, the threshold for muscle activation on the amputated side was lower than that of the intact side, but with transcranial electrical stimulation there was no difference in motor threshold between the two sides. TMS at the maximal output of the stimulator activated a higher percentage of the motor neuron pool (%MNP) on the amputated side than on the intact side. The %MNP activated by spinal electrical stimulation was similar on the two sides. Paired TMS study showed significantly less intracortical inhibition on the amputated side. Our findings suggest that motor reorganization after lower-limb amputation occurs predominately at the cortical level. The mechanisms involved are likely to include reduction of GABAergic inhibition.
The Influence of Residual Contamination on the Structure and Properties of Metal/GaAs Interfaces

Reliable and reproducible metal contacts to semiconductors are necessary if electronic devices are to function properly. Two types of contacts are required to make these devices work properly: (1) ohmic contacts, and (2) rectifying gate contacts, which in some applications must survive annealing at 800°C or higher to activate implanted dopants.
Bayesian neural networks for nonlinear multivariate manufacturing process monitoring

As a linear method, PCA is not accurate for complicated processes control when nonlinear correlations are involved in the multivariate measurement variables. As one appealing nonlinear PCA method, principal curves generalized PCA to nonlinear domain and provide a better way to nonlinear feature extraction and dimension reduction. A multivariate process monitoring method based on Bayesian neural networks is proposed in this paper, which involves a projection network and a reconstruction network to represent the nonlinearities and helps avoid the overfitting problem in the weight parameter learning. Experimental study has illustrated the potential applicability of this method for nonlinear feature extraction and multivariate process monitoring.
Characterization of microsatellite loci isolated in trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Primers for 16 microsatellite loci were developed for the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator), a species recovering from a recent population bottleneck. In a screen of 158 individuals, the 16 loci were found to have levels of variability ranging from two to seven alleles. No loci were found to be linked, although two loci repeatedly revealed significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Amplification in the closely related tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) was successful for all except one locus. These microsatellite loci will be applicable for population genetic analyses and ultimately aid in management efforts.
Protein phosphatase 2A and its B56 regulatory subunit inhibit Wnt signaling in Xenopus.

Wnt signaling increases β-catenin abundance and transcription of Wnt-responsive genes. Our previous work suggested that the B56 regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibits Wnt signaling. Okadaic acid (a phosphatase inhibitor) increases, while B56 expression reduces, β-catenin abundance; B56 also reduces transcription of Wnt-responsive genes. Okadaic acid is a tumor promoter, and the structural A subunit of PP2A is mutated in multiple cancers. Taken together, the evidence suggests that PP2A is a tumor suppressor. However, other studies suggest that PP2A activates Wnt signaling. We now show that the B56, A and catalytic C subunits of PP2A each have ventralizing activity in Xenopus embryos. B56 was epistatically positioned downstream of GSK3β and axin but upstream of β-catenin, and axin co-immunoprecipitated B56, A and C subunits, suggesting that PP2A:B56 is in the β-catenin degradation complex. PP2A appears to be essential for β-catenin degradation, since β-catenin degradation was reconstituted in phosphatase-depleted Xenopus egg extracts by PP2A, but not PP1. These results support the hypothesis that PP2A:B56 directly inhibits Wnt signaling and plays a role in development and carcinogenesis.
Is this STS work‐related? ISO 1999 predictions as an adjunct to clinical judgment

Background Physicians and audiologists are often asked to decide whether standard threshold shifts (STSs) are work-related; epidemiological data can inform these decisions. Methods Predictions of ISO (2013) for both age-related and noise-induced threshold shifts, for the 2, 3, and 4 kHz average used in calculating OSHA STSs, are presented, in tables, graphs, and an Excel spreadsheet calculator. Specifically, the ISO 1999 model estimates age-related thresholds based on age and sex; it estimates noise-induced threshold shifts based on noise level and duration. It specifies that to estimate the final hearing thresholds for a person of given percentile, age, sex, and noise exposure, the expected age-related threshold is to be added to the expected noise-induced threshold shift. Examples show how these data can predict the relative contributions of aging and occupational noise to an STS. Results Early-career STSs, especially with high levels of noise exposure, are more likely to be primarily noise-induced. After the first decade of exposure, most STSs will be primarily age-related. Conclusion Given a worker's age, sex, and occupational noise exposure history, ISO 1999 estimates of the expected contributions of aging and noise can supplement clinical judgment. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased α2- and β2-adrenergic receptors in cerebral microvessels in Alzheimer disease

Abstract Adrenergic receptors exist in brain microvessels which are innervated by noradrenergic locus ceruleus neurons. Biochemical and pathological studies indicate locus ceruleus degeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD), which can cause adrenergic receptor alterations in brain microvessels. To assess this, we studied adrenergic receptors in human brain microvessels from AD subjects and age-matched controls by ligand binding methods. Total β receptors of cerebral microvessels and β2 receptors, the type which predominates in microvessels, were significantly increased in AD. Compared to the cerebral cortex, there was a paucity of α1-adrenergic receptors in cerebral microvessels, and they did not change in AD. Binding to α2 receptors in cerebral microvessels was ∼50% of that in the cortex, and these receptors increased by ∼60% in cerebral microvessels of AD subjects. These findings suggest adrenergic receptor ‘upregulation’ in response to noradrenergic deafferentation in AD, which may have functional consequences at the blood-brain barrier.
Dancers With Achilles Tendinopathy Demonstrate Altered Lower Extremity Takeoff Kinematics

Study design Controlled laboratory study using a cross-sectional design. Objectives To analyze lower extremity kinematics during takeoff of a “saut de chat” (leap) in dancers with and without a history of Achilles tendinopathy (AT). We hypothesized that dancers with AT would demonstrate different kinematic strategies compared to dancers without pathology, and that these differences would be prominent in the transverse and frontal planes. Background AT is a common injury experienced by dancers. Dance leaps such as the saut de chat place a large demand on the Achilles tendon. Methods Sixteen female dancers with and without a history of AT (mean ± SD age, 18.8 ± 1.2 years) participated. Three-dimensional kinematics at the hip, knee, and ankle were quantified for the takeoff of the saut de chat, using a motion analysis system. A force platform was used to determine braking and push-off phases of takeoff. Peak sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane joint positions during the braking and push-off phases of the...
A pleasure cruise around the frontal lobes: The Human Frontal Lobes: Functions and Disorders(second edition). Bruce L. Miller & Jeffrey L. Cummings (Eds.). 2007. New York: Guilford Press. Pp. 648. ISBN: 978-1-59385-329-7. $95.00.

Frontal lobe structure and function continue to garner increasing attention from neuroscientists and clinicians given the frontal lobes' prominent role in behavioral and cognitive regulation and re...
Relative in vitro affinity of hepatic metallothionein for metals.

Abstract The ability of selected metals (Ag, Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Tl and V) to displace Zn from Zn-metallothionein (Zn-MT) was quantitated. Of the metals tested Cd had the highest affinity for MT, with 1.33 muM displacing 50% of the 65 Zn bound to MT (EC 50 ), followed by Pb (1.46 muM), Cu (1.93 muM), Hg (3.93 muM), Zn (8.06 muM), Ag (10.4 muM), Ni (474 muM) and Co (880 muM). As, Ca and Mo had a limited ability to displace Zn from MT while Al, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Tl and V had no effect on Zn binding even at 1.0 mM.