cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of emergent chest radiography in evaluation of hyperacute stroke.

Objective: To use data from a large multicenter trial to assess the role and significance of chest radiograph (CXR) in the initial evaluation of acute stroke. Methods: Predefined clinical characteristics of patients who had recorded data on CXR examination during the initial evaluation were collected. We compared features of patients who had a CXR done before IV thrombolytics with those who did not. Rates of adverse cardiopulmonary events, intubation, and in-hospital mortality were also compared. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate for the association of CXR performance with door-to-needle time ≥60 minutes. Results: In a cohort of 615 patients, 243 had CXR done before IV thrombolytics. Patients with CXR before treatment had significantly higher admission neurologic deficit, initial respiratory rates, and door-to-needle time than those with CXR after treatment. The rates of cardiopulmonary adverse events in the first 24 hours of admission, endotracheal intubation in the first 7 hours, and in-hospital mortality were not different between the 2 groups. Patients with CXR done before treatment had longer mean door-to-needle times than those without pretreatment radiography (75.8 vs 58.3 minutes, p = 0.0001). Performance of CXR was independently associated with door-to-needle time ≥60 minutes (odds ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.97–3.92; p = 0.00001). Conclusions: Performance of CXR prior to IV thrombolytics prolongs door-to-needle time in acute ischemic stroke patients. CXR before treatment should be reserved for situations wherein acute cardiopulmonary conditions would otherwise preclude the administration of IV thrombolytics or substantially influence management.
Commercialization and consecration: Media attention to popular music in the US and the Netherlands, 1975–2005

Abstract Recent studies have argued that popular music has secured aesthetic legitimacy and an elevated position in the cultural hierarchy. Drawing on a variety of information, including newspaper articles on popular music in the US and the Netherlands in select reference years from 1975 to 2005, I consider the extent to which processes of commercialization and autonomization ( Bourdieu, 1993 ) have shaped coverage of popular music. Overall, I find that the field of popular music has developed a stable system of symbolic value that is relatively autonomous from, although overlapping with, commercial success. In particular, most coverage of popular music across artist and music types takes an aesthetic perspective, although there is a balance of both news items and artistic reviews. The study contributes to recent studies of institutional recognition and consecration in commercialized fields of cultural production.
A Unified Framework for Error Correction in On-chip Memories

Many techniques have been proposed to improve the reliability of on-chip memories (e.g., caches). These techniques can be broadly characterized as being based on either errorcorrecting codes, side-information from built-in self test (BIST) routines, or hybrid combinations of the two. Although each proposal has been shown to be favorable under a certain set of assumptions and parameters, it is difficult to determine the suitability of such techniques in the overall design space. In this paper, we seek to resolve this problem by introducing a unified general framework representing such schemes. The framework, composed of storage, decoders, costs, and error rates, allows a full exploration of the design space of reliability techniques. We show how existing schemes can be represented in this framework and we use the framework to examine performance in the practical case of high overall and moderate BIST-undetectable fault rates. We show that erasure-based sideinformation schemes are less sensitive to BIST-undetectable errors compared to other techniques.
Production and regulation of functional amyloid curli fimbriae by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

F amyloid, in the form of adhesive fimbrial proteins termed curli, was first described in Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Curli fibers adhere to various host cells and structural proteins, interact with components of the host immune system, and participate in biofilm formation. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) cause severe hemorrhagic diarrheal disease which can progress to hemolytic uremic syndrome in certain cases. STEC typically carry stx1, stx2, or both on lambdoid prophage. Although most STEC possess all of the genes required for functional curli production, curli expression is tightly regulated resulting in great variability in curli production among different STEC strains and serotypes. Curli and the exopolysaccharide cellulose are the major components of STEC biofilms. Both are controlled by the transcriptional regulator CsgD, whose expression is dependent on the RpoS sigma factor and enhanced by the MlrA transcription factor. We have shown that prophage insertions in the coding region of mlrA, often carrying anstx gene, are major barriers that limit csgD expression and curli production. This talk will discuss differences in csgD-dependent curli expression in various STEC serotypes and present new findings regarding prophage effects on mlrA expression and curli production.
A push-pull DC-AC high frequency power electronics transformer for photovoltaic applications

This paper presents a novel DC-AC inverter based on a high frequency power electronic transformer. It makes use of an adapted push-pull converter on the primary side of the transformer to apply a high frequency alternating voltage. This keeps the transformer flux low and transformer size small, reducing the cost of materials but at the same time keeping the power density high. The secondary side is a set of two bi-directional switches that synthesize the desired output voltage in a cycloconverter manner, helping to reduce the total harmonic distortion. A state space control strategy and commutation of the secondary side is also presented. The topology and control strategy has been confirmed with simulation results.
A Bitter Taste of the Sun Makes Egg-Laying Flies Run.

In this commentary , Anupama Dahanukar and Chun Han discuss [Guntur et al. (2016)][1] “H2O2-sensitive isoforms of Drosophila TRPA1 act in bitter-sensing gustatory neurons to promote avoidance of UV during egg laying,” which is published in this issue of GENETICS . The study reports a new
The Sphere of Privilege: Confucian Culture and the Administration of Buddhism (and Religion) in China

Public places (i.e., Habermas’s “public sphere”) have privileged status in modern democracies as arenas for the free exchange of ideas and commodities. Likewise, private interests enjoy a privileged status beyond state control, authorized as free expressions of the autonomous individual. This chapter addresses the effect of a “sphere of privilege” in traditional China on the administration of Buddhism (and religion). Rather than a separation of religious and secular spheres, it argues that public and private realms were never thought of as distinct in China, but as part of a continuum of a harmonious, if sometimes, contested terrain where secular and sacred aims met. The execution of this harmony was orchestrated through the administrative mechanisms of the state, which posited a “sphere of privilege” rather than a “public sphere.” The success of Buddhism in China was measured by its ability to access the “sphere of privilege” determined by Confucian values and principles, as applied through the bureaucratic structure of the Chinese state.
Value Creation through Novel Resource Configurations in a Digitally Enabled World

Research summary We propose a conceptual framework for examining the value-creation potential embedded into novel, digitally powered resource configurations. We suggest that business digitization calls for firms to adopt a system-based, value-creation-centric perspective for designing and organizing their resource configurations. Our conceptualization of a firm's resource configuration decisions centers on organizing access to resources controlled by value cocreators. We discuss resource configuration prototypes, value-creation sources, and the underlying resource configuration processes enabled by digitization. Our study contributes to the literature on strategic entrepreneurship by incorporating the ramifications of digitization into the theory on firms’ resource configuration and its underlying processes to enable strategic entrepreneurship. Managerial summary Digitization has profoundly reshaped the way business opportunities are discovered and exploited. In this article, we suggest that digitization expands the scope of resources firm could utilize while requiring firms to take a holistic approach in considering the resources and addressing the needs of all customers and partners (e.g., resource providers). We highlight the importance of such a holistic approach to enhancing the value creation potential in the digital age for entrepreneurs and managers. In addition, we propose novel ways to connect resources with needs of customers and partners (e.g., enabling transactions and providing bridges) as well as the actionable microprocesses that undergird and enable these novel connections in a digitally enabled world. Copyright © 2017 Strategic Management Society.
Alterations in the Photopic ERG and Optic Atrophy/Dysplasia in Congenital Stationary Nightblindness

Eight patients from six pedigrees have been identified with congenital stationary nightblindness in which there are similar changes, including congenital nightblindness, and myopia. The electroretinograms demonstrated photopic ERG’s which are normal to subnormal in amplitudes and implicit times, and nonrecordable scotopic ERG’s. The visual fields are normal for myopia.
Measuring thermal substrate resistance and impact on the characterization of thermoelectric modules

Abstract Different characterization methods for measuring Seebeck, electrical resistance, thermal conductance, and ZT of thermoelectrics modules for power generation applications found in literature have produced different results. These differences exist even when the methods use the same module on the same test equipment using the same temperatures across the module. We develop a model that accounts for the thermal resistance of the module substrate and contact resistance and do simulations to show that by accounting for the thermal substrate resistance the observed experimental differences can be accounted for. Based on the model, we develop two new test approaches for determining the thermal substrate resistance and provide means for properly interpreting results from four common thermoelectric characterization methods. We apply the correction to experimental data to demonstrate consistent results for measured module parameters regardless of testing approach used.
An investigation of student perceptions about the information systems profession

The image of the information systems field has an effect on whether high-caliber students are attracted to the industry. Even though the image portrayed in movies and television shows typically has been more 'geeky' and less professional than is actually the case, many students have chosen to pursue careers in the industry and enrollment in information systems programs have skyrocketed. However, factors such as economic conditions could easily reverse this trend. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions about the field and second, to explore factors that might influence students' decisions to major in information systems.
Rigid Body Mechanics

In which we find that a rigid body has six degrees of freedom, learn how to describe the orientation of a rigid body in terms of Euler angles, define inertial and body coordinates and find the Euler-Lagrange equations for a single rigid body…
Kondo Anomalies due to Rare Earth Impurity Ions

Rare earth (RE) ions are capable of producing “Kondo-like” anomalies in the physical properties of both concentrated and dilute RE metallic systems which are qualitatively similar. These temperature dependent anomalies scale with a characteristic temperature T0, above which the RE metallic system behaves magnetically and below which it behaves nonmagnetically. The physical properties in which Kondo-like anomalies are found include the electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, thermoelectric power, specific heat, and, in systems where appropriate, superconducting properties such as the critical temperature Tc and the jump in specific heat which occurs at Tc. The anomalies can be viewed as originating from admixture of the localized 4f electron states with the extended states of the conduction band, which can be traced to the unstable valence of certain RE ions.
Tracing Tolerance and Immunity In Vivo by CFSE-Labeling of Administered Cells

Tracking antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) function in vivo can be difficult due to the need to monitor the presence and subsequent destruction of antigen-bearing target cells. In this report, we describe a simple method using the fluorescent dye 5- (and 6-) carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) to evaluate CD8+ T-cell effector function in vivo by flow cytometry. In this assay, peptide-pulsed and control target cells are labeled to different levels with CFSE and coadministered to animals that have been previously immunized or tolerized to the cognate antigen. Because naive antigen-specific CD8+ T cells cannot acquire effector function within the time frame of this assay, adoptively transferred nonimmunized animals are used as negative controls for in vivo CTL function. Target cells are syngeneic splenocytes pulsed with peptide antigen and control cells are unpulsed syngeneic splenocytes. The loss of antigen-specific target cells is indicative of cytotoxicity and immunity, whereas the lack of killing in the setting of antigen recognition is suggestive of tolerance.
Students Who Aren't Prepared For College Find Less Value In Books And Lecture Than Students Who Are Prepared

Students in three sections of introductory psychology, N = 1051, were asked about the utility of traditional, e.g. instructor, lectures and textbook, and nontraditional, e.g., clickers, podcasts and online lecture slides, teaching tools. Students who felt unprepared for college (25.9%) differed from their peers in their perceived utility of these tools. Both groups of students reported that novel teaching tools were less helpful than traditional teaching tools and while there was no group difference in the perceived usefulness of the novel tools, underprepared students found traditional teaching tools to be less helpful than did prepared students. When the individual tools were used to predict the amount of self-reported learning gains in these students, it was the traditional teaching tools that accounted for the greater proportion of variability in overall learning. These results suggest that, rather than adding new approaches to their teaching, instructors could best assist their underprepared students by helping them learn to make better use of traditional teaching tools.
P97 High School Teens Conduct Research to Understand Why Students are Not Drinking Water

Background In Contra Costa County, only 26% of teens drank eight or more glasses of water the previous day while 62% drank two or more sodas. Substituting water for sugar-sweetened beverages can help reduce weight gain and the risk of developing chronic diseases. Healthy hydration while at high school can be a challenge for teens when free, safe, and appealing water is not accessible throughout the school day. Objective To engage youth in conducting research to better understand a teen hydration issue and create solutions to encourage students to meet daily water recommendations. Study Design, Settings, Participants An environmental scan revealed eight water fountains throughout the school, most did not work properly and/or did not have sufficient water flow. We engaged a group of students using the Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) framework. Teens developed survey questions and used the Qualtrics survey system, including the offline app. Surveys were collected from 320 students: a 57% response rate. Measurable Outcome/Analysis The survey assessed student beverage choices, habits, access to drinking water, and appeal of water. The resulting quantitative data were analyzed using Qualtrics descriptive statistics options. Results Teens discovered 97% of students were drinking water, but 60% were not drinking water provided at school. Instead, students brought water from home because of broken fountains and a perception that the school's water was not safe. Consequently, the average student daily water consumption was 4.92 cups, less than the 8-cup recommendation. Using the research-based information, the teens created infographics to share their findings schoolwide and presented to the school board to advocate for water refilling stations. Board members approved funds to install six stations. Conclusion The YPAR framework helped us better understand the high school hydration issue. Teens plan to continue with peer education and promote existing water fountains and upcoming stations – encouraging students to meet daily water recommendations.
Machine Learning Accelerated Partition Search for Video Encoding

With more complex partitioning structures in recent generations of video coding standards, the computation complexity of video encoder for partition block size search has been increasing drastically. To expedite the overall encoding process, it is desired to make faster partitioning decisions without much compression performance degradation. In this paper, we propose a multi-scale multi-stage machine learning(ML) based framework to accelerate partition block size search. The framework includes a collection of ML models, each dedicated to make a simple decision for a particular block size at a particular stage during the partitioning rate-distortion optimization(RDO) process. The ML models can predict whether the RD evaluation of certain partition block sizes can be skipped, saving unnecessary computation in the encoder. The proposed approach is implemented and tested on VP9 with the open source library libvpx. Significant encoding speed improvement has been observed with neglectable compression performance regression. The framework and methodology can be easily applied to other video codecs and implementations as well.
Regulations for on-road testing of connected and automated vehicles: Assessing the potential for global safety harmonization

Abstract Although there is great media attention to connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and strong public interest in the technology, it is still under development. Their deployment to the broader public will require new regulations and road traffic rules that are also under development, and there is not yet a globally harmonized approach. This paper reviews the main safety and liability issues for CAVs with a focus on the rules developed for on-road testing to date in Australia, the United States, and Germany. It also reviews government policies from Victoria, Australia, and California, the United States, and it provides an appendix on European Union (E.U.) regulations. After a review of similarities and differences regarding safety and liability provisions, the study suggests how the current provisions can be brought together toward a globally harmonized approach to safety issues that builds on best practices in the three countries.
Chapter 9 – The Ultraviolet

The ultraviolet comprises high frequency radiation adjacent to the blue hues of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Two factors limit our use of the ultraviolet. First, atmospheric scattering is severe in the ultraviolet, making photographs fuzzy and of low contrast. Second, rock reflectance plunges in the ultraviolet; rocks appearing bright in the visible appear dim in the ultraviolet. Ultraviolet radiation, however, propagates deeply into unpolluted water allowing details of shallow offshore features or pollution to be imaged using the ultraviolet. There has also been some research showing the ultraviolet to be a promising region for detecting vegetation stress.
Constraint and Statistical Adjustment Models Applied to Transition Fracture Toughness Data

Constraint and statistical models were applied to fracture toughness data in the transition for steels to determine to what extent either or both are required to deal with size and geometry effects in the transition. A Weibull model was used for statistical adjustment to try to remove size effects from the data. The small-scale yield model was used as a constraint adjustment model to try to do the same. Results showed that no single adjustment worked in every case. To remove size effects a Weibull statistical adjustment taken alone worked best. However, statistical adjustment has not been used to remove geometry effects. To insure accurate transferability of fracture toughness data from one geometry to the next a constraint based model is needed. For this the model based on the J-Q two parameter crack tip stress field characterization was used. Fracture toughness measured on a compact specimen was used to predict the fracture toughness of center-cracked and double-edge cracked tension geometries. These predictions were compared with actual data. The results showed that the model was able to predict the fracture behavior of the double-edge cracked geometry but was nonconservative for the center-cracked geometry. These results show that both statistical and constraint models are necessary for dealing with transition fracture toughness data.
Two-dimensional materials-based nonvolatile resistive memories and radio frequency switches

Abstract In this chapter, we demonstrated the application of two-dimensional (2D) monolayer atomic sheets (transition metal dichalcogenides and hexagonal boron nitride) in nonvolatile resistive memory using metal-insulator-metal vertical structure. These devices can be labeled as “atomristor,” which means the memristor effect in atomically thin nanomaterials. Among 2D memory devices, atomristor stands out due to the atomic thinness of the active layer, low switching voltage, forming-free characteristic, large ON/OFF current ratio, and fast switching speed. In the last section, another major application based on atomristor, monolayer MoS2-based radio frequency switch will be presented.
Reliability and Validity of Pupillary Response During Dual-Task Balance in Parkinson Disease.

Abstract Objective To investigate the reliability and validity of pupillary response during dual-task balance conditions in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University of Kansas Medical Center Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center. Participants Participants (N=68) included individuals with PD (n=33) and healthy controls (n=35). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Pupillary response was the main outcome measure that was measured during the following conditions: single-task balance eyes open, single-task balance eyes occluded, dual-task eyes open, and dual-task eyes occluded. After each condition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was administered to assess self-reported cognitive workload. To examine the test-retest reliability of the pupillary response, the conditions were administered twice for each individual within 2 hours. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to analyze the test-retest reliability of pupillary response in each condition for both groups. Pearson’s r correlation was used to assess the convergent validity of pupillary response against the NASA-TLX. Results The test-retest reliability was excellent for both groups in almost all conditions (ICC>0.75). There were no correlations between pupillary response and the NASA-TLX. However, increased mental demand (a subitem of the NASA-TLX) significantly correlated with increased pupillary response in individuals with PD (r=0.38; P=.03). Conclusions Pupillary response showed excellent test-retest reliability and validity during dual-task balance for individuals with PD and healthy controls. Overall, these results suggest that pupillary response represents a stable index of cognitive workload during dual-task balance in individuals with PD.
Latinos in Kansas City: The Political Economy of Placemaking:

This article critically reviews the literature on the relationship between global capitalist accumulation and placemaking and community building of Latinos in Kansas City. We use the social structu...
Effects of peracetic acid on aromatic polyamide nanofiltration membranes: a comparative study with chlorine

Peracetic acid (PAA) is being considered as a disinfectant in membrane-based wastewater reuse systems, but its compatibility with polyamide membranes has not been thoroughly investigated. In this work, we showed that PAA induced much less change in the performance and material characteristics of NF90 membranes than the traditional disinfectant free chlorine (NaOCl). The change in membrane water flux and the rejection of salt and neutral organic compounds after PAA exposure (1–180 g h L−1) is significantly less than that resulting from NaOCl exposure at levels as low as 1 g h L−1. The presence of two wastewater constituents, chloride or Fe(II), did not significantly impact membrane performance upon exposure to PAA. Surface characterization showed that oxygen was incorporated into polyamide by PAA, some of which was attributed to the formation of carboxylic acid groups. Experiments using a model aromatic amide, benzanilide, indicated an unexpected role of PAA in protecting the membrane from radicals formed by Fe(II) and the H2O2 present in commercial PAA formulations. Furthermore, product identification suggests that both amide bond breakage and ring oxidation are possible reaction mechanisms for PAA. Our findings support that PAA is a viable disinfectant candidate for wastewater reuse and warrants further evaluation.
Character strengths as predictors of trust and cooperation in economic decision-making

Cooperation occupies nearly every aspect of human life. While previous research focuses on how situational factors and personality predict cooperation, less is known about how specific character st...
True Liquidity and Fundamental Prices: US Tick Size Pilot

We develop a big-data methodology to estimate fundamental prices and true liquidity measures, explicitly considering the rounding specification due to the minimum tick size. Evaluation of the tick size pilot (TSP), which increased the tick size for some randomly chosen stocks, requires the impact of rounding. Our true liquidity measures capture the TSP-driven decreased inventory costs of market-makers, whereas traditional measures without the rounding adjustment cannot. We nd that the TSP increases market-maker pro ts, but does not improve liquidity and price efficiency. This result contrasts existing empirical studies but is consistent with recent theoretical studies that account for rounding.
Prevalence and Propagation of Fake News

In recent years, scholars have raised concerns on the effects that unreliable news, or "fake news," has on our political sphere, and our democracy as a whole. For example, the propagation of fake news on social media is widely believed to have influenced the outcome of national elections, including the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. What drives the propagation of fake news on an individual level, and which interventions could effectively reduce the propagation rate? Our model disentangles bias from truthfulness of an article and examines the relationship between these two parameters and a reader's own beliefs. Using the model, we create policy recommendations for both social media platforms and individual social media users to reduce the spread of untruthful or highly biased news. We recommend that platforms sponsor unbiased truthful news, focus fact-checking efforts on mild to moderately biased news, recommend friend suggestions across the political spectrum, and provide users with reports about the political alignment of their feed. We recommend that individual social media users fact check news that strongly aligns with their political bias and read articles of opposing political bias.
Heterogeneity of Tau Deposition and Microvascular Involvement in MCI and AD

BACKGROUND Reduced cerebrovascular function and accumulation of tau pathology are key components of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent multimodal neuroimag- ing studies show a correlation between cortical tau accumulation and reduced cerebral perfusion. However, animal models predict that tau exerts capillary-level changes that may not be fully cap- tured by standard imaging protocols. OBJECTIVE Using newly-developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to measure cap- illary-specific perfusion parameters, we examined a series of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients with tau positron emission tomography (PET) to observe whole-brain capillary perfu- sion alterations and their association with tau deposition. METHODS Seven subjects with MCI or AD received Flortaucipir PET to measure tau deposition and spin-echo dynamic susceptibility contrast (SE-DSC) MRI to measure microvascular perfusion (<10μm radius vessels). Gradient-echo (GE) DSC and pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (P- CASL) MRI were also acquired to assess macrovascular perfusion. Tau PET, microvascular perfu- sion, and cortical thickness maps were visually inspected in volumetric slices and on cortical sur- face projections. RESULTS High tau PET signal was generally observed in the lateral temporal and parietal cortices, with uptake in the occipital cortex in one subject. Global blood flow measured by PCASL was re- duced with increasing tau burden, which was consistent with previous studies. Tau accumulation was spatially associated with variable patterns of microvascular cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxy- gen extraction fraction (OEF) in the cortex and with increased capillary transit heterogeneity (C- TH) in adjacent periventricular white matter, independent of amyloid-β status. CONCLUSIONS Although macrovascular perfusion generally correlated with tau deposition at the whole-cortex level, regional changes in microvascular perfusion were not uniformly associated with either tau pathology or cortical atrophy. This work highlights the heterogeneity of AD-related brain changes and the challenges of implementing therapeutic interventions to improve cerebrovas- cular function.
The Control of Gene Expression by Auxin

Auxin has been shown to be involved in a variety of diverse plant growth and developmental responses including cell elongation, cell division and cell differentiation (24). The mechanism(s) by which auxin affects such diverse processes is unknown, but, over the past 30 years, several major hypotheses have been proposed and have directed the efforts of auxin biologists. These hypotheses will be discussed briefly as an introduction to a discussion of a current molecular approach being taken to elucidate the mechanism of auxin action.
Thymine Metabolism in Escherichia coli II. ALTERED UPTAKE OF THYMINE AFTER BACTERIOPHAGE INFECTION

Abstract Although Escherichia coli does not readily utilize exogenous thymine for the synthesis of its deoxyribonucleic acid, cells infected with the T-even bacteriophages efficiently incorporate the exogenous base into viral DNA. The primary change induced by infection involves the entry of thymine into the cell. This alteration requires injection of the infecting viral DNA, as well as subsequent protein synthesis, but is independent of the formation of new viral DNA. It does not appear to be the result of permeability changes or of alterations in the enzymes which regulate the uptake of thymine. The results support the proposal that the uptake of exogenous thymine depends on the availability of deoxyribosyl donors for the synthesis of deoxythymidine. The altered uptake of thymine after infection probably results from a virus-induced accumulation of these deoxyribosyl donors.
Prostate tumour volumes: evaluation of the agreement between magnetic resonance imaging and histology using novel co-registration software.

Objective To evaluate the agreement between prostate tumour volume determined using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and that determined by histological assessment, using detailed software-assisted co-registration. Materials and Methods A total of 37 patients who underwent 3T multiparametric MRI (T2-weighted imaging [T2WI], diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]/apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC], dynamic contrast-enhanced [DCE] imaging) were included. A radiologist traced the borders of suspicious lesions on T2WI and ADC and assigned a suspicion score of between 2 and 5, while a uropathologist traced the borders of tumours on histopathological photographs. Software was used to co-register MRI and three-dimensional digital reconstructions of radical prostatectomy specimens and to compute imaging and histopathological volumes. Agreement in volumes between MRI and histology was assessed using Bland–Altman plots and stratified by tumour characteristics. Results Among 50 tumours, the mean differences (95% limits of agreement) in MRI relative to histology were −32% (−128 to +65%) on T2WI and −47% (−143 to +49%) on ADC. For all tumour subsets, volume underestimation was more marked on ADC maps (mean difference ranging from −57 to −16%) than on T2WI (mean difference ranging from −45 to +2%). The 95% limits of agreement were wide for all comparisons, with the lower 95% limit ranging between −77 and −143% across assessments. Volume underestimation was more marked for tumours with a Gleason score ≥7 or a MRI suspicion score 4 or 5. Conclusion Volume estimates of prostate cancer using MRI tended to substantially underestimate histopathological volumes, with a wide variability in extent of underestimation across cases. These findings have implications for efforts to use MRI to guide risk assessment.
Essential medicolegal death investigation services: standardization of a survey instrument based on the Essential Public Health Services.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends that states assess the performance of medicolegal death investigation agencies. To aid in performance assessment, we adapted an instrument based on the CDC's 10 Essential Public Health Services by translating the terminology to that of essential medicolegal death investigation services. This produced a survey that could be used to standardize reporting practices and services of agencies. To validate the instrument, a stratified random sample of 12 death investigation chiefs in 12 states was interviewed. This sample represented both medical examiner and coroner jurisdictions within the varying medicolegal structures. A cognitive testing process elicited how well participants could respond to and interpret the survey questions. The response was favorable in that the respondents agreed that given specific revisions toward question clarification, the instrument would be a useful and relevant tool for assessing system performance. Language: en
Venice Besieged: Politics and Diplomacy in the Italian Wars, 1494–1534 – By Robert Finlay

The beginning of the sixteenth century has long been recognized as a turning point in Venetian history. The circumnavigation of Africa and discovery of the New World disrupted the city's long‐estab...
Ambiguous Messianism: The Political Theology of Martin Buber1

In this article I will exmine the complex attitude of Martin Buber (1878–1965) to Messianism in the prism of political theology in Israel. Buber’s intellectual and scholarly interest in Messianism was intense and it can also be said to have been methodical. Messianism and its universal essence were the very foundation of his thought. His methodical treatment of Messianism encouraged the idea that his dialogic approach to philosophical enquiry was an authentic philosophical method.
Solution of hot particle ballooning mode integral equation in tokamaks

Abstract The solution for the stability of ballooning mode equations in tokamaks with hot particles is presented. The system of equations requires solving a combined set of differential and integral equations accounting for the detailed hot particle orbits. Special techniques are developed to describe the equilibrium, the linear set of matrix equations, and the boundary conditions. A modified WKB technique is developed to treat the boundary conditions. A detailed discussion is given of how boundary conditions are determined. We rigorously show why, in some cases, the eigenfunction may be exponentially growing with an outgoing group velocity. Sample results are presented.
Certification of Educational Administrators

Parts V and VI which appear below represent the conclusion of this article. The first section, containing Parts I, II, III, and IV, was published in the March 1958 issue of THE JOURNAL.Preprints of the entire article-Parts I through VI-are available at fifty cents per copy. Address orders to the National Commission on Teacher Education and Profes sional Standards, National Education Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Wash ington 6, D. C.
Continued Expression of GATA3 Is Necessary for Cochlear Neurosensory Development

Hair cells of the developing mammalian inner ear are progressively defined through cell fate restriction. This process culminates in the expression of the bHLH transcription factor Atoh1, which is necessary for differentiation of hair cells, but not for their specification. Loss of several genes will disrupt ear morphogenesis or arrest of neurosensory epithelia development. We previously showed in null mutants that the loss of the transcription factor, Gata3, results specifically in the loss of all cochlear neurosensory development. Temporal expression of Gata3 is broad from the otic placode stage through the postnatal ear. It therefore remains unclear at which stage in development Gata3 exerts its effect. To better understand the stage specific effects of Gata3, we investigated the role of Gata3 in cochlear neurosensory specification and differentiation utilizing a LoxP targeted Gata3 line and two Cre lines. Foxg1Cre∶Gata3f/f mice show recombination of Gata3 around E8.5 but continue to develop a cochlear duct without differentiated hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons. qRT-PCR data show that Atoh1 was down-regulated but not absent in the duct whereas other hair cell specific genes such as Pou4f3 were completely absent. In addition, while Sox2 levels were lower in the Foxg1Cre:Gata3f/f cochlea, Eya1 levels remained normal. We conclude that Eya1 is unable to fully upregulate Atoh1 or Pou4f3, and drive differentiation of hair cells without Gata3. Pax2-Cre∶Gata3f/f mice show a delayed recombination of Gata3 in the ear relative to Foxg1Cre:Gata3f/f. These mice exhibited a cochlear duct containing patches of partially differentiated hair cells and developed only few and incorrectly projecting spiral ganglion neurons. Our conditional deletion studies reveal a major role of Gata3 in the signaling of prosensory genes and in the differentiation of cochlear neurosenory cells. We suggest that Gata3 may act in combination with Eya1, Six1, and Sox2 in cochlear prosensory gene signaling.
Tackling diversity and HR convergence

Wesley Payne McClendon explains why HR needs to simultaneously address its multiple challenges in order to contribute to making strategic decisions.
Combined Diuretic and Sympatholytic Therapy in Elderly Patients with Predominant Systolic Hypertension

It has been speculated that the convenience and palatability of low-dose combination antihypertension treatment might enhance therapeutic effectiveness and compliance, especially in elderly patients. To test this possibility, patients over 60 years of age with predominant systolic hypertension were treated with a combination of a diuretic, chlorthalidone, and the centrally acting inhibitor of sympathetic activity, clonidine. The results of active treatment in these patients (n = 13) were compared with those of a placebo (n = 11). Active therapy with low doses of chlorthalidone and clonidine (usually once daily) controlled blood pressure (systolic pressure
Turning on the Arp2/3 Complex at Atomic Resolution

The recently published 2 A X-ray crystal structure of bovine Arp2/3 complex gives us atomic scale insight into Arp2/3-mediated actin nucleation, while cryo-EM work and functional studies begin to fill in exciting mechanistic details.
Cellular and Circuit Mechanisms Maintain Low Spike Co-Variability and Enhance Population Coding in Somatosensory Cortex

The responses of cortical neurons are highly variable across repeated presentations of a stimulus. Understanding this variability is critical for theories of both sensory and motor processing, since response variance affects the accuracy of neural codes. Despite this influence, the cellular and circuit mechanisms that shape the trial-to-trial variability of population responses remain poorly understood. We used a combination of experimental and computational techniques to uncover the mechanisms underlying response variability of populations of pyramidal (E) cells in layer 2/3 of rat whisker barrel cortex. Spike trains recorded from pairs of E-cells during either spontaneous activity or whisker deflected responses show similarly low levels of spiking co-variability, despite large differences in network activation between the two states. We developed network models that show how spike threshold non-linearities dilute E-cell spiking co-variability during spontaneous activity and low velocity whisker deflections. In contrast, during high velocity whisker deflections, cancelation mechanisms mediated by feedforward inhibition maintain low E-cell pairwise co-variability. Thus, the combination of these two mechanisms ensure low E-cell population variability over a wide range of whisker deflection velocities. Finally, we show how this active decorrelation of population variability leads to a drastic increase in the population information about whisker velocity. The prevalence of spiking non-linearities and feedforward inhibition in the nervous system suggests that the mechanisms for low network variability presented in our study may generalize throughout the brain.
PPARγ ligands, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, inhibit bFGF- and VEGF-mediated angiogenesis

Objective To study the effect of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) agonists, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced angiogenesis and on endothelial cell migration.
Microglial activation and antioxidant responses induced by the Parkinson's disease protein α-synuclein.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder typified by tremor, rigidity, akinesia and postural instability due in part to the loss of dopamine within the nigrostriatal system. The pathologic features of this disorder include the loss of substantia nigra dopamine neurons and attendant striatal terminals, the presence of large protein-rich neuronal inclusions containing fibrillar α-synuclein and increased numbers of activated microglia. Evidence suggests that both misfolded α-synuclein and oxidative stress play an important role in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD. Here we review evidence that α-synuclein activates glia inducing inflammation and that Nrf2-directed phase-II antioxidant enzymes play an important role in PD. We also provide new evidence that the expression of antioxidant enzymes regulated in part by Nrf2 is increased in a mouse model of α-synuclein overexpression. We show that misfolded α-synuclein directly activates microglia inducing the production and release of the proinflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, and increasing antioxidant enzyme expression. Importantly, we demonstrate that the precise structure of α-synuclein is important for induction of this proinflammatory pathway. This complex α-synuclein-directed glial response highlights the importance of protein misfolding, oxidative stress and inflammation in PD and represents a potential locus for the development of novel therapeutics focused on induction of the Nrf2-directed antioxidant pathway and inhibition of protein misfolding.
HST2 Mediates SIR2-Independent Life-Span Extension by Calorie Restriction

Calorie restriction (CR) extends the life span of numerous species, from yeast to rodents. Yeast Sir2 is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase that has been proposed to mediate the effects of CR. However, this hypothesis has been challenged by the observation that CR can extend yeast life span in the absence of Sir2. Here, we show that Sir2-independent life-span extension is mediated by Hst2, a Sir2 homolog that promotes the stability of repetitive ribosomal DNA, the same mechanism by which Sir2 extends life span. These findings demonstrate that the maintenance of DNA stability is critical for yeast life-span extension by CR and suggest that, in higher organisms, multiple members of the Sir2 family may regulate life span in response to diet.
Trapping of dextran-coated colloids in liposomes by transient binding to aminophospholipid: preparation of ferrosomes

A procedure is described that allows to increase the efficiency of the loading of liposomes with dextran-stabilized iron oxides (MION). The method produces a preparation of liposomes (REVs) with high iron oxide content as a result of transient binding of oxidized dextran with amino groups of aminophospholipids. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-containing lipid mixtures (PC/DOPE/CH or SM/DOPE/CH, 9:2:9 molar ratio) in organic phase were combined with oxidized MION at pH 8. Liposomes then were obtained by reversed-phase evaporation. Liposomes, 263 +/- 89 nm in diameter, contained up to 11.8 mol Fe/mol phospholipid (encapsulation yield 49%). 10.2% of liposome-associated iron was dissociated from liposomes upon changing the pH to 4.5. When lipid compositions of extracts prepared from liposomes incubated at pH 4.5 and pH 8.0 were compared, an increase of relative PE-content in extracts of liposomes incubated at lowered pH was detected. This indicates a dissociation of imine bonds between aldehydes on the MION surface and PE. The accessibility of liposomal PE for acylation was demonstrated by modification with an activated ester of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) succinate. Control liposomes, containing no aminophospholipid, or PE-containing liposomes obtained in the presence of non-oxidized MION, were 3.5-5-fold less effective for MION encapsulation and showed extensive aggregation.