cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of alpha control: Preparatory suppression of posterior alpha oscillations by frontal modulators revealed with combined eeg and event-related optical signal

We investigated the dynamics of brain processes facilitating conscious experience of external stimuli. Previously, we proposed that alpha (8—12 Hz) oscillations, which fluctuate with both sustained and directed attention, represent a pulsed inhibition of ongoing sensory brain activity. Here we tested the prediction that inhibitory alpha oscillations in visual cortex are modulated by top—down signals from frontoparietal attention networks. We measured modulations in phase-coherent alpha oscillations from superficial frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices using the event-related optical signal (EROS), a measure of neuronal activity affording high spatiotemporal resolution, along with concurrently recorded EEG, while participants performed a visual target detection task. The pretarget alpha oscillations measured with EEG and EROS from posterior areas were larger for subsequently undetected targets, supporting alpha's inhibitory role. Using EROS, we localized brain correlates of these awareness-related alpha oscillations measured at the scalp to the cuneus and precuneus. Crucially, EROS alpha suppression correlated with posterior EEG alpha power across participants. Sorting the EROS data based on EEG alpha power quartiles to investigate alpha modulators revealed that suppression of posterior alpha was preceded by increased activity in regions of the dorsal attention network and decreased activity in regions of the cingulo-opercular network. Cross-correlations revealed the temporal dynamics of activity within these preparatory networks before posterior alpha modulation. The novel combination of EEG and EROS afforded localization of the sources and correlates of alpha oscillations and their temporal relationships, supporting our proposal that top—down control from attention networks modulates both posterior alpha and awareness of visual stimuli.
A novel local thresholding algorithm for trabecular bone volume fraction mapping in the limited spatial resolution regime of in vivo MRI

Recent advances in micro-magnetic resonance imaging have shown the possibility of in vivo assessment of trabecular bone architecture. However, the small feature size and relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) achievable in vivo cause the intensity histogram to be unimodal. The critical first step in the processing of these images is the extraction of bone volume fraction for each voxel. Here, we propose a local threshold algorithm (LTA) that determines the marrow intensity value in the neighborhood of each voxel based on nearest-neighbor statistics. Using the local marrow intensities we threshold the image and scale the intensities of voxels partially occupied by bone to produce a marrow volume fraction map of the trabecular bone region. We show that structural parameters derived with the LTA are highly correlated with those obtained with the previously published histogram deconvolution algorithm (HDA) and that the LTA is robust to image noise corruption. The LTA is found to correctly identify trabeculae with a significantly higher reliability than HDA. Finally, we demonstrate that the LTA is superior in preserving connectivity by showing for 75 in vivo images that the genus of the trabecular bone surface is always higher than when processed with the HDA.
Libet's temporal anomalies: a reassessment of the data.

Abstract Benjamin Libet compared the perceived time of direct brain stimulation to the perceived time of skin stimulation. His results are among the most controversial experiments at the interface between psychology and philosophy. The new element that I bring to this discussion is a reanalysis of Libet's raw data. Libet's original data were difficult to interpret because of the manner in which they were presented in tables. Plotting the data as psychometric functions shows that the observers have great uncertainty about the relative timing of events, as seen the shallow psychometric slopes. A second indication of uncertainty comes from Libet's use of three response categories, A first; B first; and A and B simultaneous. The large number of “perceptually simultaneous” responses provides a further measure of the difficulty of the judgment. There are thus a very broad range of stimulus delays in which the subject is unable to make an accurate ordering response. These points provide evidence that there is no compelling reason to invent exotic or ad hoc mechanisms to account for Libet's data since the uncertainty window is large enough to allow simple mechanism such as memory shifts. Libet argued that his data provide evidence for a backward referral in time. I argue that even though Libet's own data are weak, there are good arguments for a backward referral mechanism to help the subject make sense out of the tangled chaos of asynchronous information associated with experienced events.
Variable-range hopping in quasi-one-dimensional electron crystals

We study the effect of impurities on the ground state and the low-temperature Ohmic dc transport in a one-dimensional chain and quasi-one-dimensional systems of many parallel chains. We assume that strong interactions impose a short-range periodicity of the electron positions. The long-range order of such an electron crystal (or equivalently, a ${4k}_{F}$ charge-density wave) is destroyed by impurities, which act as strong pinning centers. We show that a three-dimensional array of chains behaves differently at large and at small impurity concentrations N. At large N, impurities divide the chains into metallic rods. Additions or removal of electrons from such rods correspond to charge excitations whose density of states exhibits a quadratic Coulomb gap. At low temperatures the conductivity is due to the variable-range hopping of electrons between the rods. It obeys the Efros-Shklovskii (ES) law, $\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sim}{(T}_{\mathrm{ES}}{/T)}^{1/2}.$ ${T}_{\mathrm{ES}}$ decreases as N decreases, which leads to an exponential growth of $\ensuremath{\sigma}.$ When N is small, the metallic-rod (also known as ``interrupted-strand'') picture of the ground state survives only in the form of rare clusters of atypically short rods. They are the source of low-energy charge excitations. In the bulk of the crystal the charge excitations are gapped and the electron crystal is pinned collectively. A strongly anisotropic screening of the Coulomb potential produces an unconventional linear in energy Coulomb gap and an unusual law of the variable-range hopping conductivity $\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sim}{(T}_{1}{/T)}^{2/5}.$ The parameter ${T}_{1}$ remains constant over a finite range of impurity concentrations. At smaller N the $2/5$ law is replaced by the Mott law, $\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{ln}\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\sim}{(T}_{M}{/T)}^{1/4}.$ In the Mott regime the conductivity gets suppressed as N goes down. Thus, the overall dependence of $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ on N is nonmonotonic. In the case of a single chain, the metallic-rod picture applies at all N. The low-temperature conductivity obeys the ES law, with log corrections, and decreases exponentially with N. Our theory provides a qualitative explanation for the transport properties of organic charge-density wave compounds of TCNQ family.
Parachor and Critical Co-ordinates

IN 1923, Macleod discovered an empirical formula1 which was valid near the critical point of a pure substance where dl and dg are the densities of the liquid and gas, respectively, and σ is the surface tension of the interface separating the liquid and gas. This formula was expressed by Sugden as2 where M is the molecular weight of the substance, and P is a constant (characteristic of the substance) called the parachor. As is well known3, equation (1) is only approximately true; that is, the parachor varies slightly with temperature near the critical point. In recent years the parachor has fallen into desuetude, undoubtedly because it was linked2 to an empirical view of the structure of atoms and molecules, which is no longer acceptable. Nevertheless, equation (2), considered only as an approximate experimental law, can still be useful as will be seen later.
Nuclear factor kappa B is required for the development of marginal zone B lymphocytes.

Although immunoglobulin (Ig)MhiIgDlo/−CD21hi marginal zone B cells represent a significant proportion of naive peripheral splenic B lymphocytes, few of the genes that regulate their development have been identified. This subset of peripheral B cells fails to emerge in mice that lack nuclear factor (NF)-κBp50. Less drastic reductions in marginal zone B cell numbers are also seen in the spleens of recombination activating gene (Rag)-2−/− mice reconstituted with NF-κBp65−/− fetal liver cells and in c-Rel−/− mice. In contrast, steady-state levels of IgDhi splenic follicular B cells are not significantly reduced in the absence of NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65, or c-Rel. Reconstitution of B cells in Rag-2−/− mice with a mixture of p50−/−/p65−/− fetal liver cells and Rag-2−/− bone marrow cells revealed that the generation of marginal zone B cells requires the expression of NF-κB in developing B cells, as opposed to supporting cells.
Trends in use of medical abortion in the United States: reanalysis of surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001-2008.

Background With changing patterns and increasing use of medical abortion in the United States, it is important to have accurate statistics on the use of this method regularly available. This study assesses the accuracy of medical abortion data reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and describes trends over time in the use of medical abortion relative to other methods.
Building a scalable web query system

Nowadays, the dominant way to find information on the web is through search. General search engines are very effective, but search phrases and results are unstructured and that limits a user's ability to further automate the processing of the search results. In recent years, we have seen efforts to build systems that support more precise query on the web for certain content verticals. We describe the general problems for building an extensible web query system and report some of our work in this area.
Anatomy and Pathophysiology of VTOS

Acute axillosubclavian vein thrombosis is a disorder of the anterior thoracic outlet, and is always associated with an abnormally lateral insertion of the costoclavicular ligament. This is a low pressure system associated with extrinsic compressive forces, and conventional intraluminal therapy designed to treat atherosclerotic arterial lesions is not appropriate in this situation. In our experience of over 600 extremities with this condition, prompt thrombolysis followed by thoracic outlet decompression leads to excellent results in over 95 % of patients, especially if treatment is instituted soon after thrombosis occurs.
Boundary Ambiguity and Borderline Personality Traits: Implications for Treatment for Adolescent Girls in Foster Care

This article explores the relationship between boundary ambiguity and borderline personality traits in adolescent girls in foster care. Boundary ambiguity is a family systems concept: family members are uncertain about who is in or out of the family—in either psychological or physical presence or absence. In foster care, it can be assumed that an adolescent girl has experienced trauma significant enough to be removed from her family. The connection between early childhood trauma and attachment disruption in addition to the connection between insecure/disorganized attachment and borderline personality disorder leads to the conclusion that these same adolescents are at high risk for developing borderline personality traits. The sample consists of 40 caseworkers from New England’s child protection departments and therapists from residential programs working with adolescent girls. They completed the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure for Adolescents to determine the presence of personality disruption as well...
A simple spin-exchange-relaxation-free atomic magnetometer using microfabricated vapor cell

We demonstrate an atomic magnetometer with a sensitivity below 100 fT/√Hz, using a millimeter-scale microfabricated alkali vapor cell and a single low-power diode laser. This work suggests that compact, low-power, highly sensitive magnetometers are feasible.
Clinical presentation of Lassa fever cases during the hospital epidemic at Zorzor, Liberia, March-April 1972.

In March and April 1972 a nosocomial Lassa fever epidemic occurred in Curran Lutheran Hospital, Zorzor, Liberia. The index case, an obstetrical patient, was the source of infection for 10 secondary cases, with 4 deaths. Symptoms were those of a severe viral illness, with headache, sore throat, myalgia, vomiting, and diarrhea. Neck and facial edema and an erythematous maculopapular rash occurred in the more severe cases. Hearing loss was noted in three patients. Sporadic cases clinically compatible with Lassa fever had been noted in Zorzor District for up to 5 years before this outbreak, and they continue to occur.
The distribution of Basidiobolus and Conidiobolus in soil and litter at sites near Tampa, Florida

In an effort to begin to understand the basic population structure of Basidiobolus, a single, nonlongitudinal field study was conducted to shed light on the number and distribution of the fungus in the soil and litter from several locations near the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida. The occurrence of the related fungus Conidiobolus was also documented for comparison with previous studies. An undisturbed cypress stand, an open grassy area on the campus of USF and two pasture lands were chosen for study. Four isolations of Basidiobolus and 48 of Conidiobolus were obtained from 125 soil samples taken from the 5 study plots. Additional sam- ples of soil were taken from the area immediately surrounding the locations of two positive soil collec- tions. One additional isolate of Basidiobolus was re- covered from each of these samplings. RAPD analysis indicates that each Basidiobolus isolate is genetically unique and thus show no evidence of clonal growth in soil. This study suggests the conclusion that in some cases the intestines of reptiles and perhaps oth- er animals may be a more significant reservoir for Basidiobolus than the soil.
Diversity of Cenococcum geophilum isolates from serpentine and non-serpentine soils

Serpentine soils are characterized by a dis- proportionate level of Mg in relation to Ca and often contain phytotoxic levels of available Ni. Both of these factors may represent stresses to plants and fun- gi colonizing these soils. Ectomycorrhizal fungi play important roles in tree biology, and ecotypic adap- tation in these fungi may be critical to the success of trees on serpentine soils. A collection of Cenococcum geophilum isolates was obtained from serpentine and non-serpentine soils by trapping isolates on the roots of Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) seedlings. Restric- tion fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosom- al repeat exhibited certain common fragments among isolates and other fragments that varied in length. Additional polymorphic markers were ob- tained from PCR-amplified (3-tubulin gene fragments. UPGMA analysis of the RFLP data indicated that, with one possible exception, the serpentine isolates of C. geophilum are genetically more similar to each other than they are to the isolates from local or dis- tant non-serpentine sites. AFLP analyses, sampling a greater number of loci across the genome, provided an even more distinct separation of the serpentine isolates from non-serpentine isolates. All serpentine isolates lacked a group I intron frequently found within the 18S ribosomal RNA gene in isolates of this species. The genetic divergence between serpentine and non-serpentine isolates may reflect adaptation to
The Effect of National Culture, Organizational Complementarity, and Economic Motivation on Joint Venture Dissolution

This study examined the effects of partner nationality, organizational dissimilarity, and economic motivation on the dissolution of joint ventures. Event-history analysis was used to test the hypot...
Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks: Challenges and Opportunities

With the development of high-throughput, next-generation sequencing and other advanced technologies, a large number of gene expression profiles have been produced. Many of these profiles are available from public databases [1-3]. A challenging research problem that has drawn a lot of attention in the past is to infer gene regulatory networks from the expression data. A gene regulatory network is represented by a directed graph, in which nodes represent transcription factors or mRNA with edges showing transcriptional regulatory relationships between two nodes.
The Analysis of Vapor-Deposited Pd Particles Supported on Thin Oxides

Problems of analyzing by TEM and TPD (Temperature Programmed Desorption) the structure and micromorphology of small Pd particles vapor deposited in UHV onto clean oxide supports are discussed. Particle changes induced during extended exposures to high intensity electron irradiation of a number of electron transparent support materials such as Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, MgO, and mica are examined. Different damage mechanisms are evaluated and experimental means of reducing the damage are explored. The possibility of extracting particle morphology information from a detailed analysis of CO thermal desorption spectra is also investigated. Evidence suggests that it may be possible to obtain micromorphology information down to very small particle sizes from TPD measurements if the effects of intrinsic particle morphology can be separated from the influence of diffusion of support species.
Religion and Subjective Well‐Being Across Religious Traditions: Evidence from 1.3 Million Americans

I examine the relationship between religious service attendance and two domains (cognitive and affective) of subjective well-being using Gallup Daily Poll data, which has a sample size over 1.3 million. I find that religious attendance is positively associated with both domains of subjective well-being in all religious traditions examined, including non-Christian traditions and “religious nones.” The strength of the association varies significantly across the traditions: stronger among Christian groups—particularly among the groups that are, on average, more observant—than among non-Christian religions or “religious nones.” The stronger association among the observant groups is partly due to the lower level of well-being among nonattendees in those groups than nonattendees in less observant groups. I also find that the association is stronger among individuals who consider religion an important part of life than among those who do not. Finally, my findings suggest that religious service attendance is equally strongly related to both domains of subjective well-being.
On the Definitions of Open Justice and Secret Justice and the Relations Between Them

After her entering into WTO,China's justice activities are challenged by some international rules due to the unclear definitions for open justice and secret justice in China's current laws and codes.Therefore,the today court should,with an excellent command of the relationship between openness and secrecy,act in accordance with both the rule of judicial information openness and the rule of trial secrecy and virtually carry out the international transparency principle to ensure judicial rightness on every decision made in the courts.
An Aid for Hemostasis in Open Prostatectomy: Capsular Lication

AbstractBleeding during open suprapubic or retropubic prostatectomy often is difficult to visualize or control. The technique described involves plication of the posterior capsule and has proved to be most effective.
Pre-fracture individual characteristics associated with high total health care costs after hip fracture

Older women with pre-fracture slow walk speed, high body mass index, and/or a high level of multimorbidity have significantly higher health care costs after hip fracture compared to those without those characteristics. Studies to investigate if targeted health care interventions for these individuals can reduce hip fracture costs are warranted. The aim of this study is to estimate the associations of individual pre-fracture characteristics with total health care costs after hip fracture, using Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) cohort data linked to Medicare claims. Our study population was 738 women age 70 and older enrolled in Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) who experienced an incident hip fracture between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 2009. We assessed pre-fracture individual characteristics at SOF study visits and estimated costs of hospitalizations, skilled nursing facility and inpatient rehabilitation stays, home health care visits, and outpatient utilization from Medicare FFS claims. We used generalized linear models to estimate the associations of predictor variables with total health care costs (2010 US dollars) after hip fracture. Median total health care costs for 1 year after hip fracture were $35,536 (inter-quartile range $24,830 to $50,903). Multivariable-adjusted total health care costs for 1 year after hip fracture were 14 % higher ($5256, 95 % CI $156 to $10,356) in those with walk speed <0.6 m/s compared to ≥1.0 m/s, 25 % higher ($9601, 95 % CI $3314 to $16,069) in those with body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 compared to 20 to 24.9 mg/kg2, and 21 % higher ($7936, 95 % CI $346 to $15,526) for those with seven or more compared to no comorbid medical conditions. Pre-fracture poor mobility, obesity, and multiple comorbidities are associated with higher total health care costs after hip fracture in older women. Studies to investigate if targeted health care interventions for these individuals can reduce the costs of hip fractures are warranted.
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Marilyn A. Brown, and Scott V. Valentine. Fact and fiction in global energy policy: 15 contentious questions

In “Fact or Fiction in Global Energy Policy”, Sovacool, Brown, and Valentine use a compendium of 15 questions, pulled from the popular discourse, to introduce readers to the complex sociotechnological system that has emerged around the production and consumption of energy to meet the needs of Earth’s 7 billion people. Using a Hegelian dialectic format, the authors construct the competing sides of issues central to the global energy debate using multiple examples and a dizzying array of facts. Each chapter concludes by offering a statement of common ground from which to build further understanding, agreement, and progress. The sum effect is a volume that coalesces to offer a broad view of the global energy policy landscape and the choices and challenges society faces in shaping future energy policy.
On integrating expert system programs into cooperative systems

The author points out an opportunity for using first-generation expert system programs to construct systems that can solve large-scale problems in a cooperative manner. He describes the requirements for expert system programs to support integration into such systems and proposes the application of the communication-free cooperating agents theory (M.R. Genesereth et al., 1986) as a model for these systems. A minimal modification approach that uses an integration agent is discussed, and the feasibility of the proposal is assessed. An illustrative example from the design domain is included. >
The River was Dyed with Blood: Nathan Bedford Forrest & Fort Pillow. By Brian Steel Wills. (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014. Pp. xiv, 274. $29.95.)

Confederate cavalryman Nathan Bedford Forrest's genius for disruption earned him the epithet “that devil.” No event of his career stood out as more infamous than his April 1864 assault on a garriso...
Global Health and Emergency Care: Overcoming Clinical Research Barriers

Objectives There are many barriers impeding the conduct of high-quality emergency care research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Several of these barriers were originally outlined in 2013 as part of the Academic Emergency Medicine Global Health and Emergency Care Consensus Conference. This paper seeks to establish a broader consensus on the barriers to emergency care research globally and proposes a comprehensive array of new recommendations to overcome these barriers. Methods An electronic survey was conducted of a purposive sample of Global Emergency Medicine research experts from around the world to describe the major challenges and solutions to conducting emergency care research in low resource settings and rank them by importance. The Global Emergency Medicine Think Tank Clinical Research Working Group at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2016 Annual Meeting utilized a modified Delphi technique for consensus-based decision making to categorize and expand upon these barriers and develop a comprehensive array of proposed solutions. Results The working group identified four broad categories of barriers to conducting emergency care research globally, including 1) the limited availability of research personnel, particularly those with prior research training; 2) logistical barriers and lack of standardization of data collection; 3) ethical barriers to conducting research in resource-limited settings, particularly when no local institutional review board is available; and 4) the relative dearth of funding for global emergency care research. Proposed solutions included building a diverse and interdisciplinary research team structured to promote mentorship of junior researchers; utilizing local research assistants or technological tools such as telemedicine for language translation; making use of new tools such as mobile health (mHealth) to standardize and streamline data collection; identifying alternatives to local institutional review board (IRB) approval and the use of community consent when appropriate; and increased advocacy for global emergency care research funding. Conclusions Significant barriers to the conduct of high-quality global emergency care research persist, and innovative strategies need to be adopted in order to promote and grow the field of global emergency care research. This paper provides a global consensus on the most important barriers identified, as well as recommendations for cost-effective strategies for overcoming these barriers with the overall goal of promoting high-quality research and improving emergency care worldwide. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Restrictive Versus Malabsorptive Procedures in Bariatric Surgery

Throughout the evolution of bariatric and metabolic surgery, two primary mechanisms have been identified as generating the loss of excess body weight. While the specific surgical manipulations of the gastrointestinal tract and surgeons performing them are many and varied, the two underlying principles at work are restriction of ingested food and malabsorption of ingested food. Modern metabolic and bariatric operations all employ one or both of these principles.
Diaphragm Abnormalities in Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure: NADPH Oxidase Upregulation and Protein Oxidation

Patients with heart failure (HF) have diaphragm abnormalities that contribute to disease morbidity and mortality. Studies in animals suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause diaphragm abnormalities in HF. However, the effects of HF on ROS sources, antioxidant enzymes, and protein oxidation in the diaphragm of humans is unknown. NAD(P)H oxidase, especially the Nox2 isoform, is an important source of ROS in the diaphragm. Our main hypothesis was that diaphragm from patients with HF have heightened Nox2 expression and p47phox phosphorylation (marker of enzyme activation) that is associated with elevated protein oxidation. We collected diaphragm biopsies from patients with HF and brain-dead organ donors (controls). Diaphragm mRNA levels of Nox2 subunits were increased 2.5 to 4.6 fold over controls (p<0.05). Patients also had increased protein levels of Nox2 subunits (p47phox, p22phox, and p67phox) and total p47phox phosphorylation, while phospho-to-total p47phox levels were unchanged. The antioxidant enzyme catalase was increased in patients, whereas glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutases were unchanged. Among markers of protein oxidation, carbonyls were increased by approximately 40% (p<0.05) and 4-hydroxynonenal and 3-nitrotyrosines were unchanged in patients with HF. Overall, our findings suggest that Nox2 is an important source of ROS in the diaphragm of patients with HF and increases in levels of antioxidant enzymes are not sufficient to maintain normal redox homeostasis. The net outcome is elevated diaphragm protein oxidation that has been shown to cause weakness in animals.
Geography and Ethnography: Perceptions of the World in Pre-Modern Societies

Geography and Ethnography is a fascinating book that largely defies categorization — except in the broadest sense of being a collection of essays on historical geography. It is not, however, a book...
Enhanced piezoluminescence in non-stoichiometric ZnS:Cu microparticle based light emitting elastomers

Piezoluminescence (PZL), also referred to as mechanoluminescence (ML), is a promising energy conversion mechanism for realizing mechanically driven photon sources including handheld displays, lighting, bioimaging and sensing applications. However, the realization of a visible PZL intensity at room temperature from low mechanical stresses has been fundamentally challenging. Herein, we describe a PZL elastomer exhibiting significantly enhanced brightness under ambient conditions. The elastomer consisted of defect-engineered non-stoichiometric Cu-doped ZnS (ZnS:Cu) microparticles in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The role of the defect structure was found to be the controlling parameter in the nature of PZL emission. Hydrogenation treatment was designed to induce a controlled concentration of sulfur vacancies that provided the trapped electrons, which had a strong correlation with the PZL performance of ZnS:Cu. An optimum electron concentration was necessary in order to maximize the PZL intensity due to an adequate electron energy transfer ratio between non-radiative recombination (NRR) and thermal radiative recombination (TRR). The light-emitting elastomer with an optimum content of PZL particles maximized the stress-mediated electroluminescence–piezoelectric coupling, enabling visible PZL brightness under indoor light conditions.
Protection of macrophages from intracellular pathogens by miR-182-5p mimic-a gene expression meta-analysis approach.

The goals of this study were to (a) define which host genes are of particular importance during the interactions between macrophages and intracellular pathogens, and (b) use this knowledge to gain fresh, experimental understanding of how macrophage activities may be manipulated during host defense. We designed an in silico method for meta-analysis of microarray gene expression data, and used this to combine data from 16 different studies of cells in the monocyte-macrophage lineage infected with seven different pathogens. Three thousand four hundred ninety-eight genes were identified, which we call the macrophage intracellular pathogen response (macIPR) gene set. As expected, the macIPR gene set showed a strong bias toward genes previously associated with the immune response. Predicted target sites for miR-182-5p (miR-182) were strongly over-represented among macIPR genes, indicating an unexpected role for miR-182-regulatable genes during intracellular pathogenesis. We therefore transfected primary human alveolar macrophage-like monocyte-derived macrophages from multiple different donors with synthetic miR-182, and found that miR-182 overexpression (a) increases proinflammatory gene induction during infection with Francisella tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS), (b) primes macrophages for increased autophagy, and (c) enhances macrophage control of both gram negative F. tularensisLVS and gram positive Bacillus anthracisANR-1 spores. These data therefore suggest a new application for miR-182 in promoting resistance to intracellular pathogens.
The Fallacy of Shotgun Correlations for Software Measures

Many software measures have been forwarded on the simple basis of a high linear correlation coefficient with some measurable quantities. The linear correlation coefficient is an unreliable statistic for deciding whether an observed correlation indicates significant association. Several published software measure experiments collected upwards of 20 different measurements or have fourteen or fewer observations. With considerable data from small samples, the probability of “discovering” a “significant” correlation is high. We present a computer simulation experiment where the correlation between sets of randomly generated numbers is calculated. We also look at randomly generated numbers in the ranges that would be expected in Halstead’s Software Science measures. Our results show that the average maximum linear correlation for randomly generated numbers is.70 or higher if the sample size is low compared to the number of variables. Alternative statistical approaches to obtain meaningful significant results is presented.
Tumors and Transformations

Tumors and Transformations Performing an ultrasound on a 41-year-old man who has just lost his 2-year-old son, a young physician discovers something intimate and heartbreaking. Though he has seen many other sad cases, he finds there is no space within him for this one.
Alterations in Thrombosis and Fibrinolysis in the Metabolic Syndrome

The intricate relationship between obesity, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and the consequent development of atherosclerosis has now gained the attention of a substantial part of the scientific community, given their epidemiologic implications. It is accepted that obesity predisposes for the development of diabetes and that these two entities in the same individual will lead to the Metabolic Syndrome. All the clinical characteristic associated with the Metabolic Syndrome have been recognized as major contributors for the development of atherosclerosis and its acute complications.
Can Monarchs Make it Through Texas

Today the prompt was a story in the Washington Post. It was on the monarch butterfly. “Can monarch butterflies make it through Texas?” asked the title (Joel Achenbach, October 9, 2011). How much of the migration will make it through the drought? Riding on thermals, unthinkable heat, the monarchs that survive, that is.
CONTROL OF RABBIT MUSCLE PHOSPHORYLASE PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the control of rabbit muscle phosphorylase phosphatase activity. An ATP-Mg-dependent reaction had been found necessary for the inactivation of adipose tissue lipase. There were described multiple phosphorylated sites on at least three substrates of the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase, and there were cyclic AMP-independent kinases reported, and there was clear evidence that the rate of dephosphorylation of an activity-controlling site on one subunit was altered by the phosphorylation site on a second subunit. From these observations one derived some working hypotheses: Some protein kinases could interact with enzymes altering their activities, and others could interact with the same enzymes rendering them more, or less susceptible to further covalent modifications. There could be a general phosphoprotein phosphatase reversing the action of the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase. Phosphorylase phosphatase could also be a substrate of the cyclic AMP-dependent kinase. A second nonphosphorylatable inhibitor distinct from the heat-stable inhibitor of the protein kinase has been shown to bind to a relatively low molecular weight protein phosphatase prepared by warm ethanol treatment.
IL-27 regulates the number, function and cytotoxic program of antiviral CD4 T cells and promotes cytomegalovirus persistence.

The role of IL-27 in antiviral immunity is still incompletely understood, especially in the context of chronic viruses that induce a unique environment in their infected host. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) establishes a persistent, tissue localized infection followed by lifelong latency. CMV infects the majority of people and although asymptomatic in healthy individuals, can cause serious disease or death in those with naive or compromised immune systems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a protective CMV vaccine for people at-risk and identifying key regulators of the protective immune response towards CMV will be crucial. Here we studied mouse CMV (MCMV) in IL-27 receptor deficient animals (Il27ra-/-) to assess the role of IL-27 in regulating CMV immunity. We found that IL-27 enhanced the number of antiviral CD4 T cells upon infection. However, in contrast to a well-established role for CD4 T cells in controlling persistent replication and a positive effect of IL-27 on their numbers, IL-27 promoted MCMV persistence in the salivary gland. This coincided with IL-27 mediated induction of IL-10 production in CD4 T cells. Moreover, IL-27 reduced expression of the transcription factor T-bet and restricted a cytotoxic phenotype in antiviral CD4 T cells. This is a highly intriguing result given the profound cytotoxic phenotype of CMV-specific CD4 T cells seen in humans and we established that dendritic cell derived IL-27 was responsible for this effect. Together, these data show that IL-27 regulates the number and effector functions of MCMV-specific CD4 T cells and could be targeted to enhance control of persistent/latent infection.
Time-resolved step-scan FTIR difference spectroscopy for the study of photosystem I with different benzoquinones incorporated into the A1 binding site.

Abstract Time-resolved step-scan FTIR difference spectroscopy has been used to study photosystem I (PSI) with plastoquinone-9 (PQ) and two other benzoquinones (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone and 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone) incorporated into the A1 binding site. By subtracting a (P700+A1− − P700A1) FTIR difference spectrum for PSI with the native phylloquinone (PhQ) incorporated from corresponding spectra for PSI with different benzoquinones (BQs) incorporated, FTIR double difference spectra are produced, that display bands associated with vibrational modes of the quinones, without interference from features associated with protein vibrational modes. Molecular models for BQs involved in asymmetric hydrogen bonding were constructed and used in vibrational mode frequency calculations. The calculated data were used to aid in the interpretation and assignment of bands in the experimental spectra. We show that the calculations capture the general trends found in the experimental spectra. By comparing four different FTIR double difference spectra we are able to verify unambiguously bands associated with phyllosemiquinone in PSI at 1495 and 1415 cm−1. We also resolve a previously unrecognized band of phyllosemiquinone at 1476 cm−1 that calculations suggest is due in part to a C4 − O stretching mode. For PSI with PQ incorporated, calculations and experiment taken together indicate that the C1 − O and C4 − O vibrational modes of the semiquinone give rise to bands at 1487 and 1444 cm−1, respectively. This is very distinct compared to PSI with PhQ incorporated. From the calculated and experimental spectra, we show that it is possible to distinguish between two possible orientations of PQ in the A1 protein binding site.
Novel on chip rotation detection based on the acousto-optic effect in surface acoustic wave gyroscopes

An Acousto-Optic Gyroscope (AOG) consisting of a photonic integrated device embedded into two inherently matched piezoelectric surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators sharing the same acoustic cavity is presented. This constitutes the first demonstration of a micromachined strain-based optomechanical gyroscope that uses the effective index of the optical waveguide due to the acousto-optic effect rather than conventional displacement sensing. The theoretical analysis comparing various photonic phase sensing techniques is presented and verified experimentally for the cases based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, as well as a racetrack resonator. This first prototype integrates acoustic and photonic components on the same lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) substrate and constitutes the first proof of concept demonstration of the AOG. This approach enables the development of a new class of micromachined gyroscopes that combines the advantages of both conventional microscale vibrating gyroscopes and optical gyroscopes.
Persistence-Based Area Prioritization for Conservation: Applying Occupancy and Habitat Threats and Risks Analyses

Abstract Effective habitat conservation is predicated on maintaining high levels or increasing local persistence probability of the species it purports to protect. Thus, methodological approaches that improve the inferential value of local persistence are of utmost value to guide conservation planning as they inform area selection processes. Herein we used the painted bunting Passerina ciris, a species of conservation interest in North Carolina, as an illustrative case that combined single-season, single-species occupancy analyses and a threats and risk decision support tool to rank five areas of conservation interest in terms of local persistence probability. We used survey data from two seasons (2008–2009) grouped into 21 natal dispersal sampling units and land-cover data from 12 habitat classes to establish the relationship between local occupancy probability and habitat. Occupancy increased most strongly with increasing amount of maritime forest. Projections to year 2050, relative to year 2000, indica...
Decision support for the optimal allocation of security controls

Abstract We present constrained optimization models that could be used in a decision support system for configuring security solutions for an information systems infrastructure. We begin with a deterministic model that uses security breach probabilities as parameters. Since security breach data is not easily available, breach probabilities are often estimated via surveys, which could lead to estimation errors. To develop robust solutions in the presence of estimation errors, we then present a stochastic optimization model that handles uncertainties in breach probability estimations. Our model solutions incorporate quantifiable security risk and business impact as the models are detailed enough to capture various categories of security attacks, and different levels of security protection and loss values for data and applications. We demonstrate the utility of our models by proposing security solutions for a realistic IT infrastructure using breach probability estimates derived from surveys.
MusicDetour: Building a Digital Humanities Archive.

Digital Humanities projects can help to expand culture by making more cultural objects available to the public. In this chapter, I show how we can make digital projects that emphasize praxis to fulfil public need. To do this, I discuss my experiences in building an online music archive—MusicDetour: The DFW Local Music Archive. This chapter walks the reader through developing a good project from research to execution. The chapter also discusses ways scholars can build a Digital Humanities project with little technical knowledge. By emphasizing praxis, I demonstrate that the way to change culture begins with changing the system.
Falcon: Balancing Interactive Latency and Resolution Sensitivity for Scalable Linked Visualizations

We contribute user-centered prefetching and indexing methods that provide low-latency interactions across linked visualizations, enabling cold-start exploration of billion-record datasets. We implement our methods in Falcon, a web-based system that makes principled trade-offs between latency and resolution to optimize brushing and view switching times. To optimize latency-sensitive brushing actions, Falcon reindexes data upon changes to the active view a user is brushing in. To limit view switching times, Falcon initially loads reduced interactive resolutions, then progressively improves them. Benchmarks show that Falcon sustains real-time interactivity of 50fps for pixel-level brushing and linking across multiple visualizations with no costly precomputation. We show constant brushing performance regardless of data size on datasets ranging from millions of records in the browser to billions when connected to a backing database system.
Sustained bundle branch reentry in a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and nondilated left ventricle.

Ventricular tachycardia is a well-known complication in patients withhypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We report the case of a patient withhypertrophic cardiomyo pathy with easily inducible monomorphic ventriculartachycardia. Electrophysiology study demonstrated that bundle branch reentrywas the mechanism of the tachycardia. The tachycardia was renderednon-inducible by radiofrequency ablation of the right bundle branch.
Brief on Behalf of Amicus Curiae Open Source Hardware Association in Curver Luxembourg, SARL v. Home Expressions Inc., No. 18-2214 (Fed. Cir.)

Curver Luxembourg, SARL v. Home Expressions Inc. is a case of first impression for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The question on appeal is whether a design patent’s scope is tied to the article of manufacture disclosed in the patent. In this amicus brief, the Open Source Hardware Association (“OSHWA”) explains the potential effects on open source hardware development, and design practice generally, of untethering design patent protection from the article of manufacture disclosed in the patent. A large percentage of open-source hardware combines both ornamental and functional elements, and industrial design routinely involves applying design concepts from disparate fields in novel ways. To engage in this practice, open-source hardware designers need to know the universe of available source material and its limits. Further, understanding the licensing requirements of open-source hardware begins with understanding how the elements that make up that hardware may or may not be protected by existing law. Accordingly, while many creators of open-source hardware do not seek patent protection for their own creations, an understandable scope of design patent protection is nonetheless essential to their ability to collaborate with other innovators and innovate lawfully. The brief argues that the District Court in the case—and every district court that has considered the issue—correctly anchored the patented design to the article of manufacture when construing the patent. The brief explains that anchoring the patented design to the disclosed article of manufacture is the best approach, for several reasons. Connecting the patented design to the disclosed article of manufacture calibrates the scope of design patent protection to the patentee’s contribution over the prior art. It avoids encumbering the novel and nonobvious application of prior designs to new articles of manufacture, a fundamental and inventive practice of industrial design. It aligns the scope of design patent protection with its purpose: encouraging the inventive application of a design to an article of manufacture. This balances protection for innovative designs with later innovators’ interest in developing future designs. Finally, anchoring the patented design to the disclosed article of manufacture helps fulfill design patent law’s notice function by clarifying the scope of protection.