cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Affinity and specificity requirements for the first Src homology 3 domain of the Crk proteins.

Abstract The specificity of SH3 domain complex formation plays an important role in determining signal transduction events. We have previously identified a highly specific interaction between the first CrkSH3 domain [CrkSH3(1)] and proline-rich sequences in the guanine nucleotide exchange factor C3G. A 10 amino acid peptide derived from the first proline-rich sequence (P3P4P5A6L7P8P9K10K11R12) bound with a Kd of 1.89 +/- 0.06 microM and fully retained the high affinity and unique selectivity for the CrkSH3(1) domain. Mutational analysis showed that P5, P8, L7 and K10 are critical for high affinity binding. A conservative mutation, K10R, significantly decreased the affinity for the CrkSH3(1) domain while increasing the affinity for Grb2. Comparative binding studies with the K10R and K10A mutant peptides to c-Crk and v-Crk further suggested that K10 binds via a charge-dependent and a charge-independent interaction to the RT loop of the CrkSH3(1) domain. Besides determining important structural features necessary for high affinity and specificity binding to the CrkSH3(1) domain, our results also demonstrate that a conservative mutation in a single amino acid can significantly alter the specificity of an SH3 binding peptide.
Einstein’s Photons

The development of the quantum ideas themselves occurred in discrete jumps, quantum leaps of the creative insights of a few people. The next significant progress came in 1905, five years after Planck had proposed the energy quanta, from a young man named Albert Einstein, who at the time worked in a patent office in Switzerland.
Microscopic Studies of Friction and Wear at the Benzotriazole/Copper Interface

Interfacial friction and topographic changes at copper surfaces have been measured in situ with AFM in nitric acid and in acidic and neutral solutions of benzotriazole (BTA), a known corrosion inhibitor. In addition, changes in the thickness of the copper film have been measured ex situ using stylus profilometry as a function of solution treatment. These measurements demonstrate isotropic dissolution in 0.10 M HNO3 solutions and little change in neutral solutions of BTA. However in acidified solutions of BTA, the formation of a substantial reaction overlayer, the presence of higher interfacial friction, and the tip-mediated, localized dissolution of copper interface is observed. These measurements indicate that BTA plays a multifunctional role under acidic conditions. In the absence of mechanical action, BTA acts to passivate the surface from isotropic etching under acidic conditions. In regions of interfacial contact, the dissolution of a BTA-Cu reaction layer leads to the localized removal of copper through a tip-mediated process.
Plasma progesterone levels in the pregnant mare's serum (PMS)-treated immature female rat

Immature rats pretreated with PMS (pregnant mares serum) were studied to determine whether progesterone was present in sufficient amounts and at such a time as to play a role in the release of LH (luteinizing hormone). From no progesterone at PMS injection serum progesterone levels rose to 5.88 plus or minus .28 nonograms per ml. by 56 hours after PMS injection. Ovariectomized and hypophysectomized rats showed undectable and .7 nanograms per ml progesterone respectively following PMS treatment. Progesterone may be one of the signals for the release of LH. The source of progesterone in the immature rat seems to be the ovary and progesterone was secreted by the ovary prior to the formation of the corpora lutea.
Solution Structure of the Long Neurotoxin LSIII with Possible Implications for Binding to the Acetylcholine Receptor

LSIII is a 66-residue protein from the venom of the sea-snake Lauticauda semifasciata. It belongs to the class of proteins called long neurotoxins, found in the venoms of fixed-front-fanged poisonous snakes. These toxins bind competitively to the post-synaptic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), blocking nerve transmission and effectively inducing paralysis. This ability to block nerve transmission makes them pharmcologically interesting, and they have also proven to be valuable in studies of AChR. Structural studies (both NMR and X-ray) have been performed on two long neurotoxins: α-bungarotoxin and α-cobratoxin. Common structural features include a globular cysteine-rich head and three protruding loops. The central loop contains residues that have been shown by mutagenesis and chemical modification to be important for binding.
Learning Across Functional Silos

Faculty, students and industry partners at Lehigh University are fundamentally restructuring and rethinking curricula across three of Lehigh’s colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, and the College of Engineering and Applied Science. The catalyst is the new Integrated Product Development (IPD) Educational Program, which President Peter Likins has called “one of the most profound curricular changes in Lehigh’s history.” IPD is a sequence of experiential product design courses that complement and enrich—rather than replace—existing disciplinary majors. The program stresses a handson approach to prototype and product development. Teams of business, engineering and design arts students work together on real industry-sponsored projects to produce technical and business feasibility studies, mockups of design ideas, working prototypes and business plans. The students come to understand the interdependencies and multidisciplinary, team-oriented nature of work and decision making in today’s global business enterprise. This actively engages them in developing the skills necessary for a lifetime of learning and leadership.
Estimating Head Motion from Egocentric Vision

The recent availability of lightweight, wearable cameras allows for collecting video data from a "first-person' perspective, capturing the visual world of the wearer in everyday interactive contexts. In this paper, we investigate how to exploit egocentric vision to infer multimodal behaviors from people wearing head-mounted cameras. More specifically, we estimate head (camera) motion from egocentric video, which can be further used to infer non-verbal behaviors such as head turns and nodding in multimodal interactions. We propose several approaches based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) that combine raw images and optical flow fields to learn to distinguish regions with optical flow caused by global ego-motion from those caused by other motion in a scene. Our results suggest that CNNs do not directly learn useful visual features with end-to-end training from raw images alone; instead, a better approach is to first extract optical flow explicitly and then train CNNs to integrate optical flow and visual information.
Delivery Process for an Office Building in the Seattle Central Business District

Movement of goods within a central business district can be very constraining with high levels of congestion and insufficient curb spaces. Pick-up and delivery activities encompass a significant po...
Interleukins in the Diagnosis of Intraocular Lymphoma: Do We Still Need Histologic Confirmation?

Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL, also called primary intraocular lymphoma) is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of about 380/year in the United States.1 Men are slightly more often affected than women. The incidence increases with age and PVRL is extremely rare in patients under the ag
Conceptualizing Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions within the Ogallala Aquifer Region using Electrical Resistivity Imaging

ABSTRACT Dynamic interactions between rivers and aquifers are controlled by the underlying hydrogeologic environment, as well as the type of hydrologic connection between the riverbed and saturated...
Dumbing us down: the hidden curriculum of compulsory schooling

Teachers in our current traditional public school systems1 are agents of the government. While their aims are to “do right” by educating children, institutional norms practiced in traditional educa...
Vascular Pressure–Flow Measurement Using CB-PDMS Flexible Strain Sensor

Regular monitoring of blood flow and pressure in vascular reconstructions or grafts would provide early warning of graft failure and improve salvage procedures. Based on biocompatible materials, we have developed a new type of thin, flexible pulsation sensor (FPS) which is wrapped around a graft to monitor blood pressure and flow. The FPS uses carbon black (CB) nanoparticles dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a piezoresistive sensor layer, which was encapsulated within structural PDMS layers and connected to stainless steel interconnect leads. Because the FPS is more flexible than natural arteries, veins, and synthetic vascular grafts, it can be wrapped around target conduits at the time of surgery and remain implanted for long-term monitoring. In this study, we analyze strain transduction from a blood vessel and characterize the electrical and mechanical response of CB-PDMS from 0-50% strain. An optimum concentration of 14% CB-PDMS was used to fabricate 300-μm thick FPS devices with elastic modulus under 500 kPa, strain range of over 50%, and gauge factor greater than 5. Sensors were tested in vitro on vascular grafts with flows of 0-1,100 mL/min. In vitro testing showed linear output to pulsatile flows and pressures. Cyclic testing demonstrated robust operation over hundreds of cardiac cycles, with ±2.6 mmHg variation in pressure readout. CB-PDMS composite material showed excellent potential in biologic strain sensing applications where a flexible sensor with large maximum strain range is needed.
Barriers and solutions to implementing a pragmatic diabetes education trial in rural primary care clinics

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this report is to describe barriers and solutions to the implementation and optimization of a pragmatic trial that tests an evidence-based, patient-centered, low literacy intervention promoting diabetes self-care in rural primary care clinics. Methods The two-arm pragmatic trial has been implemented in six rural family medicine clinics in Arkansas. It tests a self-management education and counseling intervention for patients with type 2 diabetes compared to enhanced usual care. Barriers and solutions were identified as issues arose and through interviews with clinic directors and clinic administrators and a focus group, interviews, and tracking reports with clinic health coaches who delivered the intervention. Results Barriers to optimizing enrollment, intervention delivery, and data collection were addressed through targeted education of and relationship building with leadership, changing enrollment oversight, and ongoing training of health coaches. Conclusions Successful implementation and optimization of this pragmatic clinical trial in rural primary care clinics was achieved through establishing common goals with clinic leadership, minimizing demands on clinic staff and administration, frequent contact and ongoing support of health coaches, and collaborative troubleshooting of issues with delivering the intervention.
A 28-/60-GHz Band-Switchable Bidirectional Amplifier for Reconfigurable mm-Wave Transceivers

Performance limits and design techniques for millimeter-wave amplifiers employing switches for multiband operation are presented in this article. A bidirectional dual-band amplifier is designed in a 130-nm silicon–germanium (SiGe) process. The amplifier can shift its operational frequency between 28 or 60 GHz and can operate in low-noise receive or high-power transmit mode. The frequency shift and transmit–receive (T/R) mode change has been realized using shunt switches based on SiGe HBTs. The switches are co-optimized and integrated with amplifiers to reduce the die area and improve performance. An analysis of switch loss reduction and associated tradeoffs is provided. The designed shunt switch, for band-switching operation, achieves the simulated ON-loss of as low as 1 dB at 60 GHz and OFF-loss of 0.7 dB at 28 GHz. By using these low-loss switches and a codesign approach, the proposed T/R amplifier surpasses the state-of-the-art performance in terms of mm-wave multiband amplifiers.
Kansans in the Middle of the Pandemic: Risk Perception, Knowledge, Compliance with Preventive Measures, and Primary Sources of Information about COVID-19

Introduction. As we conduct this study, the world is in the grasp of a deadly pandemic. In less than six months since its first diagnosis in Wuhan, China, the COVID-19 infectious disease due to the novel coronavirus has infected over 5,000,000 people and claimed over 350,000 lives. In the United States, most of the cases are in large urban settings along the coasts, but the disease is slowly progressing through the mainland. Kansas, with its particular location in the midwest United States, has seen a relatively small number of cases, but these are increasing. The Kansas government took radical measures to prevent the spread of the disease. According to the Health Beliefs Model, an individual’s perception of risk will dictate engagement with preventive behaviors. Knowledge about the disease and preventive measures drive the risk assessment. Knowledge is dependant on the sources of information used. This study explored these metrics in a sample of Kansans living in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. A combination of snowball samples and random distribution through social media was used to recruit participants to an online survey. The risk and knowledge instrument was developed and validated by WHO Europe. Data collection lasted 96 hours. Results. The attitudes and behaviors of Kansans concerning COVID-19 were consistent with its location in an area of the country with a relatively lower incidence of the disease. Participants had good knowledge about the disease and preventive measures and were willing to comply with recommendations from local authorities. Conclusion. Localized information sources that cater to the community are often primary, while social media is not a valuable source for information pertinent to COVID-19.
Secondary Lung Cancer

Lung metastases are identified in 30–55% of all cancer patients and are the second most frequent site of metastatic spread for colorectal and breast cancer. Thermal ablation such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), and cryoablation of lung oligometastasis is a viable substitute for radiation therapy and surgical resection in appropriately selected patients. In this chapter, we discuss the current evidence supporting the use of thermal ablation in patients with pulmonary oligometastasis, technical considerations of the procedure, patient selection, potential complications, and reported outcomes. Additionally, we will discuss the data for surgery and radiation therapy on the oligometastatic patient and how ablation can fit into the paradigm.
The MT1G Gene in LUHMES Neurons Is a Sensitive Biomarker of Neurotoxicity

Identification of toxicants that underlie neurological diseases is a neglected area awaiting a valid strategy to identify such toxicants. We sought biomarkers that respond to known neurotoxicants in LUHMES immortalized neurons and evaluated these biomarkers for use in screening libraries of environmental toxicants. LUHMES immortalized human dopaminergic neurons were surveyed by RNA sequencing following challenge with parkinsonian toxicants rotenone, 6-hydroxydopamine, MPP+, and ziram (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate; Zn2+DDC2), as well as additional toxicants paraquat, MS275, and methylmercury. The metallothionein gene MT1G was the most dynamic gene expression response to all seven toxicants. Multiple toxicants also increased transcripts for SLC30A1 and SLC30A2 zinc secretion transporters, the SLC7A11 xCT cystine/glutamate antiporter important for glutathione synthesis, DNA damage inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), and secreted growth factors FIBIN and CXCL12, whereas several toxicants decreased expression of the apelin growth factor (APLN). These biomarker genes revealed stress responses to many toxicants at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. Since several of these biomarker genes and prior neurological disease studies implicated disruption of metal distribution, we tested metal chelator thiram (dimethyldithiocarbamate, DDC), ziram, and several other metals and metal chelates for cytotoxicity and induction of MT1G expression. Metals and chelators that caused dynamic increases in MT1G expression also caused cytotoxicity, except Ni2+DDC2 induced MT1G at 5 μM, but lacked cytotoxicity up to 100 μM. These results bolster prior work suggesting that neurons are characteristically sensitive to depletion of glutathione or to disruption of cellular metal distribution and provide biomarkers to search for such neurotoxicants in chemical libraries.
Family Matters: The Support of Parents to Change Black Male’s Attitudes Towards HIV:

This study explored the associations between family (mother and father support), peers, and individual factors (self-efficacy) and how these relationships influence HIV attitudes among African Amer...
Metabolic Indicators of Anaerobic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation in Petroleum-Laden Environments

This chapter reviews the predominant metabolites that can be expected during anaerobic hydrocarbon decay. Many reviews have steadily detailed the state of the art of how various classes of petroleum hydrocarbons are metabolized in the absence of oxygen. The chapter presents a brief overview of that understanding particularly as it relates to anaerobic alkylbenzene, alkane, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) decay. The current understanding of anaerobic hydrocarbon decay stems from laboratory studies of isolates or enrichment cultures obtained from petroleum-contaminated environments. Authoritative reports recommend that multiple lines of evidence be collected to verify in situ biodegradation activity including (i) documenting the mass loss of contaminants from the field, (ii) laboratory investigations of contaminant biodegradability, and (iii) inferential field evidence demonstrating that in situ microbial activity is linked to contaminant degradation. Two recent reports have demonstrated the potential usefulness of push-pull tests to evaluate in situ hydrocarbon biotransformation rates. In the first, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) hydrocarbons were injected into an aquifer in the presence of nitrate or sulfate to evaluate hydrocarbon degradation and the production of signature benzylsuccinates. In a separate study, isotopically labeled substrates were used to evaluate the rates of in situ hydrocarbon biotransformation. The lessons to date indicate that while there is a substantial amount of phylogenetic and metabolic diversity, there are also some common metabolic themes. The recognition of these themes allows for the assay and detection of signature metabolites that attest to the transformation of hydrocarbons in a wide variety of environments.
The Use of Barbed Suture for Cystotomy Repair — a Novel Approach

Study Objective In this study, we aim to compare outcomes after cystotomy repair between standard sutures (910 poliglactin, poliglecaprone) versus barbed (V-Loc TM 90) suture. As a secondary outcome, we analyzed risk factors for suture preference between the two groups. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting N/A Patients or Participants Surgeries complicated by cystotomy, identified by ICD-9/10 codes from 2016 to 2019 at West Virginia University (WVU) Hospital. Interventions Comparisons were made between cystotomy repair using barbed suture versus standard braided suture. Injuries were categorized by procedure, surgeon specialty, surgical route, type of suture used in repair, and subsequent complications related to repair. Primary endpoints were examined by Pearson's Chi-square test and interval data by t-test. A p value Measurements and Main Results Sixty-eight patients were identified with iatrogenic cystotomy at WVU. Barbed suture was used for cystotomy repair in 11/68 (16.2%) patients. No significant difference was seen in postoperative outcomes between patients repaired with barbed suture versus standard braided suture. Barbed suture was significantly more likely to be used for cystotomy repair in minimally invasive surgery (p= 0.001). It was most often utilized in a robotic approach 7/11 (63.6%) followed by laparoscopic 3/11 (27.3%). Body mass index was significantly higher in patients receiving a barbed suture repair (p=0.005). Conclusion Barbed suture is not inferior to standard braided suture for cystotomy repair and does not cause an increase in complication rate. Barbed suture offers a practical alternative to facilitate cystotomy repair in minimally invasive surgery, especially in patients with a high BMI.
Distance Learning and Students With Extensive Support Needs: (Re)Defining Access to Education From a Distance

Students with Extensive Support Needs (ESN) experience multiple barriers in accessing distance learning educational programs during school closures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These ba...
A Survey of Interface Representations in Visual Programming Language Environments for Children’s Physical Computing Kits

Physical computing toolkits for children expose young minds to the concepts of computing and electronics within a target activity. To this end, these kits usually make use of a custom Visual Programming Language (or VPL) environment that extends past the functionality of simply programming, often also incorporating representations of electronics aspects in the interface. These representations of the electronics function as a scaffold to help the child focus on programming, instead of having to handle both the programming and details of the electronics at the same time. This paper presents a review of existing physical computing toolkits, looking at the What, How, and Where of electronics representations in their VPL interfaces. We then discuss potential research directions for the design of VPL interfaces for physical computing toolkits for children.
Overview of Robotic Technology in Spine Surgery

As robotics in spine surgery has progressed over the past 2 decades, studies have shown mixed results on its clinical outcomes and economic impact. In this review, we highlight the evolution of rob...
‘Eye’ of the molecule—a viewpoint

If the twentieth century was the age of precisely designed molecules, the twenty-first century is beginning to look like the age of reticulated molecules. In the spirit of the Faraday Discussion meeting, we wish to highlight the power of harnessing the reticulated molecule and suggest that its chemistry can be furthered by viewing our reticular structures from the ‘eye of the molecule’. To clarify what is meant by this term, we wish to first take stock of the current state of reticular chemistry.
Creation of an Automated Fluorescence Guided Tumor Ablation System

Objective: Create a device that improves the identification and extent of resection at the interface between healthy and tumor tissue; ultimately, using this device would improve surgical outcomes for patients and increase survival. Methods: We have created a contactless tumor removal system that utilizes endogenous fluorescence feedback to inform a laser ablation system to execute autonomous removal of phantom tumor tissue. Results: This completely non-contact surgical system is capable of resecting the tumor boundary of a tissue phantom with an average root mean square error (RMSE) of approximately 1.55 mm and an average max error of approximately 2.15 mm. There is no difference in the performance of the system when changing the size of the internal tumor from 7.5-12.5 mm in diameter. Discussion: Future research steps include creating a more intelligent spectral search strategy to increase the density of points around the resection boundary, and to develop a more sophisticated classifier to predict pathologic diagnosis and tissue subtypes located regionally around the tumor boundaries. We envision this device being used to resect the boundaries of tumors identified by exogenously delivered tumor-labeling fluorophores, such as fluorescein or 5-ALA, in addition to approaches relying on autofluorescence of endogenous fluorophores.
Impact of Spatial Distribution Information of Rainfall in Runoff Simulation Using Deep-Learning Methods

Abstract. Rainfall-runoff modelling is of great importance for flood forecast and water management. Hydrological modelling is the traditional and commonly used approach for rainfall-runoff modelling. In recent years, with the development of artificial intelligence technology, deep learning models, such as the long short-term memory (LSTM) model, are increasingly applied to rainfall-runoff modelling. However, current works do not consider the effect of rainfall spatial distribution information on the results, and the same look-back window is applied to all the inputs. Focusing on two catchments from the CAMELS dataset, this study first analyzed and compared the effects of basin mean rainfall and spatially distributed rainfall data on the LSTM models under different look-back windows (7, 15, 30, 180, 365 days). Then the LSTM+1D CNN model was proposed to simulate the situation of short-term look-back windows (3, 10 days) for rainfall combined with the long-term look-back windows (30, 180, 365 days) for other input features. The models were evaluated using the Nash Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, root mean square error, and error of peak discharge. The results demonstrate the great potential of deep learning models for rainfall runoff simulation. Adding the spatial distribution information of rainfall can improve the simulation results of the LSTM models, and this improvement is more evident under the condition of short look-back windows. The results of the proposed LSTM+1D CNN are comparable to those of the LSTM model driven by basin mean rainfall data and slightly worse than those of spatially distributed rainfall data for corresponding look-back windows. The proposed LSTM+1D CNN provides new insights for runoff simulation by combining short-term spatial distributed rainfall data with long-term runoff data, especially for catchments where long-term rainfall records are absent.
Nonlinear shallow water dynamics with odd viscosity

The concept of an ``odd'' coefficient of viscosity appears in some fluid mechanical contexts, including quantum fluids, electron fluids in mesoscopic systems, as well as some classical systems. Here we study the shallow depth limit of weakly nonlinear surface dynamics with odd viscosity and gravitational effects and obtain an integrable Kortweg-de Vries equation, the solution of which admits right- and left-moving disturbances with some differences. The odd viscosity term plays a role similar to surface tension.
“Release Early, Release Often”? An Empirical Analysis of Release Strategy in Open Source Software Co-Creation

“Release early, release often” is becoming a popular new product introduction strategy in open source software development. We study the influence of release strategies on the download market share of open source projects. Using a panel data set collected from Sourceforge.net, we find that while more frequent releases are associated with better subsequent download market share, the relationship is curvilinear. Too frequent releases could backfire due to the subtle effects on the demand and supply sides of open source software production. From the demand side, we find that releasing frequently may work less effectively in projects with higher adoption costs. From the supply side, fast releases may work less effectively in projects with weak community contributions. Even when the community contributions are strong, the restrictiveness of open source license moderates the effectiveness of releasing early and often. These results have implications for managing open source projects and research on open source software, open innovation, and software adoption.
TU-EF-204-06: Waveform Measurements On a Fast-KV Switching CT System

Purpose: To evaluate the timing and shape of the kilovoltage (kV) waveform for a fast-kV switching dual-energy CT system using a non-invasive method. Methods: A kV divider with mobile filter pack was connected to a digital oscilloscope and scanned using a fast-kV switching dual-energy CT system in service mode. The tube was stationary, so exposure time was equivalent to rotation time. In this system, the generator switches quickly between two nominal voltages of 80kV and 140kV. The predicted waveform period was calculated given 1968 projections per exposure/rotation. Two Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) service settings, GSI-2 and GSI-3, with exposure times of 0.8sec and 0.5sec, respectively, were analyzed. The data were binned into high (>110kV) and low (<110kV) projection regions. Waveform periods were calculated using the intersections of the waveform with 110kV. The waveform was analyzed for period accuracy, minimum and maximum kV, and average kV of the high and low kV projection regions. The effective spectral separation was the difference between the average kVs of the low and high projection regions. Results: The shape of the waveform was neither square nor sinusoidal. The minimum and maximum kVs were 81.6kV and 139.6kV for GSI-2 (0.8sec) and 84.8kV and 131.6kV for GSI-3 (0.5sec), which were within 6% of the nominal kVs. GSI-2 and GSI-3 had average waveform periods of 0.8134msec and 0.5064msec, respectively, within 0.5% of the calculated periods. The average kV for the high and low projections yielded effective spectral separations of 38.3kV (89.2kV to 127.5kV) for GSI-2 (0.8sec) and 27.2kV (93.7kV to 121.4kV) for GSI-3 (0.5sec). Conclusion: A method for analyzing the kV waveform of a fast-kV switching x-ray tube was demonstrated. The pseudo-sinusoidal shape of the kV waveform lowers spectral separation compared to that of an ideal square wave, which may impact the quality of dual-energy CT material decomposition. This research was conducted at the MD Anderson Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging in-part with equipment support from General Electric Healthcare
Conditional knockdown of Kir4.1 in astrocytes blunts the hypercapnic respiratory response in awake mice (872.7)

Central chemoreception is the mechanisms by which the brain regulates breathing in response to changes in tissue CO2/H+. The retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) has been identified as a key locus for central respiratory control. Neurons in this region sense CO2/H+ in part by inhibition of TASK-2 channels. RTN astrocytes are also chemosensitive and CO2-evoked release of the gliotransmitter ATP most likely occurs via hemichannels. However, RTN astrocytes also respond to bath acidification with ~8 mV depolarization, which is mediated by inhibition of a Kir4.1-like conductance. The contribution of this pH sensitive current in RTN astrocytes to central respiratory drive is yet to be determined. Here we generate a tamoxifen inducible, astrocyte specific Kir4.1 knockout (ciKir4.1KO) by crossing GFAP-CreERT2 and a Kir4.1 floxed mouse lines. Whole-body plethysmography experiments performed on 6 week old mice show that ciKir4.1KO animals breathe normally control conditions but exhibit a reduced tidal volume response to CO...
Concurrent system-level error detection using a watchdog processor

This paper describes the design of a watchdog coprocessor for detecting hardware and software errors. The watchdog executes assertions about the process running on the main computer. Both general purpose an special purpose (used to check systems such as digital signal processors, telephone switching systems, or digital flight controllers) watchdog designs are described. The improvement of error coverage by adding control flow checking facilities is discussed. The implementation of the watchdog as a software process is presented.
Homocysteine exacerbates β-amyloid pathology, tau pathology, and cognitive deficit in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease with plaques and tangles

Objective High level of homocysteine (Hcy) is a recognized risk factor for developing Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the mechanisms involved are unknown. Previously, it was shown that high Hcy increases brain b-amyloid (Ab) levels in amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice, but no data are available on the effect that it may have on the other main pathologic features of AD such as tau.
Rumination in major depressive disorder is associated with impaired neural activation during conflict monitoring

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) often ruminate about past experiences, especially those with negative content. These repetitive thoughts may interfere with cognitive processes related to attention and conflict monitoring. However, the temporal nature of these processes as reflected in event-related potentials (ERPs) has not been well-described. We examined behavioral and ERP indices of conflict monitoring during a modified flanker task and the allocation of attention during an attentional blink (AB) task in 33 individuals with MDD and 36 healthy controls, and whether their behavioral performance and ERPs varied with level of rumination. N2 amplitude elicited by the flanker task was significantly reduced in participants with MDD compared to healthy controls. Level of self-reported rumination was also correlated with N2 amplitude. In contrast, P3 amplitude during the AB task was not significantly different between groups, nor was it correlated with rumination. No significant differences were found in behavioral task performance measures between groups or by rumination levels. These findings suggest that rumination in MDD is associated with select deficits in cognitive control, particularly related to conflict monitoring.
Loeb on Stability and Justification in Hume's Treatise

In Stability and Justification in Hume's Treatise,1 Louis Loeb ascribes to Hume a naturalistic account of justified belief, one on which Hume is fundamentally concerned with the question whether stable belief can be achieved. Loeb's interpretation is systematic, richly explanatory, and powerfully argued. He makes a compelling case that stability plays a central role in Hume's epistemology. Loeb's case is so compelling indeed that anyone who wants to defend an alternative interpretation will now have to assimilate or deflect the massive textual evidence in favor of the
Corpus linguistics: The study of discourse characteristics

Studying discourse characteristics Discourse analyses focus on language characteristics that extend across clause boundaries. As a result, discourse characteristics are more difficult to identify and analyze than lower-level lexical or grammatical features. However, such analyses are important for both descriptive and applied linguistics. In fact, it turns out that the use of many lexical and grammatical features can only be fully understood through analysis of their functions in larger discourse contexts. Most discourse studies identify salient discourse structures and exemplify those structures with illustrative text excerpts – such as identifying turn-taking structures in conversation or tracking the “themes” in a written text. However, it has proven difficult to apply these techniques to texts in a way that allows for generalizable results. Thus, although nearly all discourse studies are based on analysis of actual texts, they are not typically corpus-based investigations: most studies do not use quantitative methods to describe the extent to which different discourse structures are used, and relatively few of these studies aim to produce generalizable findings that hold across texts. As a result of the lack of generalizable findings, we still know surprisingly little about the discourse similarities or differences across texts and registers. However, as the present chapter shows, corpus-based analyses can make a significant contribution in this area.
Ionospheric outflow and cross polar cap potential: What is the role of magnetospheric inflation?

[1] Reductions of the ionospheric cross polar cap potential in magnetohydrodynamic models that include polar wind-like heavy ion outflow have become a ubiquitous observation in recent studies. The underlying mechanisms for these reductions, which are not to be confused with the problem of potential saturation, remain in question. A possible explanation is that such outflow inflates the magnetosphere, creating a blunter obstacle to the solar wind and reducing the upstream geoeffective length. Such an explanation is attractive because it describes the outflow-related potential drop in clear, model-independent terms. This study uses three separate magnetohydrodynamic simulations to test this hypothesis: one coupled to a polar wind outflow model, one coupled to an inner magnetosphere code in order to reproduce the effect without explicit outflow, and a stand-alone baseline simulation. It is found that this hypothesis cannot explain the total reduction. Results suggest that other mechanisms, such as a change to the dayside reconnection rate, may be important, but further investigation is required.
The Second Trail of Tears: An Examination of the Social-Political Power Dynamics between the People of the Cherokee Nation and Their African Ancestry Members – Identity, Sovereignty and Economics

In March of 2007 the Cherokee Native American Tribe of Oklahoma voted to disenfranchise some of its members of African ancestry. Since that action, not only have many of the expelled members filed court challenges in Cherokee Nation courts, but an African American member of the United States House of Representatives, supported by members of the Congressional Black Caucus has introduced legislation to deny the Cherokee Nation of Federal health and education benefits and strip them of their casino gaming licenses. This thesis explores the historical relationship between the early African slaves that assimilated with the Cherokee to the advent of this current political conflict in order to identify the causal factors precipitating this collective political action. Cherokee Nation leaders rationalize their action as an exercise of their rights as a sovereign nation to determine its citizenship. The African ancestry Cherokee, accuse the Cherokee nation of immoral and illegal economically driven racism. They are facing the dual identity crisis of being rejected by the culture into which they and their immediate families have assimilated and are forced to survive in a hostile American culture assuming an estranged African American heritage. This thesis also examines the historical, cultural identity and political determinants impacting the social-political relationship between the two races in order to reveal the root causal factor(s) precipitating this racial/cultural fissure within the Cherokee Nation.
War, the Presidency, and Legislative Voting Behavior

An extraordinary body of scholarship suggests that war, perhaps more than any other contributor, is responsible for the emergence of a distinctly modern presidency. Central to this argument is a belief that members of Congress predictably and reliably line up behind the president during times of war. Few scholars, however, have actually subjected this argument to quantitative investigation. This article does so. Estimating ideal points for members of Congress at the start and end of the most significant wars in the past century, we find consistent—albeit not uniform—evidence of a wartime effect. The outbreaks of both world wars and the post-9/11 era—though not the Korean or Vietnam wars—coincided with discernible changes in member voting behavior that better reflected the ideological leanings of the presidents then in office. In the aftermath of all these wars, meanwhile, members shifted away from the sitting president’s ideological orientation. These findings are not confined to any single subset of policies, are robust to a wide variety of modeling specifications, and run contrary to scholarship that emphasizes ideological consistency in members’ voting behavior.
Fishing Impacts on Food Webs: Multiple Working Hypotheses

Fisheries impact every part of marine food webs, from upper-trophic-level tunas and sharks to lower-trophic-level oysters and abalone. Although there are multiple ways in which fisheries develop, t...
Neurotoxins and monoamine oxidase inhibition: New aspects

Recent clinical studies suggest that selegiline (L-deprenyl) is useful in retarding the progress of Parkinson's disease, an effect that may be related to its inhibition of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B). Selegiline is also reported to prevent the toxic effects of the noradrenergic neurotoxin, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4). This article reviews recent studies on the role of MAO-B and its inhibition in this neuroprotective action of selegiline. Male C57Bl/6 mice were given DSP-4 (50 mg/kg) 1 h, 24 h, or 4 days after the administration of selegiline (10 mg/kg) or the selective MAO-B inhibitor MDL 72974 (1.25 mg/kg) and then killed 1 week later for the assay of norepinephrine in the hippocampus. The MAO-B-inhibiting effects of selegiline or MDL 72974 were also determined after these same intervals. Selegiline and MDL 72974 produced comparable degrees of enzyme inhibition 1 h (> 95%), 24 h (> 90%), or 4 days (> 70%) after their administration. Given 1 h before, selegiline totally blocked the norepinephrine-depleting effects of DSP-4, but this protection declined sharply when 24 h or 4 days was allowed to elapse between selegiline and DSP-4 administration. MDL 72974 failed to protect at any time point. In vitro, no activity was observed when DSP-4 was used as a substrate for MAO. All of these findings suggest that the ability of selegiline to protect against DSP-4-induced neuronal degeneration does not depend on its inhibition of MAO-B.
Five-year follow-up of macular morphologic changes after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair: Fourier domain OCT findings.

Author(s): Rashid, Saadia; Pilli, Suman; Chin, Eric K; Zawadzki, Robert J; Werner, John S; Park, Susanna S | Abstract: PurposeTo evaluate serially long-term macular morphologic changes after successful macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair and correlate changes with macular function.MethodsRepeat Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD OCT) imaging and microperimetry (MP-1) testing of 8 of the initial cohort of 17 eyes studied 5 years earlier.ResultsThe mean follow-up after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair was 3.4 months (range, 1-8.5 months) for the first FD OCT and 5 years (range, 3.75-5.75 years) for the follow-up FD OCT. The final postoperative best-corrected visual acuity mean was 20/201 (range, 20/20 to counting fingers). Six eyes with final best-corrected visual acuity g20/40 had an intact external limiting membrane and progressive resolution of photoreceptor inner segment-outer segment junction disruption and/or subretinal fluid on serial FD OCT, which correlated with improvement in macular function on MP-1. Two eyes with poor or worsening best-corrected visual acuity on follow-up had persistent or worsening inner segment-outer segment disruption on serial FD OCT. External limiting membrane was intact in one eye and persistently disrupted in the other.ConclusionMacular function may progressively improve or worsen long-term after successful rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair. Progressive resolution of subretinal fluid and/or inner segment-outer segment disruption on FD OCT correlated with improvement in macular function, whereas worsening or persistent inner segment-outer segment disruption correlates with worsening or persistently poor visual outcome.
Intimacy and homicide: compensating for missing data in the shr*

The Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program remains the most accessible and widely used database on lethal violence in the United States. However, researchers using this database must address the problem of missing data, which typically is the result of the failure to file, inconsistent filing of reports to the FBI by local police agencies, or incomplete records about the characteristics of specific incidents of homicide (particularly, missing information about perpetrators), even when reports are filed. Williams and Flewelling (1987) proposed methods of compensating for missing information, and this paper revisits their assessment by again determining the extent of the problem and the consequences of adjusting for it. Alternative methods are proposed and analyzed, with a focus on relationship-specific rates (i.e., rates of family, intimate nonfamily, acquaintance, and stranger homicide). The implications of the results for further use of the SHR are discussed.
Photoluminescence studies of rare earth (Er, Eu, Tm) in situ doped GaN

The emission properties of rare earth (RE)-doped GaN are of significant current interest for applications in full color displays, white lighting technology, and optical communications. We are currently investigating the photoluminescence (PL) properties of RE (Er, Eu, Tm)-doped GaN thin-films prepared by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. The most intense visible PL under above-gap excitation is observed from GaN:Eu (red: 622 nm) followed by GaN:Er (green: 537 nm, 558 nm), and then GaN:Tm (blue: 479 nm). In this paper, we present spectroscopic results on the Ga-flux dependence of the Er 3+ PL properties from GaN:Er and we report on the identification of different Eu 3+ centers in GaN:Eu through high-resolution PL excitation (PLE) studies. In addition, we observed an enhancement of the blue Tm 3+ PL from AlGaN:Tm compared to GaN:Tm. Intense blue PL from Tm 3+ ions was also obtained from AlN:Tm under below-gap pumping.
Assessing the safety of subcutaneous immunotherapy dose adjustments

Background Subcutaneous immunotherapy injections are often dose adjusted owing to late injections, for newly mixed vials after refills, or after systemic reactions (SRs) to reduce the subsequent SR risk. This practice is not strongly evidence based. Objectives To analyze the safety of the Wilford Hall Medical Center dose-adjustment schedule. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis of a standardized dose-adjustment schedule across 4 years and covering 12,895 injections was performed to analyze the SR rate immediately after dose adjustments for late reactions (1 dose for each week late starting after 2 weeks), for newly mixed vials (a 50% dose reduction), or after a SR (a 10-fold dilution). Results Male patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.15; P P P P P P Conclusions Multiple unique characteristics were found to be associated with the requirement for subcutaneous immunotherapy dose adjustment, and this sample dose-adjustment protocol was not associated with an increased risk of a subsequent SR. The safety of this proposed dose-adjustment protocol should be confirmed in future prospective studies.
Suppression and recovery of the alveolar macrophage phagocytic system during continuous exposure to 0.5 ppm ozone.

Short-term exposures to ozone (O3) are known to impair pulmonary antibacterial defenses and alveolar macrophage (AM) phagocytosis in a dose-related manner. To determine the effect of prolonged O3 exposure, Swiss mice were exposed continuously to 0.5 ppm O3. At 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, intrapulmonary killing was assessed by inhalation challenge with Straphylococcus aureus or Proteus mirabilis and by comparing the number of viable bacteria remaining in the lungs at 4 h between O3-exposed and control animals. To evaluate the effects of O3 on the functional capacity of the AMs, Fc-receptor mediated phagocytosis was assessed. Ozone exposure impaired the intrapulmonary killing of S. aureus at 1 and 3 days; however, with prolonged exposure, the bactericidal capacity of the lungs returned to normal. This trend of an initial suppression followed by recovery was reflected in the phagocytic capacity of the AMs. In contrast to S. aureus, when P. mirabilis was used as the challenge organism, O3 exposure had no suppressiv...