cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Dietary Salt Intake Exacerbates Helicobacter pylori-Induced Gastric Carcinogenesis

Persistent colonization of the human stomach with Helicobacter pylori is a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma, and H. pylori-induced carcinogenesis is dependent on the actions of a bacterial oncoprotein known as CagA. Epidemiological studies have shown that high dietary salt intake is also a risk factor for gastric cancer. To investigate the effects of a high-salt diet, we infected Mongolian gerbils with a wild-type (WT) cagA(+) H. pylori strain or an isogenic cagA mutant strain and maintained the animals on a regular diet or a high-salt diet. At 4 months postinfection, gastric adenocarcinoma was detected in 100% of the WT-infected/high-salt-diet animals, 58% of WT-infected/regular-diet animals, and none of the animals infected with the cagA mutant strain (P < 0.0001). Among animals infected with the WT strain, those fed a high-salt diet had more severe gastric inflammation, higher gastric pH, increased parietal cell loss, increased gastric expression of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and decreased gastric expression of hepcidin and hydrogen potassium ATPase (H,K-ATPase) compared to those on a regular diet. Previous studies have detected upregulation of CagA synthesis in response to increased salt concentrations in the bacterial culture medium, and, concordant with the in vitro results, we detected increased cagA transcription in vivo in animals fed a high-salt diet compared to those on a regular diet. Animals infected with the cagA mutant strain had low levels of gastric inflammation and did not develop hypochlorhydria. These results indicate that a high-salt diet potentiates the carcinogenic effects of cagA(+) H. pylori strains.
Physical Design Automation of MCMs

MultiChip Modules (MCMs) have been introduced as an alternative packag-ing approach to complement the advances taking place in the IC technology. Even though the steps in the physical design cycle of MCMs are similar to those in PCB and IC design cycle, the design tools for PCB and IC cannot be used for MCM directly. This is mainly due to the fact that MCM layout problems are different from both IC layout and PCB layout problems. The existing PCB design tools cannot handle the dense and complex wiring structure of MCMs. On the other hand, IC layout tools are inadequate to decipher the complex electrical, thermal and geometrical constraints of the MCM problems. As a re-sult, the lack of CAD tools for MCMs is impeding further development in this area. Most of the commercial CAD tools available are the adapted versions of existing PCB tools and do not address the real problems associated with the MCM designs. Let us just consider the problem of routing in MCM. The signal effects of long lines in terms of crosstalk, noise, and reflections must be taken into account during routing. In addition, as high speeds are explored, the transmission line behavior of the interconnect must be modeled accurately to optimize the layout. All of these conditions have to be met, subject to the main goal of the interconnect, which is to route the signals between the chips. In designing CAD tools for MCM, many effects have to be taken into consideration such as clock skew, power noise disturbance, assembly effects of thermal mechanical nature that are caused by close positioning of chips, and limitations of assembly equipment. As a result, the design of multichip modules involves several disciplines such as electrical, chemical, material and mechanical engineering.
Validation of immunodetection (ELISA) of ricin using a biological activity assay.

: The suitability of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for residual ricin toxicity determination was investigated in this study. Ricin was thermally treated at 80 to 90 °C for up to 9 min, and its residual concentration was determined by means of a commercial ELISA kit, and its bioactivity (amount of adenine released from DNA) was determined by means of a biological activity assay (BAA). Results showed that inactivation of ricin followed 1st-order kinetics. The half-life values for loss of bioactivity at 80, 85, and 90 °C were 1.93, 0.65, and 0.41 min, respectively. Similarly, the half-life values for reduction in ricin concentration determined by ELISA were 3.06, 0.79, and 0.43 min, respectively. The half-lives determined by both assays were only significantly different at 80 °C. The Z, Q10, and Arrhenius activation energy values determined by both assays were dissimilar: 11.74 ˚C, 7.12 and 50.1 kcal/mol, respectively, by ELISA; and 14.87 °C, 4.71 and 39.5 kcal/mol, respectively, by BAA. Nevertheless, our findings indicate that the 2 assays were highly correlated (R2= 1), and it can be concluded that ELISA would be a reliable method for detecting residual toxicity of heat-treated ricin based on fraction lost. Practical Application: The results of this study indicate that immunodetection, even though not a direct measurement of the biological activity of ricin, is suitable for determining the residual bioactivity of ricin since immunodetection and the biological activity assay used in this investigation were highly correlated. Therefore, ELISA can be used for routine assessment of residual activity or toxicity of ricin in thermally treated foods.
An ontology-based interactive tool to search documents in the U.S. patent system

The past few years have seen an explosive growth in scientific and regulatory documents related to the patent system. Relevant information is siloed into many heterogeneous and distributed information sources making it very challenging to retrieve information across multiple domains. In this demonstration, we present a tool that enables users to simultaneously search multiple information domains in the patent system. The presented tool is built upon the Patent System Ontology, which provides both a standardized representation of the patent system domain and required semantics to integrate the various information domains [1], [2]. The tool provides features such as integration with a biomedical knowledge base and recommendations for related articles. Future additions to the tool will provide features to analyze the data both statistically and visually to aid in research. We demonstrate how this tool can be helpful in expediting search and information retrieval in an intelligent and convenient way through a use case in the bio domain -- erythropoietin.
Cortical Neural Prosthesis Performance Improves When Eye Position Is Monitored

Neural prostheses that extract signals directly from cortical neurons have recently become feasible as assistive technologies for tetraplegic individuals. Significant effort toward improving the performance of these systems is now warranted. A simple technique that can improve prosthesis performance is to account for the direction of gaze in the operation of the prosthesis. This proposal stems from recent discoveries that the direction of gaze influences neural activity in several areas that are commonly targeted for electrode implantation in neural prosthetics. Here, we first demonstrate that neural prosthesis performance does improve when eye position is taken into account. We then show that eye position can be estimated directly from neural activity, and thus performance gains can be realized even without a device that tracks eye position.
The Rorschach Test and the Assessment of Object Relations

The study attempts to demonstrate a structurally-based consistency to subjects' object relations as measured across various independent ratings. Particular interest was aimed at the capacity of the Rorschach to tap developmentally crucial aspects of the structure of patients' object relations. A scale was developed to measure the degree to which relationships between figures on the Rorschach were perceived in terms of a mutuality of autonomy. These Rorschach ratings were then correlated with independent measures of this mutuality of autonomy dimension which were obtained from a written autobiography, and ratings by ward staff. Based on a sample of 40 inpatient subjects, the resulting intercorrelation among measures proved to be highly significant.
Commentary on "Are there location/cage/systematic nontreatment effects in long-term rodent studies? A question revisited".

In the previous article, Young (1989) discusses “location/cage/systematic nontreatment effects” in long-term rodent studies. His article requires a response on several points, particularly those related to the evaluation of “local room effects” in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) eugenol study (NTP, 1983). In a previous paper, Young (1987) compared liver tumor rates between two shelf levels of male mice receiving a low dose of eugeno1 and found a statistically significant difference. On the basis of this single finding, Young (1987) made the general conclusion that “local room effects might change tumor rates from about 30 to 80%” and recommended that in long-term studies cage location be assigned at random, despite the logistical and other difficulties associated with a completely randomized housing scheme. It is dangerous to draw general inferences from a single isolated finding. Thus, in view of the hundreds of carcinogenicity studies carried out by the NTP and the multiplicity of tumor sites examined in each experiment, it is important to consider whether the “local room effect” found by Young in the eugenol study could be merely reflecting random variability. To address this issue, Haseman ( 1988a) examined all NTP studies showing evidence of hepatic carcinogenicity in mice and found that the frequency of “significant” shelf level effects, such as that reported by Young (1987) in the eugenol study, was virtually identical to chance expectation. Haseman (1988b) then expanded his analysis to include all carcinogenic effects observed in F344 rats in NTP studies and found similar results. Investigations of other large databases (e.g., Haseman et al., 1986) have also found little evidence that cage location influences tumor rates. Thus, although one cannot identify with absolute certainty the factors responsible for differences in tumor rates between shelf levels, these analyses suggest that the majority of such differences merely reflect random variability. For eugenol, an elevated tumor rate was observed only in animals housed in the fifth row of the front of the rack. It is difficult to envision a biologically meaningful local room effect that could produce such a response. In his latest paper Young (1989) redefines “cage” or “shelf’ effects to be a “catchall” for basically any systematic nontreatment effect. However, while no one would deny that systematic nontreatment effects may exist in some long-term studies, it is important to emphasize that Young’s evaluation of the eugeno1 data was limited to an assessment of a single factor: cage location. It is inappropriate to regard his comparison of tumor rates in
Redesigning Recombinase Specificity for Safe Harbor Sites in the Human Genome

Site-specific recombinases (SSRs) are valuable tools for genetic engineering due to their ability to manipulate DNA in a highly specific manner. Engineered zinc-finger and TAL effector recombinases, in particular, are two classes of SSRs composed of custom-designed DNA-binding domains fused to a catalytic domain derived from the resolvase/invertase family of serine recombinases. While TAL effector and zinc-finger proteins can be assembled to recognize a wide range of possible DNA sequences, recombinase catalytic specificity has been constrained by inherent base requirements present within each enzyme. In order to further expand the targeted recombinase repertoire, we used a genetic screen to isolate enhanced mutants of the Bin and Tn21 recombinases that recognize target sites outside the scope of other engineered recombinases. We determined the specific base requirements for recombination by these enzymes and demonstrate their potential for genome engineering by selecting for variants capable of specifically recombining target sites present in the human CCR5 gene and the AAVS1 safe harbor locus. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that complementing functional characterization with protein engineering is a potentially powerful approach for generating recombinases with expanded targeting capabilities.
The Effects of Resource Policies on Income Distribution

T HE general focus of this paper will be on how income distribution is affected by the policies, mostly federal, that allocate water and grazing in the West. The emphasis will be primarily on the agricultural uses of the resources in question. The approach used is to appraise "what is" rather than to prescribe "what ought to be." The distributive impact of policies per se will not be evaluated; instead, the evaluation will center on practices common to resource policies of many kinds (as, for example, underpricing of resource services). The basis for evaluating will be the differences between the way income and wealth are distributed by existing resource policies and the way they would be distributed by a perfectly competitive market. Four questions about policy effects on income distribution will be considered. First, what is the effect of a certain policy-associated practice upon the income and wealth distribution among firms within agriculture? Second, what is its effect upon agricultural income and wealth distribution among geographical areas? Third, how does the practice affect income and wealth in agriculture relative to the whole economy? Fourth, what is its relative impact upon the distributive income shares accruing to various productive factors used in agricultural production? Among the various practices that will be appraised, one recurs again and again. This is administered pricing, in which the resource (or product of the resource) is priced below the value of the marginal product. Such pricing inevitably leads to a set of rationing procedures in which leases, permits, rights, etc. are used to determine which competitive users get the resources. Over and above policies which price and allocate resources, the government engages in direct expenditures to develop and conserve resources. These run the gamut from appropriations to build "large" multipurpose dams to various "small and inexpensive" conservation practices on individual farms and on the public lands to protect soil resources and watersheds and to increase range productivity. Some of these expenditures are considered to be reimbursable and are thus recoverable by the government. Some are not. Both types of expenditures usually increase resource productivity, however, and the way they are dispensed geographically has a vital influence on the distribution of income and wealth.
Coupling pre-mRNA splicing and 3′ end formation to mRNA export: alternative ways to punch the nuclear export clock

How does a mammalian cell determine when newly synthesized mRNAs are fully processed and appropriate for nuclear export? Muller-McNicoll and colleagues (pp. 553-566) expand on mechanisms known to be mediated by nuclear export factor 1 (NXF1) by describing SR proteins as NXF1 adaptors that flag alternatively spliced and polyadenylated mRNA isoforms as cargo ready for the cytoplasm.
On the Evaluation of Boundary Errors in the Barnes Objective Analysis Scheme

Abstract The spectral response of the Barnes objective analysis scheme near data boundaries is the focus of this note. First of all, a modification of the results presented by Achtemeier is described. In order for the weighted sum (or integral) defining the Barnes scheme to provide an unbiased estimate of the field at grid points, the sum (or integral) of the normalized weights must equal one. The normalizing factor is therefore written as an integral whose limits of integration are kept identical to those for the weighted integral of observations defining the scheme, even as the integral is truncated near a boundary. This modification serves to phrase the theoretical form of the Barnes scheme in a manner that is more consistent with the commonly used discrete form of the scheme. The amplitude and phase-shifted responses using the proposed normalization at an interpolation point on a boundary differ from Achtemeier's results by a factor of two. The amplitude and phase-shifted responses for a discrete appl...
Distribution Patterns of Lesser Grain Borer (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Towers of Wheat, and Effects of the Presence of the Granary Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Adult Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) and Sitophilus granaries (L.) were introduced into the tops of six towers (1.7–2.6 m high) filled with wheat. Samples removed two, three, and four months later revealed that <1.0% of R. dominica and S. granarius were found below 127 cm and 63 cm, respectively. Low population densities of S. granarius precluded detennination of distribution patterns, but the damage caused by S. granarius apparently affected the distribution patterns of R. dominica . The distribution patterns of adult and immature R. dominica differed.
On the mechanism of erythropoietic action of hemoglobin and its derivatives.

SummaryInjections of hemoglobin or hemin stimulated erythropoiesis in rats and gerbils but were without effect in normal or polycythemic mice. Attempts to demonstrate increased erythropoietin levels in plasma of hemoglobin-treated rats were unsuccessful. Injection of antierythropoietin serum abolished in gerbils the hemoglobin-induced increase in erythropoiesis. No evidence was found that hemoglobin increased the erythropoietic response to erythropoietin. It is concluded that hemoglobin exerts its erythropoiesis-stimulating effect by inducing small increases in erythropoietin.
Expression Profiling of LPS Responsive miRNA in Primary Human Macrophages

microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of the innate and adaptive immune response. The purpose of the present study was to interrogate miRNA profiles of primary human macrophages challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with focus on expression kinetics. We employed Nanostring platform to precisely characterize the changes in miRNA expression following different doses and durations of LPS exposure. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in response to LPS challenge with convergent and divergent expression profiles. Pathway analysis of LPS-responsive miRNAs revealed regulation of biological processes linked to key cell signaling (including PIK3-Akt, MAP kinase, ErbB) and pathogen response pathways. Our data provide a comprehensive miRNA profiling of human primary macrophages treated with LPS. These results show that bacterial Toll like receptor (TLR) ligands can temporally modulate macrophage miRNA expression.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall A Critical Examination of the Conceptualization of the Study of Black Racial Identity in Education

The role that racial identity plays in the well-being, educational achievement, and life outcomes of Black youth has received tremendous attention from the early post-slavery years right up until today, and remains a surprisingly contested area of study. We call for the examination of why images of Black racial identity as “damaged” and “dangerous” persist despite scores of studies that demonstrate otherwise. Despite a proliferation of theories suggesting a “damaged” Black psyche and suspicion about its value to Black youth, we find the history of research about Black racial identity reveals robust and consistent evidence that Black racial identity is linked to a broad range of positive outcomes from measures of well-being—including greater resilience, coping with discrimination, higher academic performance, greater commitment to education, and improved educational outcomes on a number of measures. Given this, we question why Black identity has been so controversial and why, 150 years after the end of leg...
Neochord placement versus triangular resection in mitral valve repair: A finite element model

Abstract Background Recurrent mitral regurgitation after mitral valve repair is common, occurring in nearly 50% of patients within 10 years of surgery. Durability of repair is partly related to stress distribution over the mitral leaflets. We hypothesized that repair with neochords (NCs) results in lower stress than leaflet resection (LR). Materials and methods Magnetic resonance imaging and 3D echocardiography were performed before surgical repair of P2 prolapse in a single patient. A finite element model of the left ventricle and mitral valve was created previously, and the modeling program LS-DYNA was used to calculate leaflet stress for the following repairs: Triangular LR; LR with ring annuloplasty (LR + RA); One NC; Two NCs; and 2NC + RA. Results (1) NC placement resulted in stable posterior leaflet stress: Baseline versus 2 NC at end diastole (ED), 12.1 versus 12.0 kPa, at end systole (ES) 20.3 versus 21.7 kPa. (2) In contrast, LR increased posterior leaflet stress: Baseline versus LR at ED 12.1 versus 40.8 kPa, at ES 20.3 versus 46.1 kPa. (3) All repair types reduced anterior leaflet stress: Baseline versus 2 NC versus LR 34.2 versus 25.8 versus 20.6 kPa at ED and 80.8 versus 76.8 versus 67.8 kPa at ES. (4) The addition of RA reduced leaflet stress relative to repair without RA. Conclusions Neochord repair restored normal leaflet coaptation without creating excessive leaflet stress, whereas leaflet resection more than doubled stress across the posterior leaflet. The excess stress created by leaflet resection was partially, but not completely, mitigated by ring annuloplasty.
QUANTITATIVE MODELS FOR ESTIMATING TEACHER AND SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the models for estimating the teachers' and school's effectiveness. The idea of evaluating teacher and school performance by monitoring student outcomes is hardly new, but the number and variety of applications of this idea seem to be increasing. There is evidence that the consequences of these evaluations are increasingly important for teachers and school officials. In the context of the variety of uses of quantitative assessments of teacher and school functioning, it is intriguing that substantial confusion and disagreement remain, even among statisticians, about how teacher or school effects should be estimated. The variety of uses of student outcome data compels a rigorous examination of alternative methods of estimation. The chapter presents two arguments. The efforts to assess school or teacher effectiveness without specifying the particular features that produce effectiveness will generally yield untrustworthy results. The second argument relates to the method by which student intake, composition, and school context can be taken into account in assessing teacher or school effectiveness.
The effect anticoagulation status on geriatric fall trauma patients.

Abstract Background This research study aims to identify the effect of anticoagulation status on hospital course, complications, and outcomes among geriatric fall trauma patients. Methods The study design is a retrospective cohort study, looking at fall trauma among patients aged 60 to 80 years from 2009 to 2013 at a university hospital in the United States. The statistical analysis, conducted with SPSS software with a threshold for statistical significance of P Results The total number of patients included in this study was 1,121. Compared with patients not on anticoagulation, there was a higher LOS among patients on anticoagulation (6.3 ± 6.2 vs 4.9 ± 5.2, P = .001). A higher LOS (7.2 ± 6.8 vs 5.0 ± 5.3, P = .001) and days in the ICU (2.1 ± 5.4 vs 1.1 ± 3.8, P = .010) was observed in patients on warfarin. A higher mortality (7.1% vs 2.8%, P = .013), LOS (6.3 ± 6.2 vs 5.1 ± 5.396, P = .036), and complication rate (49.1 vs 36.7, P = .010) was observed among patients on clopidogrel. Conclusions In this study, a higher mortality and complication rate were seen among clopidogrel, and a greater LOS and number of days in the ICU were seen in patients on warfarin. These differences are important, as they can serve as a screening tool for triaging the severity of a geriatric trauma patient's condition and complication risk. For patients on clopidogrel, it is essential that these patients are recognized early as high-risk patients who will need to be monitored more closely. For patients on clopidogrel or warfarin, bridging a patient's anticoagulation should be initiated as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary increased LOS. At last, these data also provide support against prescribing patients clopidogrel when other anticoagulation options are available.
The Role of Rab38 in Rat and Human Platelet Function Defects.

The fawn-hooded hypertensive (FHH) rat is a model of a moderate platelet function defect manifest by severely prolonged tail bleeding times, decreased platelet aggregation to ADP and collagen, and decreased ADP release from dense granules. The FHH rat has a mutation at the ATG start site of the gene encoding the small GTP-binding protein Rab38, which we have identified as being strongly associated with the bleeding phenotype. We have further characterized expression of Rab38 in the FHH rat and in humans. As assessed by reverse transcriptase PCR, we found that Rab38 is expressed in a wide variety of tissues from FHH and control Brown-Norway (BN) rats. However, by western blotting there was no protein expression of Rab38 in the FHH tissues, confirming that the mutation results in a severe defect at the protein level. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated Rab38 localized in punctuate cytoplasmic granules in human megakaryocytic cell lines. The Rab38 staining colocalized with von Willebrand factor (VWF) found in alpha-granules. However, we did not demonstrate any significant colocalization of Rab38 with serotonin, a marker of dense granules or Lamp-1, a marker of lysosomes, in the megakaryocytic cell lines. We also demonstrated colocalization of Rab38 with VWF in normal human platelets. We hypothesized that some humans with mild to moderate platelet dysfunction may have abnormalities of Rab38. We sequenced the entire coding region and intron-exon boundaries of the Rab38 gene in six patient samples collected at Emory University for the CDC Women with Bleeding Disorders and Menorrhagia Study. Four of these patients had detectable platelet aggregation abnormalities and two did not. In this limited initial study, no obvious mutations or new polymorphisms were detected in the Rab38 gene. Numerous known polymorphisms were detected, but no clear pattern was associated with the platelet aggregation abnormalities as of yet. These results along with our previous findings in the FHH rat suggest that Rab38 may be involved in a general secretion mechanism in platelets. It remains to be seen whether mutations in the Rab38 gene account for some of the platelet function defects seen in humans, but we are actively pursuing this hypothesis.
First-Order Methods for Fast Feasibility Pursuit of Non-convex QCQPs

Quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) is NP-hard in its general non-convex form, yet it frequently arises in various engineering applications. Several polynomial-time approximation algorithms exist for non-convex QCQP problems (QCQPs), but their success hinges upon the ability to find at least one feasible point—which is also hard for a general problem instance. In this paper, we present a heuristic framework for computing feasible points of general non-convex QCQPs using simple first-order methods. Our approach features low computational and memory requirements, which makes it well suited for application to large-scale problems. While a priori it may appear that these benefits come at the expense of technical sophistication, rendering our approach too simple to even merit consideration for a non-convex and NP-hard problem, we provide compelling empirical evidence to the contrary. Experiments on synthetic as well as real-world instances of non-convex QCQPs reveal the surprising effectiveness of first-order methods compared to more established and sophisticated alternatives.
Advanced Coding and Coded Modulation Techniques

This chapter is devoted to advanced channel coding and coded modulation techniques. After linear and BCH code fundamentals, we provide the trellis description of linear block codes and describe the corresponding Viterbi decoding algorithm. After describing the fundamentals of convolutional, RS, concatenated, and product codes, we describe coding with interleaving as an efficient way to deal with burst of errors and fading effects. Significant space in the chapter is devoted to codes on graphs, in particular. Turbo, turbo product, and LDPC codes are described together with corresponding decoding algorithms. Regarding LDPC codes, both binary and nonbinary (NB) LDPC codes are introduced, and corresponding decoding algorithms as well as their FPGA implementation are described. Additionally, LDPC codes design procedures are described, followed by rate adaptation. Rate-adaptive FGPA implementations of LDPC and generalized LDPC codes are described as well. The next portion of the chapter is devoted to coded modulation (CM) and unequal error protection (UEP). After providing the coded modulation fundamentals, we describe trellis-coded modulation (TCM, multilevel coding and UEP, bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM), turbo TCM, and various hybrid multidimensional coded modulation schemes suitable for ultra-high-speed optical transmission including multilevel nonbinary LDPC-coded modulation. After coded modulation sections, the focus of the chapter is on multidimensional turbo equalization. The following topics are described: nonlinear channels with memory, nonbinary MAP detection, sliding-window multidimensional turbo equalization, simulation study of multidimensional turbo equalization, and several experimental demonstrations including time-domain 4-D-NB-LDPC-CM and quasi-single-mode transmission over transoceanic distances. In section on optimized signal constellation design and optimized bit-to-symbol mappings-based coded modulation, we describe multidimensional optimized signal constellation design (OSCD), EXIT chart analysis of OSCD mapping rules, nonlinear OSCD-based coded modulation, and transoceanic multi-Tb/s transmission experiments enabled by OSCD. Finally, in adaptive coding and adaptive coded modulation section, we describe adaptive coded modulation, adaptive nonbinary LDPC-coded multidimensional modulation suitable for high-speed optical communications, and adaptive hybrid free-space optical (FSO)-RF-coded modulation.
Investigation of the BOLD and CBV fMRI responses to somatosensory stimulation in awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Understanding the spatiotemporal features of the hemodynamic response function (HRF) to brain stimulation is essential for the correct application of neuroimaging methods to study brain function. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal evolution of the blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) HRF in conscious, awake marmosets (Callithrix jacchus ), a New World non‐human primate with a lissencephalic brain and with growing use in biomedical research. The marmosets were acclimatized to head fixation and placed in a 7‐T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Somatosensory stimulation (333‐μs pulses; amplitude, 2 mA; 64 Hz) was delivered bilaterally via pairs of contact electrodes. A block design paradigm was used in which the stimulus duration increased in pseudo‐random order from a single pulse up to 256 electrical pulses (4 s). For CBV measurements, 30 mg/kg of ultrasmall superparamagnetic ironoxide particles (USPIO) injected intravenously, were used. Robust BOLD and CBV HRFs were obtained in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and caudate at all stimulus conditions. In particular, BOLD and CBV responses to a single 333‐μs‐long stimulus were reliably measured, and the CBV HRF presented shorter onset time and time to peak than the BOLD HRF. Both the size of the regions of activation and the peak amplitude of the HRFs grew quickly with increasing stimulus duration, and saturated for stimulus durations greater than 1 s. Onset times in S1 and S2 were faster than in caudate. Finally, the fine spatiotemporal features of the HRF in awake marmosets were similar to those obtained in humans, indicating that the continued refinement of awake non‐human primate models is essential to maximize the applicability of animal functional MRI studies to the investigation of human brain function
Applications of Smart Materials for Vibration Suppression

This chapter examines several examples of using smart materials for suppressing vibrations in structures. In particular, it is shown that smart materials can greatly increase controllability and observability and can be used for both passive and active control.
Constellating Technology: Heidegger’s Die Gefahr/The Danger

Heidegger’s question concerning technology was originally posed in lectures to the Club of Bremen. This essay considers the totalizing role of technology in Heidegger’s day and our own, including a discussion of radio and calling for a greater integration of Heidegger’s thinking and critical theory. Today’s media context and the increasing ecological pressures of our time may provide a way to think, once again, the related notions of event [Ereignis] and ownedness [Eigentlichkeit].
Effect of varying plasma properties on III-nitride film growth by plasma enhanced atomic layer epitaxy

Plasma enhanced atomic layer epitaxy (PEALE) is a layer-by-layer crystalline growth technique that is based on a pair of self-terminating and self-limiting gas-surface half-reactions, in which at least one half-reaction involves species from a plasma. The inclusion of plasma generally offers the benefit of substantially reduced growth temperatures and greater flexibility in tailoring the gas-phase chemistry to produce varying film characteristics. The benefits plasmas provide come at the cost of a complex array of process variables that often challenge the ability to predict, a priori, the influence of any one input parameter. This work focuses on the use of plasma diagnostics to inform the choice of process conditions for PEALE. Optical emission spectroscopy in the plasma source and charged particle collectors at the substrate are employed to characterize a Fiji 200 (Veeco) deposition tool. In particular, the authors assess the total ion flux reaching the substrate surface and the relative fractions of atomic and molecular species generated in the plasma source under a variety of gas input flow fractions (Ar/N2 and Ar/N2/H2) used in the PEALE growth of AlN and InN films. Changes in plasma parameters are then linked with changes in film characteristics.Plasma enhanced atomic layer epitaxy (PEALE) is a layer-by-layer crystalline growth technique that is based on a pair of self-terminating and self-limiting gas-surface half-reactions, in which at least one half-reaction involves species from a plasma. The inclusion of plasma generally offers the benefit of substantially reduced growth temperatures and greater flexibility in tailoring the gas-phase chemistry to produce varying film characteristics. The benefits plasmas provide come at the cost of a complex array of process variables that often challenge the ability to predict, a priori, the influence of any one input parameter. This work focuses on the use of plasma diagnostics to inform the choice of process conditions for PEALE. Optical emission spectroscopy in the plasma source and charged particle collectors at the substrate are employed to characterize a Fiji 200 (Veeco) deposition tool. In particular, the authors assess the total ion flux reaching the substrate surface and the relative fractions of a...
Treatment Delays in Primarily Resected Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: National Benchmarks and Survival Associations

Objective To characterize treatment delays in surgically treated oropharyngeal cancer, identify factors associated with delays, and associate delays with survival. Study Design Retrospective cross-sectional analysis. Setting Commission on Cancer-accredited institutions. Subjects and Methods We identified patients in the National Cancer Database with surgically treated oropharyngeal cancer. We characterized the durations of diagnosis-to-treatment initiation, surgery-to-radiation treatment, radiation treatment duration, total treatment package, and diagnosis-to-treatment end intervals as medians. We associated delays with patient, tumor, and treatment factors via multivariable logistic regression analysis and with overall survival by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results In total, 3708 patients met inclusion criteria. Median durations of diagnosis-to-treatment initiation, surgery-to-radiation treatment, radiation treatment duration, total treatment package, and diagnosis-to-treatment end intervals were 27, 42, 47, 90, and 106 days, respectively. Medicaid and human papillomavirus (HPV) negativity were associated with delays. Delayed total treatment package and diagnosis-to-treatment end intervals were associated with decreased survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.81 [1.29-2.54], P = .001 and HR = 1.97 [1.39-2.78], P < .001, respectively); this was maintained following HPV stratification. Delays in the surgery-to-radiation treatment interval were associated with decreased overall survival in HPV-negative but not HPV-positive patients (HR = 2.05 [1.19-3.52], P = .010 and HR = 1.15 [0.74-1.80], P = .535, respectively). Diagnosis-to-treatment initiation and radiation treatment duration were not associated with overall survival in the overall cohort (HR = 1.21 [0.86-1.72], P = .280 and HR = 1.40 [0.99-1.99], P = .061, respectively); however, following stratification, delayed radiation treatment duration approached significance in HPV-negative but not HPV-positive patients (HR = 1.60 [0.96-2.68], P = .072 and HR = 1.35 [0.84-2.18], P = .220). Conclusion Treatment durations identified here can serve as national benchmarks and for institutions to compare quality to their peers. Distinct benchmarks should be applied to HPV-negative and HPV-positive patients.
Evaluation of Self-Assembled Glycopeptide Nanofibers Modified with N,N′-Diacetyllactosamine for Selective Galectin-3 Recognition and Inhibition

The carbohydrate-binding protein galectin-3 (Gal3) is an attractive drug target due to its role as a modulator of cell behavior in various pathological processes. However, development of effective ...
Rehabilitation for Femoroacetabular Impingement: Conservative Care and Postoperative Practice

The understanding of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has increased over the past 10 years, with advancements in diagnosis and surgical techniques. Controversy remains regarding the ideal regimen of conservative care. Additionally, there is wide variety in postoperative clinical practice after hip arthroscopy. This review is a synthesis of resources on rehabilitation as a stand-alone treatment for FAI as well rehabilitation following surgery. Best evidence regarding conservative care is presented followed by postoperative debates on weight-bearing, range of motion, and physical therapy. In most cases, such as use of bracing and continuous passive motion, there are limited experimental studies to rely on. Higher quality evidence is required to support today's rehabilitation practices which are based mostly on theory and individual experience.
Self-serving biases in social norm compliance

Abstract The social stigma against the payoff-maximizing strategy in dictator games is being accepted by more researchers as the most accurate rationalization for the divergence between classical economic theory and laboratory behavior in this setting. By constructing a fake entitlement treatment, where dictator role assignment was purely random, but masqueraded in a way that was open for interpretation, we investigate whether social norm compliance is an inclination or obligation in dictator experiments. We provide compelling evidence that dictators are not predisposed to seek adherence with prevailing social norms, but instead, interpreted the setting to serve their own self-interest.
The Utility of the MCMI-III in Parental Competency Assessments

ABSTRACTChild welfare agencies and legal authorities have frequently turned to psychologists to conduct parental competency assessments (PCA) to inform decisions aimed to advocate the best interest...
Scaling Up metal additive manufacturing process to fabricate molds for composite manufacturing

Abstract Direct Energy Deposition (DED) systems are currently used to repair and maintain existing parts in the aerospace and automotive industries. This paper discusses an effort to scale up the DED technique in order to Additively Manufacture (AM) molds and dies used in the composite manufacturing industry. The US molds and dies market has been in a rapid decline over the last decade due to outsourcing to non-US entities. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Wolf Robotics and Lincoln Electric have developed a Metal Big Area Additive Manufacturing (MBAAM) system that uses a high deposition rate and a low-cost wire feedstock material. In this work we used the MBAAM system with a mild steel wire, ER70S-6, to fabricate a compression molding mold for composite structures used in automotive and mass-transit applications. In addition, the mechanical properties of the AM structure were investigated, and it was found that the MBAAM process delivers parts with high planar isotropic behavior. The paper investigates the microstructure and grain of the printed articles to confirm the roots of the observed planar isotropic properties. The manufactured AM mold was used to fabricate 50 composite parts with no observed mold deformations.
Intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status: The role of neighborhood effects.

Abstract Introduction Little attention has been paid to the role of neighborhoods as a predictor of intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status. This study uses a nationally representative, longitudinal sample from the United States to examine how neighborhoods impact racial/ethnic disparities in the intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status. Methods The study sample is derived from Waves 1 and 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The sample size comprises 13,738 participants (aged 15 at Wave 1; 51% female). Multilevel regression is used to predict racial/ethnic disparities in intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status. Six neighborhood-level indicators are regressed on the indicators of intergenerational transmission of education, income and occupational prestige, while controlling for a range of individual socio-demographic variables. Results Results reveal that: (1) African-American and Hispanic children are less likely to surpass their parents’ levels of education, income and occupational prestige than Asian-Pacific Islander and non-Hispanic white children; (2) these racial/ethnic differences in intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status are attenuated but not fully explained by neighborhood-level indicators; (3) all but one of the neighborhood-level factors examined were significant in predicting the pace of intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status. Conclusions The implication of these results is that policies aimed at reducing inequalities between residential neighborhoods are likely to beneficially affect all racial/ethnic groups but are not sufficient in reducing racial/ethnic disparities in intergenerational transmission of socio-economic status.
Differential expression of COVID-19-related genes in European Americans and African Americans

The COVID-19 pandemic affects African American populations disproportionately. There are likely a multitude of factors that account for this discrepancy. Here, we re-mine The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public RNA-Seq data to catalog whether levels of expression of genes implicated in COVID-19 vary in African Americans as compared to European Americans. Multiple COVID-19-related genes, functioning in SARS-CoV-2 uptake, endosomal trafficking, autophagy, and cytokine signaling, are differentially expressed across the two populations. Most notably, F8A2 and F8A3, which may mediate early endosome movement, are more highly expressed by up to 24-fold in African Americans. Such differences can establish prognostic signatures and have implications for precision treatment of diseases such as COVID-19.
Book Review: The Invisible Constitution, by Laurence H. Tribe

This is a brief review of Laurence H. Tribe's new book The Invisible Constitution, which is forthcoming in the Federalist Society's journal Engage. In this book, Tribe argues that the Constitution necessarily is composed not only of textual commands, but also of constitutional "dark matter" - principles and postulates that do not appear in the text but that have every bit as much weight, and are every bit as much part of the Constitution, as the text itself. I argue that Tribe's argument for the invisible Constitution is not simply a dig at textualism or originalism, all but the most wooden forms of which allow for some version of the invisible Constitution. Tribe's argument is mostly a careful and convincing one. But readers will rightly quarrel both with some of the specifics of Tribe's version of the invisible Constitution, and with his broader failure to explain why we should not accept only the most parsimonious version of an extratextual Constitution. Moreover, the most novel contribution of this book - its description of six "modes" of finding and interpreting the invisible Constitution - is not yet fully developed and is not especially persuasive as it currently stands. That said, Tribe's book is engaging at its best and may provoke useful discussion about the nature and boundaries of the Constitution.
Acute Cerebrovascular Events in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Background and Purpose: Initial reports suggest a significant risk of thrombotic events, including stroke, in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is littl...
Parallel Hash-Mark-Set on the Ethereum Blockchain

Popular blockchains such as Bitcoin or Ethereum provide a transaction isolation level of READ-COMMITTED. This provides difficulties when state changes many times per block interval. Hash-Mark-Set (HMS) alleviates this problem by enabling READ-UNCOMMITTED transactions for state variables. However, the current HMS implementation relies on a sequential algorithm and is susceptible to redundant calculations. As modern processors rely more heavily on parallel algorithms to leverage multiple cores for speedup, sequential algorithms see less benefit from hardware improvements. This paper proposes a lock-free HMS to make use of thread-safe techniques and other optimizations to improve the performance of the HMS algorithm and reduce the latency of read-uncommitted state variable accesses. In our experiments, the proposed algorithm experiences an average 6.4x increase in performance up to 128 go-routines, and a maximum 11.1x increase.
Parker, Eleanor, Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England: London: Bloomsbury Academic, 267 pp., $40.00, ISBN 1-3501-2499-8, Publication Date: February 2019

In 2020, as the blockbuster television series Vikings concludes its sixth and final season and as many American football fans reinvest their hopes in the luckless Minnesota Vikings, at least one th...
Decolonizing queer modernities: the case for queer (post)colonial studies in critical/cultural communication

In this essay, we advocate for a queer (post)colonial studies as a continuation of the critical foundational work that has been done by postcolonial feminists, women of color, queer people of color...
Abstract 073: Physical Function And Subsequent Risk Of Cardiovascular Events In Older Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Reduced physical function, an exemplary phenotype of aging, has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, few studies have comprehensively investigated the association...
A tail goes viral by forming an anchor and a tether

In this issue of Structure, Aiyer et al. (2021) report NMR structures of BET:MLV IN complexes, highlighting a role for the disordered tail domain of MLV IN in viral integration. These studies expand the understanding of molecular recognition polymorphism in BET complexes and offer insight into cancer and antiviral therapeutics.