cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drinking water temperature affects consumption of water during cold weather in ponies

Two within-subjects cross-over trials were conducted to compare ad libitum consumption of warm drinking water with ambient near-freezing drinking water during cold weather. In Trial 1, eight ponies consumed a mean of 41% more water when provided continuously heated water than when provided ambient near-freezing water (P< 0.01). Similarly, in Trial 2, six ponies consumed a mean of 38% more water when provided buckets filled with hot water twice daily than when provided ambient near-freezing water (P< 0.05). Overall for both trials, 14 ponies drank a mean of 40% more warm than ambient near-freezing water. This difference was highly significant (P< 0.0005 ). Videotape procedures were used to evaluate drinking behaviour. During both trials, most drinking occurred within 3 h after feeding. There were no qualitative differences in drinking behaviour observed in either trial.
A novel functional CTL avidity/activity compartmentalization to the site of mucosal immunization contributes to protection of macaques against simian/human immunodeficiency viral depletion of mucosal CD4+ T cells.

The presence of high-avidity CTLs in the right compartment can greatly affect clearance of a virus infection (for example, AIDS viral infection of and dissemination from mucosa). Comparing mucosal vs systemic immunization, we observed a novel compartmentalization of CTL avidity and proportion of functionally active Ag-specific CD8 + T cells to tissues proximal to sites of immunization. Whereas both s.c. and intrarectal routes of immunization induced tetramer + cells in the spleen and gut, the mucosal vaccine induced a higher percentage of functioning IFN-γ + Ag-specific CD8 + T cells in the gut mucosa in mice. Translating to the CD8 + CTL avidity distribution in rhesus macaques, intrarectal vaccination induced more high-avidity mucosal CTL than s.c. vaccination and protection of mucosal CD4 + T cells from AIDS viral depletion, whereas systemic immunization induced higher avidity IFN-γ-secreting cells in the draining lymph nodes but no protection of mucosal CD4 + T cells, after mucosal challenge with pathogenic simian/human immunodeficiency virus. Mucosal CD4 + T cell loss is an early critical step in AIDS pathogenesis. The preservation of CD4 + T cells in colonic lamina propria and the reduction of virus in the intestine correlated better with high-avidity mucosal CTL induced by the mucosal AIDS vaccine. This preferential localization of high-avidity CTL may explain previous differences in vaccination results and may guide future vaccination strategy.
Degradation of tyrosinase induced by phenylthiourea occurs following Golgi maturation

Tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme of melanin synthesis, is a di-copper metalloprotein that catalyzes the conversion of L-tyrosine to L-DOPAquinone. Phenylthiourea (PTU) is a well-known inhibitor of tyrosinase and melanin synthesis and is known to interact with sweet potato catechol oxidase, an enzyme possessing copper binding domain homology to tyrosinase. While PTU is frequently used to induce hypopigmentation in biological systems, little is known about its effects on tyrosinase and other melanogenic proteins. We have found that PTU induces degradation of tyrosinase but not of other melanogenic proteins including the tyrosinase-related metalloproteins tyrosinase-related protein (Tyrp)1 and Tyrp2. Using pulse-chase analysis coupled with glycosidase digestion, we observed that tyrosinase degradation occurs following complete maturation of the protein and that degradation was reversed by cysteine protease inhibitor E64 but not proteasome inhibitor N-acetyl-L-leucinyl-L-leucinyl-L-norleucinal. We conclude that PTU specifically induces tyrosinse degradation following Golgi maturation. Our data suggest that in addition to well-known ER-directed quality control, tyrosinase is also subject to post-Golgi quality control.
Quantum Criticality and Yang-Mills Gauge Theory

We present a family of nonrelativistic Yang–Mills gauge theories in D+1 dimensions whose free-field limit exhibits quantum critical behavior with gapless excitations and dynamical critical exponent z=2. The ground state wavefunction is intimately related to the partition function of relativistic Yang–Mills in D dimensions. The gauge couplings exhibit logarithmic scaling and asymptotic freedom in the upper critical spacetime dimension, equal to 4+1. The theories can be deformed in the infrared by a relevant operator that restores Poincare invariance as an accidental symmetry. In the large-N limit, our nonrelativistic gauge theories can be expected to have weakly curved gravity duals.
Taking a Stand in a Postfeminist World: Toward an Engaged Cultural Criticism

Taking. Stand in. Postfeminist World: Toward an Engaged Cultural Criticism. Frances E. Mascia-Lees and Patricia Sharpe. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001. 241 pp.
Rhodococcus equi: An Emerging Pathogen

More than 100 cases of Rhodococcus equi infection have been reported since the first description of human disease caused by this organism. The vast majority of patients infected with R. equi are immunocompromised, and two-thirds have human immunodeficiency virus infection. The clinical manifestations of R. equi infection are diverse, although 80% of patients have some pulmonary involvement. The organism is easily cultured from specimens of infected tissue or body fluid, but it may be misdiagnosed as a contaminant. Treatment is often prolonged, and relapses at distant sites are common. This article summarizes the history, diagnosis, clinical features, and treatment of infection with this emerging pathogen.
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Gene Expression Remains Broadly Altered Years after Successful Interferon-Based Hepatitis C Virus Treatment.

Background. Inflammatory gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is altered in chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. Duration of changes after pegylated interferon- (peg-IFN-) based HCV treatment is unclear. Methods. PBMC mRNA expression of 184 inflammatory response genes was analyzed (nCounter GX Human Inflammation Kit, Nanostring) from peg-IFN treatment nonresponders (NR, ), sustained virologic responders (SVR, ), and spontaneous clearers (SC, ). Logistic regression was used for comparison. Results. Median time from last treatment was 2 and 2.7 years in SVR and NR, respectively (p = NS). Mean mRNA counts were significantly different for 42 and 29 genes comparing SVR to SC patients and NR to SC, respectively, and no genes comparing SVR to NR. Differential expression of 24 genes was significantly different in both SVR and NR groups compared to SC. Among these 24 acute and chronic inflammatory cascade genes, significant upregulation was noted for proinflammatory transcription regulators Fos, CEBPB, and MyD88 in SVR and NR compared to SC. HDAC4 was significantly downregulated in SVR and NR compared to the SC group. Conclusions. PBMC inflammatory gene expression patterns in SVR resemble NR more than SC patients. A generalized inflammatory response persists in PBMCs long after successful peg-IFN treatment for HCV infection.
Computer Model of the Atrioventricular Node Predicts Reentrant Arrhythmias

Introduction: Following atrial premature beats, the AV node may exhibit sustained reentrant tachyarrhyth-mias, isolated echo beats, or discontinuities in the recovery curve (the plot of conduction time versus atrial cycle length). A computer model was used to examine the hypothesis that spatial variation of AV nodal passive electrical resistance may account for these phenomena. Methods and Results: A computer model of a rectangular lattice of elecirotonically linked elements whose ionic kinetics simulated nodal ionic flux was developed. the model showed that there exists a resistance value that minimizes the effective refractory period, because high resistance prevents depolarization of distal elements, while low resistance allows leakage of depolarizing current by electrotonic transmission, preventing activation of proximal elements. High resistances stabilized reentry by slowing conduction. Simulations incorporating equal resistance values between elements predicted increased AV nodal conduction times with increasing prematurity of atrial impulses. A model with a gradual change in resistance between fibers produced discontinuities and tachycardia, but not both simultaneously. Uniform anisotropy produced preferential transverse block, leading to echo beats and “fast-slow” tachycardia, but not recovery curve discontinuities. Nonuniform anisotropy could produce reentry, but tachycardia often occurred without discontinuities. Dividing the lattice into two electrotonically linked parallel pathways with different resistance values (“dual pathway model”) predicted recovery curve discontinuities, echo beats, and tachycardia. At critical atrial cycle lengths, only the (high resistance) slow pathway conducted antegradely, while the fast pathway conducted retrogradely, to generate the typical “slow-fast” tachycardia. Responses of the dual pathway model to ablation were consistent with clinical data, including the previous observation of a decrease in fast pathway effective refractory period after slow pathway ablation. Conclusion: Differences in passive electrical resistance of electrotonically linked dual pathways within the AV node may account for functional longitudinal dissociation, reentrant arrhythmias, and responses to catheter ablation therapy.
Sleep and obesity in children

Over the past several decades, the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has grown to epidemic proportions. This obesity epidemic has been paralleled in modern society by a trend of reduced sleep duration that affects not only adults but also children and adolescents. Evidence has grown over the past decade supporting the role of short sleep duration as a novel risk factor for weight gain and obesity. Because the prevalence of short sleep duration is rapidly increasing in children, the association with obesity may have substantial effect on public health. The increase in both the prevalence of obesity and its severity has translated into a corresponding increase in the prevalence of obesity-associated morbidities, such as insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, systemic hypertension, atherosclerosis, non alcoholic fatty liver, psychosocial complications and decreased quality of life, as well as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and the obesity hypoventilation syndrome. The implications of OSAS in children, especially obese, are broad and sometimes complex. Given the precipitous rise in pediatric obesity and its associated risks, increasing attention has been paid to efforts to enhance prevention and treatment approaches. The association between sleep and obesity indicates that sleep may be one of the modifiable contributing factors to the obesity epidemic and that enhancing children’s sleep may be an effective strategy for preventing and treating pediatric obesity.
Synthesis of fatty aldehydes and their cyclic acetals (new derivatives for the analysis of plasmalogens)

Saturated and unsaturated fatty aldehydes were prepared in good yield by the reduction of acid chlorides with lithium aluminum tri-t-butoxy hydride. Saturated odd and even numbered aldehydes were prepared by the ozonolysis- reduction of 1-alkenes. Ozonides were hydrogenated with a Lindlar catalyst or reduced with dimethyl sulfide. Several diols, including 1,3-propanediol and ethylene gly- col, were used to synthesize cyclic acetals from aldehydes and plasmalogens in quantitative yield. Cyclic acetals were synthe- sized from 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazones when an exchanger such as acetone or acetylacetone was included in the reaction mixture. A number of physical and chemical properties indicate that cyclic acetals are stable compounds which do not decompose during storage or gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) analysis. The cyclic acetals have unusually long retention volumes which are probably related to the large dipole moments found with cyclic compounds. These derivatives are, therefore, readily separated from their aldehyde and methyl ester analogues on polar and nonpolar stationary phases. GLC analysis of the aldehydogenic moieties in plasmologens may be conveniently carried out by direct conversion to cyclic acetals without pre- liminary isolation of aldehydes or removal of methyl esters by saponification.
Universal signatures of Fermi arcs in quasiparticle interference on the surface of Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals constitute a newly discovered class of three-dimensional topological materials with linear touchings of valence and conduction bands in the bulk. The most striking property of topological origin in these materials, so far unequivocally observed only in photoemission experiments, is the presence of open constant-energy contours at the boundary--- the so-called Fermi arcs. In this Rapid Communication, we establish the universal characteristics of Fermi-arc contributions to surface quasiparticle interference. Using a general phenomenological model, we determine the defining interference patterns stemming from the existence of Fermi arcs in a surface band structure. We then trace these patterns in both simple tight-binding models and realistic ab initio calculations. Our results show that definitive signatures of Fermi arcs can be observed in existing and proposed Weyl semimetals using scanning tunneling spectroscopy.
Analyzing the Spiritual Rhetoric of Kickstarter

This article considers the rhetoric of Kickstarter, a popular crowd-funding website. Using a modified “spiritual quest” theoretical framework, the project examines public statements and interviews from the Kickstarter co-founders, language from the site's “about” pages, and several specific Kickstarter projects. The article finds a certain spiritual rhetoric present on the website, a claim supported by evidence from three crowd-funding case studies.
BEHAVIOR OF GRAPHITE/EPOXY PLATES WITH HOLES UNDER BIAXIAL LOADING.

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial tensile loading of quasiisotropic graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40 cm×40 cm (16 in.×16 in.) laminates of [0/±45/90] s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings. Equal biaxial loading was introduced by means fo four whiffle-tree grip linkages and controlled with a servohyraulic system. Initially, the circumferential strain is uniform around the boundary of the hole. Subsequently, with increasing load, regions of high strain concentration with nonlinear response develop at eight characteristic locations 22.5 deg off the fiber axes. Failure in the form of cracking and delamination initiates at these points. Maximum strains at failure on the hole boundary reach values up to twice the ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate. The effect of hole diameter on strength was described satisfactorily using an average biaxial-stress criterion. Good correlation was also obtained with theoretical predictions based on a tensor-polynomial failure criterion for the lamina and a progressive degradation model.
Isolation of F-actin from pea stems

A procedure is introduced which allows the isolation of abundant amounts of F-actin from plants (etiolated pea seedlings) in an array of morphologies very similar to the array of morphologies found in situ. The major feature is a homogenizing medium containing very low ionic strength, low monovalent ion (K+) concentration, a 3-fold higher level of Mg+ +, the presence of EGTA to chelate Ca++, and PMSF to inhibit protease activity. Using this buffer, about 80–90% of the sedimentable actin is found in the low speed (4,000×g) pellet.
Imaging With Multiples Using Linearized Full-Wave Inversion

The well-known multiple-removal tools such as deconvolution (in time, frequency, and slant-stack domains), Radontransform demultiple and frequency-wavenumber (f-k) demultiple are limited unless the geology of the subsurface is simple. In the presence of complex geology, multiples are not totally separable from primaries by criteria such as periodicity, moveout velocity, and spectra. In model-based technique, which predict multiples with wavefield extrapolation (Morley, 1982; Berryhill and Kim, 1986; Wiggins, 1988; Lu et al., 1999), the accuracy of the predicted multiples strongly depends on the model used. Surface-related multiple elimination (SRME), a convolution-based technique (Riley and Claerbout, 1976; Tsai, 1985; Verschuur et al., 1992), is more generally applicable. But this method requires an overlap of source and receiver locations and cannot suppress internal multiples. Despite substantial progress in multiple elimination, complete removal of surface-related and internal multiples without distorting the primary signals remains a challenge.
Events Leading to Septic Death from Experimental Acute Pyelonephritis in the Monkey

Experimental acute pyelonephritis in monkeys led to death in some of the animals following renal E. coli inoculation. It was found that both the inflammatory response and cytokine activation were much more severe in these monkeys as compared with others that survived. IL-1 was decreased just before death, and there were early increases in IL-2 and IL-6 serum concentrations, but no significant increase in TNF values. The data suggest that death in sepsis is due in part to excessive cytokine release because of a decrease in the protective activity of IL-1.
The Transnational Spread of Disease

Environmental degradation is not the only non-governmental GAP process impacting on national, regional and international security in the post-Cold War era. Another extremely prominent issue is the spread of disease. The bubonic plague that swept across Europe during the Middle Ages, the smallpox that was carried to the Americas by the Spanish, the influenza outbreak of 1918, which killed 21 million people in a matter of months alone, and the AIDS epidemic that wreaks so much havoc today all bear witness to the enormous damage that infectious diseases can have on a vulnerable society.
CTA Detection of Left Atrial Stasis and Thrombus in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

BACKGROUND We investigated computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) in assessment of left atrial appendage (LAA) stasis and thrombus in preprocedural evaluation for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in a large community cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS We reviewed CTA and transesophageal echocardiographic images obtained in 861 consecutive patients with a history of AF undergoing same-day CTA and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) before AF ablation at a single hospital (2006-2013). CTA findings of LAA filling defects from acquisitions without electrocardiogram gating were compared to TEE features of LAA stasis (grade 0-4) and thrombus. Stasis grade 0 or 1 by TEE in the absence of thrombus was defined as a negative result. In addition, LAA peak flow velocity was assessed by TEE. Average age was 61 ± 10 years and 75% were male. On CTA, 161 patients (19%) had LAA filling defects on CTA and 21 had ≥grade 2 stasis on TEE, including two with thrombus, resulting in a positive predictive value of only 13%. However, among 670 CTA-negative patients, 669 (99%) were negative for thrombus or stasis by TEE with one false-negative CTA in a patient with grade 2 stasis by TEE but no thrombus, yielding a negative predictive value of 99.9%. Slow LAA Doppler flow velocity was the most important determinant of false-positive CTA results in multivariate analysis (P < 0.0001) CONCLUSION: LAA filling defects on CT are associated with slow LAA flow velocity. AF patients without LAA filing defects on CT are free of significant stasis and thrombus on TEE. It may be possible to eliminate TEE in up to 80% of AF ablation patients based on negative CTA findings.
Safety Design of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment

Besides cost issue, the charging infrastructures popularization and charging safety assurance are two major concerns for promoting electric vehicles (EVs). Several pilot-run programs, such as in the U.S., Europe, Japan, China, and Taiwan as well, enforce the safety compliance of EVs and infrastructures as an implementation policy. To be part of the players, it is essential to have the comprehensive understanding of the standard differences among IEC, SAE/UL, GB and JEVS. The way to compile the issued standards in different regions, however, is time consuming and may get limited helpful hints until tried and tested. Based on above-mentioned standards, this study summarized an overview in aspects of construction, function, performance and safety for charging equipments. To facilitate as a competent safety design, key requirements of electrical safety were presented. These crucial design rules included functional requirements, constructional requirements, personal protection against electric shock, insulation coordination, electromagnetic compatibility and charging control. The rationale and compliance requirements were highlighted to assist as design guidelines. In addition, learning from the past is always a good approach to build confidence to comply with the safety requirements. Based on the standards—follow most IEC and some SAE/UL—for pilot-run project in Taiwan, a case study of an AC charging stand provided the safety faults encountered and solutions in designing a new product that can meet safety requirements effectively. With these design guidelines and the case study, this paper provided a solid basis of safety design for electric vehicle charging equipments.
Carrier-envelope offset frequency linewidth narrowing in a Cr:forsterite laser-based frequency comb.

Cr:forsterite laser-based frequency combs are useful for spectroscopic purposes in the near-IR wavelength region. However, self-referenced Cr:forsterite combs tend to exhibit wide carrier-envelope offset frequency (f0) linewidths, which result in broad comb teeth. This can be attributed to significant frequency noise across the comb’s spectral bandwidth. We have stabilized a prism-based Cr:forsterite laser comb and observed narrowing of the f0 linewidth from ∼1.4 MHz down to ∼100 kHz by changing only the prism insertion, and to 23 kHz by inserting a knife edge into the intracavity beam while keeping the same prism insertion. The noise dynamics of the Cr:forsterite laser frequency comb are investigated with the goal of explaining this f0 narrowing phenomenon.
Behavior Change with Fitness Technology in Sedentary Adults: A Review of the Evidence for Increasing Physical Activity

Physical activity is closely linked with health and well-being, however many Americans do not engage in regular exercise. Older adults and those with low socioeconomic status are especially at risk for poor health, largely due to their sedentary lifestyles. Fitness technology, including trackers and smartphone applications (apps) have become increasingly popular for measuring and encouraging physical activity in recent years. However, many questions remain regarding the effectiveness of this technology for promoting behavior change. Behavior change techniques such as goal setting, feedback, rewards, and social factors are often included in fitness technology. However, it is not clear which components are most effective, and which are actually being used by consumers. We discuss additional strategies not typically included in fitness technology devices or apps that are promising for engaging inactive, vulnerable populations. These include action planning, restructuring negative attitudes, enhancing environmental conditions, and identifying other barriers to regular physical activity. We consider which strategies are most conducive to motivating behavior change among sedentary adults. Overall, fitness technology has the potential to significantly impact public health, research, and policies. We suggest ways in which app developers and behavior change experts can collaborate to develop successful apps. Advances are still needed to help inactive individuals determine how, when, where, and with whom they can increase their physical activity.
A reservation-based multiagent system for intersection control

Abstract Traffic congestion is one of the leading causes of lost productivity and decreased standard of living in urban settings. Recent advances in artificial intelligence suggest that autonomous vehicle navigation will be possible in the near future. In this paper, we propose a reservation-based system for alleviating traffic congestion, specifically at intersections. First, we describe a custom simulator created to measure the different delays associated with conducting traffic through an intersection. Second, we specify a precise metric for evaluating the quality of traffic control at an intersection. Using this simulator and this metric, we show that the reservation-based system can perform two to three hundred times better than traffic lights. As a result, it can smoothly handle much heavier traffic conditions. We demonstrate that this system very closely approximates an overpass, which is the optimal solution for problem with which we are dealing.
Symptoms predicting health-related quality of life in prostate cancer patients treated with localized radiation therapy

Objective Patient-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) measures can provide guidance for treatment decision making, symptom management, and discharge planning. HRQOL is often influenced by the distress experienced by patients from disease or treatment-related symptoms. This study aimed to identify symptoms that can predict changes in HRQOL in men undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for nonmetastatic prostate cancer (NMPC). Methods Fifty-one men with NMPC scheduled for EBRT were assessed at the baseline, at the midpoint of EBRT, and at the end of EBRT. All participants received 38–42 daily doses of EBRT (five times a week), depending on the stage of their disease. Validated questionnaires were administered to evaluate depressive symptoms, urinary and sexual functions, bowel issues, symptom-related distress, fatigue, and HRQOL. Pearson correlations, repeated-measures ANOVA, and multiple regressions examined the relationships among variables. Results Intensification of symptoms and increased symptom-related distress, with a corresponding decline in HRQOL, were observed during EBRT in men with NMPC. Changes in symptoms and symptom distress were associated with changes in HRQOL at the midpoint of EBRT (r=–0.37 to –0.6, P=0.05) and at the end of EBRT (r=–0.3 to –0.47, P=0.01) compared with the baseline. The regression model comprising age, body mass index, Gleason score, T category, androgen-deprivation therapy use, radiation dose received, symptoms (urinary/sexual/bowel problems, fatigue), and overall symptom distress explained 70% of the variance in predicting HRQOL. Urinary problems and fatigue significantly predicted the decline in HRQOL during EBRT. Conclusion Identifying specific symptoms that can influence HRQOL during EBRT for NMPC can provide feasible interventional targets to improve treatment outcomes.
Non-small cell lung cancer clinical trials requiring biopsies with biomarker-specific results for enrollment provide unique challenges.

BACKGROUND Clinical trials in lung cancer increasingly require patients to provide fresh tumor tissue as a prerequisite to enrollment. The effects of this requirement on enrollment rates, enrollment durations, and patient selection have not been fully elucidated. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed data generated by patients who consented to 1 or more interventional lung cancer clinical trials at the University of California-Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center between January 2013 and December 2014. Trials were considered to require a biopsy when enrollment was conditional on the procurement of tissue without intervening therapy between procurement and enrollment. RESULTS In total, 311 patients underwent 368 screening incidents for 1 or more of 19 trials. Trials that required a new biopsy had a longer median screening duration (34 vs 14 days) than trials that did not require a biopsy (P < .001). Trials that required a biopsy had a greater screen failure rate (49.1% vs 26.5%; P < .001), which was largely driven by patients who did not undergo the required biopsy or lacked the required biomarker. Worsening performance status led to the majority of screen failures (56.5%) among biomarker-eligible patients. CONCLUSIONS Although the scientific benefits of obtaining a new biopsy and requiring specific results for trial enrollment are clear, these requirements lead to a lengthening of the screening period, which, in some patients, is associated with clinical decline before enrollment. Implications for the interpretation of data from studies of this design should be explored. Cancer 2017;123:4800-7. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Initial brain metastasis velocity: does the rate at which cancers first seed the brain affect outcomes?

Brain metastasis velocity (BMV) is a metric that describes the rate of development of new brain metastases (BM) after initial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). A limitation in the application of BMV is it cannot be applied until time of first BM failure after SRS. We developed initial BM velocity (iBMV), a new metric that accounts for the number of BM at first SRS and the time since initial cancer diagnosis. We reviewed patients with BM treated at our institution with upfront SRS without WBRT. iBMV was calculated as the number of BM at initial SRS divided by time (years) from initial cancer diagnosis to first SRS. We performed a linear regression to correlate BMV as a continuous variable and with low, intermediate, and high BMV risk groups. Kaplan–Meier estimation of OS was calculated from time of first SRS to death. iBMV was not calculated for patients who presented with BM at initial cancer diagnosis. 994 patients were treated with upfront SRS without WBRT between 2000 and 2017. Median OS was 8.5 mos. 595 (60%) patients developed BM after cancer diagnosis and median time to first SRS from time of initial diagnosis was 2.2 years. Median iBMV was 0.79 BM/year. iBMV correlated with BMV (β = 1.57 p = 0.021) and independently predicted for mortality [Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) 1.11, p = 0.036] after accounting for histology, number of initial brain metastases (HR 1.03, p = 0.32), time from cancer diagnosis to SRS (HR 0.98, p = 0.157) in a multivariate model. iBMV correlates with BMV and OS. With further validation, iBMV could serve as a metric to risk stratify patients for WBRT or SRS at time of first BM presentation.
BACTERIAL EXPRESSION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN SECRETORY CLASS V PHOSPHOLIPASE A2

Mammalian secretory class V phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a newly discovered PLA2 that is implicated in eicosanoid formation in inflammatory cells. As a first step towards understanding the structure, function and regulation of this PLA2, we constructed a bacterial expression vector for human secretory class V PLA2 (hV-PLA2), over-expressed and purified the protein, and determined its physical and kinetic properties. When compared with human class IIa enzyme (hIIa-PLA2), hV-PLA2 has several distinct properties. First, hV-PLA2 can catalyse the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine more effectively than hIIa-PLA2 by two orders of magnitude. Secondly, hV-PLA2 has much higher binding affinity and activity for compactly packed phosphatidylcholine bilayers than hIIa-PLA2. Finally, hV-PLA2 has much reduced thermal stability compared with hIIa-PLA2. These data suggest that hV-PLA2 is better suited than hIIa-PLA2 for acting on the outer cellular membrane and liberating arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids. Also, the unusually low thermal stability of hV-PLA2 might contribute to tighter regulation of its activities in extracellular media.
A Note on Precautionary Savings

Precautionary savings occurs in response to uncertainty regarding future income. The precautionary motive to delay consumption and save in the current period rises due to the lack of completeness of insurance markets. Accordingly, individuals will not be able to insure against some bad state of the economy in the future. They anticipate that if this bad state is realized, they will earn lower income. To avoid future income fluctuations and smooth consumption, they set aside a precautionary reserve, by consuming less in the current period, and resort to it in case the bad state is realized in the future.
Do Problems of Clinic-Referred African-American Children Overlap With the Child Behavior Checklist?

Many factors contribute to children's psychopathology. African-American children, members of the largest U.S. minority group, are reportedly at high risk for psychopathology, but researchers and developers of diagnostic measures seldom focus on them. We surveyed the clinic records of 1,605 African-American children, ages 4–18. Coders recorded children's problems, their gender, and age. They coded children's problems according to the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Overlap between some problems African-American children presented and CBCL items emerged but other problems did not match CBCL items. For problems which matched the CBCL, associations between such problems and children's age emerged and boys had more problems than girls. The content and cultural validity of the CBCL for African-American children may, however, be questionable.
Association of ATM mutation and unmutated IGHV status with shorter time to first treatment (TTFT): An analysis of multigene mutation profiling and standard prognostic clinical markers in 384 treatment-naive (TN) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

7523Background: Somatic mutations (MUTs) in CLL play important roles in leukemogenesis and affect both response to treatment and survival outcomes. Correlation of somatic MUTs with TTFT remains lim...
A note about various types of sensitivity in general semiflows

We discuss the implications between various types of sensitivity in general semiflows (sensitivity, syndetic sensitivity, thick sensitivity, thick syndetic sensitivity, multisensitivity, periodic sensitivity, thick periodic sensitivity), including the weak mixing as a very strong type of sensitivity and the strong mixing as the strongest of all type of sensitivity.
Age-Related Decline of Vision, Hearing, and Balance: Pathophysiology and Midlife Prevention

The present chapter discuss the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of the sensory decline affecting vision, hearing and balance complex physiological mechanisms are stressed in this chapter. Even if a system dysfunction is more clinically apparent than the others, all the age-related changes started at midlife whatever the existence or not of a genetic predisposition. These changes are exacerbated by multiple general or more specific extrinsic risk factors.
Short sleep and late bedtimes are detrimental to educational learning and knowledge transfer: An investigation of individual differences in susceptibility.

Good sleep hygiene practices, including consistent bedtimes and 7–9 h of sleep/night, are theorized to benefit educational learning. However, individuals differ in how much sleep they need, as well...
Multivariate power series interpoint distances

We establish (a) the probability mass function of the interpoint distance (IPD) between random vectors that are drawn from the multivariate power series family of distributions (MPSD); (b) obtain the distribution of the IPD within one sample and across two samples from this family; (c) determine the distribution of the MPSD Euclidean norm and distance from fixed points in $${\mathbb {Z}}^d$$ ; and (d) provide the distribution of the IPDs of vectors drawn from a mixture of the MPSD distributions. We present a method for testing the homogeneity of MPSD mixtures using the sample IPDs.
Fiber-optic laser-ultrasound transducer using carbon nanoparticles for intravascular sonothrombolysis

Intravascular ultrasound thrombolysis has shown its advantages in the improved treatment rate compared with traditional administration of thrombolytic agents, and a safer treatment procedure compared with mechanical drilling methods. However, the method still suffers from the long treatment time. Although recent studies have shown progress in miniaturizing intravascular piezoelectric ultrasound transducers to improve the clot lysis rate, the transducer’s size control, fabrication and packing are still complicated. On the other hand, laser generated ultrasound (LGU) has a relatively simple structure and can be adapted for expediting thrombolysis with its high acoustic pressure. However, there is a lack of studies on the intravascular LGU transducers. Therefore, in this study, we designed and fabricated an intravascular laser ultrasound transducer on an optical fiber. We characterized the transducer’s performance by measuring its output pressure. Lastly, the transducer’s thrombolysis rate was estimated in vitro. The preliminary test result showed on average a 32% reduction in the clot mass after a 30-min treatment with our transducer, demonstrating the feasibility of the sonothrombolysis use.
The interacting effects of total light intensity and chromatic contrast on visual signal visibility in an Anolis lizard

The sensory drive hypothesis states that selection acts on signals to make them more detectable in the habitat conditions in which they occur, resulting in signal divergence for species occupying different habitats. For colour signals, visibility depends on the luminance contrast and the chromatic contrast between the signal and the viewing background. Sensory drive has been tested in studies of the colourful dewlaps of anolines occupying different habitats. These studies found that red or orange dewlaps were more visible than yellow or white dewlaps across all habitat types, counter to the predictions of sensory drive that a species’ signal should be more visible in its own habitat than in habitats of other species. However, in these, and other sensory drive studies, chromatic contrast was calculated with a visual perception model that assumed that total light intensity has little or no effect on chromatic contrast perception. We carried out behavioural experiments testing the probability of detection of green, yellow and red stimuli presented against luminance-matched green backgrounds, at low and high light intensity typical of shaded and unshaded habitats. We found that the red stimulus was most detectable in the high light condition, while in low light, yellow and red stimuli were equally detectable. We modelled the stimuli with a receptor noise model that takes total light intensity into account. The model predictions were consistent with the behaviour results. We conclude that there is an important interaction between total light intensity and chromatic contrast in determining the visibility of colour signals, which should be taken into account in visual ecology studies. For animals with small eyes, shade level, which strongly influences total light intensity, may be as important as, or more important than habitat spectral quality in the evolution of signal colour diversity through sensory drive.
Identifying Ethical Considerations for Machine Learning Healthcare Applications

Along with potential benefits to healthcare delivery, machine learning healthcare applications (ML-HCAs) raise a number of ethical concerns. Ethical evaluations of ML-HCAs will need to structure the overall problem of evaluating these technologies, especially for a diverse group of stakeholders. This paper outlines a systematic approach to identifying ML-HCA ethical concerns, starting with a conceptual model of the pipeline of the conception, development, implementation of ML-HCAs, and the parallel pipeline of evaluation and oversight tasks at each stage. Over this model, we layer key questions that raise value-based issues, along with ethical considerations identified in large part by a literature review, but also identifying some ethical considerations that have yet to receive attention. This pipeline model framework will be useful for systematic ethical appraisals of ML-HCA from development through implementation, and for interdisciplinary collaboration of diverse stakeholders that will be required to understand and subsequently manage the ethical implications of ML-HCAs.
Spatiotemporal and Kinematic Comparisons Between Anthropometrically Paired Male and Female Soldiers While Walking With Heavy Loads.

Introduction Limited work comparing the effect of heavier carried loads (greater than 30 kg) between men and women has attributed observed differences to sex with the possibility that anthropometric differences may have contributed to those discrepancies. With the recent decision permitting women to enter Combat Arms roles, knowledge of sex-based differences in gait response to load carriage is more operationally relevant, as military loads are absolute and not relative to body weight. The purpose of this study was to describe differences in gait parameters at light to heavy loads between anthropometrically similar male and female soldiers. Materials and methods Eight female and 8 male soldiers, frequency-matched (1-to-1) on height (±0.54 cm) and mass (±0.52 kg), walked at 1.34 m∙s-1 for 10-min bouts on a level treadmill while unloaded (BM) and then carrying randomized vest-borne loads of 15, 35, and 55 kg. Spatiotemporal and kinematic data were collected for 30 s after 5 min. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to compare the gait parameter variables between sexes at each load. Results As load increased, overall, the percent double support increased, step frequency increased, stride length decreased, hip and ankle range of motion (ROM) increased, and vertical center of mass (COM) displacement increased. Sex-based significant differences were observed in knee ROM and mediolateral COM displacement. Among the male participants, knee ROM increased significantly for all loads greater than BM. For mediolateral COM displacement, male remained constant as load increased, whereas female values decreased between BM and 35 kg. Conclusions Spatiotemporal and kinematic differences in gait parameters were primarily because of increases in load magnitude. The observed sex-related differences with increasing loads suggest that women may require a more stable gait to support the additional load carried.
Fabric defect detection based on window threshold local binary patterns

To describe different texture structure accurately,an improved local binary patterns method was proposed. Corresponding main pattern sets for different texture structure were established by this method. Based on the proposed method,an effective threshold-based fabric defect detection algorithm was designed. Parameters were set up for patterned and unpatented fabric. Firstly the features of free defect image were extracted by Adaptive Local Binary Patterns(ALBP) and the defect judgement threshold was obtained. Then the image to be tested was divided into same size detection windows from which ALBP features were also extracted. The features were compared to the threshold to find the defective window. To obtain precise segmentation results,the parameters of patterned and unpatented fabric were discussed respectively.The experiments showed the detection effect of the proposed method was comparatively better than traditional local binary patterns from visual aspect and detection accuracy.
Protocol to assess two distinct components of the nonlinear capacitance in mouse cardiomyocytes.

Prestin (Slc26a5) is a motor protein previously considered to be expressed exclusively in outer hair cells (OHCs) of the inner ear. However, we recently identified the functional expression of prestin in the heart. Nonlinear capacitance (NLC) measurement in OHCs is used to evaluate the signature function of prestin, which exhibits membrane potential-dependent conformational changes. Here, we describe detailed recording techniques and quantification methods for NLC to evaluate the prestin function in mouse ventricular myocytes. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al. (2021).
Legal Phantoms in Cyberspace: The Problematic Status of Information as a Weapon and a Target Under International Humanitarian Law

Reports of state-sponsored harmful cyber intrusions abound. The prevailing view among academics holds that if the effects or consequences of such intrusions are sufficiently damaging, international humanitarian law (IHL) should generally govern them — and recourse to armed force may also be justified against states responsible for these actions under the jus ad bellum. This Article argues, however, that there are serious problems and perils in relying on analogies with physical armed force to extend these legal regimes to most events in cyberspace. Armed conflict models applied to the use of information as a weapon and a target are instead likely to generate "legal phantoms" in cyberspace — that is, situations in which numerous policy questions and domestic criminal issues are often misinterpreted as legal problems governed by the IHL framework or the jus ad bellum. This Article assesses this dilemma in the context of four key problem areas relating to dimensions of information: (1) problems of origin, organization, and availability; (2) problems of access and control; (3) problems of exploitation; and (4) problems of manipulation and content.
Reduced Form Credit Risk Models

There are two models for studying credit risk. The first is called the structural approach. This model assumes that all of the assets of the firm trade, an unrealistic assumption. The second is called the reduced form model. This model assumes that only a subset of the firm’s liabilities trade, those that need to be priced and hedged. This is the model studied in this chapter.
SSI Recipients in Mississippi and California: A Comparative Study

This paper investigates experience with SSI, differential attitudes toward it, and financial condition among its recipients in Mississippi and California. The question addressed in the present study is whether SSI recipients who live in different parts of the country differ in the way they assess their financial condition, evaluate the SSI program, and feel stigmatized. Findings from the study indicate that Mississippi SSI recipients responded more positively in all areas of research concerns than did California SSI recipients.
Innovating between and within Technological Paradigms: A Response to Samuelson

Drawing on Professor Samuelson’s article, “Are Interface Patents Impeding Interoperability,” this Response identifies situations where interface patents warrant regulatory intervention. It first notes that interfaces define “technological paradigms”: integrated systems of interoperability. It then argues that interface patents can provide incentives to invent valuable interfaces and encourage healthy competition between emerging technological paradigms. However, once an industry has coalesced around a single paradigm, the costs of strictly asserting interface patents likely outweigh their benefits. This Response argues that by considering industrial and informational developments over time, government and industry actors can calibrate policy interventions to maximize innovation both between and within technological paradigms.
Improving Research on Mathematics Learning and Teaching in Rural Contexts

This paper was partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The opinions and comments in the paper are solely those of the author and do not represent the opinions of the National Science Foundation. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to William S. Bush, Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Teacher Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292. (bill. bush@louisville.edu) Citation: Bush, W. S. (2005, July 11). Improving research on mathematics learning and teaching in rural contexts. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 20(8). Retrieved [date] from http://jrre.psu.edu/articles /20-8.pdf