cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cytochrome C-Like Domain of the Human BK Channel

The voltage- and calcium-activated BK channel (Slo1) is modulated by small ligands that bind to its intracellular gating ring (GR) formed by four pairs of tandem homologous RCK1 and RCK2 domains. Heme binds reversibly to the GR at site 612CKACH616, a conserved heme regulatory motif (CXXCH) in the Cytochrome C (CytC) protein family, and it is located within the ∼120-residue linker connecting RCK1 and RCK2 domains. Most of this linker has thus far evaded structural definition. To gain structural insight on this functionally-significant region, we performed a sequence alignement of BK with CytC and CytC-like domains from different hemoproteins. We found that, in addition to the CXXCH motif, key structural and functional elements of CytC are conserved in the BK RCK1- RCK2 linker: firstly, the portion of the BK region resolved in the available atomic structures shares secondary structure elements with CytC proteins; secondly, CytC positively-charged residues critical for Apaf-1 and cardiolipin interaction align with BK residues K606, K623, R648, K684, K685 and K698; finally, CytC methionine-80, the second axial ligand to the heme iron, aligns with BK M691. These similarities support the premise that a CytC-like domain exists in the BK GR. To experimentally test this hypothesis, we expressed and purified this region (598IAS...LSG718) and probed its structural composition with Circular Dichroism spectroscopy. The α-helical composition of this protein increased following addition of heme (150 nM) from ≈35% to ≈51%, approaching the α-helical content of CytC (≈53%). Moreover, in the full GR, mutation M691A significantly attenuated heme-binding properties as shown by reduced Soret band formation compared to WT, suggesting that M691 is important for heme binding. These results demonstrate that BK channels possess four intracellular CytC-like domains, which may confer novel physiological functions to these ubiquitous ion channels.
Further refinements in the segmented cell approach to diagnosing performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Described is the most recent configuration of a segmented cell used to measure current distribution across the surface of an electrode in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). In this fourth generation cell design, measurement and data collection capabilities have been modified to significantly improve ease of use and quality of information obtained. The current configuration allows examination of spatial resolution of the cell current and cell voltage with respect to well-defined baseline reference measurements, as well as measurement of the high frequency resistance (HFR) distribution and spatial ac impedance spectroscopy. This specially designed cell is intended for use in studies on time and location resolved carbon monoxide poisoning, humidification and flow-field design effects on fuel cell performance.
Reductive methods for isotopic labeling of antibiotics

Methods for the reductive methylation of the amino groups of eight different antibiotics using 3HCOH or H14COH are presented. The reductive labeling of an additional seven antibiotics by NaB3H4 is also described. The specific activity of the methyl-labeled drugs was determined by a phosphocellulose paper binding assay. Two quantitative assays for these compounds based on the reactivity of the antibiotic amino groups with fluorescamine and of the aldehyde and ketone groups with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine are also presented. Data on the cellular uptake and ribosome binding of these labeled compounds are also presented.
Relationships among mineral nutrition, ethylene and post-harvest physiology in apples on six rootstocks

Abstract The relationships among several mineral elements of August-sampled leaf October-harvested fruit, maturity and post-harvest quality factors of ‘Starkspur Golden Delicious’ apple trees grown on Seedling, Malling (M) 1, Malling Merton (MM) 106, M 7, Oregon Apple Rootstock (OAR 1) or M 26 in a high-density orchard during 1980–1982 were evaluated. Positive correlations were found between leaf N, K and P and fruit N, K and P, respectively, in most rootstocks. Leaf Ca did not correlate with fruit Ca; thus leaf analysis cannot be recommended for estimates of fruit Ca. Both leaf and fruit N positively correlated with fruit green color and negatively with fruit soluble solids in all rootstocks. Fruit Ca and fruit P were both negatively correlated with fruit soluble solids at harvest and after 6 months of 0°C storage for all rootstocks. The ratio of fruit N Ca was positively correlated with internal ethylene in MM 106, M 7 and OAR 1, while fruit K Ca ratio was positively correlated with titratable acidity in all rootstocks. Fruit Ca showed negative correlations with bitterpit, storage rot and field internal ethylene, but positive correlation with firmness. Yield was positively correlated with leaf and fruit N, Ca and Cu but slightly negatively correlated with B of those tissues. Higher yield was associated with lower leaf K concentrations. Fruit green color was negatively correlated with soluble solids and titratable acidity. Fruit dry matter was highly positively correlated with soluble solids and titratable acidity in MM 106, OAR 1 and M 26. Soluble solids at harvest were strongly predicted by pre-harvest dry matter.
Oracles and demons of Tibet : the cult and iconography of the Tibetan protective deities

This book is a study of the Tibetan protective deities, those gods worshipped by the Tibetans as protectors and guardians of Buddhism.
Effects of domestication, environmental familiarity, and opponent familiarity on dominance in the mouse (Mus musculus L.).

Wild mice maintained as a randomly breeding population in the laboratory were matched against domesticated mice from either the C57BL/6 or the DBA/2 inbred strain. Aggressive dominance was subsequently tested in environments familiar to one, both, or neither of the opponents. Opponents were either familiar or novel to each other. Wilds were dominant initially, but their tendency to dominate domestics subsequently decreased during later trials. Environmental familiarity enhanced the dominance performance of both inbred strains but exerted no significant effect on dominance by wilds. Opponent familiarity affected dominance only by weakly interacting with the effect of environmental familiarity on domestic performance. Findings are discussed with respect to (a) possible behavioral mechanisms responsible for the differences in dominance shown by domestic and wilds and (b) possible genetic mechanisms responsible for behavioral differences in laboratory vs. natural mouse populations.
An improved technique for the measurement of dynamic mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials

An improved technique for the precision measurement of dynamic mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials is described. The instrumentation has been adapted for use with commercial device Rheovibron, but can be used with any other similar device. An analysis of the technique, together with typical results, are presented. Analyses of error are included in the appendices.
An attitude profile for studies of population psychology

Attitudes toward specific issues in population covary, but are independent enough to warrant separate assessment. Identifiable components include family planning, abortion, contraception, and population management. Modernity may be defined as a norm-setting factor, establishing a baseline around which the four other dimensions may vary. A system of beliefs will be more or less in phase or out of phase depending on the congruence between modernity and the other four indices. Scales to assess each factor were developed, and an attempt was made to minimize unwanted or artifactual variance pertaining to generalized distrust or misanthropy. Five case vignettes were given to illustrate the personological implications of contrasting profile configurations.
Nature and Origin of Early and Late Cherts in the Leadville Limestone, Colorado

Two generations of chert have been observed in the Mississippian Leadville Limestone of west-central Colorado: (1) an early chert inferred to have precipitated from hypersaline marine waters of high pH after those waters seeped into carbonate muds prior to final burial and lithification of the carbonate; and (2) a late chert that appears to have precipitated from ground waters as amorphous silica after initial lithification but prior to or during karst erosion of the formation in Late Mississippian (?) and Early Pennsylvanian time. A third type of microcrystalline quartz, hydrothermal jasperoid, is associated with ore deposits of Laramide age in the Leadville, but it is not discussed here. Conditions in west-central Colorado at the time that the early cherts formed in the Leadville were probably similar to those associated with the formation of early diagenetic chert in modern sediments, and the early chert in the Leadville is believed to have formed in a manner similar to the modern early cherts. The silica of the late chert appears to have come from Paleozoic sandstones below the Leadville. It was carried by slightly acid artesian waters into the formation, probably in concentrations of less than 60 ppm SiO 2 Super-saturation of amorphous silica occurred within the Leadville and probably was obtained by evaporative concentration at the water-air interface during dry seasons. Dissolution of the limestone by the slightly acid waters may account for the removal of the calcite that is replaced by chert.
The H-index in academic radiology.

Rationale and Objectives The h index is a recently developed tool to assess the impact of an author's publications. The purpose of this study was to apply and evaluate the h indexes of US academic radiologists. Materials and Methods Radiology programs that participated in the residency match in 2009 were identified through the National Resident Matching Program's Web site. One third of programs were randomly selected. The academic ranks (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or chairperson) of faculty members were determined on the basis of information from the programs' Web sites during October and November 2009. One third of radiologists at each randomly selected institution were randomly selected for detailed analysis. For each radiologist, an automatically computed h index was obtained through the Scopus database. The h index was compared across ranks using analysis of variance. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was also performed to determine the best predictors (number of publications, number of citations, h index, and number of citations per publication) of academic rank. Results Sixty hundred eighty-three radiologists from 47 programs were included in this study. The mean h indexes were 1.1 ± 2.7 for instructors, 2.3 ± 4.1 for assistant professors, 6.2 ± 7.2 for associate professors, 12.5 ± 10.8 for full professors, and 12.0 ± 9.5 for chairpersons. There was a significant relationship between h index and academic rank (P Conclusion There exists a significant relationship between h index and academic rank, with h index increasing with academic rank. These results offer a benchmark for comparing a given academic radiologist to national averages.
The metabolic response to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus

We recently reported that in subjects with untreated type 2 diabetes mellitus, a 5-week diet of 20:30:50 carbohydrate-protein-fat ratio resulted in a dramatic decrease in 24-hour integrated glucose and total glycohemoglobin compared with a control diet of 55:15:30. Body weight, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum ketones were unchanged; insulin and nonesterified fatty acids were decreased. We now present data on other hormones and metabolites considered to be affected by dietary macronutrient changes. The test diet resulted in an elevated fasting plasma total insulin-like growth factor 1, but not growth hormone. Urinary aldosterone was unchanged; free cortisol was increased, although not statistically. Urinary pH and calcium were unchanged. Blood pressure, creatinine clearance, serum vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine, thyroid hormones, and uric acid were unchanged. Serum creatinine was modestly increased. Plasma alpha-amino nitrogen and urea nitrogen were increased. Urea production rate was increased such that a new steady state was present. The calculated urea production rate accounted for 87% of protein ingested on the control diet, but only 67% on the test diet, suggesting net nitrogen retention on the latter. The lack of negative effects, improved glucose control, and a positive nitrogen balance suggest beneficial effects for subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus at risk for loss of lean body mass.
Long-Distance Relationships in Dual-Career Commuter Couples: A Review of Counseling Issues.

The dual-career commuter couple is an alternative family configuration that continues to grow in number. This article is a review of the literature on dual-career commuter couples that has been published since the Gerstel and Gross review in 1982. It addresses the counseling issues of marital and family characteristics, commuting characteristics, and decision-making styles. Counseling implications and future research needs are also included. This updated information is important to counselors who are trying to meet the needs of this expanding population.
Impact of violence research on participants over time: Helpful, harmful, or neither?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of answering survey questions about experiences of stressful, stigmatizing, potentially traumatic and sexually violating events on well being, defined as reactions to research, anxiety, and positive and negative affect over two weeks. METHOD: With an ethnically diverse sample of 559 higher education students, we employed a mixed experimental design (with between and within-subjects components) to evaluate changes in positive and negative affect, anxiety, traumatic stress symptoms, and reactions to research. We used multilevel regression models and planned contrasts to determine which, if any, specific characteristics of the survey questions caused changes in well being by comparing the effects of answering a randomly assigned set of survey questions about stressful, stigmatizing, potentially traumatic, or sexually violating life events across a two-week period. RESULTS: Controlling for baseline post-traumatic stress symptoms and levels of the outcome, we identified few statistically significant effects between conditions or across time. Significant effects included a small decrease in positive affect immediately after responding to questions about sexually violating events, which diminished at two weeks; these same participants perceived fewer drawbacks to research participation. Participants who responded to questions about stressful life events reported greater perceptions of benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the safety of survey research on sexual assault or other stressful, stigmatizing, or potentially traumatic events. Language: en
Perceived Risk as a Moderator of the Effectiveness of Framed HIV Test Promotion Messages Among Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Researchers argue that gain-framed messages should be more effective for prevention behaviors, while loss frames should be more effective for detection behaviors (Rothman & Salovey, 1997). Evidence for this taxonomy has been mixed. This study examines whether the effects of gain- and loss-framed messages on HIV-testing intentions is moderated by perceived risk of a positive result. Method: This experiment was conducted online and utilized a single factor (frame: gain/loss) between subjects design, with a separate HIV-test promotion control and a no message control to examine whether perceived risk of a positive test result moderates the effects of framed messages on intentions to seek an HIV test in the next 3 months. The sample (N 1052; M age 22, SD 2.22), recruited through Survey Sampling International, included 51% Black women (49% White women). Results: HIV-test promotion messages were more effective than no message, but there were no other main effects for condition. Results also demonstrated a significant interaction between message frame and perceived risk, which is mediated through elaborative processing of the message. The interaction demonstrated an advantage for the loss-framed message among women with some perceived risk and an advantage for the gain-framed message among women with low perceived risk. Conclusion: Results imply that the prevention/detection function of the behavior may be an inadequate distinction in the consideration of the effectiveness of framed messages promoting HIV testing. Rather, this study demonstrates that risk perceptions are an important moderator of framing effects.
Telemedicine: licensing and other legal issues

The growth of information technology and telecommunications has created promising opportunities for better, faster, more accessible, barrier-free health care; telemedicine (TM). The feasibility of many TM projects depends on resolving legal issues. Mastering technical issues or providing training remain important benchmarks for implementation of TM, but legal issues constrain progress. This article identifies the key legal issues, maps current legislation, and offers a forecast of necessary steps to expedite the dissemination of TM.
Field emission properties of carbon nanotube pillar arrays patterned directly on metal alloy surfaces

Carbon nanotube pillar arrays (CPAs) for cold field emission were fabricated using a conventional photolithography process, and the geometry of these arrays was studied and the effect of pillar height on field emission was quantified. Our CPA samples achieved turn-on fields as low as 0.9 V/mum and stable current densities of 10 mA/cm2 at applied field lower than 6V/mum.
Evidence from mutation spectra that the UV hypermutability of xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells reflects abnormal, error-prone replication on a template containing photoproducts.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) variant patients are genetically predisposed to sunlight-induced skin cancer. Fibroblasts derived from these patients are extremely sensitive to the mutagenic effect of UV radiation and are abnormally slow in replicating DNA containing UV-induced photoproducts. However, unlike cells from the majority of XP patients, XP variant cells have a normal or nearly normal rate of nucleotide excision repair of such damage. To determine whether their UV hypermutability reflected a slower rate of excision of photoproducts specifically during early S phase when the target gene for mutations, i.e., the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase gene (HPRT), is replicated, we synchronized diploid populations of normal and XP variant fibroblasts, irradiated them in early S phase, and compared the rate of loss of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 6-4 pyrimidine-pyrimidones from DNA during S phase. There was no difference. Both removed 94% of the 6-4 pyrimidine-pyrimidones within 8 h and 40% of the dimers within 11 h. There was also no difference between the two cell lines in the rate of repair during G1 phase. To determine whether the hypermutability resulted from abnormal error-prone replication of DNA containing photoproducts, we determined the spectra of mutations induced in the coding region of the HPRT gene of XP variant cells irradiated in early S and G1 phases and compared with those found in normal cells. The majority of the mutations in both types of cells were base substitutions, but the two types of cells differed significantly from each other in the kinds of substitutions, but the two types differed significantly from each other in the kinds of substitutions observed either in mutants from S phase (P A.T, and most involved CC photoproducts in the transcribed strand. In the variant cells irradiated in S, substitutions involving cytosine in the transcribed strand were G.C --> T.A transversions exclusively. G.C --> A.T transitions made up a much smaller fraction of the substitutions than in normal cells (P < 0.02), and all of them involved photoproducts located in the nontranscribed strand. The data strongly suggest that XP variant cells are much less likely than normal cells to incorporate either dAMP or dGMP opposite the pyrimidines involved in photoproducts. This would account for their significantly higher frequency of mutants and might explain their abnormal delay in replicating a UV-damaged template.
Fitting Cox’s Proportional Hazards Model Using Grouped Survival Data

Cox’s proportional hazard model is often fit to grouped survival data (i.e., occurrence and exposure data over various specified time-intervals and covariate bins), as opposed to continuous data. The practical limits to using such data for inference in the Cox model are investigated. A large sample theory, allowing the bins and time-intervals to shrink as the sample size increase, is developed. It turns out that the usual estimator of the regression parameter is asymptotically biased under optimal rates of convergence. The asymptotic bias is found, and an assessment of the effect on inference is given.
Frontal theta EEG dynamics in a real-world air traffic control task

Mental workload and time-on-task effect are two major factors expediting fatigue progress, which leads to performance decline and/or failure in real-world tasks. In the present study, electroencephalography (EEG) is applied to study mental fatigue development during an air traffic control (ATC) task. Specifically, the frontal theta EEG dynamics are firstly dissolved into a unique frontal independent component (IC) through a novel time-frequency independent component analysis (tfICA) method. Then the temporal fluctuations of the identified frontal ICs every minute are compared to workload (reflected by number of clicks per minute) and time-on-task effect by correlational analysis and linear regression analysis. It is observed that the frontal theta activity significantly increase with workload augment and time-on-task. The present study demonstrates that the frontal theta EEG activity identified by tfICA method is a sensitive and reliable metric to assess mental workload and time-on-task effect in a real-world task, i.e., ATC task, at the resolution of minute(s).
Down‐Regulation of c‐neu Receptors by Nerve Growth Factor in PC12 Cells

A small number of p185 c-neu receptors have been found on PC12 cells. These receptors show some basal phosphorylation in quiescent cells. When the cells are treated with nerve growth factor (NGF) for a short time, some increase in phosphorylation is seen, mainly on serine and threonine residues, and this is accompanied by a slight shift in the apparent molecular weight. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) also increases the phosphorylation of p185 c-neu , in this case on tyrosine residues. Neither heregulin-βl nor gp30 stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation of p185 c-neu , and neither has a proliferative effect on the cells. Treatment of the cells with NGF for 5 days produces a 70-80% reduction in the number of p185 c-neu receptors. This down-regulation does not occur when PC12nnr5 cells, which lack the high-affinity NGF receptor, p140 trk , are treated with NGF. The level of p185 c-neu mRNA is not altered by NGF treatment, suggesting that the down-regulation is due to either a translational or a posttranslational alteration.
The Convergence Rate and Asymptotic Distribution of the Bootstrap Quantile Variance Estimator for Importance Sampling

Importance sampling is a widely used variance reduction technique to compute sample quantiles such as value-at-risk. The variance of the weighted sample quantile estimator is usually a dicult quantity to compute. In this paper, we present the exact convergence rate and asymptotic distributions of the bootstrap variance estimators for quantiles of weighted empirical distributions. Under regularity conditions, we show that the bootstrap variance estimator is asymptotically normal and has relative standard deviation of order O(n 1/4 ).
Incidence of Types of Cancer among HIV-Infected Persons Compared with the General Population in the United States, 1992–2003

Antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved survival of HIV-infected individuals and reduced the incidence of AIDS-defining cancer but may have—directly or indirectly—increased cases of non–AI...
Elastomeric Skin Selection for a Fluid-Filled Artificial Fingertip

Biomimetic fingertips for robots and prostheses need to combine compliant grip and tactile sensing with robustness in diverse environments. We have evaluated materials for use in a compliant, fluid-filled artificial fingertip that incorporates multimodal sensing of contact, texture and thermal properties. A variety of silicone elastomers were tested for hardness, wear-rate, and stress-strain relationships. Diffusion rates of several aqueous and nonaqueous solvents through elastomeric membranes were analyzed to ensure that the sensor could maintain proper fluid volume and function for an extended period. A solution of sodium bromide in poly(ethylene glycol)-200 and water combined with a Silastic S silicone elastomeric cosmesis produced a stable and robust solution. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 000: 000-000, 2012
ProfileChaser: searching microarray repositories based on genome-wide patterns of differential expression

Summary: We introduce ProfileChaser, a web server that allows for querying the Gene Expression Omnibus based on genomewide patterns of differential expression. Using a novel, contentbased approach, ProfileChaser retrieves expression profiles that match the differentially regulated transcriptional programs in a usersupplied experiment. This analysis identifies statistical links to similar expression experiments from the vast array of publicly available data on diseases, drugs, phenotypes and other experimental conditions.
Tandarts krohn en het hakenkruis

De swastika is een oeroud symbool van geluk en gezondheid. Maar zijn bijzondere vorm zoals gebruikt door de nazibeweging in Duitsland hebben we (helaas) aan een tandarts te danken.
Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion by Interventional Nephrologists

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement is performed by surgeons, interventional radiologists, and interventional nephrologists. Catheter insertion is accomplished through various methods including open surgical technique and laparoscopic, peritoneoscopic, and fluoroscopic guidance. Complication rates and catheter survival can vary based on the insertion technique used. Recently, nephrologists have made significant advances in the area of peritoneal dialysis catheter design and placement. Current data suggest that nephrologists are increasingly placing PD catheters using peritoneoscopic and fluoroscopic technique. This review focuses on peritoneoscopic and fluoroscopic insertion and highlights the advantages of catheter insertion by nephrologists.
Fibroblast growth factor-hedgehog interdependence during retina regeneration.

The embryonic chick is able to regenerate the retina after it has been removed. We have previously shown that proliferating stem/progenitor cells present in the ciliary body/ciliary marginal zone (CB/CMZ) of the chick eye are responsible for regeneration, which can be induced by ectopic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) or Sonic hedgehog (Shh). Here, we reveal the mechanisms showing how FGF2 and Shh signaling are interdependent during retina regeneration. If the FGF pathway is inhibited, regeneration stimulated by Shh is inhibited. Likewise, if the Hedgehog pathway is inhibited, regeneration stimulated by FGF2 is inhibited. We examined early signaling events in the CB/CMZ and found that FGF2 or Shh induced a robust Erk phosphorylation during the early stages of retina regeneration. Shh also up-regulated the expression of several members of the FGF signaling pathway. We show that ectopic FGF2 or Shh overexpression increased the number of phosphohistone 3 (PH3)-positive cells in the CB/CMZ and inhibition of either pathway decreased the number of PH3-positive cells. Additionally, both FGF and Hh signaling are required for cell survival in the CB/CMZ, whereas Hh and not FGF signaling plays a role in maintaining the identity of the retinal progenitor population in this region. Combined, our results support a model where the FGF and Hedgehog pathways work together to stimulate retina regeneration. Developmental Dynamics 236: 1161–1174, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
HUMAN SELF‐CONTROL AND THE DENSITY OF REINFORCEMENT

Choice responding in adult humans on a discrete-trial button-pressing task was examined as a function of amount, delay, and overall density (points per unit time) of reinforcement. Reinforcement consisted of points that were exchangeable for money. In T 0 conditions, an impulsive response produced 4 points immediately and a self-control response produced 10 points after a delay of 15 s. In T 15 conditions, a constant delay of 15 s was added to both prereinforcer delays. Postreinforcer delays, which consisted of 15 s added to the end of each impulsive trial, equated trial durations regardless of choice, and was manipulated in both T 0 and T 15 conditions. In all conditions, choice was predicted directly from the relative reinforcement densities of the alternatives. Self-control was observed in all conditions except T 0 without postreinforcer delays, where the impulsive choices produced the higher reinforcement density. These results support previous studies showing that choice is a direct function of the relative reinforcement densities when conditioned (point) reinforcers are used. In contrast, where responding produces intrinsic (immediately consumable) reinforcers, immediacy of reinforcement appears to account for preference when density does not.
Recurrent pedal hobnail (Dabska-retiform) hemangioendothelioma with forefoot reconstructive surgery using a digital fillet flap.

An 8-year-old female presented with a recurrent hobnail (Dabska-retiform) hemangioendothelioma of her right foot. After initial tumor excision and subsequent recurrence, the patient underwent a successful tumor resection and forefoot reconstruction using a fillet of second digit flap. In an attempt to create a plantigrade foot, while sufficiently removing this rare pedal tumor, the authors employed the use of a fillet of second digit flap. Specific surgical techniques and the histopathological assessment of this rare vascular neoplasm are discussed. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4.
Lifestyle and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Role of Environmental Factors in Disease Development

Sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) encompasses 95% of all the disease cases. While genetic factors may affect the risk for LOAD, there is no known genetic cause for this form of disease. This strongly suggests that environmental factors play a role in the development of LOAD. This chapter will describe the pioneering research that identified the role of the environment in AD, as well as recent epidemiological evidence about the connection between AD risk and environmental factors such as exercise, education, nutrition, and exposure to pesticides and metals.
Quantifying crackle-inducing acoustic shock-structures emitted by a fully-expanded Mach 3 jet

The intense acoustic field radiating from an experimental Mach 3 jet is studied through a survey of the acoustic pressure waveforms over a large spatial domain in the (x,r)-plane of the jet. Sawtooth-like structures in the waveforms are not the consequence of cumulative nonlinear acoustic distortions. This was concluded previously from a scaling model based on an effective Gol’dberg number and the spatial topographies of metrics that quantify steepened waveforms. 1 This implies that acoustic shock-structures are generated by local mechanisms in, or in close vicinity to, the jet plume. Furthermore, they give rise to the crackle noise component often observed in the downstream regions of supersonic jets. The current work aims to quantify crackle in a temporal and spectral fashion. A detection algorithm isolates the shock-structures in the temporal waveforms. Ensemble-averages of the identified waveform sections are employed to gain an understanding of the crackling structures. Moreover, PDF’s of the temporal intermittence of these shocks reveal modal trends and show evidence that crackling shock-structures are present in groups of multiple shocks. A spectral metric is considered by using wavelet-based time-frequency analyses. The increase in sound energy is computed by considering the global pressure spectra of the waveforms and the ones that represent the spectral behavior during instances of crackle. This energy-based metric is postulated to be an appropriate metric for the level of crackle.
The Influence of Information on Three Dimensions of Prejudice Toward Negroes

and education. High density areas were more in favor of segregation on both items and more pessimistic about desegregation ever being accepted in the South than were low density areas. Undoubtedly many other important variables are related to desegregation attitudes, but the five factors highlighted by the present data suggest that desegregation will be relatively more readily accepted: (a) in realms of life with relatively low degrees of involvement for most southerners, (b) by equalitarians (low scorers on the F scale), (c) by persons with relatively tolerant attitudes toward the Negro at the present time, and (d) in communities with relatively low proportions of Negroes,' Moreover, the data suggest that the South, begrudgingly perhaps, expects desegregation to succeed more than is commonly recognized.
X-ray Absorption Study of Structural Coupling in Photomagnetic Prussian Blue Analogue Core@Shell Particles

X-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments of core@shell, photomagnetic, and Prussian Blue analogue heterostructures obtain the local structure around the magnetic transition-metal ions before and after illumination. Two samples, containing nickel hexacyanochromate (Ni–Cr) and cobalt hexacyanoferrate (Co–Fe) in Ni–Cr@Co–Fe and Co–Fe@Ni–Cr geometries, were studied. Both materials display the well-known photoinduced valence tautomerism for Co–Fe, accompanied by a large change in cobalt to nitrogen distances. Furthermore, these experimental results show a structural coupling of the photoactive Co–Fe layer to the passive Ni–Cr layer. Finally, the strain across the heterostructured interface in Co–Fe and Ni–Cr containing core@shell models is investigated with simulations that use custom potentials derived from density functional theory calculations.
Growth hormone dependent matrix-induced heterotopic bone formation.

SummaryThe bone morphogenetic property in bone matrix, recently demonstrated to be a glycoprotein, and the mesenchymal cell response to it, are growth hormone dependent. Both can be partially restored by the administration of bGH to hypophysectomized rats.
Pupal Sex Identification and Occurrence of Spermatophores in Southern Potato Wireworm

Conoderus falli Lane, which causes injury to underground portions of plants in the Southeast, has been studied since about 1952 in the area around Charleston, S. C. During these investigations, it became necessary to sex the insect.
A heterozygous mutation in tubulin, beta 2B ( Tubb2b ) causes cognitive deficits and hippocampal disorganization.

Development of the mammalian forebrain requires a significant contribution from tubulin proteins to physically facilitate both the large number of mitoses in the neurogenic brain (in the form of mitotic spindles) as well as support cellular scaffolds to guide radial migration (radial glial neuroblasts). Recent studies have identified a number of mutations in human tubulin genes affecting the forebrain, including TUBB2B. We previously identified a mouse mutation in Tubb2b and we show here that mice heterozygous for this missense mutation in Tubb2b have significant cognitive defects in spatial learning and memory. We further showed reduced hippocampal long-term potentiation consistent with these defects. In addition to the behavioral and physiological deficits, we show here abnormal hippocampal morphology. Taken together, these phenotypes suggest that heterozygous mutations in tubulin genes result in cognitive deficits not previously appreciated. This has implications for design and interpretation of genetic testing for humans with intellectual disability disorders.
Educational Assistants’ Use of ImPAACT for Increasing Message Selection and Turn-Taking with Children with Complex Communication Needs

Context : Educational assistants (EAs) provide extensive and individualized support for many students who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in school systems. An important factor related to student’s success is EA training and skill development for effective communication with children who use AAC. Case Report : This case series examined ImPAACT: Improving Partner Applications of Augmentative Communication Techniques with three EA and student dyads. The study investigated whether a comparable treatment effect as found in Binger et al. (2010) could be demonstrated. Three phases of intervention (i.e., baseline, instruction, and generalization) were investigated. All phases were completed in the public school setting in which the students were enrolled and the EAs were employed. EA’s correct application of instructional strategies, student’s multi-symbol selections, and student’s turns were calculated. Type and form of student’s turn were calculated as well. Conclusions : All EAs increased correct application of strategies and all students increased use of multi-symbol selections and overall number of turns taken. Students’ type of turn (i.e., response, comment, initiation) and form of turn (i.e., vocalization, gesture, symbol selection) increased and diversified. Variable rates of behavior were noted across EAs and students. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.
Radiogenomic evaluation of lung cancer — Are there imaging characteristics associated with lung adenocarcinomas harboring BRAF mutations?

Abstract Introduction We studied computed tomography (CT) features associated with BRAF mutated lung cancer. Materials and methods CT features of BRAF mutated lung cancers were compared to stage matched lesions without BRAF mutation. Results 47 (25%) patients with BRAF mutation and 141 (75%) without BRAF mutation were included. BRAF lesions were most frequently solid 37 (84%), spiculated 22 (50%), and peripheral 37 (84%). No feature of the primary tumor was significantly different between BRAF and non-BRAF groups. BRAF patients were more likely than KRAS patients to have pleural metastases [5 (11%) vs 0 (0%), p =0.045]. Conclusion No feature of the primary tumor differentiates BRAF lesions from non-BRAF lesions.
Aristotelian Ethical Virtue: Naturalism Without Measure

There are significant, plausibly naturalistic elements of Aristotle’s ethical philosophy, and their plausibility does not depend on acceptance of Aristotle’s overall teleological metaphysics. Moreover, they involve conceptions of practical rationality and virtue that are explanatorily and ethically illuminating. Though Aristotle’s view is not amenable to assimilation into psychological and social sciences comprising quantitatively precise law-like generalizations, it is appropriate to regard it as naturalistic. This is because of the way in which a human being’s constitutive capacities, conditions of life, and experiences (including the development and exercise of rationality) jointly form an individual’s specific realized second nature. Virtue cannot be acquired or exercised independent of a thickly empirical context of perception, feeling, desire, and decision, but the presence and exercise of virtue cannot be measured in quantitative terms alone. Nor can the relevant features of a person be properly interpreted apart from distinctively ethical practical wisdom.
Aging affects the balance between goal-guided and habitual spatial attention

Visual clutter imposes significant challenges to older adults in everyday tasks and often calls on selective processing of relevant information. Previous research has shown that both visual search habits and task goals influence older adults' allocation of spatial attention, but has not examined the relative impact of these two sources of attention when they compete. To examine how aging affects the balance between goal-driven and habitual attention, and to inform our understanding of different attentional subsystems, we tested young and older adults in an adapted visual search task involving a display laid flat on a desk. To induce habitual attention, unbeknownst to participants, the target was more often placed in one quadrant than in the others. All participants rapidly acquired habitual attention toward the high-probability quadrant. We then informed participants where the high-probability quadrant was and instructed them to search that screen location first-but pitted their habit-based, viewer-centered search against this instruction by requiring participants to change their physical position relative to the desk. Both groups prioritized search in the instructed location, but this effect was stronger in young adults than in older adults. In contrast, age did not influence viewer-centered search habits: the two groups showed similar attentional preference for the visual field where the target was most often found before. Aging disrupted goal-guided but not habitual attention. Product, work, and home design for people of all ages--but especially for older individuals--should take into account the strong viewer-centered nature of habitual attention.
Religion-Related Hate Crimes: Data, Trends, and Limitations

Both police report and victim survey data estimate that between 10 and 20 percent of all hate crimes are motivated by a religion bias. Yet, the volume of research on religion-related hate crimes pales in comparison to research examining race-based or sexuality-based hate crimes. We examine two data sources, the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), to assess trends and patterns in hate crimes involving religion. The UCR, which is based on police reports, suggests a downward trend in the number of religion-related hate crimes that mirrors the overall downward trend for all hate crimes. The NCVS, which is based on victim reports, suggests that religion-related hate crimes have been relatively stable in both number and as a proportion of all hate crimes. We conclude by suggesting potential directions for future research and data collection.
Reweighted Algorithms for Independent Vector Analysis

In this letter, we consider the problem of joint blind source separation of multiple datasets simultaneously using an Independent vector analysis (IVA) framework. In particular we propose a new paradigm of reweighted algorithms for IVA by employing a source prior from a multivariate generalized scale mixture distribution family. In addition, our proposed reweighted algorithms can also exploit second-order statistical information across datasets by learning intrasource correlation matrix of each source component vector (SCV) along with higher order statistics. Experimental results are provided to show the efficacy of our proposed algorithms in achieving reliable source separation for both the cases, i.e., when there is correlation present within an SCV, and also when the sources are uncorrelated, i.e., no second order dependencies across datasets.
Efficient Gene Delivery and Expression in Pancreas and Pancreatic Tumors by Capsid-Optimized AAV8 Vectors

Despite efforts to use adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector–mediated gene therapy for treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), transduction efficiency remains a limiting factor and thus improvement of AAV delivery would significantly facilitate the treatment of this malignancy. Site-directed mutagenesis of specific tyrosine (Y) residues to phenylalanine (F) on the surface of various AAV serotype capsids has been reported as a method for enhancing gene transfer efficiencies. In the present studies, we determine whether Y-to-F mutations could also enhance AAV8 gene transfer in the pancreas to facilitate gene therapy for PDAC. Three different Y-to-F mutant vectors (a single-mutant, Y733F; a double-mutant, Y447F+Y733F; and a triple-mutant, Y275F+Y447F+Y733F) and wild-type AAV8 (WT-AAV8) were administered by intraperitoneal or tail-vein routes to KrasG12D+/−, KrasG12D+/−/Pten+/−, and wild-type mice. The transduction efficiency of these vectors expressing the mCherry reporter gene was evaluated 2 we...
Decoupled Collaborative Ranking

We propose a new pointwise collaborative ranking approach for recommender systems, which focuses on improving ranking performance at the top of recommended list. Our approach is different from common pointwise methods in that we consider user ratings as ordinal rather than viewing them as real values or categorical labels. In addition, positively rated items (higher rating scores) are emphasized more in our method in order to improve the performance at the top of recommended list. In our method, user ratings are modeled based on an ordinal classification framework, which is made up of a sequence of binary classification problems in which one discriminates between ratings no less than a specific ordinal category c and ratings below that category ({ c}vs.{c}). The results are used subsequently to generate a ranking score that puts higher weights on the output of those binary classification problems concerning high values of c so as to improve the ranking performance at the top of list. As our method crucially builds on a decomposition into binary classification problems, we call our proposed method as Decoupled Collaborative Ranking (DCR). As an extension, we impose pairwise learning on DCR, which yields further improvement with regard to the ranking performance of the proposed method. We demonstrate through extensive experiments on benchmark datasets that our method outperforms many considered state-of-the-art collaborative ranking algorithms in terms of the NDCG metric.
Bankruptcy Stays & Unlawful Detainers

Analysis of a federal decision dealing with effect of unlawful detainer judgment on automatic stay in bankruptcy.
Regulation of Noncoding Transcriptome in Developing Photoreceptors by Rod Differentiation Factor NRL.

Purpose Transcriptome analysis by next generation sequencing allows qualitative and quantitative profiling of expression patterns associated with development and disease. However, most transcribed sequences do not encode proteins, and little is known about the functional relevance of noncoding (nc) transcriptome in neuronal subtypes. The goal of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of long noncoding (lncRNAs) and antisense (asRNAs) RNAs expressed in mouse retinal photoreceptors. Methods Transcriptomic profiles were generated at six developmental time points from flow-sorted Nrlp-GFP (rods) and Nrlp-GFP;Nrl-/- (S-cone like) mouse photoreceptors. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify novel noncoding transcripts and assess their regulation by rod differentiation factor neural retina leucine zipper (NRL). In situ hybridization (ISH) was used for validation and cellular localization. Results NcRNA profiles demonstrated dynamic yet specific expression signature and coexpression clusters during rod development. In addition to currently annotated 586 lncRNAs and 454 asRNAs, we identified 1037 lncRNAs and 243 asRNAs by de novo assembly. Of these, 119 lncRNAs showed altered expression in the absence of NRL and included NRL binding sites in their promoter/enhancer regions. ISH studies validated the expression of 24 lncRNAs (including 12 previously unannotated) and 4 asRNAs in photoreceptors. Coexpression analysis demonstrated 63 functional modules and 209 significant antisense-gene correlations, allowing us to predict possible role of these lncRNAs in rods. Conclusions Our studies reveal coregulation of coding and noncoding transcripts in rod photoreceptors by NRL and establish the framework for deciphering the function of ncRNAs during retinal development.