cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing the potential for drought action from combined hydrological and societal perspectives

Abstract. Drought is a function of both natural and human influences, but fully characterizing the interactions between human and natural influences on drought remains challenging. To better characterize parts of the drought feedback loop, this study combines hydrological and societal perspectives to characterize and quantify the potential for drought action. For the hydrological perspective, we examine historical groundwater data, from which we determine the decadal likelihoods of exceeding hydrologic thresholds relevant to different water uses. Stakeholder interviews yield data about how people rate the importance of water for different water uses. We combine these to quantify the Potential Drought Action Indicator (PDAI). The PDAI is demonstrated for a study site in south-central Oklahoma, where water availability is highly influenced by drought and management of water resources is contested by local stakeholders. For the hydrological perspective, we find that the historical decadal likelihood of exceedance for a moderate threshold associated with municipal supply has ranged widely: from 23 % to 75 %, which corresponds well with natural drought variability in the region. For the societal perspective, stakeholder interviews reveal that people value water differently for various uses. Combining this information into the PDAI illustrates that potential drought action increases as the hydrologic threshold is exceeded more often; this occurs as conditions get drier and when water use thresholds are more moderate. The PDAI also shows that for water uses where stakeholders have diverse views of importance, the PDAI will be diverse as well, and this is exacerbated under drier conditions. The variability in stakeholder views of importance is partially explained by stakeholders' cultural worldviews, pointing to some implications for managing water when drought risks threaten. We discuss how the results can be used to reduce potential disagreement among stakeholders and promote sustainable water management, which is particularly important for planning under increasing drought.
A low-power integrated power converter for an electromagnetic vibration energy harvester with 150 mV-AC cold startup, frequency tuning, and 50 Hz AC-to-DC conversion

This paper demonstrates the first fully-functional integrated power converter designed to interface a MEMS-based electromagnetic (EM) vibration energy harvester for near-50 Hz operation. The IC accomplishes (i) cold startup from a 50 Hz–150-mV-peak AC input to a 1.1-V output, (ii) conjugate impedance matching for maximum power extraction along with resonant frequency tuning and (iii) input-AC-to-output-DC voltage conversion. Cold startup is achieved using an on-chip Meissner oscillator with an off-chip transformer. Thereafter, a self-timed current-feedback-based Η-bridge circuit is turned on for conjugate impedance matching with on-chip control and an off-chip microcontroller for impedance synthesis. The regular-operation Η-bridge circuit delivers 820 uW to a load capacitor at 71% efficiency at resonance. It also performs frequency tuning to deliver 650 uW (57%-efficiency) at 50% off-resonance, thereby demonstrating robustness to possible harvester-resonance variations due to manufacturing tolerances. This makes it the first demonstration of a full-system low-power interface IC for vibrational energy harvesters. The prototype is fabricated in 0.18 um CMOS process with an active area of 1.5 mm2.
Stage T3b prostate cancer diagnosed by seminal vesicle biopsy and treated with neoadjuvant hormone therapy, permanent brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES To report the long-term results of prostate brachytherapy followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in men with a positive seminal vesicle biopsy (+SVB). PATIENTS AND METHODS In all, 1081 men with localised prostate cancer were treated with permanent brachytherapy, of which 615 had staging SVB and 53 (9.4%) were positive. Higher stage, Gleason score and PSA level were associated with a +SVB (P < 0.001). Patients with +SVB and negative laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection, bone and CT scans had 3 months of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) followed by 103 Pd implant to the prostate (dose 100 Gy) and proximal SVs, and 2 months later 45 Gy EBRT. ADT was continued for a median of 6 months (total ADT 9 months). The mean (range) follow-up was 9 (5-22) years. RESULTS Biochemical freedom from failure (computed by the Phoenix definition), freedom from metastasis, and cause-specific survival (CSS) for patients with a negative SVB (-SVB) vs +SVB at 15 years, was 76.3% vs 60.6% (P = 0.001), 95.4% vs 78.2% (P < 0.001), and 95% vs 70.4% (P < 0.001), respectively. Prostate cancer death occurred in 45 of 590 (7.6%) men with a -SVB vs eight of 25 (32%) with a +SVB (odds ratio 5.7, 95% confidence interval 2.35-13.9, P < 0.001). Cox proportion hazard rates (HRs) demonstrated Gleason score (P < 0.001, HR 1.9), stage (P = 0.010, HR 1.42), RT dose (P = 0.013, HR 0.991), and +SVB (P = 0.001, HR 4.48), as significantly associated with CSS. CONCLUSIONS Men with a +SVB have inferior CSS compared to those with a -SVB. However, a strategy that included a SVB in high-risk patients and implantation of the SVs in men undergoing combined therapy still yields favourable long-term results.
Cartoon Connections: Identifying Connections Between Language Use and Evolution

In lieu of an abstract, below is the article's first paragraph. Holy Cowabunga, dude! You need to, like, stop having a cow, man! Does this sound familiar? In considering the extreme number of slang expressions that have infiltrated presentday English, it is no surprise that sayings such as these are so widely recognized. Cartoon shows and their characters have had an especially strong impact on the use and promotion of slang throughout the past century. With characters such as Bart Simpson and Beavis and Butthead leading the way, it has become nearly impossible to hold a conversation without using at least one word or saying that is a result of popular culture and its extensive influence. In the visibly increased usage of slang language, it has simultaneously become recognized that many elements of this construction have evolved and are still currently subject to changes in both meaning and connotation. This article is available in The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research: http://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol6/iss1/4 Cartoon Connections: Identifying Influences on Language Use and Evolution By Nikki Fingland Holy Cowabunga, dude! You need to, like, stop having a cow, man! Does this sound familiar? In considering the extreme number of slang expressions that have infiltrated presentday English, it is no surprise that sayings such as these are so widely recognized. Cartoon shows and their characters have had an especially strong impact on the use and promotion of slang throughout the past century. With characters such as Bart Simpson and Beavis and Butthead leading the way, it has become nearly impossible to hold a conversation without using at least one word or saying that is a result of popular culture and its extensive influence. In the visibly increased usage of slang language, it has simultaneously become recognized that many elements of this construction have evolved and are still currently subject to changes in both meaning and
Evidence for a novel mitochondrial promoter preceding the cox2 gene of perennial teosintes.

Abstract We have characterized two promoters of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 (cox2) gene in Zea perennis mitochondria present in maize lines. Initiation at a site 907 bases upstream of the start codon results in the major approximately 1900 nt cox2 transcript. A sequence just upstream of this site conforms to the consensus described for maize mitochondrial promoters and its transcription is correctly initiated in a maize mitochondrial in vitro transcription extract. A second transcription initiation site (-347) is used only when the dominant allele of a nuclear gene, Mct, is present and its use results in an additional, shorter major transcript. Sequences flanking the Mct-dependent transcription initiation site, which we have termed the conditional promoter of cox2 (cpc), do not fit the maize mitochondrial promoter consensus and do not function in the maize in vitro transcription extract. The cpc region does not hybridize with mitochondrial, chloroplast or nuclear DNAs from most maize or teosinte lines. However, the cpc sequence is found in the same position upstream of the cox2 gene in Zea diploperennis mtDNA and it has striking similarity to the previously reported 'ORF of unknown origin' fused to the ATPase subunit 6 gene in maize CMS-C mitochondria. cpc appears to represent a new type of mitochondrial promoter. Further analysis of both conditional and constitutive promoters should help us to better understand the control of transcription in plant mitochondria.
Tryptophan requirement of pigs in the weight category 10 to 20 kilograms

Experiments were conducted to determine the tryptophan (Trp) requirement of 10- to 20-kg pigs. A Trp-deficient experimental diet (.11% total Trp, 18% CP, 3,320 kcal of ME/kg) was composed of corn, feather meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, and dried whey. True digestibility of Trp in the experimental diet was 70% (.077% digestible Trp) as established in a digestibility assay that involved cecectomized, adult cockerels (Exp. 1). An initial pig study (Exp. 2) verified that the experimental basal diet, when fortified with sufficient L-Trp, was capable of producing growth rate and feed efficiency similar to that of pigs fed a conventional corn-soybean meal-dried whey diet (18% CP, 3,320 kcal of ME/kg). In Exp. 3, crossbred pigs with an average BW of 10.9 kg were fed the Trp-deficient basal diet supplemented with 0, .015, .030, .045, .060, and .075% L-Trp. In Exp. 4, crossbred pigs that averaged 9.5 kg were fed the basal diet fortified with .030, .045, .060, and .075% L-Trp. By examining the data from Exp. 3 and 4 together, the digestible Trp requirement for maximum daily weight gain was estimated to be .14% of the diet. Assuming an 88% true digestibility of Trp in commercial diets based on corn and soybean meal (calculated from published data), the total Trp required in practice would be .16% (.89% of the dietary protein).
Meeting Artificial Cold: Expositions and Refrigeration, 1896–1937

“What a nice pavilion” wrote a columnist in summer 1896. “There are refrigerated wells for visitors interested in experiencing the sensation of −60 °C, or in studying of its therapeutic effects” (Yung E, Journal de Geneve 11 July, 1896). Though such descriptions could have best applied to a circus attraction, they were meant for a building at the Swiss National Exposition (SNE) held that year in Geneva. Four decades later, the Paris Universal Exposition of 1937 would feature a “… novel attraction” in the form of a snow tower announcing the achievements of artificial cold. These exhibits book end the presence of artificial cold as an end in itself at the international exhibits that marked Europe’s celebrations of science and technology. Other shows featured exhibits pertaining to artificial cold, but none besides the two mentioned acknowledged the visual element of scientific discovery to such an extent. This article offers to consider the manifestations of artificial cold’s appearance in public exhibits and how, though an important feature of the new developments in applied science, it did not show up front-and-center the way electricity did. By considering an overlooked aspect of expositions in the early twentieth century, I borrow from the notion of science as spectacle and its intersection with visual culture (Morus, Isis 97(1):101–110, 2006) to clarify how artificial cold was “sold” in a way that enthused the general public.
71 : Mechanisms of IL-23 mediated Th17 inflammation

IL-23 plays a key role in autoimmune pathology, as evidenced by the resistance of IL-23 deficient animals to many models of autoimmune disease; susceptibility SNPs in the IL-23 receptor have also been identified in human disease including inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. We have previously demonstrated that IL-23 drives effector differentiation and proliferation of primary and memory Th17 cells in vivo . We have now identified a gene signature that is differentially expressed in IL-17 + compared to IL-17 − activated antigen-specific T cells, in vivo . By comparing IL-17 + IL-23R-deficient with IL-17 + IL-23R-sufficient cells, we further identified which of these Th17 genes are IL-23R-dependent in vivo . As expected from the defect in proliferation that occurs in the absence of IL-23, many of these genes are involved in proliferation. In these studies, we also identified a novel integrin that is expressed by Th17 cells in an IL-23-dependent manner, and confirmed expression by flow cytometry. Furthermore, inflammatory Th17 cells (generated in vitro in the presence of IL-23, IL-6 and IL-1) express high levels of this integrin, while ‘regulatory’ Th17 cells do not, as TGFb suppresses expression in a dose-dependent manner. Integrin blockade rendered mice resistant to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and knockout mice were also resistant to EAE. Together these data highlight a novel Th17-specific integrin that is regulated by IL-23, and may promote effector Th17 functions and/or proliferation.
A Review of the Literature and a New Reportable Association: Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial Variant in Patient with Influenza B

Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial variant is a rare diagnosis. Several clinical features are considered to be diagnostic, although ongoing work related to laboratory work-up and conduction studies are being evaluated as possible adjuncts to support in the diagnosis of this demyelinating disorder. It has been reportedly associated with many infections, bacterial or viral, but there has never been a reported association of this neurologic disorder with an Influenza B infection. We present the first case of Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial variant in an adult male who tested positive for Influenza B virus. We also provided a review of the literature, and highlighted the key features in the diagnosis of this interesting condition. Given this new association, a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis of Pharyngeal-Cervical-Brachial variant is indicated for patients presenting with an Influenza B infection.
A Survey on Industrial Internet of Things: A Cyber-Physical Systems Perspective

The vision of Industry 4.0, otherwise known as the fourth industrial revolution, is the integration of massively deployed smart computing and network technologies in industrial production and manufacturing settings for the purposes of automation, reliability, and control, implicating the development of an Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT). Specifically, I-IoT is devoted to adopting the IoT to enable the interconnection of anything, anywhere, and at any time in the manufacturing system context to improve the productivity, efficiency, safety, and intelligence. As an emerging technology, I-IoT has distinct properties and requirements that distinguish it from consumer IoT, including the unique types of smart devices incorporated, network technologies and quality-of-service requirements, and strict needs of command and control. To more clearly understand the complexities of I-IoT and its distinct needs and to present a unified assessment of the technology from a systems’ perspective, in this paper, we comprehensively survey the body of existing research on I-IoT. Particularly, we first present the I-IoT architecture, I-IoT applications (i.e., factory automation and process automation), and their characteristics. We then consider existing research efforts from the three key system aspects of control, networking, and computing. Regarding control, we first categorize industrial control systems and then present recent and relevant research efforts. Next, considering networking, we propose a three-dimensional framework to explore the existing research space and investigate the adoption of some representative networking technologies, including 5G, machine-to-machine communication, and software-defined networking. Similarly, concerning computing, we again propose a second three-dimensional framework that explores the problem space of computing in I-IoT and investigate the cloud, edge, and hybrid cloud and edge computing platforms. Finally, we outline particular challenges and future research needs in control, networking, and computing systems, as well as for the adoption of machine learning in an I-IoT context.
Thwarting Security Threats From Malicious FPGA Tools With Novel FPGA-Oriented Moving Target Defense

The increasing usage and popularity of the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) systems bring in security concerns. Existing countermeasures are mostly based on the assumption that the computer-aided design (CAD) tools for FPGA configuration are trusted. Unfortunately, this assumption does not always hold. In this paper, we investigate the potential security threats originated from the untrusted CAD tools. Furthermore, we exploit the principle of moving target defense (MTD) to propose an FPGA-oriented MTD (FOMTD) method. The three defense lines in the FOMTD generate uncertainties, from the attacker’s point of view, to thwart hardware Trojan insertion attacks. The theoretical upper bound of the hardware Trojan hit rate for each defense line is provided in this paper. Experimental results show that the proposed defense line 2 and defense line 3 reduce the Trojan hit rate by up to 40% and 91%, respectively, for the scenario where the malicious CAD tool can insert Trojans in the occupied FPGA slices. The proposed gate replacement technique in the defense line 3 further improves the attack resilience and obtains 88% reduction on the Trojan hit rate. Compared to the static redundancy-based Trojan detection method, the proposed method achieves better resilience against Trojan insertions and consumes 50% less dynamic power.
Smart Insole-Based Indoor Localization System for Internet of Things Applications

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT), indoor localization has been a research focus in recent years. For inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based indoor localization method, zero velocity update (ZUPT) uses the known velocity at stationary epoch as a benchmark to calibrate the velocity drift. However, stationary epoch only takes up 24% of a whole gait cycle time, and the velocity drift at the remaining 76% time is usually estimated according to an assumption that velocity has a linear drift over time, which would introduce errors. In this paper, a two-step velocity calibration method was proposed based on human gait characteristics with Smart Insole: known velocity update (KUPT) and double-foot position calibration (DFPC). KUPT could measure the velocity from heel-strike to toe-off based on the recorded real-time foot angle and the shoe dimensions, which increases the time period when the velocity could be measured from 24% to 62% of a whole gait cycle time. DFPC method could fuse the position information of both feet based on the symmetrical characteristic of human gait to further increase the reliability of the localization results. The statistical result of a 20 times 20-m walking experiment showed that KUPT method was more accurate and reliable than ZUPT method for both feet, and DFPC method could further improve the result of KUPT method. Another experiment about walking in an indoor environment for 91 m showed that the proposed KUPT+DFPC method had an error of about 0.78 m which is acceptable for most IoT applications.
Superconductivity in Hf5Sb3-xRux: Are Ru and Sb a Critical Charge-Transfer Pair for Superconductivity?

Polycrystalline samples of Hf5Sb3-xRux (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are prepared by repeated arc melting of the elements with an Sb excess of 10% to compensate Sb losses during melting.
Tornado-level estimates of socioeconomic and demographic variables

AbstractTornadoes create a threat to human life. Knowing the conditions that make people vulnerable to this threat is vitally important. Yet, socioeconomic and demographic data are not consistently...
Belief Propagation and H-infinity Controller for Microgrid State Estimation and Stabilization Using Internet of Things Technologies

Due to the global warming and increasing of green house gas emissions, the renewable distributed energy resources (DERs) are going to be integrated into the smart grid. As the grid can spread the intelligent energy management system to the long-distance remote areas, thus it requires a real-time dynamic state estimation and stabilization algorithm for monitoring and maintaining stability of these intermittent DERs. This paper proposes a belief propagation algorithm and H-infinity controller for system state estimation and stabilization using the internet of things (IoT) communication network. Basically, the IoT based smart sensors are deployed to gather the measurement information where the binary phase shift-keying are used for modulation. The system state and it error covariance are propagated between root and leave nodes of the considered Baysian tree network. Using forward and backward propagation of the these variables, an accurate state estimation is obtained. Using Parseval’s theorem, bounded real lemma and Schur’s complement, the discrete-time H-infinity controller is designed. The numerical simulation results demonstrates that the algorithms can effectively estimate and stabilize the microgrid states.
Cohousing: A New Way Forward for Active Older Adults

In their new and timely book on cohousing options for older adults, Drs. Sherry Cummings and Nancy Kropf provide an in-depth exploration of one of the ways in which the landscape of aging is being ...
On the uses and abuses of Gramsci’s hegemony:

As formulated in classical Marxism, hegemony referred to the unique position of the working class as the only independent revolutionary force under capitalism, as well as its political and ideologi...
Optimization of Modular Fixture Setup Time in an Automated Assembly Line

Designing and fabricating different fixtures are among the main barriers for manufacturing systems to produce a variety of products with different geometries. To overcome the time and costs associated with the frequent changes in fixture design, modular fixtures have been developed. The changeability plan of these fixtures is vital for changeable manufacturing systems, especially in automated systems in which robots are in charge of placing and securing parts in their respective places. In this paper, we are extending the model presented in the literature in two directions to further reduce the fixture setup time in a mid-volume mid-variety automated production system. First, we consider both vertical and horizontal movement of the robot to find the optimal changeability plan. Then, a new fixture design is introduced that improves the fixture modularity to hold more products with different geometries. The results prove that the newly proposed models can significantly reduce fixture setup time.
Neuropalliative Care bei Neurofibromatose

Die Neurofibromatosen Typ 1 und Typ 2 sind eine genetisch, klinisch und pathophysiologisch heterogene Gruppe von hereditaren Tumorsyndromen. Aufgrund einer Inzidenz von 1:3000 (NF1, 96 %) bzw. 1:33.000 (NF2, 4 %) gehoren sie zu den sogenannten „seltenen Erkrankungen“ mit einem chronisch progredienten Krankheitsverlauf. Die Vererbung erfolgt monogen autosomal-dominant von verschiedenen Tumor-Suppressor-Genen (NF1: Neurofibromin, NF2: Schwannomin). Die Spontanmutationsrate ist hoch (ca. 50 %), genetische Mosaike kommen vor. Auch die Genotyp-Phanotyp-Korrelation ist variabel. Dementsprechend sind der Schweregrad und die Prognose der Erkrankungen sehr unterschiedlich. Aus neuropalliativer Sicht leiden Neurofibromatosepatienten mit einem schweren Verlauf unter sehr grosen und/oder bosartigen Tumoren des Nervensystems (Gehirn und Ruckenmark, Meningen, Hirnnerven, Spinalwurzeln und periphere Nerven) und auch anderen Organsystemen, angeborenen Fehlbildungen, Knochenveranderungen (z. B. Wirbelsaule, Tibia), Pigmentstorungen, chronischen Schmerzsyndromen, kognitiven Beeintrachtigungen und psychiatrischen Storungen (z. B. Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit‑/Hyperaktivitatsstorung [ADHS], depressive und angstliche Symptome durch multiple psychosoziale Belastungsfaktoren). Patienten mit einer Neurofibromatose bedurfen daher einer individuellen, ganzheitlichen und interdisziplinaren Betreuung in spezialisierten neuroonkologischen Zentren. Dabei stehen die Fruherkennung von Krankheitsmanifestationen und Symptomen und die Koordination multidisziplinarer Behandlungsstrategien im Vordergrund. Dadurch sollen eine langfristige Steigerung der individuellen Lebensqualitat und eine Reduktion der Mortalitat erreicht werden.
Identification of the Rigid Core for Aged Liquid Droplets of the TDP-43 Low Complexity Domain

The biomolecular condensation of proteins with low complexity sequences plays a functional role in RNA metabolism and a pathogenic role in neurodegenerative diseases. The formation of dynamic liquid droplets brings biomolecules together to achieve complex cellular functions. The rigidification of liquid droplets into {beta}-strand-rich hydrogel structures composed of protein fibrils is thought to be purely pathological in nature. However, low complexity sequences often harbor multiple fibril-prone regions with delicately balanced functional and pathological interactions. Here, we investigate the maturation of liquid droplets formed by the low complexity domain of the TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements on the aged liquid droplets identify a structured core region distinct from the region thought to be most important for pathological fibril formation and aggregation. The results of this study show that multiple segments of this low complexity domain are prone to form fibrils, and that stabilization of {beta}-strand-rich structure in one segment precludes the other region from adopting rigid fibril structure. Table of Contents Graphic O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=137 SRC="FIGDIR/small/433427v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (25K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@5b0decorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ef3887org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@684f0aorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d23fd_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
An All-Solid-State Battery with a Tailored Electrode–Electrolyte Interface Using Surface Chemistry and Interlayer-Based Approaches

Major challenges in the development of solid-state batteries using garnet-type solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) include suppressing dendrite growth, improving moisture stability, and reducing interf...
Convergence analysis of neural networks for solving a free boundary problem

Abstract Free boundary problems deal with systems of partial differential equations, where the domain boundaries are apriori unknown. Due to this special characteristic, it is challenging to solve free boundary problems either theoretically or numerically. In this paper, we develop a novel approach for solving a modified Hele–Shaw problem based on the neural network discretization. The existence of the numerical solution with this discretization is established theoretically. We also numerically verify this approach by computing the symmetry-breaking solutions which are guided by the bifurcation analysis near the radially-symmetric branch. Moreover, we further verify the capability of this approach by computing some non-radially symmetric solutions which are not characterized by any theorems.
Rapid separation of blood plasma exosomes from low-density lipoproteins via a hydrophobic interaction chromatography method on a polyester capillary-channeled polymer fiber phase.

Abstract Exosomes are membrane-bound, cell-secreted vesicles, with sizes ranging from 30 to 150 nm. Exosomes in blood plasma have become proposed targets as measurable indicators of disease conditions. Current methods for plasma-based exosome isolation are time-consuming, complex, and have high operational costs. One of the most commonly reported shortcomings of current isolation protocols is the co-extraction of lipoproteins (e.g. low-density lipoproteins, LDLs) with the target exosomes. This report describes the use of a rapid, single-operation hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) procedure on a polyester (PET) capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fiber column, demonstrating the ability to efficiently purify exosomes. The method has previously been demonstrated for isolation of exosomes from diverse biological matrices, but questions were raised about the potential co-elution of LDLs. In the method described herein, a step-gradient procedure sequentially elutes spiked lipoproteins and blood plasma-originating exosomes in 10 min, with the LDLs excluded from the desired exosome fraction. Mass spectrometry (MS) was used to characterize an impurity in the primary LDL material, identifying the presence of exosomal material. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to identify the various elution components. The method serves both as a rapid means of high purity exosome isolation as well as a screening tool for the purity of LDL samples with respect to extracellular vesicles.
Recurrent Coronary Artery Fistulae and a Novel Transforming Growth Factor Beta-3 Mutation

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare connective tissue disease associated with mutations in transforming growth factor (TGF) signaling leading to an increased risk of arterial calcification, aneurysms, and/or dissections. We report a case in which genetics evaluation revealed a rare variant E244K in the TGFB3 gene. The variant leads to the substitution of glutamic acid for lysine, two amino acids with dissimilar properties. Analysis from evolutionary data shows the glutamic acid is maintained across species. The clinical significance of the E244K variant in association with LDS was never previously reported as pathologic. This case report aims to report that the significance of the E244K variant in the TGFB3 gene is found to be pathologic in our case. A search on the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) did not reveal any previously identified individuals with this variant, despite being a well-covered region. ClinVar has a few entries for E244K, where most of them are listed as unknown significance. Bringing together the genotype evidence with our patient's clinical picture, we consider the variant to be pathogenic for this family.
Neurosteroid modulation of GABAA receptor function by independent action at multiple specific binding sites.

Neurosteroids are endogenous modulators of GABAA receptors that mediate anxiety, pain, mood and arousal. The 3-hydroxyl epimers, allopregnanolone (3α-OH) and epi-allopregnanolone (3β-OH) are both prevalent in mammalian brain and produce opposite effects on GABAA receptor function, acting as positive and negative allosteric modulators respectively. This Perspective provides a model to explain the actions of 3α-OH and 3β-OH neurosteroids. The model is based on evidence that the neurosteroid epimers bind to an overlapping subset of specific sites on GABAA receptors, with their net functional effect on channel gating being the sum of their independent effects at each site.
Global View of Vegetable Usage

The history of man has been the struggle for food (cf. Chapter 2). Throughout the ages the food patterns have been influenced by the availability of the food supply and the social and religious customs of the people. Foods of the common people of nations or regions of the world have not changed much in the past century. Closely followed are the food patterns of our ancestors. Generally people consume, if possible, the same kinds of food that were eaten from childhood. Circumstances such as movement from one region to another where certain food materials are not available, ethnic background of persons preparing food, etc., affect the kinds of foods consumed.
EDUCATION WELL‐BEING: COURT OUTCOME MEASURES FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE

Courts, child welfare agencies, and schools are all important to the achievement of safety, permanency, and well-being for children in foster care. Although safety and permanency performance measures have been established, tested, and implemented, the development of court-related well-being measures have not. This article describes the initial effort to establish a set of educational well-being measures to track success in improving educational outcomes for children in foster care. Key Points for the Family Court Community: • This article provides insights to assist children in care achieve successful educational outcomes—a key to becoming self-sufficient, productive adults. • These newly developed education performance measures provide courts with a tool to measure the educational outcomes for children and youth under its jurisdiction.
Fixing A Hole: How the Criminal Law Can Bolster Reparations Theory

High-profile popular-press authors recently have challenged the mainstream consensus that certain historical events should be condemned as injustices. These authors argue that such condemnation unfairly imposes modern standards on historical actors. Until now, the redress movement has largely ignored these partisan revisionists who have sought to justify the harmful decisions made by past generations. Such revisionism, however, threatens the very foundation of reparations theory by persuading the public that redress is unnecessary because historical figures actually committed no injustice by merely acting appropriately, given the historical context in which they lived. This Article seeks to initiate a dialogue regarding how to approach the task of defining a historical injustice. The Article draws an analogy to the criminal law's "cultural defense," proposing a framework by which legal scholars may fairly judge the wrongdoing of historical actors. Although the analogy between foreign cultures and historical eras is imperfect, it presents a useful starting point to stimulate critical discussion about how best to address the growing structural weakness in the foundation of reparations theory. The past, they say, is another country.
Following Lozano v. Hazleton : Keep States and Cities Out of the Immigration Business

In Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them, Phillipe Legrain makes an economic argument for open borders. While he describes an ideal, the reality is that the United States will not implement an open border policy anytime soon. In recent years, Congress has been unable to reach a consensus regarding immigration policy reform. While Congress is stalled on the issue, there are twelve million undocumented immigrants living in the United States and that number is increasing. In response to the lack of a federal movement on the issue, many states, cities, and towns have begun passing their own laws regulating the rights of illegal immigrants. This book review examines the legality of these laws in light of recent challenges brought in federal courts and concludes that during this period of federal legislative transition, it is the responsibility of the courts to invalidate those local laws that violate the preemption doctrine. Immigration and naturalization are exclusively federal legal territory, and laws passed on the local level must not be permitted to thwart federal progress in creating and enforcing a uniform national policy.
Plant Classification and Nomenclature in Ndumba, Papua New Guinea Highlands

Traditionally, the terms "ethnobotany" and "ethnozoology" have designated little more than the study of plant and animal utilization. In the past two decades, however, the ways in which the components of given biological environments are locally perceived and categorized have received increasing attention. Not only has the study of ethnobiological classification been recognized as essential to a wide variety of ethnographic concerns (cf. Frake I+2; Bulmer I967), but the discovery of possible universals in folk classification systems promises to enrich our understanding of human cognitive processes as well (Berlin et al. I973; Brown I977). The paucity of comprehensive studies of particular ethnobiological classification systems, however, has meant that generalizations have necessarily been based largely on a few well-described cases, most notably Hanunoo ethnobotany (Conklin I954), Kalam ethnozoology (Bulmer I967, I974) and Tzeltal Maya ethnobotany (Berlin et al. I974) and ethnozoology (Hunn I977). This paper provides an outline of the folk classification of plants in Ndumba, a New Guinea Highlands society. It is intended as a contribution to the ethnographic literature from a region in which ethnobotanical research has concentrated almost exclusively on plant utilization and related issues.2 Aside from its possible value to regional specialists, this description allows a critical assessment of ethnobiological proposed 'tuniversals," especially those by Berlin and his colleagues (Berlin et al. I973; Berlin I976). Following a brief sketch of the environment and culture of Ndumba, I will describe the more formal aspects of their view of the plant world following Berlin's suggested terminology and typologies to facilitate such an assessment. It will be seen that Ndumba plant classification deviates from Berlin's proposed general principles in a few particulars that are, for the most part, proba61y explainable in terms of the dynamic properties of classification systems.
Fame, Philosophy, and Physics

Einstein . A Biography. By Jurgen Neffe . Translated from the German () by Shelley Frisch. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2007. 487 pp. $30, C$37.95. ISBN 9780374146641. Polity, London. £25. ISBN 9780745642208. Einstein . His Life and Universe. By Walter Isaacson . Simon and Schuster, New York, 2007. 718 pp., illus. $32, C$38.99. ISBN 9780743264730. £25. ISBN 9781847370488. These best-selling recent biographies of Einstein draw on recently uncovered documentary evidence.
Nasal Toxicity, Carcinogenicity, and Olfactory Uptake of Metals

Occupational exposures to inhalation of certain metal dusts or aerosols can cause loss of olfactory acuity, atrophy of the nasal mucosa, mucosal ulcers, perforated nasal septum, or sinonasal cancer. Anosmia and hyposmia have been observed in workers exposed to Ni- or Cd-containing dusts in alkaline battery factories, nickel refineries, and cadmium industries. Ulcers of the nasal mucosa and perforated nasal septum have been reported in workers exposed to Cr(VI) in chromate production and chrome plating, or to As(III) in arsenic smelters. Atrophy of the olfactory epithelium has been observed in rodents following inhalation of NiSO4 or alphaNi3S2. Cancers of the nose and nasal sinuses have been reported in workers exposed to Ni compounds in nickel refining, cutlery factories, and alkaline battery manufacture, or to Cr(VI) in chromate production and chrome plating. In animals, several metals (eg, Al, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Ni, Zn) have been shown to pass via olfactory receptor neurons from the nasal lumen through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb. Some metals (eg, Mn, Ni, Zn) can cross synapses in the olfactory bulb and migrate via secondary olfactory neurons to distant nuclei of the brain. After nasal instillation of a metal-containing solution, transport of the metal via olfactory axons can occur rapidly, within hours or a few days (eg, Mn), or slowly over days or weeks (eg, Ni). The olfactory bulb tends to accumulate certain metals (eg, Al, Bi, Cu, Mn, Zn) with greater avidity than other regions of the brain. The molecular mechanisms responsible for metal translocation in olfactory neurons and deposition in the olfactory bulb are unclear, but complexation by metal-binding molecules such as carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine) may be involved.
The Littera Project: webpapers o trabajos académicos 2.0

espanolEn The Littera Project un grupo de profesores desarrollan cursos online colaborativos, multimodales y transmedia, donde los estudiantes trabajan en proyectos de investigacion. En este articulo muestro como se puede expandir el formato de la monografia tradicional para desarrollar un webpaper (un trabajo academico digital). EnglishIn The Littera Project a group of professors are developing online collaborative multimodal and transmedia courses, where students work on research-based projects. In this article I show how we can expand the format of the traditional monograph to develop a webpaper.
Challenges and Opportunities for the Control and Elimination of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

The control and elimination of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) represent two of the most challenging tasks facing the pig industry worldwide. Several factors related to the biology of the virus make disease detection and elimination difficult. Efforts are further hampered by the lack of vaccines that can protect naive herds from infection. With this in mind, elimination efforts are being initiated which incorporate existing tools and knowledge. A new approach extends herd control strategies to the level of a region. One example of success in PRRSV regional elimination is the Stevens County project in Minnesota.
Sequences within an upstream activation site in the yeast enolase gene ENO2 modulate repression of ENO2 expression in strains carrying a null mutation in the positive regulatory gene GCR1.

Abstract Transcription of the yeast enolase gene ENO2 is reduced 20- to 50-fold in strains carrying a null mutation in the positive regulatory gene GCR1. A small deletion mutation within one of two upstream activation sites (UAS elements) in the 5'-flanking region of ENO2 permitted wild-type levels of ENO2 gene expression in a strain carrying the gcr1 null mutation. These data show that sequences required for UAS element activity in GCR1 strains were required to repress ENO2 expression in a gcr1 strain. Protein factors that specifically bound to this UAS/repression site were identified. We show that the DNA-binding protein ABFI (autonomously replicating sequence-binding factor) is the major protein which binds the UAS/repression site. Minor DNA-binding activities that interact specifically with the UAS/repression site were also identified and may correspond to proteolytic breakdown products of ABFI. None of the observed binding activities were encoded by the GCR1 structural gene. A double-stranded oligonucleotide that included the UAS/repression site activated transcription of UAS-less ENO1 and ENO2 gene cassettes in vivo to wild-type levels in strains carrying the GCR1 allele as well as the gcr1 null mutation. These latter data show that the UAS/repression site is sufficient for transcriptional activation but is not sufficient to repress transcription of the enolase genes in a gcr1 genetic background.
Loss Aversion and Foreign Policy Resolve

This article draws upon recent findings from the field of neuroscience to explore how loss aversion affects foreign policy resolve. We theorize that U.S. policy makers are more resolute in pursuing preventive policies that seek to avoid losses than they are in pursuing promotive policies that seek to acquire new gains. To test our theory, we conduct the first large-n analysis of foreign policy hypotheses derived from the neuroscience of loss aversion using data from 100 cases of U.S.-initiated Section 301 trade disputes. The results provide strong support for the loss-aversion-based theory, revealing that American policy makers are willing to fight harder and hold out longer in trade disputes with preventive objectives than they are in cases with promotive ones. Our study demonstrates that hypotheses derived from neuroscientific findings can be tested using large-n techniques in study of foreign policy, revealing a new avenue of inquiry within the field.
Review of Alleged Reaction to Monosodium Glutamate and Outcome of a Multicenter Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has a long history of use in foods as a flavor enhancer. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has classified MSG as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Nevertheless, there is an ongoing debate exists concerning whether MSG causes any of the alleged reactions. A complex of symptoms after ingestion of a Chinese meal was first described in 1968. MSG was suggested to trigger these symptoms, which were referred to collectively as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. Numerous reports, most of them anecdotal, were published after the original observation. Since then, clinical studies have been performed by many groups, with varying degrees of rigor in experimental design ranging from uncontrolled open challenges to double-blind, placebo controlled (DBPC) studies. Challenges in subjects who reported adverse reactions to MSG have included relatively few subjects and have failed to show significant reactions to MSG. Results of surveys and of clinical challenges with MSG in the general population reveal no evidence of untoward effects. We recently conducted a multicenter DBPC challenge study in 130 subjects (the largest to date) to analyze the response of subjects who report symptoms from ingesting MSG. The results suggest that large doses of MSG given without food may elicit more symptoms than a placebo in individuals who believe that they react adversely to MSG. However, the frequency of the responses was low and the responses reported were inconsistent and were not reproducible. The responses were not observed when MSG was given with food.
An efficient method of selecting ocean observing locations for capturing the leading modes and reconstructing the full field

[1] We present a method of selecting a small number of observing locations for capturing the leading spatial modes of an ocean field and reconstructing the field, assuming sufficient historical data for extraction of the field's empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). The selection metric contains two main requirements: (1) The EOFs should have large magnitudes at the selected locations. (2) The cross products between the EOFs should be small at the selected locations. We select observing points sequentially: adding points one by one, without modifying the already picked ones. Selection of each location is by a simple sorting based on the presented metric. We apply the method to the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) field, using the Smith-Reynolds SST data set and the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Project (TAO) buoys' SST measurements. We demonstrate that using observations at a small number of selected locations, one can quite accurately estimate the leading modes' amplitudes. Consequently, the full field can be reconstructed by observations at the selected locations. To evaluate the performance gain realized by employing the presented algorithm, we also provide two comparisons. In the first, we confine selections to regions considered logistically accessible. In the second, we use locations of existing buoys. The reconstruction error using observing locations selected by our algorithm is significantly lower than that using the buoys' locations. The presented algorithm takes into account mismatch between the base data set and the observations.
Accurate methods for large molecular systems.

Three exciting new methods that address the accurate prediction of processes and properties of large molecular systems are discussed. The systematic fragmentation method (SFM) and the fragment mole...