cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel anti-inflammatory therapy for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder that is characterized by progressive degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine system. Although dopamine replacement can alleviate symptoms of the disorder, there is no proven therapy to halt the underlying progressive degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons. Recently, increasing evidence from human and animal studies has suggested that neuroinflammation is an important contributor to the neuronal loss in PD. Moreover, the pro-inflammatory agent lipopolysaccharide itself can directly initiate degeneration of dopamine-containing neurons or combine with other environmental factor(s), such as the pesticide rotenone, to exacerbate such neurodegeneration. These effects provide strong support for the involvement of inflammation in the pathogenesis of PD. Furthermore, growing experimental evidence demonstrates that inhibition of the inflammatory response can, in part, prevent degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine-containing neurons in several animal models of PD, suggesting that inhibition of inflammation might become a promising therapeutic intervention for PD.
Recycling microcavity optical biosensors

Optical biosensors have tremendous potential for commercial applications in medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and food safety evaluation. In these applications, sensor reuse is desirable to reduce costs. To achieve this, harsh, wet chemistry treatments are required to remove surface chemistry from the sensor, typically resulting in reduced sensor performance and increased noise due to recognition moiety and optical transducer degradation. In the present work, we suggest an alternative, dry-chemistry method, based on O2 plasma treatment. This approach is compatible with typical fabrication of substrate-based optical transducers. This treatment completely removes the recognition moiety, allowing the transducer surface to be refreshed with new recognition elements and thus enabling the sensor to be recycled.
Hydroxyapatite adherence as a means to concentrate bacteria

Adherence to hydroxyapatite (HA) was examined as a method to concentrate bacteria from foods. Using HA at a level of 10% and suspensions of an Escherichia coli strain containing 10(9), 10(6), and 10(3) cells per ml, kinetic studies revealed that maximum adherence was attained within 5 min for all cell concentrations and that comparable log reductions (1.0 to 1.5) of cells in suspension were seen regardless of initial cell concentration. Eleven species of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria were found to adhere to HA, with seven species adhering at proportions of greater than 95%. Fluorescent viability staining revealed that cells bound to HA remained viable. There was greater than 92% adherence of indigenous bacteria to HA from three of five 1:10 dilutions of ground beef, indicating promise for the use of HA for concentrating bacteria from meat and other food samples.
RTX Toxin Plays a Key Role in Kingella kingae Virulence in an Infant Rat Model

Kingella kingae is a human oral bacterium that can cause diseases of the skeletal system in children and infective endocarditis in children and adults. K. kingae produces a toxin of the RTX group, RtxA. To investigate the role of RtxA in disease pathogenesis in vivo, K. kingae strain PYKK081 and its isogenic RtxA-deficient strain KKNB100 were tested for their virulence and pathological consequences upon intraperitoneal injections in 7-day-postnatal (PN 7) rats. At the doses above 8.0 × 10(6) cells/animal, PYKK081 was able to cause a fatal illness, resulting in rapid weight loss, bacteremia, and abdominal necrotic lesion formation. Significant histopathology was observed in thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. Strain KKNB100 was less toxic to animals. Neither weight loss, bacteremia, nor histopathological changes were evident. Animals injected with KKNB100 exhibited a significantly elevated circulating white blood cell (WBC) count, whereas animals injected with PYKK081 had a WBC count that resembled that of the uninfected control. This observation parallels the subtleties associated with clinical presentation of K. kingae disease in humans and suggests that the toxin contributes to WBC depletion. Thus, our results demonstrate that RtxA is a key K. kingae virulence factor. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the PN 7 rat can serve as a useful model for understanding disease caused by K. kingae and for elucidating diagnostic parameters in human patients.
The East African Long Rains in Observations and Models

Decadal variability of the East African precipitation during the season of March‐May (long rains) is examined and the performance of a series of models in simulating the observed features is assessed. Observational results show that the drying trend of the long rains is associated with decadal natural variability associated with sea surface temperature (SST) variations over the Pacific Ocean. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF), linear regression, and composite analyses all show the spatial pattern of the associated SST field to be La Nina like. The SST-forced International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) forecast models are able to capture the East African precipitation climatology, the decadal variability of the long rains, and the associated SST anomaly pattern but are not consistent with observations from the 1970s. The multimodel mean of the SST-forced models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) experiment captures the climatology and the drying trend in recent decades. The fully coupled models from the CMIP5 historical experiment, however, have systematic errors in simulating the East African precipitation climatology by underestimating the long rains while overestimating the short rains. The multimodel mean of the historical simulations of the long rains anomalies, which is the best estimate of the radiatively forced change, shows a weak wetting trend associated with anthropogenic forcing. The SST anomaly pattern associated with the long rains has large discrepancies with the observations. The results herein suggest caution in projections of East African precipitation from CMIP5 or the relationship between the East African precipitation and the SST spatial pattern found in paleoclimate studies with coupled climate models.
Seasonal abundance and survivorship of Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) at a southern California dairy, with reference to potential bluetongue virus transmission and persistence.

Seasonal abundance and survivorship of Culicoides sonorensis Wirth & Jones were examined at a dairy in southern California from January 1995 to December 1997. Insects were collected one to two times per week using five CDC-type suction traps (without light) baited with CO2 at a constant release rate of 1,000 ml/min. Female and male abundance was greatest during late summer and early fall and was directly correlated with mean monthly air temperature. Parity of females was lowest during late summer and early fall. The gonotrophic cycle was estimated to require 3–4 d during hot summer months and up to 14 d during cool winter months. Estimated extrinsic incubation of bluetongue virus (BLU) was 9–10 d during August and September. The estimated daily survival ranged from 95% in the winter, resulting in an expectation of life of only 2–3 d in summer and >10 d in winter. The probability of females surviving the extrinsic incubation period for BLU virus, and the expectation of infective life were both lowest during late summer and early fall. During 1997, midge abundance during late summer was not high enough to overcome very low survivorship, and the absolute number of females expected to survive the extrinsic incubation period was relatively low. However, in 1995 and 1996, very high midge abundance compensated for low survivorship during summer and the number of females expected to survive the extrinsic incubation period was relatively high. Although abundance was generally very low during the cool winter and spring, host-seeking females were captured throughout the year, and their winter survival was high. Overwintering of BLU virus by continued transmission of the virus by active midges appears possible.
Abstract 374: Inhibitor of Differentiation 3 Promotes High Fat--Induced Expansion of Committed Inflammatory Adipocyte Progenitor Cells

Background: Global deletion of helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factor Inhibitor of Differentiation 3 (Id3) attenuates high fat diet (HFD) induced obesity and adipose tissue inflammation. Specifically, Id3 -/- mice have less epididymal adipose tissue (eAT), fewer proinflammatory macrophages in eAT after HFD, and attenuated HFD-induced levels of MCP-1 mRNA and protein in eAT. It is currently unclear how Id3 is regulating MCP-1 or macrophage accumulation in eAT. Methods & Results: Id3 -/- mice and Id3 +/+ littermates were fed 60% HFD (n=7, 5) or standard chow (n=6, 7) for 1 week. Intracellular levels of MCP-1 in stromavascular fraction (SVF) cells from eAT were analyzed via flow cytometry. HFD increased the number of MCP-1 hi cells in Id3 +/+ mice compared to chow controls (8.66 vs 2.36 x10 4 , p Id3 -/- mice (3.28 vs 1.53 x10 4 , n.s.). Phenotyping of the SVF by flow cytometry revealed that MCP-1 hi cells were mostly adipocyte progenitor cells (AdPCs) (78.8±6.8%), recently characterized as CD31 - CD45 - Ter119 - CD34 + CD29 + Sca-1 + . Interestingly, HFD induced an Id3-dependent increase in AdPCs. It was recently shown that CD24 - AdPCs are more committed to the adipocyte lineage than CD24 + AdPCs. CD24 + AdPCs lacked MCP-1 expression, but committed CD24 - AdPCs expressed MCP-1. To determine proliferation of AdPCs, BrdU was i.p. injected during the 1 week HFD ( Id3 +/+ n=11, Id3 -/- n=7). Id3 +/+ mice had a HFD-induced increase in proliferating AdPCs (11.71% vs 5.71%, p Id3 -/- mice lacked an increase (7.96% vs 6.69%, n.s.). Finally, OP-9 and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell lines were transfected with a p21 Cip1 luciferase promoter construct. Co-transfection with Id3 reduced p21 Cip1 promoter activation by 2-fold (p Conclusion: Committed AdPCs are the predominant source of MCP-1 in the early stages of high fat feeding, and diet-induced expansion of these AdPCs is dependent on Id3. Id3 inhibition of p21 Cip1 promoter activation in AdPCs may be one potential mechanism mediating this effect. This novel evidence of the inflammatory properties of AdPCs and the role that Id3 plays in their expansion during obesity may lead to new therapeutic targets for the treatment of diet-induced adipose inflammation and its metabolic consequences.
Techniques and Characteristics of VCSEL Arrays Bonded to CMOS Integrated Circuits

The bonding of large VCSEL arrays to CMOS integrated circuits has become an important research area since there is a growing need for chip to chip optical interconnects and large scale optical free-space parallel processing. We have recently demonstrated the bonding of 8×8 and 4×4 VCSEL arrays to foundry fabricated CMOS and GaAs MESFET integrated circuits] using three different flip chip bonding techniques. An example of an array bonded to CMOS is illustrated in the optical photomicrograph of figure 1. The previous papers [1-2] reported the basic optical and electrical characteristics of the bonded VCSELs. There showed that VCSELs could be bonded to CMOS chips without effecting the electrical performance of the CMOS or the optical characteristics of the VCSELs. The present paper reports the high frequency transient response and the thermal resistance of bonded VCSELs. Both experimental data and simulation are used to investigate these characteristics.
Honor Thy Parents An Ethnic Multigroup Analysis of Filial Responsibility, Health Perceptions, and Caregiving Decisions

The present study explores patterns of parity and disparity in the effect of filial responsibility on health-related evaluations and caregiving decisions. Participants who identified as White, Black, Hispanic, or Asian/Pacific Islander read a vignette about an older man needing medical care. They were asked to imagine that they were the man's son and answer questions regarding their likelihood of hiring a health care advocate (HCA) for services related to the father's care. A multigroup (ethnicity) path analysis was performed, and an intercept invariant multigroup model fits the data best. Direct and indirect effect estimation showed that filial responsibility mediated the relationship between both the perceived severity of the father's medical condition and the perceived need for medical assistance and the likelihood of hiring an HCA only for White and Hispanic participants, albeit differently. The findings demonstrate that culture and ethnicity affect health evaluations and caregiving decision making.
A New Heterothallic Pythium from the United States and Canada

Pythium heterothallicum is described as a new species. The species designation “heterothallicum” was chosen to emphasize the absence of homothallic isolates, in contrast to P. sylvaticum in which i...
Developmental Expression of Chicken Fetal Antigen on Peritoneal Macrophage: Implications for Hematopoietic Differentiation

Chicken fetal antigen (CFA) was demonstrated by both complement-mediated microcytotoxicity and immunofluorescence to be present on the cell surface of activated peritoneal macrophage. While CFA-positive macrophage were observed in young birds, the antigen was absent from adult macrophage. A comparison of cell surface CFA on macrophage, lymphocytes, and erythrocytes indicated that unique subsets of CFA determinants are characteristic for each differentiation lineage. As a result, CFA can serve as a cell surface marker for differentiation-specific gene expression. Since CFA determinants are known to be at least partly defined by carbohydrates, it is suggested that hematopoietic heterogeneity for CFA may result from lineage-specific carbohydrate microheterogeneity.
Comprehensive Utilization Status and Countermeasures for Straw in Jiangsu Province

There are abundant varieties and large amount of straw in Jiangsu Province.How to better utilize the straw resource and relieve the environment protection pressure is an important research subject.The development status and tendency of straw comprehensive utilization at home and abroad were reviewed,the distribution characteristics were analyzed,and several countermeasures were put forward aiming at the current main problems.
Anorthite Dissolution under Conditions Relevant to Subsurface CO2 Injection: Effects of Na+, Ca2+, and Al3+

Supercritical CO2 is injected into subsurface environments during geologic CO2 sequestration and CO2-enhanced oil recovery. In these processes, the CO2-induced dissolution of formation rocks, which contain plagioclase, can affect the safety and efficiency of the subsurface operation. In subsurface brines, Na+ and Ca2+ are naturally abundant, and Al3+ concentration increases due to acidification by injected CO2. However, our current understanding of cation effects on plagioclase dissolution does not provide sufficiently accurate prediction of plagioclase dissolution at such high salinities. This study investigated the effects of up to 4 M Na+, 1 M Ca2+, and 200 μM Al3+ on anorthite (as a representative mineral of Ca-containing plagioclase) dissolution under conditions closely relevant to subsurface CO2 injection. For the first time, we elucidated the inhibition effects of Al3+ on anorthite dissolution in far-from-equilibrium systems, and found that the Al3+ effects were enhanced at elevated temperature. In...
Oxygen Availability and Metabolic Dynamics During Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latency

Objective: In vitro models of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) nonreplicating persistence (NRP) suggest the rate of oxygen ( $O_2$ ) depletion is a significant determinant in persistence. However, few studies have characterized the metabolic association between slow and rapid $O_2$ depletion rates and successful versus failed persistence. Methods: We developed a theoretical model of Mtb metabolic adaptation that includes $O_2$ driven genetic modulation of enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, energy, and redox recycling pathways. We conducted an in silico study of Mtb adaptation, and investigated the metabolic dynamics that enable persistence during slow versus rapid anaerobiosis. Results: Consistent with in vitro studies, during rapid anaerobiosis the most significant enzymatic changes occurred during the active growth period while the majority of the slow anaerobic system's adaptive response occurred during the first phase of aerobic shiftdown (NRP1). The characteristic response of the two conditions differed, with the slow anaerobic system exhibiting positive adaptation response, upregulating six enzymes during NRP1, while the rapid system exhibited a negative adaptation response, decreasing the levels of seven enzymes during active growth. Conclusion: Results of our study illustrate the intricate metabolic balance Mtb achieves during adaptation to anaerobic conditions, and how failure in redox recycling correlates to failure in persistence. Significance: We have provided the first theoretical description of the genetic and metabolic death profile for Mtb during anaerobic growth. Insight into Mtbs dynamic adaptation response provides a unique systems framework for the development of targeted therapies to reduce the likelihood of mycobacterial persistence and the related incidence of latent tuberculosis infection
Repeated Reading for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: Peer-and Trainer-Mediated Instruction.

This study evaluated the effects of a repeated reading (RR) intervention on the oral reading fluency and comprehension of six urban fourth and fifth-grade students with and at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). A multiple baseline design across subjects was used to study RR effects according to gains in reading fluency, comprehension, and generalization to unpracticed passages under covert and overt timing conditions. Results indicated that all students improved both reading fluency (i.e., speed and accuracy) and comprehension when participating in RR. Improvements were also observed on the unpracticed generalization passages; the addition of overt timing and charting produced the greatest improvements. These gains were confirmed through administration of standardized tests in reading. Findings are described according to the beneficial effects of RR and the relative advantages of peer-mediated interventions with students with EBD.
Gfi-1 Represses CDKN2B Encoding p15INK4B through Interaction with Miz-1

Abstract Zinc finger (ZF) transcriptional repressor Gfi-1 plays an important role in hematopoiesis and inner ear development, and also functions as an oncoprotein that cooperates with c-Myc in lymphomagenesis. Gfi-1 represses transcription by directly binding to the consensus DNA sequence in the promoters of its target genes. We report here an alternative mechanism by which Gfi-1 represses CDKN2B encoding the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p15INK4B. Gfi-1 did not directly bind to CDKN2B, but interacted with Miz-1 and, via Miz-1, was recruited to the core promoter of CDKN2B. The C-terminal zinc finger domains of Gfi-1 and Miz-1 are involved in the interaction. Miz-1 is a POZ-ZF transcription factor that has been shown to mediate transcriptional repression by c-Myc. Like c-Myc, upon recruitment to the CDKN2B promoter, Gfi-1 repressed transcriptional activation of CDKN2B by Miz-1 and in response to TGFb. Notably, Gfi-1 and c-Myc formed a ternary complex with Miz-1 and were both recruited to the CDKN2B core promoter via Miz-1, and acted in collaboration to repress CDKN2B. Consistent with its role in repressing CDKN2B transcription, knockdown of Gfi-1 in human leukemic cells resulted in augmented levels of p15INK4B, which was associated with attenuated cell proliferation. The expression of p15INK4B was also significantly higher in Gfi-1−/− mouse bone marrow (BM) cells than in Gfi-1+/+ BM cells. Our data reveal a novel mechanism of transcriptional repression by Gfi-1 and also identify CDKN2B as a new Gfi-1 target gene. The findings may have important implications for understanding the role of Gfi-1 in normal development and the cooperation between Gfi-1 and c-Myc in lymphomagenesis.
Edge Charge Neutralization of Clay for Improved Oxygen Gas Barrier in Multilayer Nanobrick Wall Thin Films.

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled polymer–clay multilayer thin films are known to provide transparent and flexible gas barrier. In an effort to further lower the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of these nanobrick wall thin films, sodium chloride was introduced into montmorillonite (MMT) suspension as an “indifferent electrolyte”. At pH 6.5 the amphoteric edge sites of MMT have a neutral net charge, and a moderate concentration of NaCl effectively shields the charge from neighboring platelets, allowing van der Waals forces to attract the edges to one another. This edge-to-edge bonding creates a much more tortuous path for diffusing oxygen molecules. An eight-bilayer (BL) polyethylenimine (PEI)/MMT multilayer coating (∼50 nm thick), assembled with 5 mM NaCl in the aqueous clay suspension, exhibited an order of magnitude reduction in oxygen permeability (∼4 × 10–20 cm3·cm/(cm2·Pa·s)) relative to its salt-free counterpart. This result represents the best barrier among polymer–clay bilayer systems, which is also l...
Eco-Wisdom, or, Mind the Dog

The condition we face today in the eleventh hour of ecological recklessness requires more than changes in what we are doing (using fossil fuels, wasting resources, throwing away food, overpopulating, accumulating plastic, despoiling the planet). The condition requires a fundamental change in thinking about our place in the cosmos. To help us make this shift, I turn to the wisdoms I most honor in my fields of study: writers, mythmakers, and a psychology based on archetypal knowing, such as that propounded by Carl Jung.
A clade of Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b variant strains linked to recent listeriosis outbreaks associated with produce from a defined geographic region in the US

Four listeriosis incidences/outbreaks, spanning 19 months, have been linked to Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b variant (4bV) strains. Three of these incidents can be linked to a defined geographical region, while the fourth is likely to be linked. In this study, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of strains from these incidents was used for genomic comparisons using two approached. The first was JSpecies tetramer, which analyzed tetranucleotide frequency to assess relatedness. The second, the CFSAN SNP Pipeline, was used to perform WGS SNP analyses against three different reference genomes to evaluate relatedness by SNP distances. In each case, unrelated strains were included as controls. The analyses showed that strains from these incidents form a highly related clade with SNP differences of ≤101 within the clade and >9000 against other strains. Multi-Virulence-Locus Sequence Typing, a third standardized approach for evaluation relatedness, was used to assess the genetic drift in six conserved, known virulence loci and showed a different clustering pattern indicating possible differences in selection pressure experienced by these genes. These data suggest a high degree of relatedness among these 4bV strains linked to a defined geographic region and also highlight the possibility of alterations related to adaptation and virulence.
Variant morphology in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: a 14-year case series of biopsy and resection specimens☆

Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma exhibiting variant morphology, especially in higher-grade tumors, is a recognized phenomenon but has not been comparatively studied in biopsy versus resection material. We studied the morphologic patterns and clinicopathological features, and provide a comparison between biopsy and resection specimens. Consultation cases were evaluated separately to investigate for possible consultation bias. A total of 383 in-house cases from 352 patients including 314 resection specimens and 69 biopsies from 2001 to 2014 were reviewed from a single institution. Histologic type, tumor grade, invasion, pathologic stage, nodal status, metastasis, and the presence and type of variant morphology for each case were evaluated. Variant morphology was identified in 5 biopsy specimens (7.2%) and 42 resection specimens (13.4%). The most common variant morphologic pattern was squamous differentiation (16 cases, 4.5%) followed by an inverted growth pattern (8 cases, 2.2%). The presence of variant morphology in resection specimens had a significant association with higher tumor grade, higher pT stage, and nonpapillary configuration. Of 69 patients with biopsies, 31 had a subsequent resection. In comparison, 181 consultation cases from 168 patients showed variant morphology in 6 biopsies (7.1%) and 27 resections (28.1%). In conclusion, the frequency of recognizing variant morphology in biopsies is about one-half of that in resections. The inclusion of consultation cases can inflate the incidence of variant morphology. As a result, the frequency of variant morphology in our in-house cases is lower than the percentage reported in the literature, most likely secondary to a consultation bias.
Methionine requirement of channel catfish fed soybean meal-corn-based diets.

A soybean meal-corn-based diet was used to determine dietary methionine (Met) required by 14-g channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in a 42-d experiment at 25 degrees C. The basal diet with balanced limiting amino acids relative to the catfish whole-body amino acid profile contained 277 g of CP, 3.6 g of Met, 4.0 g of cystine (Cys), and 10 MJ of DE/kg of DM. DL-Methionine was added to the basal diet from 0 to 12.0 g/kg in 2-g intervals at the expense of L-glutamic acid to produce seven isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. A reference diet contained 331 g of CP, 8 g of Met, 5 g of Cys, and 10 MJ of DE/kg of DM (included 8% fish meal). Seven graded Met levels resulted in quadratic responses (P .05) to that of catfish fed the reference diet. Catfish fed all-plant-protein diets require more dietary methionine than previously reported. Catfish fed corn-soybean meal diets fortified adequately with methionine result in performance that approaches that of fish fed a fish meal-based diet.
Examining state health and habitability laws and their relationship to state characteristics in the USA

A variety of health conditions such as asthma, elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in children, pesticide poisonings, and falls and trips injuries have been associated with substandard housing conditions, implying that improvement in housing can lead to improved health. This group of researchers previously developed and reported on a Habitability Element Rating Scores (HERS) to compare and rank the strength of habitability laws of US states. HERS considers a State's adoption of elements of Uniform Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) for upkeep of property (i.e., raw scores), and the potential of elements to influence tenant health (i.e., weighted scores). Here we examine the relationship of HERS raw scores with various state political and demographic features to investigate potential driving forces for the development/existence of comprehensive and equitable housing standards. Statistically significant associations reveal states tend to emphasise low or high HERS raw scores depending on factors such as rurality...
Electromechanical model to predict the movability of liquids in an electrowetting-on-dielectric microfluidic device

In electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) microfluidics, a motion of a fluid is created by a voltage applied to the fluid/surface interface. Water and aqueous solutions are the most frequently used fluids in EWOD devices. In order for EWOD microfluidics to be a versatile platform for various applications, however, movability of different types of fluids other than aqueous solutions should be understood. An electromechanical model using a simple RC circuit has been used to predict the mechanical force exerted on a liquid droplet upon voltage application. In this present study, two important features missed in previous works are addressed. Energy dissipation by contact line friction is considered in the new model as the form of resistor. The phase angle is taken into account in the analysis of the AC circuit. The new electromechanical model and computation results are validated with experimental measurements of forces on two different liquids. The model is then used to explain influences of contact angle hysteresis, surface tension, conductivity, and dielectric constant of fluids to the mechanical force on a liquid droplet.
Exploring Executive Functions Using a Distributed Circuit Model

A person's ability to plan, adapt, and regulate their behavior is integral for immediate as well as long-term goals. These behaviors are collectively defined as “executive functions” and are critical components of human cognition ([Kimberg et al., 1997][1]). Because damage to the prefrontal
Representing implicit and explicit time relations in narrative

This paper describes a representation for time relations in narrative. The time relations are based on both explicit sources of time information (e.g., adverbial expressions or tense) and implicit sources, such as multiple reference to a single event, narrative time progression and earlier events implied by change of state words. Natural language processing is used to analyse the input text into a set of subject-verb-object units, connected by binary connectives; these units correspond to the events of the narrative. With each event is associated a time in relation to another event, adjusted by an optional time quantity. These time relations have a natural representation as a directed graph whose nodes are time points and whose edges are time intervals. The algorithm for extracting the time relations from a text is illustrated for an excerpt from a hospital discharge summary.
Oxygen Affinity in Hemoglobin Köln Disease

Oxygen affinity studies in a splenectomized patient with sporadically occurring Hb Koln disease revealed high whole blood oxygen affinity (P50 O2 17.6 mm Hg) with increased 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG), low ATP, and normal RBC ΔpH. Isolated electrophoretically slow migrating Hb Koln had a high oxygen affinity, decreased Hill’s number, and normal DPG reactivity. Functional evidence for hybrid tetramers with normal mobility is presented. Partial deoxygenation may play a role in the denaturation of the Hb Koln molecule and thus account for a higher oxygen affinity (low P50 O2), measured by the mixing technique, than the actual values for P50 that exist in vivo. Increased oxygen affinity and decreased P50 O2 would result in increased erythropoiesis and account for a well-compensated hemolytic process in this patient with a normal red cell mass and normal values of hemoglobin.
Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Plethodontidae

Sexual size dimorphism (or SSD for short) is common in vertebrate animals. It reflects the adaptation of males and females to different reproductive or ecological roles. SSD is male-biased when males are larger than females (as is often the case in birds and mammals), and female-biased when females are larger than males (as in many ectothermic vertebrates and invertebrates). SSD is usually considered a consequence of selection on reproductive traits that reflects the different reproductive roles of males and females, including sexual selection in the traditional sense (reviewed in Andersson, 1994, ch. 11;Fairbairn, 1997). Alternatively, SSD is sometimes viewed as intersexual niche divergence that reduces competition between the sexes for food or other resources (Selander, 1972;Shine, 1989;Slatkin, 1984). Sexual size dimorphism may be correlated with population density, in relationship to either the intensity of male-male competition for breeding territories or resource availability (Ghiselin, 1974;Stamps, 1983;Stamps et al., 1997). Very often SSD varies allometrically with body size among species within a clade (Abouheif and Fairbairn, 1997;Fairbairn, 1997).
Responding to a Plant Closure: The Case of Thomson Consumer Electronics and Bloomington, Indiana

This case poses the challenge feeing a mayor when a major employer announces that it is closing its production facility in a community. Students can be asked to develop strategies the mayor can use...
First principles modeling of the structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of Ni40Pd40P20 bulk metallic glass

Abstract The structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of Ni40Pd40P20 bulk metallic glass have been studied using ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations and total-energy optimization. Structural analyses of the resulting ab initio models show the presence of a few to no P P bonds and two main building blocks, consisting of tricapped trigonal prism (TTP) and capped square anti-prism (CSAP) with P as the center of these blocks. The computed Pd and Ni K-edge spectra of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The configurational averaged static structure factor and the generalized vibrational density of states are also observed to be in good agreement with experimental data.
Optimal Production Scheduling for Smart Manufacturers

This paper aims at implementing an optimization technique in smart manufacturing applications for co-optimizing the operation of multiple production lines to supply the desired demand for multiple products. The proposed model, which is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem, minimizes the total manufacturing cost by co-optimizing the operation schedule of production lines. The proposed model implements several operating constraints of the production lines that include their energy consumption and associated costs, productivity, scrap rates, changeover duration, and labor costs. The proposed model is implemented on a sample manufacturer, where seven production lines with different operational constraints are optimized to manufacture six product types. The simulation results show that the proposed optimal scheduling model allows smart manufacturers to enhance production efficiency and save on operation costs by co-optimizing the operation schedule of production lines. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the model in different demand levels, where the manufacturers are enabled to optimally schedule the production lines at minimum cost given the production demand.
Thinking About Justice

Justice is the master concept for thinking about the fair terms of communal life. These terms are understandable in light of the rights and obligations free and equal people would acknowledge as essential to sustained social interaction. The most important of such rights have to do with personal security, with bodily security and also with the security of one’s immediate possessions. If deliberators were to try to identify these rights while unaware of their personal circumstances (i.e., while reasoning from behind a veil of ignorance), they would agree that members of a just society live under constraints applicable even to those who might benefit by disregarding them. This point has no bearing, however, on those who are unmotivated by the possibility of fair cooperation. For them, restraint and condemnation may be essential if social life based on justice is to be protected.
Wind turbine wake position detection and rotor speed-based wake steering validation in a wind tunnel wake simulator:

Wind farm control has demonstrated power production improvements using yaw-based wake steering compared to individual turbine optimization. However, slower yaw actuation rates in response to rapid ...
CURRENT ALGEBRA AND LOW ENERGY πN SCATTERING

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the current algebra and low energy πN scattering. The accurate low energy πN data makes it possible to test in detail the various predictions of current algebra. It is found that while the data is slightly above the threshold, the tests are at threshold and in the subthreshold region. The result is that current algebra does indeed map out the physical amplitudes, but one must be careful to appreciate the delicate and sometimes accidental cancellations between the various amplitudes. The current algebra representation can be used to extrapolate the πN amplitudes off the pion mass shell. This has important applications in nuclear physics, including descriptions of the three-body binding energies in nuclear matter, three-body forces in low Z nuclei, and pion condensates in neutron stars. S-wave effective ranges can be investigated in the algebra scheme. The situation is complicated by the large cancellations between the Born contributions and the background, and the data is somewhat uncertain as well. Although current algebra qualitatively explains the s-wave scattering lengths and effective ranges, in a quantitative sense, the delicate cancellations at threshold place a severe demand on the theory.
Come for the Game, Stay for the Cash Grab: The Ethics of Loot Boxes, Microtransactions, and Freemium Games:

In this article, I investigate the ethics of freemium games, microtransactions, and loot boxes. Three distinctions are relevant. First, there is a difference between a fixed-reward microtransaction...
Impact of Pupil Diameter on Objective Refraction Determination and Predicted Visual Acuity

Purpose Objective refraction based on wavefront aberration measures is a potential tool for patients unable to participate in a subjective refraction, but the selection of a single pupil diameter for determination of the objective refraction may pose challenges. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of pupil diameter on determination of objective refractions for adults with and without Down syndrome (DS) and predicted change in acuity with increasing pupil diameter. Methods Wavefront error was obtained from 27 adults with DS and 24 controls, and metric-optimized refractions were identified for 4- and 6-mm pupil diameters. Total dioptric difference between refractions for the two pupil sizes was calculated, and repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in refractions. Next, five control observers read acuity charts produced to simulate image quality of each subject if the same refraction was applied for both a 4- and 6-mm pupil diameter. A comparison of acuity with performance on a clear chart was used to calculate letters lost for each chart. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to test for differences in letters lost from 4- and 6-mm diameters. Results The dioptric difference between refractions for 4- and 6-mm pupils was significantly greater in subjects with DS (0.51 diopters vs. 0.19 diopters, P = 0.0012). Letters lost for predicted acuity was less for the 4-mm diameter than 6 mm for charts representing DS eyes (6.5 letters vs. 11 letters, P < 0.0001), as well as for typical eyes (4.5 letters vs. 8 letters, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Differences between refractions by pupil diameter were similar to the repeatability of subjective refraction. Visual acuity differences were clinically small, suggesting similar performance for objective refractions with increasing pupil diameter. Translational Relevance This work quantifies the potential impact of pupil diameter change on the performance of wavefront optimized refractions in clinical patients.
Management of Patient with Cervical Spine Injury

A 49-year old male with no significant medical history presented with a myelopathy secondary to a large extended C5–C6 disc herniation with compression of the spinal cord. The patient was classified as grade 2 on the Narick’s functional scale. The patient was scheduled for a single-level discectomy, decompression, reconstruction, and stabilization. Due to motor weakness, pain in the upper and lower limbs with neck movement, and examination of the patient’s MRI, the decision was made to safely secure the patient’s airway with an awake fiber-optic intubation (FOI). After being premedicated with 2 mg of midazolam and 0.2 mg of glycopyrrolate, the upper airway was anesthetized using nebulized 4% lidocaine, and the patient was intubated smoothly.
Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 in cancer

Plasmacytoma variant translocation1(PVT1) is a very important long nocoding RNA, which located at chromosome 8q24.21 in human beings. Aberrant expression and polymorphism of PVT1 was closely associated with various kinds of cancers such as malignant lymphoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and affected survival and prognosis of cancer patients. This mainly attribute to its interactin with myc, miRNAs and other proteins, and also gene polymorphism. Further study of PVT1 is expected to provide a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Key words: Neoplasms; Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1
Abstract 3236: Rejuvenation of exhausted CAR-T cells with a targeted TLR7 agonist

CAR T cell therapies have achieved remarkable responses in leukemias, but their potencies in solid tumors have been disappointing. Two proposed causes of CAR T cell failures in solid tumors are: 1) CAR-T cells may become dysfunctional or “exhausted” upon chronic exposure to tumor antigen and/or immunosuppressive factors such as MDSCs, TAMs, Tregs and inhibitory cytokines, and 2) cancer cells mutate to no longer express the tumor antigen recognized by the CAR. We have described a CAR T cell in which the CAR contains the usual activation motifs, but expresses an scFv against FITC instead of the usual scFv to a tumor antigen. The resulting CAR T cell kills and proliferates only when it encounters a cancer cell labeled with FITC. To achieve this FITC labeling, we construct multiple FITC-ligand conjugates (adaptor) by conjugating FITC to one of 10 different low molecular weight ( To address the first probable cause of CAR T cell failure, we exploit the natural endocytosis of the anti-FITC scFV CAR to deliver a FITC-drug conjugate into the CAR T cell, wherein the attached drug is a potent TLR7 agonist. By concentrating the TLR7 agonist within the CAR T cell, we demonstrate that an exhausted/dysfunctional CAR T cell can be rejuvenated to a functional and tumor-killing state, leading to renewed eradication of the solid tumor. For initial refinement of this strategy in vitro, we generated exhausted CAR T cells by their continuous transfer (every 12 hours) to fresh MDA-MB-231 cells in presence of FITC-folate adaptor while monitoring for appearance of exhaustion markers (PD-1+Tim3+LAG3+) and loss of cell cytotoxicity. We then documented the abilities of both nontargeted and FITC-targeted TLR7 agonists to reverse the above CAR T cell exhaustion. Then, to evaluate whether the same FITC-TLR7 agonists might reverse exhaustion/dysfunction in vivo, we treated NSG mice bearing KB tumors with the same anti-FITC CAR T cells and waited until the above hallmarks of CAR T cell dysfunction/exhaustion became prominent. Upon tail vein injection of the same FITC-TLR7 agonist, we found that the T cell exhaustion/dysfunction markers were reversed and tumor killing was restored. Taken together, we conclude that CAR T cell eradication of solid tumors can be achieved by use of a universal CAR T cell with multiple adapters that allow recognition of multiple tumor antigens plus administration of a CAR T cell targeted TLR7 agonist that can reverse exhaustion/dysfunction induced by the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Philip S. Low, Qian Luo, John Victor Napoleon, Boning Zhang. Rejuvenation of exhausted CAR-T cells with a targeted TLR7 agonist [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3236.
Lack of evidence for BCG vaccine protection from severe COVID-19.

It is important to understand the divergent incidence and impact of COVID-19 on different countries. A recent study in PNAS (1) hypothesized that bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccination may protect from COVID-19 based on a negative correlation of bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccination rates and COVID-19 mortality between countries, even after careful correction for cofactors such as population age, density, developmental state of the country, and bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccination policies. It was concluded that bacillus Calmette–Guerin vaccination could have a protective effect from severe COVID-19 disease that might be mediated by trained innate immunity. The mortality data analyzed in ref. 1 covers the period until April 22. Since then, the pandemic has substantially shifted toward South America. We performed an updated analysis using dataset_S01 from ref. 1 to obtain homogeneous countries with Human Development Index of … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bpeters{at}lji.org. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Teaching the Digital Caveman: Rethinking the Use of Classroom Technology in Law School

The term “digital native” was created by an educational consultant more than a decade ago to suggest a sharp divide between students born into a digital world and “digital immigrants.” It has sent legal educators into a tizzy ever since trying to figure out how best to teach this supposedly new breed of law student. Do we allow laptops in the classroom or ban them? Is multitasking part of a new learning style or does it interfere with learning? Are today’s students primarily “visual learners” who learn best with technologies like PowerPoint or is traditional media like print more effective? This article begins by putting the present debate over the learning styles of “digital natives” into historical context revealing that new technologies have always led to a “moral panic” that they are changing the way students think and learn. To avoid making the same mistakes again, this article suggests we reject popular stereotypes and cliches about digital natives and look instead to learning science for a more objective understanding about how our students really learn. Only by understanding how the brain works and what it was originally designed to do can we make well-informed decisions about when to use classroom technologies and when to shut them off. Based on the foregoing, the last section of this article offers guidelines for making better use of several popular classroom technologies in ways that promote the critical thinking skills at the heart of a legal education.
The Worlds of George Andrews, a Daughter’s Take

This conference is about the world that has grown up around my father’s research, a world that he tended through his own ideas, his wide and various collaborations, and the decades of graduate students he has mentored. But there is another world he has tended with at least as much love and attention. It involves a smaller crowd, but it is a world just as beautiful and alive as the one gathered here tonight. So as his daughter, I want to tell you a bit about this other world—the world of his family.
Safety Planning With Marginalized Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: Challenges of Conducting Safety Planning Intervention Research With Marginalized Women.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) disproportionately affects marginalized women in the United States. This calls for effective safety planning strategies to reduce the risk for future revictimization...