cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in renal angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity are 17β-oestradiol-dependent and sex chromosome-independent

Background: Angotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a newly discovered monocarboxypeptidase that counteracts the vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) by converting Ang II to Ang-(1-7) in the kidney and other tissues. Methods: ACE2 activity from renal homogenates was investigated by using the fluorogenic peptide substrate Mca-YVADAPK(Dnp)-OH, where Mca is (7-methoxycoumarin-4-yl)-acetyl and Dnp is 2,4-dinitrophenyl. Results: We found that ACE2 activity expressed in relative fluorescence units (RFU) in the MF1 mouse is higher in the male (M) compared to the female (F) kidney [ACE2 (RFU/min/μg protein): M 18.1 ± 1.0 versus F 11.1 ± 0.39; P <0 .0001; n = 6]. Substrate concentration curves revealed that the higher ACE2 activity in the male was due to increased ACE2 enzyme velocity (Vmax) rather than increased substrate affinity (Km). We used the four core genotypes mouse model in which gonadal sex (ovaries versus testes) is separated from the sex chromosome complement enabling comparisons among XX and XY gonadal females and XX and XY gonadal males. Renal ACE2 activity was greater in the male than the female kidney, regardless of the sex chromosome complement [ACE2 (RFU/min/μg protein): intact-XX-F, 7.59 ± 0.37; intact-XY-F, 7.43 ± 0.53; intact-XX-M, 12.1 ± 0.62; intact-XY-M, 12.7 ± 1.5; n = 4-6/group; P < 0.0001, F versus M, by twoway ANOVA]. Enzyme activity was increased in gonadectomized (GDX) female mice regardless of the sex chromosome complement whereas no effect of gonadectomy was observed in the males [ACE2 (RFU/min/μg protein): GDX-XX-F, 12.4 ± 1.2; GDX-XY-F, 11.1 ± 0.76; GDX-XX-M, 13.2 ± 0.97; GDX-XY-M, 11.6 ± 0.81; n = 6/group]. 17b-oestradiol (E2) treatment of GDX mice resulted in ACE2 activity that was only 40% of the activity found in the GDX mice, regardless of their being male or female, and was independent of the sex chromosome complement [ACE2 (RFU/min/μ gp rotein): GDX+E2-XX-F, 5.56 ± 1.0; GDX+E2-XY-F, 4.60 ± 0.52; GDX+E2-XX-M, 5.35 ± 0.70; GDX+E2-XY-M, 5.12 ± 0.47; n = 6/group]. Conclusions: Our findings suggest sex differences in renal ACE2 activity in intact mice are due, at least in part, to the presence of E2 in the ovarian hormone milieu and not to the testicular milieu or to differences in sex chromosome dosage (2X versus 1X; 0Y versus 1Y). E2 regulation of renal ACE2 has particular implications for women across their life span since this hormone changes radically during puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
Religious Influences on Understandings of Racial Inequality in the United States

How does religion influence the way Americans understand the racial inequality that pervades our society? Only a few studies have explored this question, concentrating on how religious conservatism affects whites' views, and generating conflicting findings. Using data from a national random sample telephone survey (Edgell, Gerteis, and Hartmann 2003, N = 2081), we find that among whites, both gender and education shape the effects of religious conservatism on attitudes toward racial inequality. We show that religious subcultural effects are different for African Americans and Hispanic Americans than they are for whites. We also find that, across religious subcultures, the more religiously involved have less progressive views on racial equality than those who are less involved. We demonstrate the interaction of religious subculture, race, education, and gender in forming American's views of racial inequality and we identify other religious effects on views of racial inequality not explored in previous research. We argue that to understand how religion shapes racial attitudes we need to do more in-depth research on the religious subcultures of non-whites, expand our focus beyond conservative Protestants, take into account religious institutional factors that operate across religious subcultures, and explore the structural factors that shape the use of religious cultural tools in forming racial attitudes.
Whole Blood Platelet Aggregation and Release Reaction Testing in Uremic Patients

Background. Platelet function analysis utilizing platelet-rich plasma and optical density based aggregometry fails to identify patients at risk for uremia associated complications. Methods. We employed whole blood platelet aggregation analysis based on impedance as well as determination of ATP release from platelet granules detected by a chemiluminescence method. Ten chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5 predialysis patients underwent platelet evaluation. Our study aims to evaluate this platform in this patient population to determine if abnormalities could be detected. Results. Analysis revealed normal aggregation and ATP release to collagen, ADP, and high-dose ristocetin. ATP release had a low response to arachidonic acid (0.37 ± 0.26 nmoles, reference range: 0.6–1.4 nmoles). Platelet aggregation to low-dose ristocetin revealed an exaggerated response (20.9 ± 18.7 ohms, reference range: 0–5 ohms). Conclusions. Whole blood platelet analysis detected platelet dysfunction which may be associated with bleeding and thrombotic risks in uremia. Diminished ATP release to arachidonic acid (an aspirin-like defect) in uremic patients may result in platelet associated bleeding. An increased aggregation response to low-dose ristocetin (a type IIb von Willebrand disease-like defect) is associated with thrombus formation. This platelet hyperreactivity may be associated with a thrombotic diathesis as seen in some uremic patients.
The Dot/Icm Type IV Secretion System of Legionella pneumophila Is Essential for the Induction of Apoptosis in Human Macrophages

We have previously shown that Legionella pneumophila induces caspase 3-dependent apoptosis in mammalian cells during early stages of infection. In this report, we show that nine L. pneumophila strains with mutations in the dotA, dotDCB, icmT, icmGCD, and icmJB loci are completely defective in the induction of apoptosis, in addition to their severe defects in intracellular replication and pore formation-mediated cytotoxicity. Importantly, all nine dot/icm mutants were complemented for all their defective phenotypes with the respective wild-type loci. We show that the role of the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system in the induction of apoptosis is independent of the RtxA toxin, the dot/icm-regulated pore-forming toxin, and the type II secretion system. However, the pore-forming toxin, which is triggered upon entry into the postexponential growth phase, enhances the ability of L. pneumophila to induce apoptosis. Our data provide the first example of the role of a type IV secretion system of a bacterial pathogen in the induction of apoptosis in the host cell.
Evidence of hearing loss in a “normally-hearing” college-student population

We report pure-tone hearing threshold findings in 56 college students. All subjects reported normal hearing during telephone interviews, yet not all subjects had normal sensitivity as defined by well-accepted criteria. At one or more test frequencies (0.25–8 kHz), 7% of ears had thresholds ≥25 dB HL and 12% had thresholds ≥20 dB HL. The proportion of ears with abnormal findings decreased when three-frequency pure-tone-averages were used. Low-frequency PTA hearing loss was detected in 2.7% of ears and high-frequency PTA hearing loss was detected in 7.1% of ears; however, there was little evidence for “notched” audiograms. There was a statistically reliable relationship in which personal music player use was correlated with decreased hearing status in male subjects. Routine screening and education regarding hearing loss risk factors are critical as college students do not always self-identify early changes in hearing. Large-scale systematic investigations of college students’ hearing status appear to be warranted; the current sample size was not adequate to precisely measure potential contributions of different sound sources to the elevated thresholds measured in some subjects.
Ultrastructure and membrane permeability in cowpea seeds

Abstract. The leakage of electrolytes and the localization of chloride within the cells of NaCl-imbibed seeds indicates the plasmalemma is quite permeable during the early stages of imbibition. However, lanthanum is not able to penetrate the plasmalemma, suggesting that the plasmalemma is not entirely porous. Freeze-fracture microscopy indicates that the plasmalemma is highly convoluted but reveals a fairly normal fracture plane. These observations suggest the membrane is a bilayer and leakiness may be more related to the degree of order within the bilayered membrane than to a primary restructuring and/or reorganization of the membrane components in the dry state.
Synchronous DC-coupled parallel optical data path using three-terminal InGaAs/GaAs lasers

A DC-coupled synchronous parallel optical data link operating at 1 Gbit/s per channel has been implemented using an array of low-threshold strained InGaAs/GaAs single quantum well lasers with monolithically integrated intracavity modulators. The bit error rate (BER) is less than 10/sup -13/ for an input voltage swing of 800 mV at 1 bit/s. Phase margins of 311 and 220 degrees are obtained for a BER of 10/sup -11/ at 1 and 2 bit/s, respectively.
Effects of Imposed Resistance on Tidal Volume With 5 Neonatal Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Systems

BACKGROUND: Neonates with respiratory distress syndrome are often treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Nasal CPAP methods include electronic feedback control, underwater seal, flow opposition, and flow opposition with fluidic flow reversal on expiration. Few studies have compared those modes, and the results have been contradictory. METHODS: We compared the effect of resistive load on simulated tidal volume (VT) with 5 neonatal nasal CPAP systems: Fisher and Paykel nasal CPAP tubing with Maquet Servo-i ventilator in NIV CPAP mode; Cardinal Health AirLife nasal CPAP system; Fisher and Paykel nasal CPAP tubing with water-seal pressure generator; AirLife infant nasal CPAP generator kit; and Hamilton Medical Arabella fluidic nasal CPAP generator. The lung simulator settings were: compliance 0.5 mL/cm H2O, resistance 125 H2O/L/s, sinusoidal patient-effort range 6.5–26 cm H2O, rise 25%, hold 0%, release 25%, respiratory rate 65 breaths/min. We compared the mean values from 10 breaths. RESULTS: The mean inspiratory pressure drop and VT difference (compared to the simulator alone, unloaded) increased with VT, respectively, from 0.32 cm H2O to 1.73 cm H2O, and from 0.04 mL to 0.40 mL. Flow opposition had the smallest pressure drop (from 0.10 cm H2O to 0.64 cm H2O, P 9 mL the electronic nasal CPAP’s pressure drop was largest (P < .001). All systems except the ventilator did not have an average end-expiratory pressure of the targeted 5 cm H2O. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in these nasal CPAP systems correlate with the differences in unassisted VT due to loading effects. The ventilator imposed the least load, and the AirLife nasal CPAP
Removal of the RF Microstructure from a Proton Linear Accelerator Beam

The rf microstructure in the primary proton beam of a proton linear accelerator may consist typically of 0.2ns pulses spaced by 5 ns. This pulsed time structure can be removed to obtain a higher effective duty factor for the proton beam by utilizing the transverse phase space occupied by the beam. An anisochronous beam transport system can produce debunching. One such system consists of a sector magnet with a strong field gradient which bends the beam through 45° and fans it out. A second magnet, of uniform field, bends it through 90°, and a third magnet, identical with the first, recombines the beam and renders it again parallel. The rf microstructure has now been removed, since protons from one side of the beam have travelled ferther than the protons from the other side of the beam. Removal of the rf microstructure in the secondary meson beams could be accomplished with a magnet system similar to but smaller than that for the proton beam. For a sector-focussed cyclotron the above scheme for removing the rf microstructure would require an excessively large magnet system.
Undifferentiated myxoid lipoblastoma with PLAG1-HAS2 fusion in an infant; morphologically mimicking primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy (PMMTI)--diagnostic importance of cytogenetic and molecular testing and literature review

Lipoblastoma is a benign myxoid neoplasm arising in young children that typically demonstrates adipose differentiation. It is often morphologically indistinguishable from primitive myxoid mesenchymal tumor of infancy (PMMTI), which is characterized by a well-circumscribed myxoid mass with a proliferation of primitive mesenchymal cells with mild cytologic atypia. PMMTI occurs in the first year of life and is known to have locally aggressive behavior. No specific genetic rearrangements have been reported to date. In contrast, the presence of PLAG1 (Pleomorphic Adenoma Gene 1) rearrangement is diagnostic for lipoblastoma. We hereby demonstrate the combined application of multiple approaches to tackle the diagnostic challenges of a rapidly growing neck tumor in a 3-month-old female. An incisional tumor biopsy had features of an undifferentiated, myxoid mesenchymal neoplasm mimicking PMMTI. However, tumor cells showed diffuse nuclear expression by immunohistochemical (IHC) stain. Conventional cytogenetic and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses as well as next generation sequencing (NGS) demonstrated evidence of PLAG1 rearrangement, confirming the diagnosis of lipoblastoma. This experience warrants that undifferentiated myxoid lipoblastoma can mimic PMMTI, and the combination of cytogenetic and molecular approaches is essential to distinguish these two myxoid neoplasms. Literature on lipoblastomas with relevant molecular and cytogenetic findings is summarized. Our case is the first lipoblastoma diagnosed with a PLAG1 fusion defined by NGS technology.
A pareto-optimal characterization of miniaturized distributed occulter/telescope systems

Distributed occulter/telescope systems hold great promise in the field of direct exoplanet imaging. However, proposed missions using this concept such as the New Worlds Observer or Exo-S (NASA) are exceptionally large with occulter diameters of tens of meters and inter-spacecraft separations of tens of megameters, requiring deployment in deep space. The estimated costs associated with these missions are in the billions of dollars. In order to reduce the risk associated with these missions, it is desirable to first deploy a low-cost technology demonstrator mission to prove that the distributed occulter telescope concept is valid. To that end, this work assesses the feasibility of miniaturizing the optics of the distributed occulter/telescope to enable deployment on micro- or nano-satellites in earth orbit. A variant of the convex optimization formulation introduced by previous authors is used to generate a pareto-optimal characterization between the achievable occulter contrast and a set of critical design variables (occulter radius, inner working angle, science spectrum, etc). This characterization is performed for two different sets of engineering constraints, corresponding to different levels of design complexity. The results of this study are compared to the performance requirements for imaging targets of scientific interest, namely exozodiacal dust disks, in order to identify promising design envelopes. The result of this work is a comprehensive trade of the capabilities of miniaturized, binary, petal-shaped occulters. This research demonstrates that there exist miniaturized occulter geometries compatible with micro- or nano-satellites in earth orbit suitable for imaging exozodiacal dust disks. In addition, this study provides a valuable methodology and performance guidelines for future distributed occulter/telescope designs.
Primary Blast Exposure Increases Hippocampal Vulnerability to Subsequent Exposure: Reducing Long-Term Potentiation

Abstract Up to 80% of injuries sustained by U.S. soldiers in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom were the result of blast exposure from improvised explosive devices. Some soldiers experience multiple blasts while on duty, and it has been suggested that symptoms of repetitive blast are similar to those that follow multiple non-blast concussions, such as sport-related concussion. Despite the interest in the effects of repetitive blast exposure, it remains unknown whether an initial blast renders the brain more vulnerable to subsequent exposure, resulting in a synergistic injury response. To investigate the effect of multiple primary blasts on the brain, organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were exposed to single or repetitive (two or three total) primary blasts of varying intensities. Long-term potentiation was significantly reduced following two Level 2 (92.7 kPa, 1.4 msec, 38.5 kPa·msec) blasts delivered 24 h apart without altering basal evoked response. This deficit persisted when th...
Pitfalls of Macroeconomic Decisions

The “three key tools” of macroeconomic policy are fiscal policy (revenue generation and spending), monetary policy, and exchange rate policy (Bird 2001, 37)1. The money supply and the volume of government spending together are the major instruments that governments use to manipulate the degree of overall economic activity; the volume of sustainable government spending in most countries depends crucially on taxation.2 Exchange-rate policy is a major determinant of the balance of imports and exports and the profitability of subsectors involved in import and export.
Abstract B16: Synthetic lethality by targeting EZH2 methyltransferase activity in ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancers.

ARID1A, a chromatin remodeler, shows one of the highest mutation rates across many cancer types. Notably, ARID1A is mutated in ~50% of ovarian clear cell carcinomas and ~30% of ovarian endometrioid carcinomas. To date, clinically applicable targeted cancer therapy based on ARID1A mutational status has not been described. Here we show that inhibition of the EZH2 methyltransferase acts in a synthetic lethal manner in ARID1A mutated ovarian cancer cells. ARID1A mutational status correlates with response to the EZH2 inhibitor. We identified PIK3IP1 as a direct ARID1A/EZH2 target, which is upregulated by EZH2 inhibition and contributes to the observed synthetic lethality by inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling. Significantly, EZH2 inhibition causes regression of ARID1A mutated, but not wild-type, ovarian tumors in vivo. Together, these data demonstrate for the first time a synthetic lethality between ARID1A mutation and EZH2 inhibition. They indicate that pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 represents an urgently needed, novel treatment strategy for ARID1A mutated ovarian cancers. Citation Format: Benjamin Bitler, Ie-Ming Shih, Rugang Zhang. Synthetic lethality by targeting EZH2 methyltransferase activity in ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research: Exploiting Vulnerabilities; Oct 17-20, 2015; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B16.
Secondary immunodeficiencies of horses.

Secondary immunodeficiencies occur as a consequence of extrinsic or environmental conditions. Failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulin in neonatal foals is the most common secondary immunodeficiency of horses. This article reviews the features of this disorder, as well as its diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. In addition, other secondary immunodeficiency disorders are examined.
ATP-MgCl2 restores depressed endothelial cell function after hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation.

Although ATP-MgCl2 produces beneficial effects following various adverse circulatory conditions, it remains unknown whether this agent restores the depressed endothelial cell function [i.e., the reduced release of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (EDNO) and endothelium-derived contracting factors (EDCF)] in a model of trauma-hemorrhage and resuscitation. To determine this, rats underwent laparotomy (i.e., trauma induced), were bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of shed blood volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate (RL). The animals were then resuscitated with four times the volume of maximal bleedout with RL, following which ATP-MgCl2 (50 mumol/kg body wt) or saline was administered. At 1.5 h postresuscitation, the aorta and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were isolated, and dose-responses for acetylcholine (ACh, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator, via EDNO) and nitroglycerin (an endothelium-independent vasodilator) were determined. In addition, hypoxia-induced contraction, a process mediated by EDCF, was assessed. The results indicate that the decreased endothelium-dependent relaxation after hemorrhage (sham 94 +/- 3 and 97 +/- 3% vs. hemorrhage 64 +/- 5 and 57 +/- 11% at 10-5 M ACh in aorta and SMA, respectively, P < 0.05) was restored with ATP-MgCl2 treatment. In contrast, there was no significant difference in nitroglycerin-induced relaxation. Moreover, the decreased hypoxia-induced aortic contraction after hemorrhage (sham 221 +/- 26 mg/ring vs. hemorrhage 124 +/- 22 mg/ring, P < 0.05) was attenuated by administration of ATP-MgCl2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Importance of Image Attributes: A Comparison of Product and Service Sectors

The research reports the results of an empirical assessment of how the attributes deemed important in the formation of Image differ between the providers of a product and the providers of a service. Significant differences (p < .05) are reported between the image structure of service and product providers. Theoretical justification and managerial implications are provided.
Association Genetics Strategies and Resources

Genomic technologies are making it possible to strategically exploit genetic diversity in crops to map complex agronomic and physiological traits and improve these traits for grain and biomass production. Sorghum is well positioned to benefit from these association genetics strategies, and essential components of association mapping have been established. Research in sorghum association mapping contributes to a better understanding of genetics of complex traits and improved breeding methods to exploit genetic diversity.
Predicting the Effects of Sexual Assault Research Participation: Reactions, Perceived Insight, and Help-Seeking.

This study examined effects of participating in survey research for women sexual assault survivors with other trauma histories to understand the role of study participation on perceived insight and long-term help-seeking behaviors. A diverse sample of 1,863 women from a large Midwestern city participated in a 3-year study on women’s experiences with sexual assault. Regression analyses were conducted to (a) examine predictors of immediate positive and negative reactions to survey participation and (b) assess the impact of the survey on perceived insight and women’s long-term help-seeking behavior. Overall, most women in the study had a higher positive than negative reaction to the survey (92%), with a significant proportion indicating they sought additional services as a result of participation (55%). Women with child sexual abuse (CSA), more emotion dysregulation, and more characterological self-blame had more negative reactions to the survey, whereas those with more education and individual adaptive copi...
Measuring systemic risk with regime switching in tails

Abstract This paper motivates the importance of modeling nonlinearities in measuring systemic risk. I capitalize this motivation by generalizing the CoVaR approach proposed by Adrian and Brunnermeier (2016) to allow it switching between a high and a normal risk regime filtered from data.. Considering the U.S. large bank holding companies (BHCs), this paper shows that modeling regime changes in tails is capable of capturing both amplification and mean-reversion effects of an adverse shock to a bank's balance sheet on the banking system. Using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test statistics with and without bootstrapping, I perform the significance test to identify systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs), and the stochastic dominance test to rank the identified SIFIs. The stochastic dominance test raises the concern that the CoVaR measure underestimates systemic risk contributions for SIFIs but overestimates for non-SIFIs. Finally, applying the BHCs' characteristics and housing market price to forecast the regime-switching systemic risk out-of-sample, I obtain from 4- and 8-quarter-ahead horizons a desirable countercyclical, forward-looking measure of systemic risk.
Transitioning from Technical Communication to User Experience UX: A Case Study of a Collaborative Curriculum Redesign

This article details a collaboration between a Technical Communication TC academic program at Milwaukee School of Engineering and its User Experience UX industry and community partners. This collaboration resulted in rethinking a TC degree program and establishing a new UX and Communication Design B.S. degree program. This article responds to TC scholarship calling for increased collaboration between academia and industry. The authors further explain how this particular collaboration was guided by Stakeholder Theory, enabling the program to identify its stakeholders and balance their differences while establishing new partnerships with the UX professional community. This article presents a case study of academia/industry collaboration and details both the challenges and successes that emerged during a program redesign. It concludes with models, a tools, and preliminary lessons that can assist other academic programs considering or undergoing similar curriculum or programmatic changes.
Synthetic essentiality of chromatin remodelling factor CHD1 in PTEN-deficient cancer

Synthetic lethality and collateral lethality are two well-validated conceptual strategies for identifying therapeutic targets in cancers with tumour-suppressor gene deletions. Here, we explore an approach to identify potential synthetic-lethal interactions by screening mutually exclusive deletion patterns in cancer genomes. We sought to identify 'synthetic-essential' genes: those that are occasionally deleted in some cancers but are almost always retained in the context of a specific tumour-suppressor deficiency. We also posited that such synthetic-essential genes would be therapeutic targets in cancers that harbour specific tumour-suppressor deficiencies. In addition to known synthetic-lethal interactions, this approach uncovered the chromatin helicase DNA-binding factor CHD1 as a putative synthetic-essential gene in PTEN-deficient cancers. In PTEN-deficient prostate and breast cancers, CHD1 depletion profoundly and specifically suppressed cell proliferation, cell survival and tumorigenic potential. Mechanistically, functional PTEN stimulates the GSK3β-mediated phosphorylation of CHD1 degron domains, which promotes CHD1 degradation via the β-TrCP-mediated ubiquitination-proteasome pathway. Conversely, PTEN deficiency results in stabilization of CHD1, which in turn engages the trimethyl lysine-4 histone H3 modification to activate transcription of the pro-tumorigenic TNF-NF-κB gene network. This study identifies a novel PTEN pathway in cancer and provides a framework for the discovery of 'trackable' targets in cancers that harbour specific tumour-suppressor deficiencies.
Lens Biology is a Dimension of Neurobiology

There is a second cell type in your body that expresses scores of the most intensively studied genes in neuroscience and exclusively shares critical interdependent modes of molecular regulation that include a network first described as responsible for the basic bifurcation of neuronal from non-neuronal gene expression in vertebrates. Neurons and lens cells are among the most ancient animal cell types, yet neurons have an exclusive status also attributed to roles underlying sensation, movement, and cognition. However, this status is challenged by cells in the lens of the eye. The extent and detail of internally consistent parallels with neuron biology now catalogued in their second native cell type in the lens provide a detailed model of interdependent neuron gene expression in lens development and non-neuronal role in vision. These comprehensive parallels identify the lens as a dimension of neurobiology and a fundamental new perspective on neurodevelopment and its disorders. Finally, this understanding identifies that hallmark neuronal gene expression and key modes of associated molecular regulation evolved in tandem in the lens.
Charles K. McClatchy and the Golden Era of American Journalism

By Steven M. AvellaColumbia: University of Missouri Press, 2016, 414 pp.Powerful, ambitious, and sometimes detestable men have painted the landscape of America's history. Count Charles K. McClatchy...
Deep networks for predicting direction of change in foreign exchange rates

Summary Trillions of dollars are traded daily on the foreign exchange (forex) market, making it the largest financial market in the world. Accurate forecasting of forex rates is a necessary element in any effective hedging or speculation strategy in the forex market. Time series models and shallow neural networks provide acceptable point estimates for future rates but are poor at predicting the direction of change and, hence, are not very useful for supporting profitable trading strategies. Machine learning classifiers trained on input features crafted based on domain knowledge produce marginally better results. The recent success of deep networks is partially attributable to their ability to learn abstract features from raw data. This motivates us to investigate the ability of deep convolution neural networks to predict the direction of change in forex rates. Exchange rates for the currency pairs EUR/USD, GBP/USD and JPY/USD are used in experiments. Results demonstrate that trained deep networks achieve satisfactory out-of-sample prediction accuracy.
Maternal prepregnancy body mass index and risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

We examined the relationship between women’s prepregnancy BMI and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in their preterm offspring, hypothesizing that obesity-associated inflammation may increase risk. We studied infants born in California between 2007 and 2011, using linked data from California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative neonatal intensive care units, hospital discharge, and vital statistics. We included infants with birthweight <1,500 g or gestational age at birth of 22–29 weeks. BPD was defined as continuous supplemental oxygen use at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age. Among 12,621 infants, 4,078 (32%) had BPD. After adjustment for maternal race/ethnicity, age, education, payer source, and infant sex, BMI status underweight I (BMI <16.9, odds ratio (OR) 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–2.1) and obesity III (BMI ⩾40.0, OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0–1.6) were associated with an increased risk of BPD. When considering maternal BMI as a continuous variable, a nonlinear association with BPD was observed for male infants and infants delivered at 25–29 weeks of gestational age, but not for other subgroups. Both high and low maternal BMI were associated with increased BPD risk. These findings support the notion that BPD is a multi-factorial disease that may sometimes have its origins in utero and be influenced by maternal inflammation.
Natural American Spirit Brand Marketing Casts Health Halo Around Smoking.

The article discusses how the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. uses health-oriented marketing terms on the packaging of the firm's Natural American Spirit tobacco products, and it mentions tobacco products-related advertising. According to the article, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. is owned by Reynolds American Inc. which is the second largest tobacco company in the U.S. Risk perceptions are examined, along with a smoking-related health halo involving organic labeling.
Universal bound on the strong coupling scale of a gravitationally coupled massive spin-2 particle

We find a model-independent upper bound on the strong coupling scale for a massive spin-2 particle coupled to Einstein gravity. Our approach is to directly construct tree-level scattering amplitudes for these degrees of freedom and use them to find the maximum scale of perturbative unitarity violation. The highest scale is ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{3}={({m}^{2}{M}_{P})}^{1/3}$, which is saturated by ghost-free bigravity. The strong coupling scale can be further raised to ${M}_{P}$ if the kinetic term for one particle has the wrong sign, which uniquely gives the amplitudes of quadratic curvature gravity. We also discuss the generalization to massive higher-spin particles coupled to gravity.
Wallace Hume Carothers Innovator, Motivator, Pioneer

Wallace Hume Carothers is the proclaimed father of organic polymer science. Midwest bred, he packed more than a lifetime of accomplishments into 40 years of life. Carothers was a hard driving, intense, yet quiet and warm individual, reared in the midlands of America. Recognized by such “talent scouts” as Arthur Pardee, Roger Adams and Carl (Speed) Marvel, he moved to Harvard and then to du Pont where he established an empire that remains. Insights gleaned from first and second hand encounters will be related with an emphasis on both his emergence from the midlands to the establishing of the basic science of macromolecular synthesis.
Book review: PERCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION AND VISUAL RECOGNITION by David G. Lowe (Kluwer Academic Publishers)

Perceptual organization is an important but poorly explored topic in computer vision. It is therefore gratifying to see the work of one of the principal promulgators, of the role perceptual organization as a key concept in vision, available in book form. The book summarizes research conducted by David Lowe, over a six year period, first as a graduate student at Stanford University and later on the SCERPO vision system at the Courant Institute of Mathematics at New York University. SCERPO is an acronym for Spatial Correspondence, Evidential Reasoning, and Perceptual Organization, which also are the three major topics addressed by the book.
Abstract TP377: Advance Care Planning in Stroke

Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. In acute stroke, patients are often unable to communicate goals of care. Many survivors of stroke have high morbidity. Communication deficits resulting from stroke often complicate the assessment of patient wishes, particularly in severely disabling strokes. Many advance care documents are vague and not helpful in stroke settings, and many patients have not communicated their wishes. Methods: A survey was developed and distributed in hypertension, diabetes, and stroke clinics to test the hypothesis that patients generally desire fewer heroic measures in a severely disabling stroke compared to a milder stroke. The survey included demographics, perceptions of stroke risk, and posed three stroke scenarios to assess care measures preferred in each setting. Results: We collected 101 surveys; 59% from patients with stroke; 50% were male. Strong majorities had not had discussions with doctors about advance care plans. Nearly a third had not had these discussions with family. Eighty-nine percent indicated good quality was more valued than duration of life. Generally, respondents would accept invasive therapies in mild stroke scenarios compared to severe stroke scenarios, consistent across all clinics. Tracheostomy was the least desired intervention; although about 40% indicated they would opt for any measure of heroic treatment, regardless of stroke severity. Conclusions: Stroke causes significant morbidity, and many individuals have not communicated or even considered their wishes should they face difficult decisions in stroke. We found a wide range of desires in our severe stroke scenario, with no reliable factors to predict those who would opt for heroic measures. We assert that advance care planning specific to stroke among patients at highest risk for stroke would define each individual’s preferences and guide clinicians to provide appropriate care consistent with the patient’s values.
Techniques of enucleation and evisceration

There are many conditions that may require removal of the eye. The most common and obvious reasons involve severe irreversible trauma or potentially life-threatening malignancy. There are, however, other reasons for the therapeutic removal of the eye, including recalcitrant pain and cosmetic deformity. This article will discuss the indications for removal of the eye, as well as describe the alternative techniques of enucleation and evisceration, including their relative advantages.
Continuous Space Coverage

An important distinction in location analysis and modeling has long been discrete versus continuous approaches. In previous chapters, for the most part, the reviewed coverage problems have been discrete in the sense that the places at which a facility may be sited are known and finite in number, and the demand locations to be served are also known and finite. This has enabled discrete integer programming formulations of models to be developed, allowing for efficient and exact solution in many cases. In some circumstances, however, neither potential facility sites nor demand locations are necessarily known and finite. Thus, one aspect of a continuous space location model is that facilities may be sited anywhere. An example is depicted in Fig. 8.1 where all locations within the region are feasible. The implication is that there are an infinite number of potential facility locations to be considered, in contrast to an assumed finite set of potential locations in discrete approaches (see Chap. 2). Another aspect of a continuous space problem is that demand too is not limited to a finite set of locations. Rather, demand is assumed to be continuously distributed across geographic space, varying over a study area. One example of this is shown in Fig. 8.2, where the height of the surface reflects demand for service. As is evident in the figure, some level of demand can be observed everywhere and this varies across space. Another example is given in Fig. 8.3. The Census unit color reflects the amount of demand in each area. Within a unit the demand varies in some manner, but given limited knowledge, a small geographic area and relative homogeneity, it is often thought that demand is uniformly distributed in the unit. Thus, Fig. 8.3 reflects discontinuities in demand variability, but it remains varying across space. Irrespective of representation, the implication is that demand for service is everywhere, and in some cases can possibly be defined/described by a mathematical function. From a practical standpoint, the study area could be a demand region, collection of areal units, set of line segments, or any group of spatial objects. This clearly makes dealing with demand and its geographic variability particularly challenging, especially when compared to a discrete representation view based on points. This contrasting view can be observed in Fig. 8.4 as centroids for each Census unit are identified, and demand is assumed to occur at these precise points in traditional modeling approaches.
Using Spark and Scala for Discovering Latent Trends in Job Markets

Job markets are experiencing an exponential growth in data alongside the recent explosion of big data in various domains including health, security and finance. Staying current with job market trends entails collecting, processing and analyzing huge amounts of data. A typical challenge with analyzing job listings is that they vary drastically with regards to verbiage, for instance a given job title or skill can be referred to using different words or industry jargons. As a result, it becomes incumbent to go beyond words present in job listings and carry out analysis aimed at discovering latent structures and trends in job listings. In this paper, we present a systematic approach of uncovering latent trends in job markets using big data technologies (Apache Spark and Scala) and distributed semantic techniques such as latent semantic analysis (LSA). We show how LSA can uncover patterns/relationships/trends that will otherwise remain hidden if using traditional text mining techniques that rely only on word frequencies in documents.
Individual and combined effects of a cognitive task, light finger touch, and vision on standing balance in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Postural instability and balance dysfunction have been identified in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Performing a secondary task while standing can additionally jeopardize their balance. The purpose of the exploratory study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of a cognitive task, light finger touch and vision on postural sway in older adults with MCI as compared to healthy older adults. Five individuals with MCI and ten age-matched control subjects stood on the force platform with and without the performance of a cognitive task (counting backward from a randomly chosen three-digit number), with and without light finger touch contact applied to an external stable structure, and with eyes open or closed. The center of pressure (COP) excursion, range, velocity in antero-posterior and medial–lateral directions and sway area were calculated. Participants demonstrated significantly larger postural sway when vision was not available (p < 0.05), smaller postural sway when using a finger touch contact (p < 0.05) and increased postural sway during the performance of the cognitive task (p < 0.05). When finger touch and a cognitive task were performed simultaneously, body sway decreased as compared to just standing in healthy older adults but not in individuals with MCI (p < 0.05). The results help to better understand the individual and combined effects of vision, light touch and a cognitive task in postural control of individuals with MCI. The study outcome also provides a basis for future studies of balance control in patients with cognitive impairments.
The relations between acculturation and creativity and innovation in higher education: A systematic literature review

Abstract This systematic literature review focuses on research findings from 20 peer-reviewed studies on the relations between the constructs of acculturation and creativity as well as acculturation and innovation in higher education. The overall research findings suggested a primarily causal relation between acculturation and creativity through statistical modeling. However, acculturation was also found to be correlated with and predict creativity. Moreover, attributes of acculturation discovered to engender creativity included multicultural learning experiences, individualistic culture type, homogeneous cultural dyads and the acculturation strategy of biculturalism. In contrast to its well-founded relation with creativity, acculturation was tentatively found to be a positive and significant predictor of innovation. This review highlights the strength of acculturation aspects, particularly biculturalism and the integration of contrasting cultural ideas, in influencing the ability to be creative or innovative in postsecondary environments.
A Parameterization with a Constrained Potential Energy Conversion Rate of Vertical Mixing Due to Langmuir Turbulence

AbstractIn this study we develop a new parameterization for turbulent mixing in the ocean surface boundary layer (OSBL), including the effect of Langmuir turbulence. This new parameterization build...
Amanda Nichols Hess. Transforming Academic Library Instruction: Shifting Teaching Practices to Reflect Changed Perspectives . Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. 195p. Paper, $41.00 (ISBN 978-1-5381-1053-9). LCCN 2018-018795.

The academic librarian’s evolving teaching identity is the subject of exploration in Transforming Academic Library Instruction: Shifting Teaching Practices to Reflect Changed Perspectives . As a librarian and instructional design expert who also recently served as chair of ACRL’s Information Literacy Frameworks and Standards Committee, Dr. Nichols Hess has a uniquely broad view of the ways in which our expectations of academic librarian instruction are changing as long-held standards are rejected in favor of frameworks and the rigors of traditional standards and practices are exchanged in favor of more fluid information literacy–based learning objectives.
Expanding Definition of Technology in Special Education: Impact of Training on the Adoption of iPad Tablets by Special Educators

The role of technology in special education has increased over the last 20 years. Expedited by the introduction of Apple iPad and its implementation of touch-based input, the perception of technolo...
Mapping mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiencies by respirometry: Beyond the Mito Stress Test

Cell-based respirometers, such as the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer, are valuable tools to assess the functionality of mitochondria within adherent neurons, as well as other cell types. The Mito Stress Test is the most frequently employed protocol of drug additions to evaluate mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Sequential exposure of cells to an ATP synthase inhibitor such as oligomycin and an uncoupler such as FCCP cause changes in oxygen consumption rate that allow estimation of the cellular efficiency and capacity for mitochondrial ATP synthesis. While a useful first step in assessing whether an experimental treatment or genetic manipulation affects mitochondrial energetics, the Mito Stress Test does not identify specific sites of altered respiratory chain function. This article discusses limitations of the Mito Stress Test, proposes a refined protocol for comparing cell populations that requires independent drug titrations at multiple cell densities, and describes a stepwise series of respirometry-based assays that "map" locations of electron transport deficiency. These include strategies to test for cytochrome c release, to probe the functionality of specific electron transport chain complexes within intact or permeabilized cells, and to measure NADH oxidation by the linked activity of Complexes I, III, and IV. To illustrate utility, we show that although UK5099 and ABT-737 each decrease the spare respiratory capacity of cortical neurons, the stepwise assays reveal different underlying mechanisms consistent with their established drug targets: deficient Complex I substrate supply induced by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier inhibitor UK5099 and cytochrome c release induced by the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family protein inhibitor ABT-737.
Visual Cortical Alterations and their Association with Negative Symptoms in Antipsychotic-Naïve First Episode Psychosis.

Visual perceptual and processing deficits are common in schizophrenia and possibly point towards visual pathway alterations. However, no studies have examined visual cortical morphology in first-episode psychosis (FEP). In an antipsychotic-naive FEP population, we investigated primary visual (V1), association area (V2), and motion perception (V5/MT) morphology compared to controls. We found reductions in the V1 and V2 areas, greater MT area and lower MT thickness in the FEP-schizophrenia group when compared to controls. Also, lower MT thickness was associated with worse negative symptoms. Our results shed light on this poorly studied area of visual cortex morphology in FEP.