cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neurologic recovery with conservative management in symptomatic tethered cord

Background We present a case of a male adolescent with Spina Bifida who had new gait difficulty and fatigue following a fall. On physical exam, he had new right quadriceps weakness and progression of his hip flexion contractures. Initial studies included radiographs of his lumbar spine and pelvis, which revealed no acute bony injury or a significant change of his chronic bilateral dislocated hips. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, cervical spine, and lumbar spine were obtained. MRI of the brain and cervical spine showed no definitive etiology. MRI of the lumbar spine showed a small syrinx from T9 to the conus and changes suggestive of a tethered cord. Neurosurgical evaluation concluded with a diagnosis of symptomatic tethered cord and surgical release was recommended. However, the patient was hesitant to undergo surgery. On follow-up exam, he had new bilateral hip adductor weakness increasing right quadriceps weakness. Further studies included electrophysiologic testing which showed severe ongoing denervation in the right L2–L4 innervated muscles and an MRI of bilateral thighs, which did not show any abnormalities of the adductor or quadriceps muscles. While the MRI of the lumbar spine did show a low lying conus with thickened filum terminale, it did not show other significant spinal or disc abnormalities to correlate with the electrophysiologic results. He was initiated on a physical therapy program. Materials and methods This is a case presentation with a chart and literature review.
Drosophila variable nurse cells encodes arrest defective 1 (ARD1), the catalytic subunit of the major N‐terminal acetyltransferase complex

Mutations in the Drosophila variable nurse cells (vnc) gene result in female sterility and oogenesis defects, including egg chambers with too many or too few nurse cells. We show that vnc corresponds to Arrest Defective1 (Ard1) and encodes the catalytic subunit of NatA, the major N-terminal acetyl-transferase complex. While N-terminal acetylation is one of the most prevalent covalent protein modifications in eukaryotes, analysis of its role in development has been challenging since mutants that compromise NatA activity have not been described in any multicellular animal. Our data show that reduced ARD1 levels result in pleiotropic oogenesis defects including abnormal cyst encapsulation, desynchronized cystocyte division, disrupted nurse cell chromosome dispersion, and abnormal chorion patterning, consistent with the wide range of predicted NatA substrates. Furthermore, we find that loss of Ard1 affects cell survival/proliferation and is lethal for the animal, providing the first demonstration that this modification is essential in higher eukaryotes.
A Mesoscopic Approach to the Simulation of Semiconductor Supply Chains

Production flows through factories are modeled through conservation laws leading to nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs). For a linear production line, models based on conservation laws can be derived from first principles, using methods from gas dynamics. For reentrant manufacturing, a heuristic model is presented merging a nonlocal state equation relating throughput time to work in progress through Little’s law to produce a nonlinear, nonlocal hyperbolic PDE. These two models can serve as the building blocks of fast simulations of the dynamics of capacity-limited supply chains. The authors present simulations for a chain consisting of a reentrant module, followed and preceded by a linear module. The response of the system to various production scenarios is discussed.
The inclusion of the products of reprography in the international exchange of publications

Abstract At the meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions held in Washington in 1974, the author accepted the assignment to prepare a study of the use of reprographic materials in the international exchange of publications. Accordingly, he designed a questionnaire to elicit information which would be of interest and assistance to all institutions engaging in exchange work. He presents his results here.
Use and Abuse of Race and Culture: Black‐Korean Tension in America

Tensions between African American residents and Korean immigrant merchants in inner-city neighborhoods have occurred in several cities, culminating in the 1992 Los Angeles riots and uprising. The media sees this conflict as racial, while black and Korean community leaders explain it in terms of cultural differences. Meanwhile, scholars emphasize economic factors. Each of these explanations fails to uncover the central role of white racism in this conflict and the underlying racial hierarchy in America (white-Asian-black).
Determining winds aloft with a radar wind sensor: accounting for rain-drop fall speed

A radar to measure the winds aloft from a satellite, using Doppler shifts of hydrometeors, is called a RAdar Wind Sounder (RAWS). This radar has been studied at The University of Kansas for several years with preliminary studies reported previously. Such a radar can provide information on winds aloft in areas where other measurements are sparse. Combined, RAWS and the LAser Wind Sounder (LAWS), can make a major contribution to the data needed in studying global atmospheric circulation. The four-vector scan pattern considered earlier for wind retrieval was found unsuitable since the measurements at two vertical pointing angles are not independent. Thus, the authors have only two independent measurements of velocity, while a third, vertical component exists in rain. Though the vertical component is not significant for clouds, it cannot be neglected in areas of precipitation where the fall velocity of the rain particles may be sizeable (as large as 9 m/s, depending on the particle size). This paper shows a method of obtaining the fall velocity from the reflectivity. The rain rate is determined from the reflectivity, and empirical relations between rain rate and fall speed are then used to estimate the fall speed. Since the RAWS must have much more sensitivity for cloud measurements than that needed to measure rain rate, it can easily provide an estimate of the needed rain rate. The primary difficulty is in determining the fall speed from the rate, but data are available that give such estimates. The authors present error sensitivity of the wind retrieval method due to noisy measurements and errors in estimating the fall velocity. >
Continuous-Wave, All-Solid-State, Single-Frequency 400-mW Source at 589 nm Based on Doubly Resonant Sum-Frequency Mixing in a Monolithic Lithium Niobate Resonator.

Sum-frequency mixing of two cw single-mode Nd:YAG lasers in a doubly resonant congruent lithium niobate resonator generated two TEM00 beams of single-frequency 589-nm radiation. The primary beam had a power of 400 mW and the secondary beam of approximately 15 mW by use of 320 mW of 1319-nm and 660 mW of 1064-nm Nd:YAG radiation incident on the lithium niobate resonator. This corresponds to an optical power conversion efficiency of more than 40%.
Affinity Imaging of Red Blood Cells Using an Atomic Force Microscope

SUMMARY We used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to produce an image of a mixed layer of group A and O red blood cells with a contrast based only on the measured strength of a specific receptor–ligand pair. The image was obtained by measuring and plotting for each image pixel the adhesion force between the mixed RBC layer and the AFM tip functionalized with Helix pomatia lectin. The high specificity of that lectin for the N-acetylgalactosamine-terminated glycolipids present in the membrane of group A RBCs enabled us to discriminate between the two cell populations and to produce an image based on affinity contrast. The rupture force of the adhesion events leading to the image formation were quantitatively analyzed and compared to rupture forces measured with the same AFM tip on N-acetylgalactosamine tethered to agarose beads. The mean rupture force was found to be 65 pN when measured on the group A RBCs and 35 pN on the agarose beads. These results show that the adhesion, mediated by only a few receptor–ligand pairs, produces sufficient contrast for the affinity image formation. (J Histochem Cytochem 48:719–724, 2000)
Topological Information Content and Expressiveness of Function Models in Mechanical Design

In this paper, two approaches for computing the topological information content of function models in mechanical engineering design are developed and compared. Previously a metric for computing information content of functions and flows within function models was proposed. Here this metric is adapted to compute the information contained in the resulting connections of flows between functions in a function model. The first approach is based on uniform unconditional probability of a flow connecting any two functions within the model. The second approach is based on additional knowledge that the functions and flows in a model have limited compatibility, thereby reducing the choices for origin and destination functions for each flow. This additional knowledge is represented using a new graphical representation supported by syntactical grammar rules. Both approaches are then applied to an example function model. Comparison between the approaches shows that the inclusion of compatibility knowledge increases the expressiveness of function representations and reduces the uncertainty of function models.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multilayer multicast congestion control in satellite environments

It is well known that long and variable link delays, link errors, and handoffs in satellite environments seriously interfere with transmission control protocol's (TCP's) congestion control mechanisms. These channel characteristics also adversely affect existing multilayer multicast congestion control schemes when they are used in satellite environments. In addition, these schemes still have problems with fairly sharing bandwidth with TCP flows, controlling the overhead of frequent grafting and pruning, and handling misbehaving receivers. In this paper, we present a new multilayer multicast congestion control scheme that is suitable for satellite environments and overcomes most of the disadvantages of existing schemes. Our scheme is not affected by the long and variable delays of satellite links. Link errors also do not decrease the performance of our scheme. Further, our scheme has very limited control overhead. In addition to these advantages specific to satellite environments, our scheme achieves good fairness in sharing bandwidth with TCP sessions and is not sensitive to misbehaving receivers.
Effect of Perceptual and Cognitive Loads on Drivers' Attention and Resistance to Distractors

The negative consequences of performing multiple concurrent tasks while driving were well documented; however, it was unclear how drivers processed pieces of information that were delivered closely in time and their distractibility due to the types of information received. The objective of this study was to identify the mechanisms that mediated drivers' ability to process relevant and ignore irrelevant signals that could be delivered simultaneously. An experiment, using modified Lavie's response-competition paradigm, was to compare drivers' processing of distractors under perceptually-loaded and cognitively-loaded situations. Specifically, higher perceptual load would lead to decreased distractor processing and higher cognitive load would lead to increased distractor processing. The results didn't show the same direction as Lavie's load theory.
Bridging the Technology Gap for Low-Income Spanish-Speaking Immigrant Families.

Research shows that families have a powerful effect on children’s success in school. Parental involvement at home and in school is positively associated with children’s school readiness and significant school performance. This study is focused on examining the impact of an intervention technology program—Community Learning Centers—(Centros Comunitarios de Aprendizaje - CCA) designed to assist Spanish-speaking immigrant parents in learning and using technology for family advancement. The study is based on a sample of 377 participants of the program. In general, participants reported positive attitudes on what they perceive to be the impact of the CCA program for their lives. Participants were also of the opinion that what they are learning in the CCA will be helpful for assisting their children with school related activities at home as well as for their involvement in their children’s classroom. Overall, pre and postsurvey data suggests that the program is achieving its objective of providing technology literacy to parents as well as the means by which they can become participants in the education of their children.
International Older Driver Consensus Conference on Assessment, Remediation and Counseling for Transportation Alternatives: Summary and Recommendations.

On December 1 and 2, 2003, 63 international experts on older driver issues met to examine three critical issues related to the safe mobility of older drivers. Conference participants addressed stan...
Media Portrayals of Female Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

Preventing intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health priority. An important component of designing prevention programs is developing an understanding of how media portrayals of health issues influence public opinion and policy. To better understand the ways in which media images may be informing our understanding of IPV, this study content analyzed portrayals of IPV in news media articles. Stratified media outlets were used to obtain a representative sample of daily newspapers based on their designated market areas. Researchers created constructed months using weeks from each season across a 2-year period. The first part of the study investigated quantitative differences in the coverage of female and male perpetrators (n = 395) and identified several areas where coverage differed. The second part of the study qualitatively examined coverage of female perpetrators (n = 61) to provide a richer description of such coverage. This study contributes to our understanding of female perpetrators and how these portrayals may contribute to the larger gender symmetry debate surrounding female aggressors. Implications for public health policy and research are discussed.
Traditional and non-traditional treatments for autism spectrum disorder with seizures: an on-line survey

Despite the high prevalence of seizure, epilepsy and abnormal electroencephalograms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is little information regarding the relative effectiveness of treatments for seizures in the ASD population. In order to determine the effectiveness of traditional and non-traditional treatments for improving seizures and influencing other clinical factor relevant to ASD, we developed a comprehensive on-line seizure survey. Announcements (by email and websites) by ASD support groups asked parents of children with ASD to complete the on-line surveys. Survey responders choose one of two surveys to complete: a survey about treatments for individuals with ASD and clinical or subclinical seizures or abnormal electroencephalograms, or a control survey for individuals with ASD without clinical or subclinical seizures or abnormal electroencephalograms. Survey responders rated the perceived effect of traditional antiepileptic drug (AED), non-AED seizure treatments and non-traditional ASD treatments on seizures and other clinical factors (sleep, communication, behavior, attention and mood), and listed up to three treatment side effects. Responses were obtained concerning 733 children with seizures and 290 controls. In general, AEDs were perceived to improve seizures but worsened other clinical factors for children with clinical seizure. Valproic acid, lamotrigine, levetiracetam and ethosuximide were perceived to improve seizures the most and worsen other clinical factors the least out of all AEDs in children with clinical seizures. Traditional non-AED seizure and non-traditional treatments, as a group, were perceived to improve other clinical factors and seizures but the perceived improvement in seizures was significantly less than that reported for AEDs. Certain traditional non-AED treatments, particularly the ketogenic diet, were perceived to improve both seizures and other clinical factors. For ASD individuals with reported subclinical seizures, other clinical factors were reported to be worsened by AEDs and improved by non-AED traditional seizure and non-traditional treatments. The rate of side effects was reportedly higher for AEDs compared to traditional non-AED treatments. Although this survey-based method only provides information regarding parental perceptions of effectiveness, this information may be helpful for selecting seizure treatments in individuals with ASD.
The validity of self-reported abstinence and quality sobriety following chemical dependency treatment.

The validity of self-reports from 171 former patients at a 28-day inpatient treatment program was examined by comparing self-report measures of abstinence and current life functioning with concurrent reports by significant others. Strong convergent validation was found, with 92% of significant others agreeing with the self-reports of the former clients. The “quality of sobriety” measures of familial, occupational, social, and emotional adjustment were studied and validated by the convergent validation technique. Discussed is the value of convergent validation in terms of both follow-up success rates and program evaluation. Methodological concerns and resulting limitations of the data are reviewed
Determination of intrinsic viscosity from one-point measurements

A method is described by means of which reliable intrinsic viscosities, [η], can be obtained for a polymer–solvent system from viscosities determined at only one concentration. The method involves, first, the preparation for one sample of the polymer of an ηsp/C and ln ηr/C vs. C plot. The ratio of the slopes of these two curves yields then a parameter γ which is independent of molecular weight, and which allows single point [η] determinations on samples of the polymer at any other molecular weight, whether homogeneous or not. Results are presented to show that the method described yields [η]'s in good agreement with those obtained in the usual manner from multipoint viscosity measurements.
Application of artificial neural networks in voltage stability assessment

Voltage stability problems have been one of the major concerns for electric utilities as a result of system heavy loading. This paper reports on an investigation on the application of ANNs in voltage stability assessment. A multilayer feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) with error backpropagation learning is proposed for calculation of voltage stability margins (VSM). Based on the energy method, a direct mapping relation between power system loading conditions and the VSMs is set up via the ANN. A systematic method for selecting the ANN's input variables was developed using sensitivity analysis. The effects of ANN's training pattern sensitivity problems were also studied by dividing system operating conditions into several loading levels based on sensitivity analysis. Extensive testing of the proposed ANN-based approach indicate its viability for power system voltage stability assessment. Simulation results on five test systems are reported in the paper.
EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO DETERMINING THE CHOICE OF FIRST-STEP THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION

Detection, treatment and control of hypertension is one of the best proven approaches to prevention of cardiovascular disease. Antihypertensive treatment trials have convincingly demonstrated that diuretics and beta-blockers reduce the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease. Corresponding information is not yet
A likelihood ratio-based Mann-Whitney approach finds novel replicable joint gene action for type 2 diabetes.

The potential importance of the joint action of genes, whether modeled with or without a statistical interaction term, has long been recognized. However, identifying such action has been a great challenge, especially when millions of genetic markers are involved. We propose a likelihood ratio-based Mann-Whitney test to search for joint gene action either among candidate genes or genome-wide. It extends the traditional univariate Mann-Whitney test to assess the joint association of genotypes at multiple loci with disease, allowing for high-order statistical interactions. Because only one overall significance test is conducted for the entire analysis, it avoids the issue of multiple testing. Moreover, the approach adopts a computationally efficient algorithm, making a genome-wide search feasible in a reasonable amount of time on a high performance personal computer. We evaluated the approach using both theoretical and real data. By applying the approach to 40 type 2 diabetes (T2D) susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we identified a four-locus model strongly associated with T2D in the Wellcome Trust (WT) study (permutation P-value < 0.001), and replicated the same finding in the Nurses’ Health Study/Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (NHS/HPFS) (P-value = 3.03 × 10 −11 ). We also conducted a genome-wide search on 385,598 SNPs in the WT study. The analysis took approximately 55 hr on a personal computer, identifying the same first two loci, but overall a different set of four SNPs, jointly associated with T2D (P-value = 1.29 × 10 −5 ). The nominal significance of this same association reached 4.01 × 10 −6 in the NHS/HPFS. Genet. Epidemiol. 36:583‐593, 2012. C � 2012 Wiley
Control systems analysis of a multiscale simulation code for copper electrodeposition

Multiscale systems involve phenomena that span several orders of magnitude in time and length scales, from the molecular to the macroscopic. To account for the multiscale character of these processes, many papers have adopted a simulation architecture that employs coupled simulation codes, in which each code simulates the physicochemical phenomena for a different range of length scales. A key issue in dynamically coupling simulation codes is that it is possible for the codes that solve the individual continuum or non-continuum models to be numerically stable, while the dynamic linkage of the individual codes is numerically unstable. This paper uses control systems analysis to gain insight into these numerical instabilities as well as to design numerical linkage algorithms that modify the dynamic information passed between the individual codes to numerically stabilize their coupling, and to increase the numerical accuracy of the simulation results. The approach is applied to a coupled KMC-FD code for simulating copper electrodeposition in sub-micron trenches.
Reduced complexity multistage detection algorithms for satellite communications systems employing DS-CDMA

In this paper we present two new, reduced complexity algorithms for multistage detection of direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) signals in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. The selective and successive selective multistage detection algorithms are designed to reduce the amount of computation performed by the conventional multistage detection algorithm while providing roughly the same bit error rate performance. Bit error rate performance of the new algorithms is determined via Monte Carlo simulation.
"Natural Philosophy" as a Foundation for Science Education in an Age of High-Stakes Accountability.

Science curriculum and instruction in K-12 settings in the United States is currently dominated by an emphasis on the science standards movement of the 1990s and the resulting standards-based high-stakes assessment and accountability movement of the 2000s. We argue that this focus has moved the field away from important philosophical understandings of science teaching and learning that have their roots in the history of both learning theory and scientific discovery. We offer a philosophical argument, as well as a model for implementation, grounded in the 19th century notion of “natural philosophy,” as well as Dewean progressivism and Piaget's notion of reconstruction through rediscovery, for the important place of the history of science in modern science education. We provide curricular examples of this model, as well as a discussion of how it might be implemented as part of teacher education. We focus our discussion on the elementary and middle school grades, because teachers at these levels tend to have more limited science content knowledge than their secondary school peers, making them more dependent upon curricular materials and thus more heavily influenced by curricular reforms.
Collision‐induced dissociation of multiply charged peptides in an ion‐trap storage/reflectron time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer

Single-frequency collisional activation of multiply charged peptides has been studied via electrospray ionization in an ion trap storage/reflectron time-of-flight device (IT/reTOF). Several peptides with molecular weights ranging from 600 to 1700 were used to demonstrate that sequence information can be obtained with this hybrid instrument with a sensitivity in the low picomole level. Further, a resolution of nearly 1000 can be obtained for the fragment products, due to the cooling effects of the buffer gas in the trap before analysis by the reTOF. The influence of the primary structure of the peptides on the observed collision-induced fragmentation patterns is discussed. Although the current study is limited by the electronics, in terms of its ion isolation capabilities, it is demonstrated that the device has the potential for obtaining sequence information for peptides with excellent sensitivity and relatively high resolution.
Anion-induced dimerization of 5-fold symmetric cyanostars in 3D crystalline solids and 2D self-assembled crystals.

Anions stabilize stacking of C5-symmetric macrocycles, called cyanostars, into dimers in solution and herein we demonstrate this stacking in solid-state crystals. We further show that this guest binding can be applied as a route to bilayer growth at the solution–graphite interface.
Miniaturization: enabling technology for the new millennium

The history of semiconductor devices has been characterized by a constant drive toward lower dimensions in order to increase integration density, system functionality and performance. However, this is still far from being comparable with the performance of natural systems such as human brain. The challenges facing semiconductor technologies in the millennium will be to move toward miniaturization. The influence of this trend on the quantum sensing of infrared radiation is one example that is elaborated here. A new generation of infrared detectors has been developed by growing layers of different semiconductors with nanometer thicknesses. The resulted badgap engineered semiconductor has superior performance compared to the bulk material. To enhance this technology further, we plan to move from quantum wells to quantum wire and quantum dots.
Fluid-structure interaction effects in the dynamic response of free-standing plates to uniform shock loading

The problem of uniform shocks interacting with free-standing plates is studied analytically and numerically for arbitrary shock intensity and plate mass. The analysis is of interest in the design and interpretation of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) experiments in shock tubes. In contrast to previous work corresponding to the case of incident blast profiles of exponential distribution, all asymptotic limits obtained here are exact. The contributions include the extension of Taylor's FSI analysis for acoustic waves, the exact analysis of the asymptotic limits of very heavy and very light plates for arbitrary shock intensity, and a general formula for the transmitted impulse in the intermediate plate mass range. One of the implications is that the impulse transmitted to the plate can be expressed univocally in terms of a single nondimensional compressible FSI parameter.
Strategic Alliances In Public Accounting Firms

The decade of the 1990s saw the emergence of the concept of the strategic alliance and its significant growth in both numbers and diversity of alliance areas as well as its impact on business performance in terms of new service or product introductions and/or increases in revenue, profit, volume or market share. Public accounting (CPA) firms have participated in such alliances especially during times of staffing shortages and seasonal peak periods, but their participation has not been well reported in the literature. This study examines the state of strategic alliances in public accounting firms. The topic is particularly relevant now in light of the greater responsibilities placed on management since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the issuance recently of two Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS No. 157 in 2006 and SFAS No. 159 in 2007) which give companies the option to report certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value. These additional responsibilities may include the restructuring and restatement of financial reports to more accurately reflect the financial position and results of operations of a business. This has resulted in a greater demand for accounting services which some CPA firms were not able to provide. The findings reveal that participation in strategic alliances enables accounting firms to pool their resources, increase revenues, build a larger knowledge support system to serve a wider clientele, and compete with larger firms both nationally and on a global basis.
Survey of Lung Transplant Community's Views on Primary Graft Dysfunction.

Keywords: clinical research/practice; lung transplantation/pulmonology; lung failure/injury; primary nonfunction; survey
Spatial Sequence Coding Differs during Slow and Fast Gamma Rhythms in the Hippocampus

Spatiotemporal trajectories are coded by "theta sequences," ordered series of hippocampal place cell spikes that reflect the order of behavioral experiences. Theta sequences are thought to be organized by co-occurring gamma rhythms (∼25-100 Hz). However, how sequences of locations are represented during distinct slow (∼25-55 Hz) and fast (∼60-100 Hz) gamma subtypes remains poorly understood. We found that slow gamma-associated theta sequences activated on a compressed timescale and represented relatively long paths extending ahead of the current location. Fast gamma-associated theta sequences more closely followed an animal's actual location in real time. When slow gamma occurred, sequences of locations were represented across successive slow gamma phases. Conversely, fast gamma phase coding of spatial sequences was not observed. These findings suggest that slow gamma promotes activation of temporally compressed representations of upcoming trajectories, whereas fast gamma supports coding of ongoing trajectories in real time.
Ideology, Interests, and Information

What used to be called applied social research and is now commonly called policy research is a large, multiform, and complex enterprise. In essence, it is the application of social science concepts and methods to the study of issues on the practical agenda, these days commonly on the agenda of government decision makers. Over the years, it has been the object of grandiose hopes and doleful disappointments.
Infection biology: Small RNA with a large impact.

A simultaneous comparison of the RNA molecules expressed by Salmonella bacteria and human cells during infection reveals how a bacterial small RNA alters the transcript profiles of both the bacteria and the host cells. See Article p.496 This study applies 'dual RNA-seq' to simultaneously profile RNA expression in the pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its eukaryotic host cell during infection, to reveal the role of bacterial riboregulators. Among several bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) discovered to function in the infection process, the authors identify an sRNA (termed PinT) which temporally controls the expression of both invasion-associated effectors and virulence genes required for intracellular survival of the pathogen, and which also alters the expression of both coding and non-coding transcripts of the host. These findings are a proof-of-principle for the utility of this high-throughput screen to uncover potentially novel pathogenic strategies that are important during infection.
Reaching into our doctor's bag of tricks to help patients navigate health information technology

Health information technology is ubiquitous. Its pervasive presence has caused a major shift in how patients and providers communicate.Health IT includes a broad range of digital media platforms th...
Abstract 524: Role of Transmembrane Protein 55B in Insulin Signaling and Hepatic Lipid Metabolism

Hepatic steatosis is the leading cause of liver disease in the United States and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Insulin resistance appears to be a major determinant of hepatic steatosis, as improper hepatic insulin signaling stimulates lipogenesis and dysregulates lipoprotein secretion, resulting in fat accumulation in the liver. Insulin signal transduction is dependent on phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) conversion to phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-biphosphate (PIP3), which results in activation of AKT. Transmembrane protein 55B (TMEM55B), a gene we recently identified as a novel regulator of cellular cholesterol metabolism, encodes a phosphatidylinositol phosphatase that converts PIP2 to phosphatidylinositol-5-phosphate (PI5P). PI5P has also been shown to activate AKT; however, the physiological effects of this pathway are less well understood. In the first in vivo model of Tmem55b modulation, we found that hepatic Tmem55b knockdown in Western diet-fed C57BL/6 mice c...
A Note on Certain Non-Associative Algebras

(1963). A Note on Certain Non-Associative Algebras. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 70, No. 3, pp. 274-277.
Aerobic and hydrolytic decomposition of pseudotetrahedral nickel phenolate complexes.

Pseudotetrahedral nickel(II) phenolate complexes TpR,MeNi-OAr (TpR,Me = hydrotris(3-R-5-methylpyrazol-1-yl)borate; R = Ph {1a}, Me {1b}; OAr = O-2,6-iPr2C6H3) were synthesized as models for nickel-substituted copper amine oxidase apoenzyme, which utilizes an N3O (i.e., His3Tyr) donor set to activate O2 within its active site for oxidative modification of the tyrosine residue. The bioinspired synthetic complexes 1a,b are stable in dilute CH2Cl2 solutions under dry anaerobic conditions, but they decompose readily upon exposure to O2 and H2O. Aerobic decomposition of 1a yields a range of organic products consistent with formation of phenoxyl radical, including 2,6-diisopropyl-1,4-benzoquinone, 3,5,3′,5′-tetraisopropyl-4,4′-diphenodihydroquinone, and 3,5,3′,5′-tetraisopropyl-4,4′-diphenoquinone, which requires concurrent O2 reduction. The dimeric product complex di[hydro{bis(3-phenyl-5-methylpyrazol-1-yl)(3-ortho-phenolato-5-methylpyrazol-1-yl)borato}nickel(II)] (2) was obtained by ortho C–H bond hydroxylatio...
Pageants, Parlors, and Pretty Women: Race and Beauty in the Twentieth‐Century South Blain Roberts. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014.

Pageants, Parlors, and Pretty Women: Race and Beauty in the Twentieth-Century South Blain Roberts. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2014.Positioning itself in conversation with influential histories of the senses like Mark M. Smith's Flow Race is Made (2007), Blain Roberts's Pageants, Parlors, and Pretty Women illuminates how Southern culture has imagined a constitutive relationship between race and beauty. The book develops an intuitive structure with alternating chapters on white and black women and then concludes with integrated analyses of cultures of beauty in the age of the Civil Rights Movement.Though Roberts's compelling introduction promises a "racially inclusive history of beauty" as well as an analysis of "regional differences in beauty practices," those aims are not equally represented in the book's chapters (7). Productive insights emerge in contrasting the rural and urban South, but other regions are largely absent. There is also the question of timeline, which extends from World War I to Vietnam, rather than the span of the twentieth century evoked in the book's subtitle. Pageants, Parlors, and Pretty Women speaks to the "New South" rather than the Dirty South, fixating on the fictional Georgian belle Scarlett O'Hara rather than on, for example, the real beauty of Texan Erykah Badu.As surprising as it might seem to contemporary Americans-who stereotype white Southern "womanhood" as invested in artifice and excess-Roberts's first chapter evinces an early culture war over cosmetics. Elite white planter women associated paint and rouge with prostitutes, but the intra-war period produced a beauty culture that hitched its products to modernity and progress. Makeup became a way to "leave behind rural poverty, isolation, and backwardness" (31). Chapter 2 posits progress as a link between black and white beauty cultures. Visions of progress were projected onto women's bodies, whether in marketing to white women or in the black elite's construction of respectability politics. Black women were attacked for both imitating whiteness and being too black; beauty culture produced pitfalls even as it provided opportunities for entrepreneurship within a community where women as well as men participated in the labor market.Pageants funded by the agricultural and tobacco industries as well as by the Cooperative Extension System produced a white Southern ideal that was both "racialized" and "ruralized," as Roberts demonstrates in Chapter 3 (107). …
Teaching Inverse Trigonometric Functions

(1961). Teaching Inverse Trigonometric Functions. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 281-282.
Abstract B26: Therapeutic targeting of sarcomas driven by EWSR1 fusion oncogenes by modulation of the fusion oncogene pre-mRNA

Many predominantly pediatric sarcomas are driven by chromosomal translocations that generate oncogenic fusion transcription factors. The Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) is one of the most commonly involved genes in sarcoma translocations. This gene has a large number of fusion partners, primarily associated with the pathogenesis of Ewing sarcoma, but also with other soft tissue sarcomas. Targeting the resulting aberrant oncogenic chimeric transcription factors would provide an ideal therapy, but this has approach has proved elusive with conventional small molecule approaches. We have developed an approach to employ splice-switching oligonucleotides to redirect the pre-mRNA splicing of EWSR1 fusion transcription factors. Through targeted exon skipping, and/or activation of intronic polyadenylation, these new compounds provide a targeted therapeutic approach for EWSR1 translocation positive sarcomas and other malignancies. Citation Format: Emily Slotkin, Elisa de Stanchina, Luca Cartegni, Marc Ladanyi, Lee Spraggon. Therapeutic targeting of sarcomas driven by EWSR1 fusion oncogenes by modulation of the fusion oncogene pre-mRNA. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cancer Research: From Mechanisms and Models to Treatment and Survivorship; 2015 Nov 9-12; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(5 Suppl):Abstract nr B26.
Ultralow Iodine Dose Transarterial Catheter-Directed CT Angiography for Fenestrated Endovascular Aortic Repair Planning

Background Preoperative planning for fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (fEVAR) requires high-quality cross-sectional imaging, most commonly computed tomography angiography (CTA). However, in the setting of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the iodine load delivered during conventional CTA is associated with risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). In this report, we describe the feasibility of using transarterial catheter directed CT angiography (tcd-CTA) with ultralow-dose iodine as an alternative for fEVAR planning in patients with stage 3–4 CKD to lower the risk of AKI. Methods Preserum and postserum creatinine levels were retrospectively evaluated from 8 patients with stage 3–4 CKD who underwent tcd-CTA with 20 mL of Iohexol for fEVAR planning for the treatment of pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. The tcd-CTA images were evaluated by two vascular surgeons for adequacy for fEVAR planning and progression to fEVAR completion was recorded. Results The mean serum creatinine before tcd-CTA was 2.1 ± .32 mg/dL, and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 29.7 ± 6.31 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . After tcd-CTA, the mean serum creatinine was 1.9 ± .25 mg/dL and the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 32.9 ± 5.12 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . All 8 of the studies were determined to be adequate for fEVAR planning independently by two vascular surgeons. Six of the patients underwent successful fEVAR and 2 opted for watchful waiting. Conclusions tcd-CTA with ultralow-dose iodine is a feasible option for pre-fEVAR planning in patients with stage 3–4 CKD.
Quasi-rotating frame: accurate line shape determination with increased efficiency in noncollinear 2D optical spectroscopy

Multidimensional spectroscopies correlate the oscillation frequencies of an atomic or molecular resonance during at least two different time periods. For two-dimensional (2D) optical spectroscopy, oscillations in the first coherence period are sampled in the time domain point-by-point. We present a general method for accelerating this often lengthy task, the quasi-rotating frame (QRF), through heterodyne detection of the nonlinear signal pulse with a systematic variably delayed local oscillator pulse in a noncollinear (box-CARS) geometry four-wave mixing experiment. 2D infrared (2D IR) vibrational echo experiments are conducted to demonstrate the QRF technique, and the results are compared to data obtained in the stationary frame. We describe straightforward techniques to configure QRF detection, prevent experimental artifacts, appropriately calibrate the rotating frame frequencies, and process the resulting data such that accurate liquid structural dynamics may be extracted from a series of waiting-time-dependent 2D spectral line shapes.
Device-Based Therapy for Drug-Resistant Hypertension: An Update

Drug-resistant hypertension (RH) remains a significant and common cardiovascular risk despite the availability of multiple potent antihypertensive medications. Uncontrolled resistant hypertension contributes substantially to excessive cardiovascular and renal morbidity and mortality. Clinical and experimental evidence suggest that sympathetic nervous system over-activity is the main culprit for the development and maintenance of drug-resistant hypertension. Both medical and interventional strategies, targeting the sympathetic over-activation, have been designed in patients with hypertension over the past few decades. Minimally invasive, catheter-based, renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) and carotid baroreceptor activation therapy (BAT) have been extensively evaluated in patients with RH in clinical trials. Current trial outcomes, though at times impressive, have been mostly uncontrolled trials in need of validation. Device-based therapy for drug-resistant hypertension has the potential to provide alternative treatment options to certain groups of patients who are refractory or intolerant to current antihypertensive medications. However, more research is needed to prove its efficacy in both animal models and in humans. In this article, we will review the evidence from recent renal denervation, carotid baroreceptor stimulation therapy, and newly emerged central arteriovenous anastomosis trials to pinpoint the weak links, and speculate on potential alternative approaches.
Adult Neurogenesis in the Mammalian Brain

Publisher Summary This chapter considers the process of adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain, its regulation by neuroendocrine and experiential factors, and the likely function of adult-generated neurons. Although cell production in the neural epithelium, or primary germinal zone, ends prior to birth, most mammals retain productive secondary germinal matrices in certain brain regions after birth, and in some cases, well into adulthood. It has traditionally been thought that hormones influence the structure of the nervous system only during development. However, studies since the mid-1980s have focused on the role of hormones in regulating cell survival, synapse number, and dendritic architecture, presenting new mechanisms by which hormones can influence brain structure and, ultimately, behavior. A vast majority of studies on this topic have examined endocrine influences on pre-existing neural circuitry. This approach has most likely been the result of a persistent bias against the possibility that the adult brain continually produces a pool of immature neurons, the development and incorporation of which may be susceptible to hormonal influences.
Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory: The Aztecs as Mesoamericans

From this time on the Chichimec barbarians acquired a little culture and lived like rational people and covered themselves with clothing.... They also made huts in which to live.... They began to have relations with the other people and to trade and bargain with them ... becoming related to them by marriage, beginning to have lords, recognizing the authority of some men over others. Diego Duran 1994: 18; originally written 1581 The Aztecs were latecomers to Mesoamerica. As nomadic or seminomadic Chichimecs they migrated into Mesoamerica from the northern deserts, carrying some cultural features shared by other, similar migrants, along with other traits unique to themselves. Within a few generations after their arrival in the Basin of Mexico, they had incorporated much of the well-established Mesoamerican way of life into their own traditional cultural milieu. This chapter pursues the place of the Aztecs in Mesoamerica – just how typical, or how unique, were they? Mesoamerica: A Matter of Perspective As a culture area, Mesoamerica traditionally encompasses approximately the lower two-thirds of Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and adjacent portions of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica (Figure 2.1). In 1943 Paul Kirchhoff defined this cultural region by assembling a rather long list of diverse and very specific culture traits, such as agriculture based on maize, beans, and squash; chinampas (cultivated plots built up in shallow lakebeds); wooden swords studded with flint or obsidian; pyrite mirrors; stepped pyramids; ballcourts; eagle and jaguar military orders; merchants who occasionally served as spies; hieroglyphic writing; ritual use of paper and rubber; and two intertwined calendars yielding a fifty-two-year cycle (Kirchhoff 1943: 99–101). The idea was that although some of these traits were also found in other culture areas, their combination was distinctive to the geographical area defined as “Mesoamerica,” and hence signified a certain amount of historical and cultural unity among the peoples living in that region. These commonalities were considered to result from “a shared history of diffusion and migration linking Mesoamerican societies” (Schortman and Urban 2001: 365).
Single-Shot Time-of-Flight Phase Unwrapping Using Two Modulation Frequencies

We present a novel phase unwrapping framework for the Time-of-Flight sensor that can match the performance of systems using two modulation frequencies, within a single shot. Our framework is based on an interleaved pixel arrangement, where a pixel measures phase at a different modulation frequency from its neighboring pixels. We demonstrate that: (1) it is practical to capture ToF images that contain phases from two frequencies in a single shot, with no loss in signal fidelity, (2) phase unwrapping can be effectively performed on such an interleaved phase image, and (3) our method preserves the original spatial resolution. We find that the output of our framework is comparable to results using two shots under separate modulation frequencies, and is significantly better than using a single modulation frequency.