cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corpus callosum area in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Physical signs of corpus callosum (CC) dysfunction in some ALS patients have been reported in the form of mirror movements, which reflect a disruption in communication between motor hemispheres while an individual performs motor tasks (1). These studies suggest that sub-clinical levels of this damage may occur as an early manifestation of the disease, warranting further in vivo study of the CC in these patients. This proposition, as well as knowledge of its involvement in landmark histologic studies (2,3), has prompted the study of the CC with diffusion tensor imaging. While diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) results show that there are consistent abnormal microstructural changes manifesting in the CC in ALS (4–6), few studies have examined macro-structural differences of this region. One identified reduced gross size of the CC compared to controls (7), while another found evidence for increased white matter density (8). Given these discrepant results, the aim of this study was to examine size differences in geometrically-defined sub-regions of the CC in the native space of brain magnetic resonance images of patients with ALS compared to healthy controls. A difference in CC size observed in either direction would add another dimension to the current understanding of the micro-structural changes observed in studies cited above. For instance, a confirmed increase in CC area in ALS patients might indicate an underlying proliferative process such as reactive astrocytosis in response to neuronal death, whereas a smaller CC area in patients could instead imply isolated atrophy of neurons. A confirmation of CC macro-structural change could warrant additional study of the CC of individuals at various stages of the disease in order to illuminate the role of this structure in the natural history of motor neuron degeneration.
Photoreceptoral and secretory structures in the avian pineal organ.

Electron microscopic studies on the pineal organ of the adult Japanese quail and the White Leghorn chicken showed three cell types present within the cell cluster: ependymal, secretory, and photoreceptor cells. Ependymal cells had apical cilia with the 9 + 2 arrangement of the microtubules; secretory cells had numerous membrane-limited secretory granules throughout the cytoplasm; and the photoreceptor cells had synaptic contacts along their basal border and modified cilia connecting the apical portion of the cells to a membranous lamellar complex located in the lumen of the follicle.
On the Characteristic Height Scales of the Hurricane Boundary Layer

In this study, data from 794 GPS dropsondes deployed by research aircraft in 13 hurricanes are analyzed to studythecharacteristicheightscalesofthehurricaneboundarylayer.Theheightscalesaredefinedinavariety of ways: the height of the maximum total wind speed, the inflow layer depth, and the mixed layer depth. The height of the maximumwind speed and the inflow layerdepth are referred to asthe dynamical boundarylayer heights, while the mixed layer depth is referred to as the thermodynamical boundary layer height. The data analyses show that there is a clear separation of the thermodynamical and dynamical boundary layer heights. Consistent with previous studies on the boundary layer structure in individual storms, the dynamical boundary layer height is found to decrease with decreasing radius to the storm center. The thermodynamic boundary layer height, which is much shallower than the dynamical boundary layer height, is also found to decrease with decreasing radius to the storm center. The results also suggest that using the traditional critical Richardson number method to determine the boundary layer height may not accurately reproduce the height scale of the hurricane boundary layer. These different height scales reveal the complexity of the hurricane boundary layer structure that should be captured in hurricane model simulations.
The replication functions of polyomavirus large tumor antigen are regulated by phosphorylation.

Abstract Polyomavirus (Py) large T antigen (T Ag) contains two clusters of phosphorylation sites within the amino-terminal half of the protein. To characterize possible regulatory effects of phosphorylation on viral DNA replication, Py T Ag was treated with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIAP). Incubation of the protein with a range of phosphatase concentrations caused progressive loss of phosphate without affecting its stability. Treatment with smaller quantities of CIAP stimulated the ability of the viral protein to mediate replication of constructs containing the viral replication origin, while higher concentrations of CIAP caused a marked diminution of this replication function. Several biochemical activities of Py T Ag were examined after CIAP treatment. Py T Ag DNA unwinding and nonspecific DNA binding were only slightly affected by dephosphorylation. However, as determined by DNase I footprinting experiments, treatment with smaller amounts of CIAP stimulated specific binding to the Py replication origin by Py T Ag, while treatment with larger amounts of CIAP caused marked inhibition of origin-specific binding by the viral protein. Phosphotryptic maps of Py T Ag before or after treatment with CIAP revealed changes in individual phosphopeptides that were uniquely associated with either the stimulation or the inhibition of replication. Our data therefore suggest that Py T Ag is regulated by both repressing and activating phosphates.
Assessment of central corneal thickness using optical coherence tomography.

Purpose To demonstrate the capability of model OCT3 optical coherence tomographer to evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT) in normal human corneas in vivo and compare the results with the those of standard ultrasound (US) pachymetry and Orbscan. Setting New York Eye & Ear Infirmary Resident Clinic, New York, New York, USA. Methods The CCT in 22 eyes of 11 subjects was determined with the OCT3 (Carl Zeiss Meditec), Orbscan (Bausch & Lomb, Inc.), and US pachymetry (DGH Technology, Inc.). Three central corneal scans of each eye were obtained using the OCT3. First, OCT3 data were processed using the standard OCT software program (OCT3 std ). Second, OCT3 raw data were exported and measurements were repeated using Scion Image for Windows program (OCT3 sci ). The OCT3 and Orbscan results were compared with the mean of 5 US pachymetry measurements in each eye. Results The OCT3 std , OCT3 sci , and Orbscan CCT measurements showed high correlations with US pachymetry ( r =0.981, r =0.984, and r =0.942, respectively; P std ( r 2 =0.05) and OCT3 sci ( r 2 =0.01) was also seen. Conclusion Results show the OCT3 is an accurate, noninvasive, and reproducible technique for evaluation of CCT.
Demand paging in perspective

The method of storage allocation known as "demand paging," first introduced by the designers of the Atlas computer, has a very appealing conceptual simplicity. Furthermore, the possibility that this technique could be used to allow programmers to ignore the problems of organizing information flow between working storage and one or more levels of backing storage was, to say the least, very tempting.
Can ectomycorrhizal weathering activity respond to host nutrient demands

Abstract Ectomycorrhizal fungi may make a significant contribution to mineral weathering in temperate and boreal forests. It is important to know how this weathering activity will be affected by the changing nutrient demands of forests impacted by global change and nitrogen deposition. This review examines what is known about how plants sense and respond to nutrient demand and discusses the existing literature on ectomycorrhizal weathering in relation to plant nutrient demand. Plant physiology literature indicates that plants can respond to P limitation by allocating more carbon belowground and increasing root branching in areas of high P availability. Increased expression and upregulation of phosphorus and potassium uptake transporters has been observed under P- and K-limitation, respectively. There is evidence for a negative feedback between Mg- and K-deficiency and belowground carbon allocation. There are very few ectomycorrhizal weathering experiments that explicitly test how weathering activity responds to nutrient demand. Field studies suggest that hyphal colonization of readily available P sources does increase with increased P demand of the host. In microcosm studies there is indirect evidence that weathering activity may increase in response to P, K, or Mg demand. Recommendations are made for how future ectomycorrhizal research can better address this question. More research on how plants sense and respond to nutrient limitation, as well as genomic data from gymnosperms would also aid our understanding of this important aspect of forest ecology.
Adaptive Forecasting of the Size of a Force Subject to Random Withdrawals

Abstract : The study develops a new adaptive procedure for the forecasting of the total size of a military organization (the Marine Corps), subjected to random withdrawals of first enlistees and of career force personnel, with unknown attrition rates. The attrition rates of various subpopulations are not the same. The total population of first enlistees are classified to homogeneous subpopulations according to the following factors: length of contract, period of entrance to service, education and race. Based on cohorts having the same levels of these factors prediction intervals (with 95% confidence level) for the future size of these cohorts are estimated. Three methods of estimating prediction intervals are compared: conditional maximum likelihood, tolerance intervals and Bayes prediction intervals. Analysis of actual Marine Corps data illustrates and effectiveness of the forecasting procedures. (Author)
Aggregation Behavior and Dynamics of Synthetic Amphiphiles That Self‐Assemble to Anion Transporters

The amphiphilic heptapeptides—referred to as synthetic anion transporters (SATs)—mediate chloride transport in planar lipid bilayer membranes, synthetic liposomes, and mammalian cells. The SATs described have the general formula R12NCOCH2OCH2CO-(Gly)3-Pro-(Gly)3-OR2. Substitution at R1 and R2 with various aliphatic or aromatic groups alters the ability of SATs to transport chloride through a phospholipid bilayer membrane. Despite extensive structure-activity relationship studies concerning Cl−-mediated transport by SATs, relatively little was known about the mechanism of insertion and pore-formation in the membrane. In the current study, the mechanistic behavior of SATs was investigated in aqueous solution and at the air–water interface. In the latter case, Langmuir trough studies and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) revealed the extent of monolayer stability and organization for SATs. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed these results and defined the aggregation behavior of SATs in solution. SAT derivatives that showed low chloride transport activity organized into stable monolayers at the air–water interface, while more active SATs formed less stable monolayers. The relationship between intermolecular organization of SATs and pore-formation in the membrane is discussed along with its implications for chloride transport.
The First Slow Step: Differential Effects of Object and Word‐Form Familiarization on Retention of Fast‐Mapped Words

Recent research demonstrated that although twenty-four month-old infants do well on the initial pairing of a novel word and novel object in fast-mapping tasks, they are unable to retain the mapping after a five-minute delay. The current study examines the role of familiarity with the objects and words on infants' ability to bridge between the initial fast mapping of a name and object, and later retention in the service of slow mapping. Twenty-four-month-old infants were familiarized with either novel objects or novel names prior to the referent selection portion of a fast-mapping task. When familiarized with the novel objects, infants retained the novel mapping after a delay, but not when familiarized with the novel words. This suggests familiarity with the object versus the word form leads to differential encoding of the name-object link. We discuss the implications of this finding for subsequent slow mapping.
Non-abelian gauge invariant classical lagrangian formalism for point electric and magnetic charge

Abstract The classical electrodynamics of electrically charged point particles has been generalized to include non-Abelian gauge groups and to include magnetically charged point particles. In this paper these two distinct generalizations are unified into a non-Abelian gauge theory of electric and magnetic charge. Just as the electrically charged particles constitute the generalized source of the gauge fields, the magnetically charged particles constitute the generalized source of the dual fields. The resultant equations of motion are invariant to the original “electric” non-Abelian gauge group, but, because of the absence of a corresponding “magnetic” gauge group, there is no “duality” symmetry between electric and magnetic quantities. However, for a class of solutions to these equations, which includes all known point electric and magnetic monopole constructions, there is shown to exist an equivalent description based on a magnetic, rather than electric, gauge group. The gauge potentials in general are singular on strings extending from the particle position to infinity, but it is shown that the observables are without string singularities, and that the theory is Lorentz invariant, provided a charge quantization condition is satisfied. This condition, deduced from a stability analysis, is necessary for the consistency of the classical non-Abelian theory, in contrast to the Abelian case, where such a condition is necessary only for the consistency of the quantum theory. It is also shown that in the classical theory the strings cannot be removed by gauge transformations, as they sometimes can be in the quantum theory. An action principle is presented which leads to the particle and field equations of motion except for extra contributions arising from the possibility that the strings carry electric charge. Only solutions with electrically neutral strings are acceptable as monopoles. The action includes unphysical electrically charged fields defined on particle trajectories and on strings. The Lagrangian is gauge invariant and leads to electric current conservation via Noether's theorem.
HOST-PARASITE RELATIONS IN MOUSE TYPHOID

The development of acquired resistance to Salmonella typhimurium has been studied in mice infected intravenously with small numbers of streptomycin-sensitive or streptomycin-resistant organisms. By the 14th day of a primary infection the mouse develops a mechanism capable of destroying completely a super infecting dose of organisms, but is unable to eliminate organisms of the primary infection. The latter are constantly returned to the circulation from necrotic foci at the sites of implantation. Passive transfer of serum from actively infected or vaccinated animals, and immunization with heat-killed organisms, increase the capacity of the host to clear organisms from the blood, but do not interfere to any significant extent with their subsequent multiplication in the tissues. It is concluded that the resistance of actively infected animals depends on a nonhumoral mechanism capable of destroying organisms from endogenous or exogenous sources.
Analysis of electrically-induced reentrant circuits using nonlinear dynamics tools

Understanding the complex spatio-temporal dynamics of action potential propagation in the heart during arrhythmia is exceedingly difficult. This study applies nonlinear dynamics tools to simplify this task. Using the results of a simulation of an electrical induction of reentry in a sheet of myocardium represented as a bidomain, transmembrane voltages are converted to phase angle and phase "Scatter Plots" (SP), while the evolution of the reentrant wavefronts is examined through the motion of the corresponding phase singularities (PS). As a result, we are able to explore the nature of shock-induced phase resetting in the tissue and the origination of shock-induced reentry in our computational model. Construction of SP's as well as calculation of PS's allows us to identify the "seeds" of reentry before the wavefront has completed its first cycle. This nontraditional approach to the analysis of electrophysiological phenomena greatly enhances our ability to visualize and conceptualize the dynamics of arrhythmias.
READERS' AWARENESS OF COHESIVE RELATIONSHIPS DURING CLOZE COMPREHENSION

Ninth grade good and poor readers completed a cloze passage in which words involved in three kinds of cohesive relationships (referential, conjunctive, and lexical) had been systematically deleted. The subjects were asked to read the passage orally, supply the missing words, and think aloud about the reasons for supplying each cloze deletion. Results indicated that subjects were aware of the cohesive relationships in text and that they generally used these relationships to help them supply the missing cloze items. More importantly, the results indicated that subjects varied their use of in- trasentential and intersentential information based upon the type of cohesion involved in the cloze. The results of this study are first discussed in terms of the debate over whether or not cloze is sensitive to intersentential processing and then in terms of the use of cloze as an instructional technique in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between good and poor readers' awareness of the cohesive relationships which exist within a text and which make that text a unified whole rather than a collection of unrelated sentences. Halliday and Hasan (1976, p.4) explain that "the concept of cohesion is a semantic one (which) refers to relations of meaning that exist within a text, and that define it as a text." Cohesion exists when the interpretation of one textual element depends upon the inter- pretation of another element within the same text. The cohesive relationship is termed a tie and requires the presence of both a referring item and its referent. The cohesive ties described by Halliday and Hasan involve between-sentence cohesion rather than within-sentence cohesion. Intrasentence cohesion is primarily determined by the rules of grammatical structure which hold for sentences; whereas, intersentence cohesion is achieved by cohesive ties which integrate semantic relationships across sentence boun- daries.
Pond hydroperiod alters the effect of density- dependent processes on larval anurans

Many studies examine how changes (disturbances) to the abiotic environment alter the intensity of species interactions by directly changing the numbers of individuals involved in the interaction bu...
Institutionalized Sport as Quasi-Religion: Preliminary CONSiDerations

This paper considers the phenomenon of institutionalized sport from a sociology of religion perspective, with the intention of providing a systematic basis for the frequent but often too-facile analogies drawn between sport and religion.Sensitizing dimensions are drawn from sport in order to render this complex phenomenon more amenable to conceptual analysis. Several prominent sociological definitions of religion are introduced, and institutional sport is assessed for "goodness of fit" with these definitions.The analytic emphasis is on symbols, but the utility of the sociology of religion foci of beliefs and practices is also detailed. Both participants and spectators are seen to sym bolize, to hold beliefs, and to engage in ritual practices pertaining to sport.After finding considerable support for the general contention that sport is at least quasi-religious in nature, projections are offered for future research and for broader theoretical development.1. The data presented here were not in any sense col...
Biodegradable nanoparticles are excellent vehicle for site directed in-vivo delivery of drugs and vaccines

Biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) are gaining increased attention for their ability to serve as a viable carrier for site specific delivery of vaccines, genes, drugs and other biomolecules in the body. They offer enhanced biocompatibility, superior drug/vaccine encapsulation, and convenient release profiles for a number of drugs, vaccines and biomolecules to be used in a variety of applications in the field of medicine. In this manuscript, the methods of preparation of biodegradable NPs, different factors affecting optimal drug encapsulation, factors affecting drug release rates, various surface modifications of nanoparticles to enhance in-vivo circulation, distribution and multimodal functionalities along with the specific applications such as tumor targeting, oral delivery, and delivery of these particles to the central nervous system have been reviewed.
STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION OF AMORPHOUS FUSED SILICA UNDER FEMTOSECOND LASER IRRADIATION

Non-linear absorption of femtoseco nd laser pulses enables the induction of structural changes in the interior of bulk transparent materials without affecting their surface. This property can be exploited for the transmission welding of transparent dielectrics, three dimensional optical data storages and waveguides. In the present study, femtosecond laser pulses were tightly focused within the interior of bulk fused silica specimen. Localized plasma was formed, initiating rearrangement of the network structure. The change in material properties were studied through employment of spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy. The nature of the physical mechanisms responsible for the alteration of material properties as a function of process parameters is discussed.
Domestic Violence Assessments in the Child Advocacy Center.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify the frequency, methods, and practices of universal assessments for domestic violence (DV) within child advocacy centers (CACs) and determine which factors are associated with CACs that conduct universal DV assessments. METHODS: The study design was a cross-sectional, web-based survey distributed to executive directors of National Children's Alliance accredited or accreditation-eligible CACs. RESULTS: Responses were received from 323 of 376 eligible CACs (86%). Twenty-nine percent of CAC directors report familiarity with current DV recommendations and 29% require annual education for staff regarding DV. Twenty-nine percent of CACs conduct "universal assessments" (defined as a CAC that assesses female caregivers for DV more than 75% of the time). The majority of CACs use face-to-face interviews to conduct assessments, often with children, family or friends present. The presence of on-site DV resources (OR=2.85, CI 1.25-6.50) and an annual DV educational requirement (OR=2.88, CI 1.31-6.32) are associated with assessment of female caregivers. The presence of on-site DV resources (OR=3.97, CI 2.21-7.14) is associated with universal assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Many CAC directors are not aware of current DV recommendations and do not require annual DV training for staff. Less than one-third of CACs practice universal assessments and those that do often conduct DV assessments with methods and environments shown to be less comforting for the patient and less effective in victim identification. CACs are more likely to assess female caregivers if they have co-located DV resources and they require DV training of their staff. CACs are more likely to universally screen for DV if they have co-located DV resources. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The presence of DV in the home has significant potential to negatively impact a child's physical and mental health as well as the ability of the caregiver to adequately protect the child. Current practice in CACs suggests a knowledge gap in this area and this study identifies an opportunity to improve the services offered to these high-risk families. Language: en
On the reduction of heat generation in lubricants using microscale additives

This work is concerned with the identification of microscale properties of additives for base lubricants in order to reduce heat generation. An application of specific interest is the thin film lubrication of bearings. In order to isolate the thermal effects in the fluid film, we assume that the bearing and housing are insulated. A relation for the temperature rise in the fluid film between the bearing and housing is developed as a function of the rotation speed, the viscosity of the base lubricant and properties of the additives, namely (1) their viscosities, (2) their mass density, (3) their heat capacity and (4) volume fraction, which are free design parameters. Nondimensionalization of the developed relations allows for the construction of a design parameter space which can identify desirable parameter combinations that deliver a target value of heat generation reduction and simultaneously deliver the appropriate overall viscosity of the modified lubricant mixture.
Evaluating Performance Tradeoff in Defect-Tolerant Gate Programming Techniques for the Clock-Free Nanowire Crossbar Architecture

A novel asynchronous nanowire crossbar architecture has been recently proposed by authors' research group. The proposed clock-free architecture provides numerous significant benefits over its clocked counterparts which include better manufacturability, scalability, modularity and robustness. We also proposed various gate mapping and reconfiguration algorithms for defect-tolerant programming of PGMB (programmable gate macro blocks) - which is the primary building block of the proposed architecture. These algorithms were tested by simulations and a variety of parameter values were applied to show their performance characteristics. The most important performance metric of the proposed techniques is the programmability (i.e., the ratio of successfully programmed gates to the total number of gates). However, algorithms with higher programmability should come with higher time/space requirements. In this work, we will evaluate the tradeoff between programmability and time/space requirements and suggest a way to find the most suitable algorithm with acceptable combination of programmability and time/space requirements.
The Dercum-Muybridge Collaboration and the Study of Pathologic Gaits Using Sequential Photography

In the late 1870s and 1880s, prior to the development of movie cameras or projectors, English-American photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) photographed sequential images of people and animals in motion, using arrays of sequentially triggered single-image cameras. In 1885, Philadelphia neurologist Francis Dercum (1856-1931) collaborated with Muybridge at the University of Pennsylvania to photograph sequential images of patients with various neurological disorders involving abnormal movements, and particularly various gait disorders, including both the sensory ataxic gait of tabes dorsalis and various spastic gaits. Dercum used tracings of sequential photographic images to plot trajectories of limbs as a way to characterize and distinguish pathologic gaits. The Dercum-Muybridge collaboration produced the first motion-picture sequences of neurological gait disorders ever filmed. These sequences and the trajectory-based studies that derived from them were a milestone in studies of pathologic gaits.
Improving students' performance in quantitative courses: The case of academic motivation and predictive analytics

This 5 years longitudinal study explores and tests the effect of the combined use of some principles from the motivation achievement theories of educational psychology and predictive analytics (pedagogical innovation) on enhancing students' academic self-monitoring, engagement, and performance in a junior level quantitative business course. If and when unsatisfied with their class performance, or their predicted grade and likelihood of success of the pedagogical innovation, students in the post-innovation group were directed to either self-regulate their class engagement, and/or seek the intervention of the instructor for remedies to facilitate their success. Results show the post-innovation group outperforming the pre-innovation group with more As (+43%), Bs (+35%), with fewer Cs (−20%) supporting the hypothesis that the suggested innovation significantly improved students' performance. However, no significant improvement in the failure rate of the at-risk students (DFWs) was observed. While most students with high predicted probability of passing were able to self-regulate their academic engagement, only few of the at-risk students sought the intervention of the instructor, with the majority eventually succeeding in passing the course (some after several trials) due to their improved class engagement, and their perceptions of the instructor's positive role in facilitating their success.
Europa ocean sampling by plume flythrough: Astrobiological expectations

Abstract The anticipated material captured from a flythrough of Europa’s putative plumes is investigated using a simple model. With parameters appropriate to observed constraints (plume height 100–200 km, column mass 1E20 H2O molecules/m2, originating in a liquid water exposure), bacterial cells of ∼10 μm could be lofted even to the plume tops, but no particles larger than 2 mm will be lofted above ∼2 km, a likely lower limit on feasible altitude. Intercepted mass densities of 1E−5 to 1E−3 kg/m2 are calculated. With a small in-situ sampler at the lowest altitudes a few hundred cells might be captured if the liquid is as abundant in biota as the richest environments on Earth, but statistically less than 1 cell for Vostok waters, a Europa analog. The imperative for a large collection area is noted. The likelihood of capturing at least a single cell, with a log-uniform prior of cell abundances, is proposed as a science value metric for different flyby altitudes.
Evaluation of bacterial transmission to the paranasal sinuses through sinus irrigation.

Background Saline nasal irrigation is effective in the treatment of sinonasal disorders, including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Despite bacterial contamination in rinse bottles and reports of infections from contaminated irrigation water, tap water is still used by ∼50% of irrigation users, raising a potential public health concern. This study aimed to determine whether bacteria from the water supply used in sinus irrigations colonizes the paranasal sinuses. Methods Samples were taken from the: (1) water used for irrigation, (2) faucet or container the water originated from, (3) rinse bottle, and (4) postoperative ethmoid cavity from 13 subjects with CRS. Microbiota were characterized using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. The Morisita-Horn beta-diversity index (M-H) was used to assess similarity in microbiota between samples, and genomic analysis was performed to assess clonality of cultured bacteria. Results Of 13 subjects, 6 used distilled water, 6 used tap water, and 1 used well water in this institutional review board (IRB)-approved observational study. Well-water had markedly more bacteria than tap or distilled water. There was a trend toward tap having more bacteria than distilled water. The sinus samples were notably dissimilar to the bottle, faucet, and irrigant (M-H 0.15, 0.09, and 0.18, respectively). There was no difference in postoperative microbiotas between distilled and tap water users. Conclusion The current study suggests that irrigation plays little role in establishing the sinus microbiome. Although rinsing with tap water may never be formally recommended, these data are useful to counsel patients who prefer to do so in non-endemic areas if the municipal water supply is appropriately treated.
Simultaneous Determination of 6 Pesticides in Roast Eel by LC-MS/MS Method

A new liquid chromatographic method coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of 6 pesticides,including propham,azoxystrobin,benzocine and carfentrazone ethyl,diproyl isocinchomeronate and enpyroximate,in roast eel.The eel samples were extracted in acetonitril with ultrasonic and solid-phase dispersion(MSPD),the extract was cleaned up on solid phase extraction(SPE)-Florisil cartridge.After concentrated,the analytes were separated on HPLC with a Phenomenex Luna C18 column(3 μm,150 mm×2.00 mm i.d.) using gradient elution profile and mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile(A) and 0.02% fomic acid in ammonium acetate buffer(B),and detected with tandem mass spectrometer under positively electrospray ionisation(ESI).The results indicated that the calibration curves of 6 pesticides were linear in the range of 0.5-1 000 μg/L,with detection limits of 0.03-2.3 μg/kg.The quantitative limits were between 0.09 and 7.7 μg/kg,and the average spiked recoveries were 75%-104% with RSDs of 1.6%-15%.Therefore,the method was simple,rapid,accurate and was suitable for the simultaneous determination of propham,azoxystrobin,benzocine,carfentrazone ethyl,diproyl isocinchomeronate and fenpyroximate residues in roast eel samples.
Cell-Substrate Interaction Determines Cellular Volume and Shape

Multiple experimental results have shown eukaryotic cells are able to respond to its mechanical environment. Such responds are not only crucial during cell migration, polarization and tissue formation, but also determining cellular volume and shape.In this study, we show a simple mechanical force balance, coupled with previously-purposed chemical model on Rho GTPase activation, is able to predict the cellular shape when cells spreading on substrates with different sizes and/or stiffness, indicating the importance of mechanical forces that regulates different cell activities, including myosin activities, cellular volume, as well as traction stresses between cell and substrate. Moreover, if cell is placed in the growth medium, such mechanical signal may trigger cell division.With previously developed FRET pair, we are also able to observe RhoA activity during cell spreading experimentally, which is a crucial prove to our purposed model.
Comprehensive Classification of Retinal Bipolar Neurons by Single-Cell Transcriptomics.

Patterns of gene expression can be used to characterize and classify neuronal types. It is challenging, however, to generate taxonomies that fulfill the essential criteria of being comprehensive, harmonizing with conventional classification schemes, and lacking superfluous subdivisions of genuine types. To address these challenges, we used massively parallel single-cell RNA profiling and optimized computational methods on a heterogeneous class of neurons, mouse retinal bipolar cells (BCs). From a population of ∼25,000 BCs, we derived a molecular classification that identified 15 types, including all types observed previously and two novel types, one of which has a non-canonical morphology and position. We validated the classification scheme and identified dozens of novel markers using methods that match molecular expression to cell morphology. This work provides a systematic methodology for achieving comprehensive molecular classification of neurons, identifies novel neuronal types, and uncovers transcriptional differences that distinguish types within a class.
Honor Crimes in the United States and Offenders’ Neutralization Techniques

ABSTRACTHonor crimes are violent acts that are experienced among different religions and ethnicities. This type of offense can be justified, either before or after the crime, by the offender’s perceived need to protect honor-based values. This study used Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory to explain the offender’s justification of honor crimes. We used data from the United States Extremist Crime Database, which has incident, victim, and perpetrator level indicators for the population of honor crimes in the United States (N = 16). Using open source search files for the cases, neutralizations and justifications provided by the offenders are presented.
Regional Innovation Systems in Sweden

Over the past two decades, social scientists and governments have been paying more and more attention to regions as designated sites of innovation and competitiveness in the globalizing economy. Thus, innovation and innovation systems are becoming increasingly interesting to policy‐makers as ways of achieving their economic and social goals. Europe 2020, the European Union’s key strategy for the current decade, aims to foster a smart, sustainable, and inclusive economy. “Innovation has been placed at the heart of the strategy”, as it provides the “best means of successfully tackling major societal challenges” (European Commission 2010, p. 2). The new age of capitalism requires a new kind of region. In effect, regions are increasingly defined by the same criteria and elements which comprise a knowledge-intensive firm: continuous improvement, new ideas, knowledge creation and organizational learning (Florida 2003, p. 236). The increased policy and research interest in regional clusters and innovation systems reflects the growing significance of the regional level, and the importance of specific and regional resources, for stimulating the innovation capability and competitiveness of firms. The social and interactive practice of innovation also points to the importance of the relationship between the firm and its environment. The learning economy perspective affirms that learning and innovation are localized, not placeless processes (Storper 1997). Thus, it emphasizes that innovation is a territorially-embedded process, based not only on resources that are place specific but also on social and institutional contexts (Asheim, lsaksen 2002). This paper describes the role of innovations in Sweden and Swedish regions in development and growth, mainly by analysing the concept of regional innovation systems. Moreover, the actors and associations from the innovation system perspective are pointed out in the article. An analysis of the policy documents and a literature overview was the basis of the empirical material. Data comes from the OECD and EUROSTAT databases.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of poor liver function: A case series.

493Background: Role of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to the liver for patients with poor hepatic function after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has not been established. We reviewed results of SBRT for men with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Child-Pugh (CP) score ≥ 8 cirrhosis after TACE. Methods: Following a median of 3 TACE treatments, five males with severe cirrhosis received SBRT for persistent or progressive HCC in 2011-14. Clinico-pathologic characteristics and treatment details were retrospectively retrieved. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range, 48 – 55). Median interval between cancer diagnosis and SBRT was 38 months (range, 3 – 60). All 5 patients experienced decline in CP score after TACE, for a median of drop of 1 point (range, 1 – 3) between the initiation of TACE and referral for radiotherapy. At time of SBRT, 4 had CP class B and 1 class C cirrhosis with median CP score of 9 (range, 8 – 11). There were no distant metastases and one patient had ext...
"Nexus of Committees: Boards of Directors, Intra-Firm Networks, and Firm Performance"

The structure and composition of boards of directors have long been important areas of inquiry in corporate governance research. Both agency and resource dependence theories suggest that informatio...
Bipolar pharmacotherapy and suicidal behavior Part 3: impact of antipsychotics.

INTRODUCTION: Antipsychotics, particularly second generation agents, are widely used in bipolar disorder, but their effect on suicidal behavior in this population has not been systematically studied. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of 405 veterans with bipolar disorder followed for a mean of three years, with month-by-month systematic assessment of current pharmacotherapy and suicide completion, attempt or hospitalization for suicidality. Comparison of rates of suicidal events during mood stabilizer monotherapy, antipsychotic monotherapy, and combination of mood stabilizer and antipsychotic. RESULTS: Non-lethal suicide event rates were 9.4 times greater (chi2=28.29, p Language: en
Lymph node effective vascular permeability and chemotherapy uptake.

Objective Lymph node metastases are a poor prognostic factor. Additionally, responses of lymph node metastasis to therapy can be different from the primary tumor. Investigating the physiologic lymph node blood vasculature might give insight into the ability of systemic drugs to penetrate the lymph node, and thus into the differential effect of therapy between lymph node metastasis and primary tumors. Here, we measured effective vascular permeability of lymph node blood vessels and attempted to increase chemotherapy penetration by increasing effective vascular permeability. Methods We developed a novel three-dimensional method to measure effective vascular permeability in murine lymph nodes in vivo. VEGF-A was systemically administered to increase effective vascular permeability. Validated high-performance liquid chromatography protocols were used to measure chemotherapeutic drug concentrations in untreated and VEGF-A treated lymph nodes, liver, spleen, brain and blood. Results VEGF-A treated lymph node blood vessel effective vascular permeability (mean 3.83 × 10-7 cm/s) was significantly higher than untreated lymph nodes (mean 9.87 × 10-8 cm/s). No difference was found in lymph node drug accumulation in untreated versus VEGF-A treated mice. Conclusions Lymph node effective vascular permeability can be increased (~4-fold) by VEGF-A. However, no significant increase in chemotherapy uptake was measured by pre-treatment with VEGF-A. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Real-time detection of task switches of desktop users

Desktop users commonly work on multiple tasks. The TaskTracer system provides a convenient, low-cost way for such users to define a hierarchy of tasks and to associate resources with those tasks. With this information, TaskTracer then supports the multi-tasking user by configuring the computer for the current task. To do this, it must detect when the user switches the task and identify the user's current task at all times. This problem of "task switch detection" is a special case of the general problem of change-point detection. It involves monitoring the behavior of the user and predicting in real time when the user moves from one task to another. We present a framework that analyzes a sequence of observations to detect task switches. First, a classifier is trained discriminatively to predict the current task based only on features extracted from the window in focus. Second, multiple single-window predictions (specifically, the class probability estimates) are combined to obtain more reliable predictions. This paper studies three such combination methods: (a) simple voting, (b) a likelihood ratio test that assesses the variability of the task probabilities over the sequence of windows, and (c) application of the Viterbi algorithm under an assumed task transition cost model. Experimental results show that all three methods improve over the single-window predictions and that the Viterbi approach gives the best results.
Influence of Endo- and Exocyclic Heteroatoms on Stabilities and 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactivities of Mesoionic Azomethine Ylides and Imines

The geometries, stabilities, and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactivities of 24 mesoionic azomethine ylides and imines were investigated using density functional theory calculations at the M06-2X/6-311+G-(d,p)/M06-2X/6-31G-(d) level. The computed structures highlight how the commonly used "aromatic" resonance form should be replaced by two more accurate resonance structures. Stabilities of the dipoles were assessed by various homodesmotic schemes and are consistent with these compounds being nonaromatic. The activation free energies with ethylene or acetylene range from 11.8 to 36.6 kcal/mol. Within each dipole type, the predicted cycloaddition reactivities correlate with the reaction energies and the resonance stabilization energies provided by the various substituents. Endocyclic (X) heteroatoms increase the reactivity of the 1,3-dipoles in the order of O > NH ≅ S, whereas exocyclic (Y) substituents increase it in the order of CH2 > NH > O > S. Distortion/interaction analysis indicated that the difference...
Binding Mechanisms of Electron Transport Proteins with Cyanobacterial Photosystem I: An Integrated Computational and Experimental Model.

The stromal domain (PsaC, D, and E) of photosystem I (PSI) in cyanobacteria accepts electrons from PsaA and PsaB of photosystem I (PSI). These electrons are then used in the reduction of transiently bound ferredoxin (Fd) or flavodoxin. Experimental X-ray and NMR structures are known for all of these protein partners separately, yet to date, there is no known experimental structure of the PSI/Fd complexes in the published literature. Computational models of Fd docked with the stromal domain of cyanobacterial PSI were assembled here starting from X-ray and NMR structures of PSI and Fd. Predicted models of specific regions of protein–protein interactions were built on the basis of energetic frustration, residue conservation and evolutionary importance, as well as from experimental site-directed mutagenesis and cross-linking studies. Microsecond time-scale molecular dynamics simulations of the PSI/Fd complexes suggest, rather than a single complex structure, the possible existence of multiple transient comple...
Modified Glanulopexy Technique for Supersonic Transporter Deformity and Glanular Hypermobility in Men With Penile Prostheses.

Abstract Background Glanular hypermobility (GH) or supersonic transporter (SST) deformity are occasionally encountered during penile prosthesis (PP) implantation, yet management strategies are underreported with minimal data available on surgical outcomes. Aim To describe a modified technique for glanulopexy to correct GH/SST in men undergoing PP placement and assess outcomes associated with this technique. Methods Glanulopexy was performed in men with GH/SST identified at the time of or following PP placement. A modification to previously described techniques was performed, whereby a suture is passed into the glans and secured to the tissue overlying the corpora through small incisions on the lateral aspects of the distal penile shaft. Outcomes Correction of the anatomic deformity (GH/SST), device infection, and changes in penile sensation were evaluated during post-operative follow-up. Results From 2014–2017, a total of 12 patients underwent modified glanulopexy for GH/SST. Nine (75%) were performed at the time of PP, while the remaining 3 were performed in a delayed fashion. At a median follow-up of 12 months (range 1–33 months), all patients with the device in situ demonstrated appropriate glanular positioning, and no patients reported changes in penile sensation. A single patient required device removal secondary to infection. Clinical Translation Glanulopexy with permanent suture successfully corrects severe GH or SST in men with inflatable PP without reduced penile sensation. Conclusions Strengths of the current study include the description of a simple, safe, and reproducible technique for GH/SST that adds minimal operative time and can be performed under local anesthesia when necessary. To our knowledge, this represents one of the largest reported series of glanulopexy outcomes reported in the literature. Limitations include that this is a single-surgeon series, there is limited follow-up, and lack of a comparison group. Further study with external validation is warranted to establish the optimal role for the procedure. Ziegelmann MJ, Alom M, Bole R, et al. Modified Glanulopexy Technique for Supersonic Transporter Deformity and Glanular Hypermobility in Men With Penile Prostheses. J Sex Med 2018;15:914–919.
A Proposed Model for the Psychiatric PGY 1 Year

This model for the Psychiatric PGY 1 year proposes that the trainee be exposed to appropriate psychiatric principles while simultaneously functioning as a medical intern. At least double the minimal time mandated by the ABPN should be spent on the medical ward. The required medical experience would thus be integrated into the training of the psychiatric resident.