cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic control of gonadal aromatase (cyp19a1) in temperature-dependent sex determination of red-eared slider turtles.

In the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), the expression of the aromatase gene during gonad development is strictly limited to the female-producing temperature. The underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we identified the upstream 5′-flanking region of the aromatase gene, gonad-specific promoter, and the temperature-dependent DNA methylation signatures during gonad development in the red-eared slider turtle. The 5′-flanking region of the slider aromatase exhibited sequence similarities to the aromatase genes of the American alligator, chicken, quail, and zebra finch. A putative TATA box was located 31 bp upstream of the gonad-specific transcription start site. DNA methylation at the CpG sites between the putative binding sites of the fork head domain factor (FOX) and vertebrate steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) and adjacent TATA box in the promoter region were significantly lower in embryonic gonads at the female-producing temperature compared the male-producing temperature. A shift from male- to female-, but not from female- to male-, producing temperature changed the level of DNA methylation in gonads. Taken together these results indicate that the temperature, particularly female-producing temperature, allows demethylation at the specific CpG sites of the promoter region which leads the temperature-specific expression of aromatase during gonad development.
Bone markers in the management of patients with skeletal metastases

BACKGROUND Biochemical markers of bone remodeling have been used as surrogate markers to manage patients with metastatic bone disease. Markers of the bone resorptive process, such as the bone collagen breakdown products N-telopeptide and C-telopeptide, are useful markers for monitoring the response and efficacy of antiresorptive therapy and to assess disease progression in patients with osteolytic bone disease. Recently discovered markers of osteoclastogenesis, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and the soluble form of the receptor activator for nuclear factor (NF)-κB (RANK-L), also are candidate markers of the bone metastases process and offer potential as surrogate markers of tumor-induced osteoclastogenesis. METHODS Immunoassays have been developed that can determine blood and urine levels of the telopeptides associated with bone collagen breakdown. In addition, immunoassays now are available that can measure both OPG and the soluble form of RANK-L in blood and tissues as markers of osteoclastogenesis. RESULTS The measurement of bone collagen breakdown products and specific factors associated with the process of osteoclastogenesis have been applied to the management and assessment of patients with metastatic bone disease. Results indicate that these surrogate markers can be useful in determining response to antiresorptive therapy, in selecting optimal dosage, and as markers of disease progression. CONCLUSIONS Although they show promise, questions remain whether blood measurements of surrogate markers of osteoclastogenesis, like OPG and RANK-L, will be useful in both assessing and managing patients with metastatic bone disease. Cancer 2003;97(3 Suppl):874–9. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11127
Potential human health benefits of antibiotics used in food animals: a case study of virginiamycin

Risk management of food-animal antibiotics has reached a crucial juncture for public health officials worldwide. While withdrawals of animal antibiotics previously used to control animal bacterial illnesses are being encouraged in many countries, the human health impacts of such withdrawals are only starting to be understood. Increases in animal and human bacterial illness rates and antibiotic resistance levels in humans in Europe despite bans on animal antibiotics there have raised questions about how animal antibiotic use affects human health. This paper presents a quantitative human health risk and benefits assessment for virginiamycin (VM), a streptogramin antibiotic recommended for withdrawal from use in food animals in several countries. It applies a new quantitative Rapid Risk Rating Technique (RRRT) that estimates and multiplies data-driven exposure, dose-response, and consequence factors, as suggested by WHO (2003) to estimate human health impacts from withdrawing virginiamycin. Increased human health risks from more pathogens reaching consumers if VM use is terminated (6660 estimated excess campylobacteriosis cases per year in the base case) are predicted to far outweigh benefits from reduced streptogramin-resistant vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) infections in human patients (0.27 estimated excess cases per year in the base case). While lack of information about impacts of VM withdrawal on average human illnesses-per-serving of food animal meat precludes a deterministic conclusion, it appears very probable that such a withdrawal would cause many times more human illnesses than it would prevent. This qualitative conclusion appears to be robust to several scientific and modeling uncertainties.
Algorithms for Automated Pointing of Cardiac Imaging Catheters

This paper presents a modified controller and expanded algorithms for automatically positioning cardiac ultrasound imaging catheters within the heart to improve treatment of cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. Presented here are a new method for controlling the position and orientation of a catheter, smoother and more accurate automated catheter motion, and initial results of image processing into clinically useful displays. Ultrasound imaging (intracardiac echo, or ICE) catheters are steered by four actuated degrees of freedom (DOF) to produce bi-directional bending in combination with handle rotation and translation. Closed form solutions for forward and inverse kinematics enable position control of the catheter tip. Additional kinematic calculations enable 1-DOF angular control of the imaging plane. The combination of positioning with imager rotation enables a wide range of visualization capabilities, such as recording a sequence of ultrasound images and reconstructing them into 3D or 4D volumes for diagnosis and treatment. The algorithms were validated with a robotic test bed and the resulting images were reconstructed into 3D volumes. This capability may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of intracardiac catheter interventions by allowing visualization of soft tissues or working instruments. The methods described here are applicable to any long thin tendon-driven tool (with single or bi-directional bending) requiring accurate tip position and orientation control.
Erasure and polymorphism in pure type systems

We introduce Erasure Pure Type Systems, an extension to Pure Type Systems with an erasure semantics centered around a type constructor ¬ indicating parametric polymorphism. The erasure phase is guided by lightweight program annotations. The typing rules guarantee that well-typed programs obey a phase distinction between erasable (compile-time) and non-erasable (run-time) terms. The erasability of an expression depends only on how its value is used in the rest of the program. Despite this simple observation, most languages treat erasability as an intrinsic property of expressions, leading to code duplication problems. Our approach overcomes this deficiency by treating erasability extrinsically. Because the execution model of EPTS generalizes the familiar notions of type erasure and parametric polymorphism, we believe functional programmers will find it quite natural to program in such a setting.
Endoscopic removal of organized chronic subdural hematoma

An endoscopic surgical approach to organized chronic subdural hematoma is described. Advantages of the endoscopic approach include access to virtually the entire hematoma cavity through a small craniectomy performed with local-standby anesthesia. Two illustrative cases are presented.
Cost-effectiveness of extended adjuvant rituximab for US patients aged 65-70 years with follicular lymphoma in second remission.

Abstract Purpose A recent Intergroup trial showed that receiving adjuvant rituximab after having a second remission from follicular lymphoma (FL) improved progression-free and overall survival (OS). The current study was conducted to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of this strategy in the United States. Patients and Methods We constructed a transition state model to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of extended adjuvant rituximab for 2 years for patients having a second FL remission. Event-free and OS rates were estimated from the recently published Intergroup trial. These were adjusted to reflect the contribution of non-cancer—specific mortality for patients aged 65–70 years, a more commonly affected age group than in the Intergroup trial, which had a median age of 54 years. Previously reported quality of life and cost estimates were obtained from peer-reviewed sources. Results Five years after a second induction with R-CHOP (rituximab with cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone), disease-free survival is expected to be 47% and 22%, and the OS rates are estimated to be 73% and 61% for extended adjuvant rituximab and observation, respectively, during the second remission. The discounted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the addition of adjuvant rituximab is estimated to be $19,522 per quality-adjusted life-years gained. Conclusion Extended adjuvant rituximab offers a clinical benefit to patients aged 65–70 years who have a second remission from FL at a cost generally acceptable to the US healthcare system.
The Attitudes and Decisions of Probation Officers

The purpose of this study is to examine the attitudes of probation officers and determine how these attitudes are correlated with their decisions to recommend sentences of incarceration or probation for hypothetical defendants described in six case studies. The theoretical model for the prediction of behavioral intentions proposed by Fishbein is used to examine this relationship. The predictive power of each of the variables included in Fishbein's model is discussed, as well as the total amount of variance explained using multiple regression. The implications of these findings and suggestions for further study are discussed.
2005 Irving Sigal Young Investigator Award.

It is a terrific honor to receive the Irving Sigal Young Investigator Award. As I look back at the past recipients of this award, I am truly humbled, and I can only hope that being added to this list will in some way catapult my future research endeavors to something approaching the level of these great protein scientists. Such aspirations aside, I would like to thank the Protein Society for recognizing our work over the last several years and Merck Research Laboratories for sponsoring this award.
Telerehabilitation for people with low vision

Background Low vision affects over 300 million people worldwide and can compromise both activities of daily living and quality of life. Rehabilitative training and vision assistive equipment (VAE) may help, but some visually impaired people have limited resources to attend in-person visits at rehabilitation clinics. These people may be able to overcome barriers to care through remote, Internet-based consultation (i.e., telerehabilitation). Objectives To compare the effects of telerehabilitation with face-to-face (e.g., in-office or inpatient) vision rehabilitation services for improving vision-related quality of life and reading speed in people with visual function loss due to any ocular condition. Secondary objectives are to evaluate compliance with scheduled rehabilitation sessions, abandonment rates for visual assistive equipment devices, and patient satisfaction ratings. Search methods We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (2015 Issue 5), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1980 to June 2015), EMBASE (January 1980 to June 2015), PubMed (1980 to June 2015), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any language restriction or study design filter in the electronic searches; however, we restricted the searches from 1980 onwards because the Internet was not introduced to the public until 1982. We last searched the electronic databases on 15 June 2015. Selection criteria We planned to include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled clinical trials (CCTs) in which participants were diagnosed with low vision and were undergoing low vision rehabilitation using an Internet, web-based technology compared with an approach based on in-person consultations. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts, and then full-text articles against the eligibility criteria. We planned to have two authors independently abstract data from included studies. We resolved discrepancies by discussion. Main results We did not find any study that met the inclusion criteria for this review and, hence, we did not conduct a quantitative analysis. As a part of the background, we discussed review articles on telemedicine for facilitating communication with elderly individuals or for providing remote ophthalmological care. Authors' conclusions We did not find any evidence on whether the use of telerehabilitation is feasible or a potentially viable means to remotely deliver rehabilitation services to individuals with low vision. Given the disease burden and the growing interest in telemedicine, there is a need for future pilot studies and subsequent clinical trials to explore the potential for telerehabilitation as a platform for providing services to people with low vision.
Formal derivation of an efficient parallel 2-D Gauss-Seidel method

Presents a formal derivation of a highly efficient parallel implementation of the 2-D Gauss-Seidel method for machines based on the two-dimensional mesh of processors. A methodology is illustrated which formalizes the process of mapping and scheduling a high level algorithm onto a particular target parallel architecture. It starts from a simple initial program. Equational transformations are then applied: to partition the abstract problem onto processors; to make communication among processors explicit; to pipeline the computation by wave-front scheduling; and finally to map logical processors onto physical processors for perfect processor utilization. All the derivation steps preserve equalities so that the derived programs are equivalent to the initial program. Using this methodology, the paper develops efficient implementations for other parallel architectures. >
CARDIAC MYOTROPHIN EXHIBITS REL/NF-KAPPA B INTERACTING ACTIVITY IN VITRO

Myotrophin is a soluble-12 kilodalton protein isolated from hypertrophied spontaneously hypertensive rat and dilated cardiomyopathic human hearts. We have recently cloned the gene coding for myotrophin and expressed it in Escherichia coli. In the present study, the expression of myotrophin gene was analyzed, and at least seven transcripts have been detected in rat heart and in other tissues. We have further analyzed the primary structure of myotrophin protein and identified significant new structural and functional domains. Our analysis revealed that one of the ankyrin repeats of myotrophin is highly homologous specifically to those of myotrophin is highly homologous specifically to those of I kappa B alpha/rel ankyrin repeats. In addition, putative consensus phosphorylation sites for protein kinase C and casein kinase II, which were observed in I kappa B alpha proteins, were identified in myotrophin. To verify the significance of these homologies, kappa B gel shift assays were performed with Jurkat T cell nuclear extract proteins and the recombinant myotrophin. Results of these assays indicate that the recombinant myotrophin has the ability to interact with NF-kappa B/rel proteins as revealed by the formation of ternary protein-DNA complexes. While myotrophin-specific antibodies inhibited the formation of these complexes, rel-specific p50 and p65 antibodies supershifted these complexes. Thus, these results clearly indicate that the myotrophin protein to be a unique rel/NF-kappa B interacting protein.
Micro-structures associated with uraninite alteration

Abstract Primary uraninite from the Canadian Proterozoic unconformity-type uranium deposits have exceptionally low, but variable, δ 18 O values (−32 to −15‰). Although these uranium deposits have been studied extensively, the oxygen isotope systematics in uraninite from these deposits are poorly understood. X-ray powder-diffraction patterns of uraninite with both low and high δ 18 O values show that these uraninite samples are consistent with a composition of UO 2 and are texturally similar. Micro-diffraction and lattice images obtained using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) of uraninite with the lowest δ 18 O values show that this uraninite is well crystallized and essentially defect-free. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of well-crystallized uraninite indicates relatively high Pb contents but low Si and Ca contents. In contrast, micro-diffraction and lattice images of uraninite with δ 18 O values near −18‰ show that this uraninite is polycrystalline, with micro-diffraction patterns that often show both streaking and concentric patterns. High-resolution images reveal sub-grain formation and rotation, formation of edge dislocations, low-angle grain-boundaries, and bent lattice-fringes. The uraninite is also characterized by relatively high Si and Ca contents and variable Pb contents. This indicates that incipient alteration occurs on a micro-scale as revealed by HRTEM. The sub-grains in this uraninite were preserved either because the annealing process in uraninite was retarded by the Si and Ca impurities, or they were formed during a late alteration event and the uraninite has had little time to anneal.
Characterization of Sulfonated Polysulfone Polymers by EELS

1. Division of Applied Research and Technology, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, 45226, USA 2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA 3. Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA 4. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
Secure interoperability with commercial open standards

A cybersecurity platform for communications for smart grid substation automation uses open standards to enable legacy and new intelligent devices from different vendors to communicate seamlessly together between substations and between substations and control centers. True multi-vendor interoperability allows the proposed platform to integrate into any network and with additional systems such as physical security to make substation operations more resilient and reliable.
History of the Steller Sea Lion at the Pribilof Islands, Alaska

In 1786 the Pribilof Islands probably supported a sea lion population considerably in excess of 15,000 animals. These bred on two rookeries on St. George Island, one on St. Paul Island, and one on Walrus Island. A few may have bred also on Sea Lion Rock. The Walrus Island colony disappeared in 1827; between 1867 and 1914 both St. George rookeries were exterminated, and the St. Paul rookery was reduced to less than 150 animals. A measure of protection was given the sea lion in 1914. By 1960, the population had increased to 5,700–6,700 adults. The only breeding ground today on the Pribilofs is on Walrus Island, where about 3,000 young were born in 1960. Newborn pups were last seen on St. Paul Island in 1957. All extinct rookery sites are now regularly used as hauling grounds. Otter Island, never a breeding ground, is a regular winter hauling ground. Unregulated exploitation and harassment by man probably played an important role in the reduction of the Pribilof sea lion herd and the shifts in rookery locations. The failure of the Pribilof population to approach its aboriginal size and to reoccupy old breeding grounds during a 40-year period of moderate exploitation is unexplained. Unknown ecological factors are suggested as a contributing cause.
A Study Of Seasonal Salinity Variation In Lake Whitney, Texas Using Continuous Resistivity Profiling

Lake Whitney, Texas is an example of many reservoirs whose water quality is controlled by highly variable sodium chloride loads originating from near surface evaporate deposits within the upper reaches of the contributing watershed. We investigate seasonal changes in salinity within Lake Whitney using the continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) method. From December, 2006 to October, 2007 we repeated a 30-km long profile along the axis of the reservoir six times. A 135-m long, 11-electrode, marine resistivity array was used to collect eight dipole-dipole readings at offsets from 5-120 m, at intervals of approximately 1 m along the profile. Each profile was collected in an 8 to 10 hour period to produce a “snapshot” of the salinity distribution. Starting from a well mixed and highly saline (3 ohmm/2,300 mg/L) state in early winter 2006, the reservoir became progressively fresher, due to the inflow of fresher water (4 ohm-m /1,700 mg/L) over the winter months. Spring rains, caused resistivity to rise and salinity to drop as layers of freshwater flowed out along the surface from north to south after each storm. The freshwater in these layers progressively mixed with deeper, more saline water as it moved south, raising the average resistivity of the reservoir. A second layer of cold freshwater flowed along the reservoir bottom in the north and out into mid-water depths as it moved south. The greatest contrast within the water column always occurred near the main tributary inlet and was least near the dam, suggesting progressive downstream mixing. We conclude that the CPR method can be used to delineate the depth and lateral extent of abnormally fresh and saline regions within water reservoirs and can resolve shallow and deep zones of contrasting salinity within the water column.
Incidence of Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Parasitoids on Resistant and Susceptible Com Genotypes

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), larvae were collected from 24 May to 28 August 1990 and from 20 May to 17 June 1991 to determine parasitoid distribution of fall armyworm on resistant and susceptible com genotypes. Resistant corn genotypes were ‘MpSWCB-4’ and ‘Pioneer X304C’ and susceptible genotypes were ‘Pioneer 3192’ and ‘Cacahuacintle X’s'. In 1990, Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) was the most prevalent parasitoid in early season, parasitizing 34% of fall armyworm larvae, and it continued to be present in low numbers throughout the summer. On only one collection date (24 May 1990) did corn genotype have a significant effect on parasitism rates. On that date, significantly more C. marginiventris were reared from hosts obtained from resistant corn genotype ‘MpSWCB-4’ than from the other three genotypes. In 1991, Archytas marmoratus (Townsend) was the most abundant parasitoid, attacking an average of 13.6% of fall armyworm recovered. Corn genotype had a significant effect on the incidence of parasitism throughout 1991. Fall armyworm collected from the susceptible genotype ‘Pioneer 3192’ were parasitized significantly less frequently (8.3%) than were the larvae collected from the susceptible corn genotype ‘Cacahuacintle X’s' (9.8%) or the resistant genotype ‘MpSWCB-4’ (9.6%).
The Lemoine Center in the Geometry of the Tetrahedron

(1932). The Lemoine Center in the Geometry of the Tetrahedron. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 18-27.
Of Milk and the Constitution

Central cases in our constitutional law canon share an unexpected similarity: they all arose out of litigation involving cattle and milk. The Slaughter-House Cases, Nebbia v. New York, Carolene Products, and Wickard v. Filburn are familiar to generations of students as iconic cases that address key concepts such as equal protection, the states’ police powers, and Congress’ commerce powers. Importantly, they also ground the Supreme Court’s “dairy jurisprudence” — the series of cases about cattle and milk decided between the 1880s and the early 2000s. This Article argues that this dairy jurisprudence expresses an underlying ideology of nutrition, which glorifies milk as “nature’s perfect food.” In the Court’s discourse, milk drinking is channeled through the language of constitutional rights, creating what this Article calls a “quasi-constitutionalization” of milk. This quasi-constituationalization breaks down the traditional dichotomy between constitutional law and ordinary law and is thus interesting in its own right. But the privileged status of milk is in tension with other constitutional principles, in particular with equal protection. The elevation of milk to a protected legal status reinforces race, as well as class, gender, and other inequities. Its detrimental effects are particularly salient for racial and ethnic minorities who are more likely to be lactose intolerant than whites of European descent. Despite these problems with milk, dairy jurisprudence could pave the way for the recognition of a broad constitutional right to food, which would benefit all Americans.
A Polarimeter to Determine the Vertical and Horizontal Polarization of Protons in the Indiana Cooler

A cylindrically symmetric detector system has been installed in one of the straight sections of the Indiana Cooler. The apparatus is suitable for measuring the polarization of 80–300 MeV stored proton beams. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the detector array consisting of a 1.5 mm thick scintillator (F), 2 wire chambers, a 102 mm thick scintillator (E) and a 6.5 mm thick scintillator (V). The detector system was designed for the first nuclear physics experiment (p+p → p+p+π° near threashold [1]) at the Indiana Cooler and accepts scattering angles between \( \vartheta _1 = 5^\circ {\text{ and }}\vartheta _2 = 20^\circ \) with respect to the beam axis.
Management of neoplasms of the head and neck in children. II. Malignant tumors.

The otolaryngologist who treats children must have knowledge of the neoplasms that can occur in childhood. Such tumors are usually mesenchymal in origin and may be benign or malignant. Diagnosis and management of the more common benign tumors are undertaken by the otolaryngologist because local excision is generally curative. The proper treatment of malignant lesions requires a more extensive, multidis-ciplinary team, which includes a pediatric oncologist, diagnostic and therapeutic radiologist, and pathologist, in addition to the otolaryngologist. This article outlines the types of malignant neoplasms that occur in childhood and discusses current approaches to therapy.
Synthesis and characterization of environmentally benign, semifluorinated polymers and their applications in drug delivery

Abstract We describe the synthesis, physicochemical studies and pharmaceutical assessment of a class of pegylated semifluorinated amphiphilic block-copolymers based on short pendant fluorinated side chains attached to moderately hydrophobic units. These polymers allowed us to investigate how the balance between hydrophobicity and fluorophilicity in the polymer can be tuned to match that of small molecules to be used in drug delivery. Remarkably, we found that using short perfluoroethyl groups in the polymer allows the preferential stabilization of nanoemulsions based on isoflurane, a fluorinated anesthetic made partly hydrophobic by the presence of a chlorine atom. In comparison, nanoemulsions of sevoflurane, a purely fluorophilic anesthetic, were not as stable. The lipophilicity of the polymers was also investigated in regards to solvation of hydrophobic molecules. Surface properties such as critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension demonstrated the uniqueness of these fluorinated amphiphiles. Finally, the use of short perfluoroethyl chains makes these polymers environmentally benign in terms of bioaccumulation and toxicity.
Effect of governance on implementation of multi-sector nutrition programs in Ethiopia

T is a renewed interest in nutrition globally. The second International Conference on Nutrition in Nov. 2014 committed to eradicating malnutrition in all its forms. A key strategy for many countries is a combination of direct nutrition interventions combined with nutrition sensitive, multi-sector approaches. For both direct and indirect policies and programs to be successful, a key element is good governance. This paper will report the results of research from Ethiopia and Nepal on governance structures from national to sub-national level. This research provides insights from key policy officials and stakeholders about how a range of policies and programs get translated from the design phase (on paper) to implementation (in practice).
A study of hot spot in silicon device for stacked die packages

Stacked die packages are currently used for mobile phones, digital cameras etc as a system-in-package, which includes memory and processor, the other ICs. A memory die is mounted on a processor die using an isolation material (silicon spacer or organic materials) in a package. Small hot spots of silicon devices are serious concern for device function errors, for instance, the difference of 30 degrees in a device affects device access speed error, etc. To study hot spots in a device, a thermal TEG chip, window tunnel and thermal simulation tool were used. After small hot spots were made in the thermal TEG chip packaged with a stacked die package, temperature differences in the device as a function of hot spot sizes were measured. After observing the correlation between experiments and models, a variety of stacked die package designs was studied for hot spot issue. For instance, the effect of die sizes, die thickness, spacer sizes, package types and material properties on thermal performance considering hot spot sizes. The study suggests stacked die package structures and material properties affect hot spot and thermal performance for stacked die packages. The results and explanation are described in this paper.
Palladium-catalyzed conjugate addition of arylboronic acids to 2-substituted chromones in aqueous media

Abstract Palladium-catalyzed conjugate additions of arylboronic acids to 2-alkylchromones are reported. The conjugate additions occur in aqueous media in the presence of a catalyst generated from palladium trifluoroacetate and 1,10-phenanthroline, and the flavanone derivatives containing a fully-substituted carbon center are formed in up to 90% yield.
From neurocognition to community participation in serious mental illness: the intermediary role of dysfunctional attitudes and motivation.

Background Evidence for a relationship between neurocognition and functional outcome in important areas of community living is robust in serious mental illness research. Dysfunctional attitudes (defeatist performance beliefs and asocial beliefs) have been identified as intervening variables in this causal chain. This study seeks to expand upon previous research by longitudinally testing the link between neurocognition and community participation (i.e. time in community-based activity) through dysfunctional attitudes and motivation. Method Adult outpatients with serious mental illness ( N = 175) participated, completing follow-up assessments approximately 6 months after initial assessment. Path analysis tested relationships between baseline neurocognition, emotion perception, functional skills, dysfunctional attitudes, motivation, and outcome (i.e. community participation) at baseline and follow-up. Results Path models demonstrated two pathways to community participation. The first linked neurocognition and community participation through functional skills, defeatist performance beliefs, and motivation. A second pathway linked asocial beliefs and community participation, via a direct path passing through motivation. Model fit was excellent for models predicting overall community participation at baseline and, importantly, at follow-up. Conclusions The existence of multiple pathways to community participation in a longitudinal model supports the utility of multi-modal interventions for serious mental illness (i.e. treatment packages that build upon individuals’ strengths while addressing the array of obstacles to recovery) that feature dysfunctional attitudes and motivation as treatment targets.
Atomic scale models of ion implantation and dopant diffusion in silicon

Abstract We review our recent work on an atomistic approach to the development of predictive process simulation tools. First-principles methods, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental results are used to construct a database of defect and dopant energetics in Si. This is used as input for kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. C and B trapping of the Si self-interstitial is shown to help explain the enormous disparity in its measured diffusivity. Excellent agreement is found between experiments and simulations of transient enhanced diffusion following 20–80 keV B implants into Si, and with those of 50 keV Si implants into complex B-doped structures. Our simulations predict novel behavior of the time evolution of the electrically active B fraction during annealing.
Nasty online comments anger you more than me, but nice ones make me as happy as you

Using online comments posted on news stories as the context, this research used two experiments to assess the influence of online comments on people's emotions as well as on their perceptions of others' emotions. Study 1 (N=301) showed that people perceived uncivil disagreement comments posted on news stories as having a greater effect on negative emotions than civil disagreement comments. In addition, it found that people perceived uncivil comments as having a greater effect on the negative emotions of others, compared to the self, suggesting support for an emotional third-person perception (TPP). Study 2 (N=565) showed that people perceived agreement comments as having a greater effect on positive emotions than uncivil disagreement comments. Findings also showed that people perceived agreement comments as having an equal effect on the positive emotions of the self, compared to others. This supports an emotional first-person perception (FPP). Study 1: Uncivil disagreement comments are more likely to anger or upset others than civil disagreement.Study 2: Agreement comments are more likely to make others happy or pleased than uncivil disagreement comments.Together findings show support for an emotional third-person perception and first-person perception.
Peritectic Coupled Growth Solidification—a Review

Initiation and growth mechanisms of peritectic coupled growth (PCG) structures have been reviewed to clarify parameters that play a significant role in PCG formation and stability. Three important alloys of Fe–Ni, Ni–Al and Ti–Al have been studied to reveal mechanisms contributing to PCG formation. Types of PCG, the stability of lamellar coupled growth and their morphological behavior are strongly dependent on G/V ratio (G: thermal gradient, V: growth rate), lamellar spacing and composition. Analogy between peritectic coupled growth (PCG) and eutectic coupled growth (ECG) is also a point of interest in this study. Further investigations in Ni–Al and Cu–Sn are necessary to clarify the PCG formation (nucleation/growth mechanism) in conventional G/V versus composition diagram.
How to make ‘more’ better? Principles for effective use of multiple representations to enhance students’ learning about fractions

To make complex mathematics concepts accessible to students, teachers often rely on visual representations. Because no single representation can depict all aspects of a mathematics concept, instruction typically uses multiple representations. Much research shows that multiple representations can have immense benefits for students’ learning. However, some re-search also cautions that multiple representations may fail to enhance students’ learning if they are not used in the “right” way. For example, unless students can (1) properly interpret each individual representation and (2) make connections among multiple representations and the information they intend to convey, the use of multiple representations may actually confuse students rather than aid their learning. In this article, we review research-based principles for how to use multiple representations effectively so that they enhance student learning. Using fractions as an illustrative domain, we discuss how the choice of visual representation may affect student learning based on the conceptual aspects of the to-be-learned content emphasized by the representation. Next, we describe ways to help students interpret individual representations and to make connections among them. We illustrate these arguments with our own empirical research on fractions learning. We conclude by laying out open questions that future research should address.
Kindergarten and first-grade students' representational practices while creating storyboards of Honeybees collecting nectar

A productive approach to studying the role of representations in supporting students' learning of science content is to examine their representational practices. The current study examines kindergarten and first-grade students' representational practices in a similar context---the creation of storyboards---both before and after a curricular intervention in order to highlight those aspects of their practices that changed while engaging in a superficially similar task. Analysis of the students' storyboards reveals considerable improvement after the intervention. Analysis of the students' practices as they changed over time is also presented by examining the students' interactions, with a focus on their discussions of the science content and the representations themselves.
Living in violence: neighborhood domestic violence and small for gestational age births

Abstract Objectives To determine the association between neighborhood domestic violence and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth and to examine if there is a differential impact of neighborhood domestic violence on SGA births by race in a high crime community. Methods This analysis includes all birth records issued in New Orleans, Louisiana from 2011 to 2012 geocoded by census tract (N=177 census tracts, N=8322 women). Hierarchical modeling and ecologic spatial analysis were used to examine the area-effect of neighborhood domestic violence on SGA births, independent of individual-level predictors and accounting for the propensity to live in high domestic violence neighborhoods. Results Tests for spatial autocorrelation reveled area-level clustering and overlap of SGA and domestic violent rates. Pregnant women living in high domestic violence areas were more likely to give birth to an SGA infant compared to women in low-domestic violence areas (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.08), net of the effects of individual-level factors and propensity scores. Conclusion Neighborhood-level attributes including rates of domestic violence may increase women's risk for SGA birth, highlighting a policy-relevant and potentially amenable exposure.
Text Classification via Compressive Sensing

In this chapter we apply the theory of Compressive Sensing (CS) to achieve low dimensional classification. According to Compressive Sensing theory, signals that are sparse or compressible in a suitable transform basis can be recovered from a highly reduced number of incoherent linear random projections, which overcomes the traditional signal processing methods. Traditional methods are dominated by the well-established Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem, which requires the sampling rate to be at least twice the maximum bandwidth. We introduce a hybrid classification and tracking method, which extends our recently introduced Joint Complexity method, which was tailored to the topic detection and trend sensing of user’s tweets. First we employ the Joint Complexity, already described in detail in the previous chapter to perform topic detection, and then, based on the nature of the data, we apply the methodology of Compressive Sensing to perform topic classification by recovering an indicator vector. Finally, we combine the Kalman filter, as a refinement step for the update of the tracking process.
Postoperative Schmerztherapie: Physiologische Konsequenzen unbehandelter Schmerzen

Die sog. chirurgische Stressantwort auf starke Schmerzen stimuliert das somatische und das sympathische Nervensystem. Eine hohe sympathische Aktivitat wirkt ihrerseits schmerzverstarkend und induziert die Freisetzung von neuroendokrinen Hormonen und lokalen Zytokinen. Dies steigert den O2-Verbrauch des Organismus, stimuliert das kardiovaskulare System und induziert die Umverteilung der Perfusion zum ZNS zu Ungunsten der viszeralen Organe, der Nieren und des Herzens.
Class Numbers, Units and K2

This paper deals with topics from Algebraic Number Theory and Algebraic K-Theory. It establishes relationships between the class number and the signs of units of an algebraic number field on one side, and the order and the structure of the 2-primary subgroup of the Milnor K-group over the ring of integers of the number field on the other side.
How the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles may be related: a mathematical modelling study

We develop a mathematical model that enables us to investigate possible mechanisms by which two primary markers of Alzheimer9s disease (AD), extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular tangles, may be related. Our model investigates the possibility that the decay of anterograde axonal transport of amyloid precursor protein (APP), caused by toxic tau aggregates, leads to decreased APP transport towards the synapse and APP accumulation in the soma. The developed model thus couples three processes: (i) slow axonal transport of tau, (ii) tau misfolding and agglomeration, which we simulated by using the Finke–Watzky model and (iii) fast axonal transport of APP. Because the timescale for tau agglomeration is much larger than that for tau transport, we suggest using the quasi-steady-state approximation for formulating and solving the governing equations for these three processes. Our results suggest that misfolded tau most likely accumulates in the beginning of the axon. The analysis of APP transport suggests that APP will also likely accumulate in the beginning of the axon, causing an increased APP concentration in this region, which could be interpreted as a ‘traffic jam’. The APP flux towards the synapse is significantly reduced by tau misfolding, but not due to the APP traffic jam, which can be viewed as a symptom, but rather due to the reduced affinity of kinesin-1 motors to APP-transporting vesicles.
Image-based air quality analysis using deep convolutional neural network

Air pollution may cause many severe diseases. An efficient air quality monitoring system is of great benefit for human health and air pollution control. In this paper, we study image-based air quality analysis, in particular, the concentration estimation of particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5 ). The proposed method uses a deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to classify natural images into different categories based on their PM2.5 concentrations. In order to evaluate the proposed method, we created a dataset that contains total 591 images taken in Beijing with corresponding PM2.5 concentrations. The experimental results demonstrate that our method are valid for image-based PM2.5 concentration estimation.
Management of acute flexor tendon injuries.

Summary Advances are occurring in our understanding of tendon healing and nourishment, the pulley system, techniques of repair, and modification of adhesions. Armed with this information, each surgeon dealing with interruptions of flexor tendons must develop a rational, systematic approach to the management of these difficult injuries. The principles of atraumatic technique, as set down many years ago by Bunnell, remain inviolate. These procedures should be carried out exclusively by surgeons who are thoroughly knowledgeable and well trained in the area of flexor tendon surgery. Primary or delayed primary flexor tendon repair of both the profundus and superficialis tendons should be carried out in almost all patients following interruption of the digital flexor tendons. The use of nonabsorbable sutures with a modified Kessler or Tajima repair technique has proved to be effective, and, whenever possible, repair of the flexor tendon sheath would seem appropriate. A well-supervised program of early motion utilizing either active or passive techniques is also beneficial in suitable individuals. The restoration of function to a digit following flexor tendon interruption may be a long and tedious undertaking requiring a strong rapport between surgeon, therapist, and patient. When initiating the care of a patient with such an injury, the surgeon should spend considerable time explaining the problems related to the particular injury, the likelihood of achieving success, and the number of procedures that may be required. A high degree of patient motivation must be established to insure the proper participation in the demanding preoperative and postoperative regimen associated with these procedures. With the important advances occurring in many areas of flexor tendon surgery, it is realistic to believe that in the near future the techniques described in this article will be substantially altered and modified. Results should continue to improve until the patient and surgeon can expect all digits to return to nearly full function after flexor tendon interruption.
Breakdown of the Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Blood–Retinal Barrier

This article provides an overview of the structure and function of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell junctions that make up the outer blood-retinal barrier, an active transport mechanism within the RPE (NA, K-ATPase pump), and passive forces within the eye as a background to understanding clinical disease states related to outer BRB dysfunction. The article discusses experimental and clinical means to measure RPE barrier function in vitro and in vivo and pathophysiologic mechanisms for compromised RPE barrier integrity. The current understanding of several clinical entities associated with breakdown of the RPE barrier will be briefly discussed in this context.
Campe, Joachim Heinrich (1746–1818)

Joachim Heinrich Campe (1746–1818) gained widespread recognition among his contemporaries and for a long time thereafter in three major areas: (1) He produced a substantial number of highly influential educational writings, most prominent among them his Robinson der Jungere (1779–1780), based on Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe; (2) Campe believed in the need to ‘purify’ the German language of non-German ingredients. He tried to achieve this objective by theoretical discussions as well as practical illustrations; and (3) Tied to his ‘purification campaign’ was the compilation of his comprehensive Worterbuch der Deutschen Sprache (1807–1811), which contained almost three times as many words as Adelung's dictionary (1774–1786). The discussion on Campe's significance for the history of the German language is still going on.