cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Francisella Type VI Secretion System

Francisella tularensisis subsp. tularensis is an intracellular bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of the life-threatening zoonotic disease tularemia. The Francisella Pathogenicity Island encodes a large secretion apparatus, known as a Type VI Secretion System (T6SS), which is essential for Francisella to escape from its phagosome and multiply within host macrophages and to cause disease in animals. The T6SS, found in one-quarter of Gram-negative bacteria including many highly pathogenic ones, is a recently discovered secretion system that is not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, there have been remarkable advances in our understanding of the structure, composition, and function of T6SSs of several bacteria in the past few years. The system operates like an inside-out headless contractile phage that is anchored to the bacterial membrane via a baseplate and membrane complex. The system injects effector molecules across the inner and outer bacterial membrane and into host prokaryotic or eukaryotic targets to kill, intoxicate, or in the case of Francisella, hijack the target cell. Recent advances include an atomic model of the contractile sheath, insights into the mechanics of sheath contraction, the composition of the baseplate and membrane complex, the process of assembly of the apparatus, and identification of numerous effector molecules and activities. While Francisella T6SS appears to be an outlier among T6SSs, with limited or no sequence homology with other systems, its structure and organization are strikingly similar to other systems. Nevertheless, we have only scratched the surface in uncovering the mysteries of the Francisella T6SS, and there are numerous questions that remain to be answered.
Immunosenescence and Human NK Cells

Of the three major cellular components of the lymphoid system, both T- and B-cell systems have been fairly well investigated with special reference to senescence-related changes in man and experimental animals (Makinodan and Kay, 1976; Weksler, 1982). It is widely believed that a general decline in immune competence (as seen in aging) is related to the high incidence of cancer. Despite the fact that the natural killer (NK) cells are known to play a role in immunosurveillance against malignancy and viral infection, and the regulation of hematopoiesis (Herberman and Holden, 1978, Trinchieri and Perussia, 1984), there are no strong data linking a vigorous NK cell system with healthy cancer-free survival to old age in humans. Peripheral blood NK activity is known to increase gradually from birth to adulthood (Herberman and Holden, 1978). However, the dynamics of the NK system from adulthood to old age (aging effect?) have not been studied systematically in healthy volunteers. Previously available literature showed equivocal results or had some methodological problems. In trying to investigate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the immunosenescent changes in the NK cell system, we have asked three major questions: 1. Is it possible to demonstrate experimentally, an age-associated, but not necessarily an age-dependent change (see Chapter 11 this volume), in human peripheral blood NK activity by a multitechnique approach? The resulting pattern of NK cell dynamics should be qualitatively consistent with different traditional as well as unconventional techniques and experimental conditions used to quantitate the NK activity. 2. Would such a functional change in NK activity—whether positive or negative— have a cellular basis? If so, would those phenotypic alterations be unique to the aging process? 3. Are there parallel immunosenescent changes in the non-null cel (T and B) systems? Do the NK cells have an immunoregulatory influence on the non-NK cell immune systems of an aging individual?
Classical Artinian Rings

In our concluding chapter we present basic results on several types of artinian rings that have come to be regarded as classical due to their natural origins and the influence they have had on the literature of ring and module theory. These include artinian rings with duality, quasi-Frobenius (or QF) rings, QF-3 rings, and serial rings.
Traffic flow monitoring systems in smart cities: Coverage and distinguishability among vehicles

Abstract Traffic flow monitoring systems aim to measure and monitor vehicle trajectories in smart cities. Their critical applications include vehicle theft prevention, vehicle localization, and traffic congestion solution. This paper studies an RoadSide Unit (RSU) placement problem in traffic flow monitoring systems, in order to secure vehicles through location proofs. Given some traffic flows on streets, the objective is to place a minimum number of RSUs to cover and distinguish all traffic flows. A traffic flow is covered and distinguishable, if the set of its passing RSUs is non-empty and unique among all traffic flows. The RSU placement problem is NP-hard, monotonic, and non-submodular. It is a non-trivial extension of the traditional set cover problem that is submodular. Three bounded RSU placement algorithms are proposed with respect to the number of given traffic flows. To further reduce the number of deployed RSUs, this paper extends a credential propagation mechanism via vehicle-to-vehicle communications, which essentially enlarges the coverage of an RSU. Extensive real data-driven experiments demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Supporting Student Success in the First-Year Experience: Library Instruction in the Learning Management System

This article discusses how the Library and Office of Institutional Research at a public college measured the relationship of an online information literacy module in the learning management system ...
Towards near real-time SEMS size distribution measurements under up-scan operation

Abstract Near real-time particle size distribution measurements with a scanning electrical mobility spectrometer (SEMS) requires a fast scan DMA operation. The classification characteristics of the DMA when operated with an up-scan voltage can be established from calculations of particle arrival-times at the sample port of the DMA. This approach, referred to as the arrival-time transfer function (ATF) calculation approach, has been shown to accurately calculate DMA mobility transfer functions under up-scan operation for a range of scan times. Fast SEMS operation, however, are further complicated by downstream effects of particle smearing, plumbing delays (offset time) and counting time interval of the particle counter. These effects have thus far been quantified empirically. In this paper, a theoretical framework is proposed to minimize empirical corrections. The effects of particle smearing, plumbing delays (offset time) and counting time interval are incorporated in determining SEMS transfer functions, which are then used to predict the signal response to a known upstream size distribution under different operating conditions. The predicted signals are then validated with experimental data with scan times as fast 5 s. Using the calculated SEMS transfer functions and a regularization-based inversion algorithm, we are able to accurately invert SEMS signals from a scan as fast as 5 s. Our proposed SEMS transfer function calculation approach, thus, suggests that near real-time, accurate size distributions may be possible with SEMS measurements.
Transplanted human multipotent stromal cells reduce acute tongue fibrosis in rats.

Author(s): Vahabzadeh-Hagh, Andrew M; Goel, Alexander N; Frederick, John W; Berke, Gerald S; Long, Jennifer L | Abstract: BackgroundTongue fibrosis resulting from head and neck cancer, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination thereof devastates one's quality of life. Therapeutic options are limited. Here we investigate human bone marrow-derived multipotent stromal cells (MSC) as a novel injectable treatment for post-injury tongue fibrosis.MethodsMSCs were grown in culture. Eighteen athymic rats underwent unilateral partial glossectomy. After two weeks for scar formation, a single injection was performed in the tongue scar. Three treatment groups were studied: low and high concentration MSC, and control media injection. Tongues were harvested for evaluation at three weeks post-treatment.ResultsDense fibrosis was achieved in control animals at five weeks. High concentration MSC reduced cross sectional scar burden (P = .007) and pathologic score for inflammation and fibrosis.ConclusionThis study establishes the feasibility of a novel rodent tongue fibrosis model, and begins to assess the utility of human MSCs to reduce scar burden.Level of evidenceN/a.
Interpreting the inverse Hall-Petch relationship and capturing segregation hardening by measuring the grain boundary yield stress through MD indentation

Abstract The inverse Hall-Petch relationship, which occurs below a critical grain size, is attributed to the high interface to volume ratio that characterizes nanocrystalline metals. This has led some theoretical models to treat nanocrystals as composite materials in which the grains and grain boundaries behave as two separate phases, which follow their own yield behavior. The present study provides first estimates of a grain boundary yield stress, by employing molecular dynamics indentation. The case system considered was that of nanocrystalline Fe with a Σ5 symmetric boundary and indentations were performed either in the grain interior or on the grain boundary illustrating that grain boundaries yield at less than half the stress that grains do. This can interpret the inverse Hall-Petch relationship, since as the grain size decreases below a critical value, the grain boundary thickness is not negligible and its low yield stress dominates the material behavior. To stabilize the boundary from migration/sliding and capture the effect of segregation the simulations were repeated when 0.008% C impurities were added into the sample. This low C content resulted in a higher grain boundary yield stress, without however increasing the grain interior yield stress, illustrating the sensitivity of grain boundaries to segregant atoms. In addition to shear strain maps, a new visual representation was done by using different colors to indicate the orientation of atoms during indentation, as would be done experimentally with electron backscatter diffraction. It was therefore possible to reveal the occurrence of twinning, in addition to dislocation nucleation.
Diabetic retinopathy and its management

A 2016 global report on diabetes by the World Health Organization estimated that nearly 1 in 12 adults on the planet have diabetes mellitus (DM). Within this context, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the fifth leading cause of blindness around the world, is rising in prevalence, and is the most common cause of vision loss among working age people in many developed countries. The development and progression of DR can be significantly slowed by optimizing systemic cardiovascular risk factors including blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, most people who live long enough with DM will develop DR. Unfortunately, many patients with DM do not receive the appropriate ophthalmic screening they require. All patients with DM should receive at least annual comprehensive ophthalmic evaluations and more frequent ophthalmic examinations depending on their individual ocular disease state. DR is largely mediated through progressive retinal vascular damage and subsequent local ischemia with release of cytokines including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). DR leads to visual loss primarily through diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). For decades, laser-based modalities remained the cornerstone of management for both DME and PDR. Despite their value, however, laser treatments have limitations. DME is most commonly managed with injections of pharmaceutical agents into the vitreous cavity of the eye including those that block pathologic levels of VEGF. PDR can be managed with traditional laser, anti-VEGF agents, or combination therapy to harness the benefits of both approaches. Patients with DR require long-term ophthalmic care and close coordination between their treating ophthalmologist and primary care team.
Paper Prototyping Comfortable VR Play for Diverse Sensory Needs

We co-designed paper prototype dashboards for virtual environments for three children with diverse sensory needs. Our goal was to determine individual interaction styles in order to enable comfortable and inclusive play. As a first step towards an inclusive virtual world, we began with designing for three sensory-diverse children who have labels of neurotypical, ADHD, and autism respectively. We focused on their leisure interests and their individual sensory profiles. We present the results of co-design with family members and paper prototyping sessions were conducted by family members with the children. The results contribute preliminary empirical findings for accommodating different levels of engagement and empowering users to adjust environmental thresholds through interaction design.
The Resistivity Size Effect in Epitaxial Nb(001) and Nb(011) Layers

Epitaxial Nb(011) and Nb(001) layers are sputter deposited onto ${a}$ -plane and ${r}$ -plane sapphire substrates, respectively, and their resistivity $\rho $ measured in situ , ex situ , and at 77 K as a function of layer thickness ${d}= 4$ –400 nm. The resistivity increase with decreasing ${d}$ is independent of layer orientation and is described with the model by Fuchs and Sondheimer (FS), providing a value for the bulk electron mean free path $\lambda = {20} \pm {2}$ nm at room temperature. Exposure to air causes a 1.5-nm-thick surface oxide and an increase in $\rho $ by up to 74%, suggesting a decrease in the surface scattering specularity from ${p}_{{{1}}}= {0.9} \pm {0.1}$ at the Nb-vacuum interface to completely diffuse scattering ( ${p}_{{{1}}}= {0}$ ) at the oxidized Nb surface. Alternatively, this increase in resistance can be attributed to roughening during surface oxidation while retaining completely diffuse scattering, yielding a lower bound for the room-temperature $\lambda $ of 9.0±0.4 nm. The product of the bulk resistivity $\rho _{o}$ times $\lambda $ is temperature-independent and, depending on either choosing the roughness or the specularity interpretation, $\rho _{o}\,\,\lambda = {14}\times {10}^{{-{16}}}$ or ${30} \times {10}^{{-{16}}}\,\,\Omega \text{m}^{{{2}}}$ , respectively. These values are 3.9 and 8.5 times larger than $\rho _{o}~\lambda $ from a previous theoretical prediction, indicating a dramatic break down of the classical FS model for Nb and indicating that the resistivity size effect in Nb is considerably larger than predicted earlier. They are also larger than for W, Ru, and Co, making Nb not promising for high-conductivity narrow interconnect lines.
Digestibility of cotton plant by-product diets for sheep at two levels of intake.

Crossbred wethers (n = 48) were assigned randomly to 1 of 12 experimental diets, arranged in a 3 X 2 X 2 split plot to evaluate three levels of cotton plant by-product (25, 50 and 75% CPB), two levels of NaOH treatment of CPB (0 and 4%) and two levels of monensin supplementation (0 and 30 ppm, DM basis) at two intake levels (70 and 90% of ad libitum). Intake was a within-lamb variable. Ad libitum intake was established over an initial 17-d adjustment period. Feed intake and fecal output were recorded during collection periods with aliquots retained for laboratory analysis. Intake was affected by a linear CPB X monensin interaction (P less than .06) with monensin depressing intake more at higher CPB levels. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility decreased linearly (P less than .001) as the dietary level of CPB increased. NaOH treatment of CPB improved (P less than .001) the digestibility of organic matter (OM) and NDF. The supplementation of 30 ppm monensin resulted in greater (P less than .004) apparent digestibilities of NDF and hemicellulose (HC). Increasing daily feed intake from 70 to 90% of ad libitum decreased (P less than .004) digestibility of NDF, HC and ADF.
A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Integrated Alcohol Reduction Intervention in Patients With Hepatitis C Infection.

Background and aims Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol use are patient risk factors for accelerated fibrosis progression, yet few randomized controlled trials have tested clinic-based alcohol interventions. Approach and results A total of 181 patients with HCV and qualifying alcohol screener scores at three liver center settings were randomly assigned to the following: (1) medical provider-delivered Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), including motivational interviewing counseling and referral out for alcohol treatment (SBIRT-only), or (2) SBIRT plus 6 months of integrated colocated alcohol therapy (SBIRT + Alcohol Treatment). The timeline followback method was used to assess alcohol use at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months. Coprimary outcomes were alcohol abstinence at 6 months and heavy drinking days between 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes included grams of alcohol consumed per week at 6 months. Mean therapy hours across 6 months were 8.8 for SBIRT-only and 10.1 for SBIRT + Alcohol Treatment participants. The proportion of participants exhibiting full alcohol abstinence increased from baseline to 3, 6, and 12 months in both treatment arms, but no significant differences were found between arms (baseline to 6 months, 7.1% to 20.5% for SBIRT-only; 4.2% to 23.3% for SBIRT + Alcohol Treatment; P = 0.70). Proportions of participants with any heavy drinking days decreased in both groups at 6 months but did not significantly differ between the SBIRT-only (87.5% to 26.7%) and SBIRT + Alcohol Treatment (85.7% to 42.1%) arms (P = 0.30). Although both arms reduced average grams of alcohol consumed per week from baseline to 6 and 12 months, between-treatment effects were not significant. Conclusions Patients with current or prior HCV infection will engage in alcohol treatment when encouraged by liver medical providers. Liver clinics should consider implementing provider-delivered SBIRT and tailored alcohol treatment referrals as part of the standard of care.
Glycan Reactive Natural Antibodies and Viral Immunity

Adaptive antibody responses provide a crucial means of host defense against viral infections by mediating the neutralization and killing infectious pathogens. At the forefront of humoral defense against viruses lie a subset of innate-like serum antibodies known as natural antibodies (NAbs). NAbs serve multifaceted functions in host defense and play an essential role in early immune responses against viruses. However, there remain many unanswered questions with regard to both the breadth of viral antigens recognized by NAbs, and how B cell ontology and individual antigenic histories intersect to control the development and function of antiviral human NAbs. In the following article we briefly review the current understanding of the functions and source of NAbs in the immune repertoire, their role during antiviral immune responses, the factors influencing the maturation of the NAb repertoire, and finally, the gaps and future research needed to advance our understanding of innate-like B cell biology for the purpose of harnessing NAbs for host defense against viral infections.
Electronic charge transfer properties of COF-5 solutions and films with intercalated metal ions

To investigate the manipulation of electromagnetic properties of two-dimensional materials, this effort characterizes charge transfer behavior of colloidal COF-5 (covalent organic framework) in the presence of various metal ions. A series of metal chloride compounds was introduced to COF-5 in solution and solid film phases and the interaction of the material with electromagnetic radiation was monitored across the visible region using electronic absorption spectroscopy. Notable changes were observed, quantified, and discussed for copper (II) chloride (CuCI2), chromium (III) chloride (CrCI3), and iron (III) chloride (FeCI3) with COF-5. Ligand-to-metal and metal-to-ligand charge transfer are explored as a possible mechanism for the observed electronic behaviors.
Maintenance motives for physical activity among older adults: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Physical activity (PA) is an important aspect for health and well-being, yet many older adults do not maintain their PA long term. The identification of key factors that are associated with, and likely causally related to, older adults’ PA maintenance is a crucial first step towards developing programmes that are effective at promoting long-term PA behaviour change. The purpose of this protocol is to outline a systematic review that will examine the relationship between four motives (ie, satisfaction, enjoyment, self-determination and identity) and older adults’ PA maintenance. Methods and analysis Studies that investigated PA maintenance with a sample mean age ≥55 years will be included. Five electronic databases (PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) were searched on 6 April 2018 with no publication date limit (ie, from inception). One reviewer screened 100% of titles and abstracts (k=21 470) while a random subsample (20%) was screened independently by two reviewers. An update of the search was run on 1 October 2019. All studies for which the full text was retrieved will be independently screened by two reviewers. Data pertaining to study sample, design, motives, PA (eg, measurement validity evidence, study definition of maintenance) and essential bias domains (eg, bias due to missing data) will be extracted. Study-level effect sizes will be calculated, and if the number of studies is ≥5, a random-effects meta-analysis will be performed using inverse-variance methods; a narrative synthesis will be performed otherwise. Ethics and dissemination The university’s Human Research Protection Program determined that the proposed study qualifies as exempt from the Institutional Review Board review under Exemption Category 4 (PROPEL #: 80047007). Results will be published in a peer-review journal, and the findings will help inform future interventions with older adults. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018088161.
John Dewey and the New Left, 1960-1988

In this intellectual history, the author traces the refashioning, fall, and re-emergence of the reception of Dewey’s work between 1960 and 1988 by student-centred radicals, de-schooling advocates, ...
Recommendations to Improve Accessibility of Sexuality Education for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: A Qualitative Study

According to the World Health Organization, sexuality education (SE) is considered a human right and aims to increase understanding, decrease abuse, unplanned pregnancies, and sexually transmitted ...
Unresponsive and Unpersuaded: The Unintended Consequences of a Voter Persuasion Effort

To date, field experiments on campaign tactics have focused overwhelmingly on mobilization and voter turnout, with far more limited attention to persuasion and vote choice. In this paper, we analyze a field experiment with 56,000 Wisconsin voters designed to measure the persuasive effects of canvassing, phone calls, and mailings during the 2008 presidential election. Focusing on the canvassing treatment, we find that persuasive appeals had two unintended consequences. First, they reduced responsiveness to a follow-up survey among infrequent voters, a substantively meaningful behavioral response that has the potential to induce bias in estimates of persuasion effects as well. Second, the persuasive appeals possibly reduced candidate support and almost certainly did not increase it. This counterintuitive finding is reinforced by multiple statistical methods and suggests that contact by a political campaign may engender a backlash.
Towards the objective assessment of fluoroscopy systems: development of a framework to aid the design of tasks and metrics

The purpose of this work is to propose a framework that could help to accelerate the development of task models and figures of merit for fluoroscopy applications. Our final goal is to use this framework to establish an imaging task based on pediatric vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) diagnosis, and to assess a reader study design that mimics contrast medium uptake. The proposed framework is based on task and observer study fine-tuning after consecutive virtual trials. Radiographs of neonates were selected by a radiologist for phantom and observer study development. Ureter depictions of five VUR grades were segmented from published references and used as imaging tasks. A tool to simulate patient+task images was developed based on well-known x-ray imaging models. To validate this tool, two quality assurance phantoms were simulated and compared to actual acquisitions, having as result a good agreement in terms of maximum resolvable line-pair frequency and contrast resolution. In addition, the noise texture and magnitude were very similar. To facilitate virtual trials, a web-based application was developed, which displays simulated images and asks the observer to grade them. Preliminary tests have shown that the application is practical, accessible and provides the needed flexibility for testing different study designs. In conclusion, a framework to facilitate phantom profiling and observer study design has been developed. With this framework it has been possible to simulate and score pediatric VUR diagnostic tasks embedded in realistic anatomical backgrounds, with the goal of developing a study design that can be performed in real time.
Reasons Older Veterans Use the Veterans Health Administration and Non-VHA Care in an Urban Environment.

BACKGROUND Older veterans in urban settings rely less on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) health care, suggesting deficits of access and services for aging veterans. We aimed to identify reasons for VHA and non-VHA use across the health status of older, urban-dwelling veterans. METHODS We examined open-ended responses from 177 veterans who were enrolled in primary care at the Bronx VA Medical Center, used non-VHA care in prior 2 years, and completed baseline interviews in a care coordination trial from March 2016 to August 2017. Using content analysis, we coded and categorized key terms and concepts into an established access framework. This framework included 5 categories: acceptability (relationship, second opinion), accessibility (distance, travel); affordability; availability (supply, specialty care); and accommodation (organization, wait-time). Self-reported health status was stratified by excellent/very good, good, and fair/poor. RESULTS We were able to categorize the responses of 166 veterans, who were older (≥75 years, 61%), minority race and ethnicity (77%), and low income (<$25,000/y, 51%). Veterans mentioned acceptability (42%) and accessibility (37%) the most, followed by affordability (33%), availability (25%), and accommodation (11%). With worse self-reported health status, accessibility intensified (excellent/very good, 24%; fair/poor, 46%; P = .031) particularly among minority veterans, while acceptability remained prominent (excellent/very good, 49%; fair/poor, 37%; P = .25). Other categories were mentioned less with no significant difference across health status. CONCLUSIONS Even in an urban environment, proximity was a leading issue with worse health. Addressing urban accessibility and coordination for older, sicker veterans may enhance care for a growing vulnerable VHA population.
Optimizing Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy for Children With Cerebral Palsy.

* Abbreviations: CIMT — : constraint-induced movement therapy CP — : cerebral palsy Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is one of the best studied treatments for hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP), which is one of the most common types of CP and is estimated to affect 1 per every 1000 children.1,2 Therefore, optimizing the delivery of and access to CIMT has the potential for a broad-reaching and significant impact in pediatric care. CIMT is composed of 2 key components: (1) restraint of the unaffected upper limb, and (2) an intensive structured therapy program. The pathophysiologic rationale behind CIMT is that developmental disregard of the weaker arm can further limit its function. Multiple small studies in children using functional MRI have suggested that CIMT can lead to enlargement of the injured sensorimotor cortex, which is associated with improvement in motor skills in the affected limb in children with hemiplegic CP.3 CIMT focuses primarily on improving upper-extremity use in children with hemiplegic CP, a goal with clear functional importance. Impaired use of an upper limb can restrict a child’s participation in independent activities of daily living and bimanual school tasks. The efficacy of CIMT is clearest when compared with a less intensive therapy regimen as measured by improvements in hand and finger dexterity, speed of hand and arm movements, and the ability to make isolated and independent movements of different parts of the upper limb.4 However, when compared with similar therapy dosages (ie, similar total number of therapy hours), the benefits of CIMT are less apparent.4 In a 2019 Cochrane review on CIMT for children with hemiplegic CP, it was suggested that CIMT may be more beneficial in bimanual performance and unimanual capacity than other lower-intensity upper-extremity therapies. CIMT did not appear to impact strength or muscle tone. The certainty of the … Address correspondence to Alyssa E. Smith, MD, St Louis Children’s Hospital, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St Louis MO 63110-1093. E-mail: smithalyssa{at}wustl.edu
Reasoning by grounded analogy

Analogical reasoning projects a property taken to hold of something or things (the source) to something else (the target) on the basis of just those similarities premised in the analogy. Standard similarity-based accounts of analogical reasoning face the question: Under what conditions does a collection of similarities sufficiently warrant analogical projection? One answer is: When a thing’s having the premised similarities somehow determines its having the projected property. Standardly, this answer has been interpreted as claiming that a formally defined determination relation exists between the variables of which the determining properties are values and the variable of which the determined property is a value. This paper supplies another answer: Analogical projection is warranted when an item’s having the projected property is grounded in its having the premised similarities. Drawing on the metaphysics of grounding, we propose a model of grounded analogy on which analogical reasoning is valid under metaphysical necessity. Our model thus provides one answer to John Stuart Mill’s question of how analogical reasoning based on limited information about a single source case can provide an indefeasible justification for analogical projection. Once a relation of total grounding is ascertained to hold between some similarities and the projected property, no other properties bear on the projectability of the projected property from the source to the target.
Transitioning from Human to Agent-Based Role-Players for Simulation-Based Training

In the context of military training simulation, “semi-automated forces” are software agents that serve as role players. The term implies a degree of shared control – increased automation allows one operator to control a larger number of agents, but too much automation removes control from the instructor. The desired amount of control depends on the situation, so there is no single “best” level of automation. This paper describes the rationale and design for Trainable Automated Forces (TAF), which is based on training by example in order to reduce the development time for automated agents. A central issue is how TAF interprets demonstrated behaviors either as an example to follow specifically, or as contingencies to be executed as the situation permits. We describe the behavior recognizers that allow TAF to produce a high-level model of behaviors. We assess the accuracy of a recognizer for a simple airplane maneuver, showing that it can accurately recognize the maneuver from just a few examples.
In vitro catabolism of human plasma very low density lipoproteins: Effects of VLDL concentration on the interconversion of high density lipoprotein subfractions☆

The effect of lipolysis of human plasma very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) on the distribution of high density lipoprotein subfractions was studied in an in vitro system consisting of purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase and albumin. The distribution of lipids and apoproteins (apoC-II and apoC-III) within the lipoprotein fractions corresponding to HDL2 (d = 1.063-1.120 g/ml) and HDL3 (d = 1.120-1.210 g/ml) was dependent upon the concentration of VLDL in the incubation mixture. After lipolysis of an incubation mixture containing VLDL-triglyceride (0.6 mg triglyceride/ml) and HDL3 (0.1 mg protein/ml), most of the lipid and apoproteins were recovered in HDL3. At higher concentrations of VLDL-triglyceride relative to HDL3-protein (1.8 or 2.4 mg of VLDL-triglyceride and 0.1 mg of HDL3-protein) the amount of lipid and apoprotein isolated in the HDL3 density fraction decreased after lipolysis and there was an increase in the amount isolated between d 1.063-1.120 g/ml. These results provide additional evidence for the conversion of HDL3 to HDL2 during lipolysis. Furthermore, they suggest that the relative distribution of plasma HDL2 and HDL3 is related to the rate of catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.
Frequency, Specificity, and Sites of Expansion of CD8+ T Cells during Primary Pulmonary Influenza Virus Infection

We have used intracellular cytokine staining and MHC class I tetramer binding in conjunction with granzyme B protease expression and in vivo BrdU uptake to characterize the primary murine CD8(+) T cell response to pulmonary influenza virus infection. We have observed that the majority (>90%) of the CD8(+) T cell response to the A/Japan/305/57 virus in the lung at the peak of the response (days 9-11) is directed to four epitopes (three dominant and one subdominant). Using induction of granzyme B as a surrogate to identify specific activated CD8(+) T cells, we found that an unexpectedly large fraction ( approximately 70%) of lung-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells expressed granzyme B on day 6 of infection when estimates by MHC tetramer/intracellular cytokine staining yielded substantially lower frequencies ( approximately 30%). In addition, by using intranasal administration of BrdU during infection, we obtained evidence for proliferative expansion of activated CD8(+) T cells in the infected lung early (days 5-7) in the primary response. These results suggest that the frequency and number of specific CTL present in the lung early in infection may be underestimated by standard detection methods, and primary CD8(+) T cell expansion may occur in both secondary lymphoid organs and the infected lung.
On radar detection of EeV air showers

Extensive air showers produced by EeV cosmic rays leave a significant ionization trail, which may be detectable by radar reflection, by analogy to the way both meteor and lightning ionization trails are presently observed. Such methods could lead to low-cost detection and characterization of events near and above the GZK cutoff.
Portfolio Construction with Active Managers: An Integrated Approach

Alpha, or skill-based return, is a critical component of most investors' portfolios. Investors collectively spend enormous time and energy identifying active managers that can generate alpha and ultimately improve portfolio performance. Unfortunately, even if investors can identify managers who can generate positive alpha, these managers present a number of challenges from a portfolio construction standpoint. These challenges include short track records, biases in reported returns, and dynamic investment strategies. Most standard asset allocation approaches fail to deal with these challenges in a holistic fashion and are not very useful for helping investors determine allocations across active managers. Investors instead need new forecasting and optimization tools to deal with the portfolio construction difficulties that active managers present. Such tools have the potential to dramatically improve portfolio performance in practice, as compared to more traditional portfolio construction techniques. Keywords: alpha; asset allocation; benchmark; beta; core satellite; forecast risk; hedge fund; information ratios; portfolio construction; portable alpha
Granular-cell pituicytoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2: Case report

✓ Granular-cell pituicytomas of the neurohypophysis have a controversial histogenesis and oncological behavior. The occurrence of such a tumor in a patient whose father and daughter had endocrine neoplasms suggests a neuroectodermal origin for these tumors. Although all of the conditions considered in this report are unusual clinical entities, their correlation offers considerations in understanding the importance of genetic factors in tumor development.
Constraints and restraints in refinement

In crystallographic refinement a great deal is known about a crystal before any diffraction data are collected. Chapter 8.3 discusses ways to make use of this prior knowledge by applying constraints and restraints to the model. The most obvious constraints, which may be applied either by using Lagrange undetermined multipliers or by reducing the number of variable parameters in the model, are those imposed by space-group symmetry on unit-cell constants, atom positions, and atom-displacement parameters. They may also include site occupancies, molecular shapes, noncrystallographic symmetry, and rigid-body thermal motion. Restraints may be applied when bond distances, bond angles, and relations among motion parameters are not known precisely in advance, but must lie within narrow ranges. The chapter includes a table of typical values of bond distances and angles found in the amino-acid residues in polypeptides and proteins. Keywords: constrained models; constraints in refinement; Lagrange undetermined multipliers; restraints in refinement; stereochemical constraints
Commercializing federal technology

Government actions that have improved the private sector's ability to develop the commercial implications of federally funded R&D in the last ten years are discussed. Particular attention is given to the role played by the US Department of Commerce in bringing about these improvements. >
Possible role of APC gene in hematopoisis: An implication from anemia in ApcMIN/+ mice

1980 APCMIN/+ mice, with a truncated allele of APC (adenomatous polyposis coli), have been utilized widely to study intestinal tumorigenesis and APC function. However, APCMIN/+ mice do not develop metastatic cancer, and often die of progressive anemia. Anemia is thought to be a consequence of hemorrhage caused by intestinal tumors. APC plays a key role in the Wnt signaling pathway and recent evidences implicates Wnt signaling in the proliferation/differentiation switch in hematopoietic stem cells. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that the APCMIN/+ genotype compromises hematopoiesis, which either induces anemia or abrogates the ability to compensate for blood loss caused by tumor hemorrhage. A mild normocytic-normochromic anemia was observed in APCMIN/+ mice compared to wild-type littermates at 6 and 9 weeks of age. In APCMIN/+ mice in this age range, few large tumors were detected and fecal porphyrin content was comparable with wild-type littermates in mice ≤ 8 weeks. Extramedullary splenic erythropoiesis was detected in all APCMIN/+ mice at 9 weeks of age without an accompanying elevation in erythrocyte progenitors or in erythropoiesis in the bone marrow. APCMIN/+ mice ≥ 12 weeks of age developed severe hypochromic anemia in an age-dependent progressive pattern, with elevated fecal porphyrin content and significant spleen enlargement. In APCMIN/+ mice of all ages, an inverse correlation was observed between the number of large tumors and red blood cell (RBC) count and between RBC count and spleen index. Our data suggested that the development of anemia is a complex interplay of at least 3 processes: an early plateau in erythropoiesis, a shift to extramedullary erythropoiesis in the spleen with no known physiological basis, and an increase in tumor size and intestinal blood loss.
Usefulness of proton and phosphorus MR spectroscopic imaging for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cerebral mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). If mitochondrial dysfunction is an early event contributing to PD development, then noninvasive techniques that detect disturbed energy metabolism in vivo might be useful tools for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that proton (1H) and phosphorus (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) measures of brain metabolites are able to differentiate between individuals with early PD and healthy volunteers (HVs). METHODS During this cross-sectional study including 20 subjects with early PD and 15 age-matched HV, ventricular lactate (anaerobic glycolysis); and regional levels of N-acetylaspartate (neuronal integrity); choline (membrane turnover); creatine (energy metabolism); ATP and other phosphate-containing compounds (oxidative phosphorylation) were determined using brain 1H and 31P MRS. RESULTS No metabolic abnormalities were detectable in early-stage PD patients. Metabolite concentrations were not related to age, disease duration, or Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor scores. DISCUSSION In early PD, neither 1H nor 31P MRS were able to detect metabolic abnormalities, a finding that is in contrast to published data in more advanced PD cohorts. MRS under dynamic conditions might uncover latent energy deficits in early PD, thus warranting future study.
The Nature of Experiences Responsible for the Generation and Maintenance of Interest in STEM

Previous research has established the importance of early interest in STEM as a key factor in persistence. Our current research builds on this foundation and extends it to add more detail to understanding the types of experiences that trigger and maintain interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Using survey data from nearly 8,000 individuals, we are able to address the When?, What?, and Who? of those first experiences. Additionally, our data provide information on the types of experiences that maintained interest (or not) beyond the triggering event. Through purposeful sampling, our data include those who ended up in STEM fields and those who did not, which allows us to make important comparisons across these groups. Overall, our findings indicate that individuals who complete STEM degrees have quite varied histories and that the triggering of their interest happened across a wide age spectrum. Similarly, in terms of who was involved or what their triggering experience was, the general results support the notion that there are many pathways to STEM with no clear preferential pathway.
Lactobacilli Modulate Epithelial Cytoprotection through the Nrf2 Pathway

An optimal gut microbiota influences many beneficial processes in the metazoan host. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate and function in symbiont-induced host responses have not yet been fully characterized. Here, we report that cellular ROS enzymatically generated in response to contact with lactobacilli in both mice and Drosophila has salutary effects against exogenous insults to the intestinal epithelium via the activation of Nrf2 responsive cytoprotective genes. These data show that the xenobiotic-inducible Nrf2 pathway participates as a signaling conduit between the prokaryotic symbiont and the eukaryotic host. Indeed, our data imply that the capacity of lactobacilli to induce redox signaling in epithelial cells is a highly conserved hormetic adaptation to impel cellular conditioning to exogenous biotic stimuli. These data also highlight the role the microbiota plays in eukaryotic cytoprotective pathways and may have significant implications in the characterization of a eubiotic microbiota.
Becoming other than we were: moments of transformation in dialogic communication

This paper explores the move away from the idea of speech communication as a process of information transmission, and explores instead the role of the spontaneous, living, expressive-responsiveness of our bodies. This opens up both «the active role of the other in the process of speech communication» (Bakhtin, 1986, p. 70), and the role of what we might call the «determining surroundings» of our utterance. For, on the one hand, the (often invisible) surroundings of our utterances can not only influence, i.e., give shape to, the intonational contours of our utterances, but also their whole style, our word choices, the metaphors we use, and so on. Thus, bringing our words back from their «free-floating» use – whether it be in committee or seminar rooms, in psychotherapy, in strategic planning in businesses, on the internet, or in just general conversations in sitting rooms – to their use within a shared set of «determining surroundings» is crucial if we are to understand how the «specific variability» in a speaker’s expressions are expressive both of his or her unique «inner world», and of the unique «point» he or she wants to express, to make, in relation to their world. For it is only when our words are at home in the determining surroundings of their everyday use, that we can express our true identities as the unique individuals that we are or can be – any requirement that we express ourselves only within an established code is a limitation on who we are or can be. And it is our living openness to the specific variability in the expressions of others that can allow their «otherness» to enter us and make us other than we already are.
Communal Nesting in Asocial Abert's Squirrels: the Role of Social Thermoregulation and Breeding Strategy

The social thermoregulation hypothesis states that endothermic species will communally nest to reduce energy expenditures on thermoregulation. The hypothesis predicts that the frequency of communal nesting should increase with decreasing ambient temperature. The potential costs of communal nesting (e.g., increased predation risk, resource competition, cuckoldry, parasite/disease transmission, or infanticide) could decrease the frequency of communal nesting especially for asocial breeding females with dependent offspring. We examined the effects of ambient temperature and seasonal reproductive activities on the probability of communal nesting in Abert's squirrels (Sciurus aberti) in the Pinaleno Mountains, Arizona. Most squirrels nested consistently with the same partner in mixed-sex pairs. The proportion of individuals engaging in communal nesting increased with decreasing ambient temperature as predicted by the social thermoregulation hypothesis. The onset of the breeding season greatly reduced the proportion of individuals communally nesting. The negative relationship between ambient temperature and communal nesting supports the use of communal nesting in Abert's squirrels as a mechanism to reduce thermoregulatory costs during cold conditions. The abrupt drop in the frequency of communal nesting during the breeding season is likely due to female abandonment of this behavior. By avoiding communally nesting during the breeding season, females may prevent males from mating with them outside of mating chases, reduce resource competition, and protect offspring from infanticide, diseases, and parasites. Males may gain additional fitness benefits from nesting with females because familiarity with females increases dominance rank in mating activities.