cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subsistence Ecology in the Mediterranean Forest: Implications for the Origins of Cultivation in the Epipaleolithic Southern Levant

Examinant les conditions ecologiques probables ayant existe dans la foret mediterraneenne du Sud Levant et reconstruisant la subsistance ecologique des Natufians, l'A. revoit la these selon laquelle ces derniers auraient ete les initiateurs de l'intensification de la culture des cereales.
A Perspective on “Volume and heat of hydration of ions”

Born's simple derivation of the free energy of hydration of ions is classic. It connects the microscopic atomic properties with the macroscopic thermodynamics in a transparent fashion.
Turnover of UDP-sugars in E. coli mutants with altered UDP-sugar hydrolase

Abstract The pool size and pool turnover of UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose, and UDP- N -acetylglucosamine have been measured in three strains of E. coli having respectively normal UDP-sugar hydrolase, cryptic UDP-sugar hydrolase, and partially cryptic UDP-sugar hydrolase. The pool sizes are similar in all three organisms, namely UDP- d -glucose + UDP- d -galactose = 8 μmoles/g dry weight and UDP- N -acetyl- d -glucosamine = 4 μmoles/g dry weight. The cells with cryptic UDP-sugar hydrolase have significantly less polymeric glucose than the parent cell. In the parent strain, 57% of the turnover of the UDP-glucose (galactose) pool can be accounted for by synthesis of polymeric glucose, while in the mutant strains only 7–20% of the turnover of nucleotide pool can be accounted for by polymer synthesis. These observations suggest that UDP-sugar hydrolase has increased access to the intracellular pool in the cryptic mutants.
Simulation based approach to study the interaction of scheduling and routing on a logistic network

This research investigates the interaction of production scheduling and routing/transportation on a logistic network. Basic scheduling rules and existing rou ting/transportation alternatives were studied using a simulation model, with cost and customer service le vels as measures of performance. The simulation model, including network configuration, orders, service times, etc., was based on a “real world” electronic manufa cturer, where the production process requires comp onents to flow through three facilities. The two existing routing/transportation alternatives are ocean and air freight. The analysis of the results indicated that ce rtain combinations of scheduling and routing rules r esult in low manufacturing-logistic costs while maintain high levels of customer service.
Learning pair-wise gene functional similarity by multiplex gene expression maps.

Background: The relationships between the gene functional similarity and gene expression profile, and between gene function annotation and gene sequence have been studied extensively. However, not much work has considered the connection between gene functions and location of a gene’s expression in the mammalian tissues. On the other hand, although unsupervised learning methods have been commonly used in functional genomics, supervised learning cannot be directly applied to a set of normal genes without having a target (class) attribute. Results: Here, we propose a supervised learning methodology to predict pair-wise gene functional similarity from multiplex gene expression maps that provide information about the location of gene expression. The features are extracted from expression maps and the labels denote the functional similarities of pairs of genes. We make use of wavelet features, original expression values, difference and average values of neighboring voxels and other features to perform boosting analysis. The experimental results show that with increasing similarities of gene expression maps, the functional similarities are increased too. The model predicts the functional similarities between genes to a certain degree. The weights of the features in the model indicate the features that are more significant for this prediction. Conclusions: By considering pairs of genes, we propose a supervised learning methodology to predict pair-wise gene functional similarity from multiplex gene expression maps. We also explore the relationship between similarities of gene maps and gene functions. By using AdaBoost coupled with our proposed weak classifier we analyze a large-scale gene expression dataset and predict gene functional similarities. We also detect the most significant single voxels and pairs of neighboring voxels and visualize them in the expression map image of a mouse brain. This work is very important for predicting functions of unknown genes. It also has broader applicability since the methodology can be applied to analyze any large-scale dataset without a target attribute and is not restricted to gene expressions.
Transdifferentiation potential of human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow

Transdifferentiation is a process whereby one cell type committed to and progressing along a specific developmental lineage switches into another cell type of a different lineage through genetic reprogramming. Even though this process has been well studied and established in amphibian systems, it is unclear if mammalian cells possess the same potential. Recent in vivo transplantation studies showed that adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were able to differentiate into mesoderm-derived cell types as well as cells with neuroectodermal and endodermal characteristics, suggesting that transdifferentiation occurs in mammalian systems. However, there are concerns over these findings because of the possibility of progenitor cell contamination and cell fusion. In this study, we have developed an in vitro differentiation strategy to assess if human MSCs that have differentiated into a given mesenchyme cell lineage can transdifferentiate into other cell types in response to inductive extracellular cues. Our results showed that fully differentiated cells from hMSCs were capable of dedifferentiation and transdifferentiation into cells of another developmental lineage at single cell levels.
Long-term effect of ovariectomy and simulated birth trauma on the lower urinary tract of female rats.

Purpose: Using an animal model we studied the long-term effects of ovariectomy and simulated birth trauma in the development of apoptosis as well as the urodynamic, histological and ultrastructural findings 9 months after such procedures.Materials and Methods: A total of 24 pregnant Sprague-Dawley female rats were used. Immediately after delivery 14 animals underwent vaginal ballooning and ovariectomy, while the remaining 10 served as controls. At 9 months the animals underwent urodynamic evaluation, which included the urethral pressure profile. The rats were then sacrificed and urogenital tissue was obtained for immunostaining using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling, histomorphometry evaluation and electron microscopy.Results: Immunostaining demonstrated a significant increase in the apoptotic index in the urethra of castrated/ballooning rats with a predominance in the submucosa layer. Maximum urethral closure pressure was significantly lower in th...
Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.

SummaryObjective Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is estimated to affect up to 20% of women. PCOS is associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the impact of race/ethnicity on the prevalence of CV risk factors and subclinical predictors of CV events. Design Cross-sectional analysis of data collected by the Dallas Heart Study, an urban, population-based cohort oversampled for blacks. Patients A previously described cohort of women with PCOS and control subjects of the same racial/ethnic group, matched for age and body mass index. Measurements Hormonal and clinical measures associated with PCOS and CV risk factors. Results The study included 117 women with PCOS and 204 controls. Women with PCOS had significant differences across racial/ethnic groups in the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and impaired fasting glucose (P < 0·05). Controls showed significant racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of hypertension and impaired fasting glucose (P < 0·05). The odds of hypertension were significantly greater among women with PCOS than controls after adjusting for race/ethnicity (odds ratio, 1·50 [95% CI, 1·03–2·30]; P = 0·04). However, we did not see an interaction of race/ethnicity that significantly changed CV risk factor prevalence between PCOS and controls. In addition, subclinical measures of CV disease were not different between women with PCOS vs controls, even among hypertensive women. Conclusions Race/ethnicity affects the prevalence of CV risk factors for women with and without PCOS. However, race/ethnicity does not interact with PCOS to additionally increase CV risk factor prevalence or subclinical CV disease.
The Earmarking Defense to Voidable Preference Liability: A Reconceptualization

In this article, the authors consider the earmarking defense to voidable preference liability. The earmarking defense states that if a debtor borrows from B to pay off A, A has not received a voidable preference. The usual justification is that A has received B's property, not the debtor's property. Such a rationale does not work. The debtor always owns the proceeds of the loans it obtains. As proof, when the debtor borrows from B in exchange for collateral, courts affirm that loan proceeds are indeed debtor property, and A is indeed guilty of voidable preference. The authors show that earmarking is simply the "contemporaneous exchange" defense in an unusual form. Prior to the Bankruptcy Code, this defense was judge-made. Congress elected to embody the defense in 547(c)(1). Therefore, it follows that earmarking should be governed statutorily by 547(c)(1). If this suggestion is followed, the parameters of the earmarking defense would change in ways that are more consistent with the logic of voidable preference law, especially as that law has been applied to check kiting cases.
Adaptive Strategies for Mass Conservation in Level Set Treatment

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that mass conservation of the level set method in multifluid simulations can be significantly improved by reducing spatial discretization errors, and that this can be accomplished without significant complications in coding, or computational burden. Our approach consists of two synergistic elements: (i) increasing space discretization accuracy (up to 11 th -order) by using Linear WENO (LWENO) schemes; and (ii) increasing local resolution by Structured Adaptive Mesh Refinement (SAMR), both based on the third-order-accurate Runge-Kutta time discretization treatment. With this approach, the level set method becomes essentially free of mass conservation errors, while it is still highly efficient, and readily amenable to 3D parallel implementations. The improved mass conservation of our approach is demonstrated on a series of classical test problems, which represent flows that induce significant interfacial deformation, stretching and tearing. These include “rotation of Zalesak disk”, “single-vortex flow”, “2D and 3D deformation-inducing flow” for uncoupled simulations with prescribed solenoidal velocity field; and “liquid drop coupled to external flow” and “shock-induced bubble collapse” with full coupling via incompressible and compressible flow solvers, respectively.
Diffusion of Radionuclides in Brine-Saturated Backfill Barrier Materials

The diffusion of cesium(I), strontium(II), pertechnetate and europium in brine-saturated backfill materials was measured. Plastic diffusion cells containing cylindrical diffusion columns were used for low density backfill materials. The diffusion of gamma-emitters was followed by a gamma scanning technique. Metal diffusion cells constructed entirely from Hastelloy C-276 were used for the diffusion of pertechnetate in highly compacted bentonite. Apparent distribution coefficients calculated from diffusion data are (a) 0.02 m3/kg for cesium(I) in 40 wt.% mordenite and 60 wt.% bentonite; (b) 0.04 m3/kg for strontium(II) in 10 wt.% sodium titanate and 90 wt.% bentonite; (c) 0.5 m3/kg for pertechnetate in 70 wt.% charcoal and 30 wt.% bentonite; and (d) 3 m3/kg for europium in 100% bentonite. Backfill effectiveness estimates based on batch sorption measurements were supported by these results;however, the diffusion results for europium did not agree well with a model for diffusion retarded by linear sorption. First measurements of pertechnetate diffusion in highly compacted bentonite suggest that anion exclusion may play a role in reducing mass transport rates of anions in this material. Needs for diffusion measurements that take into account site-specific materials interactions are described.
A rare case of occult uterine inversion at an Army community hospital: a case report.

ABSTRACTUterine inversion is a rare occurrence in obstetrics, but it is a life-threatening complication. Most cases of inversion are caused by excessive cord traction during management of the third stage of labor. We describe a rare case of a complete uterine inversion in a 19-year-old G1P0 dependent spouse of a deployed active duty soldier. After failure of manual correction of the inversion, the patient was taken emergently to the operating room, where the inversion was successfully corrected using surgical methods. The patient required 3 units of packed red blood cells over the next 24 hours, but was discharged home in good condition on postoperative day 3. This case demonstrates the importance of a rapid diagnosis and management of uterine inversion, as it is a rare but serious complication of vaginal delivery.
Craigslist as a source for heroin: a report of two cases

AbstractIntroduction: Online drug markets and social media are facilitating the spread of information and sale of illicit substances. Online sites, such as Craigslist and Bluelight, underscore an emerging shift in contemporary drug consumerism.Case Descriptions: We report on two cases. Case 1 is a 42-year-old male with a history of heroin-use disorder, presented for an initial visit to an office-based buprenorphine program, and reported having acquired heroin from Craigslist. Despite several harrowing experiences, Craigslist remained Patient 1’s primary method of purchasing heroin during a 14-month period. Craigslist ads also redirected the patient to the web site Bluelight, which facilitated access to updated information on open-air drug markets in New York City. Case 2 is a 23-year-old male, who was admitted to inpatient detoxification and utilized the site for the sale of heroin in order to fund his own use of heroin. He sold heroin via Craigslist for 1 year until his arrest, noting undeterred advertis...
Coumarin carboxylic acids as monocarboxylate transporter 1 inhibitors: In vitro and in vivo studies as potential anticancer agents

Novel N,N-dialkyl carboxy coumarins have been synthesized as potential anticancer agents via inhibition of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1). These coumarin carboxylic acids have been evaluated for their in vitro MCT1 inhibition, MTT cancer cell viability, bidirectional Caco-2 cell permeability, and stability in human and liver microsomes. These results indicate that one of the lead candidate compounds 4a has good absorption, metabolic stability, and a low drug efflux ratio. Systemic toxicity studies with lead compound 4a in healthy mice demonstrate that this inhibitor is well tolerated based on zero animal mortality and normal body weight gains compared to the control group. In vivo tumor growth inhibition studies in mice show that the candidate compound 4a exhibits significant single agent activity in MCT1 expressing GL261-luc2 syngraft model but doesn’t show significant activity in MCT4 expressing MDA-MB-231 xenograft model, indicating the selectivity of 4a for MCT1 expressing tumors.
Plasmid Driven Evolution of Bacteria

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules that can potentially be transferred horizontally as well as vertically in bacterial lineages. Plasmids have been shown to code for numerous bacterial phenotypes, the most concerning of which is resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Plasmid-mediated transfer of drug resistance genes has notably led to the rapid spread of resistant strains, which now presents a human health crisis. While the rapid evolution of bacteria due to horizontal plasmid transfer has historically dominated this research field, increasing attention is being paid to the (co)evolutionary interactions that shape the long-term population dynamics of bacteria and plasmids.
Abstract 324: Cancer, Arterial Thrombosis and Major Bleeding Following Orthopedic Surgery

Background: Although cancer is a well-recognized risk factor for venous thromboembolic events, the relationship between cancer and perioperative arterial thrombotic and bleeding complications is uncertain. We therefore sought to investigate the incidence of thrombotic and bleeding events in subjects with and without a history of cancer undergoing orthopedic surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 3,082 subjects > 21 years of age undergoing orthopedic surgery of the hip, knee, or spine between November 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 at a tertiary care medical center. The presence of cancer was determined by ICD-9 diagnostic coding. In-hospital outcomes included perioperative myocardial necrosis (troponin > 99th percentile), major bleeding (as per the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis [ISTH] perioperative bleeding definition), and coded myocardial infarction (MI) and post-operative hemorrhage using the hospital administrative dataset using ICD-9 procedure codes. Results: Of the 3,082 subjects, 69 (2.2%) were identified as having a history of cancer. Subjects with cancer were older (65.5±14.7 vs 60.6±13.2, P=0.003) and less likely female (32/69 [46%] vs 1790/3013 [59%], P=0.03). Subjects with cancer had a greater incidence of myocardial necrosis (15/69 [21.7%] vs 164/3013 [5.4%], P<0.001), MI (3/69 [4.3%] vs 17/3013 [0.6%], P<0.001), perioperative major bleeding (21/69 [30.4%] vs 144/3013 [4.8%], P<0.001), and post-operative hemorrhage (6/69 [8.7%] vs 20/3013 [0.7%], P<0.001) than subjects without cancer. Following multivariable logistic regression, cancer was associated with myocardial necrosis (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.30-5.35, P=0.007), MI (OR 2.65, 95% CI 0.63-11.09, P=0.18), major bleeding, (OR 6.45, 95% CI 3.42-12.17, P<0.001), and post-operative hemorrhage (OR 7.64, 95% CI 2.44-23.93, P<0.001). Conclusions: There is an increased risk of both thrombotic and bleeding complications in subjects with cancer in the setting of orthopedic surgery. This perioperative risk deserves careful attention in preoperative clearance and future studies aimed at attenuating this increased risk are warranted.
Monitoring of indoor environments by change detection in point clouds

This paper describes a complete method for monitoring indoor environments. Three-dimensional (3D) point clouds are first acquired from the environment under investigation by means of a laser range scanner in order to obtain several 3D models to be compared. Input datasets are thus registered each other exploiting a reliable variant of the iterative closest point algorithm (ICP) assisted by the use of deletion masks. These terms work in cooperation with the resampling of the model surfaces to reduce significantly the errors in the estimation of the registration parameters. Once datasets are registered, deformation maps are displayed to help the user to detect changes within the environment. Deletion masks are again used to filter measurement artifacts from the comparison, thus highlighting only the actual alterations of the environment. Several experiments are performed for the analysis of an indoor environment, proving the capability of the proposed method to reliably estimate the presence of alterations.
Εικονογραφικές παραλλαγές σε ένα ευαγγέλιο του 10ου αιώνα

Ο κώδικας Sin . gr . 204 eίναι γνωστό βυζαντινό χeιρόγραφο που χρονολογeίται γύρω στο 1000 μ. Χ. Μeταξύ των μικρογραφιών του, δύο ξeχωρίζουν ως μη συνηθισμένeς: το πορτραίτο της Θeοτόκου που κρατeί eιλητό και ο αταύτιστος eρημίτης Πέτρος. Η Θeοτόκος φαίνeται να αντιγράφeι παράσταση Οδηγήτριας, μe το μικρό Χριστό να έχeι αντικατασταθeί από eιλητό στο αδέξια αποδοσμένο αριστeρό χέρι της. Ο καλλιτέχνης ίσως θeώρησe αναγκαία αυτή την eπινόηση, λόγω της ύπαρξης πορτραίτου του Χριστού στο προηγούμeνο φύλλο. Το πορτραίτο του μοναχού Πέτρου διαφοροποιeται από τα άλλα eξαιτίας της eπίπeδης, σχeδόν μονόχρωμης απόδοσής του. Α υτός ο τρόπος απόδοσης eίναι ίσως eμπνeυσμένος από πορτραίτα θανόντων αγίων σe μηνολόγια, ώστe να τονισθeί ότι πρόκeιται για τοπικό, νeώτeρο ασκητή, σe αντί- θe ση προς τους e υαγγeλιστές, τον Χριστό και τη Θeοτόκο.
Combined Microwave and Hyperspectral Infrared Retrievals of Atmospheric Profiles in the Presence of Clouds using Nonlinear Stochastic Methods

A novel retrieval technique using stochastic cloud clearing and neural network estimation has been developed and evaluated. Retrieval RMS accuracies and quality control estimates are similar to physical, iterated methods while requiring substantially less computation.
The Illusion of Tradition: Spurious Quotations and the Gun Control Debate

Opponents of gun control often attribute pro-gun quotations to the nation's founders. Of these, Thomas Jefferson's supposed statements that “The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not b...
Improving fortification with weekly analysis of human milk for VLBW infants.

OBJECTIVE To track individual mother's macronutrient variability in preterm human milk (HM) over 6 weeks of lactation. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective, observational study of mother's own milk from women who delivered a very low birth weight infant (<1500 g). A single, random maternal breast milk sample was collected and analyzed weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. Analysis was by mid-infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS Twenty women consented to provide at least one milk sample. Fat, protein and energy content varied widely among mothers and by week of lactation. Energy content ranged from 9.5 to 30.4 kcal oz-1 across the study period. Twenty-five percent of all samples had an energy content <17 kcal oz-1. Protein content ranged from 1.1 to 2.8 g dl-1 in the first week. Sixty-three percent of all samples had a protein content <1.5 g dl-1. Fat and energy showed trends of increasing concentrations, whereas protein showed the expected decline over time. Lactose showed little variability by woman or by week of lactation. CONCLUSION HM fat and protein content varied widely by individual woman over time. Week-to-week variability in fat and protein can impact growth. The ability to analyze HM is helpful to improve fortification of HM.
Farming Chicago: Prospects for Higher Education Support of Sustainable Urban Food Systems in the U.S. Heartland.

The article highlights recent food policies in Chicago with the goal of exploring how higher education institutions can contribute to development of sustainable food resources for residents of North American cities. Thousands of Chicago residents face daily challenges accessing fresh food due to income constraints and/or lack of proximity to food retailers. Concomitantly, the city’s high dependency on imported food, often from thousands of miles away, is countered by growing interest in local production in community gardens and urban farms. The article outlines efforts at redeveloping Chicago into a thriving producer of fresh food through advocacy, policy making, and planning; and curriculum and community engagement efforts at Chicago area universities and colleges that exemplifies higher education’s role in creating a just and ecologically sustainable urban food system. The examples illustrate the importance of multi-institutional collaboration, often driven by community-based advocacy groups that facilitate local food research, technical assistance, and policy initiatives with support from universities and colleges. The article therefore highlights the supportive role urban higher education institutions can play in building food systems that support the local food economy, contribute to improving the natural environment, and expand access to nutritious fresh food for those with the least wherewithal.
Improved surface method for computing eddy-current modes

Broadband electromagnetic induction sensors are effective at detecting and classifying buried metal, such as landmines, by using an incident magnetic field to induce eddy currents in buried metal and measuring the secondary magnetic field they produce. A target’s magnetic polarizability is a frequency dependent tensor that expresses the relationship between the incident magnetic field and the scattered field created by the eddy currents. Viewed as a singularity expansion, the magnetic polarizability can be decomposed into contributions from a set of eddy-current modes which relax at different frequencies. This decomposition provides a unique signature for targets of interest, allowing them to be effectively distinguished from clutter. In this paper, an improved, streamfunction-based numerical approach will be presented that can accurately compute the eddy-current modes that flow in thin conducting shells and their contribution to the singularity expansion of the magnetic polarizability.
KBID: Kerberos Bracelet Identification (Short Paper)

The most common method for a user to gain access to a system, service, or resource is to provide a secret, often a password, that verifies her identity and thus authenticates her. Password-based authentication is considered strong only when the password meets certain length and complexity requirements, or when it is combined with other methods in multi-factor authentication. Unfortunately, many authentication systems do not enforce strong passwords due to a number of limitations; for example, the time taken to enter complex passwords. We present an authentication system that addresses these limitations by prompting a user for credentials once and then storing an authentication ticket in a wearable device that we call Kerberos Bracelet Identification (KBID).
Recommendations for Care of Geriatric Maxillofacial Trauma Patients Following a Retrospective 10-Year Multicenter Review.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze maxillofacial trauma sustained by patients at least 75 years old. With the injury patterns identified, treatment recommendations for the contemporary oral and maxillofacial surgeon are made. Patients and Methods This study was a retrospective case series using data from 2 level 1 trauma centers. The variables of interest included age at traumatic event, gender, mechanism of trauma, concomitant injuries, radiographic studies performed, management of maxillofacial injuries, and disposition. Numerical analysis was completed with statistical software. Results One hundred seventy-six patients at least 75 years old who sustained facial trauma were identified. Ground-level falls caused most cases of maxillofacial trauma in the geriatric population. The median age at the time of trauma was 83 and 85 years for men and women, respectively. The most common injuries were midface fractures. Intracranial hemorrhage was the most common concomitant injury, and all but 1 patient underwent computed tomography of at least the head after their traumatic event. Most maxillofacial injuries were treated without operative repair. Conclusions The information gained from this study suggests that oral and maxillofacial surgeons should counsel geriatric patients on the risk of falls and encourage the prevention of potential hazards for falls in their homes.
The Narrative Construction of Fang-Nu (房奴): An Urban Identity in Post-Modern China

This chapter provides an ethnographic study of how an urban identity, “fang-nu”, is discursively constructed in the stories of homeownership on Chinese social media. Many homebuyers in China describe themselves as fang-nu (房奴), which literally means “house slave” as they feel like a slave to the house they bought due to the excessive monthly mortgage installments. Drawing on the ethnography of communication, this study examines participants’ stories of home-buying experiences and feelings in a virtual community and explicates the social psychological states of urban Chinese as revealed in their discursive presentation of an urban identity—fang-nu.
Early VGLUT1-specific parallel fiber synaptic deficits and dysregulated cerebellar circuit in the KIKO mouse model of Friedreich ataxia

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder with progressive ataxia that affects both the peripheral and central nervous system (CNS). While later CNS neuropathology involves loss of large principal neurons and glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic terminals in the cerebellar dentate nucleus, early pathological changes in FRDA cerebellum remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we report early cerebellar VGLUT1 (SLC17A7)-specific parallel fiber (PF) synaptic deficits and dysregulated cerebellar circuit in the frataxin knock-in/knockout (KIKO) FRDA mouse model. At asymptomatic ages, VGLUT1 levels in cerebellar homogenates are significantly decreased, whereas VGLUT2 (SLC17A6) levels are significantly increased, in KIKO mice compared with age-matched controls. Additionally, GAD65 (GAD2) levels are significantly increased, while GAD67 (GAD1) levels remain unaltered. This suggests early VGLUT1-specific synaptic input deficits, and dysregulation of VGLUT2 and GAD65 synaptic inputs, in the cerebellum of asymptomatic KIKO mice. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy further show specific reductions of VGLUT1-containing PF presynaptic terminals in the cerebellar molecular layer, demonstrating PF synaptic input deficiency in asymptomatic and symptomatic KIKO mice. Moreover, the parvalbumin levels in cerebellar homogenates and Purkinje neurons are significantly reduced, but preserved in other interneurons of the cerebellar molecular layer, suggesting specific parvalbumin dysregulation in Purkinje neurons of these mice. Furthermore, a moderate loss of large principal neurons is observed in the dentate nucleus of asymptomatic KIKO mice, mimicking that of FRDA patients. Our findings thus identify early VGLUT1-specific PF synaptic input deficits and dysregulated cerebellar circuit as potential mediators of cerebellar dysfunction in KIKO mice, reflecting developmental features of FRDA in this mouse model.
Comparison of tissue deterioration of ripening banana fruit (Musa spp., AAA group, Cavendish subgroup) under chilling and non-chilling temperatures.

In fleshy fruits, induced programmed cell death (PCD) has been observed in heat-treated tomato, and in ethylene-treated and low-temperature exposure in immature cucumber. No other fleshy fruit has been evaluated for chilling-injury-induced PCD, especially mature fruit with full ripening capacity. The purpose of this research was to identify and evaluate the presence of PCD processes during the development of low-temperature-induced physiopathy of banana fruit.; Results: Exposure of fruit to 5 °C for 4 days induced degradative processes similar to those occurring during ripening and overripening of non-chilled fruit. Nuclease from banana peel showed activity in both DNA substrates and RNA substrates. No exclusive low-temperature-induced proteases and nucleases were observed. DNA of chilled peel showed earlier signs of degradation and higher levels of DNA tailing during overripening.; Conclusion: This study shows that exposure to low temperatures did not induce a pattern of degradative processes that differed from that occurring during ripening and overripening of non-chilled fruit. DNA showed earlier signs of degradation and higher levels of DNA tailing. Nuclease activity analysis showed bifunctionality in both chilled and non-chilled tissue and no chilling-exclusive protease and nuclease. Fleshy fruit might use their available resources on degradative processes and adjust them depending on environmental conditions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Antiplasmodial Diterpenoids and a Benzotropolone from Petradoria pumila

An extract of Petradoria pumila from the Natural Products Discovery Institute was found to have moderate antiplasmodial activity, with an IC50 value between 5 and 10 μg/mL. The four new diterpenoids petradoriolides A–D (1–4), the new benzotropolone petradoriolone (5), and the two known lignans 6 and 7 were isolated after bioassay-directed fractionation. The structures and stereochemistries of the new compounds were determined by interpretation of NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and ECD spectra. Among these compounds, petradoriolide C (3) displayed the most potent antiplasmodial activity, with an IC50 value of 7.3 μM.
Solvent and Structure Studies of Novel Polyimide Adhesives

Significant improvements in condensation polyimide adhesives have been made by chemical modification of the diamine or dianhydride monomers, by use of copolymer composition and by use of a unique ether solvent as the polymerization medium. The effect on adhesive properties was studied and a family of adhesives developed whose bonding pressures (40-200 psi) and use temperature (up to 300°C) can be varied with composition to cover a wide range of practical applications. Alterations in the polymer backbone have also led to imidized films that have sufficient flow for possible use as film adhesives.
Nuclear Binding of the Estrogen Receptor: Heterogeneity of Sites and Uterotropic Response

Two kinds of estradiol binding sites are present in purified nuclei from the rat uterus following estradiol injection. One of these sites (type I) corresponds to the well-known estrogen receptor which undergoes translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The second site (type II) is not translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, however, estradiol treatment does stimulate an increased number of these sites. Type II sites are observed in purified nuclei and chromatin isolated from the uterus but not from non-target tissues such as the spleen and diaphragm. Thus an elevation in the levels of type II sites appear to be a specific nuclear response of the rat uterus to estradiol. Saturation analysis over a wide range of [3H]-estradiol concentrations produces a binding curve for type II sites which is sigmoidal and hence no accurate estimation of the dissociation constant is possible. The binding of [3H]-estradiol to nuclear type II sites is inhibited by estradiol and diethylstilbestrol but not by progesterone, testosterone, or corticosterone.
Pyrenomycetes — Fungi with Perithecia

The term pyrenomycetes is used here as a descriptive rather than a formal taxonomic term that includes many orders of fungi. These fungi are united by two features. (1) perithecial, or less frequently cleistothecial, ascomata within which (2) unitunicate, or in some cases evanescent, asci are formed. The majority of these morphologically and biologically diverse fungi probably form a monophyletic group (Fig. 1). Ascomata may be solitary, superficial, and not associated with stromata or they may be densely gregarious and seated on or immersed within stromata or tissue of the substrate. They may be manifested only in their asexual form (formerly considered as deuteromycetes or Fungi Imperfecti, now known as anamorphic or mitosporic fungi; see Seifert and Gams, Chap. 14, this Vol.), that is formed independently of the sexual form, separated from it by season, geography, or genetic compatibility. This group of organisms includes many industrially beneficial fungi as well as agents of some of the most devastating plant and animal diseases and toxicoses known.
Sepsis Cards and Facts: A Simple Way to Increase Sepsis Bundle Compliance.

Objective The objective of this study was to improve sepsis bundle compliance via an educational intervention in our emergency department (ED). Methods This was a before and after study. Historical data on sepsis bundle compliance was obtained from our quality officer. Data were collected for 30 consecutive days to compare sepsis bundle compliance rates before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics were compiled, and the z-test for proportions was used to calculate statistical significance. The intervention was two-fold: 1) a bright yellow card with sepsis criteria listed was posted on all ED workstation computers and 2) there was a daily email blast for one month with "sepsis facts." These email blasts were short pearls that highlighted the importance of recognizing and treating sepsis. Results The sepsis bundle compliance rates in the month prior to the intervention was 38%. In the month during the targeted intervention, the compliance rate increased to 56%. There was a statistically significant increase in bundle compliance rates during the intervention (p=0.0399). We also administered a survey to the ED attendings and residents following the completion of the study to assess whether they perceived that our intervention was helping them increase compliance with ordering the sepsis bundle. The response rate was 94%. To the question "Did you feel the sepsis cards placed on the workstations make you more likely to consider sepsis earlier in patients under your care in the emergency department?" 70% answered agree or strongly agree. To the question "Were you more likely to order the sepsis bundle after receiving the daily "Sepsis Facts"?" 29% were neutral while 59% answered agree or strongly agree. Finally, to the question "Did you feel the sepsis cards and "sepsis facts" help you improve the care of Septic patients in the emergency department?" 76% answered agree or strongly agree. Conclusion Sepsis criteria reminders and email blasts highlighting the importance of treating and recognizing sepsis can improve compliance with sepsis bundle ordering within the emergency department.
Surveillance or Safekeeping? How School Security Officer and Camera Presence Influence Students' Perceptions of Safety, Equity, and Support.

Abstract Purpose Target hardening, or increasing the use of security measures, is a frequently used response to perceived safety concerns in schools. Studies are mixed as to their effectiveness on students’ perceptions of safety and little is known about their influence on other aspects of school climate, particularly for minority students. This study will examine the association between observed security measures in secondary schools and students’ perceptions of safety, equity, and support. Methods School climate surveys were completed by 54,350 students from 98 middle and high schools across the state of Maryland beginning in Spring 2014. Concurrent observations of the school physical environment, including security measures (i.e., officers and cameras), were conducted by trained outside assessors. Multilevel regression analyses examined the association between school security officers and cameras and students’ perceptions of safety, equity, and support, while controlling for school and neighborhood characteristics. Cross-level interactions explored differential effects of security measures for Black students. Results Greater use of security cameras inside the school was related to lower perceptions of safety, equity, and support. A moderate level of security camera use outside the school was related to higher student perceptions of support. Security officer presence was associated with higher perceptions of safety. For black students, cameras were associated with elevated perceptions of safety and support relative to white students. Conclusions Our findings may suggest that outside cameras and security may be perceived by students as safekeeping, whereas inside cameras may evoke feelings of being viewed as potential perpetrators who need surveillance.
Computed tomography features of local pleural recurrence in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma treated with intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy

This study was conducted in order to describe the computed tomography (CT) features of local pleural recurrence in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma undergoing intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy (IMPRINT) as part of multimodality treatment. In this observational study, 58 patients treated with IMPRINT between September 21, 2004, and December 1, 2014 were included. Baseline and follow-up CT scans were qualitatively assessed. On follow-up scans, pleural thickening was categorized as unchanged, decreased, or new/increased. New/increased pleural abnormality was subcategorized as diffuse smooth pleural thickening, diffuse nodular pleural thickening, focal pleural nodule, or multiple pleural nodules. To identify features more frequently present at the time of local recurrence, follow-up scans with local recurrence were matched to four control scans; exact conditional logistic regression was performed. Twenty-one (36%) patients had local pleural recurrence and 20 (34%) patients had nonpleural recurrence; 3 patients had both types of recurrence. The 1-year cumulative incidence rate of local recurrence was 27% (95% confidence interval 15, 39). On follow-up scans, three patterns of pleural abnormality were significantly associated with local recurrence: new/increased multiple pleural nodules (10 (48%) positive scans vs 0 control scans), new/increased diffuse nodular pleural thickening (7 (33%) positive scans vs 1 (1%) control scans), and new/increased focal pleural nodule (3 (14%) positive scans vs 1 (1%) control scan) (p < 0.001 for all). Multiple new/increased pleural nodules are the feature most commonly present at local recurrence following IMPRINT; however, any pattern of increased nodular pleural thickening is suspicious. • In patients with mesothelioma receiving intensity-modulated pleural radiation as part of multimodality therapy, increasing multiple pleural nodules is the computed tomography feature most commonly present at local recurrence. • In these patients, any CT pattern of increased nodular pleural thickening should be considered suspicious for local recurrence. • The most common sites of nonpleural recurrence were lung parenchyma, thoracic lymph nodes, and peritoneum.
Path Dependence in European Development: Medieval Politics, Conflict, and State Building:

During the Middle Ages, most European polities operated under a norm that gave only the close male relatives of a monarch a privileged place in the order of succession. When no such heirs were avai...
California’s Experience with Including Environmental Values in Electricity Planning

California has faced a number of environmental challenges over the years, but none has had as dramatic an affect as the concern over air quality and the drastic actions that will be required to attain healthy air. California, especially the South Coast region around Los Angeles, experiences some of the highest levels of air pollution in the U.S. Many areas of California are currently violating national and California ambient air quality standards, and increasing energy use will exacerbate the problem.
Co-Imagining the Futures of Implementation Precision Medicine Using Scenario Analysis and Design Fiction

Abstract Precision medicine has a long history dating to the early 20th century when inquiries into the biochemical basis of large person-to-person variations in susceptibility to human diseases an...
Efficient synthesis of the C(1)-C(11) fragment of the tedanolides. The nonaldol aldol process in synthesis.

The nonaldol aldol process developed in our laboratories has been applied to the synthesis of a C1−C11 fragment 22 of the novel macrocyclic cytotoxic agents tedanolide and 13-deoxytedanolide 1 and 2. The commercially available hydroxy ester 7 was converted in 24 steps into compound 22 using two nonaldol aldol reactions.
Tumor volume changes on serial imaging with megavoltage CT for non-small cell lung cancer during conformal radiotherapy

17041 Background: Adaptive radiotherapy allows treatment plan modification based on data obtained during treatment. Assessing volume changes during treatment is now possible with intra-treatment im...
Prophylactic Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces to Prevent Postamputation Pain.

BACKGROUND Postamputation pain affects a large number of individuals living with major limb loss. Regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces are constructs composed of a transected peripheral nerve implanted into an autologous free muscle graft. The authors have previously shown that regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces can be used to treat symptomatic end neuromas that develop after major limb amputation. In this study, they investigated the potential of prophylactic interfaces to prevent the formation of symptomatic neuromas and mitigate phantom limb pain. METHODS Patients who underwent limb amputation with and without prophylactic regenerative peripheral nerve interface implantation were identified. A retrospective review was performed to ascertain patient demographics, level of amputation, and postoperative complications. Documentation of symptomatic neuromas and phantom limb pain was noted. RESULTS Postoperative outcomes were evaluated in a total of 90 patients. Forty-five patients underwent interface implantation at the time of primary amputation, and 45 control patients underwent amputation without interfaces. Six control patients (13.3 percent) developed symptomatic neuromas in the postoperative period compared with zero (0.0 percent) in the prophylactic interface group (p = 0.026). Twenty-three interface patients (51.1 percent) reported phantom limb pain, compared with 41 control patients (91.1 percent; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Prophylactic regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces in major limb amputees resulted in a lower incidence of both symptomatic neuromas and phantom limb pain compared with control patients undergoing amputation without regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces, suggesting that prevention of peripheral neuromas following amputation may diminish the central pain mechanisms that lead to phantom limb pain. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, III.
LOGISMOS-JEI: Segmentation using optimal graph search and just-enough interaction

Abstract LOGISMOS (Layered Optimal Graph Image Segmentation for Multiple Objects and Surfaces) is a general approach for optimally segmenting multiple n-D surfaces that mutually interact within individual and/or between object. JEI (Just-Enough Interaction) extension enables the users to intuitively and efficiently guide LOGISMOS to achieve clinically acceptable segmentation that still maintains global optimality, embedded shape, and anatomy knowledge. This chapter is aimed at both the conceptual designers of quantitative medical image analysis methods and developers adopting LOGISMOS-JEI to perform new segmentation tasks. The basic principles and essential techniques of LOGISMOS-JEI are presented. Using three clinical segmentation problems, the process of designing LOGISMOS-JEI applications is described with a focus on choosing proper techniques at all stages of the analysis pipeline. The capability of JEI is demonstrated by reporting the achieved segmentation accuracy and quantifying the levels of human effort involved.
A Grid-compatible Virtual Oscillator Controller: Analysis and Design

In this paper, we present a virtual oscillator control (VOC) strategy for power inverters to operate in either grid-connected or islanded settings. The proposed controller is based on the dynamics of the nonlinear Andronov-Hopf oscillator and it provides voltage regulation, frequency support in islanded mode. It also features the potential to respond to real- and reactive-power setpoints for dispatchability in grid-connected mode. In contrast to early VOC incarnations which exhibit undesirable harmonics, the proposed controller offers a sinusoidal ac limit cycle as well as improved dynamic performance. Moreover, the proposed controller intrinsically generates orthogonal signals which facilitate implementation in three-phase systems. We study the controller dynamical model and outline a systematic design procedure such that the inverter satisfies standard ac performance specifications. Numerical simulations validate the analytical developments.