cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced-Intensity Stem Cell Transplantation “...whereof a little More than a little is by much too much.” King Henry IV, part 1, I, 2

The recognition that the immune system can play a major role in the control and cure of transplantable disorders led to the development of reduced-intensity allogeneic transplantation. The notion is that a compromise can be made between the intensity of conditioning and the fostering of graft-versus-host disease/ graft-versus-leukemia (GVHD/GVL), allowing the use of less intense conditioning with concomitantly less intense immediate toxicity. Reduced-intensity conditioning regimens have allowed the application of transplantation to older patients and to patients with underlying medical problems that preclude full-dose transplantation. Clearly, in some settings in which dose intensity is important, reduced-intensity regimens are less useful. However, for diseases that are either indolent, highly susceptible to GVL, or under good control before entering transplantation, this approach appears to have substantial benefits. Although the therapy appears to be valuable, concerns about delayed immune reconstitution and GVHD remain.
Recursive least-squares doubly-selective channel estimation using exponential basis models and subblock-wise tracking

An adaptive channel estimation scheme, exploiting the over- sampled complex exponential basis expansion model (CE- BEM), is presented for doubly-selective channels where we track the BEM coefficients. We extend/modify the subblock- wise tracking method using time-multiplexed (TM) training recently proposed by S. He and J. K. Tugnait (2007). Two finite-memory recursive least- squares (RLS) algorithms, including the exponentially-weighted and the sliding-window RLS algorithms, are respectively applied to track the channel BEM coefficients. Simulation examples illustrate the superior performance of our scheme to the conventional block-wise channel estimator, and demonstrate its improvement on our previous work in.
UNC-11, a Caenorhabditis elegans AP180 Homologue, Regulates the Size and Protein Composition of Synaptic Vesicles

The unc-11 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans encodes multiple isoforms of a protein homologous to the mammalian brain-specific clathrin-adaptor protein AP180. The UNC-11 protein is expressed at high levels in the nervous system and at lower levels in other tissues. In neurons, UNC-11 is enriched at presynaptic terminals but is also present in cell bodies. unc-11 mutants are defective in two aspects of synaptic vesicle biogenesis. First, the SNARE protein synaptobrevin is mislocalized, no longer being exclusively localized to synaptic vesicles. The reduction of synaptobrevin at synaptic vesicles is the probable cause of the reduced neurotransmitter release observed in these mutants. Second, unc-11 mutants accumulate large vesicles at synapses. We propose that the UNC-11 protein mediates two functions during synaptic vesicle biogenesis: it recruits synaptobrevin to synaptic vesicle membranes and it regulates the size of the budded vesicle during clathrin coat assembly.
Nexus: Electronic Medical Records: The Future—At Some Point

(1998). Nexus: Electronic Medical Records: The Future—At Some Point. Hospital Topics: Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 29-31.
Permeant calcium ion feed-through regulation of single inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor channel gating

The ubiquitous inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) receptor (InsP3R) Ca2+ release channel plays a central role in the generation and modulation of intracellular Ca2+ signals, and is intricately regulated by multiple mechanisms including cytoplasmic ligand (InsP3, free Ca2+, free ATP4−) binding, posttranslational modifications, and interactions with cytoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal proteins. However, regulation of InsP3R channel activity by free Ca2+ in the ER lumen ([Ca2+]ER) remains poorly understood because of limitations of Ca2+ flux measurements and imaging techniques. Here, we used nuclear patch-clamp experiments in excised luminal-side-out configuration with perfusion solution exchange to study the effects of [Ca2+]ER on homotetrameric rat type 3 InsP3R channel activity. In optimal [Ca2+]i and subsaturating [InsP3], jumps of [Ca2+]ER from 70 nM to 300 µM reduced channel activity significantly. This inhibition was abrogated by saturating InsP3 but restored when [Ca2+]ER was raised to 1.1 mM. In suboptimal [Ca2+]i, jumps of [Ca2+]ER (70 nM to 300 µM) enhanced channel activity. Thus, [Ca2+]ER effects on channel activity exhibited a biphasic dependence on [Ca2+]i. In addition, the effect of high [Ca2+]ER was attenuated when a voltage was applied to oppose Ca2+ flux through the channel. These observations can be accounted for by Ca2+ flux driven through the open InsP3R channel by [Ca2+]ER, raising local [Ca2+]i around the channel to regulate its activity through its cytoplasmic regulatory Ca2+-binding sites. Importantly, [Ca2+]ER regulation of InsP3R channel activity depended on cytoplasmic Ca2+-buffering conditions: it was more pronounced when [Ca2+]i was weakly buffered but completely abolished in strong Ca2+-buffering conditions. With strong cytoplasmic buffering and Ca2+ flux sufficiently reduced by applied voltage, both activation and inhibition of InsP3R channel gating by physiological levels of [Ca2+]ER were completely abolished. Collectively, these results rule out Ca2+ regulation of channel activity by direct binding to the luminal aspect of the channel.
The Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Quadriceps Femoris Muscle Torque in Children with Spina Bifida

The effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the torque production of the quadriceps femoris muscles were examined in five children with spina bifida. Two male subjects, aged 5 and 12 years, and three female subjects, aged 5, 12, and 21 years, participated in the study. Surface stimulation was applied to the quadriceps femoris muscles of one lower extremity for 30 minutes each day over an 8-week period. At 0, 4, and 8 weeks, maximum isometric voluntary knee extension torques were measured for both control and stimulated lower extremities with a dynamometer at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 degrees of knee flexion. The three oldest subjects had torque measurements of acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient greater than .72). Two of these three subjects also had significant increases in the torque produced by the stimulated limb relative to the torque produced by the control limb. The data were unreliable from the two youngest subjects. Completion times for functional tasks (walking and step ascension/descension) were also recorded before and after the 8 weeks of stimulation. The completion times were lower following stimulation for four subjects.
A TALE OF TWO ABRAHAMS: KAFKA, KIERKEGAARD, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FAITH IN THE MODERN WORLD

I have vigorously absorbed the negative element of the age in which I live, an age that is, of course, very close to me, which I have no right ever to fight against, but as it were a right to represent. The slight amount of the positive, and also of the extreme negative, which capsizes into the positive, are something in which I have had no hereditary share. I have not been guided into life by the hand of Christianity – admittedly now slack and failing – as Kierkegaard was, and have not caught the hem of the Jewish prayer shawl – now flying away from us – as the Zionists have. I am an end or a beginning.1
The phytomelanin layer in traditional members of Bidens and Coreopsis and phylogeny of the Coreopsideae (Compositae)

The phytomelanin layer on the pericarp of cypselae (achenes) of many members of traditional Bidens and Coreopsis, both considered polyphyletic, was studied with the help of scanning electron (SEM) and light (LM) microscopes. It is found to be more prominent in taxa kept within Bidens than in Coreopsis. The black ‘peg-like’ phytomelanin found in traditional members of Bidens is also found in some members of Coreopsis. Some traditional members of Coreopsis display distinctive pericarp morphology but lack phytomelanin. The pericarp in Bidens is striated, i.e. it is interrupted by longitudinal bands of parenchyma through which the embryo emerges during seed germination. No striation was found in cypselae of traditional Coreopsis. Emergence of the seed in taxa with this type of pericarp morphology is observed to be by rupturing the carpel wall along the sutures. Characteristic morphology of the phytomelanin layer and other cellular secretions on the pericarp in representative species of these genera and segregates as well as the probable adaptive value of this layer and that of the parenchyma is discussed. Coreopsis sect. Tuckermannia (Nutt.) Blake, C. sect. Pugiopappus (A. Gray) Blake, and C. sect. Euleptosyne (A. Gray) Blake, are elevated to the genus Leptosyne DC., while Coreopsis sect. Electra (DC.) Blake is returned to Electra DC. A key to the segregate genera and the remaining sections of Coreopsis as well as new combinations and synonyms are provided.
Bias detection and its confidence assessment in Global Positioning System signals

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to migrate to a Global Positioning System (GPS) based navigation system for aeronautical use. As with any safety-critical application, any system failure mode, which might lead to misleading information (MI) for the user, needs to be detected at a high level of confidence. However, the failure detection schemes cannot be too conservative in order not to unreasonably decrease the system's continuity and/or availability. This work focuses on the detection of GPS signal-in-space anomalies. Since the received GPS signal is altered by noise, any signal parameter determination translates into a statistical estimation process. An estimation procedure to analyze the received satellite signal for possible biases is introduced in this paper. Since the statistical behavior of an anomalous signal is unknown, a distribution-independent detection scheme is presented. Further, the algorithm also provides a confidence assessment on the statistical inference. The derived bias detection procedure is corroborated with simulation results.
Observations of the 14 July 2011 Fort Collins Hailstorm: Implications for WSR-88D-Based Hail Detection and Warnings

The issuance of timely warnings for the occurrence of severe-class hail (hailstone diameters of 2.5cm or larger) remains an ongoing challenge for operational forecasters. This study examines the application of two remotely sensed data sources between 0100 and 0400 UTC 14 July 2011 when pulse-type severe thunderstorms occurred in the jurisdiction of the Denver/Boulder National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Colorado. First, a developing hailstorm was jointly observed by the dual-polarization Colorado State University‐University of Chicago‐Illinois State Water Survey (CSU‐CHILL) research radar and by the operational, single-polarization NWS radar at Denver/Front Range (KFTG). During the time period leading uptotheissuance of the initial severe thunderstorm warning, the dual-polarization radar data near the 08C altitude contained a positive differential reflectivity ZDR column (indicating a strong updraft lofting supercooled raindrops above the freezing level). Correlation coefficient rHV reductions to ;0.93, probably due to the presence of growing hailstones, were observed above the freezing level in portions ofthe developing .55-dBZecho core. Second, data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), including the locations and polarity of cloud-to-ground (CG) discharges produced by several of the evening’s storms, were processed. Some association was found between the prevalence of positive CGs and storms that produced severe hail. The analyses indicate that the use of the dual-polarization data provided by the upgraded Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), in combination with the NLDN data stream, can assist operational forecasters in the real-time identification of thunderstorms that pose a severe hail threat.
Do upper-body and centralized adiposity measure different aspects of regional body-fat distribution? Relationship to non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, lipids, and lipoproteins

Both central and upper-body adiposity are associated with high rates of type II non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), high triglyceride levels, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. Previous data have also suggested that central and upper-body adiposity are relatively uncorrelated and hence may measure different aspects of regional body fat distribution. We assessed body mass index (BMI), the ratio of subscapular-to-triceps skinfold (STR), the ratio of waist-to-hip circumference (WHR), lipids, lipoproteins, and glucose tolerance in 738 Mexican Americans (ages 25-64 yr), who participated in the San Antonio Heart Study, a population-based study of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. NIDDM was diagnosed according to National Diabetes Data Group criteria. In general, STR and WHR were associated with high NIDDM rates, low HDL cholesterol levels, and high triglyceride levels, although WHR was somewhat more predictive of these than STR. In females, BMI, WHR, and STR all made independent contributions to prediction of NIDDM and HDL cholesterol; in males, WHR and STR both made independent contributions to prediction of triglyceride levels. This suggests that both indices may measure different aspects of body-fat distribution. Investigators should consider measuring both of these indicators of body-fat distribution in studies of diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors, although if only a single measure is feasible, WHR appears to be preferable.
Journal of Circadian Rhythms: 10th anniversary

The year in which this editorial is being published (2013) marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Journal of Circadian Rhythms .
N-version temperature-aware scheduling and binding

Technology scaling to nanometer nodes causes growing increase in power density and especially leakage that in turn result in locally hot regions on the chip. In this paper, we introduce a novel methodology for temperature-aware design. The methodology embeds N-versions of the scheduler and binder such that the thermal profiles of the versions are distant from each other. Next, instead of using only one version of the scheduler and binder, a rotation of N-versions of the scheduler and binder is constructed for balancing the thermal profile of the chip. We propose a linear programming framework that takes the multiple versions as the input, and constructs the thermal-aware rotational scheduling and binding by selecting the N most efficient versions and by determining the duration of each version. Our experimental evaluation shows a very low overhead and an average 5% decrease in the steady-state peak temperature produced on the benchmark designs compared to using a schedule that balances the amount of usage of different modules.
Performance of the 2010 European Society of Cardiology criteria for ECG interpretation in athletes

Background The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recently published revised criteria for ECG interpretation in the athlete. Objective To examine the performance of the 2010 ESC ECG criteria in a population of athletes undergoing preparticipation cardiovascular disease screening. Methods University athletes (n=508) underwent routine medical history/physical examination and ECG before athletic participation. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was also performed on each participant to detect or exclude cardiac findings with relevance to sport participation. Screening test statistics were calculated to determine the performance of the 2010 ESC criteria, and the performance of the 2010 criteria was compared with the 2005 criteria. Results Application of the 2010 ESC criteria, compared with the 2005 criteria, reduced the number of participants with abnormal ECG findings from 83/508 (16.3%) to 49/508 (9.6%). The reduction in the number of abnormal ECGs was driven by the reclassification of participants with isolated QRS voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy from abnormal to normal. Of the 49 participants with abnormal ECGs, 14/49 (29%) had a single ECG abnormality and 35/49 (71%) had two or more abnormalities. The use of the 2010 criteria was associated with improved specificity (reduction in the false positive rate) and preserved sensitivity when compared with the 2005 criteria. Conclusion Application of the 2010 ESC criteria for ECG interpretation in the athlete improves the accuracy of an ECG-inclusive preparticipation screening strategy by reducing the rate of false positive ECGs.
Short-wavelength automated perimetry results are correlated with optical coherence tomography retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements in glaucomatous eyes.

Abstract Purpose To determine the relationship between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and short wavelength–sensitive visual function measured using short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP). Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods Subjects were recruited from the longitudinal University of California, San Diego, Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study and included 29 glaucoma patients with OCT imaging and reliable SWAP visual field (VF) testing within a 6-month window. Main outcome measures Correlations between deviation from normal (thinner than 97.5% of normal) RNFL measurements taken at 30° sectors (12 sectors described as clock hours) and SWAP average pattern deviation within 21 VF zones were determined. The number of OCT-measured RNFL sectors outside of normal limits and the number of VF zones outside of normal limits also were compared. Results The OCT nerve fiber layer thickness was outside of the normal limits in at least 1 sector in 26 (89.6%) patients. Twenty-eight (96.5%) patients had at least 1 SWAP VF zone outside of normal limits. Optical coherence tomography sectors 6-o'clock, 7-o'clock, and 8-o'clock (inferior and inferotemporal) and SWAP VF zones 13, 14, and 16 (superior hemifield central and arcuate areas) were the most frequently damaged. In general, the strongest R 2 associations were between inferior and inferior temporal RNFL sectors (e.g., 6-o'clock, 7-o'clock) and superior nasal/arcuate VF zones (e.g., zones 13, 14, 15) and between superior and superior temporal RNFL sectors (e.g., 12-o'clock, 11-o'clock) and inferior central and arcuate VF zones (e.g., zones 5, 6, 7) ( R 2 range=24.3%–37.3%, all P s ≤ 0.005). Most nonsignificant associations were found between superior RNFL sectors and superior VF zones. Conclusion Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured with OCT is topographically correlated with glaucomatous VF defects measured with SWAP.
Identity and Persuasion: How Nations Remember Their Pasts and Make Their Futures

Identity struggles are once again a salient problem in world politics. This article aims to throw light on the sources, dynamics, and consequences of identity formation and mobilization. It makes two theoretical arguments. First, because collective memory is both a seemingly factual narrative and a normative assessment of the past, it shapes a group's intersubjective conceptions of strategic feasibility and political legitimacy. This is why collective identity is above all an expression of normative realism: a group's declaration to itself and to others about what it can or cannot do; what it will or will not do. Second, at critical junctures competing actors assert or contest the normative realism underlying collective identity. They do this through rhetorical politics, deploying their powers of persuasion in order to engage the constitutive elements of the group's shared identity. In practical terms, rhetorical politics is structured by a dominant frame: a historically shaped discursive formation that does two things. It articulates in readily accessible ways the fundamental notions a group holds about itself in the world and allows or disallows specific strategies of persuasion on the basis of their presumptive realism and normative sway. Within this frame, rhetorical politics engenders a collective field of imaginable possibilities: a restricted array of plausible scenarios about how the world can or cannot be changed and how the future ought to look. Though circumscribed, this field is vulnerable to endogenous shifts, precisely because actors' rhetorical struggles introduce conflicts over the descriptive and prescriptive limits of what is “realistically” possible. Such conflicts may in fact produce a new dominant rhetorical frame and profoundly influence a nation's political and economic development. Two contrasting cases from Latin America offer empirical support for these arguments. The article shows that the sharp developmental divergence between Costa Rica and Nicaragua can be properly understood only through close analytical scrutiny of the different rhetorical frames, fields of imaginable possibilities, and collective identities that rose to prominence at critical points in these countries' colonial and postcolonial histories.
The origin of dense bodies in the surface coat of negatively stained platelets.

The relationship between the dense bodies found in the exterior coat of negatively stained platelets, and the dense bodies apparent in the hyaloplasm of sectioned cells has been examined. Dense bodies (S.D.B.) similar to those reported by Bull were readily found in whole mount preparations. Some extended beyond the platelet surface membrane and possessed long, whip-like tails. Examination of thin sections of glutaraldehyde-osmium fixed, plastic embedded platelets revealed dense bodies (H.D.B.) in the hyaloplasm, but not exterior to the cell surfaces. The H.D.B. occasionally had long, whip-like tails similar to S.D.B. in the negatively stained preparations. H.D.B. with narrow extensions were encountered frequently in platelets aggregated with ADP or thrombin. While most granules were centrally oriented in altered cells, H.D.B. with long extensions were found in the peripheral hyaloplasm close to the cell surface. Examples were observed in which membranes enclosing H.D.B. appeared continuous with the platelet surface. These results suggest that S.D.B. found in the coat exterior to the plasma membrane of negatively stained platelets, and H.D.B. present inside plastic embedded cells are identical organelles. The S.D.B. may be accumulations of phospholipid destined for release to the plasma as was previously suggested, but they do not appear to be derived from the cell membrane.
Stair case perception using monoscopic vision for a teleoperated vehicle

This paper presents our approach to staircase detection and perception using monoscopic vision. The simulation of the proposed algorithm is conducted on a 4 degree of freedom teleoperated vehicle. The presented solution can detect a staircase and calculate its angle of inclination thus aiding the operator in setting up controls for the vehicle. The approach relies on multiple 5×5 masks to actively predict staircase from the front then by a combination of blob detecting algorithms predict the angle of inclination. One of the challenges was to make the algorithm efficient so that it can be implemented on low power embedded systems. Results of simulations on various acquired images have been discussed within the contents of the paper. The results have been validated by monitoring values over multiple & different staircases. MATLAB's image processing toolbox has been used to conduct simulations of the algorithm.
Racial Variation in Association of Elevated Factor VIII and Stroke Outcome (P7.140)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if race contributes to the association between elevated Factor VIII (eFVIII) and outcomes from ischemic stroke. BACKGROUND: eFVIII is a risk factor for ischemic stroke and is also significantly associated with black race. Our research found increased odds of poor functional outcome amongst patients with eFVIII, but this association has not been examined for a racial disparity. DESIGN/METHODS: From our prospective stroke registry, patients 蠅18 years admitted between 07/2008-10/2014, who self-identified as black or white, were eligible if their FVIII levels were acquired during admission; patients who received tPA were excluded. eFVIII was defined as >150[percnt] of normal. Groups were compared based on race and FVIII level for baseline and outcome variables. RESULTS: Among 1,658 AIS cases screened, 228 patients met criteria. eFVIII was found in 178 patients; 80.8[percnt] of black and 68.6[percnt] of white patients. Black patients with eFVIII had significantly higher proportion of discharge mRS of 4-6 (29.8[percnt] vs 12.1[percnt], p=0.0196), but significance was lost after adjustment for age and NIHSS (OR 2.46, 95[percnt]CI 0.73-8.33, p=0.1481). Among white patients, those with eFVIII had a higher proportion of discharge mRS of 4-6 (54.3[percnt] vs 18.8[percnt], p=0.0146). Again, significance was lost after adjustment for age and NIHSS (OR 5.25, 95[percnt]CI 0.71-38.7, p=0.1039). Black patients with eFVIII had a higher proportion of prior stroke (52.8[percnt] vs 28.6[percnt], p=0.0101) and hypertension (HTN; 80.3[percnt] vs 60[percnt], p=0.0115) than white patients with eFVIII. Despite similar baseline NIHSS, white patients with eFVIII had significantly increased rates of poor functional outcome (54.3[percnt] vs 29.8[percnt], p=0.0064) and death (14.7[percnt] vs 0.0[percnt], p<0.0001) than black patiens with eFVIII. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population race was an effect modifier on FVIII level and outcomes with eFVIII white patients having the highest odds of poor outcome, specifically moderate-to-severe disability or death at discharge. Study Supported by: Disclosure: Dr. Dowell has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boehme has nothing to disclose. Dr. Samai has nothing to disclose. Dr. George has nothing to disclose. Dr. Schluter has nothing to disclose. Dr. El Khoury has nothing to disclose. Dr. Martin-Schild has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech as a speakers bureau participant.
Rapid forest carbon assessments of oceanic islands: a case study of the Hawaiian archipelago

Spatially explicit forest carbon (C) monitoring aids conservation and climate change mitigation efforts, yet few approaches have been developed specifically for the highly heterogeneous landscapes of oceanic island chains that continue to undergo rapid and extensive forest C change. We developed an approach for rapid mapping of aboveground C density (ACD; units = Mg or metric tons C ha−1) on islands at a spatial resolution of 30 m (0.09 ha) using a combination of cost-effective airborne LiDAR data and full-coverage satellite data. We used the approach to map forest ACD across the main Hawaiian Islands, comparing C stocks within and among islands, in protected and unprotected areas, and among forests dominated by native and invasive species. Total forest aboveground C stock of the Hawaiian Islands was 36 Tg, and ACD distributions were extremely heterogeneous both within and across islands. Remotely sensed ACD was validated against U.S. Forest Service FIA plot inventory data (R2 = 0.67; RMSE = 30.4 Mg C ha−1). Geospatial analyses indicated the critical importance of forest type and canopy cover as predictors of mapped ACD patterns. Protection status was a strong determinant of forest C stock and density, but we found complex environmentally mediated responses of forest ACD to alien plant invasion. A combination of one-time airborne LiDAR data acquisition and satellite monitoring provides effective forest C mapping in the highly heterogeneous landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands. Our statistical approach yielded key insights into the drivers of ACD variation, and also makes possible future assessments of C storage change, derived on a repeat basis from free satellite data, without the need for additional LiDAR data. Changes in C stocks and densities of oceanic islands can thus be continually assessed in the face of rapid environmental changes such as biological invasions, drought, fire and land use. Such forest monitoring information can be used to promote sustainable forest use and conservation on islands in the future.
The Disulfide Bond, but not Zinc or Dimerization, Controls Initiation and Seeded Growth in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-linked Cu-Zn Superoxide Dismutase (SOD1) Fibrillation

Aggregation of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is a defining feature of familial ALS caused by inherited mutations in the sod1 gene, and misfolded and aggregated forms of wild-type SOD1 are found in both sporadic and familial ALS cases. Mature SOD1 owes its exceptional stability to a number of post-translational modifications as follows: formation of the intramolecular disulfide bond, binding of copper and zinc, and dimerization. Loss of stability due to the failure to acquire one or more of these modifications is proposed to lead to aggregation in vivo. Previously, we showed that the presence of apo-, disulfide-reduced SOD1, the most immature form of SOD1, results in initiation of fibrillation of more mature forms that have an intact Cys-57–Cys-146 disulfide bond and are partially metallated. In this study, we examine the ability of each of the above post-translational modifications to modulate fibril initiation and seeded growth. Cobalt or zinc binding, despite conferring great structural stability, neither inhibits the initiation propensity of disulfide-reduced SOD1 nor consistently protects disulfide-oxidized SOD1 from being recruited into growing fibrils across wild-type and a number of ALS mutants. In contrast, reduction of the disulfide bond, known to be necessary for fibril initiation, also allows for faster recruitment during seeded amyloid growth. These results identify separate factors that differently influence seeded growth and initiation and indicate a lack of correlation between the overall thermodynamic stability of partially mature SOD1 states and their ability to initiate fibrillation or be recruited by a growing fibril.
Ethical Complexity: Sustainable Critique and the Vocation of International Relations

IR theory, it is argued, has an historic vocation on which it is has failed to fully make good. Drawing on a larger research project, this paper suggests that this failure is due to an inadequate appreciation of the problem of reification: a problem with links to complexity theory, and central to Frankfurt school critiques of both normative social theory and social science. With that in mind, the present paper argues for a particular kind of multi-paradigmatism in IR, which could reconcile the problem of reification with both existing disciplinary research traditions and practices, and the discipline’s longer-term vocational aspirations. It proceeds in five sections. In sections 1 and 2, I define the notion of vocation that underpins this project, and the related notion of sustainable critique. In sections 3 and 4, I explore the notion of reification at greater depth, and define a theoretical mindset – chastened reason – which I hold could meet the challenge framed by sustainable critique. Section 5 then builds on a particular form of multi-paradigmatism – as set out in Graham Allison’s Essence of Decision – with an eye to meeting the problem of reification, and considers its prospects for contemporary scholarship. In my panel presentation, I will relate this discussion to problems of normativity and complexity in world politics through a retrospective discussion of the work of Ernst Haas.
The evolution of biomedical EPR (ESR)

Since the first EPR/ESR spectrum of a paramagnetic substance was published over 70 years ago, the technical improvements did not occur until after/during World War II with the advent of radar technology. The approaches to biomedical problems started somewhat later with the real burst of activity starting after the birth of the spin label technique about 50 years ago. The applications to proteins, then membranes and nucleic acids, and later applications to cells and eventually in-vivo on small animals and now humans has led EPR/ESR to finally being recognized as a uniquely powerful technique in the toolbox of techniques probing macromolecules and their interactions, free radical biology and its eventual value as a diagnostic technique. This article gives an overview of EPR/ESR studies of biomedically related systems, including proteins and enzymes. It presents a very personal historical perspective, briefly reviews the origins of the technique and reflects on possible future directions. As with NMR, advances in molecular biology and technology drastically changed the nature and focus of the technique, particularly the site directed spin labeling method that has been invaluable in determining protein and macromolecular structure by both EPR and NMR.
Quantitative investigation into the influence of temperature on carbide and austenite evolution during partitioning of a quenched and partitioned steel

Abstract The influence of partitioning temperature on microstructural evolution during quenching and partitioning was investigated in a 0.38C 1.54Mn 1.48Si wt.% steel using Mossbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. η-carbide formation occurs in the martensite during the quenching, holding, and partitioning steps. More effective carbon partitioning from martensite to austenite was observed at 450 than 400 °C, resulting in lower martensite carbon contents, less carbide formation, and greater retained austenite amounts for short partitioning times. Conversely, greater austenite decomposition occurs at 450 °C for longer partitioning times. Cementite forms during austenite decomposition and in the martensite for longer partitioning times at 450 °C.
Neuropsychological screening tools in Italian HIV+ patients: a comparison of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

AbstractObjective: Despite the progress in HIV treatments, mild forms of cognitive impairment still persist. Brief and sensitive screening tools are needed. We evaluated the accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) compared to the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to detect cognitive impairment in HIV-infected participants. Method: HIV-infected patients were consecutively enrolled during routine outpatient visits at a single institution. The MoCA, the MMSE, and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery were administered. Patients were considered as affected by cognitive impairment if they showed decreased cognitive function in at least two ability domains based on age and education adjusted Italian normative cut-offs. Results: Ninety-three HIV-infected participants (75% males, median age 47, all on antiretroviral therapy; 90% HIV-RNA <50copies/mL, median CD4 644 cells/μL) were enrolled. Thirteen participants (14%) were diagnosed as cognitively compromised via a comprehensive neuropsycholog...
Cavity-backed slotted patch antennas radiating into a lossy human body

This paper describes an ongoing study to design novel and practically sound on-body cavity-backed patch antenna family with a high front-to-back total power ratio (20–50) and with an antenna size of at most a half wavelength in free space using accurate and comprehensive numerical modeling and hardware tests.
Practice and Educational Gaps in Light, Laser, and Energy Treatments

This article discusses current practice in laser dermatology, the gaps in practice, and recommendations for improvement. As is the case with other areas of cosmetic dermatology, there is a rapid development of new laser and light devices with limited epidemiologic data available to inform best practice. The high fixed cost associated with new laser devices, limited space available in some practices, and inconsistent training may limit the adoption of needed therapies. Improving research in this area; training opportunities for physicians, residents, and staff; and cost-effective laser/light device rentals programs could improve quality of current practice.
Simulations For Strategy Courses: Measuring Teamwork

Simulations are an important part of capstone strategy courses - they facilitate transfer of training by providing â€œlearning-by-doingâ€ opportunities to the students. They also allow instruc-tors to provide authentic activities situated amidst relevant con-text, enable learners to grasp not just â€˜howâ€™ an activity must be done, but the â€˜why,â€™ the â€˜what, and the â€˜with whom.â€™ Simula-tions have become an accepted part of strategy classes both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. One area that has not been fully explored is the impact of teamwork on simulation results. Professors using simulations believe anecdotally what the literature on teamwork has suggested for decades: the qual-ity of team processes is directly correlated to the quality of team results. However, detailed measurements are lacking. This pa-per uses a graduate strategy course as an exploratory study to see if there was a relationship between teamwork and team re-sults. It then includes a just completed graduate course to pro-vide additional data for this study which illustrates some of the complexity in evaluating team performance.
Computational Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging in Endoscopic System

We demonstrate an endoscopic imaging system for microscopic flow measurement (for example blood flow in tissue) using laser speckle contrast imaging. Computational imaging is used to reject sub-surface scattering and eliminates erroneous flow speed estimation.
United States v. IBM: A monument to arrogance

The numbers astound: 700 trial days over the course of nearly seven years, preceded by six years of discovery; 87 live witnesses; 860 deposition witnesses (whose testimony was read aloud to an empty bench, a process that consumed 70 trial days) ; 104,400 trial transcript pages; 17,000 exhibits.1 The case spanned the terms of five Presidents, nine Attorneys General, and seven Antitrust Division chiefs; only five of the defendant's twenty-four-member board survived the duration as directors.2 The government estimated that it spent $16.8 million, not including expert witness fees, litigating the case; the defendant estimated that the total annual cost annual to all parties was between $50 million and $100 million, an estimate that presumably does not include the incalculable indirect costs of the litigation.3 And fifteen years after its investigation began,4 the United States simply dropped its case against IBM,5 Assistant
Cues to post-vocalic voicing in mother-child speech

Abstract: Vowels from eight mothers’ speech to their children and to an adult listener were subjected to durational analysis. It appears that mother-child speech significantly exaggerates the durational distinction that speakers usually make in producing vowels prior to voiced and voiceless final consonants. Overall, the tendency to lengthen vowels preceding voiced final consonants is doubled in the mother-child register. Final consonants themselves, however, are often deleted or glottalized in this register. It is hypothesized that some normal or disordered children might confuse this exaggerated secondary feature of the voicing contrast seen in their input with the need to actually specify final consonants, a phenomenon which has been reported in the literature.
Transgender politics as body politics: effects of disgust sensitivity and authoritarianism on transgender rights attitudes

ABSTRACTTransgender identity inherently involves body politics, specifically how transgender people may physically represent gender in ways that do not match their assigned sex at birth and how some may alter their bodies. Yet, political behavior research on transgender rights attitudes leaves unaddressed the role of transgender bodies in shaping those attitudes. Using an original, representative national survey of American adults, we analyze how authoritarianism and disgust sensitivity affect transgender rights attitudes. These two predispositions often reflect social norms and morality about bodies, especially those of stigmatized minority groups. First, we show that attitudes about transgender rights are multidimensional, forming civil rights and body-centric dimensions. Second, we demonstrate that disgust sensitivity and authoritarianism both positively predict opposition to transgender rights, and that they moderate each other’s effects such that the greatest opposition is among those jointly scoring...
Evaluating the role of smokeless tobacco use indices as brief measures of dependence.

Abstract Introduction There is considerable interest in using brief measures of dependence for evaluation and treatment of tobacco dependence. The Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) is a validated measure of dependence among cigarette smokers. However, a similar index has not been studied among ST users. The aim of this study is to develop similar ST use indices and evaluate their utility as concise dependence measures. Time to first chew/dip of the day (TTFD), number of cans of ST used per week (CPW), and number of dips/chews per day (DPD) were used to create three ST use indices; heaviness of ST use index (HSTI), ST dependence index (STDI), and ST quantity frequency index (ST-QFI). Methods The study was based on data collected from a community based sample of exclusive ST users living in Oklahoma. Participants completed the self-administered survey which included dependence scales and questionnaires to measure sociodemographic factors and tobacco use characteristics. Saliva samples were obtained to measure cotinine concentration. Method of scoring for TTFD and DPD was similar to the scoring scheme employed for HSI items. DPD was transformed by a series of statistical tests into a three category scoring variable. Concurrent validity and reliability of the ST use indices were evaluated and overall accuracy of ST use indices was assessed. Level of agreement between the ST use indices and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence for ST users (FTND-ST) was calculated to find the extent these indices were equivalent to FTND-ST in measuring dependence. Results ST use indices were significantly correlated with FTND-ST. ST users who had higher HSTI or STDI scores were more likely to have Tobacco Dependence Screener (TDS) based dependence diagnosis (OR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.12, 2.02 and OR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.16, 2.02, respectively). Study findings showed that all ST use indices were predictors of cotinine concentration. The internal consistency assessed by Cronbach's alpha indicated that STDI had acceptable reliability. At the optimal cutoff scores, both HSTI and STDI had good level of agreement with FTND-ST (k = 0.81, p Conclusions Components of physical dependence are interrelated and each ST use item, TTFD, CPW, and DPD, explains a different dependence feature. Significant association of HSTI and STDI with other tobacco dependence measures and FTND-ST suggests that these indices are valuable brief measures of dependence among ST users and can be used as a substitute for FTND-ST, similar to HSI in smoking dependence studies. A concise dependence measure like HSTI or STDI has reduced response burden and is an effective tool in clinical and research setting.
Base-rate sensitivity through implicit learning

Two experiments assessed the contributions of implicit and explicit learning to base-rate sensitivity. Using a factorial design that included both implicit and explicit learning disruptions, we tested the hypothesis that implicit learning underlies base-rate sensitivity from experience (and that explicit learning contributes comparatively little). Participants learned to classify two categories of simple stimuli (bar graph heights) presented in a 3:1 base-rate ratio. Participants learned either from "observational" training to disrupt implicit learning or "response" training which supports implicit learning. Category label feedback on each trial was followed either immediately or after a 2.5 second delay by onset of a working memory task intended to disrupt explicit reasoning about category membership feedback. Decision criterion values were significantly larger following response training, suggesting that implicit learning underlies base-rate sensitivity. Disrupting explicit processing had no effect on base-rate learning as long as implicit learning was supported. These results suggest base-rate sensitivity develops from experience primarily through implicit learning, consistent with separate learning systems accounts of categorization.
Do resettlement variables predict psychiatric treatment outcomes in a sample of asylum-seeking survivors of torture?

Purpose:Mental health clinicians who work with asylum seekers provide services to patients who face stressful everyday living conditions. However, little is known about how these problems potential...
The Many Whos, Whats, and Whys of Audience Costs

I present the results of a comprehensive inventory of the term "audience cost" in scholarly journal articles. Articles were coded based on how they addressed four main ambiguities regarding the term and its underlying theoretical concept. I find that a great deal of "conceptual stretching" has occurred since the term was introduced, especially with regards to what (in)actions of the leader theoretically trigger audience costs; in other ways, as others have noted, the concept started off "stretched," mainly with regards to why audiences would inflict the costs in question. More importantly, I identify a strain of contradictions in audience cost theory as such, stemming from these conceptual and lexical ambiguities: based on the scholarly literature, a leader can very often be said to incur audience costs no matter what they do, and so, theories and debates about "the effect" or "the magnitude" of audience costs require clarification.
Maximal and Minimal Conditions

The general theory of groups which satisfy the maximal condition on subgroups (Max) or the minimal condition on subgroups (Min) is still in its initial stages and is beset with considerable difficulties. Even the minimal condition, generally a more decisive property, is relatively unknown, despite some progress in recent years: this is in contrast with the theory of semisimple rings satisfying the minimal condition on left ideals, which is fairly complete. Thus inevitably we will have mainly to deal here with partial results and special situations.
Folk Medicine in the Filipino American Experience

Health and illness are two of the most universal human concerns. Through the ages, men and women have persistently wrestled against illness, refusing to abandon hope and devising ways for avoiding or reducing its ravages. This concern for staying healthy has generated remedies to alleviate suffering, both physical and emotional. Before the advent of modern medicine, people had to rely solely on nature and experience. They learned to recognize and cultivate medicinal herbs, observe taboos, and perform rituals. These remedies, beliefs and practices concerning the prevention and treatment of diseases constitute a folk medical system. Such a system is not a collection of static survivals from the past handed down in toto from generation to generation. Rather, it is a result of dynamic ongoing relationships, interactions, and communications with both the physical and social environments. Folk medicine is “an integrated system, with theories of causation and cure and of man’s relationship with his social and natural world, and with the cosmos.”’ However, it is important to recognize that although many of these beliefs and practices are shared by members of a society or ethnic group, some are not. The tendency of past studies on ethnic groups has been to generalize, often failing to take into account the considerable intracultural diversity