cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Community Cohesion and Violent Predatory Victimization: A Theoretical Extension and Cross-national Test of Opportunity Theory

This study extends the research on the opportunity theory of criminal victimization. Specifically, it is proposed that living in a cohesive community directly reduces the likelihood of experiencing violent predatory criminal victimization. Tightly knit communities have higher levels of informal guardianship, and members of such communities are more active in intervening in public deviant or criminal activities, thus limiting opportunities for the commission of violent crimes. This theoretical model is tested with a sample of more than 19,000 respondents to national-level victimization surveys from 15 countries. A replication is also performed with data from over 10,000 respondents to city level surveys in another 12 countries. The results provide strong support for the hypothesis that people who live in communities which they perceive to be cohesive have a lower likelihood of violent victimization. The data indicate that net of relevant socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle, and neighborhood status characteristics, community cohesion consistently reduces the likelihood of robbery and assault near the home, and robbery and assault near the home by strangers. The consistency of the results suggests that community cohesion may be a major determinant of victimization risk. Although it has long been known that community characteristics are associated with their levels of crime, the bulk of the research investigating this link has focused on explaining neighborhood differences in offendingfrequency. In the last twenty years, criminologists have broadened their focus to develop theories explaining a different phenomenon: individual differences in victimization.
Efficacy of Parainfluenza Virus 5 Mutants Expressing Hemagglutinin from H5N1 Influenza A Virus in Mice

Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) is a promising viral vector for vaccine development. PIV5 is safe, stable, efficacious, cost-effective to produce and, most interestingly, it overcomes preexisting antivector immunity. We have recently reported that PIV5 expressing the hemagglutinin (HA) from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus H5N1 (PIV5-H5) provides sterilizing immunity against lethal doses of HPAI H5N1 infection in mice. It is thought that induction of apoptosis can lead to enhanced antigen presentation. Previously, we have shown that deleting the SH gene and the conserved C terminus of the V gene in PIV5 results in mutant viruses (PIV5ΔSH and PIV5VΔC) that enhance induction of apoptosis. In this study, we inserted the HA gene of H5N1 into PIV5ΔSH (PIV5ΔSH-H5) or PIV5VΔC (PIV5VΔC-H5) and compared their efficacies as vaccine candidates to PIV5-H5. We have found that PIV5ΔSH-H5 induced the highest levels of anti-HA antibodies, the strongest T cell responses, and the best protection against an H5N1 lethal challenge in mice. These results suggest that PIV5ΔSH is a better vaccine vector than wild-type PIV5.
Reducing Power Consumption for Mobile Platforms via Adaptive Traffic Coalescing

Battery life remains to be a critical competitive metric for today's mobile platforms that offer ubiquitous connectivity through their wireless communication interfaces. With most usage models being driven by always-on communication activities, e.g, Internet video streaming, web browsing, etc., it is imperative to understand the impact of network activities on the overall platform power, and optimize power consumption for such activities. As shown by our investigation, various real-world network-driven workloads exhibit bursty and random behavior, which motivates our work on regulating and coalescing incoming packets to reduce platform wake events. To understand the performance impact of packet coalescing, we conduct an extensive investigation to study how coalescing may affect the throughput and user experience. Armed with the deep understandings, we propose, implement and evaluate an Adaptive Traffic Coalescing (ATC) scheme that monitors the incoming traffic at the Network Interface Card (NIC), and adaptively coalesces the packets for a limited duration in the NIC buffer, thus requiring no network or eco-system support. The proposed ATC scheme effectively reduces platform wake events, and enables the platform to enter and stay in the low-power state longer for energy efficiency. We have implemented the scheme in commercial wireless NICs. Using various mobile platforms, we evaluate the power savings and performance impact of the proposed ATC scheme. Experiments show that ATC achieves significant power saving for major platform components, around 20% for real-world Internet workloads, without impacting performance and user experience.
A Computationally Simple Procedure for Imagery Data Compression by the Karhunen-Loève Method

Of the several methods that have been proposed for imagery data compression, the Karhunen-Loeve procedure minimizes the meansquare error between the original and reconstructed imagery data. In spite of its optimality property, the Karhunen-Loeve procedure has not been widely used because of its computational complexity. The main difficulty is in the computation of the eigenvectors and the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of the imagery data since the dimension of the covariance matrix is usually large. A computationally short procedure for calculating the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the covariance matrix is presented. We show that the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the N × N bisymmetric covariance matrix can be obtained from the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of two N/2 × N/2 submatrices. Since the eigenvector calculations are proportional to the third power of the matrix dimension, the proposed procedure reduces the computations by a factor of four.
Differentiating ASD From DLD in Toddlers

Until recently children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were rarely diagnosed before the age of 3 to 4 years. But a major thrust of current research has been to lower the age of identification, due in part to evidence supporting the effectiveness of early intervention. Late talkers -- toddlers who appear to be developing normally but do not begin speaking, acquire words very slowly, and do not begin combining words at the typical ages --are also typically seen in their second year or early in the third year of life. This report presents the findings of a comparison of toddlers who received clinical diagnoses of ASD and those who were clinically diagnosed as DLD in order to examine the patterns of behavior in the second and third years of life in these two groups. Findings suggest that, when matched on expressive language level, toddlers with ASD and DLD are similar, and less skilled than toddlers with TD, in their use of gaze to regulate interactions, their ability to share emotions with others, to engage in back-and-forth interactions, their rate of communication, and the range of sounds and words produced. The children with DLD were similar to those with TD, and higher than those with ASD, in terms of their nonverbal cognitive skills, use of gestures to communicate, use of pretend play, and ability to respond to language. Children with DLD did show some weaknesses in interpersonal skills -- such as sharing affect, using gaze, and initiating communication. However, their ability to engage in pretend play, use gestures to communicate and respond to language are sufficient to differentiate them from age-mates with ASD. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Mechanistic insights from reversible splicing catalysis

Recent work demonstrating the ability of spliceosomes purified after the second catalytic step of splicing to efficiently reverse both steps of the reaction provides answers to several unresolved questions regarding the splicing reaction, and raises many more.
Predicting Participation in a Victim–Offender Conference

According to restorative justice practitioners, participating in a victim–offender conference (VOC) can lead to a number of positive consequences for the parties. For victims in particular, participating in a VOC ostensibly provides a way to talk directly with the offender about the harm done, hold the person accountable, and achieve restoration. Lacking, however, is an understanding of what motivates victim participation. This study investigates how the desire to obtain offender-related outcome goals, victim-related outcome goals, process goals, and information goals influence individuals’ willingness to participate in a VOC. The study tested a hypothesized model of VOC participation to understand how goals influenced each other and willingness to participate in a VOC. Several factors, reflecting a helping motivation overall, shaped willingness to participate in a VOC. The manuscript concludes with a discussion of implications for restorative justice researchers and practitioners.
Microscopic methods for distinguishing among three cell types in TOL plasmid-carrying Pseudomonas putida cultures

Microscopic methods were developed that enable the sensitive quantification of different cell types that are generated by plasmid instability processes when Pseudomonas putida PaW164 (X+), which carries a TOL plasmid (pWW0-164), is grown in chemostat culture. Cells that have lost the structural TOL genes (X−) or the entire TOL plasmid (X0) can be quantified in a background of 6000 X+ cells using catechol agarose miniplates. X0 cells can be quantified in a background of 3500 X+ or X− cells using carbenicillin agarose miniplates. These methods represent significant improvements in sensitivity over conventional plating methods.
Identification of a Novel C-Terminal Cleavage of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus PreGN That Leads to Generation of an NSM Protein

The structural glycoproteins of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV; genus Nairovirus, family Bunyaviridae) are derived through endoproteolytic cleavage of a 1,684-amino-acid M RNA segment-encoded polyprotein. This polyprotein is cotranslationally cleaved into the PreGN and PreGC precursors, which are then cleaved by SKI-1 and a SKI-1-like protease to generate the N termini of GN and GC, respectively. However, the resulting polypeptide defined by the N termini of GN and GC is predicted to be larger (58 kDa) than mature GN (37 kDa). By analogy to the topologically similar M segment-encoded polyproteins of viruses in the Orthobunyavirus genus, the C-terminal region of PreGN that contains four predicted transmembrane domains may also contain a nonstructural protein, NSM. To characterize potential PreGN C-terminal cleavage events, a panel of epitope-tagged PreGN truncation and internal deletion mutants was developed. These constructs allowed for the identification of a C-terminal endoproteolytic cleavage within, or very proximal to, the second predicted transmembrane domain following the GN ectodomain and the subsequent generation of a C-terminal fragment. Pulse-chase experiments showed that PreGN C-terminal cleavage occurred shortly after synthesis of the precursor and prior to generation of the GN glycoprotein. The resulting fragment trafficked to the Golgi compartment, the site of virus assembly. Development of an antiserum specific to the second cytoplasmic loop of PreGN allowed detection of cell-associated NSM proteins derived from transient expression of the complete CCHFV M segment and also in the context of virus infection.
Driver fatigue: The importance of identifying causal factors of fatigue when considering detection and countermeasure technologies

Driver fatigue is an ill-defined term in the literature. It has been broadly used to refer to a wide range of driver states, each with different causal mechanisms. Technologies currently exist which enable detection of driver fatigue and interventions that have the potential to dramatically reduce crash probability. The successful implementation of these technologies depends on the cause and type of fatigue experienced. Sleep-related (SR) forms of driver fatigue result from accumulated sleep debt, prolonged wakefulness or troughs in the circadian rhythms. SR fatigue is resistant to most intervention strategies. Conversely, technologies for detecting and countering task-related (TR) fatigue (caused by mental overload or underload) are proving to be effective tools for improving transportation safety. Methods of detecting and counteracting the various forms of driver fatigue are discussed. Emphasis is placed on examining the effectiveness of existing and emerging technologies for combating TR forms of driver fatigue.
"Das, was ihm fehlt, das teil' ich aus": Faust und die Allegorie der Poesie

Over the last twenty- five years, Faust scholarship transformed significantly as a result of Heinz Schlaffer's “rediscovery” of the allegorical structure of Faust II . The emphasis on allegory facilitated an interpretation that in contrast to the unifying view of a symbolic reading demonstrated the rift in modern-day experience. According to Schlaffer, through allegorical form, Goethe achieved adequate representation of a rapidly developing and increasingly abstract modern society. This essay attempts to interpret the allegorical structure of Faust II differently than Schlaffer. While Schlaffer equates the use of allegory with Goethe's regaining of representational assurance in a mimetic sense, the approach employed in this essay emphasizes Goethe's use of allegorical forms as a poetic means to represent adequately the role of art and literature in modern society. In essence this article addresses the modernization of the system of literature, which was to reach a similar degree of complexity found in other subsystems comprising modern society. A reading of Faust I will elucidate further the different poetological approaches at work in the two parts of Goethe's opus magnum. (KP; In German)
Acute Hepatic Encephalopathy: Diffusion-Weighted and Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery Findings, and Correlation with Plasma Ammonia Level and Clinical Outcome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In acute hepatic encephalopathy, MR imaging abnormalities have been described in the PVWM, thalami, and corticospinal tracts. We sought to determine characteristic regions of involvement on FLAIR and DWI, to evaluate their reversibility, and to correlate MR imaging extent with clinical severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients who presented clinically with acute hepatic encephalopathy and MR imaging <21 days after symptom onset were reviewed retrospectively. Two neuroradiologists recorded involved regions on FLAIR and DWI in each, measured ADC values in affected regions and NAWM, and scored the MR imaging severity/extent. The initial severity (West Haven grade), follow-up clinical severity (degree of improvement), and maximal PAL within ±8 days of MR imaging were recorded and correlated with the MR imaging severity. RESULTS: On FLAIR and DWI respectively, there were abnormalities in the thalami (85%, 70%), PLIC (75%, 80%), PVWM (80%, 85%), and DBS (70%, 35%) and diffuse cortical involvement (30%, 25%). There were relatively strong significant ( P < .005) correlations of FLAIR ( r = 0.680 , P = .001) and DWI severity ( r = 0.690, P = .001) with PAL, and of PAL with the clinical outcome ( r = 0.691, P = .001). Both FLAIR ( r = 0.592 , P = .006) and DWI ( r = 0.487, P = .029) severity correlated moderately with the clinical outcome but were not significant at the P < .005 level after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with acute hepatic encephalopathy may exhibit characteristic regions of involvement on FLAIR with DWI findings that can be reversible. The MR imaging extent on FLAIR and DWI strongly correlates with the maximal PAL, and PAL correlates well with the clinical outcome. Diffuse cortical involvement has a higher potential for neurologic sequelae but can be reversible. ACHF : acute hepatic encephalopathy superimposed on chronic hepatic failure ADC : apparent diffusion coefficient AHF : acute hepatic failure AOD : acetaminophen overdose CNS : central nervous system CWM : cerebellar white matter d : days DBS : dorsal brain stem DCI : diffuse cortical involvement DWI : diffusion-weighted imaging FL : FLAIR FLAIR : fluid-attenuated inversion recovery F-U : follow-up GP : globus pallidus IPH : intraparenchymal hemorrhage MRI : MR imaging N/A : not available NAWM : normal-appearing white matter nl : normal NOS : not otherwise stated PAL : plasma ammonia level (maximal) PLIC : posterior limb of the internal capsule PVWM : periventricular white matter Sx : symptom T1WI : T1-weighted imaging T2WI : T2-weighted imaging
Focus Issue: Evolution of Language

This week’s issue of STKE complements a special issue of Science that explores the Evolution of Language. Translation of biological knowledge into standardized and machine-readable formats is needed to enable efficient exchange information and modeling of signaling mechanisms, as well as to promote integration of information on cell signaling with records in other databases of biological information. Two Perspectives describe different symbolic languages being applied to this problem. STKE is also tackling the problem of making cell signaling pathway information in the Connections Maps database accessible to novices and experts through the Web site, as well as to computers for analysis through a machine-readable file. First approaches involve creating an XML schema based on the Systems Biology Markup Language.
Control of a deformable mirror subject to structural disturbance

Future space based deployable telescopes will be subject to non-atmospheric disturbances. Jitter and optical misalignment on a spacecraft can be caused by mechanical noise of the spacecraft, and settling after maneuvers. The introduction of optical misalignment and jitter can reduce the performance of an optical system resulting in pointing error and contributing to higher order aberrations. Adaptive optics can be used to control jitter and higher order aberrations in an optical system. In this paper, wavefront control methods for the Naval Postgraduate School adaptive optics testbed are developed. The focus is on removing structural noise from the flexible optical surface using discrete time proportional integral control with second order filters. Experiments using the adaptive optics testbed successfully demonstrate wavefront control methods, including a combined iterative feedback and gradient control technique. This control technique results in a three time improvement in RMS wavefront error over the individual controllers correcting from a biased mirror position. Second order discrete time notch filters are also used to remove induced low frequency actuator and sensor noise at 2Hz. Additionally a 2 Hz structural disturbance is simulated on a Micromachined Membrane Deformable Mirror and removed using discrete time notch filters combined with an iterative closed loop feedback controller, showing a 36 time improvement in RMS wavefront error over the iterative closed loop feedback alone.
Involvement of γδ T Cells in Respiratory Virus Infections

Some aspects of the immunobiology of virus-induced respiratory disease are relatively well understood. It is known, for instance, that the adoptive transfer of cloned CD8+ T cells to immunologically naive mice infected intranasally (i.n.) with an influenza A virus greatly enhances virus clearance (Lukacher et al 1984, Taylor & Askonas 1986). The same has been observed for cloned CD4+ T cells, though the kinetics of virus elimination are more protracted (Lukacher et al 1986). In both cases, the effect is mediated by T cells that are conventionally MHOrestricted and are very specific for the infecting pathogen. There is thus no doubt that effector functions mediated by αβ T cell receptor (TCR)-bearing lymphocytes are of central importance in recovery from infection of the respiratory tract with influenza A viruses. Recent studies of the influenza pneumonia model have established that there is substantial involvement of lymphocytes with mRNA for the γδ TCR late in the course of the inflammatory process, after infectious virus has been eliminated (Allan et al 1990, Carding et al 1990 a). The obvious question is whether these γδ T cells contribute to the specific host response, or are simply recruited passively by the αβ TCR+ effectors (Doherty et al 1990).
Unlabeling the Disabled: A Perspective on Flagging Scores From Accommodated Test Administrations

Accommodations to standard test administrations are granted on many tests for students who have one or more disabling conditions. In some instances, students’ scores from these nonstandard administrations are “flagged” to caution those who interpret the test score that the test was not administered under typical conditions. The practice of flagging such test scores is contentious. Some argue that it essentially informs others that a student has a disability and creates the opportunity for bias against the student. Others argue that such scores must be flagged to be fair to those who took the test under standard conditions and to promote valid test score interpretations. This article reviews the psychometric issues regarding the flagging issue and discusses the guidance provided by the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Research in this area related to college admissions testing is also reviewed and suggestions for avoiding the flagging issue in the future are provided. This review lends ...
New Sports Stadiums, Community Self-Esteem, and Community Collective Conscience:

Sports economists have created a sizable literature on the costs and benefits of publicly funded major-league sports stadiums. This research suggests a growing consensus that stadiums provide littl...
Admixture Analysis of Florida Largemouth Bass and Northern Largemouth Bass using Microsatellite Loci

Abstract Microsatellite DNA variation was examined at 11 loci in five populations of Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus (N = 175) and eight populations of northern largemouth bass M. s. salmoides (N = 249). Distinct allele frequencies with 33 private alleles between subspecies (threshold frequency, ≥0.05) and 19 private alleles among three geographic regions distinguished between Florida largemouth bass and northern largemouth bass as well as between northern largemouth bass from northern and southern latitudes in North America. Variation at microsatellite loci also provided sufficient resolution to discriminate among some populations within regions. Allele frequencies indicated that of 37 trophy bass (defined here as fish weighing 5.90 kg or more) donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) between 2004 and 2005, all had more than 50% Florida largemouth bass influence with ancestry genetically similar to that of populations sampled in western Florida. Some fish (N = 24...
Geographic Variation in Roost-Site Selection of Long-Legged Myotis in the Pacific Northwest

Abstract Several species of bats in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, including long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), are dependent on snags in coniferous forests during summer for roosting and rearing young. Thus, data on roosting preferences of this species are needed to integrate their habitat requirements into shifting plans for management of forests in this region. Therefore, from 2001 to 2006, we radiotracked adult female long-legged myotis (n = 153) to day roosts (n = 395) across 6 watersheds in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, USA, and compared characteristics associated with roosting sites to those of random snags (n = 260) sampled in the same watersheds using use–availability logistic regression and an information-theoretic approach. Model rankings varied among geographic locations, with quantity of stem surface for roosting the best model for explaining roost-site selection of long-legged myotis in both Washington and Oregon. Model rankings for populations of bats in Idaho found sta...
Cross-Strait Economic Relations: China's Leverage and Taiwan's Vulnerability

Economic relations between Taiwan and China have developed very rapidly due to strong business motivations in both societies. Taiwan's government worries that Beijing might exploit China's economic leverage by using economic sanctions to achieve political goals if asymmetric interdependence in China's favor emerges across the Strait. This paper seeks to answer two categories of questions: first, how large is China's actual and potential economic leverage over Taiwan in terms of imposing economic sanctions, and what conditions or factors would contribute to China's decision to exploit this economic leverage? Second, how vulnerable is Taiwan to any such imposition of economic sanctions, and what conditions or factors would contribute to the success or failure of these sanctions? This paper concludes that China has no economic leverage over Taiwan in terms of imposing economic sanctions and that Taiwan's vulnerability to such a scenario is almost nonexistent.
Freedom to Do What You Want -- Rethinking the 'Desire Thesis'

This paper examines the routinely discarded "desire thesis" in freedom philosophy, which states that freedom is a function of being able to do what one wants, or what one desires, to do. This paper addresses why the desire thesis is so often discounted, and offers new insights on why it should be considered as part of freedom.
Commentary on Eagle and Foley: “Cytotoxicity in Human Cell Cultures”

See related article by Eagle and Foley, [Cancer Res 1958;18:1017–25][1] . Visit the Cancer Research 75th Anniversary [timeline][2]. From a contemporary perspective in 2016, it is difficult to realize that not very long ago, the prevailing primary screen for testing new anticancer drugs was the
Examination of the Comorbidity of Mental Illness and Somatic Conditions in Hospitalized Children in the United States Using the Kids’ Inpatient Database, 2009

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between mental and physical illness in hospitalized children. METHODS: The data for this analysis came from the 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID). Any child with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code indicative of depressive, anxiety, or bipolar disorders or a diagnosis of sickle cell disease, diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2, asthma, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were included. Using SAS software, we performed χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression to determine degrees of association. RESULTS: Children discharged with sickle cell disease, asthma, diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2, and ADHD were 0.94, 2.76, 3.50, 6.37, and 38.39 times more likely to have a comorbid anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder diagnosis than other hospitalized children, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Children with several chronic physical illnesses (asthma, diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2) and mental illnesses (ADHD) have higher odds of being discharged from the hospital with a comorbid mood or anxiety disorder compared with other children discharged from the hospital. It is therefore important to screen children hospitalized with chronic medical conditions for comorbid mental illness to ensure optimal clinical care, to improve overall health and long-term outcomes for these children.
Evaluation of field experiments by direct allozyme analysis of late blight lesions caused by Phytophthora infestans

The glucose-6-phosphate isomerase geno- type of Phytophthora infestans was determined directly from individual foliar lesions or portions of lesions collected into microcentrifuge tubes in the field. Fresh or frozen samples were processed and subject- ed to standard starch gel electrophoresis. This meth- od was used to determine the frequencies of two iso- lates of known but different glucose-6-phosphate isomerase genotype in a competitive aggressiveness experiment and to quantify the effect of contamina- tion between field experiments. The direct analysis confirmed a large difference in tomato aggressive- ness between the two isolates, but also suggested a difference in aggressiveness on potato between the two isolates. The direct assay enabled a single person to determine the allozyme genotype of the isolate causing each of 1,404 lesions during the 29 d of the field experiment.
Long-Term Outcome of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Young Children with Intractable Epilepsy

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved by FDA for treatment of intractable epilepsy in children over 12 years of age. We assessed the efficacy of VNS therapy in younger children. The study was a retrospective review of the medical records of medically refractory epilepsy patients under 12 years old at VNS implantation. Out of 42 patients studied, 28 had at least 50% decrease in seizure frequency, one-half of patients had 75% decrease in seizures, and 7% became seizure-free. A total 69% of patients reported improved mood and alertness. Complication rate was 7%. Age at VNS implantation, prior duration of epilepsy, electroencelphographic focality, and etiology of epilepsy did not influence the outcome ( p > 0.05). Our cohort demonstrated a lasting benefit of VNS therapy over 5 years, including seizure reduction and improved mood and alertness. VNS is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy for young children with medically intractable epilepsy.
Primary pulmonary hemangiopericytoma

Hemangiopericytoma is a potentially malignant tumor of vascular origin. It usually is a solitary lesion and may arise in the chest or in extrathoracic areas. It is usually encapsulated. Microscopic features vary with the degree of differentiation of the individual tumor. The more differentiated variety exhibits abundant capillaries with open lumina surrounded by ovoid tumor cells; in the less differentiated tumors, the capillaries lack lumina and the tumor cells are spindle shaped. The prognostic significance of the microscopic pattern is controversial. However, prominent mitotic activity, necrosis, hemorrhage, and increased cellularity are ominous signs and are usually noticed in tumors that later exhibit malignant behavior. The larger the lesion, the more likely that it will be symptomatic. Treatment of choice is ample surgical resection.
Sex-Specific Effects of Organophosphate Diazinon on the Gut Microbiome and Its Metabolic Functions.

Background:There is growing recognition of the significance of the gut microbiome to human health, and the association between a perturbed gut microbiome with human diseases has been established. P...
Toward a rapid prototyping environment for character behavior

I describe work in progress on a system for interactive prototyping of AI-based characters A sort of "Sims construction set", the system combines a simple physics simulation with a set of domain-specific languages to allow programmers to quickly build and test character AI. It allows iterative, incremental development in which behaviors can be compactly authored, tested, monitored, and hot-swapped for new behaviors, using in-game editing and debugging facilities.
Biologic rhythms in hematology.

The number of circulating blood cells and their function, as expressed by phagocytosis, the response to mitogens or by the natural killer cell activity, and the formation of blood cells in the bone marrow, and their response to toxic (e.g. chemotherapeutic) agents show biologic rhythms in several frequencies of which the circadian rhythms are most extensively explored. Some of these rhythms show large enough amplitudes to be clinically important, especially if consecutive samples of the same patients are to be evaluated. Rhythm disturbances characterize hematologic and immune related disease states like, e.g., infection with HIV. Circadian rhythms in the aggregability and adhesiveness of blood platelets contribute to the transient state of hypercoagulability during the morning hours which is thought to lead to the peak incidence at this time of myocardial infarction, cerebral infarct, and sudden cardiac death. The rhythmic, and thus in their timing to a certain degree, predictable changes in responsiveness of the hematopoietic and immune system provide an opportunity to improve the effects of growth factors and cytokines, and decrease their undesirable side effects. Timing of cancer chemotherapy at the time of maximal resistance of the hematopoietic system to a certain drug may improve the often dose limiting toxicity of the agent. Some preliminary results suggest that not only treatment toxicity may be diminished, but also efficacy may be improved. This approach is made difficult by the large individual differences in the timing of the rhythms, and by the interaction of circadian, circaseptan, and circannual rhythms which have, thus far, been only incompletely explored.
Spatial Optimisation in Forest Planning

There is an increasing interest in considering goals other than timber production in forest planning. Common to many of these new goals is that there are spatial requirements. Unfortunately, existing approaches for long-term forest planning are in general non-spatial, or are not effective in spatial considerations because of the complexity of solving spatial problems. These circumstances have spurred extensive research into spatial problem solving during the last years. However, much of the research has a focus on American conditions. Subsequently, a majority of the studies deal with the problem of not harvesting adjacent areas and only a small number of studies deal with problems more typical to, e.g., Scandinavian conditions, such as minimizing the fragmentation of old forest. In this chapter different aspects of spatial consideration will be discussed. Different ways of including spatial aspects in forest planning, and characteristics of spatial problems, will be presented. Further, a number of planning problems typical for a Scandinavian setting that encompass both spatial considerations in terms of creating connectivity in the landscape and also non-spatial considerations that normally are found in long term forest planning, will be presented.
Effects of Receiving and Growing Diets on Compensatory Gains of Stressed Calves

Three hundred seventy-seven male stocker calves were used to study the effects of three receiving diets, two growing-finishing diets and two levels of shipping shrink on compensatory gains during the post-receiving feeding period. Calves received on a 75% concentrate diet gained 19 kg more during the first 42 d than those received on hay plus .91 kg daily of protein supplement (P less than .01). Calves received on hay plus protein supplement gained 11 kg more than the calves received on hay alone during the same period (P less than .01). When calves were fed an 85% concentrate diet throughout finishing, there was no difference in the rate of compensatory gain made by calves fed hay alone or hay plus protein supplement. Neither of the latter two groups completely compensated for the slow rates of gain made during receiving. When calves were fed a 50% concentrate growing diet from the end of the receiving period to a body weight of 272 kg then finished on an 85% concentrate diet, those received on hay alone lacked only 1 kg of compensating fully for the low gains of the receiving period. However, this procedure had no effect on the compensatory gains of those received on hay plus protein supplement. High-shrink calves received on hay alone or hay plus protein never compensated fully for the low gains made in the receiving period. However, with low-shrink calves, those received on hay alone fully compensated for the low gains of the receiving period and those received on hay plus protein lacked only 2 kg of making full compensation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A 46-Year-Old Man With Dyspnea, Hypoxemia, and Radiographic Asymmetry After Redo Bilateral Lung Transplantation

Case Presentation A 46-year-old man underwent redo bilateral sequential lung transplantation for rapidly progressive bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome that developed 3.5 years after initial transplantation. In the operating room, he was sedated and intubated with a dual lumen endotracheal tube with subsequent single right-lung ventilation and left allograft implantation. His pulmonary arterial pressure became elevated with reperfusion of the newly implanted left lung, which required initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass to facilitate implantation of the right lung. After implantation and reperfusion of the right lung, the patient was weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. His chest was closed and he was transferred to the thoracic intensive care unit. On arrival to the intensive care unit, the patient was intubated, sedated, and had an oxygen saturation of 92% on a fraction of inspired oxygen of 100%, positive end-expiratory pressure of 10 cm H 2 O, and 20 parts per million of inhaled nitric oxide. He had a Swan-Ganz catheter in the right internal jugular vein that measured a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of 33 mm Hg and a pulmonary arterial systolic pressure of 63 mm Hg, which remained persistently elevated and prompted further diagnostic evaluation.
Room Temperature X-Ray Crystallography Reveals Conformational Heterogeneity of Engineered Proteins

In this issue of Structure, Biel et al. (2017) present multi-conformer analyses from room temperature X-ray data of two ubiquitin phage display variants binding deubiquitinase USP7. The first contains core mutations. The second matured variant contains additional surface mutations. Alternate conformations detected in the core mutant were removed by maturation.
Synthesis of fused cyclic chromene and alicyclic chromene derivatives from 2-amino-4-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]5-oxo-4H,5H-pyrano [3,2-c]chromene-3-carbonitrile

Derivatives of fused cyclic chromene and alicyclic chromene were synthesized starting from 2-amino-4-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]5-oxo-4 H ,5 H -pyrano [3,2- c ]chromene-3-carbonitrile. The structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectral data : infrared spectra (FT-IR) and 1 HNMR.
Adult Siblings of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract Given the increasing life spans of persons with disabilities and the inadequacies of most adult-service systems, greater attention is being paid to the adult siblings of brothers–sisters with disabilities. In this chapter, we review how these siblings perform on four outcomes: (1) problems-advantages and life successes; (2) life choices (marriage, children, choice of career); (3) sibling relationships; and (4) sibling caregiving and anticipated caregiving. We then explore underexamined topics, including sibling research with ties to analogous fields (e.g., caregiving of aging parents); people surrounding these siblings who researchers have neglected (e.g., siblings-in-law); sibling issues related to having a brother–sister with Down syndrome (e.g., older parents) or with autism (e.g., Broader Autism Phenotype); and gender-related concerns related to caregiving (e.g., male siblings who become their sibling's primary caregiver). Although siblings of brothers–sisters with disabilities are increasing in societal importance, we are only beginning to understand the functioning, relationships, outcomes, and caregiving of adult siblings toward their brothers–sisters with disabilities.
Geraniol-Loaded Polymeric Nanoparticles Inhibit Enteric Pathogens on Spinach during Posttreatment Refrigerated and Temperature Abuse Storage

Post-harvest cross-contamination of produce with bacterial human pathogens reduces the usefulness of produce as a source of wholesome human food. The application of nano-encapsulated natural antimicrobials, including essential oil components of plants, can help protect produce safety by decontaminating produce from microbial pathogens. The primary objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial interventions on pathogen-inoculated spinach samples stored refrigerated (5 °C) for up to 10 days, or refrigerated (5 °C) for 5 days with subsequent moderate (15 °C) or severe (25 °C) temperature abuse thereafter until a total of 10 days had elapsed. The secondary objective of the study was to determine the capacity of antimicrobial interventions to inhibit and/or reduce pathogen numbers on spinach when inoculation followed intervention treatment, simulating cross-contamination of spinach following post-harvest sanitizing of spinach. Rinsed spinach was portioned into samples and inoculated with cocktailed antibiotic-resistant pathogens to 6.1±0.1 log10 CFU/cm2 for each pathogen. Treatments of geraniol-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (GPNs) (0.5 wt.% geraniol), unencapsulated geraniol (0.5 wt.%), and 200 ppm free and available chlorine (FAC; pH 7.0) were applied to pathogens-inoculated or non-inoculated spinach samples. Following treatment, samples were collected for determining pathogen survival or were covered and held to determine changes in microbial populations (inoculated pathogens and naturally contaminating microbial hygiene indicators) during post-treatment simulated refrigerated and/or temperature-abuse storage. Changes in pathogen numbers were assessed periodically over 10 days for refrigerated (5°C), moderately (15°C) or severely (25°C) temperature-abused spinach. Immediately following treatment by FAC, unencapsulated or nanoparticle-entrapped geraniol, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella counts on spinach ranged from 1.5 to 6.1 log10 CFU/cm2. Geraniol-loaded nanoparticles reduced pathogens to non-detectable numbers (detection limit: 0.5 log10 CFU/cm2) on refrigerated and moderately temperature-abused samples (15°C) within 7 days of storage post-treatment, and after 10 days of severe thermo-abuse storage (25°C). Conversely, FAC treatment did not reduce pathogens to non-detectable numbers for refrigerated spinach, and was not observed to inhibit pathogen growth in temperature-abused samples. Application of encapsulated geraniol can reduce pathogens on spinach surfaces, preventing their transmission to consumers, aiding the retention of produce wholesomeness and utility for human consumption and nutrition.
Subway-Related Trauma: An Urban Public Health Issue with a High Case-Fatality Rate.

Abstract Background Between 1990 and 2003, there were 668 subway-related fatalities in New York City. However, subway-related trauma remains an understudied area of injury-related morbidity and mortality. Objective The objective of this study was to characterize the injuries and events leading up to the injuries of all patients admitted after subway-related trauma. Methods We conducted a retrospective case series of subway-related trauma at a Level I trauma center from 2001 to 2016. Descriptive epidemiology of patient demographics, incident details, injuries, and outcomes were analyzed. Results Over 15 years, 254 patients were admitted for subway-related trauma. The mean (standard error of the mean) age was 41 (1.0) years, 80% were male (95% confidence interval [CI] 74–84%) and median Injury Severity Score was 14 (interquartile range [IQR] 5–24). The overall case-fatality rate was 10% (95% CI 7–15%). The most common injuries were long-bone fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, and traumatic amputations. Median length of stay was 6 days (IQR 1–18 days). Thirty-seven percent of patients required surgical intervention. At the time of injury, 55% of patients (95% CI 49–61%) had a positive urine drug or alcohol screen, 16% (95% CI 12–21%) were attempting suicide, and 39% (95% CI 33–45%) had a history of psychiatric illness. Conclusions Subway-related trauma is associated with a high case-fatality rate. Alcohol or drug intoxication and psychiatric illness can increase the risk of this type of injury.
Linearization of Median Genomes under DCJ

Reconstruction of the median genome consisting of linear chromosomes from three given genomes is known to be intractable. There exist efficient methods for solving a relaxed version of this problem, where the median genome is allowed to have circular chromosomes. We propose a method for construction of an approximate solution to the original problem from a solution to the relaxed problem and prove a bound on its approximation accuracy. Our method also provides insights into the combinatorial structure of genome transformations with respect to appearance of circular chromosomes.
Platelet vitronectin receptor expression differentiates Iraqi-Jewish from Arab patients with Glanzmann thrombasthenia in Israel

Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a rare, inherited disorder of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) complex. We previously identified two distinct populations with this disorder in Israel, Iraqi-Jews and Arabs. The groups are indistinguishable in hemorrhagic symptoms and platelet GP IIB/IIIa receptor deficiency, but they differ in their platelet immunodetectable GP IIIa (beta 3), with the Iraqi-Jewish population expressing no detectable GP IIIa and the Arab population expressing small amounts. We have now examined the platelets of these two populations as well as normal platelets for the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor. Normal platelets contained between approximately 50 to 100 alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptors as judged by the binding of antibodies to both alpha v (LM142) and the intact alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor complex (LM609). In addition, normal platelets bound to immobilized vitronectin in the presence of 1 mmol/LMnCl2; the adhesion was mediated predominantly through GP IIb/IIIa, but with a distinct contribution by the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor, as determined by monoclonal antibody inhibition studies. Iraqi-Jewish patients' platelets had a profound decrease in immunodetectable alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptors, and their platelets did not adhere well to vitronectin. In contrast, Arab patients' platelets had normal or increased numbers of platelet alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptors, and these receptors functioned well in the vitronectin adhesion assay, taking over much of the adhesion mediated by GP IIb/IIIa in normal platelets. These studies define further the heterogeneity of the molecular basis of Glanzmann thrombasthenia; they also have more widespread implications for understanding the synthesis and function of the beta 3 family of integrin receptors.
The symmetric draining of capillary liquids from containers with interior corners

A new lubrication model solution is found for the late-stage draining of a wetting capillary liquid from a linear interior corner. The solution exploits the symmetry of volumetric sink conditions at opposing ends of such a ‘double-drained’ interior corner flow with applications ranging from liquid recovery in microfluidic devices on Earth to liquid fuel scavenging in large fuel tanks aboard spacecraft. At long times . The constraints under which the solution is valid are provided. To qualitatively assess the value of the solution, representative experiments are conducted at larger length scales aboard the International Space Station and at microfluidic length scales in a terrestrial laboratory. Both sets of experiments confirm the predicted power-law dependences. We show that the separation of variables solution offers a method to predict maximum drain rates from related geometries where a single drain location provides the required symmetry of the problem.