cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent flows: the clockwork behind turbulence

The understanding of chaotic dynamics in high-dimensional systems that has emerged in the last decade offers a promising dynamical framework to study turbulence. Here turbulence is viewed as a walk through a forest of exact solutions in the infinite-dimensional state space of the governing equations. Recently, Chandler & Kerswell (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 722, 2013, pp. 554–595) carry out the most exhaustive study of this programme undertaken so far in fluid dynamics, a feat that requires every tool in the dynamicist’s toolbox: numerical searches for recurrent flows, computation of their stability, their symmetry classification, and estimating from these solutions statistical averages over the turbulent flow. In the long run this research promises to develop a quantitative, predictive description of moderate-Reynolds-number turbulence, and to use this description to control flows and explain their statistics.
Activation of Antigen-Specific CD8 T Cells Results in Minimal Killing of Bystander Bacteria

Memory CD8 T cells play a critical role in protective immunity against intracellular pathogens. In addition to their ability to specifically recognize and lyse infected targets, activated CD8 T cells secrete cytokines that induce phagocytic cells to engulf and kill bacterial pathogens. In this study, we asked whether activation of Ag-specific CD8 T cells results in nonspecific killing of bystander bacteria during a mixed infection. Mice with epitope-specific memory CD8 T cells were coinfected with two isogenic strains of recombinant Listeria monocytogenes that differ in the cognate epitope. Recall responses by epitope-specific CD8 T cells rapidly inhibited the growth of epitope-bearing bacteria, impeding the course of infection within 6 h after challenge. This rapid inhibition was highly specific and did not affect the growth of coinfecting bacteria without the epitope. CTL recall did not enhance activation of innate immune cells, as evidenced by the absence of inducible NO synthase production in infectious foci. Our observations demonstrate the remarkable specificity of the bactericidal mechanisms of CTL and reveal the possibility for escape mutants to prevail in the hostile environment of a specific immune response. This implication has a bearing on subunit vaccine design strategies and understanding failure of immunization against bacterial infection.
Analysis and modeling of the locomotor central pattern generator as a network of coupled oscillators.

: The primary functions of spinal locomotor central pattern generators (CPGs) are to provide oscillatory motor commands to individual joints or segments and to control the precise timing of those commands across all joints or segments for efficient, coordinated locomotor behavior. Our ability to understand the neuronal mechanisms underlying intersegmental coordination has been hampered by the complexity of propriospinal interconnectivity and the paucity of quantitative data on the magnitude and timing of those connections. Theoretical approaches have therefore been employed to discover general roles by which CPG-like oscillator systems must be constructed to produce appropriate coordinated locomotor behavior; the locomotor CPG is represented as a network of oscillators, where each oscillator generates local motor output and interoscillator coupling provides intersegmental coordination. Mathematical analysis of such coupled oscillator systems has provided a number of experimentally testable predictions regarding the link between coupling and coordination. Application of these network-level predictions to the results of electrophysiological experiments has required data analysis methods that can relate the behavior of the in vitro spinal cord to the variables employed by the mathematical model. Hence, our most recent work has focused on developing analytic tools for quantifying the changes in locomotor output that result form experimental manipulations of the propriospinal system in terms of frequency, intersegmental phase, and intersegmental correlation. Results of recent experiments can now be used to put further constraints on the allowable kinds of intersegmental coupling provided by mathematical modeling of the system.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 neuronal activity is independent of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels.

Pulsatile release of GnRH-1 is essential for secretion of gonadotropin hormones. The frequency of GnRH-1 pulses is regulated during the reproductive cycle by numerous neurotransmitters. Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels have been proposed as a mechanism to integrate the cAMP signal evoked by many neurotransmitters. This study reports the expression of the CNGA2 subunit in GnRH-1 neurons obtained from mouse nasal explants and shows the ability of GnRH-1 neurons to increase their activity in response to forskolin (activator of adenylyl cyclases), or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (inhibitor of phosphodiesterases) even after removal of γ-aminobutyric acid (A)-ergic input. Next, the endogenous activity of adenylyl cyclases was evaluated as a component of the oscillatory mechanism of GnRH-1 neurons. Inhibition of endogenous activity of adenylyl cyclases did not alter GnRH-1 activity. The potential involvement of CNGA2 subunit in basal or induced activity was tested on GnRH-1 neurons obtained from CNGA2-deficient mice. Without up-regulation of CNGA1 or CNGA3, the absence of functional CNGA2 did not alter either the endogenous GnRH-1 neuronal activity or the response to forskolin, negating CNG channels from cAMP-sensitive mechanisms leading to changes in GnRH-1 neuronal activity. In addition, the potential role of CNGA2 subunit in the synchronization of calcium oscillations previously described was evaluated in GnRH-1 neurons from CNGA2-deficient explants. Synchronized calcium oscillations persisted in CNGA2-deficient GnRH-1 neurons. Taken together, these results indicate that CNGA2 channels are not necessary for either the response of GnRH-1 neurons to cAMP increases or the basal rhythmic activity of GnRH-1 neurons.
Anthropology and Individual Lives: The Story of the Life History and the History of the Life Story

Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence. Charlotte Linde. Storied Lives: The Cultural Politics of Self-Understanding. George C. Rosenwald and Richard L. Ochberg, eds.
Clues for new therapeutics in osteoporosis and periodontal disease: new roles for lipoxygenases?

Lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways are well appreciated for their ability to regulate key events contributing to the cardinal signs of inflammation. Recent evidence indicates that LOX genes are associated with osteoporosis. Also, overexpression of the 15-LOX Type 1 in transgenic rabbits leads to a reduced inflammatory phenotype and protection from periodontal disease, as well as atherosclerosis. Osteoporosis and inflammation-associated bone degradation, such as periodontitis, affect many individuals worldwide and are known to have pathogenesis that involves local mediators via communication between osteoclasts and osteoblasts during osteogenesis. Evidence has emerged indicating that LOX gene expression is associated with reduced bone strength in murine models of osteoporosis. Overexpression of the 15-LOX gene and its products, such as lipoxins, confers endogenous anti-inflammation. This article discusses the recent findings that may link aberrant LOX pathway expression in these diseases, suggesting new avenues f...
The Role of Organizational Characteristics in Determining Patterns of Utilization of Services for Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Shelter by Homeless People:

This study aims to advance understanding of service provision to the homeless population through investigation of the effects of organizational characteristics. A longitudinal study of homelessness obtained structured psychiatric interview data from 400 participants and these individuals' service use and organizational data from 23 organizations over the next 12 months. Substance abuse service use was associated with organizational funding diversity, professionalism, and focus of services on substance abuse service provision. Other mental health service use was associated with small organizational size, professionalism, and simplicity of organizational funding diversity. Shelter service use was associated with complexity of services and small organizational size and inversely related to professionalism of staff. Results suggest relevance of organizational characteristics to understanding service access and use, controlling for individual need factors. Only by examining interactions among individual and or...
N-best entropy based data selection for acoustic modeling

This paper presents a strategy for efficiently selecting informative data from large corpora of untranscribed speech. Confidence-based selection methods (i.e., selecting utterances we are least confident about) have been a popular approach, though they only look at the top hypothesis when selecting utterances and tend to select outliers, therefore, not always improving overall recognition accuracy. Alternatively, we propose a method for selecting data looking at competing hypothesis by computing entropy of N-best hypothesis decoded by the baseline acoustic model. In addition we address the issue of outliers by calculating how representative a specific utterance is to all other unselected utterances via a tf-idf score. Experiments show that N-best entropy based selection (%relative 5.8 in 400-hour corpus) outperformed other conventional selection strategies; confidence based and lattice entropy based, and that tf-idf based representativeness improved the model further (%relative 6.2). A comparison with random selection is also presented. Finally model size impact is discussed.
Congenital infections due to reovirus type 3 in hamsters

Reovirus type 3 was able to induce various effects in fetuses depending on the period of gestation pregnant hamsters were inoculated. Inoculations on gestation days 1–5 resulted in a high rate of fetal deaths. Fetuses of females inoculated on days 9–11 all became infected, but survived and developed normally. Reovirus proliferated to high liters in placentas and uteruses and was recovered from amniotic fluids in higher titer than from fetuses. Presence of phloxinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in pathologic studies revealed a spectrum of fetal infection ranging from mild involvement of the epidermis and ora mucosa to widespread systemic disease involving skin, visual organs, skeletal muscle, and neural tissues as well as voluntary muscles. These findings were substantiated by immunofluorescence studies. Throughout these experiments pregnant animals remained in good health in spite of having relatively high and sustained viremias. In view of the ubiquitous distribution of reoviruses in nature, and their lack of interspecies differences, observations of their ability to induce serious transplacental infections as well as hydrocephalus in laboratory animals point to the desirability of continued study of their potential role in the etiology of human disease.
Postpneumonectomy empyema: results after the Clagett procedure.

Background The purpose of this study was to analyze our experience with the management of patients with postpneumonectomy empyema treated by the Clagett procedure. Methods Data were analyzed from our prospective database on 84 consecutive patients with postpneumonectomy empyema from July 1988 to June 2004. Results There were 73 men and 11 women. Median age was 62 years (range, 35 to 77). Indications for pneumonectomy were malignancy in 77 patients and benign disease in 7. The pneumonectomy was done at our institution in 43 patients and elsewhere in 41. A right pneumonectomy was performed in 66 patients and a left in 18. All patients were managed with the Clagett procedure consisting of open pleural drainage, serial operative debridements, and eventual chest closure after filling the pleural cavity with antibiotic solution. A bronchopleural fistula was present in 55 patients and was closed in all. A muscle flap was used to reinforce the bronchial stump in 60 patients (71%), 51 with a bronchopleural fistula, and 9 without. Operative mortality was 7.1%. Median follow-up was 1.5 years (range, 0 to 22). Overall, 81% of patients had a healed chest wall without evidence of recurrent infection. The bronchopleural fistula remained closed in all patients. Median overall survival was 3.4 years with a 5-year survival of 44.5%. Age less than 65 years and an interval between pneumonectomy and empyema of greater than 15 weeks were independent predictors of improved long-term survival. Conclusions The Clagett procedure remains safe and successful in the majority of patients with postpneumonectomy empyema. Age less than 65 years and a long interval between pneumonectomy and empyema are important determinants of outcome.
Localizing RF Targets with Cooperative Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play an important and expanding role in both civilian and military missions, such as search and rescue, intelligence collection, surveillance, or reconnaissance. Currently, UAVs require human operators to control and direct their flights and sensors. To expand their effectiveness and exploit their inherent capabilities, we seek to develop robust techniques for multiple UAVs to cooperatively operate without direct human control. Our current research interest is to develop algorithms and simulate techniques to enable UAVs to search for, detect, and locate mobile ground targets emitting radio frequency signals. This paper investigates the task of combining sensor data from multiple UAVs to obtain accurate and reliable target locations. The sensors collect only coarse angle-of-arrival information and we apply Kalman filtering techniques to estimate the angle to the target. The estimated angles from multiple UAVs are sufficient to develop control laws for the UAVs to converge on an orbit about the target and collect additional measurements to further improve the estimation of the target's position. We explore a sensor fusion process embedded in a simple control law that allows multiple UAVs to cooperate in the target localization task and coordinate their motion using a leader-follower approach. We demonstrate the cooperative sensing techniques using simulation results.
Explanations and Therapies for Penicillin Failure in Streptococcal Pharyngitis

A disturbing trend toward penicillin failure has developed in the treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis in some parts of the United States and abroad. A variety of explanations has been proposed to account for these penicillin-treatment failures. With the resurgence of serious complications from streptococcal infection, successful bacteriologic eradication has regained importance. In communities with a high incidence of penicillin failures, alternative antimicrobials should be considered. Cephalosporins, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and the extended-spectrum macrolides represent logical options under such clinical circumstances.
Direct top‐down estimates of biomass burning CO emissions using TES and MOPITT versus bottom‐up GFED inventory

In this study, we utilize near-simultaneous observations from two sets of multiple satellite sensors to segregate Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) CO observations over active fire sources from those made over clear background. Hence, we obtain direct estimates of biomass burning CO emissions without invoking inverse modeling as in traditional top-down methods. We find considerable differences between Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED) versions 2.1 and 3.1 and satellite-based emission estimates in many regions. Both inventories appear to greatly underestimate South and Southeast Asia emissions, for example. On global scales, however, CO emissions in both inventories and in the MOPITT-based analysis agree reasonably well, with the largest bias (30%) found in the Northern Hemisphere spring. In the Southern Hemisphere, there is a one-month shift between the GFED and MOPITT-based fire emissions peak. Afternoon tropical fire emissions retrieved from TES are about two times higher than the morning MOPITT retrievals. This appears to be both a real difference due to the diurnal fire activity variations, and a bias due to the scarcity of TES data.
The Business Improvement District Model: A Balanced Review of Contemporary Debates

This article presents an o verview of the burgeoning literature on business improvement districts (BID) by highlighting its historical underpinnings, identifying the economic and political factors that explain its transnational proliferation, and demonstrating how the model varies within and across nations. It also provides a balanced review of the key debates associated with this relatively new urban revitalization strategy by asking the following questions: Are BIDs democratic? Are BIDs accountable? Do BIDs create wealth-based inequalities in the delivery of public services? Do BIDs create spillover effects? Do BIDs over-regulate public space?
Generating iPS Cells from MEFS through Forced Expression of Sox-2, Oct-4, c-Myc, and Klf4

Pluripotency can be induced in differentiated murine by viral transduction of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc (Takahashi and Yamanaka, 2006; Wernig, et al., 2007; Okita, et al., 2007; Maherali, et al., 2007). We have devised a reprogramming strategy in which these four transcription factors are expressed from doxycycline (dox)-inducible lentiviral vectors (Brambrink et al., 2008). Using these inducible constructs, we can derive induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). In this video, we demonstrate the procedure for the generation of inducible lentiviruses that express the four transcription factors and show how to infect MEFs with these viruses in order to produce iPS cells. By using inducible lentiviruses, the expression of the four factors in controlled by the addition of doxycyline to the culture medium. The advantage of this system over the traditional retroviral infection is the ability to turn the genes on and off so that the kinetics of reprogramming and gene expression requirements can be analyzed in detail.
On the Profinite Topology on Negatively Curved Groups

Abstract Let H and K be quasiconvex subgroups of a negatively curved locally extended residually finite (LERF) group G . It is shown that if H is malnormal in G , then the double coset KH is closed in the profinite topology of G . In particular, this is true if G is the fundamental group of an atoroidal LERF hyperbolic 3-manifold, and H is the fundamental group of a totally geodesic boundary component of such manifold.
Intergenic DNA sequences from the human X chromosome reveal high rates of global gene flow

Background Despite intensive efforts devoted to collecting human polymorphism data, little is known about the role of gene flow in the ancestry of human populations. This is partly because most analyses have applied one of two simple models of population structure, the island model or the splitting model, which make unrealistic biological assumptions.
In situ measurements of oligoaniline conductance: Linking electrochemistry and molecular electronics

The single-molecule conductance of a dithiolated aniline trimer has been measured under potential control and also under an inert solvent. In each experiment, two sets of currents are found, differing by a factor 4, and these are tentatively assigned to differing connections to the electrodes (e.g., on-top vs. hollow sites). The conductances peak (to 17 ± 1.6 and 5.8 ± 0.85 nS) between the first and second oxidations of the molecule and change smoothly with surface potential. There is no evidence for a coexistence of oxidized and reduced molecules. Measurements made at a fixed surface potential as a function of tip to substrate bias show a peak current at 0.1 V followed by a region of negative differential resistance. This is accounted for semi-quantitatively by modification of the local potential by the applied bias altering the oxidation state of the molecule under the probe. Measurements made in toluene are Ohmic, indicating that the tip does not alter the oxidation state of the molecule in the absence of screening ions. We discuss the role of gap geometry and bonding in these processes.
A Heuristic Technique for Scheduling a Customer-Driven Residential Distributed Energy Resource Installation

This paper introduces a heuristic technique for scheduling a residential DER installation containing photovoltaic arrays and local energy storage, interfaced to the grid through a single phase voltage source inverter. The principal aspect of the technique is aligned with the Smart Grid Initiative in order to provide customer-driven operation of the DER installation, while maximizing the customer's daily profit. The technique is based on the DER installation's ability to sell specified amounts of real and reactive power to the utility grid. The technique is implemented in an algorithm that determines the operating points for the inverter for the next 24 hrs of operation based on forecasts of the residential demand, solar irradiance, and the price of real and reactive power. The validity of the technique is illustrated through an example case study, and compared with the day's operating costs of the same residence without local energy storage, and without a DER installation.
The toadfish serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor: molecular characterization and its potential role in urea excretion

Abstract Based on early pharmacological work, the serotonin 2A (5-HT 2A ) receptor subtype is believed to be involved in the regulation of toadfish pulsatile urea excretion. The goal of the following study was to characterize the toadfish 5-HT 2A receptor at a molecular level, to determine the tissues in which this receptor is predominantly expressed and to further investigate the pharmacological specificity of toadfish pulsatile urea excretion by examining the effect of ketanserin, a 5-HT 2A receptor antagonist, on resting rates of pulsatile urea excretion. The full-length toadfish 5-HT 2A receptor encodes a 496 amino acid sequence and shares 57–80% sequence identity to 5-HT 2A receptors of other organisms, with 100% conservation among important ligand-binding residues. Toadfish 5-HT 2A receptor mRNA expression was highest in the swim bladder and gonad, followed by the whole brain. All other tissues tested (esophagus, stomach, anterior intestine, posterior intestine, rectum, liver, kidney, heart, muscle and gill) had mRNA expression levels that were significantly less than whole brain. Toadfish 5-HT 2A receptor mRNA expression within the brain was highest in the hindbrain, telencephalon and midbrain/diencephalon regions. Treatment with the 5-HT 2A receptor antagonist, ketanserin, resulted in a significant decrease in the pulsatile component of spontaneous urea excretion due to a reduction in urea pulse size with no significant change in pulse frequency. These results lend further support for the 5-HT 2A receptor in the regulation of pulsatile urea excretion in toadfish.
Implementing Policy for Invisible Populations: Social Work and Social Policy in a Federal Anti-Trafficking Taskforce in the United States

In the United States, the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) has been one of the principal foci in the fight against human trafficking during the past decade with billions of dollars spent and hundreds of thousands of helping professionals trained in anti-trafficking best practices. Despite this attention, prosecutions, convictions and rescues have been scarce relative to funding, leading critical scholars to argue that CSEC is a moral panic. The following article, based on fourteen months of participant-observation between 2009 and 2010 with social service providers, law enforcement officials, not-for-profit directors and local clergy from a voluntary participation federal anti-trafficking taskforce in Atlantic City, New Jersey provides an ethnographic account of the ways that helping professionals confront the challenges and contradictions of implementing policy and advocating for an invisible target population that is rarely, if ever, visible in their work lives.
Season of birth and risk for adult onset glioma

Adult onset glioma is a rare cancer which occurs more frequently in Caucasians than African Americans, and in men than women. The etiology of this disease is largely unknown. Exposure to ionizing radiation is the only well established environmental risk factor, and this factor explains only a small percentage of cases. Several recent studies have reported an association between season of birth and glioma risk. This paper reviews the plausibility of evidence focusing on the seasonal interrelation of farming, allergies, viruses, vitamin D, diet, birth weight, and handedness. To date, a convincing explanation for the occurrence of adult gliomas decades after a seasonal exposure at birth remains elusive.
HLA-DR peptide occupancy can be regulated with a wide variety of small molecules

HLA-DR is the most commonly expressed and likely the most medically important human MHC class II, antigen presenting protein. In a normal immune response, HLA-DR binds to antigenic peptide and the HLA-DR/peptide complex binds to a T-cell receptor, thus contributing to T-cell activation and stimulation of an immune response against the antigen. When foreign antigen is not present, HLA-DR binds endogenous peptide which, under normal conditions does not stimulate an immune response. In most cases, the human peptide is CLIP, but a certain percentage of HLA-DR molecules will be present at the cell surface with other human peptides. We have recently shown that cell surface, CLIP/HLA-DR ratios are a measure of peptide heterogeneity, and in particular, changes in CLIP/HLA-DR ratios represent changes in the occupancy of HLA-DR by other, endogenous peptides. For example, treatment of cells with the HDAC inhibitor, Entinostat, leads to an upregulation of Cathepsin L1 and replacement of Cathepsin L1 senstitive peptides with HLA-DR binding, Cathepsin L1 resistant peptides, an alteration that can be at least partially assessed via assessment of CLIP/HLA-DR cell surface ratios. Here we assay for CLIP/HLA-DR ratios following treatment of immortalized B-cells with a variety of common drugs, almost all of which indicate significant changes in the CLIP/HLA-DR ratios. Furthermore, the CLIP/HLA-DR ratio changes parallel the impact of the drug panoply on cell viability, suggesting that alterations in the HLA-DR peptidome are governed by a variety of mechanisms, rather than exclusively dependent on a dedicated peptide loading process. These results raise questions about how FDA approved drugs may affect the immune response, and whether any of these drugs could be useful as vaccine adjuvants?
Differential expression of KV channel α- and β-subunits in the bovine pulmonary arterial circulation

Resistance pulmonary arteries constrict in response to hypoxia, whereas conduit pulmonary arteries typically do not respond or dilate slightly. One proposed mechanism for this differential response...
Comparing Apples and Oranges in Trademark Law: Challenging the International and Constitutional Validity of Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products

Plain packaging, a new tobacco control tool being considered by a growing number of countries, mandates the removal of all attractive and promotional aspects of tobacco product packages. As a result of plain packaging, the only authorized feature remaining on a tobacco package is the brand name, displayed in a standardized font, size, color, and location on the package. At issue is the meaning of “use” of trademarks on plain packaging, and whether plain packaging amounts to the creation of an invalid encumbrance. The tobacco industry and other regulated sectors (including wine, fast-food, and pharmaceuticals) also believe that plain packaging jeopardizes trademark rights and contravenes certain Constitutional provisions. In particular, they argue that governments do, and are, in fact, capable of “acquiring,” property, or that governments could be construed as “taking” property on unjust terms, contrary to Constitutional guarantees. The tobacco industry’s efforts to fight plain packaging in the courts have, however, proven futile thus far — particularly in Australia. This article, after introducing the reader to the dawn and rationale of plain packaging from a quasi-legal and marketing perspective, examines the compatibility of normative arguments for plain packaging within the international framework for trademark protection (as preserved in the TRIPS Agreement). It then looks at the way in which these arguments and that framework have shaped the constitutional validity of plain packaging of tobacco products in the United States and Australia. In drawing on these jurisdictions that, alongside the European Union, incorporate rather aggressive tobacco control legislation, this paper highlights the nuanced geographic and legal contexts that complicate global regulatory control, which play an important role in advancing global public health in the face of trade-related objections. Finally, this paper proposes methods for dealing with current legal challenges to global tobacco control regulations and suggests that there are strong arguments to deny private entities that seek to establish a successful case by purporting to invalidate plain packaging legislation.
Modeling Coevolution between Language and Memory Capacity during Language Origin

Memory is essential to many cognitive tasks including language. Apart from empirical studies of memory effects on language acquisition and use, there lack sufficient evolutionary explorations on whether a high level of memory capacity is prerequisite for language and whether language origin could influence memory capacity. In line with evolutionary theories that natural selection refined language-related cognitive abilities, we advocated a coevolution scenario between language and memory capacity, which incorporated the genetic transmission of individual memory capacity, cultural transmission of idiolects, and natural and cultural selections on individual reproduction and language teaching. To illustrate the coevolution dynamics, we adopted a multi-agent computational model simulating the emergence of lexical items and simple syntax through iterated communications. Simulations showed that: along with the origin of a communal language, an initially-low memory capacity for acquired linguistic knowledge was boosted; and such coherent increase in linguistic understandability and memory capacities reflected a language-memory coevolution; and such coevolution stopped till memory capacities became sufficient for language communications. Statistical analyses revealed that the coevolution was realized mainly by natural selection based on individual communicative success in cultural transmissions. This work elaborated the biology-culture parallelism of language evolution, demonstrated the driving force of culturally-constituted factors for natural selection of individual cognitive abilities, and suggested that the degree difference in language-related cognitive abilities between humans and nonhuman animals could result from a coevolution with language.
Photoreceptor cell fate specification in vertebrates

Photoreceptors--the light-sensitive cells in the vertebrate retina--have been extremely well-characterized with regards to their biochemistry, cell biology and physiology. They therefore provide an excellent model for exploring the factors and mechanisms that drive neural progenitors into a differentiated cell fate in the nervous system. As a result, great progress in understanding the transcriptional network that controls photoreceptor specification and differentiation has been made over the last 20 years. This progress has also enabled the production of photoreceptors from pluripotent stem cells, thereby aiding the development of regenerative medical approaches to eye disease. In this Review, we outline the signaling and transcription factors that drive vertebrate photoreceptor development and discuss how these function together in gene regulatory networks to control photoreceptor cell fate specification.
The microbial pharmacists within us: a metagenomic view of xenobiotic metabolism

Although the importance of human genetic polymorphisms in therapeutic outcomes is well established, the role of our 'second genome' (the microbiome) has been largely overlooked. In this Review, we highlight recent studies that have shed light on the mechanisms that link the human gut microbiome to the efficacy and toxicity of xenobiotics, including drugs, dietary compounds and environmental toxins. Continued progress in this area could enable more precise tools for predicting patient responses and for the development of a new generation of therapeutics based on, or targeted at, the gut microbiome. Indeed, the admirable goal of precision medicine may require us to first understand the microbial pharmacists within.
Evolution of the Mhc class I region: the framework hypothesis

A comparison of the major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) region between human and mouse highlights both stability and differences. The class II and class III regions are orthologous; they probably existed in the ancestor in a similar organization and were not subjected to major rearrangement. The class I genes, by contrast, are definitely paralogous, having been reorganized several times. As long as only class I genes were identified, the class I regions of human and mouse were difficult to compare directly. The identification of non-class I genes has allowed a comparative map to be drawn, which shows that the class I region is orthologous between human and mouse as well. The lack of orthology specifically applies to the class I sequences. However, the comparative map shows that the non-orthologous class I sequences occupy homologous locations with regard to the conserved genes. I propose a model to explain this paradox. The conserved genes may represent samples of a dense "framework" of genes whose alterations are deleterious. The homologous positions occupied by class I genes would thus represent the few permissive places allowing major perturbations. The evolution of the class I sequences, by duplication and deletion, independently in the two species, has taken place within the scope defined by the framework: insertion at the permissive places, and expansion by creation of class I-related DNA by duplication, thus pushing back the boundaries of the framework.
Weaving interdisciplinary and discipline-specific content into palliative care education: one successful model for teaching end-of-life care.

While palliative care is best delivered in an interdisciplinary format, courses teaching the interdisciplinary approach to palliative care are rare in healthcare education. This article describes a graduate-level course in palliative care for students in nursing, pharmacy, social work, and gerontology taught by faculty from each discipline. The overarching goals of this course are to convey core palliative care knowledge across disciplines, articulate the essential contribution of each discipline in collaborative care, and to define interdisciplinary processes learners need to understand and navigate interdisciplinary palliative care. Learning outcomes included increased knowledge in palliative care, enhanced attitudes in practice and application of skills to clinical practice settings, increased ability to contribute discipline-specific knowledge to their teams' discussions, and a sense of increasing confidence in participating in the care of complex patients, communicating with families, and contributin...
Evidence from Cognitive Neuroscience:When to Begin Learning Second Language for the Best Result?

Starting from those pupils who begin to learn English at primary schools, required by China's New National Curriculum reform, the author provides a systematic review of the evidence from cognitive neuroscience studies, which adopts fMRI, PET and ERP technologies, covering the topics like a critical period of second language acquisition (SLA) and its effect on the ultimate attainment, and age effect on second language acquisition and processing. The article aims to provide a comprehensive view on when second language learning should begin. It concludes that: (1) There is a critical period in SLA. (2) This critical period affects the second language learning outcomes. (3) Nativelike L2 phonology learning could be acquired before the age of 6 or 7. (4) A better overall performance could be achieved among the learners who are younger than 12 years of age. (5) Adequate training and practices can help learners achieve a certain proficiency level despite their passing the "critical period" of second language learning. (6) In order to meet SLA characteristics and patterns of cognitive neuroscience, China's New Curriculum reform should start to implement EFL courses at primary schools in Grade 3, or even in Grade 1 for those qualified.
Tech-Improvement Of Mini-van In A/C Defrosting-Demisting Performance

The function of defrosting and demisting of A/C is important to the driving of vehicle and traffic safety.The national regulation only put emphasis on the defrosting and demisting of windshield glass,not on the front side door windows glass.So this article is to describe the improvement of the function of defrosting and demisting of front door windows glass,and the channel of defrosting and demisting,and make a conclusion.
Rethinking the Conceptual History of the Term 'Cognitive'.

Psychologist-historian Christopher D. Green posits that the word “cognitive" was never intended by its philosophical advocates to be synonymous with "mental" and, consequently, much of what now goes by the name of "cognition" in cognitive science is not really "cognitive" in the strict sense at all (Green in Canadian Psychology 37: 3139). After a brief presentation of his position, I argue that Green does not provide sufficient reason or evidence for us to accept his claim and his proposal ought to be disregarded unless further evidence can be put forth in its defense. In doing so, I clear the ground for a constructive engagement with the conceptual history of the term “cognitive” and its relevance to present-day concerns.
Perspectives on clinical trials for hypertonic saline/dextran solutions for the treatment of traumatic shock

Animal studies with hypertonic solutions suggest that they can achieve resuscitation of hypovolemic shock with extremely small volumes. Such small volume resuscitation might be ideal in the field treatment of injured patients. Our studies to date, with 60 patients entered into a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind clinical trial, suggest that the use of a 7.5% NaCl/Dextran 70 solution increases blood pressures during transport. The solutions have been safe, and we have encountered no adverse side effects from their use. Survival rates to date favor use of the solutions, but we do not have convincing statistical significance yet in that regard.
We made a mistake.

When Annals of Internal Medicine published a paper about the risk-management program at Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, Ky., readers were surprised at the facility's open policy regarding medication errors. Here's how health care leaders there put their liability on the line for better patient care.
MIT hybrid gasification/SOFC to halve coal-plant emissions

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have proposed combining coal gasification with a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which could generate electricity from coal with much greater efficiency while halving the greenhouse gas emissions.
Raising the Indigenous Undead

Anderson argues that Indigenous writers in the South as elsewhere make occasional, not extensive, forays into the Gothic. Native Southern ghost and monster stories typically eschew or downplay Euro-American gothic conventions in favor of haunts that foster anti-colonial critique as well as Indigenous community. Similarly, Indigenous writing in and of the South often downplays ‘Southern’ as a meaningful category of identity. Indigenous hauntings raise the Indigenous undead in ways that acknowledge difficulty, tension, uncertainty, trauma, and loss, but that also affirm Native presences and staying power. Discussing a Cherokee oral story, a poem by Joy Harjo, and various other texts, Anderson demonstrates that raising the Indigenous undead is ultimately less a frightening than a hopeful endeavor.
Cell Cooperation in the Immune Response. I

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a summary of the workshop focusing on cell cooperation in the immune response. Topics discussed include the role of adherent cells, possible nonspecific effects of T-cell activation, subclasses of T cells and their properties, subclasses of B cells, thymus-dependent and -independent antigens and antibodies, and the relationship between cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and antibody production. The requirements for both adherent cells and nonadherent cells and their aggregation in clusters in the in vitro response to SRBC were reviewed. It appeared that clustered T-derived cells lost their sensitivity to anti-θ after a 24- to 48-h period of culture. Preliminary attempts to get cooperation between adherent and nonadherent cell populations across a cell-impermeable filter were successful, but it was clear from the discussion that these experiments were quite difficult to reproduce. The chapter highlights that efforts are being made to identify factors able to substitute for or mediate T-cell activities. Suggestive evidence was given that SRBC immune spleen cells produce a factor, dependent on T cells, which mediates complement-independent lysis of target SRBC.
Comparison and Evaluation of Floating Point Representations in IBM/370 and VAX-11/80

Each computer system supports a set of data types which serve as standard interfaces between the user and the computer, and between the computer and peripheral devices. There are scientific applications where, from the user’s point of view, the numerical accuracy is an important quality factor. According to Knuth (1981), the concept of floating point representation can be traced back to Babylonian mathematicians (about 1800 B.C.); the machine use of floating point representation was independently proposed by Leonardo Torres y Quevedo (Madrid, 1914), Konrad Zuse (Berlin, 1936), and George Stibitz (New Jersey, 1939).
Novel prospects for evaluation of follicle wall blood flow using color-Doppler ultrasonography

The goal of this study was to develop an objective method for evaluation of ovarian follicle wall blood flow in cattle. Two subjective methods were used: (I) real-time ultrasound evaluations performed by one operator in the barn and (II) video clip evaluations performed by four operators in the laboratory. The following objective methods evaluated in the laboratory were used for comparison: (I) percentage of follicle wall circumference under blood flow (WUF) and (II) pixel area of color-Doppler signals. Cows (n = 21) were submitted to a synchronization protocol, follicles ≥7 mm were measured, and blood flow was evaluated every 12 h until ovulation using color-Doppler ultrasonography. No difference (P > 0.05) was observed among laboratory operators from day 2 of training onwards. Therefore, an average score of all operators was used for comparisons among different methods. Both subjective and objective methods of evaluation showed an increase (P < 0.0001) in follicle blood flow over time. Higher (P < 0.001) correlations were obtained between WUF and subjective laboratory evaluation than between WUF and pixel area or WUF and subjective barn data. Higher (P < 0.0003) correlation coefficients were observed for WUF than for the pixel area when compared with the barn (r = 0.70 vs. r = 0.42) or laboratory (r = 0.84 vs. r = 0.62) data. Subjective evaluations at the laboratory and barn produced stronger correlations with WUF (P < 0.0008) than with pixel area (P < 0.01). In conclusion, WUF is an effective and reliable method for objective evaluation of follicle wall blood flow in cows.
Twisting Anderson pseudospins with light: Quench dynamics in terahertz-pumped BCS superconductors

We study the preparation (pump) and the detection (probe) of far-from-equilibrium BCS superconductor dynamics in THz pump-probe experiments. In a recent experiment [R. Matsunaga, Y. I. Hamada, K. Makise, Y. Uzawa, H. Terai, Z. Wang, and R. Shimano, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 111}, 057002 (2013)], an intense monocycle THz pulse with center frequency $\omega \simeq \Delta$ was injected into a superconductor with BCS gap $\Delta$; the subsequent post-pump evolution was detected via the optical conductivity. It was argued that nonlinear coupling of the pump to the Anderson pseudospins of the superconductor induces coherent dynamics of the Higgs (amplitude) mode $\Delta(t)$. We validate this picture in a two-dimensional BCS model with a combination of exact numerics and the Lax reduction method, and we compute the nonequilibrium phase diagram as a function of the pump intensity. The main effect of the pump is to scramble the orientations of Anderson pseudospins along the Fermi surface by twisting them in the $xy$-plane. We show that more intense pump pulses can induce a far-from-equilibrium phase of gapless superconductivity ("phase I"), originally predicted in the context of interaction quenches in ultracold atoms. We show that the THz pump method can reach phase I at much lower energy densities than an interaction quench, and we demonstrate that Lax reduction (tied to the integrability of the BCS Hamiltonian) provides a general quantitative tool for computing coherent BCS dynamics. We also calculate the Mattis-Bardeen optical conductivity for the nonequilibrium states discussed here.
Poster: Hardware based security enhanced framework for automotives

Automotive industry has evolved to sophisticated electronic components performing real time safety critical tasks using control signals. The applications range from diagnostics, integration of microelectronic systems, control framework assisting the operations of vehicle and connecting to other vehicles and systems in the vicinity. The security of the electronic components is a growing concern to avoid subversion of information and control systems that can result in human loss. We demonstrate the vulnerabilities of controller area network CAN bus, outline the threat model of this communication protocol and propose hardware based secure framework to improve the security at the device level.
The within poverty differences in the occurrence of physical neglect

Abstract This secondary data analysis examined the risk and protective factor(s) associated with physical neglect within a sample of impoverished children. We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the associations among maternal age, child gender, caregiver depression, caregiver history of maltreatment, income-to-needs ratio, number of children in the home, marital status, neighborhood quality, and physical neglect. Social support was explored as a potential moderator. Among this impoverished sample, children whose caregivers had depression were 2.03 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children whose caregivers were not depressed (95% CI 1.25, 3.30; p = 0.004). Children whose caregivers reported experiencing child maltreatment were 1.81 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children whose caregivers did not experience maltreatment as a child (95% CI 1.17, 2.81; p = 0.008). Children who live in higher quality neighborhoods were 0.74 times as likely to experience physical neglect as children who live in lower quality neighborhoods (95% CI 0.57, 0.96; p = 0.03). No other significant relationships were found.