cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translation between external representation systems in mathematics: All-or-none or skill conglomerate?

Abstract The study described herein represents an initial, exploratory attempt to understand what it means to translate between external representation systems. Researchers have traditionally considered translation as an all-or-none activity. We hypothesize that translation is comprised of both knowledge and skill components, and accordingly construe translation as an activity that our framework allows us to define as partial or complete. We examined the effects of part–whole knowledge in change unknown subtraction situations and the structure of three different external representations on first grade students’ ability to translate in a partitioning task. Based on three interviews conducted with each student, results from our mixed methods analysis showed that translation skill was affected by what students knew about subtraction and the structure of the ER. Further, whereas high knowledge students demonstrated greater difficulty with translating to the ERs, low knowledge students had difficulty translating from the problem statement as well as translating to the ERs.
Quantifying the Ontogeny of Optokinetic and Vestibuloocular Behaviors in Zebrafish, Medaka, and Goldfish

We quantitatively studied the ontogeny of oculomotor behavior in larval fish as a foundation for studies linking oculomotor structure and function with genetics. Horizontal optokinetic and vestibul...
A super-thin, metamaterial-based FSS-antenna array for scanned array applications

Digital beamforming (DBF) is a powerful method to enhance the antenna performance. In DBF the received signal from each array element is processed individually. These systems are less complex since beamforming is not carried out using analog phase shifters. Signals are simultaneously processed in the digital domain to generate a multitude of beams essential for a variety of applications like fast adaptive interference rejection, ultra-low side-lobes, high resolution direction finding, etc. DBF is most advantageous in its receive mode [1]. The features provided by DBF in this mode include: improved adaptive pattern nulling; closely-spaced multiple beams; array element pattern correction; antenna self-calibration and ultra-low side-lobes; super-resolution; and flexible radar power and time management.
Chronic Airway Hyperreactivity, Goblet Cell Hyperplasia, and Peribronchial Fibrosis during Allergic Airway Disease Induced by Aspergillus fumigatus

Clinical allergic airway disease is associated with persistent airway hyperreactivity and remodeling, but little is known about the mechanisms leading to these alterations. This paucity of information is related in part to the absence of chronic models of allergic airway disease. Herein we describe a model of persistent airway hyperreactivity, goblet cell hyperplasia, and subepithelial fibrosis that is initiated by the intratracheal introduction of Aspergillus fumigatus spores or conidia into the airways of mice previously sensitized to A. fumigatus. Similar persistent airway alterations were not observed in nonsensitized mice challenged with A. fumigatus conidia alone. A. fumigatus-sensitized mice exhibited significantly enhanced airway hyperresponsiveness to a methacholine challenge that was still present at 30 days after the conidia challenge. Eosinophils and lymphocytes were present in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from A. fumigatus-sensitized mice at all times after conidia challenge. Compared with levels measured in A. fumigatus-sensitized mice immediately before conidia, significantly elevated interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and transforming growth factor (TGF-β) levels were present in whole lung homogenates up to 7 days after the conidia challenge. At day 30 after conidia challenge, significantly elevated levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 were present in the A. fumigatus-sensitized mice. Histological analysis revealed profound goblet cell hyperplasia and airway fibrosis at days 30 after conidia, and the latter finding was confirmed by hydroxyproline measurements. Thus the introduction of A. fumigatus conidia into A. fumigatus-sensitized mice results in persistent airway hyperresponsiveness, fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia.
Asymptomatic Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2: Implications for Prevention of Transmission

It is counterintuitive that sexual transmission of herpes simplex virus (HSV) more commonly results from contact during a short episode of asymptomatic shedding than from contact with lesions. After all, virus titers are much higher and the average duration of shedding is much longer when lesions are present [1, 2], and the risk of transmission following a single contact with lesions is undoubtedly much higher than a single contact with asymptomatic shedding. More than 2 decades ago, the role of asymptomatic shedding in transmission of HSV was suggested by evaluation of recent sex partners implicated in transmission of genital herpes and by evaluation of mothers who transmitted HSV to neonates yet lacked a history of genital herpes [3-6]. In a study published in 1985, recent sex partners of persons with first-episode genital herpes were interviewed and eval-
RESTA: a robust and extendable symbolic timing analysis tool

Successful timing analysis for high-speed integrated circuits requires accurate delay computation. However, full-custom circuits popular in today's CPU designs make this difficult. A good circuit-level static timing analysis tool should 1) consider both internally or externally specified input constraints; 2) handle a wide range of circuit structures; and 3) have a robust underlying framework that can be applied independent of the actual device model. In this paper, we present RESTA, a Robust and Extendable Symbolic Timing Analysis tool that aims to address these three goals. RESTA estimates the delay for all valid input assignments, while naturally handling input constraints. We start with a simple linear resistor model for transistors and from there apply various heuristics to improve the delay estimation for the circuits without altering the symbolic algorithms. Our worst-case delay estimates are within 10% of SPICE for over 90% of the circuits we simulated.
On the Development of Voter Transition Models for Social Choice Markov Decision Processes

Social Choice Markov Decision Processes (SCMDP) have recently been proposed for use in online advocacy groups as a means for optimizing the voting process. In our paper, we extend the scope of this approach to the political context. We argue that SCMDPs can be useful tools for political campaigns and other initiatives to increase candidate popularity and satisfaction among constituents. We propose a survey-based methodology to construct a parsimonious voter transition model, which in turn provides the experimental foundation for the optimizing SCMDP. Based on hypothetical survey data, we have parameterized various voter transition models and implemented corresponding SCMDPs. The overall approach was validated through sensitivity analysis and simulation. Our results clearly show that decision processes in the political arena can benefit from this approach, especially when voters behave dynamically with respect to a policy maker's actions. A dynamic decision policy is noticeably better than a more "simplistic" scheme such as pure majority-based election.
Performance enhancement with speculative execution based parallelism for processing large-scale xml-based application data

We present the design and implementation of a toolkit for processing large-scale XML datasets that utilizes the capabilities for parallelism that are available in the emerging multi-core architectures. Multi-core processors are expected to be widely available in research clusters and scientific desktops, and it is critical to harness the opportunities for parallelism in the middleware, instead of passing on the task to application programmers. An emerging trend is the use of XML as the data format for many distributed/grid applications, with the size of these documents ranging from tens of megabytes to hundreds of megabytes. Our earlier benchmarking results revealed that most of the widely available XML processing toolkits do not scale well for large sized XML data. A significant transformation is necessary in the design of XML processing for distributed applications so that the overall application turn-around time is not negatively affected by XML processing. We discuss XML processing using PiXiMaL, a parallel processing library for large-scale XML datasets. The parallelization approach is to build a DFA-based parser that recognizes a useful subset of the XML specification, and convert the DFA into an NFA that can be applied to an arbitrary subset of the input. Speculative NFAs are scheduled on available cores in a node to effectively utilize the processing capabilities and achieve overall performance gains. We evaluate the efficacy of this approach in terms of potential speedup that can be achieved for representative XML datasets. We also evaluate the effect of two different memory allocation libraries to quantify the memory-bottleneck as different cores access shared data structures.
Environmental Pollution, Race and Place: Research and Policy Implications

A key theme in geographic research is to analyze changes over time and across places. Studies on trends about racial differences in settlement patterns can inform analysts about whether the thesis of differential racial proximity to toxic sites or exposure to hazardous wastes is still tenable or not. The purpose of this study is to provide a locational and longitudinal comparative analysis of the role of race and place on environmental pollution based on the conceptual and empirical literature of research on racial disparities in exposure to pollutants for varied locations in the US. The findings reveal racial inequalities in environmental pollution that are consistent with a systematic and widespread pattern of defacto racial residential segregation in contemporary US. These findings are synthesized to inform future research agenda and the policy options for alleviating adverse impacts of environmental pollution on racial minorities. With its emphasis on place-specific analyses, a geographic perspective offers a comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the multiple burdens of environmental racism.
Organizational Blogs and the Human Voice: Relational Strategies and Relational Outcomes

This study develops and tests operational deﬁnitions of relational maintenance strategiesappropriate to online public relations. An experiment was designed to test the new mea-sures and to test hypotheses evaluating potential advantages of organizational blogs overtraditional Web sites. Participants assigned to the blog condition perceived an organiza-tion’s ‘‘conversational human voice’’ to be greater than participants who were assigned toread traditional Web pages. Moreover, perceived relational strategies (conversationalhuman voice, communicated relational commitment) were found to correlate signiﬁcantlywith relational outcomes (trust, satisfaction, control mutuality, commitment).doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00019.x
The Role of Options in Long Horizon Portfolio Choice

The paper documents some theoretical results about the attractiveness of European style call and put options for long horizon CRRA investors. Investors are assumed to derive utility of life time consumption, rebalance discretely and allowed to take long positions in a log normal index and a riskless asset. Options are assumed to be priced according to the Black and Scholes (1973) and Merton (1973) formula using the correct underlying index volatility where the expiration dates coincide with the next rebalancing date. Risk aversion changes from 2 to 10 and moneyness changes from 0.85 to 1.15. Since there is discreet rebalancing and margin constraints options are not redundant. Index returns can be i.i.d. or predictable. Two key findings are; first, when there is no non-capital income, utility cost of not being able to add long call or put positions is generally small. Second, when there is non-capital income in the form of wage income calibrated reasonably to PSID data, the same cost for long call option positions can be substantial while that for long put option positions is close to zero. The paper also asks if the non-parametric empirical long call or put returns are attractive to the same agent, rather than the Black and Scholes (1973) and Merton (1973) returns. Long call or put positions are significantly less attractive with hardly any demand when risk aversion is 6 and for strike to spot ratios changing from 0.95 to 1.05. The result holds with or without wage income.
Pharmacological characterization of an adenylyl cyclase-coupled 5-HT receptor in aplysia: comparison with mammalian 5-HT receptors.

We attempted to identify compounds that are effective in blocking the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) receptor(s) that activate adenylyl cyclase (AC) in Aplysia CNS. We call this class of rec...
Improving SNR with a maximum likelihood compressed sensing decoder for multiplexed PET detectors

We present two novel contributions for multiplexing PET detectors. First, we develop a new theoretical framework for investigating multiplexing schemes for PET detectors using the theory of "compressed sensing" (CS). Second, we develop a new CS decoder that improves the multiplexing SNR. Because the photon events in PET are discrete, the detected photon signals are very sparse. CS theory can be used to specify multiplexing topologies that minimize the number of unique readout channels. In the case of readout for a PET detector array, CS can determine detector sampling criteria for effective "decoding" of the individual detector pixel signals and guide the design of multiplexing topologies for PET detector readouts. However, conventional CS methods do not account for the underlying noise model. Therefore, we develop a new method for decoding multiplexed detector signals that optimizes the SNR of the decoded detector pixel signals using maximum likelihood estimation, which we refer to as "maximum likelihood CS" (ML-CS) decoding. Using these results, we can describe any multiplexing readout scheme using a unified mathematical framework and formulate the optimal SNR estimator for recovering all detector signal information necessary to determine event interaction location, arrival time and energy with high precision. This ML-CS decoder can be applied to any multiplexing scheme such as standard Anger logic decoding. In this study, we study several different electronic multiplexing schemes for a given photodetector array design and use simulation studies to evaluate this new method. For example, for a conventional electronic multiplexing configuration known as "cross-strip multiplexing", we show that the ML-CS decoding algorithm can improve the SNR by 20–55% over conventional cross-strip readout decoding.
A Component Taxonomy as a Framework for Computational Design Synthesis

In this paper, we present our findings on the development of a taxonomy for electromechanical components. In building this taxonomy, we have two main objectives: First, we strive to establish a framework for future computational tools that archive, search, or reuse component knowledge during the conceptual phase of design. Second, we aim to define a standard vocabulary that derives uniformity and consistency in the representation of electromechanical component space. Through both empirically dissecting existing products and defining categories based on functional analysis, we defined 135 generic component types. The use and necessity of the resulting taxonomy by a suite of computational design tools are illustrated in two applications of conceptual design.
MERIT40 cooperates with BRCA2 to resolve DNA interstrand cross-links

MERIT40 is an essential component of the RAP80 ubiquitin recognition complex that targets BRCA1 to DNA damage sites. Although this complex is required for BRCA1 foci formation, its physiologic role in DNA repair has remained enigmatic, as has its relationship to canonical DNA repair mechanisms. Surprisingly, we found that Merit40(-/-) mice displayed marked hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) but not whole-body irradiation. MERIT40 was rapidly recruited to ICL lesions prior to FANCD2, and Merit40-null cells exhibited delayed ICL unhooking coupled with reduced end resection and homologous recombination at ICL damage. Interestingly, Merit40 mutation exacerbated ICL-induced chromosome instability in the context of concomitant Brca2 deficiency but not in conjunction with Fancd2 mutation. These findings implicate MERIT40 in the earliest stages of ICL repair and define specific functional interactions between RAP80 complex-dependent ubiquitin recognition and the Fanconi anemia (FA)-BRCA ICL repair network.
Core Subjects Achievement and CSAT Performance of Senior Students: An Evaluation of a Private High School’s College Entrance Exam Review Program in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

As schools provide the academic environment for students’ development, students still go through entrance examinations for them to bridge that gap from high school to their course choice in college. This paper determined the effect of the core subject’s achievement and the College Scholastic Achievement Test (CSAT) performance of students in English, Science and Mathematics for four school years to create a medium-term development plan for a college entrance exam program of a private high school in Southern Philippines. Results on the descriptive mean determined satisfactory levels of achievement and CSAT performance. Students performed better in English based on their achievement grades and aptitude scores in CSAT when compared to Science and Mathematics. Through correlation analysis set at the alpha level of 0.05, it was revealed that there is a highly significant effect on the students’ academic achievement to CSAT performance. Concurrently, the overall extent of implementation of the program is very good with the areas on program design and program output rated as excellent. It is recommended that the school enriches curriculum and instruction and to maximize learning by focusing on higher order thinking skills. Furthermore, the said program needs to enhance on areas on implementation and cost-effectiveness. Students have varied thresholds in the different core subjects that need to be addressed well. Also, developing students’ higher order thinking skills that go beyond rote memory is necessary to improve competence and mastery in the subject. Keywords - Educational management, program evaluation, academic achievement, descriptive-correlation, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
Cough, Exertional, and Other Miscellaneous Headaches

We have discussed several miscellaneous headache disorders not associated with structural brain disease. The first group included those headaches provoked by "exertional" triggers in various forms. These include benign cough headache, BEH, and headache associated with sexual activity. The IHS diagnostic criteria were discussed. Benign exertional headache and cough headache were discussed together because of their substantial similarities. In general, BEH is characterized by severe, short-lived pain after coughing, sneezing, lifting a burden, sexual activity, or other similar brief effort. Structural disease of the brain or skull was the most important differential diagnosis for these disorders, with posterior fossa mass lesions being identified as the most common organic etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging with special attention to the posterior fossa and foramen magnum is the preferred method for evaluating these patients. Indomethacin is the treatment of choice. The headache associated with sexual activity is dull in the early phases of sexual excitement and becomes intense at orgasm. This headache is unpredictable in occurrence. Like BEH, the headache associated with sexual activity can be a manifestation of structural disease. Subarachnoid hemorrhage must be excluded, by CT scanning and CSF examination, in patients with the sexual headache. Benign headache associated with sexual activity has been successfully treated with indomethacin and beta-blockers. The second miscellaneous group of headache disorders includes those provoked by eating something cold or food additives, and by environmental stimuli. Idiopathic stabbing headache does not have a known trigger and appears frequently in migraineurs. Its occurrence may also herald the termination of an attack of cluster headache. Indomethacin treatment provides significant relief. Three headaches triggered by substances that are eaten were reviewed: ingestion of a cold stimulus, nitrate/nitrite-induced headache, and MSG-induced headache. For the most part, avoidance of these stimuli can prevent the associated headache. Lastly, we reviewed headache provoked by high altitude and hypoxia. The headache is part of the syndrome of AMS during its early or benign stage and the later malignant stage of HACE. The pain can be exacerbated by exercise. The best treatment is prevention via slow ascent and avoidance of respiratory depressants. Acetazolamide and dexamethasone have proved useful in preventing this syndrome.
Evidence for a medium-chain fatty acid: coenzyme A ligase (adenosine monophosphate) that activates salicylate.

Vol. 7, No. 3 (1971), in the article, "Evidence for a Medium-Chain Fatty Acid: Coenzyme A Ligase (Adenosine Monophosphate) That Activates Salicylate," by Paul G. Killenberg, Eugene D. Davidson, and Leslie T. Webster, Jr., pp. 260-268: Page 263, line 3 of the first paragraph under the heading RESULTS, "MgCl2,3 and . . ." should read: ". . . MgCl2, and . . ."
SURVEILLANCE VERSUS NERVE-SPARING RETROPERITONEAL LYMPHADENECTOMY IN STAGE I NONSEMINOMATOUS GERM-CELL TUMORS

As in any health care situation, treatment for stage I nonseminomatous germ-cell tumor of the testis must be adapted to the needs of the individual patient, and a surveillance protocol may not always provide optimal care. Of concern is the relative paucity of information about relapse rates beyond 4 years, the long-term effects of salvage chemotherapy, and the potential of subclinical disease to become manifest many years after diagnosis. However, for the reliable patient with a stage I tumor demonstrating no histopathologic features indicative of a high risk of relapse, close surveillance may offer the advantages of a high likelihood of survival with less intervention and lower morbidity.
Happiness in the Universe of the Philebus

In the previous chapter we focused on the metaphysics of the Philebus and its fourfold classification. In this one, I propose to show how those results can be brought to bear on the ethical discussion, which occupies the bulk of the dialogue, about what seem to be two competing lives: the life of intellect and the life of pleasure. In this regard, the roles of both pleasure and knowledge in a happy life deserve further scrutiny, and each will be treated in a separate section. First, if pleasure is one of the main subjects of the Philebus , should we think that it is only by way of compromise that Socrates ends up including it as a component of the happy life? This is a particularly pressing question, given that contemporary interpretations have tended to downplay the role of pleasure in the dialogue (so that Plato, through the mouth of Socrates, is at heart on the side of the intellectualist in the discussion) or even contended that god embodies the ideal of the pleasureless life. In opposition to these readings, I shall argue that in the Philebus Plato does mean to allot pleasure an indispensable role even in the best form of life. Accordingly, if god functions as a model for humans, it is not as an entity who experiences no pleasure but as the ideal of the happiest life understood as one that combines pleasure with knowledge.
Transfer learning using task-level features with application to information retrieval

We propose a probabilistic transfer learning model that uses task-level features to control the task mixture selection in a hierarchical Bayesian model. These task-level features, although rarely used in existing approaches, can provide additional information to model complex task distributions and allow effective transfer to new tasks especially when only limited number of data are available. To estimate the model parameters, we develop an empirical Bayes method based on variational approximation techniques. Our experiments on information retrieval show that the proposed model achieves significantly better performance compared with other transfer learning methods.
Advection-dominated Accretion and Black Hole Event Horizons

The defining characteristic of a black hole is that it possesses an event horizon through which matter and energy can fall in but from which nothing escapes. Soft X-ray transients (SXTs), a class of X-ray binaries, appear to confirm this fundamental property of black holes. SXTs that are thought to contain accreting black holes display a large variation of luminosity between their bright and their faint states, while SXTs with accreting neutron stars have a smaller variation. This difference is predicted if the former stars have horizons, and the latter have normal surfaces.
An Ion-pair Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction for Simultaneous Determination of Synthetic Dyes in Ice Cream Samples by HPLC

An efficient, sensitive and fast method was developed based on an ultrasound-assisted extraction followed by an ion-pair dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (USAE-IP-DLLME) for the simultaneous determination of five commonly used synthetic sulfonate dyes (tartarazine, quinoline yellow, sunset yellow, azorubine, and brilliant blue) in ice cream samples using high performance liquid chromatography. First, important parameters on USAE and samples clean-up were investigated and optimized. Then, some effective parameters on DLLME were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity (0.5–1000 µg L-1, > r2=0.99) were obtained for the dyes. Limits of detection and limits of quantization were in the range of 0.01–0.05 µg L-1 and 0.03–0.15 µg L-1, respectively. The recoveries of the five synthetic colorants ranged from 90.3 to 109.7%. Intra (1.4–6.4%) and inter-day precision (3.9–9.7%) expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) at 10 and 100 µg L-1 levels less than 10% were also achieved. Finally, this method has been applied successfully in the determination of the colorants in the ice cream samples.
Patient Blood Management in the Intensive Care Unit

Patient Blood Management underscores a fundamental shift from a product-centered approach to a patient-centric approach through timely application of evidence-based medical and surgical concepts designed to maintain hemoglobin concentration, optimize hemostasis, and minimize blood loss in an effort to improve patient outcome. In this concept, allogeneic blood transfusion is not viewed as the treatment of default for anemic patients, but one among many treatment modalities that should be weighed based on its merits-potentials risks and benefits-for the individual patient in the context of other alternatives. Patient blood management provides a multidisciplinary framework for patient-centered decision making with strategies focusing on the management of anemia, optimization of coagulation and hemostasis, and utilization of blood conservation modalities. Among the critically ill patients, Patient Blood Management can be particularly effective given the extremely high prevalence of anemia, variable and unjustified transfusion practices, high frequency of coagulation disorders, and avoidable sources of blood loss such as unnecessary diagnostic blood draws. Proper management of anemia-prevention, screening/monitoring, diagnostic workup, and treatment including hematinic agents-is the key to effective implementation of patient blood management. Blood transfusions should be used in accordance of current guidelines, which are supportive of more restrictive transfusion strategies in most critically ill patients. Emerging studies report on the success of Patient Blood Management programs in reducing transfusion utilization, reducing the burden of anemia in patients, and improving patient outcomes including shortened length of hospital stays, less frequency of complications and lower risk of mortality.
Altmetric Scores, Citations, and Publication of Studies Posted as Preprints

This study describes views, downloads, Altmetric scores, and citations of articles published as preprints and differences in Altmetric scores and citations of published articles by prior preprint status.
The Chinese Imbalance in Capital Flows

China has three major imbalances: a trade surplus, a capital account surplus and a large annual build up, and a very high level of international reserves. Capital flows, especially flows of US government securities, are also important in assessing the bilateral and overall imbalances in transactions. China has a capital account surplus reinforcing its current account surplus and the accumulation of foreign exchange reserves, mainly US dollar denominated assets. This is unusual because a sustainable fixed or floating requires that countries with large current account surpluses run capital account deficits.
Reassessing NIMBY: The demographics, politics, and geography of opposition to high-density residential infill

ABSTRACTPlanners often attempt to accommodate growth in already developed areas. Opposition to high-density (i.e., at a higher unit density than surrounding development) residential infill in devel...
Abstract 66: The Role of the Viral Nef Protein as a Mediator of HIV-1--Induced Endothelial Dysfunction

With the prevalence of antiviral therapy in the developed world, many HIV-1-infected people die of diseases other than AIDS. One of the emerging major causes is cardiovascular disease, leading to the prediction that the majority of HIV-1 patients are expected to develop cardiovascular complications. Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a key event in the development of cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. Assays testing the effect of HIV-1 on endothelial activation shows that direct contact with HIV-1 infected T cells enhance endothelial cell activation to a greater extent than HIV-1 alone, suggesting an intracellular HIV-1 protein is responsible for endothelial activation. The HIV-1 viral protein Nef, which is responsible for T cell activation and maintenance of high viral loads in vivo , has been shown to mediate its own transfer to bystander cells. We demonstrate here for the first time that Nef induces nanotube-like conduits connecting T cells and endothelial cells. We also show that Nef is transferred from T cells to endothelial cells via these nanotubes, and is necessary and sufficient for endothelial cell activation. Moreover, we show that SIV-infected macaques exhibit endothelial Nef expression in coronary arteries. Nef expression in endothelial cells causes endothelial apoptosis, ROS and MCP-1 production. Interestingly, a Nef SH3 binding site mutant abolishes Nef-induced apoptosis and ROS formation and reduces MCP-1 production in endothelial cells, suggesting that the Nef SH3 binding site is critical for Nef effects on endothelial cells. Nef induces apoptosis of endothelial cells through an NADPH oxidase- and ROS-dependent mechanism, while Nef-induced MCP-1 production is NF-kB dependent. Taken together, these data suggest that Nef can mediate its transfer from T cells to endothelial cells through nanotubes to enhance endothelial dysfunction.Thus, Nef is a promising new therapeutic target for reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease in the HIV-1 positive population.
Challenges in addressing early stage laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains an important disease process worldwide, with over 150,000 cases diagnosed annually. Fortunately, most LSCCs overall are responsive to radiation (RT) and chemoradiation (CRT) therapies, which allows for preservation of the larynx structure and function. However, there remains room for improvement in RT/CRT protocols to achieve improved cure rates.
Acute Pharmacological Management of Behavioral and Emotional Dysregulation Following a Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an increasingly common cause of behavioral and emotional dysregulation among hospitalized patients. While consultation-liaison psychiatrists are often called to help manage these behaviors, acute pharmacological management guidelines are limited. Objective Conduct a systematic review to determine which pharmacological measures are supported by the literature for targeting agitation and aggression in the acute time period following a TBI. Methods In a systematic review of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, ClinicalTrials.gov and the Cochrane Library, we identified and then analyzed publications that investigated the pharmacological management of behavioral and emotional dysregulation following a TBI during the acute time period following injury. Results There were a limited number of high quality studies that met our inclusion criteria, including only five randomized controlled trials. The majority of the literature identified consisted of case reports or case series. Trends identified in the literature reviewed suggested that amantadine, propranolol, and anti-epileptics were the best supported medications to consider. For many medication classes, the time of medication initiation and duration of treatment, relative to the time of injury, may impact the effect observed. Conclusions The pharmacological management of agitated patients immediately following a TBI is still an area of much-needed research, as there is limited data-driven guidance in the literature.
Impact of Post-Deposition Recrystallization by Alkali Fluorides on Cu(In,Ga)Se2Thin-Film Materials and Solar Cells

Abstract Using thermal evaporation, Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) layers were deposited at low temperature (350 °C) and high rate (10 μm/h) using a single stage process. They were then recrystallized using a variety of alkali fluorides: NaF, KF, RbF and CsF. To ensure that the substrate would not influence the study (via alkali diffusion), the samples were deposited on silicon wafers. The chemical, physical and electrical properties of the films were then characterized, demonstrating that all alkali fluorides behave as fluxing agents to enhance recrystallization and conductivity, and induce a (112) preferential orientation. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis showed that no modification of the elements' distribution occurs because of recrystallization. Solar cells were also fabricated and characterized, indicating that NaF can double the efficiency of solar cells compared to the as-deposited layers. This enhancement is accompanied by the disappearance of a rollover, voltage dependent current collection and shunt from the current density-voltage curves. However, even for the best recrystallization, the current is still limited to 28 mA/cm2, indicating that only a portion (0.75 μm) of the full device (2 μm) is activated.
Machine-Learning-Based Detection of Aerodynamic Disturbances Using Surface Pressure Measurements

Aerodynamic disturbances (due to gusts, maneuvers, or a combination) leave a signature in the pressures exerted on the wing surface. In this work, the following question is explored: To what extent...
Diagnosis and treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an eosinophil-rich, TH2 antigen–mediated disease of increasing pediatric and adult worldwide prevalence. Diagnosis requires greater than or equal to 15 eosinophils per high-power field on light microscopy. Symptoms reflect esophageal dysfunction, and typical endoscopic features include linear furrows, white plaques, and concentric rings. Progressive disease leads to pathologic tissue remodeling, with ensuing esophageal rigidity and loss of luminal diameter caused by strictures. Therapies include proton pump inhibitors, elimination diets, and topical corticosteroids. Effective treatment can reverse tissue fibrosis in some patients, as well as decrease the rate of food impactions. Esophageal dilation might be required to increase luminal patency. The chronic nature of EoE necessitates long-term therapy to avoid disease recurrence and complications. This review serves the function of providing the current state-of-the-art diagnostic criteria and disease management for adult and pediatric EoE.
CT metal artifact reduction algorithms: Toward a framework for objective performance assessment.

Purpose Although several metal artifact reduction (MAR) algorithms for computed tomography (CT) scanning are commercially available, no quantitative, rigorous, and reproducible method exists for assessing their performance. The lack of assessment methods poses a challenge to regulators, consumers, and industry. We explored a phantom-based framework for assessing an important aspect of MAR performance: how applying MAR in the presence of metal affects model observer performance at a low-contrast detectability (LCD) task This work is, to our knowledge, the first model observer-based framework for the evaluation of MAR algorithms in the published literature. Methods We designed a numerical head phantom with metal implants. In order to incorporate an element of randomness, the phantom included a rotatable inset with an inhomogeneous background. We generated simulated projection data for the phantom. We applied two variants of a simple MAR algorithm, sinogram inpainting, to the projection data, that we reconstructed using filtered backprojection. To assess how MAR affected observer performance, we examined the detectability of a signal at the center of a region of interest (ROI) by a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO). As a figure of merit, we used the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Results We used simulation to test our framework on two variants of the MAR technique of sinogram inpainting. We found that our method was able to resolve the difference in two different MAR algorithms' effect on LCD task performance, as well as the difference in task performances when MAR was applied, vs not. Conclusion We laid out a phantom-based framework for objective assessment of how MAR impacts low-contrast detectability, that we tested on two MAR algorithms. Our results demonstrate the importance of testing MAR performance over a range of object and imaging parameters, since applying MAR does not always improve the quality of an image for a given diagnostic task. Our framework is an initial step toward developing a more comprehensive objective assessment method for MAR, which would require developing additional phantoms and methods specific to various clinical applications of MAR, and increasing study efficiency.
Treatment Outcomes in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (P05.022)

OBJECTIVE: We surveyed RBD patients to describe longitudinal treatment outcomes with melatonin and clonazepam. BACKGROUND: REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is usually characterized by potentially injurious dream enactment behaviors (DEB). RBD treatment aims to reduce DEBs and prevent injury, but outcomes require further elucidation. DESIGN/METHODS: We surveyed and reviewed records of consecutive RBD patients seen at Mayo Clinic between 2008-2010 to describe RBD-related injury frequency/severity, RBD Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ratings, medication dosage, and side effects. Statistical analyses were performed with appropriate non-parametric matched pairs tests before and after treatment, and with comparative group analyses for continuous and categorical variables between treatment groups. The primary outcome variables were RBD VAS ratings and injury frequency. RESULTS: Forty-five (84.9%) of 53 respondent surveys were analyzable. Mean age was 65.8 years and 35 (77.8%) patients were men. Neurodegenerative disorders were seen in 24 (53%) patients, and 25 (56%) received antidepressants. Twenty-five patients received melatonin, 18 received clonazepam, and 2 received both as initial treatment. Before treatment, 27 patients (60%) reported RBD-associated injury. Median dosages were melatonin 6 mg and clonazepam 0.5 mg. RBD VAS ratings were significantly improved following both treatments (p m =.0001, p c =.0005). Melatonin-treated patients reported significantly reduced injuries (p m =.001, p c =.06) and fewer adverse effects (p=0.07). Mean durations of treatment were no different between groups (for clonazepam 53.9 +/- 29.5 months, and for melatonin 27.4 +/- 24 months, p=0.13) and there were no differences in treatment retention, with 28% of melatonin and 22% of clonazepam-treated patients discontinuing treatment (p=0.43). CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin and clonazepam were each reported to reduce RBD behaviors and injuries, and appeared comparably effective in our naturalistic practice experience. Melatonin-treated patients reported less frequent adverse effects than those treated with clonazepam. More effective treatments that would eliminate injury potential and evidence-based treatment outcomes from prospective clinical trials for RBD are needed. Supported by: National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through Grant Number 1 UL1 RR024150-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. Disclosure: Dr. McCarter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boswell has nothing to disclose. Dr. St. Louis has receieved personal compensation for activities with Inspire, Inc. for serving as a member of Adverse Events Adjudication Committee. Dr. Dueffert has nothing to disclose. Dr. Slocumb has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boeve has received research support from Cephalon, Inc.; Allon Therapeutics; and GE Healthcare. Dr. Silber has nothing to disclose. Dr. Olson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tippmann-Peikert has nothing to disclose.
Sequence of Alzheimer disease biomarker changes in cognitively normal adults: A cross-sectional study

Objective To determine the ordering of changes in Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers among cognitively normal individuals. Methods Cross-sectional data, including CSF analytes, molecular imaging of cerebral fibrillar β-amyloid (Aβ) with PET using the [11C] benzothiazole tracer Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), MRI-based brain structures, and clinical/cognitive outcomes harmonized from 8 studies, collectively involving 3,284 cognitively normal individuals 18 to 101 years of age, were analyzed. The age at which each marker exhibited an accelerated change (called the change point) was estimated and compared across the markers. Results Accelerated changes in CSF Aβ1-42 (Aβ42) occurred at 48.28 years of age and in Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio at 46.02 years, followed by PiB mean cortical standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) with a change point at 54.47 years. CSF total tau (Tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (Ptau) had a change point at ≈60 years, similar to those for MRI hippocampal volume and cortical thickness. The change point for a cognitive composite occurred at 62.41 years. The change points for CSF Aβ42 and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, albeit not significantly different from that for PiB SUVR, occurred significantly earlier than that for CSF Tau, Ptau, MRI markers, and the cognitive composite. Adjusted analyses confirmed that accelerated changes in CSF Tau, Ptau, MRI markers, and the cognitive composite occurred at ages not significantly different from each other. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesized early changes of amyloid in preclinical AD and suggest that changes in neuronal injury and neurodegeneration markers occur close in time to cognitive decline.
Library Experiences During COVID-19: From Crisis and Uncertainty to Moving Forward in the New Normal

As the effects of COVID-19 spread across the nation universities and libraries struggled to devise new ways to maintain and deliver physical services while transitioning to a completely online environment. The primary challenges and obstacles to moving classes and services entirely online included technology and internet access issues. The university and library responded with online tutorials, free resources, webinars, and direct answers through social media. Since working from home became the “new normal,” maintaining a routine and staying connected became essential. As libraries moved to develop phased reopening plans it is vital to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines and to devise clear protection procedures for the health and well-being of the library staff and patrons. Libraries will continue to deliver services and remain an enduring symbol of strength and stability in uncertain times. Keywords : COVID-19, library, university, Northwestern State University, new normal, students, faculty, challenges, student worker, online, technology, access, Wi-Fi, Facebook, social media, home office, schedule, organization, Zoom, webinars, guidelines, procedures, reopening, ALA, CDC, LOUIS, IMLS
The loss of IL-31 signaling attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a severe fibrotic lung disease characterized by excessive collagen deposition and progressive decline in lung function. Th2 T cell-derived cytokines including IL-4 and IL-13 have been shown to contribute to inflammation and fibrotic remodeling in multiple tissues. Interleukin-31 (IL-31) is a newly identified cytokine that is predominantly produced by CD4 Th2 T cells, but its signaling receptor IL-31RA is primarily expressed by non-hematopoietic cells. However, the potential role of the IL-31-IL31RA axis in pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis has remained largely unknown. To determine the role of IL-31 signaling in pulmonary fibrosis, wildtype, and IL-31RA knockout mice were treated with bleomycin and measured changes in collagen deposition and lung function. Notably, the loss of IL-31 signaling attenuated collagen deposition and lung function decline during bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. However, the loss of IL-31RA signaling did not affect inflammation in the lungs. The total lung transcriptome analysis showed a significant reduction in fibrosis-associated gene transcripts including extracellular matrix and epithelial cell-associated gene networks. Furthermore, the lungs of human IPF showed an elevated expression of IL-31 when compared to healthy subjects. In support, the percentage of IL-31 producing CD4+ T cells was greater in the lungs and PBMCs from IPF patients compared to healthy controls. Our findings suggest a pathogenic role for IL-31/IL-31RA signaling during bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, therapeutic targeting the IL-31-IL-31RA axis may prevent collagen deposition, improve lung function, and have therapeutic potential in pulmonary fibrosis.
Are public and private enforcement complements or substitutes? Evidence from high frequency data

Abstract A substantial theoretical literature identifies two general approaches to deterring non-norm conforming behavior: public law enforcement to monitor and punish proscribed behavior, and private (community) enforcement to discourage both illegal and legal norm defying activities. Recent papers highlight the importance of both enforcement approaches but empirical identification of their relative effects has been challenging. Utilizing a novel, event-level database from the National Hockey League, we examine the separate and interactive effects of law enforcement (referees) and community, vigilante justice (fighting) on non-conforming behavior. We find that the timing of events is crucial in determining the effectiveness of the different types of enforcement. Community enforcement is effective only when law enforcement is lacking. Conversely, law enforcement actions are effective both independently and in conjunction with community enforcement.