cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TLR8 activation shifts neutrophils from phagocytosis to NETosis through furin-dependent shedding of FcgRIIA

Background Immune complex (IC)-mediated formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has emerged as a mechanism to increase the autoantigenic burden as well as promote the prominent type I interferon (IFN) signature seen in patients with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of the current study was to explore properties of ICs regulating their ability to induce phagocytosis and NETosis. Results Whereas immobilized IgG, mimicking tissue-deposited ICs, induced NETs in a TLR-independent manner, both FcgR- and TLR-engagement were required for induction of NETosis by soluble RNA-ICs, as demonstrated by FcgR blocking antibodies as well as RNase-treatment. Despite that degradation of RNA inhibited NETosis, removal of the TLR ligand by RNase markedly increased the phagocytosis of RNA-ICs by neutrophils suggesting that TLR activation suppressed phagocytosis. Consistent with this hypothesis, addition of a TLR8 agonist (R848) inhibited phagocytosis of ICs, but not beads, in neutrophils. Mechanistically, we observed that TLR8 induced ROS-dependent activation of the serine protease furin, participating in shedding of cell surface FcgRIIA reducing the phagocytic capacity but promoting progression into NETosis. Conclusions i) In the fluid phase, both FcgRIIA and TLR8 ligation are necessary for IC-mediated NETosis; ii) TLR8 activation induces furin-mediated shedding of FcgRIIA, thereby inhibiting further phagocytosis of ICs but enabling NETosis. Therapeutic approaches aimed at degrading the TLR8 ligand, such as RNases, would be predicted to increase uptake of circulating ICs, while disarming their inflammatory potential and ability to induce NETs.
Developmental and neurobehavioral transitions in survival circuits

Although animals of all ages experience threats, the neurobehavioral response to threat shows fundamental changes across development in altricial species, including humans and rodents. Although the mature animal has an arsenal of defensive strategies to engage, including attack, escape, hide or freeze, the motorically immature infant exhibits age-appropriate responses to threats that involve approach to the caregiver for protection. The neurobiology supporting this difference relies on both the immature state of the infant brain and neural networks specifically adapted to its unique environmental niche. Using examples from innate threats, we review the development of threat survival circuit neurobiology to illustrate developmental transitions and the important role of the caregiver in controlling the infant's neurobehavioral response to threat.
1 – A History of Character Concepts in Evolutionary Biology

Biological research is vitally concerned with two issues that have no counterparts in physical and chemical research: functional significance and ancestral relationships. The identification of specific parts, qualities, or actions of individuals provides the logical basis for studying these issues. Individuals are evolutionary transients, and the enduring objects are the parts, qualities, or actions that are heritable. Historically, the terms character and trait were used to refer to these objects, which provided the basis for comparing individuals. As emphasized by Gould and Lewontin (1979), the answer to the question "What is a trait?" is the crux of different programs for studying adaptation. Characters also formed the axes for comparative studies of historical relationships among organisms. However,
Extracellular Interactions between Fibulins and Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a multifunctional peptide growth factor that has a vital role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, inflammation, and repair in a variety of tissues, and its dysregulation mediates a number of pathological conditions including fibrotic disorders, chronic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer progression. Regulation of TGF-β signaling is multifold, but one critical site of regulation is via interaction with certain extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironments, as TGF-β is primarily secreted as a biologically inactive form sequestrated into ECM. Several ECM proteins are known to modulate TGF-β signaling via cell⁻matrix interactions, including thrombospondins, SPARC (Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cystein), tenascins, osteopontin, periostin, and fibulins. Fibulin family members consist of eight ECM glycoproteins characterized by a tandem array of calcium-binding epidermal growth factor-like modules and a common C-terminal domain. Fibulins not only participate in structural integrity of basement membrane and elastic fibers, but also serve as mediators for cellular processes and tissue remodeling as they are highly upregulated during embryonic development and certain disease processes, especially at the sites of epithelial⁻mesenchymal transition (EMT). Emerging studies have indicated a close relationship between fibulins and TGF-β signaling, but each fibulin plays a different role in a context-dependent manner. In this review, regulatory interactions between fibulins and TGF-β signaling are discussed. Understanding biological roles of fibulins in TGF-β regulation may introduce new insights into the pathogenesis of some human diseases.
Feature-constrained Active Visual SLAM for Mobile Robot Navigation

This paper focuses on tracking failure avoidance during vision-based navigation to a desired goal in unknown environments. While using feature-based Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM), continuous identification and association of map points are required during motion. Thus, we discuss a motion planning framework that takes into account sensory constraints for a reliable navigation. We use information available in the SLAM and propose a data-driven approach to predict the number of map points associated in a given pose. Then, a distance-optimal path planner utilizes the model to constrain paths such that the number of associated map points in each pose is above a threshold. We also include an online mapping of the environment for collision avoidance. Overall, we propose an iterative motion planning framework that enables real-time replanning after the acquisition of more information. Experiments in two environments demonstrate the performance of the proposed framework.
Self-ethnography of a Latina

A self-ethnography of a first-generation Latina’s journey. She speaks of the hardships she has endured with respect to being the only daughter of immigrant parents, academics, her disabilities, and...
FPGA implementation of deep-learning recurrent neural networks with sub-millisecond real-time latency for BCI-decoding of large-scale neural sensors (104 nodes)

Advances in neurotechnology are expected to provide access to thousands of neural channel recordings including neuronal spiking, multiunit activity and local field potentials. In addition, recent studies have shown that deep learning, in particular recurrent neural networks (RNNs), provide promising approaches for decoding of large-scale neural data. These approaches involve computationally intensive algorithms with millions of parameters. In this context, an important challenge in the application of neural decoding to next generation brain-computer interfaces for complex human tasks is the development of low-latency real-time implementations. We demonstrate a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) RNNs for decoding 10,000 channels of neural data on a mobile lowpower embedded system platform called “NeuroCoder”. We provide a proof of concept in the context of decoding 20dimensional spectrotemporal representation of spoken words from simulated 10,000 neural channels. In this particular case, the LSTM model included 4,042,420 parameters. In addition to providing multiple communication interfaces for the BCI system, the NeuroCoder platform can achieve sub-millisecond real-time latencies.
Future Security of Smart Speaker and IoT Smart Home Devices

The main idea in this research paper is to break the security of Echo by Amazon. Initially, we learned about how the Echo functions, and what security measures Amazon has implemented through hands-on testing and research. We then apply what we have learned about the Echo in order to create an attack platform that can be used to obtain access to the trove of potential data that can be gathered with the Echo.
ESSENTIAL DIMENSION OF GENERIC SYMBOLS IN CHARACTERISTIC

In this article the -essential dimension of generic symbols over fields of characteristic is studied. In particular, the -essential dimension of the length generic -symbol of degree is bounded below by when the base field is algebraically closed of characteristic . The proof uses new techniques for working with residues in Milne–Kato -cohomology and builds on work of Babic and Chernousov in the Witt group in characteristic 2. Two corollaries on -symbol algebras (i.e, degree 2 symbols) result from this work. The generic -symbol algebra of length is shown to have -essential dimension equal to as a -torsion Brauer class. The second is a lower bound of on the -essential dimension of the functor . Roughly speaking this says that you will need at least independent parameters to be able to specify any given algebra of degree and exponent over a field of characteristic and improves on the previously established lower bound of 3.
Laser/Light Applications in Neurology and Neurosurgery

Applications of light in neurology and neurosur• gery can be diagnostic or therapeutic. Neurophotonics is the science of photon interac• tion with neural tissue. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been attempted • to destroy infiltrative tumor cells in tissue. Spatially modulated imaging (MI) is a newly • described non-contact optical technique in the spatial domain. With this technique, both quantitative mapping of tissue optical properties within a single measurement and cross sectional optical tomography can be achieved rapidly. The ability to control the activity of a defined class • of neurons has the potential to advance clinical neuromodulation.
Enhancing discharged energy density of polymer dielectrics at high temperature by nanofillers

The increased functionality and miniaturization of the modern electronic and electric systems, and needs for operation at high temperatures (> 150 °C) require the development of high temperature polymer capacitors. However, at high temperatures, the present polymer dielectrics cannot deliver a large discharged energy density. This is caused by a large conduction loss at high electric field and high temperature. Here, we present our recent study, revealing that in high temperature (high glass transition, T g ) dipolar polymers, adding a small amount of nanofillers (< 1 volume %) can greatly enhance the discharged energy density. Several types of high Tg polymers, including Polyimide (PI), Polyetherimide (PEI), Polyaromatic ether ketone (PAEK), and Polyarylene methyl ether urea (PEMEU) were selected for the study.
Influence of the host microenvironment on the clonal selection of human colon carcinoma cells during primary tumor growth and metastasis.

The purpose of this study was to determine the subpopulation dynamics of human colon carcinoma (HCC) cells growing at orthotopic (cecum, liver) or ectopic (subcutis, kidney, spleen) sites in nude mice and to correlate any outgrowth of distinct clones with the differential expression of metastasis-related genes. Low metastatic KM12C HCC cells were genetically tagged with a retrovirus harboring the neomycin-resistance (Neo) gene. Southern blot analyses demonstrated only minor resolution of the Neo hybridization pattern in DNA isolated from primary tumors growing orthotopically or ectopically, suggesting a polyclonal outgrowth. In contrast, a major resolution of the Neo hybridization pattern was observed in liver-specific metastases, demonstrating the outgrowth of single dominant clones. Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGR-R) increased 20–60% in the liver metastases vs spleen tumors and the KM12C Neo cells. Transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), amphiregulin (AR), and c-met showed only modest differences in mRNA expression. A 20–80% increase in type IV collagenase mRNA levels was also observed in all tumor specimens. Furthermore, expression of the multi-drug resistance gene PGY-1 and the carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) gene were elevated in the liver metastases compared with the spleen tumors and cultured cells. Transcript levels of the angiogenic factors interleukin-8 and basic fibroblast growth factor did not correlate with clonal outgrowth. These data demonstrate a correlation between EGF-R, type IV collagenase, CEA, and PGY-1 gene expression and the production of liver metastases. Our results suggest that distinct HCC clones differentially expressing specific mRNA transcripts for metastasis-related genes are the forerunners of the experimental liver metastatic lesions.
Improving Small Satellite Communications and Tracking in Deep Space—A Review of the Existing Systems and Technologies With Recommendations for Improvement. Part III: The Deep Space Network

This article is the third of a three-part series in which we present the results of a study exploring concepts for improving communications and tracking capabilities of deep space SmallSats. In Part I, we discussed SmallSat direct-to-Earth links as well as SmallSat communications equipment, and provided recommendations for future work. In Part II, we focused on SmallSat navigation options, disruption tolerant networking, proximity links, and the use of the communication link for science observations. In Part III, we focus on ground support of deep space SmallSats. We present a brief overview of NASA's deep space network (DSN) along with concepts for adapting the DSN to improve support for SmallSats. We discuss approaches for increasing the DSN's efficiency in handling the anticipated increase in SmallSat communications, such as reducing setup and teardown times for a communications pass, and reducing DSN time allocated to Doppler and range measurements. A new demand access operational paradigm is proposed, which is more consistent with SmallSat communications requirements and will facilitate the DSN handling of larger numbers of spacecraft. Finally, we present the conclusion of the study as a list of recommendations to improve SmallSat communications and tracking.
The discriminant problem for Artin-Schreier extensions: Explicit results

Abstract Given a global function field K of characteristic p, for all effective divisors D in the divisor group of K we count the number of cyclic extensions F ⊃ K of degree p where the relative discriminant Disc K ( F ) = ( p − 1 ) D .
Digital metal printing by electrohydrodynamic ejection and in-flight melting of microparticles

Abstract Metal additive manufacturing (AM) will impact many industries, including those producting of advanced structural, propulsion, electronic, and thermal systems. Many established metal AM processes involve layer-by-layer deposition and selective binding or melting of metal powders. However, these processes do not easily permit multi-material printing or printing directly onto non-planar surfaces. By contrast, AM techniques that deposit metal directly are typically low resolution (e.g., directed energy deposition), or cannot achieve bulk metal properties (e.g., ink-based methods). Here, we present a high resolution direct metal printing method that potentially addresses these limitations. Individual metal microparticles are electrohydrodynamically ejected on-demand from a nozzle-confined meniscus and laser-melted in-flight before landing and solidifying on a substrate. We demonstrate printing of solder and platinum particles ranging in size from 30 to 150 µm and explore the process parameter space as limited by the ejection conditions and the kinetics of melting, impact, and solidification. Our experiments demonstrate process compatibility with a wide range of powder feedstock materials, and tunability of the solidified morphology via the laser processing parameters.
COVID-19, androgens, and androgenic alopecia

Abstract The severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in males may be due to the higher androgen expression It is also known that androgen sensitivity is correlated with androgenic alopecia The ?Gabrin sign? identifies those with severe androgen alopecia (Hamilton Norwood scale?=?3?7) who are at a higher risk for developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms The aim of this review article is to examine the current scientific evidence of the link between androgenic alopecia, androgens, and the severity of COVID-19 and also, to review possible therapeutic targets to impact COVID-19 outcomes The activation of the androgen receptor results in an increase in tissular expression of TMPRSS2 a protease that primes the spikes of SARS-CoV-2 for infectivity, resulting in the potential increase of viral load and dissemination through organs Therapies directed at suppressing the androgen expression have demonstrated clinical applicability to modify the host's vulnerability to COVID-19 This brings new insight to interventional virology research, particularly in respiratory viruses, such as coronavirus and influenza, which depend on TMPRSS2 surface antigen priming for infectivity
Defeating the Hydra of Excess Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis - How Close Are We to Completing the Task?

For his Second Labor, Heracles was tasked with slaying the Hydra, a serpentine monster from ancient Greek mythology who possessed many heads. When Heracles attempted to decapitate the monster, two new heads grew in place of each severed head, an expression of hopelessness of such struggle for anyone but the hero. The invulnerability of the Hydra was because of its one immortal head. Once the immortal head was cut off, the monster was defeated, and Heracles' second task was completed.
Surgeon Decision-Making for Individuals With Obesity When Indicating Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Obesity is a risk factor for complications after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study analyzed the impact of individual surgeon demographics, financial concerns, and other factors in determining patient candidacy for TJA based on body mass index (BMI). Methods A 21-question survey was approved by the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Research Committee for distribution to its membership. Objective questions asked about surgeon or hospital BMI thresholds for offering TJA. Subjective questions asked about physician comfort discussing topics including obesity, bariatric surgery, and weight loss before TJA, as well as insurance and age considerations. Results For TJA procedures, 49.9% of surgeons had a BMI cutoff at 40, 24.5% at 45, and 8.3% at 50. At a BMI cutoff of 40, 23.8% of surgeons felt their patient volume would be adversely affected, whereas at a BMI cutoff of 35, 50% of surgeons felt their patient volume would be adversely affected. Surgeons were more likely to not perform total hip arthroplasty on patients with morbid obesity than total knee arthroplasty (P = .037). Significantly more academic surgeons did not have cutoffs for total hip arthroplasty (P = .003) or total knee arthroplasty (P Conclusion There are myriad factors that affect surgeon BMI thresholds for offering elective TJA including poor outcomes, hospital thresholds, financial considerations, and the well being of the patient. Further work should be performed to minimize the risks associated with TJA while providing the best possible care to patients with morbid obesity.
Gravitational waves from axionlike particle cosmic string-wall networks

Axionlike particles (ALPs) are a compelling candidate for dark matter (DM), whose production is associated with the formation of a string-wall network. If walls bounded by strings persist, which requires the potential to have multiple local minima ($Ng1$), they must annihilate before they become dominant. They annihilate mostly into gravitational waves and nonrelativistic ALPs. We show that for ALPs other than the QCD axion these gravitational waves, if produced at temperatures below 100 eV, could be detected by future cosmological probes for ALPs with mass from ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ to ${10}^{6}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ that could constitute the entirety of the DM.
How Human Centered AI Will Contribute Towards Intelligent Gaming Systems.

A paradigm shift towards human-centered intelligent gaming systems is gradually setting in. Such intelligent gaming systems with embedded machine learning algorithms would explain player motivations, help design more personalized single and collaborative player experiences, transfer and generalize the learning from game to game. The multi-modal user behavior trajectories, both in-game and across various platforms, incorporate heterogeneous information and graph structures. These gaming modalities range from text, audios, video demos, activity replays, and social networks to psychological questionnaires. Identifying decision-making patterns and strategies by observing in-game behavior actions and mining heterogeneous sources could construct a more holistic representation of the gaming community. Human priors publicly available on the World Wide Web would inspire the modeling for human-like non-player characters, adaptive recommendation systems, automatic game design, testing, and human-AI collaborations. My doctoral research goal is to mine, represent, and learn from human priors existing in the interactive entertainment community's heterogeneous sources and introduce ways to model single and multi-agent interactive behavior patterns.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS): molecular pathogenesis and emerging drug targets for cardiac repair and regeneration.

Introduction Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a severe developmental defect characterized by the underdevelopment of the left ventricle along with aortic and valvular defects. Multiple palliative surgeries are required for survival. Emerging studies have identified potential mechanisms for the disease onset, including genetic and hemodynamic causes. Genetic variants associated with HLHS include transcription factors, chromatin remodelers, structural proteins, and signaling proteins necessary for normal heart development. Nonetheless, current therapies are being tested clinically and have shown promising results at improving cardiac function in patients who have undergone palliative surgeries. Areas covered We searched PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov to review most of the mechanistic research and clinical trials involving HLHS. This review discusses the anatomy and pathology of HLHS hearts. We highlight some of the identified genetic variants that underly the molecular pathogenesis of HLHS. Additionally, we discuss some of the emerging therapies and their limitations for HLHS. Expert opinion While HLHS etiology is largely obscure, palliative therapies remain the most viable option for the patients. It is necessary to generate animal and stem cell models to understand the underlying genetic causes directly leading to HLHS and facilitate the use of gene-based therapies to improve cardiac development and regeneration.
Preterm neonatal survival: what is the role of prognostic models?

Even before the 1960's and the introduction of the specialty of neonatology, and continuing to the present, numerous efforts have been made to understand the relationship between newborn birthweight and the risk of mortality. (1) With the development of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), attention to survival rates and neurologic outcomes among those at the lowest birthweights and gestational ages (GA) has grown. (2).
Abstract T MP47: Ideal Cardiovascular Health Predicts Functional Status: The Northern Manhattan Study

Background: The American Heart Association’s metric of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) has been previously associated with vascular events, mortality, and subclinical atherosclerotic disease, but its association with functional impairment independent of cardiovascular disease and stroke has not been explored. We hypothesized that ideal CVH predicts improved long-term functional status after adjusting for incident stroke and myocardial infarction. Methods: In the prospective, multiethnic Northern Manhattan Study, stroke-free individuals in northern Manhattan aged >=40 years had annual assessments of disability with the Barthel index (BI), for a median of 13 years. Baseline demographics, medical risk factors, and laboratory studies were collected. Ideal CVH was calculated as a composite of 7 measures, each scored on a scale of 0-2: smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose. This analysis was based on: 1) number of ideal CVH metrics, and 2) total score of all CVH metrics. Results: Of 3219 participants, mean age was 69 years (SD 10), 63% were female, 21% non-Hispanic White, 25% non-Hispanic black, and 54% Hispanic. Twenty percent had 0-1 ideal CVH metrics, 32% had 2, 30% had 3, 14% had 4, and 4% had 5-7. Both the number of ideal CVH categories and higher total CVH metric scores were associated with higher mean BI scores at 5 and 10 years. These gradients persisted when results were adjusted for incident stroke and MI, when mobility and non-mobility domains of the BI were analyzed separately, and when the BI was analyzed dichotomously. At 10 years, in a fully adjusted model, differences in mean BI score were lower for poor versus ideal physical activity (3.48 points, p Conclusions: Ideal CVH predicts functional impairment, even after accounting for incident vascular events. Vascular functional impairment is an important outcome, and further research is needed to determine whether it may be improved by optimizing vascular health. Achieving the AHA 2020 goal will not only have favorable effects on stroke and MI, but also likely reduce functional impairment.
Effects of m-Chlorophenylpiperazine on Regional Brain Glucose Utilization: A Positron Emission Tomographic Comparison of Alcoholic and Control Subjects

m -Chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) is a mixed serotonin agonist/antagonist used extensively in psychiatric research. Alcoholics show blunted neuroendocrine responses to mCPP, and in some settings mCPP can induce craving for alcohol, particularly among early onset alcoholics. We used 2-[18F]-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography to examine the effects of intravenously administered mCPP (0.08 mg/kg) on brain glucose utilization in a group of 18 male alcoholics and 12 healthy male control subjects. Differences between two sequential scans (the first followed placebo and the second followed mCPP) were evaluated statistically with a Gaussian random field-based method. Among healthy volunteers mCPP significantly increased brain glucose metabolism in the right medial and posterior orbital gyrus, the cerebellar hemispheres bilaterally, the left nucleus accumbens, the head of the caudate nucleus bilaterally, the anterior and medial-dorsal nuclei of the thalamus bilaterally, the middle frontal gyrus, the left insular cortex, the left middle temporal gyrus, and the posterior cingulate gyrus. Among alcoholic subjects mCPP significantly increased brain glucose metabolism in larger areas of the cerebellum and posterior cingulate than it did in healthy volunteers, but compared with the healthy volunteers, alcoholics showed a smaller area of mCPP-induced activation in the thalamus, almost no activation in the orbital cortices, and no activation at all in the head of the caudate nucleus or the middle frontal gyrus. These results suggest that a serotoninergic challenge activates basal ganglia circuits involving orbital and prefrontal cortices among healthy volunteers but that the response of these circuits is blunted among alcoholics.
Constructing a Common Ukrainian Identity: An Empirical Study

In National Identity, a seminal study concerning nations and national identity, Anthony Smith defines national identity as "a named human population sharing common myths and symbols, historical memories, a mass, public culture, a common economy and common legal rights and duties for all members (Smith 1991, p.14)." According to Smith, these components are absolutely necessary for a nation to function. However, does this definition apply to the experience of all nations? Are there particular historical, geopolitical, or social factors that have shaped the development of a common national identity? This study will examine the factors influencing the construction of a common national identity in Ukraine. The uniqueness of the Ukrainian case stems from its oppressive Russiandominated past, its communist experience, and a weak role of nationalism prior to independence. Until 1991, Ukraine lacked the necessary components to be considered a successful nationstate. Literally translated as "borderland," Ukraine has never had a readily-identifiable common territory or a common people. Harsh assimilatory policies of its rulers have left a sharply divided society, with differing languages, customs, and conflicting identities. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the state of Ukraine proclaimed its independence and set upon a course to build a modern nation – ex post facto – by strengthening the national identity of the Ukrainian people. The first part of this study will examine the theoretical foundations of nations and nationalism as well as outline the general variables that shape collective national identity, such as language, perpetuated by mass education, and urbanization. In the second part, I will examine these variables in the historical context of Ukraine and the various efforts to bolster national identity in the post-independence period. Regional cleavages and age will also emerge as powerful explanatory factors in the Ukrainian
How Verifiable Cheap-Talk Can Convey Unverifiable Information

This study describes a "cheap-talk" model in which sellers can credibly convey unverifiable information by choosing whether or not to exaggerate verifiable information. We find that unexaggerated claims can communicate favorable unverifiable information if buyers are not too likely to verify claims, and sellers with better information care more about future prices than sellers with worse information. However, there is always another equilibrium in which sellers exaggerate all verifiable claims. We use a laboratory experiment to test when each equilibrium arises. When buyers infrequently verify the sellers' claims, we find that the strategies used by players during the learning process determine which equilibrium is selected. When buyers are very likely to verify claims, players fail to converge to any equilibrium. Both of these results are consistent with an evolutionary learning model, but inconsistent with the intuitive criteria of Cho and Kreps (1987). We discuss the implications of our results for both consumer markets and financial markets.
Biosynthesis of the Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Yeast: a Leucine-Binding Component and Regulation of Leucine Uptake

Use of an ion-exchange resin assay has shown that leucine is bound to a component of a dialyzed extract of yeast. Leucine binding may be related to in vivo uptake of the amino acid. A yeast strain with a 30-fold lower affinity for leucine uptake in vivo has a parallel reduction in affinity for in vitro leucine binding; the rate of leucine uptake in wild-type yeast can be increased four- to fivefold by growth on leucine as a sole nitrogen source. Under these conditions, the specific activity of the leucine-binding component also increases over threefold. Regulation of leucine uptake was studied by using wild-type strain 60615 and a mutant 60615/fl(2) with a constitutively elevated leucine uptake system. Leucine pool formation in the mutant was accompanied by an overshoot, leading to a loss of leucine from the pool. The phenomenon could be observed in the wild type under certain conditions. The mechanism of this process was examined. The leucine uptake system was found to be stable in the absence of protein synthesis. The rate of leucine uptake increased on reduction of the pool of amino acids, and in strain 60615/fl(2) the ability to overshoot was rapidly recovered on depletion of the leucine pool. The results suggest a control of leucine uptake by feedback inhibition, in which leucine or other amino acids, e.g., isoleucine, inhibit leucine uptake. The results do not exclude control by a rapidly activated-inactivated system.
Automatically Generating and Validating Reading-Check Questions

The number of texts used by the REAP tutor and challenges of automatically generating reading comprehension questions necessitated a simpler automated type of question. We describe an algorithm for generating such reading-check questions for arbitrary texts. Two studies investigating the utility of these questions found reliable, moderate correlations with vocabulary learning and reading comprehension.
Experimental evaluation of premixing-prevaporizing fuel injection concepts for a gas turbine catalytic combustor

Experiments were performed to evolve and evaluate a premixing-prevaporizing fuel system to be used with a catalytic combustor for possible application in an automotive gas turbine. Spatial fuel distribution and degree of vaporization were measured using Jet A fuel. Three types of air blast injectors, an air assist nozzle and a simplex pressure atomizer were tested. Air swirlers with vane angles up to 30 deg were used to improve the spatial fuel distribution. The work was done in a 12-cm (4.75-in.) diameter tubular rig. Test conditions were: a pressure of 0.3 and 0.5 MPa (3 and 5 atm), inlet air temperatures up to 800 K (980 F), velocity of 20 m/sec (66 ft/sec) and fuel-air ratios of 0.01 and 0.025. Uniform spatial fuel distributions that were within plus or minus 10 percent of the mean were obtained. Complete vaporization of the fuel was achieved with air blast configurations at inlet air temperatures of 550 K (530 F) and higher. The total pressure loss was less than 0.5 percent for configurations without air swirlers and less than 1 percent for configurations with a 30 deg vane angle air swirler.
Using frictional power to model LSST removal with conventional abrasives

The stressed lap on the Large Polishing Machine (LPM) at the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab has recently been used to polish the M1 and M3 surfaces of the 8.4-m mirror for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). Loadcells in the three 4-bar links that connect this lap to the spindle of the machine allow the translational forces and torque on the lap to be measured once a second. These force readings and all other available machine parameters are recorded in history files that can be used to create a 2D removal map from one or more polishing runs. While the Preston equation has been used for many years to predict removal in a conventional polishing process, we have adopted a new equation that assumes that removal is proportional to the energy that is transferred from the lap to the substrate via friction. Specifically, the instantaneous removal rate at any point is defined to be the product of four parameters – an energy conversion factor which we call the Allen coefficient, the coefficient of friction, the lap pressure, and the speed of the lap. The Allen coefficient is the ratio of volumetric removal to frictional energy for a particular combination of pad material, abrasive, and substrate. Because our calculations take into account changes in the coefficient of friction between the lap and mirror, our 2D removal maps usually correlate well with optical data. Removal maps for future polishing strokes are created in simulations that track the position and speed of individual lap pads.
Consumer palatability scores, sensory descriptive attributes, and volatile compounds of grilled beef steaks from three USDA Quality Grades

Consumer palatability scores, sensory descriptive attributes, and volatile compounds were assessed for beef Longissimus lumborum steaks of USDA Prime, Low Choice, and Standard grades. Overall and flavor liking was greater (P<0.05) for Prime and Low Choice. Initial flavor impact and fat-like attributes were greater (P<0.05) among Prime and Low Choice. Prime had greater (P<0.05) brown/roasted, beef identity, overall sweetness, and umami. Cardboard was greater (P<0.05) in Standard. Volatile compounds representing flavor development pathways were varied with quality grade. Standard had greater (P<0.05) abundances of n-aldehydes. Phenylacetaldehyde was greater (P<0.05) in Prime and Low Choice. Both 2,3-butanedione and 3-hydroxy-2-butanone were greatest (P<0.05) in Prime. Overall liking was positively correlated with many descriptive attributes, 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, and phenylacetaldehyde, and negatively correlated with cardboard, green, and n-aldehydes. While the measured attributes and volatiles may not be causative of flavor, this data indicates potential for prediction of flavor through their measurement.
Solar electricity via an Air Brayton cycle with an integrated two-step thermochemical cycle for heat storage based on Co3O4/CoO redox reactions: Thermodynamic analysis

Abstract A two-step solar thermochemical cycle based on Co3O4/CoO redox reactions integrated into an Air Brayton cycle is considered for thermochemical heat storage. The two-step cycle encompasses (1) the thermolysis of Co3O4 to CoO and O2 driven by concentrated solar irradiation and (2) the re-oxidation of CoO with O2 to Co3O4, releasing heat and completing the cycle. The cycle steps can be decoupled, allowing for thermochemical heat storage and integration into an Air Brayton cycle for continuous electricity production. Kinetic analyses to identify the rate limiting mechanisms and determine kinetic parameters for both the thermolysis of Co3O4 and the re-oxidation of CoO with O2 were performed using a combination of isothermal and non-isothermal thermogravimetry. The Co3O4 thermolysis between 1113 and 1213 K followed an Avrami–Erofeyev nucleation model with an Avrami constant of 1.968 and apparent activation energy of 247.21 kJ mol−1. The O2 partial pressure dependence between 0% and 20% O2–Ar was determined with a power rate law, resulting in a reaction order of 1.506. Ionic diffusion was the rate limiting step for CoO oxidation between 450 and 750 K with an apparent activation energy of 58.07 kJ mol−1 and no evident dependence on O2 concentration between 5% and 100% O2–Ar. Solid characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction.
Natural convection from wall sections of arbitrary temperature distribution by an integral method

Abstract Solutions are found for the natural convective flow from sections of vertical plates having suitably restricted arbitrary wall temperatures so that temperature and speed distributions in the flow have similarity forms of the type found in the constant wall temperature case. Several cases are studied in detail in which streamlines, isotherms, and speed distributions are disclosed. Included are cases of increasing-decreasing temperature sections and the converse. Also studied are the heat transfer and other effects of varying the initial or starting conditions on the wall sections.
A multimodal treatment for secondary psychogenic encopresis: a case study.

Encopresis has been a very perplexing problem for many parents, pediatricians, teachers, and mental health specialists. It is usually defined after the age of two as any voluntary or involuntary passage of feces that results in soiling of clothes (Wright, 1973). The incidence of encopresis has been reported to be approximately 3% of the pediatric clinic population, with a male-female ratio of 3.5 to 6:1 (Levine, 1975). Although encopresis may be caused by organic disorders such as Hirschsprung's disease and is almost always accompanied by constipation (Fitzgerald, 1975), the frequency of psychogenic encopresis is twenty times as great as organic encopresis (Wright, 1973). When a child has never achieved bowel control, the condition is referred to as primary encopresis, and when a child previously learned regular control but discontinues that behavior, it is labeled secondary encopresis (Levine, 1975). In contrast to enuresis which is usually primary in nature, secondary encopresis is more common and usually more difficult to handle (Levine, 1975). Encopresis has also been reported to be situation-specific (Dixon & Saudargas, 1980). The causes of encopresis are probably multiple and varied (Doleys, 1983); clinicians have suggested treatments using psychotherapy, medication, mineral oil, changes of diet, and vitamins, mechanical devices, glycerin suppositories, parental praise, token reinforcement, positive practice, cleanliness training, tirneout, punishment, self-recording, and family contracting (Doleys, 1983; Wright, 1975 ) . The present article describes a case study of secondary psychogenic encopresis utilizing a multirnodal treatment including glycerin suppositories, parental praise, and record keeping recommended by Wright (1975), diet changes and mineral oil recommended by Davidson (Davidson, Kugler, & Bauer, 1963) and self-charting recommended by Plachetta (1976). No punishment or token reinforcement was used because the child had a high level of motivation. A
Vibrational characterization of adsorbed NH on the Ni(111) surface

Abstract Adsorbed NH is a stable adsorbed intermediate formed during hydrazine decomposition in the 285 to 365 K temperature range on the Ni(111) surface. Adsorbed NH is oriented nearly perpendicular to the surface with an NH stretching vibration at 3340 cm−1, NH bend at 1260 cm−1, and Ni—N stretch at 620 cm−1. Further dehydrogenation occurs above 400 K yielding adsorbed atomic nitrogen with a Ni—N stretch at 490 cm−1.
Pathogenesis of nasal polyposis

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a complex inflammatory condition that affects a large proportion of the population world-wide and is associated with high cost of management and significant morbidity. Yet, there is a lack of population-based epidemiologic studies using current definitions of CRSwNP, and the mechanisms that drive pathogenesis in this disease remain unclear. In this review, we summarize the current evidence for the plethora of factors that likely contribute to CRSwNP pathogenesis. Defects in the innate function of the airway epithelial barrier, including diminished expression of antimicrobial products and loss of barrier integrity, combined with colonization by fungi and bacteria likely play a critical role in the development of chronic inflammation in CRSwNP. This chronic inflammation is characterized by elevated expression of many key inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including IL-5, thymic stromal lymphopoietin and CCL11, that help to initiate and perpetuate this chronic inflammatory response. Together, these factors likely combine to drive the influx of a variety of immune cells, including eosinophils, mast cells, group 2 innate lymphoid cells and lymphocytes, which participate in the chronic inflammatory response within the nasal polyps. Importantly, however, future studies are needed to demonstrate the necessity and sufficiency of these potential drivers of disease in CRSwNP. In addition to the development of new tools and models to aid mechanistic studies, the field of CRSwNP research also needs the type of robust epidemiologic data that has served the asthma community so well. Given the high prevalence, costs and morbidity, there is a great need for continued research into CRS that could facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to improve treatment for patients who suffer from this disease.
Chronic administration of U50,488H fails to produce hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis tolerance in neonatal rats.

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of chronic administration of a kappa opioid receptor agonist on the function of kappa and mu opioid, serotonergic and cholinergic regulation of secretion from the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in neonatal rats. After chronic treatment with saline or U50,488H (trans-(±)-3,4 — dichloro- N -methyl- N -[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexyl] — benzeneacetamide methane sulfonate), a kappa opioid receptor agonist and subsequent pharmacological challenge, corticosterone (CS) in serum was determined. Kappa tolerance did not develop in pups treated on postnatal days 5–9 with increasing doses of U50,488H (0.5–2.5 mg/kg). When the rats were treated with the same chronic regimen of U50,488H at different stages of development from birth through weaning, only weanling rats became tolerant to U50,488H. In the absence of measurable kappa tolerance, the responses of corticosterone in serum to morphine, quipazine, a serotonin receptor agonist and physostigmine, an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, were attenuated in neonatal rats, treated with U50,488H. These studies suggest that kappa tolerance is more difficult to induce in developing rats than in adults and that regulation of the function of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis by other neurotransmitter systems is altered by treatment with kappa opioid receptor agonists, even in the apparent absence of tolerance.
A Fluorescence-Based Thermal Shift Assay Identifies Inhibitors of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 4

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second highest cause of cancer death in United States males. If the metastatic movement of PCa cells could be inhibited, then mortality from PCa could be greatly reduced. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 (MAP2K4) has previously been shown to activate pro-invasion signaling pathways in human PCa. Recognizing that MAP2K4 represents a novel and validated therapeutic target, we sought to develop and characterize an efficient process for the identification of small molecules that target MAP2K4. Using a fluorescence-based thermal shift assay (FTS) assay, we first evaluated an 80 compound library of known kinase inhibitors, thereby identifying 8 hits that thermally stabilized MAP2K4 in a concentration dependent manner. We then developed an in vitro MAP2K4 kinase assay employing the biologically relevant downstream substrates, JNK1 and p38 MAPK, to evaluate kinase inhibitory function. In this manner, we validated the performance of our initial FTS screen. We next applied this approach to a 2000 compound chemically diverse library, identified 7 hits, and confirmed them in the in vitro kinase assay. Finally, by coupling our structure-activity relationship data to MAP2K4's crystal structure, we constructed a model for ligand binding. It predicts binding of our identified inhibitory compounds to the ATP binding pocket. Herein we report the creation of a robust inhibitor-screening platform with the ability to inform the discovery and design of new and potent MAP2K4 inhibitors.