cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The immunocytochemical localization of substance P in the human striatum: A postmortem ultrastructural study

The striatum is a basal ganglia structure that is involved in motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions. In the striatum, the neuroactive peptide, substance P, is colocalized with GABA in the subset of medium spiny neurons that projects to the substantia nigra. Normal human striata (n = 5) obtained from the Maryland Brain Collection were processed for substance P immunoreactivity, prepared for electron microscopy, and analyzed using both stereology and simple profile counts. Most substance P-labeled neurons had a nonindented nucleus and a moderate amount of cytoplasm, typical of medium spiny projection neurons in other species. A small percentage (8%) of labeled neurons had indented nuclei, but otherwise had similar morphology. Synapses formed on labeled cell bodies were rare. Synapses formed by substance P-labeled axon terminals constituted 4.4% of the total synapses in the neuropil. Labeled terminals (1) formed synapses with both spines and dendrites with approximately equal frequency, (2) formed mostly symmetric synapses (76-85%), and (3) formed synapses predominantly with unlabeled (78%) profiles. Substance P-labeled spines varied in shape and comprised 37-42% of all spines forming synapses. In the caudate, the proportion of synapses with perforated postsynaptic densities was 55% on unlabeled vs. 45% on labeled spines, but in the putamen, this type of synapse was much more frequently present on unlabeled (73%) vs. labeled (27%) spines. These data describe substance P in the normal human striatum, which serve as comparative data to that of other species as well as normative data for further studies of brain disease that may involve striatal substance P neurons.
Large-scale synthesis of highly aligned nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes by injection chemical vapor deposition methods

In this study, we compare the effects of pyridine (C5H5N) and pyrimidine (C4H4N2) precursors, using ferrocene as a metal source, in the production of nitrogen containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Using standard chemical vapor deposition techniques, highly aligned mats of carbon-nitrogen carbon nanotube were synthesized. The maximum nitrogen concentration in these materials is between 1% and 2% when pyridine is used as the precursor and can be increased to 3.2% when pyrimidine is used as the precursor. However, the electronic structure of both materials, as determined using scanning tunneling spectroscopy, suggests that the nitrogen is incorporated into the nanotube lattice in the same way for both precursors.
Thermal Conductivities of Some Metals in the Solid and Liquid States

Thermal conductivities of some metals and eutectic alloys above and below their melting points, 50\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to about 400\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C.---A guard ring method of measurement was used. A cylindrical rod of the metal, 1.5 cm in diameter and 12 cm long was surrounded by a slate tube and outside that a hollow brass cylinder. Both rod and cylinder were independently heated electrically at the top and cooled by flowing water at the bottom so as to maintain the same temperature gradient in both, as shown by thermocouples. The input of energy into the rod was corrected slightly for heat leakage and divided by the temperature gradient times the area to get the conductivity. The conductivities of tin and cadmium decrease at the melting point by over 1/3 and \textonehalf{} respectively. For thallium, there is a drop of 1/10 at about 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C. The temperature coefficients are about the same before and after melting, being -5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ (Sn), +21\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ (Cd), +8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ (Th). For the eutectics: $\mathrm{Sn} .92$, $\mathrm{Zn} .08$; $\mathrm{Sn} .62$, $\mathrm{Pb} .38$; $\mathrm{Pb} .87$, $\mathrm{Sb} .13$; $\mathrm{Pb}. 46$, $\mathrm{Bi} .54$; the temperature coefficients for the liquids are all positive constants and have values at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C--- from.0011 (Pb---Bi) to.0030 (Pb---Sb)---close to those found for gases at that temperature, indicating that the mechanism is similar in the two cases. Below the melting point the curves vary, one increasing with temperature (Sn---Zn), two decreasing, and one reaching a maximum (Pb---Sb). The sudden decrease on melting varies from 2/3 for (Sn---Zn) and (Pb---Sn) to 1/10 for (Bi---Pb).Polymorphic change in thallium at 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} C is indicated by the conductivity results.
2D tunnel transistors for ultra-low power applications: Promises and challenges

Tunnel field-effect (TFET) transistors [1] are among the most promising devices for future low-power electronics [2]. However, TFETs usually suffer from low ON-current values. Recently, it has been shown that TFETs made from 2D materials, can in principle, provide high ON-currents due to their tight gate control [3]. A better gate control over the channel increases the electric field at the tunnel junction, which results in a higher performance [3, 8]. 2D TFETs are known as steep subthreshold swing (SS) devices with the goal of lowering V DD . However, in the previous atomistic simulations of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) TFETs a V DD of 0.5V has been used [3] which is still a high value for ultra-low power applications. In this work, the performance of ultra-low power WTe 2 TFETs with a V DD of 0.25V is studied. Comparing the performances of WTe 2 TFETs with V DD of 0.25V and 0.5V exhibits the promises and the challenges ahead of lowering V DD in the ultra-low power TFETs.
The Berry–Levinsohn–Pakes Estimator of the Random-coefficients Logit Demand Model:

In this article, I describe the algorithm proposed by Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995, Econometrica 63: 841–890) to fit the random-parameters logit demand model from product market shares. I present a new command, blp, for this estimator.
Audio-Rate Modulation of Physical Model Parameters

Audio-rate modulation of the parameters of physical models is in vestigated. For example, the resonance frequency of a simple resonator can be modulated smoothly at an audio rate to produce a brighter tone. As with traditional frequency modulation (FM) signal models, complex spectra can be produced through variation of the resonator’s frequency. It is possible to create such hybrid physical/signal models in which the physical portion conserves energy despite the modulation of its parameters. However, most interesting hybrid models will have some nonpassive characteristics. Example models are developed, whose vibrations can be felt and interacted with using a haptic force-feedback device. This technique can make exotic systems tangible that would not normally be found in nature. Hence, if one considers the process of designing a physical model a kind of “dematerialization” process, then one could consider that the present technique is physically “rematerializing” novel audio-rate-modulated virtual objects.
Evolution of the Single-Nanocrystal Photoluminescence Linewidth with Size and Shell: Implications for Exciton–Phonon Coupling and the Optimization of Spectral Linewidths

The optimization of photoluminescence spectral linewidths in semiconductor nanocrystal preparations involves minimizing both the homogeneous and inhomogeneous contributions to the ensemble spectrum. Although the inhomogeneous contribution can be controlled by eliminating interparticle inhomogeneities, far less is known about how to synthetically control the homogeneous, or single-nanocrystal, spectral linewidth. Here, we use solution photon-correlation Fourier spectroscopy (S-PCFS) to measure how the sample-averaged single-nanocrystal emission linewidth of CdSe core and core/shell nanocrystals change with systematic changes in the size of the cores and the thickness and composition of the shells. We find that the single-nanocrystal linewidth at room temperature is heavily influenced by the nature of the CdSe surface and the epitaxial shell, which have a profound impact on the internal electric fields that affect exciton–phonon coupling. Our results explain the wide variations, both experimental and theore...
The Occurrence and Biology of Urolepis rufipes (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), a Parasitoid of House Flies in New York Dairies

Urolepis rufipes (Ashmead), previously unreported to parasitize house flies ( Musca domestica L.), was recovered from house fly pupae at five of eight dairies surveyed in 1982 and at all eight dairies surveyed in 1983 in New York State. It was not collected from 8 dairies surveyed in 1981 nor from 10 poultry facilities surveyed in 1981 and 1982. Of the 445 U. rufipes collected in 1983, 87% came from outdoors, primarily from manure pits and other accumulations of wet manure. U. rufipes was collected from July through October, with peak numbers occurring in mid-September. It made up 20% and 15% of all parasitoids collected in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Laboratory studies at 30°C and 60% RH indicate a sex ratio of 2.65 females per male, a mean fecundity of 24.5 (range, 23 to 25) females and 9.2 (range, 3 to 15) males per female, and mean developmental times of 10.2 (range, 9 to 13) and 9.7 (range, 8 to 15) days for females and males, respectively. The short developmental time, the prevalence in wet, outdoor manure habitats, and occurrence at 43°N latitude suggest that U. rufipes is adapted to flies at dairies in temperate climates.
Cloud computing and the cooperative cataloguing among libraries

Cloud computing is a rapidly developing new IT technology,which has brought new challenges and opportunities to the library work under Internet environment.This article aims at discussing the influences brought by cloud computing technology to the library cooperative cataloging emphatically and probing into the problems of how to develop cooperative cataloging among libraries to make better use of cloud computing technology and how to realize the uion cataloguing among all libraries in China under the "cloud environment".
The Surgical Treatment of Intractable Interstitial Cystitis

AbstractNineteen patients with severe intractable interstitial cystitis were treated surgically with either cecocystoplasty, urinary diversion with or without cystectomy, cystolysis or segmental bladder resection. Of the 6 patients who underwent an augmentation cecocystoplasty 4 were cured and 2 ultimately had urinary diversion before cure. Of the 7 patients who underwent urinary diversion with or without total cystectomy 6 were cured. In the cystolysis group the suprapubic pain was relieved either totally or partially in all 5 cases, and nocturia and urinary frequency were reduced substantially in each. However, only 1 patient was cured completely of all symptoms. The patient who underwent segmental resection of the bladder experienced only temporary symptomatic relief. Postoperative complications included pyocystis in 2 patients who had urinary diversion without cystectomy and hydroureteronephrosis in 1 patient after ureterosigmoidostomy that required multiple procedures. The place for each of these maj...
Within- and Across-Subject Variability of Repeated Measurements of Medial Olivocochlear-Induced Changes in Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions.

OBJECTIVES Measurement of changes in transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) caused by activation of the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) may have clinical applications, but the clinical utility is dependent in part on the amount of variability across repeated measurements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the within- and across-subject variability of these measurements in a research setting as a step toward determining the potential clinical feasibility of TEOAE-based MOCR measurements. DESIGN In 24 normal-hearing young adults, TEOAEs were elicited with 35 dB SL clicks and the MOCR was activated by 35 dB SL broadband noise presented contralaterally. Across a 5-week span, changes in both TEOAE amplitude and phase evoked by MOCR activation (MOC shifts) were measured at four sessions, each consisting of four independent measurements. Efforts were undertaken to reduce the effect of potential confounds, including slow drifts in TEOAE amplitude across time, activation of the middle-ear muscle reflex, and changes in subjects' attentional states. MOC shifts were analyzed in seven 1/6-octave bands from 1 to 2 kHz. The variability of MOC shifts was analyzed at the frequency band yielding the largest and most stable MOC shift at the first session. Within-subject variability was quantified by the size of the standard deviations across all 16 measurements. Across-subject variability was quantified as the range of MOC shift values across subjects and was also described qualitatively through visual analyses of the data. RESULTS A large majority of MOC shifts in subjects were statistically significant. Most subjects showed stable MOC shifts across time, as evidenced by small standard deviations and by visual clustering of their data. However, some subjects showed within- and across-session variability that could not be explained by changes in hearing status, middle ear status, or attentional state. Simulations indicated that four baseline measurements were sufficient to predict the expected variability of subsequent measurements. However, the measured variability of subsequent MOC shifts in subjects was often larger than expected (based on the variability present at baseline), indicating the presence of additional variability at subsequent sessions. CONCLUSIONS Results indicated that a wide range of within- and across-subject variability of MOC shifts was present in a group of young normal-hearing individuals. In some cases, very large changes in MOC shifts (e.g., 1.5 to 2 dB) would need to occur before one could attribute the change to either an intervention or pathology, rather than to measurement variability. It appears that MOC shifts, as analyzed in the present study, may be too variable for clinical use, at least in some individuals. Further study is needed to determine the extent to which changes in MOC shifts can be reliably measured across time for clinical purposes.
Sleep and synaptic down-selection

Sleep is universal, tightly regulated, and many cognitive functions are impaired if we do not sleep. But why? Why do our brains need to disconnect from the environment for hours every day? We discuss here the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY), which proposes that sleep is the price the brain pays for plasticity, to consolidate what we already learned, and be ready to learn new things the next day. In brief, new experiments show that the net strength of synapses increases with wake and decreases with sleep. As we discuss, these findings can explain why sleep is necessary for the well-being of neural cells and brain circuits, and how the regulation of synaptic strength may be a universal, essential function of sleep.
Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy of Amorphous Semiconductors

Infra-red and Raman spectra are an important tool for studies of vibrations, chemical bonding and atomic arrangement. In crystals, the long-range order allows one-phonon absorption or scattering processes only for k-vectors close to \(\vec k = 0.\) Disorder makes it possible to couple to k-vectors far from the origin, and the spectra probe in an indirect way (through the density distribution function) the phonon dispersion relations. We will discuss this topic using amorphous Ge and As2S3 and related materials as examples. In addition, we will consider the problem of “wrong” bonds in amorphous compounds, and the relationships of the molecular and crystalline models for the vibrations of As2S3 and As2Se3.
Exploitation of Battery Energy Storage in Load Frequency Control -A Literature Survey

Deregulation of the electricity market and the continued attempts by the international community to reduce the effects of global climate change have resulted in a rapid increase in the usage of different renewable forms of energy such as the wind and solar energy. The availability of such renewables is highly sporadic in nature. Consequently, their integration into the power system is a practice not without unfavorable impacts on the stability of the power system. The stability of the power system frequency is vulnerable to sudden imbalances between generation and demand. Therefore, the intermittent generation from the renewables imposes undesirable frequency fluctuations. Load Frequency Control (LFC) is the control scheme responsible for restoring system frequency to its rated value after any generation-demand imbalance that causes the frequency to deviate from the rated value. Therefore, efficient and fast LFC techniques are crucial. Utilization of Battery Energy Storage (BES) is one of the techniques applied to improve the performance of LFC due to its distinctive characteristics of fast response and high energy density. This paper is aimed to provide a succinct and comprehensive literature survey of the different concepts and strategies of the utilization of battery energy storage systems for LFC services. The study was conducted by reviewing, collating and interpreting numerous research papers on the relevant topics. Based on the BES scale, location, control, ownership and coordination with the system operator, the existing strategies are classified into two main categories: Grid-Scale Systems (GSS) and Load-Scale Systems (LSS). The LSS category is sub-classified as Coordinated Aggregate Systems and Non-Coordinated Individual Systems. The survey theoretically discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each category from a technical perspective.
On a Vizing-type integer domination conjecture

Given a simple graph $G$, a dominating set in $G$ is a set of vertices $S$ such that every vertex not in $S$ has a neighbor in $S$. Denote the domination number, which is the size of any minimum dominating set of $G$, by $\gamma(G)$. For any integer $k\ge 1$, a function $f : V (G) \rightarrow \{0, 1, . . ., k\}$ is called a \emph{$\{k\}$-dominating function} if the sum of its function values over any closed neighborhood is at least $k$. The weight of a $\{k\}$-dominating function is the sum of its values over all the vertices. The $\{k\}$-domination number of $G$, $\gamma_{\{k\}}(G)$, is defined to be the minimum weight taken over all $\{k\}$-domination functions. Bresar, Henning, and Klavžar (On integer domination in graphs and Vizing-like problems. \emph{Taiwanese J. Math.} {10(5)} (2006) pp. 1317--1328) asked whether there exists an integer $k\ge 2$ so that $\gamma_{\{k\}}(G\square H)\ge \gamma(G)\gamma(H)$. In this note we use the Roman $\{2\}$-domination number, $\gamma_{R2}$ of Chellali, Haynes, Hedetniemi, and McRae, (Roman $\{2\}$-domination. \emph{Discrete Applied Mathematics} {204} (2016) pp. 22-28.) to prove that if $G$ is a claw-free graph and $H$ is an arbitrary graph, then $\gamma_{\{2\}}(G\square H)\ge \gamma_{R2}(G\square H)\ge \gamma(G)\gamma(H)$, which also implies the conjecture for all $k\ge 2$.
The Next Evolution: The Constitutive Human-Doll Relationship as Companion Species

This work examines arguments postulated by sexologists, science and technology studies (STS) scholars, and similar fields to highlight the ways in which human-(erotic) doll relationships may move from taboo and into a realm where they may in fact be seen as the next step in human evolution. To do so, this work moves from privileging the human-human relationship to taking seriously the importance of the human-nonhuman-non sentient (NHNS) relationship as an equally important element in building the future and understanding the present (as well as admitting to the importance of the doll as an object of human affection). Here, against a backdrop of questioning what is love, I present two theories within STS: Companion Species and Actor Network Theory (ANT) to argue that NHNS things not only matter in the creation of human relationships, but examines how such relationships fill a gap in understanding how it is that humans may truly love their erotic dolls in a meaningful way that not only removes them from realm of taboo but views it as a reasonable, if unsettling, progression into a sociotechnical world in the twenty-first century and beyond.
The lower limit of normal versus a fixed ratio to assess airflow limitation: will the debate ever end?

Identifying airflow limitation using an FEV 1 /FVC less than 0.70 in a general population of young adults can no longer be justified http://ow.ly/MRzo30iWja5
Barriers to Entry and Justice Ginsburg’s Criminal Procedure Jurisprudence

This chapter in "The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" reconsiders Justice Ginsburg’s understated but important contributions to constitutional criminal procedure. She is best known for her leadership — as an advocate, scholar, judge, and justice — on gender equality. In criminal procedure cases, Ginsburg’s legacy appears less significant, but some common commitments to fairness emerge from her opinions. This essay suggests a connection between Ginsburg’s advance of “equal citizenship stature” and her efforts to remove systematic barriers to entry that preclude full participation in criminal adjudication. She has highlighted the due process obligations of prosecutors, demanded adequate representation of defendants, expanded the right to confront witnesses, and increased the jury’s role in sentencing determinations. As with her approach to remedying unfairness in discrimination cases, Ginsburg has insisted that the government has an affirmative obligation to provide equal access and fair process.
Epilepsy, Antiepileptic Drug Profiles

Twenty antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are available in the USA and many areas of the world for chronic therapy to prevent or minimize seizures. For some seizure types, efficacy differences are modest, but all the drugs are distinctive in one or more ways and possess unique mechanisms of action, side effects, or pharmacokinetics. An understanding of these properties is needed to make an optimal selection of monotherapy and combined AED therapy.
Machine Learning and the Traveling Repairman

The goal of the Machine Learning and Traveling Repairman Problem (MLT from the set of acceptable models, we choose the model that has the lowest cost of applying it to the subsequent routing task. In a sense, this procedure agrees with a managerial goal, which is to show that the data can support choosing a low-cost solution.
Mythological Innovations in Corinna’s Asopides Poem (fr.654.ii–iv PMG)

The elevated position of Poseidon in the divine hierarchy reflects his importance in myth and cult, and Orion’s “regaining his own land” is part of Corinna’s ennobling depiction of this hero of Tanagra.
Towards optimal pancreatic cyst fluid management: the need for standardisation.

We read with interest the paper by Singhi et al .1 The authors prospectively assessed using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) 626 pancreatic cyst fluid (PCF) samples from 595 patients. They found that compared with Sanger sequencing, cytology and CEA, preoperative NGS for KRAS/GNAS mutations is highly sensitive for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and specific for mucinous pancreatic cysts (PCs). Moreover, alterations in TP53/PIK3/PTEN are significantly associated with advanced neoplasia facilitating decision-making for the management of these …
Invasive pneumococcal disease in relation to vaccine type serotypes.

Since 1983 the world has been introduced to four vaccines combating disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. However, despite vaccination programs disease caused by S. pneumoniae contin...
LTE Signal Transmission Over a Linearized Analog Photonic Link With High Fidelity

This paper presents a concept and an implementation of a linearized analog photonic link for wideband wireless communication that yields improved adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR). The link consists of two parallel Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZMs) driven by two lasers, and a modified uni-traveling-carrier photodetector capable of outputting high RF power when assisted by an erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The third-order intermodulation (IMD3) attributed to the MZM transfer function is suppressed by asymmetric RF and optical feeding that impose a π-phase difference between the signals in the two MZM channels. Long-Term Evolution (LTE) signals of various bandwidths are used to validate this broadband linearization approach experimentally. It is demonstrated that with this approach the first ACLR (ACLR1) can be improved by 19.2 dB for a 10-MHz LTE signal and 18.1 dB for a 20-MHz LTE signal at the cost of approximately 2-dB link gain penalty.
Light-Driven Shape Morphing, Assembly, and Motion of Nanocomposite Gel Surfers

Patterning of nanoparticles (NPs) via photochemical reduction within thermally responsive hydrogel films is demonstrated as a versatile platform for programming light-driven shape morphing and materials assembly. Responsive hydrogel disks, containing patterned metal NPs, form characteristic wrinkled structures when illuminated at an air/water interface. The resulting distortion of the three-phase (air/water/hydrogel) contact lines induces capillary interactions between two or more disks, which are either attractive or repulsive depending on the selected pattern of light. By programming the shapes of the NP-rich regions, as well as of the hydrogel objects themselves, the number and location of attractive interactions are specified, and the assembly geometry is controlled. Remarkably, appropriately patterned illumination enables sustained rotation and motion of the hydrogel disks. Overall, these results offer insight into a wide variety of shape-programmable materials and capillary assemblies, simply by controlling the NP patterns and illumination of these soft materials.
Western European Studies: Culture

This entry assumes a parsimonious position as to the ontological and epistemological status of culture. As a form of cognition, culture is the realm of shared meanings that permits mutually informed social interaction within bounded spaces. Culture as material object refers to expressive forms such as art, music, literature, architecture and, more recently, state institutions and legal codes. Until the social and political changes of the 1970s, culture as an analytic frame was absent from social science research on Europe. Identifiable analytic shifts occurred between 1980 and 2000. Among the multiple possibilities for categorizing these shifts, this entry identifies and discusses four as salient shifts: first, the move from class to identity; second, the move from connoisseurship to material culture; third, the focus on culture and institutions; and last, an interest in democracy, civil society, and political culture. Emerging empirical research foci include: European identity; the effect of new communications technologies, particularly the Internet, on public discourse; increasing salience of Europe/America comparisons; and the growing importance of ‘memory’ studies as Europe struggles to shape a vision of and program for its future.
CD38brightCD8+ T Cells Associated with the Development of Acute GVHD Are Activated, Proliferating, and Cytotoxic Trafficking Cells

ABSTRACT We have previously reported that a peripheral blood absolute CD38brightCD8+ effector memory T cell (TEM) population expansion of >35 cells/µL predicts the development of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). We hypothesized that these T cells are activated, proliferating, and cytotoxic trafficking cells that are not a response to viral reactivation and may be involved in acute GVHD. We characterized peripheral blood T cell populations at the time of maximum CD38brightCD8+ TEM expansion in patients from our originally reported pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation recipient cohort. Samples were incubated with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies directed against CD3, CD8, CD38, HLA-DR (T cell activation), Ki-67 (T cell proliferation), granzyme B (marker of cytotoxic T cells), CLA (skin trafficking), CCR5 (visceral trafficking), and CXCR6 (liver trafficking). We also incubated samples with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) peptide pools and measured IFN-γ production by flow cytometry and performed EBV and CMV tetramer staining. Higher median proportions of cell expression of HLA-DR, Ki-67, granzyme B, CLA, CCR5, and CXCR6 were observed for CD38brightCD8+ T cells compared with CD38nonbrightCD8+ T cells in patients with acute GVHD (P
Automated Classification of Retinal Diseases in STARE Database Using Neural Network Approach

The optics of the eye create a visual image of the visual world on the retina. Incoming light signal is converted into a neural signal, which in turn is processed by the visual cortex in brain. A healthy retina is crucial for reliable vision. It is vulnerable to organ-specific and systemic diseases as numerous imperative ailments manifest themselves in the retina. Retinal dystrophies and degenerations are often the cause of visual loss and complete blindness in severe cases, hence early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can avert the loss. Various retinal diagnostic techniques performed manually by the ophthalmologist are conventional procedures followed in numerous parts of the world. Since human intervention is highly prone to errors, these strategies don’t generally ensure high level of accuracy. Consequently, computerized procedures are significantly crucial for useful applications in the ophthalmology. The purpose of this research was to develop an automated diagnostic system that will be able to identify patients with retinal disorders from images using neural network. This study comprises of four main sections. Data related to retinal pathologies was taken from a publicly available fundus image database. Collected data was then pre-processed by applying exclusion and inclusion criteria on categorized diseases and then visualized using MATLAB. Neural network technique along with three different activation functions (Sigmoid, Gaussian and ArcTan) were used to classify multiple retinal diseases allowing timely detection of such ailments with high accuracy. Sigmoid and Gaussian function gave best performances across all performance metrics. Accuracy calculated for Sigmoid was 0.92, for Gaussian 0.90 and for ArcTan 0.46
A Reliability-Aware Vehicular Crowdsensing System for Pothole Profiling

Accurately profiling potholes on road surfaces not only helps eliminate safety related concerns and improve commuting efficiency for drivers, but also reduces unnecessary maintenance cost for transportation agencies. In this paper, we propose a smartphone-based system that is capable of precisely estimating the length and depth of potholes, and introduce a holistic design on pothole data collection, profile aggregation and pothole warning and reporting. The proposed system relies on the built-in inertial sensors of vehicle-carried smartphones to estimate pothole profiles, and warn the driver about incoming potholes. Because of the difference in driving behaviors and vehicle suspension systems, a major challenge in building such system is how to aggregate conflicting sensory reports from multiple participating vehicles. To tackle this challenge, we propose a novel reliability-aware data aggregation algorithm called Reliability Adaptive Truth Discovery (RATD). It infers the reliability for each data source and aggregates pothole profiles in an unsupervised fashion. Our field test shows that the proposed system can effectively estimate pothole profiles, and the RATD algorithm significantly improves the profiling accuracy compared with popular data aggregation methods.
P105 Using Theater to Explore Poverty and Food Insecurity Issues in an Undergraduate Community Nutrition Course

Objective To explore the potential of theater as part of an undergraduate community nutrition course in shaping students’ attitudes, beliefs, and empathy toward individuals experiencing food insecurity and living in poverty. Use of Theory or Research The benefits of arts-based curricula has been well-documented in other health and social service disciplines. Theater, poetry, and art can broaden students’ understanding of complex social problems, foster engagement, and promote empathy. These skills and capabilities are important for nutrition educators. However, few studies have investigated the potential role of arts-based education in nutrition/dietetics coursework, and to our knowledge, no studies have been published to-date on the use of theater. Target Audience Students (n = 11) enrolled in an undergraduate community nutrition course at a small university in New England. All were majoring in either nutrition or public health. Course/Curriculum Description Students attended a theatrical performance that addressed everyday experiences of families living in poverty and confronted a wide range of social issues connected to food insecurity. After the performance, students were given a reflection paper assignment. Evaluation Methods The evaluation was a mixed methods design with both qualitative and quantitative components. Reflection papers were analyzed for themes. Perceptions on individuals in poverty (pre/post) was assessed by the validated Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) and analyzed using paired t-tests. Results After attending the performance, perceptions on those living in poverty improved. Common themes discussed in reflection papers revealed greater awareness of stressors and barriers to accessing resources. Lower mean survey score on Likert-scale of 1-5 indicated greater overall empathy, and likelihood of viewing the underlying causes of poverty related to lack of resources and opportunity (2.2 + 0.4 vs 1.9 + 0.4), P Conclusions Theater can provide nutrition students with new insights and perspectives that can potentially broaden their understanding of complex social and environmental factors that influence nutrition-related behaviors.
The Saga of Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: A Cautionary Tale.

In their article, Skipper and colleagues report the results of trial of hydroxychloroquine for patients presenting with nonsevere COVID-19. The editorialists discuss the findings and the need to examine carefully not only what we know about hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19 but also how we learned it, disseminated it, and put it into practice.
Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein Expression Is More Frequent in Acral Lentiginous Melanoma Than in Other Types of Cutaneous Melanoma

Context.— Molecularly distinct from cutaneous melanomas arising from sun-exposed sites, acral lentiginous melanomas (ALMs) typically lack ultraviolet-signature mutations, such as telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations. Instead, ALMs show a high degree of copy number alterations, often with multiple amplifications of TERT, which are associated with adverse prognosis. The prognostic value of TERT protein expression in acral melanomas, however, is not established. Objective.— To evaluate the frequency and pattern of TERT immunoreactivity and assess the potential utility of TERT expression as a prognostic indicator in ALMs. Design.— TERT expression by immunohistochemistry was analyzed in a series of 57 acral and nonacral melanocytic lesions, including 24 primary and 6 metastatic ALMs. Clinical outcome in patients with ALMs by TERT expression was assessed. Results.— TERT expression was more frequent in ALMs than in nonlentiginous acral melanomas and nonacral cutaneous melanomas, and was absent in acral nevi (P = .01). When present, TERT expression in ALMs was cytoplasmic and more intense than TERT expression in other melanocytic lesions (P = .05) with a higher H-score (P = .01). There was a trend toward decreased overall survival in patients with ALMs with TERT immunoreactivity, but it did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, no correlation was found between TERT expression and disease-specific survival in patients with ALMs. Conclusions.— Although TERT protein expression was frequently detected in both primary and metastatic ALMs, TERT immunoreactivity in ALMs did not correlate with survival in our study. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to elucidate the prognostic value of TERT expression in ALMs.
Cdc42 reactivation at growth sites is regulated by local cell-cycle-dependent loss of its GAP Rga4

In fission yeast, polarized cell growth stops during division and resumes after cell separation. We uncoupled these sequential events by delaying cytokinesis with a temporary Latrunculin A treatment. Mitotic cells recovering from treatment initiate end growth without cell separation, displaying a polar elongation sans separation (PrESS) phenotype. PrESS cell ends reactivate Cdc42, a major regulator of polarized growth, before cell separation, but at a fixed time after anaphase B. A candidate screen implicates Rga4, a negative regulator of Cdc42, in this process. We show that Rga4 appears punctate at the cell sides during G2, but is diffuse during mitosis, extending to the ends. While the Morphogenesis Orb6 (MOR) pathway is known to promote cell separation and growth by activating protein synthesis, we find that for polarized growth, removal of Rga4 from the ends is also necessary. Therefore, we propose that growth resumes after division once the MOR pathway is activated and the ends lose Rga4 in a cell-cycle-dependent manner.
An experimental validation of a nonlinear acoustic resistance model for an acoustically compact area contraction with steady mean flow

In a previously published paper, a model for the nonlinear acoustic response of an area contraction including bias flow was presented. The model's prediction for the zero-driving resistance grew progressively worse as the steady-flow Mach number increased. This trend suggests that the forward loss coefficients should depend on the steady Mach number. This letter provides an empirical fitting of this Mach number dependence, along with additional validation data for the model. These additional validation data corroborate the model's prediction that the nonlinear impedance is frequency independent. This letter additionally provides an experimental methodology for determining the characteristic length with sample results.
Mutagenic repair of a ZFN-induced double-strand break in yeast: Effects of cleavage site sequence and spacer size.

Abstract Double-strand breaks are repaired by error-free homologous recombination or by relatively error-prone pathways that directly join broken ends. Both types of repair have been extensively studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using enzymes HO or I-SceI, which create breaks with 4-nt 3′ overhangs. In the current study, a galactose-regulated zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN) designed to cleave the Drosophila rosy locus was used to generate breaks with 4-nt 5′ overhangs at out-of-frame cleavage sites inserted into the yeast LYS2 gene. Mutagenic repair was examined following selection of prototrophs on lysine-deficient medium containing galactose or surviving colonies on galactose-containing rich medium. Following cleavage of the original rosy spacer (ACGAAT), most Lys+ colonies contained 1- or 4-bp insertions at the cleavage site while most survivors had either a 2-bp insertion or a large deletion. Small insertions reflected nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and large deletions were the product of microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ). Changing the original ACGAAT spacer to either AGCAAT, ACGCGT or CTATTA altered the molecular features of NHEJ events as well as their frequency relative to MMEJ. Altering the optimal 6-bp spacer size between the zinc-finger protein binding sites to 5 bp or 7 bp eliminated the effect of continuous ZFN expression on survival, but Lys+ prototrophs were still generated. Analysis of Lys+ revertants after cleavage of the 5-bp spacer indicated that both the position and spacing of ZFN-generated nicks were variable. Results provide insight into effects of overhang sequence on mutagenic outcomes and demonstrate ZFN cleavage of 5- or 7-bp spacers in vivo.
The Future of Human Dynamics Study: Research Challenges and Opportunities During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s life and changes our activities and behaviors significantly. It is the first example of “data-rich” pandemic in the human history and opens many research opportunities for the study of Human Dynamics. This chapter provides some representative examples and suggestions for the future development in both short term and long-term periods. The short-term research agenda includes: (1) establishing a transdisciplinary and interoperable COVID-19 data research consortium; (2) facilitating interdisciplinary research collaboration to develop new theories and new methods; (3) identifying the health disparity problems from multiple perspectives; (4) analyzing human mobility changes from multiple data sources. The long-term research agenda emphasize on the long-term impact of COVID-19 pandemics to our local and global communities. The long-term agenda includes: (1) the percentage of work-from-home employees and online education (synchronic or asynchronized) students will increase dramatically; (2) analyzing the dynamic movements of consumer products, and mixed digital online services; (3) using Internet of Things devices to study Human Dynamics; (4) extending the study of Human Dynamics from physical world to Virtual Reality; and (5) facilitating the development of responsive decision support systems for the effective management of Public Health resources and disaster responses in the future.
Optimal environmental taxation in response to an environmentally-unfriendly political challenger

Abstract Different political parties place different values on the environment. In considering a two-party democratic system and capital-intensive technologies, we find that forward-looking governments incorporate the probability of losing power into their policy design. When the party in power values the environment, it may levy an optimal dynamic tax that is larger than the Pigouvian tax. We investigate the parameters that affect the magnitude of this gap and assess the effect of the gap on the adoption of clean technologies overtime.
“Good morning, Twitter! What are you doing today to support the voice of people with #disability?”: disability and digital organizing

Understanding Twitter by individuals and organizations to raise awareness and give voice to the disability community provides important insight into digital discourse around disability. This study ...
Biological substrates of aggression.

Publisher Summary This chapter attempts to develop a physiological model of aggression, and then to examine some of the implications of that model for aggression control. The chapter suggests that the following kinds of aggression exist: predatory, inter-male, fear-induced, maternal, instrumental, irritable, and sex-related. Each of these types of aggression, with the exception of instrumental, has different underlying neural and hormonal determinants. It is obvious that no single model can fit each of these in detail. It is possible, however, to identify mechanisms or types of mechanisms that are similar for all or most of the different types of aggression. The basic premise of this model is that in the brains of animals and humans there are neural systems that, when fired in the presence of a relevant target, result in aggressive or destructive behavior towards that target. In the case of humans, the actual aggressive behavior may be controlled, but the individual will still have the appropriate feelings of hostility. There is now abundant evidence to support that premise.
The effect of cathodic electrochemical potential of Ti-6Al-4V on cell viability: voltage threshold and time dependence.

The biocompatibility of metallic biomaterials is dependent on the redox state of the surface and its effect on cellular redox equilibrium. When metallic biomaterials experience mechanically assisted corrosion such as fretting, there is a drop in the voltage of its surface. Studies have demonstrated that cell viability is significantly degraded by sustained cathodic excursion in voltage of metallic biomaterials below a critical potential between −300 and −600 mV on commercially pure titanium. Cells cultured at above −300 mV showed little loss in viability whereas cells cultured on −600 mV Ti were almost 100% killed at 24 h. The goal of this study is to concisely define the voltage threshold and time-dependence of the cell killing effect seen on titanium surfaces. MC3T3 cells were cultured on electrochemically controlled Ti-6Al-4V surfaces at voltages ranging from −300 to −1000 mV for time periods ranging from 1 to 24 h. Cell viability and morphology was monitored with live-dead assay and scanning electron microscopy. Cell viability decreased from −300 to −400 mV and exhibited time-dependence where the more cathodic the potential, the faster the drop-off of viability. Hundred percent cell killing took as little as 4 h at −1000 mV and required 24 h at −400 mV. Sustained net cathodic currents with densities as low as 0.1 μA/cm2 are observed during cell killing. This work shows reduction reactions are an important element of cellular viability in a time and potential dependent way and may explain why mechanically assisted corrosion reactions may lead to increased cell killing in metallic implants. Note: All voltages are versus Ag/AgCl © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 101B: 1489–1497, 2013.
Eyes don't lie: understanding users' first impressions on websites using eye tracking

Websites are prevalent these days. Web users make instantaneous judgments regarding a website based on their first impressions and usually decide either to stay on the website or bypass it during their initial interaction with the website. Hence, understanding users' first impression is important for both practitioners and researchers. This research examines users' first impression of websites using an eye tracker. Eye tracking can provide fixation points where users focus their attention on a stimulus. The eye tracking results indicate that users take at least 2.66 seconds to scan the website before they fixate their eyes on an element of the website. Our analysis also shows that first fixation duration lasted for 180 milliseconds. This indicates that after allocating attention to a specific area on a website, the eyes stopped to focus for 180 milliseconds during which the brain processed the visual information received from the eyes to organize the information and form an impression of the website.
Breeding algebraic structures — an evolutionary approach to inductive equational logic programming

Concept learning is the induction of a description from a set of examples. Inductive logic programming can be considered a special case of the general notion of concept learning specifically referring to the induction of first-order theories. Both concept learning and inductive logic programming can be seen as a search over all possible sentences in some representation language for sentences that correctly explain the examples and also generalize to other sentences that are part of that concept. In this paper we explore inductive logic programming with equational logic as the representation language and genetic programming as the underlying search paradigm. Equational logic is the logic of substituting equals for equals with algebras as models and term rewriting as operational semantics.