cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temporal sequence learning in reentrantly coupled winner-take-all networks of spiking neurons

Patterns of activity in brains are commonly composed of temporal sequences of periods with steady-state firing rates lasting several hundred milliseconds separated by sharp transitions during movement [1], perception [2], and remembering [3]. Although network models involving mean-firing-rate neurons have been used to generate sequential neural activity [1], spiking networks with such capability require further exploration. We describe how large-scale Winner-Take-All (WTA) spiking networks can be coupled together and trained to generate such sequential neural activity. These networks are composed of conductance-based excitatory and inhibitory spiking neurons [4]. Model synapses were subject to short-term synaptic plasticity and spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP). Each network was a Center-Annular-Surround (CAS) network, a variant of center-surround networks that we have found to effectively generate WTA dynamics in large-scale networks of spiking neurons. Two CAS networks were coupled together reentrantly to form a network capable of sequence learning and recall. We found that networks of this sort can be trained to respond to a sequence of sensory cues by generating temporally ordered patterns of neuronal activity. The patterns consist of brief steady states separated by sharp transitions that resemble those observed experimentally. After training, synaptic changes resulting from STDP acting on connections between the coupled networks formed a link between temporally adjacent patterns of neural activity within the sequence. Figure ​Figure11 reflects an analysis of spiking data from this simulated network trained with a repeating sequence of eight cues. Each row in the figure plots the match score over time to one of the eight patterns of neural activity corresponding to one of the cues. White is a perfect match, while black indicates a complete mismatch. The last training repeat is from t = 24 to t = 32. Subsequently, external cues were removed and network activity continued, cycling through all eight patterns until another input cue was presented. Then the activity pattern changed to the activity pattern appropriate to the cue presented (see at t = 37), continuing the sequence when the cue was removed. The system was robust with respect to various initial conditions. Figure 1 After training, a large-scale network of approximately 4,000 spiking neurons transitions between activity patterns, in the absence of external cues, reflecting the learned sequence We also used the present model to control specific motor sequences in a robotic device. The population activity pattern in this modeled nervous system has similarities to that observed in primate frontal cortex during multi-segmented limb movements.
Ventilatory responses to hypoxia and high altitude during sleep in Aconcagua climbers.

Abstract Background/Objective.—We examined the changes in ventilation during sleep at high altitude using the LifeShirt monitoring system on 2 climbers who were attempting to summit Mount Aconcagua (6956 m). Methods.—Prior to the summit attempt, we measured cardiovascular and pulmonary function at 401 m (Rochester, MN) and gathered respiratory and cardiovascular data during sleep using the LifeShirt monitoring system with exposure to normobaric normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (simulated 4300 m). We then monitored the ventilatory response during sleep at 3 altitudes (4100 m, 4900 m, and 5900 m). Results.—During normoxic sleep, subjects had normal oxygen saturation (O2sat), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (VT) and minute ventilation (VE), and exhibited no periodic breathing (O2sat = 100 ± 2%, HR = 67 ± 1 beats/min, RR = 16 ± 3 breaths/min, VT = 516 ± 49 mL, and VE = 9 ± 1 L/min, mean ± SD). Sleep during simulated 4300 m caused a reduction in O2sat, an increase in HR, RR, VT, and VE, and...
Human brain monoamine oxidase: solubilization and kinetics of inhibition by octylglucoside.

Abstract Complete solubilization of both the A and B forms of human brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) occurred when crude mitochondria were incubated in the presence of 50 m m octylglucoside (OG). Upon removal of this nonionic detergent by dialysis, approximately 100% of the starting activity was present in the dialysate. The effects of solubilization were examined by comparison of several properties of the membrane-bound and OG-treated oxidases. The percentage inhibition of phenylethylamine (PEA) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) deamination by deprenyl and clorgyline were identical. The K m values obtained for the deamination of PEA, a B-selective substrate, 5-HT, an A-selective substrate, and tyramine (TYR), a nonselective substrate, were also comparable. OG was found to inhibit type A ( I 50 = 8.1 mM) and B ( I 50 = 4.7 mM) MAO activities at concentrations at least 10-fold below those used to solubilize the oxidases. Kinetic studies revealed that OG was an apparent competitive inhibitor of PEA deamination whereas OG produced a mixed-type pattern of inhibition when 5-HT was the variable substrate. Inhibition of TYR deamination by either the A or B form of MAO produced a mixed pattern of inhibition. The findings herein suggest that solubilization of the A and B forms of MAO by OG does not significantly alter the substrate and inhibitor specificity of the oxidases following removal of detergent. However, in the presence of concentrations of OG 50 times less than the critical micellar concentration of this detergent, marked inhibition of deamination by both forms of human brain MAO is observed. Accordingly, the usefulness of OG is limited to situations where the detergent is completely removed before quantitation of MAO activity.
An Experimental Investigation of the Feasibility of “Self-Sensing” Shape Memory Alloy Based Actuators

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) change their crystallographic structure and shape during heating/cooling and, as a consequence, their electrical resistance also changes. This allows the determination of the location of a SMA-based structure in space without separate sensors by suitably measuring this change. In this paper, this "self-sensing" concept is explored in SMA wire-type actuators. Step responses, expressed in terms of resistance (voltage drop) across the wire, and the corresponding displacement changes during heating/cooling, were measured. It was shown that the relationship between the displacement and the voltage drop can be approximated by a linear regression with a correlation coefficient close to 1. System identification has shown that SMA wire actuator performance can be best approximated by first or by second order system response depending on the thermal insulation condition of the actuator. The resolution and the sensitivity of the self-sensing method were evaluated based on experimental data and it was shown that their minimal values were less than 1.7 μm and 0.7 μm, respectively, thus supporting the feasibility of the "self-sensing concept." Both values exponentially increase with the increase in the range of the measured displacements whose magnitudes vary under different working conditions.
Adaptive Noncooperative $N$ -Person Games With Unknown General Quadratic Objectives

Motivated by the problems of unknown objectives in strategic bidding in the restructured electricity power markets where in practice, not all participants have full access to competitors' information, this paper investigates a class of noncooperative N-person games with unknown objectives with linear and cross terms in controls. We first formulate and explicitly derive the Nash equilibrium solution for this type of games, then incorporate the concept of fictitious play with the technique of adaptive control to estimate multiple controller strategies, which are not necessarily a Nash solution. We show both theoretically and numerically that the adaptation procedure converges under certain conditions. The proposed scheme is applicable to all systems with similar mathematical structures and objectives.
Enhancing the Success of Undergraduates in Engineering: A Teaching Workshop for Faculty and TAs

Among undergraduates with math SAT scores above 600, the four most commonly cited concerns leading to switching majors from science, math, engineering and technology (SMET) include: (a) poor teaching by SMET faculty, (b) lack or loss of interest in science, (c) belief that non-SMET majors hold more interest, or offers a better education, and (d) feeling overwhelmed by the pace and load of curriculum demands [1]. Less than 50% of students who begin the study of engineering complete their education in the field. In 1999, approximately 150, 000 students entered freshmen engineering programs in the United States; approximately 75, 000 will not complete an engineering curriculum. The losses of these students from SMET majors occur at a time of increased demand for greater numbers of skilled graduates in engineering. In order to retain students in engineering programs and produce a pool of technically skilled graduates that is currently needed, serious efforts are required to improve the quality of instruction in these programs. Teaching is the primary concern, since it is reflected in points (a) through (d) above, and therefore, improvements in teaching skills will have the greatest impact on our students. Since most teaching assistants (TAs) and new faculty have no formal training in instruction and assessment, there is a great need for systematic programs for teaching these instructors to improve their classroom effectiveness. The National Science Foundation funded an extremely successful faculty enhancement workshop entitled “Teaching Teachers to Teach Engineering”, T4E, (1996-1998), which then evolved to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Program. This “learn by doing” workshop format ensures that participants will make substantive improvements in their teaching skills by the end of one week; it is touted a “be good” program rather than a “feel good” program. The adaptation of these programs as teaching workshops for new faculty and TAs at Northeastern University is discussed in light of our GE Master Teacher Program - a funded initiative to improve the success of freshman engineering students at NU.
Leopard: a locality aware peer-to-peer system with no hot spot

Recent research [7,12,2] has shown that Internet hosts can be efficiently (i.e., without excessive measurements) mapped to a virtual (Euclidean) coordinate system, where the geometric distance between any two nodes in this virtual space approximates their real IP network distance (latency). Based on this result, in this paper, we propose an alternative approach that inherently incorporates a virtual coordinate system into a P2P network. In our system, called Leopard, a node is assigned a coordinate in the so-called node geo space as it joins the network, and obtains neighbor relationships that reflects network proximity from the beginning. The object id space and the node geo space are then “weaved” together via a novel technique called geographically-scoped hashing. Through analysis and simulation, we show three major desirable properties of Leopard to exemplify the power of this paradigm shift: i) a constant routing stretch, i.e., IP level network latency of object look-up is proportional to the distance between a requesting node and the target object; ii) always locates a near-by copy when multiple copies exist; and iii) effectively handles “flash crowd” traffic with near optimal load balancing.
Distributed forebrain sites mediate melatonin-induced short-day responses in Siberian hamsters.

The pineal hormone melatonin (MEL) is the key initiator in regulating seasonal photoperiodic responses; however, the central sites that mediate short day (SD) winter-like responses, such as testicular regression and decreases in white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, by Siberian hamsters are not precisely known. WAT is innervated by the sympathetic nervous system, and several forebrain sites that are part of the sympathetic nervous system outflow to WAT coexpress MEL1a receptor mRNA [e.g. suprachiasmatic nucleus, subzona incerta (SubZi), dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, nucleus reunions and paraventricular nuclei of the thalamus]. We tested the involvement of these sites in MEL-triggered SD responses. A long duration, SD-like MEL signal was applied site specifically for 5 wk, with sc and third ventricle MEL application serving as positive controls. Whereas SD MEL signals delivered to each of these sites were able to induce testicular regression, all but the paraventricular nuclei of the thalamus also tr...
Disillusionment, faith, and cultural traumatization on a northern plains reservation

Many American Indian people experience traumatization related to their postcolonial status that extends beyond the individual. This article explores experiences of cultural traumatization among 44 Northern Plains American Indians who were part of a population-based psychiatric epidemiological study. Of special interest were the ways in which cultural trauma was expressed in this community's sociality and worldview (e.g., disillusionment with community leaders, grief about perceived culture loss) and the complex connections between traumatization at the level of the individual and the community. Spirituality/religion served as a primary means for reconnecting with traditional culture, which proved crucial in people's attempts to cope with community traumatization. The uneasy coexistence of disillusionment, grief over culture loss, and faith cautions against embracing simplistic notions of Native reactions to cultural trauma.
Ewing's Sarcoma / Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (ES/PNET) Differentiation in Endometrial Serous Carcinomas:

The association of Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor and endometrioid type endometrial carcinoma has been reported relatively recently. We have recently identified Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor differentiation in uterine serous carcinomas and undertook this study to evaluate the frequency of both serous and endometrioid carcinomas expressing Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor differentiation. Seventy cases of uterine serous carcinoma were retrieved from the archival files and stained with antibodies to CD99. Positive and negative control slides were run with each staining batch. Perinuclear dot-like and/or membranous staining was regarded as positive. The frequency of Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor differentiation in 56 FIGO grade 3 endometrioid carcinomas was also determined and 7% uterine serous and 12.5% of FIGO grade 3 endometrioid endometrial carcinomas showed Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor differentiation. Given the worse prognosis associated with Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor differentiation, even in neoplasms already at high risk for recurrence and metastasis, a high index of suspicion for Ewing's sarcoma/peripheral neuroectodermal tumor should be maintained in high-grade uterine serous carcinomas.
Modified Atmosphere and Modified Humidity Packaging to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) increased the shelf life of fresh mushrooms up to 9 days at 12°C. Sorbitol, a food grade moisture absorber, was used to control the relative humidity within packages. Less sorbitol was required in MAP than in conventional packages. Optimum O2 concentration and optimum relative humidity in MAP was found to be 6% and 90%, respectively.
Polyamine metabolism in enucleated mouse L-cells

The distribution of polyamines between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and the role of the nucleus in polyamine metabolism, have been studied using cells enucleated with cytochalasin B. Spermidine and spermine were found in the nuclear and the cytoplasmic fractions of L929 cells; their concentration was 3-fold higher in the former fraction. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was only found in the cytoplasm, and this activity could be stimulated in enucleated cells by the addition of fresh medium. These cells synthesized putrescine actively, but the putrescine made was not converted to spermidine, and accumulated to relatively high concentrations. Similarly, methionine did not act as a precursor to spermidine in enucleated cells, in contrast to whole cells, although it was incorporated into cell protein. Spermidine synthesis, unlike putrescine synthesis, appears to be completely dependent on a nuclear component.
Science Journals in the Garden: Developing the Skill of Observation in Elementary Age Students

i List of Tables iii List of Figures iv Introduction 1 Review of Literature 5 Methods 28 Results 39 Discussion 51 References 59 Appendices A. Unit Outline 61 B. Assessment Rubric 63 C. Interview Questions 64
Pitavastatin alters the expression of thrombotic and fibrinolytic proteins in human vascular cells.

In addition to lowering blood lipids, clinical benefits of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG Co-A; EC 1.1.1.34) reductase inhibitors may derive from altered vascular function favoring fibrinolysis over thrombosis. We examined effects of pitavastatin (NK-104), a relatively novel and long acting statin, on expression of tissue factor (TF) in human monocytes (U-937), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) in human aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In monocytes, pitavastatin reduced expression of TF protein induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL). Similarly, pitavastatin also reduced expression of TF mRNA induced by LPS. Pitavastatin reduced PAI-1 antigen released from HUVEC under basal, OxLDL-, or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated conditions. Reductions of PAI-1 mRNA expression correlated with decreased PAI-1 antigen secretion and PAI-1 activity as assessed by fibrin-agarose zymography. In addition, pitavastatin decreased PAI-1 antigen released from OxLDL-treated and untreated SMC. Conversely, pitavastatin enhanced t-PA mRNA expression and t-PA antigen secretion in untreated OxLDL-, and TNF-alpha-treated HUVEC and untreated SMC. Finally, pitavastatin increased t-PA activity as assessed by fibrin-agarose zymography. Our findings demonstrate that pitavastatin may alter arterial homeostasis favoring fibrinolysis over thrombosis, thereby reducing risk for thrombi at sites of unstable plaques.
Does low-power design imply energy efficiency for data centers?

Data center efficiency has quickly become a first-class design goal. In response, many studies have emerged from the academic community and industry using low-power design to help improve the energy efficiency of server hardware. Generally, these proposals hold the assumption that low-power design is inherently better for energy efficiency; this preconception stems mostly from great success in the mobile space with building low-power, energy-efficient systems. We observe that unlike mobile devices, constraining a data center server to a low power budget is arbitrary and higher power design choices can be more energy efficient. We analyze the energy efficiency design space of past commercial server designs and find that high-power servers are generally more energy efficient than low-power ones. Furthermore, we evaluate building low- or high-power server clusters and find that the small increase in the cost of cooling high-powered servers is easily outweighed by their greater efficiency.
Patient Satisfaction and Its Relationship With Clinical Quality and Inpatient Mortality in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background—Hospitals use patient satisfaction surveys to assess their quality of care. A key question is whether these data provide valid information about the medically related quality of hospital care. The objective of this study was to determine whether patient satisfaction is associated with adherence to practice guidelines and outcomes for acute myocardial infarction and to identify the key drivers of patient satisfaction. Methods and Results—We examined clinical data on 6467 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated at 25 US hospitals participating in the CRUSADE initiative from 2001 to 2006. Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys for cardiac admissions were also available from 3562 patients treated at these same 25 centers over this period. Patient satisfaction was positively correlated with 13 of 14 acute myocardial infarction performance measures. After controlling for a hospital’s overall guideline adherence score, higher patient satisfaction scores were associated with lower risk-adjusted inpatient mortality (P0.025). One-quartile changes in both patient satisfaction and guideline adherence scores produced similar changes in predicted survival. For example, a 1-quartile change (75th to 100th) in either the patient satisfaction score or the guideline adherence score yielded the same change in predicted survival (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.49; and odds ratio, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.41, respectively). Satisfaction with nursing care was the most important determinant of overall patient satisfaction (P0.001). Conclusions—Higher patient satisfaction is associated with improved guideline adherence and lower inpatient mortality rates, suggesting that patients are good discriminators of the type of care they receive. Thus, patients’ satisfaction with their care provides important incremental information on the quality of acute myocardial infarction care. (Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010;3:188-195.)
Normal mammary epithelial cells promote carcinoma basement membrane invasion by inducing microtubule-rich protrusions.

// Meng-Horng Lee 1, 2 , Pei-Hsun Wu 1, 2 , Daniele Gilkes 1, 2 , Ivie Aifuwa 1, 2 , Denis Wirtz 1, 2, 3 1 Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences - Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA 2 Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA 3 Departments of Pathology and Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA Correspondence to: Denis Wirtz, e-mail: wirtz@jhu.edu Keywords: cancer invasion, cell-cell interaction, protrusion, microtubule, laminin Received: March 11, 2015 Accepted: July 24, 2015 Published: August 03, 2015 ABSTRACT Recent work suggests that the dissemination of tumor cells may occur in parallel with, and even preceed, tumor growth. The mechanism for this early invasion is largely unknown. Here, we find that mammary epithelial cells (MECs) induce neighboring breast carcinoma cells (BCCs) to cross the basement membrane by secreting soluble laminin. Laminin continuously produced by MECs induce long membrane cellular protrusions in BCCs that promote their contractility and invasion into the surrounding matrix. These protrusions depend on microtubule bundles assembled de novo through laminin-integrin β1 signaling. These results describe how non-cancerous MECs can actively participate in the invasive process of BCCs.
Alternative Pathways To Engineering Success –Using Academic And Social Integration To Understand Two-Year Engineering Student Success

The need for educating engineers in the United States continues as the projected demand is rising the number of high school seniors planning to enter engineering careers has remained relatively stable (Sargent, 2014). Additionally, figures show that attrition rates in undergraduate engineering continue to be an area of concern, (Sargent, 2014; Gibbons, 2005; NSF, 2004). Given the projected increased demand for engineers, the engineering education community must explore a variety of pathways for engineering students to be successful. Organizations such as National Science Foundation (Laanan, Jackson, Darrow, 2010) have noted that beginning engineering study at a two-year campus and then transferring to an engineering bachelor’s degree-granting institution is an important path and source for additional engineering students. Although some have explored the logistical issues and curricular design components of two-year campuses that enables engineering students to complete their bachelor degrees elsewhere, there is very little that explores the non-curricular factors on these campuses that help such students successfully progress (Laanan, et al., 2010). Using Tinto’s theory of integration (1975, 1993), this study examines the relationship between student entry characteristics and measures of social and academic integration to engineering learning outcomes. Understanding how integration factors on two-year campuses impact engineering student success can be used to inform the design of curricular and campus-based experiences. Results indicate social and academic integration factors significantly predict engineering students’ learning outcomes, especially their commitment to engineering studies.
Ultrafast hydrolysis of a Lewis photoacid.

This study explores the concept that electronic excitation can dramatically enhance Lewis acidity. Specifically, it is shown that photoexcitation transforms an electron-deficient organic compound of negligible Lewis acidity in its electronic ground state into a potent excited-state Lewis acid that releases a proton from a nearby water molecule in 3.1 ps. It was shown previously (Peon et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2001, 105, 5768) that the excited state of methyl viologen (MV2+) is quenched rapidly in aqueous solution with the formation of an unidentified photoproduct. In this study, the quenching mechanism and the identity of the photoproduct were investigated by the femtosecond transient absorption and fluorescence upconversion techniques. Transient absorption signals at UV probe wavelengths reveal a long-lived species with a pH-dependent lifetime due to reaction with hydronium ions at a bimolecular rate of 3.1 × 109 M–1 s–1. This species is revealed to be a charge-transfer complex consisting of a ground-state...
Formation of the structure of reaction-sintered boron carbide

Etude de la structure des carbures de bore obtenus par frittage reactif et du role joue par l'addition de bore
Activity Budget of Male Gray Seals, Halichoerus grypus

Breeding activity budgets of male gray seals were estimated to determine how they are fine tuned to changing demands and to determine whether or not the limited body reserves produced by fasting act to minimize energetically demanding activities. Behaviors were divided into nonsocial and social activities with each category including both active and inactive behaviors. The overall frequency of social behavior did not change throughout a male's tenure but aggressive behavior decreased while sexual behavior increased. Even though resting accounted for the greatest proportion of activity, males that were most active had the greatest copulatory success, suggesting that fasting does not place severe limitations on their activity levels.
Inhibition by egg-white of hemagglutination by swine influenza virus.

SummaryEgg-white (EW) has been found approximately 200 times as effective as normal rabbit serum in inhibiting hemagglutination by heated swine influenza virus, giving titers of about 170,000. An aged formolized vaccine was also highly susceptible to inhibition by EW, but unheated virus and a fresh vaccine required about 750 to 1,000 times as much EW for similar inhibition. In addition, EWT gave an interfacial precipitation reaction with concentrated virus suspensions, and both the precipitating and inhibiting capacities were destroyed by treatment with dilute periodate.
Flowr: Robust and efficient pipelines using a simple language-agnostic approach

Motivation: Bioinformatics analyses have become increasingly intensive computing processes, with lowering costs and increasing numbers of samples. Each laboratory spends time creating and maintaining a set of pipelines, which may not be robust, scalable, or efficient. Further, the existence of different computing environments across institutions hinders both collabo-ration and the portability of analysis pipelines. Results: Flowr is a robust and scalable framework for designing and deploying computing pipelines in an easy-to-use fashion. It implements a scatter-gather approach using computing clusters, simplifying the concept to the use of five simple terms (in submission and dependency types). Most importantly, it is flexible, such that customizing existing pipelines is easy, and since it works across several computing environments (LSF, SGE, Torque, and SLURM), it is portable. Availability: http://docs.flowr.space
Application of the Complex Variable Boundary Element Method to the Solution of Heat Conduction Problems in Doubly and Multiply Connected Domains

The Complex Variable Boundary Element Method (CVBEM) was originally developed to solve two-dimensional problems in simply-connected domains based on a discretized form of the Cauchy Integral Formula for analytic functions. The present work extends the formulation to doubly-connected domains by introducing a cut in the domain, thereby rendering the stream function single-valued. The resulting CVBEM equations are shown to be a perturbed form of those derived for simply-connected domains. Cauchy-Riemann relations are used to derive boundary equations relating potentials, stream functions, and boundary fluxes when Neumann and Robin boundary conditions are imposed. The analysis is then extended to multiply-connected domains by introducing additional cuts in the domain. This results in additional perturbation terms being added to the simply-connected nodal equations. In order to facilitate computer coding, the equivalence of nodes at the cuts are established, and the codes developed for doubly-connected domains are readily extended to multiply-connected regions.
Pathogenicity of Escherichia coli Recovered from Food

In Western nations, pathogenic biotypes are sporadically encountered in foodborne gastroentetis. Cholera, dysentery, and chronic ulcerative colitis syndromes are recognized. E. coli has been associated on the average with 2% of annual food outbreaks and 5% of total cases. In developing nations, the incidence may be greater. In contrast with Salmonella and Shigella, significance can be assessed only by fulfillment of Koch's postulates. Preliminary studies using vascular permeability reaction for the detection of heart-labile toxin and the Sereny keratoconjunctivities test for demonstration of invasiveness indicate limited incidence of these pathogenicity markers in cultures from foods. Two per cent of isolates from cheeses involved in recent outbreaks were toxigenic; 14% were invasive. Corresponding values for food isolates not associated with illness were 10 and 0, respectively. To facilitate examination of multiple isolates, 10 may be pooled for the detection of heat-labile toxin, and 5 for invasiveness. Present model pathogenicity systems require standardization, estimation of specificity and sensitivity limits, examination by collaborative study, and ascertainment of human equivalence. Supplemental tests include capacity for colonization of intestinal epithelium and intracellular growth. Stereotypes based upon serology, host range, and recognized toxic factors may require modification.
Interdomain and Intermodule Organization in Epimerization Domain Containing Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases are large, complex multidomain enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of a wide range of peptidic natural products. Inherent to synthetase chemistry is the thioester templated mechanism that relies on protein/protein interactions and interdomain dynamics. Several questions related to structure and mechanism remain to be addressed, including the incorporation of accessory domains and intermodule interactions. The inclusion of nonproteinogenic d-amino acids into peptide frameworks is a common and important modification for bioactive nonribosomal peptides. Epimerization domains, embedded in nonribosomal peptide synthetases assembly lines, catalyze the l- to d-amino acid conversion. Here we report the structure of the epimerization domain/peptidyl carrier protein didomain construct from the first module of the cyclic peptide antibiotic gramicidin synthetase. Both holo (phosphopantethiene post-translationally modified) and apo structures were determined, each representing cat...
Accelerating Support Count for Association Rule Mining on GPUs

In this work, we present a highly parallel work-efficientalgorithm for performing support count on a GPU. Wedevelop a compressed data layout scheme that enables high off-chipmemory bandwidth utilization. Our data layout results inlow overhead parallel coordination while reducing the memoryrequirements of support count. We evaluate our algorithm through extensive experimentationboth on synthetically generated and real data. We achievemaximum throughput of 50 billion evaluations per secondfor our parallel two phase algorithm, while outperformingthat of non work-efficient implementations on a multi-coreCPU and a GPU by almost 40×. Resolving bank conflictsresults in reduction of the execution time per iteration of ouralgorithm up to 6%. Employing additional optimizations such asloop unrolling leads to improvement in execution time up to 18%.
A pressure-induced topological phase with large Berry curvature in Pb1−xSnxTe

The picture of how a gap closes in a semiconductor has been radically transformed by topological concepts. Instead of the gap closing and immediately reopening, topological arguments predict that, in the absence of inversion symmetry, a metallic phase protected by Weyl nodes persists over a finite interval of the tuning parameter (for example, pressure P ). The gap reappears when the Weyl nodes mutually annihilate. We report evidence that Pb 1− x Sn x Te exhibits this topological metallic phase. Using pressure to tune the gap, we have tracked the nucleation of a Fermi surface droplet that rapidly grows in volume with P . In the metallic state, we observe a large Berry curvature, which dominates the Hall effect. Moreover, a giant negative magnetoresistance is observed in the insulating side of phase boundaries, in accord with ab initio calculations. The results confirm the existence of a topological metallic phase over a finite pressure interval.
Role of Protein Disulfide Isomerase In Thrombus Formation In a Collagen-Induced Pathway of Thrombus Formation

Abstract Abstract 345 We have demonstrated that platelet activation in vivo can take place via two pathways, one initiated by the generation of thrombin and the other initiated by the exposure of collagen on the injured vessel wall (Furie & Furie, 2008). In our laser-induced model of thrombosis, in which the endothelium is activated but intact, platelet activation by thrombin dominates and collagen is not required. In the widely used ferric chloride model of thrombosis the endothelium is denuded exposing collagen which leads to initial platelet activation. Using our laser-induced thrombosis model we previously demonstrated that protein disulfide isomerase is expressed on the vessel wall and within the platelet thrombus at the site of injury. Both bacitracin A, a non-specific inhibitor of thiol isomerases, and an inhibitory antibody specific for protein disulfide isomerase (RL90) block platelet thrombus formation and fibrin generation. Here we extend our study of the role of protein disulfide isomerase in thrombus formation to the ferric chloride model of thrombosis. We used intravital fluorescence microscopy in mouse arterioles exposed to filter paper saturated with 10% ferric chloride for 3 minutes. Protein disulfide isomerase, detected with a non-inhibitory polyclonal anti-protein disulfide isomerase antibody, accumulated in ferric chloride-induced platelet thrombi in cremaster arterioles. Bacitracin A (5 mg/mouse) delayed initiation of thrombus formation in mesenteric arterioles. Median time to initial platelet accumulation increased from 1 min in the absence of inhibitor to 4 min in the presence of inhibitor. In 4 out of 8 mice treated with 7 mg of bacitracin A platelet accumulation was completely inhibited. Similarly, bacitracin A prolonged the time to occlusion of ferric chloride-injured arterioles. Less than 50% of injured arterioles in mice treated with 5 mg of bacitracin A and only 25% of injured arterioles in mice treated with 7 mg of bacitracin A occluded after 30 minutes compared to a 100% of arterioles occluded in control saline treated mice. Pretreatment of mice with RL90 at 0.3, 1 or 3 μg/g mouse delayed the appearance of the first aggregates of platelets. Median time to initial platelet accumulation was prolonged from 0.6 min in the presence of isotype-matched control antibody (1 ug/g mouse) to 1.5 min in the presence of 0.3 mg/g mouse of RL90. Platelet accumulation was not observed in 1 out of 7 animals treated with RL90 at 1 mg/g mouse and in 3 out of 7 animals treated with RL90 at 3 mg/g mouse. RL90 also inhibited fibrin deposition after ferric chloride injury. Minimal fibrin was detected in the presence of RL90 at 1 μg/g mouse while fibrin appeared rapidly in mice treated with a control antibody. These data indicate that PDI is a component of a general regulatory pathway for initiation of thrombus formation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Non-atherosclerotic aortic mural thrombus: a rare source of embolism

A 54-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute left-sided chest pain and left upper quadrant abdominal pain. He had a significant history of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung previously treated with right pneumonectomy who ; is currently receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin. Physical examination was remarkable for tachycardia, hypertension and mild abdominal tenderness. CT angiography revealed an aortic mural thrombus in the ascending aorta and aortic arch without dissection, aneurysm or tortuosity of the aorta. In addition, an infarction of the inferior spleen was reported. Given the high risk of surgery for this patient, he was treated conservatively with esmolol and heparin infusion. His subsequent hospital course was uneventful, and he was successfully discharged on enoxaparin therapy that was successively bridged to rivaroxaban treatment. Follow-up transesophageal echocardiography and CT angiography at one month showed no thrombus in the aorta.
The application of ultrasound and enzymes in textile processing of greige cotton.

Abstract A review is reported herein of the research progress made at the USDA’s Southern Regional Research Center to provide an ultrasound and enzymatic alternative to the current textile processing method of scouring greige cotton textile with caustic chemicals. The review covers early efforts to measure pectin and wax removal from greige cotton textiles using standard wicking methodology and further describes an investigation of newly discovered polygalacturonase enzymes as bioscouring agents. Additional research is reviewed involving efforts to characterize and optimize the ultrasound-enhanced enzymatic scouring process through a statistical examination of the operating parameters of power, enzyme concentration, ultrasonic frequency and time.
A Survey on Sentiment Classification in Face Recognition

Face recognition has been an important topic for both industry and academia for a long time. K-means clustering, autoencoder, and convolutional neural network, each representing a design idea for face recognition method, are three popular algorithms to deal with face recognition problems. It is worthwhile to summarize and compare these three different algorithms. This paper will focus on one specific face recognition problem–sentiment classification from images. Three different algorithms for sentiment classification problems will be summarized, including k-means clustering, autoencoder, and convolutional neural network. An experiment with the application of these algorithms on a specific dataset of human faces will be conducted to illustrate how these algorithms are applied and their accuracy. Finally, the three algorithms are compared based on the accuracy result.
Confronting continental philosophy’s fears of biologism:

Continental philosophy, argues Catherine Malabou, has disavowed biology. This article examines the ways in which philosophies of listening risk eschewing the biological and material dimensions of a...
Isolation of Hole Versus Electron Current at p-Si/TiO 2 Selective Contact Using a Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Structure

Carrier-selective contacts provide an exciting avenue for developing high-efficiency, low-cost silicon photovoltaics (PV). However, evaluating and understanding the different current mechanisms across a carrier-selective contact is difficult as the current measured represents the sum of both electron and hole current components. In this paper, we develop a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure with the electron-selective p-type Si/titanium dioxide(TiO2)/Al contact as the base–emitter junction, which enables one to separately measure the electron and hole currents across the selective contact. An HBT with a current gain as large as ∼220 is achieved. The method is then used to evaluate the current mechanisms across a p-Si/TiO2/Al heterojunction PV cell, where the TiO2/p-Si replaces the n+-p junction. We determine that there is an optimal TiO2 thickness of 4.1 nm for CVD-deposited TiO2; and at the optimal thickness, the hole current is 8% of the total current, thus demonstrating that TiO2/Si is indeed a hole-blocking electron-selective contact. The hole current ratio is corroborated with reverse-recovery experiments, confirming the validity of the HBT method.
American Needle Inc v NFL 130 S Ct 2201 (2010)

The National Football League (“NFL”) is an unincorporated association of 32 separately owned professional football teams. The teams each own their name, colours, logos, trademarks and associated intellectual property. The teams formed National Football League Properties (NFLP) to exploit this intellectual property. Initially, NFLP granted non-exclusive licences to various sports manufactures (including American Needle) to manufacture and sell NFL team labelled sportswear. In December 2000, the teams authorised NFLP to grant exclusive licences, one of which was granted to Reebok International Ltd to produce and sell trademarked head wear for all 32 teams. American Needle Inc, whose licence had not been renewed at the material time, challenged the NFLP’s use of an exclusive licence as contrary to section 1 of the Sherman Act 1890 which makes “every contract, combination…or, conspiracy, in restraint of trade” illegal. The respondents argued that the nature of section 1 of the Sherman Act is that it requires two or more parties to participate in the stated manner and thus, given that the NFLP was a “single entity” a claim of anti-competitive activity could not be brought, save under section 2 of the Sherman Act (which addressed monopolisation or conspiracy to monopolise). American Needle Inc countered that the NFLP was not in form a “single entity”—noting that the courts have long been alert to sports leagues’ efforts to label various collective commercial arrangements as single entity; but rather it was in substance an arrangement that sought to veil ongoing concerted actions by separate and multiple parties with different corporate and economic interests. Guided by its decision in Copperweld Corp v Independence Tube Corp 467 US 752 (1984), the US Supreme Court held against the single entity argument and remitted the matter to the lower courts to determine whether a section 1 violation had occurred. Importantly, the US Supreme Court also acknowledged, as guided by NCAA v Board of Regents 468 US 85 (1984, that in order to have and maintain a sports league many forms of coordination and cooperation between and among competitors would have to take place. Whether such “coordination” might necessarily entail a violation of the Sherman Act would have to be assessed in light of the Rule of Reason i.e., only contracts or combinations that unreasonably restrain trade should be subject to antitrust law.
The utility of bone scintigraphy with SPECT/CT in the evaluation and management of frostbite injuries.

Objective:Frostbite is a localized cold-thermal injury resulting from prolonged exposure of flesh to freezing and near freezing temperatures. The depth and extent of frostbite injuries are not easi...
Call for “High-Dose” Olanzapine Research in Treatment-Resistant Psychosis

Psychiatric care has entered a new era in which care for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorder has attained priority status. Addressing treatment resistance involves 1) alleviating symptoms and signs of the diagnostic condition, 2) returning the patient to functional capacity, and 3) preventing subsequent recurrence. This approach has achieved considerable momentum in regard to major depressive disorder, as evidenced by early recognition and timely treatment, medication augmentation strategies, mind-body training for the populace at large, effective and efficient psychotherapies, and new biomedical interventions. This report proposes a pharmacotherapy that may qualify for treatment-resistant psychosis, that is, high-dose olanzapine. Considerable thought, planning, resources, and effort would be necessary to test this intervention. This proposal includes suggestions for developing an affordable means of assessing this and future candidates for treatment-resistant psychosis.
Classifying Preoperative Opioid Use for Surgical Care.

Objective We characterized patterns of preoperative opioid use in patients undergoing elective surgery to identify the relationship between preoperative use and subsequent opioid fill after surgery. Background Preoperative opioid use is common, and varies by dose, recency, duration, and continuity of fills. To date, there is little evidence to guide postoperative prescribing need based on prior opioid use. Methods We analyzed claims data from Clinformatics DataMart Database for patients aged 18 to 64 years undergoing major and minor surgery between 2008 and 2015. Preoperative use was defined as any opioid prescription filled in the year before surgery. We used cluster analysis to group patients by the dose, recency, duration, and continuity of use. Our primary outcome was second postoperative fill within 30 postoperative days. Our primary explanatory variable was opioid use group. We used logistic regression to examine likelihood of second fill by opioid use group. Results Out of 267,252 patients, 102,748 (38%) filled an opioid prescription in the 12 months before surgery. Cluster analysis yielded 6 groups of preoperative opioid use, ranging from minimal (27.6%) to intermittent (7.7%) to chronic use (2.7%). Preoperative opioid use was the most influential predictor of second fill, with larger effect sizes than other factors even for patients with minimal or intermittent opioid use. Increasing preoperative use was associated with risk-adjusted likelihood of requiring a second opioid fill compared with naive patients [minimal use: odds ratio (OR) 1.49, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.45-1.53; recent intermittent use: OR 6.51, 95% CI 6.16-6.88; high chronic use: OR 60.79, 95% CI 27.81-132.92, all P values Conclusion Preoperative opioid use is common among patients who undergo elective surgery. Although the majority of patients infrequently fill opioids before surgery, even minimal use increases the probability of needing additional postoperative prescriptions in the 30 days after surgery when compared with opioid-naive patients. Going forward, identifying preoperative opioid use can inform surgeon prescribing and care coordination for pain management after surgery.