cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single Molecule Studies of Tau Protein in the Abel Trap

Tau protein is an intrinsically disordered protein that stabilizes microtubules of neurons mainly in the central nervous system. Abnormalities in Tau are thought to be involved in Alzheimer's disease. The aggregation process of monomeric Tau into an oligomeric species and the intermediate conformational states that may facilitate aggregation are of particular interest. To investigate the disordered nature and aggregation of Tau protein, single, solution-phase Tau proteins and oligomers were isolated in a microfluidic trap, called the Anti-Brownian Electrokinetic (ABEL) Trap. The ABEL trap cancels Brownian motion of a molecule of interest via electrokinetic and/or electroosmotic flow, allowing prolonged examination of a single, fluorescently-labeled analyte in solution. Combining this technique with fluorescence anisotropy enabled studies into how monomer structure and aggregation changes with cellular conditions known to accelerate aggregation, including concentration effects, solution viscosity, heparin, and cellular crowding. Characteristics of disordered Tau were compared with those of a globular protein of similar size, microbial transglutaminase (MTG). The ultimate goal is to provide the missing link between non-aggregated, monomer Tau protein and the toxic species that result in devastating disease, offering insight into how this pathway may be upset.
Magnetoresistivity of Ag tape co-processed with Bi1.4Pb0.6Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox superconductor

Abstract The magnetoresistivity of Ag plays an important role in determining the stability and quench propagation behaviour of Ag-clad Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O composite conductors. The magnetoresistivity of a silver tape that was co-processed with Bi 4 Pb 0.6 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O x has been measured from 4.2 K to 150 K in magnetic fields up to 20 T. The resistivity dependence on the magnetic field orientation was also studied at 4.2 K. It has been found that impurities introduced from the oxide core during heat treatment cause a significant increase in the resistivity over the entire temperature range.
Socioeconomic Effects on the Stature of Nineteenth-Century US Women

Using a new source of nineteenth-century state prison records and robust statistics, this study contrasts the effects of social conditions on the stature of comparable African American and white women during the economic development of the United States. Across the stature distribution, Great Lakes, Plains, and Southern women were taller than women with other US and international nativities. Women from the Northeast and Middle Atlantic were the shortest within the US, but were taller than British and European immigrants. White women were consistently taller than black women. Stature also varied over time with industrialization and emancipation. Across the stature distribution, women in outdoor, unskilled occupations were taller than women in indoor, skilled occupations. These results show that US women's average statures reflect net nutritional conditions that are not available in traditional measures of economic well-being.
Intravitreal bevacizumab for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization secondary to pseudotumor cerebri.

Background In pseudotumor cerebri (PTC), elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) results in papilledema and, rarely, choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Pseudotumor cerebri-induced CNV often regresses following medical or surgical ICP reduction, but additional treatments, such as photocoagulation, photodynamic therapy, peri-ocular steroid injections and/or subretinal surgery, may be necessary. Anti-angiogenic intravitreal injections have been shown to cause regression of both CNV and optic nerve edema. Case report We describe a patient with PTC and CNV whose CNV regressed and vision normalized after a single intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, San Francisco, CA).
Olfactory and chemical analysis of taste and odor episodes in drinking water supplies

This paper evaluated the presentknowledge of taste and problems in drinkingwater supplies in the form of a ``Taste and OdorWheel'' which organises the relationshipsbetween specific taste and odor problems andtheir causes. The Flavor Profile Analysis (FPA)method enabled the development of the odordescriptors on the wheel. The abilities andshort-comings of the FPA method for odorevaluation by taste and odor panels wereevaluated. The present state of development oftaste and odor standards for drinking water wasthen discussed.
Preparation of Thin-Foil TEM Specimens from Sub-Millimeter Particulate

The particulate produced by many of the methods of rapid solidification, such as atomized powder, is of order 50 microns in diameter and is thus much too small to form the 3mm diameter disc conventionally used for thin-foil microscopy. 50 microns is, however, much too thick for direct TEM study on a support film and grid. A technique is described in detail that produces a composite wafer where atomized metal powder is sandwiched between two layers of electroplated nickel. This wafer is about 25 mm in diameter and about 250 microns thick. 3mm diameter TEM discs can be punched from the wafer and thinned by combinations of grinding, dimpling, jet-polishing, and ion milling. Depending on the composition and structure of the powder under study, the composite nature of the wafer can sometimes promote undesirable galvanic effects during jet polishing and differential thinning rates during ionmilling. Typical results are presented and discussion of the benefits and shortcomings of this technique is made. The method should be applicable to a variety of materials and geometries.
Thermodynamics of titanium alloys: III. The Ti-Mo system

The activity of titanium in Ti-Mo alloys containing from 30 to 100 at. pct Ti was measured using the triple Knudsen cell technique. The binary system shows positive deviation from ideality. The regular solution parameter, Ω, which is independent of temperature and composition, was determined to be 2.9±0.7 kcal per mol. This value agrees quite well, with values calculated from the phase diagram, and with those obtained from theoretical calculations.
Modification of serine 360 by a reactive intermediate of 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol results in mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P450s 2B1 and 2B6.

α-Ethynylestradiole (17EE) is a mechanism-based inactivator of CYP 2B1 and CYP 2B6 in the reconstituted system. The loss in enzymatic activity was due to the binding of a reactive intermediate of 17EE to the apoprotein. CYP 2B1 and CYP 2B6 were inactivated by 17EE and digested with trypsin. The peptides obtained following digestion with trypsin of 17EE-inactivated CYP 2B1 and CYP 2B6 were separated by liquid chromatography and analyzed by ESI-MS. Adducted peptides exhibiting an increase in mass consistent with the addition of the mass of the reactive intermediate of 17EE were identified for each enzyme. Analysis of these modified peptides by ESI-MS/MS and precursor ion scanning facilitated the identification of the S360 in both enzymes as the site that had been adducted by a reactive intermediate of 17EE. A CYP 2B1 mutant where S360 was replaced by alanine was constructed, expressed and purified. Activity and inactivation studies indicated that mutation of the S360 residue to alanine did not prevent inactivation of the mutant enzyme by 17EE. These observations suggest that S360 is not critical for the catalytic function of these P450s. Spectral binding studies of the 17EE-inactivated CYP 2B1 and CYP 2B6 indicated that modification of the enzymes by the reactive intermediate of 17EE resulted in an enzyme that was no longer capable of binding substrates. These results suggest that the inactivation by 17EE may be due to modification of an amino acid residue in the substrate access channel near the point of entry into the active site.
Professional sports teams on the Web: a comparative study employing the information management perspective

Abstract Over the past decade professional sports teams around the world have used the Internet and the Web with increasing sophistication to better connect their sports and businesses to fans and the general public with the aim of providing team-related information, fostering fandom and team reputation, and expanding the commercial side of the business. Although the Web-based entry of professional sports teams has become a multi-billion-dollar business, few, if any, studies exist that attempt to analyze and evaluate the efficacy of this increasingly important portion of the professional sports business model from an information management perspective. In this study, we employ the Taylor, Eisenberg, Dirks, Scholl (TEDS) framework thus utilizing a methodology, which effectively helps compare, assess, and rank the websites of top European football (soccer) teams. However, when comparing the European team sites with select reference sites from major leagues in North America, we find much room for improvement...
Noninvasive In-Vivo Optical Properties of Skin Tumors

This paper presents a study for in-vivo estimation of optical properties of pigmented skin tumor by oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The developed system has been tested in clinical conditions to compare the optical properties of melanomas, dysplastic nevi and common nevi. The spatio-spectral data are collected in the wavelength range of 455 to 765 nm from 96 pigmented skin lesions including 10 histopathologically diagnosed as melanoma, 67 as dysplastic nevi and 19 lesions as common nevi. The preliminary results indicate significantly larger average reduced scattering coefficient spectra for malignant and dysplastic lesions than for benign common nevi.
Reveille in Washington

The capital city of a nation in wartime presents interesting aspects of clinical disease with clear analogies to certain organized or disorganized forms of mental illness. If such capitals are destroyed or overrun, the raw material of history, or much of it, may go down the drain with them. This is not necessarily the case. Like Stalingrad they may become phoenixes, rising as monuments out of the ashes of destruction. Reveille in Washington first appeared in 1941 at a time when Washington once again was a war-bewildered, war-bedeviled capital, even though conquering armies did not directly overrun it, unless its own military and governmental people can be said to have overrun it. Now with the midphase of the centennial celebrations of the Civil War going full blast many of us who are trapped in the obsession with the decimal system have become a little bored, even though the passage of
Late Miocene climate and life on land in Oregon within a context of Neogene global change

Abstract Clarendonian (12 Ma) fossil soils, plants, molluscs, fish, and mammals of eastern Oregon allow reconstruction of late Miocene paleogeography, paleoclimate, and paleoecology on land between the global thermal maximum of the middle Miocene (16 Ma) and global cooling and drying of the late Miocene (7 Ma). Six different pedotypes of paleosols recognized near Unity and Juntura allow reinterpretation of local mammalian paleoecology. Fossil beavers dominated gleyed Entisols of riparian forest. Abundant camels and common hipparionine horses dominated Alfisols of wooded grassland and grassy woodland. Diatomites overlying mammal-bearing beds have bullhead catfish [Ictalurus (Ameiurus) vespertinus], as well as fossil leaves dominated by live oak (Quercus pollardiana). Fossil plants and soils of Unity and Juntura are most like those of grassy live oak woodland and savanna on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in northern California today. Fossil plants and soils indicate mean annual temperature of 12.9 (7.7–17.7) °C and mean annual precipitation of 879 (604–1098) mm. Miocene paleoclimatic changes in eastern Oregon show no relationship to changes in oxygen isotopic composition of marine foraminifera, usually taken as an index of global paleoclimatic change. Mismatch between land and sea paleoclimatic records is most likely an artefact of global ice volume perturbation of oxygen isotopic values. Instead, Miocene paleoclimatic change in eastern Oregon parallels changes in carbon isotopic composition of marine foraminifera, presumably through fluctuations in greenhouse gases.
Treatment of childhood dermatomyositis with high dose intravenous immunoglobulin

Two children with chronic dermatomyositis who were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for 28 and 12 months, respectively, are reported. Both patients had received prednisone and immunosuppressive agents prior to IVIG treatments and had experienced significant side effects. Strength and functional abilities improved in both patients in a gradual stepwise fashion with IVIG treatment. One patient achieved remission and continues to do well without any immunosuppressive agents; in the other patient, the dose of oral steroids was reduced and other immunosuppressive agents were discontinued. Use of IVIG was associated with headaches, nausea, and vomiting in both patients. IVIG was an useful adjuvant therapy in these 2 children with dermatomyositis without any significant side effects.
Modulation of Apoptosis by Herpesviruses

Abstract The herpesvirus family of viruses is large, containing over 100 different members, of which 8 infect humans. In this short review, we examine the induction and inhibition of apoptosis by herpesviruses, focusing primarily on the human viruses.
An air traffic prediction model based on kernel density estimation

This paper revisits a link transmission model that is designed for nationwide air traffic prediction. The prediction accuracy relies on the estimate of traversal time of each link, which is obtained through statistical analysis of historical trajectories. As the most straightforward approach, the average traversal time is often used in the model implementation. But the outliers inherent in the data samples can easily distort the estimate. To address this issue, this paper proposes to use the mode of the traversal times which corresponds to the value reaching the peak of the probability density function of data samples. The continuous probability density function is estimated using a non-parametric approach, kernel density estimation. As the mode is resistant to the outliers, using the mode to parameterize the link transmission model is a more robust approach. Simulations based on historical traffic data of three months show that, in comparison with the conventional mean approach, use of the kernel density estimation in the sector count prediction leads to a 6% reduction in modeling errors.
Biochemical properties of tracheobronchial mucins from cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis individuals.

ABSTRACT. Tracheobronchial mucins from healthy individuals and from patients with bronchial asthma or cystic fibrosis (CF) were isolated from lung mucus, purified, and their chemical and physical properties compared. Normal and asthmatic mucins required both a dissociating and a reducing agent for solubilization and exhibited identical chromatographic behavior on Sepharose 4B, Sepharose 2B, and hydroxylapatite and similar amino acid and carbohydrate compositions. In contrast, 1) CF lung mucins were solubilized in the absence of dissociating and/or reducing agents and 2) the majority of the CF mucins analyzed was eluted in the included volume of Sepharose 4B with Kd values of 0.3 ± 0.1 rather than in the void volume and thus appeared smaller than normal and asthmatic mucins. The lower molecular weight mucins in CF sputum apparently are produced by bacterial or inflammatory cell proteinases since radiolabelled asthmatic mucin was digested to smaller fragments when incubated with crude CF lung mucosal samples. Furthermore, mucins secreted by tracheal explants from CF and from non-CF individuals eluted in the void volume on Sepharose 4B, suggesting that CF tracheobronchial mucins were not inherently smaller than non-CF mucins.
Combined ligation-injection treatment of hemorrhoids.

A method of combined band ligation and sclerosant injection of internal hemorrhoids is described.
Biomass and nutrient concentrations of sporocarps produced by mycorrhizal and decomposer fungi in Abies amabilis stands

Sporocarps and sclerotia were collected for a one-year period in 23- and 180-year-old Abies amabilis stands in western Washington. All sporocarps were classified and chemically analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe. Lactarius sp. and Cortinarius sp. contributed the largest proportion of the total annual epigeous sporocarp production in both stands. Annual epigeous production was 34 kg/ha in the young stand and 27 kg/ha in the mature stand. Hypogeous sporocarp production increased from 1 kg ha-1 yr-1 to 380 kg ha-1 yr-1 with increasing stand age. High sclerotia biomass occurred in the young (2,300 kg/ha) and mature (3,000 kg/ha) stands. Peak sclerotia and epigeous sporocarp biomass in the young stand and epigeous and hypogeous sporocarp biomass in the mature stand coincided with the fall peak of mycorrhizal root biomass.
Universals and universalisability: An interpretation of Oddie's discussion of supervenience

(1992). Universals and universalisability: An interpretation of Oddie's discussion of supervenience. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 93-98.
Temporal and aspectual references in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract This paper proposes three descriptive generalizations about temporal and aspectual references in Chinese. First, temporal and aspectual references in a clause display a positional distinction: temporal location is indicated before the main verb and aspect after the main verb. The distinction characterizes an important pattern of information distribution within the clause; it also provides a unified explanation for a number of word order phenomena discussed in previous synchronic and diachronic studies. Second, temporal and aspectual references are managed at different levels. The former is to a large extent a discourse phenomenon, while the latter is managed at the clause level. Third, in narrative discourse, major devices to indicate perfectivity, i.e., the perfective marker –le and “bounding expressions,” serve as mechanisms to facilitate narrative advancement. These proposals are supported by evidence from natural discourse.
Better together: Trait competitiveness and competitive psychological climate as antecedents of salesperson organizational commitment and sales performance

This study assesses the direct and interactive effects of trait competitiveness and competitive psychological climate on organizational commitment and sales performance using data collected from industrial salespeople and company records. Findings indicate that the positive impact of trait competitiveness on sales performance is contingent upon a highly competitive psychological climate, helping to explain inconsistent findings in the literature and underscoring the need for firms to manage the fit between salespeople and organizational culture. Additionally, the study reveals continuance commitment’s negative moderation of the affective commitment–sales performance relationship. Taken together, the model reveals an interesting process such that managers should recruit salespeople with high trait competitiveness and foster a competitive climate internally to generate the best sales performance outcomes.
Pulse-amplitude transmission system (PATSY)

A new type of pulse-amplitude transmission system (PATSY) has been developed to transmit numeric data asynchronously over relatively short distances. The "transmitting station" requires no power or data set. As many as 32 transmitting stations can be attached to a single "receiving station." Other advantages are simplicity, flexibility, and low cost.The low-speed system has similarities to a Touch-Tone telephone, using resistors instead of tone oscillators. Resistors are less expensive and may be more reliable. The adapter in the sending station operates similarly to an ohmmeter which reads resistances in either polarity.
New formalism for two-photon quantum optics. II. Mathematical foundation and compact notation.

This paper provides the mathematical foundation for the two-mode formalism introduced in the preceding paper. A vector notation is introduced; it allows two-mode properties to be written as compactly as the comparable properties for a single mode. The fundamental unitary operators of the formalism are described and their properties are examined; particular attention is paid to the two-mode squeeze operator. Special quantum states associated with the formalism are considered, with emphasis on the two-mode squeezed states.
Spatial and temporal variations of Richardson number on Georges Bank

[1] Buoyancy frequency and shear were used to estimate spatial and temporal variations in Richardson number, Ri, on Georges Bank. Calculations were based on CTD and ADCP data from 41 stations occupied repeatedly over 17 cruises during winter and spring, 1995–1999. Stations were grouped into five spatial averaging regions, two depth zones, and two seasons. Average Ri ranged from 0.01 to 1.63 with a general tendency of increasing Ri with total water depth. Significant differences in average Ri between the two seasons and two depth zones were also found. These differences were largely due to variations in buoyancy frequency, and to a lesser degree due to variations in shear. Our results offer an empirical context for examining spatial and temporal variability of vertical mixing on the Bank.
Team-based learning to improve learning outcomes in a therapeutics course sequence.

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of team-based learning (TBL) to that of traditional lectures on learning outcomes in a therapeutics course sequence. Design. A revised TBL curriculum was implemented in a therapeutic course sequence. Multiple choice and essay questions identical to those used to test third-year students (P3) taught using a traditional lecture format were administered to the second-year pharmacy students (P2) taught using the new TBL format. Assessment. One hundred thirty-one multiple-choice questions were evaluated; 79 tested recall of knowledge and 52 tested higher level, application of knowledge. For the recall questions, students taught through traditional lectures scored significantly higher compared to the TBL students (88%±12% vs 82%±16%, p=0.01). For the questions assessing application of knowledge, no differences were seen between teaching pedagogies (81%±16% vs 77%±20%, p=0.24). Scores on essay questions and the number of students who achieved 100% were also similar between groups. Conclusion. Transition to a TBL format from a traditional lecture-based pedagogy allowed P2 students to perform at a similar level as students with an additional year of pharmacy education on application of knowledge type questions. However, P3 students outperformed P2 students regarding recall type questions and overall. Further assessment of long-term learning outcomes is needed to determine if TBL produces more persistent learning and improved application in clinical settings.
Studies on the Rh and Ir mediated tandem Pauson–Khand reaction. A new entry into the dicyclopenta[a,d]cyclooctene ring system

Abstract A Rh-mediated tandem Pauson–Khand reaction has been developed to provide the desired diastereomer 8a in a 7:1 ratio over the undesired isomer(s), and this has been converted into the [5.8.5] system 11 to provide a potential new route to the ophiobolins.
Quantification of Wheat Straw Lignin Structure by Comprehensive NMR Analysis

A further understanding of the structure of lignin from herbaceous crops is needed for advancing technologies of lignocellulosic biomass processing and utilization. A method was established in this study for analyzing structural motifs found in milled straw lignin (MSL) and cellulase-digested lignin (CEL) isolated from wheat straw by combining quantitative 13C and HSQC NMR spectral analyses. The results showed that guaiacyl (G) was the predominant unit in wheat straw cell wall lignin over syringyl (S) and hydroxyphenyl (H) units. Up to 8.0 units of tricin were also detected in wheat straw lignin per 100 aromatic rings. Various interunit linkages, including β-O-4, β-5, β-β′, β-1, α, β-diaryl ether, and 5-5′/4-O-β′ as well as potential lignin–carbohydrate complex (LCC) bonds, were identified and quantified. These findings provide useful information for the development of biofuels and lignin-based materials.
Impaired endogenous fibrinolytic capacity in prehypertensive men

Prehypertension (blood pressure (BP) 120-139/80-89 mm Hg) is associated with an increased risk for future atherothrombotic events. Although the mechanisms underlying this elevated risk are not completely understood, one possibility is that prehypertension is associated with impaired endothelial fibrinolytic capacity. We tested the hypothesis that vascular endothelial release of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is impaired in prehypertensive men. Net endothelial release of t-PA was determined, in vivo, in response to intrabrachial infusions of bradykinin (12.5, 25, 50 ng per 100 ml tissue per min) and sodium nitroprusside at (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 μg per 100 ml tissue per min) in 42 middle-age and older men: 16 normotensive (BP range: 100-119/57-79 mm Hg); 16 prehypertensive (BP range: 120-139/76-89 mm Hg); and 10 hypertensive (BP range: 140-150/74-100 mm Hg). Net release of t-PA antigen was ~25% lower (P<0.05) in the prehypertensive (-0.9 ± 0.8 to 42.4 ± 5.3 ng per 100 ml tissue per min) compared with the normotensive (0.5 ± 1.0 to 53.9 ± 6.5 ng per 100 ml tissue per min) men. There was no significant difference in t-PA release between the hypertensive (-1.8 ± 1.6 to 40.8 ± 6.6 ng per 100 ml tissue per min) and prehypertensive groups. Sodium nitroprusside did not significantly alter the t-PA release in any group. These data indicate that endothelial t-PA release is diminished in prehypertensive men. Further, the level of impairment in t-PA release seen with clinical hypertension is already apparent in the prehypertensive state. Impaired endothelial fibrinolytic function may underlie the increased atherothrombotic risk associated with BP in the prehypertensive range.
Localized Transmission Of Wave Energy

Exact solutions of the scalar wave and Maxwell's equations that describe localized transmission of wave energy and their representations will be reviewed briefly. These acoustic (ADEPT) and electromagnetic (EDEPT) directed energy pulse train solutions can be optimized so that they are localized near the direction of propagation and their original amplitude is recovered out to extremely large distances from their initial location. Pulses with these very desirable localized transmission characteristics have a number of potential applications in the areas of directed energy weapons, secure communications, and remote sensing. The feasibility of launching an ADEPT from an array of acoustic transducers has been tested experimentally. As will shown, excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental results was obtained.
Automatic trimming of machining stability lobes

Abstract This paper details an automatic method for the organization of the stability information included in the multiple parameterized lobes that make up analytic stability lobe diagrams into a single pair of vectors that describe the continuous relationship between spindle speed and allowable chip width. Additionally, the method describes the trimming of adjacent lobes and the removal of the spurious loops that are contained in each lobe for multiple-mode tool point frequency response functions. Example M atlab code is provided which implements the steps to perform the necessary trimming operations in AutoC ad using an executable script file. The trimmed lobe coordinate information is then exported from AutoC ad using the drawing interchange file (.dxf) format and read back into M atlab for plotting and analysis. Examples for the development of trimmed stability lobe diagrams from tool point dynamic data that exhibits multiple modes, as well as directly from experimental frequency response measurements, are provided.
Litter Quantity and Nitrogen Immobilization Cause Oscillations in Productivity of Wild Rice ( Zizania palustris L.) in Northern Minnesota

Microbial immobilization of nitrogen (N) in litter from one year’s production may cause oscillations in biomass production if it delays N availability the following year. We tested whether shoot and root litter and plant density affect biomass and seed production of populations of wild rice (Zizannia palustris L.) grown in 378 l stock tank mesocosms over four consecutive years. Half the tanks were thinned to a uniform seedling density whereas density in the remaining tanks was allowed to fluctuate ad libitum. Litter treatments included both shoot litter removal, leaving only root litter, and retaining shoot litter intact with root litter. A separate greenhouse fertilizer experiment tested whether N and/or phosphorus (P) limited productivity. Responses to N additions were much stronger than to P additions. Annual production and N availability in the tanks were correlated with each other and followed a concurrent cycle from 2004 to 2008. Furthermore, production in tanks with shoot + root litter did not fluctuate more than tanks with only root litter. Root litter immobilized more nitrogen and for a longer period than shoot litter. Neither litter immobilized P. Density did not affect mean seed weight, total seed production, or mean plant weight, but total seed production declined in years following productive years and was high only following years of low litter production. Root litter may therefore be primarily responsible for the delays in N availability that cause cycles in biomass and seed production. Consequently, both wild rice litter quantity and quality play central roles in production and population dynamics of wild rice stands.
Never-ending language learning

We will never really understand learning until we can build machines that learn many different things, over years, and become better learners over time. We describe our research to build a Never-Ending Language Learner (NELL) that runs 24 hours per day, forever, learning to read the web. Each day NELL extracts (reads) more facts from the web, into its growing knowledge base of beliefs. Each day NELL also learns to read better than the day before. NELL has been running 24 hours/day for over four years now. The result so far is a collection of 70 million interconnected beliefs (e.g., servedWtih(coffee, applePie)), NELL is considering at different levels of confidence, along with millions of learned phrasings, morphological features, and web page structures that NELL uses to extract beliefs from the web. NELL is also learning to reason over its extracted knowledge, and to automatically extend its ontology. Track NELL's progress at http://rtw.ml.cmu.edu, or follow it on Twitter at @CMUNELL.
Choanal atresia: embryologic analysis and evolution of treatment, a 30-year experience.

Objectives: Choanal atresia (CA) is a congenital obstruction of the posterior nasal apertures. Multiple surgical techniques have been proposed to repair the atresia. The purpose of this study is to review the basic science and embryology of CA with emphasis on the senior author's extensive experience, and refinement of the treatment of CA. In addition, we will review the outcomes after surgical correction of pediatric patients with CA. Patients and Methods: Retrospective review of 73 pediatric patients. Demographic information was recorded, including type of CA, concomitant medical problems, surgical method, and date of last follow-up by the surgeon. Results: Our series show a 1.6:1 ratio of unilateral atresia to bilateral atresia. The incidence in males and females is statistically equal. High-arched palate and cross-bite deformities are particularly present if the patients undergo the transpalatal approach in the first year of life. The senior author has evolved to favoring the endoscopic approach, having a minimal long-term complication rate, and low stenosis rate (12%). Conclusions: The first repair of choanal atresia is the one most likely to succeed. The nasal endoscopic technique is the favored technique. It has the advantages of a low restenosis rate, does not violate the palate, and does not cause the cross-bite and palate arch deformities seen in the transpalatal technique.
Radiologic-histological correlation of hepatocellular carcinoma treated via pre-liver transplant locoregional therapies.

Background Locoregional therapies (LRTs) are treatments to achieve local control of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Correlation between radiologic response to LRT and degree of induced tumor necrosis is not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate different levels of radiologic response after pre-liver transplant (LT) LRT and its correlation with percentage of tumor necrosis on explanted histopathology. Methods Institutional Review Board approved LT database was queried for treated HCC in patients undergoing LT. Radiologic response was evaluated to predict tumor necrosis in the explanted liver. Tumor response was evaluated 1 to 3 months after LRT with computed tomography or MRI via Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) guidelines. LRT was repeated as needed until time of LT. Histological tumor necrosis was graded as complete (100%), partial (50%–99%), or poor ( Results Between 2002 and 2011, 128 patients (97 men and 31 women) received pre-LT LRT including transarterial therapy (93), radiofrequency ablation (20), or combination of both (15). The mean age of the patients was 58±9 years. Their mean follow-up was 35±27 months. The median waitlist time was 55 days. One hundred (78%) patients had HCC within the Milan criteria at the initial radiologic diagnosis. Nineteen (15%) of the patients had complete tumor necrosis on histopathology analysis. Fifty (39%) of the patients exhibited partial necrosis, 52 (41%) showed poor or no necrosis and 7 (5%) showed progressive disease. The overall pre-LT radiologic staging was correlated with explant pathology in 73 (57%) of the patients. Underestimated tumor stage was noted in 49 (38%) patients, and overestimated tumor stage in 6 (5%) patients. The post-LT 3-year overall survival and disease free survival were 82% and 80%, and the rates for complete and partial tumor necrosis were 100% vs 78% ( P =0.02) and 100% vs 75% ( P =0.03), respectively. Conclusions In the current era, interpretation of radiologic response after LRT for HCC does not correlate accurately with histologic tumor necrosis. Total tumor necrosis is the goal of LRT; therefore, evolution in its performance is needed. Similarly, ways to predict therapy induced tumor necrosis via radiological investigation need to be improved.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae: An Overview

Clinical resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae was first reported by researchers in Boston in 1965; subsequently, this phenomenon was reported from Australia (1967) and South Africa (1977). Since these early reports, penicillin resistance has been encountered with increasing frequency in strains of S. pneumoniae from around the world. In South Africa strains resistant to penicillin and chloramphenicol as well as multiresistant strains have been isolated. Similar patterns of resistance have been reported from Spain. Preliminary evidence points to a high prevalence of resistant pneumococci in Hungary, other countries of Eastern Europe, and some countries in other areas of Europe, notably France. In the United States most reports of resistant pneumococci come from Alaska and the South, but resistance is increasing in other states and in Canada. Pneumococcal resistance has also been described in Zambia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chile, and Brazil; information from other African, Asian, and South American countries is not available. The rising prevalence of penicillin-resistant pneumococci worldwide mandates selective susceptibility testing and epidemiological investigations during outbreaks.
Lichen Pendants for Transplant and Growth Experiments

Abstract Lichens were cultured by attaching a thallus fragment to a nylon monofilament loop with silicone sealer. Two effective methods for adjusting lichen mass to a standard moisture content were developed (the ‘reference-sample’ and ‘sacrificial’ methods). These corrections for moisture content allow detection of very small changes in dry mass without having to oven dry (and kill) all transplants. Average annual biomass growth rates for non-fragmenting species were typically between 5 and 30%. Annual biomass growth rates of healthy, vigorous individuals, as indicated by the 75th percentile, were mostly between 10 and 40%. Alectoria sarmentosa was prone to fragmentation despite the maintenance of healthy thalli. The other species can be ranked by biomass growth rates as follows: Evernia prunastri > Lobaria pulmonaria = Usnea longissima > Pseudocyphellaria rainierensis = Lobaria oregana . 1996 The British Lichen Society
Prediction of ordering and spontaneous rotation of epitaxial habits in substrate-coherent InGaN and GaAsSb

Coherently strained In0.5Ga0.5N on GaN and CaO substrates are theoretically predicted to show stable ordering in the chalcopyrite structure, as is Ga2AsSb on GaAs and InP substrates. Depending on the substrate and the film concentration, we predict a spontaneous rotation of the stablest chalcopyrite film axis from perpendicular to parallel to the (001) substrate.
Cytochemical Evidence of the Origin of Lipid Bodies (so-called Golgi Bodies) from Mitochondria

SINCE Hirsch's1 theory of the Golgi presubstance, according to which there exist homogeneous granular mass as a precursor of the ‘Golgi’ system, there has been very little attempt to investigate the origin of these inclusions in the cell. Nath and Chopra2 reported the origin of ‘Golgi dictyosomes’ from mitochondria in the spermatocytes of the slug, Anadenus altivagus. However, such a conclusion was arrived at on the basis of morphological study inasmuch as the ‘Golgi dictyosomes’ disappear at the metaphase and anaphase stages of meiosis I and II, probably merging into the mitochondria ; they again appear in the respective telophase stages by the alignment of lipid granules, which seemed to take their origin from the mitochondria. These observations were later confirmed by Nath and Gupta3 in the living spermatocytes of Anadenus and Euaustenia under phase-contrast microscopy.
Lignin-derived electrospun carbon nanofiber mats with supercritically deposited Ag nanoparticles for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline fuel cells

Abstract Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) (11, 15, and 25 wt.%) were deposited on the surface of the freestanding and mechanically flexible mats consisting of lignin-derived electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) by the supercritical CO2 method followed by the thermal treated at 180 °C. The electrochemical activity of Ag/ECNFs electrocatalyst systems towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied in 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution using the rotating disk/rotating ring disk electrode (RDE/RRDE) technique. The SEM, TEM, and XRD results indicated that, the spherical AgNPs were uniformly distributed on the ECNF surface with sizes in the range of 2-10 nm. The electrocatalytic results revealed that, all of the Ag/ECNFs systems exhibited high activity in ORR and demonstrated close-to-theoretical four-electron pathway. In particular, the mass activity of 15 wt.% Ag/ECNFs system was the highest (119 mA mg−1), exceeding that of HiSPEC 4100™ commercial Pt/C catalyst (98 mA mg−1). This study suggested that the lignin-derived ECNF mats surface-deposited with AgNPs would be promising as cost-effective and highly efficient electrocatalyst for ORR in alkaline fuel cells.
Symmetry of Projection Data in 2D-CT and its Application in the Reconstruction

This paper studies the symmetry about the projection data of parallel beam and fan beam after rearrangement, and studies the reconstruction principle of the parallel beam and fan beam rearrangement, and realizes it by MATLAB simulation. This paper also discusses the application of symmetry in the two-dimensional reconstruction of CT.
Some of my Best Friends are Romanticists: Shelley and the Queer Project in Romanticism

“Was Percy Bysshe Shelley Gay?” This essay first explores the quality and effects of the question, recently posed both in an internet gay magazine, Gay Today, and to the academic discussion list associated with the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism, NASSR-L. The power of this question to interrupt discussion among critics in the field, despite ongoing work in queer Romanticism, suggests that identity politics still shapes many of the necessary debates in both Romanticism and critical sexuality studies. The essay further generates a model of queer analysis as it traces Shelley’s conversion of the historical Count Cenci’s acts of sodomy into what Shelley regards as “a very poetical circumstance,” incest. Shelley imagines a complex alibi with which he shapes his own intense curiosity about intimacy between men into a set of effects found in his writing during his earliest time in Italy, while he was translating Plato’s Symposium (“for Mary”), composing a supplemental essay on Greek Love, and writing The Cenci.
Analysis of multiechelon maintenance network characteristics using implicit enumeration algorithm

In this paper, we use Buzen's algorithm to develop models for computing network characteristics for a multiechelon repairable system with load independent servers. Buzen's algorithm is used to develop a solution technique to a closed queueing maintenance network with four nodes: operations, diagnostics, service, and scrap and replacement. A program is developed in visual Basic to compute the expected values and marginal probabilities for the nodes.
Diagnostic imaging in dental implantology

A success rate for osseointegrated implants approaching 100% has been reported. This rate of success has been made possible in part by a comprehensive appraisal of the morphologic features of the proposed implantation site: the quality and quantity of available bone, the presence of pathoses, the inclination of the alveolar process, and the relative location of anatomic structures to the site of implantation. Radiography has been found to be invaluable for the assessment of the proposed fixture site and for the evaluation of the fixture in time after implantation. The question of which radiographic technique to apply, intraoral or extraoral, plain film or digital radiography, remains for the clinician to answer after careful consideration of all variables.
Expression level of the canonical transient receptor potential 3 (TRPC3) channel determines its mechanism of activation

Studies on the mechanism of activation of canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channels have often yielded conflicting results. In the current study, we have investigated the influence of expression level on the mode of regulation of TRPC3 channels. At relatively low levels of expression in DT40 chicken B-lymphocytes, TRPC3 was activated by the depletion of Ca2+ stores. Expression was increased by either transfecting with a 10-fold greater concentration of plasmid or transfecting with TRPC3 under control of a more efficient avian beta-actin promoter. At higher levels of expression, TRPC3 was no longer store-operated but could be activated through receptor-coupled phospholipase C. Under these expression conditions, TRPC3 was efficiently activated in DT40 cells lacking inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. The Ca2+ store-operated channels formed upon expression of TRPC3 at limited levels were blocked by gadolinium; the receptor-activated channels formed upon expression of higher levels of TRPC3 were insensitive to gadolinium. These findings indicate that a single ion channel protein can form or contribute to the formation of channels regulated in two very distinct ways, i.e. either by phospholipase C-derived messengers or Ca2+ store-depletion. The mechanism of regulation of the channels depends on their level of expression.
Augmentation of Recovery from Inactivation by Site-3 Na Channel Toxins A Single-Channel and Whole-Cell Study of Persistent Currents

Site-3 toxins isolated from several species of scorpion and sea anemone bind to voltage-gated Na channels and prolong the time course of INa by interfering with inactivation with little or no effect on activation, effects that have similarities to those produced by genetic diseases in skeletal muscle (myotonias and periodic paralysis) and heart (long QT syndrome). Some published reports have also reported the presence of a noninactivating persistent current in site-3 toxin-treated cells. We have used the high affinity site-3 toxin Anthopleurin B to study the kinetics of this current and to evaluate kinetic differences between cardiac (in RT4-B8 cells) and neuronal (in N1E-115 cells) Na channels. By reverse transcription–PCR from N1E-115 cell RNA multiple Na channel transcripts were detected; most often isolated were sequences homologous to rBrII, although at low frequency sequences homologous to rPN1 and rBrIII were also detected. Toxin treatment induced a voltage-dependent plateau current in both isoforms for which the relative amplitude (plateau current/peak current) approached a constant value with depolarization, although the magnitude was much greater for neuronal (17%) than cardiac (5%) INa. Cell-attached patch recordings revealed distinct quantitative differences in open times and burst durations between isoforms, but for both isoforms the plateau current comprised discrete bursts separated by quiescent periods, consistent with toxin induction of an increase in the rate of recovery from inactivation rather than a modal failure of inactivation. In accord with this hypothesis, toxin increased the rate of whole-cell recovery at all tested voltages. Moreover, experimental data support a model whereby recovery at negative voltages is augmented through closed states rather than through the open state. We conclude that site-3 toxins produce qualitatively similar effects in cardiac and neuronal channels and discuss implications for channel kinetics.
Economic Value of Dengue Vaccine in Thailand

With several candidate dengue vaccines under development, this is an important time to help stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, scientists, clinicians, and manufacturers) better understand the potential economic value (cost-effectiveness) of a dengue vaccine, especially while vaccine characteristics and strategies might be readily altered. We developed a decision analytic Markov simulation model to evaluate the potential health and economic value of administering a dengue vaccine to an individual (≤ 1 year of age) in Thailand from the societal perspective. Sensitivity analyses evaluated the effects of ranging various vaccine (e.g., cost, efficacy, side effect), epidemiological (dengue risk), and disease (treatment-seeking behavior) characteristics. A ≥ 50% efficacious vaccine was highly cost-effective [< 1× per capita gross domestic product (GDP) ($4,289)] up to a total vaccination cost of $60 and cost-effective [< 3× per capita GDP ($12,868)] up to a total vaccination cost of $200. When the total vaccine series was $1.50, many scenarios were cost saving.
On linear potential functions for approximating Bayesian computations

Probabilistic reasoning suffers from NP-hard implementations. In particular, the amount of probabilistic information necessary to the computations is often overwhelming. For example, the size of conditional probability tables in Bayesian networks has long been a limiting factor in the general use of these networks.We present a new approach for manipulating the probabilistic information given. This approach avoids being overwhelmed by essentially compressing the information using approximation functions called linear potential functions. We can potentially reduce the information from a combinatorial amount to roughly linear in the number of random variable assigments. Furthermore, we can compute these functions through closed form equations. As it turns out, our approximation method is quite general and may be applied to other data compression problems.