cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Basis for Lytic Bacteriophage Resistance in Enterococci

ABSTRACT The human intestine harbors diverse communities of bacteria and bacteriophages. Given the specificity of phages for their bacterial hosts, there is growing interest in using phage therapies to combat the rising incidence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. A significant barrier to such therapies is the rapid development of phage-resistant bacteria, highlighting the need to understand how bacteria acquire phage resistance in vivo . Here we identify novel lytic phages in municipal raw sewage that kill Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen that resides in the human intestine. We show that phage infection of E. faecalis requires a predicted integral membrane protein that we have named PIP EF (for phage infection protein from E. faecalis). We find that PIP EF is conserved in E. faecalis and harbors a 160-amino-acid hypervariable region that determines phage tropism for distinct enterococcal strains. Finally, we use a gnotobiotic mouse model of in vivo phage predation to show that the sewage phages temporarily reduce E. faecalis colonization of the intestine but that E. faecalis acquires phage resistance through mutations in PIP EF . Our findings define the molecular basis for an evolutionary arms race between E. faecalis and the lytic phages that prey on them. They also suggest approaches for engineering E. faecalis phages that have altered host specificity and that can subvert phage resistance in the host bacteria. IMPORTANCE Bacteriophage therapy has received renewed attention as a potential solution to the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. However, bacteria can acquire phage resistance, posing a major barrier to phage therapy. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to understand phage resistance mechanisms in bacteria. We have unraveled one such resistance mechanism in Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive natural resident of the human intestine that has acquired antibiotic resistance and can cause opportunistic infections. We have identified a cell wall protein hypervariable region that specifies phage tropism in E. faecalis. Using a gnotobiotic mouse model of in vivo phage predation, we show that E. faecalis acquires phage resistance through mutations in this cell wall protein. Our findings define the molecular basis for lytic phage resistance in E. faecalis. They also suggest opportunities for engineering E. faecalis phages that circumvent the problem of bacterial phage resistance.
Credit Default Swaps: So Dear to Us, So Dangerous

This paper was written in November 2008 - two months after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and immediately triggered the financial crisis: The credit-default swap (CDS) is a type of financial tool that has created system-wide benefits. These derivative contracts, however, have also created the potential for relatively few market participants to destabilize the entire economic system. This Paper will explore (1) how CDS could hypothetically create systemic risk, (2) how CDS have recently exacerbated the current financial crisis, and (3) how the U.S. legislature could best regulate CDS to minimize systemic risk in the future. In theory, CDS could foster systemic crisis by means of (1) encouraging the growth of dangerous asset bubbles, (2) causing the collapse or failure of an institution that is systemically significant, or (3) creating perverse incentives that subvert policies underpinning business law on a system-wide scale. This Paper will question whether, with respect to the first theoretical risk, CDS have helped support the growth of the sub-prime mortgaged-backed securities asset bubble that has been blamed as the ultimate basis of the current financial crisis. Ultimately, there is evidence cutting both ways, thereby encouraging further research into the issue. That said, the second of these theoretical risks has certainly come into realization within the last few months when the trillion-dollar company, AIG, nearly destroyed itself by blundering in the CDS market and causing system-wide instability. As for the third theoretical risk, there is currently no empirical evidence that CDS create perverse incentives on a system-wide scale. How should the government regulate CDS to minimize systemic risk? After examining seven distinct proposals, this Paper (modestly) proposes that legislators require CDS market participants to (1) maintain increased capital reserve requirements when involved in the purchase or sale of CDS tied to highly speculative debt; and (2) confidentially disclose their CDS positions to the Federal Reserve. Increasing the capital reserve requirements for companies that trade in junk-grade CDS is essential for two reasons. First, higher capital reserve requirements protect the solvency of systemically significant institutions that attempt to profit from the riskiest CDS. Second, specifically targeting CDS that are associated with the junk lending business will discourage banks from extending cheap credit to unworthy borrowers, thereby reducing the potential for markets to generate precarious asset bubbles. As a second regulatory measure, confidential disclosure of CDS positions to the Federal Reserve is an efficient but relatively non- intrusive way to greatly facilitate the monitoring of systemic risk going forward. While the proposed legislative action would invariably impose costs on both market participants and society in general, the benefits of enhanced economic stability are incalculable.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors: comparing and contrasting guidance across the Atlantic.

This editorial refers to ‘European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society Task Force consensus statement on proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors: practical guidance for use in patients at very high cardiovascular risk’, by U. Landmesser et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehw480. The approval of two proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, evolocumab and alirocumab, in both Europe and the USA has provided clinicians with a powerful new tool in their armamentarium that, on top of high-intensity statin therapy, can lower LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) approximately another 60%.1 The question now is for which of our patients should it be used? In the USA, the 2013 ACC/AHA Cholesterol Guidelines largely focused on defining populations who should receive high-intensity statin therapy.2 In a departure from previous guidelines, the Expert Panel felt there was no evidence to support titrating cholesterol-lowering therapy to achieve specific LDL-C levels. The guidelines did note that one could consider adding a non-statin to a statin in an individual who had less than the anticipated therapeutic response (i.e. <50% reduction in LDL-C when treated with a high-intensity statin), but noted that the percentage reduction in LDL-C was not in itself a treatment goal. Since those guidelines, the IMPROVE-IT trial has shown that adding ezetimibe to a post-acute coronary syndrome (ACS) population with well-controlled LDL-C on a statin lowered LDL-C from 70 to 54 mg/dL and reduced major adverse cardiovascular events to a degree entirely consistent with what would have been expected from the same LDL-C reduction with a statin.3 Moreover, pooled exploratory data from the Phase II and Phase III studies of PCSK9 inhibitors showed significant reductions in cardiovascular outcomes. …
Using Pivot Table to Test Market Anomaly

Market anomaly is an important phenomenon in finance because it challenges an essential concept in modern finance, the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Traditionally, professors rarely demonstrate and statistically test market anomalies in undergraduate finance classes due to the lengthy data collection and analysis process, and required knowledge of programming languages such as SAS. Pivot table is a powerful tool used by many business academics and professionals, particularly in the marketing field. In this paper, we demonstrate how to use the pivot table tool in Microsoft Excel to quickly test the January Effect. We also demonstrate how to apply the tool to test other market anomalies. By using pivot table, we transform the learning of the market anomaly concept from discussion only to experiential.
Neuromodulation with nanoparticles.

Current strategies for clinical neuromodulation are limited by either high invasiveness, low precision, or poor depth of penetration. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other electrical strategies for deep brain neuromodulation necessitate the use of invasive device placement. Similarly, optogenetic interventions generally require the placement of a fiber-optic cable into the tissue for light delivery and would necessitate gene therapy. Noninvasive techniques for electrical neuromodulation, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), on the other hand, have an overly broad spatial extent and limited depth of penetration.
A Big Data Analytics Approach in Medical Imaging Segmentation Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Big data analytics uncovers hidden patterns, correlations and other insights by examining large amounts of data. Deep Learning can play a role in developing solutions from large datasets, and is an important tool in the big data analytics toolbox. Deep Learning has been recently employed to solve various problems in computer vision and demonstrated state-of-the-art performance on visual recognition tasks. In medical imaging, especially in brain tumor cancer diagnosis and treatment plan development, accurate and reliable brain tumor segmentation plays a critical role. In this chapter, we describe brain tumor segmentation using Deep Learning. We constructed a 6-layer Dense Convolutional Network, which connects each layer to every subsequent layer in a feed-forward fashion. This specific connectivity architecture ensures the maximum information flow between layers in the network and strengthens the feature propagation from layer to layer. We show how this arrangement increases the efficiency during training and the accuracy of the results. We have trained and evaluated our method based on the imaging data provided by the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Challenge (BRATS) 2017. The described method is able to segment the whole tumor (WT) region of the high-grade brain tumor gliomas using T1 Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) and with excellent segmentation results.
A case study of a shared/buy-in computing ecosystem

Many research institutions are deploying computing clusters based on a shared/buy-in paradigm. Such clusters combine shared computers, which are free to be used by all users, and buy-in computers, which are computers purchased by users for semi-exclusive use. The purpose of this paper is to characterize the typical behavior and performance of a shared/buy-in computing cluster, using data traces from the Shared Computing Cluster (SCC) at Boston University that runs under this paradigm as a case study. Among our main findings, we show that the semi-exclusive policy, which allows any SCC user to use idle buy-in resources for a limited time, increases the utilization of buy-in resources by 17.4%, thus significantly improving the performance of the system as a whole. We find that jobs allowed to run on idle buy-in resources arrive more frequently and run for a shorter time than other jobs. Finally, we identify the run time limit (i.e., the maximum time during which a job is allowed to use resources) and the type of parallel environment as two factors that have a significant impact on the different performance experienced by shared and buy-in jobs.
The effects of chronic treatment and withdrawal of CNS depressants on aggressive behavior.

Young adult CD-1 male mice were housed in individual cages throughout the study. Groups of 10 to 20 mice were given gradually increasing doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at 6.25 to 25 mg/kg i.p., trifluoperazine (TFP) at 6 to 12 mg/kg p.o., phenobarbital sodium (PS) at 20 to 35 mg/kg p.o., morphine sulfate (MS) at 5 to 20 mg/kg i.p., methaqualone (MQ) 10 to 20 mg/kg p.o. or chlordiazepoxide (CDP) 10 to 25 mg/kg p.o. over four to six weeks to develop tolerance of these drugs. Following the development of tolerance, the drugs were withdrawn. On the fourth day of withdrawal, a young (3-4 weeks old) male mouse was introduced into the cage. When the intensity of the attack was measured by the percentage of animals that killed the intruder within four hours. The results indicated 0 to 4 percent in the controls, 50-54 percent for THC, 50 percent for TFP, 42 percent for PS and 57 percent for MS. In contrast, no killing behavior was exhibited by these mice after treatment with MQ or CDP. These data suggest that enhanced aggressive behavior, elicited by withdrawal from certain psychotropic drugs, may be measured by the killing (muricidal) behavior of isolated mice.
The use of Centiloids for applying [11C]PiB classification cutoffs across region-of-interest delineation methods.

Abstract Centiloid standardization was developed to establish a quantitative outcome measure of amyloid burden that could accommodate the integration of different amyloid PET radiotracers or different methods of quantifying the same tracer. The goal of this study was to examine the use of Centiloids for establishing amyloid classification cutoffs for differing region-of-interest (ROI) delineation schemes. Using ROIs from hand-drawn delineation in native space as the gold standard, we compared standard uptake value ratios obtained from the 6 hand-drawn ROIs that determine amyloid-positivity classification with standard uptake value ratio obtained from 3 different automated techniques (FreeSurfer, Statistical Parametric Mapping, and superimposed hand-drawn ROIs in PiB template space). We tested between-methods reliability using repeated measures models and intraclass correlation coefficients. We found high reliability between the hand-drawn standard method and other methods for almost all the regions considered. However, small differences in standard uptake value ratio were found to lead to unreliable classifications when the hand-drawn native space-derived cutoffs were used across other ROI delineation methods. The use of Centiloid standardization greatly improved the agreement of PiB classification across methods and may serve as an alternative method for applying cutoffs across methodologically different outcomes.
Quadratic Residues and the Frobenius Coin Problem

(2007). Quadratic Residues and the Frobenius Coin Problem. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 80, No. 1, pp. 64-67.
Human Antibody Genes

During the past several years a vast amount of information has been accumulated regarding the genes encoding immunoglobulin (Ig) molecules. Studies in the murine system have shown that the expression of these genes in lymphocytes involves a number of genetic processes, including DNA rearrangements, alternative patterns of RNA splicing, and somatic mutation, all of which serve to amplify the information encoded in the germ line. The cloning of mouse Ig genes has been facilitated by the availability of inducible myeloma tumors, which produce large quantities of homogeneous immunoglobulins (Potter, 1972). These myeloma tumors represent clonal cell populations that have undergone the DNA rearrangements necessary for antibody gene expression, and have furnished large amounts of Ig mRNA, which has served as the starting material for the isolation of the corresponding genes.
Greater Certainty in Trade Relations?: Understated Strategic Alliances, Vital Legislation, Trade and Regional Agreements

It appears the United States Senate may have been trying to make the points that renegotiating or enacting new legislations require more energy, efforts and time than many would appreciate – particularly in the processes and attempts involved in dismantling the Affordable Care Act – an attempt which ultimately proved unsuccessful – even though certain key elements were eventually replaced through the Tax Reform Bill which was approved in December 2017 – the first major legislative success of the Trump Administration. However the Affordable Care Act remains a testimony of efforts which had been invested in designing a legislation – which although not the ultimate legislation for some, still partially addresses certain concerns of the medical system. Certain other agreements have not had it so easy during the first twelve months of the new administration. Notably, the Trans Pacific Partnership, the Paris Global Climate Agreement – and even the North American Free Trade Area (still being re negotiated) – which have either been withdrawn from, or face the threat of being withdrawn from. So which alliances appear to have been understated, dismantled or being re considered, during and following the first year marking the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States?
Capacitor-based Cross-point Array for Analog Neural Network with Record Symmetry and Linearity

We report a capacitor-based cross-point array that can be used to train analog-based Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), fabricated with trench capacitors in 14nm technology. The fundamental DNN functionalities of multiply-accumulate and weight-update are demonstrated. We also demonstrate the best symmetry and linearity ever reported for an analog cross-point array system. For DNNs, the capacitor leakage does not impact learning accuracy even without any refresh cycle, as the weights are continuously updated during training. This makes capacitor an ideal candidate for neural network training. We also discuss the scalability of this array using optimized low-leakage DRAM technology.
Chapter 23.4 Nucleic acids

This chapter covers the advances of our knowledge of nucleic acid duplexes, primarily from single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and the biological implications of this new knowledge. The focus is primarily on DNA because much more is known about it, but DNA/RNA hybrids and duplex RNA are also considered. Because the emphasis is on the geometry of the nucleic acid double helix, exotic structures, such as quadruplexes, hammerhead ribozymes and aptamers, are omitted, as are larger-scale structures such as tRNA. Keywords: A-tract bending; B-DNA; base pairing; DNA; glycosyl bond geometry; helix parameters; nucleic acids; sugar ring conformations; Watson–Crick Z-DNA
Cytomegalovirus reactivation in inflammatory bowel disease: an uncommon occurrence related to corticosteroid dependence.

Cytomegalovirus promotes mucosal injury in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, historically affecting 10–25% of ulcerative colitis patients with refractory disease. Viral reactivation is likely related to long-term corticosteroid therapy, which is no longer central to maintenance of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We hypothesize that viral detection rates have decreased in the modern era, reflecting widespread use of immunomodulatory agents to control inflammation. We performed this study to evaluate the relationships between medical regimens and cytomegalovirus detection rates among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We searched our database for all patients with established inflammatory bowel disease and severe flares diagnosed from 2002 to 2017. Patients maintained with corticosteroid therapy were considered to be corticosteroid-dependent and those treated with other agents were classified as corticosteroid-independent, provided they had not received corticosteroids within 6 months of colonoscopy. Biopsy samples were reviewed for viral inclusions and subjected to cytomegalovirus immunohistochemistry, and rates of viral detection were compared between groups. There were 135 corticosteroid-dependent patients; most had ulcerative colitis flares occurring during the 2002–2009 period. Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease were equally represented in the corticosteroid-independent group (n = 133) and most were evaluated for disease flares during the 2010–2017 interval. Cytomegalovirus was detected in 13 (8%) cases; 9 (69%) were diagnosed from 2002 to 2009 and all were obtained from corticosteroid-dependent patients (p = < 0.001). We conclude that rates of cytomegalovirus-related enterocolitis are declining among inflammatory bowel disease patients, reflecting a shift away from corticosteroid-based maintenance therapy in favor of more effective agents that do not promote viral reactivation.
Nasal administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) elicits sperm production in Fowler’s toads ( Anaxyrus fowleri )

Declining amphibian populations around the world necessitate the establishment of captive assurance colonies as a hedge against extinction. For species that are difficult to breed in captivity, assisted reproductive techniques, such as treatment with exogenous hormones, are necessary for successful reproduction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intranasal administration of a gonadotropin releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) elicits sperm production in anurans. Male Anaxyrus fowleri (n = 15/trt) were nasally administered GnRHa (1, 5, 10, and 20 μg) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) using a pipette. Spermic urine was collected from animals over an 8 h period. Samples were assessed for sperm presence, motility, and concentration. Treatment of male toads with a PBS control and 1 μg of GnRHa did not elicit sperm production. Nasal administration of GnRHa resulted in sperm production from 60, 93, and 80% of males in the 5, 10, and 20 μg treatment groups, respectively. Sperm motilities averaged 70, 63, and 52% within the 5, 10, and 20 μg treatment groups, respectively, with the highest (p < 0.05) sperm motility observed using 5 μg of GnRHa. Significantly higher sperm concentrations were observed in males treated with 10 μg of GnRHa compared with 5 or 20 μg of GnRHa. Nasal administration of GnRHa was successful in eliciting spermiation from male Anaxyrus fowleri, which typically began less than 3 h after treatment. Nasal administration of GnRHa may provide a novel non-invasive method of hormone delivery for at-risk amphibian species that have low reproductive output.
Measuring Career Indecision Among College Students: Toward a Valid Approach for Counseling Practitioners and Researchers

Because of the need for validated instruments to measure career indecision, this study used a modified multitrait-multimethod matrix approach to examine the construct validity of the Career Decisio...
Streaming Technology and the Entertainment Industry

Communication, information and entertainment is the purview of social media as well as the show business industry as both provide content. Streaming technology has accelerated the flow of content by decoupling it from time and giving users control over timing of consumption. This asynchrony combined with user-generated content, declining costs of production and distribution has facilitated the burgeoning of content in the entertainment world. Virtual reality and augmented reality have expanded into the video gaming market, electronic sports and online commerce, blending retail with entertainment.
Targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in gynecologic malignancies.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to describe the role of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a biomarker and potential target in gynecologic malignancies and to describe contemporary updates in the use of anti-HER2 treatments for these cancers. Recent findings Approximately 25-30% of all patients with uterine serous carcinoma overexpress tumoral HER2. The anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab represents an effective, targeted therapy with significant efficacy in the treatment of HER2-positive breast and gastric cancer. Recently, trastuzumab efficacy has also been demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial of women with advanced or recurrent uterine serous carcinoma. Additionally, trastuzumab may be effective in women with HER2-positive uterine carcinosarcoma. The role of anti-HER2 therapy is unclear in women with other gynecologic malignancies but is being evaluated. Summary HER2 amplification/overexpression is an effective therapeutic target in select gynecologic malignancies, and especially in the rare endometrial cancer subtype, uterine serous carcinoma. As anti-HER2-targeted therapies become increasingly available, more treatment options may become available for women with HER2-positive disease.
Residents Take the Lead: A Modern Collaborative Approach to Research During Residency

Background Participation in scholarship is a requirement for Internal Medicine (IM) residencies, but programs struggle to successfully integrate research into busy clinical schedules. In 2013, the IM residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital implemented the Housestaff Research Project (HRP)- a novel residency-wide research initiative designed to facilitate participation in scholarship. The HRP had two components-a formal research curriculum and an infrastructure that provided funding and mentorship for resident-led, housestaff wide projects. Methods This is a mixed-methods study of 190 IM residents and two HRP-supported research projects. Seventy-seven residents responded to an electronic survey about their interests in research exposure in residency. Fifty-six residents responded to an electronic survey about their participation in the HRP. The success of HRP-supported projects was evaluated through resident comments, interviews with three residents leading the first two HRPs and a description of the success of the projects based on resident involvement and dissemination of the results. Results Eighty-seven percent (n= 67/77) of residents were interested in additional research exposure during residency. Ninety-five percent (n = 53/56) of residents had heard of the HRP, and 77% had participate in at least one aspect of it. Approximately 20 residents were directly involved in the two resident-led projects. HRP-supported projects resulted in presentations at three local and three national conferences, one manuscript in press, and one manuscript in preparation. The resident project leaders felt that a strength and unique aspect of the HRP was the collaboration with co-residents. Conclusion The HRP successfully created a culture of research and scholarship within the residency. The HRP leaders and residents that participated in HRP-supported projects expressed the most direct benefits from the program. All residents were exposed to research concepts and methods. Future directions for the HRP include selecting projects that maximize the number of resident participants and integrating a more robust research curriculum.
Etiological Overlap Between Sex Under the Influence and Number of Lifetime Sexual Partners.

Drug and alcohol use is associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB). It is unclear whether this association is due to correlated liabilities (e.g., third variables influencing both traits), or whether use of drugs and alcohol during sexual decision making increases RSB. This study addresses this question by fitting a series of biometrical models using over 800 twin pairs assessed in early adulthood (m = 25.21 years). Measures included an index of sex under the influence (e.g., frequency that drugs or alcohol affect sexual decision making), number of lifetime sexual partners, and a general measure of substance use. Analyses suggest the covariance among these measures is explained by both genetic and environmental correlated liabilities. The overlap was not specific to sex under the influence, but was shared with a measure of general substance use. Models testing necessary but not sufficient parameters for direction of causation suggest that sex under the influence is unlikely to cause an increase in RSB; more evidence for reverse causation was found.
Mechanistic underpinnings of thermal gradient induced inhomogeneity in lithium plating

Abstract In the pursuit to enable the rapid charging of lithium-ion batteries, lithium plating at the anode poses one of the most significant challenges. Additionally, the heat generation that accompanies high rate battery operation in conjunction with non-uniform cooling and localized heating at tabs is known to result in thermal inhomogeneity. Such thermal anomalies in the absence of proper thermal management can instigate accelerated degradation in the cell. In this work, a physics-based interrogation of the link between thermal gradient induced inhomogeneity and lithium plating during charging is presented. The relative importance of in-plane vs. through-plane (inter-electrode) thermal gradients to charging performance and cell degradation is necessary to intelligently design packaging and cooling systems for large-format cells. While in-plane thermal gradients strongly influence active material utilization, the lithium plating severity was found to be very similar to an isothermal case at the same mean temperature. By contrast, interelectrode thermal gradients cause a shifting on the solid phase potential at each electrode during charging, related to the increase or decrease in overpotential due to local temperature variation. When the cathode temperature exceeds the anode temperature, lithium plating is exacerbated, and accelerated degradation occurs.
Ocular dominance columns in V1 are more susceptible than associated callosal patches to imbalance of eye input during precritical and critical periods.

In Long Evans rats, ocular dominance columns (ODCs) in V1 overlap with patches of callosal connections. Using anatomical tracers, we found that ODCs and callosal patches are present at postnatal day 10 (P10), several days before eye opening, and about 10 days before the activation of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity (~P20). In rats monocularly enucleated at P10 and perfused ~P20, ODCs ipsilateral to the remaining eye desegregated, indicating that rat ODCs are highly susceptible to monocular enucleation during a precritical period. Monocular enucleation during the critical period exerted significant, although smaller, effects. Monocular eye lid suture during the critical period led to a significant expansion of the ipsilateral projection from the nondeprived eye, whereas the contralateral projection invaded into, and intermixed with, ipsilateral ODCs innervated by the deprived eye. We propose that this intermixing allows callosal connections to contribute to the effects of monocular deprivation assessed in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the nondeprived eye. The ipsilateral and contralateral projections from the deprived eye did not undergo significant shrinkage. In contrast, we found that callosal patches are less susceptible to imbalance of eye input. In rats monocularly enucleated during either the precritical or critical periods, callosal patches were maintained in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the remaining eye, but desegregated in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the enucleated orbit. Callosal patches were maintained in rats binocularly enucleated at P10 or later. Similarly, monocular deprivation during the critical period had no significant effect on callosal patches in either hemisphere.
Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures in Clastic Deposits: Implication for the Prospection for Fossil Life on Mars

Abundant and well-preserved fossil microbenthos occurs in siliciclastic deposits of all Earth ages, from the early Archean to today. Studies in modern settings show how microbenthos responds to sed...
Impact of pre-operative recreational marijuana use on outcomes two years after orthopaedic surgery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between recreational marijuana use and patient-reported outcomes two years after orthopaedic surgery. We hypothesized that pre-operative recreational marijuana use would be associated with less pain, better function, and better mental health measures two years after orthopaedic surgery. Patients were retrospectively analyzed from a prospective orthopaedic registry at a single urban institution. A total of 1710 patients completed the pre-operative assessment and 1103 patients (64.5%) completed the two-year follow-up questionnaires. The cohort was then divided into two groups based on reported preoperative recreational marijuana usage, and statistical analysis was performed to determine if marijuana use was associated with two-year outcomes. Multivariable analysis was used to control for confounding variables. Marijuana use was reported by 47 (4.3%) patients. Significantly worse scores for two-year PROMIS Anxiety (53.2 vs. 49.2, p = 0.005), PROMIS Depression (51.1 vs. 46.5, p = 0.001), Met Expectations (63.1 vs. 74.4, p = 0.024), Surgical Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (71.7 vs. 80.4, p = 0.005), and Numeric Satisfaction Scale (75.6 vs. 83.1, p = 0.041) were associated with marijuana use. Marijuana users also had less improvement of Numeric Pain Scores at the operative site (− 1.8 vs. − 2.7, p = 0.037) and greater decrease in Marx activity scores for lower extremities (− 12.3 vs. − 3.9, p = 0.024). Marijuana use was not an independent predictor of any outcome measure in the multivariable analysis. Marijuana use was associated with worse mental health scores, lower activity level, less pain relief, and worse satisfaction two years after orthopaedic surgery. However, after controlling for confounding variables, marijuana use was not predictive of any two-year outcome measure. Cross-sectional study.
A Report to the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Regarding a Proposed Payroll Tax

This Report analyzes a 5% payroll tax that would be imposed on employers in the amount of the Connecticut wages they pay to their employees. An anticipated response to this tax is that employers would shift this tax to their employees by reducing their wages by the cost of the tax. In this case, there would also be a reduction of the existing personal income tax rates by 5 points, but only if there were a reduction in wages. The effect would be to eliminate the 3% and 5% brackets, and would only be applicable to wages; it would not apply to income from dividends, capital gains, interest, rents, royalties, and the like. This “tie-in,” that is, the reduction in tax rates only if wages are reduced, should be required or else there would be little incentive for employees to support a wage reduction. Tie-ins, such as this, have many complexities and are examined in the Report. The goal of the proposal is that workers would have more take-home pay, despite their wages being reduced. This results from a reduction in their taxable income and a reduction in their FICA taxes. Employers would also save in reduced FICA taxes. Consequently, a payroll tax would increase an employee’s take home pay at the expense of the federal fisc, which is part of its State charm. Somewhat counter-intuitively, even though wages are reduced, the combination of State income tax savings and the federal income and FICA tax savings means the employee is actually better off and will end up with more take-home pay. In the event that wages cannot be reduced, the payroll tax becomes an explicit tax on employers. Because wages would not be reduced, employers would not receive any decrease in the amount of FICA taxes they pay and the payroll tax would essentially be a 5% increase in the cost of doing business. In determining the outcomes of a proposed payroll tax, a critical threshold question is whether employers will be able to shift the payroll tax to employees by reducing their wages. If they cannot, there is no reason to adopt a payroll tax. However, this question could be avoided if the tax were elective by employers. Presumably they would not make the election if they thought they could not reduce wages. Because there are so many moving and interdependent parts, the lack of a fully drafted bill limits what can be said in this Report with any certainty. Nonetheless, the Report identifies many of the issues needing to be addressed, such as what groups could benefit from the tax, how the tax could be imposed on the federal government and tribal nations, and the tax’s impact on insurance companies. The Report suggests that the State reach out to New York to evaluate their experience, which has adopted a similar tax through a credit mechanism, which is a simpler approach than the one Connecticut is considering.
Dual goals of trunk restriction and stability are prioritized by individuals with chronic low back pain during a volitional movement.

Abstract Background Individuals with chronic low back pain demonstrate impaired responses to volitional and externally-generated postural perturbations that may impact stability whilst performing activities of daily living. Understanding how balance may be impaired by strategy selection is an important consideration during rehabilitation from low back pain to prevent future injurious balance loss. Research question This cross-sectional study explored the influence of an active pain episode on volitional movement patterns and stability during a sit-to-stand task in individuals with chronic low back pain compared to those with no low back pain history. Methods Thirteen participants with low back pain who were in an active flare-up and 13 without pain sat on a height-adjusted chair and performed 5 sit-to-stand movements. Sagittal plane kinematics, kinetics, and surface electromyography were used to compute neuromuscular variables across Acceleration, Transition and Deceleration phases. Stability was assessed using times to contact of body centers of mass and pressure to base of support boundaries. Independent samples t-tests were used to examine group effects, and repeated measures analyses of variance assessed within-subjects effects across movement phases. Results Individuals with low back pain tended to restrict proximal joint motions through heightened muscle activity while increasing distal joint movement and distal muscle contributions. Individuals with low back pain used a greater driving force, indicated by a longer time to contact of the center of pressure, to achieve comparable center of mass stability. Individuals with low back pain may prioritize trunk restriction and stability through the sit-to-stand movement, possibly related to fear of pain or movement. Significance The tendency for individuals with active low back pain to restrict trunk movements may require additional effort to maintain stability. Further research should examine whether trunk restriction is related to pain-related fear of movement and whether additional cognitive resources are required to maintain movement stability.
Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon. 28 August 1928—22 November 2016

M. G. K. Menon, referred to as Goku, was an outstanding particle physicist and an extraordinary statesman of science. He made his major contributions to particle physics during the tortuous years o...
Computing Lewis Weights to High Precision

We present an algorithm for computing approximate $\ell_p$ Lewis weights to high precision. Given a full-rank $\mathbf{A} \in \mathbb{R}^{m \times n}$ with $m \geq n$ and a scalar $p>2$, our algorithm computes $\epsilon$-approximate $\ell_p$ Lewis weights of $\mathbf{A}$ in $\widetilde{O}_p(\log(1/\epsilon))$ iterations; the cost of each iteration is linear in the input size plus the cost of computing the leverage scores of $\mathbf{D}\mathbf{A}$ for diagonal $\mathbf{D} \in \mathbb{R}^{m \times m}$. Prior to our work, such a computational complexity was known only for $p \in (0, 4)$ [CohenPeng2015], and combined with this result, our work yields the first polylogarithmic-depth polynomial-work algorithm for the problem of computing $\ell_p$ Lewis weights to high precision for all constant $p > 0$. An important consequence of this result is also the first polylogarithmic-depth polynomial-work algorithm for computing a nearly optimal self-concordant barrier for a polytope.
Me, My Smartphone, and I: Development of the Smartphone Orientation Scale (SOS)

The smartphone has become an integral part of modern life. Many people cannot imagine a life without their smartphone. The sole focus of this research is to create and validate a measure of smartph...
Trace Metal‐Phytoplankton Interactions in Aquatic Systems

This chapter examines the effects of trace metals on the growth, composition, and trophic dynamics of phytoplankton communities. To do this, metal interactions are considered at several levels, including the molecular, cellular, community, and ecosystem levels, of organization. The effect of phytoplankton communities on the concentration, complexation, and redox cycling of metals is also need to be considered, which results in feedback relationships between plankton dynamics and trace metal chemistry. The chapter emphasizes interactions in marine systems due to the recent discovery of iron limitation in the ocean as well as the growing body of knowledge about trace metal chemistry, biogeochemical cycling, and controls on phytoplankton dynamics in these systems. Trace metal concentrations vary widely in aquatic systems due to differences in rates of input, loss, and internal cycling. Both complexation and redox cycling affect the behavior of these metals in aquatic systems because of the large differences in the reactivity, kinetic lability, and solubility of different metal oxidation states and coordination species. A number of trace metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo, and Ni) are essential micronutrients and thus exert important controls on algal growth and metabolism. To fully understand the effects of trace metals on phytoplankton communities, it is necessary to take into account numerous complex interactions, ranging from those at the molecular level to those involving whole ecosystems.
Video Conferencing and IP Telephony

This chapter describes the areas of video conferencing and voice over IP telephony applications. The chapter is broken into three main components: digital media basics, managing interactive multimedia applications over networks, and multimedia networking issues for video conferencing and voice over IP. The digital media basics component will cover basic multimedia compression and streaming technologies. The managing interactive applications section will describe H.323 and SIP, two of the primary protocols deployed to enable video conferencing and voice over IP. Finally, we will describe some techniques that have been deployed to help in the adaptation of digital media to the available network resources on the Internet. Keywords: video conferencing; IP telephony; digital media
Software Metrics: Establishing a Company-Wide Program

For Grad level courses in software engineering, software development and software metrics. Explains what metrics are and when they are useful. Most detailed study of a metrics program ever done.
A programmable electrochemical biosensor array in 0.18 /spl mu/m standard CMOS

A 10/spl times/5 electrochemical biosensor array is designed and fabricated in standard 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS. Each pixel occupies 160/spl times/120 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and contains a programmable sensor capable of performing differential impedance spectroscopy, amperometric analysis, and field-effect sensing for molecular biology applications.
Cosmological-Parameter Determination With Cosmic Microwave Background Temperature Anisotropies and Polarization

Forthcoming cosmic microwave background experiments (CMB) will provide precise new tests of structure-formation theories. The geometry of the Universe may be determined robustly, and the classical cosmological parameters, such as the cosmological constant, baryon density, and Hubble constant, may be determined as well. In addition, the ``inflationary observables,'' which parameterize the shapes and amplitudes of the primordial spectra of density perturbations and long-wavelength gravitational waves produced by inflation, may also be measured and thus provide several new tests of inflation. Although most attention has focussed on the more easily observed temperature anisotropies, recent work has shown that the CMB polarization provides a wealth of unique information that may be especially important for determination of the inflationary observables. Secondary anisotropies at small angular scales produced by re-scattering of photons from partial reionization may be used to constrain the ionization history of the Universe.
Greek and Roman Folklore: A Handbook

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Graham Anderson Year: 2006 Pages: 248 Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN: 978-0-313-33575-4 (soft cover). Prices: $55.00 USD(soft cover).
Lipid droplets, medium of energy exchange in the symbiotic anemone Condylactis gigantea: a model coral polyp

The symbiotic sea anemone Condylactis gigantea does not make a CaCO3 skeleton, yet its lipid metabolism appears to be very similar to that of reef-building corals. Like hermatypic corals, it is roughly 1/3 lipid on a dry weight basis, its lipid is composed primarily of saturated wax ester and triglyceride, and in the light, its symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) are the major sites of lipid synthesis in the intact association. Lipid droplets isolated from host tentacle tissue, where the majority of zooxanthellae also occur, contained primarily wax ester and triglyceride in an apparently supercooled liquid state. The diameter of the extra-algal droplets, 3.4±0.7 μm, was similar to that of droplets observed to protrude from isolated zooxanthellae. When anemones were allowed to assimilate acetate-1-14C in the light, only the zooxanthellae and tentacle lipid droplets incorporated significant radioactivity. In the corresponding dark incubations the lipid droplets showed the highest specific activity (5.0 pmol acetate-1-14C/mg lipid). With photic exposure, extra-algal droplet specific activity increased 60% and the zooxanthellae specific activity increased from a dark value of 1.0 to 20.0 pmol acetate-1-14C/mg lipid in the light. A scheme is presented to suggest how carbon may be fixed into lipids by the algae. In C. gigantea, 97% of the total lipid is stored in the polyp column, which is connected to the tentacles by the gastrovascular cavity. In the tentacle tissue, lipid droplets were often found to be inside vesicles; however, upon tentacle contraction free droplets accumulated in the tentacle lumen. Thus, lipid synthesized in the tentacle may be transported to coelenterate tissues via the circulating internal fluid in the form of lipid droplets.
Azospirillum isolated from within sporocarps of the mycorrhizal fungi Hebeloma crustuliniforme, Laccaria laccata and Rhizopogon vinicolor

Nitrogenase activity was detected when tissue fragments from within sporocarps of Laccaria laccata and Rhizopogon vinicolor were inoculated into nitrogen-free liquid medium and incubated under micro-aerophilic conditions (99% N 2 +1% O 2 ) at 30°C. Nitrogenase activity was also detected when tissue homogenate from within sporocarps of Hebeloma crustuliniforme was incubated in nitrogen-free semi-solid agar medium. Azospirillum spp. were isolated from the nitrogenase-active cultures. Azospirillum isolated from R. vinicolor had higher nitrogenase activity than the isolate from either H. crustuliniforme or L. laccata .