cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chromatin assembly in isolated mammalian nuclei

Cellular DNA replication was stimulated in confluent monolayers of CV-1 monkey kidney cells following infection with SV40. Nuclei were isolated from CV-1 cells labeled with [3H]thymidine and then incubated in the presence of [alpha-32P]deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates under conditions that support DNA replication. To determine whether or not the cellular DNA synthesized in vitro was assembled into nucleosomes the DNA was digested in situ with either micrococcal nuclease or pancreatic DNase I, and the products were examined by electrophoretic and sedimentation analysis. The distribution of DNA fragment lengths on agarose gels following micrococcal nuclease digestion was more heterogeneous for newly replicated than for the bulk of the DNA. Nonetheless, the state of cellular DNA synthesized in vitro (32P-labeled) was found to be identical with that of the DNA in the bulk of the chromatin (3H-labeled) by the following criteria: (i) The extent of protection against digestion by micrococcal nuclease of DNase I. (ii) The size of the nucleosomes (180 base pairs) and core particles (145 base pairs). (iii) The number and sizes of DNA fragments produced by micrococcal nuclease in a limit digest. (iv) The sedimentation behavior on neutral sucrose gradients of nucleoprotein particles released by micrococcal nuclease. (v) The number and sizes of DNA fragments produced by DNase I digestion. These results demonstrate that cellular DNA replicated in isolated nuclei is organized into typical nucleosomes. Consequently, subcellular systems can be used to study the relationship between DNA replication and the assembly of chromatin under physiological conditions.
Parkinsonism following head injury: rehabilitation outcome with and without pharmacological treatment

Parkinsonism following head injury is a rare occurrence. This study describes the rehabilitation outcome in a 16-year-old male with hemiplegia and parkinsonism resulting from head injury. A trial using repeated treatment design with six phases was established to measure the effect of rehabilitation with and without treatment using Sinemet (carbidopa/levodopa). Measurements of functional changes in mobility and activities of daily living, speech production, swallowing and hand dexterity were carried out using the modified Barthel Index, dysarthria severity rating scale, dysphagia severity rating scale and nine-hole peg test respectively. There was significant improvement in function including return of speech production while on Sinemet, but this attained function was completely lost upon withdrawal of Sinemet. Resumption of treatment with Sinemet resulted in improved level of function. At the completion of rehabilitation the modified Barthel Index score was 100/100, swallowing was normal, there was mild d...
Sweet Preference, Sugar Addiction and the Familial History of Alcohol Dependence: Shared Neural Pathways and Genes

Contemporary research has shown that a high number of alcohol-dependent and other drug-dependent individuals have a sweet preference, specifically for foods with a high sucrose concentration. Moreover, both human and animal studies have demonstrated that in some brains the consumption of sugar-rich foods or drinks primes the release of euphoric endorphins and dopamine within the nucleus accumbens, in a manner similar to some drugs of abuse. The neurobiological pathways of drug and "sugar addiction" involve similar neural receptors, neurotransmitters, and hedonic regions in the brain. Craving, tolerance, withdrawal and sensitization have been documented in both human and animal studies. In addition, there appears to be cross sensitization between sugar addiction and narcotic dependence in some individuals. It has also been observed that the biological children of alcoholic parents, particularly alcoholic fathers, are at greater risk to have a strong sweet preference, and this may manifest in some with an eating disorder. In the last two decades research has noted that specific genes may underlie the sweet preference in alcohol- and drug-dependent individuals, as well as in biological children of paternal alcoholics. There also appears to be some common genetic markers between alcohol dependence, bulimia, and obesity, such as the A1 allele gene and the dopamine 2 receptor gene.
AN ANALYSIS OF A TRIPLET EXCITON MODEL FOR THE DELAYED LIGHT IN CHLORELLA

The time dependence of the delayed light in the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa has been examined quantitatively in the 1 to 12 msec range after excitation with light pulses (A = 6328 A) of 100 psec and 4.5 msec duration. We have confirmed the data of Tollin, Ruby, and Bertsch et a/., on the time course of the delayed light in the msec range. New experiments, with 100 psec flash excitation, on the time dependence of the delayed light emitted by ChloreNu treated with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-I ,I -dimethylurea (DMU), hydroxylamine, methyl violgen, and various combinations of these chemicals are presented. Also, data on the dependence of the delayed light intensity on the intensity of the excitation light in the 1.5 and 5.0 msec range are reported. The square law dependence, reported by Jones, in the 140 and 250 msec range is confirmed in the 1.5 and 5.0 msec range at very low light levels. The experimental data on delayed light has been analyzed in terms of a model which incor- porates triplet exciton fusion. The following major points result from this analysis: (1) A triplet exciton kinetic model can explain both the time dependence and the excitation intensity depen- dence of the delayed light emitted by Chlorella. (2) The density of triplet excitons predicted by the model from the observed delayed light intensity is much less than that which can be detec- ted by flash photolysis measurements. Therefore, the failure of such measurements to detect triplet states in vivo does not disprove the model. (3) The possibility of changes in the rate of electron transfer reactions of photosynthesis is included in the kinetic model. The predictions from the model are compared with the effects of chemical additives on the time dependence of the delayed light decay. (4) The proposed triplet exciton model predicts that the delayed light intensity may, under certain specific conditions, be affected by a magnetic field. The negative result of an attempt to observe this effect is reported and discussed. (5) It is concluded that the proposed triplet 'fusion' model is a valid alternative to the electron-hole recombination model.
High-level and high-throughput recombinant protein production by transient transfection of suspension-growing human 293-EBNA1 cells

A scalable transfection procedure using polyethylenimine (PEI) is described for the human embryonic kidney 293 cell line grown in suspension. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human placental secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) were used as reporter genes to monitor transfection efficiency and productivity. Up to 75% of GFP-positive cells were obtained using linear or branched 25 kDa PEI. The 293 cell line and two genetic variants, either expressing the SV40 large T-antigen (293T) or the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) EBNA1 protein (293E), were tested for protein expression. The highest expression level was obtained with 293E cells using the EBV oriP-containing plasmid pCEP4. We designed the pTT vector, an oriP-based vector having an improved cytomegalovirus expression cassette. Using this vector, 10- and 3-fold increases in SEAP expression was obtained in 293E cells compared with pcDNA3.1 and pCEP4 vectors, respectively. The presence of serum had a positive effect on gene transfer and expression. Transfection of suspension-growing cells was more efficient with linear PEI and was not affected by the presence of medium conditioned for 24 h. Using the pTT vector, >20 mg/l of purified Histagged SEAP was recovered from a 3.5 l bioreactor. Intracellular proteins were also produced at levels as high as 50 mg/l, representing up to 20% of total cell proteins.
In Vitro Activity of Gemifloxacin (SB 265805) against Anaerobes

Gemifloxacin mesylate (SB 265805), a new fluoronaphthyridone, was tested against 359 recent clinical anaerobic isolates by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards reference agar dilution method with supplemented brucella blood agar and an inoculum of 105 CFU/spot. Comparative antimicrobials tested included trovafloxacin, levofloxacin, grepafloxacin, sparfloxacin, sitafloxacin (DU-6859a), penicillin G, amoxicillin clavulanate, imipenem, cefoxitin, clindamycin, and metronidazole. The MIC50 and MIC90 (MICs at which 50 and 90% of the isolates were inhibited) of gemifloxacin against various organisms (with the number of strains tested in parentheses) were as follows (in micrograms per milliliter): for Bacteroides fragilis (28), 0.5 and 2; for Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (24), 1 and 16; for Bacteroides caccae (12), 1 and 16; for Bacteroides distasonis (12), 8 and >16; for Bacteroides ovatus (12), 4 and >16; for Bacteroides stercoris (12), 0.5 and 0.5; for Bacteroides uniformis (12), 1 and 4; for Bacteroides vulgatus (11), 4 and 4; for Clostridium clostridioforme (15), 0.5 and 0.5; for Clostridium difficile (15), 1 and >16; for Clostridium innocuum (13), 0.125 and 2; for Clostridium perfringens (13), 0.06 and 0.06; for Clostridium ramosum (14), 0.25 and 8; for Fusobacterium nucleatum (12), 0.125 and 0.25; for Fusobacterium necrophorum (11), 0.25 and 0.5; for Fusobacterium varium (13), 0.5 and 1; for Fusobacterium spp. (12), 1 and 2; for Peptostreptococcus anaerobius (13), 0.06 and 0.06; for Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus (13), 0.125 and 0.125; for Peptostreptococcus magnus (14), 0.03 and 0.03; for Peptostreptococcus micros (12), 0.06 and 0.06; for Peptostreptococcus prevotii (14), 0.06 and 0.25; for Porphyromonas asaccharolytica (11), 0.125 and 0.125; for Prevotella bivia (10), 8 and 16; for Prevotella buccae (10), 2 and 2; for Prevotella intermedia (10), 0.5 and 0.5; and for Prevotella melaninogenica (11), 1 and 1. Gemifloxacin mesylate (SB 265805) was 1 to 4 dilutions more active than trovafloxacin against fusobacteria and peptostreptococci, and the two drugs were equivalent against clostridia and P. asaccharolytica. Gemifloxacin was equivalent to sitafloxacin (DU 6859a) against peptostreptococci, C. perfringens, and C. ramosum, and sitafloxacin was 2 to 3 dilutions more active against fusobacteria. Sparfloxacin, grepafloxacin, and levofloxacin were generally less active than gemifloxacin against all anaerobes.
Multidisciplinary Management of Metastatic Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies of mesenchymal origin. Although sarcomas can arise virtually anywhere, the most common primary site is the extremity. The development of metastatic disease poses a major clinical problem because it is seldom amenable to a curative treatment. However, with careful and expert multidisciplinary team selection of patients with metastatic sarcoma—balancing probability of benefit with certain toxicity—a combined multimodality approach may provide hope to a select few for prolonged survival and even cure.
Microreactions using nanoliter droplets with oil encapsulation

This paper reports a microreaction technology for biochemical assay using nanoliter droplets encapsulated inside oil droplets. Microreaction chambers are constructed on a glass substrate by accumulating oil droplets that are dispensed by the directional droplet ejector. Droplets of different aqueous reagents are then directionally ejected into the oil microchambers for parallel and combinatory analysis. Because the reagents are encapsulated in oil, the evaporation rate is greatly reduced, and only small amount of reagents are required. The microchamber size and reagent amount are digitally controlled by the number of ejected oil and reagent droplets, respectively. Ejectors for oil and reagents have been integrated on a single chip so that each assay is performed efficiently without any mechanical movement and alignment. We have carried out both physical and chemical microreactions with this method, and observed negligible difference (in response) from conventional macroreactions.
A dynamic matching and scheduling algorithm for heterogeneous computing systems

A heterogeneous computing system provides a variety of different machines, orchestrated to perform an application whose subtasks have diverse execution requirements. The subtasks must be assigned to machines (matching) and ordered for execution (scheduling) such that the overall application execution time is minimized. A new dynamic mapping (matching and scheduling) heuristic called the hybrid remapper is presented here. The hybrid remapper is based on a centralized policy and improves a statically, obtained initial matching and scheduling by remapping to reduce the overall execution time. The remapping is non-preemptive and the execution of the hybrid remapper can be overlapped with the execution of the subtasks. During application execution, the hybrid remapper uses run-time values for the subtask completion times and machine availability times whenever possible. Therefore, the hybrid remapper bases its decisions on a mixture of run-time and expected values. The potential of the hybrid remapper to improve the performance of initial static mappings is demonstrated using simulation studies.
Acute occupational pesticide-related illness in the US, 1998-1999: surveillance findings from the SENSOR-pesticides program.

Background Concern about the adverse public health and environmental effects of pesticide use is persistent. Recognizing the importance of surveillance for acute occupational pesticide-related illness, we report on surveillance for this condition across multiple states. Methods Survey data collected between 1998 and 1999 were obtained from the seven states that conduct acute occupational pesticide-related illness surveillance as part of the SentinelEventNotificationSystemforOccupationalRisks(SENSOR)program.Datawere collected by these state programs in a standardized manner and analyzed. Acute occupational pesticide-related illness incidence rates for those employed in agriculture and those employed in non-agricultural industries were also calculated. Results Between 1998 and 1999, a total of 1,009 individuals with acute occupational pesticide-related illness were identified by states participating in the SENSOR-pesticides program. The mean age was 36 years, and incidence rates peaked among 20‐24 year-old workers.Theoverallincidenceratewas1.17per100,000fulltimeequivalents(FTEs).The incidence rate among those employed in agriculture was higher (18.2/100,000 FTEs) compared to those employed in non-agricultural industries (0.53/100,000 FTEs). Most of the illnesses were of low severity (69.7%). Severity was moderate in 29.6% of the cases, and high in four cases (0.4%). Three fatalities were identified. Insecticides were responsible for 49% of all illnesses. Conclusions Surveillance is an important tool to assess acute pesticide-related illness, andtoidentifyassociatedriskfactors.Ourfindingssuggestthattheseillnessescontinueto be an important occupational health problem, especially in agriculture. As such, greater effortsareneededtopreventacuteoccupationalpesticide-relatedillness. Am. J. Ind. Med.
Sport Law: A Social Perspective:

The growth of litigation involving sport related injuries and the spread of such litigation from public schools up through college and university settings is reviewed. Several court cases are cited for illustrative purposes and the legal duties of both individuals and institutions involved in any aspect of sport production are defined. It is argued that providing a safe environment is the greatest step that one can take to avoid sport injury litigation. While some risk will always be present in sport activities, steps can be taken to eliminate risks that are not an inherent part of the activity. Appropriate steps to eliminate that type of risk are listed and discussed. The article is especially aimed at those in responsible positions who may be unaware of or are ignoring their legal duties in sport settings.
ESTIMATED EXTENT OF GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED WETLANDS IN SELECTED AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES

Abstract In preparing a major report on geographically isolated wetlands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) initiated a study of the extent of these wetlands across the country. The FWS used geographic information system (GIS) technology to analyze existing digital data (e.g., National Wetlands Inventory data and U.S. Geological Survey hydrologic data) to predict the extent of isolated wetlands in 72 study areas. Study sites included areas where specific types of “isolated” wetlands (e.g., Prairie Pothole marshes, playas, Rainwater Basin marshes and meadows, terminal basins, sinkhole wetlands, Carolina bays, and West Coast vernal pools) were known to occur, as well as areas from other physiographic regions. In total, these sites represented a broad cross-section of America's landscape. Although intended to show examples of the extent of isolated wetlands across the country, the study was not designed to generate statistically significant estimates of isolated wetlands for the nation. As expected, t...
Monolithic Microwave Nonlinear Phase Shifter

A microstrip-based microwave phase shifter that includes a thin Fe film as the active element was designed and fabricated. The device is a monolithic microwave structure that is lightweight and can be integrated on a semiconductor chip. At a fixed frequency, a large change in the phase, , was observed as the power was varied. For 1GHz below the resonance frequency, the maximum power-dependent phase shift is δφ = 55°, and for 1GHz above the resonance frequency the maximum phase shift is δφ = 74°. The experimental results show three different regimes: 1) a linear regime for powers up to 6.3 mW, 2) a stable nonlinear regime for power levels from 6.3 mW to about 1W, and above this, 3) an unstable nonlinear regime. The second regime can be used for microwave signal processing.
The Dialectic of Nation Building in Postcolonial Tanzania

The contradiction between capital accumulation in a global economy and political legitimation within the nation-state has shaped the contentious politics of citizenship and exclusion in postcolonia...
Autonomous actions of the human growth hormone long-range enhancer.

The human growth hormone (hGH) gene is controlled by a long-range enhancer, HSI, located 14.5 kb 5′ to the hGH promoter. HSI establishes a domain of noncoding transcription that is ‘looped’ to the hGH promoter as an essential step in initiating hGH gene expression. Thus, defining how HSI generates its domain of noncoding transcription is central to understanding its long-range function. Here, we demonstrate that activation of noncoding transcription reflects an HSI-autonomous activity fully independent of interactions with linked gene promoters and occurring in spatial and temporal synchrony with initiation of GH expression in the embryonic pituitary. HSI establishes its noncoding transcription start sites (TSS) over a defined distance from its core determinants and in a manner independent of local primary sequences. The interval between HSI and it TSS co-maps with a domain of disordered and/or highly mobile nucleosomes specific to the pituitary locus. Thus, a localized chromatin reconfiguration by HSI and consequent establishment of an adjacent domain of noncoding transcription constitute initiating events in long-range enhancer function within the hGH locus.
A 48/spl times/48 CdZnTe array with multiplexer readout

We report results of gamma-ray imaging and energy-resolution tests of a 48/spl times/48 CdZnTe array. Our detectors have 125 /spl mu/m square pixel electrodes produced by photolithography and are indium-bump-bonded to a multiplexer readout circuit. Using a collimated beam of 140 keV gamma rays of 120 /spl mu/m diameter centered on one pixel, we found that the majority of events produced significant charge deposition in nearby pixels. Charge and energy are transported out of the pixel by charge diffusion, photoelectron range, Compton scattering, and escape of K X-rays. These effects also distort single-pixel spectra, although photopeaks are still discernible at 140 keV. When signals from neighboring pixels are summed together to correct for this charge spreading, an energy resolution of 10 keV is obtained at 140 keV. Corrections will be simpler and energy resolution should be better for the 380 /spl mu/m pixels of the 64/spl times/64 CdZnTe arrays we are constructing for an ultra-high-resolution brain imager.
Active Inference and Dynamic Gaussian Bayesian Networks for Battery Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks play a major role in smart grids and smart buildings. They are not just used for sensing, but they are also used as actuating. In terms of sensing they are used to measure temperature, humidity, light, to detect motion, etc. Sensors are often operated on a battery and hence we often face a trade-off between obtaining frequent sensor readings versus maximizing their battery life. There have been several approaches to maximizing their battery life from hardware level to software level such as reducing components energy consumption, limiting node operation capabilities, using power-aware routing protocols, and adding solar energy support. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach: we model the sensor readings in a wireless network using a dynamic Gaussian Bayesian network (dGBn) whose structure is automatically learned from data. dGBn allows us to integrate information across sensors and infer missing readings more accurately. Through active inference for dGBns, we are able to actively choose which sensors should be pulled for a reading and which ones can stay in a power-saving mode at each time step, maximizing prediction accuracy while staying within the budgetary constraints on battery consumption.
A Multiple-scale, Pattern-based Approach to Sequential Simulation

In the context of multiple-point geostatistics, a new algorithm (SIMPAT) is presented. This algorithm relies on several image processing concepts, such as image similarity, to borrow and reproduce patterns from training images constrained to hard and soft data. The method makes use of a new multiple-grid approach by which the scale relations between the training image patterns are better captured and reproduced.
The preparation and crystallographic characterization of two new types of ternary metal hydrides

Ternary metal hydrides of thorium with zirconium or titanium have recently been prepared and identified. One of these compounds, ThZr2H7±x, has the cubic C15 type of structure. This hydride shows a high hydrogen density, e.g., 6.7 to 7.7 x 1022 hydrogen atoms per cu cm i.e., NH 6.7 to 7.7) and relatively low equilibrium hydrogen pressures at elevated temperatures. The second new type of hydride is ThTi2H6±x which crystallizes with the hexagonal C14 structure. This hydride also has a high hydrogen density of 8.0 to 8.8 x 1022 hydrogen atoms per cu cm and is relatively stable at elevated temperatures. High hydrogen density (high NH) and low equilibrium hydrogen pressure are a generally sought after combination of characteristics for hydrides to be used in nuclear reactors and in other applications. Accordingly, these two new kinds of hydrides and their possible analogs may be of future use in a variety of applications.
Direct observation of fine-scale energy banding in echo-enabled harmonic generation

We describe the experimental observation of highly nonlinear energy striations generated by two lasers in a relativistic electron beam in an echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG) setup. The rich energy banding structure results from strong dispersion of the sinusoidally modulated beam, and measurements of the banding spectrum enable benchmarking, optimization, and characterization of the concomitant EEHG process. Results are found to be in good agreement with theory, and suggest that the presented technique can facilitate the practical implementation of EEHG to generate intense, fully coherent light in future advanced accelerator-based light sources.
Colonization and response of Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) to pollution levels in experimental dairy wastewater ponds.

Wastewater ponds were constructed on a dairy in southern California to document colonization by Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) and to determine whether adding different amounts of manure affected the density of this species. Colonization occurred within a few days of the first addition of water, and the first adults emerged approximately 6 wk later under cool conditions. Manure loading during the summer increased the numbers of immatures and adults in the most polluted ponds. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was used to quantify organic pollution. Relative to levels before loading, larval densities in the four most polluted ponds (≥0.4 kg COD/m3 per week with average chemical-oxygen-demand levels ≥516 mg/liter) were increased from 21 to 89 times, and adult emergence was increased from 6 to 61 times. In contrast, increases in numbers of larvae or emerging adults in cleaner ponds (≤0.2 kg COD/m3 per week with average chemical oxygen demand levels ≤306 mg/liter) were less than 7 times as high as numbers in the interval before loading. Larvae in the most polluted ponds appeared to be more restricted to mud at the edges of gently sloping banks than were larvae in less polluted ponds. Adults emerging from polluted ponds were significantly larger than those emerging from cleaner ponds. Optimum chemical-oxygen demand levels for C. variipennis appeared to be in the range of 500–1,500 mg COD/liter. Levels below 300–400 mg COD/liter limited habitat suitability, whereas levels in excess of 2,000 mg COD/liter appeared to be suboptimal but not strictly limiting. Controlling the level of manure loading may have promise in the management of this vector.
Interrelationship between the early inflammatory response and subsequent fibrosis after radiation exposure.

The mechanistic relationships between the early inflammatory response and subsequent fibrosis seen after radiation exposure were studied in rats given X-ray doses of either 2000 or 5000 rad to standardized fields of the inner thigh. The animals were further subdivided into those receiving no additional treatment and those depleted of complement with cobra-venom factor. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that two mechanisms are responsible for the increases in extravasation rate and vascular injury seen after irradiation. First, direct cytocidal damage; second, chemically mediated, possibly complement-dependent, mechanisms. In addition, these data suggest that both direct and indirect damage to the vasculature play a role in influencing the subsequent late-radiation-induced fibrosis.
Optimization of long-range order in solvent vapor annealed poly(styrene)-block-poly(lactide) thin films for nanolithography.

Detailed experiments designed to optimize and understand the solvent vapor annealing of cylinder-forming poly(styrene)-block-poly(lactide) thin films for nanolithographic applications are reported. By combining climate-controlled solvent vapor annealing (including in situ probes of solvent concentration) with comparative small-angle X-ray scattering studies of solvent-swollen bulk polymers of identical composition, it is concluded that a narrow window of optimal solvent concentration occurs just on the ordered side of the order–disorder transition. In this window, the lateral correlation length of the hexagonally close-packed ordering, the defect density, and the cylinder orientation are simultaneously optimized, resulting in single-crystal-like ordering over 10 μm scales. The influences of polymer synthesis method, composition, molar mass, solvent vapor pressure, evaporation rate, and film thickness have all been assessed, confirming the generality of this behavior. Analogies to thermal annealing of elem...
Epidemiological Characteristics of Genital Organ Cancers in Women of Child-bearing Age

Objective To understand the status and epidemiological characteristics of genital organ cancer in child- bearing aged women of 20 to 49 years in Yangpu district in Shanghai.Methods Eighteen year cancer case data (1988- 2005) in Yangpu district were collected,and cancer incidence of genital organs in women aged 20 to 4.9 years were analyzed. Results Cancer incidence of female breast,ovary,corpus uteri,cervix uteri and female outer genital organs were 40.76, 7.00,4.34,3.16 and 0.13 per 100 000,respectively;and standardized incidence of them were 50.18,8.6,5.35,3.89 and 0.16 per 100 000,respectively.The ratio of female genital organ cancer in women of child -bearing age was relative higher than others in total eases.Incidence of female genital organ cancer were increased with aging.Conclusion To reduce the incidence of female genital organ cancer,health care for female genital organs should be strengthened continuously,the knowledge level of cancer prevention should be raised.
Evaluating and treating neurobehavioral symptoms in professional American football players: Lessons from a case seriesAuthors Respond:

I read with interest the Gardner et al.1 study on retired professional American football players. Their study highlights the complexity of diagnosing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) with certainty in this patient population. Though seemingly homogenous, this group of retired professional American football players are heterogeneous with respect to number of games played; number of documented and undocumented concussive and subconcussive injuries; presence or absence of vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and smoking history; baseline cognitive reserve; presence or absence of depression and anxiety disorder; lifestyle …
Detection of Escherichia coli in drinking water using T7 bacteriophage-conjugated magnetic probe.

In this study, we demonstrate a bacteriophage (phage)-based magnetic separation scheme for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in drinking water. T7 phage is a lytic phage with a broad host range specificity for E. coli. Our scheme was as follows: (1) T7 bacteriophage-conjugated magnetic beads were used to capture and separate E. coli BL21 from drinking water; (2) subsequent phage-mediated lysis was used to release endemic β-galactosidase (β-gal) from the bound bacterial cells; (3) the release of β-gal was detected using chlorophenol red-β-d-galactopyranoside (CRPG), a colorimetric substrate which changes from yellow to red in the presence of β-gal. Using this strategy, we were able to detect E. coli at a concentration of 1 × 104 CFU·mL–1 within 2.5 h. The specificity of the proposed magnetic probes toward E. coli was demonstrated against a background of competing bacteria. By incorporating a pre-enrichment step in Luria–Bertani (LB) broth supplemented with isopropyl β-d-thiogalactopyranosid...
Scintillation of a retro-reflected Gaussian beam from a point target in deep non-Kolmogorov turbulence

We use the general non-Kolmogorov power spectrum for theoretical investigation of double-passage propagation of Gaussian beams in deep turbulence for the case of a point target. The presented results are of interest in LIDARs operating at high altitude, where non-Kolmogorov turbulence may be present.
The role of arbitrage risk on the elasticity of demand: New evidence from 100% secondary equity offerings

Abstract We examine the elasticity of demand curves using a recent sample of 100% secondary equity offerings (i.e., a large block of shares held by current shareholders; the proceeds of the sale go to the selling shareholders, not the issuing company) and employ measures of arbitrage risk that allow us to control for variation in arbitrage risk. We find that demand curves are inelastic for firms with high levels of arbitrage risk and elastic for all others. We also document that during the second half of our sample period demand curves are elastic for all stocks regardless of the arbitrage risk.
SUSPENSEFUL SPECULATION AND THE PLEASURE OF WAITING IN LITTLE DORRIT

“Suspend it all,” writes Charles Dickens in the ninth number plan for his novel Little Dorrit (“Working Notes” 207). Referring to the thirtieth chapter, in which Blandois – formerly Rigaud – arrives on the doorstep of Mrs. Clennam's house, this phrase aptly describes how much the chapter moves the plot forward. Mysteries are gestured toward, but the stakes of the mystery are left blank. Rigaud shows surprise upon seeing Flintwinch, but such surprise is inexplicable until we learn at the end of the novel that Rigaud has met Flintwinch's twin brother abroad. We learn more about the mysterious watch that the dying Mr. Clennam bequeathed to his wife, but not much more than the meaning of the letters “D.N.F.” inscribed within it: “Do not forget.” Dickens suspends so much from the reader that it is hard to feel suspense about anything, a fact that is amplified by Rigaud's insistence on “Secrets!” that can be read as a meta-commentary on the chapter itself: “I say there are secrets in all families,” he tells Flintwinch, adding that the house is “so mysterious” (381–82; bk.1, ch. 30).
Interrelationships Among Neuroimaging Biomarkers, Neuropsychological Test Data, and Symptom Reporting in a Cohort of Retired National Football League Players

Background:Structural brain changes, potentially resulting from repetitive brain trauma (RBT), have been correlated with neurocognitive decline and increased symptom reporting in retired athletes.Hypothesis:In a cohort of retired National Football League (NFL) players, the relationships between 3 neuroimaging parameters, neuropsychological testing, and symptom scores will be significantly correlated.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Methods:Comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 45 retired NFL players. Three neuroanatomical parameters were assessed by board-certified radiologists blinded to the purpose of the study: (1) the absence or presence of small or large cavum septum pellucidum, (2) a global mean score of fractional anisotropy (FA), and (3) the presence or absence of microhemorrhages. The subjects underwent a battery of 9 paper-and-pencil neuropsychological tests, a computerized neurocognitive test, and multiple symptom and depression scales. The associ...
Use of cDNA Microarrays to Assess DNA Gene Expression Patterns in Cancer

It is no longer controversial to state that genomic alterations are of fundamental importance in carcinogenesis. However, it remains difficult to determine the spectrum of genomic changes in any given tumor and even more difficult to determine the impact of these changes on gene expression. As a result of progress in the Human Genome Project, significant advances have been made which offer the potential to solve this problem. These techniques utilize human genome maps, cloned resources, and sequence data in conjunction with fluorescence based technologies to enable the genome wide analysis of tumor cells. One such technique, cDNA microarray hybridization1,2, has the potential to provide large scale analysis of gene expression. This novel system for massively parallel cDNA hybridization is based upon robotic printing of DNAs on glass slides and simultaneous two-color fluorescence hybridization. For studies of gene expression, it is possible to utilize the vast resource of arrayed cDNA clones which have been developed as part of the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) project to produce microarrays containing tens of thousands of genes3–6. When fluorescent probes generated by reverse transcription of tumor cell mRNA are hybridized to the array, the level of expression of every array element is simultaneously determined with respect to a reference probe labeled in a second color. Although the processing of such large quantities of data is challenging in itself, microarray technology will provide a far more detailed picture of gene expression than has previously been possible. The availability of this information has ramifications which will affect virtually all areas of cancer biology. This chapter will provide an overview of the current status of cDNA microarray technology and discuss its potential applications to problems in cancer biology.
Ultima Facie Interpretive Strategies

Three views are expounded which advocate that mathematical sentences need not be read in the prima facie way: Charles Chihara’s constructibilism, Geoffrey Hellman’s modal structuralism, and Stephen Yablo’s figuralism. The first two represent paraphrastic strategies, while the last takes abstract object talk to be figurative language. All three are found to be viable options for the theist as responses to indispensability arguments for Platonism.
Beware the Slender Man: Intellectual Property and Internet Folklore

Internet folklore is created collaboratively within Internet communities—through memes, blogs, video games, fake news, found footage, creepypastas, art, podcasts, and other digital mediums. The Slender Man mythos is one of the most striking examples of Internet folklore. Slender Man, the tall and faceless monster who preys on children and teenagers, originated on an Internet forum in mid-2009 and quickly went viral, spreading to other forums and platforms online. His creation and development resulted from the collaborative efforts and cultural open-sourcing of many users and online communities; users reused, modified, and shared each other’s Slender Man creations, contributing to his development as a crowdsourced monster. This Article uses Slender Man as a case study to examine the online creation and production of Internet folklore and cultural products and to explore how intellectual property law treats these types of collective creations. Specifically, it traces Slender Man’s creation, development, and propertization to explore collaborative creation and ownership rights in Internet folklore. Collaborative creation of cultural products is a familiar story. But who owns those works? What happens when those works are propertized? This Article analyzes claims to own Slender Man’s character under copyright law and Slender Man’s name and image under trademark law, and ultimately argues that even though parties claim to own Slender Man, Slender Man’s character, name, and image are in the commons, free for anyone to use in her own expressive works. Claims to own cultural products under intellectual property law, and the subsequent assertions of those claims, cause uncertainty and chill creativity, which ultimately harms the public by depriving it of more creative works.
Quantum Spin Chains: Phase Behaviour and Dynamic Excitations

Conventional ideas on the phase behavior (at temperature T = 0) of antiferromagnetic (AFM) quantum spin chains have recently been challenged by an interesting conjecture of HALDANE [1]. According to Haldane, half-integer spin chains should behave like the exactly solvable spin-1/2 XXZ model, with a gapless phase for planar anisotropy terminating at an essential singularity at the Heisenberg point, and a phase with long-range order in the ground state together with an excitation energy gap in the case of uniaxial anisotropy. Integer-spin systems, on the other hand, may show an additional phase (subsequently referred to as the “Heisenberg phase”) with a non-ordered ground state together with an excitation energy gap, which encompasses the Heisenberg point. This behavior is shown schematically in Fig. 1, where the parameters are defined through the XXZ AFM Hamiltonian: $$H = J\sum\limits_{i = 1}^N {\left( {S_i^XS_{i + 1}^X + S_i^XS_{i + 1}^X + \lambda _i^XS_{i + 1}^X} \right)} $$ (1) .
Voices Carry: The Perceptions and Implications of the Faculty Climate Relationship

Over the last 20 years the length of tenure of those who serve as presidents of universities has diminished. Most higher education administrators serve in their positions less than 6 years and this frequent turnover rate affects those in secondary leadership roles significantly. With each new president and provost, trust must be established. This study is important because it seeks to understand the elements that ensure a healthy faculty relationship with administrators. A qualitative case study method will be utilized to interview 5 faculty members within one college within a university in the Northwest region of the United States. The question that will shape this study is: What are the things that build trust between faculty and administrators that create a healthy mutually respective academic environment? It is the goal of this project to identify the elements of a positive faculty climate. The study results will be helpful to administrators and faculty who have an interest in faculty-administrator relations.
Categories and Analogies

I want to pursue the following claims: The way we categorize helps explain the way we recognize a statement as an analogy. Conversely, the way we recognize a statement as an analogy illuminates the way we categorize. Analogies exist because of the way we categorize.
Blasting design for increased SAG mill productivity

SAG mill throughput is often a bottleneck to increasing plant productivity. Improved size distribution control in the mill feed can be used to increase mill production. This can be accomplished by controlling blast fragmentation as a function of energy input and rock characteristics. Such an approach requires the integration of rock fragmentation and comminution modeling. The optimal mill feed size distribution is determined by adapting a population balance comminution model to a measure of rock hardness or fragility, which is also related to the rock fragmentation that is achieved by blasting. The relationship between the size distribution and fragility of the feed and the mill’s product and the critical size in a SAG mill is examined.
A Battery-Powered Opto-Electrophysiology Neural Interface with Artifact-Preventing Optical Pulse Shaping

We present a neural interface IC for high-precision optical stimulation and electrical recording from implanted optoelectrodes with the highest system integration to date. The system combines 12 high-resolution constant-current LED driver channels, 32 recording channels, and an efficient PMU for operation from a low voltage Li battery on a wireless platform. A novel LED driver architecture features a high-efficiency wide-current-range fully-integrated voltage regulator and a high-resolution pulse shaper to minimize recording artifacts from sharp current pulse edges. A prototype, fabricated in 0.18µm CMOS, occupies 7.35mm2. The LED driver has a peak efficiency of 50% and consumes 31µW quiescent power. We demonstrate in-vivo that the pulse-shaping scheme prevents stimulation artifacts. Key Words: neural interface, LED driver, optogenetics.
Growing Our Mindset: A Diversity Summit Assessment

In 2003, the Kansas State University College of Agriculture established a diversity programs office to assist the college with recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented students. The Kansas State University Tilford Group has established standards for multicultural competency development that are founded in three primary discussion areas: knowledge, personal attributes, and skills. After several campus incidents, a university-wide event, KSUnite, was created to educate students and improve campus climate. Because diversity is an invaluable element of education, the Kansas State University College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office seeks to educate students, faculty, and staff in the areas of cultural competency. To attain this objective, the Kansas State University College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office co-hosted a diversity summit entitled “Growing Our Mindset” in the fall of 2017. At the conclusion of the summit, participants completed a Likert scale questionnaire that measured their development of cultural competencies as a result of forum participation. Questionnaire results and demographic information were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Overall, attendees responded favorably to the forum and indicated that diversity discussions should continue via an ongoing series. To continue this effort, the diversity programs office will utilize the obtained information to further develop cultural competencies within the College of Agriculture.
Dissecting Deuteron Compton Scattering I: The Observables with Polarised Initial States

A complete set of linearly independent observables in Compton scattering with arbitrarily polarised real photons off an arbitrarily polarised spin-1 target is introduced, for the case that the final-state polarisations are not measured. Adopted from the one widely used e.g. in deuteron photo-dissociation, it consists of 18 terms: the unpolarised cross section, the beam asymmetry, 4 target asymmetries and 12 asymmetries in which both beam and target are polarised. They are expressed by the helicity amplitudes and -- where available -- related to observables discussed by other authors. As application to deuteron Compton scattering, their dependence on the (isoscalar) scalar and spin dipole polarisabilities of the nucleon is explored in Chiral Effective Field Theory with dynamical Delta(1232) degrees of freedom at order $e^2\delta^3$. Some asymmetries are sensitive to only one or two dipole polarisabilities, making them particularly attractive for experimental studies. At a photon energy of 100 MeV, a set of 5 observables is identified from which one may be able to extract the spin polarisabilities of the nucleon. These are experimentally realistic but challenging and mostly involve tensor-polarised deuterons. Relative to Compton scattering from a nucleon, sensitivity to the "mixed" spin polarisabilities $\gamma_{E1M2}$ and $\gamma_{M1E2}$ is increased because of interference with the D wave component of the deuteron and with its pion-exchange current. An interactive Mathematica 9.0 notebook with results for all observables at photon energies up to 120 MeV is available from hgrie@gwu.edu. Note May 2017/April 2018: This arXiv version presents the article including the corrections in the Errata Eur. Phys. J. A53 (2017) 113 and A54 (2018) 57 to ibid. A49 (2013) 100. This affects Eqs. (2.12) to (2.14), Figs. 4, 7 to 10, 12, 14 to 16, 18 to 20, 22 and 23, and the corresponding, related text.
The Case Against Normal Plots of Effects

This article discusses the ways in which normal or half-normal plots of the effects analyzed in an unreplicated experiment can be confusing and misleading.
Legal principles and essential surrogacy cases every practitioner should know

Gestational surrogacy, made possible with the introduction of in vitro fertilization, has expanded family building options while introducing novel challenges to established legal principles involving constitutional, contract, and family law as well as duty of care and negligence. Both legislatures and courts have grappled with how to apply these sometimes-competing areas of law to protect participants and professionals, and to create legally secure families. This article explores the following: the Constitutionally protected rights of privacy and reproductive autonomy of gestational surrogates; Contract Law principles that govern surrogacy contracts; the varied ways states have extended Family Law to establish legally recognized parent−child relationships between intended parents and children born to gestational surrogates; and the legal duties of care medical professionals owe to their patients.