cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Different outcomes for dyskinesia and off-period dystonia after deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease—Review and a new hypothesis

Abstract In this review analyzed are the results of several clinical studies that addressed effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on motor complications of levodopa therapy, with emphasis on off-period dystonia. All studies found significant decrease in UPDRS IV scores (dyskinesia and motor fluctuations), regardless of target (STN or GPi), for up to 11 years after the surgery. Data from the studies show that the benefit of DBS for dyskinesia lasts longer than for off-period dystonia. Motor scores deteriorate to baseline after approximately 3 years of stimulation, while dyskinesia continue to benefit up to 11 years after surgery (longest follow-up). Interestingly, dyskinesia often resolve regardless of whether active stimulation is present, while off-dystonia always requires active stimulation. DBS works better for phasic (mobile) then tonic type of dystonia (such as off-dystonia). The effect of DBS on off-period dystonia is best within 1–2 years after the surgery and declines thereafter, tending to follow deterioration of motor scores. Only one study reported on effectiveness of GPi DBS for off-period dystonia, with resolution after one year and no further follow up. Further comparative studies are needed to provide evidence which target is better suited for patients with off-dystonia (and wearing-off) and whether targeting GPi provides a comparable benefit, or more. For this purpose, better and unified scaling system is needed for quantifying off-period dystonia in PD. Considerations in this paper lead to discussions presented in Appendix, where there is also presented a fundamental issue of obsolete D2 receptor activation during levodopa therapy and the need for metoclopramide in preventing wearing-off/off-dystonia.
The Birth of the Jewish Emigration Movement

The endurance of Zionist sentiments and Jewish national consciousness in the USSR confounded Marxist theory on the nationalities, according to which class unity would erode national distinctions.2 The horrors of the Holocaust and the ‘Black Years’ under Stalin had stimulated a reawakening of Jewish identity in the Soviet Union. Many Jews felt betrayed by their country’s lenient treatment of Soviet citizens who had perpetuated the anti-Semitism of the Nazis, and by the failure of the Soviet Union to recognize and commemorate the suffering of Soviet Jews in World War II.3 The purges and show trials had also left a devastating mark. The resulting discontent and alienation among Soviet Jews were manifested in a consolidated drive for emigration when a variety of international events and domestic trends converged in the late 1960s.
Time dependent differences in gray matter volume post mild traumatic brain injury

When the brain is subjected to excessive physical forces, including blunt impact, high-speed rotation, or blast overpressure waves, its tissue structure and function can be compromised, leading to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Based on the level of structural and functional damage, these injuries can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe, with mild TBI (mTBI) being by far the most common. Also known as concussion, mTBI frequently occurs in a wide variety of activities, including accidental falls, sports injuries, moving vehicle accidents, military training, and combat related events such as blast exposure. mTBI can lead to various cognitive, sensory and motor complaints like reduced memory, attention, and information processing speed, and emotional dysregulation (Carroll et al., 2004). Most individuals with mTBI will recover from these symptoms within 90 days post injury (Karr et al., 2014), but for some individuals, the symptoms may be protracted, persisting up to a year or longer (Satz et al., 1999). For a small minority of individuals, these cognitive and emotional symptoms are severe enough to significantly affect social and occupational functioning.
Transcriptional signatures of influenza A/H1N1-specific IgG memory-like B cell response in older individuals.

Abstract Background Studies suggest that the recall-based humoral immune responses to influenza A/H1N1 originates from activated memory B cells. The aim of this study was to identify baseline, early and late blood transcriptional signatures (in peripheral blood mononuclear cells/PBMCs) associated with memory B cell response following influenza vaccination. Methods We used pre- and post-vaccination mRNA-Seq transcriptional profiling on samples from 159 subjects (50–74 years old) following receipt of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine containing the A/California/7/2009/H1N1-like virus, and penalized regression modeling to identify associations with influenza A/H1N1-specific memory B cell ELISPOT response after vaccination. Results Genesets and genes (p-value range 7.92E−08 to 0.00018, q-value range 0.00019–0.039) demonstrating significant associations (of gene expression levels) with memory B cell response suggest the importance of metabolic (cholesterol and lipid metabolism-related), cell migration/adhesion, MAP kinase, NF-kB cell signaling (chemokine/cytokine signaling) and transcriptional regulation gene signatures in the development of memory B cell response after influenza vaccination. Conclusion Through an unbiased transcriptome-wide profiling approach, our study identified signatures of memory B cell response following influenza vaccination, highlighting the underappreciated role of metabolic changes (among the other immune function-related events) in the regulation of influenza vaccine-induced immune memory.
Anesthetist-Directed Sedation Favors Success of Advanced Endoscopic Procedures.

OBJECTIVES:Sedation is required to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) given the duration and complexity of these advanced procedures. Sedation options include anesthetist-directed sedation (ADS) vs. gastroenterologist-directed sedation (GDS)
Mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis related to calcium-driven alternans in a model of human atrial fibrillation

The occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with progressive changes in the calcium handling system of atrial myocytes. Calcium cycling instability has been implicated as an underlying mechanism of electrical alternans observed in patients who experience AF. However, the extent to which calcium-induced alternation of electrical activity in the atria contributes to arrhythmogenesis is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of calcium-driven alternans (CDA) on arrhythmia susceptibility in a biophysically detailed, 3D computer model of the human atria representing electrical and structural remodeling secondary to chronic AF. We found that elevated propensity to CDA rendered the atria vulnerable to ectopy-induced arrhythmia. It also increased the complexity and persistence of arrhythmias induced by fast pacing, with unstable scroll waves meandering and frequently breaking up to produce multiple wavelets. Our results suggest that calcium-induced electrical instability may increase arrhythmia vulnerability and promote increasing disorganization of arrhythmias in the chronic AF-remodeled atria, thus playing an important role in the progression of the disease.
Data Acquisition for Business Analytics

We study data acquisition for business analytics considering both data quality and acquisition cost. We propose using a divide-and-conquer technique to find empirical distribution of the data and then using auctions to solicit data based on the distribution. To determine how many customer records to acquire, we formulate the acquisition problem as an optimization problem that maximizes the quality of the acquired data while keeping the acquisition cost as low as possible. For descriptive analytics, we derive the closed form solution for the optimization problem, which finds the amount of data to acquire that best represents the distribution of the target population relative to the acquisition cost. For regression-based predictive analytics, we formulate the acquisition problem as a mathematical programming problem that can be solved efficiently; the optimal solution minimizes prediction error and acquisition cost. An experimental study has been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
α-Crystallin. The isolation and characterization of distinct macromolecular fractions

α-Crystallin was isolated from calf lens periphery by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration. Three distinct populations of macromolecules have been isolated with molecular weights in the ranges approx. 6×10 5 −9×10 5 , 0.9×10 6 −4×10 6 and greater than 10×10 6 . The concentration of macromolecules at the molecular-weight limits of a population are very low. The members of the different populations do not appear to be in equilibrium with each other. Further, in those molecular-weight fractions investigated, no equilibrium between members of the same population was observed. The population of lowest molecular weight comprises 65–75% of the total material. The amino acid and subunit composition of the different-sized fractions appear very similar, if not identical. The only chemical difference observed between the fractions is the presence of significant amounts of sugar in the higher-molecular-weight fractions. Subunit molecular weights of approx. 19.5×10 3 and 22.5×10 3 were observed for all α-crystallin fractions.
Ab initio investigation of the surface properties of austenitic Fe-Ni-Cr alloys in aqueous environments

Abstract The surface energetics of two austenitic stainless steel alloys (Type 304 and 316) and three Ni-based alloys (Alloy 600, 690, and 800) are investigated using theoretical methods within the density functional theory. The relative stability of the low index surfaces display the same trend for all alloys; the most closely packed orientation and the most stable is the (111), followed by the (100) and the (110) surfaces. Calculations on the (111) surfaces using various surface chemical and magnetic configurations reveal that Ni has the tendency to segregate toward the surface and Cr has the tendency to segregate toward the bulk. The magnetic frustration present on the (111) surfaces plays an important role in the observed segregation tendencies of Ni and Cr. The stability of the (111) surfaces in contact with aqueous solution are evaluated as a function of temperature, pH, and concentration of aqueous species. The results indicate that the surface stability of the alloys decrease with temperature and pH, and increase slightly with concentration. Under conditions characteristic to an operating pressurized water reactor, the Ni-based alloy series appears to be of better quality than the stainless steel series with respect to corrosion resistance and release of aqueous species when in contact with aqueous solutions.
Using collegiate competitions to provide an enhanced engineering education: A case study

The standard classical education method for an engineering education is sometimes inadequate for educating students regarding the complex engineering challenges of tomorrow. In order to motivate students for these challenges, educators must integrate that promote activity outside of the traditional classroom setting. Students are inherently motivated via competition — engineering design competitions can be used to intrinsically motivate students to expand the classical engineering education. This paper describes the challenges and benefits of the Formula SAE Collegiate Design Series with respect to the engineering education from the students persepctive.
Leerstellen, weiße Flecken und blassrote Zeichen im Schnee. Von Sinnverlust und Sinnfindung im mythischen Land der Kham-Nomaden in Christoph Ransmayrs Roman «Der fliegende Berg» [Blank Spots, White Flecks and Pale Red Signs in the Snow. Of Meaning Lost and Found in the Mythical Land of the Kham Nomads in Christoph Ransmayr’s Novel «The Flying Mountain»]

In his novel Der fliegende Berg , Christoph Ransmayr plays with seemingly contradictory myths that surround the Himalayan mountain Phur-Ri, a mountain that is not marked on any maps and symbolizes a void, a figment of the imagination that serves as a foil for unfulfilled longings and desires. Using Roland Barthes and Mircea Eliade as its theoretical framework, this article analyzes the function of myths in Ransmayr’s novel and explores whether his use of myth can fill the void with meaning – or whether the void remains a vacuum that repells rather than allows for any form of signification.
Use of Latent Class Analysis to define groups based on validity, cognition, and emotional functioning

Objective: Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to classify a heterogeneous sample of neuropsychology data. In particular, we used measures of performance validity, symptom validity, cognition, and...
A Geostationary air quality monitor for the Middle East

Atmospheric pollution measurements from space have been evolving from low-earth-orbits (LEO) to geostationary orbits (GEO), to track the diurnal variation of atmospheric emissions. There are three GEO instruments in development. TEMPO is NASA's first Earth Venture Instrument, to be launched during 2018-2021. It will measure atmospheric pollution for greater North America using ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy. The European Sentinel-4 and the South Korean GEMS will measure atmospheric pollution for Europe and Southeast Asia, respectively. In this paper, we describe NASA's TEMPO instrument and we propose a similar instrument in GEO to provide hourly atmospheric pollution measurements for the Middle East at very high spatial resolution. The proposed Middle-East TEMPO instrument will cover Arab Countries, and parts of Asia and Europe. The measurement will include the spectra required to retrieve O 3, NO 2, SO 2, H 2 CO, C 2 H 2 O 2, H 2 O, aerosols, cloud parameters, and UVB radiation.
Collapsed variational Bayes for Markov jump processes

Markov jump processes are continuous-time stochastic processes widely used in statistical applications in the natural sciences, and more recently in machine learning. Inference for these models typically proceeds via Markov chain Monte Carlo, and can suffer from various computational challenges. In this work, we propose a novel collapsed variational inference algorithm to address this issue. Our work leverages ideas from discrete-time Markov chains, and exploits a connection between these two through an idea called uniformization. Our algorithm proceeds by marginalizing out the parameters of the Markov jump process, and then approximating the distribution over the trajectory with a factored distribution over segments of a piecewise-constant function. Unlike MCMC schemes that marginalize out transition times of a piecewise-constant process, our scheme optimizes the discretization of time, resulting in significant computational savings. We apply our ideas to synthetic data as well as a dataset of check-in recordings, where we demonstrate superior performance over state-of-the-art MCMC methods.
Urology Consultation and Emergency Department Revisits for Children with Urinary Stone Disease

Purpose: We determined the association between urology consultation and emergency department revisits for children with urinary stones.Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients 18 years old or younger who presented to an emergency department in South Carolina with a urinary stone from 1997 to 2015. The primary exposure was urology consultation during the index emergency department visit. The primary outcome was a stone related emergency department revisit occurring within 180 days of discharge from an index emergency department visit. Secondary outcomes included computerized tomography use, inpatient admission and emergent surgery.Results: Of 5,642 index emergency department visits for acute urinary stones 11% resulted in at least 1 stone related emergency department revisit within 180 days. Of revisits 59% occurred within 30 days of discharge and 39% were due to pain. The odds of emergency department revisit were highest within the first 48 hours of discharge home (OR 22.6,...
Enhanced Thermal Model of Power Cables Installed in Ducts for Ampacity Calculations

One of the most widely used installation types of power cables is inside nonmetallic ducts. Ampacity calculations for this type of installations were summarized back in 1957 by Neher and McGrath. The method has been standardized in the IEC 60287 family of standards. It is shown in this paper that there is a noticeable mismatch between the IEC standard calculations for steady-state conditions with experimental tests and finite-element method simulations. After an in-depth investigation, it was found that the source of the discrepancy between reality and the standard is an inaccuracy in the calculation of the heat transfer of the air between the cable surface and the internal duct surface. The standard calculations simplify the problem too much, resulting in relative large errors. A more precise formulation, yet simple enough for computer implementation, is proposed in this paper. The accurate calculation of the steady-state temperature is obtained from first heat transfer principles. Numerous laboratory experiments and finite-element simulations are used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method.
Dynamic interactions in neural networks: an introductory perspective

It is the purpose of this introduction to briefly review the papers in each of the three parts of the volume, and then conclude with a brief unifying perspective.
Analysis of Electronic Structure from Electron Density Distributions of Transition Metal Complexes

Accurate experimental determination of the electron density distribution in molecular solids has been realized in the past decade. For molecules containing only light atoms, careful experiments are found to yield charge densities in excellent agreement with the most sophisticated theoretical calculations.1,2 In the majority of cases, however, the observed electron distributions of light atom systems could have been predicted, at least qualitatively, from simple valence bond models. Experimentally determined electron distributions are therefore potentially more useful in understanding the electronic structures of transition metal complexes were the mechanisms of metal-metal and metal-ligand bonding are often far less obvious.
Complications of Colonoscopy and Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

Complications can occur during both diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy. Most statistics concerning complications are based on reports generated when colonoscopy was in its infancy. This article examines the diagnosis and treatment of complications that arise during the course of both colonoscopy and polypectomy. Surgery may not be required in all cases. The criteria for operative or nonoperative treatment are presented.
The Aspergillus parasiticus protein AFLJ interacts with the aflatoxin pathway-specific regulator AFLR.

The Aspergillus parasiticus aflJ gene, which is located in the aflatoxin biosynthetic gene cluster and is transcribed divergently from the aflatoxin pathway regulatory gene aflR, encodes a 438-amino acid protein. Transformation with aflJ plus aflR, but not aflJ alone, increased the accumulation of aflatoxin precursors substantially in an O-methylsterigmatocystin-accumulating A. parasiticus strain. Disruption of aflJ resulted in non-pigmented mutants that lost the ability to synthesize aflatoxin intermediates. Transcript profiling by real time RT-PCR indicated that the lack of aflJ transcripts in the aflJ knockout mutants is associated with a significant decrease in the transcript levels of the genes for early ( pksA and nor1), middle ( ver1) and later ( omtA) steps in the aflatoxin biosynthetic pathway, with the degree of reduction ranging from 5- to 20-fold. Deletion of aflJ, however, did not have any effect on the aflR transcript level, and vice versa. Two-hybrid assays showed that AFLJ did not interact with aflatoxin biosynthetic enzymes, including NOR1, VER1, OMTA and ORDA. But AFLJ interacted with full-length AFLR, and the DNA-binding domain of AFLR was found not to be essential for this interaction. Simultaneous substitution of Arg427, Arg429, and Arg431 in the C-terminal region of AFLR with Leu residues abolished its ability to interact with AFLJ. Replacement of Asp436, which was previously shown to be crucial for AFLR's activation activity, with His, in contrast, had little effect on the interaction. On the other hand, deletions in most regions of AFLJ appeared to destroy its function, despite the fact that random amino acid substitution(s) in its C-terminal region did not drastically affect its capacity to interact with AFLR. The results show that aflJ is involved in the expression of aflatoxin structural genes and support the hypothesis that aflJ is a coactivator gene.
Writing in the Digital Age: An Investigation of Digital Writing Proficiency Among Students With and Without LD

AbstractIn an age when students are increasingly expected to demonstrate technology-based writing proficiency, fluency challenges with word processing programs can pose a barrier to successful writ...
Microbiome genome structure drives function.

Differences in microbial genomes can result in vastly different phenotypes and functions. Consequently, it is critical to understand the genome variations that differentiate microbial strains. Here, we discuss recent exciting advances that enable structural variant measurement, their associated phenotypes and the horizon for future discovery.
Abstract 4729: Targeting c-MYCdegradation as a novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma: Studies in canine and human osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone tumor in both humans and dogs, and has a nearly ten-fold higher incidence in dogs than humans. For the past twenty years, despite advances in treatment of other cancers, the overall survival rates for OS have stagnated. Thus, there is a great need for novel therapeutic strategies. In osteosarcoma, MYC activation is critical for both initiation and maintenance of tumorigenesis and tissue invasion. While targeting c-MYC is a rational strategy to treat OS, c-MYC has evaded therapeutic manipulation to date. In this study, we evaluated using a novel proteasome modulator, TCH-165, which induces c-MYC degradation, and compared it with convention treatments in in vitro studies. We demonstrated dose dependent decrease of c-MYC protein expression with TCH-165 treatment. Utilizing seven canine OS cell lines and three human OS cell line, we determined that the IC50 values for TCH-165 range from 2.2 to 11.6 μM in canine OS, 3.1 to 4.5 μM in human OS cell lines, while IC50 of several primary canine ranged from 22.3 μM to >200μM, suggesting a wide margin of safety. In cell cycle studies, we showed that TCH-165 resulted in G1 arrest after 12 hours of incubation. In addition, we examined the potential of combing TCH-165 with convention therapeutic agents. We selected carboplatin, one of the standard anti-tumor drugs for OS. Combination index calculations using TCH-165 and carboplatin in the canine D17 cell line support synergistic effects of this combination. The data point to potential novel avenues for treatment of OS which can be further examined in proof of concept studies in dogs with OS, serving as a relevant translational model, and accelerate drug development for human OS patients. Citation Format: Ya-Ting Yang, Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, Jetze J. Tepe. Targeting c-MYCdegradation as a novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma: Studies in canine and human osteosarcoma cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4729.
Nonmelanoma Facial Skin Cancer: A Review of Diagnostic Strategies, Surgical Treatment, and Reconstructive Techniques:

Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and the face is a common area for skin cancer development due to its frequent exposure to the sun. This article focuses on the surgical management of facial nonmelanoma skin cancers, including diagnostic considerations, biopsy techniques, and staging. In addition, we discuss surgical treatment options, including indications, techniques, outcomes, and facial reconstruction following tumor excision.
Grundzüge einer allgemeinen Theorie strategischer Handlungsfelder

Die Schnittstelle von Organisationstheorie und Sozialer Bewegungsforschung hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren als wissenschaftlich auserst ertragreich erwiesen, und wir schatzen viele der Arbeiten, die in diesem Forschungsbereich entstanden sind. Dennoch ist unserer Meinung nach eine weitaus radikalere Neukonzeption von Struktur und Handeln in modernen Gesellschaften erforderlich, als sie bis dato unternommen wurde. In unserem Beitrag stellen wir in Form einer Skizze eine allgemeine Theorie strategischer Handlungsfelder – kurz: SAF2 – zur Diskussion. Wir beginnen mit der Darstellung der zentralen Elemente dieser Theorie und beschreiben das Umfeld, in das SAFs eingebettet sind, widmen uns der Dynamik von Stabilitat und Wandel von SAFs und beschliesen unsere Ausfuhrungen mit einer Kritik alternativer Perspektiven auf Sozialstruktur und Handeln.
Chapter 22 – CONCLUSION

Publisher Summary The importance of perception for theories of knowledge is illustrated in the context of space perception. The man's view of his universe is necessarily dependent on his notions of space and his sense of space is based primarily on his visual perception. Through the ears, humans can get information on the distance of a sound source and the qualities of the sound environment; the vestibular apparatus informs of orientation with respect to gravity; through touch, one can feel the texture and perceive the shapes and positions of objects around. But in no sensory modality is space perception as highly developed as in vision. There can be little doubt that philosophical and scientific ideas on space are anchored in perception.
Chapter 10 – Adult Issues in Corrections/Correctional Psychology

Publisher Summary The adult prison population presents society with a complex set of issues and controversies requiring thoughtful, manageable, and effective responses. The assorted tools of the psychological sciences and the law are increasingly called upon to make sense out of difficult correctional questions affecting the lives of prisoners and the community of which they are a part. Public policymakers must create stringent requirements and assurances that it is in the inmate's best health interest before an inmate is medicated. Legal standards involving mental health care provisions are among the most composite regulations affecting jails, jail policy, and public policy. Court decisions regarding the provision of medical care to jail detainees, criminal responsibility for an illegal act, and treatment of the mentally ill in jail play a vital role in legal standards related to the administration of mental health treatment and medication of prisoners. Jails and prisons are filled with high-risk individuals to include those who abuse substances, the mentally ill, the indigent, young adults, and those facing a major life stressor. To prevent suicide in the correctional systems, prevention and intervention programs are necessary. Once identified, special housing needs, mental health treatment, and increased supervision can be implemented for those inmates at risk for harming themselves. However, without proper identification, no preventative measures can be put into practice.
Beneath the White Noise of Postsecondary Sorting: A Case Study of the “Low” Track in Higher Education

Although tracking is typically the subject of secondary education, this embedded case study brings attention to the comparable mechanisms at work within postsecondary institutions that produce seri...
Making it in China: The Determinants of Economic Success in a Socialist Market System

China’s politicians emphasize that they are building a Socialist market economy (社会主义市场经济) based on the ideology of Socialism with Chinese characteristics (中国特别社会主义). Unlike other post-communist transitions to capitalism, China’s radical economic transformations, during the neoliberal era, did not generate a large pool of economic losers. On the contrary, over the last three decades, four hundred million Chinese escaped poverty. Yet, at the same time, this impressive economic growth has been associated with the rise of a wealthy elite, which gradually is being coopted by the party-state. Relying on survey data, this study goes beyond socio-demographic characteristics and investigates whether party membership, education, beliefs in upward mobility and support for an interventionist state correlate with higher income levels. The final section situates the observed trends in the context of the Chinese Dream initiative (中国梦).
Dust attenuation in the restframe ultraviolet: constraints from star-forming galaxies at z~1

A novel technique is employed for estimating attenuation curves in galaxies where only photometry and spectroscopic redshifts are available. This technique provides a powerful measure of particular extinction features such as the UV bump at 2175\A, which has been observed in environments ranging from the Milky Way to high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Knowledge of the typical strength of the UV bump as a function of environment and redshift is crucial for converting restframe UV flux into star formation rates. The UV bump will impart a unique signature as it moves through various filters due to redshifting; its presence can therefore be disentangled from other stellar population effects. The utility of this technique is demonstrated with a large sample of galaxies drawn from the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey. The observed B-R color of star-forming galaxies at 0.6<z<1.4 disfavors the presence of a UV bump as strong as observed in the Milky Way, and instead favors restframe UV (1800A<lambda<3000A) attenuation curves similar to the Milky Way without a UV bump or a power-law with index delta=-0.7. Stronger constraints on the strength of the UV bump in galaxies can be achieved if independent constraints on the V-band optical depth are available.
Long-term cultural eutrophication in White and Walden Ponds (Concord, Massachusetts, USA), Thoreau's lakes of light

Stager JC, Harvey L, Chimileski S. 2020. Long-term cultural eutrophication in White and Walden Ponds (Concord, Massachusetts, USA), Thoreau’s lakes of light. Lake Reserv Manage. XX:XXX–XXX. Two his...
Age-related division of labor occurs in ants at the earliest stages of colony initiation

Mature colonies of many social insect species exhibit division of labor (DOL) where individual workers specialize in doing only a subset of the multiple tasks needed to maintain homeostasis. In newly initiated ant colonies, however, the first workers (called nanitics) are few in number and much smaller in size than those in mature colonies. This limited workforce must perform most of the tasks of mature colonies, but it is unknown if they also exhibit DOL. In this study, we tracked several inside-nest and outside-nest behaviors of nanitics in incipient Pogonomyrmex rugosus colonies. DOL arises in these colonies, whereby the relatively oldest workers (even if only by a few hours) are biased towards foraging, while younger nanitics concentrate on brood care. The addition of new nanitics shifts behavior in the oldest individual away from brood care but does not immediately increases its foraging. Conversely, nanitics left alone due to mortality of nest-mates forage more, but do not reduce brood care. The results suggest P. rugosus nanitics follow an age-related task specialization pattern that is broadly similar to mature colonies. The nanitic life stage may be, however, unique for ants in how fine-grained the DOL is in terms of absolute age differences and flexibility for task switching. The ecological success of ants is thought to be facilitated by workers dividing their labor across tasks. Commonplace in mature colonies is that individuals will perform safer, within-nest tasks such as brood care when young, and shift as they age towards riskier, outside-nest tasks such as foraging. Because many do the same task, the death of any single worker has minimal effect. We show, for the first time, a similar age-related, task specialization pattern also occurs in newly founded colonies. In this earliest life, history stage workers are small and few in number, precluding the massive task redundancy that characterizes mature colonies. Nevertheless, a division of labor correlating with relative age differences arises even when workers differ in age by only a few hours. This supports the hypothesis that a similar developmental pathway for task allocation in worker behavior occurs at all stages in colony life history.
Inelastic peridynamic model for molecular crystal particles

The peridynamic theory of solid mechanics is applied to modeling the deformation and fracture of micrometer-sized particles made of organic crystalline material. A new peridynamic material model is proposed to reproduce the elastic–plastic response, creep, and fracture that are observed in experiments. The model is implemented in a three-dimensional, meshless Lagrangian simulation code. In the small deformation, elastic regime, the model agrees well with classical Hertzian contact analysis for a sphere compressed between rigid plates. Under higher load, material and geometrical nonlinearity is predicted, leading to fracture. The material parameters for the energetic material CL-20 are evaluated from nanoindentation test data on the cyclic compression and failure of micrometer-sized grains.
Delivering justice: case study of a small claims court metadiscourse

This study analyses an important but unstudied site of legal–lay communication: the website discourse of a small claims court. I describe six interactional problems that litigants in small claims court face that the official court metadiscourse, i.e., the court website, does not ably prepare participants for. Problems include: 1) addressees vary enormously in assumed education levels, 2) facework challenges misidentify focal parties, 3) the speech genre is more Q and A than a presentation, 4) limited attention is given to distinguishing fairness from legality, 5) the downside of extensive metadiscourse is not recognised and 6) the variety among judges is given little attention. These problems, I show, are shaped by the existence of two partly contradictory ideals embedded in the practice of small claims interaction, as well as the metadiscourse regarding what counts as good communication. One ideal of small claims court is to see it as a place where disputes can be addressed fairly by an impartial arbitrator. The other ideal is to see small claims as a place where legal rules are applied to disputes to yield a legal solution. The article concludes with suggestions about how to manage the competing ideals.
Meiotic DNA break repair can utilize homolog-independent chromatid templates in C. elegans.

During meiosis, the maintenance of genome integrity is critical for generating viable haploid gametes.1 In meiotic prophase I, double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) are induced and a subset of these DSBs are repaired as interhomolog crossovers to ensure proper chromosome segregation. DSBs not resolved as crossovers with the homolog must be repaired by other pathways to ensure genome integrity.2 To determine if alternative repair templates can be engaged for meiotic DSB repair during oogenesis, we developed an assay to detect sister and/or intra-chromatid repair events at a defined DSB site during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis. Using this assay, we directly demonstrate that the sister chromatid or the same DNA molecule can be engaged as a meiotic repair template for both crossover and noncrossover recombination, with noncrossover events being the predominant recombination outcome. We additionally find that the sister or intra-chromatid substrate is available as a recombination partner for DSBs induced throughout meiotic prophase I, including late prophase when the homolog is unavailable. Analysis of noncrossover conversion tract sequences reveals that DSBs are processed similarly throughout prophase I. We further present data indicating that the XPF-1 nuclease functions in late prophase to promote sister or intra-chromatid repair at steps of recombination following joint molecule processing. Despite its function in sister or intra-chromatid repair, we find that xpf-1 mutants do not exhibit severe defects in progeny viability following exposure to ionizing radiation. Overall, we propose that C. elegans XPF-1 may assist as an intersister or intrachromatid resolvase only in late prophase I.
Metaproteomics as a tool for studying the protein landscape of human-gut bacterial species

Abstract Host-microbiome interactions and the microbial community have broad impact in human health and diseases. Most microbiome based studies are performed at the genome level based on next-generation sequencing techniques, but metaproteomics is emerging as a powerful technique to study microbiome functional activity by characterizing the complex and dynamic composition of microbial proteins. We conducted a large-scale survey of human gut microbiome metaproteomic data to identify generalist species that are ubiquitously expressed across all samples and specialists that are highly expressed in a small subset of samples associated with a certain phenotype. We were able to utilize the metaproteomic mass spectrometry data to reveal the protein landscapes of these species, which enables the characterization of the expression levels of proteins of different functions and underlying regulatory mechanisms, such as operons. Finally, we were able to recover a large number of open reading frames (ORFs) with spectral support, which were missed by de novo protein-coding gene predictors. We showed that a majority of the rescued ORFs overlapped with de novo predicted proteincoding genes, but on opposite strands or on different frames. Together, these demonstrate applications of metaproteomics for the characterization of important gut bacterial species. Results are available for public access at https://omics.informatics.indiana.edu/GutBac. Author summary Many reference genomes for studying human gut microbiome are available, but knowledge about how microbial organisms work is limited. Identification of proteins at individual species or community level provides direct insight into the functionality of microbial organisms. By analyzing more than a thousand metaproteomics datasets, we examined protein landscapes of more than two thousands of microbial species that may be important to human health and diseases. This work demonstrated new applications of metaproteomic datasets for studying individual genomes. We made the analysis results available through the GutBac website, which we believe will become a resource for studying microbial species important for human health and diseases.
Reconciling evidence of oxidative weathering and atmospheric anoxia on Archean Earth.

Evidence continues to emerge for the production and low-level accumulation of molecular oxygen (O2) at Earth’s surface before the Great Oxidation Event. Quantifying this early O2 has proven difficu...
Suggestions of Success

Whitman’s essay “Origins of Attempted Secession” illustrates what Nina Silver calls “the romance of reunion,” a way to pretend the South was not treasonous. More poems bought by magazines, “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” “Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood,” “Proud Music of the Storm,” “Passage to India.”
Two‐dimensional transient scattering using the Nyström method and finite difference delay modeling

[1] A method is proposed to solve the two-dimensional time domain integral equations of electromagnetic theory. The method discretizes the equations spatially using a locally corrected Nystrom method and temporally by finite difference delay modeling. Numerical results demonstrate the stability and accuracy of the proposed method.
DISABILITY, IMPAIRMENT, AND SOME MEDIEVAL ACCOUNTS OF THE INCARNATION: SUGGESTIONS FOR A THEOLOGY OF PERSONHOOD

Drawing on insights from the medieval theologians Duns Scotus and Hervaeus Natalis, I argue that medieval views of the incarnation require that there is a sense in which the divine person depends on his human nature for his human personhood, and thus that the paradigmatic pattern of human personhood is in some way dependent existence. I relate this to a modern distinction between impairment and disability to show that impairment—understood as dependence—is normative for human personhood. I try to show how medieval theories of the resurrection of the body can provide, within this context, plausible accounts of what it might be for human persons to be redeemed.
Fault-tolerant clock synchronization of large multicomputers via multistep interactive convergence

We present a fault-tolerant algorithm that internally synchronizes clocks in multicomputer systems employing not completely connected networks (NCCNs). The algorithm is referred to as multistep interactive convergence, and is locally implemented in each node by a time sewer process (TSP). The algorithm proceeds in rounds, and bases its operation on a logical mapping of the system's TSPs into an m-dimensional array. A TSP executes m steps per round, each step including a call to an interactive convergence procedure. Clock readings in step i are gathered only from TSPs sharing a row along dimension i of the array, which reduces the number of messages by orders of magnitude over a conventional interactive convergence algorithm. The algorithm can be used in systems of arbitrary topology, and provides the added benefit of increased locality of communication in regular NCCNs. These advantages can be combined with a variety of message staggering mechanisms to maintain network contention at a minimum. We characterize the maximum clock skew maximum clock drift, maximum clock discontinuity, and number of messages produced by the algorithm, and show that it tolerates arbitrary faults. A comparison with other algorithms is provided.
Morphometric evaluation of the sacral dorsal root ganglia

An anatomic study of the sacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) was performed to determine the location and dimensions of the S1-4 DRGs and to correlate this information to sacral nerve root ganglion lesions. S1 DRGs were located in the intraforminal region in 55–60% and in the intracanalar region in 40–45%. S2 DRGs were in the intraforaminal region in 15–50% and in the intracanalar region in 50–85%. All the S3 and S4 DRGs were located in the intracanalar region. None of the sacral DRGs was located in the extraforaminal region. The intraforaminal position of the S1 and S2 ganglia renders them vulnerable to compression caused by sacral fractures involving the sacral foramina because of the little space available for these ganglia in the foraminal region. The S1 DRG, with its its relatively larger dimensions and its intracanalar position relative to the other sacral DRGs, may be susceptible to compression by L5-S1 disk herniation. Its intraforaminal position may predispose it to injury during S1 or S2 pedicle screw placement.
Intrahepatic hematoma resulting in obstructive jaundice: An unusual complication of liver biopsy

Abstract A patient who developed obstructive jaundice as a complication of a liver biopsy is presented. The jaundice was found to be attributable to obstruction of the biliary tree at the level of the bifurcation by an intrahepatic hematoma. The patient had a complete and spontaneous recovery.
Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology

This compendium of the current professional literature in pediatric psychosocial oncology is intended to make information on the topic more accessible to those who work with and are interested in children with cancer. An index of references cited by specific topic is also included.
Not Guilty as Charged: The Myth of Mens Rea for Defendants with Mental Retardation

The notion that mens rea is an indicia of culpability runs deep in the American criminal law psyche. For most defendants, a finding that they had the requisite legal intent may be all we need to know to pronounce them morally culpable. This is because most defendants – those of average intelligence – enjoy a level of socialization, rationality, and agency sufficient to be aware of social norms, make a choice to violate them or not, and to control their own impulses in doing so. But for defendants with mental retardation, the state-of-mind element fails to accurately signify a “guilty mind.” Social science research makes clear (and existing neuroscience research seems to support) that these presumptions of consciousness, choice, and control do not apply to people with mental retardation. In essence, then, for this population, all offenses become strict liability offenses, where an intent inquiry is all but meaningless. While the criminal law does make some allowances for differences in cognitive capacity, it does so only in very limited circumstances, through the doctrines of competency, insanity, and diminished capacity. As a result, litigants must resort to crude perversions of justice to introduce evidence of mental retardation. Finding no valid policy or theoretical justification (apart from incapacitation) for this failure to adequately address the disjuncture between actual culpability and criminal liability, this article offers a new, comprehensive approach to cases charging defendants with mental retardation. Specifically, it proposes a new default rule, where non-violent cases against them would be presumptively dismissed. More serious cases charging violent crimes could proceed to trial with the standard mens rea requirements, but would require that any sentence imposed be the least restrictive alternative necessary to accomplish an articulable sentencing goal. This proposal redresses a major flaw in current criminal law doctrine, one which unjustly permits a finding of guilty minds among defendants whose true culpability may not be presumed.
Impact of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports on Student Behavior in the Middle Grades.

AbstractResearch shows that school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) can be an effective alternative to traditional reactive, punitive approaches to problem behavior. However, few studies examine the use of the approach as part of a comprehensive school improvement process involving academic as well as behavioral goals, particularly with regard to use of data-driven decision making and data teams. This article describes the efforts of a low-performing middle school in establishing preventative measures and interventions within such a framework. Results indicate a reduction in teacher discipline referrals and student suspensions, including those involving students with disabilities and statistically significant improvement on 30 of 47 items of a school climate and student resiliency survey. In addition, school scores on state mastery tests in both reading and math improved by 25% and 11%, respectively. This study suggests that the implementation of a SWPBS framework may result in improved academic an...