cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of neural networks to pattern recognition problems in remote sensing and medical imagery

The primary objective of this research is the development and testing of neural network models for two fundamental computer vision tasks: edge/line detection and texture analysis. In order to test the ability of the neural network models to detect patterns in images we used both remote sensing data and medical imagery. Neural network models for edge and line detection were used to detect geological lineaments in Landsat data. Neural network models for the analysis of image texture variations were used on ultrasonic images to distinguish patients with normal liver scans from patients with diffuse liver disease. 1.
Factors Influencing the Size Structure of Brook Trout Populations in Beaver Ponds in Wyoming

Abstract We examined relations between habitat features and the density and population size structure of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in 25 beaver ponds in southeastern Wyoming. Ponds with low densities of brook trout contained primarily large fish (200–275 mm total length) in good condition (mean relative weight, Wr , > 100) and had a proportional stock density (PSD), defined as the proportion of quality-length brook trout (≥ 200 mm total length) among fish of stock length (≥ 125 mm total length), that typically exceeded 75%. Ponds with high densities of brook trout were dominated by small fish (125–175 mm) in poor condition (Wr < 90). These populations contained few quality-length trout (PSD < 10%). Measures of population size structure were positively correlated with mean pond depth, surface area, volume, and late-summer water temperature, but they were negatively correlated with the extent of water-level fluctuation and a measure of recruitment potential. Multiple-regression analysis indicated th...
Between Perestroika and privatisation: Divided strategies and political crisis in a Soviet enterprise

(1992). Between Perestroika and privatisation: Divided strategies and political crisis in a Soviet enterprise. Soviet Studies: Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 371-402.
Precision measurement at the quantum limit in gravitational wave detectors

Interferometric gravitational wave detectors are poised to launch a new era of gravitational-wave astronomy. I will describe how we achieve sub-attometer sensitivity in kilometer-scale laser interferometers.
Sustaining Waste – Sociological Perspectives on Recycling a Hybrid Object

Recycling is a concept, normally taken-for-granted within academic approaches to environmental management. Recognising that recycling should be preceded by reduction of waste and re-use, the science of recycling usually addresses its object as an activity which needs optimising, rather than questioning. My take on recycling differs from the standard one: I focus on possibilities to conceptualise an agent who was responsible for implementing a recycling scheme for her1 organisation. By way of drawing on sociological theories (especially Bourdieu’s theory of practice and Actor-network theory) I point to significant problems in approaching sustainability. The empirical data consists of ethnographic field work which illustrates societal implications of thinking about transforming organisations towards sustainable conduct: by constructing a recycling scheme the waste manager of the organisation ensures that the organisation does not move towards reducing or altering resource consumption. Rather, she stabilises an unsustainable trajectory and inhibits societal transformation even beyond her organisation. Thus, sociological theory allows for problematising and better grasping of the societal implications and limitations of environmental management.
Mark-resight abundance and survival estimation of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus, in the Swatch-of-No-Ground, Bangladesh

A mark-resight analysis under Pollock's robust design was applied to Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins Tursiops aduncus in the Swatch-of-No-Ground (SoNG) submarine canyon, Bangladesh, during the winter seasons of 2005–2009. Information from sightings of photo-identified individuals (1,144) and unmarked individuals generated abundance estimates of 1,701 (95% confidence interval [CI]= 1,533–1,888), 1,927 (95% CI = 1,851–2,006), 2,150 (95% CI = 1,906–2,425), and 2,239 (95% CI = 1,985–2,524) individuals for seasons 1–4, respectively. This makes the population among the largest assessed of the species. Overall apparent survival was estimated as 0.958 (95% CI = 0.802–0.992). Interseasonal probabilities of transitioning to an unobservable state were estimated as 0.045, 0.363, and 0.300 for years 1–2, 2–3, and 3–4, respectively, and the overall probability of remaining in an unobservable state was 0.688. These probabilities, together with an apparent increase in abundance during the study period, indicate that the identified dolphins are part of a larger superpopulation moving throughout a more extensive geographic area. Of the photo-identified dolphins, 28.2% exhibited injuries related to entanglements with fishing gear. This implies a strong potential for fatal interactions that could jeopardize the conservation status of the population, which otherwise appears favorable.
Increasing the detection speed of an all-electronic real-time biosensor

Biosensor response time, which depends sensitively on the transport of biomolecules to the sensor surface, is a critical concern for future biosensor applications. We have fabricated carbon nanotube field-effect transistor biosensors and quantified protein binding rates onto these nanoelectronic sensors. Using this experimental platform we test the effectiveness of a protein repellent coating designed to enhance protein flux to the all-electronic real-time biosensor. We observe a 2.5-fold increase in the initial protein flux to the sensor when upstream binding sites are blocked. Mass transport modelling is used to calculate the maximal flux enhancement that is possible with this strategy. Our results demonstrate a new methodology for characterizing nanoelectronic biosensor performance, and demonstrate a mass transport optimization strategy that is applicable to a wide range of microfluidic based biosensors.
Othmar Spann and the Quest for a “True State,”

The Austrian scholar and social theorist Othmar Spann (1878–1950) was a major figure in the “conservative revolution” that fired the imagination of many Central European intellectuals after World War I. Born in the Habsburg monarchy as it was disintegrating under the pressures of nationalism and industrialization, Spann seemed destined for a conventional academic career until war, revolution, and economic collapse destroyed the social and ideological foundations of the old order in 1918. A series of lectures delivered at the University of Vienna soon after the war quickly made Spann a major spokesman for the “war generation”—young men whose roughhewn idealism found few outlets in the grim world of postwar Central Europe.
Research in Ground‐Water Economics in the High Plains Area of Colorado

The ground-water aquifer underlying the northeastern corner of Colorado presently is estimated at 80,000,000 acre feet — enough to last several decades at present rates of use. The rate of use has, however, been increasing substantially in recent years and the possibility of depleting this resource is very real. While depletion of stock resources is a common theme in conservation and natural resources literature, only a few empirical studies are available to show the economic consequences of alternative rates of use. As a result, ground-water policy has often lagged behind the needs of developing areas. The Economics Department at Colorado State University, under the auspices of the Office of Water Resources Research is currently engaged in an empirical study of ground-water development problems in Colorado's High Plains area. Research is just beginning, but the following themes will be examined: 1 The economics of common property resources and the different management problems associated with them. 2 Problems faced by individual farm operators as they make the switch from dry-land to irrigated farming. Problems of externalities among farm firms will be approached. 3 Problems likely to be faced by inhabitants of communities in the developing area. The integration of the agricultural with the non-agricultural sectors will be stressed. 4 Policy recommendations appropriate to areas of rapid ground-water development. While the activities at Colorado State University are confined to a relatively small geographic area, it is assumed that applications will be made broader in scope and will prove useful in other parts of the nation.
Impact of Structure on Magnetic Coupling in CaV4O9

The strong corrugation of the ${\mathrm{V}}_{4}$${\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ layer in the spin gap system Ca${\mathrm{V}}_{4}$${\mathrm{O}}_{9}$ is examined for its impact on the exchange coupling constants between the spin- $\frac{1}{2}$ V ions. Local spin density calculations show that the V spin occupies a ${d}_{{x}^{2}{\ensuremath{-}y}^{2}}$ orbital ( $\stackrel{^}{x}$ and $\stackrel{^}{y}$ are the V-V directions) that would have vanishing second order exchange coupling if the ${\mathrm{V}}_{4}$${\mathrm{O}}_{5}$ layer were flat. The Kanamori-Goodenough superexchange rules, and the small calculated energy difference of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic alignments of spins for the real structure, indicate that second neighbor couplings dominate over nearest neighbor. This suggests two coupled $S\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\frac{1}{2}$ metaplaquette systems, each tending toward singlet formation.
An EM algorithm for brain tumor image registration: A tumor growth modeling based approach

This paper investigates the problem of atlas registration of brain images with tumors. Multi-parametric imaging modalities are first utilized for segmentations of different tissues, and to compute the posterior probability map (PBM) of membership to each tissue class, using supervised learning. Similar maps are generated in the initially normal atlas, by modeling the tumor growth. An Expectation-Maximization algorithm is used to estimate the spatial transformation and other parameters related to tumor simulation are optimized through Asynchronous Parallel Pattern Search (APPSPACK). The proposed method has been evaluated on simulated data sets created by Statistically Simulated Deformations (SSD), and real multichannel Glioma data sets. The performance has been evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results show that our method is promising to achieve a good similarity between the warped templates and patient images.
Methods of upstream power backoff on very high speed digital subscriber lines

This article describes the near-far problem in the upstream direction of VDSL, which results when the lengths of VDSL loops in a binder vary significantly. Methods of upstream power backoff to mitigate the near-far problem are then described. Simulation results are presented, and the performances of the methods are discussed.
Climate change predicted to shift wolverine distributions, connectivity, and dispersal corridors

Boreal species sensitive to the timing and duration of snow cover are particularly vulnerable to global climate change. Recent work has shown a link between wolverine (Gulo gulo) habitat and persistent spring snow cover through 15 May, the approximate end of the wolverine's reproductive denning period. We modeled the distribution of snow cover within the Columbia, Upper Missouri, and Upper Colorado River Basins using a downscaled ensemble climate model. The ensemble model was based on the arithmetic mean of 10 global climate models (GCMs) that best fit historical climate trends and patterns within these three basins. Snow cover was estimated from resulting downscaled temperature and precipitation patterns using a hydrologic model. We bracketed our ensemble model predictions by analyzing warm (miroc 3.2) and cool (pcm1) downscaled GCMs. Because Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-based snow cover relationships were analyzed at much finer grain than downscaled GCM output, we conducted a second analysis based on MODIS-based snow cover that persisted through 29 May, simulating the onset of spring two weeks earlier in the year. Based on the downscaled ensemble model, 67% of predicted spring snow cover will persist within the study area through 2030-2059, and 37% through 2070-2099. Estimated snow cover for the ensemble model during the period 2070- 2099 was similar to persistent MODIS snow cover through 29 May. Losses in snow cover were greatest at the southern periphery of the study area (Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico, USA) and least in British Columbia, Canada. Contiguous areas of spring snow cover become smaller and more isolated over time, but large (.1000 km 2 ) contiguous areas of wolverine habitat are predicted to persist within the study area throughout the 21st century for all projections. Areas that retain snow cover throughout the 21st century are British Columbia, north-central Washington, northwestern Montana, and the Greater Yellowstone Area. By the late 21st century, dispersal modeling indicates that habitat isolation at or above levels associated with genetic isolation of wolverine populations becomes widespread. Overall, we expect wolverine habitat to persist throughout the species range at least for the first half of the 21st century, but populations will likely become smaller and more isolated.
Physical product reengineering with embedded information technology

Physical products increasingly incorporate an IT component, requiring manufacturers to adapt their production and support processes.
Temperature dependence of magnetic penetration depth in B1 xKxBiO3 superconductor

Temperature behavior of the magnetic penetration depth, kðT Þ, was measured in the Meissner state of B1� xKxBiO3 (x ¼ 0:37) single crystal using tunnel diode oscillator technique. Measurements were carried out down to 0.4 K. At low temperatures, 0:013 6 T =Tc 6 0:4, kðT Þ is exponentially flat, which provides a strong evidence for conventional s-wave BCS behavior. 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Magnetic penetration depth is an effective tool to study properties of superconductors. At low tem- peratures, its temperature dependence is directly related to the density of low energy quasiparticles, which in turn can be related to the anisotropy of the superconducting energy gap on the Fermi surface. For investigation of the low lying excitations and thus the anisotropy of the energy gap, the analysis is considerably less ambiguous if data are taken on high quality single crystal and temperatures well below Tc=3. In this paper we report penetration depth measurements on B0:63K0:37BiO3 (Tc � 31 K) down to 0.4 K. The investigation of the supercon- ductivity in B1� xKxBiO3 (BKBO) system has been one of the major subjects in studies of high Tc superconductivity in oxide materials. The impor- tance of the BKBO system lies in the fact that some of its superconducting properties are consistent with the conventional s-wave isotropic supercon- ductivity, but others resemble high-Tc cuprates. In
Genetics of Candida albicans, a Diploid Human Fungal Pathogen

Candida albicans is a species of fungus that typically resides in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals. It is also the most common human fungal pathogen, causing a variety of skin and soft tissue infections in healthy people and more virulent invasive and disseminated diseases in patients with compromised immune systems. How this microorganism manages to persist in healthy hosts but also to cause a spectrum of disease states in the immunocompromised host are questions of significant biological interest as well as major clinical and economic importance. In this review, we describe recent developments in population genetics, the mating process, and gene disruption technology that are providing much needed experimental insights into the biology of C. albicans.
Adult soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck treated by radiation and surgery or radiation alone : patterns of failure and prognostic factors

Abstract Purpose: To analyze our experience treating soft tissue sarcomas of the head and neck in adults, and to identify patterns of failure and prognostic factors. Methods and Materials: The recors of 57 patients with Stage M0 disease treated by radiation with or without surgery between 1972 and 1993 were reviewed. Medial follow-up time was 4.3 years (range, 1.1–16.8 years). A group of potential prognostic factors was evaluated, including age diagnosis, sex, initial tumor presentation (primary vs. recurrent), grade, T-stage, direct tumor extension, tumor depth, duration of treatment, and radiation dose. Results: The subset of angiosarcomas (11 of 57 patients) had a considerably adverse effect on treatment outcome for the total group of sarcomas, with actuarial 5-year overall survival (OS), locoregional control (LRC), and freedom from distant metastasis (FDM) rates being 31%, 24%, and 42%, respectively. In contrast, for the remaining 46 patients with other histopathological tumor types, OS, LRC, and FDM rates were significantly higher (74%, 69%, and 83%, respectively). For this group of patients, significant prognostic factors identified by uni- and multivariate analysis included tumor grade as a predictor of OS and T-stage 3s a predictor of LRC ( p ≤ 0.050). Those patients who experienced a locoregional recurrence were at a significantly increased risk of dying ( p = 0.004 in a multivariate model). All 17 patients withou direct tumor extension to neurovascular structures, bone, contiguous organs, or skin remained free from distant failure. In contrast, 27% of 29 patients with direct extension had developed distant metastases at 5 years. In multivariate analysis, the absence of direct extension was a positive predictor of FDM ( p = 0.007) and of OS ( p = 0.034). Conclusions: 1) Angiosarcomas of the head and neck have a considerably poorer prognosis than other soft tissue sarcomas of this site. 2) In addition to tumor grade and size, direct tumor extension may be a useful additional staging parameter. 3) High rates of locoregional failure in the head and neck area, a potential cause of morbidity and death, indicate a need for improved treatment strategies.
Discrete formulation of teleportation of continuous variables

Teleportation of continuous variables can be described in two different ways, one in terms of Wigner functions, the other in terms of discrete basis states. The latter formulation provides the connection between the theory of teleportation of continuous degrees of freedom of a light field and the standard description of teleportation of discrete variables.
The effect of terrain on Neanderthal ecology in the Levant

Abstract Our study assesses the influence of differences in terrain and locomotor energetics on the land-use strategies and settlement patterns of Levantine Neanderthals and Modern Human – Early Upper Paleolithic groups through a digital application of site catchment analysis. Our findings indicate that Neanderthals habitually commanded smaller site exploitation territories (SETs), principally situated in the rugged Mediterranean Woodlands of the Levant, whereas early Upper Paleolithic groups generally enjoyed larger SETs and displayed a more generalized, wider settlement range encompassing both rugged woodland and more regular, level steppe landscapes. The broader implications of these findings may explain the biogeographic limits on the Neanderthal dispersal into Southwest Asia.
Commissioning and testing of SERENDIP VI instrumentation USNC-URSI national radio science meeting

SERENDIP VI is the sixth installment of the Berkeley SETI Research Center's Search for Extraterrestrial Radio Emissions from Nearby Developed Intelligent Populations program, which has been ongoing since 1979. Installed on the Arecibo and Green Bank Telescopes in 2014 and 2015, respectively, this latest version of SERENDIP is currently recording approximately 300 signals per minute. Like its younger sibling project, SETI@home, SERENDIP is a commensal program that piggybacks on other users observations, looking for evidence of narrow-band radio emission from extraterrestrial technologies. SERENDIP VI at Arecibo performs high-resolution (1 Hz) channelization of up to seven 300 MHz bandwidth dual-polarization inputs. SERENDIP VI at GBT performs the same analysis over a single 1.5 GHz dual-polarization input.
Growth and Mortality of Chicks and Poults Fed Tranquilizing Drugs

Abstract RESERPINE and chlorpromazine, two tranquilizing drugs used widely in human medicine, have been employed at this laboratory in an investigation of effects on physiological function in the domestic fowl (Burger et al., 1957; Van Matre et al., 1957; to be reported in more detail elsewhere). Determination of acute and chronic toxicity levels of these drugs for fowl was a necessary incident to investigation of the effective pharmacological range. Some of the resulting data warrant being placed on record because of certain generalizations implicit in their interpretation. This paper will report observations of overt behavior, gain in body weight, and mortality of young birds fed diets containing various levels of reserpine and chlorpromazine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Most of the experiments were performed on Single Comb White Leghorn chicks. New Hampshire chicks were employed in two trials and Broad Breasted Bronze poults in one. All birds were from the Department stock and …
Photoperiod-gonadotropin mismatches induced by treatment with acyline or FSH in Siberian hamsters: impacts on ovarian structure and function.

Many seasonal breeders time their reproductive efforts to specific times of the year to ensure adequate resources for the production and care of young. For long-day (LD) breeders, females born before the summer solstice (LDs) reach sexual maturity quickly and often breed that same year, whereas females born after the summer solstice (short days (SDs)) may delay reproductive development to the following spring when environmental conditions are favorable for reproduction. In Siberian hamsters, development in SD is associated with structural and functional differences in the ovary compared with females held in LD, including a greater number of primordial follicles and an abundance of hypertrophied granulosa cells (HGCs), which are immunoreactive for anti-Mullerian hormone. The goal of this study was to determine whether SD-induced gonadotropin suppression is responsible for these phenotypic differences. Gonadotropin levels were suppressed in LD hamsters using the GNRH antagonist acyline. Conversely, to determine whether the SD ovarian phenotype is completely reversed by gonadotropin stimulation, recombinant human FSH (rhFSH) was administered. Our treatments were successful in mimicking FSH concentrations of the opposite photoperiod, but they did not produce a comparable change in the ovarian phenotype. Most notable was the lack of HGCs in the ovaries of acyline-treated LD females. Similarly, HGCs were maintained in the ovaries of SD females treated with rhFSH. Our data suggest that gonadotropins alone do not account for the SD ovarian phenotype. Future studies will determine whether SD-induced changes in other factors underlie these phenotypic changes.
Clinical analysis of 153 cases of hand,foot and mouth disease

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics,treatment and prognosis of 153 cases of hand,foot and mouth disease.Methods:To make clinical retrospective analysis from April to August 2008 in the treated 153 children cases of hand,foot and mouth diseases.Results:The rash occurred mainly in hand,foot and mouth.All cases were cured after early treatment with no serious complications.Conclusion:The prognosis is good with timely and early treatments.
Cytokine and anti-cytokine therapies in prevention or treatment of fibrosis in IBD

The frequency of fibrosing Crohn's disease (CD) is significant, with approximately 40% of CD patients with ileal disease developing clinically apparent strictures throughout their lifetime. Although strictures may be subdivided into fibrotic, inflammatory, or mixed forms, despite immunosuppressive therapy in CD patients in the form of steroids or immunomodulators, the frequency of fibrostenosing complications has still remained significant. A vast number of genetic and epigenetic variables are thought to contribute to fibrostenosing disease, including those that affect cytokine biology, and therefore highlight the complexity of disease, but also shed light on targetable pathways. Exclusively targeting fibrosis may be difficult, however, because of the relatively slow evolution of fibrosis in CD, and the potential adverse effects of inhibiting pathways involved in tissue repair and mucosal healing. Acknowledging these caveats, cytokine-targeted therapy has become the mainstay of treatment for many inflammatory conditions and is being evaluated for fibrotic disorders. The question of whether anti-cytokine therapy will prove useful for intestinal fibrosis is, therefore, acutely relevant. This review will highlight some of the current therapeutics targeting cytokines involved in fibrosis.
Economic considerations for NTIS bibliographic data-base products

La base de donnees du NTIS (National Technical Information Service) est une base bibliographique contenant les references de rapports techniques qui n'ont fait l'objet d'aucune publication. 70000 rapports sont ainsi signales chaque annee. Un changement de politique de financement les ont contraints a diminuer leurs couts et creer de nouveaux produits documentaires. Les phases de cette conversion, aujourd'hui reussie, sont exposees
Why All this Security?: Teaching about Privacy in a Database Systems

A course in database systems offers the opportunity to help students understand, in a coherent way, the complete context of designing, implementing, and using a database. This presentation explores a module in an online Database Systems course covering privacy, ethics, data use, and maintenance, all in the context of a sequence of case study assignments that focuses on data modeling and database implementation.
Extended mortality results for ovarian cancer screening in the PLCO trial with median 15 years follow-up

Background The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial originally reported no mortality benefit of ovarian cancer screening after a median of 12.4 years of follow-up. The UKCTOCS screening trial failed to show a statistically significant mortality reduction in the primary analysis but reported an apparent increased mortality benefit in trial years 7–14 compared to 0–7. Here we report an updated analysis of PLCO with extended mortality follow-up.
Genetic Influences in ADHD

The genetic influences in pediatric behavior and attention disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, are reviewed from the Department of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA.
Genetic Algorithm Based Adequacy Evaluation of Hybrid Power Generation System Including Wind Turbine Generators

The adequacy of power generation should be properly evaluated to facilitate the reliable operations of power systems under uncertainties. More recently, wind power has attracted significant attention primarily because it does not consume fossil fuels and is environmentally benign. However, the output from wind turbine generator (WTG) can not be precisely predicted due to the intermittent nature of wind resources. In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA) based search procedure is adopted to accomplish the adequacy assessment for power generating system including wind turbine generators. The most probable failure states are sought out, which contribute significantly to the adequacy indices including loss of load expectation (LOLE), loss of load frequency (LOLF), and expected energy not supplied (EENS). A modified IEEE Reliability Test System (IEEE-RTS) is used to verify the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Head and neck cancer in 2016: A watershed year for improvements in treatment?

In the past year, clinical trials have provided important information on strategies to decrease treatment-associated toxicities in patients with head and neck cancer. In addition, the FDA approved the first immunotherapeutic agents for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic disease, based on the observation of durable responses to pembrolizumab in a phase Ib trial, and demonstration of improved survival and quality of life with the use of nivolumab versus chemotherapy in a phase III trial.
Dietary Ecology of the Extinct Cave Bear: Evidence of Omnivory as Inferred from Dental Microwear Textures

The diet of the extinct European cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, has widely been debated. Diverging from the extant brown bear (Ursus arctos) approximately 1.2 million years ago, the cave bear is one of the most ubiquitous fossil bears occurring in Europe during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Early morphological studies suggested that the cave bear was likely specialized on processing tough and/or abrasive foods, while later two-dimensional low-magnification microwear studies suggested that they were omnivorous and may have consumed more bone than U. arctos. Here, we used dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to further interpret the diet of the cave bear. Microscopic wear features were assessed and compared to modern ursids, including the cave bears' closest living relative, U. arctos. Results suggest that U. spelaeus consumed a diet with a diversity of textural properties, similar to most other bears and only distinguishable from the hyper-carnivorous polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Further, only U. marit...
Chromatin and lamin A determine two different mechanical response regimes of the cell nucleus

The cell nucleus must continually resist and respond to intercellular and intracellular mechanical forces to transduce mechanical signals and maintain proper genome organization and expression. Altered nuclear mechanics is associated with many human diseases, including heart disease, progeria, and cancer. Chromatin and nuclear envelope A-type lamin proteins are known to be key nuclear mechanical components perturbed in these diseases, but their distinct mechanical contributions are not known. Here we directly establish the separate roles of chromatin and lamin A/C and show that they determine two distinct mechanical regimes via micromanipulation of single isolated nuclei. Chromatin governs response to small extensions (<3 μm), and euchromatin/heterochromatin levels modulate the stiffness. In contrast, lamin A/C levels control nuclear strain stiffening at large extensions. These results can be understood through simulations of a polymeric shell and cross-linked polymer interior. Our results provide a framework for understanding the differential effects of chromatin and lamin A/C in cell nuclear mechanics and their alterations in disease.
Development and pharmacologic characterization of the rat 6 Hz model of partial seizures

SummaryObjective The mouse 6 Hz model of psychomotor seizures is a well-established and commonly used preclinical model for antiseizure drug (ASD) discovery. Despite its widespread use both in the identification and differentiation of novel ASDs in mice, a corresponding assay in rats has not been developed. We established a method for 6 Hz seizure induction in rats, with seizure behaviors similar to those observed in mice including head nod, jaw clonus, and forelimb clonus. Methods A convulsive current that elicits these seizure behaviors in 97% of rats (CC97) was determined using a Probit analysis. Numerous prototype ASDs were evaluated in this model using stimulus intensities of 1.5× and 2× the CC97, which is comparable to the approach used in the mouse 6 Hz seizure model (e.g., 32 and 44 mA stimulus intensities). The ASDs evaluated include carbamazepine, clobazam, clonazepam, eslicarbazepine, ethosuximide, ezogabine, gabapentin, lacosamide, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rufinamide, tiagabine, topiramate, and sodium valproate. Median effective dose (ED50) and median toxic (motor impairment) dose (TD50) values were obtained for each compound. Results Compounds that were effective at the 1.5 × CC97 stimulus intensity at protective index (PI) values >1 included clobazam, ethosuximide, ezogabine, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, and sodium valproate. Compounds that were effective at the 2 × CC97 stimulus intensity at PI values >1 included ezogabine, phenobarbital, and sodium valproate. Significance In a manner similar to the use of the mouse 6 Hz model, development of a rat 6 Hz test will aid in the differentiation of ASDs, as well as in study design and dose selection for chronic rat models of pharmacoresistant epilepsy. The limited number of established ASDs with demonstrable efficacy at the higher stimulus intensity suggests that, like the mouse 6 Hz 44 mA model, the rat 6 Hz seizure model may be a useful screening tool for pharmacoresistant seizures.
Random Unlabeled Rooted Trees (RANRUT)

This chapter describes an algorithm RANRUT focusing on random unlabeled rooted trees. Algorithm RANRUT is based on the idea of constructing a specific tree in parts, going downward whenever possible and to the right only when needed. It saves what can be constructed and combines pieces as quickly as possible. The chapter presents, in each column, the part of tree that has at any moment been determined, and under it a list of relevant graphs, which are being constructed at the same time. Each column constitutes one step of progress over the previous one. The thin arrows indicate transitions. The numerical codes are translated into trees because there is only one tree with that number of vertices. The chapter also discusses the notion of unlabeled rooted tree, which means equivalence class under isomorphisms of trees in which roots correspond to roots. In more practical terms, the algorithm presented in the chapter claims to produce each equivalence class of rooted n -trees with equal probability, but that does not necessarily hold for each of the inevitable labelings of the vertices in a computer output with which a tree of one type can occur.
Towards Lifelong Interactive Learning For Open-ended Embodied Narrative Improvisation

This paper describes a doctoral research plan modeling collaborative embodied narrative improvisation, using lifelong interactive learning to mitigate the knowledge-authoring bottleneck. Research methodology involves building interactive system models of the improvisation process, public installation/exhibition, user experience studies in public/lab settings, and ablation experiments. The article concludes with a research timeline.
Phosphoribulokinase: 3-Dimensional Structure & Catalytic Mechanism

Phosphoribulokinase (PRK) catalyzes production of the Calvin cycle’s CO2 acceptor, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate. As might be anticipated for a reaction so crucial to carbon assimilation, PRK is highly regulated in both the prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms in which it functions. In eukaryotes, activity is modulated by a thioredoxin-mediated thiol/disulfide exchange. The prokaryotic enzyme is allosterically regulated, with NADH functioning as a positive effector while AMP and PEP function as negative effectors.
Visualization of IAV Genomes at the Single-Cell Level

Different influenza A viruses (IAVs) infect the same cell in a host, and can subsequently produce new viruses through genome reassortment. By combining padlock probe RNA labeling with a single-cell analysis, a new approach effectively captures IAV genome trafficking and defines a time window for genome reassortment from same-cell coinfections.
Person Re-Identification by Cross-View Multi-Level Dictionary Learning

Person re-identification plays an important role in many safety-critical applications. Existing works mainly focus on extracting patch-level features or learning distance metrics. However, the representation power of extracted features might be limited, due to the various viewing conditions of pedestrian images in complex real-world scenarios. To improve the representation power of features, we learn discriminative and robust representations via dictionary learning in this paper. First, we propose a Cross-view Dictionary Learning (CDL) model, which is a general solution to the multi-view learning problem. Inspired by the dictionary learning based domain adaptation, CDL learns a pair of dictionaries from two views. In particular, CDL adopts a projective learning strategy, which is more efficient than the $l_1$ optimization in traditional dictionary learning. Second, we propose a Cross-view Multi-level Dictionary Learning (CMDL) approach based on CDL. CMDL contains dictionary learning models at different representation levels, including image-level, horizontal part-level, and patch-level. The proposed models take advantages of the view-consistency information, and adaptively learn pairs of dictionaries to generate robust and compact representations for pedestrian images. Third, we incorporate a discriminative regularization term to CMDL, and propose a CMDL-Dis approach which learns pairs of discriminative dictionaries in image-level and part-level. We devise efficient optimization algorithms to solve the proposed models. Finally, a fusion strategy is utilized to generate the similarity scores for test images. Experiments on the public VIPeR, CUHK Campus, iLIDS, GRID and PRID450S datasets show that our approach achieves the state-of-the-art performance.
Aggressive Enteral Nutrition Reduces Sepsis in the Hypercatabolic Injured Patient

Metabolic support is an integral component of surgical critical care. While prompt restoration of oxygen availability is clearly essential, timing, composition, and route of nutritional support may be important factors in patients at risk for multiple organ failure (MOF). The ensuing discussion will focus on: (a) timing of substrate delivery and (b) route of administration based on our clinical investigation over the past decade. The acutely injured patient was selected as a model of hypermetabolism because of relative homogeneity with respect to age, comorbid factors, and stress level.
Apidaecin multipeptide precursor structure: a putative mechanism for amplification of the insect antibacterial response.

Abstract Apidaecins are the most prominent components of the honeybee humoral defense against microbial invasion. Our analysis of cDNA clones indicated that up to 12 of these short peptides (2 kDa) can be generated by processing of single precursor proteins; different isoforms are hereby linked in one promolecule. Assembly of the multipeptide precursors and the putative three-step maturation are strongly reminiscent of yeast alpha-mating factor. Bioactive apidaecins are flanked by the two 'processing' sequences, EAEPEAEP (or variants) and RR; joined together, they form a single unit that is repeated numerous times. The number of such repeats is variable and was reflected in the observed diversity of transcript lengths. Each such transcript is likely to be encoded by a different gene, forming a tight gene cluster. While transcriptional activation upon bacterial challenge is not exceptionally fast, the multigene and multipeptide precursor nature of the apidaecin genetic information allows for amplification of the response, resulting in a real overproduction of peptide antibiotic. Enhanced efficiency of the 'immune' response to bacterial infection through such a mechanism is, to our knowledge, unique among insects.
Immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in remission bone marrow specimens from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Recombinant DNA probes for the joining (JH) segment of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene were used to detect molecular rearrangements of this gene in the DNA of bone marrow cells obtained during remission of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This molecular approach was optimized and found to exceed the sensitivity of conventional morphologic screening for detecting residual leukemia cells; one leukemic cell in 500 normal nucleated bone marrow cells was easily detected using this approach. In the present study, bone marrow from three of seven patients in complete clinical remission (defined morphologically) contained leukemic cells in these proportions. This analysis may be of use in evaluating the status of clinical remission in selected ALL patients.
Are governments able to lean against the macroeconomic wind

A standard model of activist macroeconomic policy derives a monetary reaction rule by assuming that governments have performance objectives, but are constrained by an augmented Phillips curve. In addition to monetary policy governments apply a variety of instruments to influence inflation and output, including fiscal policy, bailouts and exchange rates. Solving the Phillips curve and reaction rule for a reduced form, we study this model with a panel of OECD countries. A textbook version of the activist model leads to implausible results. The econometric results are much enhanced by accounting for serial correlation among output shocks. Our results suggest that governments do lean against inflation shocks, but not output shocks, although the flatness of the Phillips curve limits policy makers’ ability to effective lean against the wind. Furthermore, the activist model fits the data only slightly better than a flat-Phillips-curve benchmark. Some results are unexpected, like the estimated slope of the Phillips curves and the implied stabilization behavior of Finland, Japan and US policy makers.
A microfluidic platform for the simultaneous quantification of methanogen populations in anaerobic digestion processes

Methanogens are a diverse group of archaea that play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. The lack of appropriate molecular tools to simultaneously quantify numerous methanogenic taxa, however, has largely limited our ability to study these communities in a wide variety of habitats, such as anaerobic digesters (ADs). In this study, 34 probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays were designed to target all known methanogenic genera within the archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota. These qPCR assays were adapted to a high-throughput microfluidic platform, which allowed for the simultaneous detection and absolute quantification of numerous taxa in a single run. The resulting microfluidic qPCR (MFQPCR) platform was successfully used to decipher structure-function relationships among methanogenic communities in four laboratory-scale digesters exposed to a transient organic overload. Twelve of the 34 genera targeted in the MFQPCR were detected in the ADs, similar to results obtained using high-throughput sequencing. The MFQPCR platform and conventional qPCR assays also generated similar quantitative results. The MFQPCR tool developed here will help optimize AD technologies for efficient waste treatment and enhanced biogas production and can facilitate studies that will increase our understanding of methanogenic communities in other environments.
Simultaneous solid and biocrude product transformations from the hydrothermal treatment of high pH-induced flocculated algae at varying Ca concentrations

Abstract Because of the substantially high growth rate, algae have become a prominent biomass feedstock to produce biofuels and renewable chemicals leading to research on cost-competitive means to cultivate and convert algal biomass. Wastewater effluent streams provide the necessary water and nutrient inputs for algal growth, however, the low lipid, high ash composition of algal solids produced are not ideal for conventional conversion techniques. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a holistic algal conversion method that utilizes subcritical water to produce biocrude and high-valued solid product from wastewater-cultivated algal solids. The objective of this study was to understand how calcium, the primary inorganic element of wastewater-cultivated algal solids, affects the final HTL products. The calcium concentration was varied in six algal growth tanks and the algae was harvested via high pH induced-flocculation. The algal biomass was then processed using HTL at 350 °C for 1 h. Calcium carbonate was the primary crystalline structure observed in the algal and HTL solids. One HTL solid sample showed a significant production of tricalcium phosphate. The higher calcium concentrations resulted in near 100% capture of phosphorus in the HTL solids. Increasing the calcium content also had a positive impact on the biocrude including the H/C ratio, amide, alkene, and carboxylic acid content. The results of this study suggest that the inorganic solids collected from high pH, flocculated harvesting may have an in-situ catalytic impact on the biocrude.
Synthesis of 11C-labeled DNA polymerase-β inhibitor 5-methoxyflavone and PET/CT imaging thereof.

Abstract Introduction “Cell-cycle hypothesis” is emerging in recent years to suggest that aberrant cell cycle re-entry of differentiated neurons leads to a remarkable genetic disequilibrium which is likely to be the primary cause of neuronal apoptosis. DNA polymerase-β is involved in neuronal DNA replication during cell cycle re-entry, thus constituting a promising target for Alzheimer's disease treatment. Recently, 5-methoxyflavone was identified as a candidate molecule endowed with good biological activity and selectivity on the DNA pol-β in multiple in vitro AD models. In vivo assays, especially the brain uptake of 5-methoxyflavone, is need to be evaluated for further development for AD treatment. We report herein the synthesis of 11C-labeled 5-methoxyflavone, and the evaluation of in vivo properties of 5-[11C]methoxyflavone in rodents. Methods The strategy for synthesis of 5-[11C]methoxyflavone was developed by treating precursor 5-hydroxyflavone with [11C]CH3I and KOH in anhydrous DMF. 5-[11C]Methoxyflavone was purified, then evaluated in mice by using PET/CT imaging. Results The 5-[11C]methoxyflavone was synthesized conveniently in an average decay corrected yield of 22% (n = 3) with a radiochemical purity >99%. The average molar radioactivity of 5-[11C]methoxyflavone was 383 GBq/μmol. The average concentration was 0.107 μg/mL. PET/CT imaging in mice showed 5-[11C]methoxyflavone rapidly passed through the blood-brain barrier with 8.36 ± 0.61%ID/g at 2 min post injection, and the radioactivity accumulation in brain was still noticeable with 2.48 ± 0.59%ID/g at 28 min post injection. The clearance rate was 3.37 (brain2 min/brain28 min ratio). The blood and muscle uptakes were low. The lung displayed high initial uptake and subsequent rapid clearance, while the liver and kidney displayed a relatively slow clearance. Real-time imaging showed that 5-[11C]methoxyflavone accumulated immediately in the heart, then transferred to the liver and intestine, and was not observed in lower digestive tract. Conclusions 5-[11C]Methoxyflavone was synthesized conveniently in one step. The results of PET/CT imaging in C57BL/6 mice suggested 5-[11C]methoxyflavone possesses appropriate pharmacokinetic properties and favorable brain uptake, thus being proved to be suitable for further development for AD treatment.
Sensory Processing Disorder and Praxis Skills in Children With Learning Disabilities

Date Presented 04/05/19 The purpose of this study is to explore if children with learning disabilities experience praxis deficits due to sensory processing disorder. Results suggest that individuals with learning disabilities and ADHD score much more than others on movement processing and body positioning processing. Relationships between praxis skills and sensory processing were inconclusive. Primary Author and Speaker: Phil Esposito Additional Authors and Speakers: Del Aguilar