cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Naltrexone and Disulfiram Treatment Response in Veterans With Alcohol Dependence and Co-Occurring Problem-Gambling Features.

BACKGROUND Disordered gambling behavior frequently co-occurs with alcohol dependence and other psychiatric conditions. Using data from a previously published trial, we conducted secondary analyses to examine the influence of problem-gambling features on treatment outcome for alcohol dependence or co-occurring psychopathology assessed via DSM-IV criteria. METHODS Two hundred fifty-four patients with alcohol dependence and co-occurring psychiatric disorders were treated for 12 weeks in an outpatient medication study conducted at 3 Veterans Administration outpatient clinics from October 1998 to March 2002. Randomization included assignment to 1 of 4 groups: (1) naltrexone alone, (2) placebo alone, (3) (open-label) disulfiram and (blinded) naltrexone, or (4) (open-label) disulfiram and (blinded) placebo. One hundred seventy-four participants were evaluated for the diagnostic inclusionary criteria for pathological gambling using the Massachusetts Gambling Screen. Primary outcome and secondary outcome measures assessed alcohol use and psychiatric domains. RESULTS Forty-five of 174 participants (25.9%) exhibited problem-gambling features (acknowledged 1 or more inclusionary criteria for pathological gambling). A gambling-group-by-disulfiram interaction was observed for abstinence, with problem-gambling features not associated with beneficial response to disulfiram (z = 6.58, P = .01). Participants with problem-gambling features reported significantly less improvement over time in general psychiatric functioning (z = 2.62, P = .01), specifically within somatization (z = 3.77, P < .01), phobic anxiety (z = 3.24, P < .01), interpersonal sensitivity (z = 2.61, P = .01), paranoid ideation (z = 2.32, P = .02), and anxiety (z = 2.10, P = .04) domains. CONCLUSIONS The association between problem-gambling features and poorer outcomes in alcohol and multiple nonsubstance psychiatric domains suggests the need for improved screening for gambling problems in dually diagnosed populations and for the development of empirically validated treatments for individuals with these disorders.
Activation of the orphan receptor COUP-TF1 by 1,1-bis(3’-indolyl)-1-(4-pyridyl)methane.

5348 Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor (COUP-TF) is an orphan nuclear receptor that can bind DNA as a homodimer or a heterodimer with retinoid X receptor or thyroid hormone receptor. COUP-TF exhibits multiple tissue-specific functions and these include silencing of other nuclear receptors and transcription factors. Ligand-dependent activation of COUP-TF has hitherto not been reported. Studies in this laboratory have demonstrated that different structural classes of triaryl methanes containing two bis-indole substituents activate several orphan receptors and a subclass of 1,1-bis(3’-indolyl)-1-(heteroaromatic)methanes were identified as COUP-TF1 activators. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells transfected with chimeric Gal4-COUP-TF1-FL (full length) expression and a pGal4 construct containing 5 tandem Gal4 response elements linked to a luciferase receptor gene, 10-20uM 1,1-bis(3’-indolyl)-1-(4-pyridyl)methane (DIM-C-Pyr-4) induced transactivation. The effect of several other analogs containing heteroaromatic rings including the 3- and 2-pyridyl isomers were also investigated and exhibited minimal activation of Gal4-COUP-TF1. We also determined the effects of DIM-C-Pyr-4 on activation of chimeric COUP-TF1-ΔC (aa 1-211) and COUP-TF1-ΔN (aa 151-423) and in which regions of the ligand binding domain E and the A/B domain were deleted respectively. DIM-C-Pyr-4 induced transactivation > 15 fold in cells transfected with COUP-TF1-ΔC (aa 1-211) whereas decreased (>3 fold) but significant transactivation was observed in cells transfected with COUP-TF1-ΔN (aa 151-423). Cotreatment with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor blocked the DIM-C-Pyr-4-induced transcriptional activation of COUP-TF1-ΔC (aa 1-211) by 70%. We also investigated ligand-dependent interaction of Gal4-coactivator (SRC-1, SRC-2, SRC-3, TRAP220, CARM1 and PGC-1) and VP16-COUP-TF1 (full-length) in a mammalian two-hybrid assay in LNCaP cells and SRC-1 and SRC-2 were the major COUP-TF1 interacting coactivators. This represents the first report of COUP-TF1 activation and current studies are investigating the mechanisms of this response and the effects on gene expression.
Plenary talk II: Big video data analytics: Research challenges and trends

In this talk, the challenges and research trends for processing big video data will be addressed. The increase in number of cameras feeds and video data has created a huge video data, where ordinary processing is no longer sufficient. On the other hand, every day, more cameras are installed for different purposes. The reduction in camera prices and the introduction of different new concepts and technologies, such as deep learning and HEVC in addition to the increased performance of GPU and network connectivity have participated in accelerating the huge increase of video data. Many emerging applications in surveillance, traffic management, retail, autonomous driving, medical analysis, etc. require processing of large number of cameras feeds in a relatively short time. In order to do so, big-video data processing requirements needed to be understood and the existing tools should be modified to handle video data more efficiently. The talk will address the major bottle necks and challenges for processing video data using current big data tools. The talk will address also current research trends that aim at improving the efficiency of big-video-data processing.
Nonviral RNA chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells are being investigated in many settings, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). The unique biology of cHL, characterized by scant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells within an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), may pose challenges for cellular therapies directly targeting antigens expressed on HRS cells. We hypothesized that eradicating CD19+ B cells within the TME and the putative circulating CD19+ HRS clonotypic cells using anti-CD19-directed CAR-modified T cells (CART19) may indirectly affect HRS cells, which do not express CD19. Here we describe our pilot trial using CART19 in patients with relapsed or refractory cHL. To limit potential toxicities, we used nonviral RNA CART19 cells, which are expected to express CAR protein for only a few days, as opposed to CART19 generated by viral vector transduction, which expand in vivo and retain CAR expression. All 5 enrolled patients underwent successful manufacturing of nonviral RNA CART19, and 4 were infused with protocol-specified cell dose. There were no severe toxicities. Responses were seen, but these were transient. To our knowledge, this is the first CART19 clinical trial to use nonviral RNA gene delivery. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02277522 (adult) and #NCT02624258 (pediatric).
Constitutional Dilemma and Social Welfare Policy in Canada

The Canadian Constitution is usually interpreted as giving the provinces primary jurisdiction over social welfare. However, the federal government utilizing other powers provided in the constitution has expanded its role in legitimating the social order by promoting social integration and providing the disadvantaged groups with minimum social security. Thus social welfare is administered by both levels of government. Yet the fact that no mandatory obligations are imposed on either level of government has led to the development of social welfare policy in Canada in a fashion that resembles a crazy patchwork quilt. This is shown in a review of the post-World War II federal-provincial relations in both income security programs, and personal and community social services. The review also reveals the present situation as one of unresolved contradictions of split responsibilities. The provinces by and large attempt to restrict the federal role in social welfare to that of cost-sharing with minimum policy input. The federal government, on the other hand, is attempting to reduce its money transfers to the provinces and escape from financial responsibility for many programs. Finally, an examination of the new Constitution reveals the lack of guarantee of social and economic rights for Canadians. The virtual silence over social policies in the recent constitutional debate is not only lamentable but will eventually prove detrimental to the development of Canada as a nation. INTRODUCTION: BASIC CONTRADICTIONS The official goal of any welfare state is egalitarianism or at least a reduction in social inequality. Wilensky (1975), after examining the social welfare progrars of 22 countries, concludes that the net short-term economic effect of the welfare state is egalitarian, while he holds off speculations about the non-economic or the long-term effects. Yet it is a well-known fact that in the last 30 years the distribution of money income in Canada has not changed significantly (Gillespie, 1976; Caskie, 1979; Ross, 1980). The share of the lowest quintile of income earners has remained about 4% while that of the highest quintile around 42%.
Redox modulation of the NMDA receptor by NO-related species

The chemical reactions of NO are largely dictated by its redox state. Increasing evidence suggests that the various redox states of the NO group exist endogenously in biological tissues. In the case of NO+ equivalents, the mechanism of reaction often involves S-nitrosylation (transfer of the NO group to a cysteine sulfhydryl to form an RS-NO); further oxidation of critical thiols can possibly form disulfide bonds. We have physiological and chemical evidence that NMDA receptor activity can be modulated by S-nitrosylation, resulting in a decrease in channel opening. Recent data suggest that NO-, probably in the singlet (or high-energy) state, can also react with critical sulfhydryl group(s) of the NMDA receptor to down-regulate its activity; in the triplet (lower-energy) state NO- may oxidize these NMDA receptor sulfhydryl groups by formation of an intermediate such as peroxynitrite. It has also been reported that NO can react with thiol but only under specific circumstances, e.g., if an electron acceptor such as O2 is present, as well at catalytic amounts of metals like copper, and if the conditions do not favor the kinetically preferred reaction with O2.- to yield peroxynitrite. Mounting evidence in many fields suggests that S-nitrosylation can regulate the biological activity of a great variety of proteins, perhaps analogous to phosphorylation. Thus, this chemical reaction is gaining acceptance as a newly-recognized molecular switch to control protein function via reactive thiol groups such as those encountered on the NMDA receptor.
Magneto-Optics of Inhomogeneous Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

We review our theoretical understanding of anomalies in the emission from the homogeneous interacting two-dimensional electron gas at integer filling factors, in particular the change in the magnetic field dependence of the emission in the vicinity of filling factor 2 due to the renormalization of the band-gap. We compare these predictions with predictions from a competing model which involves inhomogeneous disordered electron gas leading to re-appearance of exciton and charged exciton-like resonance at filling factor < 2.
Epidemiologic studies of vitamins and cancer of the lung, esophagus, and cervix.

Epidemiologic studies of the relationships between vitamins and 3 types of cancer are reviewed. First, the widely reported association between vitamin A and β-carotene and risk of lung cancer is considered. In a large population-based case-control study of lung cancer among white males in New Jersey, increased intake of vegetables, dark green vegetables, dark yellow-orange vegetables, and carotenoids were each associated with reduced risk, but intake of retinol or total vitamin A was not related. The protective effect of vegetables was limited to current and recent cigarette smokers, which suggests that vegetable intake prevents a late-stage event in carcinogenesis. Consumption of dark yellow-orange vegetables was consistently more predictive of reduced risk than either the total carotenoid index or consumption of any other food group, possibly because of the high content of β-carotene in this food group. The results and limitations of other epidemiologic studies of diet and lung cancer are reviewed. Second, the evolving relationship between multiple micronutrient deficiencies and esophageal cancer is discussed. In a death certificate-based case-control study of esophageal cancer in black males in Washington, D.C., several indicators of general nutritional status, including consumption of fresh or frozen meat and fish, dairy products and eggs, and fruit and vegetables, and the number of meals eaten per day, were inversely and independently correlated with the risk of esophageal cancer. Estimates of intake of micronutrients, such as carotenoids, vitamin C, thiamin, and riboflavin, were less strongly associated with reduced risk than were the broad food groups that provide most of each micronutrient. Thus no single micronutrient deficiency was identified. Other studies suggest that generally poor nutrition may partially explain the susceptibility of urban black men to esophageal cancer. Finally, the postulated association between low folacin levels and risk of cervical cancer is examined. Among women who use oral contraceptives, serum and red blood cell folacin levels were reported to be lower among those with cervical dysplasia. In a clinical trial involving oral contraceptive users, cervical dysplasia gradually decreased in the group supplemented with oral folate but remained unchanged in the group given the placebo. Other epidemiologic studies of diet and cervical cancer are discussed.
Quality Control, Statistical: Methods

After describing the idea behind statistical quality control charts, examples are given using x¯-, s-, R-, p-, and c-charts. While acceptance-sampling plans are being replaced by ‘up front’ quality improvement methods, there is still enough need for them that these plans are also explained. Capability indices are considered and illustrated using Cpk. Final comments are made about the importance of understanding variation and reducing it in quality improvement.
Multiple Aspect Ranking Using the Good Grief Algorithm

We address the problem of analyzing multiple related opinions in a text. For instance, in a restaurant review such opinions may include food, ambience and service. We formulate this task as a multiple aspect ranking problem, where the goal is to produce a set of numerical scores, one for each aspect. We present an algorithm that jointly learns ranking models for individual aspects by modeling the dependencies between assigned ranks. This algorithm guides the prediction of individual rankers by analyzing meta-relations between opinions, such as agreement and contrast. We prove that our agreementbased joint model is more expressive than individual ranking models. Our empirical results further conrm the strength of the model: the algorithm provides signicant improvement over both individual rankers and a state-of-the-art joint ranking model.
Sidelines: An Algorithm for Increasing Diversity in News and Opinion Aggregators

Aggregators rely on votes, and links to select and present subsets of the large quantity of news and opinion items generated each day. Opinion and topic diversity in the output sets can provide individual and societal benefits, but simply selecting the most popular items may not yield as much diversity as is present in the overall pool of votes and links. In this paper, we define three diversity metrics that address different dimensions of diversity: inclusion, non-alienation, and proportional representation. We then present the Sidelines algorithm – which temporarily suppresses a voter’s preferences after a preferred item has been selected – as one approach to increase the diversity of result sets. In comparison to collections of the most popular items, from user votes on Digg.com and links from a panel of political blogs, the Sidelines algorithm increased inclusion while decreasing alienation. For the blog links, a set with known political preferences, we also found that Sidelines improved proportional representation. In an online experiment using blog link data as votes, readers were more likely to find something challenging to their views in the Sidelines result sets. These findings can help build news and opinion aggregators that present users with a broader range of topics and opinions.
Modeling a rotator cuff tear: Individualized shoulder muscle forces influence glenohumeral joint contact force predictions.

Abstract Background Rotator cuff tears in older individuals may result in decreased muscle forces and changes to force distribution across the glenohumeral joint. Reduced muscle forces may impact functional task performance, altering glenohumeral joint contact forces, potentially contributing to instability or joint damage risk. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of rotator cuff muscle force distribution on glenohumeral joint contact force during functional pull and axilla wash tasks using individualized computational models. Methods Fourteen older individuals (age 63.4 yrs. (SD 1.8)) were studied; 7 with rotator cuff tear, 7 matched controls. Muscle volume measurements were used to scale a nominal upper limb model's muscle forces to develop individualized models and perform dynamic simulations of movement tracking participant-derived kinematics. Peak resultant glenohumeral joint contact force, and direction and magnitude of force components were compared between groups using ANCOVA. Findings Results show individualized muscle force distributions for rotator cuff tear participants had reduced peak resultant joint contact force for pull and axilla wash (P ≤ 0.0456), with smaller compressive components of peak resultant force for pull (P = 0.0248). Peak forces for pull were within the glenoid. For axilla wash, peak joint contact was directed near/outside the glenoid rim for three participants; predictions required individualized muscle forces since nominal muscle forces did not affect joint force location. Interpretation Older adults with rotator cuff tear had smaller peak resultant and compressive forces, possibly indicating increased instability or secondary joint damage risk. Outcomes suggest predicted joint contact force following rotator cuff tear is sensitive to including individualized muscle forces.
Rapid monitoring of impedance phase shifts in lithium-ion batteries for hazard prevention

Abstract The explosion and fire hazards associated with thermal runaway in lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells require monitoring internal temperature changes in seconds in order to ensure battery safety. Among the various techniques for internal temperature cell determination, only impedance-based temperature monitors have the characteristics necessary for rapid response. Here we discuss a novel method for prediction and prevention of thermal runaway in Li-ion batteries based on rapid (on the order of seconds) monitoring of cell impedance. The electrical impedance – a complex quantity – is represented by two real numbers, e.g., impedance amplitude and phase shift (φ). The phase shift φ at a specified frequency has a higher measurement resolution and is much less dependent on the size of Li-ion cells (Ah capacity). We demonstrate in this work emergence of characteristic changes in φ before and during a rapidly evolving thermal runaway event. We highlight the capability to predict and possibly prevent thermal runaway in a Li-ion cell by incorporating a phase-shift monitor in a battery management system.
Socially Induced Food Avoidance in Lambs: Direct or Indirect Maternal Influence?'

Food avoidance can be directly moti- vated in the sense that an animal refrains from eating a food because of an aversion to it, or indirectly motivated in the sense that an animal ingests little of one item because it prefers another. We studied whether the reluctance of a lamb to eat a shrub ( Cercocarpus montanus) its mother avoided resulted from a socially induced aversion to C. montanus or from a socially induced preference for an alternative shrub (Amelanchier alnifolia). Each lamb (n = 6) in the treatment group was exposed with its mother to either A. alnifolia or C. montanus for 5 min, followed by 5 min of exposure to the other food for 5 d. Mothers in the treatment group avoided C. montanus because its ingestion had previously been paired with lithium chloride, but they readily ate A. alnifolia. Each lamb in the control group (n = 6) was exposed with its mother to only A. alnifolia. Following weaning, lambs in both groups strongly preferred A. alnifolia to C. montanus when offered a choice between the two species (P < .05), but they readily ate C. montanus when only C. montanus was offered. Accordingly, the data support the hypothesis that the low consumption of C. montanus occurred as a result of a socially induced preference for A. alnifolia, not as a result of a socially induced aversion to C. montanus. If food avoidance had been directly mediated, lambs whose mothers avoided C. montanus would have completely avoided the shrub during testing, as in the case when acquired food aversions are directly mediated by toxins.
Periodic focal epileptiform discharges

Abstract Objective To report intraoperative periodic focal epileptiform discharges (PFEDs) during awake craniotomy using high-density electrocorticography (HD-ECoG). Methods We retrospectively analyzed 81 patients undergoing awake craniotomy between 9/29/2016 and 7/5/2018. Intraoperative HD-ECoG was performed with direct electrocortical stimulation (DECS) for functional brain mapping. Real-time interpretation was performed and compared to scalp EEG when performed. Perioperative seizures, surgical complications, and characteristics of PFEDs were assessed. Results 69/81 patients (mean age 48.5 years) underwent awake surgery; 55 operated for brain tumor, 11 for epilepsy and 3 for cavernomas. A focal abnormality on brain MRI was present in 63/69 (91.3%) patients. 43/69 (62.3%) patients had seizures preoperatively, 4/69 (5.7%) had seizures during DECS. PFEDs were identified in 11 patients (15.9%); 2 on depth recording and 9 during intraoperative HD-ECoG. 32 patients (46.3%) had preoperative EEG. HD-ECoG detected more epileptiform discharges (EDs) than standard EEG (32/43; 74.4% vs 9/32; 28.1%) (p = Conclusions Intraoperative PFEDs are novel, highly focal EDs approximating a single gyrus. In patients with brain tumors, PFEDs did not demonstrate a relationship to pre-operative seizures though has similarities to other common waveforms in patients with epilepsy. Significance PFEDs expand our understanding of the interictal-ictal continuum and highlight improved temporo-spatial information obtained from increasing sensor density during intracranial EEG recording.
Advising Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Best Practices for Student Success

As of 2014, one in sixty-eight children in the United States received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Bednarchyk, 2014). As the prevalence of this learning disability rises within the general population, increased numbers of students with ASD enter institutions of higher education across the United States (Hansen, 2011). This data mean faculty and staff working at colleges and universities require knowledge of best practices to best serve these students. In particular, advisers are positioned well to learn how to work with students with ASD and facilitate their academic success. This article provides background information about ASD, characteristics of students with ASD in higher education, a model for advising students with ASD, and best practices for working with this student population. Readers can utilize this article as a means to spark discussion within offices and institutions about training needed to better serve students with ASD.
Distortion Correction for an Imaging Ellipsometer.

A simple imaging add-on utilizing the combination of a relay lens and an optical grating to a nulling ellipsometer for the purpose of imaging and correcting angular distortion is designed, built, and tested. Image contrast is achieved on a standardized silicon wafer, graphene transferred on silicon wafer, a self-assembled monolayer of 1-octadecanethiol on gold, and a 1:1 mixture of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine / distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC/DSPC) on copper. The configuration used in this paper corrects the angular distortion and depth of focus with a spatial resolution of 4.38 μm in the laser's incident direction and 7.81 μm in the direction that is perpendicular to the incident plane together with 3 A of normal resolution while still maintaining a large field of view of at least 720 μm × 550 μm in focus without executing any line scanning, post-image reconstruction, or specially customized objective method. Better resolution is possibly attained with higher NA optics.
Molecular subtypes in canine hemangiosarcoma reveal similarities with human angiosarcoma

Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare neoplasm with limited treatment options and a poor survival rate. Development of effective therapies is hindered by the rarity of this disease. Dogs spontaneously develop hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a common, histologically similar neoplasm. Metastatic disease occurs rapidly and despite chemotherapy, most dogs die several months after diagnosis. These features suggest that HSA might provide a tractable model to test experimental therapies in clinical trials. We previously reported whole exome sequencing of 20 HSA cases. Here we report development of a NGS targeted resequencing panel to detect driver mutations in HSA and other canine tumors. We validated the panel by resequencing the original 20 cases and sequenced 30 additional cases. Overall, we identified potential driver mutations in over 90% of the cases, including well-documented (in human cancers) oncogenic mutations in PIK3CA (46%), PTEN (6%), PLCG1(4%), and TP53 (66%), as well as previously undetected recurrent activating mutations in NRAS (24%). The driver role of these mutations is further demonstrated by augmented downstream signaling crucial to tumor growth. The recurrent, mutually exclusive mutation patterns suggest distinct molecular subtypes of HSA. Driver mutations in some subtypes closely resemble those seen in some AS cases, including NRAS, PLCG1, PIK3CA and TP53. Furthermore, activation of the MAPK and PI3K pathways appear to be key oncogenic mechanisms in both species. Together, these observations suggest that dogs with spontaneous HSA could serve as a useful model for testing the efficacy of targeted therapies, some of which could potentially be of therapeutic value in AS.
The Dilemma of Manifesting Carriers in the Context of Myoblast Transplantation

What I would like to do for the end of this session is add a little caveat to myoblast transplantation. Basically, the caveat comes from work we have been doing on understanding the role of dystrophin in normal muscle function. When Eric Hoffman first came to me concerning collaboration with Terry Partridge on cell transplantation, I was a bit skeptical about the feasibility of the procedure. But as the experiments progressed, they looked more and more promising. The nagging question in both my mind and others was the occurrence of manifesting carriers. Having two cell populations (those capable of producing dystrophin and those incapable) one would expect that a carrier, much like a recipient of a transplant, would be expected to compensate for the abnormal cells and with time have only dystrophin producing cells. One way to address the issue would be to follow the fate of the two cell populations during embryonic development in an obligate carrier. These experiments would only be possible in an animal model, so we set up a collaboration with Simon Watkins to study cross-sections of muscle taken from obligate mdx carrier mice at different times during normal development. As might be predicted, early in development there were obvious dystrophin negative fibers among dystrophin positive ones. The number of negative fibers decreased with time such that by 60 days after birth, the vast majority of fibers were dystrophin positive.
Multiple Change Points Detection in Low Rank and Sparse High Dimensional Vector Autoregressive Models

Identifying change/break points in multivariate time series represents a canonical problem in signal processing, due to numerous applications related to anomaly detection problems. The underlying detection methodology heavily depends on the nature of the mechanism determining the temporal dynamics of the data. Vector auto-regressive models (VAR) constitute a widely used model in diverse areas, including surveillance applications, economics/finance and neuroscience. In this work, we consider piece-wise stationary VAR models exhibiting break points between the corresponding stationary segments, wherein the transition matrices that govern the model's temporal evolution are decomposed into a common low-rank component and time evolving sparse ones. Further, we assume that the number of available time points are smaller than the number of model parameters and hence we are operating in a high-dimensional regime . We develop a three-step strategy that accurately detects the number of change points together with their location and subsequently estimates the model parameters in each stationary segment. The effectiveness of the proposed procedure is illustrated on both synthetic and real data sets.
Workforce development and leadership training for the new blue economy

Abstract Demand is increasing for programs in ocean sciences, engineering, information technology, and management that address workforce development and leadership training needs to support both the traditional and emerging new blue economy. As described in this chapter, associate degrees and undergraduate programs that provide marine-related technical training represent an opportunity for growth in ocean engineering and technology workforce development. At the graduate level, new leadership programs are now being offered, such as the Blue MBA, that combine management and marine science training for students interested in developing skills applicable to the new blue economy. When considering the full spectrum of blue economy challenges and opportunities, there will likely be a growing demand for technical training and advanced academic programs in fields such as fisheries and aquaculture, ocean technology, engineering, ocean observing, renewable energy, marine biotechnology, finance and risk management. Development of new instructional programs provides an opportunity for greater collaboration between industry, government, and academia in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce that meets the needs of the burgeoning new blue economy.
SYBR® Green RT-qPCR for the Universal Detection of Citrus Viroids.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse transcription (RT)-qPCR have now become the gold standard for molecular diagnostics because of its sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility. In addition, qPCR diagnostics are flexible because they can be scaled for high- or low-throughput applications. Here we describe an optimized assay and workflow for the universal detection of eight citrus viroid species and their variants by RT-qPCR. The assay allows for quick and efficient molecular detection of viroids without the need to run RT-qPCR for each individual viroid species.
Heart Rate Variability: A Risk Factor for Female Sexual Dysfunction

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of autonomic nervous system activity, which reflects an individual’s ability to adapt to physiological and environmental changes. Low resting HRV has been linked to several mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and alcohol dependence (Kemp et al. in Biological Psychiatry 67(11):1067–1074, 2010. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.12.012; Kemp et al. in PloS One, 7(2):e30777, 2012; Quintana et al. in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 132(1–2):395–398, 2013. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.02.025). HRV has also been used as a method for indexing the relative balance of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity to parasympathetic nervous system activity. This balance—in particular, moderately dominant SNS activity—has been shown to play a significant role in women’s genital sexual arousal in the laboratory; however, the role of SNS activity in clinically relevant sexual arousal function is unknown. The present study assessed the feasibility of using HRV as an index of women’s self-reported sexual arousal function outside the laboratory. Sexual arousal function, overall sexual function, and resting HRV were assessed in 72 women, aged 18–39. Women with below average HRV were significantly more likely to report sexual arousal dysfunction (p < .001) and overall sexual dysfunction (p < .001) than both women with average HRV and women with above average HRV. In conclusion, low HRV may be a risk factor for female sexual arousal dysfunction and overall sexual dysfunction.
The Moral Dimensions of Infrastructure

Moral issues in urban planning involving technology, residents, marginalized groups, ecosystems, and future generations are complex cases, requiring solutions that go beyond the limits of contemporary moral theory. Aside from typical planning problems, there is incongruence between moral theory and some of the subjects that require moral assessment, such as urban infrastructure. Despite this incongruence, there is not a need to develop another moral theory. Instead, a supplemental measure that is compatible with existing moral positions will suffice. My primary goal in this paper is to explain the need for this supplemental measure, describe what one looks like, and show how it works with existing moral systems. The secondary goal is to show that creating a supplemental measure that provides congruency between moral systems that are designed to assess human action and non-human subjects advances the study of moral theory.
Preparation and Crystallization of Dynamic NF-κB·IκB Complexes *

The formation of single, well-diffracting crystals is a requirement for any molecular structure determination by x-ray crystallography. Crystallization of biological macromolecules can represent a significant obstacle when the subject exhibits internal flexibility or indiscriminate self-association. In such cases, the removal of inherently flexible regions and the addition of stabilizing ligands can improve the probability of crystal formation and ordered growth. We have applied these principles in order to form crystals of the Rel homology region of transcription factor NF-kappaB in complex with its inhibitors IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta. None of these molecules crystallizes in the absence of a binding partner. Recombinant overexpression of truncated IkappaBalpha required selection of the correct start site. NF-kappaB.IkappaBalpha complex crystals formed under relatively stringent conditions. NF-kappaB. IkappaBbeta complex crystals were formed by analogy to NF-kappaB. IkappaBalpha, although some modifications in purification and complex formation were necessary due to differences between the inhibitors.
Integrating management support systems into strategic information systems planning

Abstract:The critical success factor (csf) methodology is extended to explicitly examine the critical assumptions underlying the csfs and to identify opportunities for investment in management information systems (mis), decision support systems (dss), and executive support systems (ess). A strategic data model is used to help coordinate investments across these types of management support systems. This extended methodology should enhance the validity of an information systems (is) planning effort because of both the scope of management support systems that are considered and the potential use of the assumptions to reassess and reexamine the soundness of the original CSFS. An actual planning engagement is used to illustrate the application of the methodology.
Structural Changes Accompanying Metal Complex Electrode Reactions

Mise au point sur les modifications structurales dans les complexes metalliques se produisant a la suite d'une reaction redox
A topological data model for spatial databases

There is a growing demand for engineering applications which need a sophisticated treatment of geometric properties. Implementations of Euclidian geometry, commonly used in current commercial Geographic Information Systems and CAD/CAM, are impeded by the finiteness of computers and their numbering systems. To overcome these deficiencies a spatial data model is proposed which is based upon the mathematical theory of simplices and simplicial complexes from combinatorial topology and introduces completeness of incidence and completeness of inclusion as an extension to the closed world assumption. It guarantees the preservation of topology under affine transformations. This model leads to straightforward algorithms which are described. The implementation as a general spatial framework on top of an object-oriented database management system is discussed.
The Risale-i Nur

In the battle for minds and hearts of young Muslims in Eastern Anatolia, the Risale-i Nur movement inspired by the writings of Said Nursi may prove to be the most effective peace-oriented alternative to the xenophobic teachings of ISIS . As the most influential Muslim thinker in Turkey in the 20th Century, Nursi still attracts the attention and loyalty of great number of Turks and Kurds. Nursi was one of the earliest to call for Muslim-Christian cooperation in the struggle against ignorance, poverty, and disunity. His message of peace and dialogue offer a sound foundation for both ethnic tolerance and interreligious harmony.
Pairing and Charge-Density-Wave Correlations in a One-Dimensional Electron-Exciton Model

Etude de l'appariement, de la densite de charge et des correlations de densite de spin d'un modele exciton-electron unidimensionnel
Characterization of clinical mastitis records from one herd in a subtropical environment.

Abstract Patterns of occurrence and reoccurrence of clinical mastitis, duration of episodes, and number of quarters treated in a large north Florida dairy over 6.5 yr are described. Monthly incidence of milk disposal due to clinical mastitis varied within and between years and ranged from 1.3 to 4.7% of cow-days in milk. In first parity animals, 37.6% of lactations were treated for clinical mastitis, averaging 1.4 episodes per treated lactation. Almost half of these episodes occurred by d 35 of lactation. For second, third, and fourth or greater parities, 35.5, 48.1, and 56.6% of lactations were treated. These lactations averaged 2.1, 2.3, and 2.8 episodes. In parities 2, 3, and ≥ 4, episodes initiated by d 35 of lactation were 28.2, 23.9, and 20.6% of parity episodes. Seventy-two percent of episodes were treated for ≤ 7 d. Sixty-seven percent of episodes were treated in one quarter and treatment in two, three, or four quarters accounted for 21.6, 5.5, and 5.9% of all episodes. When two quarters were treated simultaneously, udder halves (front, rear, right, left) were treated more frequently than were diagonals.
Ordering for estimation

A discretetized version of a continuous optimization problem is considered for the case where data is obtained from a set of dispersed sensor nodes and the overall metric is a sum of individual metrics computed at each sensor. An example of such a problem is maximum likelihood estimation based on statistically independent sensor observations. By ordering transmissions from the sensor nodes, a method for achieving a saving in the average number of sensor transmissions is described. While the average number of sensor transmissions is reduced, the approach always yields the same solution as the optimum approach where all sensors transmit. The approach is described first for a general optimization problem. A maximum likelihood target location and velocity estimation example for a multiple node non-coherent MIMO radar system is later described. In particular, for cases with near ideal signals, sufficiently small surveillance region and sufficiently large signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, the average percentage of transmissions saved approaches 100 percent as the number of discrete grid points in the optimization problem Q becomes significantly large. In these same cases, the average percentage of transmissions saved approaches (Q − 1)/Q × 100 percent as the number of sensors N in the network becomes significantly large. Similar savings are illustrated for general optimization (or estimation) problems with well designed systems.
MCF-10AT: A Model for Human Breast Cancer Development.

▪ Abstract: A number of lesions, collectively termed Proliferative Breast Disease (PBD), have been associated with high risk of developing breast cancer. Understanding of the natural history of PBD and its relationship to breast cancer progression has been hampered by the lack of an experimental model. MCF-10AT cells are of human, breast epithelial cell origin. They grow as xenografts in immune-incompetent mice where they produce normal-appearing ducts, atypical hyperplasia, carcinoma-in-situ, and invasive carcinoma. Estrogen supplementation of the mice accelerates development of cancer. The MCF-10AT model of PBD offers a new approach to the study of early breast cancer progression and its prevention. ▪
Surfaces, interfaces, and screening of fractal structures

Fractal objects strongly screen external fields; only a small ``surface'' portion of the object is exposed appreciably to the field. We have studied this exposed surface of several random fractals as measured by random walkers and by ballistic particles launched from outside and absorbed by the fractal. The number of absorbing sites weighted by their rate of absorption shows an apparent power-law scaling with fractal mass. For diffusion-limited aggregates, ballistically generated aggregates, and screened-growth clusters in two dimensions, this power-law relationship is for the most part in accord with mean-field predictions of previous work. This accord is poorest for the objects of lowest fractal dimensionality. We have confirmed that this scaling is different from that of the old-growth--new-growth interface studied previously. We also find that a ``hierarchy'' of fractal dimensions describes the external surface of diffusion-limited aggregates.
A pilot study of loving-kindness meditation for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia

This pilot study examined loving-kindness meditation (LKM) with 18 participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and significant negative symptoms. Findings indicate that the intervention was feasible and associated with decreased negative symptoms and increased positive emotions and psychological recovery.
Meson Corrections to the Hyperfine Structure in Hydrogen

The authors have previously shown that the form factor of the proton, measured by Hofstadter, implies an energy shift in the hyperfine structure of atomic hydrogen. Uncertainties in this method of applying the Hofstadter data, due to the effects of virtual mesons, are investigated in an approximate way and found to be small, on the order of one to two percent of the total correction. Under certain assumptions about the form of the amplitudes for various photoproduction processes, we conclude that the value of the fine-structure constant implied by the hyperfine structure (hfs) measurement of Kusch disagrees with the value obtained from the Lamb shift by 34\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}21 ppm.
New Carboniferous brachiopods from the eastern Great Basin, Nevada, USA: implications for loop ontogeny and evolution in Late Palaeozoic terebratuloids

Terebratuloid brachiopods from two localities in the eastern Great Basin, Nevada, USA, include the new taxa Cryptacanthia savagei sp. nov., Fletcherithyris infrequens sp. nov., Cryptonella simplex sp. nov., and Albelenina alvarezi gen. et sp. nov. The faunas are considered to be mid Desmoinesian (late Moscovian) in age. The brachiopods were found associated in clusters, and many of the specimens are well preserved. Records of Pennsylvanian terebratuloid brachiopods are uncommon, and these faunas have enabled an understanding of internal features previously unknown or poorly understood. Systematic analyses of the faunas have generated some new concepts on the ontogeny and evolution of the loop in Late Palaeozoic terebratuloids. From ontogenetic analyses, it is inferred that the stage of loop development may be the most important aspect in taxonomic classification. Analyses of loop evolution suggest the possibility of a transition from a teloform stage to long-flanged deltiform and deltiform stages. These transitions may be possible through reduction in length of the descending lamellae of the crura by resorption of calcium carbonate or posteroventral folding of flanges. Subsequently, these changes in loop morphology are retained by paedomorphosis within long-term evolutionary processes.
Chemical equilibration of partons in high-energy heavy-ion collisions?

The chemical composition of the hot and dense parton matter formed in the central region of ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions is studied for the case of Au+Au collisions at energies reached at the BNL RHIC using the parton cascade model. It is shown that within this framework, which is based on current understanding of semihard and hard interactions in QCD including the emission and absorption of soft partons, a chemical equilibration between the gluons and the quarks cannot be achieved. The gluons and $u$, $d$, $s$, and $c$ quarks all rapidly approach kinetic equilibrium with a common temperature. The gluons subsequently also achieve chemical equilibrium, but the light quarks only reach about 60% of their ideal chemical equilibrium densities. It is demonstrated that the baryon density in the central region is small relative to the total parton density, with an associated ratio of baryon chemical potential to temperature of 0.35, slowly decreasing with time. The implications of the formation of such a hot, gluon-dominated plasma for strangeness, charm, and dilepton production are discussed.
Primary central nervous system vasculitis presenting with intracranial hemorrhage

Objective To describe a subset of cases in a large retrospectively identified cohort of patients with primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) who present with intracranial hemorrhage. Methods The study consisted of a cohort of 131 consecutive patients with PCNSV who were seen at the Mayo Clinic over a 25-year period from 1983 to 2007. The diagnosis of PCNSV was based on findings of brain or spinal cord biopsy, cerebral angiography, or both. Intracranial hemorrhage at presentation was defined as the presence of intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain within 3 months of the date of PCNSV diagnosis. The clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic findings, therapy, and outcomes in patients presenting with intracranial hemorrhage were compared with those without intracranial hemorrhage. Results Sixteen patients (12.2%) had evidence of intracranial hemorrhage at or near the time of diagnosis. Twelve patients had intracerebral hemorrhage, and 4 had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twelve patients were diagnosed by findings on angiography and 4 by findings on CNS biopsy. Compared with the 115 patients without intracranial hemorrhage, the 16 patients presenting with intracranial hemorrhage were more frequently women, less frequently had altered cognition, a persistent neurologic deficit, or stroke at presentation, less frequently had MRI evidence of cerebral infarctions, and less frequently needed therapy at last followup. A necrotizing histopathologic pattern of vasculitis was observed in 3 of the 4 patients with positive biopsy findings (75%). Conclusion Our findings suggest that intracranial hemorrhage may not be an infrequent occurrence in early PCNSV. Necrotizing vasculitis may be a predominant histopathologic pattern.