cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tomato actin and myosin: Contractile proteins from a higher land plant

This paper describes the initial isolation of actin- and myosin-like proteins from the cytoplasm of the endocarp tissue cells of the fruit of the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Low ionic strength buffers extracted the 42,000 molecular weight tomato actin in the depolymerized form. Tomato actin can be polymerized in 0.1 M KCl, 2 mM MgCl2 to form 6 nm diameter filaments resembling rabbit skeletal muscle F-actin in their ultrastructure and pattern of decoration with rabbit myosin subfragment-1 (S-1). Tomato F-actin activates the low ionic strength Mg2+ ATPase of rabbit S-1 up to ten-fold. High ionic strength extracts of tomato yield a myosinlike enzyme whose ATPase activity in 0.5 M KCl is maximal in the presence of K+-EDTA and is repressed in the presence of Mg2+. The column-purified enzyme forms a complex with rabbit F-actin, which can be dissociated by Mg2+ ATP. The low ionic strength Mg2+ ATPase of tomato myosin can be activated ten-fold by rabbit actin and up to nineteen-fold by tomato actin. No activation of the tomato myosin by rabbit F-actin occurs in the absence of free calcium ions.
Sadeq Hedayat, his work and his wondrous world

Sadeq Hedayat, his Work and his Wondrous World, edited by Homa Katouzian, London and New York: Routledge, Iranian Studies Series, no. 2, 2008, ISBN 978-0-415-43403-4, xii + 190pp. If there are cult...
Longitudinal changes in gestational weight gain and the association with intrauterine fetal growth

Objective Total pregnancy weight gain has been associated with infant birthweight; however, most prior studies lacked repeat ultrasound measurements. Understanding of the longitudinal changes in maternal weight gain and intrauterine changes in fetal anthropometrics is limited.
THE STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY OF TYPE II FATTY ACID BIOSYNTHESIS

▪ Abstract The type II fatty acid synthetic pathway is the principal route for the production of membrane phospholipid acyl chains in bacteria and plants. The reaction sequence is carried out by a series of individual soluble proteins that are each encoded by a discrete gene, and the pathway intermediates are shuttled between the enzymes as thioesters of an acyl carrier protein. The Escherichia coli system is the paradigm for the study of this system, and high-resolution X-ray and/or NMR structures of representative members of every enzyme in the type II pathway are now available. The structural biology of these proteins reveals the specific three-dimensional features of the enzymes that explain substrate recognition, chain length specificity, and the catalytic mechanisms that define their roles in producing the multitude of products generated by the type II system. These structures are also a valuable resource to guide antibacterial drug discovery.
Contexts for Literacy: In the Mind and in the Classroom

In pedagogical discussions, learning to read and write have traditionally been considered psychological processes—matters of the perception and interpretation of graphic symbols. Recently, two additional dimensions of literacy have received increasing attention: Literacy is a linguistic process, in which knowledge of the various types of sequential probabilities of written text plays an important part—sequential probabilities not only of letters in words, but of words in sentences, and of sentences in paragraphs and larger units of particular genres of text. And literacy is a social process, that always takes place in social and culturally organized settings for social as well as personal ends. (Stubbs [1980] is the first text to focus on the sociolinguistics of literacy and its implications for education.) Because aspects of the social dimensions of literacy are less discussed in education than are psychological and linguistic aspects, it would have been possible to focus this paper entirely on recent research on the settings and activities in which children encounter written language in school. But to do so would perpetuate a separation of perspectives, and might make it harder for teachers and those who work with them to integrate psychological, linguistic and social perspectives on literacy in improving education. I have therefore defined "context" broadly enough to include both internal and external conditions that influence the nature of school literacy events and what children learn in them. In considering the contexts of literacy in school, I want to define 'context as anything that affects the reader's or writer's response to the piece of written language that is the focus of immediate perceptual attention. Under this broad definition, I include the internal, mental context that the reader or writer brings—"contexts in the mind" and I also include the external social context
LINE-1 Retrotransposition in the Nervous System

Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is a repetitive DNA retrotransposon capable of duplication by a copy-and-paste genetic mechanism. Scattered throughout mammalian genomes, L1 is typically quiescent in most somatic cell types. In developing neurons, however, L1 can express and retrotranspose at high frequency. The L1 element can insert into various genomic locations including intragenic regions. These insertions can alter the dynamic of the neuronal transcriptome by changing the expression pattern of several nearby genes. The consequences of L1 genomic alterations in somatic cells are still under investigation, but the high level of mutagenesis within neurons suggests that each neuron is genetically unique. Furthermore, some neurological diseases, such as Rett syndrome and ataxia telangiectasia, misregulate L1 retrotransposition, which could contribute to some pathological aspects. In this review, we survey the literature related to neurodevelopmental retrotransposition and discuss possible relevance to neuronal function, evolution, and neurological disease.
Theory of kinetic partitioning in protein folding with possible applications to prions

This study focuses of the phenomenon of kinetic partitioning when a polypeptide chain has two ground-state conformations, one of which is kinetically more reachable than the other. We designed sequences for lattice model proteins with two different conformations of equal energy corresponding to the global energy minimum. Folding simulations revealed that one of these conformations was indeed much more kinetically accessible than the other. We found that the number and strength of local contacts in the ground-state conformation are the major factors that determine which conformation is reached faster; the greater the number of local contacts, the more kinetically reachable a conformation is. We present simple statistical-mechanical arguments to explain these findings. Our results may be relevant in explaining the phenomenology of such proteins as human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), photosystem II, and prions.
The hidden consequences of racial salience in videotaped interrogations and confessions

Evaluations of videotaped criminal confessions can be influenced by the camera perspective taken during recording. Interrogations and confessions recorded with the camera directing observers’ visual attention onto the suspect lead to biased judgments of the suspect. Although a camera perspective that directs visual attention onto the suspect and interrogator equally appears to promote unbiased judgments, investigations to date have relied on videotapes that depict only Caucasian suspects and interrogators. We examined the possibility that even equal-focus videotapes may become problematic when the suspect is a minority (e.g., Chinese American or African American) and the interrogator is Caucasian. That is, to the extent that Caucasian observers are inclined to direct more of their attention onto minorities, an effect documented previously, we expected biased judgments of the suspect to also occur in equal-focus videotapes. Three experiments provided evidence of this racial salience bias. Implications are discussed, including a practical way of avoiding the bias.
An on-chip ECC circuit for correcting soft errors in DRAMs with trench capacitors

A modified error-correcting code that can correct up to two soft errors on each row (word line) in a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip is proposed. Double-bit soft errors frequently occur in DRAM cells with trench capacitors, when charged alpha particles impinge on the intervening space between two vertical capacitors causing plasma shorts between them. The conventional on-chip error-correcting codes (ECCs) cannot correct such double-bit word-line soft errors, which significantly increase the uncorrectable error rate (UER). An ECC circuit that uses an augmented rectangular product code to detect and correct double-bit soft errors is presented. The proposed circuit automatically corrects the addressed bit if it is faulty, and then quickly locates the other faulty bit. A comprehensive study is made to estimate improvements in soft error rate (SER) and mean time to failure (MTTF). The ability of the circuit to correct soft errors in the presence of multiple-bit errors has also been analyzed by combinatorial enumeration. >
A technique for logic fault diagnosis of interconnect open defects

A technique to perform logic diagnosis of defects that cause interconnects in a digital logic circuit to become open or highly resistive is presented. The novel features of this work include a diagnostic fault model to capture potential faulty behaviors in the presence of an open defect and diagnosis algorithms that leverage the diagnostic model while circumventing the need for detailed circuit-level (SPICE) simulation and extraction of parasitic capacitance. Other aspects of the technique include a path-tracing procedure to limit the number of interconnects that need to be analyzed and extensions for multiple defects. Experimental results include simulation results on processor functional blocks and silicon results on a chipset from artificially induced defects and production fallout.
The Meaning of the Seventeenth Amendment and a Century of State Defiance: Appendices

*The paper "The Meaning of the Seventeenth Amendment and a Century of State Defiance: Appendices" to which these Appendices apply is available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1915673Nearly a century ago, the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution worked a substantial change in American government, dictating that the people should elect their senators by popular vote. Despite its significance, there has been little written about what the Amendment means or how it works. This Article provides a comprehensive interpretation of the Seventeenth Amendment based on the text of the Amendment and a variety of other sources: historical and textual antecedents, relevant Supreme Court decisions, the complete debates in Congress, and the social and political factors that led to this new constitutional provision. Among other things, this analysis reveals that the Amendment requires states to fill Senate vacancies by holding elections, whether or not they first fill those vacancies by making temporary appointments. In so doing, the Seventeenth Amendment guarantees that the people’s right to vote for senators is protected in all circumstances.Using this interpretation as a baseline, this Article reviews state practice with respect to the filling of vacancies under the Seventeenth Amendment. Since the Amendment was adopted in 1913, there have been 244 vacancies in the U.S. Senate. In one-sixth of these cases, the states have directly violated the Seventeenth Amendment’s core requirement that senators be elected by popular vote by failing to hold any election. In addition, in many more cases the states have significantly delayed the required elections. These practices have cost the people 200 years of elected representation since the Constitution was amended to provide for direct election of senators, and there has been little resistance to this pattern of state defiance of the Constitution.Here we present two appendices of findings based on data collected on every vacancy in the Senate from the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment on May 31, 1913, to November 6, 2012.
Politics, technology, and the test ban

Seismologists have met all the technical problems of verifying a comprehensive test ban. Now it is clear that political considerations have stood in the way of such a treaty all along, and verification problems have been used as an excuse.
Too much of a good thing? Overexertion of self‐control and dietary adherence in individuals with Type 2 diabetes

Objectives: The resource model of self-control posits that self-control is a finite resource that can be depleted. Individuals with diabetes must continually control their diet, requiring self-control. As a result, dietary adherence is difficult, and lapses are common. People with diabetes who overexert self-control, to gain control of their diet, following a lapse in adherence may be especially likely to experience a subsequent relapse, as suggested by the resource model. This investigation used the resource model of self-control to test whether overexertion of dietary self-control following a lapse would be predictive of a subsequent relapse in dietary control. Design: We tested this prediction in a longitudinal daily diary study of 128 individuals with diabetes (Mage = 66.12). Methods: Participants’ reports of their daily dietary adherence were used to define lapses in adherence, post-lapse adherence, and relapses. Results: Individuals who overexerted self-control after a lapse were more likely to experience a subsequent relapse (OR = 3.276, p = .016) and to do so sooner (HR = 2.12, p = .023). Conclusions: People with diabetes may seek to compensate for a lapse in adherence by overexerting self-control, but doing so may deplete their self-control and increase the risk of a future relapse.
L-Cysteine, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine, and Glutathione Protect Xenopus laevis Embryos against Acrylamide-Induced Malformations and Mortality in the Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay

Dietary acrylamide is largely derived from heat-induced reactions between the amino group of the free amino acid asparagine and carbonyl groups of glucose and fructose during heat processing (baking, frying) of plant-derived foods such as potato fries and cereals. After consumption, acrylamide is absorbed into the circulation and is then distributed to various organs, where it can react with DNA, neurons, hemoglobin, and essential enzymes. In the present study, we explored the potential of L-cysteine (CySH), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and the amino acid glycine (Gly) to protect frog embryos against acrylamide-induced developmental toxicity in the frog embryo teratogenesis assay - Xenopus (FETAX). To test the antiteratogenic potential, based on concentration-response study ranging from 0.07 to 4.22 mM acrylamide in FETAX solution (pH 8.1), we selected concentrations of acrylamide that induced 100% malformations and mortality. At the end of 96 h, we counted survivors and malformed embryos and measured embryo length. The data show that CySH, NAC, and GSH protected the embryos against acrylamide induced malformations and mortality to different degrees. CySH and GSH protected the embryos against both malformations and mortality, whereas NAC protected only against mortality. Gly had no protective effect. Possible mechanisms of the protective effects and the dietary significance of the results of this and related studies for food safety and human health are discussed.
Surgery Under Fire

Performing surgery is often difficult. Performing surgery under fire is arduous at best. Furthermore, operating in dangerous or austere environments adds stressors uncommon to usual civilian practice. Yet, even for those surgeons that may never experience combat, circumstances may arise that can mimic this experience. As such, this chapter is applicable to all surgeons, especially in the world today, and outlines what a surgeon should consider when faced with taking care of an injured patient in less than ideal situations. There is much more to think about when dealing with traumatic injuries in an environment that is unsafe for all involved. While priority is always placed on treatment of the patient’s injuries, with the goals of saving life and limb, a surgeon operating under these conditions must also ensure his or her safety, as well as the safety of his or her team.
Localization of bumetanide- and thiazide-sensitive Na-K-Cl cotransporters along the rat nephron

The present study was undertaken to investigate the mRNA localization of the two major kidney-specific Na-K-Cl transport proteins, the bumetanide-sensitive cotransporter (NKCC2 in rabbit and BSC1 in rat) and the thiazide-sensitive cotransporter (TSC). NKCC2 from rabbit and mouse has been shown to exist in three isoforms (designated A, B, and F) that differ only in a 96-bp region. The divergent region of each of the three NKCC2 isoforms was cloned from rat kidney by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based strategy, and isoform-specific primers were chosen. RNA and cDNA were prepared from renal cortex and medulla and from microdissected nephron segments. Using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, the B isoform was detected only in cortex and the F isoform only in medulla, whereas the A from was found in both. In dissected nephron segments, the B form was found exclusively in cortical thick ascending limb (CTAL) and macula densa-containing segment (MDCS), the F form only in medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) and outer medullary collecting duct, and the A form in CTAL, MDCS, and MTAL. An additional isoform including both A and F exons was identified by direct sequencing of a 592-bp product from medulla. The AF product was found only in the medulla and was localized exclusively in MTAL. TSC mRNA was detected exclusively in the distal convoluted tubule. Differential nephron localization of NKCC2 isoforms suggests that Na-K-Cl cotransporters may differ in their transport characteristics to explain regulation of salt transport along the nephron.
System and architecture evaluation framework using cross-domain dynamic complexity measures

This work proposes a framework for effective quantification and comparison of system complexity content when architecting systems. Properly interpreted results from complexity analysis help make better informed system architecture selection between competing designs since the increased complexity of a system can lead to increased fragility and more exposure to failures and risks. Therefore the quantification of complexity is important when designing and planning the operation of a complex system. Our prior work on dynamic complexity measures provides the foundation for the framework discussed herein. The scope of this paper is to apply dynamic complexity measures to current, real-world complex systems. This work introduces a multi-step framework to evaluate complex systems and enhance a systems engineer's ability to compare competing systems/architectures. The framework has also proved useful for generating technical risks. A case study is included which utilizes the framework to evaluate an autonomous car architecture being developed by Google. The results demonstrate how the framework can help guide stakeholder decisions. The findings advance system complexity evaluation state-of-the-art by providing a framework using behavioral-based dynamic complexity measures.
The Syntax, Semantics, and Prosody of German "VP"-fronting

“VP”-fronting involving an unergative or transitive (agentive) vP depends on a rise-fall, bridge-contour intonation (Buring 1997) in order to be acceptable. (1) [/Ein Ausenseiter gewonnen] hat hier noch nie. a.NOM outsider won has here yet never ‘It has never happened here that an outsider won.’ Furthermore, the fronted vP must express partially discourse-old information, have a non-specific/generic subject, and denote a proposition that is quantified over, not asserted. Pitch tracks show the bridge-contour ‘wrapping’ vP into one large prosodic (Intonational) phrase with a high edge tone, reducing vP-contained DPs to major phrases.
Leo Baeck Institute, New York: Bibliothek und Archiv. Katalog. Band I: Herausgegeben von Max Kreutzberger unter Mitarbeit von Irmgard Foerg J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck). Tuebingen, 1970. Pp. 623.

(1972). Leo Baeck Institute, New York: Bibliothek und Archiv. Katalog. Band I. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 57-59.
Human Velocity Control of Admittance-Type Robotic Devices With Scaled Visual Feedback of Device Motion

An admittance-type robotic manipulator is a nonbackdrivable device whose motion is controlled to move in response to a user-applied force, typically with velocity proportional to force. This study characterizes the ability of ten human subjects to accurately and precisely control the velocity of such a device, using force applied by the index finger, as the user is provided visual feedback of device motion and a target velocity on a display. The admittance, the velocity, and the visualization scale factor are varied in a full factorial design, with parameter levels representative of microsurgery/micromanipulation tasks. The results indicate that: visual scaling has no effect, for the levels tested; low velocity at high admittance results in reduced precision and accuracy; high velocity at low admittance results in reduced accuracy; and an admittance-dependent velocity exists at which accuracy is maximized. The results suggest that gain scheduling will result in improved performance.
Multiuser authentication with anonymity constraints over noisy channels

We consider authentication of messages sent by L legitimate transmitters to a legitimate receiver over a noisy multiple access channel. We assume the presence of a computationally unbounded opponent who has access to noisy observations of the messages transmitted, and can perform impersonation or substitution attacks. In addition, we consider anonymity constraints where the legitimate receiver must be able to authenticate the messages he receives with respect to predetermined groups of transmitters, but must be kept ignorant of the transmitter's identity of a given message in a given group. Our main result is an authentication coding scheme for which asymptotically matching upper and lower bounds on the probability of successful attack are derived. Our result analytically quantifies the impact of a multiuser setting compared to a single-user setting, as well as the negative impact of anonymity constraints on the probability of successful attack.
An isozyme of hexokinase specific for the human red blood cell (HKR) [see comments]

The hexokinase (HK) of the human red blood cell (RBC) was separated into two distinct major isozymes by fast protein liquid chromatography using a linear salt gradient on a MonoQ column. The first isozyme (HKI) eluted as a sharp peak at the same position as HKI of human liver. The second isozyme eluted between HKI and HKII of human white blood cells, and it appeared to be unique to the RBC (it was designated HKR). From a gel filtration column, HKR eluted before HKI, suggesting that it was larger than HKI by several kilodaltons. In a mitochondria-enriched fraction from human reticulocytes, no HKR was found; thus, HKR was not a mitochondrial enzyme. Despite these differences in chromatographic behavior, size, and mitochondrial binding, both forms behaved kinetically as HKI. RBC from normal blood contained HKI and HKR at an equal activity, but in reticulocyte-rich RBC, HKR dominated. When RBC of increasing age was separated by buoyant density ultracentrifugation, the total HK activity decayed in a biphasic manner, with half-lives respectively of approximately 15 and approximately 51 days. When isolated by MonoQ column from each age-separated fraction, HKR was the major form in the youngest RBC, and decreased rapidly with cell age, with a t 1/2 of approximately 10 days, representing a negligible activity in the oldest RBC. Instead, HKI was relatively stable through the entire life span of the RBC, with a t 1/2 of approximately 66 days. Thus, HKR appears to be an RBC-specific isozyme that is predominant in the reticulocyte and is then rapidly degraded. During maturation of the RBC, the fast decay of HKR contributes to the early sharp decline of HK activity and the slow decay of HKI to the later gradual decline.
Jumping like a Kangaroo: Music and Dance in the Campaign Strategy of Ghanaian Political Parties

ABSTRACTGhana’s 2008 election was interesting for music and dance scholars, political analysts and observers of power. This was because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) sought to rely on the active and youthful exuberance of people from the artistic and creative community to mobilise voters. Unfortunately for the NPP, this strategy backfired, leading some analysts to conclude that the importance of music and dance in Ghanaian politics had gone into decline. This article argues that the NPP’s 2008 election defeat cannot be attributed to its cultural strategy. The party suffered problems in many areas that culminated in its defeat. The article concludes with an analysis of the important role music and dance played for both parties in the 2012 election, and its use by the National Democratic Congress in retaining power.
Postprandial Glycemic and Insulinemic Responses to Common Breakfast Beverages Consumed with a Standard Meal in Adults Who Are Overweight and Obese

Breakfast beverages with different nutrient compositions may affect postprandial glycemic control differently. We assessed the effects of consuming (1) common breakfast beverages (water, sugar-sweetened coffee, reduced-energy orange juice (OJ), and low-fat milk (LFM)); and (2) fat-free, low-fat, and whole milk with breakfast on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin responses in adults who were overweight/obese. Forty-six subjects (33F/13M, body mass index: 32.5 ± 0.7 kg/m², age: 50 ± 1 years, mean ± SEMs) consumed a standard sandwich with one of the six beverages on separate mornings in randomized order. The test beverages (except water) each contained 12 g digestible carbohydrate. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured from blood obtained pre- and post-meal at 30-min intervals for 4 h and incremental areas under the curve (AUC) were computed. We found (1) among different beverage types, glucose AUC was higher for coffee versus water, OJ, and LFM. Insulin AUC was higher for coffee and LFM versus OJ and water; (2) Glucose AUCs were not different among water and milks while insulin AUC was higher for milks versus water. In conclusion, consumption of water, reduced-energy OJ, or milk (irrespective of fat content) with a meal may be preferable to consuming sugar-sweetened coffee for glucose control in middle-aged adults who are overweight and obese.
Fungi and the Nails

Fungal nail infections are incredibly common. The most common fungal pathogens of the nails are dermatophytes, but yeasts and non-dermatophyte molds can be implicated as well. Both the fungal species and their mechanism of invasion are major determinants of clinical presentation. The most common pattern of fungal invasion is distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO). Keratin invasion is an important part of initiating and establishing a fungal nail infection. Unfortunately, the exact mechanisms are still not fully understood.
Bayesian calibration of Vehicle-Terrain Interface algorithms for wheeled vehicles on loose sands

Abstract The Vehicle-Terrain Interface (VTI) model is commonly used to predict off-road mobility to support virtual prototyping. The Database Records for Off-road Vehicle Environments (DROVE), a recently developed database of tests conducted with wheeled vehicles operating on loose, dry sand, is used to calibrate three equations used within the VTI model: drawbar pull, traction, and motion resistance. A two-stage Bayesian calibration process using the Metropolis algorithm is implemented to improve the performance of the three equations through updating of their coefficients. Convergence of the Bayesian calibration process to a calibrated model is established through evaluation of two indicators of convergence. Improvements in root-mean square error (RMSE) are shown for all three equations: 17.7% for drawbar pull, 5.5% for traction, and 23.1% for motion resistance. Improvements are also seen in the coefficient of determination (R2) performance of the equations for drawbar pull, 2.8%, and motion resistance, 2.5%. Improvements are also demonstrated in the coefficient of determination for drawbar pull, 2.8%, and motion resistance, 2.5%, equations, while the calibrated traction equation performs similar to the VTI equation. A randomly selected test dataset of about 10% of the relevant observations from DROVE is used to validate the performance of each calibrated equation.
Creating an Online Scientific Art Exhibit Formatted for People with a Visual Impairment

ABSTRACTAn online exhibit accessible by people with a visual impairment was created to accompany a university library's physical exhibit of microscopic images generated by researchers on campus as “scientific art.” This online exhibit consisted of a web page formatted for screen-reading software so that those individuals could hear descriptions of the images and envision the image patterns, shapes, textures, and perhaps colors while learning about the scientific research performed on campus. The library promoted this web page through various outlets to a wide audience to benefit patrons on and off campus. The exhibit was successful, and lessons learned through this project can be applied by other libraries undertaking similar efforts, to navigate problems and improve efficiency in implementing online exhibits for people with a visual impairment.
Specific harm reduction strategies employed by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetmine/ ecstasy users in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Both recreational and problematic 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)/ecstasy users could benefit from employing harm reduction interventions intended to preserve health and prevent negative c...
Effect of Frequency and Focal Spacing on Transcranial Histotripsy Clot Liquefaction, Using Electronic Focal Steering.

Abstract This in vitro study investigated the effects of ultrasound frequency and focal spacing on blood clot liquefaction via transcranial histotripsy. Histotripsy pulses were delivered using two 256-element hemispherical transducers of different frequency (250 and 500 kHz) with 30-cm aperture diameters. A 4-cm diameter spherical volume of in vitro blood clot was treated through 3 excised human skullcaps by electronically steering the focus with frequency proportional focal spacing: λ/2, 2 λ/3 and λ with 50 pulses per location. The pulse repetition frequency across the volume was 200 Hz, corresponding to a duty cycle of 0.08% (250 kHz) and 0.04% (500 kHz) for each focal location. Skull heating during treatment was monitored. Liquefied clot was drained via catheter and syringe in the range of 6–59 mL in 0.9–42.4 min. The fastest rate was 16.6 mL/min. The best parameter combination was λ spacing at 500 kHz, which produced large liquefaction through 3 skullcaps (23.1 ± 4.0, 37.1 ± 16.9 and 25.4 ± 16.9 mL) with the fast rates (3.2 ± 0.6, 5.1 ± 2.3 and 3.5 ± 0.4 mL/min). The temperature rise through the 3 skullcaps remained below 4°C.
Peg-manipulation capabilities during a test of manual dexterity differ for persons with multiple sclerosis and healthy individuals

Manual dexterity declines with advancing age and the development of neurological disorders. Changes in manual dexterity are frequently quantified as the time it takes to complete the grooved pegboard test, which requires individuals to manipulate 25 pegs. The manipulation of each peg involves four phases: selection, transport, insertion, and return. The purpose of the study was to compare the times to complete the four phases of manipulating each peg and the forces applied to the pegboard during peg selection and insertion in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and age- and sex-matched healthy adults. Multiple-regression models that could explain the variance in pegboard times for each group of participants were compared to assess the relative significance of the peg-manipulation attributes. The performance of 17 persons with MS (52.2 ± 8.3 years) was compared with 17 control subjects (52.2 ± 11.5 years). The grooved pegboard test was performed on a force plate. Pegboard times for the MS group (104 ± 40 s) were longer than those for the Control group (61 ± 15 s). Regression analysis indicated that the pegboard times for the MS group could be predicted by the time for the peg-selection phase (R 2 = 0.78), whereas the predictors for Control group (R 2 = 0.77) were the times for the peg-transport (partial r = 0.80) and selection (partial r = 0.58) phases. The variance in the time it took the MS participants to complete the grooved pegboard test was strongly related to the time required to select each peg, whereas the pegboard times for the Control subjects depended mostly on the duration of the transport phase but also on the time to select each peg.
Modeling and intercomparison of field and laboratory hyperspectral goniometer measurements with G-LiHT imagery of the Algodones Dunes

We compare field hyperspectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements acquired by a hyperspectral goniometer system known as the goniometer of the Rochester Institute of Technology (GRIT) during an experiment in the Algodones Dunes system in March 2015 with NASA Goddard’s light detection and ranging, hyperspectral, and thermal imagery of the site acquired during the experiment. We augment our field spectral data collection with laboratory hyperspectral BRDF measurements of samples brought back from the Algodones Dunes site using GRIT and our second-generation goniometer GRIT-two (GRIT-T). In these laboratory experiments, we vary geophysical parameters such as sediment density and grain size distribution of the sediments that would typically impact observed BRDF with the goal of extending the range of applicability of our resulting BRDF spectral libraries. Geotechnical measurements on site confirm the variability of geophysical parameters such as density and grain size distributions within the dune system, and measurements with GRIT and GRIT-T demonstrate the impact on observed spectral variation. By augmenting field spectral libraries with laboratory BRDF, we show that a greater proportion of the dune system is more faithfully represented in the expanded spectral library. Beyond developing appropriate calibration data for airborne and satellite imagery of the Algodones Dunes, laboratory and field studies also support goals to develop reliable retrieval methods for geophysical quantities such as sediment density directly from spectral imagery. We consider approaches based on the Hapke model. Our approaches use the invariance of the observed functional forms of the single scattering phase function, which must be invariant to differences in the illumination geometry. Fill factor is retrieved and correlates with expected direct measurements of sediment density in a laboratory setting.
Agent-Based Numerical Methods for 3D Bioprinting in Tissue Engineering

Abstract Additive manufacturing has contributed significantly to the development of new surgical and diagnostic aids, personalized medical devices, implants, and prostheses. Now, it aspires to the direct digital manufacturing of living tissue, organs, and body parts. This can be achieved using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques in which the printing medium consists of biomaterials and living cells. Several 3D bioprinting methods are currently available, including inkjet, extrusion, and stereolithography. An emerging approach is the creation three-dimensional cellular patterns by the use of cell spheroids. The optimal application and further development of 3D bioprinting techniques could largely benefit from computational models capable of predicting the complex behavior of the printed cellular structures on multiple scales. This book chapter summarizes the state of the art of computational models in this field, with an emphasis on agent-based approaches and cell spheroid-based 3D bioprinting.
Brain vascular heterogeneity: implications for disease pathogenesis and design of in vitro blood–brain barrier models

The vertebrate blood–brain barrier (BBB) is composed of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CEC). The BBB acts as a semi-permeable cellular interface that tightly regulates bidirectional molecular transport between blood and the brain parenchyma in order to maintain cerebral homeostasis. The CEC phenotype is regulated by a variety of factors, including cells in its immediate environment and within functional neurovascular units. The cellular composition of the brain parenchyma surrounding the CEC varies between different brain regions; this difference is clearly visible in grey versus white matter. In this review, we discuss evidence for the existence of brain vascular heterogeneity, focusing on differences between the vessels of the grey and white matter. The region-specific differences in the vasculature of the brain are reflective of specific functions of those particular brain areas. This BBB-endothelial heterogeneity may have implications for the course of pathogenesis of cerebrovascular diseases and neurological disorders involving vascular activation and dysfunction. This heterogeneity should be taken into account when developing BBB-neuro-disease models representative of specific brain areas.
Investigating the Human Factors in eSports Performance

Although its history dates to the beginning of the videogame era, in the recent years eSports has rapidly been maturing into a professional scene that has captured a large and growing audience: the 2017 world finals of one of the most successful pro gaming platforms reached a peak of 75.5 million unique viewers, compared to the NBA finals, which averaged 20 million spectators. Several studies already supported eSports as a legitimate form of sports. In this paper, we focus on identifying the human aspects of eSports and we discuss their relevance in competitive games. To this end, we discuss interviews with sports and eSports professionals, and we analyze the results of a survey distributed to athletes who are pursuing their career in traditional sports and in pro gaming.
High-Sensitivity Fiber Optic Magnetic Field Sensor with Balanced Single Fiber Interferometric Readout

A novel high-sensitivity fiber optic magnetic field sensor with a simple single fiber interferometric readout is proposed. A polarization maintaining fiber enables balanced heterodyne detection of magnetic field induced rotation.
Mapping Progress in Reducing Cardiovascular Risk with Kidney Disease: Sudden Cardiac Death.

In 2014, approximately 30,000 patients on dialysis in the United States, died due to sudden cardiac death (SCD) ([1][1]). The risk of SCD after starting dialysis (10%) is comparable with the risk in the postmyocardial infarction period (8%) and among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection
Elotuzumab in Combination with Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for Treatment-resistant Immunoglobulin Light Chain Amyloidosis With Multiple Myeloma

Abstract We report a relapsed and refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM) and AL Amyloidosis patient responding to elotuzumab/lenalidomide/dexamethasone (ERD). A 51-year-old woman presented with a right mandibular mass with positive Congo-red staining, clonal kappa free-light chains (κFLC) and plasma cell proliferation. Workup was consistent with κFLC amyloidosis and MM with nephrotic range proteinuria. After progression on several lines of therapy, she has near complete reversal of proteinuria while being maintained on ERD. This regimen should be tested in patients with AL Amyloidosis.
Boundary layer ozone in the Northern Colorado Front Range in July–August 2014 during FRAPPE and DISCOVER-AQ from vertical profile measurements

Data from ground-based ozone (O3) vertical profiling platforms operated during the FRAPPE/DISCOVER-AQ campaigns in summer 2014 were used to characterize key processes responsible for establishing O3 profile development in the boundary layer in the Northern Colorado Front Range. Morning mixing from the upper boundary layer and lower free troposphere into the lower boundary layer was the key process establishing the mid-morning boundary layer O3 mixing ratio. Photochemical O3 production throughout the boundary layer builds on the mid-morning profile. From late morning to mid-afternoon the continuing O3 increase was nearly uniform through the depth of the profile measured by the tethersonde (~400 m). Ozonesondes flown on a near daily schedule over a four week period with multiple profiles on a number of days captured the full 1500 to 2000 m vertical extent of O3 enhancements in the mixed boundary layer confirming O3 production throughout the entire boundary layer. Continuous O3 measurements from the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory (BAO) tall tower at 6 m and 300 m showed hourly O3 at the 6 m level ≥75 ppb on 15% of the days. The diurnal variation on these days followed a pattern similar to that seen in the tethersonde profiles. The association of high O3 days at the BAO tower with transport from sectors with intense oil and natural gas production toward the northeast suggests emissions from this industry were an important source of O3 precursors and are crucial in producing peak O3 events in the NCFR. Higher elevation locations to the west of the NCFR plains regularly experience higher O3 values than those in the lower elevation NCFR locations. Exposure of populations in these areas is not captured by the current regulatory network, and likely underestimated in population O3 exposure assessments.
Medical students’ perceptions and motivations prior to their surgery clerkship

Abstract Background This study aims to determine the effect of a pre-clerkship workshop on medical students’ perceptions of surgery and surgeons and to describe their concerns and learning goals. Methods Thirty-nine medical students completed surveys before and after a workshop preceding their surgery clerkship. Quantitative data and free responses that were inductively coded were used to assess effectiveness. Results Perceptions from 38 students (response rate = 97.4%) significantly improved for 11 of 21 items. At pre-workshop, the most frequently cited learning goals were improving technical skills (58%), surgical knowledge (53%), and understanding surgical culture and work (53%). Students’ top concerns were meeting clerkship demands (68%) and being evaluated (55%). After the workshop, student learning objectives and concerns remained largely unchanged. Conclusions A pre-clerkship workshop improved student perceptions of surgery and surgeons. Understanding students’ intrinsic motivations may facilitate future clerkship curriculum improvement via better alignment of educator and student goals and objectives.
Alternative Education for Behaviorally Disordered Youths: A Promise Yet Unfulfilled:

The purpose of this article is to show the following: (a) Over a third of incarcerated delinquents are handicapped, needing special education treatment; (b) parallel trends to deinstitutionalize de...
In a Free-Living Setting, Obesity Is Associated with Greater Food Intake in Response to a Similar Pre-Meal Glucose Nadir.

PURPOSE Changes in blood glucose levels have been shown to influence eating in healthy individuals; however, less is known about glucose's effects on food intake in obese (OB) individuals. The goal of this study was to determine the predictive effect of circulating glucose levels on eating in free-living OB and normal weight (NW) individuals. METHODS Interstitial glucose levels, measured with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) system, were obtained from 15 OB and 16 NW volunteers (age: 40±14, 37±12 yr; weight: 91±13, 68±12 kg; HbA1c: 5.1±0.7, 5.2±0.4%, respectively). While wearing the CGM participants filled up a food log (meal time, hunger rating and amount of food). Glucose profiles were measured in relation to their meals (macro program (CGM Peak and Nadir Analysis (CPNA)) in Microsoft® Excel). RESULTS OB and NW individuals showed comparable CGM glucose levels: mean (OB=99±13, NW=100±8 mg/dL, p=NS) and standard deviation (OB=18±4, NW=18±5 mg/dL, p=NS). Obesity was associated with slower post-prandial rate of changing glucose levels (p=0.04). Pre-prandial nadir glucose levels predicted hunger and food intake in both groups (p<0.0001), although hunger was associated with greater food intake in OB, in comparison to NW individuals (p=0.008 for group interaction). CONCLUSIONS Pre-meal glucose nadir predicted hunger and food intake in a group of free-living healthy non-diabetic NW and OB individuals, however for a similar low glucose level stimulus, greater hunger-induced food intake was recorded by OB in comparison to NW individuals.
Do Motivational Strategies Improve the Effects of a Small-Group Math Intervention Program?.

Overall mathematics proficiency of fourth graders in the U.S. continues to be poor and students falling at or below the 25th percentile display declining performance (NCES, 2017), which suggests th...
Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs, by Lawrence L. Martin and Peter M. Kettner: 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2010, 147 pages

Professors Lawrence Martin and Peter Kettner's second edition of their landmark book on measuring the performance of human service programs in nonprofit and public sector organizations could approp...
Examining healthcare institutions by bringing qualitative data from two eras into empirical dialogue

In this paper, we argue that there is new insight to be gained by reexamining the classic text, Boys in White, in strategic ways. Specifically, we share excerpts from Boys in White with current med...
Fate of the nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory veterinary drug flunixin in agricultural soils and dairy manure.

A large percentage of flunixin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug widely used for treating livestock, is excreted in intact form and thus potentially available for environmental transport. As the fate of flunixin in the environment is unknown, our objective was to quantify sorption, desorption, and transformation in five agricultural soils and manure using batch equilibrium methods. Concentrations of flunixin and degradation products were determined by high performance liquid chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry. For all studied soils, sorption of flunixin exhibited linear character, with both linear and Freundlich models providing adequate fit. Linear sorption coefficients varied from 8 to 112 L kg−1. The strongest Pearson correlations with sorption coefficients were for clay content (r = 0.8693), total nitrogen (r = 0.7998), and organic carbon (r = 0.6291). Desorption of the reversibly bound fraction (3–10% of total sorbed flunixin) from all five studied soils exhibited non-hysteretic character suggesting low affinity of this fraction of flunixin to soil. Flunixin degradation in soils was relatively slow, exhibiting half-lives of 39–203 days, thus providing time for off-site transport and environmental contamination. The biological impacts of flunixin at environmentally relevant concentrations must be determined given its environmental behavior and extensive use as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in livestock.