cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The system CaO-MgO-SiO 2 -CO 2 at 1 GPa, metasomatic wehrlites, and primary carbonatite magmas

New experimental data in CaO-MgO-SiO_2-CO_2 at 1 GPa define the vapor-saturated silicate-carbonate liquidus field boundary involving primary minerals calcite, forsterite and diopside. The eutectic reaction for melting of model calcite (1% MC)-wehrlite at 1 GPa is at 1100 °C, with liquid composition (by weight) 72% CaCO_3 (CC), 9% MgCO_3 (MC), and 18% CaMgSi_2O_6 (Di). These data combined with previous results permit construction of the isotherm-contoured vapor-saturated liquidus surface for the calcite/dolomite field, and part of the adjacent forsterite and diopside fields. Nearly pure calcite crystals in mantle xenoliths cannot represent equilibrium liquids. We recently determined the complete vapor-saturated liquidus surface between carbonates and model peridotites at 2.7 GPa; the peritectic reaction for dolomite (25% MC)-wehrlite at 2.7 GPa occurs at 1300 °C, with liquid composition 60% CC, 29% MC, and 11% Di. The liquidus field boundaries on these two surfaces provide the road-map for interpretation of magmatic processes in various peridotite-CO_2 systems at depths between the Moho and about 100 km. Relationships among kimberlites, melilitites, carbonatites and the liquidus phase boundaries are discussed. Experimental data for carbonatite liquid protected by metasomatic wehrlite have been reported. The liquid trends directly from dolomitic towards CaCO_3 with decreasing pressure. The 1.5 GPa liquid contains 87% CC and 4% Di, much lower in silicate components than our phase boundary. However, the liquids contain approximately the same CaCO_3 (90 ± 1 wt%) in terms of only carbonate components. For CO_2-bearing mantle, all magmas at depth must pass through initial dolomitic compositions. Rising dolomitic carbonatite melt will vesiculate and may erupt as primary magmas through cracks from about ˜70 km. If it percolates through metasomatic wehrlite from 70 km toward the Moho at 35–40 km, primary calcic siliceous carbonatite magma can be generated with silicate content at least 11–18% (70–40 km) on the silicate-carbonate boundary.
Orm/ORMDL proteins: Gate guardians and master regulators.

Abstract Sphingolipids comprise a diverse family of lipids that perform multiple functions in both structure of cellular membranes and intra- and inter-cellular signaling. The diversity of this family is generated by an array of enzymes that produce individual classes and molecular species of family members and enzymes which catabolize those lipids for recycling pathways. However, all of these lipids begin their lives with a single step, the condensation of an amino acid, almost always serine, and a fatty acyl-CoA, almost always the 16-carbon, saturated fatty acid, palmitate. The enzyme complex that accomplishes this condensation is serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), a membrane-bound component of the endoplasmic reticulum. This places SPT in the unique position of regulating the production of the entire sphingolipid pool. Understanding how SPT activity is regulated is currently a central focus in the field of sphingolipid biology. In this review we examine the regulation of SPT activity by a set of small, membrane-bound proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum, the Orms (in yeast) and ORMDLs (in vertebrates). We discuss what is known about how these proteins act as homeostatic regulators by monitoring cellular levels of sphingolipid, but also how the Orms/ORMDLs regulate SPT in response to other stimuli. Finally, we discuss the intriguing connection between one of the mammalian ORMDL isoforms, ORMDL3, and the pervasive pulmonary disease, asthma, in humans.
Paternity Leave, Father Involvement, and Parental Conflict: The Moderating Role of Religious Participation

Numerous studies show that taking paternity leave is associated with increased father involvement. However, fewer studies have explored contextual factors that may increase (or diminish) the likelihood that paternity leave-taking provides benefits to families. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examines the associations between paternity leave, fathers’ religious participation, father involvement, and parental conflict, and whether fathers’ religious participation moderates the associations between paternity leave, father involvement, and parental conflict. Results suggest that paternity leave-taking, length of paternity leave, and fathers’ religious participation are associated with increased father involvement but are unrelated to parental conflict. Results also suggest that religious participation may enhance the association between paternity leave and family outcomes; paternity leave-taking and length of paternity leave are only associated with lower levels of parental conflict among families in which fathers attend religious services frequently. Moreover, fathers who take leave and attend religious services frequently are more likely to be involved with their child than fathers who take leave but do not attend religious services.
The Contribution of Security to Well-being

Do unknown and unrealized risks of harm diminish an individual’s well-being? The traditional answer is no: that the security of prudential goods benefits an individual only instrumentally or by virtue of their subjective sense of security. Recent work has argued, however, that the security of prudential goods non-instrumentally benefits an individual regardless of whether or not they enjoy subjective security. In this paper, I critically examine three claims about the way in which unknown and unrealized risks of harm might diminish individual well-being: (i) it frustrates a desire to be secure, (ii) it frustrates the enjoyment of modally-robust goods, and (iii) it undermines the ability to make reasonable plans. Ultimately, I argue that all three of these hypotheses are mistaken, but that they deepen our understanding of the ways in which subjective security is an important constituent of individual well-being.
Growth arrest-specific protein-6/AXL signaling induces preeclampsia in rats†.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a complicated obstetric complication characterized by increased blood pressure, decreased trophoblast invasion, and inflammation. The growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6) protein is known to induce dynamic cellular responses and is elevated in PE. Gas6 binds to the AXL tyrosine kinase receptor and AXL-mediated signaling is implicated in proliferation and migration observed in several tissues. Our laboratory utilized Gas6 to induce preeclamptic-like conditions in pregnant rats. Our objective was to determine the role of Gas6/AXL signaling as a possible model of PE. Briefly, pregnant rats were divided into three groups that received daily intraperitoneal injections (from gestational day 7.5 to 17.5) of phosphate buffered saline (PBS), Gas6, or Gas6 + R428 (an AXL inhibitor administered from gestational day 13.5 to 17.5). Animals dispensed Gas6 experienced elevated blood pressure, increased proteinuria, augmented caspase-3-mediated placental apoptosis, and diminished trophoblast invasion. Gas6 also enhanced expression of several PE-related genes and a number of inflammatory mediators. Gas6 further enhanced placental oxidative stress and impaired mitochondrial respiration. Each of these PE-related characteristics was ameliorated in dams and/or their placentae when AXL inhibition by R428 occurred in tandem with Gas6 treatment. We conclude that Gas6 signaling is capable of inducing PE and that inhibition of AXL prevents disease progression in pregnant rats. These results provide insight into pathways associated with PE that could be useful in the clarification of potential therapeutic approaches.
How Contemporary Rehabilitation Fails Youth and Sabotages the American Juvenile Justice System: A Critique and Call for Change

Long a cornerstone of the American juvenile justice system, the idea that youth can change, and merit chances to do so, has enjoyed new life after decades of punitive erosion. Unfortunately, the rehabilitation offered to youth is largely shortsighted and inadequate. In this article, I argue that the juvenile justice system embraces a “myopic model” of rehabilitation that loses touch with the social roots of youth problems and focuses too heavily on improving internal thoughts and behaviors through short-term “pills and programs” (Goshe 2019). By losing sight of the societal harms at the root of delinquent behaviors, the myopic model advances a limited and ultimately unsustainable model of change. In contrast, this article contends that robust rehabilitation treats the social and the personal as crucial to the rehabilitative equation and offers a pathway to meaningful change for youth and the juvenile justice system.
A Multiscale Review of Behavioral Variation in Collective Foraging Behavior in Honey Bees

The emergence of collective behavior from local interactions is a widespread phenomenon in social groups. Previous models of collective behavior have largely overlooked the impact of variation among individuals within the group on collective dynamics. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) provide an excellent model system for exploring the role of individual differences in collective behavior due to their high levels of individual variation and experimental tractability. In this review, we explore the causes and consequences of individual variation in behavior for honey bee foraging across multiple scales of organization. We summarize what is currently known about the genetic, developmental, and neurophysiological causes of individual differences in learning and memory among honey bees, as well as the consequences of this variation for collective foraging behavior and colony fitness. We conclude with suggesting promising future directions for exploration of the genetic and physiological underpinnings of individual differences in behavior in this model system.
Double Double Descent: On Generalization Errors in Transfer Learning between Linear Regression Tasks

We study the transfer learning process between two linear regression problems. An important and timely special case is when the regressors are overparameterized and perfectly interpolate their training data. We examine a parameter transfer mechanism whereby a subset of the parameters of the target task solution are constrained to the values learned for a related source task. We analytically characterize the generalization error of the target task in terms of the salient factors in the transfer learning architecture, i.e., the number of examples available, the number of (free) parameters in each of the tasks, the number of parameters transferred from the source to target task, and the correlation between the two tasks. Our non-asymptotic analysis shows that the generalization error of the target task follows a two-dimensional double descent trend (with respect to the number of free parameters in each of the tasks) that is controlled by the transfer learning factors. Our analysis points to specific cases where the transfer of parameters is beneficial.
Do Insurance-mandated Precertification Criteria and Insurance Plan Type Determine the Utilization of Bariatric Surgery Among Individuals With Private Insurance?

BACKGROUND Access to bariatric surgery is restricted by insurers in numerous ways, including by precertification criteria such as 3-6 months preoperative supervised medical weight management and documented 2-year weight history. OBJECTIVES To investigate if there is an association between the aforementioned precertification criteria, insurance plan type, and the likelihood of undergoing bariatric surgery, after controlling for potential sociodemographic confounders. RESEARCH DESIGN The study was conducted using the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council's data in 5 counties of Pennsylvania in 2016 and records of preoperative insurance requirements maintained by the Temple University Bariatric Surgery Program.Privately insured bariatric surgery patients and individuals who met the eligibility criteria but did not undergo surgery were identified and 1:1 matched by sex, race, age group, and zip code (n=1054). Univariate tests and logistic regression analysis were utilized for data analysis. RESULTS The insurance requirement for 3-6 months preoperative supervised medical weight management was associated with smaller odds of undergoing surgery [odds ratio (OR)=0.459; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.253-0.832; P=0.010], after controlling for insurance plan type and the requirement for documented weight history.Preferred provider organization (OR=1.422; 95% CI, 1.063-1.902; P=0.018) and fee-for-service (OR=1.447; 95% CI, 1.021-2.050; P=0.038) plans were associated with greater odds of undergoing surgery, compared with health maintenance organization plans, after controlling for the studied precertification requirements. The documented weight history requirement was not a significant predictor of the odds of undergoing surgery (P=0.132). CONCLUSIONS There is a need for consideration of insurance benefits design as a determinant of access to bariatric surgery.
The Academic Facility Is Associated with Higher Utilization of Esophagectomy and Improved Overall Survival for Esophageal Carcinoma.

Operable esophageal carcinoma is potentially curable with surgical resection. The short-term outcomes and overall survival rate for operable esophageal carcinoma may be impacted by the healthcare facility type where patients receive care. A total of 37, 271 cases with the American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical stage I, II, and III esophageal carcinoma that were reported to the National Cancer Data Base at over 12,721 facilities were analyzed. Healthcare facilities were dichotomized into the community and academic facility types. Marginal multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate differences in overall survival between facility types, which accounted for facility esophageal cancer volume. Propensity score methodology with inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for patient related baseline differences between facility types. Patients with clinical stage I–III esophageal carcinoma who underwent esophagectomy at academic healthcare facilities had a significantly better overall survival compared with patients who underwent esophagectomy at community healthcare facilities [HR = 0.89: CI [0.84–0.95] (p = 0.0005)]. The rate of esophagectomy was significantly higher at the academic facilities (49.0% versus 26.5%; p < 0.0001). The 30-day and 90-day mortality rates for esophagectomy were significantly better for patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer at the academic facility types. Patients with clinical stage I–III esophageal carcinoma who received care at academic facility types had significantly better overall survival compared with community facility types. The utilization of esophagectomy was significantly higher and the short-term surgical outcomes were better for patients treated at academic facility types.
High temporal resolution rainfall–runoff modeling using long-short-term-memory (LSTM) networks

Accurate and efficient models for rainfall–runoff (RR) simulations are crucial for flood risk management. Most rainfall models in use today are process-driven; i.e., they solve either simplified empirical formulas or some variation of the St. Venant (shallow water) equations. With the development of machine-learning techniques, we may now be able to emulate rainfall models using, for example, neural networks. In this study, a data-driven RR model using a sequence-to-sequence long-short-term-memory (LSTM) network was constructed. The model was tested for a watershed in Houston, TX, known for severe flood events. The LSTM network’s capability in learning long-term dependencies between the input and output of the network allowed modeling RR with high resolution in time (15 min). Using 10-year precipitation from 153 rainfall gages and river channel discharge data (more than 5.3 million data points), and by designing several numerical tests, the developed model performance in predicting river discharge was tested. The model results were also compared with the output of a process-driven model gridded surface subsurface hydrologic analysis (GSSHA). Moreover, physical consistency of the LSTM model was explored. The model results showed that the LSTM model was able to efficiently predict discharge and achieve good model performance. When compared to GSSHA, the data-driven model was more efficient and robust in terms of prediction and calibration. Interestingly, the performance of the LSTM model improved (test Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency from 0.666 to 0.942) when a selected subset of rainfall gages based on the model performance, were used as input instead of all rainfall gages.
Reconstructing cellular automata rules from observations at nonconsecutive times.

Recent experiments have shown that a deep neural network can be trained to predict the action of $t$ steps of Conway's Game of Life automaton given millions of examples of this action on random initial states. However, training was never completely successful for $tg1$, and even when successful, a reconstruction of the elementary rule ($t=1$) from $tg1$ data is not within the scope of what the neural network can deliver. We describe an alternative network-like method, based on constraint projections, where this is possible. From a single data item this method perfectly reconstructs not just the automaton rule but also the states in the time steps it did not see. For a unique reconstruction, the size of the initial state need only be large enough that it and the $t\ensuremath{-}1$ states it evolves into contain all possible automaton input patterns. We demonstrate the method on 1D binary cellular automata that take inputs from $n$ adjacent cells. The unknown rules in our experiments are not restricted to simple rules derived from a few linear functions on the inputs (as in Game of Life), but include all ${2}^{{2}^{n}}$ possible rules on $n$ inputs. Our results extend to $n=6$, for which exhaustive rule-search is not feasible. By relaxing translational symmetry in space and also time, our method is attractive as a platform for the learning of binary data, since the discreteness of the variables does not pose the same challenge it does for gradient-based methods.
Perfluorinated Chemicals and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Obese Children: An Ancillary Pilot Investigation

BACKGROUND Obese children are at high risk of several morbidities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) are a recently recognized class of ‘forever chemicals’ that may contribute to disease risk. The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot investigation of a subset of available biospecimens from obese children with a focus on PFAS with respect to established measures …
Role of SHH in Patterning Human Pluripotent Cells towards Ventral Forebrain Fates

The complexities of human neurodevelopment have historically been challenging to decipher but continue to be of great interest in the contexts of healthy neurobiology and disease. The classic animal models and monolayer in vitro systems have limited the types of questions scientists can strive to answer in addition to the technical ability to answer them. However, the tridimensional human stem cell-derived organoid system provides the unique opportunity to model human development and mimic the diverse cellular composition of human organs. This strategy is adaptable and malleable, and these neural organoids possess the morphogenic sensitivity to be patterned in various ways to generate the different regions of the human brain. Furthermore, recapitulating human development provides a platform for disease modeling. One master regulator of human neurodevelopment in many regions of the human brain is sonic hedgehog (SHH), whose expression gradient and pathway activation are responsible for conferring ventral identity and shaping cellular phenotypes throughout the neural axis. This review first discusses the benefits, challenges, and limitations of using organoids for studying human neurodevelopment and disease, comparing advantages and disadvantages with other in vivo and in vitro model systems. Next, we explore the range of control that SHH exhibits on human neurodevelopment, and the application of SHH to various stem cell methodologies, including organoids, to expand our understanding of human development and disease. We outline how this strategy will eventually bring us much closer to uncovering the intricacies of human neurodevelopment and biology.
The core autophagy machinery is not required for chloroplast singlet oxygen-mediated cell death in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid ferrochelatase two mutant.

Background Chloroplasts respond to stress and changes in the environment by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that have specific signaling abilities. The ROS singlet oxygen (1O2) is unique in that it can signal to initiate cellular degradation including the selective degradation of damaged chloroplasts. This chloroplast quality control pathway can be monitored in the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant plastid ferrochelatase two (fc2) that conditionally accumulates chloroplast 1O2 under diurnal light cycling conditions leading to rapid chloroplast degradation and eventual cell death. The cellular machinery involved in such degradation, however, remains unknown. Recently, it was demonstrated that whole damaged chloroplasts can be transported to the central vacuole via a process requiring autophagosomes and core components of the autophagy machinery. The relationship between this process, referred to as chlorophagy, and the degradation of 1O2-stressed chloroplasts and cells has remained unexplored. Results To further understand 1O2-induced cellular degradation and determine what role autophagy may play, the expression of autophagy-related genes was monitored in 1O2-stressed fc2 seedlings and found to be induced. Although autophagosomes were present in fc2 cells, they did not associate with chloroplasts during 1O2 stress. Mutations affecting the core autophagy machinery (atg5, atg7, and atg10) were unable to suppress 1O2-induced cell death or chloroplast protrusion into the central vacuole, suggesting autophagosome formation is dispensable for such 1O2-mediated cellular degradation. However, both atg5 and atg7 led to specific defects in chloroplast ultrastructure and photosynthetic efficiencies, suggesting core autophagy machinery is involved in protecting chloroplasts from photo-oxidative damage. Finally, genes predicted to be involved in microautophagy were shown to be induced in stressed fc2 seedlings, indicating a possible role for an alternate form of autophagy in the dismantling of 1O2-damaged chloroplasts. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that 1O2-dependent cell death is independent from autophagosome formation, canonical autophagy, and chlorophagy. Furthermore, autophagosome-independent microautophagy may be involved in degrading 1O2-damaged chloroplasts. At the same time, canonical autophagy may still play a role in protecting chloroplasts from 1O2-induced photo-oxidative stress. Together, this suggests chloroplast function and degradation is a complex process utilizing multiple autophagy and degradation machineries, possibly depending on the type of stress or damage incurred.
Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in the setting of breast cancer diagnosis and their insurance coverage in the United States

BACKGROUND Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) is more common in the United States than the rest of the world. However, the benefit of this procedure is still under question in many breast cancer scenarios. CPM utilization in the United States is in part dependent on a patient's health insurance coverage of breast oncology surgery and any desired reconstruction. However, there are great discrepancies in the coverage provided by insurers. METHODS The authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis of insurance policies for a CPM in the setting of diagnosed breast cancer. One hundred companies were selected based on their state enrollment and market share. Their policies were identified through a Web-based search and telephone interviews, and their medical necessity criteria were extracted. RESULTS Of the 100 companies assessed, 36 (36%) had a policy for CPM. Within those, significantly more provided coverage than denied the procedure (72% vs. 25%, p < 0.0001), with the remainder providing case-by-case coverage. Eleven criteria were identified from preauthorized policies, the most common prerequisite was breast cancer diagnosis under 45 years old (n = 9, 35%). Most policies did not differentiate between gender in their policies (n = 25, 69%), but of those that did, 100% (n = 11) provided coverage for men and women, with 82% (n = 9) requiring further criteria from the female patients. CONCLUSION The coverage of CPM in the United States varies from complete denial to unrestricted approval. This may be due to conflicting reports in the literature as to the utility of the procedure. The decision to undergo this procedure must be taken with thoughtful consideration and the support of a multidisciplinary approach.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND GLOBAL STABILITY1

Trade liberalisation has played a critical role in advancing peace and prosperity. Differences on agriculture have been the major impediment to a future multilateral trade round. The recent agreement on agriculture at the WTO meetings in Geneva may signal a breakthrough in that sector. This article analyses the benefits of recent trade agreements and examines the prospects for future ones. It also presents an alternative framework for advancing trade, the Global Free Trade Association.
Impulse-Based Mechanisms

For me, the opportunity to summarize is an opportunity rather to generalize. First, however, I want to call attention to what I thought was the beginning step in the impulse-based part of the program, and that was, in the classic British tradition, Sydney Sunderland’s definitive exposition of the anatomical organization of the vertebral column and its relation to the spinal cord and the roots, forming the peripheral nervous system for the body. It was a beautiful presentation of fundamental material relevant to the whole substance of what is going on in and is envisioned for the future in spinal manipulative therapy.
Studies by Crossed Electroimmunodiffusion on the Individuality and Sexual Origin of Bloodstains

The potential value of serologic reactions to forensic studies has been recognized since 1901 when Uhlenhuth [1] used the precipitin test to distinguish human from animal blood and Landsteiner [2] used agglutination to show ABO antigenic differences among human red blood cells (RBC). However, the successful use of serologic techniques in criminal cases did not occur until 1916 when Lattes [3] devised a simple agglutination test for ABO typing of human bloodstains. The Lattes test, though widely used in the past and improved in various ways [4ߝ9], is no longer the method of choice in most forensic laboratories because positive results depend on preservation of the activity of relatively labile antibodies in the stain.
Voronoi summation formulae on GL(n)

Abstract We discover new Voronoi formulae for automorphic forms on GL ( n ) for n ≥ 4 . There are [ n / 2 ] different Voronoi formulae on GL ( n ) , which are Poisson summation formulae weighted by Fourier coefficients of the automorphic form with twists by some hyper-Kloosterman sums.
Managing replacement stock within the environment of the south - plant, soil, and animal interactions: a review.

The South extends from the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico north through Virginia and Kentucky and west to the 100th meridian, which extends through Texas and Oklahoma. The soils, environment, and range of adapted forage species offer many and varied opportunities for designing forage- livestock systems for rearing replacement stock. Anti- quality factors of concern when using forages for replacement stock include the presence of Acremonium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) in tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), phytoestrogens potentially in several species of Trifolium and Medicago, toxins in some species of brush that contribute to infertility, and imbalances of several minerals including Ca, P, K, Fe, I, Zn, Na, Cu, and Se. Systems should be designed to provide appropriate quality and quantity of forage to produce reproduc- tively active female animals of the desired weight and condition for breeding at the target age, usually 15 mo for beef and dairy heifers and 8 to 9 mo for ewe lambs. Systems generally require sequence grazing of two or more forage species or mixtures to provide extended or year-round grazing opportunities. Stockpiling of tall fescue in the Upper South and use of cool-season annuals in the Lower South extend grazing in autumn, winter, and early spring. Successful systems coordinate plant growth potential with changing animal forage requirements for both quantity and quality of forage to achieve optimum growth rates for replacement stock.
Marijuana Effects on Sensitivity to Reinforcement in Humans

Under controlled laboratory conditions, eight adult subjects smoked placebo and three different potencies of marijuana cigarettes ranging in Δ9 THC content. Immediately following smoking, subjects were exposed to a laboratory task that provided concurrently available response options. One option systematically decreased in reinforcement frequency throughout the session, and thus required a reallocation of behavior to the non-decreasing option to maximize monetary earnings. After smoking the two highest doses (1.77% and 3.58% Δ9 THC) subjects earned fewer reinforcers and allocated a higher proportion of responding to the decreasing option, compared with placebo and the lowest dose. The difference in reinforcers earned could not be accounted for by a change in response rates. Quantitative and graphical analyses revealed that the higher doses produced considerable periods of time spent on the decreasing option despite earning few reinforcers. The data are discussed with regard to marijuana effects on dopamine/cannabinoid systems and adaptive behavior change.
Abstract W P97: A Single Intravenous Dose of the Pyrazole CNB-001 Induces Long Term Behavioral Improvement and Reduces Stroke Volume in a Rat Ischemic Stroke Model

Future stroke therapy will require pleiotropic drugs with multi-mechanisms of action. We studied a safe pyrazole compound, CNB-001, which has multiple potent neuroprotective and neurotrophic activities. Previously, we found that CNB-001 improves clinical function following small clot embolic stroke in rabbits, increase cortical brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) content and activates BDNF signaling pathways. Abiding by RIGOR guidelines (blinding and randomization), we studied CNB-001 in rat stroke model [filament middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo)] where Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to 3 hours MCAo. After a delay of 1 hour during reperfusion, CNB-001 (10 mg/kg) or vehicle (n=12 per group) was infused through the jugular vein over 5 mins as a single dose. One week after stroke onset, these animals were tested using a cylinder test, a measure of limb-use-asymmetry, and further cylinders tests were done at week 2 and 4 following stroke, and then followed by Barnes Maze analysis, to quan...
Adapting to Change

This paper examines an invention by Simon Stevin (1548–1620) which was intended for use in fortifications and economic activities in the Dutch Republic. Stevin was a prominent innovator and engineer who served as an important link between the military and public spheres. He published his ideas for his new invention in New Manner of Fortification through Pivoted Sluices(1617) detailing how his device could help maintain the wet ditches surrounding the Republic’s towns and defenses. These ditches were an important component of the Netherlandish style of fortification developed by Stevin and others. Simultaneously, Stevin also believed that his device could be employed beyond military purposes. In particular he argued that his pivoted sluice lock could benefit the Dutch economy through its use in navigation, land reclamation, and peat harvesting. In short, Stevin envisioned a system in which the military and economic needs of the Republic could be harmoniously combined.
Dendritic cells acquire antigen from apoptotic cells and induce class I-restricted CTLs

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) mediate resistance to infectious agents and tumours. Classically, CTLs recognize antigens that are localized in the cytoplasm of target cells, processed and presented as peptide complexes with class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). However, there is evidence for an exogenous pathway whereby antigens that are not expected to gain access to the cytoplasm are presented on MHC class I molecules. The most dramatic example is the in vivo phenomenon of cross-priming: antigens from donor cells are acquired by bone-marrow-derived host antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and presented on MHC class I molecules. Two unanswered questions concern the identity of this bone-marrow-derived cell and how such antigens are acquired. Here we show that human dendritic cells, but not macrophages, efficiently present antigen derived from apoptotic cells, stimulating class I-restricted CD8+ CTLs. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which potent APCs acquire antigens from tumours, transplants, infected cells, or even self-tissue, for stimulation or tolerization of CTLs.
Evaluation of drug treatment in irritable bowel syndrome

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains a therapeutic challenge in part because of the limited understanding of the pathophysiology. The placebo response rate varies in randomized controlled trials from 20 to 70%, and can persist for up to at least 1 year. It is contentious whether dietary fibre and bulking agents relieve the symptoms of IBS; constipation probably improves. Anticholinergic and antispasmodic agents are of questionable benefit in IBS despite positive meta-analyses of poor quality trials. A meta-analysis concluded that the tricyclic antidepressants were superior to placebo in IBS, although the individual trial results were variable. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are of uncertain benefit. Laxatives are used for constipation but probably poorly control the IBS symptom complex. Loperamide is superior to placebo in improvement of diarrhoea but not abdominal pain in IBS. Tegaserod is a well- tolerated aminoguanidine indole derivative of serotonin that is a partial 5HT4-receptor agonist with prokinetic properties; a therapeutic gain over placebo of 5% to 15% has been observed in constipation-predominant IBS in females. Alosetron is a 5HT3-receptor antagonist that is efficacious in females with diarrhoea-predominant IBS, with a 12% to 17% therapeutic gain; the risk of ischaemic colitis is 1 in 350, with very severe constipation occurring in about 1 in 1000. Optimizing study design remains a challenge in IBS. New visceral analgesic and motility modifying agents, as well as anti-inflammatory agents are in trials, and hopefully additional efficacious therapeutic options for patients with IBS will soon emerge.
Nutrition Knowledge and Parental Schooling as Inputs to Child Nutrition in the Long and Short Run

Drawing on a large household survey in rural Central Java, Indonesia, we address the functional distinction between formal education and nutrition knowledge. Applying parametric and nonparametric techniques to household data from rural Indonesia the study finds that: 1) Mothers' nutrition knowledge has a strong, positive impact on child nutrition in the short-term (weight-forheight), controlling for mother's education and income; 2) by contrast, formal schooling dominates nutrition knowledge in determining child anthropometric outcomes in the longer run (height-for-age); 3) to the extent that maternal education contributes to shorter-run child outcomes its effects are meditated through nutrition knowledge; and, 4) paternal education contributes independently to long-run (but not short-run) child nutrition. The results suggest a potentially large role for nutrition education in combating child malnutrition in poor countries with limited schooling infrastructure and/or limited access to education by the very poor.
Topical application of ice-nucleating-active bacteria decreases insect cold tolerance.

The majority of overwintering insects avoid lethal freezing by lowering the temperature at which ice spontaneously nucleates within their body fluids. We examined the effect of ice-nucleating-active bacteria on the cold-hardiness of the lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens, a freeze-intolerant species that overwinters by supercooling to ca. −16°C. Topical application of the ice-nucleating-active bacteria Pseudomonas syringae increased the supercooling point to temperatures as high as −3°C. This decrease in cold tolerance was maintained for at least 3 days after treatment. Various treatment doses (108, 106, and 104 bacteria per ml) and modes of action (bacterial ingestion and topical application) were also compared. At the highest concentration of topically applied P. syringae, 50% of the beetles froze between −2 and −4°C. After topical application at the lowest concentration, 50% of the individuals froze by −11°C. In contrast, beetles fed bacteria at this concentration did not begin to freeze until −10°C, and 50% were frozen only at temperatures of −13°C or less. In addition to reducing the supercooling capacity in H. convergens, ice-nucleating-active bacteria also significantly reduced the cold-hardiness of four additional insects. These data demonstrate that ice-nucleating-active bacteria can be used to elevate the supercooling point and thereby decrease insect cold tolerance. The results of this study support the proposition that ice-nucleating-active bacteria may be used as a biological insecticide for the control of insect pests during the winter. Images
Agent-based control for a dynamically reconfigurable mobile robotic structure

This work discusses an agent-based control system utilized for target tracking by clusters of basic mobile robotic sensor agents coupled to form complex reconfigurable mobile structures. Coupling and de-coupling mobile agents are controlled using an adaptive algorithm, which does not initially know the physical constraints tying the agents together, but is able to navigate the structure as if it were a single entity.
Dissolved oxygen and the partial thermodynamic properties of γ′-Ni3Al + β-NiAl alloys

The effect of dissolved O on the solution behavior and phase transformations in γ′-Ni3Al + β-NiAl alloys was investigated by comparing the activities of Al, Al2O and Ni with the addition of Y, as Y2O3, to the Ni–Al–O system. In simple terms, this changed the stable oxide from Al2O3 (in Ni–Al–O) to YAlO3 (in Ni–Al–Y–O), and the activities of O and Al2O3 were reduced by about a factor of 5 and 100, respectively. There was, however, no observable change in the solution behavior or phase transformations of the Ni–Al phases.
Exploring the Possibility of Approximating Viscoelastic Response of Underfill Materials Through the Use of Appropriate Linear-Elastic Material Models

Viscoelastic analysis for numerical modeling of IC assembly processes are generally non-linear and require extensive time and computational resources when compared to a linear elastic analysis. Experimental identification/approximation of the viscoelastic properties (in terms of the Prony series) of any polymeric material is also an exhaustive effort. These drawbacks in experimental procedures and modeling activities have forced us to explore the possibility of approximating viscoelastic response of a polymer with an appropriate linear-elastic model. This paper discusses the impact of different approximation methodologies for a viscoelastic material most commonly used in electronic packaging — the underfill material in flip-chip technology. The modeling methodologies discussed here include the use of long term modulus, short term modulus and other “effective” stiffness measures to approximate the response of underfills during assembly processes. The package response, from each of these models, has been compared to the package response from a linear viscoelastic analysis assuming underfill materials to behave as Maxwell solids. It has been observed that the short term modulus consistently over predicts the ILD (interlayer dielectric in the silicon backend) peel stress for various underfill materials. In addition, the paper also explores the existence of an “effective” stiffness that can be used in lieu of a full fledged viscoelastic analysis. The ability to estimate this “effective” stiffness using available temperature dependent modulus data (from DMA tests) is also discussed. The applicability of this effective metric to different underfill materials has also been explored. In conclusion, this study highlights the need for accurate characterization of polymeric materials so that numerical predictions can provide realistic risk assessments for future packaging technologies.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Synthesis of aaptamine, a novel marine alkaloid

Abstract The novel sponge alkaloid aaptamine has been synthesized for the first time by an efficient route starting from 6-methoxy-7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydrolsoquinoline.
Postoperative Management for Transoral Approaches to the Craniocervical Junction

Most patients (97%) who have undergone a transoral-transpalatopharyngeal decompression of the ventral craniocervical border have also undergone dorsal stabilization of the craniocervical junction. Their postoperative management involves routine intensive care. Significant concerns about ventilator and respiratory care, antibiotic regimen, nutritional support, pain management, and immobilization make it advantageous to consider their immediate postoperative care from multiple perspectives. The authors share their mode of care for these patients, which has led to successful outcomes.
S1-3 Enzymology of H2S turnver

Despite the excitement about the discovery of a third gaseous signaling molecule and the consequent profusion of literature on H2S biology, progress in the field has been impeded by the lack of sulfide-specific sensors for detection/imaging, and an understanding of how cells maintain very low steady-state levels of H2S, amplifying the signal as needed. We are studying the enzymology of mitochondrial sulfide oxidation, which links it to the electron transport chain and to ATP production and of H2S biogenesis. The enzymes of the transsulfuration pathway, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) are important for the endogenous production of H2S in addition to the mitochondrial enzyme, mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MST). We have recently obtained structures of CBS and MST captured with reactive intermediates in the active sites. We have also quantified MST, CBS and CSE levels in murine liver, brain and kidney and assessed the relative contributions of these enzymes to H2S production. We will discuss new data on estimation of hepatic sulfur flux both through H2S biogenesis and O2-dependent H2S catabolism, which are very high and comparable to the flux of sulfur into the antioxidant pool, glutathione. These data implicate regulation of H2S clearance as a potentially important “off-switch” in H2S signaling.
Spontaneous breaking of electric-magnetic charge symmetry in local quantum field theory

Abstract It is shown that in local quantum field theory with electric and magnetic currents, duality transformations are always spontaneously broken. Possible implications are discussed leading to the screening of magnetic charge and the failure of the cluster property as in two-dimensional quantum electrodynamics.
The Road to Three-Dimensional Imaging in Orthodontics

This paper examines the origins of 3-dimensional craniofacial measurement. It briefly tracks the development of measurement methods from the plaster casts and facial moulages of the early 20th century to the cone beam computed tomographic scanners of today. The fundamental difference in design between cone beam scanners and conventional computed tomography scanners is described in their difference in primary function; cone beam scanners are optimized for the location of hard tissue structures, such as teeth and bone, whereas computed tomography scanners were originally optimized for the detection of subtle distinctions in the radiopacity of different bodily soft tissues under different conditions of health and disease. The advantages and limitations of several attempts at quantitative measurement of the skull and face in 3 dimensions are noted.
The utility of a video game system in rehabilitation of burn and nonburn patients: a survey among occupational therapy and physiotherapy practitioners.

The objective of this study was to investigate perceptions of occupational therapists and physiotherapists on the use of Nintendo Wii™ (Nintendo of America Inc., Redmond, WA) in rehabilitation. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists in a rehabilitation hospital trialed four Wii games that addressed physical movement, balance, coordination, and cognitive performance. Then, they completed an opinion survey on the utility of Wii in rehabilitation. The results were compared between burn care therapists (BTs) and nonburn care therapists, using chi(2) with a P 60 years, P < .05) and BT favored the therapeutic benefit of Wii in rehabilitation (93% vs 58%, P = .02), specifically in burn rehabilitation (85% vs 39%, P = .001). Occupational therapists and physiotherapists favored the use of Wii in rehabilitation as an adjunct to traditional therapy because it is therapeutic, engaging, and may increase patient participation in rehabilitation.
Late Cenozoic volcaniclastic deposits, Andean foredeep, Colombia

Volcaniclastic deposits preserved in the upper Magdalena Valley, Colombia, were derived from stratovolcanoes on Cordillera Central during and after the late Cenozoic Andean orogeny. Andesitic lava clasts and suites of mineral grains, commonly mixed with plutonic and metamorphic rock fragments, predominate in proximal debris flows and in torrential channel lenses; reworked dacitic pyroclastic material is more common in distal debris flows, sheeted overbank sands, and flood-plain muds. Earliest Colombian volcanism is recorded by montmorillonite in the mid-Cenozoic La Cira Formation (1,000 m). During early phases of Andean orogeny in middle and late Miocene time (20 to 10 m.y. ago), abundant volcanic clasts and volcanic mineral grains accumulated in coarse channel and flood-plain sediments of the Honda Group (3,000 m), along with a few thin sheets of reworked pyroclastic debris. The overlying conglomeratic Neiva Formation (200 m) records renewed uplift and a fresh supply of lava. In latest Miocene time (8 to 9 m.y. ago) the climax of explosive activity swamped the Andean foredeep with debris that accumulated on coalescing fans of the Gigante Formation (750 m). About 7 to 5 m.y. ago, the final Andean orogenic phase deformed both Cordillera Central and its foredeep. Subsequent excavation of the uplifted eastern lowland was interrupted at least ten times by local incursions of volcanic detritus 10 to 75 m thick. These deposits include polymictic debris flows and torrential sediments that filled valleys and formed large fans, and reworked pumiceous debris concentrated in fluvial valley fill and in debris flows that spread widely across the Magdalena lowland. Older deposits are preserved in high-level mesas, valley terraces, and deeply dissected fans; younger deposits form low, relatively undissected fans and inner terraces along major streams.