cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An SCF-FBXW7 Ubiquitin Ligase Mediated Feedback Loop Facilitates GATA Factor Switching and Reinforces Commitment to Terminal Erythroid Maturation

Abstract The GATA family transcription factors GATA2 and GATA1 play reciprocal roles during terminal erythroid and megakaryocytic maturation. GATA2 is expressed early in hematopoiesis and is required for early progenitor cell proliferation and survival. It must be down regulated in order for terminal maturation to occur. In contrast, GATA1 increases in expression during erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis, and is required for terminal maturation of these lineages. During this process, GATA1 displaces GATA2 at a large number of chromatin loci, typically leading to repression of early progenitor genes and activation of terminal maturation genes. This “GATA factor switch” is facilitated by the considerably shorter half-life of GATA2 (~30 min) compared to GATA1 (>4-6 hours). GATA2’s short half-life is mediated by ubiquitin-proteosomal degradation mechanisms. Yet the ubiquitin complex(es) responsible for GATA2-specific clearance has not been identified. In this study, we show that the Skip1-Cullin-Fbox (SCF) substrate recognition factor Fbxw7 is involved in GATA2 ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Proteomic and co-immunoprecipitation experiments show physical association of Fbxw7 with GATA2, but not GATA1. CRISPR/Cas9 deletion of Fbxw7 in G1ER4 cells results in elevated GATA2 steady-state protein levels, a prolonged GATA2 half-life, delayed GATA2 clearance upon estradiol induction, and impaired erythroid terminal maturation. Importantly, Fbxw7 mRNA and protein levels normally increase during terminal erythroid maturation and this occurs in a GATA1 dependent manner. We identified a key cis-regulatory element upstream of the Fbxw7 gene that is occupied by GATA2 during early erythropoiesis, but becomes bound by GATA1/TAL1 during late erythroid maturation in induced G1-ER4 cells and human CD34+ in vitro differentiated erythroblasts. This is accompanied by the acquisition of active enhancer histone marks at this site. Deletion of this regulatory element in G1ER4 cells blocks the GATA1 dependent increase in Fbxw7 mRNA transcript levels during erythroid cell maturation. Lastly, we identified a family with congenital hypoplastic anemia (lacking mutations in all known Diamond Blackfan Anemia genes) who harbor a germline Fbxw7missense mutation. Collectively, these findings identify GATA2 as a novel Fbxw7 substrate and uncover an ubiquitin-mediated post-transcriptional GATA factor feedback loop that reinforces GATA factor switching and commitment to terminal erythroid maturation. Disclosures Cantor:Amgen: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees.
SU-C-206-02: Estimating Coronary Artery Plaque Composition with a Combined Dual-Energy and Single-Energy QCT Optimization Model

Purpose: A study was performed to evaluate the accuracy of a combined dual-energy/single-energy QCT optimization model for estimating the volume fractions of fat, cholesterol, protein, fibrous tissue, and calcium in coronary artery plaque. Methods: This model uses 80kVp-140kVp CT# data to distinguish calcium, and Gaussian component analysis based on the 140kVp CT#’s of the pure materials to distinguish the other constituents. An experimental study was performed with a thorax section phantom (CIRS, Inc.) containing various mixtures of 0.8–3.2mm thick plastic slabs simulating plaque components. The Z(eff), ρ(g/cc) properties of the plaque components and plaque-simulating plastics are: [fat(5.82,0.92), LDPE(5.44, 0.92)], [cholesterol(5.65,1.067), polystyrene(5.62,1.05)], protein(6.73,1.38), Delrin (7.07,1.42)], fibrous(7.51, 1.05), nylon(6.21, 1.14]). Two water-equivalent plastics containing CaCO3 (13% and 22% CaCO3) were also used. Scans of 6.4-mm-thick slabs of each plastic alone within the phantom were acquired to determine the CT#’s of the pure materials. All scans were repeated 3 times under each condition and reconstructed with standard (STD) and BONE kernels on a GE CT750HD CT scanner using a 10-cm reconstruction FOV. Results: The minimum RMS errors for the various plaque-simulating slab mixtures were 2.2% (BONE kernel) and 4.2% (STD kernel) for a 1.6mm 13% CaCO3, 3.2mm polystyrene, 3.2mm delrin, 3.2mm nylon slab mixture (total=11.2mm). Maximum RMS errors were 7.5% (BONE) and 13.7% (STD) for a mixture containing 1.6mm slabs of 13% CaCO3, LDPE, delrin, and nylon (total=6.4mm). Conclusion: The accuracy of the method decreased as the thicknesses of the slabs decreased, due to volume averaging. Accuracy was better for the BONE kernel that has higher spatial resolution. Even for this kernel, the errors are substantial for a mixture that is about the size of the coronary artery lumen (2–6mm). Higher spatial resolution and more quantitative reconstruction methods are needed to improve the accuracy of the method. NIH RO1 HL106545
Client risk calibration in PCAOB audits: an analytical procedures panel risk assignment protocol

Analytical procedures are recommended by the AICPA to calibrate the risk level of the audit. In this paper, we detail an Analytical Procedures technique to aid in assigning an initial risk level to the audit client. Following the AICPA analytical procedures guide, we offer a panel analytical procedures model that uses a priori accrued firms to form benchmarking triage for the main effect: risk level. After testing for the expected fixed effects of the firm benchmarks and also for the explicit input variable power, we show that the panel risk assignment protocol (PRAP) only needs a set of high risk firms as the client benchmarking group. We offer six other sources of risk-related information that may inform the audit regarding client relative risk at the planning stage of the audit. Finally, the final scoring of the risk level is produced by a VBA-Excel decision support system that is available free as a download without restrictions on its use.
Fluorescent Kinase Probes Enabling Identification and Dynamic Imaging of HER2(+) Cells.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR/ERBB/HER, family of receptor tyrosine kinases is central to many signaling pathways and a validated chemotherapy target in multiple cancers. While EGFR/ERBB-targeted therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, e.g., trastuzumab, and small molecule kinase inhibitors, such as lapatinib, have been developed, rapid identification and classification of cancer cells is key to identifying the best treatment regime. We report ERBB2 (also HER2) targeting kinase probes that exhibit a “turn-on” emission response upon binding. These live cell compatible probes differentiate ERBB2(+) cells from low-level, ERBB2(−) cells by targeting the intracellular ATP-binding pocket of ERBB2 with therapeutic inhibitor-like specificity. Beyond kinase expression levels, probe signal is linked to the phosphotyrosine-correlated activation state of the ERBB2 population. Additionally, the rapid signaling capability of the probes can report changes in activation state in live cells providin...
Magnetic Resonance Angiography and Evaluation of Vulnerable Plaque

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), particularly with contrast enhancement, is routinely used as a diagnostic modality for the detection and quantification of stenoses in multiple vascular territories. Combined information of wall structure, luminal patency, and functional status can be obtained. Magnetic resonance angiography can substitute invasive angiography in the majority of patients with occlusive disease in the renal, lower extremity arteries and, usually in conjunction with duplex ultrasonography, in the carotid vasculature. In the thoracoabdominal aorta, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred technique for the study of chronic dissection and provides useful information in the acute setting and in the evaluation of aneurysmal dilatations. Magnetic resonance angiography is highly valuable in the depiction of congenital coronary anomalies. The assessment of significant stenoses is feasible and has reasonable diagnostic accuracy, but technical constraints still limit its widespread clinical application. Whole-body MRA techniques depict the complete vascular system (excluding the coronary and intracranial arteries) in one single examination, with high diagnostic accuracy for the visualization of severe stenoses. Black-blood techniques provide high-resolution vessel wall imaging, enabling an accurate and reproducible visualization of plaque presence, morphology and extent. Faster sequences allow scanning large vascular segments in short periods of time. The atherosclerotic plaque burden can be quantified with black-blood techniques and indexes of disease obtained with this approach correlate with conventional cardiovascular risk factors and markers of inflammatory activity. Magnetic resonance imaging provides an invaluable tool for the serial measurements of in-vivo changes in atherosclerotic lesions as a result of natural progression or in response to different therapeutic interventions. Multicontrast MRI combining various imaging sequences has the ability to depict and quantify plaque components with high accuracy in various arterial territories. Molecular MRI using high-affinity contrast agents offers the vast potential of noninvasively identifying and highlighting specific processes of atherothrombotic disease at the cellular and molecular levels. The combination of MRA and black-blood techniques (and, in the near future, molecular MRI) can constitute the basis for the comprehensive evaluation of systemic atherothrombotic disease in one single examination.
Intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring: V. Fetal heart rate patterns in the second stage of labor

A total of 1,755 fetal heart rate (FHR) tracings of the second stage of labor was analyzed. The FHR patterns were classified according to the behavior of the baseline FHR and are listed in decreasing order of benignity: normocardia, transitory bradycardia, tachycardia, persistent bradycardia, and progressive bradycardia. Each category was further subdivided into four groups on the basis of association or nonassociation with early, variable, or late decelerations. Cord compression pattern were noted in over 50% of the FHR tracings and account for the majority of low Apgar scores and fetal acidosis. FHR abnormalities occurred in 91% of second-stage labor patterns, and were mild in most cases or of too short duration to influence fetal outcome. An effort was made to establish therapeutic guidelines based on the morphologic features, prognostic grading, and the etiology of the FHR patterns in the second stage of labor.
Between the plot and plantation: Parahuman ecologies in Fred D’Aguiar’s Children of Paradise:

In this article I argue that Children of Paradise (2014), Fred D’Aguiar’s novelization of the final months of Jonestown, draws different spatializations of political oppression together and situate...
Converting Forests to Farms: The Economic Benefits of Clearing Forests in Agricultural Settlements in the Amazon

Agricultural expansion into tropical forests is believed to bring local economic benefits at the expense of global environmental costs. The resulting tension is reflected in Brazilian government policy. The national agrarian reform program has settled farm families in the Amazon region since the 1970s, with the expectation that they will clear forests in order to farm the land. On the other hand, recent Brazilian policy initiatives seek to reduce deforestation to mitigate climate change. We contribute to the policy debate that surrounds these dual goals for the Amazon by estimating the marginal effects of new agricultural land on the full income and assets of farm settlers over a 13-year period from 1996 to 2009. Using micro panel data from agrarian settlements where forest was being rapidly cleared, and controlling for factors that would otherwise confound the relationship, we estimate the effect of converting forest to agriculture on total household income to estimate the opportunity cost of conserving forest. Our measure of income reflects any re-allocation of resources by utility maximizing households and any productivity effects due to loss of forest ecosystem services. The estimated effect of new agricultural land on income is positive, but small relative to the income per hectare of previously cleared land. However, we show that income increases investment in physical assets, which raises households’ income generating capacity and future accumulation of assets. Thus, while there is only a small immediate income gain from clearing more forest, the long-term effects on wealth are still substantial. This demonstrates that given the right conditions, conversion of forest to agricultural land can be an impetus for asset accumulation by smallholders. It also highlights the importance of considering the indirect and long-term welfare benefits of new agricultural land when assessing the opportunity costs of forest conservation.
Die Leute aus dem Walde

Raabe hat den Roman,der schlieslich Die Leute aus dem Walde. Ihre Sterne, Wege und Schicksale heisen sollte, im Oktober 1861, gleich nachdem er Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield gelesen hat, in Wolfenbuttel zu schreiben begonnen.
Infection stones of prostate gland: Laboratory diagnosis and clinical management

Abstract Similar to “infected” renal calculi, stone culture techniques have demonstrated “infected” prostatic calculi in men whose relapsing bacterial infections were preoperatively localized to the prostate gland. Three cases are presented to illustrate this condition. In 1 patient infection was cured by simple perineal prostatectomy and total prostatolithotomy; persistence of infection occurred in 1 patient following simple retropubic prostatectomy and prostatolithotomy because of a few small residual calculi; in 1 patient infection persisted following transurethral resection with removal of all visible calculi. The latter patient also had clinical evidence of chronic left seminal vesiculitis.
Endovascular recanalization for nonmalignant obstruction of the inferior vena cava.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of endovascular recanalization of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and iliac veins with long-standing chronic venous obstruction caused by nonmalignant disease. Methods Medical records for 66 patients who underwent endovascular recanalization of the IVC with or without iliac veins from January 2001 to December 2014 at our medical center were retrospectively reviewed. Primary outcomes included morbidity and mortality; secondary outcomes included primary, primary assisted, and secondary patency and resolution of symptoms. Results Forty-five (68%) patients were male; the mean age was 43 years (range, 17-83 years). All but one patient had chronic symptoms (mean duration, 8 ± 9 years). Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology classes included 3, 4a, 4b, 5, and 6 in 41, 2, 1, 2, and 20 patients, respectively. Mean Venous Clinical Severity Score was 12.4 ± 6.5. Fifty-nine patients (89%) had history of deep venous thrombosis, and 13 also had pulmonary embolism. Twenty-five patients (38%) had an IVC filter; 20 (30%) had thrombophilia. The obstruction involved the infrarenal IVC in 44 patients and both the infrarenal and suprarenal IVC in 22 patients. All recanalizations were performed under conscious sedation and local anesthesia and involved sequential angioplasty and stent placement into the IVC, with or without iliac vein stenting. Venous access included bilateral femoral veins and right internal jugular vein. Stents used were Wallstents (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Mass; n = 70), Protege stents (ev3, Plymouth, Minn; n = 49), Gianturco (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind; n = 44), and Luminexx (Bard, Tempe, Ariz; n = 1). Pressure gradients were 6.7 ± 4.0 mm Hg before and 0.9 ± 1.1 mm Hg after stenting (P Conclusions Endovascular recanalization for nonmalignant symptomatic IVC and associated iliofemoral venous obstruction with balloon angioplasty and self-expanding stents is technically challenging; however, it is safe and durable. In our retrospective study, estimated patency rates at 36 months were >85%, and clinical outcomes were excellent. Venous stenting should be attempted for chronic nonmalignant IVC and associated iliac or iliofemoral venous obstructions before open surgical reconstruction is contemplated.
Long-Term Follow-up of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance.

Abstract Background Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) occurs in approximately 3% of persons 50 years of age or older. Methods We studied 1384 patients who were residing in southeastern Minnesota and in whom MGUS was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in the period from 1960 through 1994; the median follow-up was 34.1 years (range, 0.0 to 43.6). The primary end point was progression to multiple myeloma or another plasma-cell or lymphoid disorder. Results During 14,130 person-years of follow-up, MGUS progressed in 147 patients (11%), a rate that was 6.5 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.5 to 7.7) as high as the rate in the control population. The risk of progression without accounting for death due to competing causes was 10% at 10 years, 18% at 20 years, 28% at 30 years, 36% at 35 years, and 36% at 40 years. Among patients with IgM MGUS, the presence of two adverse risk factors — namely, an abnormal serum free light-chain ratio (ratio of kappa to lambda free light chains) and a high ...
Peroxisomal Glycolate Metabolism and the C2 Oxidative Photosynthetic Carbon Cycle

In plants, pathways for the oxidative photosynthetic carbon (C2) cycle, fatty acid β oxidation, and the glyoxylate cycle are associated with peroxisomes. Level of enzyme activity for these pathways may change with the stage of tissue development. A new example is increased β oxidation during leaf senescence. Several changes in peroxisomal metabolism are related to evolutionary development. In unicellular algae, enzymes of the C2 cycle are located in the mitochondria, whereas in multicellular algae and plants most of these enzymes are peroxisomal. It is possible that glycolate metabolism shifted to peroxisomes as a result of low CO2 and high O2 in the atmosphere. Lactate metabolisms also shifted from the D-isomer in most bacteria and algae to the L-isomer in plants with peroxisomes. Using a mutant of Chlamydomonas deficient in cytochrome oxidase, we have shown that the glycolate or D-lactate dehydrogenase is linked to mitochondrial electron transport and the alternative pathway of respiration. The C2 cycle in plants may also be associated with alternative respiration for NADH oxidation during glycine oxidation. This NADH can also be shuttled from mitochondria to peroxisomes via a malate shuttle. Peroxisomal activity is limited by substrate availability. A new example is the countertransport of two intermediates of peroxisomal metabolism, glycolate and glycerate, across the chloroplast envelope. Additionally, a major research effort in plants and algae deals with C02 concentrating mechanisms which regulate the synthesis of glycolate, and therefore, the availability of substrate for peroxisomal C2 metabolism.
The Viability of Environmental Ethics

Does nature have any rights against being exploited? The answer given by modern Western philosophy is a resounding “No!” It has been a dominant theme in the ideology of the industrial West that it is always wrong to exploit human beings but never wrong to exploit nature. Indeed, we who have grown up in this milieu have been given the distinct impression that it is highly desirable (even on moral grounds) to exploit nature to the utmost.
Anesthesia for Patients with Asthma

Patients with asthma who are scheduled for elective or emergent surgery have unique issues related to airway hyper-reactivity, airflow resistance, and mucus hypersecretion. Anesthesia in these patients is associated with specific risks that are higher than in patients without asthma. Preoperative assessment should focus on characterization of the severity of the patient’s disease, assuring that medical management is optimal and the disease symptoms are stable. The immediate preoperative assessment should confirm the stability of the medical management or work quickly to stabilize acute exacerbations in patients requiring emergency surgery. Because the main intraoperative risk in these patients is bronchospasm, the choice of anesthesia and the anesthetic adjuncts should be selected to minimize this risk. In the event of a severe intraoperative bronchospasm, the differential diagnosis of intraoperative wheezing should be reviewed to eliminate other possible causes and when the diagnosis is confirmed, the bronchospasm should be treated aggressively to avoid progression to more severe complications. Emergence from anesthesia presents a second period of increased risk. Patient management options should be appropriately planned and selected to minimize the risk of recurrent bronchospasm and facilitate the rapid recovery and early mobilization of the patient to minimize postoperative respiratory complications.
Discrete State Estimation with Persistent Sensor Faults and Non-Persistent Noise via Noisy Bayesian Active Diagnosis

In this paper, we consider adaptive decision-making problems for stochastic discrete state estimation with a given budget of sensing actions/measurements that yield noisy and/or faulty partial observations. This problem is an extension of Bayesian active diagnosis, which is known to be NP-hard, to the setting when the sensor measurements are vector-valued and may be affected by persistent sensor faults and/or non-persistent noise. In particular, we identify meaningful reward functions for this problem that are adaptive monotone and weakly adaptive submodular; thus an adaptive greedy algorithm (with no need for proxy reward functions nor new algorithms) has guaranteed near-optimal performance. Finally, we apply our approach to discrete state estimation via active sensing of an electrical power system with sensor faults (persistent noise) and sensor noise (stochastic/non-persistent noise).
Misunderstanding Science Education

College-level math and science courses are difficult and are plagued by high dropout and failure rates for entering students. Science is hard for reasons inherent in the discipline that cannot be changed, but also for reasons associated with its traditional pedagogy that can be changed. These reasons are examined by exploring the question of what science is and how it differs from other approaches to acquiring knowledge. Science is often misunderstood and misrepresented in educational settings, which undermines efforts to foster more interest in science. The benefits of scientific literacy, and how it provides inoculation against the increased politicization and misuse of science is discussed as well as the limits of science and the kinds of questions that it cannot answer. Our education system reflects a disconnect between the stated goal of educating more scientists and an understanding of what that actually means. As a result, what is presented as science in school is often not really science. Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of all is that a university science degree is a much-maligned liberal arts degree.
Density, Growth, Production, and Feeding Dynamics of Juvenile Weakfish ( Cynoscion regalis ) in Delaware Bay and Salt Marsh Tributaries: Spatiotemporal Comparison of Nursery Habitat Quality

Biomass, growth, production, and feeding of young-of-the-year weakfish were examined in salt marsh tributary and nearshore habitats of Delaware Bay to describe the dynamic nursery habitat function for this species. Weakfish were collected from June through October 2005–2007 at seven sites in Delaware Bay, each with one nearshore bay station and three stations in an adjacent tributary. Weakfish biomass was consistently highest in the mid-bay, with a shifting peak down-bay in the late stages of the nursery period. Specific growth rates (SGR) ranged from − 2.98 to 9.57% mass day−1 and exhibited a seasonal bimodal pattern of the highest growth in early and late summer. This pattern coincided with that of biomass, suggesting an absence of density-dependent effects on growth. SGR declined in mid-summer and appeared to be associated with reduced stomach fullness. Growth was highest at sites in the mid- and lower bay, and lowest in the upper bay. Variation in instantaneous production primarily reflected trends in biomass, although low growth in August exacerbated a mid-summer production decline. Stomach fullness also declined in mid-summer, suggesting low resource availability. In most cases, fish at sites with high biomass, growth, and production had a higher proportion of mysids in the diet. Both tributary and nearshore areas adjacent to large expanses of salt marsh with abundant mysid resources served as the most important nurseries for juvenile weakfish, though importance of each habitat was temporally dynamic. This study presents a novel approach to quantifying dynamic nursery habitat quality for estuary-dependent fishes during their nursery period.
Differential modes of crosslinking establish spatially distinct regions of peptidoglycan in Caulobacter crescentus

The diversity of cell shapes across the bacterial kingdom reflects evolutionary pressures that have produced physiologically important morphologies. While efforts have been made to understand the regulation of some prototypical cell morphologies such as that of rod-shaped Escherichia coli, little is known about most cell shapes. For Caulobacter crescentus, polar stalk synthesis is tied to its dimorphic life cycle, and stalk elongation is regulated by phosphate availability. Based on the previous observation that C. crescentus stalks are lysozyme-resistant, we compared the composition of the peptidoglycan cell wall of stalks and cell bodies and identified key differences in peptidoglycan crosslinking. Cell body peptidoglycan contained primarily DD-crosslinks between meso-diaminopimelic acid and D-alanine residues, whereas stalk peptidoglycan had more LD-transpeptidation (meso-diaminopimelic acid-meso-diaminopimelic acid), mediated by LdtD. We determined that ldtD is dispensable for stalk elongation; rather, stalk LD-transpeptidation reflects an aging process associated with low peptidoglycan turnover in the stalk. We also found that lysozyme resistance is a structural consequence of LD-crosslinking. Despite no obvious selection pressure for LD-crosslinking or lysozyme resistance in C. crescentus, the correlation between these two properties was maintained in other organisms, suggesting that DAP-DAP crosslinking may be a general mechanism for regulating bacterial sensitivity to lysozyme.
The Structure of Competence: Evaluating the Factor Structure of the Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale

The Cognitive Therapy Rating Scale (CTRS) is an observer-rated measure of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment fidelity. Although widely used, the factor structure and psychometric properties of the CTRS are not well established. Evaluating the factorial validity of the CTRS may increase its utility for training and fidelity monitoring in clinical practice and research. The current study used multilevel exploratory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of the CTRS in a large sample of therapists (n = 413) and observations (n = 1,264) from community-based CBT training. Examination of model fit and factor loadings suggested that three within-therapist factors and one between-therapist factor provided adequate fit and the most parsimonious and interpretable factor structure. The three within-therapist factors included items related to (a) session structure, (b) CBT-specific skills and techniques, and (c) therapeutic relationship skills, although three items showed some evidence of cross-loading. All items showed moderate to high loadings on the single between-therapist factor. Results support continued use of the CTRS and suggest factors that may be a relevant focus for therapists, trainers, and researchers.
Thoracoscopic Posterior Tracheopexy Is a Feasible and Effective Treatment for Tracheomalacia

Abstract Background: Posterior tracheomalacia is characterized by collapsibility of the posterior trachea and is often present in patients with congenital esophageal atresia (EA) with or without tr...
When do refugees matter? The importance of issue salience for digital advocacy organizations

Digital advocacy organizations are permanent institutions which can rapidly mobilize people online and offline. Scholars are beginning to examine these organizations’ distinctive mode of advocacy within national contexts. However, we know relatively little about how these organizations select their campaigns, and when they successfully mobilize the public on international issues. This is important as most advocacy targets national decision-makers, rather than international institutions. This article asks: how do digital advocacy organizations select the issues they campaign on? It examines refugee campaigns across seven organizations in seven different countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA) between late 2015 and 2017. It draws on extensive primary research, including a dozen interviews with digital activists, journalists, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It finds that digital advocacy organizations choose campaigns based on issuesalience, whereas traditional NGOs are driven by issue-expertise. Professional staff select campaigns in NGOs, whereas in digital advocacy organizations campaign decision-making is member-driven. Overall, this paper calls for International Relations (IR) and interest group scholars to examine campaign selection and decision-making in all advocacy organizations.
Achieving Differential Privacy in Vertically Partitioned Multiparty Learning.

Preserving differential privacy has been well studied under centralized setting. However, it's very challenging to preserve differential privacy under multiparty setting, especially for the vertically partitioned case. In this work, we propose a new framework for differential privacy preserving multiparty learning in the vertically partitioned setting. Our core idea is based on the functional mechanism that achieves differential privacy of the released model by adding noise to the objective function. We show the server can simply dissect the objective function into single-party and cross-party sub-functions, and allocate computation and perturbation of their polynomial coefficients to local parties. Our method needs only one round of noise addition and secure aggregation. The released model in our framework achieves the same utility as applying the functional mechanism in the centralized setting. Evaluation on real-world and synthetic datasets for linear and logistic regressions shows the effectiveness of our proposed method.
A double safety net? Understanding interactions between disability benefits, formal assistance, and family support

While the main insurance sources for individuals with disability are understood, less is known about how family support interacts with federal disability benefits. Using the Health and Retirement Study matched to administrative records, I examine how disability benefits affect family support by comparing accepted and rejected disability applicants before and after benefit receipt. Receipt of disability insurance increases the probability of receiving any assistance from children by 18 percent and more than doubles the amount of in-kind assistance. Disability insurance also increases the probability that children are paid for their help and reduces children's labor supply. These findings are largest for low-income beneficiaries and those who recently lost a spouse, suggesting that child assistance complements income provided by disability insurance, and substitutes for other family assistance. Receipt of disability benefits allows the family to re-optimize how they provide support, and disability insurance is shared within the family in complementary ways.
The Relationship of Functional Variables and Psychopathology to Aggressive Behavior in Persons With Severe and Profound Mental Retardation

A number of hypotheses have emerged regarding the etiology of physical aggression in persons with mental retardation. Although a multicomponent model is appropriate, results of functional analysis-based studies have yielded promising results in identifying instigating and maintaining factors of aggression. However, the relationship between functional variables and conditions such as psychiatric diagnosis to aggressive behavior has yet to be investigated in persons with mental retardation. We conducted a study examining the prevalence of environmental or physical factors in aggressive behavior in mentally retarded persons with and without psychiatric disturbance. One hundred and thirty-five individuals with mental retardation who exhibited physical aggression were assessed with the Questions About Behavior Function Scale (QABF) to identify environmental or physical contribution to aggressive behavior. One or more behavioral functions were identified for 75% of the participants. Additionally, of 66 of the participants scoring above the clinical cutoff on an assessment for dual diagnosis, 75% met criteria for an environmental or physical function for aggression. No significant differences in number of participants with an identifiable function of aggression were found between the no dual diagnosis and dual diagnosis groups. Our findings underscore the importance of identifying functions underlying aggressive behavior in persons with mental retardation, and the need to consider functional variables regardless of psychiatric condition in treatment planning efforts for such individuals.
Federated Intrusion Detection for IoT with Heterogeneous Cohort Privacy

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming increasingly popular and are influencing many application domains such as healthcare and transportation. These devices are used for real-world applications such as sensor monitoring, real-time control. In this work, we look at differentially private (DP) neural network (NN) based network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) to detect intrusion attacks on networks of such IoT devices. Existing NN training solutions in this domain either ignore privacy considerations or assume that the privacy requirements are homogeneous across all users. We show that the performance of existing differentially private stochastic methods degrade for clients with non-identical data distributions when clients' privacy requirements are heterogeneous. We define a cohort-based $(\epsilon,\delta)$-DP framework that models the more practical setting of IoT device cohorts with non-identical clients and heterogeneous privacy requirements. We propose two novel continual-learning based DP training methods that are designed to improve model performance in the aforementioned setting. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first system that employs a continual learning-based approach to handle heterogeneity in client privacy requirements. We evaluate our approach on real datasets and show that our techniques outperform the baselines. We also show that our methods are robust to hyperparameter changes. Lastly, we show that one of our proposed methods can easily adapt to post-hoc relaxations of client privacy requirements.
A Look Back at the Last Decade of the Retirement Research Consortium and the Disability Research Consortium

This article provides an overview of the Retirement Research Consortium (RRC) and the Disability Research Consortium (DRC) from the Social Security Administration’s perspective, including a brief history of the development of the consortia, a discussion of their aims, and some thoughts on the future of extramural retirement- and disability-related research. The RRC and DRC planned and conducted research to develop information to assist policymakers, the public, and the media in understanding Social Security, retirement, and disability issues. Both consortia have been remarkably successful extramural research ventures that have expanded and advanced the knowledge base, trained new scholars to become the next generation of subject-matter experts, and provided objective, research-based input to the policymaking process.
The effect of trace element additions on the grain boundary composition of Ir + 0.3 pct W alloys

The grain boundary fracture surfaces of several Ir + 0.3 pct W alloys have been examined using Auger electron spectroscopy. Dopant additions (between 10 and 80 wt ppm) of Al, Fe, Th, Ni and Rh are shown to result in thorium enriched grain boundaries. Inert ion sputtering experiments suggest that the thorium enriched region at the grain boundaries is probably only a few atom layers thick. The other dopants (Al, Fe, Ni and Rh) do not appear to influence the segregation of thorium, and their function (if any) in improving the high temperature impact properties of this alloy is unclear at this time.
Ending Dirty Energy Policy: Prelude to Climate Change

Preface Introduction 1. A regulatory history of dirty energy law and policy 2. Protectionist assumptions 3. The next generation is now 4. Consensus energy policy 5. Fossil fuel future 6. Electricity future 7. Venture regulation 8. Smart energy politics 9. Conclusion - strategies for the energy future.
The Influence of a Substrate on the Surface Characteristics of Silane Layers

We have studied the structure of γ-methacryloxy-propyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS) interphase as well as the glass/γ-MPS interface using FT-IR. Multilayer formation of γ-MPS on the surface of E-glass fibers was reconfirmed and the results are in good agreement with the work using 14C-labeled γ-MPS. The amount of γ-MPS adsorbed increases linearly with concentration in solution. There is a sudden change in the amount of adsorbed γ-MPS at around 0.4% by weight. This transition is associated with the onset of incomplete dispersion of the coupling agent in the solution. There is a significant amount of γ-MPS in the outermost layers that can be washed away by organic solvents. The more tightly bound layers of γ-MPS undergo, in addition to the siloxane reaction, surface induced homopolymerization of acrylic polymer and loss of most of the organofunctionality. The surface induced homopolymerization arises due to the surface catalytic effect of the acid centers that strongly interact with the carbonyl groups of the γ-MPS. The area occupied by a single γ-MPS molecule at the surface is experimentally determined to be 48A2 which is in fair agreement with the expected size of the molecule.
Strategic Conceptual Design in Mechanism Synthesis

Research into the conceptual stage of design was motivated by the difficulties users experience with theoretically based CAD tools. Based on studies of protocols of mechanical design experts, we have developed a control strategy to aid problem formulation. This representation can accommodate the methods and operators needed for original mechanism design. We are now formulating these methods and operators and are developing techniques to implement them.
An mra yields an orthonormal wavelet basis—an operator theoretic proof

In this paper we show how to construct a scaling function and an orthonormal wavelet basis from a multiresolution approximation using an operator theoretic method.
Cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus cytome assay and spectral karyotyping as methods for identifying chromosome damage in a lung cancer case-control population.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the US. The need to develop more accurate cancer risk assessment tools is imperative to improve the ability to identify individuals at greatest risk of developing disease. The Cytokinesis-Blocked Micronucleus Cytome Assay (CBMNcyt) presents a sensitive and specific method of assessing DNA damage. We have previously reported that this assay is sensitive to genetic damage caused by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)−1-(3-pyridyl)−1-butanone (NNK), and that binucleated cells with micronuclei, nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds are strong predictors of lung cancer risk. The current study confirmed our previous findings and sought to identify the specific chromosomes involved in lung carcinogenesis. Spectral karyotyping was conducted on a subset of lung cancer cases [n = 116] and cancer-free controls [n = 126] with the highest CBMNcyt endpoints, on baseline and NNK-treated blood lymphocytes. After adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking status, and pack and smoke years, consistent significant associations between chromosome: 9, 19, 22, X, at baseline; chromosome: 3, 4, and 16 after NNK-induction; and chromosome: 1, 13, and 17 at both baseline and NNK-induction; and lung cancer risk (all P ≤ 0.05) were observed. Several of these chromosomes harbor critical genes involved in lung carcinogenesis, such as the FHIT gene, CDKN2A, PADPRP, and TP53. Our results indicate that the CBMNcyt assay when used in conjunction with other cytogenetic methodologies can increase our ability to identify specific chromosomal regions associated with DNA damage, thereby improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in individual cancer predisposition. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
From Event-Driven Workflows Towards a Posteriori Computing

The integration of content-based event notification systems with workflow management is motivated by the need for dynamic, data-driven application systems which can dynamically discover, ingest data from, and interact with other application systems, including physical systems with online sensors and actuators. This requires workflows that can be dynamically reconfigured on-the-fly on the receipt of important events from both external physical systems and from other computational systems. Such a capability also supports fault tolerance, i.e., reconfiguring workflows on the receipt of failure events. When decentralized workflow management is considered, the need for a workflow agent framework becomes apparent. A key observation here is that systems providing truly autonomic, reconfigurable workflows cannot rely on any form of a priori knowledge, i.e., static information that is “compiled-in” to an application. Hence, applications will have to increasingly rely on a posteriori information that is discovered, understood, and ingested during run-time. In the most general case, this will require semantic analysis and planning to reach abstract goal states. These observations indicate that future generation grids could be pushed into more declarative programming methods and the use of artificial intelligence — topics that must be approached carefully to identify those problem domains where they can be successfully applied.
Atheroembolic Renal Disease

Atheroembolic renal disease (AERD), also called atheroembolism ([1][1]), cholesterol embolism ([2][2],[3][3]), cholesterol atheroembolic renal disease ([4][4]), or cholesterol crystal embolization ([5][5]), often is an underdiagnosed clinical illness. The kidney is usually involved because of
The Whole Lactose Repressor

The lactose repressor turns the bacterial genes for lactose metabolism on and off. This system has served as a blueprint for the study of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic gene regulation for decades. In this issue of Science, the crystal structure of the whole lactose repressor in a complex with DNA and its inducer is reported. In her Perspective, K. Matthews discusses the significance of this landmark event.
A Stretching Device for High-Resolution Live-Cell Imaging

Several custom-built and commercially available devices are available to investigate cellular responses to substrate strain. However, analysis of structural dynamics by microscopy in living cells during stretch is not readily feasible. We describe a novel stretch device optimized for high-resolution live-cell imaging. The unit assembles onto standard inverted microscopes and applies constant magnitude or cyclic stretch at physiological magnitudes to cultured cells on elastic membranes. Interchangeable modular indenters enable delivery of equibiaxial and uniaxial stretch profiles. Strain analysis performed by tracking fluorescent microspheres adhered onto the substrate demonstrated reproducible application of stretch profiles. In endothelial cells transiently expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-vimentin and paxillin-DsRed2 and subjected to constant magnitude equibiaxial stretch, the two-dimensional strain tensor demonstrated efficient transmission through the extracellular matrix and focal adhesions. Decreased transmission to the intermediate filament network was measured, and a heterogeneous spatial distribution of maximum stretch magnitude revealed discrete sites of strain focusing. Spatial correlation of vimentin and paxillin displacement vectors provided an estimate of the extent of mechanical coupling between the structures. Interestingly, switching the spatial profile of substrate strain reveals that actin-mediated edge ruffling is not desensitized to repeated mechanostimulation. These initial observations show that the stretch device is compatible with live-cell microscopy and is a novel tool for measuring dynamic structural remodeling under mechanical strain.
Histochemical demonstration of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the mature canine ovary

Abstract The ovaries from 25 normal mature bitches were studied histochemically to evaluate, at different stages of the estrus cycle and during pregnancy, the activity of four hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) enzyme systems: Δ 5 -3 β HSD, 3α-HSD, 17β-HSD, and 20α-HSD. The results indicate that 20α-HSD is not an important enzyme in ovarian progesterone metabolism in the bitch, while Δ 5 -3 β -HSD is very active in luteal, follicular, and stromal cells of the cortex. The activity of the enzymes involved in androgen and estrogen metabolism, i.e., 3α-HSD and 17β-HSD, was present in both luteal cells and follicles. 3α-HSD activity was also evident in enzyme active stromal cells (EASC).
A new acoustic phonon spectrometer

Paramagnetic impurities which interact primarily with the resonant phonons in a dielectric crystal and show large magneto-optical properties can be used as a tunable and sensitive probe of the acoustic waves, or phonons, in a dielectric crystal. Such a technique usually works only at a few degrees Kelvin and is tunable over a wide frequency range, 10-500 GHz, with a magnetic field.
Bilateral changes in neocortical [3H]pirenzepine and [3H]oxotremorine-M binding following unilateral lesions of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularis: an autoradiographic study.

Abstract Neocortical choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and muscarinic [3H]pirenzepine, [3H]oxotremorine-M, [3H]N-methylscopolamine ([3H]NMS; both high- and low-affinity agonist (carbachol) sites) and nicotinic [3H]acetylcholine binding were assessed both ipsi- and contralaterally 1 week and 13 weeks after unilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the rat nucleus basalis magnocellularies (NBM). Ipsilateral ChAT activity was reduced to 49% of control values 1 week postlesion but by 13 weeks had recovered to 80% of control values. Contralateral ChAT activity did not change significantly at either 1 week or 13 weeks postlesion. At 1 week postlesion, [3H]oxotremorine-M binding was increased by 33% and 54% in ipsilateral and contralateral neocortex, respectively. By week 13, both ipsi- and contralateral [3H]oxotremorine-M binding had returned to normal but [3H]pirenzepine binding was significantly decreased by 31% and 39% in the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres, respectively. The binding of [3H]NMS and [3H]acetylcholine did not differ significantly from control values at either 1 week or 13 weeks postlesion. These data suggest that none of the cholinergic binding sites studied is preferentially localized presynaptically and that there may be interhemispheric regulation of neocortical cholinergic binding sites.