cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternative self or nonself recognition of an antigen expressed in a rare cell type in transgenic mice: implications for self-tolerance and autoimmunity.

During its development, the immune system acquires the ability to recognize and respond to a wide variety of cells and other entities from the outside environment (Hood et al. 1984; Roitt et al. 1985). A necessary feature of this capacity is the ability to discriminate between what is a normal component of the body (self) and what is not (foreign or nonself). The existence of immunological tolerance toward self has been wellestablished for many years, and mechanisms that could serve to achieve it have been postulated and increasingly refined as our knowledge of the development, organization, and function of the immune system has progressed (Burnet 1959; Dresser and Mitchison 1968; Bretscher and Cohn 1970; Weigle 1973; Howard and Mitchison 1975; Nossal 1983; Schwartz 1989). The importance of self-tolerance can be seen in the damages wrought by autoimmune diseases, such as insulindependent diabetes, in which the immune system becomes self-reactive against specific cells and seeks to destroy them. In the case of diabetes, the autoimmune response succeeds in destroying the pancreatic/3 cells, resulting in a condition of insulin insufficiency and consequent deleterious effects throughout the body (Rossini et ai. 1985). Regarding the principles of self, the possibility is evident that failures to establish or maintain a condition of nonresponsiveness toward selfantigens could be a factor in the induction of autoimmune responses. Thus, one may in principle be able to relate the conditions of tolerance and autoimmunity through the mechanisms of seif/nonself recognition.
Error reduction in EMG signal decomposition

Decomposition of the electromyographic (EMG) signal into constituent action potentials and the identification of individual firing instances of each motor unit in the presence of ambient noise are inherently probabilistic processes, whether performed manually or with automated algorithms. Consequently, they are subject to errors. We set out to classify and reduce these errors by analyzing 1,061 motor-unit action-potential trains (MUAPTs), obtained by decomposing surface EMG (sEMG) signals recorded during human voluntary contractions. Decomposition errors were classified into two general categories: location errors representing variability in the temporal localization of each motor-unit firing instance and identification errors consisting of falsely detected or missed firing instances. To mitigate these errors, we developed an error-reduction algorithm that combines multiple decomposition estimates to determine a more probable estimate of motor-unit firing instances with fewer errors. The performance of the algorithm is governed by a trade-off between the yield of MUAPTs obtained above a given accuracy level and the time required to perform the decomposition. When applied to a set of sEMG signals synthesized from real MUAPTs, the identification error was reduced by an average of 1.78%, improving the accuracy to 97.0%, and the location error was reduced by an average of 1.66 ms. The error-reduction algorithm in this study is not limited to any specific decomposition strategy. Rather, we propose it be used for other decomposition methods, especially when analyzing precise motor-unit firing instances, as occurs when measuring synchronization.
The volume distribution and equilibrium time of para-aminohippurate.

Summary and Conclusions1. The apparent volume distribution of PXH is 35.9 (S.D. ± 7.3) % of body weight.2. If the priming dose is omitted and the plasma level allowed to rise slowly during an intravenous infusion of PAH, the plasma concentration appears to reach about 90% of its eventual level in 75 minutes, 95% in 100 minutes, and 99% in 150 minutes in the average patient, so long as the plasma concentration remains below that of beginning saturation of thfe tubular excretory mechanlism.
The natural history and outcomes of line-associated upper extremity deep venous thromboses in critically ill patients.

Abstract Objective Anticoagulation remains the standard of care for line-associated upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT). This treatment carries the risk of hemorrhagic complications, possibly more so in surgical patients. Considering the low-risk profile of UEDVT—which is associated with fewer, less severe pulmonary emboli than lower extremity deep venous thrombosis—current UEDVT treatment guidelines may be overly aggressive. The goal of this study was to review outcomes of line-associated UEDVT in critically ill patients and to define the efficacy of current treatment protocols in pulmonary embolism (PE) prevention while avoiding hemorrhagic complications. Methods A retrospective review was performed of 193 consecutive patients admitted to the medical and surgical intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary care hospital between 2009 and 2014 diagnosed with acute line-associated UEDVT by duplex ultrasound. The examined treatment arms included anticoagulation with intent to reach therapeutic levels, prophylactic or subtherapeutic anticoagulation, and no anticoagulation. Primary outcomes included major hemorrhage (defined as any intracranial hemorrhage or any hemorrhage resulting in transfusion, ICU readmission, or death), PE, in-hospital mortality, total hospital length of stay (LOS), and ICU LOS. Results Of the 10,907 patients, 161 (1.48%) were diagnosed with acute line-associated UEDVT, 81 of 6027 in the medical ICU (1.34%) and 80 of 4880 in the surgical ICU (1.64%), after exclusion of 32 patients with concurrent lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. In total, 122 patients (75.8%) received anticoagulation with intent to reach therapeutic levels, 23 (14.3%) received prophylactic anticoagulation, and 16 (9.94%) received no anticoagulation. Major hemorrhage was significantly more common than symptomatic PE in all patients (15.5% vs 4.97%; P Conclusions Major hemorrhagic complications are more common than symptomatic PE after anticoagulation for line-associated UEDVT in ICU patients, raising concern that current treatment guidelines are too aggressive. These data necessitate further prospective investigation to determine the optimal treatment protocol for line-associated UEDVT in this critically ill cohort.
wisepair: a computer program for individual matching in genetic tracking studies

Individual-based data sets tracking organisms over space and time are fundamental to answering broad questions in ecology and evolution. A “permanent” genetic tag circumvents a need to invasively mark or tag animals, especially if there are little phenotypic differences among individuals. However, genetic tracking of individuals does not come without its limits; correctly matching genotypes and error rates associated with lab work can make it difficult to parse out matched individuals. In addition, defining a sampling design that effectively matches individuals in the wild can be a challenge for researchers. Here, we combine the two objectives of defining sampling design and reducing genotyping error through an efficient Python-based computer-modeling program, WisePair. We describe the methods used to develop the computer program and assess its effectiveness through three empirical data sets; with and without reference genotypes. Our results show that WisePair outperformed similar genotype matching programs by using previously-published from reference genotype data of diurnal poison frogs (Allobates femoralis) and without-reference (fecal) genotype sample datasets of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra). In addition, due to limited sampling effort in the harbor seal data, we present optimal sampling designs for future projects. WisePair allows for minimal sacrifice in the available methods as it incorporates sample re-run error data, allelic pairwise comparisons, and probabilistic simulations to determine matching thresholds. Our program is the lone tool available to researchers to define parameters a priori for genetic-tracking studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Psycholinguistic and Neurolinguistic Perspectives on Sign Languages

Publisher Summary As in spoken language psycholinguistics, much of the literature on sign language psycholinguistics has sought to uncover the structure of the lexicon, and the processes governing the access of lexical items stored therein. Most contemporary models of spoken and written word recognition conceptualize lexical access as a matching process between a perceptual signal that accrues over time, and potential lexical candidates stored in memory. Although signs and spoken words are formationally quite different, words in each modality unfold in time in a lawful fashion, and that accessing lexical representations may vary as a function of sublexical properties. For example, in a gating task study by Emmorey and Corina (1990), signs were partitioned into 33 ms parts and presented to participants cumulatively. Participants identified the location of the sign first, followed quickly by the hand shape and finally the movement. Signs located in neutral space are recognized before those located upon the face, presumably because the target location of the sign is achieved earlier for neutral space signs. In addition, it is observed that signers could anticipate changes in signs that included a hand shape change prior to full articulation of the hand shape. This demonstrates that in sign recognition, as with spoken language, co-articulatory factors may assist word identification.
BiCMOS analog switch driver with 1.5 ns aperture time

BiCMOS technology is a leading candidate for high-performance integrated circuits wherein both digital and analog functions must be realized on the same chip. This paper describes a high-speed driver circuit for MOS analog sampling switches that has been designed for integration in a BiCMOS process. The process itself has been developed for high-speed static RAM applications. The driver is capable of turning on and off a large MOS switch with an aperture time of only 1.5 ns. This time is measured as the time to drive the gate of an NMOS switch with an equivalent gate capacitance of 2 pF from 0 V to 4.7 V and then back to 0 V. The driver is intended for use in a sample and hold system operating at video frequencies and above. It can be used in the design of video A/D converters based on Hash or half-flash techniques. Projections based on future technology developments and the use of more aggressive design rules suggest that aperture times of less than 1 ns will ultimately be feasible.
NON-INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN

To define the clinical and metabolic characteristics of children with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), we reviewed the medical records of 18 children and adolescents who met either or both of the following criteria for the diagnosis of the disease: evidence of continued endogenous secretion of insulin beyond that expected in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and satisfactory glycemic control with diet alone or in combination with an oral hypoglycemic agent more than 2 years from the time of diagnosis. Patients who met these criteria but had islet cell antibodies or insulin autoantibodies were eliminated from the study group. Patients with NIDDM constituted 8% of all patients with diabetes seen in our pediatric clinics and 19% of diabetic patients of Central or South American ancestry. Of the 18 patients, 12 (67%) were Mexican American. The mean age of onset was 12.8 years (range, 5 to 17). Obesity (n = 9) and acanthosis nigricans (n = 12) were common findings. Ketonuria was present at diagnosis in 5 (33%) of 15 patients and acidosis in 2 of 14 (14%). Challenge with a nutritional supplement (Sustacal, Mead Johnson Nutritionals) (n = 10) showed a mean fasting serum C-peptide concentration of 1.19 nmol per liter (3.6 ng per ml). A family history of NIDDM was present in 13 (87%) of 15 patients, with 7 (47%) having 3 or more generations affected. Children with NIDDM are an important subset of those with diabetes, and this disease should be suspected in diabetic children presenting without ketoacidosis and with acanthosis nigricans, obesity, and a strong family history, particularly among those of Mexican-American ethnicity. Children with these characteristics should undergo testing of endogenous insulin secretion for appropriate therapeutic intervention.
Seismic signals and noise recorded on a seafloor vertical hydrophone array and a colocated OBS during the LFASE experiment

Abstract During the LFASE experiment conducted in the summer of 1989, a vertical hydrophone array (VHA) was deployed at the site of DSDP Hole 534b in the Blake-Bahama basin. The VHA consisted of 16 hydrophones spaced 30 m apart rising vertically above the seafloor with the bottom of the array anchored to a digital recording package located on the seafloor. The main purpose of the experiment was to record seismic signals and noise above, on, and beneath the seafloor at the same site; the VHA recorded data from above the seafloor, an ocean-bottom seismograph (OBS) was on the seafloor, and a borehole geophone array (BHA) was in a borehole beneath the seafloor. Signal-to-noise measurements of P waves made for airgun shots recorded simultaneously by the VHA and the OBS show that the OBS has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) 5 to 10 dB greater than that of a single hydrophone, but P -wave stacks of the VHA data have SNRs for body waves 10 to 15 dB greater than the OBS. This implies that a vertical array is capable of recording distinct body waves out to significantly greater ranges than is a single receiver and so might be a useful tool in seismic refraction experiments. Other stacks of the VHA data revealed S waves not visible on the data from a single hydrophone or geophone. The VHA was also used to construct images of the wavefronts arriving from a distant source and to determine the vertical direction of the source. This array processing capability shows the potential of VHAs for use in 3D seismic reflection surveys, particularly in cases where it is not convenient to use a multi-channel streamer.
â€œFailing Public Schoolsâ€: The Consequences of the Misleading Framing of American Education Policy

Over the last 20 years, American K-12 education has been profoundly transformed to reflect the values and principles of market-based thinking. The article examines the powerful role that the â€œfailing public schoolsâ€ frame played in reducing American citizensâ€™ faith in public education, eroding teacher autonomy, and opening the door to a range of market-based ideas previously resisted in American public education. Evidence is provided that there has been a dramatic increase in framing American public schools as â€œfailingâ€ since the 1990s, and that this framing of the situation is profoundly misleading. Negative practical consequences of this misleading framing of the situation are discussed, as is the way in which this framing of the situation provides a powerful obstacle to implementing superior educational practices. Practical suggestions for re-framing educational discussions are provided.
N2O emissions and global warming potential as affected by water management and rice cultivar on an Alfisol in Arkansas, USA

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of water management practice (full-season-flood and intermittent-flood) and cultivar (pure-line and hybrid) on nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes, season-long N2O emissions, and the global warming potential (GWP). Rice was grown in each treatment on a silt-loam soil in the direct-seeded, delayed-flood production system in eastern Arkansas. Gas samples were collected from 30-cm-diameter enclosed chambers at 20-min intervals for 1 h approximately weekly between the establishment of the delayed flood (i.e., 4–5 leaf stage) and several days after end-of-season flood release. Nitrous oxide fluxes differed over time (P = 0.07) throughout the 2016 rice growing season, while N2O emissions ranged from 0.38 to 0.84 kg N2O-N ha−1 season−1 from the full-season-flood/hybrid and intermittent-flood/hybrid treatment combinations, but neither water management nor cultivar affected (P > 0.1) N2O fluxes or season-long emissions. Hybrid rice (XL753; 2272 kg CO2 eq. ha−1 season−1) had lower (P
The Implementation of P.O.W.E.R. (Pushing Our Will to Experience Resilience): An Intervention to Address Retention and Graduation Rates Among Men of Color

AbstractThe low enrollment, retention, and graduation rate among men of color in higher education is a national crisis. The John Jay SEEK Department has created a committee focused exclusively to address this crisis. The committee’s work includes focus and weekly support groups. The groups entitled P.O.W.E.R. (Pushing Our Will to Experience Resilience) are designed to enhance the college experience for our male students of color. Factors that negatively impact academic success for men of color at John Jay and across the country are highlighted. Concrete solutions that can be implemented at various programs in higher education settings are provided.
SEC-TEEN: A Secure Routing Protocol for Enhanced Efficiency in Wireless Sensor Networks

When Wireless sensor Networks are composed of a huge number of sensor nodes with limited energy resources, designing an energy efficient protocol will become a critical key issue that needs to be dealt with in order to expand the life span of the entire network. This paper proposes adding security features to the TEEN (Threshold sensitive Energy Efficient sensor Network) protocol by adopting the authentication part of the so-called SEC-LEACH (Secure Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy) protocol. The paper then continues by showing how well this improvement goes by running experimental testing with multiple rounds. The new proposed SEC-TEEN improves the network security in and makes it more robust to external threats.
Information technology and business-level strategy: toward an integrated theoretical perspective

Information technology matters to business success because it directly affects the mechanisms through which they create and capture value to earn a profit: IT is thus integral to a firm's business-level strategy. Much of the extant research on the IT/strategy relationship, however, inaccurately frames IT as only a functional-level strategy. This widespread under-appreciation of the business-level role of IT indicates a need for substantial retheorizing of its role in strategy and its complex and interdependent relationship with the mechanisms through which firms generate profit. Using a comprehensive framework of potential profit mechanisms, we argue that while IT activities remain integral to the functional-level strategies of the firm, they also play several significant roles in business strategy, with substantial performance implications. IT affects industry structure and the set of business-level strategic alternatives and value-creation opportunities that a firm may pursue. Along with complementary organizational changes, IT both enhances the firm's current (ordinary) capabilities and enables new (dynamic) capabilities, including the flexibility to focus on rapidly changing opportunities or to abandon losing initiatives while salvaging substantial asset value. Such digitally attributable capabilities also determine how much of this value, once created, can be captured by the firm--and how much will be dissipated through competition or through the power of value chain partners, the governance of which itself depends on IT. We explore these business-level strategic roles of IT and discuss several provocative implications and future research directions in the converging information systems and strategy domains.
α-Tetrasubstituted Aldehydes through Electronic and Strain-Controlled Branch-Selective Stereoselective Hydroformylation

Hydroformylation utilizes dihydrogen, carbon monoxide, and a catalyst to transform alkenes into aldehydes. This work applies chiral bisdiazaphospholane (BDP)- and bisphospholanoethane-ligated rhodium complexes to the hydroformylation of a variety of alkenes to produce chiral tetrasubstituted aldehydes. 1,1′-Disubstituted acrylates bearing electron-withdrawing substituents undergo hydroformylation under mild conditions (1 mol % of catalyst/BDP ligand, 150 psig gas, 60 °C) with high conversions and yields of tetrasubstituted aldehydes (e.g., 13:1 regioselectivity, 85% ee, and <1% hydrogenation for 1-fluoromethyl acrylate). The scope also encompasses both acyclic 1,1′-disubstituted and trisubstituted, electron-poor alkenes as well as di- and trisubstituted alkenes composed of small rings with exocyclic and endocyclic unsaturation. For example, 1-methylene-β-lactam furnished the tetrasubstituted aldehyde with 98% selectivity and up to 83% ee. Notably, chiral trisubstituted bicyclic methyleneaziridines are tra...
Certified Safe Farm Implementation in North Carolina: Hazards, Safety Improvements, and Economic Incentives.

Objectives: Certified Safe Farm (CSF) is a multimodal intervention composed of four components: safety, health, education, and economic incentive. North Carolina has conducted the largest implement...
Don't bring a knife to a gunfight: Humpback whale biosonar reigns supreme

Stroboscopic echo imaging of the sort used by most bats and dolphins is well suited for the task of rapidly gulping prey. As an information seeking strategy, however, strobing is about as sophisticated as duct-taping a flashlight onto a helmet. Humpback whale biosonar signals, in contrast, create a temporally-extended echoic soundscape the likes of which no strober could ever conceive. By spectrally interleaving quasi-CF units with packets of shorter-duration FM units, humpback whales can likely detect multiple targets simultaneously from multiple bearings, including targets more than 5 km away, while at the same time tracking movements of individual targets. By maintaining relatively stationary positions and depths while signaling, humpback whales can potentially use not only direct echoes from targets, but also modulations in familiar acoustic scenes (“acoustic glints”) to interpret the movements of distant targets. By modulating temporal substructure within fixed-rate streams of signals, humpback whales may be able to extract self-generated echoes from a sea of potential maskers. The scope of vocal control, auditory processing, perceptual flexibility, and echoic memory required for a whale to construct and interpret such rich percepts far exceeds the kinds of delay-tuned, chirplet detection that bats and dolphins rely on to bump into food. Stroboscopic echo imaging of the sort used by most bats and dolphins is well suited for the task of rapidly gulping prey. As an information seeking strategy, however, strobing is about as sophisticated as duct-taping a flashlight onto a helmet. Humpback whale biosonar signals, in contrast, create a temporally-extended echoic soundscape the likes of which no strober could ever conceive. By spectrally interleaving quasi-CF units with packets of shorter-duration FM units, humpback whales can likely detect multiple targets simultaneously from multiple bearings, including targets more than 5 km away, while at the same time tracking movements of individual targets. By maintaining relatively stationary positions and depths while signaling, humpback whales can potentially use not only direct echoes from targets, but also modulations in familiar acoustic scenes (“acoustic glints”) to interpret the movements of distant targets. By modulating temporal substructure within fixed-rate streams of signals, humpback whale...
Intensity of end-of-life care among adolescents and young adults with cancer.

9541 Background: Cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), but little is known about the care that AYA patients with cancer receive at the end ...
Anticipating ankle inversion perturbations during a single-leg drop landing alters ankle joint and impact kinetics.

Abstract Anticipatory responses to inversion perturbations can prevent an accurate assessment of lateral ankle sprain mechanics when using injury simulations. Despite recent evidence of the anticipatory motor control strategies utilized during inversion perturbations, kinetic compensations during anticipated inversion perturbations are currently unknown. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of anticipation to an inversion perturbation during a single-leg drop landing on ankle joint and impact kinetics. Fifteen young adults with no lateral ankle sprain history completed unanticipated and anticipated single-leg drop landings onto a 25° laterally inclined platform from a height of 30 cm. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to analyze net ankle moments and ground reaction forces (GRF) during the first 150 ms post-landing, while peak GRFs, time to peak GRF, peak and average loading rates were compared using a dependent samples t-test (p ≤ 0.05). Results from the SPM analysis revealed significantly greater plantar flexion moment from 58 to 83 ms post-landing (p = 0.004; d = 0.64–0.77), inversion moment from 89 to 91 ms post-landing (p = 0.050; d = 0.58–0.60), and medial GRF from 62 to 97 ms post-landing (p
Service Access and Self-Reporting: Tailoring SBIRT to Active Duty Military in Civilian Health Care Settings

Active duty military personnel exhibit higher rates of problem alcohol use than their civilian counterparts. This project explored the efficacy of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Tre...
Organic and inorganic arsenic compounds sensitize human bronchial epithelial cells to hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage

3054 The lungs are a target organ for arsenic carcinogenesis, however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Furthermore, it has been suggested that inorganic arsenic (iAs) can potentiate DNA damage induced by other agents. Once inside the human body iAs generally undergoes two different metabolic changes. Pentavalent forms of the semi-metal can be reduced to their trivalent forms; and the inorganic forms can undergo a sequence of methylation reactions. Recent studies suggest that methylated forms of trivalent arsenic can be more cytotoxic and genotoxic than the inorganic forms. To study the possible mechanistic link between arsenic and lung carcinogenesis we examined the induction of DNA breaks in human bronchial epithelial cells by organic and inorganic arsenicals. We also investigated whether these arsenicals could modify DNA damage caused by hydrogen peroxide, a potent oxidant. To assess DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) we utilized the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis technique (comet assay). The human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B) was exposed to iAs (as sodium arsenite) or dimethylarsine iodide (DMAs), a dimethylated form of trivalent arsenic, at non-cytotoxic concentrations as determined by the neutral red assay. We did not find any statistically significant increases in SSBs between the control and iAs-treated cells (1 nM - 10 μM) after a 4h exposure. However, we found that DMAs increased DNA SSBs at 1-10 μM after 4h. To test if arsenic compounds have any effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA SSBs we pre-treated the BEAS-2B cells with iAs or DMAs for 4h. After pre-treatment the cells were rinsed and exposed to 20 μM hydrogen peroxide for 30 min. at 4°C. We found that hydrogen peroxide-exposed cells that were pre-treated with iAs (at 10 μM) and DMAs (at 1 and 10 μM) had a statistically significant increase (p
Association of back pain and pelvic tilt during gait in individuals with cerebral palsy.

Abstract Background Back pain prevalence may increase with lumbar lordosis during standing in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Multiple interventions undertaken in individuals with CP have been shown to increase anterior pelvic tilt. Research question Are pelvic tilt and trunk tilt (proxy measurements for lumbar lordosis) during gait associated with back pain prevalence in ambulatory individuals with CP? Methods A retrospective investigation was performed among all patients with cerebral palsy visiting a single clinical motion analysis laboratory over a 3.5 year period (January 2015 – May 2018) who also had complete pain questionnaire data. Back pain prevalence and its association with sagittal plane kinematic parameters (pelvic tilt and trunk tilt) were analyzed. Results Among the 700 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 594 were children and 106 were adults. Back pain prevalence was 11.1% in children and 36.8% in adults. As pelvic tilt and age increased, back pain increased (odds ratio 95% confidence interval: 1.002–1.061 and 1.052–1.109, respectively). Walking with an assistive device was not associated with back pain, nor was trunk tilt. Significance Back pain was more common with increasing age in ambulatory individuals with CP. After controlling for assistive device use and age, there was a weak relationship between pelvic tilt and back pain. Future studies are needed to determine if this is this a causal relationship.
Caudate stimulation enhances learning

Neuromodulation is a promising treatment modality for disorders of learning and memory, offering the possibility of precise alteration of disordered neural circuits. Studies to date have failed to identify an optimal target and stimulation paradigm. Six epilepsy patients with depth electrodes implanted for seizure localization participated in our study. We recorded local field potentials from implanted electrodes while subjects participated in an associative learning task requiring them to learn an association between presented images and a button press. Three subjects participated in stimulation sessions during which caudate or putamen stimulation was delivered for some images during feedback after correct responses. Caudate stimulation enhanced learning. Both caudate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex demonstrated a beta power increase during the feedback period of the learning task that was greater following correct than incorrect trials. In dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, this difference increased with learning and persisted beyond the end of the feedback period. Caudate stimulation was associated with increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex beta power following feedback. These findings suggest that temporally specific caudate stimulation is a promising neuromodulation strategy to improve learning in disorders of learning and memory.
Data science education through education data: an end-to-end perspective

The increasing importance of data science has created a pressing need for more trained professionals. Hence, it is necessary to design efficient education techniques to rapidly train the next generation of students. We describe a holistic approach that integrates multiple objectives within a single semester course taught at the first year level. The objectives include basic data processing techniques, statistical analysis, teamwork, and project management. We conducted a project that combined different public datasets related to the cost and quality of education in the US. Students demonstrated a high degree of involvement in this exercise as they were curious to explore data that related to their own college selection process. It is well known that it is difficult to perform a cost-quality analysis in the field of college education.We used college ranking data created by the Wall Street Journal, and combined it with data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System database (https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/) that provided college costs and graduation data. Students worked in teams to download sections of the data from multiple sources, performed cleaning and verification, and merged the data for analysis. This taught them the values of teamwork, goal-setting, and process measurement for timely project completion.We determined that the Pearson correlation between the rank of a college and in-state tuition was −0.65 (p<0.005) for private colleges, and −0.34 (p<0.005) for public colleges. This indicates that higher ranked colleges tend to charge higher tuition. The Pearson correlation between the rank of all colleges and their graduation rates is −0.75 (p<0.005), and between rank and retention rates is −0.71 (p<0.005). Private college tuition is typically $40,000 annually, whereas public colleges cost $20,000. These figures suggest that public colleges provide good value. This has policy implications for government funding of education.
Depth-of-field reduction due to blurring in a relayed plenoptic camera and mitigation via deconvolution

The projection of an externally-mounted microlens array (MLA) onto the sensor via relay lenses is oft adopted by the scientific community in lieu of traditional plenoptic cameras with embedded on-sensor MLA. In most cases a relayed design better supports prototyping and temporary setups, while in other cases such as intensified plenoptic imaging the extended projection distance is necessary due to physical constraints. However, relaying the MLA inevitably blurs the raw image, often by 1.5px or more. We observed an unusual behavior where fixed blurring at the raw image level produced blurs that are worsened by depth within refocused images- enough to reduce the plenoptic system's depth-of-field by 60% in most cases. To address this problem, we hereby put forth a model to elucidate the mechanism of this depth-dependent blurring, and propose a Lucy-Richardson Deconvolution (LRD) procedure for mitigation. Disccusions are made in the contexts of regular and intensified plenoptic photography, as well as application in 3D particle image velocimetry for fluid dynamics. Results were validated on synthetic as well as experimental images.
Functionalization of Bacterial Microcompartment Shell Proteins With Covalently Attached Heme

Heme is a versatile redox cofactor that has considerable potential for synthetic biology and bioelectronic applications. The capacity to functionalize non-heme-binding proteins with covalently bound heme moieties in vivo could expand the variety of bioelectronic materials, particularly if hemes could be attached at defined locations so as to facilitate position-sensitive processes like electron transfer. In this study, we utilized the cytochrome maturation system I to develop a simple approach that enables incorporation of hemes into the backbone of target proteins in vivo. We tested our methodology by targeting the self-assembling bacterial microcompartment shell proteins, and inserting functional hemes at multiple locations in the protein backbone. We found substitution of three amino acids on the target proteins promoted heme attachment with high occupancy. Spectroscopic measurements suggested these modified proteins covalently bind low-spin hemes, with relative low redox midpoint potentials (about -210 mV vs. SHE). Heme-modified shell proteins partially retained their self-assembly properties, including the capacity to hexamerize, and form inter-hexamer attachments. Heme-bound shell proteins demonstrated the capacity to integrate into higher-order shell assemblies, however, the structural features of these macromolecular complexes was sometimes altered. Altogether, we report a versatile strategy for generating electron-conductive cytochromes from structurally-defined proteins, and provide design considerations on how heme incorporation may interface with native assembly properties in engineered proteins.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic cardiomyopathy caused by pathogenic mutations in genes encoding protein components of intercalated discs, such as desmosome. This results in impaired intercalated disc function, cardiomyocyte loss, and fibrofatty replacement. Patients with ARVC commonly present with ventricular arrhythmias. Most patients do not have heart failure symptoms early in the course of the disease. As the disease progresses, symptoms of heart failure, especially right-sided (fatigue, exertional intolerance, lower extremity edema, and abdominal bloating), may subsequently develop from progressive contractile dysfunction and dilatation of the right ventricle. ARVC is clinically diagnosed by a set of criteria incorporating ECG, imaging, and genetic findings. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation and avoiding high intensity endurance exercise plays a central role in reducing the risk of sudden cardiac death. The role of medications, including antiarrhythmic drugs, is largely for symptomatic treatment.
Participation, technologies of the body, and the agency: the limits of discourses of responsible citizenship

This article examines the way a group of Latina girls responded to instances of sexual harassment in a public high school in Madrid (Spain). I begin with a current event: educational reforms seekin...
The impact of bariatric surgery on in-patient clinical outcomes among patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a form of liver inflammation in which immune cells target hepatocytes, inducing chronic inflammatory states. Bariatric surgery (BS) was shown to reduce inflammation in severely obese patients. We hypothesize that obese patients with AIH and BS have lower prevalence of liver-related complications and in-patient mortality compared to those without BS.The National Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2013 was queried for hospitalizations of adults over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of AIH. Of those, hospitalizations with BS were selected as cases and those with morbid obesity as controls. Case-control 1:2 matching was done based on sex, age, race, and comorbidities. Primary outcomes were prevalence of liver-related complications and in-patient mortality. Independent risk factors of in-patient clinical outcomes were identified using multivariate regression analysis.From 137,834 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of AIH, 688 with BS were selected as cases, and 1295 were matched as controls. The prevalence of ascites was higher in the BS group compared to the control (odds ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27-2.36). The prevalence of cirrhosis (36.8% vs 33.2%), portal hypertension (7.4% vs 10.0%), hepatic encephalopathy (10.6% vs 8.7%), and varices and variceal bleeding (3.9% vs 5.5%) was not statistically different from case controls, (P > .05).BS was an independent risk factor for ascites (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.87; 95% CI 1.36-2.56) and hepatic encephalopathy (aOR 1.42; 95% CI 1.03-1.97) but was an independent protective factor against in-patient mortality (aOR 0.21, 95% CI 0.08-0.55) once adjusted for age, sex, race, and comorbidities.
Property, Liberty, and the Rights of the Community: Lessons from Munn v. Illinois

When considering the extent to which the United States Constitution places a limit on government regulation of business, today’s historians and constitutional theorists treat the question as a matter of balancing economic liberty or property rights against government power. Moreover, modern scholars commonly maintain that this balancing formula represents the predominant tradition in constitutional history. They trace that tradition at least as far back as to tenants of Jacksonian democracy that emphasized individual liberty and distrust of government. Thus they imply that constitutional history has developed as a straight line: always with an emphasis on individual liberty and always with a presumption that entrepreneurial liberty should be favored over government power to regulate.This paper will use the 1877 case Munn v. Illinois to demonstrate that prior to the late 1880s the paradigm for determining the constitution’s limits on government regulation of business was actually quite different. There is no doubt that the Court has always emphatically recognized the importance of property rights. Nevertheless, during the first century under the Constitution, it treated business regulation as a matter of balancing entrepreneurial liberty against the rights of the community. Furthermore, it consistently held that, because state economic regulations were an expression of popular sovereignty and rights of the community, they should be presumed to be valid. Munn is significant because in the conventional narrative it is portrayed as a steppingstone in the straight line evolution of constitutional doctrine that emphasizes individual liberty. A closer look at the case and the events surrounding it will demonstrate, however, that the majority in Munn actually based its opinion on the traditional emphasis on rights of the community. It will further demonstrate that for more than a decade after the opinion the Supreme Court steadfastly clung to that traditional view. Even under persistent pressure to change.
The IgG Antibody Paradox in Insulin Resistance: Pathogenic and Therapeutic

Chronic low-grade inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are hallmarks of insulin resistance. However, the mechanisms by which the immune system can propagate systemic insulin resistance remains poorly understood. IgG antibodies are a critical component of immunity and display paradoxical properties. IgG can propagate inflammation by crosslinking Fc receptors activating innate immune cells, and conversely, when given intravenously at high doses (1–2 g/kg intravenous immunoglobulin), actively suppress inflammation. Here, we demonstrate that IgG can exert similar paradoxical properties on glucose metabolism. IgG can elicit insulin resistance, and conversely, when given at high doses, promote insulin sensitivity in a diabetic mouse model. IgG, through its Fc-mediated interactions, suppresses insulin-induced mitochondrial function as well as insulin signaling. Modulation of insulin-dependent mitochondrial respiration by serum or purified IgG highly correlates (R2 = 0.70) with the quantitative measurement of insulin sensitivity accessed by the modified insulin suppression test. Our studies indicate that IgG antibody glycosylation is critically important to these conflicting actions. In mice and humans, the progression of insulin resistance is associated with reduced IgG Fc region sialylation, and administration of asialylated IgG is sufficient to cause insulin resistance in IgG null mice. On the other hand, a single administration of high-dose IgG significantly improved insulin and glucose tolerance as well as plasma glucose levels lasting over 72 days post-administration. These results demonstrate new insights into the systemic nature of insulin resistance, a novel mechanism of the disease, and an innovative therapeutic strategy for treating type 2 diabetes.
Photobiomodulation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Purpose:Lymphedema is a common debilitating late effect among patients post-head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment. Head and neck lymphedema was associated with symptom burden, functional impairment,...
Peptide-based Fusion Inhibitors for Preventing the Six-helix Bundle Formation of Class I Fusion Proteins: HIV and Beyond.

A number of different viral families have developed convergent methods to infect cells. Class I fusion proteins are commonly used by members of Arenaviridae, Coronaviridae, Filovirdae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Retroviridae. Class I viral fusion proteins are trimers that are involved in recognizing the cellular receptor, with a region that is responsible for fusing the viral and target cell membranes. During the fusion process, the fusion region folds into a six-helix bundle (6HB) which approximates the two membranes leading to fusion. For human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the gp41 subunit is responsible for the formation of this 6HB. The fusion inhibitor drug enfuvirtide, or T20, is the only US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approved drug which targets this crucial step and has been widely used in combination regimens for the treatment of HIV since March 2003. In this review, we describe the current state of peptide-based fusion inhibitors in the treatment of HIV, and review how the field of HIV research is driving advances in the development of similar therapeutics in other viral systems, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses.
Exhaust Nozzle Plume Effects on Sonic Boom Test Results for Isolated Nozzles

Reducing or eliminating the operational restrictions of supersonic aircraft over populated areas has led to extensive research at NASA. Restrictions were due to the disturbance of the sonic boom, caused by the coalescence of shock waves formed off the aircraft. Recent work has been performed to reduce the magnitude of the sonic boom N-wave generated by airplane components with focus on shock waves caused by the exhaust nozzle plume. Previous Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis showed how the shock wave formed at the nozzle lip interacts with the nozzle boat-tail expansion wave. An experiment was conducted in the 1- by 1-ft Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center to validate the computational study. Results demonstrated how the nozzle lip shock moved with increasing nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) and reduced the nozzle boat-tail expansion, causing a favorable change in the observed pressure signature. Experimental results were presented for comparison to the CFD results. The strong nozzle lip shock at high values of NPR intersected the nozzle boat-tail expansion and suppressed the expansion wave. Based on these results, it may be feasible to reduce the boat-tail expansion for a future supersonic aircraft with under-expanded nozzle exhaust flow by modifying nozzle pressure or nozzle divergent section geometry.
Fantasy and the Working-Class Superhero

Fantasy and the Working-Class Superhero focuses on Spider-Man as reflective response to Superman’s restorative nostalgia, and as such represents the potential for the cinematic superhero as a working-class hero whose fantasy ideal symbolizes adolescence-as-loss and the indefatigable nature of the Real. The chapter begins with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy as a reflective superhero fantasy, exploring the roots of the superhero character as trauma and loss, his superpowers as random and, in part, unwelcome, and symbolizes the road from adolescence to adulthood as a time of suffering and death. The chapter then traces the evolution of Spider-Man into the restorative, perverse superhero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Marvel, Spider-Man’s traumatic past has been scrubbed entirely, including any reference to his orphan status or the loss of his Uncle Ben. Instead, the characterization of Spider-Man depends upon his “ordinary” life as a schoolboy and the grooming he undergoes as the fawning protege of Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.
Suppression of Thrombospondin-1 Expression during Uveal Melanoma Progression and its Utilization as Potential Therapeutic

Objective—To determine whether expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis, is down-regulated during progression of uveal melanoma and if administration of TSP1 and/or its antiangiogenic peptides attenuate tumor growth. Methods—Tyr-tag transgenic mice were used for evaluation of TSP1 expression during tumor progression using immunohistological methods. The therapeutic potential of TSP1 on tumor progression was evaluated by either crossing Tyr-tag mice to a line of transgenic mice over expressing TSP1 in the eye (Tyr-tag;TSP1), or by administration of TSP1 mimetic peptide with known antiangiogenic, antitumor activity. Tumor areas were measured in histological sections using Optima software. Results—Tyr-tag tumors from 3-week-old mice showed significant TSP1 expression which was dramatically down-regulated in tumors from 12-week-old mice. Furthermore, the development and progression of tumor was significantly delayed in Tyr-tag;TSP1 transgenic mice or Tyr-tag mice receiving TSP1 mimetic peptides (100 mg/Kg/day). Conclusions and Clinical relevance—TSP1 expression was decreased with the angiogenic switch during progression of uveal melanoma. TSP1 and/or its antiangiogenic peptides were effective in attenuation of tumor growth. Therefore, modulation of TSP1 expression and/or activity may be beneficial in treatment of uveal melanoma.