cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of anal fin spines, otoliths, and scales for estimating age and back-calculated lengths of yellow perch in southern Green Bay

Abstract Southern Green Bay supports important fisheries for yellow perch Perca flavescens and valid estimates of age structure and growth are critical to effective management. Anal fin spines and scales are used by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for age estimation, but these structures may provide lower precision and accuracy than otoliths. The primary objective of our assessment was to determine if age estimates, among-reader precision, and mean back-calculated total lengths (TLs) at age differed among scales, anal fin spines, and otoliths. Ages estimated from anal fin spines were more precise than scale ages, were as precise as otolith-based ages, and generally agreed with consensus ages estimated from sectioned otoliths. Relationships between TL and radii of calcified structures were linear for scales, anal spines, and otoliths along two different transects. Mean back-calculated TLs were generally similar between intercept-corrected direct proportion (ICDP) and linear regression (LR) models, but otolith-based direct proportion models (no intercept correction) generally provided higher back-calculated mean TLs at ages 1 and 2 than ICDP and LR models. Mean back-calculated TLs at age estimated from whole otoliths were higher than estimates for other structures; but differences among anal fin spines, scales, and sectioned otoliths were
Anticonvulsants and the risk of perinatal bleeding complications: A pregnancy cohort study.

Objective To examine the risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and neonatal bleeding complications associated with late-pregnancy exposure to anticonvulsant drugs (ACDs) that induce cytochrome P450 enzymes (ACDi) and alter the metabolism of vitamin K compared to other ACDs. Methods We used a population-based cohort study stemming from a nationwide sample of publicly insured pregnant women with a liveborn infant from the 2000 to 2010 Medicaid Analytic eXtract. ACDi (carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, oxcarbazepine, topiramate) were compared to other ACDs dispensed during the last month of pregnancy. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PPH and neonatal bleeding complications were estimated using generalized linear models with fine stratification on the propensity score to control for indication and other potential confounders. Results Among 11,572 women with an ACD prescription overlapping delivery, 2.6% (135/5,109) in the ACDi group and 3.6% (231/6,463) in the other ACDs group had a diagnosis of PPH: unadjusted RR 0.74 (95% CI 0.60–0.91), adjusted RR 0.77 (95% CI 0.58–1.00). The prevalence of neonatal bleeding complications was 3.1% (157/5,109) in the ACDi group and 3.5% (229/6,463) in the other ACDs group: unadjusted RR 0.87 (95% CI 0.71–1.06), adjusted RR 0.83 (95% CI 0.64–1.08). Conclusions Evidence from this large observational study suggests that use of ACDi near delivery does not increase the risk of bleeding complications compared to other ACDs in clinical settings where neonatal intramuscular or oral vitamin K administration is considered standard of care. These findings provide reassurance for clinicians and pregnant women successfully treated with ACDi.
Cotton-Wool Spots (Inner Retinal Ischemic Spots)

Cotton-wool spots in malignant arterial hypertension have been known since Liebreich [1] described them in 1859. Cotton-wool spots are common, acute, nonspecific retinal lesions. Many articles in the literature have reported that they are seen in retinopathies due to a whole host of conditions. There is a voluminous literature on the subject, mostly based on anecdotal case reports. Conditions include hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, transient retinal artery occlusion, carotid artery disease, cardiac valvular disease, Purtscher’s retinopathy, interferon-associated retinopathy, giant cell arteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener’s granulomatosis, dermatomyositis, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, IgA nephropathy, human immunodeficiency virus retinopathy, cytomegalovirus retinitis, Bartonella henselae neuroretinitis, ocular Lyme borreliosis, dengue fever, malaria retinopathy, leptospirosis, radiation retinopathy, bone marrow transplantation retinopathy, metastatic carcinoma, leukemic retinopathy, Hodgkin’s disease, X-linked lymphoproliferative disorder, sarcoidosis, Takayasu’s arteritis, retinopathy of pancreatitis, pernicious anemia, polycythemia vera, methotrexate-induced blood dyscrasia, nonfamilial amyloidosis, intravenous drug abuse, and, occasionally, following a marked fall of blood pressure [2]. Brown et al. [3] described the incidence of various diseases associated with cotton-wool spots in 24 patients.
VESICLE POPULATIONS AND EXOCYTOSIS IN NORADRENERGIC TERMINALS OF HUMAN VEINS

Human omental veins have a rich supply of sympathetic nerves which penetrates deep into the tunica media with terminals located 100–500 nm from adjacent muscle cells. The terminals contain large dense cored (LDV; 87.5 nm), small dense cored (SDV; 51 nm) and small clear vesicles (SCV). Electrical stimulation increases the number of small vesicles 30% and exo/endocytotic profiles 6-fold. With phentolamine present, stimulation decreases the numbers of large and small vesicles, and there is an increased frequency of vesicles closely associated with the terminal membrane.
Protection Strategies for Future Electrical Vehicle Architectures: Towards Fuseless Strategies

Today, the question is no more: «Why 42 V?» but «When?» and «How?» and the introduction of dual voltage power networks in high luxury vehicles seems immediate in a short timeframe.
CD13/Aminopeptidase N in Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis

The CD13/aminopeptidase N cell surface peptidase was originally identified as a marker for tumors of the hematopoietic system. Recent evidence however extends the role of CD13/APN to solid tumors as well where it is postulated to regulate angiogenesis and tumor metastasis.
A Randomized Trial of Prenatal Video Education to Improve Breastfeeding Among Low-Income Women.

Abstract Background: Many women initiate breastfeeding but do not meet their duration goals, and low-income women initiate and continue breastfeeding at lower rates than their counterparts. One-on-...
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID): Malaysian Historical Salvors Ltd. v. The Government of Malaysia (ICSID Arb/05/10) & Phoenix Action, Ltd. v. The Czech Republic (ICSID ARB/06/5)

The concept of investment, left intentionally undefined by the drafters of the 1965 Washington Convention, has developed in a rather confusing and inconsistent manner.
Parallel, minimally-invasive implantation of ultra-flexible neural electrode arrays.

Objective Implanted microelectrodes provide a unique means to directly interface with the nervous system but have been limited by the lack of stable functionality. There is growing evidence suggesting that substantially reducing the mechanical rigidity of neural electrodes promotes tissue compatibility and improves their recording stability in both the short- and long-term. However, the miniaturized dimensions and ultraflexibility desired for mitigating tissue responses preclude the probe's self-supported penetration into the brain tissue. Approach Here we demonstrate the high-throughput implantation of multi-shank ultraflexible neural electrode arrays with surgical footprints as small as 200 µm2 in a mouse model. This is achieved by using arrays of tungsten microwires as shuttle devices, and bio-dissolvable adhesive polyethylene glycol (PEG) to temporarily attach a shank onto each microwire. Main results We show the ability to simultaneously deliver electrode arrays in designed patterns, to adjust the implantation locations of the shanks by need, to target different brain structures, and to control the surgical injury by reducing the microwire diameters to cellular scale. Significance These results provide a facile implantation method to apply ultraflexible neural probes in scalable neural recording.
The effects of cables' strain and specific stiffness on the stiffness of cable-driven parallel manipulators:

A cable-driven parallel manipulator is driven by a set of cables instead of rigid links. Since cables usually have more flexibility than rigid links, the stiffness of a cable-driven parallel manipu...
Technical Note: Space Constrained Assortment Optimization under the Paired Combinatorial Logit Model

We study the space constrained assortment optimization problem under the paired combinatorial logit choice model. The goal in this problem is to choose a set of products to make available for purchase with the intention of maximizing the expected revenue from each arriving customer. Each offered product occupies a specific amount of space and there is a limit on the space consumed by all of the offered products. The purchasing decision of each customer is governed by the paired combinatorial logit choice model. We provide the first efficient constant factor approximation for this problem.
Disparities between high-impact clinical trials in oncology and disease burden.

e17591 Background: Recent research has identified a discrepancy between NIH funding in oncology and various measures of disease burden by tumor type. We sought to identify whether this disparity ex...
Spatial Visualization of Cluster-Specific COVID-19 Transmission Network in South Korea During the Early Epidemic Phase

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been rapidly spreading throughout China and other countries including South Korea. As of March 12, 2020, a total number of 7,869 cases and 66 deaths had been documented in South Korea. Although the first confirmed case in South Korea was identified on January 20, 2020, the number of confirmed cases showed a rapid growth on February 19, 2020 with a total number of 1,261 cases with 12 deaths based on the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Method Using the data of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea that are publicly available from the KCDC, this paper aims to create spatial visualizations of COVID-19 transmission between January 20, 2020 and February 19, 2020. Results Using spatial visualization, this paper identified two early transmission clusters in South Korea (Daegu cluster and capital area cluster). Using a degree-weighted centrality measure, this paper proposes potential super-spreaders of the virus in the visualized clusters. Conclusion Compared to various epidemiological measures such as the basic reproduction number, spatial visualizations of the cluster-specific transmission networks and the proposed centrality measure may be more useful to characterize super-spreaders and the spread of the virus especially in the early epidemic phase.
Police Work, Unbounded

To scholars of labor and working-class history, police pose a problem—though, one less grave than the problem they pose to contemporary life in the United States, where roughly 10 percent of all homicide victims, and fully one-third of all people killed by strangers, die at police hands. How should police be categorized, and are they worthy subjects for the field? They are workers, of course, but they are also front-line agents of state repression and shock troops for capital. They remain robustly unionized, at least by US standards, but their unions are regressive and politically conservative, more concerned with shielding cops from accountability than with building solidarity. As individuals, many hail from working-class communities of color, but as a social and political category, their effect is to rationalize, reproduce, and fortify axes of racial and class difference. Their labor power is undoubtedly appropriated to produce surplus value, but is the exploitation they suffer superseded—or, to use a newly vexed word, “trumped”—by the work they do as exploiters?
“Other” behavior and the DRO: The roles of extinction and reinforcement

Jessel et al. (2015) provided some evidence to suggest that "other" behavior is strengthened in the differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). The present study is a systematic replication of the Jessel et al. procedures. The effects of DRO and extinction on target responding, target-other responding (a response with an established history of reinforcement), and nontarget-other responding emitted by children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and children with no known diagnoses were compared. Other behavior increased in at least one DRO condition for each participant, suggesting that other behavior increases when using DRO, at least initially. Under extinction, target responding and target-other responding decreased to low rates for three of the five participants; however, rates of nontarget-other responding were elevated compared to the DRO condition. These results suggest that increased rates of target-other responding and nontarget-other responding during the DRO condition may be a result of extinction-induced variability.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms for calcitonin gene-related polypeptide are related to the magnitude of headache symptoms after concussion: A preliminary observation (4525)

Objective: Determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the calcitonin gene-related polypeptide (CGRP)-alpha (CALCA) and the receptor activity modifying protein-1 (RAMP1) are related to headache burden during the first week after concussion. Background: Post-traumatic headache is a commonly reported symptom after concussion. SNPs related to CGRP are involved in the pathogenesis of migraine headaches and contribute to pain transmission and neurogenic inflammation. It is unclear in concussed persons if the headache burden is associated with genetic variations related to CGRP. Design/Methods: A prospective study was performed in 20 concussed athletes (gender: 12 female, 8 male; age: 19±1 years; height: 1.75±0.10 meters; weight: 70±10 kilograms). Participants completed the symptom evaluation checklist from the SCAT3 within 48 hours of injury (V1), and 4 (V2) and 7 (V3) days after injury. For each visit, the self-reported score (0–6) for headache, pressure in head, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light/noise were summed. The area under-the-curve (AUC) was computed for the total (V1+V2+V3), early (V1 to V2) and late (V2 to V3) burden of headache-related symptoms. A saliva sample was obtained, and a commercial laboratory identified the genotype for CALCA (rs3781719) and RAMP1 (rs10185142) using PMR-array. Results: Genetic variability for CALCA was low within our sample and not used. RAMP1 genotypes (CC, TC, TT) were dichotomized (T+, T−) to facilitate analyses. The total headache burden AUC was significantly greater (p Conclusions: The current analysis provides a proof-of-concept to suggest that the T allele for RAMP1 (rs10185142) was associated with a greater headache burden after concussion injury. Disclosure: Dr. La Fountaine has nothing to disclose. Anthony Testa has nothing to disclose.
Synchronous Waveform Measurements to Locate Transient Events and Incipient Faults in Power Distribution Networks

A new method is proposed to identify the location of transient events, including incipient faults, in power distribution systems, by using synchronized measurements from an emerging class of sensors, called waveform measurement units (WMUs). WMUs capture the voltage and current waveforms in time domain. The proposed method consists of three steps. The first step is to characterize the oscillatory modes of the transient components of all the captured synchronized voltage and current waveforms from all WMUs, by conducting a multi-signal modal analysis. The second step is to construct a circuit model for the underlying distribution feeder at the identified dominant mode(s) of the transient event. The final step is to identify the location of the transient event with the means of a method that involves certain forward and backward analyses of the constructed circuit model. The proposed method requires installing as few as only two WMUs. It can also utilize several synchronized waveform measurements when several WMUs are available. The performance of the proposed method is assessed on the IEEE 33-bus test system; for different cases of transient events, such as sub-cycle incipient faults, multi-cycle incipient faults, permanent faults, as well as benign yet informative events such as capacitor bank switching. Both the accuracy and the robustness of the proposed method are verified. The analysis and results in this paper provide new insights on possible applications of synchronized WMU measurements; while they also address a highly challenging problem in power distribution networks.
Optimising tree diversity and economic returns from managed mixed forests in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

MENDOZA, G. A., ONAL, H. & SOETJIPTO, W. 2000. Optimising tree diversity and economic returns from managed mixed forests in Kalimantan, Indonesia. This paper addresses the problem of optimising the management of uneven-aged forests under the dual objectives of economic returns and tree species and size diversity. Three models are developed: 1) Model I is aimed at maximising sustainable tree diversity; 2) Model II is formulated to maximise economic returns from harvesting while also ensuring sustainability of the stand; and 3) Model III is aimed at maintaining an exogenous level of tree diversity while at the same time maximising economic returns and ensuring the sustainability of the stand. The models are applied to an old-growth forest that contains trees belonging to the highly commercial family of species called Dipterocarpaceae located in the tropical forests of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Simulations based on the three models are used to examine some of the provisions and technical regulations contained in the Indonesian Selective Cutting System.
A Database Practicum for Teaching Database Administration and Software Development at Regis University.

This research paper compares a database practicum at the Regis University College for Professional Studies (CPS) with technology oriented practicums at other universities. Successful andragogy for technology courses can motivate students to develop a genuine interest in the subject, share their knowledge with peers and can inspire students to study the subject after they graduate from the university. One of the goals of the Regis database practicum is to inspire students to continue to study the subject of database technologies after they graduate (e.g., life long learning). A technology oriented practicum must provide students with the opportunity to develop both technological skills and soft skills (e.g., team work, effective communication, and work experience). The Regis database practicum fosters the development of soft skills by allowing students to volunteer in leadership roles, such as Project Manager, Technical Lead, and Project Lead. Students improve their communication skills by working on real-life software development projects with local stakeholders in the Denver area. Typical practicum team deliverables include functional requirements documentation, analysis and detailed design documentation, functional software, software test plans, status reporting of outstanding issues, and a final project report that summarizes the software development process that was followed during the practicum. The Regis database practicum also includes a database administration component in addition to a software development project. Students create and maintain the databases that are used for all of the undergraduate and graduate database courses within CPS for every 8 week term. Students also improve soft skills by working on the database support help desk on a weekly basis. Based on course evaluations, students have indicated that the Regis database practicum is a successful experience that helps them to fine tune their technical skills and to develop new soft skills.
Decision Making for Risk Management: A Comparison of Graphical Methods for Presenting Quantitative Uncertainty

Previous research has shown that people err when making decisions aided by probability information. Surprisingly, there has been little exploration into the accuracy of decisions made based on many commonly used probabilistic display methods. Two experiments examined the ability of a comprehensive set of such methods to effectively communicate critical information to a decision maker and influence confidence in decision making. The second experiment investigated the performance of these methods under time pressure, a situational factor known to exacerbate judgmental errors. Ten commonly used graphical display methods were randomly assigned to participants. Across eight scenarios in which a probabilistic outcome was described, participants were asked questions regarding graph interpretation (e.g., mean) and made behavioral choices (i.e., act; do not act) based on the provided information indicated that decision-maker accuracy differed by graphical method; error bars and boxplots led to greatest mean estimation and behavioral choice accuracy whereas complementary cumulative probability distribution functions were associated with the highest probability estimation accuracy. Under time pressure, participant performance decreased when making behavioral choices.
An Examination of Cricket Bat Performance (P92)

The aims of this study were to experimentally measure and numerically describe the performance of cricket bats and balls. A dynamic finite element model was employed to simulate the bat-ball impact. The ball was modeled as a linear viscoelastic material which provided the mechanism of energy loss during impact. An experimental test apparatus was developed to measure the performance of cricket bats and balls under dynamic impact conditions representative of play. Experiments were conducted to measure the elasticity and hardness of the cricket balls as a function of incoming speed. A bat-performance measure was derived in terms of an ideal batted-ball speed based on play conditions. The model found good agreement with experimental data for a number of impact conditions. A composite skin, applied to the back of some bats, was observed to increase performance experimentally and in the numerical model. While different treatments and designs typical of cricket bats had a measurable effect on performance, they were much smaller than the 10% difference observed between some solid-wood and hollow baseball and softball bats.
Loop-shaping controller design from input-output data

An integrated identification and controller design approach, based on loop-shaping principles, is presented. Starting with time-domain input-output data, a coprime factorization of the plant is identified using linear least-squares techniques. The residual error from the identification is then used to obtain estimates of the coprime factor uncertainty that are translated to sensitivity and complementary sensitivity bounds for the closed-loop system. These bounds serve as a guide for the selection of a target loop and the controller is designed using H/sub /spl infin// tools. An application on a paper machine simulator is also presented, illustrating the main ideas of the approach.
Mars Exploration Rover surface operations: driving opportunity at Meridiani Planum

On January 24, 2004, the Mars Exploration Rover named Opportunity successfully landed in the region of Mars known as Meridiani Planum, a vast plain dotted with craters where orbiting spacecraft had detected the signatures of minerals believed to have formed in liquid water. The first pictures back from Opportunity revealed that the rover had landed in a crater roughly 20 meters in diameter - the only sizeable crater within hundreds of meters - which became known as Eagle Crater. And in the walls of this crater just meters away was the bedrock MER scientists had been hoping to find, which would ultimately prove that this region of Mars did indeed have a watery past. Opportunity explored Eagle Crater for almost two months, then drove more than 700 meters in one month to its next destination, the much larger Endurance Crater. After surveying the outside of Endurance Crater, Opportunity drove into the crater and meticulously studied it for six months. Then it went to examine the heat shield that had protected Opportunity during its descent through the Martian atmosphere. More than a year since landing, Opportunity is still going strong and is currently en route to Victoria Crater - more than six kilometers from Endurance Crater. Opportunity has driven more than four kilometers, examined more than eighty patches of rock and soil with instruments on the robotic arm, excavated four trenches for subsurface sampling, and sent back well over thirty thousand images of Mars - ranging from grand panoramas to up close microscopic views. This paper details the experience of driving Opportunity through this alien landscape from the point of view of the Rover Planners, the people who tell the rover where to drive and how to use its robotic arm.
Promoting Metacognition in Immersive Cultural Learning Environments

Metacognition, defined as active control over cognitive processes during learning, is a critical component in the development of intercultural competence. Progression through stages of intercultural development requires self-assessment, self-monitoring, predictive, planning, and reflection skills. Modern virtual learning environments now provide a level of immersion that enable meaningful practice of cultural skills, both in terms of visual and experiential fidelity. This paper discusses their potential role in intercultural training, and the use of intelligent tutoring and experience manipulation techniques to support metacognitive and intercultural development. Techniques for adapting the behaviors of virtual humans to promote cultural learning are discussed along with the role of explicit feedback. The paper concludes with several suggestions for future research, including the use of existing intercultural development metrics for evaluating learning in immersive environments and on the balance between implicit and explicit feedback to establish optimal conditions for acquiring intercultural competence.
Assessment of medical students' proficiency in dermatology: Are medical students adequately prepared to diagnose and treat common dermatologic conditions in the United States?

This study assessed whether a current medical school curriculum is adequately preparing medical students to diagnose and treat common dermatologic conditions. A 15-item anonymous multiple choice quiz covering fifteen diseases was developed to test students’ ability to diagnose and treat common dermatologic conditions. The quiz also contained five items that assessed students’ confidence in their ability to diagnose common dermatologic conditions, their perception of whether they were receiving adequate training in dermatology, and their preferences for additional training in dermatology. The survey was performed in 2014, and was completed by 85 students (79.4%). Many students (87.6%) felt that they received inadequate training in dermatology during medical school. On average, students scored 46.6% on the 15-item quiz. Proficiency at the medical school where the study was performed is considered an overall score of greater than or equal to 70.0%. Students received an average score of 49.9% on the diagnostic items and an average score of 43.2% on the treatment items. The findings of this study suggest that United States medical schools should consider testing their students and assessing whether they are being adequately trained in dermatology. Then schools can decide if they need to re-evaluate the timing and delivery of their current dermatology curriculum, or whether additional curriculum hours or clinical rotations should be assigned for dermatologic training.
West Nile virus-specific CD4 T cells exhibit direct antiviral cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity and are sufficient for antiviral protection.

CD4 T cells have been shown to be necessary for the prevention of encephalitis during West Nile virus (WNV) infection. However, the mechanisms used by Ag-specific CD4 T cells to protect mice from WNV encephalitis remain incompletely understood. Contrary to the belief that CD4 T cells are protective because they merely maintain the CD8 T cell response and improve Ab production, in this study we provide evidence for the direct antiviral activity of CD4 T cells that functions to protect the host from WNV encephalitis. In adoptive transfers, naive CD4 T cells protected a significant number of lethally infected RAG −/− mice, demonstrating the protective effect of CD4 T cells independent of B cells and CD8 T cells. To shed light on the mechanism of this protection, we defined the peptide specificities of the CD4 T cells responding to WNV infection in C57BL/6 (H-2 b ) mice, and used these peptides to characterize the in vivo function of antiviral CD4 T cells. WNV-specific CD4 T cells produced IFN-γ and IL-2, but also showed potential for in vivo and ex vivo cytotoxicity. Furthermore, peptide vaccination using CD4 epitopes conferred protection against lethal WNV infection in immunocompetent mice. These results demonstrate the role of direct effector function of Ag-specific CD4 T cells in preventing severe WNV disease.
Variable Binding and Relative Clauses

Rodman (1976) makes the extremely interesting and attractive proposal that quantifier scope relationships are governed by the constraints that Ross (1967) proposed for certain movement and other syntactic transformations. Similar proposals have been made by Postal (1974) and Fauconnier (1975). Such claims are of great interest to linguists since potentially they not only identify semantic properties of natural languages which distinguish them from formal languages (thereby helping to characterize that subset of all possible languages which is the set of possible natural languages) but they also point the way towards a unified account of certain characteristics of both the syntax and semantics of natural languages. In this paper I shall examine Rodman’s proposal in the light of a Montague approach to the interpretation of transformational syntaxes. I shall restrict my attention mainly to the complex NP constraint with respect to relative clauses, but I believe that my remarks will generalize to other types of complex NP and also to cases involving the sentential subject constraint. I shall suggest that some rather obvious apparent counterexamples can, in fact, be explained away and I shall point out some examples where it seems extremely difficult to tell whether there is a reading associated with the sentence which would provide a counterexample.
Transcriptomic Changes Due to Cytoplasmic TDP-43 Expression Reveal Dysregulation of Histone Transcripts and Nuclear Chromatin

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is normally a nuclear RNA-binding protein that exhibits a range of functions including regulation of alternative splicing, RNA trafficking, and RNA stability. However, in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP), TDP-43 is abnormally phosphorylated, ubiquitinated, and cleaved, and is mislocalized to the cytoplasm where it forms distinctive aggregates. We previously developed a mouse model expressing human TDP-43 with a mutation in its nuclear localization signal (ΔNLS-hTDP-43) so that the protein preferentially localizes to the cytoplasm. These mice did not exhibit a significant number of cytoplasmic aggregates, but did display dramatic changes in gene expression as measured by microarray, suggesting that cytoplasmic TDP-43 may be associated with a toxic gain-of-function. Here, we analyze new RNA-sequencing data from the ΔNLS-hTDP-43 mouse model, together with published RNA-sequencing data obtained previously from TDP-43 antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) knockdown mice to investigate further the dysregulation of gene expression in the ΔNLS model. This analysis reveals that the transcriptomic effects of the overexpression of the ΔNLS-hTDP-43 transgene are likely due to a gain of cytoplasmic function. Moreover, cytoplasmic TDP-43 expression alters transcripts that regulate chromatin assembly, the nucleolus, lysosomal function, and histone 3' untranslated region (UTR) processing. These transcriptomic alterations correlate with observed histologic abnormalities in heterochromatin structure and nuclear size in transgenic mouse and human brains.
Multichannel fast hard x-ray spectrometer with spatial resolution capability for extended z-pinch plasma sources

A multi-channel, fast, hard x-ray diode spectrometer is being developed at the Nevada Terawatt facility. This spectrometer helps facilitate the study of the time evolution of hard x-ray emissions from hot, dense plasma. Each channel in the array can be adjusted individually with shielded view areas, allowing small areas of an x-ray source to be isolated and studied by region. This spatial resolution capability will permit a better understanding of the mechanisms present in hot, dense plasma. Results will be presented of experimental tests, and their interpretation, pertaining to the hard x-ray emissions generated from an x-pinch source in a pulse-power type device.
Regulation of cell structure and function by actin-binding proteins: villin's perspective.

Villin is a tissue-specific actin modifying protein that is associated with actin filaments in the microvilli and terminal web of epithelial cells. It belongs to a large family of actin-binding proteins which includes actin-capping, -nucleating and/or -severing proteins such as gelsolin, severin, fragmin, adseverin/scinderin and actin crosslinking proteins such as dematin and supervillin. Studies done in epithelial cell lines and villin knock-out mice have demonstrated the function of villin in regulating actin dynamics, cell morphology, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell migration and cell survival. In addition, the ligand-binding properties of villin (F-actin, G-actin, calcium, phospholipids and phospholipase C-γ1) are mechanistically important for the crosstalk between signaling pathways and actin reorganization in epithelial cells.
Does a view of nature promote relief from acute pain

Inadequate control of acute pain is a well-recognized and serious problem. Distraction is one of the methods used in adjunct with medications to relieve pain. Nature-related sensory stimuli are frequently used for both distraction and relaxation. The human response model that focuses on individual adaptation to health conditions is used in this article to guide an analysis of relevant studies. Four studies in clinical settings evaluated the effect of nature (as a visual stimulus) to determine whether it promoted relief of acute pain. All these studies also used audio stimuli (nature sounds or music). Distracting visual and auditory stimuli used together provided stronger evidence of pain reduction than when either type of stimulus was used alone.
Foster and Adopted Children Who Die From Filicide: What Can We Learn and What Can We Do?

Adoption and foster care are assumed to be safer options for children than remaining in the care of their family of origin, yet the media reports murders of these children with alarming frequency. These deaths not only are tragic but profoundly violate the public understanding of adoption and foster care. Despite the possibility of an increasing occurrence of such filicides, few states have procedures to systematically collect information on incidents of serious harm or deaths of adopted children or children in foster care. To fill this gap, this paper endeavors to illuminate characteristics of these deaths by using media accounts as an information source. The importance of such an inquiry—and its inherent limitations—calls for more attention and methods directed toward capturing data on the murders, serious abuse, and other deaths of children under governmental care. Some states and other countries (most notably the United Kingdom) have developed mechanisms for aggregating and reviewing serious harm case...
Single-agent adriamycin followed by combination hexamethylmelamine-cyclophosphamide for advanced ovarian carcinoma☆

Abstract Singleagent Adriamycin (ADM) induced a 21.8% response rate, surgically documented, in 32 previously untreated patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Patients with grade 3 carcinomas had a longer survival time than patients with grade 2 carcinomas ( P = 0.07). A statistically significant interaction of grade and age was found ( P = 0.01). Patients younger than 45 years had almost precisely the same risk of death per unit time, regardless of grade. Patients over age 45, with grade 3 tumors, had 3.6 times the risk of death per unit time, and those with grade 2 tumors had 45.5 times the risk as the patient under 45 years of age. Hexamethylmelamine-cyclophosphamide was active in four patients (17%) who failed to respond to ADM. ADM may exert significant but selective anti-tumor activity and deserves additional testing in drug combinations used in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Decision Theory in Academic Administration

Systematic decision making tools have been generally overlooked by college and university decision makers. There is a noteworthy need in academic management for further utilization of decision theory techniques, subjective probability, and mathematical model building.
Car Seat Backrest Static Strength Experiment and Simulation

According to the characteristics of car seat structure and the distribution of car seat load, the finite element static strength model of the car seat is constructed in this paper. The model contains shell elements and beam elements. Some seat structure elements such as welding connection, screw connection, pin connection are simplified in the model. Simulation analysis of the static characteristics of car seat backrest frame model is carried out. At the same time, the experimental research on the static strength characteristics of the back seat is made by the measurements of non-electric physical quantities. By comparing and analyzing the results of experiment and computer simulation of seat static strength, the practicability and credibility of the seat static finite element analysis model and simplified model constructed in this paper are verified. It also proves that the simulation of various connecting forms of the seat structure is effective and is a reliable method in the structural design of the car seat. The model and simulation of the car seat can reduce the cost and shorten the design period.
"Overdue: Meta-Analyzing Demands, Control and Support on Job Satisfaction and Emotional Exhaustion"

Over the past 14 years, Van der Doef and Maes (1999) and Hausser, Mojzisch, Niesel, & Schulz-Hardt (2010) have published systematic reviews of the job demands-control (JDC) model (Karasek, 1979), a...
Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Geographic atrophy (GA) is initiated by dysfunction and loss of RPE cells followed by photoreceptor loss. Thus, replacing lost and sick RPE with healthy cells may restore vision in GA. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are two main sources for this replacement. There are currently two major approaches to RPE stem cell integration with the human retina. The first employs bolus injections of RPE cell suspension under the retina and the second relies on prefabricated RPE stem cell sheets implanted in the subretinal space. Due to immune considerations, current hESC-RPE trials use immunosuppressant medications for a limited period up to, during, and after implantation. RPE stem cell grafts show great promise in restoring vision in patients with geographic atrophy due to AMD, as limited clinical trials in humans have already shown positive results, and more results are forthcoming.
The Never-a-Weak-Best-Response Test in Infinite Signaling Games☆

Abstract This essay considers a strong refinement of the sequential equilibrium concept, the Never-a-Weak-Best-Response test, and identifies conditions under which the limit of the equilibrium outcomes of finite approximating games is an equilibrium outcome of the limit infinite game. As a consequence of this result, the existence of equilibria in a class of infinite signaling games is established. Since equilibria satisfying the Never-a-Weak-Best-Response test also satisfy various other refinements, e.g., the Intuitive Criterion and the Universal Divinity test, the existence results in this essay hold for those refinements as well.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: C72, D82.
A psychophysical analysis of experiential factors that selectively influence the affective dimension of pain

A psychophysical analysis was made of experiential factors that influence the affective but not the sensory-discriminative dimension of pain. Seven subjects made cross-modality matching responses to several dimensions of their experience. Before each stimulus, they matched line lengths to their experienced desire to avoid pain (significance) and to their perceived likelihood of avoiding it (expectation). After each stimulus, they matched line lengths to perceived sensation intensity (in some sessions) or to felt magnitudes of positive or negative feeling (in other sessions). Non-noxious (35, 42 degrees C) and noxious (45--51 degrees C) skin temperature stimuli were randomly interspersed during each experimental session. Changes in expectation were induced by preceding one-half of the noxious stimuli with a warning signal. The average responses of these subjects indicated that 45--51 degrees C noxious temperatures were felt as less unpleasant when preceded by a warning signal. In contrast, sensation magnitudes evoked by these same skin temperatures were unaffected by the warning signal. Thus, only the magnitudes of unpleasant responses are lowered by decreasing ones' expectation of avoiding pain. Analysis of individual responses revealed two distinct patterns of response changes following presentation of the warning signal. Four subjects retained the same general goal of avoiding pain and reduced their expectation of avoiding it. Their affective responses were less unpleasant during the warning signal. The remaining three subjects primarily altered their goals and not their expectations on signaled trials. Their affective responses were not modified by the signal. Subjects were instructed to arrive at their affective responses in two ways. In one session, they compared the outcome of each stmulation with what they wanted to happen (affect-result responses). In the other session, they simply focused on the pleasantness or unpleasantness of each sensation as it was experienced (affect-process responses). All subjects' affect-result responses were more positive (or less unpleasant) than affect-process responses. All of these results underscore the critical influence of expectations and the manner in which one evaluates sensations on affective responses to noxious stimulation.
The plight of the African American male in the United States: An Africentric human service provider analysis and intervention strategy

This article describes the historical relationship between the African American male and American society. Theoretical perspectives on the etiology of the violence and criminal behavior of African American males are presented. The author contends that to clearly understand this phenomenon we must recognize that African Americans have since the time of slavery been the basis of American economy.
Colorimetric identification of prostaglandins in subnanomole amounts

Abstract Prostaglandins have recently been shown to be some of the more important substances capable of regulating cellular behavior, both in their interaction directly with smooth muscle cells (1) and in their regulatory influences on adenylate cyclase (2,3). Prostaglandins are widely distributed in mammalian tissue in extremely small amounts as well as in multiple forms, making their analysis quite difficult. This paper reports a simple technique for use with thin-layer chromatography (tlc). A colorimetric reagent, anisaldehyde-ethanol-sulfuric acid (4), originally used for identification of sugars, steroids, and terpenes (5), is applied to the tlc system as a spray that imparts unique colors to each of five biologically important prostaglandins PGE1, PGA1, PGE2, PGF2α, and PGB1 in amounts as little as 0.1 nmole. While methods for identifying prostaglandins on tlc have previously been reported (6,8,9), these methods require 2–5 μg (5–15 nmoles) to be effective. The 50- to 100-fold increase in sensitivity presented by the proposed anisaldehyde-ethanol-sulfuric acid reagent allows isolation and assay of prostaglandins with experimentally feasible amounts of tissue (10–100 g of tissue, wet weight).
Zinc rhizotoxicity in wheat and radish is alleviated by micromolar levels of magnesium and potassium in solution culture

The effects of excess zinc (Zn) on solution-cultured wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Yecora Rojo) and radish (Raphanus sativus L., cv. Cherry Belle) were studied, using both short-term root elongation studies and longer term split-root experiments. Alleviation of Zn rhizotoxicity by Mg and K was observed, with especially dramatic alleviation of root stunting by Mg. In the short-term studies using a simple medium (2 mM CaCl2 ,p H 6.0), Mg concentrations of 1–5 µM were able to significantly alleviate rhizotoxicity caused by Zn concentrations as high as 60 µM. In the split-root studies, 100 µM Mg was sufficient to abolish Zn toxicity in both wheat and radish. Paradoxically, Mg enhanced uptake and translocation of Zn while simultaneously alleviating toxicity in these longer-term experiments. In short-term experiments, additions of K (0 to 200 µM) to the basal medium alleviated Zn rhizotoxicity to a more limited extent. In split-root experiments, however, the absence or presence of K in test solutions did not affect plant growth or Zn uptake. When increased from a physiological minimum (e.g., 200 µM), Ca also alleviates Zn toxicity, but the effect is very modest in comparison to that of Mg. The results are discussed in relation to the use of short-term assays of metal tolerance in simple salt solutions, and in relation to possible roles of Mg in the physiology of Zn toxicity.
Application of tung oil to improve adhesion strength and water resistance of cottonseed meal and protein adhesives on maple veneer

Abstract Cottonseed meal-based products show promise in serving as environment-friendly wood adhesives. However, their practical utilization is currently limited due to low durability and water resistant properties. In this research, we tested the improvement of adhesion strength and water resistance of cottonseed meal-based adhesives by the addition of tung oil. Our data showed that the shear strength of maple wood strips glued at 100 °C by water-washed cottonseed meal (WCM) and cottonseed protein isolate (CSPI), containing tung oil, increased by 19.9% and 21.1%, respectively, compared to the tung oil-free adhesive controls. After 2 cycles of water soaking, the average of the soaked shear strength of glued maple specimens with WCM/tung oil adhesives was 3.49 MPa, representing a water resistance improvement of 46.6%, compared to the control value (2.38 MPa). For this study, the hot-press temperature (100–130 °C) was not critical for improving the water resistance of WCM or CSPI with tung oil. Optical microscopy images of the bondlines and interface showed that the improvement of adhesion strength and water resistance of cottonseed meal-based adhesives were due to the tung oil's prevention of the adhesives from diffusing away from the bond joints, while water soaking diffused the bondline, leading to weaker bond strength. The addition quantities of tung oil varied from 0.05 to 1.0% (w/v) and we observed little influence on improving the adhesive strength values, therefore, we recommend the addition of 0.1% tung oil for economics and convenience. The results of this research provide useful information on cottonseed meals as one of renewable sources of wood adhesives.