cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Silicon microsystems for neuroscience and neural prostheses

Silicon-based microsystems are being developed to interface with the central nervous system (CNS) at the cellular level. Dense three-dimensional (3-D) microelectrode arrays with as many as several hundred sites permit acute and semichronic single-unit recording and stimulation, while on-chip circuitry for site selection, amplification, and multiplexing reduces noise and limits the number of output leads to manageable levels. Hybrid implant-mounted circuitry can be used to separate single units from baseline noise and provide simultaneous wireless access to more than a hundred information channels. This article focuses on the technology for electronically interfacing with the CNS at the cellular level. Devices based on silicon-on-insulator technology and silicon array structures not based as directly on the planar processes of ICs are given notice. Tissue interface and cabling problems still exist for long-term applications but the basic technology platform is robust and should allow engineering solutions to be developed over time. Present technology is consistent with real breakthroughs in our understanding of the brain at the circuit/system level during the coming decade though detailed mapping that has been impossible in the past. Such mapping could also serve as a basis for prosthetic devices for treating some of mankind's most debilitating disorders.
What Is Important When Shopping Online

Shoppers have many avenues on where to purchase products, one of which is online. Many online retailers do not apply state and local sales taxes on products they sell, thus allowing them to sell their products cheaper than can be found at local retailers. If the physical presence nexus rule is altered and Internet sales tax is applied for all online transactions, it could potentially change online shopping. The results of a survey of 154 persons are presented, discussing the potential impact of the changing of the physical presence nexus rule and requiring Internet sales tax.
Embryonic taste buds develop in the absence of innervation

It has been hypothesized that taste buds are induced by contact with developing cranial nerve fibers late in embryonic development, since descriptive studies indicate that during embryonic development taste cell differentiation occurs concomitantly with or slightly following the advent of innervation. However, experimental evidence delineating the role of innervation in taste bud development is sparse and equivocal. Using two complementary experimental approaches, we demonstrate that taste cells differentiate fully in the complete absence of innervation. When the presumptive oropharyngeal region was taken from a donor axolotl embryo, prior to its innervation and development of taste buds, and grafted ectopically on to the trunk of a host embryo, the graft developed well-differentiated taste buds. Although grafts were invaded by branches of local spinal nerves, these neurites were rarely found near ectopic taste cells. When the oropharyngeal region was raised in culture, numerous taste buds were generated in the complete absence of neural elements. Taste buds in grafts and in explants were identical to those found in situ both in terms of their morphology and their expression of calretinin and serotonin immunoreactivity. Our findings indicate that innervation is not necessary for complete differentiation of taste receptor cells. We propose that taste buds are either induced in response to signals from other tissues, such as the neural crest, or arise independently through intrinsic patterning of the local epithelium.
Perspective and Direction for Future Research

Consumption of Western diet and sedentary lifestyles (lack of physical activity) may contribute to the pathogenesis of MetS, stroke, AD, and depression. Positive energy balance primarily results in storage of fat as triglyceride in adipose tissue. This process predisposes overnourished individuals to weight gain, insulin resistance, and ultimately the onset of MetS, which is a risk factor for stroke, AD, and depression. There are striking commonalities among MetS, stroke, AD, and depression. These commonalities include impaired glucose and energy metabolism, elevated AGEs and ROS, sustained expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and impairment in long-term contextual and spatial memory. Studies on the relationship among MetS, stroke, AD, and depression are still in infancy and more population-based studies are needed in the elderly in order to accurately diagnose and estimate the risk of developing MetS-mediated stroke, AD, and depression.
Five Group Dynamics in Team Ministry

Considers how five dynamics which are characteristics of groups apply to a ministerial team. Focuses on the importance and structure of the team meeting, how a team goes through the stages of group...
Hemodynamic Support Devices for Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) encompasses a growing portion of total PCIs performed and typically includes patients with high-risk clinical and anatomic characteristics. Such patients may represent not only a high-risk group for complications but also a group who may derive the most benefit from complete revascularization. Several hemodynamic support devices are available. Trial data, consensus documents, and guidelines currently recommend high-risk PCI aided by hemodynamic support devices, and this article discusses the patient populations who would benefit from such an approach, the available devices and strategies, and expected outcomes.
Effects of Epinephrine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine on Strips of Frog and Turtle Ventricle.

Summary and conclusionsVentricular strips from turtles and frogs were isolated, suspended in air, superfused with buffered Ringer's solution and driven at a constant frequency. The conduction velocity, stimulus threshold, Q-T interval (refractory period), and force of isometric contraction were measured. 1. Ouabain and procainamide elicited their previously documented effects on these isolated ventricular strips. 2. Contrary to a previous report, epinephrine increased the force of contraction of an electrically driven strip of turtle ventricle, but did not affect the other parameters. 3. 5-HT did not alter significantly conduction time, stimulus threshold, Q-T interval or force of contraction of either ventricular strips or of turtle hearts in situ, when applied in neutral, acid, or alkaline solutions. 4. Epinephrine and 5-HT occasionally produced premature systoles and periods of autorhythmicity.
How to keep floats afloat.

With patient census and acuity at all-time highs an available staff at an all-time low, many of us are seeing more floating in and out of our units than ever before. Most of us have been on both sides of the float fence: when we're not trying to run our own unit with floats, we're off to help staff some other busy unit the second our own census drops. To get through a shift on an unfamiliar unit, we've adopted the commonsense rules we see in the survival guides-we get to the unit early and introduce ourselves to the staff, go over the assignment with the charge nurse, discuss our limitations frankly, take a firm but reasonable stand, and find out how specific procedures are done and where supplies are kept. We use diplomacy and our organizational skills, often to trade off an unmanageable portion of an assignment for some more familiar tasks. And
Numerical Simulations of Fluids with a General Equation of State

A numerical technique suitable for the simulation of two-phase, chemically recting flows is introduced. Mixtures of thermally imperfect gases can be utilized, and preconditioning techniques ensure accuracy and robustness of the present approach for virtually any Mach number. Preliminary results are presented, and a few avenues for future work are briefly discussed.
Method of Torque Distribution of Redundant Actuation Parallel Manipulator for Fault Prevention

The analysis of the kinetic equation of over-actuated parallel manipulator showed that the partial actuator failure can be avoided by reasonably distributing torque output of each actuator,thus the first occurrence of failure can be deferred.The capacity of each actuator was discussed,and the concept of output margin was proposed.Then a drive torque optimization model was put forward.With the selection criteria of the weighted coefficient constructed from output margin,independent mediation of each drive was achieved.The torque distribution method under balanced output margin and mean output margin of partial actuator was conducted,so the loading of each actuator was coordinated.With a planar three DOF redundant actuated parallel manipulator,the result of calculation and analysis showed that the proposed method is helpful to regulate the balanced margin output of each actuator and thus prevent partial actuators from over loading.
Study of epidemiological and etiological data on hand,foot,and mouth disease in the City of Jinan in 2010

Objectives To analyze epidemiological and etiological characteristics of hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD) in the City of Jinan and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control strategies.Methods Epidemiological and etiological data on HFMD in 2010 in Jinan were analyzed using descriptive epidemiology.Results In total,12 721 HFMD cases were reported in Jinan in 2010.The incidence of HFMD was 205.97/100000.Incidence in urban areas(277.94/100000) was significant higher than in rural areas(166.12/100000),and HFMD cases were concentrated in outlying areas.Predominant periods were week 15 to 34,in which 79.62% of cases occurred.A small peak in incidence occurred in the autumn and winter of 2010 for the first time.The ratio of male to female patients was 1.45︰1.There were 11 377 cases involving children under 5 years old,accounting for 89.34% of all cases.Many of the cases involved children residing separately from their parents(53.42%) and children in kindergarten(43.47%).There were 21 severe local cases reported.In 2 of these cases,patients died.April to August was the peak period.Of the total cases,563 were diagnosed clinically,and CAV16(263 cases) was the predominant virus responsible.Conclusion There were serious outbreaks of HFMD in the City of Jinan.Key measures to prevent and control HFMD outbreaks include continued education,early detection and treatment of disease clusters,and improved treatment.
Simple revision of scars.

Judgment as to selection of patients, the proper timing of the procedure, and the correct therapy will make a considerable difference in regard to the satisfaction of the patient and the surgeon.
Asymmetric shape transitions of epitaxial quantum dots

We construct a two-dimensional continuum model to describe the energetics of shape transitions in fully faceted epitaxial quantum dots (strained islands) via minimization of elastic energy and surface energy at fixed volume. The elastic energy of the island is based on a third-order approximation, enabling us to consider shape transitions between pyramids, domes, multifaceted domes and asymmetric intermediate states. The energetics of the shape transitions are determined by numerically calculating the facet lengths that minimize the energy of a given island type of prescribed island volume. By comparing the energy of different island types with the same volume and analysing the energy surface as a function of the island shape parameters, we determine the bifurcation diagram of equilibrium solutions and their stability, as well as the lowest barrier transition pathway for the island shape as a function of increasing volume. The main result is that the shape transition from pyramid to dome to multifaceted dome occurs through sequential nucleation of facets and involves asymmetric metastable transition shapes. We also explicitly determine the effect of corner energy (facet edge energy) on shape transitions and interpret the results in terms of the relative stability of asymmetric island shapes as observed in experiment.
Circuit Elements: Resistance, Capacitance, and Inductance

The chapter reviews the concepts of resistance, capacitance, and inductance in depth. Even though most electrical and computer engineers have studied and used these concepts for some time, the concepts are often misunderstood.
Abstract 3396: Purinergic regulation of tumor-mediated angiogenesis: A role for exosomal NM23

Exogenous nucleoside diphosphate kinase (eNDPK or NM23) has been shown to promote endothelial cell proliferation and migration and tumor-mediated angiogenesis. This is facilitated by its transphosphorylase activity, in which a gamma terminal phosphate group from a triphosphate nucleoside is transferred to a diphosphate nucleoside, resulting in elevated ATP levels. ATP can active purinergic receptors (P2Y1) on adjacent endothelial cells to promote angiogenesis. We previously reported that eNDPK was detected in conditioned media of breast cancer cells and in the serum of breast cancer patients (Yokdang, et al., 2011; Yokdang, et al., 2015). This suggests that eNDPK may have a role in tumorigenesis, but the mechanism by which eNDPK is released into the extracellular environment remains unknown. It is known that all cell types secrete small vesicles called exosomes, 30-100 nm wide vesicles of endocytic origin. We hypothesize that exosomal eNDPK secreted by breast cancer cells targets and promotes endothelial cell tubulogenesis and direct inhibition of eNDPK and P2Y1 activity attenuates angiogenesis. Exosomes were purified from human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 (231) and non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cells (HME1) using ExoQuick TC. Transmission electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry were performed to characterize the exosomes. Purified exosomes labeled with GFP-tagged tetraspanin (CD63) were introduced to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to detect and measure tubulogenesis formation. We show that 231 secreted exosomes contain eNDPK and HUVEC cells treated with NDPK in the presence of ADP and GTP form tubules. In addition, fluorescently-labeled exosomes are associated with HUVEC tubules. The role of exosomal NDPK released by cancer cells in promoting angiogenesis and tumorigenesis may be used as a potential biomarker and target for treatment in breast cancer management. For future investigations of exosomal eNDPK, this study suggests that breast cancer exosomes promote endothelial tubulogenesis in a P2Y receptor-dependent manner. Citation Format: Senny Nordmeier, Suzann Duan, Iain L.O. Buxton. Purinergic regulation of tumor-mediated angiogenesis: A role for exosomal NM23. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3396.
Relating supply network structure to productive efficiency: A multi-stage empirical investigation

Abstract The potential of Social Network Analysis (SNA) to characterize supply network structure is of growing interest in supply chain management, although the related literature provides few empirical investigations. This study identifies those SNA measures most closely associated with supply chain efficiency, using archival inter-firm relationship data collected from U.S. public companies in multiple industries. In a three-stage procedure, a DEA model is applied to measure firm- and chain-level efficiencies, followed by a correlation analysis to group SNA variables into clusters of high correlation. These clusters are used in a step-wise regression algorithm to identify those variables most relevant to productive efficiency while accounting for multicollinearity. The supply network structural characteristics that emerge as significant are consistent with many hypothesized relationships in the literature, although not without exceptions, such as an interesting tradeoff between the benefit of connectedness and a penalty for closeness.
The Nyangatom woman

The Nyangatom woman is a continuation of research focusing on various African cultures. With this piece I wanted to further expand my knowledge of working with batik resist technique. I also wanted to experiment with beading on leather. This piece was inspired by the Nyangatom tribe of the Omo Valley located in Southwest Ethiopia crossing over into the Sudan border.
Abstract 533: Shear-Induced Collateral Artery Growth Modulated by Endoglin but Not by ALK1

Introduction: TGF- β stimulates both shear stress induced arteriogenesis and ischemia induced angiogenesis, by signaling through different receptors. In this study the role of TGF-β receptors ALK1 and endoglin is assessed in a murine model for hind limb ischemia induced neovascularization. Methods and Results: Femoral artery ligation was performed in mice heterozygous for either endoglin, or ALK1 and littermate controls. Blood flow recovery, monitored by laser doppler perfusion imaging, was significantly hampered in both endoglin and ALK1 heterozygous mice compared to controls by maximal 40% and 49%, respectively. Collateral artery size was significantly reduced in endoglin heterozygous mice compared to controls, but not in ALK1 heterozygous mice. Capillary density in ischemic calf muscles was unaffected, but capillaries from endoglin and ALK1 heterozygous mice were significantly larger when compared to controls. Furthermore, both endoglin and ALK1 heterozygous mice showed significant more erythrocyte extravasation near the capillaries than their littermate controls, pointing towards less mature capillaries. Murine endothelial cells were exposed to shear stress in vitro to study the differential role of endoglin and ALK1 in shear induced neovascularization. This resulted in high levels of endoglin messengerRNA, but not of ALK1. Conclusion: Here we demonstrated that both endoglin and ALK1 play a crucial role in blood flow recovery. Importantly, endoglin is essential in both shear induced collateral artery growth and in ischemia induced angiogenesis, whereas ALK1 is only involved in ischemia induced angiogenesis.
Understanding information system evaluation through holistic construal

Information system (IS) research has been called to demonstrate both relevance and rigour. With the desire of relevance and satisfaction of business questions in mind, much information system research has proceeded without due attention to rigour, resulting in simplistic and consequently conflicting findings, particularly in complex areas such as 'IS business value'. This paper employs the theoretical tool of holistic construal to model the IS business value construct and facilitate understanding of information system value creation.
Malicious behavior monitoring of embedded medical devices

This research paper proposes and analyzes a hardware based specification rules approach for detecting malicious behaviors of sensors and actuators embedded in medical devices in which the safety of the patient is critical and of utmost importance. The study includes four types of medical devices, namely the Vital Sign Monitor (VSM), Patient Analgesic Control (PCA), Cardiac Device (CD), and Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) devices. The research is based on a methodology that transforms a device's behavior rules into a state machine. We design a Finite State Machine (FSM) model out of transformed behavior rules to build a Behavior Specification Rules Monitoring (BSRM) tool for each device. Mentor Graphics Altera ModelSim and Quartus II software packages are used to check the validity of the transformed states machines. Through our simulation and synthesis, we demonstrate that the BSRM tool can effectively identify the expected normal behavior of the device and detect any deviation from its normal behavior. Furthermore, the model is consistent with the requirements for lower power consumption and higher bandwidth applications. The FPGA module of the BSRM can be embedded in the medical devices so that any deviation from the behavior specification can be detected. Moreover, the reconfigurable nature of the FPGA chip adds an extra advantage to the designed model in which the behavior rule can be easily updated and tailored according to the requirements of the device, patient, treatment algorithm, and/or pervasive healthcare applications.
‘Why Did MH17 Crash?’: Blame Attribution, Television News and Public Opinion in Southeastern Ukraine, Crimea and the De Facto States of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria

Shock events are often pivotal moments in geopolitics and objects of intense disagreement among conflicting parties. This paper examines the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over easter...
Evaluation of the challenges faced in increasing contraceptive access within a community college population.

Research demonstrates removing barriers to access, decreasing costs and offering same-day placement of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) increases contraceptive uptake in young women. For those in community college (CC), LARC utilization might reduce the risk of dropout and improve degree completion. We identified a local school who had documented an unmet need for on-campus services through a recent student assessment. We then established an on-campus, same day contraceptive clinic at the CC as part of a clinical trial. We found that students did not use the service even after multiple attempts to increase awareness and we ended the study. Here, we report lessons learned from attempting research in this environment in addition to results from a follow-up survey to determine why students did not access the clinical resource. Students reported that they already had good access to contraception and preferred to get their healthcare off-campus. This study demonstrates the complexities of studying highly focused interventions to influence access to care in the current health care environment with ever changing regulations. NCT02735551 . Registered April 6, 2016.
County-Scale Rainwater Harvesting Feasibility in the United States: Climate, Collection Area, Density, and Reuse Considerations

Roof rainwater harvesting (RWH) has the potential to augment water supplies for urban and suburban uses throughout the United States (U.S.). Studies of the performance of RWH at the building and city scales in the U.S. are available, but a countrywide overview of the potential performance of RWH at the county scale has not been done before. Three approaches were taken: (1) assess the viability of RWH in terms of the rainfall that could be captured in relation to the water demand in each county (excluding agriculture), (2) evaluate the performance of a “typical” domestic RWH system across all counties with metrics related to its ability to supply the potable and nonpotable demand, and (3) evaluate the effect of adding a 50% rainwater reuse component to the analysis. We find RWH could be a viable supplemental water source in the U.S., particularly in counties of the Pacific Northwest, Central, and Eastern regions (percent demand covered >50%). Low population density counties have the potential to meet their annual water needs with RWH, while high-density counties could only source a small portion (~20%) of their annual demand with RWH. Typical RWH systems in counties in the Central and Eastern U.S. performed better than in Western counties. Adding a reuse component can be a key factor in making RWH attractive in many areas of the country. This work can inform future water infrastructure investment and planning in the U.S.
Chemotherapy Use, End-of-Life Care, and Costs of Care Among Patients Diagnosed With Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer.

Abstract Context For patients with metastatic cancer and limited life expectancy, potential benefits of chemotherapy must be balanced against harms to quality of life near death and increased out-of-pocket costs of care. Objectives To evaluate the association between chemotherapy use by patients with Stage IV pancreatic cancer and health care use and Medicare and out-of-pocket costs in the last 30 days of life. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 3825 patients aged 66 years or older when diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2006–2011, using the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare data. Using a propensity score matched sample, we examined associations between initiation of chemotherapy shortly after the metastatic diagnosis (and secondarily, continued chemotherapy use in the last 30 days of life) and health care use and costs (both Medicare payment and patient out-of-pocket costs) in the last 30 days of life. Results Chemotherapy use was associated with increased rates of hospital admissions (45.0% vs. 29.2%, P Conclusion Chemotherapy use among older patients diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer was associated with substantially increased use of health care and higher patient out-of-pocket costs near death.
Comparison of African and North American velvet ant mimicry complexes: Another example of Africa as the 'odd man out'.

Africa has the most tropical and subtropical land of any continent, yet has relatively low species richness in several taxa. This depauperate nature of the African tropical fauna and flora has led some to call Africa the "odd man out." One exception to this pattern is velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), wingless wasps that are known for Mullerian mimicry. While North American velvet ants form one of the world's largest mimicry complexes, mimicry in African species has not been investigated. Here we ask do African velvet ant Mullerian mimicry rings exist, and how do they compare to the North American complex. We then explore what factors might contribute to the differences in mimetic diversity between continents. To investigate this we compared the color patterns of 304 African velvet ant taxa using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We then investigated distributions of each distinct mimicry ring. Finally, we compared lizard diversity and ecoregion diversity on the two continents. We found that African female velvet ants form four Mullerian rings, which is half the number of North American rings. This lower mimetic diversity could be related to the relatively lower diversity of insectivorous lizard species or to the lower number of distinct ecoregions in Africa compared to North America.
PRDM9 and an Epidemic of Gene Conversion and Non-Homologous Recombination among Alu Elements in Ancestral Gorillas

We performed a genome-wide scan for recombination-mediated interlocus gene conversion and deletion events among a set of orthologous Alu loci in the Great Apes, and were surprised to discover an extreme excess of such events in the gorilla lineage versus other lineages. Gorilla events, but not events in other Great Apes, are strongly associated with a 15 bp motif commonly found in Alu sequences. This result is consistent with evolutionarily transient targeting of the motif by PRDM9, which induces double strand breaks and crossovers during meiosis at specific but rapidly changing sequence motifs. The motif is preferentially found in conversion recipients but not donors, and is substantially depleted in gorillas, consistent with loss of PRDM9 targets by meiotic drive. Recombination probability falls of exponentially with distance between loci, is reduced slightly by sequence divergence, and drops substantially with recipient divergence from the target motif. We identified 16 other high-copy motifs in human, often associated with transposable elements, with lineage-specific depletion and nearby gene conversion signatures, consistent with transient roles as PRDM9 targets. This work strengthens our understanding of recombination-mediated events in evolution and highlights the potential for interactions between PRDM9 and repetitive sequences to cause rapid change in the genome.
Trolling Pathologies

The netizen watch phrase is: don’t feed the trolls. A better guide would be: learn to recognize the trolls.
All Work and No Play: How Presidents Use Vacation Locations

Every president needs time away from the White House. O’Brien looks at how presidents use their vacation residences throughout the country. Some administrations have official second residences while others spend vacations at a wide variety of different locales. Presidents, like Lyndon B. Johnson and George W. Bush use their private homes as places to meet foreign officials and give regular speeches. Beginning with Gerald Ford, most presidents began to engage in more structured vacation time instead of decamping the White House to other places around the country. Richard Nixon spent just under half of all the days of his presidency at Camp David or his California or Florida residences. Barack Obama barely spent any time on vacation with fewer days away than any other administration.
Effects of Age-Related Random and Coordinated Loss of Memory Engrams on Error Rates During Memory Retrieval

Age-related memory dysfunction and attendant changes in that curious entity called “self”, as well as its perception by other selves and by itself, are among the most distressing of the changes that are intrinsic to the aging process. The amelioration of age related memory defects would seem best based on an understanding of how memory engrams are stored within and retrieved from the remarkable machine, the brain is. This paper briefly presents the essence of a mechanistic theory of memory storage and retrieval within and from the cerebral cortex, outlines potential sources of memory deficits implicit in this model and relates the above to recent anatomical, physiological, and mathematical observations. In particular, the implications of these observations with respect to differential effects between random cell attrition during aging and non-randomized cell loss (localized infarcts, senile dementia, etc.) are considered.
Visual Illusions and Hallucinations in Parieto-Occipital Lesions of the Brain

Simple or unformed hallucinations may be difficult to differentiate from the complex or formed type. When optic illusions are present, the distinction is more difficult. For example, what appears to be a black speck in one field of vision may seem to move after a short period of time. The illusion of movement may then be accompanied by an apparent change in the shape and size (metamorphopsia) or in color (metachromatopsia) of the object which ultimately appears to be an “nsect” or some other animal in motion. When this illusory image becomes multiplied there is polyopia. The visualization of many “insects” crawling is now classified as an hallucination or “zoopsia”. Is the latter visual sensation a series of illusions or is it an hallucination?
NP220 mediates silencing of unintegrated retroviral DNA

The entry of foreign DNA into many mammalian cell types triggers the innate immune system, a complex set of responses to prevent infection by pathogens. One aspect of the response is the potent epigenetic silencing of incoming viral DNAs1, including the extrachromosomal DNAs that are formed immediately after infection by retroviruses. These unintegrated viral DNAs are very poorly transcribed in all cells, even in permissive cells, in contrast to the robust expression that is observed after viral integration2-5. The factors that are responsible for this low expression have not yet been identified. Here we performed a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen for genes that are required for silencing an integrase-deficient MLV-GFP reporter virus to explore the mechanisms responsible for repression of unintegrated viral DNAs in human cells. Our screen identified the DNA-binding protein NP220, the three proteins (MPP8, TASOR and PPHLN1) that comprise the HUSH complex-which silences proviruses in heterochromatin6 and retrotransposons7,8-the histone methyltransferase SETDB1, and other host factors that are required for silencing. Further tests by chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that NP220 is the key protein that recruits the HUSH complex, SETDB1 and the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and HDAC4 to silence the unintegrated retroviral DNA. Knockout of NP220 accelerates the replication of retroviruses. These experiments identify the molecular machinery that silences extrachromosomal retroviral DNA.
Improving the Transient Response of Voltage-Mode Controller with the Ripple-Based Circuit for an On-Chip Buck Converter

In this paper, improvement of the transient response of voltage-mode controller with the ripple-based circuit for an on-chip buck converter is proposed. The main purpose of the proposed circuit is to enhance the load transient response while maintaining the system stability. For the ripple-based circuit, a low-pass filter is used to generate a voltage signal similar to the inductor current waveform. This voltage signal is then injected into the voltage feedback with a bypass capacitor. Such a ripple-based control circuit can prevent instability caused by the output ceramic capacitors for buck converters. Because the voltage-mode controller does not require the current sensor, it can allow elimination of quiescent current caused by the current-mode controller and avoid the current sensor bandwidth limitation, which tends to result in high frequency distortion. This paper will discuss the design methodology of voltage-mode controller using ripple-based circuit for an on-chip buck converter. An on-chip 5-V input, 3.3-V and 1-A output ripple-based buck converter control is simulated and implemented with hardware prototype to verify the transient response improvement and stable operation during load step-up and - down dynamics.
Physical demands and physiological responses of extra time matches in collegiate women’s soccer

Purpose: In U.S. collegiate soccer, matches that end drawn after 90-min of regulation time (RT) proceed to two 10-min extra time (ET) periods. This study quantified the physical demands and heart r...
Contextual predictability and phonetic attention

Abstract The interaction of contextual, high-level linguistic knowledge and the listener’s attention to low-level phonetic details has been the subject of a large body of research in speech perception for several decades. In the current paper, I investigate this interaction by considering the specific phenomenon of word predictability and its role in modulating the listener’s attention to subphonemic details of the acoustic signal. In the first experiment, subjects are presented with a discrimination task in which target words are presented in either predictable or unpredictable sentential context and then repeated in isolation, being either acoustically identical or subtly different. The subjects more accurately discriminate contextually unpredictable words, suggesting more attention to the phonetic details of words in unpredictable contexts. In the second experiment, considering the predictions of exemplar theory, I test whether this perceptual bias could result in changes in production. In this experiment, in which subjects heard and repeated sentences, I find a significant effect of word predictability on how close the subjects’ productions were to the model’s, which suggests a role of predictability on phonetic accommodation. The results of these experiments contribute to our understanding of stored exemplars and suggest the influence of contextual predictability in sound change.
Effects of aging and lifelong aerobic exercise on basal and exercise-induced inflammation

This study assessed a unique population of lifelong aerobic exercising men and demonstrated that their activity status exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in skeletal muscle and circulation. Further...
Structural and Computational Investigation of Halogen Bonding Effects on Spectroscopic Properties within a Series of Halogenated Uranyl Benzoates

The synthesis, structure, and spectroscopic characterization (luminescence, Raman, IR, and solid-state UV–vis) of five new uranyl (UO22+) complexes containing 2,2′-bipyridine and either benzoic aci...
Re-creation of normality in the absurd space of deportations to the Siberian Gulag

francaisLes deportations en Siberie pendant et immediatement apres la second Guerre Mondiale font partie d’un phenomene de migration forcee. Les deportes ont vecu l’experience d’un sentiment d’etre perdu, en conjonction avec la tragedie que leur maison (et du coup leur normalite) leur a ete volee. Dans ce contexte, une des consequences des deportations a ete la perte de la dignite humaine au moment ou tout ce qu’on a, y compris l’abilite de determiner sa vie, est enleve de soi. Cet article considere les facons que les deportes ont employees pour recreer une enclave de normalite au milieu d’une realite absurde. Ces “facons” peuvent etre organizees en deux categories: l’expression artistique et la connection avec des artefacts provenus de la maison EnglishThe deportations to Siberia during and immediately after World War II are part of a phenomenon of forced migration. The deportees experienced a sense of loss which was coupled with the feeling that their home (and hence their normality) had been stolen from them. In this context, one of the consequences of deportations, then, is the loss of human dignity when everything you have, including your ability to determine your own life, is taken away from you. This paper engages various ways by which the deportees attempted to recreate a space of normality in the midst of an absurd reality. These “ways” can be organized in two categories: artistic expression and reconnection with artifacts coming from home.
An unbiased, efficient sleep–wake detection algorithm for a population with sleep disorders: change point decoder

Study objectives The usage of wrist-worn wearables to detect sleep-wake states remains a formidable challenge, particularly among individuals with disordered sleep. We developed a novel and unbiased data-driven method for the detection of sleep-wake and compared its performance with the well-established Oakley algorithm (OA) relative to polysomnography (PSG) in elderly men with disordered sleep. Methods Overnight in-lab PSG from 102 participants was compared with accelerometry and photoplethysmography simultaneously collected with a wearable device (Empatica E4). A binary segmentation algorithm was used to detect change points in these signals. A model that estimates sleep or wake states given the changes in these signals was established (change point decoder, CPD). The CPD's performance was compared with the performance of the OA in relation to PSG. Results On the testing set, OA provided sleep accuracy of 0.85, wake accuracy of 0.54, AUC of 0.67, and Kappa of 0.39. Comparable values for CPD were 0.70, 0.74, 0.78, and 0.40. The CPD method had sleep onset latency error of -22.9 min, sleep efficiency error of 2.09%, and underestimated the number of sleep-wake transitions with an error of 64.4. The OA method's performance was 28.6 min, -0.03%, and -17.2, respectively. Conclusions The CPD aggregates information from both cardiac and motion signals for state determination as well as the cross-dimensional influences from these domains. Therefore, CPD classification achieved balanced performance and higher AUC, despite underestimating sleep-wake transitions. The CPD could be used as an alternate framework to investigate sleep-wake dynamics within the conventional time frame of 30-s epochs.
Chapter 39 – Order Coleoptera

With their incredible diversity (∼12,000 species) and abundance throughout a myriad of aquatic habitats, the Coleoptera are one of the major taxa that are essential to the functioning of aquatic systems. This chapters considers their major anatomical, ecological, systematic, and evolutionally characteristics of the approximately 36 families of beetles that can be found in and around water. The affinity to water ranges from very loose associations where adults may hunt near the land-water interface, to highly obligate associations where larvae and adults spend almost their entire life-cycle submerged. Such habitats where aquatic beetles are found include lakes, streams, ponds, on waterfalls, springs, underground springs, seeps, and phytotelmata. Within these habitats aquatic beetles vary in the potential effects on others species, including acting as predators, algae scrapers, plant parasites, and filter feeders. They are also food for a wide variety of taxa, and thus in both their roles are consumer and prey they sever as important components of the food webs of these aquatic habitats. Aquatic beetles exhibit remarkable adaptations to the living in water, including specific and unique adaptations in respiration, morphology, behavior, and chemical ecology. The Coleoptera are one of the most compelling aquatic insects, and with continued research into their biology additional insights and discoveries will no doubt come to light.
Online vehicle purchase behaviour and analytics among supply chain professionals: an exploratory study

A study of 286 supply chain professionals' perception of their customer base was completed to test the present research assumption that for a wide range of products or services, the internet has been undoubtedly a significant catalyst for this change, and customers searching for and purchasing an automobile are no exception to the trend. The perceptions of these professionals are very important in spacing future policies and attitudes on logistics. In examining online purchasing of an automobile, there were 10 significant clusters in creating the independent variable constructs, which were tested against a factor-based dependent variable construct, New Vehicle Purchase Incentives. All constructs were verified through confirmatory factor analysis techniques. These were statistically tested to determine the factors that impact a consumer's decision. The exploratory factor analysis and specific hypothesis testing illustrated that the major factors for online vehicle purchases were convenience, purchase agreements, online resistance, personal security concerns, intensity of internet use, income and price, low-cost bargain searching, energy and fun shopping, access concerns, and work use and privacy.
Distorting Arrow-Debreu Securities: New Entropy Restrictions Implied by the Option Cross Section

Replacing equity return (as in the equity risk premium) with returns on an arbitrary contingent claim, we obtain a new class of economic risk premiums to impose upon candidate models. These risk premiums reflect the distance between the physical and risk-neutral moments for asset returns, can be estimated in a model-free fashion from the option cross section, and provide sharp information in distinguishing alternative models. Confronting leading macro-finance models with our risk premiums, we uncover a wide dispersion in performance across candidate models. Our evidence points to the importance of incorporating persistent stochastic volatilities and/or higher moments in fundamentals to reconcile with the option data, as exemplified by Bansal and Yaron (2004) and Bekaert and Engstrom (2017).
Selling international law enforcement: Elite justifications and public values:

International law enforcement is an understudied but indispensable factor for maintaining the international order. We study the effectiveness of elite justifications in building coalitions supporti...
The role of the Bedouin in the Great Arab Revolt in Palestine, 1936–1939

This article focuses on the Bedouins’ part in the Great Arab Revolt in Palestine – during the time of the British mandate; what motivated some clans/tribes to join a given side, and why others chos...
Endotheliitis in Coronavirus Disease 2019-Positive Patients After Extremity Amputation for Acute Thrombotic Events.

BACKGROUND: Both arterial and venous thrombotic events of the extremities occur in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, but the etiology of these events remains unclear. This study sought to evaluate pathology specimens of COVID-19-positive patients postamputation, who were found to have Rutherford 3 acute limb ischemia requiring amputation. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of all vascular surgery emergency room and inpatient consultations in patients who presented to the Mount Sinai Health System from March 26, 2020, to May 10, 2020. Pathology specimens were examined using hematoxylin and eosin stain. The specimens were assessed for the following: inflammatory cells associated with endothelium/apoptotic bodies, mononuclear cells, small vessel congestion, and lymphocytic endotheliitis. Of the specimens evaluated, 2 patients with a known history of peripheral vascular disease were excluded. RESULTS: Inflammatory cells associated with endothelium/apoptotic bodies were seen in all 4 patients and in 4 of 5 specimens. Mononuclear cells were found in 2 of 4 patients. Small vessel congestion was seen in all patients. Lymphocytic endotheliitis was seen in 1 of 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows endotheliitis in amputation specimens of four patients with COVID-19 disease and Rutherford Class 3 acute limb ischemia. The findings in these patients is more likely an infectious angiitis because of COVID-19.
Membrane-destabilizing ionizable phospholipids for organ-selective mRNA delivery and CRISPR-Cas gene editing.

Endosomal escape remains a fundamental barrier hindering the advancement of nucleic acid therapeutics. Taking inspiration from natural phospholipids that comprise biological membranes, we report the combinatorial synthesis of multi-tailed ionizable phospholipids (iPhos) capable of delivering messenger RNA or mRNA/single-guide RNA for gene editing in vivo. Optimized iPhos lipids are composed of one pH-switchable zwitterion and three hydrophobic tails, which adopt a cone shape in endosomal acidic environments to facilitate membrane hexagonal transformation and subsequent cargo release from endosomes. Structure–activity relationships reveal that iPhos chemical structure can control in vivo efficacy and organ selectivity. iPhos lipids synergistically function with various helper lipids to formulate multi-component lipid nanoparticles (called iPLNPs) for selective organ targeting. Zwitterionic, ionizable cationic and permanently cationic helper lipids enable tissue-selective mRNA delivery and CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing in spleen, liver and lungs (respectively) following intravenous administration. This rational design of functional phospholipids demonstrates substantial value for gene editing research and therapeutic applications. Ionizable phospholipid nanoparticles have been designed to efficiently destabilize endosomal membranes and mediate organ-selective mRNA delivery and CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing.
Collaborative Reinforcement Learning Framework to Model Evolution of Cooperation in Sequential Social Dilemmas

Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) has very high sample complexity leading to slow learning. For repeated social dilemma games e.g. Public Goods Game(PGG), Fruit Gathering Game(FGG), MARL exhibits low sustainability of cooperation due to non-stationarity of the agents and the environment, and the large sample complexity. Motivated by the fact that humans learn not only through their own actions (organic learning) but also by following the actions of other humans (social learning) who also continuously learn about the environment, we address this challenge by augmenting RL based models with a notion of collaboration among agents. In particular, we propose Collaborative-Reinforcement-Learning (CRL), where agents collaborate by observing and following other agent’s actions/decisions. The CRL model significantly influences the speed of individual learning, which effects the collective behavior as compared to RL only models and thereby effectively explaining the sustainability of cooperation in repeated PGG settings. We also extend the CRL model for PGGs over different generations where agents die, and new agents are born following a birth-death process. Also, extending the proposed CRL model, we propose Collaborative Deep RL Network(CDQN) for a team based game (FGG) and the experimental results confirm that agents following CDQN learns faster and collects more fruits.
“They’ll Never Make Newspaper Men”: Early Gendering in Journalism, 1884–1889

Scholars have long noted that journalism is a heavily gendered profession. An examination of the initial five years of the Journalist, the first news trade publication dedicated to defining and sta...