cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Hearing Loss and Noise Masking on the Masking Release for Speech in Temporally Complex Backgrounds

Speech recognition was measured in three groups of listeners: those with sensorineural hearing loss of (presumably) cochlear origin (HL), those with normal hearing (NH), and those with normal heari...
"Automatic" multimodal medical image fusion

This paper addresses the multimodal medical image fusion problem. To deliver the expected fusion accuracy, most of the state-of-the-art fusion algorithms have the typical requirement - a set of fiducial points between the two modalities of the images to "guide" the fusion. This paper aims at removing this requirement, resulting in an "automatic" multimodal medical image fusion methodology based on an innovative model using ElectroStatic Equilibrium theory called ESE that can be used in clinical diagnoses and evaluations with accepted fusion accuracy. By "automatic", it is meant that the fusion algorithm per se does not require fiducial points; it does require a certain form of human interactions in terms of providing users a list of parameter settings at the beginning of the fusion, that are case-based, anatomy-based, and image-modality-based, and it does even allow users to have an option to change the specific values of the parameter settings to accommodate specific clinical needs. This "automatic" approach allows radiologists to save their time/effort in identifying and marking the fiducial points in the images, allows physicians and radiologists to apply their domain expertise more intelligently in "playing with" different parameter settings in a higher level when running this algorithm in diagnoses, and also allows patients to avoid the inconvenience to be placed under the fiducial markings. Preliminary evaluations against one of the existing fusion methods have shown that ESE holds a great promise in future medical applications.
Constant-Current Adjustable-Waveform Microstimulator for an Implantable Hybrid Neural Prosthesis

Microstimulation of neural tissue has become a widely-used technique for controlling neuronal responses with local electric fields as well as a therapeutic intervention for nervous system disorders such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. Of those afflicted by neurological diseases, many are or become tolerant to existing pharmaceuticals and are left with little recourse. Little is known about the necessary design criteria or efficacy of a hybrid neural prosthesis. Assessment of the potential clinical value of a hybrid electro-chemical neural prosthesis was performed through in vitro verification using a prototype microstimulator and P19 cell cultures. We constructed a printed circuit board (PCB) microstimulator as a prototype of a CMOS microstimulator ASIC that was subsequently fabricated in the IBM 7RF 0.18 mum process. Measured results for the prototype are described in this work. An output impedance of 237 kOmega, voltage compliance of 11.3 V, and a linear constant-current output up to +/-600 muA make this microstimulator system a viable option for an implantable hybrid neural prosthesis. Hybrid prostheses could uniquely affect neural modulation with linear glutamate release at physiological amplitudes and frequencies.
A Distributed Three-hop Routing Protocol to Increase the Capacity of Hybrid Networks

Hybrid wireless networks combining the advantages of both ad-hoc networks and infrastructure wireless networks have been receiving increasingly attentions because of their ultra-high performance. An efficient data routing protocol is an important component in such networks for high capacity and scalability. However, most routing protocols for the networks simply combine an ad-hoc transmission mode and a cellular transmission mode, which fail to take advantage of the dual-feature architecture. This paper presents a distributed Three-hop Routing (DTR) protocol for hybrid wireless networks. DTR divides a message data stream into segments and transmits the segments in a distributed manner. It makes full spatial reuse of system via high speed ad-hoc interface and alleviate mobile gateway congestion via cellular interface. Furthermore, sending segments to a number of base stations simultaneously increases the throughput, and makes full use of wide-spread base stations. In addition, DTR significantly reduces overhead due to short path length and eliminates route discovery and maintenance overhead. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show the superiority of DTR in comparison with other routing protocols in terms of throughput capacity, scalability and mobility resilience.
Interactional quality depicted in infant and toddler videos: where are the interactions?

This study examined the social–emotional content and the quality of social interactions depicted in a sample of 58 DVDs marketed towards infants and toddlers. Infant-directed videos rarely used social interactions between caregiver and child or between peers to present content. Even when videos explicitly targeted social– emotional content, correlations between educational claims and the actual content of the videos were modest at best. Similarly, other domain content (e.g. language skills) that is best learned through high-quality social interactions was typically depicted without social interactions. The results suggest that producers of infant-directed media are not applying developmental principles or research evidence in ways that take full advantage of developmentally appropriate interaction strategies to present their content. Copyright r 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Turning off AKT: PHLPP as a drug target

Precise control of the balance between protein phosphorylation, catalyzed by protein kinases, and protein dephosphorylation, catalyzed by protein phosphatases, is essential for cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of this balance leads to pathophysiological states, driving diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Aberrant phosphorylation of components of the pathways that control cell growth and cell survival are particularly prevalent in cancer. One of the most studied tumor suppressors in these pathways is the lipid phosphatase PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten), which dephosphorylates the lipid second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), thus preventing activation of the oncogenic kinase AKT (v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog). In 2005, the discovery of a family of protein phosphatases whose members directly dephosphorylate and inactivate AKT introduced a new negative regulator of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) oncogenic pathway. Pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) isozymes comprise a novel tumor suppressor family whose two members, PHLPP1 and PHLPP2, are deleted as frequently as PTEN in cancers such as those of the prostate. PHLPP is thus a novel therapeutic target to suppress oncogenic pathways and is a potential candidate biomarker to stratify patients for the appropriate targeted therapeutics. This review discusses the role of PHLPP in terminating AKT signaling and how pharmacological intervention would impact this pathway.
Requirements for photoware

Eleven PC-owning families were interviewed at home about their use of conventional and digital photos. They also completed photo diaries and recorded photo-sharing conversations that occurred spontaneously over a three month period after the in-home interviews. From an analysis of the resulting materials we illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of past and present technology for photo sharing. These allow us to prioritise user requirements for a range of future photo-sharing technologies or 'photoware'.
Mental Health Issues Among Urban Korean American Immigrants

Korean immigrants' perception and understanding of mental health and illness were surveyed during four monthly mental health seminars in New York City. In all, 86 Korean immigrants attended the seminars and 34 completed the survey. The seminar participants were primarily financially stable Korean women who were married, educated, and had lived in America more than 10 years. All seminar leaders were Korean immigrants who were working in the mental health field and/or educational setting. Most of the participants acknowledged the need for mental health services but did not seek professional help and coped with the stressors of immigrant life by endurance, patience, and religion. Feedback from seminar leaders noted the following: (a) greater seminar attendance than anticipated, (b) participants' openness to their mental illness issues, (c) need for tailored mental health program for Koreans. Findings support an understanding of the Korean immigrants' mental health issues as complex, chronic, and serious.
Matrix Formation Leading to Catalyst Free Growth of GaN Nanowires

Catalyst-free vapor-solid GaN nanowire growth occurs when ammonia flows over Ga first forming a GaN matrix, the top layer of which is composed of hexagonal platelets. Multiphase nanowire growth occurs at nanoscale nucleation sites on the GaN platelets. Lower layers of the matrix are Ga rich, upper ones are stoichiometrically GaN. Gallium for later stages of growth is sourced from the decomposition of GaN particles and Ga rich GaN. Growth temperature exerts a strong influence on nucleation site formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) was used to characterize the matrix.
Adaptive hot clutter mitigation using subbanding

Hot clutter mitigation using an adaptive array is the focus of the paper. A model that includes all relevant hot clutter parameters such as spatial delay, Doppler, and carrier phase angle is developed. Subbanding using DFT or the wavelet transform is implemented prior to adaptive processing and tap delay filtering. A comparison between the two subbanding techniques using the cancellation ratio as a performance measure is presented. The effects of the number of tap delays, jamming angle of arrival, Doppler spread, and jammer relative bandwidth on the performance of an adaptive array are examined. >
A modified method of incompatible modes

The original method of incompatible modes proposed by Wilson et al. (1973) is modified such that a constant strain and hence convergence of the method is ensured. The proposed modification is valid for other forms of incompatible modes besides the original suggestion. The least-squares stress recovery, introduced herein, provides high accuracy in stress computations.
A Woman of Power: Rosalynn Carter and the Mental Health Scene

The rhetorical choices of powerful women, specifically first ladies, are often overlooked. In this article, I examine former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s writings, which advocate for mental health care reform. These include one of her books and several newspaper articles. I look at how she was influenced by the societal expectations of a first lady, and how she appealed to those expectations while developing her persona on the rhetorical platform. I examine how her personal life affected her rhetorical choices, and how that led to building a stronger logical, ethical, and more intimate argument.
FRAMING MULTIFUNCTIONALITY: AGRICULTURAL POLICY PARADIGM CHANGE IN SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN?

the aftermath of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) and the bsequent establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO), South Korea after Korea) and Japan face some of the most serious agricultural policy adjustment problems of all WTO signatories. Attempts during the last three or four decades to maintain politically acceptable farm income levels within their minifarm structures of agriculture relied upon a combination of protectionist domestic price support, import control, and high tariff policy measures. These policies must be gradually dismantled under the agricultural reform “disciplines” stipulated in the URAA (Nelson, et al. 2001). Ongoing challenges faced by both countries in meeting reform targets are evident in their present ranking among the most protectionist OECD countries in terms of Producer Support Estimates (PSE) used by the OECD in its periodic agricultural policy reviews (see Table 1 below; OECD 2004). I During the course of the URAA negotiations, Korea and Japan, along with the EU and other European countries, insisted that Non-Trade Concerns (NTCs), such as food security and rural socioeconomic stability, be recognized as legitimate rural/agricultural sector policy objectives (Normile and Bohman 2002). The subsequent inclusion of a NTC provision in the URAA accords has provided the impetus for the development of a new multifunctionality (hereafter MF) policy paradigm, codified in such OECD publications as Multifunctionality: Toward An Analytical Framework (2001). In this new paradigm, policy attention is directed to a range of valuable public goods that are co-produced as by-products of agricultural production, but that are not presently marketised in ways that reward producers for their provision. Examples of such by-products, in addition to aforementioned NTC food security and rural socioeconomic stability concerns, include environmental service, aesthetic landscape maintenance, and cultural heritage preservation social amenities. MF proponents argue that such valuable positive externalities of agricultural production may be threatened in regions where agricultural trade liberalization measures jeopardize the survival of the farm sector and surrounding rural communities. Policymakers in Korea and Japan have found MF ideas inviting rationales for continued support of their domestic agricultures in a changing global agricultural
Are there meaningful etiological differences within antisocial behavior? Results of a meta-analysis

There is mounting evidence of etiologically driven distinctions between aggressive (AGG) and non-aggressive rule-breaking (RB) forms of antisocial behavior. To date, however, these differences remain somewhat speculative. The current meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies sought to clarify these distinctions by comparing meta-analytic estimates of genetic, shared environmental, and non-shared environmental influences across AGG and RB to more clearly ascertain whether they evidence differential patterns of genetic and environmental influence. A comprehensive literature search resulted in the collection of 103 twin and adoption studies, of which 15 RB samples and 19 AGG samples were ultimately included in the analyses. Results reveal clear evidence of etiological distinctions between AGG and RB. Namely, AGG appears to be a highly heritable condition (genetic factors account for 65% of the variance), with little role for the shared or common environment, particularly after childhood. By contrast, while genetic influences also contribute to RB (48% of the variance), there is an important role for shared environmental effects as well (18% of the variance). Such findings are indicative of meaningful etiologic distinctions between aggressive and rule-breaking forms of antisocial behavior, and underscore the advantage of differentiating between these behavioral subtypes when studying the causal processes that underlie antisocial behavior.
Inequality in the Internet Age: A Twenty-First Century Dilemma*

We now live in a networked, global environment where having instant access to news and data—the currencies of the information age—require computer-mediated technologies and the competency to use them. Though knowledge-intensive activities are a critical component of the modern economy (Hargittai 2002), access to and proficiency with information and communication technologies are not equally shared among populations within countries or between countries themselves. The unequal allocation of digital resources insures that some countries and populations will find it difficult to compete in the global game of life (Norris 2001). This special section, ‘‘Inequality in the Internet Age: Macro and Micro Perspectives,’’ is an extended discussion of this nascent form of human disparity. The goal of this project was to bring together several scholars whose work is expanding our understanding of the disparate distribution of information and communication technologies as well as differences in human proficiency with these resources. The study of inequality and new media technologies encompasses a wide variety of perspectives and units of analysis; our contributors and their work reflect that diversity.
Partial rebound of molten-metal droplets impacting on solid substrates

This study investigates droplet/wall impact events resulting in partial rebound, an overlooked regime between deposition and splash. Because of its relevance to the microelectronics manufacturing industry, high-purity 63%Sn–37%Pb molten solder is used. The target wall consists of a smooth, flat, unyielding silicon substrate. Droplet diameters range from 0.7 to 1.4 mm, and impact velocities from 0.7 to 1.4 m/s. These conditions correspond to Re = O(1000), We = O(10), Fr = O(10–100), Bo = O(0.1), and Oh = O(10−3). High-speed imaging is performed to determine droplet lateral spread and apparent contact angles, and examine how these quantities affect the impact outcome (deposition vs. partial rebound). The results indicate that partial rebound is favored by higher impact velocities and smaller droplet diameters. A recent rebound model is evaluated as a predictive tool for the impact outcome in this transition impact regime. In addition, three existing correlations are evaluated in terms of their ability to predict the current experimental data on droplet maximum spread. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1356–1363, 2004
On the cuspidality of pullbacks of Siegel Eisenstein series to Sp 2m £Sp 2n

Abstract In this paper we study the pullback of a Siegel Eisenstein series on Sp 2 m + 2 n to Sp 2 m × Sp 2 n . There is a well-established literature on such pullbacks. In the case that m = n Garrett showed that the pullback is actually a cusp form in each variable separately. Here we generalize this result showing the pullback is cuspidal in the smaller variable in the case m ≠ n . Such results have applications to producing congruences between Siegel modular forms.
Lytic Granule Polarization, Rather than Degranulation, Is the Preferred Target of Inhibitory Receptors in NK Cells

Natural cytotoxicity is achieved by polarized release of perforin and granzymes at the NK cell-target cell immunological synapse. Signals for granule polarization and degranulation can be uncoupled in NK cells, which raises the question of their respective sensitivity to inhibitory receptors. Expression of either HLA-C or HLA-E on the human cell line 721.221 blocked granule polarization, degranulation, and CD16-dependent MIP-1α secretion by NK cell clones that expressed inhibitory receptors of matching HLA specificity. To test inhibition of signals for polarization and degranulation separately, Drosophila S2 cells expressing ICAM-1 with either HLA-C or HLA-E were used. CD16-dependent degranulation and MIP-1α secretion were not fully inhibited, suggesting that other receptor-ligand interactions, which occur with 721.221 cells, contribute to inhibition. In contrast, HLA-C or HLA-E on S2 cells coexpressing ICAM-1 or ULBP1 were sufficient to block granule polarization induced by either LFA-1 or NKG2D, even during concomitant CD16-dependent degranulation. Similarly, expression of a ligand for NKR-P1A on S2 cells inhibited granule polarization but not CD16-induced degranulation. Therefore, granule polarization, rather than degranulation, is the preferred target of inhibitory receptors in NK cells.
Dual-Wavelength Mode-Locked Erbium-Doped Fiber Ring Laser Using Highly Nonlinear Fiber

We demonstrate a stable dual-wavelength actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser operating at 20 GHz. A highly nonlinear fiber is used to compensate the frequency chirp caused by regular single-mode fiber in the optical cavity. Dual-wavelength pulse trains with pulsewidths ~1.4 ps are obtained.
Dilemmas for the Rarity Thesis in Virtue Ethics and Virtue Epistemology

“Situationists” such as Gilbert Harman and John Doris have accused virtue ethicists as having an “empirically inadequate” theory, arguing that much of social science research suggests that people do not have robust character traits (e.g., virtues or vices) as traditionally thought. By far, the most common response to this challenge has been what I refer to as “the rarity response” or the “rarity thesis”. Rarity responders (such as Ernest Sosa and Gopal Sreenivasan) deny that situationism poses any sort of threat to virtue ethics since there is no reason to suppose that the moral virtues are typical or widespread. But, far from being its saving grace, I will argue, the rarity thesis forces virtue ethicists into positions that are incompatible with their theoretical foundations or render their theory normatively irrelevant. The more the virtue ethicists modify their thesis to fit the empirical evidence and to be normatively relevant, the less they retain a virtue ethical theory. This is also the case for virtue epistemologists.
Replicable Cold Fusion Experiment: Heat/Helium Ratio

Cold fusion effects have often been called 'unreliable', even by those convinced of their reality. The chaotic nature of material conditions, so far, has made ordinary reliability elusive. However, the Fleischmann-Pons experiment produces more than one effect, and two major ones are heat and helium. Miles, in 1991, measured both, and found that they were correlated, within an order of magnitude of the ratio expected from deuterium fusion. Miles was amply confirmed, and precision has increased. While there are outliers, there is no experimental evidence contradicting the correlation, and only the exact ratio remains in question. In this, we have direct evidence that the effect is real and is nuclear in nature; the mechanism remains a mystery well worth exploration.
Sediment cores from shallow lakes preserve reliable, informative paleoenvironmental archives despite hurricane-force winds

Abstract Comparison of sediment cores collected in 1999 and 2013 from shallow Lake Harris, Florida, USA showed that the sediment maintained stratigraphic integrity despite multiple hurricanes passing through the area in 2004. Sediments less than 50 years old displayed small losses of organic matter (OM), total phosphorus (TP) and heat-extractable (HE-P) through time that are unrelated to hurricane impacts. Nevertheless, sediment that accumulated between the two core collection dates contained 4-fold more TP than was lost from the sediment over the 14-year period, indicating that sediments in Lake Harris are a net sink for water-column TP. Persistent, elevated 137 Cs activity in sediments deposited since the mid-1960s indicates protracted cesium input to the lake from this subtropical watershed. There is also evidence for downward transport of 137 Cs in the sediment profile between core collection dates. Prolonged export of 137 Cs from the watershed and downward mobility of the radionuclide in the sediment profile diminish the utility of 137 Cs as a dating tool in Lake Harris.
Developing the Total Disability Index Based on an Analysis of the Interrelationships and Limitations of Oswestry and Neck Disability Index.

Study design Retrospective. Objective This study assessed the feasibility of combining Oswestry and Neck Disability Index (ODI and NDI) into 1 shorter "Total Disability Index" (TDI) from which reconstructed scores could be computed. Summary of background data ODI and NDI are not pure assessments of disability related to back and neck, respectively. Because of similarities/redundancies of questions, ODI scores may be elevated in neck-pain patients and the converse is true for NDI in back-pain patients. Methods Spine patients completed ODI and NDI, and complaints were recorded as back pain (BP), neck pain (NP), or both (BNP). Questionnaire scores were compared across cohorts via descriptives and Spearman (ρ) correlations. In exploring the feasibility of merging ODI/NDI, TDI was constructed from 9 ODI and 5 NDI items. Extracting questions from TDI, reconstructed 9-item rODI and 10-item rNDI indices were formed and compared with true ODI/NDI. Results There were a total of 1207 patients: 741 BP, 134 NP, and 268 BNP. Mean ODI was 37 ± 21 and mean NDI was 32 ± 21. Patients with concurrent BP and NP had significantly more disability. Seventy-eight patients of 134 (58%) patients with NP only had at least "moderate disability" by ODI and 297 of 741 (40%) patients with back pain only, had at least "moderate disability" by NDI. ODI versus NDI correlation was ρ = 0.755; ODI versus reconstructed rODI correlated at ρ = 0.985, and NDI versus reconstructed rNDI correlated at ρ = 0.967 (P Conclusion Elevated ODI/NDI scores in patients with isolated complaints show that disability in 1 region affects scores on both surveys. This study constructed a 14-item TDI that represents every domain of ODI/NDI with exception of ODI "Sex Life." From this TDI, reconstructed scores correlated near perfectly with true scores. TDI provides a more global assessment of spinal disability and is a questionnaire that reduces the time burden to patients. The TDI allows for simultaneous assessment of back, neck, and global spinal disability.
Stress Analysis of Bone Scaffold Designed for Segmental Bone Defects

Segmental bone defects result in isolated bone fragments. These defects may be caused by trauma or disease and are a leading cause for orthopedic surgery. Segmental defects pose a challenge as they contain gaps between the ends of bones, which are too large for the regenerating tissue to naturally bridge and repair. A widely used clinical approach to repair such defects is the use of autografts that provide the essential bone growth features. However, autografts generate a secondary deficit in the region from which the graft was harvested. This grafting procedure may result in other complications, such as infections, inflammation, scarring, and bleeding. Synthetic bone scaffolding has been explored as a viable method of helping the body repair segmental bone defects. While synthetic bone scaffolding is a promising approach in orthopedic treatments, limitations exist. Bone is a complex organ with many cell types, emergent, anisotropic, mechanical properties and molecular interactions. Studies have shown that the inner geometries, such as pore size, play an integral role in bone regeneration, cell proliferation, differentiation and recovery. An architecturally-based approach in the design and fabrication of the scaffold may support the differentiation of complex bone tissues.This study developed and tested scaffold designs having different pore size and beam thickness. The designs were developed and simulated for compression and tension in SolidWorks. A hexagonal unit cell was the basis for scaffold design. In one experimental trial (Group 1), the offset of the layers was varied. In another experimental trial (Group 2), the ratio between pore size and beam thickness was varied while using the optimal offset from the former trial. The material for simulation was poly-L-lactic (PLA) acid.In the analysis of the simulation results, the optimal layer offset configuration of 100%,50% in the positive x-y direction showed the lowest stress distribution for both compression and tensile simulations compared to the other offset configurations analyzed. In the second trial of Group 2 models, two models with pore size to beam thickness ratios (7:1 and 8:1) demonstrated low stress distribution under the simulated physiological environments. These results suggest that both models can potentially have different applications in the repair of segmental bone defects.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Promoting Students’ Attention to Argumentative Reasoning Patterns

Argument-based interventions in science education have largely been motivated by the perspective that students lack knowledge of argument. Recent studies, however, suggest that contextual factors influence students’ argument quality. The authors hypothesize that a key limiting factor lies in students’ abilities to recognize when to employ knowledge related to argumentative reasoning. Students hold knowledge that can remain inert if the context fails to trigger access. The article reports on two experiments exploring the influence of context on recognition of argumentative reasoning. Each experiment used performance on a categorization task as the dependent variable. The first experiment (E1) tested the effect of targeted cues on participants’ identification of fallacious reasoning patterns. The second experiment (E2) examined the role of scenario context. E1 revealed a significant advantage in promoting detection of fallacious reasoning patterns when targeted cues were present. E2 suggests that the broad context of scenarios also influences reasoning patterns. These findings reveal that lack of knowledge of argument may not be the principal constraint on students’ argument abilities. Rather, contextual details can have a significant influence on activation of knowledge bases that contribute to argumentative reasoning. Instructional implications are discussed.
Diabetes Technology Uptake, Outcomes, Barriers, and the Intersection With Distress

Patients managing type 1 diabetes have access to new technologies to assist in management. This manuscript has two aims: 1) to briefly review the literature on diabetes technology use and how this relates to psychological factors and 2) to present an example of human factors research using our data to examine psychological factors associated with technology use. Device/technology uptake and use has increased over the years and at present day is a common clinical practice. There are mixed results in terms of health and psychosocial outcomes, with specific subgroups doing better than others with technology. Our data demonstrated that patients have moderately elevated diabetes distress across differing types of technology used, from low-tech to high-tech options, possibly meaning that technology does not add or take away distress. In addition, users on multiple daily injections compared to all other technology groups have less positive attitudes about technology. Finally, we discuss implications for clinical practice and future research.
Lines: Orderly and Messy

People arrange things in the world. Those organizations, dishes of various sizes and shapes piled up on shelves, windows aligned on buildings, buildings lined up on streets, create regular patterns, patterns that contrast with the random patterns of nature. The patterns are good gestalts that the eye sees, vertical lines, horizontal lines. The boxes they create form tables whose entries contain and may order like kinds. The lines and arrangements can support abstract ideas, categories and hierarchies, repetitions and symmetries, one-to-one correspondences and orderings, embeddings and recursions. Designing architectured spaces also relies on lines, not the orderly lines in the visible world, but vague messy ones. The ambiguity of these configurations of lines allows many interpretations, fostering the flexibility and creativity essential for design. Lines are what the hands draw, what the eyes see, and what diagrams the world.
The False Promise of Publicly Offered Private Placements

This article addresses Congress’s promise that an exemption for private placements publicly offered to accredited investors, as mandated by Title II of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act), would provide greater access to capital for our nation’s businesses. Based on an extensive survey of Form D data for the eighteen month period following promulgation of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new Rule 506(c), the author concludes that only a relative paucity of issuers have taken advantage of Congress’s beneficence. The author also discusses what he has identified as the primary factors that explain issuers’ reluctance to rely on the Rule 506(c) exemption, as well as survey data obtained from securities lawyers whose practices include representation of private placement issuers. The article concludes that while Rule 506(c) might be hailed as the ultimate platform for accredited investor crowdfunding, it has yet to achieve its promise.
Dynamics Light Scattering as a Tool for Assessing Health Status and Disease Risk

Human serum lipoproteins are biological nanoparticles that transport insoluble cholesterol and triacylglycerol molecules between the liver, intestine and peripheral tissues. Various types of dyslipidemias are characterized by changes in blood lipid levels and shifts in the distribution of the major lipoprotein classes, which vary in size. We investigated the feasibility of using dynamic light scattering (DLS) to analyze unmodified whole human serum and to profile nanoparticle shifts in health and disease. Blood samples were collected from a cohort of 29 non-diabetic human subjects and were analyzed for over 70 different diagnostic markers, including serum proteins, viscosity, liver function, cholesterol and other lipids, insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, inflammation, blood cell markers, oxidative stress, electrolytes, kidney and thyroid function. Each serum sample was analyzed by DLS using a Wyatt Mobius instrument with a scattering detection angle of 163.5 degrees. The data were exported to DYNALS, and the autocorrelation functions were analyzed using a discrete inverse Laplace transform with a fixed number of exponential terms. Using this approach, whole serum is too complex to resolve each class of protein and lipoprotein particle. However, we observed that stable fits with random residuals could be obtained with a minimum of three exponential terms, corresponding to three resolved particle populations. The DLS profile for each serum sample fell into one of three distinguishable patterns, based on differences in the average hydrodynamic diameter of each particle population. We correlated the DLS parameters for each pattern with the diagnostic markers, and statistically significant associations were observed with known markers for diabetes and cardiovascular risk. As DLS requires only a small sample of unmodified human serum, this approach shows promise as a practical diagnostic tool for assessing metabolic health status.
Introduction to Digital Imaging for Confocal Microscopy

Image rendering in confocal microscopy is a digital technique. To optimize confocal image acquisition, the operator needs to have a basic understanding of what constitutes a digital image and how it can be employed effectively to help visualize specific details. In this chapter, we will introduce the topic of digital images, discuss the basic components of the digital image, and provide some basics on how to optimize collection of these components with regard to confocal microscopy.
Reply to “Understanding the Role of Fungi in Chronic Wounds”

We recently reported the fungal “mycobiome” and its association with outcomes in a longitudinal prospective cohort study of 100 patients with diabetic foot ulcers (1). We appreciate the letter to the editor by Malone and Dickson (2) and are pleased that our findings generated interest and discussion among basic scientists and clinicians. The technique used to collect a sample for microbiome analysis is of great importance. All downstream processing and analysis relies on an accurate and reliable sample. Malone and Dickson are correct in that other groups advocate using more-invasive methods, though rigorous, peer-reviewed evidence to suggest the superiority of those invasive techniques is lacking in the literature. Interestingly, we noted that Malone authored a paper, “Deep Wound Cultures Correlate Well with Bone Biopsy Culture in Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis” (3), in which the results seemingly contradict the argument presented in the letter. Nonetheless, we are most appreciative for the opportunity to further expand on our reasons for employing the Levine technique for collecting swab specimens. Levine’s technique is different than other swab techniques in that it samples fluid from deep tissue layers, similarly to aspiration of wound fluid. …
A pilot study of supraphysiologic testosterone (T) and oral etoposide (E) in men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

45 Background: Prostate cancer (PC) cells become resistant to chronic castration via an adaptive increase in androgen receptor (AR) expression, a liability that can be exploited therapeutically. Mechanistically, supraphysiologic androgens can induce PC cell death through topoisomerase 2 (topo2) mediated double-strand DNA breaks and disruption of DNA relicensing due to persistence of AR at origins of replication during the cell cycle. Methods: We evaluated parenteral T in combination with the topo2 inhibitor E in men with CRPC and low metastatic burden (≤5 bone and 1500 ng/dL) to near castrate T levels, men received intramuscular T cypionate 400 mg on day (D) 1 and oral E 100 mg D 1-14 of a 28 D cycle. After 3 cycles, men with declining PSA could continue T alone every 28 D. The primary endpoint was PSA response, defined as a PSA below baseline, after cycle 3. Secondary endpoints included objective response rates and safety. Results: Six...
Vegetation history since the last glacial maximum in the Ozark highlands (USA): A new record from Cupola Pond, Missouri

Abstract The timing and drivers of vegetation dynamics and formation of no-analog plant communities during the last deglaciation in the unglaciated southeastern US are poorly understood. We present a multi-proxy record spanning the past 19,800 years from Cupola Pond in the Ozarks Mountains, consisting of replicate high-resolution pollen records, 25 AMS radiocarbon dates, and macrofossil, charcoal, and coprophilous spore analyses. Full-glacial Pinus and Picea forests gave way to no-analog vegetation after 17,400 yr BP, followed by development of Quercus -dominated Holocene forests, with late Holocene rises in Pinus and Nyssa . Vegetation transitions, replicated in different cores, are closely linked to hemispheric climate events. Rising Quercus abundances coincide with increasing Northern Hemisphere temperatures and CO 2 at 17,500 yr BP, declining Pinus and Picea at 14,500 yr BP are near the Bolling-Allerod onset, and rapid decline of Fraxinus and rise of Ostrya/Carpinus occur 12,700 yr BP during the Younger Dryas. The Cupola no-analog vegetation record is unusual for its early initiation (17,000 yr BP) and for its three vegetation zones, representing distinct rises of Fraxinus and Ostrya/Carpinus . Sporormiella was absent and sedimentary charcoal abundances were low throughout, suggesting that fire and megaherbivores were not locally important agents of disturbance and turnover. The Cupola record thus highlights the complexity of the late-glacial no-analog communities and suggests direct climatic regulation of their formation and disassembly.
Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase L1 regulates myoblast proliferation and differentiation

Skeletal muscles are dynamic tissues that possess regenerative abilities, which require multiple processes and regulatory factors. Ubiquitin C-Terminal Hydrolase L1 (UCHL1), which is primarily expressed in neuronal tissues, was upregulated in skeletal muscles in disease conditions but its functional role in skeletal muscles is unknown. Using mouse myoblast cells C2C12 as an in vitro model, this study reported that UCHL1 elicits different regulation in myoblast cell proliferation and differentiation. We first observed that UCHL1 protein level was continuously declined during cell differentiation. Gene knockdown of UCHL1 by siRNA resulted in a significant decrease in cell proliferation but marked acceleration of cell differentiation and myotube formation. Meanwhile, UCHL1 gene knockdown upregulated myogenic factors myoD and Myogenin (MyoG). In mice, UCHL1 was significantly upregulated in denervated skeletal muscle. Overall, these novel data suggest that UCHL1 may play a role in myogenesis by promoting myoblast proliferation and inhibiting differentiation.
Care Planning for Inpatients Referred for Palliative Care Consultation.

Importance Care planning is a critical function of palliative care teams, but the impact of advance care planning and goals of care discussions by palliative care teams has not been well characterized. Objective To describe the population of patients referred to inpatient palliative care consultation teams for care planning, the needs identified by palliative care clinicians, the care planning activities that occur, and the results of these activities. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a prospective cohort study conducted between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016. Seventy-eight inpatient palliative care teams from diverse US hospitals in the Palliative Care Quality Network, a national quality improvement collaborative. Standardized data were submitted for 73 145 patients. Exposures Inpatient palliative care consultation. Results Overall, 52 571 of 73 145 patients (71.9%) referred to inpatient palliative care were referred for care planning (range among teams, 27.5%-99.4% of patients). Patients referred for care planning were older (73.3 vs 67.9 years;Fstatistic, 1546.0;P Conclusions and Relevance Care planning was the most common reason for inpatient palliative care consultation, and care planning needs were often found even when the consultation was for other reasons. Surrogates were consistently identified, and patients’ preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments were frequently updated. However, a minority of patients completed legal forms to document their care preferences, highlighting an area in need of improvement.
A Case Study on English Language Learners' Task-Based Interaction and Avatar Identities in Second Life: A Mixed-Methods Design.

English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ language use in 3-D virtual environments is a vibrant avenue that still deserves more research attention in the field of CALL. To contribute research and pedagogical implications to the current Second Life (SL) literature, this study aims to examine EFL adult learners’ use of communication strategies during task-driven, voice-based negotiation, as well as to explore their avatar identities during their language practices in a task-based virtual course in SL. Operationalized by task-based interaction, quantitative results show that confirmation checks, clarification requests and comprehension checks are the most frequently used strategies. The interrelationship among task types, negotiation and strategy use is also established –jigsaw task prompts the most instances of negotiation and strategy use. Qualitative results drawn from triangulation of multiple data sources reveal that SL is endorsed as a promising learning environment owing to its simulated immersion, augmented reality, tele/co-presence and masked identities via avatars. This study demonstrates that implementation of task-based instruction can be maximized by 3-D simulated features in SL. It also implicates that 1) twoway directed tasks with convergent and single-outcome conditions will stimulate more cognitive and linguistic processes of negotiation involving interactional modifications, and 2) avatar identities can boost EFL learners’ sense of self-image and confidence.
Neurological Manifestations Among US Government Personnel Reporting Directional Audible and Sensory Phenomena in Havana, Cuba.

Importance From late 2016 through August 2017, US government personnel serving on diplomatic assignment in Havana, Cuba, reported neurological symptoms associated with exposure to auditory and sensory phenomena. Objective To describe the neurological manifestations that followed exposure to an unknown energy source associated with auditory and sensory phenomena. Design, Setting, and Participants Preliminary results from a retrospective case series of US government personnel in Havana, Cuba. Following reported exposure to auditory and sensory phenomena in their homes or hotel rooms, the individuals reported a similar constellation of neurological symptoms resembling brain injury. These individuals were referred to an academic brain injury center for multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment. Exposures Report of experiencing audible and sensory phenomena emanating from a distinct direction (directional phenomena) associated with an undetermined source, while serving on US government assignments in Havana, Cuba, since 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Descriptions of the exposures and symptoms were obtained from medical record review of multidisciplinary clinical interviews and examinations. Additional objective assessments included clinical tests of vestibular (dynamic and static balance, vestibulo-ocular reflex testing, caloric testing), oculomotor (measurement of convergence, saccadic, and smooth pursuit eye movements), cognitive (comprehensive neuropsychological battery), and audiometric (pure tone and speech audiometry) functioning. Neuroimaging was also obtained. Results Of 24 individuals with suspected exposure identified by the US Department of State, 21 completed multidisciplinary evaluation an average of 203 days after exposure. Persistent symptoms (>3 months after exposure) were reported by these individuals including cognitive (n = 17, 81%), balance (n = 15, 71%), visual (n = 18, 86%), and auditory (n = 15, 68%) dysfunction, sleep impairment (n = 18, 86%), and headaches (n = 16, 76%). Objective findings included cognitive (n = 16, 76%), vestibular (n = 17, 81%), and oculomotor (n = 15, 71%) abnormalities. Moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss was identified in 3 individuals. Pharmacologic intervention was required for persistent sleep dysfunction (n = 15, 71%) and headache (n = 12, 57%). Fourteen individuals (67%) were held from work at the time of multidisciplinary evaluation. Of those, 7 began graduated return to work with restrictions in place, home exercise programs, and higher-level work-focused cognitive rehabilitation. Conclusions and Relevance In this preliminary report of a retrospective case series, persistent cognitive, vestibular, and oculomotor dysfunction, as well as sleep impairment and headaches, were observed among US government personnel in Havana, Cuba, associated with reports of directional audible and/or sensory phenomena of unclear origin. These individuals appeared to have sustained injury to widespread brain networks without an associated history of head trauma.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF AUXIN-INDUCED TUMORS OF THE COLEORHIZA-EPIBLAST OF WHEAT.

When wheat is germinated in high concentrations of certain auxins, the coleorhiza-epiblast grows in an excessive and disorganized manner and resembles a callus. Wheat was germinated in 10-3 M indoleacetic acid or in water. There was greater net synthesis of DNA, RNA, and protein in the tumor tissue than in control tissue. Control and tumor tissue was fixed for electron microscopy 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after sowing. In contrast to the controls, many more lipoidal bodies appeared in 1-day-old, auxin-treated tissue and thereafter diminished in number. In 2- and 3-day-old tumor tissue, small membraneous fragments were prominent but disappeared in older tissue. With time, the following changes became progressively more pronounced: cytoplasmic vacuolation, appearance of myelin figures, polyribosome configurations and extensive profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and sloughing of cytoplasmic contents into and accumulation of electron-dense material in vacuoles. Possible factors in susceptibility of certain tissues to tumor formation are discussed.
Immunomodulatory Effects of Momordica charantia Extract in the Prevention of Oral Cancer

In recent times, bitter melon extract (BME) has gained significant attention for its anticancer efficacy against various malignancies. In this issue, Sur and colleagues show that BME prevents the development of 4-nitronitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced oral dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in an immunocompetent mouse model. Importantly, gene ontology and pathway analyses revealed an elevated expression of s100a9, IL23a, IL1β, and PDCD1/PD1 of immune system during oral cancer development, which was significantly suppressed by BME. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential clinical benefits of BME in preventing and delaying the progression of oral dysplasia to SCC. Cancer Prev Res; 11(4); 185-6. ©2018 AACRSee related article by Sur et al., p. 191.