cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pilot study evaluating ceftriaxone and penicillin G as treatment agents for neurosyphilis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals

To compare intravenous (iv) ceftriaxone and penicillin G as therapy for neurosyphilis, blood and CSF were collected before and 14-26 weeks after therapy from 30 subjects infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 who had (1) rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test titers >/=1r16, (2) reactive serum treponemal tests, and (3) either reactive CSF-Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) tests or CSF abnormalities: (a) CSF WBC values >/=20/microL or (b) CSF protein values >/=50 mg/dL. At baseline, more ceftriaxone recipients had skin symptoms and signs (6 [43%] of 14 vs. 1 [6%] of 16; P=.03), and more penicillin recipients had a history of neurosyphilis (7 [44%] of 16 vs. 1 [7%] of 14; P=.04). There was no difference in the proportion of subjects in each group whose CSF measures improved. Significantly more ceftriaxone recipients had a decline in serum RPR titers (8 [80%] of 10 vs. 2 [13%] of 15; P=. 003), even after controlling for baseline RPR titer, skin symptoms and signs, or prior neurosyphilis were controlled for. Differences in the 2 groups limit comparisons between them. However, iv ceftriaxone may be an alternative to penicillin for treatment of HIV-infected patients with neurosyphilis and concomitant early syphilis.
Integration of Photosystem I with Graphene Oxide for Photocurrent Enhancement

Photosystem I is a photoactive membrane protein used in nature to photo-excite electrons with nearly unit internal quantum efficiency, sparking interest in using this biomaterial for solar energy conversion. Films of PSI deposited on p-doped silicon have previously demonstrated significant photocurrents with an electrochemical mediator; however, improvement in electron transfer is needed. Here, it is investigated how PSI can be combined with graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to generate composite films capable of improved photoelectrochemical performance. It is found that both composite films outperformed the PSI film alone, and the PSI-GO composite film is found to perform the best. The enhancement is attributed to the decreased impedance and shift in the onset potential of the composite films.
MEMS arrays for deformable mirrors

A new class of silicon-based deformable mirror for use in optical applications such as adaptive optical systems and optical correlators is being built. The mirror will be a massively parallel system of electrostatically controlled, interconnected microactuators that can be coordinated to achieve precise actuation and control at a macroscopic level. The deformable mirror system described here will be made up of a planar array of 400 electrostatically actuated actuators, which actuate a laterally continuous mirror at discrete points, resulting in surface-normal deflection of up to 4 micrometers . Several generations of single actuators as well as arrays of actuators with a mirror sheet over them have been designed, fabricated, and tested. Deflection characteristics and pull-in behavior of the actuators have been closely studied. Tests for yield, reliability, resolution, and frequency response have given optimistic results. Numerical models of the system have been developed and results from the numerical simulations agree well with experimental results.
A multidisciplinary approach to the focal form of congenital hyperinsulinism leads to successful treatment by partial pancreatectomy.

Background/Purpose: Congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) causes severe hypoglycemia in neonates and infants. Recessive mutations of the beta-cell KATP channel genes cause diffuse HI, whereas loss of heterozygosity together with inheritance of a paternal mutation cause focal adenomatous HI. Although these 2 forms of HI are clinically identical, focal HI can be cured surgically. The authors reviewed their experience with partial pancreatectomy for focal HI. Methods: From December 1998 to January 2003, 38 patients (ages 2 weeks to 14 months; median age, 10 weeks) were treated with partial pancreatectomy for focal HI. Before surgery, patients had localization studies using selective arterial calcium stimulation with venous sampling or transhepatic portal venous sampling. At operation, the focal lesion was found using the preoperative localization data and multiple pancreatic biopsies with frozen section analysis, followed by partial pancreatectomy. A complete response at follow-up was defined as no requirement for glycemic medications, no continuous tube feedings, and no diabetes mellitus.
Agoraphobic behavior and panic attack: a study of male twins.

Abstract We used data from 3372 pairs of male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry to examine comorbidity and familial influences on the frequently observed association between agoraphobic behavior and panic. Due to low prevalence of DSM-III-R-defined panic disorder, we also examined subjects who had experienced at least one panic attack during their lives. Agoraphobic behavior among individuals with a history of panic attacks showed familial aggregation (odds ratio=5.7; P =.018). Probands with panic attacks and agoraphobic behavior and their co-twins had higher risk of major depression than probands without agoraphobic avoidance and their co-twins ( P =.01). Groups did not differ for alcohol dependence or antisocial personality. Agoraphobic behavior associated with panic attack is familial and associated with comorbid major depression. Agoraphobia following panic attack does not seem to reflect severity as agoraphobic behavior in the proband was unrelated to risk of panic attacks in the co-twin.
Accuracy of measurements of curvature and apparent contact angle in a constrained vapor bubble heat exchanger

Improved experimental and analytical techniques were developed to measure the liquid pressure field in a meniscus formed in the right angled corner of a Constrained Vapor Bubble (CVB) heat exchanger. Based on the definition of the curvature, an analytical expression for the curvature as a function of the film thickness profile and the apparent contact angle was obtained. The error associated with the resolution of the image processing system was defined and several imaging factors affecting the error are discussed. The error associated with the system resolution, Er, increases as the curvature increases; the apparent contact angle increases; the wavelength decreases; and the number of dark fringes used for the data fitting decreases. The accuracy of the data fitting can be used to also determine the region where the disjoining pressure and viscous stresses affect the results. Examples using pentane data are presented. The relatively large experimental cell size with regions of low capillary pressure was dictated by future use in microgravity. � 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pharmacists improving outcomes: Perceived versus proven results

Controlling hypertension Evidence continues to mount in support of engaging the pharmacist as a key determinant in patients realizing successful antihypertensive therapy. Santschi and colleagues1 recently reviewed 39 randomized clinical trials to determine which pharmacists’ interventions generated the greatest, most broadly applicable impact on blood pressure. Key outcome factors included intervention performed in a community pharmacy, pharmacistled care (as opposed to pharmacists’ recommendations to other health care providers), and interventions conducted at least monthly. The primary beneficial interventions included adherence counseling, patient education about overall health (not just hypertension), and communication of patient engagement to prescribers (not the same as making recommendations and awaiting prescriber responses). A smaller number of studies involved taking patients’ blood pressure or refillreminder systems. While positive, the authors note improved scientific rigor of these reports is needed; for example, none blinded participants.
Friction in Wire Rope

Chapter 3 considered the static response of a simple straight strand with the cross section shown in Figure 3.1. It was assumed in that chapter that the wires were frictionless. It will now be shown that friction plays a very small role in the axial loading of a simple strand.
hERG 1a LQT2 C-terminus truncation mutants display hERG 1b-dependent dominant negative mechanisms ☆

Background The human ether-a-go-go–related gene (hERG 1a) potassium channel is critical for cardiac repolarization. hERG 1b, another variant subunit, co-assembles with hERG 1a, modulates channel biophysical properties and plays an important role in repolarization. Mutations of hERG 1a lead to type 2 long QT syndrome (LQT2), and increased risk for fatal arrhythmias. The functional consequences of these mutations in the presence of hERG 1b are not known. Objective To investigate whether hERG 1a mutants exert dominant negative gating and trafficking defects when co-expressed with hERG 1b. Methods Electrophysiology, co-immunoprecipitation, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments in HEK293 cells and guinea pig cardiomyocytes were used to assess the mutants on gating and trafficking. Mutations of 1a-G965X and 1a-R1014X, relevant to gating and trafficking were introduced in the C-terminus region. Results The hERG 1a mutants when expressed alone did not result in decreased current amplitude. Compared to wild-type hERG 1a currents, 1a-G965X currents were significantly larger, whereas those produced by the 1a-R1014X mutant were similar in magnitude. Only when co-expressed with wild-type hERG 1a and 1b did a mutant phenotype emerge, with a marked reduction in surface expression, current amplitude, and a corresponding positive shift in the V 1/2 of the activation curve. Co-immunoprecipitation and FRET assays confirmed association of mutant and wild-type subunits. Conclusion Heterologously expressed hERG 1a C-terminus truncation mutants, exert a dominant negative gating and trafficking effect only when co-expressed with hERG 1b. These findings may have potentially profound implications for LQT2 therapy.
Drug repurposing: mining protozoan proteomes for targets of known bioactive compounds.

Objective To identify potential opportunities for drug repurposing by developing an automated approach to pre-screen the predicted proteomes of any organism against databases of known drug targets using only freely available resources. Materials and methods We employed a combination of Ruby scripts that leverage data from the DrugBank and ChEMBL databases, MySQL, and BLAST to predict potential drugs and their targets from 13 published genomes. Results from a previous cell-based screen to identify inhibitors of Cryptosporidium parvum growth were used to validate our in-silico prediction method. Results In-vitro validation of these results, using a cell-based C parvum growth assay, showed that the predicted inhibitors were significantly more likely than expected by chance to have confirmed activity, with 8.9–15.6% of predicted inhibitors confirmed depending on the drug target database used. This method was then used to predict inhibitors for the following 13 disease-causing protozoan parasites, including: C parvum, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania major, Naegleria gruberi (in proxy of Naegleria fowleri ), Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis, Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi . Conclusions Although proteome-wide screens for drug targets have disadvantages, in-silico methods can be developed that are fast, broad, inexpensive, and effective. In-vitro validation of our results for C parvum indicate that the method presented here can be used to construct a library for more directed small molecule screening, or pipelined into structural modeling and docking programs to facilitate target-based drug development.
Neurofilament Processing in Development and Transplantation

In order to compare the apparently reactive phosphorylation of neurofilaments (Nf) observed in trauma and neurodegenerative disorders, we examined the expression and distribution of Nf in implants of embryonic rat cerebellum after 2 to 4 weeks survival. Donor cerebella were taken from embryos at gestational day E14 to E15 and implanted into brain parenchyma or ventricles. Immunocytochemistry with monoclonal antibodies to 5 different phospoepitopes of Nf (anti-PNf) and 5 different epitopes in non-phosphorylated Nf (anti-nPNf) (1) was done on Bouin-fixed paraffin sections using peroxidase- antiperoxidase complex from monoclonal antiperoxidase. Antibodies to other neural antigens such as myelin basic protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein and SAP, a monoclonal antibody that reacts with synapse-rich areas, were used to compare their appearance and distribution with the Nf antibodies. After 2 weeks survival, the earliest age examined, cresyl violet staining of some transplants showed the beginning of a trilaminar organization. Both PNf and nPNf epitopes were present. As in our studies of normal rat cerebellar development there was no lag in the appearance of PNf. Nf were seen in both the ventricular and parenchymal implants. By 4 weeks, transplants exhibited a high degree of internal organization. Staining patterns characteristic of cerebellum were seen with the antibodies: nPNf in Purkinje cell bodies and dendrites and PNf in basket cell axons surrounding the Purkinje cells. In summary, the transplants demonstrated cytoarchitectural features characteristic of the cerebellum. Appearance and distribution of Nf epitopes resembled that seen in normal postnatal cerebellar development and both PNf and nPNf were present at the same time in early development. In contrast to trauma and disease (2), PNf never appeared in perikarya. The rapid phosphorylation of newly formed Nf may not only indicate rapid assembly of neurofilaments but may also protect newly formed Nf against the known susceptibility of nPNf to rapid proteolysis.
Civilizing the Wilderness: Culture and Nature in Preconfederation Canada and Rupert's Land.

The theme of CIVILIZING THE WILDERNESS is perhaps best expressed in the quote from Horace with which den Otter introduces his first essay: “They change their clime, not their frame of mind, who rus...
Use of Electric Blankets and Risk of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer

Chronic exposure to 60-Hz electromagnetic fields has been hypothesized to increase breast cancer risk by suppressing the normal nocturnal rise in pineal melatonin. From 1987 to 1989 in western New York the authors investigated the use of electric blankets as a risk factor for breast cancer in a case-control study of postmenopausal women aged 41-85 years. A study population of 382 cases and 439 randomly selected community controls was queried regarding use in the previous 10 years, the frequency of use by season, and the mode of use. After adjusting for age and education, the odds ratio (OR) for use of an electric blanket in the past 10 years (33% of cases, 35% of controls) was 0.89 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.66-1.19), and the risk did not differ in a dose-response fashion by the number of years used. The risk associated with daily use relative to nonuse was 0.97 (95% CI 0.70-1.35). Use sometimes to warm the bed and sometimes throughout the night was not associated with risk (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.40-1.05). The risk of breast cancer among those who used the blanket continuously throughout the night was 1.31 (95% CI 0.88-1.95). Those who reported daily use in season, continuously throughout the night for the past 10 years did not have significantly elevated risk (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.73-2.16). Adjustment for the Quetelet index and reproductive risk factors did not alter the results. These findings do not support the hypothesis that electric blanket use is associated with an increased risk for breast cancer. The slightly elevated estimate of risk for the most frequent electric blanket users and the potential public health significance of electromagnetic field exposure suggest that further inquiries be undertaken.
Effect of Oviposition Cage Size on Egg Production and Hatch When Mass Rearing Boll Weevils

Five sizes of oviposition cages for rearing Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman were compared for effectson egg production by adults and on egg hatch. The cages had floor area of 4,320, 6,480, 8,640, 12,960, and 17,280cm2. Mixed-sex (equal numbers) adult were placed in the cages so that the density was ca. 2.1 boll weevil per cm2 of cage floor area. Eggs were collected daily, and an egg hatch check was made once each week. There was no significant difference in the eggs produced per ♀ per day in the four smaller cages, but egg production was significantly less in the largest cage. There was no difference in percent egg hatch among any of the cage sizes.
The chromatin remodeling factor Chd1l is required in the preimplantation embryo

During preimplantation development, the embryo must establish totipotency and enact the earliest differentiation choices, processes that involve extensive chromatin modification. To identify novel developmental regulators, we screened for genes that are preferentially transcribed in the pluripotent inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse blastocyst. Genes that encode chromatin remodeling factors were prominently represented in the ICM, including Chd1l, a member of the Snf2 gene family. Chd1l is developmentally regulated and expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells, but its role in development has not been investigated. Here we show that inhibiting Chd1l protein production by microinjection of antisense morpholinos causes arrest prior to the blastocyst stage. Despite this important function in vivo, Chd1l is non-essential for cultured ES cell survival, pluripotency, or differentiation, suggesting that Chd1l is vital for events in embryos that are distinct from events in ES cells. Our data reveal a novel role for the chromatin remodeling factor Chd1l in the earliest cell divisions of mammalian development.
Structural, Magnetic, Electrical, and Magnetoelectric Properties of Sm- and Ho-Substituted Nickel Ferrites

Sm- and Ho-substituted and pure nickel ferrite materials, namely, NiFe1.925Sm0.075O4, NiFe1.925Ho0.075O4, and NiFe2O4, have been synthesized by the solid-state chemical reaction, and their structural, magnetic, dc electrical conductivity, ferromagnetic, ferroelectric, and dielectric properties have been evaluated. Sm- and Ho-substituted nickel ferrites crystallize in the cubic inverse spinel phase with a very small amount of SmFeO3 and HoFeO3 as the additional phase, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies indicate rhombohedral distortion in NiFe1.925Sm0.075O4 and NiFe1.925Ho0.075O4 compounds. The existence of ferroelectricity in NiFe1.925Sm0.075O4 and NiFe1.925Ho0.075O4 has been confirmed from the ferroelectric loops, and the respective transition temperatures are 543 and 677 K. The respective magnetocapacitance values are −1.8% and −1.2%. Magnetoelectric coefficients observed at 500 Oe in the NiFe1.925Sm0.075O4 and NiFe1.925Ho0.075O4 compounds are 1.82 and 1.84 mV cm−1 Oe−1, respectively. A considerable...
Abstract B55: Role of HSF1 in chemotherapy-induced autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress response in breast cancer

Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), a master regulator of heat shock response, plays an important role in tumorigenesis. In this study we demonstrate that HSF1 is required for chemotherapeutic agents induced cytoprotective autophagy and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress response. HSF1 can transcriptionally regulate autophagy related gene ATG7 and ER membrane protein IRE1α. Interestingly, most of this regulation is independent of HSF19s heat shock function. Treatment of cancer cells with FDA approved chemotherapeutic agent induced autophagy which was significantly decreased upon HSF1 knockdown. Mechanistic studies revealed that HSF1 regulates autophagy by directly binding to the ATG7 promoter and transcriptionally upregulating its expression. HSF1 also may play a role in regulating autophagy by modulating levels of phosphorylated AMPK, a key protein that can trigger autophagy. Thus HSF1 regulates the process of autophagy in a multi-pronged manner, through regulation of key autophagy protein as well as regulation of key inducer of autophagy. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation was observed between levels of HSF1 and ATG7 in breast cancer patient samples, thus validating our in vitro findings. Similarly, knockdown of HSF1 reduced the induction of ER stress response by chemotherapeutic agents. Mechanistic studies have revealed that HSF1 regulated cytoprotective ER stress response by directly regulating IRE1α expression and sustained activation. IRE1α, a resident ER protein, is a key sensor of ER stress. It activates Xbp1 leading to expression of protein chaperone genes that help alleviate the ER stress response. This HSF1/IRE1α pathway was further validated in cancer patients by immunohistochemistry staining of breast cancer patient tissue array. This study identifies a critical role for HSF1 in controlling cytoprotective stress response pathways of autophagy and ER stress response in tumor cells. HSF1 does this by not only regulating transcription of key proteins required in these pathways but also by regulating activation of key inducers of these pathways. The findings from this study can be further used to design more robust treatment strategies for breast cancer patients thus improving their prognosis. Citation Format: Shruti Desai, Ming Tan. Role of HSF1 in chemotherapy-induced autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress response in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Metabolism and Cancer; Jun 7-10, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B55.
Unsteady heat-flux measurements of second-mode instability waves in a hypersonic flat-plate boundary layer

In this paper, we report on the application of the atomic layer thermopile (ALTP) heat-flux sensor to the measurement of laminar-to-turbulent transition in a hypersonic flat-plate boundary layer. The centerline of the flat-plate model was instrumented with a streamwise array of ALTP sensors, and the flat-plate model was exposed to a Mach 6 freestream over a range of unit Reynolds numbers. Here, we observed an unstable band of frequencies that are associated with second-mode instability waves in the laminar boundary layer that forms on the flat-plate surface. The measured frequencies, group velocities, phase speeds, and wavelengths of these instability waves are consistent with data previously reported in the literature. Heat flux time series, and the Morlet wavelet transforms of them, revealed the wave-packet nature of the second-mode instability waves. In addition, a laser-based radiative heating system was used to measure the frequency response functions (FRF) of the ALTP sensors used in the wind tunnel test. These measurements were used to assess the stability of the sensor FRFs over time and to correct spectral estimates for any attenuation caused by the finite sensor bandwidth.
Fluorescent Biosensor for CrkII Phosphorylation by the Abl Tyrosine Kinase

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) causes the excessive proliferation of myeloid cells ADDIN ENRfu [1]. The majority of CML cases are caused by the reciprocal chromosomal translocation of the first exon of c-Abl on chromosome 9 and the breakpoint cluster region (Bcr) of chromosome 22. The c-Abl gene encodes a nonreceptor kinase that catalyzes the transfer of phosphate from ATP to tyrosine residues on protein substrates. The Bcr-Abl fusion protein produces an overactive kinase, and this deregulated tyrosine kinase activity is required for leukemic transformation.
Block Copolymer Thin Films

This chapter summarizes recent developments in our understanding of the influence of confinement, segmental interactions, interfacial energies, and surface topography on the morphology of thin films of block copolymers (BCPs), generating long-range lateral ordering of the BCP microdomains, and the use of thin films of BCPs as scaffolds and templates for the fabrication of nanostructured materials.
A generalized likelihood ratio test for SAR CCD

Coherent change detection (CCD) is a powerful technique for detecting minute disturbances in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. Coherent change detection uses a test statistic to compare, pixel by pixel, two or more SAR images of the same scene. Coherent change detection can detect very small disturbances, not normally visible in SAR or optical imagery, such as footprints or vehicle tracks. The literature describes a number of different detection statistics, the choice which will effect both the contrast of the detected disturbances and the amount of false or uninteresting detections. We present a generalized likelihood ratio test for change detection. Our effort improves upon previous work by incorporating noise in our models, and by optimizing the likelihood parameters separately at each pixel. We compare results from the GLRT with the standard coherence metric on a number of different examples of collected synthetic aperture radar data. The results show that the GLRT provides a useful improvement to the CCD processing.
Capacity of the K-user discrete memoryless multiple access channel with common information and with or without state

An explicit and efficient capacity characterization of the K-user discrete memoryless multiple access channel with common information and discrete memoryless state is provided. Messages are indexed according to which transmitters are aware of the messages, and any of 2K-1 possible such messages may exist. A superposition coding scheme, which generalizes the approach taken by Slepian and Wolf for the two-user case without state, achieves this capacity region. When there is state, a separable coding scheme suffices to attain capacity.
The Internationalization of Psychology Journals in Brazil: A Bibliometric Examination Based on Four Indices

There is considerable variability among psychology journals in Brazil, in terms of presence on the international stage. However, research as to why is very scarce. This study empirically examined the relationship between several indices of internationalization and real-world internationalization, among these journals. 661 articles from the top-17 psychology journals in Brazil were coded for: English-language text, editorial board makeup, lead author institution, and article type. Analyses revealed that successful internationalization was associated with: (i) lead author institution from a native English-speaking country; (ii) empirical articles; and (iii) editorial board members from a native English-speaking country. Use of English-language text was not associated with successful internationalization. These findings suggest that the path to internationalization for psychology journals in Brazil may depend on increased publishing of findings from English-speaking countries; or at the very least: increased collaboration between Brazilian and native English-speaking scholars.
Voluntary and Involuntary Return Migration

Mexican migration to the United States long exhibited a strong circular pattern, as Mexican migrants returned annually to Mexico after working in US agriculture or other industries. With increased enforcement, undocumented migration from Mexico increasingly took on a permanent character. In addition, Central American migrants could not return to the areas of conflict they fled, and the long distances from their nations of origin made seasonal migration impractical. In recent years, return migration for Mexicans and Central Americans has changed, both in nature and in composition. The renewed significance of return migration is not due to its becoming once again a normal part of the migration process, but to its increasingly involuntary nature as a growing proportion of return migration is taking place in the context of U.S. enforcement practices. Voluntary return involves planning and preparation, but deportation or quasi-involuntary return gives migrants little opportunity to arrange their affairs. The potential difficulties of adjustment that this implies for returnees have become, as we show in this volume, challenging issues not only for returnees, but for their communities and for public policy. The chapters in this book place return migration experiences within the context of the economic, social, and political forces that have determined international migration, return to countries of destination, and settlement in countries of origin. Although there are important differences in the nature of Mexican return migration as compared to Central America, the contributions to this volume demonstrate significant similarities, including poverty in those countries and lack of employment opportunities and of government or institutional policies to receive the returnees.
A Few Good Commensals: Gut Microbes Use IFN-γ to Fight Salmonella

Whereas strong evidence supports the notion that the microbiota promotes immune system maturation in multiple tissues, the identity of the specific microbes that elicit protective immunity to different infections is less clear. In a recent issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Thiemann et al. (2017) report the identification of specific gut bacteria that protect from Salmonella infection by priming host IFN-γ responses.
Ethical concerns regarding animal use mediate the relationship between variety of pets owned in childhood and vegetarianism in adulthood.

Plant-based and vegetarian diets have been shown to have diverse health and environmental benefits and also serve to reduce farmed animal exploitation. It is therefore worthwhile to gain a better understanding of the factors that play a role in the decision to refrain from animal products. Past studies have shown that childhood pet ownership predicts the likelihood of adherence to a vegetarian diet in adulthood. Building on this research, we tested the hypothesis that the number of different types of pets owned in childhood is positively associated with degree of restriction of animal products in adulthood, and that this relationship is mediated by pro-animal attitudes. A self-selected convenience sample of 325 participants (77.2% female; mean age = 30.23 ± 12.5) reported on their vegetarian status and completed the Animal Advocacy Scale and Child Pet Ownership Questionnaire. The number of different pets owned in childhood was positively correlated with degree of vegetarianism in adulthood (p < 0.001), but was no longer a significant predictor when controlling for moral opposition to animal exploitation. A significant Sobel test (z = 4.36; p < 0.001) confirmed the presence of full mediation. Findings support the hypothesis that individuals who owned a greater variety of pets in childhood endorse more concerns regarding animal use. This, in turn, appears to predict the decision to refrain from animal products in adulthood. The possibility that an enhanced ability to generalize empathy from companion to laboratory, farm, and wildlife animals underlies this relationship should be examined in future research.
Differential Expression Patterns of Eph Receptors and Ephrin Ligands in Human Cancers

Eph receptors constitute the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases, which are activated by ephrin ligands that either are anchored to the membrane or contain a transmembrane domain. These molecules play important roles in the development of multicellular organisms, and the physiological functions of these receptor-ligand pairs have been extensively documented in axon guidance, neuronal development, vascular patterning, and inflammation during tissue injury. The recognition that aberrant regulation and expression of these molecules lead to alterations in proliferative, migratory, and invasive potential of a variety of human cancers has made them potential targets for cancer therapeutics. We present here the involvement of Eph receptors and ephrin ligands in lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, glioblastoma, and medulloblastoma. The aberrations in their abundances are described in the context of multiple signaling pathways, and differential expression is suggested as the mechanism underlying tumorigenesis.
Radical Prostatectomy in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: Feasibility, Safety, and Quality of Life Outcomes

Abstract Ongoing prospective studies are evaluating treatment of the primary tumor in men with de novo metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). One potential benefit is prevention of morbidity from local progression. Thus, local therapy may be best applied selectively to men with local progression once resistance to first-line therapies has occurred. Here, we gather support for the hypothesis that radical prostatectomy (RP) is safe and preserves quality of life (QOL) when applied in men with metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC). We analyzed 14 patients who underwent RP in the setting of mCRPC from 2008 to 2016. Median time from mCRPC to RP was 5.1 mo (interquartile range [IQR] 1.4–12.0). Median preoperative and Patient summary We report on a select group of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who had prostatectomy. Prostatectomy is highly investigational in this setting and should not be used outside of a clinical trial other than for symptom relief.
Analysis of Conservative Treatment of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

A survey of literature on UTUC shows a mix set of results on efficacy and outcome of conservative treatment. There are no standardized templates for ureteroscopic or percutaneous resection techniques nor the adjuvant treatment options. The assumptions of what institutes a diagnosis or success after treatment also remain unclear. The conservative management of UTUC is a work in progress requiring a multicenter prospective evaluation to provide more clear parameters to follow.
Delayed Observers for Linear Systems With Unknown Inputs

We present a method for constructing reduced-order state observers for linear systems with unknown inputs. Our approach provides a characterization of observers with delay, which eases the established necessary conditions for existence of unknown input observers with zero-delay. We develop a parameterization of the observer gain that decouples the unknown inputs from the estimation error, and we use the remaining freedom to ensure stability of the error dynamics. Our procedure is quite general in that it encompasses the design of full-order observers via appropriate choices of design matrices
Living together: Sympathy and the practice of politics:

What place is there for sympathy in politics or politics in sympathy? This essay takes inspiration from the Japanese formulation of multiculturalism (tabunka-kyōsei or “the living together of multi...
Remarks on Explanatory Power

The idea of using information-theoretical concepts to quantify the notion of explanatory power of theories is an attractive one. Where the theory is adequately represented by a probability measure p on Boolean algebra A of propositions, it is natural to think of measuring explanatory power by some function of H(A), the entropy or uncertaintyof p. But recently, Greeno and others have been exploring measures of explanatory power which are suggested by more detailed representations of theories-representations which are themselves suggested by communication-theoretical analogies.
FGF1 Promotes Xenopus laevis Lens Regeneration

Background: The frog Xenopus laevis has notable regenerative capabilities, including that of the lens. The neural retina provides the factors that trigger lens regeneration from the cornea, but the identity of these factors is largely unknown. In contrast to the cornea, fibroblast growth factors FGF1, 8, and 9 are highly expressed within the retina, and are potential candidates for those factors. The purpose of this study is to determine whether specific FGF proteins can induce lens formation, and if perturbation of FGFR signaling inhibits lens regeneration. Methods: A novel cornea epithelial culture method was developed to investigate the sufficiency of FGFs in lens regeneration. Additionally, transgenic larvae expressing dominant negative FGFR1 were used to investigate the necessity of FGFR signaling in lens regeneration. Results: Treatment of cultured corneas with FGF1 induced lens regeneration in a dose-dependent manner, whereas treatment with FGF2, FGF8, or FGF9 did not result in significant lens regeneration. Inhibition of FGFR signaling decreased the lens regeneration rate for in vitro eye cultures. Conclusion: The culture techniques developed here, and elsewhere, have provided reliable methods for examining the necessity of various factors that may be involved in lens regeneration. Based on the results demonstrated in this study, we found that FGF1 signaling and FGFR activation are key factors for lens regeneration in Xenopus.
Before the here and now: What we can learn from variation in spatiotemporal patterns of changing heart disease mortality by age group, time period, and birth cohort

One hypothesized explanation for the recent slowing of declines in heart disease death rates is the generational shift in the timing and accumulation of risk factors. However, directly testing this hypothesis requires historical age-group-specific risk factor data that do not exist. Using national death records, we compared spatiotemporal patterns of heart disease death rates by age group, time period, and birth cohort to provide insight into possible drivers of trends. To do this, we calculated county-level percent change for five time periods (1973-1980, 1980-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2010, 2010-2015) for four age groups (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74), resulting in eight birth cohorts for each decade from the 1900s through the 1970s. From 1973 through 1990, few counties experienced increased heart disease death rates. In 1990-2000, 49.0% of counties for ages 35-44 were increasing, while all other age groups continued to decrease. In 2000-2010, heart disease death rates for ages 45-54 increased in 30.4% of counties. In 2010-2015, all four age groups showed widespread increasing county-level heart disease death rates. Likewise, birth cohorts from the 1900s through the 1930s experienced consistently decreasing heart disease death rates in almost all counties. Similarly, with the exception of 2010-2015, most counties experienced decreases for the 1940s birth cohort. For birth cohorts in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, increases were common and geographically widespread for all age groups and calendar years. This analysis revealed variation in trends across age groups and across counties. However, trends in heart disease death rates tended to be generally decreasing and increasing for early and late birth cohorts, respectively. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that recent increases in heart disease mortality stem from the beginnings of the obesity and diabetes epidemics. However, the common geographic patterns within the earliest and latest time periods support the importance of place-based macro-level factors.
Eco-Informed Couple and Family Therapy, Systems Thinking, and Social Justice

This chapter discusses key epistemological and social issues contributing to the ways in which the field of couple and family therapy has remained anthropocentric and discusses how both Gregory Bateson and a decolonization perspective offer a biocentric view in line with ecological systemic thinking. Clinical vignettes are included to illustrate implications for a systemic eco-informed approach to therapy.
Visibly Unknown: Media Depiction of Murdered Transgender Women of Color:

Specific examples of transgender people misgendered and misidentified in media have been well-documented; however, little work explores how media depicts the murder of transgender people. The curre...
elfPlace: Electrostatics-based Placement for Large-Scale Heterogeneous FPGAs

elfplace is a flat nonlinear placement algorithm for large-scale heterogeneous field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). We adopt the analogy between placement and electrostatic systems initially proposed by ePlace and extend it to tackle heterogeneous blocks in FPGA designs. To achieve satisfiable solution quality with fast and robust numerical convergence, an augmented Lagrangian formulation together with a preconditioning technique and a normalized subgradient-based multiplier updating scheme are proposed. Besides pure-wirelength minimization, we also propose a unified instance area adjustment scheme to simultaneously optimize routability, pin density, and downstream clustering compatibility. Our experiments on ISPD 2016 benchmark suite show that elfPlace outperforms four state-of-the-art FPGA placers UTPlaceF, RippleFPGA, GPlace3.0, and UTPlaceF-DL by 13.6%, 11.3%, 8.9%, and 7.1%, respectively, in routed wirelength with competitive runtime.
Verallgemeinerung der Energie-Masse-Äquivalenz

Wir sprechen hier in vielen Beispielen die Frage an, woher die von uns benutzte Energie kommt. Wir befassen uns dabei sowohl mit kinetischer und potentieller Energie als auch mit innerer Korperenergie. Zusammengesetzte Korper mit komplexer innerer Dynamik erfullen immer Einsteins \(E=mc^2\), unabhangig davon, was sich in ihnen an chemischen oder nuklearen Reaktionen oder sogar an Strahlungsprozessen abspielt. Wir zeigen, dass verwendbare Energie immer aus der Massendifferenz zwischen Endstadium und Ausgangszustand eines Systems stammt, gleichgultig, ob es sich um eine konventionelle oder eine nukleare Anlage handelt. Erneuerbare Energiequellen nutzen die taglich von der Sonne bereitgestellte Energie.
Evaluating the effects of oseltamivir phosphate on platelet counts: a retrospective review.

Desialylation of platelets results in platelet clearance by the Ashwell-Morrell Receptors (AMR) found on hepatocytes. Studies suggest that oseltamivir phosphate inhibits human sialidases, enzymes r...
Machine Learning Techniques for Classifying Malicious API Calls and N-Grams in Kaggle Data-set

Some malware variants have the ability to obfuscate and change their activities, which increases the difficulty for classifying their identity. Especially, when there is a lack of systematic analysis of their activities and signature patterns. Machine learning technology would be a promising approach for targeting these types of malware since it can learn new knowledge of unknown or new malware and can be trained to adopt such knowledge with artificial intelligence while it is applied on a system for monitoring and detecting incoming malware. In this research, we study the performances of several machine learning algorithms for classifying malware. Ten machine leaning algorithms are used to classify a Microsoft Kaggle data-set consisting of mainly nine malware families identified by their API calls and N-grams signature patterns. Our research results show that Random Forest machine learning algorithm is the best one for classifying the selected malware since it has the best overall performance metrics of True Positive Rate, F-Measure, Matthews Correlation Coefficient, and Receiver Operating Characteristic Area.
Every Step is Startling: A Time Travel Woman’s Love

Extending media scholar Henry Jenkins’s perception of space and the entertainment experience of the new media users, Chap. 3 examines the manner in which the young female protagonists created by one of the most successful media companies, Hunan Broadcasting System, entertain audiences; it also shows how the televisual depiction of time travelers’ romantic engagement in a hyper-patriarchal context creates pleasure and satisfaction while also reinforcing gender roles in contemporary Chinese mainstream culture.
Culture, COVID-19, and collectivism: A paradox of American exceptionalism?

Abstract Do geographic differences in collectivism relate to COVID-19 case and death rates? And if so, would they also replicate across states within arguably the most individualistic country in the world—the United States? Further still, what role might the U.S.'s history of ethnic strife and race-based health disparities play in either reinforcing or undermining state-level relations between collectivism and COVID-19 rates? To answer these questions, we examined archival data from 98 countries (Study 1) and the 48 contiguous United States (Study 2) on country/state-level collectivism, COVID-19 case/death rates, relevant covariates (per-capita GDP, population density, spatial dependence), and in the U.S., percent of non-Whites. In Study 1, country-level collectivism negatively related to both cases (r = −0.28) and deaths (r = −0.40) in simple regressions; however, after controlling for covariates, the former became non-significant (rp = −0.07), but the latter remained significant (rp = −0.20). In Study 2, state-level collectivism positively related to both cases (r = 0.56) and deaths (r = 0.41) in simple regressions, and these relationships persisted after controlling for all covariates except race, where a state's non-White population dominated all other predictors of COVID-19 cases (rp = 0.35) and deaths (rp = 0.31). We discuss the strong link between race and collectivism in U.S. culture, and its implications for understanding COVID-19 responses.
Novel Organic Mineral Complex Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Changes in the Gut and Liver of Male Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Diet-induced obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with the onset of gastrointestinal diseases, such as hepatic steatosis and gut inflammation. Prior research shows that a proprietary soil-derived organic mineral complex (OMC) prevents hyperglycemia, endotoxemia, and liver injury in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. The aim of this study was to further examine the effects of OMC on the liver and gastrointestinal health of these rats. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 36) were divided into two dietary groups: Chow or HFD fed for 10 weeks. Animals were further divided (n = 6/group) and administered 0, 0.6, or 3.0 mg/mL OMC in their drinking water. The 10-week HFD resulted in significant liver fat accumulation. Both OMC doses prevented hepatic increases in the glycation end product Ne-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) induced by HFD ( ). Low-dose OMC was associated with higher expression of occludin in the small intestine of rats fed either diet (two-way ANOVA, ). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) indicated significant differences in fecal microbial composition of untreated HFD-fed rats in comparison to untreated Chow rats at 10 weeks (LDA score > 2.0 : 18). After 10 weeks, untreated HFD-fed rats were also more abundant in bacteria associated with obesity and metabolic disease in comparison to corresponding week 0 samples (LDA score > 2.0 : 31), 10-week untreated Chow (LDA > 2.0 : 18), or 10-week OMC-treated HFD-fed rats (0.6 mg/mL; LDA > 2.0 : 80, 3.0 mg/mL; LDA > 2.0 : 8). Low-dose OMC prevented the HFD-induced increase in the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio ( ). Study animals treated with OMC exhibited no significant changes in the gut microbiota at week 10, although gut inflammatory biomarkers were not significantly altered by diet or OMC treatment. These results indicate that OMC supplementation ameliorates glycosylation reactions and modifies HFD-induced alterations in the intestinal microbiota.
Trade liberalization and intersectoral labor movements

Abstract This paper examines the impact of trade liberalization episodes on movements of labor across sectors. The aim is to assess empirically whether increased trade openness leads to increased structural change and, if so, to what extent. Results for a set of 25 liberalization episodes suggest weakly negative effects of liberalization on the extent of intersectoral labor shifts at the economy-wide 1-digit level of disaggregation. We do uncover increased sectoral change after liberalization at the 3-digit level within manufacturing, although the estimated effects are statistically weak and small in magnitude. The effects of liberalization on labor shifts differ across individual countries, in a way related to the scope and depth of reforms.