cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of Pink Bollworm Populations (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Nectaried and Nectariless Deltapine Cotton in Field Cages

The development of populations of pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), on the nectaried cultivar, ‘Deltapine 61’ (DPL-61) of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and a closely related nectariless cultivar, ‘Deltapine NSL’ (’DPL-NSL’), was studied in 0.003-ha screened field cages near Maricopa, Ariz., during the 1986 season. Sixteen cages, eight containing ‘DPL-61’ and eight containing ‘DPL-NSL,’ were inoculated with a total of 25 pairs of laboratory-reared moths in three releases beginning at first Hower buds. Subsequent infestations averaged 6.9 and 12.4 infested (rosetted) blooms per cage for ‘DPL-NSL’ and ‘DPL-61,’ respectively, a nonsignificant difference. Subsequent boll infestations were significantly lower in cages of ‘DPL-NSL’ on three of nine sample dates. Linear rates of increase per day of rosetted blooms and infested bolls were not significantly different for ‘DPL-61’ and ‘DPL-NSL,’ Total catches of male moths in single Delta traps maintained in each cage for 5 wk at the end of the season were significantly lower in ‘DPL-NSL’ (390 males per cage) than in ‘DPL-61’ (525 males per cage). The overall seasonal increases, based on these trap catches, were 15.3-fold for ‘DPL-NSL’ and 21.4-fold for ‘DPL-61,’ a highly significant 29% reduction for ‘DPL-NSL.’
Aesthetic Functions in Modern Politics

T HE relations between art and politics have rarely been discussed either in contemporary aesthetics or in political science. Since Hegel's Philosophy of Fine Arts, the analysis of art styles as the sensuous objectifications of cultural attitudes has been worked out in detail. But the same method has not been applied to the sensuous objectifications of political action. The removal of art from social life to the museum has also removed it from among the integral concerns of political science. Accepting the popular dichotomy between art and politics, modern political science has long lost its sense of art as techne, as a practical instrument of communication and coercion. An older political science did indeed consider "art" an instrument of coercion, curbing what Freud liked to call "the rebelliousness and destructive passions" of the masses and binding them to their rulers. Indeed, perhaps Freud alone among modern masters of social science comprehended art as one of the weapons of coercion in the arsenal of culture. "Works of art," Freud writes, "promote the feelings of identification" and identification is, in the Freudian theory, the modality of authority.' Of course, the finest discussion of art as a political instrument remains Plato's. That first and most astute political scientist understood art strictly as techne. Plato's analysis of the subsumption of art to politics is the foundation upon which this discussion of certain aspects of their contemporary relation is constructed. Rejecting the dichotomy of art and politics, Plato viewed politics as itself an art, a craft-techne-which subsumed the other arts. The Greek aesthesis means "sensation" or "sense perception"; and the term as used today (referring to good taste or to the beautiful) is a recent and considerable narrowing of the original meaning. It is the authentic connotations of "aesthetic" which have the greatest relevance to political science, for the
Calibration of light-scattering instruments

Abstract A more general expression than that given by Tomimatsu and Palmer is derived which corrects the light scattering intensity in different cells for reflections at the walls. Effects at both the glass-air and glass-liquid interfaces are considered. This expression requires intensity measurements at two supplementary angles and knowledge of the Fresnel coefficients. The magnitude of the correction has been calculated for values of the dissymmetry up to 26.5. For high dissymmetries, it is not possible to neglect the reflections at the liquid-glass interface as is usually done. Also, it is pointed out that there are upper limits for the dissymmetry beyond which it is not possible to apply these corrections. The importance of taking these corrections into account has been demonstrated by considering a few examples from the literature where application of a proper reflection correction will change the results significantly.
Migration of Bristle-Thighed Curlews on Laysan Island: Timing, Behavior and Estimated Flight Range

Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis) fly at least 4,000 km non-stop from staging grounds in western Alaska to the northern edge of the winter range at Laysan Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Adults migrate from Laysan in early May and return in July and August. Juveniles, which arrive in late August and early September, largely migrate unaccompanied by adults. Compared with other shorebirds, Bristle-thighed Curlews migrate in small flocks and show no diurnal pattern in timing of departures. Subadults do not fatten adequately for migration but often accompany departing adults briefly and then return to the island. Fat content in adults at the start of spring migration is high, averaging 42%. Our findings indicate that curlews wintering in the Central and South Pacific overfly Hawaii during spring and autumn, undertaking non-stop flights of >6,000 km. In the absence of tailwinds, only two of the four flight range models that we tested (Summers and Waltner 1979, Davidson 1984) provide reasonable estimates of the migratory performance of Bristle-thighed Curlews (i.e., non-stop flights from Alaska to Laysan and beyond). Within the range of altitudes at which they migrate, curlews probably seek out tailwinds that facilitate long-distance, non-stop flights.
Enhanced Incorporation of P into Tensile-Strained GaAs1-yPy Layers Grown by Metal-Organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy at Very Low Temperatures

Metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of tensile-strained GaAs1-yPy layers on GaAs substrates was carried out over the temperature range from 380 to 650◦C. The P content in the GaAs1-yPy epitaxial layers initially decreases with decreasing growth temperature from 550 to 650◦C, while then exhibiting an increase with decreasing growth temperature from 550 to 380◦C. Thermodynamic calculations indicate that P incorporation is far from thermodynamic equilibrium at all growth temperatures. Related surface kinetics for the anion incorporation competition are discussed and it is suggested that the P incorporation is assisted by the increased P surface coverage at low growth temperatures. GaAs1-yPy tensile strained layers with layer thickness exceeding the critical thickness exhibit an early stage of strain relaxation by the formation of cracks rather than misfit dislocations. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. [DOI: 10.1149/2.0181603jss] All rights reserved.
Recognizing the vaccination strategy of pertussis according to the family aggregation feature of transmission

Objective To understand the age distribution of pertussis patients admitted in the children hospital and to analyze the source of infection as well as its transmission patterns.Methods Patients visiting to the Children Hospital and epidemiologically related cases during Feb.2012 to Aug.2013 were laboratorially tested to confirm the diagnosis.Excel 2007 software was used to analyze the age distribution and clinical symptoms of clinic cases,the source of infection or subsequent cases.Results 165 out of 254 clinically suspicious pertussis cases and 38 out of the 54 epidemiologically related cases were confirmed of having pertussis infection.There were 138 (83.6％) cases under 1 year of age in the confirmed clinical cases and 36 (94.7％) cases older than 20 years of age among the confirmed epidemiologically related pertussis cases.All the confirmed epidemiologically related cases were misdiagnosed or missed for diagnosis.As the source of pertussis infection in confirmed clinical cases,parents played an imported role among 25 of the 32 cases.Transmission from infants and/or little children to adults were also observed in this study.Conclusion Infants accounted for the most among the pertussis patients that visiting the clinics.Adults,being misdiagnosed or missed diagnosed,were the main sources of infection to infants.Epidemics of pertussis occurred under family aggregation.Further study was in need to develop the proper strategy for pertussis booster vaccination. Key words: Pertussis; Transmission; Vaccination
From FOX-7 to H-FOX to insensitive energetic materials with hypergolic properties.

Nitrogen/halogen rich derivatives, 3, 4, 8, and 9 of FOX-7 (1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene), and H-FOX (1-hydrazinyl-2,2-dinitroethenamine) have been synthesized, characterized and found to exhibit good energetic properties. Compound 4 displays hypergolic properties with commonly utilized fuels such as monomethyl hydrazine (MMH), and hydrazine hydrate (HH), as well as with ethylenediamine (EN), and 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP) showing ignition delay times between 2.5 to 10 ms. Additionally, the hypergolic properties of 4 and 8 were further studied by using ammonia borane as a fuel solubilized in a green ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methyl imidazolium dicyanamide, (1 : 1 molar ratio). This is a new role for a derivative of H-FOX. The energetic and physical properties of all the molecules were either measured or calculated. All of materials were characterized by NMR, and infrared spectra, elemental analyses, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single crystal X-ray structural measurements for 4 and 9 were helpful in their confirmation.
Subdural Effusion and Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis

During the course of an ongoing NIH clinical study evaluating the benefit of cysteamine and N-acetylcysteine in 9 patients with infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL), 4 were found to have subdural fluid collections without mass effect.
Context-driven mobile apps management and recommendation: student research abstract

The problem of information overload can be summarized as the difficulty for users to make decisions (e.g., retrieve a document or purchase an item) which is actually caused by the presence of too much information, especially the Web information. Information retrieval and recommender systems have successfully alleviated this problem by either exploring information relevance or adapting to users' preferences.
Typha invasion associated with reduced aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance in northern Lake Huron coastal wetlands

Abstract Aquatic macroinvertebrates are a critical component of wetland nutrient cycling and food webs, with many fish and wildlife species depending upon them as food resources; but little is known about how invasion by dominant macrophytes may alter community dynamics. We examined the impacts of Typha invasion on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in three northern Great Lakes coastal wetlands by comparing community composition between stands of native emergent marsh and those dominated by invasive Typha . Typha invaded zones were associated with shallower and cooler water than native emergent zones, and we detected decreased aquatic macroinvertebrate density and biomass in invaded zones. After accounting for the positive effect of plant species richness on macroinvertebrate abundance, we observed Typha invaded coastal zones had less total macroinvertebrate and insect biomass than native zones across all levels of plant richness. Our results suggest that Typha invasion reduces habitat quality for aquatic macroinvertebrates by homogenizing structural diversity and reducing water temperatures, which in turn may negatively impact predatory organisms by decreasing food resources. We recommend experimental tests of Typha management treatments to identify techniques that may promote structurally diverse and biologically rich Great Lakes coastal wetlands.
GCET2, a New Adaptor Protein in B Cell Signaling.

GCET2 (Germinal Center B-cell Expressed Transcript 2; also named HGAL, Human Germinal center-Associated Lymphoma) is a newly cloned gene that has been shown to be a useful marker for germinal center (GC) B-cells and GC B-cell derived malignancies, including follicular lymphomas and germinal center B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (GCB-DLBCLs). GCET2 is also a prognostic indicator for DLBCLs, and patients with higher expression of GCET2 have significantly better survival than those with lower expression. We cloned GCET2 from a number of GC B cell-restricted expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in order to study the differentiation of GC B-cells and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the GC reaction, which is not well understood. We are report here the biochemical and biological properties of GCET2, which may help to determine its role in the GC reaction. Sequence analysis of GCET2 did not reveal any known domains but predicted five tyrosine phosphorylation sites, all of which are conserved in its mouse homologue, M17, also a GC B cell-restricted transcript. We first determined the cellular localization of GCET2 using subcellular fractionation of a B cell line, DHL16, and found that GCET2 is constitutively localized in cellular membranes but is excluded from lipid rafts. These findings were further confirmed by fluorescence confocal microscopy. GCET2 does not have a transmembrane domain but has a putative myristoylation site and a putative palmitoylation site, which may mediate its membrane attachment. Using 3 H metabolic labeling, we demonstrated that GCET2 was both myristoylated and palmitoylated, and GCET2 lost its membrane association after mutating both of these sites, indicating that the membrane attachment of GCET2 is mediated by these two post-translational modifications. We then studied tyrosine phosphorylation of GCET2. In both Daudi and DHL16 cells, GCET2 was phosphorylated following pervanadate treatment. By serially mutating the five predicated tyrosine-phosphorylation sites, we found that the distal three sites are crucial for GCET2 phosphorylation. GCET2 was also phosphorylated when co-transfected into COS7 cells with protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) LYN, LCK or SYK, and therefore it may be a substrate of these kinases in B cells. GCET2 has a conserved GRB2 binding site, and it indeed associates with GRB2 following pervanadate treatment. Our data suggest that GCET2 acts as an adaptor protein in GC B-cells by transducing signals from GC B-cell membrane to the cytosol. Our working model is as follows: a stimulus to GC B-cells induces the activation of PTKs LYN and SYK, which sequentially phosphorylate GCET2 at the plasma membrane. Phosphorylated GCET2 then recruits GRB2 from the cytosol to the plasma membrane, and this complex further recruits additional partners and activates downstream pathways, which function in the GC reaction. We are currently identifying other proteins in the GCET2/GRB2 complex to determine the pathways downstream of GCET2 activation.
Afropolitan projects: African immigrant identities and solidarities in the United States

ABSTRACTThis article explores how Africans born or raised in the United States employ ethnicity to understand their racial and cultural identities. I argue that African immigrants engage positive narratives about Africa along with their experiences of anti-black racism to articulate identities as “Africans of the world”. I call this articulation of identity Afropolitan projects. The Afropolitan as an ethnicity is not meant to shield Africans from anti-black racism, but instead helps articulate a particular relationship to this form of inequality. The following analysis derives from a qualitative case study of a voluntary association comprising Ghanaians primarily raised in the United States. I find that the group’s identity is as much about being black, African, and American as it is about being middle-class, Christian, and heterosexual. Through their Afropolitan projects, this group emphasizes solidarities with a global middle-class heterosexual patriarchy while foreclosing solidarities with working clas...
What's Next? [The end of Moore's law]

The end of Moore's law may be the best thing that has happened in computing since the beginning of Moore's law. Confronting the end of an epoch should enable a new era of creativity by encouraging computer scientists to invent new biologically inspired paradigms, implemented on emerging architectures, with hybrid circuits and systems that combine the best of scaled silicon CMOS with new devices, physical interactions and materials.
The transcription factor NFAT1 participates in the induction of CD4+ T cell functional exhaustion during Plasmodium yoelii infection

Repeated stimulation of T cells that occurs in the context of chronic infection results in progressively reduced responsiveness of T cells to pathogen-derived antigens. This phenotype, known as T cell exhaustion, occurs during chronic infections caused by a variety of pathogens, from persistent viruses to parasites. Unlike the memory cells that typically form after successful pathogen clearance following an acute infection, exhausted T cells secrete lower levels of effector cytokines, proliferate less in response to cognate antigen, and upregulate cell surface inhibitory molecules such as PD-1 and LAG-3. The molecular events that lead to the induction of this phenotype have, however, not been fully characterized. In T cells, members of the NFAT family of transcription factors not only are responsible for the expression of many activation-induced genes but also are crucial for the induction of transcriptional programs that inhibit T cell activation and maintain tolerance. Here we show that NFAT1-deficient CD4+ T cells maintain higher proliferative capacity and expression of effector cytokines following Plasmodium yoelii infection and are therefore more resistant to P. yoelii-induced exhaustion than their wild-type counterparts. Consequently, gene expression microarray analysis of CD4+ T cells following P. yoelii-induced exhaustion shows upregulation of effector T cell-associated genes in the absence of NFAT1 compared with wild-type exhausted T cells. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of NFAT1-deficient CD4+ T cells into mice infected with P. yoelii results in increased production of antibodies to cognate antigen. Our results support the idea that NFAT1 is necessary to fully suppress effector responses during Plasmodium-induced CD4+ T cell exhaustion.
Platelet activation and erythrocyte lysis during brief exposure of blood to pathophysiological shear stress in vitro.

Background Interaction of von Willebrand factor (VWF) with circulating platelets is the trigger for thrombosis in a region of arterial stenosis. These events are typically studied in vitro under conditions where platelets adhere to a VWF-coated surface. Our approach assesses platelet responses in the absence of adhesion. Objective To characterize extent of platelet activation and erythrocyte lysis in an artificial stenosis model. Methods Whole blood is perfused through a length of polyetheretherketone tubing that includes an artificial stenosis, comprising narrow-bore (89-381 μm) tubing. Secretion of [14C] serotonin and hemoglobin release was measured to evaluate platelet activation and hemolysis respectively at various perfusion rates and different stenosis dimensions. Results Platelet activation and erythrocyte lysis increased progressively with increasing perfusion rate and decreasing stenosis diameter; the length of the stenosis had negligible influence. Modest platelet activation (5-10% secretion of [14C] serotonin) occurred without significant erythrocyte lysis under a limited range of perfusion conditions (4-6 mL/min flow through a 127 μm stenosis). Conclusions Our experimental approach mimics conditions in severe arterial stenosis or a mechanical heart valve. It could be a valuable aid in the development of novel drugs to treat arterial thrombosis and in the design of heart valves.
T-bet-independent T H 1 immunity to Toxoplasma gondii drives intestinal immunopathological response

Coordinated production of IFN-γ by innate and adaptive immune cells is central for host defense, but can also trigger immunopathology. The investigation of lymphoid cell specific contribution to the IFN-γ-mediated intestinal pathology during Toxoplasma gondii ( T . gondii ) infection identified that CD4 + T cells but not group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) are responsible for IFN-γ-dependent Paneth cell death, inflammation, and bacterial dysbiosis. We identified that lack of T-bet, the lineage-defining transcription factor for ILC1s and a maturation factor for intraepithelial lymphocytes had no detectable effect on T . gondii induced intestinal inflammation, ruling out contribution of these cells in the parasite-induced immunopathology. Instead, we show that T-bet deficient CD4 + T helper 1 (T H 1) cells are necessary and fully sufficient for the T . gondii triggered acute ileitis. These results revealed that T-bet-independent T H 1 effector cells are functional mediators of type I immunopathological response during acute gastrointestinal infection.
Robotic-Assisted Total Hysterectomy: Hysterectomy Techniques for the Large Uterus

Objective: The aim of this chapter is to describe minimally invasive techniques applicable in patients with very large uteri who have an indication for hysterectomy. With a few exceptions, the approaches described here are relevant to any minimally invasive surgery, not only to the robotic platform. In addition, the same principles apply to any routine or very complex surgery and it is the author’s hope that his fellow surgeons will have their patients benefit from this knowledge.
How the disabled body unites the national body: disability as ‘feel good’ diversity in urban India

This article analyzes both representations of disability in popular media and the role of disabled workers in urban India and demonstrates how the category of disability becomes a form of non-threa...
Effects of Orally Ingested Arsenic on Respiratory Epithelial Permeability to Bacteria and Small Molecules in Mice

Background: Arsenic exposure via drinking water impacts millions of people worldwide. Although arsenic has been associated epidemiologically with increased lung infections, the identity of the lung...
Impacts of Changing Hydrology on Ravine Growth: Experimental Results

Ravines grow through head cut propagation in response to overland flow coupled with incision and widening in the channel bottom leading to hillslope failures. Altered hydrology can impact the rate at which ravines grow by changing head-cut propagation, channel incision, and channel widening rates. Using a set of small physical experiments, we tested how changing overland flow rates and flow volumes alter the total volume of erosion and resulting ravine morphology. Ravines were modeled as both detachment-limited and transport-limited systems, using two different substrates with varying cohesion. In both cases, the erosion rate varied linearly with water discharge, such that the volume of sediment eroded was a function not of flow rate, but of total water volume. This implies that efforts to reduce peak flow rates alone without addressing flow volumes entering ravine systems may not reduce erosion. The documented response in these experiments is not typical when compared to larger pre-existing channels where higher flow rates result in greater erosion through non-linear relationships between water discharge and sediment discharge. Ravines do not respond like pre-existing channels because channel slope remains a free parameter and can adjust relatively quickly in response to changing flows.
Myelodysplasia and Mast Cell Leukemia with t(9;22).

Introduction. Mast cell leukemia (MCL) is a rare variant of systemic mastocytosis. Most cases of mast cell leukemia do not have cytogenics performed. Furthermore, there is no consistent chromosomal abnormality identified in MCL. This is the first reported case of MCL with a (9;22) translocation. Case Report. An 80-year-old female presented with pancytopenia and was diagnosed with MDS. Over time, she required hospitalizations for platelet transfusions with increased frequency. She developed fatigue and weakness along with gastrointestinal symptoms. On exam, she had diffuse abdominal tenderness and a maculopapular rash. Her lab results revealed a new basophilia. A bone marrow biopsy showed 100% cellularity with many aggregates of mast cells. Chromosomal analysis showed t(9;22) with confirmed BCR/ABL1 fusion by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Discussion. MCL has a poor prognosis due to the aggressive nature of the disease and ineffective therapies. Translocation (9;22) is known to be associated with MDS transformations to acute leukemia; however, this translocation has never been reported in MCL. Further research on the relationship between t(9;22) and MCL could lead to development of improved therapeutic options.
The Nature of Logic

The necessity and importance of logic is indicated by the place it occupies in the order of learning. St Thomas tells us that logic must be learned before any other science, and he points out that this has been the usual method of philosophers. Primo quidem incipientes a logica quae modum scientiarum tradit, secundo procedentes ad mathematicam cuius etiam pueri possunt esse capaces, tertio ad naturalem philosophiam quae propter experientiam tempore indiget, quarto autem ad moralem philosophiam cuius iuvenis esse conveniens auditor non potest, ultimo autem scientiae divinae insistebant quae considerat primas entium causas.1
Innovation. Inspiration. Connection.: A Review of the Distance Teaching and Learning Conference 2017

The Distance Teaching and Learning Conference 2017 brought together distance educators, instructional designers, and administrators for three days of innovation, inspiration, and connection. Take a look at what happened at DTL 2017. You might want to include this in your 2018 schedule.
Volatile anesthesia for a pediatric patient with very long‐chain acyl‐coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency: A case report

We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with very long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency presenting for adenotonsillectomy who was successfully and safely managed with a balanced anesthetic including sevoflurane. The anesthetic management is described, and the controversy surrounding volatile anesthetics in these patients is discussed.
Performance of a quantitative fecal immunochemical test for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia: a prospective cohort study

The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is easier to use and more sensitive than the guaiac fecal occult blood test, but it is unclear how to optimize FIT performance. We compared the sensitivity and specificity for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia between single-sample (1-FIT) and two-sample (2-FIT) FIT protocols at a range of hemoglobin concentration cutoffs for a positive test. We recruited 2,761 average-risk men and women ages 49-75 referred for colonoscopy within a large nonprofit, group-model health maintenance organization (HMO), and asked them to complete two separate single-sample FITs. We generated receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves to compare sensitivity and specificity estimates for 1-FIT and 2-FIT protocols among those who completed both FIT kits and colonoscopy. We similarly compared sensitivity and specificity between hemoglobin concentration cutoffs for a single-sample FIT. Differences in sensitivity and specificity between the 1-FIT and 2-FIT protocols were not statistically significant at any of the pre-specified hemoglobin concentration cutoffs (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg/g). There was a significant difference in test performance of the one-sample FIT between 50 ng/ml (10 μg/g) and each of the higher pre-specified cutoffs. Disease prevalence was low. A two-sample FIT is not superior to a one-sample FIT in detection of advanced adenomas; the one-sample FIT at a hemoglobin concentration cutoff of 50 ng/ml (10 μg/g) is significantly more sensitive for advanced adenomas than at higher cutoffs. These findings apply to a population of younger, average-risk patients in a U.S. integrated care system with high rates of prior screening.
Balloon Test Occlusion

Abstract Balloon test occlusion (BTO) is an endovascular procedure in which a balloon is temporarily inflated in an artery in order to evaluate the potential for collateral circulation to compensate for its absence. In cases of complex aneurysms or neoplasia, artery sacrifice may be necessary to treat the pathology, and this test occlusion is used to determine the need for revascularization. For lesions affecting the carotid artery, a surprising majority of patients can tolerate occlusion permanently, but devastating ischemia can occur in others. The BTO, along with adjunctive nuclear medicine blood flow measurements, serve to increase the preprocedure probability that permanent occlusion will be tolerated without ischemic complication. Herein, we review the indications, techniques, nuances, and potential complications associated with the BTO.
Sleep and Nocturnal Gastroesophageal Reflux: An Update.

Nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux has been associated with poor sleep quality. Normal physiological adaptations of the aerodigestive system to sleep prolong and intensify nocturnal reflux events. This occurrence leads to sleep disruption, as well as to esophageal, laryngeal, and laryngopharyngeal reflux. Controversy exists on whether OSA and nocturnal reflux are causally linked or merely associated because of shared risk factors. Advances in diagnostic technology have provided new insights into gastroesophageal reflux and the mechanisms of nocturnal reflux during sleep. This update reviews new data on causal links between sleep and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Vascular Plant Lignification: Biochemical/Structural Biology Considerations of Upstream Aromatic Amino Acid and Monolignol Pathways

This chapter provides both a timely comprehensive and critical analysis of how aromatic amino acid metabolism and monolignol biosynthesis occur in vascular plants, with a particular emphasis upon the biochemistry and structural biology of the pathway steps. Ultimately, these lead to cell wall polymeric lignins, lignans, and allyl/propenyl phenols. In particular, the contribution compares and contrasts distinctions between how plants and bacteria differentially produce the essential amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine, and what is currently known about their most interesting biochemical mechanisms. The progress toward understanding each of the biochemical steps involved in monolignol biosynthesis is considered comprehensively in an analogous manner, in terms of the enzyme kinetics and proposed mechanisms, the structural biology involved, and the limited substrate degeneracy of the enzymes.
IN VITRO STUDIES OF 45Ca UPTAKE AND EXCHANGE BY OTOCONIA

Publisher Summary In man and other mammals, otoconia are made up of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite, but they also contain a small amount of organic material that is continuous with the otolithic membrane. The complexes lie over and are anchored to the saccular and utricular maculas where the sensory neuroepithelium of the gravity receptors is located. The calcite adds mass to the macular suprastructures, increasing the sensitivity of the end organs to forces of linear acceleration. It appears possible that the calcium and carbonate ion reservoirs in otoconial mineral deposits play a role in maintaining the ionic homeostasis of the endolymph. Otoconial complexes consist of an organic otoconial membrane and otoconia. This chapter discusses the in vitro studies of 45Ca2+ uptake and exchange by otoconia. The results of the experiments show that the uptake of sea was high under artificial endolymph but low and virtually absent under artificial perilymph. Moreover, saccular uptake tended to be greater than utricular.
Therapeutic targets for the treatment of microsporidiosis in humans.

Introduction: Microsporidia have been increasingly reported to infect humans. The most common presentation of microsporidiosis is chronic diarrhea, a significant mortality risk in immune-compromise...
Second Language Speech Production Research: A Methodologically Oriented Review

Recent SLA theory development, supported by related developments in cognitive psychology, has made the study of SL speech production, hitherto neglected, a promising area of work. Recent developments in L1 production studies have provided a gradually strengthening foundation for investigations of L2 production with both use and acquisitional concerns. This article briefly sketches the current first language position as a necessary preliminary to a critical discussion of recent SL production research with particular regard to methodology.
Open Personalized Navigation on the Sandbox of Wiki Pages

In this paper we present a proof-of-concept of a visual navigation tool for a personalized “sandbox” of Wiki pages. The navigation tool considers multiple groups of algorithmic parameters and adapts to user activity via graphical user interfaces. The output is a 2D map of a subset of Wikipedia pages network which provides a different and broader visual representation – a map – in the neighborhood (according to some metric) of the pages around the page currently displayed in a browser. The representation schema includes the incorporation of a kind of transparency in the algorithmic parameters affecting the presentation of the landscape visualization, which in turn enables the delivery of a personalized canvas, designed by the user. A case study shows the combination of four different sourcing (i.e., identification and extraction of the neighboring pages) rules and three layouts over the same Wikipedia subnetwork. The basic schema is readily adapted to other search experiences and contexts.
Biochemistry of Exercise

The energy required to perform the mechanical work of exercise is derived from the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). At rest, skeletal muscle cells possess only limited quantities of ATP and other high-energy phosphate molecules. If exercise is to be continued for more than a brief period of time, ATP must be continually replenished through the metabolism of fuels—primarily fats and carbohydrates. The aerobic metabolism of fuels consumes oxygen (O2), produces carbon dioxide (CO2), and generates large quantities of ATP per carbon atom. In the absence of O2, ATP may also be produced via anaerobic metabolism. This process generates much less ATP per carbon atom, but does not require O2. It does produce lactic acid, which buffers bicarbonate to form CO2. Familiarity with this biochemistry is essential to an understanding of the physiology of exercise.
Virtual Reality and Photogrammetry for Improved Reproducibility of Human-Robot Interaction Studies

Collecting data in robotics, especially human-robot interactions, traditionally requires a physical robot in a prepared environment, that presents substantial scalability challenges. First, robots provide many possible points of system failure, while the availability of human participants is limited. Second, for tasks such as language learning, it is important to create environments that provide interesting’ varied use cases. Traditionally, this requires prepared physical spaces for each scenario being studied. Finally, the expense associated with acquiring robots and preparing spaces places serious limitations on the reproducible quality of experiments. We therefore propose a novel mechanism for using virtual reality to simulate robotic sensor data in a series of prepared scenarios. This allows for a reproducible dataset that other labs can recreate using commodity VR hardware. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach with an implementation that includes a simulated physical context, a reconstruction of a human actor, and a reconstruction of a robot. This evaluation shows that even a simple “sandbox” environment allows us to simulate robot sensor data, as well as the movement (e.g., view-port) and speech of humans interacting with the robot in a prescribed scenario.
The Tripartite Architecture of the Eukaryotic Integral Membrane Protein Zinc Metalloprotease Ste24

Ste24 enzymes, a family of eukaryotic integral membrane proteins, are zinc metalloproteases (ZMPs) originally characterized as "CAAX proteases" targeting prenylated substrates, including a-factor mating pheromone in yeast and prelamin A in humans. Recently, Ste24 was shown to also cleave nonprenylated substrates. Reduced activity of the human ortholog, HsSte24, is linked to multiple disease states (laminopathies), including progerias and lipid disorders. Ste24 possesses a unique "α-barrel" structure consisting of seven transmembrane (TM) α-helices encircling a large intramembranous cavity (~14 000 A3 ). The catalytic zinc, coordinated via a HExxH…E/H motif characteristic of gluzincin ZMPs, is positioned at one of the cavity's bases. The interrelationship between Ste24 as a gluzincin, a long-studied class of soluble ZMPs, and as a novel cavity-containing integral membrane protein protease has been minimally explored to date. Informed by homology to well-characterized soluble, gluzincin ZMPs, we develop a model of Ste24 that provides a conceptual framework for this enzyme family, suitable for development and interpretation of structure/function studies. The model consists of an interfacial, zinc-containing "ZMP Core" module surrounded by a "ZMP Accessory" module, both capped by a TM helical "α-barrel" module of as yet unknown function. Multiple sequence alignment of 58 Ste24 orthologs revealed 38 absolutely conserved residues, apportioned unequally among the ZMP Core (18), ZMP Accessory (13), and α-barrel (7) modules. This Tripartite Architecture representation of Ste24 provides a unified image of this enzyme family.
Structural vulnerability to narcotics-driven firearm violence: An ethnographic and epidemiological study of Philadelphia's Puerto Rican inner-city.

Author(s): Friedman, Joseph; Karandinos, George; Hart, Laurie Kain; Castrillo, Fernando Montero; Graetz, Nicholas; Bourgois, Philippe | Abstract: BackgroundThe United States is experiencing a continuing crisis of gun violence, and economically marginalized and racially segregated inner-city areas are among the most affected. To decrease this violence, public health interventions must engage with the complex social factors and structural drivers-especially with regard to the clandestine sale of narcotics-that have turned the neighborhood streets of specific vulnerable subgroups into concrete killing fields. Here we present a mixed-methods ethnographic and epidemiological assessment of narcotics-driven firearm violence in Philadelphia's impoverished, majority Puerto Rican neighborhoods.MethodsUsing an exploratory sequential study design, we formulated hypotheses about ethnic/racial vulnerability to violence, based on half a dozen years of intensive participant-observation ethnographic fieldwork. We subsequently tested them statistically, by combining geo-referenced incidents of narcotics- and firearm-related crime from the Philadelphia police department with census information representing race and poverty levels. We explored the racialized relationships between poverty, narcotics, and violence, melding ethnography, graphing, and Poisson regression.FindingsEven controlling for poverty levels, impoverished majority-Puerto Rican areas in Philadelphia are exposed to significantly higher levels of gun violence than majority-white or black neighborhoods. Our mixed methods data suggest that this reflects the unique social position of these neighborhoods as a racial meeting ground in deeply segregated Philadelphia, which has converted them into a retail endpoint for the sale of astronomical levels of narcotics.ImplicationsWe document racial/ethnic and economic disparities in exposure to firearm violence and contextualize them ethnographically in the lived experience of community members. The exceptionally concentrated and high-volume retail narcotics trade, and the violence it generates in Philadelphia's poor Puerto Rican neighborhoods, reflect unique structural vulnerability and cultural factors. For most young people in these areas, the narcotics economy is the most readily accessible form of employment and social mobility. The performance of violence is an implicit part of survival in these lucrative, illegal narcotics markets, as well as in the overcrowded jails and prisons through which entry-level sellers cycle chronically. To address the structural drivers of violence, an inner-city Marshall Plan is needed that should include well-funded formal employment programs, gun control, re-training police officers to curb the routinization of brutality, reform of criminal justice to prioritize rehabilitation over punishment, and decriminalization of narcotics possession and low-level sales.
Muses, Heroines, and Virtuous Wives in Nineteenth-Century Italy: Erminia Fuà Fusinato’s and Matilde Serao’s Literary Portrayals of the New Italian Woman

The nineteenth-century revival of Dante brought renewed fame to his characters Beatrice and Francesca, who became the inspiration for a multitude of poems, tragedies, paintings, drawings, and music...
Regional Variation in Appropriateness of Non-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Exception.

Background Patients thought to be at greater risk of liver waitlist dropout than their laboratory Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (lMELD) score reflects are commonly given MELD exceptions, where a higher allocation MELD (aMELD) score is assigned that is thought to reflect the patient’s risk. This study was undertaken to determine whether exceptions for reasons other than hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are justified, and whether exception aMELD scores appropriately estimate risk. Methods Adult primary liver transplantation candidates listed in the current era of liver allocation in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were analyzed. Patients granted non-HCC-related MELD exceptions and those without MELD exceptions were compared. Rates of waitlist dropout and liver transplantation were analyzed using cause-specific hazards regression, with separate models fitted to adjust for lMELD and aMELD. Results There were 29,243 patients, with 2,555 in the exception group. Nationally, exception patients were more likely to dropout (hazard ratio [HR] 1.60; 95% CI, 1.45 to 1.76; p Conclusions Despite appropriate use of non-HCC MELD exceptions on a national level, patients with non-HCC MELD exceptions were awarded inappropriately high priority for transplantation in many regions. This highlights the need to consider local conditions faced by transplantation candidates when estimating waitlist mortality and determining priority for transplantation.
CONSTRAINING COMPETITION WITH STATE MANDATED FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

We find that state mandated facility requirements may constrain the size and location of funeral homes. Many states have funeral regulations that require funeral homes to have embalming rooms, chapels, and casket display rooms. Often these facilities go unused, providing no discernible benefit to consumers while imposing unnecessary costs on firms. Using a case study, we present evidence that Arizona's more extensive facility requirements reduce the number of small funeral homes relative to Florida and prevent them from locating in shopping centers. We estimate that eliminating Arizona's cumbersome facility requirements would save consumers approximately 14% on their funeral expenditures. (JEL L51, L84, L88)
A conversation with Akhil Mathur: toward the vision of equitable AI

Ubiquity's senior editor Dr. Bushra Anjum sits with Akhil Mathur, a principal research scientist at Nokia Bell Labs in Cambridge (United Kingdom). Both discuss improving the robustness of AI models deployed on mobile and wearable devices to minimize the accuracy degradation as these devices are used in new domains.
Differential MicroRNA-Signatures in Thyroid Cancer Subtypes

Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine cancers, with an increasing trend in the last few decades. Although papillary thyroid cancer is the most frequent subtype compared with follicular or anaplastic thyroid cancer, it can dedifferentiate to a more aggressive phenotype, and the recurrence rate is high. The cells of follicular adenomas and follicular carcinomas appear identical in cytology, making the preoperative diagnosis difficult. On the other hand, anaplastic thyroid cancer poses a significant clinical challenge due to its aggressive nature with no effective therapeutic options. In the past several years, the roles of genetic alterations of thyroid tumors have been documented, with a remarkable correlation between genotype and phenotype, indicating that distinct molecular changes are associated with a multistep tumorigenic process. Besides mRNA expression profiles, small noncoding microRNA (miRNA) expression also showed critical functions for cell differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and resistance to apoptosis and finally activating invasion and metastasis in cancer. Several high-throughput sequencing studies demonstrate that miRNA expression signatures contribute clinically relevant information including types of thyroid cancer, tumor grade, and prognosis. This review summarizes recent findings on miRNA signatures in thyroid cancer subtypes.
Novel approach toward the morphine skeleton. Synthesis of 1-(5-benzyloxy-2-bromo-4-methoxybenzyl)-6-oxo-3,4,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-1H-isoquinoline-2-carboxylic acid phenyl ester via N-acylpyridinium salt chemistry

A dihydropyridone-mediated approach to the morphine skeleton was investigated. The hexahydroisoquinoline 2 was synthesized in nine steps using N-acylpyridinium chemistry and dihydropyridone functionalization methods. This new approach should be useful in the design of more efficient syntheses of morphine and its derivatives.
Child Participation in Collision Sports and Football: What Influences Parental Decisions?

Objective: Sport participation promotes health benefits for children. Current media and scientific coverage of sport-related head injury may influence a parent’s decision on sports participation. P...
Immigrant and Native Consumption of Means‐Tested Welfare and Entitlement Benefits in 2016: Evidence from the Survey of Income and Program Participation

The federal government spent more than $2.3 trillion in 2016 on the welfare state, an amount equal to approximately 60 percent of all federal outlays in that year. About $1.6 trillion of those expenditures went to Social Security and Medicare, and the other roughly $700 billion was used to fund means-tested welfare benefits. Based on data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we find that immigrants consume 21 percent less welfare and entitlement benefits than native-born Americans on a per capita basis. The per capita cost of providing welfare to immigrants is substantially less than the per capita cost of providing welfare to native-born Americans.
The Whole Truth About Using Partial Real Estate Interests in Section 1031 Exchanges

A myth persists. Many believe that section 1031 treats all real property as like kind and state law determines whether property is real property. This Article examines the many cases and rulings that consider partial real estate interests and reveals that there are many exceptions to this accepted rule.