cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlated atomic force microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging of live bacterial cells

We report on imaging living bacterial cells by using a correlated tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). For optimal imaging of Gram-negative Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 cells, we explored different methods of bacterial sample preparation, such as spreading the cells on poly-L-lysine coated surfaces or agarose gel coated surfaces. We have found that the agarose gel containing 99% ammonium acetate buffer can provide sufficient local aqueous environment for single bacterial cells. Furthermore, the cell surface topography can be characterized by tapping-mode in-air AFM imaging for the single bacterial cells that are partially embedded. Using in-air rather than under-water AFM imaging of the living cells significantly enhanced the contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of the AFM images. Near-field AFM-tip-enhanced fluorescence lifetime imaging (AFM-FLIM) holds high promise on obtaining fluorescence images beyond optical diffraction limited spatial resolution. We have previously demonstrated near-field AFM-FLIM imaging of polymer beads beyond diffraction limited spatial resolution. Here, as the first step of applying AFM-FLIM on imaging bacterial living cells, we demonstrated a correlated and consecutive AFM topographic imaging, fluorescence intensity imaging, and FLIM imaging of living bacterial cells to characterize cell polarity.
Oxidative stress: a new risk factor for thyroid cancer

Oxidative stress (OS) is a state of excessive free radicals and reactive metabolites among which the most important class is reactive oxygen species (ROS) - radicals derived from oxygen - as represented by the superoxide anion radical (O2(·-)) and its reactive metabolites, hydroxyl radical (·OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). In essence, OS represents an imbalance between the production of oxidants - ROS - and their elimination by antioxidative systems in the body. Many studies have linked OS to thyroid cancer by showing its association with abnormally regulated oxidative or antioxidative molecules. The study by Wang et al. in the December 2011 issue of Endocrine-Related Cancer (18, 773-782) further supports this relationship by demonstrating a high total oxidant status and OS index in thyroid cancer patients. The origin of ROS in thyroid cancer patients has not been defined, but thyroid cancer itself can be one since inflammation, a major event in it, is a classical source of ROS. ROS may in turn enhance the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways, forming a vicious cycle propelling thyroid tumorigenesis. Regardless of the mechanism, the clinical implication of the association of OS with thyroid cancer is severalfold: one, OS is a new risk factor for thyroid cancer; two, OS confers thyroid cancer patients an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, degenerative neurological disorders, and other cancers that are classically associated with OS; and three, interference with OS may reduce this risk and be therapeutically beneficial to thyroid cancer itself in thyroid cancer patients. These interesting possibilities deserve further studies.
Differential effects of dunce mutations on associative learning and memory in Drosophila

Initial learning, 30- and 180-min memory retention after Pavlovian conditioning of an odor avoidance response was quantified in dnc1, dnc2, dncM11 and Canton-S (wild-type) homozygotes and in dnc1/FM7, dnc2/FM7, dncM11/FM7, dncM11/Can-S, Can-S/FM7, dnc1/dncM11 and dnc2/dncM11 heterozygotes. Our results consistently showed that a) the dunce mutations are semi-dominant for initial learning and b) genetic variants carrying the enzymatically hypomorphic dnc2 mutation produce learning scores lower than those of the amorphic dncM11. Analysis of this particular set of retention intervals, using a modified statistical model designed to evaluate decay rates, revealed no discernable effects of the dunce mutations on memory formation 30 to 180 min after training. These results are consistent with a model of memory formation, in which dunce is hypothesized to disrupt acquisition and/or short-term memory.
Bayesian Synchronous Tree-Substitution Grammar Induction and Its Application to Sentence Compression

We describe our experiments with training algorithms for tree-to-tree synchronous tree-substitution grammar (STSG) for monolingual translation tasks such as sentence compression and paraphrasing. These translation tasks are characterized by the relative ability to commit to parallel parse trees and availability of word alignments, yet the unavailability of large-scale data, calling for a Bayesian tree-to-tree formalism. We formalize nonparametric Bayesian STSG with epsilon alignment in full generality, and provide a Gibbs sampling algorithm for posterior inference tailored to the task of extractive sentence compression. We achieve improvements against a number of baselines, including expectation maximization and variational Bayes training, illustrating the merits of nonparametric inference over the space of grammars as opposed to sparse parametric inference with a fixed grammar.
Establishment of Methanogens in the Infant Intestine

Fifty-five healthy, full-term babies were studied to determine the age at which methanogens establish as part of the developing intestinal microflora. The infants were stratified into diet groups according to whether they were fed breast milk, formula or formula supplemented with different amounts of an iron-binding protein. The faecal microflora, including methanogens, was enumerated at 1, 4, 8 and 12 wk of age. Methanogens colonised the infant intestine surprisingly rapidly. By 1 wk of age, 11 of 47 babies (23 per cent) had acquired methanogens and the proportion of infants colonised rose to 70 per cent, 86 per cent and 83 per cent at 4, 8 and 12 wk, respectively. Analysis of sequential samples from individual infants revealed that, once established, methanogens were rarely lost from the gut microflora. Diet did not appear to influence colonisation by methanogens directly. Acquisition of methanogens by I wk of age was associated with the equally early establishment of a relatively complex faecal microflora characterised by higher concentrations of bacteroides, clostridia and enterobacteria. Keywords - Methane, Methanogens, Microflora, Faeces, Intestine, Infant, Diet.
Estimating F-Statistics: A Historical View

Characterizing the genetic structure of populations is of importance to evolutionary biology, to human disease gene mapping and to forensic science. Sewall Wright introduced a set of "F-statistics" to describe population structure in 1951 and he emphasized that these quantities were ratios of variances. Responding to uncertainty over the best way to estimate F-statistics, Weir and Cockerham published a method-of-moments set of estimators in 1984 (Evolution 38:1358-1370). This paper continues to be widely cited, with over 7,000 citations to date. Some background to the publishing history of the Weir and Ccckerham paper is given here, along with subsequent developments and a discussion of current uses of Wright's F-statistics.
High Rates of Tuberculosis and Opportunities for Prevention among International Students in the United States.

Rationale: Foreign-born persons traveling on a student visa are not currently screened for tuberculosis on entry into the United States, despite residing in the United States for up to several years.Objectives: To characterize the risk of tuberculosis in international students entering the United States and to identify strategies for early diagnosis and prevention in this population.Methods: Data were collected in 18 tuberculosis control jurisdictions in the United States. A cohort of 1,268 foreign-born patients of known visa status, diagnosed with active tuberculosis between 2004 and 2007, was used for analysis. Incidence rates were estimated on the basis of immigration data from study jurisdictions.Measurements and Main Results: Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 46 student residents, providing an annual estimate of 308 cases nationally. The estimated tuberculosis case rate in student residents was 48.1 cases per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, 35.6–64.8), more than twice that of the general f...
Conversion back to bevacizumab or ranibizumab for recurrent neovascular activity with aflibercept in age-related macular degeneration: a case series.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration often requires chronic therapy with anti-VEGF agents, and patients with recurrent disease are challenging to manage. This retrospective case series evaluates patients who were switched from bevacizumab or ranibizumab to aflibercept and then back again because of recurrent fluid on optical coherence tomography (OCT) by reporting changes in OCT measurements over the course of medication changes. Twenty-one eyes in nineteen patients received an average of 20.7 bevacizumab and/or ranibizumab injections and then an average of 7.2 aflibercept injections before being switched back to bevacizumab or ranibizumab because of recurrent fluid on OCT. Median central macular thickness improved on transition from bevacizumab or ranibizumab (317 μm) to aflibercept (285 μm; p = 0.034), then worsened over the course of aflibercept treatment (296 μm; p = 0.080), but improved again with transition from aflibercept back to bevacizumab or ranibizumab (283 μm; p = 0.016). The total volume of subretinal fluid, intraretinal fluid, and pigment epithelial detachments also decreased on transition from bevacizumab or ranibizumab (2.56 mm3) to aflibercept (2.44 mm3; p = 0.080), then worsened over the course of aflibercept treatment (3.18 mm3; p = 0.019), and improved again on transition back to bevacizumab or ranibizumab (2.11 mm3; p = 0.016). While aflibercept appears initially effective, some patients develop recurrent fluid with aflibercept that improves with transition back to bevacizumab or ranibizumab. Rotating anti-VEGF agents may be beneficial with recurrent neovascular activity.
Escaping Regulation, Escaping Convention: Development Strategies in Small Economies

Contrary to widely held belief, small island countries have many lessons to offer to other countries and the world community in terms of their development strategies. This article provides evidence that small island countries are experts at breaking and distorting global trade rules without being noticed or provoking retaliatory actions. As unimportant actors in the global system, they tend to use their sovereignty and non-market options to their advantage rather than relying purely on global rules of free trade. Globalization is neither uniform nor homogeneous, but includes opportunities and potential for derogations, exceptions and special arrangements.
Reducing the sodium content of foods: A review

Salt (sodium chloride), a substance essential for life processes, is the second most-used food additive. It is added to foods as a flavoring or flavor enhancing agent, a preservative, or an ingredient responsible for desired functional properties in certain products. Excessive dietary sodium is believed to contribute to hypertension and development of cardiovascular disease which afflicts ca. 60 million Americans. During the last decade the food industry has responded to the dietary needs of Americans concerned with consuming sodium by providing processed foods free of added salt or with reduced amounts of sodium and other foods in which some or all of the salt has been replaced by a salt substitute. Common salt substitutes, including potassium chloride, certain herbs, spices, organic acids, autolyzed yeast products, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein products alone or in combination, if used properly, can result in products that are consumer-acceptable. Commercially available foods with less than the normal amount of salt include natural cheeses, pasteurized process cheeses, cottage cheese, butter, buttermilk, ice cream, cured meat products, fresh sausages, cereal products, vegetables, salad dressing, smoked fish, fish sauces, soy sauce, and miso.
Elitism In Consulting: A Hall Of Mirrors

The article presents the author's opinion regarding an article written by John B. Miner on the subject of professional consultants. The author focuses on providing a critique of Miner's article. He...
Reduced Frontoparietal Activity in Schizophrenia Is Linked to a Specific Deficit in Goal Maintenance: A Multisite Functional Imaging Study

Patients with schizophrenia (SZ) previously demonstrated specific deficits in an executive function known as goal maintenance, associated with reduced middle frontal gyrus (MFG) activity. This study aimed to validate a new tool-the Dot Pattern Expectancy (DPX) task-developed to facilitate multisite imaging studies of goal maintenance deficits in SZ or other disorders. Additionally, it sought to arrive at recommendations for scan length for future studies using the DPX. Forty-seven SZ and 56 healthy controls (HC) performed the DPX in 3-Tesla functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanners at 5 sites. Group differences in DPX-related activity were examined with whole brain voxelwise analyses. SZs showed the hypothesized specific performance deficits with as little as 1 block of data. Reduced activity in SZ compared with HC was observed in bilateral frontal pole/MFG, as well as left posterior parietal lobe. Efficiency analyses found significant group differences in activity using 18 minutes of scan data but not 12 minutes. Several behavioral and imaging findings from the goal maintenance literature were robustly replicated despite the use of different scanners at different sites. We did not replicate a previous correlation with disorganization symptoms among patients. Results were consistent with an executive/attention network dysfunction in the higher levels of a cascading executive system responsible for goal maintenance. Finally, efficiency analyses found that 18 minutes of scanning during the DPX task is sufficient to detect group differences with a similar sample size.
Gassing Problem of Transformer Oil

The paper discussed oil gassing of concerning the content of aromatic hydrocarbon, because hydrogen ion can be absorbed into fragrant ring, and make the hydrogen in oil decrease. The assessment method and principles of insulation oil gassing were introduced, and the change conditions of oil structure group before and after the gassing test were analyzed. The experiences of gassing test for 500 kV transformer oil were narrated, such as the different results in the different test method and condition; the test with IEC A method can not represent the operation conditions of transformer; gassing coefficient can not be correct to distinguish the discrepancy of cyctaparaffin base and paraffin base oil; concentrated fragrant hydrocarbon can bring unfavorable influence by addition of ordinary transformer oil The ordinary transformer oil can be also used in 500 kV transformer; and SH0040-1991 HV transformer oil standard can not be used in electric power industry.
Coronary hyperperfusion augments myocardial oxygen consumption

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that increases in myocardial oxygen consumption (MVo2) and myocardial contractile function during exercise are flow limited. Studies were performed in 15 chronically instrumented normal dogs. MVo2 and regional percent systolic wall thickening were measured during control conditions and during maximal vasodilation produced by infusion of adenosine (20-75 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) or adenosine combined with nitroglycerin (0.4 micrograms.kg-1.min-1; TNG) into the left anterior descending coronary artery during a three-stage graded treadmill exercise protocol. Adenosine and adenosine plus TNG significantly increased coronary blood flow by 298 +/- 26 and 306 +/- 24%, respectively, at rest and by 134 +/- 7 and 145 +/- 9%, respectively, during the heaviest level of exercise (each P < 0.01). Adenosine and adenosine plus TNG increased MVo2 at rest, but this was associated with a parallel increase in heart rate, so that MVo2 per beat was not significantly changed. Systolic wall thickening was also not changed by hyperperfusion during resting conditions. However, MVo2 per beat was increased by 12 +/- 4% with adenosine and by 13 +/- 5% with adenosine plus TNG during moderate exercise and by 23 +/- 5% with adenosine and by 27 +/- 4% with adenosine plus TNG during the heaviest level of exercise (each P < 0.05). Systolic thickening of the full left ventricular wall did not change during hyperperfusion, but thickening in the subepicardial layer was increased by 14 +/- 3% with adenosine and 18 +/- 3% with adenosine plus TNG during the heaviest level of exercise (each P < 0.05). There was no difference in wall thickening between adenosine and adenosine plus TNG. These findings imply that the increases in MVo2 which occur during exercise are limited by coronary blood flow.
Driven by Debt: Bankruptcy and Financial Failure in American Families

The introductory chapter to the book, Broke: How Debt Bankrupts the Middle Class (Stanford University Press, 2012 (ed. Katherine Porter), puts the problem of financial distress in American families in context. It documents the rise in consumer debt that has left today’s families with debt burdens that would have been unthinkable a mere generation ago. It argues that debt has become one of the most common shared qualities of middle-class Americans and briefly describes the chapters in Broke that explore the problems facing overindebted families. The book examines the demographic and financial characteristics of people in bankruptcy, the decisions that contributed to their debt problems, the consequences of being in financial distress, the functioning of the bankruptcy system as a solution to overwhelming debt, and the way in which debt loads can erode families’ aspirations of achieving middle-class prosperity. The introduction explains the strengths of using bankruptcy as a lens for studying financial distress and contains a short primer on consumer bankruptcy for non-lawyers. The chapter also provides a brief description of the 2007 Consumer Bankruptcy Project, the source of the data used in the chapters in Broke and many scholarly articles.
Are Age-Associated Diseases an Integral Part of Aging?

Publisher Summary This chapter evaluates the relationship between aging and age-associated diseases. One of the concepts of the evolution of aging provides strong support for the view that age-associated diseases are an integral part of aging. Specifically, it is believed that aging occurs because the force of natural selection decreases with increasing postsexual maturational age. Three genetic mechanisms that affect reproduction and survival have been proposed and each is compatible with this evolutionary concept. First mechanism— mutation accumulation mechanism —proposes that natural selection does not eliminate mutated genes that are expressed throughout life but do not have detrimental effects until late in life. Another genetic mechanism proposed is referred to as antagonistic pleiotropy . It proposes that those genes that increase evolutionary fitness in early life will be selected for, even if they have catastrophic deleterious effects in late life. Third genetic mechanism— disposable soma theory —is based on the concept that evolutionary forces tend to form a genome that yields the maximum number of progeny.
Gender Opportunities in Psychosocial Oncology

So much has happened since the original publication of this chapter. In some ways, the progress made in appreciating the full spectrum of sexual and gender expression has been uneven and in some nations, there has been serious regression and resulting repression. But overall, especially in the industrialized countries, there is much greater awareness of sex and gender and its importance in health and well being. In this updated chapter, we put sex and gender into a historical context that is relevant to psycho-oncology and that openly accepts that society overall, is highly conflicted when it comes to how women and men get the best out of each other, never mind how to best integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities. With the advent of more tailored treatments and strategic medicine, sex becomes much more important as a variable and this has led to greater scientific requirements to create protocols that integrate sex into all aspects of health from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and death. But we still have a very far way to go. There is a serious dearth of data on sex and gender in science overall and in cancer medicine specifically. Avoidance of discussions of sex and gender in medicine reflects the larger lingering societal discomfort with any discussion that links potential sex and gender differences with superiority. The data shows that there is more intrasexual than intersexual variation in men and women. When speaking about sex and gender the literature reflects that, on average, there are many differences, and although they are small, that when taken together, the impact may be quite robust. Sex and gender differences are relevant to how individuals, couples, and families experience and cope with serious illness; however these important and obvious variables are seldom taken into account when counseling seriously ill patients and their families. Cancer is a complex disease that brings into sharp relief the potential alignments and misalignments in the sexes. In this chapter we have attempted to communicate the imperative for and importance of understanding people under stress within the context of sex and gender. Gender-specific medicine is a very young movement for scientific study but one that has great potential to maximize adaptation and mutual respect at a time when men and women are redefining themselves and adapting to new social realities and challenges.
The Family of Crumbs Genes and Human Disease

The family of vertebrate Crumbs proteins, homologous to Drosophila Crumbs (Crb), share large extracellular domains with epidermal growth factor-like repeats and laminin-globular domains, a single transmembrane domain, and a short intracellular C-terminus containing a single membrane proximal 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin-binding domain and PSD-95/Discs large/ZO-1-binding motifs. There are 3 Crb genes in humans - Crumbs homolog-1 (CRB1), Crumbs homolog-2 (CRB2), and Crumbs homolog-3 (CRB3). Bilallelic loss-of-function mutations in CRB1 cause visual impairment, with Leber's congenital amaurosis and retinitis pigmentosa, whereas CRB2 mutations are associated with raised maternal serum and amniotic fluid alpha feto-protein levels, ventriculomegaly/hydrocephalus, and renal disease, ranging from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis to congenital Finnish nephrosis. CRB3 has not yet been associated with human disease. In this review, we summarize the phenotypic findings associated with deleterious sequence variants in CRB1 and CRB2. We discuss the mutational spectrum, animal models of loss of function for both genes and speculate on the likely mechanisms of disease.
Transplantation of T cell-mediated lymphoreticular disease from the scurfy (sf) mouse

Abstract The X-linked mutation, scurfy (sf), causes a fatal lymphoreticular disease characterized by runting, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hypergammaglobulinemia, exfoliative dermatitis, Coombs'-positive anemia, and death by 24 days of age. T lymphocytes are required to mediate this syndrome as shown by a total absence of disease in mice bred to be scurfy and nude (sf/Y; nu/nu). The scurfy phenotype is not transmitted by sf/Y bone marrow transplants, though cells of scurfy origin do reconstitute all lymphoid organs in the recipient mouse. These data suggest that scurfy disease results from an abnormal T cell development process and not from an intrinsic stem cell defect. We therefore tested the ability of transplanted scurfy thymuses to transmit scurfy disease to congenic euthymic mice, to athymic (nude) mice, and to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Euthymic recipients of sf/Y thymic grafts remained clinically normal as did all SCID and nude recipients of normal thymus transplants. Morphological lesions similar to those found in scurfy mice occurred in all H-2-compatible nude and SCID recipients of sf/Y thymic grafts. Intraperitoneal injections of scurfy thymocytes, splenocytes, and lymph node cells also transmitted the scurfy phenotype to H-2-compatible nude mice and SCID mice. Our findings indicate that scurfy disease can be transmitted to T cell-deficient mice by engraftment of scurfy T cells, but that pathogenic scurfy T cell activities can be inhibited (or prevented) in immunocompetent recipient mice.
Capturing eyes and moving souls: Peruzzi's perspective set for La Calandria and the performative agency of architectural bodies

The painter-architect Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481–1536) is often credited with the invention of the canonical perspective stage set, yet very little is known about his first prospettiva – the theatre structure mounted inside the Vatican's apostolic palace for the vernacular comedy La Calandria in 1515. With extensive new archival research, this article reconstructs the landmark structure as accurately as possible and asks what made Peruzzi's theatre architecture particularly compelling to later sixteenth-century critics like Paolo Giovio, Sebastiano Serlio and Giorgio Vasari. Through a comparative analysis of the set and the play-text by Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena, what emerges are mirroring strategies of audience address with roots in classical rhetoric. The later half of the article considers the legacy of Peruzzi's scenography in Cinquecento architectural thinking, drawing particular attention to the notion of performative agency that legitimized an analogy between building and language.
PSO trained Neural Networks for predicting forest fire size: A comparison of implementation and performance

Forest fires are a dangerous and devastating phenomenon. Being able to accurately predict the burned area of a forest fire could potentially limit human casualties as well as better prepare for the ensuing economical and ecological damage. A data set from the Montesinho Natural Park in Portugal provides a difficult regression task regarding the prediction of forest fire burn area due to the limited amount of data entries and the right skew nature of the data set. This paper shows how the use of a novel input structure and representation of the data, along with using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) instead of Backpropagation to determine weights of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN), improves error rates significantly.
Survival of the Apical Papilla and Its Resident Stem Cells in a Case of Advanced Pulpal Necrosis and Apical Periodontitis

Abstract Introduction Apical papilla represents a source of an enriched mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) population (stem cells of the apical papilla [SCAPs]) that modulates root development and may participate in regenerative endodontic procedures in immature teeth with pulp necrosis. The characteristics and phenotype of this tissue in the presence of inflammation are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to characterize a human apical papilla sample that was isolated from an immature tooth with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis. Methods Inflamed periapical tissue that included part of the apical papilla (apical papilla clinical sample [CS]) was collected from an immature mandibular premolar previously diagnosed with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis during an apexification procedure. Harvested cells from this tissue (SCAP CS) were compared with inflamed periapical progenitor cells (IPAPCs) and normal SCAP (SCAP-RP89) in flow cytometry and quantitative osteogenesis experiments. Part of the issue was further processed for immunohistochemistry and compared with apical papilla and coronal pulp sections from normal immature teeth as well as inflamed periapical tissues from mature teeth. Results Similar to SCAP-RP89, 96.6% of the SCAP CS coexpressed the MSC markers CD73, CD90, and CD105, whereas only 66.3% of IPAPCs coexpressed all markers. The SCAP CS showed a significantly greater mineralization potential than both SCAP-RP89 and IPAPCs. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed moderate infiltration of cells expressing the inflammatory markers CD45/68 in the apical papilla CS and prominent CD24, CD105, and von Willebrand factor expression. Conclusions Under inflammatory conditions, human apical papilla was found moderately inflamed with retained SCAP vitality and stemness and increased osteogenic and angiogenesis potential.
On the relative importance of radiative and dynamical heating for tropical tropopause temperatures

The tropical tropopause layer (TTL) shows a curious stratification structure: temperature continues to decrease beyond the level of main convective outflow (∼200 hPa) up to the cold point tropopause (∼100 hPa), but the TTL is more stably stratified than the upper troposphere. A cold point tropopause well separated from the level of main convective outflow has previously been shown to be consistent with the detailed radiative balance in the TTL even without dynamical effects. However, the TTL is also controlled by adiabatic cooling due to large-scale upwelling within the Brewer-Dobson circulation, which creates the extremely low stratospheric water vapor content via freeze-drying. Here, we study the role of water vapor and ozone radiative heating on the detailed temperature structure of the TTL based on idealized single-column radiative-convective equilibrium simulations. An atmosphere without adiabatic cooling due to upwelling results in much higher stratospheric water vapor content; the resulting altered radiative heating structure is shown to push the TTL in a regime of radiative control by water vapor. The TTL structure is furthermore shown to be strongly sensitive to the altitude where ozone sharply transitions from tropospheric to stratospheric values. Adiabatic cooling due to upwelling is found to reduce the radiative control by water vapor, resulting primarily in a negative transport-radiation feedback. Conversely, the radiative control by ozone is enhanced due to upwelling – a positive transport-radiation feedback. The particularly strong ozone radiative effect may explain about half of the reported spread in cold point temperatures (∼10 K) in current climate models.
REDD1 induction regulates the skeletal muscle gene expression signature following acute aerobic exercise

The metabolic stress placed on skeletal muscle by aerobic exercise promotes acute and long-term health benefits in part through changes in gene expression. However, the transducers that mediate alt...
Human Papillomavirus: A Qualitative Study of Korean American Female College Students' Attitudes Toward Vaccination .

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have the potential to reduce Korean American women's high burden of cervical cancer, but information is limited about their awareness of HPV and its vaccine. . Objectives This study aimed to explore Korean American female college students' awareness of and attitudes toward HPV vaccination. . Methods A qualitative descriptive study was used. Five focus group interviews were conducted with 20 Korean American female college students aged 18-26 years from Massachusetts. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. . Findings Major themes were awareness, misunderstandings, attitudes, social influences, and cultural influence. A critical need exists to develop and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate HPV prevention education programs to promote HPV vaccination in this population.
Immunogenicity in African Green Monkeys of M Protein Mutant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Vectors and Contribution of Vector-Encoded Flagellin.

Recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a promising platform for vaccine development. M51R VSV, an attenuated, M protein mutant strain, is an effective inducer of Type I interferon and dendritic cell (DC) maturation, which are desirable properties to exploit for vaccine design. We have previously evaluated M51R VSV (M51R) and M51R VSV that produces flagellin (M51R-F) as vaccine vectors using murine models, and found that flagellin enhanced DC activation and VSV-specific antibody production after low-dose vaccination. In this report, the immunogenicity of M51R vectors and the adjuvant effect of virus-produced flagellin were evaluated in nonhuman primates following high-dose (108 pfu) and low-dose (105 pfu) vaccination. A single intramuscular vaccination of African green monkeys with M51R or M51R-F induced VSV-specific, dose-dependent humoral immune responses. Flagellin induced a significant increase in antibody production (IgM, IgG and neutralizing antibody) at the low vaccination dose. A VSV-specific cellular response was detected at 6 weeks post-vaccination, but was neither dose-dependent nor enhanced by flagellin; similar numbers of VSV-specific, IFNγ-producing cells were detected in lymph node and spleen of all animals. These results indicate that virus-directed, intracellular flagellin production may improve VSV-based vaccines encoding heterologous antigens by lowering the dose required to achieve humoral immunity.
Restoration of Physiological Expression of 5-HT6 Receptor into the Primary Cilia of Null Mutant Neurons Lengthens Both Primary Cilia and Dendrites.

5-HT6 (serotonin) receptors are promising targets for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and have been linked to several cellular signaling cascades. Endogenous 5-HT6 receptors are restricted to the primary neuronal cilium, a small sensory organelle stemming from the cell body that receives numerous extrasynaptic signals. Inhibition of 5-HT6 receptors decreases cilia length in primary neuronal cultures, but the signaling mechanisms involved are still unclear. Intense overexpression of exogenous 5-HT6 receptors increases the probability for receptors to localize outside the primary cilium and have been associated with changes in cilia morphology and dendritic outgrowth. In the present study, we explore the role of 5-HT6R rescue on neuronal morphology in primary neuronal cultures from 5-HT6R-KO mice, at the same time maintaining a more physiologic level of expression, wherein the receptor localizes to cilia in 80%–90% of neurons (similar to endogenous 5-HT6R localization). We found that rescue of 5-HT6R expression is sufficient to increase cilia length and dendritic outgrowth, but primarily in neurons in which the receptor is located exclusively in the primary cilia. Additionally, we found that expression of 5-HT6R mutants deficient in agonist-stimulated cAMP or without the predicted Fyn kinase binding domain maintained constitutive activity for stimulating cAMP and still increased the length of cilia, and that the proposed Fyn kinase domain was required for stimulating dendritic outgrowth. These findings highlight the complexity of 5-HT6R function and localization, particularly with the use of exogenous overexpression, and provide greater understanding and potential mechanisms for 5-HT6R drug therapies.
Technology, Power, and Socialization in Appalachia:

Without understanding the relationship among three critical components of a social system involved in change, efforts to intervene are haphazard
Socio-Cultural Aspects of Urban Hydrology

In presenting some general issues in the socio-cultural dimensions of urban hydrology, the key theme is that of a multi-dimensional, multi-objective, futures-oriented, flexible framework of planning and assessment. This entails a more systematic description of critical variables of a socio-cultural system; the centrality of a systems approach: and the usefulness of technology assessment and social forecasting in providing additional methodologies which would combine descriptive capabilities with imaginative thrusts of alternative futures. A series of key urban problems and of institutional responses attempt to indicate the need for a broader perspective of socio-cultural dimensions in present and future urban water management schemes.
Acquiring domain knowledge from fragments of advice

This research examines the acquisition of domain knowledge from an expert. Currently, the transfer of expert knowledge to a computer program is a painstaking process. The human expert is asked for a set of problem solving heuristics. Each heuristic is a fragment of domain knowledge which the expert has packaged with other heuristics to produce well orchestrated problem solving behavior. Twenty years of experience by AI researchers handcrafting expert systems demonstrates the difficulty of acquiring complex knowledge.
Positive remodeling of the coronary arteries detected by magnetic resonance imaging in an asymptomatic population: MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess coronary arterial remodeling as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis using coronary wall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in an asymptomatic p...
A Pediatric Preintern Boot Camp: Program Development and Evaluation Informed by a Conceptual Framework

Abstract Objective Boot camps are being developed and implemented by a growing number of medical schools to facilitate medical students’ transition to internship. However, there is limited conceptual understanding of how this facilitation occurs. Methods We developed and piloted a 1-week pediatric boot camp in 2015, then significantly revised and evaluated the program in 2016-2017 using a conceptual framework of self-efficacy. Consistent with this framework, the revised boot camp focuses on enhancing practical skills that can ease medical students’ transition to internship. Observations and course evaluations informed process evaluation, whereas learner assessments immediately after and at 6 months after the boot camp informed outcomes evaluation in terms of both perceived self-efficacy and confidence. Results Medical students valued sessions that were “hands on,” and program improvements were made to include a variety of interactive curricular activities. Data from course evaluations provided evidence of increased perceived self-efficacy. Learner assessment showed a medium to large effect size for confidence in nearly all specific skills that were queried and a positive, albeit attenuated, effect on perceived self-efficacy at 6 months. Conclusions Program evaluation of a pediatric boot camp informed by a conceptual framework of self-efficacy shed light on how it might facilitate medical students’ transition to internship. A similar conceptual framework may be useful for other trainee preparatory courses.
Degenerative or Debilitative Neurologic Syndromes

Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive, debilitating impairments of neurologic function. Dementia affects cognition and function. Persons with cognitive deficits should undergo a full workup and may be treated with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia may be assessed and treated individually. Parkinson disease is a disorder of movement. Levodopa is the standard treatment of dopamine-related movement symptoms. Associated symptoms should be assessed and treated. Other neurodegenerative syndromes are less common but highly debilitating. Currently, there are no curative or disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. Novel therapies or research are in the pipeline.
Fostering Data Sharing in Multidisciplinary Research Communities: A Case Study in the Geospatial Domain

The sharing of research data allows for information reuse and knowledge advancement but its realization is often a challenge and seldom successful in practice. We propose a workflow for the design of a User Support System (USS) aimed at tutoring research groups in data sharing by considering their social and domain backgrounds. Our engagement approach focuses on multidisciplinary geospatial research, particularly when interoperable data sharing is required. Specifically, we first characterize the research community on the basis of the behavior and competences in data management by its groups and then target the needs of the latter with specific facilities. We address for the first time in literature the issue of modeling research groups as targets of the USS and provide a roadmap to standardize USS activities across different communities. We describe the implementation of the workflow in the context of an Italian research project and we assess the impact of the USS in terms of increase in the number of nodes and resources in the project’s data infrastructure, and of fulfilment of the expectations by the research groups.
Performing l-ḥrig: music, sound and undocumented migration across the contemporary Mediterranean (Morocco–Italy)

Based on ethnographic research that is part of a larger project on the role of music and sound among migrant Moroccan men in Italy, this article focuses on ‘L-ḥərraga’, a song that narrates the voy...
Lovász theta type norms and operator systems

Abstract To each graph on n vertices there is an associated subspace of the n × n matrices called the operator system of the graph. We prove that two graphs are isomorphic if and only if their corresponding operator systems are unitally completely order isomorphic. This means that the study of graphs is equivalent to the study of these special operator systems up to the natural notion of isomorphism in their category. We define new graph theory parameters via this identification. Certain quotient norms that arise from studying the operator system of a graph give rise to a new family of parameters of a graph. We then show basic properties about these parameters and write down explicitly how to compute them via a semidefinite program, and discuss their similarities to the Lovasz theta function. Finally, we explore a particular parameter in this family and establish a sandwich theorem that holds for some graphs.
Adjuvant Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for patients at High-Risk of Peritoneal Metastases.

Abstract Background Selection of patients for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) continues to evolve. We hypothesized that adjuvant HIPEC for patients at high-risk of peritoneal progression is safe and associated with favorable outcomes. Methods The institutional database of a high-volume center was queried for patients with high-risk disease undergoing HIPEC with a peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) of 0. High-risk patients were defined as those with ruptured primary tumors or locally advanced (T4) disease. Results 37 patients underwent adjuvant HIPEC, with a median follow-up of 5.2 years. 54% had low-grade (LG) tumors while 46% had high-grade (HG) tumors. No patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, while eleven patients (32.4%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. There were no perioperative mortalities, and the overall complication rate was 43%. For the entire cohort, five year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 77% and 100%, respectively. Five year RFS and OS were 75% and 100% for LG patients and 81% and 100% for HG patients, respectively. Conclusions Adjuvant HIPEC for patients at high-risk of peritoneal progression, with PCI 0, is safe and associated with favorable long-term survival. Additional prospective investigation is needed to identify patient populations who may benefit most from HIPEC.
Reversible solid oxide cell systems for integration with natural gas pipeline and carbon capture infrastructure for grid energy management

Abstract Electrical energy storage (EES) is necessary to enable greater penetration of renewables and as a grid-balancing solution, but current EES technologies suffer from capacity or geological limitations and high cost. Reversible solid oxide cells (ReSOCs) are an electrochemical energy conversion technology that can produce both electricity from fuel (gas-to-power) and fuel from electricity (power-to-gas), depending on resource availability and demand. Leveraging in situ C-O-H chemistry and operating at intermediate temperature (600 ° C) and elevated pressure (10–20 bar) enables these cells to be mildly exothermic, eliminating the need for external heat input or high over-potential (low-efficiency) operation during electrolysis mode. This operating strategy also results in higher methane production during electrolysis, facilitating easier integration with natural gas pipeline infrastructure over steam/hydrogen electrolytic processes. This study proposes a ReSOC system integrated with both natural gas pipeline and carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure to render a flexible, grid energy management resource. In gas-to-power mode, the system takes natural gas from a pipeline to produce electricity. Un-utilized fuel is combusted with oxygen and expanded through a turbine to produce more power. The water in the exhaust is condensed, and the remaining carbon dioxide is compressed for tanker or pipeline transportation to a carbon sequestration site. In power-to-gas mode, carbon dioxide and water are co-electrolyzed in the stack to produce methane and hydrogen, which can be injected directly into a natural gas pipeline or further refined into a purer stream of methane. We explore system design concepts, performance, and cost of a 50 MWe ReSOC system. Results indicate that synthetic natural gas (92.0% methane) can be produced at $22.7/MMBTU with a lower heating value efficiency of 81%. Alternatively, a system that net meters produced syngas and operates in power producing mode 50% of the time can generate electricity at a levelized cost of 10.5 ¢ /kWh with an efficiency of 69% (LHV), while producing exhaust that is 95.5% carbon dioxide at 40 bar. If the system operates disproportionally in gas-to-power mode the LCOE drops to near 6 ¢ /kWh. The economic outlook for mature ReSOC systems presented herein are found to be competitive with current energy storage technologies and natural gas peaker plants.
Design Patterns for Sorting Algorithms

This Innovative Practice Work-in-Progress Paper presents an alternative approach to teach algorithms using design patterns. The traditional approach to teaching different algorithms is to introduce each algorithm as a stand-alone approach. For example, when one goes over different sorting algorithms, one may start with logically simpler sorts like bubble sort or selection sort, and progress to the more challenging algorithms like heap sort or merge sort. We argue that there is another way to introduce a family of algorithms – identify the design patterns common to a group of algorithms, introduce the patterns first, before differentiating one approach from another. In this way, we focus on overall constructs and operations required, rather than how to complete each one of the sorts separately.This approach allows for an abstract class, such as Sort, to be first identified from a top-down approach, followed by the introduction and identification of which design patterns an actual algorithm falls - say divide-and-conquer for merge sort. The advantage of the approach is to allow the student to explore new realizations of solutions to problems developed from the abstract class, rather than studying a specific implementation of an algorithm.
Literature-guided recommendations for otolaryngologists during the COVID-19 pandemic: A contemporary review

Objective: The objective of this study was to review the current literature and guidelines on management of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19 or 2019nCoV) with respect to the field of Otolaryngology. Design: Contemporary literature review. Methods: Systematic literature review of global medical literature databases and communications were queried to find all available literature recommendations, research, and guidelines applicable to otolaryngologists in the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Guidance on personal protective equipment, office visits, and surgical scheduling, as well as recommendations for safe airway management and tracheotomy performance during the COVID-19 pandemic were compiled and interpreted. Conclusions: Little guidance exists for otolaryngologists who are among the highest risk groups during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. This synthesis and compilation of global resources serve as a building block for further guidance during the epidemic. Level of Evidence_ NA.