cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A mobile precursor determines amyloid-β peptide fibril formation at interfaces.

The aggregation of peptides into amyloid fibrils plays a crucial role in various neurodegenerative diseases. While it has been generally recognized that fibril formation in vivo may be greatly assisted or accelerated by molecular surfaces, such as cell membranes, little is known about the mechanism of surface-mediated fibrillation. Here we study the role of adsorbed Alzheimer’s amyloid-β peptide (Aβ42) on surface-mediated fibrillation using polymer coatings of varying hydrophobicity as well a supported lipid bilayer membrane. Using single molecule fluorescent tracking and atomic force microscopy imaging, we show that weakly adsorbed peptides with two-dimensional diffusivity are critical precursors to fibril growth on surfaces. This growth mechanism is inhibited on the highly hydrophilic surface where the surface coverage of adsorbed peptides is negligible or on the highly hydrophobic surface where the diffusion constant of the majority of adsorbed peptides is too low. Physical properties that favor weakly...
Face Fly Oviposition Studies

Emerging males nd females of the face fly, Muscautumnalis DeGeer, were caged together for 4 days, after which females were isolated in individual cages. Egg-laying records of 120 selected females were taken each day until natural death occurred, to determine frequency of egg deposition. Eggs were laid in batches of about 20 (maximum 31), with 2–8 days between batches. Average percent of eggs from which pupae developed was 78.2%. One individual lived 58 days and laid 230 eggs in 10 batches, 189 pupae developing from these eggs. Examination of the ovaries of 112 females at known intervals after egg deposition revealed that the eggs were deposited as soon as they became full sized in the ovaries.
Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder of a Young Woman.

Questions are presented at “consideration points” that follow a section that gives information about the case. One or more choices may be correct for each question; make your choices on the basis of your clinical knowledge and the history provided. Read all of the options for each question before making any selections. You are given points on a graded scale for the best possible answer(s), and points are deducted for answers that would result in a poor outcome or delay your arriving at the right answer. Answers that have little or no impact receive zero points. At the end of the exercise, you will add up your points to obtain a total score.
Clinical Case Discussion: Failure of a Midurethral Sling Procedure for Stress Urinary Incontinence in a Female Patient

The patient should have an autologous fascia sling as her next procedure because she has recurrent stress urinary incontinence after two prior transobturator synthetic slings, current urethral erosion, and intrinsic sphincter deficiency.
Distribution of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in myocytic regions and vasculature of feline myocardium.

The physiological and pathophysiological roles of myocardial alpha 1-adrenergic receptors are not clearly defined. To delineate the distribution of alpha 1-receptors in myocytic and vascular compon...
B cell-T cell interaction: antigen bridge to antigen presentation

Gail Bishop describes a 1985 study by Antonio Lanzavecchia that changed our understanding of B cell–T cell interactions.
College Students' Misperceptions Regarding Their Peers Feelings of Comfort in Drinking Situations: A Proactive Intervention Model

This proactive model regarding alcohol abuse prevention in colleges and universities is designed to help clarify students' misperceptions regarding their peers' feelings of comfort in drinking situations. Students inaccurately perceive that their peers are more comfortable in drinking situations than they are themselves. These misperceptions may lead students to believe that they do not fit in and encourage them to drink more than they would otherwise. They do fit in, but they do not realize it. This model is unique, not only because of the category of misperceptions being clarified, but also because it involves parents of college and university students. The model is designed to encourage a dialogue between parents and their sons and daughters regarding alcohol abuse on campus. Parents' involvement is necessary to help clarify these misperceptions.
Lip Contact Pressure While Talking in Background Noise

Loudness manipulation is an important clinical tool in reducing functional communication limitations and increasing speaking participation in individuals with dysarthria. Increasing loudness appear...
Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors.

Diagnostic ultrasound imaging has been a common tool in medical practice for several decades. It provides a safe and effective method for imaging structures internal to the body. There has been a recent increase in the use of ultrasound technology to visualize the shape and movements of the tongue during speech, both in typical speakers and in clinical populations. Ultrasound imaging of speech has greatly expanded our understanding of how sounds articulated with the tongue (lingual sounds) are produced. Such information can be particularly valuable for speech-language pathologists. Among other advantages, ultrasound images can be used during speech therapy to provide (1) illustrative models of typical (i.e. "correct") tongue configurations for speech sounds, and (2) a source of insight into the articulatory nature of deviant productions. The images can also be used as an additional source of feedback for clinical populations learning to distinguish their better productions from their incorrect productions, en route to establishing more effective articulatory habits. Ultrasound feedback is increasingly used by scientists and clinicians as both the expertise of the users increases and as the expense of the equipment declines. In this tutorial, procedures are presented for collecting ultrasound images of the tongue in a clinical context. We illustrate these procedures in an extended example featuring one common error sound, American English /r/. Images of correct and distorted /r/ are used to demonstrate (1) how to interpret ultrasound images, (2) how to assess tongue shape during production of speech sounds, (3), how to categorize tongue shape errors, and (4), how to provide visual feedback to elicit a more appropriate and functional tongue shape. We present a sample protocol for using real-time ultrasound images of the tongue for visual feedback to remediate speech sound errors. Additionally, example data are shown to illustrate outcomes with the procedure.
Media’s Influence on Perceptions of Trans Women

Although media representations of trans women are becoming increasingly common, many trans women still face discrimination in their daily lives, in part due to prejudices and stereotypes that are perpetuated by media. In two studies, we investigated group differences in baseline transphobia linked to gender, sexual orientation, religiosity, and political ideology; we then measured whether different representations of trans women in media led to attitude change. After providing information about their baseline attitudes, participants were randomly assigned to positive, negative, or control film-viewing conditions, with a problematic condition (i.e., sympathetic portrayal of a trans woman by a cisgender male actor) added in study 2. In each condition, participants viewed two depictions of trans women from film or television shows. After watching the clips, participants’ attitudes toward trans individuals were re-assessed. Heterosexuals, Christians, conservatives, and men (study 2 only) showed greater transphobia at pretest than LGB individuals, atheists, liberals, and women, respectively. Attitudes of participants who viewed negative film depictions of trans women became more negative after viewing the clips. We discuss implications of these findings in relation to recent media interest in representing trans women.
Quantitative Monitoring of Bone Formation in Ankylosing Spondylitis Using Computed Tomography

Ankylosing Spondylitis, an inflammatory disease affecting mainly the spine, can be characterized by abnormal bone structures (syndesmophytes) growing at intervertebral disk spaces. Monitoring the evolution of these syndesmophytes has been a challenge because of their slow growth rate, a problem compounded by the use of radiography and a mainly qualitative rating system. To improve the low sensitivity to change of radiographic reading, we designed a computer algorithm that fully quantitates syndesmophytes in terms of volume using the 3D imaging capabilities of computed tomography. Its reliability was assessed by computing the difference between the results obtained from 2 scans performed on the same day in 9 patients. A longitudinal study performed over 2 years with 33 patients shows that the method holds promise for longitudinal clinical studies of syndesmophyte development and growth. At the end of the first year, 73 % of patients had a volume increase computed by the algorithm compared to only 12 % for the reading of radiographs.
Background to the Eugenics Movement and Influences on Friedrich Hayek

Friedrich Hayek was against eugenics and the eugenics movement. Although from childhood he was familiar with the concepts of Darwinism and sometimes stated the Nordic superiority and anti-Semitic sentiments found among many Anglo-Germanic professionals and the educated middle and upper-middle classes during the first half of the twentieth century. However, British colleagues who were leaders in the eugenics movement influenced Hayek’s theory of the natural selection of groups and of central planning in a socialistic system. But, Hayek was against eugenics practices as illustrated by his opposition to state-controlled central planning and social engineering programs which included eugenics. He believed governmental social engineering could potentially lead to a totalitarian society and the lack of individual freedom through eugenic mandates as found under Nazism.
Study on the microplastics release from fishing nets

Recent estimates indicate that 10% of total plastic waste ends up in the oceans and have reached even remote areas such as polar region. Depending on the chemical composition of plastic polymers, these wastes can accumulate on the seabed (about 70%) or remain suspended in the water column.
Wnt Signaling in Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells: A Tale of Two Coactivators

Wnt signaling in stem cells plays critical roles in development, normal adult physiology, and disease. In this chapter, we focus on the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in somatic stem cell biology and its critical role in normal tissue homeostasis and cancer. Wnt signaling can both maintain potency and initiate differentiation in somatic stem cells, depending on the cellular and environmental context. Based principally on studies from our lab, we will explain the dichotomous behavior of this signaling pathway in determining stem cell fate decisions, placing special emphasis on the interaction of β-catenin with either of the two highly homologous Kat3 coactivator proteins, CBP and p300. We will also discuss our results, both preclinical and clinical, demonstrating that small molecule modulators of the β-catenin/Kat3 coactivator interaction can be safely utilized to shift the balance between maintenance of potency and initiation of differentiation.
Information Fostering - Being Proactive with Information Seeking and Retrieval: Perspective Paper

People often have difficulty in expressing their information needs. Many times this results from a lack of clarity about the task at hand, or the way an information or search system works. In addition, people may not know what they do not know. The former is addressed by search systems by providing recommendations, whereas there are no good solutions for the latter problem. Even when a search system makes recommendations, they are limited to suggesting objects such as queries and documents only. They do not consider providing suggestions for strategies, people, or processes. This Perspective Paper addresses it by showing how to investigate the nature of the work a person is doing, predicting the potential problems they may encounter, and providing help to overcome those problems. This help could be an object such as a document or a query, a strategy, or a person. This whole process is referred to as Information Fostering. Beyond crafting a general-purpose recommender system, Information Fostering is the idea of providing proactive suggestions and help to information seekers. This could allow them avoid potential problems and capture promising opportunities from a search process before it is too late. The current paper presents this new perspective by outlining desired characteristics of an Information Fostering system, envisioning application scenarios, and proposing a set of potential methods for moving forward. Beyond these details, the primary purpose of this paper is to offer a new viewpoint that looks at the other side of the information seeking coin, by bringing together ideas from human-computer interaction, information retrieval, recommender systems, and education.
Plasticity Under Somatic Mutation in Antigen Receptors

After antigen binding, a subset of newly activated B and T cells is recruited into the primary follicles of lymphoid tissue where, along with follicular dendritic cells, they establish a site of vigorous lymphocyte proliferation. Within these germinal centers the processes of somatic hypermutation and selection result in the affinity maturation of antigen receptors (see, e.g., Kelsoe 1996; Wagner and Neuberger 1996). Mutation rates at the rearranged V(D)J locus and the flanking introns are up to 106 times higher than background. During the germinal center reaction, the affinities of immunoglobulins (Igs) for the eliciting antigen typically increase by factors of ten or 100 in the B cells that go on to become memory cells. Using antigen as a limited resource in a miniaturized Darwinian struggle for survival among lymphocytes is an essential component of the overall strategy employed by the immune system to effectively combat the vast majority of pathogens. Somatic mutation — though not necessarily accompanied by affinity maturation — has been described in many species, including, remarkably, (Hinds-Frey et al. 1993), the earliest extant animal with an adaptive immune system (Du Pasquier 1993)
Angiogenesis, the Neurovascular Niche and Neuronal Reintegration After Injury

Injury to the central nervous system caused by traumatic brain and/or spinal cord injury, stroke, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases and hypoxia all evoke a repair process involving angio-genesis and neuro-genesis. Optimal structural and functional recovery is dependent upon a coupled angio- and neuro-genesis, which occur in specific neurogenic zones in the Central Nervous System (CNS). This coupled response is thought to provide the individual with the cellular elements that effect repair and ultimately clinical improvement. However, only some affected individuals survive and exhibit evidence of clinical improvement following these injuries/disease states and the improvement is variable. A more complete understanding of the cell biology of the cells comprising this niche and their dynamic interactions with each other and the surrounding extracellular matrix is crucial to our ability to beneficially intervene therapeutically to increase the percentage of affected individuals surviving and exhibiting clinical improvement and the extent of their improvement. In this chapter we discuss the importance of biocompatible engineered scaffolds that mimic the structural and functional properties of the CNS neurogenic zones in developing tissue culture and animal models which will allow a better, more detailed understanding of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions crucial for maintenance of niche cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and differentiation and the ultimate development of implantable stem cell containing scaffolds as a therapeutic approach.
From Rights to Needs

At the heart of most international water conflicts is the question of “equitable” allocations, criteria for which are vague and often contradictory. However, application of an equitable water-sharing agreement along the volatile waterways of the globe is a prerequisite to hydropolitical stability. This paper explores the question of equity measures for water-sharing agreements in the context of global hydropolitics, describing the practice of water resources allocations as exemplified in the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database ­ a computerized database of 145 treaties relating to international water resources. Forty-nine of these treaties delineate water allocations.
The Theory of Parametric Scalarization

This chapter discusses the theory of parametric scalarization. Polishchuk argues that most multi-objective programming methods can be viewed as variant forms of parametric scalarizations, in which a global aggregation function is chosen to transform the original multi-objective problem into a problem with a single scalar objective. It is particularly important to note that Polishchuk does not consider it necessary to explicitly compute the values of the decision variables x at each iteration. Rather than working from the feasible region in decision space X to the feasible region φ( X ) in objective function space, Polishchuk proposes using the parametric scalarization to move from the far simpler set of parameter values A to the non-inferior set E (φ( X )). Because X is often of much higher dimension than A , parametric scalarization can significantly reduce the computational burden involved in multi-objective programming.
Planning for Tomorrow

The wise clinician, like the astute leader, always looks ahead to tomorrow - and the day after that. In patient care, envisioning tomorrow means trying to anticipate the course of the patient’s illness and the outcome of recommended therapy, discussed in Chap. 5 on Disease Treatment and Prevention and even in Chap. 6 on Caring for Dying Patients and Their Families. In the practice of delivering top quality health care to our patients, planning for tomorrow involves staying current with the advances in clinical care and the new developments in health policy and economics (Chap. 7 on Making a Living as a Clinician and Chap. 8 on Staying Up to Date). And, there is also the consideration of what to anticipate in your own life and that of your family. In this chapter, we will touch on a few of these topics, but the emphasis will be on your personal preparation for some life changes that may lie ahead.
The TW wine agent: a social semantic web demo

The Tetherless World (TW) Wine Agent extends the original Stanford Knowledge Systems Laboratory (KSL) Wine Agent to support collective recommendations on food-wine pairings. This is done to (1) demonstrate the advance of Semantic Web technologies, including OWL DL reasoning, SPARQL, provenance explanation, and semantic wikis, and (2) show how the Semantic Web can be integrated into Social Web applications. A live demo is available at http://onto.rpi.edu/wiki/wine, which is designed for use on mobile phones as well as standard browsers.
What is a Life Worth

This article examines the amount recovered in 118 wrongful death cases filed in a single jurisdiction (North Carolina) over a five year period. The dataset is unique, in that it includes both jury verdicts and settlements. Although the injury -- death -- was the same in these cases, the amount recovered varied greatly. Several patterns emerge from the data. First, there is a strong negative correlation between age and the amount recovered. Second, the manner in which the decedent died seems to make a difference. Violent deaths, for example, led to larger recoveries than did non-violent deaths. Third, jury verdicts produced much larger recoveries than did settlements. Finally, our results underscore the critical role of insurance in these cases.
AESV Integration of IMU and Implementation of Interleaved Data Acquisition and Transmission Method

Fire rescue and containment operations pose a wide spectrum of challenges for firefighting personnel. Extreme temperatures, hazardous gases, reduced visibility, and unknown building layouts make for time expensive operations in a time sensitive environment where the potential for flashover can be fatal. For this research, it is discussed the progress made for an Autonomous Embedded System Vehicle (AESV) prototype that can assist firefighters in planning smarter and safer rescue operations. This paper discusses the integration of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and implementation of an interleaved data acquisition and transmission protocol. The interleaved implementation results in a sensor refresh rate of 945 micro-seconds. This latency is expected to increase as additional sensors continue to be integrated into the design. An alternative data acquisition and transmission protocol may be necessary in future work. The integration of the IMU and transmission protocol expands the capabilities of the AESV, which provides firefighters with the information needed to plan smarter and safer rescue operations.
Emotional Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Nursing Students: Integrative Review of Literature.

Background Emotional intelligence (EI) and critical thinking (CT) are positive attributes for nursing students throughout their nursing education and in future professional practice. Purpose The purpose was to review the literature investigating both EI and CT in prelicensure nursing students. Methods A systematic literature search of original research articles published between 2003 and 2018 was conducted using electronic databases. Emerging themes were identified using integrative review methodological strategies. Results Three themes emerged: (1) EI and CT are interdependent; (2) EI and CT are critical for success in nursing education; and (3) nursing education should enhance EI and CT. Findings are mixed regarding the usefulness of screening applicants for EI prior to admission. Conclusions Developing EI and CT skills in nursing students deserves thoughtful consideration. Further research is warranted regarding integrating strategies to enhance EI and CT skills as well as adopting EI as an adjunct admissions criterion for entrance into a prelicensure program.
Effects of Time-of-Day Training Preference on Resistance-Exercise Performance.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how time-of-day training preference influences resistance-exercise performance. Methods: Resistance trained males (n = 12) were recruited for t...
Practical considerations for active machine learning in drug discovery

Active machine learning enables the automated selection of the most valuable next experiments to improve predictive modelling and hasten active retrieval in drug discovery. Although a long established theoretical concept and introduced to drug discovery approximately 15 years ago, the deployment of active learning technology in the discovery pipelines across academia and industry remains slow. With the recent re-discovered enthusiasm for artificial intelligence as well as improved flexibility of laboratory automation, active learning is expected to surge and become a key technology for molecular optimizations. This review recapitulates key findings from previous active learning studies to highlight the challenges and opportunities of applying adaptive machine learning to drug discovery. Specifically, considerations regarding implementation, infrastructural integration, and expected benefits are discussed. By focusing on these practical aspects of active learning, this review aims at providing insights for scientists planning to implement active learning workflows in their discovery pipelines.
Tonal and "Anti-Tonal" Cognitive Structure in Viennese Twelve-Tone Rows

We show that the twelve-tone rows of Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern are "anti-tonal"—that is, structured to avoid or undermine listener's tonal schemata. Compared to randomly generated rows, segments from Schoenberg's and Webern's rows have significantly lower fit to major and minor key profiles. The anti-tonal structure of Schoenberg's and Webern's rows is still evident when we statistically controlled for their preference for other row features such as mirror symmetry, derived and hexachordal structures, and preferences for certain intervals and trichords. The twelve-tone composer Alban Berg, by contrast, often wrote rows with segments that fit major or minor keys quite well.
Galvanic Behavior Of Aluminized Steel Type 2 With Coating Breaks In Waters Of Varying Scaling Tendencies

Aluminized steel Type 2 is produced as a carbon steel sheet hot dip coated on both sides with commercially pure aluminum, forming a layered Al/Al-Fe coating that provides corrosion protection through low corrosion rates of the sound outer aluminum when it is passive. However, if the aluminized coating is partially disrupted exposing the underlying steel, accelerated damage by galvanic corrosion of the aluminized coating and/or the exposed steel may take place. To examine this condition, the impedance behavior of aluminized steel Type 2 with coating breaks of various sizes was studied in waters of controlled varying scaling tendencies containing different amounts of Ca, HCO3, and Cl ions at room temperature. Initial findings show accelerated corrosion at the exposed steel in mild solutions early in the test, indicative of poor galvanic protection by the coating. However, enhanced galvanic protection by the surrounding aluminized coating was noted later on in the test. Impedance measurements confirmed that corrosion of the aluminized coating was in progress then, resulting in larger protective currents.
The Legal Protection of Copyright and the Rights of Authors in the People's Republic of China, 1949-1984: Prelude to the Chinese Copyright Law

This article surveys the history of the regulation of authors’ rights in the People’s Republic of China, and perhaps provides some basis for speculation about the possible content of the copyright law the Chinese government plans to enact within the next few years.
Software defined radar based frequency modulated continuous wave GPR

Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar allows for a wide range of research applications. One primary use of this technology which is explored in this paper is the ground penetrating radar. To achieve high sensing performance, wide-band spectral reconstruction and sophisticated image reconstruction algorithm have been developed to overcome hardware limitations. Applications and future work include Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging, innovative GPR, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) radar systems.
'toci associated toxicity' - a report of tocilizumab associated bowel perforation in two critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia

INTRODUCTION: The advent of corona virus disease (COVID-19) as a global health emergency has resulted in the trial of several empiric pharmacological regimens, many of which are associated with deleterious adverse effects. However, because of the lack of viable treatments and rapidity of spread, physicians around the world have used them in an attempt to improve survival in critically ill patients. One such drug is Tocilizumab, which was hypothesized to have a role in managing the cytokine release syndrome (“Cytokine storm”) associated with this illness. We report our experience with 2 critically ill patients with COVID-19 who received Tocilizumab and subsequently developed intestinal perforation. CASE PRESENTATION: Patient A was a 74-year-old gentleman with COVID-19 pneumonia whose hospitalization was complicated by development of adynamic ileus presumed secondary to sepsis, that was conservatively managed. Due to worsening tachypnea, tachycardia and higher oxygen requirements, he was given Tocilizumab. 2 weeks into his hospital stay, his surveillance imaging demonstrated small bowel perforation with free intraperitoneal air and intrabdominal abscesses. He was started on antibiotics, total parenteral nutrition and obtained 2 intraperitoneal drains. His further hospital stay was complicated by development of hypotension and asystole cardiac arrest. Patient B was a 65-year-old renal transplant recipient with COVID-19 pneumonia who received Remdesivir, Dexamethasone, convalescent plasma and Tocilizumab. During his hospital stay, he had worsening hypoxic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Subsequently, patient developed fevers with worsening leukocytosis and new pressor requirements. He was started on broad spectrum antibiotic coverage and imaging demonstrated pneumatosis of ascending colon concerning for impending perforation. After discussion with family members, patient was transitioned towards comfort measures. DISCUSSION: Tocilizumab is an Interleukin-6 receptor antagonist which was used for the profound inflammatory state associated with COVID-19. Recent studies have demonstrated its ineffectiveness in preventing further clinical deterioration, intubation or death in moderately ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19. In prior studies in rheumatoid arthritis, Tocilizumab was noted to have a higher incidence of lower gastrointestinal perforations, especially with preexisting diverticulitis or steroid use. The exact mechanism of bowel perforation is unclear and is likely multifactorial. Early after bowel injury, there is a substantial increase in Interleukin-6 expression that stimulates epithelial proliferation. Absence of this, in combination with intestinal hypoperfusion seen in critically ill patients may potentially increase the risk of intestinal perforation. Our cases emphasize the importance of close monitoring and caution while using lesser known and more risky medications without clearly established guidelines.
Understanding changes in park visitation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A spatial application of big data

Abstract In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the daily lives of people around the world. In an effort to quantify these changes, Google released an open-source dataset pertaining to regional mobility trends—including park visitation trends. Changes in park visitation are calculated from an earlier baseline period for measurement. Park visitation is robustly linked to positive wellbeing indicators across the lifespan, and has been shown to support wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this dataset offers vast application potential, containing aggregated information from location data collected via smartphones worldwide. However, empirical analysis of these data is limited. Namely, the factors influencing reported changes in mobility and the degree to which these changes can be directly attributable to COVID-19 remain unknown. This study aims to address these gaps in our understanding of the changes in park visitation, the causes of these changes (e.g., safer-at-home orders, amount of COVID-19 cases per county, climate, etc.) and possible impacts to wellbeing by constructing and testing a spatial regression model. Results suggest that elevation and latitude serve as primary influences of reported changes in park visitation from the baseline period. Therefore, it is surmised that Google's reported changes in park-related mobility are only partially the function of COVID-19.
Cholesterol Biosynthesis Defines Oligodendrocyte Precursor Heterogeneity between Brain and Spinal Cord

Brain and spinal cord oligodendroglia have distinct functional characteristics, and cell autonomous loss of individual genes can result in different regional phenotypes. However, a molecular basis for these distinctions has not been identified. Using single-cell analysis of oligodendroglia during developmental myelination, we demonstrate that brain and spinal cord precursors are transcriptionally distinct, defined predominantly by cholesterol biosynthesis. We further identify mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a major regulator promoting cholesterol biosynthesis in oligodendroglia. Oligodendroglial-specific loss of mTOR decreases cholesterol biosynthesis in both the brain and spinal cord. Importantly, mTOR loss has a greater impact on cholesterol biosynthesis in spinal cord oligodendroglia which corresponds with more pronounced developmental deficits. However, loss of mTOR in brain oligodendroglia ultimately results in oligodendrocyte death, spontaneous demyelination, and impaired axonal function, demonstrating that mTOR is required for myelin maintenance in the adult brain.
Associations between seafood intake frequency and diet and health indicators among U.S. adults: NHANES 2011–2016

Abstract Seafood provides nutritional benefits, but is not commonly consumed by most Americans. Regression analyses were used to examine associations between self-reported seafood intake frequency, diet quality and health indicators among U.S. adults (20–65 years) based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2011–2016) (n = 11,478). A low percentage (14 %) consumed seafood ≥8 times/month. The proportion consuming seafood ≥8 times/month was higher among foreign-born compared to U.S.-born adults and those with more education and higher incomes. Individuals consuming seafood intake ≥8 times/month had higher Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, greater intakes of protein, cholesterol and alcohol, certain vitamins and minerals, most monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fruits, vegetables and total meat, and lower intakes of carbohydrates, total sugars, saturated fatty acids, dairy, refined grains, and solid fats and added sugars than those consuming seafood
When media events fail: the transformation of the Israeli peace discourse at the funeral of Shimon Peres

Media events celebrate and re-legitimate core values of national societies. While scholars have focused on analyzing how and why media events come to matter, this article inspects how the symbolic ...
Intellectual Property and Property Rights

Contents: Acknowledgements Introduction Adam Mossoff PART I PROPERTY THEORY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS A. Descriptive and Normative Accounts of "Intellectual Property" as Property 1. Lawrence C. Becker (1993), 'Deserving to Own Intellectual Property' 2. Frank H. Easterbrook (1990), 'Intellectual Property is Still Property' 3. Richard A. Epstein (2001), 'Intellectual Property: Old Boundaries and New Frontiers' 4. Wendy J. Gordon (1993), 'A Property Right in Self-Expression: Equality and Individualism in the Natural Law of Intellectual Property' 5. Robert P. Merges (2008), 'The Concept of Property in the Digital Era' 6. Henry E. Smith (2007), 'Intellectual Property as Property: Delineating Entitlements in Information' B. Copyright 7. Justin Hughes (2006), 'Copyright and Incomplete Historiographies: Of Piracy, Propertization, and Thomas Jefferson' 8. Richard A. Epstein (2005), 'Liberty Versus Property? Cracks in the Foundations of Copyright Law' 9. Christopher M. Newman (2011), 'Transformation in Property and Copyright' C. Patents 10. Adam Mossoff (2007), 'Who Cares What Thomas Jefferson Thought About Patents? Reevaluating the Patent "Privilege" in Historical Context' 11. F. Scott Kieff (2001), 'Property Rights and Property Rules for Commercializing Inventions' 12. Edmund W. Kitch (1977), 'The Nature and Function of the Patent System' D. Trademarks 13. Mark P. McKenna (2006-2007), 'The Normative Foundations of Trademark Law' E. Trade Secrets 14. Robert G. Bone (1998), 'A New Look at Trade Secret Law: Doctrine in Search of Justification' 15. Eric R. Claeys (2011), 'Private Law Theory and Corrective Justice in Trade Secrecy' PART II THE PROPERTY-BASED CRITIQUE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 16. Tom G. Palmer (1990), 'Are Patents and Copyrights Morally Justified? The Philosophy of Property Rights and Ideal Objects' 17. Tom W. Bell (2008), 'Copyright as Intellectual Property Privilege'
Modelling the evolution and expected lifetime of a deme’s principal gene sequence

The principal gene sequence (PGS), defined as the most common gene sequence in a deme, is replaced over time because new gene sequences are created and compete with the current PGS, and a small fraction become PGSs. We have developed a set of coupled difference equations to represent an ensemble of demes, in which new gene sequences are introduced via chromosomal inversions. The set of equations used to calculate the expected lifetime of an existing PGS include inversion size and rate, recombination rate and deme size. Inversion rate and deme size effects are highlighted in this work. Our results compare favourably with a cellular automaton-based representation of a deme.
Attractive line codes for high-speed LANs and MANs and their realization

Steadily increasing data rates in local and metropolitan area networks call for the high-speed realization of line codes. For many applications these line codes should be DC-free. The code selected for the fiber channel standard (FCS) belongs to a class of DC-free codes known as alternate codes. New DC-free line codes that improve the timing properties of the FCS code are constructed. Look-ahead precomputation and state switching are used to reduce single XOR operation. A high-speed encoder architecture for two-state alternate codes, based on state switching and parallel processing, is described, using the example of the FCS code. The architecture is well-suited to VLSI implementation. Using this architecture, the FCS code can be efficiently realized with a low-speed technology (e.g., CMOS) even at multigigabit data rates. >
Urinary tract infection caused by Aerococcus viridans, a case report.

Background Aerococcus viridans organisms are gram-positive, usually airborne cocci that are widely distributed in hospital environments. These bacteria have infrequently been encountered as a human pathogen causing bacteremia, endocarditis and urinary tract infections. The clinical significance of these bacteria may be overlooked due to their fastidious growth and often confused with other strains of streptococci. Case report We report a case of urinary tract infection with bacteremia caused by A. viridans in an 87 year-old male nursing home resident. The patient presented with a fever of 103 degrees F, dysuria, hematuria and weakness for three days. Urinalysis showed large amount of blood, more than one hundred white cells/HPF and 4+ bacteria. Laboratory tests revealed, white blood cell count of 2300/cu mm (neutrophils 80%, bands 7%, lymphocytes 11% and monocytes 2%), hemoglobin 15.4 gm/dL, blood urea nitrogen 23 mg/dL and creatinine 1.2 mg/dL. Urine culture yielded growth of 10(5) CFU of A. viridans. The patient was treated for ten days with levofloxacin (both IV + PO). Conclusions To date, no clinical case report of this nature has been described implicating A. viridans in urinary tract infections. Increased awareness and more studies of this genus should lead to the identification of their potential role in human infections.
Estimation of Genetic Model Parameters: Variables Correlated With a Quantitative Phenotype Exhibiting Major Locus Inheritance

A major locus that is detected through its effect on one phenotype (a primary trait) may also affect other quantitative phenotypes or qualitative disease endpoints (secondary traits). The pattern of effects of the major locus on a set of primary and secondary traits suggests candidate defects for the mutant allele. The effects are directly estimable when "measured genotypes" or a tightly linked marker allow unambiguous assignment of major locus genotypes. When genotypes assignments are ambiguous for a major locus detected through its effect on a quantitative primary trait, we propose estimators using genotypic probabilities. Making certain reasonable assumptions, we demonstrate asymptotic unbiasedness of these genotypic probability estimators of the genotypic means and variances for either the quantitative primary or secondary traits, of the covariances between quantitative primary and secondary traits, and of prevalences for the secondary qualitative traits. An important application of genotypic probability estimators is to define an effect of a major locus that cannot be detected upon analysis of the variable; for example, major locus effects may be defined for hypertension or blood pressure as secondary traits, but not detected as primary traits.
Software Component Technology for High Performance Parallel and Grid Computing

A software component framework is one where an application designer programs by composing well understood and tested "components" rather than writing large volumes of not-very-reusable code. The software industry has been using component technology to build desktop applications for about ten years now. More recently this idea has been extended to application in distributed systems with frameworks like the Corba Component Model and Enterprise Java Beans. With the advent of Grid computing, high performance applications may be distributed over a wide area network of compute and data servers. Also "peer-to-peer" applications exploit vast amounts of parallelism exploiting the resources of thousands of servers. In this talk we look at the problem of building a component technology for scientific applications. The common component architecture project seeks to build a framework that allows software components runing on a massively parallel computers to be linked together to form wide-area, high performance application services that may be accessed from desktop applications. This problem is far from being solved and the talk will describe progress to date and outline some of the difficult problems that remain to be solved.
Improving estimates of tree mortality probability using potential growth rate

Tree growth rate is frequently used to estimate mortality probability. Yet, growth metrics can vary in form, and the justification for using one over another is rarely clear. We tested whether a growth index (GI) that scales the realized diameter growth rate against the potential diameter growth rate (PDGR) would give better estimates of mortality probability than other measures. We also tested whether PDGR, being a function of tree size, might better correlate with the baseline mortality probability than direct measurements of size such as diameter or basal area. Using a long-term dataset from the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., as well as existing species-specific estimates of PDGR, we developed growth–mortality models for four common species. For three of the four species, models that included GI, PDGR, or a combination of GI and PDGR were substantially better than models without them. For the fourth species, the models including GI and PDGR performed roughly as well as a model that included only th...
Site-directed regiocontrolled synthesis of a 'head-to-head' photodimer via a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation involving a linear template.

Co-crystallisation of 1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (1,8-nap) with trans-1-(3-pyridyl)-2-(4-pyridyl)ethylene (3,4-bpe) gives a discrete molecular solid-state assembly, 2(3,4-bpe)·2(1,8-nap) 1, that is held together by four O–H⋯N hydrogen bonds wherein the diacid directs a regiocontrolled [2 + 2] photodimerization; the reaction occurs by way of a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation.
Acute functional consequences of left ventriculotomy.

Abstract Background . Left ventriculotomies are sometimes used during intracardiac congenital defect repair. Acute changes in left ventricular function after longitudinal or apical ventriculotomy were assessed using dynamic pressure-dimensional data. Methods . Ultrasonic dimension transducers along the major, minor, and septal free wall axes and micromanometers were placed in 24 piglets. Pressure-volume data were collected during caval occlusions at baseline and 60 minutes after warm cardiopulmonary bypass alone or with longitudinal ventriculotomy or apical left ventriculotomy. Hemodynamics, contractility, and contraction geometry were analyzed. Results . Cardipulmonary bypass caused decreased compliance in all groups, with equally decreased preload and cardiac output. Heart rate increased, but ventriculotomy led to a significantly greater increase. Longitudinal ventriculotomy produced a greater loss of stroke volume and ejection fraction than apical ventriculotomy. Contractility assessed by the preload recruitable stroke work relationship showed no difference between groups; however, all groups showed a slight increase in unit myocardial power at 60 minutes. Axis fractional shortening revealed that the septal freewall is responsible for 50% of stroke volume and that this axis is significantly impaired after longitudinal ventriculotomy. Conclusion . Apical left ventriculotomy impairs the less important major axis only and is predicted to be better tolerated.
Predicting reading outcomes with progress monitoring slopes among middle grade students.

Abstract Effective implementation of response-to-intervention (RTI) frameworks depends on efficient tools for monitoring progress. Evaluations of growth (i.e., slope) may be less efficient than evaluations of status at a single time point, especially if slopes do not add to predictions of outcomes over status. We examined progress monitoring slope validity for predicting reading outcomes among middle school students by evaluating latent growth models for different progress monitoring measure–outcome combinations. We used multi-group modeling to evaluate the effects of reading ability, reading intervention, and progress monitoring administration condition on slope validity. Slope validity was greatest when progress monitoring was aligned with the outcome (i.e., word reading fluency slope was used to predict fluency outcomes in contrast to comprehension outcomes), but effects varied across administration conditions (viz., repeated reading of familiar vs. novel passages). Unless the progress monitoring measure is highly aligned with outcome, slope may be an inefficient method for evaluating progress in an RTI context.
Likelihood-surface based discretization for tracking via tree search

A new discretization technique based on local maxima of the observation likelihood surface is proposed for tree-search based tracking of dim targets in heavy clutter. The joint likelihood of sensor observations over the target state space is evaluated in the vicinity of the previously estimated target state, and its local maxima are selected as new states for discretization. The discretized states are used to build a search tree, which is navigated using the stack algorithm to approximate the maximum a posteriori tracking solution. Simulation results on a benchmark active sonar data set reveal that the proposed algorithm is able to follow dim maneuvering targets without track fragmentation.
A novel microstrip-compatible technique for depositing YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / on both surfaces of a substrate

A technique for the deposition of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / on both the top and bottom surfaces of a substrate by pulsed laser deposition is reported. This approach employs a metallic buffer layer to protect the first YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / film while the second film is deposited. It is particularly applicable to microstrip-based circuit topologies where the ground plane conductor requires minimal patterning. The performance of microstrip ring resonators, fabricated by this technique, is substantially better than can be achieved with microstrip ring resonators which consist of a superconducting ring and a normal-conductor ground plane. This approach allows the deposition of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / on both sides of the substrate without the need for radiative heating schemes and can accommodate any size and shape of substrate. >