cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spinal nerve ligation decreases γ-aminobutyric acidB receptors on specific populations of immunohistochemically identified neurons in L5 dorsal root ganglion of the rat.

This study examined the distribution of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(B) receptors on immunohistochemically identified neurons, and levels of GABA(B(1)) and GABA(B(2)) mRNA, in the L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the rat in the absence of injury and 2 weeks after L5 spinal nerve ligation. In uninjured DRG, GABA(B(1)) immunoreactivity colocalized exclusively with the neuronal marker (NeuN) and did not colocalize with the satellite cell marker S-100. The GABA(B(1)) subunit colocalized to >97% of DRG neurons immunoreactive (IR) for neurofilament 200 (N52) or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), or labeled by isolectin B4 (IB4). Immunoreactivity for GABA(B(2)) was not detectable. L5 spinal nerve ligation did not alter the number of GABA(B(1)) -IR neurons or its colocalization pattern in the L4 DRG. However, ligation reduced the number of GABA(B(1)) -IR neurons in the L5 DRG by ≈38% compared with sham-operated and naive rats. Specifically, ligation decreased the number of CGRP-IR neurons in the L5 DRG by 75%, but did not decrease the percent colocalization of GABA(B(1)) in those that remained. In the few IB4-positive neurons that remained in the L5 DRG, colocalization of GABA(B(1)) -IR decreased to 75%. Ligation also decreased levels of GABA(B(1)) and GABA(B(2)) mRNA in the L5, but not the L4 DRG compared with sham-operated or naive rats. These findings indicate that the GABA(B) receptor is positioned to presynaptically modulate afferent transmission by myelinated, unmyelinated, and peptidergic afferents in the dorsal horn. Loss of GABA(B) receptors on primary afferent neurons may contribute to the development of mechanical allodynia after L5 spinal nerve ligation.
Minimally invasive lumbar laminectomy via a dual-tube technique: evaluation in a cadaver model.

Abstract Background Minimally invasive surgery is a promising new tool in treatment of spinal disorders. Minimally invasive laminectomy provides an efficacious means of achieving lumbar decompression. Present single-tube approaches may entail significant facet injury. We explore the feasibility of a dual-tube minimally invasive laminectomy approach in a cadaver model. Methods We performed minimally invasive lumbar laminectomies in 8 adult cadavers. Twenty-three levels were treated. We used a dual-tube technique, undercutting the facet joints bilaterally while attempting to minimize facet injury. Crossed-tube rongeuring of individual facet joints and neural foramina mirrored open techniques. Pre- and postoperative CT scans of the cadavers were obtained; we measured the cross-sectional area of the spinal canal and neural foramina in each specimen using a CT workstation. Facet damage was assessed. We used the Medtronic Sofamor-Danek (Memphis, Tenn) X-Tube and Quadrant systems to complete individual procedures. Results Increases in canal cross-sectional area were achieved in each specimen: L3-4 increased from 238.3 to 354.4 mm2 (125.1%); L4-5, 274 to 390.9 mm2 (142.7%); and L5-S1, 349.9 mm2 to 458.8 mm2 (131%). Neural foraminal diameter also increased in each specimen (L3-4 right increased 123%; left, 136.8%; L4-5, 143.5% and 145.6%; L5-S1, 124% and 116% respectively). Incidental facet injury was noted in 5 (10.9%) of a potential 46 joints. Conclusions We demonstrate that a dual-tube MIS technique can effectively complete lumbar decompressive laminectomy and foraminotomy procedures in a cadaver model, without significant facet injury. Minimally invasive surgery laminectomy techniques hold significant clinical promise.
Infrared refractive index of silicon.

The infrared refractive index of silicon is determined by using the channel spectrum technique.(AIP)
Deformation and failure of a heterogeneous high explosive

The deformation and failure of the pristine PBX 9501 high explosive are studied experimentally by combining Brazilian disk compression with the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The Brazilian disk specimen was loaded by a pair of compressive forces across the diameter. The full-field deformation on the surface of the disk, during the loading process, was obtained using DIC on a series of random speckle images acquired during the test. In this series of experiments, we focused on the effect of temperature while keeping the loading speed quasi-static. Tests were conducted under three different temperatures, −15°C, 23°C, and 50°C. For all testing conditions, it was observed that as the applied load reaches maximum, localized deformation starts at the two regions near the loading points. The localized deformation then proceeds along an irregular path toward the center of the specimen and coalesces. Finally, deformation of the Brazilian disk subjected to cyclic compressive load at ambient temperature ...
A conspectus of New Zealand flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with the description of a new genus and species

A key to the New Zealand flower fly genera is presented; one new genus (Anu Thompson, type una Thompson) and one new species (Anu una Thompson)) are described. A checklist of the flower flies of New Zealand is also included.
The MFMU Cesarean Registry: impact of time of day on cesarean complications.

Objective Studies suggest that sleep deprivation adversely affects performance. We hypothesized that cesarean delivery complications would be more frequent during the night shift (11 pm-7 am), and evaluated morbidities by delivery shift. Study design Eighteen thousand nine hundred and thirty-nine term women undergoing an unscheduled cesarean delivery in 13 centers from 1999 to 2000 within a prospective observational study were included. Maternal/neonatal morbidities and time from decision to cesarean delivery were evaluated by time of delivery (7 am-3 pm, 3 pm-11 pm, 11 pm-7 am). A composite of maternal morbidities was evaluated by logistic regression controlling for potentially confounding factors. Results Controlling for age, race, insurance, cardiac disease, preeclampsia, diabetes, previous incision type, and prenatal care, shift of delivery had no impact on maternal morbidity (11 pm-7 am OR 0.9 [95% CI 0.81-1.0]). NICU admissions were slightly increased at night but neonatal complications were not. Conclusion Maternal and neonatal complications of cesarean delivery do not increase with delivery during the night shift.
Association of IL2RA polymorphisms with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis is not explained by missense mutations in IL2RA.

Genome-wide association studies have identified an association between two intronic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs12722489 and rs2104286, in the interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain gene ...
Partial breast irradiation in a patient with bilateral breast cancers and CREST syndrome

Abstract Purpose To describe the first documented use of partial breast irradiation (PBI) in a patient with calcinosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasias (CREST) syndrome. Methods and materials A 50-year-old woman with well-controlled CREST syndrome for 6 years was diagnosed with bilateral early-staged breast cancers. She underwent bilateral lumpectomies, sentinel lymph node biopsies, and PBI delivered via bilateral MammoSite catheters (Cytyc Corp., Marlborough, MA) followed by chemotherapy. She was monitored perioperatively, at 6 months and at 1 year for worsening of her CREST-related symptoms and complications associated with surgery and radiation therapy. Both surgeon and patient’s opinion of her cosmetic outcome were also recorded at 1-year followup. Results The patient experienced mild acute cellulitic changes in the perioperative period, which resolved with antibiotics. At 6 months, she exhibited a Grade 1 late toxicity, which has remained stable at 1-year followup. The patient and surgeon are very pleased with her cosmetic outcome. Conclusions Accelerated PBI was delivered safely to a patient with collagen vascular disease. By decreasing the surface area receiving radiation with accelerated PBI, we believe that the toxicity associated with the treatment was minimized. Future studies will be necessary to clarify the use of PBI in patients with collagen vascular disease.
Program path analysis to bound cache-related preemption delay in preemptive real-time systems

Unpredictable behavior of cache memory males it difficult to statically analyze the worst-case performance of real-time systems. This problem is exacerbated in case of preemptive multitask systems due to intertask cache in terference, called Cache-Related Preemption Delay (CRPD). This paper proposes an approach to analysis of the tight upper bound on CRPD which a task might impose on lower-priority tasks. Our method determines the program execution path of the task which requires the maximum number of cache blocks using an integer linear programming technique. Experimental results show that our approach provides up to 69% tighter bounds on CRPD than a previous approach.
Survivorship Advantage of Conspecific Necrophagy in Overwintering Boxelder Bugs (Heteroptera: Rhopalidae)

Abstract Adult boxelder bugs [Leptocoris trivittatus (Say)] (Heteroptera: Rhopalidae) were observed feeding on dead conspecifics while overwintering. Boxelder bug adults were collected in the fall of 2000 and 2001 to test the hypothesis that conspecific necrophagy provides a benefit through increased survivorship. Adult bugs were kept individually with no water or food, water only, dead boxelder bugs only, water and dead boxelder bugs, and water and boxelder (Acer negundo L.) seeds. Boxelder bugs kept without water, either with or without other resources, died at a significantly higher rate than bugs kept with water. Bugs provided with water and dead boxelder bugs lived significantly longer than bugs provided only with water and were seen feeding on the dead bugs for up to 2.5 h continuously. The presence of boxelder seeds did not increase survivorship beyond the water-only treatment. It was concluded that water was the most limiting factor determining boxelder bug survivorship during winter, but dead box...
Joint Scheduling and Network Coding for Multicast in Delay-Constrained Wireless Networks

This paper deals with network-coded multicast for real-time and streaming-media applications where packets have explicit expiration deadlines. Most of the popular network coding approaches require asymptotically large block-lengths, thereby incurring long decoding delays. The present paper introduces a joint scheduling and network coding design that aims to maximize the average throughput while respecting the packet deadlines. The novel approach relies on a time-unwrapped graph expansion in order to construct the network codes. The resultant algorithm draws from the well-known augmenting-path algorithm, and is both distributed as well as scalable. For networks with primary interference, a lower-bound on the worst-case performance of the algorithm is provided. The associated optimization problem is also analyzed from an integer programming perspective, and a set of valid inequalities is derived to obtain an upper bound.
The Tactical Topography of Stalking Victimization and Management

A meta-analysis of 108 samples across 103 studies of stalking-related phenomena, representing almost 70,000 participants, reveals an average prevalence across studies of 23.5% for women and 10.5% for men, with an average duration of almost 2 years. The average proportion of female victims across studies was 75%, and 77% of stalking emerged from some form of prior acquaintance, with 49%originating from romantic relationships. New typologies of stalking behavior, coping responses to stalking, and symptomology due to stalking victimization are reported. Across 42 studies, the average physical violence incidence was 33%, and 17 studies produced an average sexual violence incidence of slightly greater than 10%. A summary of 32 studies of restraining orders indicated that they are violated an average of 40% of the time and are perceived as followed by worse events almost 21% of the time.
The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule has received remarkably little philosophical discussion. No book has ever been written on it, and articles devoted to it have been exceedingly few, and usually not very searching. It is usually mentioned, where it is mentioned at all, only in passing, and most of these passing remarks have either been false, trite, or misleading, though some of them, as we shall see, have certainly been interesting enough. Considering its obvious importance and its almost universal acceptance, this dearth of philosophical discussion is unfortunate, and also somewhat surprising. One of the things I hope to show about it, though only incidentally, is that there are problems connected with it of the utmost subtlety, worthy of the attention of even the most minute philosophers
Cyclic Evolution of Coronal Fields from a Coupled Dynamo Potential-Field Source-Surface Model.

The structure of the Sun’s corona varies with the solar-cycle phase, from a near spherical symmetry at solar maximum to an axial dipole at solar minimum. It is widely accepted that the large-scale coronal structure is governed by magnetic fields that are most likely generated by dynamo action in the solar interior. In order to understand the variation in coronal structure, we couple a potential-field source-surface model with a cyclic dynamo model. In this coupled model, the magnetic field inside the convection zone is governed by the dynamo equation; these dynamo-generated fields are extended from the photosphere to the corona using a potential-field source-surface model. Assuming axisymmetry, we take linear combinations of associated Legendre polynomials that match the more complex coronal structures. Choosing images of the global corona from the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory at each Carrington rotation over half a cycle (1986 – 1991), we compute the coefficients of the associated Legendre polynomials up to degree eight and compare with observations. We show that at minimum the dipole term dominates, but it fades as the cycle progresses; higher-order multipolar terms begin to dominate. The amplitudes of these terms are not exactly the same for the two limbs, indicating that there is a longitude dependence. While both the 1986 and the 1996 minimum coronas were dipolar, the minimum in 2008 was unusual, since there was a substantial departure from a dipole. We investigate the physical cause of this departure by including a North–South asymmetry in the surface source of the magnetic fields in our flux-transport dynamo model, and find that this asymmetry could be one of the reasons for departure from the dipole in the 2008 minimum.
Canopy Light Effects in Multiple Training Systems on Yield, Soluble Solids, Acidity, Phenol and Flavonoid Concentration of ‘Frontenac’ Grapes

Phenolic compounds contribute greatly to the sensory attributes of wine and have a wide range of human health benefits as well. In this study, four trellis/ training systems were evaluated for effects on fruit-zone light environment, fruit chemical composition (including phenol and flavonoid concentrations), and yield of ‘Frontenac’ grapes (Vitis sp. MN 1047) grown in southeastern Nebraska over two growing seasons. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured above the canopy and within the fruiting zone at berry set, veraison, and harvest. Point quadrat canopy analysis was performed at veraison. Both bound and free (unbound) flavonoid and total phenolic contents were determined for the skins and seeds of fruit samples in 2008. At all sampling dates in 2008, vines grown on Geneva double curtain (GDC) and high cordon (HC) had higher midday percentage PAR transmittances than vines grown on Smart-Dyson (SD) and vertical shoot positioned (VSP) training systems. In 2009, transmittance relationships between trellises were not consistent throughout the season. In both years, leaf layer number (LLN) was lower for GDC and HC than for SD and VSP. Flavonoid and total phenol concentrations of the bound seed and bound skin extracts did not differ among trellises. Within the free extracts, VSP had higher total phenol concentration than SD (GDC and HC were intermediate) and there were no differences in flavonoid concentration. In 2008, GDC had higher pH than other trellises and higher soluble solids than SD and VSP; titratable acidity (TA) was lower in GDC and HC than in SD and VSP. In 2009, SD and VSP had the highest soluble solids concentrations; HC had lower pH than SD and VSP and there were no differences in TA. Results were inconclusive regarding light environment effects on fruit chemical composition.
Antimetabolic action of sulfadiazine and certain antibiotics for Brucella.

drugs has been cited both in the treatment of human brucellosis and in experimental brucellosis of laboratory animals. Synergistic activity of a combination of streptomycin and sulfadiazine has been reported by Pulaski and Amspacher (1947), Eisele and McCullough (1947), and Spink et al (1948) in the treatment of human brucellosis, and by Shaffer and Spink (1948) and Carle and Larson (1950) in experimental brucellosis of laboratory animals. The value of a combination of dihydrostreptomycin and aureomycin has been reported by Herrell and Barber (1949 and 1950) in the treatment of human brucellosis, and by Magoffin et al (1949), Heilman (1949), Carle and Larson (1950), and Werner and Knight (1950) in experimentally infected laboratory animals. Eisele and McCullough (1949, 1950a and b) have used a combination of dihydrostreptomycin, aureomycin, and
Educational Transfer of Reliability Technology

This paper describes the educational software tool RELY developed at Vanderbilt University for the effective teaching of computational reliability methods. RELY interactively guides the student towards basic concepts in reliability analysis, namely, first-order reliability method, Monte Carlo simulation, and system reliability. Within each topic, there are multiple types of problems. The user has the freedom to change the paramters such as limit state functions, random variables etc., and see the results both graphically and numerically. Many linear and nonlinear problems and commonly used probability distributions are available. This hands-on learning with numerous user-created examples leads to rapid understanding of reliability concepts even at the undergraduate level. RELY has also proved to be very effective in teaching short courses to practicing engineers.
Reference data of sensory epithelium in the inner ear in CBA mice

Objective To provide useful reference data of sensory epithelium in the inner ear,the cochlear and vestibular system were carefully measured in CBA mice.Methods Six young CBA mice at three months of age were used for this study.The surface preparations of cochlear basilar membrane and vestibular end-organs were measured under light microscope.The length and the width of basilar membrane and organ of Corti were examined along the cochlear basilar membrane.In addition,the total number and the density of cochlear hair cell along the basilar membrane were also calculated.To evaluate the vestibular end-organs,the total amount of hair cells in macula of saccule and utricle were counted.The hair cell density of striola region and marginal region in saccule and utricle were calculated respectively,and the density of hair cells in cristae in membranous ampulla of three semicircular canals were also counted.Results The total length of the cochlear basilar membrane was 5.76 ± 0.196 mm in CBA mice.The width of basilar membrane was 339.1 ± 9.87 m at 1.5 mm,304.5 ± 11.82 m at 3 mm,and 300.1 ± 7.22 m at 5 mm from the cochlear base respectively.This indicated that the width of cochlear basilar membrane was gradually narrowing from base to apex.In contrast,the width of organ of Corti was 37.80 ± 2.24 m at 1.5 mm,45.00 ± 2.67 m at 3 mm,and 52.20 ± 3.16 m at 5 mm from the base respectively,which demonstrated that the width of organ of Corti was gradually increasing from base to apex.The total number of cochlear hair cells in CBA mice was 3116.41 ± 151.91,which included 680.67 ± 17.50 inner hair cells and 2435.8 ± 143.46 outer hair cells.The density of cochlear hair cells was similar across the entire length of the cochlea with a density of 541.1 ± 9.36/mm.The density of inner hair cells and outer hair cells were 118.3±2.68/mm and 422.8 ± 11.87/mm respectively.The total number of hair cells in macula of utricle and saccule were 3300 ± 177.51 and 3045 ± 361.57 respectively.The density of hair cells was lower in striola region than the marginal region in both saccule and utricle.In which,the density of hair cell in striola is 40.2 ± 6.59/0.0025 mm2,while in marginal region was 53.2 ± 7.18/0.0025 mm2.The density of hair cell in crista of ampulla was 44.7 ± 7.15/0.0025 mm2.Conclusion The reference data from current measurement provide important information for further quantitative analysis in pathological changes in the inner ear in CBA mice.
Learning Robot Motion Control from Demonstration and Human Advice.

As robots become more commonplace within society, the need for tools that enable non-robotics-experts to develop control algorithms, or policies, will increase. Learning from Demonstration (LfD) offers one promising approach, where the robot learns a policy from teacher task executions. In this work we present an algorithm that incorporates human teacher feedback to enable policy improvement from learner experience within an LfD framework. We present two implementations of this algorithm, that differ in the sort of teacher feedback they provide. In the first implementation, called Binary Critiquing (BC), the teacher provides a binary indication that highlights poorly performing portions of the execution. In the second implementation, called Advice-Operator Policy Improvement (A-OPI), the teacher provides a correction on poorly performing portions of the student execution. Most notably, these corrections are continuous-valued and appropriate for low level motion control action spaces. The algorithms are applied to validation domains, one simulated and one a Segway RMP platform. For both, policy performance is found to improve with teacher feedback. Specifically, with BC learner execution success and efficiency come to exceed teacher performance. With A-OPI task success and accuracy are shown to be similar or superior to the typical LfD approach of correcting behavior through more teacher demonstrations.
Inhibition of Prostatic Tumor Cell Proliferation by Suramin: Alterations in TGF Alpha-Mediated Autocrine Growth Regulation and Cell Cycle Distribution

Suramin is a trypanocidal drug that has generated recent interest as an antineoplastic agent because of its ability to inhibit the binding of growth factors to their cell surface receptors. Our studies, and others, suggest that the androgen-independent human prostatic carcinoma cell lines PC3 and DU145 proliferate via autocrine growth mechanisms mediated by transforming growth factor alpha (TGFa) and its receptor, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. The present studies were designed to evaluate the ability of suramin to inhibit PC3 and DU145 proliferation by interfering with TGFa-mediated autocrine growth. Suramin induced a dose-dependent reduction of prostatic tumor cell proliferation which was reversed by removal of suramin from the culture medium. 3H-thymidine release studies showed that suramin had little direct cytotoxicity to either cell line. These findings suggest that the effects of suramin are mediated by cytostatic, rather than cytotoxic, mechanisms. Suramin also interfered with TGFa-mediated growth mechanisms. Specifically, suramin reduced the specific binding of TGFa to PC3 and DU145 cells. Additionally, the inhibitory effect of suramin on DU145 was reversed by cultivation of cells in the presence of excess TGFa. Further investigations revealed that suramin increased the percentage of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle for both cell lines. These studies show that the inhibitory effect of suramin on PC3 and DU145 cell growth is mediated, in part, by alteration of TGFa-mediated autocrine growth mechanisms and cell cycle kinetics.
Cognitive Theory: ACT

ACT is a theory of cognition that specifies how different types of knowledge are represented, acquired, and processed. The theory has been developed since the 1970s, beginning as a theory of semantic memory and now encompassing learning, memory, problem solving, attention, perception, and action. Several types of constraints (theoretical, computational, and empirical) have contributed to its design. The theory is implemented as a running computer simulation so that researchers can more easily and systematically generate its predictions for a given situation and compare these predictions with data. ACT has been successful at capturing learning and performance behaviors across a variety of tasks.
Microstructural evidence for the transition from dislocation creep to dislocation-accommodated grain boundary sliding in naturally deformed plagioclase

Abstract We use quantitative microstructural analysis including misorientation analysis based on electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data to investigate deformation mechanisms of naturally deformed plagioclase in an amphibolite gabbro mylonite. The sample is from lower oceanic crust exposed near the Southwest Indian Ridge, and it has a high ratio of recrystallized matrix grains to porphyroclasts. Microstructures preserved in porphyroclasts suggest that early deformation was achieved principally by dislocation creep with subgrain rotation recrystallization; recrystallized grain (average diameter ∼8 μm) microstructures indicate that subsequent grain boundary sliding (GBS) was active in the continued deformation of the recrystallized matrix. The recrystallized matrix shows four-grain junctions, randomized misorientation axes, and a shift towards higher angles for neighbor-pair misorientations, all indicative of GBS. The matrix grains also exhibit a shape preferred orientation, a weak lattice preferred orientation consistent with slip on multiple slip systems, and intragrain microstructures indicative of dislocation movement. The combination of these microstructures suggest deformation by dislocation-accommodated GBS (DisGBS). Strain localization within the recrystallized matrix was promoted by a transition from grain size insensitive dislocation creep to grain size sensitive GBS, and sustained by the maintenance of a small grain size during superplasticity.
Safety, Self-Defense, and Stand Your Ground Laws

Supporters of Stand Your Ground laws claim that these laws are necessary to protect public safety, but all available credible evidence indicates that these laws seriously undermine public safety. As the brainchild of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Stand Your Ground laws serve to merge self-defense and gun use in the American public imagination. The lethality and volatility of firearms make them poor instruments of self-defense, particularly in the hands of untrained individuals. The effects of Stand Your Ground laws on public safety are grim: more gun use, more aggression, and more deaths, none of which has had the slightest deterrent effect on crime rates. The laws have moreover widened the gap between the powerful and the marginalized, endangering vulnerable communities while reinforcing the privileges of those least at risk. Stand Your Ground proponents have cynically exploited Americans’ irrational fear of crime, carefully avoiding any acknowledgment of the racism, sexism, and classism that structures criminal victimization and violence. Encouraging people to resolve conflicts with firearms has unequal effects on the populations most vulnerable to violence, in particular women and minorities.
Quality assessment of lymph node sampling in rhabdomyosarcoma: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program study

Abstract Background Lymph node sampling is integral in the management of extremity and paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The aim of this study was to determine overall surgical compliance with treatment protocols and impact of nodal sampling outcomes in these tumors. Methods A query of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program (SEER) database was performed from 2003 to 2008 for patients Results Of 537 patients with extremity RMS, nodal sampling was performed in 25.7% ( n =138). This lack of nodal sampling had a negative outcome on survival ( p =0.004). Sixty five patients with paratesticular RMS aged greater than 10 were identified and also displayed low rates of lymph node sampling (47.7%, n =31). For paratesticular patients, a similar increase in survival was seen in patients who underwent nodal evaluation ( p =0.024). Conclusion Lymph node sampling is the standard of care in RMS. However, surgical compliance with treatment protocols is poor. Nodal evaluation correlated significantly with overall survival. These findings suggest a need for improved education among surgeons and oncologists regarding the need lymph node assessment in pediatric oncology patients. Evidence rating/classification: Prognosis study, Level III.
Genome-Scale Reconstruction, Modeling, and Simulation of E. coli℉s Metabolic Network

Since the release of the first genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of the E. coli metabolic network in 2000, there has been a growing number of researchers around the world adapting it for a broad range of studies (Feist 2008). The uses range from practical applications to obtaining basic biological understanding of cellular behavior. This range of uses is further expected to expand as the reconstruction broadens in scope and as new in silico methods are developed, implemented, and put to use.
Importance of the antenniform legs, but not vision, for homing by the neotropical whip spider Paraphrynus laevifrons .

ABSTRACT Amblypygids, or whip spiders, are nocturnal, predatory arthropods that display a robust ability to navigate to their home refuge. Prior field observations and displacement studies in amblypygids demonstrated an ability to home from distances as far away as 10 m. In the current study, micro-transmitters were used to take morning position fixes of individual Paraphrynus laevifrons following an experimental displacement of 10 m from their home refuge. The intention was to assess the relative importance of vision compared with sensory input acquired from the antenniform legs for navigation as well as other aspects of their spatial behavior. Displaced individuals were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: (i) control individuals; (ii) vision-deprived individuals, VD; and (iii) individuals with sensory input from the tips of their antenniform legs compromised, AD. Control and VD subjects were generally successful in returning home, and the direction of their movement on the first night following displacement was homeward oriented. By contrast, AD subjects experienced a complete loss of navigational ability, and movement on the first night indicated no hint of homeward orientation. The data strongly support the hypothesis that sensory input from the tips of the antenniform legs is necessary for successful homing in amblypygids following displacement to an unfamiliar location, and we hypothesize an essential role of olfaction for this navigational ability.
Chemistry: The long and winding road to catalysis

In chemical catalysis, spillover is the process in which hydrogen atoms are made from hydrogen molecules at one site and then added to other atoms or molecules at another. A study reveals details of this effect. See Letter p.68 Hydrogen spillover—the surface migration of hydrogen atoms from the metal catalyst particle on which they are generated onto the catalyst support—was discovered in the early 1960s, but remains poorly understood. Waiz Karim and colleagues now use advanced nanofabrication to place multiple pairs of iron oxide and platinum nanoparticles on titanium oxide and aluminium oxide supports, with varying inter-particle distance, and observe the extent of the reduction of the iron oxide particles by hydrogen atoms generated on the platinum. The results reveal that hydrogen spillover is fast and efficient on titanium oxide, and extremely slow and short-ranged on aluminium oxide. The results should aid our understanding of hydrogen storage and catalytic hydrogenation reactions, and the approach to creating and probing model catalyst systems open up new avenues for studying fundamental processes in supported catalysts.
Negligence and Absolute Liability

The common-law remedy of negligence is “the omission to do something which a reasonable man, guided by those ordinary considerations which ordinarily regulate human affairs, would do, or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent man would not do.”2 The elements of negligence are (1) a duty or obligation recognized by the law that requires a certain standard of conduct to protect others against unreasonable risks, (2) a failure by the defendant to conform to the standard required, (3) a cause-and-effect relationship between the conduct and the resulting injury, (4) actual loss or damage to the interests of another, and (5) reasonable foreseeability.
Comparing the Effects of Speech-Generating Device Display Organization on Symbol Comprehension and Use by Three Children With Developmental Delays

Purpose Three children ages 3;6 to 5;3 with developmental and language delays were provided experience with a traditional grid-based display and a contextually organized visual scene display on a s...
Penal Optics and the Struggle for the Right to Look: Visuality and Prison Tourism in the Carceral Era

From fortress prison museums to community jail houses, bed and breakfast “cells” (Schept 2014) to fine dining at London’s Clink (MacEacheran 2015), the carceral regime continues to innovate. From its early conceptions (Strange and Kempa 2003; Brown 2009), the study of penal tourism has navigated these various sites, expanding into an emergent and increasingly robust area of research. As a body of knowledge, it expresses the potential to play an important role in carceral and prison studies and the sociology of punishment as it points to a convergence of penal, visual, political, and historical problems. And because it takes tourism as its focus, it is unavoidably the study of penal configurations within the spatialized contradictions of global neoliberal capitalism. In less than a decade, however, scholars have thoughtfully demonstrated the pitfalls of assuming penal tourism as solely reflecting a commodified form of base consumption. The onus of historical preservation; the creation of public memory, memorialization, and penal history; the record of social suffering and appeal to human dignity; and the struggles for other altogether alternative meanings are all inscribed in more and less visible ways in the commodified production of carceral tourism. Scholarly analyses, consequently, range in their focal points, including emergent national and international forms of prison tours (Welch and Mauare 2011; Welch 2012, 2013, 2015; Wilson 2008), the hierarchies of power in tour design (Wilson 2008), the problematized performances of authoritative tour scripts (Piche and Walby 2010, 2012), the extensive history and historicizing force of prison tourism (Brown and Barton 2015), its contested ethics and pedagogies (Dey 2009; Greenhouse 2003; Piche and Walby 2012; Wilson et al. 2011), its cultural power through the transmission of penal meanings (Brown 2009; Welch 2015), the intentional omission of prisoner presence in tour narratives (Wilson 2008), and the still underexplored experiences of tourists themselves (Ferguson and Piche 2015; Wilson 2008).
Fluorescent Functionalization across Quaternary Structure in a Virus-like Particle.

Proteinaceous nanomaterials and, in particular, virus-like particles (VLPs) have emerged as robust and uniform platforms that are seeing wider use in biomedical research. However, there are a limited number of bioconjugation reactions for functionalizing the capsids, and very few of those involve functionalization across the supramolecular quaternary structure of protein assemblies. In this work, we exploit the recently described dibromomaleimide moiety as part of a bioconjugation strategy on VLP Qβ to break and rebridge the exposed and structurally important disulfides in good yields. Not only was the stability of the quaternary structure retained after the reaction, but the newly functionalized particles also became brightly fluorescent and could be tracked in vitro using a commercially available filter set. Consequently, we show that this highly efficient bioconjugation reaction not only introduces a new functional handle “between” the disulfides of VLPs without compromising their thermal stability but...
Impact of Inland Terrain on Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind and Implications for Wind Resource Assessment: A Case Study

AbstractThis paper presents a case study of a strong low-level jet (LLJ) that was observed about 20 km off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, during a measurement campaign in the summer of 2013. Doppler wind lidar observations offshore, together with analyses of 4-km WRF Model data and NARR data, are used to reconstruct the forcing mechanisms that led to the growth and rapid collapse of the jet offshore as well as to differentiate the forcing mechanisms resulting in an LLJ farther inland. It was observed that the LLJ over the mid-Atlantic coastal plain decreased gradually throughout the early morning hours relative to the LLJ along the coastal ocean as a downslope wind moved eastward from the Appalachian Mountains. The forcing of the LLJ was a result of both thermal and mechanical mechanisms linked to the topography, while synoptic forcing from an approaching cold front led to a downslope wind. Data from a wind profiler near Cambridge, Maryland, also showed an LLJ, but forced by different regional conditi...
Stochastic teams with randomized information structures

We introduce the concept of randomized information structures for stochastic teams. We further define sub-classes of randomized information structures including randomized static (RS) information structure and randomized partially nested (RPN) information structure that extend their deterministic counterparts. We show that under the LQG setting, optimal decentralized strategies have a switched linear structure under both RS and RPN information structures. Applications in networked control and decentralized networked control are considered.
SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF NONOBSTRUCTIVE HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY: CLINICAL OUTCOME OF MYECTOMY IN 94 PATIENTS WITH APICAL HCM

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (ApHCM) is a variant of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Extensive ApHCM may reduce left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume and contribute to diastolic dysfunction, angina, and ventricular arrhythmias. For severely symptomatic patients, we have performed apical
Subseasonal Forecasts of Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves and the MJO: Activity and Predictive Skill

AbstractIn this study, the contribution of low-frequency (>100 d), Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and convectively coupled equatorial wave (CCEW) variability to the skill in predicting convection and winds in the tropics at weeks 1-3 is examined. We use subseasonal forecasts from the Navy Earth System Model (NESM), NCEP Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2), and ECMWF during boreal summer 1999-2015. A technique for performing wavenumber-frequency filtering on subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) forecasts is introduced and applied to these datasets. This approach is better able to isolate regional variations in MJO forecast skill than traditional global MJO indices.Biases in the mean state and in the activity of the MJO and CCEWs are smallest in the ECMWF model. The NESM overestimates cloud cover as well as MJO, Equatorial Rossby, and Mixed-Rossby Gravity / Tropical Depression activity over the West Pacific. The CFSv2 underestimates convectively coupled Kelvin wave activity. The predictive skill of the mod...
Quality of Life and Psychosocial Functioning 2 Years Following Facial Transplantation.

Background Face transplantation is a novel option for patients with severe facial disfigurement. Quality of life (QoL) outcomes of face transplantation remain poorly understood. Objectives We sought to evaluate psychosocial functioning among 6 patients undergoing facial transplantation. Methods We prospectively assessed depressive symptoms, health status, mental and physical QoL, and self-esteem at 3-month intervals for 2 years. Social desirability was assessed pretransplant. Results On average, before transplantation, patients generally reported minimal to subthreshold depressive symptoms, normal to high health status, normal mental-health QoL, slightly below normal physical-health QoL, and normal to high self-esteem. Most endorsed high social desirability. As patients recovered from surgery, hospitalization, and immunosuppression induction, physical-health QoL generally deteriorated 3 months posttransplantation. Posttransplant trajectories show that perceived health state improved; health status and mental and physical health-related QoL slightly improved; self-esteem remained stable and high; and overall depressive symptoms remained stable but 3 patients experienced a depressive episode. Conclusions Pretransplant ceiling effects may render improvements difficult to quantify. Future research should use mixed methods including population-specific measures with demonstrated sensitivity to change.
The Political Self: How Identity Aligns Preferences With Epistemic Needs:

Numerous studies have indicated that the need for closure predicts political preferences. We examined a potential moderator of this relationship: political-identity centrality, or the extent to which individuals' political preferences are central to their self-concept. We tested three hypotheses. First, we predicted that need for closure would be more strongly related to political identity (symbolic ideology and party identification; Hypothesis 1) and issue positions (operational ideology; Hypothesis 2) among individuals who see their political preferences as more self-central. Then we predicted that the stronger relationship between need for closure and issue positions among individuals high in centrality would be accounted for by stronger relationships between need for closure and political identity and between political identity and issue positions (Hypothesis 3). Data from a nationally representative survey provide evidence for these hypotheses, suggesting that the relationship between epistemic needs and political preferences differs as a function of how self-relevant politics is.
Liaison Psychiatry Approach to Curriculum Development

Readily identifiable psychosocial problems exist which affect 50 to 75 percent of all hospitalized patients. The primary physician must learn to deal with these problems, frequently trial and error, “common sense,” or “role-modeling.” A training program at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine entitled LIAISON PSYCHIATRY was designed to help medical students recognize and handle these common problems.
Rejuvenation of Disorder-Containing Materials

Here, we report on experimental studies of metallic glass and nanocrystalline materials and novel synthesis and processing routes for controlling the structural state – and as a consequence, the mechanical properties. A particular focus will be on strategies for rejuvenation of disorder with the goal of suppressing shear localization and endowing damage tolerance. We also describe a microscopic structural quantity designed by machine learning to be maximally predictive of plastic rearrangements and further demonstrate a causal link between this measure and both the size of rearrangements and the macroscopic yield strain. We find remarkable commonality in all of these quantities in disordered materials with vastly different inter-particle interactions and spanning a large range of elastic modulus and particle size.
Attributional style and self-esteem in vulnerability to adolescent depressive symptoms following life stress: A 14-week prospective study

This study tested G. I. Metalsky, T. E. Joiner, T. Hardin, and L. Abramson's (1993) integrated model of attributional style, self-esteem, and life stress in vulnerability to depressive symptoms among adolescents (N = 115) using a 14-week prospective design. This model posits that individuals with both a negative attributional style and low self-esteem are particularly sensitive to developing depressive symptoms subsequent to life stress. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses were consistent with this hypothesis for initially asymptomatic participants, but not for those who were already experiencing mild levels of symptoms at the start of the study. Specifically, among initially asymptomatic participants, the three-way interaction between attributional style, self-esteem, and life stress predicted changes in depressive symptoms; initially asymptomatic participants who had a negative attributional style, low self-esteem, and high life stress showed the greatest increase in depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that self-esteem and attributional style play a role in vulnerability to the onset of depressive symptoms, though different pathways seem to be involved in determining the course of already existing symptoms.
Detection of activated platelets in whole blood using activation- dependent monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry

Platelets may become activated in a number of clinical disorders and participate in thrombus formation. We developed a direct test for activated platelets in whole blood using flow cytometry. Whole blood was incubated with either biotin-PAC1, a monoclonal antibody specific for the fibrinogen receptor on activated platelets, or biotin-S12, an antibody specific for an alpha-granule membrane protein that associates with the platelet surface during secretion. Platelet-bound antibodies were detected with streptavidin conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) or phycoerythrin (PE). Platelets were differentiated from the larger erythrocytes and WBCs by their light-scatter profile. Alternatively, platelets could be identified with FITC-AP1, an antibody specific for platelet membrane glycoprotein Ib, and analyzed further for PAC1 or S12 binding with PE-streptavidin. No centrifugation or washing steps were required. With gel-filtered platelets, there was a direct correlation between ADP-induced biotin-PAC1 binding and binding determined in a conventional 125I-PAC1 binding assay (r = .99; P less than .001). Furthermore, as few as 0.8% activated platelets could be detected by flow cytometry when activated platelets were mixed with unstimulated platelets. In whole blood, unstimulated platelets demonstrated no PAC1- or S12-specific fluorescence, indicating that they did not bind these antibodies. On stimulation with agonists, however, the platelets demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in fluorescence similar to that observed for platelets in plasma or buffer. Low concentrations of ADP and epinephrine, which induce fibrinogen receptors but little secretion, stimulated near-maximal PAC1 binding but little S12 binding. On the other hand, a concentration of phorbol myristate acetate (TPA) that evokes full platelet aggregation and secretion induced maximal PAC1 and S12 binding. Activated platelets could also be analyzed in whole blood samples that had been fixed with paraformaldehyde. These studies demonstrate that activated platelets can be reliably detected in whole blood using activation-dependent monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. This technique may be useful to assess the degree of platelet activation and the efficacy of antiplatelet therapy in clinical disorders.