cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synovial sarcoma presenting as a lung mass and diagnosed by cytology

Synovial sarcoma is a common soft tissue sarcoma with variable fibrous and epithelial differentiation that rarely arises from other body sites, such as within the lung. A case of a 68-year-old male with an extensive smoking history who presented with chest pain and a primary, central, metabolically active lung mass was reported. The mass was biopsied by bronchial brushing, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Cytologic analysis of bronchial brushing, BAL, and FNA revealed single and clusters of atypical spindle cells, oval, or spindle-shaped nuclei with smooth nuclear membranes, hyperchromatic and granular chromatin, scant to moderate and delicate cytoplasm, a high degree of mitotic figures, and a lack of necrosis. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the tumor cells were positive for CD99, BCL2, and CK7. A diagnosis of synovial sarcoma was rendered. The differential diagnosis of primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma is discussed, including neuroendocrine tumors, squamous cell carcinoma, and various sarcomatous tumors.
Spatial scale matters when modeling avian co‐occurrence

The spatial scale at which competition alters the spatial distribution of a species is important to consider when evaluating competitive interactions between species. The two-species occupancy model was developed to evaluate competitive interactions between two species while accounting for imperfect detection. However, no studies have incorporated spatial scale into such models. We developed an approach to incorporate spatial scale when evaluating species co-occurrence using the two-species occupancy model and tested our approach on two wetland passerines: the Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) and the Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris). We surveyed for Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens using point counts at wetlands throughout Iowa in 2009 and 2010. We assigned observations to one of three distance bins: ≤20, ≤60, and ≤100 m and then created encounter histories for each distance bin for the two-species occupancy model and modeled co-occurrence as a function of habitat covariates for each distance bin. We also modeled co-occurrence using all observations regardless of distance. We found that Yellow-headed Blackbirds were less likely to co-occur with Marsh Wrens at both the ≤60 and ≤100 m scales. However, using all observations, we found that Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens co-occurred independent of one another. This result illustrated that failure to incorporate spatial scale in evaluations of species co-occurrence could lead to incorrect inferences on co-occurrence of different species. The two-species co-occurrence occupancy model is a valuable tool that allows researchers to evaluate the presence of competitive interactions between species, and incorporating spatial scale into these models provides information on how species partition resources at different spatial scales within a patch. Understanding species co-occurrence patterns across multiple spatial scales provides valuable information that is useful for a better understanding of the mechanisms of competitive interactions between two species and aiding the restoration and management of habitat for multiple species.
Video Modeling and Observational Learning to Teach Gaming Access to Students with ASD

The purpose of this study was to evaluate both video modeling and observational learning to teach age-appropriate recreation and leisure skills (i.e., accessing video games) to students with autism spectrum disorder. Effects of video modeling were evaluated via a multiple probe design across participants and criteria for mastery were based on these results. Secondary measures were collected on observational learning across participants and behaviors. Participants included 4 children with autism, ages 8-11, who were served in self-contained special education classrooms. Results indicated a functional relation between video modeling and increased independence in gaming; observational learning occurred for at least some steps across students. Results, implications for practitioners, limitations, and ideas for future research are discussed.
Characterization of Prostate Cancer in a Functional Eunuch.

Background Eunuchs rarely, if ever, develop prostate cancer (CaP). This article reports on a 62-year-old functional eunuch from prepubertal mumps orchitis who developed clinically localized CaP. Methods Serum and CaP and benign prostate tissue androgen levels were measured using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay. The assay measures testosterone; dihydrotestosterone (DHT); the adrenal androgens, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone; and the androgen metabolites, androsterone and androstanedione. Gene and protein expression levels of androgen metabolism enzymes, and androgen receptor and androgen-regulated genes were measured using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results Intracrine androgen metabolism produced tissue DHT when serum and tissue testosterone levels were castrate and undetectable, respectively. Androgen receptor, androgen-regulated, and androgen metabolism enzyme genes were expressed but at lower levels in CaP than benign tissues. Conclusions DHT was synthesized using the primary backdoor androgen metabolism pathway and not using androstenedione or dehydroepiandrosterone via the frontdoor or secondary backdoor pathways.
Divorce and Children's Social Development

Rapid increases in divorce rates over the latter half of the twentieth century have led to an interest in how this transition affects children's development. There is consensus that divorce is best viewed as a process involving environmental changes occurring before and after the actual event. Although studies find that children experiencing parental divorce are at an elevated risk for exhibiting problem behavior, there is a great deal of variability in how children fare, and the majority of children show few difficulties. Children's adjustment following parental divorce is dependent on prior family functioning, as well as postdivorce changes in economic circumstances, parental adjustment, relationships with parents, siblings, and peers, and exposure to new family transitions.
Coordinated Interaction between Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples and Anterior Cingulate Unit Activity.

Hippocampal–cortical interaction during sleep promotes transformation of memory for long-term storage in the cortex. In particular, hippocampal sharp-wave ripple-associated neural activation is important for this transformation during slow-wave sleep. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been shown to be crucial for expression and likely storage of long-term memory. However, little is known about how ACC activity is influenced by hippocampal ripple activity during sleep. We report here about coordinated interactions between hippocampal ripple activity and ACC neural firings. By recording from the ACC and hippocampal CA1 simultaneously in mice, we found that almost all ACC neurons showed increased activity before hippocampal ripple activity; moreover, a subpopulation (17%) displayed a further activation immediately after ripple activity. This postripple activation of ACC neurons correlated positively with ripple amplitude, and the same neurons were excited upon electrical stimulation of the CA1. Interestingly, the preripple activation of ACC neurons was present during the sleep state, but not during the awake state. These results suggest intimate interactions between hippocampal sharp-wave ripples and ACC neurons in a state-dependent manner. Importantly, sharp-wave ripples and associated activation appear to regulate activity of a small population of ACC neurons, a process that may play a critical role in memory consolidation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The hippocampus communicates with the cortex for memory transformation. Memories of previous experiences become less dependent on the hippocampus and increasingly dependent on cortical areas, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, little evidence is available to directly support this hippocampus-to-cortex information transduction hypothesis of memory consolidation. Here we show that a subpopulation of ACC neurons becomes active just after hippocampal ripple activity, and that electrical stimulation of the hippocampus excites the same ACC neurons. In addition, the majority of ACC neurons are activated just before ripple activity during the sleep state, but not during the awake state. These results provide evidence supporting the hypothesis of hippocampus-to-cortex information flow for memory consolidation as well as reciprocal interaction between the hippocampus and the cortex.
Moderate repetition rate ultra-intense laser targets and optics using variable thickness liquid crystal films

Liquid crystal films are variable thickness, planar targets for ultra-intense laser matter experiments such as ion acceleration. Their target qualities also make them ideal for high-power laser optics such as plasma mirrors and waveplates. By controlling parameters of film formation, thickness can be varied on-demand from 10 nm to above 50 μm, enabling real-time optimization of laser interactions. Presented here are results using a device that draws films from a bulk liquid crystal source volume with any thickness in the aforementioned range. Films form within 2 μm of the same location each time, well within the Rayleigh range of even tight F/# systems, thus removing the necessity for realignment between shots. The repetition rate of the device exceeds 0.1 Hz for sub-100 nm films, facilitating higher repetition rate operation of modern laser facilities.
Implementation of nondestructive testing and mechanical performance approaches to assess low temperature fracture properties of asphalt binders

Abstract In the present work, three different asphalt binders were studied to assess their fracture behavior at low temperatures. Fracture properties of asphalt materials were obtained through conducting the compact tension [C(T)] and indirect tensile [ID(T)] strength tests. Mechanical fracture tests were followed by performing acoustic emissions test to determine the “embrittlement temperature” of binders which was used in evaluation of thermally induced microdamages in binders. Results showed that both nondestructive and mechanical testing approaches could successfully capture low-temperature cracking behavior of asphalt materials. It was also observed that using GTR as the binder modifier significantly improved thermal cracking resistance of PG64-22 binder. The overall trends of AE test results were consistent with those of mechanical tests.
Incidence and outcomes of hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal malignancies and Clostridium difficile infection: A nationwide analysis.

704Background: Inpatients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are at a high risk forClostridium difficile infection (CDI) but the impact of CDI on outcomes in these patients needs elucidation. We analyzed the incidence of CDI and its impact on outcomes in GI cancer patients using the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) database from 2001 - 2010. Methods: NHDS collects clinical information on patients dismissed from non-Federal short-stay United States hospitals. Demographics, diagnoses (GI malignancies, CDI and comorbidities), length of stay (LOS), and dismissal information were abstracted using ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes. Weighted analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4. Results: Of an estimated 317.9 million unique hospitalizations; 4.6 million had a diagnosis of a GI malignancy (1.4%); median age 68 years, 46.1% female. CDI was more common in patients with GI malignancies compared to patients with no GI malignancy (1.05% vs 0.69%, aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.15- 1.17, p < 0.0001). There...
Ethical Dilemmas in Surgical Critical Care

There are some specific ethical issues related to surgery as an operative discipline. However, in surgical critical care or intensive care the ethical issues are quite similar to other medical specialties. First, I will review some general ethical principles in patient care, going back to Aristotle and Hippocrates, and proceed to the problems of the modern era, i.e. since during World War II.
An Overview of Guidance and Control for Conventional Weapons

Abstract The technology for conventional precision guided weapons, although highly effective, is at the present time also high-cost. The basic cost of development and production of today's guidance and control systems needs to be reduced. Therefore, a Science and Technology, S&T, investment strategy has been developed by the DoD that focuses on affordability by establishing a goal of reducing the cost of G&C systems by one-third while preserving present capabilities. In addition, affordability will be enhanced by reducing the cost of transitioning technology to weapon systems and by reducing the cost of ownership. It is important to understand that there are many requirements that the S&T community must address in addition to affordability: the five top Joint Chiefs of Staff warfighung capabilities, dual use, and specific Service requirements to name just a few. Tins paper will not be able to describe in very much detail this enormous technology base. Therefore an overview of the efforts in each of the four technology areas will be described and mention made of a few of the technology base demonstrations currently underway that support the integration of S&T products into weapon systems.
Robust method to generate multiple unit hydrographs

When performing a rainfall runoff study, it is sometimes necessary to change the duration of a given unit hydrograph. The instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) provides an ideal tool to change hydrograph duration. To demonstrate, we use least squares optimization to estimate the parameters of the classic Nash IUH from effective rainfall and direct runoff data at two watersheds. Results agree well with previous Nash IUH parameters estimated from existing unit hydrographs. The IUH method offers a simple but rigorous approach for generating unit hydrographs of any desired duration.
Regeneration and invasion of cottonwood riparian forest following wildfire

Populus deltoides is considered to be a weak resprouter and highly susceptible to wildfire, but few post-wildfire studies have tracked P. deltoides response and resprouting within the Great Plains of North America. Following a wildfire in southwestern Kansas, U.S.A., we surveyed burned and unburned areas of a cottonwood riparian forest along the Cimarron River that included a major understory invader, tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.). We tested the following hypotheses, which are consistent with the current understanding of P. deltoides response to wildfire in the Great Plains: (1) regeneration of P. deltoides will be low in areas burned by the wildfire; (2) the number of dead P. deltoides individuals will be greater in the wildfire than unburned areas; and (3) tamarisk regeneration will be higher than P. deltoides regeneration in the wildfire areas because tamarisk is considered a stronger resprouter. We found evidence contrary to two of our hypotheses 3 years following the wildfire. (1) P. deltoides regeneration was high following the wildfire, averaging 692 individuals/ha. (2) The number of dead mature cottonwood trees was greater in wildfire plots than in unburned plots. (3) There was more P. deltoides regeneration than tamarisk regeneration following wildfire. These findings, which diverge from the majority of studies examining P. deltoides regeneration in the Great Plains, suggest that differing local environmental and forest stand conditions, coupled with the timing and intensity of the fire, could be important determinants of riparian forest species' responses to wildfire.
Neuropsychological and Neurobehavioral Sequelae Associated with Pediatric HIV Infection

Neuropsychological and neurobehavioral dysfunctions in infancy and childhood, resulting from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, warrant distinct consideration in a handbook of this nature. This merit stems from the unique impact of this disease process on the rapidly maturing central nervous system (CNS) of the child (Epstein et al., 1986; Falloon, Eddy, Wiener, & Pizzo, 1989; Pizzo & Wilfert, 1994) in conjunction with the historical scientific and clinical purview of neuro-psychology as the study of brain-behavior relationships (Lezak, 1995).
Effect of hafnium micro-addition on precipitate microstructure and creep properties of a Fe-Ni-Al-Cr-Ti ferritic superalloy

Abstract The Fe-Ni-Al-Cr (FBB8) ferritic alloy contains B2-ordered NiAl precipitates which, upon minor addition of Ti to the alloy, display L21-ordered Ni2TiAl sub-precipitates; this improves creep resistance, consistent with an increase in coherency strains from the hierarchical NiAl/Ni2TiAl precipitates. Here, we study the effect of a small addition of Hf (0.5 wt%) to FBB8-1.5wt.%Ti alloy on precipitate structure and creep properties. The main microstructural changes with Hf addition are relatively minor: (i) decrease of mean radius of Ni2TiAl/NiAl hierarchical precipitates from 84 ± 14 to 78 ± 13 nm, (ii) increase of volume fraction of these precipitates from 18 ± 2 to 19 ± 2%, (iii) increase of their number density from 9 ± 0.3 × 10−19 to 11 ± 0.3 × 10−19 m−3, and (iv) decrease of precipitate edge-to-edge distance from 187 ± 57 to 160 ± 48 nm. The larger volume fraction, higher number density and smaller edge-to-edge distance of B2/L21 precipitates in the FBB8-1.5Ti-0.5Hf alloys, are all favorable to higher creep resistance for a strengthening mechanism based on precipitate climb bypass. However, the threshold stress for creep at 700 °C decreases upon Hf addition to FBB8-1.5Ti, from 156 to 122 MPa. The lower creep resistance is explained by a decrease of the lattice misfit between the Hf-enriched B2-precipitates and the bcc-matrix, and by a decrease of the volume fraction of L21-Ni2TiAl sub-precipitates within B2-NiAl precipitates from 16 ± 4% to 10 ± 3% without and with Hf, respectively.
TYTH-Typing On Your Teeth: Tongue-Teeth Localization for Human-Computer Interface

This paper explores a new wearable system, called TYTH, that enables a novel form of human computer interaction based on the relative location and interaction between the user's tongue and teeth. TYTH allows its user to interact with a computing system by tapping on their teeth. This form of interaction is analogous to using a finger to type on a keypad except that the tongue substitutes for the finger and the teeth for the keyboard. We study the neurological and anatomical structures of the tongue to design TYTH so that the obtrusiveness and social awkwardness caused by the wearable is minimized while maximizing its accuracy and sensing sensitivity. From behind the user's ears, TYTH senses the brain signals and muscle signals that control tongue movement sent from the brain and captures the miniature skin surface deformation caused by tongue movement. We model the relationship between tongue movement and the signals recorded, from which a tongue localization technique and tongue-teeth tapping detection technique are derived. Through a prototyping implementation and an evaluation with 15 subjects, we show that TYTH can be used as a form of hands-free human computer interaction with 88.61% detection rate and promising adoption rate by users.
Spectroscopic studies of the heliumacetylene flame

Abstract The products of the electronically excited, metastable He∗ + C2H2 diffusion flame reaction, using a dc discharge diffusion flame technique, are C2∗, CH∗, H∗, C∗, and possibly C4H∗ or: CCH2 (vinylidene). The primary reactions observed in the flame are He∗ + C2H2 → C2∗ + H∗ + H + He and He∗ + C2H2 → CH∗ + CH + He. This flame produces an extremely bright source of C2 emission over the entire optical range. The translational and rotational temperatures in the flame are equal to each other with an average value of 1100 ± 300K. Secondary reactions in the flame produce several dense bands in the red which are likely due to soot-forming precursor molecules.
The Laplace Transform

As you’ve seen in the first two chapters, the time domain analysis of electrical circuits results in equations containing time derivatives. Often a lot of derivatives. This doesn’t necessarily make progress impossible, but time derivatives do add significantly to the horrors of calculation. The Laplace transformation allows us to get rid of differentiations.
Spatial memory ability during middle age may depend on level of spatial similarity

Spatial memory impairment is well documented in old age; however, less is known about spatial memory during middle age. We examined the performance of healthy young, middle-aged, and older adults on a spatial memory task with varying levels of spatial similarity (distance). On low similarity trials, young adults significantly outperformed middle-aged adults, who significantly outperformed older adults (Ps < 0.05). On high similarity trials, young adults significantly outperformed middle-aged and older adults (Ps < 0.05); however, middle-aged and older adults did not differ. Subtle age-related changes in spatial memory may emerge during middle age, particularly when spatial similarity is high.
People represent mental states in terms of rationality, social impact, and valence: Validating the 3d Mind Model

Humans can experience a wide variety of different thoughts and feelings in the course of everyday life. To successfully navigate the social world, people need to perceive, understand, and predict others' mental states. Previous research suggests that people use three dimensions to represent mental states: rationality, social impact, and valence. This 3d Mind Model allows people to efficiently "see" the state of another person's mind by considering whether that state is rational or emotional, more or less socially impactful, and positive or negative. In the current investigation, we validate this model using neural, behavioral, and linguistic evidence. First, we examine the robustness of the 3d Mind Model by conducting a mega-analysis of four fMRI studies in which participants considered others' mental states. We find evidence that rationality, social impact, and valence each contribute to explaining the neural representation of mental states. Second, we test whether the 3d Mind Model offers the optimal combination of dimensions for describing neural representations of mental state. Results reveal that the 3d Mind Model achieve the best performance among a large set of candidate dimensions. Indeed, it offers a highly explanatory account of mental state representation, explaining over 80% of reliable neural variance. Finally, we demonstrate that all three dimensions of the model likewise capture convergent behavioral and linguistic measures of mental state representation. Together, these findings provide strong support for the 3d Mind Model, indicating that is it is a robust and generalizable account of how people think about mental states.
Assay determination by mass spectrometry for oligonucleotide therapeutics.

Phosphorothioate oligonucleotide drugs typically contain product-related impurities that are difficult to resolve chromatographically from the parent oligonucleotide due to the size of these compounds and the large number of stereoisomers that comprise the parent. The presence of co-eluting impurities hinders the process of determining assay based on chromatographic separation alone. A mass spectrometry-based purity assessment of the main chromatography peak can be used to quantify co-eluting impurities and enable the accurate determination of assay, but a more direct measure of assay was desired due to the complexity of measuring all co-eluting impurities by mass spectrometry. Therefore, we developed an assay method that utilizes the specificity of mass spectrometry to measure the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient in a sample, which eliminates the need for chromatographic separation of impurities from the product. This procedure uses a single quadrupole mass spectrometer and incorporates an internal standard that is co-sprayed with the analyte to compensate for the drift commonly associated with mass spectrometry-based quantitation. Using the mass spectrometry response ratio for sample to internal standard enables the method to achieve excellent linearity (R2 = 0.998), repeatability (relative standard deviation = 0.5%), intermediate precision (0.6%), and accuracy, with measured assay values consistently within 2.0% of expected. The results indicate the method possesses the accuracy and precision required for measuring assay in clinical and commercial stage pharmaceutical products. Since the method is based on the specificity of the mass spectrometer, and does not rely on chromatographic separation of impurities, the procedure should be applicable to a wide variety of oligonucleotide therapeutics regardless of sequence or chemical modifications.
RSK Inhibition Suppresses AML Proliferation through Activation of DNA Damage Pathways and S Phase Arrest

The 90 kDa Ribosomal S6 Kinase (RSK), downstream of the ERK signaling pathway, has recently been implicated in a wide variety of cancers, ranging from lung cancer to medulloblastoma, as a driver of cancer cell proliferation and survival. However, its role in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains unknown. Thus, the goal of this study was to characterize RSK-dependent signaling pathways in AML, with the overall hypothesis that disruption of this pathway represents a potential strategy for the treatment of AML. The RSK family consists of four gene isoforms, RSK1-4 (RPS6KA1 (RSK1), RPS6KA2 (RSK3), RPS6KA3 (RSK2), RPS6KA4 (RSK4). Knockdown (KD) of RSK1 by shRNA in HL-60 and KG-1 cell lines resulted in reduced AML cell growth in vitro. NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice were injected with 2x106 HL-60 or KG-1 RSK1KD cells and vector control transduced cells in order to investigate the effects of RSK1 KD on AML cell growth and survival in vivo. Mice injected with RSK1 KD cells exhibited prolonged survival by 17 and 21 days respectively for HL-60 and KG-1 cell induced disease (p=0.0023 and 0.0018 respectively). These data indicate that RSK1 knockdown inhibits leukemia progression, and RSK1 is required for maximal proliferation of AML cells in vivo. Pharmacological inhibition of total RSK (RSK1-4) by the small molecule inhibitor BI-D1870 reduced AML cell growth and induced cell death in both AML cell lines and patient samples after treatment for 48 hours. The IC50 for growth inhibition was 1.8 uM for MOLM-13, 1.6 uM for MV-4-11, and 1.9 uM for HL-60 cells. In methylcellulose colony assays, normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell proliferation was not affected by RSK inhibition up to a concentration of 15 uM, establishing an approximately 10-fold therapeutic index. To elucidate the mechanism by which RSK inhibition suppresses AML proliferation, we performed cell cycle analysis with HL-60 cells. RSK inhibition by BI-D1870 resulted in delayed S-phase progression and accumulation of cells in late S-phase with increased pH2AX, cPARP, and CDK2/Cyclin A expression, as measured by flow cytometry. These data indicate that inhibition of RSK leads to activation of DNA damage pathways and arrest in S-phase, resulting in apoptosis. Inhibition of CDK activity rescued S-phase arrest, demonstrating that activation and dysregulation of CDK are crucial mediators of RSK inhibitor-induced S-phase arrest. In summary, this is the first study to demonstrate that RSK plays an important role in maintaining AML cell survival and proliferation and to position RSK as a promising target for treatment of AML. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Examining What Teachers Do When They Display Their Best Practice: Teaching Mathematics for Understanding

Despite several decades of research in psychology and mathematics education pointing to the importance of learning mathematics with understanding, other research on teachers’ instructional practice in mathematics classrooms has found a remarkably consistent characterization of mathematics teaching in the United States as generally doing little to help students develop a deep understanding of mathematical ideas. Because the practice of teaching mathematics for understanding is so rarely encountered, it has not been extensively studied empirically. This paper summarizes the findings of an analysis of selected mathematical and pedagogical features of the lesson materials found in the portfolio entries submitted by candidates seeking certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the area of Early Adolescence/Mathematics. These lessons were selected by teachers and were intended to display “best practice” examples of their teaching mathematics for understanding. Some implications for further research and for teacher education are also discussed.
Democracy: the Civil War and the transnational struggle for electoral reform

ABSTRACTThis article argues against the often-made connection between democratic reform and Union victory in the Civil War. Defining democracy narrowly as an electoral process, the article looks at...
Assessment of a weak mode of bacterial adhesion by applying an electric field

Microbial attachment to surfaces is ubiquitous in nature. Most species of bacteria attach and adhere to surfaces via special appendages such as pili and fimbriae, the roles of which have been extensively studied. Here we report an experiment on pilus-less mutants of Caulobacter crescentus weakly attached to a plastic surface and subjected to an electric field parallel to the surface. We find that some individual cells transiently but repeatedly adhere to the surface in a stick-slip fashion in the presence of an electric field. Even while transiently detached, these bacteria move significantly slower than the unattached ones in the same field of view undergoing electrophoretic motion. We refer this behavior of repeated and transient attachment as "quasi-attachment". The speed of the quasi-attached bacteria exhibits large variations, frequently dropping close to zero for short intervals of time. This study suggests applying electric field as a useful method to investigate bacteria surface interaction, which is significant in broader contexts such as infection and environmental control.
Legal Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Put Health, Safety and Equity First

The COVID-19 viral pandemic exposed equity and safety culture gaps in American legal education. Legal education forms part of America’s Critical Infrastructure whose continuity is important to the economy, public safety, democracy, and the national security of the United States. To address the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for future viral pandemics and safety risks, this article recommends law schools develop a safety culture to foster health, safety, robust educational dialogue, and equity. To guide safety-and-equity-centered decision-making and promote effective legal education during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, this article contends legal education must put health, safety, and equity first. It proposes an ethical framework for legal education that centers diversity and inclusion as the foundation of robust educational dialogue. This article’s interdisciplinary analysis of COVID-19 scientific studies recommends law schools follow the science and exercise extreme caution before convening classes in person or in a hybrid fashion. COVID-19 infection risks serious illness, long-lasting complications, and death. It has preyed on America’s inequities. African-Americans, Native Americans, Latinx Americans, older Americans, and those with certain underlying health conditions including pregnant women face higher levels of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 infection. COVID-19’s inequitable risks may separate those participating in class in person, or online, by race, ethnicity, tribe, age, and health. Law schools must ensure that during the COVID-19 health emergency, hybrid or in-person pedagogical models do not undermine diversity and inclusion that supports educational dialogue and First Amendment values. The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the imperative of putting health, safety, and equity first in legal education.
Improved visual discrimination learning in mice with partial 5-HT2B gene deletion

The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been linked to multiple aspects of cognition. For example, in rodents, discrimination and reversal learning are altered by experimentally induced changes in brain serotonin levels, and reduced expression of the 5-HT2B receptor subtype in mice and humans is associated with decreased serotonergic tone and increased behavioral impulsivity. Serotonin modulates cognitive flexibility as well as fear and anxiety, but the specific contributions of 5-HT2B receptors to these behaviors is unknown. The current study assessed mice with partial Htr2b deletion for performance on a touchscreen-based pairwise visual discrimination and reversal learning task followed by a test of cued fear learning. Male Htr2b heterozygous mice (+/-) and littermate controls (+/+) were trained to discriminate between two visual stimuli presented on a touch-sensitive screen, one which predicted delivery of a 14-mg food pellet and the other which was not rewarded. Once discrimination performance criterion was attained, the stimulus-reward contingencies were reversed. Htr2b +/- mice were faster to reach discrimination criterion than +/+ controls, and made fewer errors. Htr2b +/- mice were also slower to make responses and collect rewards. Conversely, measures of reversal learning were not different between genotypes. Pavlovian cued fear conditioning was also normal in Htr2b +/-mice. These data demonstrate a selective improvement in touchscreen-based discrimination learning in mice with partial deletion of the 5-HT2B receptor, and provide further insight into the role of the 5-HT2B receptor in cognition.
Segment Identification Procedure for Water Distribution Systems

AbstractIsolation valves are a fundamental element of water distribution systems because they provide the ability to disconnect sections of the network, which is essential to address routine mainte...
IQ moderation of cognitive decline supports cognitive reserve and not brain maintenance

Abstract Background While cognitive decline has been frequently reported in aging research, moderating factors for cognitive changes in healthy aging have been inconclusive. This study evaluated 5-year changes in four cognitive abilities and the potential moderation of age and cognitive reserve (CR) factors on cognitive changes. Methods Participants included 254 healthy adults initially aged 20 – 80 years. Six tasks estimated each of the four abilities: fluid reasoning, processing speed, memory and vocabulary. The proxies for CR included years of education and IQ. Cognitive changes and moderating factors were examine using multiple indicator latent change score model. Change point analysis pinpointed inflection points after which cognitive changes accelerated. Results There was significant decline over five years in fluid reasoning, processing speed and memory, with age moderation such that older age was associated with steeper decline. Accelerated decline was observed earlier for reasoning and speed, at ages 58 and 59 years respectively, than for memory, at age 70 years. Vocabulary continued to improve until reaching peak performance at 67 years. For moderation of cognitive changes by CR proxies, while education did not show significant moderation, higher IQ was associated with reduced 5-year decline in reasoning and memory but not processing speed. CR moderation effect was found to be independent of mean cortical thickness. Conclusions Using a robust statistical model to estimate the latent change in four cognitive abilities over 5 years, the results showed that cognitive reserve rather than brain maintenance is the potential mechanism underlying IQ’s protective effect on cognitive decline. Highlights Reasoning and processing speed show accelerated decline after ages 59 and 58 years, respectively. Memory shows accelerated decline after age 70 years. Vocabulary performance peaks at age 67 years. Higher IQ is protective of cognitive decline in reasoning and memory but not for processing speed. IQ’s protective effect on cognition is independent of brain maintenance.
Elastocapillary effect in self-repair of proboscises of butterflies and moths

Abstract Hypothesis Self-repair in living organisms, without tissue regeneration or regrowth, is rare. Recent discovery that butterflies can self-repair the proboscis after the two halves (galeae) have been separated raised a question about the physical mechanism allowing them to reunite the parts. We discovered that butterflies pump saliva during repair of their proboscises. We then hypothesized that saliva spreading along the food canal of the proboscis would create capillary forces capable of bringing the galeae together. Experiment To test the hypothesis, we distinguished capillary forces from muscular action of the galeae by sedating butterflies and video tracking retraction of the saliva menisci during galeal separation. To theoretically show capillary adhesion, the elastic moduli of the galeae were measured, and the galeal profiles were extracted from videos as a function of time. The values were then fitted with a mathematical model based on an augmented Euler-Bernoulli beam theory whereby each galea was treated as a beam bent by capillary forces due to saliva. We also evaluated friction forces that prevented disjoining of the galea at the tip of their separation. Findings The results showed that butterflies use saliva to repair their proboscises via capillary adhesion, and theoretically supported the role of saliva in providing the necessary capillary forces to bring the galeae together. Tangential shear forces acting parallel to the galea at the tip of their separation are caused primarily by friction between the cuticular linking structures.
Immunohistochemical analysis of multidrug resistance associated protein-4 (MRP4) expression in human normal and tumor tissues

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 595 Expression of the multidrug resistance associated protein 4 (MRP4) has been associated with poor prognosis in neuroblastoma patients treated with the anticancer drug irinotecan and in vitro data show that MRP4 confers resistance to topotecan and protease inhibitors. Knowledge of MPR4 localization and expression in normal and tumor tissues may also provide insights on the physiological function of this protein. METHODS: Here we used a monoclonal antibody and immunohistochemistry to determine the expression pattern and subcellular localization of MRP4. Analysis was performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues. Using tissue microarrays, we analyzed expression in normal adult tissues as well as multiple adult tumor tissues. Expression was also verified in some tissues using Rapid Scan Gene Expression® panel cDNA and by in-situ hybridization using dot blot analysis of mRNA from multiple normal and tumor tissues. MRP4 expression was also investigated in multiple tumor cell lines by Western blot analysis and TaqMan analysis. RESULTS: In normal tissues, MRP4 was prominently expressed in blood-tissue barriers including endothelium and ventricular epithelium in the brain. Strong levels of vascular expression were observed in pancreas and lung. The highest level of expression, inferred by highly intense staining, was found in secretory cells such as the cerebrospinal fluid forming epithelium and the prostate epithelium lining gland comprising acini. No expression was noted in the liver, but as previously reported, strong expression was noted in the kidney. In the gastrointestinal tract, the strongest expression was observed in the stomach and modest expression was observed on the basal face of intestinal and colon epithelium. Expression in tumor tissues was observed in epithelial type tumors including prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, glioblastomas, and hepatomas. Various levels of MRP4 expression were observed in glioblastoma, retinoblastoma, prostate, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic tumor cell lines, but it varied within cell lines from the same tumor type and among cells of different tumor origin. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis shows that MPR4 always polarizes to the apical face of endothelium. Interestingly, MRP4 polarity in barrier forming epithelium is tissue dependent indicating specialized function or differential substrate efflux in the various tissues. MRP4 expression in tumor tissues maybe associated with drug resistance to some chemotherapeutic agents, but may also be involved in the efflux of tumor cell endogenous substrates that offer the cell a survival advantage.
Specification, Abduction, and Proof

Researchers in formal methods have emphasized the need to make specification analysis as automatic as possible and to provide an array of tools in a uniform setting. Athena is a new interactive proof system that supports specification, structured natural deduction proofs, and trusted tactics. It places heavy emphasis on automation, seamlessly incorporating off-the-shelf state-of-the-art tools for model generation and automated theorem proving. We use a case study of railroad safety to illustrate several aspects of Athena. A formal specification of a railroad system is given in Athena’s multi-sorted first-order logic. Automatic model generation is used abductively to develop from scratch a policy for controlling the movement of trains on the tracks. The safety of the policy is proved automatically. Finally, a structured high-level proof of the policy’s correctness is presented in Athena’s natural deduction calculus.
Delayed binary search, or playing twenty questions with a procrastinator

We study the classic binary search problem, with a delay between query and answer. For all constant delays, we give matching upper and lower bounds on the number of queries.
NO donors inhibit Na,K-ATPase activity by a protein kinase G-dependent mechanism in the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium of the porcine eye

1 We developed a novel method to isolate nonpigmented epithelial (NPE) cells from porcine eyes in order to examine Na,K-ATPase responses to nitric oxide (NO) donors specifically in the epithelium. 2 Cells were treated with NO donors and other test compounds for 20 min prior to Na,K-ATPase activity measurement. 3 NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 1 μM–1 mM), sodium azide (100 nM–1 μM) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (1 μM–1 mM) caused significant concentration-dependent inhibition of Na, K-ATPase activity. Detection of nitrite in the medium of L-arginine and SNP-treated NPE confirmed NO generation. 4 Concentration-dependent inhibition of Na,K-ATPase was also obtained by L-arginine (1–3 mM), a physiological precursor of NO and 8p-CPT-cGMP (1–100 μM), a cell permeable analog of cGMP. The L-arginine effect was abolished when the NO synthesizing enzyme, NO-synthase, was inhibited by L-NAME (100 μM). 5 The inhibitory effect of SNP or sodium azide on Na,K-ATPase activity was suppressed by soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) inhibitors, ODQ (10 μM) or methylene blue (10 μM). 6 The inhibitory effect of 8p-CPT-cGMP on Na,K-ATPase was abolished by protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitors, H-8 (1 μM) and H-9 (20 μM), but not by the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H-89 (100 nM). H-8 and H-9 partially suppressed the inhibitory effect of SNP on Na,K-ATPase. 7 Taken together the results indicate that Na,K-ATPase inhibition response to NO donors involves activation of sGC, generation of cGMP and activation of PKG. These findings suggest that Na, K-ATPase inhibition in NPE may contribute to the ability of NO donors to reduce aqueous humor secretion. British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 148, 871–880. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706795
Studying metacognitive processes at the single neuron level

Over the past few decades, strides have been made toward understanding how higher level cognitive processes are mediated by neuronal spiking activity. Neuronal correlates of functions such as attention, executive control, working memory, decision-making, and reward processing have all been elucidated, to an impressive level of detail, at the single cell and circuit levels.
Placenta to lamb fetus transfusion in utero during acute hypoxia.

Abstract Maternal and fetal hemodynamics, placental blood flow, fetal-placental blood volume, placental blood volume, and fetal blood volumes were measured in six chronic sheep preparations to evaluate their changes during acute fetal hypoxia induced by maternal hypoxia. During fetal hypoxia, the maternal and fetal arterial blood pressure and heart rate were essentially unchanged. The placental blood flow (control = 325 ml. per kilogram per minute) was also unchanged during the hypoxia period. However, the placental blood volume decreased significantly from 65 to 60 and 51 ml. per kilogram at 15 and 30 minutes of hypoxia period, respectively. The fetal blood volume increased reciprocally and significantly from 86 to 109 and 102 ml. per kilogram at the same periods of hypoxia since the fetal-placental blood volumes were unchanged. These blood volume changes persisted for 30 to 60 minutes following the stoppage of hypoxia experiments. The placental vascular resistance measured in six experiments showed a significant increment during hypoxia, suggesting placental vasoconstriction as the responsible mechanism for the reduction of placental blood volume and reciprocal increase in fetal blood volume. The data suggest that significant placental transfusion to the lamb fetus may occur in utero during fetal hypoxia resulting in a higher fetal blood volume before birth.
Krichever construction of solutions to the super KP hierarchies

A super Krichever construction is used to produce solutions to the various super Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (SKP) hierarchies from geometric data consisting primarily of a suitable algebraic supercurve of genus g (generally not a super Riemann surface) and a line bundle of degree g-1 on it. The known SKP hierarchies deform both the supercurve and the bundle, in contrast to ordinary KP which deforms bundles but not curves, and are distinguished by the specific deformations they implement. A new SKP hierarchy is introduced which deforms the bundle only.
Waferless metrology job creation

Summary form only given, as follows. Discusses waferless job creation, which need not wait for wafer processing and therefore permits elimination of metrology associate delays during new product introduction. At Motorola's MOS-12 facility, implementation of waferless job creation on CD, overlay, and film thickness measurement tools has reduced new product introduction time by 2 days. In addition, because of standardization of metrology structures, there is much greater consistency in measurements across multiple products. The key components for successfully achieving waferless set up of metrology jobs are standardizing metrology in scribe structures, incorporating specialized inscribe pattern recognition features, tightly matching machines, and directly manipulating job plans. By having standard CAD libraries for each type of measurement the coordinates of all measurement features are known. By using optimized in scribe pattern recognition features, target images can be reused on new products. Tight matching of machines permits job plans written on one machine to be copied to all similar machines without modification. Direct manipulation of job plans eliminates the need for a wafer during job creation.