cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gross Morphology of the Composite Occipito-Atlas-Axis Joint Cavity in the Dog*

The structure and intercommunications of the composite occipito-atlas-axis joint cavity of the dog was studied in 28 dogs through gross dissection and injection casts. The injection casts were prepared through the use of silicone rubber caulking material. The procedure used is described in the manuscript. The composite joint cavity is delineated and communications clearly identified. The joint is compared with that of other species in regard to postural adaptations and adaptations due to variety of head movements in different species.
Evaluating voltage islands in CMPs under process variations

Parameter variations are a major factor causing power-performance asymmetry in chip multiprocessors. In this paper, we analyze the effects of with-in-die (WID) process variations on chip multicore processors and then apply a variable voltage island scheme to minimize power dissipation. Our idea is based on the observation that due to process variations, the critical paths in each core are likely to have a different latencies resulting in core-to-core (C2C) variations. As a result, each core can operate correctly under different supply voltage levels, achieving an optimal power consumption level. Particularly, we analyze voltage islands at different granularities ranging from a single core to a group of cores. We show that the dynamic power consumption can be reduced by up to 36.2% when each core can set its individual supply voltage level. In addition, for most manufacturing technologies, significant power savings can be achieved with only a few voltage islands on the whole chip: a single customized voltage setting can reduce the power consumption by up to 31.5%. Since the nominal operating frequency remains unchanged after the modifications, our scheme incurs no performance overhead.
Traveling wave tube-based LINC transmitters

Traveling wave tubes (TWTs) have unparalleled power efficiency in the microwave frequency regime and above. Linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) is a transmission architecture capable of achieving both power and spectral efficiency. By using amplifiers operated near saturation, LINC has drawn great attention in the solid state community, but has not been explored in the context of high power TWT applications. We demonstrate that in the presence of realistic imperfections the LINC TWT transmitter achieves -45 dBc or better spectral regrowth while operating under saturated, maximum efficiency conditions. In our simulations, the amplifier model is based on actual TWT measurements.
Rwanda and Darfur: A Comparative Analysis

The article presents a comparative analysis of genocide in Rwanda and Darfur. The first half of the article examines the patterns and origins of violence in both cases and uses the comparison to generate some theoretical inferences about the causes of genocide. The analysis finds that both cases demonstrate a similar character of violence but that in Rwanda the violence was more intense, more exterminatory, and more participatory than in Darfur. Both episodes took place in the midst of civil war, in periods of political transition, in countries with histories of ethnic nationalism, and in areas where the conflicting ethnic populations lived in relative proximity. However, in Rwanda the state is more compact, centralized, and effective, which may explain the variation in intensity. The second half of the article focuses on the international response to genocide in both cases. After Rwanda, observers emphasized the importance of using the label “genocide” and creating domestic constituencies. Darfur showed ...
Neural coherence and the content of consciousness.

On the one hand Dr. John's paper is a reintegration of previous animal work originally published during the period 1959 to 1977, and on the other hand, it is a refocusing on a subset of this work translated to human subjects. The subissue in Dr. John's paper is the content of consciousness and not, specifically, the operation of consciousness. Previously, Dr. John helped to show why it is anatomically and functionally helpful to distinguish between the operation of consciousness and the content of consciousness (Thatcher and John, 1977). To briefly review, the "general operation of consciousness" (GOC) is characterized by longer time intervals and relatively time invariant processes such as sleep, wakefulness, arousal, and coma. The GOC is a relatively tonic state, with slow adjustments of the levels of arousal (i.e., on the order of minutes and hours), such as occur during changes in levels of awareness and/or drowsiness and mediated by reticular-limbic and thalamic excitatory control systems. In contrast, the "content of consciousness" (COQ is defined as the momentary collection of sensations and thoughts that we would call the "present moment," which is temporally and hierarchically nested within the GOC and is mediated by the coherent activation of large ensembles of neurons. William James referred to the content of consciousness as the "specious present," which he defined as that "interval of time (about 1 to 7 seconds) when an event that belonged to the present is distinctly perceived as the past" (James, 1890). A finer temporal grain of the content of consciousness is provided by the psychophysical experiments of Efron (1967, 1970a,b) and others (Fraisse, 1963; Shallice, 1964) that demonstrated an approximately 20to 200-ms "perceptual frame" in which nearly simultaneous events were integrated into a perceptual whole. Subsequent EP studies have indicated that the duration of the frame increases as a function of the complexity of the integration, especially as shown in P400 studies (Thatcher, 1976, 1977a). As Dr. John pointed out in 1977, the running average summation of the content of each of the approximately 20to 200-ms perceptual frames may represent a temporal limit of the momentary content of consciousness (Thatcher and John, 1977). Experimentally, the duration of the integrative peceptual frame varies de
Partially versus fully covered self-expanding metal stents for benign and malignant esophageal conditions: a single center experience

Fully covered self-expanding metal stents (FCSEMS), unlike partially covered SEMS (PCSEMS), have been used to treat benign as well as malignant conditions. We aimed to evaluate the outcome of PCSEMS and FCSEMS in patients with both benign and malignant esophageal diseases. Data were reviewed of all patients who underwent SEMS placement for malignant or benign conditions between January 1995 and January 2012. Patients with cancer were followed for at least 3 months, until death or surgery. Patients with benign conditions had stents removed between 4 and 12 weeks. Patient demographics, location and type of lesion, stent placement and removal, clinical success, and adverse events were analyzed. A total of 252 patients (mean ± standard deviation age 68.5 ± 14 years; 171 male) received 321 SEMS (209 PCSEMS, 112 FCSEMS) for malignant (78 %) and benign (22 %) conditions. Stent placement and removal was successful in 97.6 and 95.6 % procedures. Successful relief of malignant dysphagia was noted in 140 of 167 patients (83.8 %) and control of benign fistulas, leaks, and perforations was noted in 21 of 25 patients (84 %), but only 8 of 15 patients (53 %) with recalcitrant benign strictures had effective treatment. Fifty-six patients (22.2 %) experienced at least one stent-related adverse events. Migration was frequent, occurring in 61 of 321 stent placements (19 %), and more frequently with FCSEMS than PCSEMS (37.5 vs. 9.1 %, p < 0.001). FCSEMS, benign conditions, and distal location were the variables independently associated with migration (p < 0.001, p = 0.022, and p = 0.008). Patients with PCSEMS were more likely to have tissue in- or overgrowth than FCSEMS (53.4 vs. 29.1 %, p = 0.004). Both PCSEMS and FCSEMS can be used in benign and malignant conditions; they are both effective for relieving malignant dysphagia and for closing leaks and perforations, but they seem less effective for relieving benign recalcitrant strictures. Stent migration is more common with FCSEMS, which may limit its use for the palliation of malignant dysphagia.
Effect of embryo removal on concentrations of progesterone and LH in the rabbit

Embryos were removed by flushing the oviducts or uterine horns on Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 of pregnancy or pseudopregnancy. Progesterone profiles of pregnant, flushed pregnant, pseudopregnant and flushed pseudopregnant does were identical until Day 12 post coitum regardless of the day of flushing. After Day 12, the profiles of intact pregnant does were different from those of the other three groups (P less than 0.01). LH levels were low (less than 1 ng/ml) in all groups before and after surgery and there were no significant differences between treated and control rabbits. These data demonstrate that removal of embryos at any time before implantation results in progesterone levels identical to those of pseudopregnancy and does not alter serum LH levels.
Symptomatic conduction system disease in cardiac amyloidosis

Symptomatic conduction system disease in cardiac amyloidosis and its management has been reported infrequently. We report our experience of patients with amyloidosis having symptomatic conduction system disease requiring permanent pacemaker implantation.
Seismic chronostratigraphy at reservoir scale: Statistical modeling

AbstractWe have developed a statistical modeling method to quantify the chronostratigraphic meaning of primary seismic reflections, with an emphasis on applications at reservoir scale (<50 m). The time-correlation error (TCE) is defined as the difference between seismic events and relative geologic time (RGT). A series of statistically simulated impedance models with flat chronostratigraphic surfaces was generated from a subsurface data set to describe gradual lithofacies changes in contemporaneous strata and to account for vertical cyclicity from seed wireline logs. We converted these models to realistic seismic records using an exploding-reflector algorithm. The TCE from the seismic models was positively correlated to the lateral impedance variation, in which the TCE magnitude for a model of complex impedance variation could be quite significant. For example, a maximum, two-event, 32.5-m TCE had been observed in a small 1×1-km model. An increase in wavelet frequency in general reduced the TCE and impro...
Computed Tomography of the Thorax: A Status Report

Computed tomography (CT) of the thorax shows early promise of important diagnostic advances. We believe that CT often provides information superior to that provided by standard roentgenographic techniques, is capable of significantly influencing patient management, and in selected instances, offers unique information not available by other methods. Computed tomography permits the imaging of mediastinal structures not possible with conventional roentgenographic methods and can diagnose with certainty benign mediastinal conditions such as pericardial cysts and focal or diffuse accumulations of fat. It is ideal for detecting pleural abnormalities and for displaying underlying parenchymal disease in patients with complex pleuroparenchymal shadows on conventional films. Pulmonary metastases unseen on the plain chest film can be detected with greater sensitivity than by any other method. Future applications of CT include the staging of mediastinal lymph nodes in bronchogenic carcinoma, the differentiation of benign from malignant solitary pulmonary nodules, and the detection of diffuse diseases involving the lung parenchyma before they are visible on conventional roentgenograms. Additional clinical experience and careful studies will determine CTs final role as a diagnostic aid for disorders of the thorax.
Exploring Utterance and Cognitive Fluency of L1 and L2 English Speakers: Temporal Measures and Stimulated Recall.

Although fluency constitutes an essential component of second language (L2) proficiency, there are mixed results and gaps in the literature on how L2 speakers’ fluency differs from fluent speech production in a first language (L1). The research reported in this article investigated utterance fluency and cognitive fluency of L1 English speakers and Korean learners of L2 English by eliciting and comparing quantitative evidence from temporal measures and qualitative evidence from stimulated recall responses. In addition, the L2 speaker group's proficiency was measured by an in-house institutional test so as to inspect how L2 fluency measures correlated to varying proficiency. The L1 and L2 speakers were different in speed, length of run, and silent pauses. In particular, a striking group difference in silent pause rate within a clause was found, consistent with the claim that pauses within clauses reflect processing difficulties in speech production. Different qualitative patterns in the stimulated recall responses by the lower and higher proficiency learners are discussed in relation to Ullman's declarative/procedural model and Segalowitz's fluency vulnerability points in L2 speech production.
A probabilistic method to detect regulatory modules.

Motivation: The discovery of cis-regulatory modules in metazoan genomes is crucial for understanding the connection between genes and organism diversity. Results: We develop a computational method that uses Hidden Markov Models and an Expectation Maximization algorithm to detect such modules, given the weight matrices of a set of transcription factors known to work together. Two novel features of our probabilistic model are: (i) correlations between binding sites, known to be required for module activity, are exploited, and (ii) phylogenetic comparisons among sequences from multiple species are made to highlight a regulatory module. The novel features are shown to improve detection of modules, in experiments on synthetic as well as biological data. Availability: The source code for the programs is available upon request from the authors.
High-resolution numerical simulation of turbulence in natural waterways

Abstract We develop an efficient and versatile numerical model for carrying out high-resolution simulations of turbulent flows in natural meandering streams with arbitrarily complex bathymetry. The numerical model solves the 3D, unsteady, incompressible Navier–Stokes and continuity equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The method can handle the arbitrary geometrical complexity of natural streams using the sharp-interface curvilinear immersed boundary (CURVIB) method of Ge and Sotiropoulos (2007) [1] . The governing equations are discretized with three-point, central, second-order accurate finite-difference formulas and integrated in time using an efficient, second-order accurate fractional step method. To enable efficient simulations on grids with tens of millions of grid nodes in long and shallow domains typical of natural streams, the algebraic multigrid (AMG) method is used to solve the Poisson equation for the pressure coupled with a matrix-free Krylov solver for the momentum equations. Depending on the desired level of resolution and available computational resources, the numerical model can either simulate, via direct numerical simulation (DNS), large-eddy simulation (LES), or unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) modeling. The potential of the model as a powerful tool for simulating energetic coherent structures in turbulent flows in natural river reaches is demonstrated by applying it to carry out LES and URANS in a 50-m long natural meandering stream at resolution sufficiently fine to capture vortex shedding from centimeter-scale roughness elements on the bed. The accuracy of the simulations is demonstrated by comparisons with experimental data and the relative performance of the LES and URANS models is also discussed.
Do Safer Sex Self-Efficacy, Attitudes toward Condoms, and HIV Transmission Risk Beliefs Differ among Men who Have Sex with Men, Heterosexual Men, and Women Living with HIV?

To understand sexual decision-making processes among people living with HIV, we compared safer sex self-efficacy, condom attitudes, sexual beliefs, and rates of unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with at-risk partners (UAVI-AR) in the past 3 months among 476 people living with HIV: 185 men who have sex with men (MSM), 130 heterosexual men, and 161 heterosexual women. Participants were enrolled in SafeTalk, a randomized, controlled trial of a safer sex intervention. We found 15% of MSM, 9% of heterosexual men, and 12% of heterosexual women engaged in UAVI-AR. Groups did not differ in self-efficacy or sexual attitudes/beliefs. However, the associations between these variables and UAVI-AR varied within groups: greater self-efficacy predicted less UAVI-AR for MSM and women, whereas more positive condom attitudes—but not self-efficacy—predicted less UAVI-AR for heterosexual men. These results suggest HIV prevention programs should tailor materials to different subgroups.
Calculating emittance from images of undulator radiation

A method is presented for calculating the emittance of an electron beam from scans of undulator radiation. Scans are affected by electron beam properties, radiation angular distribution, imaging pinhole diffraction, smearing from scanning, and the difference between scan and beam axes, all of which are incorporated. Adding-in-quadrature is also discussed. An application to the low-emittance lattice of the storage ring PEP (Positron-Electron Project) is discussed. >
Dielectric Properties and Morphology of Ferroelectric Ceramic-Polymer Composite Films

!Dielectric constant and morphology of BaTiO3-polymer composite films were studied as a function of the filler concentration. The morphology of the films was examined using laser scanning confocal microscopy, which is capable to measure small particle distributions in more details than conventional microscopy. The thin-slice images allowed us to visualize the micron-size particles and the polymer between them nondestructively. We have found that, although BaTiO3 particles appear to form clusters at low filler concentrations, the cluster formation does not affect the dielectric constant of the composites.
The Effect of CO2 Administration Upon Parathyroid Tetany.

It has been known for some years that certain mineral acids such as HCl, and acid producing salts such as CaCl2 and NH4Cl are effective agents in the treatment of infantile tetany, and have also been successfully employed in cases of experimental tetany.The effect of injecting HCl and CaCl2 or NH4Cl is the production of an acidosis. It seems from a survey of the literature on the subject, that the gross manifestations of tetany, even the most violent convulsions, are rather promptly relieved by slight changes in the reaction of the blood toward the acid side, and that such changes influence in some manner the calcium content of the blood.In view of these facts it was considered worthwhile to test the effect of administering CO2 to dogs in tetany, (1) in relation to relief of symptoms and (2) the effect upon the serum calcium level.Small rat and fox terriers were used as experimental animals. They were thyroparathyroidectomized and permitted to develop tetany. When the animals were prostrate they were bled...
Atom Interferometry: From Practical Applications to Fundamental Tests of Gravity and Quantum Mechanics

We discuss optical cavity and lattice atom interferometers for applications including navigation, tests of Einstein’s equivalence principle, and a demonstration of the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. These techniques promise state-of-the-art sensitivity in a compact apparatus.
Gastric acid response to 2-deoxy-D-glucose in chronic fistula rats.

SummaryThe gastric acid response to 2-D.G. (25-400 mg/kg) was studied in 7 chronic gastric fistula rats. The gastric response was “all or none” and the threshold dose was approximately 50 mg/kg. Atropine abolished the response. No dose of 2-D.G. produced a significantly larger acid response than insulin.
Study on pulmonary function changes in infants with human bocavirus or mycoplasma pneumonia

Objective To discuss the pulmonary function change in infants with human bocavirus(HBoV) pneumonia or mycoplasma pneumonia(MP) and its clinical significance. Methods One hundred and forty infants under 3 years old who were admitted due to pulmonary infection were recruited from January, 2013 to October, 2013. Among them, HBoV-DNA was detected in 64 cases, and MP-DNA was detected in 76 cases. Thirty eight normal age-matched infants were selected as controls. The shape of tidal breathing flow-volume loops(TBFVLs) and change of every index were measured with a Pulmonary Testing System(Jaeger MasterScope). Results The ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow(PTEF) to total expiratory time(TPTEF/TE), the ratio of VPTEF to expiratory volume(VPTEF/VE), tidal expiratory flow at 25% of the remaining tidal volume(TEF25%) and the ratio of TEF25% to PTEF(25/PF) were significantly decreased in infants with HBoV and MP infection as compared with healthy infants(P0.05). However, there was no significant difference of the above indices between infants with HBoV and MP infection(P0.05). The shape of TBFVLs in infants with HBoV and MP pneumonia was changed and characterized by left-shifted PTEF and trough-like concave in descending limb. The PTEF was decreased in infants with pulmonary infection. Conclusions HBoV or MP infection results in impaired pulmonary function with manifestations of obstruction in small airway. The shape of TBFVLs in infants with HBoV and MP pneumonia is characterized by left-shifted PTEF and trough-like concave in descending limb.
Decomposition of Total Store Purchase When Purchase Payment and Inter-Purchase Time are Interdependent

The assumption that single purchase payment and inter-purchase time are independent is inconsistent with real purchase behaviors.The interdependence between the two variables may be concealed by a seemingly insignificant correlation coefficient.Therefore,the decomposition of the total store purchase based on the independence assumption could not represent the real purchase pattern accurately.Based on the analysis of consumer purchase behaviors,we develop a decompositional model which takes in the interdependence between single purchase payment and inter-purchase time,and the impact of marketing efforts.Our empirical analysis shows the effectiveness and managerial implications of the model in analyzing customers' total store purchases.
The Prescriptions of the New Hobbesian Contractarian

The Hobbesian contractarian is one who evaluates a legal, economic or political system by determining whether it is the sort of arrangement upon which the affected individuals could have come to agreement through a bargaining effort in which each is fully aware of everyone’s individual preferences and powers and each is concerned to maximize the satisfaction of his own interests. By this method of moral accounting, a social system is justified if and only if it is justifiable to each individual in that system by showing it to be mutually advantageous vis-a-vis a move to anarchy or to any other feasible social system. Today the most provocative reworking of the Hobbesian method of evaluation is being carried out by North American economists and philosophers incorporating into it central ideas of economics and the theory of games. My concern is to utilize the semiotical program of Charles Morris in analyzing the logic of the prescriptions of the new Hobbesian contractarian ethics.2
No difference in plantar flexion maximal exercise power output between men and women

Maximal oxygen consumption $$ \dot{V}O_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} $$ can be lower in women compared to men during traditional, systemic exercise even when corrected for differences in fat free mass (FFM). One potential source for lower $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} $$ might be inherent differences in muscle in men and women. Exercising isolated muscle such as plantar flexion provides the opportunity to study muscle function independent of systemic O2 delivery limitations. It was hypothesized that women would have lower plantar flexion power output (PO) than men even when corrected to calf FFM. Maximum $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} $$ and PO were measured during graded treadmill exercise and PO during plantar flexion exercise in men and women. During maximal treadmill exercise, men had greater absolute $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} $$ and PO. When expressed relative to FFM, there was no difference in PO at maximum between sexes, but $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2{\text{MAX}}}} $$ was still greater in men. During maximal plantar flexion exercise, men demonstrated greater absolute PO, but this difference between sexes was eliminated when PO was expressed relative to calf FFM. Healthy women do not demonstrate inherently lower muscle PO. Lower maximal $$ \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2} $$ per FFM measured during treadmill exercise in women than men appears due to factors other than differences in muscle aerobic capacity.
Damage identification of beam structures using free response shapes obtained by use of a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer system

Abstract Spatially dense operating deflection shapes and mode shapes can be rapidly obtained by use of a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (CSLDV) system, which sweeps its laser spot over a vibrating structure surface. This paper introduces a new type of vibration shapes called a free response shape (FRS) that can be obtained by use of a CSLDV system, and a new damage identification methodology using FRSs is developed for beam structures. An analytical expression of FRSs of a damped beam structure is derived, and FRSs from the analytical expression compare well with those from a finite element model. In the damage identification methodology, a free-response damage index (FRDI) is proposed, and damage regions can be identified near neighborhoods with consistently high values of FRDIs associated with different modes; an auxiliary FRDI is defined to assist identification of the neighborhoods. A FRDI associated with a mode consists of differences between curvatures of FRSs associated with the mode in a number of half-scan periods of a CSLDV system and those from polynomials that fit the FRSs with properly determined orders. A convergence index is proposed to determine the proper order of a polynomial fit. One advantage of the methodology is that the FRDI does not require any baseline information of an undamaged beam structure, if it is geometrically smooth and made of materials that have no stiffness and mass discontinuities. Another advantage is that FRDIs associated with multiple modes can be obtained using free response of a beam structure measured by a CSLDV system in one scan. The number of half-scan periods for calculation of the FRDI associated with a mode can be determined by use of the short-time Fourier transform. The proposed methodology was numerically and experimentally applied to identify damage in beam structures; effects of the scan frequency of a CSLDV system on qualities of obtained FRSs were experimentally investigated.
Culturally Responsive Teaching Knowledge and Practices of Online Faculty.

Cultural differences between faculty and their students can create important challenges that affect the quality and efficacy of online teaching and learning. The objectives of this study were to: (a) create and pilot test an assessment for online faculty to measure culturally responsive teaching knowledge (CRT) and culturally responsive educational practices (CREP) in teaching and advising students of color, military students, LGBTQ students, religious minority students, and international students; (b) describe participants’ CRT knowledge, value, and CREP; and (c) examine differences between their knowledge and their practices. The combined pilot and main study sample was comprised of 47 completed surveys. Internal consistency reliability was high for all subscales (.895-.970); subscale intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from .526-.833. The pilot round revealed strong face and content validity. Campbell-Fiske multitrait-multimethod matrix generated evidence of construct validity. Within-group comparisons of subscale scores using Wilcoxon Signed-ranks test revealed some significant differences between perceived knowledge and practice. Mann Whitney U test did not reveal significant differences in subscale scores or overall score by sector, degree level taught, or gender. The results have important implications for faculty training, professional development, mentoring, and support. Faculty who teach online who understand and value culturally responsive pedagogy and have the knowledge and skills to implement best practices in meeting the needs of diverse learners will enhance both teaching and learning. Culturally responsive knowledges and practice are particularly important as online programs are becoming ubiquitous across traditional institutions of higher education and their core faculty are teaching an increasingly diverse student body.
Spenser’s Envious History

This chapter attends to the early modern nexus of affect, substance, and method around the glory of King Arthur, as it is engaged in historiographic controversy and in Spenser’s Faerie Queene. Bringing new standards of historical fact to bear on the English past, some sixteenth-century historians judged Arthur and his deeds unreal. Other historians, however, defended Arthur’s reality and charged that what had changed in the practice of history was a new envy felt in the present toward the glory of the past. Adopting a “new materialist” perspective, Landreth argues that Spenser’s pseudo-historical epic engages the strife in the Arthurian controversy between dubious facts and negative affects in ontological terms, investigating the different ways the past may “matter” in the present.
Principles of Activation Analysis

(1972). Principles of Activation Analysis. Nuclear Science and Engineering: Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 496-496.
Minority Report by Lemur: Supporting Search Engine with Virtual Reality

In this paper, we introduce a Virtual Reality (VR) search engine interface. Virtual reality has been explored in the game industry and in the multimedia community. When wearing a VR device, a realistic experience is simulated around the user. In the working environment, VR's potential is still understudied. As a first step to enable VR-supported working environment, we present a search engine with a virtual reality interface. In our system, users can read, search and interact with the search engine with novel experiences. They only need to use their hands to interact with digital content, just like what is shown in the "minority report" movie.
The microbiome and systemic lupus erythematosus

Enterococcus gallinarum and Lupus A mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus implicates the translocation of the bacterium E. gallinarum from the small intestine to the liver as a risk factor fo...
Genetic factors in alzheimer disease and dementia

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common and complex disorder affecting several million people world-wide. It is defined clinically as a progressive dementing illness associated with A b -amyloid neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. From a genetic standpoint it is a heterogeneous disorder. Three separate genes (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2) each cause an autosomal dominant, highly penetrant, early-onset, familial form of the disease. The three proteins encoded by these genes all influence the production of the toxic α β1–42 form of amyloid. Commercial genetic testing is available for these rare forms of AD. However, mutations in these genes represent less than 2% of all cases of AD. The more common late-onset form of AD is thought to be polygenic and multifactorial. The e 4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is a known genetic risk factor for late-onset AD, lowering the average age of onset by unknown mechanisms. Numerous other candidate risk genes are being identified through genome wide association studies, but have been difficult to confirm. Other familial forms of dementia, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), prion-associated diseases, and CADASIL, may be caused by autosomal dominant mutations occurring in their respective genes (MAPT, GRN, PRNP, Notch-3).
Utilizing precision medicine to modulate the prostate tumor microenvironment and enhance immunotherapy

The last two decades of cancer research have seen two major advancements in our ability to treat cancer: precision medicine and immunotherapy. While these approaches have shown striking anticancer efficacy in numerous malignancies, they have not shown similar success and applicability in advanced prostate cancer patients. The fields of precision medicine and immunotherapy have come to realize that targeted therapies are capable of not only inhibiting tumor cell growth, but also promoting antitumor immunity by modulating the tumor microenvironment. Here we examine how personalized medicine can be used to target the tumor immune microenvironment in prostate cancer, with the goal of enhancing clinical responses to immunotherapy.
Connective Meaning in Beall and Restall’s Logical Pluralism

Jc Beall and Greg Restall (Logical Pluralism. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 2006) propose a logical pluralism where the corresponding connectives in each logic mean the same thing. They contrast this with a Carnapian pluralism, where different logics have corresponding connectives which do not share meanings. I will show that due to the manner in which connectives are given their meaning by Beall and Restall, relevant negation and intuitionistic negation cannot mean the same thing. Thus, their pluralism is at least partly Carnapian, as not all the logics involved can have their corresponding connectives share meanings.
Low Exposure Busulfan Conditioning to Achieve Sufficient Multilineage Chimerism in Patients with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

Abstract After allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the minimal myeloid chimerism required for full T and B cell reconstitution in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is unknown. We retrospectively reviewed our experience with low-exposure busulfan (cumulative area under the curve, 30 mg·hr/L) in 10 SCID patients undergoing either first or repeat HCT from unrelated or haploidentical donors. The median busulfan dose required to achieve this exposure was 5.9 mg/kg (range, 4.8 to 9.1). With a median follow-up of 4.5 years all patients survived, with 1 requiring an additional HCT. Donor myeloid chimerism was generally >90% at 1 month post-HCT, but in most patients it fell during the next 3 months, such that 1-year median myeloid chimerism was 14% (range, 2% to 100%). Six of 10 patients had full T and B cell reconstitution, despite myeloid chimerism as low as 3%. Three patients have not recovered B cell function at over 2 years post-HCT, 2 of them in the setting of treatment with rituximab for post-HCT autoimmunity. Low-exposure busulfan was well tolerated and achieved sufficient myeloid chimerism for full immune reconstitution in over 50% of patients. However, other factors beyond busulfan exposure may also play critical roles in determining long-term myeloid chimerism and full T and B cell reconstitution.
Hair Matters: Toward Understanding Natural Black Hair Bias in the Workplace:

Using an inductive qualitative approach, this study examined natural Black hair bias in the workplace. An analysis of 274 comments posted to online discussion boards revealed that some Black women ...
Conservative care or surgery for rotator cuff tears

Selecting the appropriate Tx for the patient's circumstances- including age, activity level, and the size and depth of the tear-boosts the chances of a favorable outcome.
Clinical presentation and characteristics of pelvic floor myofascial pain in patients presenting with constipation.

BACKGROUND Patients with pelvic floor myofascial pain (PFMP) have puborectalis tenderness on digital rectal examination (DRE). Little is known about its significance to anorectal function in patients presenting with constipation. AIM To characterize demographics, clinical characteristics, findings on anorectal manometry (ARM), diagnosis of rectal evacuation disorder (RED), colonic transit [normal (NTC) or slow (STC)], and imaging in constipated patients with PFMP and compare these features to constipation without PFMP. METHODS We performed an electronic medical records review of patients with constipation evaluated by a single gastroenterologist between January 2008 and February 2019. Patients with PFMP were compared to controls with constipation but without PFMP (1:2 ratio). KEY RESULTS A total of 98 PFMP cases and 196 controls were identified. Constipated patients with PFMP were more likely to have RED [OR 7.59 (3.82-15.09), P < .01]; controls were more likely to have either NTC [OR 4.25 (1.45-12.42), P < .01] or STC [OR 3.57 (1.45-8.78), P < .01]. RED in patients with PFMP is supported by comparison to controls: On DRE, they had increased resting tone [OR 2.25 (1.33-3.83), P < .01] and paradoxical contraction of the puborectalis upon simulated evacuation [OR 3.41 (1.94-6.00), P < .01]; on ARM, they had higher maximum resting pressure (102.9 mmHg vs 90.7 mmHg, P < .01) and lower rectoanal pressure gradient (-39.4 mmHg vs -24.7 mmHg, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS/INFERENCES In constipated patients, PFMP is highly associated with RED. Its presence provides a valuable clue regarding the etiology of a patient's constipation; it should be assessed in all patients with constipation and should also be an additional target for management.
VRvisu++: A Tool for Virtual Reality-Based Visualization of MRI Images

With the emergence of sophisticated head-mounted displays (HMDs), virtual reality (VR) is gaining much interest in the field of medical science and diagnosis. There exist many software tools that support MRI imaging in 3D, however, limited attention has been paid to the VR domain. In this paper, we present a VR tool called VRvisu++ which attempts to bring the spatial advantage that VR has to offer to MRI imaging. This tool allows doctors and medical practitioners to directly interact with MRI images in a VR environment thereby supporting surgical training and clinical decision making.
An examination of the fair tax proposal in the USA and millennials' perspectives

A major public policy in most countries is the national tax system, often heavily debated. A citizen's moral responsibility to pay taxes was well established in the First Century AD with Jesus' famous statement: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's”. Thus, while a citizen's duty is clear, there are still questions about the way taxes are designed and administered. In the USA, many citizens complain that taxes are overly complicated, burdensome and unfair. A potential replacement to the current federal tax system is the consumption-based 'FairTax'. This study examines millennials' perspectives regarding income-based and consumption-based tax systems, thereby ascertaining the level of openness to switch from the current income-based system to the FairTax, a consumption-based system. Findings have ramifications for all countries, if they are considering switching all or part of an income-based system to a consumption-based system.
Organization of cortical and thalamic input to inhibitory neurons in mouse motor cortex

Understanding how feedforward inhibition regulates movement requires knowing how cortical and thalamic projections connect to inhibitory interneurons in primary motor cortex (M1). We quantified excitatory synaptic input from sensory cortex and thalamus onto two main classes of M1 inhibitory interneurons across all cortical layers: parvalbumin (PV) expressing fast-spiking cells and somatostatin (SOM) expressing low-threshold-spiking cells. Each projection innervated M1 interneurons with a unique laminar profile. While pyramidal neurons were excited by these cortical and thalamic inputs in the same layers, different interneuron types were excited in a distinct, complementary manner, suggesting feedforward inhibition from different inputs proceeds selectively via distinct circuits. Specifically, somatosensory cortex (S1) inputs primarily targeted PV+ neurons in upper layers (L2/3) but SOM+ neurons in middle layers (L5). Somatosensory thalamus (PO) inputs primarily targeted PV+ neurons in middle layers (L5). Our results show that long-range excitatory inputs target inhibitory neurons in a cell type-specific manner which contrasts with input to neighboring pyramidal cells. In contrast to feedforward inhibition providing generic inhibitory tone in cortex, circuits are selectively organized to recruit inhibition matched to incoming excitatory circuits.
Developing a Framework of Relationships Among Noncognitive Factors in Doctor of Pharmacy Students’ Academic Performance

Objective. To develop a framework of the effects of select noncognitive factors (grit, perceived stress, internal locus of control, and select Big Five Personality Traits) on pharmacy students’ academic performance. Methods. A survey measuring select noncognitive factors was administered to two cohorts of first-year pharmacy (P1) students (entering classes of 2019 and 2020, n=374) during fall orientation. Demographics, pre-pharmacy GPA, and P1 fall semester GPA were collected from student records. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to assess the proposed framework. Results. Academic performance was directly influenced by students’ (n=367; 98.1%) perceived stress and neuroticism and indirectly influenced by internal locus of control and neuroticism (via perceived stress as mediator). Neuroticism has a complex relationship in the models as it was directly and positively associated with academic performance, and also indirectly contributed to decreased academic performance via a positive association with perceived stress. Squared multiple correlations indicated 13% and 9% of the variance in academic performance in the first final model (academic performance measured by pre-pharmacy GPA and P1 fall GPA) and second final model (academic performance measured by P1 fall GPA), respectively, were explained by the predictor variables. Conclusion. Evidence provided by SEM supports select noncognitive factors, namely perceived stress, neuroticism, and internal locus of control, have direct and indirect effects on the academic success of P1 students. The model variances of 9% and 13% represent 36% to 52% of the predictive value of the most commonly accepted cognitive measures used to determine students’ potential for academic success.
Genome of a novel Sediminibacterium discovered in association with two species of freshwater stream Cyanobacteria in Southern California

Here we report the discovery of a novel Sediminibacterium sequenced from laboratory cultures of freshwater stream cyanobacteria from sites in Southern California, grown in BG11 media. A de novo genome assembly of this bacterium yielded a complete chromosomal genome on a single contig of length 3.34 Mbps with a GC content of 39.4%. A first pass annotation identified ~3000 protein coding genes, with 98% completeness when compared against all prokaryotic and cyanobacterial gene families in BUSCO. A comprehensive phylogenomic species tree reconstruction using 100 of these protein coding genes placed the novel bacterium to be sister to a previously identified Sediminibacterium, which is over 20% divergent from our novel genome.
Reinforcement Learning for the Optimization of Decoupling Capacitors in Power Delivery Networks

This paper proposes an advantage actor–critic (A2C) reinforcement learning (RL)–based method for the optimization of decoupling capacitor (decap) design. Unlike the previous RL-based methods used for the selection of decap types or decap placements, the proposed method enables placement and the simultaneous selection of both decap types and their placements, thereby simplifying the design process. The results show that the proposed method can provide a larger number of optimized decap design solutions compared with previous methods, and can yield decap solutions even for multi-port optimization.
On the Use of Finite Difference Matrix-vector Products in Newton-krylov Solvers for Implicit Climate Dynamics with Spectral Elements

Abstract Efficient solutions of global climate models require effectively handling disparate length and time scales. Implicit solution approaches allow time integration of the physical system with a step size governed by accuracy of the processes of interest rather than by stability of the fastest time scales present. Implicit approaches, however, require the solution of nonlinear systems within each time step. Usually, a Newton's method is applied to solve these systems. Each iteration of the Newton's method, in turn, requires the solution of a linear model of the nonlinear system. This model employs the Jacobian of the problem-defining nonlinear residual, but this Jacobian can be costly to form. If a Krylov linear solver is used for the solution of the linear system, the action of the Jacobian matrix on a given vector is required. In the case of spectral element methods, the Jacobian is not calculated but only implemented through matrix- vector products. The matrix-vector multiply can also be approximated by a finite difference approximation which may introduce inaccuracy in the overall nonlinear solver. In this paper, we review the advantages and disadvantages of finite difference approximations of these matrix- vector products for climate dynamics within the spectral element shallow water dynamical core of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM).
Effectiveness of I-V testing in comparison to IDDq tests [IC testing]

This paper contrasts the novel I-V test criteria with traditional and recent IDDq test methods and compares their test effectiveness. It shows how I-V tests and IDDq tests fare in discriminating between "good" and "bad" dies and how test limits can be set empirically, especially for I-V testing. All results are based on data from an (internal) IBM experiment that was based on a large ASIC manufactured in a 0.18 /spl mu/m-L/sub eff/ technology.
Distances between matrix algebras that converge to coadjoint orbits

For any sequence of matrix algebras that converge to a coadjoint orbit we give explicit formulas that show that the distances between the matrix algebras (viewed as quantum metric spaces) converges to 0. In the process we develop a general point of view that is likely to be useful in other related settings.
Comparison of genomic homologies in the coxsackievirus B group by use of cDNA:RNA dot-blot hybridization.

Abstract Radioactive cDNAs to coxsackievirus B (CB) genomic RNAs were used to probe genomic homologies between RNAs of the CB group serotypes. CB5 shared approximately equivalent homology with the other five CB serotypes. CB1, CB2, and CB3 hybridized preferentially to CB5 in turn, suggesting that these three have diverged in one direction from CB5. CB4 and CB6 were more related to each other than to the other serotypes at a lower criterion, but at a more stringent criterion they did not demonstrate apparent homology with each other. This suggests that they have diverged from CB5 as well but perhaps earlier in time or at a greater rate than did CB1, CB2, or CB3. Some potential applications of these relationships to clinical CB detection assays based on nucleic acid hybridization are discussed.
ASSESSING LYCOPENE CONTENT IN CALIFORNIA PROCESSING TOMATOES

Tomatoes constitute the main source of lycopene in the U.S. diet. Growing interest in the potential health-protective role of lycopene is bringing attention to the content of lycopene in tomatoes. A wide range of lycopene content (55–181 mg/kg) was observed in juice prepared from selected cultivars of tomatoes grown in nine California counties. A comparison of cultivars H 8892, H 9665 and Halley 3155 grown in Colusa, Fresno, San Joaquin and Yolo counties during three seasons concludes that mean lycopene concentrations were significantly greater (P < 0.01) in 2000 (106 mg/kg) than in 1999 (101 mg/kg) and 2001 (88 mg/kg). An evaluation of nine processing tomato cultivars harvested in one season on four separate dates indicated that lycopene concentration of tomatoes decreases with maturation on the plant. Lycopene concentration of tomatoes is dependent on the growing season, location, cultivar and maturity.