cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lysosomal NEU1 deficiency affects amyloid precursor protein levels and amyloid-β secretion via deregulated lysosomal exocytosis.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) belongs to a category of adult neurodegenerative conditions which are associated with intracellular and extracellular accumulation of neurotoxic protein aggregates. Understanding how these aggregates are formed, secreted and propagated by neurons has been the subject of intensive research, but so far no preventive or curative therapy for AD is available and clinical trials have been largely unsuccessful. Here we show that deficiency of the lysosomal sialidase NEU1 leads to the spontaneous occurrence of an AD-like amyloidogenic process in mice. This involves two consecutive events linked to NEU1 loss-of-function – accumulation and amyloidogenic processing of an oversialylated amyloid precursor protein in lysosomes, and extracellular release of Aβ-peptides by excessive lysosomal exocytosis. Furthermore, cerebral injection of NEU1 in an established AD mouse model substantially reduces β-amyloid plaques. Our findings identify an additional pathway for the secretion of Aβ and define NEU1 as a potential therapeutic molecule for AD.
Molecular mixing enhancement in the confined wake of a splitter plate

The flow structure and the molecular mixing field are investigated in a liquid-phase low Reynolds number forced wake in a confining channel using chemically reacting LIT. The absolute level of molecular mixing enhancement is quantified. Results show that the amount of chemical -product can be dramatically increased when high amplitude forcing is used. Mixing at mid-span is enhanced by about a factor of 40 over the unforced case. More importantly, the maximum level of mixing is nearly three times that in high Reynolds number liquid-phase mixing layers, and 60% higher than that in gas-phase turbulent shear layers.
ADHD: Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Issues of Comorbidity

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a lifelong condition that begins in childhood and continues with adult manifestations related to the core symptoms. Approximately 50% to 75% of children with ADHD continue to meet criteria for the disorder as adolescents and adults. Adults with the disorder increasingly present to primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and other practitioners for diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the diagnosis of ADHD in adults requires knowledge of age-dependent decline of symptoms over time. Retrospective recall of symptoms and impairment are valid methods of diagnosing the disorder. ADHD is also a brain disorder with a strong neurobiologic basis, complex etiology, and genetic component. Genetic and environmental vulnerabilities give rise to abnormalities in the brain and subsequent behavioral and cognitive deficits, which may produce the symptoms associated with ADHD. Magnetic resonance imaging studies of ADHD have provided evidence that abnormalities in the brain are caused by the disorder itself rather than treatment of the disorder. Psychiatric comorbidity is common among patients with ADHD and tends to complicate treatment. Acute and long-term use of long-acting stimulant formulations (methylphenidate and amphetamine compounds) have shown robust efficacy and tolerability consistent with the treatment response established in children with ADHD. Non-stimulant medications have demonstrated efficacy as well, and may be preferred in patients with tic and substance use disorders.
Statistical mechanics of complex ecological aggregates

Abstract A fundamental limitation of classical science was its inability to explain how order could emerge out of uncertainty and indeterminism. The approach to solving this dilemma has been to develop theories of how properties of aggregated systems arise from the properties and interactions of their parts. The basic assumption of such ideas is that there is a tension between the tendency of an aggregated system to change and the constraints that are imposed upon that system by virtue of the behavior of and interactions among the parts. The balance between constraint and change gives rise to a hierarchy of aggregated structures that exhibit regular, repeatable attributes to the degree that constraints are able to maintain change across time within boundaries that define the nature of the structure. This basic view of causality in complex systems suggests an approach to defining a statistical mechanics for ecological systems that can be used to generate new theoretical descriptions of biological diversity. This approach is illustrated by introducing the idea of a “geographic population system” of a species and illustrating how change and constraints interact within this system to determine statistical properties such as geographic range size, and mean-variance scalings. The concept of a geographic population system is then used to develop alternative descriptions of the kinetics of biological diversity. Assuming that these alternatives are complimentary, it is possible to develop a general description for biological diversity that shows how lower level change (geographical population dynamics of species) are constrained by the environment and genetic systems of species to determine rates of origination and extinction of taxa over long periods of time.
From the European Coal and Steel Community to Kosovo: Reconciliation and Its Discontents

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the scholarly and public debates on the often-invoked but undetermined European Union reconciliatory identity. First, it articulates an interpretative analysis of the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and civil society initiatives in post-World War II western Europe, which draws its conceptual framework from Paul Ricoeur and Hannah Arendt's hermeneutics. Second, it discusses whether the reconciliatory practices thus detected are still relevant for countries in conflict on the path to EU membership. Former EU Commission President Jacques Delors and Polish Member of the European Parliament Bronislaw Geremek affirm that this is the case for the Western Balkans. This article explores what this might mean in terms of policies and grass-roots initiatives between Kosovo and Serbia today.
Task-Evoked BOLD Responses Are Normal in Areas of Diaschisis After Stroke

Objective. Cerebral infarction can cause diaschisis, a reduction of blood flow and metabolism in areas of the cortex distant from the site of the lesion. Although the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal is increasingly used to examine the neural correlates of recovery in stroke, its reliability in areas of diaschisis is uncertain. Design. The effect of chronic diaschisis as measured by resting positron emission tomography on task-evoked BOLD responses during word-stem completion in a block design fMRI study was examined in 3 patients, 6 months after a single left hemisphere stroke involving the inferior frontal gyrus and operculum. Results. The BOLD responses were minimally affected in areas of chronic diaschisis. Conclusions. Within the confines of this study, the mechanism underlying the BOLD signal, which includes a mismatch between neuronally driven increases in blood flow and a corresponding increase in oxygen use, appears to be intact in areas of chronic diaschisis.
Toward a clinical model of psychotherapy for depression. I : Systematic comparison of three psychotherapies

In a two-part series, the author explores the current status of psychotherapy for depression. In part I, three predominant approaches to the psychological treatment of depressive disorders today--psychodynamic, cognitive, and interpersonal--are described and contrasted schematically. They are depicted as conceptually different but potentially complementary with regard to 1) basic characteristics, including theoretical orientation, major strategies, goals, and mechanisms of change, and 2) respective advantages and limitations. This clinical comparison forms the foundation of an integrative and selective model for the treatment of depression.
Austria as a Region of German Culture: 1900–1938

This Essay Attempts to contribute to our understanding of the intellectual and cultural history of Central Europe by making explicit a variety of themes that haunt discourse about Austrian culture and by making some suggestions about periodizing the relationship between Austria and German culture. I originally developed these thoughts on Austria as a region of German culture for a conference in 1983 at the Center for Austrian Studies on regions and regionalism in Austria. Although the political institutions of Central Europe have undergone a revolution since then, the question of Austria's relationship to German culture still holds its importance for the historian-and for contemporary Austrians as well. The German culture I have in mind here is not the kleindeutsch national culture of Bismarck's Reich, but rather the realm that was once constituted by the German-speaking lands of the Holy Roman Empire. This geographical space in Central Europe suggests a more ideal realm of the spirit, for which language is our best point of reference and which corresponds to no merely temporal state.
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of endometrial protein in human uterine fluids: qualitative and quantitative analysis.

By combining two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, protein staining and a sensitive computer-assisted gel scanning system, it was possible to examine human uterine fluid (n = 56) qualitatively and quantitatively for the presence of endometrial proteins. The protein concentration of uterine fluids ranged from 0.1 to 12.0 mg/ml with early secretory phase samples (n = 15) having significantly less protein (0.72 +/- 0.2 SEM mg/ml p less than or equal to 0.05) than the proliferative phase (n = 57) samples (1.58 +/- .29 SEM mg/ml). Whole blood contamination of uterine fluid, as measured by hemoglobin content, averaged 6.2 +/- 0.88% throughout the menstrual cycle. Human uterine fluids collected throughout the menstrual cycle were found to contain serum and up to 24 other proteins in addition to those previously described (MacLaughlin and Richardson, 1983). These proteins represent approximately 1% of the total protein in the gels and exhibit isoelectric points from 4.5 to 7.0 and molecular weights in the 26,000 to 60,000 range. These proteins are absent from human serum, which exhibits an identical pattern whether obtained in the proliferative or secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. These secreted endometrial proteins now become the standard against which to compare proteins identified in vitro using organ, gland and cell culture techniques and to characterize proteins that are regulated by steroid hormones in vivo.
Glaucoma drainage tube kink after pars plana insertion.

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe focal obstruction of drainage tubes by kinking at the scleral entry site after pars plana insertion. METHODS: Case study. RESULTS: Three eyes of three patients underwent uncomplicated placement of a Baerveldt implant into the vitreous cavity at the time of pars plana vitrectomy. Intraocular pressure remained increased after the procedure without evidence of flow. Surgical exploration and modification of the tube placement resulted in immediate intraocular pressure reduction. Compression of the tube at the scleral entry site was confirmed intraoperatively in all eyes by ultrasound biomicroscopy. CONCLUSION: Kinking of the tube at its scleral entry site should be recognized as a possible cause of increased intraocular pressure without bleb formation after pars plana insertion of a glaucoma drainage implant.
Effect of Cyproterone Acetate on Adenohypophysis of Castrated Mice

Pituitaries from castrated male mice injected with cyproterone acetate were examined ultrastructurally. LH gonadotrophs showed two types: (a) those containing a dilated RER, a hypertrophied Golgi, and decreased granular content; and (b) those presenting an electron lucent cytoplasm and a nonhypertrophied RER. Following cyproterone acetate treatment both LH cell types showed increased RER cisternal hypertrophy and absence of Golgi membranes. In LH type (a) gonadotroph-increased granular content was noted. No detectable alterations were noted in FSH gonadotrophs following cyproterone acetate treatment. Cyproterone acetate may have stimulated the synthesis of the protein component but inhibited the incorporation of the carbohydrate moiety and LH release.
Non-Abelian D-branes, open strings, and gauge theory

There is a subtle difference between the open string dynamics determined by the original dual resonance models and that determined by D-brane constructions within critical closed string theory. For instance, in contrast to the former, the latter have massless scalars in addition to the massless gluon shared by both. We introduce and explain the concept of non-Abelian D-branes, which illuminates this distinction. We employ this concept to offer new possibilities for string duals for large $N$ QCD (pure Yang-Mills gauge theory).
Sensorimotor rhythm-based brain-computer interface (BCI): feature selection by regression improves performance

People can learn to control electroencephalogram (EEG) features consisting of sensorimotor rhythm amplitudes and can use this control to move a cursor in one or two dimensions to a target on a screen. In the standard one-dimensional application, the cursor moves horizontally from left to right at a fixed rate while vertical cursor movement is continuously controlled by sensorimotor rhythm amplitude. The right edge of the screen is divided among 2-6 targets, and the user's goal is to control vertical cursor movement so that the cursor hits the correct target when it reaches the right edge. Up to the present, vertical cursor movement has been a linear function of amplitude in a specific frequency band [i.e., 8-12 Hz (mu) or 18-26 Hz (beta)] over left and/or right sensorimotor cortex. The present study evaluated the effect of controlling cursor movement with a weighted combination of these amplitudes in which the weights were determined by an regression algorithm on the basis of the user's past performance. Analyses of data obtained from a representative set of trained users indicated that weighted combinations of sensorimotor rhythm amplitudes could support cursor control significantly superior to that provided by a single feature. Inclusion of an interaction term further improved performance. Subsequent online testing of the regression algorithm confirmed the improved performance predicted by the offline analyses. The results demonstrate the substantial value for brain-computer interface applications of simple multivariate linear algorithms. In contrast to many classification algorithms, such linear algorithms can easily incorporate multiple signal features, can readily adapt to changes in the user's control of these features, and can accommodate additional targets without major modifications.
Discrete-time stochastic minimax control of partially observable systems

Presents a sample path optimization technique, as an alternative to the ensemble average in formulating and solving stochastic minimax dynamic games: The stochastic games are nonlinear, discrete-time, and partially observable. The controlled state and observation processes are subject to non-Gaussian inputs and square-summable disturbances.
Coping with speech anxiety: The power of positive thinking

This paper reports two studies designed to probe the link between speech anxiety and positive thinking. The first study reconfirms earlier research that speech anxiety is positively correlated with negative thoughts and negatively related to positive thoughts. The second study found that students trained to use visualization reported a higher proportion of positive to negative thoughts and lower speech anxiety during an informative speech than those who were not trained. The paper ends with a discussion of the implications of these data.
Safety and efficacy of intra-articular infliximab therapy for treatment-resistant temporomandibular joint arthritis in children: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE TM joint (TMJ) arthritis occurs in up to 80% of children with JIA and can result in substantial deformity. TMJ arthritis can be refractory to systemic immunosuppressive therapy and IA CS injections (IACIs). Multiple studies have shown the benefit of IA infliximab injections (IAIIs) in several different joints, so we used intra-articular infliximab injections (IAIIs) in JIA patients with TMJ arthritis refractory to IACIs. The objective of the study was to test the safety and efficacy of IAII therapy for TMJ arthritis. METHODS Retrospective chart review was performed for all children with JIA treated at a single centre who received one or more IAIIs. Outcomes assessed were safety of the injections as well as efficacy as evidenced by maximal incisal opening (MIO) and MRI findings. RESULTS Twenty-four children underwent bilateral IAIIs, all of whom had at least one follow-up visit after the final injection. All 24 tolerated the injections without any adverse events. MIOs were unchanged in patients before and after IAII. Findings of acute synovitis were present in 30/46 (65%) TMJs at baseline, 44/48 (92%) following completion of the IACI and 42/48 (88%) following completion of the IAII; findings of chronic synovitis at the three time points were 12/46 (26%), 29/48 (60%) and 38/48 (79%). Resolution of the arthritis was observed in six TMJs. CONCLUSION IAII was safe and it reversed the progression of TMJ arthritis in some patients with refractory disease. Future studies will evaluate the efficacy of infliximab vs CS injections as initial therapy for TMJ arthritis.
Multidimensional adaptive filtering via McClellan transformations

The McClellan transformation is developed as an efficient parametrization for a least-squares (LS) adaptive filter. It is shown that the McClellan transformation is a decomposition that roughly corresponds to separating the specification of a multidimensional filter into a normal component, parameterized by the 1D prototype filter, and a tangential component, parameterized by the transformation function. Such a decomposition gives an adaptive system the potential to exploit directional biases in any direction, as opposed to separable filters, which have their symmetry constrained by the two fixed axes. Using the Chebychev recursive implementation of the McClellan transformation, it is also shown that for a given transformation function, the adaptation of the 1D prototype filter becomes a small vector-adaptation problem, similar to adaptive-array problems. For real-time LS block adaptation, such an adaptation algorithm can be performed efficiently using systolic arrays. >
Which Factors Influence Trading Costs in Global Equity Markets

This article examines global trends in equity-related transaction costs and trading volume by identifying recent patterns in institutional brokerage commissions, indirect trading costs, and trading activity. The results indicate a steady decline in brokerage commissions around the world, but indirect trading costs appear to have reached a plateau. The fastest growth in trading volume can be found in the emerging markets of South America, but the United States leads the way in terms of the steepest reductions in transaction costs. The empirical evidence also shows there is a simultaneous relationship between global equity trading volume and transaction costs that is driven by trends in both U.S. and local equity markets. This suggests that global investors are likely becoming more cost-sensitive and increasingly open to directing orders to those international markets where transaction costs are lower.
Solvent polarization and kinetic isotope effects in nitroethane deprotonation and implications to the nitroalkane oxidase reaction.

We have carried out a mixed molecular dynamics and centroid path integral simulation using a combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) potential to study the anomalous Bronsted relationship between rates and equilibria for deprotonation of nitroalkanes in water, which is known as the nitroalkane anomaly. The deprotonation process is catalyzed by nitroalkane oxidase. Our results show that the difference in solvent polarization effects for the TS and products is a major factor for the differential solvent effects on rate and equilibrium of nitroalkane deprotonation. This is due to poor charge delocalization as a result of slow rehybridization compared to bond breaking. Although solvent effects do not affect significantly the computed kinetic isotope effects in comparison with the gas-phase value, there is slight solvent-induced increase in tunneling. The present results suggest that an effective means by which the transition state can be stabilized in the enzyme nitroalkane oxidase is to ...
Nanotechnology for optics is a phase-length-time sandwich

Decreasing feature sizes due to advances in nanotechnology place a premium on careful treatment of phase, length, and time in optics. All three quantities are intermeshed due to morphology at the nanometer length scale. After examining the characteristics of the responses of columnar thin films and chiral sculptured thin films to optical pulses and beams, we put forward the thesis that nanotechnology for optics is a phase-length-time sandwich.
Trust-Based Secure Information Sharing Between Federal Government Agencies

The September 11 attack and the following investigations show that there is a serious information sharing problem among the relevant federal government agencies, and the problem can cause substantial deficiencies in terrorism attack detection. In this paper we provide a systematic analysis of the causes of this problem; and conclude that existing secure information sharing technologies and protocols cannot provide enough incentives for government agencies to share information with each other without worrying that their own interests can be jeopardized. Although trust-based information access is well studied in the literature, the existing trust models, which are based on certified attributes, cannot support effective information sharing among government agencies, which requires an interest-based trust model. To solve this information sharing problem, we propose an innovative interest-based trust model and a novel information sharing protocol, where a family of information sharing policies are integrated, and information exchange and trust negotiation are interleaved with and interdependent upon each other. In addition, an implementation of this protocol is presented using the emerging technology of XML Web Services. The implementation is totally compatible with the Federal Enterprise Architecture reference models and can be directly integrated into existing E-Government systems.
Bayesian species delimitation in West African forest geckos (Hemidactylus fasciatus).

Genealogical data are an important source of evidence for delimiting species, yet few statistical methods are available for calculating the probabilities associated with different species delimitations. Bayesian species delimitation uses reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rjMCMC) in conjunction with a user-specified guide tree to estimate the posterior distribution for species delimitation models containing different numbers of species. We apply Bayesian species delimitation to investigate the speciation history of forest geckos (Hemidactylus fasciatus) from tropical West Africa using five nuclear loci (and mtDNA) for 51 specimens representing 10 populations. We find that species diversity in H. fasciatus is currently underestimated, and describe three new species to reflect the most conservative estimate for the number of species in this complex. We examine the impact of the guide tree, and the prior distributions on ancestral population sizes (u) and root age (t0), on the posterior probabilities for species delimitation. Mis-specification of the guide tree or the prior distribution for u can result in strong support for models containing more species. We describe a new statistic for summarizing the posterior distribution of species delimitation models, called speciation probabilities, which summarize the posterior support for each speciation event on the starting guide tree.
Modeling, simulation, and testing of the mechanical dynamics of an RF MEMS switch

Mechanical dynamics can be a determining factor for the switching speed of radio-frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) switches. This paper presents the simulation of the mechanical motion of a microswitch under actuation. The switch has a plate suspended by springs. When an electrostatic actuation is applied, the plate moves toward the substrate and closes the switch. Simulations are calculated via a high-fidelity finite element model that couples solid dynamics with electrostatic actuation. It incorporates non-linear coupled dynamics and accommodates fabrication variations. Experimental modal analysis gives results in the frequency domain that verifies the natural frequencies and mode shapes predicted by the model. An effective 1D model is created and used to calculate an actuation voltage waveform that minimizes switch velocity at closure. In the experiment, the switch is actuated with this actuation voltage, and the displacements of the switch at various points are measured using a laser Doppler velocimeter through a microscope. The experiments are repeated on several switches from different batches. The experimental results verify the model.
The conventional NSAID sulindac sulfide arrests ovarian cancer cell growth through NSAID-activated gene (NAG-1)

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 4281 While the chemopreventive and anti-tumorigenic activities of NSAIDs against colorectal cancer are well established, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these properties in ovarian cancer have not been elucidated. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop mechanism-based approaches for the management of ovarian cancer. To this end, the effect of several NSAIDs on ovarian cancer cells was investigated as assessed by the induction of NAG-1, a pro-apoptotic gene belonging to the TGF-β superfamily. Sulindac sulfide was the most significant NAG-1 inducer and its expression was inversely associated with cell viability as determined by cell viability assay. This growth suppression by sulindac sulfide was recovered by transfection of NAG-1 siRNA. These results indicate that NAG-1 is one of the genes responsible for growth suppression by sulindac sulfide. Furthermore, we observed down-regulation of p21WAF1/CIP1 by introduction of NAG-1 siRNA into sulindac sulfide treated cells. In addition, to elucidate other potential molecular mechanisms involved in sulindac sulfide treatment of ovarian cancer cells, we performed a membrane-based microarray experiment. We found that CCND1 (cylin D1), MMP-1, PIK3R1, and PLAU were down-regulated by sulindac sulfide. In conclusion, a novel molecular mechanism is proposed to explain the experimental results and provide a rationale for the chemopreventive activity of NSAIDs in ovarian cancer.
A Novel Distributed Global Time Synchronization Protocol in Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks

Global time synchronization is an important function that enables all devices in a network to have a unified time. In traditional wireless ad hoc networks, since the spectrum is always available, the global time synchronization process usually can be performed without any interruption. However, in cognitive radio (CR) ad hoc networks, the global time synchronization process among secondary users may fail due to the dynamic spectrum availability. Therefore, the network performance will be significantly affected if time synchronization fails. In this paper, the unique challenges in global time synchronization in CR ad hoc networks are addressed. A novel distributed global time synchronization protocol is proposed considering the unique features of CR ad hoc networks such as the traffic and the topology of primary users (PUs). An optimal root node (i.e., the node which provides the reference time) selection scheme and an optimal time synchronization period are designed. Moreover, under the proposed optimal root node and the optimal time synchronization period, the synchronization delay and the impact of PUs on the global time synchronization performance are reduced dramatically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that investigates the global time synchronization issue in CR ad hoc networks that considers the unique features of CR ad hoc networks.
Modeling of Thermal Properties of Silicon-on-Insulator Traveling-Wave Resonators

Self-heating and external heat injection in Silicon-on-insulator traveling-wave resonators are modeled using finite-element-method by considering the thermal properties of thin Silicon slab. Thermal properties of these devices are further optimized for nonlinear and activetuning applications.
Kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with projected fields. II. Prospects, challenges, and comparison with simulations

The kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect produces a CMB temperature change caused by Compton scattering of CMB photons by free electrons. The authors use this probe of the large-scale electron distribution to measure the cosmic baryon distribution and ionized gas abundance, which can be used e.g. to detect the ``missing baryons'' assumed to reside in the \emph{Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium}.
Application of Sodium Polytungstate to the Gravity Separation of Sediments from Qinghai Lake

Sodium polytungstate is a water-miscible,nontoxic,high-density and inorganic heavy liquid.Sediment samples from Qinghai Lake were separated into low(≥1.9 g/cm3),medium(1.9~2.8 g/cm3) and high-density(≤2.8 g/cm3) fractions using sodium polytungstate solution flotation.The overall mass recovery efficiency for the density separations was 96.5%.The test on sediments after gravity separation indicates that organic matter content is closely relevant to clay mineral content,suggesting that clay mineral adsorption is the major mechanism in the preservation of organic matter in sediments from the Qinghai Lake
Should intravenous contrast be used for chest CT in children with nonlymphomatous extrathoracic malignancies

Intravenous contrast for thoracic CT examinations did not help in the staging of 75 consecutive pediatric patients with extrathoracic malignancies. Thirteen developed pulmonary metastases. In three of four children with hilar or mediastinal metastatic adenopathy, the abnormal lymph nodes were seen on the plain chest radiographs as well as the CT.
TH-AB-202-01: Daily Lung Tumor Motion Characterization On EPIDs Using a Markerless Tiling Model

Purpose: Tracking lung tumor motion in real time allows for target dose escalation while simultaneously reducing dose to sensitive structures, thus increasing local control without increasing toxicity. We present a novel intra-fractional markerless lung tumor tracking algorithm using MV treatment beam images acquired during treatment delivery. Strong signals superimposed on the tumor significantly reduced the soft tissue resolution; while different imaging modalities involved introduce global imaging discrepancies. This reduced the comparison accuracies. A simple yet elegant Tiling algorithm is reported to overcome the aforementioned issues. Methods: MV treatment beam images were acquired continuously in beam's eye view (BEV) by an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) during treatment and analyzed to obtain tumor positions on every frame. Every frame of the MV image was simulated by a composite of two components with separate digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs): all non-moving structures and the tumor. This Titling algorithm divides the global composite DRR and the corresponding MV projection into sub-images called tiles. Rigid registration is performed independently on tile-pairs in order to improve local soft tissue resolution. This enables the composite DRR to be transformed accurately to match the MV projection and attain a high correlation value through a pixel-based linear transformation. The highest cumulative correlation for all tile-pairs achieved over a user-defined search range indicates the 2-D coordinates of the tumor location on the MV projection. Results: This algorithm was successfully applied to cine-mode BEV images acquired during two SBRT plans delivered five times with different motion patterns to each of two phantoms. Approximately 15000 beam's eye view images were analyzed and tumor locations were successfully identified on every projection with a maximum/average error of 1.8 mm / 1.0 mm. Conclusion: Despite the presence of strong anatomical signal overlapping with tumor images, this markerless detection algorithm accurately tracks intrafractional lung tumor motions. This project is partially supported by an Elekta research grant
Validating Two Assessment Strategies for Visual and Cognitive Load in a Simulated Driving Task

With the emergence of vehicle-based technologies that could compete for attention due to visual and cognitive workloads in a driving environment, it is important to accurately assess the various co...
Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Prevention Interventions

As demonstrated in a number of chapters in this book,1 HIV prevention interventions can be highly cost-effective for society. In many instances, HIV prevention is actually cost-saving, meaning that the cost of the prevention intervention is more than offset by the savings in medical care costs. The net cost, therefore, is negative. (As discussed further later on, this is actually a very conservative interpretation of “cost saving” since it omits other important benefits of prevention, such as averting productivity losses.) Cost-saving programs represent unquestionably sound societal investments, because economic resources are conserved in the long run by implementing such programs. As a consequence, society should be willing to fund all cost-saving programs.
Park-based social capital: are there variations across visitors with different socio-demographic characteristics and behaviours?

Neighbourhood parks provide opportunities for social interaction and access to social network-based resources, which may contribute to park-based social capital. Studies of park-based social capita...
Interaction of older donor age and survival after weight-matched pediatric heart transplantation.

Background Donors are matched for weight in pediatric heart transplantation (PHT), yet age differences are not considered in this decision. In this study we attempt to identify the effect of age differences in weight-matched patients and the effect these differences have on post-transplant survival. Methods The United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for the period from October 1987 to March 2014 for all pediatric heart transplant patients. Transplants with donor-to-recipient (D-R) weight ratios of 0.8 to 1.5 were identified (weight-matched). D-R age differences were categorized as: donors 5 years younger than recipients (D R+5). Results A total of 4,408 patients were identified as weight-matched transplants. Of these transplants, 681 were D>R+5, 3,596 were D=R±5 and 131 were D R+5 transplants were found to be associated with decreased post-transplant survival compared with D=R±5 ( p = 0.002). Rates of acute rejection were similar among all groups but post-transplant coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) was more prevalent in D>R+5 than D=R±5 patients (28% and 18%, respectively; p p R+5 transplants, utilizing organs from donors >25 of age. Conclusion In PHT, increasing D-R age difference decreases survival; however, this effect is driven by recipients 11 to 17 years old and donors >25 years old. Allocation of younger donor organs to adolescent recipients should be a priority.
Complement Activation May Trigger the Onset of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Patients with Severe ADAMTS13 Deficiency

Abstract Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a potential fatal syndrome, is often associated with severe deficiency of plasma ADAMTS13 activity, either resulting from ADAMTS13 mutations or acquired anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies that inhibit plasma ADAMTS13 activity. Patients with severe ADAMTS13 do not always have TTP signs and symptoms, which often occur following infections or inflammatory responses. The mechanism of TTP flare is not fully understood. In the present study, complement activation markers (iC3b, C5b, Bb, and C4b) were determined by enzyme-linked absorbent assays (ELISA) in the initial plasmas (prior to plasma exchange) of 20 patients with acquired TTP with severe ADAMTS13 deficiency (less than 20% of normal) and plasmas from 20 healthy controls. Of 20 TTP patients, 19 exhibited positive inhibitor in the 50:50 mixing study. Plasma levels of iC3b (1,000 ± 1,062 ng/ml), sC5b-9 (1,342±867 ng/ml), and Bb (38.2±47.7 ng/ml), as well as C4b (74.3±49.5 ng/ml) in acquired TTP patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (p value less than 0.01) These results indicate that complement activation in both classic and alternative pathways is a common phenomenon in patients with acquired autoimmune TTP. To demonstrate the causative effect of complement activation in TTP, we turned to our Adamts13 null mice. C57BL/6 (Adamts13-/-) mice are resistant to the development of spontaneous and Shigatoxin-induced TTP syndrome. When injected with a murine specific monoclonal antibody against complement factor H (CFH) (800 micro grams/mouse), which inhibits binding of circulating CFH to endothelial cells and C3b, Adamts13-/- mice (C57BL/6) developed more severe thrombocytopenia and anemia than wild type mice did within 6 days without additional challenge. However, renal insufficiency manifested by the increase of plasma BUN concentration was similar in both groups (Fig. 1). These results indicate that complement activation through an alternative pathway, following antibody-mediated inhibition of CFH or other complement regulatory components, may trigger the onset of TTP in light of severe ADAMTS13 deficiency. Download : Download high-res image (156KB) Download : Download full-size image Figure 1 . Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Activation mechanism of a neuromodulator-gated pacemaker ionic current

Neuronal rhythmic activity is generated by either network-based or cell-autonomous mechanisms. In the pyloric network of decapod crustaceans, the activation of a neuromodulator-gated pacemaker curr...
Becoming Strong Enough to Hold Their Stories: Emotionally Responsive Educator Preparation

Educators across the United States were struck by the 2016 presidential election campaign and its results on their classrooms. In this article, we discuss its impact and define our progressive educ...
Neurobiology of propofol addiction and supportive evidence: What is the new development?

Propofol is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic agent suitable for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia as well as for procedural and intensive care unit sedation. As such it has become an unparalleled anesthetic agent of choice in many institutional and office practices. However, in addition to its idealistic properties as an anesthetic agent, there is accumulating evidence suggesting its potential for abuse. Clinical and experimental evidence has revealed that not only does propofol have the potential to be abused, but also that addiction to propofol shows a high mortality rate. Based on this evidence, different researchers have shown interest in determining the probability of propofol to be an addictive agent by comparing it with other drugs of abuse and depicting a functional similitude that involves the mesocorticolimbic pathway of addiction. In light of this, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the American Society of Anesthesiologists have put forth certain safety recommendations for the use of propofol. Despite this, the abuse potential of propofol has been challenged at different levels and therefore the preeminent focus will be to further validate the linkage from medicinal and occasional use of propofol to its addiction, as well as to explore the cellular and molecular targets involved in establishing this linkage, so as to curb the harm arising out of it. This review incorporates the clinical and biomolecular evidence supporting the abuse potential of propofol and brings forth the promising targets and the foreseeable mechanism causing the propofol addiction phenotypes, which can be called upon for future developments in this field.
A Comparison of One-Step and Three-Step Approaches for Including Covariates in the Shared Parameter Growth Mixture Model

The shared parameter growth mixture model (SPGMM) has been proposed as a method to handle missing not at random (MNAR) data in longitudinal studies. This Monte Carlo simulation study compared the o...
THE CENTIPEDES (CHILOPODA) OF THE MAZON CREEK

ABSTRACT Mazoscolopendra richardsoni, new genus, new species, a scolopendromorph, is described from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Illinois. Latzelia primordialis Scudder (1890) is re-described based on new material and is shown to be a scutigeromorph. Craterostigmus Pocock (1902) is interpreted as an ancient Gondwanan relict and is assigned to the subclass Anamorpha.
Immature megakaryocytes in the mouse: physical characteristics, cell cycle status, and in vitro responsiveness to thrombopoietic stimulatory factor

The heterogeneity among immature megakaryocytes has been examined by physical properties, cell cycle status, and responsiveness to thrombopoietic stimulatory factor. Three types of immature megakaryocytes exist that can be recognized by acetylcholinesterase staining, nuclear shape, high nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, and small size (8--18 mu) with respect to mature megakaryocytes (greater than 18 mu). These three acetylcholinesterase-containing cell types are distinguished by their nuclear configuration: a round, indented, and lobed nucleus. The lobed cell type was found to overlap with and enhance detection of megakaryoblasts (stage I megakaryocytes). These cells had a sedimentation velocity range of 3.5--19.0 mm hr-1 and a density range of 1.072--1.095 g cm-3. Separation of these three classes of immature megakaryocytes was achieved by equilibrium density centrifugation with modal buoyant densities of 1.079 g cm-3 (round), 1.084 g cm-3 (indented), and 1.089 g cm-3 (lobed). In the presence of thrombopoietic stimulatory factor, the round nucleated cells, but not the indented or lobed nuclei morphology, were observed to develop into large mature megakaryocytes in 60-hr semisolid cell cultures. Development of two cell groups, or colonies of megakaryocytes, was not observed during this in vitro incubation period. In vivo treatment with hydroxyurea indicated that 57.5% +/- 19% of the round nucleus form were actively synthesizing DNA. No reduction in the numbers of indented or lobed nucleus forms were observed following hydroxyurea treatment. The data in this report strongly support the concept that these three types of immature megakaryocytes reflect the early maturation stages occurring in megakaryocyte differentiation.
Utility of Alternative Effect Size Statistics and the Development of a Web-Based Calculator: Shiny-AESC

Alternative displays of effect size statistics can enhance the understandability and impact of validity evidence in a variety of applied settings. Arguably, the proliferation of alternative effect size statistics has been limited due to the lack of user-friendly tools to create them. Common statistical packages do not readily produce these alternative effect sizes and existing tools are outdated and inaccessible. In this paper, I introduce a free-to-use web-based calculator (https://dczhang.shinyapps.io/expectancyApp/) for generating alternative effect size displays from empirical data. This calculator requires no mathematical or programming expertise, and therefore, is ideal for academics and practitioners. I also present results from an empirical study that demonstrates the benefits of alternative effect size displays for enhancing lay people's perceived understandability of validity information and attitudes toward the use of standardized testing for college admissions.
Impact of Embryo Transfer Technology on the Production of Artificial Insemination Sires for the U.S. Dairy Cattle Industry

Embryo transfer has played an important role in genetic improvement of dairy cattle over the past several decades. Embryo transfer (ET) has impacted the dairy cattle industry not only through the production of cows via ET, but also through the production of bulls who have subsequently been utilized in the artificial insemination (AI) industry. In this study we attempted to quantify the magnitude of impact that ET has made in the production of AI sires used in the U.S. dairy cattle industry. By analyzing publicly available data from five major bovine AI companies we discovered that 99% of currently available Holstein AI sires and 95% of currently available Jersey AI sires were produced via ET or had parents or grandparents produced via ET. These data clearly demonstrate the impact that ET has played in dairy cattle genetic improvement through the production of AI sires. To the best of our knowledge these data are the first to quantify the impact of ET technology on production of AI sires used in U.S. dairy cattle industry.
Correspondence between functional analyses of mands and functional analyses of problem behavior

ABSTRACTWhen problem behavior is dangerous, there is precedent in the literature for inferring its function by conducting a functional analysis (FA) of less severe response topographies that reliab...
Rhodamine 6G Structural Changes in Water/Ethanol Mixed Solvent

In water rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) tends to form aggregates at higher concentrations while in ethanol the aggregation is minimal. The extent of aggregation can be controlled by changing the water to ethanol ratio. In ethanol the absorption spectra have a low energy peak and a higher energy shoulder, which are assigned to the S1 π-π* transition and vibronic side band, respectively, of Rh6G monomers. In water the same two peaks absorption peaks are observed at low concentrations but at higher concentrations a new peak grows in, which is assigned to an H-dimer. Emission spectra are in agreement with these assignments, but also develop a third peak at higher concentrations that is assigned to emission from excimer aggregates. For the first time, the monomer and dimer average diameters were measured by light scattering to be 1.4 ± 0.2 nm and 3.3 ± 0.6 nm, which form in the ground state, leading to the observed excited states. In a mixed solvent the extent of aggregation can be controlled by selecting the ethanol to water ratio, even at the highest concentrations.
Biomaterials and Scaffolds for Cell Replacement Therapy

Retinal degenerative diseases, which include age-related macular degeneration and inherited disorders like retinitis pigmentosa, all have some degree of dysfunction and loss of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells and photoreceptors. Cell therapy has been proposed as a promising approach to treat this group of diseases. For example, RPE can be differentiated in vitro from stem cells and then transplanted into patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration with geographic atrophy of RPE (GA).
Multidisciplinary management of spinal aneurysmal bone cysts: A single-center experience.

ObjectiveThe management of spinal aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) is complex and often requires multimodality therapy, including surgical intervention to stabilize the axial skeleton, and avoid neurol...
Rapid Lung Sound Amplitude Measurement by Automated Flow Gated Phonopneumography

Phonopneumography, the graphic display and analysis of lung sounds has enjoyed a slow but progressive increase in use since its introduction in 19701. Problems with the technique when used for the study of vesicular breath sounds arise from the interbreath variability in the sound intensity and the necessity to closely control the flow rate of the subject if intensity measurements are to be meaningful. This has made the comparison of amplitude between different sites very difficult. As a result, in previous studies, relatively few breaths have been analyzed in any one subject and this results in a rather low resolution and highly variable picture of breath sound amplitude in the chest.