cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ARE THERE "PYELOPATHOGENIC" E. COLI?

THE CAREFUL STUDY of urinary infections in a nursery by Sweet and Wolinsky in this issue raises the question: Are there "pyelopathogenic" strains of E. coli? Various workers have hinted that there are specific strains of this organism which cause pyelonephritis just as E. coli 0111:B4 causes infantile diarrhea. Vahlne, Ewing and Davis Rantz, Kunin and Halmagyi, and Turck et al. all found that the majority of urinary infections in older children and adults were caused by a few serotypes: O groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 75 were found by most of these workers to be common urinary isolates.
Bounds on estimating the acoustic attenuation of small tissue regions from reflected ultrasound

The acoustic attenuation coefficient of most soft biological tissues has an approximately linear-with-frequency attenuation characteristic. The slope of the attenuation coefficient with frequency, denoted by β, has been observed to vary with the severity of liver disease. Two approaches for estimating the β value from reflected ultrasound signals are examined: the spectral-difference approach, which estimates β from the slope of the difference between log-spectra from two locations within the liver, and the spectral-shift approach, which estimates β from the downward shift experienced by the propagating pulse spectrum with penetration into the liver. This paper considers signals reflected from a small tissue region, defined by a cell measuring D by D centimeters in the plane of the sonogram, thus determining the feasibility of producing attenuation images. Lower bounds on the variance of the two β estimators are calculated by deriving maximum-likelihood estimators and by locating the tissue cell in the focal plane of the transducer. If W denotes the usable bandwidth in the reflected signals, the bounds are shown to be proportional to (WD)-3for β estimates calculated from individual reflected signals, and (WD)-4for estimates from all the signals reflected from the tissue region. With currently available technology, clinically useful results can be obtained for cell sizes measuring approximately 2.0 cm on a side.
Permeant ion-dependent changes in gating of Kir2.1 inward rectifier potassium channels.

We studied the effect of monovalent thallium ion (Tl+) on the gating of single Kir2.1 channels, which open and close spontaneously at a constant membrane potential. In cell-attached recordings of single-channel inward current, changing the external permeant ion from K+ to Tl+ decreases the mean open-time by ∼20-fold. Furthermore, the channel resides predominantly at a subconductance level, which results from a slow decay (τ = 2.7 ms at −100 mV) from the fully open level immediately following channel opening. Mutation of a pore-lining cysteine (C169) to valine abolishes the slow decay and subconductance level, and single-channel recordings from channels formed by tandem tetramers containing one to three C169V mutant subunits indicate that Tl+ must interact with at least three C169 residues to induce these effects. However, the C169V mutation does not alter the single-channel closing kinetics of Tl+ current. These results suggest that Tl+ ions change the conformation of the ion conduction pathway during permeation and alter gating by two distinct mechanisms. First, they interact with the thiolate groups of C169 lining the cavity to induce conformational changes of the ion passageway, and thereby produce a slow decay of single-channel current and a dominant subconductance state. Second, they interact more strongly than K+ with the main chain carbonyl oxygens lining the selectivity filter to destabilize the open state of the channel and, thus, alter the open/close kinetics of gating. In addition to altering gating, Tl+ greatly diminishes Ba2+ block. The unblocking rate of Ba2+ is increased by >22-fold when the external permeant ion is switched from K+ to Tl+ regardless of the direction of Ba2+ exit. This effect cannot be explained solely by ion–ion interactions, but is consistent with the notion that Tl+ induces conformational changes in the selectivity filter.
Drugs that facilitate cognitive processes: Characterizing the response

Various types of drugs that have been proposed as treatments might alter cognitive processes. Programmatic research in this area is built upon knowledge about the psychobiological bases of learning, memory, and related cognitive processes. These efforts generally begin with promising research findings obtained from psychopharmacological studies of cognitive processes in lower animals. These findings are then integrated with what is known about the neuropathology of syndrome-related types of cognitive failures in humans along with findings relating to the determinants of information processing in both impaired patients and unimpaired subjects. Experiments are then designed to test the cognitive response to some psychoactive drug treatment. Promising leads and preliminary claims and findings are frequently not supported by continued clinically focused research. A major reason is that studies do not adequately consider the differentiated nature of cognitive processes. This paper stresses a single theme—namely, cognitive processes are complex, differentiated, and determined by different psychobiological mechanisms and, therefore, are susceptible to change in relatively specific ways. A theoretical framework for the analysis of cognitive changes is proposed. This framework is used illustratively to profile how different types of cognitive responses may result from different types of drug treatment.
Nitride Laser Diodes With Nonepitaxial Cladding Layers

Semiconductor laser diodes (LDs) typically use lattice-matched epitaxial layers as waveguide cladding materials. We describe a new LD architecture in which the upper cladding layer is replaced with an evaporated or sputtered nonepitaxial material. Designs and results are presented for 415-nm InGaN LDs that use indium tin oxide, silver, or a silver-palladium-copper alloy as the cladding material, chosen because the material exhibits requisite optical and electrical properties. The nonepitaxial cladding layer offers several advantages, such as eliminating the need to expose vulnerable InGaN active layers to the high temperatures required for growing conventional p-AlGaN cladding layers subsequent to the active layer growth.
Architecture-Based Software Reliability: Why Only a Few Parameters Matter?

Uncertainty analysis through sensitivity studies and quantification of the variance of the reliability estimate has become more common in architecture-based software reliability studies. However, up to this point no attempts have been made to explicate the results of such analysis. Our earlier work based on several medium to large scale empirical studies showed that a very few parameters have a significant impact on the variability of system reliability. This paper explains the reasons behind this phenomenon. Unlike related work that considered the impact of the parameters on software reliability either through their model sensitivity or through uncertainty of their estimates, we consider both. Furthermore, we look at all parameters, i.e., components reliabilities and probabilities of transfer of control between components. Based on theoretical and empirical arguments, we justify why a few parameters contribute most of the variance of the reliability estimate. Comparing our results with those obtained through simple model sensitivity studies shows that such studies are not always sufficient to accurately quantify the impact of critical components on variability of system reliability.
Teaching Deadly Force: Collaborative Dynamics and the Rhetoric of Police Policy

After the controversial police shooting of a developmentally-disabled African-American teenager in July 2003, the new mayor of Denver, CO, appointed a politically diverse task force to revise the police department's use-of-force policy and propose a new model for police oversight. This teaching case is based on the task force's deliberations and collaborative efforts to build policy consensus in a sometimes rancorous, high-stakes environment. In it, I reconstruct the story of the shooting that gave rise to the task force, trace the arc of the task force's 104-day existence, and analyze the letter and final report submitted by the task force's co-chairs to (1) demonstrate the highly-pressurized nature of policy language invention and the crucial impact of word choice in such policy, and (2) illustrate the difficulty the task force encountered in attempting to secure consensus and the manner in which the final work product acknowledges, rather than obscures, this struggle. Finally, the case includes recommended readings and a guide for individual and group activities for implementation in either an undergraduate- or graduate-level technical communication course.
The High Politics of IMF Lending

Analysts have long suspected that politics affects the lending patterns of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but none have adequately specified or systematically tested competing explanations. This paper develops a political explanation of IMF lending and tests it statistically on the developing countries between 1985 and 1994. It finds that political realignment toward the United States, the largest power in the IMF, increases a country's probability of receiving an IMF loan. A country's static political alignment position has no significant impact during this period, suggesting that these processes are best modeled dynamically. An analysis of two subsamples rejects the hypothesis that the IMF has become less politicized since the end of the cold war and suggests that the influence of politics has actually increased since 1990. The behavior of multilateral organizations is still driven by the political interests of their more powerful member states.
Cholera Toxin and Dibutyryl Cyclic Adenosine 3',5'- Monophosphate Sensitize Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Stimulated Inositol Phosphate Production to Inhibition in Protein Kinase-C (PKC)-Depleted Cells: Evidence for Cross-Talk between a Cholera Toxin- Sensitive G-Protein and PKC*

The present study assesses the relationship between G-proteins and protein kinase-C (PKC) in the gonadotrope. Cells were depleted of PKC with 1 microM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate for 12 h, followed by medium 199-BSA for 6 h before treatment with vehicle, pertussis toxin (PTX), cholera toxin (CTX), or (Bu)2cAMP (dBcAMP) for 18 h. PTX (10 ng/ml) significantly decreased GnRH-stimulated inositol phosphate (IP) production over a range of 10(-8)-10(-6) M GnRH. The degree of this inhibition was the same in control cells and PKC-depleted cells. Pretreatment with CTX (0.5 microgram/ml) significantly decreased GnRH-stimulated IP production over a range of 10(-9)-10(-6) M GnRH in PKC-depleted cells. This effect was mimicked by pretreatment with 3 mM dBcAMP. Although CTX and dBcAMP both decreased GnRH-stimulated IP production in control cells, this effect was enhanced in PKC-depleted cells. CTX (0.1 microgram/ml) and dBcAMP (3 mM) both enhanced GnRH-stimulated LH release, whereas PTX (100 ng/ml) had no effect. Th...
REVISION OF NEW WORLD PLAGIOGNATHUS FIEBER, WITH COMMENTS ON THE PALEARCTIC FAUNA AND THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS (HETEROPTERA: MIRIDAE: PHYLINAE)

Abstract The diagnostic features of Plagiognathus are clarified, with characteristics of the male genitalia being used for the first time in diagnosing the Nearctic species. The North American species are revised, with a total of 86 native and 3 introduced species being recognized. Twenty-four species are described as new. Habitus, vesical, and antennal illustrations are provided for all of these species. The Palearctic fauna is discussed; vesical illustrations are provided for 10 of the 24 species placed in Plagiognathus in the most recent catalog. Twenty-five new synonymies are created. Twenty-five species are transferred into Plagiognathus from other genera or removed from Plagiognathus and placed in other genera; in addition to the new combinations with definitive generic placement, 16 species are treated as incertae sedis. Microphylellus Reuter, Chaetophylidea Knight, and Parapsallus Wagner are treated as junior synonyms of Plagiognathus.Plagiognathus reuterellus, new name, is proposed to replace Pla...
The seasonal cycle of inorganic carbon species in Cazenovia Lake, New York, 1977 *

SUMMARY. Spatial and temporal distributions of inorganic carbon and related ionic species (Ca2+, H+) were monitored weekly for 1 year in Cazenovia Lake, a small mesotrophic marl lake. Attendant [H2CO*3]([H2CO3] + [CO2(aq)]) and CaCO3 equilibrium conditions were determined through application of equilibrium equations adjusted for appropriate temperatures and ionic strength. A seasonal cycle was demonstrated for the inorganic carbon species which was temporally correlated to the lake's thermal and productivity cycles. Vertical homogeneity in carbonate chemistry was evident during turnover periods while dramatic differences developed between the epilimnion and hypolimnion during winter and summer stratification. The lake was supersaturated throughout the year with H2CO*3, though saturation was approached during the productive summer months in the epilimnion. The epilimnion was supersaturated with respect to CaCO3, from the start of spring turnover to the end of autumn turnover. Calcium (Ca2+) levels within the epilimnion decreased through much of the same period. Dissolution of CaCO3 in the hypolimnion is indicated by increases in Ca2+ and alkalinity as stratification periods progress. Analysis of potentially influencing factors indicates that the seasonal trends were mostly a result of CO2 metabolism. This was further supported by concurrent algal biomass and 14C uptake.
Robustness in the gap metric and coprime factor perturbations for LTV systems

In this paper, we study the problem of robust stabilization for linear time-varying (LTV) systems subject to time-varying normalized coprime factor uncertainty. Operator theoretic results which generalize similar results known to hold for linear time-invariant (infinite-dimensional) systems are developed. In particular, we compute a tight upper bound for the maximal achievable stability margin under TV normalized coprime factor uncertainty in terms of the norm of an operator with a time-varying Hankel structure. We point to a necessary and sufficient condition which guarantees compactness of the TV Hankel operator, and in which case singular values and vectors can be used to compute the time-varying stability margin and TV controller.
Repetition Deafness: Repeated Words in Computer-Compressed Speech Are Difficult to Encode and Recall

This research demonstrates a new cognitive phenomenon known as repetition deafness, a difficulty in immediate recall of repeated words in computer-compressed speech Sixty-four subjects heard sentences and lists at four speeded rates 70, 55, 35, and 28 ms/phoneme Each target word in the materials followed a pretarget word that was either identical (repeated-target condition) or different (unrepeated-target condition), and targets were harder to recall when repeated than unrepeated Repetition deafness was rate-limited, occurring only with rapid rates of presentation (55 ms/phoneme or less), and decreased in magnitude as structure increased from lists to sentences Implications for current theories of repetition deficits are discussed
Transit time effect in high-frequency characteristics of HBTs

Multiple negative resistance bands are predicted at frequencies beyond f/sub max/ in the conventional mesa-type emitter-up AlGaAs-GaAs HBTs (heterojunction bipolar transistors) with careful design and reduced parasitics. Thus, HBT power gain may be obtained in these frequency bands with the negative resistance even above f/sub max/. To obtain the usable transit time effect with large negative resistance, the increase of collector transit time is preferable to increasing base transit time. Therefore, for transit time HBTs, the base should be designed to be as thin as possible, and the collector should be thick enough to obtain the large transit time in the frequency range of interest, while keeping parasitics small. >
Marketplace of Memory: What the Brain Fitness Technology Industry Says About Us and How We Can Do Better

In the therapeutic void created by over 20 failed Alzheimer’s disease drugs during the past decade, a new marketplace of “brain ﬁtness” technology prod-ucts has emerged. Ranging from video games and computer software to mobile phone apps and hand-held devices, these commercial products promise to maintain and enhance the memory, concentration, visual and spatial skills, verbal recall, and executive functions of individual users. It is instructive to view these products as sociocultural objects deeply imbued with the values and ideologies of our age; conse-quently, this article offers a critique of the brain ﬁt-ness technology marketplace while identifying limitations in the capacity of commercial products to realistically improve cognitive health. A broader con-ception of brain health is presented, going beyond the reductionism of the commercial brain ﬁtness mar-ketplace and asking how our most proximate rela-tionships and local communities can play a role in supporting cognitive and psychosocial well-being. This vision is grounded in recent experiences at The Intergenerational School in Cleveland, OH, a multigenerational community-oriented learning environ-ment that is implementing brain ﬁtness technology in novel ways.Key Words: Cognitive training, Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia, Brain health
Sodium perborate: A mild and convenient reagent for efficiently oxidizing trialkylboranes

Sodium perborate, a readily available and inexpensive reagent, efficiently oxidizes organoboranes. The reagent permits the oxidation of a wide variety of functionally substituted organoboranes. In nearly every instance, the product yields exceed those obtained using standard oxidation procedures.
Differential game theoretic analysis of a problem of warfare

The present article considers a problem of missile warfare. It is formulated as a problem of economics and treated as a differential game. Some optimal strategies of targeting and firing of missiles are derived. Conditions under which such a war can be prevented are also developed.
Examining product managers' job satisfaction and performance using selected organizational behavior variables

The product management form of organization has been around for quite a while; yet little empirical research has been done on product managers. This article reports a study of product managers and some organizational behavior factors which contribute to their job satisfaction and job performance. These factors include centralization of decision making, job structure, job scope, role ambiguity, and role conflict. Finally, several suggestions are made for creating an environment more conductive to having product managers who are satisfied with their jobs.
Capitalization of School Quality Into Property Value

The author looks at the way the quality of public schools is reflected in property value; she gives the examples of Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. But jurisdictions with higher-quality schools and higher value property may have lower property tax rates, she says.
Tracing the U.S. Military's Presence in Africa

In recent years there has been growing recognition of the militarization of U.S. foreign policy in Africa, especially following the establishment of a dedicated, regional combatant command (Africa Command, or AFRICOM) in 2007. At the same time knowledge of the extent and aims of U.S. military activities in Africa remains murky, especially when compared to other regions such as the Middle East and Europe. This article begins by conceptualizing AFRICOM as a geopolitical assemblage, an approach we believe useful for analyzing its composition and emergence. Next we discuss the challenges involved in tracing the U.S. military’s evolving presence in Africa and the methods utilized in our analysis. Following this we present three case studies: the first compares the composition and geographies of manned and unmanned aerial surveillance assemblages, the second details logistics infrastructures and the military’s use of contractors to develop logistical capabilities across the continent, the third examines growing counterterrorism entanglements in West Africa. We conclude with some observations concerning the divergence between purported aims and the focus and outcomes of the U.S. military’s presence in Africa.
Abstract 15595: Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Knockout Attenuates Obesity-Induced Cardiomyopathy

Obesity, type 2 diabetes and other features of metabolic syndrome are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of insulin action. However, the role of PTP1B in obesity-related cardiomyopathy is unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of genetic disruption of PTP1B on cardiac function in diet-induced obesity. Cardiac function was evaluated in Wild-type (WT) and PTP1B-/- mice fed a low fat (10% calorie) or high fat diet (45% calorie) for 5 months. High fat diet intake resulted in larger body weight (41.5±4 vs. 28.2±1g), heart weight (HW) (146±6 vs. 123±6 mg) and glucose intolerance in WT mice, the effect of which was attenuated by PTP1B knockout (n=8-10, p<0.05). Echocardiography showed an increase in wall thickness, end diastolic diameter (2.92±0.16 vs. 2.69±0.08 mm), end systolic diameter (1.73±0.12 vs. 1.33 ±0.06 mm) and a decrease in fractional shortening (39.7±1.4 vs. 51.4 ±2.1) following HFD which were significantly reconciled by PTP1B knockout (n=8-10, p<0.05). In addition, assessment of cardiomyocyte contractile function revealed decreased peak shortening, maximal velocity of shortening and relengthening following HFD feeding, the effect of which was rescued by PTP1B knockout (n=110-120 cells from 3 mice, p<0.05). High fat diet feeding resulted in increased cardiomyocytes cross-sectional area (330±0.05 vs. 233±0.04µm2) and hypertrophic proteins ANP and GATA4, which were significantly attenuated in PTP1B knockout mice (n=3-4 mice, p<0.05). Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed high fat feeding upregulated Akt and mTOR phosphorylation and decreased AMPK and ACC phosphorylation in WT mice. Interestingly, PTP1B knockout caused a significant increase in phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC without affecting Akt and mTOR phosphorylation. In vitro silencing of PTP1B using siRNA dampened the expression of hypertrophic genes while it promoted AMPK phosphorylation. In conclusion, our data revealed that PTP1B knockout prevented obesity-induced cardiomyopathy by preserving AMPK signaling, suggesting the therapeutic promise of this enzyme in the treatment of obesity-induced cardiac anomalies.
Neuronal Differentiation of PC12 Cells in the Absence of Extracellular Matrix Adhesion Induces Apoptosis

In recent years, evidence has accumulated implicating programmed cell death as a major mechanism underlying neurodegenerative processes. Programmed cell death has been described in a wide range of cell types in response to diverse factors including steroids, cytokines, ionizing radiation, virus infection, and many other agents1. It is an active process that is often dependent on RNA and protein synthesis and probably involves a number of complex pathways that ultimately result in endonuclease activation, DNA fragmentation, and cell death. Programmed cell death may be distinguished form “accidental” cell death that results from hypoxia, trauma, or toxic agents, although all of these processes may involve common pathways2. In the brain, programmed cell death has been well established as a part of normal development3, following excitotoxic death of targets of innervation4, and as a consequence of amyloid toxicity5,6. These findings suggest that programmed cell death may be a central common pathway in numerous neurodenegerative processes including Alzheimer’s disease. This concept is supported by observations that neurons are strictly dependent on growth factors to prevent programmed cell death and promote survival7 and by evidence that growth factor response mechanisms are attenuated in aging8.
Role of mTOR Signaling in Cardioprotection

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling plays a crucial role in metabolic stress, aging, and cardiovascular disease through the maintenance of intracellular energy metabolism, nutrient availability, and cellular growth. mTOR exists in two functionally distinct complexes referred to as mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2. In recent years, there has been growing interest in investigating the role of mTOR inhibition in protecting the heart against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and cardiac hypertrophy. Studies have shown that pharmacological inhibition of mTOR exerts preconditioning-like effects in the heart through activation of Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling. mTOR inhibition prevents adverse cardiac remodeling and improves cardiac function following chronic myocardial infarction. In addition, specific inhibition of mTORC1 activity with simultaneous activation of mTORC2 provides cardioprotective benefits in the diabetic heart. It appears that targeting mTOR signaling by rapamycin or its analogs may hold great promise for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial I/R and heart failure in diabetics.
Loss of Mrp1 Potentiates Doxorubicin-Induced Cytotoxicity in Neonatal Mouse Cardiomyocytes and Cardiac Fibroblasts

Doxorubicin (DOX) induces dose-dependent cardiotoxicity in part due to its ability to induce oxidative stress. We showed that loss of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (Abcc1/Mrp1) potentiates DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction in mice in vivo. Here, we characterized DOX toxicity in cultured cardiomyocytes (CM) and cardiac fibroblasts (CF) derived from C57BL wild type (WT) and Mrp1 null (Mrp1−/−) neonatal mice. CM accumulated more intracellular DOX relative to CF but this accumulation did not differ between genotypes. Following DOX (0.3–4 μM), Mrp1−/− CM, and CF, especially CM, showed a greater decrease in viability and increased apoptosis and DNA damage, demonstrated by higher caspase 3 cleavage, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP) cleavage and phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) levels versus WT cells. Saline- and DOX-treated Mrp1−/− cells had significantly higher intracellular GSH and GSSG compared with WT cells (P < .05), but the redox potential (Eh) of the GSH/GSSG pool did not differ between genotypes in CM and CF, indicating that Mrp1−/− cells maintain this major redox couple. DOX increased expression of the rate-limiting GSH synthesis enzyme glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLc) and regulatory subunits (GCLm) to a significantly greater extent in Mrp1−/− versus WT cells, suggesting adaptive responses to oxidative stress in Mrp1−/− cells that were inadequate to afford protection. Expression of extracellular superoxide dismutase (ECSOD/SOD3) was lower (P < .05) in Mrp1−/− versus WT CM treated with saline (62% ± 8% of WT) or DOX (43% ± 12% of WT). Thus, Mrp1 protects CM in particular and CF against DOX-induced toxicity, potentially by regulating extracellular redox states.
Low Cost Autopilot System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

This paper will present the development of a low cost autonomous flight control system for small unmanned aerial vehicles with the aim to support collaborative aerial systems. A low cost hardware solution was achieved by careful selection of sensors, integration of hardware subsystems, and the use of new microcontroller technologies. Flight control algorithms to guide a vehicle through waypoint based flight paths and loiter about a point were implemented using direction fields. A hardware in the loop simulator was developed to ensure proper operation of all hardware and software components prior to flight testing. The resulting flight control system achieved stable and accurate flight while reducing the total system cost to less than $250.
Electrochemically Driven Covalent Functionalization of Graphene from Fluorinated Aryl Iodonium Salts

Chemical functionalization is required to adapt graphene’s properties to many applications. However, most covalent functionalization schemes are spontaneous or defect driven and are not suitable for applications requiring directed assembly of molecules on graphene substrates. In this study, we demonstrate the electrochemically driven covalent bonding of trifluoromethylphenylene (CF3Ph) onto epitaxial graphene. Submonolayer and full monolayer chemisorption was demonstrated by varying the duration of the electrochemical driving potential. A 10× increase in the CF3Ph density was obtained by varying the duration of the graphene electrochemical potential by 4×. A maximum closed-pack density of 1 × 1014 molecules·cm–2 was observed. Chemical, electronic, and defect states of CF3Ph–graphene were studied by photoemission spectroscopy, spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement. Covalent attachment rehybridized some of the delocalized graphene sp2 orbitals to localized sp3 states. In...
Effects of Propagation on Filtration Rate and Variation of Gill Microstructure in Wrinkle Comb Pearl Mussel Cristaria plicata

The filtration rate of gravid females is signifiantly less than that of non-gravid females or males,whereas filtration rates of non-gravid females and males are similar in the wrinkle comb pearl mussel Cristaria plicata.Microstructure and ultrastructure of the inner and outer demibranchs of C.plicata,observed by histology,SEM,and TEM,show that a number of longitudinally arranged branchial filaments on each demibranch are connected by interfilamentary junctions in the intermediary zone,and by interlamellar septa in the lateral zone.The interlamellar septum of the inner demibranch of the female was about 2 to 3 times larger than those of the outer demibranch.The outer demibranches of gravid mussels are observably broader than those in non-gravid female and male mussels.There are no significant differences between sexes or gravidity in the distribution of the frontal,laterofrontal,and lateral cilia on the surface of the branchial filaments.Rows of interfilament canals,58-85 μm in major axis,are located between adjacent filaments.The ultrastructure of the protuberances and microvilli of the gill epidermal cells,observed through TEM,is consistent with previous observations on other Unionidae species.Ultimately,differences in the structure of the outer demibranch of gravid mussels,especially modification of primary water tube and appearance of secondary water tube,increasing folds on the surface of filament epithelium appear to affect their filtration rate.
Serotonin has different effects on two classes of Betz cells from the cat

1. Intracellular recording from cat Betz cells in vitro revealed a strong correlation between the dominant effect of serotonin (5-HT) and the Betz cell subtype in which it occurred. In large Betz c...
Evaluation of homomorphic primitives for computations on encrypted data for CPS systems

In the increasingly connected world, cyber-physical systems (CPS) have been quickly adapted in many smart city applications, such as smart grids or healthcare. There will be more and more highly sensitive data important to the users being collected and processed in the cloud computing environments. Homomorphic Encryption (HE) offers a potential solution to safeguard privacy through cryptographic means while allowing the service providers to perform computations on the encrypted data. Throughout the process, only authorized users have access to the unencrypted data. In this paper, we provide an overview of three recent HE schemes, analyze the new optimization techniques, conduct performance evaluation, and share lessons learnt from the process of implementing these schemes. Our experiments indicate that the YASHE scheme outperforms the other two schemes we studied. The findings of this study can help others to identify a suitable HE scheme for developing solutions to safeguard private data generated or consumed by CPS.
Scan test of IP cores in an ATE environment

Manufacturing test of chips made of multiple IP cores requires different techniques if ATE is used. As scan chains are commonly used as access paths to the DUT, ATE architectures must be designed to facilitate this arrangement. An increase in ATE performance for scan test requires a reduction in both scan time and memory utilization as commonly used figures of merit; in this paper, an ATE hardware architecture that allows the scan test to be done in an "interleaved" mode (thus separating the Scan-In and Scan-Compare sequences), is utilized together with a novel test scheduling algorithm. Two variations of the algorithm which permit test reordering and merging as well as an efficient generation of the so-called monolithic test sequence are proposed. Scheduling is found in polynomial time complexity and the proposed approach resorts to heuristic conditions for merging the vectors. A substantial saving in both test time and memory is achieved.
Integrating multiple data sources in species distribution modeling: a framework for data fusion*

The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the use of species distribution models (SDMs) to characterize patterns of species' occurrence and abundance. Efforts to parameterize SDMs often create a tension between the quality and quantity of data available to fit models. Estimation methods that integrate both standardized and non-standardized data types offer a potential solution to the tradeoff between data quality and quantity. Recently several authors have developed approaches for jointly modeling two sources of data (one of high quality and one of lesser quality). We extend their work by allowing for explicit spatial autocorrelation in occurrence and detection error using a Multivariate Conditional Autoregressive (MVCAR) model and develop three models that share information in a less direct manner resulting in more robust performance when the auxiliary data is of lesser quality. We describe these three new approaches ("Shared," "Correlation," "Covariates") for combining data sources and show their use in a case study of the Brown-headed Nuthatch in the Southeastern U.S. and through simulations. All three of the approaches which used the second data source improved out-of-sample predictions relative to a single data source ("Single"). When information in the second data source is of high quality, the Shared model performs the best, but the Correlation and Covariates model also perform well. When the information quality in the second data source is of lesser quality, the Correlation and Covariates model performed better suggesting they are robust alternatives when little is known about auxiliary data collected opportunistically or through citizen scientists. Methods that allow for both data types to be used will maximize the useful information available for estimating species distributions.
Identification of highly selective MMP-14 inhibitory Fabs by deep sequencing.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-14 is an important target for cancer treatment due to its critical roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Previous failures of all compound-based broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors in clinical trials suggest that selectivity is the key for a successful therapy. With inherent high specificity, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) therefore arise as attractive inhibitors able to target the particular MMP of interest. As a routine screening method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have been applied to panned phage libraries for the isolation of mAbs inhibiting MMP-14. However, because of suboptimal growth conditions and insufficient antibody expression associated with monoclonal ELISA, a considerable number of potentially inhibitory clones might not be identified. Taking advantage of next-generation sequencing (NGS), we monitored enrichment profiles of millions of antibody clones along three rounds of phage panning, and identified 20 Fab inhibitors of MMP-14 with inhibition IC50 values of 10-4000 nM. Among these inhibitory Fabs, 15 were not found by monoclonal phage ELISA. Particularly, Fab R2C7 exhibited an inhibition potency of 100 nM with an excellent selectivity to MMP-14 over MMP-9. Inhibition kinetics and epitope mapping suggested that as a competitive inhibitor, R2C7 directly bound to the vicinity of the MMP-14 catalytic site. This study demonstrates that deep sequencing is a powerful tool to facilitate the systematic discovery of mAbs with protease inhibition functions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Understanding PSA and its derivatives in prediction of tumor volume: Addressing health disparities in prostate cancer risk stratification.

// Felix M. Chinea 1, 6 , Kirill Lyapichev 2 , Jonathan I. Epstein 7 , Deukwoo Kwon 4, 6 , Paul Taylor Smith 2 , Alan Pollack 1, 6 , Richard J. Cote 2, 5, 6 , Oleksandr N. Kryvenko 2, 3, 6 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 2 Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 3 Urology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 4 Biostatistics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 5 Biochemistry, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 6 Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA 7 Departments of Pathology, Urology, and Oncology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA Correspondence to: Oleksandr N. Kryvenko, email: o.kryvenko@med.miami.edu Keywords: prostate cancer, prostate specific antigen, health disparities, Hispanic/Latino, risk stratification Received: October 11, 2016 Accepted: January 10, 2017 Published: January 30, 2017 ABSTRACT Objectives: To address health disparities in risk stratification of U.S. Hispanic/Latino men by characterizing influences of prostate weight, body mass index, and race/ethnicity on the correlation of PSA derivatives with Gleason score 6 (Grade Group 1) tumor volume in a diverse cohort. Results : Using published PSA density and PSA mass density cutoff values, men with higher body mass indices and prostate weights were less likely to have a tumor volume <0.5 cm 3 . Variability across race/ethnicity was found in the univariable analysis for all PSA derivatives when predicting for tumor volume. In receiver operator characteristic analysis, area under the curve values for all PSA derivatives varied across race/ethnicity with lower optimal cutoff values for Hispanic/Latino (PSA=2.79, PSA density=0.06, PSA mass=0.37, PSA mass density=0.011) and Non-Hispanic Black (PSA=3.75, PSA density=0.07, PSA mass=0.46, PSA mass density=0.008) compared to Non-Hispanic White men (PSA=4.20, PSA density=0.11 PSA mass=0.53, PSA mass density=0.014). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 589 patients with low-risk prostate cancer at radical prostatectomy. Pre-operative PSA, patient height, body weight, and prostate weight were used to calculate all PSA derivatives. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed for each PSA derivative per racial/ethnic group to establish optimal cutoff values predicting for tumor volume ≥0.5 cm 3 . Conclusions : Increasing prostate weight and body mass index negatively influence PSA derivatives for predicting tumor volume. PSA derivatives’ ability to predict tumor volume varies significantly across race/ethnicity. Hispanic/Latino and Non-Hispanic Black men have lower optimal cutoff values for all PSA derivatives, which may impact risk assessment for prostate cancer.
Interhemispheric Functional Connectivity in Childhood Absence Epilepsy

Using a blood oxygen level-dependent resting functional connectivity approach to analyze EEG-fMRI data, the properties of bihemispheric brain networks in 16 patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) were investigated during the interictal period, in a study at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
Backward-in-Time Causation?

Orthodox Quantum Mechanics is based on the idea that a physically described state of the universe exists at an instant of time over all of three-dimensional space, and advances, event by event, into an indeterminate future, leaving behind a fixed and settled sequence of past states. Certain phenomena associated with this chain of events appear to involve backward-in-time causation, but they are accommodated without introducing any actual backward-in-time action. It is important for a valid understanding of nature to understand how orthodox quantum mechanics accommodates seeming backward-in-time actions.
Whole genome bisulfite sequencing reveals a sparse, but robust pattern of DNA methylation in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome

DNA methylation, the addition of a methyl (CH3) group to a cytosine residue, is an evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mark involved in a number of different biological functions in eukaryotes, including transcriptional regulation, chromatin structural organization, cellular differentiation and development. In the slime mold Dictyostelium, previous studies have shown the existence of a DNA methyltransferase (DNMA) belonging to the DNMT2 family, but the extent and function of 5-methyl-cytosine in the genome is unclear. Here we present the whole genome DNA methylation profile of Dictyostelium discoideum using deep coverage, replicate sequencing of bisulfite converted gDNA extracted from post-starvation cells. We find an overall very low level of DNA methylation, occurring at only 462 out of the ~7.5 million (0.006%) cytosines in the genome. Despite this sparse profile, significant methylation can be detected at 51 of these sites in replicate experiments, suggesting they are robust targets for DNA methylation. These 5-methyl-cytosines are associated with a broad range of protein-coding genes, tRNA-encoding genes and retrotransposable elements. Our data provides evidence of a minimal, but functional, methylome in Dictyostelium, thereby making Dictyostelium a candidate model organism to further investigate the evolutionary function of DNA methylation.
Secret sharing with optimal decoding and repair bandwidth

This paper studies the communication efficiency of threshold secret sharing schemes. We construct a family of Shamir's schemes with asymptotically optimal decoding bandwidth for arbitrary parameters. We also construct a family of secret sharing schemes with both optimal decoding and optimal repair bandwidth for arbitrary parameters. The construction leads to a family of regenerating codes allowing centralized repair of multiple node failures with small sub-packetization.
Challenges of the Nano–Bio Interface in Lateral Flow and Dipstick Immunoassays

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are highly attractive for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics for infectious disease, food safety, and many other medical uses. The unique optical, electronic, and chemical properties that arise from the nanostructured and material characteristics of nanoparticles provide an opportunity to increase LFA sensitivity and impart novel capabilities. However, interfacing to nanomaterials in complex biological environments is challenging and can result in undesirable side effects such as non-specific adsorption, protein denaturation, and steric hindrance. These issues are even more acute in LFAs where there are many different types of inorganic–biological interfaces, often of a complex nature. Therefore, the unique properties of nanomaterials for LFAs must be exploited in a way that addresses these interface challenges.
Fiscal competition in health spending among local governments in the Philippines.

The Philippines is one of several Asian countries that has decentralized the provision of health care to its local governments in recent decades. In the context of decentralization, a few studies have previously examined the issue of fiscal competition among local governments in the developing world. This report presents a summary of a published study that examined the existence of inter-jurisdictional competition in health-care spending in the Philippines. The results indicate the presence of positive fiscal “spillovers” in health spending, consistent with municipalities/cities competing to outspend their neighbours. Several potential explanations forthis finding are discussed.
Innovations in pharmacy through pharmacy practice: A call for papers

Innovation has been at the core of the many different practices and roles that pharmacists have developed. Over the last 40 years, pharmacy practice has evolved from clinical pharmacy to medication therapy management. Clinical pharmacy originated in hospitals in the 1970’s and by and large used pharmacists as consultants for their clinical knowledge. In an effort to improve clinical outcomes and manage costs for those with chronic conditions, managed care organizations developed disease state management programs. Pharmaceutical care originated in the 1990’s as the practice where the practitioner (pharmacist) takes responsibility for a patient’s drug related needs and is held accountable for this commitment. With the advent of Medicare Part D medication therapy management has provided pharmacists an opportunity to be reimbursed for services that optimize therapeutic outcomes for individual patients. All of these practice types continue to exist.
Experimental research and parameter optimization for speed governing system of isolated network operation area

The interconnection of power system is becoming larger and larger, and the operation control is becoming more and more complicated. In some special operation mode, the operation of the isolated network may appear after the fault occurs. If the parameters of turbine governor system cannot adapt to the special operating conditions, it will lead to the oscillation of the system. In this paper, a simulation study is carried out for a provincial power grid where there is an isolated network operation, and it is found that there exists a non-electromechanical oscillation risk. Then the parameter adjustment suggestions are given.
Phonetic realization of vowel reduction in Brazilian Portuguese

This study explored the phonetic realization of vowel reduction in Brazilian Portuguese, which reportedly exhibits raising of non-high vowels in unstressed syllables. Specifically, we tested the influence of speech rate on the realization of /a/ in five prosodic positions: word-initial pretonic, medial pretonic, tonic, medial posttonic, and final posttonic. The results showed that, while both speech rate and prosodic position had a clear effect on the phonetic duration of vowels, F1 values were far better predicted by the vowel’s prosodic position (non-posttonic vs. posttonic), although some effects of speech on F1 were observed in vowels at word edges. Correlations between phonetic duration and F1 were statistically significant but generally weak in all positions. We argue these findings suggest that vowel reduction in Brazilian Portuguese primarily reflects phonological patterning rather than phonetic undershoot, although phonetic reduction is also apparent. We discuss the results in the context of cross-linguistic studies of vowel reduction, and the relation between phonetics and phonology.This study explored the phonetic realization of vowel reduction in Brazilian Portuguese, which reportedly exhibits raising of non-high vowels in unstressed syllables. Specifically, we tested the influence of speech rate on the realization of /a/ in five prosodic positions: word-initial pretonic, medial pretonic, tonic, medial posttonic, and final posttonic. The results showed that, while both speech rate and prosodic position had a clear effect on the phonetic duration of vowels, F1 values were far better predicted by the vowel’s prosodic position (non-posttonic vs. posttonic), although some effects of speech on F1 were observed in vowels at word edges. Correlations between phonetic duration and F1 were statistically significant but generally weak in all positions. We argue these findings suggest that vowel reduction in Brazilian Portuguese primarily reflects phonological patterning rather than phonetic undershoot, although phonetic reduction is also apparent. We discuss the results in the context of cros...