cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipoprotein carriers of microRNAs

Lipoproteins, namely high-density lipoproteins (HDL), transport a wide-variety of cargo in addition to cholesterol and lipids. In 2011, HDL and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were reported to transport microRNAs (miRNA). Since the original discovery, there has been great excitement for this topic and a handful of follow-up publications. Here, we review the current landscape of lipoprotein transport of miRNAs. HDL-miRNAs have been demonstrated to be altered in cardiovascular disease (CVD), including hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. As such, HDL- and LDL-miRNAs may represent a novel class of disease biomarkers. Below, we review HDL-miR-92a and miR-486 levels in myocardial infarction and unstable angina, and HDL-miR-223 and miR-24 levels in coronary artery disease (CAD). Moreover, we address HDL's contribution to the total pool of extracellular miRNAs in plasma and differential distribution of miRNAs across HDL subspecies. Finally, we address current and future challenges for this new field and the barriers to such work. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: MicroRNAs and lipid/energy metabolism and related diseases edited by Carlos Fernandez-Hernando and Yajaira Suarez.
Autonomous Sorting of Micro-Particles Using Bacterial Chemotaxis

The autonomous manipulation and assembly at the micro and nanoscale continues to be one of the main challenges in the field of micro/nanorobotics. On the other hand, biomotors are increasingly being considered as robust, versatile and cost-effective choices for a variety of micro/nanorobotic tasks. Here we propose the utilization of the motility and chemotaxis in flagellated bacteria to autonomously sort spherical particles with 6 μm and 10 μm in diameter within a microfluidic platform. Surface chemistry methods are utilized to selectively self-assemble bacteria onto the 6 μm diameter particles and separate them from 10 μm diameter particles via chemotaxis. It has been shown that within 1 hour, an increasingly larger number of 6 μm diameter particles accumulate within a 600 μm radius, near the chemo-attractant source.© 2012 ASME
Characterization of women's occupational musculoskeletal exposures.

Although women are often characterized as having “safe” occupations, they are at risk of experiencing occupational musculoskeletal injuries. This cross-sectional study examined the health status, occupations, and job tasks of a random sample of working women (N = 123) to characterize their risk of occupational injury. The women had been employed, most full-time, in the 12 months prior to administration of the telephone survey. The women tended to cluster into two types of occupational exposures. Overall, the women rated their health as excellent. However, those with diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders had significantly worse scores on two scales of the Short Form Health Survey than those without musculoskeletal disorders. Women are exposed to occupational musculoskeletal stressors that increase their risk of experiencing musculoskeletal injuries.
Social Media as Organizing But Not Transforming Self-Experience

Much sociological and psychological research has been done on excessive or “addictive” Internet use, with increased attention paid to the use of social media sites in particular. This article attempts to understand the addictive engagement with social media from the perspective of self psychology and intersubjective systems theory. This article proposes that social media shares various characteristics with selfobject experience, thus making its use attractive to those longing for missing selfobject experience or the correction of painful self-experience from the past. We will discuss how selfobject experience transforms; outline the way in which social media mimics selfobject experience; examine how such characteristics are alluring to those craving selfobject experience; and explore how the unique interaction between the user and the site affects whether the site contributes to transforming, growth-promoting selfobject experience or becomes a form of self-experience that organizes but fails to transform.
Production of 3-D Plastic Models with a UV Laser

Recently optical machining methods using laser power have been studied to replace mechanicalmachining such as a milling cutter. In this paper, after brief introduction of various methods, thepractical system using photopolymer and a UV laser are described in detail. These methods cancreate fully 3-dimensional plastic models automatically according to CAD data.
SHELTER-SITE SELECTION IN THE WHITE-THROATED WOODRAT, NEOTOMA ALBIGULA

This paper documents the existence of shelter-site selection in the white-throated woodrat, Neotoma albigula . Shelter-site selection is here defined as the selection of a site for construction of a house or den. Selection by wood-rats of house and den sites in areas of southern Arizona and Colorado suggested the hypothesis that cover near ground level is the criterion for such selection. Choice experiments utilizing artificial constructs designed to simulate natural vegetation tested the field-generated hypothesis. Analyses of data showed a significant positive response to dense canopy; the response to low canopy was significant in one analysis, but not in the other. No significant response to stem type was noted. Other results, although consistent with the hypothesis, were not significant. The role of early experience in shelter-site selection was investigated by means of choice experiments. No influence of early experience was indicated under the conditions of the experiment. The results of this work support the hypothesis that shelter-site selection in N. albigula is based on the criterion of cover near ground level.
Low-Hysteresis Co/Cu Multilayers for Position Sensors

We consider Co/Cu multilayers (MLs) for potential applications in position sensors, which work by detecting the variable perturbation of an applied magnetic field due to the position of a ferrous metal part. The requirements for these uses are quite different from those of magnetic recording applications. In particular, the magnitude of the perturbation is proportional to that of the applied field, which is arbitrary within the constraint of magnets that have sufficiently small size and cost. Thus we can choose to work with relatively large fields in the range 0.1–1 kOe and, for these, Co/Cu MLs provide attractive sensitivity coupled with good thermal stability. Some position sensors are used to monitor events that give rise to a cyclic variation of magnetic fields at a variable rate. For example, the passage of gear teeth that define the speed and angular position of a shaft. In this case hysteresis is unimportant. However, other sensors must monitor an arbitrary sequence of positions and perturbations and here magnetoresistive hysteresis can impose a severe limitation on precision. Thus, the reduction of magnetoresistive hysteresis has significant implications for devices.
Plasticity in Pacemaker Period: a Dynamic Memory

In experimental studies of the wake-sleep cycle of higher vertebrates under constant conditions, it is common to find that the average free-running period of an animal’s rhythm, under a given set of conditions, varies to a small extent from one test of many cycles to the next. Recordings of the performance of a single animal over many months often show gradual trends toward shortening or lengthening of period; and it is not uncommon to observe sudden stepwise changes in period, sometimes caused by a known perturbation of the animal, occasionally due to unknown causes (“apparently spontaneous”). Such differences demonstrate, by definition, that the period of the circadian pacemaker is not uniquely determined by concurrent environmental conditions; in some way or another, the animal’s history can affect its circadian performance.
Biosynthesis and turnover of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

In the past decade our concept of the plasma membrane has changed a great deal. In the 1960s a major concern was whether the plasma membrane should be considered as a lipid bilayer with associated proteins or a two-dimensional micellar array of ordered units. Today most students of plasma membrane structure consider this matter settled in favour of the lipid bilayer, and the overall focus of today is on the dynamic aspects of plasma membrane; the thermal motions of membrane lipid and protein molecules, the mechanisms of association of some integral and peripheral membrane proteins with the membrane, the importance of cytoskeleton-membrane interactions, and metabolic studies of the membrane constituents.
Concordance of In-Home "Smart" Scale Measurement with Body Weight Measured In-Person.

SummaryObjective Newer ‘smart’ scales that transmit participants' body weights directly to data collection centres offer the opportunity to simplify weight assessment in weight management research; however, little data exist on the concordance of these data compared with weights measured at in-person assessments. Methods We compared the weights of 58 participants (mean ± SD, body mass index = 31.6 ± 4.8, age = 52.1 ± 9.7 years, 86.2% Caucasian, 65.5% female) measured by study staff at an in-person assessment visit to weights measured on the same day at home using BodyTrace ‘smart’ scales. These measures occurred after 3 months of an internet-based weight management intervention. Results Weight (mean ± SD) measured at the 3-month in-person assessment visit was 81.5 ± 14.7 kg compared with 80.4 ± 14.5 kg measured on the same day using in-home body-weight scales; mean bias = 1.1 ± 0.8 kg, 95% limits of agreement = −0.5–2.6. Two outliers in the data suggest that there may be greater variability between measurements for participants weighing above 110 kg. Conclusion Results suggest good concordance between the measurements and support the use of the BodyTrace smart scale in weight management research. Future trials using BodyTrace scales for outcome assessment should clearly define protocols for measurement and associated instructions to participants (e.g. instruct individuals to weigh at the same time of day, similarly clothed). Finally, measure concordance should be investigated in a group of individuals weighing more than 110 kg.
Tapping the Brakes: Cellular and Synaptic Mechanisms that Regulate Thalamic Oscillations

Thalamic oscillators contribute to both normal rhythms associated with sleep and anesthesia and abnormal, hypersynchronous oscillations that manifest behaviorally as absence seizures. In this review, we highlight new findings that refine thalamic contributions to cortical rhythms and suggest that thalamic oscillators may be subject to both local and global control. We describe endogenous thalamic mechanisms that limit network synchrony and discuss how these protective brakes might be restored to prevent absence seizures. Finally, we describe how intrinsic and circuit-level specializations among thalamocortical loops may determine their involvement in widespread oscillations and render subsets of thalamic nuclei especially vulnerable to pathological synchrony.
Geographic Routing in Extreme-Scale Highly-Dynamic Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In the near future extremely large scale mobile adhoc networks of thousands or tens of thousands of mobile nodeswill be physically feasible and desirable for a host of applications. However, routing within these networks is challenging, especiallyat high data rates and when node movement is highly-dynamic. In this work we present Topology Aware Geographic Routing(TAG), a position-based routing protocol that strategically useslocal topology information (when available) to make better localforwarding decisions, decreasing the number of hops required todeliver a packet when compared with other geographic routingprotocols. In addition, TAG is able to reliably deliver packets evenin topologies that violate the often used but unrealistic unit diskgraph and quasi-static assumptions. We present empirical resultsfrom a variety of simulations, illustrating how TAG outperformsGOAFR+, GFG, and OLSR in both theoretical environments andin a simulated, real-world, continental-scale airborne network.
Tissue engineered vascular grafts: current state of the field.

Introduction: Conventional synthetic vascular grafts are limited by the inability to remodel, as well as issues of patency at smaller diameters. Tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs), construct...
Recalibrating Our Understanding of Retention

In a study exploring how organizational identification impacted college retention and performance outcomes at a university in the United States, we found the mere act of taking the survey emerged a...
Disappearing Acts: An Immigrant History:

This piece is an experimental autoethnographic text that juxtaposes the author’s childhood experiences of growing up as a mixed-race Korean immigrant in a xenophobic small town in the United States...
Network Imprinting and the Variability of Venture Capital Firm Performance

This paper develops and tests a theory of firm entry and network imprinting. Sociological theory of networks indicates that firms positioned in the center of a market's social network are more capa...
Tissue Edema, Fluid Balance, and Patient Outcomes in Severe Sepsis: An Organ Systems Review:

Severe sepsis and septic shock remain among the deadliest diseases managed in the intensive care unit. Fluid resuscitation has been a mainstay of early treatment, but the deleterious effects of excessive fluid administration leading to tissue edema are becoming clearer. A positive fluid balance at 72 hours is associated with significantly increased mortality, yet ongoing fluid administration beyond a durable increase in cardiac output is common. We review the pathophysiologic and clinical data showing the negative effects of edema on pulmonary, renal, central nervous, hepatic, and cardiovascular systems. We discuss data showing increased morbidity and mortality following nonjudicious fluid administration and challenge the assumption that patients who are fluid responsive are also likely to benefit from that fluid. The distinctions between fluid requirement, responsiveness, and tolerance are central to newer concepts of resuscitation. We summarize data in each organ system showing a predictable increase in...
Severe pain during wound care procedures: A cross‐sectional study protocol

AIM The aim of this study is to: (a) develop and evaluate a model to predict severe pain during wound care procedures (WCPs) so that high-risk patients can be targeted for specialized dressings and preventive pain control; and (b) identify biological factors associated with severe pain during WCPs so that novel pain control strategies can be developed. BACKGROUND Wound care procedures such as dressing changes can cause moderate to severe pain in 74% of patients, with nearly half (36%) of all patients experiencing severe pain (rated as 8-10 on a 10-point numeric rating scale) during dressing change. Additionally, clinicians have little direction with current guidelines regarding pain control during WCPs including the selection of the appropriate advanced wound dressings and the appropriate use of analgesics. DESIGN This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS The National Institute of Nursing Research approved and funded the study June of 2015 and the appropriate Institutional Review Board approved all study protocols prior to funding. Study enrolment is underway at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with a target of 525 participants. Potential participants must be adults (21+ years) and have a nonburn, nondiabetic foot, full-thickness wound. The research team performs a one-time study dressing change on enrolled participants and collects all study data. DISCUSSION This study will allow the development of a tool for clinicians to use to predict severe pain during WCPs and identify biological factors significantly associated with severe pain during WCPs.
A reality check in transradial access: a single-centre comparison of transradial and transfemoral access for abdominal and peripheral intervention.

The purpose of this study was to describe a single institution’s experience with transradial access (TRA) for angiographic interventions, and to compare technical success, complication rate and radiation dose of procedures performed with TRA to those performed with transfemoral access (TFA). A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing peripheral interventions via TRA or TFA from 2015 to 2017 was performed. The cohort comprised 33 patients undergoing 44 procedures via TRA and 37 patients undergoing 44 procedures via TFA. Outcome measures were technical success, access-related complications, fluoroscopy time and radiation exposure. Differences at p < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients who had procedures via TRA versus those who had procedures via TFA, including age, sex and body mass index. Technical success was achieved in 41/44 (93.2%) of procedures performed via TRA, compared to 44/44 (100%) of procedures performed via TFA (p = 0.241). There were three access-related complications (6.8%) when TRA was performed, compared to none when TFA was performed (p = 0.241). Fluoroscopy time was longer in procedures performed with TRA compared to those performed with TFA (27.3 vs 20.4, p = 0.033). Dose area product (DAP) did not differ with access site choice (p = 0.186). TRA is a safe and feasible alternative to TFA for a range of peripheral interventions. However, TRA must be performed with prudence as it is not without complications and is technically challenging, leading to longer fluoroscopy time. • Transradial access (TRA) is feasible in a variety of peripheral interventions, achieving success in 93.2% of cases. • Access-related complications are comparable between transfemoral access (TFA) and TRA (p = 0.241), but prudence must be taken during TRA as it could be technically challenging. • Procedures performed with TRA tend to have longer fluoroscopy time compared to those performed with TFA (p = 0.033), but the DAPs are comparable (p = 0.186).
Empirical modeling and approximation

This chapter discusses the role and importance of empirical modeling and approximation. In many situations it is necessary to discover or develop a relationship between two measured variables. This occurs in various fields. And for best results one must resort to empirical modeling of the potential relationship. Techniques for empirical modeling are alternatively called curve fitting in engineering and numerical methods, regression analysis in statistics, or time series forecasting in economics. The fundamental principles for modeling are very similar in all of these areas. Models provide the ability to estimate values of the dependent variable for desired values of the independent variable when the actual measurements are not available. There are many techniques for empirical modeling and approximation of values of unknown functions. All of them have their origin in the field of numerical methods and have been utilized extensively in engineering. However, knowledge of the underlying assumptions and basic principles of development is required to implement them properly. One main distinction between curve fitting and interpolation is that in the former set of techniques, inaccurate or noisy measurements can be used. Another important distinction is that interpolation techniques produce a set of estimated points, whereas curve fitting actually produces a functional model of the measurements.
Theory and Experiments in the Mechanics of Magnetically Stabilized Fluidized Solids

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some experiments in the mechanics of magnetically stabilized fluidized solids. The magnetically stabilized bed (MSB) represents the bubble-free equilibrium flow of a fluid upward through a quiescent mass of fluidized, magnetizable particles in the presence of an applied magnetic field. In MSBs, the particles of the bed can be either wholly magnetizable or be a composite of magnetizable and nonmagnetizable material. The bed of such particles is subjected to a source of applied magnetic field. In the case of the MSB, the bed accommodates the increased throughput of gas by expanding homogeneously with no bubble formation. At a higher flow rate, termed the transition velocity, the bed suddenly destabilizes, producing a magnetized, fluidized, and bubbling state. The bed can be regarded as a two-phase flow system. At any point within either phase, the motion is determined by expressions of mass and momentum balance. The magnetic stress tensor specifies forces of magnetic polarization and is derived from energy conservation.
Photoassisted Selective Area Growth of III–V Compounds

Selective area epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide (GaAs) by laser assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) offers a promising approach to in-situ device fabrication and integration. By scanning a focussed argon ion laser beam across a thermally biased substrate in the presence of arsine and an organometallic source, GaAs is selectively deposited only on areas of the substrate exposed to the laser at substrate temperatures in the range of 300–400° C. LCVD of undoped, n-type, and p-type device quality GaAs has been demonstrated. The laser-grown undoped GaAs films are highly resistive/semi-insulating (ρ=106 Ωcm) and exhibit 77K photoluminescence (PL) spectra. Selective p-type doping (Zn from dimethylzinc, p > 1020 cm-3) has been achieved at substrate bias temperatures (Tsub) of 300°C. Selective and controllable n-type doping (Si from silane, ~ 1017 ≤ n ≤ 7×1018cm-3) has been demonstrated for 300 ≤ Tsub ≤ 400°C with room temperature mobilities between 600 – 5100 cm2/V sec. Several electronic and optoelectronic devices such as GaAs metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET’s), p-i-n photodiodes and metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors have been selectively deposited by the LCVD growth technique. These devices have performance characteristics comparable to devices of similar dimensions grown by conventional techniques. Rib, strip-loaded, and channel optical waveguides have also been directly written by LCVD. The mode structure and light confining properties of these waveguides have been studied.
Abstract 76: Transient Depletion of Microglia Reduces the Severity of Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in a Mouse Model

Background and purpose: Accumulation of macrophages and microglia is evidenced in the lesions of human and mouse brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) with or without hemorrhage, suggesting tha...
Treatment of anxiety and mood comorbidities in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapies for panic disorder.

Abstract Background It is not known whether common anxiety/mood comorbidities of panic disorder (PD) improve with panic-focused psychological treatment, nor whether there is differential efficacy between therapies in treating comorbidities. Methods In a randomized controlled trial for PD with and without agoraphobia comparing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Panic-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (PFPP), symptomatic comorbidities of agoraphobia, MDD, GAD, and social anxiety disorder (SAD) were assessed pre-to-post treatment with the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS). Comparative efficacy of CBT versus PFPP for treating comorbid disorders was tested at termination and 1 year's follow-up. Covariance between panic and comorbidity improvements was also analyzed. Results Most treatment completers (n = 120) evidenced diagnostic remission of their comorbidity (range = 54–69%), which typically reflected a subclinical score on the ADIS (mean range = 1.3 to 1.8). These improvements were generally retained at follow-up. However, patients with MDD dropped out significantly more often (HR = 2.79). No significant symptom change or remission differences emerged between CBT and PFPP for any comorbidity at termination or at follow-up. Panic change was strongly related to improvements in agoraphobia (r = 0.70) and MDD (r = 0.53), moderately related for GAD (r = 0.31), and not significantly related for SAD (r = 0.20). Discussion Patients completing panic-focused psychotherapies often experience meaningful remission for diagnoses of agoraphobia, MDD, GAD, and SAD, with no detectable differences between treatments, although sample sizes for the MDD and SAD comparisons were small. In addition, additional efforts may be needed to keep MDD-comorbid patients in treatment.
Assessment of replicate numbers for titrating avian influenza virus using dose-response models

Embryonating chicken eggs (ECEs) are among the most sensitive laboratory host systems for avian influenza virus (AIV) titration, but ECEs are expensive and require space for storage and incubation. Therefore, reducing ECE use would conserve resources. We utilized statistical modeling to evaluate the accuracy and precision of AIV titration with 3 instead of 5 ECEs for each dilution by the Reed-Muench method for 50% endpoint calculation. Beta-Poisson and exponential dose-response models were used in a simulation study to evaluate observations from actual titration data from 18 AIV isolates. The reproducibility among replicates of a titration was evaluated with one AIV isolate titrated in 3 replicates with the beta-Poisson, exponential, and Weibull dose-response models. The standard deviation (SD) of the error between input and estimated virus titers was estimated with Monte Carlo simulations using the fitted dose-response models. Good fit was observed with all models that were utilized. Reducing the number of ECEs per dilution from 5 to 3 resulted in the width of the 95% confidence interval increasing from ±0.64 to ±0.75 log10 50% ECE infectious doses (EID50) and the SD of the error increased by 0.03 log10 EID50. Our study suggests that using fewer ECEs per dilution is a viable approach that will allow laboratories to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Imaging of the post-operative medial elbow in the overhead thrower: common and abnormal findings after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and ulnar nerve transposition

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is now being performed more commonly and on younger patients than in prior decades. As a result, radiologists will increasingly be asked to evaluate elbow imaging of patients presenting with pain who have had UCL reconstruction. It is essential for radiologists to understand the normal and abnormal imaging appearances after UCL reconstruction and ulnar nerve transposition, which is also commonly performed in overhead-throwing athletes. Doing so will allow radiologists to provide accurate interpretations that appropriately guide patient management.
A belief in socioeconomic mobility promotes the development of academically motivating identities among low-socioeconomic status youth

Despite barriers to educational attainment, low-SES youth often maintain strong academic intentions and performance if they continue to view school as important for obtaining the desired futures th...
Implementing a Multidisciplinary Clinical Pathway Can Reduce the Surgical Site Infection Rate After Posterior Spinal Fusion in High Risk Patients

Purpose: To compare postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) rates after spinal fusion in high risk patients and adherence to the protocol before and after the institution. Methods: An institutional clinical pathway was created in 2012 based on nationally published Best Practice Guidelines as well hospital practices with a goal of reducing the rate of SSI in high risk patients. It was based on multidisciplinary input and focused on care from patient optimization preoperatively through the postoperative care period. Patients …
Stealthing Perpetration and Victimization: Prevalence and Correlates Among Emerging Adults:

"Stealthing" is a form of sexual violence wherein a sexual partner purposefully removes a condom during penetration without the receptive partner's knowledge. Given the role of substance use in sexual violence broadly, we examined demographic and substance use correlates of stealthing perpetration (SP) and victimization (SV) among emerging adults. Participants comprised 2,550 18- to 25-year-olds (M age = 20.8, SD = 2.3), recruited via social media (48% female; 53.9% non-Hispanic White; 46.0% had another racial/ethnic identity; 67.4% heterosexual; 85.3% had some college education). Unadjusted analyses (t tests, χ2 analysis) and adjusted logistic regression analyses examined associations between demographics (age, education, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation) and substance use (binge drinking, marijuana use, other illegal drug use, and prescription drug misuse) with male SP and male and female SV. Five percent of males and 18.9% of females reported SV; 6.1% of males reported SP. In adjusted analyses, significant correlates of SP were: non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.39), binge drinking (OR = 1.39), cannabis use (OR = 1.37), and other drug use (OR = 1.43). Significant correlates of male SV were: non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity (OR = 0.28), non-heterosexual orientation (OR = 0.24), binge drinking (OR = 1.49), and other illegal drug use (OR = 1.79). Significant correlates of female SV were: older age (OR = 1.13), non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity (OR = 0.57), binge drinking (OR = 1.28), cannabis use (OR = 1.29), and other drug use (OR = 1.22). Consistent with literature linking alcohol to sexual violence, binge drinking correlated with both SV and SP, with other substance use also playing a role. Data are needed to explore these relationships using longitudinal, event-level assessments to investigate the influence of acute intoxication. Interventions to reduce sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and sexual assault should include content on stealthing and substance use.
Diet of Lesser Scaup Wintering on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

Abstract The lesser scaup Aythya affinis has been a species of conservation concern since continental breeding populations began declining in the 1980s. The causes of this decline are likely multif...
Exploring the mechanisms underlying excitation/inhibition imbalance in human iPSC-derived models of ASD

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and repetitive or restricted behaviors. ASD subjects exhibit complex genetic and clinical heterogeneity, thus hindering the discovery of pathophysiological mechanisms. Considering that several ASD-risk genes encode proteins involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, neuronal excitability, and neuronal connectivity, one hypothesis that has emerged is that ASD arises from a disruption of the neuronal network activity due to perturbation of the synaptic excitation and inhibition (E/I) balance. The development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology and recent advances in neuronal differentiation techniques provide a unique opportunity to model complex neuronal connectivity and to test the E/I hypothesis of ASD in human-based models. Here, we aim to review the latest advances in studying the different cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to E/I balance using iPSC-based in vitro models of ASD.
Using the NIH Toolbox to Assess Cognition in Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Despite the clinically significant impact of executive dysfunction on the outcomes of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), we lack a clear understanding of its prevalence, profile, and development. To address this gap, we administered the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery to a cross-sectional Intelligence Quotient (IQ) case-matched cohort with ASD (n = 66) and typical development (TD; n = 66) ages 12-22. We used a general linear model framework to examine group differences in task performance and their associations with age. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of individuals with similar cognitive profiles. Compared to IQ case-matched controls, ASD demonstrated poorer performance on inhibitory control (P < 0.001), cognitive flexibility (P < 0.001), episodic memory (P < 0.02), and processing speed (P < 0.001) (components of Fluid Cognition), but not on vocabulary or word reading (components of Crystallized Cognition). There was a significant positive association between age and Crystallized and Fluid Cognition in both groups. For Fluid (but not Crystallized) Cognition, ASD performed more poorly than TD at all ages. A four-group LPA model based on subtest scores best fit the data. Eighty percent of ASD belonged to two groups that exhibited relatively stronger Crystallized versus Fluid Cognition. Attention deficits were not associated with Toolbox subtest scores, but were lowest in the group with the lowest proportion of autistic participants. Adaptive functioning was poorer in the groups with the greatest proportion of autistic participants. Autistic persons are especially impaired on Fluid Cognition, and this more flexible form of thinking remains poorer in the ASD group through adolescence. LAY SUMMARY: A set of brief tests of cognitive functioning called the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery was administered to adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 66) and typical development (TD; n = 66) ages 12-22 years. Compared to TD, ASD showed poorer performance in inhibiting responses, acting flexibly, memorizing events, and processing information quickly (Fluid Cognition). Groups did not differ on vocabulary or word reading (Crystallized Cognition). Crystallized and Fluid Cognition increased with age in both groups, but the ASD group showed lower Fluid, but not Crystallized, Cognition than TD at all ages. A categorization analysis including all participants showed that most participants with ASD fell into one of two categories: a group characterized by poor performance across all tasks, or a group characterized by relatively stronger Crystallized compared to Fluid Cognition. Adaptive functioning was poorer for participants in these groups, which consisted of mostly individuals with ASD, while ADHD symptoms were lowest in the group with the greatest proportion of TD participants.
Evaluating Teacher Evaluation – Evidence From Chile

This study applies a quasi-experimental research design to evaluate the effects of Chile’s national teacher evaluation system on teacher productivity (as measured by student learning), on teaching behaviors, and on teacher beliefs. The paper’s identification strategy exploits a recent change in the evaluation assignment mechanism, together with a discontinuity in the evaluation system’s scoring mechanism. Jointly, these two factors provide plausibly exogenous variation in which teachers get newly evaluated, after two years. My econometric analysis is motivated by, and overcomes, two limitations of a simple regression-discontinuity approach: systematic sorting of teachers close to the cut-off score, as well as additional programs that also use the same cut-off to determine teacher eligibility. The study’s main results suggest that student learning, teacher beliefs, and teaching behaviors remain unaffected by a teacher’s reevaluation, both in the year of the evaluation and in the year thereafter. The article confirms that these findings are not driven by a teacher’s level of work experience, by student sorting, or by systematic attrition.
Evaluating and Improving SSU rRNA PCR Primer Coverage for Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes Using Metagenomes from Global Ocean Surveys

Abstract Small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) amplicon sequencing can quantitatively and comprehensively profile natural microbiomes, representing a critically important tool for studying diverse global ecosystems. However, results will only be accurate if PCR primers perfectly match the rRNA of all organisms present. To evaluate how well marine microorganisms across all 3 domains are detected by this method, we compared commonly-used primers with > 300 million rRNA gene sequences retrieved from globally-distributed marine metagenomes. The best-performing primers when comparing to 16S rRNA of Bacteria and Archaea were 515Y/926R and 515Y/806RB, which perfectly matched over 96% of all sequences. Considering Cyanobacteria and Chloroplast 16S rRNA, 515Y/926R had the highest coverage (99%), making this set ideal for quantifying marine primary producers. For eukaryotic 18S rRNA sequences, 515Y/926R also performed best (88%), followed by V4R/V4RB (18S rRNA-specific; 82%) – demonstrating that the 515Y/926R combination performs best overall for all 3 domains. Using Atlantic and Pacific Ocean samples, we demonstrate high correspondence between 515Y/926R amplicon abundances (generated for this study) and metagenomic 16S rRNA (median R2=0.98, n=272), indicating amplicons can produce equally accurate community composition data versus shotgun metagenomics. Our analysis also revealed that expected performance of all primer sets could be improved with minor modifications, pointing toward a nearly-completely universal primer set that could accurately quantify biogeochemically-important taxa in ecosystems ranging from the deep-sea to the surface. In addition, our reproducible bioinformatic workflow can guide microbiome researchers studying different ecosystems or human health to similarly improve existing primers and generate more accurate quantitative amplicon data. Significance Statement PCR amplification and sequencing of marker genes is a low-cost technique for monitoring prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities across space and time, but will only work optimally if environmental organisms match PCR primer sequences exactly. In this study, we evaluated how well primers match globally-distributed short-read oceanic metagenomes. Our results demonstrate primer sets vary widely in performance, and that at least for marine systems, rRNA amplicon data from some primers lack significant biases compared to metagenomes. We also show that it is possible to create a nearly universal primer set for diverse saline environments by defining a specific mixture of a few dozen oligonucleotides and present a software pipeline that can guide rational design of primers for any environment with available meta’omic data.
Financial Education and the Debt Behavior of the Young

Young Americans are heavily reliant on debt and have clear financial literacy shortcomings. In this paper, we study the effects of exposure to financial training on debt outcomes in early adulthood among a large and representative sample of young Americans. Variation in exposure to financial training comes from statewide changes in high school graduation requirements. Using a flexible event study approach, we find that both mathematics and financial education, by and large, decrease reliance on nonstudent debt and improve repayment behavior. Economics training, on the other hand, increases both the likelihood of holding outstanding debt and the prevalence of repayment difficulties.
Guantanamo and Beyond: Exceptional Courts And Military Commissions In Comparative Perspective

Part I. Military Commissions and Exceptional Courts in the United States: 1. The development of an exceptional court: the history of the American military commission David Glazier 2. Military commissions in historical perspective: lessons from the US - Dakota war trials Carol Chomsky 3. Contemporary law of war and military commissions Gary Solis 4. Military commissions and the paradigm of prevention David Cole 5. Prevention, detention, and extraordinariness Fiona de Londras 6. In defense of federal criminal courts for terrorism cases in the United States Gabor Rona and Raha Wala 7. Exceptional courts and the structure of American military justice Stephen I. Vladeck 8. Exceptional courts in counterterrorism: lessons from the foreign intelligence surveillance act (FISA) William C. Banks Part II. Exceptional Courts and Military Commissions Elsewhere: 9. The law working itself pure? The Canadian experience with exceptional courts and Guantanamo Kent Roach 10. Vicious and virtuous cycles in prosecuting terrorism: the Diplock Court experience John Jackson 11. Terrorism prosecution in the United Kingdom: lessons in the manipulation of criminalization and due process Clive Walker 12. Trying terrorists: the Israeli perspective Emmanuel Gross 13. Exceptional or not? An examination of India's special courts in the national security context Jayanth Krishnan and Viplav Sharma Part III. International Law, Exceptional Courts and Military Commissions: 14. The right to a fair trial in an extraordinary court David Weissbrodt and Joseph Hansen 15. Approaches and responses of the UN human rights mechanisms to exceptional courts and military commissions Alex Conte 16. Exceptional Courts and the European Convention on Human Rights Steven Greer 17. The legitimacy deficit of exceptional international criminal jurisdiction Yuval Shany.
Hippocampal sclerosis dementia: An amnesic variant of frontotemporal degeneration.

Objective: To describe characteristics of hippocampal sclerosis dementia. Methods: Convenience sample of Hippocampal sclerosis dementia (HSD) recruited from the Johns Hopkins University Brain Resource Center. Twenty-four cases with post-mortem pathological diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis dementia were reviewed for clinical characterization. Results: The cases showed atrophy and neuronal loss localized to the hippocampus, amygdala and entorrhinal cortex. The majority (79.2%) had amnesia at illness onset, and many (54.2%) showed abnormal conduct and psychiatric disorder. Nearly 42% presented with an amnesic state, and 37.5% presented with amnesia plus abnormal conduct and psychiatric disorder. All eventually developed a behavioral or psychiatric disorder. Disorientation, executive dysfunction, aphasia, agnosia and apraxia were uncommon at onset. Alzheimer disease (AD) was the initial clinical diagnosis in 89% and the final clinical diagnosis in 75%. Diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was uncommon (seen in 8%). Conclusion: HSD shows pathological characteristics of FTD and clinical features that mimic AD and overlap with FTD. The findings, placed in the context of earlier work, support the proposition that HSD belongs to the FTD family, where it may be identified as an amnesic variant.
Abstract MP33: The Deaf Weight Wise Study: A Unique Clinical Trial of Health Behavior Modification with Deaf Adults

Introduction: Deaf people who use American Sign Language (ASL) comprise linguistic and cultural minority populations without access to language-concordant health information and healthcare. Deaf ASL users are rarely included in health research or public health surveillance. Recent research with Deaf ASL users found a higher prevalence of obesity than in the general population. No randomized trials of lifestyle modification or weight reduction have ever been attempted with Deaf ASL users. Methods: We worked with the Rochester (NY) Deaf community to adapt a 16-week healthy lifestyle program previously shown to be effective with hearing people. We adapted the curriculum and research measures to be culturally and linguistically appropriate. We used a group intervention format recommended by our Deaf partners, and trained group leaders who were Deaf, ASL fluent and had backgrounds in counseling, public health, or healthcare. For this Deaf Weight Wise (DWW) trial, we recruited Deaf adults aged 40-70 with a BMI ...
Linear models with long-range dependence and with finite or infinite variance

We analyze a number of linear models that display long-range dependence and have either finite or infinite variance.
Sensitivity and Specificity in Tests of Distal Ileal Function: Prospective Comparison of Bile Acid and Vitamin B12 Absorption in Ileal Resection Patients

Abstract Bile acid and vitamin B 12 absorption were compared prospectively in 22 patients with distal ileal resection, 7 with similar diarrhea but apparently normal ileal function, 5 with the stagnant loop syndrome, and 3 with steatorrhea due to digestive abnormalities. Also studied were 18 healthy control subjects. A test meal containing glycine- 14 C-labeled glycocholate, 3 H-ring-labeled taurocholate, vitamin B 12 - 57 Co with intrinsic factor, and 51 CrCl 3 as nonabsorbable marker was administered to fasting patients. Bile acid absorption was assessed by appearance of 14 CO 2 in breath and by fecal excretion of 14 C or 3 H; B 12 absorption was measured by excretion of 57 Co in urine (Schilling test). Based on fecal excretion of 3 H, nearly all patients with ileal resection had unequivocal bile acid malabsorption. Measurement of 14 CO 2 in breath was less sensitive since four false negatives were identified. Measurement of both 14 CO 2 and fecal 14 C was as sensitive as measurement of fecal 3 H. Of the 14 patients with resections less than 100 cm, 4 had normal Schilling tests, despite nearly all having bile acid malabsorption; both tests were equivocal or abnormal in patients with larger resections. In patients with similar diarrhea but no evidence of ileal dysfunction, bile acid malabsorption was not present, since the ratio of fecal bile acid radioactivity to marker radioactivity was significantly smaller than in patients with ileal resection; B 12 absorption was normal. The breath test appears to be a useful screening test for the detection of the stagnant loop syndrome. Its interpretation is uncertain in patients with ileal dysfunction, since such patients may also have bile acid malabsorption. Thus, the clinical value of the breath test or measurement of bile acid absorption in such patients probably can only be determined by future studies which relate test results to therapeutic response.
Notes on the Relations between CAM and the Social Sciences

Hans Baer and colleagues (this issue) argue that critical medical anthropology (CMA) can help naturopathy to develop a more holistic concept of health that includes the role of environmental and social structural factors. On the basis of the reactions of three naturopaths who were his students in Australia and the reception to talks that he gave at naturopathic colleges in the United States, he suggests that naturopaths and other practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may be open to the proposition of a CMA–CAM synthesis. Although I am sympathetic to the general proposition that much is to be gained from a dialogue between social scientists and CAM researchers and professionals, I suggest three cautions about the specific proposition that a CMA–CAM synthesis has long-term potential. The first caution comes from personal experience that draws attention to some of the divisions within CAM fields. I was once invited by a prominent member of the chiropractic research community to present my research at a leading conference on chiropractic research, which included reports by the top researchers on their clinical trials research and other forms of evidencebased research. My work on the history of intellectual suppression for medical researchers who operated outside the mainstream of cancer research and therapy was invited to be part of a plenary session on bias in medicine. The session also included discussions of chiropractic researchers who had experienced hostile reviews and a broader discussion of the industrial connections of researchers and editors at leading medical journals. Notwithstanding the prominence of my host in the chiropractic research community and the importance of bias against chiropractic research in mainstream medical journals, the topic of our session became controversial. Some of the chiropractic researchers who were gaining a position in the clinical trials research funding system and winning acceptance for their work as a complementary modality were concerned with the potential negative implications that a critical analysis of bias in clinical trials research and journal publications would have on their inroads into mainstream medical research. They also were concerned that discussions of publication bias and intellectual suppression would fuel antiresearch sentiment among rank-and-file practitioners. As a result, the session was pushed off the program and offered as a rump session for those who wished to stay after the conference ended. The example suggests that when discussing issues of the integration of social science research into CAM fields, attention must be paid to divisions within the CAM fields. As medical integration proceeds, the