cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical presentations of myocarditis.

Although, myocarditis usually is caused by a viral or postviral autoimmune response, it may result from virtually any infectious agent (rickettsia, bacteria, spirochetes, fungus, and protozoa), drugs and chemicals, physical agents, or as part of an underlying inflammatory or autoimmune process. All the infectious etiologies are characterized by inflammation of the myocardium in response to a systemic dissemination of the offending infectious agent. Patients with viral or postviral autoimmune myocarditis rarely display signs or symptoms of active viral infection, making recognition of this entity more difficult. Most viruses enter through the upper respiratory or gastrointestinal system. Once the virus is released from the local immune barriers it disseminates to the remainder of the body. From 3.5% to 5% of individuals who have infections from cardiotropic viruses will replicate virus in their heart with associated death of myocytes (myocytolysis). Initially, a nonspecific macrophage and IgM antibody reaction results in myocardial inflammation and further myocyte loss. By 14 days an IgG-specific antibody response promotes death of the virus and healing of the inflammatory cardiac reaction. Animal models have demonstrated that viral myocarditis is not associated with a uniform presentation but is influenced by the offending viral agent, the immune response to the virus, and the ability to eliminate viral pathogen from the heart. Patients who have viral myocarditis have similar variations in their symptoms, physical findings, and ‘‘natural history.’’ After the viral illness, there is a variable delay followed by cardiac symptoms in those who have myocarditis, including congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, embolic events, or acute ischemia. Unfortunately, the symptoms of myocarditis are usually nonspecific and include fatigue and weakness as a result of low cardiac output, dyspnea or othopnea caused by elevated filling pressures, chest pain from pericarditis or acute ischemia, and palpitations from arrhythmia. Physical findings are also nondescript but often include a heart rate greater than expected for a given level of activity, the development of gallop rhythms, rubs caused by pericardial irritation, murmurs related to ventricular remodeling, and decreased intensity in the first heart sound. This article concentrates on the clinical presentations of myocarditis, including arrhythmias, acute myocardial infarction, cardiovascular collapse, rapidly progressive cardiomyopathy or arrhythmias, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. Clues to the identification of myocarditis in other systemic illnesses and subacute cardiomyopathy development (perhaps leading to dilated cardiomyopathy) also are discussed.
The effect of feedback training on distance estimation in virtual environments

It is often noted that distances are significantly underestimated in computer-simulated (virtual) environments. Two experiments examine observers' ability to use error corrective feedback to improve the accuracy of judgments of egocentric and exocentric distances. In Experiment 1, observers viewed objects in an immersive virtual environment and estimated their distance through a blindfolded walking task. Different groups received feedback on either egocentric, exocentric or none of these judgments. Receiving feedback improved observers' ability to estimate only those distances for which feedback was provided. These effects persisted for at least 1 week. In Experiment 2, observers estimated egocentric distance by means of both a direct and indirect walking task. Receiving feedback on the direct walking task predominantly improved direct estimates and not indirect estimates. These findings suggest that although feedback training offers a relatively straightforward and immediate way of overcoming problems of distance estimation, its effects are specific to both the type of judgment and the type of response. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business

The article reviews the book “The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business,” by Thomas H. Davenport and John C. Beck.
Studies on the Lapping of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)

Researching the effect that certain parameters have on the lapping process is crucial to understanding the fundamental material removal mechanisms and implementing a procedure that most efficiently produces desired results. This study examines the lapping procedure for polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs). Tests were conducted using different sample carriers, PDC arrangements, and abrasive size distributions. Previous studies have focused on the material removal rate (MRR), which is of interest, but this study also examines the MRR uniformity within a group of PDCs lapped together. The goal of this research was to determine the optimal lapping conditions and PDC arrangement required to achieve the highest productivity. Results indicate that a hard specimen carrier is necessary to produce PDCs with uniform MRRs, and the number of PDC samples in a carrier can be increased with certain design constraints kept in mind.
Ionizing radiation modulates the exposure of the HUIV26 cryptic epitope within collagen type IV during angiogenesis.

Abstract Purpose: The majority of the research on the biologic effects of ionizing radiation has focused on the impact of radiation on cells in terms of gene expression, DNA damage, and cytotoxicity. In comparison, little information is available concerning the direct effects of radiation on the extracellular microenvironment, specifically the extracellular matrix and its main component, collagen. We have developed a series of monoclonal antibodies that bind to cryptic epitopes of collagen Type IV that are differentially exposed during matrix remodeling and are key mediators of angiogenesis. We have hypothesized that ionizing radiation might affect the process of angiogenesis through a direct effect on the extracellular matrix and specifically on collagen Type IV. Methods and Materials: Angiogenesis was induced in a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model; 24 h later, a single-dose treatment with ionizing radiation (0.5, 5, and 20 cGy) was administered. Angiogenesis was assessed, and the exposure of two cryptic regulatory epitopes within collagen Type IV (HUI77 and HUIV26) was studied in vitro by solid-phase ELISA and in vivo by immunofluorescence staining. Results: A dose-dependent reduction of angiogenesis with maximum inhibition (85%–90%) occurring at 20 cGy was demonstrated in the CAM model. Exposure of the cryptic HUIV26 site, an angiogenesis control element, was inhibited both in vitro and in vivo by the same radiation dose, whereas little if any change was observed for the HUI77 cryptic epitope. Conclusions: A dose-dependent alteration of the functional exposure of the HUIV26 cryptic epitope is induced by radiation in vitro and in the CAM model in vivo . This radiation-induced change in protein structure and function may contribute to the inhibitory effects of ionizing radiation on new blood vessel growth and warrants further studies in other models.
Cellular glutathione plays a key role in copper uptake mediated by human copper transporter 1

Copper is an essential micronutrient. Following entry via the human copper transporter 1 (hCTR1), copper is delivered to several copper chaperones, which subsequently transfer the metal to specific...
Deep Chandra X-ray Observations of Low Mass X-ray Binary Candidates in the Early-Type Galaxy NGC 4697

Chandra X-ray observations routinely resolve tens to hundreds of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) per galaxy in nearby massive early-type galaxies. These studies have raised important issues regarding the behavior of this population of r emnants of the once massive stars in early-type galaxies, namely the connection between LMXBs and globular clusters (GCs) and the nature of the LMXB luminosity function (LF). In this paper, we combine five epochs of Chandra observations and one central field Hubble Space TelescopeAdvance Camera for Surveys observation of NGC 4697, one of the nearest, optically luminous elliptical (E6) galaxies, to probe the GC-LMXB connection and LMXB-LF down to a detection/completeness limit of 0.6/1.4 × 10 37 ergs s -1 . We detect 158 sources, present their luminosities and hardness ratios, and associate 34 LMXBs with GCs. We confirm that GCs with higher encounter rates ( h) and redder colors (higher metallicity Z) are more likely to contain GCs, and find that the expected number of LMXBs per GC is proportional t o 0.79 +0.18 -0.15 h (Z/Z⊙) 0.50 +0.20 -0.18, consistent with fainter X-ray sources in Galactic GCs and LMXBs in Virgo early-type galaxies. Approximately 11 ± 2/8 ± 2% of GCs in NGC 4697 contain an LMXB at the detection/completeness limit. We propose that the larger proportion of metal-rich GCs in NGC 4697 compared to the Milky Way explains why these fractions are much higher than those of the Milky Way at similar luminosities. We confirm that a broken power-law is the best fit to the LMXB-LF, although we ca nnot rule out a cutoff power-law, and argue that this raises t he possibility that there is no universal form for the LMXB-LF in early-type galaxies. We find marginal evidence for differe nt LFs of LMXBs in GCs and the field and different spectra of GC-LMXBs and Field-LMXBs.
A statistical model for species extrapolation using categorical response data.

Predictions of human health risk for single chemicals are often based on animal studies and hence require some sort of adjustment for species differences in toxic susceptibility. In the past, either the animal dose has been divided by an uncertainty factor or the dose has been transformed by a mathematical model into a human equivalent dose. A generalization of the allometric model previously used for carcinogens, the so-called surface area model, is investigated here for use with graded severity response data for noncarcinogenic systemic toxicity. Statistical methods for estimating one of the model's parameters, the power of body weight, are proposed and tested on simulated and actual toxicity data. Early results indicate reasonable accuracy if data are available for a large number of dose groups.
A Simulation Study of Colpitts Oscillator Reliability and Variability

Nanoscale CMOS reliability and process variation effect on the LC Colpitts oscillator has been examined. Mixed-mode device and circuit simulation is used to investigate the physical insight of impact ionization to the Colpitts oscillator. An analytical equation of phase noise as a function of offset frequency, transistor parameters, and body bias has been derived. The analytical predictions are in good agreement with ADS simulation results. An adaptive body bias to minimize process variation effect on the Colpitts oscillator has also been proposed. The adaptive body bias technique effectively reduces the hot electron effect and process variability on the Colpitts oscillator performance, as supported by Monte Carlo simulation results.
Effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on left ventricular function of swine.

Background. Previous clinical and experimental investigations have produced inconsistent data describing the effects of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) on intrinsic left ventricular (LV) function. We report an animal model that allows investigation of the effects of VA ECMO on the mechanics of the LV using two load-insensitive indices: end-systolic pressure-minor axis dimension relationship (ESPDR) and preload recruitable dimensional stroke work (PRDSW). Methods. Eight piglets (5 to 11 kg) were anesthetized, instrumented, and placed on VA ECMO. Throughout the experiment, systemic and left atrial partial pressure of oxygen were maintained between 100 to 200 mm Hg. At ECMO flow rate of 50% of baseline cardiac output, data were collected prior to ECMO, at 4 and 6 hours during ECMO, and after weaning from ECMO. Data measured or calculated for each time point included heart rate, LV pressures and minor axis dimensions at different preloads, first derivative of LV pressure with respect to time, velocity of circumferential fiber length shortening (VCF), LV shortening fraction (LVSF), ESPDR, and PRDSW. Results. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in LVSF and VCF was seen at 4 and 6 hours during ECMO when compared to baseline, but the ESPDR and PRDSW did not change during ECMO. Conclusions. VA ECMO alone changes some of the load-dependent parameters of contractility, but intrinsic function of the heart is not significantly affected as measured by load-insensitive indices of LV performance.
Observing Lyapunov Exponents of Infinite-Dimensional Dynamical Systems

Can Lyapunov exponents of infinite-dimensional dynamical systems be observed by projecting the dynamics into ℝ N using a 'typical' nonlinear projection map? We answer this question affirmatively by developing embedding theorems for compact invariant sets associated with C1 maps on Hilbert spaces. Examples of such discrete-time dynamical systems include time-T maps and Poincare return maps generated by the solution semigroups of evolution partial differential equations. We make every effort to place hypotheses on the projected dynamics rather than on the underlying infinite-dimensional dynamical system. In so doing, we adopt an empirical approach and formulate checkable conditions under which a Lyapunov exponent computed from experimental data will be a Lyapunov exponent of the infinite-dimensional dynamical system under study (provided the nonlinear projection map producing the data is typical in the sense of prevalence).
Students’ Perceptions of the Teaching Evaluation Process

We explored how students view the teaching evaluation process and assessed their self-reported behaviors when completing student evaluations of teaching (SETs). We administered a 28-item survey assessing these views to students from a cross section of majors across 20 institutions (N = 597). Responses to this measure were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Students also answered an open-ended question about their views; responses were coded into 21 categories. We found that students generally held positive views about the evaluation process and that, overall, these positive views were consistent across type of institution, academic discipline, class standing, and respondent gender. However, compared with small and midsize institutions, community college students were more positive about the usefulness of SETs, and seniors reported greater willingness to provide specific feedback (such as by providing written comments) when completing SETs compared to sophomores and juniors. We conclude by providi...
Practical Aspects of Recording Evoked Activity from Nerves, Fiber Tracts, and Nuclei

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring employs methods and techniques similar to those currently used in the clinical neurophysiology laboratory, but there are several important differences between recording sensory evoked potentials and EMG potentials for diagnostic purposes in the clinic and for doing so in order to detect changes in neural function during an operation. The operating room is usually regarded as an electrically hostile environment, which differs from the clinical neurophysiological laboratory where the recording of EMG responses and sensory evoked potentials, such as ABR, SSEP, and VEP, are usually made in electrically and acoustically shielded rooms. In the operating room, many other kinds of electronic equipment are connected to the patient. Equipment, which is used to monitor the patient’s vital parameters for electrocoagulation, drilling of bone, etc., may interfere with neurophysiological monitoring. In the clinic, however, usually only the equipment used for the recordings in question is connected to the patient. Therefore, knowing how to identify and reduce electrical interference is another important matter in connection with intraoperative monitoring (discussed in detail in Chap. 17).
Reducing Sample Complexity in Proteomicsby Chromatofocusing with Simple Buffer Mixtures

Chromatofocusing has many potential applications in the field of proteomics, such as for the isolation and removal of major sample components to facilitate the analysis of low-abundance components, and for sample prefractionation prior to a subsequent separation using SDS-PAGE, narrow-pI-range 2D-PAGE, or additional chromatography steps. However, the chromatofocusing techniques that are most commonly used employ propriety polyampholyte elution buffers and highly specialized column packings, both of which limit the use of chromatofocusing in practice. To expand the range of application for this technique, this chapter considers chromatofocusing methods which employ common ion-exchange column packings and elution buffers which are simple mixtures of readily available buffering species. Of particular interest is the use of chromatofocusing with a multistep pH gradient for the fractionation of protein mixtures into narrow-pI-range fractions. The cross-contamination characteristics of these fractions using SDS-PAGE are also assessed.
Scrotal Incarceration of the Ureter with Crossed Renal Ectopia: Case Report and Literature Review

To our knowledge only 18 cases of ureteral herniation into the groin have been reported in the literature. We encountered a patient with crossed renal ectopia and ureteral incarceration into a right indirect inguinal hernia. Based on analysis of the presentation and management of our patient combined with a review of the literature we conclude that patients with urinary symptoms and a groin hernia should undergo preoperative urological evaluation, all hernias containing a ureter should be repaired and ureteral resection rarely is necessary during the hernia repair.
The Catholic Reformation and Tradition

Among the most important issues currently confronting historians of the early modern period is the degree to which the two Reformations, Protestant and Catholic, affected the religious lives of the common people in Europe. It is a matter that has engendered intense debate ever since the publication in 1971 of Jean Delumeau’s survey of the literature in Catholic Reformation history. In his book, Delumeau raised to unprecedented heights the stature of the Reformation’s contribution to western civilization, arguing that sixteenth-century religious movements succeeded in evangelizing the majority of the European people for the first time in the history of Christianity. The thesis rests on the premise that the common people of the Middle Ages were only vaguely informed of the precepts of the gospel and that their spiritual world-view more closely approximated to pagan than orthodox Christian beliefs. Keith Thomas had argued along similar lines that the English Reformation was responsible for replacing the medieval notions of a world animated by magical forces with a more modern view of a universe controlled by divine providence.1
Headache and Stomach-Ache Co-occurrence Syndrome

Psychosocial risk factors for headache and stomache-ache and their co-occurrence were investigated in a longitudinal study of Norwegian children aged 4-10 years at the Department of Health and Society, National Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Self-healing of glucose-modified polyurethane networks facilitated by damage-induced primary amines

Living organisms utilize metabolic processes to achieve adaptive, reproductive, and self-healing functions, which require dynamic and precise control of sequential chemical events. Since traditional synthetic materials do not possess these functions, there is an ongoing quest for the development of self-healing attributes. This study reports self-healing of crosslinked polyurethane networks by damage-induced formation of primary amines. Deliberately modified with methyl α-D-glucopyranoside (MGP) and catalyzed by zinc acetate (Zn(OAc)2), polyurethane (PUR) networks are capable of restoring mechanical properties upon mechanical damage. Self-repair is initially driven by entropic shape recovery facilitating interfacial contacts in damaged areas, followed by covalent reformation of cleaved bonds. Amine functionalities resulting from mechanical damage facilitate covalent re-bonding to form urea linkages responsible for recovery of mechanical properties.
A model of packet loss in the Bluetooth Low Energy component of a wearable body area network caused by interference from a residential microwave oven

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States. Advances in wireless technology have made possible the remote monitoring of a patient's heart sensors as part of a body area network. Some of these networks use a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) component to transmit the signal between the bio sensors and a smart phone. This study investigates the impact that stray wireless transmissions from residential microwave ovens have on the BLE component of the body area network. The results of this study may lead to improvements and widespread use of body area network medical systems, which may lead to better monitoring, more data, and fewer fatalities due to misdiagnosed heart conditions.
Patterns of marijuana and tobacco use associated with suboptimal self-rated health among US adult ever users of marijuana.

The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of marijuana and tobacco use and their associations with suboptimal self-rated health (SRH) among US adults who reported “ever, even once, using marijuana or hashish.” Data came from the 2009–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, restricting to respondents aged 20 years and older who reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetime (n = 3,210). We assessed the age-adjusted prevalence of mutually exclusive groups of regular (at least once a month for more than one year) and non-regular marijuana smoking by current (serum cotinine ≥ 3.08 ng/mL) and not current use of tobacco. Suboptimal SRH status was defined as “fair” or “poor” in response to the question “Would you say that in general your health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?” We produced prevalence ratios with multivariable log-linear regression models. Among ever users of marijuana, the age-adjusted prevalence of regular marijuana smoking with current tobacco use, non-regular marijuana smoking with current tobacco use, and regular marijuana smoking without current tobacco use was 24.7%, 15.2%, and 21.1%, respectively. When compared to non-regular marijuana smokers without current tobacco use, the adjusted prevalence ratio for reporting suboptimal SRH was 1.98 (95% CI: 1.50–2.61), 1.82 (95% CI: 1.40–2.37), and 1.34 (95% CI: 1.05–1.69), respectively. In conclusion, among adult ever users of marijuana, current tobacco use is high and strongly associated with suboptimal SRH; regular marijuana smoking with or without current tobacco use is significantly associated with suboptimal SRH.
Porous Structure Design of Polymeric Membranes for Gas Separation

High-performance polymeric membranes for gas separation are of interest for molecular-level separation in industrial-scale chemical, energy, and environmental processes. To overcome the inherent trade-off relationship between permeability and selectivity, the creation of permanent microporosity in polymeric matrices is highly desirable because the porous structures can provide a high fractional free volume to facilitate gas transport through the dense layer. Here, recent developments regarding the formation of porous polymeric membranes and potential strategies for pore structure design are reviewed.
Super-Enhancer-Driven Transcriptional Dependencies in Cancer

Transcriptional deregulation is one of the core tenets of cancer biology and is underpinned by alterations in both protein-coding genes and noncoding regulatory elements. Large regulatory elements, so-called super-enhancers (SEs), are central to the maintenance of cancer cell identity and promote oncogenic transcription to which cancer cells become highly addicted. Such dependence on SE-driven transcription for proliferation and survival offers an Achilles heel for the therapeutic targeting of cancer cells. Indeed, inhibition of the cellular machinery required for the assembly and maintenance of SEs dampens oncogenic transcription and inhibits tumor growth. In this article, we review the organization, function, and regulation of oncogenic SEs and their contribution to the cancer cell state.
Maximum Entropy Framework For Inference Of Cell Population Heterogeneity In Signaling Networks

The dynamics of intracellular signaling networks can vary substantially among cells in a population. Predictive models of signaling networks are key to our understanding of cellular function and in design of rational interventions in disease. However, using network models to predict heterogeneity in signaling network dynamics is challenging due to cell to cell variability of network parameters, such as reaction rates and species abundances, and parameter non-identifiability. In this work, we present an inference framework based on the principle of maximum entropy (ME) to estimate the joint probability distribution over network parameters that is consistent with experimentally measured cell to cell variability in abundances of network species. We apply the framework to study the heterogeneity in the signaling network activated by the epidermal growth factor (EGF) resulting in phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt); a central signaling hub in mammalian cells. Notably, the inferred parameter distribution allows us to accurately predict population heterogeneity in phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) levels at early and late times after EGF stimulation as well as the heterogeneity in the levels of cell surface EGF receptors (sEGFRs) after prolonged stimulation with EGF. We discuss how the developed framework can be generalized and applied to problems beyond signaling networks.
Multi-Stage CPI Stacks

CPI stacks are an intuitive way to visualize processor core performance bottlenecks. However, they often do not provide a full view on all bottlenecks, because stall events can occur concurrently. Typically one of the events is selected, which means information about the non-chosen stall events is lost. Furthermore, we show that there is no single correct CPI stack: stall penalties can be hidden, can overlap or can cause second-order effects, making total CPI more complex than just a sum of components. Instead of showing a single CPI stack, we propose to measure multiple CPI stacks during program execution: a CPI stack at each stage of the processor pipeline. This representation reveals all performance bottlenecks and provides a more complete view on the performance of an application. Multi-stage CPI stacks are easy to collect, which means that they can be included in a simulator with negligible slowdown, and that they can be included in the core hardware with limited overhead.
InSight: Mission to Mars

The InSight Mission will uncover the geophysical characteristics of Mars and use comparative planetary geophysical techniques to better understand the formation and evolution of Mars and thus by extension other terrestrial planets. The InSight spacecraft has heritage from the 2001 Mars Lander which was used for the Phoenix mission and from more modern missions for the spacecraft avionics. The mission also carries several instruments and sensors designed to achieve the science mission objectives. International partners contributed several of these sensors. This paper will describe the InSight mission and science objectives as well as some of the changes made to the mission when the launch date was postponed from 2016 to 2018.
Class Conflict and Postal Reorganization

This chapter is about changes in the organization of work in the post office that accompanied industrial growth, mass consumption, and increases in the scale of postal operations. Wage-earning clerks and carriers were hired to occupy most of the positions as postal employment grew from 71,671 in 1884 to 741,216 in 1970 (USPOD, 1884, 1970). Economic growth and growth in employment were also associated with an unequal distribution of rewards, and demands from working class men, women, and racial minorities for political representation and a modest redistribution of the benefits of industrial capitalism Political struggles between contending social forces were an essential stimulus to creation of a bureaucratic post office.
Fuzzy Adaptive Quantized Fault-Tolerant Control of Strict-Feedback Nonlinear Systems With Mismatched External Disturbances

In this paper, the problem of adaptive fault-tolerant tracking control for strict-feedback nonlinear systems is investigated. By using the Nussbaum function technique, the difficulty caused by input quantization and infinite number of time-varying actuator faults is handled and a novel fuzzy adaptive control scheme is designed without estimating a lower bound on the quantizer parameter and the time-varying effectiveness factor. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, it is proven that all the signals in the resulting closed-loop system are bounded and the tracking error satisfies the desired performance all the time. Simulation results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Dopamine Receptor Activation Is Required for GABAergic Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity in Response to Complex Spike Pairing in the Ventral Tegmental Area

One of the most influential synaptic learning rules explored in the past decades is activity dependent spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). In STDP, synapses are either potentiated or depressed based on the order of pre- and postsynaptic neuronal activation within narrow, milliseconds-long, time intervals. STDP is subject to neuromodulation by dopamine (DA), a potent neurotransmitter that significantly impacts synaptic plasticity and reward-related behavioral learning. Previously, we demonstrated that GABAergic synapses onto ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons are able to express STDP (Kodangattil et al., 2013), however it is still unclear whether DA modulates inhibitory STDP in the VTA. Here, we used whole-cell recordings in rat midbrain slices to investigate whether DA D1-like and/or D2-like receptor (D1R/D2R) activation is required for induction of STDP in response to a complex pattern of spiking. We found that VTA but not Substantia nigra pars compact (SNc) DA neurons exhibit long-term depression (LTDGABA) in response to a combination of positive (pre-post) and negative (post-pre) timing of spiking (a complex STDP protocol). Blockade of either D1Rs or D2Rs prevented the induction of LTDGABA while activation of D1Rs did not affect the plasticity in response to this complex STDP protocol in VTA DA neurons.Our data suggest that this DA-dependent GABAergic STDP is selectively expressed at GABAergic synapses onto VTA DA neurons which could be targeted by drugs of abuse to mediate drug-induced modulation of DA signaling within the VTA, as well as in VTA-projection areas, thereby affecting reward-related learning and drug-associated memories.
Are we of two minds

What you choose depends on what information your brain considers and what it neglects when computing the value of actions. An early theory used this insight for a computational account of habits versus deliberation. It has ultimately helped uncover how choice in the brain goes beyond such simple dichotomies.
Developing partnerships between university and local service agencies: Exploring innovative social work placements in rural and remote nsw public schools

Social and economic factors contribute to health and educational outcomes for children living in disadvantaged areas, particularly in rural and remote areas. Young people residing outside metropolitan areas are not attaining comparable educational outcomes as their city counterparts, including completion of secondary school and higher education. A brief review of literature reveals core themes which support the need for an effective social work program in the school setting, being: social inclusion, innovation of practice, and facilitation of community partnerships. This case study details how these three inter-related components became a collaborative project utilising one remote town as a case example. The project focuses on wellbeing of school students via direct practice, group work and whole school community engagement strategies. Collaborative and innovative programs through a sustainable field practicum can lead to university and service partnerships in rural settings. Results include an emerging research partnership between the university and local services to address local needs, and an innovative fieldwork program for social work students.
Student Perceptions of the Value of Internship and Job Pursuit Intent: A Two-Country Examination

Research increasingly links internships and specifically internship characteristics (e.g., compensation, supervision, and work design) to positive student outcomes. However, while the popularity of...
The Development of Indian Legal Education: The Impact of the Language Problem.

The days legal of the profession independence in India movement has a proud and heritage. during the In creation the earliest of days of the independence movement and during the creation of the Indian Constitution, lawyers played a prominent role among those seeking social progress. But in recent years pride in the heritage has given way to concern about the present and alarm for the future by responsible officials. There has been a growing concern that Indian lawyers are not now playing a positive role in India's development. Rather, when in private practice, they are acting in the main as technical assistants to parties interested in manipulating or avoiding the impact of existing laws and legislation. In government service, they pose obstacles to change, create ambiguity in legislation, and are responsible for the growth of needless bureaucratic interference with economic and social behavior. Such a situation wTould constitute a serious problem in any society. It is much more serious in a developing society where new institutional arrangements are needed to facilitate orderly change.1 In India the problem is made even more severe because the law and the legal system have long served as a unifying factor in a society beset by internal divisions between religious, caste, and linguistic groups.
La internacionalización de la banca española

The last two decades have witnessed the consolidation of the Spanish banking sector as one of the most competitive in the world. The largest commercial banks-especially Santander-and the savings banks have climbed positions on the international rankings both in terms of size and profitability. Moreover, they have entered numerous markets in Europe and the Americas based on their organizational, technological, and marketing skills. The great challenges for the future are to establish a presence in the Middle East and Asia, and to pursue growth opportunities in other segments such as investment banking.
Model-Free Optimal Stabilization of Unknown Time Delay Systems Using Adaptive Dynamic Programming

This paper deals with the model-free optimal stabilization problem of time delay systems with unknown delays and unknown system dynamics using adaptive dynamic programming (ADP). We consider a general linear system with multiple state and input delays. An extended state augmentation approach is presented that brings the system into a delay-free form without requiring the knowledge of the delays. As both the number of delays and the lengths of the delays are unknown, we utilize upper bounds of the state and input delays to augment the original state vector with delayed inputs and states. Controllability conditions of the extended augmented system are established. An iterative Q-learning scheme is employed to learn the optimal control parameters based on the online data. In addition to handling the unknown delays, the proposed scheme also uplifts the requirement of the bicausal change of coordinates, as found in the previous ADP methods for time delay problems. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes of Upsilons

Based on lattice nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) studies, we present results for Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes for $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(1S)$, $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(2S)$, and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(3S)$ in vacuum as well as in quark-gluon plasma. Our study is based on $2+1$ flavor ${48}^{3}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}12$ lattices generated using the Highly Improved Staggered Quark action and with a pion mass of 161 MeV. At zero temperature, the Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes follow the expectations based on nonrelativistic potential models. At nonzero temperatures, the interpretation of Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes turns out to be more nuanced but consistent with our previous lattice QCD study of excited Upsilons in quark-gluon plasma.
Red turpentine beetle primary attraction to (-)-β-pinene+ethanol in US Pacific Northwest ponderosa pine forests.

Red turpentine beetle, Dendroctonus valens (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is a non-aggressive pine bark beetle native to North America, and more aggressive invader in China. Dispersing pioneer beetles are attracted to potential host trees by oleoresin monoterpene kairomones, but respond more strongly to those combined with ethanol, a mixture often released from stressed, dying, or recently dead trees. (+)-3-Carene, usually the dominant or co-dominant monoterpene in ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, is a stronger attractant than α-pinene or β-pinene where tested over a large portion of the D. valens range, while (+)-3-carene+ethanol was shown previously to attract twice the beetles of (+)-3-carene. A field test comparing D. valens attraction among the three monoterpenes when all are released with ethanol has never been reported, and was our objective. In three US Pacific Northwestern pine forests, (–)-β-pinene+ethanol lures attracted 1.4 to 1.9 times more beetles than (+)-3-carene+ethanol. (+)- or (±)-α-pinene+ethanol lures were least attractive. A 1:1:1 monoterpene mixture+ethanol lure attracted more beetles than the 1:1:1 lure, but it was not statistically higher. Monoterpenes were dispensed from low density polyethylene bottles and their release rates monitored in laboratory and field tests. Under laboratory conditions (+)-3-carene was released much more rapidly than (+)-α-pinene or (–)-β-pinene when dispensed separately, or in a 1:1:1 mixture. (+)-3-Carene in the 1:1:1 mixture increased the release of both pinenes over their rates when dispensed separately. (–)-β-Pinene+ethanol is currently the strongest kairomone lure for D. valens attraction in US northwest pine forests, and has value for beetle detection, monitoring, research, and management.
What humanlike errors do autonomous vehicles need to avoid to maximize safety

Abstract Introduction: The final failure in the causal chain of events in 94% of crashes is driver error. It is assumed most crashes will be prevented by autonomous vehicles (AVs), but AVs will still crash if they make the same mistakes as humans. By identifying the distribution of crashes among various contributing factors, this study provides guidance on the roles AVs must perform and errors they must avoid to realize their safety potential. Method: Using the NMVCCS database, five categories of driver-related contributing factors were assigned to crashes: (1) sensing/perceiving (i.e., not recognizing hazards); (2) predicting (i.e., misjudging behavior of other vehicles); (3) planning/deciding (i.e., poor decision-making behind traffic law adherence and defensive driving); (4) execution/performance (i.e., inappropriate vehicle control); and (5) incapacitation (i.e., alcohol-impaired or otherwise incapacitated driver). Assuming AVs would have superior perception and be incapable of incapacitation, we determined how many crashes would persist beyond those with incapacitation or exclusively sensing/perceiving factors. Results: Thirty-three percent of crashes involved only sensing/perceiving factors (23%) or incapacitation (10%). If they could be prevented by AVs, 67% could remain, many with planning/deciding (41%), execution/performance (23%), and predicting (17%) factors. Crashes with planning/deciding factors often involved speeding (23%) or illegal maneuvers (15%). Conclusions: Errors in choosing evasive maneuvers, predicting actions of other road users, and traveling at speeds suitable for conditions will persist if designers program AVs to make errors similar to those of today’s human drivers. Planning/deciding factors, such as speeding and disobeying traffic laws, reflect driver preferences, and AV design philosophies will need to be consistent with safety rather than occupant preferences when they conflict. Practical applications: This study illustrates the complex roles AVs will have to perform and the risks arising from occupant preferences that AV designers and regulators must address if AVs will realize their potential to eliminate most crashes.
Direct imaging of electrical switching of antiferromagnetic Néel order in α − Fe 2 O 3 epitaxial films

Author(s): Cogulu, E; Statuto, NN; Cheng, Y; Yang, F; Chopdekar, RV; Ohldag, H; Kent, AD | Abstract: We report the direct observation of switching of the Neel vector of antiferromagnetic (AFM) domains in response to electrical pulses in micron-scale Pt/α-Fe2O3 Hall bars using photoemission electron microscopy. Current pulses lead to reversible and repeatable switching with the current direction determining the final state, consistent with Hall effect experiments that probe only the spatially averaged response. Current pulses also produce irreversible changes in domain structure, in and even outside the current path. In both cases only a fraction of the domains switch in response to pulses. Furthermore, the analysis of images taken with different x-ray polarizations shows that the AFM Neel order has an out-of-plane component in equilibrium that is important to consider in analyzing the switching data. These results show that - in addition to effects associated with spin-orbit torques from the Pt layer, which can produce reversible switching - changes in AFM order can be induced by purely thermal effects.
The Impact of Schoolyard Greening on Children's Physical Activity and Socioemotional Health: A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies.

Access to green schoolyards (schoolyards designed with greenery and natural elements to create a park-like environment, as opposed to asphalt-based playgrounds) are associated with many benefits for students, including improvements in physical and mental health. While many studies examining these associations are cross-sectional, some feature experimental designs that offer the possibility of causal inference. In this review, we looked at experimental studies that examine the impact of schoolyard greening on measures of physical activity and socioemotional health in children. Four electronic databases (Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Greenfile) were searched, and from 1843 articles retrieved, 6 articles met the inclusion criteria. Examination of the eligible studies revealed a general consensus on the positive impact of schoolyard greening on both physical activity and socioemotional health outcomes for students, suggesting that schoolyard greening is a viable intervention in reducing the health equity gaps and improving children’s health regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds or residential neighborhood socioeconomic status. Further experimental research on this topic should elucidate how educators, administrators, policy makers, and other stakeholders can harness the benefits of schoolyard greening to improve the health and well-being of children in their communities.
Towards an antiracist (neuro)science.

Oliver Rollins is a sociologist interested in how neuroscience research deals with and is informed by racialisation, racism, and other social processes of inequality. Here, he discusses how (neuro)scientists can engage in antiracist research practices and contribute to an antiracist science.
Nietzsche on Sickness and Health

Living in the time of a pandemic, where illness has become a prominent concern, it might do well to consider Nietzsche’s thinking on sickness and health, which is far from a clear-cut delineation and calls for careful and circumspect analysis. I begin by distinguishing three types of sickness and health: physical, psychological, and cultural, where health in each type can initially be understood as flourishing unimpaired by sickness. Physical illness involves some infirmity of the body, such as cancer or viral infection. Psychological illness is some malady of the mind, such as depression. Cultural illness is the kind of thing emphasized by Nietzsche and involves a worldview that is symptomatic of life denial and nihilism when measured against natural life instincts, energies, and needs—for instance, the story Nietzsche tells about slave morality and its production of the ascetic ideal that has contaminated Western thought.
“My friendship with her is by no means an ordinary one”: the friendship alliances of Christian Hebraist Anna Maria van Schurman (1607–1678)

This study explores the friendship alliances of Anna Maria van Schurman in her archived correspondence with three women scholars – Marie du Moulin, Marie de Gournay, and Dorothy Moore – and two wom...
Demonstration of resonant tunneling effects in metal-double-insulator-metal (MI2M) diodes.

Although the effect of resonant tunneling in metal-double-insulator-metal (MI2M) diodes has been predicted for over two decades, no experimental demonstrations have been reported at the low voltages needed for energy harvesting rectenna applications. Using quantum-well engineering, we demonstrate the effects of resonant tunneling in a Ni/NiO/Al2O3/Cr/Au MI2M structures and achieve the usually mutually exclusive desired characteristics of low resistance ( $${R}_{0}^{DC} \sim$$ 13 kΩ for 0.035 μm2) and high responsivity (β0 = 0.5 A W−1) simultaneously. By varying the thickness of insulators to modify the depth and width of the MI2M quantum well, we show that resonant quasi-bound states can be reached at near zero-bias, where diodes self-bias when driven by antennas illuminated at 30 THz. We present an improvement in energy conversion efficiency by more than a factor of 100 over the current state-of-the-art, offering the possibility of engineering efficient energy harvesting rectennas. Rectenna, which consist of a microscale antenna, combined with a rectifying diode, have great potential in energy harvesting, however, achieving high responsivity and low resistance is extremely difficult. Here, the authors demonstrate a metal-insulator-insulator metal diode which overcomes these limitations.
Distances to the Span of Sparse Random Matrices, with Applications to Gradient Coding

We study a natural question about sparse random matrices which arises from an application in distributed computing: what is the distance from a fixed vector to the column span of a sparse random matrix $A \in R^{n \times m}$? We answer this question for several ensembles of sparse random matrices in which the average number of non-zero entries per column, $d$, is smaller than $\log(n)$. Key to our analysis is a new characterization of linear dependencies in sparse random matrices. We show that with high probability, in certain random matrices, including rectangular matrices with i.i.d.~Bernoulli entries and $m \geq (1 + \epsilon)n$, and symmetric random matrices with Bernoulli entries, any linear dependency must be caused by one of three specific combinatorial structures. We show applications of our result to analyzing and designing \em gradient codes\em, replication schemes used in distributed machine learning to mitigate the effect of slow machines, called \em stragglers\em. We give the first known construction for a gradient code that achieves near-optimal error for both random and adversarial choices of stragglers.
The Common Biometrics

In this chapter we provide a brief description of the six most widely used (or widely discussed) biometrics. These most commonly used automated biometric identifiers are (i) finger, (ii) face, (iii) voice (speaker recognition), (iv) hand geometry, (v) iris, and (vi) signature. Chapter 4 describes other biometrics that are not currently as common.