cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DroSpeGe: rapid access database for new Drosophila species genomes

The Drosophila species comparative genome database DroSpeGe (http://insects.eugenes.org/ DroSpeGe/) provides genome researchers with rapid, usable access to 12 new and old Drosophila genomes, since its inception in 2004. Scientists can use, with minimal computing expertise, the wealth of new genome information for developing new insights into insect evolution. New genome assemblies provided by several sequencing centers have been annotated with known model organism gene homologies and gene predictions to provided basic comparative data. TeraGrid supplies the shared cyberinfrastructure for the primary computations. This genome database includes homologies to Drosophila melanogaster and eight other eukaryote model genomes, and gene predictions from several groups. BLAST searches of the newest assemblies are integrated with genome maps. GBrowse maps provide detailed views of cross-species aligned genomes. BioMart provides for data mining of annotations and sequences. Common chromosome maps identify major synteny among species. Potential gain and loss of genes is suggested by Gene Ontology groupings for genes of the new species. Summaries of essential genome statistics include sizes, genes found and predicted, homology among genomes, phylogenetic trees of species and comparisons of several gene predictions for sensitivity and specificity in finding new and known genes.
Basic FGF and FGF receptor 1 are expressed in microglia during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: Temporally distinct expression of midkine and pleiotrophin

Heparin-binding growth factors have been implicated in central nervous system development, regeneration and pathology. To assess the expression pattern and possible function in multiple sclerosis, the heparin-binding growth factors pleiotrophin (PTN), midkine (MK), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) and one of its receptors (FGFR1/ flg) mRNA and protein levels were examined in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model in the Lewis rat. We assessed the time course of expression of PTN, MK and FGF-2 during EAE and determined the cellular origin of FGF-2 and FGFR1 in normal spinal cord and during inflammatory demyelination. Basal expression of PTN and MK mRNAs in normal spinal cords was significantly upregulated after induction of EAE. MK expression was upregulated two to threefold correlating with disease progression, whereas PTN expression reached peak levels threefold above basal levels during the clinical recovery period. FGF-2 mRNA expression was low in normal spinal cord and dramatically increased in correlation with progressive demyelination. FGF-2 was confined to neurons in normal tissue and shifted dramatically to microglia, paralleling their activation during EAE. Double immunohistochemistry revealed co-localization of FGF-2 to activated microglia/ macrophages with strongest expression in the macrophage-rich perivascular core area and microglial expression at the edges of white and gray matter perivascular regions. FGFR1, like its ligand, was induced in activated macrophages/ microglia. Growth factor expression in demyelinating diseases could serve several functions, e.g., to modulate the activity of microglia/ macrophage in an autocrine fashion, to induce the expression of other factors like insulin-like growth factor 1 or plasminogen activator, which can effect regeneration or degeneration, respectively, and finally to stimulate directly localized proliferation and/ or regeneration of oligodendrocytes within the lesion area. GLIA 24:390–397, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
UGA codon position-dependent incorporation of selenocysteine into mammalian selenoproteins

It is thought that the SelenoCysteine Insertion Sequence (SECIS) element and UGA codon are sufficient for selenocysteine (Sec) insertion. However, we found that UGA supported Sec insertion only at its natural position or in its close proximity in mammalian thioredoxin reductase 1 (TR1). In contrast, Sec could be inserted at any tested position in mammalian TR3. Replacement of the 3 0 -UTR of TR3 with the corresponding segment of a Euplotes crassus TR restricted Sec insertion into the C-terminal region, whereas the 3 0 -UTR of TR3 conferred unrestricted Sec insertion into E. crassus TR, in which Sec insertion is normally limited to the C-terminal region. Exchanges of 3 0 -UTRs between mammalian TR1 and E. crassus TR had no effect, as both proteins restricted Sec insertion. We further found that these effects could be explained by the use of selenoprotein-specific SECIS elements. Examination of Sec insertion into other selenoproteins was consistent with this model. The data indicate that mammals evolved the ability to limit Sec insertion into natural positions within selenoproteins, but do so in a selenoproteinspecific manner, and that this process is controlled by the SECIS element in the 3 0 -UTR.
Association between adiponectin and heart failure risk in the Physicians' Health Study

Limited data are available on the association between adiponectin and incident heart failure. In the current ancillary study to the Physicians' Health Study, we used a prospective nested-case control design to examine whether plasma adiponectin concentration was related to the risk of heart failure. We selected 787 incident heart failure cases and 787 matched controls for the current analysis. Each control was selected using a risk set sampling technique at the time of the occurrence of the index case and matched on year of birth, age at blood collection, and race. Adiponectin was measured using ELISA. Heart failure occurrence was self-reported in annual follow-up questionnaire. Validation of self-reported heart failure in this cohort has been published. The mean age was 58.7 years. In a conditional logistic regression adjusting for age, race, time of blood collection, year of birth, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, smoking, alcohol intake, and exercise, estimates of the relative risk (95% confidence interval) were 1.0 (ref), 0.74 (0.53–1.04), 0.67 (0.48–0.94), 0.70 (0.50–0.99), and 0.92 (0.65–1.30) from the lowest to the highest quintile of adiponectin, respectively, p for quadratic trend 0.004. Additional adjustment for potential mediating factors including diabetes, C-reactive protein, and body mass index led to the attenuation of the estimate of effect [1.0 (ref), 0.81 (0.57–1.15), 0.75 (0.53–1.06), 0.83 (0.58– 1.18), and 1.26 (0.87–1.81) across consecutive quintiles of adiponectin]. Our data are consistent with a J-shaped association between total adiponectin and the risk of heart failure among US male physicians.
Citric acid does not improve phosphorus utilization in laying hens fed a corn-soybean meal diet

Data previously obtained from our laboratory have indicated that citric acid was very effective at improving phytate-P utilization in chicks fed a P-deficient corn-soybean meal (SBM) diet. The objective of the current study was to determine if citric acid would have similar effects in a commercial strain of Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens (n = 432) fed a corn-SBM diet containing 0.10% available P (AP). Dietary treatments were a corn-SBM basal diet (0.10% AP, 3.8% Ca, and 17% CP) supplemented with 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% citric acid and a positive control diet containing 0.45% AP. Each of the six dietary treatments were fed to six replicate groups of 12 hens from 22 to 40 wk of age. No significant differences in performance were observed among treatments during the first 4 wk of the experiment. Hen-day egg production, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and egg yield were subsequently depressed in hens fed 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% citric acid compared with hens fed 0.45% AP. The results of this study indicate that citric acid does not improve the utilization of dietary P in laying hens fed a corn-SBM diet containing 3.8% Ca.
Determining Readiness for Internship: A Complex Process

A recent focus within professional psychology training has been the definition of universal or core competencies deemed important for mastery by all individuals training as health service providers at key transition points in their doctoral programs (e.g., program entry, pre-practicum, pre-internship, and pre-independent practice). A related challenge has been identifying valid behavioral anchors and methods to assess these universal competencies. Of particular interest across the professional psychology areas (School, Clinical, and Counseling) has been the identification of minimal standards for internship readiness. To explore the extent to which School Psychology doctoral programs have embraced the competency approach to internship readiness and the process by which internship readiness is determined, directors of doctoral School Psychology programs were surveyed. Based on the responses, there is consensus that professional competencies are considered and that students need to be close to completion of degree program requirements prior to receiving approval for internship. However, significant variability regarding how competencies and readiness are evaluated across programs exists. Further discussion of doctoral School Psychology program and training council expectations for students as they apply for internship is warranted.
Review of non-chemical weed management for green agriculture

This paper reviewed the background and situation for studying and developing non-chemical weed management. Environmental pressure and commissariat safety problems indicate that it is essential for deep study and developing non-chemical weed management technologies. The paper summarized the pros and cons of the non-chemical weed management technologies in aspects of weed control in agronomic method, mechanical method, thermal treatment method, and biological treatment, discussed the defects of the existing non-chemical weeding methods, and put forward some suggestions: (1) The description of the experiments and operating about the non-chemical weeding technologies is suggested to be standardized in order to compare the performance of different weeding methods. Some important information on name of equipment, consumption capacity, working width, travel speed, weed control levels should always be included in the experimental descriptions; (2) An integration of combinations or sequences of various weed control techniques is suggested to be used to reduce the risk of a selective pressure leading to the predominance of certain species; (3) It is also suggested for further improvement of the existing weed control methods and further development of the weed detection technology originally developed for precision chemical application in order to use them in non-chemical weed management.
Histochemical demonstration of liver glycogen in human diabetic acidosis by liver biopsy.

SummaryLiver biopsy specimens obtained during diabetic acidosis and its treatment were examined by the Gomori technic for glycogen. Severe glycogen depletion was found before treatment. Restoration of glycogen content occurred after a few hours of therapy.
Structure and organization of electrical activity of canine distal colon

The morphology and electrophysiology of the canine distal colon were studied to compare this region with the proximal colon. Many morphological characteristics were similar including the presence of interstitial cells at the submucosal surface of the circular layer. Muscle cells near the submucosal surface had resting membrane potentials (RMPs) of -79 +/- 1 mV, and slow waves were generated in this region. Slow waves had similar waveform characteristics to those of the proximal colon, but rapid oscillations were superimposed on slow waves of some preparations. RMPs and slow waves decreased with distance from the submucosal surface. The latter were not resolvable in the myenteric half of the circular layer. Cells at the myenteric border had RMPs of -49.5 +/- 2 mV and a higher frequency oscillation of 16 min-1. Acetylcholine increased slow-wave amplitude and duration and caused fast oscillations on the plateau phase of slow waves. Isolated circular myocytes were studied with the patch-clamp technique. Cells...
Chestertonian Distributism and the Democratic Ideal

There was, as revealed in his assessment of Main Street, much that G. K. Chesterton appreciated about Americans. He admired their generosity, courage, hospitality, and friendliness. He was repeatedly impressed with the way people from different classes related to one another. Other qualities, however, he found less attractive, and chief among these were the related faces of the American “mood” that he referred to as “hustle and uplift.” The former, which he also described as “the last hysteria of the herd instinct,” approximated the sort of restlessness that Tocqueville noticed among Americans a century earlier. In an interview during his first visit to the United States, Chesterton made clear that, while he liked the American people, he was not impressed with their “hustle.” Frances, who was sometimes overwhelmed by the frenzied pace and noise of American life, similarly told a reporter, “You are in such a surprising hurry here about everything.” In describing the busyness, hustle, and energy of the American people, Chesterton noticed that it seemed to lack a clear objective. Instead, he observed “passionate worship of energy for its own sake,” and called it a “chief fault of the American people.” Dorothy Collins agreed with the Chestertons on this point; as she complained in a letter to her mother, she found American energy and friendliness at times overpowering: The Americans are kind in a way that overwhelms and almost smothers one. Their restlessness, vitality, and noisiness almost leaves one breathless and sometimes, unless one is feeling very strong, almost a nervous wreck. I cannot explain it. You need to be in the country to appreciate what I mean, although just to meet one or two typical Americans in England gives one an idea of their bounding energy. Along with this restless and forceful energy, Chesterston observed the related quality of a kind of distractedness or “homelessness” among Americans. To illustrate this point, he described the practice common in American restaurants at the time where people would “frequently start up and dart from the room at a summons from the telephone.” He was relieved to discover, while staying at a Canadian hotel, that such paging was forbidden in the hotel's dining room. He contrasted this with American practices and specifically recalled an incident in a crowded and smoky Pittsburg parterre , where calls for a Mr. Anderson rang out interminably.
Self-Organizing Arrays of Size Scalable Nanoparticle Rings

A central challenge in nano- and mesoscale materials research is facile formation of specific structures for catalysis, sensing, and photonics. Self-assembled equilibrium structures, such as three-dimensional crystals or ordered monolayers, form as a result of the interactions of the constituents. Other structures can be achieved by imposing forces (fields) and/or boundary conditions, which Whitesides termed “self-organization”. Here, we demonstrate contact line pinning on locally curved surfaces (i.e., a self-assembled monolayer of SiO2 colloidal particles) as a boundary condition to create extended arrays of uniform rings of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the SiO2 colloids. The mechanism differs from the well-known “coffee-ring” effect; here the functionalized NPs deposit at the contact line and are not driven by evaporative transport. Thus, NP ring formation depends on the hydrophobicity and wetting of the SiO2 colloids by the chloroform solution, ligands on the NPs, and temperature. The NP rings exhibit si...
Joint I/Q mixer and filter imbalance compensation and channel equalization with novel preamble design

In this paper, we consider the problem of analog signal imbalances between I- and Q-branches of the modulator/demodulator in OFDM systems. A novel compensation approach is proposed to solve this problem using baseband processing techniques, allowing for flexible RF design for high speed wireless systems. In particular, the proposed solution models transmitter and receiver impairments due to mixer and filter imbalances observed through channel related distortions. The solution is obtained by joint estimation and compensation of I/Q imbalance caused by the above impairments. The problem is studied for an OFDM wireless system and an analytical solution is presented in this paper. A novel preamble design is proposed to enable reliable estimation of the solution. Performance evaluations using MATLAB simulations are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method under various scenarios.
Modeling Host–Pathogen Interactions in Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe disease of the gastrointestinal tract that affects primarily premature infants and is characterized by physiological immaturity of the intestine, abnormal bacterial colonization of the gut, and disordered inflammatory signaling. The severity of NEC coupled to a lack of effective therapy has motivated the use of systems approaches including computational modeling to gain a fuller insight into both mechanism and therapy for NEC. Here, we explore ordinary differential equation, partial differential equation, and agent based mathematical models that incorporate clinical and experimental observations to study key interactions of bacteria, the intestinal epithelial barrier, and the inflammatory response in NEC. The three different modeling approaches provide techniques to obtain time-dependent and/or space-dependent information about the complex interplay between host defense mechanisms and bacterial virulence. The strengths, shortcomings, and applicability of each model type are examined. Ultimately, theoretical models can help to unravel the complex network of factors that contribute to the pathology of NEC and guide the development of treatment strategies aimed at reestablishing the integrity of the epithelial wall and preventing the propagation of inflammation in NEC.
Promoting computing faculty success through interinstitutional Faculty Learning Communities

Although issues related to the underrepresentation of women faculty and faculty of color in university computing departments have received increasing attention in recent years, these groups are still the least likely to have access to formal and informal supports associated with academic career success. In this paper, we present the results of a descriptive study of faculty who participate in a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) through their engagement in a national alliance for broadening participation in computing. Results of the study show that involvement in the FLC facilitates faculty professional development, and helps support faculty in their academic career pursuits. Results also indicate that faculty perceive the resources and national recognition gained through participation in the STARS Computing Corps as a key factor in supporting their efforts to broaden participation in computing. Results support the use of FLCs with diverse faculty across institutions, adding to the growing literature on the efficacy of learning communities in higher education to positively impact participants—both students and faculty.
Quality of Life and Personality Development: A Reply to Land and Michalos

Land and Michael’s (this issue) offer an excellent overview of the evolving status of the social indicators movement, with thoughtful recommendations for future research. I argue that QOL researchers may want to consider paying increased attention to advances in the science of personality development, such as those articulated in McAdams' (The art and science of personality development. Guilford Press, New York, 2015), in conceptualizing comprehensive assessments of the QOL. Specifically, McAdams' synthesis of the literature on personal agency should provide a useful beginning for developmentally-informed discussions of the potential evolving nature of QOL and its antecedents, correlates, and consequences, with the goal of ensuring greater relevance of QOL evaluations to all age groups.
Can an Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor (Sometimes) Make Things Worse

Champiat and colleagues suggest that a small subset of patients at their center treated with PD1/PDL1 inhibitors appear to exhibit hyperprogression of disease. This commentary goes over some limitations in their preliminary analysis, a possible mechanism to explain the phenomenon, and a means by which other investigators can attempt to validate and further characterize these results. Clin Cancer Res; 23(8); 1879-81. ©2017 AACRSee related article by Champiat et al., p. 1920.
Many Facets of Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment analysis or opinion mining is the computational study of people's opinions, sentiments, evaluations, attitudes, moods, and emotions. It is one of the most active research areas in natural language processing, data mining, information retrieval, and Web mining. In recent years, its research and applications have also spread to management sciences and social sciences due to its importance to business and society as a whole. This chapter defines the sentiment analysis problem and its related concepts such as sentiment, opinion, emotion, mood, and affect. The goal is to abstract a structure from the complex unstructured natural language text related to the problem and its pertinent concepts. The definitions not only enable us to see a rich set of inter-related sub-problems, but also a common framework that can unify existing research directions. They also help researchers design more robust solution techniques by exploiting the inter-relationships of the sub-problems.
Heteroglossic heritage and the first-place of the Kalahari

AbstractUsing Bakhtin’s concept of ‘heteroglossia,’ this article examines the layering and intersections of multiple claims to heritage places that form dialogics about heritage truths. Social groups derive their collective-self, in part, through association with a place, or places, to which they attribute their origin, described here as a ‘first-place.’ Identity maintenance can occur through the praxis of heritage tourism in which group members exhibit emotional performances during their visits to a first-place. Through the extended example of the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana and the various social groups – local ethnic communities, national citizens, and segments of the global community – who each form a collective-self using Tsodilo as a first-place, this article addresses the roles of science (archaeology) and tourism, and their interplay, in enabling several languages or dialects of belonging to coexist without dissonance. The argument is that heteroglossic heritage is possible because visitors’ affect-...
CHINA’S «ONE BELT, ONE ROAD» (OBOR) INITIATIVE: WHAT A DIFFERENCE D «BRAND» CAN MAKE

This paper is about branding goods and services and viewing China’s reference to OBOR, a new regional trade initiative, as the “accidental” branding of its efforts to institute an entirely new model of development in various places along the ancient Silk Road, as well as a number of places that fall under Chinese contemporary rise to dominance in Asia. President Xi’s use of the Silk Road was meant to generate nostalgia about a perceived favorable time in Chinese history, using it to encourage enthusiasm about China’s new efforts to “share or sell” its expertise and heavy industrial production, such as infrastructure, to developing areas. However, in a very short time Xi’s “One Belt, One Road” policy, referred to by its initials — OBOR, began to exhibit most if not all, the characteristics of a “Brand” name for goods and services. OBOR elicited positive comments from national political leaders, all of whom were potential OBOR consumers. In short order, OBOR has attracted attention, interest, responses and offers of cooperation not only from Eurasian leaders but also from leaders in Africa, Europe, Asia and most recently in South America. Strengthening OBOR as a brand can help China to enhance the value of its OBOR-related goods and services internationally and eventually lead to China’s ultimate ascendance as a dominant World economic and political Power. It is interesting to note that a new Silk Road initiative was considered by the US Department of State in 2011 in an attempt to promote integration in trade and economy between Afghanistan, Central Asia, Pakistan, and India, a North-South silk road “as a compliment to the East-West connection across Eurasia” (US State Department 2015). As noted by in a Council on Foreign Relations report by McBride (2015): «It remains to be seen if the United States and China will clash over their competing plans for developing resources in Central Asia’s Turkmenistan, creating infrastructure in Pakistan, or winning political influence with local governments throughout Asia».
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee: ‘Fostering Economic Growth: Midsized, Regional and Large Institution Perspective’

This written statement accompanied Professor Omarova’s oral testimony given on June 15, 2017, in a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on the necessity of relaxing certain aspects of post-crisis financial regulation applicable to midsized, regional and large banks, as a means of fostering America’s economic growth. In her written statement, Professor Omarova systematically lays out the reasons why massive deregulation urged by the banking industry will hinder, rather than foster, sustainable long-term growth in the real (i.e., non-financial) sector of the American economy.
Characterization of future drought conditions in the Lower Mekong River Basin

Abstract This study evaluates future changes to drought characteristics in the Lower Mekong River Basin using climate model projections. The Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), covering Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, is vulnerable to increasing droughts. Univariate analysis was employed in this study to compare drought characteristics associated with different return periods for the historical period 1964–2005 and future scenarios (RCP 4.5 2016–2057, RCP 4.5 2058–2099, RCP 8.5 2016–2057 and RCP 8.5 2058–2099). Because a single drought event is defined by several correlated characteristics, drought risk assessment by a multivariate analysis was deemed appropriate, and a multivariate analysis of droughts was conducted using copula functions to investigate the differences in the trivariate joint occurrence probabilities of the historical period and future scenarios. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was selected as the drought index because of its ability to detect and compare metrological droughts across time and space scales. Historical precipitation data from 1964 to 2005 and future precipitation projections from 2016 to 2099 for 15 global circulation models (GCMs) obtained from the NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP) dataset were employed. In all future scenarios, the Lower LMB and 3S subbasins were expected to experience more severe and intense droughts. The multivariate drought risk assessment revealed an increase in drought risks in the LMB. However, the Chi-Mun subbasin may experience an alleviation of future drought characteristics. Because the basin was expected to experience an increase in average monthly precipitation in most months, the variability in magnitude suggested that the LMB region requires adaptation strategies to address future drought occurrences.
Downregulation of human IL4 and IL13 expression by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of DNase I hypersensitive site HS11/12 from a transgenic human Th2 cytokine locus

Production of the Th2 cytokines IL4 and IL13 is frequently dysregulated in allergy and asthma. Multiple genetic elements regulating expression of murine Th2 cytokines have been characterized by gene targeting. To study the regulation of human Th2 cytokines, we created BAC transgenic mice (BAC5TG) carrying a 160 kb fragment of the human Th2 locus encompassing RAD50, IL13 and IL4. This transgene includes all the regulatory elements required for physiological expression of mouse Th2 cytokines. BAC5TG mice appear normal, are born at the expected Mendelian ratio, and demonstrate tissue-specific and transgene copy number-dependent expression of human Th2 cytokines. DNA methylation profiles across the transgenic human Th2 locus are highly comparable if not identical to those observed in human cells. A DNase I hypersensitive site (HS) in the human IL13-IL4 intergenic region, previously identified in our lab and designated HS11/12, colocalizes with an area of extensive and profound CpG hypomethylation both in human and mouse transgenic T cells. However, unlike most Th2 regulatory elements identified to date, HS11/12 is not conserved between humans and mice. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 approach, we deleted HS11/12 from the human Th2 transgene in BAC5TG mice. Notably, production of both human IL13 and IL4 by in vitro differentiated Th2 cells from BAC5DHS11/12 TG mice was reduced by ~50%. Our results suggest that HS11/12 represents a novel cis-regulatory element required for optimal production of the human Th2 cytokines IL4 and IL13. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to BAC transgenic mice may provide a powerful tool to study human gene regulation.
Targeted Knockdown of Overexpressed VEGFA or VEGF164 in Müller cells maintains retinal function by triggering different signaling mechanisms

Oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) upregulates Muller cell vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) that causes intravitreal neovascularization similar to severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Safety concerns exist with anti-VEGF treatment for ROP. We evaluated long-term knockdown of Muller cell-VEGFA with short-hairpin RNAs to VEGFA or VEGF164 via subretinal lentivirus delivery (L-VEGFAshRNA, L-VEGF164shRNA) on retinal structure and function in a rat OIR model. Lectin-stained retinal flat mounts analyzed for areas of avascular/total retina (AVA) and intravitreal neovascular/total retina (IVNV) showed initial significantly reduced IVNV by L-VEGFAshRNA and L-VEGF164shRNA compared to control, luciferase-shRNA lentivirus, without late recurrence. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and immunohistochemical sections (IHC) demonstrated changes in retinal layer thicknesses in L-VEGFAshRNA or L-VEGF164shRNA compared to control. Ganzfeld electroretinograms were increased in L-VEGFAshRNA or L-VEGF164shRNA compared to control. Erythropoietin (EPO), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNAs were increased in L-VEGFAshRNA, but not L-VEGF164shRNA retinas. In cultured rat Muller cells, knockdown of VEGF upregulated NT-3 and EPO, whereas treatment with EPO activated neuroprotective signaling. Methods to reduce IVNV by selective knockdown of VEGFA, and particularly VEGF164, in Muller cells may have fewer deleterious effects than nonselective VEGFA inhibition to all cells in the retina.
Community, Place, and Conservation

This chapter develops an analytical framework for examining the associations of community, place, and conservation. Community is characterized by place-oriented collective actions among a local population, through which residents express a shared sense of identity while engaging in the common concerns of life in the local society. Community-based natural resource management and conservation activities rooted in the assumptions, propositions, and concepts presented in this chapter have the potential to truly enhance the focus and effectiveness of resource management policies and practices at the community level.
Problem-Solving Skill in the Social Sciences

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a model of problem-solving skill in the social sciences. Many social-science problems involve the existence of an undesirable state of affairs that requires improvement ( solutions). In general, problem solving consists of isolating the cause(s) of a problem and eliminating or at least reducing the effects. In social sciences, however, problem solving is often made quite difficult by two factors: the lack of agreed-upon solutions and delay in implementing solutions. The chapter discusses the processes involved in learning the skill of social-science problem solving and emphasizes the importance of experience in providing ways of organizing information so that it may subsequently be utilized in further processing. Ideas regarding the way a social-science problem-solving skill is acquired and the way it is related to a more general problem-solving research are discussed in the chapter. Testing hypotheses in social sciences tends to be a much more protracted process. Thus, the relatively large amount of argumentation found in social sciences may be attributed to the fact that problems do not have agreed-upon solutions, whereas the problems studied so far in natural sciences have well-formulated solutions.
Cytokine Neutralization: An Overview

An excessive inflammatory response accompanies the initial stages of severe infection and appears to contribute to organ system failure and death in this setting [1, 2, 3]. A number of immunomodulatory therapies aimed at decreasing the dysregulated inflammatory response have been examined in patients with sepsis (Table 1). Despite initially encouraging results with many of these approaches in Phase II clinical trials, larger Phase III studies have not demonstrated benefit. In contrast to the lack of effect of immunomodulatory agents in sepsis, therapies directed against specific pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or interleukin (IL)-1,have produced remarkable clinical response in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease [4, 5, 6]. Open image in new window Table 1. Some immunomodulatory therapies examined in sepsis
Who are you? Teaching symbolic interaction and perceptions of the self in the classroom

Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Fundamentals of Human Communication, Communication Theory, Public Speaking, and Intercultural CommunicationObjectives: After completing this single-class activ...
p47 licenses activation of the immune deficiency pathway in the tick Ixodes scapularis

The E3 ubiquitin ligase X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) acts as a molecular rheostat for the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway of the tick Ixodes scapularis How XIAP activates the IMD pathway in response to microbial infection remains ill defined. Here, we identified the XIAP enzymatic substrate p47 as a positive regulator of the I. scapularis IMD network. XIAP polyubiquitylates p47 in a lysine 63-dependent manner and interacts with the p47 ubiquitin-like (UBX) module. p47 also binds to Kenny (IKKγ/NEMO), the regulatory subunit of the inhibitor of nuclear factor (NF)- κB kinase complex. Replacement of the amino acid lysine to arginine within the p47 linker region completely abrogated molecular interactions with Kenny. Furthermore, mitigation of p47 transcription levels through RNA interference in I. scapularis limited Kenny accumulation, reduced phosphorylation of IKKβ (IRD5), and impaired cleavage of the NF-κB molecule Relish. Accordingly, disruption of p47 expression increased microbial colonization by the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and the rickettsial agent Anaplasma phagocytophilum Collectively, we highlight the importance of ticks for the elucidation of paradigms in arthropod immunology. Manipulating immune signaling cascades within I. scapularis may lead to innovative approaches to reducing the burden of tick-borne diseases.
Parent-Adult Child Relations of Chinese Older Immigrants in the United States: Is There an Optimal Type?

Objectives This study aims to identify (a) different types of parent-child relations among Chinese older immigrants, (b) predictors of each relation type, and (c) the most "optimal" type that is associated with better psychological well-being of the older adults. Methods Data were derived from 3,109 Chinese elderly adults in Chicago. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify structures of parent-child relations based on eight indicators of family solidarity. Logistic regressions were used to predict the relation types. Negative binomial and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between the relation types and depression and quality of life (QoL). Results Four types of parent-child relations emerged: unobligated ambivalent (44.77%), tight-knit (40.11%), detached (10.28%), and commanding conflicted (4.84%). Older adults' age, gender, marital status, health status, and immigration/acculturation experience were related to their relation types. While tight-knit relation was associated with the fewest depressive symptoms, older adults with unobligated ambivalent relations were the least likely to report good QoL. Discussion The study illustrates the diverse and complex ways in which Chinese older immigrants and their children are connected. The findings suggest that a departure from the traditional norm of filial piety may present a risk factor for this population's mental health.
Historical Fire Regimes in Red Pine Forests of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA

The objectives of this study were to reconstruct historical fire regime characteristics of red pine (Pinus resinosa) forests in the Adirondack Mountains, and to highlight potential implications for the conservation and preservation of fire-dependent natural communities. Tree-ring dating of dead and living fire-scarred trees at two sites produced records spanning from 1577 to 2015. Historical fire years spanned the years 1693 to 1913 with a concentration of events in the mid-1800s. Fires were primarily low to moderate severity, dormant-season events that were not associated with summer drought. The historical fire record establishes that fire disturbances were historically present in the Adirondack Mountains and silvicultural intervention (e.g., prescribed burning) may be needed to maintain fire-dependent red pine communities, thus preventing their inevitable succession to northern hardwoods.
The time-varying effect of alcohol use on cigarette smoking relapse risk.

Abstract Background Alcohol consumption promotes lapses to smoking among smokers trying to quit, perhaps particularly among smokers with lower dependence. We assessed how the role of alcohol in lapses varies over time. Methods This is a secondary analysis of ecological momentary assessment data collected from 159 daily smokers (mean age = 43.90 (SD = 10.41), 56.60% female) who drink alcohol. During the 4 weeks following initial cessation (quit >24 h), a logistic time-varying effect model (TVEM) modeled momentary assessments of lapses and temptations to smoke compared to randomly-selected moments as a function of concurrently-assessed recent alcohol use (past 15 min). Time was examined continuously. Results Recent alcohol use was associated with smoking lapses, particularly for less nicotine dependent individuals, and the association varied across time. For individuals who did not smoke within 5 min of waking, alcohol use became a significant predictor of lapse on Day 1 post-quit, increased in strength until Day 7, then decreased such that alcohol use was no longer associated with lapse by Day 25. For this subgroup, the associations between alcohol use and temptations were relatively stable and significant from Day 1 to 22 post-quit. Results were similar when dependence was assessed by the Nicotine Dependence Symptom Scale. Conclusions The association between drinking and smoking lapse and temptations varies over time, peaking early in smoking abstinence and declining thereafter. This could reflect progressive relapse of most vulnerable individuals or habituation to alcohol as a smoking cue. Interventions to prevent alcohol-related lapses are essential early in the quit period.
A Systematic Review and Evidence-based Analysis of Ingredients in Popular Male Fertility Supplements.

ABSTRACT Objective To study the level of evidence available for ingredients of popular over-the-counter male fertility supplements. Methods The top 17 male fertility supplements in the United States were identified from the most popular online retailers: A1 Supplements, Amazon, Vitamin Shoppe, and Walmart. Individual ingredients were identified for each supplement. The PUBMED and Cochrane online databases were reviewed for randomized controlled trials studying the efficacy of each ingredient. Each ingredient was categorized based on availability of evidence using an adapted version of the scoring system by the American Heart Association. Scores were assigned to each categorical level of evidence for each ingredient and a composite score for each supplement was calculated. Results Ninety unique ingredients were identified. The 5 most commonly used ingredients were vitamin E, folic acid, zinc, vitamin C, and selenium whereas the 5 ingredients with most evidence were L-carnitine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, CoQ10, and Zinc. In all, only 22% of ingredients used were found to have published evidence for improvement in semen parameters and only 17% of ingredients had data published showing a positive effect. Our evidence-based analysis demonstrated an average composite rating of 1.66 (on a scale to 5). Evolution 60 and Conception XR had the highest composite scores with 3.6 and 3.5, respectively. Conclusion Many male fertility supplements claim to improve fertility; however, their products are rarely backed by evidence and their efficacy remains unproven. Few ingredients used in popular fertility supplements have positive evidence in randomized clinical trials and should therefore be used cautiously.
Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Sexual and Gender Minorities: Results from a U.S. Population-Based Sample.

The risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment between older adults in same-sex relationships and those in opposite-sex relationships have been found to be statistically not different. However, studies examining subjective cognitive decline (SCD) among sexual and gender minority populations (SGM) are lacking. The primary objective was to determine if SGM report greater SCD compared to non-SGM populations in a U.S. population-based sample of non-institutionalized adults aged 45 and older. The secondary objective was to assess the association between gender and SCD. Cross-sectional data were obtained from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 36,734). There were 1,094 SGM adults in the sample. Descriptive statistics examined sociodemographic characteristics and their distribution by SCD and SGM status. Crude and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between SGM status, gender, and SCD. Adjusted models controlled for age, race/ethnicity, income, education, employment, marital status, depression, and diabetes. Statistically significant differences in SGM status and SCD existed by age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, marital status, and depression. Differences in SCD also existed by income and diabetes status. There was no statistically significant association between SGM status and SCD (OR: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.63-1.24). However, men had 64% higher odds (OR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.44-1.88) of reporting SCD compared to women. Future studies examining the potential reasons for this null association, including resilience and/or premature aging are warranted. Future research assessing potential reasons for gender differences in SCD, whether physiological or environmental, is also needed.
Imaging of acute abdomen in cancer patients

The pattern of disease causing acute abdominal pain has changed over last few decades, some of this has been attributed to intraabdominal cancers. The most common acute abdominal complaints in cancer patients are related to the gastrointestinal system. Abdominal emergencies in cancer patients can result from the underlying malignancy itself, cancer therapy and/or result from the standard pathologies causing acute abdomen in otherwise healthy population. Therapy-related or disease-related immunosuppression or high dose analgesics often blunt many of the findings which are usually expected in non-cancer general population. This complicates the clinical picture rendering the clinical exam less reliable in many cancer patients, and resulting in different pathologies which clinicians and the radiologists should remain aware of. This article focuses on imaging illustrations with differential diagnosis for various emergency scenarios related to acute abdomen specifically in oncologic settings.
Scheduling of Two-Phase Mixed-Criticality Systems on Memory Shared Multi-Core Platforms

Different from traditional mixed-criticality (MC) tasks with computation phases only, two-phase MC tasks require memory-access to retrieve data and instructions first, and then computation. Considering that memory-access competition may impact tasks' schedulability, in this paper, we first establish theories to determine whether a two-phase MC task set is schedulable on memory regulated multi-core platforms. Based on the proposed theoretical conclusions, a phase-level priority assignment algorithm is further developed to assign appropriate priorities for all tasks' memory-access and computation phases. Extensive experiments have been conducted and the experimental results validate the effectiveness of our proposed approach.
A Memory Augmented Architecture for Continuous Speaker Identification in Meetings

We introduce and analyze a novel approach to the problem of speaker identification in multi-party recorded meetings. Given a speech segment and a set of available candidate profiles, a data-driven approach is proposed learning the distance relations between them, aiming at identifying the correct speaker label corresponding to that segment. A recurrent, memory-based architecture is employed, since this class of neural networks has been shown to yield improved performance in problems requiring relational reasoning. The proposed encoding of distance relations is shown to outperform traditional distance metrics, such as the cosine distance. Additional improvements are reported when the temporal continuity of the audio signals and the speaker changes is modeled in. In this paper, the proposed method is evaluated in two different tasks, i.e. scripted and real-world business meeting scenarios, where a relative reduction in speaker error rate of 39.28% and 51.84%, respectively, is reported when compared with the baseline.