cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neutron imaging with bent perfect crystals. I. Imaging conditions

Neutron imaging with bent crystals is considered in the linear approximation of neutron optics. A matrix formalism analogous to that of conventional lens optics is developed. Various imaging conditions are discussed in relation to the crystal deformation type and to possible applications in neutron scattering. All focusing conditions known previously are included as particular cases. Arrangements combining high resolution in imaging with high resolution in scattering are examined. The concept of Bragg mirrors as devices for non-dispersive imaging is introduced. The most powerful application appears to be that of Bragg mirrors combined with the time-of-flight method. Imaging with a thick packet of silicon wafers at the spatial resolution of a single thin wafer is demonstrated.
Cool temperature hinders flux from glucose to sucrose during cellulose synthesis in secondary wall stage cotton fibers

Current knowledge about the integration of cellulose synthesis into cellular carbon metabolism and the cool temperature sensitivity of cellulose synthesis is reviewed briefly. Roles for sucrose synthase (to channel UDP-glucose to the cellulose synthase) and sucrose phosphate synthase (to recycle the fructose released by sucrose synthase to more sucrose) in secondary wall cellulose synthesis are described. Data are presented that implicate sucrose synthesis within cotton fibers as a particularly cool temperature-sensitive step in the partitioning of carbon to cellulose. Sugar metabolism during fiber secondary wall deposition was analyzed in in vitro cultures of ovules from two cultivars of Gossypium hirsutum L. (cv. Acala SJ-1 and cv. Paymaster HS 200), which had different levels of cool temperature sensitivity. The sizes of the sucrose, glucose, and fructose pools within fibers at 4 and 7 h after a temperature shift to 15 or 34 °C did not change in either cultivar. Feeding exogenous U-14C-glucose in pulse and pulse/chase experiments showed that uptake of glucose and transport through the ovule into fibers occurred at the same rate at 34 and 15 °C. In contrast, the flux from glucose to sucrose within fibers was greatly hindered at 15 °C in both cultivars. Since sucrose is the preferred donor of UDP-Glc to the cellulose synthase during secondary wall deposition, this sensitivity in sucrose synthesis is likely to at least partially explain the cool temperature sensitivity of cotton fiber cellulose synthesis that is observed in the field.
On the factorization, observability, and identification of the agreement protocol

In this note, we examine network factorization in the context of observability and system identification problems embedded in the agreement protocol. Our observations in this venue further strengthen the intrinsic properties of the agreement protocol in relation to the structural features and decomposability of the underlying network.
Rediscovery of the Hesperornis regalis Marsh 1871 Holotype Locality Indicates an Earlier Stratigraphic Occurrence

The type specimen of a large, flightless marine bird, Hesperornis regalis, was collected by O.C. Marsh in 1871. Due to the practices of the time, and the lack of accurate maps, the type locality was initially recorded by Marsh in a letter simply as the “upper Cretaceous of Western Kansas,” and then later reported as “the gray shale near the Smoky Hill River in Western Kansas.” Since the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation is exposed along the Smoky Hill River in present day Wallace, Logan and Gove counties over a distance of more than 75 miles, this vague locality information encompasses about 5 million years of depositional history. An 1880 account by Marsh narrows the locality down to the south bank of the Smoky Hill River about 20 miles east of Fort Wallace in Logan County. The results of a recent field investigation of the eastward route traveled by Marsh's 1871 Yale College Scientific Expedition sheds light on the probable locality of both the type specimen (YPM 1200) of Hesperornis reg...
Postnatal Imaging of Antenatal Hydronephrosis

Radiologic imaging of the newborn detected prenatally with hydronephrosis should follow a systematic approach. Upper and lower urinary tract imaging should be performed in most cases in order to determine the etiology and gauge the use of future imaging. An overview of renal ultrasound, voiding cystourethrography, renal scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance urography in the setting of antenatal hydronephrosis are discussed.
Breathing like a soldier: culture incarnate1

Breathing appears to be so natural and organic that it hardly seems worth analyzing. Yet to inhabit an institution can mean having to learn to breathe in culturally distinct ways. This chapter presents the findings of an ethnographic study of ‘learning to breath like a soldier’ in the army. I focus on the processes by which the body is transformed and new disciplinary techniques are developed, and present the body as an alternative category of cultural analysis to a vision of military culture as the internalization of norms, values and beliefs that shape identities and provide cognitive frames for social action. Cultural patterning in the army is not an abstract intellectual process, but takes place at the level of the body as it engages in practical activity in the training environment, and becomes adapted to the military milieu.
An Extra Anatomic, Close Chest Approach to Manage an Aortic Arch Aneurysm in an 88-Year-Old Woman

Repair of thoracic arch aneurysms in the octogenarian is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. In this report we describe a minimally invasive approach to repair and arch aneurysm using an endoluminal graft with an extrathoracic, extra anatomic de-branching of the arch vessels. The advantage of this technique includes avoidance of a median sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass, and circulatory arrest with a rapid postoperative recovery.
The President, the Senate, and the Costs of Internationalism

We develop a theory of foreign policy voting in the Senate premised on the assumption that foreign policy programs are a mostly collective good whose costs and benefits accrue to all, but which generate insufficient political benefits to make such policies politically popular, and often make it difficult for senators to support presidents. While certainly at times in U.S. history, presidents have enjoyed remarkable levels of such support (e.g., during the early years of the Cold War), more often than not, politics do not stop at the water's edge. Why should this be so? We seek to provide scholars a more comprehensive understanding regarding the underlying proclivity of legislators to support the President given the public goods costs of foreign and defense policy and based upon the issue at stake, the political environment and common partisan and ideological preferences. After elaborating upon this account of foreign policy voting, we test our hypotheses by examining the voting behavior of individual senators on all foreign policy related roll call votes in the U.S. Senate from 1979–2000 on which the President clearly expressed a preference, and find strong support for our expectations.
AN IN-SITU TECHNIQUE TO MEASURE EROSION AND DEPOSITION IN FUSION DEVICES

Abstract Erosion or deposition of sub-micron layers of graphite or other materials can be measured by bombarding a sub-surface layer of 10 B or 6 Li with thermal neutrons and observing with a surface-barrier detector the energy loss of the prompt alphas or tritons produced. To demonstrate the feasibility of this technique, a (5250 ± 250) A layer of boron and a (1.25 ± 0.05) μm layer of Li 2 B 4 O 7 were electron-beam evaporated onto graphite substrates and exposed to a thermal neutron flux of (8.0 ± 0.5) × 10 5 cm −2 s −1 . The (n,α) reactions of the 10 B produce a 1.78 MeV α, a 1.48 MeV α, and a 0.848 MeV 7 Li. The reactions of 6 Li produce a 2.73 MeV 3 H and a 2.05 MeV α. Carbon coatings of (600 ± 25) A, (8250 ± 500) A, (2.0 ± 0.2) μm, and (4.0 ± 0.4) μm were placed between the active layers and a surface barrier detector in vacuuo. The thinner layers shifted the 1.48 MeV α peak by (31.7 ± 4.5) keV and (431 ± 43) keV respectively. The thicker layers shifted the 2.73 MeV 3 H peak by (206 ± 15) keV and (346 ± 20) keV respectfully. Therefore, utilizing boron implants, 100 A to 1 μm of graphite erosion or redeposition can be determined. Utilizing lithium implants, thicknesses in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm can be determined. Theoretical energy shifts, thermal diffusion, and the feasibility of this technique as a between shot diagnostic for limiters, divertor plates, and/or first-wall armor are discussed.
'McIntosh' apple fruit thinning by benzyladenine in relation to seed number and endogenous cytokinin levels in fruit and leaves

Abstract The relationship of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA)-induced fruitlet abscission to seed number and endogenous cytokinin levels in the fruit and leaves was examined in ‘McIntosh’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). BA applied at the 10 mm stage of fruit development effectively thinned apple fruit and increased fruit size. The seed number of abscising fruit increased as BA concentrations increased. In persisting fruit, BA reduced the number of normal seeds, increased the number of aborted seeds, but had no influence on the number of total seeds. The total number of seeds was significantly higher in persisting fruit than in abscising fruit. BA increased zeatin riboside levels in the fruit 2 days after application, but it had no effects on zeatin levels in the fruit. The levels of zeatin and zeatin ribosides in the leaves were not affected by BA application.
A new ultra-high sensitivity, low-power optical receiver based on a decision-feedback equalizer

A decision-feedback equalizer is used to recover data at baud rates far above the bandwidth of a low-noise TIA front-end. The overall 90-nm CMOS DC-coupled clocked receiver has better than −25 dBm power sensitivity at 4 Gb/s, dissipating 1.2 pJ/bit.
“Peregrinations into the Void?” German Jews and their Knowledge about the Armenian Genocide during the Third Reich

The February 2006 issue of the European edition of Time magazine contained a DVD dedicated to the subject of the genocide of the Armenian people. The text introducing the documentary, produced by the French-German TV network arte, said, “‘Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?’ Hitler posed this rhetorical question on August 22, 1939, before embarking upon his campaign to exterminate six million European Jews and other groups.” The introductory paragraph concluded, “His assumption that no one remembered the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turkey must have emboldened the Fuhrer to perpetrate the Jewish Holocaust.”
Introduction: Mathematics in Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason

Kant’s views about mathematics have had eloquent and influential detractors among the very thinkers who shaped our present philosophical world view: Frege ridiculed Kant’s claims about the role of pure intuition in arithmetic.1 Russel denounced the Kantian theory of geometry.2 And Brouwer, who built his intuitionistic mathematics on a Kantian premise about the a priority of time, explicity rejected the a priority of space.3 Moreover these critics follow generations of “mainstream” dissenters going back at least to Eberhard.4 So even sympathetic readers of Kant are tempted to isolate his philosophy of mathematics as a small, separable, outmoded and embarrasing imperfection in the full critical framework.5
Mechanisms of Acid Resistance in Escherichia coli

Adaptation to acid stress is an important factor in the transmission of intestinal microbes. The enterobacterium Escherichia coli uses a range of physiological, metabolic, and proton-consuming acid resistance mechanisms in order to survive acid stresses as low as pH 2.0. The physiological adaptations include membrane modifications and outer membrane porins to reduce proton influx and periplasmic and cytoplasmic chaperones to manage the effects of acid damage. The metabolic acid resistance systems couple proton efflux to energy generation via select components of the electron transport chain, including cytochrome bo oxidase, NADH dehydrogenase I, NADH dehydrogenase II, and succinate dehydrogenase. Under anaerobic conditions the formate hydrogen lyase complex catalyzes conversion of cytoplasmic protons to hydrogen gas. Finally, each major proton-consuming acid resistance system has a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent amino acid decarboxylase that catalyzes proton-dependent decarboxylation of a substrate amino acid to product and CO2, and an inner membrane antiporter that exchanges external substrate for internal product.
Image-based multichannel vaginal cylinder brachytherapy for vaginal cancer

Abstract Purpose To investigate the clinical feasibility and treatment outcomes of image-based high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy using an intracavitary multichannel vaginal cylinder for the definitive treatment of vaginal cancers. Methods and Materials A total of 41 patients with vaginal cancer (24% primary vaginal and 76% recurrence from other gynecologic primaries) treated with definitive radiotherapy ± chemotherapy including image-based HDR brachytherapy with a multichannel vaginal cylinder were included in the study. Image-based brachytherapy was completed using either CT- (41%) or MR-based planning (59%) with each fraction. The high-risk clinical target volume was defined based on the pre- and postexternal beam radiotherapy gross tumor volume. Doses were converted to equivalent dose of 2 Gy per fraction. Endpoints examined were dose–volume parameters and early clinical outcomes. Results The median high-risk clinical target volume was 24.2 cc (interquartile range [IQR], 12.6), with a median dose to 90% ( D 90 ) of 77.1 Gy (IQR, 3.4). The median dose to 2 cc ( D 2 cc ) for the bladder, rectum, and sigmoid were 59.4 Gy (IQR, 5.6), 58.2 Gy (IQR, 4.1), and 52.3 Gy (IQR, 5.5), respectively. After a median followup of 16 months (range, 3–35), complete clinical response was documented in 98% of the patients. The 2-year local, regional, and distant control; and disease-free and overall survival were 93%, 100%, 81%, 78%, and 88%, respectively. The 2-year actuarial rate of late Grade 3 or higher toxicity was 4% overall with 0%, 0%, 0%, and 4% for vaginal, bladder, urethral, and gastrointestinal, respectively. Conclusions Image-based HDR brachytherapy using an intracavitary multichannel cylinder seems feasible in definitive vaginal cancer treatment. The described clinical implementation shows promising early clinical outcomes with high rates of local control and little toxicity, which should be validated with extended followup.
Decoupling end-to-end QoS provisioning from service provisioning at routers in the Diffserv network model

In this paper, a novel concept of decoupling the end-to-end QoS provisioning from the service provisioning at routers in the Diffserv network is proposed to enhance the QoS granularity offered in the Diffserv model and improve both the network resource utilization and user benefits. To realize the concept, we implement a new endpoint admission control, referred to as explicit endpoint admission control, with the service vector concept at the user side, which allows a data flow to choose different services at different routers. At the router side, we propose a new packet marking scheme, by which the end host can obtain the performance of each service class at each router and determine the service vector. The achievable performance of the proposed approach is studied and the corresponding results demonstrate that the proposed mechanism can have better service differentiation capability and lower request dropping probability than the Intserv over Diffserv schemes while it still maintains the simplicity feature of the Diffserv network model.
The Public Health Need and Present Status of a Vaccine for the Prevention of Coccidioidomycosis

Although the epidemiology of coccidioidomycosis has been well described, there is a paucity of recent data on the public health burden associated with this disease. Accordingly, California's Inpatient Hospital Discharge Data Set from 1997 to 2002 was used to calculate the incidence of hospitalization for coccidioidomycosis by county, year, age, race, ethnicity, and gender. The overall finding that coccidioidomycosis has a significant impact in endemic areas supports the conclusion that the need for a preventive vaccine is great. Investigators of the Valley Fever Vaccine Project (VFVP) have successfully identified a number of recombinant coccidioidal protein antigens and two attenuated mutant strains that have been evaluated as vaccines, demonstrating protective responses in murine models. Efforts to select and develop a vaccine for human clinical trials are in progress.
Freshman Linked Cohort Classes In The Study Of Business: Results Of Performance And Graduation In Business

The paper presents the results of a study designed to measure the efficacy of using cohort linked freshmen courses in preparing students for the study of business. Specifically, an experimental group of students were enrolled in three linked freshmen courses each oriented toward global business: 1) freshmen composition, 2) small group communications, and 3) introduction to global business. The control group of students was enrolled in the introduction to global business course. However, they independently enrolled in any other non-business focused freshmen courses to fill out their schedules.
Archaeological Investigations at Mission Concepcion, Fall of 1986

In October 1986, the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, conducted limited test excavations at Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepci6n (41 BX 12) for the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The purpose of the excavations was to determine whether buried wall footings and occupation surfaces were preserved in an area where a drain pipe was proposed to be installed to carry rainwater away from the convento. Eleven test units were excavated at points where the foundations of the first two-story convento were expected to cross the area. Remnants of the footings of the north and south walls of the con vento were isolated, recorded, and reburied. No traces of occupation surfaces were found. Three electrical conduit lines were found to cross the area in question, two of which were unknowingly dug into the top of the north convento wall. Based on the fmdings of the testing, it is recommended that the trench for the drain be excavated by hand through the con vento area.
Rapid exhumation of the eastern Himalayan syntaxis since the late Miocene

The Himalayan syntaxes are exceptionally dynamic landscapes characterized by high-relief topography and some of the most rapid and focused crustal exhumation on Earth. In the eastern Himalayan syntaxis, it has been hypothesized that thermo-mechanical feedbacks between erosion by the Yarlung River and growth of a crustal-scale antiform may have locally sustained exhumation rates exceeding 5 km/m.y. during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene. However, young (younger than 3 Ma) cooling histories from syntaxial bedrock samples restrict interpretations of the timing and mechanism initiating feedback development. To extend this record of landscape evolution, we reconstructed an exhumation history since the late Miocene from analysis of detrital minerals in Himalayan foreland basin deposits. We combined magnetostratigraphy, detrital white mica 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology, and coupled zircon U-Pb and fission-track geothermochronology from a 4.6-km-thick stratigraphic section proximal to the eastern syntaxis. We used a simple thermal model to interpret the combined provenance and lag-time data set, concluding that rock exhumation rates in the core of the syntaxis increased by a factor of 5–10 in the late Miocene and have sustained extremely rapid exhumation rates (>5 km/m.y.) since 5 Ma. This onset significantly postdates the first appearance of Tibetan detritus in the Himalayan foreland, suggesting that thermo-mechanical feedbacks sustaining rapid exhumation are unrelated to river integration. Instead, such feedbacks may develop where large, antecedent rivers sustain elevated erosion rates across a region of enhanced rock uplift. Compilation of similar data sets across the Himalaya demonstrates extraordinary syntaxial exhumation histories, potentially resulting from peculiar geodynamics at these orogenic margins.
Analysis of individual dose monitoring results of some radiation workers with occupational external exposure in Tianjin City in 2011

[Objective]To understand the monitoring results of individual dose among some radiation workers in Tianjin City,and propose some advice for improving the radiological protection management.[Methods]Based on requirements of related standards, thermoluminescent dosimetry was adopted to monitor external radiation doses as personal dose equivalent on radiation workers. [Results]The total average personal dose equivalent was 0.355 mSv/a,the average effective dose was 0.370 mSv in medical applications,and 0. 278 mSv in industrial applications. And 98. 2% of the results were below 5 mSv.[Conclusion]The existing radiation protection measures in the surveyed workplaces can control the radiation level effectively in Tianjin. But the management of radiation workers with annual effective dose 5 mSv needs to be further strengthened.
Study on distribution of bromide in rural drinking water in Beijing

Objective To study the distribution of bromide in rural drinking water in Beijing and analyze the possible sources,so as to guide disinfection of drinking water and prevent the formation of brominated disinfection by-products( DBPs). Methods Drinking water stratified samples chosen from rural centralized drinking water system were tested by Dionex ICS-3000 Ion Chromatograph. Results Samples collected from 504 drinking water supply units,which accounted for 12. 8% of all units in rural drinking water supply system. The bromide levels of finished water were from 0. 001 mg / L to 0. 46 mg / L,and the average level was 0. 037 mg / L. The regions with higher bromide level were located in Fangshan,Daxing and Tongzhou District. Paired-Samples T test results showed that there were significant differences( t = 2. 442,P 0. 05) in bromide levels of finished water between low water period and high water period. The levels of bromide were higher during high water period. Conclusion The bromide levels of rural drinking water in Beijing presented area clustering. Selection of disinfection should be concerned reasonably in regions with higher bromide levels to prevent the formation of brominated DBPs.
Vibration of Rods and Beams

Our solution method of choice is to discretize all problems and solve the resulting simultaneous equations numerically. Sometimes deeper insights into a problem can be obtained by solving the continuous problem directly. This is not always feasible, does not generalize very well, and typically is restricted to linearized systems, but when it can be accomplished, the results can be very rewarding. This chapter therefore develops this aspect of dynamic analysis. The first task is to derive adequate dynamic models to describe continuous systems; we use Hamilton's principle in conjunction with the Ritz method to derive these models in a consistent rational way. Section 3.1 developed the energies for a number of structural components. Hamilton's principal is used to convert these energy representations into a set of governing differential equations plus the associated boundary conditions. This is called the strong formulation of problems. The derived models are in the form of a system of partial differential equations. Partial differential equations are notoriously difficult to solve in general; we introduce spectral analysis as a powerful tool for simplifying and solving problems arising in the analysis of continuous systems. In essence, dynamic problems are reduced to a series of pseudostatic problems, and thus they are amenable to the solution procedures that are standard for static problems. Strong Formulation of Problems The strong formulation of a problem comprises the set of governing equations plus the appropriate geometric and natural boundary conditions.
Transparent, Nanostructured Silk Fibroin Hydrogels with Tunable Mechanical Properties

Silk fibroin from the Bombyx mori caterpillar has been processed into many material forms, with potential applications in areas ranging from optoelectronics to tissue engineering. As a hydrogel, silk fibroin has been engineered as a substrate for the regeneration of soft tissues where hydration and mechanical compatibility are necessary. Current fabrication of silk fibroin hydrogels produces microstructured materials that lack transparency and limits the ability to fully exploit the hydrogel form. Transparency is the main characteristic of some human tissues (e.g., cornea) where silk fibroin in the film format has shown potential as scaffolding material, however, lacking the necessary hydration and successful attachment of cells without biochemical functionalization. Additionally, detection using light is an important method to translate information for instruction, sensing, and visualization of biological entities and light sensitive molecules. Here, we introduce a method for the fabrication of transpare...
Issues in the Theory of Uniqueness in Measurement

The attempt to put measurement on a firm mathematical foundation has led to a substantial mathematical theory sometimes referred to as the representational theory of measurement. This paper presents an introduction to this theory, with an emphasis on those topics relating to the uniqueness of scales of measurement and with an attempt also to emphasize topics relevant to issues in graph theory or the theory of order relations.
Forces to pierce cuticle of tarsi and material properties determined by nanoindentation: The Achilles' heel of bed bugs.

The mechanical properties of bed bug (Cimex lectularius L.) tarsi and pretarsi were investigated in order to evaluate their vulnerability to piercing by plant trichomes (sharp microscopic hairs). Nanoindentation was used to measure the force required to insert a sharp probe into the cuticle of these different regions, as well as to determine creep and reduced elastic moduli for the cuticle. Scanning electron microscopy was used to visualize the indents that had been generated by nanoindentation. The force required to insert a cube corner nanoindenter probe into the cuticle was determined for a range of displacements (1 to 9 μm) and strain rates (0.003 to 0.5 s-1). Greater force was required to insert this sharp probe at greater depth or at faster strain rates. A specific region of the pretarsus (membrane with microtrichia) more frequently pierced by trichomes during bed bug locomotion required approximately 20-30% less force, exhibited more creep, and had a lower reduced elastic modulus for the first micron of indentation compared to the other regions; although this pattern was not consistent for greater displacements. These mechanical attributes, which will facilitate the initial stage of puncture in addition to the presence of natural infoldings in the cuticle of this area, may make that area of the pretarsus particularly vulnerable to piercing. This information will help inform development of physical methods for control of insect pests such as bed bugs.
Oxidative Damage in Neurodegeneration and Injury

Oxidative damage to key cellular components and structures is a hallmark of chronic and acute neurodegeneration. Formation of protein aggregates inside/outside neurons have been shown to occur in all neurodegenerative diseases and these aggregates are supposed to become additional sources of radical generation via a gain-of-function transformation with trace metals such as iron, zinc and copper. The chemical nature of the deposits is different for each neurodegenerative disease and is briefly discussed. Aging or acute injury perturbs the intracellular redox balance and switches on various signaling cascades that may result in inflammation and apoptosis, which severity depends on the degree of the oxidative damage. The review covers the radical sources and reaction chemistry underlying the oxidative damage of proteins and lipids as well as the enzymatic systems providing their repair and antioxidant defense. The current trends in neuroprotection strategies are considered in conclusion.
Compiling School Base Rates for Disruptive Behaviors from Student Disciplinary Referral Data.

Teacher-completed incident reports are commonly generated at most public schools when a student is sent to the principal's office for disciplinary reasons, resulting in an archival record of studen...
JAVANESE REDUPLICATION: A STUDY ON PANGKUR JENGGLENG TV PROGRAM

This paper reported a small-scale research on Javanese reduplication found in Pangkur Jenggleng Padepokan Ayom Ayem TV program which was aired in a local TV station in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Since only few studies are conducted to discuss Javanese reduplication, this study was conducted to fill in the gap in the literature by asking these two questions: a) What are the types of reduplications found in Pangkur Jenggleng Padepokan Ayom Ayem TV Programs? and b) What are the semantic functions or categories of those reduplications? The results of this study confirm the previous studies on Javanese reduplication which reported that full reduplication (without any lexical category changes) are more frequently used than other types of reduplications in Javanese language. This study also confirms the results of previous studies that the dominant semantic functions of Javanese reduplication are repetition and pluralization. Further studies on Javanese reduplication were suggested to gain more knowledge as well as to preserve the Javanese language. DOI: 10.24071/ijhs.2019.020207
A Novel Mouse Model of MYO7A USH1B Reveals Auditory and Visual System Haploinsufficiencies.

Usher's syndrome is the most common combined blindness-deafness disorder with USH1B, caused by mutations in MYO7A, resulting in the most severe phenotype. The existence of numerous, naturally occurring shaker1 mice harboring variable MYO7A mutations on different genetic backgrounds has complicated the characterization of MYO7A knockout (KO) and heterozygote mice. We generated a novel MYO7A KO mouse (Myo7a - / -) that is easily genotyped, maintained, and confirmed to be null for MYO7A in both the eye and inner ear. Like USH1B patients, Myo7a - / - mice are profoundly deaf, and display near complete loss of inner and outer cochlear hair cells (HCs). No gross structural changes were observed in vestibular HCs. Myo7a - / - mice exhibited modest declines in retinal function but, unlike patients, no loss of retinal structure. We attribute the latter to differential expression of MYO7A in mouse vs. primate retina. Interestingly, heterozygous Myo7a + / - mice had reduced numbers of cochlear HCs and concomitant reductions in auditory function relative to Myo7a +/+ controls. Notably, this is the first report that loss of a single Myo7a allele significantly alters auditory structure and function and suggests that audiological characterization of USH1B carriers is warranted. Maintenance of vestibular HCs in Myo7a - / - mice suggests that gene replacement could be used to correct the vestibular dysfunction in USH1B patients. While Myo7a - / - mice do not exhibit sufficiently robust retinal phenotypes to be used as a therapeutic outcome measure, they can be used to assess expression of vectored MYO7A on a null background and generate valuable pre-clinical data toward the treatment of USH1B.
Ibudilast attenuates peripheral inflammatory effects of methamphetamine in patients with methamphetamine use disorder.

Abstract Background Preclinical studies suggest that the non-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor, Ibudilast (IBUD) may contribute to the treatment of methamphetamine (METH) use disorder through the attenuation of METH-induced inflammatory markers such as adhesion molecules, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, and cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-α. Objective The present study aimed to test whether treatment with IBUD can attenuate peripheral markers of inflammation during a METH challenge in an inpatient clinical trial of 11 patients. Methods This trial followed a randomized, within-subjects crossover design where participants received a METH challenge, during which five participants were treated with placebo then with IBUD, while the remaining six participants were treated with IBUD prior to placebo. Mixed effects regression modeled changes in peripheral markers of inflammation—sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, TNF-α, IL-6, MIF, and cathepsin D—by treatment condition, with measurements at baseline, 60 min post-METH infusion, and 360 min post-METH infusion. Results: While on placebo, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and cathepsin D significantly increased by 60 min post-METH infusion, while IL-6 significantly increased 360 min post-METH infusion. Treatment with IBUD significantly reduced METH-induced levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and cathepsin D at 60 min post-METH infusion. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that IBUD attenuated acute pro-inflammatory effects of METH administration, which may have implications for treatment of METH use disorder.
Dynamic Terminal Investment In Male Burying Beetles

The dynamic terminal investment threshold model posits that the propensity of an individual to terminally invest in response to an immediate survival threat, such as an infection, depends on other factors that alter an individual's residual reproductive value. Here, we explore the potential for dynamic terminal investment in burying beetles, insects that inter small vertebrate carcasses as the sole source of food for their offspring and that exhibit extensive biparental care. We injected males at two different ages with heat-killed bacteria and measured their reproductive output, predicting that immune-challenged males would show a longer period of parental care, consume less of the carcass and produce a greater number of larvae in the current reproductive attempt compared with control males. We further predicted that terminal investment would be more evident in older males than in younger ones. Males challenged with heat-killed bacteria as virgins prior to their first reproductive attempt showed no evidence of terminal investment, whereas these same individuals when challenged at a later age as reproductively experienced breeders in a subsequent reproductive attempt showed increased reproductive output. Older, immune-challenged individuals gained less mass during the time on the carcass than control males, suggesting that this terminal investment was subsidized, at least in part, by males refraining from eating as much of the carcass as they might have otherwise done in the absence of an immune challenge, leaving more carrion for their offspring to consume at the expense of their own maintenance and future reproduction. Because it seems likely than an individual's residual reproductive value decreases with both increasing age and reproductive experience, the context-specific terminal investment shown by immune-challenged males in the current study aligns with theory.
The Magical Book-Within-the-Book: I. B. Singer, Bruno Schulz, and Contemporary Jewish Post-Holocaust Fiction

This essay illuminates the embedding of magical books-within-the-book in contemporary Jewish fiction. Secular, post-Holocaust novelists employ magical realist techniques to position an old, hallowed, mysterious, surviving book within the fictive setting as object of wonder and interpretation, source of knowledge, and access point—despite the massive ruptures of modernity—to a longed-for continuity with Jewish traditions of literature and the sacred. Beginning with a paradigmatic “survivor text” story by Isaac Bashevis Singer and ending with a cluster of novels that reimagine the life and lost book of Bruno Schulz, this essay discusses texts by a range of writers including the Americans Jonathan Safran Foer, Myla Goldberg, Dara Horn, Nicole Krauss, Cynthia Ozick, Philip Roth, and Steve Stern, and the Israelis David Grossman and Ruby Namdar.
The effects of early-treated phenylketonuria on volumetric measures of the cerebellum.

Abstract Past murine studies of phenylketonuria (PKU) have documented significant effects on cerebellum at both the gross and cellular levels. The profile of neurocognitive and motor difficulties associated with early-treated PKU (ETPKU) is also consistent with potential cerebellar involvement. Previous neuroanatomical studies of cerebellum in patients with PKU, however, have yielded mixed results. The objective of the present study was to further examine potential differences in cerebellar morphometry between individuals with and without ETPKU. To this end, we analyzed high resolution T1-weighted MR images from a sample of 20 individuals with ETPKU and an age-matched comparison group of 20 healthy individuals without PKU. Measurements of whole brain volume, whole cerebellum volume, cerebellar gray matter volume, and cerebellar white matter volume were collected by means of semiautomatic volumetric analysis. Data analysis revealed no significant group differences in whole brain volume, whole cerebellar volume, or cerebellar white matter volume. A significant reduction in cerebellar gray matter volume, however, was observed for the ETPKU group compared to the non-PKU comparison group. These findings expand on previous animal work suggesting that cerebellar gray matter is impacted by PKU. It is also consistent with the hypothesis that the cognitive difficulties experienced by individuals with ETPKU may be related to disruptions in gray matter. Additional studies are needed to fully elucidate the timing and extent of the impact of ETPKU on cerebellum and the associated neurocognitive consequences.
Algebraic Equations: Stream 2

Stream 2 is geometry, which led to the merging of Euclid’s geometrical methods and the development of algebra by al-Khwarizmi in 830 CE (Fig. 1.1). This migration of ideas led Descartes and Fermat to develop analytic geometry (Fig. 1.2).
Asymmetries in ionization of atomic superposition states by ultrashort laser pulses

Progress in ultrafast science allows for probing quantum superposition states with ultrashort laser pulses in the new regime where several linear and nonlinear ionization pathways compete. Interferences of pathways can be observed in the photoelectron angular distribution and in the past they have been analyzed for atoms and molecules in a single quantum state via anisotropy and asymmetry parameters. Those conventional parameters, however, do not provide comprehensive tools for probing superposition states in the emerging research area of bright and ultrashort light sources, such as free-electron lasers and high-order harmonic generation. We propose a new set of generalized asymmetry parameters which are sensitive to interference effects in the photoionization and the interplay of competing pathways as the laser pulse duration is shortened and the laser intensity is increased. The relevance of the parameters is demonstrated using results of state-of-the-art numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for ionization of helium atom and neon atom.
Lutar, amar e sofrer entre as Mães pela Diversidade

Resumo Este artigo parte da interlocucao com a associacao Maes pela Diversidade do estado de Goias, Brasil, para analisar a performance do “ativismo materno” que combate violencias cometidas contra filhos e filhas lesbicas, gays, bissexuais, travestis, transexuais, intersexos, queers e outras expressoes de genero (LGBTIQ+). Por meio de registros etnograficos verbais e desenhados, proponho refletir sobre os modos como emocoes sao dramatizadas para a confeccao de lutas que, dentre outras coisas, visam a busca por justica, denuncia de violacao de direitos humanos e construcao de uma malha de apoio mutuo.
Protein Structure Prediction from NMR Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Data.

Amide hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) has long been used to determine regional flexibility and binding sites in proteins; however, the data are too sparse for full structural characterization. Experiments that measure HDX rates, such as HDX-NMR, have far higher throughput compared to structure determination via X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, or a full suite of NMR experiments. Data from HDX-NMR experiments encode information on the protein structure, making HDX a prime candidate to be supplemented by computational algorithms for protein structure prediction. We have developed a methodology to incorporate HDX-NMR data into ab initio protein structure prediction using the Rosetta software framework to predict structures based on experimental agreement. To demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithm, we examined 38 proteins with HDX-NMR data available, comparing the predicted model with and without the incorporation of HDX data into scoring. The root-mean-square deviation (rmsd, a measure of the average atomic distance between superimposed models) of the predicted model improved by 1.42 A on average after incorporating the HDX-NMR data into scoring. The average rmsd improvement for the proteins where the selected model rmsd changed after incorporating HDX data was 3.63 A, including one improvement of more than 11 A and seven proteins improving by greater than 4 A, with 12/15 proteins improving overall. Additionally, for independent verification, two proteins that were not part of the original benchmark were scored including HDX data, with a dramatic improvement of the selected model rmsd of nearly 9 A for one of the proteins. Moreover, we have developed a confidence metric allowing us to successfully identify near-native models in the absence of a native structure. Improvement in model selection with a strong confidence measure demonstrates that protein structure prediction with HDX-NMR is a powerful tool which can be performed with minimal additional computational strain and expense.
Effect of Boundary Approximation on Visibility

The problem of simplifying a complex shape with simpler ones is an important research area in computer science and engineering. In this paper we investigate the effect of visibility properties of polygons when their boundaries are approximated to have simpler shapes. The presented algorithm is expected to have wide applications in simplifying 1.5D terrain which are restricted class of simple polygons.
Implementation of Un Abrazo Para La FamiliaTM in southern Arizona with extension to survivors and assessment of effects on distress.

Introduction:Un Abrazo Para La FamiliaTM [Embracing the Family] (Abrazo) is a 3-hr psychoeducational intervention designed for low-income informal caregivers who are cosurvivors of cancer. A rehabilitation-informed preventive intervention, Abrazo reflects the importance of family, culture, and socioeconomic background. A pilot study was conducted to inform a larger geographic implementation of Abrazo. The aims were to determine if previous outcomes of increased cancer knowledge and self-efficacy could be replicated and to investigate intervention effects on distress. Method: A pretest-posttest design was used to assess changes in cancer knowledge, self-efficacy, and distress for Abrazo participants. Distress was measured with the American Medical Association's Caregiver Assessment (Epstein-Lubow et al., 2010) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (Donovan et al., 2014; Forsythe et al., 2013; Fulcher & Gosselin-Acomb, 2007). The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) (Kroenke et al., 2009) measured symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results: Both survivors (n = 37) and cosurvivors (n = 103) increased in cancer knowledge and self-efficacy after completing Abrazo. Mean levels of distress and symptoms decreased for cosurvivors, but not for survivors. At study entry, 19% of cosurvivors and 12% of survivors scored ≥6/12 on the PHQ-4, the standard cutoff for clinically significant symptoms. Only 13% of cosurvivors, but 30% of survivors exceeded this threshold at three-month follow-up. Elevated symptoms persisted in 12% of survivors from baseline to follow-up; in 18% of survivors, symptoms rose between baseline and follow-up. Discussion: Increased cancer knowledge and self-efficacy in participants replicates evidence of Abrazo's effectiveness. The result of decreased distress in cosurvivors extends our understanding of Abrazo's effectiveness with this population. The increase in distress in cancer survivors warrants further attention to their intervention needs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
How to Quantify Polarization in Models of Opinion Dynamics

It is widely believed that society is becoming increasingly polarized around important issues, a dynamic that does not align with common mathematical models of opinion formation in social networks. In particular, measures of polarization based on opinion variance are known to decrease over time in frameworks such as the popular DeGroot model. Complementing recent work that seeks to resolve this apparent inconsistency by modifying opinion models, we instead resolve the inconsistency by proposing changes to how polarization is quantified. We present a natural class of group-based polarization measures that capture the extent to which opinions are clustered into distinct groups. Using theoretical arguments and empirical evidence, we show that these group-based measures display interesting, non-monotonic dynamics, even in the simple DeGroot model. In particular, for many natural social networks, group-based metrics can increase over time, and thereby correctly capture perceptions of increasing polarization. Our results build on work by DeMarzo et al., who introduced a group-based polarization metric based on ideological alignment. We show that a central tool from that work, a limit analysis of individual opinions under the DeGroot model, can be extended to the dynamics of other group-based polarization measures, including established statistical measures like bimodality. We also consider local measures of polarization that operationalize how polarization is perceived in a network setting. In conjunction with evidence from prior work that group-based measures better align with real-world perceptions of polarization, our work provides formal support for the use of these measures in place of variance-based polarization in future studies of opinion dynamics.
Biosynthesis of glycosyldiglycerides in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

A particulate enzyme preparation from Mycobacterium smegmatis catalyzes the transfer of [ 14 C]galactose from uridine 5′-diphosphate (UDP)-[ 14 C]galactose and of [ 14 C]glucose from UDP-[ 14 C]glucose into chloroform-soluble products. The radioactive neutral lipids were purified by passage through diethylaminoethyl-cellulose, followed by thin-layer chromatography. When UDP-glucose was used as substrate, two major radioactive lipids were obtained; one had a hexose-glucose-glycerol ratio of 1:1:1. The second product had a hexose-glycerol ratio of 2:1 and, in addition to glucose, contained lesser amounts of mannose and galactose. With UDP-galactose as substrate, two radioactive products were observed that were chromatographically indistinguishable from the [ 14 C]glucosyl-labeled mono- and diglycosyldiglyceride. Palmitate and oleate were the predominant fatty acid constituents in these lipids and were present in equimolar amounts in all of the products examined. The products have thus been identified as monoglycosyldiglyceride and a diglycosyldiglyceride containing glucose as the major hexose along with mannose and galactose. Properties of the galactosyl and glucosyl transferases are described. Images