cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Notch Signaling Promotes Osteoclast Maturation and Resorptive Activity

The role of Notch signaling in osteoclast differentiation is controversial with conflicting experimental evidence indicating both stimulatory and inhibitory roles. Differences in experimental protocols and in vivo versus in vitro models may explain the discrepancies between studies. In this study, we investigated cell autonomous roles of Notch signaling in osteoclast differentiation and function by altering Notch signaling during osteoclast differentiation using stimulation with immobilized ligands Jagged1 or Delta-like1 or by suppression with γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT or transcriptional inhibitor SAHM1. Stimulation of Notch signaling in committed osteoclast precursors resulted in larger osteoclasts with a greater number of nuclei and resorptive activity whereas suppression resulted in smaller osteoclasts with fewer nuclei and suppressed resorptive activity. Conversely, stimulation of Notch signaling in osteoclast precursors prior to induction of osteoclastogenesis resulted in fewer osteoclasts. Our data support a mechanism of context-specific Notch signaling effects wherein Notch stimulation inhibits commitment to osteoclast differentiation, but enhances the maturation and function of committed precursors.
Forced convection mass transfer: Part II. Effect of wires located near the edge of the laminar boundary layer on the rate of forced convection from a flat plate

The local and the average rates of forced convection through laminar boundary layers on a flat plate were shown to be markedly increased by locating small cylinders near the outer edge of the boundary layer. The local rate of forced convection was strongly peaked directly beneath each cylinder; the magnitude of the effect depended upon the free stream velocity, the spacing between cylinders, and the gap between the cylinders and the plate. Under optimum conditions, local values of the rate of forced convection were increased as much as 340%, while the average values were increased by over 190%.
Channel and Vegetation Change on the Cimarron River, Southwestern Kansas, 1953–2001

Abstract Little is known about historical channel change along rivers on the Great Plains of the United States. Focused on a 113 km reach of the Cimarron River, southwestern Kansas, this study revisits the site of Schumm and Lichty's (1963) work that documented channel changes between 1874 and 1960. Based on field and archival evidence from Seward and Morton Counties, Kansas, we find that channel narrowing, which began in the 1940s, continues to the present. Between 1953 and 2001, the mean channel width of the Cimarron River decreased by 114 m, or 75 percent, although channel narrowing and the expansion of riparian vegetation were more pronounced in some locations than in others. The channel changes and increase in riparian vegetation both appear to have been caused by a decrease in annual peak flows, which favored in-channel sedimentation and the expansion of riparian vegetation. The decrease in annual peak flows coincided with a reduction in the annual variation in moisture conditions, as measured by th...
Visual vs. Instrumental Evaluation of Fabric Whiteness

An evaluation was made of the ability of trained observers to visually detect small uniform differences in fabric-reflectance values. Three white 50% polyester/50% cotton broadcloth fabrics, one with no finish, one with a durable-press finish, and one with a flame-retardant finish, were soiled and laundered under varying conditions. Fabric-reflectance values were determined using a reflectometer. Trained observers were then asked to visually rank specimens that differed from each other in small uniform increments of reflectance. Significant rank-order correlation coefficients indicated that the observers were able to discern differences as small as 1.0 ± 0.1 reflectance unit. This translates to detectable differences of 1.1% in soil pickup and 3.5% in soil removal.
Long-lived charge carrier generation in ordered films of a covalent perylenediimide–diketopyrrolopyrrole–perylenediimide molecule

The photophysics of a covalently linked perylenediimide–diketopyrrolopyrrole–perylenediimide acceptor–donor–acceptor molecule (PDI–DPP–PDI, 1) were investigated and found to be markedly different in solution versus in unannealed and solvent annealed films. Photoexcitation of 1 in toluene results in quantitative charge separation in τ = 3.1 ± 0.2 ps, with charge recombination in τ = 340 ± 10 ps, while in unannealed/disordered films of 1, charge separation occurs in τ < 250 fs, while charge recombination displays a multiexponential decay in ∼6 ns. The absence of long-lived, charge separation in the disordered film suggests that few free charge carriers are generated. In contrast, upon CH2Cl2 vapor annealing films of 1, grazing-incidence X-ray scattering shows that the molecules form a more ordered structure. Photoexcitation of the ordered films results in initial formation of a spin-correlated radical ion pair (electron–hole pair) as indicated by magnetic field effects on the formation of free charge carriers which live for ∼4 μs. This result has significant implications for the design of organic solar cells based on covalent donor–acceptor systems and shows that long-lived, charge-separated states can be achieved by controlling intramolecular charge separation dynamics in well-ordered systems.
A Comparison of Self-Reported Health Education Competencies Among Selected School Health Educators In the United States and Taiwan, R.O.C

Results from a preliminary, cross-national study examining perceived competence of school health educators in Taiwan, R.O.C., and in Florida are reported. The study used the Self-Assessment for the Health Educator instrument, developed by the National Task Force on the Preparation and Practice of Health Educators, Inc., which specifies 79 skills in seven competency areas. School health educators from Taiwan and Florida rated their own perceived competence regarding each skill, and assessed the perceived usefulness of each skill in health education practice. Responses from the two groups were similar on six of seven competency areas regarding usefulness of the items. Yet, teachers from Taiwan expressed greater perceived competence than the Florida teachers in five of seven areas. However, within both groups, teachers rated perceived usefulness higher than their own perceived level of competence. Inservice training, amount of formal training, and years of professional experience affected levels of perceived confidence in both groups. Initial results suggest the self-assessment instrument may prove useful as a tool for examining professional competence in other countries, but more extensive research is needed to determine the instrument's applicability in cross-national comparisons.
Metal binding sheds light on mechanisms of amyloid assembly

Beta-2 microglobulin (beta2m) is the protein responsible for amyloid deposition in Dialysis-Related Amyloidosis (DRA). Aggregation can be induced by various solution conditions including exposure to divalent metal, incubation at acidic pH, and limited proteolysis. Using Cu(2+) as a trigger, we have trapped, isolated, and crystallized a stable oligomer of beta2m that is populated under amyloidogenic solution conditions (Calabrese et al. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2008; 15:965-71). This structure reveals that Cu(2+)-binding is associated with dramatic conformational rearrangements. This has allowed us to postulate a set of structural changes common to all beta2m aggregation pathways. Cu(2+) serves as a potential trigger in other aggregation systems such as Abeta, alpha-synuclein, and mammalian Prion (PrP). A comparison of Cu(2+) binding to beta2m and PrP reveals common features. Therefore, in addition to providing insight into DRA, induction of structure by Cu(2+) binding appears to be a recurring structural motif for pathological changes in conformation.
29Si nuclear magnetic resonance of dialkylpolysilanes

The silicon-29 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of a number of dialky- and alkylmethylpoly-silanes are reported. Polysilanes composed of asymmetrically substituted silylenes (i.e., alkylmethylsilylenes) exhibited very broad resonance lines attributed to diastereomeric chemical shifts of stereogenic silylenes alpha and beta to the observed nucles Symmetrically substituted polysilanes showed a single narrow peak. The 29Si chemical shifts for these polysilanes decrease with increasing steric bulk of the substituents, varying inversely with the electronic excitation energy.
Ageing and comorbidity among low-income psychiatric outpatients

The objective of this study was to determine if non-psychiatric morbidity increases with age in a group of low-income psychiatric outpatients. Data on demographics, presenting complaints, DSM-III diagnoses and use of psychiatric services were collected on all individuals (N = 382) admitted to a psychiatric outpatient clinic serving low-income population. Non-psychiatric morbidity was identified on the basis of medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. Bivariate analyses were done to determine the significance of the associations of comorbidity with other variables. A logistic regression was done using the presence or absence of comorbidity as the dependent variable. Age was the only variable which was significantly predictive of comorbidity. Additional resources should be allocated for the diagnosis and treatment of comorbidity among low-income elderly.
Boccaccio's Decameron 6.10 and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales VI.287-968: Thinking on Your Feet and the Set-Piece

Both Boccaccio, in his Decameron , and Chaucer, in The Canterbury Tales , place sermons delivered by highly skilled preachers very nearly at the centre of their story collections. Boccaccio's Fra Cipolla appears in Decameron 6.10 and Chaucer's Pardoner, in Canterbury Tales VI.287-968 ("The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale"). Boccaccio gives particular emphasis to the importance of his Cipolla by placing the master preacher in the last tale told on the sixth day of storytelling — the day when wit is the common theme of all ten tales. Chaucer's preacher appears in the tale preceding Fragment VII of the Canterbury Tales , wherein poetic language becomes a central theme. The coincidence of genre, character, theme, and placement between Boccaccio's Decameron 6.10 and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales VI.287-968 becomes especially interesting if there is even a chance that Chaucer knew the Decameron and its tale of Fra Cipolla.
Survey and taxonomy of packet classification techniques

Packet classification is an enabling function for a variety of Internet applications including quality of service, security, monitoring, and multimedia communications. In order to classify a packet as belonging to a particular flow or set of flows, network nodes must perform a search over a set of filters using multiple fields of the packet as the search key. In general, there have been two major threads of research addressing packet classification, algorithmic and architectural. A few pioneering groups of researchers posed the problem, provided complexity bounds, and offered a collection of algorithmic solutions. Subsequently, the design space has been vigorously explored by many offering new algorithms and improvements on existing algorithms. Given the inability of early algorithms to meet performance constraints imposed by high speed links, researchers in industry and academia devised architectural solutions to the problem. This thread of research produced the most widely-used packet classification device technology, Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM). New architectural research combines intelligent algorithms and novel architectures to eliminate many of the unfavorable characteristics of current TCAMs. We observe that the community appears to be converging on a combined algorithmic and architectural approach to the problem. Using a taxonomy based on the high-level approach to the problem and a minimal set of running examples, we provide a survey of the seminal and recent solutions to the problem. It is our hope to foster a deeper understanding of the various packet classification techniques while providing a useful framework for discerning relationships and distinctions.
Variation-tolerant non-uniform 3D cache management in die stacked multicore processor

Process variations in integrated circuits have significant impact on their performance, leakage and stability. This is particularly evident in large, regular and dense structures such as DRAMs. DRAMs are built using minimized transistors with presumably uniform speed in an organized array structure. Process variation can introduce latency disparity among different memory arrays. With the proliferation of 3D stacking technology, DRAMs become a favorable choice for stacking on top of a multicore processor as a last level cache for large capacity, high bandwidth, and low power. Hence, variations in bank speed creates a unique problem of non-uniform cache accesses in 3D space. In this paper, we investigate cache management techniques for tolerating process variation in a 3D DRAM stacked onto a multicore processor. We modeled the process variation in a 4-layer DRAM memory to characterize the latency variations among different banks. As a result, the notion of fast and slow banks from the core's standpoint is no longer associated with their physical distances with the banks. They are determined by the different bank latencies due to process variation. We develop cache migration schemes that utilizes fast banks while limiting the cost due to migration. Our experiments show that there is a great performance benefit in exploiting fast memory banks through migration. On average, a variation-aware management can improve the performance of a workload over the baseline (where one of the slowest bank speed is assumed for all banks) by 17.8%. We are also only 0.45% away in performance from an ideal memory where no process variation is present.
The long term use of covered metal stents in managing malignant biliary obstruction. Are we changing outcomes

Endoscopic placement of indwelling biliary stents has become he standard of care for palliation of jaundice in patientswith unreectable obstructing malignant tumours. The use of plastic stents PS) has been hampered by early occlusion requiring replacement very 3months, stentmigration and placement difficulty for stents arger than 10F through standard side-viewing therapeutic duoenoscopes. As a result of the deficiencies of PS, a self-expanding etal stent (SEMS) was developed in the hope of prolonging stent atency and reducing the need for repeat intervention. Since the allstent (Boston Scientific, Watertown, MA) was introduced in 990, SEMS placement has become the treatment of choice for nresectable,malignant, biliary obstruction in patients expected to urvive longer than 3 months. Initial randomised studies comparng SEMSwithPSdemonstrated longer patency rates anddecreased ates of cholangitis [1–3]. However, obtaining proper positioning s challenging due to expected foreshortening of the stent. Migraion is occasionally an issue, as is tissue ingrowth through the open esh of the SEMS, tumour overgrowth of the end of the prostheis and deposition of debris. A number of studies have observed 9–40% Wallstents’ occlusion rates [2,3]. As a result, new SEMS enerations have been developed with variations in diameters (6o 10-mm varieties), the use of nitinol, conformation and size of he wire opening, delivery system improvements with elimination f foreshortening, mechanisms of expansion and the addition of a lastic coating of the wire mesh.
A DIALECTICAL RESPONSE TO LEVINE'S “FRENCH TRADITION”

In this paper I examine and critique Donald Levine's treatment of the French Tradition in sociological thought. After summarizing Levine's account of the development of the French tradition, I discuss the identification of the French tradition with the work of Durkheim, and discuss the reasons for the predominance of Durkheim's work over and above other plausible candidates for exemplars of the French tradition of sociology. I then use this discussion to problematize the identification of sociological theories with national traditions, and the idealist framework that Levine uses to discuss the development of sociological thought
A comparison of /spl omega/-k and generalized SAR inversion for runway imaging

Wavefront curvature must be taken into account in highly squinted SAR applications, such as runway imaging from an aircraft approaching for landing. The /spl omega/-k algorithm, which successfully incorporates wavefront curvature into the processing, shows certain aberrations in the highly squinted case, depending on the accuracy of the interpolation and the location of the targets in the scene. An alternative SAR inversion method performs a more general basis decomposition of the imaging kernel in order to accurately model the wavefront curvature. This general inversion method is inherently robust to noise, however, it is computationally much more expensive. The performance of the /spl omega/-k algorithm can be improved by increasing the computational load only linearly. Here we make a fair comparison of the two methods, where they are constrained to use the same amount of computation.
Sectarian Identities, Narratives and Political Conflict in Baghdad

This article addresses some of the effects of political transformations and conflicts on the identity of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. It illustrates the gradual “Islamization” of space by Saddam Hussein’s regime, which reflected a sectarian bias as it denied Shi’a religious identity the level of visibility given to Sunni religious identity. After the fall of the regime, there was an upsurge in Shi’a symbolism and rituals in Baghdad, which further de-­secularized and sectarianized the public space. The article also addresses some of the cultural consequences for the sectarian segregation in Baghdad, especially by looking into the mosques and worship places, their sectarian distribution and the contesting claims regarding some of them. The rise of sub-­national cultures and the competition between Shi’as and Sunnis have further fragmented Baghdad’s identity and downgraded the cross-sectarian representations. This has been mirrored in the conflict of narratives about the city which is discussed in the last part of this article.
Short Tales of Serendipity, Curiosities, Medical Trivia, Authorship, and Speculation

This chapter is a potpourri of stories that touch on various aspects of medicine. Faced with the task of ordering them somehow, I have arranged them under five categories: serendipity, telling about some fortuitous advances in medicine; curiosities, describing a selection of fascinating clinical phenomena; trivia, telling some short stories about diseases, remedies, and persons; authorship, recording some little-known facts about medical reference books; and speculation, offering some theories about how disease just might possibly have influenced the world as we know it today.
US private oil and natural gas royalties: estimates and policy relevance

Widespread ownership of oil and natural gas resources by private individuals is unique to the United States. The owner's share is typically specified as a gross revenue royalty. We develop estimates of income from production of privately owned minerals. Focusing on onshore resources in the continental United States, we determine that the share of total oil and natural gas production attributable to privately owned minerals has been approximately 75 per cent in recent years. We find that average private royalty rates in recent years were 13.5 per cent for oil and 11.8 per cent for natural gas, and that private royalty income from oil and gas production was $21–22 billion in 2011 and 2012. We then briefly discuss four current policy issues upon which our estimates have bearing: exports of liquefied natural gas and crude oil, effects of refinery and pipeline constraints, state and federal tax policy, and regulation of technology.
Host Plant Influences on Feeding, Survivorship, Population Distribution, and Management of Blister Beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in Kansas

Blister beetles responded differently to three alfalfa cultivars and an experimental line in terms of feeding activity and longevity. Blister beetles consumed greater amounts of younger alfalfa than of mature alfalfa. Nutrient concentration tended to decrease as alfalfa growth stage progressed. Field investigations of naturally occurring densities of threestriped and margined, E. funebris Werner, blister beetles revealed that ‘Kansas Common’ and ‘Arrow’ alfalfas were more attractive than were ‘Riley’ and ‘KS 210’, a glandular-haired experimental line. Several plant parameters, such as alfalfa stem height, stem density, and developmental stage may partially influence the occurrence of threestriped blister beetles, Epicauta occidentalis Werner, on these alfalfa cultivars or experimental lines.
Thioredoxin regulates NF-kappa B activity through cytokine-mediated denitrosylation of p65

Activation of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-Kappa B (p50–p65) is inhibited via S-nitrosylation of the p65 subunit (SNO-p65). In the respiratory epithelium, cytokine stimulation induces rapid denitrosylation of p65 concomitant with NF-Kappa B activation and initiation of the pulmonary immune response. However, the mechanism for NF-Kappa B denitrosylation has remained unclear. We hypothesize that thioredoxin (Trx), an oxidoreductase with denitrosylating activity, mediates this response. We utilized cytokine-stimulated respiratory epithelial cells (A549) and C57BL6 mice exposed to aerosolized LPS (5 mg/m 3 ) to test this hypothesis. Trx reductase (TrxR) activity was inhibited in mice and in cells by pretreatment with the organic gold compounds auranofin and aurothioglucose, respectively. Trx protein expression, SNO-p65 formation and NF-Kappa B activity were quantified in cell lysates and in lung homogenates. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was analyzed for markers of airway inflammation (WBC count and cytokines). We found that TrxR inhibition prevented cytokine-mediated denitrosylation of p65, NF-Kappa B activation, and LPS-induced airway inflammation. Trx1 co-immunoprecipitated with p65 at baseline, but this interaction was not increased with cytokine stimulation nor did cytokines alter TrxR activity. Cytokine-induced and Trx-dependent denitrosylation of p65 was, however, dependent upon the ERK MAP kinase pathway, and the regulatory mechanisms for ERK-dependent denitrosylation will be discussed.
The Analysis on the Integration,Orientation and Value of the Pluralism Historical Characteristic of Daqing Spirit

Daqing spirit is a civilized history of outstanding petroleum culture,which combines the quintessence of Chinese culture.The patriotism spirit of "win glory for the motherland,and try to make a good showing for nationality" is the purpose characteristic of the Daqing spirit.The surmounting and prospective characteristic of the Daqing spirit makes the Daqing spirit rich in realistic value.The outstanding function on exploration,constant development,coordination,and combination of the Daqing spirit makes it play an irreplaceable role in the construction of harmonious Daqing and establishment of a century oil field in new period.
Prospective Analysis of Metabolic Parameters in the Detection of Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome in Liver Transplant Recipients

Abstract Background: Liver transplant recipients are at increased risk of metabolic complications, including new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT) and post-transplant metabolic syndrome (PTMS), both of which are associated with decreased patient survival. We prospectively monitored traditional and novel metabolic parameters in nondiabetic liver transplantation (LT) candidates to determine their role in detecting these conditions. Methods: Nondiabetic adults undergoing initial LT were prospectively identified. NODAT and PTMS were defined according to WHO and ATP III criteria. Metabolic measures were collected at pre-LT, 4, and 12 months post-LT. Results: Of 49 subjects enrolled, 24.5% were found to be diabetic pre-LT by 2-hr oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) despite fasting glucose below the diabetic range. Two patients developed NODAT post-LT. A single patient was found to have MS at baseline, while PTMS developed in 26% and 31.3% of patients at 4 and 12 months. Novel metabolic marker...
Strabismus surgery among Medicare beneficiaries: imputed rates of reoperation in the same calendar year.

Purpose To compare strabismus surgery reoperation rates in a large national database of provider payments when the adjustable-suture technique was available and not available. Materials and methods Fee-for-service payments to Medicare providers for horizontal (CPT 67311) and vertical (CPT 67314) strabismus surgery in 2012 were analyzed to identify payments for reoperations in the same calendar year. The adjustable-suture technique was considered to be available to the patient if the patient's surgeon billed for adjustable sutures during the year. We determined the association of reoperation with the availability of the adjustable-suture technique and with surgeon volume. Results Patients having horizontal muscle surgery had a rate of reoperation in 2012 of 4.1% (15 of 364 patients) when the adjustable technique was available, compared with 7.1% (77 of 1,082 patients) when the adjustable technique was not available (P = 0.047). Patients having vertical muscle surgery had a rate of reoperation in 2012 of 4.1% (8 of 196 patients) when the adjustable technique was available, compared with 8.3% (38 of 458 patients) when the adjustable technique was not available (P = 0.07). Having surgery in a high-volume surgical practice was not reliably associated with reoperation rates. Conclusions For patients having strabismus surgery, the availability of the adjustable-suture technique was associated with a lower reoperation rate in this large national database (compared with patients for whom the adjustable technique was not available). The difference was statistically significantly different from zero for horizontal muscle surgery but not for vertical muscle surgery.
The Later Years of Elizabeth I (1579–1603)

In 1578 two French Protestant exiles, Henri Estienne II and Jean de Serres, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I the first volume of a new three-volume edition of the Opera of Plato, in gratitude for the succor that she had extended to Huguenot exiles ever since the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572 (1578 ed., vol. 1, fol. *111v). The new edition was intended for scholars; indeed Estienne’s Greek text is still used today as the standard text by which scholars refer to passages in Plato’s works. In England, however, because the first copies of the work were sent to the Queen and to Philip Sidney (Languet, Epistolae, Dalrymple ed., 1776, p. 238), the new edition had the paradoxical effect of stimulating interest in the court conception of Plato rather than in the school conception. Like Malvolio, who imagined that Olivia admired yellow stockings (Twelfth Night, III.ii, iv), the subjects of Elizabeth imagined that because the new Plato had been dedicated to her, she must admire Plato, and they promptly bestirred themselves to mention the name of Plato as often as possible for her benefit.
Amygdala Atrophy in MCI/Alzheimer’s Disease in the BIOCARD cohort based on Diffeomorphic Morphometry

Surface-based deformation markers obtained from diffeomorphic mapping of the amygdala are used to study specific atrophy patterns in a combined mild cognitively impaired and demented cohort compared with cognitively normal aging subjects. Statistical analysis demonstrates with high significance in a small sample of legacy data that deformation-based morphometry provides sensitive markers for locating atrophy in the amygdala. With respect to a high-field amygdala atlas, significant atrophy was found in the basomedial and lateral nucleus subregions.
Gut Microbiota: Modulation of Host Physiology in Obesity

Many factors are involved in weight gain and metabolic disturbances associated with obesity. The gut microbiota has been of particular interest in recent years, since both human and animal studies have increased our understanding of the delicate symbiosis between the trillions of microbes that reside in the GI tract and the host. It has been suggested that disruption of this mutual tolerance may play a significant role in modulating host physiology during obesity. Environmental influences such as diet, exercise, and early life exposures can significantly impact the composition of the microbiota, and this dysbiosis can in turn lead to increased host adiposity via a number of different mechanisms. The ability of the microbiota to regulate host fat deposition, metabolism, and immune function makes it an attractive target for achieving sustained weight loss.
In Vitro Propagation and Branching Morphogenesis from Single Ureteric Bud Cells.

A method to maintain and rebuild ureteric bud (UB)-like structures from UB cells in vitro could provide a useful tool for kidney regeneration. We aimed in our present study to establish a serum-free culture system that enables the expansion of UB progenitor cells, i.e., UB tip cells, and reconstruction of UB-like structures. We found that fibroblast growth factors or retinoic acid (RA) was sufficient for the survival of UB cells in serum-free condition, while the proliferation and maintenance of UB tip cells required glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor together with signaling from either WNT-β-catenin pathway or RA. The activation of WNT-β-catenin signaling in UB cells by endogenous WNT proteins required R-spondins. Together with Rho kinase inhibitor, our culture system facilitated the expansion of UB tip cells to form UB-like structures from dispersed single cells. The UB-like structures thus formed retained the original UB characteristics and integrated into the native embryonic kidneys.
Amino Acid Catabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease Brain: Friend or Foe?

There is a dire need to discover new targets for Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug development. Decreased neuronal glucose metabolism that occurs in AD brain could play a central role in disease progression. Little is known about the compensatory neuronal changes that occur to attempt to maintain energy homeostasis. In this review using the PubMed literature database, we summarize evidence that amino acid oxidation can temporarily compensate for the decreased glucose metabolism, but eventually altered amino acid and amino acid catabolite levels likely lead to toxicities contributing to AD progression. Because amino acids are involved in so many cellular metabolic and signaling pathways, the effects of altered amino acid metabolism in AD brain are far-reaching. Possible pathological results from changes in the levels of several important amino acids are discussed. Urea cycle function may be induced in endothelial cells of AD patient brains, possibly to remove excess ammonia produced from increased amino acid catabolism. Studying AD from a metabolic perspective provides new insights into AD pathogenesis and may lead to the discovery of dietary metabolite supplements that can partially compensate for alterations of enzymatic function to delay AD or alleviate some of the suffering caused by the disease.
Vera C. Rubin: Pioneering American astronomer (1928-2016).

Vera Cooper Rubin, an icon of astronomy whose work revolutionized our understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of dark matter, passed away on December 25, 2016 at the age of 88. Vera had a lifelong love of the cosmos. “How could you possibly live on this Earth and not want to study the universe?” she wondered. Vera was a devoted champion of women in science and a beloved role model to generations of astronomers. The astronomical community has lost a pioneering scientist; her colleagues have lost an inspiring leader and a friend. Vera C. Rubin. Image courtesy of Mark Godfrey (photographer). Vera’s pivotal work in the 1970s established that the orbital speeds of stars in the outer parts of galaxies remain constant to large distances (known as “flat rotation curves”), rather than decline as expected from Newton’s law, and as observed in the outer parts of our Solar system. This excess speed requires excess mass beyond what we see in stars and gas. Vera’s observations provided crucial and convincing evidence for the existence of this excess “dark matter,” a suggestion first made by astronomer Fritz Zwicky in 1933 based, similarly, on large velocities … [↵][1]1Email: neta{at}astro.princeton.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Reinterpreting the Eucharist: explorations in feminist theology and ethics

Reinterpreting the Eucharist: Explorations in Feminist Theology and Ethics offers a fascinating set of explorations into the different ways that the Eucharist has been practiced historically and in...
Passions du réel (sur Philippe Vasset, Olivia Rosenthal et Thomas Clerc)

For the last few decades in France, the “call of the real” (Philippe Forest) has presented itself to many writers as nothing less than an ethical imperative. Indeed, texts belonging to referential or “factual” literature have multiplied to such an extent that commentators – echoing Husserl’s famous exhortation – have talked about a “return to the real” (Dominique Viart), as if literature, in its rejection of fiction, was vowing to immerse itself anew in the world. This article focuses on three recent and notable examples: Philippe Vasset’s Un livre blanc (2007), Thomas Clerc’s Paris, musee du XXIe siecle (2007), and Olivia Rosenthal’s Viande froide (2008). If an effort to explore, track and inventory a precarious real lies at the core of these texts (precarious because it is often nearly invisible, inaudible or already fading away), they also display formal strategies that attempt to capture something singular, strange or in excess, in short everything that in the “real” resists or challenges representation.
The roles of physical activity and sedentary behavior on Hispanic children’s mental health: a motor skill perspective

Motor competence (MC) has been recognized as the foundation for life-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) as well as an influential factor in reducing sedentary behavior during childhood. Guided by Blair et al.’s health model, the purpose of this study was to examine the behavioral mechanism of mental health including physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health among Hispanic children related to MC and MVPA. A prospective research design was used with two-wave assessments across one academic year. A total of 141 Hispanic kindergarteners (Meanage = 5.37, SD = 0.48) were recruited in Texas. Nearly all (94.3%) of the participants were from low-income families based on the Income Eligibility Guidelines. The study was approved by the University Research Review Board, and informed consent was obtained from parents/guardians prior to starting the study. Multiple regressions indicated that manipulative skill was a significant predictor of physical and psychosocial health (β = 0.21, β = 0.26, p < 0.05, respectively) and locomotor skill served as a significant predictor for cognitive health (β = 0.22, p < 0.01), after controlling for BMI. Bootstrapping analyses supported the statistical significance of indirect effects of MC on mental health outcomes through MVPA (95% CI [0.031, 0.119]) and sedentary behavior (95% CI [0.054, 0.235]), respectively. The results suggest that skill-based activities/games, with instructions, should be encouraged during school-based physical activity and health promotion programs in childhood education. Better understanding of the early effects of MC may contribute to designing strategies to promote Hispanic children’s well-being.
Support for Beauty-Status Exchange Remains Illusory:

In my article, “Beauty and Status: The Illusion of Exchange in Partner Selection?” (McClintock 2014), I used descriptive statistics, three forms of regression, and six measures of socioeconomic sta...
Increasing Physical Activity and Enjoyment Through Goal-Setting at Summer Camp

Children’s physical activity levels decrease in the summer months, which explains the interest in out-of-school programs that maintain and increase physical activity (Carrel, Clark, Peterson, Eickhoff, & Allen, 2007). Park and recreation professionals have long understood their contributions to physical activity efforts (Mowen, Trauntvein, Graefe, & Son, 2012). Physical activity is inherent in many recreation programs and commonly embedded in program and facility designs, though efforts to leverage these inherent strengths are often less intentional. In school and work contexts, programs that use goal-setting with pedometers have been linked to increasing physical activity levels (Kang, Marshall, Barreira, & Lee, 2009). However, for such a program to work in a recreation context, it would need to be effective at boosting physical activity and remain enjoyable for participants (Trew, Kremer, Gallagher, Scully, & Ogle, 1997). The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of three different goal-setting programs with pedometers on children’s physical activity and enjoyment in a day camp setting. The goal-setting programs differed each week; campers set individual goals, small group goals, and then a camp-wide goal. A secondary aim was to assess if differences in step counts and enjoyment of physical activity existed for male/female and older/younger campers. Participants included 88 children between the ages of 5 and 11 (mean age was 7.8 ± 1.6 years). Physical activity and enjoyment measures were collected at baseline and three subsequent weeks during the goal-setting programs. There were significant increases in step counts when comparing the baseline to individual goal-setting (Δ = 776 steps, p = 0.003, d = 0.38) and for camp-wide goal-setting (Δ = 1547 steps, p < 0.001, d = 0.78), and significant increases in enjoyment compared to baseline for group goal-setting (Δ = .91 enjoyment, p = 0.001, d = 0.52) and for camp-wide goal-setting (Δ = .66 enjoyment, p = 0.003, d = 0.40). Boys were more physically active than girls ( p = .006, d = 0.50) and on average took 796 more steps. Also, older campers enjoyed physical activity less; the correlation between age and enjoyment was r = -.317 (p = .003). These data illustrate that a goal-setting pedometer-based program functioning at a broader level was most effective at increasing both physical activity and participants’ enjoyment of physical activity. Concerted efforts by recreation programmers may be necessary to encourage physical activity that is enjoyable among girls and older children. Subscribe to JPRA
Impulse response analysis of coherent waveguide communication

An impulse response method is carried out to analyze waveguide's information capacity within a coherent communication system. Such capability is typically estimated according to group delay variations (seconds/bandwidth/distance) after carrier-modulated data undergoes a dispersive medium. However, traditional group delay methods often ignore non-linear effects by assuming input data stream only occupies narrow bandwidth such that a propagation constant can be linearized centered at the carrier frequency. Such a constraint can be lifted with a proposed baseband equivalent impulse response method by using frequency domain convolution and multiplication. Once the impulse response in frequency domain is secured, its time domain counterpart can be calculated based on inverse Fourier transformation. Such analysis can fully reveal data pulse's broadening and gauge its inter-symbol interference by simply convolving input data with extracted impulse response, not limited to specific frequency range or type of waveguide.
The k-Nearest Representatives Classifier: A Distance-Based Classifier with Strong Generalization Bounds

We define the k-Nearest Representatives (k-NR) classifier, a distance-based classifier similar to the k-nearest neighbors classifier with comparable accuracy in practice, and stronger generalization bounds. Uniform convergence is shown through Rademacher complexity, and generalizability is controlled through regularization. Finite-sample risk bound are also given. Compared to the k-NN, the k-NR requires less memory to store and classification queries may be made more efficiently. Training is also efficient, being polynomial in all parameters, and is accomplished via a simple empirical risk minimization process.
High-speed Wide-field Photoacoustic Microscopy

We present our recent progress on a super-fast photoacoustic microscopy with an ultra-wide field of view. By using a novel polygon mirror scanner that can be immersed in water, we have achieved a B-scan frame rate of 1000 Hz with a scanning range of at least 13 mm. Hemodynamic responses in the whole mouse brain and ear were imaged.
The Impacts of Doing Environmental Research (Core Tenet #3)

The third core tenet of Critical Physical Geography recognizes that the environmental research we produce has deep impacts on the people and landscapes we study. Some of these impacts result from the methods we use; other impacts result from the distribution and application of our work. I consider both of these areas of impact in this chapter. I pay particular attention to environmental research in and on the Anthropocene, an era cast as a time and place for experimentation, and I argue that our scientific interventions in this “laboratory Earth” are always political—whether we intend them to be or not. I conclude with suggestions for managing these research impacts and possible directions for future research.
Screening patients for Barrett esophagus: Why, who, and how

Abstract Although esophageal adenocarcinoma is an uncommon cancer, it is often fatal unless found at an early disease stage. Screening to discover early stage disease for its only known precursor, Barrett esophagus, is currently the only solution to improve survival. Multiple strategies have been suggested for screening including identification of a higher risk population using epidemiological factors such as sex, age, symptoms of reflux, and presence of central obesity. In addition, new nonendoscopic methods of screening have been created including sponges, balloons, breath tests, and tests on various bodily fluids. All of these new developments were created in order to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of screening. New technologies may allow for a low-cost, noninvasive screening technology that is highly acceptable to healthy patients at risk for esophageal cancer.
Flatness and Projectivity of Modules That Come from ℂ-Sets

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses flatness and projectivity of modules that come from ℂ-sets. The chapter presents a case where M is a ℂ-set. If nonadditive flatness and projectivity of M are considered, the results are simple and well-known. However, in the additive case, the matter is not so simple, and hypotheses are needed on M or ℂ. Sometimes the results are valid for arbitrary coefficient rings in place, and this leads to the question of when projective modules over ringoids are free or, in other words, coproducts of representables. The affinization of a small category ℂ is the subcategory aff ℂ of the additivization ℤℂ, consisting of those morphisms whose integer coefficients sum to one. As the sum of coefficients on either side is one, there must be a basis element on one side equal to a basis element on the other. The splitting must take each indecomposable subset of M into a single term of the coproduct, from which the first assertion follows.
Matrix completion for cost reduction in finite element simulations under hybrid uncertainties

Abstract In recent years, uncertainty appears in different aspects of physical simulations including probabilistic boundary, stochastic loading, and multiscale modeling. Stretching across engineering domains and applied mathematics, uncertainty quantification is a multi-disciplinary field which is an inseparable part of risk analysis. However, many real-world problems deal with large number of simulations or experiments. Considering the limited budget and time to perform all these efforts (specially for practitioners), an essential task is to reduce the computational cost in an uncertain environment. This paper proposes to use a matrix completion technique for reducing the overall computational cost of engineering systems when they are subjected to the simultaneous effects of aleatory and epistemic uncertainties with high dimensions. The proposed method is further improved using hidden information in the uncertain variables based on clustering techniques. Several parametric and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to demonstrate the accuracy of our method with different compression ratios. Experimental results show a decent overall performance of our technique for high-dimensional hybrid uncertain systems.
Cervicothoracic Approach: Manubriotomy and Sternotomy

Anterior approaches to the cervicothoracic junction require precise knowledge of the regional anatomy. In the setting of spinal tumor, complexity is often compounded by distortion of anatomic tissue planes in a debilitated host. The extensive dissection often requires the assistance of a thoracic surgeon. Without sternotomy, access to T2 can be achieved through the use of the low anterior approach, while a modified anterior approach with medial claviculectomy can provide access to T4. Partial manubriotomy or sternotomy can be used in conjunction with the low anterior or modified anterior approaches to facilitate exposure, reconstruction, and instrumentation from C3 to T4 or T5. Complete sternotomy or clamshell extension does not provide access to more caudal levels of the spine, but it may be useful in the setting of spinal tumor with significant intrathoracic involvement.
Metronidazole-Induced Pancreatitis: Is There Underrecognition? A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Introduction. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is the most common cause of gastroenterological hospitalization in the USA, with a mortality ranging from 5 to 20%. Up to 80% of cases are caused by cholelithiasis and alcohol abuse. Less common etiologies that need to be explored include hypertriglyceridemia, trauma, ERCP, infections, and drugs. A number of medications are known to cause acute pancreatitis, with 0.3-1.4% of all cases of pancreatitis being drug induced (DIP). Here, we present a case of metronidazole-induced acute pancreatitis. Case Summary. A 60-year-old female presented with constant severe epigastric pain associated with nausea, vomiting, and anorexia for one day. She had no past medical history of alcohol use or hypertriglyceridemia and was s/p cholecystectomy in the distant past. Symptoms had begun three days after starting metronidazole for Clostridium difficile colitis. Lipase was > 396, and CT abdomen revealed peripancreatic fat stranding. She was diagnosed with AP, metronidazole was suspected to be responsible and hence stopped, and supportive management initiated. Her symptoms improved rapidly, and pancreatic enzymes normalized within 2 days. Of note, she had had an episode of acute pancreatitis 3 years ago, also following metronidazole use, with resolution at discontinuation of the drug. She had concurrently been on omeprazole during both episodes. Discussion. Metronidazole is a commonly used antibiotic and is infrequently reported as a cause of DIP. Our review suggests the possibility of a dose-response and duration-response effect between metronidazole use and occurrence of pancreatitis. The most common presenting symptom and sign was moderate to severe epigastric pain and tenderness, accompanied by nausea/vomiting. Symptoms usually start within 2-7 days of starting the medication and usually resolve 2-5 days after discontinuation of therapy and pancreatitis treatment. The most common causative dose was 1-1.5 g/day. Our review also supports findings by Norgaard et al. suggesting that concurrent use of omeprazole potentiates the risk of metronidazole-induced pancreatitis. Conclusion. Metronidazole is a commonly used antibiotic that may cause metronidazole-induced pancreatitis, especially if patients are concurrently taking PPIs. Awareness needs to be raised amongst clinicians regarding this association, in order to correctly identify etiology of pancreatitis and discontinue metronidazole promptly when suspected as the causative factor.