cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Segmental resection for the treatment of congenital pulmonary malformations

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of segmental resection to lobectomy as increasing antenatal diagnosis of congenital pulmonary malformations has led to a shift in surgical management. Methods A retrospective institutional review for patients undergoing surgical excision of congenital pulmonary malformations was performed. Results Sixty-two patients with congenital pulmonary malformations were reviewed between 2001 and 2012. Forty-five were included for analysis. Malformations were subdivided into two groups, including congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) (n=11, 24%) and intrapulmonary (IP) lesions (n=34, 76%). Nineteen (56%) IP patients underwent segmental resection, and 15 (79%) were performed thoracoscopically without conversion to thoracotomy. None of these patients had recurrent disease. Lobectomy was performed in 11 (100%) CLE and 15 (44%) IP patients, and the majority were by thoracotomy. Median hospital stay was longer for the lobectomy group at 7days when compared to the segmentectomy group at 2days (p Conclusions Segmental resections of congenital pulmonary malformations can be performed safely while conserving healthy lung tissue.
Education, Creativity and the Economy of Passions: New Forms of Educational Capitalism

This article reviews claims for creativity in the economy and in education distinguishing two accounts: 'personal anarcho-aesthetics' and 'the design principle'. The first emerges in the psychological literature from sources in the Romantic Movement emphasizing the creative genius and the way in which creativity emerges from deep subconscious processes, involves the imagination, is anchored in the passions, cannot be directed and is beyond the rational control of the individual. This account has a close fit to business as a form of 'brainstorming', 'mind-mapping' or 'strategic planning', and is closely associated with the figure of the risk-taking entrepreneur. By contrast, 'the design principle' is both relational and social and surfaces in related ideas of 'social capital', 'situated learning', and 'P2P' (peer-to-peer) accounts of commons-based peer production. It is seen to be a product of social and networked environments — rich semiotic and intelligent environments in which everything speaks. The art...
Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria Exhibit a Species-Specific Response to Dispersed Oil while Moderating Ecotoxicity

The Deepwater Horizon blowout in April 2010 represented the largest accidental marine oil spill and the largest release of chemical dispersants into the environment to date. While dispersant application may provide numerous benefits to oil spill response efforts, the impacts of dispersants and potential synergistic effects with crude oil on individual hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are poorly understood. In this study, two environmentally relevant species of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were utilized to quantify the response to Macondo crude oil and Corexit 9500A-dispersed oil in terms of bacterial growth and oil degradation potential. In addition, specific hydrocarbon compounds were quantified in the dissolved phase of the medium and linked to ecotoxicity using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved rotifer assay. Bacterial treatment significantly and drastically reduced the toxicity associated with dispersed oil (increasing the 50% lethal concentration [LC50] by 215%). The growth and crude oil degradation potential of Acinetobacter were inhibited by Corexit by 34% and 40%, respectively; conversely, Corexit significantly enhanced the growth of Alcanivorax by 10% relative to that in undispersed oil. Furthermore, both bacterial strains were shown to grow with Corexit as the sole carbon and energy source. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial species demonstrate a unique response to dispersed oil compared to their response to crude oil, with potentially opposing effects on toxicity. While some species have the potential to enhance the toxicity of crude oil by producing biosurfactants, the same bacteria may reduce the toxicity associated with dispersed oil through degradation or sequestration.
Mitochondria and Endothelial Function

In contrast to their role in cell types with higher energy demands, mitochondria in endothelial cells primarily function in signaling cellular responses to environmental cues. This article provides an overview of key aspects of mitochondrial biology in endothelial cells, including subcellular location, biogenesis, dynamics, autophagy, reactive oxygen species production and signaling, calcium homeostasis, regulated cell death, and heme biosynthesis. In each section, we introduce key concepts and then review studies showing the importance of that mechanism to endothelial control of vasomotor tone, angiogenesis, and/or inflammatory activation. We particularly highlight the small number of clinical and translational studies that have investigated each mechanism in human subjects. Finally, we review interventions that target different aspects of mitochondrial function and their effects on endothelial function. The ultimate goal of such research is the identification of new approaches for therapy. The reviewed studies make it clear that mitochondria are important in endothelial physiology and pathophysiology. A great deal of work will be needed, however, before mitochondria-directed therapies are available for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Cell Entry: a Biochemical and Structural Perspective

This chapter begins with a discussion of some of the obstacles that have hampered progress in studying cell entry pathways for picornaviruses and other non-enveloped viruses. The chapter reviews what is known about the early steps leading to internalization of the viruses into intracellular vesicles, focusing on examples (for key members of the family) that point out the diversity in the cell entry pathways used as well as the common themes. It finishes with an exploration (admittedly poliovirus centered) of what we know about the machinery that facilitates translocation of the genome across the membrane once the virus has been internalized. The virion- to-135S (or A particle) transition has not been observed in the aphthoviruses (foot-and-mouth disease viruses [FMDVs] and equine rhinitis virus) or cardioviruses (encephalomyocarditis virus, mengovirus). Although clathrin-mediated endocytosis may serve as the predominant entry pathway for some picornaviruses (including FMDV, minor group rhinoviruses, and probably major group rhinoviruses), it is clear that other picornaviruses use a variety of other endocytic pathways. In a recent study it was shown that the coxsackievirus B3 first binds to DAF (CD55) on the apical surfaces of the cells. This study clearly demonstrates the importance of virus-induced signaling in cell entry. Advances in detectors and optics that should become available in the future will improve the resolution achievable in both cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) approaches, making it possible to approach near-atomic resolution from cryo-EM studies of intermediates in vitro and unprecedented resolution for structures determined in situ.
Nucleate Pool Boiling under Reduced Gravity Conditions—Role of Numerical Simulations

Abstract Past efforts in developing an understanding of nucleate boiling under reduced gravity conditions have been mostly experimental. Often conjectures are made to explain the observed phenomena. In this chapter, numerical simulations of the process are used to simulate bubble dynamics and associated heat transfer at earth normal gravity, at 1/100th of earth gravity, and at microgravity conditions. The simulation results have been validated with experiments conducted on earth, in parabolic flights, and on the International Space Station. Numerical simulations are extended to predict nucleate boiling heat transfer on microfabricated and ordinary surfaces that are placed normal to the major gravity vector. In predicting the dependence of nucleate boiling heat flux on superheat correlations available in the literature for number density of active nucleation sites and waiting periods are used. For microfabricated surfaces, number of active sites and their location on the surface, as observed in experiments, were used as input to the model. Consistent with data from experiments, numerical simulations show that with reduced gravity heat transfer rate degrades.
Giving credence to controls: Avoiding the false phenotype.

Cardiovascular science has undergone a revolution in the past 25 years with the application of genetic engineering to the heart and creation of relevant animal models in worms, flies, mice, rats and pigs [1]. A series of evermore-powerful tools have catalyzed the creation of hearts that can express, over-express or not express targeted genes and in some cases, control the developmental timing of the manipulation. Using animal models has allowed the cardiovascular community to establish causality, confirm proof-of-principal for therapeutic approaches, and helped us to understand the relevant pathways and their most important intersections for normal and abnormal cardiac function [1]. The mouse has been the model of choice for the largest number of investigators using these tools as the advantages of dealing with a mammalian, four chambered heart in terms of the data's application to human cardiovascular function and disease remain compelling. The definition of reagents such as the α- and β-myosin heavy chain promoters (MyHC) [2,3] that allowed investigators to drive cardiomyocyte-specific expression at various developmental times and in a chamber-specific manner, cemented the mouse as an important, genetically amenable model for cardiovascular disease. The community's ability to rigorously characterize the resultant phenotype and cardiac physiology using techniques that were first developed for larger animal models, followed quickly [4,5]. The promoters were used to drive expression of a large number of normal and mutated proteins in the heart with the use of the α-MyHC promoter predominating, as it drives cardiomyocyte-specific expression in the atria during fetal development and in all four chambers starting a couple of days before birth, as thyroid hormone production begins and activates transcription from the myc6 locus [3].
Molecular Simulations of Protein Structure, Dynamics and Thermodynamics

Proteins display a rich variety of structural, dynamic and chemically functional character. It is the wide range of chemical functionality provided by the twenty amino acids composing proteins which is responsible for the importance of these macromolecules in biology. The chemical nature of protein function is controlled by the structural arrangement and motions of chemically labile groups. Thus, the detailed investigation of the motions and structure of a single protein molecule is of importance in understanding the reactive nature of protein chemistry.
Differential range study of the 65Cu(α, αn) reaction at intermediate energies

Abstract The differential ranges of the recoil product of the 65 Cu(α, α n ) reaction have been measured over the energy interval of 24–42 MeV by means of the electrostatic collection technique. The results are compared with a Monte Carlo calculation based on the statistical theory and the use of a range-energy relation due to Lindhard, Scharff and Schiott as well as with a simple direct interaction model. The differential ranges at low bombarding energies are found to be consistent with a compound nuclear process. The ranges at the higher energies are smaller than the calculated values, indicating that a direct interaction mechanism is involved at energies above 35 MeV.
Cascades of Coverage: Dynamics of Media Attention to Social Movement Organizations

Gaining attention in the mass media is a key goal of many social movement organizations (SMOs). The dominant explanation of media attention to SMOs is that the media act like a filter, selecting some types of SMOs and events for attention, and ignoring others based on characteristics of these SMOs, events, and their political environment. In contrast to this “bias model,” I argue that some media attention to SMOs is characterized by positive feedback, or rich-get-richer processes: past media attention increases the likelihood of future media attention through its effect on the SMO and on other media outlets. Like other positive feedback systems, media attention can be path dependent, is routinely punctuated by large cascades of attention to previously obscure SMOs, and can be contingent on “accidents” of history: at critical junctures, individuals, organizations, and events have the potential to radically impact the extent of media attention to their movements and organizations. Media attention to SMOs can also become decoupled from the types of events that initially sparked their media attention, becoming spokes-organizations for their movements and receiving media attention for events and stories that they themselves are not involved. In support of this theory, I first show that media attention is, similar to other positive feedback processes, power-law distributed across SMOs using two national (US) data sets. I then illustrate the process of positive feedback in media attention through a case study of the Black Panther Party’s rise to prominence in media attention.
Abstract AS09: Germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative families with ovarian and breast cancer

Abstracts: 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; September 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA Objectives: Germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes other than BRCA1 and BRCA2 ( BRCA1/2 ) are found in approximately 6% of women with ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. Our objective was to sequence BRCA1/2 -negative ovarian cancer patients with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer to identify inherited mutations that may explain the familial risk. Methods: We used a targeted capture, massively parallel sequencing test called BROCA on ovarian cancer probands with a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, or a personal history of breast cancer. BROCA testing included all known breast and ovarian cancer genes. Only clear loss of function mutations were included. 118 probands were ascertained from a gynecologic oncology tissue bank or outside referrals and provided informed consent. A family history of ovarian cancer was defined as having a first or second degree relative with ovarian cancer. A family history of breast cancer was defined as having a first or second degree relative with pre-menopausal breast cancer, or 2 or more regardless of menopausal status. Subjects were only included in one category. Results: Of 118 ovarian cancer probands, 22 (18.6%) were found to carry deleterious mutations in non- BRCA1/2 cancer susceptibility genes. 8/29 (27.6%) ovarian cancer patients with a personal history of breast cancer had mutations in 7 genes (2 CHEK2 , 2 RAD51D , 1 BRIP1 , 1 TP53 , 1 ATM , and one with both PALB2 and PMS2 ). This included mutations found in 2/5 (40%) who also had a family history of ovarian cancer and 4/10 (40%) who also had a family history of breast cancer. 38 patients had a family history of ovarian cancer with no personal history of breast cancer; 9/38 (23.7%) had mutations in 5 genes (3 BRIP1 , 3 RAD51C , 1 RAD51D , 1 TP53 , and 1 ATM ). Finally, 5/51 (9.8%) ovarian cancer patients with a family history of breast cancer and no personal history of breast cancer had mutations in 5 genes (1 MSH6 , 1 FAM175A , 1 NBN , 1 PALB2 , and 1 CHEK2 ). Conclusions: Germline mutations in DNA-repair genes are present in a substantial fraction of BRCA1/ 2-negative ovarian cancer patients with a personal or family history suggestive of inherited disease. These women may benefit from multiplex gene testing. The detection of inherited mutations in these women may be useful to identify the risk of other cancers, to inform family members of possible risk, and to direct therapy by suggesting candidates for PARP inhibitor therapy. Citation Format: B. Norquist, M. Harrell, T. Walsh, J. Mandell, S. Bernards, K. Agnew, M. Lee, K. Pennington, M.C. King, E. Swisher. Germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative families with ovarian and breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 10th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 8-9, 2014; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(16 Suppl):Abstract nr AS09.
EQeq+C: An Empirical Bond-Order-Corrected Extended Charge Equilibration Method.

The extended charge equilibration (EQeq) scheme computes atomic partial charges using the experimentally measured ionization potentials and electron affinities of atoms. However, EQeq erroneously predicts constant (environment independent) charges for high-oxidation-state transition metals in amine-templated metal oxide (ATMO) compounds, contrary to the variation observed in iterative Hirshfeld (Hirshfeld-I) charges, bond-valence sum calculations, and formal oxidation state calculations. To fix this problem, we present a simple, noniterative empirical pairwise correction based on the Pauling bond-order/distance relationship, which we denote EQeq+C. We parametrized the corrections to reproduce the Hirshfeld-I charges of ATMO compounds and REPEAT charges of metal organic framework (MOF) compounds. The EQeq+C correction fixes the metal charge problem and significantly improves the partial atomic charges compared to EQeq. We demonstrate the transferability of the parametrization by applying it to a set of unr...
Teories de causació i explicació: necessàriament vertaderes o domini-específiques?

En Humphreys [2000] vaig argumentar que ates que estan basades en quantitats conservades, les ultimes teories de la causacio i l'explicacio de Salmon requereixen un compromis amb una forma de fisicalisme bastant radical, fent la teoria dificil d'aplicar a fenomenossociales, economics i psicologics. Aquest compromis semblaria estrenyer considerablement l'abast de les teories llevat que una vasta reduccio de les ciencies socials i psicologiques a la fisica pugui ser aconseguida. En el present treball argument que el contingut empiric inherent a les teories de Salmon, encara que present encara, es menys problematic del que vaig pensar en [2000] i aixo fa que problemes filosofics involucrats en la seva avaluacio siguin menys severs del que podrien semblar. Es mes, el grau de compromis amb el fisicalisme requerit per les teories mes madures de Salmon es minim.La combinacio de realisme i empirisme en les teories de Salmon requereix menys cambiosen els metodes filosofics del que podria esperar-se.
Enhanced electrical and thermal conduction in graphene-encapsulated copper nanowires.

Highly conductive copper nanowires (CuNWs) are essential for efficient data transfer and heat conduction in wide ranging applications like high-performance semiconductor chips and transparent conductors. However, size scaling of CuNWs causes severe reduction in electrical and thermal conductivity due to substantial inelastic surface scattering of electrons. Here we report a novel scalable technique for low-temperature deposition of graphene around CuNWs and observe strong enhancement of electrical and thermal conductivity for graphene-encapsulated CuNWs compared to uncoated CuNWs. Fitting the experimental data with the theoretical model for conductivity of CuNWs reveals significant reduction in surface scattering of electrons at the oxide-free CuNW surfaces, translating into 15% faster data transfer and 27% lower peak temperature compared to the same CuNW without the graphene coating. Our results provide compelling evidence for improved speed and thermal management by adapting the Cu–graphene hybrid techn...
The Moderating Effects of Perceived Threat to Valued Job Features on Career Commitment among University Professors.

This article studies the relationships between perceptions of threats to valued job features, total job (job insecurity), and career commitment among university professors, using the context of pos...
Influence of drainage divide structure on the distribution of mountain peaks

Mountain peaks influence local climate, are proxies for topographic youth and exhumation, and are the most recognized features of mountain belts, yet are largely incidental to the modern conceptual framework of orogenic erosion that is focused on valley incision. Here it is shown that the three-dimensional distribution of prominent peaks is related to the confluences of major divides and thus to drainage basin structure. Divide-junction summits dominate mountain landscapes in both glacial and fluvial settings and likely result from the inherent stability of pyramidal peaks, in terms of both protection from valley erosion and greater mechanical stability relative to linear ridges. The potential stability of divide-junction peaks may make them anchor points for drainage divide networks, and thus the peaks work against the tendency of drainage divides to migrate. The influence of divide structure on peak heights also suggests that differences in headwall retreat rates may result in different frequency and relative relief of peaks in glacial versus fluvial settings. These results imply that interfluve topography and drainage divide structure offer relevant information for the understanding of landscape evolution.
Mixed Aggregates of an Alkyl Lithium Reagent and a Chiral Lithium Amide Derived from N-Ethyl-O-triisopropylsilyl Valinol

The crystal structure of a mixed aggregate containing lithiated (S)-N-ethyl-3-methyl-1-(triisopropylsilyloxy)butan-2-amine derived from (S)-valinol and cyclopentyllithium is determined by X-ray diffraction. The mixed aggregate adopts a ladder structure in the solid state. The ladder-type mixed aggregate is also the major species in a toluene-d8 solution containing an approximately 1:1 molar ratio of the lithiated chiral amide to cyclopentyllithium. A variety of NMR experiments including diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) with diffusion coefficient-formula (D-FW) weight correlation analyses and other one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques allowed us to characterize the complex in solution. Solution state structures of the mixed aggregates of n-butyl, sec-butyllithium, isopropyllithium with lithiated (S)-N-ethyl-3-methyl-1-(triisopropylsilyloxy)butan-2-amine are also reported. Identical dimeric, ladder-type, mixed aggregates are the major species at a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 lithium chiral amide...
Repeated Mouse Lung Exposures to Stachybotrys chartarum Shift Immune Response from Type 1 to Type 2

After a single or multiple intratracheal instillations of Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum or black mold) spores in BALB/c mice, we characterized cytokine production, metabolites, and inflammatory patterns by analyzing mouse bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung tissue, and plasma. We found marked differences in BAL cell counts, especially large increases in lymphocytes and eosinophils in multiple-dosed mice. Formation of eosinophil-rich granulomas and airway goblet cell metaplasia were prevalent in the lungs of multiple-dosed mice but not in single- or saline-dosed groups. We detected changes in the cytokine expression profiles in both the BAL and plasma. Multiple pulmonary exposures to S. chartarum induced significant metabolic changes in the lungs but not in the plasma. These changes suggest a shift from type 1 inflammation after an acute exposure to type 2 inflammation after multiple exposures to S. chartarum. Eotaxin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TNF-α, and the IL-8 analogs macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), had more dramatic changes in multiple- than in single-dosed mice, and parallel the cytokines that characterize humans with histories of mold exposures versus unexposed control subjects. This repeated exposure model allows us to more realistically characterize responses to mold, such as cytokine, metabolic, and cellular changes.
Plasma changes in beta-endorphin to acute hypobaric hypoxia and high intensity exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate post-exercise effects of acute exposure to a simulated altitude of 4,300 m on plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and associated changes of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), and cortisol to high intensity cycle exercise (i.e., stages of 90 and 100% peak Vo2). Exercise intensities were assigned relative to peak O2 uptake both under sea level conditions and under acute hypobaric hypoxic conditions. Plasma beta-EP concentrations significantly increased from pre- to immediately post-exercise at both 90 and 100% peak Vo2 in both the sea level and acute hypobaric hypoxic trials. No associated exercise-induced changes were observed for ACTH or cortisol pre- to immediately post-exercise at either sea level or during hypoxic conditions. Exercise at acute hypobaric hypoxia elicited no significantly different responses in plasma beta-EP, ACTH, or cortisol than those elicited by the same relative exercise intensities under normobaric normoxic conditions. Additionally, no changes in the beta-EP/ACTH molar ratio for exercise or between conditions were observed. These data indicate that acute simulated high altitude exposure neither diminishes nor augments the physiological stimuli involved with high relative exercise intensity activation mechanisms of these hormones.
The role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Abstract Psoriatic involved skin contains an increased number of activated T cells. The mechanism through which these T cells achieve and maintain their activated state is unknown, and both antigen-dependent and -independent mechanisms may contribute. Recently a novel pathway of antigen-independent T-cell activation has been described. This pathway is identified by a monoclonal antibody that binds to a T-cell membrane surface molecule termed "UM4D4." This molecule is expressed on a minority (20%) of psoriatic peripheral blood T cells but on a majority (75%) of the T cells in lesional skin. Thus, UM4D4 could play a role in antigen-independent T-cell activation in psoriasis. Indeed the monoclonal antibody anti-UM4D4 consistently induces proliferation of psoriatic UM4D4+ T-cell clones. The activity of antigen dependent pathways are also enhanced in psoriatic epidermis in as much as involved skin relative to uninvolved skin contains an increased number and function of antigen-presenting cells. Upon activation, the lesional T cells release lymphokines. Central to the immune hypothesis of psoriasis is that some of these T-cell lymphokines act on keratinocytes to induce changes characteristic of psoriasis. Indeed lymphokines from lesional psoriatic T-cell clones directly alter in vitro keratinocyte phenotype through induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and HLA-DR cell-surface expression. Furthermore, the lymphokines also enhance keratinocyte growth. These data suggest a critical role for the immune system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
Sphenoid and sellar tumors

The management of tumors of the sphenoid sinus and sellar-parasellar region has experienced dramatic conceptual and technical advances over the past two decades. Malignant lesions and benign invasive lesions, once carrying a dismal outlook and deemed inoperable, are now being adequately circumscribed and resected with good results. The formation of skull base teams throughout the world and the widespread concept of a multidisciplinary approach to skull base tumors has led to advancements in the treatment of sphenoid and sellar-parasellar tumors.
AI-11 Isolating and characterising autoreactive T cells in lupus

Background Activation of autoreactive T cells is a critical step in the pathogenesis of lupus. These T cells help autoreactive B cells, make inflammatory cytokines, and infiltrate tissues. Yet, compared to autoreactive B cells, little is known about the specificity, identity, origins, or functions of autoreactive T cells. Therefore, we sought to isolate, clone and characterise T cells that recognise peptides derived from the targets of anti-nuclear antibodies/B cells. Materials and methods Using anti-IgG2a (“rheumatoid factor”, RF) B cells from site-directed transgenic mice as “universal APC” for the contents of dying cells that are in turn bound by IgG2a anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs). We relied on a monoclonal IgG2a anti-chromatin to stimulate the T cells initially and then a panel of monoclonal ANAs to test them. These ANAs naturally form immune complexes (ICs) with material released from dead cells either in vitro or in vivo. We used these tools to serially stimulate primary polyclonal T cells and make autoreactive T cell hybridomas. We then cloned the TCRs of these hybridomas into retroviral vectors to make “retrogenic mice”, a source of primary T cells. Results We isolated multiple clones of T cells that could help RF B cells make proliferate and differentiate both in vitro and in vivo and characterised two in detail. These T cells were activated by the combination of RF B cells and either IgG2a anti-chromatin or anti-RNA, indicating that the T cells recognised peptides derived from the ICs formed by the ANAs used to stimulate them. We further found that while TLR7 and 9 were required to stimulate the RF B cells in the absence of T cells, the requirement for these molecules was bypassed by the presence of autoreactive T cells. Reciprocally, the APC function of B cells for T cells also did not require TLR7/9 expression in B cells Conclusions We used a novel method to clone and characterise autoreactive T cells that help autoreactive B cells. These T cells were isolated from normal animals without use of adjuvant or foreign Ag, confirming that normal primary repertoires contain relevant autoreactive T cells. These cells enhanced multiple modes of B cell activation and differentiation in vivo and themselves were activated and differentiated in divergent ways. Most importantly, because they could bypass in large part the need for B cell-intrinsic TLR stimulation, they support the idea that TLRs may be more important for initiation of autoimmunity rather than propagating it once it is well-established. Acknowledgements Supported by a grant from the Lupus Research Institute.
Direct manipulation is better than passive viewing for learning anatomy in a three-dimensional virtual reality environment

Abstract With the advancement of virtual reality (VR) technologies, medical students may now study complex anatomical structures in three-dimensional (3-D) virtual environments, without relying solely upon high cost, unsustainable cadavers or animal models. When coupled with a haptic input device, these systems support direct manipulation and exploration of the anatomical structures. Yet, prior studies provide inconclusive support for direct manipulation beyond passive viewing in virtual environments. In some cases, exposure to an “optimal view” appears to be the main source of learning gains, regardless of participants’ control of the system. In other cases, direct manipulation provides benefits beyond passive viewing. To address this issue, we compared medical students who either directly manipulated a virtual anatomical structure (inner ear) or passively viewed an interaction in a stereoscopic, 3-D environment. To ensure equal exposure to optimal views we utilized a yoked-pair design, such that for each participant who manipulated the structure a single matched participant viewed a recording of this interaction. Results indicate that participants in the manipulation group were more likely to successful generate (i.e., draw) the observed structures at posttest than the viewing group. Moreover, manipulation benefited students with low spatial ability more than students with high spatial ability. These results suggest that direct manipulation of the virtual environment facilitated embodiment of the anatomical structure and helped participants maintain a clear frame of reference while interacting, which particularly supported participants with low spatial ability.
An OpenCL™ Deep Learning Accelerator on Arria 10

Convolutional neural nets (CNNs) have become a practical means to perform vision tasks, particularly in the area of image classification. FPGAs are well known to be able to perform convolutions efficiently, however, most recent efforts to run CNNs on FPGAs have shown limited advantages over other devices such as GPUs. Previous approaches on FPGAs have often been memory bound due to the limited external memory bandwidth on the FPGA device. We show a novel architecture written in OpenCL(TM), which we refer to as a Deep Learning Accelerator (DLA), that maximizes data reuse and minimizes external memory bandwidth. Furthermore, we show how we can use the Winograd transform to significantly boost the performance of the FPGA. As a result, when running our DLA on Intel's Arria 10 device we can achieve a performance of 1020 img/s, or 23 img/s/W when running the AlexNet CNN benchmark. This comes to 1382 GFLOPs and is 10x faster with 8.4x more GFLOPS and 5.8x better efficiency than the state-of-the-art on FPGAs. Additionally, 23 img/s/W is competitive against the best publicly known implementation of AlexNet on nVidia's TitanX GPU.
Fish on Academic Freedom: A Merited Assault on Nonsense, But Perhaps a Bridge Too Far

In Versions of Academic Freedom: From Professionalism to Revolution, Stanley Fish turns his prodigious intellectual and rhetorical skills to debunking various inflated views of academic freedom and defending a narrow, professional account of it. Academic freedom is freedom possessed by the members of university and college departments that is not granted to those outside the ivory towers. For Fish, that freedom should rightly only extend to academics in the course of teaching, researching, and publishing in accordance with the standards of their academic disciplines. Beyond that, academics are merely employees and citizens, with no privileges other than those possessed by other employees and citizens.Given Fish’s thesis, my job as commentator is a difficult one. A commentator is supposed to poke holes in the arguments of his target. He is supposed to criticize, not laud. I, however, agree with Fish, not only with his basic thesis, but also with his supporting arguments. In short, I’m stuck with “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”Nevertheless, there are perhaps a few jots and tittles in Fish’s arguments that I can object to or at least query. I think Fish at times forgets how completely inert the postmodern critique is, a point he otherwise recognizes. And I think Fish, in attempting to hermetically seal off the academy from external justification, has taken his argument farther than it needs to be taken to secure his account of the academy and its freedom. (That’s the “bridge too far” of my title.)
Simultaneous determination of α -emitting isotopes of uranium and plutonium in soft tissues

A simple radiochemical procedure has been described for the simultaneous determination ofα-emitting isotopes of uranium and plutonium in soft tissues. The weighed amounts of tissue, spiked with232U and242Pu tracers, were wet ashed. Uranium and plutonium were coprecipitated with iron, dissolved in HCl and the acidity adjusted to 10M. They were co-extracted into 20% tri-lauryl amine (TLA) solution in xylene. Plutonium was back-extracted first with 8M HCl containing 0.05M NH4I and then uranium was backextracted with 0.1M HCl. They were electrodeposited separately on platinum discs and counted byα-spectrometry. The average recoveries of uranium and plutonium were 74% or more. Most importantly, there was no uranium on the platinum disc containing plutonium and vice-versa.
Fusion of cyber sensors on a network for improved detection and classification

This paper investigates the fusion process of combining cyber sensors on a network to detect and classify cyber behaviors – good and bad. Some bad cyber activity can be confused as appropriate (good) activity and vice versa. To wrongly block good activity is an error. Also, to allow bad cyber activity to continue believing it to be good activity is also an error. We wish to minimize these errors. Some bad cyber activity can be classified according to its severity. Confusing an extremely severe cyber activity for a mildly bad cyber activity can be a costly mistake also. We assume there are several classification systems present on the network, that is, a sensor, processor and exploiter at a minimum for each system. Also, the sensors may be disparate. Assume each system has a ROC manifold that is known, or has a good approximation. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate that there a best combining rule.
Does the FED care about income inequality? A quantitative examination

We model various policy rules in settings that have non-trivial impacts on inequality. The policy rule that best describes the data is one that incorporates the Gini as an important component. In this case, a temporary and unexpected change to a more accommodative policy leads to a temporary improvement in inequality. Additionally, when there is deterioration in inequality, policy becomes more accommodative with a lag. For most calibrations, the reactionary policy rule benefits the workers at the cost of the capitalists; lifetime consumption of the worker is made smoother which increases their elasticity for labour resulting in a destabilised economy that is costly to the capital owners.
Stability for Stochastic Infinitedimensional Bilinear Systems

Abstract Infinite-dimensional discrete-time bilinear models driven by Hilbert space-valued random sequences can be defined as the uniform limit of finite-dimensional bilinear models. In this paper we shall investigate the limiting properties of the state expectation and correlation sequences for infinite-dimensional stochastic discrete bilinear models, where sufficient conditions for mean square stability will be presented
The Use of Visual Rating Scales to Quantify Brain MRI Lesions in Patients with HIV Infection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients commonly have abnormalities in cerebral white matter that are visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as hyperintensities (WMHs). Visual rating scales (VRSs) have been used to quantify WMH in other diseases such as cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), but not in HIV. Such scales are advantageous because they are applicable to routinely acquired MRIs and so are suitable for large-scale studies and clinical care. We sought to establish the utility of three VRSs (the Fazekas, Scheltens, and van Sweiten scales) in HIV. METHODS The Manhattan HIV Brain Bank (MHBB) is a longitudinal cohort study that performs serial neurologic examinations and neuropsychological testing. All brain MRIs (n = 73) performed for clinical purposes on MHBB participants were scored using the three VRSs. We assessed reliability, validity, and correlation of the VRS with clinical factors relevant to HIV and CSVD. RESULTS The VRSs all showed acceptable internal consistency and interrater reliability and were highly correlated with one another (r = 0.836-0.916, P < .001). The Fazekas and Scheltens scales demonstrated more WMH in periventricular regions, and the Scheltens scale also suggested a frontal to occipital gradient, with greater WMH frontally. All three VRSs correlated significantly with cognitive impairment (global T score). Age and hepatitis C virus antibody serostatus were the strongest clinical/demographic correlates of WMH, followed by African-American race. CONCLUSIONS VRSs reliably quantify WMH in HIV-infected individuals and correlate with cognitive impairment. Future studies may find routinely acquired brain MRI quantified by VRS to be an accessible and meaningful neurologic outcome measure in HIV.
Consumer Response to Authentic-Language Versus English-Language Menu Labeling in Ethnic Dining:

Many ethnic restaurants use authentic-language labels (e.g., “Khao Pad Sapparod”), as opposed to English-language labels (e.g., “Pineapple Fried Rice”), in the menu to make their dishes appeal more authentic. Yet, the effectiveness of authentic-language labels is not well understood. To address this gap, the present research examines consumers’ attitudes toward a menu as a function of (a) authentic-language versus English-language menu labeling and (b) the consumer’s Need for Cognitive Closure (NFCC)—a fundamental desire to achieve resolution on a decision. The results show that while consumers with low NFCC prefer a menu using authentic-language (vs. English-language) labeling, their high NFCC counterparts respond more favorably to a menu using English-language (vs. authentic-language) labeling. Moreover, a moderated mediation analysis reveals that an intensified bothersome feeling in achieving resolution is the psychological mechanism explaining why authentic-language labels backfire among consumers wit...
Spectral emissivity of oxidized and roughened metal surfaces

Abstract The effects of materials’ surface oxidation and roughness on spectral emissivity have been investigated for design improvement and effective thermal management of energy systems. Experiments confirm that both surface oxidation and surface roughness affect spectral emissivity with surface oxidation having a more dominant effect. The surface oxidation layer effect is substantial at low wavelengths, and the affected wavelength range widens as oxidation temperature and time are increased. Increasing surface roughness increases spectral emissivity independent of wavelength. To describe the experimental results, a computational model based on Kirchhoff’s Law is used. The dependence of optical constants on oxidation conditions were measured, and included in the computational model. Surface morphological characteristics for the roughened surfaces are described by multiple superimposed cosine function Fourier series. There is good agreement between computational predictions and experimental results.
PINK1/PARKIN And Mitochondrial Dynamics In Neurodegeneration

Mutations in PINK1 and parkin lead to autosomal recessive forms of Parkinson’s disease. We showed that PINK1 and parkin function in a common pathway to regulate mitochondrial integrity and quality. This is accomplished in part through parkin-mediated degradation of Mitofusin, a protein that controls fusion. Overexpression of Mitofusin in Drosophila phenocopies cellular defects due to lack of PINK1 or parkin in Drosophila. Downregulation of mitofusin reverses phenotypes due to lack of PINK1 or parkin. Over the years, we have identified several suppressors of PINK1 and parkin null mutations, including Drp1, MUL1/MULAN/MAPL and VCP/p97. They also play conservative roles in mammalian cells and mice. Mutations in VCP/p97 lead to autosomal dominant disease called inclusion body myopathy, Paget’s disease and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) and sporadic ALS. We have found that VCP disease mutations lead to disease through overactivation of VCP/p97, leading to excessive degradation of Mitofusin. Importantly, treatments of both Drosophila models and human patient fibroblasts with two different VCP/p97 inhibitors revert the pathology in these models. Therefore, VCP/p97 inhibition is an effective therapeutic strategy for IBMPFD. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) often exists in a state of heteroplasmy, in which mutant mtDNA co-exists in cells with wild-type mtDNA. High frequencies of pathogenic mtDNA result in maternally inherited diseases; somatically acquired mutations also accumulate over time and contribute to diseases of ageing that include neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, cancer, heart disease and sarcopenia. Reducing heteroplasmy is therefore a therapeutic goal and in vivo models in post-mitotic tissues are needed to facilitate these studies. We have developed a transgene-based model of a heteroplasmic lethal mtDNA deletion in adult Drosophila post-mitotic tissue muscle. Stimulation of autophagy, activation of the PINK1/parkin pathway among others results in a selective decrease in mtDNA deletion (up to 95%). These results show that an adult post-mitotic tissue can be cleansed of a deleterious genome, suggesting that therapeutic removal of mutant mtDNA can be achieved.
A new redundant-free and compact method for efficient calculation of node admittances

Finding the admittance at each circuit node using Suspendance analysis is introduced in this paper. Numerator of the node admittance is obtained by finding the main circuit Suspendance while denominator of the node admittance is obtained by finding the Suspendance while that node is short connected to the ground. To calculate a circuit Suspendance, shunt and sequential passive components are shorted one by one. The admittance of the component that is shorted is multiplied by the remaining Suspendance of the circuit. The admittance of components shorted earlier are then set to zero in following steps of Suspendance calculation. All results are added together to get the overall Suspendance. Suspendance is expressed by admittances and transadmittance gains of the circuit. A floating passive element has zero Suspendance. A shorted passive element to ground has unity Suspendance. The Suspendance of parallel passive components is given by summation of their admittances. The Suspendance of the series and array passive elements is given by the product of their admittances. The Suspendance contribution of voltage controlled current sources is obtained by shorting passive circuit elements. For cross coupled voltage controlled dependents current sources, the Suspendance is given by the product of their transadmittance gains while its sign is given by the number of controlled sources and the number of their opposing current Hows. In comparison to other existing determinant expansion methods, using Suspendance has a universal and straight forward algorithm that solves any circuit.
Fitness variation among host species and the paradox of ineffective rhizobia.

Legumes can preferentially select beneficial rhizobial symbionts and sanction ineffective strains that fail to fix nitrogen. Yet paradoxically, rhizobial populations vary from highly beneficial to ineffective in natural and agricultural soils. Classic models of symbiosis focus on the single dimension of symbiont cost-benefit to sympatric hosts, but fail to explain the widespread persistence of ineffective rhizobia. Here, we test a novel framework predicting that spatio-temporal and community dynamics can maintain ineffective strains in rhizobial populations. We used clonal and multistrain inoculations and quantitative culturing to investigate the relative fitness of four focal Bradyrhizobium strains varying from effective to ineffective on Acmispon strigosus. We found that an ineffective Bradyrhizobium strain can be sanctioned by its native A. strigosus host across the host's range, forming fewer and smaller nodules compared to beneficial strains. But the same ineffective Bradyrhizobium strain exhibits a nearly opposite pattern on the broadly sympatric host Acmispon wrangelianus, forming large nodules in both clonal and multistrain inoculations. These data suggest that community-level effects could favour the persistence of ineffective rhizobia and contribute to variation in symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Expanding epidemiology and biostatistics curricula in undergraduate medical education to promote evidence-based practice

As predatory journals emerge,1 the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, and data from electronic health records offer the promise of learning from clinical practice,2 it is becoming increasingly important for physicians to develop the skills to appraise new research evidence. Evidence evaluation and application, part of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Core Competency of Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, require proficiency in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. Yet, the majority of resident physicians lack confidence in understanding relatively basic concepts critical to appraising the medical literature, resulting in a desire for additional …
Le Danger des liaisons: Censoring Laclos’s Liaisons dangereuses

When Pierre-Ambroise-Francois Choderlos de Laclos’s Liaisons dangereuses first appeared in late March 1782, it was an immediate succes de scandale. Laclos’s focus on his characters’ libertine psych...