cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast ultrasound tomography with two parallel transducer arrays

Breast ultrasound tomography is an emerging imaging modality to reconstruct the sound speed, density, and ultrasound attenuation of the breast in addition to ultrasound reflection/beamforming images for breast cancer detection and characterization. We recently designed and manufactured a new synthetic-aperture breast ultrasound tomography prototype with two parallel transducer arrays consisting of a total of 768 transducer elements. The transducer arrays are translated vertically to scan the breast in a warm water tank from the chest wall/axillary region to the nipple region to acquire ultrasound transmission and reflection data for whole-breast ultrasound tomography imaging. The distance of these two ultrasound transducer arrays is adjustable for scanning breasts with different sizes. We use our breast ultrasound tomography prototype to acquire phantom and in vivo patient ultrasound data to study its feasibility for breast imaging. We apply our recently developed ultrasound imaging and tomography algorithms to ultrasound data acquired using our breast ultrasound tomography system. Our in vivo patient imaging results demonstrate that our breast ultrasound tomography can detect breast lesions shown on clinical ultrasound and mammographic images.
Quantitation of Mouse Femoral and Tibial Marrow Using an Electronic Cell Counter.

SummaryA method of quantitating the cellularity per mg of mouse marrow with the Coulter electronic cell counter is described and the absolute numbers of each cell type in the left and right femurs and tibias have been determined. It was found that the cellularity per mg of marrow in the 4 long bones of the hind legs did not differ significantly.
On a conjecture related to the number of solutions of a nonlinear Dirichlet problem

In an earlier paper (1981), the present authors made a conjecture about the number of solutions of a semilinear elliptic boundary value problem which has been investigated extensively in the past decade. The conjecture is proved in the one-dimensional case.
Book Review: The Glass Cage: Automation and Us

In 2008, Nicholas Carr earned his fifteen minutes of journalistic fame with a widely read essay, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" in the Atlantic magazine. Carr argued that as we regularly use the Internet - and who among us does not? - our capacity for concentration is weakened. Now Carr has returned to the subject of technology, this time with a series of essays that examine the costs and benefits of automation in the workplace as well as at home. Once again, Carr plays the role of balanced skeptic, focusing on the costs of ever-increasing technological capacity-one that has entailed "the shift from mechanical to digital systems, the proliferation of software and screens, [and] the automation of mental as well as manual work."The glass cage in Carr's title refers to the glass cockpit, where conventional analog flight instruments have been replaced with digital-based electronic displays.The conclusion of this book review suggests perhaps Carr will examine the legal profession in his next book about technology and society.
Sexual Harassment in Social Work Field Placements: Prevalence and Characteristics

Addressing sexual harassment in educational environments is integral for Title IX compliance; however, there are few estimates of prevalence of the phenomenon in social work’s signature pedagogy, f...
Tuning the electronic and the crystalline structure of LaBi by pressure: From extreme magnetoresistance to superconductivity

Extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) in topological semimetals is a recent discovery which attracts attention due to its robust appearance in a growing number of materials. To search for a relation between XMR and superconductivity, we study the effect of pressure on LaBi. By increasing pressure, we observe the disappearance of XMR followed by the appearance of superconductivity at $P\ensuremath{\approx}3.5$ GPa. We find a region of coexistence between superconductivity and XMR in LaBi in contrast to other superconducting XMR materials. The suppression of XMR is correlated with increasing zero-field resistance instead of decreasing in-field resistance. At higher pressures, $P\ensuremath{\approx}11$ GPa, we find a structural transition from the face-centered cubic lattice to a primitive tetragonal lattice, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The relationship between extreme magnetoresistance, superconductivity, and structural transition in LaBi is discussed.
Money and Control: Rebel Groups and the Forcible Recruitment of Child Soldiers

ABSTRACTThis article examines the forcible recruitment of child soldiers by rebel organizations through a comparative case study analysis of the National Resistance Army and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. Responses by the international community to the use of children as soldiers have continued to be ineffective, and understanding the factors that not only motivate a group to forcibly recruit but also the factors that dictate their level of forcible recruitment is crucial to curtailing the practice. This article investigates the role that endowments of a rebel group have on their decision to forcibly recruit children as soldiers. Adapting Jeremy Weinstein’s theory of the role of initial endowments on rebel group’s use of force, I explain why rebel organizations forcibly recruit children. I suggest that the type of endowments matter, specifically the type of endowments accessible to an organization during both its formation and throughout its lifespan. Endowments thus come in two forms—economic and ...
SU‐F‐J‐31: Dual Energy Imaging in the Treatment of Head and Neck Tumors: A Phantom Study

Purpose: Organ motion, due to swallowing, can significantly affect the PTV margins used in head and neck patients. Evaluation of swallowing motion 2016 AAPM Annual Meeting Program Medical Physics, Vol. 43, No. 6, June 2016 3412 3412 may be performed using x-ray fluoroscopy. However, regions such as the soft palette and epiglottis may be difficult to visualize due to the presence of bone (mandible, teeth). The goal of this phantom study is to determine if dual energy (DE) subtraction would improve the visualization in these regions. Methods: An Alderson head/neck anthropomorphic phantom was positioned on the treatment table of the linac (iX, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). Lateral single energy (SE) kV images of the phantom were obtained with the On-Board Imager (OBI) using our standard protocol (70 kVp, 3.2 mAs). Subsequently, DE images were obtained sequentially at 60 kVp and 120 kVp. The mAs settings for the individual DE component images were determined by varying the x-ray exposure time, while maintaining a constant tube current, with the goal of producing a dose at the surface that was comparable to the SE dose. Subtraction images were created offline using in-house software. Results: Optimal DE images were produced using 120 kVp (0.5 mAs) and 60 kVp (2 mAs). The DE images showed good subtraction of the overlying bony anatomy. In particular, subtraction of the mandible resulted in improved visualization of the airway and soft palette. An analysis of the relative contrast of the soft palette showed an increase of 25–400% using DE vs. SE. The imaging dose at the surface was estimated as 0.22 mGy using SE and 0.23 mGy using DE. Conclusion: DE imaging may provide an effective means for visualizing the soft palette and epiglottis in head and neck cancer patients. Combining such an approach with fluoroscopy may provide data on organ motion due to swallowing that may be incorporated in PTV design.
Sertoli Cell function and Protein Secretion

This chapter provides an insight into the recent progress in understanding the transcriptome of the Sertoli cells via conventional molecular techniques and through gene array analysis. The expression of many genes in the Sertoli cells is regulated by developmental factors and specific endocrine and paracrine factors. There are four major categories of gene products, namely, transport or bioprotective proteins, proteases and protease inhibitors, membrane glycoproteins, and growth factors and paracrine factors. Sertoli cells also synthesize and secrete many different proteases and inhibitors, and one of the functions ascribed to this class of proteins involves the extensive tissue remodeling that occurs when tight junctions must be traversed or when spermatozoa are released from the seminiferous epithelium. Gene ontology analysis is a technique used to group genes expressed in a sample, in terms of their biological process, location in the cell, or function. The analysis of the 2750 genes expressed by cultured rat Sertoli cells provides valuable information about the biological process and molecular function of the cell. This information can be used to calculate a Z - score that indicates whether the specific Gene Ontology (GO) term occurs more or less frequently than expected in the gene list.
Endothelin: Ominous Player in Breast Cancer

The function of endothelin (ET) in breast cancer is now under focus and there is a growing interest in the role of ET axis (endothelin and its receptors) in cancer. Several studies have reported a much higher expression of ET-1 among all other isoforms (ET-1, ET-2 and ET-3) in breast carcinomas than in normal breast tissue [1-3], indicating that the ET-1 system is primarily associated with breast cancer. ET-1 exerts its physiological effects via two receptors, ETA and ETB, which are Gprotein-coupled transmembrane receptors found in both vascular and nonvascular tissues. Currently there are several evidences that ET-1 may modulate mitogenesis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, tumor invasion and development of metastases by exerting its autocrine or paracrine action [4,5]. The diverse biological roles played by ET-1 in breast cancer have been represented in Figure 1.
Predictors of Disability and Quality of Life With an Upper-Extremity Peripheral Nerve Disorder.

Objective We sought to understand the wide range of problems that patients with upper-extremity peripheral nerve disorders experience and to identify predictors of disability and quality of life (QOL). Method Data from standardized assessments of disability and QOL, physical examination results, and intake surveys from 627 patients were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. We compared results between groups and built multivariate models measuring disability, work disability, and physical and mental QOL. Results The sample demonstrated substantial disability and even greater work disability, which both closely correlated with poorer QOL. Work status was integral in predicting disability. Common predictors across models included problems with sleep and intimate relationships, deficits in work and household performance, and higher pain. Conclusion To decrease disability and improve QOL, occupational therapy practitioners should help patients with upper-extremity peripheral nerve disorders identify strategies to maintain meaningful work and household roles, intimate relationships, and sleep, while continuing to address pain.
Consensus building for interlaboratory studies, key comparisons, and meta-analysis

Interlaboratory studies in measurement science, including key comparisons, and meta-analyses in several fields, including medicine, serve to intercompare measurement results obtained independently, and typically produce a consensus value for the common measurand that blends the values measured by the participants. Since interlaboratory studies and meta-analyses reveal and quantify differences between measured values, regardless of the underlying causes for such differences, they also provide so-called "top-down" evaluations of measurement uncertainty. Measured values are often substantially over-dispersed by comparison with their individual, stated uncertainties, thus suggesting the existence of yet unrecognized sources of uncertainty ("dark uncertainty"). We contrast two different approaches to take dark uncertainty into account both in the computation of consensus values and in the evaluation of the associated uncertainty, which have traditionally been preferred by different scientific communities. One inflates the stated uncertainties by a multiplicative factor. The other adds laboratory-specific "effects" to the value of the measurand. After distinguishing what we call recipe-based and model-based approaches to data reductions in interlaboratory studies, we state six guiding principles that should inform such reductions. These principles favor model-based approaches that expose and facilitate the critical assessment of validating assumptions, and give preeminence to substantive criteria to determine which measurement results to include, and which to exclude, as opposed to purely statistical considerations, and also how to weigh them. Following an overview of maximum likelihood methods, three general purpose procedures for data reduction are described in detail, including explanations of how the consensus value and degrees of equivalence are computed, and the associated uncertainty evaluated: the DerSimonian-Laird procedure; a hierarchical Bayesian procedure; and the Linear Pool. These three procedures have been implemented and made widely accessible in a Web-based application ("NIST Consensus Builder"). We illustrate principles, statistical models, and data reduction procedures in four examples: (i) the measurement of the Newtonian constant of gravitation; (ii) the measurement of the half-lives of radioactive isotopes of caesium and strontium; (iii) the comparison of two alternative treatments for carotid artery stenosis; and (iv) a key comparison where the measurand was the calibration factor of a radio-frequency power sensor.
Increasing Academic Rigor Through Comprehensive, Ongoing Professional Development in Rural Special Education: A Description of the SPLASH Program:

SPLASH is a 3-year professional development program designed to work with classroom teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities. The program targets new teachers and employs methods ...
Current Status, Gaps, and Weaknesses of the Mechanism of Selective Dopaminergic Toxicity of MPTP/MPP+

Abstract Among Parkinson's disease (PD) toxin models, MPTP/MPP + has been the most popular, extensively characterized, and widely used to identify the cellular mechanisms associated with the selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in PD. A number of recent studies have found some gaps and weaknesses in the generally accepted mechanism especially with regard to the selective dopaminergic toxicity of the model. Accumulating evidence suggests that the inherent physiological predisposition of dopaminergic neurons to generate high oxidative stress, especially when exposed to various environmental and genetic factors and their inability to cope with these conditions effectively, could contribute to their selective destruction. However, the current models for the selective dopaminergic toxicity of MPTP/MPP + have not taken into account the unique susceptibilities of these neurons. The focus of this chapter is to discuss the discovery, current status, gaps, and weaknesses of the mechanism of the specific dopaminergic toxicity of the MPTP/MPP + model.
Strategies and Techniques for Teaching Administrative Law

This short book gives soup-to-nut advice on designing and teaching a law school course on administrative law. The book is mainly for new or relatively new teachers of administrative law, but I hope it also contains some ideas useful for more experienced teachers of the subject. The book is part of a series of law school teaching guides, the series editor of which is Howard E. Katz of the Elon University School of Law.
Stay alert, don't get hurt.

Both nucleus accumbens and orexin play clear roles in motivated behavior, but the functions of orexin projections to accumbens are poorly understood. Blomeley et al. show that this pathway, via specific orexin excitation of dopamine D2 receptor–expressing neurons, can inhibit reward seeking and exploratory drive when danger is perceived.
Heliosphere Responds to a Large Solar Wind Intensification: Decisive Observations from IBEX

Our heliosphere—the bubble in the local interstellar medium produced by the Sun's outflowing solar wind—has finally responded to a large increase in solar wind output and pressure in the second half of 2014. NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission remotely monitors the outer heliosphere by observing energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) returning from the heliosheath, the region between the termination shock and heliopause. IBEX observed a significant enhancement in higher energy ENAs starting in late 2016. While IBEX observations over the previous decade reflected a general reduction of ENA intensities, indicative of a deflating heliosphere, new observations show that the large (~50%), persistent increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure has modified the heliosheath, producing enhanced ENA emissions. The combination of these new observations with simulation results indicate that this pressure is re-expanding our heliosphere, with the termination shock and heliopause already driven outward in the locations closest to the Sun. The timing between the IBEX observations, a large transient pressure enhancement seen by Voyager 2, and the simulations indicates that the pressure increase propagated through the heliosheath, reflected off the heliopause, and the enhanced density of the solar wind filled the heliosheath behind it before generating significantly enhanced ENA emissions. The coming years should see significant changes in anomalous cosmic rays, galactic cosmic radiation, and the filtration of interstellar neutral atoms into the inner heliosphere.
Some Statistical Problems in Multitarget Tracking

In tracking a single target, dynamical and observational equations are used to estimate, via Kalman filter, the positional coordinates of the target at different time points, and the trajectory is obtained by joining the successive positional coordinates over time. In the case of multiple targets, we generally do not have separate observations on each target. At any time point, we have a set of measurements without the information as to which measurement belongs to which object. The statistical problem is that of estimating the positional coordinates of the individual targets from such mixed up data using the information provided by the dynamical equations and the previous estimates.
Tumors of the Adrenal Glands

Benign tumors of the adrenal cortex are frequently discovered as incidental findings during autopsy, indicating the asymptomatic nature of these tumors. Histologically, these benign tumors are adenomas, and although they are more often nonsecretory, they can potentially secrete hormones. When they do, a variety of hypersecretory syndromes result, depending on the site of origin of these adenomas. Thus, adenomas arising from the cells of zona glomerulosa secrete aldosterone, resulting in the clinical syndrome of primary aldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome, Section 28.2). Adenomas that arise from cells of the zona fasciculata secrete glucocorticoids, resulting in the familiar expression of Cushing’s syndrome (Section 28.3). Rarely, adenomas from the zona reticularis secrete androgens, resulting in hirsutism and even virilization. Adenomas arising from the adrenal medulla secrete catecholamines, resulting in the clinical expression of pheochromocytoma (Section 31.2). Benign, nonsecretory adenomas are seldom detected because of their asymptomatic nature. Benign, hypersecretory adenomas are treated by surgical removal of the tumor or the entire adrenal gland harboring the tumor.
Cracks in the Ivory Tower: How the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act Can Protect Students from Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem on college campuses, yet colleges and universities are frequently criticized for their failure to address it. As a result, Congress passed the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (“Campus SaVE Act”) in 2013. The Campus SaVE Act aims to address the unique needs of victims of sexual assault on college campuses by adding much needed protections for students, such as mandating increased reporting of crime statistics. Moreover, the Act helps students by requiring schools to create plans to prevent this violence, to educate victims on their rights and resources, and to detail processes that are taken after a report of sexual assault is made. This Comment analyzes the Campus SaVE Act and makes suggestions for improving its effectiveness in reducing sexual violence on college campuses.
Cloud-based Semantic Integration and Knowledge Discovery Systems in Precision Medicine

We have developed a cloud-based (AWS and IBM SoftLayer) knowledge environment for scalable semantic mining of scientific literature and PTM integrative knowledge discovery in precision medicine, building upon our novel natural language processing (NLP) technologies and bioinformatics infrastructure. We provided semantic integration of full-scale PubMed mining results from disparate text mining tools, along with kinase-substrate data from iPTMnet, and PTM proteoforms and their relations from Protein Ontology (PRO). We shared the digital objects of those applications in multiple interoperable formats and have registered them in bioCADDIE using CEDAR. We experimented with multiple system setups using operating system, programming language, web server, or database server that best fits each application. We evaluated the cost effectiveness of cloud computing by only paying for what we use and readily experimenting with additional services. A web portal is available for accessing our cloud-based knowledge environment at https://proteininformationresource.org/cloud/.
When the World Falls Apart: Methodology for Employing Chaos and Emptiness as Theological Constructs

In traditional Judeo-Christian mythology, chaos and cosmos are seen as antagonistic forces that have been vying for supremacy throughout time. According to this worldview, chaos describes the amorphous state of emptiness in which all forms are confounded in a universal confusion without structure or hierarchy. Geographically it is situated in the unexplored wilderness that surrounds and encroaches upon the ordered domain. Chaos is the realm of darkness and barrenness, symbolized either as a deep, boundless, watery abyss (Sheol) or a fiery pit in the bowels of the earth (Hell). Chaos has several incarnations: at times it is presented as a dragon or water monster who joins in primordial combat with a cultural hero; in other cases it is personified as the devil. When historicized, it is represented by Israel's enemies, such as the Egyptians in the Red Sea episode of Exodus 15. Not only primeval disorder, but all disruptive forces that periodically threaten the world are manifestations of chaos: hurricane, flood, fire, earthquake, famine, war, crime, and death. It cannot be forever annihilated, but only suppressed for a limited time. The victories of order remain more or less precarious; at best, chaos can be held at bay, forced to retreat to the marginal areas that surround the world of light.
gExtractor: Towards Automated Extraction of Malware Deception Parameters

The lack of agility in cyber defense gives adversaries a significant advantage for discovering cyber targets and planning their attacks in stealthy and undetectable manner. While there has been significant research on detecting or predicting attacks, adversaries can always scan the network, learn about countermeasures, and develop new evasion techniques. Active Cyber Deception (ACD) has emerged as effective means to reverse this asymmetry in cyber warfare by dynamically orchestrating the cyber deception environment to mislead attackers and corrupting their decision-making process. However, developing an efficient active deception environment usually requires human intelligence and analysis to characterize the attackers' behaviors (e.g., malware actions). This manual process significantly limits the capability of cyber deception to actively respond to new attacks (malware) in a timely manner.In this paper, we present a new analytic framework and an implemented prototype, called gExtractor, to analyze the malware behavior and automatically extract the deception parameters using symbolic execution in order to enable the automated creation of cyber deception schemes. The deception parameters are environmental variables on which attackers depend to discover the target system and reach their goals; Yet, they can be reconfigured and/or misrepresented by the defender in the cyber environment. Our gExtractor approach contributes to the scientific and system foundations of reasoning about autonomous cyber deception. Our prototype was developed based on customizing a symbolic execution engine for analyzing Microsoft Windows malware. Our case studies of recent malware instances show that gExtractor can be used to identify various critical parameters effective for cyber deception.
Family Protection in the Law of Succession: The Policy Puzzle

To promote the protection of families, succession law diminishes the power of testation in a variety of ways that shield surviving spouses and children from disinheritance. This article conducts a survey of the law in the fifty states, five main territories, and the District of Columbia and uncovers a remarkable diversity of family-protection provisions. Less apparent than the substance of the provisions themselves are the policies behind them. In a comprehensive study, this article concludes that family-protection provisions seek to prevent decedents from using their testamentary freedom in ways that impoverish those who are dependent upon them or that work unfairness against family members who have contributed in important ways to the accumulation of their wealth. In addition to these concerns is a notable ambivalence about the extent to which family protection statutes should undercut the expectations of those who have been promised a share of a decedent’s estate.
Flood Exposure Affects Long-Term Tree Survival in Compensatory Mitigation Wetlands

Survival of planted trees is commonly used as a performance metric for compensatory mitigation wetlands. However, establishing floodplain forest through planting is difficult due to flood-induced tree mortality. We used multiyear tree census and hydrologic data from 17 compensatory mitigation projects in Illinois, USA, to relate planted and volunteer tree establishment to flood frequency, depth, and duration. Annual survival of planted trees decreased with greater annual maximum flood depth and duration. By the end of official compliance monitoring, sites with greater flood exposure had greater planted tree mortality. We resurveyed 10 sites that were at least 10 years old, and found that long-term tree survival was significantly lower in sites with greater flood exposure. Naturally colonizing trees differed in species composition from planted trees; specifically, wind dispersed species were well-represented among volunteer trees, whereas hard mast species were absent. There was no clear relationship between volunteer tree recruitment and measured flood variables. Across all sites, compliance with tree survival standards was poor, but influenced by hydrologic conditions. Current performance standards for tree survival may be unrealistic in restored wetlands that are exposed to long-duration floods. Regulators and practitioners should seek alternative methods to establish desired floodplain forest structure and function.
Self-Regulation of Memory CD8 T Cell Metabolism through Extracellular ATP Signaling

Following activation, CD8 T cells transition from reliance on mitochondrial respiration to increasing utilization of aerobic glycolysis. After the effector phase, however, reversion to mitochondrial metabolism is pivotal generating memory CD8 T cells. We recently showed that sensing of extracellular ATP (eATP) through the receptor P2RX7 is crucial for both production and the long-term survival of memory CD8 T cells, evidently through promoting mitochondrial maintenance. Unexpectedly, these results indicated that sustained P2RX7 activation is required for memory CD8 T cell homeostasis, suggesting constant exposure to eATP, in contrast with the proposed role of eATP as an acute “danger” signal released by dying cells. Active release through transmembrane channels is another path for eATP export. Indeed, CD8 T cells express Pannexin 1 (Panx1) which has a reported eATP release function in vitro and is itself induced by P2RX7 and/or TCR engagement. Such a role for Panx1 could potentially provide a feed-forward mechanism for cell-autonomous P2RX7 signaling. This model envisages that memory CD8 T cells maintain themselves at the cost of reduced intracellular ATP levels, which at first glance would seem to be detrimental for sustained T cell maintenance. On the other hand, the need to tightly regulate levels of intracellular ATP may be critical for the durability and adaptability of memory CD8 T cells, hence engagement of the P2RX7/Panx1 axis may allow these cells to fine tune their metabolic status to meet changing demands. In this Perspective, we discuss how this pathway may influence memory T cell maintenance.
Making Choices: Social Media Platforms and Freedom of Expression Norms

Social media platforms make difficult decisions about the speech that they permit, and the speech they remove from their platforms. They permit heads of state to propagate ideas that are blocked when expressed by ordinary citizens. They censor activists’ demands for independent states, flagging them as hate speech or terrorist content. Since the social media platforms play a central role in public discourse, their self-regulatory norms matter. Through the architecture of the platforms and powerful algorithms, social media companies control how users engage with each other and with the platform. The architecture enables them to set the terms for engagement, from how users respond to arguments, to how they share photographs, or report abusive content. The algorithms enable fine distinctions of content-moderation, with different content being seen in different jurisdictions, content that cannot be shared at all, and content that will be online but down-ranked so it loses visibility. This power that the social media companies wield over speech online, and therefore over public discourse more broadly, is being recognised as a new form of governance. It is uniquely powerful because the norms favoured by social media companies can be enforced directly through the architecture of the social media platforms. There are no consultations, appeals or avenues for challenge. There is little scope for users to reject a norm enforced in this manner. While a blatantly illegitimate norm may result in uproar, choices made by social media companies to favour existing local norms that violate international human rights norms are common enough. This chapter is about the role of social media platforms. It discusses the role and influence of private companies, especially social media companies, in creating norms affecting freedom of expression. Towards this, it begins with an introduction to the role of the Internet in public discourse, followed by a discussion of how the architecture of the internet enables social media companies to influence speech norms. The paper then discusses the factors that influence the speech norms created by platforms and ends on a cautionary note about how the international human rights norm of freedom of expression may being threatened by the platforms’ self-regulatory norm-setting for online speech.
Graphene and Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):Poly(4-styrenesulfonate) on Nonwoven Fabric as a Room Temperature Metal and Its Application as Dry Electrodes for Electrocardiography.

Highly conductive, metal-like poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven fabric was prepared by coating poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) containing dimethyl su...
Membrane-type frizzled-related protein regulates lipidome and transcription for photoreceptor function

Molecular decision-makers of photoreceptor (PRC) membrane organization and gene regulation are critical to understanding sight and retinal degenerations that lead to blindness. Using Mfrprd6 mice, which develop PRC degeneration, we uncovered that membrane-type frizzled-related protein (MFRP) participates in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) enrichment in a manner similar to adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1). Untargeted imaging mass spectrometry demonstrates cell-specific reduction of phospholipids containing 22:6 and very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) in Adipor1-/- and Mfrprd6 retinas. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory signaling pathways is increased and gene-encoding proteins for PRC function decrease in both mutants. Thus, we propose that both proteins are necessary for retinal lipidome membrane organization, visual function, and to the understanding of the early pathology of retinal degenerative diseases.
Probabilistic gene expression signatures identify cell-types from single cell RNA-seq data

Abstract Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) quantifies the gene expression of individual cells in a sample, which allows distinct cell-type populations to be identified and characterized. An important step in many scRNA-seq analysis pipelines is the classification of cells into known cell-types. While this can be achieved using experimental techniques, such as fluorescence-activated cell sorting, these approaches are impractical for large numbers of cells. This motivates the development of data-driven cell-type identification methods. We find limitations with current approaches due to the reliance on known marker genes and sensitivity to the quality of reference samples. Here we present a computationally light statistical approach, based on Naive Bayes, that leverages public datasets to combine information across thousands of genes and probabilistically assign cell-type identity. Using datasets ranging across species and tissue types, we demonstrate that our approach is robust to low-quality reference data and produces more accurate cell-type identification than current methods.
Presidential Impeachment and Removal: From the Two-Party System to the Two-Reality System

Gerald Ford famously said, to paraphrase, that an impeachable offense is whatever the House of Representatives says it is, and a removable offense is whatever the Senate says it is. But the legal definition of HCMs is quite broad — so broad that Ford’s formulation can be reconstructed as a limit on impeachment and removal. An impeachable offense is ONLY what the House is willing to say is one, and a removable offense is ONLY what two-thirds of the Senate is willing to say is one. But as the two parties have grown more polarized, it has become easier to get the House to impeach a president at the same time it has become harder to get the Senate to remove a president. More recently, this divide has widened as the parties no longer simply entertain separate ideologies — often, they perceive separate versions of the facts. In our “two-reality” system, offenses are removable only when they qualify as such in both realities. This Article traces the evolution of impeachment from the Framers’ original design (Part I), through the institution and evolution of the two-party system (Part II), to the present two-reality system (Part III). Part III concludes by considering what is left: What, in 2020, might get a President impeached and removed? (Answer — quite a few things, albeit extreme ones.) To what extent does the impeachment process constrain presidential behavior even though the prospect for removal is so narrow? (Answer — quite a lot.)
Fragments and Visions of a Spatial Discourse: Re-Viewing Georges Perec’s Species of Spaces

This article accompanies a visual essay that re-views Georges Perec’s 1974 book Species of Spaces through a series of collages inspired by its most important chapters related to architecture and ci...
Pigment Epithelium-derived Factor secreted by corneal epithelial cells regulates dendritic cell maturation in dry eye disease.

Abstract Purpose In this study, we quantify Pigment Epithelium-derived Factor (PEDF) secreted by corneal epithelial cells and evaluate its immunomodulatory functions in a murine model of dry eye disease (DED). Methods We induced DED in female C57BL/6 mice using a controlled environment chamber for 14 days. We quantified mRNA expression of Serpinf1 gene and PEDF protein synthesis by corneal epithelial cells (CEpCs) using RT-PCR and ELISA. CEpCs from normal or DED mice were cultured with IFNγ-stimulated-dendritic cells (DCs) for 24 h, and expression of MHC-II and CD86 by DCs was determined using flow cytometry. Next, we either added recombinant PEDF (rPEDF) or anti-PEDF antibody to co-culture, and DC expression of the above maturation markers was quantified. Lastly, we treated DED mice with either topical rPEDF, anti-PEDF Ab or murine serum albumin (MSA), and DC maturation, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and DED severity were investigated. Results Serpinf1 mRNA expression and PEDF protein production levels by CEpCs were upregulated in DED. CEpCs from DED mice exhibited an enhanced suppressive effect on the expression of MHC-II and CD86 by DCs, compared to normal mice. This effect was abolished by blocking endogenous PEDF with anti-PEDF Ab or enhanced by supplementing with rPEDF. Treatment with anti-PEDF antibody blocked the effect of endogenous-PEDF and increased DC maturation, expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in conjunctivae, and exacerbated disease severity in DED mice. Conversely, topical rPEDF enhanced the suppressive effect of endogenous PEDF on DC maturation, decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in conjunctivae, and reduced disease severity. Conclusions The results from our study elucidate the role of PEDF in impeding DC maturation, and suppression of ocular surface inflammation, explicating a promising therapeutic potential of PEDF in limiting the corneal epitheliopathy as a consequence of DED.
Deconstructing Sunlight – A Community Enterprise

Good fortune allowed me to have a career in solar research. With the aid of many generous and gifted colleagues, I have tried to learn more about the Sun’s magnetic and velocity fields through observation and instrumentation development. These interests captured me early and remain strong. In this memoir I describe my path through 60 years of solar research that was sometimes random but did not deviate much from my core interests. The chromospheric magnetic field and helioseismology have been especially intriguing and frequently rewarding topics.
An Evaluation of the Marketing Competitiveness of the Us and Japan in a Comparative Framework

Recent US business editorials extol the competitive posture of the $7-trillion-a-year American economy, emphasizing the positive affects associated with the nation’s rising productivity rankings. Is the United States truly in the midst of an enviable period of maintainable economic growth, with an effective, purposeful and guiding trade policy, or is it destined to watch as mercantilist countries practice carefully crafted methods of managed trade, hampering continued US growth?
Recidivism Treatment for Justice-Involved Veterans: Evaluating Adoption and Sustainment of Moral Reconation Therapy in the US Veterans Health Administration

Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), an evidence-based intervention to reduce risk for criminal recidivism among justice-involved adults, was developed and primarily tested in correctional settings. Therefore, a better understanding of the implementation potential of MRT within non-correctional settings is needed. To address this gap in the literature, we evaluated the adoption and sustainment of MRT in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) following a national training initiative in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. In February 2019, surveys with 66 of the 78 VHA facilities that participated in the training were used to estimate the prevalence of MRT adoption and sustainment, and qualitative interviews with key informants from 20 facilities were used to identify factors associated with sustainment of MRT groups. Of the 66 facilities surveyed, the majority reported adopting (n = 52; 79%) and sustaining their MRT group until the time of the survey (n = 38; 58%). MRT sustainment was facilitated by strong intra-facility (e.g., between veterans justice and behavioral health services) and inter-agency collaborations (e.g., between VHA and criminal justice system stakeholders), which provided a reliable referral source to MRT groups, external incentives for patient engagement, and sufficient staffing to maintain groups. Additional facilitators of MRT sustainment were adaptations to the content and delivery of MRT for patients and screening of referrals to the groups. The findings provide guidance to clinics and healthcare systems that are seeking to implement MRT with justice-involved patient populations, and inform development of implementation strategies to be formally tested in future trials.
Early Experience with Femoral and Tibial Bone-Anchored Osseointegration Prostheses.

Background The use of bone-anchored osseointegration implants for amputation reconstruction continues to expand throughout the world. Benefits are thought to include the elimination of socket-related problems and improved control and proprioception of the prosthetic limb. Reported outcomes have been positive, but skepticism remains with regard to the risk of infection and implant failure. Further results from early adopters are therefore needed prior to widespread acceptance and regulatory approval. Methods A retrospective review of the first 31 consecutive patients who underwent implantation of a press-fit osseointegration implant of the femur or tibia with follow-up of at least 6 months was performed. The primary outcome was the patient-reported Questionnaire for persons with a Transfemoral Amputation (Q-TFA) measured preoperatively and 6 to 12 months postoperatively. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Limb Deformity-Scoliosis Research Society (LD-SRS) scores, 2-minute and 6-minute walk tests, and complications were also recorded. Results In this study, 18 femoral reconstructions and 13 tibial reconstructions were performed, with a mean follow-up (and standard deviation) of 21.1 ± 9.2 months. Twenty-eight reconstructions were single-stage implantations. All Q-TFA domains improved significantly (p < 0.001) from preoperatively to postoperatively, including the global score (25.0 ± 17.4 to 81.2 ± 17.6 points), prosthetic use (50.2 ± 39.9 to 91.2 ± 18.7 points), prosthetic mobility (49.7 ± 26.9 to 81.4 ± 21.5 points), and prosthetic problems (46.4 ± 17.5 to 9.1 ± 6.6 points). The overall and functional outcome domains of the PROMIS and LD-SRS and the 2-minute walk test (243 ± 107 to 369 ± 151 ft [74 ± 33 to 112 ± 46 m]; p = 0.022) and 6-minute walk test (609 ± 323 to 1,054 ± 555 ft [186 ± 98 to 321 ± 169 m]; p = 0.016) also improved significantly. Serious adverse events included 2 periprosthetic hip fractures, 1 explantation for septic loosening, and 1 explantation for aseptic loosening, with an overall implant retention of 93%. The most common complication was low-grade, soft-tissue infection requiring oral antibiotics. Conclusions Similar to the early experience of other international centers, osseointegration implants improved the overall and functional experience of patients compared with socket prosthetics. Complications were present but manageable and were not a deterrent to ongoing support of the technology. Level of Evidence Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Electrically Stimulated Tunable Drug Delivery From Polypyrrole-Coated Polyvinylidene Fluoride.

Electrical stimulus-responsive drug delivery from conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) has been limited by lack of versatile polymerization techniques and limitations in drug-loading strategies. In the present study, we report an in-situ chemical polymerization technique for incorporation of biotin, as the doping agent, to establish electrosensitive drug release from PPy-coated substrates. Aligned electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers were used as a substrate for the PPy-coating and basic fibroblast growth factor and nerve growth factor were the model growth factors demonstrated for potential applications in musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. It was observed that 18-hours of continuous polymerization produced an optimal coating of PPy on the surface of the PVDF electrospun fibers with significantly increased hydrophilicity and no substantial changes observed in fiber orientation or individual fiber thickness. This PPy-PVDF system was used as the platform for loading the aforementioned growth factors, using streptavidin as the drug-complex carrier. The release profile of incorporated biotinylated growth factors exhibited electrosensitive release behavior while the PPy-PVDF complex proved stable for a period of 14 days and suitable as a stimulus responsive drug delivery depot. Critically, the growth factors retained bioactivity after release. In conclusion, the present study established a systematic methodology to prepare PPy coated systems with electrosensitive drug release capabilities which can potentially be used to encourage targeted tissue regeneration and other biomedical applications.
Edaphic preference determines the distribution of the island endemic Ferocactus gatesii (Cactaceae) in Bahía de los Ángeles, Mexico

Abstract The insular endemic Gates barrel cactus, Ferocactus gatesii (Cactaceae) [syn. Ferocactus gracilis ssp. gatesii], is only found on seven islands in Bahia de Los Angeles (BLA), an International Biosphere Reserve in Baja California, Mexico. The islands have different geologic origins; some formed as a result of lava flows, and others by the cooling of magma within the crust. These rock types give rise to different soil physical properties, with F. gatesii only observed growing in granite substrates. This suggests that F. gatesii is in fact an edaphic endemic, restricted to specific soil lithologies on the small islands. Proposed edaphic properties of the preferred granite substrate include controls on soil porosity, permeability, nutrient availability and geomorphic conditions that may influence plant success. Further research is necessary to evaluate the mechanisms of soil property effects on F. gatesii presence and survival, however, recognizing this general pattern is of critical importance to conservation planning, particularly in the face of intensifying environmental stresses from increased aridity, decreasing precipitation, and illegal harvesting. This new information allows us to improve models for potential habitat in an assisted migration scenario and allows insights into the evolutionary processes that resulted in this narrowly endemic species.