cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Among Non-Asians: A Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (AHCM) has been rarely described in the Western world. More recently, improved sensitivity of diagnostic modalities and increased diagnostic awareness have increased detection rates, suggesting that the prevalence outside of Asia may have been previously understated. Hallmark features of AHCM include deeply negative, "giant" T-wave inversions on electrocardiography and a "spade-like" configuration of the left ventricle on ventriculography. We present two cases of AHCM, one in an African-American female and another in a Caucasian male. Cardiol Res. 2016;7(1):46-50 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/cr459w
Abstract 1751: Engineered toxin bodies with specific cell kill activity against mesenchymal cells

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is associated with progression and poor outcome in numerous cancers. Discovery of selective agents that target mesenchymal cancer cells has been an area of significant interest. Here we describe the identification of several novel compounds that specifically recognize and kill H358 Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells that have been transitioned to a mesenchymal phenotype while showing no activity against H358 epithelial cells. These compounds were identified from a screen of a novel biologic library derived from a de-immunogenized Shiga-like toxin 1 A subunit (SLT1A); SLT1A has no intrinsic binding ability of its own but can drive internalization, retrograde transport to the cytosol, and enzymatic inhibition of ribosome activity. This modified library of engineered toxin bodies (ETBs) was created through the insertion of random amino acids near the C-terminus of the SLT1A scaffold to confer selective binding ability of SLT1A while preserving the therapeutic PK and ADME profile of the scaffold. This library of approximately 10⁁15 variants was pre-cleared against epithelial H358 cells and then screened against mesenchymal H358 cells. The screen was performed in an etiology driven manner where the receptor was not known a priori and selection was based on variants ability to induce cell-kill. Sequence convergence was observed as a result of the biopanning and further characterization of a selected group of mesenchymal-specific ETBs is on-going. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1751. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1751
“My Body Came Between Us” Accounts of Partner-Abused Women With Physical Disabilities

Women with physical disabilities are at high risk of intimate partner violence. In addition they are subject to inaccurate stereotypes, including challenges to their gender identities. Like other a...
PARENTAL QUALITY AND SELECTION ON EGG SIZE IN THE MAGELLANIC PENGUIN.

We examined the relative contributions of egg size and parental quality to hatching success, fledging success, and chick growth in the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) be exchanging clutches between nests to reduce the covariation between egg and parental factors. Among control nests, fledging success increased slightly with egg size. However, the effect of egg size independently of parental quality was limited to an influence on chick mass and size for the first 10 days post-hatching. In contrast, attributes of the parents influenced nesting success and chick size at fledging, independently of the egg size actually raised. We suggest that the common occurrence of a positive phenotypic correlation between egg size and fledging success is due to two factors: (1) adults laying large eggs tend to be of higher quality; and (2) to the extent that egg size does influence early survival independently of parental quality, the effect on survival is due to a maternal effect on egg composition rather than an inherent effect of egg size.
A Brief Natural History of Oil

Our fascination with oil is well-founded. Oil is now intertwined into our economy, our livelihood, and, increasingly, in our precarious energy future. The natural history of oil punctuates the earth’s natural history, dating back to an era not unlike our own — one of rising carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
“If the Ramparts Fall, the City Must Fall Also”: The Frontier and Indian Constitutional Reform, 1930–1939

Ever since Lord Curzon carved the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) out of the Punjab in 1901, the British Government of India had actively sought to seal off the Indian Empire’s Afghan borderlands from the rest of the subcontinent. The province was exempted from both the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909 and the wider-ranging Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919. For the first three decades of the twentieth century the official political life of the province remained in a late Victorian form of suspended animation. In the Central Legislature, the NWFP was allowed only two representatives who served entirely at the pleasure of the province’s Chief Commissioner, and the province was administered by a separate cadre from the rest of British India. Travel between the rest of India and the Frontier was monitored by the authorities, and the Chief Commissioner enjoyed wide powers of exclusion. Moreover, the Frontier was not even entitled to the same legal rights as the rest of British India, but was subject to a draconian set of penalties and procedures known as the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The British enforced this division between the NWFP and the rest of India for two reasons in particular. The first concern, over the strategic position of the region, was summed up in the often-quoted analogy of a cigarette in a powder magazine: in a region as dangerous as the Frontier, the spark of political activity would blow the rest of India sky high.
Carnitine and trimethylaminobutyrate synthesis in rat tissues.

Abstract Liver and testis slices convert 6-N-trimethyl-lysine into 4-N-trimethylaminobutyrate and carnitine. Adipose, skeletal muscle, heart, or kidney tissues metabolize trimethyl-lysine into trimethylaminobutyrate but not into carnitine. Trimethylaminobutyrate hydroxylation, forming carnitine, occurs in liver and to a minor degree in testis. Liver is the primary site of carnitine biosynthesis in the rat.
Biomechanical Analysis of a Filiform Mechanosensory Hair Socket of Crickets

Filiform mechanosensory hairs of crickets are of great interest to engineers because of the hairs' highly sensitive response to low-velocity air-currents. In this study, we analyze the biomechanical properties of filiform hairs of the cercal sensory system of a common house cricket. The cercal sensory system consists of two antennalike appendages called cerci that are situated at the rear of the cricket's abdomen. Each cercus is covered with 500-750 flow sensitive filiform mechanosensory hairs. Each hair is embedded in a complex viscoelastic socket that acts as a spring and dashpot system and guides the movement of the hair. When a hair deflects due to the drag force induced on its length by a moving air-current, the spiking activity of the neuron that innervates the hair changes and the combined spiking activity of all hairs is extracted by the cercal sensory system. Filiform hairs have been experimentally studied by researchers, though the basis for the hairs' biomechanical characteristics is not fully understood. The socket structure has not been analyzed experimentally or theoretically from a mechanical standpoint, and the characterization that exists is mathematical in nature and only provides a very rudimentary approximation of the socket's spring nature. This study aims to understand and physically characterize the socket's behavior and interaction with the filiform hair by examining hypotheses about the hair and socket biomechanics. A three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) model was first created using confocal microscopy images of the hair and socket structure of the cricket, and then finite-element analyses (FEAs) based on the physical conditions that the insect experiences were simulated. The results show that the socket can act like a spring; however, it has two-tier rotational spring constants during pre- and postcontacts of iris and hair bulge due to its constitutive nonstandard geometric shapes.
Use of physiological signals to predict cybersickness

Abstract Cybersickness is a common and unpleasant side effect of virtual reality immersion. We measured physiological changes that were experienced by seated subjects who interacted with a virtual environment (VE) first while viewing a display monitor and second while using a head-mounted display (HMD). Comparing results for these two conditions let us identify physiological consequences of HMD use. In both viewing conditions, subjects rated the severity of their symptoms verbally and completed a post-immersion cybersickness assessment questionnaire. In the HMD viewing condition but not in the display monitor condition, verbal reports of cybersickness severity increased significantly relative to baseline. Half of the subjects chose to exit the VE after six minutes of HMD use and reported feeling some nausea at that time. We found that changes in stomach activity, blinking, and breathing can be used to estimate post-immersion symptom scores, with R2 values reaching as high as 0.75. These results suggest that HMD use by seated subjects is strongly correlated with the development of cybersickness. Finally, a linear discriminant analysis shows that physiological measures alone can be used to classify subject data as belonging to the HMD or monitor viewing condition with an accuracy of 78%.
Optical error budgeting using linearized ray-trace models

The Root-Sum-Squared, or "RSS" wavefront error model is a simple, scalar tool, commonly used for space telescope error budgeting. At the same time, much more detailed models, combining ray-trace and Fourier optics with optical alignments and wavefront controls, can provide accurate, high-resolution simulations for detailed system and subsystem design. This paper makes a connection between the two modeling approaches by deriving RSS model coefficients from ray-trace models, including the effects of wavefront controls, for computing system performance from component error statistics. It is shown that, properly constructed, the simple RSS error budget is a covariance analysis, and can be as accurate as high-resolution wavefront models for statistical wavefront error prediction. A notional segmented-aperture space telescope is used to illustrate this error modeling process.
Changes in Resilience Predict Function in Adults With Physical Disabilities: A Longitudinal Study.

Abstract Objectives (1) To determine if resilience exhibits similar stability across time as depression, fatigue, and sleep quality; and (2) to determine if changes in resilience over a period of 1 year are associated with changes in depression, fatigue, sleep quality, and physical function over the same time period. Design Observational longitudinal survey study with measures administered 2 times, 1 year apart. Setting Community-based population sample. Participants Adults with physical disabilities (N=893). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Primary outcomes were measures of resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), fatigue (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS] Fatigue Short Form), sleep quality (PROMIS Sleep Disturbance), and physical function (8-item PROMIS Physical Functioning). Results Resilience ( r =.71, P r =.71, P r =.79, P r =.68, P 1,885 =70.23; P R 2 =.54) and fatigue (F 1,885 =25.66; P R 2 =.64), and an increase in resilience was associated with improved sleep quality (F 1,885 =30.76; P R 2 =.48) and physical function (F 1,885 =16.90; P R 2 =.86) over a period of 1 year, while controlling for age, sex, and diagnosis. Conclusions Resilience exhibits similar test-retest stability as other important domains that are often treatment targets. Changes in resilience were associated with changes in depression, fatigue, sleep quality, and physical functioning over the course of 1 year. Further longitudinal and experimental research is warranted to investigate the potential causal effect of changes in resilience on quality of life in individuals with physical disabilities.
Patulin in apple juice from roadside stands in Wisconsin.

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the amount of patulin in 40 samples of apple juice sold at roadside stands in Wisconsin. Samples were taken during juice-producing seasons in 1976 and 1977. Nine of 11 samples obtained in 1976 contained from a trace (approximately 10 μg) to 350 μg of patulin per liter. Fourteen of 29 samples obtained in 1977 contained from a trace to 204 μg of patulin per liter. The average concentration of patulin in all samples was 51 μg/l; most samples contained less than 50 μg/l.
President’s Remarks

![Figure][1] We have experienced in the past five days, during our 81st Annual Session, what may have been the best meeting yet. We are grateful to all the staff, volunteers, delegates, and members who made this meeting the success it was. We are gratified for the level of participation—in
Quantification of surgical margin length changes after excision of feline injection site sarcomas-A pilot study.

Objective To evaluate degree length change of lateral surgical margins at various stages of processing for histological examination and quantify the length change between grossly normal surgical margins (GNSM) and pathologist-reported histologic tumor-free margin (HTFM) in widely resected feline injection site sarcoma (FISS) specimens. Study Design Prospective clinical study. Animals Five client-owned cats with injection site sarcomas. Methods All cats underwent wide surgical excision (35-55 mm gross lateral margins, 2 fascial planes deep). Gross normal lateral margin measurements from tumor edge were recorded in 4 directions (cranial, caudal, dorsal, ventral) at 5 time points: intra-op (in vivo GNSM); immediately following excision (ex vivo GNSM); following formalin fixation (post-fixation GNSM); after trimming and mounting on glass slides (on-slide GNSM); and HTFM at the narrowest point from the HTFM from the same slides used for on-slide GNSM. Percent change in lateral margin length from in vivo measurements was quantified at each time point and compared using 1-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results The largest mean decrease in percent GNSM length occurred immediately after excision (in vivo to ex vivo GNSM = 29%; P = .016). Formalin fixation, trimming, and mounting on slides did not result in additional significant changes in length. Mean HTFM length was significantly decreased compared to both in vivo GNSM (33%; P = .014) and on-slide GNSM (7%; P = .024). Conclusion Significant decreases in surgical margin length in FISS specimens occur immediately following excision (prior to formalin fixation). Subgross evaluation of tumor-free margins from on-slide GNSM to HTFM overestimates the actual (histologic) tumor-free margins.
A comprehensive statistical investigation of schlieren image velocimetry (SIV) using high-velocity helium jet

A detailed statistical assessment of seedless velocity measurement using Schlieren Image Velocimetry (SIV) was explored using open source Robust Phase Correlation (RPC) algorithm. A well-known flow field, an axisymmetric turbulent helium jet, was analyzed near and intermediate region $$(0\le x/d\le 20)$$ for two different Reynolds numbers, Re d = 11,000 and Re d = 22,000 using schlieren with horizontal knife-edge, schlieren with vertical knife-edge and shadowgraph technique, and the resulted velocity fields from SIV techniques were compared to traditional Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements. A novel, inexpensive, easy to setup two-camera SIV technique had been demonstrated to measure high-velocity turbulent jet, with jet exit velocities 304 m/s (Mach = 0.3) and 611 m/s (Mach = 0.6), respectively. Several image restoration and enhancement techniques were tested to improve signal to noise ratio (SNR) in schlieren and shadowgraph images. Processing and post-processing parameters for SIV techniques were examined in detail. A quantitative comparison between self-seeded SIV techniques and traditional PIV had been made using correlation statistics. While the resulted flow field from schlieren with horizontal knife-edge and shadowgraph showed excellent agreement with PIV measurements, schlieren with vertical knife-edge performed poorly. The performance of spatial cross-correlations at different jet locations using SIV techniques and PIV was evaluated. Turbulence quantities like turbulence intensity, mean velocity fields, Reynolds shear stress influenced spatial correlations and correlation plane SNR heavily. Several performance metrics such as primary peak ratio (PPR), peak to correlation energy (PCE), the probability distribution of signal and noise were used to compare capability and potential of different SIV techniques.
SoxNeuro and Shavenbaby act cooperatively to shape denticles in the embryonic epidermis of Drosophila

During development, extracellular signals are integrated by cells to induce the transcriptional circuitry that controls morphogenesis. In the fly epidermis, Wingless (Wg)/Wnt signaling directs cells to produce either a distinctly shaped denticle or no denticle, resulting in a segmental pattern of denticle belts separated by smooth, or 'naked', cuticle. Naked cuticle results from Wg repression of shavenbaby (svb), which encodes a transcription factor required for denticle construction. We have discovered that although the svb promoter responds differentially to altered Wg levels, Svb alone cannot produce the morphological diversity of denticles found in wild-type belts. Instead, a second Wg-responsive transcription factor, SoxNeuro (SoxN), cooperates with Svb to shape the denticles. Co-expressing ectopic SoxN with svb rescued diverse denticle morphologies. Conversely, removing SoxN activity eliminated the residual denticles found in svb mutant embryos. Furthermore, several known Svb target genes are also activated by SoxN, and we have discovered two novel target genes of SoxN that are expressed in denticle-producing cells and that are regulated independently of Svb. We conclude that proper denticle morphogenesis requires transcriptional regulation by both SoxN and Svb.
Emotion Recognition via Face Tracking with RealSense(TM) 3D Camera for Children with Autism

Although there is a growing recognition of the differences, not diminished abilities, of facial affective expressivity between Typically Developing (TD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) individuals, which might lead to the varied recognizability of conveyed emotion by both TD and ASD individuals, little is explored on the ecological validity of these findings; that is, whether spontaneous affective facial expressions can better be produced and recognized by both populations. We aimed to address these issues in the present study, using children's cartoon clips to assess two aspects of spontaneous emotion production and recognition in a context closer to real-life children's cartoon movie watching (at home or a classroom). Based on the facial landmark data and a teacher/parent's manual emotion tags (happy), we performed a computational analysis to compare the happy emotion labels generated by the automated algorithm and the human TD rater. Two pilot studies of six ASD children revealed the potential as well as challenges of such an approach.
Toward a Unified Total Synthesis of the Xiamycin and Oridamycin Families of Indolosesquiterpenes.

A unified synthetic strategy toward the oridamycin and xiamycin families of natural products was designed, aiming to access several natural products from a common synthetic intermediate readily prepared from geranyl acetate. Part of this strategy was successfully realized, culminating in the synthesis of oridamycin A and oridamycin B. Key steps include a Mn(III)-mediated oxidative radical cyclization to construct the trans-decalin ring, and a 6π-electrocyclization/aromatization sequence to produce the 2,3-fused carbazole. Oridamycin B was accessed through a late-stage, C–H oxidation that converted the C16 methyl to a hydroxymethyl. A variety of strategies were explored to form a chelated radical intermediate en route to xiamycin A, including enolate SET oxidation, oxo-vanadium oxidation, and atom-transfer cyclization. Unfortunately, none of these strategies provided the desired C16-epimeric trans-decalin. Exploratory studies on photoredox-catalyzed radical cyclizations yielded interesting results, includi...
Node-Pore Coded Coincidence Correction: Coulter Counters, Code Design, and Sparse Deconvolution

We present a novel method to perform individual particle (e.g., cells or viruses) coincidence correction through joint channel design and algorithmic methods. Inspired by multiple-user communication theory, we modulate the channel response, with node-pore sensing, to give each particle a binary Barker code signature. When processed with our modified successive interference cancellation method, this signature enables both the separation of coincidence particles and a high sensitivity to small particles. We identify several sources of modeling error and mitigate most effects using a data-driven self-calibration step and robust regression. Additionally, we provide simulation analysis to highlight our robustness, as well as our limitations, to these sources of stochastic system model error. Finally, we conduct experimental validation of our techniques using several encoded devices to screen a heterogeneous sample of several size particles.
A clone-directed approach may improve diagnosis and treatment of proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits

The optimal treatment for the monoclonal gammopathies of renal significance is not known, but there is consensus among experts that treatment should be specific for the underlying clone. The majority of patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID) do not have an identifiable clone, and prior studies have found poor renal outcomes for patients with PGNMID treated with a variety of regimens. Here we present a retrospective case series of 19 patients with PGNMID with a more uniform, clone-directed approach. A circulating paraprotein was detected in 37% of patients, and the overall clone detection rate was 32%. Treatment was directed at the underlying clone or, for patients without a detectable clone, empirically prescribed to target the hypothesized underlying clone. Of the 16 patients who underwent treatment, the overall renal response rate was 88%, and 38% of patients experienced complete renal response (proteinuria reduction to under 0.5 gm/24 hours) with initial treatment. All patients were End Stage Renal Disease-free at last follow-up (median 693 days after diagnosis), and treatment was well tolerated. Thus, a clone-directed approach may lead to novel, targeted treatment strategies that could significantly improve outcomes for patients with PGNMID.
A framework based on engineering performance and sustainability to assess the use of new and recycled materials in pavements

Growing need for increased use of recycled and new materials in road construction has emerged due to the continuous depletion of natural resources and increased impact of the current state of pract...
Selection of Balloon Catheter Therapy for Patients with Mitral and Aortic Valve Stenosis

Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) was innovated by Inoue, performing the first procedure in 1982 using a unique balloon catheter system. The balloon is designed to operate somewhat like a pulmonary artery flotation catheter and after it is introduced into the left atrium it can be “floated” into the left ventricle then used to split the fused mitral commissures completely. The availability of percutaneous methods for accomplishing mitral commissurotomy has allowed for broader patient selection than has been traditional for surgical methods. The ease of percutaneous therapy, the relatively traumatic nature of the procedure, and the short hospital stay makes application of mitral commissurotomy to a broad segment of the population of patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis highly feasible. Randomized comparisons of PTMC with both open and closed surgical commissurotomy have demonstrated equivalent acute and long term results. Thus, PTMC is the procedure of choice for the vast majority of patients with mitral stenosis.
Senden und Empfangen

Die Ubersetzung von Kommunikationsinhalten in mitteilbare Symbole geht dem Senden dieser Zeichen voraus. In der konkreten Situation aber fallt es haufig schwer, an dieser kunstlichen Trennung festzuhalten, denn Stimmungen, Absichten, Ideen werden oft unmittelbar, ohne Dazwischenschalten rationaler Uberlegungen zum Ausdruck gebracht.
Quaternary alpine glaciation in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Sierra Nevada, and Hawaii

Publisher Summary This chapter explores the mountain glaciation in the North American Cordillera and Hawaii exclusive of the Rocky Mountains and Canada and focuses on a few critical areas in each of these regions where research since 1965 has produced significant new results that advance the understanding of the extent, chronology, and dynamics of mountain glaciers and enhance the paleoclimatic inferences that can be drawn from them. Because most of Alaska is not glaciated, mountain glaciers are free to expand onto adjacent lowlands, where they leave a rich record of moraines and morphostratigraphically related glacial–geologic features. While the extent of Late Quaternary glaciers is now reasonably well known in much of the western Cordillera, some major gaps and uncertainties remain. Extensive detailed mapping and study of glacial deposits in many Alaskan ranges, the Oregon Cascades, and the western Sierra Nevada remain to be done. Because climate of the Cordillera varies both latitudinally and longitudinally, alpine glaciers may respond more to local climate than to average regional climate.
Primary production in four North American deserts: indices of efficiency

Research conducted as part of the US/IBP Desert Biome is summarized to determine if photosynthetic groups of plants have a selective competitive advantage in desert environments, and to determine the relative magnitude of primary production efficiency for the perennial vegetation. In all four deserts the dominant plant was a C 3 -type woody shrub species, which has photosynthetic temperature optima and maxima, and water use efficiency equivalent to members of the C 4 photosynthetic group. Photosynthetic and water use efficiencies for the communities averaged 0·111 per cent and 0·73 g dry weight/kg H 2 O per m 2 . Biotic production efficiency averaged 0·27 and is equivalent to other vegetation types.
Recognizing the role of skilled immigration

William Kerr9s The Gift of Global Talent reveals that much of America9s prosperity can be traced to its long history as a leading destination for skilled immigrants.
Toward a definition of diaspora

With the emergence of diaspora studies as a field, scholars from different disciplines have offered diverse definitions of the concept of diaspora. Thus far, scholarly debates about what constitute...
Developing commute optimization system to minimize negative environmental impacts and time of business commuters

The objective of this research is to develop a novel and innovative system, called Business+ Commute Optimization System (B+COS) that is capable of identifying the optimal selection of individualiz...
Detect Hidden Road Hazards combining Multiple Social Media Data

It is imperatively important to spot hidden road hazards which cause a high proportion of traffic incidents. Social media data is featured by its innumerable and up-to-date information, and provides a promising approach to road hazard spotting. However, this research area is not well studied yet. In this paper, we present our view of the important research issues, including challenges of mining spatio-temporal dataset, road hazards reasoning and etc.
Special Session: Developing an Effective Propagation Plan for Educational Innovations

The special session offers resources for developing effective propagation plans for educational innovations and opportunities to apply these resources. Organizations supporting development of innovations in engineering education are placing more emphasis now than previously on plans for propagating the innovation beyond the original developers. The goal of the special session is to help participants prepare effective propagation plans for proposals for innovative approaches for engineering education. The special session is organized using a framework that was generated from an evaluation of funded educational innovation development projects, a study of well-propagated innovations in undergraduate STEM education and review of the relevant literature on organizational change and diffusion of innovations.
PERSPECTIVES, NORMS, AND AGENCY

A core set of assumptions in economic modeling is that rational agents, who have a defined preference set, assess their options and determine which best satisfies their preferences. The rational actor model supposes that the world provides us with a menu of options, and we simply choose what’s best for us. Agents are independent of one another, and they can rationally assess which of their options they wish to pursue. This gives special authority to the choices that people make, since they are understood to be the outcomes of the agent’s considered judgments. However, we have come to see that the independence assumption does not always hold in the way that we may have initially thought. Social norms can govern our choices even when we disagree with them. Here we can begin to see how the standard model of choice and agency begins to weaken: no longer are my choices wholly mine, but instead there is a subset of choices that are governed by the broader culture that I live in. Social norms constrain my behavior with informal coercion — my desire to remain a community member in good standing requires me to behave in accordance with the community’s social norms. What I wish to challenge more substantively is the claim that the menu of choices agents “see” is in fact the objective set of options that is transparently provided by the world. Instead, I argue that the options that people perceive and the evidence they use to make choices are mediated by perspectives. Perspectives can importantly interact with social norms to make some norms more resilient to change, and others harder to adopt. This further shapes both our descriptive and normative understanding of agency. Our choices are not over all of the objectively available options, but over the options that we can see. The evidence we marshal to support our choices is not the full set of evidence, but the evidence that we recognize as salient. This is not to deny that individuals have agency, but rather we need a more nuanced understanding of the nature of this agency.
A Molecular/Heterogeneous Nickel Catalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling

A molecular/heterogeneous catalyst motif based on an earth abundant nickel catalyst and SiO2 support has been designed and synthesized. Characterization and catalytic testing indicate that the molecular nickel catalyst [(2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-4′-benzoic acid)Ni(II)]Cl2 attached to a high surface area SiO2 support is the active cross-coupling catalyst and increased product yields are a result of increased molecular stability of the catalyst while attached to the SiO2 support. This molecular/heterogeneous motif is easily separated from reaction mixtures and can be recycled for multiple catalytic reactions. The catalyst is active for Suzuki–Miyaura catalysis at catalyst loadings as low as 0.1 mol %, and turnover numbers nearing 2000 have been achieved.
Measuring Self-Reported Physical Function in Individuals With TBI: Development of the TBI-QOL Mobility and Upper Extremity Item Banks and Short Forms.

Objectives To describe the development and field testing of the patient-reported outcome measures of Mobility and Upper Extremity function from the Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) measurement system, and to evaluate the use of computer adaptive testing. Setting Five rehabilitation facilities funded as part of the TBI Model Systems network. Participants Individuals with complicated mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury (n = 590). Interventions Not available. Outcome measures TBI-QOL Mobility and Upper Extremity item banks. Results Item response theory and factor analyses supported the unidimensionality of the Mobility and Upper Extremity banks. Descriptive statistics showed a ceiling effect for both measures. Simulated computer adaptive tests (CATs) showed that measurement precision was maintained across administration formats for both measures. The Upper Extremity CAT showed a loss of precision for individuals without impairment and that a higher number of items were required to achieve sufficiently precise measurement, compared to the Mobility CAT. Conclusions The TBI-QOL Upper Extremity and Mobility item banks achieved good breadth of coverage, particularly among those individuals who have experienced some degree of functional limitation. The use of CAT administration minimizes respondent burden, while allowing for the comprehensive assessment of adults with TBI. The combined use of the TBI-QOL with performance-based measures could guide the development of targeted rehabilitation treatments.
VR Disability Simulation Reduces Implicit Bias Towards Persons With Disabilities

This article investigates how experiencing Virtual Reality (VR) Disability Simulation (DS) affects information recall and participants’ implicit association towards people with disabilities (PwD). Implicit attitudes are our actions or judgments towards various concepts or stereotypes (e.g., race) which we may or may not be aware of. Previous research has shown that experiencing ownership over a dark-skinned body reduces implicit racial bias. We hypothesized that a DS with a tracked Head Mounted Display (HMD) and a wheelchair interface would have a significantly larger effect on participants’ information recall and their implicit association towards PwD than a desktop monitor and gamepad. We conducted a 2 x 2 between-subjects experiment in which participants experienced a VR DS that teaches them facts about Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with factors of display (HMD, a desktop monitor) and interface (gamepad, wheelchair). Participants took two Implicit Association Tests before and after experiencing the DS. Our study results show that the participants in an immersive HMD condition performed better than the participants in the non-immersive Desktop condition in their information recall task. Moreover, a tracked HMD and a wheelchair interface had significantly larger effects on participants’ implicit association towards PwD than a desktop monitor and a gamepad.
Tyrosine-Derived Polycarbonate Nerve Guidance Tubes Elicit Pro-Regenerative Extracellular Matrix Deposition When Used to Bridge Segmental Nerve Defects in Swine

Promising biomaterials for facilitating regeneration should be tested in appropriate large animal models that better recapitulate human inflammatory and regenerative responses than rodent models. Previous studies have shown tyrosine-derived polycarbonates (TyrPC) are versatile biomaterials with a wide range of tissue engineering applications across multiple disciplines. The library of TyrPC has been well studied and consists of thousands of polymer compositions with tunable mechanical characteristics and degradation and resorption rates that are useful for the design of nerve guidance tubes (NGTs). NGTs made of different TyrPCs have been used in segmental nerve defect models in small animals. The current study is an extension of this work and evaluates the effects of NGTs made using two different TyrPC compositions in a porcine model of peripheral nerve injury and repair. We first evaluated a nondegradable TyrPC formulation in a 1 cm segmental nerve defect model in pigs, demonstrating proof-of-concept of chronic regenerative efficacy up to 6 months, at which time nerve/muscle electrophysiology and nerve morphometry were similar to those attained by an autograft repair control. Next, we characterized the acute regenerative response to a degradable TyrPC formulation using the same 1 cm segmental defect model. After 2 weeks in vivo, this TyrPC NGT was found to promote the deposition by host cells of pro-regenerative extracellular matrix (ECM) constituents (in particular collagen I, collagen III, collagen IV, laminin and fibronectin) at levels exceeding those deposited inside commercially available collagen-based NGTs. This corresponded with dense and rapid infiltration of host Schwann cells and axons into the lumen of the NGT and axonal crossing of the lesion into the distal nerve segment. These findings confirmed results reported previously in a mouse model and reveal that TyrPC NGTs were well tolerated in swine and facilitated host axon regeneration and Schwann cell infiltration in the acute phase across segmental defects - likely by eliciting a favorable neurotrophic ECM milieu. This regenerative response ultimately can contribute to functional recovery.
Examination of Nonlinear and Functional Mixed-Effects Models with Nonparametrically Generated Data

Previous research has shown functional mixed-effects models and traditional mixed-effects models perform similarly when recovering individual trajectories when data were generated following a param...
"All Rise for the AI Director": Eliciting Possible Futures of Voice Technology through Story Completion

How might the capabilities of voice assistants several decades in the future shape human society? To anticipate the space of possible futures for voice assistants, we asked 149 participants to each complete a story based on a brief story stem set in the year 2050 in one of five different contexts: the home, doctor's office, school, workplace, and public transit. Story completion as a method elicits participants' visions of possible futures, unconstrained by their understanding of current technological capabilities, but still reflective of current sociocultural values. Through a thematic analysis, we find these stories reveal the extremes of the capabilities and concerns of today's voice assistants---and artificial intelligence---such as improving efficiency and offering instantaneous support, but also replacing human jobs, eroding human agency, and causing harm through malfunction. We conclude by discussing how these speculative visions might inform and inspire the design of voice assistants and other artificial intelligence.
Style Extractor For Facial Expression Recognition in the Presence of Speech

The performance of facial expression recognition (FER) systems has improved with recent advances in machine learning. While studies have reported impressive accuracies in detecting emotion from posed expressions in static images, there are still important challenges in developing FER systems for videos, especially in the presence of speech. Speech articulation modulates the orofacial area, changing the facial appearance. These facial movements induced by speech introduce noise, reducing the performance of an FER system. Solving this problem is important if we aim to study more naturalistic environment or applications in the wild. We propose a novel approach to compensate for lexical information that does not require phonetic information during inference. The approach relies on a style extractor model, which creates emotional-to-neutral transformations. The transformed facial representations are spatially contrasted with the original faces, highlighting the emotional information conveyed in the video. The results demonstrate that adding the proposed style extractor model to a dynamic FER system improves the performance by 7% (absolute) compared to a similar model with no style extractor. This novel feature representation also improves the generalization of the model.
Fatherhood, Substance Use, and Early Child Development

Although the gender gap may be slowly closing across generations, men are generally much more likely than women to develop a substance use disorder as they move through adolescence into early to middle adulthood when most men first become a father. Research done from several different perspectives suggests that substance use by men affects family relations and family relations affect substance use by men, undoubtedly in a reciprocal manner as men move through the life cycle of the family. Moreover, substance use by men represents a substantial threat to the development of infants, toddlers, and preschool children. When men begin a family while misusing substances, early temperamental difficulty exacerbated by compromise of early family environments seems to put children on developmental pathways to externalizing difficulty, internalizing difficulty, and substance use during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood that represents risk for transmission of social, family, and psychological problems across generations. As the literature on substance use and fathering during family formation continues to expand, policymakers, researchers, and providers need to use this research to inform the development of creative preventive and clinical interventions designed to minimize the harm associated with paternal addiction for fathers, mothers, and children.
Principles of Remediation for the Struggling Neurosurgery Resident.

Background When resident physicians fail to demonstrate appropriate milestone competencies early in their neurologic surgery residency, a plan of remediation is necessary. Methods Once any psychologic, physical, or behavioral causes of identified knowledge or psychomotor deficiencies have been identified and addressed, the next step is to develop a plan to close these gaps. Specific areas that are assessed for deficits include medical knowledge, clinical reasoning and judgment, clinical skills, time management and organization, interpersonal skills, communication, and professionalism. Specific learning goals and objectives, as well as teaching and learning methods, pertain to the unique areas of deficit, and all of these must be considered with the goal of developing a resident-specific remediation plan. Results A plan for assessment of the remediation process is described, including an evaluation of what constitutes individual resident remediation success. Conclusions Finally, a discussion of the prior resident remediation studies across many disciplines is made.
Molecular Mechanism of Intrahepatic Cholestasis in Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects over three million people worldwide. Sickle Cell Anemia, the most common form of SCD is caused by the substitution of hydrophilic glutamic acid with hydrophobic valine at the sixth position in β-globin chain. The mutated hemoglobin (HbS) polymerizes under hypoxic conditions to promote erythrocyte sickling. Sickling promotes vaso-occlusion (ischemia) and hemolysis, which are two major pathophysiological events contributing to end organ damage. SCD patients can develop Sickle Cell Intrahepatic Cholestasis (SCIC), which is a rare but lethal form of hepatopathy. Besides SCIC, cholethiasis (gallstone formation), viral hepatitis and choledocholithiasis (stones in bile duct) have also been reported in SCD patients. The morbidity associated with sickle hepatopathy is expected to rise with growing life expectancy of SCD patients. Rescue therapies to halt the progression of sickle hepatopathy will be highly beneficial, however, development of such therapies is stalled by the lack of understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying sickle hepatopathy. We assessed the liver pathophysiology in a humanized mouse model of SCD in Townes SS mice homozygous for Hbatm1(HBA)Tow and homozygous for Hbbtm2(HBG1,HBB*)Tow). Littermate sickle cell trait mice (Townes AS mice homozygous for Hbatm1(HBA)Tow and compound heterozygous for Hbbtm2(HBG1,HBB*)Tow/Hbbtm3(HBG1,HBB)Tow) were used as control mice. Our findings reveal that SCD but not control mice developed progressive intrahepatic cholestasis with age characterized by increased level of serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and cholesterol. Immunohistochemical analysis of SCD mice liver revealed increased ductular reaction, inflammation, and fibrosis, which is hallmark of cholestatic liver disease. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed damage to bile canalicular structure and loss of several bile transporters from hepatocyte membrane. Remarkably, biochemical analysis revealed that intrahepatic cholestasis in SCD mice was associated with loss of Wnt signaling in hepatocytes. Our preliminary findings suggest that further studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying progressive cholestasis in SCD mice. Profound understanding of the regulation of cholestasis and hepatobiliary injury in SCD could potentially benefit the development of new therapies to attenuate sickle hepatopathy in SCD patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Fragmentation and Matching of Human MicroRNA Sequences in 3'utr.

AIMS Definition of sense and antisense microRNA matches in 3'utr. BACKGROUND Matches of mature microRNAs (m-miRs) in human 3'utr could be traced to mutations producing fragments of original m-miR sequences without physical separation. (The m-miR matches in 5'utr and cds should be by far fewer, but could follow similar patterns). OBJECTIVE To ascertain if the sense and antisense m-miR fragments in 3'utr occur at similar or different levels. METHODS Frequency of sense and antisense m-miR matches in 3'utr was examined in the range of 7-22 nucleotides. RESULTS The fragmentation occurs at gene level by mutation within one of the paired m-miRs, which upon transcription results in increased interactive capability for both former pre-micro (premir) RNA stem partners. The non-mutated stem partner can persist in 3'utr sequences, as is apparent from significant presence of miR-619-5p and miR-5096 and some conservation of 20 other simian- specific m-miR sequences. However, most of m-mir sequences in 3'utr are extensively fragmented, with low preservation of long matches. In flanks of individual m-miR embeds the mutated pre-mir positions are to a degree defined specifically. CONCLUSION The m-mir matches of various sizes in 3'utr apparently reflect accumulation, on a phylogenetic time scale, of in-sequence point mutations. Across human 3'utr this fragmentation is significantly less for evolutionarily recent human m-miRs that originate in simians compared to human m-miRs first appearing in lower primates, and especially to human m-miRs introduced in nonprimates.