cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoreceptor synapses degenerate early in experimental choroidal neovascularization

Severe visual loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration is associated with the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The pathogenic mechanisms for CNV formation have been extensively investigated, but remarkably little research has addressed the mechanisms for dysfunction of the retina in CNV. Using laser-induced CNV in mice, we evaluated the mechanisms of retinal dysfunction. At 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after laser application, retinas under experimental CNV were characterized physiologically (ERG recordings, synaptic uptake of the exocytotic marker FM1-43, and light-induced translocation of transducin), histologically, and immunohistochemically. ERG amplitudes were reduced by 20% at 1 week after CNV. Depolarization-induced FM1-43 uptake in photoreceptor synapses was selectively reduced by 45% at 1 week after CNV. Although photoreceptor outer segments were shortened by 36%, light adaptation as measured by transducin translocation was mostly preserved. Early in CNV (3 days to 1 week), Muller cells demonstrated induction of c-fos and pERK expression. Also, the density of macrophage-like, F4/80 immunoreactive cells increased ∼3-fold. Minimal photoreceptor death occurred during the first week, and was variable thereafter. At later times in CNV formation (≥2 weeks), expression of photoreceptor synaptic markers was reduced in the outer plexiform layer, indicating loss of photoreceptor synaptic terminals. ERG amplitudes, synaptic uptake of FM1-43, and the induction of c-fos and pERK in Muller cells were altered within 1 week of experimental CNV, suggesting that during CNV formation, deficits in retinal function, in particular photoreceptor synaptic function, precede degeneration of photoreceptor terminals and photoreceptor cell death. J. Comp. Neurol. 483:263–277, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Microdevelopment of Complex Featural and Spatial Integration with Contextual Support

Complex spatial decisions involve the ability to combine featural and spatial information in a scene. In the present work, 4- through 9-year-old children completed a complex map-scene correspondence task under baseline and supported conditions. Children compared a photographed scene with a correct map and with map-foils that made salient an object feature or spatial property. Map-scene matches were analyzed for the effects of age and featural-spatial information on children’s selections. In both conditions children significantly favored maps that highlighted object detail and object perspective rather than color, landmark, and metric elements. Children’s correct performance did not differ by age and was suboptimal, but their ability to choose correct maps improved significantly when contextual support was provided. Strategy variability was prominent for all age groups, but at age 9 with support children were more likely to give up their focus on features and transition to the use of spatial strategies. These findings suggest the possibility of a U-shaped curve for children’s development of geometric knowledge: geometric coding is predominant early on, diminishes for a time in middle childhood in favor of a preference for features, and then reemerges along with the more advanced abilities to combine featural and spatial information.
Molecular and Genetic Analyses of the B Type Surface Protein Gene from Paramecium Tetraurelia

The gene encoding the B type variable surface protein from Paramecium tetraurelia stock 51 has been cloned and sequenced. The 7,182 nucleotide open reading frame contains no introns and encodes a cysteine-rich protein that has a periodic structure including three nearly perfect tandem repeats in the central region. Interestingly, the B gene is located near a macronuclear telomere as was shown previously for two other paramecium surface protein genes. In this paper, we characterize four independent mutants with complete macronuclear deletions of the B gene. Previous analysis of different macronuclear deletion mutants of the A surface protein gene demonstrated two types of inheritance: typical Mendelian segregation (as illustrated by d12) and cytoplasmic inheritance (shown by d48). F1 analysis of four B- mutants crossed with wild-type cells reveals heterozygous F1 cell lines derived from both parental cytoplasms contain approximately the same copy number of the B gene, as expected for a recessive Mendelian mutation. Analysis of F2 progeny from three of these four B- mutant crosses indicates that one of the three exhibits a Mendelian 1:1 segregation ratio of B+ and B- cell lines. The other two show a preponderance of B+ cells, but this is not correlated with the parental cytoplasmic type. In addition to having a large number of B+ individuals, the d12.144, A-, B- mutant produced some F2 progeny that stably maintain less than normal macronuclear amounts of the A gene and/or the B gene.
A window-based approach to retrieving memory-resident data for query execution

Memory-resident databases are gaining popularity. In this paper, we present a data-centric approach to optimize multiple queries issued to a memory-resident database. Our approach involves a bottom-up methodology that reuses each block of data in a table to optimize several queries. We define data window as a block of the data residing in the memory brought to the cache. The optimization named data windowing, schedules database queries efficiently by reorganizing queries and its operations based on a data window. Each data window brought into the cache is maximally reused by queries before evicting it from the cache to accommodate another data window. Experimental results show that data windowing yields up to 75% improvement in the cache performance for typical and heavy-duty memory-resident workloads.
Lower Blepharoplasty: The Bilamelar Approach

In lower blepharoplasty surgery, the goal is to address skin, muscle, and fat. The order is important: fat-muscle-skin. I call my preferred method “bilamelar blepharoplasty.”
BIOMASS ETHANOL: Technical Progress, Opportunities, and Commercial Challenges

▪ Abstract Ethanol made from lignocellulosic biomass sources, such as agricultural and forestry residues and herbaceous and woody crops, provides unique environmental, economic, and strategic benefits. Through sustained research funding, primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy, the estimated cost of biomass ethanol production has dropped from ∼$4.63/gallon in 1980 to ∼$1.22/gallon today, and it is now potentially competitive for blending with gasoline. Advances in pretreatment by acid-catalyzed hemicellulose hydrolysis and enzymes for cellulose breakdown coupled with recent development of genetically engineered bacteria that ferment all five sugars in biomass to ethanol at high yields have been the key to reducing costs. However, through continued advances in accessing the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions, the cost of biomass ethanol can be reduced to the point at which it is competitive as a pure fuel without subsidies. A major challenge to realizing the great benefits of biomass ethanol remains ...
Ventromedial prefrontal-subcortical systems and the generation of affective meaning

broad functional roles with terms such as ‘affect’ [14], ‘regulation’ [3], ‘valuation’[7,15], ‘self-projection’ [5] ,‘ selfreference’ [8], ‘mentalizing’ [9], ‘somatic markers’ [16], ‘visceromotor’ [11], and ‘default-mode’ because of its high resting metabolism [17]. Although each of these characterizations is extremely useful in providing a common explanation to a broad range of vmPFC-related phenomena, none of them seems to account for the range of processes that involve the vmPFC, and many of these broad views are difficult to reconcile with animal studies on the functional impairments resulting from vmPFC damage or inactivation. Here, we argue that the functional role of the vmPFC is not reducible to any one of these functional categories. Rather,itservesasahubthatconnectssystemsinvolvedin
Inappropriate Splicing of a Chimeric Gene Containing a Large Internal Exon Results in Exon Skipping in Transgenic Mice

We generated transgenic mice containing a chimeric construct consisting of the alpha-cardiac myosin heavy chain (alpha cMHC) promoter and the human renin (hRen) gene in order to target hRen synthesis specifically to the heart. The construct consisted of three segments: (i) an alpha cMHC DNA segment including 4.5 kb of 5' flanking DNA and an additional 1.1 kb of genomic DNA encompassing exons I-III (non-coding) and the first two introns; (ii) a partial hRen cDNA consisting of exons I-VI; and (iii) a hRen genomic segment containing exons VII through IX, their intervening introns, and 400 bp of 3' flanking DNA. This results in the formation of a 909 bp internal fusion exon consisting of alpha cMHC, polylinker, and hRen sequences. Despite the presence of splice acceptor and donor sites bracketing this exon, transcription of this transgene resulted in a major alternatively spliced mRNA lacking the exon and therefore a majority of the hRen coding sequence. Cloning and sequencing of RT-PCR products from several heart samples from two independent transgenic lines confirmed accurate and faithful splicing of alpha cMHC exon II to hRen exon VII thus bypassing the internal fusion exon. All other exons (alpha cMHC exons I and II and hRen exons VII, VIII and IX) were appropriately spliced. These results are consistent with the hypothesis on exon definition which states that internal exons have a size limitation. Moreover, the results demonstrate that transgenes present in the genome at independent insertion sites and in either a single copy or multiple copies can be subject to exon skipping. The implications for transgene design will be discussed.
Prediction of In-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest Outcome

• Clinical and demographic characteristics of 122 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation were retrospectively collected to develop a predictive model for immediate success of resuscitation (restoration of pulse and blood pressure). The project focused on objective measurement of parameters available before resuscitation was performed. Variables included age, diagnoses, objective severity of illness, laboratory data, and clinical course variables. A four-variable model was developed using logistic regression to predict resuscitation success immediately after resuscitation. The four predictive before arrest factors were age between 40 and 70 years, scheduled for surgery, location of arrest in an intensive care unit, and before arrest Po 2 greater than 8 mm Hg. The model had an accuracy of 69%, sensitivity of 76%, and specificity of 61%. ( Arch Intern Med . 1989;149:1318-1321)
What is personalized medicine and what should it replace

Personalized medicine is a new framework for medical care that involves modelling and simulation of a disease on the basis of its underlying mechanisms. This strategy must replace the 20(th) century paradigm of defining disease by pathology or associated signs and symptoms and conducting outcomes research that is based on the presence or absence of the disease syndrome. New technologies, including next-generation sequencing, the 'omics' and powerful computers provide massive amounts of accurate data. However, attempts to understand complex disorders by applying these new technologies within the 20(th) century framework have failed to produce the expected medical advances. To help physicians embrace a paradigm shift, the limitations of the old framework and major advantages of the new framework must be demonstrated. Chronic pancreatitis is an ideal complex disorder to study to consider the pros and cons of the two frameworks, because the pancreas is such a simple organ for disease modelling, and the advantages of personalized medicine are so profound.
Global landcover classification validation issues and requirements

Global landcover mapping efforts using multitemporal AVHRR GAC and LAC data are current testbeds for developing continuous landcover characterization and monitoring approaches for use with planned EOS-era sensors, particularly MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). While the remote sensing science community can address data handling and algorithm development issues, there are currently no adequate specifications or systems developed for training, validation and accuracy assessment requirements of global landcover. There are over 150 million land pixels for each global acquisition at 1-km resolution. A one-percent sample requires 1,500,000 observations for accuracy assessment. While sampling to support TM-based landcover mapping is well-developed, issues of training and validation at 1-km have not been resolved. Although there is utility in applying simple a priori landcover classification systems, there is a trade-off between simplicity of sampling and parameterization of landcover components so that reference data may be more useful to support different classification systems. It is obvious that traditional approaches to Earth-feature representation, field inventory and sampling for validation and accuracy assessment are inadequate for global mapping. New models of training and testing are required.
WAR PROGRAMMING: The Propaganda Project and the Iraq War

The invasion of Iraq was justified to the American people by a sophisticated propaganda campaign that reflected a think tank's vision for a new foreign policy. One objective of this article is to s...
Cold hardiness of the overwintering black carpenter ant

Cold hardiness was investigated in overwintering field nests of the black carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. No active nest thermoregulation was observed: temperatures of galleries, worker bodies, worker clusters, and larval clusters were within 3°C of ambient temperature. Nest temperatures generally fluctuated less rapidly and severely than did ambient temperature; thus, the nest afforded protection from potentially fatal sudden temperature drops. Glycerol, the only polyol cryoprotectant detected, was found in all castes and larvae. Supercooling points were low and ranged from − 17°C in major workers to −22°C in larvae. A second heat release peak, occurring around − 8°C, was seen in all adults, but it was not observed in larvae. This higher temperature peak in adults probably represents the freezing of the gut contents, as adults were found to overwinter with the crop full or partially full. Larvae did not overwinter with liquid food in the gut.
Retail pharmacy staff perceptions of design strengths and weaknesses of electronic prescribing.

Objective This paper explored pharmacy staff perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) design in retail pharmacies using the sociotechnical systems framework. This study examined how adoption of e-prescribing technology is affecting clinical practice and patient care. Materials and methods Direct observations and think aloud protocols were used to collect data from seven retail pharmacies. Results Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported strengths of e-prescribing design that facilitated pharmacy work which included: legibility, ease of archiving, quick access to prescriptions and consistency in the format of electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions). Design weaknesses and potential hazards to patient care associated with e-prescribing systems were due to differences between pharmacy and prescriber computer systems which resulted in the selection of wrong patient or drug (name, directions, dose, strength, formulation, package sizes). There were unique strengths and weaknesses in the design of e-prescriptions peculiar to the three pharmacy computer systems examined in this study. Discussion Findings from this study can help inform policy on creating e-prescribing design standards for pharmacy. e-Prescribing system developers can use the results of this study to identify and apply the most usable features of the three main pharmacy computer systems to design systems that support dispensing efficiency and safety. Conclusions This is the first study to highlight design flaws with e-prescribing in retail pharmacies. The sociotechnical systems framework was useful in providing an indepth understanding of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician's interface with e-prescribing technology. This information can be used by policy makers to create e-prescribing standards for pharmacies.
Fight-or-Flight Response*

Walter Cannon and his students and coworkers conducted an initial series of experiments from 1910 to 1911 that examined the link between emotional experiences and the secretion of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla. Employing an intestinal strip bioassay for the semiquantitative study of epinephrine secretion, he and his students determined that epinephrine secretion increased dramatically when a quiescent animal was exposed to a stressful or threatening stimulus. In addition, Cannon's laboratory used increases in glucose in the urine (glycosuria) as an indirect measure of epinephrine secretion with similar results. The connection between epinephrine secretion and increases in blood glucose led Cannon to write the following entry in his journal on January 20, 1911: “Got idea that adrenals in excitement serve to affect muscular power and mobilize sugar for muscular use – thus in wild state readiness for fight or run!” In time, “fight or run” was transformed into the more familiar fight or flight.
Bottom-Up Synthesis of N = 13 Sulfur-Doped Graphene Nanoribbons

Substitutional doping of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with heteroatoms is a principal strategy to fine-tune the electronic structure of GNRs for future device applications. Here, we report the fabrication and nanoscale characterization of atomically precise N = 13 armchair GNRs featuring regioregular edge-doping with sulfur atoms (S-13-AGNRs) on a Au(111) surface. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and first-principle calculations reveal modification of the electronic structure of S-13-AGNRs when compared to undoped N = 13 AGNRs.
For the Accounting Profession, Leadership Matters Regarding Ethical Climate Perceptions

We tested the hypothesis advanced by Mannarelli (2006) and Early and Davenport (2010) that professional accounting organizations would benefit from a transformational leadership style. Eleven CPA firms were surveyed to test the correlative relationship between three perceived leadership styles (i.e., transformational, transactional, and passive-avoidant) and the workplace ethical climate (i.e., caring, law code, rules, instrumental, and independence). Using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Bass & Avolio, 2010) and the Ethical Climate Questionnaire (Victor & Cullen, 1988), data provided by 103 respondents showed that transformational leadership style is the most effective, transactional is not effective, and passive-avoidant leadership style is deleterious to subordinates’ perception of the preferred ethical climates.
Internal Pair Conversion in Mg 24 Nuclei

A gamma-gamma coincidence counting method is used to detect pair emission from an excited state of ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$. The positrons are stopped in absorbing material surrounding the source and detected by their annihilation radiation. The coincidence rate due to annihilation radiation is distinguished from the rate due to cascaded nuclear gamma-rays by the sharp 180-degree angular correlation of the annihilation radiation. Pair emission from ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$ is distinguished from gamma-ray pair production in the material surrounding the source by using materials of different atomic number $Z$. The efficiency of the apparatus for detecting positrons is determined by observing the coincidence rate from a ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ source of known disintegration rate. This efficiency, combined with the fraction of the observed coincidence rate that is due to pair emission from ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$ and with the known disintegration rate of the parent ${\mathrm{Na}}^{24}$ source yields a value of (6.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ for the internal pair-conversion coefficient of the 2.76-Mev transition in ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$. This value agrees with that calculated by Rose for electric quadrupole transitions of this energy.
Spacing Analysis during Required Time of Arrival Operation

Nearly 2000 Boeing 737-700 aircraft executing Required Time of Arrival (RTA) operations were simulated using General Electric (GE) Aviation Flight Management Systems (FMSs) with software update 10.7. These flights were examined for RTA time performance as well as compliance with speed and altitude restrictions at the RTA waypoint. Individual flights were paired in post-processing with assigned crossing time offsets of 90 seconds and 120 seconds to characterize spacing behavior of successive aircraft performing RTAs. It was found that aircraft were very successful in meeting RTAs when the winds entered into the FMS were equal to the environmental winds and the RTA windows were accurate. Regardless of wind conditions, the GE Aviation FMS performed well in meeting speed and altitude restrictions at the RTA waypoint. Results show that successive aircraft assigned RTAs with a 90 second or 120 second offset can execute them with a low probability of conflict under certain circumstances.
Ionic Basis of Action Potential Propagation Along two Classes of ‘Giant’ Axons in the Ophiuroid, Ophiopteris Papillosa

1. 1. Electrical activity was recorded from the radial nerve cord with extracellular suction electrodes. Spontaneous unitary spikes are 20–50μV in amplitude with a duration of about 10 ms. 2. 2. Compound action potentials evoked by brief electrical shocks consist of two distinct fast spikes followed by a much slower wave of activity. Fast spikes are graded in amplitude to a maximal level, with little change in time course, over a considerable range of stimulus intensities. 3. 3. The larger of the two fast spikes (spike 1) has a lower threshold and higher conduction velocity: 139 ± 14.3 cm s−1 (mean±s.D., N =6) vs 55 ± 7.4cm s−1 for spike 2. 4. 4. Spike 1 is reversibly eliminated by replacement of Na with choline in the bathing medium; spike 2 is unaffected. 5. 5. Spike 2 is reduced in amplitude by removal of Ca from the bathing medium; spike 1 is unaffected. 6. 6. Cadmium (2–10 mmoll−1) reversibly blocks spikes 1 and 2. Tetrodotoxin (TTX, l-2μmoll−1) does not affect either spike. 7. 7. These results support the existence of at least two classes of relatively large axons. Type 1 axons, generating spike 1, rely on a TTX-insensitive Na action potential, whereas type 2 axons may utilize a Ca action potential. 8. 8. Each spike represents summed activity of a relatively small number of axons probably arranged in bundles. The nature of morphological pathways involved in ophiuroid neural conduction is discussed.
A Sketch of Man'S Efforts to Mend his Troubled Mind

People have sought comfort for their miseries and a cure for their troubles since prehistoric times. View the highlights of the story of psychiatry in this lightning tour of psychiatric history.
The nuclear function of the nuclear diffusion inhibitory signal of human immunodeficiency virus type 1: critical roles in dominant nuclear localization and intracellular stability.

OBJECTIVES Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein with dominant localization in the cell nucleus/nucleolus. To clarify the mechanism(s) that enables such a biased subcellular localization under the co-presence of nuclear/nucleolar targeting (NOS) and nuclear export signals (NES), the properties of another functional domain, a nuclear diffusion inhibitory signal (NIS), was investigated. STUDY DESIGN The NIS was previously shown to interfere with passive nuclear entry of small proteins. Intracellular distribution and degradation profiles of Rev mutants that harbor mutations in the NIS were analyzed biochemically and cellbiologically. RESULTS A NIS-deficient Rev mutant, which was no longer functional as Rev, displayed a significantly more rapid degradation profile as a consequence of its dramatic leakage into the cytoplasm. Additionally, disabling the NOS/nuclear localization signal (NLS), as well as the NIS, resulted in further rapid degradation, which also supports the hypothetical role of the nucleolus as a Rev storage site. CONCLUSIONS It was uncovered that the NIS is playing a key role in HIV-1 Rev function by maintaining the nuclear-dominant localization and the intracellular stability of Rev.
Prehospital management of head injuries: international perspectives.

The extent of disability and, therefore, the management of head injured patients before their arrival to the hospital should be influenced by a number of factors including: the age of the victim (children with comparable severity of head injury have less disability and lower mortality than persons over the age of 40) the type of injury (motor-vehicle accidents are the most frequent cause of head trauma in the U.S. and Canada) the decision to transfer the patient to either the nearest hospital or to a designated neurotrauma center (at several communities in the U.S. and Canada, recent analysis has demonstrated that the extent of disability and the mortality among head injured victims can be significantly decreased by their admission to specialized trauma units) elapsed time as another important factor (at least in one type of traumatic injury — acute subdural hemorrhage — it has been shown than an interval of less than 2 hours between the time of injury and the time of the craniotomy can significantly decrease both the mortality and the extent of neurological impairment among the survivors).
It’s Hard to Spot the Queerness in this Image

Two middle-aged lesbians are heaped on couch that has seen better days. The women, too, have seen better days; one is in her early seventies, while the younger is close to sixty. Their home — a small bungalow - is crumbling into the creek bed upon which it was built a hundred years ago. From the stew of books and papers, the low murmur of PBS, you’d guess they were professors, listening to TV as they graded papers surrounded by dogs, some tucked into laps, some perched on furniture, some draped on other dogs.
Experimental study of laminar mixed convection in a rod bundle with mixing vane spacer grids

Abstract Heat transfer by mixed convection in a rod bundle occurs when convection is affected by both the buoyancy and inertial forces. Mixed convection can be assumed when the Richardson number ( Ri = Gr / Re 2 ) is on the order of unity, indicating that both forced and natural convection are important contributors to heat transfer. In the present study, data obtained from the Rod Bundle Heat Transfer (RBHT) facility was used to determine the heat transfer coefficient in the mixed convection regime, which was found to be significantly larger than those expected assuming purely forced convection based on the inlet flow rate. The inlet Reynolds ( Re ) number for the tests ranged from 500 to 1300, while the Grashof ( Gr ) number varied from 1.5 × 10 5 to 3.8 × 10 6 yielding 0.25 Ri
Ambulatory Seizure Monitoring: From Concept to Prototype Device

Background: The brain, made up of billions of neurons and synapses, is the marvelous core of human thought, action and memory. However, if neuronal activity manifests into abnormal electrical activity across the brain, neural behavior may exhibit synchronous neural firings known as seizures. If unprovoked seizures occur repeatedly, a patient may be diagnosed with epilepsy. Purpose: The scope of this project is to develop an ambulatory seizure monitoring system that can be used away from a hospital, making it possible for the user to stay at home, and primary care personnel to monitor a patient's seizure activity in order to provide deeper analysis of the patient's condition and apply personalized intervention techniques. Methods: The ambulatory seizure monitoring device is a research device that has been developed with the objective of acquiring a portable, clean electroencephalography (EEG) signal and transmitting it wirelessly to a handheld device for processing and notification. Result: This device is comprised of 4 phases: acquisition, transmission, processing and notification. During the acquisition stage, the EEG signal is detected using EEG electrodes; these signals are filtered and amplified before being transmitted in the second stage. The processing stage encompasses the signal processing and seizure prediction. A notification is sent to the patient and designated contacts, given an impending seizure. Each of these phases is comprised of various design components, hardware and software. The experimental findings illustrate that there may be a triggering mechanism through the phase lock value method that enables seizure prediction. Conclusion: The device addresses the need for long-term monitoring of the patient's seizure condition in order to provide the clinician a better understanding of the seizure's duration and frequency and ultimately provide the best remedy for the patient.
Effect of trait anxiety on cognitive test performance in adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety are frequently comorbid disorders associated with different types of abnormal performance on neuropsychological tests. Although some studies have shown that comorbid anxiety alters ADHD test performance, results inconsistently show both improvements and worsening of different abilities, with failures to replicate across different anxiety disorders. Alternatively, trait anxiety may reflect a more stable influence on ADHD test performance than various diagnosable anxiety disorders. Method: To better understand the possible enhancing or deleterious effects of anxiety on ADHD cognitive impairments, this study examined the effect of individual differences in trait anxiety measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) on a battery of computerized, rapid-performance tests measuring attention and impulsivity-related performance in 98 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fourth Edition (DSM–IV) C...
Hydroponic production of vegetable Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) for improving nutritional security and economic viability in Kenya

This study used a multidisciplinary approach to evaluate the potential for hydroponic production of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) in Kenya. Hydroponic systems have potential for increased efficiency in water and land use, but their potential has not been critically evaluated in many developing countries. To address this gap in knowledge, this study assessed the nutritional density and economic viability of hydroponic systems built from local materials. Specifically, vegetable amaranth was grown hydroponically and evaluated for increased nutritional density of key micronutrients. Manipulation of the nutrient solution used in hydroponic systems changed the bioaccumulation of zinc, iron and carotenoids, which are three of the most common micronutrients lacking in Kenyan diets. Economic viability was assessed with a benefit-cost analysis that compared three different hydroponic systems to soil-based production and purchasing vegetables from local markets. This analysis showed that none of the hydroponic systems were profitable under current conditions, but sensitivity analyses revealed certain scenarios where they could become so. Overall, hydroponic production has the potential to create nutrient-dense crops with high levels of zinc, iron, or carotenoids. However, hydroponic systems may be better suited to crops of higher value than amaranth, areas where soil-based production is not an option, or regions where vegetable markets are not available.
Discovery of Novel, Orally Bioavailable β-Amino Acid Azaindole Inhibitors of Influenza PB2

In our efforts to develop novel small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of influenza, we utilized molecular modeling and the X-ray crystal structure of the PB2 subunit of the influenza polymerase to optimize a series of acyclic β-amino acid inhibitors, highlighted by compound 4. Compound 4 showed good oral exposure in both rat and mouse. More importantly, it showed strong potency versus multiple influenza-A strains, including pandemic 2009 H1N1 and avian H5N1 strains and showed a strong efficacy profile in a mouse influenza model even when treatment was initiated 48 h after infection. Compound 4 offers good oral bioavailability with great potential for the treatment of both pandemic and seasonal influenza.
1917: Code of Revolution

The exhibition ‘1917: Code of Revolution’ opened on 22 March at the Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, in Moscow. Just a few days later, on 26 March, history came alive on the streets just o...
Reactivity and Cross-Linking of 5′-Terminal Abasic Sites within DNA

Nicking of the DNA strand immediately upstream of an internal abasic (AP) site produces 5′-terminal abasic (dRp) DNA. Both the intact and the nicked abasic species are reactive intermediates along the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway and can be derailed by side reactions. Aberrant accumulation of the 5′-terminal abasic intermediate has been proposed to lead to cell death, so we explored its reactivity and compared it to the reactivity of the better-characterized internal abasic intermediate. We find that the 5′-terminal abasic group cross-links with the exocyclic amine of a nucleotide on the opposing strand to form an interstrand DNA–DNA cross-link (ICL). This cross-linking reaction has the same kinetic constants and follows the same pH dependence as the corresponding cross-linking reaction of intact abasic DNA, despite the changes in charge and flexibility engendered by the nick. However, the ICL that traps nicked abasic DNA has a shorter lifetime at physiological pH than the otherwise analogous IC...
mm-Wave and THz multipliers: Advances and opportunities

This paper introduces a new way of evaluating performance of mm-wave integrated multiplier chains based on the power efficiency. Although superior performance of III–V technologies are acknowledged, focus of the paper will be on Silicon circuits which are more suited for large-scale multi-element integrated arrays. It will be discussed that power efficiency of the multiplier chain including the dc power required for generating the input RF signal is a very important metric for selecting the topology and configuration of the system. We will demonstrate that proper choice of topology as well as optimized circuit design yield state-of-the art output power at 260GHz–280GHz in SiGe and CMOS circuits.
The Primacy of Theology

This illuminating new book by Michael G. Thompson surveys the contributions made by ecumenical Protestants to the theory and practice of internationalism. The author revises a number of established...
Using Project-Based Learning to Teach Phylogenetic Reconstruction for Advanced Undergraduate Biology Students: Molluscan Evolution as a Case Study

Phylogenetics plays a central role in understanding the evolution of life on Earth, and as a consequence, several active teaching strategies have been employed to aid students in grasping basic phylogenetic principles. Although many of these strategies have been designed to actively engage undergraduate biology students at the freshman level, less attention is given to designing challenges for advanced students. Here, I present a project-based learning (PBL) activity that was developed to teach phylogenetics for junior and senior-level biology students. This approach reinforces the theories and concepts that students have learned in their freshman courses along with incorporating Bioinformatics, which is essential for teaching zoology in the 21st century.
Extremophiles: Cold Environments

Earth today is a cold planet, with over 80% of its biosphere at temperatures of ≤5°C and 10–20% of its surface frozen. Widely diverse microbes have evolved specific molecular, cellular and extracellular adaptations to enable their essential roles in the biogeochemical cycles of the planet. Those microbes uniquely adapted to life in ice can inform the search for microbial life on other icy planets and moons.
Turbocharging and air-path management for light-duty diesel engines

Abstract: Current diesel air-path and combustion performance is mainly influenced by two factors: first the optimisation of stand-alone hardware design and response, and secondly system performance, i.e. compatibility with other engine hardware and their management through the engine control unit (ECU). The chapter begins with a review of recent advances made in exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and boosting technologies. It then presents a review of air-path management strategies currently utilised in production, together with the potential of air-path performance management through the use of model based control (MBC).
Wavelength Conversion via Stimulated Raman Scattering

In advanced remote sensing scenarios, the availability of tunable solid state lasers offers a highly practical alternative to tunable dye lasers, which represent the previous state-of-the-art. Nevertheless, as with dye lasers, coverage of all the portions of the visible and near IR spectrum of interest may not be complete. Therefore, it is natural to consider methods of extending the laser tunability range using nonlinear optical techniques. This paper briefly reviews the status of devices exploiting the nonlinear process of Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS). Other nonlinear techniques are described elsewhere in this volume.
The Reliability of Skull/Photograph Superimposition in Individual Identification

The accuracy of video superimposition methods for identifying unknown human skulls was examined. Three identified human skulls were each compared to 97 lateral view and 98 frontal view “mug shot” photographs using two television cameras, an electronic signal mixer, and a video monitor. The skulls were not from individuals represented by the photographs. All comparisons were done without using anterior dentition. The results found that 9.6% of the lateral view and 8.5% of the frontal view superimpositions were classified as a consistent fit based on the criteria that were identified. The incidence of false matches was reduced to 0.6% of the sample when a frontal view and lateral view photograph of the same individual were both compared to one skull. It was concluded that without anterior dentition, skull/photograph superimposition is reliable when two or more photographs, clearly depicting the facial features from different angles, are used in the comparison.
Abstract C10: Raising HPV awareness in immigrant populations: Are health educators prepared to address health literacy challenges?

Background: Rates of human papillomavirus virus (HPV) and HPV-related cancers are higher among immigrants, especially those from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Limited health literacy is also more prevalent among immigrant groups. While education is central to HPV prevention and reduction, there is a dearth of research on health educators9 understanding of how to educate populations with health literacy deficits. The purpose of this study was to assess the health literacy knowledge and experience of advanced health education students. Methods: A modified Health Literacy Knowledge and Experience Survey (HL-KES) was used to collect data from 250 junior and senior students who reported an intention to take the Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) examination. Descriptive and Spearman rho correlational analyses were conducted. Results: Composite scores on the 29-item knowledge scale ranged from 5-28. Most students (84%) scored below 70%, and only five percent of the sample scored above 80%. Majority of students reported “never” or only “sometimes” engaging in experiences related to health literacy. There was a significant negative correlation between health literacy knowledge and health literacy experience (ρ = -.189, p Conclusion: The results suggest health education students have deficient health literacy knowledge and limited opportunities to develop practical health literacy experience. Professional preparation programs may need to revise their curricula to address health literacy deficiencies in course offerings. Citation Format: Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, E. Lisako McKyer, Andrea McDonald. Raising HPV awareness in immigrant populations: Are health educators prepared to address health literacy challenges? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C10.
Centrioles are amplified via rosette formation in cycling progenitors of olfactory sensory neurons

Olfaction in most animals is mediated by sensory neurons bearing receptors on cilia that are accessible to the environment. Within chordates, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) usually have multiple cilia, each with a centriole at its base. OSNs differentiate from stem cells in the olfactory epithelium, and how mature cells with multiple centrioles are generated during this process is not yet understood. OSNs in the mouse olfactory epithelium have about 15 cilia each, and we show that centrioles are amplified in precursor cells via formation of centriole rosette structures both during embryonic development and during turnover of the olfactory epithelium in adults. We also found free centrioles present in rosette-bearing cells, suggesting that more than one pathway contributes to total centriole number. Cells with amplified centrioles can go on to divide, with clustered centrioles at each pole. Additionally, we found that centrioles are amplified in early immediate neuronal precursors, coincident with elevation of mRNA for Plk4 and Stil, two key regulators of centriole duplication. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for centriole amplification in the development of olfactory epithelium-derived neuron regeneration therapies.
Learning Packages for Mathematics Instruction--Some Considerations.

IN THE last few years, a great deal has been said and written about indi vidualized learning systems in mathe matics education. At this time, it is highly unlikely that current school budgets will allow for teacher-pupil ratios small enough for true individualized instruction to take place. As a result, many educators have developed an interest in the use of learning packages of one kind or another. However, very little material is available to help the individual mathematics teacher develop these learning packages for use by his students. In this brief article, the author hopes to answer some of the ques tions most often raised by teachers who are interested in these packs.
Minimax rate-optimal estimation of KL divergence between discrete distributions

We refine the general methodology in [1] for the construction and analysis of essentially minimax estimators for a wide class of functionals of finite dimensional parameters, and elaborate on the case of discrete distributions with support size S comparable with the number of observations n. Specifically, we determine the "smooth" and "non-smooth" regimes based on the confidence set and the smoothness of the functional. In the "non-smooth" regime, we apply an unbiased estimator for a "suitable" polynomial approximation of the functional. In the "smooth" regime, we construct a bias corrected version of the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) based on Taylor expansion. We apply the general methodology to the problem of estimating the KL divergence between two discrete distributions from empirical data. We construct a minimax rate-optimal estimator which is adaptive in the sense that it does not require the knowledge of the support size nor the upper bound on the likelihood ratio. Moreover, the performance of the optimal estimator with n samples is essentially that of the MLE with n ln n samples, i.e., the effective sample size enlargement phenomenon holds.
Management of burns.

An overview of the management of the acutely burned patient has been described. Adherence to the sound principles of early resuscitation, appropriate nutrition, wound management, and rehabilitation can provide hope for many of the victims of this tragic injury. Complications encountered throughout the burn illness present unique and perplexing problems for the physician, who must utilize all the clinical wisdom and facility available in the management of such complex problems.
Resilient Control Design for Vehicular Platooning in an Adversarial Environment

In this paper, we propose a mitigation scheme to prevent an attacker from causing collisions in a vehicular platoon under a gain modification attack. A control algorithm, based on fractional-order calculus and using only local sensor information, is shown to significantly alleviate the impact of the attacker. The control is incorporated into the system when attacker(s) is (are) detected. We prove that once the stream has been destabilized and its states continually deviate from the desired trajectories, the attacker can be interrupted by another member of platoon. Simulations demonstrate that by applying our proposed control method, collisions are eliminated despite the attacker maliciously altering its gain such that system becomes unstable or shows oscillatory behavior.
Electrochemical Reduction of Carbamates and Carbamic Acids: Implications for Combined Carbon Capture and Electrochemical CO 2 Recycling

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO could represent the first step in solar-driven recycling of CO2 to fuels. While many reports focus on catalyst design or modification of additives such as Lewis or Bronsted acids, there is little focus on modification of the substrate, CO2 itself. Current carbon capture technology employs amines to capture CO2 as carbamates, suggesting that they may serve as a CO2 surrogate, streamlining carbon capture and recycling. Towards this, herein we explore the cyclic voltammetry of seven amines in the presence/absence of CO2. We show that on a glassy carbon electrode in acetonitrile (MeCN) up to -2.7 V vs Fc/Fc+ in tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAPF6) electrolyte, the amines can only be reduced in the presence of CO2. The potential of the reduction is dependent on the amine identity as well as the protonation state of the resulting species, carbamate versus carbamic acid. Bulk electrolysis experiments indicate little or no reduction to CO and low Faradaic efficiency for formate. This suggests that these amines may be of use in subsequent studies with molecular electrocatalysts that take CO2 to CO and not formate.
Green computing for Internet of Things

Cloud computing services are used to meet the ever-growing demand for IoT. Data centers are increasingly becoming one of the largest consumers of energy to provide the infrastructure for the IoT paradigm. The demand for energy increases in the future as more innovations emerge, and technology follows new practices resulting in green computing being adopted. Green computing strategies reduce energy consumption by IoT devices without degrading their performance. This paper will evaluate numerous aspects of green computing for IoT computing analyzing critical concepts, challenges, and remediation.