cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative stress, perturbed calcium homeostasis, and immune dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may not involve a transmissible agent, it does involve a pathogenic process similar to that of transmissible prion disorders (both involve a protein that adopts an abnormal pathogenic conformation in which it self-aggregates, forming amyloid deposits in and surrounding neurons) and viral dementias such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) encephalitis. The clinical presentation of patients with AD is dominated by cognitive deficits and emotional disturbances that result from dysfunction and degeneration of neurons in the limbic system and cerebral cortex. The pathogenic process in the brain involves deposition of insoluble aggregates of amyloid β-peptide, oxidative stress and calcium dysregulation in neurons, and activation of inflammatory cytokine cascades involving microglia. However, AD patients also exhibit alterations in immune function. Studies of lymphocytes and lymphoblast cell lines from AD patients and age-matched normal control patients have documented alterations in cytokine and calcium signaling and increased levels of oxidative stress in immune cells from the AD patients. Studies of the pathogenic actions of mutations in presenilins and amyloid precursor protein that cause early-onset familial AD have established central roles for perturbed cellular calcium homeostasis and oxidative stress in the neurodegenerative process. Presenilin and amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutations also increase oxidative stress and perturb calcium signaling in lymphocytes in ways that alter their production of cytokines that are critical for proper immune responses. Immune dysfunction occurs prior to clinical symptoms in mouse models of AD, and brain cytokine responses to immune challenge are altered in presenilin mutant mice, suggesting a causal role for altered immune function in the disease process. Interestingly, immunization of AD mice with amyloid β-peptide can stimulate the immune system to remove amyloid from the brain and can ameliorate memory deficits, suggesting that it may be possible to prevent AD by bolstering immune function.
Two Equivalent Properties of $$\mathcal{Z}_3$$-Connectivity

The concept of group connectivity was introduced by Jaeger et al. (J Comb Theory Ser B 56:165---182, 1992) for the study of integer flows. The concept of all generalized Tutte-orientations was introduced by Barat and Thomassen (J Graph Theory 52:135---146, 2006) for the study of claw-decompositions of graphs. In this paper, we establish the equivalence of the following 3 properties: a graph is $$\mathcal{Z}_3$$ -connected, a graph admits all generalized Tutte-orientations and a graph is 3-flow contractible. We also give some applications of this result.
Patients With In-Stent Restenosis Have an Increased Risk of Mid-Term Venous Graft Failure

Background This study was designed to evaluate if patients in whom in-stent restenosis developed had an higher risk of early venous graft failure compared with normal patients. Methods The study cohort comprised 120 patients (60 with previous in-stent restenosis and 60 controls) who received a total of 165 complementary venous grafts on the circumflex or right coronary artery system (84 in the restenosis group and 81 in the control group). All patients were prospectively followed-up and underwent reangiography at 5-years follow-up. Results In the restenosis group, 28 venous grafts (33.%) were perfectly patent, 10 showed major irregularities, and 46 were occluded. In the control patients, 50 grafts (61.7%) were perfectly patent (p Conclusions Patients who developed in-stent restenosis have an higher risk of early venous graft failure compared with the control patients. Arterial grafts should probably be preferred in these patients.
Martensolasma jocheni, a new genus and species of harvestman from Mexico (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae: Ortholasmatinae)

Martensolasma jocheni n. g., n. sp. is described from the Mexican State of Aguascalientes. The new genus is distinct from Dendrolasma Banks and Ortholasma Banks in lacking the extensive modifications of the eye tubercle.
Experimental investigation of shock waves in liquid helium I and II

The flow field produced by a shock wave reflecting from a helium gas-liquid interface was investigated using a cryogenic shock tube. Incident and reflected shock waves were observed in the gas; transmitted first- and second-sound shocks were observed in the liquid. Wave diagrams are constructed to compare the data with theoretical wave trajectories. Qualitative agreement between data and theory is shown. Quantitative differences between data and theory indicate a need for further analysis of both the gas-liquid interface and the propagation of nonlinear waves in liquid helium. This work was a first step in the experimental investigation of a complex non-equilibrium state. The results demonstrate clearly the usefulness of the cryogenic shock tube as a research tool. The well-controlled jump in temperature and pressure across the incident shock wave provides unique initial conditions for the study of dynamic phenomena in superfluid helium.
Threonine-Rich Repeats Increase Fibronectin Binding in the Candida albicans Adhesin Als5p

Commensal and pathogenic states of Candida albicans depend on cell surface-expressed adhesins, including those of the Als family. Mature Als proteins consist of a 300-residue N-terminal region predicted to have an immunoglobulin (Ig)-like fold, a 104-residue conserved Thr-rich region (T), a central domain of a variable number of tandem repeats (TR) of a 36-residue Thr-rich sequence, and a heavily glycosylated C-terminal Ser/Thr-rich stalk region, also of variable length (N. K. Gaur and S. A. Klotz, Infect. Immun. 65: 5289-5294, 1997). Domain deletions in ALS5 were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to excrete soluble protein and for surface display. Far UV circular dichroism indicated that soluble Ig-T showed a single negative peak at 212 nm, consistent with previous data indicating that this region has high β-sheet content with very little α-helix. A truncation of Als5p with six tandem repeats (Ig-T-TR6) gave spectra with additional negative ellipticity at 200 nm and, at 227 to 240 nm, spectra characteristic of a structure with a similar fraction ofβ -sheet but with additional structural elements as well. Soluble Als5p Ig-T and Ig-T-TR6 fragments bound to fibronectin in vitro, but the inclusion of the TR region substantially increased affinity. Cellular adhesion assays with S. cerevisiae showed that the Ig-T domain mediated adherence to fibronectin and that TR repeats greatly increased cell-to-cell aggregation. Thus, the TR region of Als5p modulated the structure of the Ig-T region, augmented cell adhesion activity through increased binding to mammalian ligands, and simultaneously promoted fungal cell-cell interactions.
1.92Tb/s coherent DWDM-OFDMA-PON with no high-speed ONU-side electronics over 100km SSMF and 1:64 passive split

Record 1.92-Tb/s (40λ × 48Gb/s/λ) coherent DWDM-OFDMA-PON without high-speed ONU-side ADCs/DACs/DSP/RF clock sources is demonstrated over 100km straight SSMF with a 1:64 passive split. Novel optical-domain OFDMA sub-band selection, coherent detection, and simple RF components are exploited. As the first experimental verification of a next-generation optical platform capable of delivering 1Gb/s to 1000+ users over 100km, the new architecture is promising for future optical access/metro systems.
On the spatial structure of organizations and the complexity of metropolitan interdependence

In the United States and other highly industrialized, or postindustrial, countries the economy is dominated by large private-sector and government organizations that are normally composed of a number of functionally differentiated and spatially separated units. A variety of statistics indicates that the relative and absolute economic: power of such organizations has been rapidly expanding in recent decades (Pred [43]). Insofar as these organizations dominate the economy they are the most important generators of flows of goods, services, information, and capital. In other words, in an economically advanced system of cities large multilocational organizations are the major source of intermetropolitan and interurban interdependencies. Despite this fact, relatively little is known of the spatial characteristics of the citysys.tem interdependencies created by the intraorganizational and interorganizational relationships of major business corporations and government activities. The aims of this article are threefold: 1. To conceptually outline the characteristics of metropolitan interdependence arising from the spatial structure, or intraorganizational linkages, of major jobproviding organizations. 2. To present empirical materials pertaining to the spatial pattern of intraorganizational and interorganizational interdependencies associated with specific metropolitan complexes and to ascertain whether or not these interdependencies are consistent with those assumed in the author's model of the process of city-system growth and development in advanced economies. 3. To consider very briefly the regional planning implications of the spatial structure of large private and public organizations. Before these objectives can be dealt with directly, it is necessary to sketch the aforementioned model and to say something more precise of the growing role of large multilocational organizations in shaping the overall pattern of metropolitan interdependence.
Hydrogen production using single-chamber membrane-free microbial electrolysis cells

Microbial electrohydrogenesis provides a new approach for hydrogen generation from renewable biomass. Membranes were used in all the reported microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) to separate the anode and cathode chambers. To reduce the potential losses associated with membrane and increase the energy recovery of this process, single-chamber membrane-free MECs were designed and used to investigate hydrogen production by one mixed culture and one pure culture: Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. At an applied voltage of 0.6 V, this system with a mixed culture achieved a hydrogen production rate of 0.53 m(3)/day/m(3) (0.11 m(3)/day/m(2)) with a current density of 9.3A/m(2) at pH 7 and 0.69 m(3)/day/m(3) (0.15m(3)/day/m(2)) with a current density of 14 A/m(2) at pH 5.8. Stable hydrogen production from lactic acid by S. oneidensis was also observed. Methane was detected during the hydrogen production process with the mixed culture and negatively affected hydrogen production rate. However, by employing suitable approaches, such as exposure of cathodes to air, the hydrogenotrophic methanogens can be suppressed. The current density and volumetric hydrogen production rate of this system have potential to increase significantly by further reducing the electrode spacing and increasing the ratio of electrode surface area/cell volume.
Interannual and interdecadal variability of thailand summer monsoon season

Summer monsoon rains are a critical factor in Thailand’s water resources and agricultural planning and management. In fact, they have a significant impact on the country’s economic health. Consequently, understanding the variability of the summer monsoon rains over Thailand is important for instituting effective mitigating strategies against extreme rainfall fluctuations. To this end, the authors systematically investigated the relationships between summer monsoon precipitation from the central and northern regions of Thailand and large-scale climate features. It was found that Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs), in particular, El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), have a negative relationship with the summer monsoon rainfall over Thailand in recent decades. However, the relationship between summer rainfall and ENSO was weak prior to 1980. It is hypothesized that the ENSO teleconnection depends on the SST configuration in the tropical Pacific Ocean, that is, an eastern Pacific–based El Nino pattern, such as is the case in most of the post-1980 El Nino events, tends to place the descending limb of the Walker circulation over the Thailand–Indonesian region, thereby significantly reducing convection and consequently, rainfall over Thailand. It is believed that this recent shift in the Walker circulation is instrumental for the nonstationarity in ENSO–monsoon relationships in Thailand. El Ninos of 1997 and 2002 corroborate this hypothesis. This has implications for monsoon rainfall forecasting and, consequently, for resources planning and management.
Control of dynamic foot-ground interactions in male and female soccer athletes: females exhibit reduced dexterity and higher limb stiffness during landing.

Controlling dynamic interactions between the lower limb and ground is important for skilled locomotion and may influence injury risk in athletes. It is well known that female athletes sustain anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears at higher rates than male athletes, and exhibit lower extremity biomechanics thought to increase injury risk during sport maneuvers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether lower extremity dexterity (LED) – the ability to dynamically control endpoint force magnitude and direction as quantified by compressing an unstable spring with the lower limb at submaximal forces – is a potential contributing factor to the “at-risk” movement behavior exhibited by female athletes. We tested this hypothesis by comparing LED-test performance and single-limb drop jump biomechanics between 14 female and 14 male high school soccer players. We found that female athletes exhibited reduced LED-test performance (p=0.001) and higher limb stiffness during landing (p=0.008) calculated on average within 51 ms of foot contact. Females also exhibited higher coactivation at the ankle (p=0.001) and knee (p=0.02) before landing. No sex differences in sagittal plane joint angles and center of mass velocity at foot contact were observed. Collectively, our results raise the possibility that the higher leg stiffness observed in females during landing is an anticipatory behavior due in part to reduced lower extremity dexterity. The reduced lower extremity dexterity and compensatory stiffening strategy may contribute to the heightened risk of ACL injury in this population.
Market Power and the Demsetz Quality Critique: An Evaluation for Food Retailing

This study uses factor analysis to identify five service factors that are modeled with price as endogenous variables in a simultaneous equations framework to test whether a more concentrated market structure is related to higher service levels, which, in turn, are related to higher prices (the Demsetz quality critique) or whether a more concentrated market structure is directly related to higher prices (market power hypothesis). For this study of supermarkets in 34 local markets in six southwestern states, market share and concentration are not significantly related to any service factors. However, concentration has a significant positive relationship with price in the full sample, and share also is significantly related to price in subsamples of large, leading firms. Thus, the Demsetz quality critique is rejected. Also coordinated rather than unilateral effects seem predominant. When examining store size, superstores enjoy economics up to 50,000 square feet, but most of the cost savings are offset by pricing power related to increased services levels. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Bilirubin and Energy Metabolism

This chapter on bilirubin and its effects on energy metabolism will examine many studies, both in liver and brain relating to significant mitochondrial alterations induced by bilirubin. These studies were conducted by early investigators, and confirmed by later workers. Changes in a multitude of other neurochemical metabolites and compounds have been described, and are the subject of the next chapter. Many of these changes may be secondary to primary alterations in energy metabolism. The following represent some of the key investigations regarding liver and brain energy metabolism changes in hyperbilirubinemia.
Chemosensory response in stunted prairie rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis

Rattlesnakes use chemical stimuli in ambush site selection and for relocation of envenomated prey through strike-induced chemosensory searching. Shifts in responsiveness to prey chemicals have been documented in many snakes, and often correlate with prey commonly taken as snakes increase in age and size as well as geographical locations of the species. For instance, neonate rattlesnakes that prey primarily on ectotherms responded most strongly to chemical cues of commonly taken lizard prey, whereas adult rattlesnakes that prey primarily on small mammals responded significantly to chemical cues of com- monly taken rodents. In the current study, 11 Prairie Rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis which were classified as large neonates based on measures of snout-vent length (SVL) and body mass, yet chronologically were at or near adulthood, were tested for their responsiveness to chemical extracts of natural and non-natural prey items. Although the snakes had eaten only neonate lab mice (Mus musculus), they responded significantly more to chemical cues of natural prey items and particularly to chemical cues of prey normally taken by subadults (Peromyscus mice and Sceloporus lizard). These results suggest that ontogenetic shifts in re- sponsiveness to natural prey chemical cues are innately programmed and are not based on body size or feeding experience in C. v. viridis. This does not imply, however, that growth and experience are without effects, especially with novel prey or rare prey that have experienced recent population expansion (Current Zoology 59 (2): 175−179, 2013). Keywords Chemical cues, Chemoreception, Crotalus viridis viridis, Prey choice, Vomeronasal
ASPECTS OF PRIVATE LAW WHICH ARE NOT ENFORCED BY THE REGULATION (EU) No. 650/2012

A novelty element which concerns even Romanian citizens is the enforcement of Regulation (EU) no 650/2012. Although the area of enforcement of the regulation should include all aspect of civil law regarding a deceased person’s patrimony, certain aspects were deliberately left out from the enforcement area of this regulation, as the questions governed by the law of companies or relating to matrimonial property regimes. To illustrate the effects of the death of an associate in a company, we will provide a short comparative presentation of the continuance of the collective society with the heirs of the deceased partner as regulated by Law no 31/1990 regarding Romanian companies as opposed to the French Civil Code. Also, our brief analysis of the Proposal for a Council regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law and the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matters of matrimonial property regimes, may shed some light on what is to come in matrimonial property regimes.
Theoretical Investigation into the Color-Tuning Mechanism of Proteorhodopsin

Retinal proteins are transmembrane proteins with potential applications in optical memory and optogenetics for example. Proteorhodopsin (PR) is a recently discovered microbial retinal protein that acts as a proton pump. Activation of PR occurs when the covalently bound chromophore, retinal, absorbs a photon and undergoes all-trans → 13-cis isomerization. Two variants of PR are tuned to absorb blue (490 nm) and green (520 nm) light. This difference is modulated by a single residue at position 105 that acts as a light-tuning switch—in blue PR it is glutamine whereas in green PR it is leucine. Despite this basic knowledge of the color-tuning mechanism, the electronic environment in the retinal binding pocket that determines the green and blue variants of PR remains poorly understood. Using quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical calculations, we have characterized the color-tuning mechanism of PR at the B3LYP level of theory. We discovered that the difference between blue and green PR depends on a complex interplay between the water-mediated hydrogen-bonded network within the binding-pocket and the twist of the retinal polyene chain. Geometry optimization of the native form of blue PR produced two retinal structures, one with a planar and another with a slightly twisted polyene chain. In both structures a weak hydrogen bond exists between the color-tuning switch, Q105, and the polyene chain. However, the twisted structure is higher in energy, with an elongated N-H bond in the protonated Schiff base (PSB) and shorter hydrogen bond with a coordinated water. Mutation of the color-tuning switch (Q105L) abolishes the hydrogen bond with retinal, leading to a shortened N-H bond in the PSB and a lengthened hydrogen bond with water. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the color-tuning mechanism in PR and can be applied to other retinal proteins as well.
The Motion Grammar Linguistic Perception, Planning, and Control

Presented at the 2011 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference VII (RSS), 27-30 June 2011, Los Angeles, CA.
RADIATIVE COUPLING IN SEMICONDUCTOR MICROCAVITIES

This talk will summarize our research on vacuum-field Rabi splitting (normal-mode coupling (NMC) between one cavity mode and one exciton resonance) in semiconductor microcavities. This is a very interesting and controversial field where definitive experiments and realistic many-body computations are essential to correct interpretations.
Coextrusion of Zirconia-iron Oxide Honeycomb Substrates for Solar-Based Thermochemical Generation of Carbon Monoxide for Renewable Fuels

Ceramic honeycombs based on homogeneous composites of zirconia and iron oxide are formed using polymer-based coextrusion for testing in thermochemical reactors to generate CO for renewable fuels. The honeycomb substrates possess controlled surface areas and are processed using zirconia with 3 and 8 mol % yttria additions to investigate the influence of surface area and oxygen conductivity of the substrate on the CO generation properties. CO generation was tested using a gas chromatography mass spectrometer and a laboratory scale thermochemical reactor capable of precisely controlling temperature and gas conditions. Results showed that reaction temperature and reactant gas flow rate effect CO generation. The yttria content of the zirconia support phase was also found to have a significant impact on the long-term CO generation, improving iron oxide conversion from 41 to 58%. Yttria content did not markedly impact the short-term reaction properties. Increasing the surface area of the substrates, from 2.6 up ...
Sense and Orientation on the Disk

(1957). Sense and Orientation on the Disk. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 64, No. 8P2, pp. 103-106.
A Field-Cage Study of Population Dynamics of the Boll Weevill

In a 2-year replicated field-cage experiment with boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, first-generation progeny from estimated overwintered populations of 0, 14, 25, 50, and 100 weevils per acre damaged 0, 28, 46, 66, and 83% of the squares, respectively. Second-generation weevils damaged from 84 to 96% (weevil-free check excluded) of the squares. Seed cotton harvested from the respective treatments averaged 2802, 1875, 1678, 1318, and 847 lb per acre. Differences in lint quality were detected between plots infested with 100 overwintered weevils per acre and those infested at the other 4 levels. These differences were observed in the first and third harvesting in 1961. No other quality differences were observed.
Identification of Lithology Based on MATLAB Neural Networks

A fast BP algorithm in MATLAB toolbox is used to train neural networks, the neural networks are used for lithological identification of well logs. Through learning the logging data from a known well section, the lithology from other unknown wells in the same are-a is predicted. Experimental results indicate that the fast BP algorithm in MATLAB toolbox has very high practical value.
In vitro evaluation of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin potency

Objective:To develop an in vitro method to examine and compare the potency of paralytic shellfish poisoning(PSP).Methods:Paralytic shellfish poisoning is one of the most severe forms of food poisoning,which causes the arrest of action potential propagation by binding to voltage-gated Na+ channels.Expose the neurons to veratridine and ouabain(control values) and to veratridine and ouabain after preincubation with different concentrations of the PSP toxins,then to calculate the ability of the different PSPs to block voltage-activated sodium channels.We also evaluated the toxicity of the different PSP by mouse bioassay(MBA),compared the consistency of MBA and in vitro method.Results:The in vitro potencies of the PSP toxin standards were neoSTXSTXdcSTXGTX1,4GTX2,3dcGTX2,3.The data in vitro correlated with the toxicity values obtained by MBA.Conclusion:Cell assay of PSP toxins is rapid and feasible,which has a high sensitivity and its detection limit is 10-9 mol/L.
An Expert System Based Approach for Voltage Control during Power System Restoration after Blackout

The weakness of power system and load recovery should be specifically taken into account for voltage control during power system restoration after blackout,which is quite different with that in normal condition.In this paper,the principles for voltage control during restoration are detailedly analyzed,rules are picked up and an expert system is then developed to work for the voltage control scheme.Finally a test case is given using IEEE-39 bus system.
Early Cambrian sponges from Vermont and Pennsylvania, the only ones described from North America

Early Cambrian Leptomitus zitteli Walcott, 1886, is a tubular, double-walled, demo-sponge from the Parker Slate of Vermont and is one of the few intact sponges of that age known. It occurs with skeletal fragments of ?Protospongia hicksi Hinde, 1887. Hazelia walcotti (Resser and Howell, 1938) is a thin-walled, tubular sponge with crudely clustered oxeas in a thatched skeleton. It is known from the Kinzers Formation of Pennsylvania. Early occurrences of Leptomitus and Hazelia indicate that at least these two lineages had diverged by the latter part of the Early Cambrian. The impression described as Leptomitus minor by Resser and Howell (1938) lacks spicules and is not a sponge.
Tumor suppressor protein DAB2IP participates in chromosomal stability maintenance through activating spindle assembly checkpoint and stabilizing kinetochore-microtubule attachments

Defects in kinetochore-microtubule (KT-MT) attachment and the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) during cell division are strongly associated with chromosomal instability (CIN). CIN has been linked to carcinogenesis, metastasis, poor prognosis and resistance to cancer therapy. We previously reported that the DAB2IP is a tumor suppressor, and that loss of DAB2IP is often detected in advanced prostate cancer (PCa) and is indicative of poor prognosis. Here, we report that the loss of DAB2IP results in impaired KT-MT attachment, compromised SAC and aberrant chromosomal segregation. We discovered that DAB2IP directly interacts with Plk1 and its loss inhibits Plk1 kinase activity, thereby impairing Plk1-mediated BubR1 phosphorylation. Loss of DAB2IP decreases the localization of BubR1 at the kinetochore during mitosis progression. In addition, the reconstitution of DAB2IP enhances the sensitivity of PCa cells to microtubule stabilizing drugs (paclitaxel, docetaxel) and Plk1 inhibitor (BI2536). Our findings demonstrate a novel function of DAB2IP in the maintenance of KT-MT structure and SAC regulation during mitosis which is essential for chromosomal stability.
Impact of vertical wind shear on roll structure in idealized hurricane boundary layers

Abstract. Quasi-two-dimensional roll vortices are frequently observed in hurricane boundary layers. It is believed that this highly coherent structure, likely caused by the inflection-point instability, plays an important role in organizing turbulent transport. Large-eddy simulations are conducted to investigate the impact of wind shear characteristics, such as the shear strength and inflection-point level, on the roll structure in terms of its spectral characteristics and turbulence organization. A mean wind nudging approach is used in the simulations to maintain the specified mean wind shear without directly affecting turbulent motions. Enhancing the radial wind shear expands the roll horizontal scale and strengthens the roll's kinetic energy. Increasing the inflection-point level tends to produce a narrow and sharp peak in the power spectrum at the wavelength consistent with the roll spacing indicated by the instantaneous turbulent fields. The spectral tangential momentum flux, in particular, reaches a strong peak value at the roll wavelength. In contrast, the spectral radial momentum flux obtains its maximum at the wavelength that is usually shorter than the roll's, suggesting that the roll radial momentum transport is less efficient than the tangential because of the quasi-two-dimensionality of the roll structure. The most robust rolls are produced in a simulation with the highest inflection-point level and relatively strong radial wind shear. Based on the spectral analysis, the roll-scale contribution to the turbulent momentum flux can reach 40 % in the middle of the boundary layer.
Myeloid-MyD88 Contributes to Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice Linking Hepatocellular Death to Inflammation.

Background Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is critical for ethanol-induced liver injury. TLR4 signaling is mediated by two proximal adaptor molecules: myeloid differentiation primary-response protein (MyD88) and TLR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF). Studies utilizing global knock-outs of MyD88 and TRIF identified a predominant role for TRIF signaling in the progression of ethanol-induced liver injury. In contrast, IL1 receptor, which signals solely via the MyD88 pathway, is also known to mediate ethanol-induced liver injury. We postulated that a cell specific role for MyD88 in myeloid cells might explain these apparently discrepant roles of MyD88. Here we made use of myeloid-specific MyD88-deficient (MyD88LysM-KO) mice generated by crossing LysM-CRE mice with MyD88fl/fl mice to test this hypothesis. Methods MyD88LysM-KO and littermate controls were fed a Lieber-DeCarli ethanol containing diet or pair-fed control diets for 25 days. Results Littermate control, but not MyD88LysM-KO, mice developed early stages of ethanol-induced liver injury including elevated plasma ALT and increased hepatic triglycerides. Lobular inflammation and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines was increased in control but not MyD88LysM-KO. Further, ethanol-induced inflammasome activation, indicated by the presence of cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1β protein, were also ameliorated in livers of MyD88LysM-KO mice. In contrast, chronic ethanol-induced apoptosis, assessed via TUNEL staining, was independent of myeloid-MyD88 expression. Conclusions Collectively, these data demonstrate a cell specific role for MyD88 in the development of chronic ethanol-induced liver injury. While MyD88LysM-KO still exhibited hepatocellular apoptosis in response to chronic ethanol, the absence of MyD88 on myeloid cells prevented the development of hepatic steatosis and inflammation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Bacillus stratosphericus Strain 5Co, Isolated from Lichen Usnea florida in Central Florida, United States, with High Tolerance to Salt and Heavy Metal.

ABSTRACT Bacillus stratosphericus strain 5Co was isolated from lichen Usnea florida in central Florida, United States. Here, we report a draft genome sequence of this strain, which consists of 159 contigs spanning 3,628,496 bp, with a G+C content of 41.3% and comprises 3,729 predicted coding sequences.
Single channel EEG time-frequency features to detect Mild Cognitive Impairment

Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a possible biomarker for the Alzheimer disease (AD), has a huge importance for the management of the elderly's healthcare. As the treatment of AD is very costly and the early discovery is beneficial, a low-cost, early detection mechanism is needed. In this study, Electroencephalography (EEG) data from seventeen subjects was used to determine if brain activity could be used to distinguish MCI with cognitively normal individuals and compare classification performance. Event-related brain potentials (ERP) were recorded in response to auditory speech stimuli. We extracted spectral and temporal features of the ERPs and built a MCI detection process with Support vector machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), and Random Forest (RF). We have compared behavioral response against EEG based time domain features, frequency domain features, and top-ranked features of time-frequency domains. Four feature groups of our study demonstrate that the ranked time and frequency domain features of the EEG perform better than behavioral features and other EEG/ERP response metrics. Our results demonstrate the performance of the detection of MCI with a cross-validation accuracy of 87.9%, sensitivity 85%, specificity 90%, and F-score 94%. Ability to objectively and reliably detect MCI at early might lead to efficacious treatment of AD and related disorders.
Comments on the Proof of Adaptive Stochastic Set Cover Based on Adaptive Submodularity and Its Implications for the Group Identification Problem in “Group-Based Active Query Selection for Rapid Diagnosis in Time-Critical Situations”

We point out an issue with one of the results in Bellala et al. [1] that invokes a main result on adaptive stochastic minimum cost cover problem (Theorem 5.8) of Golovin and Krause. We construct an example that shows that the proof of Theorem 5.8 of Golovin and Krause is invalid, and therefore, the proof in Bellala et al. about the near-optimum performance of their algorithm is also invalid.
Patient-Level Factors Influencing Hospital Costs and Short-Term Patient-Reported Outcomes After Transsphenoidal Resection of Sellar Tumors.

BACKGROUND Identifying which factors influence treatment costs of transsphenoidal surgery for removal of sellar lesions can be complex. OBJECTIVE To identify which patient-level factors are associated with higher costs and evaluate the relationship between expenditures and short-term patient-reported outcomes. METHODS We used an institutional database tool to review prospectively collected data on patients (≥10 yr old) undergoing transsphenoidal sellar surgery. Hospital costs, demographic data, disease-specific variables, hospital-related measures, and patient-reported outcomes (Euro-QOL 5D [EQ-5D] responses) were collected for all patients. RESULTS One hundred seventeen patients met the inclusion criteria. A multivariable logistic regression model for hospital costs showed a significant association between higher costs and adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting tumors (odds ratio [OR] 86.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.43-2176.42), larger tumor size (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.28), and in-hospital complications (OR 14.98, 95% CI 2.21-101.68). The largest contributor to hospital costs in our cohort was facility cost (75%), followed by pharmacy (13%) and supply (7%) costs. Most patients (65.8%) had stable or improved EQ-5D responses at 1-mo follow-up. Stability or improvement in EQ-5D was more likely in patients with lower preoperative EQ-5D scores (P < .015) and with higher postoperative EQ-5D scores (P < .001) on univariate analysis. CONCLUSION Most patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for sellar tumors experience stable or improved postoperative quality of life, even shortly after surgery. Factors associated with increased costs of surgery included larger tumor size and in-hospital complications. Using these data, further study can be directed at determining which interventions may improve the value of transsphenoidal surgery.
Crosswalk of published quality standards for residential care for children and adolescents

Abstract There is a growing emphasis on the need for quality in residential care programs for children and adolescents. This present review is an effort to determine what practices have been identified in published sources specifically focused on quality standards for residential care for children and adolescents. Published quality standards for residential care from seven organizations or government agencies were identified and included in the review. Sixty-five quality standards within 8 domains were identified, and a crosswalk table linking each standard to the seven source documents was produced. Overall there was a 72.5% agreement across the seven sources for the quality standards. The identified quality standards clearly show the common elements and multidimensional nature of quality issues for residential care for children and adolescents. It is imperative that a comprehensive approach to, and measurement of, quality standards become pervasive and fully integrated into the services provided to troubled youth and their families.
Lactic Acid suppresses IL-33-mediated mast cell inflammatory responses while increasing VEGF production: an Akt- and miR-155-dependent pathway (INM6P.336)

Lactic acid (LA) is present in tumors, asthma, and wound healing, environments that also include mast cells and IL-33. The goal of this work is to evaluate how LA modifies IL-33 activation in mast cells. Bone marrow derived mast cells (BMMC) were cultured in the presence of LA and activated with IL-33. BMMC cultured in LA had reduced IL-33-mediated cytokine production. However, LA increased IL-33-mediated VEGF production. Using an MCT1 inhibitor or replacing LA with sodium lactate revealed that LA effects are MCT1 and pH-dependent. Examining IL-33 signaling demonstrated that LA decreased TAK1, JNK, and NFkB phosphorylation, yet increased Akt phosphorylation. An Akt inhibitor blocked VEGF production, but surprisingly enhanced IL-33-mediated cytokine production. Because miR-155 has recently been reported to suppress Akt activation in mast cells, we examined LA effects on miR-155. LA decreased miR-155-5p expression in BMMC. Moreover, BMMC transfected with miR-155-5p were resistant to LA-mediated suppression. Our data demonstrate that lactic acid, present in inflammatory and malignant microenvironments, can alter mast cell behavior to suppress inflammation while increasing angiogenesis.
Social media in product development

Social media offers a unique and wide-reaching view into consumers' thoughts, opinions, recommendations, and personal experiences. This kind of information can be valuable in the product development process. The focus of this project is to examine if and how unprompted social media data can inform new product development using a case study with a Fortune 100 consumer products company. In the case study, a text analytics tool was created to allow discovery and exploration of potential new trends in skincare ingredients and application methods using data obtained from Reddit, Facebook, and skincare blogs. The tool identifies and monitors trends over time for popularity and impact to inform decision making in new product development. Based on the case study, important factors in using social media to identify trends include 1) finding social media sites with relevant content to meet the goals of the project, 2) using term lists to target specific areas of interest, and 3) considering time with respect to frequency of postings, setting time periods of trend measurement, and ensuring the data includes timestamps. Setting the time period over which trends are assessed involves a trade-off between the ability to identify early trends (shorter time periods are better) and sufficient data (longer time periods are better). In the case study, sites where people come for help from a community (e.g., Reddit) and DIY/maker blogs proved to be good sources of emerging trends. The use of term lists proved key in targeting analyses on ingredients and application methods in the case.
Assessment in Acute Stroke Rehabilitation

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, preceded by cancer and heart disease. Stroke is the primary cause of adult disability in the USA according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and stroke survivors represent the largest diagnostic category of referrals to rehabilitation hospitals. Neuropsychologists who work in acute stroke rehabilitation settings require a broad range of skills. They must be knowledgeable and competent in neuropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, and health psychology in order to provide effective assistance to their three principal constituencies: stroke patients, their family caregivers, and the stroke rehabilitation treatment team. Neuropsychologists assist these constituencies by managing the physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, sexual, and vocational consequences of stroke. This chapter provides a primer on stroke and suggestions are provided for effective neuropsychological practice in the acute rehabilitation hospital setting.
Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis, Psychobiology of

Psychobiology is the discipline that attempts to integrate the importance of environmental and psychological variables on biological processes. This article focuses on the psychobiology of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and illustrates several processes that influence the activity of the HPA axis. During development the nature of the interaction between the developing organism and its primary care giver has permanent effects of the HPA axis. The HPA axis can be programmed during critical periods of development to be hypo- or hyper-responsive as a consequence of time and length of separation. These effects have been attributed to alterations in the quality of maternal care. In the adult, the HPA response to stress is dependent on specific psychological factors such as control, predictability, and feedback. Finally, social factors have also been shown to modulate the endocrine stress response. The presence of familiar social partners can reduce or eliminate the elevations of glucocortioids that are observed when animals confront these stimuli while isolated. Whereas the activation of the HPA axis normally is thought to be a consequence of an invasive event, the data demonstrate the omission of salient events can be a potent activator of the HPA axis.
Establishing Construct Continua in Construct Validation: The Process of Continuum Specification:

Many areas of psychological science rely heavily on theoretical constructs, such as personality traits, attitudes, and emotions, and many of these measured constructs are defined by a continuum tha...
THE EFFECTS OF HOMOSEXUALITY LANGUAGE ON LESBIAN AND GAY PEOPLE’S WELL-BEING

The Social Category Label Effect describes how labels used to categorize a social group can influence how people feel about that group (Rios, 2013; Crawford et al., 2016). Previous research has found that exposure to the label “homosexual” versus “lesbian and gay” caused heterosexual individuals to feel less support for LGBTQ policy and more negative attitudes toward same-sex sexuality. Given historical and medical connotations of homosexuality (i.e., previously recognized as a mental disorder), we predicted that lesbian and gay people would also be affected by homosexual language. Across two online studies with lesbian- and gay-identified participants, we examined how homosexual language affected (1) self-reported psychological well-being (e.g., internalized homophobia) and (2) preference for demographic questions that do or do not use homosexual labels. Implications for the use of “homosexual” in health care settings and academic research will be discussed. Further, we address stigma of homosexuality in light of intergenerational responses.
Psychological Distress Transmission in Same-sex and Different-sex Marriages.

Ample work stresses the interdependence of spouses’ psychological distress and that women are more influenced by their spouse’s distress than men. Yet previous studies have focused primarily on het...
Chapter 27 – Intermediate Topics in Biostatistics

The following topics extend the statistical concepts presented in the previous sections, presenting more advanced topics in the areas of design and analysis of clinical trials. This chapter is written as several independent sections that can be read in any order, according to the interest of the reader. Section Special Topics in Trial Design considers special topics for study design, including interim monitoring, alpha spending, adaptive designs, equivalence and noninferiority trials, and sample size. Section Special Considerations in Data Analysis considers special topics in data analysis, including correlated data, microarray data, and related issues of multiple comparisons and massive data sets. Section Regression to the Mean examines a particularly important and tricky issue in data analysis, regression to the mean. Sections Diagnostic Testing, Special Considerations in Survival Analysis, Missing Data, and Causal Inference in Observational Studies provide more advanced discussion of complex topics such as statistical evaluation of diagnostic tests, further considerations for survival analysis, missing data, and causal inference. Section Concluding Remarks concludes with a few summary remarks on the diverse set of topics considered in this chapter, which represent issues that arise frequently in clinical research; further details can be found in the references.
Forced Vibration Analysis of Rectangular Membranes with Clamped Edges

In this work the forced vibration analysis of rectangular membranes with clamped edges has been carried out. The analysis has been carried out for the square as well as rectangular membranes of different aspect ratios. During the study, fundamental frequency and its variation has been analysed with regards to dimensions of the membrane, density and tension in the membrane. A computer algorithm has been written to calculate the natural frequencies for square as well as rectangular membranes with different aspect ratios. Furthermore, the computer code calculates the steady forced vibration response of the membrane for any forcing function. In addition to this, the effect of aspect ratio on the natural frequencies of the membrane has also been analysed. For the steady forced vibration response, six different forces (periodic force, impulse force, step force, pulse force, ramp force and blast force) have been analysed. Deflection plots for square as well as rectangular membranes have been obtained for different instants of time. The algorithm developed during the research will help researchers to carry out the forced vibration response analysis of the square as well as rectangular membranes of any aspect ratio and dimensions.
The Open Eden-Hybinette Procedure for Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability With Glenoid Bone Loss

In the setting of significant glenoid bone loss, soft tissue stabilization procedures for recurrent anterior shoulder instability have high failure rates. The open or arthroscopic Eden-Hybinette procedure with tricortical iliac crest autograft has been shown to provide good results with low rates of recurrent instability. Indications for this technique include severe glenoid bone loss (>40%), recurrent instability following a Latarjet or distal tibial allograft procedure, or patients with abnormal coracoid morphology. In this technique article, we review the indications, contraindications, surgical technique, postoperative care, outcomes, and complications of the open Eden-Hybinette procedure.
Introduction: A Tale of Two Cities and Scenes

This chapter discusses two gigs, one apocryphal and one lived by the author, to explain how this book came about as well as demonstrate the weird space that Washington, DC, and Paris occupy in the story of rock ’n’ roll. It also lays the groundwork for how punk and hardcore brought the two cities and scenes closer together.