cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multimodality Sensor System for Long-Term Sleep Quality Monitoring

Sleep monitoring is an important issue and has drawn considerable attention in medicine and healthcare. Given that traditional approaches, such as polysomnography, are usually costly, and often require subjects to stay overnight at clinics, there has been a need for a low-cost system suitable for long-term sleep monitoring. In this paper, we propose a system using low-cost multimodality sensors such as video, passive infrared, and heart-rate sensors for sleep monitoring. We apply machine learning methods to automatically infer a person's sleep state, especially differentiating sleep and wake states. This is useful information for inferring sleep latency, efficiency, and duration that are important for long-term monitoring of sleep quality in healthy individuals and in those with a sleep-related disorder diagnosis. Our experiments show that the proposed approach offers reasonable performance compared to an existing standard approach (i.e., actigraphy), and that multimodality data fusion can improve the robustness and accuracy of sleep state detection.
Chinese Noun Phrase Coreference Resolution: Insights into the State of the Art

Compared to the amount of research on English coreference resolution, relatively little work has been done on Chinese coreference resolution. Worse still, it has been difficult to determine the state of the art in Chinese coreference resolution, owing in part to the lack of a standard evaluation dataset. The organizers of the CoNLL-2012 shared task, Modeling Unrestricted Multilingual Coreference in OntoNotes, have recently addressed this issue by providing standard training and test sets for developing and evaluating Chinese coreference resolvers. We aim to gain insights into the state of the art via extensive experimentation with our Chinese resolver, which is ranked first in the shared task on the Chinese test data. Title and Abstract in Chinese
Spectral Learning of Hidden Markov Models from Dynamic and Static Data

We develop spectral learning algorithms for Hidden Markov Models that learn not only from time series, or dynamic data but also static data drawn independently from the HMM's stationary distribution. This is motivated by the fact that static, orderless snapshots are usually easier to obtain than time series in quite a few dynamic modeling tasks. Building on existing spectral learning algorithms, our methods solve convex optimization problems minimizing squared loss on the dynamic data plus a regularization term on the static data. Experiments on synthetic and real human activities data demonstrate better prediction by the proposed method than existing spectral algorithms.
A clinical role for peripheral blood lymphocyte infusions and perspectives on collection.

: Molecular remissions were observed in some relapsed post allogeneic transplant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who received donor peripheral blood lymphocyte infusions (DLI). This was indirect evidence of immune-mediated tumor cell killing, and the process was termed graft-versus-leukemia (GVL). Mechanisms were hypothesized to be direct T cell mediated cell lysis or augmented programmed cell death. These observations formed the basis for exploring the role of DLI first in relapsed allogeneic transplant patients with other hematologic malignancies, then as prophylaxis for patients at high risk for relapse and then as adjunctive therapy for transplant strategies utilizing non-myeloablative conditioning regimens. Multiple clinical trials are underway to define dose, schedule, clinical and molecular response and laboratory assays to distinguish lymphocyte subsets mediating GVL and those responsible for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) toxicity. This review outlines some of the donor/patient and therapy variables involved and some principles of mononuclear cell collection for cellular immunotherapy.
Characterization of the Bacterial Diversity in Indo-West Pacific Loliginid and Sepiolid Squid Light Organs

Loliginid and sepiolid squid light organs are known to host a variety of bacterial species from the family Vibrionaceae, yet little is known about the species diversity and characteristics among different host squids. Here we present a broad-ranging molecular and physiological analysis of the bacteria colonizing light organs in loliginid and sepiolid squids from various field locations of the Indo-West Pacific (Australia and Thailand). Our PCR-RFLP analysis, physiological characterization, carbon utilization profiling, and electron microscopy data indicate that loliginid squid in the Indo-West Pacific carry a consortium of bacterial species from the families Vibrionaceae and Photobacteriaceae. This research also confirms our previous report of the presence of Vibrio harveyi as a member of the bacterial population colonizing light organs in loliginid squid. pyrH sequence data were used to confirm isolate identity, and indicates that Vibrio and Photobacterium comprise most of the light organ colonizers of squids from Australia, confirming previous reports for Australian loliginid and sepiolid squids. In addition, combined phylogenetic analysis of PCR-RFLP and 16S rDNA data from Australian and Thai isolates associated both Photobacterium and Vibrio clades with both loliginid and sepiolid strains, providing support that geographical origin does not correlate with their relatedness. These results indicate that both loliginid and sepiolid squids demonstrate symbiont specificity (Vibrionaceae), but their distribution is more likely due to environmental factors that are present during the infection process. This study adds significantly to the growing evidence for complex and dynamic associations in nature and highlights the importance of exploring symbiotic relationships in which non-virulent strains of pathogenic Vibrio species could establish associations with marine invertebrates.
Cue to action processing in motor cortex populations

The primary motor cortex (MI) commands motor output after kinematics are planned from goals, thought to occur in a larger premotor network. However, there is a growing body of evidence that MI is involved in processes beyond action generation, and neuronal subpopulations may perform computations related to cue-to-action processing. From multielectrode array recordings in awake behaving Macaca mulatta monkeys, our results suggest that early MI ensemble activity during goal-directed reaches is driven by target information when cues are closely linked in time to action. Single-neuron activity spanned cue presentation to movement, with the earliest responses temporally aligned to cue and the later responses better aligned to arm movements. Population decoding revealed that MI's coding of cue direction evolved temporally, likely going from cue to action generation. We confirmed that a portion of MI activity is related to visual target processing by showing changes in MI activity related to the extinguishing of a continuously pursued visual target. These findings support a view that MI is an integral part of a cue-to-action network for immediate responses to environmental stimuli.
Diffusion Processes at Liquid Metal/Ceramic Interfaces

Experiments with molten. drops of non-reactive metals (Au, Cu, Ni) on pure, polycrystalline alumina have been performed in Ar. Afterwards the metal drops have been removed, and the grain boundary grooves at the interface analyzed by AFM and SEM to identify and study the atomic transport mechanisms at the metal/oxide interface.
Biopower and the Militarization of the Police Function

In Multitude, Hardt and Negri explain imperialism, in the context of Empire, as part of the globalization of war as biopower. They note that the police function and the war function are increasingly indistinguishable in the context of Empire, and then proceed to analyze the biopoliticization of the war function. This review examines instead the transnational militarization of the police function through the U.S. war on drugs in the Americas, arguing that the widespread consent to this U.S.-catalyzed process may shed more light on the globalization of war as biopower, and possibilities for its resistance.
The plasma free fatty acid rebound induced by nicotinic acid.

The time course of the nicotinic acid-induced changes in levels of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) was examined. The plasma FFA response of fasted dogs to graded doses of nicotinic acid was shown to be biphasic: an initial depression of the level of plasma FFA was followed by a rebound elevation to supernormal levels. FFA rebound was not seen after the administration of the nicotinic acid homologue, pyridylacetic acid, or a variety of nicotinic acid metabolites. A similar pattern of FFA response was observed in fasted, normal rats. Adrenalectomy did not abolish the secondary elevation of FFA but did cause a somewhat delayed response. Hypophysectomy modified the time course of the response—the initial FFA decrease was prolonged—and the intensity of the FFA rebound was diminished. No rebound was observed in hypophysectomized, adrenalectomized rats. In normal rats, nicotinic acid caused a significant rise in the level of plasma corticosterone. A normal rebound pattern was observed in thyroidectomized rats. Reserpine, administered on a schedule designed to deplete catecholamine stores, altered the time course of plasma FFA changes only slightly. The results indicate that both the pituitary and adrenal functions are required for the expression of the rebound phenomenon after nicotinic acid administration.
Multi-modal learning for video recommendation based on mobile application usage

The increasing popularity of mobile devices has brought severe challenges to device usability and big data analysis. In this paper we investigate the intellectual recommender system on cell phones by incorporating mobile data analysis. Nowadays with the development of smart phones, more and more applications have emerged on various areas, such as entertainment, education and health care. While these applications have brought great convenience to people's daily life, they also provide tremendous opportunities for analyzing users' interests. In this work we develop an Android background service to collect the user behaviors and analyze their preferences based on their Android application usage. As one of the most intuitive media for visual representation, videos with various types of contents are recommended to users based on a proposed graphical model. The proposed model jointly utilizes the textual descriptions of Android applications and videos, as well as the extracted video content based features. Besides, by analyzing the user's habit of application usage we seamlessly integrate the user's personal interests during the recommendation. The extensive comparisons to multiple baselines reveal the superiority of the proposed model on the recommendation quality. Furthermore, we conduct experiments on personalized recommendation to demonstrate the capacity of the proposed model in effectively analyzing the user's personal interests.
Kant’s Picture of Knowledge

Kant’s goal in the Transcendental Deduction is to prove the objective validity of the categories. By the categories Kant means certain a priori concepts that are yielded to us by our understanding, or faculty of thought. These concepts include those of substance, cause and effect, and extensive spatial magnitude. Kant counts such concepts as a priori on the ground that they originate in operations or capacities of our mind that are independent of those mental operations involved in our having sense experience. Kant also counts these concepts as a priori because, as he sees it, we take them to apply with necessity and strict universality to all objects (or to all objects of a certain group). And he has, earlier, taken necessity and strict universality to be the marks of the a priori (both of judgments that are known a priori and, in a slightly different sense, of concepts that are possessed and utilized a priori). Yet — and here the question of the objective validity of the categories emerges — suppose that we regard the categories as a priori in this latter sense. Then it is still hardly obvious that the categories do apply with necessity and strict universality to all objects of the relevant group. Hence the problem arises of deducing the categories of the understanding — of justifying our right to employ those categories as though they did apply in that way to all such objects. And, to Kant’s mind, the deduction of the categories is to be carried out by proving their objective validity — that is, by demonstrating, with respect to the relevant set of objects, that the categories in fact apply, with the proper sort of necessity and strict universality, to each object in that set.1
Impact of microbial activities and hydraulic retention time on the production and profile of long chain fatty acids in grease interceptors: a laboratory study

Fat, oil and grease (FOG) deposits are a major cause of sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), and calcium salts of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) have recently been identified as key components of FOG deposits in sewer systems. Since grease interceptors (GIs) are commonly used to prevent sewer FOG deposits, this study aims to investigate how microbial activities and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of laboratory GI reactors affect the production and profile of LCFAs. The GI reactors with microbial activities exhibited five times higher total LCFAs than the control reactors where microbial activities were inhibited, and a significant positive correlation was observed between microbial activities and total LCFA concentration in the reactor effluent. However, HRT did not exhibit a consistent impact on microbial activities, COD, and total LCFA concentrations in the GI reactor effluent, which was likely caused by the stratified operational mode of the GI reactors. A significantly higher concentration of LCFAs was detected within the GI reactors than in the effluent, corresponding to the stratification of LCFAs within the GI reactors. High similarity of LCFA profile was observed between the GI effluent and real FOG deposits, while the LCFAs retained within the GI reactors, which contained more unsaturated LCFAs, showed different profiles than that in the GI effluent. Together, our data indicate that microbial activities in GIs can significantly impact the quantity and profile of LCFAs, which should be taken into consideration in the GI design and operation in order to reduce the formation of FOG deposits in sewer systems.
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Human Forebrain Activity During Heat Pain: Analysis by Positron Emission Tomography

To learn about the sequence of brain activation patterns during heat pain, we acquired positron emission tomographic (PET) brain scans at different times during repetitive heat stimulation (40 or 5...
Correlation Analysis between Grain Traits and Chalky Characters in Japonica Rice

The variation of rice grain traits and chalky characters,and their correlation were studied,by using F3 and F4 lines from a cross combination between two Japonica rice DL115 with large grain and XL005 with small grain.The results showed that grain length,grain width,grain thick,ratio of grain length to width,1000-grain weight and chalky traits appeared a continuous and near normal distribution,which quantitative traits were controlled by multiple genes.The phynotypic values of grain traits in F4 lines were less than those of F3 lines,grain traits become small along with the increase of generations.The rate of white core and belly and chalkiness of F4 lines were less than F3 lines,while area of white core and belly were similar between F3 and F4 lines.1000-grain weight was positively correlated with grain length,grain width,grain thick and ratio of grain length to width;chalky characters were significantly positively associated with grain length,grain width,grain thick,ratio of grain length to width and 1000-grain weight in F3 and F4 lines.In the different range of grain length,ratio of grain length to width and 1000-grain weight,the value of chalky characters in population with larger value of the above grain traits were obviously larger than those of population with small value of the above grain traits,and the correlation coefficients in population with small value of above grain traits were larger than those in population with larger value of the above grain traits.
The Application of Writing across the Curriculum (WAC) Techniques in a Systems Analysis & Design Flipped Classroom.

To more effectively meet the expectations of industry for entry-level IT employees, a case is made for the inclusion of writing throughout the Computer Information Systems (CIS) curriculum. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) principles are explained, and it is opined that both Writing to Learn (WTL) and Writing in the Disciplines (WID) pedagogies are desirable for inclusion as part of the delivery of the CIS curriculum. Examples of both WTL and WID are provided from the author’s Systems Analysis & Design (SAD) course. It is concluded that the use of WTL and WID techniques in the flipped SAD course has both (1) increase student engagement both in and out of the classroom, and (2) improved student writing and learning.
Turning Efficiency Prediction for Skid Steer Robots Using Single Wheel Testing

To date, most field robots use wheels as their means of locomotion (especially true of planetary exploration robots). In many cases these robots are required to travel significant distances, with limited power, and over rough terrain. All of which make wheels a major component contributing to their performance. It is through experimentation and iteration that effective wheel design, for a given rover in a given mission, can be achieved. To do this, the SWEET (Suspension andWheel Evaluation and Experimentation Testbed) simulates the rover environment using a single wheel methodology. The wheels currently being tested belong to the SR2 skid steer Mars rover designed and built at the University of Oklahoma. Simulating a skid steer turn with SWEET is achieved by varying the spinning rate of the platform under the wheel, which is rotating at a certain rate, and recording the forces incurred. These forces interact in such a way that the relevantmobility properties for a rover can be predicted. This experimentation method allows for cheap and timely iterative single wheel design.
Phytobiocidal management of bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi

Phytobiocides are a good alternative to chemicals in managing bacterial diseases including bacterial wilt of tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. In the present research study, finely ground dried powders of seven widely available medicinal plants/weeds species viz., Peganum harmala (esfand or wild rue), Calotropis procera (sodom apple), Melia azedarach (white cedar), Allium sativum (garlic), Adhatoda vasica (malabar nut), Tagetes patula (marigold) and Nerium oleander (oleander) were assessed for their anti-microbial activity, both in-vitro (10% w/v) and in-vivo (10, 20, 30, and 40 g/kg of potted soil) against R. solanacearum. Aqueous extracts (prepared as 10% w/v, soaking for 48-72 h and filtering) of C. procera, A. vasica, and T. patula inhibited the in-vitro growth of the bacterial pathogen over 60% of that produced by the standard antibiotic streptomycin. A. sativum, N. oleander and P. harmala aqueous extracts were less effective while M. azedarach showed no effect against R. solanacearum. The higher dose (40 g/kg of soil) of C. procera, A. vasica and T. patula decreased disease severity quite effectively and increased yield and plant growth characters as much as the standard antibiotic did. No phytotoxicity of medicinal plants powder was observed on tomato plants. Alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and terpenoids were detected in the aqueous extracts of T. patula and A. vasica whereas C. procera was found to have only alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and saponins. Our data suggest that dried powders of T. patula, C. procera and A. vasica (40 g/kg of soil) could be used as an effective component in the integrated disease management programs against bacterial wilt of tomato.
Applications of solventless-type varnishes in the electrical industry

Fluid resins capable of complete solidification have been available since the end of the war. The contribution that these materials can make to the industry is based upon their ability to produce void-free structures, and to completely fill any cavity in which they are cured. The benefits which may be derived from this property can be itemized as: 1. Absence of corona from windings, operating at high dielectric stress, particularly at high altitudes 2. Improved heat transfer properties by means of a solid path from the source of heat to the surroundings 3. More effective seals against the entrance of moisture and corrosive atmospheres 4. Superior mechanical strength of impregnated windings 5. Ability to form molded exterior insulations by casting processes which require no pressure
Universal $$\mathscr {D}$$ D -modules and stacks of étale germs of n -dimensional varieties

We introduce stacks classifying etale germs of pointed n-dimensional varieties. We show that quasi-coherent sheaves on these stacks are universal $$\mathscr {D}$$ - and $$\mathscr {O}$$ -modules. We state and prove a relative version of Artin’s approximation theorem, and as a consequence identify our stacks with classifying stacks of automorphism groups of the n-dimensional formal disc. We introduce the notion of convergent universal modules, and study them in terms of these stacks and the representation theory of the automorphism groups.
Angioscopy was more sensitive than angiography for intracoronary thrombus

Source Citation den Heijer P, Foley DP, Escaned J, et al. Angioscopic versus angiographic detection of intimal dissection and intracoronary thrombus. J Am Coll Cardiol. Sep 1994
Water Policy Effects on Crop Production and Vice Versa: An Empirical Approach

Policy advice that points out broad policy directions based on economic theory and political expediency has value for policy formulation; however, where policy evolves in an incremental manner, it requires policy analysis as opposed to policy advice. Policy analysis is a quantitative assessment of marginal changes in the existing institutions and the way the changes are implemented.
Apps for everyone: mobile accessibility learning modules

Mobile applications (apps) should be accessible to everyone, yet many of even the most popular are not. To address the lack of accessibility problem, we created a set of educational modules. These modules may be used to teach students and developers about proper methods of creating accessible apps, and on the importance of accessibility guidelines. Each module contains a well-defined accessibility problem, provides details about the accessibility issue, and simulates the effects of the accessibility barrier. Information is provided on how to fix the accessibility issue. Additionally, each module includes augmenting educational materials (slides, instructional videos, etc.), and example apps.
Improved perfusion pattern score association with type 2 diabetes severity using machine learning pipeline: Pilot study.

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with alterations in the blood-brain barrier, neuronal damage, and arterial stiffness, thus affecting cerebral metabolism and perfusion. There is a need to implement machine-learning methodologies to identify a T2DM-related perfusion pattern and possible relationship between the pattern and cognitive performance/disease severity. Purpose To develop a machine-learning pipeline to investigate the method's discriminative value between T2DM patients and normal controls, the T2DM-related network pattern, and association of the pattern with cognitive performance/disease severity. Study type A cross-sectional study and prospective longitudinal study with a 2-year time interval. Population Seventy-three subjects (41 T2DM patients and 32 controls) aged 50-85 years old at baseline, and 42 subjects (19 T2DM and 23 controls) aged 53-88 years old at 2-year follow-up. Field strength/sequence 3T pseudocontinuous arterial spin-labeling MRI. Assessment Machine-learning-based pipeline (principal component analysis, feature selection, and logistic regression classifier) to generate the T2DM-related network pattern and the individual scores associated with the pattern. Statistical tests Linear regression analysis with gray matter volume and education years as covariates. Results The machine-learning-based method is superior to the widely used univariate group comparison method with increased test accuracy, test area under the curve, test positive predictive value, adjusted McFadden's R square of 4%, 12%, 7%, and 24%, respectively. The pattern-related individual scores are associated with diabetes severity variables, mobility, and cognitive performance at baseline (P 0.3). More important, the longitudinal change of individual pattern scores is associated with the longitudinal change of HbA1c (P = 0.0053, r = 0.64), and baseline cholesterol (P = 0.037, r = 0.51). Data conclusion The individual perfusion diabetes pattern score is a highly promising perfusion imaging biomarker for tracing the disease progression of individual T2DM patients. Further validation is needed from a larger study. Level of evidence 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:834-844.
A Critical Review of Experimental and Modeling Research on the Leftward Flow Leading to Left-Right Symmetry Breaking in the Embryonic Node

Abstract In this chapter, we present a critical review of experimental and numerical work on the leftward flow in a mouse ventral node. This flow is generated by rotating primary cilia located in the floor of the node and is believed to play a pivotal role in breaking the left-right symmetry during the mouse embryo development. We also review two hypotheses concerning how the leftward flow is sensed, mechanosensing and chemosensing. Finally, we review a recently suggested simplified method of modeling flow and morphogen transport in the node, which is based on assuming a given vorticity distribution at the edge of the ciliated surface.
Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves skeletal muscle quality in older adults.

Sarcopenia, age-associated involuntary loss of muscle and strength, can progress to clinically relevant functional decline. Resistance exercise attenuates muscle and strength loss but may not be feasible for some older adults. Aerobic exercise training (AET) improves cardiopulmonary health; however, effects on protein turnover, muscle mass, and strength are less clear. We aimed to determine whether AET improves basal myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) and capillarization, promoting hypertrophy and strength. We hypothesized that AET improves strength with increased MPS and capillarization. Older adults were randomized to non-exercise (NON; n = 11, 71.4 ± 4.18 years) or exercise (EX; n = 12, 73.7 ± 4.05 years). EX completed 24 weeks of AET (walking 3×/week, 45 minutes, 70% heart rate reserve); NON remained sedentary. A stable isotope tracer was infused. MPS and capillarization were analyzed from vastus lateralis muscle biopsies. Strength was measured via isokinetic dynamometry. Lean mass was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Basal MPS increased in EX (+50.7%, P = 0.01) along with capillary density (+66.4%, P = 0.03), peak oxygen consumption (+15.8%, P = 0.01), quadriceps strength (+15.1%, P = 0.01), and muscle quality (peak torque divided by leg lean mass, +15.5%, P = 0.01). Lean mass did not change (P > 0.05). AET increases muscle protein turnover and capillarization in older adults, improving muscle quality.
Correlation between geochemical, mineralogical and physical characters of sediments and salinization phenomena in a pilot area in the ionian plain (Southern Italy)

Superficial and sub-superficial soils affected by salinization were studied on a pilot site on an Ionian coastal plain in Basilicata, Southern Italy. Grain-size, mineralogical, and geochemical feat...
“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”: The Art of Decluttering and Organizing Library Collections

“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” recalls Marie Kondo's 2014 influential book of the same name, from which we took our inspiration. The panelists discussed how "tidying up" parts of their collections, while in some ways a daunting process, is nevertheless a worthwhile and important endeavor for libraries. Each panelist included a summary of what part of the collection needed tidying, how they undertook the process, and what were the results of the process. The parts of the library collection considered in this presentation specifically were periodical subscriptions, reference works, and standing orders for book series. [1] Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2014).
Enhancement of linear energy transfer in gold nanoparticles mediated radiation therapy

Abstract Objective The metric dose enhancement ratio (DER) has been widely used to assess the enhancing capability of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). However, there is a large disparity between the observed radiobiological outcome and DER values. A new metric, linear energy transfer enhancement ratio (LETER), is introduced to bridge the gap between theoretical predictions and the experimentally measured sensitization. Methods The radiation transport code SCEPTRE is used to examine the efficacy of the proposed new metric. Different clusters of GNPs irradiated with x-ray photons generated at 120 kVp and therapeutic 6 MV photon beams are investigated. For each pattern, two GNPs sizes are examined 50 and 100 nm. Results An enhancement in the linear energy transfer has been observed for both energies. In the case of 120 kVp, LETER is substantially lower than DER; moreover, it decreases with increasing GNP size. On the other hand, the results of 6 MV show that LETER is relatively higher than DER, and it increases with the size of GNP. For the studied energies, LETER is in good agreement with the sensitization reported in the literature. Conclusion The results indicate the merit of LETER as a better indicator of the radiobiological outcome of GNP aided radiotherapy.
Thermal Impedance and Gain Switching of 1550 nm Room Temperature Continuous-Wave Electrically Pumped Laser Diode Monolithically Grown on Silicon

A room-temperature continuous-wave electrically pumped quantum well laser was realized on on-axis (001) silicon. Measurements demonstrated lasing up to 65°C, a thermal impedance of 8.1°C/W, and a narrow gain-switched optical pulse width of 1.5 ns.
Orthotopic Transplantation and Engraftment of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Alveolar Progenitor Cells into Murine Lungs

ABSTRACT Humanized mice possessing human cells, tissues, or organ systems provide an unparalleled platform for preclinical studies in oncology, immunology, and infectious diseases. While the lungs are a vital organ subject to a wide variety of pathologies, exemplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, discrete differences in murine and human lungs can obfuscate interpretation of murine models of lung disease. Here we provide proof-of-concept methodology for the potential humanization of murine lungs via orthotopic transplantation of human NKX2.1+ progenitor cells and alveolar type 2 cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. We show that these cells engraft readily into highly immunocompromised mice after pharmacological injury with bleomycin, which presumably generates “space” for human cells to access denuded basement membrane and engraft. Transplanted cells stably retain their pulmonary lineage restriction and persist as superficially differentiated alveolar type 2 and type 1 cells. Future work should focus on strategies to promote xenorepopulation of most / all of the murine lung with human cells while retaining appropriate regio-specific epithelial differentiation and normal physiological function.
Willingness to help climate migrants: A survey experiment in the Korail slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh faces a severe rural to urban migration challenge, which is accentuated by climate change and the Rohingya crisis. These migrants often reside in urban slums and struggle to access public services, which are already short in supply for existing slum dwellers. Given the inadequacy of governmental efforts, nonprofits have assumed responsibility for providing essential services such as housing, healthcare, and education. Would local slum-dwellers in Dhaka be willing to support such nonprofits financially? We deploy an in-person survey experiment with three frames (generic migrants, climate migrants, and religiously persecuted Rohingya migrants) to assess Dhaka slum-dwellers' willingness to support a humanitarian charity that provides healthcare services to migrants. Bangladesh is noted as a climate change hotspot and its government is vocal about the climate issue in international forums. While we expected this to translate into public support for climate migrants, we find respondents are 16% less likely to support climate migrants in relation to the generic migrants. However, consistent with the government's hostility towards Rohingya, we find that respondents are 9% less likely to support a charity focused on helping Rohingya migrants. Our results are robust even when we examine subpopulations such as recent arrivals in Dhaka and those who have experienced floods (both of which could be expected to be more sympathetic to climate migrants), as well as those who regularly follow the news (and hence are well informed about the climate and the Rohingya crisis).
Topical application of a G-Quartet aptamer targeting nucleolin attenuates choroidal neovascularization in a model of age-related macular degeneration

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with the 'wet' form of age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of central vision loss among the elderly. The 'wet' form of AMD is currently treated by intravitreal delivery of anti-VEGF agents. However, intravitreal injections are associated with complications and long-term inhibition of VEGF leads to macular atrophy. Thus, there is currently an unmet need for the development of therapies for CNV that target molecules other than VEGF. Here, we describe nucleolin as a novel target for the 'wet' form of AMD. Nucleolin was found on the surface of endothelial cells that migrate from the choroid into the subretinal space in the laser-induced model of 'wet' AMD. AS1411 is a previously described G-quartet oligonucleotide that has been shown to bind nucleolin. We found that AS1411 inhibited the formation of tubes by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by approximately 27.4% in vitro. AS1411 co-localized with the site of laser induced CNV in vivo. Intravitreally injected AS1411 inhibited laser-induced CNV by 37.6% and attenuated infiltration of macrophages by 40.3%. Finally, topical application of AS1411 led to a 43.4% reduction in CNV. Our observations have potential implications for the development of therapies for CNV and specifically for the 'wet' form of AMD.
The Heme Chromophore in the Ultraviolet

Absorption, optical rotatory dispersion, and circular dichroism data are presented for the oxidized and reduced states of the heme undecapeptide of cytochrome c. The absence of aromatic residues, disulfides, and ionizable sulfhydryl groups allows unambiguous determination of the heme absorptions to 240 mµ. As the electronic transitions within the heme are made optically active by the covalently attached peptide, it is possible to detect bands not readily resolved from absorption data. An absorption maximum is seen at 277 mµ which is labeled the e hemochromogen band. In the presence of imidazole, optically active bands are found in the ferroheme undecapeptide with extrema at 263 mµ, 278 mµ, 317 mµ, and 353 mµ. The ferriheme undecapeptide exhibits a positive circular dichroism band at 253 mµ and a broad negative extremum in the 320- to 360-mµ wavelength range. These bands, including those which are found in the wavelength range normally reserved to the aromatic amino acids, are due to the heme chromophore. At shorter wavelengths it is shown that the absorption at 190 mµ cannot be adequately accounted for by the peptide moiety and the carboxyls of the propionic acid heme substituents, that is, 25 to 50% of the absorption at 190 mµ is due to heme, the coordinated imidazole, and the thiol ether groups. The circular dichroism in the peptide region is dependent on the oxidative state and indicates changes directly involving the heme moiety either electronically or sterically. The bands observed in the heme peptides are briefly compared to qualitatively similar bands in cytochrome c, myoglobin, and hemoglobin. The distinctive feature in the circular dichroism of the heme proteins is the presence of localized bands which correspond to vibrational bands present in the aromatic amino acids. The vibronic bands should allow assessment of environmental changes in the corresponding amino acids.
Transverse momentum resummation at small x for the Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LHC

Analysis of semi-inclusive hadroproduction in deep inelastic scattering suggests broadening of transverse momentum distributions at $x$ below a few ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$, which can be modeled in the Collins-Soper-Sterman formalism by a modification of impact-parameter-dependent parton densities. We discuss the consequences of such a modification for the production of electroweak bosons at hadron-hadron colliders. If substantial small-$x$ broadening is observed in forward ${Z}^{0}$ boson production in the Tevatron Run-2, it will strongly affect predicted ${q}_{T}$ distributions for ${W}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$, ${Z}^{0}$, and Higgs boson production at the Large Hadron Collider.
Pyp3 PTPase acts as a mitotic inducer in fission yeast.

Abstract The p34cdc2 M-phase kinase is regulated by inhibitory phosphorylation of Tyr15, largely through the actions of the p107wee1 tyrosine kinase and p80cdc25 protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase). In this study we demonstrate that a second PTPase, encoded by pyp3, also contributes to tyrosyl dephosphorylation of p34cdc2. Pyp3 was identified as a high copy suppressor of a cdc25- mutation. The pyp3 gene encodes a 33 kDa PTPase that is more closely related to human PTP1B and fission yeast pyp1 and pyp2 PTPases than to cdc25. Pyp3 does not share an essential overlapping function with pyp1 or pyp2. We demonstrate that disruption of pyp3 causes a mitotic delay that is greatly exacerbated in cells that are partially defective for cdc25 function and that pyp3 function is essential in cdc25-disruption wee1- strains. Pyp3 PTPase effectively dephosphorylates and activates the p34cdc2 kinase in vitro. We conclude that the pyp3 PTPase acts cooperatively with p80cdc25 to dephosphorylate Tyr15 of p34cdc2.
Non-linear utility functions in models of travel choice behavior

Models of individual choice behavior have been extensively developed and used in travel prediction during the last ten years. These models are generally formulated with utility functions that are linear in parameters. Theories of economics and psychology suggest that the true relationship between service variables and utility is non-linear. In this paper we demonstrate that non-linear transformations of time and cost variables produce statistically significant improvements in the model estimated, have a theoretically appealing interpretation, and lead to managerially important differences in policy evaluations. These results support the need to refine the specification of choice utility functions based on theoretical considerations and empirical research.
Finding the Theory in Practice: Comment on the Hammond-Spindler and Watkins Exchange

L'auteur intervient a la suite d'un debat entre chercheurs concernant la theorisation de la recherche, proposant une demarche methodologique controversee. L'approche synthetique proposee ici vise a etablir un compromis dans ce debat d'epistemologues.
Plaque identification of Strand-forming canine distemper virus by staphylococcal protein A-mediated reverse passive haemadsorption

The R252 neurotropic isolate of canine distemper virus (CDV) produces cytopathic effects (CPE) dominated by strand formation rather than by the formation of multinucleate giant cells. The lack of well-defined CPE and consequent rapid spread of infection throughout the cell monolayer has hindered plaque purification of this virus by conventional methods. However, the use of an immunological detection system which utilizes binding of hyperimmune dog serum to virus-infected cells, followed by the identification of those sites by staphylococcal Protein A-coupled sheep red blood cells (reverse passive haemadsorption) allowed infected foci in cell monolayers to be detected as early as 4 days after infection, coincident with the appearance of the first immunofluorescently identified viral foci. Foci of haemadsorption were specific to sites of CDV infection as demonstrated by blocking experiments. Material recovered from the plaques was successful in infecting Vero cells. Thus, immunologically mediated adsorption of Protein A coupled red blood cells can be used to identify and isolate foci of viral infection which exhibit minimal or no viral CPE without destroying viral replicative ability.
THE EFFECT OF DEMETHYLATION PROCEDURES ON THE QUALITY OF LOW-ESTER PECTINS USED IN DESSERT GELS

Water uptake at 80°C and starch-iodine blue value at 65°C, both expressed as percentage of the respective parameter at 96°C gave good inverse estimates of the gelatinization temperature of rice. The equilibrium moisture content on soaking in water was 28–29s in indica, and 30–31% in dwarf indica and japonica rice. Similarly the fraction of total amylose soluble in water (96° C) was around 50% in indica and japonica, but 35% in dwarf indica. Dwarf indica rice viscogram showed a rather high setback value. The blue value of the excess cooking water of rice gave no useful information. Varieties with less than 25% amylose gave C-type alkali reaction.
Energetic considerations for managing double-crested cormorants on Lake Champlain

Abstract We studied foraging distribution, activity budgets, fish consumption, and energetics of double-crested cormorants ( Phalacrocorax auritus ) at two breeding colonies on Lake Champlain. Our objective was to determine if fish consumption and distribution of predation changed with movements of cormorants associated with efforts to reduce numbers of cormorants on one of the colonies. Wildlife managers reduced populations of cormorants on Young Island, Vermont by oiling their eggs, which resulted in dispersal of breeding cormorants 35 km south to Four Brothers Islands, New York. We found that as cormorants shifted from Young Island to the colony on Four Brothers Islands, energy demands, foraging distribution, and total fish consumption increased. Birds on Four Brothers Islands foraged a greater distance from the colony compared to birds on Young Island. Additionally, consumption of yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) shifted to rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax ) when more birds bred on Four Brothers Islands. The dispersal of cormorants from Young Island to Four Brothers Islands reduced predation on yellow perch but increased overall fish consumption. Our estimates of fish consumption ranged from 322,000–425,000 kg of fish per year at Young Island to 899,000–1,086,000 kg of fish per year at Four Brothers Islands. Results from this study demonstrate secondary impacts of management on Young Island to unmanaged areas.
Implications of x-ray emission from lightning

[1] Dwyer et al. [2003, 2004a] recently reported measurements of bursts of x-rays, with energies up to ∼250 keV, originating from dart leaders and possibly the return strokes of rocket-triggered lightning. In this paper, these x-ray observations are compared with the relativistic runaway electron avalanche (RREA) model. It is found that for dart leaders the standard RREA model is inconsistent with the observed spectrum and flux of the x-ray emission. This result implies that the cold runaway electron model may be applicable to dart leaders. In this model, runaway electrons are directly accelerated out of the bulk electron population, produced by the ionization of the neutral atoms. However, this mechanism requires an electric field an order-of-magnitude larger than the conventional breakdown field. Because the flux of runaway electrons is very sensitive to the electric field strength, x-ray observations of lightning provide a novel tool for determining the fields associated with the leaders.
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein proteolysis

High-affinity interactions between insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBP-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6) antagonize the binding of IGF to the type 1 IGF receptor. Proteases found in a variety of biological fluids can degrade IGFBP 1-6 into fragments that have a greatly reduced affinity for IGF-I and IGF-II, increasing the concentration of free IGFs at the cell surface and allowing IGFs to bind to and activate the IGF receptor. Therefore, IGFBP proteolysis directly modulates the first step in IGF receptor signaling and thereby indirectly modulates cell survival, mitogenesis and differentiation. Our understanding of IGFBP proteolysis has grown exponentially over the past five years, with the identification of several new IGFBP proteases, a growing appreciation of the potential for IGF-independent actions of IGFBP fragments and the realization that perturbations of IGFBP proteolysis are seen in, and might contribute to, several pathological conditions.
Brief coping skills treatment for cocaine abuse : substance use outcomes at three months

Aims. Coping skills training, a promising treatment approach for alcoholics, was adapted for use with cocaine abusers and effects on outcome were investigated. Design. A cocaine-specific coping skills training (CST) package was compared to an attention placebo control when both were added to a comprehensive treatment program. Setting. The sites were two private substance abuse treatment facilities, one residential and rural, and one an urban partial hospital. Participants. Substance abusers in treatment with cocaine abuse or dependence were selected. Intervention. The CST intervention was conducted in individual sessions. It involved functional analysis of high risk situations and coping skills training based on the functional analysis. Findings. Clients who received CST had significantly fewer cocaine use days and the length of their longest binge was significantly shorter during the 3-month follow-up period compared to clients in the control condition. CST did not affect relapse rates or use of other substances. Conclusions. Results support the notion that cocaine-specific CST is a promising adjunct to treatment for cocaine abusers.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Sintering

Nanoparticles have been an area of active research in recent years due to their properties, which can be greatly different from the bulk. In this work, we study the sintering of TiO2 nanoparticles using molecular dynamics simulations. Such sintering occurs in flame reactors where nanotitania is prepared via the chloride process. Decrease in free energy due to reduction in surface area is the main driving force for sintering of particles. Simulations, at various starting temperatures and orientations, indicate that the process of sintering is strongly affected by temperature and initial orientation. Extremely high diffusion of ions in the neck region of sintering nanoparticles supports the idea that solid-state diffusion is significant in metal-oxide nanoparticle sintering. It is found that the dipole-dipole interaction between sintering nanoparticles plays a very important role at temperatures away from the melting point. The duration of the simulation is not enough to observe the complete sintering process, but important initial stages are well studied.