cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mast cells: beyond IgE.

Abstract Continuing Medical Education examination CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION ARTICLE Credit can now be obtained, free for a limited time, by reading the following review. Please note the instructions listed below. Method of Physician Participation in Learning Process: The core material for this activity can be read in this issue of the Journal or online at the JACI Web site: www.mosby.com/jaci . The accompanying test may only be submitted online at www.mosby.com/jaci . Fax or other copies will not be accepted. Date of Original Release: January 2003. Credit may be obtained for this course until December 31, 2003. Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2003-2004. All rights reserved. List of Design Committee Members: Authors: Donald Y. M. Leung, MD, PhD, FAAAAI, John W. Bloom, MD Overall Purpose/Goal: To provide excellent reviews on key aspects of allergic disease to those who research, treat, or manage allergic disease. Target Audience: Physicians and researchers within the field of allergic disease. Activity Objectives (a) To understand the molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid action. (b) To recognize potential mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance. (c) To review evaluation and management of patients with glucocorticoid resistance. Accreditation/Provider Statements and Credit Designation: The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The AAAAI designates this educational activity for up to 1.0 hour in Category I credit towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit he or she actually spent in the educational activity. Recognition of Commercial Support: This activity has been funded through an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline.
Probabilistic Modeling and Statistical Analysis of Aggregated Electric Vehicle Charging Station Load

AbstractThe number of electric vehicles is increasing worldwide. The charging of a single electric vehicle can draw several kilowatts of power, and the aggregate effects of charging thousands of electric vehicles on electric power system infrastructure, operation, and planning must be considered. An important tool in studying the integration of electric vehicles and developing associated technologies and controls within the framework of the smart grid are probabilistic models of charging station load. This article identifies, evaluates, and proposes probabilistic models and analyzes the statistical characteristics of aggregated electric vehicle charging station load. A data-driven approach is taken, using measured time-stamped power consumption from charging stations to formulate and evaluate suitable parametric probabilistic models. The influence of time-of-use pricing on electric vehicle charging station load characteristics is also examined. Two data sets—one from Washington State, the other from San D...
Designing controllers for two stage disk drive actuator systems using the PQ method and the sbode plot

The PQ method is a technique for transforming the problem of designing controllers for dual-input/single-output (DISO) systems to two single-input/single-output (SISO) design problems, and the sbode plot is a new modification of the traditional bode plot which facilitates loop shaping design for SISO systems. This paper shows how to employ the two tools to meet aggressive closed-loop performance specifications for a disk drive system with a piezoelectric active suspension and a voice coil motor.
The Good and the Bad: Immune Cells and Hypertension.

Hypertension continues to be a significant worldwide health challenge contributing to the rates of morbidity and mortality related to heart failure, ischemic stroke, renal disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac hypertrophy.1 Contributions to hypertension include multiple organs including the kidneys, peripheral vasculature, and the central and autonomic nervous systems. One of the most recent advances in our understanding of underlying factors that influence the development and prevalence of hypertension is the role of the inflammation and the immune system.2 The role of T cells in the development of hypertension has been demonstrated in number of studies,3,4 and both hypertensive humans and male animals models of hypertension have shown T-cell accumulation in the kidneys and vasculature.5–7 Furthermore, T cells have been shown to be required for the development of some forms of hypertension. In initial studies using the angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion model of hypertension and a male mouse model lacking lymphocytes because of a deficiency in the recombination activating gene ( Rag-1 −/−), when these mice were infused with Ang II, the level of hypertension was significantly less than that observed in wild-type male mice.8 When the T cells from a male wild-type donor were given back to the male Rag-1 −/− mice, the hypertensive effects of Ang II were restored, suggesting that Ang II–induced hypertension requires the adaptive immune system and T cells in particular. It should be noted, however, that this effect of T cells to induce hypertension is not present in female animal models7 and requires using T cells from male donors,6 suggesting that there are clear sex differences in the role of …
Ab initio study of elastic, thermal physical properties and electronic structure of Fe–Ga alloys

Ab initio spin polarized calculations were carried out to study the elastic, thermal physical properties and electronic structures of FexGa1–x alloys. To evaluate the elastic properties, dilute supercell models were constructed for Fe–6.25 at% Ga and Fe–12.5 at% Ga alloys. In addition, possible atomic models were explored for Fe–18.75 at% Ga, in which one model that contains a pair of Ga atoms forming a cluster was suggested to represent the quench state of the alloy. The experimentally observed softness of the tetragonal shear modulus 1/2(C11 – C12) in Fe–Ga alloys was reproduced in the calculations. The ductility of Fe–Ga alloys was analyzed in terms of the ratio G /B, where G and B are the shear and bulk modulus, respectively, and the Cauchy pressure 1/2(C12 – C44). The results show that the ductility of Fe–Ga was enhanced with increasing Ga concentration. The relation between linear thermal expansion coefficients α (T) and Ga content was also examined. It was demonstrated that both bulk modulus B and the Gruneisen parameter γ play a major role in determining the trend in thermal expansion coefficients. The electronic structures of Fe–Ga alloys were investigated, and the characteristics of electronic density of states were analyzed. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formation of nsP3-Specific Protein Complexes during Sindbis Virus Replication

Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) that include a number of important human and animal pathogens. Their replication proceeds in the cytoplasm of infected cells and does not directly depend on nuclei. Alphaviruses encode only four nonstructural proteins that are required for the replication of viral genome and transcription of the subgenomic RNA. However, the replicative enzyme complexes (RCs) appear to include cellular proteins and assemble on cellular organelles. We have developed a set of recombinant Sindbis (SIN) viruses with green fluorescent protein (GFP) insertions in one of the nonstructural proteins, nsP3, to further understand the RCs' genesis and structure. We studied the assembly of nsP3/GFP-containing protein complexes at different stages of infection and isolated a combination of cellular proteins that are associated with SIN nsP3. We demonstrated the following. (i) SIN nsP3 can tolerate the insertion of GFP into different fragments of the coding sequence; the designed recombinant viruses are viable, and their replication leads to the assembly of nsP3/GFP chimeric proteins into gradually developing, higher-order structures differently organized at early and late times postinfection. (ii) At late times postinfection, nsP3 is assembled into complexes of similar sizes, which appear to be bound to cytoskeleton filaments and can aggregate into larger structures. (iii) Protein complexes that are associated with nsP3/GFP contain a high concentration of cytoskeleton proteins, chaperones, elongation factor 1A, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins, 14-3-3 proteins, and some of the ribosomal proteins. These proteins are proposed to be essential for SIN RC formation and/or functioning.
Effects of Expressive Writing on Sexual Dysfunction, Depression, and PTSD in Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction. Women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have high rates of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sexual problems in adulthood. Aim. We tested an expressive writing-based intervention for its effects on psychopathology, sexual function, satisfaction, and distress in women who have a history of CSA. Methods. Seventy women with CSA histories completed five 30-minute sessions of expressive writing, either with a trauma focus or a sexual schema focus. Main Outcome Measures. Validated self-report measures of psychopathology and sexual function were conducted at posttreatment: 2 weeks, 1 month, and 6 months. Results. Women in both writing interventions exhibited improved symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women who were instructed to write about the impact of the abuse on their sexual schema were significantly more likely to recover from sexual dysfunction. Conclusions. Expressive writing may improve depressive and PTSD symptoms in women with CSA histories. Sexual schema-focused expressive writing in particular appears to improve sexual problems, especially for depressed women with CSA histories. Both treatments are accessible, cost-effective, and acceptable to patients. Meston CM, Lorenz TA,andStephensonKR.Effectsofexpressivewritingonsexualdysfunction,depression,andPTSDinwomen with a history of childhood sexual abuse: Results from a randomized clinical trial. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
6. 2D microcavities: Theory and experiments

Publisher Summary Microcavities can be broadly categorized into active (light emitting) and passive systems. In active devices, such as lasers, radiation is generated within the cavity medium, without any incident radiation at the same frequency. Examples for passive systems are filters, multiplexers, and other wavelength-selective optical components; their functionality relies on coupling to waveguides or freely propagating waves in their vicinity. The two basic types of experiment, emission and scattering, for a given cavity geometry are intimately connected, because they both probe its mode structure. This chapter discusses the concept of modes in microcavities. The phase–space approach to microcavity electrodynamics provides a means of classifying the wide variety of modes in cavities where “good quantum numbers” do not uniquely enumerate the spectrum. Semiclassical methods provide the connection between individual modes and manifolds in phase space, such as the caustics, belonging to invariant curves in the SOS.
The application of fiber optic wavelength division multiplexing in RF avionics

This paper demonstrates a successful application of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to the avionics environment to support analog RF signal transmission. We investigate the simultaneous transmission of four RF signals (channels) over a single optical fiber. These four analog channels are sequentially multiplexed and demultiplexed at different points along a fiber optic backbone to more closely emulate the conditions found onboard aircraft. We present data from the measurements of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), transmission response (loss and gain), group delay that defines phase distortion, and dynamic range that defines nonlinear distortion. The data indicate that WDM is well-suited for avionic applications.
Accelerated Lifetime Testing for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells Using Extremely High Temperature and Unusually High Load

In this paper, two testing protocols were developed in order to accelerate the lifetime testing of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The first protocol was to operate the fuel cell at extremely high temperatures, such as 300 °C, and the second was to operate the fuel cell at unusually high current densities, such as 2.0 A/cm2 . A PEM fuel cell assembled with a PBI membrane-based MEA was designed and constructed to validate the first testing protocol. After several hours of high temperature operation, the degraded MEA and catalyst layers were analyzed using SEM, XRD, and TEM. A fuel cell assembled with a Nafion 211 membrane-based MEA was employed to validate the second protocol. The results obtained at high temperature and at high load demonstrated that operating a PEM fuel cell under certain extremely high-stress conditions could be used as methods for accelerated lifetime testing.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHERS' BELIEFS AND PRACTICES DURING LITERACY INSTRUCTION FOR NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH

A Multidimensional TESL Theoretical Orientation Profile, consisting of an Ideal Instructional Protocol, a Lesson Plan Analysis Task, and a Beliefs Inventory, was created to determine the extent to ...
Molecular Laboratory Tests for the Diagnosis of Respiratory Tract Infection Due to Staphylococcus aureus

When Staphylococcus aureus is the cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia or a bacterial infection following influenza, the infections are devastating if not treated promptly. Disease due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) continues to be of concern throughout most of the United States. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared polymerase chain reaction tests for detection of MRSA in nasal swab specimens; however, there are no FDA-cleared tests for identifying S. aureus in purulent respiratory secretions. The real-time polymerase chain reaction tests for S. aureus (primarily MRSA) in nares provide results in <2 h and have sensitivities ranging from 95% to 100%, with specificities of 96%-99%; these results are comparable to that of standard cultures, which can take up to 3-4 days for final results. The FDA is encouraged to work closely with industry providers to expedite the evaluation and clearance process for molecular diagnostic devices detecting S. aureus (including MRSA) in the diagnosis of respiratory tract infection.
Clutter mitigation in weather radar systems filter design & analysis

One of the factors limiting the performance of weather radar systems is the presence of "clutter" in the received signal. Clutter is the group of signal components caused by reflections from objects other than weather targets; it is undesirable because it can obscure meteorologically interesting signals from actual weather targets. Objects that cause clutter are usually stationary, so the signal components with zero and near-zero Doppler shifts are usually clutter. Most weather radar systems use digital high-pass filters to reduce clutter by severely attenuating the zero and near-zero frequency components of the received signal. An alternative and relatively new technique for reducing clutter is frequency-domain filtering, where the Doppler velocity spectrum of the received signal is calculated and manually altered below a certain velocity. The frequency-domain filter performs the same task as the high-pass digital filter but never removes too much of the signal, as the digital filter sometimes does, because an appropriate cutoff frequency is calculated for each spectrum. The performance of a frequency-domain filter is compared with a digital high-pass clutter filter, and the frequency-domain filter is shown to remove more clutter from the radar signal.
Storage conditions affect quality of noodles with added soy flour and sweet potato

Summary Noodles were prepared from a formulation in which a portion of the flour was replaced with 10% defatted soy flour and sweet potato as 10% flour or 15% puree. Dried noodles were packaged in plastic bags under partial vacuum or air and stored at 4.4 °C or 22–30 °C for 6 months. Colour, β-carotene and sensory characteristics were analyzed at 2-month intervals. Packaging atmosphere had minor effects on colour. Stored noodles became lighter and yellower, and β-carotene decreased, with all changes being greater at 22–30 °C. Storage conditions influenced acceptability scores minimally. Noodles were stored successfully under air with greater quality retention with 4.4 °C storage.
Communication research and the idea of process

The term “process” admits of two definitions in the philosophy of science: one based on a 19th century mechanistic view, the other consistent with quantum relativistic notions. Scholars in speech communication have misused these essentially contradictory definitions. Methodological notions have often been based on a deterministic view of cause while, at the same time, definitions of communication have been based on Whitehead's view of reality as “becoming.” As a result, theory and research have been inconsistent. To implement the contemporary notion of “process,” ideas of methodological rigor based on causal determinism must be substituted by notions of carefulness based on acknowledgement of the observer's involvement in his own observations.
The efficacy of adjuvant therapy for pancreatic invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)

BACKGROUND The literature investigating pancreatic invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) has largely come from small institutional studies, preventing adequately powered comparisons of adjuvant therapy versus surgery alone (SA) within specific patient subgroups. METHODS Patients with resected, stage I through IV, invasive IPMN and conventional pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were identified in the National Cancer Data Base (1998-2010). Cox modeling of patients with invasive IPMN was used to compare overall survival (OS) between patients who received adjuvant therapy and those who underwent SA. A second model was used to compare OS between patients with invasive IPMN and those with PDAC. RESULTS For the 1220 patients with invasive IPMN, the median OS was 28.9 months; the 1-year and 5-year actuarial survival rates were 76% and 17%, respectively; and 47% received adjuvant therapy. Cox modeling associated SA with worse OS (hazard ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.58; P = .00005) as well as American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM stage III/IV disease, positive lymph node status, positive margins, and poor tumor differentiation (all P ≤ .05). In addition, Cox modeling stratified by the following characteristics demonstrated improved OS with adjuvant therapy: AJCC TNM stage II or III/IV, positive lymph node status, positive margins, and poorly differentiated tumors. There was no survival advantage from adjuvant therapy for patients who had AJCC TNM stage I or lymph node-negative disease. Patients who had invasive IPMN had improved risk-adjusted OS compared with those who had PDAC (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.78; P < .00001). CONCLUSIONS Invasive IPMN appears to be more indolent than conventional PDAC. Adjuvant therapy is associated with improved OS compared with SA in patients with invasive IPMN, especially for those with higher stage disease, positive lymph nodes, positive margins, or poorly differentiated tumors. Conversely, this benefit does not extend to patients with stage I or lymph node-negative disease. Cancer 2016;122:521–533. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
The Effect of Public and Private Quality Information on Consumer Choice in Health Care Markets

Information-based policy interventions have become increasingly common in health care markets. The rationale for such interventions is to correct a market failure in which consumers are asymmetrically informed about relevant attributes of a health care provider (e.g., quality). The magnitude of this market failure and the effect of public intervention on welfare depend on whether there exists market-based information on quality that alters consumer choice. To better understand such effects, I study consumer response to information provided by U.S. News and World Report hospital rankings and hospital reputation before and after the release of report cards on surgeon quality in Pennsylvania’s market for cardiac bypass surgery. I estimate a model of consumer demand for surgeon quality (mortality) that integrates market-based information and quality reporting while controlling for the role of insurers and referring physicians in consumers’ choice. The role of public versus market-based learning is identified using the interaction of the intertemporal change in information induced by the release of report cards with differences across providers in market-based information on those providers’ quality. I find that market-based mechanisms impact patient response to quality prior to the release of report cards. After public release of information, the response to surgeon quality increases significantly. However, existing U.S. News and World Report rankings reduce consumer response to surgeon quality.
HPLC separation of blood 11C-nicotine from its radioactive metabolites

1618 Objectives PET imaging with 11C-nicotine (11C-NIC)-loaded cigarettes is a valuable tool to understand the role of fast brain nicotine accumulation in tobacco dependence. To accurately assess 11C-NIC kinetics, it is necessary to quantify the amount of parent compound in plasma apart from its two major metabolites, radioactive cotinine (COT) and 3’-hydroxycotinine (3HC). Previously such separation was achieved by extraction of radioactive substances from plasma using acetonitrile (ACN) and by reversed-phase HPLC at pH 6. To achieve higher yield of extraction and better separation of 11C-NIC, we sought to implement plasma deproteinization with perchloric acid and performing the HPLC separation using alkaline pH. Methods After denaturing proteins with 5% perchloric acid, 1.5mL of supernatant was adjusted to pH 10 by adding 0.25mL 28% NH4OH and 0.25mL solvent A (18% ACN + 82% pH 10 buffer (volume ratio: 493: 7: 2.42 for water, triethylamine, and acetic acid)). HPLC separation was performed on PRP-1 semi-preparative column using gradient elution (4 mL/min): 100% solvent A 4 min; 100% A ~ 100% B (30% ACN + buffer) 1 min linear; 100% B 6 min. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in venous blood samples from 20 subjects (13 males, 7 females; mean age 41yrs, 20 cigarettes/day) collected during PET studies (2 sessions/day with a 2 h interval), at 15 min after inhaling one puff from 11C-NIC-labelled cigarettes (ca. 75 MBq). Results Extracted radioactivity averaged 90 ± 7% (mean ± SD) of that in the plasma. Peak retention times for 3HC, COT, and NIC were 3.1, 4.4, and 10.4 min, respectively. Mean percent radioactivity attributed to 11C-NIC were 45 ± 7% of total radioactivity. Mean deviation of non-metabolized fraction of 11C-NIC from the average of repeated blood sample measurements was 6 ± 4%. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the introduced method provides efficient extraction, good peak separation and has high test-retest reliability. Research Support NIH grant RC2DA028948
Forced Convective Cooling via Acoustic Streaming in a Narrow Channel Established by a Vibrating Piezoelectric Bimorph

Forced convection in a narrow channel is investigated both numerically and experimentally. The flow field is established through the mechanism of acoustic streaming. This is accomplished by high frequency vibration of one of the channel walls, which is composed of a piezoelectric bimorph. In the numerical computations, the Navier-Stokes equations are decomposed into the acoustic equations and the streaming equations by the perturbation method. The acoustic field is first numerically obtained, which provides the driving force for the streaming field. The streaming field and the associated temperature field are then obtained numerically. Heat losses from a heat source are measured to determine the efficiency of this as a cooling method. The air-flow patterns in the channel between the heat source and the bimorph actuator are visualized using the particle tracking velocimetry. The visualization clearly shows that vortical streaming (acoustic streaming) can be induced by bimorph vibration, which enhances heat transfer between the heat source and the surrounding air. The temperature decreases obtained computationally and experimentally are in good agreement.
Relationships Among Role Accuracy, Compliance, Performance Evaluation, and Satisfaction Within Managerial Dyads: Comment

The article presents comments on the article “Relationships Among Role Accuracy, Compliance, Performance Evaluation, and Satisfaction Within Managerial Dyads,” by C. N. Greene, published in the Jun...
Building Power Between Polarities On the Space-in-Between

In this article, I introduce the concept of the space-in-between. This space-in-between is born of the realization that, between the expression of any two polarities (across dimensions such as emotion, thought, geography, and ideology), there exists a philosophical construct useful for framing thinking about practice, research, and managerial relationships in the health professions. Out of this construct emerge practical considerations useful for structuring the conduct of meaningful interpersonal and intercultural interactions. I describe how the idea of a space-in-between developed out of my medical practice, grew as a result of my experiences in international environments. and has found fulfillment in my ongoing work. I explore the application of a space-in-between in public health, medical anthropology, medical ethics, and global health. I review how, as a result of incorporating this space in their daily work, clinicians, educators, researchers, and managers can grow as leaders by sharing the presence that arises from the space-in-between them and the people in the communities they serve.
The use of dermal autograft as an adjunct to breast reconstruction with tissue expanders.

BACKGROUND: Acellular dermal matrices are commonly used in breast reconstruction but add cost to the procedure and have been associated with complications. Dermal autograft may represent a useful alternative to matrices. METHODS: Sixteen patients (26 breasts) underwent breast reconstruction using tissue expanders and dermal autograft. Their ages ranged from 41 to 66 years (median, 51 years). Autografts were harvested by wide excision of preexisting abdominal scars. Demographic data, clinical history, and harvest and preparation time were recorded. The initial fill volume, number of expansions, and complications were recorded and compared with published data for acellular dermal matrix-assisted reconstruction. Patients rated their satisfaction with scar appearance on a seven-point scale. RESULTS: Follow-up ranged from 6 to 16 months (mean, 10 months). Three patients were smokers. Mean body mass index was 30.5 (range, 19.1 to 48.8). Three patients received chemotherapy between reconstructive stages, and none required irradiation. The mean time of autograft harvest was 38 minutes, the mean initial fill was 190 cc, and the average number of expansions was 3.5. There were no implant losses. There were three minor complications (19 percent). Initial expander fill, number of expansions, and complication rate were equivalent to historical values for matrix-assisted breast reconstruction. Fourteen of 16 patients (88 percent) were "very satisfied" with their scars. CONCLUSIONS: The use of dermal autograft in tissue expander breast reconstruction offers the advantages of acellular dermal matrix, without the associated expense. The technique adds minimally to the operative time and morbidity and is associated with a low complication rate. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.
Intrusion Detection in Industrial Control Systems

Even if the threats, risk factors and other security metrics—which we discussed in previous chapters—are well understood and effectively mitigated, a determined adversary will have non-negligible probability of successful penetration of the ICS. In this chapter we use the word “intrusion” to refer to a broad range of processes and effects associated with the presence and actions of malicious software in an ICS. Once an intrusion has occurred, the first and necessary step for defeat and remediation of the intrusion is to detect the existence of the intrusion.
Insulin Oligomers: Detection, Characterization and Quantification Using Different Analytical Methods

Abstract The role and mechanism of amyloid proteins in neurodegenerative diseases remains an unsolved problem. Recent findings have shown that low-molecular-weight oligomers, generated during the early stage of the nucleation process, are the most neurotoxic species – for example, Aβ peptide oligomers for Alzheimer’s disease. To address this challenge, researchers have attempted to isolate, identify, quantify and characterize these small oligomeric species using a series of characterization and high-resolution separation methods. Here we present an overview of the progress reported during the past decade regarding oligomers of a model amyloid protein, insulin. Although the behavior and properties of these oligomers during conversion from the folded insulin monomer through oligomers to fibers is not widely accepted, several conclusions are possible. Insulin proceeds to aggregate in vitro under harsh conditions (e.g. pH 1.6, 65°C) along a universal path independent of kinetics, from monomers to dimers to larger entities, such as nuclei comprising hexamers, and then to fibrils. Amyloidogenic oligomers occur in very low concentrations and, in some cases, at undetectable levels. Their aggregation is strongly influenced by different initial conditions. None of the techniques reviewed here was able to provide a detailed and complete description of the oligomeric species present because each technique suffered from intrinsic limitations. In summary, isolation and purification of these ephemeral oligomer species has proved to be very difficult due to their low number and strong inherent tendency to aggregate under increased shear, ionic strength, temperature and hydrogen ion concentration.
Water Use and Abuse in the United States: behavioural patterns behind excess water consumption and an argument for an efficient demand side remedy

The last decade saw severe drought in the southeastern United States, which presented questions about the ways in which Americans use water and the best ways for government entities to handle future drought. During and after the droughts, researchers examined existing literature on water overconsumption and conducted new studies to explore water use and related behavior. We review the predominant work on the factors that influence household water consumption, the different methods by which government agencies can combat overconsumption, and argue for the demand-side approach of structured rate increases to limit superfluous use of water.
Targeting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway in airway smooth muscle: rationale and promise.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, proliferation, survival, and motility. Structural alterations, e.g. airway remodeling, in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell growth and proliferation due to the frequent stimulation of ASM by inflammatory mediators, contractile agonists, and growth factors. The critical role of the PI3K signaling pathway in regulating ASM cell growth and proliferation is well established. However, recent discovery of the tumor suppressor proteins tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) and TSC2, also known as hamartin and tuberin, as downstream effectors of PI3K and upstream regulators of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) shed a new light on the PI3K signaling cascade in regulating cell growth and proliferation. The activity of TSC1/TSC2 is regulated by growth factors, nutrients, and energy; thus, TSC1/TSC2 serves as a signaling module for protein translational regulation, cell cycle progression, and cell size, which are key events controlling cell growth and proliferation. This article highlights the potential contribution of the PI3K-TSC1/TSC2-mTOR/S6K1 pathway in smooth muscle remodeling. Pharmacologic manipulation of this signaling pathway could have a major impact on treatment of asthma and COPD.
Public Library Futures—Reality—Recognition—Reimagination

The author of this article recognizes that massive and rapid change is a continuing feature in big libraries, and many of the changes are new: A social worker is a full-time staff member who helps ...
New developments in clinical ischemic stroke prevention and treatment and their imaging implications

Acute ischemic stroke results from blockage of a cerebral artery or impaired cerebral blood flow due to cervical or intracranial arterial stenosis. Ischemic stroke prevention seeks to minimize the risk of developing impaired cerebral perfusion by controlling vascular and cardiac disease risk factors. Similarly, ischemic stroke treatment aims to restore cerebral blood flow through recanalization of an occluded artery or dilation of a severely narrowed artery that supplies cerebral tissue. Stroke prevention and treatment are increasingly informed by imaging studies, and neurovascular and cerebral perfusion imaging has become essential in in guiding ischemic stroke prevention and treatment. Here we review the latest advances in ischemic stroke prevention and treatment with an emphasis on the neuroimaging principles emphasized in recent randomized trials. Future research directions that should be explored in ischemic stroke prevention and treatment are also discussed.
BLOOD PRESSURE, SUBCLINICAL MYOCARDIAL INJURY AND CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES AMONG PATIENTS WITH DIABETES AND HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SAVOR-TIMI 53 TRIAL

Background: The optimal blood pressure for prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with diabetes remains uncertain. There is additional concern for increased risk with low diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Methods: CV outcomes were compared in 16,485 patients enrolled in SAVOR-TIMI 53
Citizens, Residents, and the Body Politic

For more than a century, courts and policymakers have described citizenship as a necessary marker of the political community, defining the boundaries of who participates in our democracy and on what terms. State and federal prohibitions on noncitizen voting remain largely unchallenged and immune from public controversy or scholarly scrutiny. Yet recent jurisprudence on citizenship and voting rights may open the doctrinal door for enfranchisement claims brought by lawful permanent residents— those noncitizens with the greatest national stake and standing.
Comparing effectiveness and outcomes in asthma and cystic fibrosis

As technology yields new treatments, pediatric pulmonologists need determine how best to use them and how to decide which ones are best for any specific group or individual patient. Physicians have always customized therapies based upon patient response, but the new concept of "Personalized (or precision) medicine" focuses attention to a greater degree on the individual needs of patients based on their genetic, biomarker, phenotypic, or psychosocial characteristics. The newly developed biologics for treatment of asthma and CFTR modulators for treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) highlight this newer approach. As we have more treatments available, new approaches to testing efficacy and effectiveness of these new therapies is necessary in order to efficiently bring them to market and compare their benefits in real world practice. While comparative effectiveness can be tested in pragmatic clinic trials, the most common approaches make use of observational data such as administrative databases and patient registries but their use for this is fraught with pitfalls that may or may not be methodologically surmountable. Once new therapies have been shown to be efficacious and effective, it is important to be cognizant of methods for ensuring that all patients actually receive the treatments that will be best for them. Comparisons of the effectiveness of clinical practice in the form of benchmarking is helpful for this, and consideration of costs and cost-effectiveness is essential to judging the best treatment for patients in a real-world setting.
Congruences Modulo a Polynomial

Let F be a field, p(x) be a polynomial in F[x]. Say thatf(x) is congruent to g(x) mod p(x), written $$ f(x)\equiv g(x)\ ({\rm mod}\ p(x)), $$ if p(x) divides f(x) − g(x), that is, if f(x) and g(x) differ by a multiple of p(x).
Storing light in a tiny box

Information networks must transmit data over long distances and store it for later retrieval. A quantum network operates in an analogous way but uses signals contained in a quantum system, such as single photons or atoms ( 1 ). Although rapid progress in the generation of quantum light provides hope for future realizations of quantum networks, the ability to store photons remains a critical limitation. A number of approaches offer the possibility to store photons ( 2 ), but they typically suffer from short storage times, low efficiencies, or large footprints that are incompatible with compact integrated devices. On page 1392 of this issue, Zhong et al. ( 3 ) report a major step toward the goal of storing light in a chip-scale atomic memory. They exploit the enhancement of optical cavities to transfer light efficiently to excitations in rare-earth ions. The device fits on a micrometer-sized footprint, allowing storage of light in a very tiny box.
Comparison of bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease complex

The article reviews the characteristics of the 2 viruses, their epidemiology, vectors, host range, pathogenesis, disease symptoms and diagnosis. The disease transmission risk through international trade of livestock and their germplasm is discussed.
Parental Knowledge and Perceptions of Pediatric Genomic Testing for Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rural Settings

Although genetic testing for ASD is the standard of clinical care in the USA, the use of advanced genetic tests in children with ASD is controversial. The aim of this study was to access parental genetic knowledge, attitudes, and intention regarding advanced genetic testing for autism. Our final dataset consisted of 207 valid responses. Our final sample included 207 parents of children with ASD and most are mothers of children (88.9%). The average age of our participants is 37.8 years old. The majority of our participants are Caucasian (73.4%), followed by African Americans (13.5%), Hispanics (7.7%), Native Americans/American Indians (2.4%), and Asians (2.9%). A large number of parents (85%) reported were not aware of the advanced level of genetic testing, such as chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole-genome sequencing (WES). Most parents (84%) reported that they would take their children to undergo genetic testing. This study was a cross-sectional study using a convenience sampling technique through a variety of community outlets in Eastern North Carolina between January 2016 and May 2016. And the most significant predicators of parents’ genetic knowledge were education attainment (P < 0.05) and income (P < 0.05). Also, parents with more positive attitudes about genetic testing had higher intention to take their children to get tested than those with less positive attitudes. Our findings reflect the immediate need to educate parents with lower education/income levels about genetic testing for ASD. Educating parents about these genetic tests can help parents make more informed decisions associated with testing their children with ASD in future studies.
EXTRACTION | Liquid-Phase Microextraction

Many recent developments in liquid–liquid extraction have focused on new techniques which greatly reduce the amount of solvent used and facilitate automation of the process in conjunction with chromatographic analysis. Miniaturization may take the form of a single drop (e.g., 1 μL) of extracting solvent suspended from or contained within a microsyringe needle, with or without a porous hydrophobic protective membrane. Various modes of extraction are possible, including direct extraction from aqueous solution into a small volume of organic solvent, headspace techniques, and microextraction followed by back-extraction into a small volume of aqueous solution.
LIQUID SCINTILLATION IN MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the applications of liquid scintillation technique in the clinical situation. Digoxin is a common drug of the digitalis or cardiac glycoside group used to treat advanced heart disease in humans. Because of a number of patient variables, the exact dosage of digoxin must be tailored to the individual and radioimmunoassay is used to monitor the serum levels. Too low a dosage of digoxin renders the drug ineffective or nontherapeutic. Too high a dosage has been implicated in the deaths of patients because of severe toxicity above the therapeutic level. The dosage for each patient must be carefully adjusted to maintain the serum levels in a very narrow therapeutic range of about 1–2 ng/ml. Many liquid scintillation cocktails will not adequately dissolve the strong buffers and large amounts of serum used in radioummunoassay. Samples should be inspected visually after the four hour equilibration period, particularly when refrigerated counters are used. A sample that is apparently homogeneous at ambient temperature may undergo phase separation at 8°C. The usual way to monitor sample homogeneity is to utilize the double ratio test of Bush.
A tale of the last two film row districts: historic preservation and urban design in Kansas City and Oklahoma City

Film rows existed in 32 North American cities to distribute movies across the continent. This paper examines the diverging outcomes of the last two remaining film row districts in Kansas City and O...
Nativity as a Moderator of Familial and Nonfamilial Correlates of Latino/a Youth Prosocial Behaviors.

Familial and nonfamilial relations play prominent roles in fostering youths' prosocial tendencies. The present study examined the direct and indirect relations among family conflict, parental and peer acceptance, deviant peer affiliation, and prosocial tendencies. Participants included 306 (53.8% female, Mage = 15.50, SD = .42; range = 14-18) U.S. Latino/a adolescents and their parents (87.9% mothers). The majority of adolescents were born in the United States (N = 206, 68.0%; average time in United States = 10 years) and identified as a Mexican heritage group member (N = 248, 81.0%). Findings differed by nativity as parental acceptance predicted prosocial tendencies for U.S. Latinos/as born outside the United States and peers were significant predictors of prosocial tendencies for U.S.-born Latino/as.
ABA responses during seed development and germination

Abstract ABA regulates various biological programs in seeds. This article initially introduces the basic information about the regulation of seed reserve accumulation and desiccation tolerance by ABA, and then delves into the emerging mechanisms of ABA signaling during embryo de-greening, seed dormancy and germination. Pioneering research on seed reserve accumulation and desiccation tolerance many years ago identified the major ABA signaling components, such as the purine (R) and pyrimidine (Y) motif (RY motif) and ABA response/responsive element (ABRE), which established the foundation of our current understanding of ABA signaling. Recent research is further advancing our knowledge on the involvement of ABA in other seed programs. ABA INSENSITIVE3 (ABI3) regulates embryo de-greening through STAY-GREEN (SGR), a rate-limiting enzyme for chlorophyll degradation. ABI1 and ABI2, protein phosphatases 2C (PP2C), are involved in ABA signaling associated with seed dormancy and germination. Unlike ABI1 and ABI2, ABA HYPERSENSITIVE GERMINATION1 (AHG1), another PP2C involved in germination, is resistant to the inhibition by the ABA receptor, which highlights a unique ABA signaling pathway in seeds. This pathway seems to create a byway that allows the germination program to operate even in the presence of ABA. On the other hand, the long-awaited biochemical function of DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1), a master regulator of seed dormancy, is now understood to sequestrate AHG1 to shut down this pathway, enhance ABA sensitivity in seeds and impose dormancy. Interesting regulatory mechanisms of DOG1 and antisense DOG1 expression, which are also relevant to ABA signaling in plant responses to drought, are also discussed in this article.
Proposal: What is the Basic Model?

This chapter presents a proposal for the basic model of games. The standard assumption, forwarded by proponents of approximating minimax values, has been that this corresponds to an estimate of the outcome that would be arrived at by perfect play, even though it is universally acknowledged that play will not, in fact, be perfect. The implicit justification of the perfect-play assumption is that it is useful as a defense mechanism. At the opposite end of the spectrum from perfection stands randomness. The interpretation of an evaluator based on the random-play assumption is straightforward. The value of a game is known only when play is over. Thus, only leaves should have exact values; internal nodes can be characterized as probability distributions with values that will be instantiated by the leaf eventually reached. As the single most important parameter of any distribution is its mean, the values associated with an internal node should be the expected value of the leaves beneath it.
Advances in global optimization of high brightness beams

High brightness electron beams play an important role in accelerator-based applications such as driving X-ray free electron laser (FEL) radiation. In this paper, we report on advances in global bea...
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed individuals demonstrate slower reactions during a dynamic postural task.

INTRODUCTION To determine whether individuals with a history of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) exhibit altered neuromotor function compared to healthy controls. It was hypothesized that the ACLR group would have slower postural responses compared to healthy individuals of similar age. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixteen adults with a unilateral ACLR and 16 matched healthy controls participated. General assessments of neuromotor function were gathered and included measures of reaction time (both seated and postural conditions), walking ability, balance, ankle ROM, proprioception, knee joint laxity, patellar tendon reflex latency, and quadriceps strength. Data were analyzed using mixed generalized linear models with between-subject (ie, controls, ACLR) and within-subject factors (ie, affected, unaffected limb). RESULTS Individuals with an ACLR exhibited a significant slowing of their postural reaction times compared to the control individuals. The ACLR group was slower under both the simple (ACLR: 484 ± 6.17 ms, control: 399 ± 1.95 ms) and choice reaction time conditions (ACLR: 550 ± 43 ms, control: 445 ± 43 ms). No other group differences were found in any of the other measures. CONCLUSION Overall, ACLR individuals had a reduced ability to respond quickly under more challenging postural conditions (ie, stepping response). This finding would indicate that the impact of an ACLR is not purely mechanical and restricted to the joint. Rather, injury and reconstruction of the ACL impact neural mechanisms, altering individuals' ability to respond under challenging balance tasks.