cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunology of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a mukisystem disorder of ~ndetermined etiology and is characterized by ~:he presence of exuberant noncaseating epkhelioid ce!i granulomas in invalved organs (19). immunologic aberrations i:~ sarcoidosis have been recognized since the early part of ~:he twentieth century, w?~en Schaumann propo,Jnded the concept that sarcoidosis was a sys:emic disease rather than a cutaneous disorder, it has been recognized that sarcoidosis is associated with abnormalities of ao,n ceil-mediated and humoral immunity (5, i6, 17), and during the past decade new insights into the pathogenesis of this disease and i s imn~tmologic aberraiions have been ek:cldmea. CeH-Medimed ImaaunRy The presence of we11-developed granutomas in invoived organs of patients wkh sarcoidosis would suggest the presence of an ongoing heightened celluIar immune response. However, a plethora of studies, conducted since the early part of this century, have consistentiy demonstrated a variable degree of depression of cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reaction to tuberculin in patients witk active sarcoidosis (5, 16, 17). This depression is noi iimited to tuberculin but is generalized and ex~ends to aiI recaii antigens, including potent natural sensitizers such as Californian keyhole limpet hemocyanin, as we11 as potent synthetic chemical sensit:lets such as 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. The depression of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity is neither permanent nor absolute. This is suggested by the following observations: a) delayed cutaneous nypcrsensmv~ty ~s generally regained with resolution of sarcoidosis; b) the deve!opment of clinlcal!y manifest tuberculosis leads zo initial acquisition or reacquisition of previousiy suppressed reactivity of tuberculin; and c) ~ransient t~berculin responsiveness can be transferred passively by intravenous administration of transfer factor or by intracutaneous injection of peripherai white blood cells (probably iymphocytes) from tuberct~lin responsive individuals (25). These observations abc,~t cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity, which is an in viva method for evaluating cell-mediated immunity, led to the in vitro assessme:~t of ceilmediated immunity. Extensive quan~l~a~v~ and qualitative evaluation of lymphocytes and other effector cei!s froth peripheral blood and involved organs, particularly the lung, has demonstrated numerous abnormalities, listed in Table I (i i). These studies have provided some new insights into t]'~e pathogenesis of sarcoidosis as weil as an explanation, although incomplete, for the seemingly discordant observations of active granuloma formation in the tissues and the apparent depression of celluiar immunity. Current concepts of the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis suggest that "rcdis t r ibut ion" or "compar tmentalization" of immune effector cells, particularly the iymphocytes, occurs
(Aminooxy)acetic acid inhibits petunia growth and gibberellin- and cytokinin-stimulated growth in bioassays

(Aminooxy)acetic acid (AOA) was applied to greenhouse-grown petunias and was used in bioassays for three plant growth hormones so that its growth regulator properties could be studied. In greenhouse studies foliar sprays of 4.8–12 mm AOA inhibited vegetative growth of petunia seedlings (Petunia xhybrida Vilm. ‘White Flash’). When gibberellin A 3 (GA3) was applied to shoot tips previously treated with AOA, plant growth was stimulated, but there was no AOA x GA3 interaction. Some changes in petunia leaf morphology induced by AOA were reversed by GA3. AOA inhibited elongation of corn coleoptile segments (Zea mays L. B73 x Mol7) whether or not 10 μm indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was present, but there was no AOA x IAA interaction. AOA reduced lettuce hypocotyl (Lactuca sativa L. ‘Grand Rapids’) elongation induced by GA3 and radish cotyledon (Raphanus sativus L. ‘Champion’) expansion induced by benzyladenine (BA). We propose that AOA interferes with postsynthetic metabolism of plant hormones during cell elongation induced by GA3 and cell expansion induced by BA.
Enhancement of photophosphorylation and photoreduction by a chloroplast factor from spinach leaves

Abstract A factor from spinach chloroplasts stimulates both photoreduction of ferricyanide and photophosphorylation where assayed using isolated chloroplasts. This factor consists of a low molecular weight chromophore attached by non-covalent bonds to a protein. Spectral and chemical evidence suggests that the factor is a direct link in the photosynthetic electron transport chain and does not act as an uncoupling agent nor in pseudo-cyclic phosphorylation.
Theory of the transverse static magnetoconductivity in a two-dimensional electron-phonon system

Abstract The theory of the transverse static magnetoconductivity (σ xx ) in a two-dimensional system under the simultaneous influence of electron-phonon and electron-impurity interactions is presented. The memory function technique is employed to obtain explicit expression for σ xx under conditions appropriate for typical Shubnikov-deHaas measurements. It is shown that σ xx involves two different effective masses and scattering times, of which one is the scattering time in the absence of the magnetic field. In addition, the Landau level width appears in σ xx , thus providing an experimental means for extracting the same from a study of the background conductivity.
Computational expressions for blood oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations

Expressions which represent the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood in terms of the partial pressures, and include the Bohr and Haldane effects, have been developed. These expressions are suitable for rapid evaluation on digital computers, are easily invertible, and are readily differentiated to yield the partial derivatives of the concentrations with respect to partial pressures. The constants in the expressions were adjusted to provide a least-squares fit to data obtained from the literature. The data correspond to whole blood with a hemoglobin content of 15 gms per 100 ml and a base excess of 0 mEq/L at 37 c. The fit is satisfactory over the range of 0 to 120 torr in oxygen partial pressure and 0 to 80 torr in carbon dioxide partial pressure.
Myospherulosis from antibiotic ointment in the postoperative mastoid space.

Myospherulosis from antibiotic ointment in the postoperative mastoid space Harrison W. Lin, MD⁎, Ophir Handzel, MD, William C. Faquin, MD, PhD, Quinton Gopen, MD Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Received 19 December 2008
Clustering algorithms do not learn, but they can be learned

ABSTRACT Pattern classiÞcation theory involves an error criterion, optimal classiÞers, and a theory of learning. For clustering, therehas historically been little theory; in particular, there has generally (but not always) been no learning. The key point is thatclustering has not been grounded on a probabilistic theory. Recently, a clustering theory has been developed in the contextof random sets. This paper discusses learning within that context, in particular, k-nearest-neighbor learning of clusteringalgorithms.Keywords: Clustering, Statistical learning, Inference, Random sets, Point processes 1. INTRODUCTION The theory and application of pattern classiÞcation exhibits two fundamental characteristics : (1) the error of a proposedclassiÞer can be estimated from data; and (2) given a family of classiÞers from which to choose a classiÞer, data can beused to estimate (learn) the optimal classiÞer in the family. Our interest in this paper concerns the lack of learning when itcomes to clustering algorithms. In a standard application, a cluster operator is applied to a set of data points and it outputsa partition of the set. Unless there is randomness in the clustering algorithm, such as in seed selection, given an inputset, there is a single output. If there is randomness in the algorithm, then the output is random, but only as a result ofthe algorithm. Relative to the operator itself, the situation is analogous to pattern classiÞcation, in which an operator isapplied to a single point and a class value is output. The only difference is that clustering involves a set operator whereasclassiÞcation involves a point operator. Regarding learning, the usual approach in pattern classiÞcation is to select (learn)an operator based on a classiÞcation (learning) rule.
Abstract 555: A role for XMRV in prostate tumor promotionin vivo

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a retrovirusclosely related to murine leukemia viruses, which cause a variety of cancersand immunological and neurological diseases in mice. Whether XMRV plays a rolein cancer and other diseases remains controversial; some studies show apossible association, but there is currently no evidence that the virus is acausal agent for disease. Our hypothesis was that the 3′ long terminal repeat(LTR) from the XMRV genome is responsible for its oncogenic activity inprostate cells. We chose three regions from the XMRV 3′ LTR and tested thepotential of these regions in transactivating a cellular gene promoter whosehomolog is transactivated by MMLV in mouse cells. We examined thetransactivation potential in pre-cancerous and a panel of cancerous prostateepithelial cells. Our results showed that for certain 3′LTR regions inducenearly full transactivating activity, while others might comprise inhibitoryregions. Therefore, to better understand the mechanism by which the XMRV 3′ LTRregions might be inducing or inhibiting transactivation, we tested theirability to transactivate cellular genes related to transformation. We used asreporters plasmids containing binding sites for cellular transcription factors.The results showed several similarities in transactivation, suggesting commonactivation pathways for 3′LTR transactivating activity. Finally, we tested ifXMRV infection could enhance oncogenicity potential of prostate precancerousand cancerous cell lines. We examined this in vitro by assessing the rate of colonyformation in soft agar, and in vivo, using xenograft assays. The resultssuggested that cell lines infected with XMRV had enhanced in vitro colonyformation, as well as enhanced in vivo growth, however, addition of anothertumorigenic genetic alteration was required in conjunction with XMRV-infectionto induce enhanced tumor growth. Our data suggests that the XMRV 3′LTR may havea transactivating activity on cellular genes, and that XMRV stimulatepromotion/progression and not ‘initiation’ of tumorigenesis. These results arenovel since they represent for the first examinations of the role of XMRV intumorigenesis of prostate epithelial cell lines in vitro and in vivo andexaminations of the 3′LTR context of the virus upon transactivation of cellulargenes as a potential mechanism of cellular transformation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 555. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-555
Modifications in food consumption patterns reported by people from India, living in Cincinnati, Ohio

Surprisingly little research has been conducted to identify modifications of food habits made by people who have immigrated to the United States from India, South Asia. This study helps to bridge an information gap by assessing previous and present food habits reported by a group of people from India living in Cincinnati, Ohio. Acculturation of food consumption patterns of Indian immigrants to the United States may be manifested in the form of modification of vegetarian status, alteration in meal patterns and change in the frequencies of use of ethnic foods, as well as foods from other cultures available in America. Indian immigrants to the United States should probably be warned that, along with the adoption of Western food habits, certain health concerns may come along as part of the assimilative package.
Intraoperatively controlled small-incision forehead and brow lift

Placement of screws at the posterior aspect of the incision sites and the gradual placement and removal of staples behind the screws allow for a controlled and titrated elevation of the forehead and brows. This technique does require the patient's acceptance of the temporary placement of screws and staples into the scalp, which in my experience has not been a problem. By seating the patient upright on the operating table, the surgeon can intraoperatively make a direct evaluation and adjustments (removal or addition of staples). This approach leads to a more controlled elevation of the forehead and brows and the potential of a more symmetrical and satisfactory result.
Field-strength copies and action copies in quantum chromodynamics

Abstract I give an exhaustive constructive procedure for generating all finite-action field-strength copies in any axial-like gauge ( n μ A μ = 0) of quantum chromodynamics. In each gauge, these are part of the much larger, operator-gauge-invariant, phenomenon of “action copies.” Indeed, the field-strength copies of all gauges contribute, in a roughly additive manner, to the action copies of each gauge. Copied values of the action are relatively enhanced over non-copied values; thus, some insight is afforded into a “true” quantum measure for the theory.
THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SX PHOENICIS STAR CY AQUARII

Photometry of CY Aqr in the uvby-Beta and VRIC photometric systems has been secured and analyzed. A phase-averaged effective gravity of log geff = 4.04 and effective temperature of 7740 K are found from model-atmosphere grids. The star is metal poor with a derived [Fe/H] = -1.5. A mass of 1.06 solar mass is found from the analysis, the radius is 1.59 R and absolute visual magnitude is MV = 2.5m.
Vairimorpha sp. Spores Do Not Reduce the Longevity of Caged Adult Honey Bees, Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Spores of Vairimorpha sp. isolated from the cotton leafworm, Alabama argillacea (Hubner), and produced in the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), were tested for their effect on caged adult honey bees, Apis mellifera L. The bees in each cage were fed 5.0 ml of spores suspended in 50% sucrose (wt/wt) at concentrations of 2.4 × 108 or 6.0 × 108 spores per ml. Survival of the bees over 23 days was recorded. Gut contents, thoracic muscles, and abdominal fat bodies of living and dead bees were examined for presence of protozoans. No significant difference between LT50's of treated and control bees was observed. There was no evidence of Vairimorpha sp. infection of honey bee tissues. Examination of gut contents revealed protozoan spores in both control and treated bees. Spores within digestive tracts of control bees were probably those of Nosema apis Zander, a common honey bee pathogen. Gut contents of treated bees contained spores that were either N. apis or part of the original Vairimorpha sp. inoculum or both. Vairimorpha sp. spores are not infective to adult honey bees under the conditions of this study and should be studied further as a possible biological control agent for certain crop pests.
Investigation of numerical properties of Hovenier's Exit Function equation for multiple scattering of light

A technique of deriving Hovenier's exit function equation (1978) for multiple scattering, starting with a set of invariant imbedding equations, is presented. The feasibility of the exit function equation as a means to obtain reflection and transmission functions is investigated for isotropic, Rayleigh, and Henyey-Greenstein phase functions with emphasis on the numerical stability, accuracy and timing. It is possible to compute the reflection function rather accurately with an efficiency comparable to that of the standard doubling technique for the same phase functions with moderate anisotropy. The resulting transmission is slightly less accurate than the reflection function, but it may be acceptable for practical purposes.
YinYang Dynamic Neurobiological Modeling and Diagnostic Analysis of Major Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

Since millions suffer from major depressive and bipolar disorders, the modeling, characterization, classification, and diagnostic analysis of such mental disorders bear great significance in medical and pharmaceutical research. Yin Yang bipolar sets are introduced for neurobiological modeling and diagnostic analysis of such disorders. It is shown that bipolar sets and a bipolar dynamic modus ponens (BDMP) build a technological bridge from a linear, static, and closed world to a nonlinear, dynamic, and open world of equilibria, quasi-equilibria, or nonequilibria and provide a novel model for bipolar neurobiological diagnostic analysis with added rigor to the current standard. It is shown that bipolar inference can help in understanding both the classic manifestations and the counterintuitive symptoms of bipolar disorders with applications in clinical psychopharmacology. Mathematical and visual characterizations of core features of such disorders are presented. A unified diagnosis and outcome model of different treatments are presented for different types of bipolar disorders. The significance and novelty of this work is twofold: 1) it introduces YinYang into biomedicine for the understanding of certain neurobiological disorders and fosters a new standard model for clinical, therapeutic, and pharmacological research and applications; 2) it presents a mathematical basis for the characterization of mood regulation in individuals and/or a cohort of patients with applications in biomedical engineering and potential applications in nanotechnologies for integrated care of major depressive and bipolar disorders.
A thyri-magnetodiode

The magnetic field sensitivity of p-i-n diodes fabricated in silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) depends on the establishment of a bipolar conduction region. Because of low effective lifetimes of the SOS material, tau /sub eff/ approximately=10 ns, the bipolar regime occurs at high electric fields, the junction temperature rises, and magnetosensitivity is reduced. The reproducibility of Si-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ interfaces is also a problem. A novel two-terminal devices has been built in 5-10 Omega -cm n-type 1.0- mu m-thick
Hydrodynamic effects in rigid tanks containing layered liquids

As a supplement to a recently reported study, the hydrodynamic wall pressures and the associated tank forces induced by horizontal ground shaking in a rigid, vertical, circular cylindrical tank containing liquid layers of different thickness and mass densities are examined, and comprehensive numerical solutions are presented for two-layered and some three-layered systems which elucidate the underlying response mechanisms and the effects of the various parameters involved. Both the impulsive and convective actions are studied. Additionally, solutions are presented for multi-layered systems approximating liquid wit an exponential, continuous variation in density, and the interrelationship of the solutions for the continuous system and its discretized, layered approximation is discussed.
Are Performance Management Practices Associated With Better Outcomes? Empirical Evidence From New York Public Schools

Performance management is widely assumed to be an effective strategy for improving outcomes in the public sector. However, few attempts have been made to empirically test this assumption. Using dat...
Laser microphotochemistry for use in solid-state electronics

A focused, ultraviolet (UV) laser beam has been used to produce micrometer-sized chemical processes on solid surfaces. These processes are initiated by the photodissociatlon of a molecular gas in the vicinity of the gas-solid interface. Depending on whether the active photofragment reacts with or is adsorbed on the solid, microetching or microdeposition occurs. Both the surface properties of the solid and the gas-phase kinetics contribute to the process localization. Metal alkyls and methyl halides have been used as parent molecules for deposition and etching, respectively. A focused, 3 mW UV laser is sufficiently intense to produce satisfactory rates for both processes. Several applications of this small-scale photochemistry to microelectronics have been investigated.
Use of Pavement Marking Degradation Models to Develop a Pavement Marking Management System

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation collected periodic pavement marking retroreflectivity data on 88 roadway segments over a 1-year period from May 2007 through May 2008. The purpose of t...
THE MECHANISM OF ANAPHYLATOXIN FORMATION : STUDIES ON FERMENT ACTION. XV.

1. The unsaturated lipoids (serum antitrypsin) can be adsorbed from guinea pig serum, rabbit serum, and horse serum by kaolin, starch, agar, and bacteria. 2. Diphtheria toxin and cobra venom also reduce the serum antitrypsin, possibly because of their affinity for lipoids. 3. Anaphylatoxins represent sera rendered toxic by partial removal of serum antitrypsin. 4. The matrix of the protein split products lies in the serum proteins so exposed. 5. The amount of removal of serum antitrypsin depends on definite quantitative relations; very large amounts and very small amounts of adsorbing substances are least effective (kaolin, starch, and bacteria). 6. Bacteria previously treated with serum or with oils do not adsorb serum antitrypsin. 7. Bacteria treated with serum become more resistant to the action of trypsin.
Bacterial Biowarfare Agents

1. Biowarfare Agents and Historical Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . 576 2. Anthrax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577 2.
Multiagent Policy Architecture for Virtual Business Organizations

A virtual organization (VO) is a dynamic collection of entities (individuals, enterprises, and information resources) collaborating on some computational activity. VOs are an emerging means to model, enact, and manage large-scale service computations. VOs consist of autonomous, heterogeneous members, often exhibiting complex behaviors. Thus VOs are a natural match for policy-based approaches. Traditional policy-based frameworks emphasize reactive behaviors, wherein an external request causes a policy engine to compute a response. However, business service settings require richer policies and call for proactive behaviors. A business not only must respond to explicit requests, but also monitor its environment, collate events, and potentially act in anticipation of events in order to ensure that its policies are satisfied. Autonomous, heterogeneous, proactive entities are best modeled as agents and, therefore, VOs are best understood as multiagent systems. Our main contributions are (1) a proactive multiagent policy-based architecture, (2) a hierarchical model of policy monitoring, compliance checking, and enforcement for VOs, and (3) a formalization of VOs. We evaluate our approach using a real business service scenario
The efficacy and safety of combined therapy with α-blockers and anticholinergics for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a meta-analysis.

Purpose: We performed a meta-analysis to compare treatment with α-blockers and anticholinergics (ie combination therapy) to α-blocker monotherapy to clarify the efficacy and safety of this treatment approach among men with storage urinary symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia.Materials and Methods: We searched for trials of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms that were randomized to combination treatment or α-blockers alone. We pooled data from 7 placebo controlled trials meeting inclusion criteria. Primary outcomes of interest included changes in International Prostate Symptom Score (storage subscores) and urinary frequency. We also assessed post-void residual volume, maximal flow rate and the incidence of urinary retention. Data were pooled using random effects models for continuous outcomes and the Peto method to generate odds ratios for acute urinary retention.Results: Combination therapy had a significantly greater reduction in International Prostate Symptom ...
Participation, Satisfaction, and Productivity: A Meta-Analytic Review

This paper reports a meta-analytic literature review testing cognitive, affective, and contingency models of the effects of participation in decision making on employees' satisfaction and productiv...
Extraperitoneal Lesions in Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Absrunct. Twelve cats with pathologic diagnoses of feline infectious peritonitis were studied. The lesions were primarily extraserosal. This pathologic syndrome was characterized by granulomatous inflammation in a variety of organs, but principally affected the kidneys, visceral lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, and leptomeninges. Histologically, the granulomas were composed of mixtures of neutrophils, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and large spindleshaped histiocytes, and contained areas of necrosis. Inflamed superficial and deep pulmonary and renal cortical veins, the latter often thrornbosed, were consistently detected. Phlebitis was also present in other organs, but to a lesser degree. Cell-free tissue extracts from one cat produced clinical and pathologic changes compatible with those originally described for feline infectious peritonitis. Observations of these natural and induced cases show that this form of the disease with disseminated granulomas and minimal serosal lesions may progress by vascular routes.
Electronic Theses and Dissertations as Prior Publications: What the Editors Say

An increasing number of colleges and universities throughout the world are adopting electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) as either an option or a requirement for graduate degrees. This movement has resulted in questions about the role of these electronic documents in the world of scholarly communications and publishing. One specific question raised by students and their faculty advisors has been whether or not ETDs would be viewed as prior publications and would, as such, be ineligible for consideration for publication in traditional journals. This article presents survey findings that indicate that, while more study is needed, this concern appears to be largely unwarranted.
How to Recognize and Avoid Burnout

Burnout is a syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment occurring in health care professionals in response to chronic work-related stress. Up to 60% of practicing physicians may experience burnout at any given time. Contributory factors include excessive workload, effort–reward imbalance, lack of control, and loss of meaning, among others. Burnout onset is insidious and often recognized late. In this chapter, strategies for burnout prevention pertaining to individuals, institutions, and professional organizations are discussed. Broad culture changes are necessary in order to address this epidemic that threatens the vitality of health care and academic medicine and, ultimately, affects our patients.
Automated and Objective Assessment of Surgical Training: Detection of Procedural Steps on Videotaped Performances

With the rapid growth in competency-based performance requirements for medical resident education, there is a critical need for validated assessments of technical skills. Skill evaluation today is predominantly based on manual evaluations by expert surgeons-which is time-consuming, non-uniform, and cumbersome to work into the natural flow of training or testing events. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for automated recognition of surgical procedural steps using video analysis for the objective assessment of technical skills during surgical training. We employ a bouquet of computer vision techniques, such as template matching, for the automated detection of correct and incorrect surgical procedural steps during tracheoesophageal fistula repair. We consider specifically a simulated model of human infant anatomy used to train surgeons to perform the tracheoesophageal fistula repair procedure. Using a simulated model is key for gaining expertise in repairing this relatively rare but deadly abnormality. Our automated detection approach provides an appropriate, clinically-relevant scenario using a well-designed and validated simulator and produces a uniform, manageable and verifiable solution. The algorithm was validated on nine performances of thoracoscopic tracheoesophageal fistula ligation from surgeons with a broad range of surgical skills. The algorithm result imitates the groundtruth for the evaluations, and thus demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed work for efficient, practical and objective assessment of surgical skill during training.
Democracy and the Secretary: The Crucial Role of State Election Administrators in Promoting Accuracy and Access to Democracy

While several entities and actors interact to shape, enforce, and execute election law and policy, this article proffers that none play a role as pivotal as the entity charged with overseeing the administration of all elections in the state. It builds on the premise that the Secretary of State is not simply charged with running elections, but is responsible for administering them in such a way that effectively promotes the dual interests that are at the heart of a healthy democratic process: accuracy and access. It argues that the Secretary of State is primarily responsible for executing polices and programs that further the need to ensure accurate electoral outcomes, including efforts to reduce fraud or intimidation and promote integrity, while also prioritizing access to the vote and enabling the full, uniform, and equal participation of the electorate in the democratic process. This article emphasizes the central role of the Secretary through elaborating on the general roles that Congress, Federal courts, State legislatures, and state courts each play in developing and enforcing election law to illustrate the significant position that the Secretary of State occupies vis a vis each entity. It then discusses several different areas of election law and administration where the Secretary of State plays a crucial, if not pivotal, role in promoting accuracy and access to participation before, during, and after an election. In particular it discusses the Secretary's role in administrating voter identification laws, because while the act of voter identification takes place on Election Day, the most important aspects of administering the law must occur before an election. It also analyzes the manner in which the Secretary works with local clerks to ensure that polling places function uniformly and properly, particularly with regards to ballot counting technology and providing assistance to English Learning voters or accommodations to voters with physical disabilities.
Lithium and immune function in man.

Lithium has diverse biologic effect on many organ systems. The effects of lithium on the central nervous system, thyroid gland, kidney, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow have been investigated (Singer and Rotenburg, 1973; Rothstein et al., 1978). Lithium appears to exert some physiologic actions by interfering with cyclic AMP mediated processes which are regulated by polypeptide hormones (Smith et al., 1977).
Characteristics of Referrals for Gender Dysphoria Over a 13-Year Period

Purpose Our Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic has seen a sharp increase in referrals for gender dysphoria (GD) during recent years. However, the frequency and characteristics of referrals have not been objectively examined.
Making Waves: Examining the Case for Sustainable Water Exports from Canada

Making Waves: Examining the Case for Sustainable Water Exports from Canada provides an overview of global water supplies and Canada’s hydrology, including current patterns of water use, as well as a review of the laws and regulations that govern the resource. Water diversions and transfers, both past and present, are summarized, as are the benefits of and challenges to water exports. The study concludes with recommendations for policy reforms.
Characterization of synapses in the rat subnucleus centralis of the nucleus tractus solitarius

The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) receives subdiaphragmatic visceral sensory information via vagal A- or C-fibers. We have recently shown that, in contrast to cardiovascular NTS medialis neurons, which respond to either purinergic or vanilloid agonists, the majority of esophageal NTS centralis (cNTS) neurons respond to vanilloid agonists, whereas a smaller subset responds to both vanilloid and purinerigic agonists. The present study aimed to further investigate the neurochemical and synaptic characteristics of cNTS neurons using whole cell patch-clamp, single cell RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) were evoked in cNTS by tractus solitarius stimulation, and in 19 of 64 neurons perfusion with the purinergic agonist αβ-methylene ATP (αβMeATP) increased the evoked EPSC amplitude significantly. Furthermore, neurons with αβMeATP-responsive synaptic inputs had different probabilities of release compared with nonresponsive neurons. Single cell RT-PCR revealed that 8 of 13 αβMeATP-responsive neurons expressed metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 (mGluR8) mRNA, which our previous studies have suggested is a marker of glutamatergic neurons, whereas only 3 of 13 expressed glutamic acid dehydroxylase, a marker of GABAergic neurons. A significantly lower proportion of αβMeATP-nonresponsive neurons expressed mGluR8 (2 of 30 neurons), whereas a greater proportion expressed glutamic acid dehydroxylase (12 of 30 neurons). Esophageal distension significantly increased the number of colocalized mGluR8- and c-Fos-immunoreactive neurons in the cNTS from 8.0 ± 4% to 20 ± 2.5%. These data indicate that cNTS comprises distinct neuronal subpopulations that can be distinguished based on their responses to purinergic agonists and that these subpopulations have distinct neurochemical and synaptic characteristics, suggesting that integration of sensory inputs from the esophagus relies on a discrete organization of synapses between vagal afferent fibers and cNTS neurons.
CO2-Responsive Microemulsions Based on Reactive Ionic Liquids

We demonstrate that the nanodomains within a ternary system consisting of oil, surfactant, and a new reactive ionic liquid can be tuned reversibly upon exposure to and removal of CO2 under mild conditions of temperature and pressure. The equilibrium microstructures of these domains have been characterized by small-angle neutron scattering and demonstrate that control over emulsion morphology (and therefore physicochemical properties such as viscosity) and the breaking of emulsions can be achieved without the need for irreversible changes in system composition or significant energy input.
Integrin β1 overexpression inhibits cell proliferation by upregulating p27 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of integrin β1 overexpression regulating cell proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721.Methods: MTT and FACS assay were used to analyz the influence of integrin β1 overexpression on cell proliferation and cell cycle.The protein and mRNA expression of p27 were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR.RNAi approach was employed to silence the expression of p27.Then this plasmid(SiRNA-p27) was transfected into integrin β1 overexpressing cells,and cell growth was analyzed. Results: Overexpression of integrin β1 inhibited cell growth in SMMC-7721 cells and induced G1 phase arrest.Integrin β1 overexpression increased the protein level of p27,but not mRNA level.siRNA-p27 plasmid effectively silenced the expression of p27,and knock-down of p27 blocked the cell growth inhibition induced by integrin β1 overexpression. Conclusion: Overexpression of integrin β1 inhibited cell proliferation by upregulating p27 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721.
"Promote Economy through the Culture":Cultural Diplomacy of Ningxia with Arab world

Based on "Ningxia is the only Muslims province in China",and this also means Ningxia has this "scarcity and uniqueness"features and "absolute comparative advantage",so Ningxia chooses the principle of "promote economy through the Arabic" is rational.In China's Cultural diplomacy practice with Arab countries,Ningxia still needs: To further enhance the diplomatic significance of the Pilgrimage work,and to incorporate it into the strategic plan and operation of China's Cultural diplomacy;to further explore human values of local tourism resources,and to spread the Chinese culture with "people media",thus promoting local government's international cultural exchange and economic cooperation;to further expand the training ideas of Arabic language talents,and to build the international talent training mode of a combination of "come in "and"going out"according to the Confucius Institute platform;to further strengthen friendly exchanges among the cities,and to carry out extensive and intensive social contacts with Arab-Islamic countries by using the channels of mosques.As long as the local government of Ningxia could correctly treat and properly handle the current problems and challenges,it is possible for if to seize the opportunity to achieve a qualitative change and play a unique and positive role for China's Cultural diplomacy practice with Arab countries.
AML in the Elderly

It is commonly accepted that elderly patients with AML have much worse outcomes than younger patients due to increased risk of both early death and resistant disease. Beyond this truism several points should be addressed. First, because other variables (e.g. performance status, organ function) besides age predict these outcomes, it may not be advisable to include age as the sole eligibility criterion for a study; rather use of multivariate models should be considered for this purpose. Second, use of martingale residual graphics illustrate that age itself behaves as a continuous rather than categorical variable and so might be treated as such in such models. Third, these graphics illustrate that the effect of increasing age on survival is limited to the first weeks after beginning therapy; beyond this time older and younger patients should be regarded identically. These matters aside, our efforts at improving outcome in older patients have included 1. use of laminar air flow rooms, 2. use of prophylactic granulocyte transfusions from donors given G-CSF, 3. prophylactic use of fluconazole + itraconazole vs liposomal amphotericin (randomized study), and 4. administration of new anti-AML regimens (e.g. those containing topotecan ± ATRA) aimed at patients with abnormal karyotypes, prior MDS.
Mathematical Epidemiology and Welfare Economics

Economics provides theories of private behavior and government policy that can be integrated with mathematical epidemiology, as illustrated in a susceptible-infected-susceptible model of infection. Confronting infections, people decide on prevention and therapy with regard to consequences for themselves but not for others, the economic concept of an externality. Public policy can optimally offset the externality by subsidizing prevention and therapy at equal rates (or less practically, taxing infection). Absent such interventions, seemingly beneficial changes such as a decreased cost of infection can perversely lower welfare by worsening the externality, the economic concept of immiserization. Other issues discussed include uniqueness and stability of the optimal steady state and its response to parameter changes.
Adolescent Disclosure to Parents and Daily Management of Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE : To examine how adolescents' daily disclosure to parents about type 1 diabetes management may foster a process whereby parents gain knowledge and are viewed as helpful in ways that may aid diabetes management. METHODS: A total of 236 late adolescents (M age = 17.76) completed a 14-day diary where they reported daily disclosure to, and solicitation from, their parents, how knowledgeable and helpful parents were, and their self-regulation failures and adherence; blood glucose was gathered from meters. RESULTS: Multilevel models revealed that adolescent disclosure occurred in the context of greater parent solicitation and face-to-face contact and was positively associated with adolescents' perceptions of parental knowledge and helpfulness. Disclosure to mothers (but not to fathers) was associated with better diabetes management (fewer self-regulation failures, better adherence). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent disclosure may be an important way that parents remain knowledgeable about diabetes management and provide assistance that serves to support diabetes management.
Oxidation of 2,9‐Diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline to Generate the 5,6‐Dione and Its Subsequent Alkylation Product

One group of ligands used in transition metal complexes is synthesized by derivatizing 1,10-phenanthroline. These metal complexes are of interest for study in the field of photovoltaic devices and solar fuels. Previous strategies for obtaining the 5,6-diones of substituted 1,10-phenanthrolines do not work for 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline due to undesired products resulting from oxidation of the phenyl substituents. However, 2,9-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione can be obtained in reasonable yield by oxidation with BrO3− in weak aqueous acid. The resulting dione can be converted directly to the 5,6-dialkoxy product upon two electron reduction in aprotic solvent followed by treatment with appropriate alkylating agents.
Immunoassay performance: Recognition elements, equilibrium and mass transfer considerations

This dissertation explores the importance of mass transfer, equilibrium, and recognition elements on performance of immunoassay platforms. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) are employed as readout methods. AFM was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies used in a heterogeneous immunoassay for porcine parvovirus (PPV) and feline calicivirus (FCV). These results were employed to develop immunoassay protocols for PPV and FCV, and to assess the effect of elevated temperatures on the rate of mass transfer, and therefore the accumulation of PPV and FCV. Theoretical accumulation rates were compared to experimental observations as monitored by AFM. The effect of sample volume and capture area on limits of detection was examined for PPV utilizing SERS as a readout method. A model of the equilibrium for heterogeneous immunoassays revealed that the use of small capture substrate areas and large sample volumes would prevent depletion of the analyte solution, and would provide the highest surface concentration of analyte. Experimental findings for the detection of PPV upheld this prediction. Finally, the use of aptamers as alternatives to antibodies in a SERS-based detection platform for thrombin was examined. The conditions for aptamer immobilization and thrombin extraction were evaluated, the limit of detection for the aptamer-based assay was compared to that for an antibody-based assay, and possible underpinnings for the differences in performance discussed.
Fall Detection in Individuals With Lower Limb Amputations Using Mobile Phones: Machine Learning Enhances Robustness for Real-World Applications

Background: Automatically detecting falls with mobile phones provides an opportunity for rapid response to injuries and better knowledge of what precipitated the fall and its consequences. This is beneficial for populations that are prone to falling, such as people with lower limb amputations. Prior studies have focused on fall detection in able-bodied individuals using data from a laboratory setting. Such approaches may provide a limited ability to detect falls in amputees and in real-world scenarios. Objective: The aim was to develop a classifier that uses data from able-bodied individuals to detect falls in individuals with a lower limb amputation, while they freely carry the mobile phone in different locations and during free-living. Methods: We obtained 861 simulated indoor and outdoor falls from 10 young control (non-amputee) individuals and 6 individuals with a lower limb amputation. In addition, we recorded a broad database of activities of daily living, including data from three participants’ free-living routines. Sensor readings (accelerometer and gyroscope) from a mobile phone were recorded as participants freely carried it in three common locations—on the waist, in a pocket, and in the hand. A set of 40 features were computed from the sensors data and four classifiers were trained and combined through stacking to detect falls. We compared the performance of two population-specific models, trained and tested on either able-bodied or amputee participants, with that of a model trained on able-bodied participants and tested on amputees. A simple threshold-based classifier was used to benchmark our machine-learning classifier. Results: The accuracy of fall detection in amputees for a model trained on control individuals (sensitivity: mean 0.989, 1.96*standard error of the mean [SEM] 0.017; specificity: mean 0.968, SEM 0.025) was not statistically different (P=.69) from that of a model trained on the amputee population (sensitivity: mean 0.984, SEM 0.016; specificity: mean 0.965, SEM 0.022). Detection of falls in control individuals yielded similar results (sensitivity: mean 0.979, SEM 0.022; specificity: mean 0.991, SEM 0.012). A mean 2.2 (SD 1.7) false alarms per day were obtained when evaluating the model (vs mean 122.1, SD 166.1 based on thresholds) on data recorded as participants carried the phone during their daily routine for two or more days. Machine-learning classifiers outperformed the threshold-based one (P<.001). Conclusions: A mobile phone-based fall detection model can use data from non-amputee individuals to detect falls in individuals walking with a prosthesis. We successfully detected falls when the mobile phone was carried across multiple locations and without a predetermined orientation. Furthermore, the number of false alarms yielded by the model over a longer period of time was reasonably low. This moves the application of mobile phone-based fall detection systems closer to a real-world use case scenario. [JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017;5(10):e151]
Unusually high coral recruitment during the 2016 El Niño in Mo'orea, French Polynesia.

The negative implications of the thermal sensitivity of reef corals became clear with coral bleaching throughout the Caribbean in the 1980’s, and later globally, with the severe El Nino of 1998 and extensive seawater warming in 2005. These events have substantially contributed to declines in coral cover, and therefore the El Nino of 2016 raised concerns over the implications for coral reefs; on the Great Barrier Reef these concerns have been realized. A different outcome developed in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, where in situ seawater temperature from 15 March 2016 to 15 April 2016 was an average of 0.4°C above the upper 95% CI of the decadal mean temperature, and the NOAA Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) metric supported a Level 1 bleaching alert (DHW ≥ 4.0). Starting 1 September 2016 and for the rest of the year (122 d), in situ seawater temperature was an average of 0.4°C above the 95% CI of long-term values, although DHW remained at zero. Minor coral bleaching (0.2–2.6% of the coral) occurred on the outer reef (10-m and 17-m depth) in April 2016, by May 2016 it had intensified to affect 1.3–16.8% of the coral, but by August 2016, only 1.4–3.0% of the coral was bleached. Relative to the previous decade, recruitment of scleractinians to settlement tiles on the outer- (10 m) and back- (2 m) reef over 2016/17 was high, both from January 2016 to August 2016, and from August 2016 to January 2017, with increased relative abundances of pocilloporids on the outer reef, and acroporids in the back reef. The 2016 El Nino created a distinctive signature in seawater temperature for Mo’orea, but it did not cause widespread coral bleaching or mortality, rather, it was associated with high coral recruitment. While the 2016 El Nino has negatively affected other coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific, the coral communities of Mo’orea continue to show signs of resilience, thus cautioning against general statements regarding the effects of the 2015/16 El Nino on coral reefs in the region.