cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-related deficits in the cerebellar beta adrenergic signal transduction cascade in Fischer 344 rats.

Localization of age-related deficits in the cerebellar beta adrenergic signal transduction cascade were investigated electrophysiologically using forskolin (FORSK) and adenosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphothioate Sp-isomer (Sp-cAMPS) applied via pressure ejection from extracellular multibarreled glass electrodes to activate the transduction cascade. In young rats, 100 μM FORSK activated AC, and 100 μM Sp-cAMPS activated protein kinase A; thus, both increased GABAergic inhibition of Purkinje cell firing. In aged rats, however, 100 μM FORSK was unable to increase GABAergic inhibition of Purkinje cell firing. In addition, 1 mM 7β-decacetyl-7β-(γ-N-methylpiperazino)butyryl-forskolin, an analog of FORSK, was also unable to increase GABAergic inhibition in aged rats. In contrast, Sp-cAMPS was able to increase GABAergic inhibition in aged rats, but higher doses were required than in young rats. Isoproterenol (ISO), a beta adrenergic agonist, was ineffective in increasing GABAergic inhibition of Purkinje firing in aged rats when tested alone, but ISO was effective in increasing Purkinje cell inhibition when ISO was tested with Sp-cAMPS. The results of this experiment indicate that one age-related deficit in the cerebellar beta adrenergic system occurs at the level of protein kinase A activation.
Smoking cessation strategies may increase quit rates among adults of low socioeconomic status

Commentary on: Haas JS, Linder JA, Park ER, et al. Proactive tobacco cessation outreach to smokers of low socioeconomic status: a randomised clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med 2015;175:218–26.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Tobacco use remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Effective treatment for nicotine addiction is available, but may be overlooked in the busy healthcare delivery setting. Globally, rates of screening for tobacco use and providing assistance with quitting vary widely.1 Dependence on individual practitioners to deliver evidence-based … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D175%26rft.spage%253D218%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjamainternmed.2014.6674%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25506771%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.6674&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25506771&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F19%2F1%2F17.atom
Market Valuation of Interest-Cost Savings from Debt Refinancing

A significant volume of long-term debt was refinanced by corporate America in the early 1990s. We argue that a majority of the refinancing was undertaken to improve the firm's cash flow performance. Firms replacing high-coupon long-term debt with low-coupon debt were able to increase their present and future cash flows because of the low interest rate environment. Since interest-cost savings are certain till the maturity of the debt, the market will capitalize these savings at a higher rate than earnings from other operations. Our cross sectional regression analysis shows that the earnings response coefficient on interest-cost savings is significantly higher than the coefficient on residual earnings from other operations. Overall results suggest that the market was able to unscramble the cash flow implications of debt refinancing and capitalize interest-cost savings in firms' stock prices.
The War within the War: Notice Issues for Veteran Reemployment

Three federal statutes provide reemployment rights to veterans called to duty who later seek to return to their original non-military jobs. The statutes require such a veteran to provide her non-military employer with two types of notice. First, the veteran must provide notice prior to leaving for military duty. Second, the veteran must provide notice when military duty is complete and the wishes to return to her original job. Unfortunately, the applicable statutes and regulations provide little indication of what constitutes proper notice, other than that the notice must be adequate or reasonable. Not surprisingly, court decisions are inconsistent. The resulting indeterminacy disserves both employers and returning veterans. Employers cannot proactively implement reemployment policies, and instead must react to demands for reemployment on a case-by-case basis. Returning veterans may not know until they appear for work whether they still have a job. This article examines in detail both the pre- and post-deployment notice obligations imposed by the federal statutes. It proposes that the federal statutes be amended to expressly enumerate the factors that courts will consider in evaluating notice. These factors should include the length of the veteran's deployment, the veteran's position within the company, and the (in)ability of the veteran to provide notice due to military commitments. Enumerating these factors in the statute will provide employers and returning veterans with better guidance regarding the adequacy of notice, and should result in more consistent case outcomes. All three veteran reemployment right statutes were passed at times when the large numbers of veterans returning from major wars created unanticipated problems to which Congress was forced to react. There currently are more than 125,000 reservists on active duty, and another 2.6 million soldiers in the U.S. military. Congress would serve these prospective veterans well by acting proactively to address the notice issue, so both these servicemembers and employers will know what to expect when the servicemembers return.
Violence in Adolescence

The violent delinquent is usually impulse-dominated and psychologically infantile. The pathology underlying the delinquent act varies from individual to individual even though the acts are the same.Overstimulation, overgratification and overdeprivation (and understimulation and undergratification) can cause the individual to use delinquent acts to discharge tension. Some delinquent acts have a specific symbolic meaning. Many are the result of social pathology.
Acoustic Function in the Peripheral Auditory System of Cuvier’s Beaked Whale ( Ziphius cavirostris )

The potential for sound to impact living marine resources has become an important topic in the last decade, initiated by stranded whales associated with Navy sonar operation, heightened public concern, and at least one court case reaching all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Recently, evidence has surfaced that suggests that human-generated sound can also have detrimental effects on fish hearing, reproductive habits, and stress levels (Popper and Hastings 2009).
Doing Narrative Research. 2nd Edition. Molly Andrews, Corinne Squire, and Maria Tamboukou (eds).

In his attempt to explain the startling recent rise in the mortality rate among middle-class whites in the United States, Paul Krugman told his New York Times readers that the self-destructive beha...
A Preliminary Evaluation of Supersonic Transport Category Vehicle Operations in the National Airspace System

Several public sector businesses and government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are currently working on solving key technological barriers that must be overcome in order to realize the vision of low-boom supersonic flights conducted over land. However, once these challenges are met, the manner in which this class of aircraft is integrated in the National Airspace System may become a potential constraint due to the significant environmental, efficiency, and economic repercussions that their integration may cause. Background research was performed on historic supersonic operations in the National Airspace System, including both flight deck procedures and air traffic controller procedures. Using this information, an experiment was created to test some of these historic procedures in a current-day, emerging Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) environment and observe the interactions between commercial supersonic transport aircraft and modern-day air traffic. Data was gathered through batch simulations of supersonic commercial transport category aircraft operating in present-day traffic scenarios as a base-lining study to identify the magnitude of the integration problems and begin the exploration of new air traffic management technologies and architectures which will be needed to seamlessly integrate subsonic and supersonic transport aircraft operations. The data gathered include information about encounters between subsonic and supersonic aircraft that may occur when supersonic commercial transport aircraft are integrated into the National Airspace System, as well as flight time data. This initial investigation is being used to inform the creation and refinement of a preliminary Concept of Operations and for the subsequent development of technologies that will enable overland supersonic flight.
Effect of surface microstructure on electrochemical performance of garnet solid electrolytes.

Cubic garnet phases based on Al-substituted Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) have high ionic conductivities and exhibit good stability versus metallic lithium, making them of particular interest for use in next-generation rechargeable battery systems. However, high interfacial impedances have precluded their successful utilization in such devices until the present. Careful engineering of the surface microstructure, especially the grain boundaries, is critical to achieving low interfacial resistances and enabling long-term stable cycling with lithium metal. This study presents the fabrication of LLZO heterostructured solid electrolytes, which allowed direct correlation of surface microstructure with the electrochemical characteristics of the interface. Grain orientations and grain boundary distributions of samples with differing microstructures were mapped using high-resolution synchrotron polychromatic X-ray Laue microdiffraction. The electrochemical characteristics are strongly dependent upon surface microstructure, ...
Interrelationships Observed Between Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis Virus and Virus of Sporadic Bovine Encephalomyelitis.

SummaryTwo strains of bovine encephalitis virus have been adapted to mice, cotton rats, and rhesus monkeys causing meningo-encephalomyelitis. Evidence was presented to show that the Lansing strain of poliomyelitis virus and the bovine encephalitis virus are related serologically.
Capturing and Representing Decision Processes in the Design of an Information System

Incorporating the decision processes used by people in complex decision tasks is one of the most significant challenges facing designers of information systems. The need to capture and represent th...
Quantitative and qualitative comparison of periodic sensor data

The recent rise in the availability of sensors to monitor our day-to-day lifestyles calls for techniques to glean information out of the generated data. For many of these sensors, the data recorded is periodic in nature. Moreover, it has been shown that a change in this periodic data is correlated to a shift in physical or mental health. We present a technique to compare this repetitive data, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Our method first summarizes the sensor measurements collected from smart homes of elderly into textual statements. Dissimilarity between the text summaries is then computed to quantify the comparison.
Analysis of the Characteristics of HIV Infection Among 1 198 Voluntary Counseling and Testing Cases in Kunming

Objective To investigate HIV infection situation and distribution characteristics among Volunteer of Counseling and Testing (VCTs).Methods The subjects are those who came to Kunming Center for Disease Control and Prevention to accept counsel and test voluntary from January 2006 to December 2007. HIV test results and the related information of the VCTs' were collected and analysis was done in terms of demography and behavior-related information. Results The HIV test caseload was 1 198 (male:48.41%; female:51.59%). The majority of the caseload were young or middle-aged. Those aged from 20 to 39 accounts for 82.80%. 92.82% of the caseload got HIV-infected through sexual contact,and the rate of HIV positive was 8.51% (102/1 198). Among 102 HIV positive people,those who received only junior high school education account for 63.73% (65/102),those who got infected through sexual contact accounts for 75.49% (77/102) and men who have sex with men(MSM)was 9.17% (10/109). The professions with HIV positive rate over 10% were:peasants,truck drivers,migrant workers,the unemployed,self-employed laborers,businessmen. Among the caseload,drug-addicted people got the highest HIV infection rate 50.00% (40/80). 5.43% of the Tests get referral service.Conclusion The rate of infection is comparatively higher among those who receive little schooling,among people with low income such as peasants and migrant workers,among high risk groups such as MSMs,drug users. HIV testing work needs to be strengthened among these groups of people. In addition,consulting quality and referral system need to be improved.
Analysis on monitoring datas of disinfection quality in kindergartens and nurseries in Guangming New District of Shenzhen from 2010 to 2014

Objective To know the disinfection effect in the kindergartens and nurseries in Guangming New District in Shenzhen, and to find the existing problems in order to improve the disinfection efficacy and prevent the prevalence of iatrogenic diseases. Methods Analysis was made on the sterilization monitoring data of the kindergartens and nurseries in Guangming New District, Shenzhen from 2010 to 2014. SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used to analyze monitoring datas. Results The overall passing rate from 2010 to 2014 was 76.07%. The qualified rate in 2014 was highest(83.05%), and lowest in 2012(67.06%). There was a difference(χ2=106.80, v=4, P0.001) Among the monitored items, the qualified rate of hand hygiene of kindergarten staff and children and ultraviolet radiation intensity were the lowest, which were 67.67% and 77.92% respectively. There was a difference of the qualified rate in different items(χ2=305.88, v=4, P0.001). Conclusion The qualified rate of disinfection in the kindergartens and nurseries in Guangming New District in Shenzhen was on an upward trend from 2010 to 2014, but the monitoring should be strengthened on the medical institutions and some disinfection objects which was low qualified rate.
Complications of ureteroscopy

L'ureteropyeloscopie permet de visualiser l'arbre urinaire dans sa totalite; elle necessite un operateur entraine. Les phases delicates sont au nombre de 4: canulation de l'uretere, avec utilisation de guides, dilatation de l'uretere intramural, manipulations dans l'uretere, manipulations de calculs. Les complications, de l'abrasion muqueuse a l'avulsion total de l'uretere, se produisent dans 9 a 20% des cas si l'on y inclut la fievre et la douleur. Des complications majeures surviennent dans 2% des cas. Il est necessaire de maintenir une surveillance apres la realisation de l'ureteroscopie, car les complications peuvent se reveler dans un second temps
The Fossil Record and Evolutionary History of Hylobatids

The fossil record documenting the evolution of hylobatids is extremely poor, so details of their phylogenetic and geographic origins and subsequent evolutionary history are obscure. Based on molecular clock estimates, hylobatids diverged from other hominoids during the early Miocene , at ~19 Ma, and crown hylobatids originated at ~8 Ma. The oldest fossil hylobatid is Yuanmoupithecus from the late Miocene of China, dating to ~7–9 Ma, which represents the primitive sister taxon of crown hylobatids. The molecular and paleontological evidence indicates that there was a ghost lineage for the initial 10 myrs of hylobatid evolutionary history, with no trace of a fossil record. Hylobatids presumably originated in Africa during the early Miocene, but the timing of their arrival in Asia and their early geographic distribution is unknown. Since there are no suitable fossil precursors for Yuanmoupithecus at older sites in China, it is likely that stem hylobatids migrated northwards from Southeast Asia during the late Miocene, but the Neogene fossil record from this region is poorly documented. Hylobatids occur at a number of Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological sites throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, but they tend to be relatively rare elements of the primate fauna. These are generally referable to extant lineages and species, except for Bunopithecus sericus from the early or middle Pleistocene of China. This contribution reviews what is known about the evolutionary history of the hylobatids based on the fossil evidence, but since there is much that we do not know and cannot deduce about the phylogeny of hylobatids from the incomplete fossil record, a fuller appreciation of the evolutionary history relies on what can also be learned from comparative anatomy and molecular data.
Replication and innovation versus a perfect ‘.05’

Slotnick (this issue) makes a strong case that any attempt to assess the reliabiltiy of statistical correction procedures should use truly random data. In addition, however, there is an important side effect of the over-reliance on any given threshold to determine the worth of an experiment. Placing too much faith in any method of correction obscures the point that replication across labs remains a most critical part of scientific study. Especially for expensive methods, such as fMRI, an overemphasis on increasingly conservative thresholds can negatively impact the potential for replication of studies and the pursuit and reporting of innovative results.
On a theorem of Milnor and Thom

In [M1],[T], Milnor and Thom (independently) proved an estimate on the sum of the Betti numbers (relative to an arbitrary field of coefficients) of the set of zeros of polynomials of degree at most k > 0 in ℝn, essentially C n k n (Milnor’s estimate is k(2k - l)n-1, Thom’s is essentially twice Milnor’s). In particular, this result gives a quantitative version of Whitney’s (earlier) theorem [W], that says that the number of connected components is finite.
Radiation Therapy for Sarcomas

An experienced multidisciplinary team composed of members from radiation oncology, surgery, medical oncology, radiology, and pathology is required for management and selection of therapy for bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Additionally, the multidisciplinary sarcoma team facilitates greater staging accuracy and improved coordination of care. Modern radiation therapy techniques, such as IMRT, necessitate using advanced imaging modalities to aid in treatment planning. Collaboration between the radiation oncologist and the surgeon is critical in the preoperative and postoperative setting to identify anatomic regions which are at high risk for recurrence to ensure appropriate targeting. Given the complexity of radiation therapy for bone cancers and STS, multidisciplinary collaboration is essential.
Daily Lives of Young Adult Members of a Collegiate Recovery Community

The Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) at Texas Tech University (TTU) provides both a safe haven for those in recovery to maintain their abstinence and a social environment that nurtures the personal development. To provide information of how the recovery community functions we collected information on members’ daily experiences using end-of-day palm pilot data collections. The goal of these data collections was to assess the daily lives of community members as they maintain their recovery status “one day at a time.
Model of Learning Assessment to Measure Student Learning: Inferring of Concept State of Cognitive Skill Level in Concept Space

This research presents a novel learning assessment model to measure student learning in terms of learning cognitive skill levels and the current concept state towards achieving the level. The cognitive skill levels refer to levels such as whether a student has acquired the concept at the level of understanding, or applying, or analyzing, or evaluating, or creating. The concept state refers to whether a student has already learned, or is ready to learn, or is not ready to learn a certain concept. The model is comprised of four constructions: graph paradigm of a semantic/ontological scheme, concept mapped testing and evaluation method, analysis algorithms and methods which produce the sets of concept states, and the assessment analytics, which is the process to estimate the students' concept states. The concept states involved three basic sets of the concepts in the domain: Verified Skills (VS), Derived Skills (DS), and Potential Skills (PS). VS means the concepts are known by evidence. DS means the concepts are known by inference. PS means the concepts are ready to be known by inference. The experiment is conducted to validate the accuracy of the concept states VS, DS, and PS.
The Job Guarantee and Transformational Degrowth

The job guarantee was designed to address the problems of unemployment. However, in light of the environmental crisis, it is important to recognize the ways in which this policy proposal may be harnessed to cope with broader issues of social justice and ecological sustainability. This chapter looks specifically at how the vision of a job guarantee program aligns with and promotes the burgeoning movement of degrowth. In this respect, the most important feature of the job guarantee is that it eliminates the profit constraint on employment. With a job guarantee in place, the working class will not be hostage to profit-driven economic growth to secure an income. Under the existing paradigm of global capitalism, the world population faces a trade-off between ecological and economic prosperity. By severing the link between aggregate demand and employment, a job guarantee offers possibilities for an ecologically sustainable future without unemployment. In other words, a job guarantee decouples employment from economic growth and establishes a path for the reconciliation of economic and environmental goals. This chapter discusses the ways in which a job guarantee may be utilized to buttress the social justice and environmental aspirations of degrowth.
Female mate choice and the emergence of male coercion

When females choose mates, males may respond in several ways: by allowing an evaluation by the female and investing substantially in subsequent reproduction (here, type 1), by allowing evaluation but withholding investment following mating (type 2), or by preventing evaluation and attempting to coerce the female to mate (type 3). In this modeling analysis, we examine the conditions under which these strategies, individually or in combination, are expected to persist in the population primarily using the criterion of evolutionary stability. We also consider the roles of female resistance, social policing, and extra-pair paternity in influencing these outcomes. Using six focal systems taken from primates, fish, birds, and insects, we derived parameters for a game-theoretical model to determine the expected evolutionary stable frequencies or unstable combinations of the male strategies based on system-specific parameter magnitudes. In chimpanzees, guppies, Japanese water striders, and scorpionflies, males making the highest investment in each reproductive event were the sole persisting type; in mallard ducks, an evolutionarily stable mixture of types 1 and 3 prevailed; and in humans, a stable mixture of types 1 and 2 persisted. In accord with the infrequency of consistent coercion across taxa, our results suggest that coercion may often be evolutionarily unstable and available only opportunistically as the strategy of last resort. Our game theory model examined mate choice in six species of primates, fish birds, and insects to identify patterns predicted to persist from an evolutionary perspective. We found that differences in ecological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics resulted in the persistence of individual or multiple male mating strategies generally consistent with observations in nature. In particular, coercive males could persist in a population when fertilization rates and reproductive outcomes were similar to those of less forceful males.
It's Time to Dismantle CE and Build a CPI System.

While well intentioned, most continuing education (CE) programs do not have much impact on patient care.[1,2][1] The one-and-done variety – isolated CE lectures where experts talk at people for an hour or two that are not part of a curriculum and have no systematic follow-up – are particularly
Economic geographies of tourism: one ‘turn’ leads to another

Hall and Page (2009) coined the term ‘geographies of tourism’ to help point out that more than one paradigmatic approach now exists within the field of tourism geography. The same argument is made ...
Repetitive Neonatal Erythropoietin and Melatonin Combinatorial Treatment Provides Sustained Repair of Functional Deficits in a Rat Model of Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the leading cause of motor impairment for children worldwide and results from perinatal brain injury (PBI). To test novel therapeutics to mitigate deficits from PBI, we developed a rat model of extreme preterm birth (<28 weeks of gestation) that mimics dual intrauterine injury from placental underperfusion and chorioamnionitis. We hypothesized that a sustained postnatal treatment regimen that combines the endogenous neuroreparative agents erythropoietin (EPO) and melatonin (MLT) would mitigate molecular, sensorimotor, and cognitive abnormalities in adults rats following prenatal injury. On embryonic day 18 (E18), a laparotomy was performed in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Uterine artery occlusion was performed for 60 min to induce placental insufficiency via transient systemic hypoxia-ischemia, followed by intra-amniotic injections of lipopolysaccharide, and laparotomy closure. On postnatal day 1 (P1), approximately equivalent to 30 weeks of gestation, injured rats were randomized to an extended EPO + MLT treatment regimen, or vehicle (sterile saline) from P1 to P10. Behavioral assays were performed along an extended developmental time course (n = 6-29). Open field testing shows injured rats exhibit hypermobility and disinhibition and that combined neonatal EPO + MLT treatment repairs disinhibition in injured rats, while EPO alone does not. Furthermore, EPO + MLT normalizes hindlimb deficits, including reduced paw area and paw pressure at peak stance, and elevated percent shared stance after prenatal injury. Injured rats had fewer social interactions than shams, and EPO + MLT normalized social drive. Touchscreen operant chamber testing of visual discrimination and reversal shows that EPO + MLT at least partially normalizes theses complex cognitive tasks. Together, these data indicate EPO + MLT can potentially repair multiple sensorimotor, cognitive, and behavioral realms following PBI, using highly translatable and sophisticated developmental testing platforms.
Cellular Cholesterol Transport–Microdomains, Molecular Acceptors and Mechanisms

“Reverse” cholesterol transport (RCT) from peripheral tissues to the liver is believed to play a major role in preventing accumulation of this lipid locally. Lipid-poor (prebeta-migrating) high-density lipoprotein (prebeta-HDL) plays a key and probably rate-limiting role in RCT, even though only a small proportion of the cholesterol content of circulating HDL originates from RCT. Normal RCT is explained here on the basis of a two-compartment recycling model. Prebeta-HDL is lipidated in interstitial fluid and lymph by ATP-dependent lipid transporters. These particles are then passed to the plasma compartment, where they become lipid-filled under the influence of the lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) reaction without further input from transporters. In atherosclerosis, where activated macrophages are uniquely in contact with plasma, lipid transporters can directly stimulate RCT driven by LCAT.
Nation-­‐State Sovereignty and Representations of Unauthorized Immigrants: Interrogating a Key Obstacle to Membership

The concept of nation-state sovereignty stands as one of the chief obstacles to the enactment of a “pathway to citizenship” for unauthorized migrants living as residents in the United States. This is so because those representing unauthorized immigrants as “invading aliens” and “criminal foreigners” gain significant political traction from their claim that these migrants have violated the “territorial sovereignty” of the United States. And those supporting a “pathway to citizenship” for unauthorized migrants rarely challenge this bedrock assumption. This paper critically analyzes the nation-state sovereignty obstacle to political membership for unauthorized migrants, and finds that there are multiple grounds on which to challenge the political legitimacy of this obstacle. Nevertheless, on grounds of political prudence, the paper suggests that directly challenging U.S. sovereignty in order to win support for the political inclusion of unauthorized migrants is not likely to gain much political support. At the same time, the paper suggests that this critical analysis provides some degree of support for the legitimation of the “pathway to citizenship” by undermining the assumed moral superiority of the exclusionary argument, and by lending support to the principle that relatively long-term de facto membership in the political community creates legitimate grounds for the inclusion of unauthorized immigrants.
Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced adrenocortical carcinoma.

4112Background: Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are rare and aggressive. Treatment options are limited and marked by poor efficacy and substantial toxicity. In this phase II single-center study, th...
Isolation and growth of single genotype axenic cultures of Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme using hyphal fragments from multi-genotype stock colonies

A technique was developed to isolate and grow single genotype axenic cultures of Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme from individual hyphal fragments.
Within-host priority effects and epidemic timing determine outbreak severity in co-infected populations.

Co-infections of hosts by multiple pathogen species are ubiquitous, but predicting their impact on disease remains challenging. Interactions between co-infecting pathogens within hosts can alter pa...
RECOVERY FOLLOWING ACL RECONSTRUCTION IN MALE VS. FEMALE ADOLESCENTS: A MATCHED, SEX-BASED COHORT ANALYSIS OF 543 PATIENTS:

Background:The subject of sex-based differences in postoperative recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) between males and females has been incompletely investigated, with n...
On influence of sulfated glycosaminoglycans on tensile properties of posterior sclera

The biomechanical behavior of sclera is conferred by the composition and structure of its extracellular matrix, which is mainly composed of collagen fibers and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Pathological conditions and visual disorders such as glaucoma and myopia could cause significant changes to the mechanical properties and GAG content of sclera. There exists sufficient evidence for the contribution of collagen fibers to the scleral biomechanics; however, possible mechanical roles of GAGs are not fully known. The primary objective of this work was to examine the mechanical function of GAGs through characterizing their effects on the scleral tensile response. For this purpose, chondroitinase ABC was used to deplete GAGs from posterior porcine scleral samples. Comprehensive biochemical and histological analyses were then performed to confirm and quantify GAG removal. Stress-controlled tensile tests with preconditioning were conducted in order to characterize the viscoelastic tensile behavior of treated and untreated specimens. It was found that the enzyme treatment caused a significant thickness reduction but it did not cause any significant change in the tensile properties of sclera. Overall, the findings of this study suggested that alternations in the GAG content of posterior scleral tissue are not important to tensile properties of sclera that are measured by stress-controlled experiments.
Surprise Billing as a Source of Vulnerability-An Ethics Question Indeed.

To consult, or not to consult … it seems that is often the question faced by those who chair ethics committees or lead ethics consultation services. As set forth in the case summary the role of the...
Reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and vitamin E concentrations in dogs with hemolytic or nonhemolytic anemia.

BACKGROUND Red blood cells (RBC) are uniquely susceptible to oxidative injury. Oxidative stress is both a cause for, and effect, of anemia in people but this has been minimally documented in dogs. OBJECTIVE To describe direct and indirect markers of oxidative stress in anemic dogs. HYPOTHESIS Anemic dogs will have oxidative stress when compared to healthy dogs. ANIMALS Forty-seven dogs with anemia (10 with hemolytic anemia) and 70 healthy control dogs. METHODS Prospective, cross-sectional study. Anemic dogs were identified from the patient population, and medical records were reviewed to classify the anemia as hemolytic or nonhemolytic. Flow cytometry was used to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) in erythrocyte isolates. Reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were measured in both plasma and hemolysate samples, and vitamin E was measured in serum. RESULTS Anemic dogs (both hemolytic and nonhemolytic) had significantly lower median RBC hemolysate GSH concentrations (3.1 μM [0.4-30.8]) when compared to healthy dogs (7.0 μM [0.5-29.7]; P = .03). Dogs with hemolytic anemia had significantly higher median plasma GSH (7.6 μM [0.4-17.8]) when compared to dogs with nonhemolytic anemia (1.6 μM [0.01-7.1]; P = .04) and healthy dogs (2.8 μM [0.1-29.9]; P < .0001). Reactive oxygen species were detectable in all samples, but there was no difference in ROS or vitamin E between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Oxidative stress is present in anemic dogs. Derangements in biomarkers of oxidative stress are different in dogs with hemolytic anemia and nonhemolytic anemia.
The Family: The Foundation of Human Rights

This article proposes that strong, healthy families provide the most secure foundation for the enjoyment and flourishing of human rights, and that such families are the most reliable source of security for human rights. Families generally do more to protect the lives, rights, well-being, and aspirations of individuals than governments and governmental agencies and programs. Human rights are more likely to flourish in and be enjoyed by members of communities and nations that have strong, healthy families. Families have profound influences upon juvenile delinquency in many ways. While there is "considerable debate about the specific 'meaning of the association,' and there are multiple causal influences, there is a clear association between family breakup and delinquency."
Medication Discount Programs

Over the past 10 years, the prices for branded dermatology medications have increased by over 400%. Many insurance companies try to steer patients toward less expensive therapies. Often, more expensive medications are available to patients, but the patient’s direct cost for these is usually significantly greater than it may be for less expensive alternatives. Pharmaceutical companies have responded by issuing coupon and rebate programs for more costly branded medications. Although these programs may decrease direct patient expenses, they raise significant ethical concerns with respect to their impact on the health system as a whole as well as society. This chapter examines the ethical challenges faced by prescribers in balancing the competing interests of patients, third-party insurance payors and society as a whole.
Experiences of Chinese international students within higher education: a narrative study

Research has shown that international students experience challenges in the United States. This study explored how ten Chinese students drew upon their funds of knowledge to deal with challenges wi...
Optimization of 3D printer enclosure environment

Additive manufacturing has become a widely utilized process in industrial, academic, and household applications. Previous studies have demonstrated that non-optimum humidity conditions can adversely impact the print quality of parts printed from plastic filaments by changing their mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus and ultimate strength. This study utilized a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach and experimental testing to design a system that yields a more uniform humidity distribution in a 3-dimensional (3D) printer printing region. The study resulted in an optimized enclosure with significantly higher relative humidity (RH) uniformity in the print volume. The simulations predicted that the optimized enclosure would improve the uniformity by about 65%, while experimental testing pointed to even more significant improvement at about 75%. As a case study, tensile testing of 3D printed specimens made from NinjaFlex© filamenets under the optimum environmental conditions showed 11% higher ultimate strength and more elastic behavior than specimens printed using the baseline model.
Carotid Atherosclerosis Is Not Related to Hepatic Steatosis or Fibrosis in EDICT

Abstract The prevalence of NAFLD has increased and is associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. In EDICT (Efficacy and Durability of Initial Combination Therapy) we compared the efficacy of Triple (pioglitazone/ exenatide/ metformin) versus Conventional (metformin, sulfonylurea/ insulin) Therapy in newly diagnosed T2D patients. During EDICT, liver function tests were obtained in all subjects (n=318) at baseline and annually for 6 years. Plasma AST and ALT decreased significantly (p 0.50) when Triple and Conventional Therapy groups were analyzed collectively (or individually). Similarly, no correlation was observed between CITM versus severity of hepatic fibrosis (r=0.18, p>0.50). CONCLUSION: Severity of atherosclerosis, measured by CIMT, is not related to hepatic steatosis or fibrosis.
Full $2\pi$ phase shift from single and double layer photonic crystal slabs

Photonic crystal optical cavities were designed to achieve high sensitivity phase sensing with full $2\pi$ phase shift, with great potentials for high speed phase tuning in both transmissive and reflective configurations. Measurement of phase information was also demonstrated on single layer photonic crystal cavities.
The neglected ion: HCO3-.

Most research into the function of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator has focused on its role in Cl− transport. New findings suggest that we may have been focusing on the wrong ion.
Aging in the postgenomic era: simple or complex?

A report on the Third Genetic Effects on Aging Meeting, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, August 4-8, 2000.
Attachment, Personality Characteristics, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in U.S. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan

U.S. veterans of Iraq and/or Afghanistan (N = 116) completed an Internet survey with questions related to attachment style in intimate relationships, personality factors, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants completed the PTSD Checklist-Military, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short Form, and the International Personality Item Pool Big Five Short Form Questionnaire. Most participants were male and Caucasian. Hierarchical linear regression analysis results indicated that emotional stability (β = -.46, p < .001) and attachment avoidance (β = .20, p < .05) were associated with PTSD symptom severity (adjusted R(2) = .63). An interaction between conscientiousness and attachment anxiety was found (β = -.26, p < .001; ΔR(2) = .06), with secure attachment moderating the relationship between conscientiousness and PTSD symptom severity. Results of this study indicate that emotional stability, conscientiousness, and secure relationship attachment styles (low attachment anxiety and avoidance) are important for postcombat mental health.
Laboratory Study of Premixed H2-Air and H2–N2-Air Flames in a Low-Swirl Injector for Ultralow Emissions Gas Turbines

The objective of this study is to conduct laboratory experiments on low-swirl injectors (LSIs) to obtain the basic information for adapting LSI to burn H{sub 2} and diluted H{sub 2} fuels that will be utilized in the gas turbines of the integrated gasification combined cycle coal power plants. The LSI is a novel ultralow emission dry-low NOx combustion method that has been developed for gas turbines operating on natural gas. It is being developed for fuel-flexible turbines burning a variety of hydrocarbon fuels, biomass gases, and refinery gases. The adaptation of the LSI to accept H{sub 2} flames is guided by an analytical expression derived from the flow field characteristics and the turbulent flame speed correlation. The evaluation of the operating regimes of nine LSI configurations for H{sub 2} shows an optimum swirl number of 0.51, which is slightly lower than the swirl number of 0.54 for the hydrocarbon LSI. Using particle image velocimetry (PIV), the flow fields of 32 premixed H{sub 2}-air and H{sub 2}-N{sub 2}-air flames were measured. The turbulent flame speeds deduced from PIV show a linear correlation with turbulence intensity. The correlation constant for H{sub 2} is 3.1 and is higher than the 2.14 value formore » hydrocarbons. The analysis of velocity profiles confirms that the near field flow features of the H{sub 2} flames are self-similar. These results demonstrate that the basic LSI mechanism is not affected by the differences in the properties of H{sub 2} and hydrocarbon flames and support the feasibility of the LSI concept for hydrogen fueled gas turbines.« less
Reevaluating Communicative Competence as a Major Goal in Postsecondary Language Requirement Courses

These three components of a symbolic competence should lead teachers to view language and culture, that is, grammar and style, vocabulary and its cultural connotations, texts and their points of view, as inseparable. In turn, language learners should slowly understand that communicative competence does not derive from information alone, but from the symbolic power that comes with the interpretation of signs and their multiple relations to other signs. REFERENCES
Addition of H2-D2 Mixtures to 2-Butyne and Norbornene Catalyzed by Solutions of Chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I), Hydridocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I), and Hydridotetrakis(5-phenyl-5-H-dibenzophosphole)rhodium(I)

The use of H2/D2 mixtures in place of H2 as a probe of the mechanisms of hydrogenation is explored using the catalyst precursors chlorotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I) (I), hydridocarbonyltris(triphenylphosphine) rhodium(I) (II), and hydridotetrakis(5-phenyl-5-H-dibenzophosphole)rhodium (I) (III). Benzene solutions of these complexes catalyze the H2-D2 equilibration, the relative rates decreasing in the order III > II > I. The accepted mechanism of hydrogenation catalyzed by I does not accommodate the observed isotopic exchange, which is inhibited by added acids (trifluoroethanol, 1,3,4-trichlorophenol) and accelerated by small amounts of triethylamine; the formation of hydridotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(I) is implicated. The H2 and D2 added to an unsaturated hydrocarbon is randomized with complexes II and III as the catalyst, whereas the molecular identity of H2 and D2 is retained if the dihydrido is the catalyst.
THE INTEGRATED MEAN SQUARED ERROR OF SERIES REGRESSION AND A ROSENTHAL HILBERT-SPACE INEQUALITY

This paper develops uniform approximations for the integrated mean squared error (IMSE) of nonparametric series regression estimators, including both least-squares and averaging least-squares estimators. To develop these approximations, we also generalize an important probability inequality of Rosenthal (1970, Israel Journal of Mathematics 8, 273–303; 1972, Sixth Berkeley Symposium on Mathematical Statistics and Probability, vol. 2, pp. 149–167. University of California Press) to the case of Hilbert-space valued random variables.
The disappearance of American Indian languages

It has been reported that only 206 Native American languages remain; this is a third of the original number, and of these approximately 50 are near extinction. Why are these languages disappearing? What are the various issues involved in ensuring that Native American languages are sustained and nurtured? What are the socio‐cultural factors which make it so difficult for Native American cultures as well as languages to exist? Are there some success stories of language maintenance instead of shift? Possible solutions are offered to the question of the disappearance of these minority languages.
Na,K-ATPase expression in C2C12 cells during myogenesis: Minimal contribution of α2 Isoform to Na,K transport

Cells of the murine skeletal muscle line, C2C12, undergo differentiation from mononuclear myoblasts to multinuclear myotubes that express a number of proteins associated with striated muscle. We examined the relationship between the abundance of the mRNAs encoding the fast-twitch Ca-ATPase and the α isoforms of Na,K-ATPase and the subsequent expression of their respective polypeptides. Both the mRNA and protein levels of the αl isoform remained constant throughout differentiation. In contrast, the content of mRNAs encoding the α2 isoform and fasttwitch Ca-ATPase increased coordinately with the abundance of their corresponding polypeptides during myotube development. Despite the dramatic increase in α2 expression, estimates of in vitro Na,K-ATPase activity and assessments of in vivo transport activity suggest that α2 contributes little to ionic homeostasis in C2C12 myotubes.
Dimensionality Reduction for Registration of High-Dimensional Data Sets

Registration of two high-dimensional data sets often involves dimensionality reduction to yield a single-band image from each data set followed by pairwise image registration. We develop a new application-specific algorithm for dimensionality reduction of high-dimensional data sets such that the weighted harmonic mean of Cramer-Rao lower bounds for the estimation of the transformation parameters for registration is minimized. The performance of the proposed dimensionality reduction algorithm is evaluated using three remotes sensing data sets. The experimental results using mutual information-based pairwise registration technique demonstrate that our proposed dimensionality reduction algorithm combines the original data sets to obtain the image pair with more texture, resulting in improved image registration.
Structural response of an ordered block copolymer melt to uniaxial extensional flow

We report in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of a cylindrically ordered styrene–ethylene butylene–styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer melt subjected to uniaxial extensional flow. The flow is applied by stretching strips of polymer melt using a counter-rotating drum extensional flow fixture housed in a custom oven designed to provide X-ray access. SAXS patterns show two distinct modes of structural response during extensional flow: deformation of the microscopic structure, and re-orientation of PS microdomains towards the flow direction. The d-spacings of the hexagonally ordered domains measured parallel and perpendicular to the flow direction deform affinely until Hencky strains of ∼0.2. Departures in extensional viscosity from linear viscoelastic predictions are observed at similar strain. The azimuthal dependence of the primary diffraction peak reveals a complex re-orientation process whereby PS microdomains rotate toward the stretching direction. At intermediate strains, a ‘4-point’ diffraction pattern indicates the presence of two discrete populations of microdomain orientation, attributed to a buckling instability of microdomains initially oriented perpendicular to the stretching direction. Flow-induced deformation and orientation both relax upon cessation of flow, albeit at very different rates, suggesting that these two modes of structural response are largely decoupled.