cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dual Role of TOC1 in the Control of Circadian and Photomorphogenic Responses in Arabidopsis

To examine the role of the TOC1 (TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1) gene in the Arabidopsis circadian system, we generated a series of transgenic plants expressing a gradation in TOC1 levels. Silencing of the TOC1 gene causes arrhythmia in constant darkness and in various intensities of red light, whereas in blue light, the clock runs faster in silenced plants than in wild-type plants. Increments in TOC1 gene dosage delayed the pace of the clock, whereas TOC1 overexpression abolished rhythmicity in all light conditions tested. Our results show that TOC1 RNA interference and toc1-2 mutant plants displayed an important reduction in sensitivity to red and far-red light in the control of hypocotyl elongation, whereas increments in TOC1 gene dosage clearly enhanced light sensitivity. Furthermore, the red light–mediated induction of CCA1/LHY expression was decreased in TOC1 RNA interference and toc1-2 mutant plants, indicating a role for TOC1 in the phytochrome regulation of circadian gene expression. We conclude that TOC1 is an important component of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis with a crucial function in the integration of light signals to control circadian and morphogenic responses.
Non-muffin-tin MS Xα total energies for H2, C2, N2 and CO

Abstract NMT (non-muffin-tin) MS Xα calculations for the ground state potential curves are reported for the molecules H 2 , C 2 , N 2 , and CO. These calculations include corrections linear and second order in the NMT charge density and show great improvement over the MT (muffin-tin) curves. With these corrections, somewhat better agreement with experiment is also found. A comparison is made between tne Xα and the local spin density (LSD approximations for the H 2 and CO molecules.
Adoptive parents can be unprepared for the challenges in caring for children with reactive attachment disorder

Commentary on : Follan M, McNamara M. A fragile bond: adoptive parents’ experiences of caring for children with a diagnosis of reactive attachment disorder. J Clin Nurs 2014;23:1076–85.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Reactive attachment disorder is a rare and challenging disorder that affects children exposed to markedly poor care giving environments and impacts on the individuals who ultimately assume responsibility for their care. Children who have had multiple placements in foster care are likely to have experienced multiple attachment disruptions and may be … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BClin%2BNurs%26rft.volume%253D23%26rft.spage%253D1076%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fjocn.12341%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24033925%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=10.1111/jocn.12341&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24033925&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F18%2F2%2F53.atom
Lack of an Effect of the Pineal Gland, Olfactory Bulbectomy and Short Photoperiod on the Afternoon Prolactin Surge of the Ovariectomized, Estrogen Treated Rat

The role of the pineal gland in the regulation of the daily afternoon surge of plasma prolactin in the ovariectomized, polyestradiol phosphate (PEP) treated rat was investigated. The effect of olfactory bulbectomy and/or short photoperiod (2L:22D), two procedures which may enhance pineal activity, was also examined. Control rats given PEP and maintained on 14L:1OD cycles with the lights on from 0600-2000 h had afternoon surges of plasma prolactin with maximum levels between 1500-1900 h; the levels were similar whether the animals were sampled by decapitation or through catheters if the catheter extension was connected at 0700 h. However, if the catheter extension was connected at 1500 h, prolactin secretion at 1700 h was significantly inhibited. Pinealectomy or olfactory bulbectomy at the time of ovariectomy had no effect on the prolactin surges of ovariectomized, PEP treated rats whether they were maintained on 14L:1OD or 2L:22D cycles. Control ovariectomized, PEP treated rats maintained on the 2L22D photoperiod with the lights on from 1200-1400 h had prolactin surges similar to those in rats maintained on the standard 14L:1OD photoperiod, but the maximum levels occurred between 1700-2100 h. It is concluded that the pineal gland and olfactory bulbs are not involved in the regulation of the afternoon prolactin surge of ovariectomized, estrogen treated rats. It is also concluded that short photoperiod has no effect on the magnitude of the surge.
Effect of Yellow-Interval Timing on the Frequency of Red-Light Violations at Urban Intersections

Statistics indicate that red-light running has become a significant safety problem throughout the United States. There is a wide range of potential countermeasures to the problem of red-light running; an increase in yellow duration is one countermeasure. The objective of this research was to quantify the effect of a change in yellow-interval duration on the frequency of red-light violations. A before-after study is described and the resulting data are used to quantify the effect of increasing the yellow interval on the frequency of red-light violations. Based on this research, it was concluded that (a) an increase of 1.0 s in yellow duration (such that it does not exceed 5.5 s) will decrease the frequency of red-light violations by at least 50%; (b) drivers do adapt to the increase in yellow duration, but this adaptation does not undo the benefit of an increase in yellow duration; and (c) increasing a yellow interval that is shorter than the value obtained from a proposed recommended equation published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers is likely to yield the greatest return (in terms of a reduced number of red-light violations) relative to the cost of retiming a yellow interval in the field.
Long QT syndrome with craniofacial, digital, and neurologic features: Is it useful to distinguish between Timothy syndrome types 1 and 2?

Timothy syndrome (TS) is a rare genetic condition that associates long QT syndrome, structural heart defects, dysmorphic facial features, syndactyly, seizures, developmental delay, and autism. Timothy syndrome type 1 is caused by a recurrent de novo mutation (p.Gly406Arg) in exon 8A of the L-type calcium channel gene CACNA1C. Timothy syndrome type 2 was originally reported to be associated with a more severe cardiac phenotype but without syndactyly. Timothy syndrome type 2 is caused by mutation in an alternatively spliced exon 8 of the CACNA1C gene. Other mutations in CACNA1C are also reported with long QT syndrome with and without syndromic features overlapping that described in Timothy syndrome. The purpose of this report is to describe the presentation, physical features and natural history of a 4-year-old girl with Timothy syndrome type 2 due to the recurrent p.Gly406Arg mutation in exon 8 of CACNA1C. She has similar facial features to Timothy syndrome type 1 without syndactyly. She is developmentally delayed without autism. She recently had her first episode of torsade de pointes associated with febrile illness and hypoglycemia. The findings in this case provide further information about the phenotype and natural history of CACNA1C exon 8 mutation and together with previously reported cases of Timothy syndrome question whether the clinical and molecular distinction between Timothy syndromes types 1 and 2 remains clinically useful. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Function-Based Intervention Accomplishments and Future Directions

The field of function-based intervention has changed the way behavioral support is provided to students with challenging behavior. Our goal is to identify and describe some key findings and practices that have facilitated this progress. We also pinpoint some areas for future research that are likely to contribute to further progress.
HABITAT CHARACTERIZATION AND GEOSPATIAL METAPOPULATION DYNAMICS OF THREATENED FLOODPLAIN SPECIES BOLTONIA DECURRENS USING A GIS

Abstract The flood pulse of the Illinois River (Illinois, USA) has been distorted and the floodplain extensively modified as a result of human activity. This activity has changed the historic flood regime from moderate, late winter-early spring flood pulses, followed by a summer drawdown period, to a chaotic hydrology with floods occurring throughout the year. Boltonia decurrens (Torrey and Gray, Wood), federally listed as a threatened species, is endemic to the Illinois River floodplain. The species occurs as a large metapopulation; however, flood regime and habitat alteration have substantially reduced the size and number of populations within the metapopulation. We developed a geographic information system (GIS) to analyze habitat and geospatial population dynamics for B. decurrens. We analyzed floodplain land cover, identified specific wetland patches supporting B. decurrens, quantified habitat availability, habitat pattern, and analyzed the distribution of populations and individuals by wetland type ...
A Numerical Study of Active-Set and Interior-Point Methods for Bound Constrained Optimization

This papers studies the performance of several interior-point and active-set methods on bound constrained optimization problems. The numerical tests show that the sequential linear-quadratic programming (SLQP) method is robust, but is not as effective as gradient projection at identifying the optimal active set. Interior-point methods are robust and require a small number of iterations and function evaluations to converge. An analysis of computing times reveals that it is essential to develop improved preconditioners for the conjugate gradient iterations used in SLQP and interior-point methods. The paper discusses how to efficiently implement incomplete Cholesky preconditioners and how to eliminate ill-conditioning caused by the barrier approach. The paper concludes with an evaluation of methods that use quasi-Newton approximations to the Hessian of the Lagrangian.
Harlan, Kentucky Diversion Tunnels

As a part of a local flood protection scheme, the Nashville District of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to divert the full flow of Clover Fork of the Cumberland River around the central business district of the city of Harlan, Kentucky. This is to be accomplished by constructing four tunnels side by side through a meander ridge that has a maximum overburden above the tunnels of approximately 325 ft (99 m) and averages about 217 ft (66 m). The inverted “U” configured tunnels are 32 ft (9.8 m) high, 34 ft (10.4 m) wide and average 1,935 ft (590 m) in length. The rock through which they are to be constructed is Pennsylvanian age silt-stone with an average compressive strength of about 6,000 psi and containing about 57 percent quartz. As a part of the exploratory program, horizontal borings, each being more than 1,000 ft (305 m) in length, were made from each portal location. Most of the rock mass explored has RQD values in excess of 95 percent with zones in excess of 300 ft (91 m) in the horizontal holes being devoid of any discontinuities. Construction is to be accomplished with a road header mining machine with rock support being furnished by systematic rock bolting. Four inches of steel fiber reinforced shotcrete will be applied as the permanent lining for the tunnels.
Effect of Amlodipine on Morbidity and Mortality in Severe Chronic Heart Failure.

Background Previous studies have shown that calcium-channel blockers increase morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic heart failure. We studied the effect of a new calcium-channel blocker, amlodipine, in patients with severe chronic heart failure. Methods We randomly assigned 1153 patients with severe chronic heart failure and ejection fractions of less than 30 percent to double-blind treatment with either placebo (582 patients) or amlodipine (571 patients) for 6 to 33 months, while their usual therapy was continued. The randomization was stratified on the basis of whether patients had ischemic or nonischemic causes of heart failure. The primary end point of the study was death from any cause and hospitalization for major cardiovascular events. Results Primary end points were reached in 42 percent of the placebo group and 39 percent of the amlodipine group, representing a 9 percent reduction in the combined risk of fatal and nonfatal events with amlodipine (95 percent confidence interval, 24 perc...
Trends in the use and advertising of discount versus premium snuff.

Introduction The Conwood Company, a major producer of discount moist snuff, was awarded a $1 billion antitrust settlement in the year 2000 against its leading competitor, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. The objective of this study was to examine the trends in use and advertising of discount versus premium snuff since the Conwood settlement, a topic seldom addressed in the tobacco control literature. Methods 2 sources of data were analyzed in 2011: (a) male snuff users from the 2002-2009 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (N = 13,172) and (b) total advertisements of moist snuff identified from over 350 consumer magazines dated 2005-2009 (N = 861). For the survey data, demographic and tobacco-related measures were assessed as predictors of use of discount versus premium snuff in logistic regression models. For the advertising data, associations were examined between the snuff category and nicotine content, magazine youth readership, and year of magazine publication. Results The prevalence of discount and premium snuff use among males increased and decreased, respectively, from 2002 to 2009. Significant predictors of using discount versus premium snuff were being an adolescent, being an African-American, being a current or former smoker, living in a less populated region of the country, and using snuff frequently. Discount snuff advertising was associated with publication in magazines with a high youth readership. Conclusions Discount snuff has grown in popularity among male adolescents who have been a target of advertising. The tobacco's cheap price and high nicotine content pose a public health problem because of the potential for long-term tobacco use and dependence.
Compliance with ERISA’s disclosure provisions

A sample of large employee-benefit plan sponsors revealed that while respondents each paid plan consultants about $769,000 per year to help them comply with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), more than half did not comply with selected provisions of the law. Across the sample, differential levels of spending on compliance were not associated with the likelihood of compliance. Rather, benefit directors’ human capital as measured by years of experience, along with government audits, were the chief determinants of compliance. The presence of unions did not contribute to compliance with ERISA in the single employer plans studied herein, possibly because industrial unions, like plan sponsors, face information blockages.
Regulation of exocrine pancreatic secretion by cerebral TRH and CGRP: role of VIP, muscarinic, and adrenergic pathways

The central nervous system effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on exocrine pancreatic secretion were studied in freely moving rats. TRH (0.05-0.5 nmol) significantly stimulated, whereas CGRP (0.1-1.0 nmol) significantly inhibited, volume, protein, and bicarbonate secretion. Pretreatment of the animals with the ganglionic blocking agent chlorisondamine abolished the pancreatic responses produced by both peptides. In contrast, vagotomy abolished the stimulatory effect of TRH, whereas noradrenergic blockade with bretylium or phentolamine abolished the inhibitory effect of CGRP. Atropine significantly attenuated, but the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) antagonist [D-p-Cl-Phe6, Leu17]VIP completely abolished the stimulatory effect of TRH. Pancreatic secretory responses stimulated by cerebral TRH or by peripheral VIP were inhibited dose dependently by peripheral [D-p-Cl-Phe6,Leu17]VIP. Inhibition of pancreatic secretion induced by cerebral CGRP or by peripheral norepinephrine was prevented by intravenous phentolamine. These results indicate 1) cerebral TRH stimulates and cerebral CGRP inhibits exocrine pancreatic secretion in freely moving rats; 2) the effects of TRH are mediated by vagal efferents, and the primary peripheral transmitter appears to be VIP acting on VIP receptors, whereas muscarinic efferents are less important; and 3) the effects of CGRP are mediated by sympathetic noradrenergic efferents via alpha-adrenergic receptors.
Partnership between grammatical construction and interactional frame: The stand-alone noun-modifying construction in invocatory discourse

Building on the seminal work on grammar and frames (e.g. Fillmore 1982), in addition to recent studies that apply a construction grammar approach to the description of genres (Antonopoulou & Nikiforidou 2011; Nikiforidou 2010b; Ostman 2005) and spoken discourse (Fischer 2011; Fried & Ostman 2005), this paper highlights the importance of extending the analytical boundary of grammar to include interactional frames, e.g. genres and social interactions. Using as an illustrative case the stand-alone noun-modifying construction in Japanese, a grammatical construction that is genre-sensitive, this paper suggests that grammatical constructions and interactional frames are in partnership in the construction of meaning. It is argued that this partnership is mediated by the proficient language users’ knowledge, which is socially and culturally inculcated and fostered, and therefore it is important to keep the theoretical model flexible enough to acknowledge fluidity in grammatical understanding.
Prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of idle intravenous catheters: An integrative review

Objective Complications of intravenous catheters remain a major contributor to health care costs and are a patient safety problem. An intravenous catheter not actively in use—an idle catheter—may increase the risk of infectious and noninfectious complications. We conducted an integrative review of the available literature to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with idle intravenous catheters. Methods Searches of multiple computerized databases were conducted to identify studies on idle intravenous catheters. Data on definitions of idle catheter, type of catheter, prevalence, risk factors, and patient outcomes were extracted. Results Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The location and setting of the studies were diverse, including cross-sectional, retrospective, and prospective, and were conducted in varied geographic locations. The definition of an idle catheter was variable across studies. Although studies varied in terms of line-days or number of catheters placed, the primary definition of idle device was based on number of days or percent of devices left in situ without use. Four studies evaluated patient outcomes associated with idle catheters and found increased risk of infection, intensive care unit admission, and phlebitis. Conclusions Idle intravenous catheters are common and are associated with adverse outcomes. Prospective studies incorporating uniform definitions of idle catheters to test interventions to reduce idle catheter use are urgently needed.
Sedentary behavior & health-related quality of life among congestive heart failure patients

Abstract Background Previous research demonstrates that participation in light-intensity physical activity (LIPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are favorably associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Emerging work demonstrates that sedentary behavior (SB) is detrimentally associated with various cardiometabolic biomarkers, with few studies exploring the association of SB on HRQOL, and no studies examining this among congestive heart failure patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the potential independent associations of SB on HRQOL among congestive heart failure patients. Methods Data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Physical activity was assessed over 7 days during all waking hours using the ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer. HRQOL was assessed using the Centers for Disease Control HRQOL index survey. Results 190 participants self-reported a physician-diagnosis of congestive heart failure. After adjustments, SB behavior (1-min/day increase) was associated with worse HRQOL (β = 0.004; 95% CI: 0.0004–0.007; P = 0.03). When MVPA was added as a covariate to this model, SB remained significantly associated with worse HRQOL (β = 0.003; 95% CI: 0.0001–0.007; P = 0.04). However, when adding LIPA to this model that also included MVPA as a covariate, SB was no longer associated with HRQOL (β = 0.0001; 95% CI: − 0.003–0.004; P = 0.92). Conclusions If confirmed by prospective/experimental work, this suggests that SB may not have detrimental HRQOL effects among congestive heart failure patients.
Polycomb-Mediated Repression and Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Interact to Regulate Merkel Cell Specification during Skin Development

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that developmental programs are tightly regulated by the complex interplay between signaling pathways, as well as transcriptional and epigenetic processes. Here, we have uncovered coordination between transcriptional and morphogen cues to specify Merkel cells, poorly understood skin cells that mediate light touch sensations. In murine dorsal skin, Merkel cells are part of touch domes, which are skin structures consisting of specialized keratinocytes, Merkel cells, and afferent neurons, and are located exclusively around primary hair follicles. We show that the developing primary hair follicle functions as a niche required for Merkel cell specification. We find that intraepidermal Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, initiated by the production of Shh ligand in the developing hair follicles, is required for Merkel cell specification. The importance of Shh for Merkel cell formation is further reinforced by the fact that Shh overexpression in embryonic epidermal progenitors leads to ectopic Merkel cells. Interestingly, Shh signaling is common to primary, secondary, and tertiary hair follicles, raising the possibility that there are restrictive mechanisms that regulate Merkel cell specification exclusively around primary hair follicles. Indeed, we find that loss of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) in the epidermis results in the formation of ectopic Merkel cells that are associated with all hair types. We show that PRC2 loss expands the field of epidermal cells competent to differentiate into Merkel cells through the upregulation of key Merkel-differentiation genes, which are known PRC2 targets. Importantly, PRC2-mediated repression of the Merkel cell differentiation program requires inductive Shh signaling to form mature Merkel cells. Our study exemplifies how the interplay between epigenetic and morphogen cues regulates the complex patterning and formation of the mammalian skin structures.
Process for estimating likelihood and confidence in post detonation nuclear forensics.

Technical nuclear forensics (TNF) must provide answers to questions of concern to the broader community, including an estimate of uncertainty. There is significant uncertainty associated with post-detonation TNF. The uncertainty consists of a great deal of epistemic (state of knowledge) as well as aleatory (random) uncertainty, and many of the variables of interest are linguistic (words) and not numeric. We provide a process by which TNF experts can structure their process for answering questions and provide an estimate of uncertainty. The process uses belief and plausibility, fuzzy sets, and approximate reasoning.
V-1 regulates capping protein activity in vivo.

Abstract Capping Protein (CP) plays a central role in the creation of the Arp2/3-generated branched actin networks comprising lamellipodia and pseudopodia by virtue of its ability to cap the actin filament barbed end, which promotes Arp2/3-dependent filament nucleation and optimal branching. The highly conserved protein V-1/Myotrophin binds CP tightly in vitro to render it incapable of binding the barbed end. Here we addressed the physiological significance of this CP antagonist in Dictyostelium, which expresses a V-1 homolog that we show is very similar biochemically to mouse V-1. Consistent with previous studies of CP knockdown, overexpression of V-1 in Dictyostelium reduced the size of pseudopodia and the cortical content of Arp2/3 and induced the formation of filopodia. Importantly, these effects scaled positively with the degree of V-1 overexpression and were not seen with a V-1 mutant that cannot bind CP. V-1 is present in molar excess over CP, suggesting that it suppresses CP activity in the cytoplasm at steady state. Consistently, cells devoid of V-1, like cells overexpressing CP described previously, exhibited a significant decrease in cellular F-actin content. Moreover, V-1–null cells exhibited pronounced defects in macropinocytosis and chemotactic aggregation that were rescued by V-1, but not by the V-1 mutant. Together, these observations demonstrate that V-1 exerts significant influence in vivo on major actin-based processes via its ability to sequester CP. Finally, we present evidence that V-1’s ability to sequester CP is regulated by phosphorylation, suggesting that cells may manipulate the level of active CP to tune their “actin phenotype.”
Quantitative Approach to Failure Mode and Effect Analysis for Linear Accelerator Quality Assurance

Purpose To determine clinic-specific linear accelerator quality assurance (QA) TG-142 test frequencies, to maximize physicist time efficiency and patient treatment quality. Methods and Materials A novel quantitative approach to failure mode and effect analysis is proposed. Nine linear accelerator-years of QA records provided data on failure occurrence rates. The severity of test failure was modeled by introducing corresponding errors into head and neck intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment plans. The relative risk of daily linear accelerator QA was calculated as a function of frequency of test performance. Results Although the failure severity was greatest for daily imaging QA (imaging vs treatment isocenter and imaging positioning/repositioning), the failure occurrence rate was greatest for output and laser testing. The composite ranking results suggest that performing output and lasers tests daily, imaging versus treatment isocenter and imaging positioning/repositioning tests weekly, and optical distance indicator and jaws versus light field tests biweekly would be acceptable for non-stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic body radiation therapy linear accelerators. Conclusions Failure mode and effect analysis is a useful tool to determine the relative importance of QA tests from TG-142. Because there are practical time limitations on how many QA tests can be performed, this analysis highlights which tests are the most important and suggests the frequency of testing based on each test's risk priority number.
BRIEF REPORT: Is Perceived Motor Competence a Constraint in Children's Action Planning?

A form of action representation of developmental interest is reach estimation-the perceptual and cognitive judgment of whether an object is within or out of reach. A common observation among children is overestimation, which, speculatively, has been linked to perceived motor competence (PMC). The authors examined the PMC effect on reachability among 7-, 9-, and 11-year-old children. The authors predicted that with higher PMC, participants would display greater overestimation and that this outcome would show a developmental trend with younger children displaying greater overestimation complementing higher PMC scores. Results revealed no age differences in total error for reach, and all age groups overestimated. Regarding PMC, the 7-year-old childrens' scores were significantly higher than those of their older counterparts. However, relation analyses revealed no support for the idea that PMC was significantly associated with reachability. The findings suggested that a general measure of PMC is not a good predictor of childrens' action planning through reach estimation. Furthermore, if PMC in some form is a psychological constraint, future studies should be tied to context-specific measures of perceived abilities in relation to the specificity of the task.
Radiochemical analysis of a wide range of 131 I activities in water and milk using well-type germanium detector

We report a study of a fast radiochemical method to determine the activity of 131I via the radiochemical recovery obtained with a 129I tracer. Previous methods were valid for low levels of 131I activities. In the new method, we developed a correction using the 29.7-keV X-ray peak from Xe, taking into consideration that this peak originates from both and 131I decay. This enables quantitation of high levels of 131I activity. Furthermore, for a very high 131I activity, one can use the 39.6-keV gamma peak which is unique to 129I. Combining both approaches enables quantitation of 131I activities up to 200 times that of the 129I recovery tracer.
Associations of Early Kidney Disease With Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Cognitive Function in African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background Relationships between early kidney disease, neurocognitive function, and brain anatomy are poorly defined in African Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Study Design Cross-sectional associations were assessed between cerebral anatomy and cognitive performance with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) in African Americans with T2DM. Setting & Participants African Americans with cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the African American−Diabetes Heart Study Memory in Diabetes (AA-DHS MIND; n=512; 480 with MRI) and Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) MIND (n=484; 104 with MRI) studies. Predictors eGFR (CKD-EPI creatinine equation), spot UACR. Measurements MRI-based cerebral white matter volume (WMV), gray matter volume (GMV), and white matter lesion volume; cognitive performance (Mini-Mental State Examination, Digit Symbol Coding, Stroop Test, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, scanner, intracranial volume, education, diabetes duration, hemoglobin A1c concentration, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, smoking, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease were used to test for associations between kidney phenotypes and the brain in each study; a meta-analysis was performed. Results Mean participant age was 60.1±7.9 (SD) years; diabetes duration, 12.1±7.7 years; hemoglobin A1c concentration, 8.3%±1.7%; eGFR, 88.7±21.6mL/min/1.73m2; and UACR, 119.2±336.4mg/g. In the fully adjusted meta-analysis, higher GMV associated with lower UACR (P Limitations Cross-sectional; single UACR measurement. Conclusions In African Americans with T2DM, mildly high UACR and mildly low eGFR were associated with smaller GMV and increased white matter lesion volume. UACR was associated with poorer processing speed and working memory.
Variable Selection and Biomarker Correlation in the Analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Strains by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

ABSTRACTMycoplasma pneumoniae is a human respiratory tract pathogen causing chronic bronchitis and atypical or “walking” pneumonia. The major surface protein P1 must form complexes with proteins P30 and P40/P90 to function in receptor binding and gliding motility, and variability in P1 and P40/P90 distinguishes the two major M. pneumoniae genotypes. Strains belonging to each genotype can be differentiated with high sensitivity and specificity by utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on silver nanorod arrays. Here, we used the variable selection method of variable importance in projection (VIP) to identify Raman bands important in M. pneumoniae strain classification. Furthermore, VIP analysis of mutants lacking P40/P90, or P1 and P40/P90, correlated certain Raman bands important in distinguishing genotypes, with specific mycoplasma surface protein composition and presentation. Variable selection, and its correlation with specific mycoplasma surface components, is an important next step in developin...
Comfort Food, Acquired Taste, and Fusion Cuisine. A Migrant Journey

This essay looks at food through the lens of immigration by analyzing the work of migrant writers in Italy. Comfort food, acquired taste and fusion cuisine are used to illustrate different stages of the migration process. Migrant writers have often used food as a metaphor to describe their longing for their homeland, for an idealized time and place when they felt safe, secure in their identity. Cooking and eating, sharing and learning culinary traditions foster integration and develop acquired tastes in the destination culture. The result is a sense of belonging, but also the formation of a split identity and a partial loss of the original self. Fusion cuisine, a product of globalization, offers the possibility of two identities coexisting harmoniously within the same person.
Economic Inequality, Educational Inequity, and Reduced Career Opportunity: A Self-perpetuating Cycle?

Economic inequality – the income gap between the wealthy and the poor – is increasing. Educational inequity has also increased with low-income students less likely to complete college than their wealthier counterparts. As the gap widens between the education “haves” and “have-nots,” those with inadequate education are faced with reduced career opportunities in low-wage jobs. This paper proposes that a self-perpetuating cycle exists among the problems of economic inequality, educational inequity, and reduced career opportunity. It proposes strategies for breaking the cycle and concludes by identifying areas of responsibility for further research and practice.
Self-reconfigurable implementation for a switched beam smart antenna

Abstract We present a self-reconfigurable embedded system for a switched beam smart antenna that can steer the beam pattern into a desired direction, handle arithmetic overflow, and respond to user-specified constraints on accuracy and resources. The main component (adaptive beamforming) is implemented as a fully customized hardware in fixed-point arithmetic. By varying the numerical formats and desired beam patterns, we generate a set of hardware configurations, which can then be selected at run-time via a dynamic manager implemented in software. The self-reconfigurable embedded system is implemented and tested on a Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC). Results are presented in terms of resources, accuracy, and run-time hardware adaptation. This work illustrates the benefits of run-time reconfiguration technology on PSoCs for the implementation of switched-beam smart antennas.
Recognizing, diagnosing, and preventing child maltreatment: an update for pediatric clinicians.

Purpose of reviewDespite an increasing understanding of the impact of emotional trauma and physical abuse on children, clinicians and hospitals still sometimes miss the diagnosis of abuse. The literature in 2017 focused on creating standardized approaches to recognition and diagnosis of physical abu
Some Aspects of Thermophilic and Extreme Thermophilic Anaerobic Microorganisms

An interest for industrial use of thermophilic, anaerobic bacteria has clearly emerged since the 1973 oil shortages. Such bacteria are capable of converting biomass, mostly cellulose, hemicellulose and starch to desirable industrial feedstock chemicals such as acetate, ethanol, acetone, butanol, etc. (1). The thermophilic bacteria are also convenient sources of enzymes, which are more thermostable and more resistant toward denaturation when compared with corresponding enzymes from mesophilic microorganisms (2). Clearly, enzymes from thermophiles have properties which are desirable when considering industrial applications. The idea of using thermophilic microorganisms industrially is not new. For instance, several British patents since 1920 deal with fermentations of cellulose using thermophilic, aerobic, as well as anaerobic, microorganisms (3). Curiously, these efforts were to produce ethanol from renewable resources to be used as liquid fuel for combustion engines. This idea has now been rediscovered some sixty or more years after it was formulated. The cycle is complete. The problem for today is not whether we can or can not ferment biomass to desirable products but rather which are the best microorganisms to use, how can we improve them, and what is the best technology.
The Coming Age of Insect Cells for Manufacturing and Development of Protein Therapeutics.

Protein therapeutics is a rapidly growing segment of the pharmaceutical market. Currently, the majority of protein therapeutics are manufactured in mammalian cells for their ability to generate safe and efficacious human-like glycoproteins. The high cost of using mammalian cells for manufacturing has motivated a constant search for alternative host platforms. Insect cells have begun to emerge as a promising candidate, largely due to the development of the baculovirus expression vector system. While there are continuing efforts to improve insect-baculovirus expression for producing protein therapeutics, key limitations including cell lysis and the lack of homogeneous humanized glycosylation still remain. The field has started to see a movement toward virus-less gene expression approaches, notably the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats to address these shortcomings. This review highlights recent technological advances that are realizing the transformative potential of insect ce...
Bacteriorhodopsin Energy Landscape: Current Status

The folding and stability of bacteriorhodopsin remains of great interest in view of its technological importance. Single molecules of bacteriorhodopsin are unfolded by attaching them to the tip of an AFM probe and then applying force 50 pico Newtons can be pulled one or more at a time. These experiments provide force profiles of individual chains which exhibit dependence and independence on rest of the helices until all of them are unfolded. Unlike differential scanning calorimetric studies which provide the global thermodynamic profile of proteins, AFM dynamic force probe methods provide a wealth of force profiles of the individual chains at a single molecule level which can then be reconstituted to map the energy landscape of bacteriorhodopsin. Energy landscape of bacteriorhodopsin from dynamic force probe method using atomic force spectroscopy is reviewed in this chapter
MEMS transducers—An overview of how they work

A transducer is a device that converts power from one form to another for purposes of measurement or control. Historically, the word “transducer” referred only to devices that converted mechanical stimuli such as force or pressure into an electrical signal, usually voltage. Today the definition has been broadened to include all forms of input stimuli—mechanical, electrical, fluidic, or thermal—and output signals other than electrical.
Thyroid Carcinomas in RET/PTC Transgenic Mice

The RET/PTC oncogene, a rearranged form of the RET proto-oncogene, has been found to be associated with human papillary thyroid carcinomas. To investigate whether RET/PTC causes papillary thyroid carcinoma, we generated a transgenic mouse model of papillary thyroid carcinoma with targeted expression of RET/PTC1 in the thyroid gland. Thyroid tumors in these RET/ PTC1 transgenic mice are characterized by a slow growth rate, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-responsive tumor progression, and loss of radioiodide-concentrating activity despite continued expression of thyroglobulin (Tg). The time of tumor onset appears to be dependent on the expression level of RET/PTC1 in these transgenic mice. In high-copy RET/PTC1 trans-genic mice, cellular abnormalities, including a slightly increased proliferation rate, aberrant follicle formation, and loss of radioiodide-concentrating activity, can be readily identified at embryological day 18. To identify which signaling pathway or pathways perturbed by RET/PTC1 are essential for RET/ PTC1 to induce tumor development, we generated transgenic mice carrying a thyroid-targeted RET/PTC1 triple mutant, which contains tyrosine to phenylalanine mutations at tyrosine residues 294, 404, and 451. Initial characterization of the thyroid glands of these RET/PTC1 triple-mutant transgenic mice showed no change in follicular morphology or radioiodide-concentrating activity. This finding suggests that signaling pathways mediated by one or more of these three phosphotyrosine binding sites are essential for RET/ PTC1 to induce thyroid tumor development. Finally, in order to investigate whether tumors induced by RET/PTC3 are more aggressive than those tumors induced by RET/PTC1, we also generated thyroid-targeted RET/PTC3 transgenic mice.
Proposed Minimum Rates of Surgery to Support Desirable Health Outcomes: An Observational Study Based on Three Strategies.

The global volume of surgery is estimated at 312.9 million operations annually, but rates of surgery vary dramatically. Identifying surgical rates associated with improved health outcomes would be useful for benchmarking and targeted health system strengthening. We identified rates of surgery associated with a life expectancy (LE) of 74–75 years, a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of less than or equal to 100 per 100,000 live births, and the estimated need for surgery in the seven global burden of disease (GBD) super-regions based on the prevalence of surgical conditions. We compared our findings to surgical rates from Chile, China, Costa Rica, and Cuba (“4C”), countries with moderate resources but high health outcomes. The median surgical rates associated with LE of 74–75 years (N = 17) and MMR below 100 (N = 109) are 4392 (IQR 2897–4873) and 5028 (IQR 4139–6778) operations per 100,000 people annually, respectively. The mean surgical rate estimated for the seven super-regions was 4723 (95 % CI 3967–5478) operations per 100,000 people annually. The “4C” countries had a mean surgical rate of 4344 (95 % CI 2620–6068) operations per 100,000 people annually. Thirteen of the twenty-one GBD regions, accounting for 78 % of the world’s population, do not achieve rates of surgery at the lowest end of this range. We identified a narrow range of surgical rates associated with important health indicators. This target range can be used for benchmarking of surgical services, and as part of a policy aimed at strengthening health care systems and surgical capacity.
Spring crops in three year rotations reduce weed pressure in winter wheat

Abstract Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) is a problematic weed for the conventional fallow/winter wheat (F/W) production system in the low precipitation-region (
Advances in immunotherapy delivery from implantable and injectable biomaterials

Macroscale biomaterials, such as preformed implantable scaffolds and injectable soft materials, possess powerful synergies with anti-cancer immunotherapies. Immunotherapies on their own typically have poor delivery properties, and often require repeated high-dose injections that result in serious off-tumor effects and/or limited efficacy. Rationally designed biomaterials allow for discrete localization and controlled release of immunotherapeutic agents, and have been shown in a large number of applications to improve outcomes in the treatment of cancers via immunotherapy. Among various strategies, macroscale biomaterial delivery systems can take the form of robust tablet-like scaffolds that are surgically implanted into a tumor resection site, releasing programmed immune cells or immunoregulatory agents. Alternatively they can be developed as soft gel-like materials that are injected into solid tumors or sites of resection to stimulate a potent anti-tumor immune response. Biomaterials synthesized from diverse components such as polymers and peptides can be combined with any immunotherapy in the modern toolbox, from checkpoint inhibitors and stimulatory adjuvants, to cancer antigens and adoptive T cells, resulting in unique synergies and improved therapeutic efficacy. The field is growing rapidly in size as publications continue to appear in the literature, and biomaterial-based immunotherapies are entering clinical trials and human patients. It is unarguably an exciting time for cancer immunotherapy and biomaterial researchers, and further work seeks to understand the most critical design considerations in the development of the next-generation of immunotherapeutic biomaterials. This review will discuss recent advances in the delivery of immunotherapies from localized biomaterials, focusing on macroscale implantable and injectable systems. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Anti-cancer immunotherapies have shown exciting clinical results in the past few decades, yet they suffer from a few distinct limitations, such as poor delivery kinetics, narrow patient response profiles, and systemic side effects. Biomaterial systems are now being developed that can overcome many of these problems, allowing for localized adjuvant delivery, focused dose concentrations, and extended therapy presentation. The field of biocompatible carrier materials is uniquely suited to be combined with immunotherapy, promising to yield significant improvements in treatment outcomes and clinical care. In this review, the first pioneering efforts and most recent advances in biomaterials for immunotherapeutic applications are explored, with a specific focus on implantable and injectable biomaterials such as porous scaffolds, cryogels, and hydrogels.
One-Pot Synthesis of Cross-Linked Polymer Networksas a Hydrophilic Super-Adsorbent for Efficient Recovery of Heparin

Heparin is a naturally occurring sulfated glycosaminoglycan polysaccharide often used as an anticoagulant agent. In this work, a series of water swellable cross-linked polymer networks consisting o...