cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
School Placement and Perceived Quality of Life in Youth Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

In the education of students who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), there is much debate about how placement affects educational outcomes and quality of life. This study examined the relationship between quality of life and educational placement that include and do not include other DHH youth. Participants included 221 DHH youth, ages 11–18 with bilateral hearing loss. Results showed that there were few differences in quality of life related to school placement (with age, gender, depression symptoms, and hearing level as covariates). For both participation and perceived stigma, there was an interaction between school placement and parent hearing status, with no single school placement showing the best results. DHH youth with hearing parents in schools specifically for DHH students scored lower than DHH with deaf parents in some domains (Participation and Perceived Stigma). When the DHH youth were compared with the general population, those in schools that included DHH students scored lower in some aspects of quality of life, particularly Self and Relationships. This study demonstrates that DHH students may not differ much in terms of quality of life across schools placements, but that there may be differences in subsets of DHH youth.
Biochemistry of the sphingolipids: XII. conversion of cerebrosides to ceramides and sphingosine; structure of Gaucher cerebroside

An improved procedure for the conversion of cerebroside to ceramide and sphingosine has been devised, consisting of periodate opening of the glycosidic ring, reduction with NaBH4, and hydrolysis under very mild acid conditions to ceramide. The over-all yield is excellent and only the erythro isomer results. Alkaline hydrolysis of ceramide gives erythro-sphingosine in good yield. Application of this procedure to Gaucher cerebroside has shown it to contain the “normal” erythro-sphingosine.
The Inhibitory Site of a Diguanylate Cyclase Is a Necessary Element for Interaction and Signaling with an Effector Protein

ABSTRACT Many bacteria contain large cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) signaling networks made of diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) and phosphodiesterases that can direct cellular activities sensitive to c-di-GMP levels. While DGCs synthesize c-di-GMP, many DGCs also contain an autoinhibitory site (I-site) that binds c-di-GMP to halt excess production of this small molecule, thus controlling the amount of c-di-GMP available to bind to target proteins in the cell. Many DGCs studied to date have also been found to signal for a specific c-di-GMP-related process, and although recent studies have suggested that physical interaction between DGCs and target proteins may provide this signaling fidelity, the importance of the I-site has not yet been incorporated into this model. Our results from Pseudomonas fluorescens indicate that mutation of residues at the I-site of a DGC disrupts the interaction with its target receptor. By creating various substitutions to a DGC9s I-site, we show that signaling between a DGC (GcbC) and its target protein (LapD) is a combined function of the I-site-dependent protein-protein interaction and the level of c-di-GMP production. The dual role of the I-site in modulating DGC activity as well as participating in protein-protein interactions suggests caution in interpreting the function of the I-site as only a means to negatively regulate a cyclase. These results implicate the I-site as an important positive and negative regulatory element of DGCs that may contribute to signaling specificity. IMPORTANCE Some bacteria contain several dozen diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), nearly all of which signal to specific receptors using the same small molecule, c-di-GMP. Signaling specificity in these networks may be partially driven by physical interactions between DGCs and their receptors, in addition to the autoinhibitory site of DGCs preventing the overproduction of c-di-GMP. In this study, we show that disruption of the autoinhibitory site of a DGC in Pseudomonas fluorescens can result in the loss of interactions with its target receptor and reduced biofilm formation, despite increased production of c-di-GMP. Our findings implicate the autoinhibitory site as both an important feature for signaling specificity through the regulation of c-di-GMP production and a necessary element for the physical interaction between a diguanylate cyclase and its receptor.
New Nondiscoloring Stabilizer System for SBR and Stereospecific Diene Polymers

Abstract This article discloses the discovery and use of a class of imidazolidine-4-thiones as new stabilizers for unsaturated rubbers. Also reported is the preparation of the acid salts of one of these, 7, 14-diazadispiro[5.1.5.2]pentadecane-15-thione (DDPT) and its 7- and 14-nitroso derivatives. Several alkylated derivatives of DDPT were found to be equivalent to DDPT in nondiscoloring stabilization activity. The 7-nitroso derivative was found to be an active stabilizer and was found to counteract some slight cure activation inherent in the imidazolidine-4-thione structure. DDPT was shown to be an efficient polymer stabilizer providing excellent nondiscoloring polymers for use in various tire compounds. This compound was fully equivalent or superior to similar polymers prepared from other commercially available nondiscoloring stabilizers and antioxidants.
Galt phenotyping with galactosaemia screening

Galactosaemia is an autosomal recessive disorder arising from deficiency of the enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT). Enzyme activities determined by the 3 alleles, N, D and ‘G’, are 100%, 50% and approximately 0%, respectively. Expected activity levels for the genotypes ND, DD, NG and DG are 75%, 50%, 50% and 25% respectively. Alleles N and D are electrophoretically distinguishable and corresponding allele frequencies from 69 Adelaide newborns are .92 and .08. In the absence of phenotyping, confusion may arise in the interpretation of quantitative results when both D and G segregate within a family. New born propositi are routinely detected by mass screening on the basis of low GALT activity from bloodspots. Subsequently, those tests found deficient on screen have activity quantitated, and are phenotyped by electrophoresis of haemolysates. Where activity is low, detection of a D band in the propositus differentiates the classical (GG) galactosaemic infant from the DG variant type with 25%i normal activity. Phenotypic studies of parents confirms this.
Flow and Heat Transfer in a U-Shaped Duct with and without Rotation

Computations were performed to study the threedimensional flow and heat transfer inside a smooth and a ribbed U-shaped duct of square cross section with a tightly wound 180-degree bend under rotating and non-rotating conditions. Results are presented which show how flows induced by Coriolis force and centrifugal buoyancy in the smooth portion of the duct are affected by secondary flows induced by ribs and by a 180-degree bend. The computations are based on the ensemble-averaged conservation equations of mass, momentum (compressible Navier-Stokes). and energy closed by a low Reynolds number k-o> model of turbulence. Solutions were generated by using a cell-centered finite-volume method based on flux-differen ce splitting and a diagonalized alternating-direction implicit scheme with multigrid.
Effect of CdTe thickness reduction in high efficiency CdS/CdTe solar cells

High efficiency CdTe solar cells are typically grown with CdTe thicknesses from 3 to 15 μm, although the thickness required for 90% absorption of the incident irradiation at 800 nm is only ∼1 μm. In this paper, we present the effect of CdTe thickness reduction on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells in which both the CdS and CdTe films were grown by sputtering. We produced a series of cells with different CdTe thickness (from 0.5 to 3.0 μm), and held the CdS thickness and back-contact-processing constant. The effect of CdTe thickness reduction on the diffusion of CdS into CdTe was studied using optical absorption and x-ray diffraction techniques. Only slight decreases occur in open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and fill factor with decrease in CdTe film thickness to 1.0 μm. Almost 10% efficient cells were obtained with 1 μm CdTe. Below 1 μm, all cell parameters decrease more rapidly, including the red quantum efficiency.
Magnetoresistance in n-Type Germanium at Low Temperatures

Magnetoresistance was studied for $n$-type single-crystal germanium of 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{15}$ effective donors/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. The effective anisotropy parameter $K$ was found to decrease from \ensuremath{\sim}20 at 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K to \ensuremath{\sim}6 at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Values close to 20 were again obtained at 7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. By introduction of compensating acceptors with heat treatment, it was shown directly that the decrease of $K$ was due to anisotropic scattering by ionized impurities, and the anisotropy was investigated by using different degrees of compensation. Below 7\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, the scattering is determined by neutral impurities, and the high value of $K$ indicates that the scattering is isotropic.
Recent work on Kant's transcendental deduction

Henry Allison's new book on Kant's Deduction makes two important contributions.1 Allison offers a narrative of Kant's historical trajectory, which comes as a welcome alternative to Paul Guyer's in ...
Beliefs and Practices of Sustainable Farmers in South Dakota

A small, but unquantified minority of South Dakota farmers follow practices intended to be not only productive and profitable, but also explicitly benign to environment and human health. For purpose of discussion, such farmers are termed as «sustainable.» This article documents experiences and points of view of 32 farmers who have followed sustainable practices commercially for an average of 14 yr each and reactions of some «conventional» farmers to the beliefs and practices of their sustainable counterparts (...)
Interfacility Transfers to General Pediatric Floors: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of Communication

Abstract Background Children with special health care needs often require health services that are only provided at subspecialty centers. Such children who present to nonspecialty hospitals might require a hospital-to-hospital transfer. When transitioning between medical settings, communication is an integral aspect that can affect the quality of patient care. The objectives of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to effective interfacility pediatric transfer communication to general pediatric floors from the perspectives of referring and accepting physicians, and then develop a conceptual model for effective interfacility transfer communication. Methods This was a single-center qualitative study using grounded theory methodology. Referring and accepting physicians of children with special health care needs were interviewed. Four researchers coded the data using ATLAS.ti (version 7, Scientific Software Development GMBH, Berlin, Germany), using a 2-step process of open coding, followed by focused coding until no new codes emerged. The research team reached consensus on the final major categories and subsequently developed a conceptual model. Results Eight referring and 9 accepting physicians were interviewed. Theoretical coding resulted in 3 major categories: streamlined transfer process, quality handoff and 2-way communication, and positive relationships between physicians across facilities. The conceptual model unites these categories and shows how these categories contribute to effective interfacility transfer communication. Proposed interventions involved standardizing the communication process and incorporating technology such as telemedicine during transfers. Conclusions Communication is perceived to be an integral component of interfacility transfers. We recommend that transfer systems be re-engineered to make the process more streamlined, to improve the quality of the handoff and 2-way communication, and to facilitate positive relationships between physicians across facilities.
Engaging in Performance Ethnography in Research Methods Courses

In this article, we share the process and practice of integrating a performance ethnography, in the form of a written play, into research methods and education courses, as well as methods-based workshops. We begin by briefly sharing some of the ways in which we have come to position this work within our classroom and instructional workshops and point to its possibilities as a pedagogical approach. We then illustrate the process of introducing this methodological perspective to our students in research courses. We also highlight the implications for introducing alternative, arts-based approaches to data representation to students and describe the impact on their trajectories as producers, critics, and consumers of qualitative research.
Cross-Modality Feature Learning Through Generic Hierarchical Hyperlingual-Words

Recognizing facial images captured under visible light has long been discussed in the past decades. However, there are many impact factors that hinder its successful application in real-world, e.g., illumination, pose variations. Recent work has concentrated on different spectrals, i.e., near infrared, that can only be perceived by specifically designed device to avoid the illumination problem. However, this inevitably introduces a new problem, namely, cross-modality classification. In brief, images registered in the system are in one modality, while images that captured momentarily used as the tests are in another modality. In addition, there could be many within-modality variations—pose and expression—leading to a more complicated problem for the researchers. To address this problem, we propose a novel framework called hierarchical hyperlingual-words (Hwords) in this paper. First, we design a novel structure, called generic Hwords, to capture the high-level semantics across different modalities and within each modality in weakly supervised fashion, meaning only modality pair and variations information are needed in the training. Second, to improve the discriminative power of Hwords, we propose a novel distance metric through the hierarchical structure of Hwords. Extensive experiments on multimodality face databases demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with the state-of-the-art works on face recognition tasks subject to pose and expression variations.
Murine supraspinatus tendon injury model to identify the cellular origins of rotator cuff healing.

ABSTRACTPurpose of this study: To elucidate the origin of cell populations that contribute to rotator cuff healing, we developed a mouse surgical model where a full-thickness, central detachment is created in the supraspinatus. Materials and methods: Three different inducible Cre transgenic mice with Ai9-tdTomato reporter expression (PRG4-9, αSMA-9, and AGC-9) were used to label different cell populations in the shoulder. The defect was created surgically in the supraspinatus. The mice were injected with tamoxifen at surgery to label the cells and sacrificed at 1, 2, and 5 weeks postoperatively. Frozen sections were fluorescently imaged then stained with Toluidine Blue and re-imaged. Results: Three notable changes were apparent postoperatively. (1) A long thin layer of tissue formed on the bursal side overlying the supraspinatus tendon. (2) The tendon proximal to the defect initially became hypercellular and disorganized. (3) The distal stump at the insertion underwent minimal remodeling. In the uninjured...
Bioelectric properties and ion transport across excised canine fetal and neonatal airways

Knowledge of liquid secretion by fetal lung stems from studies of sheep. We extended these studies to dogs and examined the persistence of the fetal pattern of airway epithelial permeability and ion transport in the neonatal animal. Plasma and lung liquid from fetal dogs were analyzed for Na+, K+, Cl-, and HCO3-. Only the Cl- concentration of fetal lung liquid (129 meq/l) was significantly different from that of fetal plasma (111 meq/l). Segments of trachea from fetal and neonatal (less than 1, 7-10, and 21-46 days after birth) dogs were excised and mounted in flux chambers. The transepithelial potential difference (PD) of all tissues was oriented lumen negative (9.8-14.8 mV). Under short-circuit conditions, unidirectional Na+ flows were symmetrical. Cl- was secreted, and the secretion was equivalent to short-circuit current (Isc). Cl- secretion persisted under open-circuit conditions. Lobar bronchi from 21- to 46-day neonates absorbed Na+ (1.9 mueq.cm-2.h-1), but unidirectional flows of Cl- were symmetrical. Amiloride (10(-4) M) reduced Isc of neonatal bronchi by 47% but did not affect fetal bronchi. Isoproterenol increased Isc of both fetal (33%) and neonatal (40%) bronchi. These responses suggest that fetal bronchi do not absorb Na+ but can be stimulated to secrete Cl-. We conclude that Cl- secretion by epithelium of large airways may contribute to fetal lung liquid production, but it is unlikely that the tracheal epithelium is involved in fluid absorption at birth. Whereas fetal bronchi appear to secrete Cl-, neonatal bronchi absorb Na+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Executive Function in Previously Institutionalized Children

In studies of children adopted from institutions, being raised in an institution has been associated consistently with an increased risk of persistent cognitive, academic, and social-emotional problems. These findings raise questions about the neurocognitive mechanisms that contribute to these negative outcomes. Theory and models based on studies of animals indicate that development of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and executive function (EF) may be particularly susceptible to environmental influences during early childhood. In this article, we review recent studies of postinstitutionalized children that examined EF components such as inhibitory control, working memory, shifting, and planning. We then describe emerging research on the structure and function of the PFC. Converging evidence suggests both EF difficulties and alterations in development of the PFC following early institutionalization. We conclude by discussing possible explanations for these findings and implications for prevention and intervention, and by offering suggestions for ongoing research.
A review of the available clinical therapies for vulvodynia management and new data implicating proinflammatory mediators in pain elicitation.

Localised provoked vulvodynia (LPV) is a common, chronic, and disabling condition: patients experience profound pain and a diminished quality of life. The aetiologic origins of vulvodynia are poorly understood, yet recent evidence suggests a link to site-specific inflammatory responses. Fibroblasts isolated from the vestibule of LPV patients are sensitive to proinflammatory stimuli and copiously produce pain-associated proinflammatory mediators (IL-6 and PGE2). Although LPV is a multifactorial disorder, understanding vulvar inflammation and targeting the inflammatory response should lead to treatment advances, especially for patients exhibiting signs of inflammation. NFκB (already targeted clinically) or other inflammatory components may be suitable therapeutic targets. Tweetable abstract Vulvodynia is a poorly understood, prevalent, and serious women's health issue requiring better understanding to improve therapy.
Uveitis and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is well known to have an ameliorating effect on a variety of autoimmune diseases, while its impact on the course of ocular inflammatory disease is less well established. The management of ocular inflammatory disease has been recently reviewed. This dynamic physiological state is orchestrated by a complex network of endocrine and immunologic factors that manifest both at the maternal-fetal interface and on a systemic level resulting in a shift away from cell-mediated immunity and toward humoral responses. Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that this immunologic bias is critical not only for successful pregnancy but also influences the course of coexistent systemic autoimmune disease including that of uveitis.
They Work Together to Roar: Kindergartners’ Understanding of an Interactive Causal Task

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate kindergartners’ exploration of interactive causality during their play with a pair of toy sound blocks. Interactive causality refers to a type of causal pattern in which two entities interact to produce a causal force, as in particle attraction and symbiotic relationships. Despite being prevalent in nature, elementary through college students experience difficulties interpreting interactive causal patterns and tend to resort to simpler, unidirectional explanations of scientific phenomena. Less is known about younger students’ nascent conceptions of interactive causality, which can serve as a foundation for advanced science learning. A microgenetic study was conducted to investigate 12 kindergartners’ understanding of the interactive nature of the pair of sound blocks. Children’s manipulations and explanations of the blocks were analyzed for evidence of unidirectional or interactive reasoning. Ten children produced interactive actions and explanations throug...
Feminist identity and program characteristics in the development of trainees’ social advocacy

Feminism, multiculturalism, and social justice (SJ) are closely related constructs, with an important shared emphasis on societal barriers and client empowerment. Yet, research on the relationships between the three variables in their links to counselor advocacy remains scarce. Employing the Input–Environment–Outcome framework, this study examined the unique contributions of 235 female trainees’ feminist identity, training environment SJ supports, and training multicultural focus in explaining trainees’ advocacy using a three-step hierarchical MMLR model. Findings revealed that all three factors were important to trainees’ advocacy. However, the extent to which each factor influenced advocacy varied. For instance, the more strongly identified trainees were with the Feminist Identity Active Commitment stage, the more likely they were to engage at all four levels of advocacy. Conversely, the more aligned trainees were with Passive Acceptance, the less likely they were to empower clients. Moreover, although ...
What is the Optimal Cutoff for the HIV Optical Density Ratio [ODR]?

We moved our HIV screening assay from Centaur (Siemens; Tarrytown, NY) to Vitros-5600 (OCD; Rochester, NY) on 04/15/12. Our infection control nurse queried the Lab as to whether the rate of confirmed (by Western Blot [WB] or qualitative PCR) positive screens had decreased and prompted the lab to investigate the threshold ODR that is conventionally set at 1.0. HIV …
The Holtzman Inkblot Technique: a bibliography, 1956-1970.

A bibliography of 235 published references to work with the Holtzman Inkblot Technique, calendar years 1956–1970, is presented.
Healing Faith: A Qualitative Exploration of Latina Breast Cancer Survivors

Latina cancer survivors report higher levels of distress and depression and lower levels of social quality of life and overall health-related quality of life when compared with all other cancer survivors. Cultural values influence cancer survivorship; however, little research to date has examined how aspects of the Latina culture may be healing during the cancer journey. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present findings from a qualitative study exploring the influence of culture on quality of life for Latina breast cancer survivors. The authors use consensual qualitative research to understand the lived experiences of Latina breast cancer survivors.
Mechanistic insights into GPCR–G protein interactions

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) respond to extracellular stimuli and interact with several intracellular binding partners to elicit cellular responses, including heterotrimeric G proteins. Recent structural and biophysical studies have highlighted the dynamic nature of GPCRs and G proteins and have identified specific conformational changes important for receptor-mediated nucleotide exchange on Gα. While domain separation within Gα is necessary for GDP release, opening the inter-domain interface is insufficient to stimulate nucleotide exchange. Rather, an activated receptor promotes GDP release by allosterically disrupting the nucleotide-binding site via interactions with the Gα N-termini and C-termini. Highlighting the allosteric nature of GPCRs, recent studies suggest that agonist binding alone poorly stabilizes an active conformation of several receptors. Rather, full stabilization of the receptor in an active state requires formation of the agonist-receptor-G protein ternary complex. In turn, nucleotide-free Gα is able to stabilize conformational changes around the receptor's agonist-binding site to enhance agonist affinity.
Band Gap Insensitivity to Large Chemical Pressures in Ternary Bismuth Iodides for Photovoltaic Applications

Ternary bismuth iodides (A3Bi2I9, where A is a monovalent cation) have been recently suggested as less toxic alternatives to lead halide perovskites for photovoltaic applications. Using density functional theory based calculations, we predict that the band gap in these compounds is insensitive to chemical pressure applied by changing the size of A-site cations, which is confirmed experimentally. We further show that the band gap in A3Bi2I9 compounds increases (or decreases) by stretching (or compressing) Bi2I9 bioctahedra, and the observed band gap insensitivity is a direct result of the counteractive interplay of three factors: the size of the A-site cations, the presence of H-bonds with organic A-site cations, and spin–orbit coupling (SOC) effects. Our study demonstrates that the layered structure of A3Bi2I9 compounds intrinsically limits any significant modification of their band gap and highlights the need for three-dimensional connectivity of BiI6 octahedra in order to achieve high efficiency Bi-base...
Pulmonary functional map on V/Q SPECT and TGFβ1 during radiotherapy and post-treatment lung function in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

7543 Background: Current research focus on the TGFs1 and pulmonary perfusion (Q) SPECT pre or post-treatment to predict lung toxicity in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, ventilation (V) is also important, while the change of V/Q SPECT map and TGFβ1 during radiotherapy (RT) maybe more predictive for the lung function post-treatment. Methods: Patients with stage I-III NSCLC undergoing radiation based treatment were included and V/Q SPECT-CT, circulating TGF s1 and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO), as the key parameter of pulmonary function test, were assessed pre-, during- and 3 months post-RT. Patients were treated with conformal radiation therapy of more than 60 Gy, with or without chemotherapy per standard of care based on their stage of disease. The defects of V/Q SPECT images were defined by semi-quantitive method. Results: Total 45 patients with stage I-III NSCLC undergoing radiation (>60 Gy) were enrolled. All patients had functional defects (V, or Q or both) at or ...
Is there a right not to know

Does a patient with advanced incurable disease have a right not to hear the bad news? We think not. Failing to disclose a poor prognosis undermines patient autonomy and increases the likelihood of poor end-of-life care.
Violence and the New African Democracies

The fourth-wave of democratization in sub-Saharan Africa has seen a steady increase in the number of elections held on the continent. Nearly three quarters of the sub-Saharan countries have held at least two elections and more than half will be holding a fourth election in the following year. However, many of the elections have been marred by violence causing many scholars to question the quality of democracy. This paper investigates the impact of violence on voter turn-out in the 2008 Zimbabwean and Kenyean presidential election. We find violence that is used as a strategy to suppress voter turnout of the opposition supporters by a strong incumbent. We also find that violence has increased benefits for a strong incumbent and a failed violence strategy is costly for a weak opposition.
Advances in microbolometers

The bismuth microbolometer is a simple, easily made detector suitable for use throughout the far-infrared. A novel photoresist fabrication procedure has made it possible to obtain an electrical NEP of 2.8×10−11W (Hz)−1/2 at 100kHz for an airbridge bolometer. By using a polyimide plastic as an insulator, conventional substrate-supported devices with an NEP of 3.2×10−11W(Hz)−1/2 have also been made.
Recognizing Protein Secondary Structures with Neural Networks

Recognizing secondary structures in proteins can be a highly computationally expensive task that may not always yield good results. Using Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBM) we were able to train a simple neural network to recognize an alpha-helix with a good degree of accuracy. Modifying the RBM implementation to be much simpler and more efficient than the standard implementation we are able to see a 14-fold speedup in training with no loss in detection accuracy or in cluster formation. With even very small training sets (160 members) we are able to recognize both the alpha-helix structures we are training for but also other, similar, helix structures that we did not train for. We are also able to recognize these structures with a high degree of accuracy. We are also able to cluster these structures together in a meaningful way based on the RBM training results. Both the training and clustering is completely unsupervised beyond the training set meeting certain constraints. Interestingly, each cluster shares structural similarities within itself but also has noticeable differences from other clusters that are detected. These clusters seem to form regardless of training set size or makeup.
Identification and functional characterization of arginine vasopressin receptor 1A : atypical chemokine receptor 3 heteromers in vascular smooth muscle

Recent observations suggest that atypical chemokine receptor (ACKR)3 and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CXCR)4 regulate human vascular smooth muscle function through hetero-oligomerization with α1-adrenoceptors. Here, we show that ACKR3 also regulates arginine vasopressin receptor (AVPR)1A. We observed that ACKR3 agonists inhibit arginine vasopressin (aVP)-induced inositol trisphosphate (IP3) production in human vascular smooth muscle cells (hVSMCs) and antagonize aVP-mediated constriction of isolated arteries. Proximity ligation assays, co-immunoprecipitation and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer experiments suggested that recombinant and endogenous ACKR3 and AVPR1A interact on the cell surface. Interference with ACKR3 : AVPR1A heteromerization using siRNA and peptide analogues of transmembrane domains of ACKR3 abolished aVP-induced IP3 production. aVP stimulation resulted in β-arrestin 2 recruitment to AVPR1A and ACKR3. While ACKR3 activation failed to cross-recruit β-arrestin 2 to AVPR1A, the presence of ACKR3 reduced the efficacy of aVP-induced β-arrestin 2 recruitment to AVPR1A. AVPR1A and ACKR3 co-internalized upon agonist stimulation in hVSMC. These data suggest that AVPR1A : ACKR3 heteromers are constitutively expressed in hVSMC, provide insights into molecular events at the heteromeric receptor complex, and offer a mechanistic basis for interactions between the innate immune and vasoactive neurohormonal systems. Our findings suggest that ACKR3 is a regulator of vascular smooth muscle function and a possible drug target in diseases associated with impaired vascular reactivity.
Microfluidic flow actuation using magnetoactive suspensions

The rheological behavior of magnetotactic bacterial suspensions is analyzed using a continuum kinetic theory. In both unbounded and confined geometries, the response of these suspensions under simple external flows can be controlled by applying a magnetic field and hinges in a subtle way on the interplay of magnetic alignment, rotation under shear, and wall-induced accumulation under confinement. By tuning magnetic field strength and direction, the apparent viscosity can either be enhanced or reduced, and the mechanisms for these trends are elucidated. In the absence of any applied flow, we further demonstrate the ability of magnetoactive suspensions to internally drive steady unidirectional flows upon application of a magnetic field, thus suggesting novel avenues for the design of microfluidic pumps and flow actuation devices.
Development of an emergency general surgery process improvement program.

The Joint Trauma System has demonstrated improved outcomes through coordinated research and process improvement programs. With fewer combat trauma patients, our military American College of Surgeons level 2 trauma center’s ability to maintain a strong trauma Process Improvement (PI) program has become difficult. As emergency general surgery (EGS) patients are similar to trauma patients, our Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (TACS) service developed an EGS PI program analogous to what is done in trauma. We describe the implementation of our novel EGS PI program and its effect on institutional PI proficiency. An EGS registry was developed in 2013. Inclusion criteria were based on AAST published literature. In 2015, EGS registrar and PI coordinator positions were developed and filled with existing trauma staff. A formal EGS PI program began January 1, 2016. Pre- and post-program data was compared to determine the effect including EGS PI events had on increasing yield into our trauma PI program. In 2016, TACS saw 1001 EGS consults. Four hundred forty-four met criteria for registry inclusion. Eighty-two patients had 131 PI events; re-admission within 30 days, unplanned therapeutic intervention, and unplanned ICU admission were the most common events. Capture of EGS PI events yielded a 49% increase compared with 2015. Overall patient volume and PI events post EGS PI program initiation exceeded those prior to implementation. These data suggest that extending trauma PI principles to EGS may be beneficial in maintaining inter-war military and/or lower volume trauma center readiness.
Chapter 19 – Utility of Adenoviral Vectors in Animal Models of Human Disease II: Genetic Disease

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the utility of the adenoviral vectors in animal models of genetic diseases. It is mainly focused on the therapeutic uses of adenoviral vectors in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. CF lung disease has been considered as a prototypic disease state for "proof-of-concept" gene-therapy strategies. The cloning of the gene responsible for CF pathophysiology, two groundbreaking observations made gene therapy for CF lung disease appear imminent. First, isolated epithelial cells cultured from the airway epithelium of CF patients could be phenotypically "corrected" by transferring into the cells the cDNA corresponding to the CF gene. Second, adenoviral (Ad) vectors engineered to express the CF gene were administered to the airways of experimental animals and transgene expression observed in cells that were considered to require "correction." These findings will not only be beneficial to the treatment of CF lung disease but also other disease states, which are continually being brought closer to a treatment and perhaps a cure by this new and exciting biomedical technology.
An Exploration of Barriers Facing Physicians in Diagnosing and Treating Obesity.

Purpose:To determine whether primary care physicians can accurately assess body mass index (BMI) by visual inspection and to assess barriers related to the diagnosis and management of obesity.Desig...
Many Mansions: East and West in the Roman Catholic Communion

This chapter looks at what is commonly called the Roman Catholic Church. It gives an overview of the 19 Eastern Catholic Churches currently within the Roman Catholic communion of Churches, along with their sometimes troubled place and role within this communion. Ecclesiology, church structure and functioning are the chapter’s salient points. It is written for those interested in examining and addressing issues in the internal and external functioning of religious bodies. It is also written for those with little or no knowledge of the Eastern Catholic Churches. It addresses some of the differences within the universal (“catholic”) Church in an effort to remind religious educators that religious thought and practices can differ even within an apparently “monolithic” religious body like the Roman Catholic Church; that differences need not mean separation, but they cannot be ignored.
It's not my default: the complexity of membership problems in restricted propositional default logics

We investigate the computational complexity of membership problems in a number of propositional default logics. We introduce a hierarchy of classes of propositional default rules that extends that described in [Kautz and Selman 1989], and characterize the complexity of membership problems in these classes under various simplifying assumptions about the underlying propositional theory. Our work significantly extends both that presented in [Kautz and Selman 1989] and in [Stillman 1990a].
ACM SIGGRAPH 2006 Teapot Copyright restrictions prevent ACM from providing the full text for the Teapot exhibits

Intertwingle with real teapots, virtual teapots, and teapot-inspired images that showcase the long association of the teapot with computer graphics, art, and Boston. The teapot exhibit includes juried and curated work by computer scientists, artists, and designers from around the world.
Calculation of Noise Produced by High Mach Number Jets

Aeroacoustics became a serious scientific discipline in the early 1950’s when Lighthill (1952 and 1954) published his acoustic analogy approach to jet noise. That work has more or less dominated the subsequent development of this field, which has received renewed attention over the past few years as a result of recent efforts to develop an updated high speed transport — whose successes will largely depend on whether its jet exhaust noise can be reduced.
Cross-Age Tutoring and Social Identity

Our [pedagogues] never stop bawling into our ears, as though they were pouring water into a funnel; and our task is only to repeat what has been told us. I should like the tutor to correct this practice, and right from the start, according to the capacity of the mind he has in hand, to begin putting it through its paces, making it taste things, choose them, and discern them by itself, sometimes clearing the way for him, sometimes letting him clear his own way. I don't want him to think and talk alone, I want him to listen to his pupil speaking in his turn. Socrates, and later Arcesilaus, first had their disciples speak, and then they spoke to them. [As Cicero has written] The authority of those who teach is often an obstacle to those who want to learn [Montaigne, 1588].
FOXP3 Activates SUMO-Conjugating UBC9 Gene in MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells

Forkhead Box Protein P3 (FOXP3), a transcription factor of the FOX protein family, is essentially involved in the development of regulatory T (Treg) cells, and functions as a tumor suppressor. Although FOXP3 has been widely studied in immune system and cancer development, its function in the regulation of the UBC9 gene (for the sole E2 enzyme of SUMOylation) is unknown. Herein, we find that the overexpression of FOXP3 in human MCF7 breast cancer cells increases the level of UBC9 mRNA. Moreover, the level of UBC9 protein dose-dependently increases in the FOXP3-Tet-off MCF7 cells. Notably, the promoter activity of the UBC9 is activated by FOXP3 in a dose-dependent manner in both the MCF7 and HEK293 cells. Next, by mapping the UBC9 promoter as well as the site-directed mutagenesis and ChIP analysis, we show that the FOXP3 response element at the −310 bp region, but not the −2182 bp region, is mainly required for UBC9 activation by FOXP3. Finally, we demonstrate that the removal of phosphorylation (S418A and Y342F) and the removal of acetylation/ubiquitination (K263R and K263RK268R) of the FOXP3 result in attenuated transcriptional activity of UBC9. Taken together, FOXP3 acts as a novel transcriptional activator of the human UBC9 gene, suggesting that FOXP3 may have physiological functions as a novel player in global SUMOylation, as well as other post-translational modification systems.
Microbial dormancy and its impacts on Arctic terrestrial ecosystem carbon budget

Abstract. A large amount of soil carbon in the Arctic terrestrial ecosystems could be emitted as greenhouse gases in a warming future. However, lacking detailed microbial processes such as microbial dormancy in current biogeochemistry models might have biased the quantification of the regional carbon dynamics. Here the effect of microbial dormancy was incorporated into a biogeochemistry model to improve the quantification for the last and this century. Compared with the previous model without considering the microbial dormancy, the new model estimated the regional soils stored 75.9 Pg more C in the terrestrial ecosystems during the last century, and will store 50.4 Pg and 125.2 Pg more C under the RCP 8.5 and RCP 2.6 scenarios, respectively, in this century. This study highlights the importance of the representation of microbial dormancy in earth system models to adequately quantify the carbon dynamics in the Arctic.
HLE17: An Efficient Way To Predict Band Gaps of Complex Materials

The recently developed high local exchange 2017 (HLE17) exchange-correlation functional, which is a local functional with high local exchange, is tested for determining the band gaps of various kin...
Paradigms and Paradoxes: Exothermicity of Some Reactions Involving the Noble Gas Fluorides and Oxides

It has long been known that the oxidizing/fluorinating power of noble gas fluorides increases in the order XeF2 < XeF4 < XeF6 < KrF2. While this does not initially appear surprising, a more careful investigation based on enthalpy and kechanistic considerations show some unexpected features. Reconciliation of these features also provides some understanding of the explosive nature of the sole isolable, noble gas oxides, XeO3 and XeO4.
Hitting The Right Spot: NMDA Receptors in the Auditory Thalamus May Hold the Key to Understanding Schizophrenia

In this issue, Wang and colleagues solve an important puzzle in the understanding of schizophrenia. Previous work has linked N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction to schizophrenia and shown that individuals with schizophrenia have a suppressed steady-state cortical response to 40-Hz repetitive auditory stimulation. However, systemic application of NMDA antagonists paradoxically increases this cortical response in rodents. Here, by specifically applying NMDA receptor blockade in the auditory thalamus while simultaneously measuring the acoustically driven response in 2 cortical regions, Wang and colleagues found the drop in the steady-state response that is seen in schizophrenia. These findings solve an important paradox in the field and suggest that specific thalamic neurochemical alterations may occur in the brain of individuals with schizophrenia. In addition, this work suggests that suppression of NMDA receptors in the thalamus may serve as a potential animal model for the disease.
Reducing Landsat MSS scene variability

Landsat 1, 2, and 3 MSS data acquired for six different nonvegetated targets over a three-year period were used to determine which of five transformations was most useful for reducing between-scene variability. The following values were calculated from the MSS digital numbers (dn): (1) radiance; (2) reflectance; (3) reflectance corrected for changes in the earth/sun distance; (4) normalized dn (normalization equations proposed by ERIM researchers); and (5) band ratios. Results indicated that reflectance calculations were most effective overall for reducing interscene variability; ratio proved most useful on the bright targets.
Relative contributions of selected multigeneration products to chamber SOA formed from photooxidation of a range (C10–C17) of n-alkanes under high NOx conditions

Abstract A series of chamber experiments was conducted to investigate the composition of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) following oxidation of a range of parent n-alkanes (C10–C17) in the presence of NOx. The relative contribution of selected species representing first, second, and higher generation products to SOA mass was measured using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer. Gas chromatography was also used for a limited set of amenable species. Relative contributions varied substantially across the range of investigated alkanes reflecting slight changes in SOA composition. The contribution of first-generation cyclic hemiacetal is minimal toward the small end of the investigated range and gradually increases with n-alkane size. The relative contributions of second generation and higher nitrate-containing species, in contrast, decrease with an increased alkane size. A similar trend is observed for relative contribution of organonitrates to SOA. Finally, SOA yield and composition are sensitive to water vapor concentrations. This sensitivity is limited to a narrow range (dry to ~15% RH) with little, if any, impact above 15% suggesting that this impact may be negligible under ambient conditions. The impact of water vapor also appears to decrease with increasing alkane carbon number.
Effect of standing and sitting positions on energy expenditure in people with transtibial amputation compared to age- and sex-matched controls.

Background Energy expenditure (EE) is often greater in people with lower-limb amputation, compared with healthy controls, because of the biomechanical compensations needed to walk with a prosthesis. Compensatory movements are required to stand with a prosthesis; however, little is known about whether standing with a prosthesis also requires greater EE. Objective The goal of this study was to examine the effect of standing and sitting positions on EE in people with transtibial amputation and matched controls. Study design This is a secondary analysis. Methods Energy expenditure data from people with unilateral, transtibial amputation because of nondysvascular causes were compared with data from age- and sex-matched controls without amputation. Energy expenditure was defined as the mean volumetric rate of oxygen consumed over the last 2 of 5 minutes in each position and measured with a portable breath-by-breath metabolic analyzer. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of position (sitting and standing) and group (amputation and control) on EE. Results A significant interaction effect indicated participants with amputation showed a significantly greater increase in standing EE relative to sitting EE (26.2%) than did controls (13.4%). Simple main effects showed EE in standing was significantly greater than EE in sitting for both groups, but there were no significant differences in EE between groups during sitting or standing. Conclusions Energy expenditure in standing, when measured relative to EE in sitting, is significantly greater in people with amputation. This result indicates that additional energy may be required to maintain an upright position with a lower-limb prosthesis.