cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric oxide modulates myocardial oxygen consumption in the failing heart.

Background— Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to inhibit oxygen consumption in the normal heart, so that nonselective inhibition of NO synthase (NOS) caused an increase of myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2). Although endothelial NOS responses are depressed in congestive heart failure (CHF), inducible NOS (iNOS) may be expressed in failing myocardium. Methods and Results— This study tested the hypothesis that NOS inhibition would increase MVO2 in the failing heart. CHF was produced in dogs by use of the rapid ventricular pacing model. In comparison with normal values, animals with CHF had reduced coronary blood flow and MVO2 at rest, with a blunted response to treadmill exercise. Selective iNOS inhibition with S-methylisothiourea (1.5 mg/kg IC) increased left ventricular systolic pressure and left ventricular dP/dt and caused an increase in MVO2 at rest and during exercise (P<0.05), with a parallel upward shift in the relationship between MVO2 and rate-pressure product. In contrast, S-m...
A NEW LOGICAL SCORING KEY FOR THE MINNESOTA TEACHER ATTITUDE INVENTORY1

This study tested three scoring keys for the MTAI—the published empirical key (E); a logical key with three different weights, i.e., + 1, 0, -1; and a new logical key with five different scoring weights, one for each of the five responses in MTAI items, i.e., +2, +1, 0, -1, -2. The latter, termed the pentachotomous-logical (P-L), provided scores with slightly higher internal consistency and a frequency distribution which is not so significantly skewed as the others and which provides greater spread among extreme positive and negative scores. Use of the P-L scoring weights would facilitate the psychological interpretation of the MTAI. However, conclusion that the P-L scoring key is an improvement must be tempered by the fact that an expected increase in construct validity was not found.
Transfer of Drug Resistance Factors to the Dimorphic Bacterium CAULOBACTER CRESCENTUS

The P-type drug resistance factors RP4, RK2, R702, R68.45, and the N-type drug resistance factor R46 are transferred to Caulobacter crescentus at high frequencies. They are stably maintained and their antibiotic resistances are expressed. Experiments with RP4 have shown that intergeneric transfer of RP4 occurs with greater than 90% of the recipient cells in filter matings between Escherichia coli donors and C. crescentus recipients. Reciprocal matings with C. crescentus donors are less efficient, but still occur at a frequency of 10-1. C. crescentus strains maintain RP4 as a plasmid, are sensitive to RP4-specific phage, and segregate phage-resistant cells at a frequency of 10-4 to 10-5. The RP4 plasmid can be used in several ways: (1) the RP4 plasmid will promote chromosomal exchange between C. crescentus strains at frequencies ranging from 10-6 to 10-8; (2) RP4 will promote the transfer of nonconjugative colE1 plasmids from E. coli to C. crescentus; once transferred, the colE1 plasmid is stably maintained under nonselective conditions, can be transferred serially, and segregates independently from RP4; and (3) RP4 can be used to introduce transposons into the C. crescentus chromosome, providing the basis for additional genetic techniques.
Estrogen receptor expression and neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the clitoris and prepucial gland structures of mice

Purpose ERα is the predominant form of estrogen receptor expressed in uterine and vaginal tissue of the murine female reproductive tract. Expression of both isoforms has been detected in vaginal tissue and in the ovary. Estrogen receptors were seen in basal and suprabasal cells of vaginal epithelium and epidermis of labia minora Understanding the locations of the different isoforms of the ER within genital structures may elucidate mechanisms of genital growth and development. It is well known that the sensory condition of the vulva epithelium is highly influenced by estrogen status with enlargement of the genitosensory field in response to this hormone. Estrogens may also prove crucial to the maintenance of urogential sensitivity. Their ability to promote the growth of neurons has been established. Abundant literature has reported on nitric oxide in the context of the internal female reproductive tract and penis, few studies have investigated the female external genital structure or the clitoris. The aim of this work is to study the presence of estrogen receptors (ER), as well as n-NOS in the mouse clitoris. Materials and methods Immunocytochemical studies specific for Estrogen Receptor-α, Estrogen Receptor-β, and nNOS were performed on a series of sections of the pelvic area including the prepucial glands and clitoris of ten mice. Selected sections were also stained with Masson's trichrome. Results ERα was expressed predominantly by the glandular epithelium as well as in the glandular tissue, preputial and apocrine glands. ERα was observed in the nuclei of stromal cells around the cavernous tissue and near the epithelium of the clitoris. ERβ immunostaining was only detected in few cells located in the vascular lumen of the cavernous tissue of the clitoris. nNOS immunostaining was detected in the clitoris, the preputial glans and the connective tissue. Conclusions ERα, ERβ isoforms and neuronal NOS are present in the clitoris and prepucial glands of female mice in different cellular localizations and with differing levels of receptivity. Functional studies would further elucidate the role of receptor functions and their relationship to neuronal expression of nitric oxide.
Hydrogen photoionization cross sections for strong field magnetic white dwarfs

A recently developed computational scheme, based on the complex-rotation method combined with a mixed Slater-Landau basis expansion, has been applied to calculations of photoionization from atomic hydrogen ground and excited states in a strong magnetic field typical of magnetic white dwarf stars. Photoionization cross sections are presented for the twelve states 1s0 ,2 s0 ,2 p0 ,2 p−1 ,3 s � , 3p0 ,3 p−1 ,3 d � ,3 d−1 ,3 d−2 ,4 f−2 ,a nd 4f−3 with magnetic field strengths from 23.5 to 2350 MG. In most cases, good agreement has been found between the current results and the limited theoretical data in the literature. New transitions and additional field strengths are given here which will be applicable to modeling the flux and polarization spectra of magnetic white dwarfs with hydrogen-dominated atmospheres.
DNase I hypersensitivity mapping, genomic footprinting, and transcription factor networks in plants

Abstract Understanding gene regulatory networks in plants requires knowledge of cis- regulatory DNA, trans -acting factors, and their dynamics across development and in response to stimuli. Active cis -regulatory elements are hypersensitive to cleavage by the endonuclease DNase I. Motifs within DNase I hypersensitive sites indicate potential trans -acting factor occupancy and, when combined with DNase I cleavage data, can be used to construct provisional regulatory networks. Several recent studies have applied genome-wide DNase I hypersensitivity mapping to Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, generating chromatin accessibility landscapes for an array of tissues, cell types, and treatments. Here, we discuss these studies, with an emphasis on building regulatory networks and possible directions for improvements.
Comparative Study of a Segmental Arch Ring

Shell equations are employed to solve case of hydrostatic pressure acting on segmental arch ring; results are compared with solution by classical approach; limitations of Donnell’s equation and new aspects of nature of differences between Flugge’s and Timoshenko’s equation; pertinent to application of shell theories in design of arch dams.
Assessing changes in teachers’ attitudes toward interdisciplinary STEM teaching

Integrating engineering and technology concepts into K-12 science and math curricula through engineering design project-based learning has been found to increase students’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), however preparing teachers to shift to interdisciplinary teaching remains a significant challenge. Primarily teachers need to develop both skills and attitudes toward interdisciplinary teaching. In doing so, professional development (PD) is considered a key component in helping teachers through this transformation process. In an educational environment of accountability, measuring the effects of PD programs on teacher behaviors and capacity is essential but often elusive. The current study describes the change in attitudes to interdisciplinary teaching of 29 self-selected middle and high school teachers who participated a PD workshop and in delivering a 12–15 week interdisciplinary teaching and design problem unit that spanned multiple STEM subjects. This quasi-experimental pilot study implemented a single group pretest–posttest design using survey methods to collect data from the participants at two intervals; at the time of the PD workshop and at the completion of the teaching unit that emphasized a long-term engineering design problem. The goals of this research are to (1) assess the changes in attitudes to interdisciplinary teaching, attitudes to teamwork, teaching satisfaction, and resistance to change, (2) explore relationships among these changes, (3) and describe the variation in these changes across teachers’ gender, school level, discipline taught, and education level.
Performance evaluation of Microinsert II - A submillimeter resolution small animal PET scanner

2143 Objectives We have developed a submillimeter resolution small animal PET scanner using the virtual pinhole PET technology. The Microinsert-II system is designed to fit inside the Siemens Inveon PET/CT scanner’s bore and operate in conjunction with the Inveon system. In addition, it is designed to be a MRI compatible device that allows integration with the 4.7T Bruker small animal scanner. Methods The Microinsert-II system consists of 48 SiPM based detectors which are arranged in a ring geometry with 12 transaxial and 4 axial detectors. Each detector module consists of a 20 x 20 LYSO crystal of dimension 0.8 x 0.8 x 3 mm3 coupled to a 4 x 4 SiPM array via a custom light guide. The system has an inner diameter of 6.5 cm and an axial depth of 6.6 cm. It is read out using a combination of custom-made and Siemens QuicksilverTM electronics that enables both stand-alone and simultaneous operation inside the Inveon PET/CT system. Results We have optimized the light guide design and detector assembly techniques such that a 20 x 20 crystal array can be decoded using a 4 x 4 SiPM array using resistive readout and Anger logic. 48 such detectors have been assembled and tested. The average energy resolution of a given detector is 12% and the average timing resolution is 710 ps. Monte Carlo simulations show that for a Derenzo pattern phantom, spheres as small as 0.75 mm diameter can be resolved. Conclusions We have completed the assembly of the Microinsert-II system which is expected to provide sub-millimeter spatial resolution as demonstrated by Monte Carlo simulations. It can operate in a high-resolution stand-alone mode, or in conjunction with Inveon small animal PET scanner where it can provide higher spatial resolution than a stand-alone Inveon system. Performance measurements of the stand-alone system using phantom and animal experiments will be presented. Research Support This work is supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (R01-CA136554, R33-CA110011, and P30-CA91842) and the Washington University Center for High Performance Computing (funded by NIH grant NCRR 1S10RR022984-01A1).
228: MTOR-signaling pathway plays a role in induction of autophagy by type I interferons

Autophagy is a stress-induced cellular recycling mechanism that occurs at a basal level in all eukaryotic cells. Type I interferons are cytokines that have the ability to induce antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory activities in cells. Recently, we found that treatment with IFN-alpha2c and IFN-beta induces autophagy in Daudi B cells, starting at 24 h as indicated by an increase of autophagy markers LC3-II, Atg5-Atg12 complexes, and a decrease of p62. Higher levels of LC3-II were also detected 48 h post IFN-alpha2c treatment in HeLa S3, MDA-MB-231, T98G and A549 cell lines. The increase in expression of autophagy markers correlated with inhibition of mTORC1 activity in Daudi cells. Many signaling pathways play a role in regulation of mTORC1 (e.g. PI3K, AKT). Treatment of Daudi and T98G cells with IFN-alpha2c in combination with either rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor) or LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) increased the level of LC3-II, indicating that PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway may affect IFN-induced autophagy in Daudi and T98G cells. The role of mTOR and factors upstream of mTOR in Type I IFN-induced autophagy was confirmed by siRNA knockdown experiments. The presence of autophagosomes was shown using transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a novel function of Type I IFN as inducer of autophagy in a variety of cancer cell lines.
Military Service in Lives: Where Do We Go From Here?

Although the military has enduring effects on the lives of service members and their families, it is often overlooked as an institutional force that shapes the life course. This chapter aims to bring military service to the attention of life-course scholars by: providing a conceptual model for understanding the impact of military service on lives that builds on the core principles of the life-course perspective; reviewing empirical evidence regarding how military service is related to childhood and adolescence, influences the transition to adulthood, and has long-term consequences for various outcomes in mid-to-late life; and identifying methodological challenges and relatively unexplored questions that should be the focus of future inquiry. In doing so, this chapter facilitates an understanding of military service in lives while also underscoring the role of social institutions in shaping the life course.
Exponential Stability for Linear Systems with Interval Time-Varying Delays

Based on the Lyapunov functional,exponential stability for linear systems with timevarying delay was studied. The time delay is a differentiable function belonging to a given interval. A new criterion for exponential stability was proposed in the form of linear matrix inequalities. When the derivative of the Lyapunov functional was estimated,a tighter upper bound was obtained using convex combination and reciprocally convex combination approaches that led to less conservatism of the condition for exponential stability. In addition,the obtained exponential upper bound of the state depended only on the initial function itself. An example was then presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Combined Cubital and Carpal Tunnel Release Results in Symptom Resolution Outside of the Median or Ulnar Nerve Distributions.

Background Resolution of symptoms including pain, numbness, and tingling outside of the median nerve distribution has been shown to occur following carpal tunnel release. We hypothesized that a similar effect would be found after combined release of the ulnar nerve at the elbow with simultaneous release of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel. Methods 20 patients with combined cubital and carpal tunnel syndrome were prospectively enrolled. The upper extremity was divided into six zones and the location of pain, numbness, tingling, or strange sensations was recorded pre-operatively. Two-point discrimination, Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing, and validated questionnaires were collected pre-operatively and at six-week follow-up. Results Probability of resolution was greater in the median nerve distribution than the ulnar nerve for numbness (71% vs. 43%), tingling (86% vs. 75%). Seventy percent of the cohort reported at least one extra-anatomic symptom pre-operatively, and greater than 80% of these resolved at early follow-up. There was a decrease in pain as measured by validated questionnaires. Conclusion This study documents resolution of symptoms in both extra-ulnar and extra-median distributions after combined cubital and carpal tunnel release. Pre-operative patient counseling may therefore include the likelihood of symptomatic improvement in a non-expected nerve distribution after this procedure, assuming no other concomitant pathology which may cause persistent symptoms. Future studies could be directed at correlating pre-operative disease severity with probability of symptom resolution using a larger population.
Effects of diazoxide and beta adrenergic drugs on spontaneous and induced uterine activity in the pregnant baboon

The effect of diazoxide and beta adrenergic drugs on spontaneous uterine activity and uterine contractions induced with prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) and oxytocin in the pregnant baboon near term was examined. Diazoxide was the most potent inhibitor of uterine activity in this series of tests. Diazoxide, in contrast to the beta adrenergic agents tested, consistently and significantly reduced PGF 2α -induced uterine activity. Isoproterenol did not significantly inhibit PGF 2α -induced activity in a small number of tests but had severe cardiovascular effects. Metaproterenol sulfate* had a significant inhibitory effect on spontaneous and oxytocin-induced uterine contractions but no inhibitory effect on PGF 2α -induced activity. Ritodrine effectively reduced spontaneous uterine contractions but also did not inhibit PGF 2α -induced activity. Diazoxide and the beta adrenergic drugs increased the maternal heart rate.
Delay-Tuned Neurons in the Inferior Colliculus of the Mustached Bat: Implications for Analyses of Target Distance

We examined response properties of delay-tuned neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) of the mustached bat. In the mustached bat, delay-tuned neurons respond best to the co...
Introduction to Nanotechnology: History, Status, and Importance of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Education

Nanotechnology refers to technology done at nanoscale that has applications in the real world. Unique physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials can be exploited for applications that benefit society. Nanotechnology represents a “megatrend” and has become a “general purpose” technology. An executive action of 2000, the National Nanotechnology Initiative was formalized with the twenty-first Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act in 2003. Through FY 2015 in the United States, federal R&D investment has been about $20 billion, with annual investment in FY 2015 of about $1.5B, and more than double that by the private sector. The revenues from nano-enabled products continue growing, with over $200B in FY 2012 in the U.S. alone, and over $700B worldwide. This represents an impressive return on investment. Research on potential safety issues of nanotechnology, development of workforce, and education and curriculum should be continued.
Special Considerations in the Neurogenic Patient

The primary goal in treatment of neurogenic bladder (NGB) is preservation of renal function, which is maintained with low storage pressures. The mainstay of evaluation of patients with NGB is urodynamics (UDS). UDS is essential in managing patients with NGB as most patients will require treatment modification based on their studies. More importantly, Nossier et al. demonstrated that up to 68 % of asymptomatic patients might be at risk for upper tract disease that would be otherwise undetected without UDS. Specific considerations during the study include patient positioning and autonomic dysreflexia (AD). Patients must be monitored closely during UDS for symptoms of AD as well as continuous blood pressure (BP) monitoring, as a portion of patients will be asymptomatic. If an episode of AD occurs, immediate bladder emptying followed by possible oral or topical medication can be used to lower BP. The use of fluoroscopy in patients with NGB is widespread as it allows one to evaluate the upper tracts for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and the outlet for detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia.
Local Equivalence Problems for Real Submanifolds in Complex Spaces

1. Global and Local Equivalence Problems 2. Formal Theory for Levi Non-degenerate Real Hypersurfaces 2.1. General Theory for Formal Hypersurfaces 2.2. \( {\cal H}_k\)-Space and Hypersurfaces in the \( {\cal H}_k\)-Normal Form 2.3. Application to the Rigidity and Non-embeddability Problems 2.4. Chern-Moser Normal Space \({\cal N}_{CH}\) 3. Bishop Surfaces with Vanishing Bishop Invariants 3.1. Formal Theory for Bishop Surfaces with Vanishing Bishop Invariant 4. Moser-Webster’s Theory on Bishop Surfaces with Non-exceptional Bishop Invariants 4.1. Complexification \({\cal M}\) of M and a Pair of Involutions Associated with \({\cal M}\) 4.2. Linear Theory of a Pair of Involutions Intertwined by a Conjugate Holomorphic Involution 4.3. General Theory on the Involutions and the Moser-Webster Normal Form 5. Geometric Method to the Study of Local Equivalence Problems 5.1. Cartan’s Theory on the Equivalent Problem 5.2. Segre Family of Real Analytic Hypersurfaces 5.3. Cartan-Chern-Moser Theory for Germs of Strongly Pseudoconvex Hypersurfaces References
Development of effective empirical potentials for molecular dynamics simulations of the structures and properties of boroaluminosilicate glasses

Abstract A set of empirical potentials have been developed to enable molecular dynamics simulations of oxide glasses with the most common glass formers: silica, boron and aluminum oxides. Built upon the recent borosilicate potentials, this set of partial charge effective potentials features composition dependent variable atomic charges and pairwise short range interactions that ensure high computational efficiency. They can correctly reproduce the short range structure features of boroaluminosilicate glasses including [SiO4] tetrahedral network, aluminum coordination, and, importantly, the coordination change of boron as a function of composition. By using the newly developed potentials, a series of sodium boroaluminosilicate glasses were simulated and the structures analyzed in terms of bond distance, bond angle, and coordination number, which were compared with available theoretical, simulation and experimental results. Structural analysis such as polyhedral connectivity analysis, Qn analysis, and ring size distribution were obtained to investigate the medium range structure features of these glasses. Furthermore, mechanical properties such as Young's, shear and bulk moduli were calculated and were found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The vibrational density of states was also calculated and compared with previous MD and ab initio results. The results show [3]B and [4]B had distinctive spectra features and vibrational spectra were in good agreement with earlier ab initio studies.
Antimicrobial Efficacy of a Potassium Sorbate Dip on Freshly Processed Poultry.

Fresh poultry breasts were dipped in a solution containing either 0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0% potassium sorbate for 1 min. Another lot of fresh poultry breasts was dipped in a suspension of either 103 or 105 cells of three strains of Salmonella /ml before being dipped in one of the potassium sorbate solutions. Use of a potassium sorbate dip significantly reduced the total number of viable bacteria on the poultry parts when compared to the untreated control parts after 7 days of storage at 10 C and after 8 days at 6 C. Use of a 10.0% sorbate dip significantly reduced the total plate count as related to the total plate count of the control parts after 5 days of storage at 22 C. Application of a 10.0% sorbate dip resulted in a significantly lower Salmonella count than of the untreated parts after 7 days of storage at 10 C and a 5.0% or greater sorbate dip markedly reduced the growth rate of the Salmonella at 10 and 22 C when compared to the growth rate of the Salmonella on control parts.
Solution Synthesis, Structure, and CO2 Reduction Reactivity of a Scandium(II) Complex, {Sc[N(SiMe3)2]3}-

The first crystallographically characterizable complex of Sc2+, [Sc(NR2)3]− (R=SiMe3), has been obtained by LnA3/M reactions (Ln=rare earth metal; A=anionic ligand; M=alkali metal) involving reduction of Sc(NR2)3 with K in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) and 18-crown-6 (18-c-6) and with Cs in the presence of crypt. Dark maroon [K(crypt)]+, [K(18-c-6)]+, and [Cs(crypt)]+ salts of the [Sc(NR2)3]− anion are formed, respectively. The formation of this oxidation state of Sc is also indicated by the eight-line EPR spectra arising from the I=7/2 45Sc nucleus. The Sc(NR2)3 reduction differs from Ln(NR2)3 reactions (Ln=Y and lanthanides) in that it occurs under N2 without formation of isolable reduced dinitrogen species. [K(18-c-6)][Sc(NR2)3] reacts with CO2 to produce an oxalate complex, {K2(18-c-6)3}{[(R2N)3Sc]2(μ-C2O4-κ1O:κ1O′′)}, and a CO2− radical anion complex, [(R2N)3Sc(μ-OCO-κ1O:κ1O′)K(18-c-6)]n.
Early changes in brain structure correlate with language outcomes in children with neonatal encephalopathy

Global patterns of brain injury correlate with motor, cognitive, and language outcomes in survivors of neonatal encephalopathy (NE). However, it is still unclear whether local changes in brain structure predict specific deficits. We therefore examined whether differences in brain structure at 6 months of age are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in this population. We enrolled 32 children with NE, performed structural brain MR imaging at 6 months, and assessed neurodevelopmental outcomes at 30 months. All subjects underwent T1-weighted imaging at 3 T using a 3D IR-SPGR sequence. Images were normalized in intensity and nonlinearly registered to a template constructed specifically for this population, creating a deformation field map. We then used deformation based morphometry (DBM) to correlate variation in the local volume of gray and white matter with composite scores on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) at 30 months. Our general linear model included gestational age, sex, birth weight, and treatment with hypothermia as covariates. Regional brain volume was significantly associated with language scores, particularly in perisylvian cortical regions including the left supramarginal gyrus, posterior superior and middle temporal gyri, and right insula, as well as inferior frontoparietal subcortical white matter. We did not find significant correlations between regional brain volume and motor or cognitive scale scores. We conclude that, in children with a history of NE, local changes in the volume of perisylvian gray and white matter at 6 months are correlated with language outcome at 30 months. Quantitative measures of brain volume on early MRI may help identify infants at risk for poor language outcomes.
Promoting Educators’ Use of Culturally Responsive Practices: A Systematic Review of Inservice Interventions:

Few educators are well-equipped to bridge cultural differences to ensure that all students have opportunities to learn and succeed. Existing frameworks for culturally responsive practices (CRP) sug...
Wild Public Networks and Affective Movements in China: Environmental Activism, Social Media, and Protest in Maoming

In the following essay, I offer and explain the concept of wild public networks as a tool for social movement scholars interested in taking a network approach to contemporary protests via poststructuralism. Wild public networks offer scholars a means of approaching social movements that moves past binaries to productively incorporate affect. In so doing, the concept of wild public networks advances an ontological shift for social movement scholars that also alters what we examine and how. Wild public networks consider how the movement of the social can be witnessed in changes to relationships between actants and the configurations of networks. To explicate this new concept, I turn to contemporary environmental protests in Maoming, China.
Abstract 19546: Differential Event Prediction Using Coronary Vascular Testing Results From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation Study

Background: Prior studies demonstrated that among women with signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), invasive coronary vascular testing predicts combined shorter-term adverse events. Adenosine is commonly used in coronary angiography, while acetylcholine testing is not. We compared the prognostic value of adenosine based coronary flow reserve (CFR) measurement to acetylcholine based coronary vasodilation on differential longer-term outcomes from the WISE cohort. Methods: 200 women with signs and symptoms of ischemia with dominantly non-obstructive coronary artery disease underwent coronary vascular testing. CFR with adenosine and change in coronary artery diameter in response to intracoronary acetylcholine (IC-Ach) were evaluated. Cardio-vascular (CV) events (CV mortality or non-fatal myocardial infarction [MI], heart failure hospitalization (HF), or stroke) and angina hospitalization served as outcome variables over a median follow-up of 6 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the results of coronary vascular function. Results: Mean age was 56±10 years, 75% had non-obstructive CAD, 27% were diabetic, 61% had hypertension and 60% had hyperlipidemia. CFR Conclusion: Among women with signs and symptoms of ischemia with dominantly non-obstructive CAD, coronary vascular testing using adenosine based CFR predicts CV events, while IC-Ach predicts angina hospitalization. These data suggest that the easier and more commonly used adenosine based CFR testing offers prognostic data for CV death, MI, HF and stroke while IC-Ach is useful to predict angina hospitalization.
Axial Neck and Back Pain

Greater than 80% of all adults will experience neck or back pain debilitating enough to impair function. Obtaining a thorough history and performing a focused physical examination can typically yield an accurate diagnosis of the cause of pain. Common causes of axial spinal pain include the muscle and fascia, spinal ligaments, disc, facet joints, and sacroiliac joints. Rest, NSAIDs, and physical therapy will relieve the pain in a majority of patients. Injections can be performed for focused muscle spasms, facet or disc pain, or sacroiliac pain. Surgery is rarely performed for axial back pain and involves spinal fusion when performed.
Socioeconomic Disparities in Health Risk Behavior Clusterings Among Korean Adolescents.

This study aims to investigate the socioeconomic disparities in health risk behavior clusterings among Korean adolescents and to assess the mediating role of stress on this association. We analyzed the 2015 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a nationally representative sample of Korean middle and high school students aged 12–18 years (N = 68,043). The co-occurrence of multiple health risk behaviors (i.e., cigarette smoking, drinking, and unprotected sex) was used to operationalize health risk behavior clusterings that ranged from zero to three. Ordinal and multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to examine socioeconomic disparities in health risk behavior clusterings and mediating effect of perceived stress between socioeconomic status (SES) and health risk behaviors. When SES was grouped into five groups, adolescents in the lowest SES [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.90–2.44] and the highest SES (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.18–1.40) showed a higher likelihood of risk behavior clusterings than any other SES groups. Stress partially mediated the relationship between SES and co-occurrence of multiple health risk behaviors while accounting for their demographic characteristics. Adolescents in the lowest and highest SES reported higher stress than other SES groups, which, in turn, was associated with the co-occurrence of multiple health risk behaviors. The results suggest that perceived stress level partly explains why affluent as well as low-SES adolescents engage in multiple risk behaviors. The findings also discourage use of a linear approach in socioeconomic disparity investigation in relation to adolescent health behaviors.
Crystals and Melts

Crystalline phases consist of regular (periodic) space-filling assemblages of atoms, ions, or molecules that, more or less, compactly fill 3-dimensional space at an average mass density, ρ s . Crystalline phases are subject to the rigorous constraint imposed by long-range order (LRO) and satisfy the spatial invariance determined by the lattice’s point-group symmetry. That is, LRO assures the presence of special symmetries and provides long-range correlations of the particle positions, even over macroscopic distances. Thermodynamic equilibrium selects the particular crystalline phase that will minimize a system’s free energy at some fixed pressure for all temperatures below the phase diagram’s co-existence curve with the melt phase. Crystalline phases, as defined here, also broadly constitute many of the common ‘engineering materials’, including metals and alloys, crystalline ceramics, semiconductors, and many important polymeric systems.
Pump Function of the Human Corneal Endothelium: Effects of Age and Cornea Guttata

The specific binding of tritiated ouabain to endothelial Na/K ATPase was used to quantitate the density of pump sites in the human corneal endothelium. Donor eyes, unsuitable for use in keratoplasty, were obtained from the Wisconsin Lions Eye Bank. The endothelium of each donor eye was examined using wide-field specular microscopy, and the specular micrographs were traced and digitized for the determination of cell density. Ouabain binding was measured in matched pairs of isolated endothelial sheets. A total of 26 pairs of donor eyes, ranging in age from 11 through 91 years, were studied. Twenty pairs, determined to have normal endothelia, were found to have a constant pump site density which was independent of donor age. Six donor pairs had moderate guttata; in this group pump site density was significantly increased. These results indicate that, although pump site density is normally constant in the human corneal endothelium, conditions which increase endothelial permeability, such as guttata, can cause a compensatory increase in pump site density and presumably pump function.
Patterns of Host-Associated Fecal Indicators Driven by Hydrology, Precipitation, and Land Use Attributes in Great Lakes Watersheds.

Fecal contamination from sewage and agricultural runoff is a pervasive problem in Great Lakes watersheds. Most work examining fecal pollution loads relies on discrete samples of fecal indicators and modeling land use. In this study, we made empirical measurements of human and ruminant-associated fecal indicator bacteria and combined these with hydrological measurements in eight watersheds ranging from predominantly forested to highly urbanized. Flow composited river samples were collected over low-flow (n = 89) and rainfall or snowmelt runoff events (n = 130). Approximately 90% of samples had evidence of human fecal pollution, with highest loads from urban watersheds. Ruminant indicators were found in ∼60–100% of runoff-event samples in agricultural watersheds, with concentrations and loads related to cattle density. Rain depth, season, agricultural tile drainage, and human or cattle density explained variability in daily flux of human or ruminant indicators. Mapping host-associated indicator loads to wat...
Livestock grazing and topographic site effects on grassland plant communities after long-term grazing cessation

Ranchers are increasingly expected to manage grasslands for forage production and native biodiversity enhancement goals. However, longstanding relationships between grazing and plant species are often understudied because elucidating effects of grazing absence and presence often requires experimental opportunities that are difficult to establish, such as the introduction of grazing to long-term ungrazed pastures. Addressing this knowledge gap is critical for heterogeneous landscapes where site-specific properties might interact with grazing effects to ultimately structure plant communities. We conducted vegetation surveys for 3 years after grazing was reintroduced to an annual California grassland that was not grazed for more than 60 years. We investigated how grazing affected plant communities in terms of cover and richness of native and invasive species and how topographic sites of summit, backslope and toeslope altered these relationships. The plant communities were affected by the independent effects of grazing, site and year. Across years, native cover was 39% greater in grazed plots compared with ungrazed plots. Native species richness was slightly lower in ungrazed compared with grazed plots for toeslope sites relative to the other topographic positions. Invasive species cover was 17% lower in grazed plots compared with ungrazed plots and no predictors were found to contribute to significant differences across plots. Although we generally did not find expected relationships between site and plant response to grazing, this work demonstrates how managers can use livestock to quickly modify plant communities in areas with a long history of grazing absence.
Design and Analysis of a Communication Protocol for Dynamic Vehicular Clouds in Smart Cities

The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) and adoption of smart cities create opportunities for creative and efficient management and utilization of the available resources. One of the characteristics of smart cities is the interconnectivity of the city's infrastructure, which allows data to be transferred between vehicles, infrastructures and road side units. Future vehicles with powerful on-board computers, communication capabilities, and vast sensor arrays are perfect candidates in this hyper-connected environment to utilize into a fluid Vehicular Cloud (VC) capable of performing large-scale computations. In this paper, we propose a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication protocol for enabling a dynamic Vehicular Cloud Computing system in smart cities.
Drag-Induced Displacement of a Simply Supported Bridge Span during Hurricane Katrina

AbstractCoastal bridges are vulnerable to large hydrodynamic loads during extreme events. During the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, these loads exceeded the capacity of bridge spans resulting in ...
Pharmacotherapy of pediatric lung disease: differences between children and adults.

SUMMARY Drug dosages for infants and children differ significantly from those used in adults (Table 5). This is due to normal developmental physiologic differences that affect absorption, distribution, and clearance. In general, infants and children require higher dosages of many therapeutic agents on a weight basis. Parenteral drug administration difficulties are complicated by the slow fluid infusion rates often used in infants and young children. The use of syringe infusion pump devices is critical for accurate therapeutic drug monitoring and dosage adjustment in pediatrics than in adults. Aerosol administration in pediatrics is more complicated and is poorly studied. Difficulty with coordinating metered-dose aerosols with inhalation and drug raining out on small endotracheal tubes of ventilated patients are two significant problems. Chronic and acute pulmonary disease can significantly affect drug disposition and metabolism, but has been poorly studied in children. The pharmacokinetics of a number of drugs have been evaluated in cystic fibrosis and may provide insight into the effect of disease states on drug disposition.
Mexico’s illicit drug networks and the state reaction,

The explosion of the drug trade has sent analysts scurrying for reliable sources. Given the prominence of Mexico in, particularly, the distribution chain, the assessment of Nathan P. Jones bears a ...
“The Line Must Be Drawn Somewhere”: The Rise of Legal Status Restrictions in State Welfare Policy in the 1970s

In 1971, Governor Ronald Reagan signed into law a measure barring unauthorized immigrants from public assistance. The following year, New York State legislators passed a bill to do the same, although that bill was vetoed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. This article examines these cases to better understand why states that had long provided welfare to unauthorized immigrants each sought to bar them from public assistance. Common explanations for the curtailment of immigrant social rights often center on partisan politics, popular nativism, demographic context, or issue entrepreneurs. But these studies often wrongly assume that efforts to limit immigrant social rights began in the 1990s. Therefore, they miss how such efforts first emerged in the 1970s, and how these restrictive measures were initially closely bound up in broader debates over race and welfare that followed in the wake of the War on Poverty and the civil rights movement. Where scholars often argue that immigration undermines support for welfare, I show how the turn against welfare helped to undermine immigrant social rights. I also show how differing interpretations of the scope and reach of Supreme Court decisions traditionally seen as victories for welfare and immigrant rights help explain initial variation in policy outcomes in each state.
Risk Factors for Requiring a Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Case-Control Study.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is considered as a successful orthopaedic procedure that attempts to help patients return to their preinjury level of activity. However, some patients may need to undergo revision surgery, and this potentially may be associated with certain surgery-specific or patient risk factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the potential role of (1) demographics, (2) family history, (3) graft choice, (4) sport, and (5) mechanism of injury (contact vs. noncontact) in the risk for needing a revision ACL for improved clinical outcomes. All patients who had undergone a primary ACL reconstruction between 2012 and 2016 were identified from at a single institution. About 312 patients who had a mean age of 24 years (range, 9–62 years) and a mean follow-up of 4 years (range, 1–10). Patients were further evaluated to identify those who had a revision. There were 19 patients (6.1%) with a mean age of 22 years (range, 13–38 years) and a mean follow-up of 5 years (range, 1–10) that required a revision reconstruction. Gender ratios (p = 0.56) and mean age (p = 0.44) were similar among the cohorts. Family history of ACL reconstruction had no association with revision risk (p = 0.57). Those with tibialis anterior allografts (37 vs. 4%; p = 0.0001) and hamstring allografts (16 vs. 1%; p = 0.0001) were far more likely to undergo a revision. Bone-tendon-bone (BTB) patella autografts were less likely (26 vs. 73%; p = 0.0001). Sport did not play a role in revision with those injured playing basketball (p = 0.61), football (p = 0.52), lacrosse (p = 0.52), soccer (p = 0.83), and volleyball (p = 0.61). There were a greater percentage of contact injuries that required revision (95 vs. 77%; p = 0.07). Graft selection played a significant role in requiring revision surgery with allografts portending to higher revision rates and BTB patella autografts conferring a lower risk.
Learning Based and Adaptive CE Approach for Power Allocation in Massive MIMO-NOMA

The multiple input multiple output non-orthogonal multiple access (MIMO-NOMA) is considered as a promising technology to improve the performance of the next-generation mobile network. In this paper, we propose a hybrid precoding massive MIMO-NOMA system, where the spectrum efficiency is improved with the proposed user grouping scheme and power allocation scheme. In particular, user grouping guarantees that the cluster headers have relatively high channel gains and low channel correlations among each other. With user grouping, power allocation for the studied system is based on an adaptive continuous Cross-Entropy (CE) approach. To achieve a higher sum data rate of entire network, the number of elite samples is chosen depending on the optimal ratio to the total number of samples used in each iteration. The optimal ratio is numerically validated in the evaluation. Moreover, a decreasing total sample number along with standard deviation is proposed to further increase the convergence rate of the CE approach. The simulation results demonstrate that our proposed power allocation scheme can provide significantly higher spectrum efficiency than traditional MIMO systems, and outperform existing MIMO-NOMA systems.
Should Moral Vegetarians Avoid Eating Vegetables

David DeGrazia (2009) and Stuart Rachels (2011), among others, offer moral arguments in favor of adopting a vegetarian diet that have, they claim, broad appeal. Rather than relying on an account of animal rights or a particular ethical theory, these arguments rely on the moral principle that an extensive amount of pain requires moral justification. Since people do not need to eat meat in order to survive, the arguments conclude that the pain that animals experience in factory farming is unjustified. I argue that these very same arguments support a more radical conclusion, namely, vegetarians morally should avoid eating vegetables from industrialized farming. Thus, if vegetarians are convinced by the moral arguments for vegetarianism offered by DeGrazia and Rachels, then they should be convinced, by analogous reasoning, that they should not eat vegetables from industrialized farming.
Where is the leak in the surgeon pipeline

Abstract Introduction In order to care for an increasingly diverse population, the surgical workforce must improve in gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. We aim to identify deficiencies in the surgical pipeline. Methods Data from the United States Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Association of American Medical Colleges were collected from 2004 to 2018, and evaluated for changing population over time. Results Women comprise 51% of the population, 32% of surgeons, and representation is increasing at a rate of 0.4% per year. 13% of the population and 6% of surgeons are black, and representation is decreasing at a rate of −0.1% per year. Hispanics represent 18% of the population, 6% of surgeons, and representation is increasing at a rate of 0.04% per year. Conclusions While the proportion of women and Hispanic surgeons is slowly increasing, the proportion of black surgeons is decreasing. Recruitment methods need to be focused to improve surgical workforce diversity.
Measuring Student Interprofessional Skills in the Roles/Responsibilities Competency.

PURPOSE To assess students' perceptions and knowledge of interprofessional collaborative practice related to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Roles/Responsibilities (RRs) competency after engagement in interprofessional education experiences. METHODS Thirty physician assistant students were surveyed 3 times during the clinical year to assess the level of collaborative engagement with 5 professions. The level of engagement was assessed utilizing a 5-point Likert scale, and an open-ended question measured student knowledge of other professionals' roles. RESULTS Student responses indicated that the level of engagement was greatest during the first clinical semester overall for all 3 levels of engagement. An increase in the level of engagement was noted for 2 professions over the one-year study period. Students also provided examples of opportunities where they relied on the expertise of another profession during the clinical rotation year. CONCLUSION Study results confirm student acquisition of 2 IPEC RR subcompetencies during clinical rotations. However, there remains a gap in correlating interprofessional education with interprofessional collaborative practice.