cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Provider Demonstration and Assessment of Child Device Technique During Pediatric Asthma Visits

OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were to (a) describe the extent to which children use metered dose inhalers, turbuhalers, diskuses, and peak flow meters correctly, and (b) investigate how often providers assess and demonstrate use of metered dose inhalers, turbuinhalers, diskuses, and peak flow meters during pediatric asthma visits. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children ages 8 through 16 with mild, moderate, or severe persistent asthma and their caregivers were recruited at 5 pediatric practices in nonurban areas of North Carolina. All of the medical visits were audiotape-recorded. Children were interviewed after their medical visits, and their device technique was observed and rated by the research assistants. RESULTS: Of the patients, 296 had useable audiotape data. Only 8.1% of children performed all of the metered dose inhaler steps correctly. Older children were more likely to get more of the metered dose inhaler steps correct. Of the children, 22% performed all of the diskus steps correctly, 15.6% performed all of the turbuhaler steps correctly, and 24% performed all of the peak flow meter steps correctly. The majority of providers did not demonstrate or assess child use of metered dose inhalers, turbuhalers, diskuses, or peak flow meters during pediatric asthma visits. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for providers to demonstrate proper asthma medication and monitoring device techniques to children and to have children demonstrate to proficiency. The 2007 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute expert panel report on the diagnosis and management of asthma encourages providers to educate children on these techniques.
Radionuclide Concentrations in Bivalves Collected Along the Coastal United States

Abstract In 1990, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administation's National Status and Trends Program initiated a study of artificial radionuclides (241Am, 239 + 240Pu, 238Pu, 137Cs, 110Ag, 90Sr, 65Zn, 60Co, and 58Co) in oysters and mussels collected along the coastal US. The results of this study show that activation products 110Ag, 65Zn, 60Co and 58Co are sometimes present close to nuclear facilities. In addition, based on a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis statistical test, it appears that 241Am and 137Cs concentrations as well as 241 Am 239 + 240 Pu and 137 Cs 40 K activity ratios are highest along the West Coast of the US. For 238Pu, 239 + 240Pu, and 90Sr activities and the other ratios, the differences observed in the distribution of the radionuclides between the various coasts are not statistically significant. There is also a statistical difference between the values of the 239 + 240 Pu 90 Sr ratio in oysters vs mussels collected along the East Coast and of the 241 Am 239 + 240 Pu ratio between two species of mussels collected along the West Coast. Finally, when the NOAA results for 241Am, 239 + 240Pu, and 137Cs are compared with those of an earlier (1976–1978) Mussel Watch Program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the statistical Sign Test generally shows a significant decrease in the concentrations between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s.
Political Institutions and Economic Policy: Rural Renter Legislation in Argentina, 1912-1942

espanolLa importancia de las instituciones politicas en el crecimiento economico en paises en desarrollo no ha sido adecuadamente estudiada. El desarrollo economico argentino hacia finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX se baso en la produccion agropecuaria de exportacion. La estructura de produccion se sostuvo con un sistema generalizado de contratos de arrendamientos. Este articulo utiliza analisis espacial y regresiones logisticas para estudiar el rol del Congreso Nacional en dar forma al marco legal de dichos contratos para el periodo 1912-1943. La principal conclusion es que las reformas legislativas fueron un producto del funcionamiento de las instituciones politicas en el Congreso, que proveyeron de poder de veto a los Conservadores para suavizar las reformas propuestas a los Radicales. El fraude electoral en los anos treinta detuvo el proceso reformista en el Congreso y dio paso a cambios mas revolucionarios a partir de 1940. EnglishThe importance of political institutions in the economic performance of developing countries is generally overlooked. Argentine economic development in the 19th and early 20th centuries relied on the production of rural exports. The production structure in agriculture was supported by the widespread use of tenancy contracts. This paper uses spatial analysis and logistic legislation for the period 1912 to 1943. The finding is that legislative reform was a product of how political institutions worked in Congress providing veto power to Conservatives over the proposals of Radicals. Electoral fraud in the 1930s stopped tenancy legislation and gave rise to revolutionary changes in the 1940s.
Integrated analytic spatial and temporal anti-aliasing for polyhedra in 4-space

A visible surface algorithm with integrated analytic spatial and temporal anti-aliasing is presented. This algorithm models moving polygons as four dimensional (X,Y,Z,T) image space polyhedra, where time (T) is treated as an additional spatial dimension. The linearity of these primitives allows simplification of the analytic algorithms. The algorithm is exact for non-intersecting primitives, and exact for the class of intersecting primitives generated by translation and scaling of 3-d (X,Y,Z) polygons in image space. This algorithm is an extension of Catmull's analytic visible surface algorithm for independent pixel processing, based on the outline of integrated spatial and temporal anti-aliasing given by Korien and Badler. An analytic solution requires that the visible surface calculations produce a continuous representation of visible primitives in the time and space dimensions. Visible surface algorithm, graphical primitives, and filtering algorithm, (by Feibush, Levoy and Cook) are extended to include continuous representation of the additional dimension of time. A performance analysis of the algorithm contrasted with a non-temporally anti-aliased version is given.
Ouabain-Induced Cochlear Nerve Degeneration: Synaptic Loss and Plasticity in a Mouse Model of Auditory Neuropathy

Ouabain application to the round window can selectively destroy type-I spiral ganglion cells, producing an animal model of auditory neuropathy. To assess the long-term effects of this deafferentation on synaptic organization in the organ of Corti and cochlear nucleus, and to ask whether surviving cochlear neurons show any post-injury plasticity in the adult, we quantified the peripheral and central synapses of type-I neurons at posttreatment times ranging from 1 to 3 months. Measures of normal DPOAEs and greatly reduced auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) confirmed the neuropathy phenotype. Counts of presynaptic ribbons and postsynaptic glutamate receptor patches in the inner hair cell area decreased with post-exposure time, as did counts of cochlear nerve terminals in the cochlear nucleus. Although these counts provided no evidence of new synapse formation via branching from surviving neurons, the regular appearance of ectopic neurons in the inner hair cell area suggested that neurite extension is not uncommon. Correlations between pathophysiology and histopathology showed that ABR thresholds are very insensitive to even massive neural degeneration, whereas the amplitude of ABR wave 1 is a better metric of synaptic degeneration.
Evidence for an enterotropic homone: Compensatory hyperplasia in defunctioned bowel

The relative contributions of luminal and systemic factors to the development of compensatory intestinal hyperplasia were assessed by comparing the adaptive response to jejunal resection in functioning and defunctioned ileum. In Thiry--Vella loops of upper ileum, mucosal contents of RNA and DNA increased by 16--21 per cent 2--7 days after jejunectomy (P = 0.05--0.01), but DNA specific activity was unchanged. In lower ileum remaining in continuity with the nutrient stream, nucleic acids were elevated by 27--86 per cent (P less than 0.001) and specific activity by 34--36 per cent (P = 0.05--0.005). Proximal to the site of resection, duodenal hyperplasia was equally rapid but less intense than in the distal bowel. Full adaptation requires both intraluminal nutrients and enterotropic hormones to be present.
Extracavitary/solid variant of primary effusion lymphoma

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a distinct clinicopathologic entity associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) infection that mostly affects patients with immunodeficiency. Primary effusion lymphoma usually presents as a malignant effusion involving the pleural, peritoneal, and/or pericardial cavities without a tumor mass. Rare cases of HHV8-positive lymphoma with features similar to PEL can present as tumor masses in the absence of cavity effusions and are considered to represent an extracavitary or solid variant of PEL. Here, we report 3 cases of extracavitary PEL arising in human immunodeficiency virus-infected men. Two patients had lymphadenopathy and underwent lymph node biopsy. One patient had a mass involving the ileum and ascending colon. In lymph nodes, the tumor was predominantly sinusoidal. The tumor involving the ileum and ascending colon presented as 2 masses, 12.5 × 10.6 × 2.6 cm in the colon and 3.6 × 2.7 × 1.9 cm in the ileum. In each case, the neoplasms were composed of large anaplastic cells, and 2 cases had "hallmark cells." Immunohistochemistry showed that all cases were positive for HHV8 and CD138. One case also expressed CD4 and CD30, and 1 case was positive for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA. Evidence of B-cell differentiation was poorly developed in all tumors. These cases highlight the importance of assessing HHV8 in an anaplastic tumor that arises in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient and further contributes to the limited literature currently available for extracavitary PEL.
DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTION OF THE GREEN PEACH APHID, MYZUS PERSICAE (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE), ON UPPER AND LOWER LEAVES OF THREE POTATO CULTIVARS

The influence of potato cultivar ( Solanum tuberosum tuberosum (L.) cvs. Katahdin (long-season), Norchip (mid-season), and Superior (short-season)) and vertical leaf position on certain life statistics of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were assessed in a glasshouse environment. Aphids were caged on upper and lower leaves of each cultivar. Developmental time requirements for pre-reproductive life stages were similar among cultivars and between leaf positions. Longevity was similar among cultivars within leaf position. However, aphids survived 62.3, 53.6, and longer on lower leaves than on upper leaves of Superior, Norchip, and Katahdin ( p shorter on Superior than on Katahdin. MGT was 15.2, 6.9, and shorter on lower leaves than on upper leaves of Superior, Norchip, and Katahdin, respectively ( p
On the design of robust multiple fault testable CMOS combinational logic circuits

Tests that detect modeled faults independent of the delays in the circuit under test are called robust tests. An integrated approach to the design of combinational logic circuits in which all single stuck-open faults and path delay faults are detectable by robust tests was presented by the authors earlier. It is shown that the earlier design actually results in circuits in which all multiple stuck-at and stuck-open and multipath delay faults are robustly testable. The tests to detect such faults are presented. >
A depletion protocol for non-renewable natural resources : Australia as an example

This paper examines the implications of statements by Australia’s Minister of… Resources that Australia’s exports of coal are growing rapidly and that Australia’s coal will last “110 years at current rates of production.” If one assumes that coal production P(t), follows a Gaussian curve (similar to a Hubbert curve) one can construct a family of Gaussian curves showing possible future paths of P(t) which are consistent with the cited “110 years.” Each curve reaches a maximum after which P(t) declines toward zero. Knowledge of the present value of dP/dt allows one member of the family to be identified as the most probable future path of P(t). Families of curves and tabular data are presented for resource quantities that would last 50, 100 and 200 years “at current rates of production.” If, instead, Australia’s P(t) follows a declining exponential curve (exp(−kt)) with k = (1/110) per year, the stated quantity of coal will allow production to continue forever, with P(t) declining with a half life of 76 y. This and more rapidly declining exponential paths are the only paths that can be said to be sustainable. The envelope of the family of Gaussian curves divides the (P, t) plane into “allowed” and “forbidden” areas. The declining exponential curve divides the “allowed” area into an upper area that is “terminal” and a lower area that is “sustainable.” These facts, coupled with Australia’s expectations of rapid growth of its population, suggest that Australia’s present resource policies are “anti-sustainable” and that the people of Australia need to rethink their present policy of rapidly exporting their fossil fuels.
Effect of Micronutrient Supplementation on Disease Progression in Asymptomatic, Antiretroviral-Naive, HIV-Infected Adults in Botswana A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Micronutrient deficiencies occur early in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and supplementation with micronutrients may be beneficial; however, its effectiveness has not been investigated early in HIV disease among adults who are antiretroviral therapy (ART) naive. Objective To investigate whether long-term micronutrient supplementation is effective and safe in delaying disease progression when implemented early in adults infected with HIV subtype C who are ART-naive. Design, Setting, and Participants Randomized clinical trial of supplementation with either daily multivitamins (B vitamins and vitamins C and E), selenium alone, or multivitamins with selenium vs placebo in a factorial design for 24 months. The study was conducted in 878 patients infected with HIV subtype C with a CD4 cell count greater than 350/μL who were not receiving ART at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, between December 2004 and July 2009. Interventions Daily oral supplements of B vitamins and vitamins C and E, selenium alone, or multivitamins plus selenium, compared with placebo. Main Outcomes and Measures Reaching a CD4 cell count less than 200/μL until May 2008; after this date, reaching a CD4 cell count of 250/μL or less, consistent with the standard of care in Botswana for initiation of ART at the time of the study. Results There were 878 participants enrolled and randomized into the study. All participants were ART-naive throughout the study. In intent-to-treat analysis, participants receiving the combined supplement of multivitamins plus selenium had a significantly lower risk vs placebo of reaching CD4 cell count 250/μL or less (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.46; 95% CI, 0.25-0.85; P = .01; absolute event rate [AER], 4.79/100 person-years; censoring rate, 0.92; 17 events; placebo AER, 9.22/100 person-years; censoring rate, 0.85; 32 events). Multivitamins plus selenium in a single supplement, vs placebo, also reduced the risk of secondary events of combined outcomes for disease progression (CD4 cell count ≤250/μL, AIDS-defining conditions, or AIDS-related death, whichever occurred earlier [adjusted HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33-0.95; P = .03; AER, 6.48/100 person-years; censoring rate, 0.90; 23 events]). There was no effect of supplementation on HIV viral load. Multivitamins alone and selenium supplementation alone were not statistically different from placebo for any end point. Reported adverse events were adjudicated as unlikely to be related to the intervention, and there were no notable differences in incidence of HIV-related and health-related events among study groups. Conclusions and Relevance In ART-naive HIV-infected adults, 24-month supplementation with a single supplement containing multivitamins and selenium was safe and significantly reduced the risk of immune decline and morbidity. Micronutrient supplementation may be effective when started in the early stages of HIV disease.
The wavelet transform of stochastic processes with stationary increments and its application to fractional Brownian motion

The wavelet transform of random processes with wide-sense stationary increments is shown to be a wide-sense stationary process whose correlation function and spectral distribution are determined. The second-order properties of the coefficients in the wavelet orthonormal series expansion of such processes is obtained. Applications to the spectral analysis and to the synthesis of fractional Brownian motion are given. >
Transparency, Compliance, and Filing Burden—Principles for the Revised Form 990

ABSTRACT: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has significantly revised Form 990, “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.” The informational return has not been substantively modified in 30 years. The IRS states the redesign of the return was based on three guiding principles: (1) enhancing transparency, (2) promoting tax compliance, and (3) minimizing the burden on the filing organization. This paper outlines the historical context of legislative changes concerning transparency and accountability within the tax exempt sector. It also outlines the major revisions to Form 990 and argues that they meet the underlying goals established by the IRS to enhance the overall accountability within the sector.
Matrix Metalloproteinases Generate Angiostatin: Effects on Neovascularization

Angiostatin, a cleavage product of plasminogen, has been shown to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation and metastatic tumor cell growth. Recently, the production of angiostatin has been correlated with tumor-associated macrophage production of elastolytic metalloproteinases in a murine model of Lewis lung cell carcinoma. In this report we demonstrate that purified murine and human matrix metalloproteinases generate biologically functional angiostatin from plasminogen. Macrophage elastase (MMP-12 or MME) proved to be the most efficient angiostatin-producing MMP. MME was followed by gelatinases and then the stomelysins in catalytic efficiency; interstitial collagenases had little capacity to generate angiostatin. Both recombinant angiostatin and angiostatin generated from recombinant MME-treated plasminogen inhibited human microvascular endothelial cell proliferation and differentiation in vitro. Finally, employing macrophages isolated from MME-deficient mice and their wild-type littermates, we demonstrate that MME is required for the generation of angiostatin that inhibits the proliferation of human microvascular endothelial cells.
Modeling interfacial liquid layers on environmental ices

Abstract. Interfacial layers on ice significantly influence air-ice chemical interactions. In solute-containing aqueous systems, a liquid brine may form upon freezing due to the exclusion of impurities from the ice crystal lattice coupled with freezing point depression in the concentrated brine. The brine may be segregated to the air-ice interface where it creates a surface layer, in micropockets, or at grain boundaries or triple junctions. We present a model for brines and their associated liquid layers in environmental ice systems that is valid over a wide range of temperatures and solute concentrations. The model is derived from fundamental equlibrium thermodynamics and takes into account nonideal solution behavior in the brine, partitioning of the solute into the ice matrix, and equilibration between the brine and the gas phase for volatile solutes. We find that these phenomena are important to consider when modeling brines in environmental ices, especially at low temperatures. We demonstrate its application for environmentally important volatile and nonvolatile solutes including NaCl, HCl, and HNO 3 . The model is compared to existing models and experimental data from literature where available. We also identify environmentally relevant regimes where brine is not predicted to exist, but the QLL may significantly impact air-ice chemical interactions. This model can be used to improve the representation of air-ice chemical interactions in polar atmospheric chemistry models.
Quantifying the human–building interaction: Considering the active, adaptive occupant in building performance simulation

•A program for co-simulating building occupant behavior/energy use is introduced.•The co-simulation uses a field-validated, agent-based occupant behavior model.•Co-simulation outputs include energy, comfort/productivity, and cost metrics.•The program is demonstrated through zone and building-level simulation runs.•The energy, IEQ, and cost implications of localized heating/cooling are explored.
China in Africa: articulating China's Africa policy

New publications about China–Africa relations abound these days, but their quality is uneven. Jean Kachiga's China in Africa is one of the single-authored books published on the subject in recent y...
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point

The case examines an iconic institution's decision on whether or not to undertake a branding initiative. Founded in 1802, West Point has played a key role in America's history. It is one of the nation's oldest institutions of higher learning and is well known for producing prominent military, political and business leaders. In the increasingly competitive environment of higher education, the Director of Strategic Communications at the US Military Academy is faced with a decision on whether or not to invest resources in a rebranding effort. Over the course of the school's history, several distinct logos have come into existence and little uniformity or guidance for use exists. Data from a recent consumer survey offers some insight for the decision maker to contemplate, as does the school's recent appearance on the cover of Forbes' magazine as the number one undergraduate institution in the nation. Numerous stakeholders, tradition, the competitive environment and resource constraints all factor into the decision making process.Learning Objective: To explore major challenges and strategic decisions associated with managing brands over time.
Pressure and Shock Dynamics of a Low-Boom Inlet

A low-boom supersonic inlet was investigated in terms of stagnation pressure distribution as well as pressure and shock dynamics at near design conditions. The low-boom inlet design considered in this work is based on previous scale model 1’x1’ wind tunnel tests and features a near zero-angle cowl and relaxed isentropic compression centerbody spike, resulting in defocused oblique shocks and a weak terminating normal shock. Experiments conducted at the 8’x6’ supersonic wind tunnel at NASA Glenn Research Center in OctoberNovember 2010 yielded a large data set for comparison with numerical results. A Detached eddy simulation (DES) approach utilizing 3D, structured grids and the WIND-US code was employed for modeling the external compression, axisymmetric, low-boom concept inlet. Relative to previous RANS efforts, the DES approach yielded improved agreement with experimental data for time-averaged diffuser stagnation pressure profiles and allowed insight into the unsteady characteristics of the inlet. The mean and unsteady pressure on the hub-side surface were quite reasonably predicted with an extended DES domain that extended to the mass flow plug plane, which indicates that acoustic feedback in the diffuser is critical to the flow unsteadiness. It was also seen that the RMS of shock position oscillations increased more than four-fold when the mass flow ratio was reduced from 98.2% to 95.5%, and that the DES approach captured the magnitude of these oscillations at this lower mass flow rate.
Occurrence of Endocarditis with Valvular Deformities in Dogs with Arteriovenous Fistulae.

SummaryObservations have been reported in which after the creation of large arteriovenous fistulae in dogs endocarditis occurred without intentional introduction of bacteria. This result occurred in about 8 out of 10 dogs in which sufficiently large shunts existed for more than 4 weeks. Adrenal gland enlargement occurred following creation of a large fistula. Other concomitant findings have been reported and discussed.
Worldmaking: Functions and Technologies of Actualization

Humanistic analyses of creativity spoke stirringly about the possibilities of life with optimism and courage. Extending the tone that Kurt Goldstein set, these were heroic narratives of human potential. Today, humanistic constructs are not at the leading edge of psychological research in creativity, but their ideals remain implicit in much of that research, influential in clinical applications and readily familiar in the broader culture. To think seriously about creativity, it is important to consider the controversies to which the humanistic theories contributed and the new ones they posed.
Detection of sildenafil citrate from health food by using reversed-phase high performance chromatography

Objective To set up a practical method for determination of sildenafil citrate in healthy foods.Methods Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used. The operating conditions were ZARBAX ODS column(4.6mm i.d×250mm)at 40℃,0.05mol/L phosphoric acid and triethylamine(pH=3.3):methanol:acetonitrile=50:30:20(V:V:V)as mobile phase with flow rate 1.00ml/min and UV detection at 290nm.Results The linear range of the calibration curve of sildenafil citrate were from0.08～2.00μg with a correlation coefficient(r)of 0.9999,The recoveries were 94.0%～98.6% and the relative standard deviations(n=6)were 2.48%～2.50%.Conclusion The method was accurate,realiable and can be used in determinating sildenfil citrate in he-althy foods.
Effects of Milkvetch Root on Apoptosis of Umbilical Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induced by Doxorubicin

Objective To observe the effects of milkvetch root on the apoptosis of umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells(UCB-MSCs) induced by doxorubicin(ADR) in vitro.Methods The stem cells of cord blood were separated and cultured,its degree gradient with honey combined with the adherent collecting and isolation and culture of UCB-MSCs,for 5 consecutive passages purified by flow cytometry to identify surface markers of their purity,then were treated by the ADR(10 μg/L) to induce the apoptosis,meanwhile different dosage of milkvetch root(4,40,400 μg/L) was added altogether to cultivate for 24 hours.There were 6 groups: negative control group,milkvetch root group,ADR group,low,middle and high dose milkvetch root groups.Apoptosis rate was measured by TUNEL and flow cytometry methods.Results There was no difference of apoptosis rate detected by using TUNEL between milkvetch root control group[(6.75±1.49)%] and negative control group [(5.61±0.53)%](P0.05),however,apoptosis rate was higher in ADR group[(39.42±2.21)%]than that in milkvetch root group(P0.01).After milkvetch root intervention,apoptosis rates in middle and high dose milkvetch root groups were markedly decreased compared with ADR group(Pa0.05),but there was no difference between middle dose milkvetch root group[(24.07±1.52)%] and high dose milkvetch group[(22.85±2.21)%](P0.05).There was no obvious change between low dose milkvetch root group[(30.22±1.19)%] and ADR group(P0.05).There was no difference of apoptosis rate measured by flow cytometry between milkvetch root control group[(5.65±0.49)%] and negative control group [(3.71±0.17)%](P0.05).Apoptosis rate was higher in ADR group[(40.42±2.28)%] than that in negative control group(P0.01).Apoptosis rate in middle[(23.07±1.12)%] and high dose[(21.85±1.21)%] milkvetch root groups were markedly decreased compared with ADR group(Pa0.05).Conclusion The milkevtch root can inhibit UCB-MSCs apoptosis with no dose dependence.
Ionization of Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-Trisphosphate in Mixed Lipid Membranes

Ionization of Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate in mixed lipid membranes Phosphatidylinositides are phospholipids that play many crucial roles in cells including stress and growth signaling. Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) is synthesized from phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) by the PI3K enzyme and can alternately be converted back to PIP2 via the tumor suppressor PTEN. PIP3 is present in small amounts in the cell membrane, but is known to target specific proteins containing PH domains, including the AKT/PKB, PDK1, and BTK1 pathways. It has been shown that the ionization state of PIP3 can play a role in its interaction with other molecules, specifically proteins at the plasma membrane. In this study, nuclear magnetic resonance was used to analyze the ionization of PIP3 in mixed lipid membranes. We have previously observed that PI can interact with PIP2, altering the ionization of PIP2 and triggering the formation of PIP2 rich clusters within the membrane. Here we determine the effect of PI on the ionization of PIP3. PIP3 has a highly complex titration behavior due to the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the phosphate groups. This complex PIP3 ionization behavior was modeled in order to determine pKa values for each individual ionization step of the phosphate groups. In the presence of PI we observe a distinct shift in the pKa values of PIP3, suggesting a possible electrostatic hydrogen bond switch occurring between the PI and PIP3 headgroups. The interaction between PI and PIP3 may have important implications for PIP3-mediated signaling pathways leading to altered ionization of PIP3 and potentially altered lateral organization within the membrane.
Time-dependent actions of aldosterone and amiloride on Na+-K+-ATPase of cortical collecting duct

The actions of aldosterone on Vmax Na+-K+-ATPase activity and length of latent period were assessed for the rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD). Initially, animals were moderately aldosterone depleted and then treated with a constant infusion of physiological doses of aldosterone. Aldosterone administration had no influence after 3 h but caused a detectable increase with 6 (borderline significance) or more hours. An apparent plateau was reached between 24 and 48 h at twice the initial activity. This aldosterone-induced stimulation could be abolished by simultaneous treatment of the animals with amiloride, demonstrating a Na+-dependent modulation of the Vmax Na+-K+-ATPase activity. The aldosterone-stimulated enzyme had kinetic properties similar to those reported by others, but the latent period for aldosterone action on the Vmax Na+-K+-ATPase activity averaged near 6 h in the present study, as opposed to the highly variable period (from 1 h to several days) seen by others. This latent period variability...
Goal achievement in partially known, partially observable domains

We present a decision making algorithm for agents that act in partially observable domains which they do not know fully. Making intelligent choices in such domains is very difficult because actions' effects may not be known a priori (partially known domain), and features may not always be visible (partially observable domain). Nonetheless, we show that an efficient solution is achievable in STRIPS domains by using traditional planning methods. This solution interleaves planning and execution carefully. Computing each plan takes time that is linear in the planning time for the fully observable, fully known domain. The number of actions that it executes is bounded by a polynomial in the length of the optimal plan in the fully observable, fully known domain. Our theoretical results and preliminary experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Cigar Warnings: Proceed with Caution

Cigars have long been exempt from federal laws in the U.S. that require health warning labels on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. Startling increases in cigar use during the 1990s, particularly among young people, prompted two states and ultimately the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to mandate health warnings for certain cigar products. The FTC and the state of Massachusetts, whose cigar warning regulations were struck down in court, extended warnings to certain cigar advertising as well. The FTC cigar warning requirements were adopted in August 2000 as consent decree settlements with 7 major cigar companies and will begin appearing nationwide in February 2001. The FTC orders will effectively trump most state attempts to impose warnings on cigars and adverting that are covered by the new federal standard. However, the FTC cigar warnings were not tested for efficacy prior to their adoption and there is no mechanism for evaluating and updating the warning messages. Furthermore, the FTC consent orders fail to address the effect the warnings will have on liability suits. Many of the public health lessons learned in connection with the often-criticized U.S. cigarette warning laws, and the bold, new Canadian tobacco warnings, were ignored. The federal cigar warning law could have avoided preemption pitfalls by expressly disavowing any intent to limit liability or state and local authority to regulate cigar sales, marketing and advertising.
The Factor Structure of the Ohio Scales: A Practical Measure of Psychological Symptoms in Youth

Stakeholders have increased the focus on accountability for community mental health agencies, leading to the need for an efficient method of measuring mental health outcomes for youth. The Ohio Scales were developed specifically to address the drawbacks of existing measures of child and adolescent mental health such as length, cost, and ease of scoring. The current study examined the factor structure of the Ohio Scales Problem Severity scale and explored the concurrent validity of those factors by comparing them to similar factors on the Child Behavior Checklist and Youth Self Report, two well-established measures of childhood mental health. Using archival data from a community mental health agency serving youth and families, a randomly split sample was used to conduct an exploratory factor analysis on one subsample followed by a confirmatory factor analysis on a second subsample. The results of these analyses indicated that a four-factor model provided the best fit to the data for both youth and parent report on the Ohio Scales. The four factors included: Aggression, Delinquency, Depression, and Anxiety. Comparing the Ohio Scale factors to the factors on the Child Behavior Checklist and YSR revealed that theoretically similar factors (e.g., Anxiety and Internalizing) were more highly correlated than dissimilar factors (e.g., Anxiety and Externalizing). These results provide concurrent validity of the four-factor model of the Ohio Scales. These factors may provide more specific information regarding the types of emotional and behavioral problems youth and parents are reporting to clinicians.
L1 CRISPR/Cas9 specific editing of the mutant huntingtin allele

Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG repeat expansion (>36 repeats) within the first exon of the huntingtin gene. Although mutant huntingtin (mHTT) is ubiquitously expressed, the brain shows robust and early degeneration. Current RNA interference-based approaches for lowering mHTT expression has been efficacious in mouse models, but basal mutant protein levels are still detected. Aim Our goal is to fully mitigate expression from the mutant HTT allele using a gene editing approach with the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Methods/techniques We designed several sgRNA sequences that bind and recruit Case protein to prevalent promoter-resident single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) contained within PAM sequences flanking HTT-exon1. Results Allele specific targeted deletions of the mutant HTT allele were generated when SNPs are present in heterozygosity with the mutant HTT allele. Mutant HTT protein was terminated both in vitro after transfection of fibroblast lines from patients, and in vivo after viral delivery in a mouse model of HD. Conclusion Single nucleotide polymorphisms present in heterozygosity and positioned within the PAM motif can be used for gene editing of a single allele.
Sepsis and the Lung

Infections of the lung and pleural space are frequently associated with the development of sepsis syndromes. Additionally, sepsis from any source, pulmonary or extrapulmonary, may result in additional injury to the lung, known as the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a syndrome characterized by an over-exuberant inflammatory response in the lung leading to increased alveolar-capillary permeability and predominantly non-hydrostatic pulmonary edema and hypoxemia. This syndrome and its complications contribute heavily to the morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis, and although no specific therapy exists to treat ARDS, supportive therapy including the use of low tidal volume ventilation can significantly improve outcomes.
Daniel E. Dawes, 150 Years of ObamaCare (Johns Hopkins University Press 2016)

In the days leading up to the presidential election on November 8, 2016, Republican candidate, now United States President, Donald J. Trump repeatedly promised to repeal and replace President Barac...
Know Your Audience

Filmmakers typically create movies for others to enjoy. This can be perceived as one-way communication, meaning the filmmaker passes on ideas, moods, and information to the viewers without getting the same in return. However, this is not true. Good films result when filmmakers learn valuable information from the intended audience.
State-Level Trends in the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from 2000 to 2012: A Reanalysis of Findings from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Network

Since 2000, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Network (ADDM) has published detailed prevalence estimates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 8 year-olds, which are widely interpreted as the U.S. national prevalence of ASD. Although differences in state-level ASD prevalence has been reported, state-level heterogeneity has not been explored systematically. We analyzed state-level estimates and trends in ASD prevalence from 2000 to 2012 using secondary data from bi-annual ADDM reports. Heterogeneity among state-level ASD prevalence estimates were apparent in 2000 and grew between 2000 and 2012. Findings highlight the need for greater understanding of how children with ASD are identified by the medical and educational systems, which has significant implications for the state-level resources required to effectively manage ASD.
Others’ Words, Others’ Voices: The Making of a Linguistic Anthropologist

Starting from a recent flash of reflexive illumination experienced as a member of a dissertation committee, this act of (re-)constructive retrospection recalls the principal forces, experiences, an...
Hyperthermia in Llamas and Alpacas

Hyperthermia is a threat to heavily fibered llamas and alpacas in hot humid climates. Hyperthermia produces severe metabolic alterations that cause organ damage that may be nonresponsive to simply lowering the body temperature to within normal limits. Early detection and aggressive therapy are crucial to preventing death or permanent organ damage.
On Exponential Growth and Half-Lives: A Comment on Bermingham

A recent paper (hereafter referred to as the “Paper”), Bermingham (2003), presented what appeared to be an analytical review of current situation of declining population growth rates in many parts of the world. The Paper suggested that the increasing growth rates before about 1970 constituted exponential growth, but that the currently declining growth rates were not exponential growth. Hence, the paper asserted that we should not use the terms “exponential growth” and “doubling times” in describing the current situation. Many of the suggestions in the paper are contrary to established mathematics. These suggestions are examined here in some detail.
Potential Theory of Excessive Measures

In this section we shall develop some of the basic potential theory of the cone of excessive measures. We shall then prove a preliminary version of an important integral representation theorem of Fitzsimmons [F88b]. Additional properties of the cone Exc will appear as corollaries to this integral representation. The definitive form of Fitzsimmons’ theorem appears in (7.10). Its statement requires the use of Kuznetsov measures to be developed in §6. Theorems 5.9 and 5.11 below are more or less well-known. The analogous results for excessive functions may be found in [DM, XII], for example. However, proofs of the results we need are somewhat scattered in the literature and so we shall give a systematic development. Our development follows [F88b].
Transthoracic Gastroplasty (Collis) and Nissen Fundoplication: Surgical Legacy Technique

Gastroplasty is a technique for lengthening the esophagus to allow safe fundoplication and placement of the wrap below the diaphragm. This chapter describes the classic transthoracic technique. Modifications have been developed to allow this to be done laparoscopically, and these are referenced at the end of the chapter.
Abstract 328: Targeting Mcl-1 enhances DNA replication stress sensitivity for cancer therapy

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are mainly repaired by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathways. Here we report that Mcl-1 acts as a functional switch in pathway choice between HR and NHEJ. Mcl-1 was cell cycle-regulated, with expression peaking in S/G2 phase when HR occurred. Endogenous Mcl-1 depletion reduced HR and enhanced NHEJ. Mcl-1 overexpression resulted in a net increase in HR over NHEJ. Mcl-1 directly interacted with Ku via its BH1 and BH3 domains, which are required for Mcl-1 to inhibit Ku-mediated NHEJ and promote Mre11 complex-mediated DNA resection and HR-dependent DSB repair. Using the Mcl-1 BH1 domain (aa256-265) as docking site, we identified a novel small molecule, MI-223, that directly bound to BH1 and blocked Mcl-1-stimulated HR DNA repair leading to a significant sensitization of cancer cells to hydroxyurea- or olaparib-induced DNA replication stress. Combined treatment with MI-223 and hydroxyurea or olaparib exhibited a strong synergy against lung cancer in vivo. This mechanism-driven combination of agents provides a highly attractive therapeutic strategy to improve lung cancer outcome. Citation Format: Guo Chen, Andrew Magis, Ke Xu, Dongkyoo Park, David Yu, Taofeek Owonikoko, Gabriel Sica, Sarah Satola, Suresh Ramalingam, Walter Curran, Paul Doetsch, Xingming Deng. Targeting Mcl-1 enhances DNA replication stress sensitivity for cancer therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 328.
Robust Distributed Adaptive Containment Control of Heterogeneous Linear Uncertain Multi-Agent Systems

In this paper, a new distributed model reference adaptive control (MRAC) design framework is proposed for containment control of heterogeneous uncertain multi-agent systems (MAS). Both groups of leaders and followers are considered to have general linear dynamics with the leaders subject to bounded external inputs and the followers subject to uncertain system dynamics. A novel distributed adaptive control protocol is developed under this new framework, which incorporates robust adaptive control with nonlinear compensator techniques to cope with unmeasurable bounded leaders' inputs and uncertain agent dynamics. Convergence of the containment control errors to an arbitrarily adjustable neighborhood of the origin is guaranteed based on the Lyapunov method. The proposed MRAC framework provides a promising alternative solution over the prevailing cooperative output regulation framework for heterogeneous linear MAS containment control. It enables us to handle more general system settings under more stringent control environments with limited accessibility of leaders' information and uncertain follower dynamics.
The origin and evolution of acetylcholine signaling through AchRs in metazoans

Background: Acetylcholine is a cell signaling molecule that has been identified in plants, bacteria, and metazoans to play multiple roles in cells and as a neurotransmitter capable of exciting both neurons and muscle. While cell-cell communication activity has been reported in all phyla that have been investigated, its role as a neurotransmitter is less clear. Work within cnidarians implies that neurotransmitter activity emerged within or prior to the emergence of the cnidarian-bilaterian ancestor, but whether or not it is able to excite both muscles and neurons has not been addressed. Results: To investigate the evolution of acetylcholine signaling we characterized the expression pattern of acetylcholine receptors (AchRs) and the neurotransmitter activity of acetylcholine in Nematostella vectensis. Expression patterns for 13 of the 21 known NvAchRs are consistent with acetylcholine acting as a cell signaling molecule and a neurotransmitter in neurons, muscles, or both. To dissect neurotransmitter activity we investigated the mechanism by which acetylcholine activates tentacular contractions in Nematostella. Tentacular contractions induced by application of acetylcholine are suppressed by inactivating voltage gated sodium channels with lidocaine indicating that acetylcholine specifically activates neurons in the tentacular contractile circuit. Conclusion: Our results verify that acetylcholine's neurotransmitter activity emerged prior to cnidarian-bilaterian divergence and that non-neuronal roles were likely retained in Nematostella. Additionally, we found no evidence to support a muscle activating role for acetylcholine indicating that its role in muscle excitability evolved during bilaterian evolution.
Hetero-Edge: Orchestration of Real-time Vision Applications on Heterogeneous Edge Clouds

Running computer vision algorithms on images or videos collected by mobile devices represent a new class of latency-sensitive applications that expect to benefit from edge cloud computing. These applications often demand real-time responses (e.g., <100 ms), which can not be satisfied by traditional cloud computing. However, the edge cloud architecture is inherently distributed and heterogeneous, requiring new approaches to resource allocation and orchestration. This paper presents the design and evaluation of a latency-aware edge computing platform, aiming to minimize the end-to-end latency for edge applications.The proposed platform is built on Apache Storm, and consists of multiple edge servers with heterogeneous computation (including both GPUs and CPUs) and networking resources. Central to our platform is an orchestration framework that breaks down an edge application into Storm tasks as defined by a directed acyclic graph (DAG) and then maps these tasks onto heterogeneous edge servers for efficient execution. An experimental proof-of-concept testbed is used to demonstrate that the proposed platform can indeed achieve low end-to-end latency: considering a real-time 3D scene reconstruction application, it is shown that the testbed can support up to 30 concurrent streams with an average perframe latency of 32ms, and can achieve 40% latency reduction relative to the baseline Storm scheduling approach.
Rachel Crothers's Abandoned Play Venus and the Future of Gender

This paper examines the 1927 play Venus, in which playwright and director Rachel Crothers veered from her prior conventions to deploy a futuristic plot involving gender transformation. The play clo...