cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P140: Epigenetic Regulation of Nox4 in Hypertension-induced Injury in Aged Kidney

The prevalence of hypertension increases with age. At the cellular level, oxidative stress is a major contributing factor to the pathogenesis of hypertension-induced kidney damage. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) family is one of the major sources of reactive oxygen species generation in the body. Although the isoform, NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) is highly expressed in the kidney, its role in kidney diseases remains controversial as both pathogenic and protective effects have been described. In addition, its role in hypertension-induced kidney damage in aging remains unexplored. Current evidence supports the involvement of epigenetics in oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Nox4 in Ang-II induced kidney damage in aged mice and the potential role for epigenetic regulation. Wild type (WT, C57BL/6J) mice aged 12-14 wk and 75-78 wk were used in this study and treated with Ang-II (1000 ng/kg/min) for 4 weeks. Control mice received saline infusion. Blood pressure (BP) was measured twice weekly. Aged mice exhibited higher mean BP than young mice after Ang-II treatment (135.76±4.8 vs. 118.7±12.28 mmHg) and decreased renal vascular density on barium angiography. Dihydroethidium staining revealed increased oxidative stress in hypertensive kidney of aged mice. In the aged kidney, protein expression of mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, manganese superoxide dismutase and catalase was decreased by > 2-fold compared to young, and decreased further after Ang-II infusion. The renal sensors of energy and redox state, SIRT1 and SIRT3, showed similar decrease in aged kidney compared to young kidney in response to Ang-II. Nox4 and p22 phox protein expression was upregulated in the hypertensive kidneys of aged mice. The epigenetic mechanism involving DNA methylation showed increased DNA methyltransferases, DNMT1, 3a and 3b in the aged kidney. Following Ang-II, the aged kidney showed further increase of DNMT1 and 3a and a decrease in DNMT3b. Conclusion: Endogenous expression of Nox4 is upregulated in hypertensive kidney and is associated with alteration of DNA methyltransferases suggesting epigenetic regulation of oxidative stress in aged mice.
When Students Grade Their Teachers: A Validity Analysis of the Tripod Student Survey

ABSTRACTThis article develops a validity argument for the use of the Tripod student survey of instructional practices to assess teacher effectiveness in summative teacher evaluations and professional development decisions. This paper expands upon previous research in three ways: (a) it draws from current validity thinking to examine the evidence for separate summative and formative purposes of the Tripod survey, (b) it takes advantage of a large, multiple measure data set collected by the Measures of Effective Teaching Project, and (c) it accounts for both the multilevel nature of school data and contextual classroom features. Preliminary evidence was found for a two-dimensional structure, representing classroom management (Control) and academic support (Support). The Control and Support Tripod scores are fairly reliable and correlated with classroom observation ratings and teacher value-added scores. However, caution is suggested in interpreting these results as an endorsement for use in high-stakes teac...
Acceptability of a multilevel intervention to improve blood pressure control among patients with chronic kidney disease in a public health care delivery system.

Author(s): Strait, Adrienne; Velasquez, Alexandra; Handley, Margaret A; Leong, Karen; Najmabadi, Adriana; Powe, Neil R; Tuot, Delphine S | Abstract: BackgroundThe Kidney Awareness Registry and Education (KARE) trial examined the impact of a multilevel intervention on blood pressure control among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a public health care delivery system. KARE consisted of a clinic-based intervention (a primary care CKD registry with point-of-care provider notifications and quarterly feedback related to CKD management) and a patient-directed intervention [a CKD self-management support (CKD-SMS) program that included low literacy educational materials, automated telephone-administered self-management modules and telephone health coaching]. We explored the acceptability of these interventions among end users.MethodsAt trial conclusion, we surveyed 39 primary care providers (PCPs) to identify preferences about components of the clinic intervention, conducted two focus groups among non-PCP staff to elicit in-depth attitudes and experiences with operationalizing the team-based CKD registry, and conducted eight focus groups with English- and Spanish-speaking patients to hear about their experiences with the CKD-SMS program. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Self-reported participation and data from the automated telephone program were used to evaluate patient engagement.ResultsMost PCPs (94%) believed that the point-of-care notifications benefited clinic workflow and agreed that quarterly feedback enhanced their ability to identify (89.5%) and manage (73.7%) CKD. Staff confirmed usefulness of point-of-care notifications. Patients suggested the automated telephone system was impersonal, though easy to use; that frequent automated calls were helpful to reinforce self-management behaviors; and that telephone health coaching was convenient. Nearly 40% of patients completed g80% of automated phone calls, 95% participated in calls with their health coach and 77% created at least one action plan.ConclusionsA CKD registry is acceptable to primary care health care teams and has potential to enhance identification and management of CKD in primary care. Low-income patients appreciated and engaged with a telephone-based CKD-SMS program, demonstrating its potential for increasing awareness and health engagement among populations with CKD within a public health care delivery system.
Is Social Network a Protective Factor for Cognitive Impairment in US Chinese Older Adults? Findings from the PINE Study.

BACKGROUND Social network has been identified as a protective factor for cognitive impairment. However, the relationship between social network and global and subdomains of cognitive function remains unclear. OBJECTIVE This study aims to provide an analytic framework to examine quantity, composition, and quality of social network and investigate the association between social network, global cognition, and cognitive domains among US Chinese older adults. METHODS Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly (PINE), a community-engaged, population-based epidemiological study of US Chinese older adults aged 60 and above in the greater Chicago area, with a sample size of 3,157. Social network was assessed by network size, volume of contact, proportion kin, proportion female, proportion co-resident, and emotional closeness. Cognitive function was evaluated by global cognition, episodic memory, executive function, working memory, and Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE). Linear regression and quantile regression were performed. RESULTS Every 1-point increase in network size (b = 0.048, p < 0.001) and volume of contact (b = 0.049, p < 0.01) and every 1-point decrease in proportion kin (b = -0.240, p < 0.01) and proportion co-resident (b = -0.099, p < 0.05) were associated with higher level of global cognition. Similar trends were observed in specific cognitive domains, including episodic memory, working memory, executive function, and C-MMSE. However, emotional closeness was only significantly associated with C-MMSE (b = 0.076, p < 0.01). Social network has differential effects on female versus male older adults. CONCLUSION This study found that social network dimensions have different relationships with global and domains of cognitive function. Quantitative and structural aspects of social network were essential to maintain an optimal level of cognitive function. Qualitative aspects of social network were protective factors for C-MMSE. It is necessary for public health practitioners to consider interventions that enhance different aspects of older adults' social network.
11 – IN-SITU PHASED ARRAYS WITH PIEZOELECTRIC WAFER ACTIVE SENSORS

This chapter treats the use of PWAS transducers to achieve in situ phased arrays for active structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. The chapter starts with a review of the phased array concepts used in conventional NDE with special attention to guided-wave phased arrays. Next, the chapter introduces the PWAS phased-array principles starting with the linear PWAS array. The concept of embedded ultrasonics structural radar (EUSR) is presented and transmitter beamforming, receiver beamforming, and phased-array pulse-echo concepts are developed from first principles. The practical implementation of the EUSR algorithm, and experimental validation and calibration of this method, is presented next together with an extensive experimental study of the use of linear PWAS arrays and EUSR principles for the detection of various defect types on flat and curved panels. The in situ direct imaging of crack growth during fatigue cyclic-load experiments is also presented. The chapter continues with optimization studies of the linear PWAS phase arrays. Next, a generic PWAS phased-array formulation is developed and used to analyze 2-D PWAS phased arrays of various shapes: cross-shaped, rectangular grid, rectangular fence, circular ring, and circular grid. Theoretical predictions and experimental studies of rectangular and square 2-D PWAS phased arrays are presented. The last part of the chapter is devoted to phased-array analysis using Fourier transform methods and space-frequency multi-dimensional Fourier analysis.
Other Victims of the Holocaust

Les AA. soutiennent qu'il est necessaire de redefinir l'Holocauste afin d'y inclure non seulement les atrocites de l'Allemagne nazie envers les juifs avant et pendant la Deuxieme Guerre mondiale, mais egalement les atrocites envers les victimes d'autres groupes raciaux, nationaux ou sociaux. Ils soutiennent notamment que l'ideologie nazie visait, de facon generale, l'eradication de tout groupe humain non-aryen, et qu'elle s'inscrivait dans une ideologie raciste qui trouvait son origine au siecle des Lumieres. Avant meme le genocide de l'epoque nazie, cette ideologie s'etait deja exprimee dans la politique coloniale et nationale de l'Allemagne envers les Noirs. Selon les AA., l'inhumanite des atrocites envers n'importe lequel des groupes concernes par l'Holocauste etait telle, que toute tentative de minimiser le mal subi par l'un d'eux equivaudrait a une trahison et a une de-historisation des evenements. La reconnaissance du sort et du destin communs de toutes les victimes du nazisme permet ainsi de comprendre que la victime de l'Holocauste fut l'humanite toute entiere. Apres une introduction sur l'historiographie de l'Holocauste, les AA. proposent une reevaluation de l'Holocauste envers les Noirs et les Tsiganes.
The Retrograde Approach

The retrograde approach to chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing differs from the antegrade approach because the occlusion is approached from the distal vessel. The retrograde approach can be divided into nine steps. First, a decision is made to proceed with retrograde crossing as primary strategy or after failure of antegrade crossing. Second, a collateral vessel is selected. Third, a microcatheter is advanced to the collateral vessel. Fourth, the collateral vessel is crossed with a guidewire. Fifth, guidewire position within the distal true lumen is confirmed. Sixth, the collateral is crossed with the microcatheter. Seventh, the CTO is crossed using various techniques that may include dissection and re-entry. Most commonly the reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde tracking and dissection (reverse CART) technique is used. Eight, the retrograde guidewire is externalized in some cases. Ninth, the CTO is treated with balloons and stents followed by removal of the retrograde equipment.
SOLID-PHASE CRYSTALLIZATION PRODUCED BY LASER SCANNING OF AMORPHOUS Ge FILMS: THE ROLE OF LATENT HEAT IN CRYSTALLIZATION-FRONT DYNAMICS*

Well-aligned crystallites of dimensions up to 2–3 × 100 μ m have been obtained by scanning amorphous Ge films on fusedsilica substrates with the slit image of a cw Nd:YAG laser. A theoretical model has been developed for the dynamics of the crystallization process, a solid-phase transformation that is greatly accelerated by liberation of the latent heat of transformation, resulting in either periodic or runaway motion of the crystallization front. The model explains many of the qualitative features of the experiments and yields a semiquantitative fit of the dependence of period on temperature.
The Paths of Essence

A study of the differences between Hegel's different versions of the second book of his Logic. The Essence section has more variation than the other two sections and it is not possible to say definitively that one version is superior. The philosophical reasons behind the greater variability of the essence section are that it works with a set of dialectical moves applied to different category pairs, which complete their critical function within relatively independent modules that can be moved around, because they have no external or traditional order and no clear and unique relations of determinate negation. So the critical arguments can appear in varying constructive sequences. This supports my argument that the logic does not succeed in providing the tight self-evident necessity claimed for it by some recent interpreters and at times by Hegel himself. This does not diminish the value of Hegel's analyses for criticizing conceptual dualities, but it means that those analyses must be validated where they are applied, and not issued from an apriori on high.
Prophylactic mastectomy in patients with atypical breast lesions

For women with an elevated lifetime risk of breast cancer, management options include surveillance (with mammogram and MRI), prevention therapy, and surgical risk reduction with bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (BPM). Prophylactic mastectomy decreases risk of breast cancer development by 90–95%; however, BPM has significant impact on body image and potential psychological effects. Atypical hyperplasia is generally not an indication for BPM, and management recommendations focus on screening for early detection and prevention therapy. For women with multiple foci of atypical hyperplasia, the lifetime risk of breast cancer is not dissimilar to patients with a genetic predisposition gene. In these women, surgical risk reduction may be considered, although medical prevention therapy is favored.
SMAP soil moisture improves global evapotranspiration

Abstract Accurate estimation of global evapotranspiration (ET) is essential to understand water cycle and land-atmosphere feedbacks in the Earth system. Satellite-driven ET models provide global estimates, but many of the ET algorithms have been designed independently of soil moisture observations. As water for ET is sourced from the soil, incorporating soil moisture into global remote sensing algorithms of ET should, in theory, improve performance, especially in water-limited regions. This paper presents an update to the widely-used Priestley Taylor-Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PT-JPL) ET algorithm to incorporate spatially explicit daily surface soil moisture control on soil evaporation and canopy transpiration. The updated algorithm is evaluated using 14 AmeriFlux eddy covariance towers co-located with COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS) soil moisture observations. The new PT-JPLSM model shows reduced errors and increased explanation of variance, with the greatest improvements in water-limited regions. Soil moisture incorporation into soil evaporation improves ET estimates by reducing bias and RMSE by 29.9% and 22.7% respectively, while soil moisture incorporation into transpiration improves ET estimates by reducing bias by 30.2%, RMSE by 16.9%. We apply the algorithm globally using soil moisture observations from the Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission (SMAP). These new global estimates of ET show reduced error at finer spatial resolutions and provide a rich dataset to evaluate land surface and climate models, vegetation response to changes in water availability and environmental conditions, and anthropogenic perturbations to the water cycle.
Adolescent Risk Behavior: Differentiating Reasoned And Reactive Risk-taking.

Although explanatory models of adolescent risk behavior have predominantly focused on adolescents’ limited ability to self-regulate impulsive and/or reward-driven behavior (reactive risk behavior), recent arguments suggest that a significant proportion of adolescent risk behavior may actually be strategic and planned in advance (reasoned risk behavior). The present study evaluates hypothesized predictors of reasoned versus reactive risk behavior using self-reported and neurocognitive task data from a large, diverse adolescent sample (N = 1266 participants; N = 3894 risk behaviors). Participants’ mean age was 16.5 years (SD = 1.1); 56.9% were female, 61.9% White, 17.1% Black, 7.0% Hispanic, and 14.1% other race/ethnicity; 40% were in 10th grade, 60% in 12th grade. As hypothesized, reasoned risk behavior (compared to reactive risk behavior) was associated with higher levels of sensation seeking, better working memory, greater future orientation, and perceiving risk behavior to be more beneficial than risky. These results support the distinction between reasoned and reactive risk behavior as meaningful subtypes of adolescent risk behavior and challenge prevailing frameworks that attribute adolescent risk behavior primarily to poor response inhibition.
Sterile particle-induced inflammation is mediated by macrophages releasing IL-33 through a Bruton's tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway.

Initiation of the innate sterile inflammatory response that can develop in response to microparticle exposure is little understood. Here, we report that a potent type 2 immune response associated with the accumulation of neutrophils, eosinophils and alternatively activated (M2) macrophages was observed in response to sterile microparticles similar in size to wear debris associated with prosthetic implants. Although elevations in interleukin-33 (IL-33) and type 2 cytokines occurred independently of caspase-1 inflammasome signalling, the response was dependent on Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). IL-33 was produced by macrophages and BTK-dependent expression of IL-33 by macrophages was sufficient to initiate the type 2 response. Analysis of inflammation in patient periprosthetic tissue also revealed type 2 responses under aseptic conditions in patients undergoing revision surgery. These findings indicate that microparticle-induced sterile inflammation is initiated by macrophages activated to produce IL-33. They further suggest that both BTK and IL-33 may provide therapeutic targets for wear debris-induced periprosthetic inflammation. Microparticle wear debris from prosthetic implants following patient revision surgery is observed to induce a potent type 2 inflammatory response involving cytokine secretion by macrophages through a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase-dependent signalling pathway.
Agricultural Information and Land Grant Libraries: Past, Present, and Future

AbstractLand-grant libraries contribute to the national corpus of research through holdings of journals, books, e-books, conference proceedings, government documents, and more. Impacts on land-gran...
How Do Local Labor Markets and Human Capital Affect Employment Outcomes after Job Loss

This article uses the Longitudinal Employer‐Household Dynamics to evaluate how local industry concentration affects earnings losses for displaced workers. “Concentrated industries” are those industries with a high employment share within a labor market. This article compares earnings changes between displaced workers and job stayers within concentrated industries to the same within less concentrated industries. A separate comparison is made based on the expected level of job availability within the labor market. The findings show that earnings changes for displaced workers relative to job stayers are 7–13% higher within concentrated industries when job loss occurs during periods of high job availability. Earnings changes are 4.5–6% lower, however, when the same comparison is made during periods of low job availability. When firms are hiring workers, they are more likely to hire those previously employed within the same industry, since these workers have accumulated more relevant human capital.
Ambiguity in criminal punishment

Abstract There has been substantial prior field research on how the incidence of criminal behavior responds to changes in the probability of punishment. The results of this research are at best mixed in regards to its conformance to the predictions of standard expected utility theory. One possible cause for these mixed results is that punishment probabilities in the field are typically unknown making the choice environment one of ambiguity rather than uncertainty. The presence of this ambiguity could in part explain some of these conflicting results. As a step towards investigating this link, we conduct an experiment framed as being on tax compliance intended to try to understand how individuals respond to ambiguous punishment probabilities and in particular to how they respond to shifts in ambiguous versus known probabilities. We find that when probabilities are known and shift, the standard model works well to explain the response. When the probabilities are ambiguous and shift, the behavioral response is minimal. We also use these experiments as a means of testing whether ambiguity aversion might be present in sufficient degree to be exploitable in how enforcement procedures are advertised to increase their effectiveness at minimal cost. We find at best weak evidence in favor of ambiguity aversion and thus little support for the notion that enforcement regimes could take advantage of ambiguity aversion.
Follow-up of active Aβ immunization in Alzheimer disease.

A new report presents post-mortem neuropathological follow-up of patients 4 months to 15 years after they received active amyloid-β (Aβ) immunization during its first trial in Alzheimer disease. The study documents effects on plaque clearance, tau pathology, plasma anti-Aβ antibody titres and final cognitive status; variability was seen between patients.
Notch Inhibition Prevents Differentiation of Human Limbal Stem/Progenitor Cells in vitro

Notch signaling has been shown to regulate the homeostasis and wound healing of the corneal epithelium. We investigated the effect of Notch inhibition in the human limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) in vitro by using small molecules. Treatment of the LSCs with DAPT and SAHM1 reduced the proliferation rate and maintained the undifferentiated state of the LSCs in a concentration dependent manner. Stratification and differentiation of the corneal epithelium were not reduced after Notch inhibition, indicating that the function of the corneal basal cells is retained. Our findings suggest that Notch signaling plays a role in the proliferation and maintenance of LSCs.
Selection of Exponential-Family Random Graph Models via Held-Out Predictive Evaluation (HOPE)

Statistical models for networks with complex dependencies pose particular challenges for model selection and evaluation. In particular, many well-established statistical tools for selecting between models assume conditional independence of observations and/or conventional asymptotics, and their theoretical foundations are not always applicable in a network modeling context. While simulation-based approaches to model adequacy assessment are now widely used, there remains a need for procedures that quantify a model's performance in a manner suitable for selecting among competing models. Here, we propose to address this issue by developing a predictive evaluation strategy for exponential family random graph models that is analogous to cross-validation. Our approach builds on the held-out predictive evaluation (HOPE) scheme introduced by Wang et al. (2016) to assess imputation performance. We systematically hold out parts of the observed network to: evaluate how well the model is able to predict the held-out data; identify where the model performs poorly based on which data are held-out, indicating e.g. potential weaknesses; and calculate general summaries of predictive performance that can be used for model selection. As such, HOPE can assist researchers in improving models by indicating where a model performs poorly, and by quantitatively comparing predictive performance across competing models. The proposed method is applied to model selection problem of two well-known data sets, and the results are compared to those obtained via nominal AIC and BIC scores.
Lower limb active prosthetic systems—overview

Abstract Lower limb amputation often leads to biomechanical and neurological changes that can reduce mobility, increase pain levels, speed joint degeneration, and otherwise negatively impact quality of life. These changes are likely in part due to the fact that most commercially available prostheses are passive devices that do not generate power or actively adapt to the user. In recent decades, active prosthesis development has focused on identifying lightweight and powerful actuators, as well as effective control approaches for a wide range of locomotor tasks. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the art in lower limb prosthesis design and discuss the various benefits and limitations of prosthesis actuation and control approaches.
Maternal Metaphor in Kamel Daoud’s Recasting of Camus’s "L’Étranger"

In his palimpsestic counter novel to Camus’s "L’Etranger," Kamel Daoud resurrects the mother from Camus’s first sentence. "Meursault, contre-enquete" presents the silent, but all powerful, maternal presence as a metaphor for the inexorable pull of the past, not just of a personal past found within fiction, but of the much broader history of Algeria. The sons in both novels cannot extricate themselves from the dogged maternal presence. She thus becomes a hindrance to efforts to go beyond, to forge something new from the ashes of both tragic story and history. Ultimately, Daoud rewrites Camus himself into the Algerian story.
Validation of the MEDSAIL Tool to Screen for Capacity for Safe and Independent Living Among Nursing Home Residents.

Abstract Objectives Capacity for safe and independent living (SAIL) refers to an individual's ability to solve problems associated with everyday life and perform activities necessary for living independently. Little guidance exists on the assessment of capacity for SAIL among nursing home residents. As a result, capacity for SAIL is not fully considered in the development of discharge plans to ensure safety and independence in the community. We reasoned that this problem could be addressed with the Making and Executing Decisions for Safe and Independent Living (MEDSAIL) tool, developed to screen for capacity for SAIL among community-dwelling older adults. In this report, we describe findings on the validity of the MEDSAIL when used with nursing home residents. Design Prospective cross-sectional pilot study. Setting and Participants Twenty-four residents of a Veterans Health Affairs Community Living Center (CLC; nursing home); exclusion criteria were cognitive impairment too severe to complete the protocol, diagnosis of serious mental illness or developmental disability, inability to hear, or inability to communicate verbally. Methods Participants completed 2 assessments: the MEDSAIL interview administered by a research assistant and the criterion standard capacity interview administered by a geriatric psychiatrist. We examined internal consistency, divergent validity, and criterion-based validity. Results Five of 7 MEDSAIL scenarios approximated acceptable levels of internal consistency (α >0.70). MEDSAIL scores were highly positively correlated with criterion standard capacity determination (0.88, P = .001), and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test statistic for the 2 assessments was also statistically significant (P = .001). Conclusions and Implications MEDSAIL has promise as a user-friendly brief screening tool for use by nursing home staff to understand resident capacity for SAIL. This information can be used in the development of discharge plans to keep the resident safe and independent in the community. In addition, tailoring the MEDSAIL scenarios specifically to the nursing home setting may further enhance the tool's validity and utility in this new application.
Medical Nutrition Therapy for Lipid and Lipoprotein Disorders

Management of dyslipidemia is integral to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk reduction. This chapter summarizes evidence-based dietary recommendations for the treatment and management of dyslipidemias that can be used in medical practice. Medical nutrition therapy targeting LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and triglycerides will be outlined. For the management of elevated LDL-C and non-HDL-C, dietary saturated fat should be replaced with unsaturated fats; increased intake of viscous fiber and plant sterols/stanols and reductions in dietary cholesterol also will confer benefit. Lowering intake of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol is recommended for the management of hypertriglyceridemia. Weight loss, if indicated, and increasing physical activity are universal goals for the treatment of dyslipidemias. A team-based approach to dyslipidemia management with physicians and registered dietitian nutritionists will maximize the clinical benefits of medical nutrition therapy for cholesterol and triglyceride lowering and reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk beyond that achieved just with pharmacologic therapy.
Evaluation of Lead (Pb(II)) Removal Potential of Biochar in a Fixed-bed Continuous Flow Adsorption System.

Background Lead (Pb(II)) exposure from drinking water consumption is a serious concern due to its negative health effect on human physiology. A commercially available filter uses the adsorption potential of activated carbon for removing heavy metals like Pb(II). However, it has some constraints since it uses only surface area for the adsorption of these contaminants. Biochar produced via slow pyrolysis of biomass shows the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface that take part in the adsorption process, with higher removal potential compared to activated carbon. Objectives The current study examined the adsorption kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) removing potential of biochar from water using a fixed-bed continuous flow adsorption system. Methods The effect of initial Pb(II) concentration, mass of adsorbent (bed depth), and flow rate on adsorption potential were evaluated. The Adams-Bohart model, Thomas model, and Yoon-Nelson model were applied to the adsorption data. Results The maximum removal efficiency of Pb(II) was 88.86 mg/g. The result illustrated that the Yoon-Nelson model is the best fit to analyze the adsorption phenomena of Pb(II) in a fixed-bed biochar column. Conclusions The breakthrough data obtained from this study can be utilized to design a point of use filter that would be able to effectively remove Pb(II) from drinking water. Competing Interests The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma With Extensive Dendritic Cell Network Mimicking Follicular Dendritic Cell Tumor

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) with a nodular pattern of growth is uncommon and may be misdiagnosed initially as a B-cell lymphoma or reactive process. We report a case of a rapidly growing PTCL with a distinctly nodular pattern in an axillary lymph node from an 89-year-old man. Immunohistochemical stains for CD21, CD23, and CD35 highlighted an extensive dendritic cell network that imparted the nodular appearance and, in addition, was associated intimately with the neoplastic cells. The neoplastic cells otherwise had an immunophenotype similar to previously reported cases of PTCL with a nodular pattern and germinal center origin (CD3+, CD4+, CD5+, bcl-6+, CD31+, subset CD10+, subset CXCL13+, and subset CD79a+). Molecular studies confirm a clonal T-cell receptor gene rearrangement. This case emphasizes unusual morphologic features in a PTCL that may be mistaken for follicular lymphoma or a tumor of follicular dendritic cell origin.
Experiences of Violence and Mental Health Outcomes among Colombian Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women.

Colombia endured 70 years of internal conflict, but despite a peace agreement, violence continues to be significant in the post-conflict era. Violence degrades the health and well-being of affected...
Investigating Optimal Chemotherapy Options for Osteosarcoma Patients through a Mathematical Model.

Since all tumors are unique, they may respond differently to the same treatments. Therefore, it is necessary to study their characteristics individually to find their best treatment options. We built a mathematical model for the interactions between the most common chemotherapy drugs and the osteosarcoma microenvironments of three clusters of tumors with unique immune profiles. We then investigated the effects of chemotherapy with different treatment regimens and various treatment start times on the behaviors of immune and cancer cells in each cluster. Saliently, we suggest the optimal drug dosages for the tumors in each cluster. The results show that abundances of dendritic cells and HMGB1 increase when drugs are given and decrease when drugs are absent. Populations of helper T cells, cytotoxic cells, and IFN-γ grow, and populations of cancer cells and other immune cells shrink during treatment. According to the model, the MAP regimen does a good job at killing cancer, and is more effective than doxorubicin and cisplatin combined or methotrexate alone. The results also indicate that it is important to consider the tumor’s unique growth rate when deciding the treatment details, as fast growing tumors need early treatment start times and high dosages.
Discriminating robot system for carnation seedling with fuzzy logic

Abstract A carnation seedling is an agricultural product and its shape is very various. Therefore, it is difficult to discriminate this object by using the industrial method of some fixed pattern matching. We proposed the evaluation and the judgement of this seedling based on the subjective knowledge of a connoisseur, by using the image processing of the top and the side view and the fuzzy calculation such as fuzzy matching and fuzzy integral. In an online test with 500 samples, a good judgement rate of 97 % was achieved for a carnation seedling. This technique, mentioned here, will make it possible to evaluate and judge other agricultural product.
Free energy from simulations: Current Opinion in Structural Biology 1991, 1 : 196–200

Abstract Free energies derived from computer simulations can aid in the interpretation or prediction of experimental data on biomolecular structure, thermodynamics and kinetics. Progress made during the past year has improved the accuracy and speed of free energy calculations, and has provided new insights into molecular associations, protein folding and electron transfer.
Heuristically Fast Finding of the Shortest Reducts

It is well known that finding the shortest reduct is NP hard. In this paper, we present an heuristic fast way of finding shortest relative reducts by exploring the specific nature of the input data. As a byproduct, we can show that the shortest relative reducts can be found in polynomial time, provided that we do know apriori that the lengths of the shortest reducts is bounded by a constant, that is, independent of the column size n. It should be noted that there are heuristic factors in the algorithm (”speeds” are not guaranteed) but the results, namely, the founded shortest reducts, are the precise answers.
Discharge flow measurements of a centrifugal turbomachinery

The objective of this research is to obtain a better insight into the flowfield in a centrifugal turbomachinery. To investigate this turbomachinery flowfield, measurements have been made with hot-wire sensors at the exit of a centrifugal impeller. The measured data at the discharge show a jet-wake type of flow pattern which results in a strong vorticity field. The flow with high velocity found on the pressure side tends to move to the low pressure region present at the suction side of an impeller blade as a form of roll-up around the blade trailing edge. This flow motion is believed to cause an unsteady flow separation at the suction side of the blade and consequently to disturb the flow in the adjacent passage.
Effect of hypersaline cooling canals on aquifer salinization

The combined effect of salinity and temperature on density-driven convection was evaluated in this study for a large (28 km2) cooling canal system (CCS) at a thermoelectric power plant in south Florida, USA. A two-dimensional cross-section model was used to evaluate the effects of hydraulic heterogeneities, cooling canal salinity, heat transport, and cooling canal geometry on aquifer salinization and movement of the freshwater/saltwater interface. Four different hydraulic conductivity configurations, with values ranging over several orders of magnitude, were evaluated with the model. For all of the conditions evaluated, aquifer salinization was initiated by the formation of dense, hypersaline fingers that descended downward to the bottom of the 30-m thick aquifer. Saline fingers reached the aquifer bottom in times ranging from a few days to approximately 5 years for the lowest hydraulic conductivity case. Aquifer salinization continued after saline fingers reached the aquifer bottom and coalesced by lateral movement away from the site. Model results showed that aquifer salinization was most sensitive to aquifer heterogeneity, but was also sensitive to CCS salinity, temperature, and configuration.
Numerical and analytic routes from microscales to macroscales in theories of deformation and fracture

Numerical simulation has reached a point where it is on a par with laboratory experiment and mathematical theory as a tool for materials research. For example, molecular dynamics computations now can predict the motions of tens of millions of molecules in a solid that is undergoing deformation or fracture. The question is how to use such huge amounts of information to gain deeper understanding of the properties of real materials. I believe that it is an inefficient use of computational facilities to try to go directly from atomistic simulations to specific macroscopic phenomena. A better strategy is to use the simulations to identify dynamic variables that characterize the internal states of materials, and to use the equations of motion for these variables along with equations for stress and strain to predict macroscopic behavior. I shall illustrate this strategy by describing recent work by M. Falk and myself on plasticity in amorphous solids.
The molecular basis of inherited hypokalemic alkalosis: Bartter's and Gitelman's syndromes

Hypokalemic alkalosis with low blood pressure can be caused by a number of medications or alternatively as an autosomal recessive genetic trait. Molecular genetic approaches to this problem have recently demonstrated that mutations in genes encoding the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter or the bumetanide-sensitive Na-K-2Cl cotransporter produce two distinctive clinical and physiological pictures featuring hypokalemic alkalosis. Mutations in the latter cause a phenotypic picture called Bartter's syndrome that includes marked hypercalciuria and neonatal presentation with marked intravascular volume depletion. Mutations in the former cotransporter result in Gitelman's syndrome, which includes hypocalciuria, hypomagnesemia, and typically older clinical presentation with predominant muscular signs and symptoms. These findings establish the molecular basis of these disorders and indicate that the diverse abnormalities seen in affected patients derive from primary defects in these mediators of cotransport function. Moreover, these findings have implications for normal mechanisms of renal electrolyte homeostasis and for potential phenotypic effects in the more common heterozygous carriers of these mutations.
Surface forces at crack interfaces in mica in the presence of capillary condensation

Abstract A fracture mechanics model for brittle cracks with capillary condensation is developed. The model is based on an integration of intersurface forces, comprising solid-liquid-solid forces within the capillary and solid-vapour-solid forces without. The work of adhesion thus contains terms from these two regions of the adhesion zone, plus a term from the surface tension of the meniscus. Three interface types are considered: virgin, corresponding to first propagation of the crack through the bulk solid; healed-matched, corresponding to repropagation after crack retraction of a partial cleavage; and healed-misoriented, where the cleavage halves are first fully separated and rotated before closure. Notwithstanding the possibility that a layer of environmental molecules may become trapped on interfacial closure, thereby reducing the intrinsic cohesion, we predict the work of separation for healed-matched interfaces to have the same dependence on partial pressure of interactive environmental species as for virgin interfaces, provided lattice coherence is maintained between the matching surfaces. A different dependence is predicted for healed-misoriented surfaces, because of the loss of such coherence, in which case the greater part of the adhesion comes from the liquid surface tension. Results of equilibrium cleavage experiments on mica in water vapour confirm these predictions. The strongly increasing work of adhesion observed for virgin and healed-matched surfaces with diminishing relative humidity is indicative of a long-range, Coulombic component of bonding in the pristine mica structure. Implications of the results in the general description of brittle fracture, and of contact adhesion, are discussed.
Humor, feminismo y crítica social en la novela española contemporánea

Este articulo analiza la evolucion del humor femenino en la novel espanola desde la Transicion hasta el presente, prestando especial atencion al humor usado como un agente del cambio social. En la produccion de novelas humoristicas escritas por mujeres de este periodo se identifican tres momentos: la Transicion, que se interpreta a traves de la novela Cronica del desamor (1979) de Rosa Montero, obra representativa de la agenda feminista de la Transicion; los noventa, caracterizados por la laxitud del activismo politico, como se muestra en la novela Como ser mujer y no morir en el intento (1990) de Carmen Rico Godoy; por ultimo, ambas tendencias coexisten en el presente, como se observa al comparar las novelas A la caza del ultimo hombre salvaje (1999) de Angela Vallvey y La mansion de las tribadas (2002) de Lola Van Guardia.
An alternative HER-2/neu transcript of 8 kb has an extended 3'UTR and displays increased stability in SKOV-3 ovarian carcinoma cells.

Abstract HER-2/ neu is a potent oncogene that predicts poor outcome when overexpressed in ovarian cancer. The SKOV-3 ovarian carcinoma cell line, one of the only models for HER2-driven ovarian cancer, expresses a major uncharacterized 8-kb alternative HER-2 transcript. Objectives. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure and determine the origin of the alternative sequence and examine the possible role of the 8-kb alternative transcript in overexpression of the HER-2 gene. Methods. The structure of the 8-kb transcript was investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nucleotide sequencing of cDNA clones. PCR analysis of genomic DNA was used to assess the origin of the 8-kb transcript. The stability of the 8-kb mRNA was assessed by Northern blot analysis of RNA extracted from cells treated with transcriptional inhibitors. Results. Similar 5′UTR and coding sequence but an extended 3′UTR were contained in the 8-kb compared to the well-characterized 4.5-kb HER-2 transcript. Genomic DNA had continuity between the novel 3′UTR sequence from the 8-kb transcript and adjacent HER-2 terminal exon sequence. The 8-kb transcript had a half-life of 13 h compared to 5.5 h for the 4.5-kb transcript ( P Conclusions. The 8-kb transcript is generated from alternative polyadenylation site usage rather than gene rearrangement. Since the 8-kb transcript contains alternative sequence found at the 3′ end of the normal HER-2 gene, it could be expressed in other cells. Increased stability of the 8-kb transcript may confer a selective advantage for SKOV-3 cells by providing enhanced HER-2 expression.
Global credentials, immigration, and metro-regional economic performance

This paper places urban regions, rather than nations or transnational firms (TNFs), at the center of global economic organization. Using the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex as an illustration, it explains the economic reach of a metro region in terms of the quality and diversity of local resources and global investments assembled there. Human capital flows in the form of foreign immigration are likewise viewed as integral to the global economic model. Their effects on the economic performances of the largest U.S. metro regions during the 1980s are analyzed. The findings suggest that although foreign immigration generally depressed both metro-regional growth and development during the decade, these effects were mediated by business-cycle shifts. Therefore, rather than being regarded as either an unalloyed boon or burden to an economy, foreign immigration effects are discovered to be complex and contingent on background economic circumstances.
An experimental investigation of air venting of volatile liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media

Abstract Experimental results are reported which delineate the vaporization modes of single and binary hydrocarbon liquids held in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media during air venting. The experiments were performed in a two-dimensional apparatus which allowed visual observation of the evolving geometry of the liquid contaminant pool under various conditions. In homogeneous sand packings, the contaminant pool receded primarily from the upstream edge to the downstream edge during venting. In heterogeneous (dual permeability and packs, the permeability ratio of the high- to low-permeability zones was found to be an important factor on the geometric evolution of the contaminant pool. Different permeability ratios were investigated for a high-permeability layer above a contaminant pool trapped in a low-permeability layer. For permeability ratios below 10:1, the pool geometry evolved in a similar manner as in the homogeneous sand pack because a significant amount of airflow passed through the contaminant in the low-permeability zone. For ratios greater than 100:1 the pool receded downward from the interface of the two layers into the low-permeability zone, and the venting became limited by diffusion of the contaminant vapors from the low-permeability zone to the air flowing in the high-permeability zone. During venting of binary mixtures from dual-permeability sand packs with large permeability ratios, the mass fractions of the two components in the vapor-phase exhibited three distinct stages: (1) an early, rapid decrease in the mass fraction ratio of the more volatile to less volatile compound due to a depletion of the more volatile component at the evaporating surface in the liquid; (2) a period of constant mass fraction ratio resulting from a quasi-steady-state evaporation of the liquid pool which receded into the low-permeability zone; and (3) a long-term gradual decrease in the mass fraction ratio of the more volatile to less volatile compound caused by the diminishing size of the contaminant pool.