cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sparse roadmap spanners for asymptotically near-optimal motion planning

Asymptotically optimal planners, such as PRM*, guarantee that solutions approach optimal as the number of iterations increases. Roadmaps with this property, however, may grow too large for storing on resource-constrained robots and for achieving efficient online query resolution. By relaxing optimality, asymptotically near-optimal planners produce sparser graphs by not including all edges. The idea stems from graph spanners, which produce sparse subgraphs that guarantee near-optimality. Existing asymptotically optimal and near-optimal planners, however, include all sampled configurations as roadmap nodes, meaning only infinite-size graphs have the desired properties. To address this limitation, this work describes SPARS, an algorithm that returns a sparse roadmap spanner. The method provides the following properties: (a) probabilistic completeness, (b) asymptotic near-optimality and (c) the probability of adding nodes to the spanner converges to zero as iterations increase. The last point suggests that finite-size data structures with asymptotic near-optimality in continuous spaces may indeed exist. The approach builds simultaneously a dense graph similar to PRM* and its roadmap spanner, meaning that upon construction an infinite-size graph is still needed asymptotically. An extension of SPARS is also presented, termed SPARS2, which removes the dependency on building a dense graph for constructing the sparse roadmap spanner and for which it is shown that the same desirable properties hold. Simulations for rigid-body motion planning show that algorithms for constructing sparse roadmap spanners indeed provide small data structures and result in faster query resolution. The rate of node addition is shown to decrease over time and practically the quality of solutions is considerably better than the theoretical bounds. Upon construction, the memory requirements of SPARS2 are significantly smaller but there is a small sacrifice in the size of the final spanner relative to SPARS.
NAMOT2—a redesigned nucleic acid modeling tool: construction of non-canonical DNA structures

Using a new set of reduced coordinates developed for describing regular and unusual nucleic acid structures, we have revised our nucleic acid modeling tool NAMOT2. NAMOT2 is general in terms of modeling different nucleic acid structures. A set of modifiable libraries allows users to customize their modeling environment. With this set of libraries, NAMOT2 can be used to model non-canonical structures such as parallel-stra nded, triple-stranded and quadruple-stranded nucleic acid molecules. For modeling irregular structures (junctions, hairpin loops, etc.), we introduce a structural recipe approach. The complete procedure using NAMOT2 to construct the structure of a specific molecule is treated as the recipe for that structural motif. The existing recipes can be modified to generate new recipes for different structural motifs. Several examples of nucleic acids with non-canonical structures were modeled using NAMOT2. These examples include a DNA-drug complex, a DNA cube, a six-arm junction and a curved DNA molecule.
Treatment Failures Secondary to in Vivo Development of Drug Resistance by Microorganisms

In two patients development of resistance to antibiotics by initially sensitive infecting organisms was associated with relapse or persistence of active infection. The first patient developed Staphylococcus epidermidis resistant to chloramphenicol during therapy with this agent for an infection that followed a cerebrospinal fluid shunt, and the second patient developed bacteremia due to ampicillin-resistant Salmonella during therapy with ampicillin. Treatment failure resulting from in vivo development of resistance to antimicrobial agents has been described for most of the major classes of antiinfective drugs and for numerous microorganisms. Although in many of these instances reinfection with a resistant organism cannot be excluded, there are many examples of apparent mutation or initial infection with both sensitive and resistant bacterial populations that is followed by selective multiplication of the resistant population or acquisition of resistance by an initially sensitive infecting organism. This phenomenon can be a cause of treatment failure and has appeared in patients in whom, by available tests, drug levels were found adequate. Isolation days after the institution of antimicrobial therapy of what appears to be the same organism as was initially recovered should prompt repeated sensitivity tests, at least to the agents being administered, if the patient's clinical course has not been one of satisfactory improvement.
Efficiently ordering subgoals with access constraints

In this paper, we study the problem of ordering subgoals under binding pattern restrictions for queries posed as nonrecursive Datalog programs. We prove that despite their limited expressive power, the problem is computationally hard—PSPACE-complete in the size of the nonrecursive Datalog program even for fairly restricted cases. As a practical solution to this problem, we develop an asymptotically optimal algorithm that runs in time linear in the size of the query plan. We also study extensions of our algorithm that efficiently solve other query planning problems under binding pattern restrictions. These problems include conjunctive queries with nested grouping constraints, distributed conjunctive queries, and first-order queries.
Interdiffusion of solid iron and nickel at high pressure

Interdiffusion rates in solid (fcc) iron–nickel alloys have been measured at pressures between 1 and 23 GPa and temperatures between 1423 and 1973 K. The experiments were performed using piston cylinder and multianvil devices, with diffusion couples comprising pure iron and nickel rods placed end to end. Concentration profiles in quenched samples were measured by electron microprobe, and interdiffusion coefficients were determined using the Boltzmann–Matano method. Over the entire range of pressure and temperature studied, interdiffusion coefficients in the iron-rich alloys are described well by a simple exponential function of the homologous temperature, D=Doexp(−20.4Tm/T), where Tm is the melting temperature of the alloy at the pressure of interest and D0 is a constant equal to 2.7×10 −4 m 2 /s. These data are consistent, within an order of magnitude, with data for other close-packed (fcc and hcp) metals at the same homologous temperatures. At the conditions of Earth's inner core, diffusion coefficients are predicted to be too small for bulk diffusive exchange between the inner and outer core to be significant. It is thus reasonable to model the chemical evolution of the outer core under the assumption that crystallization of the inner core is a perfect fractional process.
Prediction of liver function by using magnetic resonance-based portal venous perfusion imaging.

Purpose To evaluate whether liver function can be assessed globally and spatially by using volumetric dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging MRI (DCE-MRI) to potentially aid in adaptive treatment planning. Methods and Materials Seventeen patients with intrahepatic cancer undergoing focal radiation therapy (RT) were enrolled in institution review board-approved prospective studies to obtain DCE-MRI (to measure regional perfusion) and indocyanine green (ICG) clearance rates (to measure overall liver function) prior to, during, and at 1 and 2 months after treatment. The volumetric distribution of portal venous perfusion in the whole liver was estimated for each scan. We assessed the correlation between mean portal venous perfusion in the nontumor volume of the liver and overall liver function measured by ICG before, during, and after RT. The dose response for regional portal venous perfusion to RT was determined using a linear mixed effects model. Results There was a significant correlation between the ICG clearance rate and mean portal venous perfusion in the functioning liver parenchyma, suggesting that portal venous perfusion could be used as a surrogate for function. Reduction in regional venous perfusion 1 month after RT was predicted by the locally accumulated biologically corrected dose at the end of RT ( P P Conclusions This study suggests that MR-based volumetric hepatic perfusion imaging may be a biomarker for spatial distribution of liver function, which could aid in individualizing therapy, particularly for patients at risk for liver injury after RT.
Comparison of Isothermal Anneal Techniques for be or Si Implanted S.I. InP

This paper presents a study of the annealing of Be and Si implants into InP. It compares rapid thermal anneal (RTA) and furnace anneal (FA) techniques over a temperature range of 600-;900° C. The results demonstrate that RTA results in activation and mobilities as good as those obtained by FA for both Si and Be implant. The background Fe concentration of S.I. InP substrates lead to substantial differences in activation. Arrhenius fit of optimal activation data of Si indicates an activation energy of 1.8 eV. The Si implants display no redistribution during either type of annealing, while the Be implants display more than one type of redistribution. Moreover, the complete description of the Be redistribution requires the knowledge of both the atomic and the electronic profiles. Capless annealing eliminates the additional processing steps of capping but it also sets a limit on the maximum temperature and time of the annealing.
Segmentation of intravascular ultrasound images: a knowledge-based approach

Intravascular ultrasound imaging of coronary arteries provides important information about coronary lumen, wall, and plaque characteristics. Quantitative studies of coronary atherosclerosis using intravascular ultrasound and manual identification of wall and plaque borders are limited by the need for observers with substantial experience and the tedious nature of manual border detection. We have developed a method for segmentation of intravascular ultrasound images that identifies the internal and external elastic laminae and the plaque-lumen interface. The border detection algorithm was evaluated in a set of 38 intravascular ultrasound images acquired from fresh cadaveric hearts using a 30 MHz imaging catheter. To assess the performance of our border detection method we compared five quantitative measures of arterial anatomy derived from computer-detected borders with measures derived from borders manually defined by expert observers. Computer-detected and observer-defined lumen areas correlated very well (r=0.96, y=1.02x+0.52), as did plaque areas (r=0.95, y=1.07x-0.48), and percent area stenosis (r=0.93, y=0.99x-1.34.) Computer-derived segmental plaque thickness measurements were highly accurate. Our knowledge-based intravascular ultrasound segmentation method shows substantial promise for the quantitative analysis of in vivo intravascular ultrasound image data.
Magic, Meaning and Leadership: Weber’s Model and the Empirical Literature

Weber’s (1946) model of charismatic leadership offers a framework within which more recent theories and findings can be shown to have a place. The process he described begins as a challenge to an existing status quo and paves the way for another. The charismatic leader elicits a willing response from followers, who begin in the faith that they are pursuing purposes greater than their own but lay the foundations of a new status quo when they seek to legitimate their positions of power. Empirical theories and findings elucidate the stages of this process. The initial status quo, leader dependence upon the support of followers, attributions of charisma and the importance of follower feelings have been described under the headings of substitutes for leadership, leader traits and behavior, implicit leadership and transformational leadership. Leader-member exchange (LMX) and strategic contingencies theory describes the appearance of an administrative staff and tendencies toward a new status quo. Descriptions of...
Vocational Psychology, Offenders and Ex-Offenders, and Social Justice A Critical Psychology Perspective

The vocational needs of offenders and ex-offenders have received little attention in the counseling psychology literature. The authors of this special issue have called attention to the importance of and possibilities associated with the development and implementation of vocational interventions for such populations. This reaction discusses the merits of the articles in this special issue, and proposes that in addition to focusing on developing effective interventions for offenders and ex-offenders, we must interrogate the U.S. prison enterprise with respect to goals, outcomes, and ultimately, social justice.
Human placental lipid peroxidation—II. NADPH and iron dependent stimulation of microsomal lipid peroxidation by paraquat

l. Paraquat, a widely used herbicide, was found to cause a marked stimulation of lipid peroxidation in the human placental microsomes in vitro. 2. Both NADPH and chelated iron were necessary to observe paraquat-stimulated lipid peroxidation. 3. The malondialdehyde accumulation in the incubation medium increased with increase in time, protein and paraquat concentration. 4. The reaction did not exhibit the initial lag phase suggesting that endogenous membrane-bound antioxidants in human placental microsomes are either absent or present in extremely small quantities.
Satellite remote sensing of dust aerosol indirect effects on cloud formation over Eastern Asia

The dust aerosol indirect effect of the first kind on ice and liquid water cloud formation has been investigated using available MODIS cloud and aerosol products on the basis of correlation analysis. The variability in the correlation between cloud parameters, including optical depth, effective particle size, cloud water path and cloud particle number concentration, and aerosol variables, including optical depth and number concentration, over Eastern Asia has been studied. Three MODIS scenes that contain a significant presence of local and transported dust and clouds have been selected for comprehensive analysis. For all cases studied, we demonstrate that there is a negative trend regarding the correlation between cloud particle size and aerosol optical depth, which is statistically significant. These results represent a strong evidence of dust and cloud interactions that are consistent with the hypothesis of the Twomey effect for clouds.
Comparison of the Isochronous Method and a Time-Explicit Model for Creep Analysis

The design of components or structures at elevated temperature is complex. The use of rigorous time dependent material models may not be practical for many large scale industrial problems. The use of simplified methods permits the creep analysis of components that would be impractical by rigorous time dependent models. The Isochronous Stress-Strain method is an approach that has been used extensively for the creep evaluation of elevated temperature components. The method has been used for the analysis of problems containing both primary and secondary stresses. The method has also been used to evaluate creep buckling problems. Although the method has been accepted as an alternative to a full time dependent creep analysis, the limitations and accuracy of the method have not been investigated systematically and are not fully understood. This study compares the isochronous stress-strain method with a generalized time-explicit creep model for materials in high temperature applications. Analytical solutions are developed for three basic loading configurations, including uniaxial tension, pure bending, and torsion in either load or displacement controlled conditions. Deformations, stresses, and creep strains are compared between the two different methods.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
PGC-1α overexpression via local transfection attenuates mitophagy pathway in muscle disuse atrophy

Loss of mitochondrial structural and functional integrity plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of muscle disuse atrophy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) has been suggested to modulate autophagy-lysosome pathway (mitophagy) during muscle atrophy, but clear evidence is still lacking. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that overexpression of PGC-1α via in vivo transfection would ameliorate mitophagy in mouse tibialis anterior muscle subjected to two weeks of immobilization (IM), followed by remobilization (RM). While mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant enzymes are decreased, all autophagic and mitophagic protein markers such as Beclin-1, Bnip3, PINK1, parkin, Mul1 and the LC3II/LC3I ratio were increased in IM-RM muscle together with activation of FoxO pathway. Overexpression of PGC-1α significantly increased mitochondrial DNA proliferation and oxidative enzyme activity, whereas it mitigated oxidative stress and mitochondrial ubiquination in IM-RM muscle. Protein contents of PINK1, parkin and Mul1 in mitochondria decreased by approximately 50% with PGC-1α treatment. Furthermore, PGC-1α overexpression suppressed FoxO1 and FoxO3 activation along with a decreased LC3II/LC3I ratio. Importantly, PGC-1α attenuated IM-RM-induced ubiquination and degradation of mitofusion protein Mfn2. Muscle apoptotic tendency, measured by Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-3 activity, were elevated with IM-RM, but unaffected by PGC-1α. We conclude that overexpression of PGC-1α by in vivo transfection can inhibit activation of mitophagy pathway in the atrophying muscle caused by immobilization.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Tubule Protein Reticulon 4 Associates with the Legionella pneumophila Vacuole and with Translocated Substrate Ceg9

Intracellular growth of Legionella pneumophila occurs in a replication vacuole constructed by host proteins that regulate vesicular traffic from the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This process is promoted by a combination of approximately 300 Icm/Dot translocated substrates (IDTS). One of these proteins, Ceg9, was previously identified in a screen for L. pneumophila IDTS that manipulate secretory traffic when overexpressed in yeast. Using ectopic expression of Ceg9 in mammalian cells, we demonstrate that Ceg9 interacts with isoforms of host reticulon 4 (Rtn4), a protein that regulates ER tubule formation. Binding occurs under conditions that prevent association with other known reticulon binding proteins, arguing that Ceg9 binding is stable. A tripartite complex was demonstrated among Rtn4, Ceg9, and atlastin 1, a previously characterized reticulon interacting partner. The binding of Ceg9 to Rtn4 was not due to bridging by atlastin 1 but resulted from the two interacting partners binding independently to reticulon. When Ceg9 is ectopically expressed in mammalian cells, it shows a localization pattern that is indistinguishable from that of Rtn4, perhaps due to interactions between and similar structural features of the two proteins. Consistent with Rtn4 playing a role in the formation of the Legionella-containing vacuole, it was recruited to almost 50% of the vacuoles within 20 min postinfection. Our studies suggest that L. pneumophila proteins interact with ER tubules at an early stage of replication vacuole formation.
Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc

Could be used in entrepreneurship business strategy courses. This is a social entrepreneurship case that demonstrates the application of business best practices to a large rural community health organization. The case raises issues regarding growth/expansion and the examines the conflict between the mission and strategic focus. It asks the question: What are the business model limits to "doing good?"
Non-Extradition for Political Offenses: The Communist Perspective

A key problem in political asylum determinations has been determining what constitutes a "political" offense. The controversy includes the issues of what should be done with respect to terrorists, political assassins, war criminals, deserters, and prisoners of war, who seek asylum.Communist views regarding general principles of extradition were quite similar to those of countries outside the communist sphere. Principles of reciprocity, double criminality, speciality, non-refoulement, and so forth were all applied. The political offenses exception, however, was heavily influenced by the communist point of view. The definition of "political," in spite of its humanitarian basis, was bound up in ideological considerations.This article explores the communist perspective on asylum. On the way, it considers the communist law of extradition and what constituted a political offense for communist countries, with special attention several subjects such as terrorism, "attendat" clauses, and to war crimes.
Structural Power and Emerging Regional Order in Post-Apartheid Southern Africa

Analysis of relations between South Africa and its neighbors from either the hegemonic or interdependence perspectives fail to explain recent changes in the pattern of inter-state, state-firm and inter-firm diplomacy and economic interactions in the region. This paper, instead, argues that essentially, a "constellation of economies" led by South African economic and technological capital operating outside the realms of the state is rapidly crystallizing, and has led to a re-ordering of coordinated national and regional development and foreign policy objectives. These transformations are captured by the "structural power of capital" framework which suggests that states as authoritative institutions that allocate values, particularly weak ones, have lost much of their authority over society and economic transactions within their defined territorial borders. This pre-eminence of the private sector in setting the direction of change in the region is a microcosm of the global and regional realignment in the relations between the nation-state and the multifarious and complex nature of capital relative to other social forces and the state itself. This framework is applied to the study of the strategic sectors of Southern African economies, especially the transportation sector. It shows that for all intents and purposes, the emerging post-apartheid South Africa's relations with its neighbors is driven largely by the interests of capital. The African National Congress (ANC) has had to either acquiesce, despite its otherwise rhetorical commitment to even regional development. The study demonstrates further that this emerging order is being facilitated by economic liberalization, and that these trends have serious implications for future relations between South Africa and its neighbors.
Self-organizable vesicular columns assembled from polymers dendronized with semifluorinated Janus dendrimers act as reverse thermal actuators.

The synthesis and structural analysis of polymers dendronized with self-assembling Janus dendrimers containing one fluorinated and one hydrogenated dendrons are reported. Janus dendrimers were attached to the polymer backbone both from the hydrogenated and from the fluorinated parts of the Janus dendrimer. Structural analysis of these dendronized polymers and of their precursors by a combination of differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction experiments on powder and oriented fibers, and electron density maps have demonstrated that in both cases the dendronized polymer consists of a vesicular columnar structure containing fluorinated alkyl groups on its periphery. This vesicular columnar structure is generated by a mechanism that involves the intramolecular assembly of the Janus dendrimers into tapered dendrons followed by the intramolecular self-assembly of the resulting dendronized polymer in a vesicular column. By contrast with conventional polymers dendronized with self-assembling tapered den...
Anti-Anemia Potency of Liver After Gastrectomy in Swine.∗

SummaryThe results show definitely that after total gastrectomy in the pig the anti-anemia potency of the liver becomes progressively depleted, and that a significant loss is already detectable as early as the third month.
Preparing Geographers for Interdisciplinary Research: Graduate Training at the Interface of the Natural and Social Sciences

Recent debates about the state of geography raise valuable questions about how the discipline can and should change in response to shifting institutional realities. Focusing on the breadth and interdisciplinarity of geography, these discussions often overlook the role of pedagogy—particularly graduate training—in adapting the discipline to new institutional landscapes. Drawing on experiences as current and recent geography doctoral students, we identify institutional seedlings of opportunity that can be cultivated toward a spectrum of alternative doctoral training models. These alternatives offer significant opportunities to better prepare early-career geographers for success and to solidify geography's position as a leader in interdisciplinary research.
Health-related quality of life in midlife women in Qatar: relation to arthritis and symptoms of joint pain.

AbstractObjective:The prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been poorly documented in the Middle East and North African region, including the State of Qatar. Given that musculoskeletal pain is commonly reported among midlife women, we evaluated the association between s
Near-atomic resolution structure of a highly neutralizing fab bound to canine parvovirus

ABSTRACT Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a highly contagious pathogen that causes severe disease in dogs and wildlife. Previously, a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAb) raised against CPV was characterized. An antibody fragment (Fab) of MAb E was found to neutralize the virus at low molar ratios. Using recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we determined the structure of CPV in complex with Fab E to 4.1 A resolution, which allowed de novo building of the Fab structure. The footprint identified was significantly different from the footprint obtained previously from models fitted into lower-resolution maps. Using single-chain variable fragments, we tested antibody residues that control capsid binding. The near-atomic structure also revealed that Fab binding had caused capsid destabilization in regions containing key residues conferring receptor binding and tropism, which suggests a mechanism for efficient virus neutralization by antibody. Furthermore, a general technical approach to solving the structures of small molecules is demonstrated, as binding the Fab to the capsid allowed us to determine the 50-kDa Fab structure by cryo-EM. IMPORTANCE Using cryo-electron microscopy and new direct electron detector technology, we have solved the 4 A resolution structure of a Fab molecule bound to a picornavirus capsid. The Fab induced conformational changes in regions of the virus capsid that control receptor binding. The antibody footprint is markedly different from the previous one identified by using a 12 A structure. This work emphasizes the need for a high-resolution structure to guide mutational analysis and cautions against relying on older low-resolution structures even though they were interpreted with the best methodology available at the time.
Using DNA Methylation Profiling to Evaluate Biological Age and Longevity Interventions

Summary The DNA methylation levels of certain CpG sites are thought to reflect the pace of human aging. Here, we developed a robust predictor of mouse biological age based on 90 CpG sites derived from partial blood DNA methylation profiles. The resulting clock correctly determines the age of mouse cohorts, detects the longevity effects of calorie restriction and gene knockouts, and reports rejuvenation of fibroblast-derived iPSCs. The data show that mammalian DNA methylomes are characterized by CpG sites that may represent the organism's biological age. They are scattered across the genome, they are distinct in human and mouse, and their methylation gradually changes with age. The clock derived from these sites represents a biomarker of aging and can be used to determine the biological age of organisms and evaluate interventions that alter the rate of aging.
Draft de novo transcriptome assembly and proteome characterization of the electric lobe of Tetronarce californica : a molecular tool for the study of cholinergic neurotransmission in the electric organ

The electric organ of Tetronarce californica (an electric ray formerly known as Torpedo californica) is a classic preparation for biochemical studies of cholinergic neurotransmission. To broaden the usefulness of this preparation, we have performed a transcriptome assembly of the presynaptic component of the electric organ (the electric lobe). We combined our assembled transcriptome with a previous transcriptome of the postsynaptic electric organ, to define a MetaProteome containing pre- and post-synaptic components of the electric organ. Sequencing yielded 102 million paired-end 100 bp reads. De novo Trinity assembly was performed at Kmer 25 (default) and Kmers 27, 29, and 31. Trinity, generated around 103,000 transcripts, and 78,000 genes per assembly. Assemblies were evaluated based on the number of bases/transcripts assembled, RSEM-EVAL scores and informational content and completeness. We found that different assemblies scored differently according to the evaluation criteria used, and that while each individual assembly contained unique information, much of the assembly information was shared by all assemblies. To generate the presynaptic transcriptome (electric lobe), while capturing all information, assemblies were first clustered and then combined with postsynaptic transcripts (electric organ) downloaded from NCBI. The completness of the resulting clustered predicted MetaProteome was rigorously evaluated by comparing its information against the predicted proteomes from Homo sapiens, Callorhinchus milli, and the Transporter Classification Database (TCDB). In summary, we obtained a MetaProteome containing 92%, 88.5%, and 66% of the expected set of ultra-conserved sequences (i.e., BUSCOs), expected to be found for Eukaryotes, Metazoa, and Vertebrata, respectively. We cross-annotated the conserved set of proteins shared between the T. californica MetaProteome and the proteomes of H. sapiens and C. milli, using the H. sapiens genome as a reference. This information was used to predict the position in human pathways of the conserved members of the T. californica MetaProteome. We found proteins not detected before in T. californica, corresponding to processes involved in synaptic vesicle biology. Finally, we identified 42 transporter proteins in TCDB that were detected by the T. californica MetaProteome (electric fish) and not selected by a control proteome consisting of the combined proteomes of 12 widely diverse non-electric fishes by Reverse-Blast-Hit Blast. Combined, the information provided here is not only a unique tool for the study of cholinergic neurotransmission, but it is also a starting point for understanding the evolution of early vertebrates.
Differential effects of obesity on eosinophilic vs. non-eosinophilic asthma subtypes

ABSTRACTObjective: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease composed of multiple disease subtypes. Obesity may worsen asthma, although the mechanism is poorly understood and its effects on different subtypes are not well characterized. We sought to determine whether obesity affects eosinophilic asthma differently from non-eosinophilic asthma. Methods: Charts of 196 persistent asthmatics were reviewed. Subjects were categorized according to BMI (obese ≥ 30 kg/m2) and blood eosinophilia based on two different cutoffs (≥200 or ≥400 cells/µl): eosinophilic, non-obese (E-NO), eosinophilic, obese (E-O), non-eosinophilic, non-obese (NE-NO), and non-eosinophilic, obese (NE-O). We analyzed clinical parameters across these groups to determine associations with obesity and/or eosinophilia. Results: Obesity was highly prevalent in our population (50.5%, 99/196). The majority of asthmatics were female (75.5%), though the ratio was lower in the E-NO group (56%). The NE-NO group was associated with lowest asthma severity, lowe...
The Subway to China

You can’t argue with a five-year plan. The web extra at https://youtu.be/5amJUyrSgBw is an audio recording of author David Alan Grier reading his Global Code column.
A science-based strategy for ecological restoration in South Florida

The Everglades and associated coastal ecosystems of South Florida are unique and highly valued ecosystems. One of the world's largest water management systems has been developed in South Florida over the past 50 years to provide flood control, urban and agricultural water supply, and drainage of land for development. However, this system has inadvertently caused extensive degradation of the South Florida environment, resulting in the loss of more than half the historical Everglades system and elimination of whole classes of ecosystems. The U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program (US MAB) instituted a project to develop ecosystem management principles and identify requirements for ecological sustainability of South Florida. A strategic process developed by the US MAB Project illustrates how ecosystem management and ecological risk assessment principles apply to South Florida, including the development of societal goals and objectives of desired sustainable ecological condition, translation of these goals/objectives into scientifically meaningful ecological endpoints, creation of a regional plan designed to meet the sustainability goals, and development of a framework for evaluating how well the plan will achieve ecological sustainability of South Florida. An extensive federal, state, and tribal interagency process is underway to develop a restoration plan for restructuring the regional management system, essentially following the elements in the US MAB project process. The Florida Governor's Commission was established as an institution to reflect societal values and define regional sustainability goals. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is developing a science-based plan for Congressional approval to restructure the water management system to achieve the societal goals. Thus, South Florida may become the prototype example of successful regional-scale ecosystem management.
Area and International Studies in the United States: Stakeholders

Area and international studies (A&IS) are analyzed in terms of three sets of stakeholders: the producers of knowledge, the consumers of knowledge, and the investors. In most nations, these stakeholders are all government agencies. In the United States, A&IS production, consumption, and investment are found in education and the private sector as well as in government, resulting in a high level of organizational development, complexity, and productivity. These A&IS stakeholders are divided by disciplinary, geographic, linguistic, professional, and institutional fault lines. The history of US investment in and institutional development of A&IS is reviewed, and the relationship between A&IS production and consumption is examined. Until the 1990s, different A&IS stakeholders failed to cooperate effectively. Since 1990 a working alliance has been effective in lobbying for increased government support. Demand for graduates with A&IS training is strong and growing, which accounts for healthy enrollments and continued support by colleges and universities. Post-cold war increases in international trade and other forms of globalization suggest that area and international studies will grow in importance, despite internal rivalries and external competition for scarce academic, government, and private-sector resources.
Constraints Caused by Primary Hyperhidrosis

This chapter is a summary of the book Suando em Bicas (Perspiring Copiously) published in Brazil in 2004 by Editora Nobel, the author of which—the journalist Regina Lunkes Diehl—has suffered from hyperhidrosis for more than three decades.
Fabrication and Characterization of Micro-, Nano-, and Hierarchical Structured Surfaces

It has been demonstrated experimentally that roughness changes contact angle in accordance with the Wenzel model or the Cassie–Baxter model, depending upon whether the surface is hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Yost et al. (1995) found that roughness enhances wetting of a copper surface with Sn–Pb eutectic solder, which has a contact angle of \(15 - 2{0}^{\circ }\) for a smooth surface.
Survivin does not inhibit caspase-3 activity.

Conway et al recently reported that alternatively spliced forms of mouse survivin exhibit different antiapoptotic properties.[1][1] This was inferred from inhibition of recombinant caspase-3 catalytic activity using a standard chromogenic assay in the presence of increasing concentrations of
Revision After Gastric Banding

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) was described in 1993 and approved by the FDA to be used in the USA in 2001. It is a purely restrictive procedure designed to confront obesity. By 2010 these operations accounted for 46% of all the bariatric surgeries performed in American College of Surgeons accredited centers [1].
Measuring students' expectations of service quality of a higher education institution in a longitudinal design

This study presents changes in undergraduate students' expectations of service quality, regarding 33 attributes of services provided at a private HEI, over a longitudinal investigation. The course directors did not intervene intentionally, directly or in any significant way that would alter the conditions under which the services were offered. Data collection was performed at five different times, addressing the same group of students. The assessment of the expectations shows that, over time, students undergo changes in their perceptions, although the relative importance of the attributes does not undergo a radical repositioning. Senior students tend to be more demanding than freshmen. The information obtained enables managing directors to align with emerging paradigms, and effectively direct resources for retention and loyalty, and to attract customers by meeting their expectations at different stages of interaction with the institution.
Challenges in studying statewide pedestrian injuries and drug involvement

Increasing U.S. rates of pedestrian injuries could be attributable in part to changing policies and attitudes towards drugs and associated increases in use, yet drug use has not been investigated widely as a risk factor for pedestrian injury. This study details challenges to investigating drug-involved pedestrian crashes using existing surveillance systems. Using California police reports from 2004 to 2016, we performed simple linear regression with the proportion of data that was missing by year for drug and alcohol use as the outcome of interest. We also explored differences in the relative proportion of missing data across sex, race, and age groups through simple logistic regression. Finally, we compared missing data for alcohol and drug use indicators for pedestrians and drivers. From 2004 to 2016, 182,278 pedestrians were involved in crashes across California. Only 1.22% (n = 2219) of records indicated drug use, and 98% had missing data for drug use; the proportion of missing data did not change over time (b = − 0.040, p = 0.145, 95% CI = (− 0.095, 0.016)). The proportion of missing values for alcohol use increased each year (b = 0.49, 95% CI = (0.26, 0.72), p = 0.001). Driver drug and alcohol use indictors showed similar data missingness, and missing data did not show significant variation over time. Hispanics were more likely to have missing data for drug use compared to Whites (OR = 0.61, p < 0.001, 95% CI = (0.56, 0.67)), and Blacks were more likely to have missing data for alcohol use compared to Whites (OR = 0.87, p < 0.0001, 95% CI = (0.84, 0.91)). Drug use may be a key contributing factor to pedestrian injury, but drug use remains consistently and largely unmeasured in existing surveillance systems. Without better collection of drug and alcohol data, monitoring trends in drug-involved pedestrian injury will not be feasible.
Is the Mallampati Score Useful for Emergency Department Airway Management or Procedural Sedation

We review the literature in regard to the accuracy, reliability, and feasibility of the Mallampati score as might be pertinent and applicable to emergency department (ED) airway management and procedural sedation. This 4-level pictorial tool was devised to predict difficult preoperative laryngoscopy and intubation, but is now also widely recommended as a routine screening element before procedural sedation. The literature evidence demonstrates that the Mallampati score is inadequately sensitive for the identification of difficult laryngoscopy, difficult intubation, and difficult bag-valve-mask ventilation, with likelihood ratios indicating a small and clinically insignificant effect on outcome prediction. Although it is important to anticipate that patients may have a difficult airway, there is no specific evidence that the Mallampati score augments or improves the baseline clinical judgment of a standard airway evaluation. It generates numerous false-positive warnings for each correct prediction of a difficult airway. The Mallampati score is not reliably assessed because independent observers commonly grade it differently. It cannot be evaluated in many young children and in patients who cannot cooperate because of their underlying medical condition. The Mallampati score lacks the accuracy, reliability, and feasibility required to supplement a standard airway evaluation before ED airway management or procedural sedation.
Cancer imaging in preclinical models

Abstract The study of animal models remains a cornerstone of preclinical cancer research. Recent advances in technology have led to the proliferation of animal imaging devices that are now integral to the study of cancer biology. Imaging is routinely used for the development and characterization of animal tumor models, measuring response to anticancer therapy, and for the detailed examination of individual molecular pathways within neoplastic tissue. The purpose of this chapter will be to provide an introduction to the most common imaging modalities used in contemporary oncologic investigation in order to help the reader determine if an imaging approach may complement their research goals.
Step-defect guided delivery of DNA to a graphene nanopore.

Precision placement and transport of biomolecules are critical to many single-molecule manipulation and detection methods. One such method is nanopore sequencing, in which the delivery of biomolecules towards a nanopore controls the method’s throughput. Using all-atom molecular dynamics, here we show that the precision transport of biomolecules can be realized by utilizing ubiquitous features of graphene surface-step defects that separate multilayer domains. Subject to an external force, we found that adsorbed DNA moved much faster down a step defect than up, and even faster along the defect edge, regardless of whether the motion was produced by a mechanical force or a solvent flow. We utilized this direction dependency to demonstrate a mechanical analogue of an electric diode and a system for delivering DNA molecules to a nanopore. The defect-guided delivery principle can be used for the separation, concentration and storage of scarce biomolecular species, on-demand chemical reactions and nanopore sensing. Subject to force, molecules are more likely to move down a step defect than up the defect and are even more likely to be displaced along the step defect line.
Enhancement of tripartite synapses as a potential therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease: a preclinical study in rTg4510 mice.

The lack of effective treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is of momentous societal concern. Synaptic loss is the hallmark of AD that correlates best with impaired memory and occurs early in the disease process, before the onset of clinical symptoms. We have developed a small-molecule, pyridazine-based series that enhances the structure and function of both the glial processes and the synaptic boutons that form the tripartite synapse. Previously, we have shown that these pyridazine derivatives exhibit profound efficacy in an amyloid precursor protein AD model. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of an advanced compound, LDN/OSU-0215111, in rTg4510 mice—an aggressive tauopathy model. rTg4510 mice were treated orally with vehicle or LDN/OSU-0215111 (10 mg/kg) daily from the early symptomatic stage (2 months old) to moderate (4 months old) and severe (8 months old) disease stages. At each time point, mice were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests to assess the activity levels and cognition. Also, tissue collections were performed on a subset of mice to analyze the tripartite synaptic changes, neurodegeneration, gliosis, and tau phosphorylation as assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. At 8 months of age, a subset of rTg4510 mice treated with compound was switched to vehicle treatment and analyzed behaviorally and biochemically 30 days after treatment cessation. At both the moderate and severe disease stages, compound treatment normalized cognition and behavior as well as reduced synaptic loss, neurodegeneration, tau hyperphosporylation, and neuroinflammation. Importantly, after 30 days of treatment cessation, the benefits of compound treatment were sustained, indicating disease modification. We also found that compound treatment rapidly and robustly reduced tau hyperphosphorylation/deposition possibly via the inhibition of GSK3β. The results show that LDN/OSU-0215111 provides benefits for multiple aspects of tauopathy-dependent pathology found in Alzheimer’s disease including tripartite synapse normalization and reduction of toxic tau burden, which, in turn, likely accounted for normalized cognition and activity levels in compound-treated rTg4510 mice. This study, in combination with our previous work regarding the benefit of pyridazine derivatives against amyloid-dependent pathology, strongly supports pyridazine derivatives as a viable, clinically relevant, and disease-modifying treatment for many of the facets of Alzheimer’s disease.
How advanced are we in targeting novel subtypes of ALL

Despite high cure rates in children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains a leading cause of cancer death in the young, and the likelihood of treatment failure increases with age. With the exception of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, there have been few advances in repurposing or developing new therapeutic approaches tailored to vulnerabilities of ALL subtypes or individual cases. Large-scale genome profiling studies conducted over the last decade promise to improve ALL outcomes by refining risk stratification and modulation of therapeutic intensity, and by identifying new targets and pathways for immunotherapy. Many of these approaches have been validated in preclinical models and now merit testing in clinical trials. This review discusses the advances in our understanding of the genomic taxonomy and ontogeny of B-progenitor ALL, with an emphasis on those discoveries of clinical importance.