cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenosine signaling during acute and chronic disease states

Adenosine is a signaling nucleoside that is produced following tissue injury, particularly injury involving ischemia and hypoxia. The production of extracellular adenosine and its subsequent signaling through adenosine receptors plays an important role in orchestrating injury responses in multiple organs. There are four adenosine receptors that are widely distributed on immune, epithelial, endothelial, neuronal,and stromal cells throughout the body. Interestingly, these receptors are subject to altered regulation following injury. Studies in mouse models and human cells and tissues have identified that the production of adenosine and its subsequent signaling through its receptors plays largely beneficial roles in acute disease states, with the exception of brain injury. In contrast, if elevated adenosine levels are sustained beyond the acute injury phase, adenosine responses can become detrimental by activating pathways that promote tissue injury and fibrosis. Understanding when during the course of disease adenosine signaling is beneficial as opposed to detrimental and defining the mechanisms involved will be critical for the advancement of adenosine-based therapies for acute and chronic diseases. The purpose of this review is to discuss key observations that define the beneficial and detrimental aspects of adenosine signaling during acute and chronic disease states with an emphasis on cellular processes, such as inflammatory cell regulation, vascular barrier function, and tissue fibrosis.
Educational psychology : the next generation II

Abstract One hundred educational psychology Master′s and doctoral students in the New York State region were surveyed in an attempt to answer questions about their career goals and objectives. This paper reports the data obtained which may be useful for career guidance, the study of the profession, and the definition of educational psychology. Among the findings are that both levels of students intend to devote greater than half of their time engaged in academic work such as research, teaching and writing. Additionally, of the many specialty areas in the field, the most popular were cognition and learning, learning strategies, educating special populations, individual differences, and motivation and efficacy. It was surprising that topics of modern importance, such as computer-aided instruction and instructional technology, were not very popular.
Offering an anatomy and physiology course through a high school-university partnership: the Minnesota model

This article describes a one-semester anatomy and physiology course that is currently offered through the concurrent enrollment program at the University of Minnesota. The article explains how high school teachers are prepared to teach the course and describes efforts to promote program quality, student inquiry, and experiential learning. Recommendations are made for anatomy and physiology instructors who are involved in similar endeavors.
An impulse-response based linear time-complexity algorithm for lossy interconnect simulation

A linear time-complexity algorithm for lossy transmission line simulation within arbitrary nonlinear circuits is presented. The method operates by storing information about the state of the line at dynamically selected internal points and using an analytical formulation based on impulse responses to predict the line's future behavior accurately. Previous approaches using impulse responses possess quadratic-time complexity. The proposed method does not require rational or other approximations of transfer functions to achieve linear time-complexity, nor does it increase the size of the simulator's matrix by more than 2 for each transmission line. Experimental results on industrial circuits indicate that, for equivalent or superior accuracy, the state-based method can be faster for simulations of one or more block or data pulses, with speedups of more than 10 and 50 over the convolution and lumped-RLC methods for the longer simulations. >
A CMOS In-Pixel CTIA High-Sensitivity Fluorescence Imager

Traditionally, charge-coupled device (CCD)-based image sensors have held sway over the field of biomedical imaging. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-based imagers so far lack sensitivity leading to poor low-light imaging. Certain applications including our work on animal-mountable systems for imaging in awake and unrestrained rodents require the high sensitivity and image quality of CCDs and the low power consumption, flexibility, and compactness of CMOS imagers. We present a 132 × 124 high sensitivity imager array with a 20.1-μ m pixel pitch fabricated in a standard 0.5- μm CMOS process. The chip incorporates n-well/p-sub photodiodes, capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA)-based in-pixel amplification, pixel scanners, and delta differencing circuits. The 5-transistor all-nMOS pixel interfaces with peripheral pMOS transistors for column-parallel CTIA. At 70 frames/s, the array has a minimum detectable signal of 4 nW/cm2 at a wavelength of 450 nm while consuming 718 μA from a 3.3-V supply. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was 44 dB at an incident intensity of 1 μW/cm2. Implementing 4 × 4 binning allowed the frame rate to be increased to 675 frames/s. Alternately, sensitivity could be increased to detect about 0.8 nW/cm2 while maintaining 70 frames/s. The chip was used to image single-cell fluorescence at 28 frames/s with an average SNR of 32 dB. For comparison, a cooled CCD camera imaged the same cell at 20 frames/s with an average SNR of 33.2 dB under the same illumination while consuming more than a watt.
Immune Surveillance of Unhealthy Cells by Natural Killer Cells

Pathogenic and oncogenic insults result in the induction of intrinsic defense mechanisms such as cell-death pathways and senescence, and extrinsic pathways that mobilize immune responses to destroy unhealthy cells. Both protective mechanisms presumably evolved to limit the damage these insults could inflict on the host. After viral infection or malignant transformation, unhealthy cells can be directly sensed by natural killer (NK) and some T cells via the activating receptor NKG2D. All NK cells and subsets of T cells express NKG2D. The NKG2D/ligand system represents a major recognition mechanism for detection and elimination of unhealthy cells. Here we discuss different pathways, including stress pathways, that are responsible for cell-surface display of ligands for NKG2D, which are self-proteins that are minimally expressed by normal cells. We also discuss new results indicating that efficient elimination of tumor cells that display NKG2D ligands depends on the recruitment of NK cells and other immune cells to the tumor, which can be regulated by distinct mechanisms, including the p53-dependent production of chemokines by senescent tumors. The cooperative effect of pathways that induce the display of NKG2D ligands and distinct pathways that mobilize immune cells provides a higher degree of specificity to the NK cell response.
Analysis of Acousto-Electromagnetic Wave Interaction Using Sheet Boundary Conditions and the Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method

Acousto-electromagnetic wave interaction occurs when an electromagnetic wave scatters from an object under seismic or acoustic illumination. The vibration of the object under acoustic excitation gives rise to a frequency modulated scattered field which depends on both the object and electromagnetic and acoustic source parameters. The objective of this study is to accurately calculate the Doppler spectrum of the bistatic scattered field which is usually orders of magnitude smaller than the fundamental component of the scattered field (the stationary target response). In this analysis the recently developed sheet boundary conditions are used to set up a duplicate problem of a stationary object having time varying sheet impedance and admittance accounting for the object vibration. The problem is formulated using the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in an iterative scheme in order to find the broadband response of the scattered field Doppler component. Two-dimensional analytical solutions for a canonical geometry are used to verify the FDTD simulation results.
Medication Side Effects in Home Care How Much Do Patients Really Want to Know

This descriptive study surveyed home care (HC) patients about self-perceived needs concerning medication side effect (SE) knowledge, desire to learn about SEs, how they address SEs with HC professionals, and preferred learning format. A researcher-created survey examined by experts and administered to a focus group of older adults to establish content validity was mailed to all patients older than 65 years, without a dementia diagnosis at a northeastern HC agency (n = 240). Data were analyzed to determine patient preferences on medication SE education. Of the 39 respondents, 44% were not interested in SE education, whereas the majority of others preferred to ask physicians or pharmacists about SEs. Qualitative data revealed fears about SEs or conversely, desire to remain uninformed unless a SE occurred.
Complete characterization of perfectly secure stego-systems with mutually independent embedding operation

Without any assumption on the cover source, this paper presents a complete characterization of all perfectly secure stego-systems that employ mutually independent embedding operation. It is shown that for a fixed embedding operation, the only perfectly secure stego-systems are those whose cover distribution is an element of a linear vector space with basis vectors determined by the embedding operation. Moreover, we also prove that such stego-systems are perfectly secure if and only if the Fisher information with respect to the embedding change rate is zero and thus Fisher information can be seen as an equivalent descriptor of steganographic security. This result is important for deriving steganographic capacity of imperfect stego-systems with covers modeled as Markov chains [1]. It also suggests that Fisher information could be used for benchmarking.
A Self-Calibrating Real-Time GOES Rainfall Algorithm for Short-Term Rainfall Estimates

Abstract Estimates of precipitation from satellite data can provide timely information about rainfall in regions for which data from rain gauge networks are sparse or unavailable entirely and for which radar data are unavailable or are compromised by range effects and beam blockage. Two basic kinds of satellite-based estimates are available. Infrared data from geostationary satellite platforms such as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) can be used to infer cloud-top conditions on a continuous basis, but the relationship between cloud-top conditions and the rate of rainfall below can vary significantly. Microwave radiances are related more directly to precipitation rates, but microwave instruments are limited to polar-orbiting platforms, resulting in intermittent availability of estimates. A number of authors have made efforts to combine the strengths of both by using the microwave-based estimates to adjust the GOES-based estimates, mainly for long-term precipitation estimates at ...
Bird-Baited Traps for Surveillance of West Nile Mosquito Vectors: Effect of Bird Species, Trap Height, and Mosquito Escape Rates

Abstract Host-seeking mosquitoes were sampled in bird-baited traps at four sites in New York state in 2003–2004. Trap placement and efficacy of chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus L., as bait compared with house sparrows, Passer domesticus L., an important reservoir of West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV), was evaluated. Each site had a chicken-baited trap near ground level (≈1.5 m) and in the tree canopy (≈9 m), and a house sparrow-baited trap at ground level and canopy level. Each trap allowed mosquito access to birds on one end, and an inner mesh screen blocked bird access on the other end. The two most abundant mosquitoes, Culex restuans Theobald and Culex pipiens pipiens L., were differentiated using molecular characters. In 2003, Cx. restuans and Cx. p. pipiens made up 88% of total mosquito catch. In 2004, Cx. restuans comprised 43% of total catch and Cx. p. pipiens comprised 33%. The remaining species representing at least 1% of total catch were Ochlerotatus trivittatus (Coqu...
The Emergence, Development, and Future of the Framing Perspective: 25+ Years Since "Frame Alignment"

It has been more than twenty-five years since publication of David Snow, Burke Rochford, Steven Worden, and Robert Benford's article, "Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement Participation" in the American Sociological Review (1986). Here we consider the conceptual and empirical origins of the framing perspective, how its introduction fundamentally altered and continues to influence the study of social movements, and where scholarly research on social movement framing is still needed.
Determination of the tissue sites responsible for the catabolism of large high density lipoprotein in the African green monkey

In vivo multicompartmental modeling of the turnover of HDL subfractions has suggested that HDL containing four molecules of apoA-I per particle and no other apolipoproteins (large LpA-I) are terminal particles in plasma. We hypothesized that these terminal particles were the end product of HDL metabolism and, as such, would be cleared preferentially by the liver. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine: 1) the tissue sites of catabolism of large LpA-I in African green monkeys, and 2) whether saturated versus n;-6 polyunsaturated dietary fat affected tissue accumulation. Large LpA-I were isolated, without ultracentrifugation, by size exclusion and immunoaffinity chromatography and radiolabeled with either the residualizing compound, (125)I-labeled tyramine cellobiose (TC), or with (131)I. After injection into recipient animals, the plasma die-away of the radiolabels was followed for 12 or 24 h, after which the animals were killed and tissues were collected for determining radiolabel sites of catabolism. The plasma die-away of the (125)I-labeled TC-LpA-I and (131)I-labeled LpA-I doses was similar suggesting that the TC radiolabeling did not modify the metabolism of the large LpA-I dose. The liver, adrenal, kidney, and spleen had the greatest accumulation of large LpA-I degradation products on a per gram tissue basis. On a whole organ basis, the liver was the major site of large LpA-I degradation in both the 12-h (15.4 +/- 0.3% of injected dose) and 24-h (9.1 +/- 0.6% of injected dose) catabolic studies. The kidney, compared to the liver, had less uptake of large LpA-I radioactivity in either study (1.3 +/- 0.4% and 1.2 +/- 0.3% of injected dose). There was no apparent influence of dietary fat type on the tissue accumulation of large LpA-I. We conclude that the liver is the primary site of catabolism of large LpA-I in the African green monkey.
Cancer cell aggregate hypoxia visualized in vitro via biocompatible fiber sensors.

To fully understand biological behavior in vitro often dictates that oxygen be reported at either a local or a cellular level. Oxygen sensors based on the luminescent quenching of a specific form of electrospun fiber were developed for measurement of both gaseous and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Electrospinning was used to fabricate "core-shell" fiber configurations in which oxygen-sensitive transition-metal porphyrin complexes are embedded in an optically clear, gas permeable polycarbonate polymer 'core' while polycaprolactone provided a protective yet biocompatible 'shell'. By taking advantage of the resulting high sensitivity and fast response of electrospun core-shell fiber sensors, we were able to locate and image hypoxic regions in contact with aggregates of glioblastoma cells. Nanoscale, biomimetic sensors containing oxygen-sensitive porphyrins are particularly well suited to biological applications. These 'smart' nanofiber based sensors do not consume oxygen, their mechanical and chemical characteristics can be finely tuned allowing tailoring of biocompatibility and microstructure. Core-shell nanofiber oxygen sensing fibers could provide real-time assessments of tumor cell response to pharmacological innovations designed to target hypoxic regions driving new knowledge and technological advancement.
Reasons for poststerilization hysterosalpingography noncompliance in a clinic population.

OBJECTIVE: Although hysterosalpingography (HSG) is required 12 weeks after hysteroscopic sterilization HSG compliance in our clinic population is remarkably low. We were interested in determining the reason(s) for HSG noncompliance in this urban-based patient population. STUDY DESIGN: University Health Center patients who underwent hysteroscopic sterilization between January 1 2006 and December 31 2007 and who did not complete HSG were contacted by telephone to elicit the reason(s) for lack of follow-up. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients qualified for inclusion in this study. Consent was obtained from all 14 patients accessible by telephone. Of note 63.5% of patient-provided phone numbers were not in service at the time contact was attempted (n = 33). Patient-reported reasons for HSG noncompliance included insurance issues (n = 5) failure to remember to schedule HSG (n = 4) HSG scheduling difficulties (n = 2)failure to be informed about the need for HSG (n = 2) and prolonged postoperative vaginal bleeding (n =1). CONCLUSION: Reasons for poststerilization HSG noncompliance varied. However an insurance issue was the most frequently reported reason for noncompliance. not recalling the need to schedule HSG was another common reason for noncompliance. Approaches to increase compliance with poststerilization HSG are needed particularly in an urban-based clinic population.
Using Black Samples to Investigate the Validity of Implicit Racial Attitude Measures

The implicit racial attitude literature suffers from an interpretational ambiguity that has impeded its acceptance in the wider political science community. Most studies use a single implicit racial attitude measure in predominantly White samples and find evidence of significant anti-Black association bias (e.g., the IAT, Greenwald et al. 1998). White-only samples do not allow distinguishing attitudes typical of Whites from attitudes typical of ingroups and from culturally shared attitudes. And single-measure studies do not allow investigating the possibility that people may have multiple potentially countervailing implicit attitudes. Based on prior evidence in predominantly White samples we expect that implicit attitude measures tap two distinct types of associations, relational or evaluative ones (Craemer 2010). According to this distinction, relational associations reflect an individual’s implicit identification with a group, while evaluative associations reflect the individual’s implicit knowledge of how this group is evaluated in mainstream culture.We use multiple implicit racial attitude measures in multiple diverse samples that contain a total of 1,139 Black respondents. We use an implicit group identification measure based on cognitive self-other overlap (Coats et al. 2000; Craemer 2008; Smith & Henry 1996) to measure relational associations, and subliminal priming (based on Fazio et al. 1995), as well as the Implicit Association Test (IAT Greenwald et al. 1998) to measure evaluative associations. Among Black respondents we find pro-Black relational associations coexisting with neutral or anti-Black evaluative ones. Although they are not correlated, both types of associations help to predict attitudes toward President Obama.
SOIL CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS UNDER UNCERTAINTY

Success of a soil conservation program depends on the number of acres on which recommended practices are implemented. If risk considerations are introduced in formulating plans to control soil loss, whether individuals will implement the desired management system(s) to achieve conservation objectives established for the region is an unclear factor. This paper illustrates how expected utility maximization and safety-first decision criteria influence the selection of a soil conservation management system under uncertainty.
Tranexamic acid: from trauma to routine perioperative use.

Purpose of review Optimizing hemostasis with antifibrinolytics is becoming a common surgical practice. Large clinical studies have demonstrated efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid (TXA) in the trauma population to reduce blood loss and transfusions. Its use in patients without pre-existing coagulopathies is debated, as thromboembolic events are a concern. In this review, perioperative administration of TXA is examined in nontrauma surgical populations. Additionally, risk of thromboembolism, dosing regimens, and timing of dosing are assessed. Recent findings Perioperative use of TXA is associated with reduced blood loss and transfusions. Thromboembolic effects do not appear to be increased. However, optimal dosing and timing of TXA administration is still under investigation for nontrauma surgical populations. Summary As part of a perioperative blood management programme, TXA can be used to help reduce blood loss and mitigate exposure to blood transfusion.
An Optimal Fuzzy-PID Controller for Aircraft Pitch Control

This paper presents a simple-structured Fuzzy-PID controller for pitch control of a linearized, full-scale, generic transport aircraft model. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to oine optimize the Fuzzy-PID controller scaling gains as well as simultaneously optimize parameters within the rst order Takagi-Sugeno (TS) type inference system. The performance of the controller is tested against a baseline state feedback and ne-tuned PID (PSO-PID) controller. Numerical simulations are conducted comparing the Fuzzy-PID controller to the other linear controllers when linear and nonlinear models of uncertainty are added post-optimization. The results demonstrate the robustness of the proposed nonlinear, oine optimized Fuzzy-PID controller.
Neutron light output function and resolution investigation of the deuterated organic liquid scintillator EJ-315

Abstract In this paper we investigate the light response to fast neutrons and estimate the pulse height resolution of a deuterated liquid organic scintillator, EJ-315, considering the detector's non-linear light response to gamma-rays. Initially, collision data and a neutron beam trigger are recorded in coincidence mode, and incident neutron energy is calculated with a time-of-flight technique. Fast neutrons are further discriminated from gamma-ray background based on the scintillation material decay patterns using a pulse shape discrimination algorithm. A light response matrix composed of multiple neutron energy and their corresponding light outputs is derived. The pulse height resolution property of the EJ-315 is characterized utilizing the derivatives of the pulse height distributions with corrections of the measurements setup uncertainties. Additionally, the EJ-315's pulse height resolution is also characterized by comparing the smoothed derivatives of quasi-monoenergetic neutron pulse height distributions, given by the Peierls-formula-based analytic model, to match the measurement data. Results show rather consistent 10–13% pulse resolution for mono-energetic neutrons with kinetic energy above 2 MeV. The resolution decreases slightly with an increase in neutron energy indicating the improved resolution performance of EJ-315 in the higher energy events.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION BY EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR AND HEREGULIN VIA THE KINASE-DEFICIENT ERBB3 PROTEIN

The role of protein tyrosine kinase activity in ErbB3-mediated signal transduction was investigated. ErbB3 was phosphorylated in vivo in response to either heregulin (HRG) in cells expressing both ErbB3 and ErbB2, or epidermal growth factor (EGF) in cells expressing both ErbB3 and EGF receptor. A recombinant receptor protein (ErbB3-K/M, in which K/M stands for Lys-->Met amino acid substitution) containing an inactivating mutation in the putative ATP-binding site was also phosphorylated in response to HRG and EGF. Both the wild-type ErbB3 and mutant ErbB3-K/M proteins transduced signals to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, Shc and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Separate kinase-inactivating mutations in the EGF receptor and ErbB2 proteins abolished ErbB3 phosphorylation and signal transduction activated by EGF and HRG respectively. Hence the protein tyrosine kinase activity necessary for growth factor signalling via the ErbB3 protein seems to be provided by coexpressed EGF and ErbB2 receptor proteins.
Influence of low temperature exposure on secretion function of oval cells in rats

[Objective]To discuss the influence of low temperature exposure at different intensity and frequency on ovary function in rats.[Methods]The luteal cells and granulose cells of rat ovary were separated and cultured in vitro.There were three groups,including the control group(37 ℃) and two cold exposure groups(0 ℃ and-10 ℃).The changes of progesterone and cyclic AMP(cAMP) contents,which were excreted by luteal cells and granulose cells under the human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) induction,were observed.The contents of progesterone and cAMP were tested by radioimmunoassay method.[Results]Under the first 0 ℃ cold exposure,the contents of progesterone and cAMP increased,while the cAMP content rose significantly(P0.01),and the content decreased significantly under both second and third cold exposure(P0.05,P0.01).Under the first-10 ℃ cold exposure,the progesterone content decreased,while the cAMP content increased significantly(P0.05),and the contents of progesterone and cAMP decreased significantly under both second and third cold exposure(P0.01).[Conclusion]The contents of progesterone and cAMP excreted by cells luteal and granulose cells are influenced by the intensity and frequency of low temperature exposure.
Atrophy of the tongue following complete versus partial hypoglossal nerve transection in a canine model.

Objectives/Hypothesis The hypoglossal nerve (XII) has been used as a donor nerve in facial and laryngeal reinnervation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the neuromuscular changes that occur within the tongue following partial or complete transection of XII using a canine model. Study Design Histopathological comparison of tongue denervation following two types of XII resection in a canine model. Methods Ten adult canines underwent complete unilateral resection of XII or resection of only the medial terminal branch of the hypoglossal nerve (mXII). After 6 months of recovery, tongue specimens were analyzed histopathologically using whole cross-sections. Routine histologic sections were assessed by two neuropathologists blinded to the type of denervation. The cross-sectional area was calculated of both sides of the tongue, and the amount of myosin was quantified morphometrically using immunohistochemistry for myosin (antimyosin heavy chain, fast isotype). Statistical comparison between partial and complete denervation was performed using the Student t test. Results Six months following XII transection, quantitative measures of the cross-sectional area of the tongue and content of myosin demonstrated severe muscle atrophy on the operated side of the tongue for both groups, compared to the nonoperated side. For partial transection involving only mXII, the degree of atrophy was less severe (P < .05). Conclusions This study provides new histological information demonstrating that partial resection of the hypoglossal nerve, sacrificing only the proximal medial branch of the hypoglossal nerve (mXII), results in less severe atrophy of the tongue than complete transection of the entire hypoglossal nerve. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 2016
Analysis and Stabilization of a Buck-Boost DC-DC Converter Feeding Constant Power Loads in Parallel with Conventional Loads in Vehicular Systems

The insertion of power electronics in vehicular technologies is becoming widespread. The increasing use of power electronic controlled motor drives in land vehicles, marine vessels and aircraft, for lots of applications such as propulsion, braking, steering and actuation is creating particular problems when the power distribution system is in the form of multi-converter level DC electrical systems. This is because of many power electronic loads and associated controllers which have a "constant power" characteristic resulting in negative incremental input impedance. The effect of such loads in a DC system is to cause instability. This paper aims to devise a novel digital technique, Pulse Adjustment, for damping the instabilities and ensuring orderly operation of the system. In spite of its simplicity Pulse Adjustment offers a very fast and smooth response. Simulation results as well as experimental outputs are presented to verify the proposed technique.
Increased uptake ofhaemophilus influenzaeby primary airway epithelial cells from COPD patients

Rationale: Most hospitalizations in the UK are due to exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but why some patients are prone to recurring exacerbations is unclear. One reason could be recolonisation of the airways by bacteria that hide in airway epithelial cells following antibiotic treatment. To test this, airway epithelial cells from non-smokers and COPD patients were exposed to fluorescently labelled Haemophilus influenzae and uptake measured. Methods: Primary airway epithelial cells from both non-smokers (n=5) and COPD patients (n=5) were exposed to fluorescently labelled heat-killed H. influenzae for 72h. Extra-cellular fluorescence was quenched using Trypan blue and internal fluorescence measured fluorimetrically. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Results: Airway epithelial cells ingested H. influenzae in a time-dependent manner up to 72h without causing cell death. However, airway epithelial cells from COPD patients ingested more bacteria than cells obtained from healthy controls (Fig. 1). Conclusion: COPD epithelial cells appear to have increased capacity to engulf H. influenzae compared with healthy cells, implying that following antibiotics, bacteria stored within these cells may be released and recolonize the airways leading to subsequent exacerbations. Targeting this mechanism in the airway epithelium may prevent repeat exacerbations in the future.
Red scare in the sunshine state: Anti-communism and academic freedom in Florida public schools, 1945–1960

AbstractAcademic freedom has long been a sacrosanct principle in higher education; however, the same rights to intellectual autonomy have rarely been afforded K-12 practitioners. In times of national political crisis, the abilities of teachers to engage students in the crucial debates about contemporary public policy issues have been stretched to the breaking point. Florida public education between 1945 and 1961 represents a model case of the southeastern political establishment’s efforts to thwart progressivism in public schools between World War II and reapportionment. Under the guise of “Americanism,” self-defined “patriotic” groups such as The American Legion, the Chambers of Commerce, and Daughters of the American Revolution intervened in educational policies in order to impose strict limits on academic freedom in public schools in an effort to quash what they considered the “Communist threat” in American education. Utilizing archival sources, newspaper articles and correspondence, much of it housed ...
Generalizing the hough transform to detect arbitrary shapes

Abstract The Hough transform is a method for detecting curves by exploiting the duality between points on a curve and parameters of that curve. The initial work showed how to detect both analytic curves (1,2) and non-analytic curves, (3) but these methods were restricted to binary edge images. This work was generalized to the detection of some analytic curves in grey level images, specifically lines, (4) circles (5) and parabolas. (6) The line detection case is the best known of these and has been ingeniously exploited in several applications. (7,8,9) We show how the boundaries of an arbitrary non-analytic shape can be used to construct a mapping between image space and Hough transform space. Such a mapping can be exploited to detect instances of that particular shape in an image. Furthermore, variations in the shape such as rotations, scale changes or figure ground reversals correspond to straightforward transformations of this mapping. However, the most remarkable property is that such mappings can be composed to build mappings for complex shapes from the mappings of simpler component shapes. This makes the generalized Hough transform a kind of universal transform which can be used to find arbitrarily complex shapes.
Corpus Callosum Volume Is Decreased in Parkinson’s Disease (P4.102)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate corpus callosum volume in a cohort of subjects with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. BACKGROUND: Approximately 80[percnt] of PD patients develop dementia (PDD) which is often preceded by a prodromal phase of mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). Neuroimaging studies in other forms of cognitive impairment (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease) show abnormalities in corpus callosal volume, but little is known about this structure in PD cognitive impairment. DESIGN/METHODS: 100 PD and 24 healthy control (HC) subjects underwent clinical/neuropsychological evaluation, MRI brain scans, and cognitive classification by Movement Disorder Society criteria (cognitively normal (PD-NC), n=28; mild cognitive impairment, n=47; demented, n=25). Z-scores for cognitive domains (attention/working memory, executive function, memory, language, visuospatial function) were calculated. T1-weighted sequences were processed by FreeSurfer, and volumes for total and regional corpus callosum segments were computed and normalized by total intracranial volume. Total callosal volumes were compared between PD and HC subjects using ANCOVA with age as covariate. Callosal segment volumes were compared using ANCOVA, controlling for age, with all PD subjects combined and by cognitive subgroup. Stepwise regression analyses were performed on cognitive domain scores and callosal segment volumes. Statistical analyses were corrected for multiple comparisons as appropriate. RESULTS: Total corpus callosal volume was smaller in PD than HC subjects (p<0.0005). Mid-anterior (p<0.0005), central (p<0.0005), and mid-posterior (p=0.002) segment volumes were smaller in PD than HC subjects. Comparison among PD subgroups revealed decreases in PDD compared to PD-NC subjects in total (p=0.036) and anterior segment (p=0.016) volumes. Anterior callosal volumes showed the strongest relationship with the cognitive domains in regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Corpus callosum volume is reduced in PD subjects and in those PD subjects with worse cognitive function. Smaller anterior segment volumes, particularly in cognitively impaired PD, may affect important connections to frontal cortical regions. Disclosure: Dr. Bledsoe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Merkitch has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stebbins has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bernard has received research support from the Parkinson9s Disease Foundation. Dr. Goldman has received personal compensation for activities with Acadia, Teva and Pfizer as a consultant and Advisory Board Member. Dr. Goldman has received research support from NIH, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Rush University Medical Center, Parkinson9
The Intertwining of History and Heritage in Islamic Contexts

This chapter argues that Islamic history should be imagined as an ever-expanding web of overlapping and competing discourses about the past. Islam’s transhistorical presence is an illusion that is borne of the historiographical process. Clusters of evidence we can identify pertaining to Islam are traceable to moments with their own distinctive senses of past, present, and future. Consequently, what is to be regarded as Islamic heritage depends fundamentally on the frame within which it was produced. Moreover, scholarly appreciation of heritage is itself a value-laden enterprise that participates in the creation of Islamic meanings. I advocate that we pay utmost attention to the particularities of the Islamic evidence we encounter, while simultaneously avoiding reification and being mindful of our own interpretive commitments.
Symptomatic Neuroma Following Initial Amputation for Traumatic Digital Amputation

Purpose We tested the null hypothesis that no factors are independently associated with the development of symptomatic neuroma after traumatic digital amputation. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 1,083 patients who underwent revision amputation for traumatic digital amputation; we excluded those undergoing replantation or revascularization. Patients who developed a painful neuroma during follow-up were identified with a minimum follow-up of 1 week and a median of 3.3 months. We calculated the rate of developing a painful neuroma as a proportion of the total number of patients and performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with its development. Results Of 1,083 patients, 71 (6.6%) developed a symptomatic neuroma. Mean time to diagnosis was 6.4 months. A total of 47 patients (66%) underwent surgery for painful neuroma. Mean time to surgical intervention was 11 months. Index finger injury and avulsion injury mechanism were significantly associated with a higher risk for symptomatic neuroma. Conclusions Approximately 1 in 15 patients will develop a symptomatic neuroma after traumatic digital amputation and more than half of these patients will undergo revision surgery for neuroma, with a mean time to operative intervention of 11 months. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic II.
Electronic problem lists: a thematic analysis of a systematic literature review to identify aspects critical to success

Objective Problem list data is a driving force for many beneficial clinical tools, yet these data remain underutilized. We performed a systematic literature review, pulling insights from previous research, aggregating insights into themes, and distilling themes into actionable advice. We sought to learn what changes we could make to existing applications, to the clinical workflow, and to clinicians' perceptions that would improve problem list utilization and increase the prevalence of problems data in the electronic medical record. Materials and methods We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to systematically curate a corpus of pertinent articles. We performed a thematic analysis, looking for interesting excerpts and ideas. By aggregating excerpts from many authors, we gained broader, more inclusive insights into what makes a good problem list and what factors are conducive to its success. Results Analysis led to a list of 7 benefits of using the problem list, 15 aspects critical to problem list success, and knowledge to help inform policy development, such as consensus on what belongs on the problem list, who should maintain the problem list, and when. Conclusions A list of suggestions is made on ways in which the problem list can be improved to increase utilization by clinicians. There is also a need for standard measurements of the problem list, so that lists can be measured, compared, and discussed with rigor and a common vocabulary.
Step 5: Vendor/Customer Links

Step 5, vendor/customer links, marks the final step in the implementation of JIT. Having completed steps 1–4, a company wanting to gain maximum benefit from JIT must now take a wider view. So far the focus has been on in-house changes intended to improve the manufacturing process or to improve manufacturing control. But a manufacturer can only gain so much benefit from in-house changes and in order to give scope for further improvements changes in vendor/customer links may have to be suggested. These changes may well emerge as critical issues in the final stages of the implementation.
Decrease in Incidence of Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Before Recent Increase.

The increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in younger adults (aged <50 years) has been widely reported. Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, we found young-onset colorectal cancer incidence rates decreased from 1975 through about 1990. Decreases were more prominent in the colon, a contrast with more recent increases in rectal cancer. Incidence rates subsequently increased, differing by time period and 5-year age group. This inflection point is consistent with a birth cohort effect and points to early life exposures-accumulated throughout the life course-that may increase cancer risk. Studying early life exposures among persons born after 1960 may advance our understanding of colorectal cancer in younger adults.
Methane dehydroaromatization – A study on hydrogen use for catalyst reduction, role of molybdenum, the nature of catalyst support and significance of Bronsted acid sites

Abstract Methane dehydroaromatization was studied over Mo/SiO2 and Mo/HZSM-5 with different Mo loadings (2, 5, 10 wt%) at 973 K and 1023 K in a recirculating batch reactor. H2 pretreatment at 1023 K prior to methane activation has significantly improved the catalyst activity with increase in Mo loading and reduced the induction time on benzene formation in both Mo/SiO2 and Mo/HZSM-5. 10 wt% Mo/HZSM-5 gave a maximum methane conversion of 19% and ∼67% benzene selectivity at 1023 K. The XRD analysis of used catalysts revealed that the MoO3 species were converted to β-Mo2C phase. Studies on Mo/SiO2 catalysts showed that benzene was formed even in the absence of acidic zeolite sites. Reactions of ethylene in the presence of pure silica, HZSM-5 and in a blank reactor revealed that conversion of ethylene to aromatics was similar in case of the blank reactor and silica. Thus, it is believed that molybdenum carbide sites act as active sites only for C–H bond activation of methane and ethylene formation. Even though, ethylene can undergo subsequent oligomerization without any catalytic aid to form benzene at 973 K and above addition of acidic zeolites improved the selectivity of benzene.
SICS: A Social Network Based Information System for the Inclusive Community

In this paper, we present an information system based on a social network architecture for the Inclusive Community, called SICS. The scope of proposing such a system is to promote social and health care integration, strengthen territorial networks, and facilitate communication among social workers, fragile people and resources (i.e., volunteers, etc.). The paper outlines the methodological considerations with regard to information management, modelling and design of data related to the SICS, and describes the related underlying data model. The implemented system is composed of a web based back-end and three Apps for, respectively, the assisted person, community social workers and volunteers, and messaging. SICS is designed and developed within the INSPIRE project and is used to achieve its required goals.
Housing and Planning Supporting Healthy Aging

The homes and communities in which people live are important determinants of health, influencing opportunities for healthy behaviors and social engagement; limiting exposure to physical risks, toxins, and stressors; and determining access to services and healthcare. For older adults, living environments are critical to healthy aging: these are the locations where older people spend the majority of their time, and the characteristics of homes, neighborhoods, and communities can help people manage or avoid functional limitations, disabilities, and chronic disease – or exacerbate them. As the World Health Organization has noted in its report on world aging, “Where the fit between people and their environments is good, [individuals] will enjoy the greatest opportunities to build and maintain both their intrinsic capacity and functional ability.”
Publication of Decision Model Source Code: Attitudes of Health Economics Authors.

The original version of this article was revised: The article was originally published in SpringerLink without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice, the copyright of the article changed on June 2019 to © The Author(s) 2019.
Tarsals of the miniscule insectivorous mammal Batodonoides from the Eocene of San Diego County, California

Isolated astragali and calcanei of one of the smallest known living or extinct mammals, the geolabidid lipotyphlan Batodonoides powayensis, are identified and described from early and late Uintan (...
Learning a Language of Sexuality

This chapter examines how people learned discretion, responses to surveillance, and other linguistic practices expressing messages about sexual sameness before Stonewall. Direct mentoring was helpful, and so was overhearing (Bubel in Journal of Pragmatics 40:55–71, 2008), instances where the learner gained new information while observing, as a third-party observing language use between others. Print resources were helpful, whether dedicated to homosexual interests or written for a general audience and open to a sexualized reading. Enlistment in the US military and women’s softball playing and spectatorship offered contexts that encouraged language learning through immersion and through translanguaging, incorporating new knowledge about sexual language into their existing linguistic knowledge base, producing “confluences of scripts” in various forms (Provencher in Gay French: Globalization, Language and Sexual Citizenship in France, Ashgate, Aldershot, 2017) related to sexual sameness.
Feeding Behavior of Nezara viridula First Instars: EPG Analysis and Effect of Food Availability on Subsequent Development

Assertions that first-instar pentatomids “do not feed” are pervasive in the literature. Recent research using rifampicin-resistant marked bacteria demonstrated that first-instar southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), ingest from green bean. The technique of electropenetrography (EPG), coupled with histology, has allowed researchers to elucidate feeding behavior within plant tissue, and recordings of several species (including N. viridula) have shown that internal stylet probes of adults and late-instar nymphs may terminate in xylem as well as in seed endosperm, inner pod wall, or stem parenchyma. The seeming contradiction regarding “feeding” could be explained if first instars were simply hydrating from plant tissue to maintain water balance. In this study, first-instar N. viridula were supplied with either water or green bean, and subsequently given a traditional rearing diet (green bean and peanut) from second instar onward. We noted aggregations of first instars forming on water wicks and on beans along the carpellary bundles and at both tips. Availability of food (green bean) in first instar did not affect subsequent development. Using EPG, we recorded first-instar N. viridula probing on soybean leaves and found the primary waveform to be xylem ingestion. Probing and ingestion behavior did not differ between first instars previously exposed to high and moderate humidity conditions. We conclude that these insects ingest from xylem, but nutrients other than water are not required in the first instar for successful nymphal development.
Lessons Learned from the Creation and Development of a Researcher-Led Safety Organization at The University of Chicago

In recent years, the importance of safety in academic research laboratories has gained considerable attention nationwide. The University of Chicago Joint Research Safety Initiative (JRSI) is a comm...
Adjusting a Biochemistry Course to Cover SARS-CoV-2 Topics

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity for a biochemistry course to cover the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease. Adjusting the topics covered after the course transitioned to an online mode included switching to the chapters covering nucleic acid topics. The order of these related well to the coronavirus life cycle. This change promoted student engagement in the online version of the remainder of the course.