cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Intrasplenic Migration of Dendritic Cell Subsets Tailors Adaptive Immunity

Evidence suggests that distinct splenic dendritic cell (DC) subsets activate either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in vivo. This bias has been partially ascribed to differential antigen presentation; however, all DC subsets can activate both T cell lineages in vitro. Therefore, we tested whether the organization of DC and T cell subsets in the spleen dictated this preference. We discovered that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells segregated within splenic T cell zones prior to immunization. After intravenous immunization, the two major conventional DC populations, distinguished by 33D1 and XCR1 staining, migrated into separate regions of the T cell zone: 33D1+ DCs migrated into the CD4+ T cell area, whereas XCR1+ DCs migrated into the CD8+ T cell area. Thus, the post-immunization location of each DC subset correlated with the T cell lineage it preferentially primes. Preventing this co-localization selectively impaired either CD4+ or CD8+ T cell immunity to blood-borne antigens.
The Experiences of School Counselors Who Integrate Yoga into a Comprehensive School Counseling Program: A Phenomenological Approach

THE EXPERIENCES OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS WHO INTEGRATE YOGA INTO A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH By Julia V. Taylor, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 Major Directors: Dr. Donna Gibson, Associate Professor, Department of Counseling and Special Education Dr. Abigail Conley, Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling and Special Education The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the experiences of school counselors who implement yoga into a comprehensive school counseling program. Over the past decade, yoga has gained popularity as a prevention and intervention tool in public school settings. Prior to this study, the role of the school counselor in this process has not been explored. This study investigated the lived experiences of 10 school counselors who integrate yoga into a comprehensive school counseling program. Through data analysis, five significant themes and subsequent subthemes emerged: 1) intentionality (personal experiences with yoga impacts professional intentions, yoga intentionally tied with comprehensive school counseling goal); 2) yoga integration (organic commonalities between school counseling and yoga, methods of yoga delivery, overlap of yoga philosophies and ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors standards); 3) logistics of yoga integration (accessibility of yoga, managing yoga myths and stereotypes, program supports); 4) perception of yoga impact, (overall impact on school, impact on student, examples of students taking yoga “off the mat”); and 5) impact of yoga integration on school counselor (yoga as a self-care strategy, yoga is a meaningful aspect of school counselor role).
Nonverbal and Language-Reduced Measures of Cognitive Ability: a Review and Evaluation

With the number of new and revised nonverbal and language-reduced tests of cognitive ability, selection and interpretation of appropriate measures can be complicated. Seven nonverbal or language-reduced tests with normative data collected within the last 15 years were evaluated. Besides evaluating technical adequacy, other variables affecting test selection and interpretation including adequacy of floors and item gradients, provision of data for subgroups of students, percent of timed items, and response mode are described. Eight additional tests with language-reduced components also were reviewed. Implications for practice and research are presented.
Risk Factors and Risk Stratification for Adverse Obstetrical Outcomes After Appendectomy or Cholecystectomy During Pregnancy

Importance Identification of risk factors for adverse obstetrical outcomes after appendectomy and cholecystectomy during pregnancy is necessary for evidence-based risk reduction and adequate patient counseling. Objectives To identify risk factors for adverse obstetrical outcomes after appendectomy and cholecystectomy during pregnancy and stratify the risk of such outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants A cohort study was conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative sample of patients discharged from community hospitals in the United States, from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2012. Multivariable analysis of risk factors for adverse obstetric outcomes was performed for 19 926 women undergoing appendectomy or cholecystectomy during pregnancy and a scoring system for such risk factors was developed. Data analysis was conducted from January 1, 2015, to July 31, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures A composite measure including 7 adverse obstetrical outcomes throughout pregnancy and occurring before hospital discharge. Results Of the 19 926 women (mean [SD] age, 26 [6] years) in the study, 1018 adverse obstetrical events were recorded in 953 pregnant women (4.8%). The 3 most frequent adverse events were preterm delivery (360 [35.4%]), preterm labor without preterm delivery (269 [26.4%]), and miscarriage (262 [25.7%]). The risk factors associated most strongly with an adverse obstetrical outcome included cervical incompetence (adjusted odds ratio, 24.29; 95% CI, 7.48-78.81), preterm labor during current pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 18.34; 95% CI, 4.95-67.96), vaginitis or vulvovaginitis (adjusted odds ratio, 5.17; 95% CI, 2.19-12.23), and sepsis (adjusted odds ratio, 3.39; 95% CI, 2.08-5.51). A scoring system based on statistically significant variables classified the study sample into 3 risk groups corresponding to predicted probabilities of adverse obstetrical outcomes of 2.5% (≤4 points), 8.2% (5-8 points), and 21.8% (≥9 points). Conclusions and Relevance Approximately 5% of women experience adverse obstetrical outcomes after appendectomy or cholecystectomy during pregnancy. The major risk factors for such outcomes are cervical incompetence, preterm labor during current pregnancy, vaginitis or vulvovaginitis, and sepsis.
Platelet derived growth factor inhibitors: A potential therapeutic approach for ocular neovascularization

Retinochoroidal vascular diseases are the leading causes of blindness in the developed world. They include diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal vein occlusion, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and pathological myopia, among many others. Several different therapies are currently under consideration for the aforementioned disorders. In the following section, agents targeting platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) are discussed as a potential therapeutic option for retinochoroidal vascular diseases. PDGF plays an important role in the angiogenesis cascade that is activated in retinochoroidal vascular diseases. The mechanism of action, side effects, efficacy, and the potential synergistic role of these agents in combination with other treatment options is discussed. The future of treatment of retinochoroidal vascular diseases, particularly AMD, has become more exciting due to agents such as PDGF antagonists.
Building a Better Neonatal Extracorporeal Life Support Circuit: Comparison of Hemodynamic Performance and Gaseous Microemboli Handling in Different Pump and Oxygenator Technologies.

Neurologic complications during neonatal extracorporeal life support (ECLS) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Gaseous microemboli (GME) in the ECLS circuit may be a possible cause. Advances in neonatal circuitry may improve hemodynamic performance and GME handling leading to reduction in patient complications. This study compared hemodynamic performance and GME handling using two centrifugal pumps (Maquet RotaFlow and Medos Deltastream DP3) and polymethylpentene oxygenators (Maquet Quadrox-iD and Medos Hilite 800LT) in a neonatal ECLS circuit model. The experimental circuit was primed with Lactated Ringer's solution and packed human red blood cells (hematocrit 40%) and arranged in parallel with the RotaFlow and DP3 pump, Quadrox-iD and Hilite oxygenator, and Better-Bladder. Hemodynamic trials evaluating pressure drops and total hemodynamic energy (THE) were conducted at 300 and 500 mL/min at 36°C. GME handling was measured after 0.5 mL of air was injected into the venous line using the Emboli Detection and Classification Quantifier System with unique pump, oxygenator, and Better-Bladder combinations. The RotaFlow pump and Quadrox oxygenator arrangement had lower pressure drops and THE loss at both flow rates compared to the DP3 pump and Hilite oxygenator (P < 0.01). Total GME volume and counts decreased with Better-Bladder at both flow rates with all combinations (P < 0.01). Hemodynamic performance and energy loss were similar in all of the circuit combinations. The Better-Bladder significantly decreased GME. All four combinations of pumps and oxygenators also performed similarly in terms of GME handling.
Customer Engagement Marketing

In this introductory chapter, we examine the foundation of customer engagement (CE) by providing the scope and definition of the construct, its antecedents, consequences, and the various application contexts. We fill the gap in extant literature, as many aspects surrounding CE remain unexplored. The theory and conceptual framework of CE, as well as the moderators linking satisfaction and emotional attachment to direct and indirect contribution, are further discussed. We explore strategies improving the level of CE, the benefits of enhanced firm performance, and the toolkit to measure CE.
TIDALLY TIMED BEHAVIOR: EFFECTS ON LARVAL DISTRIBUTIONS IN ESTUARIES

Abstract Zoeal larvae of the xanthid crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii are retained in the upper regions of the Newport River estuary, North Carolina. This retention is effected by rhythmic vertical migrations which are similar for all zoeal stages, ranging above and below the depth of no net flow. Time series analysis of these migrations revealed that their dominant periodic components were usually those of the tidal cycle (period = 12.4 h) and the current flow cycle (period = 6.2 h). Under constant laboratory conditions, larvae taken directly from the estuary continued only the tidal vertical migration, reaching their greatest depth at the time of low tide. In contrast, larvae reared in the laboratory under a 12 h:12 hlight: dark cycle had only a weak circadian migration rhythm. The tidal rhythm is also expressed in larvae tested immediately after hatching from Newport River crabs, but the migration amplitude is greater for larvae which have spent at least one day under field conditions. Time of hatching may also play a part in setting the phase of this rhythm. Larvae are released near the time of local high tide; this timing is evidently adapted to take advantage of maximum salinity of the water and to help determine the region of the estuary in which they will subsequently develop. Tidal behavior and tidal rhythms could be widespread among estuarine zooplankton, particularly in regions where the tides exert strong dynamic effects on the physical structure of estuarine waters.
Diagnostic per-lesion performance of a simulated gadoxetate disodium-enhanced abbreviated MRI protocol for hepatocellular carcinoma screening.

Aim To evaluate the diagnostic per-lesion performance of a simulated gadoxetate disodium-enhanced abbreviated MRI (AMRI) in cirrhotic and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening. Materials and methods Seventy-nine consecutive patients at risk for HCC due to cirrhosis and/or CHB were included in this retrospective study. For each patient, the first gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI between 2008 through 2014 was analysed. Two independent readers read an anonymised abbreviated image set comprising axial T1-weighted (W) images with fat saturation in the hepatobiliary phase, 20 minutes or more after gadoxetate injection, and axial T2W single-shot fast spin echo images. Each observation >10 mm was scored as negative or suspicious for HCC. Inter-reader agreement was assessed. A composite reference standard was used to determine the per-lesion diagnostic performance for each reader. Results Inter-reader agreement was substantial (κ = 0.75). The final reference standard showed 27 HCCs in 13 patients (median 21 mm, range 11–100 mm). The two readers each correctly scored 23 as suspicious for HCC (sensitivity = 85.2%), scored a total of 27 and 32 observations as suspicious for HCC (positive predictive value [PPV] = 85.2% and 71.9%), and scored 83 and 78 observations or complete examinations as negative for HCC (negative predictive value [NPV] = 95.2% and 94.9%). Conclusions The AMRI protocol provides higher per-lesion sensitivity and NPV than reported values for ultrasound, the current recommended technique for screening, and similar per-lesion sensitivity and PPV to reported values for complete dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
Risk factors associated with multiple correlated health outcomes in the 500 Cities Project.

Abstract Reducing chronic disease is a major health challenge. Risk factors for chronic diseases are often studied at the individual level, even though interventions and policies may be implemented at the city level. We use an ecologic study design with city-level data, to simultaneously assess the relative impact of unhealthy behaviors and preventive care measures on multiple chronic disease health outcomes. We analyze a newly available, large national dataset called the 500 Cities Project. We examine the associations between city-level prevalence of unhealthy behaviors, clinical preventive service use, and all chronic disease health outcomes in 500 of the largest U.S. cities for year 2014. After adjusting for age and demographic characteristics, using MANOVA we found that the top three risk factors for all health outcomes are smoking (Pillai's trace = 0.95, approx. F = 688.7, p-value
Application-Driven Design: Help Students Understand Employment and See the “Big Picture”

Few tools for career exploration utilize visualizations despite their potential to help students understand the intangible relationships between jobs and majors. Our application-driven design combines the intuitiveness of node-link diagrams and the scalability of aggregation-based techniques to combine an overview of a job database with the option for individualized exploration.
Energy Budget and Related Methods

These methods involve either the direct application, or some approximation of the equation for the energy budget. One form of this equation is given in (6.1) but in many practical situations it can be simplified considerably. A common characteristic of most energy budget methods is that they require the determination of the net radiation, R n . In general, the energy budget method allows the determination of one of the terms of (6.1), or a simplified form of it, when all the remaining terms can be determined by some independent method.
Trigger Reduction Prior to Systemic Drugs for Neurogenic Chronic Cough.

Objective/hypothesis Neurogenic chronic cough typically presents as a postviral chronic cough, often with paroxysms of coughing preceded by a tickle sensation with multiple triggers and often recalcitrant to multiple treatments for reflux disease, sinus disease, and asthma. Current treatment uses neuromodulating agents with moderate success. Post nasal drainage and laryngopharyngeal reflux can be triggers in the setting of laryngopharyngeal hypersensitivity. Treatment will focus on trigger reduction using nasal toilet and a dietary regimen for laryngopharyngeal reflux. Study design Systematic review of retrospective cohort studies METHODS: One-year retrospective review of new patients with cough (R05.0) excluding asthma, proton pump inhibitor response, and sinus or pulmonary disease. Cough severity index (CSI) and reflux symptom index (RSI) were evaluated initially and 6 weeks after trigger-reduction treatment using nasal saline irrigation, nasal steroids, nasal antihistamines, and a plant-based diet with alkaline water. Results Of 119 patients, 29 met the criteria. Using the six-point reduction (improvement) in RSI as an accepted response, 20 of 29 patients (68.9%, P = .0014) experienced a clinical response. Using reduction in RSI and CSI as a continuous variable to assess response, patients experienced a 10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.75-13.2) and 10.9 (95% CI: 7.4-14.3) mean point reduction, respectively. The mean percent reduction in RSI following 6 weeks of treatment was 54.7% (95% CI: 41.5-68.0; P = .0001). These patients experienced a 59.8% (95% CI: 43.4-76.2; P = .0001) reduction in CSI. Conclusions A trigger-reduction approach using nasal toilet and a plant-based diet in patients with neurogenic chronic cough prior to the initiation of systemic neuromodulating medications should be considered. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 129:198-202, 2019.
Coherence or flexibility? The paradox of change for developers’ digital innovation trajectory on open platforms

Abstract Innovation is a cumulative process in which past knowledge created by others can be both a source for predictable outcomes and also a barrier to significant change. The recent literature on digital innovation suggests that open platforms, which encourage their developers to build upon each other's knowledge when innovating their add-on apps in the periphery, face a related paradox. Developers face the tension of either being coherent with the past, or flexible to adjust to the future. In this paper, we examine how the trade-off between coherent and flexible search mechanisms affects the individual developer's choice of innovating a certain app as well as his or her cumulative impact, i.e., the degree of modifications to the app. We study an open platform in the multi-disciplinary field of nanotechnology, in which 480 developers perform more than 30,000 problem-solving actions over a period of 10 years. We use relational event modeling to differentially assess the effect of the coherent and flexible search strategies. We find that developers are significantly more likely to choose a certain app that is consistent with both a coherent and flexible strategy. However, a coherent strategy leads to greater cumulative impact on an app compared to a strategy of being mutually coherent and flexible. Thus, our findings indicate both a complementary and a contradictory logic in how the tension between coherence and flexibility unfolds. We make contributions to the recent literature on digital innovation as well as the innovation literature more broadly. Further, our results inform innovation policy and platform design.
Carriage of Neisseria meningitidis in Men Who Have Sex With Men Presenting to Public Sexual Health Clinics, New York City.

BACKGROUND We conducted a Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage study among men who have sex with men (MSM) to explore possible sexual transmission. METHODS We paired information on patient characteristics with oropharyngeal, rectal, and urethral Nm culture results to assess associations with Nm carriage among 706 MSM at New York City sexual health clinics. The Nm isolates were characterized by whole genome sequencing. RESULTS Twenty-three percent (163 of 706) of MSM were Nm carriers. Oropharyngeal carriage was 22.6% (159 of 703), rectal 0.9% (6 of 695), and urethral 0.4% (3 of 696). Oropharyngeal carriage was associated with the following recent (past 30 days) exposures: 3 or more men kissed (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.86), performing oral sex (aRR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.18), and antibiotic use (aRR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19-0.57). Sixteen clonal complexes were identified; 27% belonged to invasive lineages. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that oral sex and the number of recent kissing partners contribute to Nm carriage in MSM.
Short-term outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement for pure native aortic regurgitation in the United States.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to compare short-term outcomes between transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for pure aortic regurgitation (AR) and TAVR for aortic stenosis (AS). BACKGROUND In patients with severe pure AR for whom surgical valve replacement is infeasible, TAVR is sometimes used off-label. METHODS Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database 2016-2017, we retrospectively identified patients without prior valve surgery who underwent endovascular TAVR. We compared in-hospital and 30-day outcomes according to the type of aortic valve disease. RESULTS A total of 81,542 eligible patients were divided into the pure AR (n = 1,222, 1.50%), pure AS (n = 72,690, 89.1%), and AS + AR (n = 7,630, 9.36%) groups. In unadjusted analyses, the pure AR group, compared with the pure AS and AS + AR groups, showed a higher incidence of acute kidney injury (16.8% vs. 9.8% vs. 12.1%, respectively; p < .001) and need of surgical bailout (1.4% vs. 0.4% vs. 0.6%; p < .01). The pure AR group also showed higher in-hospital mortality than the pure AS group (2.4% vs. 1.4%; p = .005). After multivariable adjustment, TAVR for pure AR was significantly associated with a higher risk of acute kidney injury (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33-2.02; p < .001), cardiac tamponade (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.00-3.92; p = .0498), and prolonged hospital stay (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.29-1.95; p < .001) compared with TAVR for pure AS, whereas it was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.99-2.45; p = .058) and other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS TAVR may be a reasonable treatment option for selected patients with pure AR with regard to short-term outcomes. However, additional techniques or devices may be necessary to reduce periprocedural risk.
Conservation value of secondary forest habitats to endemic frugivorous butterflies at Mount Kanlaon, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Throughout Southeast Asia, removal of old growth forests coincides with rapid expansion of secondary forest landcover. Increasing evidence suggests that secondary forests can contribute to conservation of forest species. The effects of deforestation and subsequent reforestation by secondary vegetation on forest biotas vary geographically, and local data are needed to understand the potential role such forests may play in conservation. In the Philippine Archipelago, a globally distinct biota is coupled with severe deforestation. Focusing solely on old growth forest preservation may no longer be a feasible strategy of achieving conservation goals on islands that have lost the majority of old growth tracts. The potential of Philippine secondary forests to provide habitat for the endemic component of animal communities is not well known. We studied frugivorous butterflies, a common indicator taxon, at a limited spatial scale in Mount Kanlaon Natural Park, Negros Occidental, Philippines. We compared the butterfly communities of three contiguous forest types across a small spatial scale: disturbed secondary forest, regenerating secondary forest, and old growth forest. Hierarchical cluster analysis and NMDS ordination indicated high similarity between communities, though the close proximity of sampling areas may have influenced this similarity. Significant differences between secondary and old growth sites were detected by permutational MANOVA. Endemic butterfly species were abundant in both secondary forest types, and some endemic species were significantly more abundant in secondary forests compared to old growth. These results indicate endemic frugivorous butterflies utilize regenerating habitats at close proximity to intact forest, and provide evidence that secondary forests in the Philippines can contribute to the conservation of endemic components of butterfly communities. However, further study is needed to fully characterize the contribution of regenerating forests, broadly, to conservation strategies in the Philippines.
Characterization of Anti-Fungal Inflammasome Responses and the Role of Caspase-8 in Innate Immune Signaling: A Dissertation

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that primarily affects patients with immunocompromising conditions such as AIDS and patients undergoing immunosuppressive antibiotic treatments. It is critical to understand the host immune response to C. albicans to combat these opportunistic infections. The innate immune system plays an important role in detection, control and clearance of fungal pathogens. In this study, we have addressed the role of the NOD-like Receptors NLRP3 and NLRC4 and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in host defense against C. albicans. To investigate the role of IL-1 and inflammasomes in a common opportunistic infection caused by C. albicans, called ‘oropharyngeal candidiasis’ (OPC), we used a clinical strain (GDH2346) isolated from a patient with OPC. Our studies using formalin fixed prep of this strain showed robust processing and release of IL-1β in human as well as mouse immune cells. Being a dimorphic pathogen that occurs in different morphological forms such as yeast, germ-tube or hyphal stages, we observed the germ-tube forms of C. albicans to be more immunostimulatory. Importantly, we demonstrate that C. albicans induced IL-1β production is strictly dependent on the phagocytosis of the fungus and the NLRP3 inflammasome and its associated components, ASC and caspase-1. In addition to NLRP3, NLRC4/IPAF also forms an inflammasome capable of activating caspase-1 and IL-1β cleavage in response to intracellular pathogens. We found that C. albicans induced IL-1β
Anatomy and activity patterns in a multifunctional motor neuron and its surrounding circuits

Dorsal Excitor motor neuron DE-3 in the medicinal leech plays three very different dynamical roles in three different behaviors. Without rewiring its anatomical connectivity, how can a motor neuron dynamically switch roles to play appropriate roles in various behaviors? We previously used voltage-sensitive dye imaging to record from DE-3 and most other neurons in the leech segmental ganglion during (fictive) swimming, crawling, and local-bend escape (Tomina and Wagenaar, 2017). Here, we repeated that experiment, then re-imaged the same ganglion using serial blockface electron microscopy and traced all of DE-39s processes. Further, we traced back the processes of all of DE-39s presynaptic partners to their respective somata. This allowed us to analyze the relationship between circuit anatomy and the activity patterns it sustains. We found that input synapses important for all of the behaviors were widely distributed over DE-39s branches, yet that functional clusters were different during (fictive) swimming vs. crawling.
Nonlinear electromechanical modeling and robustness of soft robotic fish-like energy harvester: Insights and possible issues.

This work investigates the possible integration of an energy harvester in a bioinspired fish-like aquatic unmanned vehicle. The defined fish-like system utilizes a reduced complexity prescribed motion as the representation for energy harvester to be subjected to. Nonlinear electromechanical modeling is performed by considering the geometric and piezoelectric nonlinearities. A convergence analysis is carried out in order to determine the required modes in the Galerkin discretization due to the presence of nonlinear interactions between the prescribed and relative motions. The utilization of higher-order modeling for the strain and material leads to the identification of impactful prescribed motions terms that can activate the nonlinearities in the system, results in more harmonics to consider, and leads to the presence parametric excitation terms. Considering a reduced-complex model by decreasing the value of the quadratic constraint envelope that the fish-like system would be forced with, the soft-robotic system behaves more with a base excitation characteristic. Small damping would allow this prescribed motion with reduced quadratic envelope forcing still induces a hardening behavior, but the other harmonics and parametric resonance seen are greatly reduced. Considering this reduced complexity system, the interaction between the prescribed and base excitations is also investigated to demonstrate that when the two excitations are of similar nature constructive and destructive build of the response waveform can occur when looking at near the first natural resonance. It is shown that the quenching phenomenon can take place which may result in a destructive response of the piezoelectric energy harvester. The results show that the robustness of the fish-like robot is directly dependent on the design parameters including the damping of the structure, importance of the undulatory motion, and activation of the resonances.
Ex vivo Akt inhibition reverses castration induced internal pudendal artery and penile endothelial dysfunction.

Abstract Aims Androgen deprivation therapy is a common prostate cancer treatment which causes men to have castrate levels of testosterone. Unfortunately, most testosterone deficient patients will suffer severe erectile dysfunction (ED) and have no effective ED treatment options. Testosterone deficiency causes endothelial dysfunction and impairs penile vasodilation necessary to maintain an erection. Recent evidence demonstrates testosterone activates androgen receptors (AR) and generates nitric oxide (NO) through the Akt-endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) pathway; however, it remains unknown how castration impacts this signaling pathway. Materials and methods In this study, we used a surgically castrated rat model to determine how castration impacts ex vivo internal pudendal artery (IPA) and penile relaxation through the Akt-eNOS pathway. Key findings Unlike systemic vasculature, castration causes significant IPA and penis endothelial dysfunction associated with a 50% AR reduction. Though testosterone and acetylcholine (ACh) both phosphorylate Akt and eNOS, castration did not affect testosterone-mediated IPA and penile Akt or eNOS phosphorylation. Surprisingly, castration increases ACh-mediated Akt and eNOS phosphorylation but reduces the eNOS dimer to monomer ratio. Akt inhibition using 10DEBC preserves IPA eNOS dimers. Functionally, 10DEBC reverses castration induced ex vivo IPA and penile endothelial dysfunction. Significance These data demonstrate how castration uncouples eNOS and provide a novel strategy for improving endothelial-dependent relaxation necessary for an erection. Further studies are needed to determine if Akt inhibition may treat or even prevent ED in testosterone deficient prostate cancer survivors.
Positioning Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the colon, characterized by diffuse mucosal inflammation, bloody diarrhea, and urgency. The mainstay of treatment has been mesalamine agents, steroids, thiopurines, and anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) antibodies. Over the past several years, new therapies have emerged which have provided clinicians new treatment options as well as new challenges in deciding which treatment is best for their patient at given points in their disease course. These agents include budesonide-Multi-Matrix System (MMX), adalimumab, golimumab, and vedolizumab. In addition, randomized controlled trials have investigated a combination therapy of infliximab and azathioprine and a controlled trial of infliximab versus cyclosporine for intravenous steroid refractory UC. This review will focus on where these agents may be optimally positioned in treatment algorithms for UC.
Characterization of horizontal air–water two-phase flow in a round pipe part II: Measurement of local two-phase parameters in bubbly flow

Abstract The current work seeks to develop an additional database in air–water horizontal bubbly flow through a 3.81 cm inner diameter test section with a total development length of approximately 250 diameters. The experimental conditions are chosen to cover a wide range of the bubbly flow regime based upon flow visualization using a high-speed video camera. A database of local time-averaged void fraction, bubble velocity, interfacial area concentration, and bubble Sauter mean diameter are acquired throughout the entire pipe cross-section using a four-sensor conductivity probe for nine flow conditions. To investigate the evolution of the flow, measurements are made at axial locations of 44, 116, and 244 diameters downstream of the inlet. Using this database, the effects of gas flow rate, liquid flow rate, and development length on the local and area-averaged two-phase flow parameters are presented. From the local profiles, it is found that highly turbulent liquid flow conditions cause the void fraction profile to become more uniform with increasing development length through a turbulent mixing process which counters the effect of buoyancy. Bubble interactions are also observed to play a significant role in the evolution of the flow such that the area-averaged void fraction and interfacial area concentration can have different axial trends.
Reading behavior in the digital environment: Changes in reading behavior over the past ten years

Purpose – This study attempts to investigate reading behavior in the digital environment by analyzing how people's reading behavior has changed over the past ten years.Design/methodology/approach – Survey and analysis methods are employed.Findings – With an increasing amount of time spent reading electronic documents, a screen‐based reading behavior is emerging. The screen‐based reading behavior is characterized by more time spent on browsing and scanning, keyword spotting, one‐time reading, non‐linear reading, and reading more selectively, while less time is spent on in‐depth reading, and concentrated reading. Decreasing sustained attention is also noted. Annotating and highlighting while reading is a common activity in the printed environment. However, this “traditional” pattern has not yet migrated to the digital environment when people read electronic documents.Originality/value – Implications for the changes in reading behavior are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Distributed Pairwise Key Generation Using Shared Polynomials for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

The infrastructure-less property of wireless ad hoc network makes the traditional central server based security management schemes unsuitable and requires the use of a distributed key management mechanism. In this paper, we propose a distributed pairwise key establishment scheme based on the concept of bivariate polynomials. In our method, any mobile node in an ad hoc network can securely communicate with other nodes just by knowing their corresponding IDs. The bivariate polynomials are shared in such a manner that the shares depend on the coefficient matrix of the polynomial, the requesting node’s ID and the ID of the nodes that respond to the request. We study the behavior of our scheme through simulations and show that our scheme compares well with other schemes and has a much better performance when averaged over the lifetime of the network.
Glutamine synthetase. A mitochondrial enzyme in uricotelic species.

Glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2) was localized in the mitochondrial fractions of liver from three uricotelic species. These were chicken (Gallus domesticus), pigeon (Columba livia), and snake (Thamnophis elegans). In rat liver, glutamine synthetase is an extramitochondrial enzyme being mainly associated with microsomes during cellular fractionation. Agents causing the dissociation of the mammalian enzyme from liver microsomes did not release the activity from chicken liver mitochondria. However, the activity was released by agents known to release other mitochondrial enzymes suggesting that glutamine synthetase is an integral part of mitochondrial structure in uricotelic species. The amount of activity in uricotelic liver was two to six times greater than that in rat liver. Both the higher level of activity and the mitochondrial localization of glutamine synthetase in uricotelic liver suggest that the enzyme functions to detoxify ammonia generated intramitochondrially via amino acid catabolism by converting it to glutamine. Glutamine could then exit the mitochondrion for conversion to purine in the cytosol. This system is thus very similar to the system in ureotelic liver where intramitochondrially generated ammonia is converted to citrulline which exits the mitochondrion to be converted to urea in the cytosol.
Can Asia Grow Fast on its Own? The Economics of the Dynamic Middle

Current projections envision Asia’s emerging economies becoming the largest economic group in the world in the next two decades. Yet many observers warn that Asia's growth processes are unsustainable and could be headed for the “middle income trap.” This paper examines past growth engines — including exports to advanced economies — and those that might replace them. It argues that factors that will increasingly drive Asian demand — urbanization, infrastructure development and middle class consumption — are correlated with the region’s comparative advantages, could benefit from great scale economies, and offer the potential for substantial productivity growth. These reinforcing drivers of demand and supply do not guarantee future growth, but can provide autonomous foundations for the region’s development in the context of favorable economic policies.
The Mexican Cottontail (Sylvilagus cunicularius): A historical perspective of hunting and grazing and implications for conservation planning

El conejo mexicano (Sylvilagus cunicularius) es una especie ampliamente cazada y localmente importante en Mexico. La literatura sugiere que la poblacion de esta especie ha disminuido y la caza y el pastoreo de ganado se especulo por un par de razones para el declive de la poblacion. Los analisis historicos pueden ayudar a ofrecer indicios para ayudar a la conservacion de esta especie de leporido. Este articulo examina la historia de la caza y el pastoreo en Mexico y se evalua como esos factores han incidido sobre el conejo mexicano. Este analisis historico indica que el conejo mexicano fue abundante en un tiempo y, a menudo se come en los tiempos prehistoricos. Este documento ofrece ejemplos en los que las practicas, leyes y reglamentos dirigidos a la deforestacion y la expansion de los pastizales para el ganado, tales como la ley de tierras improductivas (1920) y la Ley de la Ocupacion y Enajenacion de tierras esteriles. Estas politicas y practicas habrian facilitado el uso continuo de la agricultura e introdujo la fauna y las hierbas salvajes. Este documento proporciona implicaciones de la caza y el pastoreo para la conservacion del conejo de rabo de algodon mexicano.
Exceptional groups and elementary particles

If the exceptional observables introduced by Jordan, von Neumann and Wigner are identified with charge states corresponding to internal degrees of freedom of elementary particles, then one is led to the classification of quarks and leptons by means of exceptional groups. It is shown that the groups of the E series are likely candidates and a gauge field theory based on E7 is given as an example. The hierarchy of symmetry breaking is linked to the hierarchy of stability groups for geometries that are associated with the exceptional groups.
Ontogeny of murine T lymphocytes. II. Postnatal appearance and organ distribution of lymphocytes bearing Qa-4 and Qa-5 surface antigens.

Abstract Cells from the lymphoid organs of C57BL/6 mice (from birth to 20 weeks) were monitored by the cytotoxicity assay for the presence of Qa-4 and Qa-5 surface antigens. Qa-4- and Qa-5-bearing cells are detectable in spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches, but not in thymus, liver, or bone marrow. Both antigens are present on small fractions of cells in each of these organs during the first week after birth. At 4–6 weeks of age, the fractions of Qa-4- and Qa-5-bearing cells rise to maximal levels which are then maintained throughout the ages studied (4–20 weeks). The relative proportion of these cell populations is greatest in the lymph nodes and smallest in the Peyer's patches, and in all three organs, more Qa-4- than Qa-5-positive cells are detected. The majority of Qa-4- and Qa-5-positive cells are Thy-1 positive, however, not all Thy-1- positive cells are Qa-4, Qa-5 positive. During postnatal development the ratio of Qa-4 or Qa-5-positive cells to Thy-1-positive cells increases in spleen, lymph nodes, and Peyer's patches indicating that cells bearing these antigens become a larger fraction of the T-cell population with age.
Seismic-reflection evidence for a deep subglacial trough beneath Jakobshavns Isbræ, West Greenland

Seismic-reflection methods were used to determine the ice thickness and basal topography of Jakobshavns Isbrae, a large, fast-moving ice stream/outlet glacier in West Greenland. A method of data analysis was developed which involves the pointwise migration of data from a linear seismic array and a single explosive source; the method yields the depth, horizontal position and slope of the basal reflector. A deep U-shaped subglacial trough was found beneath the entire length of the well-defined ice stream. The trough is incised up to 1500 m into bedrock, and its base lies 1200–1500 m below sea level for at least 70 km inland. Center-line ice thickness along most of the channel is about 2500 m, or about 2.5 times that of the surrounding ice sheet. This prominent bedrock trough was not apparent in existing radio-echo-sounding data. Reflection coefficients indicate that much of the basal interface is probably underlain by compacted, non-deforming sediment. The large ice thickness, coupled with relatively steep surface slopes, leads to high basal shear stresses (200–300 k Pa) along the ice stream. The large shear stresses and lack of a deformable bed imply that internal deformation plays a dominant role in the dynamics of Jakobshavns Isbrae.
Frontiers of Commodification: State Lands and Their Formalization

Formal property rights are integral to contemporary global- and national-scale land transactions, and prerequisite to international institutions’ recognition of any state, private, or nonprofit land holdings. We argue that state lands constitute today's frontiers for capitalist expansion. Using cases from Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Indonesia, we show how practices, institutions, and laws that expunge local rights and claims to land and replace them with state rights have been fundamental to the creation of “new” frontiers. We argue that historical formalizations of state land created the enabling conditions for today's large-scale, international, and national acquisitions of land, in ways that were unanticipated at the time of state acquisition.
Explicit relations for the piezoelectric coupling factors of rotated 6mm plates

Class 6mm materials in the form of plates are attractive candidates for modern resonant sensor and actuator applications, because many possess desirable attributes besides piezoelectricity. In virtually all current applications of 6mm materials requiring use of the piezoelectric effect, the polar axis is either along, or perpendicular to, the major plate faces. When the polar axis is oblique to the thickness axis, however, the variety of excitation responses is broadened, and these may be used to fashion new devices. Explicit relations are given here for both the thickness- and lateral-field piezoelectric coupling coefficients driving simple thickness motions in 6mm plates.
A unique approach to estimating lateral anisotropy in complex geohydrologic environments

Aquifers in fractured rock or karstic settings are likely to have anisotropic transmissivity distributions. Aquifer tests that are performed in these settings also are frequently affected by leakage from adjacent confining units. Finite-difference models such as MODFLOW are convenient tools for estimating the hydraulic characteristics of the stressed aquifer and adjacent confining units but are poor tools for the estimation of lateral anisotropy. This limitation of finite-difference methods can be overcome by application of the spin method, a technique whereby the positions of the observation wells are rotated about the production well to estimate anisotropy and orientation. Formal parameter estimation is necessary to analyze aquifer tests because of the number of parameters that are estimated. As a test, transmissivity, anisotropy, and orientation were successfully estimated for a simple hypothetical problem with known properties. The technique also was applied to estimate hydraulic properties of the San...
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF HICCUP WITH INTRAVENOUS METHYLPHENIDATE.

The causes and treatments of hiccup are discussed Twenty-two cases of hiccup occurring under anaesthesia are reviewed in which intravenous methylphemdate was used as treatment Hiccup stopped in every case, recurred in three, and persisted in one Twenty milligrams of methylphemdate administered intravenously was the most effective dose A mechanism of action of the drug is postulated
The Implications of Technological Change for Folk and Scientific Medicine

between the literate and the nonliterate, etc., very little material has been obtained from the zone of interaction between so-called primitive and so-called scientific forms of medical practice as an aspect of the more general interaction between scientific and primitive technology. Some general work has been done in the area of primitive medicine, usually focused on its functional role in a particular cultural context (Ackerknecht 1942a, 1942b, 1946a; Hallowell 1935; Rogers 1948; Field 1937), its "logic" (Ackerknecht 1946b, 1946c, 1947; Redfield 1941; Tax 1950; Alvarez 1937; Erasmus 1952), or its psychological and psychosomatic implications (Mead 1949; Henry 1949; Ackerknecht 1943). However, the specific character of the interaction between primitive and modern medical practices has received less attention. We know very little, for example, about the way in which these two seemingly divergent approaches to healing operate side by side in the same aboriginal or folk setting. We know even less about the reasons for the persistence of folk medical practices in the most sophisticated urban cultures, or about the structural accommodations which must be made in the primitive environment with the advent of modern medical practices. This paper represents an effort to discuss some of these problems in the light of data obtained in the course of seven months' field work among peasant villagers in North India (Uttar Pradesh). Unfortunately, the data are meagre, as medical practices were not an original concern of the study. Yet they tend to fall into rather clear categories and to be reasonably reliable statistically. It is therefore hoped that the findings presented here will prove useful to fellow researchers.