cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traumatically Induced Axonal Damage: Evidence for Enduring Changes in Axolemmal Permeability with Associated Cytoskeletal Change

Recent studies have demonstrated that delayed or secondary axotomy is a consistent feature of traumatic brain injury in both animals and man. Moreover, these studies have shown that the pathogenesis of this secondary axotomy involves various forms of initiating pathology, with the suggestion that, in some cases, only the axonal cytoskeleton is perturbed, while, in other cases, both the axonal cytoskeleton and related axolemma manifest traumatically induced perturbations. In the current communication, we continue in our investigation of the significance of these traumatically induced alterations in axolemmal permeability and their relation to any related intra-axonal cytoskeletal change. This was accomplished in cats which received intrathecal infusions of peroxidase, an agent normally excluded by the intact axolemma. These animals were subjected to traumatic brain injury, and sites showing altered axolemmal permeability to the peroxidase were assessed at the light and electron microscopic level. Through this approach, we recognized that a traumatic episode of moderate severity evoked changes in axolemmal permeability which surprisingly endured for up to 5 hrs postinjury. At such focal sites of altered permeability, the related cytoskeleton showed a statistically significant neurofilament compaction, with the strong suggestion of concomitant neurofilament sidearm loss, microtubular dispersion, and mitochondria] abnormality. Over time, these events led to further disorganization of the axonal cytoskeleton which translated into impaired axoplasmic transport and secondary axotomy. Most likely, these alterations in axolemmal permeability result in either the direct or indirect effects upon the axonal cytoskeleton that precipitate the damaging sequences resulting in delayed axotomy.
Trace Oxygen Analysis for Liquid Hydrogen Production

An important preliminary to the liquefaction of hydrogen is the removal of impurities which might condense at the low temperatures and result in plugging of the liquefier. Of the usual impurities, oxygen is especially important because of the possibility of an explosive combination of a local accumulation of condensed oxygen with hydrogen. In the NBS-AEC Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory liquefaction plant, oxygen is removed by catalytic combination with the hydrogen, followed by freezing out of the resulting water. Two sensitive commercial oxygen analyzers of different types have been used to measure the residual oxygen which usually has a concentration of the order of 1 ppm or less. Unfortunately both respond to variations in the ortho-para composition of the hydrogen.
Making Sense of the Census: Why Sampling Might Not Be so Simple

The authors assess the possibility of using sampling to better account for the uncounted people in the 2000 U.S. census. Problems involved in sampling are briefly reviewed. (ANNOTATION)
The migration in Czech - Austrian - German cross-country regions

The migration is a problem which has effects on not only the regions from which the citizens come but also on the regions in which they look for the job. It concerns mainly the cross-country regions where there are few job possibilities. After the political changes in 1989 the Czech citizens have the possibility to work abroad, mainly in Austria and Germany. This possibility is used mainly in the cross-country regions where the applicants for the job can commute every day. The number of certifications which the applicants for this type of migration to Germany need proceeded in the mentioned regions of Plzen and Strakonice in 2000 and 2001 between 600- 750. The numbers of work permit (for short stay and long stay) didn't reach 100 in the region of Plzeň in any of the mentioned years, 50 in the region Strakonice. There isn't any agreement between the Czech and Austrian part according to which the candidates for every­day commuting would need the certification from the Work Office. That is why it is not possible to verify the number of the candidates. The concerns about the mass migration of the Czech population abroad after the entrance of the CR to EU are not justifiable. In the end it is possible to claim that despite some short-termed disadvantages which the extention of the EU will bring it is possible to suppose this process as the contribution in the long-termed view.
Opportunity vs. Threat Dependence in Firm-government Relations: Extending resource dependence theory

While much of the research that has considered the determinants of corporate political activity has taken an economic perspective, resource dependence theory has been equally helpful providing deta...
Phosphorylation at S2053 in Murine (S2056 in Human) DNA-PKcs Is Dispensable for Lymphocyte Development and Class Switch Recombination.

The classical nonhomologous end-joining (cNHEJ) pathway is a major DNA double-strand break repair pathway in mammalian cells and is required for lymphocyte development and maturation. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a cNHEJ factor that encompasses the Ku70-Ku80 (KU) heterodimer and the large DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). In mouse models, loss of DNA-PKcs (DNA-PKcs-/- ) abrogates end processing (e.g., hairpin opening), but not end-ligation, whereas expression of the kinase-dead DNA-PKcs protein (DNA-PKcsKD/KD ) abrogates end-ligation, suggesting a kinase-dependent structural function of DNA-PKcs during cNHEJ. Lymphocyte development is abolished in DNA-PKcs-/- and DNA-PKcsKD/KD mice because of the requirement for both hairpin opening and end-ligation during V(D)J recombination. DNA-PKcs itself is the best-characterized substrate of DNA-PK. The S2056 cluster is the best-characterized autophosphorylation site in human DNA-PKcs. In this study, we show that radiation can induce phosphorylation of murine DNA-PKcs at the corresponding S2053. We also generated knockin mouse models with alanine- (DNA-PKcsPQR) or phospho-mimetic aspartate (DNA-PKcsSD) substitutions at the S2053 cluster. Despite moderate radiation sensitivity in the DNA-PKcsPQR/PQR fibroblasts and lymphocytes, both DNA-PKcsPQR/PQR and DNA-PKcsSD/SD mice retained normal kinase activity and underwent efficient V(D)J recombination and class switch recombination, indicating that phosphorylation at the S2053 cluster of murine DNA-PKcs (corresponding to S2056 of human DNA-PKcs), although important for radiation resistance, is dispensable for the end-ligation and hairpin-opening function of DNA-PK essential for lymphocyte development.
Ringing the alarm: The media coverage of the fulfillment of electoral pledges

Abstract This article investigates the portrayal of electoral pledges in the news media. We know very little about the portrayal of electoral pledges in news media. This is problematic in view of the fact that most citizens obtain their information about electoral pledges from the media. More precisely, this article investigates whether the media alert citizens when a pledge is broken. It covers the 244 pledges made by the governing party, the Conservative Party, during the 2011 and 2008 Canadian elections. Our period of analysis ranges from the 2008 election (07/09/2008) to the end of the 2011 mandate (08/04/2015). The study finds that the news media do alert citizens when a pledge is broken and that what is often described as the “burglar alarm model” in political communication provides an apt description of the dynamics at play in the coverage of electoral pledges.
Light-mediated decreases in cyclic di-GMP levels are potentiated by pyocyanin and inhibit structure formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

Abstract Light is known to trigger regulatory responses in diverse organisms including slime molds, animals, plants, and phototrophic bacteria. However, light-dependent processes in non-phototrophic bacteria, and those of pathogens in particular, have received comparatively little research attention. In this study, we examined the impact of light on multicellular development in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a leading cause of biofilm-based bacterial infections, using a colony morphology assay. In this assay, P. aeruginosa strain PA14 grown in the dark forms vertical structures (i.e., “wrinkles”) on the third day of incubation. We found that growth in blue light inhibited wrinkle formation until the fifth day and that this required the phenazine pyocyanin, a redox-active metabolite produced by PA14. Light-dependent inhibition of wrinkling was also correlated with low levels of cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP), consistent with the role of this signal in stimulating biofilm matrix production. Though phenazine-null biofilms also showed lower levels of c-di-GMP and subtle effects on wrinkling when grown in the light, their overall levels of c-di-GMP were higher than those of the wild type. This indicates that phenazines and light simultaneously promote c-di-GMP degradation such that c-di-GMP is pushed to a minimum level, yielding a pronounced macroscopic phenotype. A screen of enzymes with the potential to catalyze c-di-GMP synthesis or degradation identified four proteins that contribute to light-dependent inhibition of biofilm wrinkling. Together, these results provide a foundation for understanding the significance of light-dependent regulation in P. aeruginosa. Importance The response to light in non-phototrophic bacteria (i.e., chemotrophs) is relatively understudied in comparison to light-mediated behavior in eukaryotes and phototrophic bacteria. Though they do not depend on light for growth, chemotrophic bacteria could benefit from sensing this cue when it correlates with other parameters that are important for metabolism. In this paper, we describe light-dependent effects on a cellular signal that controls the development of multicellular assemblages, called biofilms, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We found that light at intensities that are not harmful to human cells inhibited biofilm maturation. P. aeruginosa is a leading cause of chronic lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis and of hospital-acquired infections. As P. aeruginosa’s recalcitrance to treatment is attributed in part to its facile formation of biofilms, this study provides insight into a mechanism that could be inhibited via new therapeutic tools, such as photodynamic therapy.
Juvenile Sandhill Cranes exhibit wider ranging and more exploratory movements than adults during the breeding season

Sandhill Cranes Antigone canadensis exhibit delayed sexual maturity and breeding, and therefore juvenile Cranes searching for suitable territories to occupy have different ecological constraints on movements than adults, which must defend a territory and raise young. We used fine‐scale GPS telemetry data to characterize and compare movements of adult and juvenile Cranes near the boundary between two populations in Minnesota, USA, from arrival on natal areas in the spring until staging prior to autumn migration. Juvenile and adult Cranes had marked differences in movement patterns throughout the breeding season. Juveniles were more likely than adults to display long‐distance movements: they revisited areas less frequently throughout the breeding season and they had lower average residence times.
Concomitant atopic dermatitis and psoriasis - a retrospective review.

Introduction: At one time considered opposing diseases, it is now recognized that atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis can coexist. There are limited data characterizing this population of patients...
Current status of LEGEND: Searching for Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay in 76Ge: Part II

Neutrinoless double-beta decay (0$\nu\beta\beta$) decay is a hypothetical process that violates lepton number, and whose observation would unambiguously indicate that neutrinos are Majorana fermions. In the standard inverted-ordering neutrino mass scenario, the minimum possible value of mbb corresponds to a half-life around 10$^{28}$ yr for 0$\nu\beta\beta$ decay in $^{76}$Ge, which is the target of the next generation of experiments. The current limits of GERDA and MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR indicate a half-life higher than 10$^{26}$ yr. These experiments use high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors that are highly enriched in $^{76}$Ge. They have achieved the best intrinsic energy resolution and the lowest background rate in the signal search region among all 0nbb experiments. Taking advantage of these successes, a new international collaboration - the Large Enriched Germanium Experiment for Neutrinoless bb Decay (LEGEND) - has been formed to build, following a phased approach, a ton-scale experiment with discovery potential covering the inverse-ordering neutrino mass range in a decade. The first part of LEGEND proceedings describes GERDA and MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR capabilities and the general plan of LEGEND to reach the goal, while this second part is focused in the status of the first stage of LEGEND, LEGEND-200.
Generation of two tdTomato reporter induced pluripotent stem cell lines (NHLBIi003-A-1 and NHLBIi003-A-2) by AAVS1 safe harbor gene-editing.

Abstract Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that express stable and robust fluorescent proteins have proven to be indispensable in basic and translational research. These reporter iPSC lines can greatly facilitate cell imaging, sorting, and tracking in vitro and in vivo studies. Here, we document two reporter human iPSC lines generated by gene-editing technologies that precisely integrated one-copy of a tdTomato transgene driven by strong CAG promoter into the AAVS1 human safe harbor locus.
Assessment of Multi-Stressors on Compositional Turnover of Diatom, Invertebrate and Fish Assemblages Along an Urban Gradient in Pacific Northwest Streams (USA)

Abstract This study is part of the regional stream-quality assessment (RSQA) conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project. The purpose of this study is to examine small streams along land-use and stressor gradients at the regional scale and to evaluate the relative importance of instream stressors on diatom, macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblages. In 2015, the RSQA project assessed stream quality in 82 wadeable streams that were selected along an urban land-use gradient in the Pacific Northwest Region (PNW) of the United States. This study evaluates the effects of four major categories of measured instream stressors – flow (i.e. alteration), water quality, habitat, and contaminants (in water and sediment) – on stream biota. We used gradient forest (GF) models to evaluate taxon specific responses to the various stressors for the three biotic assemblages. Results for diatom, invertebrate and fish assemblages showed that several environmental variables including substrate size, dissolved oxygen, and two or more different contaminants were selected in each of the GF models. In general, all three assemblages were negatively associated with any contaminant measures above zero, except the more tolerant taxa in each assemblage, which responded positively to contaminants. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were important in both the diatom and invertebrate GF models but not in the fish models, which were related to temperature and stream flow. TP and TN were the top two variables for diatom GF models and various taxa responded at a range of nutrient concentrations; however, some taxa responded at low concentrations, for example around 0.02 for TP and 0.5 mg/L for TN. In general, the three biotic assemblages responded to multiple stressors following general patterns of known sensitive versus tolerant taxa for each of the biotic groups studied, yet the GF models allow us to explore taxon specific responses. For example, most of the sensitive Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera invertebrate taxa (EPT) responded negatively when any contaminant increased above zero; yet some taxa such as the tolerant Trichoptera Cheumatopsyche responded positively to contaminants and many of the other stressors. The findings of this study demonstrate the value of using multiple assemblages to monitoring stressor gradients associated with urban stream systems and the importance of evaluating the responses of individual taxa to stressors.
Getting ready for the next pandemic COVID-19: Why we need to be more prepared and less scared.

As of March 2020, we are almost at the three-month mark of COVID-19 with 90,663 reported cases worldwide and 3,124 reported deaths spread over six continents and 67 countries. As of March 3, 2020, the United States announced its six COVID-19-related deaths with 103 confirmed cases spread throughout fourteen states.1 It is important to note, however, that even as the number of reported cases and deaths continue to increase, the COVID-19 overall case fatality rate thus far stands at 3.4 percent. It is important to keep in mind that case fatality rates will also vary by age group and geographic areas. Government leaders and health experts have repeatedly mentioned that it is expected that COVID-19 cases would increase and that it would inevitably reach the United States. I would go even a step further to predict that there will be more confirmed cases and deaths in the United States as well as other parts of the world. Unfortunately and inevitably, by the time this editorial is published, the number of reported cases and deaths will have increased worldwide. If there is one thing to take from all of this information is that we are just at the beginning of the disease progression and more people will get infected and some additional people will also die. As a society, we need not be alarmed simply because it is a novel infectious disease. In the twentieth century, the world has experienced several novel diseases and even pandemic-level diseases. The recent CDC announcement that COVID-19 may reach pandemic levels is not only expected but also scientifically accurate when it comes to normal disease progression. Such announcements should not surprise the public and it should also not instill panic. What the world and the United States need to do is get better prepared. I understand that the fear of the unknown can be daunting but we need to recall that we (the US and the world) have been through similar experiences and survived.
Examining virtual reference services in academic libraries

Virtual reference services, once considered an alternative to traditional in-person reference services, are now the norm. Most academic libraries offer chat and email reference services, and many o...
Can Transparent Markets Survive

This paper investigates whether transparent markets can survive when faced with direct competition from less transparent markets. We first construct a game-theoretic model in which in equilibrium the low-transparency dealers capture early order flow, and use the resulting informational advantage to quote narrower spreads and earn more profits than their more transparent competitors. We then conduct a laboratory experiment that tests and supports all of these predictions. A second experiment shows that most dealers choose to be of lower transparency when they are allowed to do so. However, the informational advantage of low-transparency decreases as there are more such dealers, while the high-transparency dealers get increasing benefit from informed traders who attempt to broadcast deceptive trades. As a result, a small number of transparent dealers persist in our markets.
Hybrid open-top light-sheet microscopy for 3D imaging of cleared tissues with mesoscopic and sub-micron resolution

Light-sheet microscopy has emerged as the preferred means for high-throughput volumetric imaging of cleared tissues. However, there is a need for a user-friendly system that can address diverse imaging applications with varied requirements in terms of resolution (mesoscopic to sub-micron), sample geometry (size, shape, and number), and compatibility with tissue-clearing protocols of different refractive indices. We present a hybrid system that combines a novel non-orthogonal dual-objective and conventional open-top light-sheet architecture for highly versatile multi-scale volumetric imaging.
Discordance of FMISO-PET and MRI regions in malignant gliomas

1580 Objectives: [18F]-Fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) is an imaging agent for hypoxia, a resistance mechanism implicated in the failure of photon radiotherapies. FMISO uptake is independent of blood-brain-barrier breakdown. To assess the difference in the information provided by hypoxia and anatomical imaging of primary brain tumors, high-grade glioma patients were imaged with FMISO and with standard clinical contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1Gd) MRI. Methods: Seventeen adult patients with gliomas were imaged, resulting in 26 studies: 6 patients were imaged pre-operatively, 9 post-operatively but before RT, 2 during RT and 9 after RT. A static image of hypoxia was generated by imaging these patients 2 hours after injection of 7 mCi [18F]-FMISO. The venous blood concentration during the imaging period was used to create tissue to blood ratio (TB) images. Using previous results that TB values above 1.2 are hypoxic, hypoxic volumes (HV) were determined for each of these patients. Each MRI was segmented to determine the necrotic region (T0) shown as a central hypo-intensity on T1Gd and the contrast-enhancing region (T1Gd-T0) that appears hyper-intense on T1Gd. For each image slice, the area and perimeter of the T0 and T1Gd regions were calculated. By multiplying by the thickness of the image slice, the surface area and volume of these regions were calculated. Co-registration of the FMISO and MR images allowed for measurements of the concordance between the imaging, defined as volume of overlap HV and T1Gd-T0 divided by HV. Results: The HV ranged from 0 to 126.9 cc while the T0 and T1Gd-T0 tumor volumes ranged from 0 to 26.5 cc and 0 to 77.5 cc, respectively. The HV was typically located at the periphery of the T1Gd region. From 5.8% to 96.9% (mean 51.0%) of the HV overlapped the hyperintense T1Gd-T0 region. There was no significant correlation between the T0 or T1Gd volumes and the HV. However, a significant correlation was found between the surface area of the hypoxic region and the T0 and T1Gd tumor regions. Conclusions: The correlation between the surface areas of the hypoxic, T0 and T1Gd regions concurs with the hypothesized biological link between the development of hypoxic tissue leading to significant angiogenic vasculature (measured as T1Gd-T0) and necrotic core formation (measured as T0). This is accentuated by the observation that the imageable volumes remain uncorrelated while the surface areas correlate. Independent of the MR volume, this suggests an in vivo biological link between the development and/or activation of hypoxic tumor cells (HIF-1a upregulation) at or near the surface of the constrast-enhancing tumor (T1Gd) where angiogenesis is occuring. Additional patient studies are necessary to clarify this potential link. Research Support (if any): NIH grants P01-CA42045, P30-CA15704, S10-RR17229 and grants from the Dana and McDonnell Foundations.
Impact of Senescent Cell Subtypes on Tissue Dysfunction and Repair: Importance and Research Questions

Cellular senescence, first observed and defined through cell culture studies, is a cell fate associated with essentially permanent cell cycle arrest and that can be triggered by a variety of inducers. Emerging evidence suggests senescence is a dynamic process with diverse functional characteristics. Depending on the tissue, type of inducer, and time since induction, senescent cells can promote tissue repair and re-modeling, prevent tumor development, or contribute to age-related disorders and chronic diseases, including cancers. Senescent cell characteristics appear to depend on multiple factors and be influenced by the milieu and other senescent cells locally and at a distance. We review diverse phenotypes of senescent cells originating from different cell types, senescence inducers over time since induction of senescence, and across conditions and diseases. This background is essential to inform further understanding about senescent cell subtypes and will point towards rational senescence-modulating strategies for achieving therapeutic benefit.
Kiær and the rebirth of the representative method: A case-study in controversy management at the International Statistical Institute (1895–1903)

Anders N. Kiaer (1838-1919), the director of Norway's Central Bureau of Statistics between 1877 and 1913, was the foremost promoter, at the turn of the 20th century, of the rebirth of what came to be known as the "representative method" or sample survey. His advocacy of a methodology that had been abandoned at the beginning of the 19th century in favor of complete enumeration (the census) provoked a controversy at the International Statistical Institute (ISI) when he first presented it in 1895. Yet, it was "recommended" in fairly short order, by 1903. This was the result of a convergence of factors that prevented the dispute from degenerating into a full-blown conflict and facilitated continuing the discussion while preventing a potential break-up of the association. To understand how this came about, the paper examines (1) the role of the historical background from which the ISI emerged; (2) the epistemic beliefs that informed the ISI members in their daily professional practice; (3) the social structure of the ISI and its "ethos"; (4) the professional standing Kiaer enjoyed within the international statistical community. This is a case-study in the sociology of how and why some scientific practices initially seen as "dangerous" gain acceptance and become part of science's lore.
Causes and Consequences of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Insights from Mendelian Randomization.

Context Though polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy affecting women of reproductive age, risk factors that may cause the syndrome are poorly understood. Based on epidemiologic studies, PCOS is thought to cause several adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular disease; however, the common presence of co-morbidities such as obesity may be responsible for such associations, rather than PCOS in and of itself. To overcome the limitations of observational studies, investigators have employed Mendelian randomization (MR), which uses genetic variants to interrogate causality between exposures and outcomes. Evidence acquisition To clarify causes and consequences of PCOS, this review will describe MR studies involving PCOS, both as an exposure and as an outcome. The literature was searched using the terms Mendelian randomization, Mendelian randomization, polycystic ovary syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and PCOS (to May 2021). Evidence synthesis MR studies have suggested that obesity, testosterone levels, fasting insulin, serum SHBG concentrations, menopause timing, male-pattern balding and depression may play a causal role in PCOS. In turn, PCOS may increase the risk of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, decrease the risk of endometrioid ovarian cancer, and have no direct causal effect on type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, or stroke. Conclusions The accumulation of genome-wide association studies in PCOS has enabled multiple MR analyses identifying factors that may cause PCOS or be caused by PCOS. This knowledge will be critical to future development of measures to prevent PCOS in girls at risk as well as prevent complications in those who have PCOS.
Passivity Analysis of Quadrotor Aircraft for Physical Interactions

The broad dissemination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV s), specifically quadrotor aircraft, has accelerated their successful use in a wide range of industrial, military, and agricultural applications. Research in the growing field of aerial manipulation (AM) faces many challenges but may enable the next generation of UAV applications. The physical contact required to perform AM tasks results in dynamic coupling with the environment, which may lead to instability with devastating consequences for a UAV in flight. Considering these concerns, this work seeks to determine whether off-the-shelf flight controllers for quadrotor UAV s are suitable for AM applications by investigating the passivity and coupled-stability of quad rotors using generic cascaded position-attitude (CPA) and PX4 flight controllers. Using a planar 3-degree of freedom (DOF) linearized state-space model and two high fidelity 6-DOF models with the CPA and PX4 closed-loop flight controllers, passivity is analyzed during free flight, and stability is analyzed when the UAV is coupled to environments with varying degrees of stiffness. This analysis indicates that quadrotors using the CPA and PX4 flight controllers are non-passive (except for the PX4 controller in the vertical direction with certain vehicle parameters) and may become unstable when the UAV is coupled with environments of certain stiffnesses. Similarities between the results from the linearized 3-DOF model and nonlinear 6-DOF models in the passivity analysis suggest that using an analytical, linear approach is sufficient and potentially useful for vehicle geometry and controller design to improve stability for AM applications.
School Readiness for Children with Food Allergies

Purpose of the Study. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the level of knowledge about food allergy and the prevention and treatment policies for food-allergic children in elementary schools Study Population. A total of 273 public elementary schools were randomly selected from the 2082 public elementary schools listed by the Michigan State Education Directory Methods. A 21-item questionnaire, which assessed food allergy awareness, avoidance measures, and treatment strategies, was mailed to the 273 schools. Multiple-choice questions were derived from suggested school guidelines for anaphylaxis Results. A total of 104 responses were received representing 109 schools (40% response rate). …
Integrated Computational Model of Intracellular Signaling and microRNA Regulation Predicts the Molecular Components and Timing Critical to Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a major role in the development of liver fibrosis. It has been shown that autoregulatory feedback loops between pro-fibrogenic pathways and microRNAs in...
ANALYSIS OF A TWO-FACTOR R& R STUDY WITH FIXED OPERATORS

The first step of many process improvement projects is to conduct a repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) study. The major objective of such a study is to determine whether a measurement procedure is adequate for monitoring a process. If the measureme..
Sources on overseas Chinese studies

AbstractThe Chinese genealogical records, also called pu die , zong pu , zu pu , jia pu , zi pu , or jia cheng , have been used for thousands of years to record the genealogical history of a family, including a family's origin, its collateral lines, names and ages of the members, records of marriages, births and deaths, merits and deeds, and brief biographical information of the male family members. This paper examines the current documentation status of Chinese genealogical records. It begins with the historical background of genealogical records and describes the existing sources, including primary sources for researching Chinese surnames and secondary sources for reading on immigration history, the Chinese diaspora, foreign settlements, and ethnic identity. The paper proceeds to investigate the nature of extant genealogical records and provide author's own genealogy of He shi zu pu as an example to analyze the contents of a typical genealogical record. The importance and value for the study of names an...
Baccalaureate Social Work Education Consortia: Problems and Possibilities.

Abstract In just one decade, the number of consortia and schools in collaborative programs has declined. Moreover, several consortia, including those with as many as five schools 10 years ago, no longer exist, and some of these schools have ceased offering accredited social work programs. However, some new consortia are emerging. To determine the significance of these trends, the investigator interviewed by telephone social work administrators and faculty of the 21 colleges and universities currently involved in the nine undergraduate consortia. In addition, the investigator reviewed institutional catalogs and compiled information about the origin and development of the collaborative programs, their structure and nature, and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the respondents. Benefits of collaborative programs are that they enrich programs and provide density. Although cooperative arrangements present problems, the problems can be overcome if the institutions involved communicate successfu...
Heart failure in African Americans: unique etiology and pharmacologic treatment responses.

Objectives: After reading the article, Heart Failure in African Americans: Unique Etiology and Pharmacologic Treatment Responses, the learner should be able to complete the following quiz and evaluation questions. Accredidation: NMA is accredited by the Accredidation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. NMA designates this continuing medical education activity for one credit hour in category one of the Physician's Recognition Award of the American Medical Association. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity. The Journal of the National Medical Association (JNMA) has been approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) as having educational content acceptable for five prescribed credit hours. This article has been approved for one credit hour. Term of approval is from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2003. Credit may be claimed for one year from date of individual use. Expiration: The quiz must be completed, postmarked and mailed by Feb. 25, 2003, for eligibility to receive continuing medical education credit for this CME activity.
Immunogenetic Analysis of H-2 Mutations III. Genetic Mapping and Involvement in Immune Reactions of the H-2Ka Mutation

Mutation M523 (H-2ka) occurred spontaneously in strain CBA/CaLacSto and was discovered during routine skin graft testing for genetic homogeneity. By linkage and complementation tests, the mutation was previously mapped in the K end of the H-2 complex. We demonstrate that the mutation occurred in the K region, without affecting the I region in the K end of the complex. The mutant antigens cause rejection of skin grafts, stimulate cells in mixed lymphocyte culture, and function as stimulators as well as targets in cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity. Yet, they are serologically indistinguishable from the antigens of the original strain and do not induce formation of humoral antibodies upon immunization of the CBA strain. Together with the results obtained on testing of other H-2 mutants, the data strongly support the notion that classical H-2 antigens (i.e., products of the H-2K and H-2D loci) can function as lymphocyte-stimulating determinants, and that I-region differences are not required for the induction of strong cell-mediated lymphocytotoxicity.
THE POLITICS OF RESTRICTIVE LANGUAGE POLICIES: A POSTCOLONIAL ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE AND SCHOOLING

Central to the history of colonization has been the use of restrictive language policies to ensure the exclusion of racialized populations from full participation within the economic and political landscape of the nation state. Hence, understanding the educational barriers of exclusion, along with the academic impact that such language policies produce, are the central questions that strike at the heart of this postcolonial analysis. More specifically, we examine the manner in which restrictive language policies were implemented over a four-year period within the public schools of Boston, Massachusetts, following the passage of Referendum Question 2 in 2002, a mandate to repeal the use of transitional bilingual education in favor of immersion programs. This story is particularly poignant in that Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to officially enact, in 1971, a transitional bilingual program to meet the needs of the state’s growing Spanish-speaking student population. But that was the era of civil rights, when a myriad of educational efforts to address the long-standing historical inequalities faced by children in communities of color were being moved forward by civil-rights activists everywhere.
Improving reliability of large software systems through software design and renovation

Software renovation is a method to improve existing software and to incorporate new features and system functions without developing entirely new software. The paper proposes a method to increase software reliability and to determine software components that need to be renovated. The method considers the changed code in base and non-base software, probability of a software error, and sets of static and dynamic connections in large software applications. The software is renovated if the probability of error exceeds threshold or the sets of static and dynamic connections are changed and the error in code exceeds threshold. A number of experiments with changing model parameters are used to show the usefulness of the method. The study is of interest in telecommunications.
Fructose and Cardiometabolic Health: What the Evidence From Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tells Us

Recent attention has focused on fructose as having a unique role in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. However, because we rarely consume fructose in isolation, the major source of fructose in the diet comes from fructose-containing sugars, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, in sugar-sweetened beverages and foods. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been consistently linked to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in various populations. Putative underlying mechanisms include incomplete compensation for liquid calories, adverse glycemic effects, and increased hepatic metabolism of fructose leading to de novo lipogenesis, production of uric acid, and accumulation of visceral and ectopic fat. In this review we summarize the epidemiological and clinical trial evidence evaluating added sugars, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, and the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and address potential biological mechanisms with an emphasis on fructose physiology. We also discuss strategies to reduce intake of fructose-containing beverages.
TEOLOGÍA LITERARIA EN EL DESBARRANCADERO DE FERNANDO VALLEJO

Este trabajo indaga en las resonancias modernistas en El desbarrancadero (2001) de Fernando Vallejo. Tomando como punto de partida las conexiones que la novela establece con Ruben Dario y Vargas Vila, propone que la escritura de Vallejo dialoga con varias de las coordenadas que marcaron la produccion cultural en el periodo de entresiglos en America Latina y Europa. La lectura de la novela se ocupa de la forma que, un siglo mas tarde, toman en el discurso de Vallejo temas como el simbolismo, la muerte de Dios, la sacralizacion de la poesia y la identidad nacional.
Validation of the Cardiac Children's Hospital Early Warning Score: an early warning scoring tool to prevent cardiopulmonary arrests in children with heart disease.

Objective Most inpatient pediatric arrests are preventable by early recognition/treatment of deterioration. Children with cardiac disease have the highest arrest rates; however, early warning scoring systems have not been validated in this population. The objective of this study was to validate the Cardiac Children's Hospital Early Warning Score (C-CHEWS) tool in inpatient pediatric cardiac patients. The associated escalation of care algorithm directs: routine care (score 0–2), increased assessment/intervention (3–4), or cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) consult/transfer (≥5). Design Sensitivity and specificity were estimated based on retrospective review of patients that experienced unplanned CICU transfer/arrest (n = 64) and a comparison sample (n = 248) of admissions. The previously validated Pediatric Early Warning Score (PEWS) tool was used for comparison. Patients' highest C-CHEWS scores were compared with calculated PEWS scores. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated for PEWS and C-CHEWS to measure discrimination. Results The AUROC curve for C-CHEWS was 0.917 compared with PEWS 0.785 (P < .001). The algorithm AUROC curve was 0.902 vs. PEWS of 0.782. C-CHEWS algorithm sensitivity was 96.9 (score ≥ 2), 79.7 (≥4), and 67.2 (≥5) vs. PEWS of 81.1(≥2), 37.5 (≥4), and 23.4 (≥5). C-CHEWS specificity was 58.1 (≥2), 85.5 (≥4), and 93.6 (≥5) vs. PEWS of 81.1 (≥2), 94.8 (≥4) and 97.6 (≥5). Lead time of elevated C-CHEWS scores (≥2) was a median of 9.25 hours prior to event vs. PEWS, which was 2.25 hours and lead time for critical C-CHEWS scores (≥5) was 2 hours vs. 0 hours for PEWS (P < .001). Conclusions C-CHEWS has excellent discrimination to identify deterioration in children with cardiac disease and performed significantly better than PEWS both as an ordinal variable and when choosing cut points to maximize AUROC. C-CHEWS has a higher sensitivity than PEWS at all cut points.
Safety and Reachability of Piecewise Linear Hybrid Dynamical Systems Based on Discrete Abstractions

In this paper, a novel methodology for analysis of piecewise linear hybrid systems based on discrete abstractions of the continuous dynamics is presented. An important characteristic of the approach is that the available control inputs are taken into consideration in order to simplify the continuous dynamics. Control specifications such as safety and reachability specifications are formulated in terms of partitions of the state space of the system. The approach provides a convenient general framework not only for analysis, but also for controller synthesis of hybrid systems. The research contributions of this paper impact the areas of analysis, verification, and synthesis of piecewise linear hybrid systems.
Optical measurement of the rms roughness of ion-implanted surfaces

Abstract Ion implantation and other ion-beam processing techniques sometimes roughen the surfaces to which they are applied. If undetected, such roughness can lead to erroneous interpretation of data gathered by RBS, AES, and other surface analysis techniques. Many surface profilometers and scanning electron microscopes lack sufficient resolution to detect fine-scale roughness that can complicate the data interpretation. We have constructed a simple optical instrument to measure the root-mean-square (rms) roughness, below ~ 100 nm, of ion-implanted surfaces. This instrument measures the total integrated scatter (TIS) of almost-normally incident laser light, which (under certain conditions) is simply related to the rms surface roughness. This paper describes the construction and calibration of the TIS instrument, and presents preliminary results on the roughness of Cr surfaces deposited under various vacuum conditions and implanted during deposition with energetic Cr ions.
Religion and Positive Youth Development: Identity, Meaning, and Prosocial Concerns

The role of religious identity in positive youth development was examined in this study of personal meaning and prosocial concerns in adolescence. A structural equation model was tested on a sample of 801 urban public high school students. Participants responded to questionnaires assessing religious identity, personal meaning, and prosocial personality. Prototypical descriptors derived from Walker and Pitts's (1998) highly religious person concept were examined as a measure of religious identity. Findings demonstrate a positive relationship between religious self-understanding, personal meaning, and prosocial personality. Differences were noted in the relationship of personal meaning to prosocial personality across age and gender cohorts. The findings provide further support for considering religion as a developmental resource associated with personal meaning and a concern for others among youth.
Interval-valued probability in the analysis of problems containing a mixture of possibilistic, probabilistic, and interval uncertainty

A simple definition of interval-valued probability measure (IVPM) is used and its implications are examined for problems in mathematical analysis. In particular, IVPMs are constructed and then used to develop the extension of these measures in such a way that probability, possibility, clouds, and intervals fit within the context of IVP. With the extension principle, integration and product measures that are derived below, mathematical analysis applied to this new structures is enabled. Optimization will be the mathematical analysis used to illustrate the approaches that are developed.
Electrochemistry of Homogeneous Catalysts: Correlation of the Electrochemistry and the Ziegler—Natta Catalytic Activity of Metal Acetylacetonate Complexes

A series of metal acetylacetonates [M(acacn] was characterized electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry and Differential Pulse Voltammetry. The Nicholson and Shain criteria [1, 2] was used to determine the electrochemical reduction mechanisms of these complexes. It was found that the reversibility of the electrochemical reduction is inversely proportional to the Ziegler—Natta catalytic activity of the metal acetylacetonate complex.
Does Examination of Urinary Sediment Identify Individuals with Gulf War Syndrome? A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Background: Many veterans who were involved in the Persian Gulf theater of operations have had a variety of unexplained physical complaints, collectively called the GulfWar syndrome or similar names. There has been much debate on the issue and numerous publications, both in the medical and the lay press. A method for examining urinary sediment that was developed in an effort to identify nonculturable bacteria has been used in Gulf War veterans and was the basis for intensive antimicrobial therapy in many of them. Methods: We evaluated eight Gulf War veterans with complaints compatible with Gulf War syndrome. Subjects were from various parts of the United States. A detailed history and physical examination were performed. Urine was obtained before and after prostatic massage (men) orbefore and after pelvic examinations (women) and was tested by a previously described microscopic method as well as by culture and conventional Gram stain. Age-and sex-matched healthy control subjects were tested similarly and concurrently. Results: Two female Gulf War veterans had findings of Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae by conventional culture. The same organism types were seen both by the special method and by conventional Gram stain. All other subjects and controls were completely indistinguishable.