cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Site-specific effects of dietary salt intake on guanylin and uroguanylin mRNA expression in rat intestine

Guanylin and uroguanylin are newly discovered intestinal peptides that have been shown to affect NaCl transport in both the intestine and kidney. The present study tests the hypothesis that guanylin and uroguanylin mRNA expression in each major region of the intestine is regulated by NaCl intake. Semiquantitative multiplex RT-PCR analysis was used to determine the molecular expression of guanylin and uroguanylin in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon in rats maintained on low (LS), normal (NS), or high (HS) NaCl intake for 4 days. LS intake reduced the expression of uroguanylin, and to a lesser degree, guanylin mRNA in all intestinal segments compared to NS intake. The duodenum was the site of the greatest decrease for both. In contrast, HS intake significantly increased the expression of guanylin mRNA only in the duodenum and jejunum and had minimal effect on uroguanylin mRNA. The minimum time required for altered gene expression was determined by delivering an oral NaCl challenge directly to the gastrointestinal tract by oro-gastric administration to LS or NS animals. In LS rats, NaCl oro-gastric administration significantly increased mRNA expression of both peptides in all intestinal segments. Furthermore, the increases in guanylin and uroguanylin mRNA were detected within 4 h and plateaued by 8 h. Conversely, acute oro-gastric administration of the same NaCl solution to NS rats caused elevations of guanylin mRNA only in the duodenum and jejunum, and of uroguanylin mRNA only in the ileum and colon. In conclusion, the data demonstrate that variations in NaCl intake lead to intestinal segment-specific changes in guanylin and uroguanylin mRNA expression.
Effects in a Magnetic Field

The transport properties of a conductor become modified in the presence of a magnetic field. The effects are strongest when the magnetic field lies in a direction that is perpendicular to the primary flow (which may be an electric current or a flow of heat) and we confine our attention to this situation.
U.S. Army's Cyber Leader Development Program (Abstract Only)

This lightning talk describes the U.S. Army's Cyber Leader Development Program (CLDP) which is a recently implemented initiative designed to increase and improve undergraduate cyber education for United States Military Academy (USMA) and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. The CLDP takes a holistic viewpoint towards cyber education. Its methodology provides a model for all educators on how to integrate out-of-class enrichment opportunities with an in-class curriculum. CLDP is a voluntary program that has about 800 hours of required out-of-class activities. These required activities include being assigned a formal mentor, participation in a security or hacking club, attending a security conference, participating in security training, and participating in an internship. This program is in its inaugural year with ROTC and in its second year at the United States Military Academy.The focus of this lightning talk will be to highlight the central aspects of the program and to describe how such programs would improve the holistic development of any students, security or otherwise. CLDP is not just a working military program -- it is an exportable concept that presents an applicable model for the development of cyber security students destined to support corporate America as well as government agencies at federal, state, and local levels.
Prosecutorial Conflicts of Interest and Excessive Use of Force by Police

Investigations into the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner raised important questions about prosecutorial conflict of interest when investigating allegations of excessive use of force by police. Both Brown and Garner were unarmed and in both instances died at the hands of the police. Neither officer involved in their deaths was prosecuted.Concern about prosecutor conflict of interest in handling allegations of excessive use of force by police is widespread. Many say that independent review by special prosecutors in such cases is necessary in order to increase public confidence in the criminal justice system. Some commentators argue that without a special prosecutor there is unequal justice, that is, different justice for police officers than for others in the community. In this article we analyze whether current legal ethics conflict of interests rules require a prosecutor to withdraw from investigating and evaluating charges against police when there are allegations of excessive use of force. We also consider whether a special prosecutor is required in such cases, and whether a special prosecutor is desirable and consistent with other overarching goals of the criminal justice system. In addition to examining these issues, we make recommendations for bar authorities to provide more guidance to prosecutors.
Extensions of semidefinite programming methods for atomic decomposition

We present an extension of recent semidefinite programming formulations for atomic decomposition over continuous dictionaries, with applications to continuous or ‘gridless’ compressed sensing. The dictionary considered in this paper is defined in terms of a general matrix pencil and is parameterized by a complex variable that varies over a segment of a line or circle in the complex plane. The main result of the paper is the formulation as a convex semidefinite optimization problem, and a simple constructive proof of the equivalence. The techniques are illustrated with a direction of arrival estimation problem, and an example of low-rank structured matrix decomposition.
Analysis of Complex ODE Epidemic Models: Global Stability

This chapter is concerned with mathematical analysis of complex ODE models and their global stability analysis. The chapter introduces Lyapunov function and LaSalle Theorem as tools and illustrates their use on the SEIR model. Hopf bifurcation theorem in higher dimensions is included and its use is illustrated on the SIR model with isolation. The concept of backward bifurcation is introduced and illustrated on an SEI model with standard incidence. Castillo-Chavez and Song Theorem for detecting backward bifurcation in higher dimensions is introduced and illustrated on the SEI example.
Changes in medical stability upon admission to a rehabilitation unit.

The implementation of Medicare's prospective payment system in acute care has coincided with a steady increase in medically unstable admissions to our freestanding rehabilitation facility. We investigated the consequences of these admissions by collecting medical information regarding transfers beginning in 1983. Patients requiring transfer back to the acute setting within 1 day of admission were considered medically unstable and their charts were reviewed. The number of patients requiring transfer back within 1 day increased from 1.5% of all first admissions to 3.1% in 1988 (Mantel - Haenszel chi 2 = 8.03, (df = 1), p < .01), but the increase among Medicare patients alone was not significant. This progressive increase was most pronounced in the cerebrovascular accident and spinal cord injury populations. Beginning in 1988, an intensified preadmission evaluation program was implemented, resulting in a significant decline in unstable patient transfers from hospitals where our consultants were on staff. Physiatric consultations at referral institutions decreased the number of unstable patients at admission.
Abstract 731: Transcriptional control of inflammatory signaling in the megakaryocyte and erythroid lineages: implications for the tumor microenvironment

Thrombocytosis, characterized by high platelet counts, and anemia, caused by low numbers of red blood cells, are associated with poor outcomes in various solid tumors and also occur in several myeloid disorders. The megakaryocyte and erythroid lineages give rise to platelets and red blood cells, respectively, but the mechanisms that cause increased megakaryopoiesis and concurrently decreased erythropoiesis in malignancies are poorly understood. We and others have previously identified that DLX4, a developmental transcription factor encoded by a homeobox gene, is aberrantly expressed in several types of solid tumors and myeloid malignancies but the mechanisms of DLX4 are poorly understood. In this study, we identified that DLX4 expression increases during megakaryopoiesis and decreases during erythropoiesis. Overexpression and knockdown experiments using normal CD34+ stem/progenitor cells and bipotent K562 cells demonstrated that DLX4 induces lineage markers and morphologic features of megakaryocytes, and concomitantly represses erythroid marker expression and hemoglobin levels. Gene Ontology and Gene Set Enrichment Analyses of genome-wide changes in gene expression induced by DLX4 showed that DLX4 induces a megakaryocytic transcriptional program and inhibits an erythroid transcriptional program. Bioinformatic analysis also revealed that DLX4 induces gene signatures that are associated with NF-kappaB signaling. The ability of DLX4 to promote megakaryocyte development and to inhibit erythroid differentiation was diminished by blocking NF-kappaB activity or by repressing IL1B, a transcriptional target of DLX4. These findings indicate that DLX4 promotes megakaryocyte development at the expense of erythroid generation in part by inducing inflammatory signaling. Studies are ongoing to investigate the transcriptional control by homeobox genes of inflammatory signaling in thrombocytosis and anemia that are associated with solid tumors and myeloid disorders. Citation Format: Bon Q. Trinh, Nicolas Barengo, Sang Bae Kim, Ju-Seog Lee, Patrick A. Zweidler-McKay, Honami Naora. Transcriptional control of inflammatory signaling in the megakaryocyte and erythroid lineages: implications for the tumor microenvironment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 731.
Evaluation of bilateral central retinal artery occlusions with optical coherence tomography-based microangiography: a case report

We report a case of bilateral central retinal artery occlusion and the evaluation of retinal vasculature and capillaries by using optical coherence tomography angiography. A 75-year-old white man presented with central retinal artery occlusion in one eye and underwent a carotid angioplasty. Upon discontinuing anticoagulant, he had a subsequent central retinal artery occlusion in the other eye. Optical coherence tomography angiography images were obtained to compare the retinal microvasculature in both eyes. Atrophy of the involved retina continues for several weeks after central retinal artery occlusion but the loss of retinal capillaries is immediate and stable over time. The presence of cilioretinal arteries that perfuse the central macula can prevent profound vision loss.
Animal Model of Autistic Regression: Link to Toxicant-Induced Oxidative Stress

Kanner, in his initial case study report defining autism, concluded .... “We must, then, assume that these children have come into the world with innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided affective contact with people, just as other children come into the world with innate physical or intellectual handicaps.” Nonetheless, in at least one of his eleven cases, a period of normal development was noted, but this was followed by a period of arrested development and loss of acquired skills. Today, this scenario would be referred to as autistic regression and is thought to account for 35–40 % of all autism cases. We have developed an animal model of autistic regression characterizing functional and neuropathological deficits in mice consequent to early toxicant exposure. Further, we have administered neurotoxicants known to exert their deleterious effects through the generation of oxidative stress to mice with genetic alterations thought to render them particularly sensitive to such insult. Regardless of the types of insult, oxidative stress is believed to be a common endpoint that would contribute to the pathology of autism. Nrf2 is the major transcription regulator for redox regulation. To further test the hypothesis, we have used Nrf2 knockout mice with age-matched wild-type mice. The knockout mice engaged in fewer social play contacts with other mice. Treatment with valproic acid also resulted in a reduction in play behavior in the knockout mice. These very preliminary observations indicate that the Nrf2 KO mice may be useful in advancing our understanding of the underlying etiology of autistic regression. Collectively, these animal data suggest a role for oxidative stress underlying autistic regression.
The Role of Threshold Concepts in an Interdisciplinary Curriculum: a Case Study in Neuroscience

Threshold concepts have been widely utilized to understand learning in academic disciplines and student experiences in a disciplinary curriculum. This study considered how threshold concepts might operate within an interdisciplinary setting. Data were collected through interviews with 40 doctoral students enrolled in an interdisciplinary program as well as content analysis of interdisciplinary curricula. The findings emphasize the importance of the integrative process to interdisciplinary initiatives. Interdisciplinary threshold concepts do not result from the addition of multiple disciplines, but rather are fostered through unique facets of the interdisciplinary experience.
An 80-mVpp Linear-Input Range, 1.6- $\text{G}\Omega $ Input Impedance, Low-Power Chopper Amplifier for Closed-Loop Neural Recording That Is Tolerant to 650-mVpp Common-Mode Interference

Closed-loop neuromodulation is essential for the advance of neuroscience and for administering therapy in patients suffering from drug-resistant neurological conditions. Neural stimulation generates large differential and common-mode (CM) artifacts at the recording sites, which easily saturate traditional recording front ends. This paper presents a neural recording chopper amplifier capable of handling in-band 80-mVpp differential artifacts and 650-mVpp CM artifacts while preserving the accompanying small neural signals. New techniques have been proposed that introduce immunity to CM interference, increase the input impedance of the chopper amplifier to 1.6 $\text{G}\Omega $ , and increase the maximum realizable resistance of duty-cycled resistors (DCR) to 90 $\text{G}\Omega $ . These techniques enable our recording front-end to achieve a dynamic range of 74 dB (200 Hz–5 kHz) and 81 dB (1–200 Hz). Implemented in a 40-nm CMOS process, the prototype occupies an area of 0.069 mm2/channel, and consumes 2.8 $\mu \text{W}$ from a 1.2-V supply. The input-referred noise is 5.3 $\mu \text{V}_{\mathrm {\mathbf {rms}}}$ (200 Hz–5 kHz) and 1.8 $\mu \text{V}_{\mathrm {\mathbf {rms}}}$ (1–200Hz). The total harmonic distortion for a 40-mV $_{\mathrm {\mathbf {p}}}$ input at 1 kHz is −76 dB. This work improves the input impedance by 5.3 $\times $ for chopped front-ends, linear-input range by 2 $\times $ , maximum resistance of DCR by 32 $\times $ , and tolerance to CM interferers by 6.5 $\times $ , while maintaining comparable power and noise performance.
Rapid, highly sensitive detection of Gram-negative bacteria with lipopolysaccharide based disposable aptasensor

Abstract Gram-negative bacteria are one of the most common microorganisms in the environment. Their differential detection and recognition from Gram-positive bacteria has been attracting much attention over the years. Using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as a model, we demonstrated on-site detection of Gram-negative bacteria by an AC electrokinetics-based capacitive sensing method using commercial microelectrodes functionalized with an aptamer specific to lipopolysaccharides. Dielectrophoresis effect was utilized to enrich viable bacteria to the microelectrodes rapidly, achieving a detection limit of 102 cells/mL within a 30 s′ response time. The sensor showed a negligible response to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a Gram-positive species. The developed sensor showed significant advantages in sensitivity, selectivity, cost, operation simplicity, and response time. Therefore, this sensing method has shown great application potential for environmental monitoring, food safety, and real-time diagnosis.
Beyond Professional Emergencies: Patterns of Mistakes in Social Work and Their Implications for Remediation

This paper analyzes the emerging field of government mandated child protection, the work's design, and the public crisis caused by public airing of its mistakes. The cycle of reacting to public revulsion at errors,followed by a return to "business as usual" persists despite official, government inquiries and the social work profession identified with the protection of children. The risk of working in a highly emotional area is discussed through the sociology of "mistakes at work," or professional emergencies. This work balances risks with advantages of evoking emotions. The risk comes from the negative emotions associated with official failures seen by the public as tragic mistakes or worse. In the past four decades social work has become vulnerable to public outcries when a child is killed when supposedly protected. The management of that risk is relatively new to the profession and it has not responded effectively. The sources of child fatalities within the child welfare system are at least partly due to the design of the system, its daily work routines and the central role of the profession in the emerging field of child protection. These routines are described with an analysis of how they contribute to failures. Recommendations for system change are suggested.
Geomorphic context in rivers

Geomorphic context refers to the geomorphic setting of a river reach, which is defined as a length of river with consistent valley and channel geometry. Context includes spatial dimensions of geome...
Abelian semi-groups of expanding maps

1. I n t r o d u c t i o n . A g r e a t d e a l o f r e c e n t work h a s b e e n c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e p r o b l e m o f d i s c o v e r i n g l a r g e c l a s s e s o f maps t h a t a r e t o p o l o g i c a l l y s t a b l e and c a n be c l a s s i f i e d up t o t o p o l o g i c a l c o n j u g a c y ( s e e [ 1 ] , [ 7 ] , o r [ 1 0 ] ) . I t i s n e c e s s a r y t h a t t h e p r o b l e m be p o s e d i n t e r m s o f t o p o l o g i c a l s t a b i l i t y and c o n j u g a c y , s i n c e t h e r e seem t o be no i n t e r e s t i n g c l a s s e s o f maps t h a t a r e d i f f e r e n t i a b l y s t a b l e , and o n l y a few U ( c f . [2], [6], [12], [13]) that can be classfied up to differentiable conjugacy in a satisfactory way. The purpose of this paper is to show that the situation changes radically if one considers suitable semi-groups of maps rather than a slngle map and its iterates. Our concern here will be essentially with expanding maps of S 1 ~ RI/z . Recall that a C 1 map, t, is an expanding map if n i l/ I/n lira sup l!Dt (X)iI ~IIX!I > ~ as n ~
Enhancing the Radiation Response in KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancers Using the c-Met Inhibitor Crizotinib.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: C-Met plays important roles in treatment resistance, tumor invasion, and metastasis. In this study, we used a small molecule inhibitor of c-Met, crizotinib, in cetuximab-resistant, mutant KRAS-driven colorectal cancer cell lines and assessed radiosensitization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A tissue microarray containing colorectal tumors was used to study the relationship between KRAS mutations and c-Met expression. For in vivo studies, we used the KRAS mutant cell lines HCT116, DLD1, and LoVo. Colony formation assays were performed to assess the effects of crizotinib and cetuximab. Immunoblot analysis was used to determine the effect of crizotinib on c-Met and downstream pathways and DNA damage response. We then selected noncytotoxic doses of crizotinib to assess clonogenic survival with radiation. To study potential mechanisms of radiosensitization, cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Analysis of the tissue microarray revealed that KRAS mutant tumors had active c-Met signaling. KRAS mutant cell lines LoVo, HCT116, and DLD1 were resistant to cetuximab but sensitive to crizotinib. Pretreatment with crizotinib for 24 hours radiosensitized LoVo, DLD1, and HCT116 cell lines with enhancement ratios of 1.54, 1.23, and 1.30, respectively. Immunoblot analysis showed that crizotinib blocked radiation-induced c-Met phosphorylation and attenuated downstream signaling pathways. Cell cycle analysis revealed minimal G1 arrest with crizotinib. Additionally, crizotinib completely blocked HGF induced cell migration. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of c-Met with crizotinib effectively sensitizes cetuximab-resistant KRAS mutant colorectal cancer cell lines to radiation. Crizotinib has the potential to improve outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation.
Electrical Transport In Nanoscale Systems

In recent years there has been a huge increase in the research and development of nanoscale science and technology. Central to the understanding of the properties of nanoscale structures is the modeling of electronic conduction through these systems. This graduate textbook provides an in-depth description of the transport phenomena relevant to systems of nanoscale dimensions. In this textbook the different theoretical approaches are critically discussed, with emphasis on their basic assumptions and approximations. The book also covers information content in the measurement of currents, the role of initial conditions in establishing a steady state, and the modern use of density-functional theory. Topics are introduced by simple physical arguments, with particular attention to the non-equilibrium statistical nature of electrical conduction, and followed by a detailed formal derivation. This textbook is ideal for graduate students in physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering.
XV – Concluding Remarks

Publisher Summary Jerne's concept of self-regulation of immunity by a network of idiotype-anti-idiotype reactions in essence involves a very efficient feedback system by which each immune response controls itself by inducing an anti-response—itself an immunological mechanism—directed specifically to idiotypic determinants on lymphocyte receptor combining sites. Jerne's concept of self-regulation of immunity by a network of idiotype-anti-idiotype reactions in essence involves a very efficient feedback system by which each immune response controls itself by inducing an anti-response (itself an immunological mechanism) directed specifically to idiotypic determinants on lymphocyte receptor combining sites. Pollen from an individual plant is incapable of setting seed in flowers of that plant or in any other plants of the same incompatibility group, that is, with a common self-incompatibility allele. However, pollen from one self-incompatibility group is fully active in fertilizing any other plant of the species not possessing the same allele. When pollen from one self-incompatibility group interacts with the style of a flower of the same self-incompatibility group, a positive recognition results in a type of rejection reaction preventing the pollen tube from growing. From a genetic point of view, it appears that these reactions reflect the existence of two gene products, one each in the pollen and the style, respectively.
Swine conjunctivitis outbreaks associated with Mycoplasma hyorhinis.

Conjunctivitis is an uncommon finding in commercial swine herds, and the etiology of the disease is rarely studied. We investigated cases of conjunctivitis in 3 wean-to-finish swine farms. Eye swab...
Leadership in War and Genocide: Roméo Dallaire in Rwanda

Throughout history, the ethical application of violence, in tandem with an institutional culture that emphasizes obedience and authority, forces officers to confront moral dilemmas that are unique to the military profession, putting soldiers under stress which civilians may find difficult to imagine. Deployments to combat zones create unparalleled levels of fear, stress, and uncertainty, thrusting troops into sometimes daily confrontations with life-or-death situations. In such highly ambiguous environments, a leader’s character—who they are morally and ethically as a person—has a significant impact on their decision-making and the choices they make under duress. Supported by an extensive body of recently declassified source material from the UN Archives in New York, this study examines the actions of Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire, force commander for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), during the Rwandan genocide. It argues that character is a central element in preparing leaders to lead under extreme conditions when they encounter the unforeseen.
Towards Oblivious Network Analysis using Generative Adversarial Networks

Modern systems across diverse application domains (e.g., IoT, automotive) have many black-box devices whose internal structures and/or protocol formats are unknown. We currently lack the tools to systematically understand the behavior and learn the security weaknesses of these black-box devices. Such tools could enable many use cases, such as: 1) identifying input packets that lead to network attacks; and 2) inferring the format of unknown protocols. Our goal is to enable oblivious network analysis which can perform the aforementioned tasks for black-box devices. In this work, we explore the use of a recent machine learning tool called generative adversarial networks (GANs) [16] to enable this vision. Unlike other competing approaches, GANs can work in a truly black-box setting and can infer complex dependencies between protocol fields with little to no supervision. We leverage GANs to show the preliminary use cases of our approaches using two case studies: 1) generating synthetic protocol messages given only samples of messages; and 2) generating attack inputs for a black-box system. While there are still many open challenges, our results suggest the early promise of GANs to enable "oblivious" analysis of networked elements.
Peripartum pain management of women on medication-assisted therapy: A systematic review

Rates of opioid prescribing are at historically high levels, and, as opioid exposure increases, the number of women of childbearing age with opioid use disorder is rising. Despite this growing population, the optimal management of pain for parturients maintained on medical-assisted therapy (MAT, i.e., methadone or buprenorphine) is unknown. This systematic review is intended to evaluate patient outcomes associated with pain management strategies for parturients on MAT. Literature databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to September 2017. Articles were included if they discussed peripartum analgesic options for pregnant women with opioid dependence. The search identified 1,814 articles, of which, nine matched all inclusion criteria and were selected for data extraction and analysis. Articles were a mix of case series, retrospective case reviews, retrospective cohorts, and randomized controlled trials. They showed various responses ranging from no difference in analgesic requirements between MAT and non-MAT patients to MAT patients requiring higher amounts of opioids after a cesarean section. Parturients on MAT present a number of challenges for obstetric anesthesiologists, but various approaches can be used to achieve satisfactory analgesia. It is important to practice an individualized yet multidisciplinary approach to ensure the delivery of optimal patient care.
Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies in Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Oxidative Stress, Redox Metals, and Ferroptosis

Significance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. AD is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death, but some sources put it as third, after heart disease and cancer. Currently, there are no effective therapeutic approaches to treat or slow the progression of chronic neurodegeneration. In addition to the accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, AD patients show progressive neuronal loss and neuronal death, also high oxidative stress that correlates with abnormal levels or overload of brain metals. Recent Advances: Several promising compounds targeting oxidative stress, redox metals, and neuronal death are under preclinical or clinical evaluation as an alternative or complementary therapeutic strategy in mild cognitive impairment and AD. Here, we present a general analysis and overview, discuss limitations, and suggest potential directions for these treatments for AD and related dementia. Critical Issues: Most of the disease-modifying therapeutic strategies for AD under evaluation in clinical trials have focused on components of the amyloid cascade, including antibodies to reduce levels of Aβ and tau, as well as inhibitors of secretases. Unfortunately, several of the amyloid-focused therapeutics have failed the clinical outcomes or presented side effects, and numerous clinical trials of compounds have been halted, reducing realistic options for the development of effective AD treatments. Future Directions: The focus of research on AD and related dementias is shifting to alternative or innovative areas, such as ApoE, lipids, synapses, oxidative stress, cell death mechanisms, neuroimmunology, and neuroinflammation, as well as brain metabolism and bioenergetics.
Fluid Management During Major Vascular Surgery

Major vascular surgery presents complex and critical challenges to perioperative fluid management. There are increased risks of morbidity and mortality. These risks can be influenced by many factors including patient comorbid conditions, acute blood loss, application and removal of an aortic cross-clamp, as well as choice of fluid for administration. Patients typically are medically complex and although often preoperatively optimized, their comorbidities continue to put them at an increased risk. A thoughtful approach is necessary to assure appropriate resuscitation in order to avoid complications.
Revisiting T7 RNA polymerase transcription in vitro with the Broccoli RNA aptamer as a simplified real-time fluorescent reporter.

Methods for rapid and high-throughput screening of transcription in vitro to examine reaction conditions, enzyme mutants, promoter variants, and small molecule modulators can be extremely valuable tools. However, these techniques may be difficult to establish or inaccessible to many researchers. To develop a straightforward and cost-effective platform for assessing transcription in vitro, we used the "Broccoli" RNA aptamer as a direct, real-time fluorescent transcript readout. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we screened the effect of common reaction conditions and components on bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) activity using a common quantitative PCR instrument for fluorescence detection. Several essential conditions for in vitro transcription by T7 RNAP were confirmed with this assay, including the importance of enzyme and substrate concentrations, covariation of magnesium and nucleoside triphosphates, and the effects of several typical additives. When we used this method to assess all possible point mutants of a canonical T7 RNAP promoter, our results coincided well with previous reports. This approach should translate well to a broad variety of bacteriophage in vitro transcription systems and provides a platform for developing fluorescence-based readouts of more complex transcription systems in vitro.
Familial Autonomic Ganglionopathy Caused by Rare CHRNA3 Genetic Variants.

Objective: To determine the molecular basis of a new monogenetic recessive disorder that results in familial autonomic ganglionopathy with diffuse autonomic failure. Methods: Two adult siblings from one family (I-4, I-5) and another subject from a second family (II-3) presented with severe neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH), small non-reactive pupils, and constipation. All three affected members had low norepinephrine levels and diffuse panautonomic failure. Results: Whole exome sequencing of DNAs from subjects (I-4, I-5) showed compound heterozygosity for c.907_908delCT (p.L303Dfs*115) /c.688G>A (p.D230N) pathologic variants in the acetylcholine receptor, neuronal nicotinic, alpha 3 subunit (CHRNA3) gene. The II-3 from the second family was homozygous for the same frameshift(fs) variant (p.L303Dfs*115// p.L303Dfs*115). The CHRNA3 encodes a critical subunit of the nAChRs responsible for fast synaptic transmission in the autonomic ganglia. The fs variant is clearly pathogenic and the p.D230N variant is predicted to be damaging (SIFT)/probably damaging (PolyPhen2). The p.D230N variant lies on the interface between CHRNA3 and other nAChR subunits based on structural modeling and is predicted to destabilize the nAChR pentameric complex. Conclusions: We report a novel genetic disease that affected three individuals from two unrelated families who presented with severe nOH, miosis, and constipation. These subjects had rare pathologic variants in the CHRNA3 gene that co-segregate with and are predicted to be the likely cause of their diffuse panautonomic failure.
Do high school friends still matter for health behavior in adulthood? Variations in smoking trajectories by adolescent peer smoking networks, race/ethnicity, and gender.

Abstract Peers play an influential role in the initiation of smoking during adolescence. However, there has been limited literature examining whether adolescent peers are associated with longer-term patterns of smoking. This study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine whether age-based trajectories of smoking likelihood from adolescence to adulthood are associated with the number of adolescent friends who smoked and how this association differs by race/ethnicity and gender. Findings using multilevel growth curve models indicate that individuals who have more adolescent friends who smoked have higher probabilities of smoking during adolescence than those with no adolescent smoking friends. As individuals age into adulthood, the association between adolescent friends’ smoking behavior and individual-level smoking begin to dissipate but does not completely disappear. Further analyses show that there are no differences in this association by gender, but there are differences by race/ethnicity. These findings suggest that high school friends continue to be associated with trajectories of smoking even twenty years after high school. These results indicate that anti-smoking campaigns should take a network approach to preventing smoking in adolescence as well as recognize that the same campaign strategy may not work for all groups.
Fast simulations in Computer-Generated Holograms for binary data storage

We present an efficient simulation of the recording and playback phases of a 2D image in a reflection volume hologram. The proposed algorithm uses the free-space Green’s function propagation and assumes the Born approximation.
American Woodcock Status

Annual assessment of American woodcock (Scolopax minor; hereafter, woodcock) populations in North America relies primarily on the American Woodcock Singing-Ground Survey (SGS). Ancillary information concerning harvest and hunting effort comes from the Harvest Information Program (HIP), and indices of recruitment come from Wing Collection Surveys (WCS). We report on long-term trends in SGS, HIP, and WCS data in the Eastern and Central Management Regions in the U.S. Analyses of SGS data indicate there have been significant long-term (1968–2017) declines of 1.05% per year in the Eastern Management Region and -0.56 % per year in the Central Management Region. Discontinuance of some routes and their replacement with new routes may have artificially lessened the long-term negative trends in the SGS. Since 2013, total harvest and number of days hunters spent pursuing woodcock have been below the long-term average (1999–2015) in both management regions. Age ratios (number of immatures per adult female) were temporally variable but exhibited no long-term trend in the Eastern Management Region. In the Central Management Region, age ratios were generally higher during the beginning of the study (1963–1987) period versus the latter part (1988–2016).
Wisdom in the practice of psychotherapy

Part 1 On psychological theories and their limitations: theories of psychotherapy should anchor, not drown, the therapist. Part 2 On the patienthood role and its implications: a patient is a sufferer who cannot cope and who believes in the therapist diagnosis in psychotherapy means understanding human conditions that are both unique and universal behind the question, what do I want? is the larger question, who am I? - or even, am I? patients come to treatment in search of a substitute object, if not a substitute self. Part 3 On therapeutic settings and their mythologies: the therapist must establish a psychologically safe environment, wherein anything can be said and any feeling experienced the therapist establishes the optimum therapeutic environment through a balance of neutrality and empathy the therapist and the patient need to share a view - or myth - of illness and its cure a shared myth between therapist and patient may be culturally inherited, but their shared intention must be mutually cultivated by heightening or lowering arousal, the therapist enters the patient's world. Part 4 On clinical listening and its nuances: the therapist's suspended attention is not only objective but empathic the therapist who "completely understands" the patient has stopped listening therapists tend to underestimate the power of listening and overestimate the power of speaking do not strangle the patient's questions by answering them the therapist's silence is intended to facilitate treatment the patient's silence unintentionally resists it silence is not always golden it can be misused by the therapist and misunderstood by the patient behind the patient's silence is a wish to be understood without verbalizing. Part 5 On therapeutic relationships and their variations: the therapist and patient develop a communicative intimacy that does not exist in other relationships the patient's patterns of relatedness determine the moment-to-moment course of the therapeutic relationship the patient's undue dependency on or failure to get close to the therapist represent two sides of a rapprochement conflict the therapist's failure to facilitate transference may reflect excessive activity failure to establish an empathic bond reflects insufficient feeling for the patient. Part contents.
The “Spatializing” of Time

On the basis of our examination of the principal arguments supporting a B-Theory of time, we have concluded that there appear to be no compelling reasons to adopt the B-Theory of time and to reject the objectivity of tense and the reality of temporal becoming. Moreover, the B-Theory also faces a number of philosophical and theological problems which appear to be quite serious. In this section I wish to examine three philosophical problems which attend the B-Theory.
Investigation of Diesel Sprays Using Diffraction-Based Droplet Sizing

Abstract : The study of combustion in direct injection Diesel engines demands detailed understanding of the behavior of the injection. Understanding the injection involves characterizing the distribution of fuel particle sizes throughout the spray. This work studied the size distributions of sprays from commercial Diesel injectors under a series of conditions. A diffraction-based diagnostic obtained maps of local fuel droplet size information over the full spray field. Most quantitative techniques currently used in spray research provide quantitative time-ranging data at a single point in the spray field. Spatially resolved information proves more useful in studying transient sprays. The spatially resolved maps of particle size obtained in this experiment showed the reliability of the diagnostic, exhibited the transience of the fine structure of these sprays, and demonstrated the evolution of the sprays with time.
O desafio de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar na construção pedagógica do conhecimentro geográfico

Para produzir a reflexao sobre a totalidade do conhecimento geografico, o texto apresenta como objetivo resgatar a origem e o sentido da perspectiva interdisciplinar na construcao pedagogica do conhecimento geografico. Inicialmente resgata o sentido da interdisciplinaridade e em seguida traz a importância de compreender a Geografia em suas relacoes com as demais ciencias. Procura trazer outro olhar sobre a pratica da sala de aula, integrando os alunos/professores numa (re)criacao do conhecimento de forma criativa e integrada Busca significados na estruturacao do espaco geografico, no qual concepcoes e conceitos geograficos mostram-se imbricados com outras areas do conhecimento. Traz a importância de valorizar a autonomia do aluno em sua formacao critica, nas relacoes que estabelece com o proximo e o espaco vivido, gerando um conhecimento transformador. A Geografia, numa perspectiva interdisciplinar, pode assumir, dessa forma, uma postura de mudanca ao repensar velhas formas de ver o mundo, buscando novos sentidos para a existencia humana ao colocar- se como parte integrante da Terra em sua magnifica totalidade. Palavras-chave: interdisciplinar, espaco geografico, construcao pedagogica. Abstract The objective of this text is to rescue the origin and the meaning of interdisciplinary perspectives in the pedagogical construction of geographic knowledge in order to produce reflections about its totality. Initially, the text rescues the meaning of interdisciplinarity and, then, it deals with the importance of understanding Geography in its relations with other sciences. It intends to bring another view of classroom practice, integrating teachers and students in a (re)creation of knowledge in both creative and integrated manners. It also searches for meanings in the structure of geographic space, in which geographic conceptions and concepts are connected with other areas of knowledge. It brings the importance of valuing students’ autonomy in their critical development, in the relations they construct with their peers and their environment, creating transforming knowledge. Geography, in na interdisciplinary perspective, can assume new features while reflecting about old ways of perceiving the world, looking for new meanings for human existence as it takes part in the Earth in its magnificent totality. Keywords: interdisciplinary; geographic space; pedagogical construction.
Virtual Worlds as Laboratories

A virtual world is a persistent space where tens, hundreds, thousands, or even millions of users interact with each other and a mediated environment defined as a physical space through rules created by designers and enforced by computer code. Researchers have argued that these characteristics make virtual worlds particularly well suited for conducting parallel experiments to test macro-level social theory. The purpose of this essay is to provide an introduction into virtual worlds research. It is not an exhaustive resource chronicling the history of virtual worlds, but rather an introduction broken into three sections for those wishing to learn more about the past, present, and future directions of the topic. First, it explores what researchers have said about using virtual worlds research and the fields of research where virtual worlds have been used. In doing so, it focuses on research in video games studies and complex systems. Second, it examines cutting-edge work in virtual worlds research, identifying that both academia and the game industry will play a significant role in the success and direction. Third, it identifies six key issues that scholars using virtual worlds research will face as they move forward. Keywords: virtual world; experiment; synthetic world; laboratory; game research; research method; social science theory
Ver- und Entsorgung von Reinstmedien

Die Reinstmedientechnik als Teilgebiet der Reinraumtechnik und der Prozessver- und -entsorgungstechnik beschaftigt sich mit der Ver- und Entsorgung von Prozessgeraten mit Prozessmedien hoher und hochster Reinheit, einschlieslich des Recyclings und anderweitiger Wiedernutzbarmachung von Ressourcen (Abb. 8.1). Der vorliegende Abschnitt behandelt all Bereiche der Reinstmedientechnik, ausser der Erzeugung und Verteilung von Reinstwasser, die in einem separaten Abschnitt behandelt werden.
Nonfeminist and feminist students at risk: The use of case study analysis while transforming the postsecondary curriculum

Abstract Recent events at the University of Washington and at Fresno State University, where male students disrupted Women's Studies classes, serve as background to discuss some problems faced by nonfeminist and feminist students. These problems may be seen as one result of current attempts to integrate Women's Studies scholarship into the U.S. higher education's mainstream curriculum. Through illustrative case studies, the author analyzes the causes and effects of some of the complex problems faced by a diverse student population. In this paper, the case study approach itself is recommended as a methodology compatible with feminist theory and pedagogy. It serves as a vehicle to anticipate and to understand the concerns of different constituencies in the large Women's Studies core courses and in the courses in which feminist scholarship has been mainstreamed into the curriculum.
James–Stein Estimator

For a multivariate normal distribution with independent components, the observed vector is an inadmissible estimator of the mean vector. The James–Stein estimator defines a statistic with lower squared error loss than the observed vector. It has led to research into families of minimax estimators, some of which is summarized. Keywords: multivariate normal; admissibility; squared error loss; minimax; Baranchik; Bayes; empirical
A Review of “Encyclopedia of American Indian Removal”

The efforts of the National Park Service to interpret the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, which winds through nine southern states, motivated Daniel F. Littlefield and James Parins to compi...
Cultural Stereotyping, Convergent Expectations, and Performance in Cross-Cultural Collaborations

A laboratory experiment tested the hypothesis that under certain conditions, convergent expectations based on cultural stereotypes may have coordination and performance benefits in cross-cultural collaborations. One hundred and fourteen participants (58 of white European and 56 of Asian descent) worked on a collaborative learning task in same-sex dyads. The independent variables were the dyad’s cultural composition (similar vs. diverse) and whether members could communicate using instant messaging (yes or no). The results showed that (a) when members could not communicate, culturally diverse dyads used cultural stereotypes for task assignments, which resulted in fewer coordination errors and better collective performance when compared to culturally similar dyads; (b) when members could communicate, culturally similar dyads performed as well as culturally diverse dyads; and (c) the influence of cultural stereotypes on task assignments persisted for culturally diverse dyads. There was no support for the hypothesis that culturally diverse dyads would experience more negative socioemotional reactions than culturally similar dyads.
Examining Perceptions of the Impact of Child and Family Services Reviews on Training: Reports from State Training Administrators

This article, written for state policy makers, child welfare administrators, and training directors, describes findings from a phone survey of 60 state child welfare training administrators; all 50 states and other governmental jurisdictions were included (92% response rate). The survey examined perceptions of the impact of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process on the state's training agenda and the impact of training in rectifying problems identified in the CFSR process. Respondents perceived the impact of CFSRs to be positive; however, close to half voiced concern about the potential misuse of training to rectify problems identified in the CFSRs. Future studies should examine the impact of CFSRs on the transfer of training and the effect of the training-related elements of the state's Performance Improvement Plans on agency performance outcomes.