cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of silica production by iron and silicic acid during the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX)

We examined the role of Si limitation in mediating the response of siliceous biomass and silica production to mesoscale Fe fertilization in the high-silicic acid high-nitrate waters of the Antarctic and in the low-silicic acid high-nitrate waters of the Subantarctic during austral summer. Iron fertilization stimulated biogenic silica production and silicic acid depletion in both regions. Si limitation significantly curtailed the response of silica production to Fe in the Subantarctic, but not in the Antarctic. Additions of silicic acid to Fe-enriched waters of the Subantarctic more than doubled specific silica production rates beyond the increase caused by Fe alone. This result, combined with the presence of Si limitation both inside and outside of the fertilized patch in the Subantarctic, indicates that silica production in the Subantarctic is regulated by both Fe and Si during austral summer. Fe increased the ability of Subantarctic diatom assemblages to take up low concentrations of Si over an order of magnitude by increasing maximum uptake rates and lowering half-saturation constants for silicic acid uptake. Our observations indicate that the dramatic gradient in Si availability across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current exerts a strong control on the contribution of diatoms to new production following Fe enrichment in the Southern Ocean during austral summer. With sufficient Fe to allow nitrate depletion, the abundant silicic acid in the Antarctic would allow diatoms to dominate nitrate use; however, low silicic acid concentrations in the Subantarctic would restrict the fraction of available nitrate that would be consumed by diatoms to ca. 5%.
Calcinosis circumscripta of the hand in scleroderma.

In a series of sixty-five patients with scleroderma, eleven had calcinosis circumscripta. Four other patients in the series had calcifications in the soft tissues elsewhere than in the hand. Nine of the eleven patients were women. The diagnosis of calcinosis in the hands was made on the average of seventeen years after the onset of Raynaud's phenomenon. In only two of the patients was surgical excision of the calcifications performed.
Reconstruction in Central Europe.

The area of small nations between the Baltic and the Mediterranean has always been exposed to the rivalries and pressures of the Great Powers, due to its strategic and commercial importance, and because of its location on crossroads of conflicting cultures, religions, political and economic systems. A like situation might again arise at the end of the present war when the peasant peoples of these regions find themselves faced with the growing strength of the Soviet socialism and an expanding Western capitalism, whose application of the principles of the Atlantic Charter and of the Four Freedoms might widely differ. The problem of reconstruction of this part of Europe should be examined, therefore, from the point of view of the possibility of reorganizing this zone of perennial friction and insecurity into a politically and economically balanced and stabilized unit, and into a constructive link between the two diverse worlds of ideas and of institutional practices. The internal political difficulties of these countries, from Poland to Greece, have in the main resulted from the incompatibility of the feudallike regimes with the growing political activation of the people. The states formed on the ruins of the Austro-Hungarian Empire inherited many of its feudal characteristics. In Poland, a military group, landed gentry, and state officials, supported by the Church hierarchy, ruled the country, while the parliament and the written constitution existed only nominally.' In Hungary, the landed magnates and gentry were the actual ruling classes,2 and in Austria medieval scholasticism and clericalism were the ideological and political agents behind the authoritarian regime.3 Of all succession states, Czechoslovakia alone seemed superficially free of feudal remnants, because this industrially advanced country had an independent and liberal bourgeois class.4 But even this Czech bourgeoisie and its intelligentsia as a dominant group have not been quite free from a certain "colonial" attitude in regard to industrially undeveloped Slovakia and Ruthenia, which explained dissatisfaction in these regions. In the Catholic
Pelvic Bone Sarcomas: Controversies and Treatment Options

Treatment of pelvic bone sarcomas remains one of the most challenging areas of orthopedic oncology for all members of the disease management team. Although considerable advances have been made in all aspects of sarcoma treatment, the prognosis for patients with primary sarcomas of the pelvis continues to be guarded, and therefore, much controversy exists regarding optimal surgical management, radiation therapy, and systemic therapy. This article summarizes the current treatment paradigms for the 3 most common bone sarcomas (osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma), highlighting the unresolved issues in their management as they pertain to the pelvis.
Impact of time-selective fading on the performance of quasi-orthogonal space-time-coded OFDM systems

In this paper, we study the impact of time-selective fading on quasi-orthogonal space-time (ST) coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems over frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channels. OFDM is robust against frequency-selective fading, but it is more vulnerable to time-selective fading than single-carrier systems. In ST-OFDM, channel time variations cause not only intercarrier interference among different subcarriers in one OFDM symbol, but also intertransmit-antenna interference. We quantify the impact of time-selective fading on the performance of quasi-orthogonal ST-OFDM systems by deriving, via an analytical approach, the expressions of carrier-to-interference and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios. We observe that system error performance is insensitive to changes in vehicle speeds and the channel power-delay profile, but very sensitive to changes in the number of subcarriers. We also evaluate the performance of five different detection schemes in the presence of time-selective fading. We show that although there exist differences in their relative performances, all these detection schemes suffer from an irreducible error floor.
Assuring that lessons learned critical to mission success get used

NASA has an established process for documenting and disseminating lessons learned from spaceflight missions and related activities. However, independent assessments of the NASA lessons learned process conducted in 2002, 2003, and 2011 have concluded that NASA programs and projects are failing to heed and apply these lessons learned. JPL recently completed implementation of a three-pronged approach to assure that NASA lessons learned get used by JPL spaceflight projects: 1. Targeted Distribution. Newly published entries in the NASA lessons learned repository are reviewed and forwarded to the JPL technical discipline expert best suited to take preventive action. 2. Project Self-Assessment. The JPL project assigns a coordinator to review NASA lessons learned and assign each one to a JPL subject matter expert. The expert then determines its applicability to the project, assesses the potential project impact of non-compliance, evaluates the current compliance status of the project, and proposes a course of action. 3. Lessons Learned Infusion. By cross-referencing NASA lessons learned to specific paragraphs in JPL's two mandatory core engineering standards, JPL has infused lessons learned into JPL procedures and training such that the institution need not rely on the appropriate person applying a lesson at the proper point in the project lifecycle. These steps have added a closed-loop to the recommendations in the lessons learned, and they assure that the recommendations are fully considered by JPL spaceflight projects.
Listeria Meningitis Associated with Infliximab

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis in a 73-year-old man receiving infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis.CASE SUMMARY:A 73-year-old white man taking infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis developed listeria meningitis following his second dose. He was receiving other immunosuppressants; however, these remained constant immediately prior to the infection. Diagnosis was confirmed with L. monocytogenes isolated in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient received 21 days of antibiotic therapy and recovered without any complications.DISCUSSION:L. monocytogenes is a gram-positive, non—spore-forming rod that has been associated with the ingestion of undercooked foods. This organism can cause sepsis or meningitis; however, immunocompromised patients, elderly patients, pregnant women, and neonates appear to be at greater risk for this type of infection. Tumor-necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays an important role in resistance to this type of infection, and listeria infections have been reported in ...
A quantitative approach to assessing the efficacy of occupant protection programs: A case study from Montana.

Abstract Quantitative evaluation of vehicle occupant protection programs is critical for ensuring efficient government resource allocation, but few methods exist for conducting evaluation across multiple programs simultaneously. Here we present an analysis of occupant protection efficacy in the state of Montana. This approach relies on seat belt compliance rates as measured by the National Occupant Protection Usage Survey (NOPUS). A hierarchical logistic regression model is used to estimate the impacts of four Montana Department of Transportation (MDT)-funded occupant protection programs used in the state of Montana, following adjustment for a suite of potential confounders. Activity from two programs, Buckle Up coalitions and media campaigns, are associated with increased seat belt use in Montana, whereas the impact of another program, Selective Traffic Enforcement, is potentially masked by other program activity. A final program, Driver’s Education, is not associated with any shift in seat belt use. This method allows for a preliminary quantitative estimation of program impacts without requiring states to obtain any new seat belt use data. This approach provides states a preliminary look at program impacts, and a means for carefully planning future program allocation and investigation.
Hematopoetic and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in the treatment of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus — Where are we now?

Cell based therapies are of increasing interest in the treatment of systemic lupus due to their potential for long term suppression or cure of disease. Two methods for stem cell transplantation are currently being investigated/performed for treatment of lupus. Autologous hematopoetic stem cell transplantation is used in patients refractory to standard therapy. The morbidity and mortality of the procedure limit its use to select patients. Results indicate 50% long term disease free survival. The technical difficulty of the procedure requires it to be performed only in experienced centers. Mesenchymal stem cell transplants are a new emerging therapy for the treatment of lupus. Studies in murine models of lupus provide evidence of efficacy with safety. Limited uncontrolled trials in humans provide evidence of efficacy as well. Controlled trials are needed to assess the efficacy of both these therapies compared to standard therapy.
Does No One Read Vygotsky’s Words? Commentary on Glassman:

In the May 2001 issue of Educational Researcher, Michael Glassman proposed several commonalities in the thinking of John Dewey and Lev Vygotsky. However, in addition to general problems in the article (misstatements about scholars’ writings and a reliance on unsupported inferences), the discussion misconstrues major concepts and topics addressed by Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development—psychological tools, the role of the cross-cultural study, the zone of proximal development, and the nature of conceptual thinking. In addition, Glassman attempted to force Vygotsky’s goals into a Deweyan framework. The result is a misportrayal of Vygotsky’s work.
A Collaboratively Designed Child Mental Health Service Model Multiple Family Groups for Urban Children with Conduct Difficulties

This paper presents preliminary outcomes associated with an experimental, longitudinal study of a Multiple Family Group (MFG) service delivery approach set within thirteen urban outpatient clinics serving children and their families living in inner-city, primarily African American and Latino communities. Specifically, this paper focuses on parent reports of child oppositional behavior and parenting stress over time. MFG is a flexible, protocol-driven approach designed to address the most common reason for referral to outpatient child mental health clinics, childhood behavioral difficulties. The MFG also aims to enhance family-level engagement and retention in ongoing care. Further, the service delivery model was collaboratively developed with intensive input from parents rearing children with conduct difficulties, parent advocates, community-based child mental health providers and services research staff in order to ultimately expand the number of effective service models that can be situated within "real world," urban child mental health settings.
An Examination of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory.

As educators our primary focus is that of ensuring that students experience positive learning outcomes. Research, however, has shown that there are differences in students learning styles and that these differences will impact on the overall learning process. One way of ensuring that these positive outcomes are achieved is by identifying the different learning styles of students and modifying our teaching methodology to meeting those needs. This paper examines Kolbs (1984) Learning Style Inventory and provides suggestions on how to address the different students learning styles in order to enhance the learning process.
Light-assisted stab phlebectomy: Report of a technique for removal of lower extremity varicose veins

We report a new technique to remove varicose veins and reduce recurrence from missed veins. A rigid cannula with a light source injects tumescent solution and transilluminates under veins. Varicose veins are removed with stab phlebectomy using a modified crochet hook and mosquito clamp. Additional tumescent solution flushes hematomas and compresses empty vein channels, resulting in less pain, bleeding, and pigmentation. More than 200 patients have undergone light-assisted stab phlebectomy at the Gonda Vascular Center, with high patient and surgeon satisfaction. This sutureless technique allows complete and rapid varicose branch vein removal with few missed varicose veins, little bruising, and an excellent cosmetic result.
A Tangled Web of Principals and Agents: Examining the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill through a Principal–Agent Lens

The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in April 2010 resulted in the largest oil spill in U.S. waters. In the aftermath of the explosion, many sought answers to what appeared to be a lack of effective oversight of the well's owner, British Petroleum (BP). Using multi-actor principal–agent theory as our framework, we examine the relationships between citizens, the Minerals Management Service (MMS), BP, and BP's partners in the drilling operation. We find that principal–agent theory provides important insights into the case, and that a lack of monitoring, coupled with the willingness of MMS to align its goals with the oil industry rather than the public interest, resulted in a lax regulatory environment that allowed BP to operate largely without public oversight. Related Articles: Pautz, Michelle. 2009. “Trust between Regulators and the Regulated: A Case Study of Environmental Inspectors and Facility Personnel in Virginia.” Politics & Policy 37 (5): 1047-1072. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2009.00210.x/abstract Ash, John. 2010. “New Nuclear Energy, Risk, and Justice: Regulatory Strategies for an Era of Limited Trust.” Politics & Policy 38 (2): 255-284. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00237.x/abstract Elliott-Teague, Ginger. 2011. “‘Public’ Interests and the Development of Tanzanian Environmental Policy.” Politics & Policy 39 (5): 835-861. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00318.x/abstract Related Media: Maps/Photo Gallery: National Geographic . 2012. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/gulf-oil-spill/gulf-spill-photography La explosion de la plataforma petrolifera Deepwater Horizon en Abril del 2010 resulto en el derrame petrolero mas grande en aguas estadounidenses. Luego de la explosion, muchos buscaron respuestas a lo que parecio ser una falta de planeacion efectiva por parte del dueno del yacimiento, British Petroleum (BP). Usando una la teoria del agente-principal con multiples actores como marco teorico, examinamos la relacion entre ciudadanos, el Servicio de Manejo de Minerales (SMM), BP, y los socios de BP en la perforacion de los pozos petroliferos. Encontramos que la teoria del agente-principal provee importantes perspectivas sobre el caso; y que la falta de monitoreo, junto con la intencion de el MMS de alinear sus intereses con los de la industria petrolera en lugar del interes publico, resulto en un ambiente regulatorio laxo que permitio a BP continuar con sus operaciones en gran parte sin una vigilancia regulatoria.
System-level routing of mixed-signal ASICs in WREN

with an aggressive simulated &ahg formulatidn that selects paths while accommoabting numerous signal-integrity constraints. Experimental results demonstrate that it is critical to attack such cowtraitus both globally (system-level) and locally (channel-level) to meet designer-specij7wd performance targets.
Genetic data and electronic health records: a discussion of ethical, logistical and technological considerations

Objective The completion of sequencing the human genome in 2003 has spurred the production and collection of genetic data at ever increasing rates. Genetic data obtained for clinical purposes, as is true for all results of clinical tests, are expected to be included in patients’ medical records. With this explosion of information, questions of what, when, where and how to incorporate genetic data into electronic health records (EHRs) have reached a critical point. In order to answer these questions fully, this paper addresses the ethical, logistical and technological issues involved in incorporating these data into EHRs. Materials and methods This paper reviews journal articles, government documents and websites relevant to the ethics, genetics and informatics domains as they pertain to EHRs. Results and discussion The authors explore concerns and tasks facing health information technology (HIT) developers at the intersection of ethics, genetics, and technology as applied to EHR development. Conclusions By ensuring the efficient and effective incorporation of genetic data into EHRs, HIT developers will play a key role in facilitating the delivery of personalized medicine.
Initial management of hospital evacuations caused by Hurricane Rita: a systematic investigation.

Introduction Hurricanes remain a major threat to hospitals throughout the world. The authors attempted to identify the planning areas that impact hospital management of evacuations and the challenges faced when sheltering-in-place. METHODS: This observational, retrospective cohort study examined acute care institutions from one hospital system impacted by Hurricane Rita in 2005. Investigators used a standardized survey instrument and interview process, previously used in the hospital evacuation context, to examine hospitals' initial internal situational awareness and subsequent decision making that resulted in evacuation due to Hurricane Rita. Participants from each hospital included representatives from senior leadership and clinical and nonclinical staff that comprised the Incident Management Team (IMT). The main measured outcomes were responses to 95 questions contained in the survey. RESULTS: Seven of ten eligible hospitals participated in the study. All facilities evacuated the sickest patients first. The most significant factors prompting evacuation were the issuing of mandatory evacuation orders, storm dynamics (category, projected path, storm surge), and loss of regional communications. Hospitals that sheltered-in-place experienced staff shortages, interruptions to electrical power, and loss of water supplies. Three fully-evacuated institutions experienced understaffing of 40%-60%, and four hospitals sustained depressed staffing levels for over four weeks. Five hospitals lost electricity for a mean of 4.8 days (range .5-11 days). All facilities continued to receive patients to their Emergency Departments (EDs) while conducting their own evacuation. CONCLUSION: Hospital EDs should plan for continuous patient arrival during evacuation. Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs) that anticipate challenges associated with evacuation will help to maximize initial decision making and management during a crisis situation. Hospitals that shelter-in-place face critical shortages and must provide independent patient care for prolonged periods. Downey EL , Andress K , Schultz CH . Initial management of hospital evacuations caused by Hurricane Rita: a systematic investigation. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(3):1-7 . Language: en
A single-center United States experience with bleeding Dieulafoy lesions of the small bowel: diagnosis and treatment with single-balloon enteroscopy

Introduction: A Dieulafoy lesion (DL) of the small bowel can cause severe gastrointestinal bleeding, and presents a difficult clinical setting for endoscopists. Limited data exists on the therapeutic yield of treating DLs of the small bowel using single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE). Methods: Data were collected from Tampa General Hospital a 1 018-bed teaching hospital affiliated with University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. Patients were selected from a database of patients that underwent SBE from January 2010 – August 2013. Results: Eight patients were found to have DL an incidence of 2.6 % of 309 SBE performed for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. 7/8 were identified in the jejunum, with one found in the duodenum. The mean age of patients with DL was 71.5 years old. 6/8 patients were on some form of anticoagulant/antiplatelet agent. The primary modality of therapy employed was electrocautery, multipolar electrocoagulation in seven patients and APC (argon plasma coagulation) in one patient. In three patients, electrocoagulation was unsuccessful and hemostasis was achieved with clip placement. Three patients required repeat SBE with one found to have rebleeding from a failed clip with hemostasis achieved upon reapplication of one clip. Conclusion: In our United States’ experience, SBE offers a reasonable therapeutic approach to treat DL of the small bowel with low rates of rebleeding, no adverse events, and no patient requiring surgery.
Forest-landscape structure mediates effects of a spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreak on subsequent likelihood of burning in Alaskan boreal forest

Abstract Characterizing how variation in forest landscape structure shapes patterns of natural disturbances and mediates interactions between multiple disturbances is critical for anticipating ecological consequences of climate change in high-latitude forest ecosystems. During the 1990s, a massive spruce bark beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis) outbreak took place in boreal spruce forest on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska allowing us to ask (1) How did the extent and duration of bark beetle outbreak differ between a homogenous landscape dominated by white spruce (Picea glauca), and a landscape in which white spruce and black spruce (Picea mariana) were intermixed? (2) How has the occurrence and duration of bark beetle outbreak influenced the likelihood of subsequent burning in these two landscapes? Forest landscape structure had a substantial effect on disturbance patterns and interactions between disturbances in this study. The spruce bark beetle outbreak was smaller in extent and duration where white spruce, the beetle’s primary host tree, was intermixed with more beetle-resistant black spruce. However, likelihood of subsequent burning increased where outbreak did occur. Surface fuel loads increased substantially in this landscape following the outbreak, potentially increasing the flammability of white spruce where they once served as fire breaks. In contrast, the outbreak was larger and lasted longer in the landscape with homogeneous stands of white spruce, but was not related to likelihood of subsequent burning, which is consistent with the fire history. Our results suggest that bark beetle outbreaks may have different effects on subsequent patterns of burning than in other systems, such as the Rocky Mountains. These results could inform more effective and targeted management strategies to ameliorate fire risk in beetle-killed stands of Alaska and may help us anticipate the dynamics and consequences of future boreal bark beetle outbreaks as climate warms at high latitudes.
Novel Simplification Approach for Large-Scale Structural Models of Coal: Three-Dimensional Molecules to Two-Dimensional Lattices. Part 1: Lattice Creation

The utility of complex structural models of coal could be expanded for enhanced structural visualization, and behavioral studies of liquefaction and pyrolysis chemistry if three-dimensional (3D) models and two-dimensional (2D) lattice manipulation could be linked: lattices can be used to describe thermolysis reactions through practical and inexpensive statistical approaches. A computational tool was created that enables a systematic simplification of complex 3D structural models of coal into corresponding 2D lattice representations via atom typing, pattern recognition, and graph theory. The simplification is performed via a Perl script that modifies the 3D model through manipulation of the text in InsightII molecular files. The tool scans the original model file and generates a 3D skeletal version consisting of nodes that are representative of unreactive coal fragments (assumed here to be aromatic entities). We use a novel coarse-graining-like approach to identify these ring structures, collapsing conjuga...
Frontal plane landing mechanics in high-arched compared with low-arched female athletes.

Objective:To examine ground reaction forces (GRFs); frontal plane hip, knee, and ankle joint angles; and moments in high-arched (HA) and low-arched (LA) athletes during landing.Design:Experimental study.Setting:Controlled research laboratory.Participants:Twenty healthy female recreational athletes (
Colydiidae Associated with Ips in Southern Pines: Relative Abundance and Time of Arrival of Adults at Pines Under Attack by Ips spp.

Six species of Colydiidae were collected on felled southern pine under attack by Ips spp. Lasconotus pusillus LeConte and L. referendarius Zimmermann were most abundant, making up 89% of total collection. Peak arrival of L. pusillus adults was closely synchronized and directly correlated with peak arrival of attacking Ips . Activity of L. referendarius adults tended to lag peak activity of Ips by ca. 2 weeks. Both L. pusillus and L. referendarius occurred in greatest numbers on the crown portion of felled trees.
Dynamic balance as measured by the Y-Balance Test is reduced in individuals with low back pain: A cross-sectional comparative study

Abstract Objectives To determine the effects of current LBP (cLBP) and LBP history (hxLBP) on Y-Balance Test (YBT) reach and establish relationships between YBT performance and demographic, behavioral, and disability measures. Design Cross-sectional comparative study. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Forty-two participants (24 males, 18 females) aged 18–50 years (30.9 ± 8.2 yr) in three groups: cLBP, hxLBP, and healthy controls. Interventions Three YBT trials in anterior (ANT), posterolateral (PL), and posteromedial (PM) directions. Main outcome measures YBT reach (relative to leg length) was measured and compared amongst groups. Pearson correlations were calculated between reach distances and pain, disability, and fear avoidance scores in the cLBP and hxLBP groups and age and activity level in all participants. Results For PL reach, cLBP (94.7 ± 10.6 cm) and hxLBP (94.2 ± 9.2 cm) groups demonstrated shorter distances versus controls (105.8 ± 6.6 cm). For PM reach, cLBP (100.7 ± 8.4 cm) and hxLBP (102.3 ± 7.6 cm) groups' distances were shorter versus controls (109.3 ± 6.7 cm). No significant difference was found for ANT reach (control = 66.4 ± 7.0 cm; cLBP = 66.2 ± 6.2 cm; hxLBP = 66.4 ± 3.1 cm). No significant correlations were identified. Conclusion YBT performance is reduced in individuals with cLBP and hxLBP in the PL and PM directions but not ANT. The YBT is useful for measuring balance deficits in these populations.
The Meteorological Epidemiological Analysis and Discussion of the Notifiable Infectious Diseases

Based on meteorological epidemiological principle and method,the relationships between meteorological factors and the notifiable infectious diseases,and climate change influence on the diseases are analyzed and researched.Scientific methods to study the relationships between meteorological factors and infectious diseases are explored,and meteorological factors are used for forecasting and warning of the infectious diseases.It is of great help to establish early disease forecast warning system and predict the attack of infectious diseases by further revealing the meteorological epidemiology regularity.It could provide scientific basis for adopting corresponding prevention and control measures of infectious diseases.
P-gp Protein Expression and Transport Activity in Rodent Seizure Models and Human Epilepsy

A cure for epilepsy is currently not available, and seizure genesis, seizure recurrence, and resistance to antiseizure drugs remain serious clinical problems. Studies show that the blood–brain barrier is altered in animal models of epilepsy and in epileptic patients. In this regard, seizures increase expression of blood–brain barrier efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which is thought to reduce brain uptake of antiseizure drugs, and thus, contribute to antiseizure drug resistance. The goal of the current study was to assess the viability of combining in vivo and ex vivo preparations of isolated brain capillaries from animal models of seizures and epilepsy as well as from patients with epilepsy to study P-gp at the blood–brain barrier. Exposing isolated rat brain capillaries to glutamate ex vivo upregulated P-gp expression to levels that were similar to those in capillaries isolated from rats that had status epilepticus or chronic epilepsy. Moreover, the fold-increase in P-gp protein expres...
Enhancement of Renal Regeneration by Amino Acid Administration

This chapter reviews some clinical and experimental evidence that supports the use of amino acids in the treatment of acute renal failure.
Nutrient Cycling and Soil Biology in Row Crop Systems under Intensive Tillage

Abstract Recent interest in management of the soil biological component to improve soil health requires a better understanding on how management practices (e.g., tillage) and environmental conditions influence soil organisms. Intensive tillage often results in reduced organic matter content in the surface soil. Together with lack of ground cover, this leads to reduced infiltration and moisture retention. Tillage also accelerates crop residue decomposition by stimulating microbial activities. Therefore, mineralization rates in intensive tillage systems may exceed crop nutrient uptake rates at times. Tillage-induced microbial habitat changes typically depend on soil type, cropping systems, and climatic conditions, as well as time since the last tillage operation. Thus, effects on soil organisms are not always consistent. Nevertheless, physical disturbance of soil by tillage can have profound effects on soil biota, most of which have negative consequences leading to loss of biodiversity and ultimately, loss of ecosystem services.
Effect of Partially Stabilized Organic Amendments on Volatile Acids Production and Pest Inactivation using Soil Biosolarization

Abstract. Soil biosolarization (SBS) is an enhanced soil disinfestation process, achieved by amending soil with organic matter (OM) prior to solarization. One reason for higher efficiency of SBS is the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The objective of this study was to assess the impact of partially stabilized organic wastes on SBS by monitoring the VFAs production kinetics and the inactivation of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.lactucae (FOL) and Brassica nigra. The amendments were organic wastes partially composted (PC) and partially digested (solid digestate â€“SD- and liquid digestate -LD). Soil mesocosms, non-amended and amended, were prepared with a soil already infested with FOL. Weed seeds were placed at 12.5 cm depth. The mesocosms were solarized in an experimental plot or incubated at room temperature (RT, 25ÂoC) for eight days. At 5 cm, FOL levels were below the detection limit (
CONSERVED AND EXAPTED FUNCTIONS OF NUCLEAR RECEPTORS IN ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT

The nuclear receptor gene family includes 18 members that are broadly conserved among multiple disparate animal phyla, indicating that they trace their evolutionary origins to the time at which animal life arose. Typical nuclear receptors contain two major domains: a DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal domain that may bind a lipophilic hormone. Many of these nuclear receptors play varied roles in animal development, including coordination of life cycle events and cellular differentiation. The well-studied genetic model systems of Drosophila, C. elegans, and mouse permit an evaluation of the extent to which nuclear receptor function in development is conserved or exapted (repurposed) over animal evolution. While there are some specific examples of conserved functions and pathways, there are many clear examples of exaptation. Overall, the evolutionary theme of exaptation appears to be favored over strict functional conservation. Despite strong conservation of DNA-binding domain sequences and activity, the nuclear receptors prove to be highly-flexible regulators of animal development.
When Do Things Die

Many different projects have been pursued under the heading ‘the definition of death’. Those who pursue these projects differ in what they are trying to define and in what sense they are trying to define it. Some take their target to be a notion of death that applies only to human beings or only to persons. Some try to ‘define’ their target merely in the epistemic sense of specifying a reliable and easily detectable mark or indicator of it. This chapter pursues a more general and metaphysical project. My central target will be dying, the concept (or property or relation) expressed by the verb ‘die’ as it occurs in sentences in the perfective aspect, such as ‘Mary died at midnight’. I assume that this is a general biological concept that applies univocally across a wide range of entities, including human beings, cats, trees, bacteria, and individual cells (e.g., human skin cells) that are not organisms. These things all die, in the same sense of ‘die’. My main concern in the chapter is not to define the word ‘die’ or to analyze the concept it expresses. Rather, it’s the project of giving informative, metaphysically necessary and sufficient conditions for a thing to die at a time. In particular, it’s the attempt to formulate a true and informative instance of the following schema:
Breakout Session: Case Studies from the Field: Making Fair Use Determinations in an Educational Setting.

This interactive session enabled the audience to provide some fair use scenarios and to discuss selected scenarios in small groups and then in the larger group—with the goal of making a collective decision about whether or not the scenarios were fair use.
Primary linitis plastica of the colon: report of a case and review of the literature.

Primary linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon is rare. A late, and often inaccurate, diagnosis because of its submucosal manner of growth is responsible for poor prognosis.
Women’s Perceptions of Agency and Power

This chapter engages theories of power and agency, and compares these theories with the local knowledge of power and agency of everyday people. This chapter insists on the notion that power is a polysemic concept. Narrative genres of the informants and other data collected during the fieldwork show how the informants’ perceptions are mediated through religious thought, and how some of them use religious knowledge in negotiating their power and agency. The data reveal that men’s power and agency are taken for granted by all whereas women’s agency and power are to be earned and proved; women do not inherit agency or power but rather they “do” agency and power. Their power and agency are also contested and negotiated. Thus, this chapter argues that agency and power are gendered conceptions, and so are time and space.
Scales of data.

An audit of recent research on the scales of data collection in ecology highlights the field’s data limitations, which may hinder progress in linking processes across scales.
Transition Readiness in Adolescents with Severe Obesity Presenting for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery

Background: Adolescents with severe obesity are increasingly being considered for metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). Adolescents with chronic health conditions, such as excess weight, have uniq...
A model of inorganic carbon limitation in natural waters

A mathematical model based on the chain rule for partial derivatives was developed in order to predict the situations in which inorganic carbon limits algal productivity. Given data on gross primary productivity, algal-bacterial respiration rates, CO2 gas transfer rates, temperature, alkalinity, initial pH, and the depth of the epilimnion, the model calculates the theoretical magnitude of dpH/dt in the water body during the photosynthetic period.
The Complement System

Throughout the ages man has been fascinated and at times obsessed by the marvelous, mysterious and even baffling qualities of the blood. In 1889, Hans Buchner described a heat-labile bactericidal principle in the blood which was later identified as the complement system. In 1894, Jules Bordet working at the Pasteur Institute in Metchnikoff’s laboratory discovered that the lytic or bactericidal action of freshly drawn blood, which had been destroyed by heating, was promptly restored by the addition of fresh, normal, unheated serum. Paul Ehrlich called Bordet’s “alexine” das Komplement. In 1901, Bordet and Gengou developed the complement fixation test to measure antigen-antibody reactions. Ferrata in 1907 recognized complement to be a multiple component system, a complex of protein substances of mixed globulin composition present in normal sera of many animal species.
The Creative Source: Rodin

The complex process by which the artist transforms the act of seeing into a vision of the world is one of the mysteries of creativity, and one of the reasons why art is inseparable from philosophy and literature. Merleau-Ponty describes the common sources of creative artists and writers as being the expression of both sensibility and the spirit of man recreated in colors, notes or words: By using words as the painter uses color, the musician notes, we are trying to constitute out of a spectacle or an emotion, or even an abstract idea, a kind of equivalent or specie soluble in the mind. Here the expression becomes the principal thing. We mould and animate the reader, we cause him to participate in our creative and poetic action, putting into the hidden mouth of his mind the message of a certain object or certain feeling.2
ASSESSMENT TOOLS IN BRIEF Assessment of Personal Goals: An Online Tool for Personal Counseling, Coaching, and Business Consulting

The Assessment of Personal Goals (APG; M. E. Ford &C.W. Nichols, 1987, 1991) is reviewedalong with case examples that demonstrate how the APG can be used in personal counseling,career coaching, and business consulting. The APG is an online tool for helping people identifythe sources of their discontent and possible pathways for satisfying core personal goals.
Characteristics Associated With Physical Function Trajectories in Older Adults With Cancer During Chemotherapy.

Abstract Context Studies on physical function trajectories in older adults during chemotherapy remain limited. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine demographic, clinical, and symptom characteristics associated with initial levels as well as trajectories of physical function over two cycles of chemotherapy in adults aged ≥65 years with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer. Methods Older adults with cancer (n = 363) who had received chemotherapy within the preceding four weeks were assessed six times over two cycles of chemotherapy using the Short Form-12 Physical Component Summary (PCS) score. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate for interindividual variability in initial levels and trajectories of PCS scores. Results Mean age was 71.4 years (SD 5.5). Mean PCS score at enrollment was 40.5 (SD .45). On average, PCS scores decreased slightly (i.e., 0.21 points) at each subsequent assessment. Lower PCS scores at enrollment were associated with older age, greater comorbidity, being unemployed, lack of regular exercise, higher morning fatigue, lower evening energy, occurrence of pain, lower trait anxiety, and lower attentional function. Only higher morning fatigue and lower enrollment PCS scores were associated with decrements in physical function over time. Conclusion While several symptoms were associated with decrements in PCS scores at enrollment in older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy, morning fatigue was the only symptom associated with decreases in physical function over time. Regular assessments of symptoms and implementation of evidence-based interventions should be considered to maintain physical function in older adults during chemotherapy.
Metabolic and Transcriptional Modules Independently Diversify Plasma Cell Lifespan and Function.

Summary Plasma cell survival and the consequent duration of immunity vary widely with infection or vaccination. Using fluorescent glucose analog uptake, we defined multiple developmentally independent mouse plasma cell populations with varying lifespans. Long-lived plasma cells imported more fluorescent glucose analog, expressed higher surface levels of the amino acid transporter CD98, and had more autophagosome mass than did short-lived cells. Low amino acid concentrations triggered reductions in both antibody secretion and mitochondrial respiration, especially by short-lived plasma cells. To explain these observations, we found that glutamine was used for both mitochondrial respiration and anaplerotic reactions, yielding glutamate and aspartate for antibody synthesis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses, which link metabolism to transcriptional outcomes, were similar between long- and short-lived subsets. Accordingly, population and single-cell transcriptional comparisons across mouse and human plasma cell subsets revealed few consistent and conserved differences. Thus, plasma cell antibody secretion and lifespan are primarily defined by non-transcriptional metabolic traits.
Dancing sternal wires: A radiologic sign of sternal dehiscence

A 52-year-old man underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, which was complicated by cardiac tamponade requiring repeat sternotomy with mediastinal washout ([Figure 1][1]). On postoperative day 4, plain imaging revealed a midline sternal lucency and a slight leftward deviation of the second-from-
A new type of egg produced by foundress queens of Atta texana (Attini, Formicidae)

In the fungus-growing ant genus Atta, foundress queens nourish their brood and incipient fungus gardens with nutrients derived from trophic eggs. We discovered a third kind of egg laid by Atta foundresses in addition to reproductive and trophic eggs. We use fluorescent microscopy to show that this third type of eggs represents reproductive eggs that are unviable and fail to develop. Unviable reproductive eggs are somewhat larger (≈ 490 µm × 317 µm) than regular reproductive eggs (≈ 425 µm × 240 µm), but smaller than trophic eggs (≈ 640 µm × 530 µm). Trophic eggs liquify by some endogenous process within 24 h after oviposition to release nutrient contents. Unviable reproductive eggs do not liquify, but unviable reproductive eggs can be digested by the fungus, whereas reproductive eggs are not digested by the fungus to complete their development. We also report the first observation for A. texana of nanitic males (presumably diploid males) that were killed by the foundress queen shortly after the males’ eclosion.
Least-Squares Optimal Mismatched Doppler Processing

Doppler processing is a well-known tool for the discrimination of scatterers based on their rates of radial motion. It is part of nearly every kind of radar mode via the coherent combination of echoes from a set of pulses. While windowing is likewise a well-known approach to reduce Doppler sidelobes (which also incurs degraded resolution and SNR loss), here we leverage recent work on least-squares (LS) optimal mismatched filtering that employs over-sampling for high-fidelity along with the means to compensate for the attendant super-resolution degradation that would otherwise arise. The result is a mismatched Doppler processing (MMDP) transformation that reduces sidelobes with less SNR loss and resolution degradation than windowing, as demonstrated using simulation and free-space measurements.
Online partisan news and China’s country image: an experiment based on partisan motivated reasoning

This research used a 2 × 2 pretest-posttest experimental design to measure China’s image after participants’ exposure to news stimuli on a partisan news website. Two manipulated factors were media ...
Braille Reading: Effects of Different Hand and Finger Usage:

Reviews the literature on hand and finger usage in reading braille. Describes an experiment using 25 blind students to test whether they read faster and/or more accurately with: the left index fing...
A Study of Electromechanical Behaviors of Printed Conductive Leads on Stretchable Textiles for Smart Clothing

Smart clothing with electronic functionality is gaining greater recognition as the next-generation electronics. The integration of electronics into textiles, aided by developments of materials and fabrication technologies, has paved the way to the realization of smart clothing that exhibits diverse electronics functionalities. Lamination of printed electronics into textiles, printing conductive inks on polymeric interface layers, and embedding of electronic components via molding techniques have been studied, but less attention has been paid to the viability of direct printing on textiles. In the present study, a meandering structure was directly printed on a knitted fabric with general-purpose and stretchable Silver (Ag) conductive inks. The electromechanical behavior of printed conductive leads was investigated by in-situ monitoring of DC electrical resistance during stretch-to-failure and fatigue cycling tests under uniaxial tensile loading. The influence of the printed leads on the inherent mechanical properties of the fabric was analyzed with respect to Young's modulus and deformation of the substrate under tensile strain.