cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
After KKV: The New Methodology of Qualitative Research

This article discusses developments in the field of qualitative methodology since the publication of King, Keohane, and Verba's (KKV 's) Designing Social Inquiry . Three areas of the new methodology are examined: (1) process tracing and causal-process observations; (2) methods using set theory and logic; and (3) strategies for combining qualitative and quantitative research. In each of these areas, the article argues, the new literature encompasses KKV 's helpful insights while avoiding their most obvious missteps. Discussion focuses especially on contrasts between the kind of observations that are used in qualitative versus quantitative research, differences between regression-oriented approaches and those based on set theory and logic, and new approaches for bringing out complementarities between qualitative and quantitative research. The article concludes by discussing research frontiers in the field of qualitative methodology.
Synthesis and Characterization of Carboxylic Acid-Terminated Polyisobutylenes

tert-Chloride-terminated polyisobutylenes (PIB) (1020 ≤ Mn ≤ 6700 g/mol) were dehydrochlorinated nonregiospecifically using basic alumina, or regiospecifically either via potassium tert-butoxide or in situ quenching of quasiliving PIB. Olefin-terminated PIBs were quantitatively ozonized at −78 °C using hexane/methylene chloride/methanol, 62/31/7 (v/v/v) cosolvents, and an ozone generator, employing pure oxygen as source gas. The primary ozonides were reduced using trimethyl phosphite to yield pure PIB methyl ketone from exo-olefin PIB, and a mixture of PIB methyl ketone and PIB aldehyde from mixed olefin-PIB. PIB methyl ketone was oxidized to carboxylate via the haloform reaction; titration revealed near-quantitative functionalization, but the reaction was slow. Tetrahalomethane oxidation was identified as a preferred alternative method, and was conducted using either CCl4 as the reaction solvent, THF as the solvent with CCl4 in reagent amounts, or hexane as the solvent with a phase-transfer catalyst and CCl4 in reagent amounts. The system using hexane, with tetra-n-butyl ammonium chloride as phase-transfer catalyst, showed complete conversion in ∼ 4 h. PIB carboxylic acid was recovered by acidification and isolation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3229–3240, 2008
Infection and transformation of mouse peritoneal macrophages by simian virus 40.

The stimulation of DNA synthesis in mouse (C57BL) macrophages explanted in vitro was demonstrated after treatment with conditioned medium or infection with SV40. In the latter case, induction of SV40 T antigen was detected before TdR-3H incorporation. Even though all macrophages were infected (T antigen-positive), they exhibited considerable pleomorphism, accompanied by functional differences. Permanent lines of SV40-transformed macrophages were eventually established, and one clone was isolated which replicates indefinitely and has many properties of primary macrophages: high acid phosphatase and phagocytic activity, lysozyme production, and specific antigenic determinants. These cells differ from normal macrophages in that they contain the SV40 genome, can be trypsinized, and do not require conditioned medium for continued replication.
The Association of Health Insurance and Continuous Primary Care in the Medical Home on Vaccination Coverage for 19- to 35-Month-Old Children

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to examine the association of continuous care in the medical home and health insurance on up-to-date vaccination coverage by using data from the National Survey of Children9s Health and the National Immunization Survey. METHODS. Interviews were conducted with 5400 parents of 19- to 35-month-old children to collect data on demographics and medically-verified vaccinations. Health insurance coverage was categorized as always, intermittently, or uninsured for the previous 12 months. Insurance types were private, public, or uninsured. Having a personal doctor or nurse and receiving preventive health care in either the past 12 or 24 months constituted continuous primary care in the medical home. Children were up-to-date if they received all vaccinations by 19 to 35 months of age (≥4 doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine, ≥3 doses of poliovirus vaccine, ≥1 dose of any measles-containing vaccine, ≥3 doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, and ≥3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine). RESULTS. Bivariate analyses revealed children who were always insured had significantly higher vaccination coverage (83%) than those with lapses or uninsured during the past 12 months (75% and 71%, respectively). Those with continuous primary care in the medical home had significantly higher coverage than those who did not (83% vs 75%, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the same pattern of association was observed for insurance status and medical home, but the only statistically significant association was for children of never-married mothers who had significantly lower coverage (74%) compared with children of married mothers (84%). CONCLUSIONS. Among children with the same insurance status and continuity of care in the medical home, children of single mothers were less likely to be up-to-date than children of married mothers. Interventions assisting single mothers to obtain preventive care for their children should be a priority.
Cognitive functioning, retirement status, and age: results from the Cognitive Changes and Retirement among Senior Surgeons study.

Background Accurate assessment of cognitive functioning is an important step in understanding how to better evaluate both clinical and cognitive competence in practicing surgeons. As part of the Cognitive Changes and Retirement among Senior Surgeons study, we examined the objective cognitive functioning of senior surgeons in relation to retirement status and age. Study Design Computerized cognitive tasks measuring visual sustained attention, reaction time, and visual learning and memory were administered to both practicing and retired surgeons at annual meetings of the American College of Surgeons. Data from 168 senior surgeons aged 60 and older were compared with data from 126 younger surgeons aged 45 to 59, with performance below 1.5 standard deviations or more indicating a significant difference between the groups. Results Sixty-one percent of practicing senior surgeons performed within the range of the younger surgeons on all cognitive tasks. Seventy-eight percent of practicing senior surgeons aged 60 to 64 performed within the range of the younger surgeons on all tasks compared with 38% of practicing senior surgeons aged 70 and older. Forty-five percent of retired senior surgeons performed within the range of the younger surgeons on all tasks. No senior surgeon performed below the younger surgeons on all 3 tasks. Conclusions The majority of practicing senior surgeons performed at or near the level of their younger peers on all cognitive tasks, as did almost half of the retired senior surgeons. This suggests that older age does not inevitably preclude cognitive proficiency. The variability in cognitive performance across age groups and retirement status suggests the need for formal measures of objective cognitive functioning to help surgeons detect changes in cognitive performance and aid in their decisions to retire.
HLA-A, -B, -C, -Bw4, Bw6 and -DR antigens are expressed on purified seminal cells other than spermatozoa.

HLA-A, HLA-B. HLA-C, HLA-Bw4. Bw6 and HLA-DR antigens have been detected on purified seminal cells, other than spermatozoa (SCnonSz) using specific absorptions. These results contrast with those obtained on spermatozoa, which only express significant amounts of HLA-A and HLA-B antigens. and which may be relevant to explain immunosuppressive alloimmunization in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Conservation Implications of Individual Scale Spatial Pattern in the Threatened Dune Thistle, Cirsium pitcheri

Abstract For plants and other sessile organisms, the dispersion of individuals in a population can influence the strength of ecological interactions, and can have important implications for the conservation of these species. We investigated the spatial pattern in a population of the monocarpic perennial Cirsium pitcheri (Pitcher's thistle), a dune species endemic to the western Great Lakes, U.S.A., by mapping individuals with a GPS. Using a refined nearest neighbor analysis of the mapped point data combined with Monte Carlo randomization tests, we found that individual plants were clustered on the scale of about a meter, which was smaller than expected if aggregations were caused by major habitat features such as dune height or aspect. The size of clusters was consistent with reports of relatively short-distance dispersal of seeds. We found no evidence of self-thinning via nonrandom mortality, and regression analyses indicated no density dependent effects on reproductive effort at a range of ecologically ...
Age of Crime/Substance Onset and Crime/Drug Versatility as Dimensions of the “Worst of Both Worlds” Effect

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether age of crime and substance use onset and prior crime and substance versatility (variety of crimes committed or drugs used) could help define the “worst of both worlds” effect. Analyses were conducted on 2,539 children and young adults from a nationally representative sample of private households in England and Wales. As predicted, the early onset crime/substance group achieved the worst future crime and substance outcomes, the late onset crime/substance group achieved the second worst outcomes, the crime or substance alone group achieved the third worst outcomes, and the no crime and substance group achieved the best outcomes. Likewise, the high crime/drug versatility group achieved the worst outcomes, the low crime/drug versatility group achieved the second worst outcomes, the crime or drug alone group achieved the third worst outcomes, and the no crime and drug group achieved the best outcomes.
The liquid-liquid extraction of nickel(ii) and cobalt(ii) with chlorendic acid

The solvent extraction of Ni(II) and Co(II) from perchlorate media by chlorendic acid into MIBK has been studied as a function of pH and ligand concentration. In the pH range 3–6, both metals have a maximum extraction efficiency of only 30%. Beyond pH 4.5, the plot of logD vs. pH shows a negative slope. This decline in extraction efficiency occurs in the same pH region in which there is a transition of the predominating complexing species from HL−1 to L−2. Considering this observation, the presence of L−2 does not lead to the formation of any considerable amount of extractable species. Most likely, these substances are remaining in the aqueous phase as anionic complexes.
Studies in marine biology. II. In vitro culture of Zooxanthellae.

Summary1. Single-cell algae (the so-called symbiotic zooxanthellae) living inter-stitially in a marine jellyfish and a sea anemone were isolated from the host tissue and cultured in vitro. 2. In culture the zooxanthellae gave rise to motile forms whose morphology clearly marked them as dinoflagel-lates. 3. Isolation procedures and some nutrient requirements for the in vitro culture of such zooxanthellae are described, as well as methods used for serial passage.
Optical impedance spectroscopy based on electro-active single mode integrated optical waveguides for redox reaction studies in proteins

Electro-active single mode integrated optical waveguide was designed and fabricated for sub-monolayer cytochrome-c electron transfer rate constant investigations under AC potential modulation with purely optical impedance data.
Acoustic Upgrades to Wind Tunnels at the National Research Council Canada

Airframe noise is growing a concern for aircraft manufacturers, operators and communities. The ability to determine the location and strength of noise sources on an aircraft or its components allows noise reduction strategies to be developed which can have signicant impact on the overall noise signature of the aircraft. Phased-microphone array measurement technologies have become an eective tool in noise source localization for aerospace congurations. With the growing national need to address airframe noise issues, the National Research Council Canada upgraded two of its wind tunnels to provide a better acoustic environment to make phased-array measurements. The rst facility to be upgraded in 2009 was the 0.9m 3/4-open jet low speed research tunnel in which the original metal turning vanes on the corners bounding the test section were replaced with vanes lined with acoustic foam. This reduced the background noise in the test section by 5 - 10dB depending upon the frequency with little reduction in maximum tunnel speed. The second facility to receive an acoustic treatment was the 2m x 3m closed circuit tunnel in 2011. For this facility, an acoustic liner was developed for the test section which allowed the microphones to be recessed out of the ow and decreased the reverberant nature of the hard-walled tunnel. All walls of the tunnel were covered with acoustic foam-lled boxes
Building a Thriving Nation 21st-Century Vision and Practice to Advance Health and Equity

It is a great time for prevention. As the United States explores what health in our country should look like, it is an extraordinary time to highlight the role of prevention in improving health, saving lives, and saving money. The Affordable Care Act's investment in prevention has spurred innovation by communities and states to keep people healthy and safein the first place This includes growing awareness that community conditions are critical in determining health and that there is now a strong track record of prevention success. Community prevention strategies create lasting changes by addressing specific policies and practices in the environments and institutions that shape our lives and our health-from schools and workplaces to neighborhoods and government. Action at the community level also fosters health equity-the opportunity for every person to achieve optimal health regardless of identity, neighborhood, ability, or social status-and is often the impetus for national-level decisions that vitally shape the well-being of individuals and populations.
Competencies in Training at the Graduate Student Level: Example of a Pediatric Psychology Seminar Course

The recently developed competencies in pediatric psychology from the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) Task Force on Competencies and Best Training Practices in Pediatric Psychology provide a benchmark to evaluate training program practices and student progress toward training in level-specific competency goals. Graduate-level training presents a unique challenge for addressing the breadth of competencies required in pediatric psychology while maintaining development of broader clinical psychology training goals. We describe a recurring graduate-level pediatric psychology seminar course that addresses training in a number of the competency cluster areas. The structure of the seminar, examples of classroom topics that correspond with competency cluster areas as well as benchmarks used to evaluate each student's development in the competency area are provided. Specific challenges in developing and maintaining the seminar in this format are identified, and possible solutions are offered. This training format could serve as a model for established pediatric psychology programs to expand their didactic training goals or for programs without formal pediatric psychology training to address competencies outside of clinical placements.
Age dependence of cerebrovascular response mechanisms in domestic pigs

Hypercapnia-induced cerebral vasodilation in the newborn pig is a prostanoid-associated response. In some adult models, hypercapnic cerebral vasodilation is associated with the generation of nitric...
Reducing Spurious and Uninformed Response by Means of Respondent Warnings: An Experimental Study

Spurious response error and uninformed response error are two similar forms of respondent-centered error that are detected in questionnaires when respondents provide positive responses to bogus items or give opinions about fictitious questions. Few means seem to be available for controlling or reducing the incidence of this type of self-report error. The present study reports an experiment using two types of warnings, a vague or weak warning and a strong or specific warning, to try to reduce both spurious and uninformed response in a sample of 116 students who provided multiple measures of the dependent variables over a period of eight weeks. The data showed that both types of warning did reduce the response errors when compared with a control group that received no warnings.
Ketogenic diet treatment for pediatric super-refractory status epilepticus

Abstract Purpose We aimed to study whether ketogenic diet (KD) therapy leads to resolution of super-refractory status epilepticus in pediatric patients without significant harm. Method A retrospective review was performed at Phoenix Children's Hospital on patients with super-refractory status epilepticus undergoing ketogenic diet therapy from 2011 to 2015. Results Ten children with super-refractory status epilepticus, ages 2–16 years, were identified. 4/10 patients had immune mediated encephalitis, including Rasmussen encephalitis, anti- N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis, and post-infectious mycoplasma encephalitis. Other etiologies included Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, non-ketotic hyperglycinemia, PCDH19 and GABRG2 genetic epilepsy, New Onset Refractory Status Epilepticus, and Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome. 4/10 patients' EEG features suggested focal with status epilepticus, and 6/10 suggested generalized with status epilepticus. Median hospital length was 61days and median ICU length was 27days. The median number of antiepileptic medications prior to diet initiation was 3.0 drugs, and the median after ketogenic diet treatment was 3.5 drugs. Median duration of status epilepticus prior to KD was 18days. 9/10 patients had resolution of super-refractory status epilepticus in a median of 7days after diet initiation. 8/9 patients were weaned off anesthesia within 15days of diet initiation, and within 1day of achieving ketonuria. 1/10 patients experienced side effects on the diet requiring supplementation. Conclusion Most patients achieved resolution of status epilepticus on KD therapy, suggesting it could be an effective therapy that can be utilized early in the treatment of children with super refractory status epilepticus.
Reconstruction of a Dual-Head Small-Animal PET System: An SVD Study

We have proposed the use of two large-area detector panels with a small detector spacing for achieving high sensitivity for small-animal PET imaging. The stationary geometry results in missing views and data truncations, creating challenges in image reconstruction. The proposed system geometry also provides great flexibility in the imaging configuration, such as permitting changes in the detector spacing and field-of-view (FOV) definition, and therefore creates more variables to consider in reconstruction. In this work, we employ the singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis to obtain theoretical analysis on how changes in the FOV definition of the dual-head small-animal imager affects imaging. We study three FOV definitions and identify the characteristic reconstruction patterns for them as revealed by SVD. Our results suggest that change in the FOV definition can considerably affect the sensitivity to noise and the characteristic patterns of the resulting image artifacts.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin: A Target for (Lung) Diseases and Aging

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway has been studied in the context of an impressive number of biological processes and disease states, including major diseases of the lung such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as the rare condition lymphangioleiomyomatosis. The involvement of mTOR in so many disease states (in and out of the lung) raises the question how one signaling pathway can have overlapping but diverse roles seemingly everywhere. Findings in the last decade have placed the mTOR pathway in a new context as an important, conserved mediator of the aging process. This offers one explanation for the pleiotropic effects of mTOR: -that many chronic diseases are also diseases of aging and that pathways modulating aging will have widespread effects on associated disease. However, this may not be the entire story, because mTOR is also implicated in a large number of diseases not linked to aging. In this article, we discuss the current state of knowledge regarding mTOR, especially in the context of lung pathologies, and offer a potential explanation for its widespread involvement in human disease.
Oxidative stress-call for papers.

It is widely recognized that oxygen-derived free radicals have a central role in both normal physiological function and the pathophysiology of disease [1,2]. Under normal physiological conditions, reactive oxygen species are formed via the metabolism of oxygen molecules leading to the production of reactive oxygen species that have important mechanistic roles in signalling across a wide array of cell types and tissues. Numerous cellular enzymes are key to the production of reactive oxygen species including the NADPH oxidase enzyme (NOX) that was first described in neutrophils and recognized for its role in free radical-mediated defence against pathogens [13]. The control of reactive oxygen species production is achieved through a balance of enzymes that produce the free radicals and those that scavenge and metabolize them. As is the case for all physiological systems, failure of this homoeostatic balance leads to impaired tissue dysfunction and disease by driving the overproduction of reactive oxygen species or oxidative stress. Indeed, oxidative stress has been described as a key mechanistic factor in numerous conditions including aging, cancer, immunological, cardiovascular, renal, metabolic and neurological diseases. Clinical Science occupies …
Silencing Reversed: Coordinated Expression of Embryonic and Fetal Globin Genes in Adult Human Erythroblasts.

It was recently demonstrated that erythropoietin combined with stem cell factor and transforming growth factor beta (EST; EPO+SCF+TGF-B) signals a pancellular reversal of gamma-globin gene silencing among ex vivo cultures of CD34+ cells when compared to cultures supplemented with erythropoietin (EPO) alone (Bhanu et al., Blood.2005; 105(1):387–93). This primary human erythroblast culture model is now being utilized to study the molecular basis of globin gene regulation. In this study, we sought to determine whether EST-signaled effects are restricted to the gamma-globin gene(s). For this purpose, quantitative PCR (QPCR) assays were developed for the alpha-globin (zeta, mu, alpha, and theta) and beta-globin (epsilon, gamma, delta, and beta) gene clusters. EPO versus EST matched cultures from a total of 15 donors (3 single donors and two pools, 6 donors each) were investigated using culture day 7 proerythroblasts and day 14 hemoglobinized precursors. The QPCR products were quantified by comparison with plasmid-generated standard curves (20,000,000 to 200 copies). The patterns of mu-, alpha- and theta-globin gene expression were unchanged under all culture conditions. The delta- and beta-globin transcripts showed a significant reduction in levels in response to EST. In contrast, zeta-, epsilon- and gamma-globins all demonstrated significant increases in response to EST. The increases were consistently detected in the individual and pooled samples. The most dramatic increase in the zeta-, epsilon- and gamma-globins occurred at the proerythroblast stage of differentiation. On day 7, zeta-globin levels showed 190-fold increase (EPO: 6.9E+01±5.5E+01;EST: 1.3E+04±7.7E+03; p=0.01), epsilon-globin levels, a 27-fold increase (EPO: 1.0E+03±5.8E+02; EST: 2.7E+04±1.1E+04; p=0.001), and gamma-globin levels, a 13-fold increase (EPO: 9.1E+05±4.1E+05; EST: 1.2E+07±1.8E+06; p=0.001). Consistent with the 3–4 log difference between the levels of zeta- and epsilon-, versus gamma-globin copy numbers and the low sensitivity of HPLC compared with QPCR, no embryonic proteins were detected by reverse-phase HPLC (day 14 samples studied; 9 donors). However, G-gamma and A-gamma globin peaks confirmed EST-signaled activation of both gamma-globins genes (G-gamma/A-gamma= 1.0 in EPO versus 1.9 in EST; (total gamma)/(total gamma + beta-globin) = 3.7±2.4% in EPO versus 42.4 ±5.8% in EST; p=1.6E-08). These novel data suggest that cytokines can reverse the coordinated developmental silencing of human embryonic and fetal genes in both globin loci.
Solution Difficulty and Perseveration as Functions of Anagram Type

The finding that word (W) anagrams are more difficult to solve than nonsense (NS) anagrams was replicated. This phenomenon was attributed to a tendency to respond to NS stimuli in terms of their individual letters but to W stimuli as integrated units. The latter behavior was thought to inhibit anagram solution which requires manipulation of single letters. The hypothesis was confirmed, using a new technique which permits a relatively direct measure of ongoing verbal processes during attempted anagram solution.
LMS IPRO: enabling accurate registration metrology on SiN-based phase-shift masks

SiN-based absorber materials are considered to be the new work horse for cutting-edge patterning using 193-nm immersion lithography. The high robustness against cleaning procedures and the low susceptibility for haze makes SiN an ideal material for phase-shift masks. Reliable metrology with high precision, on target as well as on feature, is enabled by the LMS IPROTM metrology tool. This is achieved by taking into account the optical properties of the novel materials and utilisation of the high-accuracy die-to-database algorithm. Simulation as well as actual measurement results are presented. Cost effectiveness of the LMS IPRO is demonstrated by comparison of high-performance mode results versus high-throughput results, confirming suitable metrology performance for high-volume manufacturing.
Obesity and Overweight in American Indian and Alaska Native Children, 2006-2015.

Objectives. To estimate obesity and overweight prevalence in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children across genders, ages, and geographic regions in the Indian Health Service active clinical population.Methods. We obtained data from the Indian Health Service National Data Warehouse. At least 184 000 AI/AN children aged 2 to 19 years had body mass index data for each year studied, 2006 to 2015. We calculated body mass index percentiles with the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.Results. In 2015, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in AI/AN children aged 2 to 19 years was 18.5% and 29.7%, respectively. Boys had higher obesity prevalence than girls (31.5% vs 27.9%). Children aged 12 to 19 years had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than younger children. The AI/AN children in our study had a higher prevalence of obesity than US children overall in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results for 2006 through 2014 were similar.Conclusion...
The future of power generation in Brazil: An analysis of alternatives to Amazonian hydropower development

Abstract The Brazilian government has plans to build 26 large hydropower plants in the Amazon basin between 2013 and 2028. These plants will have a total installed capacity of 44 GW, 9000 km 2 of reservoir area, and a total cost of US$ 30–70 billion. In this paper we aim to evaluate alternative generation pathways to avoid the adverse social and environmental impacts associated with reservoirs in the Amazon. Specifically we model the Brazilian electricity network under five capacity expansion scenarios. We assumed the government expansion plans as the baseline and created alternative scenarios where wind and natural gas power plants replace large Amazonian hydropower plants. We compared the scenarios using several performance indicators: greenhouse gas emissions, land use, capital and operational costs, wind curtailments, and energy storage in the hydropower reservoirs. The simulations suggest that a more aggressive policy towards wind generation than the baseline has the potential to replace Amazon hydropower providing advantages to the system operation (e.g., higher storage in hydropower reservoirs). However, when installed wind capacity reaches 24% to 28% of the total installed capacity, more thermal generation is required to balance the hydro-wind variability, increasing the operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions compared to the baseline.
Radiologic evaluation of patients undergoing the modified Appleby procedure for locally advanced pancreatic neoplasms: a case series

Despite advances in medical and surgical care, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remains one of the most locally aggressive neoplastic processes in the abdomen. Unfortunately, most pancreatic adenocarcinomas present late and are unresectable at time of diagnosis. The modified Appleby procedure is a surgical option in patients with locally advanced pancreatic neoplasms of the body and tail with vascular invasion of the celiac trunk. To our knowledge, no radiologic journal has previously reported on the pre-operative evaluation or postoperative imaging findings of such patients. We report herein three patients who underwent the modified Appleby procedure, each with a unique complication, in an attempt to illustrate common pitfalls of interpretation in these advanced cases. Our case series emphasizes the importance of pre-operative radiologic assessment of variant arterial anatomy, knowledge of pre- and intraoperative procedures and appearances, and familiarity with potential postoperative complications. Thorough understanding of the important aspects of the pre-surgical anatomy, as well as possible post-surgical complications, is the key to the radiologist being a useful participant in the clinical care of these patients.
The Skinny: Pancreatic ILC2s Promote Insulin Secretion.

Regulation of pancreatic insulin production is pivotal in the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes. In this issue of Immunity, Dalmas et al. (2017) describe a type 2 immune circuit where pancreatic interleukin-33 (IL-33) promotes insulin secretion via the activity of islet-associated group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s).
Evaluating Patient Education Resources of Popular Clinical Databases

ABSTRACTMany library-subscribed clinical databases contain educational materials for physicians and librarians to share with patients. These materials are typically written in layperson language meant to be understood by the average, nonclinician person. However, the materials found in these online databases vary widely, and some are better than others. This article uses the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) to evaluate the patient education content of several popular clinical databases, including Access Medicine, Clinical Key, DynaMed Plus, Epocrates, and UpToDate. These databases are also evaluated on other, more basic criteria, including findability, content, printing to PDF, customizability, and available languages.
Estimating concave substitution possibilities with non-stationary data using the dynamic linear logit demand model

Abstract Measuring substitution possibilities is crucial for estimating the costs and benefits of climate, trade, banking, and many other policy issues. This paper addresses two problems encountered when modeling substitution: spurious correlations arising from data with trends and violations of the law of demand. This paper shows how the dynamic linear logit model addresses these two problems. First, the model allows adjustment in quantities and, thereby, avoids spurious correlations arising from data with significant trends. Secondly, the linear nature of the substitution elasticities facilitates parameter restrictions to ensure that substitution estimates are consistent with the law of demand and the mathematical conditions consistent with cost minimizing behavior by producers. These features are illustrated by estimating the dynamic linear logit model for energy demand in the U.S. industrial sector. The empirical results demonstrate that the dynamic linear logit model is well suited for data with common trends and for ensuring robust and intuitively appealing estimates of demand elasticities and associated substitution possibilities.
TRPV1 and the MCP-1/CCR2 Axis Modulate Post-UTI Chronic Pain

The etiology of chronic pelvic pain syndromes remains unknown. In a murine urinary tract infection (UTI) model, lipopolysaccharide of uropathogenic E. coli and its receptor TLR4 are required for post-UTI chronic pain development. However, downstream mechanisms of post-UTI chronic pelvic pain remain unclear. Because the TRPV1 and MCP-1/CCR2 pathways are implicated in chronic neuropathic pain, we explored their role in post-UTI chronic pain. Mice were infected with the E. coli strain SΦ874, known to produce chronic allodynia, and treated with the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine. Mice treated with capsazepine at the time of SΦ874 infection failed to develop chronic allodynia, whereas capsazepine treatment of mice at two weeks following SΦ874 infection did not reduce chronic allodynia. TRPV1-deficient mice did not develop chronic allodynia either. Similar results were found using novelty-suppressed feeding (NSF) to assess depressive behavior associated with neuropathic pain. Imaging of reporter mice also revealed induction of MCP-1 and CCR2 expression in sacral dorsal root ganglia following SΦ874 infection. Treatment with a CCR2 receptor antagonist at two weeks post-infection reduced chronic allodynia. Taken together, these results suggest that TRPV1 has a role in the establishment of post-UTI chronic pain, and CCR2 has a role in maintenance of post-UTI chronic pain.
Pore-scale simulation and statistical investigation of velocity and drag force distribution of flow through randomly-packed porous media under low and intermediate Reynolds numbers

Abstract Fluid flow through packed porous media and fluid–particle interactions are of importance in various industrial and natural processes. However, the lack of knowledge about the velocity field in the pore space and distribution of drag force on individual particles has been a source of uncertainties in modeling these processes. Therefore, an improved understanding of the velocity field and fluid–particle interactions is a fundamental step for better understanding of these systems. In this article, the pore-scale velocity field and fluid–solid interaction from a single particle to randomly-packed mono-sized porous media are investigated using a 3D GPU-based parallel Lattice Boltzmann model. The packed porous media are generated by means of discrete element method and have a wide range of porosity values. The developed model is first validated by experimental results of fluid flow around single and two interactive particles; the validated model is then used to conduct statistical analysis of velocity in the pore space and drag force on individual particles. The results suggest that the velocity field in porous media can be divided into four zones, namely: zero-velocity zone, low-velocity zone, high-velocity zone, and recirculation zone. Moreover, the probability density distribution of velocity is highly dependent on Reynolds number and porosity and can be bi-modal, depending on a combination of Reynolds number and porosity. The probability density distribution of the drag force always shows a single peak at the mean value with a skewness to the right. Finally, a simpler and more accurate correlation for the mean drag force over a wide range of Reynolds number and porosity is proposed based on the numerical results. The accuracy and reliability of several empirical equations, including the one proposed in this study, for the mean drag force are compared through a statistical analysis.
Applications of Pattern Recognition Methods to Hydrologic Time Series

The paper surveys hydrologic studies by the speaker and others in which pattern recognition concepts play a prominent role. Data sets gathered from measurements of riverflow and water table pressure heads motivate relatively delicate statistical questions. Techniques such as cluster analysis, feature extraction, and non-parametric regression are ingredients of the state-of-the art solutions to these questions.
An Introduction to Pronghorn Biology, Ethnography and Archaeology

Commonly called "antelope" in North America, biologists normally prefer to call this animal the pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Pronghorn are animals of the open plains and have adapted to this environment with excellent eyesight, extraordinary speed, and a well-developed ability to broad-jump. Hunters of the past and present have exploited several aspects of pronghorn behavior, particularly their curiosity, reluctance to jump vertically, and predictable movements. Pronghorn were a significant food resource for native peoples across western North America, where they were hunted by a variety of methods, including communal drives of herds into corrals. Archaeological evidence for prehistoric pronghorn hunting is widespread, but evidence for large communal drives akin to those used for bison on the Great Plains is limited.
Autologous Muscle-Derived Cells for Urinary Sphincter Regeneration: Where are we now?

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) remains a strikingly common condition faced by women with substantial economic and quality of life impact. Embarking upon treatment for incontinence often culminates with invasive surgical procedures with recognized complication profiles. Innovative directions for SUI therapeutics are on the horizon, including the utilization of adult autologous muscle-derived cells for urinary sphincter regeneration (AMDC-USR). Current published literature presents safety and efficacy data regarding AMDC-USR injection in 80 patients at 12-month follow-up. No adverse events attributed to the cellular product were reported. Compared to lower dose groups, the higher dose groups demonstrated enhanced percentages of patients with at least 50% reduction in stress leaks and pad weight at 12-month follow-up. All dose groups had statistically significant improvement in patient-reported incontinence-specific quality of life scores at 12-month follow-up. Conclusions from the pooled analyses indicate that injection of AMDC-USR across a range of dosages appears safe. Efficacy data suggests a dose response with more patients responsive to the higher doses of AMDC-USR. Promising technologies for utilization of autologous cellular therapies for treatment of SUI, and conceivably multiple additional indications, are approaching fruition. Multiple phase III randomized, placebo-controlled studies for AMDC-USR are ongoing to bring this regenerative option forth for the millions of patients who may ultimately benefit.
Pharmacokinetics and physiologic/behavioral effects of buprenorphine administered sublingually and intravenously to neonatal foals.

Buprenorphine is absorbed following sublingual administration, which would be a low-stress delivery route in foals. However, the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics are not described in foals. Six healthy foals <21 days of age participated in a blinded, randomized, 3-period, 5-sequence, 3-treatment crossover prospective study. Foals received 0.01-0.02 mg/kg buprenorphine administered SL or IV with an equivalent volume of saline administered by the opposite route. Blood was collected from the cephalic vein for pharmacokinetic analysis. Physiologic parameters (HR, RR, body temperature, GI sounds), locomotion (pedometer), and behavioral data (activity level, nursing time, response to humans) were recorded. Plasma concentration of buprenorphine exceeded a presumed analgesic level (0.6 ng/ml) in five foals in the IV group and one in the SL group but only for a very brief time. Pharmacokinetic analysis following IV administration demonstrated a short elimination half-life (t1/2β 1.95 ± 0.7 hr), large volume of distribution (6.46 ± 1.54 L/kg), and a high total clearance (55.83 ± 23.75 ml/kg/min), which differs from adult horses. Following SL administration, maximum concentrations reached were 0.61 ± 0.11 ng/ml and bioavailability was 25.1% ± 10.9%. In both groups, there were minor statistical differences in HR, RR, body temperature, locomotion, and time spent nursing. However, these differences were clinically insignificant in this single dose study, and excitement, sedation, or colic did not occur.
Characterizing dissociative motion in time-resolved x-ray scattering from gas-phase diatomic molecules

Time-resolved x-ray scattering (TRXS) measures internuclear separations in a molecule following laser-induced photoexcitation. The molecular dynamics induced by the excitation laser may lie on one or several bound or dissociative electronic states. Time-resolved x-ray scattering from these states can be difficult to isolate because they generally overlap in the angle-resolved x-ray scattering pattern $I(x,y,\ensuremath{\tau})$, where $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is the pump-probe delay and $(x,y)$ are the physical pixel positions. Here we show how standard transform methods can isolate the dynamics from individual states. We form the temporal Fourier transform $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{I}(x,y,\ensuremath{\omega})={\ensuremath{\int}}_{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\infty}}^{+\ensuremath{\infty}}d\ensuremath{\tau}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}i\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\tau}}I(x,y,\ensuremath{\tau})$. This frequency-resolved x-ray scattering (FRXS) signal segregates the bound states according to their vibrational frequencies ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{i}$ and also displays dissociative states along straight lines $\ensuremath{\omega}=vQ$, where the slope $v$ is the rate of increase of the internuclear distance and $Q$ is the momentum transfer between the incident and scattered x-ray photon. We derive this relation and use FRXS to extract state-specific dynamics from experimental TRXS from molecular iodine following a 520-nm pump. Dynamics observed include one- and two-photon dissociation of the ${}^{1}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{u}$ and ${}^{1}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{g}{}^{+}$ excited states and vibrational wave packets on the $B{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{3}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{0u}{}^{+}$ state.
A View of Cloud Computing

Nowadays cloud computing is a very latest concept in IT industry due to its different sources everyone is thinking about it that how useful is cloud computing. Cloud computing is only a system on the internet which can run applications and store them. Enterprise cloud computing is the application in which business and consumer both use the process of cloud computing. Normally to run a business application it would take a lot of money and need to pay for the update of software and servers. Nevertheless, in cloud computing it make simpler the whole process it reduced the system and store all the data on one cloud on the internet and shared the data in data center. Where customers and employees of business can easily use without spending any money. So the advantage of cloud computing is cost less and it maintains and update its software itself. They are more secure and reliable due to the policy of username and password to access the application on the cloud computing. User can use the cloud from anywhere and anytime. I came to know that privacy, infrastructure, and security in cloud computing are the major factors of the entire procedure. Cloud computing can be the essential technology infrastructure that can convert business, education if it is properly and carefully execute.
Impaired Muscle Regeneration in Cancer-Associated Cachexia

Muscle wasting, a cardinal feature of cancer-associated cachexia (CAC), is a major clinical problem with few therapeutic options. In this Forum article we discuss cellular mechanisms of CAC, focusing on impaired muscle regeneration. We highlight muscle progenitor cell dysfunction and metabolism as two variables contributing to impaired regeneration in CAC.
Vapor phase passivation of (100) germanium surfaces with HBr

Hydrobromic acid (HBr) vapor was used to remove native oxide from an undoped (100) germanium (Ge) wafer with n-type conductivity and to passivate its surface against reoxidation. The Ge surfaces, examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, were suspended above a 48% HBr solution for 1, 10, 20, 60 min, and 24 h. A steady decrease in oxide thickness was observed for up to 60 min of HBr exposure time. Beyond this time, little or no difference was observed, and the wafers maintained subnanometer levels of oxidation. The stability of the passivated surface was then measured with each treated sample exposed to ambient air for 19 h. The samples exposed to HBr for 60 min or less reoxidized when exposed to air, while the sample previously exposed to HBr for 24 h showed levels of oxidation similar to the freshly passivated wafer, thereby demonstrating HBr vapor-phase treatment as a simple method for passivating Ge.
A Study of Thermal Fatigue Mechanisms

The thermal fatigue resistance of materials has been evaluated in a series of investigations using the fluidized bed method of thermal cycling. The factors that influence thermal cracking were studied for many materials and definite patterns of behavior observed. Particular attention was paid to H13 tool steel and an 18Ni maraging alloy as these represent materials with distinctly different mechanisms of heat treatment response.
Abstract 15396: Atrial Fibrillation Bleeding Risk and Prediction While Treated With Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Warfarin Naïve and Experienced Patients

Introduction: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) are guideline-recommended over warfarin for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). However, patients who are DOAC eligible are commonly maint...
Machine Learning Establishes Single-Cell Calcium Dynamics as an Early Indicator of Antibiotic Response

Changes in bacterial physiology necessarily precede cell death in response to antibiotics. Herein we investigate the early disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis as a marker for antibiotic response. Using a machine learning framework, we quantify the temporal information encoded in single-cell Ca2+ dynamics. We find Ca2+ dynamics distinguish kanamycin sensitive and resistant cells before changes in gross cell phenotypes such as cell growth or protein stability. The onset time (pharmacokinetics) and probability (pharmacodynamics) of these aberrant Ca2+ dynamics are dose and time-dependent, even at the resolution of single-cells. Of the compounds profiled, we find Ca2+ dynamics are also an indicator of Polymyxin B activity. In Polymyxin B treated cells, we find aberrant Ca2+ dynamics precedes the entry of propidium iodide marking membrane permeabilization. Additionally, we find modifying membrane voltage and external Ca2+ concentration alters the time between these aberrant dynamics and membrane breakdown suggesting a previously unappreciated role of Ca2+ in the membrane destabilization during Polymyxin B treatment. In conclusion, leveraging live, single-cell, Ca2+ imaging coupled with machine learning, we have demonstrated the discriminative capacity of Ca2+ dynamics in identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria.