cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of preproenkephalin mRNA expression in the rat retina.

Endogenous opioid systems (i.e. opioid peptides and opioid receptors) modulate developmental events in the neonatal mammalian retina. In the present study, the mRNA encoding preproenkephalin A (PPE), the prohormone for the opioid growth factor (OGF), [Met 5 ]-enkephalin, was studied in the developing and the adult retinas of rats. Northern analysis indicated the presence of a 1.4-kb message in the developing and adult retinas corresponding to rat PPE mRNA. Quantitation showed that PPE message was present on postnatal day 1 at 5% of the adult level, and increased during development until the adult quantity was reached by postnatal day 27. In situ hybridization experiments first detected the presence of PPE mRNA in retinal tissues during late gestation. In late prenatal and neonatal retinas, PPE message was associated with areas of the developing retina containing proliferating neuroblasts and postmitotic cells. Later in development, message appeared to be located primarily within the inner retina, with abundant PPE mRNA associated with putative horizontal cells of the inner nuclear layer (INL). The adult retina showed a similar pattern of PPE gene expression in the cells of the INL. These findings document that the gene expression in the retina for PPE begins in the fetus, continues during retinal development, and coincides with the presence of a PPE mRNA derivative ([Met 5 ]-enkephalin) that regulates DNA synthesis during retinal ontogeny. Our results are also the first to show the presence of PPE message in the adult mammalian retina, suggesting transcription of an opioid gene in the mature visual system.
A Minimum Strabismus Examination1

Summary In less than thirty minutes, and with inexpensive and simple instrumentation, a minimum strabismus examination can be porformed. From the results of this examination a fairly complete diagnosis can be obtained. The examination itself consists of a short history, a confrontation test, an objective cover test, a diplopia test, and a Worth Dot Test. Because of the design and nature of this examination, an incorrect diagnosis is more likely to result than when a complete strabismus work-up is performed. Also, this minimum examination has restricted usefulness in selecting the therapy of choice and evaluating the prognosis. Nevertheless the minimum strabismus examination is considerably better than no strabismus examination a t all, and in addition to other advantages, it enables the optometrist to make a more intelligent referral.
A unified contour-pixel model for figure-ground segmentation

The goal of this paper is to provide an accurate pixel-level segmentation of a deformable foreground object in an image. We combine state-of-the-art local image segmentation techniques with a global object-specific contour model to form a coherent energy function over the outline of the object and the pixels inside it. The energy function includes terms from a variant of the TextonBoost method, which labels each pixel as either foreground or background. It also includes terms over landmark points from a LOOPS model [1], which combines global object shape with landmark-specific detectors. We allow the pixel-level segmentation and object outline to inform each other through energy potentials so that they form a coherent object segmentation with globally consistent shape and appearance. We introduce an inference method to optimize this energy that proposes moves within the complex energy space based on multiple initial oversegmentations of the entire image. We show that this method achieves state-of-the-art results in precisely segmenting articulated objects in cluttered natural scenes.
Privacy-aware routing in sensor networks

A typical sensor network application is to monitor objects, including wildlife, vehicles and events, in which information about an object is periodically sent back to the sink. Many times, the object needs to be protected for security reasons. However, an adversary can detect message flows and trace the message back to its source by moving in the reverse direction of the flows. This paper aims to maximize source location privacy, which is evaluated by the adversary's traceback time, by designing routing protocols that distribute message flows to different routes. First, we give the performance bound for any routing scheme. Then, we present our routing schemes, which maximize the adversary's average traceback time and achieve max-min traceback time given certain energy constraints. We then propose WRS, a suboptimal but practical privacy-aware routing scheme, and provide simulation results. Finally, we extend the discussion to an extreme adversary model, which allows the adversary to deploy an adversary sensor network to monitor the message routing activities. Accordingly, we propose a random schedule scheme to confuse the adversary. To reduce the message delivery time, we give an approximation algorithm for message routing.
Role of AT1 and AT2 receptors in regulation of MAPKs and MKP-1 by ANG II in adult cardiac myocytes

ANG II has been implicated in the hypertrophic response in ventricular myocytes by acting at the angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor. However, the role of the angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptor in the...
Dynamic beamforming of a random acoustic array

Design trade-offs in a programmable time-delay-and-sum digital beamformer built by MPL will be discussed. This dynamic beam-former permits the incorporation of slow changes in element positions and/or beam steering direction while the beamformer carries out the real-time formation of 1300 beams from 32 input sensors. The sensors are distributed in a random but known manner over an aperture diameter of up to 800 λ (at 400 Hz).
Endocrine disruptors in 2015: Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance.

Endocrine disruptors are critical environmental exposures that influence health and can promote epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease and abnormal physiology. Advances in 2015 included analyses of the effects of endocrine disruptors on human disease, further examples of endocrine disruptors promoting transgenerational behavioural effects, insights into effects of endocrine disruptors on epigenetic programming of primordial germ cells and the finding that endocrine disruptors can transgenerationally promote genetic mutations.
What a Strange Trip it Will Be

This short work describes the author's conversation with a friend who had written a book about an artist. The author found that his reproductions of the artist's works in the book, which came from a magazine the artist worked for, were claimed by the magazine owner as his property, scaring off a possible publisher with a threatened lawsuit. The author goes on to discuss with his friend possible ways around this problem.
Anomalous small-angle magnetic scattering from amorphous TbFe$sub 2$ and YFe$sub 2$

Small-angle quasielastic neutron scattering measurements have revealed an intense magnetic component at low temperatures in amorphous Tb${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$ and Y${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$, in addition to a weak critical divergence at ${T}_{c}$ in Tb${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$. These observations are interpreted as evidence that spatial fluctuations remain "frozen in" below the Curie point of Tb${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$, and that only short-range order is achieved in Y${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$.
Pediatric anesthesiology fellow education: is a simulation-based boot camp feasible and valuable?

SummaryBackground Pediatric anesthesiologists must manage crises in neonates and children with timely responses and limited margin for error. Teaching the range of relevant skills during a 12-month fellowship is challenging. An experiential simulation-based curriculum can augment acquisition of knowledge and skills. Objectives To develop a simulation-based boot camp (BC) for novice pediatric anesthesiology fellows and assess learner perceptions of BC activities. We hypothesize that BC is feasible, not too basic, and well received by fellows. Methods Skills stations, team-based in situ simulations, and group discussions of complex cases were designed. Stations were evaluated by anonymous survey; fellows rated usefulness in improving knowledge, self-confidence, technical skill, and clinical performance using a Likert scale (1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree). They were also asked if stations were too basic or too short. Median and interquartile range (IQR) data were calculated and noted as median (IQR). Results Fellows reported the difficult airway station and simulated scenarios improved knowledge, self-confidence, technical skill, and clinical performance. They disagreed that stations were too basic or too short with exception of the difficult airway session, which was too short [4 (4-3)]. Fellows believed the central line station improved knowledge [4 (4-3)], technical skills [4 (4-4)], self-confidence [4 (4-3)], and clinical performance [4 (4-3)]; scores trended toward neutral likely because the station was perceived as too basic [3.5 (4-3)]. An interactive session on epinephrine and intraosseous lines was valued. Complicated case discussion was of educational value [4 (5-4)], the varied opinions of faculty were helpful [4 (5-4)], and the session was neither too basic [2 (2-2)] nor too short [2 (2-2)]. Conclusion A simulation-based BC for pediatric anesthesiology fellows was feasible, perceived to improve confidence, knowledge, technical skills, and clinical performance, and was not too basic.
Musculoskeletal Injury in Children

1. Walter W. Huurman, MD* 2. Glen M. Ginsburg, MD† 1. 2. *Editorial Board. 3. 4. †Pediatric Orthopaedics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. 1. Compartment syndromes result from decreased vascular perfusion due to increased pressure in a closed osteofascial compartment. 2. Placement of ice packs is an important immediate therapy for soft-tissue injuries, but packs must be applied for at least 20 minutes. 3. More severe sprains require protection against another injury during healing. 4. Nursemaid’s elbow is a common injury and can be treated safely by the pediatrician. 5. Supracondylar fractures commonly are associated with neurologic and vascular injury. Over the past 2 decades, the number of musculoskeletal injuries sustained by children and adolescents has increased markedly. This may reflect an increasing use of motorized and high-speed wheeled vehicles among this population. Orthopedic injuries incurred while using all-terrain vehicles, inline skates, and skateboards that rarely were seen 20 years ago now are common. It is important to recognize the basic skeletal differences between children and adults; the common signs and symptoms of fractures, sprains, strains, and dislocations; and the initial treatment and stabilization of these injuries in children. A reasonable understanding of the basic physiology involved in bone growth and development is required to identify and recognize appropriate treatment for fractures in the skeletally immature individual. The patient and parents should anticipate return to as normal function as could be expected given the circumstances of a particular injury. Bone is a dynamic organ that is ever-changing and, especially in the growing child, possesses tremendous healing characteristics. The skeleton is involved in up to 20% of childhood injuries, with 18% to 30% of these occurring directly to the growth mechanism. The unique features of this organ in the pediatric population distinguish it and the treatment of its problems due to trauma from those in the skeletally mature. ### ANATOMY The outer layer of young bone, periosteum, which is thick and flexible but strong (Fig. 1⇓), often remains partially …
Abstract 5065: Phosphorylation of Peptidyl prolyl isomerase 1 by Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 promotes breast cancer pathogenesis

MLK3 is a member of MLK sub-family that belongs to the family of MAP kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K). The MLK family members are characterized by the presence of signature sequences of Ser/Thr and Tyr kinases within their catalytic domain. The detailed physiological function of MLK3 is yet to be deciphered fully, however the available data suggest that in neuronal cells, MLK3 plays role of a pro-apoptotic kinase. The function of MLK3 in any type of cancer is not known. Interestingly the C-terminal tail of MLK3 contains consensus sequences for various protein-protein interactions and phosphorylation sites for numerous kinases. The C-terminal tail also contains Ser/Thr-Pro sequence, a consensus sequence for prolyl isomerase (Pin1), which has been reported to be over-expressed in cancer cells, including in breast cancer cells and primary tumors. Our initial hypothesis was that probably Pin1 binds to MLK3 and regulates MLK39s kinase activity. Our in vivo binding indeed suggested that Pin1 binds to MLK3 via PPI domain robustly and to certain extent through WW domain. The binding of Pin1 did not alter the kinase activity of MLK3. Interestingly, counterintuitive to our initial hypothesis, we observed that MLK3 was able to phosphorylate Pin1 and alter Pin19s isomerase activity. We also identified S138 as a phosphorylation site on Pin1 and raised p-S138 antibody. Since, Pin1 is known to drive G2-M-cell cycle transition, we examined whether phosphorylation of Pin1 promotes cell cycle progression. Our data indicated that phospho-S138 Pin1 increased the G2-M transition of cell cycle. Pin1 is reported to be a nuclear protein; however it is not known whether this translocation of Pin1is regulated by any protein. We observed that Pin1 was translocated to nucleus upon phosphorylation by MLK3 at S138 site and the phospho-S138 Pin1 was highly expressed in breast cancer cell lines and tumors, compared to non-transformed breast epithelial cell line and normal breast tissues respectively. The breast cancer tissue arrays analyzed also showed that phospho-S138 was highly expressed in tumors compared to normal breast tissue and the intensity of staining was significantly higher in tumors as well. Taken together, our data suggest that phosphorylation of Pin1 by MLK3 drives G2-M transition and promote breast cancer pathogenesis. Thus targeting MLK3 or Pin1 may prove beneficial to control breast cancer tumorigenesis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5065.
Research and fabrication of a four-electrode conductivity sensor

A four-electrode conductivity sensor is designed,the measuring principle,structure form,measuring circuit and fabrication technology of the conductivity sensor are introduced,and the selection process of materials for probe fabrication is formulized.Through performance test,it is verified that this instrument has advantages of high measuring precision,stable performance,long life,wide measuring range,low price,and remote automatic measurement,it is especially suitable for the fields of water environment monitoring and water quanlity pollution control.
Pretreatment of wastewater containing ultraviolet absorbent UV-531 by complexation extraction

In order to realize the resource utilization of wastewater containing high concentration ultraviolet absorbent UV-531,the pretreatment of the said kind of wastewater by HLE extractant in intermittent tank extractor was studied.The effects of pH value,volume ratio of extractant to wastewater,temperature,time and some other factors on the extraction performance of HLE extractant were investigated.The test results showed that: under the condition that,the mass concentration of CODCr in the influent water was 12 000-15 000 mg/L,the pH value was 1.5,the extraction ratio was 1:1,the temperature was 20 ℃,the extraction time was 3 min,the removal rate of CODCr by the primary extraction was above 50%.Through the extraction process,the biodegradability of the ultraviolet absorbent UV-531-containing wastewater was significantly improved,and the value of m(BOD5)/m(CODCr) was increased from 0.08 to 0.46.Thus it could draw a conclusion that,using HLE extractant to treat ultraviolet absorbent UV-531-containing wastewater was feasible.
Metabolic encephalopathy in hepatic, renal and pulmonary disorders.

Metabolic encephalopathies resulting from disorders of the liver, kidneys and lungs are manifested clinically as acute and chronic disturbances of intellectual performance and motor and sensory activities ranging from mild confusional states to coma. The electroencephalographs: pattern correlates well with the intensity of the clinical disturbance.Clinical features, differential diagnosis, and treatment of neurologic disturbances associated with hepatic, renal and pulmonary disorders are presented.
Earache after aquatic vacation

Die 28-jahrige Maja H. sucht ihren Hausarzt wegen Ohrenschmerzen auf. Gerade ist sie von einem Badeurlaub auf den kanarischen Inseln zuruckgekommen. Zunachst dachte sie an Druckausgleichsprobleme durch den Flug, aber nun sondert ihr rechtes Ohr eine ubelriechende, weisliche Flussigkeit ab. „Herr Doktor, mein rechtes Ohr ist wie verstopft. Mit Wattestabchen habe ich es nicht freibekommen. Jetzt tut es richtig weh, und ich hore nichts mehr!“
Leveraging SDN for ARP security

Insider threats are a growing concern for industry, government, and campus networks. Yet, vulnerabilities inherent in Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) are exploitable by insiders seeking to launch sophisticated attacks on local area networks (LANs). Such attacks, initialized through ARP spoofing, include denial of service, server redirect, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Unfortunately, the current state of the art technologies for detecting and preventing ARP poisoning are tediously complex, slow to detect, and difficult to maintain. However, software defined networking (SDN) enables the implementation of novel security measures that are capable of detecting and eliminating ARP spoofing before it can impact other hosts. Hence, this paper presents Network Flow Guard for ARP (NFGA), an SDN security module that augments simple, MAC-learning, protocols on OpenFlow-enabled switches. NFG works by hashing a host's physical address with an appropriate IP: port association to deny ARP spoofing at real-time. Moreover, our framework's key contribution is that it achieves ARP security with minimal intervention by network operators while supporting both dynamic and static port allocations, requiring no changes to the network's topology or protocols, and requiring no client software installation.
Qutb's “Inquiring Eyes” in Colorado and California

Qutb's next stop was Greeley, Colorado, home of Colorado State College of Education (CSCE), now called University of Northern Colorado. In certain respects, Greeley would seem an out of the way destination for Qutb and an unlikely place to engender the sort of negative response from him that followed. The town was started in 1870 by Nathan Meeker as a planned utopian community. It was named after Horace Greeley, Meeker's boss at the New York Tribune and one of the community's original sponsors. Situated about 50 miles north of Denver between the Platte and Cache la Poudre rivers with the dramatic expanse of the Colorado Rockies in view to the west, Meeker saw the location as an idyllic agrarian setting for starting a temperate and morally upstanding community. After placing an advertisement in the New York Tribune , more than 3,000 applied to join the community, from which 700 were selected to settle in the new town. By 1949, when Qutb arrived, Greeley had a population of around 20,000, was still a dry town, and had more than 20 different churches. It is not entirely clear why Qutb chose to visit Greeley, though there were a number of other Middle Eastern students at CSCE at the time, including students from Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Egypt. Additionally, CSCE was an education school, and the ostensible reason for Qutb's trip to America was “to study modern systems of education and training.” It is also possible that Qutb's friendship with the Egyptian graduate student, Ahmed Abbas, played a role. Abbas was finishing a doctorate in Education in the summer of Qutb's arrival. Like Qutb, Abbas had lived in Cairo; and he had completed degrees from Cairo's Fouad I University and the Institute of Education before going to Colorado. Given Qutb's position in the Egyptian Ministry of Education, it is likely he knew Abbas in Egypt. Moreover, in Colorado, Abbas and Qutb were known to be “good friends” and, like Qutb, Abbas reportedly joined the Muslim Brotherhood upon his return to Egypt. I interviewed three former CSCE students who knew Qutb at Greeley: Saeb Dajani, a Palestinian who came to Greeley from Jerusalem; Ibrahim Insari, also from Jerusalem and a cousin of Dajani's; and Jaime McClendon, the only African American student at CSCE at the time.
Resilience to adversity and the early origins of disease

For the past quarter century, scientists at the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia have conducted research designed to promote understanding of normative developmental trajectories among low socioeconomic status African American children, youths, and young adults. In this paper, we describe a recent expansion of this research program using longitudinal, epidemiological studies and randomized prevention trials to test hypotheses about the origins of disease among rural African American youths. The contributions of economic hardship, downward mobility, neighborhood poverty, and racial discrimination to allostatic load and epigenetic aging are illustrated. The health benefits of supportive family relationships in protecting youths from these challenges are also illustrated. A cautionary set of studies is presented showing that some psychosocially resilient youths demonstrate high allostatic loads and accelerated epigenetic aging, suggesting that, for some, "resilience is just skin deep." Finally, we end on an optimistic note by demonstrating that family-centered prevention programs can have health benefits by reducing inflammation, helping to preserve telomere length, and inhibiting epigenetic aging.
Muslim Women’s Use of Internet Media in the Process of Acculturation in the United States

This study examines how Muslim women use Internet-based media in the process of acculturation in the United States. Grounded theory methodology (Glaser, 1992) and Sam and Berry’s (2006) model of acculturation were used as theoretical and analytical frameworks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Muslim women to learn about their media use and experiences in forming and maintaining relationships in the United States. Educational opportunities were an emerging theme in the determining factors of immigrating to the United States. The data indicated that Muslim women use a variety of Internet-based media such as Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Viber for communicating with family and friends locally and abroad. A majority of the participants reported that social media allowed them to express a part of their identities. The data suggests that the participants attained the level of acculturation defined as integration. The participants use these media to build and create relationships in ...
Mitochondria-regulated formation of endothelium-derived extracellular vesicles shifts the mediator of flow-induced vasodilation.

The vascular effect of endothelium-derived extracellular vesicles (eEVs) is biphasic, with higher doses decreasing the magnitude of flow-induced dilation (FID) compared with lower doses that shift ...
Free light chain assay and cytogenetic abnormalities for identification of high-risk smoldering myeloma.

8595 Background: Translocation (4;14) and deletion 17p in smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) have been identified as high risk cytogenetic abnormalities (CAs). Risk stratification incorporating CAs ...
Tribal Authority to Zone Nonmember Fee Land Using the First Montana Exception: A Game of Checkers Tribes Can Win

The modern Congress and executive branch generally recognize that American Indian tribes retain their inherent sovereign authority over people and property within Indian Country unless Congress previously acted to limit that authority. The Supreme Court, however, has incrementally departed from this recognition of inherent sovereign authority by implementing limits on tribal authority over nonmembers and nonmember land. These impediments began with the divestiture of tribal jurisdiction over crimes committed by nonmembers and expanded to limitations on tribal authority to assert civil regulatory and adjudicative jurisdiction over nonmembers. The Supreme Court first applied this theory of implicit divestiture on limitations of tribal civil regulatory authority in the landmark case Montana v. United States. This limitation on tribal sovereignty continues to severely impact the ability of tribal governments to implement successful zoning and comprehensive land use plans within reservation boundaries. This Note accepts the status of the law for the time being and offers advice and suggestions for tribes to use the language of these decisions to develop consensual relationships with nonmember fee land owners in the creation of comprehensive zoning plans.
Body-worn 67:1 bandwidth antenna using 3 overlapping dipole elements

We present a novel tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) that achieves 67:1 bandwidth over the 30 MHz to 2 GHz frequency range. The design is extremely simple, and consists of 3 overlapping dipoles that are fed at 3 different locations to ensure uniform current flow. The overlapping dipoles are “printed” on a 0.3 mm-thick polymer substrate (e r =3), and “sandwiched” between two layers of flexible polymer (e r =3), each 2 cm thick. The TCDA occupies 1.4 m × 0.09 m, and is intended for on-body operation (e.g., placed along the arms). For example, the proposed antenna could be integrated into military uniforms to enhance quality of service in the SINCGARS, Air and Marine, UHF, UHF-Public Safety, and L bands.
Solar Collector Loop Modeling and Experimental Validation for Distributed Parameter Models from Experimental Data

Abstract This paper is concerned with the model validation and the determination of the dynamic time constants of a solar collector having fluid as the heat transport medium. The approach taken is to model the dynamic behavior of a solar collector by a One Temperature Plug Flow (OTPF) model or a Two Temperature Plug Flow (TTPF) model which are represented by bilinear partial differential equations that determines the temperature profile T f (x, t) of the collector fluid as a function of time t and distance x along the collector. The parameters of these models are estimated by measuring the collectors temperature response, at different spatial locations, and under a variety of experimental conditions. The preliminary experimental validation shows that some of the assumptions used in deriving the OTPF model do not hold and therefore it must be modified to guarantee that this model predicts the fast temperature dynamics of the solar collector. All the experimental data was taken from an operating solar system installed on Solar House III at Colorado State University
Spent Coffee Grounds as Air-Propelled Abrasive Grit for Weed Control in Organic Production

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) represent a significant food waste residue. Value-added uses for this material would be beneficial. Gritty agricultural residues, such as corncob grit, can be employed as abrasive air-propelled agents for organically-compatible and selective shredding of weed seedlings within established crops. SCG were tested and compared with corncob grit for their ability to injure seedlings of two important weeds: waterhemp and velvetleaf. Waterhemp seedlings were controlled completely with as little as 0.5 g of SCG at an air pressure of 690 kPa. Velvetleaf seedlings were much larger than those of waterhemp at the time of grit application, better tolerated SCG abrasion, but still were damaged appreciably by 1 to 2 g of grit. SCG were at least as effective for abrading weed seedlings as corncob grit, whose value for this purpose in organic crops was demonstrated previously. Nomenclature: Tall waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medik.
Mireya Keller, Gustav Mahler and Eric Neumann: Feminine Archetypes in En Tren de los Muertos

En el tren de los muertos received Honorable Mention in the Contest Premio Fondo Nacional de las Artes in 1997; its author, Mireya Keller, has won numerous prizes, primarily for her short stories, in Chile and Argentina; she is also a prize-winning poet. She was born in Santiago, has resided in several Latin American countries and in Rome. Since 1992, she has lived in Buenos Aires where, since 1996, she has worked with a group of four writers to produce the radio program “Contextos”. Her novel reveals her imaginative power and her mastery of a lyrical style that opens the suffocation of grief to chronicle its manifestations within the members of a large family. The death she depicts is perhaps the most poignant, the death of a child of about four or five years old, the youngest child of a family of five children, and one who was its pet, its most-loved and doted upon latecomer, born after the fourth child had already reached her mid teens. Death is always difficult to comprehend, never more so than when it strikes down a child. Within the novel Keller contrasts the death of one of the grandmothers, a loss painful to assimilate but finally comprehensible because of her advanced age, with the death of the young child Esperanza. The loss of this child devastates the entire family, especially the mother, whose world is shattered by this evidence of Nature’s (and God’s) injustice.
Supporting Self-Management in Children and Adolescents With Complex Chronic Conditions

Self-management improves health outcomes in chronic illness not only by improving adherence to the treatment plan but also by building the individual's capacity to navigate challenges and solve problems. Support for self-management is a critical need among children and adolescents with (medically and/or socially) complex chronic conditions. Self-management support refers to services that health systems and community agencies provide to persons with chronic illness and their families to facilitate self-management; it is a collaboration between the patient, family, and care providers. Evidence has guided the development of self-management support approaches and tools for adults and has led to an increased adoption of best practices in adult chronic illness care. However, adult models fail to account for some key differences between children and adults, namely, the integral role of parents and/or caregivers and youth development over time. There is a need for self-management support models that take into account the developmental trajectory across the pediatric age range. Effective approaches must also recognize that in pediatrics, self-management is really shared management between the youth and the parent(s) and/or caregiver(s). Health systems should design care to address self-management for pediatric patients. Although clinicians recognize the importance of self-management in youth with complex chronic conditions, they need standardized approaches and tools to do the following: assess the self-management skills of youth and families, assess modifiable environmental influences on chronic conditions, collaboratively set self-management goals, promote competence and eventual autonomy in youth, share the responsibility for self-management support among nonphysician members of the health care team, and leverage community resources for self-management support.
Saponins as Natural Adjuvant for Antisense Morpholino Oligonucleotides Delivery In Vitro and in mdx Mice

Antisense oligonucleotide (AON) therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has drawn great attention in preclinical and clinical trials, but its therapeutic applications are still limited due to inefficient delivery. In this study, we investigated a few saponins for their potential to improve delivery performance of an antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that these saponins, especially digitonin and tomatine, improve the delivery efficiency of PMO comparable to Endo-Porter-mediated PMO delivery in vitro. The significant enhancement of PMO targeting to dystrophin exon 23 delivery was further observed in mdx mice up to 7-fold with the digitonin as compared to PMO alone. Cytotoxicity of the digitonin and glycyrrhizin was lower than Endo-Porter in vitro and not clearly detected in vivo under the tested concentrations. These results demonstrate that optimization of saponins in molecular size and composition are key factors to achieve enhanced PMO exon-skipping efficiency. The higher efficiency and lower toxicity endow saponins as gene/AON delivery enhancing agents for treating muscular dystrophy or other diseases.
Noncognitive proponents' conflation of “cognitive skills” and “cognition” and its implications

Abstract Noncognitive skills have drawn the interest of psychologists, educators, economists and policymakers over the past 30 years. Despite dissatisfaction with the label “noncognitive skills” that term is still commonly used to describe the construct domain. One reason cited for objecting to the label “noncognitive” is that it implies that the constructs and measures do not entail cognition, a virtual impossibility. I argue this seemingly innocent conflation of “cognition” and “cognitive skills” unknowingly glosses over a fundamental divide in how the subject of psychology is conceptualized and psychological research conducted: The differential and experimental traditions. Where “cognitive skills” originate in the differential tradition and are usually treated as synonymous with psychometric intelligence, “cognition” originates in the experimental tradition and encompasses seemingly all human mental activity. While cognitive skills constitute a variety of cognition not all cognition entails the higher-order, complex mental activity that defines cognitive skills. This seemingly minor conflation suggests that many working in the noncognitive domain do not possess a strong understanding of what cognitive skills are. I provide additional evidence for this assertion and discuss the potentially serious practical consequences of creating and using noncognitive skills assessments without possessing a thorough understanding of cognitive skills.
Notes on responding to those concerned about perception and reality: Tropical forest exploitation

The author discusses issues associated with worldwide public opinion about tropical deforestation and the impact this has on the ecosystems of the world. He encourages a global approach by industrialized countries in order to achieve ecological stability throughout the world.
The Opportunity of the Ocean

The future use and opportunities of the ocean are limited only by human imagination and technology. Whether the ocean will be used with wisdom and proper concern for its environment is only a hope, for past exploitation of the ocean shows a poor record. It has been rare that a local or state government has used the ocean, coastal zone, or rivers with a concern for another group or for another use of these resources. Our increased understanding of the marine environment clearly shows that this lack of concern has generally resulted in more overall harm than benefit.
Zukunft des Büros – Büro der Zukunft

Die Frage nach dem Buro der Zukunft ist schon einige Jahrzehnte alt. Sie ist eng verknupft mit den Entwicklungen der Technik, insbesondere der Informationstechnik, sowie mit der Veranderung von Arbeitsmodellen und -strukturen. Es gibt heute wie gestern und wie morgen Buros – nur was in diesen passiert und was ihre Funktion ist, verandert sich radikal. Fur jede Organisation ist die Gestaltung ihrer Buros fur die Zukunft essenziell wichtig fur ihren Erfolg. Buros entwickeln sich zu Werkzeugen fur Wissensarbeiter. Die technische und raumliche Gestaltung des modernen Buros muss auf diesen Zweck abzielend entwickelt werden. Buros stehen nicht mehr „auf der grunen Wiese“, sondern sind zunehmend integrierter Teil einer ganzen – meist urbanen – Infrastruktur. Der Weg zum Buro der Zukunft fuhrt meist uber den Kulturwandel und ist kein untergeordnetes Raumgestaltungsprojekt.
Prenatal cell-free DNA screening for fetal aneuploidy in pregnant women at average or high risk: Results from a large US clinical laboratory.

Background We evaluated the performance of a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) prenatal screening assay for trisomies 21, 18, and 13, and sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) among a population of pregnant women that included both those at average and high risk. Methods Specimen collection, cfDNA extraction, massively parallel sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis were conducted per laboratory protocol. Assay results, concordance with pregnancy outcomes, and performance characteristics were evaluated. Results A total 75,658 specimens from 72,176 individual pregnant women were received. Technical reasons accounted for 288 (0.4% of all received samples) tests not performed. In the final analysis cohort (N = 69,794), 13% of pregnancies were considered at average risk and 87% at high risk. Mean gestational age at specimen collection was 15.1 weeks. Of the 69,794 unique pregnancies, 1,359 (1.9%) had positive test results. Among the results with confirmed outcomes, PPV for trisomies 21, 18, and 13 was 98.1%, 88.2%, and 59.3%, respectively; the PPV was 69.0% for SCAs and 75.0% for microdeletions. Overall, PPV was 87.2%, sensitivity was 97.9%, and specificity was 99.9%. Conclusion This cfDNA prenatal screening assay provides highly accurate discrimination between affected and unaffected pregnancies among a population of pregnant women at average and high risk for fetal genetic abnormalities.
Militarism, Enlightenment, and Colonial Korean Cinema

This chapter is a study of the late colonial era films released from 1940 to 1945, including Homeless Angels, Love and Vow, Volunteer, Portrait of Youth, and Suicide Squad at the Watch Tower. They are enlightenment films, which assume the position of the audience to be that of pupils and thus aim to educate and transform them. The colonial audience was always already targeted as collective recipients of knowledge and education from the beginnings of Korean cinema. Taking this as the point of departure, my reading of the abovementioned films focuses on the intertwined issues of colonial enlightenment and propaganda, as well as of ethnography, censorship, and narrative strategies of the films. Lastly, the chapter will conclude with a consideration of the postcolonial desire for a national cinematic tradition, and the implied ethics of film-viewing in postcolonial worlds.
A History of Renault Haren-Vilvoorde

This chapter provides a brief history of Renault’s car plant near Brussels in Vilvoorde. It begins by discussing its launch in 1935 and destruction during World War II. It then reviews the rebuilt plant’s most productive periods, building Ramblers for American Motors during the 1960s, and its modernization and expansion during the 1970s and 1980s. The chapter then concludes with its most difficult period, the 1990s, leading to its closing in 1997.
Achievement of a Better Value of Care for Nitric Oxide Utilization with Protocol Based Adherence and Implementation by Respiratory Therapists: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Deliver Cost-Effective Care

Background Inhaled nitric oxide is a potent pulmonary vasodilator that can be used in various clinical situations to treat right ventricular failure, pulmonary hypertension and hypoxia. While clinical utility is evident in practice, randomized trials are rare and widespread availability is limited by lack of such evidence and cost of therapy. We report our initiative of cost saving while maintaining good outcomes by organizing protocols for utilization and expeditious weaning implemented by respiratory therapy. Methods In a multidisciplinary fashion a thorough literature search was performed to create a Protocol (Figure 1) for initiation of inhaled nitric oxide and strict weaning algorithms through a quality improvement committee. The protocol reflected consensus of all parties involved (Heart failure cardiologists, thoracic transplant surgeons, lung transplant pulmonologists, critical care physicians and respiratory therapists) Accountability of implementing the protocols rested with respiratory therapists with privileges to order confined to the groups of physicians mentioned above. Results Inhaled nitric oxide usage was up to 12000 hours in 2014. The above protocols were implemented in September 2015 with quarterly oversight of the quality improvement committee with respiratory therapy reporting. There was a steady decline in the utilization of number of hours of nitric oxide with a cost savings of a quarter million dollars (Figure 2). Of note the quality outcomes of patients during this time for all the programs (heart transplant, LVAD, heart failure and liver failure) that utilized nitric oxide had nationally reputable survival. Conclusions While nitric oxide utilization can be of great benefit for critically ill patients, uncontrolled use could lead to exuberant costs. By controlling the use and establishing protocols of not just use but timely and effective weaning, we were able to maintain quality of care while reducing costs being able to deliver care with a better value.
Riverscape mapping and hyperscale analysis of the sediment links concept

Abstract Longitudinal patterns in channel complexity play an important role in our understanding of fluvial systems. The spatial scales over which external controls such as tributaries, landslides and debris flows, alter channel form and influence the broader basin-wide trends in channel form. Channel complexity across a basin has important implications for how we conceptualize basin-wide trends in channel form such as downstream hydraulic geometry and the sediment links concept. This study takes a hyperscale approach to mapping channel morphology across 200 km of the Rogue River in Southwest Oregon - that is high-resolution data over large spatial extents allowing analysis to be conducted simultaneously at and across multiple spatial scales. Using a sUAS and digital photosieving we measured gravels on exposed gravel bars for the study area. We also measured thalweg depth in the field using a singlebeam echo sounder. Slope and channel width were derived using existing GIS datasets. We used these data to create a hyperscale view of the Rogue River examining the impact of tributary and non-tributary sediment links. We used a statistical approach to determine if changes in channel form were truly unique in the context of larger-scale channel variability. Our findings show inconsistent statistical significance of the identified lateral sediment sources (LSS) between variables - e.g. a statistically significant change in slope would not necessarily correlate with an increase in unit stream power. There were many LSS which triggered statistically significant changes to channel form. We used hyperscale graphs to reveal the complexity and spatial trends associated with the relationships between a given sediment link and channel form. The results of this study illustrate the complexity with which sediment links impact channel form and the distances below a given sediment link that a detectable signal exists, if a detectable signal exists.
Effectiveness of Indiana's Statewide Smoke-Free Indoor Air Law in Reducing Prevalence of Adult Cigarette Smoking.

Indiana recently implemented a statewide smoke-free indoor air law that has prohibited smoking in both restaurants and non-hospitality workplaces. Evidence for the effectiveness of the recent statewide smoke-free indoor law may persuade 14 states that do not have any statewide smoke-free laws to enact such laws. We evaluated the effectiveness of Indiana’s State Smoke-Free Air Law, implemented July 2012, in reducing adult smoking prevalence. We analyzed samples of U.S. adults using a nonequivalent control group design with multi-year, cross-sectional data from the 2011–2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System ( N= 2,259,014). Four state groups with different levels of comprehensiveness in regard to statewide smoke-free indoor air laws in 2011–2016 served as the comparison groups, namely those with: (1) no law; (2) a partial law (prohibiting smoking in either one or two of these three settings, namely non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and bars); (3) a comprehensive law (prohibiting smoking in all non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and bars); and (4) those that changed from a partial to a comprehensive law. We used a difference-in-differences approach with multiple logistic regressions to assess the net effect of the policy with a secular trend removed. The decline rate of cigarette smoking in Indiana was steeper, from 21.2% in 2011–2012 to 17.8% in 2013–2016, than in states in our four comparison groups, which suggests a significant reduction in adult cigarette smoking prevalence above and beyond the downward secular trend observed. All the comparison groups showed higher odds of cigarette smoking than Indiana (adjusted odds ratios range from 1.08 to 1.16). Although a long-term effect of Indiana’s State Smoke-Free Air Law has yet to be evaluated, current data indicate that such a policy appears to be effective in reducing smoking prevalence. The implementation of statewide smoke-free indoor air laws in all restaurants and non-hospitality workplaces may help reduce smoking rates in the 14 states that still do not have any statewide smoke-free indoor air laws.
BLM has Contrary Effects on Repeat-Mediated Deletions, based on the Distance of DNA DSBs to a Repeat and Repeat Divergence.

Summary Repeat-mediated deletions (RMDs) often involve repetitive elements (e.g., short interspersed elements) with sequence divergence that is separated by several kilobase pairs (kbps). We have examined RMDs induced by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) under varying conditions of repeat sequence divergence (identical versus 1% and 3% divergent) and DSB/repeat distance (16 bp–28.4 kbp). We find that the BLM helicase promotes RMDs with long DSB/repeat distances (e.g., 28.4 kbp), which is consistent with a role in extensive DSB end resection, because the resection nucleases EXO1 and DNA2 affect RMDs similarly to BLM. In contrast, BLM suppresses RMDs with sequence divergence and intermediate (e.g., 3.3 kbp) DSB/repeat distances, which supports a role in heteroduplex rejection. The role of BLM in heteroduplex rejection is not epistatic with MSH2 and is independent of the annealing factor RAD52. Accordingly, the role of BLM on RMDs is substantially affected by DSB/repeat distance and repeat sequence divergence.
Family history and germline alterations in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

231Background: Recent literature has highlighted the importance of germline genetic testing in metastatic prostate cancer (PCa)patients (pts). This retrospective study evaluated family history (FH)...
Internet of Things based Energy Efficient Home Automation System

Progression in IoT-based application has become the cutting-edge innovation among the analyst because of Internet access. To make the application easier to understand, electronic and android based designs have picked up their significance in this front line innovation. In this paper, an intellectual vitality productive home automation framework is suggested to access and control the home types of gear from each side of the world. For this framework, the Internet network module is appended to the fundamental gracefully unit of the home framework that can be gotten through the Internet. For a remote network, the static IP address is utilized. Home automation depends on a multimodal application that can be worked using the client's voice acknowledgment order utilizing the Google Assistant or an online application. Accordingly, the fundamental goal of this work is to make our home automation framework safer and astute.
The Ethics of Organizational Behavior Management

Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) is a sub-discipline of applied behavior analysis that focuses on organizational improvement and the performance of employees and leaders. OBM practitioners ...