cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legal Thinking on the Discretion of Personnel Management in Colleges and Universities

Discretion is an indispensable power of personnel management in colleges and universities, and its existence is the requirement of increasing efficiency of personnel management as well as the needs of complex facts. However, the nature of discretion provides the possibility for its abuse, so it is necessary to control the discretion. This paper suggests the control should cover three parts controlling beforehand, controlling in progress, and controlling afterwards.
POST-DISASTER HOUSING THROUGH THE LENS OF LITIGATION: THE KATRINA HOUSING JUSTICE DOCKET

This Article discusses post-disaster housing rights violations and corresponding litigation following the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. The Introduction offers a brief reflection, at the ten-year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, on post-disaster work at the Law Clinic of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. It also presents a synopsis of post-disaster housing data with a focus on race and poverty. The article discusses the Katrina Housing Justice Docket (Housing Docket) - the author’s compilation of seminal lawsuits related to post-disaster housing rights litigation focused on the Greater New Orleans area and the State of Louisiana. De-constructing the Housing Docket provides a means for understanding where and how the post-disaster housing rights of low-income people were disputed. The primary goal of this article is to offer a road map of legal contestations to others engaged in post-disaster lawyering for vulnerable populations. The hope is that by building this record, attorneys and other advocates will also build more collective knowledge to achieve justice-oriented outcomes post-disaster.
The effects of colonic carcinoma SW480 cell proliferation and hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha ,hemeoxygenase-1 gene mRNA expression by hypoxia induced

Objective: To create the hypoxia model and observe the reflectance of SW480 cell proliferation and HIF-1α, HO-1 gene mRNA expressions by hypoxia induced. Methods: The hypoxia model was set up by the usage of cobalt chloride (CoCl_2) and MTT test was used to observe the hypoxia influence of SW480 cell growth curve. RT-PCR was used to detect the HIF-1α and HO-1 gene mRNA expressions of SW480 cell which hypoxia induced by CoCl_2 with different concentrations and times. Results: Hypoxia can stimulate the SW480 cell proliferation in a certain cobalt chloride concentration (200μmol/L) and inhibit cell growth with cobalt chloride concentration (250μmol/L). The HIF-1α and HO-1 gene mRNA expressions had significant correlations with the CoCl_2 concentration and hypoxia induced time. The HIF-1α had significant positive correlations with the HO-1 genes mRNA expressions in the dose (r=0.786, P0.05) and time(r=0.863, P0.05) dependence by hypoxia. Conclusion: Hypoxia can stimulate the SW480 cells proliferation. The expressions of HIF-1α and HO-1 genes correlate with the degree of hypoxia. The HO-1 gene moderate expression might protect tumor cells, but it's over expression would induce the tumor cell injury and apoptosis.
Timely Character Comparison between Different ways of Infectious Disease Report in Chongming County in 2004

[Objective]To compare the effects of 2 ways of disease report,including direct network report by China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention and mailing the report cards of infectious diseases,on timely characters. [Methods]The infectious diseases cards reported by the above 2 ways were inputted into Excel to establish a database,then using SPSS to conducted statistical analysis,and compare the difference of timely characters. [Results] A total of 829 cards were reported through the 2 ways in 2004,the average time of direct network report was 0.39 d,with the timeliness rate of 91.07%; the average time of mailing the report cards was 2.23 d,with the timeliness rate of 54.04%. The difference of timeliness rates between the 2 ways was significant(χ2=285.486,P0.01),and it also existed in hospitals of different levels. [Conclusion]The direct network report has a higher timeliness rate,the grass-roots networks of China Information System for Diseases Control and Prevention should be improved through multiple channels,so as to take advantage of superiority of direct network report in infectious disease control.
Next Generation Rural Natural Resource Governance: A Careful Diagnosis

Achieving “sustainable development” requires the exploitation without diminution of financial capital, manufactured capital, intellectual capital, human capital, social and relationship capital, and (particularly) natural capital. This requires effective natural resource governance, to guide human uses of the earth into sustainable patterns. Agriculture and rural communities are central to sustainable development because among other reasons: agricultural activities typically require natural environments; agriculture is resource dependent and fundamental to society; and rural people are frequently relatively poor. Good rural natural resource governance is thus a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Leveraged Instruments, Their Credit Ratings, and Other Unorthodox Practices

To appreciate the wider impact of the debacle in subprime mortgages it is important to understand the explosion in supply of leveraged financial instruments; also, the negative aftermath of a steady policy of low interest rates and low credit ratings which followed the year 2000 stock market bubble. A combination of these factors saw to it that between 2001 and 2005, the annually issued amount of securitized mortgages of all sorts tripled in terms of dollar value.
NONLINEAR ACOUSTICS AND IMAGING

Nonlinear effects are essential for understanding diagnostic imaging because acoustic propagation in tissues, water, and many biological fluids is inherently nonlinear, and they are even more significant in harmonic imaging, contrast agents, high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU), and acoustic output measurements. The effects of nonlinearity combine and interact with all the other major components of imaging (attenuation, focusing, and signal processing) and cannot be understood in isolation. Nonlinear propagation causes pulse distortion dependent on source amplitude, beamforming, and the type of media, and enhances absorption. Nonlinear propagation at a fundamental frequency results in the formation of harmonic frequencies that can be exploited for imaging. Second harmonic imaging offers benefits in terms of reverberation suppression, better resolution, enhanced contrast, and improved visualization of contrast agents. A number of simulation models offer realistic descriptions of propagation even up to high amplitudes. Unusual nonlinear byproducts include acoustic radiation forces and streaming.
An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Long-Term Mentoring Relationships from the Youth Perspective

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Recommended Citation Jones, Kevin Richard, "An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Long-Term Mentoring Relationships from the Youth Perspective" (2016). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3107.
Engaging and Supporting Children and Families: Technology-Enhanced Services Research

This chapter aims to convey the pathway to and processes by which I conduct research in technology-enhanced service delivery with children and families. I start the chapter by describing my training, with an emphasis on highlighting how a strong foundation in cognitive behavioral practice and clinical work and research with underserved groups led, perhaps unexpectedly, to my current focus on technology as a service-delivery tool with low-income families. After describing the preliminary research base for our ongoing work, I provide a case vignette, one in which I aim to convey a representative or typical family enrolled in our ongoing program of research using technology to engage low-income families of children with early onset disruptive behavior disorders in clinic-based services. Finally, I consider the advantages, as well as disadvantages, to conducting a program of research that rests and depends upon technology. An important caveat in this section is that my experiences are limited to work in a university-based research setting where a primary focus of my research includes an investment in graduate student training and development. With this in mind, I hope that this chapter informs and perhaps even excites graduate students and other trainees entering the field as they consider technology careers in mental health.
U.S. Estimates of Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury: Implications for Clinical Care and Research Planning

Abstract The aim of this study was to provide accurate estimates and characterizations of children with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and for the subset that are appropriate for inclusion in clinical trials. We identified children <18 years of age with SCI International Classifications of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Codes (ICD-9-CM codes) from the 2006, 2009, and 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database. We excluded those with late effects, transfers to other hospitals, unspecified injury levels, and hospital stays <48 h. We then used conventional rationale to identify children who were eligible for SCI clinical trials. Over 3 years, 2484 children had SCI ICD-9-CM codes; 1342 had coding consistent with true SCI and 706 satisfied clinical trial inclusion criteria, yielding national estimates of 2013 and 1062, respectively. Of children with clinical trial eligible SCI, injuries were more common in the cervical region (66.1%), males (65.5%), older children (51.1% were 16–17 years old), and the South (...
Hospital-based screening tools in the identification of non-accidental trauma

Over 700,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect each year in the United States. Effective screening programs that entail broad capture of suspected non-accidental trauma (NAT) may help to identify sentinel injuries. This can facilitate earlier detection and psychosocial interventions in hopes of decreasing recurrent NAT, which confers a higher mortality rate. The purpose of this article is to outline essential components of hospital-based NAT screening tools and highlight existing programs. In general, these tools should include several components: education sessions for healthcare providers on how to identify signs of NAT, automated notes or checklists within the electronic medical record to prompt specialty referrals, and a multidisciplinary team of experts that can address the needs of these children in the acute care setting.
Effect of relative humidity on the deposition and coagulation of aerosolized SiO 2 nanoparticles

Abstract The temporal evolution of aerosolized SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) released into an environmental test chamber has been investigated to interrogate the effect of relative humidity (RH) on the deposition and coagulation of the nanoparticles. The size-resolved deposition rate and Brownian coagulation coefficient for the particles at RH of ~ 10%, 27%, 40%, 54%, and 64% are estimated. The results show that the effect of RH on the deposition rate is size-dependent; for particle diameter (Dp) 70 nm, it grows as the RH rises. Generally, both low and high RH tends to enhance the deposition rate, and the minimum rate appears at moderate RH (~ 54%). Electrostatic repulsion is probable for the inter-particles interaction at the low RH while the surface roughness due to water molecular adsorption is a main reason for the particle-wall interaction at higher RH. The increasing coagulation coefficient at high humidity correlates to the strong inter-particle adhesion, which may be caused by the water molecular adsorption on the hydrophilic surfaces of the SiO 2 NPs due to the formation of nanometer-thick water film. This study suggests that air humidity plays unignorable roles in particle deposition and coagulation.
Carbon lock-in: an obstacle in higher education’s decarbonization pathways

Carbon lock-in describes a force that perpetuates the fossil fuel energy system despite known risks and cost-effective alternatives, a consequence of which is the slow rate of diffusion of low-carbon technologies. Hundreds of higher education institutions publicly commit to carbon neutrality goals, pledging to reduce energy consumption, to invest in renewable energy, and to offset unavoidable carbon emissions, but these conversations sometimes insufficiently address carbon lock-in effects and their associated future costs. To our knowledge, researchers have not applied the concept of carbon lock-in to higher education institutions and their climate commitments. We hypothesize that carbon lock-in effects will present a major obstacle to achieving carbon neutrality and expose these institutions to significant carbon liability, even with aggressive emissions mitigation efforts. Examples of fossil fuel-consuming infrastructure on our own campus and scenario analysis of emissions from eight higher education institutions in Ohio support this hypothesis. We find that carbon offset purchases to eliminate lock-in emissions could cost these institutions tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. Future regulatory penalties could impose similar costs, even on campuses without climate commitments. As a result, campus operations management should carefully consider further investment in carbon-emitting infrastructure, especially at institutions committing to carbon neutrality.
Price differentiated channel switching in a fixed period fast fashion supply chain

Fashion products are characterized by short product life cycles and high market success uncertainty. An unsuccessful product requires multiple price discounts to clear inventory. Fast-fashion retailers use a variety of strategies to counter these uncertainties including: frequently changing collections, quick response sourcing, and data driven channel switching. This paper proposes a switching solution for the Fast Fashion Supply Chain (FFS) of retailers who have preordered an initial or block inventory, and plan to use channel switching as opposed to multiple discounting steps. We consider a retailer which ships product from a central warehouse to store/clearance and outlet channels. The FFS Multi-Channel Switching (MCS) problem then is to monitor market demand data, such that at the optimal period the store inventory is switched to clearance, and the warehouse inventory is switched to the outlet channel. Using a linear projection of the moving average demand trend, we estimate the remaining cycle revenue at any time in the cycle. Channel prices are fixed, and the remaining revenue is a concave function of switching time. Using a set of conditions the objective is further simplified into cases. The Linear Moving Average Trend (LMAT) heuristic prescribes whether a channel switch should be made in the next period. The LMAT was compared with the optimal decision, the No-Switch rule and an intuitive heuristic using a simulation experiment. The LMAT performed well and for most problems provided a solution within 0.4% of the optimal. Confirming the LMAT can readily and effectively be applied to real time decision making in a FFS.
Local sharp maximal functions

In considering the resistance of materials to certain types of deformations, F. John was led to the study of quasi-isometric mappings. The setting is essentially as follows. Let f be a continuous function defined on a cube \(Q_{0} \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}\). Assume that to each subcube Q of Q 0 with sides parallel to those of Q 0 there is assigned a constant c Q and let μ Q be the function of the real variable M given by $$\displaystyle{\mu _{Q}(M) = \frac{\vert \{y \in Q: \vert f(y) - c_{Q}\vert > M\}\vert } {\vert Q\vert } \,.}$$ Let \(\phi (M) =\sup _{Q\subset Q_{0}}\mu _{Q}(M)\), 0 < s < 1∕2, and λ a number such that ϕ(λ) ≤ s. Then under these assumptions $$\displaystyle{\phi (M) \leq Ae^{-BM/\lambda }}$$ holds for all nonnegative M where A, B are universal functions of s and the dimension n. Thus the space of functions of bounded mean oscillation (BMO) was introduced and the John–Nirenberg inequality established [18].
Ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Bleeding complications are associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Compared to Whites, several studies demonstrated a higher risk of bleeding in Asians who present with acute myocardial infarction. To date, the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor in East Asian population have not been well established. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared ticagrelor and clopidogrel in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrial.gov database. Results Three randomized controlled trials, including a total of 1552 patients, met our inclusion criteria. Study countries included Japan, South Korea, and China. All studies defined primary efficacy endpoint and major bleeding events in accordance with the PLATO definition. Ticagrelor was associated with a numerically lower, albeit statistically nonsignificant, risk of primary efficacy endpoint defined as a composite of death from vascular causes, myocardial infarction, or stroke (odds ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval 0.43–1.63; p = 0.60). Ticagrelor was associated with a significantly higher risk of PLATO-defined major bleeding compared to clopidogrel (odds ratio 1.52; 95% confidence interval 1.04–2.23; p = 0.03). Conclusions Our meta-analysis demonstrated that ticagrelor was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding compared to clopidogrel in East Asian patients with ACS. Further studies evaluating the role of ticagrelor in management of ACS in East Asian patients are warranted.
The Anthropological Evidence and Where It Falls

In 1963, two works of lasting importance to contemporary Plato research were published: Havelock’s Preface to Plato and “The Consequences of Literacy” by Goody and Watt.1 The appearance of these studies, though they make no reference to one another’s ancestors, secured classics and anthropology as mates for the foreseeable future. Both claimed that literacy itself had positive consequences for Greek intellectual life (abstraction and analysis became possible, for example); but Plato was viewed differently in the two works. Whereas Havelock treated Plato’s negative remarks about writing in the Phaedrus and Epistle 7 as an “illogical” aberration, Goody and Watt interpreted Plato through the window of just those remarks. But never mind It was a heady time for literacy studies, and it didn’t seem particularly important to anyone that the same conclusion was being derived from contradictory premises. There was another important difference between Havelock (1963) and Goody and Watt (1963) as well: Goody and Watt were making their arguments about full alphabetic literacy in relation to archaic Greece;2 Havelock’s is a far lesser literacy and far later.
Influence of aortic stiffness on ventricular function in patients with Fontan circulation

Abstract Objective Elastic properties of the thoracic aorta are responsible for buffering systemic afterload, and may be particularly important in patients with Fontan circulation, in whom heart failure is a major source of attrition. The purpose of this study was to characterize regional stiffness in the ascending and descending aorta in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and single left ventricle morphology after Fontan operation by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and to assess whether changes in aortic stiffness are associated with the ventricular function. Methods Phase-contrast-derived pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and relative-area change (RAC) were measured in the ascending and descending aorta of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (n = 9), patients with single left ventricle circulation (n = 18), and normal controls (n = 8) by magnetic resonance imaging. Stiffness metrics were then correlated with the ventricular volumetric and functional indices. Results Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome had elevated ascending aortic PWV along with reduced RAC when compared with controls (both P values Conclusions Aortic stiffness is most elevated in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, yet patients with single left ventricle morphology show signs of abnormal stiffness as well in the form of reduced aortic strain. Stiffness indices measured in the ascending aorta were associated with overall ventricular function and measures of aortoventricular coupling in both patient populations.
Theoretical Perspectives from Other Disciplines

In this chapter we present the second half of our thorough interdisciplinary review of the disparate prior literature on external memory and how it interacts with internal memory. Here we gather and review theoretical perspectives from beyond psychology, including disciplines in the sciences, the arts, and the humanities. Disciplines and topics that we cover include philosophy of mind, dynamic systems, personal information management, library and information science, media and cultural studies, photography, collective memory, and anthropology and archaeology. Along the way, we also weave in relevant insights from our own data, reported in Chapters 2, 3 and 4. This review, along with that of Chapter 5, provides solid guideposts for further work on the interplay of internal and external memory.
Maternal effects across life stages: larvae experiencing predation risk increase offspring provisioning

1. Maternal provisioning can reduce offspring vulnerability to predators by promoting offspring growth and eliciting of antipredator behaviours. Mothers perceiving predation risk may improve offspring survival if producing larger, higher‐quality offspring. However, empirical evidence suggests that offspring quality is often reduced, probably reflecting predator‐induced physiological costs, or a selfish maternal strategy aimed at producing more offspring by sacrificing their quality. While perception and impact of predators can vary across the prey's life stage, a majority of studies have focused on understanding how reproductive allocation decisions are influenced by the risk of predation during adulthood. 2. In this study, Leptinotarsa decemlineata beetles were used to examine if the risk of predation during the larval stage: (i) impacts the mother's physiological condition, including body mass and metabolic rate; and (ii) alters maternal allocation of reproductive resources to offspring quantity versus quality. 3. Results revealed that L. decemlineata mothers responded to perceived predation risk by producing clutches with fewer but larger eggs, thus increasing offspring provisioning. Surprisingly, while females that had faced predation risk as larva emerged with a similar body mass to control females, they exhibited lower metabolic rates. 4. Although predation risk in L. decemlineata larvae is known to impair their ability to acquire and maintain energy resources, adult females appeared to ameliorate such costs by improving their metabolic efficiency and by allocating more of their limited reproductive resources to produce fewer but better‐quality offspring.
False-Negative Urine Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Testing in the Clinical Laboratory

Background Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assays are used to detect pregnancy, and urine point-of-care tests are frequently used to triage patients. Under certain conditions, urine tests can fail to detect pregnancy, which can have serious consequences for patient management. Objectives To understand the prevalence of different factors contributing to false-negative urinary hCG testing results at our institution. Methods Clinical data for patients with negative urine hCG results and subsequent positive or equivocal serum hCG results within a 1-year period were reviewed. Results Out of 9447 negative urine hCG results, 11 potential missed diagnoses were identified, with early gestational age as the most common factor, followed by β-core hook effects. Conclusions Although false-negative urine hCG test results are rare, understanding the commonly encountered reasons for inaccurate testing results can help clinical centers develop strategies to minimize risk for patients.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction is Associated With an Immune Paralysis Phenotype in Pediatric Sepsis.

OBJECTIVE Immune dysregulation is a defining feature of sepsis, but the role for mitochondria in the development of immunoparalysis in pediatric sepsis is not known. We sought to determine if mitochondrial dysfunction measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is associated with immunoparalysis and systemic inflammation in children with sepsis. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Single-academic pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). PATIENTS One hundred sixty-one children with sepsis/septic shock and 18 noninfected PICU controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mitochondrial respiration in PBMCs, markers of immune function, and plasma cytokines were measured on days 1 to 2 (T1), 3 to 5 (T2), and 8 to 14 (T3) after sepsis recognition, and once for controls. Immunoparalysis was defined as whole-blood ex vivo lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) ≤200 pg/mL or monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR ≤30%. Mitochondrial respiration was lower in children with versus without immunoparalysis measured at the same timepoint. Mitochondrial respiration measured early (at T1 and T2) was also lower in those with immunoparalysis at T2 and T3, respectively. Although most patients with immunoparalysis exhibited low mitochondrial respiration, this metabolic finding was not specific to the immunoparalysis phenotype. Plasma cytokines, including IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, and MCP-1, were highest in the subset of sepsis patients with immune paralysis or low mitochondrial respiration at T1. CONCLUSIONS Children with sepsis had lower PBMC mitochondrial respiration when immunoparalysis was present compared with those without immunoparalysis. The subsets with immune paralysis and low mitochondrial respiration exhibited the highest levels of systemic inflammation.
Chapter 45 – Intracranial Schwannomas

Intracranial schwannomas cause morbidity and mortality because of their association with cranial nerves, predominantly the eighth cranial nerve. Hearing loss, tinnitus, facial paralysis, paresthesia, dysphagia, brain-stem compression, and death can result. Current imaging techniques, genetic diagnosis, and standard and novel treatment options are all important tools that the treating physician will find useful in managing these tumors.
TrkB agonists prevent postischemic emergence of refractory neonatal seizures in mice

Refractory neonatal seizures do not respond to first-line antiseizure medications like phenobarbital (PB), a positive allosteric modulator for GABAA receptors. GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition is dependent upon electroneutral cation-chloride transporter KCC2, which mediates neuronal chloride extrusion and its age-dependent increase and postnatally shifts GABAergic signaling from depolarizing to hyperpolarizing. Brain-derived neurotropic factor-tyrosine receptor kinase B activation (BDNF-TrkB activation) after excitotoxic injury recruits downstream targets like PLCγ1, leading to KCC2 hypofunction. Here, the antiseizure efficacy of TrkB agonists LM22A-4, HIOC, and deoxygedunin (DG) on PB-refractory seizures and postischemic TrkB pathway activation was investigated in a mouse model (CD-1, P7) of refractory neonatal seizures. LM, a BDNF loop II mimetic, rescued PB-refractory seizures in a sexually dimorphic manner. Efficacy was associated with a substantial reduction in the postischemic phosphorylation of TrkB at Y816, a site known to mediate postischemic KCC2 hypofunction via PLCγ1 activation. LM rescued ischemia-induced phospho-KCC2-S940 dephosphorylation, preserving its membrane stability. Full TrkB agonists HIOC and DG similarly rescued PB refractoriness. Chemogenetic inactivation of TrkB substantially reduced postischemic neonatal seizure burdens at P7. Sex differences identified in developmental expression profiles of TrkB and KCC2 may underlie the sexually dimorphic efficacy of LM. These results support a potentially novel role for the TrkB receptor in the emergence of age-dependent refractory neonatal seizures.
Aberrant DJ-1 expression underlies L-type calcium channel hypoactivity in tuberous sclerosis complex and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (L-VDCC) integrate synaptic signals to facilitate a plethora of cellular mechanisms. L-VDCC dysfunction is implicated in several neurological and psychiatric diseases. Despite their importance, signals upstream of L-VDCC activity that regulate their channel density, however, are poorly defined. In disease models with overactive mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling (or mTORopathies), including tuberous sclerosis (TS) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we report a novel mechanism downstream of mTORC1 signaling that results in a deficit in dendritic L-VDCC activity. Deficits in L-VDCC activity are associated with increased expression of the mTORC1-regulated RNA-binding protein DJ-1. DJ-1 binds the mRNA coding the auxiliary Ca2+ channel subunit α2δ2 responsible for shuttling L-VDCC to the membrane and represses its expression. Moreover, this novel DJ-1/α2δ2/L-VDCC pathway is disrupted in human AD and preclinical models of AD and TS. Our discovery that DJ-1 directs L-VDCC activity and L-VDCC-associated protein α2δ2 at the synapse suggests that DJ-1/α2δ2/L-VDCC is a common, fundamental pathway disrupted in TS and AD that can be targeted in clinical mTORopathies. Significance Statement Many neurological disorders share symptoms, despite disparity among diseases. Treatments are prescribed based on diagnosis rather than individual symptoms. While only treating symptoms may obscure the disease, mechanism-based drug development allows the two approaches to converge. Hub proteins, those that coordinate the expression of proteins that mediate specific cellular functions, may be dysregulated across a broad range of disorders. Herein, we show that the RNA-binding protein DJ-1 controls the activity of L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (L-VDCC), via the expression of its auxiliary subunit alpha2delta2 (α2δ2). Importantly, we demonstrate that this novel DJ-1/α2δ2/L-VDCC pathway is commonly disrupted among neurological disorders, namely Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Tuberous Sclerosis (TS). Collectively, these data rationalize mechanism-based drug therapy to treat disease.
Are Organoids Ready for Prime Time

Innovations in organoid-based models of human tissues have made them an exciting experimental platform for studying development and disease. However, these models require systematic benchmarking against primary tissue to establish their value. We discuss key parameters that impact the utility of organoid models, primarily focusing on cerebral organoids as examples.
Validation of Transvaginal Hysterectomy Surgical Model - Modification of the Flowerpot Model to Improve Vesicovaginal Plane Simulation.

ABSTRACT Study Objective To establish face and construct validity for a novel variation of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology “Flowerpot Model” for transvaginal hysterectomy (TVH) surgical simulation with improved vesicovaginal dissection during surgical education simulation. Design Cross-sectional face and construct validation study using the “Flowerpot Model.” The vesicovaginal dissection plane was modified to include additional felt and balloon materials to simulate the bladder. Setting Single academic center. Participants Fourteen residents and fellows, postgraduate year (PGY) 2 to 6, subdivided into junior (n = 8) with ≤10 prior TVH surgeries and senior groups (n = 6) with >10 prior TVH surgeries performed. Interventions All subjects watched a brief introductory video and then were filmed simulating a TVH. Measurements and Main Results For face validity, subjects completed an anatomic checklist and pre/post simulation satisfaction survey. For construct validation, 2 independent, blinded expert surgeons (M.A. and J.M.) graded films using the Global Rating Scale of Operative Performance (GRS). Primary outcome was mean GRS between groups. The junior group consisted of PGY 2 to 3 with ≤ 10 prior TVH, median 7.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 6.75) and senior group PGY 3 to 6 with >10 TVH, median 19 (IQR 10) (p Conclusion Face and construct validity with the modified Flowerpot Model was demonstrated. This low fidelity model is capable of simulation of a TVH with a novel vesicovaginal dissection. Prior surgical experience was not correlated to GRS score or time to procedure completion.
Parties, Powersharing, and Violence in Nigeria: The Failure of Institutional Design

If the 2011 Nigerian elections were, as some observers have noted, the most procedurally credible since 1999, why were they also the most violent? The bulk of the violence was centered in Nigeria's northern states, where dissatisfaction with the PDPs choice to zone the presidential slot to a southern incumbent boiled over into attacks on citizens, elites, and institutions seen as supporting PDP and southern interests despite the fact that many protesters readily supported PDP candidates in state and local elections. Scholars have long argued that for good or bad, formal and informal balancing mechanisms play a crucial role in shaping Nigeria's democratic trajectory, recognizing it as a regional and international innovator in designing institutions to accommodate its diversity. Yet even when such arrangements succed in creating stability and cooperation at the level of elite politics, they rarely produce the same from below. Grounded in a comparative perspective on the challenge of crafting meaningful powersharing arrangements in states with long histories of neopatrimonial politics, this paper argues that the institutional design approach to democracy in Nigeria has failed (and will continue to fail) to produce legitimate democratic outcomes, and offers several possible paths forward.
Adult spiny mice (Acomys) exhibit endogenous cardiac recovery in response to myocardial infarction

Complex tissue regeneration is extremely rare among adult mammals. An exception, however, is the superior tissue healing of multiple organs in spiny mice (Acomys). While Acomys species exhibit the remarkable ability to heal complex tissue with minimal scarring, little is known about their cardiac structure and response to cardiac injury. In this study, we first examined baseline Acomys cardiac anatomy and function in comparison with the commonly used laboratory Mus strains (C57BL6 and SWR). Our results demonstrated comparable cardiac anatomy and function between Acomys and Mus, but Acomys exhibited a higher percentage of cardiomyocytes exhibiting immature characteristics. In response to myocardial infarction, all animals experienced a comparable level of initial cardiac damage. However, Acomys demonstrated superior ischemic tolerance and cytoprotection in response to injury as evidenced by cardiac functional stabilization, higher survival rate and smaller scar size 50 days after injury compared to the inbred and outbred mouse strains. Overall, these findings demonstrate augmented myocardial preservation in spiny mice post-MI and establish Acomys as a new adult mammalian model for cardiac research.
Cervical schwannoma with acute worsening and intratumoral hemorrhage.

Background Primary spinal tumors are rare and include schwannomas. In the cervical region, these lesions can cause pain, radiculopathy, and/or myelopathy. Case description A 53-year-old male presented with 9 months of chronic neck pain and left upper extremity radiculopathy/myelopathy. The MRI revealed an intradural extramedullary C6-C7 left-sided mass with foraminal extension. Following a C5-C7 laminectomy with C5-T2 instrumented fusion, the diagnosis of schwannoma with evidence of recent hemorrhage was confirmed by biopsy. Three weeks postoperatively, the patient was pain free, no longer taking opioids, and neurologically intact. Although the MRI 6 months later showed no tumor, the MRI 15 months later documented a recurrent enhancing C6-C7 lesion. The patient elected to be treated with external beam radiotherapy and remained asymptomatic. Conclusion A 53-year-old underwent resection of a cervical C6-C7 schwannoma with intratumoral hemorrhage. Fifteen months following C5-C7 laminectomy with C5-T2 fusion, the tumor recurred and required external beam radiation therapy.
Active intrinsic conductances in recurrent networks allow for long-lasting transients and sustained activity with realistic firing rates as well as robust plasticity.

Recurrent neural networks of spiking neurons can exhibit long lasting and even persistent activity. Such networks are often not robust and exhibit spike and firing rate statistics that are inconsistent with experimental observations. In order to overcome this problem most previous models had to assume that recurrent connections are dominated by slower NMDA type excitatory receptors. Usually, the single neurons within these networks are very simple leaky integrate and fire neurons or other low dimensional model neurons. However real neurons are much more complex, and exhibit a plethora of active conductances which are recruited both at the sub and supra threshold regimes. Here we show that by including a small number of additional active conductances we can produce recurrent networks that are both more robust and exhibit firing-rate statistics that are more consistent with experimental results. We show that this holds both for bi-stable recurrent networks, which are thought to underlie working memory and for slowly decaying networks which might underlie the estimation of interval timing. We also show that by including these conductances, such networks can be trained to using a simple learning rule to predict temporal intervals that are an order of magnitude larger than those that can be trained in networks of leaky integrate and fire neurons
Justice Kennedy, Federalism and the Non-Production of Rhetorical Knowledge

There are certain areas of the law where even Justice Scalia has acknowledged that we cannot be governed by rules alone. Justice Scalia identified torts as such an area. I think Justice Kennedy correctly identified federalism as another. The absence of formal rules in an area of law does not need to mean there cannot be principled guidance given, it just means that the guidance needs to be given through a more flexible discursive practice. We have a sense of what the law of torts demands of us even if the reasonable person does not provide us with clear rules. In considering how to resolve thorny questions involving federalism, Justice Kennedy was drawn to the notion of achieving a balance between federal and state power. And, in at least one important area of federalism jurisprudence (the proportionality test from Boerne), Kennedy did successfully establish a rule of proportionality. Nevertheless, most of Kennedy’s efforts at importing a type of proportionality analysis failed and, even where such an analysis was formally adopted, it has been applied in a wooden manner more reminiscent of a rule. In this chapter, I consider these failures. I argue that Kennedy was correct to believe that a vibrant federalism jurisprudence requires a proportionality analysis and, further, that such an analysis can be done in a principled manner that provides substantial guidance to judges, policymakers and citizens. Because I believe the underlying the conception was sound, I diagnose the problem as relating to its execution. The successful application of a standard like proportionality requires sustained thoughtful public engagement through time. Alas, most of the other justices, and even Justice Kennedy himself, did not participate in such a discourse, even in the cases trying to apply Boerne’s proportionality test. This failure was not necessary. The constitutional courts of other nations, and even our own, do apply proportionality type tests satisfactorily and one day our courts may do so as to federalism, following on the hints, if not the practice, of Justice Kennedy.
Defining Your Market: Winning Strategies for High-Tech, Industrial, and Service Firms

Contents Preface * Acknowledgments * Part 1: Defining Business Markets: A Primer * Market Definition: An Overview * Defining Markets: Key Concepts * Part II: Market Definition: Research Findings * Five Critical Market Definition Dimensions * Customer- and Competitive-Based Market Definitions * Defining and Segmenting Business Markets * Market Redefinition Guidelines * Market Strategies and Performance * Part III: Market Definition: Finding Strategic Advantage * Defining Markets: A Three-Stage Framework * Defining Markets: Implications for Management * Market Definition and Redefinition: Reprise * Part IV: Case Studies * Market Definition Case Study 1: The U.S. Newspaper Industry * Market Definition Case Study 2: Sportmed * Part V: Appendixes * Appendix A: Sample Profile * Appendix B: Market Definition Survey * Notes * Index
Streptomycin Biosynthesis and Metabolism PHOSPHATE TRANSFER FROM DIHYDROSTREPTOMYCIN 6-PHOSPHATE TO INOSAMINES, STREPTAMINE, AND 2-DEOXYSTREPTAMINE

Abstract A number of novel monophosphorylated aminocyclitol derivatives have been prepared enzymatically, utilizing the phosphotransferase activity of enzyme preparations containing streptomycin 6-phosphate phosphatase, an enzyme believed to catalyze the final step in the biosynthesis of streptomycin by Streptomyces. Aminodeoxyinositols, streptamine (1,3-diamino-1,3-dideoxy-scyllo-inositol), and 2-deoxystreptamine, at concentrations in the millimolar range, compete effectively with 55 m water for phosphate transferred by these enzyme preparations from either dihydrostreptomycin 6-[32P]phosphate or p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Phosphate is preferentially esterified by action of streptomycin 6-phosphate phosphatase preparations with hydroxyl groups ortho to amino groups of aminocyclitol acceptors; in contrast, ATP:aminocyclitol kinase phosphorylates hydroxyl groups para to specific amino groups of its aminocyclitol substrates. One of the several phosphorylated streptamine isomers formed by action of streptomycin 6-phosphate phosphatase preparations on streptamine appears to be identical with the product formed by action of ATP:aminocyclitol kinase on streptamine, 1l-1,3-diamino-1,3-dideoxy-scyllo-inositol 4-phosphate, as judged by ability of both reaction products to act as substrates for l-arginine:aminocyclitol 4-phosphate amidinotransferase. Analogous results were obtained with 2-deoxystreptamine. This occurs because in streptamine and 2-deoxystreptamine a phosphate group ortho to one amino group can be para to the other amino group. None of the phosphorylated aminodeoxy-scyllo-inositol isomers formed by action of streptomycin 6-phosphate phosphatase preparations was a substrate for aminocyclitol 4-phosphate amidinotransferase. These results support our structural assignments for phosphorylated intermediates in the biosynthesis of the streptidine moiety of streptomycin.
Computational models for distributed multimedia applications

The paper surveys recent work on abstractions for distributed multimedia applications. The essential questions are: How can multimedia applications express their computational requirements with respect to the data and its processing? What is the role of time and quality of service? What tasks should be delegated to a multimedia system's layer being an extension of the operating system and how could data handling multimedia applications work with such a layer? We discuss these issues reviewing several systems and architectures that have been proposed.
Oxygen Reduction Reaction Kinetics of SO2-Contaminated Pt3Co and Pt/Vulcan Carbon Electrocatalysts

Sulfur dioxide, SO2, is a common impurity in air that is known to deactivate electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction ORR at proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathodes. The SO2 poisoning of a Vulcan-carbon-supported platinum cobalt alloy Pt3Co/VC is compared to that of a standard platinum Pt/VC electrocatalyst using cyclic voltammetry CV and rotating ring-disk electrode RRDE methodology at controlled concentrations of SIV in an oxygen-free solution. The CV and RRDE measurements show that for electrodes with the same Pt loading, the Pt3Co/VC is two times more active than the Pt/VC. Upon exposure to SIV solutions, the Pt3Co/VC nanoparticle electrocatalysts are more poisoned than the Pt/VC ones, and their initial sulfur coverage is higher. The poisoning of both catalysts is accompanied by an increase in the amount of H2O2 production, as adsorbed sulfur species inhibit the four-electron ORR. The Pt3Co/VC electrocatalyst loses 80% activity in a 0.0001 M SIV compared to a 30% loss by the Pt/VC electrocatalysts. The adsorbed sulfur species are more easily removed from the Pt3Co/VC than the Pt/VC by potential cycling, implying a weaker bonding between S x species and Pt3Co/VC. We conclude that Pt3Co is
Progress in development of the low-power wireless multiple temperature sensor pole for pesticide, agriculture, and mosquito research

This paper introduces the development progress of a wireless multiple temperature sensor pole. It can be applicable to pesticide, agriculture, and mosquito research. Monitoring multiple soil and air temperatures at different heights and depths can provide useful data to various fields of study and research. The proposed wireless multiple temperature sensor pole can measure four temperatures that are two air temperatures and two soil temperatures at different heights and depths. The wireless temperature sensor pole is about 10 feet tall with a 3.3-feet distance between temperature sensors. The temperature sensor pole electronic device incudes four temperature sensors and a 2.4-GHz wireless module. The measured data can be processed by a custom Windows application. The data can be accessed through PC and mobile internet browsers and an android application. Measurements in the field using five temperature sensor poles were carried out. The measurement results provide useful information for pesticide, agriculture, and mosquito research areas.
Sporulation and Heat Resistance of Bacillus stearothermophilus Spores Produced in Chemically Defined Media

The effect of amino acids on sporulation is discussed. Heat-resistant spores were produced in a chemically defined medium.