cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myeloid cell sirtuin-1 expression does not alter host immune responses to Gram-negative endotoxemia or Gram-positive bacterial infection.

The role of sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in innate immunity, and in particular the influence of SIRT1 on antimicrobial defense against infection, has yet to be reported but is important to define since SIRT1 inhibitors are being investigated as therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer, Huntington’s disease, and autoimmune diseases. Given the therapeutic potential of SIRT1 suppression, we sought to characterize the role of SIRT1 in host defense. Utilizing both pharmacologic methods and a genetic knockout, we demonstrate that SIRT1 expression has little influence on macrophage and neutrophil antimicrobial functions. Myeloid SIRT1 expression does not change mortality in gramnegative toxin-induced shock or gram-positive bacteremia, suggesting that therapeutic suppression of SIRT1 may be done safely without suppression of myeloid cell-specific immune responses to severe bacterial infections.
Linguistic Fieldwork and IRB Human Subjects Protocols

Linguistic fieldwork generally requires an approved protocol from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). A carefully-prepared protocol – in addition to being a useful planning tool – is likely to secure IRB approval since most fieldwork plans are well within the purview of federal human subjects regulations. This paper reviews the development of the current IRB system and its shortcomings with respect to social science research generally. The notion of a ‘fieldwork problem’ and IRB reviews is then explored with a discussion of the areas that should be addressed with particular care in fieldwork proposals. This is followed by a description of the Linguistic Data Consortium's IRB experience as an example of how linguists can approach the IRB process for a protocol that meets federal requirements and serves research goals. The final section contains a list of IRB resources for linguists available online.
Recognition of a highly conserved region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp120 by an HLA-Cw4-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte clone

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates exhibit extensive sequence variation, particularly in the gp120 subunit of the envelope glycoprotein, and the degree of this variation has raised questions as to whether conserved regions of the HIV-1 envelope can be recognized by the host immune response. A CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clone specific for the HIV-1 envelope was derived by culturing peripheral blood mononuclear cells from an HIV-1 seropositive subject in the presence of a CD3-specific monoclonal antibody, interleukin-2, and irradiated allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Lysis of target cells was restricted by an HLA-C molecule, Cw4, which has not been previously shown to present viral antigen to CTL. Mapping of the specificity of this CTL clone by using synthetic HIV-1 peptides localized the epitope to an 8-amino-acid region of gp120 (amino acids 376 to 383) which is conserved among approximately 90% of sequenced viral isolates. Examination of the recognition of variant peptides by this CTL clone demonstrated that a single, nonconservative amino acid substitution within the 8-amino-acid minimal epitope could abrogate lysis of targets incubated with the variant peptide. The identification of a CTL epitope in a highly conserved region of gp120 documents the ability of cellular immune responses of infected persons to respond to relatively invariant portions of this highly variable envelope glycoprotein. However, the ability of even a single-amino-acid change in gp120 to abolish lysis by CTL supports the hypothesis that sequence variation in HIV-1 may serve as a mechanism of immune escape. In addition, the identification of an HLA-C molecule presenting viral antigen to CTL supports a functional role for these molecules.
Educational intervention to reduce inappropriate transthoracic echocardiograms: the need for sustained intervention.

Background We previously demonstrated that an Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC)-based educational intervention reduced inappropriate transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) on an inpatient medical service. Whether improved TTE ordering is sustained after discontinuation of the intervention is unknown. Methods We conducted a prospective, time series analysis of an educational intervention designed to reduce inappropriate TTE. Ordering patterns during the intervention were compared with a preintervention control period and a postintervention period. The goal of the present analysis was to determine the TTE ordering patterns after discontinuation of the educational intervention. The primary outcome was the proportion of inappropriate TTEs. Results Using the 2011 AUC 99.2% of all TTEs were classifiable. Compared to the control, there was a 26% reduction in the number of TTEs ordered per day during the intervention (3.9 vs. 2.9 TTEs, P < 0.001), but no significant difference between the intervention and postintervention periods (2.9 vs. 3.1, P = 0.23). The intervention produced a decrease in the inappropriate TTE rate and an increase in the appropriate TTE rate. Compared to the intervention, in the postintervention period the rate of inappropriate TTEs increased (5% vs. 11%, P = 0.01) and appropriate TTEs decreased (93% vs. 86%, P = 0.008). The postintervention rate of inappropriate TTEs was similar to the preintervention control period (11% vs. 13%, P = 0.23). Conclusions Following completion of an AUC-based educational intervention the proportion of inappropriate TTEs increased to the preintervention level. The long-term success of an intervention designed to improve appropriate utilization of TTE requires a sustained effort of education and feedback.
Pharmacogenetics of N‐methylation: Heritability of human erythrocyte histamine N‐methyltransferase activity

Histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) catalyzes the N tau-methylation of histamine. HNMT is present in many human tissues, including the red blood cell (RBC). Our study evaluated the possible role of inheritance in the regulation of individual variations in human RBC HNMT activity. HNMT activity was measured in RBC lysates from 241 members of 51 nuclear families. After correction for the gender-specific effects of age, the frequency distribution of RBC HNMT activities was unimodal, and activities varied threefold within 2 SDs of the mean. The correlation of HNMT activities in RBCs from 45 pairs of spouses was only 0.070, indicating that shared environment did not result in similar activities among genetically unrelated individuals. Correlation coefficients were also calculated for pairs of genetically related individuals. All of these correlations were significant except the mother-oldest son correlation. The majority of the correlations did not differ significantly from those predicted for a trait with a heritability of 1.0 (100%). Our results demonstrate a significant familial aggregation of human RBC HNMT activity and suggest that inheritance may play an important role in the regulation of variation in the activity of this N-methyltransferase enzyme in the human RBC.
Incommensurately Modulated Polar Structures in Antiferroelectric Sn‐Modified Lead Zirconate Titanate: The Modulated Structure and Its Influences on Electrically Induced Polarizations and Strains

Tin-modified lead zirconate titanate ceramics, Pb(0.99)Nb0.02-[(Zr0.55Sn0.45)0.98Tiy]O3 (PZST 45/y/2), have been studied by hot-stage transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dielectric spectroscopy, Sawyer-Tower polarization (P—E) measurements, and electrically induced strain (e-E) techniques. The compositional range chosen for investigation was 0 < y < 0.09. Electron diffraction confirmed the existence of 1/x〈110〉 superlattice reflections in the previously designated antiferroelectric tetragonal state. For PZST 45/0/2, the room-temperature modulated structure was found to be commensurate with the lattice and isomorphous with the antiferroelectric orthorhombic phase of PbZrO3. With increasing Ti content, the modulation wavelength (λ) increased and became incommensurate. At high temperatures, λ was found to be incommensurate for all compositions. A model is discussed which suggests that the origin of incommensuration is due to a competition between anti-ferroelectric and ferroelectric tendencies. P—E studies revealed antiferroelectric-ferroelectric (AFE—FE) polarization curves which possessed no hysteresis in the incommensurate region, indicating a thermally reversible AFE—FE transformation. On cooling, strong hysteresis developed as the incommensurate structure became metastably locked. Investigations then revealed that the electrically induced strain associated with the AFE—FE transformation was not realized until field strengths were attained significantly above that required for polarization saturation. It is believed that the electrically induced strain is decoupled from the polarization due to AFE—FE switching by the field modulation of the incommensurately modulated polar structure.
Syringomyelia presenting as ulnar neuropathy at the elbow

Abstract Objectives : Syringomyelia may present with confusing, unilateral patterns of segmental muscle involvement and dissociated sensory loss. The objective of this study was to report a patient with Chiari malformation type 1 (CM1) and syringomyelia who had an unusual presentation suggesting ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. Results : A 24-year-old woman presented with clinical evidence of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow except that there was disproportionate abductor digiti mini (ADM) atrophy and weakness, equivocal ipsilateral abductor pollicis brevis weakness and hyporeflexia in both arms. Nerve conduction studies revealed marked amplitude reduction of the left ulnar ADM-compound muscle action potential (ADM-CMAP) with a normal first dorsal interosseous-CMAP amplitude, no focal slowing or conduction block, and a normal ulnar sensory response amplitude. Electromyography (EMG) showed multi-segmental, left C7-T1 fibrillations and chronic reinnervation changes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine demonstrated CM1 and syringomyelia. Conclusions : Syringomyelia may clinically mimic ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.
Potential clinical impact of positive affect in robot interactions for autism intervention

While interactive technologies frequently are designed to be enjoyable, there are particular reasons to prioritize this for technologies intended to support autism interventions. Most broadly, enjoyment of activities or materials used in interventions has been associated with heightened improvements in the behaviors targeted by the interventions. In the largest group study to date of school-aged children with high-functioning autism (N=24), we present evidence of more positive affect elicited with a robot than with an adult, during matched triadic interactions designed to facilitate social and conversational interaction with a clinician. Robot-mediated increases in positive affect were found to be associated with production of spoken language directed to the clinician during robot interaction. We further found that robot-mediated increases in positive affect were associated with greater autism severity, particularly in the social affect domain, and with lower nonverbal IQ. Our findings suggest that robots may have a unique advantage in interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders by eliciting more positive affect, and that we should explore robot support for interventions with lower-functioning, affected individuals.
Specific Endocrinopathies and Male Infertility

Infertility in men is a relatively common condition. At the heart of the ­medical evaluation of the male partner in an infertile couple is the history and physical examination. The endocrine evaluation is an equally important and essential part of the infertility evaluation. Although specific endocrine causes of male factor infertility are uncommon, the knowledge obtained from the evaluation plays a crucial role in not only the treatment of infertility but also the overall health of the male partner. In this chapter, we will discuss rare but important endocrine abnormalities such as fertile eunuch syndrome, estrogen excess, isolated FSH deficiency, thyroid disorders, androgen secreting tumors, and hyperprolactinemia that contribute to male factor infertility.
TrustMR: Computation integrity assurance system for MapReduce

Data and computation integrity is the major concerns for the users of MapReduce systems. Most production-level MapReduce system optimistically assume that all nodes are trustworthy. Yet, even one compromised node can corrupt the integrity of final results generated by the computation. In the literature, this problem is addressed by many different approaches, where some of them proposed to use specialpropose hardware by losing the ability to work with commodity machines, some others proposed to inject watermarking patterns by targeting only particular datasets and jobs, and others replicated the whole jobs by incurring huge overheads. In this paper, we propose a new replication-based method, which can achieve very high attack detection rates (e.g., 99.99%) while incurring only one fifth (20%) of the overhead incurred by the other competitive approaches. The method is based on the decomposition of MapReduce computation into smaller pieces (i.e., intermediate result production). A subset of these pieces are selectively generated in the replicated tasks, and this significantly reduces the network transfer of the replicated tasks. Our empirical results show that relatively small number of replicated intermediate results can provide high detection rate while considerably reducing the overhead of replication.
A seven-year intervention to diffuse economic innovations with safety benefits to Wisconsin dairy farmers.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a targeted information dissemination campaign to persuade agricultural managers to adopt more profitable practices that reduce injury hazards compared to traditional practices. The project disseminated information to northeast Wisconsin dairy managers about three production practices that were more profitable and had safety benefits (barn lights, silage bags, and calf feed mixing sites) using information sources that these managers were known to rely on. The project prospectively evaluated rolling, independent, community-based, probability samples (a different group of operations each year) at baseline and after each of seven intervention years. The project also evaluated comparison samples from either Maryland or New York dairy operations after intervention years two through seven. In baseline versus year seven comparisons, the Wisconsin dairy managers reported getting more information about the three practices. Compared to New York managers, Wisconsin managers reported getting more information after year seven about the three practices. Among Wisconsin managers, intervention year was associated with increased adoption of all three practices. Compared to New York managers, Wisconsin managers were more likely to report adopting two of the three practices after year seven. A targeted campaign that disseminated information to managers through traditional channels was associated with increases in manager reports of getting information about, being aware of and adopting profit-enhancing work practices with safety benefits in a high-hazard industry. Language: en
Lower Eyelid Reconstruction after Basal Cell Carcinoma Removal - A Decision Management Tool

Purpose: To describe the clinical features in patients presenting with a primary basal cell carcinoma (BCC) involving the lower lid and/or adjacent inferior periocular area, and present simple surgical guidelines for reconstruction based on the lesion location and size. Design: Retrospective observational case series. Methods: This is an institutional, observational study involving 64 patients with a single primary BCC affecting the lower eyelid +/- adjacent periocular area. We included only adults who underwent primary surgical excision of the tumor with margin control. We excluded all patients with prior history of an eyelid malignancy, recurrent tumors, and invasive disease beyond the orbital septum. Results: Small-moderate full-thickness defects ( 25mm) had a complex reconstruction, and all used a Mustarde cheek rotational flap for the anterior lamella. The posterior lamella was reconstructed with: a tarso-conjunctival graft from the upper lid +/- a chondro-mucosal graft from nasal septum +/- a periosteal flap. Lesions in the medial periocular area (not involving the full-thickness eyelid) were repaired with a bilobed or rhomboid myocutaneous flap +/- an island advancement flap from the nasojugal area. Conclusions: Our goal is to provide a basic framework for pre and intra-operative decision making that leads to successful functional and aesthetic appearance after lower eyelid reconstruction after basal cell carcinoma removal.
Student-created musical as a community of practice: a case study

Research on the improvement of learning shifted from a focus on the learner as individual to the concept of sociocultural learning in communities of learning, communities of practice or learning cultures during the 1990s. A similar shift in the focus of the development of a single construct of individual musical creativity to socially situated multiple creativities challenges traditional conceptions of music creation, performance and education. This study examines a qualitative case study of a student-created extra-curricular musical production for evidence of a community of practice and concurrent development of musical creativities. The professional orientation of the production connects the interactions and structures to a model of a community of practice using the dimensions of mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoire. Students described and demonstrated creative skills derived from both curricular and teacher-led extra-curricular experiences in instrumental and choral music, acting, ...
The Network of Causality and Its Implications for Event Predictability

I develop a computational model to characterize events based on the network of causal relationships among their precursors. Through simulations, I show that the structural signatures of those causal relationships can inform forecasters about the predictability of the event in question. The results of this study suggest that forecasters can assess the predictability of an event without having to rely on historical data or statistical comparisons. I also examine several common sources of forecasting mechanism imperfections and demonstrate how different types of imperfections may be more serious or less serious in terms of compromising forecast accuracy depending on the structural signatures of the event in question.
Prophets of Resistance: Social Justice Activists Contesting Comfortable Church Culture

Religious social justice activist groups strive to develop cultural commitments for sustained activism within congregations. Existing research explains the political and organizational challenges they encounter and hints at corresponding struggles over church culture, but these cultural conflicts have not been fully explained. This paper shows that in attempts to build cultural commitments to activism, faith-based community organizing (FBCO) leaders consciously contest congregational cultures rooted in individualistic orientations to religious commitment. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I demonstrate that clergy and lay leaders in FBCO coalitions seek to problematize and displace a comfortable church culture, which extends individualistic religious commitments and individualistic orientations to social problems and thus hinders the cultural appeal of social justice activism in many religious communities. I analyze efforts to replace this comfortable church culture with a culture that encourages activism, and I argue that this struggle reveals a discursive conflict between competing visions of religious life.
Occurrence and prognostic significance of cytogenetic evolution in patients with multiple myeloma

Cytogenetic evaluation at the time of diagnosis is essential for risk stratification in multiple myeloma, however little is known about the occurrence and prognostic significance of cytogenetic evolution during follow-up. We studied 989 patients with multiple myeloma, including 304 patients with at least two cytogenetic evaluations. Multivariable-adjusted regression models were used to assess the associations between the parameters of interest and cytogenetic evolution as well as overall survival. The prognostic significance of baseline cytogenetic abnormalities was most pronounced at the time of diagnosis and attenuated over time. In the patients with serial cytogenetic evaluations, the presence of t(11;14) at the time of diagnosis was associated with decreased odds of cytogenetic evolution during follow-up (odds ratio (OR)=0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.09–0.56, P=0.001), while the presence of at least one trisomy or tetrasomy was associated with increased odds (OR=2.96, 95% CI=1.37–6.42, P=0.006). The development of additional abnormalities during the 3 years following diagnosis was associated with increased subsequent mortality (hazard ratio=3.31, 95% CI=1.73–6.30, P<0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of the underlying clonal disease process for risk assessment and suggest that selected patients may benefit from repeated risk stratification.
Mass Culturing the Microhymenopteran Parasite Spalangia Endius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

A procedure is described for mass culturing the microhymenopteran parasite Spalangia endius Walker. This sequence, when followed daily, insures the production of about 1,000,000 parasites/colony cage per 7 days.
Verapamil protects against progression of experimental chronic renal failure

Verapamil protects against progression of experimental chronic renal failure. Chronic administration of verapamil (Ver) decreases nephrocalcinosis and tubular ultrastructural abnormalities in the remnant model of chronic renal disease. In the present study, the effect of chronic Ver administration on renal function, renal histology and mortality after subtotal nephrectomy was examined. Fourteen days after staged subtotal nephrectomy rats were paired according to renal functional impairment, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and body weight. Rats were pair fed and received either Ver (0.1 µg/g sc bid, N=10) or saline (0.1ml sc bid, N=10) for up to 23 weeks. Both members of each pair were sacrificed shortly before the uremic death of controls. At sacrifice, rats treated with Ver had a lower serum creatinine (2.29 vs. 2.99 mg/dl, P
A culturally-sensitive model of the development of child anxiety.

A CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE MODEL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILD ANXIETY Jenny M. Petrie September 15, 2015 Explanatory models significantly enhance the understanding of etiological influences that place children at risk for anxiety, yet little is known about processes that promote resilient outcomes in children. While contextual factors influence risk and protective processes, cultural constructs have not been incorporated into existing models of anxiety and the role of culture remains obscure. The current study proposes a culturally sensitive model for understanding the etiological and mitigating processes underlying anxious symptoms in ethnic minority youth, and preliminarily tests basic components of the proposed model within a non-clinical community sample of 49 African American (AA) parent-child dyads who completed selfreport questionnaires. First, the hypothesis that parental anxious symptoms would be significantly and positively associated with child anxious symptoms was tested. Second, the hypothesis that traditional protective factors would negatively predict child anxiety was examined. Third, the hypothesis that sociocultural variables would share a significant negative relationship with child anxiety was tested. Finally, the hypothesis that the protective effect of culturally-specific constructs would be significant over and above traditional factors alone was investigated. Results yielded partial support. Parent anxiety did not
Precise Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning System Based on EC-TDOA and ZigBee Technology

Aiming at the need of indoor positioning,the existing theories of indoor positioning is studied and the problem of high precision positioning of indoor target is being solved. This paper designs a range-based indoor positioning system. The measurement method based on time difference of RF signal and the ultrasonic signal arrival is used to measure the distance. Correction factors are introduced to reduce the ranging error. Maximum Likelihood Estimation positioning algorithm is applied to calculate the position of targets. The indoor position is achieved by means of ZigBee network node modules. In ranging experiments,ECTDOA ranging error is less than 0. 02 cm,meeting ranging accuracy demand. In positioning experiments,the maximum positioning error and the average positioning error are 4. 3 cm and 1. 64 cm respectively,and the proportion of the positioning error within 2. 5 cm reaches 90%. Positioning frequency is 20 Hz,satisfying the requirements of real-time positioning. The system can locate mobile nodes in coverage of the ultrasonic signal in indoor environment,and the positioning accuracy is improved effectively by a distance correction. The system possesses strong fault tolerance and adaptability.
Paraventricular Nucleus Modulates Excitatory Cardiovascular Reflexes during Electroacupuncture

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) regulates sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. Somatic afferent stimulation activates neurons in the hypothalamic PVN. Parvocellular PVN neurons project to sympathoexcitatory cardiovascular regions of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM). Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulates the median nerve (P5-P6) to modulate sympathoexcitatory responses. We hypothesized that the PVN and its projections to the rVLM participate in the EA-modulation of sympathoexcitatory cardiovascular responses. Cats were anesthetized and ventilated. Heart rate and mean blood pressure were monitored. Application of bradykinin every 10-min on the gallbladder induced consistent pressor reflex responses. Thirty-min of bilateral EA stimulation at acupoints P5-P6 reduced the pressor responses for at least 60-min. Inhibition of the PVN with naloxone reversed the EA-inhibition. Responses of cardiovascular barosensitive rVLM neurons evoked by splanchnic nerve stimulation were reduced by EA and then restored with opioid receptor blockade in the PVN. EA at P5-P6 decreased splanchnic evoked activity of cardiovascular barosensitive PVN neurons that also project directly to the rVLM. PVN neurons labeled with retrograde tracer from rVLM were co-labeled with μ-opioid receptors and juxtaposed to endorphinergic fibers. Thus, the PVN and its projection to rVLM are important in processing acupuncture modulation of elevated blood pressure responses through a PVN opioid mechanism.
Chinese Scholars’ Perspectives Regarding Educational Technology

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives that Chinese scholars hold regarding educational technology. An illustrative case study with purposive sampling was used to gain this understanding. Fifty-two participants representing faculty in educational technology from 34 different universities in China, a majority ranging in ages from 36 to 50 years old, and most having worked in the educational technology field for more than 10 years, completed and submitted the survey. After analyzing the data, the author found that most participants perceived that the strength of educational technology in China was attributable to the strong funding support from the Chinese government, but the faculty members also felt that this field needed help with research methodology. To help improve educational technology in China, the major efforts the participants believed would be most useful included self-development, enhancing academic exchanges, conducting research, applying theories in practice, and improving training/teaching and learning. The pace of development in educational technology in China is fast; however, there is concern for how Chinese scholars deal with the potential problems arising with this rapidly developing field. The current situation in China provides great opportunities for academic exchanges globally.
Production of High-Density Uranium Carbide Compacts for Use in Composite Nuclear Fuels

Composite nuclear fuel consisting of uranium carbide (UC) fuel microspheres dispersed in an inert matrix is one of the fuel forms being actively considered for use in gas-cooled fast reactors (GFRs...
Dislexia: Leitura e Escrita numa Perspectiva Bibliográfica

Este artigo cientifico centrou, atraves do levantamento bibliografico, compreender a Dislexia na perspectiva psicopedagogica, para apos o estudo entender como acontece a sindrome durante a infância, uma vez que a dislexia so pode ser identificada, logo que se inicia o processo de alfabetizacao, embora que os estudos, tambem, mostram que essas caracteristicas podem acontecer na fase adulta, onde o individuo passou toda a sua infância-adolescencia sem saber que era acometido pela dislexia. Para fundamentar o estudo, optou-se pelos levantamentos teoricos de autores que discernem sobre o assunto. O processo de aprendizagem da leitura e um fator desafiador, uma vez que ela faz parte do avanco do educando nao so em lingua portuguesa, mas tambem nas outras disciplinas, desde a simples assinatura de seu nome a construcao frasal mais complexa. A nao aprendizagem da leitura pelo aluno, a certo tempo, era caracterizado como aluno inapto a ler, o qual era encaminhado pelos pais e profissionais a outras atividades que nao envolvessem a leitura, e taxado como “ esse menino nao da para leitura”. A descoberta da Dislexia possibilitou novos olhares para esse educando, e possibilitou uma nova forma de aprender a ler e escrever para eles. O estudo e puramente bibliografico, sua pesquisa teorica embasou em livros, artigos e site do Google profissional da internet.
Alveolar Fluid Clearance in Pathologically Relevant Conditions: In Vitro and In Vivo Models of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Critically ill patients with respiratory failure from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) have reduced ability to clear alveolar edema fluid. This reduction in alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) contributes to the morbidity and mortality in ARDS. Thus, it is important to understand why AFC is reduced in ARDS in order to design targeted therapies. In this review, we highlight experiments that have advanced our understanding of ARDS pathogenesis, with particular reference to the alveolar epithelium. First, we review how vectorial ion transport drives the clearance of alveolar edema fluid in the uninjured lung. Next, we describe how alveolar edema fluid is less effectively cleared in lungs affected by ARDS, and describe selected in vitro and in vivo experiments that have elucidated some of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the reduced AFC. Finally, we describe one potential therapy that targets this pathway: bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem (stromal) cells (MSCs). Based on pre-clinical studies, MSCs enhance alveolar fluid clearance and promote the resolution of pulmonary edema, and thus may offer a promising cell-based therapy for ARDS.
Correction to: MacDonnell, M., Urban, J.B., & Linver, M.R. “A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Intentional Self Regulation and Youth Beliefs about the Chances of Achieving Future Aspirations.” Journal of Youth Development, 10(3) 2015.

A series of edits to the text were made to remove or replace words. The authors added an acknowledgement of funding. Finally, the accent was removed from all references to Gestsdottir. ” The original article can be found via the DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2015.11 .
Quantifying Robustness in Biological Networks Using NS-2

Biological networks are known to be robust despite signal disruptions such as gene failures and perturbations. Extensive research is currently under way to explore biological networks and identify the underlying principles of their robustness. Structural properties such as power-law degree distribution and motif abundance have been attributed for robust performance of biological networks. Yet, little has been done so far to quantify such biological robustness. We propose a platform to quantify biological robustness using network simulator (NS-2) by careful mapping of biological properties at the gene level to that of wireless sensor networks derived using the topology of gene regulatory networks found in different organisms. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) learning model is used to measure the correlation of packet transmission rates in such sensor networks. These sensor networks contain important topological features of the underlying biological network, such as motif abundance, node/gene coverage, and transcription-factor network density, which we use to map the SVM features. Finally, a case study is presented to evaluate the NS-2 performance of two gene regulatory networks, obtained from the bacterium Escherichia coli and the baker’s yeast Sachharomyces cerevisiae.
Suntrust Banks, Inc.: Coke Refreshes Tier 1 Capital

As the 2008 financial crisis continued to intensify, a SunTrust executive was preparing for a presentation she would make to the rest of her team. SunTrust's CEO had put together the team to review selling the bank's large holding of Coca-Cola shares to obtain much-needed cash. Cash was needed because in the second quarter of 2008, SunTrust had experienced continued deterioration of its assets. Excerpt UVA-C-2337 Rev. Oct. 9, 2013 SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.: COKE REFRESHES TIER 1 CAPITAL As the 2008 financial crisis continued to intensify, Jean Wicks, an executive at SunTrust Banks, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia, arrived early to prepare for a presentation she would make to the rest of her team. SunTrust's CEO had put together the team to review selling the bank's large holding of Coca-Cola shares to obtain much-needed cash. The team was explicitly told that there were “no sacred cows” in the evaluation of its options, including the legendary Coca-Cola shares. Cash was needed because in the second quarter of 2008, SunTrust had experienced continued deterioration of its assets that included a 35% increase in nonperforming assets and a 9% increase in net charge-offs from the first quarter (Exhibit 1). But selling the Coke shares meant paying taxes—substantial taxes. Foremost on the team's mind was that the sale of SunTrust's shares in Coca-Cola signified the end of a long-standing relationship between the two Atlanta-based companies. These shares were legendary within the company. When asked about SunTrust's ancestry, most people cited the colorful history between the Trust Company of Georgia, established in 1893 (which became SunTrust), and the national icon, Coca-Cola. Wicks wanted to be ready for the questions that were bound to arise about the options she would recommend for raising the cash as well as what severing ties to Coca-Cola through the sale of shares would mean symbolically. Was there a better way? . . .
Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape

Jill Jonnes. New York, NY: Viking, 2016. xx and 394 pp., photos, notes, index. $32.00 cloth (ISBN 9780-670-01566-5).It is a wonder that people plant trees in cities at all. The stone, steel, and co...
How persistent is the effect of conflict on primary education? Long-run evidence from the Rwandan genocide

Abstract I examine the long-term effect of conflict on primary education using data from Rwanda. Previous research has shown that the 1994 genocide reduced primary schooling in the short-term, but the long-term effects are not known. To identify the causal effect of the genocide, I analyze data from four cross-sectional household surveys and use a difference-in-differences identification strategy that exploits variation in conflict intensity across localities. I find that children whose educational attainment had been negatively affected by the genocide eventually caught up. By 2010, there were no detectable effects of the genocide on completed years of education.
A Body-of-Revolution Implementation of the Parabolic Wave Equation With Application to Rocket Plume Attenuation Modeling

The parabolic wave equation has been used extensively to model long-range paraxial wave propagation due to its high computational efficiency. Typical radar, sonar, and communication geometries are most naturally treated using cylindrical coordinates with the radial direction chosen as the paraxial direction. Here, a method is described for modeling waves with 3-D variation propagating through an inhomogeneous body of revolution with the paraxial direction chosen to be the axis of symmetry. The technique decomposes the initial field into independent modes that are propagated in parallel using 2-D solvers. The method is benchmarked by comparison to finite-element calculations. An example application—modeling the interaction of a radio communications system with a rocket exhaust plume—is then considered.
Motor planning perturbation: muscle activation and reaction time.

We aimed to determine whether perturbation to motor planning would alter the speed and muscle activity of the response. We compared trials when a stimulus appeared at the peak or trough of an oscil...
Abstract 9968: Reduced Heart Rate Recovery after Exercise is Associated with Mortality After an ICD

Background and purpose: The period of recovery in heart rate (HRR) after exercise is thought to be mediated by parasympathetic reactivation. Abnormal heart rate recovery ( Methods: 149 patients who had a previous ICD implant (39% primary indication, 61% secondary indication, mean age 54+12.5 years, 76% male, 3.7+4.3 years since implant, 100% taking beta blockers) entered a clinical trial of exercise after an ICD. At baseline study entry, they completed a cardiopulmonary exercise test using a modified Balke treadmill protocol. HRR was calculated as the difference between peak exercise HR and 1 and 5 minutes into the recovery period using 12 lead EKG recordings. Analysis of variance was used to determine if HRR was significantly related to 1 year mortality after study entry. Results: There were 4 deaths within the 1st year after study entry (2.6%), all had a history of HF. Three deaths were due to HF and 1 was due to cancer. HRR was significantly reduced in those who died at both 1 minute (mean+SD; 7.5+6.2 bpm vs. 18.3+8.1 bpm, F=2.64, p =0.009) and at 5 minutes (19.2+6.0 bpm vs 38.7+13.9 bpm, F=2.76, p =0.006) when compared to those who did not. At baseline, there was statistically higher HRR in secondary prevention (19.4 bpm vs. 16.3 bpm at 1min ( p =0.42) compared to primary prevention (40.7 bpm vs. 33.8 bpm at 5min ( p =0.007). HRR was not related to ICD shocks. Conclusions: Those who have an ICD for primary prevention with a history of HF had lower HRR after exercise testing and higher 1 year mortality than those with a secondary prevention ICD. HRR is a useful marker of autonomic dysregulation and risk for mortality in those with HF who have an ICD.
A New Track towards Resolving Turkey’s Kurdish Issue

Turkey’s greatest security threats are connected to its unresolved Kurdish issue. Attempts by the Justice and Development Party goernment of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end the conflict with ...
Seasonal Plasticity in Junonia coenia (Nymphalidae): Linking Wing Color, Temperature Dynamics, and Behavior

The common buckeye, Junonia coenia (Hubner), is a North American nymphalid that shows seasonal wing color plasticity. Throughout much of its range the ventral hindwings are tan in the spring and summer and dark red in autumn. Although this species has long been used as a model to study the physiology and genetics of plasticity, the function of its seasonal color variation is still largely unknown. Here we investigate the effect of buckeye wing color on wing and body temperature and ask to what extent seasonal plasticity is associated with behavioral differences. By using real time infrared imaging of different seasonal morphs from a laboratory colony of North Carolina J. coenia, we observed that red autumnal butterflies warm up faster and reach higher final temperatures than tan summer butterflies. Furthermore, behavioral trials at field sites revealed that red butterflies are less physically active than tan butterflies. Based on our findings, we propose that the dark red wing coloration of autumn morphs could be useful for helping individuals reach higher body temperatures faster while basking on colder days. We also speculate that lower activity levels of autumnal butterflies may help conserve energy.
Design and Evaluation of Radiated Emission Metamaterial Absorbers

In this paper, mitigation of unwanted radiated electromagnetic emissions from a high-speed system enclosure using metamaterial-based absorbers is investigated. First, the performance of an earlier introduced frequency selective metamaterial absorber is thoroughly evaluated via full-wave simulations and compared with that of a commercial thin microwave absorber. An experimental in-lab test set-up is developed to validate simulation results confirming that a stronger mitigation of radiated emissions is delivered by the proposed absorber. The measured radiated emission patterns closely follow simulated results and confirm better than 5 dB reduction in emissions when the proposed absorber is included in the enclosure box. Simulations with simultaneous excitation of multiple radiation sources inside the box prove the effectiveness of the developed absorber in realistic operational conditions that could include array effects for unintentional radiation sources. A second absorber design is introduced in this paper with improved thermal conductivity while providing emission reduction better than 4.6 dB.
Psychopharmacological Decision Making in Bipolar Disorder During Pregnancy and Lactation: A Case-by-Case Approach to Using Current Evidence.

The safety of pharmacotherapy for bipolar disorder during pregnancy and lactation is a subject of debate. In this review, the authors analyze the practical questions, current controversies, and ava...
Impact of Triazole Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Availability and Timing.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an established strategy to optimize antifungal therapy with certain triazoles. While established relationships exist between concentration and safety or efficacy, the impact of TDM timing on outcomes is unknown. We report clinical outcomes, including antifungal exposure and mortality, in patients receiving institutional versus reference laboratory TDM. The availability of in-house triazole assays reduced the time to drug concentration result (12 versus 68 h; P < 0.001) and time to achieve therapeutic serum concentrations (10 versus 31 days; P < 0.001). Subtherapeutic concentrations were associated with higher patient mortality (32% versus 13.3%; P = 0.036).
Performance Analysis of a Multicarrier Spread Spectrum System in Doubly Dispersive Channels With Emphasis on HF Communications

In this paper, we present a bit error rate (BER) analysis of a multicarrier spread spectrum (MC-SS) system that accounts for several non-ideal factors that exist in actual systems; specifically, channel estimation error, correlated subcarriers, and frequency selectivity over each subcarrier frequency band. The particular MC-SS system that is addressed makes use of filter banks to keep subcarrier bands non-overlapping. In this analysis, the time varying multipath channel is modeled using the wide-sense stationary uncorrelated scattering (WSSUS) channel model, and the channel is estimated using a pilot symbol assisted modulation (PSAM) method. Numerical results that demonstrate the accuracy of the developed theoretical results when applied to design transceivers for high frequency (HF) skywave communications show the usefulness of the developed theory in a practical case study.
Flawed analysis of an intentional human dosing study and its impact on chlorpyrifos risk assessments.

Abstract In March 1972, Frederick Coulston and colleagues at the Albany Medical College reported results of an intentional chlorpyrifos dosing study to the study’s sponsor, Dow Chemical Company. Their report concluded that 0.03 mg/kg-day was the chronic no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for chlorpyrifos in humans. We demonstrate here that a proper analysis by the original statistical method should have found a lower NOAEL (0.014 mg/kg-day), and that use of statistical methods first available in 1982 would have shown that even the lowest dose in the study had a significant treatment effect. The original analysis, conducted by Dow-employed statisticians, did not undergo formal peer review; nevertheless, EPA cited the Coulston study as credible research and kept its reported NOAEL as a point of departure for risk assessments throughout much of the 1980′s and 1990′s. During that period, EPA allowed chlorpyrifos to be registered for multiple residential uses that were later cancelled to reduce potential health impacts to children and infants. Had appropriate analyses been employed in the evaluation of this study, it is likely that many of those registered uses of chlorpyrifos would not have been authorized by EPA. This work demonstrates that reliance by pesticide regulators on research results that have not been properly peer-reviewed may needlessly endanger the public.
Gendered parental leave policies among Fortune 500 companies

Due to the lack of a federal paid parental leave policy in the United States, access to leave for most US workers is dependent on whether their employer offers paid leave. Our research explores emp...
Dynamic Volumetric Assessment of the Aortic Root: The Influence of Bicuspid Aortic Valve Competence.

Background Aortic root evaluation is conventionally based on 2-dimensional measurements at a single phase of the cardiac cycle. This work presents an image analysis method for assessing dynamic 3-dimensional changes in the aortic root of minimally calcified bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) with and without moderate to severe aortic regurgitation. Methods The aortic root was segmented over the full cardiac cycle in 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic images acquired from 19 patients with minimally calcified BAVs and from 16 patients with physiologically normal tricuspid aortic valves (TAVs). The size and dynamics of the aortic root were assessed using the following image-derived measurements: absolute mean root volume and mean area at the level of the ventriculoaortic junction, sinuses of Valsalva, and sinotubular junction, as well as normalized root volume change and normalized area change of the ventriculoaortic junction, sinuses of Valsalva, and sinotubular junction over the cardiac cycle. Results Normalized volume change over the cardiac cycle was significantly greater in BAV roots with moderate to severe regurgitation than in normal TAV roots and in BAV roots with no or mild regurgitation. Aortic root dynamics were most significantly different at the mid-level of the sinuses of Valsalva in BAVs with moderate to severe regurgitation than in competent TAVs and BAVs. Conclusions Echocardiographic reconstruction of the aortic root demonstrates significant differences in dynamics of BAV roots with moderate to severe regurgitation relative to physiologically normal TAVs and competent BAVs. This finding may have implications for risk of future dilatation, dissection, or rupture, which warrant further investigation.