cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dual Language Program Models and English Language Learners: An Analysis of the Literacy Results from a 50/50 and a 90/10 Model in Two California Schools

This paper examines the literacy results of English language learners (ELLs) in two California schools following either the 50/50 or the 90/10 dual language (DL) program model. The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of dual language programs with an analysis of two schools’ websites and literacy assessment data in order to determine the effectiveness of each program model in establishing strong foundational literacy skills and fostering the prolonged academic success of ELLs. California provides various options for the bilingual education of its increasing immigrant population. Under the umbrella of bilingual education, dual language programs aim to provide students with instruction in two languages which will allow them to become fully bilingual and develop biliteracy skills. The intended purpose of biliteracy is for students to demonstrate reading and writing proficiency in both instructional languages. Although California implements a variety of dual language program models, this paper provides an overview and comparison of the 50/50 and 90/10 models as they are implemented in two California schools with similar demographics. This paper provides an analysis of the English Language Arts/literacy results of ELLs under both program models as depicted on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress to determine which model is most effective in its literacy instruction of language minority students. The findings indicate that ELLs demonstrate higher levels of literacy proficiency under the 90/10 program model. These findings have implications for native language proficiency and the preservation of the mother tongue.
Presidential Control and Turnover in Regulatory Personnel

Career executives often occupy administrative positions that determine the pace and content of policy, such as those responsible for developing regulations. Yet, presidential administrations need c...
Hearing Loss, Hearing Aid Use, and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults-Findings from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS).

OBJECTIVES Investigate the cross-sectional association between hearing loss (HL), hearing aid use, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD The analytic sample consisted of 3,188 participants (age range 71-94 years) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of audiometric hearing status and self-reported hearing aid use with depressive symptoms (11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale). RESULTS 4.6% of participants had depressive symptoms. Forty percent had mild HL and 27% had moderate or greater HL. In multivariable-adjusted models, mild HL was associated with 1.90 times higher odds (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-3.01) and moderate or greater HL with 2.42 times higher odds (95% CI 1.44-4.07) of depressive symptoms compared to normal hearing. Each 10dB increase in HL was associated with 1.30 higher odds of depressive symptoms (95% CI 1.14-1.49). Hearing aid use was not associated with depressive symptoms among those with mild (odds ratio [OR] 0.94, 95% CI 0.35-2.54) or moderate or greater (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.60-2.11) HL. DISCUSSION Older adults with HL have higher odds of depressive symptoms compared to adults with normal hearing. Future studies are needed to assess whether hearing care is protective against depressive symptoms in older adults.
Effects of chronic antidepressant use on neurophysiological responses to tDCS post-stroke.

Abstract Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces neuroplastic changes in the motor cortex of healthy individuals and has become a candidate intervention to promote recovery post-stroke. However, neurophysiological effects of tDCS in stroke are poorly understood. Antidepressant medications, which are commonly prescribed post-stroke, have the potential to significantly affect cortical excitability and alter responsiveness to tDCS interventions, yet these effects have not previously been examined. Objective/Hypothesis To examine the effects of chronic antidepressant use, tDCS, and the interaction of the two on motor cortical excitability in people with chronic stroke. Based on previous literature in nondisabled adults, we hypothesized that post-stroke, antidepressant-takers would show decreased baseline motor cortical excitability but enhanced responsiveness to anodal tDCS. Methods Twenty-six participants with chronic stroke (17 control, 9 antidepressant) received real and sham anodal tDCS during separate sessions at least a week apart. Motor cortical excitability was measured before and after tDCS was applied to the lesioned hemisphere primary motor cortex. We compared baseline cortical excitability and neurophysiological responses to tDCS between groups and sessions. Results Baseline motor cortical excitability was not different between control and antidepressant groups. Following anodal tDCS over the ipsilesional primary motor cortex, cortical excitability in the non-lesioned hemisphere decreased in controls, but, surprisingly, increased in antidepressant-takers. Conclusions Chronic antidepressant use may not affect motor cortical excitability post-stroke, however it appears to reverse some of the expected effects of tDCS. Therefore future utilization of tDCS in post-stroke neurorehabilitation research should take antidepressant medication status into account.
Thermal fluctuations in the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch model

A formulation for thermal noise in the stochastic form of the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation used for modeling the magnetization dynamics at elevated temperatures is presented. The diffusion coefficients for thermal fluctuations are obtained via the Fokker-Plank equation using the mean-field approximation of the field in defining the free energy. The presented model leads to a mean magnetization consistent with the equilibrium magnetization for small and large particles. The distribution of the magnetization magnitude is of the Maxwell-Boltzmann type. The presented model was tested by studying the equilibrium magnetization in macrospin particles at high temperatures. The model is appealing for multiscale modeling, such as modeling heat assisted magnetic recording systems and all-optical magnetization reversal.
Environmental injustices in immigrant detention: How absences are embedded in the National Environmental Policy Act process:

The United States’ National Environmental Policy Act is a knowledge production process required by federal government agencies to assist in their evaluation of the environmental (and social) impact...
Challenging preservice teachers’ understandings of globalization: Critical knowledge for global citizenship education

Abstract This article addresses the demand for global content knowledge that the process of internationalization has placed on the preparation of social studies teachers. Drawing on scholarship about global perspectives in teacher education, this study examined what one cohort of preservice teachers learned about globalization during participation in a three-week, web-based, international relations simulation. The unit was part of a methods course designed to prepare preservice teachers to teach global issues and internationalize the curriculum. International simulations have long been touted as a means for learning challenging knowledge about global issues yet are rarely studied in teacher education. This qualitative study drew on concept maps and written responses completed before and after the simulation to document the preservice teachers’ learning. The analysis generated two findings: (1) preservice teachers acquired a shared, conceptual vocabulary for globalization that included the events and actors represented in the simulation; and (2) they also demonstrated a more systematic and critical understanding of the ways that power and conflict shaped the events and actors. The study contributes to the question of what teachers need to know to teach with global perspectives and how efforts to internationalize teacher education programs can foster such knowledge.
Managing Gastrointestinal Complications in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis

We sought to critically evaluate the literature published over the past 3 years on the management of gastrointestinal complications in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We emphasize interesting and important new findings to bring the reader up-to-date. We also discuss controversial discoveries and hypotheses currently of interest. We conducted a literature search on PubMed over the last 3 years using the keywords “systemic sclerosis,” “gastrointestinal,” “scleroderma,” and “treatment.” We also screened clinicaltrials.gov for ongoing trials relevant to the gastrointestinal complications of SSc. Reference lists from recent reviews on the management of gastrointestinal complications of SSc to identify articles that might have been missed in the initial search. One hundred three publications and ongoing clinical trials were identified. We eliminated all case reports and review articles. Ultimately, we had 58 articles remaining and we prioritized what we found to be the strongest and/or novel findings to discuss in this review. Advances in the management of gastrointestinal disease in SSc continue to evolve. The application of novel therapies and the repurposing of existing therapies for the management of gastrointestinal involvement are shaping the therapeutic arsenal so that we can more effectively manage these complex patients.
Impaired Kv7 channel activity in the central amygdala contributes to elevated sympathetic outflow in hypertension

Aims Elevated sympathetic outflow is associated with primary hypertension. However, the mechanisms involved in heightened sympathetic outflow in hypertension are unclear. The central amygdala (CeA) regulates autonomic components of emotions through projections to the brainstem. The neuronal Kv7 channel is a non-inactivating voltage-dependent K+ channel encoded by KCNQ2/3 genes involved in stabilizing the neuronal membrane potential and regulating neuronal excitability. In this study, we investigated if altered Kv7 channel activity in the CeA contributes to heightened sympathetic outflow in hypertension. Methods and results The mRNA and protein expression levels of Kv7.2/Kv7.3 in the CeA were significantly reduced in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) compared with Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Lowering blood pressure with celiac ganglionectomy in SHRs did not alter Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 channel expression levels in the CeA. Fluospheres were injected into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) to retrogradely label CeA neurons projecting to the RVLM (CeA-RVLM neurons). Kv7 channel currents recorded from CeA-RVLM neurons in brain slices were much smaller in SHRs than in WKY rats. Furthermore, the basal firing activity of CeA-RVLM neurons was significantly greater in SHRs than in WKY rats. Bath application of specific Kv7 channel blocker 10, 10-bis (4-pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H)-anthracnose (XE-991) increased the excitability of CeA-RVLM neurons in WKY rats, but not in SHRs. Microinjection of XE-991 into the CeA increased arterial blood pressure (ABP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), while microinjection of Kv7 channel opener QO-58 decreased ABP and RSNA, in anesthetized WKY rats but not SHRs. Conclusions Our findings suggest that diminished Kv7 channel activity in the CeA contributes to elevated sympathetic outflow in primary hypertension. This novel information provides new mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of neurogenic hypertension. Translational perspective This study reveals a novel mechanistic insight into the pathogenesis of primary hypertension and provides a rationale to develop therapeutic strategies targeting Kv7 channels in the amygdala for treating hypertension. Viral vector-mediated overexpression of Kv7 channels in the amygdala is a potential approach to decrease blood pressure and inhibit sympathetic outflow in hypertension. However, this approach is not feasible to apply to hypertension patients at the current stage. Further studies to determine the molecular mechanism underlying downregulation of Kv7 channels may identify agents that increase expression levels of Kv7 channels in hypertension.
Transition care continuity promotes long-term retention in adult care among young adults with sickle cell disease.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Care continuity prevents increased health care utilization and mortality during transition from pediatric to adult care. Our program employs a co-located care delivery model, in which pediatric provider involvement continues during young adulthood. We tested the hypothesis that individuals who participated in the co-located model have greater retention in adult care compared to those who only received pediatric transition services. METHODS This study consisted of 311 youth with SCD (51.4% male; 63.0% HbSS/HbSβ0 -thalassemia) who transferred to adult care from 2007 to 2017. Retention was defined as continuation with an adult provider for ≥12 or ≥24 months post-pediatric care. Logistic regression estimated the association between co-location status and retention at 12 and 24 months. Logistic regression and t-tests were used to evaluate potential predictors of retention in adult care. RESULTS Individuals who participated in the co-location model were 1.9 times more likely to remain in adult care 12 (95% CI: 1.01, 3.47) and 24 (95% CI: 1.01, 3.70) months post-pediatric care compared to those who did not participate. Individuals with HbSS/HbSβ0 -thalassemia were 1.9 times more likely to be retained at 12 months compared to those with HbSC/HbSβ+ -thalassemia/HbS/HPFH (95% CI: 1.12, 3.09). For every clinic encounter in the last 2 years of pediatric care, the odds of being retained at least 24 months after initiating adult care increased 1.1 times (95% CI: 1.02, 1.13). CONCLUSIONS Continuity of providers from pediatric to adult care may increase long-term retention in adult care. Longitudinal monitoring of adult outcomes is critical to identifying the efficacy of transition services.
Exercise Recommendations in Pediatric HCM: Variation and Influence of Provider Characteristics.

Pediatric Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD) that can be related to physical activity. Without pediatric specific guidelines, recommendations for activity restriction may be varied. Therefore, our aim is to determine the current practice and variability surrounding exercise clearance recommendations (ER) in pediatric HCM referral centers as well as provider and patient characteristics that influence them. We designed a survey that was distributed to the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (PHTS) providers and members of the Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES) querying provider demographics and patient variables from 2 patient vignettes. The study is a multicenter survey of current practice of specialized providers caring for pediatric HCM patients. Survey of PHTS and PACES providers via email to the respective listservs with a response rate of 28% and 91 overall completing the entire survey after self-identifying as providers for pediatric HCM patients at their center. ER varies for pediatric HCM and is associated with provider training background as well as personal and professional history. Of the 91 providers who completed the survey, 42% (N = 38) trained in pediatric electrophysiology (EP), and 40% (N = 36) in pediatric heart failure (HF). Responses varied and only 53% of providers cleared for mild to moderate activity for the patient in Vignette 1, which is more in line with recent published adult guidelines. ER in both vignettes was significantly associated with type of training background. EP providers were more likely to recommend no restriction (27.8% vs 5.9%) than HF providers even when controlling for provider age and time out of training. Syncope with exercise was deemed “Most Important” by 81% of providers when making ER. ER for pediatric HCM are variable and the majority of providers make ER outside of previously published adult guidelines. Furthermore, ER are influenced by provider background and experience. Further study is needed for risks and benefits of physical activity in this population to inform the development of pediatric specific guidelines.
Who Cares If Rhetoricians Landed on the Moon? Or, a Plea for Reviving the Politics of Historiography

Most historical research in rhetorical studies is underwritten by an imperative to “broaden” the field’s historical horizons—to seek out overlooked, underrepresented, or excluded subjects. This “broadening imperative” is commonly aligned with revisionary historiography, which became a tool for historians to critique disciplinary values during the canon wars of the 1980s and 1990s. However, due to political and intellectual shifts in recent decades, “broadening” has become a preservative act to strengthen the field’s ideological values rather than a critical one to examine them. Ultimately, if historians value the radical perspective of “revisioning,” it is necessary to reinvest in critical historiography.
Debridement and Releases to Set up for Revision Success

Preparation of the tissue is as important, if not more important, than the repair technique itself in the setting of failed or revision rotator cuff repair. Tissue preparation including thorough debridement of adhesions, removal of old sutures and anchors, and various tissue releases allows for adequate mobilization of the rotator cuff muscle and tendon, ultimately allowing an easier repair for the surgeon. These techniques also allow for less tension on the repaired tendon which increases the chances of a successful repair. While tissue preparation adds time to the rotator cuff procedure, it is an important step to maximize outcomes.
DEB-FAPy-dG Adducts of 1,3-Butadiene: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Formation in 1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane Treated DNA**

Metabolic activation of the human carcinogen 1,3-butadiene (BD) by cytochrome 450 monooxygenases gives rise to a genotoxic diepoxide, 1,2,3,4-diepoxybutane (DEB). This reactive electrophile alkylates guanine bases in DNA to produce N7-(2-hydroxy-3,4-epoxy-1-yl)-dG (N7-HEB-dG) adducts. Because of the positive charge at the N7 position of the purine heterocycle, N7-HEB-dG adducts are inherently unstable and can undergo spontaneous depurination or base-catalyzed imidazole ring opening to give N 6 -[2-deoxy-D- erythro -pentofuranosyl]-2,6-diamino-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-5- N -1-(oxiran-2-yl)propan-1-ol-formamidopyrimidine (DEB-FAPy-dG) adducts. Here we report the first synthesis and structural characterization of DEB-FAPy-dG adducts. Authentic standards of DEB-FAPy-dG and its 15 N 3 -labeled analogue were used for the development of a quantitative nanoLC-ESI + -HRMS/MS method, allowing for adduct detection in DEB-treated calf thymus DNA. DEB-FAPy-dG formation in DNA was dependent on DEB concentration and pH, with higher numbers observed under alkaline conditions.
Gendered Health Discourse

Gendered health discourse is an emerging concept that combines the tradition of discourse analysis with gender theory to understand how patterned ways of communicating about health contribute to the facade of “natural” and oppositional differences between men and women. Discourse is defined as a patterned system of texts, message, talk, and dialogue. Gendered health discourses are widely shared discussions or ways of talking about health, geared toward one sex or the other, that promote the idea of gender differences and support gender inequality. Gendered health discourse is conveyed primarily through media outlets, and shapes how people think about, identify, and treat health issues, as well as how men and women interpret their bodies’ meaning and worth. Analyzing gendered health discourse reveals cultural values and belief systems with regard to health and gender, as well as how gender inequality is reproduced. Keywords: discourse; Michel Foucault; gender; health
The signal transfer regions of Gαs

The crystal structure of soluble functional fragments of adenylyl cyclase complexed with G alpha(s) and forskolin, shows three regions of G alpha(s) in direct contact with adenylyl cyclase. The functions of these three regions are not known. We tested synthetic peptides encoding these regions of G alpha(s) on the activities of full-length adenylyl cyclases 2 and 6. A peptide encoding the Switch II region (amino acids 222-247) stimulated both adenylyl cyclases 2- to 3-fold. Forskolin synergized the stimulation. Addition of peptides in the presence of activated G alpha(s) partially inhibited G alpha(s) stimulation. Corresponding Switch II region peptides from G alpha(q) and G alpha(i) did not stimulate adenylyl cyclase. A peptide encoding the Switch I region (amino acids 199-216) also stimulated AC2 and AC6. The stimulatory effects of the two peptides at saturating concentrations were non-additive. A peptide encoding the third contact region (amino acids 268-286) located in the alpha 3-beta 5 region, inhibits basal, forskolin, and G alpha(s)-stimulated enzymatic activities. Since this region in G alpha(s) interacts with both the central cytoplasmic loop and C-terminal tail of adenylyl cyclases this peptide may be involved in blocking interactions between these two domains. These functional data in conjunction with the available structural information suggest that G alpha(s) activation of adenylyl cyclase is a complex event where the alpha 3-beta 5 loop of G alpha(s) may bring together the central cytoplasmic loop and C-terminal tail of adenylyl cyclase thus allowing the Switch I and Switch II regions to function as signal transfer regions to activate adenylyl cyclase.
Nationalism and State Legitimacy in Contemporary China

National governments are facing unprecedented challenge for governing as globalization has become an eroding force to state capacity and legitimacy. Growth, economic security, ethnic conflict, democratization, transnational organizations, social movements, all these, among many other factors, contribute to the decline of state capacities. The public opinion is consequently moving in divergent directions, very much away from government’s wishes. This decline of public support, or waning of state legitimacy, in turn, is damaging the psychological and ideological base of state capacity of surviving these difficulties.
Reflections on Giving Back and Giving Thanks

In this thematic section, authors consider the limitations on giving back that they faced in field research, or saw others face. For some authors, their attempts at giving back were severely limited by the scope of their projects, or their understandings of local cultures or histories. For others, very specific circumstances and historical interventions of foreigners in certain places can limit how and to what extent a researcher is able to have a reciprocal relationship with the participating community. Some authors, by virtue of their lesser positions of power relative to those that they were studying, simply decided not to give back to those communities. In each article it becomes apparent that how and in what ways people give back is unique (and limited) both to their personal values and the contexts in which they do research.
A Time Series Approach to Examining Regional Economic Resiliency to Hurricanes

Hurricanes disrupt business processes and activities, energy distribution and consumption, and services of infrastructure and lead to a reallocation of resources and their uses. This research models the relationship among economic and engineering measures of the state of the built environment in order to provide insight into a region's ability to withstand and recover from a future hurricane. As such, we provide a quantitative approach to modeling and measuring a region's economic resiliency. The findings have implications for developing strategies for long-term sustainability of economic regions.
Using Communication to Create Environments That Empower Employees

This chapter focuses on factors that can influence employees’ pro-environmental behaviors. Sustainable organizational cultures, learning organizations, and an informed and supportive managerial subculture are discussed in this chapter. Employee hiring, socialization, and training can influence employees’ pro-environmental actions. Reward systems need to link sustainability goals and measures to corporate training. If employees do not see that their organization rewards people for displaying pro-environmental behaviors, training can have less of an impact (Cantor et al., Journal of Supply Chain Management, 48, 33–51, 2012). Although managers may encourage employees to meet work-related pro-environmental goals, employees balance multiple goals and react emotionally to their working environment assessing issues related to perceived organizational support and justice. Informal communication helps create, reinforce, stabilize, and challenge sustainable values and goals within an organization. Additional theories or theoretical concepts discussed in this chapter include the 4I model of organizational learning, organizational climate, affective organizational commitment, perceived organizational support, employee trust, the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, goal congruence, path-goal theory, socialization and assimilation, uncertainty reduction theory, social exchange theory, social identity theory, person-organization fit, organizational citizenship behaviors, green teams, personal sustainability plans, social learning theory, cognitive maps, and self-efficacy. Interview data spotlights WasteCap Nebraska, Ecotrust, the HEAL program, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Aspen Skiing Company, Neal Kelly Company, the City of Portland, the City and County of Denver, the Arbor Day Foundation, the South Dakota Bureau of Administration, the State Farm processing plant in Lincoln, NE, Assurity Life Insurance, and Sam’s Club.
Energy gap for Yang–Mills connections, I: Four-dimensional closed Riemannian manifolds

We extend an L2L2 energy gap result due to Min-Oo [28, Theorem 2] and Parker [30, Proposition 2.2] for Yang–Mills connections on principal G-bundles, P, over closed, connected, four-dimensional, oriented, smooth manifolds, X, from the case of positive Riemannian metrics to the more general case of good Riemannian metrics, including metrics that are generic and where the topologies of P and X obey certain mild conditions and the compact Lie group, G , is SU(2)SU(2) or SO(3)SO(3).
Cardiac intraventricular thrombus in protein C deficiency.

Mr Nair and his colleagues1 reported a patient with protein C deficiency who had severe recurrent thromboembolic problems despite anticoagulant therapy. Three points for discussion arise. First, was the dose of warfarin sufficient, given the recurrent thromboses despite treatment? Although the APC ratio was normal, a case could be made for keeping the INR in such patients between 2.5 and 3.5, much as in patients with mechanical cardiac valve prostheses2, despite the increased risk of haemorrhage. Second, might there be a second thrombophilia to account for the severe familial thrombotic tendency? Perhaps genotyping for the prothrombin gene mutation or other less frequently recognized thrombophilias should be performed in addition to the factor V Leiden genotyping3, as well as serology testing for cardiolipin antibodies. Finally, the value for plasma homocysteine (88 μmol/L) seems high despite the ‘normal range’ of 50-200: most laboratories quote a normal range for total plasma homocysteine between 5 and 15, depending on age and gender4.
Characterization and kinetic performance of 2.1 × 100 mm production columns packed with new 1.6 μm superficially porous particles

The overall kinetic performance of three production columns (2.1 mm × 100 mm format) packed with 1.6 μm superficially porous CORTECS-C18 + particles was assessed on a low-dispersive I-class ACQUITY instrument. The values of their minimum intrinsic reduced plate heights (h(min) = 1.42, 1.57, and 1.75) were measured at room temperature (295 K) for a small molecule (naphthalene) with an acetonitrile/water eluent mixture (75:25, v/v). These narrow-bore columns provide an average intrinsic efficiency of 395,000 plates per meter. The gradient separation of 14 small molecules shows that these columns have a peak capacity about 25% larger than similar ones packed with fully porous BEH-C18 particles (1.7 μm) or shorter (50 mm) columns packed with smaller core-shell particles (1.3 μm) operated under very high pressure (>1000 bar) for steep gradient elution (analysis time 80 s). In contrast, because their permeabilities are lower than those of columns packed with larger core-shell particles, their peak capacities are 25% smaller than those of narrow-bore columns packed with standard 2.7 μm core-shell particles.
An experimental study of food melt rheology. II. End pressure effects

A twin-screw extruder-fed slit die viscometer (SDV) and a piston capillary rheometer have been used to measure the end pressure losses of a low density polyethylene, maize grits and potato powder. The entrance and exit pressure losses have been measured as a function of extrusion conditions. The entrance pressure losses were found to be less than 10% of the total pressure drop in the SDV for LDPE and maize grits. For the potato material, this loss was found to be as large as 58%. The exit pressures for the potato were between 10–20% of the total pressure drop compared to negligible values for the maize and LDPE. Various approaches due to Bagley, Han and Cogswell were used to investigate the elastic properties of these materials.
Colonization Lessons from a Tropical Forest

The decade-old Transamazon Highway provides a useful stage for examining some of the major issues related to frontier conquest and the impact of pioneer settlement on one of the world's richest biomes. The highway project is an ambitious colonization scheme and the lessons that can be drawn from it, ranging from the environmental effects of stripping back the tree cover to the spread of diseases, will be useful in guiding development policy in other tropical regions.
Phase-entrainment dynamics of visually coupled rhythmic movements

Do interlimb rhythmic coordinations between individuals exhibit the same relations among the same observable quantities as interlimb rhythmic coordination within an individual? The 1?1 frequency locking between the limbs of two people was investigated using a paradigm in which each person oscillated a hand-held pendulum, achieving and maintaining the mutual entrainment through vision. The intended coordination was antiphase, ?=?, and the difference between the uncoupled eigenfrequencies, Δ?, was manipulated through differences in the lengths of the two pendulums. The mean phase relation and its variance for visually coupled coordinations differing in Δ? were predicted by an order parameter equation developed by Haken et al. (1985) and Schoner et al. (1986) for the relative phase of correlated movements of limb segments. Specifically, the experiment revealed that: (1) the deviation of ? from ? increased with increasing deviation of Δ? from 0; and (2) fluctuations in ? increased with increasing deviation of Δ? from 0. With deviations of Δ? from 0, new peaks were added at higher harmonics in ?'s power spectrum. These results were in agreement with previous research on the stable states of interlimb coordination within a person, mediated by mechanoreceptive rather than photoreceptive mechanisms. Additionally, they were in agreement with previous research on phase transitions in interlimb coordination which have been shown to conform to the same order parameter dynamics whether the coupling be mechanoreceptively or photoreceptively based. It was suggested that phase entrainment in biological movement systems may abide by dynamical principles that are indifferent to the details of the coupling.
Lipopolysaccharide activation of pericyte’s Toll-like receptor-4 regulates co-culture permeability

Abstract Background Pericytes (PCs) have a synergistic relationship with endothelial cells (MVEC) in regulating capillary permeability. PCs express Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4). We hypothesize one mechanism of MVEC/PC co-culture permeability is regulated through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation of pericyte TLR-4. Methods Rat PCs were harvested and cultured. PCs were transfected with siRNA targeted to TLR-4. Western blotting was used to confirm gene silencing of TLR-4. A previously described co-culture permeability assay was performed after LPS treatment. Results Western blot confirmed successful silencing of TLR-4 in PCs, which was sustained for 7 days. A dose- and time-dependent effect of LPS on albumin clearance was seen in MVEC/PC co-cultures. Co-cultures with TLR-4 silenced in PCs eliminated the LPS dose-dependent increase in albumin clearance. Conclusions TLR-4 regulates pericyte mediated capillary leak seen with LPS exposure. Our TLR-4 silencing model can be used to further investigate TLR-4’s role in pericyte mediated capillary leak.
Abstract A47: Investigating Zbtb protein recognition of epigenetically modified DNA

Methylation of CpG dinucleotides is essential for genomic stability, control of gene expression and the regulation of chromatin structure in normal eukaryotic cells. Aberrant alterations in these genomic methylation patterns have been linked with many diseases, including cancer. This correlation has prompted the need to better understand the regulatory mechanisms of DNA methylation in gene transcription. The Zbtb family, consisting of Zbtb33, Zbtb4 and Zbtb38, is a set of methyl-CpG binding proteins (MBPs), which recognize both methylated as well as sequence-specific non-methylated DNA sites through conserved Cys2His2 zinc fingers. DNA recognition subsequently recruits chromatin remodeling machinery to the target site resulting in chromatin compaction and gene silencing. While sufficient evidence suggests that the Zbtb proteins play a role in cancer, an extensive analysis of the gene targets and signaling pathways regulated by each protein has yet to be investigated. Here we utilize an interdisciplinary approach combining cellular biology, molecular biology and structural biology to determine the epigenetic targets regulated by the Zbtb MBPs and to identify the protein region(s) necessary for high-affinity DNA recognition. Utilizing western blot analysis, we have determined that the three Zbtb proteins exhibit differential endogenous expression levels in a variety of cancer cell lines. Further, ChIP qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the occupancy of Zbtb33 at various methylated and sequence-specific genes was highly variable between the different cancer cell lines. Combined, these results suggest that the Zbtb proteins likely mediate differential signaling pathways in different cancers, possibly by targeting specific regulatory gene elements. Mapping of the global gene occupation for Zbtb33 in various cancer cell lines is in progress. Additionally, we have designed multiple protein constructs around the conserved Cys2His2 zinc finger DNA binding region as well as additional zinc fingers located in the C-terminal regions of Zbtb4 and Zbtb38, as the functions of the latter have not yet been identified. The constructs have been analyzed by solution NMR and EMSA to determine whether they are amenable for further structural analysis and to characterize their DNA binding interactions. This multidisciplinary approach provides the means for advancing our understanding of the molecular basis by which these proteins interpret and translate epigenetic signals in the cancerous state. Citation Format: Tommy W. Terooatea, Maya J. Pandya, Alan C. Chugg, Bethany A. Buck-Koehntop. Investigating Zbtb protein recognition of epigenetically modified DNA. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A47.
Pathways for redistribution: privatisation, regulation and incentives for pro-poor investment in the Argentine water sector

Recent studies of the effectiveness of privatisation programmes in the water and sanitation sector have highlighted the diversity of experiences, especially with respect to the distributional consequences of reforms. This study of water and sanitation privatisation programmes in the city and province of Buenos Aires suggests that the main institutional change achieved by privatisation – the insertion of an agent with a profit motive – can yield pressures for more progressive pricing and expansion policies. Firms, after all, have a strong interest in collecting revenues as efficiently as possible and in avoiding negative publicity, which can lead them to push for policies that shift the burden of payment away from the poor. The potentially progressive effects of these policies, however, are likely to be weakened if host governments or firms shorten their time horizons. Politicians concerned with their short-term political survival can block the implementation of revenue-enhancing policies and measures designed to shift the burden of system financing from the poor to the middle class or business. Firms, on the other hand, invest at lower rates once they lose their long-term commitment to the market.
Experimental Induction of Proliferative Gill Disease in Specific-Pathogen-Free Channel Catfish

Abstract Specific-pathogen-free channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus were exposed to sediment and mud from a pond containing channel catfish with proliferative gill disease. In one experiment, fish were to exposed to mud and sediment for 2 months in water maintained at 19°C. Fish were necropsied weekly, and certain tissues were examined histologically and ultrastructurally. Four trials were conducted with sediment samples from different epizootics of proliferative gill disease. In a second experiment, fish were exposed to sediment for 7 d in water maintained at 16, 19, or 26°C; the fish were then moved to clean water held at 16, 19, or 26°C. Fish were necropsied before transfer to clean water and weekly thereafter for 2 months. Channel catfish held at 19°C developed proliferative gill disease within 2 d of exposure to sediment. Primary cells of a uninucleate myxosporean parasite were present in the gills at the base of lamellae. These developed into plasmodia with numerous secondary cells, and some primary...
Rin1 Interacts with Signal-transducing Adaptor Molecule (STAM) and Mediates Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Trafficking and Degradation

Rin1, the prototype of a new family of multidomain Rab5 exchange factors, has been shown to play an important role in the endocytosis of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Herein, we examined the role of Rin1 in the down-regulation of EGFR following EGF stimulation. We observed that overexpression of Rin1 accelerates EGFR degradation in EGF-stimulated cells. In concordance, depletion of endogenous Rin1 by RNA interference resulted in a substantial reduction of EGFR degradation. We showed that Rin1 interacts with signal-transducing adaptor molecule 2 (STAM2), a protein that associates with hepatocyte growth factor-regulated substrate and plays a key role in the endosomal sorting machinery. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-Rin1 co-localizes with hemagglutinin (HA)-STAM2 and with endogenous hepatocyte growth factor-regulated substrate. Furthermore, wild type STAM2, but not a deletion mutant lacking the SH3 domain, co-immunoprecipitates with endogenous Rin1. This interaction is dependent on the proline-rich domain (PRD) of Rin1 as Rin1ΔPRD, a mutant lacking the PRD, does not interact with STAM2. Moreover, EGFR degradation was not accelerated by expression of the Rin1ΔPRD mutant. Together these results suggest that Rin1 regulates EGFR degradation in cooperation with STAM, defining a novel role for Rin1 in regulating endosomal trafficking.
Synoptic regulation of the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak

Abstract Despite the relatively successful long-lead-time forecasts of the storms during the 3 May 1999 tornadic outbreak in Oklahoma and Kansas, forecasters were unable to predict with confidence details concerning convective initiation and convective mode. The forecasters identified three synoptic processes they were monitoring for clues as to how the event would unfold. These elements were (a) the absence of strong surface convergence along a dryline in western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, (b) the presence of a cirrus shield that was hypothesized to limit surface heating, and (c) the arrival into Oklahoma of an upper-level wind speed maximum [associated with the so-called southern potential vorticity (PV) anomaly] that was responsible for favorable synoptic-scale ascent and the cirrus shield. The Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Fifth-Generation Mesoscale Model (MM5), nested down to 2-km horizontal grid spacing, is used in forecast mode [using the data from th...
Spectral identification of thin-film-coated and solid-form semiconductor neutron detectors

Semiconductor-based solid-state neutron detectors have received considerable attention in recent years. These devices can be categorized as either thin-film-coated diode detectors or solid-form bulk detectors. There have been many attempts to fabricate boron-based solid-form detectors utilizing processing techniques similar to those frequently used to fabricate thin-film-coated diodes. Consequently, results from attempts to fabricate boron-based semiconductor neutron detectors are often misinterpreted as solid-form detectors when in fact they are functioning as common thin-film-coated diodes. In principle, boron-based solid-form detectors should be able to achieve higher efficiencies for detecting thermal neutrons than can boron-based thin-film-coated diodes, but only if they are truly operating as solid-form bulk detectors. Hence, a method to distinguish between the two devices is necessary. In this paper, it is proposed that proper interpretation of the observed differential pulse-height spectra can provide the necessary discrimination between the two types of detectors. Modeled comparisons of differential pulse-height spectra between thin-film-coated devices and solid-form devices are presented, thereby providing assistance to researchers in the field to properly interpret experimental results.
Atrial natriuretic factor in the pleural fluid of congestive heart failure patients.

To investigate the possibility that atrial natriuretic factor might be secreted into the pleural fluid of patients with congestive heart failure who are known to have high concentrations of this new peptide hormone circulating in their plasma, six patients with class 2 New York Heart Association classified congestive heart failure had simultaneous measurement of plasma and pleural fluid atrial natriuretic factor concentrations. Atrial natriuretic factor was found in high concentrations in the pleural fluid of all of these patients. The concentration of atrial natriuretic factor in pleural fluid was nearly equal to the concentration in plasma of these patients. Their plasma levels were double the plasma concentration of this peptide hormone in 54 persons without congestive heart failure. These preliminary findings demonstrate that atrial natriuretic factor is present in pleural fluid of patients with congestive heart failure, but whether or not this secretion of atrial natriuretic factor into the pleural fluid helps the lung clear the fluid present in the lung in congestive heart failure cannot be determined from the present investigation.
Social Role Experiences of Women Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

This study was designed as the qualitative arm of a larger quantitative study (N= 156) of the relationships among social role quality, physical health, and psychological well-being of women living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A subset of 20 midlife and late-life women from this larger sample participated in semistructured interviews with the specific aims of investigating how fulfilling they found social roles to be, including their spouse, mother, worker, and homemaker roles, while contending with RA, and what circumstances made social role experiences more positive. The results of the current followup qualitative study illustrate how difficult it can be to fulfill social roles during exacerbations of the illness in their formative adult years. The circumstance that best facilitated their positive experience in social roles was the unburdening of social role obligations as they grew older. Implications for nursing practice are discussed.
Macroparasite Population Dynamics Among Geographical Localities and Host Life Cycle Stages: Eugregarines in Ischnura verticalis

Abstract: Populations of several species of gregarine parasites within a single host species, the damselfly Ischnura verticalis, were examined over the course of 1 season at 4 geographic localities separated by a maximum distance of 9.7 km. Gregarines, having a life cycle with both exogenous and endogenous stages, are subject to a wide variety of selective pressures that may drive adaptation. Gregarine species showed some specificity for host life cycle stage, i.e., Steganorhynchus dunwoodyi and Hoplorhynchus acanthatholius were most prevalent in larval hosts while Steganorhynchus dunwoodyi, Actinocephalus carrilynnae, and Nubenocephalus nebraskensis were most prevalent in adult hosts. Species prevalence and abundance differed by geographic locality. Gregarine prevalence was significantly higher in adult female damselflies than in males at 2 localities; sex differences in prevalence were insignificant for larval damselflies at all 4 localities. In larval hosts, gregarine abundance was independent of age (...
Small Intestinal Submucosa Urethral Wrap at the Time of Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement as a Salvage Treatment Option for Patients With Persistent/Recurrent Incontinence Following Multiple Prior Sphincter Failures and Erosions

Objective Patients with persistent and/or recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after multiple artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) revisions for erosion and infection represent a very challenging treatment population. Available management options are limited, with poor overall outcomes. We assess another treatment option. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of 8 patients presenting with severe, recurrent incontinence after multiple prior failed AUS procedures. All patients were treated with small intestinal submucosa (SIS) "urethral wrap" with subsequent AUS cuff placement to provide additional urethral bulk and serve as a "buffer" between the cuff and urethra. Results Eight patients (median age 76 years, range 55-81) presented with near-total (4-5 pads) to total urinary incontinence, having previously undergone a combined 19 AUS procedures with 6 tandem cuffs and 8 prior urethral erosions. At a median follow-up of 12.4 months, 38% (3/8) of patients were dry, requiring no pads. Three patients underwent AUS explantation for sphincter erosion (n = 2) and infection (n = 1). Two patients had recurrent incontinence, with one occurring after wrap revision for urinary retention. Patients with prior radiation accounted for 80% (4/5) of procedure failures. All patients had temporary postoperative urinary retention. Conclusion SIS urethral wrap with AUS placement for severe SUI after multiple previous AUS placements and erosion/infection is a viable treatment option in appropriately selected patients for this very complicated issue. However, because of the complexity of the underlying problem, patients should be counseled about the expected risks and outcomes of surgery.
From Mao to Market: Rent Seeking, Local Protectionism, and Marketization in China

1. The pitfalls of reform 2. Policy and institutional change 3. Rent seeking and local protectionism 4. Export protectionism 5. Import protectionism 6. Marketisation 7. Escaping from the pitfalls.