cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction Of Ferroportin, Erg-1, p21 and IKBα In Sickle Cell Disease May Contribute To HIV-1 Inhibition

![Graphic][1] Background Hypoxia and low iron induce hypoxia-induced factor 1(HIF-1) by stabilizing its alpha subunit and deregulate HIV-1 which transcription and several other steps of life cycle depend on cellular iron [1]. HIV-1 transcription is inhibited at low oxygen levels and reduced cellular iron through deregulation of CDK9/cyclin T1 and CDK2/cyclin E. Sickle cell disease has low odds of ratio for HIV-1 infection [2]. Sickle cell disease (SCD) leads to hemolytic anemia which results in local ischemia and release of heme. Induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by hemin was shown to inhibit HIV-1 [1], although the mechanism of the inhibition was not clarified. Iron depletion by iron chelators or through the expression of ferroportin, an iron export protein, inhibits CDK2 and CDK9 activities and blocks HIV-1 transcription [1]. Because neither CDK2 nor CDK9 require iron for the enzymatic activity, we analyzed the expression of hypoxia and iron –dependent factors that may deregulate HIV-1 infection in SCD. Results Expression profiling followed by real-time PCR analysis showed induction of HO-1, p21, Erg-1, IKBα, HIF-1 and ferroportin mRNA and decrease of hepcidin mRNA in PBMCs from SCD patients. HIV-1 replication was reduced in SCD PBMCs comparing to normal controls, and also in THP1 cells treated with hemin. Subsequent treatment with hepcidin restored HIV-1 replication in SCD PBMC and in hemin-treated THP-1 cells, suggesting that ferroportin played a key role in the HIV-1 inhibition in these settings. Stable ferroportin knock down in THP-1 cells led to the inability of hemin to inhibit HIV-1, suggesting that ferroportin played a key role in the heme-meidated HIV-1 inhibition. Stable HIF-1a knockdown in promonocytic THP1 cells increased HIV replication suggesting that HIF1α is a restriction factor for HIV-1. Iron chelators induced the expression of IKBα, an inhibitor of NF-kB and also induced the expression of HIF-1 and p21. Iron chelators also inhibited enzymatic activity of CDK2 and shifted CDK9/cyclin T1 from the large to the small complex making it unavailable for HIV-1 Tat recruitment. Hemin treatment induced expression of HO-1, ferroportin, IkBα, HIF1α and p21 thus mimicking the effect of iron chelators. Conclusions Hemolytic conditions of sickle cell disease upregulate hypoxia and iron regulatory pathways leading to refraction of HIV-1. Targeting cellular iron, ferroportin and HO-1 may lead to novel anti-HIV-1 therapeutics. Acknowledgements This project was supported by NIH Research Grants 1SC1GM082325, 2G12RR003048, and P30HL107253. References 1. Nekhai S, Kumari N, Dhawan S: Role of cellular iron and oxygen in the regulation of HIV-1 infection. Future Virol 2013, 8(3):301-311. 2. Nouraie M, Nekhai S, Gordeuk VR: Sickle cell disease is associated with decreased HIV but higher HBV and HCV comorbidities in U.S. hospital discharge records: a cross-sectional study. Sex Transm Infect 2012, 88(7):528-533. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-2.gif
UWB wearable antenna for next generation wireless body area networks (WBANs)

The IEEE 802.15.6 is a WBAN communication standard which is covering on/off body and in body communications. The ultra wideband (UWB) is one of the possible technologies which can be utilized in future for the WBAN applications due to high data-rate transmission capability. In this paper, the design, optimization and simulation of a UWB antenna using FR4 and jeans fabric substrates is presented for on-body communication in WBANs. It operates in the 3.6–11.3GHz frequency band. The antenna simulation results i.e. reflection coefficient, 2D and 3D radiation patterns, directivity, gain and efficiency are presented. The maximum achieved gain for the UWB wearable antenna is 1.9dBi and 2.36dBi respectively for FR4 and jeans substrates. Simple design procedures and optimization techniques are discussed and the antennas are designed using Agilent advance design system - momentum simulator.
Rethinking a Case of Paranoia as a Workplace Complaint

ABSTRACTThis essay re-reads Freud’s essay “A Case of Paranoia Running Counter to the Theory of the Disease” (1963) through Marxist feminist writing on the division of labor. I approach the story presented in that essay as a workplace complaint and use it to meditate on sexual harassment as a haunting of the workplace.
The Timing of Hip Arthroscopy After Intra-articular Hip Injection Affects Postoperative Infection Risk.

Purpose To evaluate the association of preoperative intra-articular hip injection with surgical site infection after hip arthroscopy. Methods A large administrative database was used to identify all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy from 2007 to 2015 within a single private insurer and from 2005 to 2012 within Medicare in the United States. Those that received an ipsilateral preoperative intra-articular hip injection were identified. The patients were then divided into the following groups based on the interval between preoperative injection and ipsilateral hip arthroscopy: (1) 12 months) of preoperative hip injection. Patients developing a surgical site infection within 6 months following hip arthroscopy were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, and Current Procedural Terminology codes associated with infection. Groups were compared using a multivariate logistic regression analysis to control for age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol usage, and multiple medical comorbidities including diabetes mellitus, hemodialysis use, inflammatory arthritis, and peripheral vascular disease. Results In total, 19% of privately insured and 6% of Medicare patients received a hip injection within 12 months of hip arthroscopy. The overall infection rate in privately insured and Medicare patients was 1.19% and 1.10%, respectively. Preoperative hip injection within 3 months of surgery was associated with a significantly higher risk of postoperative infection versus controls (2.16%, odds ratio [OR] 6.1, P P = .037, for Medicare group). In contrast, preoperative hip injection given after more than 3 months of surgery was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection versus controls. Conclusions Risk of infection after hip arthroscopy increased when preoperative intra-articular hip injections were given within 3 months of surgery. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Sleep behaviors in traditional-age college students: A state of the science review with implications for practice.

Background and purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to examine influences affecting sleep behavior in traditional-age college students and to advocate for improved sleep behavior assessments. Data sources A literature search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases was performed using the search terms “college students” and “sleep” in the title that were published in English from 1978 to 2016. Conclusions The circadian clock is reset in traditional-age college students leading to delayed sleep times. Newly realized autonomy and increased use of technology also prevent traditional-age college students from obtaining sufficient sleep. Insufficient sleep experienced by these students has been linked to insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes, weight gain, and stress. Sleep insufficiency increases the risk for pedestrian, motor vehicle, and domestic and occupational injuries. Insufficient sleep may result in poor academic performance influencing subsequent health outcomes. Implications for practice Evidence supports the need for nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers to incorporate systematic sleep behavior assessments to improve health outcomes among traditional-age college students.
The Preclinical Scientific Basis for Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

The relatively slow and limited regression of solid tumor masses following and during chemotherapy initially led many to believe, because of the long duration of treatment implied to be necessary by these slow regressions, that chemotherapeutic cure of a solid tumor was impractical if not impossible. However, with the later realization that solid tumor mass reduction grossly underestimates the fraction of a tumor cell population killed by chemotherapy [6], it became evident that chemotherapy may be more effective than had been anticipated. Furthermore, it has been well documented that curability is inversely proportional to the size of the tumor cell population [4]. Thus, it was anticipated that tumor debulking followed by chemotherapy, aimed at destruction of surviving tumor stem cells, would lead to cure for a significant fraction of appropriately staged breast cancer patients. The first clinical trials, however, were disappointing [3].
Detecting anomalies in the Cytochrome C Oxidase I amplicon sequences using minimum scoring segments

The Cytochrome C Oxidase 1 (COI) gene is among the most popular markers for molecular biodiversity estimation. In essence, COI-based approaches for taxonomic identification rely on comprehensive reference databases to assign unknown sequences to known species and to enhance the identification of new species. As such, for COI-based methods to be effective, the accuracy and integrity of reference databases are critical. However, as COI repositories grow, it becomes challenging to curate and validate user-contributed data manually. This, in turn, propagates prediction errors, leading to future erroneous taxonomic assignments. Here, we propose a new computationally efficient approach for identifying anomalies which are either due to systematic biases (indels and chimeras) or to user error (mistranslation and misclassification). Our approach uses multiple sequence alignments to model insertions, deletions, and substitutions and flag sequences with incongruous fit to the model. Our analysis of a complete set of curated Insecta COI reference sequences identifies the presence of numerous anomalous sequences, which makes a strong case for the validity of our approach and for the importance of new strategies to screen publicly available COI references.
Rapid detection of single E. coli bacteria using a graphene-based field-effect transistor device

Abstract Contamination of surface and drinking water due to the presence of Escherichia coli bacteria is a major cause of water-borne disease outbreak. To address unmet challenges for practical pathogen detection in contaminated samples, we report fabrication of thermally reduced graphene oxide-based field-effect transistor (rGO FET) passivated with an ultrathin layer of Al2O3 for real-time detection of E. coli bacteria. The sensor could detect a single E. coli cell within 50 s in a 1 µL sample volume. The ultrathin layer of Al2O3 acted as a barrier between rGO and potential interferents present in the sample. E. coli specific antibodies anchored on gold nanoparticles acted as probes for selective capture of E. coli. The high density of negative charge on the surface of E. coli cells strongly modulates the concentration of majority charge carriers in the rGO monolayer, thereby allowing real-time monitoring of E. coli concentration in a given sample. With a low detection limit of single cell, the FET sensor had a linear range of 1–100 CFU in 1 µL volume of sample (i.e., 103 to 105 CFU/ mL). The biosensor with good selectivity and rapid detection was further successfully demonstrated for E. coli sensing in river water. The rGO-based FET sensor provides a low cost and label-free approach, and can be mass produced for detection of a broad spectrum of pathogens in water or other liquid media.
FIRE in the Classroom

This paper describes a classroom project that exposes students to research data collected during the Cirrus II First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program) Regional Experiment Information Systems Office from Parsons, Kansas, during November and December 1991. The data employed in this project were primarily those obtained from a Michelson interferometer. The students were assigned a number of tasks that were aimed at (i) providing them with a basic understanding of a Michelson interferometer and, most importantly, an appreciation of the importance of calibration, (ii) understanding the spectral distribution of clear-sky emission and identifying major gaseous absorption features, (iii) understanding the effects of cirrus clouds on the emission spectrum, and finally (iv) learning how these spectra may be used to derive certain properties of the clouds and in so doing appreciate some of the limitations and ambiguities of this particular type of remote sensing.
Assessing Clinical Reasoning: The Development of a New Test in Psychiatric Education

The development of a new method of assessing diagnostic reasoning in the initial psychiatric interview is described. The University of Vermont Diagnostic Process Test is designed to obtain the clinician-subject’s open-ended responses to a segmented videotape of a psychiatric case. Protocols are content-analyzed and results quantified to produce four indices of diagnostic competence. These include the generation and the tracing of hypotheses, the justification of diagnosis and management planning, and the accuracy of diagnosis. This article reports the measurement of change in diagnostic reasoning in medical students and psychiatric residents who received educational intervention. Results of the two preliminary studies are discussed.
Infection and Rerupture After Surgical Repair of Achilles Tendons

Background:Surgical repair of an Achilles tendon rupture has been shown to decrease rerupture rates. However, surgery also increases the risk of complications, including infection.Purpose:To determ...
Hereditary multiple exostoses: are there new plausible treatment strategies?

Introduction Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is a rare congenital pediatric disorder characterized by osteochondromas forming next to the growth plates in young patients. The osteochondromas cause multiple health problems that include skeletal deformities and chronic pain. Surgery is used to remove the most symptomatic osteochondromas but because of their large number, many are left in place, causing life-long problems and increasing the probability of malignant transformation. There is no other treatment to prevent or reduce osteochondromas formation at present. Areas covered Recent studies reviewable through PubMed are providing new insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms of osteochondroma development. The resulting data are suggesting rational and plausible new therapeutic strategies for osteochondroma prevention some of which are being tested in HME animal models and one of which is part of a just announced clinical trial. Expert commentary This section summarizes and evaluates such strategies and points also to possible future alternatives.
Physiology and Pathophysiology of Protein Permeability in the Central Nervous System

This presentation offers a brief resume discussion of the normal restriction to the entry of circulating protein into the CNS, including a discussion of the slow equilibration of radioisotope labeled albumin (1–3 days) and globulin (2–4 days) in CSF. Pathologic levels of CSF albumin are due to increased rate of entry, while pathologic levels of CSF globulin in some conditions such as subacute sclerosing leucoencephalitis can be shown to be in part derived from a nonlabeled source, presumably within the CNS or meninges.
The Effectiveness of Volunteer Tutoring Programs: A Systematic Review

Synopsis Based on increasing demands for accountability in schools, school administrators are looking for ways to increase the academic performance of students including tutoring. Currently a variety of tutoring approaches are used including volunteer tutoring, peer tutoring, cross-age tutoring, and one-on-one tutoring. The evidence base related to volunteer tutoring has grown in recent years; consequently, this review is based upon only those evaluations of volunteer programs in which tutees were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. We found 21 studies (with 27 different study cohorts in those studies because several studies provided separate reporting on multiple cohorts) reporting on randomized field trials to guide us in assessing the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs. Abstract Background Volunteer tutoring programs are intended to improve student performance, provide mentorship, and improve student self-esteem, as well as behavior. Despite the best of intention and effort, schools are not certain which volunteer tutoring programs are most effective. Therefore, we contend that a rigorous analysis of the extant literature regarding volunteer tutoring programs can provide schools with information about the most effective types of tutoring programs. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of volunteer tutoring programs for improving the academic skills of student enrolled in grades K-8 in the USA, and to further investigate for whom and under what conditions tutoring can be effective.
Second Hepatic Resections in Patients with Liver Metastases from Colorectal Carcinoma

Over the past 20 years, data have been presented indicating surgical resection as the primary treatment for isolated hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma. In most series reporting long-term follow-up (i.e., > 5 years), a salvage rate of approximately 25% is reported for completely resectable lesions numbering less than four [1–16]. As this therapy has gained acceptance, the question of appropriate follow-up and repeat resections for recurrent metastatic cancer of the liver has become relevant. We present our own experience with hepatic re-resection as well as an overview of those few anecdotal case reports to be found in the literature.
Ecosystems and Soils

On the 3000 mile flight from New York to San Francisco the plane traverses a landscape of gigantic proportions. The rugged mountains, smooth hills, rolling plains, broad valleys, rivers, and lakes are ecosystems with wide variations in climate, bodies of water, soils, vegetation, animal life, and human activities. This book brings into focus the soil resource, its creation by nature, its variation over continents, and its husbandry by man.
Growth Plate Considerations

As was previously described in Chaps. 10 and 12, length inequality is a component of deformity that can be de-scribed as either too long (+) or too short (−). Length in-equality may be the sole deformity (pure LLD) or it may be associated with angular, rotation, and translation de-formities. Additionally, in the growing child, there is a fourth dimension of deformity: time. The LLD changes over time, becoming gradually greater in association with most clinically important pathological abnormalities.
The Pulmonary Endothelial Glycocalyx in ARDS: A Critical Role for Heparan Sulfate.

Abstract The endothelial glycocalyx is a glycosaminoglycan-enriched endovascular layer that, with the development of novel fixation and in vivo microscopy techniques, has been increasingly recognized as a major contributor to vascular homeostasis. Sepsis-associated degradation of the endothelial glycocalyx mediates the onset of the alveolar microvascular dysfunction characteristic of sepsis-induced lung injury (such as the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, ARDS). Emerging evidence indicates that processes of glycocalyx reconstitution are necessary for endothelial repair and, as such, are promising therapeutic targets to accelerate lung injury recovery. This review discusses what has been learned about the homeostatic and pathophysiologic role of the pulmonary endothelial glycocalyx during lung health and injury, with the goal to identify promising new areas for future mechanistic investigation.
Component Microenvironments and System Biogeography Structure Microorganism Distributions in Recirculating Aquaculture and Aquaponic Systems.

ABSTRACT Flowthrough and pond aquaculture system microbiome management practices aim to mitigate fish disease and stress. However, the operational success of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) depends directly on system microbial community activities. In RAS, each component environment is engineered for a specific microbial niche for waste management, as the water continuously flowing through the system must be processed before returning to the rearing tank. In this study, we compared waste management component microbiomes (rearing tank water, pH correction tank, solid-waste clarifier, biofilter, and degassing tower) within a commercial-scale freshwater RAS by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To assess consistency among freshwater RAS microbiomes, we also compared the microbial community compositions of six aquaculture and aquaponic farms. Community assemblages reflected site and source water relationships, and the presence of a hydroponic subsystem was a major community determinant. In contrast to the facility-specific community composition, some sequence variants, mainly classified into Flavobacterium, Cetobacterium, the family Sphingomonadaceae, and nitrifying guilds of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and Nitrospira, were common across all facilities. The findings of this study suggest that, independently of system design, core taxa exist across RAS rearing similar fish species but that system design informs the individual aquatic microbiome assemblages. Future RAS design would benefit from understanding the roles of these core taxa and then capitalizing on their activities to further reduce system waste/added operational controls. IMPORTANCE Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are agroecosystems for intensive on-land cultivation of products of fisheries. Practitioners that incorporate edible plant production into RAS refer to these facilities as aquaponic systems (AP). RAS have the potential to offset declining production levels of wild global fisheries while reducing waste and product distance to market, but system optimization is needed to reduce costs. Both RAS and AP rely on microbial consortia for maintaining water quality and promoting fish/plant health, but little is known about the microorganisms actually present. This lack of knowledge prevents optimization of designs and operational controls to target the growth of beneficial microbial species or consortia. The significance of our research is in identifying the common microorganisms that inhabit production RAS and AP and the operational factors that influence which microorganisms colonize and become abundant. Identifying these organisms is a first step toward advanced control of microbial activities that improve reproducibility and reduce costs.
Testing for Testamentary Capacity in the Older Adult: A Model of Ethical Considerations for the Clinical Neuropsychologist.

The proportion of the United States population comprised of older adults is consistently growing. Older adults are often involved in making decisions regarding transfer of wealth, and cases involving questions of testamentary capacity are common. Neuropsychologists are well-positioned to perform evaluations of testamentary capacity given their knowledge and expertise surrounding assessment of cognitive and psychological functioning, as well as of neurodegenerative disease related to the aging process. Performing evaluations of testamentary capacity with older adults often comes with complex ethical considerations, however, and neuropsychologists could benefit from a decision-making model to aid in the organization of these multifaceted issues at the clinical-legal interface. The current paper proposes the implementation of Behnke’s “four bin” model to aid in the exploration of these complex ethical considerations and provides examples of how the model may be applied through two hypothetical case vignettes.
Variations of Technique in Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections and Periprocedural Practices by Interventional Pain Medicine Physicians in the United States.

Background Interlaminar and transforaminal epidural steroid injections (ILESI and TFESI) are commonly performed procedures. However, the United States Food and Drug Administration has required the addition of drug warning labels for injectable corticosteroids. Updated evidence and scrutiny from regulatory agencies may affect practice patterns. Objective To characterize TFESI practices as well as to provide an update on periprocedural practices for any type of epidural steroid injection (ESI), we surveyed pain medicine physicians in the United States. Study design and setting This was a cross-sectional survey of pain medicine physicians in the United States. Methods A web-based survey was distributed to pain medicine physicians in the United States selected from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited pain medicine fellowship program list as well as the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians membership database. Physicians were queried about TFESI practices, including needle size, use of image guidance, methods to detect vascular uptake, and preference for injectate. Results A total of 249 responses were analyzed. Only a minority of respondents reported performing cervical TFESI. There were variations in needle size, methods to detect vascular uptake, and choice of injectate. There were also variations in monitoring practices. Limitations The response rate is a limitation. Thus the results may not be representative of all US pain medicine physicians. Conclusions Though all respondents used image guidance for TFESI, variations in other TFESI practices exist. There are also differences in periprocedural practices. Since the closure of this survey, a multisociety pain workgroup published recommendations regarding ESI practices. Our survey findings support the need for more evidence-based guidelines regarding ESI. Key words Epidrual steroid injections, transforaminal epidural steroid injection, steroids, local anesthetic, survey, interventional pain.
Modularity in Query-Based Concept Learning.

We define and study the problem of modular concept learning, that is, learning a concept that is a cross product of component concepts. If an element's membership in a concept depends solely on it's membership in the components, learning the concept as a whole can be reduced to learning the components. We analyze this problem with respect to different types of oracle interfaces, defining different sets of queries. If a given oracle interface cannot answer questions about the components, learning can be difficult, even when the components are easy to learn with the same type of oracle queries. While learning from superset queries is easy, learning from membership, equivalence, or subset queries is harder. However, we show that these problems become tractable when oracles are given a positive example and are allowed to ask membership queries.
Ethical Leadership in the Community College: Bridging Theory and Daily Practice, D.M. Hellmich. Anker Publishing Company, Inc., Bolton, MA (2007), 188 pp.

The organization of David Hellmich's, Ethical Leadership in the Community College: Bridging Theory and Daily Practice, is simplistic due to fourteen relatively small chapters. The first six chapter...
Evidence for the existence of Pd-107 in the early solar system

Measurements of the concentration and isotopic composition of Ag and Pd in the Santa Clara iron meteorite suggest that in situ decay of Pd-107 occurred in the meteorite or its parent body. The initial solar ratio of Pd-107/Pd-110 is estimated from the observed ratio of excess Ag-107/Pd-110, and the value of the Pd ratio is incompatible with an interval of approximately 100,000,000 years between the end of nucleosynthesis and the formation of planetary objects but is compatible with a later injection of material. The inferred existence of Pd-107 and Al-26 indicates that the late injection included freshly synthesized material of both intermediate and low atomic weight on a similar time scale. The significance of the Pd-107/Ag-107 chronometer is considered.
The Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative: a new community improving outcomes for individuals with congenital heart disease - Corrigendum.

Improved survival of patients with paediatric and congenital cardiac disease has led to a heightened awareness of the cognitive, neurodevelopmental, psychosocial, and physical functioning deficits that limit health, academic functioning, adaptive functioning, behavioural and emotional outcomes, health-related quality of life, and well-being for children and adults with congenital heart disease. The Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative was founded in 2016; its mission is to determine and implement best practices of neurodevelopmental and psychosocial services for individuals with paediatric and congenital heart disease and their families through clinical, quality improvement, and research initiatives.Cardiology in the Young is devoted to cardiovascular issues affecting the young, and older patients with congenital heart disease, or with other cardiac diseases acquired during childhood. The journal serves the interests of all professionals concerned with these topics. By design, the journal is international and multidisciplinary in its approach, and members of the editorial board take an active role in its mission, helping to make it an indispensable reference for paediatric and congenital cardiac care. All aspects of paediatric and congenital cardiac care are covered in the journal. The content includes original articles, brief reports, editorials, reviews, and papers devoted to continuing professional development. High-quality colour figures are published on a regular basis, and without charge to the authors. Regular supplements are published containing the abstracts of the annual meetings of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology, along with other occasional supplements. These supplements are supplied free to subscribers.The vision of Cardiology in the Young is to use print and electronic media to improve paediatric and congenital cardiac care. The mission of Cardiology in the Young is to be a premier global journal for paediatric and congenital cardiac care - an essential journal that spans the domains of patient care, research, education, and advocacy, and also spans geographical, temporal, and subspecialty boundaries.Cardiology in the Young and the Cardiac Neurodevelopment Outcome Collaborative are pleased to announce that Cardiology in the Young will serve as the official journal of the Cardiac Neurodevelopment Outcome Collaborative. This new partnership between the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative and Cardiology in the Young will facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and recommendations to the scientific, clinical, and patient advocacy communities, ultimately improving paediatric and congenital cardiac care and outcomes for individuals with paediatric and congenital heart disease and their families.
Overview of Intimate Partner Violence

The scope of intimate partner violence (IPV) is staggering: About 24 Americans a minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner adding up to millions of victims per year. The national support hotline for victims of intimate partner violence receives an average of 20,000 calls per day—an unfathomable number. IPV is a problem whose scope is broad and deep and destructive. About 1 in 4 women and 1 out of 10 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. That number is decidedly less that the true incidence of IPV, since a high proportion of victims are afraid to report such violence or seek medical help for their injuries for fear of retaliation by the abuser or for fear that the authorities will not take their reports seriously. IPV has long-term devastating effects on victims’ lives-including the results of homelessness, mental and physical health consequences, increased rates of incarceration and substance abuse. IPV is a pervasive problem of overwhelming importance, with implications for the health of mothers, fathers, children, and public health in general in this country.
The Operating Leverage Impact on Systematic Risk within a Context of Choice: An Analysis of the US Trucking Industry

Purpose – Strategic cost structure choices determine how firms divide operating costs between fixed and variable components, and therefore have important implications for financial performance. This study examines the effect of operating leverage on equity Betas when managers have discretion over firms’ cost structures. Design and methodology – Using panel data for publicly listed trucking firms over years 1994 to 2006, market model Betas are regressed on controls and alternatively measured proxies for operating leverage: degree of operating leverage, assets in place and percentage of company employed drivers. Findings – Results of this study generally show positively significant coefficients on all three operating leverage variables. Originality and value – Operating characteristics of many industries require that firms make substantial investments in long-lived assets that result in high fixed costs (e.g., depreciation), and for these firms cost structure is exogenously or technologically constrained leaving managers with little discretion. In contrast to these types of firms, we examine the effect of operating leverage (OL) on Betas when managers have discretion over firms’ cost structures. Trucking firms are a particularly interesting industry group for analyzing the impact of operating OL choices on Beta because distinct strategic cost structure choices are available to the management of trucking firms that result in various degrees of OL throughout the industry.
PV-Fed Smart Inverters for Mitigation of Voltage and Frequency Fluctuations in Islanded Microgrids

The vulnerability of islanded microgrids to voltage and frequency variations is due to the presence of low-inertia distributed generation (DG) units. Besides, the considerable difference between the inertia of synchronous-based and inverter-based DGs results in a power mismatch between generation and consumption during abnormal conditions. As a result, both voltage and frequency of microgrid ac-bus start oscillating which might lead to blackouts. This paper deploys the traditional controller of photovoltaic (PV) units to improve the dynamics of islanded microgrids by reducing the voltage and frequency deviations. To this end, an adaptive piecewise droop (APD) curve is presented and implemented in PV units to attain a faster balance between supply and demand during transients, leading to an enhanced frequency response. Besides, the reactive-power control loop is equipped with a droop characteristic which enables the PV units to inject/absorb reactive power during transients and participate in voltage-profile enhancement of the system. Case study results are presented using PSCAD/EMTDC to confirm the validity of proposed method in improving the dynamic behavior of islanded microgrids.
Truly Monodisperse Molecular Nanoparticles of Cerium Dioxide of 2.4 nm dimensions: A {Ce 100 O 167 } Cluster

Ultra-small nanoparticles of CeO2 obtained in molecular form, so-called molecular nanoparticles, have been limited to date to a family whose largest member is of nuclearity Ce40 with a {Ce40 O58 } core atom count. Herein we report that a synthetic procedure has been developed to the cation [Ce100 O149 (OH)18 (O2 CPh)60 (PhCO2 H)12 (H2 O)20 ]16+ , a member with a much higher Ce100 nuclearity and a {Ce100 O167 } core that is more akin to the smallest ceria nanoparticles. Its crystal structure reveals it to possess a 2.4 nm size and high D2d symmetry, and it has also allowed identification of core surface features including facet composition, the presence and location of Ce3+ and H+ (i.e. HO- ) ions, and the binding modes of the ligand monolayer of benzoate, benzoic acid, and water ligands.
Actin allostery again

The first crystal structure of an actin molecule not associated with another protein has been solved. Remarkably, the most variable part of actin's structure is also the most conserved part of its sequence.
Motivation to Eat-AgRP Neurons and Homeostatic Need.

Activation of AgRP neurons potently induces feeding behaviors; however, whether this activity is involved in motivations of feeding behavior is unclear. A recent study in Nature (Betley et al., 2015) reports that AgRP neuron activity conditions learned behavior by transmitting a negative-valence signal: linking AgRP neurons to the preference of environmental cues associated with homeostatic need.
The patriarch hypothesis

Menopause is puzzling because life-history theory predicts there should be no selection for outliving one's reproductive capacity. Adaptive explanations of menopause offered thus far turn on women's long-term investment in offspring and grandoffspring, all variations on the grandmother hypothesis. Here, I offer a very different explanation. The patriarch hypothesis proposes that once males became capable of maintaining high status and reproductive access beyond their peak physical condition, selection favored the extension of maximum life span in males. Because the relevant genes were not on the Y chromosome, life span increased in females as well. However, the female reproductive span was constrained by the depletion of viable oocytes, which resulted in menopause.
The immunologic control mechanism against cholera toxin: II. Stimulation of adenylate cyclase without fluid secretion

Abstract Cholera toxin-stimulated fluid secretion by the ileum is believed to be mediated by an adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP mechanism. Immunization against cholera toxin (CT) reduces CT binding to microvillus membranes and suppresses fluid secretion following CT challenge. The present study disclosed no alteration in the fluid absorption rates. However, suppression of fluid secretion occurred despite maximal stimulation of mucosal adenylate cyclase in immunized animals.
Neomycin Has No Persistent Sparing Effect on Vitamin B-12 Status in Pectin-Fed Rats

In the present study, rats were depleted of vitamin B-12 with fiber-free or 5% pectin diets, with or without neomycin. Through use of this intestinal antibiotic reported to "spare" vitamin B-12, we sought to determine if bacterial fermentation of pectin might explain our previous observations of negative effects of pectin on vitamin B-12 status. However, neomycin did not lessen interference by pectin with vitamin B-12 metabolism. Pectin increased urinary methylmalonate and decreased propionate oxidation to a greater extent in the presence than in the absence of neomycin. Also, regardless of the presence of neomycin, the biologic half-life of injected [57Co]vitamin B-12 was 58 d for rats fed the fiber-free diets and only 38 d for rats fed 5% pectin diets. Neomycin delayed early fecal excretion of 57Co but had no persistent effect. Thus, neomycin-sensitive bacteria do not mediate the negative effects of pectin on vitamin B-12 status. Pectin may interfere directly with vitamin B-12 absorption or may stimulate vitamin B-12 uptake or propionate production by microbial species that have adapted to neomycin.
Novel Magnetic and Optical Properties of Sn 1−x Zn x O 2 Nanoparticles

In this work, we report on the effects of doping SnO2 nanoparticles with Zn2+ ions. A series of ∼2–3 nm sized Sn1−xZnxO2 crystallite samples with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.18 were synthesized using a forced hydrolysis method. Increasing dopant concentration caused systematic changes in the crystallite size, oxidation state of Sn, visible emission, and band gap of SnO2 nanoparticles. X-ray Diffraction studies confirmed the SnO2 phase purity and the absence of any impurity phases. Magnetic measurements at room temperature showed a weak ferromagnetic behavior characterized by an open hysteresis loop. Their saturation magnetization Ms increases initially with increasing Zn concentrations; however for x > 0.06, Ms decreases. Samples with the highest Ms values (x = 0.06) were analyzed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, looking for traces of any magnetic elements in the samples. Concentrations of all transition metals (Fe, Co, Mn, Cr, and Ni) in these samples were below ppb level, suggesting that the observe...
Device modeling and simulation of CIS-based solar cells

A comprehensive device modeling and numerical simulation of the performance of Cu(In,Ga)Se/sub 2/ (CIGS) solar cells with an emphasis on band-gap engineering of the CIGS absorber layers has been carried out using the AMPS-1D device simulation program. A variety of graded band-gap structures including back surface grading and double grading of the CIGS absorber layers are examined. The device physics and performance parameters of the absorber layer structures with different band-gap profiles are analyzed. Based on the simulation results, an optimal graded band-gap structure for the CIGS cell is proposed. Additionally, the dependence of performance parameters for the CIGS cells on the existence, carrier mobility, carrier density, and thickness of the Cu-poor surface defect layer on the CIGS absorber layers are also investigated.
Effects of Common Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nest Management Methods on Hatching and Emergence Success at Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA

Abstract Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting-beach management is an integral component of population recovery efforts for this internationally threatened species. In Georgia, nests threatened by tidal inundation are commonly relocated to elevated dunes, and screens are placed over nests to prevent depredation. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nest relocation and nest screening on both hatching success (proportion of successfully hatched eggs) and emergence success (proportion of hatchlings successfully emerging from the egg chamber) at Sapelo Island, Georgia. Results suggest that high hatching and emergence success rates can be maintained on Sapelo Island without nest relocation. Predator screens do not appear to affect hatching or emergence success and should continue to be used to protect nests from depredation.
An update on new orally administered contraceptives for women

Introduction: The focus in contraception is shifting from oral contraceptives to more effective methods, such as implants and intrauterine devices. Generics are favored by third-party payors. As a result, potentially exciting developments in branded pills to increase safety or to reduce side effects may have gone unnoticed.Areas covered: This article reviews the features of each of the four new oral contraceptives that have been introduced in the United States and/or Europe in the last few years. The motivation for the development of each product is outlined as is its efficacy, safety, tolerability and the noncontraceptive applications that have been explored are described.Expert opinion: The hypothesis that using estradiol in place of ethinyl estradiol would reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism is still to be proven. However, the stronger progestogens used in these formulations may offer other tangible benefits for selected women. The new products for extended cycle pill use may have less impact. Th...
The relationship between androgyny and cognitive complexity: An exploratory investigation

This study explored the relationship between psychological androgyny as measured by Bem's Sex Role Inventory and cognitive complexity, measured by Crockett's Role Category Questionnaire. It was expected that androgyny and high cognitive complexity would be correlated positively. A moderate correlation between androgyny and cognitive complexity was obtained. However, the result was interpreted as a function of the complexity measure. The unexpected result was that of the subjects who scored high in complexity, more were categorized as undifferentiated as contrasted with androgynous, masculine, or feminine. Suggestions, based on the results, are made for re‐examining psychological sex roles and cognitive complexity. Specifically, the researchers suggest that the undifferentiated individual be given serious attention and that qualitative indices of interpersonal construct systems be used to investigate further the connection between psychological androgyny and social cognition.
Migrants as Missionaries: The Case of Priscilla and Aquila

AbstractThis paper argues that early Christian migration movements, whether stimulated by mission or caused by persecution, were historically a prime factor in the expansion of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The case of Priscilla and Aquila will demonstrate that migration and mission were closely connected. This Judean, Christ-believing couple, was constantly on the move for the cause of the gospel. They first settled in Rome, then were forced to migrate to Corinth because of the Edict of Claudius in 49 CE, relocated in Ephesus for the purpose of evangelization, and finally returned to Rome after Claudius’ death in 54 CE. Having experienced the trauma and travail of displacement, uprootedness, and continual migration, they knew the importance of being welcomed and providing hospitality to strangers. Consequently, an examination of this model immigrant couple can inspire every Christian who is on the move to become a potential missionary.
Business school research: bridging the gap between producers and consumers

There has been a great deal of continuing discussion concerning the seemingly unbridgeable gap between so much of the research produced by business school professors and the needs of the business people who, ideally, would use it. Here, we examine this gap and suggest a model for bridging it. We sample four groups of people, business school academics (professors), deans of business schools, executive MBA students/recent graduates, and senior business executives. Each group rates 44 different (potential) properties of exemplary research. We analyze within-group differences, and more meaningfully, between-group differences. We then offer commentary on the results and use the results to develop the aforementioned suggestions for bridging the gap we find.
The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature ☆

Abstract Five studies assessed the validity and reliability of the connectedness to nature scale (CNS), a new measure of individuals’ trait levels of feeling emotionally connected to the natural world. Data from two community and three college samples demonstrated that the CNS has good psychometric properties, correlates with related variables (the new environmental paradigm scale, identity as an environmentalist), and is uncorrelated with potential confounds (verbal ability, social desirability). This paper supports ecopsychologists’ contention that connection to nature is an important predictor of ecological behavior and subjective well-being. It also extends social psychological research on self–other overlap, perspective taking, and altruistic behavior to the overlap between self and nature. The CNS promises to be a useful empirical tool for research on the relationship between humans and the natural world.