cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bergmann glial GlyT1 mediates glycine uptake and release in mouse cerebellar slices

Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and is critical for NMDA receptor activation. These roles are dependent on extracellular glycine levels, which are regulated by Na+/Cl−-dependent glycine transporters (GlyTs) in neurones and glia. The glial GlyT subtype GlyT1 is well located to activate NMDA receptors. However, glial GlyTs have not been studied in an intact system thus far. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were obtained from Bergmann glia in mice cerebellar slices to determine whether these glia express functional GlyT1 that can mediate both glycine uptake and efflux. In the presence of a glycine receptor blocker, glycine and a substrate agonist for GlyT1, sarcosine, induced voltage-dependent inward currents that were abolished by removing external Na+, identifying them as transport currents. Inhibitors of glycine transport through GlyT1 (sarcosine and (N-[3-(4′-fluorophenyl)-3-(4′-phenylphenoxy)propyl]sarcosine (NFPS)) reduced glycine currents by ∼85%, consistent with positive immunostaining for GlyT1 in Bergmann glia while inhibitors of glycine transport through GlyT2 (4-benzyloxy-3,5-dimethoxy-N-[1-(dimethylaminocyclopently)methyl]benzamide (ORG 25543) and amoxapine) or through systems A and ASC did not affect glycine transport currents. Following internal glycine perfusion during the recording, outward currents progressively developed at −50 mV and external glycine-induced uptake currents were reduced. Using paired recordings of a Bergmann glial cell and a granule cell in the whole cell and outside-out modes, respectively, depolarizations of Bergmann glia to +20 mV induced a 73% increase in the open probability of glycine receptor channels in membrane patches of granule cells. This increase was prevented when NFPS was included in the bath solution. Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time that Bergmann glia express functional GlyT1 that can work in reverse at near-physiological ionic and internal glycine conditions in brain slices. These glial GlyTs can probably mediate glycine efflux under conditions of metabolic impairments like ischaemia.
LeNain de Tillemont: Gibbon's “sure-footed mule”

DAVID P. JORDAN Gibbon was scrupulous and generous in discharging his intellecttual and scholarly debts. The footnotes in the Decline and Fall (which comprise about a fourth of the work) are a candid and reliable index of the materials used in its composition. The reader of Gibbon is most forcefully struck by those mordant remarks which annihilate the work-and occasionally the character-of some obscure pedant. But the majority of Gibbon's notes are elegant apostrophes to the scholarship that supports the Decline and Fall. Of all the secondary authorities cited by Gibbon-there are nearly 3,000 such references1none is so frequently cited (about 250 times) and praised as Sebastien LeNain de Tillemont. He is "that learned Jansenist," "the indefatigable Tillemont," "the accurate M. de Tillemont"; and in one of those felicitous metaphors of which Gibbon was a master, Tillemont is "the patient and sure-footed mule of the Alps" who "may be trusted in the most slippery paths.2 Gibbon's debt to Tillemont is well known. The nature of that
Accuracy of determination of annual precipitation over a given area

The limits within which the total precipitation as measured by a single gage represents the total precipitation over the surrounding area is a subject of great interest to hydrologists and meteorologists. The lack of adequate data from large areas has made detailed analytical studies impossible. The precipitation-gage network established during the period from 1935 to 1940 in the Muskingum River Watershed in Ohio by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service provides data for limited studies for a 8038-sq mi area. Records from 230 gages for a full year beginning October 1, 1939; are available. The data from these stations have been used by the authors to analyze the effect of gage spacing on the accuracy of determination of the amount of annual precipitation for areas in Ohio ranging in size from a few square miles to 8000 sq mi.
How to achieve adherence to a ventilation algorithm for critically ill children

Aims and objectives: To evaluate to what extent physicians on a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) adhered to a newly implemented
Detection of the heavy Higgs boson at gamma gamma colliders.

We consider the possibility of detecting a heavy Higgs boson ([ital m][sub [ital H]][gt]2[ital m][sub [ital Z]]) in proposed [gamma][gamma] colliders through the semileptonic mode [gamma][gamma][r arrow][ital H][r arrow][ital ZZ][r arrow][ital q[bar q]l][sup +][ital l[minus]]. We show that due to the nonmonochromatic nature of the photon beams produced by the laser-backscattering method, the resultant cross section for Higgs production is much smaller than the on-resonance cross section, and generally [ital decreases] with increasing collider energy. Although continuum [ital ZZ] production is expected to be negligible, we demonstrate the presence of, and calculate sizable backgrounds from, [gamma][gamma][r arrow][ital l][sup +][ital l[minus]][ital Z],[ital q[bar q]Z], with [ital Z][r arrow][ital q[bar q]],[ital l][sup +][ital l[minus]], respectively, and [gamma][gamma][r arrow][ital t[bar t]][r arrow][ital b[bar b]l][sup +][ital l[minus]][nu][bar [nu]]. This channel may be used to detect a Higgs boson of mass [ital m][sub [ital H]] up to around 350 GeV at a 0.5 TeV [ital e][sup +][ital e[minus]] collider, assuming a nominal yearly luminosity of 10--20 fb[sup [minus]1].
Cerium filling and lattice thermal conductivity of skutterudites

We have investigated the structural and transport properties of filled skutterudites of the general form Ce/sub y/Fe/sub 4-x/Co/sub x/Sb/sub 12/. We show that the Ce occupancy of the cages is a strong function of the presence of cobalt, varying from an almost 100% filling for x=0 down to no more than 10% filling in pure Ce/sub y/Co/sub 4/Sb/sub 12/, i.e., for x=4. We demonstrate a strong suppression of the lattice thermal conductivity by both the "rattling motion" of Ce, and by alloying Fe with Co. We propose that the partially filled skutterudites can be viewed as solid solutions of fully filled CeFe/sub 4/Sb/sub 12/ and /spl square/Co/sub 4/Sb/sub 12/, where /spl square/ stands for a vacancy.
3 Rethinking Global Justice from the Perspective of All Living Nature and What Difference it Makes

I begin this chapter with an account of what is deserved in human ethics, an ethics that assumes without argument that only humans, or rational agents, count morally. I then take up the question of whether nonhuman living beings are also deserving, and I answer it in the affirmative. Having established that all individual living beings, as well as ecosystems, are deserving, I go on to establish what it is that they deserve and then compare the requirements of global justice when only humans are taken into account with the requirements of global justice when all living beings are taken into account. I argue that the more adequate global justice that takes into account all living beings imposes some additional obligations on us that are absent from a less defensible human-centered global justice, but not as many as one might initially think.
Proteasome modulator 9 gene is linked to diabetic and non-diabetic retinopathy in T2D

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a long-term complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Non-diabetic retinopathy may be present in T2D patients as well and non-T2D patients with hypertension and/or atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to identify linkage of the proteasome modulator 9 (PSMD9) T2D risk variants IVS3+nt460, IVS3+nt437, E197G to diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy including also atherosclerotic or hypertensive retinopathy in Italian T2D families.Materials and Methods: A total of 126 siblings of our 200 T2D siblings/families were characterized for diabetic retinopathy or retinopathy. The clinical characterization is based on a fundus oculi exam and on fluorangiography of the participating subjects. Diabetic retinopathy includes both pre-proliferative and proliferative retinopathy. The common gene variants were directly amplified by PCR and by fluorescent-based automation. A parametric and non-parametric linkage study of the gene variants with diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy was then...
Street-Experienced Peripheral B Cells Traffic to the Brain

Deep sequencing of immunoglobulin repertoires in multiple sclerosis patients reveals dysregulation of peripheral B cell immunity (Palanichamy et al. and Stern et al., this issue).
Individual, family, and peer factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida.

Based on a social-ecological theoretical framework, this study sought to identify key individual (attitude toward spina bifida), family (satisfaction with family functioning), and peer (peer support) factors associated with the quality of sibling relationships in families of youths with spina bifida. A cross-sectional sample of 224 siblings of youths with spina bifida, ages 11-18 years, and parents participated. Siblings completed self-report measures of attitude toward spina bifida, satisfaction with family functioning, peer support, and warmth and conflict in their relationships with brothers and sisters with spina bifida. The parent provided information on spina bifida severity and family demographics. Hierarchical regression analyses supported the overall model in explaining variance in sibling-reported relational warmth (Adjusted R 2 .29) and conflict (Adjusted R 2 .17). Satisfaction with family functioning was the only ecological factor consistently associated with warmth and conflict in the sibling relationship. Findings have clinical implications for pathways to support positive sibling interactions in families of youths with spina bifida.
The effect of coal combustion byproducts on price discrimination by upstream industries

Price discrimination is often difficult to disentangle from price dispersion due to a lack of transaction level data capable of tracking sales from individual companies to quantifiably heterogeneous groups of consumers. This paper uses mine-mouth prices and transportation prices paid by regulated coal-fired power plants in the U.S. coal market during the time period 2009–2010 to study how coal mines and transportation companies practice price discrimination against electricity plants. Power plants with heterogeneous demand for coal are perfectly identified based upon their ability to market flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, which is a byproduct produced from scrubbing SO2 emissions. Because sulfur is the raw material for FGD gypsum byproduct production, gypsum sellers are anticipated to have a more inelastic demand for high-sulfur coal. Results indicate that coal mines and transporters charge higher prices to gypsum sellers in comparison to non-sellers for transactions originating at the same mine during the same month of the same year. Coal-fired power plants capable of selling FGD gypsum byproducts are estimated to pay a 10.3–39.6 ¢/MMBtu price premium for coal. Coal mines and transportation companies each capture a relatively equal share of the associated rents.
Educating the Psychology Workforce in the Age of the Affordable Care Act: A Graduate Course Modeled After the Priorities of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a paradigm shift in the U.S. healthcare system, which has implications for psychology programs producing the next generation of trainees. In particular, the ACA has established the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which has been tasked with developing national priorities and funding research aimed at improving healthcare quality by helping patients and providers to make informed healthcare decisions. PCORI's national priorities span five broad domains: person-centered outcomes research, health disparities research, healthcare systems research, communication and dissemination research, and methodologic research. As these national priorities overlap with the knowledge and skills often emphasized in psychology training programs, initiatives by training programs to bolster strengths in these domains could place trainees at the forefront of this emerging research paradigm. As a part of a new Masters program in behavioral health, our program developed a health psychology course modeled around PCORI's five national priorities, and an initial evaluation in a small sample supported student learning in the five PCORI domains. In summary, the current report has implications for familiarizing readers with PCORI's national priorities for U.S. healthcare, stimulating debate surrounding psychology's response to the largest healthcare paradigm shift in recent U.S. history, and providing a working model for programs seeking to implement PCORI-related changes to their curricula.
Nonlinear resonant behavior of a dispersive readout circuit for a superconducting flux qubit

MIT Lincoln Laboratory, 44 Wood Street, Lexington, Massachusetts 02420, USA(Dated: February 6, 2008)A nonlinear resonant circuit comprising a SQUID magnetometer and a parallel capacitor isstudied as a readout scheme for a persistent-current (PC) qubit. The ﬂux state of the qubitis detected as a change in the Josephson inductance of the SQUID magnetometer, which inturn mediates a shift in the resonance frequency of the readout circuit. The nonlinearity andresulting hysteresis in the resonant behavior are characterized as a function of the power of boththe input drive and the associated resonance peak response. Numerical simulations based on aphenomenological circuit model are presented which display the features of the observed nonlinearity.
A high throughput router with a novel switch allocator for network on chip

As industry moves towards many core chips, conventional bus and crossbar interconnections often struggle to meet the multi-core communication requirement. Network on Chip (NoC) has been proposed to replace global interconnections to alleviate this problem. In NoC, routers are used to exchange data between IPs. So the router performance directly impacts the efficiency of the entire system. The key components of a modern router include Route Computation (RC), Virtual-channel Allocation (VA), Switch Allocation (SA) and Switch Traversal (ST). In this paper, we present a new router architecture that significantly improves the throughput while keeping the area overhead low. In this approach, we redesign SA's fist stage arbiters to be priority based dynamic arbiters using round-robin algorithm. The modified unit can increase the possibility of SA's first stage arbiters to choose requests for different output ports. Hence, in the second stage of the SA, the competition for output ports will be reduced, leading more flits to travel through the crossbar in one cycle, resulting in increased throughput. Our results show that the new design can improve throughput by up to 13% for a router with eight virtual channels. Also, the new arbiter has lower worst case latency which can help the system to increase its operational frequency.
Blood serum levels and intestinal absorption of vitamin B12 in multiple sclerosis.

Abstract In view of the conflicting data in the literature as to the coexistence of B 12 deficiency in multiple sclerosis, the authors determined the B 12 blood serum levels, by the Ochromonas malhamensis technique, and the intestinal absorption of radioactive vitamin B 12 , by the hepatic uptake method, in twenty-one cases of this disease. This study failed to detect any significant B 12 deficiency or derangement of intestinal absorption of vitamin B 12 in multiple sclerosis.
Computationally tractable approach to PCA-based depth-variant PSF representation for 3D microscopy image restoration

Application of a previously developed PCA-based expectation maximization algorithm to experimental data is made possible through an interpolated PCA approach. Simulated and experimental results confirm achieved accuracy in image restoration of thick samples.
Role of Vasopressin in Rats with Bilateral Ureteral Obstruction

After unilateral release of bilateral ureteral obstruction (BUO), there is a significant increase in renal vasoconstriction that accounts for the marked decrease in glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow seen in this setting. We examined the potential role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), a vasoconstrictor of the renal circulation, on renal hemodynamics in female Sprague-Dawley rats with BUO of 24-hr duration. Rats with BUO had significantly higher plasma values of ADH 65.1 +/- 12.2 vs. 12.1 +/- 4.1 pg/ml), sodium (145.4 +/- 0.91 vs 138.6 +/- 1.06 mEq/liter), and osmolality (375.6 +/- 2.0 vs 310.1 +/- 3.6 mOsm/kg) than sham-operated rats. Rats with BUO pretreated with enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, before obstruction had somewhat higher, but not significantly different, plasma values for ADH (84.6 +/- 20.8 pg/ml) than rats with BUO not given enalapril. Rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction of 24-hr duration had plasma levels of ADH (8.2 +/- 1.3) not different from those in sham-operated rats. Rats with BUO pretreated with a specific antagonist of the V1-type receptor for ADH had significantly greater values for the glomerular filtration rate (2.31 +/- 0.24 vs 1.44 +/- 0.08 ml/min/kg body wt) and the effective renal plasma flow (8.95 +/- 0.71 vs 3.81 +/- 0.44 ml/min/kg body wt) and significantly lower values for mean arterial pressure (140.3 +/- 2.0 vs 159.1 +/- 5.5 mm Hg) than did BUO rats not given the antagonist. The results indicate that high levels of ADH play an important role in the decrease in the glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow observed in rats with BUO of 24 hr. The significant increase in ADH levels after BUO of 24-hr duration may be due to an increase in osmotic stimulation as a consequence of hypernatremia. Activation of the renin-angiotensin axis, known to occur after BUO or unilateral ureteral obstruction of 24-hr duration, does not appear to have a role in the increased circulating levels of ADH.
Performance-Based Evaluation of Two Photo-Organization Interfaces

Over the past few decades, computers have been used to organize information. New organizational software allows users to classify information into taxonomies or to organize material by linking each item with other items. These methods of organization reflect trends in information processing theories of how the human mind encodes, organizes and retrieves information. The current research study aims to examine the impact of information organization methods on organization and retrieval efficiency as well as on aspects of user workload and preference.
Bryobia Curiosa, New Species, from the Mojave Desert in California (Acarina: Tetranychidae)

The phytophagous mite herein described was taken from one or more shrubs on the northern fringe of the Mojave Desert, California. This type locality very nearly coincides with that of Pseudobryobia drummondi (Ewing) described from the creosote bush, Larrea tridentata , in nearby Death Valley, California.
Thoughtless Buddha, Passionate Buddha

Lorsque les philosophes bouddhistes discutent de la nature de Bouddha, ils doivent souvent faire face a un dilemne: un Bouddha doit d'une certaine maniere trascender le monde; d'un autre cote, le Bouddha doit egalement etre present dans le monde comme guide et a travers un enseignement. Pour de nombreux bouddhistes, l'ignorance qui gouverne le monde trouve son expression a travers les concepts. La pensee conceptuelle est consideree comme fondamentalement pervertie dans la mesure ou elle attribue de maniere erronee les essences ultimes a ses objets
Temporal Modulation of Spatial Borders in Rat Barrel Cortex

Sheth, Bhavin R., Christopher I. Moore, and Mriganka Sur. Temporal modulation of spatial borders in rat barrel cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 464–470, 1998. We examined the effects of varying vibriss...
Internet tools to enhance breast cancer care

Internet tools have become a great aid in the daily practice of physicians who treat breast cancer patients. In cancer care there are frequent and important intersections where major decisions need to be made; these include (1) whether or not to give chemotherapy; (2) how much toxicity to expect, and (3) the life expectancy of the patient, considering non-breast cancer comorbidities. These decisions can be made more accurately using calculators based on data sets of thousands of patients as opposed to physician intuition. Such tools also help patients and caregivers in optimal decision making, as they estimate the absolute benefits and risks of treatment. In this perspective we describe selected internet sites that are useful across several domains of care, including the potential benefits of different adjuvant regimens for early breast cancer, prognosis after neoadjuvant therapy, prognosis for ductal carcinoma in situ, and toxicity and life expectancy estimates. We review the variables required to use the tools, the results obtained, the methods of validation, and the advantages and disadvantages of each tool.
The First Sorrowful Voice from the Poem of Mystical Excursion by Man of Letters——A Brief Discussion to Status and Idea Implication of Poem Mystical Excursion by Cao Cao

Though the poems of mystical excursion written by Cao Cao are only a few,they inherited the past and ushered in the future in terms of writing field.He inherited folk songs and Yuefu of the Qin and Han Dynasties,and expressed ambition by way of virtual world.He expressed his deep sorry and great concern for his country,not being able to fulfilling his great ambition when he was old by describing the fantasy and beauty of the virtual world from the angle of man of letters.This reflected his contradictions of thought when he was old.Meanwhile,he also ushered styles of poem of mystical excursion by Cao Pi,Can Zhi,Ji Kang,Ruan Ji and Guo Pu.Undoubtedly,the writing style of these poems played a positive role on the poems of Romanticism in the later period.
A Method for production and purification of Human IL_2

A method for production and purification of human interkin 2(IL2) was described. Mono- nuclear cells of peripheral blood from donors wers cultured in RPMI1640 with 10%FCS for 4 days at 37℃.Then the cells were deposited by centrifugation and resuspended in RPMII64O with 1%FCS and 2μg/ml PHA, followed by mixing with an equal vocun of B. Lymphoblastoid cell line (Daudi, Imkl101) suspension. After 18-24h of incubation, the supernatant designated as crude IL2 was collected. The Purification scheme of this crude IL2 involved precipitation with ammonium sulphate, C-100 gel filtration and Blue-Sepharose chrcmotography. A 1000- fold purification of IL2 from crude supernatant was obtained.
Multivariate statistical approach to re-evaluate the slake durability index test (ASTM 4644–08)

Abstract The slake durability index test is designed to quantify durability of mainly weak rocks. The test is basically tumbling 10 pieces of rocks each weighing 40–60 g for a two ten minute cycles in a water submerged mesh drum (2 mm mesh size). Second cycle slake durability index values (I d2 ) are the percentage of the fraction of material retained in the drum after the second cycle test is completed. The difference in I d2 values between durable vs. non-durable mudrocks can sometimes be very small, due to the fact that fragments of material retained in the test drum can be larger than 2 mm making the slake durability test inadequate to quantify durability of mudrocks. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate if other mesh sizes can better quantify durability and discriminate between durable and non-durable mudrocks. For this purpose, the grain size distribution of the material retained in the mesh drum after the slake durability test was sieved by #2 (6.3 mm), #4 (4.75 mm), #5 (4.0 mm), and #10 (2 mm) sieves. Multivariate/bivariate statistics was used to investigate which grain size fraction better correlates with the degree of disintegration. To quantify the degree of disintegration of the retained material, the fragmentation index is introduced. Another parameter used as a descriptor of the degree of disintegration is the sieved slake durability index. The results showed that the % > 6.3 mm size fraction has the highest control on both dependent variables. Discriminant analysis was also performed to identify which sieve size best discriminates between durable and non-durable mudrocks such as between shales and claystones/mudstones. Similar to the result of the linear regression analysis, the discriminant analysis showed that the % > 6.3 mm size is more sensitive than the % > 2 mm size to discriminate between the durable and non-durable mudrocks. We recommend sieving the retained material with the 6.3 mm mesh and using a modified the slake durability index equation to better reflect the disintegration of mudrocks during the slake durability index test.
Stage of breast and cervical cancer diagnosis in disadvantaged neighborhoods: a prevention policy perspective.

Introduction Public health research on cancer and socioeconomic status (SES) has shown that higher SES is related to greater access to services. Using neighborhood-level measures of SES, we test hypotheses related to stage of breast and cervical cancer diagnosis. Methods SEER data on women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer in 1989 and 1990 in San Francisco, Atlanta, and Detroit were matched with 1990 Census tract data. Cases were grouped as “in situ” or “invasive” at diagnosis. Using multivariate logistic regression in two separate models, we investigated whether residence in a poverty-tract or, alternatively, a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with increased likelihood of diagnosis with invasive tumors. Results Living in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood was a strong, consistent predictor of invasive cancer. Living in a neighborhood with a high proportion of households in poverty was also a significant predictor for cervical cancer. Conclusions Our results suggest specific neighborhoods that would benefit from clinical interventions. Lack of economic and social resources constrains individuals living in these neighborhoods from taking advantage of interventions targeting individual behavior. Thus, interventions in the small proportion of disadvantaged neighborhoods, we argue, need to target the entire community. Further, policy reform at the community level becomes more feasible when need can be specified for a particular census tract.
Opportunities for technology in the self-management of mental health

Mental health is becoming an increasingly pressing healthcare issue on a worldwide level. Chronic mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder are some of the most challenging illnesses to treat and are associated with considerable negative consequences, both in terms of societal costs as well as individual patients' quality of life. Mobile and wearable devices, with their rising ownership levels and sensing capabilities, have the potential to enable more personalized and broadly deployable forms of condition monitoring, symptom detection, and timely intervention. In this workshop paper, we overview our research into the lived experiences and self-management practices of individuals with bipolar disorder, the resultant implications for designing technology-based solutions, and the steps we have taken towards development of such assessment and intervention oriented tools. Importantly, we surface tensions between the opportunities of technology and the potential risks associated with their usage in the context of mental health.
Cache-aware GPU memory scheduling scheme for CT back-projection

Graphic process units (GPUs) are well suited to computing-intensive tasks and are among the fastest solutions to perform Computed Tomography (CT) reconstruction. As previous research shows, the bottleneck of GPU-implementation is not the computational power, but the memory bandwidth. We propose a cache-aware memory-scheduling scheme for the back-projection, which can ensure a better load-balancing between GPU processors and the GPU memory. The proposed reshuffling method can be directly applied on existing GPU-accelerated CT reconstruction pipelines. The experimental results show that our optimization can achieve speedup ranging from 1.18–1.48. Our cache-optimization method is particular effective for low-resolution volumes with high resolution projections.
Attitudes toward comparative effectiveness research and patient engagement among reproductive health clinicians.

Aim: To assess reproductive health clinicians’ knowledge of and attitudes toward comparative effectiveness research (CER), patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and patient engagement in research. Materials & methods: Web-based survey of reproductive health clinicians. Results: Among 103 responding clinicians, familiarity with CER and PCOR was moderate (35 and 44%, respectively). Once definitions were provided, most respondents agreed with the potential positive impacts of CER and patient engagement (65–87%), the importance of PCOR (95–99%) and that their patients might be interested in engaging in research as more than subjects (93%). Conclusion: We found positive attitudes toward PCOR and CER, and a range of experiences with patient engagement in research. There may be untapped potential for PCOR and CER in the reproductive health field.
Mechanics in Alloy Design

The mechanical designer must effect a compromise between the costs of a large factor of safety, the cost of high hardness or high crack-initiation resistance, and the cost of high resistance to crack propagation, along with any necessary inspection during service. The economics of recycling will ultimately become a factor. Available equations are given relating these mechanical attributes to the microstructure. The primary possibilities for improvement seem to be (a) preferred orientation for increased stiffness, (b) increasing the adherence between the matrix and second-phase particles to delay hole nucleation, and (c) increasing crack meandering and branching to impede crack growth.
Prevalence, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management of Microscopic Colitis

Microscopic colitis (MC), which is comprised of lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis, is a clinicopathological diagnosis that is commonly encountered in clinical practice during the evaluation and management of chronic diarrhea. With an incidence approaching the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease, physician awareness is necessary, as diagnostic delays result in a poor quality of life and increased health care costs. The physician faces multiple challenges in the diagnosis and management of MC, as these patients frequently relapse after successful treatment. This review article outlines the risk factors associated with MC, the clinical presentation, diagnosis and histologic findings, as well as a proposed treatment algorithm. Prospective studies are required to better understand the natural history and to develop validated histologic endpoints that may be used as end points in future clinical trials and serve to guide patient management.
Fiber Bragg grating sensor system for civil structure monitoring: applications and field tests

There is increasing demand for monitoring the national highway infrastructure. This demand is supported by the fact that in United States alone, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has deemed approximately one half of the 260,000 km of roadway contained in the National Highway System as poor to fair and about 110,000 out of 470,000 bridges as deficient [1].
Research Transparency: A Preliminary Study of Disciplinary Conceptualisation, Drivers, Tools and Support Services

T his paper describes a preliminary study of research transparency, which draws on the findings from four focus group sessions with faculty in chemistry, law, urban and social studies, and civil and environmental engineering. The multi-faceted nature of transparency is highlighted by the broad ways in which the faculty conceptualised the concept (data sharing, ethics, replicability) and the vocabulary they used with common core terms identified (data, methods, full disclosure). The associated concepts of reproducibility and trust are noted. The research lifecycle stages are used as a foundation to identify the action verbs and software tools associated with transparency. A range of transparency drivers and motivations are listed. The role of libraries and data scientists is discussed in the context of the provision of transparency services for researchers .
The Resonances of Public Art: Thoughts on the Notion of Co-Productive Acts and Public Art

Using a serendipitous public art encounter as a point of departure, this article explores how what I call co-productive acts are an important part of building relationships between individuals, public art installations, communities, and public art programs. This article is a “thought piece”; as such, I present an introductory examination into an important arena in need of further inquiry: public art and co-productive acts. As will be made clear, co-productive acts are different from the production of public art, co-productions, and collaborations. Though all are important parts of the making of public art, they occur at different times in the life cycle of a piece, and involve different people and interactions. Many people are unaware of their community's public art program (e.g., the process, the funding, and the collection); however, when they experience a piece of public art, there is a possibility that they might have a very different understanding of the piece, themselves, the collection, and the public art program. As a contribution to the literature and practice of public art, I pose questions and suggest directions for further inquiry that might help the field consider how co-productive acts are, indeed, an important part of the life of public art (installations and municipal public art programs).
Beliefs about intellectual disability among employees at a state facility and undergraduate students: An exploratory analysis.

BACKGROUND Individuals with intellectual disability are subject to stigmatization, even among those providing services to them. METHOD Employees from an intermediate care facility (n = 97) and undergraduate students (n = 92) completed measures on their attitudes, beliefs of etiological causes and endorsement of helpful treatments and supports. RESULTS Overall, participants reported few stigmatizing attitudes and high levels of support for interventions. Differences between employees and students emerged in regard to attitudes and causal beliefs, with employees reporting more support for sheltering and less endorsement of biomedical causes. Among students, those that reported knowing someone with intellectual disability reported less agreement with causal factors as well as differences in what supports were thought to be necessary or beneficial. CONCLUSIONS Attitudes and beliefs are interrelated and while familiarity impacts these views, it does not necessarily lead to greater understanding or endorsement of treatments or supports. The effects of familiarity on attitudes and beliefs should continue to be explored.
Implementing Innovative Insect Management Systems in Soybean in the Southeastern U.S.

A computerized management aid, called AUSIMM was developed for insects, diseases, and nematodes attacking soybeans in Alabama. AUSIMM was validated in two year’s of validation studies with more than 11 experiments. Version 2.1 of AUSIMM was released to interested growers in 1989. Very few growers have requested a copy of the program. Why was this innovative technology not embraced by soybean growers in Alabama? Implementation was impeded by a severe lack of funds, technical complexity of the product being implemented, inadequate collaboration with extension specialists, institutional inertia towards research /extension cooperation, inability to demonstrate great increases in net profits, and the requirement of a computer for growers to use the software. Future efforts at implementing innovative IPM systems should involve extension specialists and social scientists at the outset, and should be directed towards crops with net profit margins that are not shrinking over time.
Heart and Heart-Liver Transplantation in Amyloid Cardiomyopathy

Background Heart transplantation (HT) is often the only viable treatment for patients with end-stage amyloid cardiomyopathy (ACM). Patients with cardiomyopathy due to transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis have abnormal transthyretin protein production in the liver. For these patients, combined heart-liver transplantation (HLT) has also been employed. We sought to examine the waitlist and post-transplantation outcomes of patients with ACM undergoing HT or HLT. Methods We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry for all adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with amyloid cardiomyopathy listed for HT or HLT from 2008-2015. We then compared waitlist and post-transplantation outcomes among these patients. Results We identified 320 patients with ACM. Patients with ACM had higher cumulative hazards of waitlist mortality or delisting compared to patients with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy or non-amyloid restrictive cardiomyopathy (p Conclusion Heart and heart-liver transplantation may be viable options for appropriately selected patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy, with similar waitlist and post-transplantation outcomes.
Healthcare Systems in the United States

The United States stands alone among industrialized nations as the only healthcare system without a nationwide single-payer or state healthcare system. But the United States is far from a homogenous private sector—financed market. Private, employer-based insurance programs insure only 60–65% of the population. Another 20–25% of the population is insured by a combination of social welfare insurance (Medicaid) and societal healthcare (Medicare). Prior to the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, 13% were uninsured. That legislation created a federal marketplace with state involvement where any individual could seek coverage with a government subsidy, if necessary. The objective of the marketplace in conjunction with the individual mandate provision of the ACA was to insure the remaining 47 million Americans who did not have health insurance prior to 2010. Despite the passage of the ACA, equal access to healthcare in the United States remains problematic. Compared to the universal coverage offered in other industrialized nations, the US system has inherent inequities regarding access. It is only through a view of the historical context of the evolution of the current US healthcare system that one can explain the existence of the current system. The focus of this chapter is to present the US healthcare system from its origins at the turn of the nineteenth century, through the initiation of Medicare in the mid-1960s, up to the passage of the ACA in 2010. As the emphasis in the United States shifts from a fee-for-service system to a value proposition defined by quality over cost, the quality assessment reviewed later in this text becomes especially germane in the realm of spine care in any healthcare system.
The Phosphohistidine Phosphatase SixA Targets a Phosphotransferase System

ABSTRACT SixA, a well-conserved protein found in proteobacteria, actinobacteria, and cyanobacteria, is the only reported example of a bacterial phosphohistidine phosphatase. A single protein target of SixA has been reported to date: the Escherichia coli histidine kinase ArcB. The present work analyzes an ArcB-independent growth defect of a sixA deletion in E. coli. A screen for suppressors, analysis of various mutants, and phosphorylation assays indicate that SixA modulates phosphorylation of the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr). The PTSNtr is a widely conserved bacterial pathway that regulates diverse metabolic processes through the phosphorylation states of its protein components, EINtr, NPr, and EIIANtr, which receive phosphoryl groups on histidine residues. However, a mechanism for dephosphorylating this system has not been reported. The results presented here suggest a model in which SixA removes phosphoryl groups from the PTSNtr by acting on NPr. This work uncovers a new role for the phosphohistidine phosphatase SixA and, through factors that affect SixA expression or activity, may point to additional inputs that regulate the PTSNtr. IMPORTANCE One common means to regulate protein activity is through phosphorylation. Protein phosphatases exist to reverse this process, returning the protein to the unphosphorylated form. The vast majority of protein phosphatases that have been identified target phosphoserine, phosphotheronine, and phosphotyrosine. A widely conserved phosphohistidine phosphatase was identified in Escherichia coli 20 years ago but remains relatively understudied. The present work shows that this phosphatase modulates the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system, a pathway that is regulated by nitrogen and carbon metabolism and affects diverse aspects of bacterial physiology. Until now, there was no known mechanism for removing phosphoryl groups from this pathway.
VO 2 Phase-Transition-Based Vertical MEMS Microactuators

A vertical multilayer VO2 MEMS microactuator device is reported in this work. A 150-nm-thick VO2 layer is sandwiched between the top Pt and bottom indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. An equivalent thermal circuit is developed with a thermal response time of 0.39 ms. With the insulator-to-metal phase transition of VO2 at ~68 °C accompanied by large electrical and lattice changes, a 35- $\mu \text{m}$ -long VO2 actuator experiences 2- $\mu \text{m}$ deflection across the phase transition driven by heating and 0.22- $\mu \text{m}$ deflection when electrothermally actuated. The COMSOL finite element analysis is performed to determine the spatial distribution of the current flow and temperature profile and to verify the experimental measurements of strain-induced bending in this multilayer vertical structure. The obtained experimental result shows a good fit with the simulation analysis, which can in future be used to develop a generic understanding of such vertical MEMS devices.
The pressure Is On: Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure and Transport of the Pediatric Patient

Background: Pediatric trauma patient noted to have an endotracheal tube cuff pressure injury that prompted a review of cuff pressures in all intubated pediatric trauma patients. Standard was to document endotracheal tube cuff pressure upon arrival to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Opportunity for improvement: Elevated endotracheal tube cuff pressures were identified in some patients arriving intubated to the trauma bay. Performance …
Respiratory Disorders of the Immune System and Their Pharmacological Treatment

The respiratory system comprising of the upper airway passages and bronchopulmonary tissues including the trachea and the lung are vital for the processes of gas exchange and cellular respiration. Inflammatory disorders of the lower respiratory tract such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a major cause of debilitating illness throughout the world and significantly contribute to mortality and increases in health care costs. In this chapter, we discuss the pathophysiology and the immunological basis of these diseases as well as the pharmacology of the drugs used in their treatment. The specific contributions of immune cells including TH2 cells, mast cells, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells are described in detail. Novel therapeutic agents in the treatment of asthma and COPD are also discussed. Lastly, the discovery of IgE antibodies is highlighted in the Bench to Bedside section.
Use of HER2 score correction for putative chromosome 17 (Chr-17) aneusomy to increase eligibility for anti-HER2 therapy.

620 Background: HER2 amplification or overexpression status directs therapy choice in breast carcinoma. HER2/Chr-17 ratio is commonly assessed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) using a CEP17 centromeric reference probe and ASCO/CAP scoring criteria. However, α-centromeric reference probes may underestimate true HER2 status in cases with para-centromeric amplification. Here we present comprehensive algorithmic testing of an alternative Chr-17 reference locus for resolution of putative CEP17-aneusomic cases in a consecutive series, within a single health system. Methods: 150 of 1256 consecutive breast carcinoma cases accessioned in 2011 within the Cleveland Clinic Health System displayed a mean CEP17 copy number greater than 3.0 by FISH (aneusomy). The patients were reflex-HER2 tested by FISH with a reference probe for the D17S122 locus (17p12) and a corrected HER2/Chr-17 ratio was calculated. Cases with equivocal HER2/D17S122 ratio (1.8-2.2) were further reflex tested for HER2 overexpression by ...
Interference Reduction in Multicarrier CDMA Via Blind Minimum Variance Multiuser Detector

This paper investigates the problem of reducing interference via an adaptive minimum variance (AMV) receiver in the Multi - Carrier Code Division Multiple Access (MC CDMA) forward link. In the MC - CDMA forward link, receivers are decentralized hence a computationally traceable approach to filter design is via adaptive estimation. It is well known that explicit training reduces the spectral efficiency of communication channels subject to time variation, while on the other hand, implicit training (i.e. Blind estimation) is not capacity preserving for noisy channels. It is necessary, therefore, to consider whether any potential advantage can be gained capacity wise in using implicit training for slowly time varying channels where some degree of channel estimation error can be expected. In this paper, the AMV algorithm is examined for MC - CDMA where results are presented indicating that for BPSK, 16QAM, and 64QAM modulation, the probability of error and capacity are nearly identical to the LMS MMSE approach provided that perfect channel side information (CSI) is available at the receiver. In the case where the CSI is subject to uncertainty, i.e. as practically would be the case when measuring a varying channel response in noise, the results show that approximately 2dB loss in performance occurs when the uncertainty is one tenth the symbol energy.
A Smartwatch Heart Rate Monitor Prompts an Unusual Diagnosis.

Abstract We report the case of a 54-year-old woman who presented for cardiological evaluation having noted a decline in her heart rate on her wearable heart rate monitor. She was found to be in 2:1...
Business, Risk, & China’s MCF: Modest Tools of Financial Regulation for a Time of Great Power Competition

Doing business and investing both require mindfulness about risk, and market regulatory systems aim to ensure risk is appropriately disclosed. Recent discussions of today’s international system of Great Power Competition by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo mention risk from China’s Military-Civil Fusion (MCF). For U.S. and U.K individuals and business firms looking to invest in and do business with China, MCF awareness requires consideration of the ways in which all individuals and institutions in China are called to a duty that transcends their personal and civilian identities in their observable roles. As courts and regulators in China continue to demonstrate everimproving professional procedures for dispute resolutions and regulatory investigations, including fairness in avoiding bias towards either litigating party when both parties are ordinary commercial entities, connecting the dots to MCF reveals a distinct category of embedded risk. MCF imposes obligations flowing in multiple directions among personnel in Chinese courts and agencies, national leadership, national security apparatus, and state-owned or state-championed commercial firms. This risk fits well with familiar tool kits used by U.S. and U.K. investors, business firms, and related commercial parties to make their own best-informed business decisions, as well as the familiar toolkits used within the broader ecosystem of financial regulators and private parties who bring civil litigation, investigation, and whistleblower claims for material misstatements and the like.