cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Education for Rural Transformation in Thailand: Perspectives on Policies and Practices

To engage meaningfully on the subject of “Education for Rural Transformation,” it is essential first to understand the concept of the “Rural Condition” as well as of “Education” -- which is influenced by social, economic, political, technological and cultural factors. There are two additional complexities in that the “Rural Condition” itself is not something stable and absolute but is indeed in perpetual flux across Time and Place; and that the rural condition is inconceivable without at the same time understanding the “Urban Condition.” Concomitantly, “Education” itself will have to undergo transformation to serve as the lever of rural and urban transformations. Rural and urban transformations today have come to acquire one globally-focused mission, dealing with three objectives: mitigation of global warming , pursuing sustainable development and committing to poverty alleviation , in both rural and urban habitations. For “Planned Action” informed by the general conceptual framework constructed here, the general must be c ontextualized in each particular setting of time, space and locality – responding to a specific “Political Economy”; to policy processes such as formulation, planning, mobilization, implementation and evaluation; and configurations of agents and adopters of planned actions. Finally, the “Logic of Action” must come from the dialectics between the structural and the instructional .
Intralimb compensation strategy depends on the nature of joint perturbation in human hopping

Due to the well-described spring-mass dynamics of bouncing gaits, human hopping is a tractable model for elucidating basic neuromuscular compensation principles. We tested whether subjects would employ a multi-joint or single-joint response to stabilize leg stiffness while wearing a spring-loaded ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) that applied localized resistive and assistive torques to the ankle. We analyzed kinematics and kinetics data from nine subjects hopping in place on one leg, at three frequencies (2.2, 2.4, and 2.8Hz) and three orthosis conditions (freely articulating AFO, AFO with plantarflexion resistance, and AFO with plantarflexion assistance). Leg stiffness was invariant across AFO conditions, however, compensation strategy depended upon the nature of the applied load. Biological ankle stiffness increased in response to a resistive load at twice the rate that it decreased with an assitive load. Ankle adjustments alone fully compensated for an assistive load with no net change in combined (biological plus applied) total ankle stiffness (pX0.133). In contrast, a resistive load resulted in a 7.4‐9.0% increase in total ankle stiffness across frequencies and a concomitant 10‐15% increase in knee joint stiffness at each frequency (pp0.037). The increased knee joint stiffness in response to resistive ankle load allowed subjects to maintain a more flexed knee at mid-stance, which attenuated the effect of the increased total ankle joint stiffness to preserve leg stiffness and whole limb biomechanical performance. Our findings suggest humans maintain invariant leg stiffness in bouncing gaits through different intralimb compensation strategies that are specific to the nature of the joint loading. r2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A new efficient method for the transient simulation of three-dimensional interconnect structures

An efficient method for the transient simulation of 3D interconnect structures has been developed. In this method, the time response is calculated in terms of a few poles of approximation in the frequency domain rather than via an ordinary time-domain integration method. An interconnect structure is represented in terms of equivalent 3D RC mesh networks and the transfer function of this linear circuit is then approximated by using a partial fraction series of a few poles. In order to facilitate the calculation of the transfer function, state equations are derived based on a nodal circuit analysis approach. The ICCG matrix solver has been successfully applied to the resultant matrices from the equations. It is shown that this method can produce transient responses one order of magnitude faster than conventional methods. >
Recent results from tests of fast analog-to-digital converters

We present results from tests of eight, ten, and twelve bit ADCs that operate in the range of 10 to 120 megasamples per second. We use a test bench and software we have developed to perform the tests on as wide a range of devices as possible. By testing devices with the same input signals, the same software, and the same parameter definitions, we make possible direct comparisons between competing devices. Important parameters measured include integral and differential nonlinearity, effective number of bits, and word error rate. While the tests are intended primarily to benefit the design of high rate physics experiments, the results are also useful to workers in other fields. >
A comparison of subjective and mathematical estimations of fetal heart rate variability

Objectives. To develop a computerized algorithm to quantify fetal heart rate (FHR) variability and compare it to perinatologists' interpretation of FHR variability.Methods. FHR variability was calculated using data from 30 women who had a fetal scalp electrode placed for a clinical indication, and compared to the assessment of FHR variability from four perinatologists who interpreted paper tracings of the same data. Inter-rater reliability was calculated and receiver–operator curve analysis was done.Results. Correlation between the computer algorithm's assessment of variability and the perinatologists' assessment (0.27–0.68) was similar to the inter-rater reliability between perinatologists (0.33–0.72).Conclusions. A computer-based algorithm can assess FHR variability as well as expert clinicians.
Three-dimensional super-resolution of dense single molecule scenes for localization microscopy

We demonstrate a three-dimensional super-resolution method that can interpret dense scenes of single molecules. By increasing the labeling density, the acquisition time of single molecule localization microscopy can be substantially reduced.
Substance abuse and serious child mistreatment: prevalence, risk, and outcome in a court sample

This study examined the prevalence and specific types of substance abuse in a sample of 206 cases of serious child abuse or neglect brought before a metropolitan juvenile court on care and protection petitions. In 43% of the cases, at least one of the parents had a documented problem with either alcohol or drugs, a figure which rose to 50% when alleged instances of substance abuse were included. Alcohol, cocaine, and heroin were the three most frequently mentioned abused substances. Parents with documented substance abuse were significantly more likely than nonsubstance-abusing parents to have been referred previously to child protective agencies, to be rated by court investigators as presenting high risk to their children, to reject court-ordered services, and to have their children permanently removed. When the two factors of court investigator high risk ratings and presence of parental substance abuse were combined, it was possible to obtain even higher levels of prediction of which parents would reject services and have their children permanently removed. Results suggest (1) the importance of increased screening, evaluation, and treatment of parental substance abuse in cases of serious child mistreatment; and (2) the possibility of adopting a predictive approach as to which families will be able to respond to court-ordered treatment requests and have their children returned.
On stochastic modeling of flow in multimodal heterogeneous formations

[1] Most existing stochastic models are developed for unimodal porous media that may be well characterized with only the first two statistical moments. However, the distribution of hydraulic properties, such as hydraulic conductivity, may possess a multiplicity of modes; thus the first two moments may not be adequate to characterize properties of such porous media. In turn, the stochastic models developed for unimodal porous media may not be applicable to flow and transport in a multimodal heterogeneous porous medium. This study investigates under what circumstances the second-order moment-based stochastic models are applicable to multimodal heterogeneous porous media. We assume that a porous medium is composed of a number of materials (categories), each of which may have a different mean, variance, and correlation scale. The distribution of materials in the domain is characterized by indicator random variables. We first derive analytical expressions for the mean and covariance of the log saturated hydraulic conductivity (ln Ks) of the multimodal porous medium in terms of categorical proportions, transition probability among categories, and covariances of indicator random variables. We express the covariance in terms of the statistics of materials in the porous medium, which allows us to accurately evaluate the variance and the correlation length of the composite ln Ks field. We then solve the second-order moment equations for the “equivalent” unimodal field with an exponential covariance with a single correlation scale computed for the composite field. On the other hand, we conduct two sets of Monte Carlo simulations: one with multimodal random fields, and the other with “equivalent” unimodal random fields. Examples for porous media with two materials are given. Numerical experiments show that a bimodal ln Ks field may be well approximated by an equivalent unimodal field when one of the two modes is dominant, under which condition the applicability of the second-order moment-based model is subject to the same limitation of relatively small variance as that for unimodal fields. When the bimodal distribution has two more or less equally important modes, although it cannot be adequately represented by an equivalent unimodal distribution, the second-order moment-based stochastic model seems to be applicable to systems with larger composite variances than it does for an one-mode-dominant distribution.
Photoinactivation of Native AMPA Receptors Reveals Their Real-Time Trafficking

AMPA receptors mediate the majority of the fast excitatory transmission in the central nervous system. Much evidence suggests that the fast trafficking of AMPA receptors into and out of the postsynaptic membrane underlies changes in synaptic strength thought to be necessary for higher cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Despite the abundance of research conducted in this area, a direct, real-time functional assay that measures the trafficking of native AMPA receptors has been lacking. Toward this aim, we use a photoreactive, irreversible antagonist of AMPA receptors, ANQX, to rapidly silence surface AMPA receptors and investigate directly the trafficking of native AMPA receptors in real time. We find that the most dynamic movement of AMPA receptors occurs by lateral movement across the surface of neurons. Fast cycling of surface AMPA receptors with receptors from internal stores does occur but exclusively at extrasynaptic somatic sites. The cycling of synaptic AMPA receptors only occurs on a much longer timescale with complete exchange requiring at least 16 hr. This cycling is not dependent on protein synthesis or action potential driven network activity. These data suggest a revised model of AMPA receptor trafficking wherein a large internal store of AMPA receptors exchanges rapidly with extrasynaptic somatic AMPA receptors, and these newly inserted AMPA receptors then travel laterally along dendrites to reside stably at synapses.
Mark W. Frazier: Socialist Insecurity: Pensions and the Politics of Uneven Development in China

Mark Frazier offers a great example of how to do comparative political science well with this book on the development of the pension system in China. He analyzes the development of the pension system in China in light of the existing literatures on institutional change and the welfare state, and also uses his analysis of China to add to our understanding of welfare policy development especially in other large, uneven developers. In addition to this explicitly comparative approach, Frazier uses both process tracing and household surveys to provide evidence of how existing institutions helped shape the nature of the pension system. He argues that historical institutionalism is the appropriate lens through which to understand why pension reform after the collapse of the danwei system took the path it did despite other available options. Specifically, for local state officials facing the loss of state-owned enterprise revenues, using the fiscal decentralization inherent in the governing structure to design a fragmented and localized pension system allowed for the retention of a taxation mechanism and the use of pensions to avoid unrest caused by the privatization of local SOEs. While the institutions of fiscal decentralization shaped local officials’ choices for a new pension system, Frazier finds through household surveys that both the former danwei system and the experience of privatization helped influence workers’ perceptions of responsibility for pensions. Overwhelmingly, different types of laborers all expect the state to provide for retired workers. Frazier makes a very strong case about how institutions shape preferences for pensions, and also highlights the dangers of the way the system has developed. These pension benefits now account for the single largest source of spending for local governments, and many of the taxes taken from employers and employees to fund these accounts have been misappropriated by local Social Insurance Agencies (SIAs) for development or other corrupt purposes. These missing funds create the danger of unrest and loss of trust in the government in the event that retiring workers cannot be paid the funds that were taken from their salaries throughout their working lives. As J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2012) 17:337–338 DOI 10.1007/s11366-012-9207-1
The neural bases of distraction and reappraisal

Distraction and reappraisal are two commonly used forms of cognitive emotion regulation. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that each one depends upon interactions between pFC, interpreted as implementing cognitive control, and limbic regions, interpreted as mediating emotional responses. However, no study has directly compared distraction with reappraisal, and it remains unclear whether they draw upon different neural mechanisms and have different emotional consequences. The present fMRI study compared distraction and reappraisal and found both similarities and differences between the two forms of emotion regulation. Both resulted in decreased negative affect, decreased activation in the amygdala, and increased activation in prefrontal and cingulate regions. Relative to distraction, reappraisal led to greater decreases in negative affect and to greater increases in a network of regions associated with processing affective meaning (medial prefrontal and anterior temporal cortices). Relative to reappraisal, distraction led to greater decreases in amygdala activation and to greater increases in activation in prefrontal and parietal regions. Taken together, these data suggest that distraction and reappraisal differentially engage neural systems involved in attentional deployment and cognitive reframing and have different emotional consequences.
Ovarian volume: a novel outcome predictor for assisted reproduction

Objective To determine the potential of ovarian volume as a predictor of assisted reproduction outcomes. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting University-based assisted reproduction program. Patients One hundred eighty-eight women initiating their first cycle of assisted reproduction. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measures Pretreatment transvaginal ultrasound ovarian measurements were compared with subsequent ovulation induction parameters (peak E 2 , numbers of oocytes, and embryos) and cycle outcome (cancellation and pregnancy). Result Total ovarian volume and volume of the smallest ovary were significant variables predicting peak E 2 and numbers of oocytes and embryos. Total ovarian volume was a predictor of cycle cancellation and volume of the smallest ovary a predictor of clinical pregnancy. Large ovarian volumes are associated with good assisted reproductive technology outcomes whereas small ovarian volumes are associated with poor outcomes. Conclusion Beyond maternal age, total ovarian volume, and volume of the smallest ovary are significant predictors of the success of assisted reproductive techniques.
Analysis on Choosing Knife and the Dosage of Cutting in CNC Operation

The characteristics of modern knife is construction of creative speed quickly.With the applied realm extends of computer,the machine processes is also use CNC technique and put forward the higher request about choosing knife and defining the dosage of cutting.This text analysis the principles of choosing knife and defining the dosage of cutting,it is a consult to program and operation.
Infants and children who developed tuberculosis following contacts investigation

OBJECT: Reevaluating the important points in tuberculosis contacts investigation. SUBJECT AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined the medical charts of 25 infants and children who developed tuberculosis following contacts investigation. RESULTS: In thirteen patients, diagnosis of infection was missed, and three of five infants less than one year old suffered from meningitis or military tuberculosis while they were waiting the next examination. Three patients were not indicated preventive treatment despite of induration of 5 mm or more in tuberculin skin test. Other twelve patients including five infants less than one year old were diagnosed to have tuberculosis infection and started preventive therapy, however, tuberculosis developed in 10 patients while taking the medicine, and in two patients probably because of defaulting from taking the medicine. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the contacts investigation have to be done promptly and be flexible based on age of contacts, evaluation of tuberculin skin test results and radiographic findings in order to reduce the disease further.
Tone perception in Far Eastern languages.

Abstract: This study investigated the perceptual dimensions of tone and the effect of linguistic experience on a listener’s perception of tone. Fifty listeners from each of four Oriental tone languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Thai) and fifty listeners from a nontone language (English) were asked to make direct paired-comparison judgments of tone dissimilarity. Stimuli consisted of 19 different fundamental frequency trajectories (five level, four rising, four falling, three falling-rising, three rising-falling) superimposed on a synthetic speech-like monosyllable. The dissimilarities data were organized into 250 dissimilarity matrices and analyzed by the INDSCAL multidimensional scaling model. The INDSCAL analysis revealed two dimensions which were interpreted primarily as ‘height’ and ‘direction’. The relative importance of these dimensions varied systematically across listeners based on language group membership. The direction dimension was relatively more important to listeners of a tone language than a nontone language, and to Thai listeners in comparison to Chinese. Discriminant analysis revealed that listeners of tone languages versus a nontone language, Thai listeners versus Chinese, and Cantonese listeners versus Mandarin and Taiwanese, can be correctly classified into their respective language groups on the basis of their pattern of dimension weights. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that differences in clustering of the stimulus tones can be related to abstract structural properties of listeners’ phonological systems.
Abstract 2658: Genome-wide mistargeting of oncogenic SWI/SNF(BAF) complexes in SMARCB1(BAF47)-deficient sarcomas

SMARCB1/BAF47/INI1 is a core subunit of the mammalian SWI/SNF (BAF) family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, which remodel nucleosome architecture to achieve coordinated regulation of gene expression. Genetic loss of SMARCB1 has been identified in several cancer types, including malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT, 98%) and epithelioid sarcoma (EpS, 90%), strongly implicating this event as the oncogenic driver in these malignancies. However, the precise mechanism underpinning the tumor suppressive function of BAF47 to date remains unclear. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanism and to identify direct genetic targets of aberrant BAF complexes in this context, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of BAF47 reintroduction in BAF47-deficient sarcomas with respect to complex subunit and associated protein factor composition and stability, global chromatin structure, and gene regulation. Reintroduced BAF47 stably integrated into BAF complexes, and remarkably, stabilized a highly specific set of BAF subunits, resulting in an increased complex molecular weight and stoichiometric nuclear abundance. These biochemical changes inducing the formation of wild-type complexes in MRT and EpS cell settings were directly linked to reproducible changes in BAF complex localization genome-wide, particularly, in the targeting to H3K4me3-marked promoter regions of direct target genes to establish DNA accessibility. Importantly, changes in BAF47-dependent BAF complex targeting between oncogenic and induced wild-type conditions were reproducibly associated with differential chromatin architecture and gene expression signatures hallmark to both MRT and EpS, and uniformly resulted in proliferative senescence of MRT and EpS cell lines in culture. These studies highlight, for the first time, the full spectrum of structural and functional contributions of the BAF47 subunit, implicating its role as a keystone in heteromorphic BAF complex assembly; BAF47 is required for the stable integration of several BAF subunits and novel interacting factors, which we determine govern specific genome-wide targeting mechanisms and chromatin-templated activities. These results reveal the mechanisms underlying the oncogenesis of BAF47-deficient sarcomas and point toward novel therapeutic strategies for this group of human sarcomas. Citation Format: Robert Nakayama, Robert T. Williams, Seth H. Cassel, Mingxiang Teng, Rafael A. Irizarry, George D. Demetri, Cigall Kadoch. Genome-wide mistargeting of oncogenic SWI/SNF(BAF) complexes in SMARCB1(BAF47)-deficient sarcomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2658.
The Courts and Tradition: A Begrudging Respect

This essay discusses the role of tradition in American common law and constitutional law. With regard to common law, the essay argues that American common law as interpreted by the judiciary has been far less respectful of precedent (and therefore to some extent, of tradition) than has the common law in other countries. While other countries still often treat the common law as an autonomous discipline that should largely evolve organically from precedent, in the United States this notion has been under successful attack from legal realism and its successors, including critical legal studies and law and economics, for decades. Given that how the concept of the role of the common-law judge has changed since World War II, it’s not surprising that precedent from earlier eras plays less of a role in American jurisprudence than it does elsewhere.With regard to constitutional law, this essay argues that the role of tradition was severely undermined by Brown v. Board of Education, because the defendants in Brown and their advocates tied the constitutionality of segregation to southern tradition. Tradition was also undermined when the Supreme Court decided that traditional notions of public morality,which once served as a valid “police power” rationale for legislation, were now given little constitutional weight. Indeed, in the context of gay rights, the majority, led by Justice Kennedy, has deemed traditional notions of sexual morality to amount to mere bigotry deserving of no weight, or perhaps negative weight, in constitutional decisionmaking. While conservative Justices often appeal to tradition, to the extent they rely on originalism the appeal is not so much to tradition as to history, as modern original public meaning originalism is only a few decades old and has never won the consistent approval of the Court’s majority.
Identification Model for Classifier Combinations

This paper considers combinations of biometric matchers in identification system. We assume that the test template is matched not only against the enrolled template of claimed person identity, but also against few enrolled templates of other persons, and all matching scores are available to the combination algorithm. We present a combination method utilizing the dependencies between these scores and showing better performance than comparable traditional combination method using only matching scores related to the claimed identity.
β2-adrenergic receptors in inflammation and vascular complications of diabetes.

The cross talk between the immune and nervous systems is critical not only for maintaining normal homeostasis but also for the progression of a variety of inflammatory diseases. Macrophage activation and β 2 -adrenergic receptors are known to play important roles in facilitating this communication between these 2 systems. Using an integrated in vitro and in vivo study, Noh et al. reveal that β 2 -adrenergic receptor agonists exhibit protective effects against the vascular complications of diabetes. The protective effects of β 2 -adrenergic receptor agonists seem to be dependent on a β-arrestin2/inhibitor of kappa B/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.
Inferring the State of the Aerosphere from Weather Radar

Weather surveillance radars (see Chap. 12) are indispensable tools for characterizing the state of the aerosphere—the lower layer of the atmosphere used by flying animals—owing to their ability to remotely sense in-flight insects, birds, and bats at unprecedented temporal and spatial scales. The increasingly worldwide distribution of weather radars, their improving hardware and software, decades-long datasets, and capacity for revealing vertical and horizontal distributions make them well suited to mapping populations and movement from local to continental scales and for correlation with global datasets in other specializations like meteorology and geography. However, doing so requires care in processing the data and removing radar echoes that are unlikely to be biological. Moreover, radar design and the geometrically unique nature of their observations necessitate corrective methods for producing comparable data. Nevertheless, a parallel progression of meteorological and aerecological studies of how best to analyze radar data in spite of these observation inhomogeneities continues to yield fruitful research and new algorithms, continuously enhancing the ability to gain new insight into animal behavior in the aerosphere.
Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models: Case Studies

Two case studies in nonlinear mixed effects modeling are presented. The first case is development of a pharmacodynamic model with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor zifrosilone. The second case study is the development and validation of a pharmacokinetic model for tobramycin in patients with varying degrees of renal function. All aspects of modeling are explored in the second case study: development of the structural model, covariate screening, covariate model development, examination of goodness of fit, influence analysis, validation through a combination of internal and external techniques, and answering various “what-if” questions through the use of simulation.
Is There a Future for XRF in Twenty-First Century Archaeology?

I am pretty widely characterized (by others) as a “post-processual” archaeologist, more specifically (an identification I actually agree with), as a feminist archaeologist. So what am I doing, enthusiastically endorsing the idea that the future of archaeology requires us to integrate archaeological science even more fully into our practice and explanations than we have been doing in recent decades in archaeology? Without obscuring my actual lack of direct experience in the application of XRF, which I still admit to treating like a kind of magic, I want to make two arguments in this chapter, explaining why archaeologists like me should encourage the cultivation of expertise in archaeological science, and why archaeological scientists should find what I personally prefer to call “social archaeology,” a congenial place to spend time.
Prostatic secretion leukocyte studies in non-bacterial prostatitis (prostatosis).

AbstractNon-bacterial prostatitis is a common affliction among men and lacks objective criteria for clear identification. We studied 43 consecutive patients and 20 normal controls for the presence of bacteria and quantitation of prostatic secretion leukocytes. Significantly greater numbers of macrophages per volume of prostatic secretion were found in the patients. Multiple observations of such increased leukocyte proliferation could be used to establish true prostatic inflammation.
Duties to Others and Covenantal Ethics

During the winter of 1943 Langdon Gilkey found himself herded with two thousand other Westerners into Shantung Compound, one of the internment camps established by the Japanese in Northern China to guard those foreign nationals who were caught by the Japanese invasion of China. This camp was no Auschwitz. The idea was not to exterminate Westerners but to control them, as well as to keep them out of the way during the nasty business of conquering an enemy. The guards would shoot anyone trying to escape but also tried to provide enough food and shelter for people to survive this abrupt and open-ended disruption in their lives. However, the distribution of food and shelter, the organization of all aspects of camp life (including cooking, cleaning, and disposing of wastes), and the development and enforcement of social rules became the responsibility of the captives themselves. For an academic like Gilkey this experience became a rare opportunity; in fact, it became a book — Shantung Compound — which academics like me use in ethics courses. Gilkey characterized his opportunity as follows: In our internment camp we were secure and comfortable enough to accomplish in large part the creation and maintenance of a small civilization; but our life was sufficiently close to the margin of survival to reveal the vast difficulties of that task. Had we been continually tortured and starved, no representative communal existence would have been possible; had our life been more secure, the basic problems of our human lot might not have manifested themselves so clearly. Thus, as the laboratory reveals the structure of what is studied by reducing it to manageable size and subjecting it to increased pressure, so this internment camp reduced society, ordinarily large and complex, to viewable size, and by subjecting life to greatly increased tension laid bare its essential structures. Because internment-camp life seems to reveal more clearly than does ordinary experience the anatomy of man’s common social and moral problems and the bases of human communal existence, this book finally has been written ([8], p. ix).
Extracellular Matrix: Structure, Biosynthesis, and Role in Mammary Differentiation

Many studies have shown that the extracellular matrix (ECM) has a profound effect on morphogenesis, cellular shape, and the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation. Although the molecular mechanisms by which matrix molecules exert these effects are unknown, progress in understanding these complex events has been made by a number of approaches. One approach involves the isolation, purification, and characterization of individual ECM components and their receptors in order to investigate how these molecules interact with each other and with the cell surface. Another approach has been to investigate the effects of matrix components on the regulation of gene expression. Based on these kinds of studies, it is now possible to examine the mechanisms through which matrix components may mdiate their effect on cellular growth and differentiation. One such mechanism is the ability of ECM components, by interaction with specific cell surface receptors that are functionally associated with the cytoskeleton, to regulate gene expression through physical and/or chemical signal transduction.
Enzymatic barriers to peptide and protein absorption

Continuing advances in biotechnology promise to provide a large number of peptides and proteins that would significantly expand the range of pharmaceuticals to treat diseases now poorly controlled. Even at this early stage, it is clear that the success of these entities as drugs of the future would depend, at least in part, on the success in overcoming the obstacles in their delivery. Chief among these are the ubiquitous enzymatic barriers. These include the site of administration, where the peptide is placed, the vascular endothelium that peptides must cross to enter the circulation, the blood that distributes the peptide to its target site, and the liver and kidneys where the peptide is metabolized and eliminated, respectively. The review examines: (1) the nature and efficiency of the enzymatic barriers in degrading peptides and proteins at various absorption sites, and (2) the strategies that can be used to perturb these barriers. These sites include the subcutaneous and intramuscular spaces and the intestinal, nasal, buccal, rectal, vaginal, and ocular surfaces.
Principles of Biopsychosocial Formulation and Interventions in the Pediatric Medical Setting

Consultation-liaison (CL) providers serve in a broad range of roles, from direct assessment to facilitation of communication between families and providers, and are tasked with assessing and appropriately managing the full range of psychiatric presentations on inpatient medical and surgical units. Developing a concise and precise narrative from which to understand the presenting concern and derive appropriate, individualized, evidence-based interventions, which will be conveyed in understandable terms to referring providers and families, is critical to being effective in CL practice. This chapter reviews the principles of biopsychosocial formulation with vignettes involving gastroenterology and endocrinology concerns that facilitate exploration of these concepts.
Preoperative Considerations Prior to Minimally Invasive Ventral Incisional Hernia Repair

Minimally invasive as opposed to open ventral hernia repair has been proven to reduce surgical site infection and hospital length of stay with similar long-term outcomes. Despite this, less than one-third of all ventral hernias are being repaired with a minimally invasive technique. While not all patients with a ventral hernia will benefit from minimally invasive repair, the majority will. This is because most patients develop ventral incisional hernias due in part to their comorbid conditions (e.g., obesity, poorly controlled diabetes) which increase the risk of surgical site infection and adversely affect wound healing. The slow adoption of minimally invasive ventral hernia repair is related to surgeon skill and experience. The robotic platform can bridge the gap to allow for more surgeons to successfully perform a minimally invasive procedure. In combination with preoperative optimization, minimally invasive surgery provides the best short-term outcomes with equivalent long-term outcomes and the robotic platform can potentially increase the proportion of patients eligible for minimally invasive treatment. Safety, efficacy, and effectiveness randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these assumptions and should be completed prior to widespread adoption of the robotic platform for ventral hernia repair.
Treatment of primary nonmetastatic melanoma at high-volume academic facilities is associated with improved long-term patient survival

Background Previous studies of cancer care have demonstrated improved long-term patient outcomes for those treated at high-volume centers. The influence of treatment center characteristics on outcomes for primary nonmetastatic melanoma is not currently established. Objective We aimed to investigate the association of cancer treatment center case volume and academic affiliation with long-term patient survival for cases of primary nonmetastatic melanoma. Methods Cases of melanoma diagnosed in US adults from 2004 to 2014 and included in the National Cancer Database were identified. Hospitals were grouped by yearly case-volume quartile: bottom quartile, 2 middle quartiles, and top quartile. Results Facility case volume was significantly associated with long-term patient survival (P Limitations Disease-specific survival was not available. Conclusions Treatment at a high-volume facility is associated with improved long-term patient survival for melanoma. High-volume academic centers have improved patient outcomes compared with other high-volume centers.
Cavity electrodynamics with Hermite interpolation: Role of symmetry and degeneracies

We show that the present approaches for the solution of Maxwell’s equations in complex geometries have limitations that can be overcome through the use of C ( 1 )-continuous Hermite interpolation polynomials. Our approach of calculating fields using the Hermite finite element method yields better accuracy by several orders of magnitude than comparable applications of the edge-based vector finite element method. We note that the vector finite element that is widely used yields pixelated solutions and ill-defined vector solutions at nodes. Our solutions have a smooth representation within and across the elements and well defined directions for the fields at the nodes. We reexamine the issue of removing spurious zero-frequency solutions. We investigate fields in an empty cubic metallic cavity and explain the level degeneracy that is larger than what is to be expected from the geometrical O h symmetry of the cube. This behavior is identified as an example of “accidental degeneracy” and is explained in detail. We show that the inclusion of a smaller dielectric cube of relative permittivity ϵ 2 within the cubic cavity leads to the removal of this accidental degeneracy so that the eigenfields have the symmetry O h. A further reduction of symmetry is obtained by allowing the dielectric function in the enclosed cube to have a linear dependence on z. The proposed method should be effective in obtaining results for scalar-vector coupled field problems such as in modeling quantum well cavity lasers and in plasmonics modeling, while allowing multi-scale physical calculations.
Towards an integrative model of irritable bowel syndrome.

It is being increasingly recognized that a significant amount of human suffering, medical costs, and general loss of productivity can be attributed to what traditionally has been labeled “functional” medical disorders or syndromes. Symptoms of functional disorders may appear in almost any organ system and take a variety of forms, but most common are symptoms of pain, discomfort, and loss of vitality. Functional disorders are characterized by the lack of a detectable organ lesion to account for these symptoms, which can vary from mild and infrequent to severe, continuous, and disabling. Biobehavioral models of chronic medical conditions have as their goal the integration of cognitive, behavioral, and neuroscience perspectives. While it is generally accepted that all chronic and uncomfortable conditions can in theory, be better understood if a multifactor approach is taken, it is much more difficult to describe specifically the mechanisms by which cognitive, affective and sensory processes produce symptoms and complex behaviors such as disability. This chapter discusses the application of such an integrative approach to one common functional disorder, irritable bowel syndrome. This chapter: (a) briefly reviews evidence that links psychological, colonic motor activity, and visceral sensory processes individually with the development and maintenance of IBS symptoms, (b) describes the use of evolving human experimental paradigms to study visceral psychophysiology in IBS, (c) based on recent findings, presents a preliminary biobehavioral model of IBS, which integrates neurophysiological, perceptual, and behavioral processes, and (d) describes how psychological and physiological treatment approaches can be integrated into this model.
Eukaryotic DNA Polymerases

Biochemical processes are often studied in prokaryotic systems due to a lower degree of complexity in the organization of structural and enzymatic components in these simple organisms. In prokaryotic cells biochemical processes and the components associated with these processes are often compartmentalized in cell organelles such as the nucleus, mitochrondria, microsomes and etc. In eukaryotic cells, cellular DNA and DNA synthesis are localized in the nucleus. Although one might assume that all enzymes involved in DNA synthesis and maintenance are localized in the nucleus, experimental findings contradict this assumption. The number of DNA polymerases and their intracellular locations in an eukaryotic cells are probably related to their in vivo functions, and to the complex control mechanisms in the replication and maintenance of DNA.
Burn patients with history of kidney transplant experience increased incidence of wound infection.

Abstract Objective To determine if history of kidney transplant is an independent risk factor for increased incidence of wound infection and other morbidities in burn patients. Background While the goal of immunosuppression post-organ transplantation is to prevent graft rejection, it is often associated with significant adverse effects such as increased susceptibility to infection, drug toxicity, and malignancy. Burn injuries lead to a dysregulated hypermetabolic state and a compromised cutaneous barrier, which predisposes to infection and delayed wound healing. We surmise that a history of kidney transplant increases the risk of wound infection in in-hospital burn victims. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 57,948 adults diagnosed in-hospital with a burn injury between 2008–2014, obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) by Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). Results 103 burn victims (0.2%) with a history of kidney transplant (KTX) were identified. Compared to burn patients without a history of transplant (No-KTX), they were older (54.3 ± 13.8 vs 49.8 ± 18.7; p = 0.001), more likely be insured under Medicare (69.9% vs 31.1%; p Conclusion History of kidney transplant is an independent risk factor for increased incidence of wound infection in burn patients.
Cost Effectiveness of Assessing Ultrasound Plaque Characteristics to Risk Stratify Asymptomatic Patients With Carotid Stenosis

Background Imaging may play an important role in identifying high‐risk plaques in patients who have carotid disease and who could benefit from surgical revascularization. We sought to evaluate the ...
Autophagic degradation of KAT2A/GCN5 promotes directional migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by reducing TUBA/α-tubulin acetylation

Macroautophagy/autophagy, a fundamental process for degradation of macromolecules and organelles, occurs constitutively at a basal level and is upregulated in response to stress. Whether autophagy regulates protein acetylation and microtubule stability in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) migration, however, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the histone acetyltransferase KAT2A/GCN5 (lysine acetyltransferase 2) binds directly to the autophagosome protein MAP1LC3/LC3 (microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3) via a conserved LC3-interacting region (LIR) domain. This interaction is required for KAT2A sequestration in autophagosomes and degradation by lysosomal acid hydrolases. Suppression of autophagy results in KAT2A accumulation. KAT2A functions as an acetyltransferase to increase TUBA/α-tubulin acetylation, promote microtubule polymerization and stability, ultimately inhibiting directional cell migration. Our findings indicate that deacetylation of TUBA and perturbation of microtubule stability via selective autophagic degradation of KAT2A are essential for autophagy-promoting VSMC migration. Abbreviations: ACTB: actin beta; ATAT1: alpha tubulin acetyltransferase 1; ATG: autophagy-related; BECN1: beclin 1; CQ: chloroquine; FBS: fetal bovine serum; GST: glutathione S-transferase; H4K16ac: histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation; HASMCs: human aortic smooth muscle cells; HBSS: Hank's buffered salt solution; HDAC6: histone deacetylase 6; hMOF: human males absent on the first; IP: immunoprecipitation; KAT2A/GCN5: lysine acetyltransferase 2A; Lacta: lactacystin; LIR: LC3-interaction region; MAP1LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MEFs: mouse embryonic fibroblasts; MTOC: microtubule-organizing center; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; PtdIns3K: class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; RUNX2: runt-related transcription factor 2; SIRT1: sirtuin 1; SIRT2: sirtuin 2; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1; VSMCs: vascular smooth muscle cells; WT: wild-type.
Productivity and water use efficiency of intensified dryland cropping systems under low precipitation in Pacific Northwest, USA

Abstract A lack of plant available water limits the ability to intensify the summer fallow-winter wheat (SF-WW) rotation in low precipitation (
Just Another Fast Girl: Exploring Slavery’s Continued Impact on the Loss of Black Girlhood

A troubling legacy of American chattel slavery is the justice system’s continued failure to provide adequate protection to African-American crime victims. This piece focuses on the law’s historic unwillingness to shield Black girls from acts of sexual violence. During slavery, lawmakers refused to criminalize rape committed against Black girls and women based not only on the fact that they were considered property but also on stereotypes about their sexuality. Even though the law now criminalizes the rape of Black girls, African-American rape survivors encounter more skepticism and hostility when they come forward with their stories compared to their White counterparts. Survivors experience negative reactions not just from White society but also from their own African-American community. Stereotypes about Black girls also influence the players in the justice system, including police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and jurors. In light of the recent shift in societal attitudes ushered in by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, it is important to consider whether our culture can now move away from the stereotypes that have left Black girls unprotected for centuries.
Flexibility and Firmness in Crisis Bargaining

Our study compares the efficacy of mixed bargaining strategies to strict coercion or accommodation. While mixed strategies can be approached from different conceptual angles, we focus on flexible a...