cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces apoptosis through miR-16 in human first trimester placental cell line HTR-8/SVneo

Phthalates have been linked to adverse pregnancy complications. Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, an active metabolite of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and an endocrine disruptor, has been shown to induce apoptosis in various cell types including placental cells. However, the mechanism of action of MEHP induced apoptosis is still unknown. We hypothesized that apoptosis may be mediated in part through altered microRNA(s) in placenta under MEHP exposure. In the present study, we report that MEHP increases miR-16 expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner (p<0.05), while inducing apoptosis in HTR-8/SVneo. Cells treated with MEHP showed a dose-dependent increase in cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species along with decreased cell viability. Consistent with significant increase in apoptosis analyzed by flow cytometry, we detected decreased anti-apoptotic BCL-2 at transcriptional and translational levels with MEHP (p<0.05). Knockdown of miR-16 did not decrease the BCL-2/BAX protein expression ratio in the presence of MEHP when compared to negative control demonstrating that MEHP induces apoptosis directly through miR-16. In conclusion, our study demonstrates for the first time that MEHP induces miR-16, which in turn, alters BCL-2/BAX ratio leading to increased apoptosis. This study provides a novel insight into MEHP induced epigenetic regulation in placental apoptosis which may lead to pregnancy complications.
MECHANICAL MODELS AS PRIORS IN BAYESIAN TOMOGRAPHIC RECONSTRUCTION

We introduce a new prior—the weak plate—to Bayesian tomographic reconstruction. The weak plate captures the piecewise ramplike spatial structure evident in primate autoradiograph source distributions. The weak plate is a part of a family of “mechanical” models—weak membrane (1st order), weak plate (2nd order), and weak quadric (3rd order)—in which a class of smoothness constraints derived from properties of ideal physical materials are used as models in the associated reconstruction problem. Since “weak” priors generate local minimain MAP estimation, we have designed novel Generalized Expectation-Maximization deterministic annealing algorithms to alleviate this problem. Our simulation studies qualitatively demonstrate the improvements over the weak membrane and maximum likelihood reconstructions.
The role of health care in child abuse and neglect prevention

In this review, we have suggested a variety of ways that we as health care providers can adapt our practices to provide the support necessary to increase the competency of families in parenting and nurturing their young. There are a variety of modalities worthy of consideration as methods that make the lives of our children that much better. In our quest to prevent child maltreatment, we need an emphasis on supporting families so that they can effectively provide the love and nurturing that all children require. Language: en
Psychophysiological Monitoring: An Approach for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

The current gold standard for diagnosis of mental health disorders is a clinical interview in which the patient and clinician discuss the patient?s symptoms and history. This process is subjective and can be adversely affected by the patient?s memory difficulties and ability to articulate what he or she is experiencing. There is also a concern that patients may over- or underreport their symptoms depending upon real or perceived consequences for a diagnosis. Treatment of mental health disorders is similarly burdened by challenges in selecting an appropriate treatment and objectively monitoring response to treatment over time. In this article, we describe an approach that enables the use of objective psychophysiological indicators such as heart rate and skin sweating to augment current clinical practice for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. The ultimate goal of this work is to improve patient outcomes by increasing the ability to accurately diagnose, efficiently treat, and effectively monitor the response to treatment over time.
Finding Redemption: How Picking Up the Phone Can Change a Lawyer's Life

The winner of the 2006 ABA Ross Essay Contest debated with himself whether to take a phone call from a death row inmate scheduled to be executed in 9 hours who turned out to be calling to request help for other prisoners. "As I hung up the phone, I experienced a profound awareness that no matter what each of us had previously done in our lives, at that moment Doyle Williams was a better human being than I. If a death row inmate can find redemption, maybe a lawyer can too."
Pseudogout, hyperparathyroidism, and Carpal-Tunnel syndrome. A case report.

A case of typial pseudogout is described in association with documented hyperparathyroidism and bilateral carpal-tunnel syndrome.
Taking it to the Streets: A Public Right-of-Way Project for Disability Law

I teach a course in Disability Discrimination Law, which is designed as a civil rights course focused on the Americans with Disabilities Act. When the ADA was passed in 1990, it was celebrated by many as one of the most significant civil-rights victories of this century. The ADA was enacted to “provide clear, strong, consistent, [and] enforceable standards [for] addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities,” and prohibits discrimination in employment, public services and transportation, privately-owned places of public accommodations, and telecommunications. Although the ADA is not the first federal law addressing disability, its passage made clear that the continued exclusion of people with disabilities from full participation in all aspects of public life is a civil rights issue. As the subject of its own course, it is a relative newcomer to the field of civil rights, as most courses devoted to disability law appeared after the enactment of the ADA in 1990. Disability law has aspects in common with other civil rights courses and also some important differences. The employment provisions of Title I, for example, are modeled in part after Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, national origin, sex and religion, but face distinctive challenges, including the definition of “disability,” the requirement of reasonable accommodation, and the issue of cost. Although Title I has received the most attention, similar issues are presented by Title II, which prohibits discrimination by public entities, and Title III, which prohibits discrimination by places of public accommodation. People with disabilities face a wide range of discrimination, including the thoughtlessness and indifference of non-disabled people. Often, issues critical to the lives of people with disabilities go unnoticed, and therefore unaddressed, by others. Although there are many reasons for this, one reason is the failure of people without disabilities to identify with the experiences of people with disabilities – a lack of “experiential accessibility” to borrow a phrase from philosopher Anita Silvers. I wanted to design a project that would introduce students to significant issues of doctrine, theory and policy under the ADA. I also wanted to equip them with the practical skills to employ that knowledge on behalf of clients and in their own communities. Finally, I hoped to provide a meaningful context for exploring issues and tensions underlying disability law and the disability rights movement, and to notice and address an issue of importance to people with disabilities in the community. A service learning project seemed especially appropriate to these ends, and in keeping with the movement toward integrating pro bono and public service opportunities into doctrinal courses. It also resonates with the mission of the School of Law to educate “legal professionals who use their knowledge to serve others.” This article describes the public right-of-way project that I designed with these goals in mind.
Spotting Steroid Use: Which Physical Clues?

Steroids are a powerful lure for athletes requiring speed and strength and for those who desire a muscle makeover. But fearing the possible legal consequences or a competitive ban, patients rarely admit to using these drugs.
To Sink the Lifted: Selection, Technique, and Result of Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Plication for Paralysis or Eventration.

Introduction Diaphragmatic eventration is a congenital defect of the muscular portion of a hemidiaphragm that eventually leads to hemidiaphragmatic elevation and dysfunction. The clinical diagnosis of diaphragmatic eventration or diaphragmatic paralysis may be indistinguishable and diaphragmatic plication is the treatment of choice for both conditions. Discussion We review the indications, patient selection, and surgical techniques for diaphragmatic plication. We explain our preferred technique and guide the reader step by step on our approach. Conclusion Minimally invasive diaphragm plication techniques are effective alternatives to open transthoracic plication and result in significant improvement in dyspnea and quality of life in adequately selected patients.
An Evolutionary Domain-Specific Risk Scale

We present a psychometric scale that assesses risk-taking in 10 evolutionary content domains: between-group competition, within-group competition, status-power, environmental exploration, food selection, food acquisition, parent-offspring conflict, kinship, mate attraction, and mate retention. We report on three studies that evaluate the scale’s validity and consistency for a sample of 1,326 participants who rated their likelihood of engagement in, the perceived riskiness of, and the benefit associated with various risky activities. Behaviors were framed as modern-day analogues of qualitatively similar actions in recurring problem domains of the ancestral environment that were potentially beneficial but also potentially costly to survival and reproductive success. As expected, respondents’ degree of risk-taking was not consistently riskaverse or risk-seeking across content domains, and a set of eight life-history variables had domain-specific effects on risk-taking propensity. In most domains, men were significantly more risk-seeking than women, but in 2 of the 10 domains—food selection and kinship risks—women were more risk-prone than men. Participants who reported not being married or in a committed relationship scored significantly higher in the domains of mate attraction and mate retention. Age, reproductive goalsetting, parental status, number of siblings, and birth order also affected the formation of risk thresholds.
Innovation of Wireless Network Emulation

It discusses the application of network emulation system to wireless network planning.The system can solve problems on coverage and interference in wireless network to decrease optimization task.
Convergence Insufficiency, Accommodative Insufficiency, Visual Symptoms, and Astigmatism in Tohono O'odham Students.

National Institutes of Health/National Eye Institute (NIH/NEI Grant) [EY13153]; Research to Prevent Blindness; Walt and Lilly Disney Award for Amblyopia Research
From a Rumor of Empathy to a Scandal of Empathy in Lipps

Theodor Lipps is the thinker most responsible for popularizing the term “empathy” in German. He monopolized the term “Einfuhlung” [“empathy”] so that any German intellectual writing from 1897 to 1914 set off an immediate association with Lipps’ “psychology beauty and art” (the subtitle of Lipps’ Aesthetik [1903]). Lipps put “empathy” on the intellectual map. A rumor of empathy becomes a scandal of empathy as Lipps substitutes “empathy” for “taste” as the foundation of aesthetics, unwittingly generalizing Kant’s fallacy of “subreption.” Lipps privileges empathy as a solution to the philosophic problem of other minds, but escapes from one problem only to end up in another—solipsism, the view that there is only one mind, isolated in its experiences.
Cannabinoids, inflammation, and fibrosis

Cannabinoids apparently act on inflammation through mechanisms different from those of agents such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). As a class, the cannabinoids are generally free from the adverse effects associated with NSAIDs. Their clinical development thus provides a new approach to treatment of diseases characterized by acute and chronic inflammation and fibrosis. A concise survey of the anti-inflammatory actions of the phytocannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol, cannabichromene, and cannabinol is presented. Mention is also made of the noncannabinoid plant components and pyrolysis products, followed by a discussion of 3 synthetic preparations-Cesamet (nabilone; Meda Pharmaceuticals, Somerset, NJ, USA), Marinol (dronabinol; THC; AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA), and Sativex (Cannabis extract; GW Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge United Kingdom)-that have anti-inflammatory effects. A fourth synthetic cannabinoid, ajulemic acid (AJA; CT-3; Resunab; Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Norwood, MA, USA), is discussed in greater detail because it represents the most recent advance in this area and is currently undergoing 3 phase 2 clinical trials by Corbus Pharmaceuticals. The endogenous cannabinoids, including the closely related lipoamino acids, are then discussed. The review concludes with a presentation of a possible mechanism for the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic actions of these substances. Thus, several cannabinoids may be considered candidates for development as anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic agents. Of special interest is their possible use for treatment of chronic inflammation, a major unmet medical need.-Zurier, R. B., Burstein, S. H. Cannabinoids, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Miami Six-O: Lessons Learned From an Intergenerational Game Design Workshop

This chapter reports on the Miami Six-O project, a creative intergenerational workshop aimed at developing a meaningful play experience for and with older adults. During the project, 5 older adults and 4 undergraduate game design students participated in a 4-step creative process, which resulted in 6 playable paper prototypes. Their collaboration was observed by a team of 2 professors and 3 graduate assistants. The resulting notes and audio recordings were analyzed through open, selective and theoretical coding. The project found that it is possible to successfully co-create game designs that are meaningful for both the older adults and the students, though how these teams worked together influenced the outcomes. Furthermore, we discovered that shared popular culture references and design themes such as competition, creativity, diversion, and social connectedness were helpful in moving the creative process forward and overcoming generational differences.
EVALUATION OF ANTI-ANGINAL AGENTS FOR THE SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT OF CHRONIC STABLE ANGINA USING MIXED TREATMENT COMPARISON META-ANALYSIS

Background: Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and nitrates are commonly used to manage patients with stable angina. Despite available treatment options, there is yet to be a single preferred agent. The objective of this meta-analysis is to determine the relative efficacy of anti-anginal drugs
Impact of correlated component failure on age replacement maintenance policies

A primary goal of maintenance is to minimize the consequences of component and system failures. Two subcategories of maintenance actions include: Preventive Maintenance (PM) at predetermined time intervals prior to failure and Emergency Repair (ER) upon failure, where the cost and downtime of emergency repair is significantly greater than preventive maintenance. Most maintenance models developed over the past several decades assume component failures are statistically independent. This assumption simplifies calculations, but is dangerous for safety critical systems that must be maintained because correlated failures can lower the mean time to failure, increasing the probability that emergency repair will be required. This paper presents a simple method with an explicit correlation parameter to characterize the impact of correlated component failures on the optimal preventive maintenance interval of a system with arbitrary structure. This method is applied to two maintenance policies, including: age replacement to minimize cost and age replacement to maximize availability. Examples illustrate that our approach identifies optimal maintenance strategies for these policies such as cost per unit time and stationary availability despite correlated failures.
The miR-23a~27a~24-2 microRNA cluster buffers transcription and signaling pathways during hematopoiesis

MicroRNA cluster mirn23a has previously been shown to promote myeloid development at the expense of lymphoid development in overexpression and knockout mouse models. This polarization is observed early in hematopoietic development, with an increase in common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) and a decrease in all myeloid progenitor subsets in adult bone marrow. The pool size of multipotential progenitors (MPPs) is unchanged; however, in this report we observe by flow cytometry that polarized subsets of MPPs are changed in the absence of mirn23a. Additionally, in vitro culture of MPPs and sorted MPP transplants showed that these cells have decreased myeloid and increased lymphoid potential in vitro and in vivo. We investigated the mechanism by which mirn23a regulates hematopoietic differentiation and observed that mirn23a promotes myeloid development of hematopoietic progenitors through regulation of hematopoietic transcription factors and signaling pathways. Early transcription factors that direct the commitment of MPPs to CLPs (Ikzf1, Runx1, Satb1, Bach1 and Bach2) are increased in the absence of mirn23a miRNAs as well as factors that commit the CLP to the B cell lineage (FoxO1, Ebf1, and Pax5). Mirn23a appears to buffer transcription factor levels so that they do not stochastically reach a threshold level to direct differentiation. Intriguingly, mirn23a also inversely regulates the PI3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt and BMP/Smad signaling pathways. Pharmacological inhibitor studies, coupled with dominant active/dominant negative biochemical experiments, show that both signaling pathways are critical to mirn23a's regulation of hematopoietic differentiation. Lastly, consistent with mirn23a being a physiological inhibitor of B cell development, we observed that the essential B cell transcription factor EBF1 represses expression of mirn23a. In summary, our data demonstrates that mirn23a regulates a complex array of transcription and signaling pathways to modulate adult hematopoiesis.
Selective Ion Exchange and Photocatalysis by Zeolite-Like Semiconducting Chalcogenide

The development of novel photocatalysts usually centers on features such as band structures, various nano-, micro-, or macro-forms, and composites in efforts to tune their light absorption and charge separation efficiency. In comparison, the selectivity of photocatalysts with respect to features of reactants such as size and charge has received much less attention, in part due to the difficulty in designing semiconducting photocatalysts with uniform pore size. Here, we use crystalline porous chalcogenides as a platform to probe reactant selectivity in photocatalytic processes. The 3-in-1 integration of high surface area, uniform porosity, and favorable band structures in such chalcogenides makes them excellent candidates for efficient and selective photocatalytic processes. We show that their photocatalytic activity and selectivity are closely related to their differing affinity and selectivity for different guest species. In particular, unlike common solid-state photocatalysts with neutral framework, the anionic nature of the porous chalcogenide framework used here endows them with a high degree of selectivity for cationic species in both guest exchange and closely coupled photocatalytic transformation of such guests. Another interesting discovery is the observation of an unusual ion exchange process involving a transient state of over-saturation of exchanged ions, which can be explained by a transition from an initially kinetically controlled process to a subsequent thermodynamically controlled one. This work is part of ongoing efforts to contribute to the development of a new generation of crystalline porous photocatalysts with custom-designed selectivity for various reactants or products.
Origin of the Resistance of Leukæmic Cells to Folic Acid Antagonists

LEUKAEMIC cells of the mouse develop resistance to various analogues of folic acid1,2. The variant cells in certain cases depend upon the 4-amino-substituted folic antagonists for optimal growth3. The changes are found to be stable, irreversible and heritable4, and occur generally among many transplantable leukaemias5.
The notoriously destructive potato stalk borer ( Trichobaris trinotata ) has negligible impact on its native host, Solanum carolinense (horsenettle)

While herbivores can have a wide range of impacts on their host plants, instances in which herbivore damage is truly beneficial are rare. Thus, it was surprising that damage by the potato stalk borer (PSB) was associated with increased fitness of its native host plant (horsenettle) in a recent field study, particularly because this insect can have such severe negative effects on potato crops. A controlled experiment with potted horsenettle was conducted to investigate the impact of damage by PSB to see if it has any negative impacts on the plants, or whether horsenettle truly overcompensates for its damage. Damage by PSB had negligible impact on sexual reproduction and potential future vegetative propagation through root production in this experiment. Additionally, PSB damage did not exacerbate the negative fitness impact of heavy leaf damage by the eggplant lace bug. The lack of positive impacts in the potted horsenettle study suggests that selection for decreased resistance to PSB in the field study was due to correlated selection for increased plant vigor, rather than to overcompensation. That is, when given options, PSB females may preferentially oviposit on larger, healthier plants that are likely to be better hosts for their larvae. An important implication of these results is that a wild weed’s high tolerance of a natural herbivore can compound the weed’s potential to serve as a reservoir from which the herbivore can switch to closely related agricultural plants that are not tolerant of its damage.
Conducting comparative focus-group research: cautionary comments from a coordinator.

Focus group methodology has only recently been used to conduct basic social and health science research. Therefore information on its application to a crosscultural comparative study is extremely useful. The ways to maximize the quality and comparability of data collection and analysis presented in this paper were derived from the authors experience. First the study design specific topics covered and moderator guidelines should maximize commonality while manifesting sensitivity to the cultures under study. Addressing the same issues in studies with parallel designs will allow meaningful comparisons to be made across countries. Secondly similar procedures should be followed for field work and data processing. Thirdly common procedures should be followed during analysis. Recommended procedures for analysis of focus group data on the country level include code-mapping transcripts (marking segments of text which correspond to issues of interest and related concepts) and using computer software (such as the Ethnograph program) to retrieve coded segments of text constructing overview grids which summarize relevant information about each issue for each group with topic headings or a list of opinions on one axis and focus-group session identifiers on the other using a team approach to interpret transcripts (with each preparing an overview grid) and comparing results with external evidence. Cross-country comparative analysis is facilitated by a collaborative effort with the involvement of at least one member of each country team. Country-specific knowledge is necessary for proper interpretation of transcripts and possible language barriers also require the involvement of a team effort. The success of comparative focus group research will thus be dependent on how well each team participates not only in data collection but also in data analysis. Experience with focus groups used in the Comparative Study of the Elderly in Asia an on-going project which involves quantitative and qualitative data and methods was influenced by the fact that most of the country investigators needed extensive training in the focus-group approach. This training need and the need to make collaborative decisions resulted in the necessity for several meetings which were a drain on the total project budget. The group succeeded reasonably well in agreeing on the study design and research instruments. Some difference were found in field procedures however which may have affected comparability of data. Also different procedures were used in translating the transcripts. The data analysis phase is proving to be the most burdensome because researchers were unprepared for the time demands involved and were unfamiliar with the ideal procedures. Thus it is not very easy to determine whether successful comparative focus-group research is possible. A satisfactory degree of success seems to demand great amounts of time effort cooperation coordination and funding. It is clear that focus groups should not be added to a comparative basic research project simply because it is fashionable to do so.
Benefit Concerts, Constituencies of Compassion, and the Culture Industry

Celebrity charity events were crucial in raising awareness among the public of human rights issues, as well as central in generating resources for use in the campaigns. Amnesty International initiated this trend and passed the baton to famine relief campaigns, Band Aid, Live Aid, and USA for Africa and the megahit, “We Are the World.” Mass benefit concerts emerged out of economic necessity in the 1970s and blossomed into mainstays due to their effectiveness in the context of 1980s obsession with television, celebrities, and pop culture. However, these events relied on patterns in consumerism to drive engagement, framing human rights obligations as sufficiently fulfilled through entertainment. A tension persists between the political demands of human rights campaigns, the charitable dictates of humanitarianism, and the seductive aspects of mass consumption.
Hip Hop, empowerment, and clinical practice for homeless adults with severe mental illness

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on the use of a music and empowerment-based group as a vehicle for engagement, and therapeutic, and social-emotional benefits with homeless adults coping with severe me...
Electric Power in a Carbon Constrained World

Coal-fired power plants produce nearly 60% of the U.S. electricity and release about one ton of CO2 for each megawatt hour of electricity generated. If the nation is to continue using electric power and expanding capacity to service a growing population hard choices must be made concerning the use of coal. This article explores the technology for producing electricity from coal and the legal constraints being imposed on coal-fired power plants. It discusses greenhouse gas reporting requirements and the regulatory regimen imposed by the Clean Air Act including the move to requiring geologic carbon sequestration and the associated legal problems. It discusses renewable energy with emphasis on the government programs to encourage the use of wind-powered electric generation and the efforts to expand the use of nuclear power. The article then discusses the efforts to limit carbon emissions by increasing the costs of electricity through the use of taxes or a cap-and-trade program. It discusses the bill approved by the House of Representatives (H.R. 2454) and pending legislation in the Senate including S.1733. The article concludes with the observation that using existing laws is a poor way to develop an energy policy, and Congress should create a comprehensive energy policy that will reduce our dependence on carbon-based fuels in a manner that does not harm the economy, but the pending cap-and-trade bills will not accomplish this goal.
Interaction of oncogenes with differentiation programs.

One recurrent theme in the exploration of the function and mechanism of action of oncogenes and their proto-oncogene forebears is to view these genes in the context of normal development. There is both direct evidence that oncogenes can alter the expression of marker proteins in a variety of differentiated cell types and evidence for the developmental regulation of expression for many proto-oncogenes. Taken together this evidence leads to the speculation that some of these proto-oncogenes function as regulators of normal cell differentiation. Unfortunately, our current knowledge of the mechanisms which control cell differentiation are rather primitive. In this context, the focus is one the control of cell fates during development and the regulation of large groups of gene products which serve to distinguish different cell phenotypes. While this process is likely to share some properties with the systems which regulate individual genes, the question is more one of the coordination of gene functions, what controls or coordinates the regulators, what allows them to respond to developmental signals, and what is the nature of the signals to which they respond. It is likely that these questions will have a multiplicity of answers which will depend on the cell type under consideration. It is my belief that the studies on the functions of oncogenes will provide critical insights on the mechanism underlying the mysteries of cell differentiation. My essential purpose in this review is to redefine some basic developmental concepts in a form which provides a context for discussion of the developmental roles for the proto-oncogenes and for the intervention in the developmental process by oncogenes.
Designing ‘Wall Mounted Level’ – A Cooperative Mixed-Reality Game About Reconciliation

‘Wall Mounted Level’ is a cooperative mixed-reality game that leverages multimodal interactions to support its narrative of ‘reconciliation’. In it, players control their digitally projected characters and navigate them across a hand-drawn physical sculpture as they collaborate towards a shared goal: finding one another. The digital and physical characteristics of the game are further reflected in the ways in which players interact with the software and one another through ‘touch’. This paper discusses the design choices we made in creating the varying modes of player collaboration through both digital and physical engagement.
Structure and dynamics of nanoscale electrical double layer

Abstract Electrical double layer (EDL) at substrate–solution interface plays essential roles in basic electrochemistry, energy conversion, desalination and separation, stochastic single-entity sensing, and other applications. The EDL structure generally refers to the inhomogeneous distribution of solution ions at the interfacial region. Dynamic changes in the EDL structure due to the transport of charges at the nanometer scale are the physicochemical origin of recently resolved novel nanotransport phenomena. High surface area materials and devices are potentially advantageous for better applications by providing more accessible interfaces. It is of high importance to emphasize that interfacial structures are indications of capacity, while the efficiency is often related to dynamics. This review discusses emerging transport phenomena under steady-state conditions and the transient deviations in prototype channel-type nanopores as unit elements for porous electrodes/membranes. The fundamental governing mechanism and structure–function correlations will be discussed in the context of energy harvesting and storage, desalination and phase transition, and resistive pulse sensing at the nanometer scale toward single-event/entity resolutions.
Diminished peripheral T cell activity in sarcoidosis associates with progressive disease.

Aims and Objectives: Sarcoidosis is characterized not only by granulomatous inflammation, but diminished peripheral responses. How this “immune paradox” contributes to or results from sarcoidosis pathophysiology remains unclear. To address this question, previous findings in our lab have associated peripheral lymphopenia with worse lung disease, but have yet to identify any core pathways. We aim to identify immunological mechanisms that define peripheral responses in sarcoidosis and contribute to progressive disease. Methods: To identify mechanisms of immune dysregulation specific to sarcoidosis, we utilized the Gene Expression Omnibus and identified peripheral blood mononuclear cell microarray data from controls (n = 20), sarcoidosis (n = 38), and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n = 6) patients in GSE19314. Weighted gene correlation network analysis was used to construct gene network modules. Gene ontology pathways were determined for significant networks using the Gene Ontology Consortium database. Results: 5 modules of gene expression were significantly under-expressed and 5 were significantly over-expressed in sarcoidosis. Despite similarities in clinical presentations, no significant modules were shared between sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis patients. One module under-expressed in sarcoidosis was specifically associated with declining lung function, and consisted of pathways related to anabolism and T cell activation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that decreased anabolism and impaired peripheral T cell activation are not only markers of sarcoidosis, but may also contribute to disease progression.
Representation of U.S. Warm Temperature Extremes in Global Climate Model Ensembles

AbstractExtreme temperature events can have considerable negative impacts on sectors such as health, agriculture, and transportation. Observational evidence indicates the severity and frequency of ...
On the flash temperature under the starved lubrication condition of a line contact

Abstract To investigate the effect of the inlet starvation severity on the flash temperature, which dictates the scuffing failure, a thermal mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is developed for line contacts operating under the starved lubrication condition. Utilizing a generalized Newtonian Reynolds equation, the lubricant viscosity dependence on the shear rate, as well as on the pressure and temperature, is incorporated for the proper and accurate modeling of the tribological behavior under the high sliding condition. A film fraction parameter is employed in the Reynolds equation to include the starvation and cavitation description. Considering different operating and surface roughness conditions, a parametric study is performed to show an asymptotic relationship between the flash temperature and the inlet starvation severity.
Discharge Disposition After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Objective Age and comorbidity burden of patients going anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) have increased significantly over the past 2 decades, resulting in increased expenditures. Non-home discharge after ACDF contributes to increased direct and indirect costs of postoperative care. The purpose of this study was to identify independent prognostic factors for discharge disposition in patients undergoing ACDF. Methods A retrospective review was conducted at 5 medical centers to identify patients undergoing ACDF for degenerative conditions. The primary outcome was non-home discharge. Additional outcomes considered included discharge to rehabilitation and home discharge with services. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors for non-home discharge. Results Of 2070 patients undergoing ACDF, 114 (5.5%) had non-home discharge and 63 (3.0%) had discharge to inpatient rehabilitation. Factors independently associated with non-home discharge included older age, marital status, Medicare insurance, Medicaid insurance, previous spine surgery, myelopathy, preoperative comorbidities (hemiplegia/paraplegia, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident), anemia, and leukocytosis. C-statistic for the overall model was 0.85. Results were relatively similar for patients younger than the age of 65 years as well as for discharge to inpatient rehabilitation and discharge home with services. Conclusions Numerous sociodemographic and clinical characteristics influence the risk of non-home discharge and discharge to inpatient rehabilitation in patients undergoing ACDF. Policy makers and payers should consider these factors when determining appropriate preoperative adjustment for risk-based reimbursements.
The Neural Oculomotor System in Strabismus

Binocular alignment and binocular coordination of eye movements are necessary to direct both foveae at targets within 3D space. Unfortunately, individuals suffering from strabismus (ocular misalignment) never develop the necessary alignment and coordination of eye movements for binocular vision. Developmental loss of sensory or motor fusion leads to strabismus in nearly 5% of children, making this disease a significant public health issue. In order to develop a better understanding of this disease, a number of nonhuman primate models have been used successfully. The common feature of existing monkey models is the disruption of binocular vision during the developmental critical period, either by operating on extraocular muscles (EOMs) to redirect the line of sight of one eye or by decorrelating or depriving binocular vision through the use of prisms or occluders. In these models, widespread changes in many visual and oculomotor neural centers have been identified, leading to new insight on the development and maintenance of eye misalignment and other associated strabismus properties.
What Did the

The 'Illegitimacy Bonus,' part of 1996 welfare reform legislation, awarded $100 million in each of five years to the five states with the greatest reduction in the nonmarital birth ratio. Three states -- Alabama, Michigan, and Washington DC -- won bonuses four or more times each, claiming nearly 60% of award monies. However, in none of these three states was the decline in the nonmarital birth ratio linked to increases in proportions married, and only in Michigan was it linked to declines in nonmarital (relative to marital) fertility within demographic groups, behavioral changes that the Illegitimacy Bonus was presumably intended to reward. Shifts in the racial composition of births accounted for 1/3 (Michigan), 2/3 (DC) or all (Alabama) of the decline in the nonmarital birth ratio. The non-marital birth ratio fell most in DC, averaging 1.5 percentage points per year over the award period. However, the number of black children born in DC fell by nearly one half from 1991 to 2001. Changes in population composition alone primarily a decline in the number of black women aged 15 to 34 can account for the entire decline in the nonmarital birth ratio in DC between 1990 and 2000.
Resilient greedy routing on GPS-free surface sensor networks

We design a greedy routing scheme specifically for GPS-free large-scale wireless sensor networks deployed on surfaces of complex-connected three-dimensional settings. Compared with other greedy emb...
Research advances of Notch signaling pathway in biliary atresia

As an infantile disorder, biliary atresia (BA) affects both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and progressive tissue fibrosis leads to irreversible hepatic cirrhosis.As demonstrated by current studies, Notch signaling pathway plays a role in hepatic development, injury repairing, hepatic metabolism and hepatic fibrosis.This review summarizes the latest research findings and limitations of Notch signaling pathway from the aspects of formation of bile duct and liver fibrosis by literature retrieval. Key words: Biliary atresia; Signaling pathway; Hepatic fibrosis
Technical Report: Benefits of Stabilization versus Rollback in Self-Stabilizing Graph-Based Applications on Eventually Consistent Key-Value Stores.

In this paper, we evaluate and compare the performance of two approaches, namely self-stabilization and rollback, to handling consistency violating faults (\cvf) that occur when a self-stabilizing distributed graph-based program is executed on an eventually consistent key-value store. Consistency violating faults are caused by reading wrong values due to weaker level of consistency provided by the key-value store. One way to deal with these faults is to utilize rollback whereas another way is to rely on the property of self-stabilization that is expected to provide recovery from arbitrary states. We evaluate both these approaches in different case studies --planar graph coloring, arbitrary graph coloring, and maximal matching-- as well as for different problem dimensions such as input data characteristics, workload partition, and network latency. We also consider the effect of executing non-stabilizing algorithm with rollback with a similar stabilizing algorithm that does not utilize rollback.
High-Efficiency Air Cleaning Reduces Indoor Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Alters Indoor Air Chemistry in a Near-Roadway School

Schools in proximity to roadways expose students to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). We investigate impacts of air-cleaning on indoor TRAP levels and indoor chemistry in a renovated school adjacent an interstate highway. We monitor air pollutants pre- and post-renovation and quantify efficiency of particle (MERV8 and 16 filters) and gas (functionalized activated carbon) air-cleaning. Time-resolved measurements show air-cleaning systems are effective, with in situ particle removal efficiency >94% across 10 nm to 10 μm. Activated carbon removed BTEX and NO2 with variability in removal efficiency. Over eight months of monitoring, NO2 removal efficiency was 96% initially and decreased to 61%; and BTEX removal efficiency was >80% or increased to >80%. Air-cleaning reduced indoor TRAP to below or near urban background. Air-cleaning systems suppressed indoor chemistry by reducing indoor levels of oxidants (NO2, O3) and reactive organics of indoor origin. When the air cleaning system was inactive, our data show that indoor SOA formation within the school was elevated. Loss rates of NO2 and O3 through the air-cleaning system were ∼1.5-2.4 h-1 and ∼2.3 h-1, respectively. Air-cleaning was 83% and 69% efficient, respectively, in removing monoterpenes and isoprene. By suppressing precursors, scaling calculations show air-cleaning prevented ∼3.4 mg/h of indoor SOA formation due to indoor ozone-monoterpene chemistry. For comparison, we estimate that filtration removed ∼130 mg/h of PM0.01-0.3.
Making the Universe at 20 MeV

We present a testable mechanism of low-scale baryogenesis and dark matter production in which neither the baryon nor lepton number are violated. Charged $D$ mesons are produced out of equilibrium at tens of MeV temperatures. The $D$ mesons quickly undergo $CP$-violating decays to charged pions, which then decay into dark-sector leptons without violating the lepton number. To transfer this lepton asymmetry to the baryon asymmetry, the dark leptons scatter on additional dark-sector states charged under the lepton and baryon number. Amusingly, this transfer proceeds without electroweak sphalerons, which are no longer active at such low scales. We present two example models which can achieve this transfer while remaining consistent with current limits. The required amount of $CP$ violation in charged $D$ meson decays, while currently allowed, will be probed by colliders. Additionally, the relevant decays of charged pions to dark-sector leptons have been constrained by the PIENU and Paul Scherrer Institute experiments and will be further explored in upcoming experiments.
Quantitative [18]FDG PET asymmetry features predict long-term seizure recurrence in refractory epilepsy

Abstract Objective Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is an established, independent, strong predictor of surgical outcome in refractory epilepsy. In this study, we explored the added value of quantitative [18F]FDG-PET features combined with clinical variables, including electroencephalography (EEG), [18F]FDG-PET, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) qualitative interpretations, to predict long-term seizure recurrence (mean post-op follow-up of 5.85 ± 3.77 years). Methods Machine learning predictive models of surgical outcome were created using a random forest classifier trained on quantitative features in 89 patients with drug-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy evaluated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania epilepsy surgery program (2003–2016). Quantitative features were calculated from asymmetry features derived from image processing using Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs). Results The best-performing model used quantification and had an out-of-bag accuracy of 0.71 in identifying patients with seizure recurrence (Engel IB or worse) which outperformed that using qualitative clinical data by 10%. This model is shared through open-source software for research use. In addition, several asymmetry features in temporal and extratemporal regions that were significantly associated with seizure freedom are identified for future study. Significance Complex quantitative [18F]FDG-PET imaging features can predict seizure recurrence in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. These initial retrospective results in a cohort with long-term follow-up suggest that using quantitative imaging features from regions in the epileptogenic network can inform the clinical decision-making process.
Poet, Tree: Martin Harrison's "Red Gum"

This essay argues that Martin Harrison's "Red Gum" (1997) showcases a phenomenological approach to natural and built environments that anticipates later developments in what would now be called ecopoetics. First, the essay analyzes the poem's rhetoric, imagery, and intertextuality, especially its half-buried allusions to David Campbell's Branch of Dodona (1970). Then, it explores the possible impact of the digital communications revolution on "writing ecology" by comparing "Red Gum" to a more recent poem, Fiona Hile's "Stripes" (2013).
Reporting of Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms from 2002-2019 in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Clinical Implications • Of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms cases identified in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, five drugs account for more than 50% of cases and three have actionable HLA risk factors identifying implementation strategies for prevention and earlier diagnosis.
Don’t Give the Public What It Wants; Give the Public What It Needs

The exigencies and opportunities of wartime typically result in a vast expansion of governmental power. This was particularly true of the United States during the First World War, and as discussed in this chapter, the infant technology of radio was targeted by powerful actors within the government, led by the Secretary of the Navy, for nationalization. That campaign fell short, although in Europe, especially under the totalitarian regimes in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, centralized governments would employ radio as a principal means of the spread of propaganda. In the early years of the New Deal, advocates of educational radio in the United States attempted to reserve a portion of the federally issued licenses for themselves. Though frustrated by a lack of support from the Roosevelt administration, they made a serious push for license reallocation, arguing that only noncommercial radio could meet the intellectual, cultural, and scientific-educational needs of the listening audience. This effort failed, though it may have planted the seeds of later federal support of such stations.