cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of groundwater withdrawal and land use changes on brook charr ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) thermal habitat in two coldwater tributaries in Michigan, U.S.A.

Brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) is a sentinel fish species which requires clean, cold water habitats. As such, many jurisdictions in the United States where brook charr are present use this species as an indicator of ecosystem health. In Michigan, groundwater-dominated streams are currently being impacted by increased groundwater withdrawal and land use/land cover changes which alter stream temperatures and their flow, and thus have the potential to significantly influence brook charr production and behavior. We quantified the influence of groundwater withdrawal and land use alteration on thermal habitat availability for brook charr using a groundwater modeling tool that estimated changes in baseflow to a stream segment based on changes to the groundwater system due to groundwater withdrawal and changes in rates of recharge related to landscape changes within a watershed. Projected stream temperature changes were calculated using a stream temperature modeling tool and compared to the range of temperature preferenda for brook charr in order to evaluate the potential impact of policy decisions regarding water extraction and land use/cover changes. The models predicted relatively small changes in both stream baseflow and consequently, stream temperature, with increased groundwater withdrawal rates. Land use/land cover alterations which we analyzed were shown to either mitigate or enhance the loss of brook charr thermal habitat as a result of groundwater withdrawal, depending on its relationship to recharge dynamics. This study emphasizes the importance of collaboration between water, land, and fisheries managers to ensure brook charr population viability, productivity, and sustainability in the face of environmental change, increasing water use and development in the watershed.
Procoagulant Platelets Not Just Full of Hot Air

Abnormalities in coagulation are a leading cause of disease and death worldwide because of thrombotic events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, etc. It has been estimated that the cost of treatment of these disorders will rise to >820 billion by the year 2030.1 At the center of thrombus formation is the platelet, a cell that is seen as the cornerstone of hemostasis and thrombosis. Platelets mainly function to secure hemostasis by acting as the band-aids of the blood. They are the first responders to sites of vascular injury, bringing with them a membrane surface that provides the glue for clot formation, and a number of proteins essential for coagulation, as well. Platelet involvement ultimately leads to thrombin generation and clot stabilization through fibrin formation. Article see p 1414 The process of thrombus formation is highly orchestrated, but, although much is known about the steps needed to complete the task, holes in our understanding still exist. At sites of vessel injury where the arterial wall shear rate is high, platelets adhere to von Willebrand factor via the glycoprotein VI receptor and collagen. Subsequently, platelet activation occurs and platelets aggregate together via the fibrinogen (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa) receptor that creates platelet/fibrinogen bridges, leading to thrombus formation.2,3 A subgroup of platelets, however, respond to collagen exposure without glycoprotein IIb/IIIa activation, and instead undergo a direct transformation from resting surveillance cells to active procoagulant cells. This process is characterized by an initial shape change that results in membrane asymmetry and resultant exposure of surface anionic phospholipids including phosphatidylserine (PS). Next, the platelets disintegrate, leading to shedding of procoagulant microparticles that provide further hemostatic support. The mechanism underlying this PS exposure is dependent on cystolic Ca2+ elevation via phospholipase-Cγ and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling. The exposure of PS results in increased surface …
Redox-Dependent Conformational Changes in Cytochrome c Oxidase Suggest a Gating Mechanism for Proton Uptake

A role for conformational change in the coupling mechanism of cytochrome c oxidase is the subject of controversy. Relatively small conformational changes have been reported in comparisons of reduced and oxidized crystal structures of bovine oxidase but none in bacterial oxidases. Comparing the X-ray crystal structures of the reduced (at 2.15 A resolution) and oxidized forms of cytochrome c oxidase from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we observe a displacement of heme a3 involving both the porphyrin ring and the hydroxyl farnesyl tail, accompanied by protein movements in nearby regions, including the mid part of helix VIII of subunit I which harbors key residues of the K proton uptake path, K362 and T359. The conformational changes in the reduced form are reversible upon reoxidation. They result in an opening of the top of the K pathway and more ordered waters being resolved in that region, suggesting an access path for protons into the active site. In all high-resolution structures of oxidized R. sphaeroides cyt...
On-line case-based plan adaptation for real-time strategy games

Traditional artificial intelligence techniques do not perform well in applications such as real-time strategy games because of the extensive search spaces which need to be explored. In addition, this exploration must be carried out on-line during performance time; it cannot be precomputed. We have developed on-line case-based planning techniques that are effective in such domains. In this paper, we extend our earlier work using ideas from traditional planning to inform the real-time adaptation of plans. In our framework, when a plan is retrieved, a plan dependency graph is inferred to capture the relations between actions in the plan. The plan is then adapted in real-time using its plan dependency graph. This allows the system to create and adapt plans in an efficient and effective manner while performing the task. The approach is evaluated using WARGUS, a well-known real-time strategy game.
Comparative analysis of antiepileptic drugs by gas chromatography using capillary or packed columns and by fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

The gas chromatographic (GC) quantification of underivatized antleplleptlc drugs such as carbamazeplne, phenytoin, phenobarbital and primldone in fused-silica capillary columns was compared with that In packed columns. Excellent correlation was demonstrated between the two column methods by slopes of 0.99 to 1.05, by Y-intercepts of -0.47 to 0.28 and by r values of 0.996 and 0.997. In addition, some of the specimens from GC analysis by both column methods were compared with data obtained for these drugs as analyzed with the Abbott TDx system. Data obtained by both GC column methods showed excellent correlation.
Differential effects of dopamine-directed treatments on cognition

Dopamine, a prominent neuromodulator, is implicated in many neuropsychiatric disorders. It has wide-ranging effects on both cortical and subcortical brain regions and on many types of cognitive tasks that rely on a variety of different learning and memory systems. As neuroscience and behavioral evidence for the existence of multiple memory systems and their corresponding neural networks accumulated, so did the notion that dopamine's role is markedly different depending on which memory system is engaged. As a result, dopamine-directed treatments will have different effects on different types of cognitive behaviors. To predict what these effects will be, it is critical to understand: which memory system is mediating the behavior; the neural basis of the mediating memory system; the nature of the dopamine projections into that system; and the time course of dopamine after its release into the relevant brain regions. Consideration of these questions leads to different predictions for how changes in brain dopamine levels will affect automatic behaviors and behaviors mediated by declarative, procedural, and perceptual representation memory systems.
A pharmaceutical study of jelene ointment base

Physical properties including viscosities over wide temperature ranges, miscibiliry with various pharmaceuticals, and stability of Jelene, a new hydrocarbon ointment base, have been studied. A bacteriological stud utilizing the agar cup-plate method in which this ointment base was compared with petrolatum, cold cream, and vanishing cream was performed. The results of an investigation on the rate of release of certain drugs from the base are reported. These studies show that Jelene has many desirable properties as an ointment base.
Exserohilum rostratum: Anatomy of a national outbreak of fungal meningitis

On 18 September 2012, an alert physician caring for a patient with fungal meningitis who had received an epidural methylprednisolone acetate injection approximately 6 weeks earlier, recognized its possible significance and reported this case to the Tennessee Department of Health, who in turn notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shortly thereafter, additional cases of fungal meningitis were reported, and so began a large, unprecedented, multistate fungal meningitis outbreak. The predominant etiologic agent was Exserohilum rostratum, a black mould that was not known to have previously caused an outbreak of such devastating disease of this magnitude. The contaminated medication was prepared and distributed by a compounding pharmacy located in Massachusetts. This article reviews (i) the development and handling of the outbreak; (ii) the clinical manifestations and management of the infections; (iii) the detection, identification, and characteristics of E. rostratum, including the factors that might enhance its virulence; (iv) the regulatory concerns for microbiological quality control; and (v) what we have learned from this experience.
Nanoscale Thermometry with a Quantum Dot

A two-terminal quantum dot bridging a temperature difference can operate as a thermometer by probing the Fermi-Dirac distributions of the electron gas on both sides of the quantum dot. This thermometry requires that the dot’s energy levels are spaced in energy by many kT and that the intrinsic energetic width of the energy resonances are either much larger or much smaller than kT. We compare these two regimes of operation and discuss the intermediate regime which separates them. Quantum-dot thermometry can assist in mesoscopic thermal experiments where short-distance temperature gradients elude most thermometry techniques.
Gray optical vortices in a hollow waveguide

Summary form only given. Optical vortices (OV) have attracted a lot of attention for their fascinating dynamics as well as potential applications in areas like all light induced waveguiding. A helical wavefront and a dark circular core whose intensity becomes zero at the central point owing to the phase singularity is the characteristic of an OV. This "darkspot" or phase singularity is often used to judge the existence or the exact location of an OV in a bright beam background. Usually an OV is diffracted and expands along with the bright background beam that carries it. Although self-defocusing nonlinearity can counteract the diffraction of an OV and results in the formation of an optical vortex soliton, it is unable to maintain the bright background. Thus we contemplate using a hollow metallic waveguide to confine the bright beam. Here, we report the first experimental observation of optical vortices with non-zero core intensity, i.e. gray core, in a hollow waveguide. We subsequently verify this remarkable phenomenon with computer simulations and identify various parameters that lead to the creation of gray OV.
Interactions in Black and White: Racial differences and similarities in response to interracial interactions

The current work examined Black and White people’s expectancies for interracial interactions. Across two studies, we found that Black people, compared to White people, had more positive past interracial contact, which statistically explained Black compared to White people’s greater self-efficacy for interracial interactions. This self-efficacy, in turn, contributed to less of a desire to avoid future interracial interactions (Study 2) and partially accounted for race differences in actual amounts of subsequent interracial contact (Study 1). However, Black participants also had heightened concerns about being the target of bias in interracial interactions, which contributed to responses to imagined future interactions. These findings suggest that cultural experiences affect individuals’ expectancies for interracial interactions and that these expectancies, in turn, have consequences for the quality and quantity of interracial contact.
Climax and "Original Capacity": The Science and Aesthetics of Ecological Restoration in the Southwestern USA

This paper examines the historical origins of ecological restoration in the arid and semiarid deserts of the southwestern USA. Scientific knowledge and aesthetic valuations both emerged during a period of acute environmental degradation between 1 893 a nd 1 905, s trongly i nfluencing s ubsequent d ebates a nd p ractices. I n s cience a nd a esthetics a like, t he h istori- cal nature of southwestern landscapes was occluded: Clementsian ecology and range science posited a climax condition and an "original capacity" for livestock, while aesthetic treatments such as those of John V an Dyke saw transcendent and timeless beauty in the dramatic dynamics of actively degrading landscapes. In recent decades, southwestern ecologists have renounced Clementsian ecology and its implied telos of "pristine" presettlement conditions. But aesthetic ideals continue to influence broader debates and practices of ecological restoration in the region, specifically with regard to grasslands, riparian areas, livestock grazing, and fire.
Motility and Functional Disorders of the Stomach: Diagnosis and Management of Functional Dyspepsia and Gastroparesis

Functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis are the most common functional and motility disorders of the stomach. Functional dyspepsia is a heterogeneous syndrome with multiple pathophysiologies that refers to symptoms originating in the gastroduodenal region in the absence of an organic cause. Patients with functional dyspepsia may present with primarily postprandial symptoms including fullness, early satiety, and bloating, while other patients may present with the predominant symptom of epigastric pain. Gastroparesis is a symptomatic chronic disorder characterized by delayed gastric emptying without mechanical obstruction. Although gastroparesis is often caused by diabetes and prior gastric surgery, the underlying cause may not be found in many patients. Clinical manifestation of gastroparesis is variable. Patients present with debilitating nausea and vomiting resulting in weight loss and dehydration. Other patients may present with postprandial symptoms of postprandial fullness, early satiety, and effortless regurgitation. In this review, an update on the underlying mechanisms, clinical features, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment for functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis is provided.
On the Explanatory and Political Uses of Journalism History

At its most basic, history is a tale of continuity and change. Things stay the same until they don’t. So the big questions, for scholars, are: What are the conditions most likely to bring about cha...
Confusion over the Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Commentary and analysis of the oral arguments in Mims v. Arrow Financial Services, on the Supreme Court’s 2011-12 appellate docket. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act was enacted by Congress in 1991 to fill a gap in state consumer protection statutes relating to auto-dialing technology, unsolicited “robo-calls”, and abusive telemarketing practices. The appeal in Mims focuses on language in the statute that provides: “A person or entity may, if otherwise permitted by the laws of rules of a State, bring an action in an appropriate state court.” The Court will decide whether the statutory language requires private TCPA lawsuits to be brought in state court only, divesting federal courts of jurisdiction, or whether the statutory language permits individuals to bypass state courts and pursue TCPA violations in federal court. Although the Mims appeal does not involve a class action but rather an individual lawsuit, the Court’s decision may have implications for TCPA class action litigation. During the past decade, federal and state courts have entertained a wave of so-called “blast fax” class actions for alleged violations of the TCPA. While some states have allowed certification of TCPA claims, other states have rejected this. Federal courts that have entertained TCPA class actions in their diversity jurisdiction have split regarding whether such cases can be certified under Federal Rule 23. At oral argument on November 28, 2011, Chief Justice Roberts Jr. characterized the TCPA as “the strangest statute I have ever seen,” and Justice Samuel Alito deemed it “the oddest creature.”
Tests for hepatic dysfunction of mice.

SummarySix tests for the study of hepatic dysfunction and damage were applied to Swiss mice. Insufficiently sensitive to detect hepatic lesions were the thymolturbidity test, plasma-coagulation time and vaginal-smear cytology. Cephalin-cholesterol flocculation was not applicable owing to the fact that normal mouse sera reacted positively. Blood-bilirubin determinations indicated hepatic lesions induced by carbon tetrachloride or phosphorus. The increase in bilirubin in the blood, however, even in cases of extensive damage, was not high; 0.3 mg per 100 cc of plasma in control mice as an average, as compared with 0.6 mg per 100 cc in those with carbon tetrachloride lesions.Retention of bromsulphalein was the most useful and accurate of all the tests described herein. A base line was established for control mice; i.e., less than 1 mg of dye retained per 100 cc of plasma could be regarded as normal. In mice with hepatic lesions, tested at a proper time and within the limitations mentioned, values 10 or 20 tim...
Analysis of rodent surveillance in Tai’an city, China from 2007 to 2011

Objective To investigate the community composition of rodents and their densities in different seasons and habitats in Tai’an city, China, and to provide a scientific basis for rodent control measures. Methods The night trapping method was used to monitor the rodent densities at there randomly selected sites, one in special industry, one in natural village, and one in residential community. Results A total of 617 rodents were captured from 2007 to 2011, with a mean density of 2.29%. Of all rodents, the dominant species was Rattus norvegicus (64.18%). The density of rodents was the highest in the natural village, followed by special industry and residential community. The seasonal fluctuations of rodent density in general or in different habitats both followed a double-peak curve, with the first peak in April and May and the second peak in September and October. Conclusion For the rodents in Tai’an, their community composition and seasonal density fluctuation are acquired. It is suggested to take integrated rodent control measures and enhance long-term monitoring, early warning, and prevention of rodents and rodent-borne diseases according to the habits and characteristics of rodents and their seasonal density fluctuation.
Investigation on epidemic outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis in Jiashi County,Xinjiang in 2008

Objective To discover epidemic situation,cause and distribution of visceral leishmaniasis(kala-azar) in Jiashi County,Xinjiang in 2008.Methods According to the reported invasion data in Jiashi County in 2008,villages with many cases were sampled to carry out retrospective review and cross-sectional investigation,including physical examination on infants under 3 years old(liver and spleen by palpation) and detection in people with suspicious symptoms with rk39 immunochromatographic strip.Results There were 264 cases with visceral leishmaniasis in Jiashi County in 2008,with incidence rate of 71.78/105(264/367 765).The patients were at age from 2 months to 32 years old,and the patients under 1 year old accounted for 85.2%(225/264).At Gholtoghrak Township,there were 143 cases with the incidence rate of 367.87/105(143/38 873),at age from 2 months to 6 years old,and the patients less 1 year old occupied 94.4%(135/143).795 children under 3 years old at the investigated point were examined,with positive rate of 2.0%(16/795).Conclusions The prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis is desert type in predominance in Jiashi County,Xinjiang in 2008.
MECHANISM AND CONTROL OF SLAG ENTRAPMENTIN HIGH CASTING MOULD

A physical model was established to study the mechanism of molten slag entrapment in high casting mould,and the effects of viscosity of slag and operation parameters on the meniscus oscillation and the slag entrapment were investigatedThe results showed that slag entrapment was mainly caused by the turbulent recirculating flow at the interface of slag and molten steel in the high casting mould,and the surface velocity can be employed to predict the occurrence of slag entrapmentIn addition,a critical surface velocity was presented for the control of the occurrence of slag entrapment and the measures to eliminate slag entrapment were discussed
Purification and characterization of bovine aorta ribonucleases.

1. Two ribonucleases (aorta ribonuclease I and aorta ribonuclease II) from bovine aorta were purified 4611-fold and 667-fold respectively. Ethanolic precipitation, acid extraction, isoionic precipitation at pH3.5 and Bio-Rex 70 column chromatography were the methods employed. 2. Aorta ribonuclease I exhibited no deoxyribonuclease or alkaline phosphatase activity. 3. Aorta ribonuclease I appeared to be homogeneous when subjected to discontinuous gel electrophoresis. 4. Aorta ribonuclease II exhibited the same properties as aorta ribonuclease previously isolated. 5. The activities of the aorta ribonucleases and pancreatic ribonuclease on homopolymers and dinucleoside phosphates were compared. 6. Aorta ribonuclease I exhibited optimum pH7.5 and, under the assay conditions used, optimum temperature 60 degrees .
Technology and Reflection: Mood and Memory Mechanisms for Well-Being

We report a psychologically motivated intervention to explore Technology Mediated Reflection (TMR), the process of systematically reviewing rich digital records of past personal experiences. Although TMR benefits well-being, and is increasingly being deployed, we know little about how one’s mood when using TMR influences these benefits. We use theories of memory and emotion-regulation to motivate hypotheses about the relationship between reflection, mood, and well-being when using technology. We test these hypotheses in a large-scale month long real world deployment using a web-based application, MoodAdaptor. MoodAdaptor prompted participants to reflect on positive or negative memories depending on current mood. We evaluated how mood and memory interact during written reflection and measured effects on well-being. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from 128 participants who generated 11157 mood evaluations, 5051 logfiles, 256 surveys, and 20 interviews. TMR regulated emotion; when participants reflected on memories with valences opposite to their current mood, their mood became more neutral. However this did not impact overall well-being. Our findings also clarify underlying TMR mechanisms. Moods and memories competed with each other; when positive moods prevailed over negative memories, people demonstrated classic mechanisms shown in prior work to influence well-being. When negative moods prevailed over positive memories, memories became negatively tainted. Our results have implications for new well-being interventions and technologies that capitalize on the interconnectedness of memory and emotion.
Book Review: Nontraditional students and community colleges: The conflicts of justice and neoliberalism by Levin, J. S.

Levin, J. S. (2014). Nontraditional Students and Community Colleges: The Conflicts of Justice and Neoliberalism. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 270 pp. ISBN 978-1137445322 (paperback) The need to be competitive in a global economy has contributed to changing workforce demands, which in turn has increased the scaitiny of higher education outcomes. Accountability measures in higher education often focus on employment or completion initiatives and do not account for differences in institutional missions and student populations. This often puts the focus on students who can meet these goals and neglects those who participate at the margins. In Nontraditional Students and Community Colleges: The Conflict of Justice and Neoliberalism, Levin (2014) identifies the nontraditional population as those students neglected by such initiatives, particularly students who participate "beyond the margins" (p. 30), which includes students with low economic status, students with disabilities, and immigrant students. The main purpose of the book is "to examine this population within the community college ... and to judge our educational institutions in their treatment of nontraditional students" (p. 11). Levin argues that institutions should be measured not exclusively on their employment or completion rates but also on their ability to accord justice by accommodating these disadvantaged students "to the extent their conditions are advantaged or approach equality" (p. 12). This concept of justice is based on Rawls's (1999) theory of justice, which equates justice with fairness. In the "Preface," Levin (2014) states that despite significant societal and policy changes since the first publication in 2007, the experiences of nontraditional students have not changed, and the findings of his qualitative research study investigating 13 community colleges are still applicable 7 years later. Although not organized into sections, the first part of the book (Chapters 1-4) establishes the study's groundwork through developing an understanding of the participants and presenting the neoliberal framework used to analyze how the community college responds to nontraditional students. The students' narratives tell the story of their multilayered identities and how various components of their identities shape their goals and motivations for postsecondary enrollment. Levin (2014) also highlights issues related to participation barriers, role multiplicity, the influence of previous life experience on education, and how a traditional model of persistence and achievement does not capture their success. The remaining chapters (Chapters 5-8) explore the institutional influence on the students' experience in an effort to answer the question, "Are students receiving just treatment? …
Pulsed laser deposition of Zr-N codoped p-type ZnO thin films

Present p-type ZnO films tend to exhibit high resistivity and low carrier concentration, and they revert to their natural n-type state within days after deposition. One approach to grow higher quality p-type ZnO is by codoping the ZnO during growth. This article describes recent results from the growth and characterization of Zr–N codoped p-type ZnO thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on (0001) sapphire substrates. For this work, both N-doped and Zr–N codoped p-type ZnO films were grown for comparison purposes at substrate temperatures ranging between 400 to 700 °C and N2O background pressures between 10−5 to 10−2 Torr. The carrier type and conduction were found to be very sensitive to substrate temperature and N2O deposition pressure. P-type conduction was observed for films grown at pressures between 10−3 to 10−2 Torr. The Zr–N codoped ZnO films grown at 550 °C in 1×10−3 Torr of N2O show p-type conduction behavior with a very low resistivity of 0.89 Ω-cm, a carrier concentration of 5.0×1018 cm−3, and a Hall mobility of 1.4 cm2 V−1 s−1. The structure, morphology and optical properties were also evaluated for both N-doped and Zr–N codoped ZnO films.
Single Parent Seeking Single Parent? The Effects of Parental and Previous Relationship Status on Perceptions of Online Dating Profiles

Despite limited research on single parent dating, one study found that perceptions of single adults in an online dating profile varied by their gender, number of children, and parental status (Sommer, Plumm, Terrance, & Tubre, 2013). This information may affect perceived desirability and dateability for potential mates. The current study explored the effects of a potential mate's parental and previous relationship status, as well as participant parental status, on the participants’ perceptions of a potential dating partner via an online dating profile. Participants (n = 251), who were single and looking to date, were asked to read a brief ‘About the person’ section of a dating profile and rate how they viewed the person on general positive traits, childrearing ability, family relationships, dating appeal, future investment, and stress. Results indicated that single parents and non-parents alike preferred partners with no children. Additionally, single parents viewed being divorced more positively than single adults who are not parents, whereas single adults with no children viewed the profile with no previous relationship most positively. Future research should focus on the participant's intent for viewing and selecting a mate through the means of online dating.
A New Perspective on the Natural History of Hereditary Hemochromatosis.

A few homozygotes for the C282Y mutation of HFE manifest severe and even fatal iron-storage disease; most have only a modest increase in iron stores, show no clinical manifestations, and have no shortening of lifespan. Screening for hemochromatosis has been advocated so that therapeutic phlebotomy could be offered to the mildly affected subjects, often termed "pre-cirrhotic", presumably protecting them against progression of the disease. The rationale of this approach depends upon the implicit assumption that the natural history of the disease is one of progressive accumulation of iron and consequently ever-increasing tissue damage. In 1998 we began screening for the C282Y homozygous genotype among patients in the Kaiser Permanente Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego. We have now followed 144 patients from this cohort of 156 C282Y homozygotes with medical records spanning up to 10 years, including 35 patients who declined phlebotomy. Data from this analysis and other sources now suggest that the natural history of the disease might be quite different than has heretofore been assumed. Our revised perspective is based upon both cross-sectional and longitudinal observations. Cross-sectional analysis of levels of serum ferritin, a surrogate for total body iron, shows little or no change with age in C282Y homozygotes. Neither are abnormal liver function tests, which occur in a small minority of homozygotes, age-related. In Denmark, longitudinal analyses of serum ferritin levels in untreated patients show no increase over as much as 20 years. Our own longitudinal data on serum ferritin levels in homozygotes who were not phlebotomized confirm this observation. Longitudinal analyses of abnormal ALT levels in homozygotes show no upward trend over a four-year period. Accordingly, it seems likely that in hemochromatosis the maximum extent of disease has been achieved in most patients by the time they reach adulthood, and that patients who are diagnosed with mild disease are unlikely to show progression.
Late Diagnosis of Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome: Challenges With the Diagnosis and Literature Review

Fanconi-Bickel syndrome (FBS), also known as glycogen storage disease type XI (GSD XI), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. It is caused by mutations in the gene SLC2A2, which encodes for the facilitative glucose transporter GLUT2. Diagnosis of FBS is often delayed since the clinical features and laboratory markers often overlap with other disorders whose characteristic features include short stature, fasting hypoglycemia, postprandial hyperglycemia, hepatomegaly, hypophosphatemic rickets, and proximal renal tubular dysfunction. In this article, we present a case of FBS and its management in an African American female who initially presented with persistent proximal tubulopathy, hypercalciuria, and metabolic acidosis. We also include a recent literature review on FBS and discuss other metabolic disorders that should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
PYD and Professional Development of Youth Organizations

This article shares the results of a study conducted in Oregon which investigates the professional and volunteer development needs of (non 4-H) youth-serving organizations related to positive youth development (PYD). This study elicited feedback from 49 youth-serving organizations through a comprehensive survey. Information gathered included organization demographics (reach, size of staff and use of volunteers), current staff and volunteer development opportunities and requirements and interest in offering staff and volunteer training opportunities related to PYD. The results of this study indicate youth-serving organizations not only recognize the importance of a PYD approach, but also seek staff and volunteer development opportunities to strengthen the PYD capacity within their organizations. The results of this study provide direct implications for 4-H professionals. Due to linkages to the Cooperative Extension System and Land Grant Universities, coupled with 4-H’s intricate understanding of PYD theory and practice, 4-H professionals have the ability to be the resource and voice for PYD in communities served.
Improving late life depression and cognitive control through the use of therapeutic video game technology: A proof-of-concept randomized trial.

Background Existing treatments for depression are known to have only modest effects, are insufficiently targeted, and are inconsistently utilized, particularly in older adults. Indeed, older adults with impaired cognitive control networks tend to demonstrate poor response to a majority of existing depression interventions. Cognitive control interventions delivered using entertainment software have the potential to not only target the underlying cerebral dysfunction associated with depression, but to do so in a manner that is engaging and engenders adherence to treatment protocol. Methods In this proof-of-concept trial (Clinicaltrials.gov #: NCT02229188), individuals with late life depression (LLD) (22; 60+ years old) were randomized to either problem solving therapy (PST, n = 10) or a neurobiologically inspired digital platform designed to enhance cognitive control faculties (Project: EVO™, n = 12). Given the overlapping functional neuroanatomy of mood disturbances and executive dysfunction, we explored the impact of an intervention targeting cognitive control abilities, functional disability, and mood in older adults suffering from LLD, and how those outcomes compare to a therapeutic gold standard. Results EVO participants demonstrated similar improvements in mood and self-reported function after 4 weeks of treatment to PST participants. The EVO participants also showed generalization to untrained measures of working memory and attention, as well as negativity bias, a finding not evident in the PST condition. Individuals assigned to EVO demonstrated 100% adherence. Conclusions This study provides preliminary findings that this therapeutic video game targeting cognitive control deficits may be an efficacious LLD intervention. Future research is needed to confirm these findings.
A model of ovulatory regulation examining the effects of insulin-mediated testosterone production on ovulatory function

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility in women, is often accompanied by abnormal reproductive and metabolic hormone levels. Specifically, androgens such as testosterone are elevated in many PCOS women, and the syndrome itself is frequently associated with insulin resistance, which leads to hyperinsulinemia, i.e., elevated insulin. Although the precise role of insulin in ovulatory function is unclear, its role in ovulatory dysfunction is often linked to the effects of increased ovarian androgen production. We present a mathematical model of the menstrual cycle that incorporates regulation by the pituitary-ovarian axis and mechanisms of ovarian testosterone production. We determine a physiological role for testosterone in the normal ovulatory cycle and study the role of hyperinsulinemia in pathological regulation of the cycle. Model results indicate increased ovulatory disruption with elevated insulin-mediated testosterone production and suggest that variations in the response of ovarian follicles to essential signals can alter the degree to which hyperinsulinemia disrupts the ovulatory cycle. The model also provides insight into the various PCOS phenotypes and the severity of ovulatory dysfunction.
A Novel Culture System of Human ES Cells for High Efficient Hematopoietic and Endothelial Differentiation.

Abstract Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines provide not only an unique system for studying human embryonic development, but also have enormous potential as a source of therapeutic tissues, including those of vascular and hematopoietic lineages. However, it is difficult to generate large-scale of relatively pure population of specific lineage cells derived from hESCs. Here, we describe a 2-dimensional (2-D) culture system for hESC differentiation to generate hematopoietic and endothelial cells in vitro without embryoid body (EB) formation (3-D). To initial differentiation, hESCs (H1 and H9 cell lines) were placed in serum-containing media for 9–10 days without supplement of additional growth factors. Gene expression analysis of 2-D differentiation indicated that Oct-4, a pluripotent gene, was decreased, while genes for GATA-2 and CD31, were increased, suggesting that differentiated hESCs contain hematopoietic and endothelial progenitors. Comparing with 3-D EB formation, 2-D differentiation was able to generate robust differentiated cells (5 to 10-fold higher). To generate a reasonable pure population of hematopoietic and endothelial precursors, CD34+ cells prior to hematopoietic commitment were isolated from 2-D differentiation by immuno-magnetic beads and cultured in the presence of hematopoietic growth factors and endothelial growth factors. After 7–10 days culture of CD34+ cells, both suspension and adherent cells emerged. The number of suspension and adherent cells was dependent on the presence of hematopoietic growth factors or/and endothelial growth factors. The suspension cells expressed hematopoietic marker, CD45, and gave rise to multi-lineage hematopoietic colonies on methylcellulose cultures. The adherent cells expressed endothelial markers, such as CD31 and Ve-cadherin, and took up Dill-labeled ac-LDL. The adherent cells rapidly formed capillary-like structures on Matrigel cultures, while the suspension cells would not. While the adherent cells were implanted into mice, they formed functional blood vessels in vivo. Our culture system paves the road for further large-scale manufacture of hematopoietic and endothelial cells derived from human ES cells. Our studies demonstrated also that CD34+ cells derived from human ES cells contain hematopoietic and endothelial progenitors.
Integrating Lung Physiology, Immunology, and Tuberculosis

Lungs are directly exposed to the air, have enormous surface area, and enable gas exchange in air-breathing animals. They are constantly ‘attacked’ by microbes from both outside and inside and thus possess a unique, highly regulated local immune defense system which efficiently allows for microbial clearance while minimizing damaging inflammatory responses. As a prototypic host-adapted airborne pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis traverses the lung and has several ‘interaction points’ (IPs) which it must overcome to cause infection. These interactions are critical, not only from a pathogenesis perspective but also in considering the effectiveness of therapies and vaccines in the lungs. Here we discuss emerging views on immunologic interactions occurring in the lungs for M. tuberculosis and their impact on infection and persistence.
Freedom Budget for all Americans and Economic Equality

Abstract. The Freedom Budget for All Ameri cans , written under the supervision of Bayard Rustin and released in 1966 by the A. Philip Randolph Institute, was a well developed policy program to secure full economic citizenship for all Americans thanks to an unprecedented government investment. The program challenged the classic definition of civil rights and linked increased government spending to economic justice. It never earned traction and remained at the margins of historical memory by the end of the Johnson Presidency. The recent literature on the Freedom Budget focuses on its ideological milieu and political implications and identifies the strategic errors in coalition building as the main cause of the Freedom Budget defeat. This paper concentrates on a specific element of the plan, the notion of economic equality, and states that the disagreement between radicals and liberals on such a notion ultimately caused the undoing of the coalition. Keywords. Freedom Budget, Philip Randolph, Johnson Administration, economic equality. JEL. B29, B31, B59.
Management challenges in British Columbia's healthcare system.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the operational and management challenges in a globally budgeted, regionalized healthcare system and their implications for public service. Design/methodology/approach Concentrating on British Columbia’s regional health authorities (RHAs) and hospitals, this study utilized data from interviews of key informants, documents (histories, legislation, agreements between RHAs and provincial government, and RHA organizational charts), news reports, and participant observation at board meetings. Findings Challenges encountered by the managers include accommodating powerful stakeholders (elected officials, providers, and organized publics), adhering to fixed budgets, obtaining capital from public sources, and adjusting to government turnover. In response, the managers engage in balancing priorities of stakeholders, shifting of resources within and across sites and operating units, and working strategically with the capital allocation process. Responses of managers to these challenges have promoted stability but raise concerns about attaining the system’s goals. Practical implications Management challenges and potential patterns of response should be considered in assessing the options for health system reforms. Many countries periodically reorganize their healthcare systems, and recognition of potential management challenges can contribute to the achievement of objectives sought in these reforms. Originality/value Although studies have demonstrated that management affects the implementation of public programs in several areas, little research has focused on the relationships between features of health systems, management responses, and potential outcomes.
Adolescent health literacy and health behaviors: A systematic review.

Abstract Objectives To systematically review and synthesize literature on the relationship between health literacy and health behaviors in adolescents. Methods Searches in PsychInfo, PUBMED/MEDLINE, and Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) were conducted. Studies were included if they reported original data on the relationship between health literacy and a health behavior in adolescents, were written in English, and the population did not have a chronic illness or disability. Results Seventeen studies met inclusionary criteria. Definition and measurement of health literacy, and theoretical frameworks varied across studies. Studies investigated the relationship between functional and media health literacy and adolescent health behaviors, thirteen reported significant, linear relationships. Conclusions The results suggest that there is a meaningful relationship between health literacy and adolescents' health behaviors. To fully understand the role of health literacy in adolescents' health decision-making, future research should use comprehensive definitions and measures of health literacy, and integrate health behavior and adolescent development theoretical frameworks in study design.
How do landowners learn about high-volume hydraulic fracturing? A survey of Eastern Ohio landowners in active or proposed drilling units

Abstract We examine how different sources and types of information affect the knowledge of landowners confronting a controversial emergent technology, high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF). HVHF may substantially affect the environmental, health, and economic and social realities faced by communities where drilling occurs. Yet how landowners in these areas learn about HVHF is largely unknown. Understanding landowner knowledge is important because HVHF development depends on voluntary choices of landowners, less knowledgeable landowners may be vulnerable to industry malfeasance, and support for HVHF is linked to familiarity with the industry. Using an original survey of Eastern Ohio landowners affected by HVHF, we find that they most frequently get information about HVHF from the news, oil/gas companies, social connections, and the internet. Information sourcing varies with demographics, socioeconomics, and political partisanship. Although landowners are exposed to many sources of information, most do not help them feel more informed about HVHF. Self-perceived familiarity with HVHF varies positively with the number of sources consulted, internet research, and receipt of information from the oil/gas industry and industry advocacy groups. Landowners often receive unsolicited information about HVHF, but this information rarely helps them feel more informed.
Effect of nano-sized SiO2 particles on the cognitive function and biochemical response.

Several in vitro studies have convincingly demonstrated that SiO2NPs mediated cytotoxicity, which was dose-, time- and size-dependent. The data on in vivo toxicity of SiO2NPs are even more contradictory. In the present study, we investigated the effects of sub-acute exposure to SiO2-NPs on spatial learning and memory, the biochemical parameters and the histology of organs. Rats were injected intravenously with a single dose of SiO2-NPs (20 mg/kg) during five consecutive days. The analysis of spatial memory in the Morris water maze showed that SiO2-NPs disrupt the cognitive abilities of rats. Moreover, SiO2-NPs could changes the blood counts. However, biochemical markers remained unchanged. Histological examination showed that SiO2-NPs induced pathological changes in rat organs. In this finding NPs were shown to cause granuloma formation and inflammatory cells infiltration in the liver.
Building Blocks of Quantum Key Distribution

The first QKD scheme proposed by Bennett and Brassard in 1984 was a qubit-based (d = 2) protocol that encodes information using a photon’s polarization modes in two non-orthogonal bases (Bennett and Brassard, 1984 international conference on computers, systems & signal processing, pp 175–179, 1984; Bennett and Brassard, ACM Sigact News 20:78, 1989). Polarization is one of the many different degrees of freedom that can be used to encode information in a QKD system. The information can also be encoded using time-phase (Townsend et al., Electron Lett 29:1291, 1993; Townsend, Electron Lett 30:809, 1994; Townsend, Nature 385:47, 1997), orbital angular momentum (Spedalieri, Opt Commun 260:340 2006), etc. degrees of freedom. In this chapter, as an introductory discussion and motivation for high dimensional QKD, I describe an ideal d = 2 time-phase QKD system.