cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rating curve estimation of nutrient loads in Iowa rivers

summary Accurate estimation of nutrient loads in rivers and streams is critical for many applications including determination of sources of nutrient loads in watersheds, evaluating long-term trends in loads, and estimating loading to downstream waterbodies. Since in many cases nutrient concentrations are measured on a weekly or monthly frequency, there is a need to estimate concentration and loads during periods when no data is available. The objectives of this study were to: (i) document the performance of a multiple regression model to predict loads of nitrate and total phosphorus (TP) in Iowa rivers and streams; (ii) determine whether there is any systematic bias in the load prediction estimates for nitrate and TP; and (iii) evaluate streamflow and concentration factors that could affect the load prediction efficiency. A commonly cited rating curve regression is utilized to estimate riverine nitrate and TP loads for rivers in Iowa with watershed areas ranging from 17.4 to over 34,600 km 2 . Forty-nine nitrate and 44 TP datasets each comprising 5–22 years of approximately weekly to monthly concentrations were examined. Three nitrate data sets had sample collection frequencies averaging about three samples per week. The accuracy and precision of annual and long term riverine load prediction was assessed by direct comparison of rating curve load predictions with observed daily loads. Significant positive bias of annual and long term nitrate loads was detected. Long term rating curve nitrate load predictions exceeded observed loads by 25% or more at 33% of the 49 measurement sites. No bias was found for TP load prediction although 15% of the 44 cases either underestimated or overestimate observed long-term loads by more than 25%. The rating curve was found to poorly characterize nitrate and phosphorus variation in some rivers. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Categorization training increases the perceptual separability of novel dimensions

Perceptual separability is a foundational concept in cognitive psychology. A variety of research questions in perception - particularly those dealing with notions such as "independence," "invariance," "holism," and "configurality" - can be characterized as special cases of the problem of perceptual separability. Furthermore, many cognitive mechanisms are applied differently to perceptually separable dimensions than to non-separable dimensions. Despite the importance of dimensional separability, surprisingly little is known about its origins. Previous research suggests that categorization training can lead to learning of novel dimensions, but it is not known whether the separability of such dimensions also increases with training. Here, we report evidence that training in a categorization task increases perceptual separability of the category-relevant dimension according to a variety of tests from general recognition theory (GRT). In Experiment 1, participants who received pre-training in a categorization task showed reduced Garner interference effects and reduced violations of marginal invariance, compared to participants who did not receive such pre-training. Both of these tests are theoretically related to violations of perceptual separability. In Experiment 2, participants who received pre-training in a categorization task showed reduced violations of perceptual separability according to a model-based analysis of data using GRT. These results are at odds with the common assumption that separability and independence are fixed, hardwired characteristics of features and dimensions.
Another Look at Equity and Enterprise Valuation Based on Multiples

We examine errors in enterprise and equity valuation based on multiples of firm fundamentals. Our study, which is based on a more representative sample (including firms with losses, smaller start up firms, etc.), complements extant studies, which are based on larger, profitable firms followed by analysts. Contrary to the results in the extant studies, we find that: (1) valuation errors for multiples based on sales are often lowest for both enterprise and equity value; and, (2) when we compare book value and earnings as valuation fundamentals, we find that book-value-based multiples outperform earnings-based multiples. Our focus is on multiples of current financial variables. We show vast improvement in valuation errors when an average omitted variable (intercept) is incorporated in the calculation of harmonic means. We extend the extant literature by demonstrating how harmonic means can be calculated when different multiples are combined, enabling us to examine the change in valuation errors when a combination of multiples is used instead of just a single multiple. Our results show that valuation errors are significantly improved when combining fundamentals from different financial statements; the largest improvement is observed when balance sheet fundamentals (net operating assets and book value of equity) are combined with fundamentals from the income statement (for example, EBITDA).
Separation-sensitive measurements of morphology dependent resonances in coupled fluorescent microspheres

The inelastic emission spectrum of a single fluorescent microsphere (bead) exhibits resonances arising from whispering gallery modes. Two beads in close proximity form a coupled bisphere. Coherent coupling arises from each bead’s evanescent field and leads to resonance splitting. Here we collect emission spectra of two coupled beads, with nearly identical diameters, as spacing between beads is varied. Using these size-matched beads allows us to probe resonance splitting under strong coupling conditions.
A ubiquitous mobile communication architecture for next-generation heterogeneous wireless systems

Rapid progress in research and development of wireless networking and communication technologies have created different types of wireless systems (e.g., Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, UMTS, and satellite networks). These systems are envisioned to coordinate with each other to provide ubiquitous high-data-rate services to mobile users. In this article, the architecture for ubiquitous mobile communications (AMC) is introduced that integrates these heterogeneous wireless systems. AMC eliminates the need for direct service level agreements among service providers by using a third party, a network interoperating agent. Instead of deploying a totally new infrastructure, AMC extends the existing infrastructure to integrate heterogeneous wireless systems. It uses IP as the interconnection protocol. By using IP as the gluing protocol, transparency to the heterogeneities of the individual systems is achieved in AMC. Third-party-based authentication and billing algorithms are designed for AMC. New mobility management protocols are also developed to support seamless roaming between different wireless systems.
Nifedipine in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Importance of Raynaud's Phenomenon

We studied (via acute vasodilator testing with nifedipine) 27 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (11 primary, 16 secondary PAH, [including six patients with Raynaud's phenomenon]) in order to identify predictors of hemodynamic response and specifically to assess whether patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary hypertension were more likely to respond to nifedipine. Nifedipine decreased resting mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (ΔPA – 6.8±10.5 mm Hg; ΔPAD – PCW gradient – 9.3±4.7 mm Hg; ΔPVR – 255±201 dynes·s·cm -5 , all p -5 , all NS), in the patients without Raynaud syndrome. These data suggest that patients with both primary and secondary PAH may benefit from nifedipine therapy, but that patients with Raynaud's phenomenon may respond particularly well, perhaps because of vasodilator-reversible pulmonary vasoconstriction. An alternative hypothesis is that prior chronic vasodilator therapy in the majority of our patients with Raynaud's phenomenon preserved pulmonary vasoreactivity.
Anaerobic Work Capacity's Contribution to 5-km-Race Performance in Female Runners

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between anaerobic characteristics and 5-km-race performance in trained female cross-country runners (N = 13). Methods: The runners performed 50-m sprints and a 5-km time trial on an outdoor 400-m track and maximal anaerobic (MART) and aerobic running tests on a motorized treadmill. Anaerobic characteristics were determined by the mean velocity of the 50-m sprint (v50m) and the peak velocity in the MART (vMART). The aerobic characteristics were obtained during the aerobic treadmill test and included maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), running economy, and ventilatory threshold (VT). Results: Both the vMART (r = .69, P < .01) and VO2max (r = .80, P < .01) correlated with the mean velocity of the 5-km (v5km). A multiple-linear-regression analysis revealed that the combination of VO2max, vMART, and VT explained 81% (R2 = .81, P < .001) of the variation seen in the v5km. The vMART accounted for 31% of the total shared variance, while the combinatio...
A scintillation counter for measurement of I131 uptake in the thyroid gland.

Summary1. The problems inherent to the measurement of I131 uptake in the thyroid gland have been reviewed and the applicability of the scintillation counter for this use discussed. 2. The selection of scintillztion phosphor and construction of the counter has been described and compared in operation over a 6-weeks period with a conventional Geiger counter. This improvement of sensitivity has shown to be a factor of 30 ~ 50. 3. The increased sensitivity described has shown to be sufficient to allow an immediate reduction of the tracer dose from 100 μc to 50 μc, with a recent reduction to 25 μc. It may be seen that the dose could be reduced to 10 μc with considerable ease. At the same time a decided improvement over the Geiger counter in counting statistics has been obtained. Based on the previous counting rates the 10 μc standard would exhibit a counting rate ~ 2,700 c/m and an uptake rate ~ 1,200 c/m. Background for such measurements would be 200 ~ 400 c/m.
A Comparison of Verbal Evaluation of Clients With Limited English Proficiency and English-Speaking Clients in Physical Rehabilitation Settings

OBJECTIVES Recent literature has emphasized collaborative goal setting between therapists and clients and has sought to increase therapists' awareness of treating in cross-cultural settings. How occupational therapists verbally evaluate clients with limited English proficiency (LEP) is important to these topics and underdeveloped in the literature. METHOD Seventy-four occupational therapists working with adult clients with LEP in physical rehabilitation settings in large U.S. metropolitan areas were surveyed to discover the time taken, methods used, and themes surrounding verbal evaluation, including use of translators and respondents' linguistic abilities. A follow-up telephone interview of 12 survey respondents clarified these discoveries. RESULTS Respondents reported taking 11.5 min more to verbally evaluate clients with LEP than for English-speaking clients and reported understanding the treatment needs of clients with LEP after verbal evaluation less well. Respondents with higher abilities in second languages reported better understanding of clients" needs than monolingual respondents. CONCLUSION Methods for cross-lingual verbal evaluation need to be identified so that therapists can collaborate with clients with LEP in planning culturally sensitive treatment.
Influence of atropine on fractal and complexity measures of heart rate variability.

Background: Measurement of short-term fractal-like correlation properties of heart rate dynamics has been shown to be a useful prognostic indicator of adverse events in cardiac patients. Complexity measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) have already provided important information in many cardiac conditions. However, data on the physiological background of these newer nonlinear measures of HRV are limited. Methods: Nine healthy subjects (aged from 22 to 35 years, 6 males, 3 females) had an electro-cardiographic (ECG) recording during controlled breathing in supine position. HRV was analyzed for 5 min periods before and after intravenous injection of 0.6 mg of atropine using conventional HRV measures and newer nonlinear HRV measures including the short-term scaling exponent (a,) and approximate entropy (ApEn). Results: The short-term scaling exponent a1 increased significantly after atropine injection (1.01 ± 0.23 vs 1.43 ± 0.19, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference between ApEn values before and after atropine injection (0.87 ± 0.17 vs 0.70 ± 0.31, respectively, P = 0.27). At baseline before atropine administration, a1 had a significant negative correlation with SDNN, RMSSD, and HF (r = -0.70, -0.76, -0.67, respectively, P <0.05 for all), and a significant positive correlation with heart rate (r = 0.76, P < 0.05). After atropine injection, a, did not have significant correlation with any of the HRV parameters or heart rate. There were no significant correlations between ApEn and any of the HRV measures or heart rate either before or after atropine administration. Conclusions: Vagal tone has an important influence on the values of the short-term scaling exponent a,. However, vagal modulation is not a major determinant of the values of ApEn. A.N.E. 2002;7(4):326–331
Indications for non‐transplant surgery in primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PCS) is a progressive disease leading to secondary biliary cirrhosis. Patients are at increased risk of developing cholangiocarcinoma, which is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Treatment of PCS includes medical therapy, endoscopic biliary dilation, percutaneous transhepatic stenting, extrahepatic biliary resection and liver transplantation. The most effective management of primary sclerosing cholangitis before the onset of cirrhosis remains unclear. Non-transplant surgical procedures have a limited but defined role in patients with PCS. Resection of the extrahepatic biliary tree in symptomatic non-cirrhotic patients improves hyperbilirubinaemia and prolongs both transplant-free and overall survival when compared with non-operative dilation and/or stenting. Surgical resection may also definitively establish or exclude a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with dominant extrahepatic or perihilar strictures. Extrahepatic bile duct resection may also reduce the risk of cholangiocarcinoma. Extrahepatic biliary resection should be considered in selected non-cirrhotic patients with symptomatic biliary obstruction and dominant extrahepatic and/or perihilar strictures. Those patients in whom cholangiocarcinoma is suspected should also undergo resection.
The Cervical Vertebrae of KSD-VP-1/1

A series of six partial cervical vertebrae were recovered in association with the KSD-VP-1/1 postcranial remains from the C2 axis to the C7 vertebral level, representing the oldest adult cervical column known in the hominin fossil record. The vertebrae of this large male australopith are more derived than those of its smaller female counterparts, and as a whole, present a biomechanical and enthesopathological signature typical of the dynamic vertical loading regime of orthograde humans. Differences between KSD-VP-1/1 and humans observed in the most cranial cervical levels appear to have insignificant functional implications, and are likely developmental reciprocates of australopith cranial morphogenesis. Despite their antiquity, the KSD-VP-1/1 vertebrae produce a surprisingly human-like kinematic signal, with a highly mobile neck, a head carriage consistent with habitual upright posture and bipedalism, and spinal cord dimensions most similar to that of modern humans.
Ascending vestibular drive is asymmetrically distributed to the inferior oblique motoneuron pools in a subset of hemispheric stroke survivors

Abstract Objective Aberrant vestibular nuclear function is proposed to be a principle driver of limb muscle spasticity after stroke. Although spasticity does not manifest in ocular muscles, we sought to determine whether altered cortical modulation of ascending vestibuloocular pathways post-stroke could impact the excitability of ocular motoneurons. Methods Nineteen chronic stroke survivors, aged 49–68 yrs. were enrolled. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were recorded from the inferior oblique muscles of the eye using surface EMG electrodes. We assessed the impact of ascending otolith pathways on eye muscle activity and evaluated the relationship between otolith-ocular function and the severity of spasticity. Results VEMP responses were recorded bilaterally in 14/19 subjects. Response magnitude on the affected side was significantly larger than on the spared side. In a subset of subjects, there was a strong relationship between affected response amplitude and the severity of limb spasticity, as estimated using a standard clinical scale. Conclusions This study suggests that alterations in ascending vestibular drive to ocular motoneurons contribute to post-stroke spasticity in a subset of spastic stroke subjects. We speculate this imbalance is a consequence of the unilateral disruption of inhibitory corticobulbar projections to the vestibular nuclei. Significance This study potentially sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of post-stroke spasticity.
Citation Patterns of Advanced Undergraduate Students in Biology, 2000-2002

Summary Thirty-three undergraduate student papers in biology that were presented at an annual symposium of undergraduate research at the University of Denver from 2000 through 2002 were evaluated. There were a total of 770 citations with an average of 23.3 citations per paper. It was determined that 76.2% of the citations came from journal articles, 16.4% came from books or book chapters, 6.4% were to other miscellaneous sources, and only 1.0% were to Web sites. Other findings include the top cited journals, the oldest cited journal articles, the average age and range of books and journals, the types of miscellaneous sources cited, and the stability of the cited Web sites.
Experimental Demonstration of Deep Subwavelength Waveguiding Based on Designer Surface Plasmons

We experimentally demonstrate squeezing and guiding electromagnetic (EM) waves in a designer surface plasmonic waveguide with mode cross section down to 0.04?-by-0.03?.
PREVALENCE OF EARLY REPOLARIZATION IN A LARGE COHORT OF YOUNG ADULTS

Early repolarization (ER) may be a risk factor for sudden cardiac death. The baseline prevalence in young adults needs further evaluation. This study provides largest cohort to date of early repolarization in young adults. We retrospectively reviewed all ECGs performed in adults18 to 35 years old
A Feature in the Development of Power Semiconductor Devices in New Century

The development feature of power semiconductor devices in new century has been discussed from the point of view of the property comparison among monopolar devices, bipolar devices and mixed-devices, combining the developments of new materials and new theories.
Present Status of the Fundamental Interactions

I was asked to speak about the present situation in Elementary Particle Physics, but I decided instead to speak about the problems we do not under stand, on the ground that I already gave my impressions on the understanding we have achieved at the Berkeley Conference last September. The situation is changed since last fall, but on most of the changes I am not very well educated, and many of them I heard of here, from Coleman, Glashow, Cabibbo and others.
Chapter 6 – Evaluating Environmental Effects on Bonded Repair Systems Using Fracture Mechanics

Publisher Summary The effective design of repairs requires detailed analyses of the mechanics of bonded joints that may be viewed as representative models of those repairs. This chapter describes the work that employs fracture mechanics in assessing the environmental durability of representative repair joints. The system studied here, boron-epoxy bonded to aluminum, represents bonded repairs of cracked metallic aircraft structures, and has been used principally by the air forces of Australia and the United States. Prior to mechanical testing, specimens of this bonded material system are exposed to temperature and humidity levels encountered during service. The primarily Mode I fracture and fatigue resistance of Al-FM®73M-b/ep can be detrimentally affected by environmental exposure. The fracture paths in this bonded system indicated that the environment appeared to have affected the adhesive and/or composite matrix materials to a greater extent than the adhesive–adherend interfaces. Additionally, the crack-growth rate sensitivity of this bonded metal–composite system far exceeded that of metals. Though unaffected by long-term environmental exposure, this high sensitivity suggests that continued operation of bonded structures below the identified threshold is necessary to avoid unanticipated rapid Mode I crack growth.
RF-powered micromechanical clock generator

A micromechanical circuit has been demonstrated that harnesses resonant mechanical impact switching to convert received RF energy (at −58dBm) into a local 1-kHz clock output while consuming less than 17.5nW of local battery power, which is 57 times lower than the 1μW of a typical real-time clock (RTC). The principal enabler here is a micromechanical resonant switch (“resoswitch”) that first accepts incoming ASK or FSK clock-modulated RF energy at a carrier frequency, filters it to remove unwanted interferers, provides power gain via resonant impact switching, and finally envelop detects impact impulses to demodulate and recover the clock waveform from the carrier. Since the resulting time domain waveform derives from the presumably very stable clock signal that originally modulated the RF carrier, the resulting local clock can share its accuracy. By dispensing with the need for a positive feedback sustaining amplifier, such a 1-kHz RF-powered mechanical clock generator driving an on-chip inverter gate capacitance of 5fF can potentially operate with only 5pW of battery power, which is 200,000 times lower than the typical RTC! Using an off-chip inverter with 17.5pF of effective capacitance, the current laboratory demonstration at 1-kHz consumes a still tiny 17.5nW.
A hierarchical approach to classification for systems with complex low-level interactions

Learning in multiple steps or layers is useful when the system under study is characterized by the complex inter-action of low level components. In this case it is convenient to decompose the classification problem into different layers of complexity, starting at the bottom with all low-level features, and progressing to the top through the construction of more abstract terms. In this paper we propose a hierarchical approach to classification where each layer is an attempt to improve the predictive accuracy of our classifier through the construction of new terms. We perform an experimental study of this algorithm in eighteen real-world domains; a comparison with decision trees denotes an advantage in predictive accuracy, especially when the complexity of the domain requires the construction of multiple hierarchical layers.
Let Shalom Roll Like a River: Education as a Never-Ending Journey for Shalom

Shalom is present where everything fits together and in its place as God intended. Even after man’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God restored everything to its original status by the blood of His begotten son on the cross. God empowers us to build a shalom community in every institution and organization through teaching and educational interventions. This continuous task will be undertaken by teachers until Jesus comes back to earth. This summary of this book refocuses the topic of shalom which will continually be implanted to students in and out of classrooms by teachers. Two sets of interventions will be addressed in this chapter along with possible intervention strategies.
The Changing Face of Epidemiology: Gender Disparities in Citations?

Background:Female biomedical scientists tend to publish fewer articles as last author than their male colleagues and accrue fewer citations per publication. We seek to understand whether epidemiology follows this pattern.Methods:We gathered aggregate information on the current gender distribution of
Virtual Worlds as Educational Experience: Living and Learning in Interesting Times

Editors’ Corner Virtual Worlds as educational experience: Living and learning in interesting times By B. Stephen Carpenter, Texas A&M University
Visual-search models for location-known detection tasks

Lesion-detection studies that analyze a fixed target position are generally considered predictive of studies involving lesion search, but the extent of the correlation often goes untested. The purpose of this work was to develop a visual-search (VS) model observer for location-known tasks that, coupled with previous work on localization tasks, would allow efficient same-observer assessments of how search and other task variations can alter study outcomes. The model observer featured adjustable parameters to control the search radius around the fixed lesion location and the minimum separation between suspicious locations. Comparisons were made against human observers, a channelized Hotelling observer and a nonprewhitening observer with eye filter in a two-alternative forced-choice study with simulated lumpy background images containing stationary anatomical and quantum noise. These images modeled single-pinhole nuclear medicine scans with different pinhole sizes. When the VS observer’s search radius was optimized with training images, close agreement was obtained with human-observer results. Some performance differences between the humans could be explained by varying the model observer’s separation parameter. The range of optimal pinhole sizes identified by the VS observer was in agreement with the range determined with the channelized Hotelling observer.
Mitigation for minors: Exploring the nuances of social constructs and legal status in structuring sentences for youthful offenders

New York State is one of only two states in the nation that processes all 16- and 17-year-old defendants as adults. Contrary to this seemingly punitive stance, the state also maintains a Youthful Offender Statute that requires mitigated punishments for youths up to their 19th birthday upon court designation of youthful offender status. This study empirically examines the individual and combined impact of the social status of being a “minor” and the legally awarded status of being designated a youthful offender, upon adult court sentencing decisions framing the discussion within broader conceptualizations of youthfulness, culpability, and punishment. Utilizing a population of all youths ages 16–21 whose cases were disposed in New York between 2000 and 2006, this study finds the legally defined status of youthful offender to provide much greater mitigation at sentencing than the more general social status of being a minor. Findings are discussed as they relate to categorical and individualized assessments o...
Who Are Heritage Writers? Language Experiences and Writing Proficiency

This article explores the relationship between the writing proficiency of heritage speakers of Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Spanish and their context of acquisition, educational experiences, and language practices. Biographical data and proficiency ratings obtained with the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test were collected for 187 adult heritage speakers. These data are analyzed in order to shed light on connections between the writing proficiency of heritage speakers of these three languages and their language experiences, which have implications for placement and pedagogy in the postsecondary setting. The results of the analysis are then deployed in a series of recommendations to support the development of writing proficiency in the classroom. The authors advocate a proficiency-oriented approach to the teaching of heritage language that leverages the learners’ linguistic resources.
Shape and causal-history

The purpose of this paper is the give the reader a sense of some of the research that was crucial in leading me to carry out a full-scale analysis of the relationship between shape and causal history, in my book Symmetry, Causality, Mind, (MIT Press, 1992). While this paper does not include the basic ideas of the book, it gives some sense of the motivating problem.
Determination of l-glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid in mouse brain tissue utilizing GC-MS/MS

A rapid and selective method for the quantitation of neurotransmitters, l-Glutamic acid (GA) and γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), was developed and validated using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The novel method utilized a rapid online hot GC inlet gas phase sample derivatization and fast GC low thermal mass technology. The method calibration was linear from 0.5 to 100μg/mL, with limits of detections of 100ng/mL and 250ng/mL for GA and GABA, respectively. The method was used to investigate the effects of deletion of organic anion transporter 1 (Oat1) or Oat3 on murine CNS levels of GA and GABA at 3 and 18 mo of age, as compared to age matched wild-type (WT) animals. Whole brain concentrations of GA were comparable between WT, Oat1-/-, and Oat3-/- 18 mo at both 3 and 18 mo of age. Similarly, whole brain concentrations of GABA were not significantly altered in either knockout mouse strain at 3 or 18 mo of age, as compared to WT. These results indicate that the developed GC-MS/MS method provides sufficient sensitivity and selectivity for the quantitation of these neurotransmitters in mouse brain tissue. Furthermore, these results suggest that loss of Oat1 or Oat3 function in isolation does not result in significant alterations in brain tissue levels of GA or GABA.
The Birth of Conservative Management, Prescription Drug Applications, and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

Although there is still much to learn about interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), the options for treating the symptoms of the disease have expanded significantly over the last 30 years. Many of the newly accepted choices for managing IC/BPS symptoms are conservative measures that have become the mainstay of treatment for many patients. Much of the focus for treatment has been on the bladder. Another key component in the management of IC/BPS is to treat the pelvic floor along with the bladder.
Intensive Treatment for Persisting Rhotic Distortions: A Case Series

Purpose The study explored changes in accuracy of American English rhotics as a result of an intensive 1-week therapy program for adolescents and young adults with residual speech sound errors that...
Cutting Edge: Mitochondrial Assembly of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Complex Is Initiated at Priming

The NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in response to microbial and danger signals, resulting in caspase-1-dependent secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Canonical NLRP3 inflammasome activation is a two-step process requiring both priming and activation signals. During inflammasome activation, NLRP3 associates with mitochondria; however, the role for this interaction is unclear. In this article, we show that mouse NLRP3 and caspase-1 independently interact with the mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin, which is externalized to the outer mitochondrial membrane at priming in response to reactive oxygen species. An NLRP3 activation signal is then required for the calcium-dependent association of the adaptor molecule ASC with NLRP3 on the mitochondrial surface, resulting in inflammasome complex assembly and activation. These findings demonstrate a novel lipid interaction for caspase-1 and identify a role for mitochondria as supramolecular organizing centers in the assembly and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
A Pragmatic Application of the RE-AIM Framework for Evaluating the Implementation of Physical Activity as a Standard of Care in Health Systems.

Introduction Exercise is Medicine (EIM) is an initiative that seeks to integrate physical activity assessment, prescription, and patient referral as a standard in patient care. Methods to assess this integration have lagged behind its implementation. Purpose and objectives The purpose of this work is to provide a pragmatic framework to guide health care systems in assessing the implementation and impact of EIM. Evaluation methods A working group of experts from health care, public health, and implementation science convened to develop an evaluation model based on the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework. The working group aimed to provide pragmatic guidance on operationalizing EIM across the different RE-AIM dimensions based on data typically available in health care settings. Results The Reach of EIM can be determined by the number and proportion of patients that were screened for physical inactivity, received brief counseling and/or a physical activity prescription, and were referred to physical activity resources. Effectiveness can be assessed through self-reported changes in physical activity, cardiometabolic biometric factors, incidence/burden of chronic disease, as well as health care utilization and costs. Adoption includes assessing the number and representativeness of health care settings that adopt any component of EIM, and Implementation involves assessing the extent to which health care teams implement EIM in their clinic. Finally, Maintenance involves assessing the long-term effectiveness (patient level) and sustained implementation (clinic level) of EIM in a given health care setting. Implications for public health The availability of a standardized, pragmatic, evaluation framework is critical in determining the impact of implementing EIM as a standard of care across health care systems.
Predicting Email and Article Clickthroughs with Domain-adaptive Language Models

Marketing practices have adopted the use of computational approaches in order to optimize the performance of their promotional emails and site advertisements. In the case of promotional emails, subject lines have been found to offer a reliable signal of whether the recipient will open an email or not. Clickbait headlines are also known to drive reader engagement. In this study, we explore the differences in recipients' preferences for subject lines of marketing emails from different industries, in terms of their clickthrough rates on marketing emails sent by different businesses in Finance, Cosmetics and Television industries. Different stylistic strategies of subject lines characterize high clickthroughs in different commercial verticals. For instance, words providing insight and signaling cognitive processing lead to more clickthroughs for the Finance industry; on the other hand, social words yield more clickthroughs for the Movies and Television industry. Domain adaptation can further improve predictive performance for unseen businesses by an average of 16.52% over generic industry-specific predictive models. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of our findings and suggestions for future work.
Teaching digital logic and computer organization with JLS: tutorial presentation

JLS is a comprehensive, GUI-based digital logic simulator designed for pedagogical use. Among its features are a very shallow learning curve and automated testing (grading) of student circuits. This tutorial will demonstrate how JLS can be used in the classroom (both as a lecture tool and for assignments) and provide hands-on experience in circuit creation, simulation, debugging, and using the automatic testing suite. This tutorial is for individuals who will teach topics ranging from digital logic to computer organization and want (1) a powerful, but easy-to-use tool and/or (2) the ability to automate the testing of student assignments.
Following the Laughter: Exploring Relationships Between Leadership Styles and Types of Humor

Humor has been referred to as a double-edged sword because of the positive and negative associations with outcomes arising from the use of humor. The duality of humor is not limited to outcomes, ho...
Insights into the Magnetic Properties of Sub-10 nm Iron Oxide Nanocrystals through the Use of a Continuous Growth Synthesis

Most studies on iron oxide nanocrystals (NCs) suggest that the magnetic properties depend strongly on size for diameters below 10 nm, but there is less agreement about how the structure of the NC surface influences magnetic properties. Because the magnetic properties of iron oxide NCs hold promise for applications from cancer detection and therapeutics to environmental remediation, it is imperative to understand how size influences those properties. In most cases, the effective magnetic size is significantly lower than the measured physical size, a finding attributed to spin canting or disorder at the NC surface. A complicating factor is that the reaction conditions used to produce samples influence their magnetic properties. Thus, we employed a continuous growth method involving layer-by-layer addition of precursor to produce single-crystalline, spherical cores with subnanometer precision over a range of sizes under the same reaction conditions. Analysis of the NCs by small-angle X-ray scattering, transm...
A randomized controlled trial evaluating general endotracheal anesthesia versus monitored anesthesia care and the incidence of sedation-related adverse events during ERCP in high-risk patients.

Background and Aims ERCP is a complex procedure often performed in patients at high risk for sedation-related adverse events (SRAEs). However, there is no current standard of care with regard to mode of sedation and airway management during ERCP. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of general endotracheal anesthesia (GEA) versus propofol-based monitored anesthesia care (MAC) without endotracheal intubation in patients undergoing ERCP at high risk for SRAEs. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing ERCP at high risk for SRAEs at a single center were invited to participate in this randomized controlled trial comparing GEA and MAC. Inclusion criteria were STOP-BANG score ≥3, abdominal ascites, body mass index ≥35, chronic lung disease, American Society of Anesthesiologists class >3, Mallampati class 4 airway, and moderate to heavy alcohol use. Exclusion criteria were preceding EUS, emergent ERCP, tracheostomy, unstable airway, gastric outlet obstruction or delayed gastric emptying, and altered foregut anatomy. The primary endpoint was composite incidence of SRAEs: hypoxemia, use of airway maneuvers, hypotension requiring vasopressors, sedation-related procedure interruption, cardiac arrhythmia, and respiratory failure. Secondary outcomes included procedure duration, cannulation success, in-room time, and immediate adverse events. Results Two hundred patients (mean age, 61.1 ± 13.6 years; 36.5% women) were randomly assigned to GEA (n = 101) or MAC (n = 99) groups. Composite SRAEs were significantly higher in the MAC group compared with the GEA group (51.5% vs 9.9%, P Conclusion In patients at high risk for SRAEs undergoing ERCP, sedation with GEA is associated with a significantly lower incidence of SRAEs, without impacting procedure duration, success, recovery, or in-room time. These data suggest that GEA should be used for ERCP in patients at high risk for SRAEs (Clinical trial registration number: NCT02850887 .)
Duodenal Schwannoma as a Rare Association With Membranous Nephropathy: A Case Report

Membranous nephropathy (MN) associated with malignancies is a well-known entity. However, its association with benign neoplasm is not broadly recognized. A 69-year-old man with recurrent nephrotic syndrome presented with pedal edema and proteinuria of 5 months' duration. Laboratory results showed hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia. Proteinuria was estimated to be protein excretion of 3.5g/d. Studies were negative for viral hepatitis, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus, autoimmune diseases, and paraproteinemia. Kidney biopsy disclosed MN with negative phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) staining, favoring a secondary form of MN. Computed tomography detected a 7.6-cm duodenal schwannoma. Elective surgical resection was performed. Pathologic study showed that THSD7A (thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A) was positive in both glomeruli and schwannoma. Commonly, secondary MN is related to underlying conditions, including lupus, hepatitis, and neoplasm, and can be medication induced. The risk for developing a concomitant neoplasm among patients with PLA2R-negative MN is up to 12 times higher than in the general population. Most of these neoplasms are malignancies, and the presence of autoantibodies directed at similar tissue targets is hypothesized as the potential mechanism. In our case, THSD7A may be the autoantibody that has linked the schwannoma and the development of MN. Although benign tumors rarely produce renal manifestations, effective treatment may lead to resolution of nephrotic syndrome.
Advantages of Baseline Models: Lessons from Research about Developing Economies and Emerging Markets

This paper builds on a discussion in the 1960s among agricultural economists about the value of baseline models for research investigations. Meaningful baseline models can both raise the theoretica...
Alternative Sources of Water Supply

Supplying water for a rapidly growing population and increasing urbanization, providing the irrigation water needed to grow and ensure an adequate supply of food, halting indiscriminate pollution of surface water and groundwater resources, and funding the new and replacement infrastructure needed to meet demands of a changing climate are all global water problems. Chapter 16 looks at some of the alternative pathways that some districts are taking in order to be certain that theirs is a sustainable water supply that meets present and anticipated future demand.
National and International Dimensions of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Sequence Clusters in a Northern California Clinical Cohort.

Background Recent advances in high-throughput molecular epidemiology are transforming the analysis of viral infections. Methods Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 pol sequences from a Northern Californian cohort (NCC) of 4553 antiretroviral-naive individuals sampled between 1998 and 2016 were analyzed together with 140 000 previously published global pol sequences. The HIV-TRAnsmission Cluster Engine (HIV-TRACE) was used to infer a transmission network comprising links between NCC and previously published sequences having a genetic distance ≤1.5%. Results Twenty-five percent of NCC sequences were included in 264 clusters linked to a published sequence, and approximately one third of these (8.0% of the total) were linked to 1 or more non-US sequences. The largest cluster, containing 512 NCC sequences (11.2% of the total), comprised the subtype B lineage that traced its origin to the earliest North American sequences. Approximately 5 percent of NCC sequences belonged to a non-B subtype, and these were more likely to cluster with a non-US sequence. Twenty-two NCC sequences belonged to 1 of 4 large clusters containing sequences from rapidly growing regional epidemics: CRF07_BC (East Asia), subtype A6 (former Soviet Union), a Japanese subtype B lineage, and an East/Southeast Asian CRF01_AE lineage. Bayesian phylogenetics suggested that most non-B sequences resulted from separate introductions but that local spread within the largest CRF01_AE cluster occurred twice. Conclusions The NCC contains national and international links to previously published sequences including many to the subtype B strain that originated in North America and several to rapidly growing Asian epidemics. Despite their rapid regional growth, the Asian epidemic strains demonstrated limited NCC spread.
Simulation and High-Stakes Assessment

Abstract High-stakes assessment is the process of using test scores for the purpose of making decisions that have major consequences for the individual being tested. It is part of the licensing and/or credentialing process for many of the health professions. As a process, it drives individual learning, enables self-assessment, and can provide a focus for health school curricula. A major limitation of high-stakes assessment is the high accuracy, minimal misclassification requirement that often limits the examinations to multiple-choice knowledge assessments. This chapter presents the definition and history of high-stakes assessment, then discusses the advantages and challenges of using high-fidelity simulation for this purpose.
Performing (in) places, moralizing (through) spaces: Podemos’ parliamentary performances

This paper offers an account of the co-constitutive interaction between spatial and discursive dynamics in present-day politics. I focus on Podemos, a recently established party in Spain that was able to secure 20% of votes in the 2016 general election. Building on critical geography’s political understanding of space, together with cultural and discourse studies’ insights on place representation, formulation, and embodiment, I examine Podemos’ parliamentary performances, as well as their different moral evaluations by opposing parties. Throughout my analysis, I show, first, that the transgressive nature of certain acts is intrinsically linked to the particular spatial relations enforced in institutional contexts, and second, how, in their discursive struggles over common sense, different actors consistently mobilize space as a moralizing agent. The different strategies adopted reveal a tension between dominant and emergent ways of ‘doing politics’ that parallels competing visions of the relationship, in contemporary Spain, between civic and institutional spaces.
AGA Technical Review on the Management of Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis

A subset of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) present with, or progress to, moderate to severe disease activity. These patients are at high risk for colectomy, hospitalization, corticosteroid dependence, and serious infections. The risk of life-threatening complications and emergency colectomy is particularly high among those patients hospitalized with acute severe ulcerative colitis. Optimal management of outpatients or inpatients with moderate to severe UC often requires the use of immunomodulator and/or biologic therapies, including thiopurines, methotrexate, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, TNF-α antagonists, vedolizumab, tofacitnib, or ustekinumab, either as monotherapy or in combination (with immunomodulators), to mitigate these risks. Decisions about optimal drug therapy in moderate to severe UC are complex, with limited guidance on comparative efficacy and safety of different treatments, leading to considerable practice variability. Therefore, the American Gastroenterological Association prioritized development of clinical guidelines on this topic. To inform the clinical guidelines, this technical review was completed in accordance with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Focused questions in adult outpatients with moderate to severe UC included: (1) overall and comparative efficacy of different medications for induction and maintenance of remission in patients with or without prior exposure to TNF-α antagonists, (2) comparative efficacy and safety of biologic monotherapy vs combination therapy with immunomodulators, (3) comparative efficacy of top-down (upfront use of biologics and/or immunomodulator therapy) vs step-up therapy (acceleration to biologic and/or immunomodulator therapy only after failure of 5-aminosalicylates, and (4) role of continuing vs stopping 5-aminosalicylates in patients being treated with immunomodulator and/or biologic therapy for moderate to severe UC. Focused questions in adults hospitalized with acute severe ulcerative colitis included: (5) overall and comparative efficacy of pharmacologic interventions for inpatients refractory to corticosteroids, in reducing risk of colectomy, (6) optimal dosing regimens for intravenous corticosteroids and infliximab in these patients, and (7) role of adjunctive antibiotics in the absence of confirmed infections.