cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endogenous nitric oxide inhibits endothelin-1-induced chloride secretion in guinea pig colon.

Abstract Segments of guinea pig distal colon, stripped of the external muscle layers, were set up in flux chambers for measurement of short-circuit current ( I sc ) indicative of active, electrogenic ion transport. During neural blockade with tetrodotoxin, the nitric oxide scavenger, hemoglobin, and the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N ω -nitro- l -arginine (L-NNA), reduced I sc . The reduction in I sc in response to hemoglobin was reversed by l -arginine and blockers of chloride secretion, including bumetanide and diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid, but not by the potassium channel blockers, barium and tetraethylammonium, nor by amiloride, an epithelial sodium channel blocker. The hemoglobin-induced reduction in I sc was not affected by blockade of prostaglandin synthesis with piroxicam. During neural blockade, the nitric oxide donors, sodium nitroprusside and NONOate, increased I sc which was abolished by piroxicam. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) also evoked an increase in I sc that was unaffected by amiloride and was inhibitable by bumetanide, chloride-free solutions, tetrodotoxin, piroxicam, and the ET A receptor antagonist, BQ123. The ET B receptor agonist, [Ala 1,3,11,15 ]-endothelin-1, had no appreciable effect on I sc . Hemoglobin and L-NNA enhanced the ET-1-induced I sc response by about twofold without affecting prostaglandin E 2 release or its secretory response. The results suggest that endogenous nitric oxide stimulates a low level of chloride secretion that is independent of prostaglandins, unlike nitric oxide donors which increase chloride secretion by releasing prostaglandins. In addition, endogenous nitric oxide suppresses ET-1-evoked chloride secretion by mechanisms that are unrelated to the release of prostaglandin E 2 or its ability to stimulate epithelial cells. Endogenous nitric oxide may play an important role in modulating chloride secretion during ischemic challenge when endothelin levels are high.
A Comparison of Radially-Compressed and Stainless Steel Columns for the Reversed-Phase Ion-Pair Separation of Phencyclidine Synthetic Mixtures

Abstract The reversed-phase ion-pair HPLC separation of phencyclidine synthetic mixtures was optimized utilizing Radial-Pak radially compressed columns. Variables examined in the optimization included column type (C-18, C-8, or CN), pairing ion (methane-, pentane-, hexane-, or octane sulfonates) and mobile phase composition (varying concentrations of methanol or acetonitrile in water). The chromatographic behavior of the phencyclidine mixtures in the various systems utilizing radially compressed columns is compared and contrasted to a similar previous study which examined similar variables on stainless steel columns. The optimum system for radially compressed columns was found to consist of a Radial-Pak C-18 column and a mobile phase of 85:15 MeOH:H2O, 2.5% acetic acid, 1% triethylamine and 5mM sodium hexane sulfonate.
Scene structure in the saturation component of color images

A tenet of a new class of color image enhancement algorithms involves the observation that the saturation component of color images often contains what appears to be valid image structure depicting the underlying scene. In this work we present the findings of a study of the structural correspondence between the saturation and luminance components of a large database of color images. Various statistical relationships are identified. The correspondence of edges at different scales in the sense of Marr's theory of vision is also observed. Several new color image enhancement algorithms which exploit these unique characteristics are described.
Policy lessons from trade-focused, two-sector models

This article describes how to specify, solve, and draw policy lessons from small, two-sector, general equilibrium models of developing countries. In the last two decades, changes in the external environment and economic policies have been instrumental in determining the performance of these economies. The relationship between external shocks and policy responses is comrlex. We argue that two-sector models provide a good starting point for .uralysis because of the nature of the external shocks faced by developing countries in recent years and the policy responses they have elicited. These models capture the essential mechanisms by which external shocks and economic policies ripple through the economy. By and large, the shocks have involved the external sector: terms of trade shocks, such as the fourfold increase in the price of oil in 1973- 1974 or the decline in primary commodity pricks in the mid1980s; or cutbacks in foreign capital inflows. The policy responses most commonly proposed (usually by international agencica) have also been targeted at the external sector: (1) depreciating the real exchange rate to adjust to an adverse terms-of-trade shock or to a cutback in foreign borrowing and (2) reduction in distortionary taxes (some of which are trade taxes) to enhance economic efficiency and make the economy more competitive in world markets. A “minimalist” model that captures the shocks and policies mentioned above should therefore emphasize the external sector of the economy. Moreovei, many of the problems--and solutions-have to
Cloning, characterization, and chromosomal assignment of the human ortholog of murine Zfp-37, a candidate gene for Nager syndrome

In an effort to identify putative transcription factors involved in chondrocyte differentiation during human endochondral bone formation, a human fetal cartilage-specific cDNA library was screened with a degenerate oligonucleotide probe corresponding to a conserved stretch of eight amino acids from the zinc finger region of the Drosophila Kruppel gene family of DNA-binding proteins. Using this strategy, we have identified a novel zinc finger gene ZFP-37. ZFP-37 corresponds to a putative transcription factor containing 12 tandemly repeated zinc finger motifs and a Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) domain. The KRAB domain has been reported to function as a transcriptional repressor and is located in the amino terminus, while the zinc finger repeats are positioned at the carboxy-terminal end of ZFP-37. Gene mapping with a somatic cell hybrid panel and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) localized ZFP-37 to human Chr 9q32. The gene is expressed at low level as a 3.2-kb mRNA in several tissues including fetal human cartilage. Sequence comparison revealed that ZFP-37 may represent the human homolog of the mouse gene Zfp-37. The map location and expression pattern suggest ZFP-37 as a candidate gene for a craniofacial-limb malformation, Nager syndrome (acrofacial dysostosis).
The Delivery of Distance Education—Is It Time for Doctoral Programs in Gerontology?

The delivery of higher education in gerontology is changing; students are now able to receive an education solely online. Perhaps it is time to consider offering this option at the doctoral level. A needs assessment was conducted to assess whether a doctoral program in gerontology should be created in the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA) program. An online survey was sent to 247 students enrolled in the GPIDEA program and to students who had taken a GPIDEA course in gerontology but were not currently enrolled in the program. One hundred and twenty-three students began the survey, although only 120 students completed the survey. Findings indicated students are interested in a doctoral program in gerontology. Approximately 65% of students were interested in obtaining a PhD from a distance education program. However, an applied program focusing on community outreach and leadership was of most interest to students. Students were less interested in research-based programs or in research residency. Therefore, the development of distance education doctoral degree programs in gerontology may need to be created differently than "traditional" formats.
Database analytics acceleration using FPGAs

Business growth and technology advancements have resulted in growing amounts of enterprise data. To gain valuable business insight and competitive advantage, businesses demand the capability of performing real-time analytics on such data. This, however, involves expensive query operations that are very time consuming on traditional CPUs. Additionally, in traditional database management systems (DBMS), the CPU resources are dedicated to mission-critical transactional workloads. Offloading expensive analytics query operations to a co-processor can allow efficient execution of analytics workloads in parallel with transactional workloads. In this paper, we present a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based acceleration engine for database operations in analytics queries. The proposed solution provides a mechanism for a DBMS to seamlessly harness the FPGA compute power without requiring any changes in the application or the existing data layout. Using a software-programmed query control block, the accelerator can be tailored to execute different queries without reconfiguration. Our prototype is implemented in a PCIe-attached FPGA system and is integrated into a commercial DBMS platform. The results demonstrate up to 94% CPU savings on real customer data compared to the baseline software cost with up to an order of magnitude speedup in the offloaded computations and up to 6.2× improvement in end-to-end performance.
Influence of season and time of day on marsh bird detections

Call-broadcast surveys are frequently used to elicit responses of secretive marsh birds and produce greater detection rates than passive surveys. However, little is known about how detection rates of birds from these surveys differ by season and time of day. We conducted call-broadcast surveys for eight focal species at 56 wetlands throughout Iowa from 15 May-13 June 2010 (early season) and from 15 June-10 July 2010 (late season). Our focal species were Pied- billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), King Rail (Rallus elegans), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), Sora (Porzana carolina), Common Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus), and American Coot (Fulica americana). Surveys were conducted in the early morning (30 mins before sunrise to 3 hrs after sunrise) and late evening (3 hrs before sunset to 30 mins after sunset) in accordance with the North American Marsh Bird Monitoring Protocol. We evaluated marsh bird detection rates as a function of a) time of day (morning and evening survey periods), b) season (early and late in the breeding season), and c) wetland size for four species with the greatest detection rates (Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern, Virginia Rail, and Sora). We also evaluated the above effects for two species groups; all eight species pooled and all rails pooled. We found significant (P , 0.05) effects on the number of detections for Pied- billed Grebe in response to time of day, time of season, and wetland size; Sora, Virginia Rail, all rails, and all species had an effect of time of season only. Understanding seasonal and time-of-day differences in detection rates, as well as area dependence of secretive marsh birds, will refine existing monitoring protocols by allowing researchers to maximize detection probabilities of target species. Received 10 September 2013. Accepted 2 November 2013.
Humanoid robots learning to walk faster: from the real world to simulation and back

Simulation is often used in research and industry as a low cost, high efficiency alternative to real model testing. Simulation has also been used to develop and test powerful learning algorithms. However, parameters learned in simulation often do not translate directly to the application, especially because heavy optimization in simulation has been observed to exploit the inevitable simulator simplifications, thus creating a gap between simulation and application that reduces the utility of learning in simulation.This paper introduces Grounded Simulation Learning (GSL), an iterative optimization framework for speeding up robot learning using an imperfect simulator. In GSL, a behavior is developed on a robot and then repeatedly: 1) the behavior is optimized in simulation; 2) the resulting behavior is tested on the real robot and compared to the expected results from simulation, and 3) the simulator is modified, using a machine-learning approach to come closer in line with reality. This approach is fully implemented and validated on the task of learning to walk using an Aldebaran Nao humanoid robot. Starting from a set of stable, hand-coded walk parameters, four iterations of this three-step optimization loop led to more than a 25% increase in the robot's walking speed.
A Performance Improvement Process to Tackle Tachysystole

ABSTRACT Inappropriate use of oxytocin is an important patient safety issue. In this article, the authors describe success in “tackling tachysystole” using an evidence‐based algorithm for oxytocin administration. Monthly audits ( N = 1160) reached 100% compliance. An algorithm posted at the bedside, multidisciplinary follow‐up, education, and widely disseminated results helped counter resistance and normalization of deviance. Clinicians need standardized definitions and guidelines with measures of progress to manage safety concerns such as tachysystole.
Thermoelectrically driven melt motion during floating zone crystal growth with an axial magnetic field

During semiconductor crystal growth with an externally applied magnetic field, thermoelectric currents may drive a melt circulation which affects the properties of the crystal. This paper treats a model problem for a floating zone process with a uniform axial magnetic field, with planar solid-liquid interfaces, with a cylindrical free surface, with a parabolic temperature variation along the crystal-melt interface, and with an isothermal feed rod-melt interface. The ratio of the electrical conductivities of the liquid and solid is a key parameter. The azimuthal velocity is much larger than the radial or axial velocity. There is radially outward flow near the crystal-melt interface which should be beneficial for the mass transport of dopants and species.
Communion as propaganda: Reinhard Hütter and the missionary witness of the ‘Church as Public’

The Protestant church, for Reinhard Hutter, relinquished its ecclesial public character when it turned from ‘binding doctrine’ as the means for establishing and maintaining its concrete ‘time-space’. Christendom disguised this basic theological flaw, but with its collapse the public basis of the Protestant church fell away. This reduced the church's witness and destroyed its communal structure. His positive proposal re-establishes the church as a public by reference to the communion nature of God, and to church practices as mediate forms of the Spirit's acting. Hutter's account shadows an argument made fifty years before by Johannes C. Hoekendijk, observing an intensified focus on word and sacrament and the promotion of a culture as a solution to the problem of the church's witness. Yet, for Hoekendijk, this logic exemplifies the problem. The institutions of the church come to bear the full evangelistic load. Mission replicates the basic structures of a particular way of life as a necessary precursor to the gospel. The act of witness becomes propaganda because of an insufficient doctrine of the church. This insufficiency is a failing in the doctrine of the Trinity: God's own life is defined without sufficient attention to his act of reconciliation and redemption as itself material to understanding the nature of his in se life.
Early Predictors of Long-Term Disability After Injury

• BACKGROUND Improving outcomes after serious injury is important to patients, patients’ families, and healthcare providers. Identifying early risk factors for long-term disability after injury will help critical care providers recognize patients at risk. • OBJECTIVES To identify early predictors of long-term disability after injury and to ascertain if age, level of disability before injury, posttraumatic psychological distress, and social network factors during hospitalization and recovery significantly contribute to long-term disability after injury. • METHODS A prospective, correlational design was used. Injury-specific information on 63 patients with serious, non‐central nervous system injury was obtained from medical records; all other data were obtained from interviews (3 per patient) during a 2 1 ⁄2-year period. A model was developed to test the theoretical propositions of the disabling process. Predictors of long-term disability were evaluated using path analysis in the context of structural equation modeling. • RESULTS Injuries were predominately due to motor vehicle crashes (37%) or violent assaults (21%). Mean Injury Severity Score was 13.46, and mean length of stay was 12 days. With structural equation modeling, 36% of the variance in long-term disability was explained by predictors present at the time of injury (age, disability before injury), during hospitalization (psychological distress), or soon after discharge (psychological distress, short-term disability after injury). • CONCLUSIONS Disability after injury is due partly to an interplay between physical and psychological factors that can be identified soon after injury. By identifying these early predictors, patients at risk for suboptimal outcomes can be detected. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2003;12:197-205)
Dyspepsia, antral motor dysfunction, and gastric stasis of solids

Abstract Extensive gastric manometric and emptying studies were performed in a patient with postprandial dyspeptic symptoms which, for many years, had been diagnosed as functional complaints. After ingestion of a mixed, solid-liquid meal we observed marked gastric stasis of solids associated with a weak antral pressure response, whereas gastric emptying of fluids was normal. Fundic pressure activity, recorded separately, was also normal. This case may represent a pathophysiologic expression of the specific roles of the antrum in the emptying of solids (abnormal) and of the fundus in the emptying of liquids (normal) and shows that pathophysiologic abnormalities can sometimes be demonstrated in patients lumped under a "functional" category.
Dual Class IPOs ARE Underpriced Less Severely

We analyze a sample of dual and single class initial public offerings (IPOs) to investigate whether empirical estimates of underpricing determinants are consistent across alternative measures of firm size and alternative techniques intended to account for underwriter price stabilization efforts. We find that results from long-standing methods for estimating underpricing relations are generally robust to one’s choice of size proxy and are consistent with estimates obtained from censored regressions of first-day returns and from least squares regressions of longer horizon initial returns. We also confirm an existing finding in the literature that dual class IPOs endure less underpricing than do single class firms.
The magnetohydrodynamics of high energy density plasmas produced by radial foil configurations

Summary form only given: Radial foil configurations have been used recently in pulsed- power generators to study high energy density plasmas. The setup uses a thin metallic foil and two electrodes: the outer electrode, which has little impact on plasma dynamics, and the inner electrode, where all the discharge current is focused. This focusing effect depends on the diameter of the central electrode, in turn controlling the energy deposition inside the foil material. Using the COBRA generator (1MA with 100 ns rise time) and a "pin" electrode, 1 mm in diameter, it is possible to produce current densities with hundreds of MA/mm2 and 400-T magnetic fields at the foil center. The resulting JxB force propels foil material and plasma vertically, with velocities in the order of 400 km/s. The plasma formation and subsequent focus produce radiations with energies close to 8 keV, in a 1-mm plasma column. Another advantage of radial foil geometries is the diagnostic access. Due to the open configuration, the plasma dynamics is observable from beginning to end, by a wide range of diagnostics. Data from laser back-lighter and interferometer, B-dot probes, X-UV and streak cameras will be analyzed to describe and understand the magneto-hydrodynamics of radial foils. Particular attention will be given to the physics of plasma jets, shocks and magnetic reconnections.
How to resolve an ethical dilemma concerning randomized clinical trials.

An apparent ethical dilemma arises when physicians consider enrolling their patients in randomized clinical trials. Suppose that a randomized clinical trial comparing two treatments is in progress,...
The ICS Decision Procedures for Embedded Deduction

Automated theorem proving lies at the heart of all tools for formal analysis of software and system descriptions. In formal verification systems such as PVS [10], the deductive capability is explicit and visible to the user, whereas in tools such as test case generators it is hidden and often ad-hoc. Many tools for formal analysis would benefit—both in performance and ease of construction—if they could draw on a powerful embedded service to perform common deductive tasks.
Petroleum generation in the southeast Texas basin: Implications for hydrocarbon occurrence at the South Liberty salt dome

Geochemical characteristics of hydrocarbons from the South Liberty field, Liberty County, Texas, were integrated with local stratigraphy, pressure, temperature, seismic data, and formation water chemistry to determine the source, maturity, and migration pathways of hydrocarbons associated with the salt dome in the southeast Texas Gulf Coast. Fourteen crude oil samples from the soft-geopressured Cook Mountain and Yegua (both Eocene) and Frio (Oligocene) reservoirs (989–2886 m [3245–9469 ft]) were analyzed by whole-oil high-resolution gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass spectrometry. Pressure and temperature data from 36 wells were used to model the thermal maturation history in the vicinity of the dome. South Liberty oils were found to belong to a single genetic family, sourced from rocks with a similar level of maturity. Biomarkers indicate they were formed in a marginal marine environment with notable terrestrial input from a likely lower Tertiary source rock (probably the downdip lower Claiborne and/or Wilcox Group). Oils were generated within the peak oil window (vitrinite reflectance, ~0.6–0.9%) at expulsion temperatures of 125 to 130C. Thermal modeling indicates the lower Claiborne and/or upper Wilcox beds attained optimum maturity in and around the dome between 8 to 20 Ma and 18 to 31 Ma, respectively. Oil migration toward the structure probably occurred through faults breaching the deep-seated lower Claiborne/upper Wilcox source. Two severely biodegraded samples were found, and these were associated with cooler formation water (50 to 55C) with a greater meteoric water component (48–60%). Comparison with Brazoria County oils (100 km [62 mi] to the southwest) indicates that the South Liberty oils belong to the same genetic family, with minor differences resulting from a greater input from terrestrial kerogen.
Nature Inspired Optimization Techniques for Metamaterial Design

This chapter considers a class of optimization techniques that were developed to imitate processes found in nature. Nature is a wonderful source of inspiration for global optimization because so many aspects of natural phenomenon can be mimicked and employed for solving challenging design problems, from the very process of evolution to the coordinated search behavior of various swarming organisms. Nature inspired search algorithms have played an important role in electromagnetic design, as they have proven to be very robust at solving complex problems with many design parameters. Also, as the field of metamaterials has developed, optimization has become an important tool in the quest to overcome performance limitations such as high loss and narrow bandwidth, which have limited the widespread use of metamaterials in practical device applications. In the first part of this chapter, three prominent nature inspired optimization algorithms are described in detail, including the genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and the covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy (CMA-ES). Following this, several examples of metamaterial surfaces are presented that have each been optimized by one of the three nature inspired techniques. Finally, two homogenization techniques that can be employed to invert scattering parameters for a slab of metamaterial to obtain isotropic or anisotropic effective medium parameters are examined and used in conjunction with a GA to overcome previous limitations in terms of loss and angular stability in metamaterials.
Hydrologic alteration affects aquatic plant assemblages in an arid-land river

Abstract We evaluated the effects of long-term flow alteration on primary-producer assemblages. In 1962, Flaming Gorge Dam was constructed on the Green River. The Yampa River has remained an unregulated hydrologically variable river that joins the Green River 100 km downstream from Flaming Gorge Dam. In the 1960s before dam construction only sparse occurrences of two macroalgae, Cladophora and Chara, and no submerged vascular plants were recorded in the Green and Yampa rivers. In 2009–2010, aquatic plants were abundant and widespread in the Green River from the dam downstream to the confluence with the Yampa River. The assemblage consisted of six vascular species, Elodea canadensis, Myriophyllum sibiricum, Nasturtium officinale, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, and Ranunculus aquatilis, the macroalgae Chara and Cladophora, and the bryophyte, Amblystegium riparium. In the Green River downstream from the Yampa River, and in the Yampa River, only sparse patches of Chara and Cladophora growing in ...
Secreted frizzled-related protein 1 loss contributes to tumor phenotype of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Incidence and mortality rates for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been rising for decades. Unfortunately, the molecular events that support RCC carcinogenesis remain poorly understood. In an effort to gain a better understanding of signaling events in clear cell RCC (cRCC), we investigated the antitumor activity of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1), a negative regulator of Wnt signaling. Experimental Design: Genomic profiling of cRCC tumors and patient-matched normal tissues was done and confirmed using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Methylation-specific PCR was done on patient samples to evaluate the mechanism responsible for sFRP1 loss. sFRP1 expression was restored in cRCC cells and the effects on tumor phenotype were characterized. Results: Genomic profiling, quantitative PCR, and immunohistochemistry indicated that loss of sFRP1 occurred in cRCC and papillary RCC patient tissues. Twelve Wnt-regulated genes were up-regulated in cRCC tissues, including c-myc and cyclin D1 , potentiators of cell proliferation and survival. Methylation of the sFRP1 gene was one mechanism identified for attenuation of sFRP1 mRNA. Stable reexpression of sFRP1 in cRCC cells resulted in decreased expression of Wnt target genes, decreased growth in cell culture, inhibition of anchorage-independent growth, and decreased tumor growth in athymic nude mice. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report to show that stable restoration of sFRP1 expression in cRCC cells attenuates the cRCC tumor phenotype. Our data support a role for sFRP1 as a tumor suppressor in cRCC and that perhaps loss of sFRP1 is an early, aberrant molecular event in renal cell carcinogenesis.
US Analyst Regulation and the Earnings Forecast Bias around the World

We examine the spillover effects of the Global Analyst Research Settlement (or Global Settlement) on analysts’ earnings forecasts in 40 developed and emerging markets. Prior to the Global Settlement, analysts generally made overly optimistic forecasts, this bias tending to be higher in countries with less investor protection. This forecast bias declined significantly after passage of the Global Settlement, the spillover effect being stronger for countries with lower investor protection. The spillover effect is also stronger for countries with a more significant presence of the analysts of the 12 banks directly involved in the Global Settlement.
On the expected performance of path compression algorithms

We consider the expected running time of an equivalence algorithm using the path compression rule (but not the weighting rule). An $O(n)$ expected running time is proved for the execution of a rand...
Explosion depths for phreatomagmatic eruptions

Subsurface phreatomagmatic explosions can result from the interaction of ascending magma with groundwater. Experiments over a wide range of energies show that for a given energy there is a depth below which an explosion will be contained within the subsurface (not erupt), and there is a corresponding shallower depth that will optimize ejecta dispersal. We combine these relationships with constraints on the energies of phreatomagmatic explosions at maar-diatreme volcanoes and show that most eruptions are likely sourced by explosions in the uppermost ~200 m, and even shallower ones (<100 m) are likely to dominate deposition onto tephra rings. Most explosions below ~200 m will not erupt but contribute to formation of, and to the vertical mixing of materials within, a diatreme (vent structure), with only rare very high energy explosions between ~200 and 500 m erupting. Similar constraints likely apply at other volcanoes that experience phreatomagmatic explosions.
Soul Work: Call, Movement, and Response

English teachers encourage writing that opens college students to transformative learning through soul work as John Dirkx describes and develops the concept of soul work in his theory of transformative learning. This soul work involves the conscious attempt to bring to the surface myths, images, and metaphors from the unconscious through imaginative writing and thinking processes. Participants in this study engage in personal interviews through which they answer questions about the activities most useful for soul work inside their classrooms and the results of their soul work experiences. Through phenomenological methodology, the lived experiences of six community college English teachers yield valuable results that connect holistic learning, soul work, and transformative learning theory. Soul work occurs in English classes when, according to the participants of this study, teachers and students enter a call, movement, and response relationship.
Lyrical Language and Nursing Discourse: Can Science be the Tool of Love?

Lyricism is a quality of discourse expressing intensely personal feeling or emotion. It is historically associated with romanticism, which involves the imagination and emotions, the use of autobiographical material, the exaltation of a common humanity, and an appreciation of nature. The language of a science conveys the meaning, significance, and utility of concepts among scholars, practitioners, and the general public. It is incumbent upon nurses to attempt to represent in our disciplinary language the realities lived by people, that is, to apprehend, describe, and explain the full breadth and diversity of human phenomena, guided by the discipline-wide focus on the wholeness of the human being. The language of objectivistic science cannot do this. Even in contemporary qualitative research there are limitations in achieving such a representation. This column therefore calls for greater attention to lyrical discourse in nursing science and outlines the potential benefits in nursing theory development, rese...
On-surface cross-coupling methods for the construction of modified electrode assemblies with tailored morphologies

Controlling the molecular topology of electrode–catalyst interfaces is a critical factor in engineering devices with specific electron transport kinetics and catalytic efficiencies. As such, the development of rational methods for the modular construction of tailorable electrode surfaces with robust molecular wires (MWs) exhibiting well-defined molecular topologies, conductivities and morphologies is critical to the evolution and implementation of electrochemical arrays for sensing and catalysis. In response to this need, we have established modular on-surface Sonogashira and Glaser cross-coupling processes to synthetically install arrays of ferrocene-capped MWs onto electrochemically functionalized surfaces. These methods are of comparable convenience and efficiency to more commonly employed Huisgen methods. Furthermore, unlike the Huisgen reaction, this new surface functionalization chemistry generates modified electrodes that do not contain unwanted ancillary metal binding sites, while allowing the bridge between the ferrocenyl moiety and electrode surface to be synthetically tailored. Electrochemical and surface analytical characterization of these platforms demonstrate that the linker topology and connectivity influences the ferrocene redox potential and the kinetics of charge transport at the interface.
A Hard Problem: The TSP

In this book, we have concentrated on those optimization problems which allow efficient (that is, polynomial time) algorithms. In contrast, the final chapter deals with an archetypical NP-complete problem: the travelling salesman problem already introduced in Chap. 1. It is one of the most famous and important problems in all of combinatorial optimization—with manyfold applications in such diverse areas as logistics, genetics, telecommunications, and neuroscience—and has been the subject of extensive study for about 60 years. We saw in Chap. 2 that no efficient algorithms are known for NP-complete problems, and that it is actually quite likely that no such algorithms can exist. Now we address the question of how such hard problems—which regularly occur in practical applications—might be approached: one uses, for instance, approximation techniques, heuristics, relaxations, post-optimization, local search, and complete enumeration. We shall explain these methods only for the TSP, but they are typical for dealing with hard problems in general. We will also brie y explain the idea of a further extremely important approach—via polyhedra—to solving hard problems and present a list of notable large scale TSPs which were solved to optimality.
Acceptability and feasibility of the 'DASH for Asthma' intervention in a randomized controlled trial pilot study.

Objective ‘DASH for Asthma’ (n 90) was a 6-month randomized controlled trial that demonstrated potential benefits of a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) behavioural intervention for improving diet quality and asthma control by comparing intervention to usual care in adults with uncontrolled asthma. The present study examined acceptability and feasibility of the intervention from the perspective of intervention participants and lifestyle coaches. Design Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, the 3-month intensive stage, including three individual and eight group sessions, focused on diet modifications and behavioural self-regulation. The 3-month maintenance stage contained telephone consultations. Participants and lifestyle coaches completed surveys including 5-point Likert scales and open-ended questions. We analysed data using descriptive and inductive content analyses. Subjects Forty-six intervention participants (survey response rate was 65–72 %) and two lifestyle coaches. Results Participants and lifestyle coaches were highly satisfied (all mean ratings >4) with individual and group sessions. Participants identified mastery of knowledge and skills (awareness, goal setting, self-monitoring, problem solving), social learning (class members sharing experiences and ideas) and good coaching skills (reflective listening, empathy, motivational counselling) as important contributors to self-efficacy and programme satisfaction. Participants also valued personalized feedback received in individual sessions. Lifestyle coaches viewed participant engagement as a facilitator to effective sessions. Finally, participants and lifestyle coaches identified food tasting as beneficial for observational learning and facilitation of participant engagement. High class attendance and self-monitoring rate also reflected the high engagement among participants. Conclusions The DASH behavioural intervention was feasible and highly acceptable to participants with uncontrolled asthma and lifestyle coaches.
Partial podocyte replenishment in experimental FSGS derives from nonpodocyte sources

The current studies used genetic fate mapping to prove that adult podocytes can be partially replenished following depletion. Inducible NPHS2-rtTA/tetO-Cre/RS-ZsGreen-R reporter mice were generated to permanently label podocytes with the ZsGreen reporter. Experimental focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was induced with a cytotoxic podocyte antibody. On FSGS day 7, immunostaining for the podocyte markers p57, synaptopodin, and podocin were markedly decreased by 44%, and this was accompanied by a decrease in ZsGreen fluorescence. The nuclear stain DAPI was absent in segments of reduced ZsGreen and podocyte marker staining, which is consistent with podocyte depletion. Staining for p57, synaptopodin, podocin, and DAPI increased at FSGS day 28 and was augmented by the ACE inhibitor enalapril, which is consistent with a partial replenishment of podocytes. In contrast, ZsGreen fluorescence did not return and remained significantly low at day 28, indicating replenishment was from a nonpodocyte origin. Despite administration of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) thrice weekly throughout the course of disease, BrdU staining was not detected in podocytes, which is consistent with an absence of proliferation. Although ZsGreen reporting was reduced in the tuft at FSGS day 28, labeled podocytes were detected along the Bowman's capsule in a subset of glomeruli, which is consistent with migration from the tuft. Moreover, more than half of the migrated podocytes coexpressed the parietal epithelial cell (PEC) proteins claudin-1, SSeCKS, and PAX8. These results show that although podocytes can be partially replenished following abrupt depletion, a process augmented by ACE inhibition, the source or sources are nonpodocyte in origin and are independent of proliferation. Furthermore, a subset of podocytes migrate to the Bowman's capsule and begin to coexpress PEC markers.
Informatics Applications in Blood Banking

The dynamic nature of blood banking presents significant challenges in information acquisition, processing, and management. Blood banks have turned increasingly to computer technology for assistance with information handling. Novel applications of computer-based technology in blood banking and transfusion medicine have been developed and reported in the medical literature. This article reviews computer-based donor interviewing, expert system determination of donor eligibility based on viral marker testing results, inventory management through computer simulation analysis, prospective screening of blood orders by experts systems, and computer-based blood compatibility assessment.
After Lexmark Rejects Multifactor Measures for Standing, Which Challengers Stand in the Zone of Interests for Lanham Act Remedies?

The commercial value of trademarks, brand names, and related assets depends heavily on the certainty and predictability of the laws for registering, opposing, protecting, and cancelling these intellectual property assets. Predictability about the trademark laws drives the private recommendations and risk assessments that clients receive from attorneys and advisers. Trademarks, brand names, and other source-identifiers can become the most valuable intellectual property of a company. However, during the five years after a trademark is registered, a petition to cancel that registration can be filed, which can plead any ground on which registration might have been denied at the outset. Thus, after four-plus years of establishing brand identity and committing substantial investment to promoting a trademark, some unknown “person who believes that he is or will be damaged...by the registration” can petition to have it cancelled — if that “person” has statutory standing. Using outdated, multi-factor tests for standing enables overuse or the threat of use of Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) procedures to challenge registered marks.Lanham Act-standing was bound up in Article III tenets and “prudential” limitations disconnected from the statutory text. The Act’s remedies required resort to civil suits and appeals, as well as petitions to an administrative tribunal whose decisions were reviewable in a district court or by direct appeal to the Federal Circuit.Recent Supreme Court decisions on the Lanham Act’s remedies impact, or should impact, the pleading, practice, and effect of actions to oppose or to cancel a registered trademark. The degree to which these decisions affect the predictability of the Lanham Act and the concomitant effect on the value of trademarks and brand names will evolve through the lower courts. One purpose of this Article is to urge that standing to petition the TTAB administrative tribunal for the remedies of cancellation or opposition should be governed by the pleading and practice standards the Supreme Court articulated in Lexmark International, Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc. Although, Lexmark only considered Lanham Act § 43(a) claims. Yet, it dealt with statutory text virtually identical to that governing standing in §§ 13 and 14 actions, and as to all of these challenges, the harm typically claimed is a likelihood of marketplace confusion. Based on corresponding text in the statutes and similarities in the basis for the challenges, the Lexmark pleading requirements — being in the statutory “zone of interests” and alleging harm closely connected to those interests — should be extended to the pleading of TTAB challenges to registration of trademarks.
Climate Change and Disaster Forensics

“Climate Change and Disaster Forensics” relates and applies forensic theory, insight and analysis to disaster related research and practice. It explores, describes and explains human causality of climate change related disasters and their impact on human and environmental losses. The chapter also identifies and describes new and innovative methodologies and strategies to analyze climate related disasters, reduce disaster risk, and improve disaster mitigation, adaption, and management. Emphasis is given to vigilant monitoring and assessment of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to 2 °C by 2030, a critical target set to prevent some of the worst impacts of climate change.
CD38 in the pathogenesis of allergic airway disease: Potential therapeutic targets.

Abstract CD38 is an ectoenzyme that catalyzes the conversion of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (β-NAD) to cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR) and adenosine diphosphoribose (ADPR) and NADP to nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) and adenosine diphosphoribose-2′-phosphate (ADPR-P). The metabolites of NAD and NADP have roles in calcium signaling in different cell types including airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. In ASM cells, inflammatory cytokines augment CD38 expression and to a greater magnitude in cells from asthmatics, indicating a greater capacity for the generation of cADPR and ADPR in ASM from asthmatics. CD38 deficient mice develop attenuated airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine following allergen sensitization and challenge compared to wild-type mice indicating its potential role in asthma. Regulation of CD38 expression in ASM cells is achieved by mitogen activated protein kinases, specific isoforms of PI3 kinases, the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1, and post-transcriptionally by microRNAs. This review will focus on the role of CD38 in intracellular calcium regulation in ASM, contribution to airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness in mouse models of allergic airway inflammation, the transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms of regulation of expression, and outline approaches to inhibit its expression and activity.
Studies of cell behaviors in 3D microtissues in a microfluidic device: Growth and migration

This paper reports, for the first time, an optimized microfluidic droplet device for fabricating 3D microtissues and studying the cell behaviors in 3D microtissues. It has been found by properly selecting the size of the microchambers on the microfluidic device and choosing an optimal concentration of collagen (2 mg/ml) to fabricate microtissues, the behaviors of cells in the microtissues can be essentially the same as those of cells in a conventional cell culture system. The normal cell spreading and division in the microtissue have been observed, and the cell migration speed is ∼14.1 μm/hr, close to that of 17.3 μm/hr in a macroscale tissue. All these experimental results suggest the microfluidic droplet device might provide a new avenue to replace other approaches to fabricate 3D microtissues and study cell behaviors.
Intensive Outpatient Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics: A Clinical Replication Series

Abstract Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) is an efficacious behavioral treatment for Tourette’s disorder. In its standard format, CBIT is completed in 8 sessions over a 10-week period. Unfortunately, significant obstacles (e.g., not having a provider nearby; inability to attend weekly sessions) prevent many individuals from participating in standard outpatient CBIT. An intensive outpatient program that compresses CBIT into a week may help overcome many of these barriers. The present clinical replication series examines treatment outcomes in 5 individuals with Tourette’s disorder. Importantly, 4 out of the 5 participants reported clinically meaningful tic reductions on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) at the posttreatment assessment, with an average decrease of 11.5 points across those 4 participants. This represents a 28% decrease in the average posttreatment YGTSS score from the average baseline YGTSS score. Of the 3 participants who completed the 1-month follow-up assessment, 2 participants continued to endorse reductions in their baseline tic severity on the YGTSS and were rated as having a positive response on the Clinician Global Impressions–Improvement subscale. Clinical implications are discussed.
How the Supreme Court Derailed Formal Rulemaking

Based on archival research, this Essay explores the untold story of how the Supreme Court in the 1970s largely ended “formal” trial-like rulemaking by federal agencies in two railway cases. In the first, nearly forgotten decision, United States v. Allegheny-Ludlum Steel Corp., the Court held sua sponte that an agency was not required to use formal rulemaking, despite its significant historical provenance. That unpersuasive decision all but decided the second, better-known decision, United States v. Florida East Coast Railway, the following term. In response to both decisions, agencies abandoned formal rulemaking — one of only four broad categories of agency action — and policymakers and scholars largely ceased debating its virtues. Findings from the Justices’ personal papers — including that the Court identified the issue only after oral argument and appeared deeply uninterested in Allegheny-Ludlum — should revive the long-muted debate among scholars and Congress over formal rulemaking’s utility and the continued vitality of the Court’s railway decisions.
Differential effects of bevacizumab on the risk of hand-foot syndrome associated with cytotoxic chemotherapy: An updated meta-analysis.

9622 Background: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a dose-limiting toxicity of many chemotherapeutic agents. In a prior meta-analysis of published randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) we showed t...