cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Invariants of plane algebraic curves via representations of the braid groups

Recently new remarkable polynomial invariants of knots in 3-sphere were introduced using some representations of the braid groups which were shown to be effective in distinguishing knots ([-J], [-FYHLMO]). The purpose of this note is to introduce, using representation of the braid groups, an invariant of continuous equisingular families of plane algebraic curves. A pleasant feature is that this invariant is defined for any representation of the braid group (no coherence of representations for different number of strings is required), though for many representations this invariant is trivial. In the case of the reduced Burau representation, this invariant essentially coincides with the Alexander polynomial of plane curves introduced in [-L 1]. This fact is the counterpart of the well-known relation between the Alexander polynomial of closed braids and the reduced Burau representation. The definition of this invariant depends on braid monodromy associated with the curve ([M]). In particular we obtain a direct (not involving calculations of the fundamental group, though computationally cumbersome) method of computation of the Alexander polynomial via braid monodromy. In the next section we shall recall the background on continuous equisingular families of plane algebraic curves and their braid monodromies. In the Sect. 3 we introduce the invariant and in the last section we consider the case of reduced Burau representations.
A crosscorrelation reduction receiver robust to the near-end effect

A receiver was developed to operate in the near-far interference situation commonly occurring in direct-sequence/spread-spectrum multiple-access communication systems. The receiver was designed to provide robustness to the interference of one unintended user blocking the intended signal at the receiver under consideration. The improvement over a standard correlation receiver was accomplished by using the three-valued property of the crosscorrelation of Gold spreading sequences to identify and subtract the interference from the intended signal. The performance of this receiver is analyzed using Monte Carlo analysis and the results are compared to the standard correlation receiver. >
Practical Guidance for Evidence-Based ICU Family Conferences

Because most critically ill patients lack decision-making capacity, physicians often ask family members to act as surrogates for the patient in discussions about the goals of care. Therefore, clinician-family communication is a central component of medical decision making in the ICU, and the quality of this communication has direct bearing on decisions made regarding care for critically ill patients. In addition, studies suggest that clinician-family communication can also have profound effects on the experiences and long-term mental health of family members. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a context and rationale for improving the quality of communication with family members and to provide practical, evidence-based guidance on how to conduct this communication in the ICU setting. We emphasize the importance of discussing prognosis effectively, the key role of the integrated interdisciplinary team in this communication, and the importance of assessing spiritual needs and addressing barriers that can be raised by cross-cultural communication. We also discuss the potential value of protocols to encourage communication and the potential role of quality improvement for enhancing communication with family members. Last, we review issues regarding physician reimbursement for communication with family members within the context of the US health-care system. Communication with family members in the ICU setting is complex, and high-quality communication requires training and collaboration of a well-functioning interdisciplinary team. This communication also requires a balance between adhering to processes of care that are associated with improved outcomes and individualizing communication to the unique needs of the family.
Nf2/Merlin: a coordinator of receptor signalling and intercellular contact

This review explores possible mechanisms by which the neurofibromatosis type-2 tumour suppressor Merlin regulates contact-dependent inhibition of proliferation. Starting from an evolutionary perspective, the concurrent emergence of intercellular contacts and proliferation control in multicellular organisms is first considered. Following a brief survey of the molecular and subcellular milieus in which merlin performs its function, the importance of different cellular and biological contexts in defining the function of merlin is discussed. Finally, an integrated model for merlin and the Ezrin, Radixin, and Moesin (ERM) proteins functioning in the regulation of cellular interfaces is proposed.
Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol stimulates receptive and proceptive sexual behaviors in female hamsters

Abstract This experiment studied the effects of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on lordosis responses and ultrasonic communication (measures of sexual receptivity and proceptivity, respectively) in female hamsters. Specifically, lordosis durations and rates of ultrasound production by estradiol-primed ovariectomized hamsters were observed following acute treatment with 1.5 mg/kg of THC, 500 μg of progesterone, or the injection vehicle. The results showed that THC can facilitate both lordosis and ultrasound production. Together with results from other laboratories, these data indicate that THC can stimulate female sexual behavior and suggest that this effect reflects a direct, nonhormonal, effect of THC on brain mechanisms for behavior.
Outcomes associated with a negotiated asthma treatment plan

Negotiated treatment plans are increasingly recommended in asthma clinical care. However, limited data are available to indicate whether this more patient-engaged process results in improved health outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between the presence of a negotiated treatment plan and the outcomes related to adherence to the medical regimen, symptom control, and health care use. The focus of the study was on women, the subgroup of adult patients, who are most vulnerable for negative asthma outcomes. Data were collected by telephone interview and medical record review from 808 women diagnosed with asthma at baseline, first year, and second year follow-up. Associations were examined between the presence of a negotiated treatment plan at baseline and subsequent asthma outcomes. Women with a negotiated treatment plan reported more adherent to prescribed asthma medicines (odds ratio (OR) = 2.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.82, 3.19)) and those with a plan and using oral steroids at baseline had less oral steroid use at follow-up (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = (0.05, 0.93)). Women with a negotiated plan also had more days (17%, 95% CI = (8, 27)) and nights (31%, 95% CI = (16, 48)) with symptoms than those without such a plan. No differences in hospitalizations, emergency department visits, or urgent physician office visits were noted between the groups. Patients with higher education levels were more likely to have a negotiated treatment plan. Negotiated treatment plans appear to have achieved greater adherence to prescribed asthma medicines and less need for oral steroids but were not related to fewer symptoms of asthma or reductions in urgent health care use. Additional strategies may be needed to reduce symptom and health services utilization outcomes.
Stimulus modulation of pseudoneglect: influence of line geometry

A variety of stimulus factors have recently been shown to influence the performance of normal subjects on line bisection tasks (i.e., pseudoneglect), independent of motoric factors such as scanning or hand use [McCourt & Jewell (1999) Neuropsychologia 35, 843-55]. An experiment is described which further examined the modulating influence of line geometry in determining the magnitude of pseudoneglect. Subjects bisected horizontally oriented trapezoidal lines presented in central vision whose narrow end pointed either left or right. A highly significant influence of line geometry was found which modulated a tonic leftward error (i.e., pseudoneglect). The results are interpreted in the context of a "center-of-mass" effect [Shuren, Jacobs & Heilman (1997) Brain and Cognition, 34, 293-300]. Further studies designed to tease apart the potentially independent effects of perceptual and attentional asymmetry on bisection performance are suggested.
The Presence of Experience and Two Theses About Time

L'A. defend la these selon laquelle seules les theories-A du temps, qui se distinguent des theories-B par l'emploi de locutions temporelles, peuvent etre identifiees a la doctrine presentiste qui demontre l'auto-evidence de nos jugements sur la presence de nos experiences, c'est-a-dire la realite du seul temps present par opposition au passe et au futur. Examinant trois types d'objections portant sur la notion d'auto-evidence, l'A. montre que la theorie-A implique la verite du presentisme
Requirement for MLL3 in p53 regulation of hepatic expression of small heterodimer partner and bile acid homeostasis.

The histone H3-lysine-4 methyltransferase mixed-lineage leukemia 3 (MLL3) belongs to a large complex that functions as a coactivator of multiple transcription factors, including the bile acid (BA)-activated nuclear receptor, farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a critical player in BA homeostasis. BA-activated FXR induces hepatic expression of small heterodimer partner (SHP), which in turn suppresses expression of BA synthesis genes, Cyp7a1 and Cyp8b1. Thus, MLL3Δ/Δ mice that express a catalytically inactive mutant form of MLL3 display increased BA levels. Recently, we have discovered a distinct regulatory pathway for BA homeostasis, in which p53 independently up-regulates SHP expression in the liver. Here, we show that the MLL3 complex is also essential for p53 transactivation of SHP. Although activated p53 signaling in MLL3+/+ mice results in decreased BA levels through hepatic up-regulation of SHP, these changes are abolished in MLL3Δ/Δ mice. For both HepG2 cells and mouse liver, we also demonstrate that p53 di...
Relative sensitivity of algae, bacteria, invertebrates, and fish to phenol: Analysis of 234 tests conducted for more than 149 species

An analysis was conducted to estimate the relative sensitivities of algae, bacteria, fish, and invertebrates to one chemical—phenol. Results from 234 studies to estimate the toxicity (EC50 or LC50 value) of phenol to 1 rotifer, 3 algal species, 4 leech species, 9 worm species, 12 fish species, 13 water mite species, 20 bivalve species, 22 crustacean species, greater than 26 bacterial species, and 39 insect species were analyzed to estimate relative, not absolute, sensitivities within and between species and between groups of species. EC50 values from conducting ten 5-min Microtox® tests were very similar as were EC50 values from conducting two activated sludge respiration inhibition tests. Three-fold and thirty-fold differences were observed for two 120-min Motility and two Oxygen-depletion tests, respectively. Most of the fish within-species variability could be accounted for by differences in test temperatures. Most of the invertebrate within-species variability could be accounted for by lab-to-lab or test-to-test variability. Differences between bacterial tests to measure five physiological endpoints (bioluminescence, respiration, growth, dehydrogenase, motility) were estimated. Differences between the EC50 values for the two tests to measure bioluminescence were significant. However, none of the mean EC50 values from tests to measure five physiological end-points appeared to be significantly different. Mean LC50 values from conducting fish tests were compared; only the rainbow trout and fathead minnow were significantly different. A comparison of relative species sensitivity suggested that bluegills, daphnids, fathead minnows, featherbacks, giant gourami grass shrimp, guppies, P. phosphoreum in the 5-min Microtox® test or rainbow trout were among the more sensitive species to the acute effects of phenol. A comparison of groups of species suggested that caddisfly or dragonfly larvae, crustaceans, daphnids, fish, shrimp and water fleas were among the more sensitive species groups to the acute effects of phenol.
Mediators of a long-term movement abnormality in a Drosophila melanogaster model of classic galactosemia

Despite neonatal diagnosis and life-long dietary restriction of galactose, many patients with classic galactosemia grow to experience significant long-term complications. Among the more common are speech, cognitive, behavioral, ovarian and neurological/movement difficulties. Despite decades of research, the pathophysiology of these long-term complications remains obscure, hindering prognosis and attempts at improved intervention. As a first step to overcome this roadblock we have begun to explore long-term outcomes in our previously reported GALT-null Drosophila melanogaster model of classic galactosemia. Here we describe the first of these studies. Using a countercurrent device, a simple climbing assay, and a startle response test to characterize and quantify an apparent movement abnormality, we explored the impact of cryptic GALT expression on phenotype, tested the role of sublethal galactose exposure and galactose-1-phosphate (gal-1P) accumulation, tested the impact of age, and searched for potential anatomical defects in brain and muscle. We found that about 2.5% residual GALT activity was sufficient to reduce outcome severity. Surprisingly, sublethal galactose exposure and gal-1P accumulation during development showed no effect on the adult phenotype. Finally, despite the apparent neurological or neuromuscular nature of the complication we found no clear morphological differences between mutants and controls in brain or muscle, suggesting that the defect is subtle and/or is physiologic rather than structural. Combined, our results confirm that, like human patients, GALT-null Drosophila experience significant long-term complications that occur independently of galactose exposure, and serve as a proof of principle demonstrating utility of the GALT-null Drosophila model as a tool for exploring genetic and environmental modifiers of long-term outcome in GALT deficiency.
Perceptual decision making investigated via sparse decoding of a spiking neuron model of V1

Recent empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that invariant visual object recognition might result from non-linear encoding of the visual input followed by linear decoding [1]. This hypothesis has received theoretical support through the development of neural network architectures which are based on a non-linear encoding of the input via recurrent network dynamics followed by a linear decoder [2], [3]. In this paper we consider such an architecture in which the visual input is non-linearly encoded by a biologically realistic spiking model of V1, and mapped to a perceptual decision via a sparse linear decoder. Novel is that we 1) utilize a large-scale conductance based spiking neuron model of V1 which has been well-characterized in terms of classical and extra-classical response properties, and 2) use the model to investigate decoding over a large population of neurons. We compare decoding performance of the model system to human performance by comparing neurometric and psychometric curves.
Family Business Management

Many college students are eventually involved in family-owned businesses. Their roles include: owners, family-member and non-family-member employees or managers, and professionals who provide services to such businesses. This article describes a course the authors developed that explores the unique properties of family-owned businesses and the authors' experience in teaching it.
Treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism reverses ischemia and prevents myocyte loss and progressive LV dysfunction in hamsters with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Growing evidence suggests that thyroid dysfunction may contribute to progression of cardiac disease to heart failure. We investigated the effects of a therapeutic dose of thyroid hormones (TH) on c...
Improved Key to New World Species of Sphecius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)

Abstract The two existing keys (Fox 1895 and Bohart 2000) to the New World species of Sphecius (Dahlbom 1843) do not correctly identify a large percentage of female Sphecius convallis (Patton 1879) and Sphecius grandis (Say 1824). Both keys fail to allow for common variations in the number of gastral segments with yellow markings, and one key has the two species reversed. Here, we present an improved key that correctly identifies both sexes of >4,400 specimens of New World Sphecius, which we examined.
Science Fiction, Ecological Futures, and the Topography of Fritz Lang's Metropolis

Since 1927, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis has circulated as stills, clips, and a sequence of increasingly more complete cuts in the global social imaginary. Whilst scholars have critiqued this science fiction film from gender, techno-culture, and German socio-political perspectives, this article analyzes the film afresh by reading it ecocritically. The article moves through three key components of Metropolis. The first movement examines the representational and ideological contradictions within the variety of machines inside the diegetic city to deconstruct the common interpretation of the film’s machines as dehumanizing and alienating people from a “natural” world. The second movement reads the film’s urban topography, dwelling particularly on Rotwang’s house as indigestible history and the Club of the Sons as “nature”-themed fantasy place. Third, the article analyzes what I am calling the film’s “organ dialectic” of antithetical hand and head sublated in the heart to show how this metaphor structure complicates not only the film’s conclusion but also common ecological epistemological and ontological theories that invoke the organic and the mechanic. Ultimately, the article assembles these three analytical components to argue that contradictions within the narrative, representational, and rhetorical structures of Metropolis illuminate crucial ideological challenges of thinking ecology and technology together, whether in 1927 or today. Resumen Desde 1927, Metropolis de Fritz Lang’s ha circulado como fotograma, clip, y una secuencia the cortes cada vez mas completos en el imaginario social global. A pesar de las criticas que academicos han hecho a este film de ciencia ficcion desde perspectivas de genero, tecno-cultura y socio-politica alemana, este articulo analiza la pelicula nuevamente, haciendo una lectura ecocritica. El articulo navega a traves de tres componentes claves de Metropolis. Primero, se examinan las contradicciones representacionales e ideologicas dentro de la variedad de maquinas dentro de la ciudad diegetica para deconstruir la interpretacion comun de las maquinas del film como entes que deshumanizan y alienan a los seres humanos de un mundo “natural”. Segundo, se hace una lectura de la topografia urbana desplegada en el film, haciendo particular hincapie en la casa de Rotwang como historia indigerible y el Club of the Sons como lugar que evoca un imaginario de lo “natural”. En tercer lugar, el articulo analiza el film desde el angulo de lo que denomino la “dialectica organica” de antitesis de cabeza y mano que hace sintesis en el corazon para ilustrar como esta estructura metaforica complica no solo la conclusion del film sino tambien las teorias ecologicas epistemologicas y ontologicas que invocan lo organico y lo mecanico. Por ultimo, el articulo ensambla estos tres componentes para argumentar que las contradicciones dentro de las estructuras narrativas, representacionales y retoricas de Metropolis dan luz a desafios ideologicos de como pensar en ecologia y tecnologia conjuntamente, ya sea en 1927 o en el presente.
Exploring a New Paradigm for Women’s Rights - A Review of 'Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women’s Equal Citizenship'

Nearly forty years after the Supreme Court recognized gender as a suspect class under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and almost half a century after the 1964 Civil Rights Act guaranteed women the right to work free of sex discrimination, women still find found gender equality to be an elusive goal. The persistent gender gap in wages and the continued prevalence of domestic violence are two indications that the predominant model of equality law, based in the Equal Protection Clause, is simply not adequate to address women’s inequality in our society. The book 'Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women's Equal Citizenship', presents an alternative paradigm for women’s rights, that of equal citizenship. The essays in this book prompt the reader to question whether liberal autonomy is a workable model for women’s rights. Because many of the issues confronted by women today are caused by deeply rooted societal inequality, obtaining autonomy is simply inadequate for most women in our society. Considering citizenship as a model of rights highlights the role that the community plays in creating the conditions necessary for women’s participation in the political and economic realm. The most valuable contribution of this book is that it prompts us to theorize what these rights should be, using the paradigm of expanding citizenship rights.
Spatially coherent trends of annual maximum daily precipitation in the United States

A new multilevel, hierarchical Bayesian model is developed to simultaneously identify clusters of stations with similar temporal patterns, the trend associated with each cluster and for the individual stations within each cluster. An application to the annual maximum daily precipitation in the United States for a common 70 year (1941–2010) period across the HADEX2 sites is presented. The model identifies statistically homogeneous regions, spatially clustering the data into groups according to the intensity and the trend. Partial pooling of model parameters for each group is considered. Spatially consistent trends are detected in the Midwest and Northeast U.S., at the cluster and at the station level. The new approach can dramatically improve trend identification for precipitation extremes; e.g., all 14 stations in the Midwest report a significant trend as opposed to only 4 stations based on single site analysis. The method is generally applicable for improving trend identification over a heterogeneous region.
Narratives of the Fall

Readers of Academic Questions are likely to agree that higher education is a disaster area in need of draconian reform. Beyond that, however, we have competing conceptions of what specific reforms are called for, which inevitably stem from (1) competing historical accounts that, in turn, reflect (2) competing metaphysical identities. In “After the Interregnum,” Patrick J. Deneen presents one such historical account, in which he displays a clear metaphysical preference. Although there is much that I admire and agree with in his account, there is much that I consider wrong-headed. In fact, I maintain that it is Deneen’s view that is the intellectual source of everything wrong with the modern university. In what follows, I present competing narratives of the evolution of higher education: (1) the Straussian classical narrative (identifies the core of Western tradition with the classical world); (2) the Straussian/Catholic narrative (identifies the core of Western tradition with the classical world plus Roman Catholic Christianity), which I find in Deneen; (3) the Rousseau/Marx Equality narrative; and (4) the Lockean Liberty narrative, which I espouse. Deneen’s narrative (a term I suspect he rejects) is a familiar version of the second narrative, one I call Straussian/Catholic/Conservative. Whereas Straussians believe that all wisdom came to an end with Aristotle, Catholic Straussians believe that all wisdom came to an end with Thomas Aquinas. Essential to Deneen’s narrative is the classical Aristotelian view that true knowledge reflects an objective structure external to humanity, one both Acad. Quest. (2015) 28:428–437 DOI 10.1007/s12129-015-9523-y
The network data repository with interactive graph analytics and visualization

(NR) is the first interactive data repository with a web-based platform for visual interactive analytics. Unlike other data repositories (e.g., UCI ML Data Repository, and SNAP), the network data repository (networkrepository.com) allows users to not only download, but to interactively analyze and visualize such data using our web-based interactive graph analytics platform. Users can in real-time analyze, visualize, compare, and explore data along many different dimensions. The aim of NR is to make it easy to discover key insights into the data extremely fast with little effort while also providing a medium for users to share data, visualizations, and insights. Other key factors that differentiate NR from the current data repositories is the number of graph datasets, their size, and variety. While other data repositories are static, they also lack a means for users to collaboratively discuss a particular dataset, corrections, or challenges with using the data for certain applications. In contrast, NR incorporates many social and collaborative aspects that facilitate scientific research, e.g., users can discuss each graph, post observations, and visualizations.
Geriatric pharmacy training requirements: A survey of residency programs.

Purpose Results of a survey assessing opportunities for geriatrics training currently available to pharmacy residents and residency directors’ views on the concept of a defined slate of required geriatrics rotations are reported. Methods Directors of postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs ( n = 368) and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) geriatric pharmacy residencies ( n = 13) were surveyed regarding current training opportunities in geriatrics. PGY2 residency directors were invited to participate in a follow-up survey to identify high-priority areas for possible standardization of residency requirements on clinical rotations in geriatric practice settings. Results About 21% of the PGY1 residency directors who responded to the survey indicated that their program required a geriatrics rotation, and 47% reported elective geriatrics rotations. All 13 PGY2 geriatric pharmacy residencies represented in the survey offered a long-term care rotation, with 12 offering rotations in mental health and outpatient geriatrics, 11 offering a hospice/palliative care rotation, and 10 offering a rotation in inpatient geriatrics. All 11 PGY2 directors who responded to the follow-up survey supported requiring a long-term care rotation in future revisions of the ASHP accreditation standard for geriatric pharmacy residencies; 10 supported required rotations in inpatient and outpatient geriatrics, and 9 supported requiring a hospice/palliative care rotation. Conclusion Geriatrics-oriented training in PGY1 pharmacy residencies is limited, with only about one in five programs requiring a geriatrics rotation. The survey results indicated broad support among PGY2 program heads for required rotations in various geriatric healthcare settings.
Numerical Modeling of Coal/Biomass Co-Firing

Biomass co-firing within existing infrastructure of pulverized coal utility boilers is viewed as a practical near-term means of encouraging renewable energy while minimizing capital requirements, maintaining the high efficiency of pulverized coal boilers and reducing the emissions. Numerical investigation of coal/biomass co-firing is presented in this study. Co-combustion of biomass and coal is a complex problem that involves gas and particle phases, along with the effect of the turbulence on the chemical reactions. The transport equations for the continuous phase (gas) and discrete phase (spherical particles) are solved respectively in the Eulerian and Lagrangian frame of reference. The mathematical models used for co-pulverized coal/biomass particles combustion consist of models for turbulent flow (RNG k-e model); gas phase combustion (two mixture fractions/PDF model: one mixture fraction is used for the fuel (char) and the second for the volatiles); particles dispersion by turbulent flow (stochastic tracking model); coal/biomass particles devolatilization (two competing rates Kobayashi model); heterogeneous char reaction (kinetics/diffusion limited rate model); and radiation (P-1 radiation model). The coal used is a Canadian high sulfur bituminous coal. The coal was blended with 5 to 20% wheat straw (thermal basis) for co-firing. The effect of the percentage of biomass blended with coal on the velocity field, temperature distribution, particles trajectories and pollutant emissions at the exit of the furnace is presented in this paper. One important result is the reduction of NO and CO2 emissions when using co-combustion. This reduction depends on the proportion of biomass (wheat straw) blended with coal.© 2008 ASME
Cloning of murine gp91phox cDNA and functional expression in a human X-linked chronic granulomatous disease cell line

The phagocyte cytochrome b558, a heterodimer comprised of gp91phox and p22phox, is a flavocytochrome that mediates the transfer of electrons from NADPH to molecular oxygen in the respiratory burst oxidase. The human gene encoding the glycosylated gp91phox subunit is the site of mutations in X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to obtain a full- length clone for the murine gp91phox cDNA, which was 87% identical to the human gp91phox cDNA. The encoded murine protein had 39 amino acids out of 570 that differed from the human, many of which were conservative substitutions. Nonconservative replacements occurred in hydrophilic regions outside of domains previously implicated in binding to NADPH, flavin, and the cytosolic oxidase subunit p47phox. Some substitutions altered potential N-glycosylation sites, which is likely to explain why the glycosylated murine protein migrates with an apparent molecular mass of 58 kD instead of 91 kD as seen for the human protein. Expression of murine gp91phox in a human myeloid cell line with a null gp91phox allele using a mammalian expression plasmid or a retroviral vector rescued stable expression of the p22phox subunit and fully reconstituted respiratory burst activity. This suggests that the murine gp91phox subunit forms a functional cytochrome b558 heterodimer with human oxidase subunits, consistent with the high degree of identity between the mouse and human proteins in domains implicated in cytochrome function.
Managerial decision making in critical care areas. Accounting for the effectiveness and efficiency of new technologies

This article reviews the possibilities to strengthen decision making among critical care nurse managers by explicitly accounting for the effects of new managerial technologies on the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing care. As a result, critical care managers, physicians, and other administrators may be in a better position to make decisions proactively about adoption of only those technologies that are likely to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of nursing care in the critical care setting.
Pacific sea level rise patterns and global surface temperature variability

Strategic University Research Partnership Program of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory [1492484/NNN12AA01C]
Action of SNAIL1 in Cardiac Myofibroblasts Is Important for Cardiac Fibrosis following Hypoxic Injury

Hypoxic injury to the heart results in cardiac fibrosis that leads to cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. SNAIL1 is a zinc finger transcription factor implicated in fibrosis following organ injury and cancer. To determine if the action of SNAIL1 contributed to cardiac fibrosis following hypoxic injury, we used an endogenous SNAIL1 bioluminescence reporter mice, and SNAIL1 knockout mouse models. Here we report that SNAIL1 expression is upregulated in the infarcted heart, especially in the myofibroblasts. Utilizing primary cardiac fibroblasts in ex vivo cultures we find that pro-fibrotic factors and collagen I increase SNAIL1 protein level. SNAIL1 is required in cardiac fibroblasts for the adoption of myofibroblast fate, collagen I expression and expression of fibrosis-related genes. Taken together this data suggests that SNAIL1 expression is induced in the cardiac fibroblasts after hypoxic injury and contributes to myofibroblast phenotype and a fibrotic scar formation. Resultant collagen deposition in the scar can maintain elevated SNAIL1 expression in the myofibroblasts and help propagate fibrosis.
Moving Toward the Center: The Integration of Educational Development in an Era of Historic Change in Higher Education

Educational developers have generally articulated their mission around three major poles: faculty/professional development, instructional development, and organizational development (Diamond, 2002; Lewis, 1996). While the first two poles have received greater attention in the past, an increasing amount of emphasis is being placed on organizational development. This shift is a result of a growing tendency to see educational development as an integral component in helping colleges and universities effect change in multiple areas. The challenges higher education faces “require multiple teams of cross-unit expertise in order to make progress” (Schroeder, 2011, p. 202), and educational developers are often called on to be facilitators or catalysts of change. This article examines the results of a survey that collected data on the reorganization and integration of Centers of Teaching and Learning (CTLs) with other educational and administrative units, including the timing, level and effect of integration. A second element of the survey asked respondents to evaluate the process of change. Our study shows that change brings with it challenges and benefits as CTLs continue to make decisive moves to “come in from the margins” (Schroeder, 2011).
Ongoing experience with the kock continent ileal reservoir for urinary diversion

The continent ileal reservoir, as introduced by Dr. Nils Kock, presents an intriguing but challenging option in the field of urinary diversion. From August 1982 through December 1984, 157 patients underwent this type of surgery at our institution. Of these patients, 103 underwent simultaneous radical cystectomy for cancer, 42 had a previous urinary diversion of another type, and 12 had neurogenic bladders. Our experience represents a series of expected complications and ongoing modifications to the surgical technique. A total of 24 patients experienced early complications requiring 6 reoperations, and 32 patients were noted to have 41 late complications necessitating 33 further revisional surgeries. There were 3 operative mortalities and 12 late deaths due to nonoperative causes. Three patients required conversion of their Kock pouch to an ileal conduit. The end result leaves 139 patients for chronic follow-up, of whom 134 are doing extremely well and fit all of the criteria for a successful continent diversion. They catheterize every 5–6 h with a mean reservoir capacity of 800–1000 cc and wear only a small pad over their stoma. The long-term results continue to be encouraging and suggest that the continent ileal reservoir is a definite alternative for the patient who requires a cutaneous urinary diversion and who is seeking an improved quality of life.
Ultra-Antireflective Electrodeposited Plasmonic and PEDOT Nanocone Array Surfaces

Novel broadband ultra-antireflective surfaces were created via the electrodeposition of a nanostructured zinc oxide thin film onto conductive, light absorbing periodic nanocone arrays. Nanocone arrays of (i) fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) coated with a 50 nm plasmonic gold thin film and (ii) the electroactive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) exhibited a very low broadband reflectivity of less than 0.1% from 475 to 800 nm at a wide range of incident angles after the electrodeposition of a nanostructured ZnO thin film onto the surface. SEM images reveal the formation of ZnO nanoflowers and nanorods on both nanocone array surfaces; these additional ZnO nanostructures enhance the coupling of the incident visible light into the absorptive gold or PEDOT nanocones to significantly reduce the reflectivity of these surfaces. The ZnO-coated nanocone array surfaces also exhibited an enhanced photoreactivity for the oxidative degradation of methylene blue, suggesting their potential to be used a...
Scale limits to sustainability: Transdisciplinary evidence from three Danish cases

Abstract Scale has risen to greater prominence in the study of sustainable transitions, as efforts to understand the diffusion of innovation seeks to take account of place-specific effects. Long a contested concept in geography, a transdisciplinary account of scale focuses greater attention on ways in which conditions emerge as limits to transitions when considered vertically. This article advances such an account and demonstrates the importance of the approach through three case studies in Denmark: the municipality and island of Samso, Copenhagen, and the Danish nation as a whole. The rise of these locales as global leaders in environmentalism obscures unsolved problems and under-emphasized caveats that in some instances appear intractable. Individually, these cases raise a number of factors representing insights from different disciplinary concerns; together, the cases suggest that scale effects impose more severe constraints and even limits on the development of sustainability transitions.
Spectrophotometry and Ultracentrifugation for Measurement of Plasma Lipids in Dogs with Diabetes Mellitus.

Background There are conflicting reports of plasma lipoprotein lipid content in dogs with diabetes mellitus (DM). Objectives To determine lipoprotein lipid content of plasma of dogs with DM by spectrophotometry and ultracentrifugation; to compare lipoprotein lipid content in diabetic and healthy dogs; and to quantify apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB) in dogs with DM. Animals 22 dogs with DM and 9 healthy dogs. Methods Cross-sectional study. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations were measured by spectrophotometry. Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations were calculated after ultracentrifugation. Non-HDL-C cholesterol was calculated by subtracting HDL-C from TC. ApoB was quantified by ELISA. The Mann-Whitney test was used for comparison of median lipoprotein concentrations, and Spearman's correlation was used to assess associations between ApoB and lipoprotein fractions. Results All values are reported in mg/dL. Median TG (122), TC (343.5), HDL-C, (200), VLDL-C, (27) LDL-C (68), non-HDL-C (114), and ApoB (320) were significantly higher in dogs with DM, compared to healthy dogs (57, 197, 168, 12, 16, 31, and 258, respectively, P-values 0.0079, <0.001, 0.029, 0.011, <0.001, <0.001, 0.025, respectively). A significant association was found between ApoB and LDL-C (Spearman's rho = 0.41, P = 0.022) and between ApoB and non-HDL-C (Spearman's rho = 0.40, P = 0.027). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Dyslipidemia of dogs with DM is characterized by pronounced increases in LDL-C and non-HDL-C concentrations, although all lipoprotein fractions are significantly increased. Knowledge of specific lipoprotein fraction alterations in dogs with DM can enhance treatment options for diabetic dyslipidemia in dogs.
We can’t teach what we don’t know: White teachers, multiracial schools

In this national acclaimed book, Gary Howard insightfully examines the intricate reasons underlying the widespread racial and cultural mismatch between White teachers and coloured students in urban...
Etiology of Congenital Colorectal Disease

Hirschsprung first described HD in 1886, and since then many theories have been postulated to explain the genesis of this rather complex disease. Recent advances and studies in animal models have furnished a better understanding of the embryogenesis of the human enteric nervous system and the pathophysiology of HD. Genetic studies have identified various factors that can collectively influence the disease phenotype in HD. In humans ret, EDRNB, and EDN3 have been implicated in the etiology of HD. No one factor, however, can be singled out, as HD is a complex multigenic disorder. Future studies in identification of abnormal genes that cause dysganglionosis could help in the prevention and treatment of many of the disorders that have a genetic etiology. At this stage genetic counseling is still based on the length of the aganglionic segment. Future research will provide a better understanding of this complex genetic disorder and better means of counseling affected families. Understanding of the pathophysiology and its link to the disease phenotype of HD and its related diseases will also modify treatment options and help future generations of affected families.
MCCONNELL'S SIGN: AN UNDER-RECOGNIZED FINDING OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR INFARCTION

McConnell's sign is a finding commonly associated with acute pulmonary embolism but it is also seen in right ventricular myocardial infarction. 62 year old hispanic female with HTN, ESRD found down with altered mental status, symptomatic bradycardia was unresponsive to numerous doses of atropine
Linked Religious Lives Across Generational Time in Family Lineages: Grandparents as Agents of Transmission

Religiosity is a trait deeply embedded within families and transmitted across generations through formal training, informal instruction, and behavioral modeling. This chapter examines the extent to which religiosity is stable across generations, specifically in order to understand how grandparents influence the religious orientations of their adolescent and young adult grandchildren. Drawing on the Longitudinal Study of Generations, a four-decade study of multi-generational families, the authors analyzed lineages consisting of grandchildren participating in 2000 (Mage = 23, N = 554), parents participating in 1988 (Mage = 38, N = 341) and grandparents participating in 1971 (Mage = 45; N = 257). Estimating a three-level hierarchical linear model, results indicate that grandparents and parents independently transmitted their religious orientations to grandchildren. However, parental divorce tempered the strength of transmission from grandparents. The authors conclude that religion still forms a common thread that stretches across multiple generations in the family, although divorce serves as a significant mitigating factor.
Monte-Carlo Lookup Table-based Inverse Model for Non-invasive Quantification of Cerebral Optical Properties in Small Animals Using Review of Time-domain Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy: From Theoryrequency-domain Near-infrared Spectroscopy

We present a Monte-Carlo simulation-based inverse algorithm to estimate absorption and scattering properties using small separation (<1cm) frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy data, and we validate this algorithm in tissue-simulating phantoms and animals.
Performing illocutionary speech acts: an analysis

People perform speech acts when they use language. Thus typically when a person employs a language, a central question is what speech act(s) did he or she intend to perform. Those which are illocutionary are particularly informative in answering this question. One reason I will show is that they have the following essential characteristic: a use of language that results in their performance also results in the justified belief that the speaker intended the performance. A theory of language use must explain how an audience arrives at what action(s) a speaker intended to perform. Since illocutionary speech acts have the above characteristic, an analysis of what constitutes this kind of action is a significant component of the theory. My purpose is to contribute to this analysis.
Music and Knowledge

There are, needless to say, multiple ways in which music might be related to knowledge; and no doubt, too, the actual ways are but a very small subset of the still probably finite number of imaginable ways. In the last few decades, cognitive science has often been invoked in discussion of putative musical knowledge—for example, by the philosopher Diana Raffman in her Language, Music, and Mind and, probably most notably, by the composer Fred Lehrdahl and the linguist Ray Jackendoff in their A Generative Theory of Tonal Music. One cannot doubt, even at this comparatively early date, the contribution that scientific psychology, done from a broadly “cognitivist” frame of reference, can make and has made to the understanding of the human mind in relation to music. If empirical science cannot tell us, as it surely cannot, what music is worth listening to, there remains the strong possibility that music psychology, including neurology and evolutionary biology, can tell us ever more why humans are so drawn to music and what they perceive in it and from it, and thus why, at least in some measure, they do evaluate music in the ways they do.
Priority Health Behavior Practices among Chinese Undergraduate Students.

English: This study examined the priority health behaviors among Chinese youth by administering a questionnaire to 1,917 undergraduates enrolled in three universities in China. The response rate was 89.7%. This survey found that 75.2% of the participants tried cigarettes at least once during their lifetime, over half had their first cigarette and alcoholic drink before age 15, and over 80% had their first cigarette and alcoholic drink by age 18. During the month preceeding the survey, 50.6% consumed five or more alcoholic drinks on a single occasion and 8.1% carried a weapon at least once. Twenty-two percent had at least three servings of fruits and vegetables the day before the survey, 35.3% engaged in vigorous physical activity on three or more of the seven days preceding the survey, 66.9% rarely or never wore motorcycle helmets, 13.4% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 3.9% had an STI. Results were analyzed by sex, age, and hometown. Results show that many Chinese college students have engaged in behaviors that put their health in danger. Effective health education programs are needed to reduce health risks leading to deaths and disabilities among Chinese youth. Spanish: Este estudio examino los comportamientos de salud prioritarios entre la juventud China por medio de una encuesta administrada entre 1,917 estudiantes universitarios de licenciatura enrolados en tres universidades de China. El indice de respuesta fue de 89.7%. Este cuestionario encontro que 75.2% de los participantes han probado cigarrillos por lo menos una vez en sus vidas, mas de la mitad probo su primer cigarrillo y bebida alcoholica antes de los 15 anos de edad y mas del 80% probo su primer cigarrillo y bebida alcoholica antes de los 18 anos. Durante el mes antes de la encuesta, 50.6% consumio cinco o mas bebidas alcoholicas en una sola ocasion y 8.1% porto armas por lo menos una vez. Veintidos porciento consumio por lo menos tres raciones de frutas y vegetales el dia antes de la encuesta, 35.3% realice alguna actividad fisica vigorosa tres o mas de los siete dias antes de realizarse la encuesta, 66.9% raramente o nunca utilizaron cascos para motocicletas, 13.4% seriamente consideraron suicidarse y 3.9% tuvieron una infeccion de transmision sexual. Los resultados fueron analizados por genero, edad y ciudad de residencia. Los resultados demuestran que muchos estudiantes universitarios Chinos participan en comportamientos que ponen su salud en peligro. Programas para educacion de la salud que sean efectivos, son necesarios para reducir los factores de riesgo en salud que llevan a muerte e incapacidad entre la juventud China.
Perceived Miscommunication in Friends’ and Romantic Partners’ Texted Conversations

Individuals report that text messages produce a lot of miscommunication when compared to phone calls or face-to-face interactions (Johnson, Bostwick, & Anderson, 2016). However, to date, scholars h...