cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wrist actigraph measures of physical activity level and ambulatory blood pressure in healthy elderly persons

A sensitive electronic monitor (Mini-Motionlogger, Ambulatory Monitoring Inc.) attached to the wrist was used to record movements during two 24-hr days of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) recording in 65 women and 54 men between the ages of 55 and 79 years, all of whom were in good health. The objective was to examine the relationship between various measures of physical activity and ambulatory BP and HR during waking and sleeping periods and during various diary-defined behaviors. For waking and sleeping periods, neither the mean nor the variability of the activity measure was associated with the mean or variability of the ambulatory BP and HR measures in between-subjects correlational analyses. Within-subject analyses showed little evidence of significant covariation between activity and BP or HR during either waking or sleeping conditions with most participants showing a slightly positive association. The activity measure discriminated between behaviors associated with little effort (watching television) versus more energetic behaviors (walking). Activity accounted for a relatively small amount of the difference in BP or HR related to overall state (wake, sleep), posture (stand, sit), and social condition (being with family vs. being with friends). The utility of electronic activity monitoring for studies of BP and HR in natural settings is discussed.
Hypersensitivity to histamine and systemic anaphylaxis in mice with pharmacologic beta adrenergic blockade: protection by nucleotides.

Abstract The effects of exogenous nucleotides on the histamine hypersensitivity of pharmacologically β-blocked mice were investigated. Female HLA-SW (ICS) mice, 27–29 gm, were injected intraperitoneally with 20 to 100 μg of propranolol 45 min before intraperitoneal challenge with 1 mg histamine. These animals had a mortality which averaged approximately 80%. At various time intervals before histamine, doses of from 0.5 to 12 μmoles of nucleotides were administered intravenously. Noncyclic nucleotides, adenosine, adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP), and guanosine 5′-monophosphate (GMP) showed clear, dose-response protection against histamine death of propranolol-treated mice when they were given 45 to 90 min before histamine. Cyclic AMP showed significant protection only when it was given at a dose of 8 μmoles 45 to 90 min before histamine, and lower or higher doses gave equivocal or no protection. Cyclic GMP was not protective at any dose tested. Propranolol treatment also produced enhanced sensitivity to passive systemic anaphylaxis. Mice were passively sensitised by intraperitoneal injection of mouse anti-egg albumin antibody 6 hr before intravenous challenge with 0.5 mg egg albumin. The mortality from anaphylaxis in the group treated with 20 μg propranolol 45 min before antigen challenge increased to 83%, while that of the group not given propranolol was only 10%. Nucleotides were given intravenously 45 min before antigen challenge. The nucleotides that protected mice from death due to histamine challenge also protected them from death due to systemic anaphylaxis. These protective nucleotides were the same nucleotides that had been reported previously to be protective against Bordetella pertussis —induced hypersensitivity to histamine and anaphylaxis.
Robust Frequency - Selective Filtering Using Weighted Sum - Median Filters

Mean?Median (MEM) filters, based on two? component mixture distributions, are recently proposed [1]. The MEM filter output is a combination of the sample mean and the sample median, where observation samples are weighted uniformly. This property of MEM filters constrains them to the class of smoothers. This paper extends MEM filtering to the Weighted Sum?Median (WSM) filtering structure admitting real?valued weights, thereby enabling more general filtering characteristics. The proposed filter structure is also well?motivated from a presented maximum likelihood (ML) estimate analysis under ??contaminated statistics. The combination parameter ? is optimized to minimize the filter output variance, which is a measure of noise attenuation capability. Moreover, filter design procedures that yield a desired spectral response are detailed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed WSM filter structure is shown through simulations.
Phosphorylation of CLIP-170 by Plk1 and CK2 promotes timely formation of kinetochore-microtubule attachments.

CLIP-170 is implicated in the formation of kinetochore–microtubule attachments through direct interaction with the dynein/dynactin complex. However, whether this important function of CLIP-170 is regulated by phosphorylation is unknown. Herein, we have identified polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) and casein kinase 2 (CK2) as two kinases of CLIP-170 and mapped S195 and S1318 as their respective phosphorylation sites. We showed that a CK2 unphosphorylatable mutant lost its ability to bind to dynactin and to localize to kinetochores during prometaphase, indicating that the CK2 phosphorylation of CLIP-170 is involved in its dynactin-mediated kinetochore localization. Furthermore, we provide evidence that Plk1 phosphorylation of CLIP-170 at S195 enhances its association with CK2. Finally, we detected defects in the formation of kinetochore fibres in cells expressing the CLIP-S195A and -S1318A, but not the CLIP-S195E and -S1318D, confirming that Plk1- and CK2-associated phosphorylations of CLIP-170 are involved in the timely formation of kinetochore–microtubule attachments in mitosis.
An energy calculation concerning the roundness of folds

Abstract The calculation estimates the energy consumed in a representative fold in an extended layered sequence of two alternating lithologies, during buckling through finite amplitudes (limb inclinations up to 70°). By estimating separately the energy quantities comsumed in different parts of a fold, it is concluded: 1. (1) that angular folds (chevrons, kinks etc.) do not require brittleness or any localized material abnormality for their development; they have the most economic profile as regards energy-consumption even in strictly Newtonian materials, particularly at high limb inclinations; 2. (2) where a fold profile approximates a circular-arc hinge section and a straight limb, the ratio (length of curved part/total length of profile) is a useful parameter, that can be linked in a systematic way to the mechanical properties of the assemblage at time of folding; 3. (3) measurements so far made in outcrop are compatible with the calculations and with published opinions about possible mechanical properties of rocks. The discussion presented is merely exploratory; further study of the ratio mentioned is likely to throw light on the folding process.
Bias in Breast Cancer Analyses Due to Error in Age at Menopause

With the use of data from the Nurses' Health Study, the authors confirm the recent argument by Pike et al. (Am J Epidemiol 1998;147:718-21) that various ways of assigning ages at menopause to women with simple hysterectomy produce relative risks for the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that are biased downward. Different methods of including women with simple hysterectomy consistently produced relative risks for the association between a 1-year increase in duration of HRT use and breast cancer that were underestimates compared with the relative risk obtained when these women were excluded from analysis. The authors used longitudinal data on recalled age at menopause to demonstrate another source of error related to age at menopause: error in recall of age at menopause that increases with time since menopause.
Simplified Mesofluidic Systems for the Formation of Micron to Millimeter Droplets and the Synthesis of Materials

We present and validate simple mesofluidic devices for producing monodisperse droplets and materials. The significance of this work is a demonstration that simple and complex droplet formulations can be prepared uniformly using off-the-shelf small-diameter tubing, barbed tubing adapters, and needles. With these simple tools, multiple droplet-forming devices and a new particle concentrator were produced and validated. We demonstrate that the droplet-forming devices could produce low-dispersity particles from 25 to 1200 Km and that these results are similar to results from more complicated devices. Through a study of the fluid dynamics and a dimensional analysis of the data, we have correlated droplet size with two dimensionless groups, capillary number and viscosity ratio. The flowfocusing device is more sensitive to both parameters than the T-junction geometry. The modular character of our mesofluidic devices allowed us to rapidly assemble compound devices that use flow-focusing and T-junction devices in series to create complex droplet-in-microcapsule materials. This work demonstrates that flow chemistry does not require complicated tools, and an inexpensive tool-kit can allow anyone with interest to enter the field.
The dammed Missouri: prospects for recovering Lewis and Clark's River

The world's dams and reservoirs are aging. The ecological effects of a half-century or more of flow regulation and sediment alteration are becoming apparent. What remains of the highly dynamic channel and riparian ecosystem of the Missouri River described by Lewis and Clark has become static. Recent long-term studies have determined that some of the impacts on the Missouri River ecosystem turned out as predicted, such as the failure of cottonwood-dominated riparian forests to successfully establish and survive on a broad scale. Other changes were surprises, such as the effect of disease eliminating a formerly dominant tree species and the appearance of mainstem and tributary deltas affecting channel slope, floodplain hydrology, and vegetation. Restoration of the river's hydrologic and sediment regime has been delayed long enough that the chances of functional ecosystem restoration have been greatly reduced and complicated. Two phases are now needed to attempt to restore the riparian ecosystem: one to repair the effects of post-dam changes (channel incision, bank stabilization) and another to reestablish pre-dam flow and sediment regimes. The prospects for restoration of this valuable ecosystem, rich in history and in goods and services provided to the public, are dim. Time has diminished the chances that restoration or even rehabilitation can be achieved. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Policy Frameworks for New Assessments

Many nations around the world have undertaken wide-ranging reforms of curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the intention of better preparing all children for the higher educational demands of life and work in the twenty-first century. While large-scale testing systems in some countries emphasize multiple-choice items that evaluate recall and recognition of discrete facts, there is growing use in many countries of more sophisticated approaches. These approaches include not only more analytical selected response items, but also open-ended items and curriculum-embedded tasks that require students to analyze, apply knowledge, and communicate more extensively, both orally and in writing. A growing emphasis on project-based, inquiry-oriented learning has led to increasing prominence for school-based tasks in state and national systems, taking in research projects, science investigations, use of technology to access information and solve authentic problems, development of products, and presentations about these efforts. This chapter briefly describes the policy frameworks for assessment systems in Australia, Finland, Singapore, and the UK, with special attention given to identifying cases where assessment of twenty-first century skills has been or may be developed in assessment systems that report information at the national or state, as well as local, levels.
Evaluating sources of clinical knowledge.

Clinical decision making calls for use of both explicit and tacit knowledge despite evidence-based medicine's assumption that explicit information is sufficient. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
The influence of DRD4 genotype and perinatal complications on preschoolers' negative emotionality☆

Abstract This study investigated the influence of the DRD4 gene and the perinatal environment on child temperament in 5-year-old twins. Participants were 94 twin or triplet sets (101 girls, 89 boys). Parents completed questionnaires about children's birth complications (BC) when children were 1 or 2 years old and temperament questionnaires assessing negative emotionality (NE) when children were 5. DRD4 genotype was determined from children's buccal cells. A significant interaction between BC and DRD4 genotype predicted children's NE. For children without the DRD4 7-repeat allele, those with more moderate BC had high levels of NE; those with the fewest moderate BC showed significantly less NE. This did not hold for children with the 7-repeat allele. Additionally, minor BC significantly predicted NE for all children, regardless of genotype, whereas severe BC did not. This study underlines the importance of including NE during the preschool years as a possible risk outcome for birth complications.
Suicide and other consequences of childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders.

The increasing risk of suicide among children and adolescents makes imperative the development of a set of appropriate and clinically significant predictors of suicide risk for that group. Of particular concern is the need to understand the role of anxiety psychopathology in suicidal children and the occurrence of suicidal behaviors in children with anxiety disorders. The author reviews the recent investigations assessing childhood and adolescent suicide risk and emphasizes the need to update our current methods in assessing both suicidal behavior and anxiety. Furthermore, he points out the need for prospective studies of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents to identify those children at risk for suicide and other psychopathology as they mature. Language: en
Social Media and Clinical Practice: What Stays the Same, What Changes, and How to Plan Ahead?

While the patient-centered healthcare movement, like traditional medicine movements, aims to deliver quality, affordable, and timely care in a variety of settings, the consumer movement on new technologies is passing it by with emerging technologies and new ways of communicating with others (text, e-mail, Twitter, Facebook). This chapter builds on what we know about e-Mental Health (eMH), technology and communication progress over the past 50 years in maintaining the tenets of “good” quality care, adjusting slightly to telemedicine models, and considering more significant adjustments for use of social media. The areas of challenges include privacy and confidentiality, health and personal practice, having “good” interpersonal/clinical boundaries, awareness of what information is out there about you, and discussing clear expectations about online communication between doctors and patients as part of the informed consent process. Guidelines, strategies, and tips for the clinician are offered.
Synthesis and structural characterization of an atom-precise bimetallic nanocluster, Ag4Ni2(DMSA)4.

A bimetallic ligand-protected cluster, Ag4Ni2(DMSA)4 (DMSA = meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) was synthesized and characterized through electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. Such bimetallic clusters involving a noble metal and a first-row transition metal have not been previously reported. Theoretical calculations revealed an octahedral structure with silver atoms occupying the corners of the square plane and the nickel atoms at the apexes. Close agreement between the predicted and observed spectroscopic features was found.
Isolated principal and intercalated cells: hormone responsiveness and Na+-K+-ATPase activity.

To explore biochemical and functional differences between principal (PC) and intercalated cells (ICC), we have developed a method for separating them from rabbit kidney. Fragments of cortical colle...
Experience with the Management of Urethral Diverticulum in 63 Women

AbstractThe presentation and management are reviewed of 63 women with urethral diverticulum seen at a single institution in 10 years. Of the women 36 (61.9%) had urinary incontinence as a presenting symptom and 20 (31.7%) had incontinence as the only presenting complaint. Diverticula were suspected in 57 cases (90.5%) based on the presence of a periurethral mass during pelvic examination. Investigations included voiding cystourethrogram, excretory urogram, urodynamic studies and recently transvaginal ultrasound. Voiding cystourethrography adequately demonstrated the diverticulum in 60 of the 63 women (95.2%). Urodynamic studies performed in 58 women revealed abnormal findings in 36 (62%), including genuine stress urinary incontinence in 28 (48.3%). The location/number/size/configuration, communication, continence classification was used to define the characteristics of the diverticula.Seven women either refused operation or had small asymptomatic diverticula not requiring treatment. Transvaginal diverticu...
Demo: Rapid deployment multi-camera ball tracking system for robotic soccer

This paper describes a portable, rapidly deployed, system to to locate a ball used in a robotic soccer competition. The system consists of 4 Nikon S800C cameras running a computer vision application and a centralized server running Linux. Each of the cameras calculates an angle from the center-line of the image to the ball and forwards this information to the server. The centralized server updates the ball position based on the angle information received and the known position of the cameras.
The Forest and the Field: Changing Theatre in a Changing World by Chris Goode

Every once in a while, a book on and about theatre-making becomes the book: the one you find yourself quoting from in conversation, the one you go back to time and again to be inspired while in the...
Superscattering of a pseudospin-1 wave in a photonic lattice

We uncover a superscattering behavior of a pseudospin-1 wave from weak scatterers in the subwavelength regime where the scatterer size is much smaller than the wavelength. The phenomenon manifests itself as unusually strong scattering characterized by extraordinarily large values of the cross section even for arbitrarily weak scatterer strength. We establish analytically and numerically that the physical origin of superscattering is revival resonances, for which the conventional Born theory breaks down. The phenomenon can be experimentally tested using synthetic photonic systems.
Sequential vs. simultaneous photokilling by mitochondrial and lysosomal photodamage

We previously reported that a low level of lysosomal photoda mage can markedly promote the subsequent efficacy of PDT directed at mitochondria. This involves release of Ca2+ from photo damaged lysosomes, cleavage of the autophagy-associated protein ATG5 after activation of calpain and an interaction between the ATG5 fragment and mitochondria resulting in enhanced apoptosis. Inhibition of calpain activity abolished th is effect. We examined permissible irradiation sequences. Lysosomal photodamage must occur first with the ‘enhancement’ effect showing a short half-life (~ 15 min), presumably reflecting the survival of the ATG5 fragment. Simultaneous photo damage to both loci was found to be as effective as the sequential protocol. Since Photofrin can target both lysosomes and mitochondria for photo damage, this broad spectrum of photo damage may explain the efficacy of this photo sensitizing agent in spite of a sub-optimal absorbance profile at a sub- optimal wavelength for tissue transparency.
Oxidation and sublimation of porous graphite during fiber laser irradiation

Porous graphite plates, cylinders and cones with densities of 1.55-1.82 g/cm 3 were irradiated by a 10 kW fiber laser at 0.075 –3.525 kW/cm 2 for 120 s to study mass removal and crater formation. Surface temperatures reached steady state values as high as 3767 K. The total decrease in sample mass ranged from 0.06 to 6.29 g, with crater volumes of 0.52 - 838 mm 3 , and penetration times for 12.7 mm thick plates as short as 38 s. Minor contaminants in the graphite samples produced calcium and iron oxide to be re-deposited on the graphite surface. Significantly increased porosity of the sample is observed even outside of the laser-irradiated region. Total mass removed increases with deposited laser energy at a rate of 4.83 g/MJ for medium extruded graphite with an apparent threshold of 0.15 MJ. Visible emission spectroscopy reveals C2 Swan and CN red, CN violet bands and Li, Na, and K 2 P 3/2,1/2 – 2 S 1/2 doublets. The reacting boundary layer is observed using a mid-wave imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (IFTS) at 2 cm -1 spectral resolution, 0.5 mm/pixel spatial resolution, and 0.75 Hz data cube rate. A two-layer radiative transfer model was used to determine plume temperature, CO, and CO 2 concentrations from spectral signatures. The new understanding of graphite combustion and sublimation during laser irradiation is vital to the more complex behavior of carbon composites.
Abstract 014: Brain Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Mediates the Development of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by an accumulation of liver lipids without excess alcohol consumption, is a major risk factor for the development of hypertension and Type-II diabetes. Liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and activation of the unfolded protein response have been implicated in the development of NAFLD. Brain ER stress has emerged as the basis of a number of chronic diseases, although the role of the central nervous system in mediating NAFLD remains unknown. We hypothesized that brain ER stress contributes to the development of NAFLD. First, male C57Bl/6 mice were instrumented with an intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula for administration of the chemical ER stress inducer thapsigargin (TG; 1 μg/day; 3 days; n=5) or vehicle control (n=4). Daily short-term induction of ER stress in the brain with TG did not alter body weight (27±1 vs. 27±1 g; vehicle vs. TG; p>0.05), food intake or adiposity, but caused a ~40% increase in liver weight (1.04±0.03 vs. 1.39±0.10 g; vehicle vs. TG; p Pepck 2.45±0.24 fold vehicle; p HL63887, HL84207, AHA13POST14410020, K99HL166776
Foliar Nutrient Diagnosis of Urban Sugar and Red Maples in the Great Lakes Region

Samples were collected from 293 urban Acer rubrum L. and Acer saccharum Marsh. in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. Foliar analysis indicated that healthy urban maples contained lower than expected levels of N and Mn; intermediate levels of Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg and Zn; and high levels of B, Ca, K, Na and P. Guides to fertilization and diagnosis are presented.
Bayesian variable selection for multistate Markov models with interval-censored data in an ecological momentary assessment study of smoking cessation

The application of sophisticated analytical methods to intensive longitudinal data, collected with ecological momentary assessments (EMA), has helped researchers better understand smoking behaviors after a quit attempt. Unfortunately, the wealth of information captured with EMAs is typically underutilized in practice. Thus, novel methods are needed to extract this information in exploratory research studies. One of the main objectives of intensive longitudinal data analysis is identifying relations between risk factors and outcomes of interest. Our goal is to develop and apply expectation maximization variable selection for Bayesian multistate Markov models with interval-censored data to generate new insights into the relation between potential risk factors and transitions between smoking states. Through simulation, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in identifying associated risk factors and its ability to outperform the LASSO in a special case. Additionally, we use the expectation conditional-maximization algorithm to simplify estimation, a deterministic annealing variant to reduce the algorithm's dependence on starting values, and Louis's method to estimate unknown parameter uncertainty. We then apply our method to intensive longitudinal data collected with EMA to identify risk factors associated with transitions between smoking states after a quit attempt in a cohort of socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers who were interested in quitting.
Diasporas Reimagined: Spaces, Practices and Belonging, by Nando Sigona, Alan Gamlen, Guilia Liberatore, and Hélène Neveu Kringelbach (Eds.)

Book Review: Diasporas Reimagined: Spaces, Practices and Belonging Nando Sigona, Alan Gamlen, Guilia Liberatore, and Helene Neveu Kringelbach, Eds. Oxford: Oxford Diasporas Programme, Oxford University, 2015, pp. 231
High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration and Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery.

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is associated with increased short‐ and long‐term mortality. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction and damage play im...
A View of the Bundle from a Home Dialysis Perspective: Present at the Creation

Among Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiatives after John Kennedy’s assassination, Medicare came into being under Social Security, embroiled in the controversy of “socialized medicine” versus health care financial support for the elderly and disabled. As a high school senior in 1964–1965
Pulse seed germination improves antioxidative activity of phenolic compounds in stripped soybean oil-in-water emulsions

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate antioxidative activity of phenolic compounds extracted from germinated pulse seed including chickpeas, lentils and yellow peas. Phenolic compounds were extracted at different germination time and total phenolic content was examined by Folin Ciocalteu’s reaction. Antioxidative activity of extracts was characterized by in vitro assay including 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity (DPPH), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), iron-binding assay, and in stripped soybean oil-in-water emulsions. The results suggested that germination time is critical for phenolic compounds production. The form variation of phenolic compounds influenced the antioxidative activity of phenolic compounds both in vitro assay and in emulsion systems. Soluble bound phenolic compounds showed higher antioxidative ability in emulsion system with the order of chickpea > yellow pea > lentil. On the basis of these results, soluble bound phenolic compounds may be considered as a promising natural antioxidant to prevent lipid oxidation in foods.
Incorporating Digital Tools to Improve Clinical Trial Infrastructure: A White Paper From the Digital Engagement Committee of SWOG.

Progress toward improvement in cancer therapy relies on clinical trials. Yet, only a minority of eligible patients with cancer enroll as a result of multiple barriers at the patient, investigator, center, and national level. However, the rise of the Internet and mobile technology has created a slew of tools with medical applications, from Web sites to apps to social media platforms, all of which may aide clinicians in our quest to improve the clinical research enterprise. SWOG is one of five members in the National Cancer Institute’s National Clinical Trials Network—the nation’s oldest and largest publicly funded cancer research network—and is taking a leadership role in exploring and testing the promise of digital engagement through the empaneling of the Digital Engagement Committee. This article outlines the mission, principles, and priorities of the Digital Engagement Committee and proposes how this work may inform the use of digital tools for the cancer research community and, hopefully, translate to ...
Proliferation-independent role of NF2 (merlin) in limiting biliary morphogenesis

The architecture of individual cells and cell collectives enables functional specification, a prominent example being the formation of epithelial tubes that transport fluid or gas in many organs. The intrahepatic bile ducts (IHBDs) form a tubular network within the liver parenchyma that transports bile to the intestine. Aberrant biliary 'neoductulogenesis' is also a feature of several liver pathologies including tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism of biliary tube morphogenesis in development or disease is not known. Elimination of the neurofibromatosis type 2 protein (NF2; also known as merlin or neurofibromin 2) causes hepatomegaly due to massive biliary neoductulogenesis in the mouse liver. We show that this phenotype reflects unlimited biliary morphogenesis rather than proliferative expansion. Our studies suggest that NF2 normally limits biliary morphogenesis by coordinating lumen expansion and cell architecture. This work provides fundamental insight into how biliary fate and tubulogenesis are coordinated during development and will guide analyses of disease-associated and experimentally induced biliary pathologies.
The mechanism of var2 leaf variegation

The Arabidopsis AtFtsH metalloprotease gene family comprises twelve members (AtFtsHl-12), including three pairs of closely-related genes that are targeted to chloroplasts (AtFtsH2 and 8; AtFtsHl and 5; and AtFtsH7 and 9). Mutations in AtFtsH5 (varl) and AtFtsH2 (var2) give rise to variegated plants with greenand white-sectored leaves. Whereas cells in the white sectors are blocked in chloroplast biogenesis, cells in the green sectors contain morphologically normal chloroplasts. A major question is how chloroplasts arise in cells that have a mutant genotype. We have found by two-dimensional green gel and gel filtration analyses that AtFtsH2/VAR2 forms oligomeric complexes. Two bands in the 2D green gels that correspond to AtFtsH5/VARl + AtFtsHl and AtFtsH2/VAR2 + AtFtsH8 have been identified, and these bands are coordinately reduced in amount in varl and var2 thylakoids that lack AtFtsH5/VARl and AtFtsH2/VAR2, respectively. These reductions are not due to alterations in transcript abundance. Overexpression of AtFtsH8 in var2-4 (a putative null allele) normalizes the variegation phenotype of the mutant and restores the two bands to their wild type levels. These results suggest that AtFtsH8 is interchangeable with AtFtsH2/VAR2 in AtFtsH-containing oligomers, and that the two proteins have redundant functions. Consistent with this hypothesis, AtFtsH2 and AtFtsH8 have similar expression patterns, as monitored by promoter-GUS fusion and RT-PCR experiments. Based on our findings, we propose that AtFtsHl, AtFtsH2/VAR2, AtFtsH5/VARl and AtFtsHS interact to form oligomeric structures, and that subunit stoichiometry is controlled post-transcriptionally in varl and varl, perhaps by turnover. A threshold model is presented to explain the pattern of variegation in var2 in which AtFtsHS provides a compensating activity in the green sectors of the mutant. INTRODUCTION AAA proteins (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) are a versatile class of Walker A/GTPases that contain one or more "AAA cassette" domains (-200-250 amino acids) (Kunau et al., 1993; Beyer, 1997; Neuwald et al., 1999). These domains contain an ATP binding site, composed of Walker boxes A and B, and other conserved sequences whose functions are not understood. The members of the "FtsH metal-dependent protease" subfamily of AAA proteins are ubiquitous among prokaryotes and eukaryotes and appear to be derived from an ancestral prokaryotic FtsH gene (Beyer, 1997). FtsH-like genes have a single AAA cassette, two transmembrane helices in their N-terminus, and a zinc binding site in their C-terminus (Beyer, 1997). FtsH has been most thoroughly studied in E. coli, where it is involved in a diversity of processes, including the degradation of misfolded and excess proteins (protein quality control), the export of proteins from the cell, the integration of membrane proteins, mRNA decay, and resistance to colicins (e.g., Akiyama et al., 1994; Gottesman et al., 1997; Granger et al., 1998). Several FtsH homologs have also been characterized in yeast, where they associate into mitochondrial inner membrane complexes that degrade unassembled subunits
Beta-Adrenergic Blockers*

The catecholamine β-adrenergic receptor antagonists have been widely used in medicine since their introduction in the 1950s. Their use has now spanned the fields of medicine, neurology, and psychiatry. This chapter will review the basic pharmacology of β-blockers and focus in particular on their use in psychiatric disorders. The latter include anxiety disorders, aggression and violence, alcohol, and emerging use as early interventions in post traumatic stress disorder and, in the case of one agent, as an adjunctive therapy in depression. The chapter will also briefly review their use in treating psychiatric medication side effects such as tremor or akathisia and briefly review the use of these β-blockers in other areas of medicine.
Some dietary beliefs in Chinese folk culture.

Chang suggests that traditional Chinese philosophical views of the universe consisting of 2 opposing components the Yin and the Yang influence dietary habits and that dietitians in the United States working with Chinese communities must be aware of this influence. A balance of a number of factors including hot and cold foods is thought to relate to health. Also food preferences based on cultural eating patterns should be considered by dietitians when planning therapeutic lists particularly during pregnancy and postpartum when many Chinese women closely follow traditional customs. Supplementation of traditional foods with other foods during this period should be encouraged as well as continuation of the prenatal vitamins.
Tissue engineering in wound repair.

Tissue-engineering products can cover wounds and provide a microenvironment that stimulates their repair. To date, Graftskin (APLIGRAF, Organogenesis Inc, Canton, MA, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ) is the most advanced bioengineered skin product. Graftskin is a bilayered living skin construct consisting of a dermis and a well-differentiated epidermis. The epidermal cells (keratinocytes) and dermal cells (fibroblasts) are obtained from neonatal foreskin. The efficacy of Graftskin in healing venous ulcers was evaluated in a prospective, randomized study of 240 patients at 14 centers over a 6-month period. Patients received either compression therapy plus Graftskin or compression therapy alone (active control). Clinical efficacy was defined as complete wound closure. Treatment with Graftskin was more effective than compression alone as measured by time to complete wound closure and frequency of complete wound closure by 6 months. When applied to hard-to-heal wounds (> 1 year's duration), Graftskin was 3 times more effective than compression therapy alone in achieving complete wound closure at 8 weeks (32% vs 10%, P = .008) and 2 times more effective by 24 weeks (47% vs 19%, P = .002). Graftskin is highly effective in healing venous ulcers, particularly those of long duration, that have proved hard to heal with conventional modalities.
Blockchain-Based Security Layer for Identification and Isolation of Malicious Things in IoT: A Conceptual Design

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is increasingly becoming the norm in both civilian and military settings. In this paper, we present a comprehensive security abstraction layer for IoT systems based on blockchain, which provides us a logical view of a system that comprises trusted devices. The goal of the proposed layer is to detect and isolate untrusted devices. The proposed abstraction layer provides three services, namely: authorization, authentication, and auditing by using blockchain and smart contract-based approaches. We adopt a hardware based approach, where dedicated hardware modules are used to monitor the behavior of the firmware without incurring excessive performance overhead.
Molecular mechanisms that stabilize short term synaptic plasticity during presynaptic homeostatic plasticity

Presynaptic homeostatic plasticity (PHP) compensates for impaired postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor function through a rapid, persistent adjustment of neurotransmitter release, an effect that can exceed 200%. An unexplained property of PHP is the preservation of short-term plasticity (STP), thereby stabilizing activity-dependent synaptic information transfer. We demonstrate that the dramatic potentiation of presynaptic release during PHP is achieved while simultaneously maintaining a constant ratio of primed to super-primed synaptic vesicles, thereby preserving STP. Mechanistically, genetic, biochemical and electrophysiological evidence argue that a constant ratio of primed to super-primed synaptic vesicles is achieved by the concerted action of three proteins: Unc18, Syntaxin1A and RIM. Our data support a model based on the regulated availability of Unc18 at the presynaptic active zone, a process that is restrained by Syntaxin1A and facilitated by RIM. As such, regulated vesicle priming/super-priming enables PHP to stabilize both synaptic gain and the activity-dependent transfer of information at a synapse.
Long‐term sinonasal outcomes after endoscopic skull base surgery with nasoseptal flap reconstruction

Objectives The utilization of the nasoseptal flap (NSF) in endoscopic anterior skull base surgery (EASB) has resulted in reduced rates of postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak (CSF). The long-term impact on sinonasal function after surgery remains incompletely defined. Methods A consecutive series of patients undergoing EASB with NSF and with at least 3 years follow-up was prospectively evaluated. Patient demographics, pre- and postoperative Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) scores, Lund-Mackay scores (LMS), CSF leak, and sinonasal complications were analyzed. Results A total of 46 patients undergoing EASB with NSF met inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up was 67.4 months (range 39-90, standard deviation [SD] 14.2 months). No statistically significant differences were noted between the mean overall pre- (16) and postoperative SNOT-22 scores (18). SNOT-22 scores improved in 27 patients (58.7%), deteriorated in 17 patients (37.0%) and stayed the same in two patients (4.3%). Deterioration in SNOT-22 scores was greater in younger (mean change + 7.2 [SD17.4] vs. older patients -3.4 [SD 7.5], P = 0.010). A statistically significant increase in LMS was noted (mean preoperative LMS0.9 vs. mean postoperative LMS 2.2, P = 0.001). The LMS decreased in nine patients (19.6%), increased in 22 patients (47.8%), and remained the same in 15 patients (32.6%). One patient (2.2%) developed a postoperative CSF leak following resection of metastatic skull base lesion and was successfully treated with placement of a lumbar drain, Foley catheter balloon, and strict bed rest. One patient (2.2%) developed a postoperative mucocele requiring decompression 3 years after initial surgery. Conclusion Whereas long-term sinonasal quality of life is overall improved in the majority of patients following NSF use for EASB, younger patients show higher incidence of deterioration. Increased sinus opacification on imaging is generally noted and may require continued follow-up and management. The incidence of reoperation for symptomatic mucocele formation is low. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 129:1035-1040, 2019.
Ezra E. H. Griffith, MD: The Reality of Honest Narrative and the Legitimate Power of Performance

We were enjoying a fine dinner in New Orleans during the 29th meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (AAPL), Ezra Griffith, Jacquelyn (Jackie) Coleman and myself. It seems hard to believe now, but the year was 1998. Not really quite sure just how I'd come to be in this
Using urine nitrite sticks to test for urinary tract infection in children aged < 2 years: a meta-analysis

This study aimed to determine whether nitrite sticks are as sensitive at detecting urinary tract infection (UTI) in children <2 years as they are in older children. I reanalysed data on using nitrite sticks to detect UTIs for children aged either < 2 or 2–18 years. For sensitivity, evidence of a UTI was defined as level 1 when a single uropathogen grew ≥ 105 colony forming units/ml (cfu/ml) in two urine samples, level 2 when just one sample was cultured or a threshold of < 105 cfu/ml was used, and level 3 if mixed growths or Staphylococcus albus was considered to be positive. For specificity, children were defined as uninfected if they had 1 sterile urine culture. I also reanalysed our previously published data by age. The sensitivity was lower for children aged < 2 years (11 studies, 1321 subjects) than for older children (9 studies, 295 subjects), whether the level-1 values or all the studies were analysed (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.0001 for both). The level-1 sensitivities were 0.23 in the infants and 0.81 among older children (odds ratio = 0.07, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.18). The specificity was very high in infants (10 studies, 1783 cases) and older children (7 studies, 5952 cases), at 0.990 and 0.996. Nitrite sticks only have a 23% sensitivity in children aged < 2 years, so cannot reliably rule out UTIs. A positive nitrite stick test is about 99% likely to indicate a UTI in children of any age.
Quantifying low-energy ICP-MS isotope deposition

Mass spectrometry (MS) offers an alternative approach to chemical or chromatographic separations to selectively isolate and collect individual isotopes of an element for analytical purposes. During this MS isotopic isolation process, the amount of material deposited on to a target can be conveniently quantified by measuring the ion current or accumulated charge. In this paper we report the first study comparing measurement of isotope deposition amount with separated isotope ion current for isotopes of six different elements (88Sr, 107Ag, 133Cs, 140Ce, 175Lu and 205Tl). These isotopes were sequentially deposited on a conductive substrate located in place of the standard electron multiplier in a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma MS. The results indicate good correlation between measured ion current and deposited mass as verified by quantitative analysis. This empirically confirms a means to quantify total mass deposition by ion charge measurements at implantation energies of 5–10 eV.
Predatory Publishing in Nursing.

Predatory publishing is a contemporary term that refers to dubious open access publishing where there are questionable practices of marketing, business, and alteration of peer-review publishers’ pr...
Workers’ Remittances and the Dutch Disease: Evidence From South Asian Countries

Large inflows of foreign money into a country can appreciate its domestic currency, which can adversely affect its current account balance. South Asian countries receive a significant amount of for...
Prostaglandin E2 Glyceryl Ester Contributes to Hyperalgesia in a Humanized Model Pf Sickle Cell Disease through P2Y6 Receptors

Abstract Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic red blood cell disorder characterized by a remarkable phenotypic complexity. Common complications of SCD are unpredictable episodic and chronic pain. Transgenic homozygous HbSS-BERK mice expressing >99% human sickle hemoglobin and exhibiting both pain and neurochemical changes similar to humans, and HbAA control mice expressing normal human hemoglobin, were used to determine the contribution of the prostaglandin E2 glyceryl ester (PGE2-G), to mechanical and heat hyperalgesia and the mechanism of its pro-nociceptive effect. Mechanical hyperalgesia was defined by a decrease in paw withdrawal threshold, and heat hyperalgesia was defined by a decrease in paw withdrawal latency to radiant heat applied to the plantar hind paw. Considering that prostaglandin E2-G (PGE2-G) is the product of oxidation of 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) by cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2), the expression of COX-2 protein and COX-2 activity was measured in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The levels of 2-AG and PGE2-G in DRG were determined by HPLC-MS. Mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in HbSS mice were associated with a decreased level of 2-AG and increased level of PGE2-G in DRGs of HbSS mice due to elevated level of COX-2 protein and COX-2 activity. In HbAA control mice, intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of PGE2-G (1 µg/10 µl) produced mechanical hyperalgesia in the injected paw independently from PGE2 receptors. Also, PGE2-G (1 µg/10 µl, i.pl.) produced mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in the injected paw in C3H mice. The hyperalgesia was blocked by co-injection of PGE2-G with MRS 2578, the purinergic P2Y6 receptor antagonist (1.4 mg/10 ml, i.pl.). Importantly, MRS 2578 (4.7 mg/50 ml, i.p.) also attenuated hyperalgesia in HbSS mice. Thus, increased expression of COX-2 in DRG neurons of HbSS mice results in the oxidation of 2-AG and production of PGE2-G, a pronociceptive mediator. PGE2-G produced mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in HbAA and C3H mice, and these effects were mediated by P2Y6 receptors. Acknowledgments: Supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL135895-16). Disclosures Gupta: Novartis: Honoraria; Tau tona: Consultancy.
Facular influences on the apparent solar shape

Schatten and Sofia1 have recently reconsidered the question of whether the 1966 solar ellipticity measurements2 were seriously contaminated by excess brightness of faculae near the solar limb3–7. They considered several different functions for the variations of the facular contrast with position relative to the solar limb. With their own facular contrast function, Schatten and Sofia obtain only a small contribution of faculae to the 1966 apparent solar ellipticity, but with the Chapman function they obtain a substantial contribution. New observations of faculae during the summer of 1982 and a novel analytical technique determine a facular contrast which is constant or decreasing towards the limb, consistent with the Schatten and Sophia function but inconsistent with Chapman's function. We show here that the statistical analysis of the 1966 data8 supports this result. We disagree with the earlier conclusion1, that with an acceptable facular contrast function one can obtain “an acceptable fit to the oblateness measurements” as a purely facular effect. For 20–30% of the observational days in 1966 only a few small, weak facular patches were present at the limb, but the ellipticity signal was present and it was not reduced in magnitude for those days.
The Influence of Bondholder Concentration and Temporal Orientation on Investments in R&D:

Although innovation can be a critical source of competitive advantage, research has found that debt can erode management’s willingness to invest in R&D. In this article, we employ a stakeholder bar...
Impact of self-financed rotavirus vaccination on acute gastroenteritis in young children in Turkey.

Rotavirus (RV) vaccines have been available in Turkey since 2006. These vaccines are not funded by the National Health System, so consequently their coverage rate in children has reached only 13–18...
Demand Response of HVACs in Large Residential Communities Based on Experimental Developments

Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems contribute the largest electricity usage for a residential community. Modeling of the HVAC systems facilitate the study of demand response (DR) at both the residential and the power system level. In this paper, the equivalent thermal model of a reference house was proposed. Parameters for the reference house were determined based on the systematic study of experimental data obtained from fully instrumented field demonstrators. The aggregated HVAC load was modeled based on the reference house while considering a realistic distribution of HVAC parameters derived from data that was provided by one of the largest smart grid field demonstrators in rural America. A sequential DR as part of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) control was proposed to reduce both ramping rate and peak power at the aggregated level, while maintaining human comfort according to ASHRAE standard.
Reflections on Teaching the History of Colonization, Slavery, and the African Diaspora Using Primary Sources and Historical Fiction

New Orleans is a place of living history, a wounded but vibrant place. The shadow of the past is omnipresent, and it confronts the present daily as statues that commemorate the Confederate army are...