cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrition and sickle cell disease

The role of protein and calorie deficiency in sickle cell disease remains poorly defined. While such features as growth retardation, impaired immune function, and delayed menarche do suggest a relationship between sickle cell disease and undernutrition, measurement of more direct nutritional parameters in these patients have yielded mixed results. Anthropometric measurements such as skinfold thickness are subnormal in many but not all reports. Serum protein levels are normal, but low values for serum lipids have been reported. Finally, one small study shows an improvement in both growth parameters and clinical course following caloric supplementation. A variety of micronutrient deficiencies have been suggested in sickle cell disease. Numerous case reports describing an exacerbation of the chronic anemia that was reversed by folic acid therapy led to routine folate supplementation. More recent studies have shown, however, that clinically significant folic acid deficiency occurs only in a small minority of sickle cell patients. Clearly, more work is necessary to define the cost/benefit ratio of routine folic acid supplementation. Pharmacological amounts of vitamin B6 and certain of its derivatives possess in vitro antisickling activities. Nevertheless, a small clinical trial failed to demonstrate any consistent hematologic effects of B6 supplementation. Several reports indicate that vitamin E levels are low in sickle erythrocytes. Since these abnormal red cells both generate excessive oxidation products and are more sensitive to oxidant stress, and because oxidants appear to play a role in ISC formation, vitamin E deficiency could well be linked to ISC formation and hemolysis. Small clinical trials, however, have again failed to produce a clear hematological response in sickle cell anemia. The role of zinc in sickle cell disease has received considerable attention. Though studies are generally small, most do support a relationship between sickle cell disease and zinc deficiency. Etiologic associations between zinc deficiency and such complications of sickle cell disease as poor ulcer healing, growth retardation, delays in sexual development, immune deficiencies, and high ISC counts have all been suggested. Most of these studies need further corroboration. Iron deficiency is now known to be a relatively common occurrence in sickle cell anemia, especially in children and pregnant women. The theoretical benefits of concomitant iron deficiency and sickle cell anemia remain to be proven in a controlled clinical trial.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A method for the rapid determination of arylsulfatase in nervous tissue.

Summary A method for the rapid determination of total lysosomal arylsulfatase activity in brain tissue is described which is suitable as a biochemical marker for lysosomes. Homogenized tissue is incubated with 6 · 10−2M p-nitrocatechol sulfate in 0.05 M pyridine-HCl buffer of pH 5.0. Under these conditions the total enzyme activity is measured immediately without preincubation to release the enzyme from the lysosomes. Differential and density gradient centrifugations showed the particulate association of arylsulfatase and ruled out a mechanical injury of the lysosomes which would explain the ready availability of the total activity.
Regulatory roles for small G proteins in the pancreatic β-cell: lessons from models of impaired insulin secretion

Emerging evidence suggests that GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) play important regulatory roles in physiological insulin secretion from the islet β-cell. Such conclusions were drawn primarily fro...
The Opalinid Infusorians: Flagellates or Ciliates?

SUMMARY. The controversial question of the affinities of the enigmatic opalinids is discussed in the light of recent findings and with regard for modern ideas concerning characters of most significance in the phylogeny of various major protozoan groups. Metcalf's “protociliate” hypothesis still retains a high popularity although many of the factors supporting it have been adequately disproven during the past 20 years. The “ciliate-” and “flagellate-like” characteristics of the Opalinidae are listed and reviewed. Considered to be one of the most significant of mastigophoran features is the “symmetrigenic” mode of fission, a character generally disregarded in the past. Coupled with nuclear monomorphism and a syngamous reproductive cycle the type of division presents a very strong argument in favor of closer affinities with the zooflagellates than with the ciliates. It is stressed that the opalinids are highly differentiated forms, not likely primitive or ancestral for any major group of protozoa, which have had a long evolutionary history of their own. Grasse's recent erection of a new super-order in the Zoomastigophora to contain the family Opalinidae is defended and commended.
Pathologic Quiz Case: Elderly Man With Bright Red Blood Per Rectum

71-year-old white man with no prior history of malignancy and a 2-week history of obstipation, increasing abdominal girth, and abdominal cramping sought medical attention after he began passing bright red blood per rectum. He underwent colonoscopy, which revealed a fungating and hemorrhagic rectosigmoid mass lesion. Shortly after colonoscopy, the patient experienced a rapid decrease in oxygen saturation and required intubation with mechanical respiration. During the next several days, he developed acute renal failure leading to multiple organ system failure and eventually death. Before he died, the patient was sent for computed tomographic scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, which revealed extensive ‘‘metastatic disease’’ involving the lungs, liver, and multiple bony sites. While in radiology, a computed tomographic scan‐guided needle biopsy of a tumor nodule in the bony pelvis was conducted. The needle aspiration slides were relatively hypocellular and contained a mixture of discohesive cells. Some of these cells displayed overt cytologic features of malignancy, including large irregular nuclei and prominent eosinophilic nucleoli (Figure 1). Osteoclast-type giant cells were admixed with the malignant cells. The core biopsy demonstrated a sheetlike expanse of the same malignant cells, some of which possessed long, tapering cytoplasm. A smattering
The thermal–compositional dependence of Fe2+ –Mg distributions between coexisting garnet and pyroxene: applications to geothermometry

The thermal-compositional dependence of Fe2*-Mg distributions between coexisting gar- net and pyroxene in diverse metamorphic lithologies from two small areas in the Ruby Range, southwestern Montana, has been studied by electron microprobe and multiple linear regression techniques. For coexisting garnet-clinopyroxene, this dependence, which is in- ferred from indepindent metamorphic P-Testimates for two areas and thirteen mineral-pair analyses, is surnrnarized by the equation Rf h KD : Q482!845) + (1509i1392)(X."-X'Jo"
Competition-cooperation relationship networks characterize the competition and cooperation between proteins

By analyzing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, one can find that a protein may have multiple binding partners. However, it is difficult to determine whether the interactions with these partners occur simultaneously from binary PPIs alone. Here, we construct the yeast and human competition-cooperation relationship networks (CCRNs) based on protein structural interactomes to clearly exhibit the relationship (competition or cooperation) between two partners of the same protein. If two partners compete for the same interaction interface, they would be connected by a competitive edge; otherwise, they would be connected by a cooperative edge. The properties of three kinds of hubs (i.e., competitive, modest, and cooperative hubs) are analyzed in the CCRNs. Our results show that competitive hubs have higher clustering coefficients and form clusters in the human CCRN, but these tendencies are not observed in the yeast CCRN. We find that the human-specific proteins contribute significantly to these differences. Subsequently, we conduct a series of computational experiments to investigate the regulatory mechanisms that avoid competition between proteins. Our comprehensive analyses reveal that for most yeast and human protein competitors, transcriptional regulation plays an important role. Moreover, the human-specific proteins have a particular preference for other regulatory mechanisms, such as alternative splicing.
Criminal Law’s Unfortunate Triumph Over Administrative Law

The excessive breadth of criminal law is an enduring basis for criticism among criminal law scholars and policy advocates. Claims of excess, especially with regard to federal law, take predominantly two forms: (1) some conduct is criminalized that should not be, and (2) some appropriately criminalized conduct imposes liability without sufficient proof of mens rea as a means of assuring blameworthiness. The latter problem is amenable to politically plausible reforms, as others have developed and this essay summarizes. The former, on the other hand, is not. Yet an explanation for that trend - and, in fact, long tradition - of expansive criminal law highlights a path for its curtailment. Much criminalization addresses social risks and harms that administrative law and regulatory policy could address effectively. Criminal law initially served regulatory ends in the absence of a significant regulatory apparatus. As administrative law and regulatory capacity grew, they should have displaced much criminal law. But they did not, for reasons that include criminal’s underlying presumptive legitimacy as a means of state power and - at least in the federal realm - an underlying skepticism of administrative law’s efficacy and legitimacy. Greater resort to, and comfort with, regulation is a critical component in a strategy to reduce criminal law’s excesses.
Photographing Injuries in the Acute Care Setting: Development and Evaluation of a Standardized Protocol for Research, Forensics, and Clinical Practice

Background Photographing injuries in the acute setting allows for improved documentation as well as assessment by clinicians and others who have not personally examined a patient. This tool is important, particularly for telemedicine, tracking of wound healing, the evaluation of potential abuse, and injury research. Despite this, protocols to ensure standardization of photography in clinical practice, forensics, or research have not been published. In preparation for a study of injury patterns in elder abuse and geriatric falls, our goal was to develop and evaluate a protocol for standardized photography of injuries that may be broadly applied. Methods We conducted a literature review for techniques and standards in medical, forensic, and legal photography. We developed a novel protocol describing types of photographs and body positioning for eight body regions, including instructional diagrams. We revised it iteratively in consultation with experts in medical photography; forensics; and elder, child, and domestic abuse. The resulting protocol requires a minimum of four photos of each injury at multiple distances with and without a ruler/color guide. To evaluate the protocol's efficacy, multiple research assistants without previous photography experience photographed injuries from a convenience sample of elderly patients presenting to a single large, urban, academic emergency department. A selection of these patients' images were then evaluated in a blinded fashion by four nontreating emergency medicine physicians and the inter-rater reliability between these physicians was calculated. Results Among the 131 injuries, from 53 patients, photographed by 18 photographers using this protocol, photographs of 25 injuries (10 bruises, seven lacerations, and eight abrasions) were used to assess characterization of the injury. Physicians' characterizations of the injuries were reliable for the size of the injury (κ = 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77 to 1.00), side of the body (κ = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.88 to 1.00), precise location of the injury (κ = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.63 = 0.81), and type of abrasion (κ = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.45 to 1.00). The exact shape of the injury (κ = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.51), and the primary color of bruises (κ = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.25 to 0.48) were not as reliably characterized. Conclusions Standardizing the documentation of injuries with photographs for clinical and research assessment can be conducted by nonprofessional photographers. A photography protocol will ensure that this important mechanism for documentation is optimized.
Towards some general results in bifurcations in optimal solutions for symmetric distributed robotic formation control

The modern trend of increased integration of formerly disparate systems is necessitating the development of advanced tools to study large-scale complex systems. This paper studies bifurcations in solution to an optimal control problem for robotic formation control. Robotic formation control is an excellent system-integration prototype problem because the scale of the problem can grow rapidly with increased numbers of robots, but the system retains some degree of homogeneity which makes its study manageable. Our prior efforts have numerically studied the bifurcations for particular systems and performed an asymptotic analysis on those systems which provided insight into the rich and complicated structure of the solution space for such systems. The main contribution of this paper is an extension of the asymptotic analysis beyond the specific systems studied previously to a general class of systems. In both the specific and general cases, we show that as a system parameter is varied, the number of solutions increases from an unique solution to an infinite number of expected solutions, which bears resemblance to the cascade of period-doubling bifurcations typical of a dynamical system that exhibits chaos.
Methods of correcting volume batching of refractory bodies in press molds

A method is described for theoretically determining the quality of various methods of automatic correction to the height of filling in press molds. The calculations made with this method, the results of which are confirmed by operating a newly designed mechanical-hydraulic automatic device, show that the best method is to correct the height of the filling proportional to the deviation in the dimension of the preceding product; the irregularity of the height noted in practice in the plungers does not exert any marked adverse effect on the accuracy of the product dimensions.
Effects of acetate on luminal acidification processes in the S3 segment of the rabbit proximal tubule

We determined that, in the nominal absence of HCO-3, acetate (Ac-) doubles luminal acidification in the S3 segment of the rabbit proximal tubule. This stimulation had two components, one that was dependent on Na+ and luminal Ac- and a second that was independent of Na+ but dependent on basolateral Ac-. In the presence of 25 mM HCO-3, Ac- did not stimulate acid secretion (i.e., HCO-3 reabsorption), but actually inhibited it. The inhibition was 35% with bilateral Ac- and 15% with basolateral Ac-. The effects of Ac- were reversible both in the absence and presence of HCO-3, and are present at concentrations as low as 1 mM. We conclude that acetate (i.e., monocarboxylates) has a significant effect on luminal acidification processes both in the presence and absence of HCO-3.
Variation in NICU Admission Rates Without Identifiable Cause.

OBJECTIVES: Admission to the NICU is influenced by physiologic compromise and by hospital care protocols. Providing appropriate care must be balanced with adverse consequences of NICU admission, such as interrupting maternal–infant bonding and unnecessary interventions. This study aims to determine the variation in NICU admissions in term and late preterm infants among 19 hospitals. METHODS: We used the Consortium on Safe Labor (CSL) database to determine NICU admission rates. This database includes data from 217 442 infants aged 35 to 42 weeks within 19 US maternal delivery hospitals from 2002 to 2008. NICU admission rates were evaluated for absolute factors including, but not limited to, sepsis, asphyxia, respiratory distress, and intracranial hemorrhage, as well as relative factors, such as maternal drug use, chorioamnionitis, and infant birth weight ≤2500 g. RESULTS: Percentage of infants 35 to 42 weeks’ gestation admitted to the NICU without an identifiable absolute or relative cause for intensive care services ranged from 0% to 59.4% (mean, 10.8%; P CONCLUSIONS: There is significant variation in admission rates among NICUs that cannot be explained by infant health conditions. Further analysis is needed to determine the cause of between-site variation and potential opportunities to refine protocols and optimize use of NICU services.
Thinking about Enterprise Bond Market in China

Enterprise bond market in china is inactive for some reasons, includring the gouernmental policies and factors of enterprise,investors and market itself. In this article,the author analyses some causes setting back the development of ert- erprrse bond market and grves several pieces of advrce to settle them.
Literature Analysis of 12 Cases of Children's Anaphylactic Shock Induced by Asarone Injection

Objective To investigate the clinic features and regularity of children's Anaphylactic Shock induced by asarone injection, and to provide referen in clinic for rational use of asarone injection.Methods To check out the case reports of children's anaphylactic shock induced by asarone injection in the data-bases in China.Results 12 cases of children's anaphylactic shock were reported, cases were male and 4 cases were female, 10 cases were immediate anaphylactic shock and 1 case was delayedtype.12 cases had been returned to be normal after active treatments of antishock.Conclusion Clinic medical staff should think highly of anaphylactic shock induced by asarone injection.
Seismic Analysis of Bridges on Long Pile

A method of analysis is presented for determining the dynamic response of bridges supported on long piles extending through deep sensitive clays, when the bas of the clay medium is subjected to a seismic disturbance. The study is separated into two parts: (1) The dynamic response of the clay medium alone; and (2) the determination of the interaction of the entire structural system, including the piles, with the moving clay medium. The formulation of the second part of the analysis involves discrete parameters that characterize the elastic, inertia, creep, and damping properties of the clay medium. A procedure is developed that provides a simple means by which these dynamic parameters can be evaluated. Nonlinear aspects of soil properties are included in the evaluation of coefficients. Using this proposed method of analysis, an approximate solution sufficiently accurate for design purposes can be obtained on a digital computer using step-by-step methods of analysis. Some preliminary results of the application of this method to the study of a typical bridge are presented in graphical form.
EWS/FLI utilizes NKX2-2 to repress mesenchymal features of Ewing sarcoma.

In Ewing sarcoma, NKX2-2 is a critical activated target of the oncogenic transcription factor EWS/FLI that is required for transformation. However, its biological function in this malignancy is unknown. Here we provide evidence that NKX2-2 mediates the EWS/FLI-controlled block of mesenchymal features. Transcriptome-wide RNA sequencing revealed that NKX2-2 represses cell adhesion and extracellular matrix organization genes. NKX2-2-depleted cells form more focal adhesions and organized actin stress fibers, and spread over a wider area—hallmarks of mesenchymally derived cells. Furthermore, NKX2-2 represses the actin-stabilizing protein zyxin, suggesting that these morphological changes are attributable to zyxin de-repression. In addition, NKX2-2-knockdown cells display marked increases in migration and substrate adhesion. However, only part of the EWS/FLI phenotype is NKX2-2-dependent; consequently, NKX2-2 is insufficient to rescue EWS/FLI repression of mesenchymalization. Strikingly, we found that EWS/FLI-and NKX22-repressed genes are activated by ZEB2, which was previously shown to block Ewing sarcoma epithelialization. Together, these data support an emerging theme wherein Ewing sarcoma cells highly express transcription factors that maintain an undifferentiated state. Importantly, co-opting epithelial and mesenchymal traits by Ewing sarcoma cells may explain how the primary tumor grows rapidly while also “passively” metastasizing, without the need for transitions toward differentiated states, as in carcinomas.
Vascularized Bone Segment Transfers for Management of Chronic Osteomyelitis

Vascularized bone segment transfer procedures appear to be of value for select cases of chronic osteomyelitis. They are particularly indicated for reconstruction in those patients who require an extensive bone resection for an adequate debridement. In the authors' series, apparent control of sepsis was achieved in approximately 85 per cent of patients with this procedure. Secondary surgical procedures were necessary in about half of the group to achieve bony union and complete healing.
Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Assault: Trauma-Informed Communication Approaches in University Counseling Centers

A university in the United States Mountain West utilized grant resources to track counseling services for students who were currently experiencing or who had historically experienced relationship v...
Effectiveness of Gaming in Creating Cultural Awareness

Abstract Despite the emphasis on cultural competency education in the United States for the past three decades, inequities and disparities in healthcare continue to persist, particularly among minority populations. With the current growing gap in provider and patient cultural congruence, how effectively we train students to work with diverse populations in healthcare settings warrants attention. This article presents the results of a qualitative study on the effectiveness of experiential learning, in the form of the game BaFa' BaFa', in raising cultural awareness among students of health professions. Using thematic analysis, the authors analyzed written reflections from student participants. The findings support earlier studies, conducted mainly outside of healthcare, on the effectiveness of gaming in nurturing cultural awareness.
Career Duration in the NBA: Do Foreign Players Exit Early?

Using a panel of National Basketball Association players from 1990 through 2013, we analyze the determinants of career length in the league. We find that foreign-born players who did not play colle...
Atypical Freezing of Gait Associated with a Corpus Callosum Lesion (P4.018)

Objective: This case demonstrates a variant of freezing of gait in a non-parkinsonian patient with a prominent lesion of the anterior corpus callosum. Background: Freezing of gait (FoG) is a debilitating feature of Parkinson’s disease and other parkinsonian disorders, but the corpus callosum is generally not implicated in the pathophysiology of FoG. Design: Case study: A 78 year-old woman complained of gradually progressive difficulty initiating steps, followed by freezing during straight walking. Her right leg froze more than her left. There was no bradykinesia or rigidity on exam, and her gait did not improve with an 800 mg levodopa trial. Results: Objective measures of gait from body-worn inertial sensors showed significant asymmetry of right and left leg angular velocity, indicating asymmetry in both step duration and step length during straight walking. MRI of the brain was most remarkable for a prominent lesion in the anterior corpus callosum. It restricted diffusion but did not have an apparent ADC correlate to suggest acute infarct; nor did it enhance. Probabilistic tractography derived from diffusion tensor imaging revealed interhemispheric fiber loss in regions of the corpus callosum responsible for connecting the dorsal premotor and pre-supplementary motor areas. Conclusions: This case of FoG demonstrates several features not associated with FoG in idiopathic PD. There was no evidence of global parkinsonism or of lower extremity rigidity or bradykinesia. In addition, the degree of asymmetry of lower extremity freezing with straight walking was more prominent than is usually seen in parkinsonian freezing. We postulate that this patient has impaired coupling of bilateral leg movements, principally as a result of compromised callosal connections between the right and left pre-supplementary motor areas. Study supported by: Oregon Medical Research Foundation (MLD), NIH/NIA (R01AG006457-29; FBH) and NIH/NCATS (KL2TR000152; BWF) Disclosure: Dr. Dale has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mancini has nothing to disclose. Dr. Curtze has nothing to disclose. Dr. Horak has received personal compensation for activities with Consensus Medical and North American Education, and APDM. Dr. Fling has nothing to disclose.
Nanostructured Inorganic–Organic Hybrid Semiconductor Materials

This chapter offers an overview on the recent development of novel inorganic–organic hybrid semiconducting materials that are built on binary M x Q y (M = metal, Q = group VI element) semiconductor modules and organic molecules via self-assembled solution synthesis. The sub-nanometer-sized semiconductor motifs (inorganic component, e.g., II–VI and III–VI) and acyclic or cyclic amine molecules (organic component, e.g., ethylenediamine and m -xylylenediamine) are arranged into perfectly ordered one-, two-, and three-dimensional extended network structures. Incorporation of organic and inorganic components into a single crystal lattice has led to a number of integrated and enhanced properties over their parent semiconductor bulk (e.g., significantly larger absorption coefficients and reduced thermal conductivity), as well as unique phenomena and new functionality that are not possible with either individual constituent alone (e.g., direct white light emission from a single material without complex mixing/doping and nearly zero thermal expansion behavior). More significantly, the hybrid semiconductors exhibit a structure-induced (rather than a size-induced) quantum confinement effect (QCE), a fundamentally distinct property that has not been reported on any other types of nanomaterials. The extent of such a structure-induced QCE is exceptionally strong and leads to a very broad bandgap tunability. In addition, the electronic and optical properties of these hybrid semiconductors can be systematically tuned by modifying their crystal structure, composition, and dimensionality of the inorganic motifs.
Mitigating Loss for Persons Displaced by Climate Change through the Framework of the Warsaw Mechanism

Despite the substantial research into the peculiar political and legal status of climate migrants, there is comparatively little exploration of the particular forms of loss such migrants might face...
When Will Academics Contest Intellectual Conflict

Academics have conflicts over ideas with some regularity, yet they contest only some of them. When will they do so? We draw on a theory of conflict management developed by Donald Black and others t...
Practice makes perfect: relationship between hospital procedure volume and permanent pacemaker implantation after paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia ablation

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) ablation can result in injury to the atrioventricular (AV) node causing complete heart block requiring permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. Few studies have examined the impact of hospital PSVT ablation volume and PPM implantation rates post ablation. We included adult patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, from 1998 to 2011, using ICD-9 diagnoses codes 427.0 and 427.89 for PSVT and ICD-9 procedure code 37.34 for ablation. Patients with concomitant arrhythmias, prior pacemaker/defibrillator implants, or pre-existing sinus node dysfunction were excluded. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of PPM implantation. There were 119,938 PSVT ablations from 1998 to 2011 with a mean age of 54.6 ± 17.5 years and 64.1% females. The overall PPM implantation rate was 3.2%. PPM implantation rates in the first (1–14 ablations/year), second (15–32 ablations/year), and third (> 32/ablations/year) tertiles of annual PSVT ablation volume were respectively 4.4, 3.3, and 1.9% (p 32 PSVT ablations/year compared to hospitals performing ≤ 14 PSVT ablations/year was 0.54 (95% confidence interval 0.3–0.9, p = 0.026). PPM implantation rates are significantly lower in hospitals performing > 32 PSVT ablations/year, indicating that hospital experience is an important determinant of outcomes after PSVT ablation.
Predictors of Poor Outcomes in Pediatric Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Background:Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) provides respiratory and hemodynamic support to pediatric patients in severe cardiac failure. We aim to identify risk factors associated with poorer outcomes in this population.Methods:A retrospective chart review was conducted of pediatric patients requiring VA-ECMO support for cardiac indications at our institution from 2004 to 2015. Data were collected on demographics, indication, markers of cardiac output, ventricular assist device (VAD) insertion, heart transplantation, or left atrial (LA) decompression. Univariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for variables associated with the composite primary outcome of transplant-free survival (TFS).Results:Of the 68 reviewed patients, 65% were male, 84% were white, 38% had a prior surgery, 13% had a prior transplant, 10% had a prior ECMO support, and 87.5% required vasoactive support within six hours of cannulation. The ECMO indications included con...
Developing and evaluating a training intervention to address fear of cancer recurrence.

13Background: Growing numbers of cancer survivors are increasingly receiving care from primary care providers (PCPs), who often lack cancer-specific expertise. In addition to long-term effects from...
Spatial reference resolution for an embodied dialogue agent

In order to understand the meaning of these sentences, we must solve two resolution problems. The first sentence introduces two entities to our domain, Mary and John and can be semantically represented as likes(Mary, John). In the second sentence, we encounter the two pronouns he and her. The task is to then resolve the variables he to John and her to Mary, providing the appropriate semantics of the sentence. [gave(John, rose, Mary)] Dialogue systems like COMMUNICATOR, TRIPS and TRAINS all include some manner of reference resolution (Byron & Allen 1998). These traditional systems only consider elements of the discourse history and planning state as referents for an ambiguous expression. Extra-linguistic information, such as gesturing or spatial orientation, is ignored. Our work looks to extend this previous work to include spatial context in reference resolution. This is a natural extension of previous work, and holds potential in embedded applications (cars, houses) and robotics.
Regional Atmospheric Changes Caused by Natural and Antropogeneous Factors

Any increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere entails changes in the radiation balance of the Earth and results in changes of temperature of the atmosphere, ocean, dynamics of the atmosphere and weather processes. The influence of greenhouse gases on climate can be shown directly by radiation influence and indirectly by means of change of some chemical processes in the atmosphere.
Chemical Signaling Systems in Lower Organisms: A Prelude to the Evolution of Chemical Communication in the Nervous System

The use of chemoreceptors to monitor chemicals appearing in the external environment has many similarities to the use of neuronal receptors to monitor chemicals appearing in a synaptic cleft. Both the chemoreceptors and neuronal receptors obtain information about specific signal molecules appearing in an aquatic milieu external to the receptor cell itself. Both receptor types include membrane-bound binding sites, whose occupancy is coupled to a transduction process which may affect the electrical properties of the membrane. Moreover, many examples are known wherein the same substance stimulates both external chemoreceptors and internal neuronal receptors (e.g., Carr et al., 1989). Earlier reviews describing analogies between external and internal receptors are provided by Kittredge et al. (1974), Lenhoff and Heagy (1977), Carr et al. (1987; 1989) and Janssens (1987).
New Developments in Membrane Bioreactors

Although membrane bioreactors have been extensively used in the biotechnology industry for small-scale culturing of mammalian cells and to a lesser extent plant and insect cells, they remain for the most part, unused in large scale bioprocessing. We address the main reasons for this and review recent developments and opportunities in the design and application of membrane bioreactors.
Dual skin testing for latent tuberculosis infection: a decision analysis.

Abstract Background Recent data indicate that 10- to 14-mm Mycobacterium tuberculosis purified protein derivative (PPD) reactions are often due to prior infections with nontuberculous mycobacteria. Therefore, use of a 10-mm cutpoint to define latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) results in false-positive diagnoses and unnecessary treatment for LTBI. A second skin test, Mycobacterium avium sensitin (MAS), has been shown to accurately identify false-positive PPD results. Objective To compare the costs and accuracy of a single skin-test strategy (SST) with PPD alone with a dual skin-test strategy (DST) where 10- to 14-mm PPD results are also tested with MAS. Methods A decision analytic model was developed to evaluate the two strategies. The model accounted for the costs of skin testing, the costs of LTBI treatment, the costs of undetected LTBI, and the sensitivity and specificity of each strategy. Results We estimated that DST saved $3 per subject tested compared to SST. Savings were due to a reduction in false-positive PPD results and consequent reduction in unnecessary treatment for LTBI of >60%. The DST strategy was associated with a minimal increase in undetected LTBI (6% vs 7%). Results were stable for a broad range of parameter values. Conclusion DST is a promising approach to improving the specificity of LTBI testing when a 10-mm PPD cutpoint is used and would reduce costs and unnecessary drug treatment.
Spectral Analysis of the Laplacian with a Discontinuous Coefficient

§ 1. Introduction. In a recent paper [4] the author has presented a complete spectral analysis of a selfadjoint operator on Hilbert space induced by the differential operator $$\alpha u = - c\left( y \right)^2 \left( {\frac{{\partial ^2 u}}{{\partial x_1^2 }} + \ldots + \frac{{\partial ^2 u}}{{\partial x_{n - 1}^2 }} + \frac{{\partial ^2 u}}{{\partial y_{}^2 }}} \right)$$ (1.1) acting on functions u(x1,…,xn−1,y) defined on the half-space $${\rm{R}}_ + ^{\rm{n}} = \left\{ {\left( {{\rm{x}}_{\rm{1}} {\rm{, \ldots x}}_{{\rm{n - 1}}} {\rm{,y}}} \right)}:{\rm{x}}_{\rm{j}} \in \,{\rm{and}}\,{\rm{y}}> 0 \right\}$$ (1.2) and subject to the Dirichlet boundary condition $${\rm{u}}\left( {{\rm{x}}_{\rm{1}} {\rm{, \ldots x}}_{{\rm{n - 1}}} {\rm{,0 + }}} \right) = 0$$ (1.3)
Preparing the Nurse of the Future: Emergent Themes in Online RN-BSN Education.

Aim Registered nurse to baccalaureate in nursing (RN-BSN) programs hold the second lowest average graduation rate of US nursing programs. Online education is often cited as a good fit for the working nurse for its convenience, accessibility, and flexibility. With a focus on supporting persistence in RN-BSN programs, this research sought to answer the question, What are the best practices for distance/online/hybrid RN to BSN program curriculum and instruction? Background Distance/online/hybrid approaches are a component of most RN-BSN programs and may hold promise for working nurses balancing multiple responsibilities while in school. Method The Garrard Matrix Method was aligned with the work of Whittemore and Knafl to synthesize research that addressed the question. Results Four themes emerged through this synthesis. Conclusion The findings serve as the beginning of a comprehensive guide on the subject.
Family involvement, environmental turbulence, and R&D investment: evidence from Listed Chinese SMEs

This study draws on the insights of institutional theory and the environmental contingency perspective to explore family firm leaders’ approaches toward R&D investment in China. Our sample consisted of 577 manufacturing firms listed on the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange over a period of three years (2013–2015), representing a total of 1731 observations. Our findings show that family firms tend to invest less in R&D than their counterparts among non-family firms. Interestingly, this negative impact on R&D investment grows stronger under conditions of high technological turbulence and high government policy turbulence, but not under conditions of high market turbulence.
Illusionary Correlation, False Causation, and Clustering Illusion

David was a 34-year-old man with temporal lobe epilepsy who presented to a neurologists office for a routine consultation. He had been taking seizure medications for many years, but wished to stop them, saying he was “tired of taking medications.” While his neurologist did not encourage him to do so, he suggested treatment with turmeric, saying that a number of his patients with epilepsy had remarkable reductions in seizure frequency with the use of this medication. David eagerly embraced this approach and was seizure-free on daily turmeric supplements for 6 months.
Examining the Past to Consider the Present

Catherine Stewart concludes her book, Long past slavery: Representing race in the Federal Writers’ Project with the admonition that unless Americans become literate with respect to the history of s...
The Revival of The

The longstanding "cash versus food" debate has received renewed attention in both research and practice. This paper reviews key issues shaping the debate and presents new evidence from randomized and quasi-experimental evaluations that deliberately compare cash and in-kind food transfers in ten developing counties. Findings show that relative effectiveness cannot be generalized: although some differences emerge in terms of food consumption and dietary diversity, average impacts tend to depend on context, specific objectives, and their measurement. Costs for cash transfers and vouchers tend to be significantly lower relative to in-kind food. Yet the consistency and robustness of methods for efficiency analyses varies greatly.
DOCK3 is a dosage-sensitive regulator of skeletal muscle and Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated pathologies.

DOCK3 is a member of the DOCK family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors that function to regulate cell migration, fusion, and overall viability. Previously, we identified a miR-486/Dock3 signaling cascade that was dysregulated in dystrophin-deficient muscle which resulted in the overexpression of DOCK3, however not much else is known about the role of DOCK3 in muscle. In this work, we characterize the functional role of DOCK3 in normal and dystrophic skeletal muscle. By utilizing Dock3 global knockout (Dock3 KO) mice, we found reducing Dock3 gene via haploinsufficiency in DMD mice improved dystrophic muscle histology, however complete loss of Dock3 worsened overall muscle function on a dystrophin-deficient background. Consistent with this, Dock3 KO mice have impaired muscle architecture and myogenic differentiation defects. Moreover, transcriptomic analyses of Dock3 knockout muscles reveal a decrease in factors known for myogenesis, suggesting a possible mechanism of action. These studies identify DOCK3 as a novel modulator of muscle fusion and muscle health and may yield additional therapeutic targets for treating dystrophic muscle symptoms.
Fractionating and Purifying Softwood Kraft Lignin with Aqueous Renewable Solvents: Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium for the Lignin-Ethanol-Water System.

Hot ethanol-water solutions can be used to simultaneously fractionate and purify softwood Kraft lignin through the Aqueous Lignin Purification with Hot Agents (ALPHA) process, using the regions of liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) that form at selected temperatures and solvent-to-lignin feed (S/F) ratios. Lignin, ethanol, and water compositions are measured for the solvent-rich (SR) and lignin-rich (LR) liquid phases in mutual equilibrium, as well as the lignin and metals mass distributions between the two phases. As depicted in quasi-ternary diagrams for clarity, both temperature and S/F ratio can be used to grow, merge, and even split the regions of LLE, giving significant control over both molecular weight (MW) and lignin purity. For example, a solvent comprising 45:55 EtOH/H2 O at 75 °C and an S/F ratio of 6:1 enables recovery of an ultrapure (95 % of Na removed), higher MW (Mn =8400 Da) lignin fraction in the LR phase. On the other hand, 95:5 EtOH/H2 O at 45 °C and S/F=3:1 enables recovery of an ultrapure, low MW (1500 Da) lignin in the SR phase.
Cdc42 GTPase Activating Proteins (GAPs) Maintain Generational Inheritance of Cell Polarity and Cell Shape in Fission Yeast

The highly conserved small GTPase Cdc42 regulates polarized cell growth and morphogenesis from yeast to humans. We previously reported that Cdc42 activation exhibits oscillatory dynamics in Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells. Mathematical modeling suggests that this dynamic behavior enables a variety of symmetric and asymmetric Cdc42 distributions to coexist in cell populations. For individual wild type cells, however, growth follows a stereotypical pattern where Cdc42 distribution is initially asymmetrical in young daughter cells and becomes more symmetrical as cell volume increases, enabling bipolar growth activation. To explore whether different states of Cdc42 activation are possible in a biological context, we examined S. pombe rga4Δ mutant cells, lacking the Cdc42 GTPase activating protein (GAP) Rga4. We found that monopolar rga4Δ mother cells divide asymmetrically leading to the emergence of both symmetric and asymmetric Cdc42 distributions in rga4Δ daughter cells. Using genetic screening approaches to identify mutants that alter the rga4Δ phenotype, we tested the predictions of different computational models that reproduce the unequal fate of daughter cells. We found experimentally that the unequal distribution of active Cdc42 GTPase in daughter cells is consistent with an unequal inheritance of another Cdc42 GAP, Rga6, in the two daughter cells. Our findings highlight the crucial role of Cdc42 GAP protein localization in determining the morphological fate of cell progeny and ensuring consistent Cdc42 activation and growth patterns across generations.
Persistent firing in LEC III neurons is differentially modulated by learning and aging

Whether and how persistent firing in lateral entorhinal cortex layer III (LEC III) supports temporal associative learning is still unknown. In this study, persistent firing was evoked in vitro from LEC III neurons from young and aged rats that were behaviorally naive or trained on trace eyeblink conditioning. Persistent firing ability from neurons from behaviorally naive aged rats was lower compared to neurons from young rats. Neurons from learning impaired aged animals also exhibited reduced persistent firing capacity, which may contribute to aging-related learning impairments. Successful acquisition of the trace eyeblink task, however, increased persistent firing ability in both young and aged rats. These changes in persistent firing ability are due to changes to the afterdepolarization, which may in turn be modulated by the postburst afterhyperpolarization. Together, these data indicate that successful learning increases persistent firing ability and decreases in persistent firing ability contribute to learning impairments in aging.
School Health Programs

(1960). School Health Programs. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 36-37.
Phishing Evolves: Analyzing the Enduring Cybercrime

Phishing, the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity via electronic communication, has quickly evolved beyond low-skill schemes that relied...
A decolonial narrative of sexuality and world politics when race is everywhere and nowhere

In a first section, this article introduces three postcards narrating sexual politics in three different States. Each postcard was inspired by a way of conceptualising ‘race’ in world politics: as ...
Influences of Macroeconomic Variables on Stock Market in China: An Empirical Analysis

This paper investigates the influences of macroeconomic variables on the stock market in China. We use Granger causality tests, impulse response functions, and variance decompositions to examine how fundamental macroeconomic variables, such as output proxied by electricity generation, inflation, money supply, and short-term interest rate affect the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index. Our estimation results indicate that variables that measure macroeconomic activity, such as output growth and inflation, have no statistically significant impact on stock returns. Moreover, the stock returns do not respond to changes of monetary policy variables such as money supply and short-term interbank offered rate. This implies that monetary policy does not exert significant influences on stock returns. In sum, the performance of the China stock market does not reflect macroeconomic fundamentals.
Be Prepared: Preoperative Coronal Malalignment Often Leads to More Extensive Surgery Than Sagittal Malalignment During Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of coronal alignment on: (1) surgical invasiveness and operative complexity and (2) postoperative complications. METHODS A retrospective, cohort study of adult spinal deformity patients was conducted. Alignment groups were: (1) neutral alignment (NA): coronal vertical axis (CVA) ≤ 3 cm and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) ≤ 5 cm; (2) coronal malalignment (CM) only: CVA > 3 cm; (3) Sagittal malalignment (SM) only: SVA > 5 cm; and (4) coronal and sagittal malalignment (CCSM): CVA > 3 cm and SVA > 5 cm. RESULTS Of 243 patients, alignment groups were: NA 115 (47.3%), CM 48 (19.8%), SM 38 (15.6%), and CCSM 42 (17.3%). Total instrumented levels (TILs) were highest in CM (14.5 ± 3.7) and CCSM groups (14 ± 4.0) (p < 0.001). More 3-column osteotomies (3COs) were performed in SM (21.1%) and CCSM (28.9%) groups than CM (10.4%) (p = 0.003). CM patients had more levels instrumented (p = 0.029), posterior column osteotomies (PCOs) (p < 0.001), and TLIFs (p = 0.002) than SM patients. CCSM patients had more TLIFs (p = 0.012) and higher estimated blood loss (EBL) (p = 0.003) than SM patients. CVA displayed a stronger relationship with TIL (p = 0.002), EBL (p < 0.001), and operative time (p < 0.001) than SVA, which had only one significant association with EBL (p = 0.010). Both SM/CCSM patients had higher readmissions (p = 0.003) and reoperations (p < 0.001) than CM patients. CONCLUSION Amount of preoperative CM was a better predictor of surgical invasiveness than the amount of SM, despite 3COs more commonly performed in SM patients. CM patients had more instrumented levels, PCOs, and TLIFs than SM patients.
Accelerating the simulation of Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) with GPU

In this paper, we discuss the implementation of three dimensional FDTD method to Nvidia’s CUDA architecture. Finite-difference time-domain is a numerical analysis technique used for modeling computational electrodynamics. Since it is a time-domain method, FDTD solutions can cover a wide frequency range with a single simulation run, and treat nonlinear material properties in a natural way. Because FDTD requires the grid must be sufficiently fine to resolve both the smallest electromagnetic wavelength and the smallest geometrical feature in the model, it may result in very long simulation time. OpenMP, MPI, SIMD technique can be used to speed up the simulation. Another technology, Nvidia’s CUDA, allows the time to be reduced a lot.