cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxygen delivery, anoxic metabolism and hemoglobin-oxygen affinity (P50) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and shock.

Abstract Changes in systemic oxygen delivery after acute myocardial infarction were investigated in 21 patients. In seven patients with shock, circulatory failure was characterized by a significant reduction in cardiac index, a decrease in oxygen transport and oxygen consumption and an increase in concentration of blood lactate; a decrease in the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen (increased P50) was also noted. The P50 averaged 28.8 ± 0.87 (standard error of the mean) torr in patients with shock and 26.0 ± 0.45 torr (P The time course of the changes in P50, cardiac index and oxygen consumption was separately examined in 12 patients. In six patients with shock, P50 increased by an average of 4.6 ± 2.05 torr (P These data indicate that a reduction in oxygen delivery after acute myocardial infarction is followed by a compensatory increase in P50. This change in P50 accounts for increases in oxygen availability independently of changes in cardiac output.
Il mostro come figura metariflessiva nel teatro italiano del Seicento

Il saggio investiga la rappresentazione del mostro nel teatro italiano del Seicento, e interpreta come in diversi casi la presenza di questa figura in scena serva a creare un riferimento metateatra...
GRAPPLING WITH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: THE ORIENTATIONS OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS AND IMPACT OF STUDENT TEACHING

This article describes research conducted to examine 71 preservice teachers' theoretical orientations of classroom management and the impact of student teaching on these orientations as well as their overall views regarding classroom management. Results indicated preservice teachers demonstrated inconsistent beliefs with regard to philosophies of classroom management developed as part of university coursework. Upon completion of student teaching in environments characterized by teacher-centered practices, analyses revealed a shift toward more teacher-centered beliefs and behavior. Conclusions indicate the effects of vicarious and mastery experiences as influential in determining preferred orientations and management techniques cited as relevant within the classroom.
Impacts and Wider Impacts on Statistics

The article discusses impacts and wider impacts on statistics of the seminal 1969 Cliff-Ord article on the problem of spatial autocorrelation published in London Papers in Regional Science.
Statistical imaging and complexity regularization

We apply the complexity regularization principle to statistical ill-posed inverse problems in imaging. The class of problems studied includes restoration of images corrupted by Gaussian or Poisson noise and nonlinear transformations. We formulate a natural distortion measure in image space and develop nonasymptotic bounds on estimation performance in terms of an index of resolvability that characterizes the compressibility of the true image. These bounds extend previous results that were obtained in the literature under simpler observational models. The notion of an asymptotic imaging experiment is clarified and used to characterize consistency and convergence rates of the estimator. We present a connection between complexity-regularized estimation and rate-distortion theory, which suggests a method for constructing optimal codebooks. However, the design of computationally tractable complexity regularized image estimators is quite challenging; we present some of the issues involved and illustrate them with a Poisson-imaging application.
RNA Conformation and Folding Studied with Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) results from nonradiative coupling of two fluorophores and reports on distances in the range 10-100 A. It is therefore a suitable probe to determine distances in RNA molecules and define their global structure, to follow kinetics of RNA conformational changes during folding in real time, to monitor ion binding, or to analyze conformational equilibria and assess the thermodynamic stability of tertiary structure conformers. Along with the basic principles of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements, approaches to investigate RNA conformational transitions and folding are described and illustrated with selected examples. The versatility of FRET-based techniques has recently been demonstrated by implementations of FRET in high-throughput screening of potential drugs as well as studies of energy transfer that monitor RNA conformational changes on the single-molecule level.
Segmented Principal Component Analysis for Parallel Compression of Hyperspectral Imagery

Principal component analysis (PCA) is widely used for spectral decorrelation in the JPEG2000 compression of hyperspectral imagery. However, due to the data-dependent nature of principal components, the principal component transform matrix is stored in the JPEG2000 bitstream, constituting an overhead that is often negligible if the spatial size of the image is large. However, in parallel compression in which the data set is partitioned to multiple independent processing nodes, the overhead may no longer remain negligible. It is shown that a segmented approach to PCA can greatly mitigate the detrimental effects of transform-matrix overhead and can outperform wavelet-based decorrelation which entails no such overhead.
A statewide, hospital-based analysis of frequency and outcomes in carotid endarterectomy

Background For more than 40 years carotid endarterectomy (CE) has been used in the treatment of extracranial carotid disease for the prevention of stroke. Recent prospective clinical trials have confirmed the benefit of CE for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Our purpose was to examine statewide trends in the numbers of CE over a 6-year time period and to evaluate outcomes. Methods Using data from the North Carolina Medical Database Commission (NCMDC) all CE procedures from 1988 to 1993 were identified. Numbers of CE were compared with the population and hospital admissions. Variables of length of stay, hospital charges, discharge disposition, and occurrence of stroke and death were analyzed. Results A total of 11,973 CE were performed in 6 years. Compared by admissions, population, and the proportion of elderly, the number of CE increased yearly. The stroke rate was 1.7% and the death rate 1.2% for an overall in-hospital stroke plus mortality rate of only 2.7%. Conclusions From a diverse group of hospitals and a large number of surgeons and patients, this hospital-based study documents the acceptance and safety of CE in the treatment of extracranial carotid disease.
Obtaining high quality VLSI packages with QFD

Component end users want a high quality, reliable part. However, the expected failure rate, cost etc. may vary from one customer to the next. The amount of control that a packaging vendor is expected to put in place so that he can meet those requirements can be assessed through the implementation of QFD (quality function deployment). One such work effort that strives to use this technique for the definition and subsequent optimization of these controls for delivering high quality PQFP's (plastic quad flat packs) is described. >
An audio and telephone server for multi-media workstations

Workstation utility may be enhanced by the addition of audio and telephony functions for a number of applications, such as voice mail, multi-media documents, and computer conferencing. The requirements of these applications are outlined, and an audio server architecture, using a personal computer with a disk and speech-processing board as a server dedicated to the workstation, is presented. The functional interface between client and server is described, as well as the motivation for this specific server approach with particular emphasis on user interface considerations. Experience with the audio server architecture is reported and it is contrasted with alternate architectures. >
Psychomotor agitation following gabapentin use in brain injury

Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant structurally related to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was recently reported to be effective in pain associated with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and in pain associated with neuropathy. Yet, to our knowledge, the use of gabapentin for neuropathic pain in the presence of cognitive impairment has not been reported. In this report, we describe two patients (one with a traumatic brain injury, one with a putative acquired brain injury) who presented to a neurorehabilitation unit complaining of pain that was diagnosed as neurologically mediated. Within one week of receiving a daily 900 mg dose of gabapentin, both patients complained of heightened anxiety and restlessness. Correspondingly, each reported a diminution of psychological symptoms within 48 hours of gabapentin cessation. These two cases suggest that gabapentin may cause agitation in cognitive impaired patients. Physicians treating brain-injured patients and prescribing gabapentin for neuropathic pain may wish to closely monitor patients for similar signs of restlessness or anxiety.
Simulated Conference submissions: A technique to improve student attitudes about writing

While many models have been suggested for improving the writing skills of students in technical fields, we contend that improving attitudes about writing is equally important. We present an approach that seeks to improve both skills and attitudes through the use of simulated conference submissions. In this model, students are asked to write and present as if they are submitting to a technical research conference, complete with a review panel. By giving students this audience, we aim to focus their efforts on communication, rather than simply completing assignment requirements. In this paper, we present our results after having implemented this approach twice. The results show that student skills and appreciation of those skills both improve. In particular, student appreciation of the value of a literature review increases over the course of a term.
Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma testosterone levels in post-traumatic stress disorder and tobacco dependence.

Abstract Background: Little is known about the relationship between endogenous central nervous system (CNS) testosterone and any psychiatric syndrome. The goal of this study was to screen for potential abnormalities in CNS testosterone levels in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or tobacco dependence. Methods: We sampled cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via a subarachnoid catheter over six hours and determined hourly basal CSF concentrations of testosterone in 11 combat veterans with PTSD and 12 normal volunteers. Smokers were abstinent for 11–17 h. Testosterone in CSF and matching plasma samples was assayed by radioimmunoassay. Results: A factor analysis for effects of PTSD status, smoking status and sample time revealed significant effects of PTSD or smoking status, but not time, on CSF testosterone. CSF testosterone levels were lower in individuals with PTSD as compared with normal volunteers. When divided by smoking status, abstinent smokers had mean CSF testosterone levels higher than those of non-smokers. A similar analysis of plasma testosterone revealed no significant effects of any factor on plasma testosterone. Conclusions: These results indicate that CSF testosterone is significantly influenced by PTSD and smoking status. The exposure of the brain to altered levels of testosterone in smokers and patients with PTSD may have pathophysiologic significance in these conditions.
Placement of the genus Angelina within Rhytismatales and observations of Angelina rufescens

Angelina rufescens is placed within the core clade of Rhytismatales (Leotiomycetes, Pezizomyco- tina, Ascomycota) based on analysis of LSU and mtSSU rDNA. The only species in the genus, it produces distinctive ascomata that reoccur annually on wood and on the remains of its own previous fructifications, forming dense conglomerations of interlocking longitudinally elongated apothecia with gray hymenia. Known collections and references of A. rufescens indicate that it is endemic to eastern and central United States. Morphological and cultural characters are described with notes on ascomata development. No mitospores were observed in field collections or in culture. Lectotypes are designated for Hysterium rufescens and its synonym Ascobolus conglomeratus. Angelina rufescens is illustrated here for the first time in the taxonomic literature.
Interference rejection using a hybrid of a constant modulus algorithm and the spectral correlation discriminator

The authors present a novel time-dependent adaptive filtering technique that is formed by combining a constant modulus algorithm (CMA) with the spectral correlation discriminator (SCD). This technique is superior to the CMA or SCD alone, as it produces a lower MSE (mean square error) and bit-error rate. The hybrid CMA/SCD has improved resistance to interference and less phase roll than the CMA. Furthermore, the hybrid CMA/SCD does not distort the filtered signal, as does the SCD alone. Simulations are presented comparing the SCD, CMA, and training-sequence-directed techniques with the hybrid CMA/SCD for interference rejection. >
Metagenomic insights into particles and their associated microbiota in a coastal margin ecosystem

Our previously published research was one of the pioneering studies on the use of metagenomics to directly compare taxonomic and metabolic properties of aquatic microorganisms from different filter size-fractions. We compared size-fractionated water samples representing free-living and particle-attached communities from four diverse habitats in the Columbia River coastal margin, analyzing 12 metagenomes consisting of >5 million sequence reads (>1.6 Gbp). With predicted peptide and rRNA data we evaluated eukaryotic, bacterial and archaeal populations across size fractions and related their properties to attached and free-living lifestyles, and their potential roles in carbon and nutrient cycling. In this focused review, we expand our discussion on the use of high-throughput sequence data to relate microbial community structure and function to the origin, fate and transport of particulate organic matter in coastal margins. We additionally discuss the potential impact of the priming effect on organic matter cycling at the land-ocean interface, and build a case for the importance, in particle-rich estuaries and coastal margin waters, of bacterial activities in low-oxygen microzones within particle interiors.
Probing Superoxide Dismutases through Radiation Chemistry

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are metalloenzymes that likely evolved to remove superoxide (O2.−) from cells. These enzymes span a range of three uniquely different protein structures and four different metals to enable a similar overall chemistry, the catalytic and accelerated conversion of superoxide to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Superoxide dismutases have the attractive feature that the substrate (O2.−) for the catalytic reaction is easily generated using radiation chemistry, allowing the ability to follow catalysis on a fast time scale under a wide variety of conditions. This review will show how the utility of radiation chemistry was realized and enabled mechanistic understanding immediately upon discovery of these enzymes. It will then highlight some applications of pulse radiolysis, carried out in this laboratory, that illustrate mechanistic details of the enzyme function for a variety of wild-type and mutant superoxide dismutases.
Testing the Reciprocal Relationship between Attitudes and Land Use in Relation to Trip Frequencies: A Nonrecursive Model

Nonrecursive structural equation modeling is applied to cross-sectional data from a survey conducted in Seoul, Korea, in 2009 and from geographic information systems, in an effort to model the reci...
Acceleration of lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis after Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquisition

As part of the ongoing Wisconsin Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Neonatal Screening Project, we had the unique opportunity to study the longitudinal relationship between Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) acquisition and infection and developing lung disease in children with CF. The primary objective was to determine whether acquisition of Pa was associated with a measurable change in the progression of lung disease. Two outcome measures were used to study 56 patients who were diagnosed through newborn screening: 1) Wisconsin additive chest radiograph score (WCXR), based on the average of scores from a pulmonologist and a radiologist, and 2) the highest forced expired volume in 1 sec (FEV(1))/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio. We used two measures of Pa acquisition: 1) time of first positive protocol-determined oropharyngeal (with cough) culture, and 2) the magnitude of antibody titer detected by ELISA assays, using as antigen a crude cell lysate, purified exotoxin A, or an elastase toxoid prepared from three Pa strains. Other predictor variables included age, pancreatic status, height-for age, and weight-for-age-percentiles. The best regression model for predicting changes in the WCXR included time to first positive culture and antibody titer for Pa elastase. Prior to Pa acquisition, WCXR worsened by 0.45 points/year (P > 0.25); after Pa acquisition, the rate of worsening increased significantly (P < 0.001) to 1.40 points/year. Each antibody titer level (log base 2) increased the score by 0.48 points (P < 0.001). The best regression model for predicting change in the FEV(1)/FVC included only time to first positive culture. Prior to Pa acquisition, the FEV(1)/FVC ratio declined by 1.29%/year; after Pa infection, the rate of decrease significantly accelerated to 1.81%/year (P = 0.001). Our data show that Pa acquisition is associated with declining pulmonary status in children with CF, and that this effect is probably gradual rather than precipitous. Because these patients were diagnosed and treated aggressively, our estimates of the effects of Pa acquisition may be conservative. We also conclude that the WCXR appears to be more sensitive than FEV(1)/FVC in detecting early changes in lung disease associated with CF.
Surface compound action potentials recorded from different locations on the anterior tibial muscle.

Abstract Supramaximal CMAPs to peroneal nerve stimulation at the knee were recorded from 5 locations on the anterior tibial muscle in 24 patients (30 muscles). The active recording locations were: midpoint of the muscle belly, at 4 cm distal and proximal to it, and at 2 cm lateral and medial to it. Reference electrode was at the medial malleolus. CMAP duration, amplitude, and area were measured, and ratios of their corresponding minimum to maximum values were computed. Thirteen patients (15 muscles) had normal nerve conduction and needle EMG studies. Mean ratios of minimum to maximum values were duration = 0.89, amplitude = 0.67, and area = 0.75. Eleven patients (15 muscles) had abnormal studies, and the mean ratios of minimum to maximum values were duration = 0.87, amplitude = 0.66, and area = 0.71. CMAP duration, unlike amplitude and area, appears least likely to be influenced by the recording electrode location, and is a more stable and reproducible measure during nerve conduction studies. The maximum (or minimum) values in the CMAP duration, amplitude, and area frequently do not coincide to one electrode recording location. A majority of the CMAPs recorded from different muscle locations had an initial negative phase, suggesting that the endplate zones of the anterior tibial muscle are dispersed rather than concentrated in a small region.
13C Pathway Analysis for the Role of Formate in Electricity Generation by Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 Using Lactate in Microbial Fuel Cells

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a promising technology for direct electricity generation from organics by microorganisms. The type of electron donors fed into MFCs affects the electrical performance, and mechanistic understanding of such effects is important to optimize the MFC performance. In this study, we used a model organism in MFCs, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and (13)C pathway analysis to investigate the role of formate in electricity generation and the related microbial metabolism. Our results indicated a synergistic effect of formate and lactate on electricity generation, and extra formate addition on the original lactate resulted in more electrical output than using formate or lactate as a sole electron donor. Based on the (13)C tracer analysis, we discovered decoupled cell growth and electricity generation in S. oneidensis MR-1 during co-utilization of lactate and formate (i.e., while the lactate was mainly metabolized to support the cell growth, the formate was oxidized to release electrons for higher electricity generation). To our best knowledge, this is the first time that (13)C tracer analysis was applied to study microbial metabolism in MFCs and it was demonstrated to be a valuable tool to understand the metabolic pathways affected by electron donors in the selected electrochemically-active microorganisms.
Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in melanoma prognosis and cancer immunotherapy

The field of systemic cancer therapy for metastatic disease has entered an exciting era with the advent of novel immunomodulatory strategies targeting immune checkpoints. At the heart of these promising efforts are the tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). As the reports demonstrating efficacy of modulating TIL effector function in patients with advanced stage cancer continue to accrue, it has become essential to better understand TIL immunobiology in order to further improve clinical outcome. In addition to providing an overview of the current immunotherapies available for metastatic melanoma, this review will briefly introduce the history and classification of TILs. Moreover, we will dissect the multifaceted roles of TILs in tumour-specific immunity and melanoma immune escape. The significance of TILs in melanoma prognosis and cancer immunotherapy will also be discussed, with a particular focus on their potential utility as biomarkers of patient response. The goal of personalised medicine appears to be in realistic sight, as new immunomodulatory techniques and technological innovations continue to advance the field of cancer immunotherapy. In light of recent studies highlighting the possible utility of TILs in determining therapeutic outcome, further characterisation of TIL phenotype and function has the potential to help translate individualised care into current medical practice.
Actinomycetales infections in slender-horned gazelles: six cases (1987-1989)

Disseminated Actinomycetales infections were diagnosed in 6 slender-horned gazelles at a zoologic park over a 17-month period. Nocardia and Mycobacterium spp were isolated. Possible predisposing causes leading to infection were investigated. Environmental contamination where the gazelles were housed was not high, and other breeds of gazelles at the park did not become infected, indicating that environmental exposure was not the sole factor involved. Information gathered from questionnaires sent to other zoologic parks and personnel communications indicated that this was not an isolated incident. Investigation into the genetic lineage of the gazelles revealed substantial inbreeding in prior generations. These findings suggested inbreeding may have been an important predisposing factor leading to infection. Careful scrutiny to ensure maximal heterozygosity of future breedings is warranted.
Mullite (3Al2O3−2SiO2) Synthesis with Aluminosiloxanes

High-yield mullite (3Al2O3−2SiO2) precursors consist of aluminosiloxanes synthesized from mixtures of aluminum and silicon alkoxides. Atomic level mixing of the aluminum and silicon oxides is demonstrated by the low-temperature conversion (<1000 °C) of the aluminosiloxanes to phase-pure mullite. The proper selection of monomeric side groups serves several functions: (i) controlling reactivity of the silicon and aluminum monomers, thereby favoring atomic-level mixing; (ii) maintaining the tractability of the resulting aluminosiloxane; (iii) improving the yield during mullitization of the aluminosiloxane through easy thermolytic removal. The tractability of the aluminosiloxane compounds permits these materials to be used in fiber spinning, the casting of thin films and monoliths, and as impregnants to powder compacts.
Host race radiation in the soapberry bug: natural history with the history

Evolution by natural selection is remarkably well documented in the diversification of soapbeny bug populations on their native and recently introduced host plants. In this century, populations of this native seed-eating insect have colonized three plant species introduced to North America. Each new host differs in fruit size from the native hosts, providing an unplanned exper- iment in natural selection of the insect's beak length. In each of three host shifts, beak length has increased or decreased in the direction predicted from fruit size. Furthermore, museum specimens show historical changes consistent with the host shift scenario inferred from beak length values in contemporary populations. The extent to which beak length evolution has been accompanied by evolution in other body size characters differs between the races, suggesting that the evolution has proceeded differently in each case. In all cases, significant evolution has occurred in as little as 20- 50 years (40-1 50 generations), creating a species-level mosaic of response to simultaneous direc- tional, diversifying, and normalizing selection.
Leukocyte Responsiveness to Exercise in Individuals Positive for Human Cytomegalovirus.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects 50% of adults in the United States. HCMV can become a cause for concern in individuals who have a compromised immune system, which may occur after high-intensity exercise. The purpose of this preliminary study was to characterize the lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil responses to exercise in HCMV+individuals. Participants were either positive (HCMV +) or negative (HCMV−) for HCMV. Participants visited the laboratory on 3 separate occasions: HCMV screening, 100% VO 2max test, and 80% VO 2max run. Mixed-model factorial ANOVA procedures with repeated measures on sampling condition were performed on absolute and relative circulating lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. Significant main effects for time for both absolute and relative values were seen for all leukocyte subsets regardless of virus status. Significant differences for absolute and relative values were seen between sampling conditions for all leukocyte subsets. We report for the first time that HCMV status does not affect circulating neutrophil responses to high-intensity exercise, though exercise-induced neutrocytosis is seen during the post-exercise and 60 min post-exercise sampling conditions, regardless of HCMV status. There is no HCMV effect on circulating monocyte responses to exercise, though exercise-induced monocytosis was seen during the post-exercise sampling condition regardless of HCMV status.
Basal Ganglia Damage in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Research suggests that early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a primary therapeutic target, and early SAH-induced basal ganglia injury is not well studied. The present study examined basal ganglia injury in a rat model of SAH. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 78) weighing 275–300 g underwent endovascular perforation to mimic aneurysmal SAH. Sham rats (n = 12) underwent the same procedure but without perforation. Magnetic resonance imaging (T2 MRI) was performed at 24 h after SAH to measure ventricle volumes and brain T2 lesion. Hydrocephalus in SAH rats was defined as a ventricular volume greater than three standard deviations above that in shams. Western blotting and immunochemistry were utilized to assess basal ganglia damage. Sixty rats survived the SAH and 40 % of those animals had T2 lesions in the basal ganglia. Twenty-six SAH rats had hydrocephalus. Rats with hydrocephalus had higher incidence of basal ganglia lesion (69 vs. 18 % in rats without hydrocephalus; p < 0.01). Basal ganglia neuronal injury was also determined by examining the levels of dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32 kDa (DARPP-32). We found that rats with hydrocephalus had more severe basal ganglia injury with greater DARPP-32 depletion (DARPP-32/beta-actin: 0.38 ± 0.32 vs. 0.86 ± 0.45 in rats without hydrocephalus and 1.10 ± 0.28 in sham, p < 0.05). In conclusion, SAH resulted in severe basal ganglia damage, which is associated with hydrocephalus development.
Di-μ-hypophosphito-bis­[(2,2′-bi­pyridine)copper(II)] nitrate

The structure of blue [Cu2(O2PH2)2(C10H8N2)2](NO3)2 consists of dimeric [Cu(O2PH2)(bipy)] subunits (bipy = 2,2′-bi­pyridine) joined by two hypophosphite bridging ligands, with each metal center in a distorted planar arrangement. These joined subunits exist as a discrete cation with the equivalent of two nitrates as counter-ions. The subunits have a four-coordinated distorted square-planar arrangement of N and O atoms from the 2,2′-bi­pyridine and hypophosphite ligands, with the fifth and sixth positions of the copper coordination occupied by neighboring O atoms of the nitrate counter-ions.
Location as a Factor in the Marketing of Physicians’ Services

Given the importance of a locational strategy for physicians, this article provides findings on the demographic and economic determinants of physician office location within the Chicago Metropolitan area from 1950 to 1975. An important finding is that measures or market potential and competition have lost importance over time to the growing Influence or medical facilities in determining physician office location.
Transnational Migration and Changes in Sibling Support in Ghana

International migration tends to result in translocal households located in two or more places, entailing the separation of kin from one another, whether husbands from wives, parents from children, or siblings from siblings. Despite the distance, kin remain connected through remittances, phone conversations, shipments of packages, and occasional visits. A growing literature is concerned with how this separation is affecting kinship ideologies and practice as a way of understanding what is new and different about contemporary global flows of people, goods, and wealth. The focus in this research literature, so far, has been on dyadic bonds between parent and child and between spouses (for example, Gamburd 2000; Hondagneu-Sotelo 1994; Levitt 2001; Olwig 1999; Parrenas 2004; Pribilsky 2007; Suarez-Orozco, Todorova, and Louie 2002). Siblings have been largely neglected in this literature, perhaps because scholars have operated from a Western model of the nuclear family, in which marital and parent-child relations are considered more intense than those involving siblings. However, communicating with, financially supporting, and receiving help from distant siblings are a significant part of migrants’ transnational strategies, particularly in communities where siblings have historically had conceptual and practical importance (Drotbohm 2009, Olwig 2007). Even in communities where sibling relationships are not as profound, siblings can be a significant source of financial and emotional support for three reasons. For one, sibling relationships are potentially more long lasting than other familial relationships.1 Second, they generate connection across personal differences, and finally, they are intertwined with significant relationships to parents, children, and spouses.
Response to 'Applying Value-Added Methods to Teachers in Untested Grades and Subjects'

In Applying Value-Added Methods to Teachers in Untested Grades and Subjects, Michelle Croft and Richard Buddin purported to “review[] value-added methods with particular focus on alternative approaches to improve teacher evaluation in untested subjects.” This review is flawed in two significant aspects that this Counterpoint addresses. First, the authors mischaracterized the debate about VAM as an all-or-nothing proposition. Second, Croft and Buddin provided an incomplete overview of the legal dimension of the use of VAM for teachers in untested grades or subjects.
Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) induces lipotoxicity in neuroblastoma by regulating transport of albumin complexed with fatty acids.

// Alexandre Chlenski 1 , Marija Dobratic 1 , Helen R. Salwen 1 , Mark Applebaum 1 , Lisa J. Guerrero 1 , Ryan Miller 1 , Gillian DeWane 1 , Elena Solomaha 2 , Jeremy D. Marks 1 , Susan L. Cohn 1 1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA 2 Biological Sciences Division, Biophysics Core Facility, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Correspondence to: Susan L. Cohn, email: scohn@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu Keywords: neuroblastoma, SPARC, albumin, lipotoxicity, extracellular matrix Received: June 08, 2016 Accepted: October 11, 2016 Published: October 20, 2016 ABSTRACT SPARC is a matrix protein that mediates interactions between cells and the microenvironment. In cancer, SPARC may either promote or inhibit tumor growth depending upon the tumor type. In neuroblastoma, SPARC is expressed in the stromal Schwannian cells and functions as a tumor suppressor. Here, we developed a novel in vivo model of stroma-rich neuroblastoma using non-tumorigenic SHEP cells with modulated levels of SPARC, mixed with tumorigenic KCNR cells. Tumors with stroma-derived SPARC displayed suppressed growth, inhibited angiogenesis and increased lipid accumulation. Based on the described chaperone function of SPARC, we hypothesized that SPARC binds albumin complexed with fatty acids and transports them to tumors. We show that SPARC binds albumin with Kd=18.9±2.3 uM, and enhances endothelial cell internalization and transendothelial transport of albumin in vitro . We also demonstrate that lipids induce toxicity in neuroblastoma cells and show that lipotoxicity is increased when cells are cultured in hypoxic conditions. Studies investigating the therapeutic potential of SPARC are warranted.
Regulation of human nucleus pulposus cells by peptide-coupled substrates.

Abstract Nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are derived from the notochord and differ from neighboring cells of the intervertebral disc in phenotypic marker expression and morphology. Adult human NP cells lose this phenotype and morphology with age in a pattern that contributes to progressive disc degeneration and pathology. Select laminin-mimetic peptide ligands and substrate stiffnesses were examined for their ability to regulate human NP cell phenotype and biosynthesis through the expression of NP-specific markers aggrecan, N-cadherin, collagen types I and II, and GLUT1. Peptide-conjugated substrates demonstrated an ability to promote expression of healthy NP-specific markers, as well as increased biosynthetic activity. We show an ability to re-express markers of the juvenile NP cell and morphology through control of peptide presentation and stiffness on well-characterized polyacrylamide substrates. NP cells cultured on surfaces conjugated with α3 integrin receptor peptides P4 and P678, and on α2, α5, α6, β1 integrin-recognizing peptide AG10, show increased expression of aggrecan, N-cadherin, and types I and II collagen, suggesting a healthier, more juvenile-like phenotype. Multi-cell cluster formation was also observed to be more prominent on peptide-conjugated substrates. These findings indicate a critical role for cell-matrix interactions with specific ECM-mimetic peptides in supporting and maintaining a healthy NP cell phenotype and bioactivity. Statement of Significance NP cells reside in a laminin-rich environment that deteriorates with age, including a loss of water content and changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure that may lead to the development of a degenerated IVD. There is great interest in methods to re-express healthy, biosynthetically active NP cells using laminin-derived biomimetic peptides toward the goal of using autologous cell sources for tissue regeneration. Here, we describe a novel study utilizing several laminin mimetic peptides conjugated to polyacrylamide gels that are able to support an immature, healthy NP phenotype after culture on “soft” peptide gels. These findings can support future studies in tissue regeneration where cells may be directed to a desired regenerative phenotype using niche-specific ECM peptides.
Protocol for a Neurophenomenological Investigation of a Guided Imagery and Music Experience (Part I)

Abstract This article, Part I of II, describes the rationale and background literature of an investigation into a music and imagery (GIM) experience modeled upon the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music[1]. This investigation aimed to obtain an integrated description of participants’ subjective experiences and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses during the GIM session in order to gain understanding into the integrated neuronal and experiential demands of imaginal listening to music while in an altered state of consciousness (ASC). Neuroscience research has demonstrated the utility of EEG for investigating neuronal responses during ASCs, imagery, and music experiences. Additionally, several phenomenological studies have provided insight into the value and nature of client imagery in GIM contexts. Given evidence of both psychological and physiological benefits of the Bonny Method, and given the ever-growing neuroscience literature relating to phenomena occurring in GIM, there are likely relationships between participants’ imagery experiences and their brain behavior during a GIM session. This foundation justifies the use of neurophenomenology as a means of integrating individual participants’ EEG traces with their descriptions of their imagery experiences during a GIM session in order to obtain a description of the relationships between their subjective and neuronal phenomena. Keywords: Bonny Method, Guided Imagery and Music, neurophenomenology, EEG, Neuroimaging.
Bone Mineral Density to Assess Pediatric Bone Health in Drug Development

Pediatric bone health is an important part of the safety assessment of inhaled corticosteroids and certain other drugs. Current regulatory guidance for assessment of bone health for intranasal and inhaled corticosteroid drugs is a single 1-year study of linear growth. The objective of this study was to assess whether a significant change in bone mineral density (BMD) could be observed during a 12-month period in pediatric patients being treated for asthma with an inhaled corticosteroid using a previously conducted study. The publicly available information from the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) study was used to assess whether a statistically significant difference in BMD could be detected over a 1-year period. Patients who were at Tanner stage ≥2 were excluded from analysis as is stated in the present FDA Guidance on growth studies with inhaled corticosteroids, and children with any use of oral corticosteroids were also excluded. A comparison in BMD change over time (bone mineral accretion [BMA]) between baseline and 12 months of follow-up was made for the placebo and inhaled budesonide groups using multiple regression analysis to account for age, race, and gender as covariates. From the original 1041 patients in the CAMP study, 74 patients met the criteria for evaluation, with 42 patients receiving budesonide and 32 placebo patients. Children randomized to budesonide had a lower mean BMA than those receiving placebo (0.021 ± 0.023 [SD] g/cm2/y vs 0.036 ± 0.025 [SD]g/cm2/y). Conclusion: In a select pediatric patient population, a significant change in BMA can be observed over 12 months on an inhaled corticosteroid. Based on this post hoc analysis, measurement of BMA as an assessment of pediatric bone health may be considered for certain drugs, especially when there is a potential signal of bone toxicity from animal or human data. The clinical relevance of this finding is presently unknown, and more data on the relationship between changes in BMA and clinical pediatric bone health outcomes are needed.
Protein Metabolism of Oligodendroglial Cells In Vivo

The oligodendroglial cell and its associated myelin membranes have provided a unique opportunity to assess the in vivo protein metabolism of a given cell type in situ among a mixture of cell types. This is because the oligodendroglial cell synthesizes in large amounts several proteins that are virtually specific for oligodendroglia and myelin. Few attempts have been made to measure the overall rate of protein synthesis in oligodendroglia compared to other cell types or to examine individual proteins in the oligodendroglial cell body. Thus, this chapter will emphasize what is known about the metabolism of the oligodendroglial proteins in which myelin is enriched. We can trace our ability to examine these proteins to the development of methods for isolation of myelin and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. These methods, coupled with isotope tracer methods, have enabled us to learn a great deal about the metabolism of those oligodendroglial proteins that are deposited in myelin.
Attitudinal instrument development: Assessing cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains of teacher attitudes toward teaching all students

AbstractDespite their entree into the physical space of general education classrooms and the expected instruction of the core academic standards, students with disabilities may still be excluded. Successful inclusion requires a commitment at district, school and classroom level. The attitude of the general education teacher toward the inclusion of students with disabilities is a critical component in the success of inclusionary efforts. The attitudes toward teaching all students (ATTAS-mm) instrument are a nine-item scale with strong reliability and validity that measures educator attitudes. The three subscales: believing all students can succeed in general education classrooms (cognitive), developing personal and professional relationships (affective), and creating an accepting environment for all students to learn (behavioral) explain nearly 80% of the variance in scores. The unstandardized Cronbach alpha for the entire ATTAS-mm scale was 0.83. The three subscales also demonstrated acceptable reliabilit...
High-Resolution Measurements of Biomagnetic Fields

Attempts to understand the fundamental determinants of magnetic fields produced by bioelectric activity have been hindered by the low spatial resolution and 1 cm or greater Dewar thickness of conventional SQUID biomagnetometers. To overcome this and provide data for our model studies of the relationship of bioelectric and biomagnetic fields, we have built both superconducting and semiconductor magnetometers with small, room-temperature, toroidal pickup coils. We can readily measure cellular action currents in isolated nerve and muscle preparations, and are evaluating this instrument for use during neurosurgical repair of damaged peripheral nerves in humans. To analyze the 2 and 3-dimensional current distributions in the exposed, in vivo heart and brain, we are considering high-resolution SQUID systems, hopefully with coil diameters of only several millimeters and a similar coil-to-animal spacing.
Chapter 2 Speech: The Words You Say

Simply put, speech is what you say in a presentation. A speech targeted to the audience is essential for a presentation’s success. Consider J. Robert Oppenheimer’s early lectures given at California-Berkeley in 1929. Only 25 years old, but already well known for his work on the quantum theory, Oppenheimer began his teaching that first semester with a class full of eager graduate students. Halfway through the semester, though, the number of students registered for his course had dropped to one.
Last Man Standing: The American Who Stayed During the Rwandan Genocide - An Interview with Carl Wilkens

Carl Wilkens is a peace activist and an educator who headed up the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International in Rwanda (ADRA). He was the only American who chose to remain in Kigali, Rwanda during the genocide of 1994. His choice to remain in the country during that time of brutal atrocities resulted in the prevention of the murder of hundreds of children. Wilkens was featured in Frontline’s “Ghosts of Rwanda” and in “The Few Who Stayed: Defying Genocide,” an American Radio Works documentary broadcast on National Public Radio. He has received several humanitarian awards, including awards from Saint John’s School of Theology Seminary and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. He is a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor who devotes much of his time to promoting activism for peace. Wilkens and his wife, Teresa, founded World Outside My Shoes (see http://worldoutsidemyshoes.org ), a nonprofit educational and professional organization committed to inspiring and equipping people to enter the world of “the other,” which Wilkens indicates may be under our own roof or on the other side of the globe. The Wilkenses also started Pedaling for Peace (pedaling2Peace.org) and travel around the United States sharing their stories of hope. Jerri Shepard, Associate Professor in the School of Education at Gonzaga University, spoke with Wilkens on June 8, 2010.
The Role of NoX as a Precursor of Acidic Deposition

ABSTRACT Nitrogen oxides are important precursors of acidity in precipitation. They are known to incorporate with cloud and precipitation water, and to wet-deposit over a variety of time and distance scales. Source-receptor distances depend both upon the specific NO X compound in question and upon the precipitation type. The dominant precipitation-borne end product is nitrate ion . Despite their relevance to the important issue of precipitation acidity, very little is known regarding the mechanistic scavenging behavior of NO X compounds. The present paper provides an overview of current theoretical and observational information pertaining to NO X wet-removal, which is structured so as to note similarities and differences with SO X scavenging. This discussion is facilitated with a modeling analysis, which has been structured to illustrate the variety of scavenging patterns which may be experienced from the numerous types of NO X species.
Recreation and Leisure from a Wellness Perspective

Being in and of the community means more than residential living and employment. Indeed, it is through the successful combination of living, work, and recreation—leisure that most persons find meaning in life and experience the greatest personal growth, development, and sense of wellbeing. Our focus in this chapter is on recreation and leisure from a wellness perspective. Throughout the chapter we stress two basic points: First, recreation and leisure activities should provide a return to the person that is greater than mere entertainment; that is, recreation and leisure activities should improve the person’s social, emotional, and physical well-being and have a spillover effect on the other domains of living and work. Our second point is that recreation and leisure should be viewed and approached from the larger holistic perspective of wellness, which emphasizes physical fitness, nutrition, healthy life-styles, and stress management. To do otherwise would do an injustice to the concept of recreation not just for adults with disabilities but for all persons, and to overlook the significant trend in our current society toward health promotion and management.
Analysis of Mineral Matter in Coal

Publisher Summary Coals are complex mixtures of organic and inorganic species. The inorganic fraction is primarily composed of mineral species and associations of inorganic elements with organic material. This chapter discusses methods for the analysis of the mineral phases. It discusses the nature and occurrences of minerals associated with coals and the importance of minerals in coal utilization. There are many potential problems in obtaining a representative sample of the mineral matter associated with a specific coal. As extreme examples, a sample taken from the mining process almost certainly will contain large amounts of mineral matter, which will be removed during cleaning. The chapter discusses the separation of minerals from coal. Although the concentration of minerals in a coal is appreciable, it is desirable that they be separated from the coal in an unaltered form for analytical purposes.