cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synergistic effect of pro-inflammatory TNFα and IL-17 in periostin mediated collagen deposition: potential role in liver fibrosis.

Abstract Background The pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-17, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the role of TNFα and IL-17 toward induction of profibrotic factor, periostin. Methods HepG2 cells were cultured and treated with inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-17. Computational promoter sequence analysis of the periostin promoter was performed to define the putative binding sites for transcription factors. Transcription factors were analyzed by Western blot and Chromatin Immunoprecipitation. Periostin and transcription factor expression analysis was performed by RT-PCR, Western blot, and fluorescence microscopy. Type I collagen expression from fibroblast cultures was analyzed by Western blot and Sircol soluble collagen assay. Results Activation of HepG2 Cells with TNFα and IL-17 enhanced the expression of periostin (3.5 and 4.4 fold, respectively p 9.1 fold, p Conclusion TNFα and IL-17 induced fibrogenesis through cJun and STAT-3 mediated expression of profibrotic biomarker, periostin. Therefore, periostin might serve as a novel biomarker in early diagnosis of liver fibrosis.
Testing for nonlinearity with partially observed time series

We have implemented a Lagrange multiplier test specifically for the alternative of a nonlinear continuous-time autoregressive model with the instantaneous mean having one degree of nonlinearity. The test is then extended to testing for the alternative of general nonlinear continuous-time autoregressive models with multiple degrees of nonlinearity. The performance of the test in the finite-sample case is compared with several existing tests for nonlinearity including Keenan's (1985) test. Petruccelli & Davies' (1986) test and Tsay's (1986, 1989) tests. The comparison is based on simulated data from some linear autoregressive models, self-exciting threshold autoregressive models, bilinear models and the nonlinear continuous-time autoregressive models which the Lagrange multiplier test is designed to detect. The Lagrange multiplier test outperforms the other tests in detecting the model for which it is designed. Compared with the other tests, the test has excellent power in detecting bilinear models, but seems less powerful in detecting self-exciting threshold autoregressive nonlinearity. The test is further illustrated with the Hong Kong beach water quality data.
Hearing queerly: Musings on the ethics of disco/sexuality

Is the ‘queerness’ of disco ‘mere nostalgia’? Does it make sense of to speak of a ‘queer politics’ of disco at a moment when disco's heterosexualization seems complete? What would be the valence of the ‘political’ in disco? This article takes on these questions by examining disco as an affective discursive construction across multiple sites – popular reception, cultural criticism, video, and film. If ‘discophobia’ connotes the unequivocally homophobic and racist response to disco's origins, I use the term ‘disco/sexuality’ more ambiguously to take into account both the liberating and repressive effects of the 70s disco industry on the lives of the sexually marginalized divided along the lines of race, class, and gender. The first part of the article explores some of disco's own contradictions by looking at the little known but provocative video (Tell Me Why) The Epistemology of Disco in relation to scholarship by disco scholars like Richard Dyer, Walter Hughes, and Jeremy Gilbert. The second part examines...
Femoral component sizing in total knee arthroplasty: Size matched resection versus flexion space balancing

Generally, 2 different methods are used to select femoral size. These can be termed "size-matched resection" and "flexion-space balancing." The purpose of this paper is to compare these 2 methods during 50 sequential total knee arthroplasty surgeries. The flexion-space-balancing method led to a smaller size selection than the size-matched-resection method in 28 (56%) knees. In the remaining 22 knees, the measurement methods led to the selection of the same size femoral component. The difference in measurement methods was significant (P<.05). The preoperative varus knees were more sensitive to the differences in measurement methods than the valgus knees (P<.05). A flexion space that is too small may adversely affect the clinical outcome of knee arthroplasty.
Teaching lasers to control molecules.

We simulate a method to teach a laser pulse sequences to excite specified molecular states. We use a learning procedure to direct the production of pulses based on ``fitness'' information provided by a laboratory measurement device. Over a series of pulses the algorithm learns an optimal sequence. The experimental apparatus, which consists of a laser, a sample of molecules and a measurement device, acts as an analog computer that solves Schr\"odinger's equation n/Iexactly, in real time. We simulate an apparatus that learns to excite specified rotational states in a diatomic molecule.
tris(Hydroxymethyl)aminomethane: an artifact detected as an aminotetrose by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Abstract The monosaccharide content of the ethanol-soluble moiety of crude polysaccharide fractions of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta and the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni was investigated by gas-liquid chromatography of alditol acetate derivatives. A prominent, unusual peak was found, and mass spectrometry suggested identification as an aminotetrose, a fourcarbon aminosugar reported only once in the past 15 years [D. A. Cumming C. G. Hellerquist, and O. Touster (1981) , J. Biol. Chem.256, 7723–7726]. The unknown molecule was found to be tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), whose acetylated derivative has a mass spectrum identical to that of an aminotetrose. The source of the Tris was traced to buffers used in conjunction with polysaccharide isolation.
Quasi-two-body reactions in 13 GeV/c K + p interactions

Abstract We have studied the final states pK∗+(890), KON∗++(1236), and K∗O(890) N∗++(1236) as produced in 12.7 GeV/c K+p interactions. The density matrix elements and t-distributions have been obtained and are compared to theoretical models.
Transport of lipids from high and low density lipoproteins via scavenger receptor-BI.

The scavenger receptor-BI (SR-BI) delivers sterols from circulating lipoproteins to tissues, but the relative potency of individual lipoproteins and the transported cholesterol has not been studied in detail. In this study, we used Chinese hamster ovary cells that express recombinant mouse SR-BI but have no functional low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors (ldlA7-SRBI cells) to compare the fate of lipids transferred from high or low density lipoproteins to cells by SR-BI. HDL and LDL were equally effective in mediating the transfer of [3H]cholesterol to cells. Only 5% of the free cholesterol transferred to cells was esterified, in direct contrast to the findings in the cells that express LDL receptors in which 50% of the transported cholesterol was esterified. Almost all the free cholesterol transferred from lipoproteins to cells was rapidly excreted when the ldlA7-SRBI cells were switched to media containing unlabeled lipoproteins. SR-BI expression was associated with an increase in selective cholesteryl ester uptake from both lipoproteins, but HDL was a more effective donor. HDL and LDL were equally effective in delivering cholesterol to the intracellular regulatory pool via SR-BI. These data indicate that SR-BI is able to exchange cholesterol rapidly between lipoproteins and cell membranes and can mediate the uptake of cholesteryl esters from both classes of lipoproteins.
Serologic relationship between streptococcus group H and streptococcus sanguis.

SummaryRepresentative strains of streptococcus group H and Streptococcus sanguis and of 40 strains from samples of air and from cases of subacute bacterial endocarditis identified as group H were tested with unabsorbed and selected absorbed antisera produced against streptococcus group H No. 36251 and Streptococcus sanguis types I and II. The results of the tests indicated that the strains belonged in at least 5 antigenically different types.
Management of posttraumatic nasal deformities: the crooked nose and the saddle nose

The crooked nose deformity and the saddle nose deformity represent two of the most challenging complications of nasal trauma. Optimal management requires careful preoperative analysis and thoughtful surgical planning. The surgeon must make the mental and philosophical commitment to address the difficult cosmetic components and the functional problems related to these deformities. Because these conditions result from disruptions of the nasal septum, their surgical correction mandates use of techniques that modify the septum, and they might require reconstruction of the sacrosanct dorsal-caudal strut. By understanding the three-dimensional anatomy of this L-shaped strut, how its relationship to the other structural components of the nose determines external nasal contour, and the techniques available to stabilize this structure into an optimal position, the surgeon can correct these difficult cosmetic problems effectively while maintaining the overall structural and functional integrity of the nose.
Nonrigid molecule effects on the energy levels of XeF6

The geometric and electronic structure of XeF6 is not yet fully understood, even though most of the means of structure determination available to the chemist have been employed in an effort to describe the molecule. We suggest that many of the experimental anomalies and theoretical difficulties arise from the possibility of rapid polytopal rearrangement in this system, and put forward in this report an analysis which accommodates the experimental data. We show that easy rearrangement produces substantial splittings in rigid-molecule energy levels, and with the aid of Longuet-Higgins group theory developed expressly for flexible molecules, compute energy-level schemes for a set of plausible rearrangement modes. By appropriate choice of parameters specifying the extent of splitting, we match the reported infrared and Raman spectra, and their temperature dependence. The puzzling “time lag” in the Raman (but not the infrared) spectrum is tentatively ascribed to selective relaxation of Raman-active vibrational modes.
the 2007 california citrus freeze: vulnerability, poverty, and unemployment issues of farmworkers

In January of 2007, freezing temperatures destroyed citrus and vegetable crops in California. By May 2007, more than 9,000 freeze-related unemployment applications had been filed. Through face-to-face interviews, this study documents the experience of 63 farmworkers to find out how they survived the freeze and accessed services. Findings revealed that more than half of the interviewees did not seek benefits from the governmental One-Stop centers set up to help them. Less than 10% of interviewees stated the benefits had covered their needs. Creating simple, nonbureaucratic guidelines for assisting affected individuals emerged as a need.
Enzymic degradation of desoxyribonucleic acid by crystalline desoxyribonuclease.

Abstract Small amounts of 5-desoxycytidylic acid were identified in the digest of desoxyribonucleic acid with desoxyribonuclease. Since only mild conditions have been used during the chromatographic isolation, it is believed that this mononucleotide resulted from the direct action of the enzyme and not from subsequent treatment of the digest. In addition, a second substance having almost identical spectrophotometric properties has been observed. It has not been definitely identified at present, but it is believed to be either 3-deoxycytidylic acid or a polymer of desoxycytidylic acids.
β-Adrenergic Control of c-fos Expression in Fetal and Neonatal Rat Tissues: Relationship to Cell Differentiation and Teratogenesis

beta-Adrenergic receptors appear in noradrenergic target tissues well before the arrival of nerve terminals, and are thought to play a role in the control of cell differentiation. We examined the ability of beta-agonists to stimulate expression of the nuclear transcription factor, c-fos, in developing rat liver and heart. This factor has been shown to associated with trophic activation of genes involved in both cell differentiation and cell growth. In response to terbutaline, a beta 2-selective agonist, marked stimulation of c-fos was demonstrated in the liver, which contains beta 2-receptors, on Gestational Day 20, as well as on Postnatal Days 1 and 8. In the heart, which contains predominantly beta 1-receptors, isoproterenol (a non-subtype-selective beta-agonist) was more effective that terbutaline, indicating that either receptor subtype can elicit stimulation of c-fos. In both tissues, the response magnitude increased with age, rather than following changes in receptor number, which increase in the heart but decrease in the liver; the same pattern has been seen for the ability of beta-agonists to promote cell differentiation at the expense of replication; the implication is that ontogenetic changes in post-receptor coupling are much more important than is the number of receptors in determining neurotrophic influences on gene expression and cell development. In keeping with the view that fetal/neonatal beta-adrenergic stimulation of c-fos is related to cell differentiation rather than simply to growth, repeated administration of isoproterenol to neonatal rats did not elicit cardiac hypertrophy, whereas the same treatment did produce hypertrophy in adult rats. The intracellular signaling cascade from beta-receptor to c-fos expression may thus provide one of the basic cellular mechanisms for trophic control of differentiation by biogenic amines, and for the teratologies associated with beta-adrenergic agonist therapy.
Developmental Neurotoxicity: Evaluation of Testing Procedures with Methylazoxymethanol and Methylmercury

Abstract Developmental Neurotoxicity: Evaluation of Testing Procedures with Methylazoxymethanol and Methylmercury. Goldey, E. S., O'Callaghan, J. P., Stanton, M. E., Barone, S., Jr., and Crofton, K. M. (1994). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 23, 447-464. Testing procedures for identification of potential developmental neurotoxicants were evaluated using two prototypical developmental neurotoxicants, methylazoxymethanol (MAM) and methylmercury (MeHg). Evaluation of offspring of Long-Evans rats incorporated assessments of developmental toxicity, neurochemistry, histology, and behavior, with most testing being completed near weaning. A number of endpoints in the testing strategy were sensitive to the effects of prenatal exposure to MAM [30 mg/kg on Gestation Day (GD) 15]; (1) MAM caused reduced neonatal body weights but did not effect viability or postnatal survivorship; (2) measurement of total and regional brain weight and histological analysis showed that a number of regions, the cortex and hippocampus in particular, were affected by MAM exposure; (3) an assay for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) showed that the concentration of this protein was significantly increased in the cortex and hippocampus of treated offspring; (4) a T-maze delayed-alternation procedure indicated that MAM-treated pups were slower in the acquisition phase of the task relative to control pups; (5) motor activity testing revealed hyperactivity in treated offspring that persisted into adulthood; and (6) acoustic startle procedures revealed reduced startle amplitudes in preweanlings. Few endpoints were significantly affected by prenatal MeHg exposure (1, 2, or 4 mg/kg on GD 6-15). High fetal and neonatal mortality and lower neonatal body weights were detected at the highest dose of MeHg. Although minimal effects of MeHg may reflect a relative insensitivity of the test species and/or the test methods, the combined results from both chemicals suggest that some procedures not currently required in the developmental neurotoxicity guideline may be useful in hazard identification, and further evaluation with other chemicals, species, strains, and/or exposure paradigms may be warranted.
Echographic Evaluation of Glaucoma Shunts

Background: It is frequently impossible to determine by clinical examination alone if a filtering bleb is present over the equatorial plate(s) of a glaucoma shunt. This uncertainty can result in management dilemmas when patients with these devices have elevated intraocular pressures (IOPs). The authors describe how standardized echography can be used to determine if fluid is present around the plates and to characterize the blebs. Methods: Four hundred twenty-seven plates in 269 patients who had undergone single- or double-plate Molteno implantation underwent standardized echography (both A- and B-scan examinations) to determine if blebs were present around the plates, primarily when results of slit-lamp examinations had been inconclusive. Bleb sizes, locations, and characteristics also were evaluated. Results: Sixty-five percent of the plates had associated blebs, which were graded according to their sizes (small, medium, and large, in 29%, 44%, and 27% of plates with blebs, respectively). Fluid (which appeared as an echolucent area) could be seen underlying and/or overlying the plates (which appeared as echodense lines). Larger blebs were often associated with scleral flattening. Although bleb sizes did not necessarily correlate with the levels of IOP control, the presence of a bleb on ultrasound was indicative of tube patency. Conclusion: Standardized echography was invaluable in the postoperative management-of patients who had undergone Molteno implantation because it demonstrated the presence or absence of blebs and characterized them when results of slit-lamp examinations had been inconclusive. This technique also can be used to evaluate similarly designed aqueous shunting devices.
Dual Code Compression for Embedded Systems

Computer architects aim to make embedded systems more powerful and space efficient. Code compression is traditionally used to reduce the code size by compressing the instructions with higher static frequency. However, it may introduce decompression overhead. Performance-aware compression techniques try to improve performance through reduction of cache misses by utilizing the dynamic instruction frequency, but it sacrifices code size. We propose a dual compression scheme that aims to simultaneously optimize both code size reduction and performance improvement. Experimental results show that our approach can simultaneously achieve best of both scenarios - achieves up to 40% compression efficiency and an average performance improvement of 50%.
Perceived Difficulty of Diabetes Treatment in Primary Care: Does it Differ by Patient Ethnicity?

PURPOSEThe purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the attitudes of internal medicine physicians toward treating diabetes in different patient ethnic groups and compared with treating common chronic medical conditions in primary care.METHODSThe survey instrument was administered to 55 internal medicine physicians. An e-mail message was sent to each physician with a hyperlink to a site where the survey could be completed. The instrument was a modified, quantitative 10-point scale designed to measure attitudes regarding the difficulty of treating diabetes.RESULTSDiabetes was perceived to be more difficult to treat than hyperlipidemia and angina. African Americans with diabetes were perceived to be more difficult to treat than Caucasian patients. Difficulty in treating diabetes was comparable to that for hypertension, arthritis, and congestive heart failure. Physicians were confident about treatment efficacy for diabetes and changing diabetes outcomes, but not about the adequacy of time and re...
Shear vibration of vertically inhomogeneous earth dams

Closed-form solution to the problem of free vibrations of vertically inhomogeneous earth dams, modelled as truncated-wedge-shaped shear beams, has been obtained by implementing an inverse procedure in which the determination of the function descrbing the inhomogeneity constitutes part of the problem. The resulting cube-root variation of the shear-wave velocity with distance from the crest compares very favourably with measurements in two Japanese dams. The results of the method are presented in theform of natural periods, modal shapes and average seismic coefficients for a number of truncation ratios. Compared with an ‘equivalent’ homogeneous dam, the inhomogeneous experiences sharper amplification of modal displacements and greater averge seismic, coefficients near the crest and has natural periods which are closer to each other. This behaviour is in better agreement with the observed response of a 37m-high dam during five earthquake motions.
Ability of Serotonin and Norepinephrine to Mimic the Central Effects of Reserpine on Vasomotor Activity

Reserpine, serotonin, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptophan and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine had qualitatively the same cardiovascular effects when they were injected into a lateral ventricle or into the cisterna magna. All lowered arterial pressure, usually caused bradycardia despite prior section of the vagus nerves, and caused marked inhibition of the pressor response to occlusion of the common carotid arteries. Essentially the same results were obtained in unanesthetized as in anesthetized dogs. On a weight basis, norepinephrine was the more active amine tested and 5-hydroxytryptophan was more active than serotonin and 3,4 dihydroxyphenylalanine. Reserpine injected centrally had an effect equivalent to that of 20 or more times larger dosage given intravenously. All drugs were more active against the response to carotid occlusion than against the reflex pressor response to stimulation of a cut central end of a sciatic or vagus nerve. Decreased afferent electric activity of the carotid sinus nerve accompanied lowering of arterial pressure following central injection of small dosage, or intravenous injection of large dosage, of 5-hydroxytryptophan, indicating that the cardiovascular effects are not due to a direct action of 5-hydroxytryptophan on carotid sinus baroceptors. Central injection of an amine oxidase inhibitor, beta-phenylisopropylhydrazine, markedly augmented and prolonged the cardiovascular effects of the amines and of reserpine as well. These results are all consistent with, though they do not validate, the premise that the acute cardiovascular effects of reserpine are mediated centrally by serotonin and/or norepinephrine, either released from a bound and inactive to a free and active form, or formed by decarboxylation of their respective amino acids.
Antiretroviral programme in rural Uganda

It is said that for every complicated problem there is a simple and inexpensive solution--not so. Complex problems are best solved by interventions that are carefully considered comprehensive and multifaceted. Such is the case when learning how to deliver anti retroviral therapy in resource-poor settings. Man aging patients on such drugs is intrinsically challenging because of: the nature of HIV/ AIDS; the need for regimens that are rife with toxicities and potential drug interactions; and the unforgiving need for sustained levels of superb adherence far above that generally regarded as typical or acceptable for many other chronic diseases. The enormity of this challenge becomes more apparent when a sustainable system for chronic AIDS care is implemented in the context of health-care systems designed for acute disease management and which are themselves chronically under-staffed and under-supported. (excerpt)
Stability of Ondansetron Stored in Polypropylene Syringes

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the stability of ondansetron hydrochloride undiluted and mixed in dextrose 5% injection or NaCl 0.9% injection during storage in polypropylene syringes when frozen, refrigerated, or at room temperature.DESIGN:Batch quantities of ondansetron 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/mL were prepared and individual doses of 10.5 mg were drawn into polypropylene syringes that were stored at −20 °C for up to 3 months, at 4 °C for up to two weeks, or at 22–25 °C for two days, and various combinations of these conditions. At defined sampling times aliquots were withdrawn from syringes, the solution visually inspected, pH measured, and ondansetron concentration determined by HPLC. Drug loss of ≥10 percent of the original content of the solution was considered clinically significant.RESULTS:The ondansetron concentration in each solution, regardless of storage conditions, remained above 90 percent of the original concentration at each observation time (range 92–107 percent). No changes in color or clarity o...
Multi-domain Hierarchical Free-Sketch Recognition Using Graphical Models

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in sketch-based user interfaces, but the problem of robust free-sketch recognition remains largely unsolved. This chapter presents a graphical-model-based approach to free-sketch recognition that uses context to improve recognition accuracy without placing unnatural constraints on the way the user draws. Our approach uses context to guide the search for possible interpretations and uses a novel form of dynamically constructed Bayesian networks to evaluate these interpretations. An evaluation of this approach on two domains—family trees and circuit diagrams—reveals that in both domains the use of context to reclassify low-level shapes significantly reduces recognition error over a baseline system that does not reinterpret low-level classifications. Finally, we discuss an emerging technique to solve a major remaining challenge for multi-domain sketch recognition revealed by our evaluation: the problem of grouping strokes into individual symbols reliably and efficiently, without placing unnatural constraints on the user’s drawing style.
Some methods for the quantitative estimation of crystal growth parameters from observed step patterns

Abstract Methods are presented to derive crystal growth parameters, as the radius of critical nucleus, diffusion parameters and stress parameters from snap-shots of step patterns. Easy equations are obtained for rigid step shapes which are stationary in time, leading to quantitative interpretation of several common step patterns. In the case of non-stationary step shapes we were able to correlate computer simulations of step patterns with observations. We estimated the radius of the critical nucleus and Frank's radius on silicon carbide and the mean displacement of growth units on the surface of flux-grown garnet.
Foundational analyses of computation

How can one possibly analyze computation in general? The task seems daunting if not impossible. There are too many different kinds of computation, and the notion of general computation seems too amorphous. As in quicksand, one needs a rescue point, a fulcrum. In computation analysis, a fulcrum is a particular viewpoint on computation that clarifies and simplifies things to the point that analysis becomes possible. We review from that point of view the few foundational analyses of general computation in the literature: Turing's analysis of human computations, Gandy's analysis of mechanical computations, Kolmogorov's analysis of bit-level computation, and our own analysis of computation on the arbitrary abstraction level.
A linear solvation energy relationship model of organic chemical partitioning to particulate organic carbon in soils and sediments.

Predicting the association of contaminants with particulate organic matter in the environment is critical in determining the fate and bioavailability of chemicals. A ubiquitous measure of contaminant association with soil and sediment particulate organic matter is the organic carbon partition coefficient K(OC) . Chemical class-specific models relating the K(OC) to the octanol-water partition coefficient K(OW) have been used to predict the partitioning to organic carbon in the water column and sediment for nonpolar hydrophobic pollutants and some polar pollutants. A single linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) is proposed as a simpler and chemically based alternative for predicting K(OC) for a more diverse set of compounds. A chemically diverse set of K(OC) data is used to obtain a more robust and more universally representative model of organic carbon partitioning than previously available LSER models. The resulting model has a root mean square error (RMSE) of prediction for log K(OC) of RMSE = 0.48 for the fitted data set and RMSE = 0.55 for an independent data set. An analysis of LSER coefficients highlights the relative importance of hydrogen bonding interactions.
Energy-Aware Self-Stabilization in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: A Multicasting Case Study

Dynamic networks, e.g. mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), call for adaptive protocols that can tolerate topological changes due to nodes' mobility and depletion of battery power. Also proactivity in these protocols is essential to ensure low latency. Self-stabilization techniques for distributed systems provide both adaptivity and proactivity to make it suitable for the MANETs. However, energy-efficiency - a prime concern in MANETs with battery-powered nodes - is not guaranteed by self-stabilization. In this paper, we propose a node-based energy metric that minimizes the energy consumption of the multicast tree by taking into account the overhearing cost. We apply the metric to self-stabilizing shortest path spanning tree (SS-SPST) protocol to obtain energy-aware SS-SPST (SS-SPST-E). Using simulations, we study the energy-latency tradeoff by comparing SS-SPST-E with SS-SPSTand other MANET multicast protocols, such as ODMRP and MAODV.
Teaching Business Statistics With Real Data To Undergraduates And The Use Of Technology In The Class Room

In this paper an attempt is made to highlight some issues of interpretation of statistical concepts and interpretation of results as taught in undergraduate Business statistics courses. The use of modern technology in the class room is shown to have increased the efficiency and the ease of learning and teaching in statistics. The importance of using real data in examples and exercises in class room teaching is emphasized.
Single gene disorders associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common birth defect with a high pre- and postnatal mortality. Although the majority of diaphragmatic hernias occur as isolated malformations, additional major and minor anomalies are common and are present in more than 40% of patients. There are compelling data for the importance of genetic factors in the etiology of CDH, but the pathogenesis and the causative genes for CDH in humans remain elusive. There are more than 70 syndromes in which diaphragmatic hernias have been described, and several of these syndromes are single gene disorders for which the gene is known. One method for identifying the causative genes in isolated CDH is to study syndromes with known genes in which CDH is a recognized feature, with the rationale that those genes have a role in diaphragm development. This review discusses the syndromes that are most commonly associated with CDH, with greater attention towards syndromes in which the causative genes have been identified, including Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, Denys-Drash syndrome, spondylocostal dysostosis, craniofrontonasal syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Marfan syndrome. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Is Globalization Good for Wine Drinkers in the United States

To determine whether globalization is good for wine drinkers in the U.S., we examine the Wine Spectator's annual Top 100 lists, published since 1988. During this period, the average real price for these wines decreases from $43 to $26. Quality is consistent at around 93 points. Variety increases from six to twelve countries; the share of countries dominating the early lists declines from 95% to 75% over time. Our regression analysis indicates that when a New-New World wine replaces an Old World one, the average real price of the Top 100 list falls by 2.5%. (JEL Classification: F120, F140, C200)
The future of federal drug abuse research how can we best maximize scarce resources

Abstract Research progress has always been a most important product in the Federal Government's drug abuse effort for without it there is no knowledge base for rational drug abuse prevention and treatment. In this paper I would like to briefly describe the current research picture to note some of the accomplishments and longer range objectives, and to speculate about some of the problems with which we are now confronted.to speculate about some
Determinants of action potential initiation in isolated rabbit atrial and ventricular myocytes

Action potential conduction through the atrium and the ventricle of the heart depends on the membrane properties of the atrial and ventricular cells, particularly with respect to the determinants o...
Third Compartment Ulcers in the Llama

The diagnosis of third compartment ulcers in the llama and alpaca is largely one of exclusion. Clinical signs may include mild to severe colic, inappetence, decreased fecal output, bruxism, and depression. Abdominocentesis results are usually unremarkable if C3 perforation has not occurred but reflective of a generalized peritonitis if full thickness ulceration has occurred. The H-2 receptor antagonists cimetidine and ranitidine do not suppress C3 acid production for a significant period of time and are of questionable efficacy in the management of C3 ulcers.
Five-Year Operational Trial of Verbenone to Deter Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae; Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Attack of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)

Abstract The antiaggregation pheromone verbenone was operationally tested for 5 yr to deter mass attack by the mountain pine beetle on lodgepole pine in campgrounds and administrative areas surrounding Redfish and Little Redfish Lakes at the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in central Idaho. Each year, five-gram verbenone pouches were evenly distributed (≈10 m apart) within seven of 14 0.2-ha plots. During the first 2 yr of the study a median of 12% of the host trees >13 cm dbh were attacked and killed on the treated plots, whereas trees on the untreated plots incurred a median mortality of 59%. When ≈50% of the trees on the untreated plots were killed a detectable beetle response to verbenone on the treated plots dramatically declined. After 5 yr, mountain pine beetle had killed a median of 87% of the lodgepole pine trees >13 cm in untreated plots and 67% in plots containing verbenone pouches. Beetle pressure was higher on untreated plots in 2000 and 2001, nearly equal between treatments in 2002, higher...
A novel Technique for Suppressing Undesired Coupling of LP01 Mode to Cladding Modes in Fiber Bragg Gratings

We proose a novel technique to suppress the undesired coupling of the funamental mode to the cladding modes in a fiber grating by using a multimode grating fiber inserted between a pair of single mode fibers.
The Effects of Cortical Bone Viscoelasticity on the Short-Term Fixation of Press-Fit Cylindrical Intramedullary Rods

Cementless femoral implants have demonstrated widespread clinical success, particularly in the patient populations for which various cemented techniques have been troublesome [1–4]. Long-term fixation and consequent clinical stability occurs primarily via bony ingrowth into a porous-coated implant surface. The adequacy of this biologic fixation depends in part upon the initial or short-term fixation of the implant with respect to the adjacent bone [5,6]. Short-term fixation refers to the post-operative limitation of relative motion between the porous-coated implant surface and the adjacent bone structure. This relative motion, or micromotion, may be limited by utilizing a porous implant coating in concert with a stem press-fit — both increase the frictional resistance to motion [7]. The holding power of the press-fit over time is dependent upon the viscoelastic nature of cortical bone. Data has long been available in the literature for the viscoelastic behavior of cortical bone in the longitudinal direction [8]; however, a transverse viscoelasticity model is required to evaluate a press-fit since it generates considerable radial and circumferential stress but very little axial stress. Only recently has such a model become available [9].© 2002 ASME
Adapting a large-scale multi-mission ground system for low-cost CubeSats

The majority of today's CubeSat fleet consists of Earth-orbiting missions that mostly use existing ground systems developed by universities because of availability, simplicity, and low-cost. The Interplanetary NanoSpacecraft Pathfinder In Relevant Environment (INSPIRE) mission is a revolutionary CubeSat mission that will launch a pair of CubeSats into deep space to study the feasibility of CubeSats beyond low-Earth orbit. This uncovers a new set of systems and software engineering challenges to the development of a robust and reliable ground system in a low-cost environment. In this paper, we discuss the approach to these challenges by using the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Advanced Multimission Operation System (AMMOS) Ground Data System (GDS) as well as the methodologies used to engineer the flight system to work with an existing ground system developed for large-scale missions. Specifically we will focus on the command and telemetry subsystem of AMMOS, the Multimission Data Processing and Control System. We conclude with a retrospective on the challenges encountered and a brief discussion on our efforts to provide AMMOS to support future deep space CubeSat missions.
Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis and neurocognitive function in an urban population

Abstract Background and aims Examine age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status as modifiers of the association between carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT) and neurocognitive performance in a socioeconomically diverse, biracial, urban, adult population. Methods Participants were 1712 community-dwelling adults (45% men, 56% African-American, 38% below poverty threshold, aged 30–64 years) enrolled in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. Participants underwent initial carotid ultrasonography followed by cognitive testing on up to two occasions over 4 years. Mixed-effects regression analyses were adjusted for demographic, behavioral, and biomedical covariates. Results Significant cross-sectional IMT × race × poverty interactions were identified for measures of delayed recall memory, auditory-verbal attention, and working memory. An IMT × race interaction also appeared for auditory-verbal learning. Higher IMT was generally associated with worse cognitive performance, but the disadvantage was most pronounced among those with higher socioeconomic status and white participants. No longitudinal associations were identified. Conclusions Carotid IMT-cognition associations differed as a function of race and socioeconomic status and were most compelling for measures of attention, executive function, and memory. These findings highlight the possibility that subclinical atherosclerosis may be differentially informative as a predictor of cognitive performance among varied demographic subgroups.
Association between dietary sodium intake and cognitive function in older adults

To examine the association of dietary sodium intake with cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults. Cross-sectional study. Southern California community. White men (n=373) and women (n=552), aged 50-96 years from the Rancho Bernardo Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease risk factors and healthy aging. During the 1992-1996 research clinic visit, a food frequency questionnaire was used to determine daily sodium intake; cognitive function was assessed with Trails Making Test, part B (Trails B), Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT); and medical, clinical and demographic information was obtained. Linear regression was used to assess the association between calorie-adjusted sodium intake and cognitive test scores with adjustment for demographic, behavioral and health measures. Logistic regression examined the odds of having cognitive impairment by sodium intake. Lower sodium intake was associated with poorer performance on Trails B (p=0.008) and MMSE (p=0.003) after controlling for age, sex, and education. Associations did not differ by sex, but there was a significant interaction by age for the Trails B: older (≥80 years), but not younger, adults showed worse performance with lower sodium intake (p=0.03). Associations remained significant after additional adjustment for smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, body weight, cardiovascular risk factors, kidney function, diuretic medication use, and diet quality. Lower daily sodium intake was associated with increased odds of cognitive impairment on the MMSE (score < 26; OR per SD decrease = 1.12, 95% CI 1.08, 1.16).
srcML 1.0: Explore, Analyze, and Manipulate Source Code

This technology briefing is intended for those interested in constructing custom software analysis and manipulation tools to support research or commercial applications. srcML (srcML.org) is an infrastructure consisting of an XML representation for C/C++/C#/Java source code along with efficient parsing technology to convert source code to-and-from the srcML format. The briefing describes srcML, the toolkit, and the application of XPath and XSLT to query and modify source code. Additionally, a short tutorial of how to use srcML and XML tools to construct custom analysis and manipulation tools will be conducted.
Legislative Progress on Soil Contamination Prevention and Control in China

At present, China is plagued by serious soil contamination. Specific legislation to deal with the problem is soon to be promulgated. Although much progress has been made on legislation for contamination prevention and control, there are still many gaps in the legal framework, including a standardized system for supervision and management, soil environment investigation, pollution monitoring, risk assessment, and restoration and control. There are still many disagreements over some of these matters. This article argues that legislators should recognize and attach importance to these matters and disagreements and enact modern legislation that takes the most recent international developments and thinking into account.
How are patients influenced when counseled for minimally invasive lumbar spine surgeries? A stepwise model assessing pivotal information for decision-making.

Abstract Background Context Although minimally invasive surgery (MIS)-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) has many evidence-based short-term benefits over open TLIF, both procedures have similar long-term outcomes. Patients' preference for MIS over open TLIF may be confounded by a lack of understanding of what each approach entails. Purpose The study aimed to identify the various factors influencing patients' choice between MIS and open TLIF. Study Design/Setting This is a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary health-care institution. Patient Sample Patients, for whom TLIF procedures were indicated, were recruited over a 3-month period from specialist outpatient clinics. Outcome Measure The outcome measure was patients' choice of surgical approach (MIS or open). Methods All patients were subjected to a stepwise interviewing process and were asked to select between open and MIS approaches at each step. Further subgroup analysis stratifying subjects based on stages of decision-making was performed to identify key predictors of selection changes. No sources of funding were required for this study and there are no conflicts of interests. Results Fifty-four patients with a mean age of 55.8 years participated in the study. Thirteen (24.1%) consistently selected a single approach, whereas 31 (57.4%) changed their selection more than once during the interviewing process. Overall, 12 patients (22.2%) had a final decision different from their initial choice, and 15 patients (27.8%) were unable to decide. A large proportion of patients (65.0%) initially favored the open approach's midline incision. This proportion dropped to 16.7% (p MIS . The proportion of patients favoring MIS dropped significantly following discussion on the pros and cons (p=.002) of each approach, as well as conversion or revision surgery (p=.017). Radiation and cosmesis were identified as the two most important factors influencing patients' final decisions. Conclusions The longer midline incision of the open approach is cosmetically more appealing to patients than the paramedian stab wounds of MIS. The advantages of the MIS approach may not be as valued by patients as they are by surgeons. Given the equivalent long-term outcomes of both approaches, it is crucial that patients are adequately informed during preoperative counseling to achieve the best consensus decision.
The gradual transformation of a weak but enduring regime: contemporary French prostitution policy in transition (1946-2016)

Historically, states have tended to opt for one of three prostitution policy regimes: prohibition, regulation or the abolition of state regulation with a view to providing social support to the ind...
Particle distribution variation on linear and circular polarization persistence in fog environments

Scattering environment conditions, such as fog, pose a challenge for many detection and surveillance active sensing operations in both ground and air platforms. For example, current autonomous vehicles rely on a range of optical sensors that are affected by degraded visual environments. Real-world fog conditions can vary widely depending on the location and environmental conditions during its creation. In our previous work we have shown benefits for increasing signal and range through scattering environments such as fog utilizing polarized light, specifically circular polarization. In this work we investigate the effect of changing fog particle sizes and distributions on polarization persistence for both circularly and linearly polarized light via simulation. We present polarization tracking Monte Carlo results for a range of realistic monodisperse particle sizes as well as varying particle size distributions as a model of scattering environments. We systematically vary the monodisperse particle size, mean particle size of a distribution, particle size distribution width, and number of distribution lobes (bi-modal), as they affect polarized light transmission through a scattering environment. We show that circular polarization signal persists better than linear polarization signal for most variations of the particle distribution parameters.
Legal Issues: The Right to Be Forgotten

There’s quite a bit of information available about quite a number of people and inevitably, some of those pieces of information include that which the subject would like to see forgotten. Whether it’s a news article about a past DUI or misdemeanor offense, a financial embarrassment like a foreclosure, a social media posting that is later regretted, or a piece of a person’s past that is no longer relevant in the present, the ubiquity and pervasiveness of the Internet and its search engines makes forgetting information very challenging, if not impossible. As the world’s largest search engine, Google is in the middle of a global battle over what some term as “the right to be forgotten” (RtbF). RtbF is a right, protected by law, to have certain information about a particular person to be removed either from the Internet completely, or to be removed as a link that would show up in response to a search. The center of the RtbF movement is in the European Union (EU), where some level of RtbF right has been recognized for the last two years, and a recent order from the French data protection agency has ordered Google to expand RtbF protection for French citizens to a worldwide level.