cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Nisin on the Outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum Spores

Nisin, an antibiotic produced by certain strains of Streptococcus lactis, is effective in preventing the outgrowth of Clostridium botulinum spores. Type A C. botulinum spores were the most resistant to the inhibitory action of nisin requiring 1000-2000 I.U. of nisin/ml for a 50% inhibition of outgrowth on TPYG agar plates. Type E spores were more sensitive requiring only 50-100 I.U./ml for 50% inhibition of outgrowth on TPYG agar plates. Type B spores displayed an intermediate level of sensitivity requiring 500-1000 I.U. of nisin/ml for 50% inhibition of outgrowth on TPYG agar plates. Similar levels of nisin were necessary to prevent spore outgrowth in TPYG broth and BHI broth over a 7-day incubation period. With prolonged incubation periods of up to 65 days in TPYG broth, spore outgrowth was observed sporadically at higher nisin levels with the type A and B spores which may indicate some decomposition of nisin with storage. Nisin levels of 5000 I.U./ml for the type A spores and 2000 I.U./ml for the type B spores and the Minnesota E spores were insufficient to prevent spore outgrowth by C. botulinurn in cooked meat medium. For the Beluga E spores, a nisin level of 2000 I.U./ml was necessary to prevent spore outgrowth in cooked meat medium. The need for higher levels of nisin in cooked medium to prevent spore outgrowth may be due to the binding of the nisin by meat particles.
Bridging the domains of high-level and logic synthesis

High-level synthesis operates on internal models known as control/data flow graphs (CDFG) and produces a register-transfer-level (RTL) model of the hardware implementation for a given schedule. For high-level synthesis to be efficient, it has to estimate the effect that a given algorithmic decision (e.g., scheduling, allocation) will have on the final hardware implementation (after logic synthesis). The main problem in evaluating this effect is that the CDFGs are very distinct from the RTL/gate-level models used by logic synthesis. This makes it impossible to estimate hardware costs accurately. Moreover, the fact that high-level and logic synthesis operate on different internal models precludes on-the-fly interactions between these tools. This paper presents a solution to these problems consisting of a novel internal model for synthesis which spans the domains of high-level and logic synthesis. This model is an RTL/gate-level network capable of representing all possible schedules that a given behavior may assume. This representation allows high-level synthesis algorithms to be formulated as logic transformations and effectively interleaved with logic synthesis.
Range and In-Flight Densities of Barley Thrips in the Northwest United States

The barley thrips, Limothrips denticornis, is a new pest in Idaho. Because of economic crop losses attributed to barley thrips in 1990 and 1991, a study was begun in 1992 to determine its biology and life history in eastern Idaho. Suction traps were used to determine in-flight densities of barley thrips during the barley growing season. An extensive tri-state suction trap system was used to delineate its range in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. A suction trap at the Univ. of Idaho, Tetonia Res. and Ext. Ctr., was located within the original area of economic crop damage. Sampling results from this trap were used to monitor the early spring and late summer migration flights of adult females into and out of winter wheat and spring barley. The distribution of barley thrips within the tri-state area included locations where economic losses had not been reported and resulted in new collection records for northern Idaho and Washington. The trap record for northern Idaho was later confirmed in the field.
Lymphangitic metastasis of recurrent renal cell carcinoma to the contralateral lung causing lymphangitic carcinomatosis and respiratory symptoms.

Renal cell carcinoma comprises 80%–85% of kidney malignancies. For early presentations, nephrectomy provides a high cure rate, but patients usually present at advanced stages, leading to poor outcomes. Even for patients without metastatic spread who undergo nephrectomy, metastatic recurrence is frequent. We report the case of a patient who underwent nephrectomy for stage iii renal cell carcinoma and who presented 20 months later with respiratory symptoms consistent with pneumonia, influenza, or (less likely) congestive heart failure or a cardiac event. Persistent right pleural effusion on serial chest radiographs despite treatment prompted computed tomography evaluation, which revealed lymphangitic carcinomatosis, a very rare form of renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the lung. This preliminary finding was confirmed by right middle lobe tissue biopsy through bronchoscopy and cytopathology examination.
Short- and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Rhesus Monkeys Inoculated with a Highly Pathogenic Chimeric Simian/Human Immunodeficiency Virus

A highly pathogenic simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), SHIVDH12R, isolated from a rhesus macaque that had been treated with anti-human CD8 monoclonal antibody at the time of primary infection with the nonpathogenic, molecularly cloned SHIVDH12, induced marked and rapid CD4+ T cell loss in all rhesus macaques intravenously inoculated with 1.0 50% tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) to 4.1 × 105 TCID50s of virus. Animals inoculated with 650 TCID50s of SHIVDH12R or more experienced irreversible CD4+ T lymphocyte depletion and developed clinical disease requiring euthanasia between weeks 12 and 23 postinfection. In contrast, the CD4+ T-cell numbers in four of five monkeys receiving 25 TCID50s of SHIVDH12R or less stabilized at low levels, and these surviving animals produced antibodies capable of neutralizing SHIVDH12R. In the fifth monkey, no recovery from the CD4+ T cell decline occurred, and the animal had to be euthanized. Viral RNA levels, subsequent to the initial peak of infection but not at peak viremia, correlated with the virus inoculum size and the eventual clinical course. Both initial infection rate constants, k, and decay constants, d, were determined, but only the latter were statistically correlated to clinical outcome. The attenuating effects of reduced inoculum size were also observed when virus was inoculated by the mucosal route. Because the uncloned SHIVDH12R stock possessed the genetic properties of a lentivirus quasispecies, we were able to assess the evolution of the input virus swarm in animals surviving the acute infection by monitoring the emergence of neutralization escape viral variants.
Historical biogeography of western heather voles (Phenacomys intermedius) in montane systems of the Pacific Northwest

Abstract Quaternary climate fluctuations and topographical variation in the Pacific Northwest region of North America have interacted to affect the historical biogeography of biota in this region. High-elevation mammals have unique diversification patterns due to their isolation on mountaintops and potential for population growth and range expansion in lowland refugia that are available during glacial periods. We examined the phylogeographic structure, dates of lineage diversification, and historical demography of western heather vole (Phenacomys intermedius) populations across several mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest. Our analysis of sequence variation in the mitochondrial control region using both maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods identified 3 major geographically distinct lineages: an Oregon and California lineage, Washington lineage, and Northern and Interior lineage. Our estimate of divergence times using a Bayesian relaxed molecular-clock method revealed that diversification among thes...
Estimation of interbasin transport using ocean bottom pressure: Theory and model for Asian marginal seas

The Asian Marginal Seas are interconnected by a number of narrow straits, such as the Makassar Strait connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean, the Luzon Strait connecting the South China Sea with the Pacific Ocean, and the Korea/Tsushima Strait connecting the East China Sea with the Japan/East Sea. Here we propose a method, the combination of the "geostrophic control" formula of Garrett and Toulany (1982) and the "hydraulic control" theory of Whitehead et al. (1974), allowing the use of satellite-observed sea-surface-height (SSH) and ocean-bottom-pressure (OBP) data for estimating interbasin transport. The new method also allows separating the interbasin transport into surface and bottom fluxes that play an important role in maintaining the mass balance of the regional oceans. Comparison with model results demonstrates that the combined method can estimate the seasonal variability of the strait transports and is significantly better than the method of using SSH or OBP alone.
A Review of “Foundations of Education: The Essential Texts”

In 2010, Routledge published an edited collection of twelve “essential texts” in the foundations of education as the second volume in its “The Essential Texts” series, the first being Philosophy of...
Detecting Changes in Scenes: The Hippocampus Is Critical for Strength-Based Perception

Recent findings have ignited a controversy over whether the hippocampus is critical for visual perception as well as memory. Some studies have shown that hippocampal damage impairs perception of scenes, but others found no evidence for hippocampal involvement. These studies measured perception as a unitary phenomenon, but recent findings indicate that perceptual discriminations can be based on two kinds of information: states of perceiving local differences or global strength of relational match. In the current study, we separated state- and strength-based perception using a change detection paradigm with scenes. Patients with selective hippocampal damage exhibited significant reductions in strength-based perception but showed spared state-based responses. In a follow-up neuroimaging study, hippocampal activation linearly tracked confidence in strength-based perception, and was not differentially associated with state-based responses. The hippocampus therefore plays a selective role in perception, contributing high-resolution strength information possibly through its role in the representation of relational information.
Video resources for use in teaching ethics and computing

Workshops on the theme of “Teaching Ethics and Computing” were sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement program. This paper outlines the results of the workshops, available at marathon. csee.usf.edu/~kwb/naf-ufe/. Preparation for the workshops included a survey of videos that are potentially useful in teaching ethics and computing. This paper reviews some of the “best of” these videos.
Giant cell arteritis in Asians: a comparative study.

Background Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common systemic vasculitis, with a presumed Caucasian predominance. The occurrence of GCA in Asians has rarely been addressed. This study aims to assess the incidence of giant cell arteritis in Asians. Methods In this retrospective review, the self-reported ethnicities of patients with biopsy-proven GCA at the University of California–San Francisco (UCSF) were recorded. Ethnic distribution of the patient population served by UCSF was estimated from an age- and sex-matched control group. The odds ratio for each ethnicity (Asian and Caucasian) was determined and compared using Fisher9s exact test and logistic regression analysis. Results The ethnic distribution of the 38 patients with positive temporal artery biopsies were as follows: Caucasian n=31 (81.6%), Asian n=1 (2.6%) and other n=6 (15.8%). The ethnic distribution of the patient population served by UCSF was as follows: Caucasian 42%, Asian 28% and other 30%. The difference in the proportion of GCA in Asians and Caucasians was statistically significant (OR 0.049 (95% CI 0.0065 to 0.374), p=0.0036). Conclusions In our patient population, GCA was seen 20 times less frequently in Asian than Caucasian patients. Although this difference is significantly different (p=0.036), given the small sample size and wide CI this should be viewed as a rough estimate.
PKC isozyme selective regulation of cloned human cardiac delayed slow rectifier K current

Delayed rectifying K(+) channel, I(Ks), plays a vital role in normal and arrhythmogenic heart. I(Ks) is modulated by PKC but the identity of which PKC isozymes is involved in this modulation is not known. To dissect the role of individual PKC isozymes in the regulation of I(Ks), human cardiac I(Ks) channel (minK+KvLQT1) was expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Peptide PKC isozyme-specific activator and inhibitors, in addition to the general PKC activator, PMA, were used. Whole-cell I(Ks) was recorded using two-electrode voltage clamp technique. PMA and epsilon PKC specific activator peptide, but not the inactive analog, 4alphaPDD, significantly increased I(Ks). Peptide specific inhibitors for beta(II)PKC, and a general PKC inhibitor, calphostin C antagonized PMA-induced activation of I(Ks). However, control peptide, pentalysine, and specific inhibitor peptide for alphaPKC, beta(I)PKC, deltaPKC, or etaPKC did not alter PMA effect on I(Ks). The present study demonstrates that beta(II)PKC, epsilon PKC but not beta(I)PKC, alphaPKC, deltaPKC, and etaPKC, are involved in PMA-induced activation of the cloned human I(Ks) expressed in Xenopus oocyte. Furthermore, this is the first report to dissect the fine functional role of beta(II)PKC and beta(I)PKC in the regulation of I(Ks). Identification of the particular isozyme(s) that mediates the regulation of I(Ks) channels is of importance for the understanding of the mechanism of ion channel regulation and the development of new therapeutic agents.
Development of a rapid-response flow-control system using MEMS microvalve arrays

A method for providing high-resolution gas flow control using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has been developed and tested. The micromachined component consists of an array of 61 synchronized microvalves operating in parallel. A number of tests were conducted on microvalves of various designs to characterize their operation. The best performing of these was used with a prototype flow controller. Additionally, a mathematical model of the flow system and controller was derived to predict the response of the system to various changes in operating conditions. This work describes the design, modeling, and testing of a compact, stand-alone mass flow controller (MFC) to demonstrate high resolution, fast response flow control using MEMS microvalves. The device consists of a microvalve array packaged with a micro flow sensor and a microprocessor-based control system. The high bandwidth of microvalves allows an atypical flow control architecture. The controller regulates a pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) signal sent to the valve array and is capable of both open- and closed-loop control. A mathematical model was also developed to predict the dynamic performance of the system under various operating conditions. Additional advantages of the MEMS flow-control system include low-power consumption, low fabrication costs, and scalable precision.
Contoured furnace tube for determination of volatile elements in ICP-emission spectrometry with electrothermal vaporization

For the semienclosed, nonstationary, graphite furnace atomizers used in atomic absorption or emission spectroscopy with most commercial instruments, the atomic absorption or emission signals recorded for volatile elements, such as bismuth, cadmium, gallium, indium, lead, and zinc, can appear as double peaks. Lead in particular tends to exhibit two peaks in AAS. With electrothermal vaporization into an inductively coupled plasma (ETV-ICP), we also observed an initial element peak followed by a second smaller peak. This phenomenon results from sample transfer in nonisothermal furnaces by condensation of the volatile element on the cooler outer ends of the furnace tube and the subsequent revaporation of the element as the ends of the tube are heated. The condensed metal is then removed in the final high-temperature clean-up cycle. This leads to poor reproducibility if peak-height measurements are used. Therefore, in this case peak-area measurements give better accuracy and precision than peak-height measurements. On the other hand, the AAS or AES determination of volatile elements is often difficult when graphite tubes of standard design with uniform wall thickness such as those used with conventional Massmann tube furnaces are employed.
Poisson limits for generalized random allocation problems

Abstract : N balls are randomly distributed into N cells so that no cell may contain more than one ball. This process is repeated m times. In addition, balls may disappear, such disappearances are independent and identically Bernoulli distributed. Conditions are given under which the number of empty cells has an asymptotically (N approaches limit of infinity) Poisson distribution. Keywords: Poisson limits; Statistical mechanics; Nonparametric statistics; Approximation(mathematical); Probability distributions.
Psoriasis is associated with decreased plasma adiponectin levels independently of cardiometabolic risk factors.

Summary Background. Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that may be associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile including modulated plasma adiponectin and leptin levels. Whether these levels are independent of cardiometabolic risk factors, which are also prevalent in psoriasis, is not known. Methods. A consecutive sample of 122 participants with varying degrees of psoriasis severity, and a random sample of 134 participants without psoriasis, were recruited for this case–control study. Cardiometabolic risk factors including traditional cardiovascular risk factors, waist circumference, insulin resistance, and total plasma adiponectin and leptin were measured. Total plasma adiponectin and leptin levels were compared in unadjusted and adjusted analyses by psoriasis status. Results. Participants with psoriasis had mostly mild disease and were mainly on topical therapies, but still had a more adverse cardiometabolic profile compared with those without psoriasis. Furthermore, plasma adiponectin levels were significantly lower in participants with psoriasis than those without {7.13 lg/mL [interquartile range (IQR) 4.9–11.3) vs. 14.5 lg/mL (IQR 8.4–24.1); P < 0.001]}. Plasma leptin (ng/mL) levels were higher in the psoriasis group but this did not reach statistical significance [11.3 (IQR 6.4–21.8) vs. 9.8 (IQR 4.9–20.5); P = 0.07].Inmultivariable modelling, plasma adiponectin levels were still negatively associated with psoriasis status after adjusting for waist size (% difference = � 41.2%, P < 0.001), insulin resistance (% difference = � 39.5%, P < 0.001), and bothwaist size and insulin resistance (%difference = � 38.5%,P < 0.001). Conclusions. Plasma levels of adiponectin were lower in psoriasis, and this relationship persisted after adjusting for cardiometabolic risk factors known to decrease adiponectin levels. These findings suggest that inflammation present in psoriasis may be associated with adipose tissue dysfunction; however, direct studies of adipose tissue are needed to confirm this.
Robust verification analysis

We introduce a new methodology for inferring the accuracy of computational simulations through the practice of solution verification. We demonstrate this methodology on examples from computational heat transfer, fluid dynamics and radiation transport. Our methodology is suited to both well- and ill-behaved sequences of simulations. Our approach to the analysis of these sequences of simulations incorporates expert judgment into the process directly via a flexible optimization framework, and the application of robust statistics. The expert judgment is systematically applied as constraints to the analysis, and together with the robust statistics guards against over-emphasis on anomalous analysis results. We have named our methodology Robust Verification.Our methodology is based on utilizing multiple constrained optimization problems to solve the verification model in a manner that varies the analysis' underlying assumptions. Constraints applied in the analysis can include expert judgment regarding convergence rates (bounds and expectations) as well as bounding values for physical quantities (e.g., positivity of energy or density). This approach then produces a number of error models, which are then analyzed through robust statistical techniques (median instead of mean statistics).This provides self-contained, data and expert informed error estimation including uncertainties for both the solution itself and order of convergence. Our method produces high quality results for the well-behaved cases relatively consistent with existing practice. The methodology can also produce reliable results for ill-behaved circumstances predicated on appropriate expert judgment. We demonstrate the method and compare the results with standard approaches used for both code and solution verification on well-behaved and ill-behaved simulations.
Differential expression of ribosomal proteins in a human metastasis model identified by coupling 2-D liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Background: Proteomic profiling of an experimental tumor metastasis model has the potential to identify gene products that can influence this fatal phenotype of tumor cells. In this study, we focused on the notoriously difficult to assess ribosomal protein component of a pair of cell lines which originate from the same tumor but have opposite metastatic capabilities. Materials and Methods: Cell lysate proteins were separated using a two-dimensional liquid chromatographic system directly coupled to an ESI-TOF mass spectrometer for accurate intact protein MW analysis. Characterization of distinct post-translational modifications and sequence variation within several ribosomal proteins was obtained using monolithic capillary LC/MS/MS, MALDI-MS and -MS/MS. Results: The combination of these techniques enabled the identification of 45 unique ribosomal proteins, several of which were differentially expressed in metastatic M4A4 cells. Conclusion: The described proteomic profiling approach enables the identification of phenotype-associated ribosomal proteins for subsequent functional analyses and disease biomarker development.
Learning Non-linear Features for Machine Translation Using Gradient Boosting Machines

In this paper we show how to automatically induce non-linear features for machine translation. The new features are selected to approximately maximize a BLEU-related objective and decompose on the level of local phrases, which guarantees that the asymptotic complexity of machine translation decoding does not increase. We achieve this by applying gradient boosting machines (Friedman, 2000) to learn new weak learners (features) in the form of regression trees, using a differentiable loss function related to BLEU. Our results indicate that small gains in performance can be achieved using this method but we do not see the dramatic gains observed using feature induction for other important machine learning tasks.
Rat gastric mucosal adenylyl cyclase.

Prostaglandin E 1 , epinephrine, secretin, and glucagon are known inhibitors of gastric acid secretion, and each agent stimulated mucosal membrane (600 × g pellet) adenylyl cyclase activity from the corpus of the rat stomach. This adenylyl cyclase activity was also stimulated by 5′-guanylyl-imidodiphosphate and sodium fluoride but not by guanosine-5′-triphosphate. By contrast, the gastric acid secretagogues, pentagastrin, histamine, and carbachol, had no effect on basal or prostaglandin E 1 -stimulated mucosal adenylyl cyclase activity. Most of the sodium fluoride- and hormone-stimulated adenylyl cyclase of the corpus mucosa was contained in the 600 × g membrane fraction. The enzyme exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with respect to the concentration of ATP, with an apparent K m of 0.25 mm. Histamine did not stimulate rat mucosal adenylyl cyclase activity under a variety of conditions, but did stimulate the same enzyme in guinea pig gastric fundic mucosa, an enzyme also activated by prostaglandin E 1 . These studies do not support the hypothesis that cyclic AMP mediates the actions of gastric acid secretagogues on the parietal cell in the rat.
Organic Based Magnetic Thin Films by Low Temperature CVD

We describe how the composition of an organic - based magnet can be controlled by varying the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) conditions. A study was conducted for the Co2(CO)8/ TCNE system to form cobalt tetracyanoethylene [Co(TCNE)x, x∼2, a paramagnetic material], and for the V(CO)6/ TCNEx system to form vanadium tetracyanoethylene [V(TCNE)x, x∼2, a ferrimagnetic material]. Thin V(TCNE)x, x∼2 films (∼0.05-0.5 μm) with room temperature conductivity of 10-4<σRT<10-3S/cm and magnetic ordering temperature Tc of up to ∼400K were deposited. The V(TCNE)x, x∼2 thin films have the potential for incorporation in a spin-valve device as one of the magnetic contacts, and are promising candidates to form optically controlled magnetic-based structures.
Intrauterine Growth Restriction: Hungry for an Answer

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has been defined in several ways, but in general describes a condition in which the fetus exhibits poor growth in utero. This complication of pregnancy poses a significant public health burden as well as increased morbidity and mortality for the offspring. In human IUGR, alteration in fetal glucose and insulin homeostasis occurs in an effort to conserve energy and survive at the expense of fetal growth in an environment of inadequate nutrient provision. Several animal models of IUGR have been utilized to study the effects of IUGR on fetal glucose handling, as well as the postnatal reprogramming of energy metabolite handling, which may be unmasked in adulthood as a maladaptive propensity for cardiometabolic disease. This developmental programming may be mediated in part by epigenetic modification of essential regulators of glucose homeostasis. Several pharmacological therapies and nonpharmacological lifestyle modifications have shown early promise in mitigating the risk for or severity of adult metabolic phenotypes but still require further study of unanticipated and/or untoward side effects.
Investigation of Postoperative Oral Fluid Intake as a Predictor of Postoperative Emergency Department Visits After Pediatric Tonsillectomy

Importance This study contributes novel data on the association between oral fluid intake before discharge and adverse outcomes following tonsillectomy in pediatric patients. These data contribute to evidence-based, safe, and cost-effective decision making regarding discharge. Objective To determine whether the quantity of oral fluid intake before discharge is associated with adverse outcomes following tonsillectomy in pediatric patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the electronic medical records of 1183 pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy between September 24, 2012, and June 5, 2015, at a tertiary care academic medical center. Exclusion criteria included age 18 years or older, overnight admission, and missing data on fluid intake. The final cohort comprised 473 patients. Data analysis was conducted from July 8 to August 23, 2015. Exposures All patients underwent tonsillectomy by 1 of 7 attending surgeons at our institution. All patients were given intravenous fluids and analgesia in the postanesthesia care unit before being admitted to the pediatric inpatient floor for monitoring before discharge. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome measured was presentation to the emergency department within 2 weeks after tonsillectomy with a related complication. We also recorded hospital readmissions and returns to the operating room for related complications. The primary diagnosis was noted for each complication. Results Among 473 patients (235 male; mean [SD] age, 7.2 [3.5] years), oral fluid intake after tonsillectomy ranged from 0.7 to 66.7 mL/kg, with a mean (SD) intake of 18.2 (10.8) mL/kg. Mean (SD) time to discharge was 6.96 (1.91) hours (range, 1.68-14.25 hours). Overall, 31 patients (6.6%) presented to the emergency department for a related complication after tonsillectomy. No correlation was found between oral fluid intake after tonsillectomy and presentation to the emergency department (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.98-1.08;P = .29). Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests that oral fluid intake before discharge is not predictive of presentation to the emergency department after tonsillectomy within the ranges studied and at this institution. Therefore, discharge criteria based strictly on thresholds for oral fluid intake may be unnecessary. Further study at multiple institutions using a wider range of fluid intake volumes or a large-scale randomized clinical trial is needed before conclusions can be generalized.
Sampling-Based Trajectory Generation for Autonomous Spacecraft Rendezvous and Docking

This paper presents a methodology for computationally ecient, direct trajectory generation for autonomous spacecraft rendezvous using sampling with a distance or time cost function to be minimized. The approach utilizes a randomized A* algorithm called Sampling-Based Model Predictive Optimization (SBMPO) that exclusively samples the input space and integrates the dynamic model of the system. A primary contribution of this paper is the development of appropriate optimistic A* heuristics that take into account a goal position and velocity and are based on the minimum distance and minimum time control problems for the vehicle. These heuristics enable fast computation of trajectories that end in zero relative velocity. Additionally, this paper introduces an alternative approach to collision avoidance for use in graph-based planning algorithms. By referencing the full state of the vehicle, a method of imminent collision detection is applied within the graph search process of the trajectory planner. Using a six degree-of-freedom relative motion spacecraft dynamic model, simulation results are illustrated for generating rendezvous-feasible trajectories in cluttered environments.
Complement Consumptionin Acute Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation without Antecedent Immunopathology

Complement component C3, component C4, and total hemolytic complement CH50 were measured in blood from ten patients with acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (aDIC) syndromes. The study group was selected on the basis of history to exclude antecedent immunologic, infectious, or hepatic disease. The mortality rate was high (90%), the average duration of illness short (8.5 days), and the utilization of blood products extensive. The behaviors of C3 and C4 were found to be analogous to fibrinogen, plasminogen, antiplasmin, and platelets. CH50 activity paralled C3 and C4, as well as results of the soluble coagulation factor screening tests. It is concluded that serum complement is consumed as part of the multisystem dysfunction, aDIC, and that in conjunction with traditional indicators it may be utilized to gauge the severity of this syndrome.
Communicating and Promoting Comparative-Effectiveness Research Findings

Drug companies may not use information like that obtained from much comparativeness-effectiveness research to promote products, but a current law could be expanded to hold them to a looser evidence standard for promotion aimed at formulary committees or similar entities.
Strenuous exercise decreases motility and cross-sectional area of human gastric antrum. A study using ultrasound

Gastric emptying in humans is delayed with strenuous exercise. We used ultrasound imaging in six healthy volunteers to determine whether changes in motility and configuration of the gastric outlet contribute to this delay. After fasting, all individuals ingested chicken broth and garbanzo beans. With subjects sitting upright, transverse and longitudinal real-time views of the gastric antrum were recorded on video tape. In the exercise studies, subjects pedaled an ergometer for 10 min to attain a heart rate of 85% predicted maximum. On a different day, all subjects had an identical study without exercise. The order of performance of exercise and no-exercise studies was randomized. After exercise, contraction frequencies and antral areas were significantly reduced compared to the studies without exercise. In addition, after exercise there was closure of the pylorus and tubular narrowing of the gastric antrum. Closure of the pylorus and decreased gastric antral area and motility may be important in explaining the decrease in gastric emptying that occurs with strenuous exercise.
CALL ME SENILE NO MORE: AN UNUSUAL CASE OF HEART FAILURE SECONDARY TO CARDIOPULMONARY AMYLOIDOSIS

Amyloidosis causing heart failure in elderly African Americans is often assumed to be senile systemic amyloidosis. A 78-year-old African-American male non-smoker presented with a 1 year history of reduced exercise capacity and 2 months of lower extremity swelling. His medical history included
Valproic Acid and Sleep Duration in Children with Epilepsy

Sleep duration and behavior were assessed in 46 children (age range 1.7-17.4 years) before and after tapering valproic acid (VPA) administered for more than 6 months for epilepsy, in a study at University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Single molecule microscopy reveals mechanistic insight into RNA polymerase II preinitiation complex assembly and transcriptional activity.

Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is a complex process that requires general transcription factors and Pol II to assemble on DNA into preinitiation complexes that can begin RNA synthesis upon binding of NTPs (nucleoside triphosphate). The pathways by which preinitiation complexes form, and how this impacts transcriptional activity are not completely clear. To address these issues, we developed a single molecule system using TIRF (total internal reflection fluorescence) microscopy and purified human transcription factors, which allows us to visualize transcriptional activity at individual template molecules. We see that stable interactions between polymerase II (Pol II) and a heteroduplex DNA template do not depend on general transcription factors; however, transcriptional activity is highly dependent upon TATA-binding protein, TFIIB and TFIIF. We also found that subsets of general transcription factors and Pol II can form stable complexes that are precursors for functional transcription complexes upon addition of the remaining factors and DNA. Ultimately we found that Pol II, TATA-binding protein, TFIIB and TFIIF can form a quaternary complex in the absence of promoter DNA, indicating that a stable network of interactions exists between these proteins independent of promoter DNA. Single molecule studies can be used to learn how different modes of preinitiation complex assembly impact transcriptional activity.
Epidemiological Survey of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in Children Under 15 Years Old in Hebei,2006-2010

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and possible risk factors of Guillain-Barre Syndrome(GBS) in Hebei province.Methods GBS cases under 15 years old during 2006-2010 were investigated and analyzed with descriptive method in Hebei province.Results Totally GBS 599 cases were reported in the province,with an annual incidence rate of 0.92 /105.Cases distributed in 11 cities of the whole province with mainly sporadic distribution.The peak time of GBS was in June,July and August;children no more than 3 years old accounted for 40.1% of the total;ratio of men to women was 1.70:1.A proportion of39.4% cases had fever before the paralysis.Seventy three strains of intestinal virus were identified from fecal samples of the 556 GBS cases in Provincial laboratory.Conclusion The GBS disease in Hebei province is characterized with sporadic distribution and high prevalence in summer and autumn.
ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS OF N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINYLRIBITOL LINKAGES IN TEICHOIC ACID FROM STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS, STRAIN COPENHAGEN.

SUMMARY A particulate enzyme preparation from Staphylococcus aureus, strain Copenhagen, catalyzed the transfer of acetylglucosamine residues from uridine diphosphoacetylglucosamine to an accep- tor, termed, a-acetylglucosaminylpolyribitol phosphate, with simultaneous formation of uridine diphosphate. The acceptor was obtained by treating the teichoic acid isolated from this strain with /I-N-acetylglucosaminidase. Teichoic acid itself was inactive as acceptor. The enzyme preparation catalyzed the synthesis of both (Y- and &acetylglucosaminylribitol units in about the same proportion as these are found in the teichoic acid isolated from the cell walls of this organism. Some properties of this enzyme preparation have been described. REFERENCES 1. BADDILEY, J., PYOC. Che,)r. Sot., 177 (1959). 2. KINDERSON, A.R., J~ERGENs,~.~., ANLI QTROMINGER, J.L., Biochem. and Bioph ys. Research C’onw~uns., 6. 472 (1961).
Floodlight quantum key distribution: Demonstrating a framework for high-rate secure communication

Floodlight quantum key distribution (FL-QKD) is a radically different QKD paradigm that can achieve gigabit-per-second secret-key rates over metropolitan area distances without multiplexing [Q. Zhuang et al., Phys. Rev. A 94, 012322 (2016)]. It is a two-way protocol that transmits many photons per bit duration and employs a high-gain optical amplifier, neither of which can be utilized by existing QKD protocols, to mitigate channel loss. FL-QKD uses an optical bandwidth that is substantially larger than the modulation rate and performs decoding with a unique broadband homodyne receiver. Essential to FL-QKD is Alice's injection of photons from a photon-pair source---in addition to the light used for key generation---into the light she sends to Bob. This injection enables Alice and Bob to quantify Eve's intrusion and thus secure FL-QKD against collective attacks. Our proof-of-concept experiment included 10 dB propagation loss---equivalent to 50 km of low-loss fiber---and achieved a 55 Mbit/s secret-key rate (SKR) for a 100 Mbit/s modulation rate, as compared to the state-of-the-art system's 1 Mbit/s SKR for a 1 Gbit/s modulation rate [M. Lucamarini et al., Opt. Express 21, 24550 (2013)], representing $\ensuremath{\sim}500$-fold and $\ensuremath{\sim}50$-fold improvements in secret-key efficiency (bits per channel use) and SKR (bits per second), respectively.
Retinal Repair Using Stem Cells

The retina is the main light-sensing layer of the eye. Degenerations of the retinal cells are leading causes of blindness worldwide. This cellular loss in the mammalian retina is not followed by any appreciable cellular regeneration. In this chapter, we will cover various age-associated retinal degenerations. We will provide evidence of retinal regeneration in nonmammalian systems as well as attempts to rejuvenate stem cell phenotype in mammalian retinas. We will finish with recent work using pluripotent stem cells, both embryonic stem cells as well as induced pluripotent stem cells, to generate new retinal cells for replacement purposes.
Employment Authorization, Alienage Discrimination and Executive Authority

Undocumented individuals with deferred action find themselves in a kafkaesque position, and neither scholars nor courts have persuasively addressed how their liminal immigration status affects their rights in the workplace. Many begin with the intuitive assumption that immigration and employment law are in a fundamental and unresolvable tension with each other. On one hand, anti-discrimination principles protect noncitizens from alienage discrimination in the workplace. On the other hand, Congress enacted employer sanctions precisely to keep undocumented noncitizens out of the workplace. In the face of this dilemma, the default approach is to conclude without analysis that employers (and states) must be able to deny rights and benefits to undocumented noncitizens. This creates a true dilemma for the employment-authorized undocumented worker, and challenges the federal government’s acknowledged power to authorize employment for noncitizens. In this Article, I argue that employment-authorized undocumented workers are protected from workplace discrimination even though they do not have legal status in the eyes of immigration law. If a purpose of employment law is to balance the “inherent inequality of bargaining power between employer and employee,” then employment authorization should offer protections that achieve bargaining equality, including protections for undocumented immigrants against discrimination based on their foreign-born status. On the other hand, in an increasingly anxious society concerned with growing numbers of undocumented noncitizens, the urge to limit rights and benefits that come with liminal immigration status such as deferred action is heightened. Recent Supreme Court holdings, both in and outside the immigration arena, however, support an evolving theory of workplace protection for workers in liminal immigration categories. I draw from these cases to suggest the revival of a theory that fuses liberty and equality principles with federalism and structuralism to protect noncitizens as historically disadvantaged groups. Toward this end, I explore three concepts – employment authorization, executive authority and alienage nondiscrimination principles – that together provide the foundation for protecting the employment authorized undocumented worker.
No association of labor epidural analgesia with cerebral palsy in children

Some pregnant women avoid labor epidural analgesia because of their concerns about risk of cerebral palsy in children. Although it is believed that labor epidural does not contribute to cerebral palsy, to our knowledge no study has been published to specifically address this concern. We carried out a retrospective case–control study to investigate whether labor epidural analgesia is associated with cerebral palsy in children. This study used data that were collected and entered into the Geisinger electronic health records between January 2004 and January 2013. During this period, 20,929 children were born at Geisinger hospitals. Among them, 50 children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and 20 of those were born vaginally. Each of these 20 cerebral palsy children was matched with up to 5 non-cerebral palsy children born at the same hospitals in the same timeframe using propensity scoring methods. Analgesia was classified as epidural (including epidural or combined spinal and epidural) or non-epidural. Conditional logistic regression was used to compare the percentages of deliveries with each analgesia type between the cerebral palsy and non-cerebral palsy groups. In the non-cerebral palsy group, the percentage of patients receiving labor epidural analgesia was 72 %, and in the cerebral palsy group the percentage was 45 %. There was no significant difference between non-cerebral palsy and cerebral palsy groups (odds ratio, 0.57; 95 % confidence interval, 0.14–2.24; p = 0.42). We found no association between the use of labor epidural analgesia and the occurrence of cerebral palsy in children.
Performing double-edged stories: the three trials of Paula de Eguiluz

La octava fue PAULA DE EGUILUZ, reconciliada que ha sido otra vez por este Santo Oficio, por bruja [ … ]. No se acabo de leer su causa porque no se oia con el grande murmullo de la gente y asi se l...
Popular Culture and the Sociology of Fame

The sociological study of fame and celebrity is situated in the broader area of the sociology of (popular) culture. In this chapter, a theoretical perspective in the sociology of fame is presented that breaks with the reductionist notion of fame as a commodity and the related idea that fame is a pathology. Instead, fame is conceptualized from a constructionist cultural-sociological perspective as a relation between a person or persons to whom the quality of fame is attributed, on the one hand, and the audience who offers the attention on which fame is developed, on the other. Such a constructionist perspective enables a true sociology of fame that is geared at scientific explanation rather than engaging in a normative critique.
Progress Report on Development of High-Efficiency Insulation

In a paper presented at the 1959 Cryogenic Engineering Conference [1], the authors discussed the theory of heat transfer through an insulation system and pointed out the design requirements of a high-efficiency insulation system. Preliminary results of the experimental work with such insulation was presented and correlated with theory.
Implicit racial bias and epistemic pessimism

AbstractImplicit bias results from living in a society structured by race. Tamar Gendler has drawn attention to several epistemic costs of implicit bias and concludes that paying some costs is unavoidable. In this paper, we reconstruct Gendler’s argument and argue that the epistemic costs she highlights can be avoided. Though epistemic agents encode discriminatory information from the environment, not all encoded information is activated. Agents can construct local epistemic environments that do not activate biasing representations, effectively avoiding the consequences of activation. We conclude that changing our local environments provides a way to avoid paying implicit bias’s epistemic costs.
Effect of hyperchloremia on acute kidney injury in critically ill septic patients: a retrospective cohort study

Hyperchloremia is common in critically ill septic patients. The impact of hyperchloremia on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is not well studied. We investigated the association between hyperchloremia and AKI within the first 72 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission. 6490 ICU adult patients admitted with severe sepsis or septic shock were screened for eligibility. Exclusion criteria included: AKI on admission, baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <15 ml/min/1.73 m2, chronic renal replacement therapy, absent baseline serum creatinine data, and absent serum chloride data on ICU admission. A total of 1045 patients were available for analysis following the implementation of eligibility criteria: 303 (29%) had hyperchloremia (Cl0 ≥ 110 mEq/L) on ICU admission, 561 (54%) were normochloremic (Cl0 101–109 mEq/L) and 181 (17%) were hypochloremic (Cl0 ≤ 100 mEq/L). AKI within the first 72 h of ICU stay was the dependent variable. Chloride on ICU admission (Cl0) and change in Cl by 72 h (ΔCl = Cl72 – Cl0) were the independent variables. The odds for AKI were not different in the hyperchloremic group when compared to the normochloremic group [adjusted odds ratio (OR) =0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] (0.51–1.25); p = 0.33] after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, baseline kidney function, drug exposure and critical illness indicators including cumulative fluid balance and base deficit. Furthermore, within the subgroup of patients with hyperchloremia on ICU admission, neither Cl0 nor ΔCl was associated with AKI or with moderate/severe AKI (KDIGO Stage ≥2). Hyperchloremia occurs commonly among critically ill septic patients admitted to the ICU, but does not appear to be associated with an increased risk for AKI within the first 72 h of admission.
Discussion of an Aeromechanical Gust Alleviation System to Improve the Ride Comfort of Light Airplanes

A discussion of an on-going NASA research project of a gust alleviation system to improve the ride comfort of a light airplane is presented. The discussion includes a description of the proposed system which uses auxiliary aerodynamic surfaces to drive the trailing-edge flaps. The results of analytical work on the effects of the system on stability and effectiveness of the system are presented. Static wind-tunnel tests of the system installed in a 1/6-scale model of a popular light airplane are also described. Problem areas which may need future investigation are discussed.
The Shape of Failure Rate Mixtures

In this paper we consider some of the various shapes which can occur for the mixture of distributions having simple failure rates.