cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serotonin and Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) Release:Direct Effects at the Anterior Pituitary Level and Potentiation of Arginine Vasopressin-Induced ACTH Release*

Many reports indicate that serotonin (5-HT) has a role in the regulation of the secretion of ACTH and related peptides. The present study was designed to evaluate in vitro a possible direct effect of 5-HT upon ACTH release from the anterior pituitary and also to determine if any interactions between the amine and different peptides with corticotropin-releasing activity (CRA) take place at the pituitary level. Dispersed anterior pituitary cells from donor adult male rats were incubated in the presence of 5-HT, quipazine (a 5-HT agonist), and metergoline (METER; a 5-HT receptor blocker) at different concentrations and also with synthetic arginine vasopressin (AVP) and corticotropin-releasing factor at several concentrations, alone or combined with some of the drugs mentioned above. In addition, several concentrations of acidic median eminence (ME) extracts were run alone or in combination with METER. The results indicate that 5-HT consistently elicited a small, but significant, release of ACTH in a dose-dep...
Isolation and transcription of 3' terminal regions of unique DNA molecules.

ONE of the major difficulties in the determination of the primary structure of DNA is the isolation of small specific polydeoxyribonucleotide fragments which can be analysed directly or transcribed into RNA. So far, this difficulty has been overcome only in the case of regions that can be selectively protected from endonucleolytic attack by binding to highly purified specific proteins or to ribosomes. We have developed a method which allows the selective isolation and subsequent transcription of fragments derived from the 3′ termini of any unique DNA molecule. The procedures were established by using the DNA from bacteriophage λ; this provided an indication of the validity of the technique for relatively high molecular weight DNA. The method involves the limited digestion of the DNA with spleen acid deoxyribonuclease to produce fragments of chosen length, the selective extension of the fragments derived from the 3′ termini of the original DNA by addition of dATP residues with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and the separation of the extended fragments from the bulk of the DNA by chromatography on oligo (dT) cellulose (Fig. 1). The RNA transcripts prepared from these fragments exhibited an absolute specificity for the 3′ terminal regions of A DNA in a variety of hybridisation experiments. Two-dimensional fingerprint analysis of ribonuclease T1 digests of the transcription products gave a simple and characteristic oligonucleotide pattern which could be used for sequence determination. This method can also be adapted to the isolation of specific fragments from internal regions of DNA molecules.
Transplantation therapy for Parkinson's disease.

This review paper will provide an overview of the advent of neural transplantation therapy and the milestones achieved over the last 20 years for its use in treating Parkinson’s disease. A discussion of technical factors that influence the outcome of neural transplantation is presented, with emphasis given on three sections dealing with immunosuppressants, alternative grafts and trophic factors which have recently been the focus of basic research and development of early phase clinical trials. Some views on the clinical assessment of transplanted Parkinson’s disease patients are given at the end of the paper, with a synopsis highlighting the importance of basic research in advancing the potential clinical benefits of neural transplantation therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
Characterization, processing, and properties of an aromatic poly (ether ketone)

Poly(oxy-1,3-phenylenecarbonyl-1,4-phenylene), mPEK, was synthesized in a methane sulfonic acid/phosphorus pentoxide medium through the polycondensation of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid. The polymer was soluble at room temperature in strong acids and common organic solvents. Differential scanning calorimetry on mPEK indicated a glass transition temperature of 132°C and no detectable crystal melting behavior. The polymer was thermo-oxidatively stable up to 420°C in air as determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal degradation resulted in a crosslinked polymer. Compression molding was successfully applied to consolidate mPEK powder into bulk specimens without causing degradation. Tensilefractured surfaces of the consolidated specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy which strongly indicated adequate fusion of mPEK powder but also disclosed microvoids of uniform size, shape, and distribution. X-ray scattering revealed that mPEK powder was amorphous and that the consolidated mPEK specimens were structurally isotropic as well as amorphous. The bulk specimen density was determined to be 1.29 ± 0.01 g/cm3 and the three-dimensionally isotropic bulk tensile properties were shown to be 4.10 ± 0.10 GPa (modulus), 0.07 ± 0.01 GPa (strength), and 0.021 ± 0.006 (elongation at break). Tensile properties of the amorphous mPEK specimens compared favourably with literature values of state-of-the-art semicrystalline thermoplastics. Crystaline phases could be realized for mPEK by melt-processing, or precipitating from a solvent.
Positive and negative ion motion in thermal oxide on silicon by radiochemical and MOS analysis

Failure of conventional Si planar devices by surface potential shift due to oxide impurities has been studied by combined MOS and radiochemical analysis. Radioactive NaBr contaminant was used to study both anion and cation distributions and kinetics. Experimental evidence is presented that Na in the oxide near the Si interface acts to accumulate electrons at the surface of n-type Si. Less well-known is the role of the anion in determining failure in this mode. At temperatures above 800°C, Br is found to diffuse into the oxide more slowly than Na and partly to neutralize Na+. Conventional hot-bias drift experiments at 200°C have been extended to include impurity distribution as a function of time within the oxide. The kinetics of Na flow in the oxide to and away from the Si interface compared to Si surface potential shifts suggest the presence of a rapidly-equilibrating negative species which can neutralize Na+ but not deplete an n-type Si surface.
The “More Means More” Assumption: Congruence Versus Contingency in Local Economic Development Research:

This article focuses on the conceptual and methodological foundation of local development policy adoption studies. It reexamines the prevailing supposition of congruence between context and policy and revisits the accepted rationale for choosing particular policies by introducing a performance component into the model. From this perspective, policy adoption is not determined purely by external circumstances—the lesson of studies that find a congruent link between context and policy—but such adoption is also strategic. By using a data set used in similar research, a contingency model indicates that the economic development policy adoption patterns of cities can be explained in terms of the proper fit between the policy and the local economic context. Because the pursuit of effective economic development policies is a significant factor in policy adoption, the model presented here is an applicable alternative to the standard congruence research approach offered in the literature.
Applying spectral unmixing and support vector machine to airborne hyperspectral imagery for detecting giant reed

This study evaluated linear spectral unmixing (LSU), mixture tuned matched filtering (MTMF) and support vector machine (SVM) techniques for detecting and mapping giant reed (Arundo donax L.), an invasive weed that presents a severe threat to agroecosystems and riparian areas throughout the southern United States and northern Mexico. Airborne hyperspectral imagery with 102 usable bands covering a spectral range of 475–845 nm was collected from a giant reed-infested site along the US-Mexican portion of the Rio Grande in 2009 and 2010. The imagery was transformed with minimum noise fraction (MFN) to reduce the spectral dimensionality and noise. The three classification techniques (LSU, MTMF and SVM) were applied to the transformed MNF imagery based 11 endmember spectra extracted from the images for each of the two years. Accuracy assessment and kappa analysis were performed to compare the differences in classification accuracies among the three classification methods. Results showed that SVM and MTMF performed better than LSU, with SVM being the best classifier in both years. The results from this study indicate that hyperspectral imagery in conjunction with image classification techniques is useful for distinguishing giant reed from associated plant species and for monitoring the progression of this invasive weed.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) water use efficiency as affected by harvest traffic and soil compaction in a sandy loam soil

Traffic during alfalfa harvest operations can cause soil compaction and damage to newly growing stems. Root exploration for soil water and nutrients, forage growth dynamics, and final yield can all be affected. The objectives of this study were to determine the long-term effects of harvest traffic and soil compaction on water-use efficiency (WUE) of alfalfa grown in a Wasco sandy loam (coarse-loamy, mixed, nonacid, thermic Typic Torriorthents). Alfalfa was planted into tilled soil and managed with or without harvest traffic. Plants subjected to traffic during harvest had a significantly lower WUE two out of the three years studied compared to plants that were never subject to traffic. The second experiment examined whether planting alfalfa into compacted soil and managed with or without harvest traffic altered WUE. Soil compaction had no affect on alfalfa WUE. It was significantly lower when grown in compacted soil and subjected to harvest traffic. It is suggested that the decrease in WUE caused by harvest traffic may be explained by plants allocating carbohydrates to damaged shoots and crowns instead of to above ground forage production. The area of the field affected by harvest traffic, which damages newly growing stems, should be minimized to increase crop water use efficiency.
The Pace of Transradial Procedural Learning

The uptake of transradial coronary intervention (TRI) in the Unites States (U.S.) has been slow relative to other countries.1 Fortunately, adoption appears to be on the rise with a steady increase in the overall percentage of TRI since 2009.2 Learning curves, similar to adoption curves, are generally not linear. When learning or proficiency is plotted against time, progress may be slow at first, and then there is a period of rapid change followed by an apparent plateau.3 Although small improvements are continuously made after the plateau, the progress may not be visible until there is an extended period of observation. Surprisingly, for many different motor or procedural skills the shape of the learning curve is similar and there is less variance in performance as experience increases.4 While there are numerous studies looking at the benefits of TRI on outcomes, there has been very little formal study of what it takes to become a proficient TRI operator. Several factors may influence the slope of the TRI learning curve including the cumulative interventional experience of the operator and availability of resources for training.
Relationship Among Balance Impairments, Functional Performance, and Disability in People With Peripheral Vestibular Hypofunction

Background and Purpose. Physical therapy interventions are often based on assumed relationships among impairments, functional performance, and disability. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe balance impairments, functional performance, and disability in subjects with unilateral peripheral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) and bilateral peripheral vestibular hypofunction (BVH), (2) to examine the relationship among these factors, and (3) to determine whether disability can be explained by commonly used tests of balance and functional performance. Subjects. Participants were 85 subjects (mean age=62.5 years, SD=16.5) with UVH (n=41) or BVH (n=44) diagnosed by vestibular function tests and clinical examination. Methods. Each subject completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) to obtain a measure of disability. Functional performance was measured with a modified Timed Up & Go Test (TUG). Balance impairments were measured with computerized posturography and balance tests. Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and stepwise regressions were performed. Results. Subjects with BVH had poorer balance but similar TUG scores and perceived levels of disability, as compared with subjects with UVH. Weak to moderate correlations existed among balance measurements, TUG scores, and DHI scores. Balance impairments and TUG scores together explained 78% of the variance in DHI scores of the subjects with BVH, whereas balance impairments alone explained 13% of the variance in DHI scores of the subjects with UVH. Conclusion and Discussion. Balance impairments and functional performance appear to be more closely related to disability in individuals with BVH as compared with those with UVH. Clinical tests of balance impairments and functional performance appear to be useful in explaining disability.
Natural History of Huntington Disease

Importance Understanding the natural history of Huntington disease will inform patients and clinicians on the disease course and researchers on the design of clinical trials. Objective To determine the longitudinal change in clinical features among individuals with Huntington disease compared with controls. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective, longitudinal cohort study at 44 research sites in Australia (n = 2), Canada (n = 4), and the United States (n = 38). Three hundred thirty-four individuals with clinically manifest Huntington disease who had at least 3 years of annually accrued longitudinal data and 142 controls consisting of caregivers and spouses who had no genetic risk of Huntington disease. Main Outcomes and Measures Change in movement, cognition, behavior, and function as measured by the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and vital signs. Results Total motor score worsened by 3.0 points (95% CI, 2.5-3.4) per year and chorea worsened by 0.3 point per year (95% CI, 0.1-0.5). Cognition declined by 0.7 point (95% CI, 0.6-0.8) per year on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Behavior, as measured by the product of frequency and severity score on the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale, worsened by 0.6 point per year (95% CI, 0.0-1.2). Total functional capacity declined by 0.6 point per year (95% CI, 0.5-0.7). Compared with controls, baseline body mass index was lower in those with Huntington disease (25.8 vs 28.8; P P Conclusions and Relevance Over 3 years, the cardinal features of Huntington disease all declined in a monotonic manner. These data quantify the natural history of the disease and may inform the design of trials aimed at reducing its burden. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00313495
Hubs and homogeneity: improving content-based music modeling

We explore the origins of hubs in timbre-based song modeling in the context of content-based music recommendation and propose several remedies. Specifically, we find that a process of model homogenization, in which certain components of a mixture model are systematically removed, improves performance as measured against several groundtruth similarity metrics. Extending the work of Aucouturier, we introduce several new methods of homogenization. On a subset of the uspop data set, model homogenization improves artist R-precision by a maximum of 3.5% and agreement to user collection co-occurrence data by 7.4%. We also explore differences in the effectiveness of the various homogenization methods for hub reduction. Further, we extend the modeling of frame-based MFCC features by using a kernel density estimation approach to non-parametric modeling. We find that such an approach significantly reduces the number of hubs (by 2.6% of the dataset) while improving agreement to ground-truth by 5% and slightly improving artist R-precision as compared with the standard parametric model.
Sovereign Inequalities and Hierarchy in Anarchy: American Power and International Society

How is unrivalled American power reshaping 21st-century international society? Is the United States an empire, in fact or in the making? This article attempts to elaborate the conceptual resources required to answer such questions. I focus on multiple forms of hierarchy in anarchy and diverse practices of sovereign inequality—concepts that most mainstream perspectives ignore, find paradoxical, or even dismiss as self-contradictory. After defining empire and hierarchy in anarchy, I present a typology of international orders tuned to thinking about empire and its alternatives. The central section of the article explores three classes of formal inequalities common during the Westphalian era—special rights of Great Powers, restricted rights for outlaws, and a wide range of particular practices of ‘semi-sovereignty’. I then sketch ten historically grounded models of hierarchical international relations. Two brief applications to contemporary American power seek to illustrate the value of this conceptual appara...
A Dynamic Large Signal Model for a Single-Domain Thin Magnetic Film Inductor

A dynamic large signal model for a thin film inductor consisting of two orthogonal windings wound around a thin single-domain film is developed. Based on Gilbert's modification of the Landau-Lifshitz equation describing the rotational behavior of the magnetization of the film, this model is valid for both large and small signals and for frequencies up to several hundred megacycles. As a result of the gyroscopic nature of mangetic behavior, the model of necessity contains as a part of its description a nonlinear second order differential equation in time. Until the external circuits connected to the inductor are specified, one cannot explicitly relate magnetic behavior and terminal voltages and currents. Instead one must seek a simultaneous solution of the differential equations describing the interconnected system. The utility of this model for analytically describing the behavior of thin film parametric devices such as parametrons, parametric amplifiers, balanced modulators, and flip-flops is mentioned but not discussed in detail.
AIRS Pulse Tube Cooler System-Level and In-Space Performance Comparison

During this past year, JPL’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument completed thermal vacuum testing at the spacecraft level, was launched into Earth orbit on NASA’s Earth Observing System Aqua platform on May 4, 2002, and cooled down to operating temperature on June 12, 2002. The instrument, which is designed to make precision measurements of atmospheric air temperature over the surface of the Earth, uses a redundant pair of TRW pulse tube cryocoolers operating at 55 K to cool its sensitive IR focal plane. This use of redundant coolers with no thermal switches creates certain challenges when it comes to performance measurement and verification at the systems level. In support of the mission, new test and analysis techniques have been developed to allow accurate intercomparison of cooler-level, instrument-level, spacecraft-level, and in-space performance of the coolers. The driver for the development of these techniques is the strong dependency of the performance of the cooler system on gravity. Specifically, the off-state conductance of the non-operating redundant cooler is highly dependent on convection, and thus gravity level and orientation. Because the instrument-level, spacecraft-level, and in-space environments have substantially different orientations and gravity levels, special test and analysis techniques had to be developed to allow accurate intercomparison of the results. This paper presents the derivation of the test and analysis techniques as well as the measured system-level performance of the flight AIRS coolers during instrument-level, spacecraft-level, and in-space operation.
Effects of Cholestyramine and Diet on Small Intestinal Histomorphometry in Rats

Reports on the effects of cholestyramine on small intestinal structure of rats have produced contradictory data about changes in mucosal histomorphometry, perhaps due to interacting effects of dietary composition. In order to identify effects of cholestyramine and diet on structure of the small intestines, 40 male rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 and fed 1 of each of the following diets for 1 month: standard diet, purified fiber-free diet, standard diet + 2% cholestyramine, or purified fiber-free diet + 2% cholestyramine. Serum concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides were moderately increased in rats fed the purified fiber-free diet versus the standard diet. Neither total length nor weight of small intestine were affected by either diet or cholestyramine. Mucosal weight was affected by interactions between cholestyramine and diet, indicating that outcome depended upon modulating effects of both variables. Significant interactions were similarly detected among the variables of anatomic site, diet, and cholestyramine for many histomorphometric parameters of intestinal mucosa. Cholestyramine reduced total mucosal thickness in both jejunum and ileum and reduced villus height and villus : crypt ratio in the ileum. Kejwords. Histomorphometry; cholestyramine; small intestine; rat; cholesterol; triglycerides; jejunum; ileum
THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN RELATION TO ITS FOOD SUPPLY

Summary The population of Golden Eagles was assessed in four different areas of the Scottish Highlands. The average area per pair varied from 11,400 to 17,884 acres, excluding country that was not used by the eagles. Eagle food in these areas consists largely of Red Grouse, Ptarmigan, Mountain Hares and Rabbits, and also dead Red Deer and dead sheep. The numbers and biomass of the four main species of living prey were assessed by representative counts in three main types of habitat; and of dead deer and sheep partly from counts but mainly from published data on stocking densities, mortality and weights. The annual food requirement from a home range was estimated at 249 kg. of meat, calculated from data on the food consumption of eagles, allowing for known breeding success and for the presence of some immature eagles and unmated adults; and this was compared with the total food potential in the four Study Areas, allowance being made for the inedible portions of carcases. The average food potential in all areas is greatly in excess of the requirements. In the three western areas living prey is very scarce, but amounts of carrion are large and the eagles in these areas depend mainly on carrion. Large differences in food potential between areas do not correspond with differences in eagle density. Two examples are cited where a drastic reduction in food supply had no effect on eagle density, which remains remarkably constant in spite of seasonal and annual fluctuations in food supply. Golden Eagle nest-sites are used over many years, and the home ranges are big enough to supply a more than adequate food supply at all times of year. Evidence is provided of territorial or home-range defence, which generally takes the form of display flights but occasionally involves more overt aggression. The home-range size is fixed so high that a critical food level is probably very rarely reached.
Competition regimes and air transport costs: The effects of open skies agreements

The relevance of transport costs has increased as liberalization continues to reduce artificial barriers to trade. Is it worthwhile to implement policies designed to increase competition in transport markets? Focusing on air transport, this paper quantifies the effects of liberalization of air cargo markets on transport costs. Between 1990 and 2003, the United States implemented a series of Open Skies Agreements, providing a unique opportunity to assess the effect that a change in the competition regime has on prices. In our sample, Open Skies Agreements reduce air transport costs by 9% and increase by 7% the share of imports arriving by air. Those results hold for developed and upper-middle-income developing countries but for lower-middle-income and low-income developing countries Open Skies Agreements do not reduce air transport costs. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Testosterone and gossypol effects on human sperm motility

Testosterone concentration in seminal fluid has been found to be high in infertile males (75 ± 11 pg/100 μ l). Fertile males have a testosterone concentration of 29 ± 3 pg/100 μ l. The effects of adding 50, 150, and 300 pg of testosterone to 100 μ l of ejaculate have been studied by turbidimetric analysis (Sokoloski J, et al. Fertil Steril 28:1337, 1977). This method permits objective measurements of sperm velocity and percentage of rapidly moving sperm in a sample (%RM). A dose-dependent effect of testosterone on sperm motility was seen. Fifty pg/100 μ l had no effect on velocity or percentage of moving sperm; 150 pg of testosterone produced a decrease of 36% ± 8; and 300 pg/100 μ l, a decrease of 62% ± 8. Caffeine had a stimulatory effect on the percentage of motile sperm at doses of 400 μ g/100 μ l of semen. Likewise, dibutyryl cAMP (10 μ g/ μ l) had a positive effect on sperm velocity. The stimulatory effect of these two drugs were negated when 300 pg of testosterone was added to the preparations. Other steroids (17 α -testosterone, 17 α -estradiol, and 17 β -estradiol, DHT, and progesterone) tested under the same experimental conditions had no effect on sperm motility, but cottonseed oil (gossypol) had drastic effects. Doses as little as 100 pg/100 μ l produced a 90% decrease in sperm motility.
Scattering of High-Energy Neutrons by He 4

The scattering of neutrons in ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ has been investigated for neutrons with energies of from 16 to 23.4 Mev with a helium-filled ionization chamber. A pronounced resonance has been found at a neutron energy of 22.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12 Mev. This resonance corresponds to an excitation energy in ${\mathrm{He}}^{5}$ of 16.72\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 Mev which is the same excitation energy as that obtained for the maximum in the $\mathrm{T}(d, n){\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ cross section. The neutron scattering experiments indicate that the level in ${\mathrm{He}}^{5}$ has a width of about 100 kev which is much narrower than the ground state of ${\mathrm{He}}^{5}$. This state in ${\mathrm{He}}^{5}$ probably has angular momentum and parity of ${\frac{3}{2}}^{+}$ and is made up of two neutrons and a proton in the $S$ shell and one proton and one neutron in the $P$ shell. Such a configuration would explain the large deuteron reduced width of the $\mathrm{T}(d, n){\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ reaction and the small neutron width.
Rural Government Management And The New Federalism: Local Attitudes In Southwestern Ohio

Many observers conclude that rural and other small local governments have limited pubic management resources-fiscal, informational, and professional. This article considers the technical assistance views of officials who manage such local governments. It is based on a sample of elected and appointed officials in small city, village, and township governments in three southwestern Ohio counties. Using a threefold clasification of local government activities (strategic, tactica, support), we found that respondents frequently identifed technical assistnce needs for various government activities. Rather than emphasizing direct service delivery (tactical) activities, traditionally viewed as the dominant interest of officials in small local governments, respondents focused more on strategic (i.e., general policy and management) activities which are more comprehensive and long range in nature. This attention is attributed not simply to local circumstances but also to the increased involvement of rural and other small local governments in intergovernmental relations. In the context of the Reagan administration's New Federalism, the technical assistance needs of rural and other small local governments merit special attention. The current trend in intergovernmental relations is to devolve more policymaking and management responsibilities to state and local governments. However, in light of the political, fiscal, and administrative circumstances of small local governments, the question arises as to what and how much they can be expected to manage.' This article examines the concerns of small government officials in the environment of the New Federalism. The focus is on technical assistance needs as expressed by officials in rural and other small local governments in three southwestern Ohio counties. Rural government management became an issue because of two major developments occurring in the 1970s. First, many small communities during
Drumming Behavior of Four Species of North American Pteronarcyidae (Plecoptera): Dialects in Colorado and Alaska Pteronarcella badia

Previously undescribed Pteronarcys dorsata, Allonarcys biloba, and Allonarcys proteus drumming signals are species-specific, with male calls having five, seven, and four mode drumbeats, and beat intervals of 270 ± 26, 515 ± 46, and 308 ± 12 msec, respectively. Drumming of Tonsina River, Alaska, Pteronarcella badia populations appears to represent a dialect when compared with Dolores and Gunnison River, Colo., populations. Both males and females have fewer drumbeats and shorter beat intervals, despite recording at a 3°C cooler temperature. Mode signal beats of the five species are relatively few, ranging from 4 to 7, but beat intervals are of two types: fast signals ($\bar x$ 65 to 75 msec) by Pteronarcella badia, and slow signals ($\bar x$ 225 to 525 msec) by Allonarcys and Pteronarcys species.
Clinical Analysis of Polymicrobial Bloodstream Infections in Pediatric Patients: Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Organisms, and Risk Factors

Purpose : Although the incidence of polymicrobial bloodstream infection (PBSI) has increased, only a few studies have so far focused on children. Therefore, in an effort to prevent more serious situations in pediatric patients, we analyzed the clinical features, organisms, and laboratory results of PBSI. Methods : We performed a retrospective review of the case records of 97 patients with polymicrobial bloodstream infection in the Severance hospital, from 2001 to 2008. Using t-test and chi-square test, we analyzed the underlying medical conditions, clinical characteristics, organisms, and laboratory results of those patients. Results : Annual incidence of polymicrobial bloodstream infection increased from 1.4 % in 2001 to 10.9% in 2008 in pediatric patients. Immunocompromised hemato-oncological malignancy was found in 31 (31.9%) patients, and was the most common underlying medical condition; cardiovascular disease was found in 15 patients (15.4%), neurologic disease in 10 patients (10.3%), and so on. Gram positive organisms were recovered in 143 cases and gram negative organisms were recovered in 101 cases of PBSI. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common organism. Factors affecting mortality included underlying medical disease, immune status, nosocomial infection, and central catheter-related infection, for which the rate of mortality showed a greater increase (P
Epidemiological Characteristics of Measles in Yibin City from 2000 to 2005

Objective To understand characters of measles epidemic so as to provide gist for measles control and prevention.Method Surveillance information on measles cases and demograshy data in Yibin from 2000 to 2005 were collected and descriptive epidemiological analysis was made by spss12.0.Results The average annual incidence rate of measles in the 6 years was 12.13/100 000.The reported measles cases distributed in all districts of Yibin,and both sporadic and local outbreak measles existed.Measles incidence rate and measles vaccination rate were different in the 9 districts of Yibin.The prevalent season was from March to May.The cases aged 2 to 5 years accounted of 43.96% of all cases.And those who had been vaccinated against measles before accounted for 34.14%,and 64.94% of cases younger than 1 year old were not vaccinated.Conclusion Lower immunization coverage rate and lower immune successful rate were the most important causes for outbreaks of measles.Thus,it is the ultimate measure to improve the immunization coverage rate and the immune successful rate for control measles.
Reed beds: constructed wetlands for municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge dewatering

Reed beds are an alternative technology wastewater treatment system that mimic the biogeochemical processes inherent in natural wetlands. The purpose of this project was to determine the effectiveness of a reed bed sludge treatment system (RBSTS) in southern New England after a six-year period of operation by examining the concentrations of selected metals in the reed bed sludge biomass and by determining the fate of solids and selected nutrients. Parameters assessed in both the reed bed influent and effluent: total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus. In addition, the following metals were studied in the reed bed influent, effluent and Phragmites plant tissue and the sludge core biomass: boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc. The removal efficiencies for sludge dewatering, total suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand were all over 90%. Nitrate and total phosphorus removal rates were 90% and 80% respectively. Overall metals removal efficient was 87%. Copper was the only metal in the sludge biomass that exceeded the standards set by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for land disposal of sludge. The highest metal concentrations, for the most part, tended to be in the lower tier of the sludge profile. The exception was boron, which was more concentrated in the middle tier of the sludge profile. The data and results presented in this paper support the notion that reed bed sludge treatment systems and the use of reed beds provide an efficient and cost effective alternative for municipal sludge treatment.
Pragmatism, Normativity, and Relativism

So far, I have conceded (in Chapter 2) that normative utterances do not describe an independent moral reality. Instead, morality (and epistemology) consists of a set of cooperative strategies for promoting our mutual interests. I have also asserted, though, an aversion to the relativism that is typically associated with pragmatism. But aren’t these two points at odds with each other? If there is no independent normative reality, then can morality and epistemology be non-relative? I want to argue in this chapter that although normative utterances do not describe an independent normative reality, we are not forced into a relativistic picture, or some picture where normative truth consists merely in whatever a particular community practices.
Obstructive sleep apnea and energy balance regulation: A systematic review

Summary Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a reciprocal relationship. Sleep disruptions characteristic of OSA may promote behavioral, metabolic, and/or hormonal changes favoring weight gain and/or difficulty losing weight. The regulation of energy balance (EB), i.e., the relationship between energy intake (EI) and energy expenditure (EE), is complex and multi-factorial, involving food intake, hormonal regulation of hunger/satiety/appetite, and EE via metabolism and physical activity (PA). The current systematic review describes the literature on how OSA affects EB-related parameters. OSA is associated with a hormonal profile characterized by abnormally high leptin and ghrelin levels, which may encourage excess EI. Data on actual measures of food intake are lacking, and not sufficient to make conclusions. Resting metabolic rate appears elevated in OSA vs. controls. Findings on PA are inconsistent, but may indicate a negative relationship with OSA severity that is modulated by daytime sleepiness and body weight. A speculative explanation for the positive EB in OSA is that the increased EE via metabolism induces an overcompensation in the drive for hunger/food intake, which is larger in magnitude than the rise in EI required to re-establish EB. Understanding how OSA affects EB-related parameters can help improve weight loss efforts in these patients.
Surgical Debridement in Necrotizing Pancreatitis

Pancreatic necrosis is a feared complication following acute pancreatitis, carrying a 10–20 % mortality. When surgical intervention is indicated, open necrosectomy remains the gold standard approach. Recent evidence demonstrating the advantage of delaying or even avoiding surgical intervention altogether has changed treatment paradigms and has opened the door for minimally invasive techniques. This chapter discusses open versus minimally invasive necrosectomy with respect to morbidity and outcome.
THE ASSIGNED AND PROFESSED SOCIAL CLASSES

This chapter discusses the ways in which factors external to the university context and those within it operate in students' social relations. The chapter discusses some of the components of the student's status-set as it relates to both internal and external membership and reference groups. The students in Edinburgh University, Durham University, and Newcastle University were asked on the questionnaire what factor they believe to be the most important in society at large in determining an individual's social status and class position. The students were also asked what they understood by social class and what kind of person they would put into each social class. The student's ranking of his parents' social class is termed the professed social class as opposed to the assigned social class accorded by the researcher. The chapter presents a comparison of assigned and professed social class to explain certain features of social mobility which are central to “mobility experience.” This makes it possible to see what the student thinks he is moving from and to and at what particular times in his life is mobility likely to occur.
Abstract B131: Quantitative modeling of Syk regulation in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Spleen tyrosine kinases (Syk) are initiators of B cell receptor-mediated (BCR) signaling events, enabling cells to drive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) progression. However, the mechanistic principles of biochemical signaling pathways that contribute to CLL pathogenesis are poorly understood. This study investigates Syk-mediated molecular pathways of the BCR signaling network using computational modeling. An expression of ζ chain-associated protein kinase of 70 kD (ZAP-70, Syk-family protein kinase) in the BCR signaling pathway is an adverse prognostic marker in CLL. Therefore, we need a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of Syk family protein kinases and effects of their inhibitors in the BCR signaling pathway. In this work, we dissected several computational models of ZAP-70 and SYK regulation to design an integrated mechanistic description of the BCR signaling pathway, and to explain the observed differences in the clinical behaviors of ZAP-70+ / ZAP-70- phenotypes of CLL patients. Specifically, we characterized the effects of different ZAP-70 and SYK expression and phosphorylation levels on the BCR activation threshold, using stochastic simulations of the BCR signaling network. Preliminary findings suggest that ZAP-70 serves as an adaptor protein that facilitates the recruitment of SYK to the BCR complex. We find that the expression of ZAP-70 enhances the BCR signaling, and therefore correlates with a more aggressive disease course. Our results will help in the development of novel therapies targeting Syk functions to regulate B-CLL responses. Citation Format: Maria P. Frushicheva. Quantitative modeling of Syk regulation in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B131.
A method for depositing CdTe from aqueous solution

We present a novel method for depositing crystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films from aqueous solutions. The films were deposited via a spin-coating technique by direct conversion alternating layers of Cd and Te precursor solutions. Powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the films show crystallization and preferential orientation of the grains to the (111) following a post-deposition thermal annealing in the presence of cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ). This result is a promising first step towards the fabrication of a CdTe-based photovoltaic device using a solution-deposited absorber layer.
Dynamic organ culture of precision liver slices for in vitro toxicology

The lack of a reproducible method for the production of thin tissue slices has hindered the use of liver slices as an in vitro tool for hepatotoxicity studies. Fresh human, rat, and rabbit liver was processed using a mechanical slicer. With this instrument, precision (5% of thickness) liver slices in the submillimeter range could be produced at a rapid rate. Slices were prepared from fresh livers in chilled, oxygenated buffer to minimize trauma. Following incubation for up to 20 h in a dynamic organ culture system, histology of incubated slices suggested that 250 m precision-cut slices were optimum in regard to morphology relative to liver slices incubated under conventional organ culture conditions. Addition of bromobenzene to the culture showed time-dependent hepatotoxicity based on two classic parameters of cell degeneration. Histological evidence is presented which suggests the usefulness of this system for hepatotoxicity studies and the production of focal necrosis in vitro.
Delivery of Health Coaching by Medical Assistants in Primary Care

Background Health coaching is potentially a practical method to assist patients in achieving and maintaining healthy lifestyles. In health coaching, the coach partners with the patient, helping patients discover their own strengths, challenges, and solutions. Methods Two medical assistants were provided with brief training. The 12-week program consisted of telephone coaching with in-person visits at the beginning and end of the program. Coaching targeted improvements in diet, physical activity, and/or sleep habits using a self-care planning form. Results A total of 82 subjects enrolled in the program, 72% completed 8 weeks and 49% completed 12 weeks. Subjects who completed assessments at 12 weeks had significant weight loss despite the fact that weight loss was not a study goal. There also were improvements in diet and physical activity. Subject who completed the study were highly satisfied with the program and felt that health coaching should be available in all family medicine clinics. The main barrier providers voiced was remembering to refer patients. The medical providers indicated high satisfaction with the study and valued having coaching available for their patients. Conclusions Medical assistants can be trained to assist patients with lifestyle changes that are associated with improved health and weight control.
Looking up for AML in Down syndrome.

In this issue of Blood , Taub et al report improved survival with reduced-intensity therapy and the prognostic significance of end-induction residual disease from the largest prospective trial to date in children with myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome (ML-DS): the Children’s Oncology Group AAML0431 study. 1
Secondary Treatment of Naso-orbital Ethmoid Injuries

Central midface fractures should be treated early due to their propensity for secondary devastating and disfiguring consequences. For example, the expected sequelae to inadequately repaired naso-orbital ethmoid (NOE) injuries include shortened retruded nose, altered palpebral fissures, telecanthus, enophthalmos, and ocular dystopia, to name a few. Secondary repair of NOE fractures is indicated when primary surgical repair is not possible and for any of the aforementioned sequelae. When secondary repair of NOE fractures is necessary, these should be planned carefully while focusing on restoring facial function and aesthetics. Specific attention should focus on midface projection and intercanthal relationship. Virtual surgical planning as intraoperative navigation can be helpful for complex secondary reconstructions.
KaBloom!: Revolution in the flower industry

David Hartstein started KaBloom in 1998 with the goal of creating “the Starbucks of Flowers.” He successfully built brand recognition for the gardenlike shops, but problems plagued the young organization. Nearly three years and one recession later, KaBloom failed to live up to Hartsteinʼs forecast of exponential growth. This case has been designed for a graduate-level course in entrepreneurship/innovation. Students can compare franchising with other business models, examine the impact of organizational structure and leadership styles on business effectiveness, relate issues of supply chain management and logistics to environmental changes, and recognize the impact of innovation on business sustainability.
Comparison of four-probe thermal and thermoelectric transport measurements of thin films and nanostructures with microfabricated electro-thermal transducers

Two different four-probe thermal and thermoelectric measurement methods have been reported for measuring the thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and electrical conductivity of suspended thin films and nanostructures with microfabricated electro-thermal transducers. The thermal contact resistance was extracted from the measured thermoelectric voltage drop at the contacts in the earlier four-probe method based on the assumption of constant thermal and thermoelectric properties along the sample. In comparison, the latter four-probe method can directly obtain the contact thermal resistance together with the intrinsic sample thermal resistance without making this assumption. Here, the measurement theory and data reduction processes of the latter four-probe measurement method are re-examined and improved. The measured thermal conductivity result of this improved method on representative thin film samples are found to agree with those obtained from the earlier four-probe method, which has obtained similar Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity as those measured with a different method for a supported thin film. The agreement provides further validation of the latest four-probe thermal transport measurement method of thin films and nanostructures.
Architecture and the Significance of the Surface

While color appears to lie on the surface, it is not superficial. It signals a sense of space, or assigns form in perception, and connotes meaning by association.