cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study on the Procedure for Lot Release of Vaccines in Japan

Biological products, such as vaccines, blood products, antitoxins, and antivenoms, are released into the market following a lot release conducted by National Regulatory Authorities or National Control Laboratories, even if their manufacturing and marketing have been authorized. Independent lot release by regulatory authorities is not a procedure unique to Japan, but is performed worldwide. Previously, Japan carried out lot release mainly by laboratory tests, and the manufacturers' in-house test records were used as a reference, not involved in the decision of lot release. Conversely, the international standard procedure promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO) includes a document review of the manufacturers' summary protocols, and laboratory tests are listed as an optional procedure. To harmonize with the WHO recommended international method, Japan modified the procedure and introduced a document review in addition to laboratory tests for vaccines in 2012. Since then, substantial knowledge regarding vaccine quality has been obtained during the process of summary protocol reviewing. Here, we outline the current status of the lot release procedure in Japan. We shed light on its history and show recent research based on the knowledge obtained from the protocol review to improve efficiency of laboratory testing and international harmonization.
Abstract TP158: Risk prediction for symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage (sICH) in Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) Patients Treated With Intravenous Thrombolysis (IVT): Does Infarct Location Matter?

Introduction: There are mounting data supporting a substantially lower risk of sICH in AIS patients with posterior circulation stroke (PCS) following treatment with IVT. However, stroke location is...
Decreased opioid prescribing in children using an enhanced recovery protocol.

Abstract Background A previously implemented Enhanced Recovery Protocol (ERP) for children undergoing elective gastrointestinal operations demonstrated decreased length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital opioid use. We hypothesized that the ERP would be associated with decreased postdischarge opioid prescribing. Methods Demographic, operative, and opioid prescription data were retrospectively compared between elective gastrointestinal surgical patients in the pre-ERP (1/2012–12/2014) and the post-ERP periods (1/2015–12/2017). Results Of the 99 patients reviewed, 56 (56.7%) were treated in the post-ERP era. Overall, 48 (48.5%) were male, and the most common operation was partial or total colectomy (n = 39, 39.4%) followed by ileocecectomy (n = 26, 26.3%). Most patients were 15–16 years of age and had inflammatory bowel disease (n = 88, 88.9%). LOS decreased from a median 4 days pre-ERP to 3 days post-ERP (p = 0.02). Patients receiving intraoperative opioids decreased from 100% to 46% (p Conclusions A pediatric gastrointestinal surgery ERP resulted in decreased postdischarge prescribing of opioids. Type of study: Retrospective cohort study. Level of Evidence: Level II.
Notecards: An Effective Study Tool.

As students advance to and through middle school, teachers expect them to meet higher academic expectations. Students’ ability to meet these expectations depends, in part, on their use of effective...
Ammonia Synthesis via Atmospheric Plasma Catalysis: Zeolite 5A, a Case of Study

Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of ammonia via atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma discharge over zeolite 5A. The presence of the zeolite in the DBD reactor promoted the form...
Experimental analysis of an adhesive surface grinding process

Abstract A peripheral adhesive grinding process has been developed to strip hardened adhesive from a gripper after work-piece de-bonding. The objective of this investigation was to gain insight into how changes in feed, depth of cut, and grinding speed affect the specific grinding energy of the process during the roughing phase. A variety of experiments were carried out on a simplified, surface grinding analog in which grinding forces, grinding wheel temperature, and grinding zone temperature were measured. The most important finding is that during grinding, wheel temperature can rapidly grow higher than the glass transition temperature of the adhesive. This can cause the temperature of the adhesive in front of the advancing grind zone to exceed the glass transition temperature as well. As a consequence, the behavior of the grinding process is very transient due to the continuous drop in grinding stiffness and specific grinding energy. The results of this investigation also show that when the temperature of the adhesive within the grind zone is below the glass transition temperature, the specific grinding energy is insensitive to changes in cutting speed, but decreases significantly with significant increases in feed, regardless of grinding speed and steady state depth of cut. This sensitivity is most likely due to the size effect. The results also show that specific grinding energy decreases significantly with increases in depth of cut. This may also be due in small part to the size effect.
Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis: Who is really at risk?

Abstract Objectives The Infectious Disease Society of America recommends that all patients with candidemia undergo a dilated retinal exam to exclude endogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Our objective was to determine if there are significant risk factors in candidemic patients for developing endogenous Candida endophthalmitis Methods We conducted a retrospective study of all candidemic patients at three academic medical centers between 2012 and 2017. We extracted risk factors for Candida endophthalmitis based on prior literature and compared them between patients with and without endophthalmitis. We then built a multivariate logistic regression model to assess which ones were significant. Results We found 771 patients with candidemia. 120 (15.6%) of these patients were diagnosed with Candida endophthalmitis. In our logistic regression analysis, central venous catheter presence (OR 8.35), intravenous drug use (OR 4.76), immunosuppression (OR 2.40), total parenteral nutrition recipient (OR 2.28), race (OR 1.65), age (OR 1.02), and gender (OR 0.57) were risk factors for developing Candida endophthalmitis. Additionally, Candida albicans was more likely to result in Candida endophthalmitis (OR 1.86). Conclusions This cohort represents the largest study of risk factors for candidemic patients who developed endogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Based on our findings, clinicians should develop targeted and cost-effective strategies for endophthalmitis screening.
A Proficient Spelling Analysis Method Applied to Herbal and Dietary Supplement Discovery in a Large Clinical Corpus

Irregular spellings in clinical free text present challenges to natural language processing. A number of spelling correction tools exist, but automated spelling correction of clinical text is not a routine practice due to the risk of introducing new errors. We developed a novel spelling analysis application that combines Word2Vec and Levenshtein Edit Distance Constraints to identify variant forms of words. The use case applied to this study was that of discovering herbal and dietary supplements that interact with prescription medications in clinical text. The prototype application processed a large corpus (approximately 1.6 million records), achieving a positive predictive value of 0.9322, in identifying spelling variants, outperforming two baseline methods that achieved positive predictive values of 0.0348 and 0.0067. Our findings suggest that this prototype application provides a more efficient method for researchers and clinicians to find valid misspellings of terms in clinical text.
Dissolved Organic Matter in the Global Ocean: A Primer.

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) holds ~660 billion metric tons of carbon, making it one of Earth’s major carbon reservoirs that is exchangeable with the atmosphere on annual to millennial time scales. The global ocean scale dynamics of the pool have become better illuminated over the past few decades, and those are very briefly described here. What is still far from understood is the dynamical control on this pool at the molecular level; in the case of this Special Issue, the role of microgels is poorly known. This manuscript provides the global context of a large pool of marine DOM upon which those missing insights can be built.
Survey on Quality of Service Provision in Data Networks and Telecommunications Studia o Prevadzani Kvality Sluzieb v Pocitacovych Telekomunikacnych Sietach

This paper presents the literature survey, theoretical background on quality of service (QoS) including the QoS framework, common definition, parameters, management, and maintenance. It further describes the issues related to the multimedia communications technologies, protocols, Object Oriented paradigm and distributed systems. This paper further discusses QoS provision via Trading Agent. This work demonstrates that all the components of distributed MM system should be involved in the QoS management process. The client’s requirements related to QoS must be adapted to various constraints supported by the distributed MM system components: client machines, server machines and transport system.
Energy Demand-Energy Supplies

Just a few years after the U.S. celebrated its first centennial it passed another milestone. In about 1885, coal replaced wood as the nation’s primary energy source. Wood, properly managed, is a renewable resource. Coal is not. Nor are the other energy sources developed and put to use in the last 100 years. Coal, natural gas, petroleum, uranium, thorium, and deuterium are all resources that can be used but once.
A spatially comprehensive, hydrometeorological data set for Mexico, the U.S., and Southern Canada 1950–2013

A spatially comprehensive, hydrometeorological data set for Mexico, the U.S., and Southern Canada 1950–2013
Control of Dimorphism in a Biochemical Variant of Candida albicans

Abstract The cellular morphology of a biochemical variant of Candida albicans could be controlled by the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in the culture system or by individual amino acids. Predominantly pseudohyphal morphology was observed (i) at a CO2 to O2 ratio of 2:1 and (ii) without the addition of carbon dioxide, when either glycine, d- or l-ornithine, l-serine, l-methionine, l-phenylalanine, or l-tyrosine was the sole nitrogen source in the culture medium. When ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, l-glutamic acid, l-glutamine, or l-proline was the nitrogen source, yeastlike growth was observed in the presence or absence of CO2. More adenosylmethionine was present in pseudohyphal than in yeastlike cells, and pseudohyphal cell wall preparations contained less methionine than cell walls from the yeastlike form. These results suggest a correlation between sulfur amino acid metabolism and dimorphism.
SynDIG1 regulation of excitatory synapse maturation

During development of the central nervous system (CNS), precise synaptic connections between pre- and postsynaptic neurons are formed that ultimately give rise to higher order cognitive skills such as learning and memory. Previously, my group identified a novel type II transmembrane protein, synapse differentiation induced gene 1 (SynDIG1), that regulates synaptic AMPA receptor content in dissociated rat hippocampal neurons. The magnitude of this effect matches that of the prototypical scaffold postsynaptic density protein of 95 kDa (PSD-95) identifying SynDIG1 as a previously unknown central regulator of excitatory synaptic strength. SynDIG1-mediated regulation of synaptic AMPA receptor targeting shares characteristics related to two distinct classes of transmembrane synaptic proteins: (1) ion channel auxiliary factors such as transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs) important for AMPA receptor surface expression and channel gating properties; and (2) trans-synaptic organizing molecules such as leucine rich repeat transmembrane protein 2 (LRRTM2) that influence synapse maturation by recruitment of AMPA receptors to nascent synapses. An interesting aspect of SynDIG1 is that its distribution at excitatory synapses is regulated by activity, suggesting that SynDIG1 might also play a role in synaptic plasticity.
Blood pressure in obese adolescents: effect of weight loss.

The BP distribution of a group of 72 obese adolescents was determined both before and after weight loss. Weight loss was produced by a program of caloric restriction and behavior change alone (n = 26) or with a combination of caloric restriction, behavior change, and exercise (n = 25). It was demonstrated that obese adolescents have a BP distribution that is skewed 1 SD to the right of normal (P less than .01), and that with weight loss this distribution was no longer different from that of the general population. It was also shown that a weight loss program that incorporates exercise and caloric restriction produces the most desirable effect on BP reduction (ie, greatest decrease in resting systolic BP and greatest decrease in exercise diastolic and mean BP). Finally, it was demonstrated that obese adolescents have structural changes present in the forearm resistance vessels and that these structural changes are reversed to the greatest extent in the weight loss program that includes exercise.
Protective Effects of BDNF against C-Reactive Protein-Induced Inflammation in Women

Background. Since high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is predictive of cardiovascular events, it is important to examine the relationship between hsCRP and other inflammatory and oxidative stress markers linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) etiology. Previously, we reported that hsCRP induces the oxidative stress adduct 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and that these markers are significantly associated in women. Recent data indicates that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may have a role in CVD. Methods and Results. We examined BDNF levels in 3 groups of women that were age- and race-matched with low ( 3–20 mg/L), and high (>20 mg/L) hsCRP ( per group) and found a significant association between hsCRP, BDNF, and 8-oxodG. In African American females with high hsCRP, increases in BDNF were associated with decreased serum 8-oxodG. This was not the case in white women where high hsCRP was associated with high levels of BDNF and high levels of 8-oxodG. BDNF treatment of cells reduced CRP levels and inhibited CRP-induced DNA damage. Conclusion. We discovered an important relationship between hsCRP, 8-oxodG, and BDNF in women at hsCRP levels >3 mg/L. These data suggest that BDNF may have a protective role in counteracting the inflammatory effects of hsCRP.
Autophagy and mitophagy in the myocardium: therapeutic potential and concerns.

The autophagic-lysosomal degradation pathway is critical for cardiac homeostasis, and defects in this pathway are associated with development of cardiomyopathy. Autophagy is responsible for the normal turnover of organelles and long-lived proteins. Autophagy is also rapidly up-regulated in response to stress, where it rapidly clears dysfunctional organelles and cytotoxic protein aggregates in the cell. Autophagy is also important in clearing dysfunctional mitochondria before they can cause harm to the cell. This quality control mechanism is particularly important in cardiac myocytes, which contain a very high volume of mitochondria. The degradation of proteins and organelles also generates free fatty acids and amino acids, which help maintain energy levels in myocytes during stress conditions. Increases in autophagy have been observed in various cardiovascular diseases, but a major question that remains to be answered is whether enhanced autophagy is an adaptive or maladaptive response to stress. This review discusses the regulation and role of autophagy in the myocardium under baseline conditions and in various aetiologies of heart disease. It also discusses whether this pathway represents a new therapeutic target to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease and the concerns associated with modulating autophagy. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-8
The Effect Of Plus/Minus Grading On The GPA

In recent years, an increasing number of colleges and universities have been turning away from traditional letter grading systems that limit student grades to A, B, C, D, and F based on the presumption that grading systems with more flexibility are advantageous to both teachers and students. However, as with any rating system, before opting for a new grading system it is important to recognize that modifications may result in some, possibly unintended, consequences as well. In this paper, we discuss theoretical effects that including plus and/or minus grades may have on Grade Point Average (GPA) and analyze data from a School that implemented such a change.
¿Por qué deberían transformarse las humanidades? Una pregunta un tanto estadounidense

En el texto que se presenta a continuacion, se aboga por la introduccion en las humanidades del "pensamiento riesgoso" (es decir, de un modo de pensar que no podria desarrollarse en un contexto institucionalizado y cotidiano, pues originaria una complejidad excesiva). Segun el autor, dicho pensamiento deberia ser la caracteristica intelectual que distinguiera a las humanidades en el cumplimiento de su funcion social. Este planteamiento tendria multiples implicaciones, a saber: las humanidades podrian abandonar un enfoque orientado a la solucion de problemas o a la persecucion de objetivos, asi como se liberarian del compromiso de defender solo determinadas posturas politicas; sugeriria, ademas, el reemplazo del concepto de "investigacion" (como tal una nocion problematica, importada de las ciencias naturales) por el de la "contemplacion"; adicionalmente, los costos financieros de las humanidades se reducirian, con lo que su posicion economica seria mas defendible.
Large-scale electromagnetic design optimization of PM machines over a target operating cycle

A novel automated design algorithm for application-based optimization of permanent magnet (PM) machines is presented in this paper. The proposed algorithm features precise performance evaluation of the potentially heavily saturated machines at high-energy-throughput operating zones using finite element (FE) techniques. First, the energy consumption function associated with the machine's operating cycle is efficiently modeled by a number of representative load points using a k-means clustering algorithm. Subsequently, a new approach is developed to assess the performance of the machine at each representative load point with proper control to conform to practical operational constraints imposed by voltage and current limits of the motor-drive system. The developed algorithm is applicable to the optimization of any configuration of PM and synchronous reluctance motors over any conceivable operating cycle. Its effectiveness is demonstrated by optimizing the well-established reference/benchmark design represented by the 2004 Toyota Prius IPM motor configuration over a compound operating cycle consisting of common US driving schedules.
Polymorphism and molecular conformations of non-protonated α-amino acids

The stereochemistry of non-protonated α-amino acids was examined using the data available in the literature for polymorphic crystals of those substances. The object of the study was to ascertain the extent to which such molecules are capable of exhibiting substantial changes in their geometry. We have found that, in the currently available data base, there are two domains: those exhibiting small (or nearly negligible) variations in conformations and those exhibiting medium to disturbingly large internal divergences in stereochemical parameters. Given the information provided by the authors, on how the crystals were obtained, it is impossible to arrive at any useful conclusions on the relationship between crystal preparation and the resulting stereochemistry of the molecules present in that polymorph.
Pharmacokinetics of Morphine and Its Surrogates III: Morphine and Morphine 3-Monoglucuronide Pharmacokinetics in The Dog as a Function of Dose

The pharmacokinetics of morphine and its derived metabolite, morphine 3-monoglucuronide, were studied in normal and bile-cannulated dogs. High doses (7.2-7.7 mg/kg iv) caused renal and biliary shutdowns and time lags in urinary drug and metabolite excretion and in biliary secretion of the hepatically formed conjugate. Intermediate doses (0.41-0.47 mg/kg iv) inhibited urine flow but not renal clearance. Low doses (0.019-0.07 mg/kg iv) had no apparent effect. Dose-related effects on the total, metabolic, and biliary clearances imply saturable enzymes and/or dose-inhibited hepatic flows, accounting for the major elimination half-lives of 83 +/- 8 and 37 +/- 13 min at the high and low doses, respectively. The slow terminal phase in plasma morphine and metabolite elimination and urinary accumulation is due apparently to the enterohepatic metabolite recirculation after biliary excretion, gastrointestinal hydrolysis, and hepatic first-pass reconjugation. Bile-cannulated dogs showed no fecal drug and no slow terminal plasma and urine elimination phases. Intravenous morphine 3-monoglucuronide was eliminated only renally and showed neither biliary excretion nor prolonged hepatically formed glucuronide elimination. Hepatic morphine clearances at normal therapeutic doses parallel hepatic blood flow and explain the lack of oral morphine bioavailability by anticipating complete first-pass liver metabolism. Renal morphine and morphine conjugate clearances were 85 (+/- 9 SEM) and 41 (+/- 4 SEM) ml/min, respectively, indicating glomerular filtration for the latter and glomerular filtration plus tubular secretion for the former. Urinary morphine and morphine conjugate excretion accounted for approximately to 83% of the dose. Biliary secretion accounted for 11-14% of the dose. Morphine showed dose-independent plasma protein binding of 36 (+/- 1 SEM) % and a red cell-plasma water partition coefficient of 1.11 +/- 0.04 SD. New equations were developed to model the discontinuous morphine and morphine metabolite pharmacokinetics.
Levels of theoretical thinking in nursing.

Abstract Development of a knowledge base is an iterative and ongoing process that requires periodic analysis and synthesis of an entire body of work. This article examines 4 related levels of theoretical thinking that are currently used in developing knowledge for nursing practice, education, and science: meta-theory, grand theory, middle-range theory, and micro-range theory. Each level of theory is discussed according to typology, scope, and generalizability, level of abstraction, and role. Suggestions are made for clarification of terminology, and examples are provided for each level of theoretical thinking. Evidence associated with the 4 levels of theoretical thinking is discussed, and applications for use of the levels of theoretical thinking to meet future challenges in nursing's knowledge development are offered. Nurse Outlook 2000;48:179–83
Evaluation of the Gd2(ZrxTi1 - x)2O7 pyrochlore system as an oxygen gas sensor

Abstract We have recently completed a detailed study of the Gd2(ZrxTi1 - x)2O7 pyrochlore system, which may represent an attractive alternative to stabilized ZrO2 in such applications as automobile exhaust sensors. Possible advantages of the new system include: (1) intrinsic fast oxygen ion conductivity; (2) potential for lower temperature operation due to lower activation energies for conduction and more rapid electrode kinetics; and (3) greater flexibility in materials optimization. These issues, as well as questions related to the range of applicability of these new solid electrolytes (i.e., electrolytic domain boundaries), will be discussed in relation to oxygen sensor design and optimization.
Mediastinal metastases in bronchogenic carcinoma: influence of postoperative irradiation, cell type, and location.

Abstract A 17-year experience with 136 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma and mediastinal metastases is reported. Six died postoperatively. Postoperative mediastinal irradiation was given to 110 patients surviving curative resection who had evidence of tumor spreading to the mediastinal lymph nodes. The remaining 20 patients did not receive radiation therapy. Of the 136 patients, 29 (21.3%) lived 5 years free from disease and 9 survived 10 or more years. Of the 110 patients who survived operation and underwent irradiation, 29 (26.4%) survived 5 years. None of the 20 patients not receiving radiation therapy lived 5 years. Of the patients who underwent irradiation, 18 of the 50 patients with squamous cell carcinoma survived 5 years, while only 7 of 55 with adenocarcinoma survived 5 years. We do not believe that the discovery of mediastinal lymph node involvement in bronchogenic carcinoma is a contraindication to pulmonary resection. As in our previous reports, histological cell type has proved to be an important indicator of absolute survival. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma had an absolute 5-year survival of 33.9%, while the patients with adenocarcinoma had an absolute survival of 12.3%. The level of lymph node metastasis has an influence on prognosis as well. Patients with subcarinal lymph node metastases had a lower survival than patients with superior mediastinal involvement.
Mechanical Properties of Hot‐Pressed Zirconium Carbide Tested to 2600°C

Tensile, creep, and modulus of elasticity data were determined for hot-pressed zirconium carbide. The material was relatively impure, containing 1 to 2% nitrogen and 1 to 2% free carbon. Tension and creep properties, which were measured to 2600° C, indicated that above 2100°C the strength was 2000 psi or lower and the elongation was 40% or more, thus signifying little structural usefulness. It is proposed that the results were influenced by impurities at the grain boundaries. Room-temperature modulus of elasticity values averaging 51.6 × 106 psi were obtained by dynamic methods.
Reduced emergency department stabilization time before cranial computed tomography in patients undergoing air medical transport.

Abstract Introduction: Advanced patient stabilization skills provided by air medical providers were hypothesized to result in streamlined emergency department (ED) stabilization of patients with head injuries requiring urgent cranial computed tomography (CCT). The goal of this study was to compare initial ED stabilization times between air- and ground-transported patients requiring urgent CCT and emergency neurosurgical hematoma evacuation. Setting: Academic Level I trauma center (annual ED census 60,000) receiving patients from ground EMS and a nurse/paramedic air medical transport team. Methods: This retrospective study identified, from a database of 15 months of ED visits, consecutive group of adults who had CCT performed within 60 minutes of ED arrival and underwent emergent craniotomy for intracranial hematoma. Demographics, hemodynamic status, patient acuity, and time intervals between ED and CCT suite arrivals were compared between air and ground patients using chi-square, Fisher's exact, and t -tests ( p = 0.05). Results: Eleven air- and 39 ground-transported patients were eligible. All patient acuity data were similar between groups. Air patients were more likely to be intubated (100% versus 71.8%, p = .04) and had shorter mean ED stabilization times (29 versus 40 minutes, p = .02) than ground patients. Conclusion: This study suggests that advanced patient stabilization offered by air medical transport may result in reduced ED stabilization time for patients requiring urgent craniotomy.
Separation of nonlinearly sorbing solutes by parametric pumping

A rigorous mathematical analysis shows that parametric pumps can separate, concentrate, and recover in pure form all components of a multi-solute mixture. The obtained separation cannot be predicted by existing linear models. Criteria for determining steady periodic separations of binary mixtures are discussed in detail for batch and continuous systems.
Dulling the senses: the role of the antennae in mate recognition, copulation and mate guarding in decorated crickets

Antennae are important sensory organs in insects because they enable the perception of chemical and tactile cues believed to be important in sex recognition and mating in various species. To examine the role of the antennae in the mating behaviour of decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, we experimentally manipulated the chemosensory ability of males and females and altered the chemical cues present on the female cuticle. Our results suggest that males rely heavily on their antennae to recognize conspecific females, because antennectomized and chemically ablated males were less likely to produce the courtship song upon contact with a female. The chemical cues used by males to recognize females appear to be sex specific, because males courted dead females that had been stripped of their surface hydrocarbons and imbued with hydrocarbons extracted from other females, but ignored females similarly stripped of their cues and imbued with extracts derived from males. Females, in contrast, did not seem to rely on their antennae for sex recognition, because antennectomized females frequently mounted males, although they took significantly longer to do so. Males lacking antennae almost never showed mate-guarding behaviour, while males with intact antennae almost always did. Collectively, these results suggest that sensory information provided by the antennae is critical to the mating success of both male and female crickets.
Respiratory syncytial virus-induced exaggeration of allergic airway disease is dependent upon CCR1-associated immune responses

Severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has a significant impact on airway function, and may alter subsequent development of asthma. CCR1 mRNA was significantly up-regulated during primary RSV infection in BALB/c mice, and was also up-regulated during allergen exposure in sensitized mice. Although CCR1(-/-) mice exhibited similar levels of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) as wild-type mice in response to cockroach allergen alone, in animals treated with RSV prior to cockroach antigen (CRA) sensitization and challenge, a significant decrease in exacerbated AHR was observed in the CCR1(-/-) mice. The reduction in AHR after RSV and allergen challenge in CCR1(-/-) mice was not associated with changes in peribronchial eosinophilia, but was accompanied by significantly decreased IL-13 levels in the lungs, as well as an absence of mucus cell staining within the airways. When T lymphocyte numbers were compared in animals receiving CRA to animals receiving a combination of RSV and allergen an increase in both CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes could be detected in wild-type but not CCR1(-/-) animals. Thus, these data suggest that CCR1-mediated responses have a primary role for inducing severe disease during RSV infection, and may be responsible for altering the lung pathophysiological responses to subsequent allergen challenges via IL-13-mediated mechanisms.
Instructional Strategies for Learners with Dual Sensory Impairments in Integrated Settings.

This article presents information on instructional strategies and the effective use of personnel needed for educating students with dual sensory impairments in integrated learning environments. To counter the practice of educating students in separate environments according to their most apparent weaknesses and limitations, the authors contend that learners with dual sensory impairments can benefit from shared learning environments (cross-categorical) and from daily interactions with nondisabled peers. Specific examples and practical intervention strategies to accommodate for the sensory losses are provided.
Acute effects of diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) on autonomic and behavioral thermoregulatory responses in the Long-Evans rat.

Abstract Experiments were designed to assess the mechanisms of diisopropyl flurophosphate (DFP)-induced changes in thermoregulation of the rat. In one study, male rats of the Long-Evans strain were injected with DFP (s.c.) at doses ranging from 0 to 2.0 mg/kg while maintained at an ambient temperature (Tina) of 20–24°C. Body (Tb) and tail skin (Tt) temperatures were recorded for 5 h post-injection. DFP doses of ⩾ 1.0 mg/kg resulted in significant decreases in Tb lasting up to 5 h and increases in Tt lasting up to 1 h post-injection. In a second study, metabolic rate (MR), evaporate water loss (EWL), motor activity (MA), Tb, and Tt were measured at 2 h post-injection of 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg DFP (s.c.) at Ta values of 10, 20, and 30°C. DFP treatment resulted in hypothermia at all three Ta values, but the effect was attenuated at 30°C. MR was significantly reduced at a Ta of 20°C following 1.5 mg/kg, unaffected by DFP at a Ta of 30°C, and stimulated at 10°C following 0.5 mg/kg DFP. EWL was significantly elevated at 30°C following 1.5 mg/kg DFP. MA was significantly reduced following ⩾ 1.0 mg/kg DFP at 20 and 30°C 1.5 mg/kg at 10°C. Tt was elevated and reduced by DFP at Ta values of 30 and 10°C, respectively. In a third study, rats were injected with DFP and placed in a temperature gradient fo 1 to 2 h post-injection while selected Ta and Tb were monitored. While both control and DFP-treated rats remained in the cool end of the gradient, rats administered DFP at doses of 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg were significantly hypothermic. It was also found that Ta values of 10, 20, and 30°C had no effect on DFP-induced inhibition of cholinesterase activity of plasma and erythocyte fractions of whole blood. Overall, these data support the hypothesis that acute DFP may lower the set-point for the control of body temperature in the rat and demonstrates that the toxicity of DFP is modified by changes in Ta.
The deployment of a tissue request tracking system for the CHTN: a case study in managing change in informatics for biobanking operations

Background Managing change has not only been recognized as an important topic in medical informatics, but it has become increasingly important in translational informatics. The move to share data, together with the increasing complexity and volume of the data, has precipitated a transition from locally stored worksheet and flat files to relational data bases with object oriented interfaces for data storage and retrieval. While the transition from simple to complex data structures, mirroring the transition from simple to complex experimental technologies, seems natural, the human factor often fails to be adequately addressed leading to failures in managing change.
Multiplex networks and interest group influence reputation: An exponential random graph model

Interest groups struggle to build reputations as influential actors in the policy process and to discern the influence exercised by others. This study conceptualizes influence reputation as a relational variable that varies locally throughout a network. Drawing upon interviews with 168 interest group representatives in the United States health policy domain, this research examines the effects of multiplex networks of communication, coalitions, and issues on influence reputation. Using an exponential random graph model (ERGM), the analysis demonstrates that multiple roles of confidant, collaborator, and issue advocate affect how group representatives understand the influence of those with whom they are tied, after accounting for homophily among interest groups.
Transduction in Group A streptococcus

Abstract Transduction, a phage mediated genetic transfer, has been reported to occur in several species of bacteria ( Hartman and Goodgal, 1959 ; Thorne, 1962 ; Allen et , al. , 1963 ). This report presents evidence for the transduction to streptomycin resistance of Group A streptococcus by several phages. To our knowledge transduction has not been reported previously in Group A streptococcus.
The Effect of Fuel Thermal Conductivity Degradation With Burnup on PWR Licensing Limits

Most fuel modeling computer codes of a decade ago did not explicitly account for fuel thermal conductivity degradation with burnup. The overestimation of thermal conductivity is compensated by other code adjustments. Following the approval of the legacy fuel thermal codes, the quantity, quality and comprehensiveness of fuel measurement data have increased dramatically. Recently, the US NRC has informally requested the nuclear industry review the thermal performance codes with the consideration of thermal conductivity degradation. This paper compares the legacy thermal conductivity models with the most recent available models that are published publicly and may have been incorporated into present generation fuel performance codes. Also included in this paper is one method which AREVA NP Inc. developed to evaluate the thermal conductivity degradation effect. The effect of thermal conductivity degradation on the PWR licensing limits, such as centerline fuel melt and strain, is demonstrated.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Elastomers from the copolymerization of conjugated dienes and styrenes containing chlorine

Copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and o- and p-chlorostyrenes have been made by use of alkyllithium initiators. These copolymers have a uniform distribution of the chlorostyrene along the chain, suggesting that the reactivity ratio of 1,3-butadiene and chlorostyrene is close to unity.
Temperature and irradiance and the total daily photosynthetic production of the crown of a Pinus radiata tree

Carbon dioxide exchange rates were recorded for different ages and positions of foliage and parts of the main stem of a 7-m tall Pinus radiata D. Don tree growing in a large, artificially lit, controlled-environment room. Irradiance levels were varied from dark to approximately full sunlight, and air temperatures from 10° to 35°C in 5°C steps. Leaf temperatures within the cuvettes used for CO2 exchange measurements, however, were up to 5°C higher than the room air temperature set but this varied with position in the tree crown, the shaded lower crown being at approximately room temperature. A balance sheet was prepared to show the photosynthetic gains and respiratory losses of different parts of the crown over 24 h at each air temperature and at irradiances of 400, 270, and 135 W m-2 during the 8-h photosynthetic period. The greatest daily photosynthetic gain was at 10° C, although this temperature is considered sub-optimal for growth. At temperatures greater than 25° C, even at the greatest irradiance level for 8 h, total respiration was greater than photosynthesis.
Magnetic Properties of Several Transition Metal Silicomolybdates with a Magnetic Pyrochlore Lattice

We describe the low-temperature magnetic susceptibilities of M22+SiO4[MoO3]12×30H2O, with M = Mn, Co, Fe, and Ni. Magnetic order is visible in Mn2SiO4[MoO3]12×30H2O, possibly due at least in part to the magnetic dipole–dipole interaction, and magnetic frustration is suggested by the behavior of Co2SiO4[MoO3]12×30H2O and Ni2SiO4[MoO3]12×30H2O. Fe2SiO4[MoO3]12×30H2O exhibits a nonmagnetic ground state, with a very small splitting between the ground and first excited states of Fe2+.
The application of the method of maximum likelihood to the analysis of tracer kinetic data

Abstract The feasibility and usefulness of the application of the maximum likelihood method to tracer kinetic data have been demonstrated. The method has been described in this study for cases where the observations can be fitted with a multiexponential function. It is assumed that the data, which represent the isotope content of a system, obey a Poisson fluctuation. Two applications have been presented from the field of tracer kinetic studies in man. The limit of statistical separability of the components in the bi-exponential case and the approximate computational separability for the IBM 360⧸65 computer have been described.
Laser-Initiated Reaction Of Phosphine And Nitrogen Fluorides

The reaction of phosphine and nitrogen trifluoride initiated by a CW CO2 laser has produced several interesting results. Mixtures that are rich in phosphine produced a brownish polymeric film, along with phosphorus trifluoride, hydrogen fluoride, and nitrogen. The infrared spectra of the polymer indicated that N-H, P=N, and P-F vibrational bands were present. It was observed that when hydrogen bonded NH vibrational bands were present in the IR, the polymeric film was slightly conductive. The film could also be made to be conductive by doping with iodine vapors. The polymer film was observed to decompose slowly when exposed to air due to hydrolysis. A visible emission is observed when the phosphine and nitrogen trifluoride mixtures are irradiated. Spectral analysis of this fluorescence showed that the discrete spectra was due to PF, CN, atomic Na, and CaF. Most of the fluorescence was the result of a continuum that extended across the visible into the near infrared. The emission was observed to give simple exponential decay to oscillations with spikes as the nitrogen trifluoride to phosphine ratio was increased. The oscillations have been shown to be due to the shock waves generated by the reaction traversing the cell. The reaction cell was fitted with Brewster angle windows and placed in a hole-coupled cavity to determine if lasing could be obtained. Some gain has been observed from 400 to 800 nm. A comparison of the laser-induced emission to the emission from the phosphine/nitrogen trifluoride flame has also been made.
Can speech perception be influenced by simultaneous presentation of print

When a spoken word is masked by noise having the same amplitude envelope, subjects report that they hear the word much more clearly if they see its printed version at the same time. Using signal detection methodology, we investigated whether this subjective impression reflects a change in perceptual sensitivity or in bias. In Experiment 1, speech-plus-noise and noise-only trials were accompanied by matching print, nonmatching (but structurally similar) print, or a neutral visual stimulus. The results revealed a strong bias effect: The matching visual input apparently made the amplitude-modulated masking noise sound more speechlike, but it did not improve the detectability of the speech. However, reaction times for correct detections were reliably shorter in the matching condition, suggesting perhaps subliminal facilitation. The bias and reaction time effects were much smaller when nonwords were substituted for the words, and they were absent when white noise was employed as the masking sound. Thus it seems that subjects automatically detect correspondences between speech amplitude envelopes and printed stimuli, and they do this more efficiently when the printed stimuli are real words. This supports the hypothesis, much discussed in the reading literature, that printed words are immediately translated into an internal representation having speechlike characteristics.
Climatic change letters: A modest effort to address a gigantic problem

I proposed the idea of Climatic Change Letters to Steve Schneider for all the obvious reasons: times from submission to publication in Climatic Change sometimes extended to 2 years. The journal’s impact was increasing but in a rapidly growing and changing research field, such a leisurely pace meant the journal was under-serving its readership. There were other superb avenues for rapid publication, Science, Nature, and PNAS. But their space, even including the pages available in several more specialized journals, is in very short supply and not tuned to the unique readership of Climatic Change. Furthermore, submissions to the high impact journals compete against those from dozens of other fields, and only papers that satisfy the criterion of revealing (in Science’s words) “novel concepts of broad interest” pass the entry hurdle. Even within the climate community, there remained a gap between availability of research products in developed versus developing countries, where the gray literature that partially fills the time between submission and publication often does not reach. But consideration of the situation of any science, particularly climate science, within the broader information landscape also was a factor. The scientific community continually scrambles to close, or at least bridge, a series of apparently everexpanding gaps between its traditional means of disseminating information and the harsh reality of the current communications arena. In terms of depth and quality of knowledge, there is a wide canyon between public interest in and understanding of science at even the most rudimentary level and the highly specialized pursuit and reporting of research at academic institutions. There also remains a substantial disconnect between the interests and needs of policy makers and the products of research scientists, the heroic efforts embodied in IPCC assessments notwithstanding. These breaches also are evident along the time dimension: information and
Effects of focal spot intensity distribution and collimator width in reconstructive x-ray tomography.

In computed tomography the finite width of the collimator aperture implies that the image is reconstructed from scans having finite strip width. This blurs the image and limits scanner resolution. Bracewell has discussed the nature of the blurring produced and suggested a method to partially restore the image under the assumption that the x‐ray focal spot has a uniform intensity distribution. However, pinhole radiographs of x‐ray focal spots reveal intensity distribution in the scanning plane which peaks at the edges of the focal spot with a reduced intensity in the center. A model is presented which simulates this intensity distribution as the sum of two point sources of x rays separated by a uniform line source. This results in a point absorber response function which is a superposition of two rectangular distributions and the one discussed by Bracewell. The corresponding transfer function is derived which shows that the intensity distribution of the focal spot influences the high spatial frequency components of the reconstructed image more than the low frequency components.
Flexible area‐color reflective displays based on electric‐field‐induced blueshift in a cholesteric liquid‐crystal film

— An electrically controllable blueshift of the reflection band is observed in a cholesteric liquid crystal with either positive or negative dielectric anisotropy. The change in optical properties is a result of a two-dimensional periodic undulation of the cholesteric texture, known as Helfrich deformation. This blueshift mechanism was used to demonstrate area-color reflective displays in a cholesteric cell and a rollable polymeric film.
Newtonian, Converso, and Deist: The Lives of Jacob (Henrique) de Castro Sarmento

Jacob (Henrique) de Castro Sarmento was a descendent of New Christians in Portugal who made his way to London in the early eighteenth century. There he professed Judaism openly, but he also advanced his scientific and medical pursuits, becoming particularly enamored of the Newtonian world view. This paper argues that Sarmento's attachment to Judaism was essentially a function of his personal relationship with Hakham David Nieto, and that Sarmento's Judaism was never really the full synthesis of scientific outlook and Jewish theology toward which Nieto pushed him. Rather, after Nieto's death Sarmento identified himself with scientific Newtonianism increasingly openly, while his religious identitly waned. Apparently he found science a more useful outlook in approaching the world, as did many Newtonians of that generation.