cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hypoxic mouse model for screening cerebral protective agents: a re-examination.

The hypoxic mouse model, in which mice are subjected to an atmosphere of 5% O2 in nitrogen, has been used to screen anesthetics for possible cerebral protection by measuring their ability to prolong survival in mice exposed to hypoxia. Although prolonged survival time in this model is primarily due to a decreased cerebral metabolic rate produced by a specific anesthetic, results can also be influenced by body temperature, dose of anesthetic, and ventilatory or circulatory depression produced by the anesthetic. Using the hypoxic mouse model, the effects of thiopental in conjunction with changes in ambient temperature, changes in thiopental dose, and the presence or absence of nitrous oxide (N2O) were examined. Survival times were measured in eight groups of animals, either untreated animals or animals pretreated with 100 mg/kg thiopental intraperitoneally; exposed to hypoxia in the presence or absence of N2O; at ambient temperatures of either 25°C or 35.5°C. Survival times of seven additional groups of mice, either untreated or treated with doses of 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 120 mg/kg thiopental intraperitoneally, exposed to hypoxia in an ambient temperature of 35.5°C were measured to determine a dose-response curve. At an ambient temperature of 35.5°C in which the rectal temperature of both untreated and thiopental-treated animals was maintained near 36°C, thiopental-treated animals did not survive any longer than the untreated animals. Mean survival time was 4.32 ± 0.44 minutes in the thiopental-treated animals and 5.04 ± 0.28 (± SE) in the untreated animals. Exposure to N2O shortened survival times of both groups by approximately 20%. Varying the dose of thiopental had no effect on survival times. However, when similar groups were studied in an ambient temperature of 25°C, survival time in thiopental-treated animals (11.84 ± 2.21 minutes) zoas significantly longer than in untreated animals (4.82 ± 0.37 minutes) studied simultaneously. At 25°C, exposure to N2O before and during hypoxia did not alter the survival times; i.e., thiopental-treated animals survived significantly longer (11.59 ± 1.52 minutes) than untreated animals (6.14 ±1.10 minutes) in 50% N2O, 5% O2. At an ambient temperature of 25°C untreated mice maintained rectal temperatures at 36.5°C, whereas those given thiopental had a significant decrease in body temperature to 30.4°C during the study period. In conclusion, the interference with thermoregulation produced by thiopental results in hypothermia if measures are not taken to maintain body temperature, and this hypothermia accounts for the prolonged survival observed with thiopental. Furthermore, N2O has little effect on survival in the hypoxic mouse model.
Statistical mechanics treatment of the evolution of dislocation distributions in single crystals

A statistical mechanics framework for the evolution of the distribution of dislocations in a single crystal is established. Dislocations on various slip systems are represented by a set of phase-space distributions each of which depends on an angular phase space coordinate that represents the line sense of dislocations. The invariance of the integral of the dislocation density tensor over the crystal volume is proved. From the invariance of this integral, a set of Liouville-type kinetic equations for the phase-space distributions is developed. The classically known continuity equation for the dislocation density tensor is established as a macroscopic transport equation, showing that the geometric and crystallographic notions of dislocations are unified. A detailed account for the short-range reactions and cross slip of dislocations is presented. In addition to the nonlinear coupling arising from the long-range interaction between dislocations, the kinetic equations are quadratically coupled via the short-range reactions and linearly coupled via cross slip. The framework developed here can be used to derive macroscopic transport-reaction models, which is shown for a special case of single-slip configuration. The boundary value problem of dislocation dynamics is summarized, and the prospects of development of physical plasticity models for single crystals are discussed.
Special Issue on Construction Dispute Resolution

The purpose of this special issue is to evaluate alternate dispute resolution in the context of avoiding litigation. The number of cases that go to litigation is evidenced in ASCE’s Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering Construction. Each month, the featured section, “The Law”, summarizes a particular case in litigation. Litigation is very time consuming and costly in most cases. In addition, the people hearing the cases do not necessarily have the expertise to understand the complexities of the construction process. To understand the complexities of construction and why claims occur so frequently on projects, the following quote from the court case Blake v. Coakley is especially germane:
Road to divorce: England 1530–1981

(1991). Road to divorce: England 1530–1981. History of European Ideas: Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 875-877.
Multiparticle Form Factors of the Principal Chiral Model At Large N

We study the sigma model with $SU(N)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(N)$ symmetry in $1+1$ dimensions. The two- and four-particle form factors of the Noether current operators are found, by combining the integrable-bootstrap method with the large-$N$ expansion.
An in-situ AFM investigation of canavalin crystallization kinetics

We present the results of an in-situ atomic force microscopy investigation of the kinetics of canavalin crystal growth. The results show that, depending on the supersaturation, growth occurs on steps of one growth unit in height generated either by simple and complex screw dislocation sources, 2D nucleating islands, or macroclusters which sediment onto the surface before spreading laterally as step bunches. The step velocity of canavalin at three different pHs (pH = 7.0, 7.7 and 8.0) varies linearly with concentration and gives a kinetic coefficient β which depends strongly on pH, with β ≈ 2.6 × 10−3 cm s−1 at pH 7.3 to β ≈ 5.8 × 10−4 cm s−1 at pH 8.0. Analysis of the velocity of single steps versus that of step bunches created by macroclusters, as well as the occurrence of 2D nucleation on broad terraces, constrains the length scale for diffusion to be of the order of 1 mm. A simple diffusion analysis is presented which indicates that surface diffusion rather than bulk diffusion is the controlling mechanism of solute transport to the steps. A demonstration of step homogenization with an exponential time dependence for step pair decay is presented, and is found to be in qualitative agreement with predictions of the models of Schwoebel and Shipsey and Ehrlich and Hudda [R.L. Schwoebel. E.J. Shipsey, J. Appl. Phys. 37 (1966) 3682; G. Ehrlich, F.G. Hudda, J. Chem. Phys. 44 (1966) 1039]. showing that the behavior of the system is consistent with a model of surface-diffusion controlled growth coupled with an up-step diffusion bias. The relationship between step speed and terrace width during step homogenization was investigated quantitatively using the model of Gilmer et al. [G.H. Gilmer, R. Ghez, N. Cabrera, J. Crystal Growth 8 (1971) 79]. The best fit to the data is obtained with a surface diffusion length of 0.4–0.9 μm, and leads to estimates for values of the activation energy for adsorption to the terrace Ead, and for incorporation at the step Einc, of 0.27 and <0.1 eV, respectively. The results of this analysis are compared to those obtained from interferometric measurements on NH4H2PO4 (ADP), a common inorganic crystal, for which the kinetic coefficient is three orders of magnitude larger. The comparison indicates that the main reason for this difference is the slow adsorption rate to the surface for canavalin as compared to ADP.
En route to low loss nanoplasmonics: elongating surface plasmon propagating length without gain

We have demonstrated that an addition of highly concentrated rhodamine 6G chloride dye to the PMMA film adjacent to a silver film causes three-fold reduction of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant of Ag (absorption loss in metal) and 30% elongation of the propagation length of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP). The possibility to elongate the SPP propagation length without optical gain opens a new technological dimension to low-loss nanoplasmonics.
Cardiovascular Risk Prediction in Patients With Stable and Unstable Coronary Heart Disease

The American Heart Association estimates that 1 in 3 American adults have cardiovascular (CV) disease, including 16.8 million individuals with ischemic heart disease, 8 million individuals with peripheral arterial disease, and 6.5 million individuals with ischemic stroke.1 In 2005, CV disease accounted for 35% of all deaths in the United States. Given the high prevalence of CV disease and its associated morbidity and mortality, prevention of recurrent events in patients with established CV disease is a major public health objective. A fundamental tenet of preventive medicine is to initiate interventions appropriate to the level of risk for the individual. Therefore, risk assessment is an inextricable component of preventive care. This review is focused on tools for risk assessment in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). A discussion of risk assessment in patients with atherosclerosis limited to the cerebrovascular or peripheral arterial beds is beyond the scope of this review. However, many of the tools and principles discussed here apply also to patients with atherothrombosis throughout the vascular tree. This review addresses both the early phase of risk after presentation with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the chronic phase in stable CHD. After ACS, the risk of CV death in community-based studies is ≈3% to 5% at 30 days and 5% to 8% at 6 months.2 Major CV events occur in 15% to 20% of patients by 6 months.3 In patients with stable CHD, the annual mortality rate is 1% to 3%, and the annual rate of major CV events is 1% to 2%. In a registry of 38 602 patients with stable CHD, the 1-year rate of CV death was 1.9% (95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 2.1) and of CV death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke was 4.5% (95% confidence interval, 4.2 to 4.8).4 These …
Computer Code For Calculation Of The Mutual Coherence Function

We present a computer code in FORTRAN 77 for the calculation of the mutual coherence function (MCF) of a plane wave normally incident on a stochastic half-space. This is an exact result. The user need only input the path length, the wavelength, the outer scale size, and the structure constant. This program may be used to calculate the MCF of a well-collimated laser beam in the atmosphere.
Legal abortion and placenta previa

Legal abortion has been postulated to be a risk factor for placenta previa in subsequent pregnancies. To examine this hypothesis, we analyzed the deliveries of 28,665 women. We identified 68 women who had had placenta previa and compared their obstetric histories with those of 68 controls randomly selected from the same group of deliveries. The crude risk ratio for women with a history of one or more legal abortions was 1.4 (95% confidence interval, 0.5 to 3.6; p greater than 0.05). Standardizing the crude risk ratio for the effects of age and gravidity reduced the risk ratio to 1.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.4 to 2.8). In this predominantly black population legal abortion does not appear to have a significant association with placenta previa in subsequent pregnancies.
The spectral distribution of radiant energy of a gas-fired radiant panel and some diffusion flames

Measurements were made of the spectral distribution of energy from radiant sources employed in standard test methods of flammability. Radiant sources examined were a gas-fired radiant panel employed in ASTM Test E-162 and the electric heater employed in the Smoke Chamber Test. To afford a basis for comparison, the emission spectra of several diffusion flames in air were measured. The energy distribution of the flames occurred essentially in two narrow wavelength intervals corresponding to emission of carbon dioxide at 4.4 μm and water at 2.7 μm. Luminous diffusion flames containing large amounts of incandescent carbon, such as occur from the combustion of acetylene-in-air, show a blackbody background continuum with CO 2 and H 2 O emission peaks superimposed on the continuum. The radiant test sources exhibited an energy distribution approximating that of a blackbody with atmospheric CO 2 and H 2 O absorptions superimposed. The gas-fired radiant panel in addition showed a significant emission peak at 4.4 μm due to excited CO 2 .
Does end tidal CO2 monitoring during emergency department procedural sedation and analgesia with propofol decrease the incidence of hypoxic events? A randomized, controlled trial.

Study objective We determine whether the use of capnography is associated with a decreased incidence of hypoxic events than standard monitoring alone during emergency department (ED) sedation with propofol. Methods Adults underwent ED propofol sedation with standard monitoring (pulse oximetry, cardiac and blood pressure) and capnography and were randomized into a group in which treating physicians had access to the capnography and a blinded group in which they did not. All patients received supplemental oxygen (3 L/minute) and opioids greater than 30 minutes before. Propofol was dosed at 1.0 mg/kg, followed by 0.5 mg/kg as needed. Capnographic and SpO 2 data were recorded electronically every 5 seconds. Hypoxia was defined as SpO 2 less than 93%; respiratory depression, as end tidal CO 2 (etco 2 ) greater than 50 mm Hg, etco 2 change from baseline of 10%, or loss of the waveform. Results One hundred thirty-two subjects were evaluated and included in the final analysis. We observed hypoxia in 17 of 68 (25%) subjects with capnography and 27 of 64 (42%) with blinded capnography ( P =.035; difference 17%; 95% confidence interval 1.3% to 33%). Capnography identified all cases of hypoxia before onset (sensitivity 100%; specificity 64%), with the median time from capnographic evidence of respiratory depression to hypoxia 60 seconds (range 5 to 240 seconds). Conclusion In adults receiving ED propofol sedation, the addition of capnography to standard monitoring reduced hypoxia and provided advance warning for all hypoxic events.
Quantum Physics as Non-Commutative Geometry

For a person in mathematical physics, notions of non-commutative geometry (NCG) seem very natural. Related ideas to those in NCG occur in quantum theory — especially supersymmetric quantum theory — and also in statistical mechanics. One can interpret NCG as a quantization of geometry, in the sense that quantum theory is a quantization of classical physics. Many basic notions of non-commutative geometry can be understood by thinking of NCG as a way to define and to integrate differentials a 0 da 1 ··· da n in a framework more general than that of differential forms on manifolds. The quantum functions a0,..., a n are operators; their integrals can be thought of as quantum mechanical expectation values. What results is a theory in which classical notions of geometry carry over. In particular, there is a natural interpretation of NCG in terms of a cohomology theory. This cohomology reduces to de Rham theory in the usual commutative case.
Robustness vs. efficiency in sensor networks

We consider the use of distributed source and network coding in networks of redundant, unreliable sensors. A design algorithm is described for distributed joint source and network coding that creates an optimal balance between compression efficiency and network robustness.
The herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein D (gD) cytoplasmic terminus and full-length gE are not essential and do not function in a redundant manner for cytoplasmic virion envelopment and egress.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) acquires its final envelope by budding into cytoplasmic vesicles thought to be derived from trans-Golgi network membranes. This process is facilitated by interactions among the carboxyl termini of viral glycoproteins and tegument proteins. To directly investigate the relative importance of the carboxyl terminus of glycoprotein D (gD) in the presence or absence of gE, a recombinant virus (gDΔct) was constructed to specify a truncated gD lacking the carboxy-terminal 29 amino acids. Furthermore, two additional recombinant viruses were constructed by mutating from ATG to CTG the initiation codons of gE (gEctg) or both gE and gM (gEctg+gMctg), causing lack of expression of gE or both gE and gM, respectively. A fourth mutant virus was constructed to specify the gEctg+gDΔct mutations. The replication properties of these viruses were compared to those of a newly constructed recombinant virus unable to express UL20 due to alteration of the two initiation codons of UL20 (UL20ctgctg). All recombinant viruses were constructed by using the double-Red, site-directed mutagenesis system implemented on the HSV-1(F) genome cloned into a bacterial artificial chromosome. The gEctg, gEctg+gMctg, gDΔct, and gEctg+gDΔct viruses produced viral plaques on African monkey kidney cells (Vero), as well as other cells, that were on average approximately 30 to 50% smaller than those produced by the wild-type virus HSV-1(F). In contrast, the UL20ctgctg virus produced very small plaques containing three to five cells, as reported previously for the ΔUL20 virus lacking the entire UL20 gene. Viral replication kinetics of intracellular and extracellular viruses revealed that all recombinant viruses produced viral titers similar to those produced by the wild-type HSV-1(F) virus intracellularly and extracellularly at late times postinfection, with the exception of the UL20ctgctg and ΔUL20 viruses, which replicated more than two-and-a-half logs less efficiently than HSV-1(F). Electron microscopy confirmed that all viruses, regardless of their different gene mutations, efficiently produced enveloped virions within infected cells, with the exception of the UL20ctgctg and ΔUL20 viruses, which accumulated high levels of unenveloped virions in the cytoplasm. These results show that the carboxyl terminus of gD and the full-length gE, either alone or in a redundant manner, are not essential in cytoplasmic virion envelopment and egress from infected cells. Similarly, gM and gE do not function alone or in a redundant manner in cytoplasmic envelopment and virion egress, confirming previous findings.
Pose Angle Determination by Face, Eyes and Nose Localization

FRGC aims to develop algorithms that make use of the high quality images in the face database. The algorithms in this paper have been developed with this in view. We present methods to estimate pose using multi-view classifiers. Based on the knowledge of pose and face geometry a region of interest of possible eye locations is found. An adaptive thresholding is used to pick out the darkest pixels in this region, which forms the eye region. Using this information region of interest of nose location is formed. A gradient operator is used to obtain the edges in this region. Histogram thresholding is used to find the nose in this region. Lines are drawn joining the center points of each of the regions. Perpendicular is drawn to the line joining the eye centers. Based on the slopes of these lines the pose angle is determined. The FRGC version 2 experiment number 4 image set is used to test the eye location algorithm while the nose location and pose angle methods are tested on version 1 image set.
Correlations of Single-Stage and Cascaded Two-Stage Single-Stage Precipitation Efficiencies to Particle Resistivity

Precipitation efficiencies for redispersed welding smoke are measured as functions of humidity and hence resistivity for a single-stage precipitator and for a cascaded two-stage-single-stage combination. Weight efficiencies are obtained through measurements of dust delivered by a feeder apparatus and dust collected on a filter beyond the precipitation section. A maximum in collection efficiency occurs at an intermediate resistivity value, with decreasing efficiency at high resistivities due to back ionization and decreasing efficiency at low resistivities due to a reversal in direction of the electrical force on the precipitated layer. The cascaded combination yields increased efficiency over the single-stage acting alone over the entire range of resistivity values.
The Anthropologist in West Africa Today: Some Observations from Recent Field Work

At least three articles concerning anthropological and other research interests in Africa have appeared in recent years in the African Studies Bulletin: McCall's (1967) on the history of anthropological concerns and McKay's and Kopytoff's (both 1968) on “the research climate” in Eastern and francophone West Africa, respectively. In this paper I shall discuss some specific problems which the field anthropologist may face during the course of his research-problems the nature of which may not be foreseen in the preparatory stages, which may have few or no precedents in previous field-work situations, and which, in any case, receive little discussion in the literature on anthropological field methods. The problems to be discussed were encountered, or felt, by me in a specific location, and with specific research goals, but I think they reflect more than possible inadequacies in my own research methods and have potentially far wider application than merely to my particular field situation. Indeed, they could have important implications for the future of anthropological and other field research, both in Africa and elsewhere. Research was conducted in Numan Division, Adamawa Province, North-East State, Nigeria, from September 1969 to April 1971. I had debated whether to mention specific names in this paper, but I have decided to do so, since “Village A” and “Chief B” and other such substitutions would be confusing, and especially since the situations to which I will refer are readily acknowledged and openly discussed by the people of the area. I will, however, avoid referring to particular persons by their given names.
Out of the Neotropics: Late Cretaceous colonization of Australasia by American arthropods

The origins of tropical southwest Pacific diversity are traditionally attributed to southeast Asia or Australia. Oceanic and fragment islands are typically colonized by lineages from adjacent continental margins, resulting in attrition of diversity with distance from the mainland. Here, we show that an exceptional tropical family of harvestmen with a trans-Pacific disjunct distribution has its origin in the Neotropics. We found in a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis that the opilionid family Zalmoxidae, which is distributed in tropical forests on both sides of the Pacific, is a monophyletic entity with basal lineages endemic to Amazonia and Mesoamerica. Indo-Pacific Zalmoxidae constitute a nested clade, indicating a single colonization event. Lineages endemic to putative source regions, including Australia and New Guinea, constitute derived groups. Divergence time estimates and probabilistic ancestral area reconstructions support a Neotropical origin of the group, and a Late Cretaceous (ca 82 Ma) colonization of Australasia out of the Fiji Islands and/or Borneo, which are consistent with a transoceanic dispersal event. Our results suggest that the endemic diversity within traditionally defined zoogeographic boundaries might have more complex evolutionary origins than previously envisioned.
Disruption of the Fbxw8 gene results in pre- and postnatal growth retardation in mice.

CUL7 binds to SKP1, RBX1, and FBXW8 to form a cullin-RING ligase, or an SKP1-cullin-F box protein complex. The targeted disruption of the Cul7 gene in mice results in significant reduction in embryo size and neonatal lethality. In humans, CUL7 was found to be mutated in the 3-M dwarfism syndrome characterized by severe pre- and postnatal growth retardation, indicating that CUL7 is closely associated with human and mouse growth. We generated mice lacking Fbxw8 by gene trapping. Similar to Cul7−/− animals, Fbxw8−/− embryos and placentas were smaller than wild-type and heterozygous littermates and placentas. Approximately 30% of the expected number of Fbxw8−/− mice survived birth, but these mice remained smaller than their wild-type and heterozygous littermates throughout postnatal development. FBXW8 expression was detected in most organs of wild-type mice examined, and the organs in Fbxw8−/− mice were smaller than those in wild-type mice. Fbxw8 expression levels were highest in skeletal muscle, cartilage, and lung tissue. Expression profiling revealed elevated levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) transcripts in Fbxw8−/− embryos. Furthermore, we observed increased levels of IGFBP2 in Cul7−/− as well as Fbxw8−/− fibroblasts. These results demonstrate that the FBXW8-CUL7 complex plays a significant role in growth control.
Limited specificity of IRF3 and ISGF3 in the transcriptional innate-immune response to double-stranded RNA

The innate immune response is largely initiated by pathogen-responsive activation of the transcription factor IRF3. Among other target genes, IRF3 controls the expression of IFN-β, which triggers the activation of the transcription factor ISGF3 via the IFNAR. IRF3 and ISGF3 have been reported to control many of the same target genes and together, control the antimicrobial innate-immune program; however, their respective contributions and specificities remain unclear. Here, we used genomic technologies to characterize their specificity in terms of their physical DNA-binding and genetic function. With the use of ChiP-seq and transcriptomic measurements in WT versus ifnar(-/-) versus ifnar(-/-)irf3(-/-) macrophages responding to intracellular dsRNA, we confirmed the known ISGF3 DNA-binding motif and further specified a distinct IRF3 consensus sequence. The functional specificity of IRF3 is particularly pronounced in cytokine/chemokine regulation; yet, even in the control of IFN-β, that specificity is not absolute. By mathematically modeling IFN-β production within an abstracted tissue layer, we find that IRF3 versus ISGF3 specificity may be critical to limiting IFN-β production and ISGF3 activation, temporally and spatially, but that partial overlap in their specificity is tolerable and may enhance the effectiveness of the innate-immune response.
Fabrication error analysis and experimental demonstration for computer-generated holograms

Aspheric optical surfaces are often tested using computer-generated holograms (CGHs). For precise measurement, the wavefront errors caused by the CGH must be known and characterized. A parametric model relating the wavefront errors to the CGH fabrication errors is introduced. Methods are discussed for measuring the fabrication errors in the CGH substrate, duty cycle, etching depth, and effect of surface roughness. An example analysis of the wavefront errors from fabrication nonuniformities for a phase CGH is given. The calibration of these effects for a CGH null corrector is demonstrated to cause measurement error less than 1 nm.
Tobago, West Indies, a fragment of a Mesozoic oceanic island arc: petrochemical evidence

The pre-Cenozoic rocks of Tobago, West Indies, represent an exceptional cross-section through a portion of a composite Mesozoic arc system, other parts of which may be found in the Villa de Cura klippe, the Aruba-Blanquilla island chain, and perhaps in the Western Cordillera of Colombia and Ecuador. The geochemical data from Tobago presented in this paper provide a basis from which a regional view of the petrologic character of the accreted Mesozoic arc of the Southern Caribbean Mountain system can be deduced. The Mesozoic rocks of Tobago can be divided into four main groups: the North Coast Schist, the ultramafic to mafic plutonic complex, the Tobago Volcanic Group, and late mafic dykes. Rocks of the North Coast Schist served as wallrock for the plutonic–volcanic–dyke complex, which evolved during the mid-Cretaceous. Geochemical and Nd and Sr isotopic data presented demonstrate the oceanic island arc character of all the pre–Cenozoic rocks of the island. All suites span the calc-alkaline and tholeiitic regions on discrimination diagrams. Rare Earth element (REE) patterns for the North Coast Schist, Tobago Volcanic Group and plutonic suite are essentially identical and are moderately LREE-enriched (La/Yb = 1.1–2.7). The dykes exhibit the most unevolved REE patterns, and are interpreted as most closely representative of parental liquid compositions. Initial ɛ Nd (+6.6 to +9.4) and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (0.70303–0.70364) for all samples except North Coast Schist and Tobago Volcanic Group argillites are similar in value and overall range to other oceanic island arcs. Limited isotopic data from argillite samples from Tobago suggest an important change in the continental-derived sediment contribution during Mesozoic arc growth. Nd isotopic data from North Coast Schist siliceous argillite indicate virtually no continental detritus in this Neocomian sediment, while Nd isotopic data from the Tobago Volcanic Group argillite suggest a definite continental contribution during Albian arc growth.
Newcastle Disease Virus: Propagation, Quantification, and Storage

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a prototype paramyxovirus used to define basic steps in the life cycle of this family of viruses. NDV is also an ideal virus system for elucidating determinants of viral pathogenicity. Some strains of this virus are important agricultural pathogens that cause disease in poultry with a high mortality while other strains are avirulent and used for vaccines. Methods for preparation and titration of virus stocks are essential for all of these purposes. Procedures for growth and purification of NDV stocks in embryonated chicken eggs as well as in tissue culture cells are described. Use of embryonated chicken eggs to grow the virus is the superior method since infectious stocks of all strains of NDV result. Stocks of avirulent NDV prepared in tissue culture are noninfectious. Virus stocks are routinely titered using plaque assays or hemagglutination assays, both of which are described.
Reporting Difference for Colored Patagial Tags on Ring-Billed Gulls

The possible role of tag color in mediating behaviors that could bias resighting rate has not been examined. In a study that began in 2007, we marked 725 ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) with Bondcote royal blue, green, yellow, or orange patagial tags. Report sw e gathered over 2 years indicated approximately a 3.4:1 bias in resighting rate toward yellow or orange tags. The observed bias is inconsistent with color-associated visibility bias or differential mortality among color-tagged breeding adults. Potential behavioral effects of tag color on individuals and conspecifics should be considered by biologists when planning marking studies.
Fate of atrazine in a grassed phytoremediation system

Atrazine is a well-known contaminant of surface waters and has been implicated in point-source pollution at agrochemical dealerships in the Midwest. Although the fate of atrazine has been well documented in soil and water, little is known about the fate of this contaminant and its metabolites within a grassed system. In the present study, [U-ring-14C]atrazine was added to soil in closed systems to determine the fate of the parent compound and its metabolites in soil, including degradation and movement into plants and air. Soil was treated with 25 mg/kg [14C]labeled atrazine and allowed to age for 5 d. Four systems then were amended with a mixture of prairie grasses, and the remaining four chambers were maintained as unvegetated controls. Dissipation and distribution of parent compound and metabolites were recorded for 21 d. Plant uptake of [14C]residue was less than 0.5% of applied radioactivity. Approximately 2% of total applied [14C]atrazine was mineralized to [14C]CO2, with no differences between vegetated and unvegetated systems. Mass balance recoveries were 76% for grassed systems and 77.5% for unvegetated controls. Approximately 40% of applied radioactivity remained bound to the soil following extraction. The most prevalent extractable compound detected in the soil was the parent, atrazine; major metabolites in soil were deethylatrazine (DEA) and didealkylatrazine (DDA). Leaf tissue contained concentrations of atrazine and key metabolites, i.e., DEA, DDA, and deisopropylatrazine (DIA), above those allowed in forage grasses by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; another key metabolite, hydroxyatrazine, was the most prevalent compound identified in both leaf and root tissue.
Mechanisms of decomposition of mixtures of ethyl acetate and isopropyl bromide subjected to pulsed infrared laser irradiation

Abstract The infrared laser induced decomposition of mixtures of ethyl acetate and isopropyl bromide has been studied. The ratio of the yields of products ethylene and propylene, arising from the unimolecular decomposition reactions: ethyl acetate → ethylene + acetic acid, and isopropyl bromide → propylene + hydrogen bromide, were measured as a function of the ratio of ethyl acetate to isopropyl bromide and pressure of added helium. The results indicate clearly that in these systems non-equilibrium behavior is found up to the highest pressures used (about one atmosphere). A two level kinetic model is suggested which qualitatively explains the observations.
SPARC Is Expressed by Ganglion Cells and Astrocytes in Bovine Retina

SPARC (secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine)/osteonectin is a matricellular, counteradhesive glycoprotein that disrupts cell-matrix interactions, interacts with growth factors and components of extracellular matrix, and modulates the cell cycle, but appears to subserve only minor structural roles. SPARC is expressed in a variety of tissues during embryogenesis and remodeling and is believed to regulate vascular morphogenesis and cellular differentiation. Although usually limited in normal adult tissues, SPARC is expressed at significant levels in the adult central nervous system. Using a monoclonal antibody against bovine bone osteonectin, we have determined the localization of SPARC in newborn (3-day-old) and adult (4-8-year-old) normal bovine retinas. SPARC was present in the soma of ganglion cells and strong reactivity was found in ganglion cell axons. Muller cells displayed no immunoreactivity, but SPARC was present in retinal astrocytes that were identified by the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Newborn calf retina showed a staining pattern similar to that of adult retina but exhibited significantly reduced levels of SPARC. Minimal levels of SPARC protein were also detected in some capillaries of the inner retina of both newborn and adult animals, whereas large vessels were negative. The presence of SPARC in the retina was confirmed by Western blotting of retinal extracts. These data indicate that SPARC originating from bot h neurons and glia of the inner retina may be an important modulator of retinal angiogenesis. The increased expression of SPARC in adult relative to newborn retinal tissue also indicates that SPARC has an ongoing role in the maintenance of retinal functions.
Progression of low- to high-grade prostate cancer: Molecular profiling of tissue obtained by serial targeted biopsy.

5017 Background: Progression of prostate cancer (PCa) from low- to high-grade is believed to be uncommon. Here, we combined serial targeted biopsy to resample specific PCa sites over time with mole...
Experimental Analysis of Allocation during Larval Development in Ambystomatid Salamanders.

Abstract We examined how variation in food availability and temperature influences patterns of energy allocation to growth, storage, metamorphosis, and reproduction in larval Ambystoma maculatum and A. tigrinum. In each species, an allocation vector consisting of metamorphic size, duration of larval period, fat body mass, and gonad mass was influenced by both food and temperature. Larvae grew rapidly at high food levels and high temperature, and delayed metamorphosis when grown at low temperature. High food levels resulted in larger fat bodies and decreased time to metamorphosis in A. tigrinum, and larger gonads in both species. The allocation vector collectively representing growth rate, storage, reproduction and metamorphosis differed between species: in A. maculatum, only the correlation between metamorphic size and fat body mass was significant, whereas all four variables were influenced in A. tigrinum. An interaction of food and temperature on the allocation vector was only detected for A. tigrinum. ...
Closing the Inventory Loophole: Developing a New Standard for Civilian Inventory Searches from the Military Rules of Evidence

Since the Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Arizona v. Gant, the inventory exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement has taken on increased importance in police investigations. Gant imposed significant limitations on the State's authority to search a vehicle, yet police have avoided the constitutional restrictions stemming from the rule espoused in Gant through use of the inventory doctrine. This expansion of the use of the inventory exception directly undermines the rationale behind the doctrine: to allow police to conduct a suspicionless, administrative search for the purpose of safeguarding items taken into custody.Currently, a majority of courts focus on the policies adopted by police departments in determining the legality of any given inventory search. Yet this focus does not adequately address the underlying rationale of an inventory search: allowing for suspicionless administrative searches but prohibiting searches that are conducted for investigatory purposes. A far more effective way of safeguarding those constitutional protections exists in the military system of justice. The Military Rules of Evidence incorporate procedures for court-martial proceedings that ensure certain types of administrative searches are not conducted as a ruse to avoid constitutional protections. The procedures governing the admissibility of evidence obtained from military "inspections" effectively balance the administrative needs of the military and the privacy rights of the individual service member. Adapting these procedures rule for use in determining the legality of inventory searches in the civilian justice system would ensure that constitutional protections are preserved and that suspicionless administrative searches are not used to circumvent those protections. By examining the purpose behind an inventory search and allowing defendants to meaningfully challenge such searches, this Rule would provide a better means of guaranteeing the constitutional rights espoused in the Fourth Amendment.
CT of Major Vascular Injury in Blunt Abdominopelvic Trauma

An in-depth understanding of protocol considerations, mechanisms of injury, and imaging presentations is pivotal in diagnosis of major vascular injuries in abdominopelvic trauma, thereby enabling timely intervention.
Study and Application of Special Tower Climbing Machine for Transmission Line Maintenance and Repairing

A special tower climbing machine has been developed to meet the need of HV transmission line maintenance and repairing in China.The machine is an attaching type device,and consists of guide frame and hoist cage.The paper introduces their key design points,secure protective system and performances.Through performance comparison to both domestic and foreign similar devices the developed climber can suit to actual need of transmission line maintenance and repairing in China.The device has been installed and applied on large-crossing towers of UHV AC transmission line, and its field application shows its better economical and social benefits,and better applicable prospects.
Mechanism of Labor

There are several terms that must be defined to describe the position of the fetus in the uterus before discussing the subject of the mechanism of labor.
Massive Transfusion Protocols

Hemorrhage remains a major cause of preventable deaths. From collective civilian and military data, it is known that massive transfusions have proven valuable to the overall survival of trauma patients. The concept of hemostatic resuscitation through the implementation of massive transfusion protocols has been developed to coincide with mechanical interventions such as surgery, preventing death from hemorrhage for patients with life-threatening bleeding from traumatic injury. Massive transfusion protocols allow a balanced resuscitation without exacerbating coagulopathy by dilution of plasma, packed red blood cells (PRBC), and platelets (PLT) as seen previously in unbalanced resuscitative efforts. These protocols use a multidisciplinary approach involving many hospital services and resources. With their development and implementation, a concern has been raised as to how to prospectively identify patients who are at high risk for massive transfusion. We examine the history leading to massive transfusion, development of protocols and delve into the PRospective Observational Multicenter Major Trauma Transfusion trial, which emphasizes the need for redefining massive transfusion.
Seizure Disorders in Goats and Sheep

Background Goats and sheep are more likely to be presented for examination for seizures than are cattle, possibly as a consequence of their relatively smaller body size. Currently, no reports describing seizure disorders in goats and sheep are available. Objectives To describe clinical features and treatment outcomes of sheep and goats presented for seizures. Animals A total of 59 goats and 21 sheep presented for seizures. Methods Retrospective study. Medical records from 1994 to 2014 at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Logistic regression was performed to determine whether variables were associated with mortality. Results The majority of seizures in goats and sheep had structural or metabolic causes. Polioencephalomalacia (PEM) secondary to ruminal lactic acidosis or PEM of undetermined cause was the most frequently diagnosed cause of seizures in goats and sheep. The proportions of mortality in goats and sheep were 49.2 and 42.9%, respectively. Age increased the odds mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07, 2.14) in goats. Goats with structural or metabolic causes of seizures had higher odds for mortality (OR, 37.48; 95% CI, 1.12, 99.10) than those with unknown causes. Age and etiological diagnosis were not significant (P > .05) predictors of mortality in affected sheep. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance Seizure disorders in goats and sheep are associated with high mortality, despite treatment. Current treatment in goats and sheep with seizures warrants further investigation to determine whether treatments are beneficial or detrimental to survival.
Shale Law in the Spotlight: Use of the Congressional Review Act to Alter Energy and Environmental Policy in the Early Days of the Trump Administration

During his presidential campaign and since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed concern about the “burdensome regulations on [the U.S.] energy industry.” He has vowed to “eliminat[e] harmful and unnecessary policies,” which are inconsistent with his energy agenda. Working with Congress, President Trump already has used the Congressional Review Act as a method to alter existing energy and environmental policies since he assumed office. Congress has within its general powers the ability to overturn federal agency rules in conformity with the 1996 Congressional Review Act (CRA). Under the CRA, Members of Congress have sixty “days of continuous session” to introduce a joint resolution of disapproval from the date the rule is received by Congress and published in the Federal Register. If both the House of Representatives and the Senate pass the joint resolution, the President may sign or veto the disapproval joint resolution. Prior to the recent change in Presidential administrations, only one regulation ever had been struck down using the CRA. In March of 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law the repeal of workplace ergonomic rules promulgated by the Clinton Administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Department of Labor.
Immunotheranostic Polymersomes Modularly Assembled from Tetrablock and Diblock Copolymers with Oxidation-Responsive Fluorescence

Intracellular delivery is a key step for many applications in medicine and for investigations into cellular function. This is particularly true for immunotherapy, which often requires controlled delivery of antigen and adjuvants to the cytoplasm of immune cells. Due to the complex responses generated by the stimulation of diverse immune cell populations, it is critical to monitor which cells are targeted during treatment. To address this issue, we have engineered an immunotheranostic polymersome delivery system that fluorescently marks immune cells following intracellular delivery. Amine functionalized poly(ethylene glycol)-bl-poly(propylene sulfide) (PEG-PPS-NH2) was synthesized by anionic ring opening polymerization and bridged via perylene bisimide (PBI) to form a tetrablock copolymer (PEG-PPS-PBI-PPS-PEG). Block copolymers were assembled into polymersomes by thin film hydration in phosphate buffered saline and characterized by dynamic light scattering, cryogenic electron microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. Polymersomes were injected subcutaneously into the backs of mice, and draining lymph nodes were extracted for flow cytometric analysis of cellular uptake and disassembly. Modular self-assembly of tetrablock/diblock copolymers in aqueous solutions induced π–π stacking of the PBI linker that both red-shifted and quenched the PBI fluorescence. Reactive oxygen species within the endosomes of phagocytic immune cell populations oxidized the PPS blocks, which disassembled the polymersomes for dequenching and shifting of the PBI fluorescence from 640 to 550 nm emission. Lymph node resident macrophages and dendritic cells were found to increase in 550 nm emission over the course of 3 days by flow cytometry. Immunotheranostic polymersomes present a versatile platform to probe the contributions of specific cell populations during the elicitation of controlled immune responses. Flanking PBI with two oxidation-sensitive hydrophobic PPS blocks enhanced π stacking and introduced a mechanism for disrupting π–π interactions to shift PBI fluorescence in response to oxidative conditions. Shifts from red (640 nm) to green (550 nm) fluorescence occurred in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of reactive oxygen species and could be observed within phagocytic cells both in vitro and in vivo.