cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Lesions in Experimental Ophidian Paramyxovirus Pneumonia of Aruba Island Rattlesnakes, Crotalus unicolor

Histologic and ultrastructural changes were observed in the respiratory portions of lung in five 29-40-month-old Aruba Island rattlesnakes, Crotalus unicolor, that were inoculated with an Aruba Island Rattlesnake virus (AIV) strain of ophidian paramyxovirus (OPMV) isolated from an Aruba Island rattlesnake. Lungs from one non-infected and three mock-infected Aruba Island rattlesnakes were examined also. From 4 to 22 days following intratracheal inoculation, progressive microscopic changes were seen in the lung. Initially, increased numbers of heterophils were observed in the interstitium followed by proliferation and vacuolation of epithelial cells lining faveoli. The changes appeared to progress from cranial to caudal portions of the respiratory lung following inoculation. Beginning at 4 days postinoculation, viral antigen was demonstrated in epithelial cells lining faveoli with an immunofluorescent technique using a rabbit anti-AIV polyclonal antibody. Electron microscopy revealed loss of type I cells, hyperplasia of type II cells, and interstitial infiltrates of heterophils and mononuclear cells. Viral nucleocapsid material was seen within the cytoplasm and mature virus was seen budding from cytoplasmic membranes of infected type I and type II cells from 8 to 19 days after infection. A virus consistent with AIV was isolated from lung tissues of infected rattlesnakes, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates.
Large Scale Decipherment for Out-of-Domain Machine Translation

We apply slice sampling to Bayesian decipherment and use our new decipherment framework to improve out-of-domain machine translation. Compared with the state of the art algorithm, our approach is highly scalable and produces better results, which allows us to decipher ciphertext with billions of tokens and hundreds of thousands of word types with high accuracy. We decipher a large amount of monolingual data to improve out-of-domain translation and achieve significant gains of up to 3.8 BLEU points.
The gross anatomy of a tRNA gene cluster at region 42A of the D. melanogaster chromosome

Abstract The sequence organization and positions of the tRNA genes in a tRNA gene cluster at chromosomal region 42A of the D. melanogaster (Dm) genome have been studied by recombinant DNA methods. A set of overlapping inserts of Dm DNA cloned in a lambdoid vector and extending in both directions from the Drosophila tRNA gene-bearing fragment of plasmid pCIT12 has been isolated by the procedure of "chromosomal walking." The isolated region has a total length of 94 kb of which a central 46 kb region contains eight tRNA Asn genes, four tRNA 2 Arg genes, five tRNA 2 Lys genes and one tRNA lle gene. The genes are irregularly spaced and transcribed from both strands; they occur to some extent in subclusters. Thus this sequence organization is totally different from the tandem repeat organization seen in many 5S rRNA gene clusters of higher eucaryotes and in one Xenopus tRNA gene cluster.
In search of RNase P RNA from microbial genomes

A simple procedure has been developed to quickly retrieve and validate the DNA sequence encoding the RNA subunit of ribonuclease P (RNase P RNA) from microbial genomes. RNase P RNA sequences were identified from 94% of bacterial and archaeal complete genomes where previously no RNase P RNA was annotated. A sequence was found in camelpox virus, highly conserved in all orthopoxviruses (including smallpox virus), which could fold into a putative RNase P RNA in terms of conserved primary features and secondary structure. New structure features of RNase P RNA that enable one to distinguish bacteria from archaea and eukarya were found. This RNA is yet another RNA that can be a molecular criterion to divide the living world into three domains (bacteria, archaea, and eukarya). The catalytic center of this RNA, and its detection from some environmental whole genome shotgun sequences, is also discussed.
Serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and thyrotropin during hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, and recovery phases of subacute nonsuppurative thyroiditis

Serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations were measured throughout the illness of a patient with subacute nonsuppurative thyroiditis. In the initial hyperthyroid phase, which by history was 4–5 wk in duration, T3 was 250–400 ng100 ml, T4 was 12–16 μg100 ml, and TSH was normal and did not increase after thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) infusion. T3 and T4 levels then fell rapidly, reaching values of 55 ng100 ml and 3 μg100 ml 25 days after the initial studies and 13 ng100 ml and 0.5 μg100 ml by day 46. Serum TSH was undetectable at 25 days, but on day 46 was 120 μU/ml, and was 162 μU/ml on day 58. T3 was given for 4 mo and then discontinued. One month later, T3 and T4 were in the normal range, but an additional month passed before TSH decreased from 60–80 μU/ml, to normal levels. These data indicate that the unphysiologic release of endogenous thyroid hormone that can occur in subacute thyroiditis suppresses TRH-induced TSH release. The elevation of TSH associated with normal T3 and T4 levels during the recovery period suggests that supranormal amounts of this hormone are required to maintain adequate thyroidal hormone release at this time. This TSH elevation can explain the often noted supranormal values for RAI uptake during the recovery period. The eventual return of the elevated TSH levels to normal indicates that, in patients with this disease, this abnormality does not imply the presence of permanent thyroid dysfunction.
Adipose Tissue Macrophages: A Piece of the PAI of Metabolic Syndrome

A body of research has strongly implicated inflammation in the genesis of obesity-associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. An outstanding issue is how obesity-induced metabolic signals are translated into an inflammatory response. In this issue of Science Translational Medicine, Kishore et al. demonstrate that the action of free fatty acids on adipose tissue macrophages dynamically regulates the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, a serine protease inhibitor that suppresses the breakdown of blood clots. Their data suggest that these macrophages sit in a specialized microenvironment that senses metabolic signals from fat cells and the circulation and integrates them to produce an inflammatory signal.
In vivo development of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels in Xenopus myotomal muscle.

The development of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) channel function in Xenopus myotomal muscle was studied by single-channel recordings from cell-attached patches of nonjunctional membrane in vivo. AChR channels were studied from the time of their first appearance on the muscle membrane until the time of full maturity of the muscle. Two predominant amplitude classes of AChR channels were observed with slope conductances of about 40 and 60 pS. During the first day after their initial appearance on the membrane, the small-conductance channels were the most numerous class on the muscle membrane. The large-conductance channels then began to be expressed in significant numbers and, over the next 2 d, became the predominant channel type. The large- conductance class had an apparent mean open time of approximately 0.7 msec at resting potential, which remained constant throughout development. The small channel initially had an apparent open time of approximately 3 msec at resting potential, which decreased during development by about 50%. The decrease in open time of the small channel was correlated in time with the increased expression of the large-conductance channels. Openings of the large-conductance channels were generally separated by closed intervals of more than 1 msec, whereas openings of the small-conductance channels were commonly interrupted by brief gaps of about 0.2 msec duration. The duration of the brief gaps did not change during development.
SNIR estimation and statistics for DS-SS CDMA communications

Estimation of signal quality is critical in high-capacity spread spectrum systems for several reasons, e.g., power control and multiuser detection. In some techniques, signal amplitude is used as the measure of signal quality, but this is not as good a measure as the signal-to-noise-plus-interference ratio (SNIR). In this work we investigate several SNIR estimators based upon correlator outputs, and show by simulation that they are both accurate in terms of estimating bit error probability, and rapid in that only several tens of bits are required. We also derive the SNIR probability density function for the equal-received-energy case and validate it by computer simulations.
Lessons on orographic precipitation from the Mesoscale Alpine Programme

Although moisture-laden airflow towards a mountain is a necessary ingredient, the results from the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP) demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the orographically modified flow is crucial for predicting the intensity, location and duration of orographic precipitation. Understanding the orographically modified flow as it occurs in the Alps is difficult since it depends on the static stability of the flow at low levels, which is heavily influenced by synoptic conditions, the complex effects of latent heating, and the mountain shape, which has important and complicated variations on scales ranging from a few to hundreds of kilometres. Central themes in all of the precipitation-related MAP studies are the ways in which the complex Alpine orography influences the moist, stratified airflow to produce the observed precipitation patterns, by determining the location and rate of upward air motion and triggering fine-scale motions and microphysical processes that locally enhance the growth and fallout of precipitation. In this paper we review the major findings from the MAP observations and describe some new research directions that have been stimulated by MAP results. Copyright  2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Eddy current induction in a solid conducting cylinder with a transverse magnetic field

Quasistatic magnetic field solutions for a right circular cylinder of arbitrary conductivity and permeability immersed in a uniform transverse magnetic field are considered. The cases of a rotating cylinder in a dc magnetic field and a stationary cylinder in an ac magnetic field are included. The solutions are described in terms of the magnetic Reynolds number, a dimensionless quantity which indicates the effect of dynamics on the magnetic field inside the conducting cylinder. The field distributions are plotted over the complete range of dynamic behavior using known approximations to ber and bei functions. To verify the theoretical results, experiments are performed to measure changes in the magnetic field outside a conducting shaft as a function of shaft rotation speed or magnetic field frequency. These measurements are correlated with the calculated solutions for the magnetic flux density outside the conducting cylinder. An external magnetic Reynolds number is found to be an appropriate indication of the change in magnetic field outside the conducting cylinder.
A perception-based processing strategy for cochlear implants and speech coding

We propose a perception-based signal processing strategy to encode slowly-varying amplitude and frequency modulations within a frequency analysis band. We have simulated a four-band version of this processor and showed that vowel recognition is improved by adding frequency modulation, particularly in noise. This strategy can be used to efficiently encode fine structure in cochlear implants and to improve speech recognition in noise. Because the center frequency is removed in the analysis, this technique also has the potential to provide high-quality, low-bit speech coding and synthesis.
Park-people relations in Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal: a socio-economic analysis.

Park-people interactions in Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, located in the lowlands of Southeastern Nepal, were studied intensively over a two-years' period from 1986 to 1988, through a variety of economic and attitu-dinal surveys. The Reserve had been established for the conservation of wild Water Buffalo and migratory waterfowl, and protects some of the most important wetland habitat in Nepal; it is therefore vital for the conservation of biodiversity on a national and regional level. The results showed that people in the area are dependent on the Reserve for the collection of grasses etc. which they use as building materials, while the Reserve provides fish which are sold cheaply in local markets. Other products, such as fuel-wood, edible and medicinal plants, and seeds, are occasionally collected legally in the Reserve.Despite the measurable benefits, attitudes about the Reserve are generally poor in the region, at least among local inhabitants who do not understand its main raisons d'etre. The best predictors of attitudes were the caste or ethnic group and the literacy rate of the family of the respondent, and not the socio-economic standing of, or the direct cost to, the respondent due to crop damage by wildlife. These results suggest that religious inculcation, societal discrimination, and education, may all play a role in shaping attitudes and therefore influencing park-people relations. Short-term solutions to park-people conflicts should include more education and extension programmes on the part of the Reserve's management, and legal efforts to return at least some control to local villages.
Factors Underlying Church Member Satisfaction and Retention

ABSTRACT Retaining members in nonprofit organizations is becoming increasingly difficult as more organizations compete for the time and energies of the member. Churches have not been immune to this erosion of loyalty. Understanding the factors which underlie member satisfaction allows church management to prioritize the use of resources and focus on those performance issues that make a difference to the member. This is an empirical study to determine the underlying dimensions of church member satisfaction. The research instrument used was a self-administered questionnaire that was completed by the members of a mainstream denominational church in the midwest. Members who were satisfied with the church's overall performance were compared and contrasted with those who were dissatisfied. Results of the questionnaire were subjected to bivariate correlation, factor analysis, and logistic regression. Ten underlying dimensions of member satisfaction were discovered. Eighty-six percent of all satisfied church memb...
Multiple costimulatory modalities enhance CTL avidity

Recent studies in both animal models and clinical trials have demonstrated that the avidity of T cells is a major determinant of antitumor and antiviral immunity. In this study, we evaluated several different vaccine strategies for their ability to enhance both the quantity and avidity of CTL responses. CD8(+) T cell quantity was measured by tetramer binding precursor frequency, and avidity was measured by both tetramer dissociation and quantitative cytolytic function. We have evaluated a peptide, a viral vector expressing the Ag transgene alone, with one costimulatory molecule (B7-1), and with three costimulatory molecules (B7-1, ICAM-1, and LFA-3), with anti-CTLA-4 mAb, with GM-CSF, and combinations of the above. We have evaluated these strategies in both a foreign Ag model using beta-galactosidase as immunogen, and in a "self" Ag model, using carcinoembryonic Ag as immunogen in carcinoembryonic Ag transgenic mice. The combined use of several of these strategies was shown to enhance not only the quantity, but, to a greater magnitude, the avidity of T cells generated; a combination strategy is also shown to enhance antitumor effects. The results reported in this study thus demonstrate multiple strategies that can be used in both antitumor and antiviral vaccine settings to generate higher avidity host T cell responses.
Emotion suppression moderates the quadratic association between RSA and executive function

There is uncertainty about whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a cardiac marker of adaptive emotion regulation, is involved in relatively low or high executive function performance. In the present study, we investigated (a) whether RSA during rest and tasks predict both relatively low and high executive function within a larger quadratic association among the two variables, and (b) the extent to which this quadratic trend was moderated by individual differences in emotion regulation. To achieve these aims, a sample of ethnically and socioeconomically diverse women self-reported reappraisal and emotion suppression. They next experienced a 2-min resting period during which electrocardiogram (ECG) was continually assessed. In the next phase, the women completed an array of executive function and nonexecutive cognitive tasks while ECG was measured throughout. As anticipated, resting RSA showed a quadratic association with executive function that was strongest for high suppression. These results suggest that relatively high resting RSA may predict poor executive function ability when emotion regulation consumes executive control resources needed for ongoing cognitive performance.
A Generalized Linear-Quadratic Model for Radiosurgery, Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, and High–Dose Rate Brachytherapy

Conventional radiation therapy for cancer usually consists of multiple treatments (called fractions) with low doses of radiation. These dose schemes are planned with the guidance of the linear-quadratic (LQ) model, which has been the most prevalent model for designing dose schemes in radiation therapy. The high-dose fractions used in newer advanced radiosurgery, stereotactic radiation therapy, and high–dose rate brachytherapy techniques, however, cannot be accurately calculated with the traditional LQ model. To address this problem, we developed a generalized LQ (gLQ) model that encompasses the entire range of possible dose delivery patterns and derived formulas for special radiotherapy schemes. We show that the gLQ model can naturally derive the traditional LQ model for low-dose and low–dose rate irradiation and the target model for high-dose irradiation as two special cases of gLQ. LQ and gLQ models were compared with published data obtained in vitro from Chinese hamster ovary cells across a wide dose range [0 to ~11.5 gray (Gy)] and from animals with dose fractions up to 13.5 Gy. The gLQ model provided consistent interpretation across the full dose range, whereas the LQ model generated parameters that depended on dose range, fitted only data with doses of 3.25 Gy or less, and failed to predict high-dose responses. Therefore, the gLQ model is useful for analyzing experimental radiation response data across wide dose ranges and translating common low-dose clinical experience into high-dose radiotherapy schemes for advanced radiation treatments.
Interpersonal Guilt and Substance Use in College Students

The college years are a time for developing independence and separating from one’s family, and it is also a time in which substance use often escalates. This study examined the relationships between use of substances and interpersonal guilt, an emotion that can arise from feelings about separation, among 1,979 college students. Regular users of alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, and other illicit drugs were compared with non-regular users of each substance. Sequential linear regression, controlling for confounding variables, examined relationships between regular use of each substance and scores on a guilt index. Risky drinkers and daily smokers had significantly more interpersonal guilt than their peers who did not regularly use these substances. In contrast, regular cannabis users had significantly less guilt than non-regular cannabis users. These data suggest that substance use among college students may be related to interpersonal guilt and family separation issues, and this relationship may vary across substances.
Timescale Analysis for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

Insight into the behavior and simplie ed control of a nonlinear dynamical system can be gained by analyzing the timescale structure. Near an equilibrium point, the eigenvalues and eigenvectors for the linearized system provide the necessary information. Nonlinear systems often operate on multiple timescales away from equilibrium, but therehasbeenno generalsystematicapproachtodeterminethesetimescalesandtheassociatedgeometricstructure of the state space. A timescale analysis method based on Lyapunov exponents and vectors is synthesized, and its theoretical basis is established. As an initial demonstration the method is applied to an example system, for which the timescale structure is known by other means, and is shown to yield the correct results.
Ancient polymorphism reveals unidirectional breeding system shifts

Loss of complex characters is thought to be irreversible (Dollo's law). However, hypotheses of irreversible evolution are remarkably difficult to test, especially when character transitions are frequent. In such cases, inference of ancestral states, in the absence of fossil evidence, is uncertain and represents the single greatest constraint for reconstructing the evolutionary history of characters. Breeding system character transitions are of particular interest because they affect the amount and distribution of genetic variation within species. Transitions from obligate outcrossing to partial or predominant self-fertilization are thought to represent one of the most common trends in flowering plants. We use the unique molecular genetic properties (manifested as deep persistent polymorphisms) of the locus that enforces outcrossing to demonstrate that its loss is irreversible in the plant family Solanaceae. We argue that current phylogenetic methods of reconstruction are potentially inadequate in cases where ancestral state information is inferred by using only the phylogeny and the distribution of character states in extant taxa. This study shows in a statistical framework that a particular character transition is irreversible, consistent with Dollo's law.
Snappy: a simple algorithm portfolio

Algorithm portfolios try to combine the strength of individual algorithms to tackle a problem instance at hand with the most suitable technique. In the context of SAT the effectiveness of such approaches is often demonstrated at the SAT Competitions. In this paper we show that a competitive algorithm portfolio can be designed in an extremely simple fashion. In fact, the algorithm portfolio we present does not require any offline learning nor knowledge of any complex Machine Learning tools. We hope that the utter simplicity of our approach combined with its effectiveness will make algorithm portfolios accessible by a broader range of researchers including SAT and CSP solver developers.
Host plant quality, selection history and trade-offs shape the immune responses of Manduca sexta

Immune defences are an important component of fitness. Yet susceptibility to pathogens is common, suggesting the presence of ecological and evolutionary limitations on immune defences. Here, we use structural equation modelling to quantify the direct effects of resource quality and selection history, and their indirect effects mediated via body condition prior to an immune challenge on encapsulation and melanization immune defences in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. We also investigate allocation trade-offs among immune defences and growth rate following an immune challenge. We found considerable variation in the magnitude and direction of the direct effects of resource quality and selection history on immune defences and their indirect effects mediated via body condition and allocation trade-offs. Greater resource quality and evolutionary exposure to pathogens had positive direct effects on encapsulation and melanization. The indirect effect of resource quality on encapsulation mediated via body condition was substantial, whereas indirect effects on melanization were negligible. Individuals in better condition prior to the immune challenge had greater encapsulation; however, following the immune challenge, greater encapsulation traded off with slower growth rate. Our study demonstrates the importance of experimentally and analytically disentangling the relative contributions of direct and indirect effects to understand variation in immune defences.
Breeding habitat use by sympatric and allopatric populations of Wilson's Warblers and Yellow Warblers

Abstract We studied Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) and Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) habitat use in allopatric and sympatric populations in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming in order to better understand the different habitat needs and interactions of these two species. Foraging Wilson's Warblers and Yellow Warblers used very similar habitat, both selecting larger, more open shrubs. In spite of similar foraging habitat, comparisons of habitat use by the two species at the sympatric sites yielded no evidence of foraging habitat partitioning or exclusion. There was evidence of nesting habitat partitioning. Wilson's Warblers nested on the ground, with some evidence that they used smaller, more densely stemmed shrubs under which to nest. Yellow Warblers are shrub nesters and selected larger, more open shrubs in which to nest. Results provide no evidence that Yellow Warblers can be blamed for population declines in Wilson's Warblers.
Spectral response of a portable multiplexer combining wavelength division multiplexing and spatially multiplexed communication architectures

This presents spectral response, experimental data and beam intensity profiles from a novel portable multiplexer unit for spatial domain/space division multiplexing in optical fibers that support hybrid optical architectures by combining spatial and wavelength division multiplexing.
U(V) in metal uranates: a combined experimental and theoretical study of MgUO4, CrUO4, and FeUO4

Although pentavalent uranium can exist in aqueous solution, its presence in the solid state is uncommon. Metal monouranates, MgUO4, CrUO4 and FeUO4 were synthesized for detailed structural and energetic investigations. Structural characteristics of these uranates used powder X-ray diffraction, synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and 57Fe-Mossbauer spectroscopy. Enthalpies of formation were measured by high temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided both structural and energetic information. The measured structural and thermodynamic properties show good consistency with those predicted from DFT. The presence of U5+ has been solidly confirmed in CrUO4 and FeUO4, which are thermodynamically stable compounds, and the origin and stability of U5+ in the system was elaborated by DFT. The structural and thermodynamic behaviour of U5+ elucidated in this work is relevant to fundamental actinide redox chemistry and to applications in the nuclear industry and radioactive waste disposal.
Precision Incision Robotic Coronary Revascularization via 3.9-cm Minithoracotomy:

Coronary artery bypass grafting remains the treatment choice for coronary artery disease; but sternotomy, the most commonly used approach, compromises its benefits with postoperative morbidity, higher complication rates, and prolonged length of hospital stay. Despite this, minimally invasive and robotic-assisted technology has not been adopted or widely embraced because supporting literature on robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting is extremely limited. Since 2005, the cardiothoracic surgical team at our institution has been developing and maturing an effective method using robotic harvesting of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) and beating heart surgery through a minithoracotomy for coronary revascularization. This surgical technique involves precisely placing the robotic endoscopic port immediately over the left anterior descending (LAD) artery target site. The robotically harvested LIMA is secured to the epicardium at the LAD target, the robotic instruments are removed, and the endoscopic port site is enlarged slightly greater than 1 cm to become the minithoracotomy and allow for LIMA-to-LAD anastomosis. The other two robotic ports are used to complete the procedure without a need for additional incisions. This standardized method has been used in more than 750 patients, and since 2009, the last 377 consecutive non-rib-spreading minithoracotomy incisions measured a median of 3.9 cm (mean [SD], 4.16 [1.2748] cm; range, 2.3-12.0 cm). This "How I Do It" article describes our methods in detail and associated robotic nuances.
Flow around Submerged Barbs in the Raccoon River Iowa

The placement of bendway weirs (barbs) has beneficial effects on bank stability and river ecology by increasing the conveyance at the center of the channel. This study focuses on the Raccoon River, Iowa, USA, and specifically the stabilization of the north riverbank immediately upstream of the US-169 highway bridge. The integrity of the north bridge abutment, originally built in 1950, is in danger as the river continuously erodes the surrounding soils. The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) proposed solution to the problem is to install a combination of barbs and bendway weirs on the north bank upstream of the bridge to stabilize the bank. Although many recent studies have focused on the flow effects and scour holes produced by the addition of barbs, few detailed design guidelines exist. The objective of this study is to employ fundamental knowledge to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed IDOT design and eventually produce a comprehensive, non-site specific barb design to increase bank stability. The study utilizes a commercial Surfacewater Modeling System (SMS) software package with a 2-D solver to evaluate the large scale effects of the design. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation based on previous fundamental studies showed the IDOT design effectively reduced the flow-induced shear stress, velocity, and depth along the river bank. Results also showed the current IDOT design will produce adequate sedimentation between structures and effectively move the bank line back towards its historic location. Future results from the continuation of this study will help to further reduce the ambiguity of barb design.
Diversifying Entry: Some Ex Ante Explanations for Postentry Survival and Growth

Links between theoretically determined preentry conditions and the postentry performance of diversifying entries made by large industrial firms are examined. Industry, firm, and relatedness variabl...
Vetlife board director vacancies

MEMBERS of Vetlife are invited to apply to serve on its board. Vetlife is a charity that supports the veterinary community through the provision of Vetlife Helpline, Vetlife Health Support, Vetlife Financial Support and the Vetlife website. Vetlife is independent of all other veterinary organisations and is managed by a board of 12 elected directors, all of whom are veterinary surgeons. The charity employs a full-time administration manager, a part-time administration assistant and a part-time company secretary …
Treatment of dural sinus thrombosis by urokinase infusion.

PURPOSE To gain a preliminary understanding of the role of thrombolytic therapy for the thrombosed dural sinus, we retrospectively reviewed our initial experience. METHODS Seven patients, ages 25 to 71, who presented with symptomatic dural sinus thrombosis and who failed a trial of medical therapy were treated with direct infusion of urokinase into the thrombosed sinus. Patients received urokinase doses ranging from 20,000 to 150,000 U/h with a mean infusion time of 163 hours (range 88 to 244 hours). RESULTS Patency of the affected dural sinus was achieved with antegrade flow in all patients. Six patients either improved neurologically over their prethrombolysis state or were healthy after thrombolysis; one of them required angioplasty. The other patient improved after surgical repair of a residual dural arteriovenous fistula. The only complications were an infected femoral access site which resolved after treatment with antibiotics and hematuria which cleared after discontinuation of anticoagulation. CONCLUSIONS Thrombolysis of the thrombosed dural sinus shows promise as a safe and efficacious treatment. The results of this study should provide the impetus for further research.
The Cultural Barriers in Transcultural Business Negotiation under Economic Globalization

With the trend of the economic globalization,the transcultural business activities have occurred more frequently than ever,in which the cultural barriers gained wide concerns.It has been found out that failure in negation is more or less caused by the insufficient understanding of the cultural background on mutual sides of the parties involved,which also somewhat neglect the influences of cultural differences.
Type-aware Web-search

Keyword-search engines (e.g. Web-search) usually can be outperformed by a specialized system optimized for a spe- cic domain, type of data, or queries (8, 2, 12, 5, 11, 9). For example, Halevy et. al. in (13) demonstrate how a special- ized Google Fusion Tables spatial search can outperform the general-purpose Google Web-search on bike trails search in San Francisco Bay Area. At the same time, Web content providers usually exhibit a specic focus for their postings. For example, information at http://www.csail.mit.edu is devoted to Computer Science research and education, Han- nah Montana is mostly tweeting about music, and the same is true for most sources. This paper describes the work in progress on a new Type- aware Web-search system that uses topical focus of informa- tion sources to process a large class of queries better than a regular Web search-engine. It leverages semantic proles similar to (10, 6, 7) and a new Type-aware Locality-Sensiti Hashing (TLSH) scheme to accomplish it.
Special Considerations for Measuring Energy Expenditure with Doubly Labeled Water under Atypical Conditions.

The global increase in the prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased interest in understanding the factors that influence human total energy expenditure (TEE). This in turn has increased interest in the doubly labeled water (DLW) method, a technique for measurement of total energy expenditure in free-living humans. The increasing use of this method is attributed to its portability, objectivity, minimal invasiveness, high accuracy and good precision. Although a relatively standard protocol for the method has emerged, the new generation of users often is unfamiliar with rationale behind aspects of the protocol as well as the approaches to avoid or correct for in situations that are not covered by the standard protocol procedure. The primary uncommon situations like introduction of isotopically different diet and fluids with or without geographical relocation, seasonal and temperature variations, activity level of participants etc. during or prior to the DLW measurements can lead to shift in baseline abundance of 2H and 18O or tracer elimination, resulting in moderate to large errors in the measured TEE. These unique situations call for special modifications to the conventional protocol to minimize errors. The objective of the present review was to assemble a list of frequently asked questions and the issues they represent, and then examine the available literature to describe and explain the modifications to the standard DLW protocol to maintain the method’s accuracy. This discussion of DLW protocol modification can be an excellent resource for investigators who intend to use this measurement technique for interesting and uncommon study designs.
Antigenic specificity and biological activity of a monoclonal antibody that is broadly cross reactive with gonococcal protein IIs

Mice were immunized with PIIs purified from N. gonorrhoeae strain F62-SF and monoclonal antibody B33, made to PIIb, was developed and characterized. On western blot B33 reacted with a titer of 1:100,000. It reacted with the 37°C and 100°C forms of F62-SF PIIa, c, and d, and with 67 PIIs from 25 other strains of N. gonorrhoeae. On one-dimensional peptide mapping, B33 reacted with F62-SF PII peptides. B33 is IgGl and was not bactericidal for F62-SF containing either PIIa or b. B33 blocked 10–20% of attachment of F62-SF containing PIIb to HEC-l-B cells, but did not change the attachment of F62-SF which did not contain a PII.
Proving Parameterized Systems Safe by Generalizing Clausal Proofs of Small Instances

We describe an approach to proving safety properties of parameterized reactive systems. Clausal inductive proofs for small instances are generalized to quantified formulae, which are then checked against the whole family of systems. Clausal proofs are generated at the bit-level by the IC3 algorithm. The clauses are partitioned into blocks, each of which is represented by a quantified implication formula, whose antecedent is a conjunction of modular linear arithmetic constraints.
Passive Scalar Transport: Dispersion, Patterning, and Mixing

Many microfluidic systems are used to manipulate the distribution of chemical species. Chemical separations, for example, physically separate components of a multispecies mixture so that the quantities of each component can be analyzed or so that useful species can be concentrated or purified from a mixture. Many biochemical assays, for example DNA microarrays, require that a reagent be brought into contact with the entirety of a functionalized surface, i.e., that the reagents in the system be well mixed. Studies of homogeneous kinetics in solution require that a system become well mixed on a time scale faster than the kinetics of the reaction. In contrast to these, extracting functionality from a spatial variation of surface chemistry often depends on the ability to pattern surface chemistry with flow techniques, which requires that components of the solution remain unmixed . These topics all motivate discussion of the passive scalar transport equation . This convection–diffusion equation governs the transport of any conserved property that is carried along with a fluid flow, moves with the fluid, and does not affect that fluid flow. Chemical species and temperature are two examples of properties that can be handled in this way, as long as (1) the chemical concentration or temperature variations are low enough that transport properties such as density or viscosity can safely be assumed uniform, and (2) we neglect electric fields, which can cause migration of chemical species relative to the fluid.
The Dark Side of Self-Regulation

The financial services industry indirectly regulates itself through little-discussed, scandal-prone, and structurally-entrenched self-regulatory organizations. FINRA, the most prominent of these self-regulatory organizations, makes regulations and sets enforcement policy that directly affect public welfare. As with other self-regulatory organizations, FINRA’s structure poses a continual risk that industry members will subvert its processes to act like a cartel, promoting industry interests at the expense of the public and contributing to the excessive rents collected by financial intermediaries. Although this dark side to self-regulation poses a constant danger, structural reforms may increase the likelihood that FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations will take the public’s interests into account. While others have discussed how self-regulatory organizations increasingly resemble a fifth branch of the federal government, this article shifts the focus to how the public actually exercises its voice within FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations. This Article examines the purportedly public representatives serving on FINRA’s Board of Governors. It finds that these public representatives often simultaneously serve on the boards of corporate financial intermediaries, giving rise to conflicts of interest between loyalties to market participants and industry lobbying groups and their roles as protectors of the public interest. To amplify the public’s voice within these organizations, this Article proposes a different appointment process for the public representatives serving within self-regulatory organizations and calls for increased transparency and improved oversight.
Reply to the Discussion by Rose of Phelps et al. (2014) ‘Oceanographic and eustatic control of carbonate platform evolution and sequence stratigraphy on the Cretaceous (Valanginian–Campanian) passive margin, northern Gulf of Mexico’, Sedimentology, 61, 461–496

Discussion points raised by Rose (2016) concentrate on late Albian stratigraphic relationships between formations of the East Texas Basin and the San Marcos Arch of the Comanche Platform in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Criticisms of Phelps et al. (2014) regarding stratigraphic nomenclature, palaeogeography and regional lithostratigraphic correlations generally focus on interpretive aspects of the study or do not account for the full scope of published information. Revisions to the top Aptian–Albian Supersequence boundary by Rose are incompatible with the relative location of a subaerial unconformity, as well as deepening lithofacies trends and retrogradational stratigraphic patterns below the interpreted boundary. Rose's placement of the top Aptian–Albian Supersequence boundary precisely at the Albian-Cenomanian stage boundary also implies approximately 1.4 Ma of diachroneity in second order sea-level patterns between the northern Gulf of Mexico and other documented global sedimentary basins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Middle Age Has Its Advantages.

If we’re lucky, we get old. Physical and mental decline are negative hallmark associations of aging. Imagine being born blind and, as you approach middle age, waking up with the ability to see. In this issue of PLOS Genetics, Cornils, Maurya, and colleagues discover such a phenomenon: age-related suppression of ciliogenesis defects [1].
389. Muscular Dystrophy Genes and the Early Metazoan Transition from Dynein- to Myosin-Powered Locomotion

During early animal evolution, the primary source of locomotive mechanical power shifted from axonemal (flagellar) dynein to densely arrayed class II myosin. Although the emergence of muscle conferred the advantage of three-dimensional scalability, the transition brought with it the evolutionarily unprecedented problem of safely transmitting huge forces across rapidly deforming cell membranes. This task in vertebrates is accomplished in part through the dystrophin-dystroglycan-sarcoglycan complex (DGC), which is implicated in most forms of muscular dystrophy. We present the inferred earliest steps in the molecular evolution of these cell surface and cortical cytoskeletal proteins, using genome sequence data from all early branching metazoan phyla and a broad sampling of unicellular taxa. Results: Surprisingly, the phylogeny suggests that a DGC emerged before the “sarcomeric” clade of myosins, implying conserved function(s) among unicellular lineages closely related to the Metazoa. Furthermore, linkage of the DGC to the cytoskeleton occurred before the massive tandem-repeat expansions (>200) seen in sarcomeric scaffolding proteins of the titin superfamily. The rod-like domains of dystrophin and utrophin were coopted at their full length from a rapidly lengthening cytoskeletal protein with an unrelated function, that of connecting actin filaments to microtubules at large physical distances. Finally, intron positions in the inferred dystrophin gene in a common ancestor to all Bilateria provide clues to the molecular basis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and to emerging therapies. Conclusions: Our reconstruction suggests that evolution of membrane-spanning “muscular dystrophy protein complexes” was an essential process as one geometric constraint on power transduction was traded for another. 80% of the length of dystrophin is attributable to tandem DNA duplications that pre-dated the evolutionary emergence of sarcomeres. This chronology implies that escalating power output from striated muscle played no role in providing selective pressure for the serial expansion of “spectrin-like” repeats. This finding has therapeutic implications, as it suggests that minimal length dystophins or utrophins may fully complement the physiological role of full length dystrophin in vertebrates as long as the deletional juxtaposition of triple helical repeats does not disrupt force transmission. This interpretation is consistent with the clinical findings of Becker Muscular Dystrophy in selected patients with in-frame exon duplications. In this view, the evolutionary stability of the length of the dystrophin rod is driven by the incompatibility, when placed in close physical proximity by deletion, of divergent triple helical repeats. The evolutionary translocation of the protein to the cytoskeletal cortex as part of the DGC may have greatly reduced the metabolic load associated with synthesis of the strong but scarce protein, also facilitating evolutionary drift to the enormous size of the gene in a common mammalian ancestor.
Electron microscope studies of the absorption of lipids. 3. Long chain saturated triglycerides.

Abstract The absorption of saturated long chain triglycerides across the jejunal epithelium of the rat has been studied by electron microscope. The absence of lipid droplets in the microvilli, the terminal web and the absence of phagocytosis of lipid droplets at the cell surface is consistent with the concept that the majority of the triglyceride is hydrolyzed in the intestinal lumen, is transferred across the cell surface as fatty acids, glycerol, and monoglyceride. Visible lipid first appears in the channels of the endoplasmic reticulum, probably as a triglyceride resynthesized from the absorbed fatty acids. As with the saturated medium chain acids, the long chain acids also produced a negative image in the electron micrographs due to the absence of the double bonds necessary to reduce osmium. The chylomicrons developed by the intestinal epithelial cells are ellipsoidal or elongated in comparison to those formed with MCT and unsaturated fatty acids, which are spherical. These unstained chylomicrons were visible only because of the formation of a tiny “membrane” immediately investing each chylomicron. These “membranes” have been interpreted as lipoprotein or phospholipid acquired by the chylomicron in its transit through the epithelial cell. One of the major differences in the absorption of LCT in comparison with other lipids is the development of large cleft-like deposits of this lipid within the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells. This ultimately causes damage to the cell as evidenced by the destruction of mitochondria and the development of “myelin” forms within the cytoplasm of some of the cells.
Contraception: Menarche to Menopause

Contraception services should be part of routine health care maintenance in reproductive-aged women, especially in light of the fact that approximately 50% of pregnancies in the United States remain unplanned. Barrier methods, especially condoms, may play a role in sexually transmitted disease prevention but are less efficacious for pregnancy avoidance. There are several available hormonal contraceptive options, including the combination hormonal pill, progestin-only pill, combination hormonal patches and rings, injectable progestins, implantable progestins, intrauterine devices (copper or progestin), and permanent sterilization. These methods have varying efficacy, often related to patient compliance or tolerance of side effects.