cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of milk production on the incidence of double ovulation in dairy cows.

To determine the effect of parity and milk production on the incidence of double ovulation, the synchronization of ovulation, using GnRH and prostaglandin F2 alpha followed by timed AI (Ovsynch), was initiated at a random stage of the estrous cycle in lactating Holstein cows (n = 237). Ovulatory response at 48 h after the second GnRH injection and conception rate at 28 d post AI were determined by transrectal ultrasonography. Ovulation was synchronized in 84% of cows receiving the Ovsynch protocol. Of the synchronized cows, 14.1% exhibited a double ovulation and 47.6% conceived. Conception rate tended to be greater (P = 0.08) for cows exhibiting double (64.0%) rather than single ovulation (45.2%). To determine the effect of milk production on the incidence of double ovulation, cows were classified into low ( 40 kg/d) milk production groups based on the average milk production of 40.5 +/- 0.8 kg/d collected 2 d before AI. Although the incidence of double ovulation tended to increase linearly (P = 0.09) with increasing parity, the incidence of double ovulation was nearly 3-fold greater (P < 0.05) for cows in the high (20.2%) than the low (6.9%) milk production group. Furthermore, the increase in the incidence of double ovulation with parity apparently occurred because, within a parity group, the proportion of cows with high milk production was greater for the older cows. Twinning rate of cows that calved (n = 58) was 5.2%. In a secondary objective, cows were retrospectively classified as cystic or normal based on ultrasonographic ovarian morphology at the time of the second GnRH injection. Incidence of ovarian cysts was 11%, and the synchronization and conception rate of cows classified as cystic was 73.1 and 36.8%, respectively, which did not differ from that of normal cows. We conclude that milk production is the primary factor affecting the incidence of double ovulation in lactating dairy cows and may explain the effect of parity on twinning rate. In addition, Ovsynch appears to be an effective method for establishing pregnancy in lactating dairy cows with ovarian cysts.
The Theory of the Paramagnetism of Oxygen and Nitric Oxide

THE two important paramagnetic gases are oxygen and nitric oxide, and to account numerically for their susceptibilities has long been a puzzle. The new quantum mechanics, together with recent spectroscopic data for nitric oxide, seem at last to solve the difficulties.
Beta agonists in livestock feed: status, health concerns, and international trade

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine hydrochloride and zilpaterol hydrochloride in animal feeds, usage of those compounds has been a topic of worldwide debate. Ractopamine and zilpaterol are β-adrenergic agonists used as veterinary drugs to increase weight gain in certain animals raised for food. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established maximum residue limits for ractopamine, which were adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). No maximum residue limits for zilpaterol have been adopted by JECFA, and new reports of animal mobility issues confront the use of this feed additive. However, many countries disagree with the Codex standards and are restricting or banning meat products containing β agonists. The bans by major importers of U.S. meat products have prompted some to advocate that the United States use the World Trade Organization dispute settlement body. This paper looks at the developments to provide a fuller accounting of what the issues may mean to U.S. firms selling meat products containing residues of β agonists.
Induced collaboration in some non-zero-sum games

Abstract : Three kinds of 2-person non-zero-sum games were utilized in this study. Two of the games employed a matrix in which the competitive strategy did not dominate in a formal sense whereas the third involved a matrix of the dilemma variety in which the competitive strategy did dominate. In neither of the first 2 games was there any difference in the subjects' collaborative behavior for the 2 experimental conditions. Regardless of condition, however, subjects in these games manifested more collaboration than was true of games of identical matrices where pairs of subjects selected their own strategies. In the dilemma game, there was a pronounced difference between subjects under the 2 conditions - about half of the subjects exposed to the initially competitive stooge manifested collaboration in contrast to an almost complete absence of such behavior in those subjects who played with a collaborative stooge. The latter group played much like subjects playing the same game with other subjects. (Author)
Validating Auditors Assumptions: A Measure of the Quality of Performance

This study extends prior study to include formal training as an additional component of experience. Three research hypotheses tested the quality of auditor performance. Results showed formal training as significant. The sample consisted of 96 auditors with approximately two to nineteen years of audit and accounting experience. Previous work on auditors’ experience and judgment produced mixed results. Those results do not consistently show that experience leads to better judgments. However, such work does not investigate the second component of experience included in this study. The study did not find on-the-job training to be effectively related to auditors’ performance.
The influence of a sign system on the sense of presence in a desktop virtual environment

In a virtual world, users experience compelling illusions, allowing them to become a part of an electronically generated environment. In the world of Virtual Environments, presence refers to such compelling sense of being in a computer generated environment. In spite of the importance of users' perceptual experience, however, only limited consideration has been given to the experiences users encounter when interacting with the virtual interface. This research is therefore to investigate the impact of interface design on the sense of presence. In particular, this study attempts to examine whether the degrees of presence are enhanced by navigational affordances supported by a sign system. A controlled experiment with between-subject factorial design will be conducted to examine the effects of a sign system on users' perceptual experience. Forty participants will be asked to accomplish two sets of seven comparable tasks (total 14 tasks) with and without a help of signs. Upon completion, participants will be asked to complete a post-test questionnaire on the sense of presence on 1-to-7 Likert type scales. For the two sessions of trial, two virtual universities were constructed with ActiveWorlds (http://www.activeworlds.com). ANOVA repeated measure and correlation analysis will be used for the data analysis.
A factor required for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay in yeast is exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by a nuclear export signal sequence

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Upf3p is required for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Although localized primarily in the cytoplasm, Upf3p contains three sequence elements that resemble nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and two sequence elements that resemble nuclear export signals (NESs). We found that a cytoplasmic reporter protein localized to the nucleus when fused to any one of the three NLS-like sequences of Upf3p. A nuclear reporter protein localized to the cytoplasm when fused to one of the NES-like sequences (NES-A). We present evidence that NES-A functions to signal the export of Upf3p from the nucleus. Combined alanine substitutions in the NES-A element caused a re-distribution of Upf3p to a subnuclear location identified as the nucleolus and conferred an Nmd- phenotype. Single mutations in NES-A failed to affect the distribution of Upf3p and were Nmd+. When an NES element from HIV-1 Rev was inserted near the C terminus of a mutant Upf3p containing multiple mutations in NES-A, the cytoplasmic distribution typical of wild-type Upf3p was restored but the cells remained phenotypically Nmd-. These results suggest that NES-A is a functional nuclear export signal. Combined mutations in NES-A may cause multiple defects in protein function leading to an Nmd- phenotype even when export is restored.
The selection and use of power strips

Power strips are ubiquitous fixtures in the power distribution system. They are found in almost every home and office. Power strips are within equipment for power distribution. However, little care is often given to their safe use. These are devices with numerous limitations that are often overlooked. Understanding what they are, what they do and what they cannot do will help the designer to use them properly.
Inhaled Voriconazole for Prevention of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

Targeted airway delivery of antifungals as prophylaxis against invasive aspergillosis may lead to high lung drug concentrations while avoiding toxicities associated with systemically administered agents. We evaluated the effectiveness of aerosolizing the intravenous formulation of voriconazole as prophylaxis against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in an established murine model. Inhaled voriconazole significantly improved survival and limited the extent of invasive disease, as assessed by histopathology, compared to control and amphotericin B treatments.
State Antitrust Enforcement, Mergers, and Politics

Not long ago, the antitrust world marked both the centennial of the Sherman Act's passage and of state antitrust enforcement. The transition from the first century of antitrust law to the second provides an appropriate occasion for reflection and is one of two events prompting this Article. The other event is the National Association of Attorneys General's (NAAG) promulgation of horizontal merger guidelines, which is part of a larger group of activities by state attorneys general to establish a more prominent and expansive role for state antitrust enforcement. The purpose of this Article is to discuss the expanded role for state attorneys general in state antitrust enforcement regarding mergers. The analysis will involve two dimensions: substantive and political. The first dimension is a discussion of the rationale of the NAAG Guidelines, analyzing the NAAG Guidelines in terms of the normal antitrust concepts applicable to mergers with comparison to the 1992 Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Horizontal Merger Guidelines. The second dimension involves focusing on state antitrust enforcement and the NAAG Guidelines in a broader political context. The Guidelines, as well as the other NAAG activities, should be understood in terms of their political or ideological significance in the intellectual controversy regarding antitrust that has raged for some time, particularly during the last decade.
Effects of oral calcium and potassium on endothelium-dependent relaxation in hypertensive rats

High oral potassium (K) decreases stroke incidence in aging high salt-fed stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). We have seen high oral Ca increase stroke incidence in aging high salt-fed SHRSP without increasing blood pressure (BP) but with signs of K wasting. Therefore, we sought to determine whether high oral Ca suppresses the previously reported oral K-related enhancement of arterial endothelium-dependent relaxation as seen in younger high salt-fed SHRSP before the appearance of strokes. Four groups of female SHRSP were fed high-salt diets containing either low (0.4%) or high (1.6%) K with low (0.4%) and high (1.6%) Ca from age 1 to 4 mos. High oral K decreased BP independent of Ca intake (P < 0.05). High oral Ca did not affect BP. In contrast to aging SHRSP, high oral Ca neither increased urinary excretion nor decreased plasma concentration of K in these young adult SHRSP. However, high (vs. low) oral K only significantly reduced the half-maximal effective dose for acetylcholine-induced relaxation of aortic rings from rats fed low (18 +/- 3 vs. 38 +/- 6 nM, P < 0.05) not high Ca (25 +/- 5 vs. 31 +/- 3 nM). Neither oral K nor Ca affected nitroprusside-induced relaxation. Thus high oral Ca by itself does not impair endothelium-dependent relaxation in young adult high salt-fed SHRSP, but yet it suppresses the enhancing effect of high oral K on such relaxation and does so without altering BP, K balance, or endothelium-independent relaxation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A literature review of forgiveness as a beneficial intervention to increase relationship satisfaction in couples therapy

ABSTRACTForgiveness between couples is identified as a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction. Yet forgiveness is often overlooked as a potential intervention to help couples increase their relational satisfaction. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the use of forgiveness as a therapeutic intervention to increase relational satisfaction for opposite- and same-sex couple dyads. Forgiveness is also introduced as an effective component of marital interventions in the context of infidelity. Specific areas that are addressed within this article include forgiving personalities, which benefits stress and health, forgiveness affecting marital and family functioning, forgiveness and relationship satisfaction with mediating mechanisms, and limitations of forgiveness interventions. Recommendations for practice are offered.
Politics, Pedagogy, and Culture in Bilingual Classrooms: A Case Study.

This article explores the cultural context of a new bilingual education program in a small Southwestern town through the use of ethnographic research. The ethnographic perspective taken in the research focuses on how a bilingual program can be seen as operating in the three fields or arenas of individual classrooms, school administration, and community. Discontinuities within and between these three fields are examined so as to illustrate implementation problems, failures, and successes. A distinction between bilingualism as a symbol of identity and as a strategy for communication is used to clarify the history of project implementation. This case study suggests that bilingual education is more than a method of instruction; bilingual programs in schools are movements of directed social change in which participants imbue events and activities with different meanings depending on which field they are in. The implementation of the project discussed in this paper suggests that careful distinction must be made...
Current View of microRNA Processing

Small evolutionarily conserved noncoding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), regulate gene expression either by translational repression or by mRNA degradation in mammals. miRNAs play functional roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes. miRNA processing is accurately regulated through multifarious factors. The canonical miRNA processing pathway consists of four sequential steps: (a) miRNA gene is transcribed into primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) mainly by RNA polymerase II; (b) pri-miRNA is processed into precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) through microprocessor complex; (c) pre-miRNA is exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm with the assistance of Exportin 5 (EXP5/XPO5) protein; and (d) pre-miRNA is further processed into mature miRNA via Dicer. Emerging evidence has also demonstrated that some miRNAs undergo alternative processing pathways. Dysregulation of miRNA processing is closely related to tumorigenesis. Here, we review the current advances in the knowledge of miRNA processing and briefly discuss its impact on human cancers.
Delayed lubricant depletion on liquid-infused randomly rough surfaces

In this study, pressure drops on liquid-infused superhydrophobic surfaces were measured through a microchannel. A number of different superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared and tested. These surfaces included several PDMS surfaces containing precisely patterned microposts and microridges as well as a number of PTFE surfaces with random surface roughness created by sanding the PTFE with different sandpapers. Silicone oil was selected as the lubricant fluid and infused into the microstructures of the superhydrophobic surfaces. Several aqueous glycerin solutions with different viscosities were used as working fluids so that the viscosity ratio between the lubricant and the working fluid could be varied. The lubricant layer trapped within the precisely patterned superhydrophobic PDMS surfaces was found to be easily depleted over a short period of time even in limit of low flow rates and capillary numbers. On the other hand, the randomly rough superhydrophobic PTFE surfaces tested were found to maintain the layer of lubricant oil even at moderately high capillary numbers resulting in drag reduction that was found to increase with increasing viscosity ratio. The pressure drops on the liquid-infused PTFE surfaces were measured over time to determine the longevity of the lubricant layer. The pressure drops for the randomly rough PTFE surfaces were found to initially diminish with time before reaching a short-time plateau which is equivalent to maximum drag reduction. This minimum pressure drop was maintained for at least three hours in all cases regardless of feature size. However, as the depletion of the oil from the lubricant layer was initiated, the pressure drop was observed to grow slowly before reaching a second long-time asymptote which was equivalent to a Wenzel state.
Status and Prospects for Conservation of Crop Germplasm Resources in Guizhou

There are the abundant crop germplasm resources in Guizhou,which is the important component part of national crop germplasm resources.20 thousand of crop germplasm resources including rice,rape,maize and wheat,etc.have been arranged and preserved.The conservation system for the germplasm renewal and resource protection is including using germplasm resource banks,the different habitat reproduction and complementary structure between state and Guizhou.The paper reviews the conservation status and protection way of crop germplasm resources and puts forward the correlated suggestion for enhancing crop germplasm resource protection and promoting its exchange and utilization in Guizhou.
Polymorphism of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 gene in sporadic Alzheimer's disease

Objective To investigate the association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)G→A (R219K) in the exon 6 of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD) in the Han Chinese population.Methods Genotypes were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 168 SAD patients and 215 healthy controls. The association between the polymorphism and AD was estimated with the odds ratios (OR).Results The frequency of A allele in SAD cases was significantly lower than in controls (37.8 % vs 48.1%,x~2=8.204, P=0.004),and the frequency of AA genotype in SAD cases was also significantly lower than in control (14.3% vs 22.8%,x~2=8.230,P=0.016).Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age,gender and ApoEe4 status showed that the risk for AD was decreased in A allele (G/A+A/A genotypes,OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36—0.91,P=0.019) or AA homozygote carriers (OR 0.40,95% CI 0.21—0.77,P= 0.006) compared with GG genotypes carriers.Conclusion Our data indicate a genetic association between polymorphism in exon 6 of ABCA1 gene and the risk of AD and reveal that AA genotype or A allele of ABCAI gene may have a protective effect on AD in the Han Chinese.
33 THE IMPACT OF PRE-TRANSPLANT FLOW CYTOMETRY CROSSMATCHES ON RENAL ALLOGRAFT OUTCOME: A PILOT STUDY

Background Pre-transplant complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) crossmatch is an established procedure known to influence renal allograft survival rates. The relatively new flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) is considered more sensitive, and based on literature reports, is believed to enhance renal allograft outcome. Before utilizing this procedure, some programs are requiring center specific data. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a positive flow crossmatch on renal allograft outcome in a single center. Method A total of 56 patients who received renal transplants at the Transplant Institute of New Orleans were investigated. The pre-transplant workup included a crossmatch to be performed by both a complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assay as well as by flow cytometry. A negative CDC crossmatch against donor T cells was required for inclusion in the study. The results of the flow crossmatch were not used for excluding patients for getting a transplant. The clinical outcome in terms of successful versus failed transplants was recorded over a three year period. A failed graft was defined as return to dialysis. Result Nine out of fifty-six renal allografts failed due to immunologic rejections. An additional two grafts were lost due to other reasons. Amongst those who lost the renal grafts due to rejection, thirty-three percent had a positive pre-transplant flow crossmatch. On the other hand, the flow crossmatch was positive in sixteen percent of those who had functioning renal grafts. Conclusion Although these numbers are small, the data suggest that positive flow cytometry crossmatches are related to lower renal allograft survival rates at our center. Further studies will be performed on a larger patient population.
Poster Abstract: Thermal Side-Channel Forensics in Additive Manufacturing Systems

Additive manufacturing systems leak cyber-related information (such as G-code, M-code, etc.) from the side-channels (such as acoustic, power, thermal, etc.). In our work, we have successfully demonstrated the vulnerability of additive manufacturing to thermal side-channel attacks, where confidentiality can be breached to steal the Intellectual Property (IP) in the form of 3D design and printing parameters. We introduce a novel methodology to reverse engineer the thermal images acquired from the thermal side-channel to extract specific information (such as speed, temperature, axis of movement, etc.) present in the cyber-domain. To the best of our knowledge, this kind of forensics has not yet been explored in additive manufacturing systems.
Comparison of Py and Ay for 9Be(p,n)9B at 8.1 and 9.1 MeV

Differences between Py and Ay for mirror reactions may be capable of yielding information about isospin violation terms in nuclear interactions [see ref.1)]. Thus far such studies have been reported only for T(p,n)3He and 7Li(p,n)7Be. In the first case, large differences were observed; in the second, considerable similarities were reported, particularly at 3 MeV, the highest energy for which Ay was measured. In order to extend the comparison of these two observables to heavier targets, the 9Be(p,n)9B and 15N(p,n)15O) reactions have been investigated at our laboratory. This report gives the preliminary results of the 9Be(p,n)9B experiment, which obtained Ay data in 10° steps from 20° to 100° at 8.1 and 9.1 MeV and Py data at 8.1 MeV for the same angles.
Abstract IA19: Modeling blood-CNS barriers in zebrafish

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in the treatment of brain tumors. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of brain tumor vasculaturization has been hampered by difficulties in observing this process in vivo. Recently, we have generated several models of brain tumors in zebrafish. To visualize the vascularization of these tumors, we generated transgenic zebrafish lines to serve as in vivo reporters of brain tumor vasculature. We show that our BBB transgenic line drives expression specifically in brain endothelial cells and not in the vasculature of peripheral tissues or circumventricular organs. Using time-lapse confocal microscopy, we find that barriergenesis (i.e. the initiation of BBB development) occurs immediately as new vessels sprout into the brain parenchyma. Using a combination of genetic and chemical tools, we demonstrate that canonical Wnt signaling, but not VEGF signaling, is essential for barriergenesis. These results indicate that CNS angiogenesis and barriergenesis occur simultaneously, but require distinct signals for proper formation. Furthermore, we created a complementary transgenic line that drives expression in fenestrated endothelium, a hallmark of brain tumor vasculature. The combination of these transgenic lines along with our newly developed tumor models will allow us to visualize the complexities of brain tumor vascularization in a live animal model. Citation Format: Robyn A. Umans, Hannah E. Henson, Chaithanyarani Parupalli, Bensheng Ju, Michael R. Taylor. Modeling blood-CNS barriers in zebrafish. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Brain Cancer Research; May 27-30, 2015; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(23 Suppl):Abstract nr IA19.
Radical retroperitoneal surgery: a 25-year experience.

AbstractA review of 210 radical retroperitoneal excisions performed through an abdominal or flank thoracoabdominal incision showed these procedures to be relatively safe. The flank approach had less morbidity and provided better exposure of the renal hilus and suprarenal areas. Pulmonary complications in the flank thoracoabdominal incision were reduced by closing the thorax with an indwelling pleural drainage tube. The flank thoracoabdominal approach is suitable for all radical retroperitoneal excisions when extensive bilateral renal exposure is not needed.
Multilevel Assessment of Middle School Students’ Interest in the Health Sciences: Development and Validation of a New Measurement Tool

Using the context of a 2-wk instructional unit focused on eye and vision health, we developed and validated a multilevel measure of middle school students' interest in science and health careers. This survey contained three subscales positioned differently with respect to curricular content. Interest in Vision Care was most related, but less transferrable to other contexts. Interest in Science was most general, and Interest in Healthcare was positioned between the two. We found that, with two exceptions, items fitted well with validity expectations and were stable across a 2-wk intervention. Further, measures of interest in science, health, and vision-care careers were shown to be reliable and valid. We found that ease of facilitating change across the intervention was generally greater in subscales closely related to the curricular context but that the average magnitude of change in Interest in Healthcare and Interest in Science was not significantly different. We discuss use of these measures in informing instructional efforts and advise that changes in students' perceptions of how science and healthcare relate should be considered in longitudinal analyses.
Environmental Origins of Methylmercury Accumulated in Subarctic Estuarine Fish Indicated by Mercury Stable Isotopes.

Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure can cause adverse reproductive and neurodevelopmental health effects. Estuarine fish may be exposed to MeHg produced in rivers and their watersheds, benthic sediment, and the marine water column, but the relative importance of each source is poorly understood. We measured stable isotopes of mercury (δ202Hg, Δ199Hg, and Δ201Hg), carbon (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) in fish with contrasting habitats from a large subarctic coastal ecosystem to better understand MeHg exposure sources. We identify two distinct food chains exposed to predominantly freshwater and marine MeHg sources but do not find evidence for a benthic marine MeHg signature. This is consistent with our previous research showing benthic sediment is a net sink for MeHg in the estuary. Marine fish display lower and less variable Δ199Hg values (0.78‰ to 1.77‰) than freshwater fish (0.72‰ to 3.14‰) and higher δ202Hg values (marine: 0.1‰ to 0.57‰; freshwater: −0.76‰ to 0.15‰). We observe a shift in the Hg isotopic composi...
Ultra-thin metasurface microwave flat lens for broadband applications

We demonstrate a metasurface-based ultrathin flat lens operating at microwave frequencies. A series of subwavelength metallic split-ring resonators, which are sandwiched between two cross-polarized metallic gratings, are defined to obtain a radially symmetric parabolic phase distribution, covering relative phase differences ranging from 0 to 2.5π radians to create a lens. The tri-layer lens exhibits focusing/collimating of broadband microwaves from 7.0 to 10.0 GHz, with a gain enhancement of 17 dBi at a central wavelength 9.0 GHz while fed by a rectangular horn antenna. The measured focal length agrees reasonably well with design, achieving a 3 dB directionality <4.5° and confirming high-quality beam collimation along the propagation direction. The demonstrated metasurface flat lens enables light-weight, low-cost, and easily deployable flat transceivers for microwave communication, detection, and imaging applications.
Pain and Fatigue Variability Patterns Distinguish Subgroups of Fibromyalgia Patients.

Abstract The current study examined between- and within-subject variability in pain-related symptoms as predictors of pain and fatigue, and identified patient subgroups on the basis of symptom variability characteristics. Two hundred fifty-six fibromyalgia (FM) patients completed daily diaries up to a period of 154 days and reported on symptoms of pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, fatigue, anxiety, and depressed mood. Measures of health status, quality of life, and somatic symptoms were obtained at baseline, and hierarchical linear modeling and cluster analyses were used. Significant intra- and interindividual variability in daily FM symptoms was observed. Higher levels of pain were associated with greater fluctuations in pain unpleasantness, fatigue, and depressed mood. Similar effects were observed for fatigue and individual variability in anxiety also emerged as a robust predictor. Three FM subgroups were revealed: low variability in symptoms (cluster 1), high symptom variability (cluster 2), and a mixed variability group characterized by low fluctuation in pain unpleasantness; moderate pain, fatigue, and depressed mood variability; and high anxiety variability (cluster 3). Cluster 3 exhibited lower social functioning and higher levels of pain, compared with cluster 1. These findings support the dynamic nature of FM pain and suggest the presence of FM subgroups on the basis of variation in mood and pain symptomatology. Perspective FM patients show significant intra- and interindividual variability in pain, mood, and fatigue. Subgroups in mood and pain-related variability emerged, with phenotypic clusters differing across levels of pain intensity and social functioning. Better understanding of the processes affecting pain variability may facilitate targeted treatments for the control of pain.
Efficacy and Safety of Diphacinone as a Predacide

Research to assess the use of diphacinone as a predacide was divided into three primary phases: (1) acute oral toxicity tests with laboratory (captive) and free-ranging coyotes (Canis latrans); (2) residue analysis in tissues from coyotes killed by diphacinone; and (3) secondary toxicity tests with diphacinone meat baits fed to male albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). The LD 5 0 with 95 percent confidence limits in captive coyotes was 0.6 (0.3 to 1.2) mg/kg. Free-ranging coyotes were captured, treated, and released to determine if efficacy was different from captive animals. Each was equipped with a mortality transmitter and tracked for a minimum of 21 days. The statistical method was not appropriate to calculate an LD 5 0 in free-ranging animals; however, there appeared to be no major differences in toxicity as compared with captive animals. One male free-ranging coyote survived a dose of 2.5 mg/kg and one male captive coyote survived a dose of 1.25 mg/kg. These data indicate high individual variation in the toxic response to diphacinone. Time to death did not differ between the two groups; that is, free-ranging coyotes averaged 9.6 days (range 8 to 16) and captive animals averaged 10.4 days (range 6 to 17). Secondary toxicity tests were conducted with male albino rats fed a meat (muscle tissue) bait for 6 days from captive coyotes killed with diphacinone. The highest diphacinone residue in these baits was 0.5 ppm and four of eight rats that fed upon it died. Hence, there is a secondary hazard to susceptible animals that feed repeatedly on tissue containing at least 0.5-ppm diphacinone. In most animals the small intestine, liver, or kidney contained more than 0.5 ppm, and these tissues have a higher potential for secondary toxicity than muscle. Seven golden eagles were fed sheep meat containing 2.7-ppm diphacinone as the sole source of food in 5- and 10-day feeding tests. All eagles survived, but various degrees of toxicity were noted.
Characteristics of ANP-sensitive guanylate cyclase in inner medullary collecting duct cells

Our previous characterization of equilibrium binding kinetics of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to the surface of inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells suggested the existence of a single ...
An Aqueous Thermodynamic Model for Polymerized Silica Species to High Ionic Strength

The development of an aqueous thermodynamic model for polymerized silica species is presented, which is valid for high ionic strengths and high dissolved silica concentration (∼0.1 m) at low temperature (22–25°C). The model is based on the Pitzer equations and has been parameterized from solubility, electromotive force (emf), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. The description of the silica speciation reactions at high dissolved silica and basic conditions (pH > 10) required the inclusion of monomeric, dimeric, trimeric (linear, cyclic, and substituted), tetrameric (linear and cyclic), and hexameric (prismatic) species. The standard state equilibrium constants for the formation of these species, as well as the necessary Pitzer ion–interaction parameters to describe the ionic strength dependence of the formation reactions were determined.
On the Demand for Corporate Insurance: Creating Value

Ever since Mayers and Smith first claimed, 30 years ago, that the corporate form provides an effective hedge that allows stockholders to eliminate insurable risk through diversification, the quest to explain the corporate demand for insurance has continued. Their claim is demonstrated here so that the corporate demand for insurance may be distinguished from the individual’s demand for insurance. Then some of the determinants of the demand for corporate insurance that exist in the literature are reviewed and generalized. The generalizations show how the corporation may use insurance to solve underinvestment and risk-shifting problems; the analysis includes a new simpler proof of how the risk-shifting problem may be solved with corporate insurance. Management compensation is also introduced here and the analysis shows the conditions which motivate the corporate insurance decision. Finally, some discussion is provided concerning the empirical implications of the extant theory, the tests that have been made, and the tests that should be made going forward.
Survey of contrast media use in southeastern U.S. hospitals.

This article reports the results of a survey of contrast media usage in hospitals in five southeastern states. Forty-three percent of hospitals surveyed reported using nonionic contrast media 100% of the time, while 71% used nonionic contrast more than 75% of the time. Hospitals with fewer than 399 beds showed an increase in universal nonionic contrast usage compared to hospitals with more than 400 beds. Survey results also showed that radiographers administer contrast media in 90% of hospitals. On average, radiographers administered contrast twice as often as radiologists. Hospitals favored selective protocols as the primary method to reduce nonionic contrast media usage. The low rate of reactions for nonionic contrast was the primary reason hospitals chose to use nonionic contrast.
Role of polyphenolic flavonoid and exercise in atherosclerosis

Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in USA and Western world. Polyphenolic compounds are present in our daily diet such as vegetable, fruit, onion, and processed food such as red wine, and dark chocolate. Flavonoids, a member of polyphenols and related compounds have significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which could vary based on their structures. Recent studies indicated that quercetin; a flavonol reduces the health risks linked with obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The objective: This study is designed to investigate the effects of quercetin intake and exercise in atherosclerosis. Study Design The study compares the effect of intake of quercetin with exercise on atherosclerotic plaque and biomarkers of atherosclerosis. We conducted three separate studies as follows: Study 1: C57BL6 wild type female mice (N=35). Study 2: C57BL6 wild type male mice (N=40) and Study 3: C57BL6 LDLr -/- mice (N=40). Mice were fed normal mouse chow or atherogenic diet and orally supplied with 100 μg/day of quercetin with or without exercising. In each study animals were divided into four groups (10 each). These groups were as follows: Control mice, left untreated; control quercetin group, exercise group without quercetin, and exercise group with quercetin supplements. The exercise groups were run on a treadmill for 30 minutes, 15-30 m/m/ 5 days/week for 30-60 days. At the end of the 1-2 month of treatment, mice were sacrificed. Livers, aortas, adipose tissue and blood were collected. Plasma lipids, and inflammatory biomarkers, and liver and aorta gene expressions and western blot were performed. Results In wildtype males lipids modulators such as PCSK9 mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated with combination of exercise and quercetin intake (p
Low Rank and Structured Modeling of High-Dimensional Vector Autoregressions

Network modeling of high-dimensional time series data is a key learning task due to its widespread use in a number of application areas, including macroeconomics, finance, and neuroscience. While the problem of sparse modeling based on vector autoregressive models (VAR) has been investigated in depth in the literature, more complex network structures that involve low rank and group sparse components have received considerably less attention, despite their presence in data. Failure to account for low-rank structures results in spurious connectivity among the observed time series, which may lead practitioners to draw incorrect conclusions about pertinent scientific or policy questions. In order to accurately estimate a network of Granger causal interactions after accounting for latent effects, we introduce a novel approach for estimating low-rank and structured sparse high-dimensional VAR models. We introduce a regularized framework involving a combination of nuclear norm and lasso (or group lasso) penalties. Subsequently, we establish nonasymptotic probabilistic upper bounds on the estimation error rates of the low-rank and the structured sparse components. We also introduce a fast estimation algorithm and finally demonstrate the performance of the proposed modeling framework over standard sparse VAR estimates through numerical experiments on synthetic and real data.
Zika virus causes acute infection and inflammation in the ovary of mice without apparent defects in fertility.

Background Zika virus (ZIKV) has become a global concern because infection of pregnant mothers was linked to congenital birth defects. Zika virus is unique from other flaviviruses, because it is transmitted vertically and sexually in addition to by mosquito vectors. Prior studies in mice, nonhuman primates, and humans have shown that ZIKV targets the testis in males, resulting in persistent infection and oligospermia. However, its effects on the corresponding female gonads have not been evaluated. Methods In this study, we assessed the effects of ZIKV on the ovary in nonpregnant mice. Results During the acute phase, ZIKV productively infected the ovary causing accumulation of CD4+ and virus-specific CD8+ T cells. T cells protected against ZIKV infection in the ovary, as higher viral burden was measured in CD8-/- and TCRβδ-/- mice. Increased cell death and tissue inflammation in the ovary was observed during the acute phase of infection, but this normalized over time. Conclusions In contrast to that observed with males, minimal persistence and no long-term consequences of ZIKV infection on ovarian follicular reserve or fertility were demonstrated in this model. Thus, although ZIKV replicates in cells of the ovary and causes acute oophoritis, there is rapid resolution and no long-term effects on fertility, at least in mice.
Master of none acceleration: a comparison of accelerator architectures for analytical query processing

Hardware accelerators are one promising solution to contend with the end of Dennard scaling and the slowdown of Moore's law. For mature workloads that are regular and have high compute per byte, hardening an application into one or more hardware modules is a standard approach. However, for some applications, we find that a programmable homogeneous architecture is preferable. This paper compares a previously proposed heterogeneous hardware accelerator for analytical query processing to a homogeneous systolic array alternative. We find that the heterogeneous and homogeneous accelerators are equivalent for large designs, while for small designs the homogeneous is better. Our analysis explains this counter-intuitive result, finding that the homogeneous architecture has higher average resource utilization and lower relative costs for the communication infrastructure.
A Trust Aware Unsupervised Learning Approach for Insider Threat Detection

With the rapidly increasing connectivity in cyberspace, Insider Threat is becoming a huge concern. Insider threat detection from system logs poses a tremendous challenge for human analysts. Analyzing log files of an organization is a key component of an insider threat detection and mitigation program. Emerging machine learning approaches show tremendous potential for performing complex and challenging data analysis tasks that would benefit the next generation of insider threat detection systems. However, with huge sets of heterogeneous data to analyze, applying machine learning techniques effectively and efficiently to such a complex problem is not straightforward. In this paper, we extract a concise set of features from the system logs while trying to prevent loss of meaningful information and providing accurate and actionable intelligence. We investigate two unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms for insider threat detection and draw a comparison between different structures of the system logs including daily dataset and periodically aggregated one. We use the generated anomaly score from the previous cycle as the trust score of each user fed to the next period's model and show its importance and impact in detecting insiders. Furthermore, we consider the psychometric score of users in our model and check its effectiveness in predicting insiders. As far as we know, our model is the first one to take the psychometric score of users into consideration for insider threat detection. Finally, we evaluate our proposed approach on CERT insider threat dataset (v4.2) and show how it outperforms previous approaches.
Multi-site watershed model calibration for evaluating best management practice effectiveness in reducing fecal pollution

In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is coupled with the Bacteria Source Load Calculator (BSLC) to develop alternative scenarios of agricultural best management practice (BMP) i...
Dying in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison

This report, published by the Promise of Justice Initiative, details the deaths of 25 men in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison due to unconstitutional conditions of confinement. Focusing on data from 2012 to 2016, the report notes that inadequate medical and mental healthcare and insufficient staff training has left to a mortality rate among prisoners that is several times higher than the national average. Suggested recommendations made by this report include increased funding for prisoner health services, better training by all custodial staff, and greater transparency so that the public has more awareness of the jail’s conditions and of injuries and deaths that occur there.
ALGORITHM FOR CAVO-TRICUSPID-ISTHMUS FLUTTER ON SURFACE ECGS: THE ACTIONS STUDY

Cavo-tricuspid isthmus atrial flutter (CTI-AFL) is an important arrhythmia to recognize because there is a highly-effective and relatively low-risk ablation strategy. However, clinical experience has demonstrated that providers often have difficulty distinguishing AFL from atrial fibrillation. We
Enzyme-based fabrication of physical DNA hydrogels: new materials and applications

Advancements in DNA nanotechnology and nanobioengineering allowed the use of DNA as a generic material, as well as a genetic material. Among various DNA-based materials, DNA hydrogels achieve a DNA-based network at the bulk scale. Notably, a recently developed enzyme-based fabrication method established a route to synthesize physically crosslinked networks from DNA. This new class of DNA networks paved the way for creating different forms of DNA materials by utilizing the characteristics of a biofunctional polymer. This Focus Review provides a brief overview of the enzyme-based fabrication method of physical DNA hydrogels and discusses the latest developments in technology and their applications. Recent advancements in DNA nanotechnology and nanobioengineering allowed the use of DNA as a generic material. Notably, an enzyme-based fabrication method of physical DNA hydrogels opened up a route to realize a novel class of DNA-based materials. Different forms of DNA materials with new applications were created by utilizing its unique characteristics. This Focus Review provides a brief overview of the enzyme-based fabrication method of physical DNA hydrogels and discusses the latest developments in the field.
Social Dreaming for Social Justice: Power and Resistance in Chaos Walking

Advancing social justice requires that public administration students, practitioners, and scholars engage in critical analyses of systemic power relations. To do so means grappling with questions o...
Association of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor gene variant with glucose response to a mixed meal

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors increase endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). We hypothesized that genetic variation in the gene encoding the GLP-1 receptor (GLP1R) could affect the metabolic response to DPP-4 inhibition. To evaluate the relationship between the GLP1R rs6923761 variant (G-to-A nucleic acid substitution) and metabolic responses, we performed mixed meal studies in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension after 7-day treatment with placebo and the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin. This analysis is a substudy of NCT02130687. The genotype frequency was 13:12:7 GG:GA:AA among individuals of European ancestry. Postprandial glucose excursion was significantly decreased in individuals carrying the rs6923761 variant (GA or AA) as compared with GG individuals during both placebo (P = 0.001) and sitagliptin treatment (P = 0.045), while intact GLP-1 levels were similar among the genotype groups. In contrast, sitagliptin lowered postprandial glucose to a greater degree in GG as compared with GA/AA individuals (P = 0.035). The relationship between GLP1R rs6923761 genotype and therapies that modulate GLP-1 signalling merits study in large populations.
Development of the Usage Rating Profile-Web Resource (URP-WR): Using Assessment to Inform Web Resource Selection

As technology use continues to rapidly increase, so too does consumer use of web-based resources. While important, accessibility is often overemphasized by users when consuming and evaluating web r...