cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in the treatment of bloodstream infections identified from antibiotic exposure mapping.

Purpose As changes in antibiotic therapy are common, intent-to-treat and definitive therapy exposure definitions in infectious disease clinical trials and observational studies may not accurately reflect all antibiotics received over the course of the infection. Therefore, we sought to describe changes in antibiotic therapy and unique treatment patterns among patients with bacteremia. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of hospitalizations from Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers (January 2002-September 2015) and community hospitals (de-identified Optum Clinformatics DataMart with matched Premier Hospital data; October 2009-March 2013). In the VA population, antibiotic exposures were mapped from the culture collection date among those with positive Staphylococcus aureus cultures. In the Optum-Premier population, exposures were mapped from the admission date among those with a primary diagnosis of bacteremia. Results Our study included 50 467 bacteremia admissions, with only 14% of admissions having the same treatment pattern as another admission. For every 100 bacteremia admissions, 89 had changes in antibiotic therapy. For every 100 bacteremia admissions with changes in therapy, 95 had unique antibiotic treatment patterns. These findings were consistent in both populations, over time, and among different facilities within study populations. The median time to first therapy change was 2 days after initial therapy, with a median of three changes. Conclusions Changes in antibiotic therapy for bloodstream infections were nearly universal regardless of hospital setting. Based on our findings, common antibiotic exposure definitions of intent-to-treat and definitive therapy would misclassify exposure in 86% of admissions, which highlights the need for better operational definitions of exposure in infectious diseases research.
Fully ceramic microencapsulated fuel in prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactors: Design basis accidents and fuel cycle cost

Abstract Fully ceramic microencapsulated (FCM) fuel may enhance the already strong inherent reactor safety characteristics of a conventional High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR). FCM fuel uses an SiC matrix that exhibits higher stability under irradiation with limited swelling relative to a conventional graphite matrix. Additionally, the SiC matrix is expected to exhibit improved mechanical performance relative to graphite. The feasibility of FCM-fueled HTGRs has been explored in a previous study ( Lu et al., 2018 ), and three FCM fuel concepts were identified to be able to maintain the cycle length of the reference conventional General Atomics 350 MWt prismatic modular HTGR. In this work, the previous investigation of the reactor core safety characteristics of HTGRs fueled by these three FCM fuels was significantly extended to detailed thermal hydraulics and neutronics analysis of normal operation and design basis accident scenarios. We found that these FCM-fueled cores would have a maximum fuel temperature ∼20–40 K higher than that of the reference HTGR core at the beginning of cycle (BOC) and ∼30–60 K higher at the end of cycle (EOC) during normal operating conditions. Pressurized (P-) and depressurized (D-) loss of forced cooling (LOFC) accidents as well as the control rod withdrawal accident were explored. The FCM-fueled cores would at most have a maximum fuel temperature ∼30–50 K higher than that of the reference core in a P-LOFC accident, ∼10–30 K in a D-LOFC accident and ∼30–50 K in a rod withdrawal accident. The conclusion of the study is that FCM fuel has a small impact on the reactor performance and safety characteristics during normal operation and design basis accident conditions within the existing and generic 350 MWt prismatic modular HTGR design we considered. Additionally, a fuel cycle cost comparison was also performed in the current study. We found that the FCM fuels may be up to 40%–74% more expensive than the conventional fuel. Further analysis of the economics of FCM fuel are needed, because the uncertainties in the assumptions for this study are high.
Dental students' comfort discussing nutrition and obesity prevention with parents and caregivers.

PURPOSE Dentists can address childhood obesity by educating patients about mediating factors, such as nutrition and dietary habits, facilitating behavioral interventions, and participating in interprofessional collaborations. Dental schools are encouraged to prepare future dentists to address childhood obesity. The aim of this study was to assess dental students' attitudes, comfort, and perceived barriers discussing nutrition and obesity prevention with parents and caregivers of children aged 0-5, after a one-time service-learning experience in a pediatric primary care setting to promote oral health. METHODS Following conversations with parents and caregivers, students completed an 11-item survey via Qualtrics. RESULTS Of 144 second-year dental students that participated in the service-learning experience over 2 years, 101 participated in the survey for a response rate of 70.1%. Most students agreed that dentists' roles include discussing nutrition (98.0%) and obesity prevention (83.2%). During the service-learning experience, 78.2 percent of students discussed nutrition, and 5.0% discussed obesity prevention, with 3.0% and 22.8% of students reporting some level of discomfort with each topic, respectively. The most reported barriers for discussing both nutrition and obesity prevention were concern for "appearing judgmental" and "fear of offending clients." Mean comfort scores among students who reported barriers of "appearing judgmental" (p = < 0.0001) and "fear of offending clients" (p = 0.017) for nutrition discussions, and a "lack of parental acceptance of guidance" as a barrier for discussing obesity prevention (p = 0.016), suggest that those barriers were associated with less comfort. CONCLUSION Dental students' perceived barriers to discussing nutrition and obesity prevention with parents and caregivers may negatively influence dental students' comfort.
Wearable Sensor-Based Prediction Model of Timed up and Go Test in Older Adults

The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test has been frequently used to assess the risk of falls in older adults because it is an easy, fast, and simple method of examining functional mobility and balance without special equipment. The purpose of this study is to develop a model that predicts the TUG test using three-dimensional acceleration data collected from wearable sensors during normal walking. We recruited 37 older adults for an outdoor walking task, and seven inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based sensors were attached to each participant. The elastic net and ridge regression methods were used to reduce gait feature sets and build a predictive model. The proposed predictive model reliably estimated the participants' TUG scores with a small margin of prediction errors. Although the prediction accuracies with two foot-sensors were slightly better than those of other configurations (e.g., MAPE: foot (0.865 s) > foot and pelvis (0.918 s) > pelvis (0.921 s)), we recommend the use of a single IMU sensor at the pelvis since it would provide wearing comfort while avoiding the disturbance of daily activities. The proposed predictive model can enable clinicians to assess older adults' fall risks remotely through the evaluation of the TUG score during their daily walking.
Perioperative Use of Pain Medications in Vaginal Versus Laparoscopic Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery

Study Objective To determine if the use of perioperative pain medications differs between vaginal versus laparoscopic surgery in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Design We compared the consumption of various pain medications (opioids, intravenous and local anesthetics, non-steroidals, acetaminophen and gabapentin) between vaginal hysterectomy with uterosacral suspension and laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with sacrocolpopexy during intraoperative and immediate postoperative period. Setting Tertiary care hospital within the US. Patients or Participants Women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. Interventions Retrospective chart review. Measurements and Main Results A total of 195 women who underwent pelvic organ reconstructive surgery were included in the study, with 98 in the vaginal and 97 in the laparoscopic group. Duration of surgery was significantly shorter in the laparoscopy (versus vaginal) group (98 vs. 190 minutes, p Conclusion Women undergoing prolapse repair regardless of route require similar amount of opioid intraoperatively, but differ in use in the postoperative period. Use of non-opioid pain medication were similar between the groups was comparable.
Educational Policy, Mechanisms for the Development of

Key factors that shape development of education policy include actors located inside and outside of government, ideas and values, institutions, and information. Education policy materializes in part when policymakers are persuaded to accept a particular definition of a problem and respond with an authoritative decision such as a law, regulation, rule, or order. Education policy is also shaped by dynamics that occur during implementation. Contemporary education policy is developed in a context of global economic competition.
Better directions — better response

Dr. Marks is coordinator o] selection, field experiences, and instruc~ tion ]or the Southern California High School-Specialist Teacher Program, a cooperative experimental project launched in 1960 by the University ol Southern Calilornia and the Los Angeles City Schools. This unique pilot program, which combines two years of graduate study with pre-service and in-service training as teacher-assistant, student teacher, and intern teacher, is being supported by a Ford Foundation grant o] $660,000 over a five-year period.
Forest resource extraction by local communities: A comparative dynamic analysis

Much of the world's gene pool is located in tropical rainforests, which are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Proper management of protected forests is crucial to avoid further loss of forest resources and biodiversity. Resource extraction by local communities has been cited as a major impediment to the efficient management of protected forests. This paper develops a two sector dynamic model for agriculture and forest resource extraction which suggests that agricultural development in the periphery of protected forests may be an effective strategy for forest protection. Comparative dynamic results show that higher prices for agricultural output, lower input prices, better knowledge of agricultural production techniques and a lower rate of individual time preferences result in higher equilibrium stock of forest resources. Tobit analysis with data collected from the Sinharaja forest in Sri Lanka provides supportive empirical evidence.
The Role of Culture in the Creation of Islamic Law

How does culture reflect the creation, interpretation, and application of Islamic law? In turn, how does Islamic law reflect and influence culture? This Note will explore the cyclical relationship between culture and Islamic law during the formation of Islamic society. In addition, this Note will demonstrate that this cyclical relationship creates meaning both in law and in culture by examining instances of cultural influence within the Islamic tradition. Within this context, this Note examines non-Islamic claims of cultural influence in the formation of Islamic law and the refutation of these claims by Islamic scholars inside the tradition. This is an old debate, but this Note will add new perspective through a somewhat novel law and culture analysis. Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the ahistorical and infallible revealed word of God. The Qur’an establishes the principles for Islamic law, or Shari‘a, which at least in principle are “static and immutable.” Islamic law thus challenges a fundamental assumption of most Western legal theorists by insisting that the foundation of Islamic law is not a culturally created or even a culturally influenced event. Within Islamic law, scholars debate the degree and the manner in which cultural influence and contradictory meaning is eliminated or explained. More broadly, this debate features Islamic scholars within the tradition responding to critics outside the tradition. As with any contestation of identity and authority, it is important to recall that moral and political consequences result. For example, although intellectually flawed, contradictory, and overly broad, Samuel Huntington’s retreaded clash of civilizations thesis advanced a political agenda that helped influence both domestic and foreign policy within the United States. This cultural and legal debate largely remains the non-Muslim outsider claiming that culture influenced the formation of Islamic law and the Muslim insider replying that the Qur’an contains the word of God and that cultural influence simply does not
Speech Perception: Adult

Speech perception refers to the earliest levels of processing involved in mapping from the acoustics of spoken language to meaning. Despite the ease with which adults perceive speech, there are a number of complex perceptual and cognitive tasks involved in accomplishing this mapping. These issues include the extreme context dependence of speech, the influence of experience on perception of speech, and effects of higher-level and cross-modal linguistic information on speech perception. This article reviews these issues, discusses theoretical approaches to understanding them, and explains some of the empirical approaches common to researchers’ search for their answers.
Some Observations About the Nature of Computer Science

This paper discusses the nature of computer science as a science by analyzing computer science and comparing or contrasting it with other sciences. In particular, we compare and contrast various aspects of computer science with physics, astronomy, and mathematics. Our analysis of computer science and comparison with other sciences is primarily in terms of: (a) the roles played by experiments and theory, (b) how research paradigms and problem areas are determined and change, (c) the relation and interaction of the science and engineering aspects, (d) comparing historical developments.
Dependence of p‐aminohippurate transport on calcium in canine renal cortical slices

1. Experiments were conducted on renal cortical slices from sixty-one adult mongrel dogs in order to evaluate the relationship between p-aminohippurate (PAH) transport and calcium. Tissues were found to be viable for at least 180 min.2. PAH uptake and the slice/medium (S/M) concentration ratio increased in normal tissues from 3 to 90 min whether data were expressed on a tissue weight or protein content basis. PAH uptake increased with time in calcium-depleted tissues, but all values were lower than normal. At 90 min, PAH S/M in calcium-depleted tissues (4.20 +/- 0.18) was reduced 40% compared to normal tissues (6.90 +/- 0.23).3. Over the time period of 3-90 min incubation, protein concentration ranged from 89.4 to 99.4 mg/g cortex in calcium-depleted tissues. During the same time period in normal tissues, protein concentration ranged from 105 to 117.6 mg/g cortex. No change was observed in medium protein concentration of calcium-depleted tissues.4. Lineweaver-Burke analysis showed similar values for K(m) in normal and calcium-depleted tissues (0.45-0.50 mumole ml.(-1)) although V(max) fell from control values of 0.082 to 0.052 mumole g(-1) min(-1) during calcium depletion.5. After 90 min incubation, addition of EGTA (7, 14 or 21 x 10(-3)M) to media containing calcium was associated with decreased S/M and uptake rates compared to control values from the same animals. The decreases observed were similar to those seen in tissues incubated in calcium-free media.6. Increased cell volume in the presence of calcium was not associated with decreased PAH uptake. Removal of calcium in association with constant cell volume was associated with reduced PAH uptake. Replacement of calcium, but not magnesium, is associated with a return of uptake to normal rates.7. It is concluded that (a) calcium removal causes increased water uptake into cells, (b) calcium removal causes a reduced V(max), (c) calcium is required for maintenance of intracellular PAH, (d) the effect of calcium on PAH is specific and reversible, and (e) the effect of calcium is not mediated by volume changes.
MMP3-mediated tumor progression is controlled transcriptionally by a novel IRF8-MMP3 interaction

Interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF8), originally identified as a leukemic tumor suppressor, can also exert anti-neoplastic activities in solid tumors. We previously showed that IRF8-loss enhanced tumor growth, which was accompanied by reduced tumor-cell susceptibility to apoptosis. However, the impact of IRF8 expression on tumor growth could not be explained solely by its effects on regulating apoptotic response. Exploratory gene expression profiling further revealed an inverse relationship between IRF8 and MMP3 expression, implying additional intrinsic mechanisms by which IRF8 modulated neoplastic behavior. Although MMP3 expression was originally linked to tumor initiation, the role of MMP3 beyond this stage has remained unclear. Therefore, we hypothesized that MMP3 governed later stages of disease, including progression to metastasis, and did so through a novel IRF8-MMP3 axis. Altogether, we showed an inverse mechanistic relationship between IRF8 and MMP3 expression in tumor progression. Importantly, the growth advantage due to IRF8-loss was significantly compromised after silencing MMP3 expression. Moreover, MMP3-loss reduced spontaneous lung metastasis in an orthotopic mouse model of mammary carcinoma. MMP3 acted, in part, in a cell-intrinsic manner and served as a direct transcriptional target of IRF8. Thus, we identified a novel role of an IRF8-MMP3 axis in tumor progression, which unveils new therapeutic opportunities.
Sorted and Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Networks for Transistor-Based Aqueous Chemical Sensors

Detecting trace amounts of analytes in aqueous systems is important for health diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and national security applications. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are ideal components for both the sensor material and active signal transduction layer because of their excellent electronic properties and high aspect ratio consisting of entirely surface atoms. Submonolayer arrays, or networks of SWNTs (SWNTnts) are advantageous, and we show that topology characteristics of the SWNT network, such as alignment, degree of bundling, and chirality enrichment strongly affect the sensor performance. To enable this, thin-film transistor (TFT) sensors with SWNTnts were deposited using a one-step, low-cost, solution- based method on a polymer dielectric, allowing us to achieve stable low-voltage operation under aqueous conditions. These SWNT-TFTs were used to detect trace concentrations, down to 2 ppb, of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solutions. Along with reliable cycling underwater, the TFT sensors fabricated with aligned, sorted nanotube networks (enriched with semiconductor SWNTs) showed a higher sensitivity to analytes than those fabricated with random, unsorted networks with predominantly metallic charge transport.
Deep Reading, Cost/Benefit, and the Construction of Meaning Enhancing Reading Comprehension and Deep Learning in Sociology Courses

Reading comprehension skill is often assumed by sociology instructors, yet many college students seem to have marginal reading comprehension skills, which may explain why fewer than half of them are actually doing the reading. Sanctions that force students to either read or to pay a price are based on a rational choice model of behavior—a perspective that many students seem to bring with them. However, deep reading—reading for long-term retention of the material and for comprehension at a level that can be perspective-transforming—involves constructing meaning as one reads. Students need help developing reading strategies that enhance this process. Moreover, cost/benefit coercion of reading does not necessarily enhance construction of meaning or deep-learning; indeed, it may reward minimalist or surface reading. This essay is an excursion into theory on deep learning and the implications of that theory for engaging students in reading. An assignment based on multiple intelligences and fostering reading co...
Abstract answer set solvers with backjumping and learning

Nieuwenhuis et al. (2006. Solving SAT and SAT modulo theories: From an abstract Davis-Putnam-Logemann-Loveland procedure to DPLL(T). Journal of the ACM 53(6), 937977 showed how to describe enhancements of the Davis???Putnam???Logemann???Loveland algorithm using transition systems, instead of pseudocode. We design a similar framework for several algorithms that generate answer sets for logic programs: smodels, smodelscc, asp-sat with Learning (cmodels), and a newly designed and implemented algorithm sup. This approach to describe answer set solvers makes it easier to prove their correctness, to compare them, and to design new systems.
Experimental observation of enhanced nonresonant nonlinear optical responses from optically pumped electronic excited states

Enhancement of greater than 2 orders of magnitude of nonresonant third-harmonic generation from an optically pumped ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$ electronic excited state is experimentally observed for quasi-two-dimensional conjugated disklike structures. The isotropically averaged ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$ excited-state microscopic susceptibility 〈${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}^{\mathit{S}}$(-3\ensuremath{\omega};\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\omega})〉 is -1640\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}100\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}36}$ esu, and the corresponding macroscopic ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\chi}}}_{\mathit{S}1}^{(3)}$(-3\ensuremath{\omega};\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\omega}) exhibits temporal decay and pump-power saturation behavior associated with the expected decay and saturation of the ${\mathit{S}}_{1}$ state. The enhancement mechanism through optical pumping followed by a nonresonant nonlinear optical probe is generalizable to both second- and third-order optical processes in nonlinear optical media.
Cost-effectiveness of rapid point-of-care prenatal syphilis screening in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis continues to be an important public health problem among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa with prevalence rates as high as 17%. Pregnant women are a critical population to screen to prevent the devastating consequences of infection to their unborn children. Although screening and appropriate treatment of infected pregnant women can prevent fetal and maternal complications traditional screening algorithms requiring multiple tests have proven to be difficult to implement in resource-poor settings. We assess the cost-effectiveness of on-site prenatal syphilis screening with newly available rapid point-of-care screening tests in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: Data from the literature were used to model the acquisition and subsequent natural history of syphilis in pregnant sub-Saharan African women over the course of their lifetime. We assessed the health and economic outcomes associated with screening strategies that differed by the initial test [rapid plasma reagin (RPR) immunochromographic strip (ICS)] need for confirmation with Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay and number of visits required. Model outcomes include adverse pregnancy outcomes (miscarriage low birth weight congenital syphilis stillbirth and neonatal death) life expectancy lifetime costs (2004 US dollars) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. RESULTS: With no screening for a cohort of 1000 women with an average of 6 pregnancies in their lifetime there were 256 cases of congenital syphilis 583 low birth weight infants and 170 stillbirths or neonatal deaths. The most effective and least costly strategy was one-visit rapid testing with ICS which averted 178 cases of congenital syphilis 43 low birth weight infants and 37 perinatal deaths and saved $170030 per 1000 women compared with no screening. The choice between ICS and RPR was most influenced by test kit labor and supply costs and test sensitivity. RPR was preferred when the ICS cost more than doubled or ICS test sensitivity fell below 88%. CONCLUSIONS: Universal prenatal syphilis screening using rapid point-of-care tests will improve both maternal and infant outcomes and is cost-effective.
Does obstructive sleep apnea confound sleep architecture findings in subjects with depressive symptoms

Background: Compared with normal subjects, depressed patients have shorter rapid eye movement sleep latency (REML), increased REM and decreased slow wave sleep as a percentage of total sleep time (REM%, SWS%), and longer sleep latency (SL). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients experience longer REML, decreased REM% and SWS%, and shorter SL. We examined the interplay of depressive symptoms, OSA, and sleep architecture. Methods: Subjects (n = 106) were studied with polysomnography. OSA was defined as a Respiratory Disturbance Index ≥15. Subjects were divided into Hi/Lo groups using a Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression (CES-D) score of 16. Results: OSA patients had shorter SL than non-OSA patients (14.5 vs. 26.8 min, p < .001); Hi CES-D subjects showed a trend toward longer SL than Lo CES-D subjects (23.7 vs. 17.5 min, p = .079). Significant OSA × CES-D interactions emerged, however, for REM% (p = .040) and SL (p = .002): OSA/Hi CES-D subjects had higher REM% than OSA/Lo CES-D subjects (19.3% vs. 14.3%, p = .021); non–OSA/Hi CES-D subjects had SL (35.3 min) 2–3 times as long as other subjects (p = .002–.012). Conclusions: Because of the high prevalence of OSA and depression, findings suggest that OSA must be considered in studies of mood and sleep architecture. Conversely, depressive symptoms must be considered in studies of OSA and sleep architecture.
Plane-strain finite-element analysis of reconstructed diastolic left ventricular cross section

The true shapes of cross sections of isolated left ventricles reconstructed from multiplanar roentgenographic recordings are analyzed using the finite-element method based on plane—strain theory. The proposed cylindrical model of the left ventricle permits variations of the stresses not only transversely throughout the ventricular walls but also circumferentially around the epicardial and endocardial surfaces to be evaluated. Numerical results are presented for cross sections at the midplane between the base and apex of the left ventricle during early and end diastole. For the anterior and posterior walls of the left ventricle, the maximum circumferential stresses are found to occur on the endocardial surface, whereas for the septal and free walls of the left ventricle, the maximum circumferential stresses occur on the epicardial surface with compressive circumferential stresses often developing on the endocardial surface.
Bit-plane-channelized hotelling observer for predicting task performance using lossy-compressed images

A technique for assessing the impact of lossy wavelet-based image compression on signal detection tasks is presented. A medical image’s value is based on its ability to support clinical decisions such as detecting and diagnosing abnormalities. Image quality of compressed images is, however, often stated in terms of mathematical metrics such as mean square error. The presented technique provides a more suitable measure of image degradation by building on the channelized Hotelling observer model, which has been shown to predict human performance of signal detection tasks in noise-limited images. The technique first decomposes an image into its constituent wavelet subband coefficient bit-planes. Channel responses for the individual subband bit-planes are computed, combined,and processed with a Hotelling observer model to provide a measure of signal detectability versus compression ratio. This allows a user to determine how much compression can be tolerated before signal detectability drops below a certain threshold.
Kinetic determination of malate dehydrogenase isozymes.

Abstract These studies determine the levels of malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in cardiac muscle by a steady state kinetic method which depends on the differential inhibition of these isoenzyme forms by high concentrations of oxaloacetate. This inhibition is similar to that exhibited by lactate dehydrogenase in the presence of high concentrations of pyruvate. The results obtained by this method are comparable in resolution to those obtained by CM-Sephadex fractionation and by differential centrifugation for the analyses of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase in tissues. The use of standard curves of percent inhibition of malate dehydrogenase activity plotted against the ratio of mitochondrial MDH activity to the total of mMDH and cMDH activities [ m (m + c) malate dehydrogenase ratio] (percent m -type) is introduced for studies of comparative mitochondrial function in heart muscle of different species or in different tissues of the same species.
Pricing of American retail options

We continue our exploration in the use of option contracts as a means of managing and controlling inventories in a retail market. We propose a new class of American put option contracts on inventories of retail goods, where the retailer can exercise the option at any time during the contract period, thus requiring that the option writer purchase any unsold inventory at a specified strike price. However, to improve market efficiency this option contract allows the retailer to freely adjust the sale price of the underlying good throughout the contract period. As the retailer is expected to select an optimal pricing policy for the goods, the options can be priced accordingly.
Therapeutic hypothermia modulates TNFR1 signaling in the traumatized brain via early transient activation of the JNK pathway and suppression of XIAP cleavage.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a critical role in pathomechanisms associated with secondary damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The TNF ligand-receptor system stimulates inflammation by activation of gene transcription through the IkappaB kinase (IKK)-NF-kappaB and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK)-AP-1 signaling cascades. TNF signaling following TBI involves both cell survival and apoptotic pathways, but the mechanism that accounts for the dual role of TNF remains unclear. Multiple studies have reported hypothermia to be protective following TBI, but the precise mechanism has not been clearly defined. Here, TNFR1 signaling pathways were investigated in the cerebral cortex of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to moderate fluid-percussion TBI and of naive controls. Another group was subjected to moderate TBI with 30 min of pre- and post-traumatic hypothermia (33 degrees C). Rapid and marked increases in protein expression of TNFR1 and signaling intermediates in both the IKK-NF-kappaB and JNK pathways were induced in traumatized cortices. Hypothermia decreased TNFR1 protein expression acutely in traumatized cortices and stimulated early activation of signaling intermediates in the JNK, but not the IKK-NF-kappaB, signaling pathways. Hypothermia promoted a rapid activation of caspase-3 acutely after injury but suppressed caspase-3 activation at later time points. Moreover, hypothermia treatment suppressed cleavage of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) into fragments induced by TBI. These data suggest that hypothermia may regulate both the JNK signaling cascade via XIAP and the preconditioning pathways that activate caspases. Thus, hypothermia mediates TNFR1 responses via early activation of the JNK signaling pathway and caspase-3, leading to endogenous neuroprotective events.
California Winter Precipitation Change under Global Warming in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 Ensemble

AbstractProjections of possible precipitation change in California under global warming have been subject to considerable uncertainty because California lies between the region anticipated to undergo increases in precipitation at mid-to-high latitudes and regions of anticipated decrease in the subtropics. Evaluation of the large-scale model experiments for phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) suggests a greater degree of agreement on the sign of the winter (December–February) precipitation change than in the previous such intercomparison, indicating a greater portion of California falling within the increased precipitation zone. While the resolution of global models should not be relied on for accurate depiction of topographic rainfall distribution within California, the precipitation changes depend substantially on large-scale shifts in the storm tracks arriving at the coast. Significant precipitation increases in the region arriving at the California coast are associated with an ...
Role of Human β-Defensin-2 during Tumor Necrosis Factor-α/NF-κB-mediated Innate Antiviral Response against Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) constitutes a highly pathogenic virus that infects lung epithelial cells to cause a wide spectrum of respiratory diseases. Our recent studies have revealed the existence of an interferon-α/β-independent, innate antiviral response against RSV that was dependent on activation of NF-κB. We demonstrated that NF-κB inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) confers potent antiviral function against RSV in an NF-κB-dependent fashion, independent of interferon-α/β. During our efforts to study this pathway, we identified HBD2 (human β-defensin-2), a soluble secreted cationic protein as an antiviral factor induced during NF-κB-dependent innate antiviral activity in human lung epithelial cells. Our results demonstrated that HBD2 is induced by TNF and RSV in an NF-κB-dependent manner. Induction of HBD2 in infected cells was mediated by the paracrine/autocrine action of TNF produced upon RSV infection. HBD2 plays a critical role during host defense, because purified HBD2 drastically inhibited RSV infection. We also show that the antiviral mechanism of HBD2 involves blocking of viral cellular entry possibly because of destabilization/disintegration of the viral envelope. The important role of HBD2 in the innate response was also evident from loss of antiviral activity of TNF upon HBD2 silencing by short interfering RNA. The in vivo physiological relevance of HBD2 in host defense was apparent from induction of murine β-defensin-4 (murine counterpart of HBD2) in lung tissues of RSV-infected mice. Thus, HBD2 functions as an antiviral molecule during NF-κB-dependent innate antiviral immunity mediated by the autocrine/paracrine action of TNF.
Diagnosis of cryptococcosis: comparison of various methods to detect Cryptococcus neoformans.

Summary: The diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis may be difficult to establish when few organisms are present in the cerebrospinal fluid. For this reason, we determined which of several different visual and cultural methods were the most sensitive for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans. Gram stain and India ink preparations required that 105 organisms per ml be present before these methods were reliably positive; centrifugation increased the sensitivity of these assays 10-fold. Culturing a loopful of the sample required that 103 organisms per ml be present to yield growth; centrifugation of the sample enhanced the sensitivity of the culture by 100-fold. Clearly the most sensitive assays, both detecting fewer than 1 organism per ml, were culture of a membrane filter through which the entire sample had been passed and culture of the entire sample in a flask using biphasic medium. Zusammenfassung: Die Diagnose der Crytococcus-meningitis kann Schwierigkeiten bereiten, wenn nur wenige Erreger im Liquor cerebrospinalis vorhanden sind. Aus diesem Grunde wurden Untersuchungen durchgefuhrt urn festzustellen, welche optische oder kulturelle Methode die hochste Nachweisempfindlichkeit fur Cryptococcus neoformas besitzt. Die Gramfarbung und die Aufschwemmung in chinesischer Tube benotigen 105 Zellen/ml um verlaslich positive Befunde zu ergeben. Durch Zentrifugierung des Liquors konnte die Empfindlichkeit auf das 10-fache gesteigert werden. Bei der Abimpfung einer vollen Impfose war es erforderlich, das das Untersuchungsmaterial mindestens 103 Organismen/ml enthielt, damit in der Kultur Wachstum entstand. Mit der Zentrifugierung des Materials wurde die Empfindlichkeit bei dieser Methode auf das 100-fache erhoht. Als empfindlichste Nachweismethoden erwiesen sich die Membranfiltermethode, bei der die gesamte Probe filtriert und anschliesend kultiviert wird, sowie die Kultivierung der gesamten Probe in einer Kulturflasche mit biphasischem Nahrmedium. Mit beiden Methoden lassen sich weniger als ein Organismus/ml entdecken.
Interaction of sex and sex role in response to violations of preferred seating arrangements

Previous studies have indicated that men respond negatively to face-to-face invasion by strangers; females respond negatively to side-by-side invasion by strangers. In the first of two studies, men and women with an androgynous or traditional sex role were subjected to a face-to-face invasion by a same-sexed stranger. Men with a traditional sex role and women with an androgynous sex role felt more crowded (p<.05) than androgynous men and traditional women. Perceptions of crowding in these two groups were also accompanied by performance decrements as a result of the face-to-face invasion. In the second study, androgynous and traditional men and women were subjected to a side-by-side invasion. Women with a traditional sex role felt more crowded than all other groups (p<.05). There were no differences in perceptions of crowding among the other groups of subjects. Performance decrements were found only in women with a traditional orientation.
Reactive Deposition of Conformal Ruthenium Films from Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

High-purity Ru films were deposited from supercritical carbon dioxide onto the native oxide of Si wafers and onto Ta films supported on Si wafers using a batch, cold wall deposition reactor. Ru(0) and Ru(II) precursors were effective at substrate temperatures between 175 and 300 °C and pressures between 20 and 25 MPa. Hydrogen-assisted deposition of Ru from triruthenium dodecacarbonyl (Ru3(CO)12), tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-heptane-3,5-dionato)ruthenium (Ru(tmhd)3), and bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl heptane-3,5-dionato)(1,5-cyclooctadiene)ruthenium (Ru(tmhd)2cod) proceeded readily to yield highly reflective thin films with resistivities as low as 22 μΩ-cm for a 33 nm thick film. H2-assisted depositions using ruthenocene were not successful on oxide surfaces at temperatures up to 300 °C, but proceeded readily on Au. Thermal depositions from (Ru3(CO)12) yielded reflective, but highly resistive, films. Excellent step coverage of high-purity films was achieved within 200 nm × 300 nm trenches on patterned tantalum-coa...
Plasma oxytocin is related to lower cardiovascular and sympathetic reactivity to stress

In addition to known reproductive and social affiliation functions, oxytocin (OT) has been identified as a cardiovascular hormone. OT synthesis and receptors are found in cardiac and vascular tissue. Animal studies suggest that OT activates an ‘anti-stress’ response that reduces cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress reactivity. We tested 28 early postpartum mothers, obtaining multiple blood samples for OT, the sympathetic marker, norepinephrine (NE), and the lactation hormone, prolactin, while monitoring their cardiovascular responses to two stressors: public speaking and forehead cold pressor. Although plasma OT did not increase reliably from pre-stress levels during stressors, greater overall OT level was related to greater vasodilation and cardiac stroke volume responses to both tasks, to reduction in heart rate to the cold pressor, as well as to lower plasma NE and higher prolactin levels. In contrast, higher NE was linked to increases in heart rate and decreases in stroke volume. These data support a cardioprotective role for OT, which may influence the magnitude and hemodynamic determinants of cardiovascular stress responses.
X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Biological Tissues

The application of conventional x-ray fluorescence equipment to the analysis of biological tissues is discussed. Several examples are given to indicate the type of procedure which is involved. The integration of x-ray fluorescence and optical emission methods for a rather efficient analysis of biological tissues is outlined.
Lasl Free Electron Laser Experiments

The accomplishment of a high-power, free-electron laser (FEL) is dependent on efficient transfer of electron energy to the laser electromagnetic field and efficient recovery of the remaining electron energy. Electron energy transfer to the laser field occurs in a "wiggler". In the past, wigglers with a uniform period have been used. Recently, however, it has been proposed that a tapered wiggler would enhance the efficiency of energy transfer. In the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) experiments, the efficiency of energy transfer in tapered wigglers will be studied and recovery of a portion of the electron energy will be investigated. First, an amplifier experiment will be performed to demonstrate efficient energy extraction and laser gain of a tapered wiggler. In the second experiment, the FEL amplifier will be converted to an oscillator by increasing the duration of the electron beam pulse and by adding laser mirrors. In the third experiment, a racetrack beam-transport system will be added to the FEL oscillator to determine the recovery efficiency of the remaining electron energy.
Providing Linux 2.6 support for the zSeries platform

This paper describes the experiences of the Linux® on zSeries® team at the IBM Linux Technology Center in upgrading the support for the zSeries platform when migrating from Linux 2.4 to Linux 2.6. In particular, the team's contributions to supporting the new device model, the redesigned I/O system, and improved memory management are described as well as their collaboration with the Linux open-source community.
Load-Sharing Mechanism of Cytoplasmic Dynein

Cytoplasmic dynein is a homodimeric AAA+ motor protein responsible for minus end-directed transport along microtubules. The two heads of dynein are not strictly coordinated during processive motility, unlike those of dimeric kinesins and myosins. Therefore, tail-tethered optical trapping experiments yield insufficient information about the force production of individual heads. Here, we connected a trapped bead to a dynein dimer through a rigid DNA tether and directly measured the stepping motion of a single head under load. We observed that even though the step size of a head decreases under load, the head only stalls at half the stall force of the dimer and must rely on its partner head to walk against near-stall loads. The bulk of the force is produced when a head is bound to the microtubule, and stepping direction in the unbound state can be reversed by as little as 0.5 pN of backward load. Force-velocity curves indicate that the forward stepping rate of a dynein head is strongly inhibited by external force, while the backward rate is slow and nearly force-independent. Our results provide evidence for tension gating in dynein motility and lead us to propose a load-sharing mechanism between the two heads of a dynein dimer.
Outbreak statistics and scaling laws for externally driven epidemics

Power-law scalings are ubiquitous to physical phenomena undergoing a continuous phase transition. The classic susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model of epidemics is one such example where the scaling behavior near a critical point has been studied extensively. In this system the distribution of outbreak sizes scales as $P(n)\ensuremath{\sim}{n}^{\ensuremath{-}3/2}$ at the critical point as the system size $N$ becomes infinite. The finite-size scaling laws for the outbreak size and duration are also well understood and characterized. In this work, we report scaling laws for a model with SIR structure coupled with a constant force of infection per susceptible, akin to a ``reservoir forcing''. We find that the statistics of outbreaks in this system fundamentally differ from those in a simple SIR model. Instead of fixed exponents, all scaling laws exhibit tunable exponents parameterized by the dimensionless rate of external forcing. As the external driving rate approaches a critical value, the scale of the average outbreak size converges to that of the maximal size, and above the critical point, the scaling laws bifurcate into two regimes. Whereas a simple SIR process can only exhibit outbreaks of size $O({N}^{1/3})$ and $O(N)$ depending on whether the system is at or above the epidemic threshold, a driven SIR process can exhibit a richer spectrum of outbreak sizes that scale as $O({N}^{\ensuremath{\xi}})$, where $\ensuremath{\xi}\ensuremath{\in}(0,1]\ensuremath{\setminus}{2/3}$ and $O({(N/lnN)}^{2/3})$ at the multicritical point.
The effect of chronic hypertension on the aortic intima of the rat

Abstract The effects on the aortic intima of the rat of long-standing (12 months) hypertension were investigated and extensive intimal thickening composed of flocculent material and scattered mononuclear cells was found. The former material stained with anti-rat fibrinogen but not with IgG. The results of chronic hypertension on the rat aortic intima does not appear to be fundamentally different from the effects of more acute hypertension.
Temperature variation in high slump drilled shaft concrete and its effect on slump loss

Drilled shaft refers to a deep foundation system where a single large diameter pier is used to replace a whole group of piles. High slump self-compacting concrete is used in drilled shafts due to its high fluidity and less proneness to segregation. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) specifications require that such concrete should have a slump between 7 and 9 in. when placed and should maintain a slump of 4 in. or more throughout the concrete placement time. Furthermore, the mix for the slump loss test should be prepared at a temperature consistent with the highest ambient or initial concrete temperature (whichever is greater) expected during actual concrete placement. It is possible that the temperature of concrete inside the drilled shaft is lower than the ambient or initial concrete temperature due to the presence of ground water. If that is the case, slump loss would be less than the loss determined at the highest ambient or the initial concrete temperature, making the FDOT requirement unrealistic. However, it should be experimentally verified. This experimental study was conducted with the objective to establish profiles of concrete temperature in time from placement to hardening along depth as well as across width of the drilled shaft. Based on the gathered data, it was found that no significant temperature differential existed along the depth and across the width of the drilled shaft during the initial setting of concrete. The temperature of concrete inside the drilled shaft was same as initial concrete temperature before placement at all locations. This finding leads to the conclusion that concrete temperature inside drilled shaft is not affected by ambient temperature and/or the underground temperature conditions.