cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tranexamic acid with a pre-operative suspension of anticoagulation decreases operative time and blood transfusion in the treatment of pelvic and acetabulum fractures.

The purpose was to evaluate the impact of intra-operative administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) and pre-operative discontinuation of prophylactic chemoprophylaxis in patients undergoing internal fixation of pelvic or acetabular fractures on the need for subsequent blood transfusion. Operative time and the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) were also assessed. Data from a single level one trauma centre was retrospectively reviewed from January 2014 to December 2017 to identify pelvic ring or acetabular fractures managed operatively. Patients who did not receive their scheduled dose of chemoprophylaxis prior to surgery but who did receive intra-operative TXA were identified as the treatment group. Due to the interaction of VTE prophylaxis and TXA, the variables were analyzed using an interaction effect to account for administration of both individually and concomitantly. One hundred fifty-nine patients were included. The treatment group experienced a 20.7% reduction in blood product transfusion (regression coefficient (RC): − 0.207, p = 0.047, 95%CI: − 0.412 to − 0.003) and an average of 36 minutes (RC): − 36.90, p = 0.045, 95%CI: − 72.943 to − 0.841) reduction in surgical time as compared to controls. The treatment group did not experience differential rates of PE or DVT (RC: 1.302, p = 0.749, 95%CI: 0.259–6.546) or PE (RC: 1.024, p = 0.983, 95%CI: 0.114–9.208). In the study population, the combination of holding pre-operative chemoprophylaxis and administering intra-operative TXA is a safe and effective combination in reducing operative time and blood product transfusions.
Development and progress of retinopathy of prematurity in three hospitals in Guangdong province

Objective To overview the characteristic in development and progress of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).Method Six hundred and thirty eight premature birth infants with birth weight less than 2000 grams born or hospitalized in three hospitals in Guangdong province were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy as part of ROP screening.1172 eyes in 586 infants are included.Follow-up has not been completed in 52 infants.The first time of screening was 4 to 6 weeks after birth or 32 weeks corrected for gestational age.Threshold and pre-threshold (type Ⅰ) disease was treated by laser photo-coagulation within 48 hours.All infants were followed until complete vascularization,natural regress or for more than 1 month after effective therapy.Data regarding incidence of ROP,corrected gestational age and days after birth of ROP onset,corrected gestational age and days after birth of getting treatment,progress pace and prognosis were collected and analyzed by Spearman statistical analyses.Results In 1172 eyes,ROP developed in 118 eyes (10.07 ％).In 1054 eyes (89.93 ％) were completed vascularized.Sixty eyes received laser treatment.In ROP infants,the median gestational age was 29.3 weeks and the median corrected gestational age and days after birth when ROP develops were 36.4 weeks and 59.5 days respectively.There was a negative correlation between gestational age and ROP development and treatment timing (R=-0.65,-0.80；P=0.000).The median interval days from stage 1 to stage 2,from stage 2 to stage 3,and stage 3 to getting treatment were 14.0,10.5 and 3.0 days respectively.The interval showed a non-normal distribution and there is statistical difference (H=30.69,P=0.000).During the follow-up after treatment,the ocular fixation and following reactions were normal.The structure of optic disc,the macula lutea and retina were normal.Conclusions Timing of ROP development is about 36.4 weeks corrected for gestational age and 37.5 weeks when treated.The interval is shorter when ROP progresses.The prognosis is good for the treatment of aular. Key words: Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiology; Retinopathy of Prematurity/etiology; Retinopathy of Prematurity/diagnosis; Neonatal screening
Storytelling in the Classroom: Facilitating Cognitive Interest by Promoting Attention, Structure, and Meaningfulness

Instructors often tell stories in class as a way of explaining course material. And, the use of stories can lead to improvements in student learning. What has yet to be explained, however, is how s...
Daily Phonatory Activity of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease.

Summary Purpose This study evaluated the amount of phonatory activity of Persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD) compared to adults without Parkinson's disease measured over 3 days. The relationship between the amount of phonatory activity and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score was assessed as were differences in voicing activity across 3 days of data collection. Methods Fifteen PwPD receiving dopaminergic medication and fifteen age and sex matched adults without Parkinson's disease completed the VHI and then wore a VocaLog vocal monitor (VM) for 3 consecutive days. From the VM data, the number of 1-second windows with dB sound pressure level > 0 were summed as a measure of phonatory activity (PA) and reported relative to the time the VM was worn (%PA). Results The percentage of time the VM was worn did not differ between groups or across days. The PwPD had statistically significantly fewer minutes of PA per day than controls (F = 21.782, P Conclusions The results indicate that PwPD engaged in less verbal communication in their daily environment compared to adults without Parkinson's disease. The findings support reports in the literature indicating that PwPD often have reduced communication participation. Measures such as %PA could serve as a quantifiable metric in future studies assessing communication changes in PwPD as a function of disease progression or therapeutic interventions.
Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus

Since 1997, highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have caused unprecedented widespread poultry outbreaks with high mortality in a number of Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and African countries; have infected other animal species; and have caused sporadic, severe, and fatal human infections. Influenza viruses are single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses with eight gene segments that encode 10 proteins and belong to the family Orthomyxoviridae. It is now known that H5N1 virus emerged in southern China in 1996 and that outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 among poultry have occurred in southern China for several years. Epidemiological studies conducted in Hong Kong during the 1997 H5N1 outbreak implicated avian-to-human transmission of H5N1 virus. Clinical case reports of H5N1 infection reflect surveillance for severe respiratory illness in hospitals. There are few descriptions of the clinical features of mild or atypical disease. Detection of H5N1 RNA by conventional or real-time PCR testing of respiratory specimens using H5-specific primers under biosafety level 2 (BSL2) laboratory conditions is the most common method of H5N1 diagnosis. The key to preventing human infections with H5N1 virus is to avoid unprotected direct contact with diseased and dead poultry, materials contaminated by poultry feces, and uncooked or inadequately cooked poultry or poultry products. There are several challenges to producing a pandemic influenza vaccine. Aside from the problems with production capacity and distribution, three additional challenges to creating an H5N1 vaccine are antigenic drift, immunogenicity, and vaccine pathogenicity to embryonated chicken eggs.
I'm Not That Liberal: Explaining Conservative Democratic Identification

The persistence of self-identified conservative Democrats in the electorate is puzzling. Both the ongoing Southern realignment and the recent ideological polarization should have resulted in conservative Democrats changing their party identification to accord with their discrepant ideology. Instead, the number of conservative Democrats, as a percentage of the total electorate, has held steady over the last 20 years. I propose an explanation for this phenomenon that draws upon theories of mass belief systems, as well as an element of recent political reality: the popular stigmatization of the word “liberal.” I argue that Democrats who are susceptible to elite cues garner positive affect toward the conservative label and negative affect toward the liberal label. They then identify themselves accordingly, regardless of their issue positions.
Weighing the evidence: how the brain makes a decision.

Kim and Shadlen investigate how neurons of the prefrontal cortex interpret slowly accumulating signals from visual cortex to make a perceptual decision.
Selected Case Studies

Chapter 5 attempts to extend the basic knowledge gained and (homework) problem solution skills acquired from studying Chapters 1 through 4 and using Appendices A to F. Section 5.1 deals with mathematical modeling aspects important for the development of computer simulation models, which are becoming more and more acceptable in solving complex fluid mechanics and convection heat transfer problems. The selected case studies begin with turbulent shear-layer flows applied to external curved surfaces (Sect. 5.2.1) and internal walls (Sect. 5.2.2). The basic idea of boundary-layer theory is then extended in Section 5.3 to non-Newtonian fluid flow with exothermal chemical reaction (Sect. 5.3.1) and with wall heat transfer (Sect. 5.3.2). The fifth and sixth case studies are more complicated, focusing on two-phase flows with moving gas–liquid interface due to droplet vaporization (Sect. 5.4.1) and moving liquid–solid interface due to ice formation (Sect. 5.4.2). The last two case studies represent the state of the art in (bio-) fluid dynamics applied to laminar pulsatile flow in branching blood vessels (Sect. 5.5.1) and temperature-driven flow in a local hyperthermia treatment device that is a concentric heated cylinder in a water-filled balloon (Sect. 5.5.2). Both biofluid flow systems are transient three-dimensional and hence require the numerical solution of the complete Navier–Stokes equations. The open literature provides many additional case studies that encapsulate both basic knowledge in engineering fluid dynamics and computer solution steps for real-world (thermal) flow problems.
Investigating Information Structure of Phishing Emails Based on Persuasive Communication Perspective

Current approaches ofÂ phishing filters depend on classifying messages based on textually discernable features such as IP-based URLs or domain names as those features that can be easily extracted from a given phishing message. However, in the same sense, those easily perceptible features can be easily manipulated by sophisticated phishers. Therefore, it is important that universal patterns of phishing messages should be identified for feature extraction to serve as a basis for text classification. In this paper, we demonstrate that user perception regarding phishing message can be identified in central and peripheral routes of information processing. We also present a method of formulating quantitative model that can represent persuasive information structure in phishing messages. This paper makes contribution to phishing classification research by presenting the idea of universal information structure in terms of persuasive communication theories.
Superoxide radical trapping and spin adduct decay of 5-tert-butoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (BocMPO): kinetics and theoretical analysis

Spin-trapping of oxygen-centered radicals such as superoxide radical is increasingly becoming important in the study of biological oxidations. Superoxide spin-trapping and decay kinetics in aqueous media of the new solid nitrone 5-tert-butoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (BocMPO) are reported and compared to those of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO) and 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-methyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DEPMPO). Superoxide spin-trapping by BocMPO is significantly slower than that by DEPMPO and DMPO, and the half-life of BocMPO–superoxide adduct is shorter than that of DEPMPO–superoxide adduct. The BocMPO spin-trapping ability and stability of its superoxide adducts are rationalized based on theoretical calculations.
Increased somatostatin release from pancreases of alloxan diabetic rats perfused in vitro

Abstract Insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin release in vitro from perfused pancreases of normal and alloxan-diabetic rats were compared. Insulin and glucagon responses to arginine were decreased in the diabetic group whereas both basal and arginine-stimulated somatostatin release was increased. These results suggest that alterations in pancreatic D cell function as well as in D cell mass may contribute to the abnormal insulin and glucagon secretion found in alloxan diabetes.
General considerations in the management of typhoid fever and dysentery.

Typhoid fever is diagnosed on the basis of isolation of Salmonella typhi from blood, bone marrow, or bile. S. typhi found in stool or urine may reflect chronic asymptomatic carriage. Although antimicrobial therapy may not eliminate carriage, it is effective for the treatment of clinically evident acute disease. Among the drugs currently available, chloramphenicol is the most widely used. Chloramphenicol is effective and inexpensive, but it is associated with a 3% rate of chronic carriage, a high relapse rate, and, in rare cases, aplastic anemia. For these reasons, and because of the emergence of chloramphenicol-resistant strains of S. typhi, alternative drugs need to be considered. Dysentery is characterized by the passage of unformed stools that commonly contain blood and mucus and in which large numbers of leukocytes can be detected on microscopic examination. Invasion of the intestinal epithelium is the distinguishing characteristic, and Shigella sp are the most frequent cause. Although oral rehydratio...
Hamiltonian factorization of the product of a complete graph with itself

It is shown that the product Knx Kn, where Kn is the complete graph of order n, is the sum of n-1 spanning cycles. Regarded as a communication net, Knx Kn is then optimally invulnerable to line damage.
Assembly of DNA Polymerase III Holoenzyme CO-ASSEMBLY OF γ AND τ IS INHIBITED BY DnaX COMPLEX ACCESSORY PROTEINS BUT STIMULATED BY DNA POLYMERASE III CORE

Although the two alternative Escherichia coli dnaX gene products, τ and γ, are found co-assembled in purified DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, the pathway of assembly is not well understood. When the 10 subunits of holoenzyme are simultaneously mixed, they rapidly form a nine-subunit assembly containing τ but not γ. We developed a new assay based on the binding of complexes containing biotin-tagged τ to streptavidin-coated agarose beads to investigate the effects of various DNA polymerase III holoenzyme subunits on the kinetics of co-assembly of γ and τ into the same complex. Auxiliary proteins in combination with δ′ almost completely blocked co-assembly, whereas χψ or δ′ alone slowed the association only moderately compared with the interaction of τ with γ alone. In contrast, DNA polymerase III core, in the absence of δδ′ and χψ, accelerated the co-assembly of τ and γ, suggesting a role for DNA polymerase III′ [τ2(pol III core)2] in the assembly pathway of holoenzyme.
The Single-Stage Forehead Flap in Nasal Reconstruction: An Alternative With Advantages

Objective To review the single-stage forehead flap for patient selection, technique, and main outcome measures. Methods Patients undergoing nasal reconstruction between January 1, 1995, and June 30, 2000, were reviewed from medical records, photographs, and personal communication. All work was performed in an academic medical center. Results Fifty-one patients had a forehead flap for nasal reconstruction, of which 10 (20%) were repaired in a single stage. All patients had no evidence of small vessel disease, eg, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or tobacco use. Nasal defects were limited to the upper two thirds of the nose. The technique is modified from the original description by creating a unilateral, subcutaneous pedicle, wide undermining, and partial resection of the procerus muscle. One patient had superficial epidermolysis at the distal tip of the flap. The remaining 9 patients maintained complete viability with satisfactory outcomes. One debulking procedure was performed to the glabellar area for aesthetic reasons. The average interval for returning to work was 6.6 days compared with the minimal 3 weeks for conventional interpolated flaps. Conclusion In select cases, a single-stage, island midline forehead flap can be used safely as an advantageous alternative to the conventional interpolated forehead flap.
The existence of the non-indolic citrus auxin in several plant families

Abstract A second species of the genus Citrus and fruits from five other families were examined for their auxin content. The non-indolic “citrus auxin” was detected in Citrus limon as well as Citrus sinensis , the original source of this compound. The fruits of date, fig, peach and Natal plum were also found to contain the “citrus auxin”. This is the first report of the existence of this non-indolic auxin in fruit outside the family Rutaceae. Fruits of guava and strawberries contained a compound believed to be IAA, but they showed no traces of the “citrus auxin”.
Self-presentation in Everyday Life: Effort, Closeness, and Satisfaction

The present study examined how effort put forth during self-presentations is related to satisfaction with the interaction and relationship partner depending on the closeness of the partner to the individual. Individuals responded to Palm Pilot computers when they experienced an interaction over the course of four days. Following each interaction, participants rated the self-presentational effort they put forth, closeness to the interaction partner, and their interaction satisfaction. They also identified their relationship satisfaction for frequent interaction partners. Results of multilevel models revealed that effort was positively related to relationship satisfaction when participants were not very close to the partner, but was negatively related to relationship satisfaction when closeness to the partner was high. Effort was also less strongly related to satisfaction with the interaction when participants were closer to their interaction partner. The results reveal the importance of reduced effort towa...
Toxicity study in juvenile rats with the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist CP-601,927.

BACKGROUND: CP-601927 is a selective α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist. The objective of this study was to assess the potential effects persisting into adulthood when CP-601,927 was administered to neonatal/juvenile rats. Since the juvenile toxicity study was being performed early in the development program and this study would represent the longest dosing period yet evaluated, the study design incorporated standard endpoints typically evaluated in a general toxicity screening study. METHODS: CP-601,927 was administered to Sprague-Dawley rats from postnatal day (PND) 7–70 by oral gavage at doses of 0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg. During treatment animals were evaluated for growth, development, and sexual maturation. At the end of the treatment period general toxicity screening endpoints were collected (e.g., organ weights, histology, clinical chemistry). Following a 2-week latency period, animals were evaluated for CNS function in a comprehensive behavioral training battery consisting of a functional observational battery, motor activity, acoustic startle response, and learning and memory evaluations. Reproductive competency was evaluated by mating treated rats and allowing pregnant dams to deliver and rear their litters until PND 10. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-related findings included the death of 2 males receiving 3 mg/kg CP-601,927, and transient reductions in body weight for both males and females during the third week of dosing which quickly recovered to control levels. The only treatment-related alteration in behavior was decreased motor activity, which occurred only in females at the highest dose tested. CP-601,927 had no effect on acoustic startle response, learning and memory, sexual maturation, reproductive capacity, or general toxicity endpoints. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 92:323–332, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Seedling response to gaps: separating effects of light and nitrogen

Abstract Light and nitrogen (N) availabilities are usually higher in large gaps than in small forest gaps. This covariation obscures how these resources and their interactions affect tree seedling growth and physiological response. In a greenhouse experiment, we altered light and N independently but at levels approximately representative of small and large gaps to separate effects on growth, biomass allocation, leaf characteristics, photosynthesis, and resource-use efficiencies. Betula papyrifera, B. lenta, Pinus strobus, Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, and Tsuga canadensis seedlings were transplanted and potted in screened field soil, held dormant over the winter, and grown for 3 months in a greenhouse. We used a combination of two light levels (15 and 60% of incident) and two levels of N availability (field soil and N addition equivalent to 150 kg/ha). Foliar N concentration and light-saturated photosynthesis per unit mass (Amaxmass) increased with N addition and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) increased and foliar N decreased at higher light. Seedling biomass and height growth responded strongly to N addition in B. papyrifera and height growth responded to light in P. strobus. The ratio of root mass to total biomass (RMR) decreased with N application overall, and significantly in three species, but it increased with light only in B. lenta. The increase in LMA at 60% light resulted in generally lower ratio of leaf area to aboveground biomass (LAR), while variation in the ratio of leaf biomass to aboveground biomass (LBR) varied relatively little. Increased N and light availabilities had opposite effects on foliar N and Amaxmass, suggesting that differences in carbon gain between small and large gaps may be obscured in the field. Variation in RMR was more strongly driven by N availability than light, although more extreme shade might reduce it more than we observed. Within a species, photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE) was not higher at low N availabilities, but among species, those with lower N tended to have higher PNUE. Similarly, among species there was a negative correlation between PNUE and δ13C, suggesting a trade-off constrains resource use, but only two of the six species considered individually had a significant negative correlation. Our results indicate that nitrogen is as important as light in seedling responses to large gaps, that the differing effects of these resources may affect the interpretation of results from uncontrolled comparisons, and that trade-off patterns of resource-use efficiency appear to be regulated at the species level rather than varying within species.
Ancestral recombinations graph: a reconstructability perspective using random-graphs framework.

Abstract We present a random graphs framework to study pedigree history in an ideal (Wright Fisher) population. This framework correlates the underlying mathematical objects in, for example, pedigree graph, mtDNA or NRY Chr tree, ARG (Ancestral Recombinations Graph), and HUD used in literature, into a single unified random graph framework. It also gives a natural definition, based solely on the topology, of an ARG, one of the most interesting as well as useful mathematical objects in this area. The random graphs framework gives an alternative parametrization of the ARG that does not use the recombination rate ρ and instead uses a parameter M based on the (estimate of ) the number of non-mixing segments in the extant units. This seems more natural in a setting that attempts to tease apart the population dynamics from the biology of the units. This framework also gives a purely topological definition of GMRCA, analogous to MRCA on trees (which has a purely topological description i.e., it is a root, graph-t...
Transcriptional Activation by Thyroid Hormone Receptor-β Involves Chromatin Remodeling, Histone Acetylation, and Synergistic Stimulation by p300 and Steroid Receptor Coactivators

Transcriptional regulation by heterodimers of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and the 9-cis retinoid X receptor (RXR) is a highly complex process involving a large number of accessory factors, as well as chromatin remodeling. We have used a biochemical approach, including an in vitro chromatin assembly and transcription system that accurately recapitulates ligand- and activation function (AF)-2-dependent transcriptional activation by TRβ/RXRα heterodimers, as well as in vitro chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, to study the mechanisms of TRβ-mediated transcription with chromatin templates. Using this approach, we show that chromatin is required for robust ligand-dependent activation by TRβ. We also show that the binding of liganded TRβ to chromatin induces promoter-proximal chromatin remodeling and histone acetylation, and that histone acetylation is correlated with increased TRβ-dependent transcription. Additionally, we find that steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs) and p300 function synergistically to s...
B-tropic friend virus: A host-range pseudotype of spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV)

Abstract The N-tropic strain of Friend virus (FV) complex includes two different infectious entities: defective SFFV and helper virus, the latter of which is responsible for the N-tropism of the complex. The N-tropic helper, highly infectious in homozygous Fv -1 n mice, is poorly infectious in Fv -1 b mice. B/T-L virus, a leukemogenic virus free of SFFV, includes a B-tropic helper virus which is much more infectious in Fv -1 b than in in Fv -1 n mice. N-tropic FV complex to which B/T-L virus has been added (i.e., SFFV with its associated N-tropic helper, plus B-tropic helper) induced FV disease in young Fv -1 b mice and gave rise to a strain of virus which could be passaged serially through Fv -1 b hosts. Analysis of the host range properties of the new virus strain indicated that the N-tropic helper component of FV complex had been rapidly eliminated during the first few passage generations of the virus, leaving a B-tropic pseudotype of SFFV, i.e., SFFV associated with B-tropic helper virus. Susceptibility to this B-tropic pseudotype was influenced in the expected manner by the Fv -1 and Fv -2 genes, but host range studies indicated that one or more previously unidentified genes also influenced the host response to this virus. Serial forced passage of the B-tropic FV through Fv -1 -restrictive hosts resulted in the recovery of an NB-tropic variant of the pseudotype.
Notch ankyrin repeat domain variation influences leukemogenesis and Myc transactivation

Background The functional interchangeability of mammalian Notch receptors (Notch1-4) in normal and pathophysiologic contexts such as cancer is unsettled. We used complementary in vivo, cell-based and structural analyses to compare the abilities of activated Notch1-4 to support T cell development, induce T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL), and maintain T-ALL cell growth and survival. Principal findings We find that the activated intracellular domains of Notch1-4 (ICN1-4) all support T cell development in mice and thymic organ culture. However, unlike ICN1-3, ICN4 fails to induce T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL) and is unable to rescue the growth of Notch1-dependent T-ALL cell lines. The ICN4 phenotype is mimicked by weak gain-of-function forms of Notch1, suggesting that it stems from a failure to transactivate one or more critical target genes above a necessary threshold. Experiments with chimeric receptors demonstrate that the Notch ankyrin repeat domains differ in their leukemogenic potential, and that this difference correlates with activation of Myc, a direct Notch target that has an important role in Notch-associated T-ALL. Conclusions/significance We conclude that the leukemogenic potentials of Notch receptors vary, and that this functional difference stems in part from divergence among the highly conserved ankyrin repeats, which influence the transactivation of specific target genes involved in leukemogenesis.
CO2 ENHANCES PRODUCTIVITY, ALTERS SPECIES COMPOSITION, AND REDUCES DIGESTIBILITY OF SHORTGRASS STEPPE VEGETATION

The impact of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations has been studied in a number of field experiments, but little information exists on the response of semiarid rangelands to CO2, or on the consequences for forage quality. This study was initiated to study the CO2 response of the shortgrass steppe, an important semiarid grassland on the western edge of the North American Great Plains, used extensively for livestock grazing. The experiment was conducted for five years on native vegetation at the USDA-ARS Central Plains Experimental Range in northeastern Colorado, USA. Three perennial grasses dominate the study site, Bouteloua gracilis, a C4 grass, and two C3 grasses, Pascopyrum smithii and Stipa comata. The three species comprise 88% of the aboveground phytomass. To evaluate responses to rising atmospheric CO2, we utilized six open-top chambers, three with ambient air and three with air CO2 enriched to 720 μmol/mol, as well as three unchambered controls. We found that elevated CO2 enhanced production o...
Degradation of Rubber-to-Metal Bonds During Simulated Cathodic Delamination

Abstract Cathodic delamination of neoprene-to-steel adhesive bonds prepared using a proprietary vulcanizing adhesive and primer was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Chlorinated rubber in the adhesive and primer was stable during immersion in NaOH solutions simulating the high pH conditions obtained at the bondline during cathodic delamination. However, methylene groups linking phenol moieties in phenolic resins in the primer were rapidly oxidized during immersion in NaOH solutions to form benzophenone linkages which were oxidized further to carboxylic acids and quinones. Chlorine produced by dehydrohalogenation of chlorinated rubber in the adhesive and primer during curing of the neoprene reacted with ZnO in the primer to form ZnCl2 in the bondline. Failure of adhesive bonds between neoprene and steel during cathodic delamination is probably related to oxidation of the phenolic resins in the primer and to osmotic effects related ...
Multiple Addition by Residue Threshold Functions and Their Representation by Array Logic

In multioperand additions p summands can be compressed into q summands by adding along the columns independently. For a given column Z with Boolean elements {z i }, this sum is ?r k 2k, where r k equals a residue threshold function R(2k, 2k+1 |Z), defined by the proposition R(t, m |Z) ? t ? (?z i ) mod m. The hardware realization is particularly simple using symmetry-adapted READ-ONLY storage (ROS) array logic.
Manufacture of mirror glass substrates for the NuSTAR mission

The NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopy Telescope Array) observatory (Harrison et al. 2009), expected to be launched into an equatorial low earth orbit in 2011, will have two mirror assemblies capable of imaging X-rays in the hard X-ray band between 5 keV and 80 keV. It will be the first X-ray observatory using multilayer coatings to significantly expand the bandwidth of the typical X-ray telescope of 0.1 keV to 10 keV. The mirror assemblies use a segmented design to simplify the construction process, as such they require 4,680 mirror substrates coated with appropriately designed multilayers to enhance reflectivity for hard X-rays. These substrates are produced by slumping commercially available thin glass sheets. In this paper we report on our work of manufacturing these substrates at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
The structure and fracture mode of rapidly solidified Pt3Ga

This paper reports a study of the structure and fracture mode of Pt3Ga. The results show that the structure of this compound is a tetragonal distortion of the L12 structure with lattice parameters of a = 5.47 A and c = 7.89 A. If the gallium concentration decreases from 22.8 at.% to 21.5 at.%, a disordered face-centered cubic phase also forms. This phase is Pt-rich and appears to form along the grain boundaries of the Pt3Ga phase. The fcc phase can also contain coherent Pt3Ga precipitates. Single phase Pt3Ga fails in a very brittle manner, and the fracture mode is intergranular. Boron additions have no effect on the fracture mode, since boron does not segregate to the grain boundaries. The fracture of an alloy containing a small amount of the disordered fcc phase is also brittle, but the fracture mode is predominantly transgranular.
The synthesis and actions of mouse and human interferons in mouse-human hybrid cells

Abstract Lines of mouse-human hybrid cells segregating either mouse or human chromosomes were used for the analysis of various aspects of the production and actions of mouse and human interferons. In one of the hybrid cell lines capable of producing both mouse and human interferons, the proportion of the two interferon activities produced varied greatly under different inducing conditions, suggesting that there are differences in the triggering mechanisms of the two interferons. Generally both mouse and human interferon production could be enhanced (“superinduced”) by sequential treatment with cycloheximide and actinomycin D; however, in one of the lines producing both mouse and human interferon, only the latter could be superinduced. There was no correlation between the capacity of the lines to produce mouse or human interferons and the sensitivity to their action. However, there was good correlation between the sensitivity to the antiviral action and the priming action (i.e., enhancement of subsequent interferon production) by the two interferons. Thus, line 55-91F2 produced both mouse and human interferons, but was sensitive to the antiviral and priming actions of human interferon only. Line GM52 × BalbVC15 produced only mouse interferon but was sensitive to the antiviral and priming actions of both interferons.
Using voltage distortion measurements for demand-side management

This paper describes a simple system that could form the basis of a load-shaping scheme aimed at relieving distribution congestion in grids with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The system identifies the operation of individual loads using transient patterns observed in the voltage waveform measured at an electric service outlet. The system focuses on the detection of all of the large loads connected to the secondary of a distribution transformer.
The influence of phospholipase A2 and glutathione peroxidase on the elimination of membrane lipid peroxides

Abstract The relationship between release of membrane lipid peroxidation products and phospholipase action was examined. Rat liver microsomes and phosphatidylcholine liposome-phospholipase A 2 preparations were subjected to iron ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation. Peroxidation products were characterized by measurement of malondialdehyde and lipid peroxides. Experiments were designed to demonstrate phospholipase dependent removal of peroxidation products originating in the membrane. Increased lysophosphatidylcholine formation was evident following lipid peroxidation in phospholipase A 2 -containing liposomes which was inhibited by p -bromophenacyl bromide and mepacrine. Lipoxygenase-dependent oxygen consumption, as well as peroxide transfer from microsomes to the incubation medium, was largely dependent on phospholipase and could be diminished by phospholipase inhibitors. Furthermore, lipid hydroperoxides formed by subjecting phosphatidylcholine liposomes to iron ascorbate-induced peroxidation, or those present in aged liposomes, were effectively reduced by glutathione peroxidase when phospholipase A 2 was present in the assay. Low level glutathione peroxidase activity was observed in the absence of phospholipase A 2 .
The Impact of Paternity and Marital Status on Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births

In the United States the number of births to unmarried mothers is at a record high. Although being unmarried is a significant risk factor for low birth weight and preterm births, paternal presence may have a protective effect. In addition to marital status, paternity may be a proxy measure for paternal support. Virginia birth registry data were analyzed to investigate the effect of marital and paternity status on low birth weight and preterm births. Findings from this study show that women who reported being unmarried and with no paternity status were 1.6 (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.41–1.75) and 1.4 (odds ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.21–1.61) times more likely to have preterm low birth weight and term low birth weight babies, respectively. Being unmarried and lack of established paternity appear to be significantly correlated with and may be important risk factors for preterm and low birth weight deliveries. Health care professionals should be aware of the potential role o...
Understanding the wandering patient. A continuity of personality perspective.

The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between personality and wandering behavior among individuals with dementia. Surrogates of 20 wanderers and 20 non-wanderers were administered a demographic and personality questionnaire. The findings, which also included a qualitative follow-up, revealed that wanderers scored significantly higher than non-wanders on the personality factors of extroversion (p < or = .01) and agreeableness (p < or = .05). A strong implication of the study, for nurses and other care providers, is that for many people wandering is an expression of one's personality--ingrained over a lifetime of development--rather than solely an expression of dementia.
Resolving Transferrin Isoforms via Agarose Gel Electrophoresis.

Objective: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks may present as rhinorrhea or otorrhea and can lead to life-threatening complications if not detected. The usefulness of the morpholinopropanesulfonic acid (MOPS)–histidine buffer in detecting β2-transferrin, which is only found in the cerebrospinal fluid, was compared with the standard barbital buffer. Methods: We evaluated 20 aural or nasal patient specimens submitted for CSF testing via agarose electrophoresis with barbital and MOPS-histidine buffers. Results: The MOPS-histidine and barbital buffers revealed 5 transferrin bands and 2 transferrin bands with CSF, respectively. Seventeen of 20 patient specimens had concordant results. The 3 discrepant specimens initially tested negative with the barbital buffer and positive with the MOPS-histidine buffer. Two of the 3 patient specimens later tested positive with the barbital buffer when a new specimen was submitted. Conclusion: Agarose electrophoresis with the MOPS-histidine buffer increases the resolution of transferrin isoforms. * CSF : cerebrospinal fluid MOPS : morpholinopropanesulfonic acid PBS : phosphate-buffered saline Tris : tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane BSA : bovine serum albumin PEG : polyethylene glycol EDTA : ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid SDS-PAGE : sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
Protein glycosylation regulates the externalization of two distinct classes of glucocorticoid-induced glycoproteins in rat hepatoma cells

The relationship of protein glycosylation to the externalization of glucocorticoid inducible alpha1-acid glycoprotein and mouse mammary tumor virus glycoproteins was examined in M1.54, a clonal population of mouse mammary tumor virus-infected rat hepatoma cells. Multiple freeze-thaw of isolated microsomes revealed that while alpha1-acid glycoprotein is carried through the cell as a soluble component of vesicles, extracellular viral glycoproteins are initially membrane-associated. At concentrations of tunicamycin that specifically inhibited N-linked protein glycosylation, alpha1-acid glycoprotein fractionated between the cellular and extracellular compartments. Thus, approximately one half of the newly synthesized, nonglycosylated (22 000 Mr) alpha1-acid glycoprotein was rapidly secreted with kinetics similar to its glycosylated counterpart (release half-time of 60 min), while the remaining species first localized in an undefined intracellular compartment prior to its slow secretion (release half-time of 24 h). The same distribution of nonglycosylated alpha1-acid glycoprotein was observed at various absolute levels of polypeptide, suggesting that this was not due simply to the saturation of an efficient secretory pathway at high polypeptide levels. In contrast to alpha1-acid glycoprotein, no labeled viral antigens were released by tunicamycin-treated M1.54, while a nonglycosylated viral precursor glycopolyprotein was expressed intracellulary. Taken together, these results suggest that carbohydrate attachment strongly regulated the externalization of both alpha1-acid glycoprotein and mouse mammary tumor virus species, which represent two distinct classes of extracellular glycoproteins.
International Pediatric Fungal Network: Changing the World for Pediatric Invasive Fungal Infections

The incidence of pediatric invasive fungal disease is increasing. Coordinated clinical and laboratory investigative efforts have enhanced our understanding of fungal disease and improved the treatment of adult patients. However, most of these efforts have not incorporated children and neonates. Children have long suffered exclusion from studies by individual investigators (often adult subspecialists), and pharmaceutical companies. This has led to delays in obtaining pediatric drug pharmacokinetic and dosing data as well as delays in licensing newer therapies. The number of studies devoted to pediatric fungal disease is staggeringly small. Effective treatment studies require a multi-institutional setting in order to achieve adequate power to generate guidelines for clinicians and demonstrate comparative effectiveness for optimal therapeutic choices. A cooperative study group allows investigators to conduct clinical trials for drug development and testing and also understand the biology, etiology, and pathology of the disease through outcome data and laboratory observations which can be far more informative than the sum of the results of individual trials. Pediatric-dedicated consortiums in other disciplines have been successful. Notable examples that have dramatically improved healthcare are the NCI-funded Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the NICHD-funded International Maternal-Pediatric-Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Group, the NIAID-funded Collaborative Antiviral Study Group (CASG), the NICHD-funded Neonatal Network, and the NICHD-funded Pediatric Trials Network (PTN). The resulting networks have been used to develop organized and effective treatment protocols for patient populations and subpopulations. Presently there is not a child at any major medical center in the United States with cancer or HIV not receiving treatment as part of an organized protocol jointly designed by experts in the field through these consortiums. As pediatric invasive fungal infections emerge as significant causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children, we need a formalized system to evaluate and deliver effective treatment. The growing rate of childhood fungal disease and the present poor understanding with high mortality, akin to childhood cancer in years past, no longer allows the earlier luxury of individual clinicians or centers using their own unstudied treatment strategies. The rising incidence of pediatric invasive fungal infections necessitated the creation of a systematic model to combine existing resources, data, and experience. The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored Mycoses Study Group (MSG) was Curr Fungal Infect Rep (2012) 6:138–139 DOI 10.1007/s12281-012-0088-8
Ascorbate recycling in human erythrocytes: Role of GSH in reducing dehydroascorbate

Human erythrocytes regenerate ascorbate from its oxidized product, dehydroascorbate. The extent to which such ascorbate recycling occurs by a GSH-dependent mechanism was investigated. In the presence of glucose, erythrocytes took up over 90% of extracellular [14C]dehydroascorbate and rapidly converted it to [14C]ascorbate, which was trapped within the cells. Dehydroascorbate uptake and reduction was not associated with generation of a monoascorbyl free radical intermediate. Uptake and reduction of dehydroascorbate by glucose-depleted erythrocytes coordinately decreased GSH and raised GSSG concentrations in erythrocytes. This effect was reversed by D-glucose, but not by L-lactate. Conversely, depletion of cellular GSH decreased the ability of cells to recycle dehydroascorbate to ascorbate, as reflected in the extent to which cells were able to reduce extracellular ferricyanide. Monoascorbyl free radical was formed during the reduction of extracellular ferricyanide, indicating that one electron transfer steps were involved in this process. In GSH-depleted cells, addition of L-lactate as an energy source for glycolysis-dependent NADH regeneration did cause a partial recovery of the ability of cells to reduce ferricyanide. However, in resealed erythrocyte ghosts containing either 4 mM GSH or 400 mu M NADH, only the GSH-containing ghosts supported regeneration of ascorbate from added dehydroascorbate. These results suggest that in human erythrocytes ascorbate regeneration from dehydroascorbate is largely GSH dependent, and that it occurs through either enzymatic or nonenzymatic reactions not involving the monoascorbyl free radical.
Strategies for the prevention of environmental neurotoxic illness

Toxic chemicals in the environment can cause a wide range of neurological disease. High-dose exposures to environmental neurotoxicants have produced encephalopathy in children ingesting chips of lead-based paint, blindness in persons who ingested methanol, blindness and ataxia in persons who consumed organic mercury, spinal cord degeneration and peripheral neuropathy in persons exposed to tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP), and Parkinsonism in persons exposed to MPTP or to manganese. Environmental neurotoxicants have also been shown to produce a wide range of subclinical neurotoxic effects, including reduction in intelligence, impairment in reasoning ability, shortening of attention span, and alternation of behavior. The first step in the prevention of environmental neurotoxicity is to test chemicals for their toxic potential. More than 70,000 chemicals are currently in commerce. However, except for pharmaceuticals, fewer than 10% of these chemicals have been tested for neurotoxicity. A logical approach to neurotoxicologic assessment of chemical substances will build on and extend currently available test systems. It will have a tiered structure. The first or screening tier will consist of tests to measure obvious structural and functional changes, often a functional observational battery. Subsequent levels of testing will be guided by the results of initial screening. Toxicologic testing must be supplemented by epidemiologic surveillance of populations exposed to known and suspect neurotoxicants. Screening programs in these populations designed to detect excessive absorption of a neurotoxic agent or subclinical neurological dysfunction can be useful in identifying affected individuals before severe disability occurs.