cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foreword: the centromere and kinetochore in creatures great and small.

This special issue of Chromosome Research is a collection of reviews that present current work in centromere and kinetochore biology. When the editors, Drs. Conly Rieder and Herbert Macgregor, asked us to develop this special issue, we eagerly embraced the opportunity to assemble a group of papers on our favorite topic. However, this task proved challenging as the field has advanced in dramatic ways since the term centromere was first coined in CD Darlington’s description of the external mechanics of chromosomes. In fact, in the last year alone, there have been 762 papers cited in PubMed that are focused on some aspect of centromere structure, organization, and/or function. It was impossible to include papers from every facet of centromere biology, but this special issue cuts a broad swath through the diversity of centromere-based research that has been produced since the last Chromosome Research Special Issue on Centromeres was published in 2004. The German zoologist Anton Schneider published the first description of mitotic chromosomes, what he had called “chromatic nuclear figures” (Schneider 1873). For over a century, the process by which genetic material segregates with each cell generation has fascinated biologists. The centromere is pivotal to cell division. Classic biology textbooks initially considered this part of the chromosome to be a silent, passive, and inert architectural feature of chromatin. However, the myriad technological advances in microscopy, genomics, and genetic engineering, coupled with the diversity of species studied over the last 20 years has reshaped this view; the centromere is now considered an active and dynamic feature of the genome. It is clear from over 130 years of study in chromosome biology that properly functioning centromeres are critical to achieving accurate cell division. A fundamental component of centromere function is a variant histone protein that defines active centromeres. Reflecting the diversity of model systems employed in this field, there is a corresponding range in names for this protein, CENP-A (vertebrates), CENH3 (plants and fungi), Cid (flies), Cnp1 (fission yeast), Cse4 (budding yeast), and HCP3 (worms). Each Chromosome Res (2012) 20:461–463 DOI 10.1007/s10577-012-9303-2
Curricular influences on preventive-care attitudes

Attitudes are one of the most important outcomes of medical education, but little is known about curricular influences on specific attitudes. This study examined changes in attitudes toward 20 preventive-care services in a cohort of 175 medical students. Specifically, a cohort of medical students was followed over a 30-month interval that spanned the period from medical school entry through the first 6 months of clinical clerkships. Perceived importance, as well as student confidence in the ability of primary-care physicians to provide 20 preventive-care services, was examined. Importance ratings for preventive-care services remained stable, while levels of confidence in the ability of physicians to provide the services increased. Implications of the results are discussed in relation to the possibilities for emphasizing disease prevention content in medical education.
Ornamental Plant Transformation

Abstract Ornamental plant transformation has advanced considerably in the last decade. Now over 40 genera have been reported to be transformed. The primary methods of creating transgenic ornamental species have been Agrobacterium tumefaciens-medmtedtransformation and microprojectile bombardment. The vast majority of reports indicate the use of Agrobacteriummedmtedtransformation employing binary vectors and virhelper plasmids or supervirulence genes. Many reports are of transformation with the uidA reporter gene driven by the 35S cauliflower mosaic virus promoter, but recent efforts are now focusing on trait genes including disease resistance, flower color, flower longevity, floral scent and plant habit. Greater use of tissue specific and inducible promoters promises to enhance the functionality and usefulness of introduced trait genes. While technical challenges for production of transgenic ornamental plants still exist, the greatest challenges to realizing the potential benefits of transgenic ornamental ...
Rings of the Agulhas current

Abstract A combination of satellite-tracked surface drifters, satellite-derived sea surface temperature, and ship-measured isotherm depth fields are used to describe two rings formed from the Agulhas Retroflection south of Africa. The drifter and satellite data are used to calculate ring trajectories. The two rings move westward into the South Atlantic. Their trajectories suggest the rings interact with the bottom topography. Ring motion histories are used to remap hydrographic data and estimate the mean radial shape of the ring thermocline. Thermocline topography as defined by the 10°C isotherm depth is then combined with a two-layer diagnostic model to compute the rings' momentum and energetics. The results indicate these rings are some of the most energetic in the world. Their large horizontal scales, however, make them less nonlinear than rings associated with the Gulf Stream in terms of a Rossby number criterion. Ring translation appears to be influenced by a complicated combination of self-induced propagation and steering by the mean currents. The rates of translation are significantly higher than expected from theoretical computations of self-induced motion. The energy flux an Agulhas ring contributes to the South Atlantic is 7% of the annual wind input over the entire basin. Two rings per year can replace the eddy energy calculated for the basin outside of the direct influence of the Agulhas Retroflection.
Geostatistical Analysis of Dollar Spot Epidemics Occurring on a Mixed Sward of Creeping Bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass

Dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Ben- nett) causes one of the most important diseases faced by golf course superintendents through- out the USA. Fungicides are effective, but fun- gicide resistance and regulation have restricted their use. Site-specifi c application allows more judicious use of fungicides, but the spatial het- erogeneity of dollar spot incidence has been unknown. An intensive study was designed to determine the spatial distribution of dollar spot incidence using geostatistical analysis. Dollar spot foci were manually counted every 2 to 3 d in 200 quadrats in 2000, and in 888 quadrats in 2001 and 2002. Variograms showed spatial aggregation of dollar spot foci on a small scale, and remained stable throughout the growing season despite increasing disease incidence. The range parameter of the variograms was stable within a season, with values ranging between 2.5 and 9.5, 1.3 and 1.9, and 1.2 and 2.2 m in 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively. Kriged maps of dollar spot incidence also show a stable pattern of spatial aggregation remains throughout the growing season. The locations of dollar spot clusters changed between sea- sons, but the variograms from each season were similar, further suggesting stability of the spatial structure. It appears that limited second- ary dispersal of S. homoeocarpa occurs during epidemics, as evidenced by the stable vario- grams observed throughout the three growing seasons. The underlying factors involved in the observed stability are unknown.
VIZ-GRAIL

Motivation: As disease loci are rapidly discovered, an emerging challenge is to identify common pathways and biological functionality across loci. Such pathways might point to potential disease mechanisms. One strategy is to look for functionally related or interacting genes across genetic loci. Previously, we defined a statistical strategy, Gene Relationships Across Implicated Loci (GRAIL), to identify whether pair-wise gene relationships defined using PubMed text similarity are enriched across loci. Here, we have implemented VIZ-GRAIL, a software tool to display those relationships and to depict the underlying biological patterns. Results: Our tool can seamlessly interact with the GRAIL web site to obtain the results of analyses and create easy to read visual displays. To most clearly display results, VIZ-GRAIL arranges genes and genetic loci to minimize intersecting pair-wise gene connections. VIZ-GRAIL can be easily applied to other types of functional connections, beyond those from GRAIL. This method should help investigators appreciate the presence of potentially important common functions across loci. Availability: The GRAIL algorithm is implemented online at http://www.broadinstitute.org/mpg/grail/grail.php. VIZ-GRAIL source-code is at http://www.broadinstitute.org/mpg/grail/vizgrail.html. Contact: soumya@broadinstitute.org Supplementary Information:Supplementary methods and data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Magnetic circular dichroism studies of polystyrene solutions

The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of “atactic” and isotactic polystyrene solutions have been found to be sensitive to configurational and conformational differences. The ratio of B terms for “atactic” polystyrene (predominantly syndiotactic) to that of cumene was found to pass through a minimum as the coil expanded in various solvents. The ratio of dipole strengths D also passed through a minimum. For isotactic polystyrene and cumene the ratio of B terms increased with increasing coil size in the range of solvents utilized. The ratio of B terms of isotactic polystyrene over atactic polystyrene was found to go through a maximum as the coil expanded whereas the ratio of dipole strengths was found to continuously decrease. These results have been interpreted on the basis of the change in short range and long range orientation and interaction distances between chromophores during coil expansion. It is concluded that the microscopic conformation of isotactic and atactic polystyrene are very different in very good solvents. The B/D ratio for cumene was found generally to decrease with increasing solvent power.
Dissection of Antiviral and Immune Regulatory Functions of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors in a Chronic Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection

The effector function of CD8 T cells is mediated via cell-mediated cytotoxicity and production of cytokines like gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). While the roles of perforin-dependent cytotoxicity, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha in controlling acute viral infections are well studied, their relative importance in defense against chronic viral infections is not well understood. Using mice deficient for TNF receptor (TNFR) I and/or II, we show that TNF-TNFR interactions have a dual role in mediating viral clearance and downregulating CD8 and CD4 T-cell responses during a chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection. While wild-type (+/+) and TNFR II-deficient (p75(-/-)) mice cleared LCMV from the liver and lung, mice deficient in TNFR I (p55(-/-)) or both TNFR I and TNFR II (double knockout [DKO]) exhibited impaired viral clearance. The inability of p55(-/-) and DKO mice to clear LCMV was not a sequel to either suboptimal activation of virus-specific CD8 or CD4 T cells or impairment in trafficking of LCMV-specific CD8 T cells to the liver and lung. In fact, the expansion of LCMV-specific CD8 and CD4 T cells was significantly higher in DKO mice compared to that in +/+, p55(-/-), and p75(-/-) mice. TNFR deficiency did not preclude the physical deletion of CD8 T cells specific for nucleoprotein 396 to 404 but delayed the contraction of CD8 T-cell responses to the epitopes GP33-41 and GP276-285 in the viral glycoprotein. The antibody response to LCMV was not significantly altered by TNFR deficiency. Taken together, these findings have implications in development of immunotherapy in chronic viral infections of humans.
Selecting polymers for medical devices based on thermal analytical methods

This biomaterials overview for selecting polymers for medical devices focuses on polymer materials, properties and performance. An improved understanding of thermoplastics and thermoset properties is accomplished by thermal analysis for device applications. The medical applications and requirements as well as the oxidative and mechanical stability of currently used polymers in devices are discussed. The tools used to aid the ranking of the thermoplastics and thermosets are differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) as well as a number of key ASTM polymer tests. This paper will spotlight the thermal and mechanical characterization of the bio-compatible polymers e.g., olefins, nylon, polyacetals, polyvinyl chloride and polyesters.
Eigenvalue-based optimal placement of PMUs in large power systems

This paper presents an eigenvalue-based approach for optimal placement of phasor measurement units (PMUs) in large power systems. Eigenvalues of system parameters are used to determine the critical points of the system. The identification of the critical points of a system for PMU installation could be crucial in the detection of potential outages and preventing them from occurring. This method ensures that a minimal number of PMU locations are identified and that the loss of a PMU does not affect the reliability of the monitoring system. Therefore, it is cost-effective. The number of measurements obtainable using this approach is fewer than the 2n−1 required for conventional state estimation to function. (n is the number of buses in the system.) The proposed approach is a holistic approach to the monitoring of the entire system, in that the placement of PMUs for monitoring critical points of the system does not happen at the expense of monitoring the rest of the system. To show that the identified critical PMU measurements are capable of accurately estimating all system variables, an artificial neural network is utilized to map the estimation function between the critical variables and the rest of the system variables. The performance of the proposed techniques is demonstrated on the IEEE 118-bus system.
Block interrupt polysilane derivatives

High molecular weight block interrupt polysilane derivatives have been prepared by the condensation of a number of α,ω-dichloropolysilanes with some aromatic bis silanols. In this manner, polymers containing polysilane blocks of 2, 4, or 6 catenated silicon atoms have been prepared. The materials are thermally stable and the UV spectroscopic properties mimic those of the corresponding monomers. Although these materials bleach upon irradiation in the deep UV, surprisingly, the block interrupt polysilanes behave as negative resists upon exposure to 254 nm radiation. This behavior contrasts with that of standard polysilane homopolymers which usually function in a positive lithographic mode.
Simulation-Based Design and Rapid Prototyping of a Parallax-Free, Orthoscopic Video See-Through Head-Mounted Display

We built a video see-through head-mounted display with zero eye offset from commercial components and a mount fabricated via rapid prototyping. The orthoscopic HMD's layout was created and optimized with a software simulator. We describe simulator and HMD design, we show the HMD in use and demonstrate zero parallax.
A lower bound for the dictionary problem under a hashing model

A fundamental open question in data structures concerns the existence of a dictionary data structure that processes the operations in constant amortized time and uses space polynomial in the dictionary size. The complexity of the dictionary problem is studied under a multilevel hashing model that is based on A.C. Yao's (1981) cell probe model, and it is proved that dictionary operations require log-algorithmic amortized time jn this model. The model encompasses many known solutions to the dictionary problem, and the result is the first nontrivial lower bound for the problem in a reasonably general model that takes into account the limited wordsize of memory locations and realistically measures the cost of update operations. This lower bound separates the deterministic and randomized complexities of the problem under this model. >
Stereotype threat reinterpreted as a regulatory mismatch.

This research documents performance decrements resulting from the activation of a negative taskrelevant stereotype. The authors combine a number of strands of work to identify causes of stereotype threat in a way that allows them to reverse the effects and improve the performance of individuals with negative task-relevant stereotypes. The authors draw on prior work suggesting that negative stereotypes induce a prevention focus and on other research suggesting that people exhibit greater flexibility when their regulatory focus matches the reward structure of the task. This work suggests that stereotype threat effects emerge from a prevention focus combined with tasks that have an explicit or implicit gains reward structure. The authors find flexible performance can be induced in individuals who have a negative task-relevant stereotype by use of a losses reward structure. The authors demonstrate the interaction of stereotypes and the reward structure of the task with chronic stereotypes and Graduate Record Examination math problems (Experiment 1), and with primed stereotypes and a category learning task (Experiments 2A and 2B). The authors discuss implications of this research for other work on stereotype threat.
Effects of the protozoan parasite ophryocystis elektroscirrha on the fitness of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)

We evaluated the effects of the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha on the survival and reproduction of monarch butterflies. Because larvae in natural populations are likely to experience a wide range of natural parasite population densities, we examined the effects of increasing spore density (0, 10, 100, or 1000 spores per larva) on host fitness. Parasites had little effect on monarch survival or reproduction, except at the highest dose. Monarchs inoculated with 1000 spores per larva had decreased survival to eclosion, and this effect was more severe when larvae were inoculated at an earlier stage (first versus third instar). Monarchs inoculated with higher spore densities also emerged with smaller wingspans and lower body mass than noninoculated adults. Infection with the highest dose of O. elektroscirrha led to decreased male lifespan and reproductive success, but females infected with O. elektroscirrha did not experience a significant decline in lifetime fecundity. However, heavily infected females in outdoor enclosures were less active than uninfected females and gained weight during their adult lifespan. Among samples of adult monarchs captured in natural populations, parasite loads were associated with butterfly condition and activity. Heavily infected adults captured breeding in western North America and southern Florida were smaller than uninfected monarchs. Among overwintering adults in Mexico and California, mating activity was positively associated with higher parasite loads. In addition, the proportion of adults with low and intermediate spore loads (as opposed to no spores) was higher among adults with greater wing tatter and scale loss. Our findings of minor effects of O. elektroscirrha on the survival and reproduction of monarch butterflies are consistent with the expectation that maternally transmitted parasites should have little or no effect on host fitness compared with horizontally transmitted parasites. However, because our laboratory studies demonstrated that monarchs exposed to the highest parasite density experienced decreased larval survival, smaller adult size, and shorter adult lifespans, additional transmission routes are likely to be important for parasite maintenance in natural populations.
Old age and widowhood: Issues of personal control and independence

This paper explores the interaction between the circumstances of old age and the demands of adjusting to widowhood. Most widowed individuals, especially women, have much of their life still before them. Three themes are developed: The implications of widowhood for successful aging, the utility of viewing the rest of one's life as a “career” to be planfully and actively pursued, and the increasing amount of heterogeneity among the elderly. These themes are related to issues of personal control and continued independence in old age.
Teaching human-computer interaction: reports from the trenches

Most schools introduce HCI into the CS curriculum through a bootstrapping process. There are many excellent HCI programs at universities around the world, and some new faculty with HCI graduate degrees are starting to appear. But the extreme shortage of faculty forces most schools now starting to teach HCI to use the time-honored method of learning a subject by teaching it.Consensus: Insert HCI into any opening you can find. Learn more about the subject yourself. Let colleagues get comfortable with the idea. A required course in HCI may be some years off, or maybe you will never do exactly that, but you will have laid the foundation for getting HCI into your curriculum.
The effect of acupuncture needle combination on central pain processing-an fMRI study

Empirical acupuncture treatment paradigm for acute pain utilizing Tendinomuscular Meridians (TMM) calls for the stimulation of Ting Points (TPs) and Gathering point(GP). This study aims to compare the supraspinal neuronal mechanisms associated with both TPs and GP needling (EA3), and TPs needling alone (EA2) with fMRI. A significant (P EA3 (condition EA3+HP subtracted by condition EA3) appeared to exert a significant degree of activity suppression in the affective supraspinal regions including the IPL, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the insular cortex (IN). This level of suppression was not observed in the EA2+HP>EA2 (condition EA2+HP subtracted by condition EA2) within-group random effect analysis Between-group random effect analysis indicated that EA3 induced a significantly (P < 0.01, cluster size threshold 150) higher degree of deactivation than EA2 in several pain related supraspinal regions including the right prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate (rACC), medial cingulate cortex, left inferior frontal lobe and posterior cerebellum. The 2-factor ANOVA in those regions indicated both rACC and posterior cerebellum had a significant (P < 0.01) needle effect, and the right prefrontal area showed a significant (P < 0.01) HP effect. However, a significant interaction between the two factors was only found in the right prefrontal lobe. Granger causality analysis showed EA3 induced a much higher degree of inference among HP related supraspinal somatosensory, affective and modulatory components than EA2. Deactivation pattern at the medullary-pontine area casted a direct inference on the deactivation pattern of secondary somatosensory cortices which also affected the deactivation of the IN. While both EA2 and EA3 induced a significant degree of deactivation in the human brain regions related to pain processing, the addition of GP stimulation further exerts an inhibitory effect on the ascending spinoreticular pain pathway. Therefore, different needling position as mandated in different empirical acupuncture treatment paradigms may play a different role in modulating pain related neuronal functions.
Decoupling of High Performance Semiconductors Using Embedded Capacitor Technology

The integration of embedded DuPont ceramic capacitors and HiK polyimide based planar capacitor materials in IC packages has been investigated by a joint program between DuPont and Georgia Institute of Technology packaging research center (PRC). Test vehicles with different types of structures were designed, fabricated and tested for individual device characterization. The test vehicles included embedded ceramic-fired-on-foil capacitors with microvia interconnects and two sequential industry standard build-up layers on each side of a BT core. Feature sizes were 12 micron lines and spaces and 50 micron diameter microvias. Other test vehicles used a core layer without build-up layers, planar capacitor layers and arrays of discrete capacitors with different size, capacitance, and interconnection designs. Each capacitor variation was electrically characterized. The electrical performance data from the test vehicles was used to perform simulations to determine the designs offering the most effective power delivery and noise decoupling for a package having 2007 ITRS die and substrate features. The embedded ceramic capacitors show a significant improvement in power system noise decoupling and charge supply to the IC in the mid-frequency range due to the low inductance design.
On quantitative reviewing1

Cook and Leviton (1980) recently discussed the merits and disadvantages of quantitative literature reviewing. They apparently view the method with favor, but they also noted that several shortcomings may result from the method itself. It is argued that these particular deficiencies are unrelated to the method, and instead are attributable to poor reviewer practices. These issues are examined in an effort to avert any undue hesitancy on the part of future reviewers to quantify their efforts.
Discovery of the highly potent PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor PF-04691502 through structure based drug design

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway plays crucial roles in cell growth, proliferation and survival. Genomic aberrations in the PI3K pathway, such as mutational activation of PI3Kα or loss of function of tumor suppressor PTEN, have been closely linked to the development and progression of a wide range of cancers. Hence, inhibition of the key targets in the pathway, e.g. PI3K, AKT, mTOR, offers great potential for the treatment of cancer. Lead optimization through integration of structure based drug design (SBDD) and physical properties-based optimization (PPBO) led to the discovery of 2-amino-8-[trans-4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)cyclohexyl]-6-(6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-4-methylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7(8H)-one (PF-04691502, 1) that demonstrated potent in vitro inhibitory activity against both PI3K and mTOR, excellent kinase selectivity, good ADMET, and robust in vivo efficacy in a mouse xenograft tumor growth model. Compound 1 is currently being evaluated in human clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.
Temporal trends in the use of parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients.

Background Clinical practice guidelines recommend enteral over parenteral nutrition in critical illness and do not recommend early initiation. Few data are available on parenteral nutrition use or timing of initiation in the ICU or how this use may have changed over time. Methods We used the Project IMPACT database to evaluate temporal trends in parenteral nutrition use (total and partial parenteral nutrition and lipid supplementation) and timing of initiation in adult ICU admissions from 2001 to 2008. We used χ 2 tests and analysis of variance to examine characteristics of patients receiving parenteral nutrition and multilevel multivariate logistic regression models to assess parenteral nutrition use over time, in all patients and in specific subgroups. Results Of 337,442 patients, 20,913 (6.2%) received parenteral nutrition. Adjusting for patient characteristics, the use of parenteral nutrition decreased modestly over time (adjusted probability, 7.2% in 2001-2002 vs 5.5% in 2007-2008, P P P ≤ .01 for all interactions with year). When used, parenteral nutrition was initiated a median of 2 days (interquartile range, 1-3), after ICU admission and > 90% of patients had parenteral nutrition initiated within 7 days; timing of initiation of parenteral nutrition did not change from 2001 to 2008. Conclusions Use of parenteral nutrition in US ICUs declined from 2001 through 2008 in all patients and in all examined subgroups, with the majority of parenteral nutrition initiated within the first 7 days in ICU; enteral nutrition use coincidently increased over the same time period.
Remote sensing change detection methods to track deforestation and growth in threatened rainforests in Madre de Dios, Peru

Two forestry-change detection methods are described, compared, and contrasted for estimating deforestation and growth in threatened forests in southern Peru from 2000 to 2010. The methods used in this study rely on freely available data, including atmospherically corrected Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation continuous fields (VCF). The two methods include a conventional supervised signature extraction method and a unique self-calibrating method called MODIS VCF guided forest/nonforest (FNF) masking. The process chain for each of these methods includes a threshold classification of MODIS VCF, training data or signature extraction, signature evaluation, k-nearest neighbor classification, analyst-guided reclassification, and postclassification image differencing to generate forest change maps. Comparisons of all methods were based on an accuracy assessment using 500 validation pixels. Results of this accuracy assessment indicate that FNF masking had a 5% higher overall accuracy and was superior to conventional supervised classification when estimating forest change. Both methods succeeded in classifying persistently forested and nonforested areas, and both had limitations when classifying forest change.
Excitation of Highly Conjugated (Porphinato)palladium(II) and (Porphinato)platinum(II) Oligomers Produces Long-Lived, Triplet States at Unit Quantum Yield That Absorb Strongly over Broad Spectral Domains of the NIR†

Transient dynamical studies of bis[(5,5′-10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)palladium(II)]ethyne (PPd2), 5,15-bis{[(5′-10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)palladium(II)]ethynyl}(10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)palladium(II) (PPd3), bis[(5,5′-10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)platinum(II)]ethyne (PPt2), and 5,15-bis{[(5′-10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)platinum(II)]ethynyl}(10,20-bis(2,6-bis(3,3-dimethylbutoxy)phenyl)porphinato)platinum(II) (PPt3) show that the electronically excited triplet states of these highly conjugated supermolecular chromophores can be produced at unit quantum yield via fast S1 → T1 intersystem crossing dynamics (τisc: 5.2−49.4 ps). These species manifest high oscillator strength T1 → Tn transitions over broad NIR spectral windows. The facts that (i) the electronically excited triplet lifetimes of these PPdn and PPtn chromophores are long, ranging from 5 to 50 μs, and (ii) the g...
Bone Matrix Composition Following PTH Treatment is Not Dependent on Sclerostin Status

Sclerostin and parathyroid hormones are strong negative and positive regulators of bone formation, respectively. The anabolic response induced by intermittent (iPTH) treatment is sclerostin status-dependent. However, the interaction between sclerostin and iPTH at the matrix level is unknown. The goal of the current study was to determine if iPTH treatment affects matrix composition and, if so, whether these effects are dependent on sclerostin status. Humeral trabecular and cortical bone sites from 16 week old male wild-type (WT) and sclerostin knockout (KO) mice, which had been treated with vehicle or iPTH from age 10–16 weeks, were examined by micro-computed tomography (µCT) to measure bone volume, backscatter scanning electron microscopy (bSEM) to assess global mineralization, and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) to examine matrix composition (mineral-to-matrix ratio, crystallinity, collagen cross-link ratio, and carbonate substitution). The FTIRM measurements were restricted to the tissue formed during the 6-week treatment period. iPTH treatment led to increased trabecular bone volume (p < 0.001) and this effect was much greater in KO mice than WT mice (interaction effect, p < 0.001). iPTH treatment led to reduced trabecular crystallinity (p = 0.047), increased cortical bone area (p < 0.001), decreased cortical bone crystallinity (p = 0.002) and increased cortical bone collagen cross-linking (p = 0.028) to similar degrees in both WT and KO mice. Compared to WT mice, sclerostin KO mice had higher trabecular and cortical bone mass (p < 0.001) and lower mineral-to-matrix ratio in the trabecular (p = 0.010) and cortical (p = 0.016) compartments. Thus, iPTH-induced changes in bone mass are dependent upon sclerostin status in the trabecular compartment, but not in the cortical compartment. In contrast, iPTH-induced changes in matrix composition are sclerostin-independent in both trabecular and cortical compartments.
Analysis of late infections in 89 long-term survivors of bone marrow transplantation.

Eighty-nine patients with aplastic anemia or acute leukemia treated by either syngeneic (1 3 patients) or allogeneic (76 patients) marrow transplantation who had survived for more than 6 mo were surveyed to determine the incidence of late infections. Most patients (72 % ) had either no infection or very few late infections, and only a minority (28 % ) had three or more infections. Eight patients (9 % ) died from infection. Bacterial infections of lung, respiratory tract, skin. and blood represented more than half of the 1 52 infections encountered. Gram-positive cocci represented one-third of the documented infecting organisms. Varicella-zoster (VZ) infections were seen in 22 % of all patients. Each affected patient had only a single episode of VZ infection. Fungal infections and interstitial pneumonia were uncommon. By the use of a proportional hazards regression model we attempted to identify clinical and immunologic factors predictive of and predisposing to late infections. Only one factor was significantly associated with late non-VZ infectons: chronic graftversus-host disease (C-GVHD). Other factons analyzed, e.g.. underlying disease. conditioning regimen, type of transplant. inability to respond to cutaneous dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). age, and sex. did not show significant associations. In contrast. VZ infections were not associated with C-GVHD. Negative DNCB skin test reactivity appeared to be the only factor correlating with VZ infections. The recurrent (and occasionally fatal) infections seen in a minority of long-term survivors after syngeneic and allogeneic marrow transplantation are most likely the result of deficits of humoral and cellular immunity. which in turn are most often associated with C-GVHD. I NCREASING NUMBERS of bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings (allogeneic grafts) and monozygous twins (syngeneic grafts) are being carried out for the treatment of aplastic anemia (AA) and acute leukemia (AL).’7 In preparation for the transplant the patients’ own hemopoietic and immunologic systems are destroyed by therapy with high-dosage cyclophosphamide (CY) and/or total body irradiation (TBI). Subsequent recovery of hemopoiesis and immune function is dependent on proliferation of cells of donor marrow origin. Granulocyte counts are low during the first 2-4 wk after transplantation. This period is characterized by frequent bacterial and fungal infections.78 Immunologic function is most severely depressed during the first 4 mo.912 In this period interstitial pneumonias, presumably related to the state of immunodeficiency, are a major
Making Sense of the Link Between Anti-Government and Small-Government Attitudes

How do residents of the United States connect anti-government attitudes with preferences for small government? The two are not necessarily the same, but claims that government is out of step with real working Americans are one common contemporary strategy of arguing against government spending and social programs. This study analyzes multiple conversations among 39 groups meeting of their own accord in 27 municipalities sampled throughout the state of Wisconsin to investigate current understandings of small government. The results illuminate the role of race and also rural identity in arguments that connect lack of government representation with support for small government.
Against All Odds: Latinas Activate Agency to Secure Access to College

This qualitative study seeks to understand Latinas’ college-going behaviors by examining their agency and role in securing opportunity for college. The authors examine the activation of agency among 16 urban Latinas when navigating the structures influencing college opportunity through a cultural ecological model. Examples of agency are represented as Latinas resist educational inequities and navigate their educational, familial, communal, and out-of-class environments. In some cases, individuals and systems within these environments serve as agents of resistance; in other environments, they serve as agents of support for Latinas. We specifically were interested in understanding how Latinas activate agency and make sense of how their college-going behaviors influenced college opportunity and transition.
Competency Restoration Programs

Competency restoration programs have had various features in common but few are comprehensive in trying to restore or build competency in those people found incompetent to proceed to trial. A model program outline is proposed here.
The results of implementation of DOTS for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in Hubei Province in 1992～2002

Objective To evaluate the effect of DOTS implemented in Hubei Province Methods The seasonal reporting forms of TB controf program carried in Hubei Province using World Bank loan in 1992～2002.and the results of for final assessment of the program were collected and analyzed. Results 172 885 smear-positive pulmonary TB cases were identified 642 976 suspects consulted at TB dispensaries The average registration rate of Smear-positwe cases reached 25 6/10 5 compared with that of 9 7/10 5 before DOTS (1982～1991) The cure rate reached 94 7% compared with that of 62 7% before DOTS The cohort analysis of 172 885 smear-positive cases was as follows,163 666(94 7%)were cured 3 542(2 0%) treated in full course,1 402(0 8%) failed 1 769(1 0%)died, 1 646(1 0%)defaulted,424(0 2%)referred,other 436(0 3%),Three-year and five-year bacteriological recrudescence rates after cure were 2 5% and 5 1% respectively Conclusion The detection rate and managerial level was enhanced,and the recrudescence rate and the occurrence of drug resistance were reduced after the implementation of DOTS
Application of the Formulation of Stellera Chamaejasme Aerosol in Greenhouse

After many tests,the Stellera chamaejasme aerosol was formulated using mixing method,which was used to prevent and control of Liriomyza huidobrensis and Trialeurodes vaporariorum in greenhouse.The results showed that its effective concentration was 54.59%-74.92% for Liriomyza huidobrensis,and 57.06%-79.88% for Trialeurodes vaporariorum.
Enrichment of omega-3 fatty acids in suckling pigs by maternal dietary fish oil supplementation.

This study was designed to determine whether substituting menhaden fish oil (FO) for lard (LA) in a practical sow diet was a suitable method for enriching newborn pigs with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). On d 107 of gestation, 18 crossbred sows were randomly allotted to one of three experimental diets, in which FO was substituted for LA at 0, 3.5, and 7% of the diet. On d 1, 7, 14, and 21 after farrowing samples of milk and serum from the sows and pig serum were collected for fatty acid analysis. The content of n-3 PUFA in the serum of sows fed FO increased six-fold over that in serum of LA-fed sows (P c .OOOl). Feeding FO decreased the levels of arachidonic acid in maternal serum by approximately 50% (P < .0001). Similar changes were reflected in the fatty acid profiles of sow's milk. Pig serum n-3 PUFA levels were elevated over 5- and 10-fold within 24 h of birth in those litters born to sows fed 3.5 and 7% fish oil, respectively. Eicosapen- taenoic acid levels in pig serum increased linearly (P c .01) during the first 2 wk postnatally in pigs suckling FO-fed sows and accounted for as much as 12% of the total fatty acids present on d 21. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that feeding FO to sows during late gestation and lactation enriches the newborn pig with n-3 PUFA.
Possible pitfalls in the study of IgG receptors produced by herpesvirus-infected cells

The presence of specific antibodies to human herpesviruses in certain purified human IgG preparations from commercial sources may produce misleading results when such preparations are used in studies on the IgG receptors produced by virus-infected cells.
Diagnosis and Management of Venous Angiomas

Cerebral vascular malformations are congenital abnormalities that affect from 1% to 5% of the population. They are typically divided into four types: 1) arteriovenous malformations (AVMs); 2) venous malformations; 3) cavernous malformations; and 4) telangiectases.
Unsupervised detection and analysis of changes in everyday physical activity data

Display Omitted A framework for detecting and analyzing changes in physical activity time series data.A method to evaluate if the detected changes are representative of a significant lifestyle modification.Evaluation based on synthetic data and real-world Fitbit data collected from older adults. Sensor-based time series data can be utilized to monitor changes in human behavior as a person makes a significant lifestyle change, such as progress toward a fitness goal. Recently, wearable sensors have increased in popularity as people aspire to be more conscientious of their physical health. Automatically detecting and tracking behavior changes from wearable sensor-collected physical activity data can provide a valuable monitoring and motivating tool. In this paper, we formalize the problem of unsupervised physical activity change detection and address the problem with our Physical Activity Change Detection (PACD) approach. PACD is a framework that detects changes between time periods, determines significance of the detected changes, and analyzes the nature of the changes. We compare the abilities of three change detection algorithms from the literature and one proposed algorithm to capture different types of changes as part of PACD. We illustrate and evaluate PACD on synthetic data and using Fitbit data collected from older adults who participated in a health intervention study. Results indicate PACD detects several changes in both datasets. The proposed change algorithms and analysis methods are useful data mining techniques for unsupervised, window-based change detection with potential to track users physical activity and motivate progress toward their health goals.
Children and the Human-Animal Bond: Minimizing Pet Loss During Disasters

The importance of companion animals to humans, particularly children, has long been accepted. Pets help reduce stress and promote better health, both physically and mentally. In traumatic times, this becomes even more important, providing a link to stability when other aspects of daily life may seem to be beyond individual control. Research and personal stories have demonstrated the value of this relationship repeatedly, leading to the formation of organizations designed to protect companion animals in times of difficulty. This chapter will summarize research into the human-animal bond, especially in children, as a limitation and as an advantage in disaster situations and will provide a brief list of preparedness measures for individuals and communities to help protect both humans and animals.
Twin transvaginal cervical length at 16-20 weeks and prediction of preterm birth.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine if transvaginal cervical length at 16-20 weeks is predictive of preterm birth <34 weeks in a large cohort of twin pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN This is a secondary analysis from a randomized trial of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate in twins to prevent preterm birth. Transvaginal cervical length was performed at 16-20-week gestation. The inclusion criteria were non-anomalous twins with transvaginal cervical length at 16-20 weeks. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to determine the transvaginal cervical length associated with preterm birth. RESULTS Of 655 pregnancies, 27% (N = 178) women met our inclusion criteria. The rate of spontaneous preterm birth before 34 weeks was 16% (N = 29). A receiver operator characteristic curve was generated for all preterm birth <34 weeks (spontaneous and indicated) which demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.51, 95% CI (0.41-0.61). When indicated preterm birth (n = 15) were excluded, the area under the curve was 0.59 (95% CI 0.47-0.70), indicating that transvaginal cervical length values were not a clinically useful test for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth. A transvaginal cervical length of 30 mm from this model would produce a sensitivity of detecting spontaneous preterm birth of 95% and a specificity of 14%. CONCLUSION In an asymptomatic twin population, a single transvaginal cervical length between 16 and 20 weeks was not predictive of spontaneous preterm birth before 34 weeks. Thus, our findings suggest that routine transvaginal cervical length screening of twins should not be performed between 16-20 weeks.
Trypsin-independent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus US strain with altered virus entry mechanism.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that infects the intestinal tract and causes diarrhea and vomiting in older pigs or extreme dehydration and death that could reach 100% mortality in neonatal piglets. In the US, the first PEDV outbreaks occurred in 2013 and since then US PEDV strains have quickly spread throughout the US and worldwide, causing significant economic and public health concerns. Currently two conditionally approved vaccines exist in the US, but there is no live attenuated vaccine, which is considered the best option in controlling PEDV by inducing transferrable mucosal immunity to susceptible neonatal piglets. In this study, we passaged an US PEDV isolate under various conditions to generate three strains and characterized their growth and antigenicity in cell culture using various assays including Western blot analysis, serum neutralization assay, sequencing analysis and confocal microscopy. Finally, these strains were evaluated for pathogenicity in nursing piglets (1–4 days old). One of the PEDV strains generated in this study (designated as PEDV 8aa) is able to replicate in cells without any protease and grows to a high titer of >8 log10 TCID50/ml in cell culture. Interestingly, replication of PEDV 8aa was severely reduced by trypsin and this correlated with the inhibition of virus attachment and entry into the cells. In neonatal nursing piglets, PEDV 8aa (passage number 70 or 105) was found to be fully attenuated with limited virus shedding. These results suggest that applying selective pressure during viral passages can facilitate attainment of viral attenuation and that PEDV 8aa warrants further investigation as an attenuated vaccine.
Joint Structure and Function: A Comprehensive Analysis, ed 4

Levangie PK, Norkin CC, eds. Philadelphia, PA 19103, FA Davis Co, 2005, hardcover, 588 pp, illus, ISBN 0-8036- 1191-9, $54.95. Joint Structure and Function: A Comprehensive Analysis, ed 4 Levangie PK, Norkin CC, eds. Philadelphia, PA 19103, FA Davis Co, 2005, hardcover, 588 pp, illus, ISBN 0-8036- 1191-9, $54.95. Joint Structure and Function is a work that has stood the test of time. In this edition, the editors use new technologies, current evidence, the experience of colleagues, and a more integrated approach to facilitate the preparation of future health care practitioners who wish to understand human kinesiology and pathokinesiology. For example, changes in size, layout, and a 2-color format have improved the images and the readability. Line drawings have been added and enhanced with the use of digital technology, and there …