cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholinergic activation of medial pontine reticular formation neurons in vitro

In vivo microinjections of cholinergic compounds into the medial pontine reticular formation have produced some or depending on the injection site, all of the phenomena of REM, thus providing the only adequate pharmacological model of this behavioral state. The necessary anatomical substrate, a cholinergic projection to the mPRF was recently demonstrated, however the direct effect of cholinergic agonists on mPRF neurons is unknown. We have examined the effects of carbachol on mPRF neurons recorded in vitro from brainstem slices of Sprague-Dawley rats (8–10 days old). Three kinds of response to the application of carbachol (0.5–1 μM) were observed (n = 15) as follows: a depolarizing response (67%), a hyperpolarizing response (20%) and a biphasic response consisting of a hyperpolarizing response followed by a depolarizing response (13%). Under voltage clamp control, the depolarizing response was observed as an inward current resulting from a decrease in conductance which was constant over the membrane potential range of -100 to -50 mV. Reversal potential was negative to -80 mV. An increase in the excitability of neurons (as measured by responses to identical intracellularly applied depolarizing current pulses) during the depolarizing responses was due to the increase in steady state inward current. When intracellular DC current of equal amplitude but opposite polarity was applied, no increase in excitability was observed. This response was always blocked by the addition of atropine (0.5–1 μM) to the perfusate
Homogeneous cooling state for a granular mixture

The homogeneous cooling state for a binary mixture of inelastic hard spheres is studied using the Enskog kinetic theory. In the same way as for the one-component fluid, we propose a scaling solution in which the time dependence of the distribution functions occurs entirely through the temperature of the mixture. A surprising result is that the (partial) temperatures of each species are different, although their cooling rates are the same. Approximate forms for the distribution functions are constructed to leading order in a Sonine polynomial expansion showing a small deviation from Maxwellian, similar to that for the one-component case. The temperatures and overall cooling rate are calculated in terms of the restitution coefficients, the reduced density, and the ratios of mass, concentration, and sizes.
Indirect Staining Reaction with Fluorescent Antibody for Detection of Antibodies to Pathogenic Fungi

SummaryAntibodies in sera from patients with systemic mycoses were demonstrated by the indirect method of staining with fluorescent antibody. In spite of a general auto-fluorescence of pathogenic fungi, addition of human antiserum and a fluorescein-labeled rabbit antihuman gamma globulin resulted in characteristic fluorescing reactions. In the case of cryptococcosis antibodies were demonstrated by the fluorescent technic but not by other serologic methods.
On-line optical system performance monitoring using coherent detection

Techniques of optical system performance monitoring using coherent detection will be discussed. Especially, recent field test of fiber PMD performances in traffic-carrying optical systems will be presented.
Efficacy of polymeric encapsulated C5a peptidase–based group B streptococcus vaccines in a murine model

Objective The purpose was to examine in mice the efficacy of various polymeric-encapsulated C5a peptidase vaccine formulations in eliciting a long-term immune response and preventing group B streptococcus (GBS) infection. Study Design C5a peptidase was encapsulated in semipermeable microspheres of poly(lactide-coglycolide) (PLGA). Female ICR mice were immunized with 0, 10, or 30 μg of encapsulated C5a peptidase within 2 different formulations of PLGA polymers. Booster doses were given at weeks 4 and 8. Antibody responses were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at weeks 4, 8, 11, and 40. Vaginal challenges with GBS types 1a, III, and V were performed at week 12. Results Thirty microgram doses of the 75:25 and 50:50 PLGA formulations generate the highest and most sustained C5a peptidase–specific immune responses. Mice that received encapsulated C5a peptidase were significantly protected from vaginal colonization compared with mice that received empty microspheres. Conclusion Encapsulated C5a peptidase elicited significant immune responses and protection against a GBS challenge. C5a peptidase microsphere encapsulation has potential as a GBS vaccine.
Chain‐configurational properties of novolac phenol–formaldehyde resins

Rotational isomeric-state chain-configurational calculations have been applied to the novolac phenol–formaldehyde structure. Steric interference allows the chain to be considered with a twofold potential energy barrier model. Computations that fit the observed dipole-moment data over a range of molecular weights indicate that the conformational angle is near ±80°, with the g±g= states on the average being 155 cal/mole below the g±g± states. The limiting dipole-moment ratio is computed to be 1.47, compared to the experimental value of 1.48. A negative temperature coefficient agrees in sign with the experimental value, and the characteristic ratio of the end-to-end molecular dimensions is calculated to be 3.27, as compared to the experimental value of 4.76.
Charge Transfer of 0.8 MeV/u H+, He+ in Various Hydrocarbon Gases

Systematic variations in total single electron capture cross sections, ?10(CmHn), for 0.8 MeV/u H+ and He+ on various hydrocarbon gases are interpreted in terms of a model that incorporates intramolecular post-collision-interactions to estimate the reduction in the number of exiting neutral projectiles.
Neprilysin Null Mice Develop Exaggerated Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Response to Chronic Hypoxia

Neprilysin is a transmembrane metalloendopeptidase that degrades neuropeptides that are important for both growth and contraction. In addition to promoting carcinogenesis, decreased levels of neprilysin increases inflammation and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia, which may predispose to vascular remodeling. Early pharmacological studies showed a decrease in chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension with neprilysin inhibition. We used a genetic approach to test the alternate hypothesis that neprilysin depletion increases chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Loss of neprilysin had no effect on baseline airway or alveolar wall architecture, vessel density, cardiac function, hematocrit, or other relevant peptidases. Only lung neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and a subtle neuropeptide imbalance were found. After chronic hypoxia, neprilysin-null mice exhibited exaggerated pulmonary hypertension and striking increases in muscularization of distal vessels. Subtle thickening of proximal media/adventitia not typically seen in mice was also detected. In contrast, adaptive right ventricular hypertrophy was less than anticipated. Hypoxic wild-type pulmonary vessels displayed close temporal and spatial relationships between decreased neprilysin and increased cell growth. Smooth muscle cells from neprilysin-null pulmonary arteries had increased proliferation compared with controls, which was decreased by neprilysin replacement. These data suggest that neprilysin may be protective against chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in the lung, at least in part by attenuating the growth of smooth muscle cells. Lung-targeted strategies to increase neprilysin levels could have therapeutic benefits in the treatment of this disorder.
Manual Control Using the Matched Manipulator Control Technique

A manual control technique is described in which the force and position cues experienced by the operator from his control stick provide information relevant to the control problem. By constructing the operator's control stick in the form of a mechanical analog of the system being controlled, the apparent complexity of the control task is decreased and control performance is improved. Experimental results are included that compare performance of an operator controlling a second order system in a compensatory control task using both conventional control methods and the matched manipulator technique.
Advanced Modeling of Prompt Fission Neutrons and Gamma Rays

Prompt fission neutrons and gamma rays are computed using a Monte Carlo treatment of the statisti- cal evaporation of the excited primary fission fragments. Th e assumption of two fragments in thermal equilibrium at the time of neutron emission is addressed by studying the neutron multiplicity as a function of fragment mass. Results for the neutron-induced fission of 235 U are discussed, for incident neutron energies from 0.5 to 5.5 MeV. Recent experimental data on the fission fragment yields as a f unction of mass and total kinetic energy are used as input data.
Abstract 5196: CDF inhibits cell migration by inactivating cancer stem cell markers, and expression of VEGF, IL-6 and miR-21 in human pancreatic and prostate cancer cells under hypoxic condition

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Hypoxia has been well recognized to cause therapeutic resistance associated with solid tumors and considered to play critical roles in other of biological events including cell growth and proliferation, cell survival, angiogenesis, immunosurveillance, tumor invasion and metastasis. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1α, a master transcription factor that regulates hypoxia responsive genes, plays critical roles in the adaptation of tumor cells to a hypoxic microenvironment. Tumor hypoxia and over-expression of HIF-1α have been reportedly associated with resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, increased risk of invasion and metastasis and poor clinical prognosis, all of which leads to higher mortality of patients diagnosed with solid tumors. Emerging evidence suggest that hypoxia and HIF signaling pathways leads to the acquisition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), maintenance of cancer stem cell (CSC) functions, and causing inflammatory tumor microenvironment, which contributes to therapeutic resistance; however, the exact mechanisms by which hypoxia/HIF regulates these events are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrates that hypoxia increases the productions of VEGF and IL-6, and increased expression of CSC marker genes such as Nanog, Oct4, EZH2 as well as miR-21, an oncogenic miRNA, in human pancreatic cancer (AsPC-1 and MiaPaCa-2) and prostate cancer (PC-3 and LNCaP) cells. The treatment of these cells with CDF, a novel curcumin analog that was previously shown to be biologically superior than curcumin as an anti-tumor agent both in vitro and in vivo, inhibited the productions of VEGF, IL-6, Nanog, Oct4 and EZH2 mRNAs, as well as down regulated the expression of miR-21 in these cells under hypoxic condition. CDF also decreased cell migration in pancreatic and prostate cancer cells under hypoxic condition as documented by wound healing assay. Taken together, these data suggest for the first time that the anti-tumor effect of CDF could in part be due to inhibition of tumor hypoxic pathways including the inhibition of CSC markers and thereby reconditioning the tumor microenvironment, which would be useful for overcoming therapeutic resistance. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5196. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5196
Contact dermatitis from orchids.

Abstract Orchids are more common than you think. There are approximately 25,000 species, with new ones being discovered or "invented" (hybridized) each year. The appearance of the plant and flowers varies so dramatically from species to species that, in many situations, it is difficult to believe they are related. Orchids (Figs. 1–6) are the objects of hobbyists and large-scale commercial greenhouses, so that individual exposure to these plants is common. The purposes of this paper are (1) to introduce you to the incredibly beautiful world of orchids and (2) to review the problems of contact dermatitis caused by these plants.
Spatiotemporal characterization of a transient mechanism in the human visual system.

Abstract By sinusoidally flickering appropriate spatial patterns, the properties of a transient mechanism in the human visual system can be isolated. The data indicate that the spatiotemporal response of this mechanism may be decomposed into the product of separate spatial and temporal functions. The spatial line spread function has a broad summation region flanked by weak inhibitory regions and is in good agreement with the properties of the U-mechanism hypothesized by Wilson and Bergen (1979) . The flicker sensitivity function displays a pronounced low frequency falloff indicative of strong temporal inhibition. Finally, it is shown that the visual system behaves like a single channel at low spatial and high temporal frequencies.
Analysis of 'blinking' or 'hopping' single molecule signals with a limited number of transitions

Abstract Most single molecule fluorescence signals exhibit two characteristic features: sudden intensity changes (‘blinking’, ‘hopping’) and a limited length (‘bleaching’). I show that the correlation functions of such ‘truncated telegraph signals’ for Poisson processes contain linear segments and oscillatory features, deviating strongly from the expected exponential decay. I find that the slope of the initial linear section of the normalized signal autocorrelation is a robust and reliable statistical estimate for the rate of sudden intensity changes in single molecule fluorescence signals with 4 to 100 transitions per trace, significantly outperforming an exponential fit.
Variational Problems for Fefferman Hypersurface Measure and Volume-Preserving CR Invariants

We derive Euler’s equation for the isoperimetric problem and the extremal hypersurface problem associated with Fefferman hypersurface measure for strongly pseudoconvex real hypersurfaces in ℂ2. We use volume-preserving CR invariants to show that the only “torsion-free” solutions of Euler’s equation for the isoperimetric problem are the volume-preserving images of spheres.
Patterned poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes on silica surfaces by microcontact printing followed by surface-initiated polymerization.

Patterned poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes were fabricated on oxidized silicon wafers by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide from a micropatterned initiator. The patterned surface initiator was prepared by microcontact-printing octadecyltrichlorosilane and backfilling with 3-(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane followed by amidization with 2-bromo-2-methylpropionic acid. XPS and FTIR confirmed the chemical structure of the surface initiator and the PNIPAAm brushes. Surface analysis techniques, including ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, and X-ray reflectometry (XRR), were used to characterize the thickness, roughness, hydrophilicity, and density of the polymer brushes. Tapping-mode AFM imaging confirmed the successful patterning of the PNIPAAm brushes on the oxidized silicon substrates. Variable temperature ellipsometry indicated that the lower critical solution temperature of the hydrated PNIPAAm brush was broad, occurring over the range of 20−35 °C....
The Power of “We”: Effects of Psychological Collectivism on Team Performance over Time

We examined the influences of different facets of psychological collectivism (Preference, Reliance, Concern, Norm Acceptance, and Goal Priority) on team functioning at 3 different performance depictions: initial team performance, end-state team performance, and team performance change over time. We also tested the extent to which team-member exchange moderated the relationships between facets of psychological collectivism and performance change over time. Results from multilevel growth modeling of 66 teams (N = 264) engaged in a business simulation revealed differential effects across facets of psychological collectivism and across different performance measurements. Whereas facets concerned with affiliation (Preference and Concern) were positively related to initial team performance, reliance was negatively related to initial team performance. Goal Priority was a strong predictor of end-state performance. Team-member exchange moderated the relationship between performance change and 3 of the 5 facets of psychological collectivism (Preference, Reliance, Norm Acceptance). Implications for team composition and team training are discussed.
Age and sharing of needle injection equipment in a cohort of Massachusetts injection drug users: an observational study

Background: Hepatitis C infection (HCV) among individuals aged 15–24 years has increased in Massachusetts, likely due to injection drug use. The prevalence of injection equipment sharing (sharing) and its association with age was examined in a cohort of out-of-treatment Massachusetts substance users. Methods: This analysis included baseline data from a behavioral intervention with substance users. Younger and older (<25 versus ≥25 years) injection drug users were compared on demographic characteristics, substance use practices, including factors present during the most recent sharing event (“event-level factors”), and HCV testing history. Results: Sharing was reported by 41% of the 484 individuals who reported injection drug use in the past 30 days. Prevalence of sharing varied by age (50% <25 years old versus 38% ≥25 years, p = 0.02). In a multivariable logistic regression model younger versus older individuals had twice the odds of sharing (95% CI = 1.26, 3.19). During their most recent sharing event, fewer younger individuals than older had their own drugs available (50% versus 75%, p < 0.001); other injection event-level factors did not vary by age. In the presence of PTSD, history of exchanging sex for money, or not being US born, prevalence of sharing by older users was higher and was similar to that of younger users, such that there was no association between age and sharing. Conclusions: In this cohort of injection drug users, younger age was associated with higher prevalence of sharing, but only in the absence of certain stressors. Harm reduction efforts might benefit from intervening on mental health and other stressors in addition to substance use. Study findings suggest a particular need to address the dangers of sharing with young individuals initiating injection drug use.
WiMAX System Performance with Multiple Transmit and Multiple Receive Antennas

In this paper, the performance of WiMAX networks using multiple transmit and multiple receiver antennas are analyzed via system simulations. For downlink, two kinds of technologies are studied: i) open loop: where the base station has no knowledge of channel and uses mobile mode selection feedback to switch between single data stream STBC and multi-stream spatial multiplexing MIMO (SM-MIMO); ii) closed loop: where base station has explicit knowledge of downlink channel and transmits using adaptive beamforming. This paper compares the WiMAX downlink system performance using open loop and closed loop MIMO technologies with various frequency reuse factors and different data traffic models. The performance of WiMAX uplink is also analyzed with multiple receive antennas and using both single input multiple output (SIMO) and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO, a.k.a. SDMA).
The economic value of flexibility when there is disagreement

We develop an economic theory of 'flexibility', which we interpret as the discretion or ability to make a decision that others disagree with. We show that flexibility is essentially an option for the decision-maker, and can be valued as such. The value of the flexibility option is decreasing in the extent to which the decision-maker's future decision-relevant opinion is correlated with the opinions of others who may be able to impede the decision. We argue that flexibility drives economic decisions in a significant way. The applications we consider are: the entrepreneur's choice of flexibility in the initial mix of financing raised; the use of flexibility to understand differences in security design and the firm's security-issuance decision; the impact of flexibility on the use of collateral in lending; the role of flexibility in capital budgeting decisions; the effect of flexibility considerations in the design of contracts in a principal-agent setting; the interpretation of 'power' and conformity in organizations in the context of flexibility; and the choice between private and public ownership in the context of flexibility.
Supervision in School Psychology: The Forgotten or Future Path to Effective Services?

This article explores supervision as an important professional activity which can positively influence school psychologists' service delivery awareness, skills, and interactions, thereby improving ...
Ventricular Septal Aneurysms A Report of Two Cases

Two cases of ventricular septal aneurysm are reported, one in the membranous septum and one in the muscular portion. The diagnosis was made by selective left ventricular angiography. It is suggested that these cases represent spontaneous closure of a ventricular septal defect with weakness and aneurysmal [see table in the PDF file] formation due to the high left ventricular pressure. Both are asymptomatic and hemodynamically within normal limits. Surgical repair of the aneurysms is not considered necessary.
Synthesis and characterization of amino-terminated telechelic polybutadiene

Butadiene was polymerized with water-soluble 4,4′-azobis(amidinopropane)dihydrochloride initiator in an ethanol-water medium at 60°C. Important variables, such as the initiator concentration, monomer concentration, solvency, and polymerization time and temperature were studied. 13C-NMR studies showed that no observable chain transfer to ethanol occurred during the polymerization. The conversion of monomer to polymer was significantly increased while maintaining a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution by intermittent feed of the initiator. The amidino end-groups of the polymer were transformed into amino groups by reduction using lithium aluminum hydride in THF, so that amine-terminated polybutadiene was obtained. The amino functionality of the polybutadiene was determined by titration to be 2.0. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Antigen Presentation in the Autoimmune Diabetes of the NOD Mouse

This paper reviews the presentation of peptides by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in the autoimmune diabetes of the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Islets of Langerhans contain antigen-presenting cells that capture the proteins and peptides of the beta cells' secretory granules. Peptides bound to I-Ag7, the unique MHC class II molecule of NOD mice, are presented in islets and in pancreatic lymph nodes. The various beta cell–derived peptides interact with selected CD4 T cells to cause inflammation and beta cell demise. Many autoreactive T cells are found in NOD mice, but not all have a major role in the initiation of the autoimmune process. I emphasize here the evidence pointing to insulin autoreactivity as a seminal component in the diabetogenic process.
Right common carotid artery crossing the midline neck anterior to the trachea: A cadaver case report

Background The course of the proximal common carotid artery is reasonably uniform. Its normal position is taken for granted when performing invasive procedures, but variations should be in back of the mind of the surgeon. Methods This is a case report from an anatomical dissection of the neck and mediastinum of a cadaver. Results The right common carotid artery was the first branch of the aorta and ascended on the left side, anterolateral to the trachea. It crossed the midline anterior to the trachea between the sternal notch and the isthmus of the thyroid gland. Once on the right side, the artery resumed a normal course. A retro-esophageal right subclavian artery was also found. Conclusion Anomalous variations in anatomy do occur, the possibilities of which the surgeon needs to be aware. This case illustrates a previously unreported anatomical anomaly that would clearly have had catastrophic consequences had this not been noted during surgery on the anterior neck. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008
Optimal generator bidding strategies for power and ancillary services using game theory

This paper describes a simple method to derive strategic equilibrium solutions for a single Generating Company (GENCO) bidding in electricity markets. This method computes the product mix of real power and the ancillary services of reactive power and spinning reserve supplied by GENCO. Generator capability curves are incorporated into a two-player competitive market model to simulate market auctions for real power and ancillary services. Player 1 is defined as the GENCO entering the auction and Player 2 is the equivalent representation of all other GENCOs competing in the auction. Game theory techniques are utilized to identify optimal Nash Equilibrium solutions for the power market auctions, which are optimal bidding strategies for the competing players. Software was developed to automatically simulate the market auction and identify equilibrium solutions from a defined combination of bidding strategies. Simulations demonstrate that the computed equilibrium solution optimizes the GENCO's payoff.
Metagenomics: Application of Genomics to Uncultured Microorganisms

Metagenomics (also referred to as environmental and community genomics) is the genomic analysis of microorganisms by direct extraction and cloning of DNA from an assemblage of microorganisms. The development of metagenomics stemmed from the ineluctable evidence that as-yet-uncultured microorganisms represent the vast majority of organisms in most environments on earth. This evidence was derived from analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified directly from the environment, an approach that avoided the bias imposed by culturing and led to the discovery of vast new lineages of microbial life. Although the portrait of the microbial world was revolutionized by analysis of 16S rRNA genes, such studies yielded only a phylogenetic description of community membership, providing little insight into the genetics, physiology, and biochemistry of the members. Metagenomics provides a second tier of technical innovation that facilitates study of the physiology and ecology of environmental microorganisms. Novel genes and gene products discovered through metagenomics include the first bacteriorhodopsin of bacterial origin; novel small molecules with antimicrobial activity; and new members of families of known proteins, such as an Na+(Li+)/H+ antiporter, RecA, DNA polymerase, and antibiotic resistance determinants. Reassembly of multiple genomes has provided insight into energy and nutrient cycling within the community, genome structure, gene function, population genetics and microheterogeneity, and lateral gene transfer among members of an uncultured community. The application of metagenomic sequence information will facilitate the design of better culturing strategies to link genomic analysis with pure culture studies.
Effects of simvastatin on fasting and postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

Abstract To assess the effect of simvastatin on fasting and postprandial triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins in subjects with type 1 diabetes and elevated LDL cholesterol levels, eight patients participated in a simvastatin versus placebo, randomized, crossover study. At the end of each drug period fasting and postprandial lipoprotein studies were undertaken. Fasting plasma total and LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B (apo B) were significantly lower on simvastatin compared to placebo. Postprandial studies: simvastatin versus placebo consistently decreased the area under the curve (AUC, mean ± SEM) of TG in plasma (12.52 ± 9.07 versus 18.70 ± 10.48 mmol × h/L, p = 0.02). Similarly, TG AUC was lower: in the chylomicron subfraction (S f > 400) 3.24 ± 2.71 versus 5.27 ± 4.61 mmol × h/L p = 0.03; and in the [chylomicron remnant + VLDL] subfraction (S f 20–400) 3.98 ± 2.51 versus 7.04 ± 3.88 mmol × h/L, p = 0.01. This was due to decreased particle number rather than size, as shown by a decrease in the AUC of apo B in S f 20–400 (600 ± 360 versus 980 ± 600 mg × h/L, p = 0.02) and the lack of change in the ratio of TG/apo B. Intestinal lipoproteins contributed to the simvastatin effect, as shown by the lower AUC of retinyl esters in both subfractions. Chylomicrons: 627.61 ± 363.43 versus 948.19 ± 568.34 nmol × h/L, p = 0.02 and remnants: 129.23 ± 67.12 versus 208.49 ± 92.11 nmol × h/L, p = 0.04. Our data suggest an additional mechanism by which simvastatin can decrease the risk of atherosclerosis in patients with type I diabetes: a decrease of the number of circulating intestinal and hepatic postprandial TG-rich lipoprotein particles.
Quantitative Analysis of a Parasitic Antiviral Strategy

We extended a computer simulation of viral intracellular growth to study a parasitic antiviral strategy that diverts the viral replicase toward parasite growth. This strategy inhibited virus growth over a wide range of conditions, while minimizing host cell perturbations. Such parasitic strategies may inhibit the development of drug-resistant virus strains.
Optimum Timing of Miticide Applications for Control of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Washington State, USA

Seven treatments for the control of Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman) were tested to determine the optimum timing of miticide application. Threshold mite levels indicating miticide application were determined for three possible treatment dates: April, August, and October. The treatments were as follows: (1) fluvalinate in April, (2) fluvalinate in August, (3) fluvalinate in October, (4) fluvalinate in April and October, (5) fluvalinate applied continuously (except during honey flow) with replacement every 42 d, (6) control (no treatment), and (7) coumaphos in April. The number of miticide applications in a season had no effect on brood area or colony bee population a year after initiating the experiment. However, the absence of any treatment significantly reduced brood area and colony bee population and significantly increased colony mite population. Date of treatment had significant effects on colony mortality rates, mite levels, and brood area the following spring. When coupled with sampling and threshold recommendations, a single, late-season application of fluvalinate is as effective for the control of V. destructor as semiannual or continuous miticide applications. Treatment thresholds were recommended for ether roll and 48-h sticky board sampling methods in April (three and 24 mites, respectively) and August (14 and 46 mites, respectively) and for ether rolls in October (three mites) in cold climates.
Nonlinear burn condition control in tokamaks using isotopic fuel tailoring

One of the fundamental problems in tokamak fusion reactors is how to control the plasma density and temperature in order to regulate the amount of fusion power produced by the device. Control of these parameters will be critical to the success of burning plasma experiments like ITER. The most previous burn condition control efforts use either non-model based control designs or techniques based on models linearized around particular operating points. Such strategies limit the potential operational space and must be carefully retuned or redesigned to accommodate changes in operating points or plasma parameters. In this work, a nonlinear dynamic model of the spatial averages of energy and ion species densities is used to synthesize a nonlinear feedback controller for stabilizing the burn condition. The nonlinear model-based control strategy guarantees a much larger operational space than previous linear controllers. Because it is not designed around a particular operating point, the controller can be used to move from one burn condition to another. The proposed scheme first attempts to use regulation of the auxiliary heating power to reject temperature perturbations, then, if necessary, uses isotopic fuel tailoring as a way to reduce fusion heating during positive temperature perturbations. A global model of hydrogen recycling is incorporated into the model used for design and simulation, and the proposed control scheme is tested for a range of recycling model parameters. As we find the possibility of changing the isotopic mix can be limited for certain unfavorable recycling conditions, we also consider impurity injection as a back-up method for controlling the system. A simple supervisory control strategy is proposed to switch between the primary and back-up control schemes based on stability and performance criteria. A zero-dimensional simulation study is used to study the performance of the control scheme for several scenarios and model parameters. Finally, a one-dimensional simulation is done to test the robustness of the control scheme to spatially varying parameters.
Prosecuting Offenses Against the Law of Nations in the United States

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 10 of the American Constitution affords to federal courts universal jurisdiction to “define and punish Piracies and felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations.” The U.S. Supreme Court decided many years ago that if an offense against the law of nations is adequately defined in international law, Congress need not define that crime before a federal court can prosecute the same. Offenses against the law of nations would now-a-days be called customary-law crimes.The central theme of this article is that if an international crime is more restrictively defined in federal legislation than in customary international law, federal courts retain their constitutional competence to prosecute the crime in instances covered by the customary-law definition even if the criminal conduct is not covered by the statutory definition of the crime. Federal legislation short of a constitutional amendment cannot derogate from the constitutional competence of courts to exercise universal jurisdiction over Offenses under the law of nations; and the customary-law definition of an offense is determined by international law and not by Congress. Since drafters of the Statute of the International Criminal Court decided to include only customary-law crimes in the subject-matter jurisdiction of the ICC, and the definitions of crimes that went into the ICC Statute, with one exception only, was accepted by general agreement, it can safely be concluded that the crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC as defined in the ICC Statute are “Offenses against the law of nations.”
Optical excitation spectra of rare-gas atoms physisorbed on metal surfaces

Numerical computations are presented for the optical excitation spectra of neutral rare-gas atoms physisorbed on various metal surfaces. At low coverage and when the damping of the surface plasmons is much greater than the effective radiative damping, the occasional disappearance of the spectral lines of the optical absorption is due to a cancellation process, which occurs between the frequency profiles arising from two nearby excited states of the adsorbed atom. The red (blue) shifted peak of the symmetric mode of the higher (lower) excited state and the blue (red) shifted peak of the antisymmetric mode of the lower (higher) excited state of the atom cancel each other out provided that the frequency profiles of their lineshapes nearly coincide. Results of numerical calculations indicate that at low coverage the peaks of excited Xe on Ti and Au and excited Kr on Mg, in addition to those of Xe on Al and Kr on Au, vanish; this is compatible with the experimental observations. Predictions have been made for the adsorption spectra as a function of the distance from the atom to the surface of excited Xe and Kr, which are physisorbed on the surfaces of W, Ni, and Rh, respectively.
Highly Permeable Polymer Membranes Containing Directed Channels for Water Purification

This viewpoint describes the concept of using nanocomposite barrier layers containing directed water channels to increase membrane permeability for water purification. In one practical approach, the channels, formed at the interface between the interconnected nanofibrous scaffold and the polymer matrix, were used to guide the transport of water molecules in a directed manner and to also exclude contaminant molecules. This concept was demonstrated by embedding overlapped oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes into the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) barrier layer for ultrafiltration (UF). We anticipate that the same approach can be extended by substituting oxidized carbon nanotubes with ultrafine cellulose nanofibers (diameter about 5 nm), which are derived from wood pulp and are environmentally friendly as well as more cost-effective, into highly cross-linked polymer barrier layers. The resulting thin-film nanofibrous composite (TFNC) membranes should exhibit a permeation flux significantly higher than those of ...
The Role of the Chinese Banking System in Recovery: Evidence from the Great Recession

This paper investigates the effects of Chinese financial and fiscal policies on Chinese economic recovery during the Great Recession by using firm-level data. The increase in bank credit growth due to the financial policies coincide with significant effects of banking ratios (i.e., asset liquidity, capital adequacy ratio, and profitability) and banking credit on firm-level output, employment and wage growth, while the increase in government expenditure due to the fiscal policies coincide with the significant effects of government expenditure on the very same firm-level indicators. The effects of such policies are also shown to depend on firm characteristics such as size, liability ratio, ownership and industry.
Alcohol use predicts elevation in inflammatory marker soluble CD14 in men living with HIV

Independently, HIV infection and heavy alcohol use increase microbial translocation (MT) of gut products into systemic circulation. MT and consequent immune response have been linked to chronic inflammation and a host of negative health outcomes in individuals living with HIV. However, previous research has not systematically investigated the immune correlates of heavy drinking specifically within the HIV-positive population. This pilot study investigated MT and immune activation as a function of alcohol use in 21 HIV-positive men who met NIAAA criteria for heavy drinking. Participants averaged 46.7 ± 8.5 (mean ± standard deviation) years of age, 12.2 ± 9.2 years since HIV diagnosis, 337 ± 158 CD4 nadir, and 643 ± 245 current CD4 count. All participants were virologically suppressed on antiretroviral therapy. Data on alcohol use and immune function were collected at baseline and three-month follow-up. Plasma concentrations of markers of MT and immune activation (lipopolysaccharide (LPS), soluble CD14 (sCD14), endotoxin core antibody immunoglobulin M (EndoCAb)) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Generalized estimating equation models tested alcohol use variables as predictors of LPS, sCD14, and EndoCAb levels. Greater quantity and frequency of drinking significantly predicted higher sCD14 levels (p's < .01). Conversely, longer duration of abstinence from alcohol significantly predicted lower sCD14 levels (p < .001). These results remained significant after controlling for age, HIV duration, smoking status, current CD4 count, CD4 nadir, and antiretroviral drug type. In addition, participants with ≥50% relative reduction in drinks per week showed a significant decrease (p < .05) in sCD14 from baseline to three-month follow-up. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence that heavy drinking may increase a key inflammatory marker in HIV-infected individuals with suppressed infection.
Selecting Optimum Antihypertensive Therapy

The identification of optimum antihypertensive therapy represents the ‘holy grail’ of the management of arterial hypertension. Despite however the numerous attempts to identify accurate predictors of blood pressure response to a specific drug, the discovery of optimum therapy for the individual patient looks like a hopeless quest of hope. Up to now, attempts have been either unsuccessful or difficult to apply in everyday clinical practice. This chapter aims to present the therapeutic strategies for the management of arterial hypertension (stepped-care, sequential monotherapy, individualized, renin-based, hemodynamic), and critically discuss each approach highlighting its advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, several practical recommendations are provided on the build-up of optimum antihypertensive therapy in individual patients.
Barite from the Linwood Mine, Scott County, Iowa

Among Midwest mineral collectors, the Linwood mine was previously best known for its exceptional calcite and marcasite, as well as the occasional find of barite specimens, which were considered to ...
Effect of Booms and Busts on the Sharpe Ratio

This article analyzes the effect of booms and busts on the Sharpe ratio. The authors provide a closed-form expression for the Sharpe ratio of an index whose log return follows an arbitrary distribution. The article has two main contributions. First, the Sharpe ratio—the ratio of the mean and the volatility of the simple (excess) return—depends on all the cumulants of the log return. Second, returns subject to busts (negatively skewed) have a higher Sharpe ratio than returns subject to booms (positively skewed). This explains why hedge funds sell disaster insurance. Selling insurance by shorting options leads to negatively skewed returns, which in turn increase the Sharpe ratio.
R-HCVAD/R-MTX-Arac (R-HCVAD) Overcomes Risk Features Associated with Inferior Outcomes In the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed, High-Risk Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

Abstract Abstract 1782 Background: Chemo immunotherapy (R-CHOP) has improved outcomes of both GC (germinal center) and ABC (activated B-cell) subtypes of DLBCL. However outcomes in DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP with ABC subtype (vs. GC) and/or with poor-risk features (High IPI, high Ki-67) remain inferior. These patients might benefit from more dose-intensive or high-dose therapy approaches. In our practice at The John Theurer Cancer Center, we have employed a risk-adaptive strategy with R-HCVAD to treat patients with DLBCL with aggressive features. Methods: Utilizing Kaplan Meier (KM) survival and Cox regression analyses, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to describe the outcome of patients treated with R-HCVAD in the 1st-line setting with the following high-risk features: high Ki-67 (MIB-1), high IPI, multiple extra-nodal (EN) sites, bulky disease or immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining patterns (GC vs. non GC by Hans' model). The primary study endpoints were PFS and OS. The proportional hazards assumption was met for this analysis. Results: 45 patients (median age 57, range 34–71 yrs) with newly diagnosed DLBCL treated with R-HCVAD (median 6 cycles, range 1–8) were available for this analysis, representing 1010 total months of follow up at-risk. Baseline characteristics included: stage III-IV (90%), IPI ≥ 3 (52%), median Ki-67 (80%, range 10–100%), median EN sites (2), non-GC subtype (34%), bone marrow (BM) involvement (38%), EBER positive (14%), HIV negative (100%). With 17 months (range 9–64 months) median follow up, median OS and PFS (graph) are not yet reached. 2-yr PFS and OS were 80% (95% CI 61–91%) and 78% (95% CI 61–88%) respectively. In Cox regression analysis, survival outcomes were not adversely affected by: patient age > 60 (HR .8, p=.18), LDH > ULN (HR 2.3, p=.3), non-GC IHC pattern (HR .5, p=.5), BM involvement (HR 1.9, p=.4), Ki-67 ≥ 80% (HR 1.7, p=.6) or EN sites ≥ 2 (HR 4.7, p=.15). Conclusions: This analysis represents the largest reported cohort of DLBCL patients treated with R-HCVAD. These data suggest that R-HCVAD can overcome traditional poor-risk features such as high IPI, high Ki-67 and non-GC IHC pattern. Future work will focus on identifying molecular markers for failure in DLBCL patients treated with dose-intensive regimens. A randomized trial comparing R-HCVAD to R-CHOP in selected high-risk patients is warranted. Download : Download high-res image (120KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
High dose-rate intra-operative radiation therapy during high risk genitourinary surgery: Initial observations and a proposal for its study in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND High dose-rate Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (HD-IORT) is used to provide effective local control for patients with high-risk locally advanced or recurrent tumors. However, the utility of HD-IORT for patients with bladder cancer has not been studied. OBJECTIVE To characterize our institutional experience with HD-IORT in patients with cancer requiring genitourinary surgery, in an effort to identify patients with bladder cancer that may benefit from HD-IORT. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all patients who have undergone HD-IORT during genitourinary surgery at our institution. Patients were stratified by surgical margin status, and primary outcomes assessed were overall survival, recurrence free survival and 90-day complications. Patients undergoing cystectomy and HD-IORT with sarcomatoid urothelial cancer were compared to a similar cohort undergoing cystectomy alone. A sample case of one such patient is discussed in detail. RESULTS 84 patients at our institution have undergone HD-IORT with genitourinary surgery. Positive surgical margin status was the greatest predictor of both OS (HR = 3.42) and RFS (HR = 2.61). The overall 90-day complication rate was 61%, with wound infections (43%) and GI complications (21%) being most common. 4 of these patients had sarcomatoid urothelial histology, and all are still alive with >2 yrs follow up. This compares to a 52% 1 yr survival in our sarcomatoid urothelial cohort (25 pts) that did not undergo HD-IORT. CONCLUSIONS Our institutional experience with HD-IORT has been promising, particularly among patients with locally advanced disease and sarcomatoid histology. We are currently enrolling patients in a multi-institutional registry to assess the utility of HD-IORT in high risk bladder cancer.
ISAVS: interactive scalable analysis and visualization system

Modern science is inundated with ever increasing data sizes as computational capabilities and image acquisition techniques continue to improve. For example, simulations are tackling ever larger domains with higher fidelity, and high-throughput microscopy techniques generate larger data that are fundamental to gather biologically and medically relevant insights. As the image sizes exceed memory, and even sometimes local disk space, each step in a scientific workflow is impacted. Current software solutions enable data exploration with limited interactivity for visualization and analytic tasks. Furthermore analysis on HPC systems often require complex hand-written parallel implementations of algorithms that suffer from poor portability and maintainability. We present a software infrastructure that simplifies end-to-end visualization and analysis of massive data. First, a hierarchical streaming data access layer enables interactive exploration of remote data, with fast data fetching to test analytics on subsets of the data. Second, a library simplifies the process of developing new analytics algorithms, allowing users to rapidly prototype new approaches and deploy them in an HPC setting. Third, a scalable runtime system automates mapping analysis algorithms to whatever computational hardware is available, reducing the complexity of developing scaling algorithms. We demonstrate the usability and performance of our system using a use case from neuroscience: filtering, registration, and visualization of tera-scale microscopy data. We evaluate the performance of our system using a leadership-class supercomputer, Shaheen II.