cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supplementary Value of Methionine, Cystine and Choline in a Practical Soybean Oil Meal Starter Ration

Abstract IN A series of papers; Rose and co-workers (1936); Rose (1937); Womack, Kemmerer and Rose (1937); Womack and Rose (1941), presented evidence proving the dispensability of cystine and the indispensability of methionine in the diet of the rat. These workers also showed that cystine is capable of stimulating growth in rats only if the diet is suboptimal in methionine. Their findings indicate that on a cystine deficient diet, body cystine arises from dietary methionine and that on a suboptimal methionine diet, cystine included in the diet has methionine sparing action. That the sulphur of cystine synthesized in the body actually originates from methionine was established by Tarver and Schmidt (1939) and confirmed by Rose and Wood (1941). The relationship between choline, homocystine and methionine was worked out by du Vigneaud et al. (1939) who showed that in the presence of choline, homocystine is capable of replacing methionine in the diet . . .
A New Genus of Hypocreales

In December 1939 Dr. Alfred E. Emerson of the Zoology Department of the University of Chicago, known for his work with termites, gave me for identification a fungus parasitic on termites. Two infected insects were collected on January 5, 1935, below Great Rift Wall, Lake Manyara, Tanganyika, Africa, by Dr. Harold Kirby of the department of Zoology of the University of California at Berkeley, California. These termites, as determined by Dr. Emerson, were dealated Macrotermies natalenlsis (Haviland) and were dead when found underneath a stone.
Association between the Value-Based Purchasing pay for performance program and patient mortality in US hospitals: observational study

Objective To determine the impact of the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program—the US pay for performance program introduced by Medicare to incentivize higher quality care—on 30 day mortality for three incentivized conditions: acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. Design Observational study. Setting 4267 acute care hospitals in the United States: 2919 participated in the HVBP program and 1348 were ineligible and used as controls (44 in general hospitals in Maryland and 1304 critical access hospitals across the United States). Participants 2 430 618 patients admitted to US hospitals from 2008 through 2013. Main outcome measures 30 day risk adjusted mortality for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia using a patient level linear spline analysis to examine the association between the introduction of the HVBP program and 30 day mortality. Non-incentivized, medical conditions were the comparators. A secondary outcome measure was to determine whether the introduction of the HVBP program was particularly beneficial for a subgroup of hospital—poor performers at baseline—that may benefit the most. Results Mortality rates of incentivized conditions in hospitals participating in the HVBP program declined at −0.13% for each quarter during the preintervention period and −0.03% point difference for each quarter during the post-intervention period. For non-HVBP hospitals, mortality rates declined at −0.14% point difference for each quarter during the preintervention period and −0.01% point difference for each quarter during the post-intervention period. The difference in the mortality trends between the two groups was small and non-significant (difference in difference in trends −0.03% point difference for each quarter, 95% confidence interval −0.08% to 0.13% point difference, P=0.35). In no subgroups of hospitals was HVBP associated with better outcomes, including poor performers at baseline. Conclusions Evidence that HVBP has led to lower mortality rates is lacking. Nations considering similar pay for performance programs may want to consider alternative models to achieve improved patient outcomes.
Observation on Risk Management Applied in Emergency Patients with Fluid Infusion

Objective To discuss the importance and significance of risk management in emergency patients with fluid infusion. Methods Thirty emergency transfusion room nurses were selected,and in accordance with the principle of randomized grouping,were divided into group A and group B,with 15 cases in each group. Group A received training and education on the existed or potential nursing risks;in addition,relevant management plan was formulated,the implementation steps were clarified,nurses' risk awareness was cultivated. Group B were taken with conventional training. Nursing satisfaction,risk management assessment score of two groups were compared. Results After training,100 infusion patients were randomly chosen to investigate their satisfaction degree for nursing. The result showed that nursing satisfaction,risk management assessment scores were significantly higher in group A than in group B,with statistically significant difference(P 0.05). Conclusions The risk management can effectively reduce the risk of nursing. Discovering potential nursing risk and finding solutions to optimize nursing can help to avoid potential safety problems,reduce the damage to patients or hospital,and provide satisfactory service for patients.
Neutrophils, Inflammation, and Innate Immunity in Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy

Neutrophils are the primary innate immune cell involved in acute inflammatory responses to trauma and injury. While the mechanisms used by neutrophils to cause inflammation are designed to protect the host and allow for recovery, many of these same processes can have pathologic outcomes, including the development of trauma-induced coagulopathy. Neutrophil priming, ROS production, degranulation, NETosis, and responses to damage-associated molecular patterns and how these phenomena drive interactions of the neutrophil with other host tissues and cells such as the endothelium will be reviewed here in the context of major trauma and the resulting development of coagulopathy and end-organ damage. Although neutrophil biology and innate immunity is an expansive topic, the goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with a broad understanding of neutrophil function focused within the context of trauma and trauma-induced coagulopathy.
Exploring Cost and Quality of Medicare in the United States using Analytics

In this research, the authors explore the association of cost and quality of care indicators for Medicare in the United States. Using analytics they offer a portfolio of influencing factors and geographic areas that are most and least expensive for Medicare recipients. The cost indicator includes Medicare charges; the quality of care indicators include hospital location, number of discharges, readmissions, mortality rate, age, percentages of uninsured population and population aged 65 and older. The results indicate that Medicare cost is not positively associated with quality of care, suggesting that patients in higher-priced facilities do not necessarily receive better quality of care. Moreover, there are regional cost variances for the same procedure. The authors show how a national effort to standardize costs of heart-related Medicare procedures could result in substantial savings in healthcare spending. They offer healthcare agencies and hospitals actionable insights for improving operational efficiency and providing more affordable care.
The World War

The British declaration of war against the Central Powers had two immediate economic consequences for Brazil. On the one hand, there was a break in the credit lines between Brazilian banks and their London correspondents: the former were unable to discount trade bills bearing German endorsements or drawn against goods shipped in non-Allied vessels in London, where the bulk of German-Brazilian trade was financed. On the other hand, there was the temporary but almost complete halt of transatlantic shipping.1 This sudden disruption of foreign trade and payments immediately affected the foreign exchange market, the federal government’s tariff revenue and the coffee industry, just as the period for marketing the 1914 crop was approaching its peak financial demand.
Abstract 5092: CD151-α3β1 integrin complexes are prognostic markers of glioblastoma and cooperate with EGFR to drive tumor cell motility and invasion

Glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer, is featured by high tumor cell motility and invasiveness, which not only fuel tumor infiltration, but also enable escape from surgical or other clinical interventions. Thus, better understanding of how these malignant traits are controlled will be key to the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapies against this deadly disease. Tetraspanin CD151 and its associated α3β1 integrin have been implicated in facilitating tumor progression across multiple cancer types. How these adhesion molecules are involved in the progression of glioblastoma, however, remains largely unclear. Here, we examined an in-house tissue microarray-based cohort of 96 patient biopsies and TCGA dataset to evaluate the clinical significance of CD151 and α3β1 integrin. Functional, biochemical and signaling analyses were also conducted to understand how these molecules promote the aggressiveness of glioblastoma at molecular and cellular levels. Results from our analyses showed that CD151 and α3 integrin were significantly elevated in glioblastomas at both protein and mRNA levels, and exhibited strong inverse correlation with patient survival (p Citation Format: Pengcheng Zhou, Sonia Erfani, Rosalind Segal, Craig Horbinski, Xiuwei H. Yang. CD151-α3β1 integrin complexes are prognostic markers of glioblastoma and cooperate with EGFR to drive tumor cell motility and invasion. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 5092.
Physical proof of the occurrence of the Braess Paradox in electrical circuits

The Braess Paradox is the counterintuitive phenomenon that can occur in a user-optimized network system, such as a transportation network, where adding an additional link to the network increases the cost (travel time) for every user. In electrical circuits, electrons, analogous to drivers in a transportation network, traverse the network so that no electron can unilaterally change its cost (voltage drop) from an origin to a destination. In this paper, we show that the Braess Paradox can occur in electrical circuits consisting of diodes and resistors. We report measurements confirming the occurrence of the Braess Paradox in two different circuits, one with highly nonlinear link cost functions ( characteristics). These measurements show that the voltage increases, rather than decreases, when a link is added to the circuit under constant demand (current). This discovery identifies novel circuits in which the voltage and current can be independently adjusted. It also yields insights into the Braess Paradox and transportation networks through a new computational mechanism.
Effectiveness of Constrained Liner Use During Harrington Hip Reconstruction in Oncology Patient.

Abstract Background Patients with destructive acetabular lesions are at high risk for morbidity. Harrington described reinforcing acetabular diseased bone with methylmethacrylate, supplemented by metal fixation, to allow total hip reconstruction. However, all published studies using this technique report dislocations. We believe that initial use of constrained liners would help alleviate dislocation risk, without increasing component loosening or polyethylene wear. Methods Sixty-eight patients who underwent Harrington hip arthroplasties for metastatic cancer from August 2005 to March 2015 were identified. All patients had a constrained acetabular liner implanted during their index procedure. Electronic medical records and radiographs were reviewed. A literature review of studies with similar technique was used as a historical control. Results Forty-seven patients (69.2%) died 22.7 ± 22.7 months after surgery, at age 62.4 ± 17.2 years. At an average clinical follow-up of 9.9 ± 14.2 months (range 2-50 months), we found no incidents of dislocation. No patients had component failure requiring revision or evidence of loosening on x-ray. Thirteen papers, comprising 185 patients, demonstrated 39 patients (21.1%) with dislocations and 13 patients (7.0%) requiring revision surgery for aseptic loosening. Conclusion Modified Harrington technique has demonstrated relative durability when reconstructing metastatic acetabular disease, although dislocation occurs in approximately 20% of patients. This study demonstrates that initial use of a constrained liner can alleviate postoperative dislocations without increasing risk of perioperative complications. Even modest reduction in complications during the limited lifespan of oncologic patients can have dramatic positive effects on quality of life.
The International Congress of Orientalists

The XXVII International Congress of Orientalists was held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, from August 13 through August 19, 1967. This was the first time the Congress was held in the United States or, for that matter, in the Western Hemisphere. Before the Congress convened, fears were expressed that the distance of Ann Arbor from the East Coast of the United States, and that of the United States from the older centers of Oriental studies, would appreciably reduce attendance. In fact, however, more than 2500 scholars attended, a considerable increase over the previous Congress, demonstrating the tremendous development of Oriental studies in the United States during the previous two decades, and also the effectiveness of the Organizing Committee’s effort to assist the transportation of foreign scholars by means of subsidized airplane flights from Tokyo as well as principal centers in Europe.
Come in Out of the Cold: Alternatives to Freezing for Microbial Biorepositories

Abstract Biorepositories are “libraries” in which biospecimens, bacteria, or DNA and RNA extracts are stored for either clinical or research purposes. Such specimens enable modern molecular-based research and could support method verification, validation, quality control, and, in some cases, proficiency testing in clinical laboratories. Cryopreservation of extracted nucleic acids ensures the stability and longevity of DNA and RNA from patient samples, with the most common methods used for long-term storage of samples being the use of −80°C freezers or liquid nitrogen. Frozen biospecimens are crucial for translational research as they contain well-preserved nucleic acids and protein; however, traditional −80°C freezers consume both energy and space, with costs of maintenance and repairs reaching thousands of dollars annually to freeze and protect biospecimens. Additionally, liquid nitrogen is hazardous to work with, and failure to maintain adequate levels in storage containers can result in loss of specimens. Recently, new room temperature, or “green,” technology has been developed for dry storage of nucleic acids, ultimately reducing costs in terms of energy output and carbon footprint. This review compares and contrasts the use of dry-storage infrastructure with that of freezing samples, in terms of its use in clinical microbiology and highlights considerations to be made if implementing the technologies. Storage alternatives to freezers that equal or exceed their performance with regard to sample preservation and protection against degradation while at the same time reducing space requirements, costs, and energy consumption could be a financial and operational benefit if properly deployed and characterized. Perhaps it is time for laboratories to consider getting molecular quality control material and remnant extracted samples in from the cold and to evaluate the use of dry, room temperature storage technology for use in our microbial biorepositories.
A Geometry-Independent Fine-Mesh-Based Monte Carlo Importance Generator

A new importance map approach for Monte Carlo simulation that can be used in an adaptive fashion has been identified and developed. It is based on using a mesh-based system of weight windows that a...
How Many Cones are Required to “See?”: Lessons from Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy and from Modeling with Degenerate Photoreceptor Arrays

In an era of attempts to restore vision by transplanting photoreceptors, it may be worthwhile to consider just how many photoreceptors are required to “see.” “Seeing,” of course, requires definition. From the patient’s perspective, an essential goal is to achieve useful visual acuity. This in turn will require repopulating the fovea with an appropriate number of cones.
Acetylcysteine for Urinary Tract Mucolysis

The use of acetylcysteine is described for the relief of mucinous obstruction of the distal ureter after a mid ureteral replacement with ileum. Acetylcysteine (300 cc of 1 per cent) was instilled at low pressure via a nephrostomy tube following documentation of the obstruction with a nephrostogram. Patency of the ureter was achieved within 5 minutes. Re-obstruction ensued but it resolved with repeat percutaneous instillation of acetylcysteine. Patency, confirmed by a followup nuclear renogram at 4 months, has been maintained with 700 mg. acetylcysteine orally 4 times a day.
Wall-thickness measurement from two dimensional radiographs

Radiographic film has been used for many years in NDE as a means to detect thickness variations in parts. The part thickness information is captured as varying shades of grey on the film. Radiographic film can be an extremely sensitive detector capable of detecting small variations in part thickness as thousands of shades of greys.
Clinical Research Improves Patient Care

In this chapter, we briefly discuss clinical outcomes research and its effect on minimally invasive surgery and then focus on the recently launched Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) database as an example of high-quality clinical surgical research. The term “outcomes research” has been used to refer to a wide range of studies, and there is no single definition for either that has gained widespread acceptance.
Citizen Participation and Community Organizations

The noted black educator Benjamin Mays said: “nobody is wise enough, nobody is good enough, and nobody cares enough about you, for you to turn over to them your future or your destiny.” Citizen participation creates the potential for schools, neighborhoods, and other institutions, environments, and services responsive to individuals and families. Citizen participation is defined as “a process in which individuals take part in decision making in the institutions, programs, and environments that affect them” (Heller, Price, Reinharz, Riger, & Wandersman, 1984, p. 339; see Churchman, 1987, for definitions of participation in different disciplines)
Hydrogen sulfide alleviates hyperhomocysteinemia-mediated skeletal muscle atrophy via mitigation of oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress injury.

Although hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) occurs because of the deficiency in cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) causing skeletal muscle dysfunction, it is still unclear whether this effect is mediated thro...
Innovative management of severe tracheobronchomalacia using anterior and posterior tracheobronchopexy.

Objectives/hypothesis Combined anterior and posterior tracheobronchopexy is a novel surgical approach for the management of severe tracheobronchomalacia (TBM). We present our institutional experience with this procedure. Our objective was to determine the utility and safety of anterior and posterior tracheopexy in the treatment of severe TBM. Study design Retrospective chart review. Methods All patients who underwent anterior and posterior tracheopexy from January 2013 to July 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Charts were reviewed for indications, preoperative work-up, tracheobronchomalacia classification and severity, procedure, associated syndromes, synchronous upper aerodigestive tract lesions, and aberrant thoracic vessels. Main outcomes measured included improvement in respiratory symptoms, successful extubation and/or decannulation, vocal fold immobility, and new tracheotomy placement. Results Twenty-five patients underwent anterior and posterior tracheopexy at a mean age of 15.8 months (range, 2-209 months; mean, 31 months if 2 outliers of 206 and 209 months included). Mean length of follow-up was 26.8 months (range, 13-52 months). Indications for surgery included apneic events, ventilator dependence, need for positive pressure ventilation, tracheotomy dependence secondary to TBM, recurrent pneumonia, and exercise intolerance. Many patients had other underlying syndromes and synchronous upper aerodigestive tract lesions (8 VACTERL, 2 CHARGE, 1 trisomy 21, 1 Feingold syndrome, 17 esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula, 20 cardiac/great vessel anomalies, 1 subglottic stenosis, 1 laryngomalacia, 7 laryngeal cleft). At preoperative bronchoscopy, 21 of 25 patients had >90% collapse of at least one segment of their trachea, and the remaining four had 70% to 90% collapse. Following anterior and posterior tracheopexy, one patient developed new bilateral vocal-fold immobility; one patient with a preoperative left cord paralysis had a new right vocal-fold immobility. Postoperatively, most patients had significant improvement in their respiratory symptoms (21 of 25, 84%) at most recent follow-up. Three patients with preexisting tracheotomy were decannulated; two patients still had a tracheotomy at last follow-up. Two patients required new tracheotomy for bilateral vocal-fold immobility. Conclusions Combined anterior and posterior tracheopexy is a promising new technique for the surgical management of severe TBM. Further experience and longer follow-up are needed to validate this contemporary approach and to minimize the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Level of evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 130:E65-E74, 2020.
Pregnancy reprograms the enhancer landscape of mammary epithelial cells and alters the response to cMYC-driven oncogenesis

Pregnancy leaves a series of cellular and molecular modifications on mammary epithelial cells (MECs). Pregnancy is also known for decreasing the predisposition of rodent and human MECs to oncogenesis. Here, in order to understand the molecular basis for this effect, we analyzed epigenetic changes in the enhancer landscape of murine post-pregnancy MECs, together with their effect on gene regulation, tissue development and oncogenesis. Using in vivo and in vitro analyses, we found that completion of a pregnancy cycle changed the dynamics of cellular proliferation and gene expression in response to a second pregnancy. Our results also demonstrated that post-pregnancy MECs are resistant to the initial molecular programs driven by cMYC overexpression, a response that blocked MEC proliferation but did not perturb the pregnancy-induced epigenomic landscape. Overall, our findings suggest that pregnancy-induced mammary cancer prevention involves the epigenomic changes in MECs brought about by pregnancy.
A Synthesis of d-erythro- and l-threo-Sphingosine and Sphinganine Diastereomers via the Biomimetic Precursor 3-Ketosphinganine

The four stereoisomers of sphingosine and sphinganine can be produced in protected form by a short, convergent, biomimetic synthesis from serine. Yields are good (26−38% overall from commercially available serine derivatives), and the stereoselectivities are excellent (>92% de, >95% ee). Several sphingosine l-threo-sphingosine analogues with modified, functionalized tails were prepared to demonstrate the versatility of the method.
Comparison of Body Composition Estimates among Norland Elite®, Lunar iDXA®, and the BodPod® in Overweight to Obese Adults

ABSTRACTAccurate body composition assessment, which includes fat mass (adipose tissue mass, FM), fat-free mass (FFM), and percent fat mass (%FM) is needed to evaluate health and treatment efficacy....
Miniaturized Millimeter Wave RFID Tag for Spatial Identification and Localization in Internet of Things Applications

In this paper, a miniaturized millimeter wave Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for the spatial localization and Internet of Things (IoT) applications is presented. The spatial localization of the RFID tags is enabled by the use of a Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radar as the reader. The radar is used to resolve the modulated backscatter signal returned by the RFID tags when interrogated by a Continuous Wave from the reader. The spatial information (range, angle with respect to the reader antenna) is contained in the returned signal's peak frequency and phase. The returned baseband signal is processed digitally in order to extract the required information regarding the spatial location of the RFID tag.
Is cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy indicated in hepatobiliary malignancies

Hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies with peritoneal carcinomatosis exhibit poor survival with current therapies: hepatocellular carcinoma 11 months with sorafenib, and pancreaticobiliary 9–14 months with systemic chemotherapy. However, limited data exist on the utility of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in these patients. We retrospectively reviewed our institutional hepatopancreaticobiliary malignancies with peritoneal carcinomatosis which underwent cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy from 2007 to 2017 and analyzed perioperative and oncologic outcomes. Seventeen patients were included: 9 hepatocellular carcinoma, 8 pancreaticobiliary (4 cholangiocarcinoma, 3 gallbladder, 1 pancreatic). Peritoneal cancer index, number of organs resected, completeness of cytoreduction, and 30-day morbidity were equivalent. Hepatocellular carcinoma received significantly less neoadjuvant therapy (11%, p = 0.008), though adjuvant therapy rates were similar. At a median follow-up of 15 months, progression-free survival was similar amongst all cohorts. However, overall survival was longer in hepatocellular carcinoma (42 months vs. cholangiocarcinoma 19 months, gallbladder 8 months, pancreatic 15 months, p = 0.206) with 59% 3-year overall survival (vs. 0% cholangiocarcinoma, 0% gallbladder, 0% pancreatic). Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy may offer a survival benefit in select hepatocellular carcinoma patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, though has dubious utility in pancreaticobiliary malignancies.
Why do regional economies behave differently? A modelling approach to analyse region-specific dynamics along the business cycle

Even though the evolution of regional economic activity is substantially explained by national/common economic shocks, regional economies can still engage in significant differential or divergent b...
A Dual-Axis Interferometric Radar for Instantaneous 2D Angular Velocity Measurement

A complex correlation interferometric radar utilizing two orthogonal baselines to simultaneously measure the angular velocity of a moving target in two dimensions is presented. Measurements were conducted using a 40.5 GHz continuous-wave radar achieving an accuracy of 0.55 to 2.55%.
Application of Mobile Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning Systems for Identification of Potential Pavement Rutting Locations

Periodic measurement and identification of the presence and severity of pavement rutting are crucial for pavement management programs conducted by state transportation agencies. This paper proposes...
"Daltexpharma": A Case Addressing Potential Pharmaceutical Cargo Theft.

Case Synopsis This paper is provided as an innovative resource for those in the academic and training arenas to use as a case example in discussing the problem of pharmaceutical cargo theft. The case delves into the worldwide, on-going dilemma of pharmaceutical trucking cargo theft losses and the effects of such theft. For those unfamiliar with the case method of instruction, the paper’s ending may be rather unsettling. But that is where the student’s learning and faculty instruction process come together. Typically, students (whether in teams or individually) will fully develop their responses based on the queries provided at the end. Faculty may then proceed in any number of ways to elicit the students’ insights in a classroom setting. For decades the pharmaceutical industry has been plagued with a plethora of criminal acts that impact the daily processes and procedures of operations. Pharmaceutical warehouse and trucking thefts have not only aided in the currently debilitating state of the opioid crisis in the United States, but these thefts also aid the black market in the illegal sale of diverted prescription drugs. Due to the lack of security measures, vulnerability of the truck drivers, their rigs, and the value of the cargo being transported, pharmaceutical theft is a lucrative opportunity for organized crime. The case presented here describes the issues within the pharmaceutical industry as companies must deal with “last mile” cargo thefts. Daltexpharma represents a synthesized, hypothetical example of a pharmaceutical firm that must develop policies to deal with such potential thefts in its supply chain. Although a fictitious company, the case realistically details the important factors to consider in establishing strong security practices that may be necessary for a pharmaceutical company operating in today’s environment. In order to protect the integrity and security of the authors’ case notes, particularly for use in an academic setting, the Journal’s editor will maintain control of them. They may be obtained by faculty upon presenting their request to the Editor. Article Type: Instructional Tool
Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects

Human structural congenital malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Estimates from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determine that close to 3% of all United States newborns present with birth defects; the worldwide estimate approaches 6% of infants presenting with congenital anomalies. The scientific community has recognized for decades that the majority of birth defects have undetermined etiologies, although we propose that environmental agents interacting with inherited susceptibility genes are the major contributing factors. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most prevalent human birth defects and as such, these malformations will be the primary focus of this review. NTDs result from failures in embryonic central nervous system development and are classified by their anatomical locations. Defects in the posterior portion of the neural tube are referred to as meningomyeloceles (spina bifida), while the more anterior defects are differentiated as anencephaly, encephalocele, or iniencephaly. Craniorachischisis involves a failure of the neural folds to elevate and thus disrupt the entire length of the neural tube. Worldwide NTDs have a prevalence of approximately 18.6 per 10,000 live births. It is widely believed that genetic factors are responsible for some 70% of NTDs, while the intrauterine environment tips the balance toward neurulation failure in at risk individuals. Despite aggressive educational campaigns to inform the public about folic acid supplementation and the benefits of providing mandatory folic acid food fortification in the United States, NTDs still affect up to 2,300 United States births annually and some 166,000 spina bifida patients currently live in the United States, more than half of whom are now adults. Within the context of this review, we will consider the role of maternal nutritional status (deficiency states involving B vitamins and one carbon analytes) and the potential modifiers of NTD risk beyond folic acid. There are several well-established human teratogens that contribute to the population burden of NTDs, including: industrial waste and pollutants [e.g., arsenic, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)], pharmaceuticals (e.g., anti-epileptic medications), and maternal hyperthermia during the first trimester. Animal models for these teratogens are described with attention focused on valproic acid (VPA; Depakote). Genetic interrogation of model systems involving VPA will be used as a model approach to discerning susceptibility factors that define the gene-environment interactions contributing to the etiology of NTDs.
Bacillary Angiomatosis of Lymph Nodes

Bacillary angiomatosis of lymph nodes is a benign tumor-like microvascular proliferation caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. Bacillary angiomatosis is commonly associated with immunodeficiency, acquired usually through infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but rarely caused by other acquired conditions (eg, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, solid organ transplantation) that compromise the immune system. Bacillary angiomatosis can involve any organ, but skin is the most common site. Epidemiologic data has linked bacillary angiomatosis to exposure to domestic cats that acquire the infection through a flea vector and constitute a reservoir for Bartonella henselae. A gram-negative bacillus, Bartonella henselae is the etiologic agent of several diseases in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals, including cat-scratch disease, peliosis hepatis, and endocarditis. Whereas the bacterium causes bacillary angiomatosis almost exclusively in HIV-positive individuals, infection leads to cat-scratch disease, a necrotizing granulomatous inflammatory lymphadenitis, in HIV-negative and apparently immunocompetent individuals.
Disruption of Maize Kernel Growth and Development by Heat Stress (Role of Cytokinin/Abscisic Acid Balance)

Temperature stress during kernel development affects maize (Zea mays L.) grain growth and yield stability. Maize kernels (hybrid A619 x W64A) were cultured in vitro at 3 d after pollination and either maintained at 25[deg]C or transferred to 35[deg]C for 4 or 8 d, then returned to 25[deg]C until physiological maturity. Kernel fresh and dry matter accumulation was severely disrupted by the long-term heat stress (8 d at 35[deg]C) and did not recover when transferred back to 25[deg]C, resulting in abortion of 97% of the kernels. Kernels exposed to 35[deg]C for 4 d (short-term heat stress) exhibited a recovery in kernel growth and water content at about 18 d after pollination and kernel abortion was reduced to about 23%. During the cell division phase, abscisic acid (ABA) levels showed a steady decline in the control but maintained a moderate level in the heat-stressed kernels. However, later in development heat-stressed kernels had significantly higher levels of ABA than the control. Cytokinin analysis confirmed a peak in zeatin riboside and zeatin levels in control kernels at 10 to 12d after pollination. In contrast, kernels subjected to 4 d of heat stress had no detectable levels of zeatin and the zeatin riboside peak was reduced by 70% and delayed until 18 d after pollination. The long-term heat-stressed kernels showed low to nondetectable levels of either zeatin riboside or zeatin. Regression analysis of ABA level against cytokinin level during the endosperm cell division phase revealed a highly significant negative correlation in nonstressed kernels but no correlation in kernels exposed to short-term or long-term heat stress. Application of benzyladenine to heat-stressed, growth-chamber-grown plants increased thermotolerance in part by reducing kernel abortion at the tip and middle positions on the ear. These results confirm that shift in hormone balance of kernels is one mechanism by which heat stress disrupts maize kernel development. The maintenance of high levels of cytokinins in the kernels during heat stress appears to be important in increasing thermotolerance and providing yield stability of maize.
Developing an Interdisciplinary Major in International Business: A Model for Small Universities.

ABSTRACT Since the change of the accreditation standards by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) requiring internationalization of the business school curriculum about twenty years ago, different models of internationalization have been developed and tried by different types of business schools across the nation. However, no single model has emerged as an ideal model suitable for all kinds of institutions, large or small, urban or rural. At small and rural universities, internationalization efforts pose some extra challenges because of the general lack of global exposure and practices among its faculty and students, lack of adequate resources, financial crunch and locally centered vision of its leadership. This paper describes how a small and rural university has successfully implemented its own model to internationalize its business programs in spite of all the financial and non-fiscal challenges. Such a model could be emulated by similar small and rural institutions across the...
Detailed investigation of self-imaging in largecore multimode optical fibers for application in fiber lasers and amplifiers

Properties of the self-imaging effect based on multimode interference (MMI) in large-core passive optical fibers are investigated and analyzed in detail, with the purpose of using multimode active fibers for high power single-transverse-mode emission. Although perfect self-imaging of the input field from a standard single-mode fiber (SMF-28) in a multimode fiber becomes practically impossible as its core diameter is larger than 50 microm, a quasi-reproduction of the input field occurs when the phase difference between the excited modes and the peak mode inside the multimode fiber is very small. Our simulation and experimental results indicate that, if the length of the multimode fiber segment can be controlled accurately, reproduction of the input field with a self-imaging quality factor larger than 0.9 can be obtained. In this case, a low-loss hybrid fiber cavity composed of a SMF-28 segment and a very-large-core active multimode fiber segment can be built. It is also found that for the hybrid fiber cavity, increasing the mode-field diameter of the single-mode fiber improves both the self-imaging quality and the tolerance on the required length accuracy of the multimode fiber segment. Moreover, in this paper key parameters for the design of MMI-based fiber devices are defined and their corresponding values are provided for multimode fibers with core diameters of 50 microm and 105 microm.
The global state of palliative care—progress and challenges in cancer care

All persons have a right to palliative care during cancer treatment and at the end-of-life. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as a medical specialty that addresses physical, psychological, social, legal, and spiritual domains of care by an interdisciplinary team of professional and lay health care providers. Widespread adoption of this universal definition will aid policy development and educational initiatives on a national level. The need for palliative care is expanding due to the aging of the world’s population and the increase in the rate of cancer in both developed and developing countries. However, in one third of the world there is no access to palliative care for persons with serious or terminal illness. Palliative care improves symptoms, most frequently pain, and improves quality of life for patients and their families, especially in the terminal disease phase. Accessibility to palliative care services, adequately trained health care professionals, availability of essential medicines, and gaps in education vary greatly throughout the world. Pain management is an integral concept in the practice of palliative care; however, opioiphobia, insufficient supply of opioids, and regulatory restrictions contribute to undue suffering for millions. Ongoing advocacy efforts call for increased awareness, palliative care integration with cancer care, and public and professional education. Enacting necessary change will require the engagement of health ministries and the recognition of the unique needs and resources of each country. The aim of this review is to examine progress in palliative care development and explore some of the barriers influencing cancer care across the globe.
Hybrid visible light communication for cameras and low-power embedded devices

Visible light communication (VLC) between LED light bulbs and smart-phone cameras has already begun to gain traction for identification and indoor localization applications. To support detection by cameras, the frequencies and data rates are typically limited to below 1kHz and tens of bytes per second (Bps). In this paper, we present a technique for transmitting data from solid-state luminaries, used for interior ambient lighting, simultaneously to both cameras and low-power embedded devices in a manner that is imperceptible to occupants. This allows the camera communication VLC channel to also act as a higher speed downstream link and low-power wakeup mechanism for energy-constrained devices. Our approach uses Manchester encoding and Binary Frequency Shift Keying (BFSK) to modulate the high-speed data stream and applies duty-cycle adjustment to generate the slower camera communication signal. We explore the trade-off between the performance of the two communication channels. Our hybrid communication protocol is also compatible with existing IR receivers. This allows lights to communicate with low-cost commodity chipsets and control home appliances such as TVs, AV receivers, AC window units, etc. We show that we are able to reliably simultaneously transmit low-speed data at 1.3 Bps to camera enabled devices and higher-speed data at 104 Bps to low-power embedded devices. Since the majority of energy in many RF communication protocols often goes towards media access and receiving, VLC-triggered wakeup can significantly decrease system energy consumption. We also demonstrate a proof-of-concept wakeup circuit that consumes less then 204uA and can be triggered in less then 10ms.
On the application of the single-pole filter in recursive power spectrum estimation

The Fourier transform of the autocorrelation estimates provided by applying a single-pole filter to the data-lagged product terms results in a recursive means of estimating the power spectrum. In this estimator, the number of computations required to update the spectrum estimate is independent of the number of lags employed to produce it.
Cell biology: How to don a coat

Cargo-carrying vesicles can assemble from hundreds of locations on the cell membrane, but how these sites are selected has been unclear. A small family of membrane-sculpting proteins may select the perfect location.
Comparative Potencies of Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260 in Male Wistar Rats—Assessment of the Toxic Equivalency Factor (TEF) Approach for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Comparative Potencies of Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260 in Male Wistar Rats—Assessment of the Toxic Equivalency Factor (TEF) Approach for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Harris, M., Zacharewski, T., and Safe, S. (1993). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 20, 456-463. Immature male Wistar rats were treated with several different doses of the commercial polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1248, 1254, and 1260 (10, 40, 160, 480, and 2000 mg/kg) and the effects on body weight gain, thymic atrophy, and the induction of hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), and pentoxyresorufin O-deethylase (PROD) activities were measured 14 days after treatment. A significant inhibition in body weight gain was observed only in rats treated with high doses of Aroclors 1232 and 1248 and thymic atrophy was not observed for any of the Aroclors. All the Aroclors caused a dose-dependent increase in hepatic microsomal AHH, EROD, and PROD activities. The corresponding ED50 values for the induction of AHH-EROD activities varied from 51 to 678 mg/kg. Aroclor 1260 was the least active inducer of the P4501A1-mediated enzyme activities. In contrast, Aroclor 1260 was a potent inducer of PROD activity (ED50 37 mg/kg), but Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1248, and 1254 did not induce 50% of the maximal response at the highest dose used in this experiment 2000 mg/kg). Previous studies have quantitated the levels of those PCB congeners which induce AHH EROD activities in Aroclors 1232, 1242, 1254, and 1260 and their potencies or toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) relative to that of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) have also been estimated or experimentally determined. Using highly conservative TEF values it was demonstrated that the calculated ED50s for the Aroclors as inducers of AHH and EROD activity were significantly lower than the observed ED50 values. However, if the TEFs were derived directly from the relative potencies of the PCBs (compared to 2,3,7,8-TCDD) as inducers of AHH and EROD activity, then there was a good correspondence between the observed and calculated ED50 values.
Clinical Seizures in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Have No Independent Impact on Neurodevelopmental Outcome: Secondary Analyses of Data from the Neonatal Research Network Hypothermia Trial:

It remains controversial as to whether neonatal seizures have additional direct effects on the developing brain separate from the severity of the underlying encephalopathy. Using data collected from infants diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, and who were enrolled in an National Institute of Child Health and Human Development trial of hypothermia, we analyzed associations between neonatal clinical seizures and outcomes at 18 months of age. Of the 208 infants enrolled, 102 received whole body hypothermia and 106 were controls. Clinical seizures were generally noted during the first 4 days of life and rarely afterward. When adjustment was made for study treatment and severity of encephalopathy, seizures were not associated with death, or moderate or severe disability, or lower Bayley Mental Development Index scores at 18 months of life. Among infants diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the mortality and morbidity often attributed to neonatal seizures can be better explained by the underlying severity of encephalopathy.
Visual servoing for a service robot

Abstract ISAC is a distributed service robot system for the physically disabled. The ISAC can identify, reach for, grasp, lift, and manipulate various objects upon user voice-command. Visual servoing controls the robot's arm to grasp an object. This paper describes an algorithm that compensates for a number of physical limitations in the system's hardware which hinder the straightforward implementation of visually guided grasping. As a result of overcoming these limitations, the robot arm moves smoothly, continuously, and directly toward the object and grasps it reliably. Hence, this paper is a demonstration of the viability and utility of visual servoing in a less than optimal hardware environment. The paper describes the following components of ISAC's software system: the servo-control loop, the image-to-world coordinate transform, a three-phase visual servoing routine which balances speed with visual complexity, and a technique which compensates for network delays. The results of 200 trials demonstrate that, for an object with arbitrary position and orientation, the algorithm causes the arm to grasp the object with a 91% probability of success.
Solid Waste Management in Ohio

State environmental protection agencies are being forced to assume more responsibility for solid waste management. Ohio took the lead in mandating the state control of waste by implementing a statewide, integrated solid waste management plan. This paper discusses the shift in management responsibility and key factors affecting variations in the amounts of waste managed by Ohio's 48 solid waste management districts. Accessibility, population characteristics, location, and open landfill availability are factors that influence managed volumes of solid waste.
A local characterization of simply-laced crystals

We provide a simple list of axioms that characterize the crystal graphs of integrable highest weight modules for simply-laced quantum Kac-Moody algebras.