cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Informal costs of dementia care: estimates from the National Longitudinal Caregiver Study.

Objectives . The purpose of the study was to examine on a national level the informal costs of caring for elderly community-dwelling male veterans with dementia by female caregivers and the relationships between informal costs and disease severity, and between informal costs and dementia problem behaviors. Methods . Female primary caregivers were drawn from the first wave ( N � 2043) of the National Longitudinal Caregiver Study, a survey of informal caregivers of elderly male veterans diagnosed with probable Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia. Cost measures include the following four items: value of caregiving time, caregiver’s lost income, out-of-pocket expenditures for formal caregiving services, and caregiver’s excess health costs. Disease severity was indexed by the number of impairments in activities of daily living. Patient’s problem behaviors were measured using the Behavior Rating Scale‐Dementia. Results . The annual cost of providing informal care to elderly community-dwelling veterans with dementia was estimated to be $18,385 per patient in 1998. The larger components of this cost are caregiving time ($6,295) and caregiver’s lost earnings ($10,709). All aspects of costs increase with disease severity and problem behavior. Most of this cost increase derives from the increased caregiving time required for the provision of physical care. Discussion . This study provides a comprehensive estimate of the excess costs that result from providing informal dementia care in the community. Unlike previous studies, our estimates excluded costs that caregivers would have incurred if they had not been caregivers. Therefore, results reported here reflect only costs due to informal dementia care. ROGRESSIVE dementing disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and multi-infarct/vascular dementia
Hydrophobic side‐chain size is a determinant of the three‐dimensional structure of the p53 oligomerization domain

The p53 tumor suppressor oligomerization domain, a dimer of two primary dimers, is an independently folding domain whose subunits consist of a β‐strand, a tight turn and an α‐helix. To evaluate the effect of hydrophobic side‐chains on three‐dimensional structure, we substituted residues Phe341 and Leu344 in the α‐helix with other hydrophobic amino acids. Substitutions that resulted in residue 341 having a smaller side‐chain than residue 344 switched the stoichiometry of the domain from tetrameric to dimeric. The three‐dimensional structure of one such dimer was determined by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. When compared with the primary dimer of the wild‐type p53 oligomerization domain, the mutant dimer showed a switch in α‐helical packing from anti‐parallel to parallel and rotation of the α‐helices relative to the β‐strands. Hydrophobic side‐chain size is therefore an important determinant of a protein fold.
Monitoring chaperone engagement of substrates in the endoplasmic reticulum of live cells

The folding environment in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) depends on multiple abundant chaperones that function together to accommodate a range of substrates. The ways in which substrate engagement shapes either specific chaperone dynamics or general ER attributes in vivo remain unknown. In this study, we have evaluated how changes in substrate flux through the ER influence the diffusion of both the lectin chaperone calreticulin and an inert reporter of ER crowdedness. During acute changes in substrate load, the inert probe revealed no changes in ER organization, despite significant changes in calreticulin dynamics. By contrast, inhibition of the lectin chaperone system caused rapid changes in the ER environment that could be reversed over time by easing new substrate burden. Our findings provide insight into the normal organization and dynamics of an ER chaperone and characterize the capacity of the ER to maintain homeostasis during acute changes in chaperone activity and availability.
Graph indexing: a frequent structure-based approach

Graph has become increasingly important in modelling complicated structures and schemaless data such as proteins, chemical compounds, and XML documents. Given a graph query, it is desirable to retrieve graphs quickly from a large database via graph-based indices. In this paper, we investigate the issues of indexing graphs and propose a novel solution by applying a graph mining technique. Different from the existing path-based methods, our approach, called gIndex, makes use of frequent substructure as the basic indexing feature. Frequent substructures are ideal candidates since they explore the intrinsic characteristics of the data and are relatively stable to database updates. To reduce the size of index structure, two techniques, size-increasing support constraint and discriminative fragments, are introduced. Our performance study shows that gIndex has 10 times smaller index size, but achieves 3--10 times better performance in comparison with a typical path-based method, GraphGrep. The gIndex approach not only provides and elegant solution to the graph indexing problem, but also demonstrates how database indexing and query processing can benefit form data mining, especially frequent pattern mining. Furthermore, the concepts developed here can be applied to indexing sequences, trees, and other complicated structures as well.
The potential of InP IMPATT diodes as high-power millimeter-wave sources: First experimental results

Extensive simulations of GaAs and InP transit-time diodes clearly show the advantages of the InP material system. RF power levels of more than 1 W as well as dc-to-RF conversion efficiencies of more than 18% around 100 GHz can be expected from optimized diodes. The fabrication process was adopted from the process for InP Gunn devices on integral heat sinks. Typical RF power levels were around 80 mW from about 60 GHz to 80 GHz with corresponding dc-to-RF conversion efficiencies ranging from 3% to 4%. The best device yielded more than 110 mW (more than 5%) at 64.7 GHz, 82 mW (3.7%) at 79 GHz and 55 mW (2.4%) at 84.8 GHz. These preliminary experimental results are better than those of single-drift flat-profile GaAs IMPATT diodes on integral heat sinks and also indicate the strong potential for millimeter-wave InP IMPATT diodes.
Achieving quality software development for distributed environments

With the rapid advances of computer networking and wireless technologies, the applications of information technology have been drastically broadened. However, there are also more challenges in developing quality software for these applications. In this paper, recent advances to meet these challenges are discussed. In particular, among these advances, component-based software development, middleware, and design patterns to improve the development of quality software in distributed environments are considered.
Channel optimized binary quantizers for distributed sensor networks

Distributed binary quantizer design for sensor nets tasked with a hypothesis testing problem is considered in this paper. Allowing for non-ideal transmission channels, we show that under the conditional independence assumption, the optimum binary quantizer, in the sense of minimizing the error probability, should operate on the likelihood ratio (LR) of the local sensor observations. Necessary conditions for optimality are derived to facilitate finding of optimal LRT thresholds through an iterative algorithm. A design example with binary symmetric channels between local sensors and the fusion center is given to illustrate how the results can be applied in sensor signaling design.
Reflections on the Evolution of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs in the United States and Challenges Ahead.

Purpose – The purpose of this legacy paper is to review leadership preparation over time in the United States and addresses challenges ahead. It is hoped that the US developments will be instructive to an international audience interested in strengthening the preparation of school leaders. Design/methodology/approach – The paper synthesizes research and commentary on leadership preparation programs in the US as a basis for identifying five challenges ahead. Findings – Meaningful change should be informed by the past but not bound by tradition. It is imperative to be open to different viewpoints, to take reasonable – and at times bold – risks, and to question deeply held values and assumptions. Broad recognition of the significant role school leaders play in facilitating student learning suggests that the political climate is right to effect meaningful reforms in leadership preparation in the US. Those involved in preparing school leaders are urged to address the challenges identified in this paper. Resear...
Li-SF(6) Combustion in Stored Chemical Energy Propulsion Systems

Appropriate thermodynamic models and thermo-chemical data for multicomponents and immiscible phases have been incorporated into a code for the computation of chemical equilibrium of the reactants used in a stored chemical energy propulsion system. The reactants considered are molten lithium fuel and gaseous sulfur hexafluoride oxidant. Extensive equilibrium state relationships as a function of mixture fraction have been presented over a temperature range of possible operating conditions. They were subsequently employed to predict the complex flow structure of a choked, turbulent, reacting SF6 gas jet submerged in a molten lithium bath. Detailed profiles of velocity, temperature, void fraction and mass fraction of all phases in the jet have been presented. The results show that the reaction is completed within a short distance from the injector but the plume jet penetrates farther beyond due to significant evaporation of lithium fuel in the hot temperature plume, and subsequent condensation of the evaporated fuel and reaction products in the later part of the plume. The effect of lithium subcooling on flow structure has also been examined. It is found that lowering the degree of subcooling by raising the fuel bath temperature increases fuel evaporation, decreases the entrainment rate, delays the completion of reaction and lengthens greatly the jet penetration distance. Finally, for practical use, a simple correlation of the jet penetration length as a function of subcooling has also been presented.
Nano-electromechanical zero-dimensional freestanding nanogap actuator

Micromachined free standing nanogap with metal electrodes is presented. The gap size is as small as 17 nm, and can be reduced further with electrostatic or piezoelectric actuation. The nanoscale gap is fabricated by industrial standard optical lithography and anisotropic wet chemical Si etching. Electron transport between the metal electrodes with optical stimulus enhancing photon-electron coupling (plasmon) is presented.
Murine Immune Responses to Virus-Like Particle-Associated Pre- and Postfusion Forms of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Protein

Virus-like particles (VLPs) built on the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) core proteins, NP and M, and containing two chimeric proteins, F/F and H/G, composed of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein (F) and glycoprotein (G) ectodomains fused to the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of the NDV F and HN proteins, respectively, stimulate durable, protective RSV neutralizing antibodies in mice. Here, we report the properties of VLPs constructed to contain mutant RSV F protein ectodomains stabilized in prefusion (pre-F/F) or postfusion (post-F/F) configurations. The structures of the chimeric proteins assembled into VLPs were verified immunologically by their reactivities with a conformationally restricted anti-F protein monoclonal antibody. Following immunization of mice, without adjuvant, pre-F/F-containing VLPs induced significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers than the post-F/F-containing VLPs or the wild-type F/F-containing VLPs after a single immunization but not after prime and boost immunization. The specificities of anti-F IgG induced by the two mutant VLPs were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using soluble forms of the prefusion and postfusion forms of the F protein as targets. While both types of VLPs stimulated similar levels of IgG specific for the soluble postfusion F protein, titers of IgG specific for prefusion F induced by the pre-F/F-containing VLPs were higher than those induced by post-F/F-containing VLPs. Thus, VLPs containing a stabilized prefusion form of the RSV F protein represent a promising RSV vaccine candidate. IMPORTANCE The development of vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus has been hampered by a lack of understanding of the requirements for eliciting high titers of neutralizing antibodies. The results of this study suggest that particle-associated RSV F protein containing mutations that stabilize the structure in a prefusion conformation may stimulate higher titers of protective antibodies than particles containing F protein in a wild-type or postfusion conformation. These findings indicate that the prefusion F protein assembled into VLPs has the potential to produce a successful RSV vaccine candidate.
Surgery in high-volume hospitals not commission on cancer accreditation leads to increased cancer-specific survival for early-stage lung cancer.

Abstract Background Quality of oncologic outcomes is of paramount importance in the care of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sought to evaluate the relationship of hospital volume for lobectomy on cancer-specific survival in NSCLC patients treated in California, as well as the influence of Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation. Methods The California Cancer Registry was queried from 2004 to 2011 for cases of Stage I NSCLC and 8,345 patients were identified. Statistical analysis was used to determine prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival. Results A total of 7,587 patients were treated surgically. CoC accreditation was not significant for cancer-specific survival, but treatment in high-volume centers was associated with longer survival when compared with low- and medium-volume centers (hazard ratio 1.77, 1.474 to 2.141 and hazard ratio 1.23, 1.058 to 1.438). Conclusion These data suggest that surgical treatment in high-volume hospitals is associated with longer cancer-specific survival for early-stage NSCLC, but that CoC accreditation is not.
Gamma Interferon, Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, and Nitric Oxide Synthase 2, Key Elements of Cellular Immunity, Perform Critical Protective Functions during Humoral Defense against Lethal Pulmonary Yersinia pestis Infection

Pulmonary infection by Yersinia pestis causes pneumonic plague, a rapidly progressing and often fatal disease. To aid the development of safe and effective pneumonic plague vaccines, we are deciphering mechanisms used by the immune system to protect against lethal pulmonary Y. pestis infection. In murine pneumonic plague models, passive transfer of convalescent-phase sera confers protection, as does active vaccination with live Y. pestis. Here, we demonstrate that protection by either protocol relies upon both gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) cytokines classically associated with type 1 cellular immunity. In both protocols, abrogating IFN-γ or TNF-α activity significantly decreases survival and increases the bacterial burden in pulmonary, splenic, and hepatic tissues. Neutralization of either cytokine also counteracts challenge-induced, vaccination-dependent upregulation of nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2). Moreover, genetic depletion of NOS2 suppresses protection conferred by serotherapy. We conclude that IFN-γ, TNF-α, and NOS2, key elements of cellular immunity, perform critical protective functions during humoral defense against lethal pulmonary Y. pestis challenge. These observations strongly suggest that plague vaccines should strive to maximally prime both cellular and humoral immunity.
Traffic Lines: New Tools for Genetic Analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Genetic analysis requires the ability to identify the genotypes of individuals in a segregating population. This task is straightforward if each genotype has a distinctive phenotype, but is difficult if these genotypes are phenotypically similar or identical. We show that Arabidopsis seeds homozygous or heterozygous for a mutation of interest can be identified in a segregating family by placing the mutation in trans to a chromosome carrying a pair of seed-expressed green and red fluorescent transgenes (a “traffic line”) that flank the mutation. Nonfluorescent seeds in the self-pollinated progeny of such a heterozygous plant are usually homozygous for the mutation, whereas seeds with intermediate green and red fluorescence are typically heterozygous for the mutation. This makes it possible to identify seedlings homozygous for mutations that lack an obvious seedling phenotype, and also facilitates the analysis of lethal or sterile mutations, which must be propagated in heterozygous condition. Traffic lines can also be used to identify progeny that have undergone recombination within a defined region of the genome, facilitating genetic mapping and the production of near-isogenic lines. We produced 488 transgenic lines containing single genome-mapped insertions of NAP:dsRED and NAP:eGFP in Columbia (330 lines) and Landsberg erecta (158 lines) and generated sets of traffic lines that span most regions of the Arabidopsis genome. We demonstrated the utility of these lines for identifying seeds of a specific genotype and for generating near-isogenic lines using mutations of WUSCHEL and SHOOTMERISTEMLESS. This new resource significantly decreases the effort and cost of genotyping segregating families and increases the efficiency of experiments that rely on the ability to detect recombination in a defined chromosomal segment.
Geometric constraints and the anatomical interpretation of twisted plant organ phenotypes.

The study of plant mutants with twisting growth in axial organs, which normally grow straight in the wild-type, is expected to improve our understanding of the interplay among microtubules, cellulose biosynthesis, cell wall structure, and organ biomechanics that control organ growth and morphogenesis. However, geometric constraints based on symplastic growth and the consequences of these geometric constraints concerning interpretations of twisted-organ phenotypes are currently underestimated. Symplastic growth, a fundamental concept in plant developmental biology, is characterized by coordinated growth of adjacent cells based on their connectivity through cell walls. This growth behavior implies that in twisting axial organs, all cell files rotate in phase around the organ axis, as has been illustrated for the Arabidopsis spr1 and twd1 mutants in this work. Evaluating the geometry of such organs, we demonstrate that a radial gradient in cell elongation and changes in cellular growth anisotropy must occur in twisting organs out of geometric necessity alone. In-phase rotation of the different cell layers results in a decrease of length and angle toward organ axis from the outer cell layers inward. Additionally, the circumference of each cell layer increases in twisting organs, which requires compensation through radial expansion or an adjustment of cell number. Therefore, differential cell elongation and growth anisotropy cannot serve as arguments for or against specific hypotheses regarding the molecular cause of twisting growth. We suggest instead, that based on mathematical modeling, geometric constraints in twisting organs are indispensable for the explanation of the causal connection of molecular and biomechanical processes in twisting as well as normal organs.
CASE OF THE MONTH April 1996 - Pituitary Tumor

A 20 year old man presented with intermittent diplopia and difficulty focusing his leftward gaze during the past month. His past medical history was only significant for a dermoid cyst in the posterior fossa which was removed at age 10. MRI scans demonstrated a perisellar mass, eroding the sphenoid and surrounding the right carotid artery as well as extending into the sella. A transsphenoidal endoscopic resection was performed. The tumor was diagnosed as a germinoma (seminoma). Most germinomas in the brain arise in the pineal, however, germ cell neoplasms (including teratomas, germinomas and non-germinomatous germ cell neoplasms) are not unknown in the perisellar region and typically arise in the hypothalamic region and present with diabetes insipidus, visual disturbances or hypopituitism.
Transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle is influenced by the level of environmental contamination

A pen infection-transmission experiment was conducted to elucidate the role of pathogen strain and environmental contamination in transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECO157) in cattle. Five steers were inoculated with a three-strain mixture of ECO157 and joined with five susceptible steers in each of two experimental replicates. Faecal and environmental samples were monitored for ECO157 presence over 30 days. One ECO157 strain did not spread. Transmission rates for the other two strains were estimated using a generalized linear model developed based on a modified ‘Susceptible–Infectious–Susceptible’ mathematical model. Transmission rates estimated for the two strains (0·11 and 0·14) were similar. However, the rates significantly (P = 0·0006) increased 1·5 times for every 1-unit increase in the level of environmental contamination measured as log10 c.f.u. Depending on the level of environmental contamination, the estimated basic reproduction numbers varied from <1 to 8. The findings indicate the importance of on-farm measures to reduce environmental contamination for ECO157 control in cattle that should be validated under field conditions.
Tuberculosis in the New World: a study of ribs from the Schild Mississippian population, West-Central Illinois

Vertebral lesions have been the main evidence for infection by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) in paleopathology. Skeletal involvement is expected in a small percentage of infected individuals. Recently, several authors report a correlation between rib lesions and tuberculosis (TB) complex infection. This study tests the hypothesis that rib lesions can serve as a useful marker for MTC infection within the Mississippian Schild skeletal collection from West-Central Illinois. Ribs from 221 adults and juveniles were examined, and affected individuals were tested for TB complex infection. DNA from rib samples of affected individuals was amplified with primers targeting the IS6110 insertion element, which is common to all members of the TB complex. Although it cannot allow discrimination between different species of TB, IS6110 is present in many copies within their genomes, and its presence is thus an indication of MTC infection. The results support the use of rib lesions as a marker for TB infection. Additionally, we demonstrate that MTC DNA can be recovered from ribs that lack lesions in individuals who have lesions of other bones. We recommend that an examination of ribs be incorporated into investigations for TB.
Productivity and Efficiency in Insurance: An Overview of the Issues

In this paper we have identified the major developments and issues that affect productivity and efficiency in insurance. We have used the designation "Life" to refer to developments and issues affecting life insurers and "P/C" for those affecting property/casualty insurers. The following is a listing of these issues: 1. Marketing, Relationship marketing, Distribution, Electronic data interchange, Market segmentation, Service centers, Point of sale policy illustrations, Unbundling of services, Innovative policies and products 2. Underwriting and expert systems 3. Data processing, General issues, Outsourcing vs. in-house, Centralization vs. decentralization, Mainframe vs. mini vs. workstations, Image systems, Technology, systems, and software, Links between mainframes and pc networks 4. Claims settlement 5. Miscellaneous, Total quality management, Reengineering, Downsizing Mergers and acquisitions, Management reporting 6. Financial risk management, Overview of risk, Balanced view of risk, Perspective on risk, Catastrophic risk, Asset-liability management, Capital budgeting, Derivatives, Regulation
Sexual differentiation of the brain: effects on mating behavior and [3H]-estradiol binding by hypothalamic chromatin in rats.

The present study was done to determine whether previously observed sex differences in the binding of I'H) -estradiol by hypothalamic nuclear chromatin material could be influenced by hormonal manipulation at birth that alters adult sexual potential. Male rats were castrated at birth or 10 days after birth; females were administered oil or 500 i@g testosterone propionate at birth, examined for vaginal cyclicity at maturity and then ovariectomized. All animals were given estro gen and progesterone and tested for the occurrence of lordosis behavior. Following hormone withdrawal, they were given (â€˜HI -estradiol i.v., and the binding of (â€˜H] -E2 by hypothalamic and cortical chromatin 30 mm later was determined. Females castrated at maturity and males castrated at birth showed high levels of lordosis behavior and high levels of E2 binding by hypothalamic chromatin. Neonatally androgenized females and males castrated 10 days after birth showed low levels of lordosis behavior and a reduction in hypothalamic chromatin binding relative to these parameters in control females. Chromatin binding of E, in the cortex was low in all groups.
Separating the Developmental and Evaluative Performance Appraisal Uses

The multiple uses of performance appraisal (PA) have been the focus of much research, often yielding conflicting findings and conclusions. This study used an untreated control group design to examine the effects of separating the developmental and evaluative PA uses (in time and by person) on employee attitudes and behavioral intentions. Results indicated no effect on employee attitudes, however, employees in the separated PA group reported they were less likely to use development in the future.
Magnetic field integral equation at very low frequencies

It is known that there is a low-frequency breakdown problem when the method of moments (MOM) with Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis is used in the electric field integral equation (EFIE); it can be solved through the loop and tree basis decomposition. The behavior of the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) at very low frequencies is investigated using MOM, where two approaches are presented based on the RWG basis and loop and tree bases. The study shows that MFIE can be solved by the conventional MOM with the RWG basis at arbitrarily low frequencies, but there exists an accuracy problem in the real part of the electric current. Although the error in the current distribution is small, it results in a large error in the far-field computation. This is because a big cancellation occurs during the far field computation. The source of error in the current distribution is easily detected through the MOM analysis using the loop and tree basis decomposition. To eliminate the error, a perturbation method is proposed, from which a very accurate real part of the tree current has been obtained. Using the perturbation method, the error in the far-field computation is also removed. Numerical examples show that both the current distribution and the far field can be accurately computed at extremely low frequencies by the proposed method.
In situ profiling of lithium/Ag2VP2O8 primary batteries using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction

In situ, in operando characterization of electrochemical cells can provide insight into the complex discharge chemistries of batteries which may not be available with destructive methods. In this study, in situ energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXRD) measurements are conducted for the first time on active lithium/silver vanadium diphosphate, Li/Ag2VP2O8, electrochemical cells at several depths of discharge allowing depth profiling analysis of the reduction process. This technique enables non-destructive, in operando imaging of the reduction process within a battery electrode over a millimeter scale interrogation area with micron scale resolution. The discharge of Ag2VP2O8 progresses via a reduction displacement reaction forming conductive silver metal as a discharge product, a high Z material which can be readily detected by diffraction-based methods. The high energy X-ray capabilities of NSLS beamline X17B1 allowed spatially resolved detection of the reduction products forming conductive pathways providing insight into the discharge mechanism of Ag2VP2O8.
Filling the Feedback Gap in Cardiovascular Education.

We all know the feeling. You are finishing a long case in the catheterization laboratory, the eighth case of the day with the same attending. The attending turns as he removes his lead, mumbles something unintelligible out of the side of his mouth, picks his pager from the desk, and turns, walking
Generation and Characterization of an Immortalized Human Esophageal Myofibroblast Line

Stromal cells with a myofibroblast phenotype present in the normal human esophagus are increased in individuals with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). We have previously demonstrated that myofibroblasts stimulated with acid and TLR4 agonists increase IL-6 and IL-8 secretion using primary cultures of myofibroblasts established from normal human esophagus. While primary cultures have the advantage of reflecting the in vivo environment, a short life span and unavoidable heterogeneity limits the usefulness of this model in larger scale in vitro cellular signaling studies. The major aim of this paper therefore was to generate a human esophageal myofibroblast line with an extended lifespan. In the work presented here we have generated and characterized an immortalized human esophageal myofibroblast line by transfection with a commercially available GFP-hTERT lentivirus. Immortalized human esophageal myofibroblasts demonstrate phenotypic, genotypic and functional similarity to primary cultures of esophageal myofibroblasts we have previously described. We found that immortalized esophageal myofibroblasts retain myofibroblast spindle-shaped morphology at low and high confluence beyond passage 80, and express α-SMA, vimentin, and CD90 myofibroblast markers. Immortalized human esophageal myofibroblasts also express the putative acid receptor TRPV1 and TLR4 and retain the functional capacity to respond to stimuli encountered in GERD with secretion of IL-6. Finally, immortalized human esophageal myofibroblasts also support the stratified growth of squamous esophageal epithelial cells in 3D organotypic cultures. This newly characterized immortalized human esophageal myofibroblast cell line can be used in future cellular signaling and co-culture studies.
Nutrient supply alters goldenrod's induced response to herbivory

Summary Recent interest in using trait-based approaches to understand and predict ecosystem processes and evolutionary responses to environmental change highlights the need to understand the relative importance of genetic and environmental sources of intraspecific trait variation within local populations of dominant species. Here, I combine plant defence theory with functional approaches to quantify genetic trait variation and phenotypic trait plasticity of nine goldenrod (Solidago altissima) genotypes derived from a local field population in Connecticut, USA, to herbivory along a nutrient supply gradient. I found that increasing nutrient supply changed the dominant plant defence strategy from tolerance to induced resistance. Induced resistance was detected through decreased herbivore growth rates and a behavioural feeding shift of grasshoppers to older leaf tissue. This could not be fully accounted for through stoichiometric changes in leaf tissue quality. A multidimensional phenotype approach revealed that abiotic and biotic environments (nutrients and herbivory) accounted for almost as much whole-plant trait variation (31%) as did plant genotype (36%). Increasing nutrient supply and herbivory resulted in independent and differential effects on whole-plant trait expression. Increasing both treatments concurrently produced a unique plant phenotype with increased leaf carbon content and allocation to asexual reproduction (E × E). Notably, individual genotypes exhibited different magnitudes of multivariate trait plasticity to nutrient and herbivory gradients. However, the population of genotypes as a whole within a given environment expressed an approximately equal magnitude of trait variation across both permissive (high nutrient, no herbivory) and stressful (low nutrient, high herbivory) environments. Quantifying plasticity in defensive strategy in concert with correlated whole-plant trait expression changes across multiple abiotic and biotic factors may be key to providing a mechanistic understanding of how heterogeneous landscapes impact community interactions and ecosystem processes. A lay summary is available for this article.
Using models to interpret the impact of roadside barriers on near-road air quality

Abstract The question this paper addresses is whether semi-empirical dispersion models based on data from controlled wind tunnel and tracer experiments can describe data collected downwind of a sound barrier next to a real-world urban highway. Both models are based on the mixed wake model described in Schulte et al. (2014). The first neglects the effects of stability on dispersion, and the second accounts for reduced entrainment into the wake of the barrier under unstable conditions. The models were evaluated with data collected downwind of a kilometer-long barrier next to the I-215 freeway running next to the University of California campus in Riverside. The data included measurements of 1) ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations at several distances from the barrier, 2) micrometeorological variables upwind and downwind of the barrier, and 3) traffic flow separated by automobiles and trucks. Because the emission factor for UFP is highly uncertain, we treated it as a model parameter whose value is obtained by fitting model estimates to observations of UFP concentrations measured at distances where the barrier impact is not dominant. Both models provide adequate descriptions of both the magnitude and the spatial variation of observed concentrations. The good performance of the models reinforces the conclusion from Schulte et al. (2014) that the presence of the barrier is equivalent to shifting the line sources on the road upwind by a distance of about HU / u ∗ where H is the barrier height, U is the wind velocity at half of the barrier height, and u ∗ is the friction velocity. The models predict that a 4 m barrier results in a 35% reduction in average concentration within 40 m (10 times the barrier height) of the barrier, relative to the no-barrier site. This concentration reduction is 55% if the barrier height is doubled.
Effect of different pretreatment methods on the determination of lovastation in health foods

An analytical method based on HPLC for the determination of lovastation in health foods was studied.The effect of pH,extraction temperature on the molecular structure transformation,and the acidification and alkalinization pretreatment for the determination of lovastatin in health foods were investigated.The results showed that: the acid forms could not transform to the lactone structure completely through acid treatment,while the Lovastatin could translate into one form through alkalinization pretreatment.Linearity was evaluated from 0.500 to200μg /mL( r = 0.9995),High recoveries( 95.2% ~102%) and good reproducibility( relative standard deviation below2.9%) were obtained.The limit of detection was 1mg /kg.This method could be applied to the quantification of lovastatin in health food samples.
The nature and causes of hippocampal long-term potentiation

One of the most fascinating features of the hippocampus is its capacity for plasticity. Long-term potentiation (LTP), a stable facilitation of synaptic potentials after high-frequency synaptic activity, is very prominent in hippocampus and is a leading candidate memory storage mechanism. Here, we discuss the nature and causes of LTP and relate them to endogenous rhythmic neuronal activity patterns and their potential roles in memory. Anatomical studies indicate that LTP is accompanied by postsynaptic structural modifications while pharmacological studies strongly suggest that LTP is not due to an increase in presynaptic transmitter release. In field CA1, LTP induction appears to be triggered by a postsynaptic influx of calcium through NMDA receptor-linked channels. Possible roles of several calcium-sensitive enzyme systems in LTP are discussed and it is argued that activation of a calcium-dependent protease (calpain) could produce the structural changes linked to LTP. Rhythmic bursting activity is highly effective in inducing LTP and it is argued that the endogenous hippocampal theta rhythm plays a role in LTP induction in vivo. Finally, studies indicate that LTP and certain types of memory share a common pharmacology and the use of electrical brain stimulation as a sensory cue suggests that LTP develops when the significance of that cue is learned.
[Molecular characteristics of norovirus in 3 outbreak-episodes of gastroenteritis in Zhejiang from 2008 to 2009].

Objective To study the molecular characteristic of norovirus in 3 outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province. Methods During January 2008 and December 2009, fecal specimens of patients were collected from 3 outbreaks of acute viral gastroenteritis. Noroviruses were detected by Real-time RT-PCR. Part of the positive samples were randomly selected and detected by RT-PCR. PCR products were sequenced. Sequence analysis was undertaken based on partial sequence of RNA dependent RNA polymerase(RdRp)and capsid protein gene. Some positive samples were amplified by 3' RACE(rapid amplification of cDNA 3' ends), 3200 bp in length. The exact whole ORF2, ORF3 and 3' untranslation regions(UTR)gene of norovims were identified. Results There were in total 3 outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis caused by norovirus being reported. A total of 62 stools were obtained from cases with acute gastroentefitis. Noroviruses were detected in 41 cases including 27 strains of genogroup Ⅰ norovirus and 9 strains of genogroup Ⅱ norovirus, 5 strains of genogroup Ⅰ + Ⅱ norovirus. Four genotypes including G Ⅰ .8, G Ⅱ .b, G Ⅰ .2/0 Ⅰ .6 recombination together with co-infection of G Ⅰ .8 and G Ⅱ .b were detected. Conclusion Norovirus was confirmed as the major cause of outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province and multiple genotype of norovirus were identified from the outbreaks. It was the first time to have found a recombinant of G Ⅰ .6 capsid and G Ⅰ .2 polymerase norovims as well as the co-infection of G Ⅰ .8 and G Ⅱ .b norovirus in the same sample. Key words: Norovirus; Molecular characteristics; Recombinant; Co-infection
Implementing Project Delivery Process Improvements: Identification of Resistance Types and Frequencies

AbstractOwner organizations within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry are presented with a wide variety of potential process-related improvements aimed at increasing project efficiency and performance. Implementation of process improvements can prove to be extremely difficult; previous research cautions that perhaps more than half of all planned organizational change initiatives fail to accomplish their intended objectives, oftentimes due to resistance exhibited by the organization’s own personnel. This study utilizes an action research approach to document and catalogue employee resistance across multiple owner organizations that were engaged in the implementation of new process improvements within their project delivery practices. An analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc testing was performed to identify a prioritized ranking of the most frequently encountered resistive behavior types within owner project teams. This study contributes empirical documentation of change resi...
Influence of leaf removal and reflective mulch on phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of Merlot, Teran and Plavac mali wines (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract Two years study was conducted to evaluate if leaf removal and red geotextile reflective mulch affect phenolic composition of wines from three red wine grape cultivars, Merlot, Teran and Plavac mali (Vitis vinifera L.). Leaf removal (LR) and reflective mulch (RM), made from weave of aluminum platelets protected by a transparent film and sewn together with red polypropylene threads, were tested separately and combined (LR + RM) on vines of Merlot, Teran and Plavac mali in 2009 and 2010 years, and compared with untreated control. All treatments were applied at veraison. LR had the strongest influence on phenolic composition of experimental wines, particularly in terms of increasing gallic acid, catechin, malvidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside content. LR + RM resulted in higher gallic acid and malvidin-3-glucoside concentrations. RM treatment had the least effect on phenolic composition of wines but still affected higher epicatechin and gallic acid content. The total phenols, anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols contents in wines exhibited strong correlation with antioxidant activity.
Research Note: A More Powerful Test Statistic for Reasoning about Interference between Units

Bowers, Fredrickson and Panagopoulos (2012) showed that one could use Fisher’s randomization-based hypothesis testing framework to assess counterfactual causal models of treatment propagation and spillover across social networks. This research note improves the statistical infernce presented in Bowers, Fredrickson and Panagopoulos (2012) (henceforth BFP) by substituting a test statistic based on a sum of squared residuals and incorporating information about the fixed network for the simple KolmogorovSmirnov test statistic (Hollander, 1999, §5.4) they used. This note incrementally improves the application of BFP’s “reasoning about interference” approach. We do not offer general results about test statistics for multi-parameter causal models on social networks here, but instead hope to stimulate further, and deeper, work on test statistics and sharp hypothesis testing.
Innovation in China’s Defense Technology Base: Foreign Technology and Military Capabilities

ABSTRACTChina’s defense science, technology, and industrial system has been undergoing a far-reaching transformation over the past two decades and the single biggest factor behind this turnaround is the role of external technology and knowledge transfers and the defense industry’s improving ability to absorb these inputs and convert into localized output. China is pursuing an intensive campaign to obtain defense and dual-use civil–military foreign technology transfers using a wide variety of means, which is explored in this article.
Aspirin Use Is Associated With Reduced Risk of Occlusion of Metallic Biliary Stents.

Background & Aims Biliary self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) are widely used to treat malignant and benign conditions of bile duct. Despite their lower rate of occlusion and longer patency than plastic stents, SEMSs still have significant rates of occlusion. We aimed to identify factors associated with occlusion of biliary SEMS. Methods We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with biliary SEMS placement at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from March 2011 to April 2016. We collected clinical, endoscopic, radiographic, and surgical data from medical records and performed multivariable analysis to identify factors associated with SEMS patency. Subjects that received minimal daily dose of 81 mg at the time of stent placement until the end of follow-up were assigned to the aspirin exposure group (n = 157) and compared with subjects with no aspirin exposure (n = 436). Patients were followed for a median 81 days. The primary outcome was hazard ratio for SEMS occlusion requiring an interventional maneuver for biliary drainage. Results We analyzed data from patients receiving a total of 593 biliary SEMS for treatment of malignant and benign conditions of bile duct. Stent occlusion was observed in 126 cases. Multivariable analysis showed that daily use of aspirin (81 mg or more) was associated with 51% lower risk of stent occlusion than in patients without daily use of aspirin (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.32–0.75). Furthermore, SEMSs had a longer duration of stent patency in patients in the aspirin exposure group (434.4 days) versus the no aspirin exposure group (339.9 days) ( P Conclusions In an analysis of a large cohort of subjects with metallic biliary stent placement for malignant and benign conditions of bile duct, we associated daily use of aspirin (81 mg or more) with lower risk of SEMS occlusion and longer stent patency duration.
Investigating the Performance of Second Language Medical Students on Lengthy Clinical Vignettes.

This study evaluated the extent to which medical students with limited English-language experience are differentially impacted by the additional reading load of test items consisting of long clinical vignettes. Participants included 25,012 examinees who completed Step 2 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination®. Test items were categorized into five levels based on the number of words per item, and examinee scores at each level were evaluated as a function of English-language experience (English as a second language [ESL] status and scores on a test of English-speaking proficiency). The longest items were more difficult than the shortest items across all examinee groups, and examinees with more English-language experience scored higher than those with less experience across all five levels of word count. The effect of primary interest—the interaction of word count with English-language experience—was statistically significant, indicating that score declines for longer items were larger for examinees with...
The effects of indirect real body cues of irrelevant parts on virtual body ownership and presence

The employment of visual, auditory and tactile senses directly related to specific body limbs associated with task performance has been shown to give a person a perception of body ownership. However, there is much less evidence of the influence on body ownership of sensory data associated with parts of the user's body that are not directly associated with the task being performed. For example, if arms and hands are the functional parts in a first person perspective game, do other body parts such as the torso or legs affect the person's sense of illusion in ways that can increase or decrease the sense of body ownership? To show the effectiveness of appropriate indirect cues to an irrelevant body part, we conducted a virtual mirror based experiment. Specifically, we created a virtual reality system that has four mirror-reflected body conditions in which a participant can see his or her real lower body, a human avatar's lower body, a generic avatar's lower body or no lower body in the virtual mirror. With this system, we observed the effects of each condition on the user's sense of body ownership and presence, even when the lower body parts played no role in the participant's activities. The results represent a tendency that an indirect real body cue associated with one's legs can arouse a higher sense of body ownership and unexpected result for presence during the performance of a task involving only virtual hands.