cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-23 (IL-23)-IL-17 Cytokine Axis in Murine Pneumocystis carinii Infection

Host defense mechanisms against Pneumocystis carinii are not fully understood. Previous work in the murine model has shown that host defense against infection is critically dependent upon host CD4+ T cells. The recently described Th17 immune response is predominantly a function of effector CD4+ T cells stimulated by interleukin-23 (IL-23), but whether these cells are required for defense against P. carinii infection is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that P. carinii stimulates the early release of IL-23, leading to increases in IL-17 production and lung effector CD4+ T-cell population that mediate clearance of infection. In vitro, stimulation of alveolar macrophages with P. carinii induced IL-23, and IL-23p19 mRNA was expressed in lungs of mice infected with this pathogen. To address the role of IL-23 in resistance to P. carinii, IL-23p19−/− and wild-type control C57BL/6 mice were infected and their fungal burdens and cytokine/chemokine responses were compared. IL-23p19−/− mice displayed transient but impaired clearance of infection, which was most apparent 2 weeks after inoculation. In confirmatory studies, the administration of either anti-IL-23p19 or anti-IL-17 neutralizing antibody to wild-type mice infected with P. carinii also caused increases in fungal burdens. IL-17 and the lymphocyte chemokines IP-10, MIG, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES were decreased in the lungs of infected IL-23p19−/− mice in comparison to their levels in the lungs of wild-type mice. In IL-23p19−/− mice infected with P. carinii, there were fewer effector CD4+ T cells in the lung tissue. Collectively, these studies indicate that the IL-23-IL-17 axis participates in host defense against P. carinii.
When There Is Too Much Light

A great deal of importance has happened in research investigating photosynthetic response to environmental stress in the 25 years since the last anniversary issue of Plant Physiology. However, from my perspective, the importance of one set of discoveries stands out from the others for its far
Transcultural Experiences in the Late Middle Ages: The German Literary Discourse on the Mediterranean World—Mirrors, Reflections, and Responses

As recent scholarship has demonstrated, the world of the Mediterranean exerted a tremendous influence not only on the societies and cultures bordering the Mediterranean Sea during the late Middle Ages, but had a huge influence on the mentality and culture of the world north of the Alps as well because it was here where East and West met, exchanged ideas and products, and struggled to find, despite many military conflicts, some kind of transcultural. The highly complex conditions in the Mediterranean realm represented significant challenges and promises at the same time, and no traveler from Germany or England, for instance, whether a merchant or a pilgrim, a diplomat or an artist, could resist responding to the allure of the Mediterranean cultures. The corpus of travelogues and pilgrimage accounts is legion, as scholars have noted already for quite some time. But we can also observe literary reflections on the Mediterranean especially during the fifteenth century. The emergence of the late medieval and early modern prose novel is often predicated on transcultural experiences, whether they entailed military conflicts or peaceful encounters between Christians and Muslims. These literary texts did not necessarily respond to the historical events, such as the fall of Constantinople in 1453, but they document an intriguing opening up of German, English, French, and Flemish, etc., society to the Mediterranean world. The prose novels discussed in this paper demonstrate that Germany, in particular, was a significant hinterland of the Mediterranean; somewhat farther apart, but still closely connected. The literary evidence will allow us to identify how those transcultural encounters were recognized and then dealt with.
Haptic rendering using C 1 continuous reconstructed distance fields

Existing haptic rendering algorithms are limited in the complexity of the models that can be simulated realistically without artifacts such as extraneous force discontinuities or pop-through. High haptic update rates for realistic feedback require fast collision detection methods, such as those achievable using distance fields. We introduce an efficient algorithm for reconstructing a C1 distance field from discretely sampled distances and gradients. Our Coons-patch based interpolation method supports 50 kHz 3-DOF haptic rendering of complex models with high accuracy, while eliminating undesirable force discontinuities and pop-through. The approximation error of our representation on a 256×256×256 grid is similar to that of polygonal model reconstructions containing hundreds of thousands of polygons, an accuracy previously unobtainable with haptic force rendering.
Ethylene regulates the susceptible response to pathogen infection in tomato.

Ethylene evolution occurs concomitantly with the progression of disease symptoms in response to many virulent pathogen infections in plants. A tomato mutant impaired in ethylene perception— Never ripe —exhibited a significant reduction in disease symptoms in comparison to the wild type after inoculations of both genotypes with virulent bacterial ( Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria and Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato ) and fungal ( Fusarium oxysporum f sp lycopersici ) pathogens. Bacterial spot disease symptoms were also reduced in tomato genotypes impaired in ethylene synthesis (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase) and perception (14893), thereby corroborating a reducing effect for ethylene insensitivity on foliar disease development. The reduction in foliar disease symptoms in Never ripe plants was a specific effect of ethylene insensitivity and was not due to reductions in bacterial populations or decreased ethylene synthesis. PR-1B1 mRNA accumulation in response to X. c. vesicatoria infection was not affected by ethylene insensitivity, indicating that ethylene is not required for defense gene induction. Our findings suggest that broad tolerance of diverse vegetative diseases may be achieved via engineering of ethylene insensitivity in tomato.
Directed Mutagenesis of YAC-Cloned DNA Using a Rapid, PCR-Based Screening Protocol

We have developed a system which facilitates the rapid modification of yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) insert DNA. Specific modifications, such as deletions, insertions and point mutations, can be generated by a two-step allele replacement method using the yeast translational suppressor, SUP4-o, as both a positive and negative selection. The introduction of the SUP4-o gene was successful in 4 out of 24 selected transformant colonies, while the subsequent homologous elimination occurred in 2 out of 30 colonies. The use of a simple, short-range PCR assay rapidly identified the correct events among the genetically selected isolates and should be generally applicable to YAC modifications.
Does ICSI require acrosomal disruption? An ultrastructural study.

BACKGROUND: Aggressive immobilization of sperm prior to ICSI significantly improves fertilization rates, but the mechanism of this effect is not yet clear. This study was performed in order to assess the characteristics of mechanically immobilized human sperm by transmission electron microscope (TEM). METHODS: Sperm obtained from ejaculated semen samples from three different donors were immobilized in a standard manner for ICSI. They were then injected into the perivitelline space of mouse oocytes in order to be able to locate them by TEM. Intact motile sperm injected subzonally served as controls (n = 160). Finally, the ‘carrier’ oocytes were fixed and processed for TEM. RESULTS: A total of 300 sperm were mechanically immobilized and inserted into the perivitelline space of mouse oocytes. Ultrathin sections revealed consistent alterations in the acrosomal region including disruption of the plasma membrane, and disruption, vesiculation or even loss of the acrosome. Thus, all of the sperm assessed had undergone some disorganization of the head, in contrast to a majority of control sperm. CONCLUSIONS: Immobilization of sperm for ICSI by compressing and rolling the sperm tails induces a variable disruption and sometimes loss of the acrosome. This could well be a reason for the higher success rates when ICSI is performed using immobilized sperm.
Modelling and simulation of a virtual manufacturing enterprise

A manufacturing enterprise is a complex hierarchical entity with multiple components that are essential to the success of the firm. Such an enterprise must implement successful strategic and tactical policies at the various levels of the organization. High-level executive strategies determine long-term investment policies, while lower level decisions affect short-term operations. This research models a manufacturing enterprise and implements the model in a competitive simulation game. The simulation links various decisions made at different levels of the enterprise to its advancement. The simulation is designed to operate in a competitive environment that includes multiple enterprises, depending on the number of users participating in a given exercise. Accurately representing a manufacturing enterprise in a concise simulation model has many challenges that must be overcome. This paper discusses relationship models used to link enterprise factors, as well as methods for aggregating various factor influences. Furthermore, two types of simulation methods and their application to modelling such an enterprise are discussed. These methods include analytical based simulation and discrete-event simulation. A methodology for creating a model that includes both types is presented and a technique for linking the two methods is provided. The methodology is demonstrated using numerical results.
Testing Healthy Immigrant Effects Among Late Life Immigrants in the United States: Using Multiple Indicators

Objectives: This study tested a healthy immigrant effect (HIE) and postimmigration health status changes among late life immigrants. Methods: Using three waves of the Second Longitudinal Study of A...
Tachycardia-induced heart failure does not alter myocardial P-glycoprotein expression.

Study Objective. To determine the effects of tachycardia-induced heart failure on myocardial P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. Design. Nonblinded, parallel, sham-controlled, animal model study. Setting. University laboratory. Animals. Thirty mongrel dogs. Intervention. Heart failure was induced by rapid ventricular pacing over 4 weeks; sham procedures were performed for the control group. Measurements and Main Results. Myocardial biopsies were taken from the left ventricular lateral wall and prepared for P-gp quantification by laser-induced fluorescence. The relative amount of P-gp messenger RNA (mRNA) was assessed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Rapid ventricular pacing produced heart failure and reduced the area ejection fraction from 48% ± 6% to 21% ± 6% (p<0.05 vs baseline). However, heart failure did not alter the quantity of myocardial P-gp (0.20 ± 0.02 μg/ml for the control group vs 0.23 ± 0.02 μg/ml for the intervention group, p=0.4). Furthermore, heart failure did not alter P-gp expression significantly. Conclusion. Myocardial P-gp does not change in response to tachycardia-induced heart failure. Thus, there is a low likelihood for P-gp–related drug resistance during a syndrome similar to tachycardia-induced heart failure.
Objective Measurement of Sperm Motility

Abstract An experiment was designed to develop an objective technique for measuring rooster sperm motility. A Beckman Spectronic 20 spectrophotometer was used to measure optical densities of sperm suspensions while they were flowing through the spectrophotometer. A motility index (MI) based on the decrease in optical density after the flow was stopped was calculated. The MI was found to be highly significantly correlated (P It was also found that the MI was not more variable than the percent motility or the vigor. There were no correlations between the three motility measurements and fertility. It was concluded that the technique provides a rapid and totally objective measure of the motility of rooster sperm.
Renin concentration of normotensive and hypertensive dog kidney: its relation to serum antirenin titer.

This report relates blood pressure, serum antirenin titer, and renal renin concentration in normotensive, acute and chronic experimental renal hypertensive, and spontaneous hypertensive dogs sacrificed at different levels of neutralizing antibody (antirenin) produced by injections of hog kidney extracts containing renin. Sufficient levels of antirenin can prevent or lower the blood pressure elevations secondary to partial constriction of the renal arteries in the dog. A highly significant relationship and correlation was found between increasing titer of antirenin and renal renin concentrations in both normotensive and hypertensive dogs. Two dogs not developing antirenin, although injected for many months with hog renins, did not have a renal renin concentration above control level. Goats treated with hog renin developed high antirenin titers but did not have an increase in renal renin. The goat differs from the dog, as does the monkey and man, in that antirenin produced from hog or dog renins does not neutralize the endogenous renin of the animal. It is concluded that the increase in renal renin found in these experiments is related directly to the presence of antirenin which is capable of neutralizing the endogenous renin of the experimental animal.
Porcine alveolar macrophage Mac‐1 (CD11b/CD18) adhesion molecule expression

: The adhesion molecule Mac-1 plays an important role during leukocyte recruitment into inflammatory sites and also serves as a complement receptor type 3 (CR3). Mac-1 is a noncovalent heterodimer consisting of an α-chain (CD11b) and a β-chain (CD 18). We report the cloning and sequencing (GenBank accession number U40072) of the porcine CD 11b cDNA using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Porcine CD 11b cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences demonstrated 84% and 80% sequence identity, respectively, with human CD11b. The 4.7 kb porcine CD11b transcript was also similar to the size of the human CD11b transcript. Northern blot analyses detected CD11b transcripts in spleen cells and peripheral blood leukocytes, but not in lung lavage cells. In contrast to Northern blot results, 72% of freshly isolated alveolar macrophages stained positive using a cross-reactive anti-human CD11b antibody (TMG6–5). Compared to spleen and peripheral blood cells, alveolar macrophages expressed the highest levels of CD 18 mRNA. Using anti-CD 18 monoclonal antibodies which cross-react with porcine CD 18, two different porcine CD 18 epitopes were identified by flow cytometric antibody competition assays. However, the majority of the anti-CD 18 antibodies tested competed for the same CD 18 epitope. Mac-1 expression in porcine alveolar macrophages was not altered at either the mRNA or surface expression level by inflammatory stimuli, including fMLP, PMA, LPS, hIL-1α, hIL-6, hTNF-α, and hIFN-γ.
Approaches to fungal diagnosis in transplantation.

: The diagnosis of invasive fungal infection in patients undergoing solid organ or bone marrow transplantation remains a significant clinical challenge. Consideration of the epidemiology of these infections and host risk factors may be an important clue to a specific fungal diagnosis. Despite extensive investigation on methods such as serologic techniques to improve the rapid diagnosis of these infections, the diagnosis of invasive mycoses remains largely dependent on clinical presentation. For example, the signs and symptoms that result from angioinvasion of fungal organisms include pleuritic chest pain or hemoptysis. In a high-risk patient these findings can be important clues to invasive fungal infection. Cultures of opportunistic fungi in certain settings, such as Aspergillus in respiratory samples from immunosuppressed patients, may be associated with infection. Radiographic findings can also be useful to establish a diagnosis of infection. In patients with invasive aspergillosis as well as other angioinvasive moulds, chest CT scans may demonstrate lesions that are not visible on plain radiographs. Serodiagnosis of these infections remains largely investigational. Microbiological antifungal resistance has increasingly been reported, but in patients at high risk for serious fungal infection, including patients undergoing bone marrow and organ transplantation, antifungal resistance remains uncommon, particularly in Candida albicans. Higher doses of azoles should be used to treat patients with infections due to less susceptible yeasts and those with more serious infection. Prompt recognition of fungal infection combined with intensive antifungal therapy is needed for successful therapy.
Representations and dynamics of representations of simple visual stimuli by ensembles of neurons in cat visual cortex studied with a microelectrode array

The features that constitute simple visual images are encoded by networks of interacting neurons at each level of the visual pathways. One such fundamental feature is line or bar orientation. It has long been appreciated that the neurons in the visual cortex appear to deconstruct images into sets of oriented lines. Thus, the neural representation of the orientation of moving bars by neural ensembles is a fundamental property of the vertebrate visual system. We have used high electrode count microelectrode arrays to study how the neurons of cat visual cortex encode simple moving stimuli, and what are the dynamics of this encoding process. Microelectrode arrays allow one to study these issues with both high spatial and temporal resolutions. We have used simple linear models to estimate stimulus orientation from ensemble firing patterns, and have found that groups of non-orientation sensitive neurons are as effective at encoding stimulus orientation as groups of orientation sensitive neurons. These findings have implications for both basic studies of neural encoding and for therapeutic applications such as human engineered artificial vision systems.
Iterative algorithm for discrete tomography

The general limited-angle problem is underdetermined in discrete tomography. However, electron microscopy of crystals is a much more specific problem, and is subject to stringent mathematical conditions. Using a constructive argument, we show that under these physically reasonable conditions, data from only two discrete tomographic views are required to reconstruct the lattice. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 9, 132–134, 1998
Energy efficiency and exporting: Evidence from firm-level data

While exporting firms and non-exporters have been compared across several dimensions, empirical comparisons on the basis of environmental performance are relatively few. Moreover, analyzing the environmental implications of firm-level exports is not trivial due to non-random selection into exporting. In this light, we examine the impact of exporting on firms' energy efficiency by resorting to an instrumental variables strategy based on a differencing approach (Pitt and Rosenzweig, 1990). Utilizing data from Indonesia, we find (i) exporting to reduce the use of fuels (relative to electricity) and (ii) concerns over endogeneity of exporting status to be relevant.
The Perils of Glastnost

One recurring issue that faces law school deans, especially at private institutions, is how much information to provide to faculty about salary - the salaries of their colleagues. In this essay, prepared for a forthcoming symposium in the Toledo Law Review on "Leadership in Legal Education," Dean Logan surveys the arguments and concludes that providing faculty colleagues some, but not complete, information about salaries is the best policy.
Thermally insensitive, single crystal, KTP Q-switch for kilowatt, average power lasers

Optical switches have a critical role in the extraction of high peak power light pulses from high average power solid state lasers.1
Hydrogen bonding in N,N,N′,N′-tetra­methyl­ethyl­ene­di­ammonium bis­(benzene­selenol­ate)

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Me2NHC2H4NHMe2][SePh]2 or C6H18N22+·2C6H5Se−, reveals hydrogen bonding between the benzene­seleno­late anions and the tetra­methyl­ethyl­ene­di­ammonium cations. The asymmetric unit contains one formula unit of the title compound. The two Se⋯H distances are 2.22 (4) and 2.34 (4) A.
Manipulation of co-signal pathways to enhance cancer vaccines

Antigen-specific T-cell responses are controlled and fine-tuned by co-signaling molecules on cell surface. While the CD80/CD86/CD28/CTLA-4 pathway is found to mainly regulate the priming phase of a T-cell response, recent studies demonstrate that differentiation, effector and memory phases of a T-cell response are controlled by other co-signaling pathways. I will focus the discussion in molecular and functional aspects of a more recently identified pathway, B7-H1/B7-DC/PD-1, as well as their implications in the development of cancer vaccines and immunotherapy. This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity , a [Cancer Research Institute][1] journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research . [1]: http://cancerresearch.org/
Solution softening in spinel

Conclusions from this study are: 1. The critical resolved shear stress of MgO.nAl{sub 2}O{sub 3} spinel at a given temperature decreases dramatically, by almost two orders of magnitude, with increasing deviation form stoichiometry, i.e., as n increases from 1 to 3.5. 2. The CRSS is proportional to exp({minus}T/T{sub 0}) and to [V{sub c}]{sup {minus}2}, where T{sub 0} is a characteristic temperature and [V{sub c}] is the concentration of charge-compensating cation vacancies. 3. Slip on {l_brace}111{r_brace} planes is thought to occur between the Kagome cation Layers and the adjacent anion layers. Slip on {l_brace}101{r_brace} planes is slightly easier (and has a higher T{sub 0}) because the planes are more widely separated. 4. Slip in spinel does not require synchro-shear, unlike slip in the C15 AB{sub 2} Laves phase, which has identical metal atom positions to the cation positions in spinel. 5. The temperature dependence of the CRSS is analyzed in terms of a model based on partial dislocations overcoming a steep and high Peierls potential. Parameters for the model can be chosen to explain the observed values of T{sub 0} and the CRSS extrapolated to T = 0 K for both spinel and sapphire. Other models are possible. 6. The dependencemore » of CRSS on [V{sub c}]{sup {minus}2} can be explained in terms of kink nucleation at cation vacancies.« less
Understanding "Geopolitics" in an Era of Globalization

An older European-Enlightenment geopolitical imagination was lost in the late nineteenth century with the rise of naturalized understandings of inter-state and imperial relations that saw states and empires in terms of biological competition conditioned by relative location on the earth’s surface. The word “geopolitics” emerged in that context and since that time the term has had to contend with this original sin. Arguably, however, Montesquieu and Voltaire in their references to Alexander the Great had a somewhat different conception of geopolitics in mind: one in which reciprocity and exchange between places as well as the redistribution of resources from colonies to homeland are at work. It is this broader sense of the word that has been revived over the past fifty years in the course of attempts at linking the global political structure of states, empires, and other political authorities to what can be called the “globalization era.” The broader understanding of geopolitics is by no means restricted to this era, as the reference to the Enlightenment period should make clear. But it has become an increasingly attractive alternative. I discuss four aspects of the connection between geopolitics construed in the broader meaning and the globalization that the world economy has experienced over the past fifty years. The first is to challenge the idea that geopolitics in the broad sense is “opposed” to globalization. I then turn to what I see are the three dimensions of geopolitics in an era of globalization: the geopolitics of globalization, the geopolitics of development, and the geopolitics of global regulation. From this perspective, Montesquieu and Voltaire offer a much better inspiration for understanding world politics than do the geopolitical writers of the early twentieth century such as Kjellen and Mackinder.
A Method for Constructing an Hyperbola, given the Asymptotes and a Focus

(1902). A Method for Constructing an Hyperbola, given the Asymptotes and a Focus. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 9, No. 12, pp. 285-287.
Abstract 3673: Expression profile of phosphorylated proteins from the mTOR and Fyn/RSK2 signaling pathways in solar UV-induced skin carcinogenesis

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Chronic sun exposure is considered the main etiologic agent of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Inactivation of tumor suppressor p53 and activation of key oncogenic signaling pathways important in cell proliferation and transformation are considered crucial steps in the development of NMSC. Therefore, our overall hypothesis is that topically administered small molecule drugs can modulate specific targets in ultraviolet (UV)-induced signaling cascades resulting in attenuation or reversal of carcinogenic events in human skin. In the study herein, we evaluate the modulation of solar light-activated mTOR and Fyn/RSK2 signaling pathways in normal human skin and solar simulated light (SSL)-irradiated human skin to determine the expression profiles of upstream and downstream phosphorylated proteins p38 (Thr180/Tyr182), p44/42 MAPK (Thr202/Tyr204), histone H3 (Ser10), p90RSK (Thr359/Ser363), Akt (Ser473), mTOR (Ser2448), S6 ribosomal protein (Ser235/236), and 4E-BP1 (Thr37/46). The study population consisted of individuals 18 years or older in general good health with skin types II-III. SSL irradiation at various doses ranging from two to four times the minimal erythema dose (MED) was applied to unexposed skin. Punch biopsies were taken at baseline, 5 minutes, 1 h, 5 h, and 24 h post-irradiation and immediately fixed in 10% formalin. Tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for the expression of phospho-proteins. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cleaved caspase 3 (Asp175) were evaluated as markers for keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Marked SSL-induced changes in human epidermis were seen in the expression of phosphorylated histone H3, S6 ribosomal protein, and 4E-BP1 at 1 h, 5 h, and 24 h post-SSL as compared to control. A linear increase in phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK expression was observed at 1 h, 5 h, and 24 h post-SSL as compared to control. Phosphorylated Akt expression increased post-SSL, and appears dependent on duration and intensity of SSL exposure. Ultimately, the expression profile patterns of phosphorylated proteins in the mTOR and Fyn/Rsk2 pathways will be used to determine activity of new and selective chemoprevention agents being developed to target these SSL-induced skin carcinogenesis pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3673. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3673
Rotational dynamics of the methyl radical in superfluid 4He nanodroplets.

We report the ro-vibrational spectrum of the ν3(e′) band of the methyl radical (CH3) solvated in superfluid 4He nanodroplets. Five allowed transitions produce population in the NK = 00, 11, 10, 22 and 20 rotational levels. The observed transitions exhibit variable Lorentzian line shapes, consistent with state specific homogeneous broadening effects. Population relaxation of the 00 and 11 levels is only allowed through vibrationally inelastic decay channels, and the PP1(1) and RR0(0) transitions accessing these levels have 4.12(1) and 4.66(1) GHz full-width at half-maximum line widths, respectively. The line widths of the PR1(1) and RR1(1) transitions are comparatively broader (8.6(1) and 57.0(6) GHz, respectively), consistent with rotational relaxation of the 20 and 22 levels within the vibrationally excited manifold. The nuclear spin symmetry allowed rotational relaxation channel for the excited 10 level has an energy difference similar to those associated with the 20 and 22 levels. However, the PQ1(1) t...
The ABM treaty: looking for loopholes

The Reagan Administration argues that the developing and testing of space-based mzsszle defenses will not violate the ABM Treaty. But what were the real ltmzts and zntentions of the 1972 agreement?
Levels of common semivolatile organic compounds in settled house dust of urban dwellings

Objective To investigate levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons( PAHs),phthalate esters( PEs),polybrominated diphenyl ethers( PBDEs) and phenols in settled house dust of urban dwellings with preschoolers in Nanjing city and their health risk. Methods Totally 215 preschool-aged children were randomly selected from four largest public kindergartens in a district of Nanjing. Settled house dust in the bedroom of the children was collected with a vacuum cleaner. Fifteen PAHs,6 PEs,8 PBDEs and 5 phenols were measured. The health risks of the exposure levels were evaluated by the risk index( RI) calculated with tolerable daily intake( TDI) or reference dose( RfD) reported in the literature. Results The detection rates of all PAHs were 90%. The main PAHs were those with 4 or more rings and the maximum total PAH concentration was up to 280 μg /g. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate( DEHP) showed the highest detection rate and mass concentration. The maximum total PE concentration was up to 10 900 μg /g. The maximum decabromodiphenyl ether( BDE209) concentration was up to 9 390 ng/g. The detection rates of bisphenol A and triclosan( TCS) were 100%,with the maximum concentrations 2 490 and 42 500 ng /g,respectively. The RIs of maximum benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalents,DEHP and BDE99 intake were 2. 0,1. 8 and 4. 0,respectively. Conclusion PAHs,PEs,PBDEs and phenols are ubiquitous in urban house dust from bedrooms of preshool children in Nanjing city with high detection rate of DEHP and high concentrations of BDE-209,BpA and TCS.
Shared Genetic Etiology of Autoimmune Diseases in Patients from a Biorepository Linked to De-identified Electronic Health Records

Autoimmune diseases represent a significant medical burden affecting up to 5-8% of the U.S. population. While genetics is known to play a role, studies of common autoimmune diseases are complicated by phenotype heterogeneity, limited sample sizes, and a single disease approach. Here we performed a targeted genetic association study for cases of multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and Crohn’s disease (CD) to assess which common genetic variants contribute individually and pleiotropically to disease risk. Joint modeling and pathway analysis combining the three phenotypes were performed to identify common underlying mechanisms of risk of autoimmune conditions. European American cases of MS, RA, and CD, (n=119, 53, and 129, respectively) and 1,924 controls were identified using de-identified electronic health records (EHRs) through a combination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) billing codes, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, medications lists, and text matching. As expected, hallmark SNPs in MS, such as DQA1 rs9271366 (OR=1.91; p=0.008), replicated in the present study. Both MS and CD were associated with TIMMDC1 rs2293370 (OR = 0.27, p=0.01; OR=0.25, p=0.02; respectively). Additionally, PDE2A rs3781913 was significantly associated with both CD and RA (OR=0.46, p=0.02; OR=0.32, p=0.02; respectively). Joint modeling and pathway analysis identified variants within the KEGG NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and Shigellosis pathway as being correlated with the combined autoimmune phenotype. Our study replicated previously reported genetic associations for MS and CD in a population derived from de-identified EHRs. We found evidence to support a shared genetic etiology between CD/MS and CD/RA outside of the major histocompatibility complex region and identified KEGG pathways indicative of a bacterial pathogenesis risk for autoimmunity in a joint model. Future work to elucidate this shared etiology will be key in the development of risk models as envisioned in the era of precision medicine.
Offloading Collective Operations to Programmable Logic on a Zynq Cluster

This paper describes our architecture and implementation for offloading collective operations to programmable logic in the communication substrate. Collective operations – operations that involve communication between groups of co-operating processes – are widely used in parallel processing. The design and implementation strategies of collective operations plays a significant role in their performance and thus affects the performance of many high performance computing applications that utilize them. Collectives are central to the widely used Message Passing Interface (MPI) programming model. The programmable logic provided by FPGAs is a powerful option for creating task-specific logic to aid applications. While our work is evaluated on the Xilinx Zynq SoC, it is generally applicable in scenarios where there is programmable logic in the communication pipeline, including FPGAs on network interface cards like the NetFPGA or new systems like Intel's Xeon with on-die Altera FPGA resources. In this paper we have adapted and generalized our previous work in offloading collective operations to the NetFPGA. Here we present a general collective offloading framework for use in applications using the Message Passing Interface (MPI). The implementation is realized on the Xilinx Zynq reference platform, the Zedboard, using an Ethernet daughter card called EthernetFMC. Results from microbenchmarks are presented as well as from some scientific applications using MPI.
Ramos Sosa, Rafael, et al. La madera hecha dios. Arte, fe y devoción en torno a la pasión de Cristo. Catálogo de la exposición en la Galería Municipal de Arte Pancho Fierro. Lima: Municipalidad de Lima, 2016, 130 pp., 66 ils.

Spanish colonial art continues to be the subject of intense scholarly attention following decades of relative neglect, but most of that focus has been on the arts of architecture and painting, so colonial polychrome sculpture calls out for attention.
Derivation and validation of the SEER-Medicare MDS risk score (SMMRS).

7128 Background: The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program has been collecting data on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) since 2001. These data, when linked to Medicare claims (SEE...
Management of Small Incidental Intracranial Aneurysms

Advances in neuroimaging and its widespread use for screening have increased the diagnosis of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), including small-sized UIAs. The clinical management of these small-sized UIAs requires a patient-specific judgment of the risk of aneurysm rupture, if not treated, versus the risk of complications from surgical or endovascular treatment. Experienced cerebrovascular teams recommend treating small UIAs in young patients or in patients with more than one aneurysm rupture risk factor who also have a reasonable life expectancy. However, individual overall assessment of risk is critical for patients with UIAs to decide the next steps of care.
Stereotactic Navigation in Complex Spinal Surgery: Tips and Tricks

Stereotactic navigation has become an indispensible tool for accurately inserting spinal instrumentation and localizing hidden anatomy. The first-generation navigation systems used slow, and relatively inaccurate methods to synchronize (register) the surgical anatomy with computed tomography images obtained preoperatively. Newer systems overcome these limitations by using 3-dimensional images obtained intraoperatively to register the workstation. They also employ robust software to display the anatomy in orthogonal planes with superimposed images of surgical instruments. These innovations have dramatically improved the effectiveness of stereotactic navigation and allowed image guidance to be a routine and nearly seamless adjunct to spine surgery. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of stereotactic navigation in spine surgery, describe our methods for registration and direct referencing and share lessons learned for best practice use of this promising technology.
Characterization of the Cherenkov scatter function for use in superficial dose measurement from external beam radiation treatments

Cherenkov light is created in clinical applications involving high-energy radiation such as in radiation therapy. Due to improvements in camera sensitivity, we are now able to detect and measure Cherenkov light created during radiation therapy using linear accelerators (linacs). However, no method currently exists for using Cherenkov light to estimate the absolute radiation dose delivered to irradiated tissues. We have developed a technique to perform dosimetry with images of Cherenkov emission using deconvolution imaging techniques. The deconvolution technique relies upon the Cherenkov Scatter Function (CSF), a function that describes the scattering of Cherenkov light as it is generated by the treatment photons and propagated through tissue to the surface of the skin. In this study, the CSF was generated through Monte Carlo for 6 MV, 10 MV, and 18 MV photon beams in light, medium, dark skin, and optical tissue phantom materials. Functional dependence of on incident treatment beam angle is shown. The CSFs generated are parameterized using a double-Gaussian distribution and fit coefficients are given. Basic formulation of the deconvolution imaging equation is given to show the relationship of the CSF to x-ray beam flux.
Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis in Barley

Higher plant plastids contain multiple copies of a circular genome which encodes between 120 to 140 genes1,2,3. Many of these genes encode proteins or RNAs involved in transcription or translation. Among this group of genes are rpoA, rpoB, rpoC1, and rpoC2 which encode RNA polymerase subunits, 18 genes encoding ribosomal proteins, 4 rRNA-encoding genes and 30 tRNA genes. Another large group of plastid genes encode proteins involved in photosynthesis. These include rbcL, which encodes the large subunit of Rubisco, psaA, psaB and psaC which encode subunits of Photosystem I (PSI), psbA through psbF and psbH through psbN, which encode subunits of Photosystem II (PSII), and other genes encoding proteins of the chloroplast ATP synthase and cytochrome b6/f complexes. While the plastid genome contributes subunits to Rubisco and the electron transport units, these complexes also contain proteins encoded by nuclear genes. As a consequence, biosynthesis of these protein complexes requires coordination of plastid and nuclear gene expression.
An Instrument to Measure the Stiffness of Mems Mechanisms

The Deep Reactive Ion Etching process (DRIE) has made it possible for an increasing number of MEMS devices to be made with flexures as their main components. However, the DRIE creates slightly tapered cross sections in addition to other fabrication variance or even failure, which affect the predicted stiffness. The flexures typically move in the plane of the wafer and it is often desirable to measure the force-displacement characteristics of such flexures after fabrication to close the design feedback loop. However, to our knowledge there is no commercially available instrument to perform this task. This paper introduces an instrument specifically designed to quickly record the force-displacement curve of MEMS flexures. The first prototype features a resolution of 10 nm for the displacement, and 100 μN for the force. It has been successfully used in practice.
Control of workplace aerosols

The reduction of risk to workers associated with exposure to aerosol involves technical control measures. Inevitably, it is one of the jobs of the industrial hygienist to become involved in this process, liaising with the engineers who install and commission the necessary equipment and, afterwards, monitoring the workplace environment to check that the equipment is operating effectively. Ventilation is a major component, and this is applicable not only to aerosols but also to the control of contaminant gases and vapors. The general problem of ventilation is a broad field in its own right. But for aerosols, after air has been removed from the worksite by general or local exhaust ventilation, it is usually necessary to separate the particles from the air before the air can be discharged to outdoors or recirculated to the workplace atmosphere. For this there are a wide range of physical air cleaning options, which can be applied, and much of this chapter reviews their underlying principles.
A comparative study of buffer systems as cryoprotectants for human spermatozoa

Several cryoprotective media currently in use for human sperm cryopreservation have been directly compared with each other by use of a static vapor freezing technique. The TEST-citrate-yolk buffers with glycerol resulted in the highest motility and longevity after thawing; thus, their use is recommended.
A Game Theoretical Energy Efficient Resource Allocation Technique for Large Distributed Computing Systems.

The problem of mapping tasks onto a computational grid with the aim to minimize the power consumption and the makespan subject to the constraints of deadlines and architectural requirements is considered in this paper. To solve this problem, we propose a solution from cooperative game theory based on the concept of Nash Bargaining Solution. The proposed game theoretical technique is compared against several traditional techniques. The experimental results show that when the deadline constraints are tight, the proposed technique achieves superior performance and reports competitive performance relative to the optimal solution.
Model-based Fault Diagnostics of Servo Valves

This paper presents the application of the Extended Phase Space Topology (EPST) method in model-based diagnostics of nonlinear systems. A detailed nonlinear mathematical model of a servo electro-hydraulic system has been used to demonstrate the procedure. Two faults have been considered associated with the servo valve including the increased friction between spool and sleeve and the degradation of the permanent magnet of the valve armature. The faults have been simulated in the system by the variation of the corresponding parameters in the model and the effect of these faults on the output flow response has been investigated. A regression-based artificial neural network has been developed and trained using the EPST extracted features to estimate the original values of the faulty parameters and to identify the severity of the faults in the system.
The power unto glory: a Bonaventurean critique of Foucault's critique of power

This article puts Michel Foucault's conception of power into critical engagement with that of Bonaventure. For Foucault power is manifested in wills to knowledge or meaning-making in a senseless universe in order to legitimate the drama of dominations. Bonaventure, however, roots his notion of power in the essence of God, so that any act of power from God cannot be classified as domination, but rather donation – a free-willed gift. This is especially evident in Bonaventure's theology of creation and sacrament. As such, Bonaventure provides a way to deal with Foucault's critique theologically without dispensing with it altogether.
Phospho-substrate profiling of Epac-dependent protein kinase C activity

Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) and protein kinase A are effectors for cAMP with distinct actions and regulatory mechanisms. Epac is a Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor that activates Rap1; protein kinase C (PKC) is a major downstream target of Epac-Rap1 signaling that has been implicated in a variety of pathophysiological processes, including cardiac hypertrophy, cancer, and nociceptor sensitization leading to chronic pain. Despite the implication of both Epac and PKC in these processes, few downstream targets of Epac-PKC signaling have been identified. This study characterized the regulation of PKC activity downstream of Epac activation. Using an antibody that recognizes phospho-serine residues within the consensus sequence phosphorylated by PKC, we analyzed the 1-dimensional banding profile of PKC substrate protein phosphorylation from the Neuro2A mouse neuroblastoma cell line. Activation of Epac either indirectly by prostaglandin PGE2, or directly by 8-pCPT-2-O-Me-cAMP-AM (8pCpt), produced distinct PKC phospho-substrate protein bands that were suppressed by co-administration of the Epac inhibitor ESI09. Different PKC isoforms contributed to the induction of individual phospho-substrate bands, as determined using isoform-selective PKC inhibitors. Moreover, the banding profile after Epac activation was altered by disruption of the cytoskeleton, suggesting that the orchestration of Epac-dependent PKC signaling is regulated in part by interactions with the cytoskeleton. The approach described here provides an effective means to characterize Epac-dependent PKC activity.
Nanometer scale structural and compositional inhomogeneities of half-Heusler CoTi1-xFexSb thin films

The correlative use of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and atom probe tomography (APT) allows the structure of substitutionally alloyed half-Heusler compound CoTi1-xFexSb to be characterized at the nanometer scale. For x = 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5, XRD patterns indicate an epitaxial cube-on-cube growth with no detectable secondary phases and are suggestive of high crystalline quality for all three of the films. This is supported using atomic resolution STEM images, which revealed the absence of secondary phases or polycrystalline regions, thus confirming the half-Heusler structure of the CoTi1-xFexSb films. For all three samples, the APT reconstructions were optimized to resolve the atomic planes in the [001] growth direction allowing the exploitation of reliable datasets. The presence of Fe-rich phases in the samples with Fe atoms sitting on Ti crystallographic sites is revealed. A strong phase separation is observed for x = 0.2 and x = 0.3 and is almost no longer observed for x = 0.5 in good agreement with the magnetic properties of the films.
Innovative potential of the agricultural sector of Russia and its prospects in conditions of the Eurasian Economic Union

The paper reviews key approaches to studying agricultural innovations with the purpose of identifying its drivers at both macro- and microlevels. Acknowledging the importance of the development of Russia's agricultural sector in conditions of country's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, the paper stresses the need to quantitatively evaluate the innovative potential Russia has as an independent state and a member of the regional economic union. In order to address the aforementioned research tasks, the paper, first of all, provides a literature review on drivers of agricultural innovation, including research, education, institutional environment, etc. Then, the concept of an agricultural innovation index is discussed in the second part of the paper, including possible ways of its operationalization.