cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A web-based decision support system to enhance IPM programs in Washington tree fruit.

BACKGROUND: Integrated pest management (IPM) decision-making has become more information intensive in Washington State tree crops in response to changes in pesticide availability, the development of new control tactics (such as mating disruption) and the development of new information on pest an dn atural enemy biology. The time-sensitive nature of the information means that growers must have constant access to a single source of verified information to guide management decisions. RESULTS: The authors developed a decision support system for Washington tree fruit growers that integrates environmental data [140 Washington State University (WSU) stations plus weather forecasts from NOAA], model predictions (ten insects, four diseases and a horticultural model), management recommendations triggered by model status and a pesticide database that provides information on non-target impacts on other pestsand natural enemies. A user survey in 2008 found that the user base was providing recommendations for most of the orchards and acreage in the state, and that users estimated the value at $16 million per year. CONCLUSIONS:Thedesignofthesystemfacilitateseducationonarangeoftime-sensitivetopicsandwillmakeitpossibleeasily to incorporate other models, new management recommendationsor information from new sensors as they are developed. c !2010 Society of Chemical Industry
The Role of Laparoscopic Nephrectomy in Pediatric Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis: A Case Report

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a rare chronic renal infection characterized by the destruction of renal parenchyma. Traditional treatment involves open radical nephrectomy, which is challenging due to the inflammatory process associated with XGP. More recently, laparoscopic nephrectomy has been employed successfully in adult XGP. We present a case of a six-year-old female child with XGP who was successfully treated by laparoscopic nephrectomy with minor complications. Our case demonstrates the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic nephrectomy for childhood XGP, indicating that it should be considered a management option in such cases.
The potential use of carboxypeptidase G2 in the treatment of cancer

This article reviews recent patents (1996 - 1999) which have disclosed novel strategies for targeted cancer therapy and which have cited the enzyme carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) as a preferred component. Although the described procedures share the common goal of selectively targeting CPG2 to cancer sites so that it can be used to act catalytically on a separately administered substance, a number of different methods have been employed to achieve this aim. These include the use of polymers and antibodies as targeting vectors, the use of vectors encoding the enzyme for intra- or extracellular expression and the use of a small-molecule enzyme inhibitor. The methodology and scope of each invention is described and their advantages and disadvantages discussed within the context of the relevant scientific literature.
Approaching the Muslim Orthopaedic Patient

The privilege of caring for patients from unfamiliar backgrounds often presents a dilemma for the treating physician and the health-care team. Each unique group of people values its beliefs and ideals, and these convictions often blend with native knowledge and practices to collectively reflect expectations of appropriate, culturally competent health care. These medical practices can echo religious, cultural, or environmental factors and may reflect a combination of all of these influences. The administration of appropriate care in the context of a culturally and religiously diverse society is dependent on a physician’s knowledge of the basic principles of his or her patients’ practices and preferences. Misinterpretation, uninformed assumptions, or stereotypical behavior may lead to anger and misunderstanding and can create obstacles to the administration of ethical, informed, and professional health care. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has established a Diversity Committee to construct learning goals and educational tools to evaluate and teach cultural understanding and communication skills in residency programs1. Although the establishment of this curriculum is a key step in raising awareness of the importance of providing culturally competent care, there remains a lack of accurate and informative resource tools to which interested orthopaedic surgeons can refer. Orthopaedic surgeons must be able to provide patient care within the context of our evolving society. The purpose of this paper is to review how cultural and religious considerations apply to the Muslim orthopaedic patient. Although a great amount of attention and awareness has been placed on Islam over the past ten years, there are many cultural stereotypes and misconceptions that may compromise the administration of appropriate care to this population. Understanding the fundamentals of their beliefs and maintaining empathy to their principles of practice will help orthopaedic surgeons to provide high-quality and culturally sensitive care to their Muslim …
Group B streptococcal infections.

1. Laura Sass, MD* 1. *Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Specialty Group, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA; Pediatrics, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA. * Abbreviations: CDC: : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CPS: : capsular polysaccharides CSF: : cerebrospinal fluid EOD: : early onset disease GBS: : group B Streptococcus IAP: : intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis NAAT: : nucleic acid amplification test UTI: : urinary tract infection In 2010, revised guidelines were published with updated algorithms for group B Streptococcus screening, intrapartum prophylaxis, antibiotic doses, and revised management for newborns. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Know the mode of transmission of group B Streptococcus (GBS) and the peripartum risk factors associated with a high risk of infection. 2. Know the major clinical manifestations of GBS and be able to differentiate the epidemiology and clinical presentation of early onset GBS disease from that of late-onset disease. 3. Know the laboratory testing for GBS: isolation, antigen detection, and susceptibility tests. 4. Know the treatment of GBS infections: drugs of choice, alternative drugs, and ineffective drugs. 5. Review the most recent guidelines for the prevention of perinatal GBS disease. 1. Understand the importance of maternal screening tests for GBS. 2. Know the criteria for the treatment of mothers known to be GBS carriers at the time of delivery. 3. Differentiate the prevention of early onset disease from that of late onset. Group B Streptococcus (GBS), or Streptococcus agalactiae , is an encapsulated gram-positive diplococcus that produces a narrow zone of β-hemolysis on blood agar and generally is resistant to bacitracin. GBS can be further differentiated by type-specific capsular polysaccharides (CPS) and protein antigens. Current circulating serotypes include Ia, Ib, Ia/c, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX. GBS initially was believed to be a bovine mastitis pathogen, but cases of puerperal sepsis in humans were described in the 1930s. The organism then became more prominent in the 1970s as a cause of maternal and neonatal disease. The most common maternal manifestations are asymptomatic bacteriuria, urinary tract infection (UTI), bacteremia, chorioamnionitis, and endometritis. In …
The Low Cost Carrier Revolution Continues: Evidence From The US Airline Industry

Over the past twenty years the US airline industry has been marked by the intense competition between the Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) and the Full-Service Carrier (FSCs). The fundamental differences between the two business models are reflected in considerable cost advantages of the LCCs. In this paper, I use a set of model specific metrics to investigate whether the competitive process has led to convergence in some of the key features of the competing models. I conclude that despite some evidence of convergence along certain dimensions, the LCCs are not ready to abandon the core LCC model.
Loss of p27Kip1 function results in increased proliferative capacity of oligodendrocyte progenitors but unaltered timing of differentiation

In many tissues, progenitor cells permanently withdraw from the cell cycle prior to commitment towards a differentiated phenotype. In the oligodendrocyte lineage a counting mechanism has been proposed, linking the number of cell divisions to growth arrest and differentiation. A direct prediction of this model is that an increase in the number of cell divisions would result in a delayed onset of differentiation. Since the cell cycle inhibitor p27Kip1 is an essential component of the machinery leading to oligodendrocyte progenitor growth arrest, we examined the temporal relationship between cell cycle withdrawal and expression of late differentiation markers in vivo, in mice carrying a targeted deletion in the p27Kip1 gene. Using bromodeoxyuridine to label proliferating cells, quaking (QKI) to identify embryonic glial progenitors, NG2 to identify neonatal oligodendrocyte progenitors, and myelin basic protein to label differentiated oligodendrocytes, we found an increased number of proliferating QKI- and NG2-positive cells in germinal zones of p27Kip1(−/−) mice at the peak of gliogenesis. However, no delay was observed in these mice in the appearance of the late differentiation marker myelin basic protein in the developing corpus callosum and cerebellum. Significantly, a decrease in cyclin E levels was observed in the brain of p27Kip1 null mice coincident with oligodendrocyte growth arrest. We conclude that two distinct modalities of growth arrest occur in the oligodendrocyte lineage: a p27Kip1-dependent mechanism of growth arrest affecting proliferation in early phases of gliogenesis, and a p27Kip1-independent event leading to withdrawal from the cell cycle and differentiation.
Preventing adverse drug events.

Puzzled by problems with medication mix-ups and other common causes of adverse drug events? Follow these practical guidelines to promote a culture of medication safety in your facility.
Channel Changes: An Examination of Ownership Change in Franchise Firms

In a system whose underpinnings are standardization and consistency, change can be disruptive and detrimental to its members. Arguably, one of the more important changes that can take place in a franchise is a change in ownership. Although franchise agreements typically cover a 10- to 20-year period, not all franchisees maintain their ownership throughout the term of their agreement. Some franchisees sell their businesses, while a number of franchisees acquire additional outlets. The impact of ownership change in franchise systems is not well understood, and the question of what happens when franchises change ownership remains largely unanswered. This study examines change of ownership in franchise systems. Case studies of two franchisees are presented: One franchisee who acquired a second franchise, and another who sold her business two and one-half years after purchasing it. In both cases, positive outcomes were realized for both the current and the former franchisees. Increased sales under the...
On the Merging of Geometric Models Based on Hierarchical Context

Recently, efforts have been made to define the role of “context” in the Product Realization Process. This paper treats only a small slice of this problem and applies the notion of context to the automatic merging of geometric models created with the computer graphics language OpenGL. Context can be thought of as a set of properties or environmental variables of some entity that constrains or governs the behavior of that entity. The entity in this case is a three-dimensional geometric model and its context is the set of properties for viewing that model: lighting, viewing parameters, material reflective properties, colour. Now suppose a geometric model is made up of a collection of sub-models, each within its own context. If each context is associated with an integer, then the contexts can be ordered hierarchically. Thus the topmost context in the hierarchy becomes the global context for all the sub-models in the collection. Stated in another way, once a contextual hierarchy is defined, then the structure for combining these sub-models is established independently of when and in what individual contexts the sub-models are created. Consequently, context allows a concurrent generation of models within a formalized structure that automatically deals with conflict resolution — albeit in a limited way in this work. This paper describes a compiler in XML that will merge the OpenGL files automatically.
Autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia using busulfan plus etoposide as a preparative regimen

We have studied the use of a new preparative regimen for the treatment of patients in remission of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with autologous bone marrow transplantation. Chemotherapy consisted of busulfan 1 mg/kg every 6 hours for 4 days (total dose, 16 mg/kg) on days -7 through -4 followed by an intravenous infusion over 6 to 10 hours of etoposide 60 mg/kg on day -3. Autologous bone marrow, treated in vitro with 100 micrograms/mL of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide, was infused on day 0. We have treated 58 patients up to the age of 60 years, 32 in first remission, 21 in second or third remission, and 5 with primary refractory AML unresponsive to high-dose Ara-C, but achieving remission with aggressive salvage regimens. Of the first remission patients, there has been 1 treatment related death and 5 relapses. With median follow-up of 22 months, the actuarial relapse rate is 22% +/- 9% and disease-free survival is 76% +/- 9% at 3 years. Patients with favorable French-American-British (FAB) subtypes (M3 or M4 EO) did especially well, with no relapses seen in 15 patients observed for a median of 30 months. Actuarial relapse rate at 3 years was 48% for first remission patients with less favorable FAB subtypes. Of patients in second or third remission, there were 5 treatment related deaths and 4 relapses. With median follow-up of 22 months, the actuarial relapse rate is 25% +/- 11% and disease-free survival is 56% +/- 11% at 3 years. Four of five primary refractory patients died during treatment and 1 remains in remission with short follow-up. These preliminary data are very encouraging and, if confirmed, support the use of autologous purged bone marrow transplantation using aggressive preparative regimens as one approach to improve the outcome of adults with AML.
Therapeutic Substitution: The West Virginia Success Story

Substance abuse in pregnancy, particularly with opioids, has become a major source of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in the USA. Various strategies have emerged for dealing with this new epidemic in healthcare of pregnant women. Therapeutic substitution in an outpatient setting has recently emerged as a viable and robust method of care for pregnant patients.
Thermoacoustic imaging and spectroscopy for breast cancer detection applications

Thermoacoustic imaging (TAI) is a promising hybrid modality for breast cancer detection utilizing the advantages of microwave and ultrasound. This paper presents a summary of our research work on TAI and spectroscopy for breast cancer detection.
New Functions and Potential Applications of Amino Acids.

Currently, several types of amino acids are being produced and used worldwide. Nevertheless, several new functions of amino acids have been recently discovered that could result in other applications. For example, oral stimulation by glutamate triggers the cephalic phase response to prepare for food digestion. Further, the stomach and intestines have specific glutamate-recognizing systems in their epithelial mucosa. Regarding clinical applications, addition of monosodium glutamate to the medicinal diet has been shown to markedly enhance gastric secretion in a vagus-dependent manner. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are the major components of muscles, and ingestion of BCAAs has been found to be effective for decreasing muscle pain. BCAAs are expected to be a solution for the serious issue of aging. Further, ingestion of specific amino acids could be beneficial. Glycine can be ingested for good night’s sleep: glycine ingestion before bedtime significantly improved subjective sleep quality. Ingestion of alanine and glutamine effectively accelerates alcohol metabolism, and ingestion of cystine and theanine effectively prevents colds. Finally, amino acids could be used in a novel clinical diagnostic method: the balance of amino acids in the blood could be an indicator of the risk of diseases such as cancer. These newly discovered functions of amino acids are expected to contribute to the resolution of various issues.
The Times of Ronald Aylmer Fisher

By the time Fisher began to mature as a scholar, theories of evolution and eugenics were already spawning a nascent literature in statistics. Charles Darwin had argued that the natural variations of human qualities are adaptive and evolve over time, while his cousin, Francis Galton, had shown that variations are inherited. Pearson had concluded that such subtleties could not be observed. But, Fisher subsequently produced a paper that showed that such correlations could be observed, and, in doing so, also established the field of biometric genetics. At the same time, he introduced into the statistical vocabulary the term variance , and produced the methodology analysis of variance. Clearly, Fisher’s observations were astute and his contribution profound. But he did so at odds with the then established monarch of modern statistics, Karl Pearson.
Quantification of Antioxidant Properties in Popular Leaf and Bottled Tea by High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Spectrophotometry, and Voltammetry

ABSTRACTPolyphenols in plants such as tea may offer many health benefits. The leaf and bottled teas available on the market today are advertised with a strong emphasis on their antioxidant properties. In this study, we have quantified the total polyphenol, flavonoid, and theaflavin concentrations by simple colorimetric methods, measured the reactivity of polyphenols using direct and indirect oxidation methods, and identified specific polyphenols present using high-performance liquid chromatography in a variety of commercially available teas. We find that, per given volume, freshly brewed teas are richer in polyphenols and reactivity by a factor five or more compared to bottled teas. Within the brewed and bottled categories, white and green teas are richer in antioxidants than oolong and black teas although the differences are less than a factor of two. We also find that the presence of additives causes changes in antioxidant properties such as an enhancement in Cranberry Orange tea and a reduction in Earl...
Affordable Care Act Changes To Medicare Led To Increased Diagnoses Of Early-Stage Colorectal Cancer Among Seniors

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) helped make preventive care, including recommended cancer screening, more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans. Using population-based data from the Sur...
Error analysis of primal discontinuous Galerkin methods for a mixed formulation of the Biot equations

Abstract A novel mixed formulation of the Biot equations of poroelasticity is proposed motivated by an application in the biomechanics of edema formation in intestinal tissue. The mixed formulation is discretized by two variants of the primal discontinuous Galerkin method in conjunction with a backward Euler timestepping. An a-priori error analysis for the symmetric and non-symmetric establishes rates of convergence in the L 2 and energy norms. Convergence of the scheme is further investigated numerically.
Influence of a wall on the three-dimensional dynamics of a vortex pair

In this paper, we are interested in perturbed vortices under the influence of a wall or ground plane. Such flows have relevance to aircraft wakes in ground effect, to ship hull junction flows, to fundamental studies of turbulent structures close to a ground plane and to vortex generator flows, among others. In particular, we study the vortex dynamics of a descending vortex pair, which is unstable to a long-wave instability (Crow, AIAA J., vol. 8 (12), 1970, pp. 2172–2179), as it interacts with a horizontal ground plane. Flow separation on the wall generates opposite-sign secondary vortices which in turn induce the ‘rebound’ effect, whereby the primary vortices rise up away from the wall. Even small perturbations in the vortices can cause significant topological changes in the flow, ultimately generating an array of vortex rings which rise up from the wall in a three-dimensional ‘rebound’ effect. The resulting vortex dynamics is almost unrecognizable when compared with the classical Crow instability. If the vortices are generated below a critical height over a horizontal ground plane, the long-wave instability is inhibited by the wall. We then observe two modes of vortex–wall interaction. For small initial heights, the primary vortices are close together, enabling the secondary vortices to interact with each other, forming vertically oriented vortex rings in what we call a ‘vertical rings mode’. In the ‘horizontal rings mode’, for larger initial heights, the Crow instability develops further before wall interaction; the peak locations are farther apart and the troughs closer together upon reaching the wall. The proximity of the troughs to each other and the wall increases vorticity cancellation, leading to a strong axial pressure gradient and axial flow. Ultimately, we find a series of small horizontal vortex rings which ‘rebound’ from the wall. Both modes comprise two small vortex rings in each instability wavelength, distinct from Crow instability vortex rings, only one of which is formed per wavelength. The phenomena observed here are not limited to the above perturbed vortex pairs. For example, remarkably similar phenomena are found where vortex rings impinge obliquely with a wall.
Completion of an Outpatient Visit After Skilled Nursing Facility Discharge and Readmission Risk

Abstract Objectives Examine the association between completion of an outpatient visit with a physician or advanced practice provider (PCP) within 7 days of discharge from a short skilled nursing facility (SNF) stay and 30-day readmission and determine if functional status at discharge moderates visit effectiveness. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Large integrated health care system. Participants Adults 65 years and older, discharged home from a short SNF stay (n = 4073). Intervention None. Measurements Exposure is completion of an outpatient visit with a PCP within 7 days of discharge from an SNF. Primary outcome is readmission within 30 days of SNF discharge. Covariates included gender, risk score for readmission or early death, medical or surgical hospitalization, SNF facility, SNF length of stay, SNF stay in the previous 12 months, discharge to home or home health, and discharge functional independence measures (FIM). Results A total of 476 (11.6%) patients were readmitted within 30 days of SNF discharge. Patients who completed an outpatient visit with a PCP within 7 days of SNF discharge had a 23% higher risk of being readmitted compared to patients who did not complete any visit (hazard ratio [HR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.50). Patients who had FIM scores ≥80 and completed a visit had an increased readmission risk (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04–1.79); the increased risk was not seen for those with worse functional impairment, FIM Conclusion The finding of increased risk of readmission post SNF discharge with completion of an outpatient visit likely reflects inadequate adjustment for selection bias in this observational study, which strongly argues for the need to design prospective studies to test transitional care services post SNF discharge.
Nonprofit Growth and Decline During Economic Uncertainty

ABSTRACTDuring times of economic uncertainty, why are some human service organizations able to grow while others fail? In this paper, we present qualitative data on differences in the institutional logics adopted and managerial strategies used by child and youth–serving organizations during the 2008–2012 recession. We compare organizations that grew with those that experienced decline, looking particularly at those organizations with increased versus decreased dependency on government funds. We find differences in service population allowed some organizations to remain successful within a government-partnership logic; others faced decline if they did not entrepreneurially adopt a market logic.
Investigation of high-speed shaft bearing loads in wind turbine gearboxes through dynamometer testing

Many wind turbine gearboxes require repair or replacement well before reaching the end of their design life. The most common failure is bearing axial cracks, commonly called white etching cracks (WECs), which typically occur in the inner raceways of the high-speed parallel-stage rolling element bearings. Although the root causes of WECs are debated, one theory is that they are related to routine dynamic operating conditions and occasional transient events prevalent in wind turbines that can result in high bearing stress and sliding of the rolling elements. This paper examined wind turbine gearbox high-speed shaft bearing loads and stresses through modeling and full-scale dynamometer testing. Bearing outer race loads were directly measured and predicted using a variety of modeling tools in normal operations, misaligned conditions, and transient events particularly prone to bearing sliding. Test data and models of bearing loads were well correlated. Neither operational misalignment due to rotor moments nor static generator misalignment affected the bearing loads when compared with pure-torque conditions. Thus, it is not likely that generator misalignment is a causal factor of WECs. In contrast, during transient events, the bearings experienced alternating periods of high stress, torque reversals, and loads under the minimum requisite at high rotating speeds while showing indications of sliding, all of which could be related to the formation of WECs.
Easy Printing of High Viscous Microdots by Spontaneous Breakup of Thin Fibers

Electrohydrodynamic jetting is emerging as a successful technique for printing inks with resolutions well beyond those offered by conventional inkjet printers. However, the variety of printable inks is still limited to those with relatively low viscosities (typically <20 mPa s) due to nozzle clogging problems. Here, we show the possibility of printing ordered microdots of high viscous inks such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) by exploiting the spontaneous breakup of a thin fiber generated through nozzle-free pyro-electrospinning. The PLGA fiber is deposited onto a partially wetting surface, and the breakup is achieved simply by applying an appropriate thermal stimulation, which is able to induce polymer melting and hence a mechanism of surface area minimization due to the Plateau–Rayleigh instability. The results show that this technique is a good candidate for extending the printability at the microscale to high viscous inks, thus extending their applicability to additional applications, such as ...
Modeling and design of electromagnetic and piezoelectric chest strain energy harvesters including soft tissue effects

Breathing produces chest motion 24 hours a day, hence it is ideal for continuous energy harvesting of up to milliwatt scale power levels. A soft band wrapped around the chest can extend by centimeters at relatively low force levels. A stiff band extends at higher force levels but with some discomfort to the user. Chest strain energy harvesters must balance power generation and the soft tissue compression associated with user discomfort. This paper explores the modeling and analysis of wearable chest strain energy harvesters that use electromagnetic generators and piezoelectric polymers including the effects of soft tissue compliance. Electromagnetic generators are shown to produce more power than piezoelectric polymers during deep breathing. During shallow breathing, however, the polymer harvester performs better because static friction and soft tissue compression limit power generation in the electromagnetic harvester.
Trends and fluctuations in the severity of interstate wars

Since 1945, there have been relatively few large interstate wars, especially compared to the preceding 30 years, which included both World Wars. This pattern, sometimes called the long peace, is highly controversial. Does it represent an enduring trend caused by a genuine change in the underlying conflict-generating processes? Or is it consistent with a highly variable but otherwise stable system of conflict? Using the empirical distributions of interstate war sizes and onset times from 1823 to 2003, we parameterize stationary models of conflict generation that can distinguish trends from statistical fluctuations in the statistics of war. These models indicate that both the long peace and the period of great violence that preceded it are not statistically uncommon patterns in realistic but stationary conflict time series. This fact does not detract from the importance of the long peace or the proposed mechanisms that explain it. However, the models indicate that the postwar pattern of peace would need to endure at least another 100 to 140 years to become a statistically significant trend. This fact places an implicit upper bound on the magnitude of any change in the true likelihood of a large war after the end of the Second World War. The historical patterns of war thus seem to imply that the long peace may be substantially more fragile than proponents believe, despite recent efforts to identify mechanisms that reduce the likelihood of interstate wars.
Roots of Russian Organized Crime

As mentioned in Chapter 1, countries undergoing social and legal transformations typically experience a slight, but relatively insignificant increase in crime. This crime may take essentially two forms: illicit acts (1) committed by isolated individuals or small groups of individuals acting in a nonsystematic way, and (2) committed by organized crime groups. In the case of successor states of the former Soviet Union; criminologists, political scientists, and sociologists are in agreement that organized crime is a major, and perhaps the most important factor, hindering their economic, political, and social development. The activities of organized crime have repercussions, which are felt well beyond the borders of the former Eastern Bloc. Because of globalization, criminality in contemporary Russia and her neighboring countries has an impact on the quality of life and the security of citizens throughout the world. For example, the threats posed by the illicit trade with nuclear materials, narcotics, and human trafficking, and other types of crime, have a strong East–West dimension.
Quantitative plasma amino acid values in leukemic blood.

1. Quantitative methods for analysis of free amino acids in plasma have been performed on blood from normal and leukemic individuals. 2. An increase in the glutamic acid phenylalanine and "leucine" levels was found in the blood plasma of patients with acute leukemia. 3. Both the chronic myelogenous and the chronic lymphatic leukemia patients had high levels of glutamic acid, phenylalanine, alanine and proline. 4. Lower than normal levels of asparagine and threonine were found in the plasma of patients with acute leukemia.
Heme Oxygenase-1 and Transplantation

The discovery of nitric oxide (NO) in 1987 unraveled the novel concept that an endogenous production of a gaseous substance such as NO can impart diverse and critical functional effects on a wide spectrum of biological and pathological processes. These investigations have led to numerous fruitful discoveries, enhancing our understanding of many disease processes including lung disorders. Interestingly though, we have known for a longer period of time that there exists another gaseous molecule, carbon monoxide (CO), which can be generated endogenously; that is, the heme oxygenase (HO) enzyme system generates the majority, if not, all of the endogenous CO’. Since the isolation of the HO enzyme in 1968, the major focus of HO research was in the study of HO in heme metabolism based on the known fact that the HO enzyme serves as the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme. However, in recent years, due to the emerging role of HO in a variety of biological processes, interest in HO has continued to grow beyond its role in heme metabolism and expanded into many scientific disciplines. The recent discovery of the HO enzyme system not only in yeast, but also in the prokaryotic bacterial system and in plants further highlights the functional importance of a highly conserved enzyme throughout the evolution of living organisms’.
Key Concepts, Theories, and Issues in African/Black Psychology: A View From the Bridge:

An impressive body of psychological literature exists that attests to the amount of intellectual labor put forth by Black psychologists in developing and implementing unique approaches to understan...
Non-axisymmetric dilatation of a thick-walled aortic aneurysmal tissue

Abstract The objective of this paper is to use the constrained mixture theory of growth and remodeling to simulate the non-axisymmetric dilatation of a thick-walled aortic aneurysmal tissue. The primary load carrying constituents of the vascular tissue are elastin and collagen and the contribution of smooth muscle cells is secondary and therefore not included. In the homeostatic state a blood vessel is in a mechanobiologically stable regime. Hence, a loss of wall material is compensated by production of new material without a significant dilatation of the artery. Using the theory we find that a local degradation of the matrix material produces a mechanobiologically unstable regime that causes aneurysm formation. It induces an increase of mass locally achieved via production of new material that exceeds the removal of old material. The combined effects of loss of elastin, degradation of existing and deposition of new collagen as well as remodeling results in a continuous enlargement of the aneurysm bulge. Numerical results are included to verify and validate the theory.
Persistence of elevated concentrations of PM, affiliated pharmaceuticals, and tetracycline resistance genes downwind of feedyards

Beef cattle feedyards have been identified as sources of large amounts of particulate matter (PM) which may transport affiliated chemicals including steroids, beta agonists, and antibiotics from feedyards into the environment. This study is the first to examine persistence of PM-affiliated pharmaceuticals downwind of feedyards using multiple downwind samples collected at increasing distances from feedyard boundaries (n = 5). Concentrations of antibiotics and ractopamine per gram of PM remained consistent at all downwind locations (out to 4.8 km) whereas concentrations per m3 air decreased significantly at distances between 0.1 and 0.7 km downwind, corresponding to significant decreases in mass of PM. Monensin was present in the highest concentrations of any measured pharmaceutical, with concentrations of 37 μg/g PM (376 ng/m3) air in samples collected within 0.1 km downwind of feedyards. Total copy count of tetracycline resistance genes (tetW, tetQ, tetO, tetM, tetL, and tetB) were also significantly increased in samples collected within 0.1 km downwind of feedyards (106 copies) as compared to samples collected upwind (103 copies) and farther downwind (104 copies) of feedyard boundaries. These results suggest that transport of pharmaceutical-laden PM into the terrestrial environment is occurring primarily via PM deposition within 0.7 km of the feedyard, while aerial transport persists over longer distances (>4.8 km).
Narratives of a lost space: A semiotic analysis of central courtyards in Iranian cinema

Abstract Most constructions in Iranian cities today neglect the traditional principles of design, particularly the rules on spatial hierarchy. This interdisciplinary study deploys cinematic analysis to understand the multidimensional aspects of architectural spaces and to investigate the different functions of the “central courtyard,” an important space in traditional Iranian architecture. In addition, this study demonstrates how films provide a perspective for architects to improve their understanding of the dynamics of space. A semiotic analysis of two films, namely, “The Deer” (1974) and “Mum׳s Guest” (2004), reveals that the central courtyard creates a sequence between public and private realms and, as a semi-private space, provides time and opportunities for residents to react to outside events. Spatial fluidity and connectivity, collaborative activities, and empathy can be the other outcomes of this space, in which residents become familiar with one another׳s lives.
Gendered walkability: Building a daytime walkability index for women

Urban walkability is influenced both by built environment features and by pedestrian demographics. Research has shown that factors influencing women’s walking differ from those affecting men’s. Using a mixed-method approach, this study creates a new women-specific, GIS-based walkability index using San Francisco as a case study, and answers two questions: Which variables most influence women’s propensity to walk? And Does the leading walkability index, Walk Score, reflect women’s walkability? Focus group participants (n=17) ranked crime, homelessness and street/sidewalk cleanliness as the three most influencing factors on women’s walkability, accounting for 58% to 67% of the Women’s Walkability Index’s total score. The least walkable areas in San Francisco, according to this index, are rated as some of the most walkable neighborhoods in the city by Walk Score, despite high crime and homelessness density. Walk Score is negatively correlated with the new Women’s Walkability Index (Spearman’s rho = -0.585) and inaccurately represents women’s walkability. If the new index accurately captures the reality of women’s walking, then some of the most widely accepted conventions about what kind of areas promote walking could be inaccurate when it comes to women.
Interaction of Rhizoctonia solani and Leuconostoc spp. causing sugar beet root rot and tissue pH changes in Idaho

Late season Rhizoctonia root rot in sugar beet is a serious yield limiting disease problem caused by an interaction between Rhizoctonia solani and Leuconostoc spp. in Idaho. To better understand th...
Being in a Position to Know is the Norm of Assertion

This paper defends a new norm of assertion: Assert that p only if you are in a position to know that p. We test the norm by judging its performance in explaining three phenomena that appear jointly inexplicable at first: Moorean paradoxes, lottery propositions, and selfless assertions. The norm succeeds by tethering unassertability to unknowability while untethering belief from assertion. The PtK‐norm foregrounds the public nature of assertion as a practice that can be other‐regarding, allowing asserters to act in the best interests of their audience when psychological pressures would otherwise prevent them from communicating the knowable truth.
Carbon Hybrid Dots

Carbon-based/carbon-derived hybrid dots or simply carbon hybrid dots share similar structural features with CDots, but the core in individual dots is a broadly defined mixture of nanoscale carbon with other elements, molecules, and/or nanomaterials. Among the carbon hybrid dots highlighted are the following: (1) “host–guest” CDots, in which the carbon core hosts the selected organic dye species as guest, primarily for the purpose of extending the spectral coverage into the red/near-IR for improved bioimaging and other applications; (2) CDots of the core carbon nanoparticles doped with an inorganic salt, combined with the typical organic functionalization–passivation, for substantially enhanced fluorescence performance and related photoexcited state properties; (3) various nanoscale carbon–TiO2 mixtures/composites as cores in the hybrid dots, corresponding to very different photoexcited state properties and redox characteristics; and (4) similar dot configurations to some of those in (3) for the incorporation of magnetic elements into dot structures for optical–magnetic dual-modality hybrid dots.
Prevention and Survivability for Power Distribution Resilience: A Multi-Criteria Renewables Expansion Model

Distributed energy resources are capable of enhancing grid resilience through island operations in contingency. This paper proposes a multi-year, multi-criteria generation expansion model to achieve distribution power resilience through renewable energy integration. In cases that distribution circuits or fuel lifeline are destroyed post natural disasters, wind- and solar-based generators form island microgrids to power the critical load. The goal is to determine the sizing, siting and maintenance of distributed energy resources such that system cost and power shortage in contingency are minimized. Moment methods and central limit theorem are used to characterize the spatial climate uncertainty, generation intermittency, and voltage variation. The research contributions are twofold. First, the expansion model achieves triple goals by meeting the annual load growth, reducing the carbon footprint, and enhancing the grid resilience manifested as prevention and survivability. Second, we present an improved direct zigzag algorithm to search for the Pareto solutions. Numerical examples show that the zigzag search outperforms evolutionary-based algorithms as it can identify higher-quality non-dominant solutions by exploring a wider Pareto frontier.
Modelling and Data Analysis for Longitudinal Dietary Intervention

Two trials essentially designed to reduce weight will be used as illustrations of modelling issues and data analyses. The first study is a randomized trial intervening on percent fat calories and exercise to bring weight, percent fat calories and specific lipid measures to appropriate levels. The study was designed principally by David Heber and Robert M. Elashoff. Certain aspects of this study were reported in Preventive Medicine, 1992. Up to five measurement times are to be observed. The second study is a weight reduction single arm trial, which, except for the specific intervention, has a rather standard design. The first 100 days of the study will be considered; observations were to be carried out weekly as is customary in such trials. Both of these trials were designed and implemented is a state-of-the-art way.
Analysis of endemic situation of schistosomiasis based on geographic information system (GIS) in Wuhan City in 2017

Objective To analyze the endemic sitaution of schistosomiasis based on geographic information system (GIS) in Wuhan City in 2017, so as to provide the reference for further schistosomiasis control activities. Methods According to the data of the annual report on the prevention and control of schistosomiasis in Wuhan City in 2017, the spatial database regarding the endemic situation of schistosomiasis was established and analyzed by ArcMap 10.2. Results The 593 schistosomiasis-endemic villages in Wuhan City were mainly located in the Yangtze River and its major tributaries. Kernel density analysis showed that the endemic villages of three regions with the highest density was located in the west of Caidian District (Zhuru Street), the east of Hannan District (Shamao Street) and the southwest corner of Xinzhou District (Yangluo Street). The sero-positive population was densely distributed in the West of Caidian District (Zhuru Street), which accounted for 34.23% of all seruo-positives in the city. There were 492 farming cattle fenced in Donggan Village in Hongbei Street of Caidian District. A higher density of the area with Oncomelania hupensis snails was located in the southwest region of Caidian District (Xiaosi Street), accounting for 31.22% of the total area with snails. In 2017, the re-emerging area with snails was 36.60 hm2. The high kernel density region with snails was located in Zhuru Street of Caidian District. The region with high density of living snails was located in the central region of Hannan District (Hongbei Production Brigade), the average density of living snails was 0.36 snails/0.1 m2. Conclusions The endemic situation of schistosomiasis is at a low level in Wuhan City, and the spatial distribution is not uniform. In some local areas, the historical endemic situation of schistosomiasis is serious and the high risk factors are more concentrated. It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of schistosomiasis.
PP2A-Cdc55 is responsible for mitotic arrest in DNA re-replicating cells in S. cerevisiae

Abstract The cell cycle is an ordered process in which cells replicate their DNA in S-phase and divide them into two identical daughter cells in mitosis. DNA replication takes place only once per cell cycle to preserve genome integrity, which is tightly regulated by Cyclin Dependent Kinase (CDK). Formation of the pre-replicative complex, a platform for origin licensing, is inhibited through CDK-dependent phosphorylation. Failure of this control leads to re-licensing, re-replication and DNA damage. Eukaryotic cells have evolved surveillance mechanisms to maintain genome integrity, termed cell cycle checkpoints. It has been shown that the DNA damage checkpoint is activated upon the induction of DNA re-replication and arrests cell cycle in mitosis in S. cerevisiae. In this study, we show that PP2A-Cdc55 is responsible for the metaphase arrest induced by DNA re-replication, leading to dephosphorylation of APC component, Exclusion of Cdc55 from the nucleus bypassed the mitotic arrest and resulted in enhanced cell lethality in re-replicating cells. The metaphase arrest in re-replication cells was retained in the absence of Mad2, a key component of the spindle assembly checkpoint. Moreover, re-replicating cells showed the same rate of DNA damage induction in the presence or absence of Cdc55. These results indicate that PP2A-Cdc55 maintains metaphase arrest upon DNA re-replication and DNA damage through APC inhibition.
Oral Health Status Among Adults With and Without Prior Active Duty Service in the U.S. Armed Forces, NHANES 2011-2014.

Introduction Many veterans qualify for health benefits but generally not dental care. This study examines differences in oral health status between veterans and nonveterans in the U.S. to determine how various factors, including socioeconomic, general health, and tobacco use, impact former service members' oral health. Materials and methods Data from 11,539 dentate adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2014) were used. Outcome variables included decayed teeth (DT), missing teeth (MT), filled teeth (FT), caries experience (DMFT), and periodontitis (PD). Covariates included demographic and socioeconomic factors, deployment, smoking, depression, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Logistic regression modelling was used to assess associations between these factors and oral health outcomes. Results Veterans represent about 9% of the U.S. population. There was a higher prevalence of PD, MT, FT, and DMFT among veterans than nonveterans. Veterans were more likely to have PD (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.5) and higher DMFT (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.4 to 3.4); however, after controlling for other covariates, military service was only associated with FT (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.6) and higher DMFT (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.9). Conclusions Because veterans are more likely to originate from groups at a higher risk for poor oral health (older adults, smokers, males, diabetics), the prevalence of adverse oral health conditions are higher among veterans compared to nonveterans. Overall, military service is not associated with PD or untreated dental caries but is associated with indicators suggesting veterans have had more dental treatment (FT and DMFT). There is substantial unmet oral health care need primarily related to periodontitis among veterans.