cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Yield of a 14 Day Ambulatory ECG Recorder in Patients With Suspected Syncope

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic yield of a leadless continuous ECG recording patch (Zio) worn for up to 14 days in patients with prior syncopal history. Introduction: Ambulatory heart rhythm recording is a mainstay in the work-up of unexplained syncope. The diagnostic yield of older devices such as Holter and external event recorders is low, raising the question of the optimal ECG monitoring device and duration for the evaluation of syncope. We sought to assess the diagnostic yield of a leadless continuous ECG recording patch (Zio) worn for up to 14 days in patients with prior syncopal history. Methods: ECG tracings and patient reported symptoms from devices prescribed by an academic cardiology practice for a history of syncope were reviewed. Symptoms were documented by patients via a trigger button as well as by diary entry. Arrhythmias were defined as: pause greater than 3 seconds, bradycardia less than 40bpm, supraventricular tachycardia lasting longer than 30 seconds and sustained ventricular tachycardia. Results: From 12/ 2010-11/2014, sixty-eight patients were identified from a database of 1030 unique patient studies, 71% female, with a mean age 52 (range 16-102). The average monitoring period was 7d 10hrs (range 2d 9hrs to 14d). A total of 12 arrhythmias were captured in 5 patients (4 patients with 1 arrhythmia, 1 patient with 8). Bradycardia !40bpm occurred in 4 patients (6%), pause O3 seconds in 1 patient (1.5%) and supraventricular tachycardia O30 seconds in 1 patient (1.5%). Two hundred and twenty two triggers (3.3 per pt, range 0-33) and 120 diary entries (1.8 per pt, range 0-8) were recorded. There were 45 diary entries for pre-syncope and none for syncope. None of the triggers or documented symptoms correlated with the captured arrhythmias. Conclusion: Among patients strongly suspected of an arrhythmic basis for syncope, the diagnostic yield of patch recording up to 14 days in capturing significant arrhythmias is low. However, syncopal events were not documented during the wear period. These results would support the use of ECG monitoring systems with even longer recording windows and quick patient accessibility such as implantable devices or smart-phone connected patient acquired ECG systems.
Therapeutic Immune Tolerance Approaches for the Treatment of Allergic Disease

Induction of antigen-specific immune tolerance is the desired goal for the treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases and protection of transplanted cells and tissues. In the context of allergy, specific immunotherapy (SIT) is the only treatment option that directly targets the Th2 bias underlying allergy, but requires a long period of dose escalation with soluble antigen and carries a significant risk of adverse reactions. In this chapter, we discuss the role of Th2 cells and B cells in mediating allergic reactions and explain more recent alternate methods of inducing tolerance for the treatment of allergic disease. These include the intravenous administration of apoptotic leukocytes complexed with antigen or biodegradable poly(lactide- co -glycolide) nanoparticles encapsulating antigen [PLG(Ag)]. PLG(Ag) nanoparticles effectively inhibit Th2 responses and allergic inflammation both prophylactically and therapeutically and are being clinically developed for allergy therapy.
Control of larvae of the common cattle grub (Diptera: Oestridae) with animal systemic insecticides.

Small groups of government-owned cattle were given titrated dosages of labeled animal systemic insecticides suggested for systemic control of larvae of the common cattle grub, Hypoderma lineatum (Villers). Data on the effectiveness of these replicated treatments were combined and subjected to probit analysis. Of 10 treatments suggested for control of cattle grubs, the label-listed dosages of coumaphos spray, crufomate pouron (EC diluted with water or 12% ready to use), fenthion pouron, phosmet spray or pouron, and trichlorfon pouron exceeded the calculated LD90. Also, the highest level of the label-listed dosage of fenthion Spotton, but not the minimum level, exceeded the calculated LD90. Although the label-listed dosage of famphur pouron afforded practical control (>89%) of cattle grubs, the calculated LD90 exceeded the label-listed dosage because of the effectiveness of lower dosages. With 4% pouron of coumaphos, the label-listed dosage failed to exceed the calculated LD90 dosage. Subcutaneous injections of Ivermectin, Merck MK-933 (22,23-dihydroavermectin Bl), were highly effective systemically at dosages of 0.2 µg/kg to 200 µg/kg; the calculated LD90 was about 0.1 µg/kg.
Synthesis of Oligomeric P-Phenyleneimine by Self-Condensation Reaction of a Novel Monomer

A new approach for the synthesis of poly(phenylenimines) and related conjugated polymers is presented. A novel bifunctional monomer, N-Boc-indoaniline 4 is synthesized as shown in scheme I. Thermolysis of the latter, either as solid, thin film or in solution of high boiling solvents, leads to polycondensation of the bifucntional monomer and results in the formation of poly(phenyleneimine) or its reduced form. Scope and limitation of this approach in the synthesis of various poly(aryleneimines) is also described.
Abstract P1-07-04: Comparison of HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using automated imaging system and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). A retrospective analysis of 2853 cases

Background: Accurate assessment of HER2 status is critical for selecting patients who will benefit from trastuzumab therapy. There is still no consensus regarding the optimal method to assess HER2 status. Computerized image analysis has been shown to provide a more accurate and objective way for quantification of HER2 expression by IHC than manual evaluation. It has been suggested that the use of image analysis may help to resolve some of the discrepancies between IHC and FISH assay. We compared the results of HER2 expression by IHC using automated image analysis with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assay. Design: Testing for HER2 expression by IHC and FISH was performed on 2853 specimens at UT Southwestern Medical Center between the years 2002 to 2011. Quantification of IHC HER2 expression was done by image analysis and scored as positive (>2.0), borderline (1.5 to 2.0) and negative. ( 2.0, 1.8 to 2.0 and Results: IHC compared to FISH Conclusion: Despite improvements in IHC testing, the FISH assay may be a better method for determining HER2 status. Factors such as tissue fixation, scoring methods and choice of antibodies may contribute to the lower specificity of IHC. In the amplified group, the gene amplification ratio correlated with protein expression, being highest in the IHC positive cases and lowest in those that were negative. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-04.
Further Interpretation of Some Fractional Ostrowski and Grüss Type Inequalities

We further interpret and simplify earlier produced fractional Ostrowski and Gruss type inequalities involving several functions.
The Comparative Study on the Concept and Standard of Practical Ability for College Students Both in Domestic and Overseas

Our culture prefers abstract definition to concrete and operative description;we are intelligent in understanding "study for the purpose of application",but we are less concept of service for the society.Through the comparative study on the concept and standard of practical ability for college students both in domestic and overseas,this article tells us how to improve practical education and cultivate high quality talents.
Method of Fault Diagnosis Based on ICA and Probabilistic Neural Network

In fault diagnosis of machine,the observation signals always include signals from other machines,therefore it is essential to separate the individual signals from mixed signals.In view of the above issues,this paper proposes a new fault diagnosis method based on Independent Component Analysis(ICA) and probabilistic neural network(PNN).In this method the FastICA algorithm is used to feature extraction and the PNN is used to status recognition.Compared with the multilayer feedforward neural network method(BP network),the result showed that the new method is more efficient and more accurate.
Plasma thrombopoietic activity in humans with normal and abnormal platelet counts

Although much experimental evidence suggests the presence of a humoral stimulator of thrombopoiesis, relatively few human studies have been done to determine the presence of such a stimulator in disorders of thrombopoiesis. Human plasma fractions from patients with normal and abnormal platelet counts were tested for thrombopoietic stimulatory or inhibitory activity in a mouse bioassay system by measuring the incorporation of 75Se-methionine into platelets of mice injected with plasma fractions. Twenty-two patients with normal platelet counts had no evidence of stimulatory activity in plasma, except for one postoperative patient. Fifty-three percent of 17 patients with thrombocytosis had increased stimulatory activity, and 33% of patients with thrombocytopenia had such activity in plasma. Inhibitory activity in plasma was found in 4 patients with normal platelet counts, 7 with thrombocytopenia, and none with thrombocytosis. A hypothesis based on the presence of both stimulatory and inhibitory factors in plasma is advanced to explain the humoral control mechanisms in normal patients and in patients with abnormal platelet counts of diverse etiology.
DNA Diagnostics Obviate Specimen Transportation Problems

Frank Wegerhoff clearly reported the need for properly collecting and transporting specimens. for culturing bacteria (Microbe, April 2006, p. 180). When simple and inexpensive DNA tests specific for an infectious agent are developed, then at least the transportation problem can be lessened. For example, the DNA of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in clinical specimens collected on an ordinary swab with no preservative can be used for diagnosis by a transformation test, even after the swab is sent a long distance in an envelope by regular mail (J. Infect. Dis. 146: 275, 1982; Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Pub. Health 14:191, 1983). Similarly, gonoccocal DNA can be detected in the urine of patients when the urine is sent by ordinary mail. However, the urine must be treated with protein-denaturing agents at the time of collecting the sample. The urine methodology is not limited to that of gonococcal DNA, since it has been used to detect the DNA of two other bacteria. When methods are developed to extract NDA from stool specimens, tissues and body fluids in quantity and purity adequate for routine DNA tests, viability of microbes will not be necessary for the diagnosis of infectious disease.
Thermal and thermoelectric transport measurements of an individual boron arsenide microstructure

Recent first principles calculations have predicted that boron arsenide (BAs) can possess an unexpectedly high thermal conductivity that depends sensitively on the crystal size and defect concentration. However, few experimental results have been obtained to verify these predictions. In the present work, we report four-probe thermal and thermoelectric transport measurements of an individual BAs microstructure that was synthesized via a vapor transport method. The measured thermal conductivity was found to decrease slightly with temperature in the range between 250 K and 350 K. The temperature dependence suggests that the extrinsic phonon scattering processes play an important role in addition to intrinsic phonon-phonon scattering. The room temperature value of (186 ± 46) W m−1 K−1 is higher than that of bulk silicon but still a factor of four lower than the calculated result for a defect-free, non-degenerate BAs rod with a similar diameter of 1.15 μm. The measured p-type Seebeck coefficient and thermoelec...
Some Chronological Problems of European Scythia: Archaeology and Radiocarbon

This paper is devoted to some problems of correlation between archaeological and radiocarbon dates in Scythian archaeology. Modern radiocarbon dates which are used to support an independent non-archaeological chronological system, in some cases provide evidence to narrow existing archaeological dates or show a good agreement with archaeological dates, and in other cases do not contradict them. The findings of chronological studies are clearer now: the accepted archaeological dates of early Scythian monuments (9th-6th centuries BC) are found as the later limits of their calibrated calendar age (14C ), whereas archaeological dates of classical antiquities (5th-4th centuries BC) are found in the earlier parts of their calibrated age range. For example, the “royal” Alexandropol barrow which was dated by archaeologists to the period 330-300 BC., has radiocarbon dates in the interval 2300-2080 BP, which corresponds to the 4th-1st century cal. BC.
In Situ Lithiation–Delithiation of Mechanically Robust Cu–Si Core–Shell Nanolattices in a Scanning Electron Microscope

Nanoarchitected Cu–Si core–shell lattices were fabricated via two-photon lithography and tested as mechanically robust Li-ion battery electrodes which accommodate ∼250% Si volume expansion during lithiation. The superior mechanical performance of the nanolattice electrodes is directly observed using an in situ scanning electron microscope, which allows volume expansion and morphological changes to be imaged at multiple length scales, from single lattice beam to the architecture level, during electrochemical testing. Finite element modeling of lithiation-induced volume expansion in a core–shell structure reveals that geometry and plasticity mechanisms play a critical role in preventing damage in the nanolattice electrodes. The two-photon lithography-based fabrication method combined with computational modeling and in situ characterization capabilities would potentially enable the rational design and fast discovery of mechanically robust and kinetically agile electrode materials that independently optimize ...
Pesticides and Nutrients In Southern U. S. Shallow Ground Water and Surface Runoff

Nutrient and pesticide concentrations in shallow groundwater (3m) and surface runoff were determined for conventional-till (CT) and no-till (NT) soybean watersheds. Groundwater NO 3 N concentrations were similar for both tillage systems, averaging about 7-8 ppm, but exceeded 10 ppm for some storms. Annual mean groundwater NO 3 N concentrations were only 0.34 ppm in a riparian zone downslope from the CT watershed. Higher nutrient concentrations in NT surface runoff reflected surface residue leaching. Runoff from both watersheds, 2 days after a broadcast application of 0-20-20, had high nutrient concentrations that decreased during subsequent storms. Pesticide concentrations in groundwater of the NT watershed were as high as 250 ppb at a depth of 1.5 m within 1 week after application (1st rainfall). Concentrations beneath the CT watershed were 3 N concentration in groundwater for conventional-, reduced-and no-till corn was 4.78 ppm compared with 6.96 ppm at the 3-m depth.
YeATSAM analysis of the walnut and chickpea transcriptome reveals key genes undetected by current annotation tools.

Background: The transcriptome, a treasure trove of gene space information, remains severely under-used by current genome annotation methods. Methods: Here, we present an annotation method in the YeATS suite (YeATSAM), based on information encoded by the transcriptome, that demonstrates artifacts of the assembler, which must be addressed to achieve proper annotation. Results and Discussion: YeATSAM was applied to the transcriptome obtained from twenty walnut tissues and compared to MAKER-P annotation of the recently published walnut genome sequence (WGS). MAKER-P and YeATSAM both failed to annotate several hundred proteins found by the other. Although many of these unannotated proteins have repetitive sequences (possibly transposable elements), other crucial proteins were excluded by each method. An egg cell-secreted protein and a homer protein were undetected by YeATSAM, although these did not produce any transcripts. Importantly, MAKER-P failed to classify key photosynthesis-related proteins, which we show emanated from Trinity assembly artifacts potentially not handled by MAKER-P. Also, no proteins from the large berberine bridge enzyme (BBE) family were annotated by MAKER-P. BBE is implicated in biosynthesis of several alkaloids metabolites, like anti-microbial berberine. As further validation, YeATSAM identified ~1000 genes that are not annotated in the NCBI database by Gnomon. YeATSAM used a RNA-seq derived chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) transcriptome assembled using Newbler v2.3. Conclusions: Since the current version of YeATSAM does not have an ab initio module, we suggest a combined annotation scheme using both MAKER-P and YeATSAM to comprehensively and accurately annotate the WGS.
Meta-Organization Matters

This article summarizes a cultural perspective on trade associations and its implications for understanding their organizational features, roles, and functions. I suggest that fruitful future resea...
Morphological Features of Regurgitate and Defecatory Stains Deposited by Five Species of Necrophagous Flies are Influenced by Adult Diets and Body Size

The morphological characteristics of artifacts from five species of necrophagous flies were examined following feeding on several types of diets. Four types of insect stains were produced by each species: regurgitate, defecatory, translocation, and tarsal tracks. Regurgitate was the most frequent type deposited (70.9 ± 2.4%), followed by defecatory (19.8 ± 4.0%), tarsal tracks (8.6 ± 1.2%), and translocation (0.7 ± 0.1%). Artifact shapes, sizes, and color were highly variable and species and diet specific. Calliphora vicina and Sarcophaga bullata consistently deposited the largest artifacts after feeding, whereas Chrysomya rufifacies and Ch. megacephala produced more tarsal tracks than the other species examined. Artifacts with tails were infrequently observed (4.1 ± 0.6% of all stains) but occurred as either defecatory or regurgitate stains. The widely variable morphologies of all types of fly artifacts underscores the view that insect stains cannot be distinguished from human bloodstains based on morphology alone.
Corporate Crisis and the Long View

The public primarily encounters the corporate communications function during a crisis. General rules are a good starting place for dealing with a crisis and handy to know, but a historical perspective is a critical supplement. Understanding the kind of crisis your organization faces (or is attempting to avoid) and managing that crisis successfully to the extent possible involves precedents encompassing connections among corporate identity and culture, brand, reputation, business model, and business type, as well as the changing nature of media and crises themselves. Excerpt UVA-BC-0246 Mar. 1, 2013 CORPORATE CRISIS AND THE LONG VIEW For most organizations, every crisis has an established set of procedures. When a commercial jet crashes, the thinking goes, an airline can do little but comfort families, for example, because government agencies take over investigations and make public announcements. Yet few airlines manage to get it right—unless the airline is lucky enough to have a pilot land in the Hudson River, and even that has to be managed carefully. The public primarily encounters the corporate communications function during a crisis. General rules are a good starting place for dealing with a crisis and handy to know, but a historical perspective is a critical supplement. Understanding the kind of crisis your organization faces or is attempting to avoid—indeed, managing a crisis successfully to the extent possible—involves precedents encompassing connections among corporate identity and culture, brand, reputation, business model, and business type, as well as the changing nature of media and crises themselves. Is the Medium the Mess? . . .
Impact of a resonance on thermal targets for invisible dark photon searches

Dark photons in the MeV to GeV mass range are important targets for experimental searches. We consider the case where dark photons ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ decay invisibly to hidden dark matter $X$ through ${A}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}XX$. For generic masses, proposed accelerator searches are projected to probe the thermal target region of parameter space, where the $X$ particles annihilate through $XX\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{A}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{SM}$ in the early universe and freeze out with the correct relic density. However, if ${m}_{{A}^{\ensuremath{'}}}\ensuremath{\approx}2{m}_{X}$, dark matter annihilation is resonantly enhanced, shifting the thermal target region to weaker couplings. For $\ensuremath{\sim}10%$ degeneracies, we find that the annihilation cross section is generically enhanced by 4 (2) orders of magnitude for scalar (pseudo-Dirac) dark matter. For such moderate degeneracies, the thermal target region drops to weak couplings beyond the reach of all proposed accelerator experiments in the scalar case and becomes extremely challenging in the pseudo-Dirac case. Proposed direct detection experiments can probe moderate degeneracies in the scalar case. For greater degeneracies, the effect of the resonance can be even more significant, and both scalar and pseudo-Dirac cases are beyond the reach of all proposed accelerator and direct detection experiments. For scalar dark matter, we find an absolute minimum that sets the ultimate experimental sensitivity required to probe the entire thermal target parameter space, but for pseudo-Dirac fermions, we find no such thermal target floor.
Abstract 20971: Associations Between Objectively Measured Sleep Duration and 10-Year Predicted Cardiovascular Risk in Older Adult Women

Introduction: In the US, 90% of women are living with one or more CVD risk factors, such as: high total cholesterol or hypertension, or lifestyle behaviors such as physical inactivity. Emerging evidence supports sleep duration, both short and long, as a potential modifiable lifestyle factor associated with CVD. Research on sleep duration and CVD risk is, however, limited by use of self-report sleep measures, homogeneous populations, and studies on individual CVD risk factors. Hypothesis: We examined the relationship between objectively measured sleep duration and predicted CVD risk, estimated by Reynolds Risk Score (RRS). We hypothesized that short sleep ( 8 hours) would be associated with higher RRS compared to 6-8 hours. Methods: Cross-sectional data were analyzed in 1,316 racial/ethnically diverse older women, from the Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Study, ancillary study to the Women’s Health Initiative. Women wore ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers on the hip for 24 hours over 7 days and completed a daily sleep log. RRS was calculated using data on age, sex, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and high-sensitivity to CRP. Daily sleep duration was derived from accelerometer data. Adjusted linear regression models estimated the association of sleep duration and RRS. Participants were categorized as short ( 8hrs/day) to account for non-linear associations with RRS. Adjusted means across categories were calculated using least-squares means procedure. Results: Results suggest a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and RRS, with both short and long sleepers having significantly increased RRS compared to healthy sleepers (both comparisons p Conclusions: In older women, when compared to healthy sleep, actigraphy-ascertained short and long sleep durations are associated with increased 10-year estimated CVD risk, independent of adjustment for race/ethnicity, BMI, and known covariates.
Towards multispectral endoscopic imaging of cardiac lesion assessment and classification for cardiac ablation therapy

Pulmonary vein (PV) isolation is a critical procedure for the treatment and termination of atrial fibrillation (AF). The success of such treatment depends on the extent of tissue damage, where partial lesions can allow abnormal electrical conduction and risk relapse of AF. Proper evaluation of lesion delivery and ablation line continuity remains challenging with current techniques and in part limit procedural efficacy. A tool for direct visualization of endo-myocardial lesions in vivo could potentially reduce ambiguity in treatment location and extent and improve the overall fidelity of lesion sets. In this work, we introduce a method for wide-field visualization of myocardial tissue including the discernment of ablated and non-ablated regions using an endoscopic multispectral imaging system (EMIS). The system was designed to fit the working channel of most commercial sheathes (<4 Fr) and supported quadruple-wavelength reflectance imaging through a flexible fiber-bundle. A total of 50 endocardial lesions were created and imaged on nine swine hearts, ex vivo in addition to 15 lesions on human LA samples near PV regions. A pixel-wise linear discriminant analysis algorithm was developed to classify regions of ablation treatment based on calibrated EMI maps. Results show good agreement of treatment severity and spatial extent compared to post-hoc tissue vital staining.
Valuing Crime Control Benefits Using Stated Preference Approaches

While the "state-of-the-art" in valuing crime control benefits has progressed considerably over the past 30 years, there is still no agreement in the literature about either the scope of benefits that should be considered or about the appropriate methodology to estimate these benefits. This chapter first considers the scope of benefits and argues that a holistic approach should consider the impact of crime on the "quality of life" in a neighborhood or city. Methodologies for estimating the quality of life can take either a "bottom up" or "top down" approach. While these are conceptually equivalent, the empirical burdens differ and neither approach is necessarily better. Regardless of which approach is taken, there are three basic methodologies that have been used to estimate nonmarket public goods such as the value of crime reductions - revealed preferences, stated preferences, and life satisfaction. We focus on ex ante stated preference approaches that are designed to estimate the impact of crime on quality of life and consider some of the key methodological challenges faced by researchers. Existing studies are reviewed and future research priorities are identified.
Toward a complete definition of relatedness in merger and acquisition transactions

The interrelation between different sources of relatedness in M&A transactions has been largely overlooked in extant literature. This paper offers theoretical and empirical investigation and introduces a few new measures of relatedness. We find that single-dimensional measures of relatedness are complements, not substitutes, of each other, and their impacts on the market’s reaction are additive and interdependent. Specifically, each measure contains unique relatedness information and the market’s perception of, and reaction to, the presence of relatedness in M&A deals is more sophisticated than the extant literature prescribes. The market seems to reward operational and marketing relatedness in small-vicinity mergers and out-of-state mergers. In contrast, related in-state mergers seem to be associated with a significantly negative market reaction. Similarly, technology affiliation induces an additional positive market reaction that is separate from simple industry matching, and the market seems to reward the acquisition of high-technology targets by high-technology acquirers and to penalize the acquisition of high-technology targets by non-high-technology acquirers. Furthermore, we find that horizontally and vertically related mergers are relatively more likely to be completed, while in-state and large-vicinity mergers are less likely to be completed. We also find that when the target is incorporated in a target-friendly state, the merger is less likely to be completed, though state-specific merger laws do not contribute significantly to mergers’ valuation. Taken together, our results indicate that relatedness is a multidimensional metric composed of several interrelated components, and, thus, single-dimensional proxies are not sufficient to capture relatedness accurately and completely.
Beyond saving: a case for agency-first approach against domestic violence

This note presents an analysis of videos containing narrative stories of eight women in Nepal who had experienced domestic violence. The analysis highlights multifaceted issues and dependencies that coerced the survivors1 to stay in the abusive environment. Further, we present cases where the legal system failed to support the survivor because it overlooked the survivor's unique and complex situation. We contrast those cases with agency-supporting cases where the survivors had more control and could decide when and how they wanted to engage resources. We argue that designed systems, whether they be technologies or public policies, need to support the survivor's agency rather than seeing them as victims needing to be saved.
Effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor analogue and an estradiol-trenbolone acetate implant on somatotropin, insulin-like growth factor I, and metabolite profiles in growing Hereford steers.

Hereford steers (290 +/- 6 kg of BW) were implanted (n = 4) with 140 mg of trenbolone acetate (TBA) and 28 mg of estradiol-17 beta (E2 beta) or nonimplanted (controls, n = 4). In Trial 1, effects of a single i.v. injection of 0, 20, 40, or 80 micrograms of a growth hormone-releasing factor (1-29 NH2) analogue (GRFa) on release of endogenous somatotropin (ST) were evaluated in a double 4 x 4 Latin square design. Plasma samples (n = 21) were obtained from -20 to 240 min after GRFa injection. Area under the ST response curve (AUC) increased (P = .009) in a dose-dependent manner (.2, 2.6, 3.6, 4.3 mg.min-1.mL-1, respectively). Mean ST concentration was not affected (P = .238) by implant but AUC was greater (P = .009) in implanted than in control steers. There was no interaction (P = .460) between dose of GRFa and presence of implant. In Trial 2, 80 micrograms of GRFa was administered at 12-h intervals to the same eight steers. Response of ST (AUC) to the first and last (13th) i.v. injection of GRFa was similar and not affected by implant. Before GRFa administration, plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations were greater (P = .039) in implanted than in control steers (272 vs 164 ng/mL). Administration of GRFa increased plasma IGF-I (P = .0001), decreased plasma urea N (PUN) (P = .0001), and did not alter plasma glucose (P = .447) in both control and implanted steers. Data indicate that effects of GRFa and TBA/E2 beta on plasma IGF-I and PUN concentrations were additive in this study.
Do Not Leave Your Pricing Strategy Hanging: The Elevate Hammock Company:

Greyson Junggren had an entrepreneurial spirit and started Elevate Hammock Company while he was still in college. His mission was to produce high-quality, durable hammocks that were made for the ou...
DL – methionine can be replaced partially by phyto-additive without affecting growth performance, fat metabolism, and serum biochemistry in broilers

SUMMARY The aim was to evaluate the partial replacement of synthetic DL-Methionine (DL-Met) by Herbal Methionine (H-Met) compared to DL-Met and L-Methionine (L-Met), and the effects on growth performance, fat metabolism, and serum biochemistry in broilers. A total of 600 1-d-old male Cobb500™ chicks (Cobb x Cobb) were distributed in a completely randomized design, five dietary treatments, six replicates of 20 birds each. Liquid L-Met was provided through carboys connected to the water line. Two positive control (PC) treatments were used, either connected to the regular water line (PC1) or to carboys (PC2). The treatments were: Negative control (NC—no Met supplementation); PC1 and 2 (100% DL-Met); 60% DL-Met + 40% H-Met through feed (TH-Met); and 50% DL-Met + 50% L-Met through water (TL-Met). At 10, 22, and 42 d body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined. At day 21, serum and liver samples were used to evaluate serum biochemistry and the expression of genes related to fat metabolism, respectively. At 42 d, abdominal fat was weighed from 3 birds/replicate. In general, birds fed NC showed lower BWG, FI, higher FCR, and tended to have higher fat pad compared to the other treatments (P 0.05). For serum biochemistry, Aspartate amino transferase (AST) level was higher in birds fed NC and TH-Met than in PC2 and TL-Met (P
Effect of local zoledronic acid administration in a rat model of posterolateral spinal fusion.

Abstract Study design Randomized animal model study. Purpose Posterolateral spinal fusion represents a common surgical procedure in the United States. The effect of bisphosphonate administration in these patients is poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to determine whether local administration of bisphosphonate by soaking bone autograft would affect the apparent bone density or structural properties of the fusion mass in a rat model of posterolateral spinal fusion. Methods 36 Spring Dawley rats underwent L4-5 posterolateral spinal fusion with bone autograft. These rats were divided into three groups, two experimental groups and one control group. Each of the experimental groups underwent spinal fusion with morselized vertebral cortical and cancellous autograft soaked in zoledronic acid solution; one group 20 mcg/mL, another 200 mcg/mL. The control group underwent L4-5 spinal fusion with cancellous allograft soaked with saline. At 8 weeks, the rats were euthanized for analysis. Evaluations consisted of micro-CT scanning, four-point bending biomechanical testing, histology, and radiographs. Results Both of the experimental groups showed statistically significant increase in apparent bone density and bone volume fraction at the fusion mass. Biomechanical measures revealed a trend for improvement in the experimental groups, but these did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions This data suggest that locally administered bisphosphonate medications result in increased apparent bone density and bone volume fraction at the fusion mass in posterolateral spinal fusion, and that there appear to be no deleterious consequences with regards to the stiffness or maximum load to failure of the fusion mass under flexion bending evaluation.
Recent progress in understanding the origins of color universals in language

Although color lexicons vary greatly in the number of color terms they contain, there are also striking regularities in how people around the world name colors. In spite of 50 years of research since Berlin and Kay’s seminal monograph, there is still no clear understanding of the processes that underlie these regularities. We review current advances in four prominent directions of research into this question. First, we examine the classical view that universal perceptual landmarks – related to either the focal colors or the Hering elemental sensations – constrain the domain of possible color naming systems. Second, we briefly review recent studies of the neurophysiological bases of these landmarks. Third, we examine recent information theoretic approaches to the universality question that are predicated upon the need for “efficient communication” within a language community. Finally, we discuss recent work suggesting that natural image statistics favor a warm/cool bias in the evolution of basic color naming systems.
Adapting Mach–Zehnder Mesh Equalizers in Direct-Detection Mode-Division-Multiplexed Links

A Mach–Zehnder mesh (MZM), which is comprised of a network of tunable $2\times 2$ Mach–Zehnder interferometers and embedded photodetectors (PDs), can be used to perform arbitrary unitary matrix multiplications in the optical domain and compensate modal crosstalk in short-reach mode-division-multiplexed (MDM) links that use direct detection (DD). MZMs can be adapted using a self-configuration method, proposed by Miller, where multiple low-speed and low-power code sequences are superimposed on parallel high-speed information streams. We show that self-configuration in its original form is a sub-optimal equalization method for high-speed data transmission because adaptation based on detected code strengths is adversely impacted by low measurement signal-to-noise ratios and interference from the high-speed information streams. These impairments prevent the method from accurately tracking the millisecond-timescale modal dynamics of short-reach DD-MDM channels. We propose small modifications to the self-configuration method that can enable the MZM to track up to $10^8$ -fold faster channel dynamics. In particular, we show that replacing continuous equalization of low-power code sequences by periodic equalization of full-power training signals and using special optimization methods can yield faster MZM tuning. We also discuss the tradeoffs between MZM architectures that embed PDs inside the mesh and those that have PDs at the output ports only. Our results indicate that optimally designed MZMs and their associated control methods can increase the information capacity of short-reach multimode optical fiber links.
Building a task blacklist for online social platforms

Recently, the use of crowdsourcing platforms (e.g., Amazon Mechanical Turk) has boomed because of their flexible and cost-effective nature, which benefits both requestors and workers. However, some requestors misused power of the crowdsourcing platforms by creating malicious tasks, which targeted manipulating search results, leaving fake reviews, etc. Crowdsourced manipulation reduces the quality of online social media, and threatens the social values and security of the cyberspace as a whole. To help solve this problem, we build a classification model which filters out malicious campaigns from a large number of campaigns crawled from several popular crowdsourcing platforms. We then build a task blacklist web service, which provides users with a keyword-based search so that they can understand, moderate and eliminate potential malicious campaigns from the Web.
Using exposure with adolescents and youth adults

Abstract Adolescence and emerging adulthood are distinct developmental periods marked by significant changes in physical and social maturation, familial and societal expectations, and brain development, specifically with regard to emotion and behavioral control. These stages of life carry significant risk for the development of psychopathology and related functional impairments that adversely impact the achievement of important academic, occupational, and social milestones. Exposure therapy with adolescents and young adults must involve contextually rich in vivo or simulated interactions with emotionally provocative stimuli and situations, and must address areas of functional impairment and/or missed developmental milestones. Involving parents in exposure therapy with adolescence and young adults should be a strategic and collaborative process with the youth and family to facilitate individuation, decrease accommodation, and support practice and mastery. The scientific support, specific recommendations, and illustrative examples for successful exposure therapy with adolescents and young adults are described in this chapter.
palmScape: Calm and Pleasant Vibrotactile Signals

The goal of the present study was to design vibrotactile signals that support a more engaging and delightful user experience. Using a four-tactor display called palmScape, custom-designed signals were created to capture the essence of natural phenomena such as breathing, heartbeat, and earthquake. A key insight was the use of slow motions to convey aliveness in a calm manner. Fourteen participants evaluated twenty vibrotactile signals by providing valence and arousal ratings. Our custom-designed patterns were consistently rated at higher valence levels than reference signals from the literature at similar arousal levels. Eight of the sixteen custom signals occupied the fourth quadrant of the valence-arousal space that corresponds to calm and pleasant ratings, a space that is rarely occupied by other studies of vibrotactile signals. In this article, we share our design approach, signal parameters, and affective rating results. Our work will hopefully encourage more research on affective haptics.
The effect of collisions on the rotational angular momentum of diatomic molecules studied using polarized light

We report results of an experimental study of the changes in the alignment of the rotational angular momentum of diatomic molecules during elastic collisions. The experiment involved collisions of diatomic lithium molecules in the A1Σu+ excited electronic state with noble gas atoms (helium and argon) in a thermal gas phase sample. Polarized light for excitation was combined with the detection of polarization-specific fluorescence in order to achieve magnetic sublevel state selectivity. We also report results for rotationally inelastic collisions of Li2 in the lowest lying rotational levels of the A1Σu+v=5 vibrational state with noble gas atoms.
NLRP1: a jack of all trades, or a master of one?

Recent studies provide evidence that two chemically and mechanistically distinct signals activate the human NLRP1 inflammasome, challenging the concept that it—like other mammalian inflammasomes characterized thus far—evolved to detect and respond to a single danger-associated molecular pattern.
A Review of Detection and Removal of Raindrops in Automotive Vision Systems.

Research on the effect of adverse weather conditions on the performance of vision-based algorithms for automotive tasks has had significant interest. It is generally accepted that adverse weather conditions reduce the quality of captured images and have a detrimental effect on the performance of algorithms that rely on these images. Rain is a common and significant source of image quality degradation. Adherent rain on a vehicle’s windshield in the camera’s field of view causes distortion that affects a wide range of essential automotive perception tasks, such as object recognition, traffic sign recognition, localization, mapping, and other advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and self-driving features. As rain is a common occurrence and as these systems are safety-critical, algorithm reliability in the presence of rain and potential countermeasures must be well understood. This survey paper describes the main techniques for detecting and removing adherent raindrops from images that accumulate on the protective cover of cameras.
Ball Milled Graphene Nano Additives for Enhancing Sliding Contact in Vegetable Oil

Graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) as an oil nano additive has gained importance to enhance the lubrication properties of renewable lubricants, such as vegetable oils. Using appropriately processed GNPs is necessary to gain the required tribological advantage. The present study investigated ball-milled GNPs, to understand the effect of GNPs concentration, and applied load on tribological behavior. Pin-on-disk tests were employed, to investigate the tribological performance of the nano-additive oil-based lubricant in the boundary lubrication regime. In order gain an understanding of the lubrication mechanism, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Raman Spectroscopy were performed for characterization. The study found that there is a critical concentration of GNPs, below and above which a reduced wear rate is not sustained. It is found that the tribological enhancements at the optimum concentration of GNP in boundary lubrication condition are a result of reduced direct metal–metal contact area at the interface. This phenomenon, along with the reduced shear strength of the ball-milled GNPs, is indicated to reduce the formation of asperity junctions at the interface and enhance tribological properties of the nano-additive oil-based lubricant.
Challenges in Visualization Research

Welcome to this theme issue on Visualization. This is the sixth in a series of theme issues. The first four appeared in Computer Graphics and Applications (CGbA vol. 11, no. 3; vol. 12, no. 4; vol. 13, no. 4; vol. 14, no. 5) and the fifth appeared last June in the inaugural year of TVCG. All of these theme issues are based upon topics that were previously presented at the IEEE-sponsored Visualization Conference. For all these theme issues, authors were invited to submit papers based upon their conference papers, but containing significant new research results. These papers were then subjected to an extensive and complete evaluation and review process, and the very best papers were then selected for publication. In the past, the collection of papers that survive this rigorous winnowing have constituted some of the most widely read and influential papers in visualization. They are often cited, and they are often the recipients of awards. We assume the same satisfactory outcome will hold for the present set of papers based upon papers presented at Visualization '95 held October 29 to November 3,1995, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Decentralizing corruption: Irrigation reform in Pakistan

Abstract Does decentralizing the allocation of public resources reduce rent-seeking and improve equity? We study a governance reform in Pakistan’s vast Indus Basin irrigation system, where corruption is endemic. Using canal discharge measurements across Punjab province from 2006 to 2014, we find that water theft increased on channels taken over by local farmer organizations compared to those that remained bureaucratically managed, reducing agricultural surplus and substantially redistributing wealth from downstream to upstream landowners. Water theft increased by more along channels with relatively larger (more influential) upstream landowners, suggesting that the political-economy context is critical to the success, or lack thereof, of decentralization.
Country-Specific Market Impacts of Climate Change

We develop a new climate-impact model, theGlobal Impact Model (GIM), which combines futurescenarios, detailed spatial simulations by generalcirculation models (GCMs), sectoral features,climate-response functions, and adaptation to generatecountry-specific impacts by market sector. Estimatesare made for three future scenarios, two GCMs, andtwo climate-response functions – a reduced-form modeland a cross-sectional model. Combining empiricallybased response functions, sectoral data by country,and careful climate forecasts gives analysts a morepowerful tool for estimating market impacts. GIMpredicts that country specific results vary, implyingthat research in this area is likely to bepolicy-relevant.
Detection of pyroptosis by measuring released lactate dehydrogenase activity

Pyroptosis is a form of programmed, inflammatory cell death that is dependent on the activation of a cysteine protease caspase-1. Following caspase-1 activation via inflammasomes (including NLRP3, NLRC4, Nlrp1b, and AIM2), cells lose membrane integrity and lyse, releasing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) that is normally maintained within the cell cytosol. Thus, pyroptosis is distinct from apoptosis, which results in cellular contents being enclosed within membrane blebs during cellular demise. LDH is only released from apoptotic blebs after secondary necrosis occurs. Pyroptosis is distinct from necrosis in that it requires the activity of caspase-1. In this chapter, we describe enzymatic assays for the detection of LDH released by pyroptotic cells using a commercially available kit, as well as a simple and cost-effective method adapted from Decker et al. (J Immunol Methods 115:61-69, 1988).