cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alpha-Adrenergic Receptor Identification by [3H]Dihydroergocryptine Binding

A radioactively labeled alpha-adrenergic antagonist, [3H]dihydroergocryptine, binds specifically to a site on rabbit uterine membranes. Binding is rapid, reaching equilibrium in less than 17 minutes at 25 degrees C. Adrenergic agonists compete for this binding site with an order of affinities identical to the pharmacological potency order of these agents as alpha-adrenergic agonists (epinephrine greater than norepinephrine greater than isoprotereonl). The (-) stereoisomers of epinephrine and norepinephrine are 30 times more potent in competing for the site than the corresponding (+) stereoisomers. alpha-Adrenergic antagonists, such as phentolamine and phenoxybenzamine, potently compete for the binding sites while the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol does not. Structural analogs of catecholamines that are devoid of alpha-adrenergic physiological activity do not compete for [3H]dihydroergocryptine binding sites. These data suggest that alpha-adrenergic receptors can be directly identified and studied by [3H]dihydroergocryptine binding.
E-advocacy in Human Services: The Impact of Organizational Conditions and Characteristics on Electronic Advocacy Activities among Nonprofits

E-advocacy, or the constellation of electronic tools used for policy advocacy, offer cost-effective approaches for engaging constituents to create social change. Providers of human services may face challenges when trying to implement these tools. While many electronic tools have low barriers for entry, other factors may inhibit their use in agencies. This article explores the organizational characteristics related to the use of electronic advocacy strategies. Based on a survey of nonprofit executives, the study uses path modeling to describe the connections between organizational characteristics and the use of electronic advocacy tools. Implications of these findings are discussed.
A Determination of the Elastic Constants of Beta-Quartz

A new technique is described for quickly locating and measuring weak resonance points of a plate of piezoelectric material. The method involves driving the resonator with a frequency modulated carrier and demodulating and amplifying a voltage related to the motion of the resonator. The output of the amplifier is placed on one set of plates of an oscilloscope and the other plates are charged with the modulating voltage. The resulting pattern on the oscilloscope screen permits easy location and measurement of resonant frequencies. This arrangement was employed with a dynamical method to determine all elastic constants of beta-quartz. Edge effects were eliminated by the use of high harmonics as described by Atanasoff and Hart. Several hundred frequencies related to six modes of four cuts were measured, this number of modes being sufficient to permit the simultaneous solution of the resulting secular equations with an over determination of the five elastic constants. Table III gives the values obtained for these constants and also contains all the known results of other experimenters.
Challenges and opportunities in developing novel drugs for TB.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a difficult pathogen to combat and the first-line drugs currently in use are 40–60 years old. The need for new TB drugs is urgent, but the time to identify, develop and ultimately advance new drug regimens onto the market has been excruciatingly slow. On the other hand, the drugs currently in clinical development, and the recent gains in knowledge of the pathogen and the disease itself give us hope for finding new drug targets and new drug leads. In this article we highlight the unique biology of the pathogen and several possible ways to identify new TB chemical leads. The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the discovery and development of new TB drugs. The organization carries out research and development in collaboration with many academic laboratories and pharmaceutical companies around the world. In this perspective we will focus on the early discovery phases of drug development and try to ...
The Calibration of the absolute sensitivity of photomultiplier tubes in the High Resolution Fly's Eye Detector

Abstract The High Resolution Fly's Eye Experiment (HiRes) measures cosmic rays from 1017 eV to beyond 1020 eV by the atmospheric fluorescence light produced in their cascade showers. The light is detected with photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The full HiRes project proposes to use about 30000 PMTs in two sites. More than four thousand tubes are already in operation. Accurate calibrations of the absolute sensitivity of the PMTs are essential to this experiment. We have developed at the University of Utah a facility to calibrate the absolute gain and quantum efficiency of the tubes to the accuracy of better than three percent. This facility has proved to be capable of testing a large number of photomultiplier tubes efficiently and economically. In addition, it can be used to map the gain and the quantum efficiency of a PMT as a function of where the incident photons hit the tube's window. Although this facility is developed for HiRes, it is applicable to other experiments that utilise PMTs. We shall describe in this report the operation principles, the apparatus and some typical results.
Does counterterrorism spending reduce the incidence and lethality of terrorism? A quantitative analysis of 34 countries

Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, the US government increased its counterterrorism (CT) funding and created several Federal Agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security; Transportation Security Administration; and National Counterterrorism Center. Similarly, the 7 July 2005, London bombings also compelled the British government to increase its CT funding. These examples illustrate a phenomenon that when states experience terrorism, they dramatically increase public safety spending in order to reduce or eliminate the incidents of and casualties resulting from acts of terror. Using statistical data collected from 34 countries covering nine years, this article examines recent CT spending increases. Critically, the authors explore whether recent public safety expenditures can measurably reduce the number of domestic and international terrorist attacks. The implications of their findings should be salient for policy-makers’ assessments of their countries’ current CT strategies and policies conce...
Clouds and cloud immersion alter photosynthetic light quality in a temperate mountain cloud forest.

Light quantity and quality strongly influence plant ecophysiology, especially in cloud forests. Only a few studies have investigated the quantitative effects of clouds on incident sunlight, and alm...
Gauge invariance, current conservation, and GIAO's

The well‐known relationship between gauge invariance and current conservation is exhibited within the usual quantum mechanical formalism. It is then shown that the use of Gauge Invariant Atomic Orbitals does not necessarily lead to the expected current conservation. The reason is found to lie in the constrained nature of the gauge invariance which is provided by the use of GIAO's. It is concluded that this invariance is, of itself, no argument in favor of their use.
Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Anthrax in White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus, and Hematophagous Flies in West Texas during the Summertime Anthrax Risk Period

White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, anthrax epizootics have been frequently documented in Texas over the last two decades. Once outbreaks begin, there is evidence for the potential role of hematophagous flies as vectors for the disease. Hypotheses on the role of biting flies in the transmission of anthrax date back more than a century. Both laboratory experiments and field studies have provided evidence of a biting fly transmission pathway. In particular, several studies have implicated biting flies during severe wildlife outbreaks in North America. Despite these implications, there is a lack of spatial analysis relating flies and anthrax. Here we report on the spatial patterns of anthrax in white-tailed deer on a well-studied ranch with a documented anthrax history. These patterns were evaluated against the spatiotemporal patterns of biting flies during the anthrax risk period. Unbaited fly traps were used to collect flies across the study ranch from June through August 2005. Kernel density analys...
Endocrinology of the ovary

PIP: The changing flow of ovarian signals apparently regulates the nature of the activities of the hypothalamic-pituitary unit. The ovary has many putative intraovarian regulators. It has many compartments, each with a different and variable biological property. The ovary's follicular compartments respond to cyclic pituitary gonadotropin secretion by secreting sex steroids and producing a fertilizable ovum. Operational characteristics of the ovary include steroidogenesis and biosynthesis of estrogen, progestin, androgens, and proteins. The proteins are inhibin, activin, follistan, and gonadotropin surge inhibiting factor. Signalling systems comprise an established ovarian regulator. Follicle stimulating hormone promotes follicular maturation. Luteinizing hormone contributes greatly to maintaining the corpus luteum function and may also have a follicular role. Estrogens have multiple roles: they promote cellular division and intercellular gap junction formation and act synergistically with gonadotropins at various levels including promotion of ovarian growth. Androgens also have several roles (e.g., a variety of receptor-mediated effects at the level of the granulosa cell). Ovarian cyclicity consists of follicular growth and development, ovulation, and corpus luteum formation and demise. Follicular growth and development has three stages, all of which are regulated by steroid hormones: recruitment (follicle leaves the resting pool to begin growth and development), selection (final separation of the maturing follicular cohort down to a size equal to the species-characteristic ovulatory quota), and dominance (status of the follicle destined to ovulate). Ovulation is rapid follicular enlargement followed by protrusion of the follicle from the surface of the ovarian cortex. Following ovulation, the dominant follicle reorganizes and becomes the corpus luteum. Estrogens and prostaglandins may contribute to the destruction of the corpus luteum. Operational characteristics of the ovary are crucial to finding a new and improved contraceptive technology.
Consequences of manipulated snow cover on soil gaseous emission and N retention in the growing season: a meta‐analysis

Most seasonally snow covered ecosystems will continue to face more shallow and discontinuous snowpack as the world warms. Annual greenhouse gas and nitrogen (N) budgets in seasonally snow covered ecosystems are partly controlled by snow depth and duration, but little is known about the generality of these responses during the growing season and the driving mechanisms across sites. Using results from snow addition and removal experiments, we performed a meta-analysis to quantify soil biogeochemical responses during the growing season to decreasing winter snow depth, and to identify correlative variables that best explained changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux, nitrous oxide (N2O) efflux, and mobile N concentration in runoff, leachate, and soil solution. The moderators tested to possibly explain the effects of manipulated snow depth were the sampling date (earlier vs. later in growing season), the direction of snow manipulation, soil texture, vegetation type, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP), latitude, and the maximum change in winter soil temperature due to snow manipulation. Across studies, decreasing snow depth caused a 35% reduction in soil CO2 efflux and a three-fold increase in N2O efflux later in the growing season, and a two-fold increase in mobile N concentration throughout the growing season. The tested moderators of CO2 and N2O efflux were important earlier but not later in the growing season. Early in the growing season, decreasing snow depth increased soil CO2 efflux in snow removal experiments at lower latitude sites with a higher MAT and smaller change in winter soil temperature. Decreasing snow depth increased N2O efflux more at lower latitudes sites with a higher MAP and smaller change in winter soil temperature. Changes in mobile N concentration were greater in forest than in non-forest ecosystems, and tended to increase with latitude. Our meta-analysis suggests that winter and summer biogeochemistry are intertwined, and decreasing snow cover generally reduces ecosystem N retention. Future changes in snow cover may impact global carbon and N biogeochemistry at the annual scale, likely driven by interactions between climate, latitude, and vegetation type.
An Application of Cognitive-Behavior Principles in the Reduction of Aggression Among Abused African American Adolescents

This study examined the difference between a cognitive-behavior therapeutic approach and an indirect therapeutic approach on the reduction of aggression among abused African American adolescents. The sample consisted of 12 males (age 12 to 16) living in a group home under the protective services of local authority. Participants received psychological treatment over a 52-week period. All participants received indirect therapy during the pretest phase of treatment (1 to 26 weeks). During the posttest phase (27 to 52 weeks), half of the participants were provided cognitive-behavior therapy (skilled group), and the remaining half received indirect therapy (nonskilled group). As predicted, results showed a greater decrease in aggressive behaviors for adolescents trained in cognitive-behavior techniques than for those who received indirect therapy. A major implication is that specific cognitive-behaviorally based interventions can be an effective and promising treatment for aggression reduction among African Am...
A Global Approach for Using Kinematic Redundancy to Minimize Base Reactions of Manipulators

An important consideration in the use of manipulators in microgravity environments is the minimization of the base reactions, i.e. the magnitude of the force and the moment exerted by the manipulator on its base as it performs its tasks. One approach which was proposed and implemented is to use the redundant degree of freedom in a kinematically redundant manipulator to plan manipulator trajectories to minimize base reactions. A global approach was developed for minimizing the magnitude of the base reactions for kinematically redundant manipulators which integrates the Partitioned Jacobian method of redundancy resolution, a 4-3-4 joint-trajectory representation and the minimization of a cost function which is the time-integral of the magnitude of the base reactions. The global approach was also compared with a local approach developed earlier for the case of point-to-point motion of a three degree-of-freedom planar manipulator with one redundant degree-of-freedom. The results show that the global approach is more effective in reducing and smoothing the base force while the local approach is superior in reducing the base moment.
Postcolonial scholarship - Productions and directions: An interview with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

This interview took place on December 18, 2000, in Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's office at Columbia University, New York. In a room lined with books and papers stacked high, Spivak spoke about postcolonial scholarship and its global challenges. Spanning a diverse range of interests, Gayatri Spivak's work has influenced critical scholarship across multiple disciplines throughout the world. Her scholarship has significantly shaped the course of postcolonial thinking and has had profound impact on conceptualizing issues of culture, identity, communication, and transnationalism. When asked about her interest in the areas of global communication flows, new technologies, and the politics of culture, Spivak referred us to two of her recent essays where she writes about global cities and cyberliteracy in the journal Gray Room and in Judith Butler's edited volume What's Left of Theory. In this interview, we asked Spivak to speak to issues concerning the intersections between communication and postcoloniality.
Conceptualizing prognostic awareness in advanced cancer: A systematic review:

This systematic review synthesizes the complex literature on prognostic awareness in cancer. A total of 37 studies examining cancer patients' understanding of their prognosis were included. Prognostic awareness definitions and assessment methods were inconsistent across studies. A surprisingly high percentage of patients (up to 75%) were unaware of their poor prognosis, and in several studies, even their cancer diagnosis (up to 96%), particularly in studies conducted outside of North America. This review highlights surprisingly low rates of prognostic awareness in patients with advanced cancer as well as discrepancies in prognostic awareness assessment, suggesting the need for empirically validated measures of prognostic awareness.
A novel approach for imaging brain–behavior relationships in mice reveals unexpected metabolic patterns during seizures in the absence of tissue plasminogen activator

Abstract Medically refractory seizures cause inflammation and neurodegeneration. Seizure initiation thresholds have been linked in mice to the serine protease tissue plasminogen activator (tPA); mice lacking tPA exhibit resistance to seizure induction, and the ensuing inflammation and neurodegeneration are similarly suppressed. Seizure foci in humans can be examined using PET employing 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro- d -glucose (18FDG) as a tracer to visualize metabolic dysfunction. However, there currently exist no such methods in mice to correlate measures of brain activation with behavior. Using a novel method for small animal PET data analysis, we examine patterns of 18FDG uptake in wild-type and tPA−/− mice and find that they correlate with the severity of drug-induced seizure initiation. Furthermore, we report unexpected activations that may underlie the tPA modulation of seizure susceptibility. The methods described here should be applicable to other mouse models of human neurological disease.
Protein sidechain conformer prediction: a test of the energy function

Background: Homology modeling is an important technique for making use of the rapidly increasing number of protein sequences in the absence of structural information. The major problems in such modeling, once the alignment has been made, concern the positions of loops and the orientations of sidechains. Although progress has been made in recent years for sidechain prediction, current methods appear to have a limit on the order of 70% in their accuracy. It is important to have an understanding of this limitation, which for energy-based methods could arise from inaccuracies of the potential function. Results: A test of the charmm function for sidechain prediction was performed. To eliminate the multiple-residue search problem, the minimum energy positions of individual sidechains in ten proteins were calculated in the presence of all other sidechains in their crystal orientations. This test provides a necessary condition that any energy function useful for sidechain placement must satisfy. For χ 1 × χ 2 rotations, the accuracies were 77.4% and 89.5%, respectively, and in the presence of crystal waters were 86.5% and 94.9%, respectively. If there was an error, the crystal structure usually corresponded to an alternative local minimum on the calculated energy map. Prediction accuracy correlated with the size of the energy gap between primary and secondary minima. Conclusions: The results indicate that the errors in current sidechain prediction schemes cannot be attributed to the potential energy function per se . The test used here establishes a necessary condition that any proposed energy-based sidechain prediction method, as well as many statistically based methods, must satisfy.
Saving and the Effectiveness of Financial Education

In this paper, I examine the financial situation of older households. In addition, I examine whether employers’ initiatives to reduce planning costs via retirement seminars have an effect on workers’ saving. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, I first show that many families arrive close to retirement with little or no wealth. Portfolios are also rather simple, and many families, particularly those with low education, hold little or no high-return assets. I further show that seminars foster saving. This is particularly the case for those with low education and those who save little. By offering financial education, both financial and total net worth increase sharply, particularly for families at the bottom of the wealth distribution and those with low education. Retirement seminars also increase total wealth (inclusive of pension and Social Security) for both high and low education families. Taken together, this evidence suggests that retirement seminars can foster wealth accumulation and bolster financial security in retirement.
Towards Perceptual Interface for Visualization Navigation of Large Data Sets

This paper presents a perceptual interface for visualization navigation using gesture recognition. Scientists are interested in developing interactive settings for exploring large data sets in an intuitive environment. The input consists of registered 3-D data. Bezier curves are used for trajectory analysis and classification of gestures. The method is robust and reliable: correct hand identification rate is 99.9% (from 1641 frames), modes of hand movements are correct 95.6% of the time, recognition rate (given the right mode) is 97.9%. An application to gesture-controlled visualization is also presented. The paper advances the state-of-the-art of human-computer interaction with a robust attachment- and marker-free gestural information processing for visualization.
Electrospun hemoglobin microbelts based biosensor for sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide

Hemoglobin (Hb) microbelts based biosensor was developed by directly electrospinning Hb onto the glassy carbon electrode surface without using any other immobilization matrix, offering an excellent electrochemical sensing platform. UV-vis spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy were performed to demonstrate that Hb still kept its native structure in the as-electrospun microbelts. The electrocatalytic property of Hb microbelts modified electrode was investigated using H 2 O 2 as a model compound and the as-prepared biosensor showed fast response to H 2 O 2 , together with good dynamic response ranges, high sensitivity and excellent detection limits. These results indicated that Hb microbelts have great potential in the application of H 2 O 2 detection.
Synthesis of Ultra-Small Si Nano Particle Colloids and Thin Films-High Temperature Single Electronics

We describe a procedure for dispersing electrochemical etched silicon into a colloid of ultra-small (∼1 nm) silicon nano particles. The particles are then reconstituted on a Si substrate by gentle evaporation from a volatile colloid, forming thin films. When the colloid or the film is excited with UV radiation at 355 nm, strong blue emission band at 390 nm is observable with the naked eye in room light. Two-terminal I-V spectra of the deposited film, taken using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), show a single regular conductance resonance at a spacing of 0.25-0.30 eV, consistent with single electron charging. However, under light irradiation, we observe a second regular resonance, for negative tip biasing less than -1 eV, that modulates the charging structure at ∼ 1.0 eV period, consistent with the particle’s quantum energy level spacing. This paves the way for operation of high-temperature Si-based single electron devices.
Towards correcting input data errors probabilistically using integrity constraints

Mobile and pervasive applications frequently rely on devices such as RFID antennas or sensors (light, temperature, motion) to provide them information about the physical world. These devices, however, are unreliable. They produce streams of information where portions of data may be missing, duplicated, or erroneous. Current state of the art is to correct errors locally (e.g., range constraints for temperature readings) or use spatial/temporal correlations (e.g., smoothing temperature readings). However, errors are often apparent only in a global setting, e.g., missed readings of objects that are known to be present, or exit readings from a parking garage without matching entry readings.In this paper, we present StreamClean, a system for correcting input data errors automatically using application defined global integrity constraints. Because it is frequently impossible to make corrections with certainty, we propose a probabilistic approach, where the system assigns to each input tuple the probability that it is correct.We show that StreamClean handles a large class of input data errors, and corrects them sufficiently fast to keep-up with input rates of many mobile and pervasive applications. We also show that the probabilities assigned by StreamClean correspond to a user's intuitive notion of correctness.
ULTRAFAST LASER RADIATION AND CONDUCTION HEAT TRANSFER IN BIOLOGICAL TISSUES

Ultrafast laser radiation heat transfer in biological tissues is governed by time-dependent equation of radiative transfer and modeled using the transient discrete ordinates method. The divergence of radiative heat flux is then obtained and used for predicting the local temperature response due to radiation energy absorption within the ultrashort time period. To this end, the lumped method is employed and heat diffusion is negligible. Both single pulse and pulse train irradiations are considered. For the single pulse irradiation, the transient radiation field is obtained and the local temperature keeps rising until a time of about 20 times of the short pulse width; and then a stable local temperature profile is reached and maintained until the start of heat conduction. For the pulse train case (104 ultrashort pulses until 1 ms), the local temperature response is an accumulation of continuous single pulses because the thermal relaxation time of biological tissues was reported in the range of 1-100 sec and is much longer than the pulse train duration (1 ms). After a stable local temperature field is achieved, the hyperbolic heat conduction model is adopted to describe the heat conduction. MacCormark’s scheme is utilized for solving the thermal wave equations. Thermal wave behavior is observed during the heat transfer process. It is found that the hyperbolic wave model predicts a higher temperature rise than the classical heat diffusion model. After several thermal relaxation times the thermal wave behavior is substantially weakened and the predictions between the hyperbolic and diffusion models match.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Coordinating the motions of multiple robots with specified trajectories

Coordinating the motions of multiple robots operating in a shared workspace without collisions is an important capability. We address the task of coordinating the motions of multiple robots when their trajectories (defined by both the path and velocity along the path) are specified. This problem of collision-free trajectory coordination arises in welding and painting workcells in the automotive industry. We identify sufficient and necessary conditions for collision-free coordination of the robots when only the robot start times can be varied, and define corresponding optimization problems. We develop mixed integer programming formulations of these problems to automatically generate minimum time solutions. This method is applicable to both mobile robots and articulated arms, and places no restrictions on the number of degrees of freedom of the robots. The primary advantage of this method is its ability to coordinate the motions of several robots, with as many as 20 robots being considered. We show that, even when the robot trajectories are specified, minimum time coordination of multiple robots is NP-hard.
Interpolants as classifiers

We show how interpolants can be viewed as classifiers in supervised machine learning. This view has several advantages: First, we are able to use off-the-shelf classification techniques, in particular support vector machines (SVMs), for interpolation. Second, we show that SVMs can find relevant predicates for a number of benchmarks. Since classification algorithms are predictive, the interpolants computed via classification are likely to be invariants. Finally, the machine learning view also enables us to handle superficial non-linearities. Even if the underlying problem structure is linear, the symbolic constraints can give an impression that we are solving a non-linear problem. Since learning algorithms try to mine the underlying structure directly, we can discover the linear structure for such problems. We demonstrate the feasibility of our approach via experiments over benchmarks from various papers on program verification.
The Accelerate Study: The Longitudinal Effect of Speed of Processing Training on Cognitive Performance of Older Adults

Objective: Examine the short-term and long-term impact of speed of processing training on cognitive performance in older adults. Study Design: Randomly assigned, 2-group experimental design with assessment periods at baseline, immediately after training, and at 2 subsequent annual points. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: Older adults (N 159) with speed of processing impairments. Interventions: Speed of processing training group or a social contact Internet control group. Participants in both groups received approximately ten 1-hr training sessions. Main Outcome Measures: Cognitive measures. Results: Speed of processing training resulted in improved performance on two measures of information processing (Useful Field of View and the Starry Night tests). Conclusions: Speed of processing training produced significant processing speed improvement that was robust over a 2-year period.
Assessment of educational modules based on the "How people learn" framework delivered to biotechnology learners at two universities

New modular materials and methods for teaching biotechnology have been developed based on the 'How People Learn' (HPL) framework and classroom tested in a STAR Legacy sequence. Domain-specific questions targeting each of the learning objectives were used in a pre/post assessment strategy that seeks to measure the change in learner capabilities. One such pre/post assessment revealed a statistically significant increase in learner performance following intervention using HPL and modular materials. The same pre/post assessment yielded no increase in learner performance on control learning objectives not addressed in the classroom. Our results suggest that this approach can produce satisfactory interrater correlation and is a sensitive measure of learner performance.
Activation phenotype, rather than central- or effector-memory phenotype, predicts the recall efficacy of memory CD8+ T cells.

The contributions of different subsets of memory CD8+ T cells to recall responses at mucosal sites of infection are poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the CD8+ T cell recall responses to respiratory virus infection in mice and demonstrate that activation markers, such as CD27 and CD43, define three distinct subpopulations of memory CD8+ T cells that differ in their capacities to mount recall responses. These subpopulations are distinct from effector– and central–memory subsets, coordinately express other markers associated with activation status, including CXCR3, CD127, and killer cell lectin-like receptor G1, and are superior to CD62L in predicting the capacity of memory T cells to mediate recall responses. Furthermore, the capacity of vaccines to elicit these memory T cell subpopulations predicted the efficacy of the recall response. These findings extend our understanding of how recall responses are generated and suggest that activation and migration markers define distinct, and unrelated, characteristics of memory T cells.
Do Women Have Worse Amputation-Free Survival Than Men Following Endovascular Procedures for Peripheral Arterial Disease? An Evaluation of the California State-Wide Database.

Objectives:Female gender has been shown to negatively affect the outcomes of surgical bypass for peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We examined gender-related disparities in outcomes of endovascula...
O016 Inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway protects against neuroinflammation

Introduction Suppressor Of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) proteins are feedback inhibitors of the JAK/STAT pathway. SOCS3 has a crucial role in inhibiting STAT activation, cytokine signaling and inflammatory gene expression in macrophages/microglia. Methods To determine the role of SOCS3 in myeloid cells in neuroinflammation, mice with conditional SOCS3 deletion in myeloid cells (LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl) were tested for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Results The myeloid specific SOCS3-deficient mice are vulnerable to MOG-induced EAE, with a severe, non-resolving atypical form of disease. In vivo, enhanced infiltration of inflammatory cells and demyelination is prominent in the cerebellum of myeloid specific SOCS3-deficient mice, as is enhanced STAT3/4 signaling and expression of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines, and an immune response dominated by Th1 and Th17 cells. In vitro, SOCS3-deficient macrophages exhibit heightened STAT3 activation, and are polarized toward the classical M1 phenotype. SOCS3-deficient M1 macrophages provide the microenvironment to polarize Th1 and Th17 cells and induce neuronal death. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages into myeloid SOCS3-deficient mice leads to delayed onset and reduced severity of atypical EAE by decreasing STAT3 activation, Th1/Th17 cells and proinflammatory mediators in the cerebellum. These findings indicate that myeloid cell SOCS3 provides protection from EAE through deactivation of neuroinflammatory responses. LysMCre-SOCS3fl/fl mice are also protected from atypical EAE by the administration of a JAK/STAT3 inhibitor, AZD1480. Severity of disease is attenuated, which is associated with a reduction in STAT1/3 activation, less Th1/Th17 cell infiltration in the cerebellum, reductions in inflitrating neutrophils and macrophages, and decreased M1 proinflammatory gene expression. Mice with classical EAE are also protected against disease severity by treatment with AZD1480. Conclusion Collectively, these findings indicate the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway may serve as a therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory diseases.
Three hierarchies brief discussion of viewpoint on hardship and happiness

It has positive significant for keeping life goal to set correct viewpoint on hardship and happiness. It has hierarchy for viewpoint on hardship and happiness. The highest hierarchy is to take hardship as a politic duty and this is the basic attitude of hardship for the members of CPC. The basic realm of viewpoint on hardship and happiness is remembering hardship and it is a moral obligation. The distortion psychology of viewpoint on hardship and happiness is to refuse to take on the moral obligation to endanger society. For preventing such dangers，we should educate party members，cadres and common citizens and restrict them within law and policy.
Implementation of Unified Information Reporting Platform

To resolve the problems that may exist in the security area Ⅲ of dispatching system,such as scattered data reporting modules of various styles,a unified information reporting platform is designed and implemented.The platform can integrate all the reporting modules in the security area Ⅲ of dispatching system into the work routine.Through the role privilege management services in the software basic platform of power system,it can make full use of the privilege of reporting and searching.Then the unified access for data reporting of different systems and branches can be developed.The platform has many good characteristics,such as various ways of data reporting,humanity of reporting guide and high accuracy of data check.The platform has been applied in China Southern Power Grid Dispatch and Communication Center and proved available in the practical projects.
Traumatic Renal Injury in Pregnancy

AbstractThe case is presented of a pregnant woman who had urinary extravasation from the right renal collecting structures after an automobile accident. Treatment was conservative.
Glider CT: Analysis and Experimental Validation

Underwater gliders are robust ocean sensor platforms characterized by high reliability and endurance. Because of their relatively low speed, the motion of underwater gliders is strongly affected by the ocean current, providing data to estimate the depth averaged flow velocity. The glider computerized tomography (Glider CT) algorithm reconstructs a depth-averaged flow field from the navigation errors accumulated along the glider trajectories. This paper justifies the convergence of the Glider CT algorithm as a row action method solving nonlinear equations previously used for bent-ray ultrasonic CT. The paper also validates the algorithm through experiments where the horizontal motion of underwater gliders under flow is imitated by mobile robots in an indoor lab setting. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results suggest Glider CT as a promising method for marine operations.
Supplementation of growing cattle grazing warm-season grass with proteins of various ruminal degradabilities.

This study was conducted to determine in situ ruminal protein degradation and animal responses to ruminally degraded and escape protein supplementation of warm-season grass. Cattle grazed a mixed stand of primarily big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) with some indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans [L.] Nash) from the 1st wk of June to the 3rd wk of August. In 1987, 72 yearling steers (286 kg) were allotted randomly to three treatments: energy control (cornstarch-molasses mixture) or energy control plus .1 or .2 kg.animal-1.d-1 of escape protein. The total amount of a supplement fed per day was 1 kg. In 1988, 90 yearling heifers (240 kg) were allotted to five treatments: negative control (no supplement), energy control, energy control plus .14 kg.animal-1.d-1 of escape protein, energy control plus .18 kg.animal-1.d-1 of ruminally degraded protein, or .36 kg.animal-1.d-1 of protein supplied by a combination of the two protein sources. The total amount of a supplement fed per day was 1.7 kg. During 1987, the .2-kg level of escape protein produced the greatest gains (P 5 mg/dL. Based on in situ measurements, 42 to 54% of the forage protein escaped ruminal degradation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
MO-B-207B-00: Harmonization & Robustness in Radiomics

Feature extraction for radiomics studies typically comprises the following stages: Imaging, segmentation, image processing, and feature extraction. Each of these stages has associated uncertainties that can affect the quality of a radiomics model created using the resulting image features. For example, the imaging device manufacturer and model have been shown to impact the values of image features, as have pixel size and imaging protocol parameters. Image processing, such as low-pass filtering to reduce noise, also changes calculated image features and should be designed to optimize the information content of the resulting features. The details of certain feature algorithms, such as co-occurrence matrix bin sizes, are also important, and should be optimized for specific radiomics tasks. The volume of the region of interest should be considered as image features can be related to volume and can give unanticipated results when the volumes are too small. In this session we will describe approaches to quantify the variabilities in radiomics studies, including the most recent results quantifying these variabilities for CT, MRI and PET imaging. We will discuss methods to optimize image processing and feature extraction in order to maximize the information content of the image features. Finally, we will describe work to harmonize imaging protocols and feature calculations to help minimize uncertainties in radiomics studies. Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1.Identify the sources of uncertainty in radiomics studies (CT, PET, and MRI imaging) 2.Describe methods for quantifying the magnitude of uncertainties 3.Describe approaches for mitigating the effects of the uncertainties on radiomics models Funding from NIH, CPRIT, Varian, Elekta; L. Court, NCI, CPRIT, Varian, Elekta
Mineral status in preterm infants as measured by single photon absorptiometry.

An optimal mineral status is difficult to achieve in preterm infants. Multiple nutritional regimens have been used in an attempt to provide sufficient calcium and phosphorus, but have failed generally because of problems with mineral salt solubility. Moreover, when near optimal calcium and phosphorus concentrations are provided in the milk, poor bioavailability of the mineral salt preparations limits appropriate absorption and retention of the minerals (Schanler and Garza, 1988; Schanler et al., 1988). Metabolic bone disease, which occurs as a consequence of inadequate mineral retention, is reported most often in preterm infants fed human milk (Brooke and Lucas, 1985). Preterm infants fed their mothers’ unfortified milk have demonstrated postnatal retention of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) at rates significantly less than estimates of intrauterine mineral accretion (Atkinson, et al., 1983; Rowe et al., 1984). These lowered postnatal Ca and P retentions are of concern. In similar populations of infants, decreased bone mineral content, decreased serum P concentration, increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity, and radiologically determined fractures and rickets also have been reported (Brooke and Lucas, 1985; Atkinson et al, 1983; Rowe et al., 1984; Eek et al., 1957; Gross, 1983; Greer and McCormick, 1988). The conclusion derived from these investigations is that mother’s milk is an inadequate source of Ca and P for preterm infants and that mineral mixtures are needed as fortifiers to achieve more appropriate intakes of Ca and P (Schanler and Garza, 1987).
Chapter 30 Science in Yellowstone: Contributions, Limitations, and Recommendations

Theme The National Park Service has long been criticized for emphasizing scenery and tourism management, while being indifferent, if not hostile, to the support of basic research and science-informed decision making (Sellers 1997, Parsons 2004). Congress provided the Service with a clear mandate to support and conduct research that benefits park management and society as a whole when it passed the 1998 National Parks Omnibus Management Act (Public Law 105-391, Title II, Sections 201–207). At about the same time, the Service obtained a major budget initiative to support scientific management, promulgated guidance for managing biological resources, established a standardized system for research and collecting permits, initiated a network of university-based cooperative units and a Sabbatical-in-the-Parks program, and developed several in-park research centers in larger, flagship parks (Parsons 2004). These changes provided the impetus for Yellowstone National Park to implement concurrent changes that supported research and incorporated scientific information into the decision-making process. Resource management in Yellowstone has benefited substantially from the description, interpretation, prediction, and monitoring of resources and ecological processes. Also, scientific information developed in the park has provided necessary information for partners outside the park to use in managing wildlife and their habitats. However, linking science and management continues to be a challenge due to the complexity of landscape-scale ecological issues and disagreements with stakeholders regarding relevant knowledge and values (Hall 2004, Hobbs and Hilborn 2006). We conducted an introspective examination of the contributions and limitations of science to resource management in Yellowstone and make recommendations for strengthening this link based on our experiences with wildlife issues. The views and opinions in this chapter are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any views, determinations, or policies of the National Park Service.
Coloquio, murmurar, canes muti: Cervantes y los jesuitas

A base de un estudio lexico y tematico de la “Novela y coloquio que paso entre Cipion y Berganza” de Miguel de Cervantes, y de su relacion con la documentacion jesuitica de la epoca, se propone leer el Coloquio como adaptacion del modelo de examen de conciencia de la Compania de Jesus.
Combining a nontargeted and targeted metabolomics approach to identify metabolic pathways significantly altered in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition of androgen excess and chronic anovulation frequently associated with insulin resistance. We combined a nontargeted and targeted metabolomics approach to identify pathways and metabolites that distinguished PCOS from metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Sustainability as a Measure of Success: Externally Promoted Participatory Budgeting in El Salvador 10 Years Later

Summary This article examines the sustainability of externally promoted participatory budgeting (PB) over more than a decade and, given the results, considers the implications for participatory practice in international development. In 2009, I investigated the continued utilization of PB as introduced through a US-financed local government development project in post-war El Salvador. I examined all 28 project municipalities 5 years after the project ended and found limited but important PB sustainability. In 2015, I replicated the study, using the same parameters in the same 28 municipalities, more than 10 years after completion of the project. This article presents the findings of the latter study and compares them with 2009 results. PB continues to be utilized in more than half of the 28 municipalities examined—a striking example of long-term sustainability—although there is also little continuity of use among individual municipal governments. I conclude that PB is becoming institutionalized, in part because of the initial project. This case of sustainability and institutionalization of PB may allow us to be more optimistic about the potential effects of participation in international development. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Evil Animal: A Terror Management Theory Perspective on the Human Tendency to Kill Animals:

This research tested whether support for the killing of animals serves a terror management function. In five studies, death primes caused participants to support the killing of animals more than co...