cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the child with recurrent chest infections

The child with recurrent chest infections presents the clinician with a difficult diagnostic challenge. Does the child have a simply-managed cause for their symptoms, such as recurrent viral respiratory infections or asthma, or is there evidence of a more serious underlying pathology, such as bronchiectasis? Many different disorders present in this way, including cystic fibrosis, a range of immunodeficiency syndromes, and congenital abnormalities of the respiratory tract. In some affected children, lung damage follows a single severe pneumonia: in others it is the result of inhalation of food or a foreign body. The assessment of these children is demanding: it requires close attention to the history and examination, and in selected cases, extensive investigations. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure that optimal treatment is given and to minimise the risk of progressive or irreversible lung damage. The aim of this chapter is to examine the causes of recurrent chest infections and to describe how this complex group of children should be assessed and investigated.
Consulting Opportunities Working with Student-Athletes at a University

The purpose of this article is to relate opportunities for consulting psychologists to work with a specific population within a university setting. The article describes the consulting relationships between a counseling psychologist, the academic advising office for student-athletes, and the athletic department at the University of Notre Dame and outlines possibilities for consultation with student-athletes in areas such as performance enhancement, personal counseling, study skills, and career planning.
Automatic Design of Reconfigurable Domain-Specific Flexible Cores

Reconfigurable hardware is ideal for use in systems-on-a-chip (SoC), as it provides both hardware-level performance and post-fabrication flexibility. However, any one architecture is rarely equally optimized for all applications. SoCs targeting a specific set of applications can greatly benefit from incorporating customized reconfigurable logic instead of generic field-programmable gate-array (FPGA) logic. Unfortunately, manually designing a domain-specific architecture for every SoC would require significant design time. Instead, this paper discusses our initial efforts towards creating a reconfigurable hardware generator capable of automatically creating flexible, yet domain-specific, designs. Our tests indicate that our generated architectures are more than 5times smaller than equivalent FPGA implementations and nearly as area-efficient as standard cell designs. We also use a novel technique employing synthetic circuit generation to demonstrate the flexibility of our architecture generation techniques.
Sovereign Bond Ratings and the Democratic Advantage: Portfolio Investment in the Developing World

As developing countries expose portfolio investors to potential high risk, it is expected that investors will follow the advice of credit rating agencies (CRAs) before sending capital abroad. Contr...
Stereoselective cyclization of functionalized 1,n-diynes mediated by [X-Y] reagents [X-Y = R3Si-SnR'3 or (R2N)2B-SnR'3]: synthesis and properties of atropisomeric 1,3-dienes.

The borylstannane [−N(Me)CH2CH2(Me)N−]B−SnMe3 is a superior reagent capable of effecting bisfunctionalization−cyclization in several highly functionalized 1,n-diynes, 1,n-enynes, and 1,n-allenynes (including 1,2-dipropargylbenzenes, 2,2′-dipropargylbiphenyls, 4,5-dipropargyldioxolanes, and 1,4-dipropargyl-β-lactams) where the more well-known silylstannanes fail. Variable-temperature NMR studies showed that conformational restraints imposed by selected backbones increase the activation barrier for the helical isomerization in (Z,Z)-dienes that are generated in the cyclization of the diynes. In the biphenyl and dioxolane systems, the reactions proceed with surprisingly good regio- and stereoselectivity. The resulting diazaborolidine derivatives are hydrolytically unstable but can be isolated by recrystallization or precipitation. For further synthetic applications, it is advantageous to convert these compounds in situ into the corresponding dioxaborolidines with either retention of the Me3Sn group or replac...
Safety issues with cyclosporine.

The tnore even absorption characteristics of the Neoral® fortnulatioti of cyclosporitie cotitribute to its itnproved safety profile when compared with Sandimtnune®. Excessive dose adjusttnents of cyclosporitie are reduced, stable absorption is offered, and variability in cyclosporine blood levels is avoided. Short-tertn use of Neoral, i.e. for treattnent up to i year, also enhances its overall safety. As discussed in other articles in this supplement, the potetirial for side-effects of Neoral may be reduced by careful patient selection and by proper dosing. The adverse effects that may be associated with appropriate dosing of Neoral are reviewed iti this article.
A Five-Level Three-Phase Hybrid Cascade Multilevel Inverter Using a Single DC Source for a PM Synchronous Motor Drive

The interest here is in using a single DC power source to construct a 3-phase 5-level cascade multilevel inverter to be used as a drive for a PM traction motor. The 5-level inverter consists of a standard 3-leg inverter (one leg for each phase) and an H-bridge in series with each inverter leg, which use a capacitor as a DC source. It is shown that one can simultaneously maintain the regulation of the capacitor voltage while achieving an output voltage waveform which is 25% higher than that obtained using a standard 3-leg inverter by itself.
Microwave circuit analysis and design by a massively distributed computing network

The advances in microelectronic engineering have rendered massively distributed computing networks practical and affordable. This paper describes one application of this distributed computing paradigm to the analysis and design of microwave circuits. A distributed computing network, constructed in the form of a neural network, is developed to automate the operations typically performed on a normalized Smith chart. Examples showing the use of this computing network for impedance matching and stabilizing are provided. >
The Cost of Corn Processing for Finishing Cattle1

Abstract Three corn processing methods were compared for use in 5,000- and 20,000-head capacity feedlots. Processing methods were dry-rolled (DRC), early harvest and ensiling high-moisture (HMC), and steam-flaked corn (SFC). Processing costs were determined to be $1.58, $4.71, and $9.57/t (metric ton; DM basis) for DRC, HMC, and SFC, respectively, for the 5,000-capacity feedlot. Processing costs were less for the 20,000-capacity feedlot at $0.81, $3.07, and $6.23/t (DM basis) for DRC, HMC, and SFC, respectively. Using these economic calculations in an 85% corn diet (DM basis), an improvement of dietary feed efficiency would need to be 2.4 and 6.1% for feeding HMC or SFC, respectively, compared with feeding DRC in a 5,000-capacity feedlot to be of economical value. For the 20,000-capacity feedlot, an improvement of dietary feed efficiency would need to be 1.7 and 4.2% for feeding HMC or SFC, respectively, compared with feeding DRC. Variables such as corn price, feed efficiency response, energy cost, and feedlot size determine economic returns for corn processing. Feeding SFC appears to generate economic return in both sizes of feedlots compared with feeding HMC or DRC. Calculated economic returns involving HMC were more variable than the economic returns generated from DRC data.
Effect of Pregnancy on Mechanisms of Relaxation in Human Omental Microvessels

We assessed mechanisms of acetylcholine- and bradykinin-induced relaxations in human omental resistance vessels. Ring segments (approximately 200 microns normalized ID) were dissected from omental biopsies obtained from women at laparotomy (nonpregnant) or at cesarean delivery (pregnant) and were studied under isometric conditions in a Mulvany-Halpern myograph. All arginine vasopressin-preconstricted vessels relaxed in a strictly endothelium-dependent manner to acetylcholine and bradykinin; maximal relaxations were not decreased by either NG-nitro-L-arginine or indomethacin. By contrast, bradykinin failed to relax vessels that had been preconstricted with potassium gluconate. In the combined presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine and indomethacin, addition of charybdotoxin, a selective antagonist of some calcium-sensitive potassium channels, did not inhibit maximal bradykinin-induced relaxation. By contrast, addition of 10 mmol/L tetraethylammonium chloride abolished relaxation in vessels from nonpregnant women but not in vessels from gravidas. We conclude that bradykinin relaxes these human resistance arteries in an endothelium-dependent but predominantly nitric oxide- and prostanoid-independent manner; relaxation likely depends on the action of an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing vasodilator. Furthermore, in striking contrast to mechanistic insights from animal studies, human pregnancy appears to augment a mechanism of endothelium-dependent relaxation in these vessels that is insensitive to the inhibitors noted above. Whether a similar novel vasodilator mechanism in vivo contributes to the physiological vasodilation that characterizes human gestation or whether failure of such a mechanism might lead to preeclampsia remains the subject of future study.
The Macrophage at the Crossroads of Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis

The macrophage has emerged as an important player in the pathogenesis of both atherosclerosis and insulin resistance. Cross-talk between inflammatory macrophages and adipocytes may be involved in insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Defective insulin signaling in cells of the arterial wall including macrophages may promote the development of atherosclerosis. Insulin resistant macrophages are more susceptible to endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in response to various stimuli such as nutrient deprivation, free cholesterol loading, and oxidized LDL. Increased apoptosis of insulin resistant macrophages and impaired phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells by insulin resistant macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions may lead to enhanced postapoptotic necrosis, larger lipid-rich cores, increased inflammation, and more complex vulnerable plaques.
Determination of GABA, glutamate, dopamine and carbamathione in brain microdialysis samples by micellar electrokinetic chromatography and laser-induced fluorescence (MEKC-LIF)

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography and laser-induced fluorescence (MEKC-LIF) method based on derivatization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxyaldehyde (NDA) was optimized to separate and detect glutamate (Glu), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA) and carbamathione in brain microdialysis samples. The background electrolyte (BGE) consisted of 22.5 mmol L−1lithium tetraborate, 25 mmol L−1lithium dodecylsulfate and 10% methanol. The separation was carried out on a 65 cm × 50 μm id fused-silica capillary (50 cm effective) at +15 kV voltage with a run time of 25 min. The detection limits for GABA, Glu, DA and carbamathione were 6, 10, 5 and 10 nmol L−1, respectively. This method was used to monitor GABA, Glu, DA and carbamathione in brain microdialysis samples from the nucleus accumbens after the administration of an intra-peritoneal dose of disulfiram (200 mg kg−1) and revealed a disulfiram-induced change in GABA, Glu and DA levels. This method demonstrates a simple, rapid and accurate measurement of three amino acid neurotransmitters and carbamathione for in vivo monitoring in the brain using microdialysis sampling.
c-Myb and GATA-3 Cooperatively Regulate IL-13 Expression via Conserved GATA-3 Response Element and Recruit Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) for Histone Modification of the IL-13 Locus

The c-Myb and GATA-3 transcription factors play important roles in T cell development. We recently reported that c-Myb, GATA-3, and Menin form a core transcription complex that regulates GATA-3 expression and ultimately Th2 cell development in human peripheral blood T cells. However, c-Myb roles for Th2 cytokine expression were not demonstrated. In this article, we report that c-Myb and GATA-3 cooperatively play an essential role in IL-13 expression though direct binding to a conserved GATA-3 response element (CGRE), an enhancer for IL-13 expression. c-Myb and GATA-3 were shown to activate the CGRE-IL-13 promoter by ∼160-fold, and mutation of the canonical Myb binding site completely abrogated CGRE enhancer activity. In contrast, mutation of the GATA binding site partially decreased CGRE enhancer activity. GATA-3 did not bind to CGRE when c-myb expression was silenced. c-Myb, GATA-3, Menin, and mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) bound to CGRE in human primary CD4(+) effector/memory cells. Moreover, c-myb silencing significantly decreased both methylation of histone H3K4 and acetylation of histone H3K9 at the IL-13 locus in CD4(+) effector/memory cells. Therefore, in addition to the strong enhancer effect for the transcription of IL-13, the c-Myb/GATA-3 complex recruits MLL to the CGRE for histone modification of the IL-13 locus during the differentiation of memory Th2 cells.
In situ fabrication of dispersed, crystalline platinum nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanofibers

Abstract Close packed polyacrylonitrile nanofibers containing platinum (II) acetylacetonate were fabricated by polymerization of acrylonitrile in a porous anodic aluminum oxide template. Subsequent pyrolysis results in carbon nanofibers wherein the Pt(II) salt is reduced in situ to elemental Pt. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that the Pt nanoparticles are dispersed throughout the carbon nanofibers, have a size range of 1–4 nm, and are single crystals. Rotating disc electrode voltammetry suggests that the dispersion of Pt nanocrystals in the carbon nanofiber matrix should exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity.
Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Introduction Multiple airway protective mechanisms are impacted with Parkinson's disease (PD), including swallowing and cough. Cough serves to eject material from the lower airways, and can be produced voluntarily (on command) and reflexively in response to aspirate material or other airway irritants. Voluntary cough effectiveness is reduced in PD however it is not known whether reflex cough is affected as well. The goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness between voluntary and reflex cough in patients with idiopathic PD. Methods Twenty patients with idiopathic PD participated. Cough airflow data were recorded via facemask in line with a pneumotachograph. A side delivery port connected the nebulizer for delivery of capsaicin, which was used to induce cough. Three voluntary coughs and three reflex coughs were analyzed from each participant. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare voluntary versus reflex cough airflow parameters. Results Significant differences were found for peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and cough expired volume (CEV) between voluntary and reflex cough. Specifically, both PEFR and CEV were reduced for reflex as compared to voluntary cough. Conclusion Cough PEFR and CEV are indicative of cough effectiveness in terms of the ability to remove material from the lower airways. Differences between these two cough types likely reflect differences in the coordination of the respiratory and laryngeal subsystems. Clinicians should be aware that evaluation of cough function using voluntary cough tasks overestimates the PEFR and CEV that would be achieved during reflex cough in patients with PD.
Tris DBA palladium overcomes hypoxia-mediated drug resistance in multiple myeloma

Despite recent progress in novel and targeted therapies, multiple myeloma (MM) remains a therapeutically challenging incurable disease. The regulation of important cellular processes and its link to cancer presented Src as an attractive target for MM. We suggest a novel strategy to improve the treatment of MM and overcome the drug resistance for the current therapeutic agents by specific inhibition of Src in MM cells by Tris (Dibenzylideneacetone) dipalladium (Tris DBA). Tris DBA reduces proliferation, induces G1 arrest and apoptosis in MM cells. Tris DBA showed additive effect with proteasome inhibitors reducing proliferation, cell cycle signaling, and increasing apoptosis more than each drug alone. Tris DBA overcame hypoxia-induced effects such as enhanced chemotaxis or drug resistance to proteasome inhibitors by inhibition of HIF1α expression. Moreover, we found that Tris DBA is an effective anti-myeloma agent alone or in combination with other targeted drugs and that it reverses hypoxia-induced drug resistance in myeloma.
The Oral-Burn Syndrome and Its Effects on Dental Implants

When the struts of a subperiosteal dental implant exteriorize with white slough on the metal-tissue margins in the absence of movement, pain, or pus, oral-burn syndrome should be considered as a possibility. This study indicates a direct link between oral tissue loss and the frequency and temperature of hot beverages, foods, and smoking.
The Use of Water-Soluble Radical Scavengers to Detect Hydroxyl Radical Formation by Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

The polymorphonuclear leukocyte secretes both O2- and H2O2 when stimulated by various soluble or particulate stimuli. Since a reaction involving iron, O2-, and H2O2 could generate the hydroxyl radical (HO.) there has been speculation that the HO. may participate in the bactericidal activity of the neutrophil. A variety of water-soluble HO. scavengers have been used to test for the participation of HO. and the results imply that HO. might participate. However, other workers have not been able to detect the formation of significant amounts of HO. by the activated neutrophil. We have examined the effect of several commonly used HO. radical scavengers on the ability of the neutrophil to secrete O2- and H2O2. Several of these compounds actively inhibit secretion without affecting the viability of the neutrophil. After considering the various complications inherent in using water soluble radical scavengers, we suggest that they only be used with well defined experimental systems.
Acting Together, Joint Commitment, and Obligation

What is it to do something with another person? In the author's book On Social Facts and elsewhere, she has conjectured that a special type of commitment - joint commitment - lies at the root of acting together and many other central social phenomena. Here she surveys some data pertinent to this conjecture, including the assumption of those who act together that they have associated rights against and obligations towards each other. She explains what joint commitment is, how it relates to the data noted, and argues that an appeal to joint commitment does not involve a pernicious form of holism.
Seismology and Society: A College Course in Why It All Matters

In Fall 1990, Oregon State University adopted a new Baccalaureate Core Curriculum. A key innovation is the requirement that all students take two upper-division courses synthesizing their previous coursework as partial preparation for becoming an informed citizen. The traditional curriculum can be compared to the branches of a tree, starting with an introductory sequence (the trunk) and radiating out to more specialized courses (the branches). The OSU Baccalaureate Core is this, too, but the synthesis part is like the roots of a tree, in which the student integrates the various specialties and survey courses (roots) into a well rounded view of the world in which we all live. One of the synthesis requirements is called “Science, Technology, and Society”, in which the student takes a three-hour course (under the quarter system) that considers the impact of advances in science on our lives and on decisions we must make as a society to deal with these advances. Courses in the Science, Technology, and Society requirement might include genetic engineering, cloning technology, and the trade-off between pesticide use and better crop yields. The requirement offers great opportunities for the Earth sciences to develop courses on, for example, shoreline processes and their impact on coastal development, or the impact of future shortages of natural resources, especially hydrocarbon fuels and potable water, on population growth and land use. The opportunity for the Earth sciences is enhanced by the fact that the science requirement in college, as in high school, is commonly met with chemistry, physics, and biology, and students are not required to take any Earth science at all. For this reason, a synthesis course in the Earth sciences must not require any previous exposure to Earth science, even though the course is upper division. Presentation of the basics—the immensity of geologic time and …
Abstract 3603: Zidovudine (AZT)-induced aneuploidy, mediated by Stathmin 1 (STMN1), involves a loss of polymerized β-tubulin.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC The nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor AZT induces multiple manifestations of genotoxicity, among which aneuploidy, observed as micronuclei containing whole chromosomes, has been reported (Borojerdi et al., Mut Res, 2009). We have seen a loss of β-tubulin polymerization in about 23% of normal human mammary epithelial cells (NHMECs) exposed for 24 hr to 200 μM AZT, and demonstrated down-regulation of hsa-miR-770-5p, a microRNA known to target STMN1, in the same AZT-exposed cells. STMN1 prevents microtubule polymerization, resulting in destabilization of the mitotic spindle and chromosome misalignment. We therefore hypothesized that, if AZT exposure downregulates hsa-miR-770-5p, there should be increased expression of STMN1, which would result in loss of microtubule polymerization leading to aneuploidy. In this study we exposed cells of the human breast line MCF-10A to 100 μM AZT continuously for 1 to 3 passages (P). By Western Blot we showed that total STMN1 was 3.5-fold increased at P1, in AZT-exposed cells, compared to the unexposed controls. Using the same STMN1 antiserum, by immunohistochemistry (IHC), we observed that some cells stained heavily for STMN1, while others had virtually no staining, and that the overall STMN1 fluorescence was increased in AZT-exposed cells, compared to unexposed controls. When tubulin polymerization was evaluated by IHC, using β-tubulin antiserum, 10.1% of AZT-exposed cells showed a loss of tubulin polymerization, while only 0.7% of unexposed cells showed the same effect (p=0.004). The data suggest that AZT induced aneuploidy may be mediated by inhibition of hsa-miR-770-5p, upregulation of STMN1, impaired polymerization of β-tubulin, aberrant mitotic spindle formation and consequent chromosome misalignment resulting in aneuploidy. If confirmed, this will constitute a novel mechanism of AZT-induced genotoxicity that may or may not be related to AZT-DNA incorporation. Ongoing experiments will explore these relationships further by localizing STMN1 and β-tubulin in specific cells, and examining the same cultures for spindle aberrations at mitosis. Citation Format: Andrea V. Rivera, Vanesa C. Sanchez, Miriam C. Poirier, Ofelia A. Olivero. Zidovudine (AZT)-induced aneuploidy, mediated by Stathmin 1 (STMN1), involves a loss of polymerized β-tubulin. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3603. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3603
Remaking the Record: Emigrant Fiction and Restorative Justice in the Former Yugoslavia:

As the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) nears its end, questions about victimhood and restorative justice remain salient. Can the law adequately attend to victim trauma? Focusing on the remedial notion of “making whole” a victim of atrocity, this article looks to Aleksandar Hemon’s first novel, The Question of Bruno (2000), to illuminate legal limitations to facilitating human recovery. Hemon is a Bosnian immigrant who departed Sarajevo in 1992 and began writing in English several years later. Exhibiting the fragmentation typical in postmodern fiction, Hemon’s work can be situated in a distinct literary moment. Yet the novel also creates new narrative forms that incorporate the reader in a restorative task. While considering the gaps in the remedial procedures at the ICTY, I argue that The Question of Bruno implores its reader to reconstruct a new kind of historical record that heals, while acknowledging the liminal spaces from which many victims speak and write.
Adaptive Attitude and Vibration Control of the NASA Ares Crew Launch Vehicle

The control system of the NASA Crew Launch Vehicle is designed to meet performance and robustness requirements during its ascent ∞ight phase. However, the controller bandwidth and the attainable level of robust performance is limited by the degree of ∞exibility inherent in the long and slender design that has been adopted for this vehicle. Since there remains a substantial degree of uncertainty regarding the structural dynamics of this vehicle, the degree of risk associated with ∞ight control is reduced by permitting a greater level of robust performance to be attained by augmenting the existing ∞ight control system design with an adaptive element. Attitude stabilization and ∞exible mode suppression of the model is achieved by using a model reference adaptive controller designed to maintain nominal tracking performance in the presence of disturbances, parametric uncertainties and unmodeled dynamics. The control law employs an output feedback neural network adaptive element which augments an existing decoupled gain scheduled linear control law in a centralized manner to expand the class of uncertainty the system can potentially suppress. The resulting closed loop system can be shown to be uniformly ultimately bounded through a Lyapunov-like stability analysis.
Ethnicity and reporting of schizophrenic symptoms

Eighty-one clinically diagnosed (DSM-III) Hispanic and Anglo schizophrenic subjects were evaluated with a structured diagnostic interview, the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule (NIMH-DIS), and a battery of rating instruments (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impressions, Global Assessment Scale, and Hopkins Symptom Checklist 90 [SCL-90]). The authors examined: a) consistency in reporting of symptoms across different instruments administered in different formats and b) the importance of ethnic background in consistency of responses to the different instruments. A subgroup of patients (23% of total) "denied" lifetime schizophrenic symptoms in the lay interviewer-administered structured interview ("DIS negative" schizophrenic subjects). The proportion of DIS negative subjects was very similar across the two ethnic groups. However, responses by DIS negative schizophrenic subjects to a self-rating instrument (SCL-90) were significantly different for Hispanic and Anglo subjects. A subgroup of Anglo subjects denied symptoms in the DIS, but volunteered them in the self-rating instrument. Responses of Hispanic subjects were consistent regardless of format.
Role of Breast MRI in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer

The role of breast MRI in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer is controversial. Preoperative MRI is highly sensitive and accurate in assessing tumor size, extensive intraductal component (EIC), and in detection of additional sites of disease. It also has utility in assessing chest wall, nipple-areolar complex, and nodal involvement. Yet there are conflicting results in whether the use of preoperative MRI improves re-excision rate, local recurrence rate, and ultimately, survival. MRI has also been associated with overestimation of disease and increased mastectomy rates, and may contribute to treatment delay. Nevertheless, certain subgroups of patients may benefit more from preoperative MRI than others, including those with invasive lobular cancer (ILC), dense breasts, and those at elevated risk for breast cancer.
Dynamic Observation of Health Examination Results of Radiation Workers in Jiujiang City

[Objective]To understand the of the effect of long-term low-dose ionizing radiation on health of radiation workers and its dynamic change.[Methods] According to the occupational heath examination requirements for radiation workers,the heath examination results of radiation workers for 1 072 person-time and consecutive 21 years during 1989-2009 were dynamically analyzed.[Results]The annual average dose equivalent of each radiation worker decreased annually.The physical examination,lymphocyte micronucleus,platelets,hemoglobin positive rate of the radiation worker decreased annually too;the difference between county and village was not significant,and no obvious change was observed in other items.[Conclusion]With the improvement of radiological protection levels,the physical health of radiation workers has improved,but the protection still need to be strengthened.
Left ventricular-arterial coupling in conscious dogs

We investigated the criteria for the coupling of the left ventricle (LV) and the arterial system to maximize LV stroke work (SW) and the transformation of LV pressure-volume area (PVA) to SW. We studied eight conscious dogs that were instrumented to measure LV pressure and determine LV volume from three ultrasonically determined dimensions. The LV end-systolic pressure (PES)-volume (VES) relation was determined by caval occlusion. Its slope (EES) was compared with the arterial elastance (EA) and determined as PES per stroke volume. At rest, with intact reflexes, EES/EA was 0.96 +/- 0.20 EES/EA was varied over a wide range (0.18-2.59) by the infusion of graded doses of phenylephrine and nitroprusside before and during administration of dobutamine. Maximum LV SW, at constant inotropic state and end-diastolic volume (VED), occurred when EES/EA equaled 0.99 +/- 0.15. At constant VED and contractile state, SW was within 20% of its maximum value when EES/EA was between 0.56 and 2.29. The conversion of LV PVA to SW increased as EES/EA increased. The shape of the observed relations of the SW to EES/EA and SW/PVA to EES/EA was similar to that predicted by the theoretical consideration of LV PES-VES and arterial PES-stroke volume relations. We conclude that the LV and arterial system produce maximum SW at constant VED when EES and EA are equal; however, the relation of SW to EES/EA has a broad plateau. Only when EA greatly exceeds EES does the SW fall substantially. However, the conversion of PVA to SW increases as EES/EA increases. These observations support the utility of analyzing LV-arterial coupling in the pressure-volume plane.
Platelets in infectious disease

Abstract Sepsis is a dynamic, acute, infectious disease syndrome characterized by dysregulated thrombo-inflammatory responses. The high mortality associated with sepsis has been recognized since the earliest clinicians' writings. Despite this, advances in the treatment of sepsis have been more modest. This is limited, in part, by the heterogeneity in the definition, population, presentation, and causal factors of infectious syndromes. Given the persistently high morbidity and mortality associated with sepsis, a better understanding of the dysregulated cellular biology underpinning sepsis is needed. Platelets are small, anucleate cells that have hemostatic, inflammatory, and immune-mediating properties. Platelets are the second most common circulating blood cell, and emerging evidence suggests that platelets serve as sentinel and effector cells during infectious syndromes. Nevertheless, the molecular and functional changes that occur in platelets during sepsis, and their impact on the clinical course of infected patients, remain incompletely understood. In this review, we first highlight the complex and dynamic pathophysiology characteristics of acute, systemic infections and we then discuss established and emerging evidence of the roles of platelets in sepsis.
Constitutive Activation of Rac GTPases Is Induced by Cooperating Mutations in a Human Model of MLL-AF9 Leukemia.

Abstract 2959 Poster Board II-935 Retroviral transduction of primary human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells with a gene encoding MLL-AF9 (MA9) efficiently promotes immortalization in vitro and development of leukemia in a xenotransplant model. MA9 cells remain cytokine dependent with a strict requirement for Flt3 signaling. Additionally, the cells are hypersensitive to inhibition of the RAC GTPases. In this current study, we have examined a potential link between these pathways. We found that MA9 cells proliferate in culture media containing Flt3 Ligand (FL) as the sole cytokine, indicating that Flt3 signaling is sufficient for growth and survival. Furthermore, introduction of a mutant Flt3-ITD gene in these cells (MA9-ITD cells) not only promotes cytokine independent growth, but also significantly decreases leukemia latency in xenotransplant experiments. Consistent with the persistent requirement for active Rac signaling, we found that MA9 cells stimulated with FL induce the activated form of Rac (Rac-GTP) while MA9-ITD cells contain constitutively high levels of Rac-GTP, even after serum starvation and in the absence of all cytokines. Interestingly, we found that expression of the activated mutant NRas-G12D in MA9 cells (MA9-NRas cells) also leads to constitutive Rac activation, cytokine independent growth, and decreased leukemia latency upon transplantation into immunodeficient mice. Taken together, these results indicate that RAC activation may be a common integrating pathway by which secondary mutations cooperate in the progression towards leukemia. Consistent with this notion, both MA9-ITD and MA9-NRas cells remain sensitive to Rac inhibition with a small molecule Rac inhibitor or shRNA knockdown of Rac1 or Rac2. These data indicate that Rac signaling remains critical for MA9 survival and proliferation even in the context of additional mutations and highlights the therapeutic potential for targeting Rac. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Dialogues with entrepreneurs in China: How start-up companies cultivate relationships with strategic publics

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study examined relationship cultivation and public relations practices in start-up companies in Mainland China. Findings from 28 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs in China1 suggest that employees and customers are the most important strategic publics for start-ups, followed by investors, the media, and the government. Symmetrical relationship cultivation strategies suggested in previous literature apply to the start-up context in China with specific variations. New strategies such as vision and value communication, empowerment, authentic communication, and proactive reporting were identified for start-ups to build quality relationships with various strategic publics. Compared with large established corporations, start-ups have unique public relations purposes, needs, and scope of practice. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Complete Genome Assembly of Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii DC283, a Corn Pathogen.

ABSTRACT The phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii DC283 causes Stewart’s wilt disease in corn after transmission from the corn flea beetle insect vector. Here, we report that the complete annotated genome of P. stewartii DC283 has been fully assembled into one circular chromosome, 10 circular plasmids, and one linear phage.
Conclusions and Future Auto FDI Prospects for CE and SEE Nations

This unique chapter provides near-term outlooks for passenger car production in each of the CE nations and speculates on the role SEE nations will play in this future. For this purpose, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Croatia also are brought into the discussion. In order to evaluate these prospects, a back-of-the envelope scoring system is presented that rates the likelihood for expansions of existing plants and the potential for each of the ten nations and East Germany of attracting a new full-fledged car factory (manufacturing 150,000 to 300,000 cars per year). The chapter and book then closes with some thoughts regarding the future geography of auto production in Post-Socialist Europe.
Framework for Quantitative Annual Evaluation of Traffic Signal Systems

The evaluation of traffic signal systems on an agency level can be of great importance for identifying problems, self-assessing, budgeting, creating a strategy for future steps, and so on. The most famous similar effort of this type is the National Traffic Signal Report Card, which is used as an evaluation methodology for agencies countrywide. The main difference in the proposed methodology is that it steps away from qualitative evaluation and grading and presents a new set of procedures for implementation of quantitative—and therefore more unbiased—evaluation methodology. The proposed methodology should enable self-evaluation and comparison between agencies in relation to agency management, traffic signal operations, signal timing practices, traffic monitoring, data collection, and maintenance. For two agencies, the numerical and logical values of the answers are used in the evaluation process to obtain preliminary results that are displayed with a confidence measure to explain that process. The proposed...
Financing GPNs through inter-firm collaboration? Insights from the automotive industry in Germany and Brazil

Despite its obvious importance, finance is to date still a blind spot in GPN research (Coe et al. 2013, Coe 2012). This paper addresses this lacuna and focuses on the circulation of financial capital and forms of inter-firm financing in production networks in the automotive sector in Germany and Brazil. Conceptually, it takes the emerging body of literature in the field of supply chain finance (SCF) as point of departure which argues that a financial management blurring the boundaries of the single firm can increase the competitiveness of GPNs and their capacities to cope with external shocks. In empirical terms, it draws on qualitative work conducted in Germany and Brazil between 2011 and 2013. According to our explorations, instruments of inter-firm finance have been implemented in corporate practice only very recently, and with distinct variation by country. A number of observed restrictions may explain the inconsistency between SCF theory and corporate practice: On the level of the individual firm, the perception of risks, the interlinking of buying and financing relationships, divergent aims of involved departments as well as the corporate strategy and the persistence of financing practices have become evident as important influencing factors. On the level of networks power relations, conflicting interests and a lack of mutual trust represent obstacles. Thirdly, context-specific conditions – in particular the financial system and legal regulations – affect the design and use of such financing instruments. The paper concludes with a discussion of success factors of collaborative financing in GPNs and possible implications for regional development.
Deflection and trapping of a counter-rotating vortex pair by a flat plate

Trajectories of vortex pairs deflected by an inclined plate undergo topological discontinuities as the plate length or angle changes. In fact, the vortex winding number jumps in a self-similar fractal fashion across gaps within gaps within gaps ad infinitum, which trap the vortices.
Complementary and alternative medicine provider knowledge discourse on holistic health

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) promises a wide array of therapies employed increasingly by consumers for disease prevention and health promotion. Despite this increasing use, however, CAM and biomedical paradigms are often not combined effectively in the US. The lack of coordination negatively impacts several aspects of patient care including CAM and biomedical provider-patient relationships and the practice of integrative medicine. The goal of this study is to understand how CAM providers position their knowledge and practice of holistic health within the healthcare landscape in the US. In-depth interviews with CAM providers (N=17) sampled from practices in the mid-Atlantic region of the US were analyzed for provider descriptions of holistic health. Discourse analysis of CAM provider interviews identifies the three themes employed by CAM providers to describe holistic health as comprising the: (a) epistemologies of legitimization and identity, (b) epistemologies of sense and intuition, and (c) epistemologies of environment and community. The three epistemologies define holistic health by organizing diverse knowledge foundations through reconciling and integrating differences, including diverse modes of evidence such as non-empirical forms of whole body experiences, and privileging the relational praxis through integrating the individual’s biological and sociocultural environment. The epistemologies illuminate how CAM knowledge and practice is positioned as alternative within the sociocultural context of the participants and reflect CAM providers’ challenges in carving out a distinct knowledge space reflecting their professional identity. CAM providers’ discourse encompasses the ontological and experiential-relational praxis to foreground health as a mutually constitutive, ongoing process of granting legitimacy to diverse sense-making ontologies of medicine within a continuum of provider-patient meaning-making. Theoretically, CAM knowledge of holistic health integrates the experiential praxis of the patient’s spiritual and physiological self and the relational praxis of the patient’s biological-sociocultural-epigenetic relationships in the conceptualization and delivery of health outcomes. The study findings recommend including CAM knowledge discourses to inform the epistemological foundations of basic medicine. Pragmatically, the study recommends support for efforts to include credentialing of CAM practitioner teaching within allopathic healthcare institutions, faculty development within existing allopathic health professional schools, and incorporation of CAM content in allopathic medical education and practice.
Cobalamin C Disease Missed by Newborn Screening in a Patient with Low Carnitine Level

Cobalamin C (CblC) disease is the most common inherited disorder of intracellular cobalamin metabolism. It is a multisystemic disorder mainly affecting the eye and brain and characterized biochemically by methylmalonic aciduria, low methionine level, and homocystinuria. We report a patient found to have CblC disease who initially presented with low carnitine and normal propionylcarnitine (C3) levels on newborn screen. Newborn screening likely failed to detect CblC in this patient because of both his low carnitine level and the presence of a mild phenotype.
Embracing Uncertainty in Large-Scale Computational Astrophysics.

A revolution is underway in astronomy resulting from massive astrophysical surveys providing a panchromatic view of the night sky. The next generation of surveys and the simulations used to calibrate them can produce in two nights what the previous generation produced over many years. This enormous image acquisition capability allows the telescope to revisit areas of the sky with sufficient frequency to expose dynamic features and transient events; e.g., asteroids whose trajectories may intersect Earth. At least three such surveys are planned; their collective output must be integrated and calibrated against computational simulations, prior surveys, and each other. Relational databases have been shown to be effective for astronomy at yesterday’s scale, but new access to the temporal dimension and increased intercomparison of multiple sources generate new sources of uncertainty that must be modeled explicitly in the database. Conventional relational database management systems are not cognizant of this uncertainty, requiring random variables to be prematurely and artificially collapsed prior to manpiulation. Previous results in probabilistic databases focus on discrete attribute values and are unproven at large scale. In this paper, we present concrete examples of probabilistic query processing from computational astrophysics, and use them to motivate new directions of research: continuous-valued attributes and queries involving complex aggregates over such attributes.
Biomimetic Antireflection Surfaces

The compound eyes of moths are composed by hexagonal arrays of non-close-packed nipples that exhibit low reflectance. The outer surface of the cornea of a moth consists of periodic arrays of conical protuberances, termed corneal nipples, typically of sub-250 nm height and spacing. These arrays of subwavelength nipples generate a graded transition of refractive index, leading to minimized reflection over a broad range of wavelengths and angles of incidence. In this chapter, the fabrication, characterization, and modeling of moth-eye antireflection coatings on both transparent substrates (e.g., glass) and semiconductor wafers (such as crystalline silicon and GaAs) are discussed.
2 – ELECTROACTIVE AND MAGNETOACTIVE MATERIALS

Electroactive and magnetoactive materials are materials that modify their shape in response to electric or magnetic stimuli. Such materials permit induced-strain actuation and strain sensing which are of considerable importance in SHM. Induced-strain actuation allows us to create motion at the micro scale without pistons, gears, or other mechanisms Induced-strain actuation relies on the direct conversion of electric or magnetic energy into mechanical energy. It is a solid-state actuation, has much fewer parts than conventional actuation, and is much more reliable. It offers the opportunity for creating SHM systems that are miniaturized, effective, and efficient. On the other hand, strain sensing with electroactive and magnetoactive materials creates direct conversion of mechanical energy into electric and magnetic energy. With piezoelectric strain sensors, strong and clear voltage signals are obtained directly from the sensor without the need for intermediate gage bridges, signal conditioners, and signal amplifiers. These direct sensing properties are especially significant in dynamics, vibration, and audio applications in which alternating effects occur in rapid succession thus preventing charge leaking. Other applications of active materials are in sonic and ultrasonic transduction, in which the transducer acis as both sensor and actuator, first transmitting a sonic or ultrasonic pulse, and then detecting the echoes received from the defect or target.
Patient-derived cell models for cancer precision medicine.

e23188Background: Recently, we described the conditional reprogramming (CR) which allows to rapidly establish primary cultures from normal and tumor specimens. The Combination of CR and Organoids (...
Senescent and apoptotic osteocytes and aging: Exercise to the rescue?

Abstract Osteocytes are the most prevalent cell in the skeleton and are the master regulator of bone remodeling. Despite the understanding that osteocytes have a multiyear lifespan, and some factors induce apoptosis in osteocytes, much less is understood about the induction and consequences of osteocyte senescence. Filling these gaps in knowledge will provide novel approaches to slowing age-related bone loss and preventing fragility fractures. The purpose of this review is to examine the roles of senescence and apoptosis in osteocytes in age-related bone loss. Based on evidence that exercise can prevent senescence in skeletal muscle, we provide a novel hypothesis by which exercise can prolong skeletal health.