cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Dietary Vitamin C on Weight Gain, Tissue Ascorbate Concentration, Stress Response, and Disease Resistance of Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

Juvenile channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (average initial weight, 6.5 g/fish) were fed twice daily to apparent satiation with practical-type diets containing 0, 50, 150, or 250 mg supplemental vitamin C/kg from L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate for 10 wk under laboratory conditions. At the end of the feeding period, one half of the fish were stressed for 2 h by confinement and both stressed and nonstressed fish were exposed to a virulent strain of Edwardsiella ictaluri. Weight gain and feed conversion efficiency were lower for fish fed the basal diet than those fed diets containing supplemental vitamin C. No differences were observed in weight gain and feed conversion among fish fed diets containing supplemental vitamin C. There were no differences in feed consumption and survival (prior to experimental infection) among treatments. No vitamin C deficiency signs except reduced weight gain were observed in fish fed the basal diet. Serum cortisol concentrations were higher in stressed fish than in non-stressed fish. Dietary vitamin C level had no effect on serum cortisol concentration. As dietary vitamin C increased, ascorbate concentration in serum and liver increased. Confinement stress had no effect on serum and liver ascorbate concentrations. Cumulative mortality of channel catfish 21 d subsequent to experimental infection with E. ictaluri was higher for stressed fish than for nonstressed fish. Regardless of stress or nonstress, overall mortality for fish fed the basal diet was lower than the fish fed diets containing supplemental vitamin C. There were no differences in post-infection antibody levels among treatments or between stressed and nonstressed fish. Results from this study indicate that channel catfish require no more than 50 mg/kg dietary vitamin C for normal growth, stress response, and disease resistance.
Temporal aggregation and unit roots in nominal foreign exchange rates

Extant empirical evidence on the logarithm of the daily and weekly spot exchange rates indicates the presence of unit roots. At a lower frequency, however, there is evidence that monthly spot rates do not have a unit root, although the autocorrelation coefficient may be close to one in absolute value. Unlike earlier studies, the present article applies various tests to data with different frequencies and reports evidence suggesting that exchange rates may not have unit roots. Absence of nonstationarity in the observations implies that econometric models may not have to apply any differencing.
Experimental calibration of Mg isotope fractionation between aragonite and seawater

Abstract The detectable magnesium (Mg) isotope fractionation between biogenic aragonite (including aragonitic corals, bivalves, scaphopod, and sclerosponges) and seawater can potentially be applied to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) in the past. To calibrate this thermometer, eight sets of inorganic precipitation experiments (‘free-drift’) in seawater (Mg/Ca = 5 or 10) have been carried out at 25–55 °C over a range of degassing rate. A cleaning procedure was adopted to remove Mg contamination by sea salt, surface absorbed Mg and silicate dust as nucleation centers. The Mg isotope fractionation between cleaned aragonite and seawater-like aqueous solution varies insignificantly with Mg/Ca ratios and Mg isotope compositions of the initial solution, and the CO 2 -degassing rate (0–75 cc/min), but decreases noticeably with increasing temperatures having a temperature sensitivity of ∼0.008–0.01‰/°C in the following form: Δ aragonite – Mg ( aq ) ≈ 1000 ln α aragonite – Mg ( aq ) = 1.67 ( ± 0.36 ) - 0.82 ( ± 0.11 ) × 1000 T where α aragonite-seawater is the fractionation factor, and T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin. It is consistent with equilibrium fractionation between Mg 2+ aquo-complex and magnesite predicted by one theoretical calculation. Qualitative comparison among Mg-bearing carbonates based on Mg–O bond strengths show the relative sequence of 26 Mg enrichment is aragonite > dolomite > magnesite > calcite. Thus, the surprising agreement indicates either the calculation overestimated Mg fractionation between magnesite and fluid, or both theoretical calculation and our calibration represent Mg isotope fractionation between MgCO 3 0 –H 2 O cluster and Mg 2+ aquo complexes. Comparison of our calibration with the Mg isotope fractionation between biogenic aragonite and seawater suggests Mg and oxygen isotope fractionations of some biogenic aragonites (e.g., Porites sp . corals) agree with our calibration within analytical uncertainty, whereas others deviate significantly, indicating biological and/or kinetic isotope fractionation effects. Thus, although the precision of this temperature proxy is ∼ ± 3–4 °C (2 σ ) given our current analytical precision and temperature sensitivity of the calibration, several factors are limiting the application of this proxy to extract precise sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) from the biogenic aragonite, including the requirement for high analytical precision, proper sample cleaning procedures, uncertainty in δ 26 Mg values of seawater, and possible kinetic and/or biological isotope fractionation.
Spectroscopic investigation of plasma produced with high-intensity, 1-um, 1-ps laser pulses

The plasma produced by the interaction of a 1-ps, 1-rim, mid-1015 W/cm2 laser pulse with moderate Z targets is investigated spectroscopically using high-resolution, time-integrated x-ray and XUV spectrometers. The x-ray spectra are analyzed and the plasma conditions are inferred using a variety of theoretical models, including a time-dependent atomic physics computer code POPION. The electron temperature is estimated to be 1 keV during the transient plasma associated with the laser pulse. K emission may indicate the presence of a significant population of suprathermal electrons in the plasma.
The Beveridge curve in Europe: new evidence using national and regional data

The Beveridge curve depicts the empirical negative relationship between job vacancy rate and unemployment rate, and reflects the efficiency of the job matching process. Movements along a fixed downward sloping Beveridge curve are associated with cyclical shocks, while shifts of the curve arise from structural factors that alter the matching efficiency between job vacancies and unemployed workers. National and regional data on job vacancies and unemployment are combined to estimate the Beveridge curves of five European countries and their regions, focusing on the period 1975 to 2004. I also analyse whether shifts in European Beveridge curves are due to changes in the composition of the unemployed pool, labour market rigidities or cyclical and structural shocks. The empirical evidence suggests that changes in labour market rigidities, long term unemployment, as well as cyclical shocks are responsible for outward shifts in European Beveridge curves. I also find evidence of nonlinearities in the relation betw...
Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging of lipids in cancer metastasis

Lipid-rich tumours have been associated with increased cancer metastasis and aggressive clinical behaviours. Nonetheless, pathologists cannot classify lipid-rich tumours as a clinically distinctive form of carcinoma due to a lack of mechanistic understanding on the roles of lipids in cancer development. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is employed to study cancer cell behaviours in excess lipid environments in vivo and in vitro. The impacts of a high fat diet on cancer development are evaluated in a Balb/c mice cancer model. Intravital flow cytometry and histology are employed to enumerate cancer cell escape to the bloodstream and metastasis to lung tissues, respectively. Cancer cell motility and tissue invasion capability are also evaluated in excess lipid environments. CARS imaging reveals intracellular lipid accumulation is induced by excess free fatty acids (FFAs). Excess FFAs incorporation onto cancer cell membrane induces membrane phase separation, reduces cell-cell contact, increases surface adhesion, and promotes tissue invasion. Increased plasma FFAs level and visceral adiposity are associated with early rise in circulating tumour cells and increased lung metastasis. Furthermore, CARS imaging reveals FFAs-induced lipid accumulation in primary, circulating, and metastasized cancer cells. Lipid-rich tumours are linked to cancer metastasis through FFAs-induced physical perturbations on cancer cell membrane. Most importantly, the revelation of lipid-rich circulating tumour cells suggests possible development of CARS intravital flow cytometry for label-free detection of early-stage cancer metastasis.
Approximate scaling relationships for exciton migration with trapping

Abstract Approximate scaling relationships are derived for exciton migration on d -dimensional lattices with randomly placed inefficient traps. The exciton migration problem is defined by the fraction of lattice sites occupied by traps X T , the hopping rate between two host lattice sites K h , and the hopping rate between a host lattice site and a trap site K T . There are two relevant distances in the problem, the lattice spacing l and the mean distance between traps L = l / X T 1/d . A change in trap fraction X T results in the ratio of these two distances. An expression is derived for the change in the ratio K h / K T that must accompany a change in X T in order to produce a survival probability which is nearly unchanged when presented in terms of the scaled dimensionless time τ = K h X T 2/d t .
Crosshole seismic tomography and borehole logging for engineering site characterization in Sikeston, MO, USA

Abstract This paper presents a geophysical investigation performed in the median separating the east and west bound lanes of U.S. Highway 60, approximately 15 km west from the town of Sikeston, MO, USA. Two boreholes, drilled at depth of 45 m, approximately located 6 m from the Wahite Ditch Bridge in U.S. Highway 60, were used to carry out the geophysical tests. The objective of the survey was to obtain the density distribution of soil materials and high-resolution compressional and shear wave velocities of the shallow subsurface for computation of elastic engineering properties of the unconsolidated material interposed between the two investigated boreholes. The studied site is located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), one of the major seismic source zones in the eastern United States. Although no major seismic events have occurred in the New Madrid area since the catastrophic earthquakes of 1811–1812, more intensive studies in this area are required to better understand the local soil effects and the liquefaction potential of unconsolidated earth materials on strong ground motion. Joint interpretation of borehole logs and velocity images obtained by P- and S-wave traveltime inversions outlined shallow anomalies, which were interpreted as caused by variation in relative porosity and compactness of saturated unconsolidated soil materials. In the interval between 17 and 19 m of depth, a velocity anomaly with distinct characteristics is recognized. Analysis of traveltimes of P-wave energy propagated from common source-receiver depth positions at that depth interval delineated a low velocity zone (lower than estimated P-wave velocity in water) in which propagated S-wave energy was negligible. Analysis of porosity logs did not outline any porosity anomaly for that region. The anomaly is interpreted as caused by the presence of a gas-bearing zone extending for 1.5 m (+0.76 m from the top and the bottom of the depth interval), through which propagation of shear energy was almost prevented and compressional energy traveled a very low speed. Relative lower values of shear modulus were computed for the gas-bearing zone; the same depth interval also exhibited relative lower values of bulk modulus, relative higher values of compressibility and relative high porosity. However, the low velocity anomaly is not caused by relative increased porosity but rather to replacement of water by gas in the pore volumes of this zone. The presence of a shallow thin gas-bearing zone is interpreted as hazardous in the occurrence of strong motion in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Shallow water table, as detected by seismic and log measurements in the area, increases the risk of liquefaction of the sampled soil under strong ground motions.
p(2 × 2) And c(2 × 2) coverages of Cl and F on Ni(100), a comparison with O and S on Ni(100)

The rigid lattice adsorbate vibrational frequency normal to the surface, omega(e,r) and height above the surface, R(transverse), are computed for p(2 x 2) (0.25 ML) and c(2 x 2) (0.5 ML) coverages of Cl and F. These calculations show a small change in omega(e,r) and a small increase in R(transverse) with increased coverage. The bonding of Cl and F is compared to that found for O and S, both of which show a decrease in R(transverse) and O which shows a larger shift in omega(e,r).
Microscale evolution of web pages

We track a large set of "rapidly" changing web pages and examine the assumption that the arrival of content changes follows a Poisson process on a microscale. We demonstrate that there are significant differences in the behavior of pages that can be exploited to maintain freshness in a web corpus.
The Loss of Innocents: Child Killers and Their Victims

The Loss of Innocents: Child Killers and Their Victims. Cora E. Richards. Wilmington, DE: SR Books, 2000.237 pp.
Estimation of handset nonlinearity with application to speaker recognition

A method is described for estimating telephone handset nonlinearity by matching the spectral magnitude of the distorted signal to the output of a nonlinear channel model, driven by an undistorted reference. This "magnitude only" representation allows the model to directly match unwanted speech formants that arise over nonlinear channels and that are a potential source of degradation in speaker and speech recognition algorithms. As such, the method is particularly suited to algorithms that use only spectral magnitude information. The distortion model consists of a memoryless nonlinearity sandwiched between two finite-length linear filters. Nonlinearities considered include arbitrary finite-order polynomials and parametric sigmoidal functionals derived from a carbon-button handset model. Minimization of a mean-squared spectral magnitude distance with respect to model parameters relies on iterative estimation via a gradient descent technique. Initial work has demonstrated the importance of addressing handset nonlinearity, in addition to linear distortion, in speaker recognition over telephone channels. A nonlinear handset "mapping," applied to training or testing data to reduce mismatch between different types of handset microphone outputs, improves speaker verification performance relative to linear compensation only. Finally, a method is proposed to merge the mapper strategy with a method of likelihood score normalization (hnorm) for further mismatch reduction and speaker verification performance improvement.
A regularization approach to metrical task systems

We address the problem of constructing randomized online algorithms for the Metrical Task Systems (MTS) problem on a metric δ against an oblivious adversary. Restricting our attention to the class of "work-based" algorithms, we provide a framework for designing algorithms that uses the technique of regularization. For the case when δ is a uniform metric, we exhibit two algorithms that arise from this framework, and we prove a bound on the competitive ratio of each. We show that the second of these algorithms is ln n + O(log log n) competitive, which is the current state-of-the art for the uniform MTS problem.
Parallel hashing algorithms on BSP and QSM models

Summary form only given. We study two parallel computing models - the bulk synchronous parallel (BSP) and the queued shared memory (QSM) - as alternatives to the PRAM model to provide more accurate performance predictions and analyses, and compares the two models in detail. As a case study, we consider a simple hashing problem, design the two versions - the message passing version and the shared memory version - of the algorithm, and compare their run time analytically. The message passing version of the algorithm is implemented and the experiments are performed to display the accuracy and the limitations of the predicted performance analysis.
Scar formation after ischemic myocardial injury in MRL mice.

Abstract Introduction MRL is a strain of mice with the unusual ability to recover from injuries without forming scar tissue. It was recently reported that the MRL mice can recover with little or no scar formation following a cryogenically induced myocardial infarction of the right ventricle. These findings suggest that scarless recovery from myocardial injury is possible in mammalian ventricles. If applicable to humans, these results could have significant clinical implications in the management of patients with myocardial infarction. However, myocardial infarction in human patients usually results from ischemic injury instead of cryoinjury. Myocardial infarction usually occurs in the left ventricle. Methods We performed a prospective study creating left ventricular myocardial infarction in 32 MRL mice using coronary ligation. Results Among them, 21 mice survived surgery and had myocardial infarction documented by delayed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 35±10 days after surgery. All 21 mice had evidence of myocardial infarction in follow-up MRI performed 116±21 days after surgery. The infarct size was 27±12% of the area of visualized myocardium during the first MRI study and was 29±11% during the second MRI study ( P =NS). Large myocardial infarction with aneurysm formation was documented by histological examinations in all 21 mice. The ventricular aneurysm showed transmural infarction with replacement fibrosis and mummified necrotic myocardium surrounded by collagenous scar tissue. Occasional surviving myocytes are present within the aneurysm. Conclusion Ischemic myocardial injury in MRL mice is not followed by scarless recovery.
Expanding horizons for GIS services in academic libraries

Abstract During the past five years, libraries engaged in GIS services have encountered challenges and opportunities related to partnerships, staffing and management, user education, and data access. Many avenues exists for expanding both the scope and depth of these services to meet the user community's needs.
Representational complexity and memory retrieval in language comprehension

Mental representations formed from words or phrases may vary considerably in their feature-based complexity. Modern theories of retrieval in sentence comprehension do not indicate how this variation and the role of encoding processes should influence memory performance. Here, memory retrieval in language comprehension is shown to be influenced by a target's representational complexity in terms of syntactic and semantic features. Three self-paced reading experiments provide evidence that reading times at retrieval sites (but not earlier) decrease when more complex phrases occur as filler phrases in filler-gap dependencies. The data also show that complexity-based effects are not dependent on string length, syntactic differences, or the amount of processing the stimuli elicit. Activation boosting and reduced similarity-based interference are implicated as likely sources of these complexity-based effects.
Virtual playgrounds: managing virtual resources in the grid

Large grid deployments increasingly require abstractions and methods decoupling the work of resource providers and resource consumers to implement scalable management methods. We proposed the abstraction of a virtual workspace (VW) describing a virtual execution environment that can be made dynamically available to authorized grid clients by using well-defined protocols. Virtual workspaces provide resources in controllable ways that are independent of how a resource is consumed. A virtual playground may combine many such workspaces, as well as other aspects of virtual environments, such as networking and storage, to form virtual grids. In this paper, we report on the goals and progress of the virtual playground project and put in context the research to date.
Exact results for highly correlated electron systems in one dimension

One-dimensional conductors are a long-standing topic of research with direct applications to organic conductors and mesoscopic rings. The discovery of the ceramic high-temperature superconductors has revitalized the interest in low-dimensional charge and spin fluctuations of highly correlated electron systems. Several mechanisms proposed to explain the high-Tc superconductors invoke properties of the two-dimensional Hubbard model, but probably also some one-dimensional aspects are relevant. Numerous one-dimensional models for correlated electrons have been studied with various approximate, asymptotically exact and exact methods. These results lead to the concept of Luttinger liquid for interacting electron gases without excitation gaps (metallic systems). Characteristic of Luttinger liquids are the charge and spin separation, marginal Fermi liquid properties, e.g. the absence of quasiparticles in the vicinity of the Fermi surface, nonuniversal power-law singularities in the one-particle spectral function and the related absence of a discontinuity in the momentum distribution at the Fermi level, the power-law decay of correlation functions for long times and large distances, persistent currents in finite rings, etc. Due to the peculiarities of the phase space in one dimension some of the models have sufficient conserved currents to be completely integrable. We review exact results derived within the framework of Bethe's ansatz for integrable one-dimensional models of correlated electrons. The Bethe-ansatz method is presented by explicitly showing the steps leading to the solution of the N-component electron gas interacting via a δ-function potential (repulsive and attractive interaction), which is probably the simplest model of correlated electrons. Emphasis is given to the procedure to extract the groundstate properties, the classification of states, the excitation spectrum, the thermodynamics and finite size effects, such as critical exponents of correlation functions and persistent currents. The method is then applied to numerous other models, e.g. (i) a two-band model involving attractive and repulsive potentials and crystalline fields splitting the bands, (ii) the traditional Hubbard chain with attractive and repulsive U, (iii) the degenerate Hubbard model with repulsive U, which displays a metal–insulator transition at a finite U, (iv) a two-band Hubbard model with repulsive U, (v) the traditional supersymmetric t–J model (vi) a two-band supersymmetric t–J model with band-splitting and (vii) the N-component supersymmetric t–J model. Finally, results for models with long-range interactions, in particular r-2 and sinh-2(r) potentials, are briefly reviewed.
Magnetic Ceramics: II, Properties of Magnetite and Manganese Ferrite Fired in Various Atmospheres

Magnetite and manganese ferrite, fired in various atmospheres, were tested for initial a.-c. permeability, for quasi-static hysteresis characteristics of Bm, Br, and Hc, and for resistivity. Optimum properties were obtained for magnetite made under exactly controlled oxygen pressures and for manganese ferrite fired in a CO2 atmosphere. These data are discussed with reference to the resistivity as affected by probable cation distribution.
An Information-Theoretic Analysis of Cutaneous Receptor Responses

Two prevalent underlying assumptions related to cutaneous receptor research are that receptor responses are conditionally independent given the stimulus, and that stimulus information is encoded through a mean rate code. In this paper, an information-theoretic technique that can be used to test these assumptions is developed and presented. Results are presented from experiments designed to evaluate the efficiency of mean rate codes and the independence of receptor discharges recorded from cutaneous receptor afferent neurons.
Properties of a Milk-Clotting Microbial Enzyme

Abstract The clotting and proteolytic properties of a milk-clotting enzyme (microbial rennet) isolated from a culture of Bacillus cereus were investigated and compared to the corresponding properties of calf rennet. The clotting activity of microbial rennet was found to be less sensitive to pH changes of the substrate than calf rennet. The maximum speed of clotting was obtained at 40–45C and at 75–80C with calf and microbial rennet, respectively. Both calf and microbial rennet showed a high degree of inactivation after heating for three minutes above 55 and 65C, respectively. Specific viscosity measurements indicated the production by both enzymes of casein degradation products of different shape and size. Nitrogen distribution, gel electrophoresis, and agar-gel plates containing casein were used to determine the proteolytic action of the two enzymes. Microbial rennet was more proteolytic than calf rennet and exhibited a specific proteolytic action on κ -casein similar to that obtained with calf rennet. Other casein fractions were degraded continuously and nonspecifically, but β -casein was the fraction most susceptible to hydrolysis.
Susceptibility of Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say to 19 Pesticides with Different Modes of Action

To access the relative potency of pesticides to control adult mosquitoes, 19 pesticides with various modes of action were evaluated against Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus Say, and Anopheles quadrimaculatus Say. On the basis of 24-h LD50 values after topical application, the only pesticide that had higher activity than permethrin was fipronil, with LD50 values lower than permethrin for 107-, 4,849-, and 2-fold against Ae. aegypti, Cx. quinquefasciatus Say, and An. quadrimaculatus Say, respectively. Abamectin, imidacloprid, spinosad, diazinon, and carbaryl showed slightly lower activity than permethrin ( 1000-fold. On the basis of 24-h LD50 values, Cx. quinquefasciatus was the least susceptible species to nine pesticides tested (DNOC, azocyclotin, chlorfenapyr, carbaryl, spinosad, imidaclorid, diazinon, abamectin, and permethrin) , whereas Ae. aegypti was the least susceptible species to six pesticides tested (dicofol, amitraz, propargite, hydramethylnon, cyhexatin, and diafenthiuron), and An. quadrimaculatus was the least susceptible species to four pesticides tested (bifenazate, pyridaben, indoxacarb, and fipronil). Our results revealed that different species of mosquitoes had different susceptibility to pesticides, showing the need to select the most efficacious compounds for the least susceptible mosquito species to achieve successful mosquito control.
Holomorphic and Subharmonic Convexity

It will be assumed throughout this section that [Σ, a] is a natural system. Also let {Σ, ℱ} be an a-presheaf of continuous functions over Σ. (See Definition 22.1). If Ω is any subset of Σ and K ⊂⊂ Ω then the ℱ-convex hull of K in Ω is the set $$ K_{\Omega }^{\Im } = \left\{ {\sigma ' \in \Omega :\left| {f(\sigma ')} \right| \leqslant {{\left| f \right|}_K},\,f \in {\Im_{\Omega }}} \right\} $$ Since elements of ℱ are continuous the set \( K_{\Omega }^{\Im } \) is always relatively closed in Ω. Also, since |a| f ⊆ |ℱ| it follows that \( K_{\Omega }^{\Im }\underline \subset \hat{K} \cap \Omega \), so the closure of \( K_{\Omega }^{\Im } \) is compact.
Nursing ethics and the 21st-century armed conflict: the example of Ciudad Juárez

The purpose of this article is to call attention to the lack of caregiver safety in conflict settings; to bring awareness to nurses and health care professionals of new challenges, specifically the deliberate targeting of health care professionals, that they may encounter in local armed conflict situations; and to address a gap in knowledge about the social and cultural factors surrounding 21st-century armed conflict that directly affect the provision of health care. I argue that these are of interest to transcultural nursing in that violent actors belong to a dangerous subculture, the understanding of which is important to transcultural nursing practice and caregiver safety. The article calls for increased focus on the protection of the nursing workforce and renewed attention on international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions that mandate the safety of global health care workers.
Effect of Aggregation and Cage Setting on Some Life-History Parameters of Aleurodicus Rugioperculatus (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Fecundity is defined as the number of progeny produced by an organism. In our study, we used three different experimental settings to measure the fecundity of rugose spiraling whitefly (Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin), a recent invasive insect in Florida, on Strelitzia nicolai host plants. The adult longevity was significantly different among treatments, with females surviving significantly longer in groups in whole-plant cages and individual females in clip cages compared with individual females in whole-plant cages. Females laid 34.5 ± 8.4, 156.4 ± 18.3, and 225.2 ± 18 eggs, on average, when kept individually in whole-plant cages, in a group in whole-plant cages, and individually in clip cages, respectively. In all treatments, there was a significant correlation between the longevity and fecundity of females. Males emerged earlier than females in all treatments. Virgin females produced only males in the F1, while mated females produced both males and females, which suggests an arrhenotokous parthenogenesis. The egg-to-adult survival of the whitefly was 29 ± 4%, and the highest mortality occurred at the crawler stage when reared on S. nicolai. The results showed a significant effect of aggregation and cage setting on longevity and fecundity of this whitefly. To conclude, the experimental setting of the group fecundity treatment is more similar to what occurs in the landscape. Such a significant effect of cage setting and aggregation on the life-history parameters should be always taken into account when designing experiments or interpreting results.
Abstract 166: Clinical Outcome Strongly Associated with the Degree of Endovascular Reperfusion Achieved in Target Mismatch

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the degree of early reperfusion achieved following endovascular therapy and clinical outcomes. We hypothesized that this relationship would differ in Target mismatch (TMM) vs. No Target mismatch (No TMM) patients. Methods: This is a DEFUSE 2 substudy. The volume of hypoperfusion on PWI (Tmax >6 sec) was assessed before and within 12 hours after endovascular therapy. The degree of reperfusion was defined as the relative difference between the baseline and the follow-up PWI lesion volumes. Patients were grouped into quartiles according to the degree of reperfusion that they achieved. We assessed the association between the degree of reperfusion and clinical outcomes in patients with and without Target Mismatch. Favorable clinical response (FCR) was defined as an improvement in the NIHSS of 8 or more points between baseline and day 30 or an NIHSS score Results: Out of 104 patients enrolled, 87 had interpretable perfusion images at baseline and follow-up PWI. Of these, 69 had TMM. The median degree of reperfusion did not differ in TMM patients (69%) vs. No TMM patients (57%) (p=0.22). The degree of reperfusion correlated with FCR (p Conclusion: The degree of reperfusion documented on PWI following endovascular therapy corresponds closely with the rate of favorable clinical outcomes in TMM patients; there was no association in No TMM.
AJKD Atlas of Renal Pathology: Systemic Sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) has a strong predilection in women, with onset typically between ages 30-50 years. Scleroderma kidney disease occurs in 60%-70% of patients with systemic scleroderma, mostly in those with a diffuse, rather than limited, form of cutaneous scleroderma. Kidney disease is evident by hypertension, proteinuria, and loss of glomerular filtration rate. Scleroderma kidney crisis develops in about 10%-20%, and presents as new onset malignant hypertension with acute kidney injury. Antinuclear antibody is positive in .90% of these patients. Antitopoisomerase 1 and anti-RNA polymerase antibodies are often associated with kidney involvement. Patients with scleroderma kidney crisis may require dialysis. Use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has improved prognosis of patients with kidney crisis, but mortality at 5 years remained at 30%-40%. Light microscopy: Mediumand large-sized arteries are affected by thrombotic microangiopathy. Fibrin thrombi with fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel wall without associated wall inflammation are characteristic. Intimal mucoid change, endothelial swelling, and fragmented red blood cells within the vessel wall occur acutely. Later, there is intimal proliferation, resulting in an “onion skin” concentric appearancewith luminal narrowing. Glomeruli typically show ischemic collapse, but may also have mesangiolysis and fibrin thrombi. Glomerular basement membrane duplication is present in chronic cases. Tubular injury occurs with acute injury, and tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis are proportional to vascular injury in the chronic stages. Immunofluorescence microscopy: Nonspecific staining for immunoglobulin M and C3 may be seen. Fibrinogen staining can be observed in glomeruli and arteries associated with fibrinoid necrosis or acute thrombotic microangiopathy.
Is Mauritius a tax haven? Yes

Tax justice campaigners and the Indian government are suspicious about companiesusing Mauritius as a base to avoid taxation, but the government insists that there is no secrecy. Two Africa Report writers put it to the debate
Response of Enterococcal Pyelonephritis to Furosemide-induced Diuresis Alone and in Combination with Ampicillin

The effect of ampicillin in combination with diuresis (produced by injection of furosemide) on renal titers of enterococci after iv inoculation of 109 enterococci into rats was determined. Ampicillin injections with or without diuresis were started early (four days after the inoculation of enterococci) or late (21 days after the inoculation of enterococci), and continued for 14 days. Ampicillin therapy started early in nondiuresing rats significantly reduced renal titers of enterococci in comparison with controls (rats receiving saline injections). When ampicillin therapy was started at 21 days, there was no decrease in renal titers. Furosemide-induced diuresis slightly lowered renal titers when started early but did not lower titers when started late. Furosemide-induced diuresis plus ampicillin reduced renal titers significantly as compared with nondiuresing rats receiving ampicillin, rats receiving furosemide without ampicillin, and controls. These studies show that diuresis resulting from administration of furosemide plus ampicillin starting four or 21 days after iv injection of enterococci reduces renal titers of bacteria more than either ampicillin or diuresis alone.
Colonoscopy by a family physician: detecting proximal neoplasia in asymptomatic adults.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) is considered an adequate screening test in average risk (AR) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of FS in detecting colonic neoplasia between AR and high risk (HR) patients. Methods: We present a chart review of 559 outpatient colonoscopies performed by a family physician from September 2003 to October 2007. The prevalence of neoplasia and diagnostic yield of FS was compared between groups. Results: The overall prevalence of neoplasia was 23.1% (AR) and 32.8% (HR); p = 0.02. The prevalence of proximal neoplasia not detectable by FS was 10.2% (AR) and 14.5% (HR); p = 0.16. The diagnostic yield of FS in each group was 56%; FS would have missed 44% of polyps regardless of patient risk. Conclusions: The high rate of colonic neoplasia not detected by FS (44%) suggests that FS alone is inadequate for screening in AR patients.
The influence of electromagnetic radiation of extremely high frequencies on the pro- and antioxidant status of blood in experiments

The influence of electromagnetic radiation of extremely high frequencies in the noise mode on the level of the activity of proand antioxidant systems in a model of skin-flap ischemia was studied in vivo. Rats of the Wistar line were used in this work. The cutaneous reflex projection field of the animals was exposed once a day for 7 days in the post-operative period to electromagnetic radiation of an extremely high frequency in the range from 53.57 to 78.33 GHz with a dose of 1.2 mJ in the noise mode. The dynamics of proand antioxidant protection were compared to those of intact animals that were not irradiated. Using data on induced biochemiluminescence and estimation of malondialdehyde activity it was shown that irradiation in a course mode contributed to a decrease in the intensity of lipid peroxidation. In parallel we observed an increase in the total antioxidant reserves of blood and the activity of bioradical protection enzymes. Our findings suggest that electromagnetic radiation at extremely high frequencies in a noise mode has a regulatory impact on the state of proand antioxidant systems of the body; this can be used for the correction of postoperative ischemic disorders and the restoration of disturbed homeostasis.
Skin subspace color modeling for daytime and nighttime group activity recognition in confined operational spaces

In many military and homeland security persistent surveillance applications, accurate detection of different skin colors in varying observability and illumination conditions is a valuable capability for video analytics. One of those applications is In-Vehicle Group Activity (IVGA) recognition, in which significant changes in observability and illumination may occur during the course of a specific human group activity of interest. Most of the existing skin color detection algorithms, however, are unable to perform satisfactorily in confined operational spaces with partial observability and occultation, as well as under diverse and changing levels of illumination intensity, reflection, and diffraction. In this paper, we investigate the salient features of ten popular color spaces for skin subspace color modeling. More specifically, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of each of these color spaces, as well as the stability and suitability of their features in differentiating skin colors under various illumination conditions. The salient features of different color subspaces are methodically discussed and graphically presented. Furthermore, we present robust and adaptive algorithms for skin color detection based on this analysis. Through examples, we demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of these new color skin detection algorithms and discuss their applicability for skin detection in IVGA recognition applications.
Gene Expression Profile Analysis of Tumors

Gene expression profiling is a powerful tool to analyze the complexity of cancer biology. Recent methods allow the generation of gene expression profiles for all known genes in the human genome. The genome-wide analysis of the gene expression patterns of neoplastic and normal cells provides insights into: (1) the identification of previously unknown tumor subtypes; (2) the normal cellular counterparts of tumor cells; (3) the identification of cellular pathways that may be affected by malignant transformation; (4) the identification of new diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. This chapter summarizes experimental approaches addressing these goals using examples from studies on B-cell malignancies.
Malnutrition coupled with diarrheal and respiratory infections among children in Asia: A systematic review

Objective The purpose of this systematic literature review was to assess the relationship between malnutrition and respiratory and diarrheal infections among children aged five and under living in Asian countries. Design and Sample The design was adapted from the PRISMA method to include case-control, cross-sectional, ecological, and experimental studies. A review of electronic databases identified 144 articles of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were studies of malnourished children under the age of five with respiratory and/or diarrheal infections, admitted to hospitals or residing in villages throughout countries in Asia, and published between 2005 and 2015. Measures Infection was defined as the presence of a respiratory or diarrheal illness. Malnutrition was predominantly measured by WHO standards. Results Malnutrition is associated with respiratory and diarrheal infections. Children have higher rates of mortality when both malnourished and experiencing a respiratory infection. Conclusion Further research needs to examine the synergetic effect of diarrheal and respiratory infections in malnourished children and rates of mortality. Public health nurses (PHNs) play a critical role in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition and infections in community and national systems. Obtaining better data will allow PHNs to provide critical care in the most underserved areas throughout Asia.
Reconstructing larval growth and habitat use in an amphidromous goby using otolith increments and microchemistry

High-resolution analysis of growth increments, trace element chemistry and oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in otoliths were combined to assess larval and post-larval habitat use and growth of Awaous stamineus, an amphidromous goby native to Hawai‘i. Otolith increment widths indicate that all individuals experience a brief period of rapid growth during early life as larvae and that the duration of this growth anomaly is negatively correlated with larval duration. A protracted high-growth period early in larval life is associated with a lower ratio of Sr:Ca, which may reflect low salinity conditions in nearshore habitats. A distinct shift in δ18O (range: 4–5‰) is closely associated with the metamorphic mark in otoliths, indicating that larval metamorphosis occurs promptly upon return to fresh water. Strontium and other trace elements are not as tightly coupled to the metamorphosis mark, but confirm the marine-to-freshwater transition. Integration of microstructural and microchemical approaches reveals that larvae vary substantially in growth rate, possibly in association with habitat differences. Although time and financial costs make it difficult to achieve large sample sizes, present results show that examining even a small number of individuals can lead to novel inferences about early life history in diadromous fishes and illustrates the value of integrating analyses.
The Third Time Is a Charm: News Media, Policy Dynamics, and the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act

Designer steroids contain chemical structures “derived from, or substantially similar to” anabolic steroids, which became Schedule III controlled substances in the United States in 1990. Chemists create designer steroids by reverse engineering existing drugs, altering their chemical structures, and creating new compounds. Seeking to help curtail problems with steroid-spiked dietary supplements, the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 classified 25 designer steroids, many contained in supplements, as controlled substances. Previous versions of the 2014 legislation, introduced in 2010 and 2012, had failed to become law despite consistent news accounts of supplements contaminated with conventional and designer steroids, as well as steroid precursors. Guided conceptually by a streams-of-influence model, the present article examines regulatory processes involving designer steroids and discusses limitations on the capacity of news outlets to build policy agendas.
The Effects of a Counselor‐Led, Faith‐Based, School–Family–Community Partnership on Student Achievement in a High‐Poverty Urban Elementary School

School counselors play critical roles in partnerships with faith-based organizations that provide valuable programs for students with economic challenges. This study evaluated the effects of a counselor-led, faith-based, school–family–community partnership on student reading achievement in a high-poverty elementary school. Results indicated significantly higher reading gains for 3rd- through 5th-grade students when compared with a control school without the partnership. Students in adopted classrooms experienced higher reading gains than did comparison samples. Gaps in reading achievement were closed between mentored and nonmentored students. Los consejeros escolares juegan un papel critico en las colaboraciones con organizaciones de caracter religioso que proporcionan programas valiosos para estudiantes con dificultades economicas. Este estudio evaluo los efectos de una colaboracion de caracter religioso, dirigida por un consejero, entre escuela-familia-comunidad, enfocada en el desarrollo de la lectura en una escuela primaria con niveles altos de pobreza. Los resultados indicaron unos logros en lectura significativamente mas altos en estudiantes de 3° a 5° grado comparados con los de una escuela de control sin esta colaboracion. Los estudiantes en las clases que adoptaron la colaboracion experimentaron unos mayores logros en lectura que las muestras de comparacion. Las brechas en los logros de lectura se cerraron entre estudiantes que recibieron mentorizacion y estudiantes sin mentorizacion.
New methods of pregnancy testing in adolescent girls.

PIP: The knowledge and use of newer, more sensitive, and reliable pregnancy tests which are easily accessible and of moderate cost are the 1st steps in the early diagnosis and management of pregnancy, especially in adolescent girls. Accurate diagnosis of pregnancy soon after conception offers the option of abortion by simple, effective, and inexpensive procedures or early initiation of prenatal maternity care. Discussion focuses on the symptoms of pregnancy and the historical development and basis of pregnancy tests as well as the specific types of pregnancy tests. The most familiar sign of pregnancy is the missed period. Other symptoms that provide presumptive evidence of pregnancy include fatigue and lassitude, increased body temperature, and breast fullness or pain. Feelings of nausea, vomiting, and weight gain may appear after 2 weeks. The diagnosis of pregnancy by the detection of the human chorionic gonadotropin was initially described 53 years ago by Selmar Aschheim and Bernhardt Zondek. Improvements in the techniques for the measurement of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) have been directly related to the progress in the purification and isolation of hCG and elucidation of the amino acid sequence of the hormone-nonspecific alpha subunit and hormone-specific beta subunit of hCG. The history, physical examination, and pregnancy tests will generally provide sufficient information for a definite diagnosis of pregnancy. The presence of hCG in the urine or blood is the most accurate of all the indications of pregnancy. During the last century, 4 different techniques for the determination of hCG in blood and/or urine have been developed. These include the following and are reviewed in detail: 1) bioassays in intact laboratory animals; 2) immunologic tube or slide methods with heme- or latex-agglutination inhibition, as well as the more recently developed competitive protein binding method such as 3) radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the use of radioisotope labeled hormone and the specific antiserum against hCG; and 4) radioreceptorassay by the use of radioisotope-labeled hormone with biological activity and the specific receptors as the binding proteins.
No Seasonal Changes in Cognitive Functioning Among High School Football Athletes: Implementation of a Novel Electrophysiological Measure and Standard Clinical Measures

Objective:To evaluate neuroelectric and cognitive function relative to a season of football participation. Cognitive and neuroelectric function declines are hypothesized to be present in football athletes.Design:Observational.Setting:Athletic fields and research laboratory.Patients (or Participants)