cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of exercise on acute myocardial infarction in rats

Infarct expansion, the time-related thinning and dilation of an acute transmural infarct, leads to aneurysm formation and cardiac rupture in humans. In this study, the effect of exercise on acute infarct expansion early after myocardial infarction was examined in 129 rats. Ninety rats were exercised on a treadmill for 1.5 hours daily for I week beginning on the day of coronary artery ligation; the remaining 39 rats remained in their cages. There was no effect on the prevalence or extent of expansion; specifically, infarct wall thickness, left ventricular diameter and expansion grade (0 to 4 +) were similar in the exercise and control rats. There was no difference in infarct size or the number of animals with aneurysmal shape changes in the exercise and control groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the histologic finding of intramural hemorrhage, a feature that has been associated with cardiac rupture, and no complete rupture was seen. However, there was a nonsignificant trend toward higher mortality in the exercised group. Thus, the findings of this study suggest that moderate exercise early after myocardial infarction produces no significant detrimental effect on infarct size or left ventricular topography in the rat model.
Activity of human hepatic β-galactosidase toward natural glycosphingolipid substrates

Abstract 1. 1. Human hepatic “acid” β-galactosidase preparations, which had been purified approximately 250-fold, were examined for activities toward 4-me-thylumbelliferyl β-galactoside, galactosylceramide, lactosylceramide, galactosyl-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-N- acetylneuraminyll-galactosyl-glucosylceramide (GM1-ganglioside) and galactosyl-n-acetylgalactosaminyl-galactosyl-glucosylceramide (asialo GM1-ganglioside). 2. 2. The enzyme was active toward the synthetic substrate, GM1-ganglioside and asialo GM1-ganglioside but was inactive toward galactosylceramide. Under our assay conditions, optimized for lactosylceramidase II, the preparations were as active toward lactosylceramide as toward GM1-ganglioside or its asialo derivative. The apparent Km values for the three natural substrates were similar. When determined by the assay system of Wenger, D.A., Sattler, M., Clark, C. and McKelvey, H. (1974) Clin. Chim. Acta 56, 199–206, lactosylceramidecleaving activity was 0.2% of that determined by our assay system. This confirmed our previous suggestion that the Wenger assay system determines exclusively the activity of lactosylceramidase I, which is probably identical with galactosylceramide β-galactosidase. 3. 3. Crude sodium taurocholate was far more effective than pure taurocholate in stimulating hydrolysis of the three glycosphingolipids by the β-galactosidase. However, crude taurocholate could largely be replaced by smaller amounts of sodium taurodeoxycholate, suggesting that the unique activating capacity of the crude taurocholate might be due to taurodeoxycholate present as the major impurity. 4. 4. Cl− was generally stimulatory for hydrolysis of the natural glycosphingolipids by our enzyme preparation. Effects of additional oleic acid and Triton X-100 were generally minor in either direction. 5. 5. When the enzyme preparation was diluted with water, activity toward the synthetic substrate declined rapidly while those toward the natural substrates were essentially stable. Activity toward the synthetic substrate remained much more stable when the enzyme was diluted with 0.1 M sodium citrate/ phosphate buffer, pH 5.O. 6. 6. These observations provide insight into the complex relationship among the human hepatic β-galactosidases.
Respiratory muscle stiffness is age- and muscle-specific

We investigated the possible contribution of respiratory muscles to the well documented increase in chest wall stiffness with age. Diaphragm and internal intercostal muscle strips were dissected from male Fischer 344 rats of 3, 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Muscles were subjected, in vitro, to stress- strain and yield point tests. Passive tension data from these tests were normalized to a reference length (Lr), which was defined in terms of absolute stress, 700 Pascals. In general, Lr of diaphragm was found to be 90% of the length (Lo) required for maximal tetanic tension. Within a range of stretch between Lr and 130% Lr, diaphragm muscles from adult rats (6–12 month) were more compliant than those of either young (3 month) or old (24 month) animals. In contrast, intercostal muscles from old rats were stiffer than those of young or adult rats. Yield strength of both muscles was constant with age, but diaphragm muscles were found to have a higher yield strength than intercostal muscles from any age. Thus, only some passive mechanical properties of respiratory muscles vary with age, and this variation is muscle- specific. A surprising finding of this study was that diaphragm muscles of adult animals were more compliant than those of either young or old rats. (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 5: 229- 238, 1993).
The Effect of Sulfaquinoxaline on Growth Rate and Feed Efficiency of Chicks

Abstract GRUMBLES, Delaplane and Higgins (1947), (1948), reported that sulfaquinoxaline was effective in preventing mortality from Eimeria tenella infection and apparently did not interfere with the development of immunity. One pound of sulfaquinoxaline per ton of mash (0.05%) fed intermittently, was effective in controlling mortality in birds inoculated with sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts. The possibility of feeding sulfaquinoxaline continuously, at a level of one-fourth pound per ton (0.0125%) has also been considered. A case of poor feathering and slow growth was observed in a group of birds receiving 0.0125% sulfaquinoxaline in all their feed, and this suggested the possibility that when fed continuously even this low level of the drug might interfere with the normal metabolism of the chick. The object of the experiment reported here was to measure the effect of low levels of sulfaquinoxaline on the growth rate, feathering and feed efficiency of chicks uncomplicated by the presence of . . .
Note – Edge-Coloring Cliques with Three Colors on All 4-Cliques

is constructed such that every copy of has at least three colors on its edges. As , the number of colors used is . This improves upon the previous probabilistic bound of due to Erdős and Gyarfas.
Are supportive care-based treatment strategies preferable to standard chemotherapy in recurrent cervical cancer?

Abstract Objective Recurrent cervical cancer has a poor prognosis despite aggressive treatment. We evaluate the comparative-effectiveness of four management strategies in recurrent cervix cancer incorporating risk prognostication categories derived from pooled collaborative group trials: 1) standard doublet chemotherapy; 2) selective chemotherapy (home hospice with no chemotherapy for poorest prognosis patients with remainder receiving standard doublet chemotherapy); 3) single-agent chemotherapy with home hospice; and 4) home hospice. Methods A cost-effectiveness decision model was constructed. Survival reduction of 24% was assumed for single-agent chemotherapy and 40% for hospice only compared to standard doublet chemotherapy. Overall survival and strategy cost for each arm were modeled as follows: standard doublet chemotherapy 8.9months ($33K); selective chemotherapy 8.7months ($29K); single-agent chemotherapy with home hospice 6.7months ($16K); and home hospice alone 5.3months ($11K). Base case analysis assumed equal quality of life (QOL). Sensitivity analyses assessed model uncertainties. Results Standard doublet chemotherapy for all is not cost-effective compared to selective chemotherapy with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $276K per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Sensitivity analysis predicted that a 90% improvement in survival is required before standard doublet chemotherapy is cost-effective in the poorest prognosis patients. Selective chemotherapy is the most cost-effective strategy compared to single-agent chemotherapy with home hospice with an ICER of $78K/QALY. Chemotherapy containing regimens become cost-prohibitive with small decreases in QOL. Conclusions Supportive care based treatment strategies are potentially more cost-effective than the current standard of doublet chemotherapy for all patients with recurrent cervical cancer and warrant prospective evaluation.
Crime and Justice in India

Foreword - Graeme R Newman Preface I: OVERVIEWS OF CRIME AND JUSTICE IN INDIA Governance and Coercion in India - Arvind Verma Public Order in India: An Empirical Study - T K Vinod Kumar The Depiction of Corruption in English-Language Indian Fiction - Gilbert Geis Crime, Criminals, Treatment, and Punishment: An Exploratory Study of Views among College Students in India and the US - Sudershan Pasupuleti, Eric G Lambert, Shanhe Jiang, Jagadish V Bhimarasetty and K Jaishankar Criminological and Criminal Justice Education in India - N Prabha Unnithan Secularism and Preventing Terrorism in India - Raghu Naath Singh and Dharam Pal Singh II: POLICING IN INDIA Citizens' Perceptions of Police Integrity in India: An Empirical Exploration - Mahesh K Nalla and Manish Madan All-Women Police Stations in Tamil Nadu and Their Focus on Crimes against Women - Sesha Kethineni and Murugesan Srinivasan Impact of Higher Education upon Perceptions of Police Officers in India - Julia Scott, Douglas Evans, and Arvind Verma Police Shootings: Perceived Culture of Approval - Jyoti Belur Nature of Work, Safety, and Trust in Private Security in India: A Study of Citizen Perceptions of Security Guards - Mahesh K Nalla, Kiran Ommi, and V Sreemannarayana Murthy III: CRIMINAL LAW AND COURTS IN INDIA Crimes against Women in India - Sheetal Ranjan Examining Legal Responses to Sexual Violence: A Review of Court Systems in India - Meghna Bhat and Aimee Wodda Towards a Compliance Model: The Indian Supreme Court and the Attempted Revolution in Child Rights - Sesha Kethineni and Jeremy Braithwaite Plea Bargaining: A New Law Adopted by the Indian Criminal Justice System - Mathai Vairamon Mathew IV: PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS IN INDIA An Assessment of the Mental Health of Street-Based Sex Workers in Chennai, India - Geetha Suresh, L Allen Furr, and Aylur Kailasom Srikrishnan The Death Penalty in India - David T Johnson The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000: Protection, Rehabilitation, and Reform - Divya Sharma Prisons, Corrections, and Recidivism in Indian Culture and Society - S George Vincentnathan and Lynn Vincentnathan Conclusions Index
Improvement in quantifying debris flow risk for post-wildfire emergency response

Floods and debris flows are recognized post-fire responses to rainfall within burned watersheds. The ability of debris flows to travel rapidly over significant distances from the area of initiation and their destructive force make them a hazard of particular concern. Individuals and organizations responsible for infrastructure, property, and public safety along the potential path of post-fire debris flows must understand the risk posed in order to design and implement suitable mitigating measures. Effective mitigation necessitates a rapid assessment of risk because only weeks or months separate the wildfire incident and the possible occurrence of a debris-flow initiating storm event. In the mountainous western United States, better risk assessment is crucial due to the combination of an expanding wildland-urban interface and more frequent large wildfires. Over the last 30 years, technological improvements in mapping fire effects, advances in our scientific understanding of post-fire debris flow occurrence, and development of empirical models to predict debris flow probability and volume have improved quantification of debris flow risk and facilitated more effective debris flow mitigation. How these advances have improved emergency response assessment efforts is exemplified by comparing assessment of debris flow risk for two large wildfires which occurred 26 years apart and affected much of the same area in the Sierra Nevada of California.
Macrophage apoAI protects against dyslipidemia-induced dermatitis and atherosclerosis without affecting HDL.

Tissue cholesterol accumulation, macrophage infiltration, and inflammation are features of atherosclerosis and some forms of dermatitis. HDL and its main protein, apoAI, are acceptors of excess cholesterol from macrophages; this process inhibits tissue inflammation. Recent epidemiologic and clinical trial evidence questions the role of HDL and its manipulation in cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of ectopic macrophage apoAI expression on atherosclerosis and dermatitis induced by the combination of hypercholesterolemia and absence of HDL in mice. Hematopoietic progenitor cells were transduced to express human apoAI and transplanted into lethally irradiated LDL receptor−/−/apoAI−/− mice, which were then placed on a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Macrophage apoAI expression reduced aortic CD4+ T-cell levels (−39.8%), lesion size (−25%), and necrotic core area (−31.6%), without affecting serum HDL or aortic macrophage levels. Macrophage apoAI reduced skin cholesterol by 39.8%, restored skin morphology, and reduced skin CD4+ T-cell levels. Macrophage apoAI also reduced CD4+ T-cell levels (−32.9%) in skin-draining lymph nodes but had no effect on other T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, or macrophages compared with control transplanted mice. Thus, macrophage apoAI expression protects against atherosclerosis and dermatitis by reducing cholesterol accumulation and regulating CD4+ T-cell levels, without affecting serum HDL or tissue macrophage levels.
Graphene Biotransistor Interfaced with a Nitrifying Biofilm

Using a graphene field-effect transistor bio- sensor, we monitored the pH inside a living biofilm with fast temporal resolution (∼1 s) over multihour time periods. The atomically thin sensor is positioned between the biofilm and a supporting silicon oxide surface, providing noninvasive access to conditions at the base of the biofilm. We determine the transient changes in pH when the biofilm metabolizes substrate molecules and when it is exposed to biocide. The pH resolution is approximately 0.01 pH units when using 1 s time averaging. The sensor drift is approximately 0.01 pH units per hour. Our results demonstrate the potential of this technology to study biofilm metabolism and monitor biofilm health.
Dual Functions of Bacteriophage T4D Gene 28 Product: Structural Component of the Viral Tail Baseplate Central Plug and Cleavage Enzyme for Folyl Polyglutamates II. Folate Metabolism and Polyglutamate Cleavage Activity of Uninfected and Infected Escherichia coli Cells and Bacteriophage Particles

We investigated the role of the T4D bacteriophage gene 28 product in folate metabolism in infected Escherichia coli cells by using antifolate drugs and a newly devised assay for folyl polyglutamate cleavage activity. Preincubation of host E. coli cells with various sulfa drugs inhibited phage production by decreasing the burst size when the phage particles produced an altered gene 28 product (i.e., after infection under permissive conditions with T4D 28(ts) or T4D am28). In addition, we found that another folate analog, pyrimethamine, also inhibited T4D 28(ts) production and T4D 28am production, but this analog did not inhibit wild-type T4D production. A temperature-resistant revertant of T4D 28(ts) was not sensitive to either sulfa drugs or pyrimethamine. We developed an assay to measure the enzymatic cleavage of folyl polyglutamates. The high-molecular-weight folyl polyglutamate substrate was isolated from E. coli B cells infected with T4D am28 in the presence of labeled glutamic acid and was characterized as a folate compound containing 12 to 14 labeled glutamate residues. Extracts of uninfected bacteria liberated glutamate residues from this substrate with a pH optimum of 8.4 to 8.5. Extracts of bacteriophage T4D-infected E. coli B cells exhibited an additional new folyl polyglutamate cleavage activity with a pH optimum of about 6.4 to 6.5, which was clearly distinguished from the preexisting activity in the uninfected host cells. This new activity was induced in E. coli B cells by infection with wild-type T4D and T4D amber mutants 29(-), 26(-), 27(-), 51(-), and 10(-), but it was not induced under nonpermissive conditions by T4D am28 or by T4D 28(ts). Mutations in gene 28 affected the properties of the induced cleavage enzyme. Wild-type T4D-induced cleavage activity was not inhibited by pyrimethamine, whereas the T4D 28(ts) activity induced at a permissive temperature was inhibited by this folate analog. Folyl polyglutamate cleavage activity characteristic of the activity induced in host cells by wild-type T4D or by T4D gene 28 mutants was also found in highly purified preparations of these phage ghost particles. The T4D-induced cleavage activity could be inhibited by antiserum prepared against highly purified phage baseplates. We concluded that T4D infection induced the formation of a new folyl polyglutamate cleavage enzyme and that this enzyme was coded for by T4D gene 28. Furthermore, since this gene product was a baseplate tail plug component which had both its antigenic sites and its catalytic sites exposed on the phage particle, it was apparent that this enzyme formed part of the distal surface of the phage baseplate central tail plug.
Magnetic microspheres: a model system of site specific drug delivery in vivo.

SummaryA novel carrier system for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents by magnetic means to desired sites has been developed. Results indicate that the carrier, albumin microspheres with entrapped Fe3O4, and adriamycin HCl, can be concentrated at a predetermined site in vivo by a magnetic field. Carrier delivery of adriamycin is supported by the presence of a significant concentration of the drug at the site of carrier localization. This delivery system allows for the accumulation of local adriamycin which is comparable to that achieved by administration of a 100-fold higher dose of the free drug.
How to Study Choice-Induced Attitude Change: Strategies for Fixing the Free-Choice Paradigm

The theory of cognitive dissonance has been among the most influential theories in social psychology for the last 50 years. Support for the theory has come primarily from three experimental paradigms: free-choice, induced compliance, and effort justification. Recently, Chen and Risen (2010, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 99, 573‐594) have argued that although the free-choice paradigm reliably finds a ‘spreading of alternatives’ (i.e., after making a choice, participants’ evaluations of the chosen item improve and evaluations of the rejected item decline), these results cannot be interpreted as evidence for dissonance reduction or attitude change. Unlike the other dissonance paradigms, participants ‘self-select’ how they are treated in the free-choice paradigm, making it impossible to know whether spreading is because of the choice process or the information that is revealed about participants’ existing preferences. The current paper has two goals. First, we will describe the criticism developed by Chen and Risen (2010) and situate the criticism within the broader study of dissonance. Second, we will offer four suggestions for how researchers can isolate the effect of the choice process and properly test for choice-induced attitude change in the free-choice paradigm. In the mid-1950s ‐ during the heyday of consistency theories ‐ Leon Festinger developed the theory of cognitive dissonance. Since its formalization in 1957, dissonance theory has become one of the most influential theories and most researched topics in social psychology, tested primarily within three paradigms: free-choice, induced compliance, and effort justification. Recent research suggests, however, that the very first paradigm used to test dissonance ‐ the free-choice paradigm (Brehm, 1956) ‐ is fundamentally flawed. Chen and Risen (2010) have argued that although the spreading of alternatives has been found reliably in hundreds of free-choice experiments, it arises as an artifact of a flawed methodology and cannot be taken as evidence of dissonance reduction or attitude change. The current paper is written with two primary goals. First, we will describe the criticism developed by Chen and Risen (2010), situating it within the broader study of dissonance. We will explain how ‘self-selection’ occurs in the free-choice paradigm (FCP) and why the nonrandom treatment of participants is so problematic. Second, because the criticism is meant to improve the study of dissonance, we will offer four suggestions for properly studying choice-induced attitude change in the FCP. Researchers can isolate the effect of the choice process on subsequent preferences by (i) ensuring that all participants make the same choice, (ii) controlling for the information revealed by choice, (iii) removing the information revealed by choice, or (iv) manipulating the choices that people make.
Evaluating Circulation Cleaning by Analysis of Soil Depletion from Surfaces

Abstract The rate of soil removal and its nature were studied with a small commercial high-temperature short-time pasteurizer. The commercial recirculation system was altered to provide a single pass of cleaning solution through the equipment to observe progress of cleaning. A composite of the first 38 liters was taken after 1.5 minutes. Subsequent samples were taken after 3, 6, 12 and 21 to 22 minutes. Cleaning solutions were analyzed by centrifugal fractionation, solvent extraction, gas liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy to determine the composition of residue and rate of its depletion. Results showed both the nature of the tenacious material and the rate of removal. Triglycerides were the predominant material in the tenacious residue, which resisted removal by circulation cleaning. Triglycerides were in solutions taken after several minutes of cleaning. Triglycerides per se were removed during cleaning, thus contradicting the concept that saponification is an integral part of the cleaning process. The sensitivity achieved indicated the potential application of instrumental methods for evaluating cleanliness of food processing equipment.
Searching for the Legitimacy Threshold

In this article, the authors lay the groundwork for a concept known as the legitimacy threshold. The legitimacy threshold is defined as the point at which, from the entrepreneur’s perception, the organization moves from an untenable collection of resources to a potentially sustainable enterprise. Entrepreneurs generally describe it as a “made it” feeling. The authors’ focus was twofold: (a) to develop a theory base for such a concept and (b) to conduct multiple case studies to verify such a theory base. They make a case for the existence of thresholds and then more fully define the legitimacy threshold before providing support for universal components of the construct. They conclude by presenting 11 case studies that lend support to the idea of a universal legitimacy threshold.
Use of juvenile salmon growth and temperature change indices to predict groundfish post age-0 yr class strengths in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea

Juvenile marine growth (SW1) of salmon and a new temperature change (TC) index were evaluated as ecosystem indicators and predictors for the post age0 year class strength (YCS) of groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and eastern Bering Sea (EBS). Our hypothesis was that SW1, as measured on the scales of adult Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), is a proxy for ocean productivity on the continental shelf, a rearing area for young salmon and groundfish. Less negative TC index values are the result of a cool late summer followed by a warm spring, conditions favorable for groundfish YCS. In the GOA, SW1 was a positive predictor of age-1 pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), but not age-2 sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) YCS, indicating that the growth of the Karluk River sockeye salmon that enter Shelikof Strait is a proxy for ocean conditions experienced by age-0 pollock. Contrary to our hypotheses, the TC index was a negative predictor of GOA pollock YCS; and the SW1 a negative predictor of EBS pollock and cod YCS since the 1980s. Recent fisheries oceanography survey results provide insight into possible mechanisms to support the inverse SW1 and YCS relationship. For the EBS, the TC index was a significant positive predictor for pollock and cod YCS, supporting the hypothesis that a cool late summer followed by a warm spring maximizes the over-wintering survival of pollock and cod (Gadus macrocephalus), especially since the 1980s. The TC and SW1 index showed value for the assessment of pollock and cod, but not sablefish.
Peer-Effects in Obesity among Public Elementary School Children: A Grade-Level Analysis

Using a panel dataset at the grade level from Arkansas public schools, this study finds that changes in the obesity prevalence at the oldest grade are associated with changes in obesity prevalence at younger grades. Furthermore, analysis across different school types shows that the peer effects are statistically significant but the magnitude of the effect is greater in kindergarten to fourth-grade schools than in kindergarten to sixth-grade schools. We also use tests on spatial and temporal dimensions, as well as by weight status grouping, to provide evidence that these peer effects are more than just a statistical correlation.
Risk Estimation via Regression

We introduce a regression-based nested Monte Carlo simulation method for the estimation of financial risk. An outer simulation level is used to generate financial risk factors and an inner simulation level is used to price securities and compute portfolio losses given risk factor outcomes. The mean squared error (MSE) of standard nested simulation converges at the rate k−2/3, where k measures computational effort. The proposed regression method combines information from different risk factor realizations to provide a better estimate of the portfolio loss function. The MSE of the regression method converges at the rate k−1 until reaching an asymptotic bias level which depends on the magnitude of the regression error. Numerical results consistent with our theoretical analysis are provided and numerical comparisons with other methods are also given.
Safety Factor Evaluation for Single Piles in Sand

Probability theory is used in conjunction with extensive results from field tests to develop a formal design procedure for widely spaced piles in sandy soils. Through the use of Bayes' theorem a method is developed that provides, in the design process, for a consistent joint consideration of both the soil exploration data and the results of pile load tests. Cornell's second-moment first-order method is used to permit calibration of the procedure with existing practice and a table of safety factor values is computed on this basis. In addition to their direct design application the results provide useful assistance for optimization of the pile load test requirements for specific projects.
Specific Types of Alpha Streptococci and Streptococcal Antigen in Unpotable Water and Water Supplies.

In studies of the causation of various diseases, it was found that if pieces of fresh calf brain (approximately 1 part by volume to 6 parts of medium) were added to the standard medium, such as dextrose broth and dextrose agar (0.2 per cent dextrose and 0.2 per cent agar), before autoclaving, the mediums became far more favorable for the primary isolation of pathogenic streptococci from foci of infection and involved tissues and for the maintenance of their specificity than without the brain substance. These brain-containing mediums also have been found highly favorable for the isolation of specific types of streptococci from milk supplies, from indoor and outdoor air, from emulsions and filtrates of emulsions of mosquitoes and flies caught during epidemics of poliomyelitis and encephalitis 12 and from nasopharynx, cerebrospinal fluid and emulsions or filtrates of emulsions of brain and spinal cord in cases of poliomyelitis, encephalitis and equine encephalomyelitis.
IS-018 New Therapies For Pulmonary Hypertension And Bpd – From Bench To Bedside

We have used mesenchymal stem cells in preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and in the hyperoxia-induced neonatal murine model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) to suppress inflammation and improve survival while attenuating alveolar injury and PH. The protective effect was predominantly mediated by paracrine mechanisms, since, cell-free MSC-conditioned media were even more efficacious than MSCs in preventing or reversing established disease. The active moieties that confer the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs remain elusive but likely include secreted proteins, nucleic acids, and membrane components, all potentially packaged in MSC-released microvesicles. We have shown that such particles, a class of which is represented by exosomes, convey the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs in the murine hypoxic model of PH. Exosome treatment was also able to abrogate early hypoxic macrophage influx and downregulate hypoxia-activated inflammatory pathways, thus recapitulating the well-characterised, anti-inflammatory properties of MSCs. The clinical use of MSCs in several on-going trials or the MSC secretome (e.g. exosomes) is a budding new field that represents an exciting and promising approach to therapeutic interventions for diseases of the lung.
Synthesis of Bis(imidazole) Metal Complexes and Their Use in Rapid NO Detection and Quantification Devices

To explore the release of nitrogen oxide gases from reaction solutions, we developed a series of colorimetric sensors based on the cis-nitrogen-donating ligand bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)phenylmethoxymethane (BIPhMe). The complexes M(BIPhMe)X2, where M is Fe2+ or Co2+ and X is Cl–, Br–, or I–, were prepared and structurally and spectroscopically characterized. The reactivity of these complexes toward NO(g) and NO2(g) in solution was explored. These complexes were then incorporated into test strips and syringes to provide devices that can qualitatively, and in the case of the syringes quantitatively, detect NO(g) and NO2(g) in a reaction headspace without additional equipment.
Solubilized Rat Liver Vitamin K Carboxylase Demonstrates Little Selectivity between Vitamin K1 and the Menaquinones

AbstractThe ability of vitamin K1 and the menaquinones, MK-1 to MK-10, to promote K-dependent carboxylation has been determined with Triton X-100-solubilized liver microsomes from vitamin K-deficient rats. All menaquinones were found to be effective in promoting vitamin K-dependent carboxylation. There were only slight differences observed in the maximum level of carboxylation given by vitamin K1 and the menaquinones. There was also little difference in the concentrations required to produce a given level of carboxylation. Therefore, the detergent-solubilized vitamin K carboxylase shows little selectivity between vitamin K1 and the menaquinones. The vitamin K carboxylase apparently utilizes any one of the natural vitamin K compounds equally as well as any other, once the vitamin K reaches the membrane-bound carboxylase.
Case Report: Chylous Ascites and Carcinoid Tumors: Possible Association of Two Rare Disorders

Three cases of chylous ascites are reported in a series of 275 patients with carcinoid tumor. All three patients had diarrhea and elevated serotonin production. The literature is reviewed and the possible causes of the chylous ascites are discussed. It is suggested that a history of clinically significant diarrhea in a patient with chylous ascites should lead to biochemical tests for carcinoid tumors.
The Cryopreservation of Skin Biopsies—A Technique for Reducing Workload in a Cell Culture Laboratory

A method is described for the cryopreservation of skin biopsies at −70°C for subsequent possible reculture. Biopsies stored up to 1 year could be successfully recultured without affecting the time ...
Does Viewing Pornography Diminish Religiosity Over Time? Evidence From Two-Wave Panel Data

Research consistently shows a negative association between religiosity and viewing pornography. While scholars typically assume that greater religiosity leads to less frequent pornography use, none have empirically examined whether the reverse could be true: that greater pornography use may lead to lower levels of religiosity over time. I tested for this possibility using two waves of the nationally representative Portraits of American Life Study (PALS). Persons who viewed pornography at all at Wave 1 reported more religious doubt, lower religious salience, and lower prayer frequency at Wave 2 compared to those who never viewed porn. Considering the effect of porn-viewing frequency, viewing porn more often at Wave 1 corresponded to increases in religious doubt and declining religious salience at Wave 2. However, the effect of earlier pornography use on later religious service attendance and prayer was curvilinear: Religious service attendance and prayer decline to a point and then increase at higher levels of pornography viewing. Testing for interactions revealed that all effects appear to hold regardless of gender. Findings suggest that viewing pornography may lead to declines in some dimensions of religiosity but at more extreme levels may actually stimulate, or at least be conducive to, greater religiosity along other dimensions.
Biomechanics of the Musculotendinous Unit: Relation to Athletic Performance and Injury

The ability to preload or store energy elastically within contractile and viscoelastic musculotendinous components plus the cross-extensor reflex form the foundation of athletic performance. Minor strains may heal by collagen turnover, which is stimulated by increased activity levels. Injury involving capillary rupture is repaired by noncontractile and inelastic scar, which decreases the efficiency of the musculotendinous unit and leaves it at a risk of future injury. The object of therapy is to limit the amount of scar formed and to preserve bioelasticity, contractility, and strength of the individual components.
On the tightness of the 514 independence ratio

In 1979, Staton proved that every triangle-free graph G with maximum degree at most three has an independent set with size at least 514 of the number of vertices of G. Fraughnaugh [size and independence in triangle-free graphs with maximum degree three, J. Graph Theory 14 (5) (1990) 525-535] and Heckman and Thomas [A new proof of the independence ratio of triangle-free cubic graphs, Discrete Math 233 (2001) 233-237] provided shorter proofs of the same result. An analysis of the cases of equality for the main results in the last paper is presented. Also, a proof that there are only two connected triangle-free graphs with maximum degree at most three and independence ratio 514 is given; it is self-contained and does not require a computer search.
Behavioral economic indicators of drinking problem severity and initial outcomes among problem drinkers attempting natural recovery: a cross‐sectional naturalistic study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Research using different behavioral economic (BE) and time perspective (TP) measures suggests that substance misusers show greater sensitivity to shorter term contingencies than normal controls, but multiple measures have seldom been investigated together. This study evaluated the extent to which multiple BE and TP measures were associated with drinking problem severity, distinguished initial outcomes of natural recovery attempts, and shared common variance. Hypotheses were (1) greater problem severity would be associated with greater impulsivity and demand for alcohol and shorter TPs; and (2) low-risk drinking would be associated with greater sensitivity to longer term contingencies compared with abstinence. DESIGN: Cross-sectional naturalistic field study. SETTING: Southern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Problem drinkers, recently resolved without treatment (N = 191 [76.4% male], M age = 50.1 years) recruited using media advertisements. MEASUREMENTS: Drinking practices, dependence levels, and alcohol-related problems prior to stopping problem drinking were assessed during structured field interviews. Measures included the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory; BE analogue choice tasks (Delay Discounting [DD], Melioration-Maximization [MM], Alcohol Purchase Task [APT]); and the Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure (ASDE) index, derived from real spending on alcohol and voluntary savings during the year before problem cessation. FINDINGS: Measures of demand based on real (ASDE) and hypothetical (APT) spending on alcohol were associated with problem severity (ps CONCLUSIONS: Two behavioural assessment tools that measure spending on alcohol, the Alcohol Purchase Task and the Alcohol-Savings Discretionary Expenditure index, appear to be reliable in assessing the severity of drinking problems.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Language: en
Gas Chromatographic Determination of Pentachlorophenol in Gelatin: Collaborative Study

Eleven collaborators participated in this study of a gas chromatographic method for the determination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in gelatin. Following acid hydrolysis of a 2 g sample, PCP is extracted with hexane and partitioned into KOH solution. After reacidification, PCP is again extracted with hexane for determination by electron capture gas chromatography on a 1% SP-1240DA column. Three duplicate practice samples (0.0, 0.5, and 1.5 ppm) and 5 blind duplicate collaborative samples (0.0, 0.02, 0.1, 0.5, and 2.0 ppm) were analyzed by each collaborator. Mean recoveries of PCP in the collaborative samples ranged from 88% at the 0.02 ppm fortification level to 102% at the 0.1 ppm level; the overall mean recovery was 96%. Interlaboratory coefficients of variation ranged from 16.4% for the 0.1 ppm fortification level to 22.9% for the 0.5 ppm level; the overall interlaboratory coefficient of variation was 19.5%. The method has been adopted official first action.
Challenges and Demands on Automated Software Revision

In the past three decades, automated program verification has undoubtedly been one of the most successful contributions of formal methods to software development. However, when verification of a program against a logical specification discovers bugs in the program, manual manipulation of the program is needed in order to repair it. Thus, in the face of existence of numerous unverified and un- certified legacy software in virtually any organization, tools that enable engineers to automatically verify and subsequently fix existing programs are highly desirable. In addition, since requirements of software systems often evolve during the software life cycle, the issue of incomplete specification has become a customary fact in many design and development teams. Thus, automated techniques that revise existing programs according to new specifications are of great assistance to designers, developers, and maintenance engineers. As a result, incorporating program synthesis techniques where an algorithm generates a program, that is correct-by-construction, seems to be a necessity. The notion of manual program repair described above turns out to be even more complex when programs are integrated with large collections of sensors and actuators in hostile physical environments in the so-called cyber-physical systems. When such systems are safety/mission- critical (e.g., in avionics systems), it is essential that the system reacts to physical events such as faults, delays, signals, attacks, etc, so that the system specification is not violated. In fact, since it is impossible to anticipate all possible such physical events at design time, it is highly desirable to have automated techniques that revise programs with respect to newly identified physical events according to the system specification.
New York’s 19th, 22nd, and 24th Congressional Districts: Republicans Hold On in One of the Bluest of States

The 2016 races in New York’s 19th, 22nd, and 24th Congressional District, located in Central New York and the Hudson Valley are examined. All three districts were considered “toss ups,” with the Republicans having to defend two open seats and a vulnerable incumbent. The Democrats hoped to flip these districts as President Obama had done well in all three during the previous two elections. The nomination of Donald Trump further encouraged Democrats, who believed they could link the Republican candidates to Trump. In the end, the Republican candidates won each race handily, as the anticipated Clinton sweep of upstate New York never transpired.
Geography of Anonymous Communications: Detecting Online Censorship

Social media pervades everyday life and can have a critical affect on international issues and events. While the impact of social media is sometimes difficult to quantify (e.g. for revolutionary purposes), it has proven to be a critical tool for information sharing, coordination, planning, or rallying support for protests. The impact of social media censorship can have widespread affect. The goal of this research is to detect censorship of social media and other types of online content. The approach is to use complementary evidence of censorship events by means of connections to anonymous networks and social media activity. While there are different methods to actively and passively measure censorship, this research uses client usage patterns of anonymous communications and activity monitoring of social media as proxy variables to detect censorship. The initial results are compelling and demonstrate useful insights that warrant further research. The Tor Project is the most mature and largest deployed anonymous communication system that conceals the user's location and identity, and can be used to circumvent censorship. This paper presents methods to use Tor and Twitter'¢s usage patterns to detect country-level anomalous behavior and identify similar patterns across multiple countries. Content from Twitter can also help assess potential censorship events and help explain detected anomalies. Correlating activities across both platforms provide unique insights into specific types of activities including political or censorship events.
Acute Pars Fracture

Acute pars fracture describes a defect of the lumbar spine due to recurring mechanical stress and is commonly seen in athletic individuals. Low back pain that is worse with extension, especially while standing on one leg (one-legged hyperextension test), may be seen on presentation. X-ray with an oblique view is usually the first test to order, but SPECT scan, CT, and MRI also have clinical utility. Conservative management is the mainstay of treatment, starting with a combination of relative rest, anti-lordotic bracing, analgesics, and physical therapy in almost all cases.
The Campus Web Portal

Abstract Joining the movement toward personalization of the Internet, many colleges and universities across the country are redirecting their traditional campus Web sites toward marketing while developing Web portals for use by their students, faculty, and staff. These Web portals offer new and promising ways to access a variety of campus services including services and resources of the campus library. The authors discuss implications of campus Web portal development for academic libraries. The authors urge librarians to get involved in campus Web portal development to ensure a library presence on the portal that is both functional and relevant to library patrons.
Studies on pathogenesis of Rhizoctonia solani in beans: an evaluation of the possible roles of phenylacetic acid and its hydroxy derivatives as phytotoxins

Abstract All isolates of Rhizoctonia solani used in this study, when grown in Weinhold medium supplemented with phenylalanine, accumulated phenylacetic acid (PAA) and its ortho-, meta- and para-hydroxy derivatives in culture. Major metabolites which accumulated were PAA and m-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (m-OH-PAA). However, the accumulation in vitro of total phenylacetic acid derivatives by isolates of R. solani was not related to their pathogenicity and/or virulence. On the contrary, the non-pathogenic and weakly virulent isolates of R. solani produced the highest quantities of PAA-derivatives per unit weight of mycelium in comparison to the highly virulent isolates. The phenylacetic acid derivatives used in this investigation, when bioassayed at high concentrations, caused inhibition of growth of tomato and bean seedlings. The most active compounds were PAA and dl -α-methoxy-phenylacetic acid (MeO-PAA). However, when m-OH-PAA was assayed at low concentrations there was a stimulation of seedling growth. In addition, when m-OH-PAA solutions were injected into bean hypocotyls or into tobacco leaves they never caused necrotic lesions or symptoms resembling those caused by R. solani on beans. These results indicate that PAA-derivatives are not directly involved in pathogenesis of R. solani in beans.
Cost-effectiveness of maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer: Paclitaxel, bevacizumab, niraparib, rucaparib, olaparib, and pembrolizumab.

5508Background: Acquired drug resistance remains the greatest clinical hurdle in advanced ovarian cancer suggesting that effective maintenance therapies are lacking. We evaluated cost-effectiveness...
Therapeutic potential of carbonyl-scavenging carnosine derivative in metabolic disorders

Obesity and overnutrition increase levels of reactive sugar- and lipid-derived aldehydes called reactive carbonyl species (RCS). Increased tissue and circulating RCS levels have been tied to insulin resistance and inflammation, but previous pharmacological approaches to target RCS have had equivocal outcomes. In this issue of the JCI, Anderson et al. present evidence for the development and implementation of carnisonol, a compound that is biologically stable in vivo and shows impressive effects on improving metabolism and inflammation in rodent models of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
Use of ultrasonography to identify a periocular plant foreign body in a dog

A one-year-old female spayed miniature schnauzer was referred to the Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center Ophthalmology Service for evaluation of chronic purulent discharge and conjunctival hyperaemia of the right eye. Two months before presentation, the dog was treated by its primary veterinarian for grass awn foreign bodies in the periocular area. Three visible grass awns were removed, and an associated superficial corneal ulcer healed without complication. However, ocular discharge and conjunctival hyperaemia persisted. Due to the patient’s history and the focal pattern of conjunctival hyperaemia, diagnostic imaging (ultrasound) was recommended to screen for retained plant foreign material. The dog was anaesthetised, and a hyperechoic linear structure was identified in the dorsolateral periocular space on ultrasound examination. The plant material was successfully extracted during a brief conjunctival exploration, and the previously reported clinical signs subsequently resolved over the course of one week.
Adapting a Core-Idea Centered Undergraduate General Chemistry Curriculum for Use in High School

Connecting the behavior of invisible (to the naked eye) particles governed by the principles of quantum mechanics to the world we can see and touch requires a host of inferences, almost none of which can be extrapolated from experience. Molecular-level sensemaking thus relies upon intellectual resources that must be developed in large part by formal learning environments. Over a decade of research at the college-level indicates that centering instruction around scaffolded progressions of core ideas can help students cultivate, organize, and use their disciplinary knowledge to explain and model a range of phenomena. Informed by this literature, we have adapted a core-idea centered, evidence-based undergraduate general chemistry curriculum for use in high school. Our adaptation process, which was a collaborative effort between researchers and classroom teachers, is described in detail with emphasis on alignment between the Next Generation Science Standards and our materials. Efforts reported here represent a first-in-class model for high school curriculum development wherein conceptual progressions developed and validated at the college level form the basis for high school coursework.