cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biologist's perspective on analytical imaging systems as applied to protein gel electrophoresis

High-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis entails the separation of proteins in the first dimension according to their charge and in the second dimension according to their relative mobility (RF). The technique is capable of simultaneously resolving thousands of polypeptides as a constellation pattern of spots. Ultimately, the level of success in the analysis of such protein patterns depends upon the quality of the protein separation, the sensitivity of the procedures used to visualize the proteins, and the resolution of the image capture device used for quantitative measurements. A number of analytical imaging systems that combine machine vision, digital image processing and data processing are available for interpretation of the complex patterns generated by the technique. The most common input devices for obtaining images of electrophoresis gels are charge-coupled device camera systems and document scanners. Gaussian and median filters are often used to reduce noise in the digitized gel images. After image acquisition, spot boundaries are detected, the amount of protein in each spot is established, and the coordinates of each spot are determined. The images are then linked together into a gel database and relevant spots are located by user specified queries. The computer excels at providing unbiased detection of quantitative differences in hundreds or even thousands of proteins across large numbers of gels.
Atmospheric mercury cycles in northern Wisconsin

Abstract Total gaseous mercury (TGM) in the lower atmosphere of northern Wisconsin exhibits strong annual and diurnal cycles similar to those previously reported for other rural monitoring sites across mid-latitude North America. Annually, TGM was highest in late winter and then gradually declined until late summer. During 2002–04, the average TGM concentration was 1.4 ± 0.2 (SD) ng m−3, and the amplitude of the annual cycle was 0.4 ng m−3 (∼30% of the long-term mean). The diurnal cycle was characterized by increasing TGM concentrations during the morning followed by decreases during the afternoon and night. The diurnal amplitude was variable but it was largest in spring and summer, when daily TGM oscillations of 20–40% were not uncommon. Notably, we also observed a diurnal cycle for TGM indoors in a room ventilated through an open window. Even though TGM concentrations were an order of magnitude higher indoors, (presumably due to historical practices within the building: e.g. latex paint, fluorescent lamps, thermometers), the diurnal cycle was remarkably similar to that observed outdoors. The indoor cycle was not directly attributable to human activity, the metabolic activity of vegetation or diurnal atmospheric dynamics; but it was related to changes in temperature and oxidants in outdoor air that infiltrated the room. Although there was an obvious difference in the proximal source of indoor and outdoor TGM, similarities in behavior suggest that common TGM cycles may be driven largely by adsorption/desorption reactions involving solid surfaces, such as leaves, snow, dust and walls. Such behavior would imply a short residence time for Hg in the lower atmosphere and intense recycling – consistent with the “ping-pong ball” or “multi-hop” conceptual models proposed by others.
Focused-ion-beam-assisted selective control of graphene layers: acquisition of clean-cut ultra thin graphitic film

A focused-ion beam (FIB) and a nanomanipulator provide a novel way to selectively control and obtain a few layers of graphene. Because of its weak van der Waals force in the interlayer of graphite, the nanomanipulator could easily exfoliate a graphitic thin layer with no wrinkles on the surface from a highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) by applying a shear force which exceeds the static interlayer shear force. Subsequently, a few layers of graphene were successfully obtained by applying a uniform shear force from a detached graphitic thin layer that had been transferred to a pre-determined site on an oxide wafer. The required shear force for clean cleavage of a graphitic thin layer was then estimated based upon experimental data. Raman scattering analysis was used to confirm the number of placed graphene layers and the placement of a few layers of graphene was projected to have about five atomic layers.
Supervisory adaptive control of arterial pressure during cardiac surgery

A supervisory adaptive controller has been designed for the closed-loop control of mean arterial pressure during cardiac surgery, using sodium nitroprusside. This controller consists of a pole-placement and proportional-plus-integral feedback regulator, multiple-model adaptation, and a supervisor. The pole-placement and proportional-plus-integral regulator was designed to meet aggressive step response characteristics. Multiple-model adaptation was chosen to ensure rapid and stable adjustments for changes in key patient parameters. The supervisor was designed to provide safety and efficacy of control during disturbances that are common during cardiac surgery. The authors studied the ability of this supervisory adaptive controller to regulate arterial pressure during cardiac surgery on nineteen patients. The controller, through the action of the supervisor, detected and responded appropriately to the great majority of disturbances. This study demonstrated that supervisory adaptive control has the potential to provide clinically acceptable regulation, of arterial pressure. >
What's Next for the S&P 500?

It is reasonable to expect the recent performance of the domestic equity markets to continue? This article suggests that the low dividend yield and high price-to-earnings ratio on the S&P 500 imply that investors have reduced their required return on equities, probably because they have become more comfortable with equity investments. Going forward, equities are likely to earn less than the 11% compounded return enjoyed since 1926. Institutions may need to reevaluate their goals and investment strategies to better assure they maintain fund purchasing power net of spending.
Beyond humanitarian bandages--confronting genocide in Sudan.

Jerry Fowler asserts that applying a humanitarian bandage to Darfur without addressing the underlying political causes cannot possibly end the suffering.
Comparison of the NEI-VFQ and OSDI questionnaires in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye

To examine the associations between vision-targeted health-related quality of life (VT-HRQ) and ocular surface parameters in patients with Sjogren's syndrome, a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dry eye and dry mouth. Forty-two patients fulfilling European / American diagnostic criteria for Sjogren's syndrome underwent Schirmer testing without anesthesia, ocular surface vital dye staining; and measurement of tear film breakup time (TBUT). Subjects were administered the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the 25-item National Eye Institute Vision Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ). Main outcome measures included ocular surface parameters, OSDI subscales describing ocular discomfort (OSDI-symptoms), vision-related function (OSDI-function), and environmental triggers, and NEI-VFQ subscales. Participants (aged 31–81 y; 95% female) all had moderate to severe dry eye. Associations of OSDI subscales with the ocular parameters were modest (Spearman r (ρ) < 0.22) and not statistically significant. Associations of NEI-VFQ subscales with the ocular parameters reached borderline significance for the near vision subscale with TBUT (ρ = 0.32, p = .05) and for the distance vision subscale with van Bijsterveld score (ρ = 0.33, p = .04). The strongest associations of the two questionnaires were for: ocular pain and mental function with OSDI-symptoms (ρ = 0.60 and 0.45, respectively); and general vision, ocular pain, mental function, role function, and driving with OSDI-function (ρ = 0.60, 0.50, 0.61, 0.64, 0.57, and 0.67, respectively). Associations between conventional objective measures of dry eye and VT-HRQ were modest. The generic NEI-VFQ was similar to the disease-specific OSDI in its ability to measure the impact of Sjogren's syndrome-related dry eye on VT-HRQ.
Quantifying Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Expression in Breast Cancer by Digital Imaging

Developments in digital imaging and fluorescent microscopy provide a new method and opportunities for quantification of protein expression in human tissue. Archived collections of paraffin-embedded tumors can be used to study the relationship between quantitative differences in protein expression in tumors and patient outcome. In this report we describe the use of a DeltaVision Restoration deconvolution microscope, combined with fluorescent immunohistochemistry, to obtain reproducible and quantitative estimates of protein expression in a formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. As proof of principle, we used antibodies to the estrogen and progesterone receptors in a hormone receptor-positive breast cancer specimen. We provide guidelines for control of day-to-day variability in camera and microscope performance to ensure that image acquisition leads to reproducible quantitative estimates of protein expression. We show that background autofluorescence related to formalin fixation can be controlled and that for proteins that are expressed in nearly every cell, multiplexing two primary antibodies on the same slide does not significantly affect the results obtained. We demonstrate that for proteins whose expression varies markedly from cell to cell, data reproducibility, as assessed by imaging successive tissue sections, is more difficult to determine.
Female sex is not associated with improved rates of ROSC or short term survival following prolonged porcine ventricular fibrillation

Objectives There may be a survival benefit in female patients experiencing cardiac arrest, which could affect the interpretation of in vivo animal studies. We hypothesized that sex predicts return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and short-term survival (SURV) in porcine studies of prolonged ventricular fibrillation (VF).
Differential access for publicly-posted composite documents with multiple workflow participants

A novel mechanism for providing and enforcing differential access control for publicly-posted composite documents is proposed. The concept of a document is rapidly changing: individual file-based, traditional formats can no longer accommodate the required mixture of differently formatted parts: individual images, video/audio clips, PowerPoint presentations, html-pages, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, pdf files, etc. Multi-part composite documents are created and managed in complex workflows, with participants including external consultants, partners and customers distributed across the globe, with many no longer contained within one monolithic secure environment. Distributed over non-secure channels, these documents carry different types of sensitive information: examples include (a) an enterprise pricing strategy for new products, (b) employees' personal records, (c) government intelligence, and (d) individual medical records. A central server solution is often hard or impossible to create and maintain for ad-hoc workflows. Thus, the documents are often circulated between workflow participants over traditional, low security e-mails, placed on shared drives, or exchanged using CD/DVD or USB. The situation is more complicated when multiple workflow participants need to contribute to various parts of such a document with different access levels: for example, full editing rights, read-only, reading of some parts only, etc., for different users. We propose a full scale differential access control approach, enabling public posting of composite documents, to address these concerns.
Mechanisms of cytoskeletal regulation: Functional and antigenic diversity in human erythrocyte and brain beta spectrin

A study of human erythrocyte and brain spectrin with particular emphasis on the beta subunits revealed a structural homology but functional dissimilarity between these two molecules. Six monoclonal antibodies raised to human erythrocyte beta spectrin identify three of the four proteolytically defined domains of erythrocyte beta spectrin. Five of these monoclonal antibodies cross-react with human brain spectrin. None of a previously identified set of alpha erythrocyte spectrin monoclonal antibodies [Yurchenco et al: J Biol Chem 257:9102, 1982] reacted with brain spectrin. A domain map generated by limited tryptic digestion shows that brain spectrin is composed of proteolytically resistant domains analogous to erythrocyte spectrin, but the brain protein is more basic. The binding of brain spectrin to erythrocyte ankyrin, both in solution and on erythrocyte IOVs, yielded an association constant approximately 100 time weaker than for erythrocyte spectrin. The binding of azido-calmodulin under native conditions was specific for the erythrocyte beta subunit but was not calcium dependent. In contrast, azido-calmodulin bound only to the alpha subunit of brain spectrin in a calcium-dependent manner. The similarity of structure but modified functional characteristics of the brain and erythrocyte beta spectrins suggest that these proteins serve different cellular roles.
Uses And Abuses Of Long-Term Medicare Cost Estimates

Long-term cost estimates are central to the current Medicare policy debate. This paper uses Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) data, and comparisons to international trends, to make some distinctions and warnings about the use of those estimates. Projected spending increases related to a larger enrollee population may be more easily justified than increases related to higher prices or volume of services per enrollee. Projections of demographics as if policy will not change are at least plausible; projections as if payment policies will not change for the next seventy-five years absurd. The demand for solutions that would "fix" the problem for seventy-five years biases options in the direction of radical reforms, to the exclusion of more incremental and careful approaches.
The role of path dependence in the development of US bankruptcy law, 1880–1938

We illustrate mechanisms that can give rise to path dependence in legislation. Specifically, we show how debtor-friendly bankruptcy law arose in the United States as a result of a path dependent process. The 1898 Bankruptcy Act was not regarded as debtor-friendly at the time of its enactment, but the enactment of the law gave rise to changes in interest groups, changes in beliefs about the purpose of bankruptcy law, and changes in the Democratic Party's position on bankruptcy that set the United States on a path to debtor-friendly bankruptcy law. An analysis of the path dependence of bankruptcy law produces an interpretation that is more consistent with the evidence than the conventional interpretation that debtor-friendliness in bankruptcy law began with political compromises to obtain the 1898 Bankruptcy Act.
Nonlinear multivariable control of nuclear power plants based on the unknown-but-bounded disturbance model

A nonlinear control system that is based entirely on the time-domain representation of dynamic systems is proposed for the control of a simplified pressurized-water-reactor (PWR) nuclear power plant model. The initial stage consists of designing several linear control systems using plant models linearized at preselected operating points. A set-theoretic algorithm is used that explicitly treats the control, control rate, and state constraints. The control objective is to design a system that uses only the available control, at the available rate, in the presence of an input disturbance, without violating the prespecified state constraints. The final stage of the design process uses the gain-scheduling technique to implement the linear control systems a global nonlinear control system. The final design is evaluated through transient response simulations using a simplified nonlinear model of a PWR-type nuclear power plant, with encouraging results. >
KIT regulates tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear localization of β-catenin in mast cell leukemia

Gain-of-function mutations in the proto-oncogene c-kit that induce constitutive kinase activity of its product, KIT protein, are characteristic of human mast cell disease and are believed to play a central role in mast cell leukemia oncogenesis, proliferation and survival. Nuclear overexpression of the Wnt effector beta-catenin and deregulated beta-catenin nuclear signaling can promote malignant transformation in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. However, a role for beta-catenin in mast cell leukemia has not been described. Nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin is upregulated by its tyrosine phosphorylation, a process that can be exacerbated by deregulated expression of oncogenic tyrosine kinases. Here, we investigated the relationship between activated KIT and beta-catenin signaling in mast cell leukemia. Beta-catenin was tyrosine-phosphorylated in cells with KIT activated by either gain-of-function mutation or incubation with the KIT ligand stem cell factor. Beta-catenin tyrosine phosphorylation depended on KIT activity but not on PI3K-AKT activation. Tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-catenin was associated with its nuclear localization and enhanced transcription of target genes c-myc and cyclin D1. Endogenous KIT and beta-catenin were found to associate in mast cell leukemia cells, and in vitro kinase assay demonstrated that active KIT phosphorylates tyrosine residues of beta-catenin directly. Aberrant beta-catenin-driven transcription caused by deregulated KIT may represent a significant new target for treatment of mast cell leukemia.
New defensive chemical data for ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae): interpretations in a phylogenetic framework

First reports of major defensive chemicals for ground beetles representing four tribes include: Morionini (formic acid), Dercylini (methacrylic and tiglic acids), Catapieseini (formic acid and decyl acetate) and Perigonini (formic acid and decyl acetate). Multiple species from Loxandrini were sampled and, shown to contain formic acid, not salicylaldehyde as previously reported. Several hexenoic acid compounds were found in the clivinine genus Schizogenius representing a third class of chemicals for that tribe. Salicylaldehyde was found for the first time in a species of Oodini. Additional species from Pterostichini, Patrobini and Odacanthini were sampled and the results were found to be consistent with previously published reports. The taxonomic distribution of defensive secretions is reviewed for tribes across the family Carabidae. The simultaneous occurrence of hydrocarbons and formic acid is noted in phylogenetically more derived carabids. By mapping chemical classes onto a phylogenetic hypothesis, it is shown that formic acid or other relatively strong irritants are correlated with tribes having a high species diversity in tropical regions, whereas tribes exhibiting higher diversity in temperate regions use milder saturated/unsaturated carboxylic acids. Based on this phylogenetic interpretation, the evolution and maintenance of formic acid is interpreted as the result of predation pressures and possibly the evolution of chemical mimicry.
Modification of the Flush Procedure to Enhance Embryo Recovery

T he number of embryo transfers performed in the United States has increased significantly in the past 2 years as a result of breed registry changes. The basic technique used to recovery embryos from donor mares has not changed significantly in many years. The exception has been a trend to shift from the use of Dulbecco’s phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS) to which antibiotics and fetal calf serum are added to the use of non-PBS–based commercially prepared “complete” flush media that use a Zwitterion-based buffer system and contain antibiotics and purified albumen (EmCare, ICP, Auckland, New Zealand or ViGro, AB Technology Inc, Pullman, Wash). The goal of this article is to present the modified embryo flush technique used in our commercial practice that has enhanced our embryo recovery rate.
Polyribosome disaggregation in rat liver following administration of tannic acid.

Summary Tannic acid, a naturally occurring hepatocarcinogen, caused marked disaggregation of polyribosomal patterns in rat liver commencing 3 hr after s.c. injection in a dose of 700 mg/kg body weight. Between 4 and 10 hr after the administration of tannic acid, disaggregation of the polyribosomes was complete, resulting in an increase in the monomer-dimers (80 to 110 S). These changes coincided in time with reduction in the amino acid incorporation in vivo and the ultrastructural changes in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of hepatic parenchymal cells. Partial recovery of the polyribosomal patterns and of the amino acid-incorporating activity in vivo was evident at 72 hr after the single injection of tannic acid.
Skilled Nursing Facilities and Post Acute Care

The rapid growth in the number of the elderly has created an unprecedented challenge to the current health system. Taking care of the frail elderly continue to face significant barriers achieving the desired and optimal care. The elderly are most vulnerable for higher rate of complications in the post acute care of their illness either due to mental, physical or psychosocial impairments, requiring multiple interventions needed on many fronts. Skilled nursing facilities are an essential part of the post acute geriatric care. Post acute care (PAC) encompasses a wide range of health care services that share the goal of restoring recently hospitalized patients to the highest level of functioning possible. Patients can access PAC services in a wide range of settings, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, and in their own homes, with services from home health agencies [1] In this brief review, we will focus on key elements in the skilled aspect of the post acute care as a merging factor in the long term nursing facilities.
Determination of active oxide trap density and 1/f noise mechanism in RESURF LDMOS transistors

Abstract The physical origin of majority charge carrier fluctuations in the SiO2 interface of Si at accumulation has been investigated and analyzed for differently processed and voltage-rated reduced surface field (RESURF), lateral-double-diffused MOS (LDMOS) transistors. Surface carrier mobility fluctuation due to remote Coulomb scattering by the trapped charge in the gate oxide is identified as the dominant physical mechanism for LDMOS 1/f noise irrespective of process technologies. A significant contribution to the measured noise has been noted from the surface majority carrier mobility fluctuation due to trapped charge at the accumulation region of the extended drain region, dominant over other sources including the surface minority charge carrier fluctuations in the channel. Active oxide trap density was characterized spatially and for the first time up to ∼0.4 eV above the conduction band-edge of Si. The interface trap density in the unstressed devices (∼8 × 106 cm−2) increased more than an order of magnitude (∼1 × 108 cm−2) after the devices were stressed for 10,000 sec at their individual worst drain current and on-resistance degradation conditions. The extracted Si/SiO2 interface trap density above the silicon conduction band edge was found to be several orders of magnitude lower than that reported for silicon mid-gap energies, even after stressing. Since the traps near the quasi-Fermi level for electrons are active in trapping–detrapping, and the Fermi level is energetically positioned above the conduction band edge of Si in the investigated devices as compared to the previously reported observations, the lower trap density obtained here is an indication for reversal of the well-known exponential trap energy distribution beyond the conduction band-edge of Si. These findings shift the focus from the channel to the gate overlap section of the extended drain and the quality of the Si/SiO2 interface in that region.
Method for Tracing Oxygen-18 in Vivo: Application to Ozone Dosimetry in Animals

The lack of a long-lived radioactive isotope of oxygen has impeded tracing studies involving oxygen labels. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has investigated new methods for tracing oxygen-18 in vivo 1,2 to detect reaction products in inhaled ozone (O3) and other pollutants in tissues and for investigating mechanisms of toxicity. This report describes a technique for exposing experimental animals to oxygen-18 labeled ozone (18Oз), then converting oxygen present in respiratory tissues to CO2 prior to isotope ratio mass spectrometry to determine the enrichment of oxygen-18 (18O) in the tissue. Since O3 toxicity is believed to arise from either direct reaction of O3 with tissue constituents or from initiation of free radical-induced autoxidations, the 18O-tracing techniques should be applicable to detecting these as well as other types of oxygen reactions. It was hoped that this approach would be more generally applicable than approaches in which a specific reaction product was extracted then analyzed for the presence of the label.
GPU Based Robust Image Registration for Composite Translational, Rotational and Scale Transformations

This paper presents a GPU based image registration algorithm that utilizes Hough Transform and Least Square Optimization to calculate the transformation between two images. In our approach, we calculate the transformation parameters of all possible combination solutions of matched feature points by exploiting parallel processing power of the GPU. We applied our algorithm on a variety of images including the problem of mosaic image generation. Experimental results show that our method is robust to the outliers (incorrect matches) and it can achieve very accurate registration (numeric and visual) results with much faster (up to 20 times) than CPU implementation.
MODE II FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF STITCHED COMPOSITES

Currently End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimens are used to determine the effect of stitching on the Mode II fracture toughness of laminated composites. In ENF tests the delamination does not open, but slides. This makes it difficult to locate the crack-tip as the crack propagates and hence to estimate the length of crack propagation. This uncertainty introduces significant errors in the estimated value of the Mode II fracture toughness of stitched composite laminates. In the present study the moire interferometry has been used to obtain the full-field displacements as well as the crack tip location in ENF specimens. This information is used to estimate the fracture toughness accurately.
Epidemiological Analysis of Bacillary Dysentery in Baoan

Objective To investigate the epidemiology of bacillary dysentery in Baoan district of Shenzhen from 1995 to 2004, and provide the basis for setting prevention and control measures. Methods Data of bacillary dysentery from 1995-2004 in Baoan district was collected and analyzed. Results The incidence rate of bacillary dysentery in Baoan district from 1995-2004 is 17.99/100,000, but no death case was reported. The incidence rate fluctuated between 9.03 to 22.4/100,000 in this period, with the highest incidence rate of 22.4/100,000 in 1997 and the lowest incidence rate of 9.03/100,000 in 2004 with a drop of 51.84% when compared with that in 1995. Bacillary dysentery occurred mostly in the age groups of below 5 years and of 20～30 years, and contributed to 59.87% of total cases. The male and female sex ratio of the cases was 1.21 ∶ 1. Workers, day-care centre children and stay at home children were the top three categories of the bacillary dysentery cases, contributing to 72.39% of the total cases. Bacillary dysentery mainly occurred in Shiyan and Guangming counties. The peak seasons were summer and autumn. Conclusion There is a gradually decrease trend in the incidence of bacillary dysentery from 1995 to 2004 in Baoan district. There is a remarkable achievement in the prevention and control of the disease. However, bacillary dysentery is still in the list of the top 5 notifiable infectious diseases. Overall, we should enhance the intervention measures particularly in the peak seasons.
Giving Back, Doing Good, Feeling Global The Affective Flows of Family Voluntourism

Whereas research on volunteer tourism has tended to focus on college-aged individuals, this article focuses on families with young children who volunteer abroad together. The article engages with s...
How Competitive and Stable is the Commercial Banking Industry in China after Bank Reforms

This paper examines market concentration and its effect on competition in the Chinese commercial banking market. This study also investigates how changes in competition have affected the financial stability of Chinese commercial banks. To test the competitive conditions, we obtained the H statistic of the Panzar-Rosse model from a revenue function equation. The degree of financial stability is estimated by the Z-score formula. The Chinese banking industry has become an increasingly less concentrated market with an increased number of banks. Along with a decreased market concentration, competition in the Chinese banking industry has improved moderately. However, its market structure is still far from a competitive market. An individual bank’s ability to earn higher markup or charge a higher net interest margin contributes to its financial soundness, although a higher degree of market concentration may have negative effect on the financial stability of the entire banking system.
Studies on Myelin Basic Protein Administration in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

For many years acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) has been studied as a presumptive model for multiple sclerosis (MS) [1, 2, 13]; more recently, a chronic form of EAE has been described [14, 15]. However, a comparison of MS with either form of EAE has revealed both similarities and differences [9, 10, 13, 15, 20]. Since EAE in animals can be suppressed by the administration of myelin basic protein (MBP) and its derivatives [3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 18], or by synthetic polypeptides [19], an investigation was undertaken to determine the relationship between EAE and MS in this respect by studying the effect of MBP administration in patients with MS.
Le conseguenze e i M & M meeting

Speriamo che il vostro paziente sopravviva all’intervento chirurgico addominale eseguito d’urgenza e che il decorso post-operatorio proceda senza complicanze. Sfortunatamente la mortalita globale di questi interventi e lungi dall’essere trascurabile e la morbilita e generalmente elevata. Ora che la bufera si e calmata, e arrivato il momento di sedersi a riflettere su cio che e andato male. Come ha detto Francis D. Moore (1913–2001): “Volete una equipe chirurgica che affronti seriamente ogni errore, ogni contrattempo, che lo identifichi e si attivi per prevenirne la recidiva”.
Applicability of digital PCR to the investigation of pediatric-onset genetic disorders

Early-onset rare diseases have a strong impact on child healthcare even though the incidence of each of these diseases is relatively low. In order to better manage the care of these children, it is imperative to quickly diagnose the molecular bases for these disorders as well as to develop technologies with prognostic potential. Digital PCR (dPCR) is well suited for this role by providing an absolute quantification of the target DNA within a sample. This review illustrates how dPCR can be used to identify genes associated with pediatric-onset disorders, to identify copy number status of important disease-causing genes and variants and to quantify modifier genes. It is also a powerful technology to track changes in genomic biomarkers with disease progression. Based on its capability to accurately and reliably detect genomic alterations with high sensitivity and a large dynamic detection range, dPCR has the potential to become the tool of choice for the verification of pediatric disease-associated mutations identified by next generation sequencing, copy number determination and noninvasive prenatal screening.
Skin Bleaching and Dermatologic Health of African and Afro-Caribbean Populations in the US: New Directions for Methodologically Rigorous, Multidisciplinary, and Culturally Sensitive Research

Skin-bleaching practices, such as using skin creams and soaps to achieve a lighter skin tone, are common throughout the world and are triggered by cosmetic reasons that oftentimes have deep historical, economic, sociocultural, and psychosocial roots. Exposure to chemicals in the bleaching products, notably, mercury (Hg), hydroquinone, and steroids, has been associated with a variety of adverse health effects, such as Hg poisoning and exogenous ochronosis. In New York City (NYC), skin care product use has been identified as an important route of Hg exposure, especially among Caribbean-born blacks and Dominicans. However, surprisingly sparse information is available on the epidemiology of the health impacts of skin-bleaching practices among these populations. We highlight the dearth of large-scale, comprehensive, community-based, clinical, and translational research in this area, especially the limited skin-bleaching-related research among non-White populations in the US. We offer five new research directions, including investigating the known and under-studied health consequences among populations for which the skin bleach practice is newly emerging at an alarming rate using innovative laboratory and statistical methods. We call for conducting methodologically rigorous, multidisciplinary, and culturally sensitive research in order to provide insights into the root and the epidemiological status of the practice and provide evidence of exposure-outcome associations, with an ultimate goal of developing potential intervention strategies to reduce the health burdens of skin-bleaching practice.
Robust Gain-Scheduling Control with Guaranteed Performance

Abstract: Robust Gain-Scheduling (RGS) control synthesis conditions are developed in this paper. Differently from most existing literature in gain-scheduling control, the derived conditions assume scheduling parameters are inexactly measured. This is a realistic assumption for practical control applications. Sufficient conditions in terms of Parametrized Bilinear Matrix Inequalities (PBMIs) for synthesizing dynamic output-feedback controllers with guaranteed H ∞ performance are given. The resulting controller not only guarantees robust stability and H ∞ performance but also ensures robustness against scheduling parameter uncertainties. An numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approach and compare with existing approaches from literature.
Comparison between 1.7 kV SiC SJT and MOSFET power modules

In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation work on 1.7 kV SiC Super Junction Transistor (SJT) power module and 1.7 kV SiC MOSFET power modules is presented. Both device static and dynamic performance is extracted and compared at wide device current range and temperature range. The data presented in this paper can be used as input for medium voltage power conversion system power transistor selection, gate drive design and system level thermal management design. Since the SiC SJT is a new power transistor with unique current driven mechanism. A dedicated section discusses the SiC SJT power module gate drive configuration and device false turn on suppress as well. In a summary, 1.7 kV SiC SJT shows superior on state conductivity, but similar switching performance compared to 1.7 kV SiC MOSFET power modules.
How to prevent the microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes beyond glucose control

Microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) affect hundreds of millions of patients with type 2 diabetes. They usually affect people with longstanding or uncontrolled disease, but they can also be present at diagnosis or in those yet to have a diagnosis made. The presentation and progression of these complications can lead to loss of visual, renal, and neurologic functions, impaired mobility and cognition, poor quality of life, limitations for employment and productivity, and increased costs for the patient and society. If left uncontrolled or untreated, they lead to irreversible damage and even death. This review focuses on the primary and secondary prevention of diabetic microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes, beyond glycemic control. Interventions discussed include standard of care interventions supported by guidelines from major organizations, as well as additional proposed interventions that are supported by research published in the past decade. High level evidence sources such as systematic reviews and large, multicenter randomized clinical trials have been prioritized. Smaller trials were included where high quality evidence was unavailable.
System Identification of Models Exhibiting Exponential, Harmonic and Resonant Modes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses system identification of models exhibiting exponential, harmonic, and resonant modes. The identification procedure is based on the method of moments. It is called linear algebraic method. The method requires the estimation of generalized moments denoted by s k , k = 1, 2, …, 2 L . They have the form s k = a b ∫ x ( t ) w k ( t ) dt , k = 1, 2 … 2 L , where w k ( t ) represents respective weighting functions, the interval [ a , b ] represents the interval on which observations are available, and L ≥ N + 1 is known. The identification process may be separated into two stages. The first deals with mapping discrete data into a generalized moment sequence. The second stage shows the way in which such a mapping can be accomplished by means of a suitably chosen weighting function. The chapter presents the identification algorithm. It also describes with the theory of moment sequences and presents a few numerical examples.
Role of Nitric Oxide in Modulating the Chronic Cardiovascular and Renal Actions of Leptin

64 Acute studies suggest that leptin has pressor and depressor actions, including stimulation of sympathetic activity as well as increased release of nitric oxide (NO)from the vascular endothelium. The goal of this study was to examine the role of NO in modulating the chronic blood pressure, heart rate, and renal responses to hyperleptinemia, comparable to that found in obesity hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with arterial and venous catheters and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored continuously 24h/d. After a 4 day control period, rats were treated with vehicle (n=6) or L-NAME (n=7) for 7 days. After 7 days of vehicle or L-NAME (10 μg/kg/min) treatment to inhibit NO synthesis, rats received a low rate (0.5 μg/kg/min) leptin infusion for 7 days followed by a moderate rate (1.0 μg/kg/min) leptin infusion for 7 days, along with vehicle or L-NAME. A 21 day infusion of L-NAME alone (n=6) served as a control for the leptin+L-NAME rats. The low and moderate leptin infusions reduced food intake by 53±2%and 51±7%, respectively, but L-NAME did not alter the anorectic effect of leptin. Although the low dose of leptin alone did not significantly elevate MAP, it raised HR by 18±3 bpm. The moderate dose of leptin raised MAP from 96±3 to 104±3, but did not increase HR further. In rats pre-treated with L-NAME, the moderate dose of leptin raised MAP by 40±5 mmHg and HR by 73±17 bpm compared to pre-treatment levels. In control L-NAME rats, MAP increased by 31±4 mmHg, while HR was not altered significantly, compared to pre-treatment levels. Chronic leptin infusion alone did not alter glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or renal plasma flow (RPF). However, Leptin+L-NAME reduced GFR by 47±8% and RPF 58±7%; L-NAME alone decreased GFR by 36±11% and RPF 36±17%. Thus, NO does not appear to modulate the anorectic effect of leptin. However, impaired NO synthesis enhances the chronic renal hemodynamic and hypertensive effects of leptin, and greatly amplifies the tachycardia caused by hyperleptinemia, at levels comparable to those found in obesity hypertension.
Differences in biomass and water dynamics between a cotton-peanut rotation and a sweet sorghum bioenergy crop with and without biochar and vinasse as soil amendments

Abstract Land use conversion of row crops to bioenergy cropping systems in the southeastern United States (U.S.) creates concerns associated with water use and NO 3 -N leaching. Production of energy from biomass is associated with large amounts of byproducts generated during biofuel processing. Biochar and vinasse are two nutrient rich byproducts that could be land-applied to bioenergy crops to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizer. However, effects on water dynamics of applying these byproducts to support biomass production is poorly understood, particularly when bioenergy crops replace traditional row crops. Thus, this study aimed to compare a cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.)-peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) rotation to sweet sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] receiving annual applications of biochar and vinasse, on biomass yield, crop evapotranspiration, water use efficiency (WUE), NO 3 -N leaching, and soil volumetric water content. A field study was conducted from 2013 to 2015 to assess the following treatments: cotton + 150 kg N ha −1 (COT), peanut + 30 kg N ha −1 (PEA), and sweet sorghum receiving one of the following i) 30 kg N ha −1 (S30); ii) 30 kg N ha −1 + biochar (S30B); iii) 30 kg N ha −1 + vinasse (S30V); and iv) 150 kg N ha −1 (S150). Similar aboveground dry matter yields were obtained in 2013 and 2015 for cotton and all sweet sorghum treatments and were on average 19 Mg ha −1 for both years. S30 and S150 achieved similar yields. Sweet sorghum and COT exhibited the highest WUE (∼5 g kg −1 ). S30B increased soil moisture retention at 0–0.2 m depth 36, 29, and 24% in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Biochar incorporated at 0.15 m soil depth increased soil moisture retention down to 0.4 m. Low N rate application combined with biochar in S30B could represent an alternative management practice to minimize N leaching, recycle nutrients, and increase soil water retention if sweet sorghum were to be widely adopted by farmers in the southeastern U.S.
Influencing Pathways to Social Change: Scholarship Program Conditionality and Individual Agency

This chapter explores the dynamic between end of program guidelines imposed on scholarship recipients (conditionality) and individual decisions and actions undertaken by these students (individual agency). Using the frameworks of human capital, education as a human right, and human capabilities, the chapter probes the logic of three categories of conditionality embedded in scholarship programs. Push and pull factors that influence post-graduation decisions are explored, as are the ways that conditionality can promote or limit interest in social change depending upon synergy or tensions between program goals and individual scholars’ plans. The chapter concludes by advocating for more flexible models of conditionality.
Care Management for Children With Medical Complexity: Integration Is Essential

* Abbreviations: CCMS — : comprehensive case management service CMC — : children with medical complexity ISCP — : individualized shared care plan PCP — : primary care provider In the report “Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Case Management Service for Children with Medical Complexity,” Simon et al1 examine the impact of a care management intervention that is based in a pediatric academic medical center on quality and cost outcomes for children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. Rigorously designed studies like this are important and timely because increased attention is being given to achieving the national strategic priority to improve outcomes for high-resource–using children and youth. These researchers recognize that high-value care for CMC requires the coordination of efforts across providers and settings. Its conception offers an important step toward addressing and testing potential solutions aiming to address the general, systemic issue of a lack of a measurable, standardized process by which roles and responsibilities are defined for care delivery across settings, provider types, and disciplines. This leads to the fragmentation of care and ambiguity about accountability for outcomes, resulting in less reliable, less efficient, uncoordinated care of lower value for CMC and their families.2,3 The … Address correspondence to Richard C. Antonelli, MD, MS, FAAP, Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: richard.antonelli{at}childrens.harvard.edu
Buddhist Economics: An Enlightened Approach to the Dismal Science

In the 1980s Clair Brown authored a number of works examining women's home and market work, which were often critical of the mainstream economics approaches. In Buddhist Economics, authored decades...
Studies on Carboxypeptidase A

In this article the main theme to be discussed will be our continuing studies on the mechanism of action of the zinc-containing metalloenzyme bovine carboxypeptidase A. A summary of earlier mechanistic studies in our laboratory on carboxypeptidase A was published recently (Kaiser and Kaiser, 1972). Except for some of the essential highlights of that article much of the material covered in the present article is new.
Optimizing Budgets for Managing Statewide County Paved Roads

AbstractThis paper develops an optimization model of budget needs for improving county paved roads in Wyoming. Both decision makers and county road engineers need to establish budget needs and allo...
Fusarium graminearum KP4-like proteins possess root growth-inhibiting activity against wheat and potentially contribute to fungal virulence in seedling rot.

Abstract The virally encoded KP4 killer toxin protein was first identified from Ustilago maydis (Um), and its homologues are present in diverse fungi and in one species of moss. No KP4-like (KP4L) proteins have been functionally characterized. Here, we report the identification and functional analysis of four KP4L proteins from Fusarium graminearum (Fg), the primary causal pathogen of Fusarium head blight (FHB), which is also known to associate with seedling rot of wheat. The four FgKP4L proteins (FgKP4L-1, -2, -3 and -4) are encoded by small open reading frames (378–825 bp) located on chromosome 1 with the FgKP4L-1, -2 and -3 genes clustering together. Sequence analysis indicated that FgKP4L proteins have conserved domains predicted to form a three-dimensional alpha/beta-sandwich structure as first reported for UmKP4, with FgKP4L-4 featuring double Kp4 domains. Further analyses revealed that the FgKP4L genes are expressed in vitro under certain stress conditions, and all up-regulated during FHB and/or seedling rot development, the recombinant FgKP4L-2 protein does not induce cell death in wheat leaves or spikelets, but inhibits root growth of young seedlings, and the elimination of the FgKP4L-1/-2/-3 gene cluster from the fungal genome results in reduced virulence in seedling rot but not in FHB. Database searches revealed KP4L proteins from ∼80 fungal species with more than half from human/animal pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that UmKP4 and the moss KP4L proteins are closely related to those from a zygromycete and Aspergillus, respectively, implying cross-kingdom horizontal gene transfer.
Impact of Trauma Type and Emotion on Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory

Traumatized individuals display overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM). However, it remains unclear whether autobiographical memory specificity differs among individuals being exposed to differe...
Wearable Activity Tracker Use in Young Adults Through the Lens of Social Cognitive Theory

Background: Young adults are adopting wearables ahead of research. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of trackers through Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: SCT-guided i...