cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dihydrotestosterone Induction of EphB2 Expression in the Female Genital Tubercle Mimics Male Pattern of Expression During Embryogenesis

ABSTRACTPurpose: The Eph family constitutes the largest class of membrane bound tyrosine kinase receptors in higher vertebrates, being involved in complex cell-to-cell recognition events via their membrane anchored ligands, the ephrins. To uncover evidence for possible molecular involvement in genitourinary development, we evaluated the pattern of EphB2 expression in male and female genital tubercles (GTs) after culture with and without dihydrotestosterone (DHT).Materials and Methods: GTs of embryos from time pregnant CD1 mice heterozygous for the EphB2lacZ mutation were explanted at 12.5 to 14.5 days after conception. In these mutant mice the exons encoding the EphB2 tyrosine kinase and C-terminal domains were replaced with bacterial lacZ sequence encoding β-galactosidase to demonstrate EphB2 expression. The GTs were microdissected, cultured for 24 to 48 hours with or without addition of 10 nM DHT and then stained with X-gal to visualize the β-galactosidase reporter of EphB2 expression.Results: LacZ stai...
Distinct tmRNA sequence elements facilitate RNase R engagement on rescued ribosomes for selective nonstop mRNA decay

trans-Translation, orchestrated by SmpB and tmRNA, is the principal eubacterial pathway for resolving stalled translation complexes. RNase R, the leading nonstop mRNA surveillance factor, is recruited to stalled ribosomes in a trans-translation dependent process. To elucidate the contributions of SmpB and tmRNA to RNase R recruitment, we evaluated Escherichia coli-Francisella tularensis chimeric variants of tmRNA and SmpB. This evaluation showed that while the hybrid tmRNA supported nascent polypeptide tagging and ribosome rescue, it suffered defects in facilitating RNase R recruitment to stalled ribosomes. To gain further insights, we used established tmRNA and SmpB variants that impact distinct stages of the trans-translation process. Analysis of select tmRNA variants revealed that the sequence composition and positioning of the ultimate and penultimate codons of the tmRNA ORF play a crucial role in recruiting RNase R to rescued ribosomes. Evaluation of defined SmpB C-terminal tail variants highlighted the importance of establishing the tmRNA reading frame, and provided valuable clues into the timing of RNase R recruitment to rescued ribosomes. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that productive RNase R-ribosomes engagement requires active trans-translation, and suggest that RNase R captures the emerging nonstop mRNA at an early stage after establishment of the tmRNA ORF as the surrogate mRNA template.
Using the Mehran Risk Scoring Tool to Predict Risk for Contrast Medium–Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Angiography

BACKGROUND Patients who have radiological imaging with contrast material are at risk for contrast medium–induced nephropathy, reduced renal function, longer hospitalizations, and renal failure requiring dialysis. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the Mehran risk scoring tool can be used to predict changes in hospitalized patients who had percutaneous angiography. METHODS Data on 196 patients admitted for cardiac angiography who had Mehran risk scores higher than 6 were analyzed retrospectively. Creatinine levels, used as predictors of contrast medium–induced nephropathy, were evaluated at day 2, day 3, and day 4 through day 7. RESULTS Creatinine levels were significantly higher in patients with a Mehran risk score of 11 or higher than in patients with a risk score of 6 to 10 at all times. CONCLUSIONS The Mehran risk scoring tool provides reliable data before patients have percutaneous angiography. ( Critical Care Nurse . 2011;31[1]:e17-e22)
Laparoscopic Heller's myotomy or botulinum toxin injection for management of esophageal achalasia. Patient choice and treatment outcomes.

Background: Esophageal achalasia is a rare disease in which degenerating parasympathetic innervation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) leads to unopposed sympathetic tone and failure to relax on deglutition, resulting in a range of symptoms for the patient, most notably dysphagia, chest pain, regurgitation, and weight loss. Laparoscopic Heller's esophagomyotomy (Lap-HM) and botulinum toxin (BoTox) injection into the LES are two recently described methods for treating achalasia. No comparison of laparoscopic Heller's myotomy and botulinum toxin has yet been presented.
Tracheostomy tube change before day 7 is associated with earlier use of speaking valve and earlier oral intake.

BACKGROUND: Presence of a tracheostomy tube often decreases the patient9s ability to communicate and to tolerate oral intake. The initial tracheostomy tube change is often recommended between day 7 and 14 post insertion. Local guidelines permit tracheostomy tube change 5 days after insertion. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that changing tracheostomy tubes before day 7 is associated with earlier use of a speaking valve as well as earlier oral intake, compared to changing tracheostomy tubes after 7 days. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 130 admitted subjects, after tracheostomy placement to a respiratory care unit between July 2008 and May 2010. Subject data were recorded from the electronic medical record. The primary end point was the time from tracheostomy tube placement to tolerating speaking valve. The secondary end point was the time from tracheostomy tube placement to tolerating oral intake. Complications of tracheostomy tube change were recorded. RESULTS: Thirty-eight subjects had the first tracheostomy tube change before 7 days (early group), and 92 subjects had the first tracheostomy tube change after 7 days (late group). The early group tolerated a speaking valve significantly sooner than the late group (7 d vs 12 d, P = .001). The early group also tolerated oral intake significantly sooner (10 d vs 20 d, P = .04). After change of the tracheostomy tube, the time to tolerating oral feeding was 5.5 days in both groups. There was no significant difference in time to decannulation between the groups. The early group had a shorter respiratory care unit stay (11 d vs 17 d, P = .001) and a shorter hospital stay (P = .05) than the late group. There was no difference in survival. There were no complications associated with tracheostomy tube change. CONCLUSIONS: Tracheostomy tube change before day 7 is associated with earlier ability to tolerate speaking valve and oral intake. In this series, early tracheostomy tube change was not associated with an increased rate of complications.
The Anatomy of the Feather Follicle and Its Immediate Surroundings

Abstract A SEARCH of the literature reveals very little information on the anatomy of the feather follicle and its immediate surroundings. Most of the information available on this subject is in regard to the muscles which move the feather and was reported in the nineteenth century. The muscles of the feather follicle were first described by Nitsch (1840), who reported that four separate muscles were usually attached to the follicle of each contour feather although sometimes six and more rarely five were present. Seuffert (1862) observed that contour feathers of the trunk region usually had two to four separate muscles. He stated that the muscles were unstriated and attached to the follicle by elastic tendons. These muscles were observed to course from the lower part of one follicle to the upper part of an adjacent follicle. Similar observations were made by Helm (1884). Langley (1902) noted that each feather follicle in…
Effect of Electron Radiation on the Tensile Properties and Glass Transition Temperatures of Polyamideimide and Polyphenylenesulfide

The changes in the values of glass transition temperatures and the tensile properties of neat-resin specimens of a polyamideimide and a polyphenylenesulfide caused by energy absorbed from 1 MeV electrons have been studied. The total absorbed doses were from 106 to 108 Gy at an absorbed dose rate of 5 × 105 Gy/h. Three experimental methods were used to determine glass transition temperatures: dielectric property analysis, thermomechanical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis.
Should My Spouse Be My Partner? Preliminary Evidence From the Panel Study of Income Dynamics:

This study examines how firm performance and family income are affected when an “owner-managed” firm transitions to a “copreneurial” business. Data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were used...
NAD(P)H Oxidase Inhibition Attenuates Neuronal Chronotropic Actions of Angiotensin II

It is well established that the central cardiovascular effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) involve superoxide production. However, the intracellular mechanism by which reactive oxygen species (ROS) ...
Improving the geoid: Combining altimetry and mean dynamic topography in the California coastal ocean

Satellite gravity mapping missions, altimeters, and other platforms have allowed the Earth's geoid to be mapped over the ocean to a horizontal resolution of approximately 100 km with an uncertainty of less than 10 cm. At finer resolution this uncertainty increases to greater than 10 cm. Achieving greater accuracy requires accurate estimates of the dynamic ocean topography (DOT). In this study two DOT estimates for the California Current System with uncertainties less than 10 cm are used to solve for a geoid correction field. The derived field increases the consistency between the DOTs and along-track altimetric observations, suggesting it is a useful correction to the gravitational field. The correction is large compared to the dynamic ocean topography, with a magnitude of 15 cm and significant structure, especially near the coast. The results are evidence that modern high-resolution dynamic ocean topography products can be used to improve estimates of the geoid.
Evaluation of a SiC dc/dc converter for plug-in hybrid-electric-vehicle at high inlet-coolant temperature

An all-SiC 0.25 MHz 5 kW multiphase dc/dc bidirectional boost converter, operating with a 105°C inlet coolant temperature is described that serves as a charger for the intermediate high-voltage energy storage device (e.g. ultracapacitor) in a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV). The primary focus of this study is to report the high-temperature efficiency of the normally on SiC VJFET and SiC Schottky-based robust converter and identify the key loss components. Further, comparison of efficiencies for hard-switching, soft-switching and dynamic-power-management-based hard-switching conditions are provided that indicate efficacy as well as the limitation of the present-generation of the SiC VJFETs.
Accurate estimation of total leakage current in scaled CMOS logic circuits based on compact current modeling

Dramatic increase of subthreshold, gate and reverse biased junction band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) leakage in scaled devices, results in the drastic increase of total leakage power in a logic circuit. In this paper a methodology for accurate estimation of the total leakage in a logic circuit based on the compact modeling of the different leakage current in scaled devices has been developed. Current models have been developed based on the exact device geometry, 2-D doping profile and operating temperature. A circuit level model of junction BTBT leakage (which is unprecedented) has been developed. Simple models of the subthreshold current and the gate current have been presented. Here, for the first time, the impact of quantum mechanical behavior of substrate electrons, on the circuit leakage has been analyzed. Using the compact current model, a transistor has been modeled as a sum of current sources (SCS). The SCS transistors model has been used to estimate the total leakage in simple logic gates and complex logic circuits (designed with transistors of 25nm effective length) at the room and at the elevated temperatures.
Minimally Invasive Coronary Bypass A Dissenting Opinion

Minimally invasive techniques for coronary surgery are gaining increased attention, but not without debate. We recognize that in criticizing a new technique, it is necessary to have not only a firm opinion but also a willingness to be wrong; our purpose is to stimulate discussion and debate. Of course, it is difficult to argue against attempts to minimize the invasiveness of any procedure, but it is well to recall that the most obvious successes of minimally invasive surgery have involved technically simple operations, such as arthroscopy or cholecystectomy, which involve a minimum of precision and almost no sewing. The circumstances are different, however, when one attempts to apply the same theory and strategy to physiologically and technically complex cardiac operations. The remarkable success of conventional CABG is due to the application of a standardized operation in a wide variety of settings to large numbers of patients with advanced disease by a vast cadre of trained, experienced surgeons who can offer the public an operation that is safe, effective, durable, reproducible, complete, versatile, and teachable and that, over time, offers cost savings because of the low incidence of complications and repeat revascularizations. (Randomized studies such as the RITA trial,1 which compare CABG with angioplasty, show higher initial costs for surgery but convergence of costs within 2 to 3 years because of the infrequency of repeat revascularizations in the surgical cohort.) These excellent outcomes after surgery depend on a number of critical components: uncompromising selection of the best sites for coronary anastomoses; careful management of unexpected circumstances, such as intramyocardial vessels; use of properly chosen, optimum conduits of exact length; avoidance of trauma to conduits and native coronary vessels; provision of optimum conditions for microvascular anastomoses; and performance of complete, multivessel revascularization. These maneuvers require adequate exposure, which remains a basic …
Changes in Turbidity During Microtubule Assembly in Brain Extracts from Normal Chickens and Chickens with Muscular Dystrophy

When extracts of brain from normal and dystrophic chickens were incubated at 30 degrees C under conditions that favored microtubule assembly, the increase in turbidity of the extract from the dystrophic animal was approximately 50% less than the increase in the turbidity of the extract from the normal animal. In developmental studies using age-matched normal and dystrophic chickens this difference in turbidity was observed only with chickens 65 days ex-ovo or older. The extent of microtubule assembly, as determined by a sedimentation methodology, was a linear function of the total protein concentration in the extract and was equal in extracts from normal and dystrophic chickens. In contrast, the total increase in turbidity was much larger than could be accounted for by sedimenting microtubules and varied in a non-linear manner with the total protein concentration. There was no increase in turbidity when brain extracts that were prepared by centrifugation at 100,000 g X 40 min were incubated at 30 degrees C. The condensation reaction of the tubulin in these high speed extracts with microtubules was equal in the extracts from normal and dystrophic animals. These studies indicate that a developmentally regulated difference in brain extracts from normal and dystrophic chickens can be demonstrated by turbidimetric methods but this difference is unrelated to the formation of microtubules in these extracts. These studies support the concept that muscular dystrophy is also accompanied by a change in the central nervous system.
Mass Media and the Women's Movement: 1900-1977:

News coverage of women is strongly related to the women's movement. The quantity of coverage was measured from 1900 to 1977 for the New York Times and the periodicals in the Reader's Guide. Television coverage of the women's movement and newspaper reporting of the civil rights movement were also examined. Coverage of women was highest when the women's movement was strong; however, there was little media coverage of the early stages of the current women's movement and civil rights movement. A content analysis showed that the quality of news coverage also varies with the strength of the movement.
Supply Chain Networks for Perishable and Essential Commodities: Design and Vulnerabilities

This paper presents the results of our case-based research into the causes and remedies of fresh produce supply chain disruptions resulting from contamination. The research was motivated by the incident of E-coli outbreak in packaged spinach in the US. We base our analysis on informa- tion gathered from published literature and data collection in the region from personnel involved in Agriculture. Our research is aimed at addressing the following research questions: What key factors contribute to the vulnerability to disruption from contamination and what are the interrelationships between these contributing factors? What managerial actions may be taken to minimize the fresh pro- duce supply chain's vulnerability to disruption? In this research we develop a conceptual framework consisting of the contributing factors: product type, topological structure, exposure to contamination, product traceability, and communication. The practice related contributions of this research are mana- gerial insight and recommended actions derived from the proposed conceptual framework.
Improved Professional Development through Teacher Leadership.

Research suggests the need to provide leadership opportunities for teachers within school settings in order to increase professional collaboration and community. This research explored one rural district’s professional development model, which was evaluated to determine its potential in developing teacher leaders. This district’s professional development model utilized their exemplary teachers to develop other teachers through formal presentations that were traditionally taught by non-district experts. This study utilized a practitioner research methodology to determine effectiveness of using teachers as leaders. Data were collected to determine the impact on the teacher leaders and the effectiveness of the presentations as perceived by the overall teaching faculty. The results suggest an overall positive experience for teachers, as well as an increase in collaboration. In addition, teacher presenters believed their participation in staff development increased faculty effectiveness and increased the perception of the teacher presenters as leaders within the district.
Internalization is required for proper Wingless signaling in Drosophila melanogaster

The Wnt–Wingless (Wg) pathway regulates development through precisely controlled signaling. In this study, we show that intracellular trafficking regulates Wg signaling levels. In Drosophila melanogaster cells stimulated with Wg media, dynamin or Rab5 knockdown causes reduced Super8XTOPflash activity, suggesting that internalization and endosomal transport facilitate Wg signaling. In the wing, impaired dynamin function reduces Wg transcription. However, when Wg production is unaffected, extracellular Wg levels are increased. Despite this, target gene expression is reduced, indicating that internalization is also required for efficient Wg signaling in vivo. When endosomal transport is impaired, Wg signaling is similarly reduced. Conversely, the expression of Wg targets is enhanced by increased transport to endosomes or decreased hepatocyte growth factor–regulated tyrosine kinase substrate– mediated transport from endosomes. This increased signaling correlates with greater colocalized Wg, Arrow, and Dishevelled on endosomes. As these data indicate that endosomal transport promotes Wg signaling, our findings suggest that the regulation of endocytosis is a novel mechanism through which Wg signaling levels are determined.
An extension for feature algebra

Feature, algebra was introduced as an abstract framework for feature oriented software development. One goal is to provide a common, clearly defined basis for the key ideas of feature orientation. We first present concrete models for the original axioms of feature algebra which represent the main features of feature oriented programs. However, these models show that the axioms of the feature algebra do not reflect some aspects of feature orientation properly. Hence we modify the axioms and introduce the concept of an extended feature algebra. Since the extension is also a generalisation, the original algebra can be retrieved by a single additional axiom. Last but not least we introduce more operators to cover concepts like overriding in the abstract setting.
Theoretical aspects of canine cryopreserved semen evaluation

Evaluation of canine cryopreserved semen has the ultimate goal of determining if an individual frozen ejaculate will have acceptable fertility. This is difficult in that there is no accepted normal fertility for the dog. The fertility of the female also plays a crucial role in estimating the fertility of the male. Poor female fertility can make a fertile male appear less fertile. Variability of animals, breeding technique, breeding timing, and number of cells inseminated make comparisons in canine fertility difficult to truly measure. Many more animals are needed to provide meaningful statistical results than are usually used. Several tests, including motility in bright field and phase contrast microscopy, computer analysis of motility, sperm morphology, sperm membrane integrity, capacitation and sperm function tests have been investigated to predict fertility, however few of these tests have actually been correlated with fertility. More work is needed to create one or more tests that accurately predict fertility of cryopreserved canine semen.
De-Intellectualizing American Sociology: A History, of sorts

Sociology once debated ‘the social’ and did so with a public readership. Even as late as the Second World War, sociologists commanded a wide public on questions about the nature of society, altruism and the direction of social evolution. As a result of several waves of professionalization, however, these issues have vanished from academic sociology and from the public writings of sociologists. From the 1960s onwards sociologists instead wrote for the public by supporting social movements. Discussion within sociology became constrained both by ‘professional’ expectations and political taboos. Yet the original motivating concerns of sociology and its public, such as the compatibility of socialism and Darwinism, the nature of society, and the process of social evolution, did not cease to be of public interest. With sociologists showing little interest in satisfying the demand, it was met by non-sociologists, with the result that sociology lost both its intellectual public, as distinct from affinity groups, a...
Effects on the Surface Texture, Superplastic Forming, and Fatigue Performance of Titanium 6AL-4V Friction Stir Welds

The speed and feed effects of the friction stir welding (FSW) process on the surface texture along the top of a butt welded nugget were studied. The tests were conducted using fine grain (0.8-2 μm) titanium alloy 6Al-4V with a nominal thickness of 2.5 mm. It was shown that the pin tool marks along the top surface of the weld can be highly detrimental to both the superplastic forming (SPF) characteristics and the fatigue performance of welded panels. Removing the marks by machining the top surface after FSW was found to eliminate the predominant tearing of the weld during SPF and most of the fatigue life of across the weld was also restored. Through additional development of the FSW process parameters, the butt welded nugget was made to have equivalent SPF characteristics as the parent sheet material. By using a water-cooled pin tool and other cooling techniques, it is believed that the weld zone can be kept below the beta transus temperature during FSW, which enables the formation of a grain structure that is uniquely conducive to superplastic behavior, when compared to conventional fusion welding processes.
Overexpression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 enhances the invasiveness of Smad4-deficient human colorectal cancer cells.

Abstract Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), a member of the TGF-β superfamily, have broad activities in regulating various kinds of cellular behaviors. Previously, we have demonstrated that BMP-4 is up-regulated in human colonic adenocarcinoma and promotes the invasive phenotypes of human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells. Smad4 is a central mediator in BMP signaling pathway and it is frequently mutated in metastatic colorectal cancers. To address whether Smad4 was required for enhancing metastatic potentials by BMP-4 in colorectal cancer, we generated BMP-4 overexpressing clones from Smad4-deficient SW480 cells. The growth rate of BMP-4 overexpressing cells was slightly higher than that of empty-vector controls. Overexpression of BMP-4 resulted in an increased expression of vimentin, a marker of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and caused the changes of cell morphology, spreading and formation of focal adhesions. BMP-4 overexpressing cells increased cell adhesion on fibronectin and collagen, and augmented cell migration and invasion potentials in comparison to empty-vector controls. The induction of cell migration by BMP-4 overexpression was inhibited by BMP-4 siRNA. To further identify the target genes of the elevated BMP-4 signaling in SW480 cells, an oligonucleotide microarray was performed. Among 46,000 genes, 91 genes (65 up-regulated and 26 down-regulated) with 2-fold difference have been identified between BMP-4 overexpressing and empty-vector cells. This study demonstrates that Smad4 is dispensable for enhanced invasiveness of human colorectal cancer cells due to BMP-4 overexpression.
Risk factors for alcohol and other drug use by healthcare professionals

Background Given the increasingly stressful environment due to manpower shortages in the healthcare system in general, substance induced impairment among some healthcare professions is anticipated to grow. Though recent studies suggest that the prevalence of substance abuse is no higher in healthcare professionals (HPs) than the general population, given the responsibility to the public, any impairment could place the public at increased risk for errors. Few studies have ever reported predictors or risk factors for alcohol and other drug use (AOD) across a sample of HPs.
Response of Trialeurodes abutiloneus (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to Sweet Potato and Two Species of Hibiscus

Life history, survivorship, and adaptation of the bandedwinged whitefly, Trialeurodes abutiloneus (Haldeman), on sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam, and two species of Hibiscus were studied in laboratory and screen houses. T. abutiloneus deposited significantly more eggs on cotton rose, Hibiscus mutabilis L. (10.3—11.3 eggs per female), and roselle, Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (10.1—11.8 eggs per female), than on sweet potato (6.1—7.3 eggs per female) in a choice test when the whiteflies were previously reared on cotton rose and roselle. Whereas, whiteflies originally reared on sweet potato deposited more eggs on sweet potato (10.4) than on cotton rose (7.3) and roselle (6.1). However, differences in oviposition among these three host plants were not significant in a no-choice test, regardless of their original host plants. Overall developmental times of T. abutiloneus were significantly longer on sweet potato (22.3—23.2 d) than on cotton rose (17.0—17.8 d) and roselle (17.1—17.4 d) independent of their original host plants. Survival rate of T. abutiloneus was only 12.3—21.4% on sweet potato compared with 71.5—87.2% on cotton rose and 77.7—90.3% on roselle. Linear regression analysis of the survival rates of all nymphal stages of T. abutiloneus on sweet potato after seven consecutive generations indicated that the survival rates increased (r 2 5 0.7419— 0.8483), albeit the rates were slow. Thus, sweet potato proved to be a relatively poor host plant as well as a relatively nonpreferred one for T. abutiloneus compared with cotton rose and roselle.
A single-dose suppression test in morphine-dependent mice.

SummaryA simple single-dose suppression test based on a quantitative method for assessing withdrawal jumping in morphine-dependent mice has been established for the prediction of dependence liability. When various narcotic, non-narcotic and narcotic antagonist agents were coded and tested blindly, the experimenter was able to identify all the drugs correctly.
1124 Bioavailability of rifampin in children receiving H. Influenzae Chemoprophylaxis

The absolute bioavailability of oral rifampin (R) was determined in 20 infants with H. influenzae meningitis. We found that the MIC of R, 25-desacetylrifampin (25-dR) and 5-N-formylrifampin (nf-R), and rifampin quinone (Rq) were 0.1 μg/ml for R and 25-dR, 0.05 μg/ml for nf-R and 0.5 μg/ml for Rq for 20 CSF isolates of type b H. influenzae (Hib). R was administered IV (1 day) and po at 300 mg/m2/d for 3 subsequent days. Appropriate contacts were prescribed with R. Throat cultures were obtained 2-4 wks after cessation of therapy. Serum conc, of R, 25-dR and nf-R were determined by HPLC. Peak R conc, after IV and po doses corrected to a 300 mg/m2 dose were different (27.4 vs 10.5 mcg/ml respectively, p<0.0001). The peak conc, after po dose occurred at 2.0±9 hrs. The ratio of the 25-dR AUC to the R AUC were similar for IV and po routes of administration (0.21 vs 0.22). nf-R cone, were lower than 25-dR and were detectable in < 1/2 the patients. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the R serum cone, indicated that 50±22% (range 28-1.21%) of the po dose was absorbed. Follow-up cultures revealed Hib carriage in 1/17: this child's sib did not receive R. Three patients were lost to follow-up. We conclude that R and its metabolites are active against II. influenzae: eradication of Hib appears to result from the cumulative bioactivity of R and metabolites.
What becomes a bride the most: the Yemenite Jewish henna

The Yemenite Jewish henna bride is widely admired and envied in Israel. Her iconic image is reified and exhibited in shops, on billboards, and in museums for political and economic purposes. Simultaneously, the local folk culture reveres the Yemenite henna dressing as a living custom reminiscent of their life in Yemen. A pictorial narrative tracing the fate of the henna ceremony in Israel depicts the efforts of one local dresser to construct a sublime bride, thus placing her beyond interpretation and exploitation. Her success is realized in a shocking, surrealistic vision of the Marvelous. This experiment in ethnographic form and content borrows heavily from the languages of surrealism and psychoanalysis as the author, following the dresser, attempts to construct a textual artifact that is representative of her work.
Exciton formation in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides provide a unique platform to study excitons in confined structures. Recently, several important aspects of excitons in these materials have been investigated in detail. However, the formation process of excitons from free carriers has yet to be understood. Here we report time-resolved measurements on the exciton formation process in monolayer samples of MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2. The free electron–hole pairs, injected by an ultrashort laser pulse, immediately induce a transient absorption signal of a probe pulse tuned to the exciton resonance. The signal quickly drops by about a factor of two within 1 ps and is followed by a slower decay process. In contrast, when excitons are resonantly injected, the fast decay component is absent. Based both on its excitation excess energy and intensity dependence, this fast decay process is attributed to the formation of excitons from the electron–hole pairs. This interpretation is also consistent with a model that shows how free electron–hole pairs can be about twice more effective than excitons in altering the exciton absorption strength. From our measurements and analysis of our results, we determined that the exciton formation times in these monolayers to be shorter than 1 ps.
Microleakage of Class 5 composite resin restorations: a comparison between in vivo and in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference exists in microleakage between in vivo and in vitro class 5 composite resin restorations using two variations of a bonding resin (Universal Bond 2 and Universal Bond 3). Class 5 cavities were prepared in 24 matched pairs of teeth on the buccal and lingual surfaces. One tooth of each pair was prepared and restored in vivo and the other in vitro. After preparation and enamel etching, Universal Bond 2 was randomly applied to one surface of each tooth in the pair and Universal Bond 3 to the other surface. Composite resin (Prisma AP.H) was placed in each preparation, light cured, and finished using a standard technique. The in vivo samples were extracted approximately 6 weeks after placement of the restorations. The in vitro samples were thermocycled for 540 cycles (5 to 55 degrees C/1-minute dwell time). All teeth were stained with silver nitrate and longitudinally divided. The teeth were scored on a ranking system of 0 being no leakage to 4 being leakage to the pulpal wall of the preparation. A Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test was performed on the data (P < or = 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in microleakage between restorations using Universal Bond 2 and Universal Bond 3. There were statistically significant differences when comparing the in vivo and in vitro restorations. More microleakage occurred in the in vitro restorations.
Errores comunes relativos al valor terminal expresado en forma de perpetuidad

Articulo de reflexion Al valorar una firma los flujos de caja libres despues del horizonte de proyeccion son generalmente representados por un valor terminal. Este trabajo centra su atencion en el valor terminal expresado como el valor presente de una perpetuidad. Siete importantes errores han sido identificados cuando se trabaja con dichas perpetuidades. Las principales causas de dichos errores son: a) Desestimar la inestabilidad de los flujos de caja libres durante el horizonte de proyeccion; b) Inconsistencia entre el ultimo flujo de caja libre del horizonte de proyeccion y los supuestos sobre reinversion y crecimiento; c) Ignorar la posibilidad de crecimiento a traves de financiamiento exogeno; d) Inconsistencia entre la tasa de cambio de mercado y la tasa de equilibrio cuando se trabaja con diferentes monedas; e) Ignorar la posibilidad de varias fases de crecimiento; y f ) Establecerla tasa de crecimiento sin la debida consideracion a las caracteristicas de la firma y de la industria, la inflacion, y el crecimiento y cuota de mercado.
Temporal trends and risk factors for healthcare-associated vancomycin-resistant enterococci in adults.

Summary Background Published data regarding temporal trends in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) prevalence within specific regions or healthcare systems are scarce. Aim To characterize temporal trends and risk factors for healthcare-associated infections caused by VRE. Methods The study included all adult discharges occurring from 2006 to 2014 with an enterococcal infection from three hospitals in a large academic healthcare system. Bivariate analyses were used to identify statistically significant factors associated with vancomycin-susceptible or -resistant infection. Statistically significant variables were included in a final logistic regression model. Trends assessed whether the proportion of enterococcal infections resistant to vancomycin changed over time. Findings The sample included 10,186 adults with first-time healthcare-associated enterococcal infection. Significant risk factors ( P ≤0.05) for VRE in the final logistic regression model included: tertiary 1 hospital, intensive care unit length of stay, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, previous immunosuppressive or chemotherapeutic medications, previous hospitalization, renal failure, malignancy, longer length of stay prior to infection, taking an antibiotic prior to infection, being female, and having an infection in winter or spring. Between 2006 and 2014, the rate of resistance varied from 37.1 to 42.9% but there were no significant differences in the proportion resistant to vancomycin over time ( P =0.36). Conclusion Research targeted at risk factors is important to decrease the amount of VRE infections.
Federal Efforts to Improve the Organ Procurement System

It is always a pleasure to be able to tell our side of the story when it comes to federal efforts to improve the organ procurement system. We believe the federal government has been treated rather unfairly by some members of Congress and in the media. We have been blamed for foot dragging in implementing the National Organ Transplant Act and even blamed for the death of very young children because donors were not found in time to save their lives. In the end, transplant patients, their families and the general public have been misled into believing that the organ procurement system is in total disarray and without continued direct federal involvement and intervention will come tumbling down around us.
Association of stroke risk biomarkers with stroke symptoms: the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort.

SummaryBackground History of stroke symptoms in the absence of prior diagnosed stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is associated with future stroke risk, as are biomarkers of inflammation, cardiac function and hemostasis. Objective To better elucidate pathobiology of stroke symptoms, we studied associations of these biomarkers with history of stroke symptoms. Methods The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort enrolled 30,239 black and white Americans age 45 and older in 2003-7. In cross-sectional analyses in a random sample of 960 participants without prior stroke or TIA, levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), fibrinogen, factor VIII (FVIII), factor XI (FXI), C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer were studied in relation to self-reported history of 6 sudden onset stroke symptoms. Results There were 190 participants with at least one stroke symptom and 770 without. Adjusting for age, race, sex and stroke risk factors, NT-proBNP, FXI, CRP, and D-dimer in the top vs bottom quartile were associated with prevalent stroke symptoms with odds ratios 2.69 (95% CI: 1.45-4.98), 1.65 (95% CI: 1.00-2.73), 2.21 (95% CI: 1.32-3.71) and 2.14 (95% CI:1.22-3.75), respectively. Conclusions Strong associations of stroke risk biomarkers with stroke symptoms in persons without a clinical history of cerebrovascular disease support a hypothesis that some of these stroke symptoms represent unrecognized cerebrovascular disease. Future work is needed to determine whether these biomarkers identify persons with stroke symptoms who have a particularly high stroke risk. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Regulatory Perspective on the Development of Polymer Nanomaterials

Combination of nanomaterials with pharmaceutical sciences to produce lifesaving drug products is a rapidly growing field. Intense interest and evergrowing financial support in this area have propelled the research and development to become increasingly mature. In the current chapter, recent advances in the field of polymer nanomaterial are presented, including various definitions and considerations. Regulatory challenges and some of the recent policy developments associated with nanomaterial drug product are also discussed.
CHAPTER 23 – Nucleic Acid Structure and Properties of DNA

This chapter focuses on the structure and properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). DNA is primarily found in chromosomes, and it is also present in cellular organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts. The overall base composition of DNA varies considerably among organisms. The base composition is expressed as the fraction of all bases in DNA that are GC pairs divided by the total number of base pairs. Although the bases are chemically quite stable, certain hydrogen atoms bound to the bases are able to undergo tautomerization, in which they change their locations on the bases. The preferred tautomeric forms of adenine and cytosine are the amino configurations; however, with low probability, each can assume the imino configuration. The preferred tautomeric forms of guanine and cytosine are the keto configuration; however, again with low probability, each can assume the enol configuration. The bases that are most frequently methylated are guanine and cytosine. Methylation of cytosine residues influence gene regulation in higher organisms, and about 70% of GC base pairs in mammalian cells are methylated. Methylation of DNA is primarily the result of two enzymes, Dam methylase and Dem methylase.
Why Prodrugs and Propesticides Succeed

What are the advantages of bioactivation in optimizing drugs and pesticides? Why are there so many prodrugs and propesticides? These questions are examined here by considering compounds selected on the basis of economic value or market success in 2015. The 100 major drugs and 90 major pesticides are divided into ones acting directly and those definitely or possibly requiring bioactivation. Established or candidate prodrugs accounted for 19% of the total drug sales, with corresponding values of 20, 37, and 17% for proinsecticides, proherbicides, and profungicides. The 19 prodrugs acting in humans generally had better pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic properties for target enzyme, receptor, tissue, or organ specificity due to their physical properties (lipophilicity and stabilization). Bioactivation usually involved hydrolases or cytochrome P450 oxidation or reduction. Prodrugs considered are neuroactive aripiprazole, eletriptan, desvenlafaxin, lisdexamfetamine, quetiapine, and fesoterodine; cholesterol-lower...
A Parent-Oriented Approach to Rapid Toilet Training *

The current evaluation assessed the effectiveness of a rapid toilet training procedure for three young males with autism. The evaluation extended the research on rapid toilet training procedures by assessing parents’ preference to include two common toilet training components, a urine alarm and positive practice. In addition, we assessed child challenging behaviors during intervention. All parent participants’ elected not to use the urine alarm, and one parent elected to discontinue the implementation of positive practice techniques. All child participants engaged in challenging behavior with the initiation of toilet training. The toileting intervention was successful as all three participants increased successful self-initiations for the toilet and decreased accidents across home and clinic settings. All parents provided favorable social validity ratings of the treatment. Findings suggest that clinicians should partner with parents to develop individualized toileting interventions that are appropriate and effective.
Scientific collaborations shine on Belt and Road

In 2014, China launched the so-called Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative (officially abbreviated as Belt and Road Initiative, or B&R) to promote economic and infrastructure cooperation in Asia and East Europe. Besides promising billions of dollars investment and financial aid, China has also vowed to increase science and technology (S&T) collaboration with countries covered in the initiative: currently 65 countries in West Asia, Southeast Asia, South and Central Asia, former Soviet Union, and East and Central Europe. The B&R Initiative reached a milestone when leaders of 28 nations gathered in Beijing between 14 and 15 May 2017 for a summit to map out its roadmap. At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced investment of 100 billion yuan (US$14.5 billion) into the Silk Road Fund established in 2014 by China. Along with the governments investment, President Chunli Bai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has also announced a blueprint of an S&T cooperation network, to be completed by 2030. To examine how scientific collaboration can promote the development of B&R countries, National Science Review (NSR) recently interviewed Huadong Guo, Chinas leading scientist on remote sensing and the chief architect of the Digital Belt and Road (DBAR) International Science Program, which is aimed at adopting and developing remote sensing technologies to serve the interests of countries involved in the B&R Initiative. Guo spoke about the origin, application and future of the Digital Silk Road and its implications to S&T cooperation among Belt and Road countries. In addition, we interviewed Liying Yang, a senior bibliometrics researcher, on the status of collaborations, and Gang Zhao, a leading science policy advisor, on policy issues associated with the Belt and Road Initiative.
Sports and the Politics of Identity and Memory: The Case of Federal Indian Boarding Schools During the 1930s

The federal government of the United States developed a complex System of boarding schools for Native Americans in the 19(th) century. This effort was generally insensitive and often brutal. In spite of such brutality many students managed to negotiate and create new understandings of traditions and cultural autonomy while in such schools. Now, however, some former students remember their lives as students with mixed emotions. Drawing on oral history interviews and public official documents, the author examines the recreational and athletic life at the boarding schools and finds that students were, nevertheless, able to experience pleasure and pride in creating new ways of expressing their identities as Native Americans.
Examining Criminal Justice Practitioners’ Views on Collateral Consequences Policy

With the recent emphasis on reentry and the reintegration of offenders back into society, both academics and policy makers have voiced concern over both the process of applying collateral consequences in a particular case and the expanding number of collateral restrictions, some of which are quite severe. Many of these restrictions create significant barriers to reintegration for offenders released from incarceration. While reforms have been proposed, there is a lack of research examining the perceptions of criminal justice actors about collateral consequences of conviction. As parties most familiar with the application of consequences in cases, and the burdens they place on involved parties, the present study surveyed practitioners in a large Midwestern state. The findings suggest that judges, defense attorneys, probation and parole supervisors, and prosecutors are troubled by the role of collateral consequences in offender reentry and are not opposed to repealing or reforming some of these policies. Further, there are significant differences between practitioner groups as to reforms that should be implemented within the state’s criminal justice system.