cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From 'What Happened?' to 'What's Happening?' Equity in Action Through Real Time Monitoring

The use of real time monitoring (RTM) of key social services and socio-economic conditions is growing exponentially in rich and poor countries alike as a tool for better and faster decision-making. Service providers, development actors and civil society activists have recognised its potential for identifying emerging priorities, pinpointing bottlenecks in service delivery, increasing accountability and providing a voice for marginalised populations. UNICEF country offices are part of this trend, increasingly supporting initiatives that aim to harness the potential of RTM for children.This report presents evidence and proposes ideas on how RTM can be utilised to advance social inclusion, equity and child rights. The information is the result of a UNICEF learning initiative which sought to better understand how RTM could make a difference for the most vulnerable. The learning initiative assessed selected UNICEF-supported RTM initiatives, conducted an extensive literature review related to RTM experiences and consulted with key practitioners both within UNICEF and beyond.The main finding is that RTM is making a difference in the design of policies and programmes for children: empowering vulnerable populations, improving local planning and service delivery, strengthening crisis or emergency preparedness, and enhancing equity-focused policies, plans and budgets. Preliminary evidence also indicates that RTM is contributing to concrete results for children, including saving lives by improving supply chain management, preventing infant and maternal deaths by strengthening demand for health services, and providing better support to children who are most at risk of violence by speedier entry and sharing of case management information. Such RTM results occur when initiatives go beyond rapid data collection to speedy use and responsive action. Ensuring that RTM initiatives are guided by a systemic approach (e.g. paying attention to each of the distinct components that define effective RTM — data analysis, reporting and response capacity) is crucial to maximize the potential of future initiatives.
A Communitarian Position for Civil Unions

Professor Shanley's argument is compelling, powerful, and well grounded in communitarian arguments. However, when all is said and done she does not directly address the question of whether gay and lesbian unions should be accorded the same legal status as heterosexual ones. I could go on and on about why I so strongly agree with her analysis, as far as it goes. Marriages indeed are not private events; they are occasions in which a couple comes before a community to make a commitment that falls in line with the values of that community. They are also the coming together of two families, not just two individuals.
Uncertainty propagation with Semidefinite Programming

This paper outlines an optimization-based method to estimate the reach set of a system while acknowledging unknown-but-bounded input and parametric uncertainty in the underlying dynamical model. The approach is grounded in a second-order Taylor-series expansion of the system's state variables along the solution trajectories as a function of the uncertain elements. Subsequently, over the time horizon of interest, Quadratically Constrained Quadratic Programs (QCQPs) are formulated to estimate maximum and minimum bounds on the state variables to recover the reach set. To contend with the nonconvexity of the QCQPs, Lagrangian relaxations are leveraged to formulate Semidefinite Programs (SDPs) that provide guaranteed bounds to the solutions of the QCQPs. Applications of the method to quantify the impact of uncertain power injections in power-system dynamic models are demonstrated with numerical examples.
Changes in bacterial composition of biofilm in a metropolitan drinking water distribution system.

Aims This study examined the development of bacterial biofilms within a metropolitan distribution system. The distribution system is fed with different source water (i.e. groundwater, GW and surface water, SW) and undergoes different treatment processes in separate facilities. Methods and Results The biofilm community was characterized using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and functional potential analysis, generated from total DNA extracted from coupons in biofilm annular reactors fed with onsite drinking water for up to 18 months. Differences in the bacterial community structure were observed between GW and SW. Representatives that explained the dissimilarity were associated with the classes Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes. After 9 months the biofilm bacterial community from both GW and SW were dominated by Mycobacterium species. The distribution of the dominant operational taxonomic unit (OTU) (Mycobacterium) positively correlated with the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) temperature. Conclusions In this study, the biofilm community structure observed between GW and SW were dissimilar, while communities from different locations receiving SW did not show significant differences. The results suggest that source water and/or the water quality shaped by their respective treatment processes may play an important role in shaping the bacterial communities in the distribution system. In addition, several bacterial groups were present in all samples, suggesting that they are an integral part of the core microbiota of this DWDS. Significance and Impact of the Study These results provide an ecological insight into biofilm bacterial structure in chlorine-treated drinking water influenced by different water sources and their respective treatment processes.
Surgical Treatment of Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma in Von Hippel-Lindau’s Disease

AbstractFrom 1981 to 1986, 10 patients with von Hippel-Lindau’s disease underwent an operation for bilateral nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma. Of the patients 9 underwent unilateral partial nephrectomy and contralateral radical nephrectomy, and 1 underwent bilateral nephrectomy with subsequent hemodialysis and cadaver renal transplantation. Pathologically, the tumor was stage I in 9 patients and stage III in 1. Currently, 8 patients are alive after partial nephrectomy (5 to 56 months) with good renal function (mean serum creatinine 2.0mg. per dl.) and no evidence of malignancy; 1 of these patients underwent excision of a cerebral metastasis 2 years after partial nephrectomy. One patient is alive on dialysis after removal of the renal remnant for local tumor recurrence. The patient who underwent transplantation is free of tumor with a well functioning allograft. The distinctive features of renal cell carcinoma in von Hippel-Lindau’s disease that influence the management of these patients are reviewed.
Race, Genetics, Medicine and the Museum

AbstractThe natural history museum has long been invested in educating the public about what it means to be human, including human identity, human ancestry and human diversity. With the recent scientific advances in human genomic research and the public fervor for individual genetic ancestry testing, the museum is now challenged both to keep pace with current scientific research and wrestle with popular scientific thinking that circulates outside the museum. This article considers several strategies that the American Museum of Natural History Museum has used to intervene in public perceptions of “race”, genetics and human health through critical interactive dialogue—the museum as a space for audiences of various ages to investigate and interrogate the science and politics of human identity that accompany this new genetic frontier.
Expression of the Human papillomavirous type16 E7C subgene in Mycobaterium smegmatis mc~2 155

Objective To express the C-terminal E7 subgene of human papillomavirous type16 in Mycobaterium smegmatis mc2155 in the hope of laying a solid foundation for the further recombinant BCG vaccine research.Methods The recombinant plasmid pBCG-E7C was introduced by electroporation into M.smegmatis mc2155 which was first selected by kanamycin resistance and identified by PCR.The recombinant M.smegmatis mc2 155 is later cultivated in liquid middlebrook 7H9 medium with 10% middlebrook 7H9 enrichment ADC and 0.05% Tween 80(M-ADC-TW broth) at 37 ℃ for 48-72 hours.Then the cultures were induced at 42 ℃ for 5 h with its expressing product being analyzed by sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) and Western blot.Results Plasmid of pBCG-E7C was successfully constructed.SDS-PAGE showed that the quantum unit of the molecule in the expressed products was about 6.5 ku,which fits the theoretical assumption.Western blot result also indicated that the expressed products could be recognized by the sera of cervical cancer patient.Conclusion E7C gene of human papillomavirous type16 can be expressed in M.smegmatis mc2155.
Identification of a growth factor for primary murine stroma as macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Knowledge of the stromal microenvironment is crucial for understanding the hematopoietic system. We took advantage of an assay that permits analysis of primary stroma-initiating cells (SICs) on the clonal level, and further characterized SICs and the factors that regulate SICs. Stroma formation in this assay is dependent on a high-molecular-weight factor secreted by the stromal cell line AC3.U. Here we show that this factor is identical to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), and that purified M-CSF is sufficient for induction of stroma formation. M-CSF, isolated from the line AC3.U, as well as from L929 cells and COS cells transfected with an expression vector encoding M-CSF, migrated in two peaks as 160- and 650-kD species after gel filtration. These molecular-weight species encompassed all stroma-inducing activity, and both stimulated macrophage colony formation. Affinity chromatography and blocking studies with antibodies specific for M-CSF and c-fms confirmed M-CSF as the sole factor in the supernatant of the stromal cell line AC3.U that promotes stroma formation. Culture of marrow, for as little as 1 week, depleted M-CSF-dependent SIC while increasing the incidence of replatable, factor-independent SIC. This suggests that culture changes the properties of SICs, perhaps by inducing differentiation into mature stromal cells. Thus, our results show a novel function of M-CSF as an important modulator of stroma formation.
Bilateral clear cell papillary cystadenoma of the epididymides presenting as infertility: an early manifestation of von Hippel-Lindau's syndrome.

Abstract Papillary cystadenoma of the epididymis is a rare benign tumor, accounting for only 4 per cent of all epididymal tumors. Histologically, it can be confused with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We report a case of bilateral involvement of the epididymides and infertility. Its diagnostic significance is its association with the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, necessitating close surveillence.
The Bible as Comparative Literature

The membership of the Conference on Christianity and Literature is comprised largely of teachers, many of whom bring their scholarly concerns to bear in courses such as The Bible and Literature or Religion and Literature. This section on Pedagogy offers a range of practical experience in that effort. Professor Dabney Hart of Georgia State University discusses an approach through comparative literature, while Professor Gweneth Schwab of the University of Illinois discusses an approach based upon balanced responses to literature. Professor Allena Longfellow has shared the introduction to an extensive annotated bibliography for her course in The Bible and Literature at the Louisiana State University. Professor Roy Battenhouse of Indiana University provides a focused outline for a literary analysis of the tragedy of Absalom. Finally, Professor Janet Catlin of Oscar Rose Junior College reminisces on her experience of teaching The Bible as Literature in Oklahoma.
In Situ Mechanical Characterization of Multilayer Soft Tissue Using Ultrasound Imaging.

In this paper, we report the development of a technique to characterize layer-specific nonlinear material properties of soft tissue in situ with the potential for in vivo testing. A soft tissue elastography robotic arm system comprising of a robotically manipulated 30 MHz high-resolution ultrasound probe, a custom designed compression head, and load cells has been developed to perform compression ultrasound imaging on the target tissue and measure reaction forces. A multilayer finite element model is iteratively optimized to identify the material coefficients of each layer. Validation has been performed using tissue mimicking agar-based phantoms with a low relative error of ~7% for two-layer phantoms and ~10% error for three layer phantoms when compared to known ground-truth values obtained using a commercial material testing system. The technique has then been used to successfully determine the in situ layer-specific mechanical properties of intact porcine stomach. The mean C 10 and C 20 for a second-order reduced polynomial material model were determined for the muscularis (6.41 ± 0.60, 4.29 ± 1.87 kPa), submucosal (5.21 ± 0.57, 3.68 ± 3.01 kPa), and mucosal layers (0.06 ± 0.02, 0.09 ± 0.24 kPa). Such a system can be utilized to perform in vivo mechanical characterization, which is left as future work.
Resource Exchange in Smart Grid Connected Cooperative Cognitive Radio Networks

Wireless telecommunications is experiencing a massive penetration of wireless devices and an exponential growth in wireless applications. To accommodate the expected service requirements with the available radio resources, we present a new radio resource exchange scheme for a smart grid connected cognitive radio system, in which independently harvested energy can be stored in the smart grid in the form of on-grid credit. The secondary system will gain spectrum usage by either forwarding primary data or transferring energy credit directly to the primary system. In particular, to maximize the overall energy saving while meeting the throughput requirement, the utilities of both systems are optimized by jointly designing the subchannel assignment scheme with power control. First, for any given subchannel assignment, we have derived the optimal power allocated by both primary and secondary systems to each subchannel. Then, the characteristics of the subchannel assignment scheme are analyzed, and the complexity of finding the optimal assignment is reduced. Finally, a novel joint subchannel assignment and power control scheme is proposed to decide whether and how to cooperate by comparing the utilities of both systems with and without cooperation. Simulations results are presented to verify the optimality of the derived scheme.
Low yield of ventilation and perfusion imaging for the evaluation of pulmonary embolism after indeterminate CT pulmonary angiography

Ventilation and perfusion (VQ) imaging is common following suboptimal CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) for pulmonary embolism (PE) evaluation; however, the results of this diagnostic pathway are unclear. The purpose of our study is to determine the incidence of PE diagnosed on VQ scans performed in patients with suboptimal CTPAs. One hundred twenty-two suboptimal CTPAs with subsequent VQ scans within 1 week were retrospectively identified. VQ reports utilizing modified ​prospective investigation of pulmonary embolism diagnosis (PIOPED) and prospective investigative study of acute pulmonary embolism diagnosis (PISAPED) criteria were evaluated for presence of PE; intermediate probability, high probability, and PE present were considered PE positive. Three hundred consecutive reports of each diagnostic CTPA and diagnostic VQ studies were reviewed to estimate baseline PE positive rates at our institution. These were compared to the positive VQ scan rate after suboptimal CTPA by Fisher’s exact test. Reported reason for suboptimal CTPA was noted. When contrast bolus timing was suboptimal, we measured main pulmonary artery (mPA) Hounsfield units (HU). Potential alternative diagnoses in CTPA reports were noted. 97.5% (119/122) of VQ scans following suboptimal CTPA were negative for PE, and 2.5% (3/122) were positive for PE. This was significantly lower than baseline PE positive rate of 10.7% (32/300, p < 0.01) for VQ imaging, and 10.3% (31/300, p < 0.01) for CTPA at our institution. Most (79.5%) CTPAs were suboptimal due to contrast timing. Average mPA density in these cases was 164 ± 61 HU. Most of these studies ruled out central PE. Potential alternative diagnosis was reported in 34/122 (28%) of suboptimal CTPAs, for which pneumonia accounted 59%. There is very low incidence of PE diagnosed on VQ imaging performed after suboptimal CTPA. This may be attributed to the ability of most suboptimal CTPAs to rule out central PE.
Backward Approximate Dynamic Programming with Hidden Semi-Markov Stochastic Models in Energy Storage Optimization

We consider an energy storage problem involving a wind farm with a forecasted power output, a stochastic load, an energy storage device, and a connection to the larger power grid with stochastic prices. Electricity prices and wind power forecast errors are modeled using a novel hidden semi-Markov model that accurately replicates not just the distribution of the errors, but also crossing times, capturing the amount of time each process stays above or below some benchmark such as the forecast. This is an important property of stochastic processes involved in storage problems. We show that we achieve more robust solutions using this model than when more common stochastic models are considered. The new model introduces some additional complexity to the problem as its information states are partially hidden, forming a partially observable Markov decision process. We derive a near-optimal time-dependent policy using backward approximate dynamic programming, which overcomes the computational hurdles of classical (exact) backward dynamic programming, with higher quality solutions than the more familiar forward approximate dynamic programming methods.
Cochlear Electroanatomy: Influence on Information Processing

The term electroanatomy was introduced by von Bekesy (1951) during his studies aimed at determining the resistance and capacitance patterns that corresponded to the structural features of the cochlea. Considerations of gross impedance configurations (studied by several groups in recent years: Kurokawa, 1965; Johnstone et al., 1966: Honrubia and Ward, 1969; Strelioff, 1973; Honrubia et al. 1976; Cannon, 1976; Geisler et al., 1977) may now be refined by incorporating individual hair cell characteristics. Recent intracellular recordings from mammalian hair cells (Russell and Sellick, 1978; Dallos et al., 1982) provide various electrical measures that describe the properties of these cells and highlight differences between inner (IHC) and outer hair cells (OHC). The purpose of this paper is to consider a simple circuit model of a cochlear cross-section and to investigate relationships between computed electrical quantities and those obtained experimentally. It is shown that several hitherto baffling differences between IHC and OHC electrical properties are a simple consequence of their impedance configurations. The results also suggest that electrical interactions between OHCs and IHCs are highly unlikely.
Public–private partnerships in TVET: adapting the dual system in the United States*

AbstractAround the world, governments, educators and employers have expressed growing interest in German-style methods of technical and vocational education and training (TVET). In such countries, ...
Mechanism-based pharmacokinetic (MBPK) models describe the complex plasma kinetics of three antiretrovirals delivered by a long-acting anti-HIV drug combination nanoparticle formulation.

Abstract Existing oral antiretroviral (ARV) agents have been shown in human studies to exhibit limited lymph node penetration and lymphatic drug insufficiency. As lymph nodes are a reservoir of HIV, it is critical to deliver and sustain effective levels of ARV combinations in these tissues. To overcome lymph node drug insufficiency of oral combination ARV therapy (cART), we developed and reported a long-acting and lymphocyte-targeting injectable that contains three ARVs—hydrophobic lopinavir (LPV) and ritonavir (RTV), and hydrophilic tenofovir (TFV)—stabilized by lipid excipients in a nanosuspension. A single subcutaneous (SC) injection of this first-generation formulation of drug combination nanoparticles (DcNPs), named TLC-ART101, provided persistent ARV levels in macaque lymph node mononuclear cells (LNMCs) for at least 1 week, and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma for at least 2 weeks, demonstrating long-acting pharmacokinetics for all three drugs. In addition, the lymphocyte-targeting properties of this formulation were demonstrated by the consistently higher intracellular drug concentrations in LNMCs and PBMCs versus those in plasma. To provide insights into the complex mechanisms of absorption and disposition of TLC-ART101, we constructed novel mechanism-based pharmacokinetic (MBPK) models. Based upon plasma PK data obtained after single administration of TLC-ART101 (DcNPs) and a solution formulation of free triple-ARVs, the models feature uptake from the SC injection site that respectively routes free and nanoparticle-associated ARVs via the blood vasculature and lymphatics, and their eventual distribution into and clearance from the systemic circulation. The models provided simultaneous description of the complex long-acting plasma and lymphatic PK profiles for all three ARVs in TLC-ART101. The long-acting PK characteristics of the three drugs in TLC-ART101 were likely due to a combination of mechanisms including: (1) DcNPs undergoing preferential lymphatic uptake from the subcutaneous space, (2) retention in nodes during lymphatic first-pass, (3) subsequent slow release of ARVs into blood circulation, and (4) limited extravasation of DcNP-associated ARVs that resulted in longer persistence in the circulation.
Product differentiation by marketing and processing cooperatives: A choice experiment with cheese and cereal products

With ongoing consolidation of food retailers and segmentation of consumer preferences, agri‐food producers and manufacturers have increased motivation to pursue product differentiation. We study if and how farmer cooperatives can build brand equity to drive or support product differentiation. With emphasis on ownership type and product origin, we conduct two choice experiments with cheese and cereal consumers in the United States. The results of our multinomial logit model indicate farmer cooperatives can command a price premium as compared to store brands, but not as much as non‐cooperatives. Cheese and cereal consumers also indicate a general willingness to pay for product origin and family ownership attributes, but the effects are not always compatible with farmer cooperatives. Overall, although price premiums for cooperative brands and labels may exist across various product categories, the heterogeneity in willingness to pay estimates for other product attributes is suggestive of the difficulties farmer cooperatives face in pursuit of product differentiation. [EconLit citations: Q11, Q13, M30]
Resilient Design and Operation of Cyber Physical Systems with Emphasis on Unmanned Autonomous Systems

Autonomy and autonomous systems are occupying central stage in the research community, as autonomous vehicles are proliferating and their utility in all aspects of the military and civilian domains are increasing exponentially from one year to the next. The development and application of resiliency and safety technologies to autonomous systems is, unfortunately, not keeping pace with their growth rate. Several factors impede the deployment and adoption of autonomous systems. Among them is the absence of an adequately high level of autonomy that can be relied upon, significant challenges in the area of human-machine interface requiring significant human intervention to operate and interpret sensor data, the need for emerging machine learning technologies and, most importantly, the resilient design and operation of complex systems to assure their safety, reliability and availability when executing missions in unstructured and cluttered environments. Recent advances in resiliency and safety of complex engineered systems have focused on methods/tools to tradeoff system performance for increased time to failure aiming at mission completion or trial and error methods to arrive at a suboptimal policy for system self-organization in the presence of a failure mode. This paper introduces a novel framework for the resilient design and operation of such complex systems via self-organization and control reconfiguration strategies that avoid empirical trial and error techniques and may be implemented and perform in real time on-platform. The main theme is summarized as: “a healthy and resilient system is a safe system”. To accomplish this objective, we introduce an integrated and rigorous approach to resilient design while safety considerations ascertain that the targeted system is contained within a safe envelope. A resilient system is robustly and flexibly monitoring its internal and external environment, it can detect and anticipate disturbances that may affect its operational integrity and take appropriate action to compensate for the disturbance. Resilience enhances safety while improving risk factors and assures that vehicles subjected to extreme disturbances remain within their safe envelope. The enabling technologies begin with graph spectral and epidemic spreading modeling tools to represent the system behaviors under normal and faulty conditions; a Markov Decision Process is the basic self-organization module. We are introducing a novel approach to fault-tolerance by considering the impacts of severe fault modes on system performance as inputs to a Reinforcement Learning (RL) strategy that trades off system performance with control activity in order to extend the Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of the unmanned system. Performance metrics are defined and assist in the algorithmic developments and their validation. We pursue an integrated and verifiable methodology to safety assurance that enables the evaluation of the effectiveness of risk management strategies. Several unmanned autonomous systems are used for demonstration purposes.
Chemical Fluxes and Dynamics in River and Stream Ecosystems

Streams and rivers have four contrasting biogeochemical zones: channel, channel surface, channel sediments below the surface (hyporheic zone), and backwaters. The channel is dominated by mass transport; metabolic processes occur, but at relatively low rates. The channel surface is covered with bacteria, protozoans, and fungi, along with nonliving organic and inorganic matter, the combination of which constitutes a biofilm. Invertebrates live within or around biofilm, upon which they feed. Oxic metabolic processes (photosynthesis and oxic respiration) are dominant. Biofilms are also found in the hyporheic zone, but do not involve photosynthesis and sometimes are anoxic. Anoxic respiration, which can be conducted by microbes, involves the use of chemical substances other than oxygen as electronic acceptors for respiration. It generates chemically reduced byproducts such as reduced nitrogen (N2), reduced iron, and reduced manganese, sulfide, and methane. Backwaters may support considerable accumulation of autotrophs, invertebrates, and small fishes that cannot withstand high currents. Biomass accumulation and oxic metabolism are typical of backwaters. Changes in stream flow, reflecting precipitation or snowmelt, affect mass transport and concentration of individual chemical constituents. Peak flows coincide with the highest mass transport, but effects on concentrations are varied. Major contributors to dissolved solids typically show a decline in concentration with increasing flow, whereas dissolved organic matter and particles of all kinds increase in concentration with increasing flow. Peak flows also disturb the channel surface, where much of the oxic metabolism occurs; a regeneration process follows peak flows. The movement of elements through streams can be viewed as a combination of a longitudinal flow with immobilization periods when a given substance combines with a biofilm or a fixed particle. The combination of longitudinal motion and interruption of motion often is viewed as a spiral. Substances that are in high demand biologically (labile substances) have tighter spirals than elements less subject to biological transformation (conservative substances).
THE USE OF INNATE TAGS TO SEGREGATE SPAWNING STOCKS OF STRIPED BASS (MORONE SAXATILIS)

ABSTRACT The striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ) is an anadromous fish that makes extensive migrations along the Atlantic coast and utilizes the Atlantic coastal estuaries as spawning and nursery areas. Industrial usage of the estuaries, commercial fishing pressure and increased recreational use of the fishery have stimulated interest in the relative contribution of striped bass spawning stocks from various estuaries. Studies have been performed to assess the feasibility of using meristic, morphometric and biochemical characters as innate tags to segregate striped bass from various spawning populations. Representative samples of the spawning populations of the Roanoke River, four tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Potomac, Rappahannock, Choptank and Elk Rivers), and the Hudson River were collected. Data were collected from each fish on up to forty-two meristic and morphometric characters, forty-five protein characters and twenty-eight enzyme systems involving fifty-two genetic loci. Linear and quadratic discriminant function analyses were employed to evaluate the discriminative power of the meristic and morphometric characters. Biochemical characters were evaluated using univariate techniques. A set of three meristic and morphometric characters was derived to provide maximum separation among the various spawning stocks. It was not possible to separate the stocks within the Chesapeake estuary due to overlap in the character sets. The sample values from the Chesapeake tributaries were pooled and entered in a discriminant function with values from the Hudson and Roanoke populations. The character sets allowed separation of the resultant three spawning stocks with an overall correct classification of seventy-two to seventy-four percent.
Neuromuscular Transmission in the Heart of the Lobster Homarus americanus

Contractions of the single-chambered neurogenic lobster heart are produced by spontaneous bursts of impulses generated by neurons in the cardiac ganglion1,2*. In this study dangling microelectrodes were used to record intra-cellularly from single, striated cardiac muscle fibers of isolated lobster hearts.
The Mechanism of Chemical Mutagenesis with Special Reference to Triethylene Melamine Action

The interaction between a bacterial cell and a chemical mutagen, leading to the production of a mutant cell, has many properties characteristic of a complex chemical process. We have attempted to evaluate the mechanism of this reaction sequence in a particular case, namely, triethylene melamine (TEM) induced mutations from streptomycin (SM) dependence to SM independence in Escherichia coli strain Sd4.
Microbiota modulation by eating patterns and diet composition: impact on food intake

There is accumulating evidence that the gut microbiota and its composition dynamics play a crucial role in regulating the host physiological functions and behavior. Diet composition is the primary ...
Attention in Bilingual Children With Developmental Language Disorder.

Purpose Attention and language are hypothesized to interact in bilingual children and in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). In children who are bilingual, attentional control may ...
Selection among Bernoulli populations in comparison with a standard

AbstractIn this article we consider the problem of comparing several Bernoulli populations in order to identify the population producing the largest success probability that is also larger than a g...
Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment of the Inferior Vena Cava in Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Children

Objectives The objective of this study was to compare the ultrasound-measured inferior vena cava distensibility index (IVCdi), inferior vena cava distensibility variability (IVCdv), and inferior vena cava-to-aorta ratio (IVC/Ao) to other common methods to assess fluid status in mechanically ventilated pediatric critically ill patients. These methods include central venous pressure (CVP), percent fluid overload by weight (%FOw), and percent fluid overload by volume (%FOv). Methods This was a prospective observational study of a convenience sample of 50 mechanically ventilated pediatric patients. Ultrasound measurements of the inferior vena cava and aorta were obtained, and the IVCdi, IVCdv, and IVC/Ao were calculated and compared to CVP, %FOw, and %FOv. Results The median %FOw was 5%, and the median %FOv was 10%. The mean CVP ± SD was 8.6 ± 4 mm Hg. The CVP had no significant correlation with %FOw or %FOv. There was no significant correlation of the IVCdi with CVP (r = -0.145; P = .325) or %FOv (r = 0.119; P = .420); however, the IVCdi had a significant correlation with %FOw (P = .012). There was also no significant relationship of the IVCdv with CVP (r = -0.135; P = .36) or %FOv (r = 0.128; P = .385); however, there was a significant correlation between the IVCdv and %FOw (P = .012). There was no relationship between the IVC/Ao and any other measures of fluid status. Conclusions In this cohort of mechanically ventilated pediatric intensive care unit patients, many commonly used markers of fluid status showed weak correlations with each other. The IVCdi and IVCdv significantly correlated with %FOw and may have potential as markers for fluid overload in this patient population.
Relationships between prosocial factors and college student health

Objective: This study examined relationships between prosocial factors including altruism, compassion, social connectedness, spirituality, and volunteerism and measures of health in college student...
Mechanical Control of Rate Processes: Effect of Ligand Steric Bulk on CO Exchange in Trisubstituted Tetrairidium Cluster Catalysts

Rates of CO exchange in a comparative series of tetrairidium carbonyl clusters Ir4CO9L3 consisting of phosphine ligands of varying steric bulk (diphenylmethylphosphine in 1, triphenylphosphine in 2...
Ranking structural analysis software applications using AHP and Shannon’s entropy

This paper aims to compare the ranking of ten structural analysis software applications in terms of six factors: Standardization, Reliability, Longevity, Usability, Price, and Functionality. The st...
Kidney Biopsy Chronicity Grading in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody Associated Vasculitis.

BACKGROUND Kidney biopsy is valuable for prognostic assessment of renal outcomes in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) with glomerulonephritis (AAV-GN) but the impact of chronic changes is not determined. METHODS A retrospective cohort study of MPO- or PR3-ANCA positive patients with AAV and active renal disease. We applied the Mayo Clinic Chronicity Score (MCCS), validated and evaluated its implications on outcome prediction in AAV-GN. RESULTS We analyzed 329 patients with kidney biopsies available to score. The extent of chronicity was graded by MCCS as (i) minimal - 102 (31.0%), (ii) mild - 106 (32.2%), (iii) moderate - 86 (26.1%), and (iv) severe - 35 (10.6%). The MCCS grades correlated with the degree of renal function impairment at presentation (mean eGFR: 48.3 vs. 29.2 vs. 23.7 vs. 18.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.0001). Higher degrees of the individual components of the MCCS (glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy and arteriosclerosis) were associated with lower median eGFR (p < 0.0001) and decreased event free (kidney failure (KF) and death) survival (p = 0.002, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Patients with lower MCCS grades recovered renal function more frequently (p < 0.0001). Increasing MCCS grades were associated with decreased renal recovery (p = 0.001), more frequent events and shorter time to KF (p < 0.0001), KF and death (p < 0.0001), and death (p = 0.042), independently of remission-induction treatment used (CYC or RTX). The MCCS stratified renal outcomes for each MCCS grade and can be used in clinical practice as a cut-off for KF prediction (MCCS≥4). CONCLUSIONS Chronic changes on kidney histology independently predict renal function, outcomes and response to treatment in AAV-GN.
Forensic Interviewing and Assessment Issues with Children

Publisher Summary This chapter aims to examine the child sexual abuse (CSA) assessment process as well as methods for generating new assessment techniques that can be evaluated psychometrically. To accomplish this aim, the chapter examines some relevant data related to childhood memory for events. It describes the main points of interest for any clinician or scientist interested in forensic interviews of children. Children can be called to provide their testimony in several types of judicial proceedings. These may include child sexual or physical abuse cases, custody hearings, or even as witnesses to non-abuse crimes committed by others. The ramifications of incorrect judgments in these cases can be harsh or can open the door for further abuse. The incorrect acquittal of a sexual child abuser puts children at further risk for abuse. In contrast, the incorrect conviction of an innocent individual effectively ends the context of that person's life. When individuals begin the interview process with a child, the presence of a set of interviewer beliefs about the alleged event may affect the accuracy of the child's reported recollection. This list may manifest itself through the types of questions utilized in the interview process.
fRFLP and fAFLP: medium-throughput genotyping by fluorescently post-labeling restriction digestion.

Genome-scale studies of population structure and high-resolution mapping of genetically complex traits both require techniques for accurately and efficiently genotyping large numbers of polymorphic...
Incidence and risk factors for lower alimentary tract mucositis after 1529 courses of chemotherapy in a homogenous population of oncology patients: clinical and research implications.

BACKGROUND: Lower alimentary tract mucositis is a serious complication of chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence, risk factors, and mortality of lower alimentary tract mucositis in a homogeneous population of patients with newly diagnosed myeloma receiving similar antineoplastic therapy and standardized supportive care. METHODS: Lower alimentary tract mucositis was evaluated among 303 consecutive patients with myeloma (2004-2007) enrolled in a clinical trial consisting of induction chemotherapy, tandem melphalan-based autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and consolidation. Lower alimentary tract mucositis was defined as neutropenia-associated grade II-IV enteritis/colitis. Pretreatment risk factors were examined including body surface area (BSA), serum albumin (albumin), and estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl). Multiple logistic regression model was used to compute adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Forty-seven (15.5%) patients developed lower alimentary tract mucositis during 1529 courses of chemotherapy (including 536 melphalan-based ASCT). Pre-enrollment BSA <2 m2 (OR, 2.768; 95% CI, 1.200-6.381; P = .0169) increased the risk for lower alimentary tract mucositis, whereas higher albumin was protective (OR, 0.698; 95% CI, 0.519-0.940; P = .0177). Pretransplant variables associated with lower alimentary tract mucositis were BSA <2 m2 (OR, 4.451; 95% CI, 1.459-13.58, P = .0087) and estimated CrCl <60 mL/min (OR, 3.493; 95% CI, 1.173-10.40; P = .0246). Higher albumin level conferred protection (OR, 0.500; 95% CI, 0.304-0.820; P = .0061). No lower alimentary tract mucositis-related death was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Lower alimentary tract mucositis is not uncommon among a homogenous population of oncology patients undergoing sequential courses of chemotherapy including melphalan-based ASCT but does not contribute to mortality. Lower BSA, renal function, and albumin are associated with increased risk for lower alimentary tract mucositis. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Regulation of synthesis and turnover of ferritin in rat liver.

Abstract Synthesis of liver ferritin induced by iron administration was investigated by treating rats by injection with pulse doses of leucine-14C at various times after a single intraperitoneal dose of iron. The iron caused a rapid but transient increase of leucine uptake into ferritin without affecting incorporation into mixed liver proteins; the ferritin response was dose-dependent and was followed by an increase in liver ferritin content. Since the action of iron was insensitive to actinomycin D, it was considered to be independent of synthesis of new messenger ribonucleic acid. Ferritin turnover was studied by following loss of radioactivity from liver ferritin over a 72-hour period after leucine-14C administration. Repeated injections of iron during this period increased the iron to protein ratio of ferritin and retarded loss of radioactivity, thus suggesting that iron-rich ferritin molecules are less susceptible than iron-poor molecules to degradation. With the use of a sucrose density gradient to separate ferritin species of differing iron content, it was shown that the first fraction to become labeled after injection of leucine-14C was low in iron. Subsequently there was progressive transfer of the label to ferritin fractions richer in iron over a 72-hour period. Repeated injection of iron caused a larger proportion of the initial radioactivity of the iron-poor fraction to be retained as iron-rich ferritin. To explain the actions of iron on ferritin metabolism by a single unifying hypothesis, it is proposed that iron can cause an apparent induction by stabilizing an unstable precursor of ferritin which would otherwise be rapidly degraded, and that iron can also stabilize iron-poor ferritin molecules by increasing their iron content and thus retarding their degradation.
Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis

Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis, formerly known as Histiocytosis X, and its related syndromes (i.e., eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian disease, and Letterer-Siwe disease) are briefly reviewed. The biology, clinical manifestations, and treatment options of the localized, single form and the disseminated, multisystem form are also discussed.
Experimental and Analytical Techniques for Studying ZBLAN Crystallization in Microgravity

One of the promising new areas of materials research is in the field of microgravity. Microgravity experimentation enables new materials to be developed and traditional materials to be improved, which cannot be completed under terrestrial conditions. Recent experiments on ZBLAN (ZrF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3 –NaF) glass have shown that, when heated, there is a crystallization dependency on gravity. This crystallization dependency limits the optical transmissibility of this material, due to crystallites forming during the fiber drawing process. ZBLAN glass has the theoretical potential for optical transmission in the range of 0.3 –7 μm, which would facilitate much needed mid-infrared (IR) fiber technology. Past researchers have completed ZBLAN crystallizationmicrogravity experiments, with limited details on the experimental technique and analysis methods. This study demonstrates an alternative experimental technique for ZBLAN microgravity testing and postprocessing techniques that reveal crystallinity in the sample.
Loan Performance of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Sponsored Institutions

This paper tries to examine the performance of loans made by CDFI sponsored financial institutions. The CDFI program tries to encourage financial institutions to provide credit to high risk, underserved communities and businesses. The CDFI provides grants to participating institutions to entice lending. The purpose of this study is to examine if the loan performance of CDFI sponsored institutions is different from non-sponsored institutions. Given recent issues with sub-prime lending, many lenders are unsure of how best to serve certain customers. The Community Reinvestment Act was designed to encourage lenders to meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate. More information on how loans specifically made to meet the credit needs of specific communities would help all lenders in making investment decisions. Also, by analyzing the mitigating effect of CDFI Fund programs on loan losses, lenders - particularly non-CDFI certified institutions - would be able to weigh more effectively the costs and benefits associated with lending to higher risk customers. Finally, the study provides an assessment of the CDFI program. Much research has been conducted about other federally sponsored loan programs, such as the programs provide by the Federal Housing Authority and the Small Business Administration. This study will fill a gap by providing an analysis of a third very important federal loan program.
Familial myeloma: Report of eight families and a study of serum proteins in their relatives

Abstract During a 6 year period, eight instances of familial occurrence of myeloma involving siblings (16 cases of myeloma and 3 of probable benign monoclonal gammopathy) were encountered at the Mayo Clinic. No other monoclonal serum protein abnormalities were found in 70 relatives studied. In view of the infrequency of myeloma, the high familial occurrence of this disease suggests the possibility of genetic factors in its etiology. It is most important that a complete family history be obtained from patients with myeloma.
Research progress and hardware systems at DIII-D

During the last two years significant progress has been made in the scientific understanding of DIII-D plasmas. Much of this progress has been enabled by the addition of new hardware systems. The electron cyclotron (EC) system has been upgraded from 3 MW to 6 MW, by adding three 1 MW gyrotrons with diamond windows and three steerable launchers (PPPL). The new gyrotrons have been tested to 1.0 MW for 5 s. The system has been used to control the 3/2 and 2/1 neoclassical tearing modes and to locally heat the plasma and thereby indirectly control the current density. Electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) has been used to directly affect the current density. A Li-beam diagnostic has been brought on-line for measuring the edge current density using Zeeman splitting. A set of 12 coils (I-coils), consisting of six picture frame coils each above and below the midplane, with a capability of 7 kA for 10 s has been installed inside the DIII-D vessel. These coils, along with the existing six C-coils, are used to apply non-axisymmetric fields to the plasma for both exciting and controlling plasma instabilities. The DIII-D digital plasma control system is now used to not just control the shape and location of the plasma but also the electron temperature, density, the NTMs, RWMs, plasma beta and disruption mitigation. Plasma disruption experiments are extended to mitigation of real time detected disruptions on DIII-D.