cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early detection of HIV infection with Dried Blood Spot testing among infants in Yunnan province

Objective To explore the application od Dried Blood Spot (DBS) testing for early detection of HIV infection among infants.Methods All of the infants aged between 6 weeks and 18 months and born by HIV positive mothers from 14 Maternity and Child Health Care Hospitals in Kunming,Dali,Dehong,Lincang of Yunnan province were investigated from 2010 to 2011.By using DBS and Roche HIV-1 DNA test techniques,286 infants were tested for HIV early diagnosis and compared with HIV antibody results of 18 months infants.DBS from uninfected infants were taken periodically and screened of HIV antibody to find their time of antibody-disappearing.The information of treatment for pregnant women and feeding methods for infants was also investigated.Results A total of 286 infants were tested with HIV-1 DNA among which 148 infants were male and 138 infants female,and 8 infants were HIV-1 DNA positive and the infection rate was 2.8％ (8/286) that was in accord with their antibodies results in 18 months old; the other 278 infants whose HIV-1 DNA was negative was also negative with their antibodies.By following up the antibody test of 143 HIV negative infants the cumulate rates of antibody-disappearing at the age of 6,9,12 and 18 months were 14.0％ ( 20/143 ),61.5％ ( 88/143 ),88.1％ ( 126/143 ) and 100.0％ ( 143/143 ),respectively.Among 286 HIV positive pregnant women,the group with anti-viral treatment had a lower rate of HIV infection with their infants that was 2.14％ (6/280)while the group without anti-viral treatment had a high rate of HIV infection with their infants that was 33.33％ (2/6).There was significandy different in the rates of two groups ( P ＜ 0.01 ).The HIV infection rate of infants fed with milk powder was 2.55％ ( 7/274 ) and the rate was 8.33％ (1/12) with breast milk.Conclusion The HIV-1 DNA detection techniques with DBS sample was effective for the early diagnosis of HIV in infants from 6 weeks to 18 months. Key words: Disease transmission; vertical; Early diagnosis; HIV-i; Diagnostic techniques and procedures
Micro-computed tomography enables rapid surgical margin assessment during breast conserving surgery (BCS): correlation of whole BCS micro-CT readings to final histopathology.

Roughly 23% of breast conserving surgery (BCS) patients undergo a second re-excision procedure due to pathologically positive surgical margins. We investigated the feasibility and potential value of micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) as a surgical margin guidance tool during BCS. A cohort of 32 BCS specimens was prospectively imaged with a pre-clinical micro-CT system upon arrival in the surgical pathology laboratory. Reconstructed micro-CT scans were evaluated retrospectively by an experienced breast radiologist, who provided binary determinations whether lesions extended to the specimen margin. These readings were then compared to the final pathological diagnosis and to 2D specimen radiography readings. Of the 32 specimens imaged, 28 had malignant and four had benign pathological diagnoses. Overall five (four malignant, one benign) of the 32 specimens had lesion tissue extending to the margin. For all 32 specimens, micro-CT reconstructions were calculated (< 4 min. acquisition + reconstruction time) and each specimen was volumetrically analyzed by a radiologist. Of the 28 malignant specimen readings, 18 matched the final pathological diagnosis [64%, 95 CI (47%–81%)], with a negative predictive value of 89% [95 CI (74%–96%)]. Micro-CT readings revealed changes in the tumor location and margin status as compared to single-projection radiography readings. Micro-CT scanning of BCS specimens enabled margin status assessment over the entirety of the surgical surface in a clinically relevant time frame, provided additional spatial information over single-projection radiography, and may be a potentially useful BCS guidance tool.
Comparison of Nucleation Behavior of Surrounding Water Under Optical Excitation of Single Gold Nanostructure and Colloidal Solution

In this chapter, we present the relationship between the superheated liquid and bubble formation for a single optically excited nanostructure at the gold water interface using AlGaN:Er3+ nanothermometry, and contrast these properties with vapor formation in a colloidal solution of optically excited gold nanoparticles. Bubble formation for a single nanostructure at a solid water interface is an inherently a low probability event with superheating of the liquid to the spinodal decomposition temperature. This chapter is reprinted (adapted) with permission from ACS Nano 2014, 8 (2), 1439–1448. Copyright 2014 American Chemical Society.
eSelect: Effective Subspace Selection for Detection of Anomalies

Anomaly detection is used for many applications such as detection of credit card fraud, medical diagnosis and computer system intrusion detection. Many interesting real-world data sets are high dimensional. Detection of anomalies in such datasets is hampered due to the curse of dimensionality. In such datasets the anomalies are hidden in smaller subspaces of attributes. However the number of subspaces possible from a given attribute set increases in a combinatorial fashion. Consequently an exhaustive search through all possible subspaces for anomalies is not computationally feasible. In this paper we propose a method for exploring the subspaces in a high dimensional data set in an effective and organized way to detect anomalies within them while avoiding an exhaustive search over all possible subspaces. The new method is called eSelect. Through extensive experimentation we compare eSelect to a well-established subspace selection method and demonstrate that our newly proposed method attains marked improvements.
Internet networks as a source of social support for women with mobility disabilities during pregnancy

Abstract Background Social support during pregnancy is important for the health of mother and baby, yet little is known about social support available to women with disabilities during pregnancy. Internet social networks are one emerging source of social support, and social networks may help connect mothers with similar disabilities. Objective To examine the perceptions of women with mobility impairments about social support received during pregnancy from three sources: women with similar disabilities and previous pregnancy known in-person, women with similar disabilities and previous pregnancy met via online social networks, and healthcare providers. Methods For this cross-sectional study, an online survey of women with mobility impairments examining emotional and informational social support during pregnancy was distributed through email lists, social media and snowball recruitment. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to examine differences in social support received by source. Results Responses from 63 eligible women were received. The majority of participants (n = 32, 51%) were connected both in-person and online to women with similar disabilities who had been pregnant, but 15 women (24%) were not connected to any women with similar disabilities who had been pregnant. Scores for informational social support from women met online were significantly higher than from women known in-person (p Conclusions Interventions promoting online connections may help leverage an underutilized source of social support for women with mobility impairments seeking social support during pregnancy.
F0-induced formant measurement errors result in biased variabilities

Many developmental studies attribute reduction of acoustic variability to increasing motor control. However, linear prediction-based formant measurements are known to be biased toward the nearest harmonic of F0, especially at high F0s. Thus, the amount of reported formant variability generated by changes in F0 is unknown. Here, 470 000 vowels were synthesized, mimicking statistics reported in four developmental studies, to estimate the proportion of formant variability that can be attributed to F0 bias, as well as other formant measurement errors. Results showed that the F0-induced formant measurements errors are large and systematic, and cannot be eliminated by a large sample size.
Gastro-gastric intussusception in the setting of a neuroendocrine tumor: A case report

Background While in children intussusception is often idiopathic, in adults it is commonly caused by a pathologic condition functioning as a lead point. It is important to note that a variety of pathologic conditions may trigger intussusception, with malignancy being a relatively frequent culprit in adults; this should be considered high on the differential diagnosis during evaluation. Case summary This is a case of a 40-year-old female presenting to the emergency department (ED) with three days of acute on chronic, peri-umbilical abdominal pain described as waxing and waning, and pressure-like in nature. Initial computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast in the ED (after her pain had resolved) re-demonstrated a previously noted 13 mm lesion in the gastric antrum but no clear cause of the pain. Endoscopic ultrasound was pursued, and the mass lesion was sampled via fine needle biopsy. Post-procedure the patient experienced another episode of severe pain which prompted a repeat stat CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast; this re-demonstrated the 13 mm antral lesion and in addition was remarkable for a gastro-gastric intussusception. An upper gastrointestinal gastrograffin series was ordered (completed only after the pain had subsided) and showed resolution of the intussusception. Histopathology was consistent with a diagnosis of low-grade neuroendocrine tumor (NET). Surgery was initially deferred during the hospitilization given the low grade pathology of the lesion; however further multidisciplinary discussion between Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology recommended resection given the patient's recurrent abdominal pain with the NET functioning as a lead point for further intussusception, and the patient thus underwent robotically-assisted wedge resection. Conclusion We present a unique case of severe, intermittent, peri-umbilical pain related to gastro-gastric intussusception caused by an antral NET lead point. The case highlights the importance of considering neoplasms as the cause of intussusception in adults and the greater diagnostic yield when imaging is obtained while symptoms (in this case severe, episodic abdominal pain) are most apparent.
Nondestructive evaluation techniques for thick concrete (Erratum)

Publisher’s Note: This paper, originally published on 19 April 2017, was replaced with a corrected/revised version on 9 January 2020. If you downloaded the original PDF but are unable to access the revision, please contact SPIE Digital Library Customer Service for assistance.
High-sensitivity x-ray/optical cross-correlator for next generation free-electron lasers

We design and realize an arrival time diagnostic for ultrashort X-ray pulses achieving unprecedented high sensitivity in the soft X-ray regime via cross-correlation with a ≈1550 nm optical laser. An interferometric detection scheme is combined with a multi-layer sample design to greatly improve the sensitivity of the measurement. We achieve up to 275% of relative signal change when exposed to 1.6 mJ/cm2 of soft X-rays at 530 eV, more than a hundred-fold improvement in sensitivity as compared to previously reported techniques. The resolution of the arrival time measurement is estimated to around 2.8 fs (rms). The demonstrated X-ray arrival time monitor paves the way for sub-10 fs-level timing jitter at high repetition rate X-ray facilities.
Optical properties of nematic microlenses doped with chiral nanoparticles

Nematic liquid crystals of achiral molecules or racemic mixtures of chiral ones form flat films and show uniform textures between circular polarizers when suspended in sub-millimeter size grids and submersed under water. Recently it was shown that on addition of chiral dopants to the liquid crystal, the films exhibit optical textures with concentric ring patterns with radial variation of the birefringence color, while the films become biconvex. The curved shape together with degenerate planar anchoring leads to a radial variation of the optical axis along the plane of the film, providing a Pancharatnam-Berry type phase lens that dominates the imaging. Here we describe preliminary results of nematic liquid crystal microlenses formed by the addition of chiral nanoparticles. It is found that the helical twisting power of the nanoparticles, the key factor to form the lens, is an order of magnitude greater than that of the strongest molecular chiral dopants. From the observations we present here, we were able to estimate the shape and the geometric focal length of the lens and demonstrated its performance as an optical device. The use of chiral nanoparticles to make microlenses may allow tuning by light that the nanoparticles absorb or, for magnetic NPs, by magnetic fields. Further, the measurement of focal length at known NP concentration offers a new method to measure the helical twisting power of chiral nanoparticles.
Solid and Hazardous Waste

In addition to the liquid and gaseous pollutants discussed in the preceding chapters, communities continue to wrestle with the problem of solid waste management. Unlike wastewater, which can be collected through a system of mains for central treatment, or gaseous discharges, which are simply put back into the atmosphere, most solid wastes must be collected and transported manually, increasing the costs and the potential for exposure of workers. The exceptions are individual incinerators (converting solid waste to air pollution), which have largely been rendered obsolete, and garbage grinders, which convert readily biodegradable solid waste into liquid waste but are restricted to a small percentage of the total waste generated. Thus, it is important to define the categories of solid waste to select the most efficient management system available for each.
A comparison of the academic intrinsic motivation of gifted and non-gifted fifth graders taught using computer simulations and traditional teaching methods

This study investigated the use of interdisciplinary computer-based simulations compared to traditional teaching methods. The academic intrinsic motivation of gifted and non-gifted students was analyzed using a quasi-experimental design, similar to a pretest /posttest design. Students selected for this study were from a large suburban school district in north Texas. The students were from two in-tact groups of fifth grades at two different elementary schools. There were a total of 183 subjects in the study. The experimental group was taught using two multi-disciplinary computer simulations as part of a twelve week unit of study. These simulations include reading, math, science, and social studies content, and require approximately twenty-five hours to complete. The control group was taught the same content using traditional teaching methods. Pretest and posttest scores on the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory were used for analysis. This measurement tool includes subscales for general orientation toward schooling, reading, math, science, and social studies. Analysis of the data revealed no statistical differences and negligible effect sizes in general orientation toward schooling, reading , math, science, and social studies for both gifted and non-gifted students. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to investigate the use of computer simulations over a longer period of time, and at other grade levels. It is also recommended that other dependent variables be investigated.
Dietary agents as histone deacetylase inhibitors: sulforaphane and structurally related isothiocyanates

Dietary agents such as sulforaphane (SFN) and related isothiocyanates exert anti-cancer effects via multiple mechanisms. These mechanisms include epigenetic changes resulting from the inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. Initial studies on HDAC inhibition by SFN in human colon and prostate cancer cells in vitro were supported by experiments in vivo, showing similar HDAC changes in preclinical models of gastrointestinal and prostate cancer. Pilot studies also showed HDAC inhibition in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells when humans consumed a single dose of SFN-rich broccoli sprouts. The possible implications of dietary HDAC inhibitors are discussed here. Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and broccoli sprouts. This anticarcinogen was first identified as a potent inducer of phase 2 detoxification enzymes, but evidence is mounting that SFN acts through other chemoprotective mechanisms.1,2 One exciting new avenue of SFN research focuses on the inhibition of HDAC activity. …
Can Network Governance Reduce Risks for Financial Firms Too Big to Fail

ABSTRACT This paper compares the competitiveness and resilience of firms governed by a single board that were considered “too big to fail” in 2008 with firms governed by a network of boards. Network governance introduces a division of power, checks and balances with stakeholder engagement. Hierarchical firms and/or regulators governed by a unitary board can deny the reliable identification, communication, analysis and mitigation of operating problems and risks. These problems increase with the size of the organization and are exacerbated by information overload on senior managers, directors and/or regulators. The 2008 financial problems were anticipated by some employees and external commentators. However, stakeholders exposed to risks possessed insufficient influence in either governing and/or regulating firms to take corrective action. Empirical evidence reveals that the resilience of network governed organizations arises from distributed intelligence, decision-making and controls that facilitate the mitigation of risks while providing competitive and/or operating advantages. The paper concludes that it is imprudent for regulators to allow financial firms that are excessively large and/or with excessively complex operations to exist without network governance or for any such non-financial firms to be publicly traded.
Analysis of Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) Leaves for Plant Signal Molecules That Activate the syrB Gene Required for Synthesis of the Phytotoxin, Syringomycin, by Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae

An important aspect of the interaction of Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae with plant hosts is the perception of plant signal molecules that regulate expression of genes, such as syrB, required for synthesis of the phytotoxin, syringomycin. In this study, the leaves of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) were analyzed to determine the nature of the syrB-inducing activity associated with tissues of a susceptible host. Crude leaf extracts yielded high amounts of total signal activity of more than 12,000 units g-1 (fresh weight) based on activation of a syrB-lacZ fusion in strain B3AR132. The signal activity was fractionated by C18 reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and found to be composed of phenolic glycosides, which were resolved in three regions of the high-performance liquid chromatography profile, and sugars, which eluted with the void volume. Two flavonol glycosides, quercetin 3-rutinosyl-4[prime]-glucoside and kaempferol 3-rutinosyl-4[prime]-glucoside, and a flavanone glucoside, dihydrowogonin 7-glucoside, were identified. The flavonoid glycosides displayed similar specific signal activities and were comparable in signal activity to arbutin, a phenyl [beta]-glucoside, giving rise to between 120 and 160 units of [beta]-galactosidase activity at 10 [mu]M. Although D-fructose exhibits intrinsic low level syrB-inducing signal activity, D-fructose enhanced by about 10-fold the signal activities of the flavonoid glycosides at low concentrations (e.g. 10 [mu]M). This demonstrates that flavonoid glycosides, which represent a new class of phenolic plant signals sensed by P. s. syringae, are in sufficient quantities in the leaves of P. avium to activate phytotoxin synthesis.
Localization of nitric oxide synthase indicating a neural role for nitric oxide

Nitric oxide (NO), apparently identical to endothelium-derived relaxing factor in blood vessels, is also formed by cytotoxic macrophages, in adrenal gland and in brain tissue, where it mediates the stimulation by glutamate of cyclic GMP formation in the cerebellum. Stimulation of intestinal or anococcygeal nerves liberates NO, and the resultant muscle relaxation is blocked by arginine derivatives that inhibit NO synthesis. It is, however, unclear whether in brain or intestine, NO released following nerve stimulation is formed in neurons, glia, fibroblasts, muscle or blood cells, all of which occur in proximity to neurons and so could account for effects of nerve stimulation on cGMP and muscle tone. We have now localized NO synthase protein immunohistochemically in the rat using antisera to the purified enzyme. We demonstrate NO synthase in the brain to be exclusively associated with discrete neuronal populations. NO synthase is also concentrated in the neural innervation of the posterior pituitary, in autonomic nerve fibres in the retina, in cell bodies and nerve fibres in the myenteric plexus of the intestine, in adrenal medulla, and in vascular endothelial cells. These prominent neural localizations provide the first conclusive evidence for a strong association of NO with neurons.
Effects of trichothecene mycotoxins on the ex vivo vascular smooth muscle responses to β-adrenergic agonists

The ex vivo biophysical response of isolated rat aorta to T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and Roridin-A were determined. Roridin-A caused a dose-dependent relaxation of precontracted (30 mM KCl) aorta, while T-2 toxin and DAS were without effect. On the other hand, the relaxation response of aorta to isoproterenol and sodium fluoride is impaired in the presence of T-2 toxin or DAS. Roridin-A did not alter the relaxation response to isoproterenol or sodium fluoride. These experiments suggest that macrocyclic trichothecenes (e.g., Roridin-A) are capable of altering vascular smooth muscle tone directly, while simple trichothecenes (e.g., T-2 toxin, DAS) interfere with beta-adrenergic responses.
Shifting to a Student-Centered Science Classroom: An Exploration of Teacher and Student Changes in Perceptions and Practices

In this case study, an exemplary seventh grade science teacher’s beliefs, planning decisions, implementation, and student reactions to her student-centered methods were examined over a 4-week unit on genetics. This situation was unique because the teacher was new to the profession and her students had no prior experience with student-centered methods. The teacher designed a learning environment where students were expected to take responsibility for research, but initially students felt unsure about the tasks they were assigned and sought out more structure. As the teacher began to scaffold the material, a balance was achieved that resulted in student engagement during the unit. Findings from the case study can provide teacher educators with factors promoting skillful implementation of student-centered classrooms.
Characterization of protein expression and folding in cell-free systems by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Recent advances in basic research, medicine, and biotechnology provide great motivation for the development of analytical tools to probe the behavior of target biomolecules in complex biological environments. Cell-free transcription-translation systems are an attractive medium for such studies, because they mimic several biochemical features of living cells, yet they are much more amenable to manipulation and spectroscopic analysis. However, few methods are currently available to characterize target proteins in cell-free systems. We have employed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry for the detection and characterization of two cell-free expressed model proteins, cold shock protein A and apomyoglobin (apoMb) in cell-free systems. We exploited a combination of multiple selective isotope-labeling patterns for the identification of both full-length proteins and their in situ-generated proteolytic fragments. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-detected hydrogen/deuterium exchange, performed directly in the cell-free medium, allowed the assessment of apoMb's global degree of folding. The above methods are straightforward in that they do not require high levels of protein expression and allow the efficient characterization of both protein identity and global degree of folding.
Portal hypertension following surgery, x-radiation, and actinomycin D therapy of nephroblastoma

Summary Severe portal hypertension, esophageal varices, and gastrointestinal bleeding were observed in a 61/2-year-old child 21/2 years after a nephrectomy for removal of a right-sided Wilms' tumor. Veno-occlusive disease at the postsinusoidal level was implicated as the cause. This condition is expected to occur with increased frequency as more aggressive therapy is employed for this neoplasm.
Some comparisons among the four picture test, thematic apperception test, and make a picture story test.

(1949). Some Comparisons among the Four Picture Test, Thematic Apperception Test, and Make a Picture Story Test. Rorschach Research Exchange and Journal of Projective Techniques: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 150-154.
The measurement of square channel velocity profiles using a microcomputer-based image analysis system

A technique was developed to perform automated velocity measurements from a sequence of particle images. A very thin sheet of laser light allows determination of essentially two-dimensional velocity profiles in very small conduits. A four image sequence was captured by a microcomputer-based frame grabber. After thresholding to eliminate particles not perfectly centered in the sheet of light, the sequence of pseudo-colored images of a given particle is used to determine its velocity. By measuring several two-dimensional velocity profiles across a square channel, the complete three-dimensional velocity profile was assembled. The experimentally measured velocity profile agrees closely with the known theoretical velocity profile for flow in a square channel.
Statistical behaviour of fatigue crack growth for HY-80 steel plate and its weldments under cathodic protection in seawater and in air

Abstract This paper deals with fatigue crack growth data for various weldments of HY-80 steel plate in seawater and a statistical method for using this data in life predictions and deviations from mean life estimates. Typical results of crack growth behaviour with crack length and examples of the effect of averaging increment on variability of crack growth data are given. The standard deviation for incremental crack growth rates are determined. Use of the data in the calculation of confidence limits in life cycle determination are discussed. The A and N data, from which crack growth data were obtained, were generated on HY-80 base plate and HY-80 weld containing compact tension specimens. They were fatigue-tested either in air at 23°C or in seawater at 23°C. Specimens tested in seawater were also galvanically protected with zinc electrodes. Fatigue loading was at constant ΔK and R = 0.1 or 0.5 . Frequency of loading was 0.3 Hz.
Logic as a Vector System

This paper describes a diagrammatic system of propositional logic in which propositions are taken to be vectors or displacements in a 'logical space'.
Separation of two isozymes of polyamine oxidase from murine L1210 leukemia cells

Polyamine oxidase from L1210 cells has been separated into two isozymes, A and B on the basis of chromatography on hydroxyapatite. The two isozymes also show different elution characteristics from MGBG Sepharose and Sephacryl-300. The molecular weights of A and B isozymes are estimated to be 260,000 and 200,000 daltons, respectively. The two isozymes show different kinetic characteristics with spermidine, spermine, N1-acetylspermine, and N1,N12-diacetylspermine.
Hydrolytic kinetics of biodegradable polyester monolayers

The rate of hydrolysis of Langmuir monolayer films of a series of biodegradable polyesters was investigated at the air/water interface. The present study investigated parameters such as degradation medium, pH, and time. The hydrolysis of polyester monolayers strongly depended on both the degradation medium used to control subphase pH and the concentration of active ions. Under the conditions studied here, polymer monolayers showed faster hydrolysis when they were exposed to a basic subphase rather than that of acidic or neutral subphase. The basic (pH = 10) hydrolysis of [poly(l-lactide)/polycaprolactone](l-PLA/PCL 1/1 by mole) blend was faster than that of each homopolymer at the initial stage. This result is explained by increasing numbers of base attack sites per unit area owing to the very slow hydrolysis of PCL, a dilution effect on the concentration of l-PLA monolayers. Conversely the hydrolytic behavior of l-lactide-co-caprolactone (1/1 by mole) was similar to that of PCL even though the chemical compositions of the blend and the copolymer are very similar to each other. The resistance of the copolymer to hydrolysis might be attributed to the hydrophobicity and the steric hindrance of caprolactone unit in the copolymer.
Stress differentially modulates fear conditioning in healthy men and women.

Background Stress and stress hormones modulate emotional learning in rats and might have similar effects in humans. Theoretic accounts of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example, implicate the stress-induced modulation of fear conditioning in the development of intrusive emotional reactions. The present study examined the impact of acute stress and cortisol (CORT) on classically conditioned fear in men and women. Methods Ninety-four healthy undergraduates were exposed to a mild stressor (or control condition) while subjective anxiety and glucocorticoid stress responses (salivary CORT) were measured. One hour later, all participants participated in a differential fear conditioning procedure while conditioned skin conductance responses (SCR) were recorded. Results Exposure to the stressor increased subjective anxiety and elevated CORT levels. In men, stress exposure facilitated fear conditioning; whereas in women, stress appeared to inhibit fear conditioning. The impact of stress on differential conditioning in men was associated with increased CORT levels. Conclusions Consistent with animal models, these results demonstrate that stress exposure can modulate classical conditioning in humans, possibly via hormonal mechanisms. The enhancing effects of stress on the formation of conditioned fear might provide a useful model for the formation of pathological emotional reactions, such as those found in PTSD.
Systolic hypertension and cardiovascular risk reduction: a clinical review.

In conclusion, SBP and pulse pressure are stronger predictors of cardiovascular risk than is DBP in older individuals, and reduction in events has been more impressive in SBP treatment trials. Because of older morbidity trials that primarily used DBP entry criteria, however, treatment decisions should still include DBP goals. Nevertheless, clinicians should be more attentive to treating SBP, especially in patients older than 60 years.
Nonlocal regularization of L. C. Young's tacking problem

L. C. Young's tacking problem is a prototype of a nonconvex variational problem for which minimizing sequences for the energy do not attain a minimum. The “minimizer” of the energy is usually described as a Young-measure or generalized curve. In many studies, the tacking problem is regularized by adding a higher-order “viscosity term” to the energy. This regularized energy has classical minimizers. In this paper we regularize instead with a spatially nonlocal term. This weakly regularized problem still has measure-valued minimizers, but as the nonlocal term becomes stronger, the measure-valued solutions organize, coalesce, and eventually turn into classical solutions. The information on the measure-valued solutions is obtained by studying equivalent variational problems involving moments of the measures.
Costs and wastes in anesthesia care.

Purpose of reviewThe current economic climate has put pressure on healthcare systems and providers, including anesthesiologists, to minimize costs without sacrificing patient safety. In this review, we discuss costs associated with anesthesia care, including medications and intraoperative monitoring
AHI POKE (RAW TUNA SALAD) CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS IN HAWAII

Ahi poke (raw tuna salad) has a significant role in Hawaiian culture and economy. A consumer survey in Hawaii was used to examine consumers’ purchasing intentions for ahi poke. A censored regression analysis was conducted to analyze these purchases and connect with various consumer characteristics. Results show that many consumers eat ahi poke frequently and different consumer profiles will lead to large differences in the quantity consumed. Information obtained in this study may help producers and retailers to better target their marketing strategies and increase sales.
Molecular spectra of hydrogen and helium in the infrared

Abstract The spectra of H2 and D2 were recorded between 1.68 and 2.86 microns, with improved resolution and wavelength accuracy. This made it possible to obtain, among others, the 3d3Σ, Π → 3p3Σ band systems, with the help of which the relative position of all triplet levels can be determined within the accuracy of the wave-number measurements. The 2p3Π-2s3Σ bands of He24 and He23 were also obtained.
A Study of Finite State Machine Coding Styles for Implementation in FPGAs

Finite State Machines (FSM), are one of the more complex structures found in almost all digital systems today. Hardware Description Languages are used for high-level digital system design. VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) provides the capability of different coding styles for FSMs. Therefore, a choice of a coding style is needed to achieve specific performance goals and to minimize resource utilization for implementation in a re-configurable computing environment such as an FPGA. This paper is a study of the tradeoffs that can be made by changing coding styles. A comparative study on three different FSM coding styles is shown to address their impact on performance and resource utilization for the most commonly used encoding methods for FPGA designs. The results show that a particular coding style leads to a savings in resource utilization with a significant performance improvement over the others while the others pose a consistent performance regardless of the resource utilization outcome.
Characterisation of domestic and industrial sewage in Southern California coastal sediments using nitrogen, carbon, sulphur and uranium tracers☆

A degradation-mixing model has been developed to aid in the interpretation of geochemical processes occurring in sewage-contaminated marine sediment near San Pedro, California. The nitrogen isotope ratio (1514N) is shown to be an effective tracer of sewage discharge-on the San Pedro Shelf. Isotopic fractionation of 15N14N during release of amino compounds or ammonia (as a consequence of bacterial degradation of organic detritus) appears to be negligible. The nitrogen isotope ratio, therefore, may be considered a conservative component for tracing the source of organic matter deposited in marine sediment. Uranium enrichment from seawater is shown not to occur in the highly reducing sewage-contaminated sediments. The content of uranium in the effluent particulates (18 ppm) is large compared with the content in the uncontaminated sediment (3 to 5 ppm). This allows the content of uranium to also be used as a tool for tracing the deposition of sewage particles in marine sediment. Uranium and nitrogen are shown to be incorporated in the organic fraction of sewage effluent and are released during bacterial degradation of the organic matter. Cadmium and sulphur are shown not to be mobilised during sewage deposition and degradation. The stable isotope ratio of sulphur (34S32S) is used to demonstrate that sulphur enrichment occurs in the sediment by in situ reduction of seawater sulphate. The data summarised by Morel et al. (1975) are presented and discussed in accordance with the above model.
Progress of a half century in the study of the Luria–Delbrück distribution

The Luria-Delbruck mutation model has been mathematically formulated in a number of ways. This review article examines four most important formulations, focusing on important practical issues closely linked with the distribution of the number of mutants. These issues include the probability generating functions, moments (cumulants), computational methods and asymptotics. This review emphasizes basic principles which not only help to unify existing results but also allow for a few useful extensions. In addition, the review offers a historical perspective and some new explanations of divergent moments.
LET-23-Mediated Signal Transduction During Caenorhabditis elegans Development

We are using Caenorhabditis elegans vulval induction to study intercellular signaling and its regulation. Genes required for vulval induction include the LIN-3 transforming alpha-like growth factor, the LET-23 epidermal growth factor (EGF)-receptor-like transmembrane tyrosine kinase, the SEM-5 adaptor protein, LET-60 Ras, and the LIN-45 Raf serine/threonine kinase. Inactivation of this pathway results in a failure of vulval differentiation, the "vulvaless" phenotype. Activation of this pathway either by overexpression of LIN-3, a point mutation in the LET-23 extracellular domain, or hyperactivity of LET-60 Ras results in excessive vulval differentiation, the "multivulva" phenotype. In addition to searching for new genes that act positively in this signaling pathway, we have also characterized genes that negatively regulate this inductive signaling pathway. We find that such negative regulators are functionally redundant: mutation of only one of these negative regulators has no effect on vulval differentiation; however, if particular combinations of these genes are inactivated, excessive vulval differentiation occurs. The LIN-15 locus encodes two functionally redundant products, LIN-15A and LIN-15B, that formally act upstream of the LET-23 receptor to prevent its activity in the absence of inductive signal. The LIN-15A and B proteins are novel and unrelated to each other. The unc-101, sli-1, and rok-1 genes encode a distinct set of negative regulators of vulval differentiation. The unc-101 gene encodes an adaptin, proposed to be involved in intracellular protein trafficking. The sli-1 gene encodes a protein with similarity to c-cbl, a mammalian proto-oncogene not previously linked with a tyrosine kinase-Ras-mediated signaling pathway. LIN-3 and LET-23 are required for several aspects of C. elegans development--larval viability, P12 neuroectoblast specification, hermaphrodite vulval induction and fertility, and three inductions during male copulatory spicule development. Fertility and vulval differentiation appear to be mediated by distinct parts of the cytoplasmic tail of LET-23, and by distinct signal transduction pathways.
Retinal arterial macroaneurysms

Retinal arterial macroaneurysms represent a distinct clinical entity. Macroaneurysms are seen in the elderly with a marked female predominance and a strong association with hypertension and arteriosclerotic vascular changes. The classic appearance provides an easy diagnosis; however, variable presentations, such as subretinal hemorrhage, macular exudate, and epiretinal membranes can make the diagnosis difficult. The differential diagnosis of retinal arterial macroaneurysms include retinal telangiectasia, angiomatosis retinae, venous macroaneurysms, background diabetic retinopathy, and cavernous hemangioma. The clinical characteristics of the reported cases are summarized, and our series of 60 patients is presented. The natural history of most macroaneurysms is spontaneous involution without loss of vision. However, visual loss may occur secondary to macular edema, exudate, hemorrhage and neurosensory retinal detachment, and photocoagulation may expedite visual recovery. Photocoagulation treatment may be applied directly to the macroaneurysm, indirectly by surrounding the macroaneurysm, or as a combination of these two methods.
H1N1, but Not H3N2, Influenza A Virus Infection Protects Ferrets from H5N1 Encephalitis

ABSTRACT Seasonal influenza causes substantial morbidity and mortality because of efficient human-to-human spread. Rarely, zoonotic strains of influenza virus spread to humans, where they have the potential to mediate new pandemics with high mortality. We studied systemic viral spread after intranasal infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1 [A/Viet Nam/1203/2004]) in ferrets with or without prior pandemic H1N1pdm09 (A/Mexico/4108/2009) or H3N2 (A/Victoria/361/2011) infection. After intranasal challenge with H5N1 influenza virus, naive ferrets rapidly succumbed to systemic infection. Animals challenged with H5N1 influenza virus greater than 3 months after recovering from an initial H1N1pdm09 infection survived H5N1 virus challenge and cleared virus from the respiratory tract 4 days after infection. However, a prolonged low-level infection of hematopoietic elements in the small bowel lamina propria, liver, and spleen was present for greater than 2 weeks postinfection, raising the potential for reassortment of influenza genes in a host infected with multiple strains of influenza. Animals previously infected with an H3N2 influenza virus succumbed to systemic disease and encephalitis after H5N1 virus challenge. These results indicate prior infection with different seasonal influenza strains leads to radically different protection from H5N1 challenge and fatal encephalitis. IMPORTANCE Seasonal influenza is efficiently transmitted from human to human, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. Rarely, zoonotic strains of influenza virus spread to humans, where they have the potential to mediate new pandemics with high mortality. Infection of naive ferrets with H5N1 avian influenza virus causes a rapid and lethal systemic disease. We studied systemic H5N1 viral spread after infection of ferrets with or without prior exposure to either of two seasonal influenza virus strains, H1N1 and H3N2. Ferrets previously infected with H1N1 survive H5N1 challenge while those previously infected with H3N2 die of encephalitis. However ferrets protected from lethal H5N1 infection develop persistent low-level infection of the small intestine, liver, or spleen, providing a nidus for future viral strain recombination. The mechanism by which prior infection with specific strains of seasonal influenza virus protect from lethal H5N1 challenge needs to be elucidated in order to design effective immunization and treatments.
A merit pay allocation model for college faculty based on performance quality and quantity

Abstract The salary of most college and university faculty in the United States is based on merit and market factors, rather than on a fixed scale. This article proposes a structured model for faculty performance evaluation that explicitly considers both quality and quantity of faculty output in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. Detailed criteria for measuring the quantity of performance outputs and for assigning quality weights are presented. The model allows faculty to emphasize different aspects of their work, e.g. teaching or scholarship. The model proposes merit pay allocation in proportion to a faculty member's contribution to a department's overall performance output.
Ab initio study of chain branching reactions involving second generation products in hydrocarbon combustion mechanisms

sec-Alkyl radicals are key reactive intermediates in the hydrocarbon combustion and atmospheric decomposition mechanisms that are formed by the abstraction of hydrogen from an alkane, or as a second generation product of n-alkyl H-migrations, C–C bond scissions in branched alkyl radicals, or the bimolecular reaction between olefins and n-alkyl radicals. Since alkanes and branched alkanes, which the sec-alkyl radicals are derived from, make up roughly 40–50% of traditional fuels an understanding of their chemistry is essential to improving combustion systems. The present work investigates all H-migration reactions initiated from an sec-alkyl radical that involve the movement of a secondary hydrogen, for the 2-butyl through 4-octyl radicals, using the CBS-Q, G2, and G4 composite methods. The resulting thermodynamic and kinetic parameters are compared to similar reactions in n-alkyl radicals in order to determine underlying trends. Particular attention is paid to the effect of cis/trans and 1,3-diaxial interactions on activation energies and rate coefficients. When combined with our previous work on n-alkyl radical H-migrations, a complete picture of H-migrations in unbranched alkyl radicals is obtained. This full data set suggests that the directionality of the remaining branched chains has a minimal effect on the rate coefficients for all but the largest viable transition states, which is in stark contrast to the differences predicted by the structurally similar dimethylcycloalkanes. In fact the initial location of the secondary radical site has a greater effect on the rate than does the directionality of the remaining alkyl chains. The activation energies for secondary to secondary reactions are much closer to those of the secondary to primary H-migrations. However, the rate coefficients are found to be closer to the corresponding primary to primary reaction values. A significant ramification of these results is that there will be multiple viable reaction pathways for these reactions instead of only one dominant pathway as previously believed.
Combined effects of CO2 and light on large and small isolates of the unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean

We examined the combined effects of light and pCO2 on growth, CO2-fixation and N2-fixation rates by strains of the unicellular marine N2-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii with small (WH0401) and large (WH0402) cells that were isolated from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. In low-pCO2-acclimated cultures (190 ppm) of WH0401, growth, CO2-fixation and N2-fixation rates were significantly lower than those in cultures acclimated to higher (present-day ∼385 ppm, or future ∼750 ppm) pCO2 treatments. Growth rates were not significantly different, however, in low-pCO2-acclimated cultures of WH0402 in comparison with higher pCO2 treatments. Unlike previous reports for C. watsonii (strain WH8501), N2-fixation rates did not increase further in cultures of WH0401 or WH0402 when acclimated to 750 ppm relative to those maintained at present-day pCO2. Both light and pCO2 had a significant negative effect on gross : net N2-fixation rates in WH0402 and trends were similar in WH0401, implying that retention of...
Silanization of glass in the making of ion-sensitive microelectrodes

The silanization of glass, particularly Pyrex, was studied using reaction conditions that might be applied in the fabrication of ion-sensitive microelectrodes of the liquid-membrane type. The efficacy was tested by measuring the hydrophobicity (contact angle) or electrical resistivity of the treated surface. Aminosilanes, such as trimethyl-(dimethylamino)-silane are better than chlorosilanes, the optimum temperature is 250–330°C, and the reaction comes near to completion in 5 min. Silanization of glass that is newly exposed (as in the pulling of a micropipette) is greatly improved if the surface is treated with acid. There is considerable variation from one kind of glass to another. A recipe for making double-barrelled ion-sensitive microelectrodes is given.
The structure of dialykl and diaryl phosphonates

Abstract Nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r) studies of the 31 P nucleus in alkali metal salts of dialkyl and diaryl phosphonates dissolved in diglyme demonstrate that the phosphorus in such salts exists in the trivalent form. Acid base studies show that the salts of dialkyl phosphonates resemble to alcoholates with respect to their base strength.