cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Macrophage Migration and the Roles of WASP, Cdc42, and PI3K

Macrophages are an important component of the innate immune response and their ability to migrate toward pathogens is critical to their success as first responders. Several proteins are known to contribute to the migration of macrophages and their roles have been studied using Boyden chambers, Dunn chambers, and micropipette pointsources. However, visualizing macrophage migration has been difficult due to their inherently strong adhesion. We have been able to study macrophage migration in two dimensions using a novel surface preparation in which PDMS coated coverslips are stamped with the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. LR5 macrophages were individually tracked on these surfaces in the presence of CSF-1, a physiologically relevant chemokine, using time-lapse microscopy. Analysis of the trajectories of motion has allowed us to describe motility in terms of speed, persistence time, and the random motility coefficient. LR5 cells in which endogenous Cdc42 or WASp was reduced using small interfering RNA were also examined to determine the role of these proteins in migration. Our results indicate that reduction of WASp levels leads to a significant reduction in motility. The knockdown of Cdc42 leads to a reduction in the random motility coefficient and sensitivity to ligand chemistry. Our results are in contrast to other studies which have linked Cdc42 and WASp to directional sensing but have found no defect in random motility. The roles of PI3K in macrophage migration are currently being investigated. We are also beginning to study the forces macrophages produce while migrating using microfabricated post array detectors. The cell lines with reduced protein levels will also be studied on posts to determine the role of each protein in force production.
Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents by Reactive Polymers

Nucleophilic hydrolysis of chemical warfare agents (CWA), S-2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl O-ethyl methylphosphonothioate (VX), O-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate (soman, or GD), and isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin, or GB) by polyacrylamidoxime (PANOx) and poly(N-hydroxyacrylamide) (PHA) has been demonstrated. The reactive PANOx and PHA were obtained by one-step oximation of polyacrylonitrile and polyacrylamide, respectively. The polymers were converted to their respective oximate salts at pH values greater than the pKa of oximate or amidoximate groups of 7.5 and 10.8, respectively. Although the PANOx and PHA exhibited spontaneous hydrolysis at ambient temperature and humidity, the conversion of the hydroxamate into the unreactive carboxylic groups was insignificant even at prolonged storage, so that the polymers maintained reactivity at ambient conditions. When exposed to ambient air or 100% humidity, the polymers imbibed up to 65 wt % water, which dramatically enhanced the polymer reactivity to...
Assignment of the human gene for galactokinase to chromosome 17

EVIDENCE presented here and in the report by Elsevier et al.1 mutually establishes the assignment of the human gene for galactokinase (EC 2.7.1.6), the enzyme which converts galactose to galactose-1-phosphate, to chromosome 17. This assignment is based on a syntenic relationship between the genes for thymidine kinase and galactokinase.
Managerial Socioeconomic Characteristics and Size of Operation in Beef Cattle Feeding—An Application of Discriminant Analysis

REVIOUS STUDIES pertaining to size of operation have claimed that significant cost savings are associated with size in beef cattle feeding [6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17]. However, these studies considered only the physical factors associated with the production and marketing of beef, completely ignoring managerial ability and its probable effect on size of operation. Real or imaginary, the internal and external cost-savings factors associated with size have been considered the incentive for the increase in size of feedlots [16]. Other studies have indicated that willingness to assume risk and uncertainty and possession of scientific and economic know-how characterize the managers of large-size feeding operations [4, 5, 13]. These studies suggest that a large-size feedlot is not necessarily only a product of internal and external factors associated with size but that it is also affected by the socioeconomic characteristics of the managerial input. The dilemma faced by economists studying economies of scale may involve violation of the ceteris paribus conditions; the analysis fails to hold everything except for scale constant. If the socioeconomic characteristics of management are related to size of operation, the phenomenon that some studies identified as economies of scale may not be true economies of scale but simply a reflection of the superior managerial capabilities of the large-size operator. However, the extent to which the manager's socioeconomic characteristics are related to size -that is, the extent to which ceteris paribus conditions are violated-has not been quantified or empirically tested. In this paper indices are developed to measure the socioeconomic characteristics of feed-
A Vitrage of Asteroid Magnetism

In the early solar system, some protoplanets experienced large-scale melting, leading to the formation of a metallic core overlain by a rocky mantle. This differentiated structure has persisted to the present day in large bodies such as Earth. In Earth's core, vigorous churning of molten metallic liquid generates the geomagnetic field in a process known as the dynamo ( 1 ). Although we have no samples of Earth's core, many smaller protoplanets were catastrophically shattered over the intervening eons, producing the present-day asteroid belt and providing us with meteorite samples from their deep interiors. These samples provide a natural cross section of asteroid interiors, with stony meteorites thought to have formed at shallow depths and iron meteorites in the core. Intermediate in composition between these two types are the pallasites, spectacular mixtures of translucent, gem-quality olivine crystals and iron-nickel metal that, when backlit, take on the quality of a medieval stained-glass window (vitrage) (see the first figure). The origin of pallasites and the nature of their parent body ( 2 ) have perplexed meteoriticists since the first, eponymous meteorite Pallas was described in 1794 ( 3 ). On page 939 of this issue, Tarduno et al. ( 4 ) suggest that the pallasite parent body was the product of a near-catastrophic impact of a molten body onto a differentiated protoplanet with an active core dynamo.
Insertion of Mu1 elements in the first intron of the Adh1-S gene of maize results in novel RNA processing events.

Maize transposable elements, when inserted in or near genes, alter expression by several transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Three independent, unstable insertions of the transposable element Mutator (Mu) into the first intron of the Alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (Adh1) gene have been shown to decrease expression [Strommer et al. (1982). Nature 300, 542-544]. We have developed an approach to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the mutant phenotypes. Mu1 elements were inserted into Adh1-S intron 1 in vitro to create plasmid facsimiles of the mutant alleles. The Mu1 element was also inserted at novel positions within intron 1 to create new mutations. The Mu1/intron constructions were placed between the Adh1-S promoter/exon 1 segment and a reporter gene (firefly luciferase or beta-glucuronidase), and these chimeric gene constructs were tested in transient assays in maize protoplasts. When compared with the appropriate control, the Mu1 insertions decreased reporter gene expression to levels approximating the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme activities observed for the Adh1-S mutants in vivo. The Mu1 insertions also showed a polarity effect with luciferase expression increasing as the insertions were placed nearer the 39 splice junction. In addition, Mu1 insertions within a different intron, actin intron 3, also significantly reduced luciferase expression, indicating that Mu1 insertions within introns are likely to diminish expression in many genes. The presence of the Mu1 sequences was correlated with decreased levels of steady-state luciferase transcript. Deletion analysis of the Mu1 element and RNase mapping indicate that the transposable element contains RNA processing signals in its central region that are largely responsible for the decrease in expression.
Direct gauging of the Poincaré group V. Group scaling, classical gauge theory, and gravitational corrections

Homogeneous scaling of the group space of the Poincare group,P 10, is shown to induce scalings of all geometric quantities associated with the local action ofP 10. The field equations for both the translation and the Lorentz rotation compensating fields reduce toO(1) equations if the scaling parameter is set equal to the general relativistic gravitational coupling constant 8πGc −4. Standard expansions of all field variables in power series in the scaling parameter give the following results. The zeroth-order field equations are exactly the classical field equations for matter fields on Minkowski space subject to local action of an internal symmetry group (classical gauge theory). The expansion process is shown to breakP 10-gauge covariance of the theory, and hence solving the zeroth-order field equations imposes an implicit system ofP 10-gauge conditions. Explicit systems of field equations are obtained for the first- and higher-order approximations. The first-order translation field equations are driven by the momentum-energy tensor of the matter and internal compensating fields in the zeroth order (classical gauge theory), while the first-order Lorentz rotation field equations are driven by the spin currents of the same classical gauge theory. Field equations for the first-order gravitational corrections to the matter fields and the gauge fields for the internal symmetry group are obtained. Direct Poincare gauge theory is thus shown to satisfy the first two of the three-part acid test of any unified field theory. Satisfaction of the third part of the test, at least for finite neighborhoods, seems probable.
Exact quantum cross sections for a three dimensional angle dependent model for three body reactions

Exact quantum mechanical reactive cross sections are reported for a three dimensional angle dependent model surface. The surface simulates an atom-heteronuclear diatom system A + BC leading to AB + C where atom B is much heavier than A or C. The molecules BC and AB are taken to be rotating vibrators which can dissociate. Results for two angle dependent potentials are given.
Effects of gamma radiation on Gunn diodes

Changes in Gunn diode performance caused by 1.25 MeV Co-60 gamma radiation have been studied. Hall effect measurements as a function of temperature made on GaAs crystals grown by liquid epitaxy reveal an energy level 0.13 eV below the conduction band which was not detectable before irradiation. Detailed measurements of low-field resistance were carried out on Gunn diodes together with output power and FM noise in a fixed X-band cavity as a function of gamma ray fluence. The power output was degraded by 3 dB after a fluence of about 3×1017photons/cm2and oscillations ceased at fluences two to three times this value. The FM noise increased only slightly and can be related to the change in matching of the diodes to the cavity. These effects are explained in terms of carrier removal, in that irradiation generates deep levels which trap conduction electrons and reduce the carrier concentration. A theoretically derived power degradation curve for Gunn diodes is given and compared with the experimental results.
Single-leg-stance radiographs in the diagnosis of pelvic instability.

Background: In the nonacute setting, the diagnosis of pelvic instability is difficult. Patients who present with pelvic pain may have underlying instability. The purpose of the present study was to report the effectiveness of single-leg-stance radiographs in the diagnosis of pelvic instability in a consecutive series of patients presenting with pelvic pain. Methods: Thirty-eight consecutive patients (twenty-four women and fourteen men) ranging in age from eighteen to seventy-eight years who presented with pelvic pain and a history of injury (twenty-seven), childbirth (seven [four primiparous and three multiparous]), or osteopenia (four) were evaluated with a visual analog scale pain score and a standard series of radiographs in an attempt to identify pelvic instability. The average time from the onset of symptoms to the evaluation was forty-one months (range, six weeks to twenty-seven years). Each patient was evaluated with supine anteroposterior, inlet, and outlet pelvic radiographs; a standing anteroposterior pelvic radiograph; and two single-leg-standing pelvic radiographs (one with the patient standing on the left leg and one with the patient standing on the right leg). A positive finding was defined as ≥0.5 cm of vertical translation measured at the symphyseal bodies between the two single-leg-stance radiographs. Results: Of the thirty-eight patients, twenty-five demonstrated pelvic instability (average, 1.98 cm; range, 0.5 to 5 cm). With the numbers available, the average visual analog scale pain score for the patients with a stable pelvis was not significantly different from that for the patients with an unstable pelvis (6.4 ± 2.9 compared with 7.3 ± 1.9; p = 0.28). Conclusions: Standing anteroposterior and single-leg-stance pelvic radiographs aid in the diagnosis of pelvic instability more effectively than do the standard three radiographs of the pelvis made in the supine position or a standing anteroposterior radiograph of the pelvis alone. Additional studies will be needed to correlate this instability with clinical symptoms. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Oceanic Aeronautical Satellite Systems

This paper provides a summary of the oceanic air traffic control problems and a description of the use of satellite technology that offers solutions to some of the problems. An outline of the current experimentation and evaluation programs is discussed together with the possible use of an international program for a dedicated aeronautical satellite system. Included is a brief system description of the proposed technical requirements for this system.
Matrix Isolation EPR Spectroscopy of Biradicals

Modem physical organic chemistry has emphasized the direct spectroscopic observation of reactive intermediates. The goal has been to determine the intrinsic properties of these critical structures and thereby verify or revise the properties ascribed to them by the landmark efforts of the preceding generation. Stable ion media, gas phase techniques, flash photolysis and related highly time-resolved spectroscopies, and matrix isolation have all provided successful approaches to direct observation. The technique of choice depends upon the information desired and, more critically, on the nature of the particular reactive intermediate.
Carbohydrates for Physical Activity A Strategy to Avoid Undesirable Health Consequences

Intake of carbohydrates above the dietary guidelines to support performance of physical activity is common but may be unnecessary and counterproductive. Sports nutrition guidelines have not been de...
Mutations of mitotic checkpoint genes in human cancers

Genetic instability was one of the first characteristics to be postulated to underlie neoplasia1,2,3. Such genetic instability occurs in two different forms. In a small fraction of colorectal and some other cancers, defective repair of mismatched bases results in an increased mutation rate at the nucleotide level and consequent widespread microsatellite instability4,5,6,7. In most colorectal cancers, and probably in many other cancer types, a chromosomal instability (CIN) leading to an abnormal chromosome number (aneuploidy) is observed8. The physiological and molecular bases of this pervasive abnormality are unknown. Here we show that CIN is consistently associated with the loss of function of a mitotic checkpoint. Moreover, in some cancers displaying CIN the loss of this checkpoint was associated with the mutational inactivation of a human homologue of the yeast BUB1 gene; BUB1 controls mitotic checkpoints and chromosome segregation in yeast. The normal mitotic checkpoints of cells displaying microsatellite instability become defective upon transfer of mutant hBUB1 alleles from either of two CIN cancers.
Use of focus groups as a tool to enhance a pharmaceutical care practice

Objectives To demonstrate the utility of the focus group as a tool for pharmacists to use to determine the perceived drug-related needs of patients and prescribers and to use the information collected from focus groups to create a practice enhancement plan. Design Focus groups consisting of patients, prescribers, and pharmacists were asked a series of questions exploring potential drug-related needs and their views regarding who should take responsibility for addressing these needs. The information was synthesized to reveal items of consistency and disparity among groups, and the findings were used to create a plan for a developing pharmaceutical care practice. Setting Grocery store chain pharmacy in a suburban metropolitan area. Patients and Other Participants Pharmacy patients, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PA)s, and pharmacists. Results Data describing the process of focus group application in a community pharmacy setting and information relevant to enhancement of a specific practice were collected. Total time required to gather information was approximately 60hours. Focus groups were held with NPs/PAs and patients; pharmacists were interviewed. Patients' self-described drug-related needs included education, ensuring they receive the right medication, ensuring efficacy, interaction screening, and refills. Prescribers defined their needs as primarily administrative, specifically mentioning formulary management. Both patients and NPs/PAs saw pharmacists primarily as a source for medications and medication information and did not view them as significant contributors to comprehensive drug therapy management. Conclusion Focus groups are a useful method for gathering information for the purpose of practice development. Data gathered through this work identified a significant gap in awareness of both the qualifications and capabilities of pharmacists, suggesting that future success of the pharmaceutical care practice is dependent on altering existing perceptions held by patients and prescribers.
On-Demand Maximum Battery Life Routing with Power Sensitive Power Control in Ad Hoc Networks

For on-demand power-aware routing in wireless multi-hop networks, no efficient mechanism is currently available to avoid the overhead involved in frequently learning the available battery power at the nodes and then choosing the route that maximizes node lifetimes. In [12], we presented a localized, variable transmission range power control strategy called power sensitive power control (PCON) to simultaneously increase the network lifetime (time of first node failure) and reduce the end-to-end delay. Here, we show that PCON when used with poweraware routing algorithms like Min-Max Battery Cost Routing (MMBCR) [15], can divert routes from heavily used nodes to lightly used nodes in a timely, on-demand fashion and maximize network lifetime, minimize delay per packet compared to on-demand MMBCR operated at the minimum common transmission power with periodic route refreshing. We support our claim with extensive simulations conducted by implementing MMBCR and PCON on top of DSR [9] in ns-2 [4].
Where music and knowledge meet: a comparison of temporary events in Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio

This article contributes to the literatures on knowledge communities, knowledge exchange, knowledge bases and cultural and creative industries. It suggests that short-term events in even ‘ordinary’ places can meet the criteria for knowledge communities and, therefore, deserve greater attention from scholars. Examples from the music economy are presented in order to expand thinking on knowledge communities with respect to industrial influence and scale. In addition, by comparing a music industry conference in Los Angeles with a music-related project in Columbus, Ohio, processes of knowledge exchange are examined in relation to the concepts of local and global buzz and pipelines and new work in this area. By focusing on the characteristics of knowledge involved in training sessions for independent artists within the two temporary events, a blurring of the boundary between the symbolic and synthetic knowledge bases is proposed.
The Functional Disability Inventory: Measuring a Neglected Dimension of Child Health Status

Described the development and validation of the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) for school-age children and adolescents. Results provide support for construct, concurrent, and predictive validity. FDI scores also demonstrated stability over a 3-month period in patients with a chronic condition, and the instrument was sensitive to changes in patient status subsequent to medical treatment. There was some evidence that gender played a role in disability, particularly in adolescence. The instrument may be used (a) in studying individual differences in pediatric disability, (b) in examining the relation of disability to psychosocial functioning in the child and other family members, or (c) as an outcome measure in assessing the impact of interventions on patient functioning.
The Impact of Military Service in World War I on Africans: the Nandi of Kenya

It is widely believed that old soldiers are a problem. At least since the beginning of this century, western governments have been concerned with the issue of ‘helping’ veterans to readjust to civilian life upon their return from campaigning. It is assumed that these men would, if left to their own devices, find it difficult or impossible to ‘pick up from where they had left off’, and might, therefore, become a subversive element in the general population. Hence, one of the largest bureaucracies in the United States is the Veterans Administration which is charged with fitting ex-soldiers back into society. To a certain extent the concerns over whether they would be satisfied after their demobilisation have proved to be justified. The dislocations experienced by returned American servicemen after World War II were illustrated by popular films like ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’. More recently, the American press paid considerable attention to the role of the black veterans of Vietnam in the violence which destroyed much of Newark, Detroit, and Watts in the late 1960s.
The Guanidine Cycle

Disturbances in nitrogen balance are the hallmark of renal insufficiency. More sophisticated studies indicate that this is not simply a matter of balance. While failure to excrete adequate quantities may be the initiating event, a variety of adaptions and compensatory phenomena complicate the picture.
Prolonged survival of the anoxic lung with metabolic inhibitors in normothermic and hypothermic conditions

istant as we may seem to be from a solution of the complex problems of pulmonary transplantation, there is no doubt D that many of them, including transient preservation of the ischemic lung, have been resolved to practical application. Many workers have shown that the warm ischemia time of the lung must be very brief if irreversible damage is to be avoided. Methods of intracorporeal preservation are needed since, with rare exceptions, lungs for clinical use can be obtained only from cadavers. Intracorporeal preservation would extend the period of utilization of an ischemic lung to allow adequate preparation of the recipient and also a comfortable, unhurried surgical procedure. The present experimental work is based on metabolic inhibition with magnesium, which can reduce substrate utilization comparable to that achieved by mild hypothermia and extend several-fold the anoxic survival time of the isolated heart [16, 201. The metabolic inhibitors may stabilize membranes of the cell or of subcellular structures, prevent enzyme depletion, or delay autodigestion of the cell by its metabolically active enzymes. In addition, by reducing metabolism they may prevent intoxication of the cell by accumulating toxic products. Thus, the metabolic inhibitors could allow the in situ preservation of cadaver organs for a longer period without impairment of their anatomical and functional integrity. In this study, we have used a simple lung-preservation technique by perfusion of the lung in situ with magnesium sulfate under nor-
Multimodal Annotation to Support Web Learning Activities

This paper describes a multimodal annotation system called Gym2Learn, and its experimentation with deaf students. The system was developed at our Institute in the framework of the project CORFAD "Centro di competenza per la promozione e il testing di metodologie e prototipi di ambienti per lpsilaOrientamento e la Formazione A Distanza", funded by the Industrial Department through the European Regional Operational Programme for Sicily.
Two Energy-Saving Schemes for Cooperative Transmission with Opportunistic Large Arrays

An opportunistic large array (OLA) is a form of cooperative diversity in which a large group of simple, inexpensive relays or forwarding nodes operate without any mutual coordination, but naturally fire together in response to energy received from a single source or another OLA When used for broadcast, OLAs form concentric rings around the source, and have been shown to use less energy than conventional multi- hop protocols. This paper proposes two schemes, one for general OLA transmission and one specifically for upstream routing in the topology of wireless sensor networks, that each save over 50% of the energy of flooding. The OLA-T scheme uses a transmission threshold to suppress nodes that would make weak contributions. The OLA Concentric Routing Algorithm (OLACRA) takes advantage of the concentric ring structure of broadcast OLAs to limit flooding on the upstream connection. Combination of these two schemes and variations of OLACRA are evaluated in terms of energy savings and probability of successful upstream routing.
Saving and Well-Being at the Base of the Pyramid Implications for Transformative Financial Services Delivery

Although much saving research has been conducted in affluent nations, little is known about consumer saving and well-being at the base of the pyramid, which includes over 3 billion people who live ...
A method of generating 200-990 MHz electric fields for electromagnetic susceptibility testing

A method for generating constant-amplitude electric fields used for swept-frequency electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) testing in the frequency range 200-990 MHz is developed. The test equipment used to generate the fields has parameters which vary as a function of frequency, such as antenna factors, cable loss, reflection coefficient of the measurement site, amplifier gain, etc. The output voltage of the signal generator is increased or decreased as the frequency is swept to compensate for these parameters and produce a constant-amplitude electric field. The method is implemented using a programmable spectrum analyzer, in which the voltage corresponding to the electric field measured in a characterization run is stored in a data file. Another program compares this voltage with that corresponding to the desired field strength, and stores the difference in a second data file. Using a third computer program, this voltage difference is used to control the input to a programmable signal generator to generate a constant-amplitude electric field. >
Half-Widths and Line Shifts of Water Vapor for Atmospheric Applications: Measurement and Theory

Pressure-broadened half-widths are the principal source of error in the retrieval of concentration profiles for the Earth’s atmosphere. The importance of the pressure-induced line shift is now becoming understood. In this work the current state of knowledge of the line shape parameters for water vapor transitions is discussed with respect to the experimental record and the theory. The measurement databases that have been compiled and the intercomparisons of measurements are discussed. The theoretical determination of the line shape parameters via the Complex Robert- Bonamy (CRB) formalism is presented. The dependence of the line shape parameters on rotational state, vibrational state, imaginary terms, temperature, intermolecular potential, collision dynamics, and method of calculation are discussed. Finally a comparison of the CRB line shape parameters with the measurement database is made and compared with the intercomparisons of the measurements.
Mapping of Practices of State Transportation Agencies for Consultant Oversight of Construction Engineering and Inspection Services

Over the past few decades, state transportation agencies (STAs) have outsourced various functional activities traditionally performed by in-house personnel in reaction to increasing workloads and diminishing staff. To cope with the situation, STAs have developed and implemented various tools and practices for management and oversight of construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services. A national CEI survey was conducted to provide detailed mapping of various tools and practices used for CEI services and to understand the primary advantages and disadvantages of using CEI consultants. The survey found that STAs used a wide variety of tools and practices to define the scope of work for CEI services, select consultants, and administer CEI consultant contracts. Statistical analyses of variance estimated that CEI consultant management and oversight practices varied significantly; this finding may imply multiple underlying factors in the choice of one practice over another. One of the most important findi...
Pectoralis Major Muscle

1. The pectoralis major muscle is not necessary for normal shoulder function but is required in the performance of athletics or other strenuous activity. 2. Normal tendons do not rupture except at the musculotendinous junction or the tendon insertion. 3. A muscle can hold about four times as much as it can lift. Ruptures of muscles in healthy athletes are due to the application of excessive weight when the muscle is holding at its maximum power. 4. A roentgenogram of the chest will reveal the absence of the shadow of the pectoralis major muscle if rupture has occurred, and this can be an aid in diagnosis.
Legionnaires' disease and associated comorbid conditions as causes of death in the U.S., 2000-2010

Objective Recent U.S. outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease (LD) underscore the virulent nature of this infectious pneumonia. To date, only a paucity of literature has described the mortality burden of LD. This study updates LD mortality using U.S. multiple-cause-of-death data from 2000-2010. Methods We calculated crude and age-adjusted rates for LD mortality for age, sex, race, state, Census region, and year. We conducted Poisson regression to assess seasonal and temporal trends. We generated matched odds ratios (MORs) to describe the association between LD-related deaths and other comorbid conditions listed on the death certificates. Results We identified a total of 1,171 LD-related deaths during 2000-2010. The age-adjusted mortality rate remained relatively static from 2000 (0.038 per 100,000 population, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.031, 0.046) to 2010 (0.040 per 100,000 population, 95% CI 0.033, 0.047). The absolute number increased from 107 to 135 deaths during this period, with adults ≥45 years of age having the highest caseload. Overall, LD mortality rates were 2.2 times higher in men than in women. White people accounted for nearly 83.3% of all LD-related deaths, but the age-adjusted mortality rates for black and white people were similar. Comorbid conditions such as leukemia (MOR=4.8, 95% CI 3.5, 6.6) and rheumatoid arthritis (MOR=5.6, 95% CI 3.3, 9.4) were associated with LD diagnosis on death certificates. Conclusion Comorbid conditions that could lead to an immunocompromised state were associated with fatal LD on U.S. death certificates. Characterization of LD mortality burden and related comorbidities has practice implications for clinical medicine and public health surveillance.
Laboratory Modeling and XRD Characterization of the Hydration Reactions of Lignite Gasification and Combustion Ash Codisposal Waste Forms

Cementitious reactions in gasification and combustion ash derived from North Dakota lignite permit the fabrication of monolithic wastes forms from nonhazardous ash by-products and hazardous liquid wastes from a coal gasification plant. To better understand such cementitious reactions, x-ray diffraction has been used to characterize the hydration reaction products of crystalline phases in the gasification and combustion ashes from the Beulah, ND, complex and the crystalline reaction products formed. A cementitious lignite fly ash was also studied. pH of solutions at a liquid to solid ratio of 2.4 and times up to 14 days was measured, and compared to pH calculated from leachate chemical analyses. Reactions were monitored for up to one year. Among the principal crystalline phases in gasification ash, carnegieite (Na1.5Al1.5Si0.5O4) was the most reactive. Solution pH’s for two samples of gasification ash were in excess of 13; carnegieite reaction may be responsible in part for these very high pH’s. Hydration products included gaylussite, (Na2 Ca(CO3)2·5H20), a carbonate-sulfate ettringite structure phase, calcite and three or more zeolites (NaA, laumontite, faujasite and/or NaX). Ettringite and calcite were the principal hydration reaction products of scrubber ash, fly ash and the composite codisposal waste form. The formation of ettringite may be one of the principal reactions responsible for consolidation of the waste forms (along with noncrystalline calcium silicate hydrate formation which could not be observed by XRD). Ettringite was observed to decrease in abundance at long reaction times. Calcium aluminate monosulfate hydrate formed in the later stages of the fly ash reaction.
Surface Morphology and Composition Characterization at the Initial Stages of AlN Crystal Growth

The morphology and composition of AlN crystals on 6H-SiC (0001) at the initial stage of crystal growth by sublimation re-condensation technique were investigated by SEM and SAM. Discontinuous AlN coverage occurred after 15 minutes growth. The AlN nuclei size, and growth rate increased as temperature increased or pressure decreased. The SiC substrate decomposed leaving hexagonal hillocks; simultaneously, the AlN nucleated on these SiC hillocks apparently rotated by 15° to 30°. The chemical composition of the substrate and different AlN crystal facets were characterized by SAM. The bare substrate area was stoichiometric SiC with insignificant conversion to silicon nitride, while Si and C preferentially incorporated in the AlN at the initial stages of growth on specific crystal planes.
Etiology analysis of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Shijiazhuang from 2009 to 2012

Objective To reveal the pathogenic characteristics of hand- foot- and- mouth disease in Shijiazhuang from 2009 to 2012,so as to provide basis for prevention and control of HFMD. Methods Clinical specimens were collected from HFMD patients to detect the enterovirus(Enterovirus(EV),human enterovirus71(EV71),coxsackie virus A16(CA16)) with RT- PCR or Real time RT- PCR. Results There were 2699 enterovirus samples in 3360 clinical specimens,and 2274 specimens were EV71 and CA16,accounting for 67. 68%; In 2009 and 2012,CA16 was the main epidemic pathogen in Shijiazhuang,and EV71 took the place in 2010 and 2011; In the same year,pathogen composition varied among 24 counties. And in the same county,pathogens altered with the years; EV71 was the main pathogen type in severe and death cases. Conclusion The pathogen types and epidemic regularity of HFMD are complex in Shijiazhuang,which increases the difficulty in preventing and controlling. It is highly necessary to strengthen the surveillance on epidemiology and etiology of HFMD all over the counties,and take pertinence measures to control the epidemic of HFMD effectively.
Comprehensive Laboratory Evaluation of Impotent Men

A thorough diagnostic evaluation was done on 27 impotent men. In addition to a detailed history and physical examination each patient underwent a psychiatric interview, Doppler penile blood pressure determination and measurement of the bulbocavernosus reflex latency time. Abnormalities in penile blood pressure were detected in 67 per cent of the patients, neurologic abnormalities were found in 41 per cent and psychiatric disorders were noted in 35 per cent. Of the 27 patients 48 per cent had a combination of neurologic, psychiatric and vascular abnormalities. A definite cause-and-effect relationship between these abnormalities and impotence has not been established.
Effect of a 16-Week Yoga Program on Blood Pressure in Healthy College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 16-week yoga program on blood pressure (BP) in healthy college students. Twenty-five students (M age = 28.24, SD = 10.64) participated in yoga class twice per week for 16 weeks. Thirty-one students (M age = 28.77, SD = 7.23) attended a lecture (control condition) at approximately the same time as yoga. Resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were assessed at the beginning and end of the 16-week semester. Repeated measures ANCOVAs with pre-study BP as the covariate were used to test group BP differences across time (pre- to post-study). The SBP ANCOVA indicated yoga had a moderate statistically significant greater effect on lowering SBP compared to the control condition (p = .03, ES = .61). The DBP ANCOVA revealed that yoga produced a small statistically nonsignificant greater effect on lowering DBP compared to the control condition (p = .22, ES = .24). After the additional demographic variables were considered, regression analyses showed that the effect of yoga on lowering SBP compared to the control remained significant (p = .04), and the effect of yoga on lowering DBP compared to the control remained nonsignificant (p = .32). The results support regular yoga practice as a method of lowering SBP in healthy college students.
Aiding economic freedom: Exploring the role of political institutions

Abstract Can foreign aid promote economic freedom? The existing literature does not provide a conclusive answer. Using a panel of 108 countries from 1971 to 2010, we provide insight to this discussion by examining aid's impact on economic freedom conditional on the quality of political institutions. We find some evidence suggesting that aid can improve economic freedom when given to democracies, but it may decrease it in autocracies. Also, aid given to entrenched regimes may reduce economic freedom. We illustrate that the results are sensitive to model selection, choice of controls, time period sample, and measurement of aid. Our results have important policy implications. Most countries that ‘need’ aid do not have healthy political institutions. As such, aid is less likely to have a positive impact on economic freedom, partially explaining the contradictory findings in the literature. This also highlights the difficulty of finding a top-down solution to institutional improvements.
Separation of Hinge Glycopeptides of Human IgD by HPLC

Amino acid sequence analysis of myeloma proteins has established that all five classes of human immunoglobulins have the same tetrachain structural pattern. However, the five classes differ greatly in the structure of the hinge region connecting Fab and Fc (1). Previous studies (2) of the human IgD protein WAH showed that the hinge region has an unusual structure with two dissimilar sections; the C- terminal half, which is highly charged, is extremely sensitive to proteolysis, whereas the N-terminal half is rich in galactosamine (GalN), which may confer on IgD an important function as a cell receptor (3). Determination of the amino acid sequence of the IgD hinge region has been very difficult for several reasons: 1) the heterogeneity and steric hindrance of the carbohydrate chains, 2) difficulty in purification of a series of similar large glycopeptides, 3) technical problems of sequence analysis. To facilitate structural studies of IgD, we have developed reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) for preparative isolation of glycopeptides.
Realization of Gain with Electromagnetically Induced Transparency using Zeeman Sublevels in 87Rb for Gravitational Wave Detection

We show how to realize a negative dispersion medium using Zeeman sublevels in 87Rb, which produces a broad gain with an electromagnetically induced transparency dip, for enhancing the sensitivity-bandwidth product of a gravitational wave detector.
Glial Cell Activity within the Ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray of Male and Female Rats

Morphine is one of the most commonly prescribed medications for the relief of prolonged pain. Both basic science and clinical studies indicate that females require 2-3 times more morphine than males to achieve the same analgesic effect. To date, the mechanisms underlying sex differences in opiate responsiveness are unknown. Recent studies suggest that glial cells are potent modulators of morphine-based analgesia, and in particular, decrease the analgesic effect of opiates. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the sexually dimorphic effects of morphine were due to sex differences in glial cell activity. Our studies focused on the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) as this region of the brain is critical for the analgesic effects of morphine. Adult male and female Sprague Dawley rats (250g400g) were procured from Charles River Laboratories, and were allowed 7 days to acclimate to the new facility. On the day of the experiment, animals received a subcutaneous injection of morphine (5mg/kg) or were handled in a similar manner. Thirty or 60 minutes after injections or handling, animals were perfused with a 4% paraformaldehyde and 2.5% acrolein tissue fixative solution. Brains were removed and stored in 20% sucrose until ready for sectioning. Brains were sectioned at 25μm using a freezing microtome, and immunohistochemical localization of markers for astrocyte glial cell activity was performed. Antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were used to label activated astrocytes. If our hypothesis is correct, then females will have significantly greater density of the astrocyte cell activity marker GFAP as compared with males. Sex differences in PAG glial cell activity may provide the biological bases for the sexually dimorphic effect of morphine. This research may lead to better treatment for females experiencing prolonged chronic or neuropathic pain. INDEX WORDS: Glia, Astrocytes, Chronic Pain GLIAL CELL ACTIVITY WITHIN THE VENTROLATERAL PERIAQUEDUCTAL GRAY OF MALE AND FEMALE RATS
Physician Champions Are Key to Improving Antibiotic Prescribing Quality

Article-at-a-Glance Background The previously reported IMPAACT study was a cluster randomized controlled trial of a patient and physician educational intervention designed to reduce antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. On average, the intervention resulted in a modest improvement in antibiotic prescribing behavior at the end of Year 1 and further improvement after Year 2. Yet the intervention's impact was large at some sites but minimal or even negative at others. A study was undertaken to identify organizational factors that influenced the effectiveness (Organizational Effect Modifiers [OEMs]) of the intervention. Methods Focus groups of nurses and ED staff and semistructured interviews of local project leaders, nurse managers, and quality improvement (QI) officers were performed at seven EDs across the United States. Effectiveness of the local project leader, institutional emphasis on patient satisfaction ratings, and institutional history with and approach to QI were initially identified as key potential OEMs. Two investigators independently read the transcripts for each site and, using prespecified rating scales, rated the presence of each OEM. Findings The perceived effectiveness of the local project leader was most strongly linked to the effectiveness of the intervention. Perceived institutional emphasis on patient satisfaction and institutional history of and approach to QI (top down or bottom up) did not appear to be closely linked with intervention effectiveness. Discussion An effective local leader to serve as a physician champion was key to the success of this project. Organizational factors modify the effectiveness of QI interventions targeting individual physician performance and should be addressed during program implementation.
Towards electro-optical integration of hybrid III-V on Si lasers into the BEOL of a CMOS technology

Interconnects have become a severe bottleneck in today's computing hardware [1]. For large-scale data centers in particular, the interconnect situation is even more severe [2]. The interconnect bandwidth and bandwidth density have to be increased on all system-levels. The ideal technology to increase the density is Si photonics (SiPh). While the integration of most of the SiPh components has been mastered already on a 90 nm CMOS platform [3], the integration of III-V materials to yield directly-modulated lasers still poses a major challenge. This integration is considered as the cornerstone for reaching a complete, yet cost-competitive, SiPh-CMOS marriage. Most concepts shown so far [4, 5] either lack CMOS-compatibility or have device dimensions that hinder the integration of the laser into a standard BEOL. To allow for a common BEOL between SiPh and CMOS, we integrate the III-V material between the FEOL and BEOL, within the first interlayer dielectric ILD0' (Fig. 1). Such integration imposes tight requirements on device dimensions as well as several technological challenges that have to be mastered. We report here on decisive aspects of such integration. This represents a major step towards a full integration of III-V, SiPh and CMOS.
Inflammasomes and Cancer: The Dynamic Role of the Inflammasome in Tumor Development.

Chronic Inflammation in tumor microenvironments is not only associated with various stages of tumor development, but also has significant impacts on tumor immunity and immunotherapy. Inflammasome are an important innate immune pathway critical for the production of active IL-1 and IL-18, as well as the induction of pyroptosis. Although extensive studies have demonstrated that inflammasomes play a vital role in infectious and autoimmune diseases, their role in tumor progression remains elusive. Multiple studies using a colitis-associated colon cancer model show that inflammasome components provide protection against the development of colon cancer. However, very recent studies demonstrate that inflammasomes promote tumor progression in skin and breast cancer. These results indicate that inflammasomes can promote and suppress tumor development depending on types of tumors, specific inflammasomes involved, and downstream effector molecules. The complicated role of inflammasomes raises new opportunities and challenges to manipulate inflammasome pathways in the treatment of cancer.
Extended--and Extending--Literacies.

We examine the impact of Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading (BNR) (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkinson, 1985) with the idea of extending literacy learning beyon...