cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of exposure to bulls on resumption of estrous cycles following parturition in beef cows.

The effect of bull exposure on the resumption of estrous activity following parturition was studied in an experiment using mature Hereford and Hereford X Angus beef cows. In the spring of 1981 and 1982, cows were assigned by breed and calving date to one of two treatment groups. Cows were exposed to bulls either from 3 to 85 d postpartum (BE; n = 45, 1981; n = 35, 1982) or from 53 to 85 d postpartum (NE; n = 39, 1981, n = 36, 1982). Blood samples were collected from all cows once weekly from calving until 85 d postpartum to determine progesterone concentrations. The first increase in progesterone, which indicated onset of estrous cycles occurred at 43 +/- 2 vs 63 +/- 2 d (P less than .01) in 1981 and at 39 +/- 2 vs 61 +/- 3 d (P less than .01) postpartum in 1982 in BE cows and NE cows, respectively. Early postpartum exposure of cows to bulls reduced the postpartum anestrous interval.
Natural History of Patients Presenting with Autoimmune Hepatitis and Coincident Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background Given the increase of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population, a similar rise might be expected in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients.
Takotsubo Syndrome: An Historical Perspective

For the past 25 years there has been an accelerating stream of literature reports on a pathological entity, called Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) (2,882 items in Pubmed, in response to the MeSH term “takotsubo”, as of 4/5/16),1 a term coined by Sato et al,2 and Dote and al,3 when they described in 1990 and 1991 respectively a transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunctional state, which make the angiographic silhouette of the LV in systole of the involved patients to resemble “takotsubo”, a wide based, narrow necked Japanese fishing tool used to capture octopuses. These authors attributed TTS to a diffuse coronary vasospasm, since the emerging clinical picture appeared to be of ischemic nature, and the coronary arteries were not occluded, or severely stenotic.2,3 Although the pathophysiology of TTS remains to date elusive, the overwhelming support from the literature1 suggests that coronary vasospasm is not at the roots of TTS, although it could be a contributor, if a multi-factorial etiological underpinning is assumed.4 The original descriptions of TTS are inaccessible to the Western physicians, since they are written in Japanese,2,3 but after a hiatus of 10 years from those reports, the first article written in English, listed in Pubmed, appeared in 2000, which ushered in the avalanche of accelerating reporting on TTS we are currently experiencing.1
Low-dose enoximone in subjects awaiting cardiac transplantation. Clinical results and effects on beta-adrenergic receptors.

During a 3-year period we administered enoximone, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor with positive inotropic and vasodilator properties, to 73 pretransplantation patients with end-stage heart failure who exhibited a clinical requirement for additional inotropic support. The clinical course and myocardial β-adrenergic receptor status in the explanted hearts of these 73 patients was compared with results in 113 concurrently listed pretransplantation patients not requiring additional inotropic support. Only three patients required cessation of enoximone because of adverse effects, all from exacerbation of ventricular arrhythmias. Sixty-six of the 73 (90.4%) enoximone-treated patients ultimately underwent cardiac transplantation a mean of 39.2 ± 6.6 days (range 1 to 221 days) after starting enoximone, whereas seven patients (9.6%) died awaiting cardiac transplantation. The respective 1-, 3-, and 6-month pretransplantation survival rates of patients treated with enoximone calculated from their time on the waiting list for transplantation were 88.0%, 82.5%, and 82.5% compared with 92.1%, 83.8%, and 76.2% in control patients not receiving enoximone (all p = not significant). In 25 patients who received enoximone, ventricular myocardial β-adrenergic receptors were measured at the time of transplantation and compared with values in failing ventricles from 52 pretransplantation patients not exposed to enoximone. Compared with ventricular myocardium of patients not given enoximone or intravenous β-adrenergic agonists, total β-adrenergic receptor (β1 plus β2) density was not decreased in patients treated with enoximone or enoximone plus intravenous β-adrenergic agonists, but was decreased by 31 % (p
Implications of Variation in the Relationships between Beneficiary Characteristics and Medicare Advantage CAHPS Measures.

Objective To study how differences in quality score adjustments across Medicare Advantage contracts change comparisons for individuals and contracts. Data Sources Responses to the Medicare Advantage implementation of the Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey from 2010 to 2014. Study Design We fit national-and state-level hierarchical models to predict CAHPS scores for individuals and contracts, adjusted for self-reported education, general health, and mental health. We allow the effects of these variables on quality measures to vary across contracts with a hierarchical model. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We perform secondary data analysis. Principal Findings For average consumers, standard adjustment is sufficient to represent variation in contract quality standardized to a common population. For people with characteristics far from average, personalized reporting using their characteristics and contract-specific coefficients can substantially change the expected quality measures across contracts. This effect is stronger when comparing among contracts within a state than across all contracts. Conclusions Customized reporting may help consumers select the best Medicare Advantage plan, but policies should protect against unintended consequences.
Cystic Diseases of the Liver

This manuscript provides a concise surgical review of cystic diseases of the liver. Attention is paid to diagnosis, pre-surgical evaluation, surgical techniques, including laparoscopy, and post-surgical care of the patient with cystic disease of the liver.
The Fuzzy Logic of Accessibility

Accessibility is a measure of association linking people (or places) with some target destination or node. In its most general formulation, accessibility is not limited to a strictly geographic interpretation. Thus, instead of spatial proximity, accessibility may represent the ease with which one may gain entry to certain social or communications networks. The rapid advent of emerging information technologies increases the imperative task for geographers and other social scientists to develop models that are sufficiently robust to accommodate the concept of accessibility in its physical, social, and technological manifestations. To that end, this paper examines the potential to combine the fuzzy logic of Zadeh (1965) and Kosko (1992) with the club theory of Tiebout (1956) and Buchanan (1965) to model accessibility in both geographic and non-geographic contexts.
NEW REALITIES, NEW RELATIONSHIPS: Diversity initiatives vs. residency programs: Agents of change?

L'article decrit les efforts realises dans trois universites americaines pour repondre a la question de la diversite sur le campus, et notamment de la representation multiculturelle au sein du personnel des bibliotheques. Qu'il s'agisse d'initiatives et de declarations pour la diversite ou bien de programmes pour les residents de minorites, les deux types d'approches doivent etre complementaires.
Immigration Provisions in the Violence Against Women Act: Implications for Asian Indian Marriage Migrants

ABSTRACTWe explore the perspectives of 26 domestic violence advocates from 14 nonprofit organizations on gaps in the immigration-related provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as these relate to the intersectional needs and experiences of Asian Indian marriage migrants. Findings indicate that, based on immigration status and other intersectional locations, policy provisions differentially affect this population. In addition, because agencies focus on broadly defined populations (immigrants or women), but victims’ locations are intersectional, intersectional policy analysis and coordination between and across agencies formulating and administering policies are required to meet the needs of abused Asian Indian marriage migrants.
Newly Discovered Crania of Nyanzachoerus jaegeri (Tetraconodontinae, Suidae, Mammalia) from the Woranso-Mille (Ethiopia) and Reappraisal of Its Generic Status

Suids are among the most common mammalian groups in the Plio-Pleistocene vertebrate fossil record of Africa and the most studied largely due to their significance as biochronological indicators. However, despite their abundance in the fossil record, the remains are mostly isolated teeth and fragmentary crania and mandibles. As a result, disagreements have persisted in terms of their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships. Here, we present for the first time a detailed description of the cranial anatomy of Nyanzachoerus jaegeri based on two crania recovered from middle Pliocene deposits of the Woranso-Mille paleontological study area, Afar region, Ethiopia. Understanding the cranial morphology of this species is particularly significant given the recent reclassification of Nyanzachoerus jaegeri to the genus Notochoerus based largely on the incisor and symphyseal morphology of specimens from Kanapoi, Kenya. Here, we show that the two genera are clearly distinguished from each other by distinct morphological features of the cranium such as the shape of the braincase, orientation of the zygomatic arches, and premolar/molar ratio, among others. Furthermore, we show that the mandibular and dental morphological features identified by some workers as characteristic of Notochoerus are variable among tetraconodont species and that Nyanzachoerus jaegeri best fits within the genus Nyanzachoerus.
Making EU Justice Smart? Looking into the Implementation of New Technologies to Improve the Efficiency of Cross Border Justice Services Delivery

Recently, there is a growing attention on the topic of “smart technologies”. Many scholars and specialized journals pay attention to the development of smart tools and to their characteristics of “smartness”. Despite scholars talk of smart technology in many fields from e-government to health-care, there is a very scarce focus on technologies developed in order to digitalize justice procedures (e-justice). This chapter focuses on the topic of e-justice through the lenses of the smart technology literature in order to understand which are the main elements of smartness in the e-justice context and how a service can support them. In order to pursue this objective, the study first analysed the smart technology literature in order to acknowledge which are the main features of a smart technology. This allowed to design a “smart technology framework” that has been applied to the analysis of two e-justice services developed in Europe, the European e-Justice Portal and e-CODEX. By checking which features of smartness the two services are endowed with, we shed light on the peculiarities of e-justice and on which are the main issues that may impede these systems from being smart. In particular, the study acknowledges that when digitalizing justice procedures often the technology reproduces the same issues affecting the legal procedure itself. Even if both cases analyzed demonstrate to be “smart” in terms of multidimensionality, interoperability, adaptability and effectiveness, they are affected by issues related to diffusion and equal accessibility mainly due to the legal procedure that the two services digitalize.
Food access, local foods, and community health

In this analysis, we look for patterns in the relationship between food access, local foods, and community health at the US county level. We take an ecological approach using 2012 Census of Agricul...
Population pharmacokinetics of extended-release levetiracetam in epileptic dogs when administered alone, with phenobarbital or zonisamide.

Background Extended-release levetiracetam (LEV-XR) has gained acceptance as an antiepileptic drug in dogs. No studies have evaluated its disposition in dogs with epilepsy. Hypothesis/objectives To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of LEV-XR in epileptic dogs when administered alone or with phenobarbital or zonisamide. Animals Eighteen client-owned dogs on steady-state maintenance treatment with LEV-XR (Group L, n = 6), LEV-XR and phenobarbital (Group LP, n = 6), or LEV-XR and zonisamide (Group LZ, n = 6). Methods Pharmacokinetic study. Blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 hours after LEV-XR was administered with food. Plasma LEV concentrations were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography. A population pharmacokinetic approach and nonlinear mixed effects modeling were used to analyze the data. Results Treatment group accounted for most of the interindividual variation. The LP group had lower CMAX (13.38 μg/mL) compared to the L group (33.01 μg/mL) and LZ group (34.13 μg/mL), lower AUC (134.86 versus 352.95 and 452.76 hours·μg/mL, respectively), and higher CL/F (0.17 versus 0.08 and 0.07 L/kg/hr, respectively). The half-life that defined the terminal slope of the plasma concentration versus time curve (~5 hours) was similar to values previously reported for healthy dogs. Conclusions and clinical importance Considerable variation exists in the pharmacokinetics of LEV-XR in dogs with epilepsy being treated with a common dose regimen. Concurrent administration of phenobarbital contributed significantly to the variation. Other factors evaluated, including co-administration of zonisamide, were not shown to contribute to the variability. Drug monitoring may be beneficial to determine the most appropriate dose of LEV-XR in individual dogs.
Synchronous colorectal carcinoma: predisposing factors and characteristics.

AIM Whether some diseases are related to the occurrence of synchronous colorectal carcinoma (sCRC) is unknown. Investigating the risk factors and presentation of sCRC could aid in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The prognosis of sCRC compared with that of solitary CRC remains unclear. METHODS A total of 17 093 CRC patients were recruited between 1st January 1995 and 31th December 2016. The risk factors of sCRC development were assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The effect of sCRC on survival was analysed using the multivariate Cox regression model. RESULTS The prevalence of sCRC was 5.6% in this study. The independent risk factors of sCRC development were advanced age (P < 0.001), male sex (P < 0.001), hereditary cancer (P < 0.001), hypertension (P < 0.001) and liver cirrhosis (P = 0.024). Compared with solitary CRC, a higher number of patients with sCRC presented with an abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level (P = 0.011), anaemia (P < 0.001) and hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that sCRC was a significant factor for poor survival in patients at TNM Stage I [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.86; P < 0.001], Stage II (HR = 1.65; P < 0.001) and Stage III (HR = 1.40; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In addition to hypertension and liver cirrhosis, other risk factors for sCRC were identified in this study. The prognosis of patients with sCRC was significantly worse than that of those with solitary CRC through TNM Stages I to III. Anaemia, abnormal CEA and hypoalbuminemia were more commonly seen in patients with sCRC.
Differential gene expression identifies KRT7 and MUC1 as potential metastasis-specific targets in sarcoma

Author(s): Jiang, Long; Tolani, Bhairavi; Yeh, Che-Chung; Fan, Yanying; Reza, Joseph A; Horvai, Andrew E; Xia, Endi; Kratz, Johannes R; Jablons, David M; Mann, Michael J | Abstract: Background:Despite numerous discoveries regarding the molecular genesis and progression of primary cancers, the biology of metastasis remains poorly understood. Compared to very large numbers of circulating tumor cells that are now known to accompany nearly all cancers, a relatively limited number of lesions actually develop in most patients with metastases. We hypothesized that phenotypic changes driven by differential gene expression in a finite subpopulation of tumor cells render those cells capable of metastasis and sought to identify key pathways through analysis of gene expression in primary and metastatic lesions from the same patients. Methods:We compared whole-genome expression in 4 matched samples of primary and metastatic sarcoma, then evaluated candidate genes with differential expression via quantitative PCR in 30 additional matched sets, tumor tissue immunostaining, siRNA loss-of-function in a sarcoma cell migration assay, and clinical correlation with overall and disease-free survival after metastasectomy. Results:Comparison of microarray signals identified differential expression of cell adhesion genes, including upregulation of KRT7 and MUC1 in metastases; KRT7 and MUC1 upregulation was confirmed in 22 (73%) and 20 (67%) matched sets of metastatic/primary tumors, respectively. Silencing of KRT7 and MUC1 via targeted siRNAs suppressed sarcoma cell migration in vitro, and a significant correlation (two-sided) was observed between both KRT7 and MUC1 expression in metastases and overall patient survival. Conclusion:KRT7 and MUC1 may play a significant role in enabling sarcoma metastasis, and they may therefore be important prognostic biomarkers as well as potential targets for therapeutic prevention of metastasis.
First-in-human, randomized dose-escalation study of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of PF-06480605 in healthy subjects.

Aims Human genetic, tissue expression, proteomics, transcriptomics and nonclinical studies implicate tumour necrosis factor α-like ligand 1A (TL1A) as a novel target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PF-06480605, a fully human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, targets TL1A. This first-in-human, Phase 1, dose-escalation study assessed safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) PF-06480605 in healthy subjects (NCT01989143). Methods Ninety-two subjects were randomized to single ascending doses (SAD), PF-06480605 1 mg, 3 mg, 10 mg, 30 mg, 100 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg or 800 mg IV, or multiple ascending doses (MAD), PF-06480605 3 × 500 mg IV, or 3 × 30 mg, 3 × 100 mg, or 3 × 300 mg SC every 2 weeks for three doses, or placebo. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity profiles and total TL1A, anti-drug antibody (ADA) and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels were assessed at pre-determined times. Results PF-06480605 SAD up to 800 mg IV and MAD up to 300 mg ×3 SC and 500 mg ×3 IV were well tolerated. Overall, there were 45 and 44 treatment-emergent adverse events in SAD and MAD cohorts, respectively, and no deaths or serious adverse events. PF-06480605 exposure generally increased dose-dependently. ADA and NAb levels did not impact safety, pharmacokinetics, or pharmacodynamics at higher doses. Target engagement was demonstrated through dose-dependent differences in serum total soluble TL1A concentrations for PF-06480605 vs placebo cohorts. Conclusions PF-06480605 was generally well tolerated, and binding of soluble TL1A was maintained throughout the dose interval, supporting further study of PF-06480605 in patients with IBD and other inflammatory conditions.
Helping Develop Students’ Civic Identities through Exploring Public Issues

Social studies teachers need to prepare students for their many roles and responsibilities as future citizens. This includes being able to analyze politicians’ recommendations about public issues and then making informed decisions on candidates and policies to support. In this manuscript, the author provides the steps and resources for an activity that builds students’ civic identity. Through the activity, students examine both Republicans and Democrats’ solutions to healthcare. They use the 2016 party platforms to complete this activity. Through all of the steps of this activity, students start to develop their own political identities about ways to address issues that they will face as future citizens.
Complication risk despite preventive endoscopic measures in patients undergoing endoscopic mucosal resection of large duodenal adenomas.

Background Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is the standard treatment of ampullary and nonampullary duodenal adenomas. EMR of large (10–29 mm) and giant (≥ 30 mm) lesions carries a risk of complications such as delayed bleeding and perforation. Prospective data on duodenal EMR are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic procedures (clipping and coagulation of visible vessels) to prevent complications after EMR of large and giant lesions. Methods 110 patients with 118 adenomas (29 ampullary and 89 nonampullary) were included prospectively. Results 15 lesions were small (12.7 %), 68 were large (57.6 %), and 35 were giant (29.7 %). Endoscopic prevention of delayed complications was performed in 81.4 % (n = 96) of all lesions and 94.3 % (n = 33) of giant lesions. Complete resection was achieved in 111 lesions (94.1 %). Complications were 22 delayed bleedings (18.6 %), 3 intraprocedural perforations (2.5 %), 2 delayed perforations (1.7 %), and 1 stricture (0.8 %). Major complications were associated with lesions size ≥ 30 mm (28.6 % vs. 9.6 %; P = 0.02) and ampullary adenomas (27.6 % vs. 11.2 %; P = 0.07). All minor bleeding and 75 % of major bleeding episodes were treated endoscopically; 25 % of major bleedings needed radiologic embolization. Two fatal courses were observed when delayed perforation occurred after EMR of giant lesions. Residual adenoma was detected in 20.4 % at first follow-up. Conclusions EMR of giant duodenal neoplasia carries a substantial risk of major complications and recurrences. Resection technique and prevention of delayed complications need to be improved. Further measures should be evaluated in randomized studies.
Research on the Integration Development Mode of China's Media Industry and Capital Market

With the rapid development of Internet and digital technology, China’s media industry has been developing rapidly in this context, but at the same time, it also exposed some practical problems such as the shortage of funds. The effective integration with the capital market is the future development trend. Therefore, this paper establishes the research on the integration development mode of China’s media industry and capital market. This paper makes an in-depth study on the current media industry and capital market. Through this study, it is believed that the current media industry in China has reached the bottleneck of development, and the shortage of funds has restricted the sustainable development of enterprises. The capital market is also optimistic about the market prospect of media industry, but it is subject to the current open policy and market environment. In view of this situation, this paper analyzes the structure of the media industry and the main forms of the extra industry capital entering the media industry. It is believed that the biggest reason for the media industry’s demand for capital comes from the fact that many media enterprises have changed from the original public institutions into self-financing enterprises without the financial support of the government. In this paper, combined with the main characteristics of China’s media industry, as well as the current capital market environment, integrated with advanced financial management concepts, put forward the development of media financing mode with Chinese characteristics, which makes up for the shortcomings of the current media financing mode.
Educational Data Mining and Learning Analytics for Improving Online Learning Environments

The proliferation of educational technology systems has led to the advent of a large number of datasets related to learner interaction. New fields have emerged which aim to use this data to identif...
Evaluating the vaccination coverage: validity of household-hold vaccination booklet and caregiver's recall.

We compared results from household data sources to medical record sources by using data from a vaccination coverage survey.Vaccination coverage (VC) was calculated based on parental recall, househo...
Determining research data services maturity: The role of library leadership and stakeholder involvement

Abstract As technology and the stewardship of research data continue to improve, academic libraries have made progress in establishing themselves as hubs and leaders for research data services on campus. They have been called on to assure cross-campus collaboration and support to develop a united service to meet their community's needs. However, evidence as to how libraries play a crucial role in leadership, whether other stakeholders' involvement makes a difference, and if so, how that involvement makes a difference is not well-documented. The findings of this study add empirical evidence in supporting the value of library's leadership and stakeholder engagement in developing research data policy and services. The secondary analysis of the survey data found that libraries tend to offer more extensive services when they take primary responsibility for developing the policy and service. It also found that the more internal stakeholders involved in developing the policy and service, the higher level of service maturity the libraries offer. Partnership with external stakeholders leads to more comprehensive and deeper services.
Religion and War Resistance in the Plowshares Movement

1. Challenges and trajectories 2. Historical development of the U.S. Plowshares Movement 3. Tactical legitimation and the theology of resistance 4. Sustaining commitment 5. Death of a charismatic leader 6. Intermittent resistance: the German, Dutch, and Australian Plowshares Movements 7. Internal tensions and implosion: the Swedish Plowshares Movement 8. Witnessing or winning? The British Plowshares Movement 9. From failed attempts to persistent resistance: understanding divergent movement trajectories.
The Variational Theory of Turbulence Applied to Convection in Porous Materials Heated from below

This chapter is about the variational theory of turbulence. The theory gives bounds on some of the average properties of statistically stationary, possibly turbulent, flow. Already in § 35 we applied this theory to find a bound on the mass flux which could be transported by turbulent Poiseuille flow at a fixed, externally given mean pressure gradient. Now we turn to a much simpler problem: we shall seek a bound on the maximum possible value of the heat transported which can be achieved by a statistically stationary motion of a fluid in a saturated porous material heated from below. We exploit the problem of porous convection to illustrate the aims, assumptions and methods of the variational theory of turbulence in its simplest mathematical context.
Parametric polynomial curves

Spline curves and surface patches have an innate mathematical beauty and broad practical application in the field of computer graphics. Yet the subject proves difficult to convey to beginning graphics students averse to math and theory in general. The difficulty is mitigated by having students complete an implementation of carefully prepared scaffold code. A particular code framework allows focusing student effort on understanding the algorithm and the theory rather than the visualization details. In this manner understanding is developed and reinforced by means of an exercise no more difficult than a short lab assignment.
FROM THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE TO “PURE AVARICE”: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW AND THE FRAMING OF CRIME IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract: The view advanced in this article is that over the past few decades, the efforts of Sub-Saharan Africa elites to promote human rights discourse and establish liberal institutions of the nation-state have constrained the space for justifiable law-breaking and enlarged the category of criminality. Taken together, national and international security are now pursued more through the idiom of crime and rule of law than through the political process. As a result, there is more crime than there used to be in sub-Saharan Africa. It means that law-breaking and collective political opposition is more often construed as criminal behavior. Not only have the classifications changed, but so have the ways of knowing about violence in Africa, and all the while, a legal prism for apprehending transgressions has gained greater prominence. This paper illustrates this general argument by reference to South Africa during its transition from apartheid in the 1990s and to the international criminal tribunals presently prosecuting violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone. The argument works best for those post-conflict countries affected by liberal political and legal reforms and the interventions of international criminal law, and that now includes many sub-Saharan countries, but not all. It does not apply to relatively peaceful and prosperous countries such as Tanzania or Botswana. It does not work for Zimbabwe, but may once a post-Mugabe transition is underway. Keywords: Human rights. Crime. Rule of law
Antibodies and the Brain: Lessons from Lupus

![Figure][1] Betty Diamond My laboratory has been studying lupus for about 25 years. I was first introduced to autoimmunity as a medical student. Kurt Bloch gave five lectures on all of immunology, and they were mesmerizing. I became committed to lupus research when I learned that Flannery
All-digital MEMS tuning-fork self-excited vibration control by phase-relation using TAD-based ADPLL

For achieving an all-digital resonant MEMS gyroscope, this paper presents an all-digital MEMS tuning-fork self-excited vibration control method, using TAD (Time-A/D converter)-based all-digital PLL (TAD-ADPLL) by applying a unique control algorithm based on entirely time-domain processing, which uses no conventional analog method such as automatic gain control (AGC) or automatic level control (ALC). The proposed algorithm involves three-step processing: 1) driving a tuning-fork using the ADPLL for searching its self-resonant frequency, 2) comparing the phase difference between drive-pulse signal and monitor-pulse signal, which should be 90o (π/2-radian) each other, and 3) keeping 90o-relationship between them even with any drift factors such as temperature, supply voltage, etc. In this method, TAD-type TDC (time-to-digital converter) digitizes the resonant frequency and phase difference alternately in order to realize self-excited vibration condition along with TAD-type DCO (digitally-controlled oscillator) without the need for any analog circuit method. By using a conventional piezoelectric MEMS tuning-fork element, we experimentally confirmed its self-excited vibration, resulting in its resonance jitter level of σ = 52.6ns at 37μs-self-resonance period. Finally, we propose an all-digital synchronous detection of angular-rate signal for achieving a digital-type gyro sensor.
Biochemical effects of tobacco etch virus infection on tobacco leaf tissue—II.: Polyphenol oxidase activity in subcellular fractions

Abstract The effect of tobacco etch virus infection on polyphenol oxidase (O-diphenol: O-quinone oxidoreductase) activity in subcellular fractions of tobacco leaf tissue was investigated. Activity was found in the chloroplast fraction (1000 × g fraction), in the “mitochondrial” fraction (12,000 × g fraction), and in the “soluble” fraction (12,000 × g supernatant). Enzyme activity increased in all fractions, but not equally. The highest increase, based on specific activity, was in the chloroplast and soluble fractions. Total protein of all fractions and chlorophyll of the chloroplast fraction were decreased by infection, but both protein and chlorophyll per chloroplast were unchanged.
Unusual presentation of a chondromyxoid fibroma of the mandible: Report of a case and review of the literature

Chondromyxoid fibromas are uncommon central bone tumors that are most often found at the proximal metaphyses of long bones. Chrondromyxoid fibromas of the jaws are very rare with only 18 reported cases in the literature. This article reports on a recurrent chondromyxoid fibromas of the mandible in a 10-year-old boy. In addition, a literature review of the clinical and histologic features, as well as the diagnostic pitfalls and recommended modalities of treatment are presented.
The ins and outs of p53.

Moving proteins between cellular locations is proving to be a tightly regulated process, and provides an important mechanism for controlling protein function. The tumour-suppressor protein p53 has been shown to use microtubules to aid nuclear localization, a finding that raises interesting questions about the action of microtubule-disrupting chemotherapeutic drugs.
On the Computational Complexity of Type 2 Functionals

Cook has proposed three necessary conditions that a class C of type 2 functionals must satisfy in order to be the intuitively correct class of polynomial time computable functionals. We consider a strengthening of Cook's conditions, by replacing the notion of closure under functional substitution with the notion of uniform closure, introduced by Seth, and we show that there is a unique maximal class Cmax of type 2 functionals that satisfies this stronger version of Cook's conditions. We give an Oracle Turing Machine characterization of Cmax. We show Cmax to be different from Cook's and Kapron's BFF and Seth's C2. We also show that when the input functions are restricted to range over PTIME, BFF and Cmax still differ. However, if the input functions are restricted to range over the real numbers in the sense of Ko and Friedman, then BFF and Cmax coincide. Work by Seth suggests that Cook's conditions might not be sufficient, and Seth has proposed to add a new condition. We give a Turing Machine characterization of a class CS that is bigger than BFF and satisfies both Cook's and Seth's conditions. We propose a new condition, in our opinion more natural than Seth's, and show that only BFF satisfies this new condition together with Cook's.
Effect of a trypsin inhibitor from soybeans (Bowman-Birk) on the secretory activity of the human pancreas

This study was undertaken to clarify the issue of whether feedback regulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion occurs in humans. A naturally occurring inhibitor of trypsin and chymotrypsin, the Bowman-Birk inhibitor of soybeans, was used to reduce the activities of these enzymes normally secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum. Pure pancreatic juice was collected by endoscopic retrograde cannulation of the pancreatic duct in a protocol consisting of three periods: period 1 (15 min), collections of juice without return to the duodenum ("washout phase"); period 2 (35 min), intraduodenal infusion of juice to which buffered saline or heat-inactivated Bowman-Birk inhibitor had been added; and period 3 (55 min), intraduodenal infusion of juice in which greater than 90% of the trypsin and chymotrypsin activities had been abolished by treatment with the active inhibitor. Control experiments were included in which untreated juice was infused in period 3 as well as period 2. Enzyme analyses (trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and amylase) of samples of juice collected at 5-min intervals revealed a twofold to threefold increase in the output and concentration of all four enzymes in period 3 compared with period 2. These results thus confirm the existence of feedback control in humans.
The Nox1/4 Dual Inhibitor GKT137831 or Nox4 Knockdown Inhibits Angiotensin‐II‐Induced Adult Mouse Cardiac Fibroblast Proliferation and Migration. AT1 Physically Associates With Nox4

Both oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to chronic hypertension-induced myocardial fibrosis and adverse cardiac remodeling. Here we investigated whether angiotensin (Ang)-II-induced fibroblast proliferation and migration are NADPH oxidase (Nox) 4/ROS and IL-18 dependent. Our results show that the potent induction of mouse cardiac fibroblast (CF) proliferation and migration by Ang-II is markedly attenuated by Nox4 knockdown and the Nox inhibitor DPI. Further, Nox4 knockdown and DPI pre-treatment attenuated Ang-II-induced IL-18, IL-18Rα and collagen expression, and MMP9 and LOX activation. While neutralization of IL-18 blunted Ang-II-induced CF proliferation and migration, knockdown of MMP9 attenuated CF migration. The antioxidant NAC and the cell-permeable SOD mimetics Tempol, MnTBAP, and MnTMPyP attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited CF proliferation and migration. The Nox1/Nox4 dual inhibitor GKT137831 also blunted Ang-II-induced H2 O2 production and CF proliferation and migration. Further, AT1 bound Nox4, and Ang-II enhanced their physical association. Notably, GKT137831 attenuated the AT1/Nox4 interaction. These results indicate that Ang-II induces CF proliferation and migration in part via Nox4/ROS-dependent IL-18 induction and MMP9 activation, and may involve AT1/Nox4 physical association. Thus, either (i) neutralizing IL-18, (ii) blocking AT1/Nox4 interaction or (iii) use of the Nox1/Nox4 inhibitor GKT137831 may have therapeutic potential in chronic hypertension-induced adverse cardiac remodeling.
Reproducing Actions, Reproducing Power: Local Ideologies and Everyday Practices of Participation at a California Community Bike Shop

The study of participation within linguistic anthropology has developed a nuanced understanding of participant roles and examined the process by which such roles are enacted in participation frameworks. This paper examines what I call modes of engagement, that is, role-based differential use of forms of embodied and linguistic participation. I argue that such engagement modes are central in defining and differentiating participant roles themselves. The analysis focuses on data gathered at a bilingual bicycle-repair shop with an overtly prescriptive ideology of participation. Ethnographic and interactional analysis demonstrates that such ideologies both influence and are shaped by local practices, and have material consequences for who can participate and how they do so.
ESTABLISHING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOIL AERATION AND FINE ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF SEVEN TREE SPECIES USING THE STEEL ROD TECHNIQUE

Summary Steel rods were driven into the soil in spring and summer within the root zone of seven different tree species: American Elm (Ulmus Americana L.), Green Column black maple (Acer nigrum Michx. ‘Green Column’), Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchh.), and white oak (Quercus alba L.). After three months, the rods were extracted and the rusting pattern, an indicator of soil aeration, was assessed and correlated with fine root development (FRD). The correlation between FRD and soil aeration was high, indicating that FRD can be estimated by rusting. The steel rod technique may be a useful, low cost tool to help arborists evaluate soil aeration and FRD in urban landscapes. In the field, rapid assessment of the rusting pattern would be possible. Predominantly rusted metal is a good indicator of soil suitable for good fine root development. Predominantly matt grey metal is an indicator of so...
Pathogenic analysis of sputum from ventilator-associated pneumonia in a pediatric intensive care unit

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common and sometimes fatal complication in pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The aim of our study was to characterize the distribution and drug susceptibility of the pathogens isolated from the sputum of patients with VAP in the PICU of our hospital and to provide support to the administration of antibiotics early and reasonably in the clinic. Our study was conducted between January 2007 and December 2011 at the PICU of the Children’s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The endotracheal aspirates were collected and transported to a microbiology laboratory within 15 min. The pathogens were routinely analyzed and identified with Vitek 60 and Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion methods. Among the 121 VAP patients, 127 pathogenic strains were isolated from sputum specimens. Gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and fungi accounted for 64.57% (82/127), 29.92% (38/127) and 5.51% (7/127), respectively. Acinetobacter baumannii (25.61%), Escherichia coli (20.27%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (20.27%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.22%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.46%) were frequently identified isolates among gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococci were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid. All fungi were sensitive to the antimicrobial agents. The gram-negative bacteria were more prevalent than gram-positive bacteria and fungi in VAP and demonstrated a higher drug resistance. It is important to administer antimicrobial agents early and reasonably for children with VAP. Knowledge of antibiotic resistance and the characteristics of drug resistance is important for VAP prophylaxis and treatment.
Spectrochemical investigations in dendritic media : evaluation of nitromethane as a selective fluorescence quenching agent in aqueous carboxylate-terminated polyamido amine (PAMAM) dendrimers

Abstract Alternant and nonalternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are employed to compare carboxylate-terminated polyamido amine (PAMAM) dendrimers to typical anionic micelles. Nitromethane is a known, selective, quenching agent of alternant PAHs. However, recent studies by Acree and co-workers have found that nitromethane will also quench the fluorescence emission intensity of nonalternant PAHs in the presence of anionic surfactants above the critical micelle concentration. The quenching of alternant and nonalternant PAHs by nitromethane is used to compare dendritic ‘unimolecular micelles’ to traditional micelles. Experimental results indicate that the PAHs’ association with these dendrimers does not appear to occur in the ‘palisade’ region, as seen in traditional micelles, but rather deeper within the dendrimer structure. Solvent polarity probe studies and quenching in the absence of nitromethane also support this conclusion. Due to the fact that the PAHs do not reside near the negatively charged surface groups, the nitromethane selective quenching rule is obeyed in carboxylate-terminated PAMAM dendrimers (10 mM in surface groups).
Human platelets contain estrogen receptor α, caveolin-1 and estrogen receptor associated proteins

Venous thrombosis is a risk factor for oral estrogen treatment in men and women. Platelet responses mediated through estrogen receptors may be involved in these processes. However, expression of estrogen receptors and estrogen receptor-associated protein have not been defined clearly in human platelets. Therefore, the present study was designed to characterize estrogen receptors and estrogen receptor-associated proteins in human platelets. Platelets were obtained from normal female and male blood donors between the ages of 25 and 65 years. Estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta), heat shock proteins (hsp70 and hsp90), endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOS), caveolin-1, -2 and -3 and calmodulin were analyzed in total platelet lysate by immunoblotting. Expression of ERalpha and ERbeta, hsp70, hsp90, eNOS, calmodulin, and caveolin-1 were observed in both sexes. Expression of all proteins was similar in platelets from males and females. Results of the present study suggest for the first time that both estrogen receptors alpha and beta, caveolin-1 and other proteins associated with estrogen receptors and production of nitric oxide are present in platelets of both males and females.
Gonadal hormone-induced changes in adult male and female rats exposed to early postnatal handling are not altered by prenatal morphine exposure

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the long-term effects of early postnatal handling in several gonadal hormone conditions in adult male and female rats exposed prenatally to morphine or saline. An open-field apparatus was used to test locomotor activities such as line crossing, rearing, grooming, and anxiety-like behaviors such as visiting squares alongside the walls of the open field and boli dropping. Postnatal handling increased locomotor activities in gonadally intact males and in all groups of hormone-manipulated females, but did not change them in gonadectomized (GNX) males. Additionally, there was a decrease in anxiety-like behavior in ovariectomized (OVX) females after estradiol benzoate (EB) or EB and progesterone (P) replacement due to handling. Handling did not affect anxiety-like behaviors in OVX females or in GNX or gonadally intact males. Prenatal morphine exposure did not alter any open-field measures in handled or nonhandled animals when compared to saline controls. Thus, the present study demonstrates that early postnatal handling induces long-lasting changes in locomotor and anxiety-like behaviors of adult male and female rats regardless of their prenatal exposure to morphine. These changes are gonadal hormone specific.
An adhesive bond state classification method for a composite skin-to-spar joint using chaotic insonification

The combination of chaotically amplitude-modulated ultrasonic waves and time series prediction algorithms has shown the ability to locate and classify various bond state damage conditions of a composite bonded joint. This study examines the ability of a new two-part supervised learning classification scheme not only to classify disbond size but also to classify whether a bond for which there is no baseline data is undamaged or has some form of disbond. This classification is performed using data from a similarly configured composite bond for which baseline data are available. The test structures are analogous to a wing skin-to-spar bonded joint. An active excitation signal is imparted to the structure through a macro fiber composite (MFC) patch on one side of the bonded joint and sensed using an equivalent MFC patch on the opposite side of the joint. There is an MFC actuator/sensor pair for each bond condition to be identified. The classification approach compares features derived from an autoregressive (AR) model coefficient vector cross-assurance criterion.
Sun protective behaviors and sunburn experiences in parents of youth ages 11 to 18

Abstract Background Recent studies suggest that parental sun protective behaviors and communication influence their adolescents. However, there is limited information on sun protection for parents of adolescents. Methods A telephone-based, nationally representative prevalence study of sun exposure among youth, aged 11–18, and their parents living in households was conducted in 1998. Separate, independent responses were collected. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were estimated and presented for parents only ( n = 1187). Results Approximately one-third of parents planned activities to avoid the sun and used sunscreen. Among parents who used sunscreen, 70% applied it while at the beach or pool, but not as often during other outdoor activities. Almost one-third of parents were participating in water or non-water recreational activities during their most serious sunburn. Differences in sun protection and sunburn experiences were observed by age, gender, sun sensitivity, race and ethnicity, and educational attainment. Conclusions Parents have adopted sun protection habits, but have not surpassed national sun-protection goals. Combined use of sun protection behaviors may reduce sunburn prevalence and number of incident skin cancers. These data may be useful for developing or enhancing current sun protection programs for effective sun protection that include parents and their adolescents.