cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting real-world performance for key parameters in a CDMA cellular system

A computer model based on theoretical and simulation work is described. This model takes as input radio characterization, propagation information, system configuration and parameter settings. The system model produces a plethora of time-continuous system performance information for each subscriber, cell and location in the system. The model was tested by attempting to predict key operational parameters, e.g. subscriber station receive and transmit power under full dynamic power control, in a field test carried out in Bellevue WA. The model was able to predict the time-continuous location-specific values of key parameters of the monitored equipment with small mean error. Additionally, simulation results for a single cell with multiple users is presented and compared with theory and other reported field results, again with excellent agreement.
Abstract 340: Perception of Overall Health and Life’s Simple 7 Health Metrics: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study

Background: The Life’s simple 7 (LS7) health metrics were introduced by the American Heart Association (AHA) to assess cardiovascular health. Studies have linked higher numbers of ideal LS7 health metrics to lower incidence of both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases. In the workplace, employees typically complete a health risk assessment (HRA) to assess their health status. In this study, we examined the association between an individual’s perception of overall health using an HRA and the LS7 health metrics. Methods: Data for the LS7 health metrics and the perception of overall health were collected during the annual voluntary wellness fairs and HRAs for employees of a large nonprofit health care organization in South Florida. Each LS7 health metric (smoking, physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and blood glucose) was classified as ideal, intermediate or poor according to AHA criteria. On the HRA questionnaire, participants rated their overall health as poor to fair, good to very good or excellent. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa statistics (k) were computed to determine the agreement between the LS7 classification and perception of overall health status taken from the HRA. Results: 9364 employees had complete wellness fair and HRA data in 2014. Mean age (SD) was 43 years (12), 75% were women. The table below shows the categories of overall health by LS7 and HRA classification. Approximately 43% of study participants differed in the assessment of their health status using the HRA when compared to the LS7 categories with nearly one-third of study participants overestimating and 11% underestimating their overall health. ICC was 0.13. K and weighted k were 0.06 and 0.01 respectively (P<0.0001). Conclusion: In this study, we noted significant variation between the perception of overall health and the classification of health status based upon LS7 health metrics with only 57% of employees classifying their health status in agreement with their achievement of LS7 metrics. Further public health efforts should be directed towards increasing the awareness and use of the LS7 in the workplace as a measure of overall health. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
NGO Strategies for Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

This article describes and evaluates the different strategies that have been employed by international human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in attempting to influence the behavior of multinational corporations (MNCs). Within the NGO world, there is a basic divide on tactics for dealing with corporations: Engagers try to draw corporations into dialogue in order to persuade them by means of ethical and prudential arguments to adopt voluntary codes of conduct, while confronters believe that corporations will act only when their financial interests are threatened, and therefore take a more adversarial stance toward them. Confrontational NGOs tend to employ moral stigmatization, or “naming and shaming,” as their primary tactic, while NGOs that favor engagement offer dialogue and limited forms of cooperation with willing MNCs.The article explains the evolving relationship between NGOs and MNCs in relation to human rights issues and defines eight strategies along the engagement/confrontation spectrum used by NGOs in their dealings with MNCs. The potential benefits and risks of various forms of engagement between NGOs and MNCs are analyzed and it is argued that the dynamic created by NGOs pursuing these different strategies can be productive in moving some companies to embrace their social responsibilities. Yet, in order for these changes to be sustainable, national governments will need to enact enforceable international legal standards for corporate social accountability.
Using extended‐duration audio recordings to survey avian species

Point-count surveys are widely used to infer avian presence and estimate species richness. Advancements in bioacoustic technology enable automated surveys that can supplement human-based point-count surveys with expanded temporal and spatial coverage. We surveyed birds in 13 Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range (CA, USA) montane meadows from May to August 2006 using 8 point-count surveys and automated audio recorders (ARU) to compare species richness between the 2 methods and evaluate the use of ARUs as a monitoring tool. We analyzed species richness using 30 minutes of ARU data per point and 2 point-count surveys. Automated audio-recorder data revealed 14 species per meadow (56 species total) while point counts detected 16 species per meadow (67 species total). Automated audio recorders provided >1,100 additional hours of data with personnel effort similar to 2 point-count surveys. An asymptote in species richness was reached for every meadow using ARU data and 8 of 13 meadows using 2 point-count surveys. We detected 81 species during all 8 point-count surveys. We used SonoBird (DNDesign, Arcata, CA) software to search for 24 species detected by point-count surveys but not in the manually sampled subset of audio files. We detected 22 additional species, bringing the total audio-file species detections to 85, 4 more than detected by 8 point-count surveys. We conclude that audio recordings and analysis provide an alternative to avian point-count surveys or as a supplement to increase their accuracy, particularly over larger temporal and spatial scales, or for species with low detectability. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Dissociation of Adrenarche and Gonadarche in Precocious Puberty and in Isolated Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

Adrenarche is a developmental change of the adrenal gland that results in increased secretion of adrenal androgens. This maturational process generally begins several years before activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (gonadarche). To study further the relationship between adrenarche and gonadarche, we examined adrenarche in patients with precocious puberty and in patients with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Plasma dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, androstenedione, and cortisol were measured basally and during an infusion of ACTH in 50 children with precocious puberty, 5 patients with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, 7 preadrenarchal children with constitutional short stature, 44 normal pubertal children, and 40 normal adults. Children with precocious puberty did not have a corresponding advance in the timing of adrenarche. Their basal and ACTH-stimulated adrenal androgen levels were markedly lower than those of normal children matched for pubertal stage (P less than 0.05) and were only slightly greater than those reported for normal children of the same age. Similarly, patients with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and delayed puberty had no corresponding delay of adrenarche. Their adrenal androgen levels were appropriate for chronological age. Thus, these data provide further support for the hypothesis that adrenarche and gonadarche are independent maturational events controlled by separate mechanisms.
Genes required for both gliding motility and development in Myxococcus xanthus

Summary Myxococous xanthus cells can glide both as individual cells, dependent on Adventurous motility (A motility), and as groups of cells, dependent upon Social motility (S motility), Tn5-lac mutagenesis was used to generate 16 new A- and nine new S- mutations. In contrast with previous results, we find that subsets of A- mutants are defective in fruiting body morphogenesis and/or myxospore differentiation. All S- mutants are defective in fruiting body morphogenesis, consistent with previous results. Whereas some S- mutants produce a wild-type complement of spores, others are defective in the differentiation of myxospores. Therefore, a subset of the A genes and all of the S genes are critical for fruiting body morphogenesis. Subsets of both A and S genes are essential for sporulation. Three S::Tn5–lac insertions result in surprising phenotypes. Colonies of two S- mutants glide on ‘swim’ (0.35% agar) plates to form fractal patterns. These S- mutants are the first examples of a bacterium in which mutations result in fractal patterns of colonial spreading. An otherwise wild-type strain with one S- insertion resembles the frz- sglA1- mutants upon development, suggesting that this S- gene defines a new chemotaxis component in M. xanthus.
erbB3 Is an Active Tyrosine Kinase Capable of Homo- and Heterointeractions

Often considered to be a "dead" kinase, erbB3 is implicated in escape from erbB-targeted cancer therapies. Here, heregulin stimulation is shown to markedly upregulate kinase activity in erbB3 immunoprecipitates. Intact, activated erbB3 phosphorylates tyrosine sites in an exogenous peptide substrate, and this activity is abolished by mutagenesis of lysine 723 in the catalytic domain. Enhanced erbB3 kinase activity is linked to heterointeractions with catalytically active erbB2, since it is largely blocked in cells pretreated with lapatinib or pertuzumab. erbB2 activation of erbB3 is not dependent on equal surface levels of these receptors, since it occurs even in erbB3-transfected CHO cells with disproportionally small amounts of erbB2. We tested a model in which transient erbB3/erbB2 heterointeractions set the stage for erbB3 homodimers to be signaling competent. erbB3 homo- and heterodimerization events were captured in real time on live cells using single-particle tracking of quantum dot probes bound to ligand or hemagglutinin tags on recombinant receptors.
‘Blackbirding’ at ‘Crooks’ corner’: illicit labour recruiting in the northeastern Transvaal, 1910–1940

In the early decades of the twentieth century, Africans in search of work were attracted to the wage‐paying employment opportunities on the Witwatersrand. These work‐seekers travelled great distances on foot, battling hunger, disease, and the harsh environment. For those Africans wishing to enter the Transvaal without benefit of official permission, the border presented little obstacle. These clandestine migrants easily bypassed police posts, but they experienced greater difficulty in evading predatory labour recruiters. Illicit labour recruiting took place all along the frontier, but assumed special significance at the far corner of the northeastern Transvaal. It was here where the borders of the Transvaal, Southern Rhodesia, and Portuguese East Africa met that labour pirating, or ‘blackbirding’ as it was sometimes called, careened out of control. Investigating the modus operandi of these unscrupulous labour recruiters sheds light on wider questions concerning the historical formation of labour markets i...
Boston Med: the untold stories.

Following a fall from a ladder, Patrick Coleman was rushed to the operating room at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), trailed not only by a trauma surgery team but also by an ABC News film crew. The details of Mr Coleman’s fall were unclear, but what became apparent as the scene unfolded was that Mr Coleman was dying. He was profoundly hypotensive and losing massive amounts of blood. Despite receiving bag after bag of blood products, Mr Coleman remained in critical condition. Approximately 1 hour and 30 L of volume later, Mr Coleman continued to crash. The trauma surgeon was packing Mr Coleman’s abdomen with multiple sterile towels to stop the internal hemorrhage but to no avail. The trauma team then discovered that the blood loss stemmed from injuries to the vessels of his pelvis. fter the bleeding was halted (which as not shown), Mr Coleman’s conition stabilized, and he was transerred to the intensive care unit ICU). Viewers then encounter a much ifferent Patrick Coleman. Two eeks have passed, and no longer in he ICU, he is sitting up in his hosital bed talking with the trauma urgeon who tended to him that ateful night. Mr Coleman exresses his sincere gratitude for the urgeon’s efforts while the surgeon mphasizes how lucky Mr Coleman s to be alive. Wow! The MGH trauma sureons saved the day, and ABC ews was there to capture the story s it unfolded. This vignette had it ll: drama, suspense, and a happy nding. But is the story accurate? Did the television audience see the valiant efforts of all the doctors involved? Billed as “the drama of real life unfolding inside the nation’s best hospitals,” Boston Med harnessed the journalistic talents of producer Terrence Wrong and distilled 4 months of footage into 8 captivating episodes. The real-life stories that constituted Boston Med focused both on the patients and their families, as well as the often tumultuous and stressful lives of the doctors and nurses who care for them. The series exposed viewers to a variety of medical conditions in an attempt to illustrate the inner workings of a large academic hospital. These stories often featured the most dramatic cases (trauma, transplantation, and children in peril) and the sexy specialties that care for them (trauma surgery, transplant surgery, and emergency medicine). However, Boston Med framed these stories narrowly and inaccurately. The show propagated the myth that one service or one doctor delivers care to a patient. However, anyone who has spent any time in an academic hospital knows that achieving high-quality care requires a team of doctors, nurses, and other staff members working together. The most difficult cases require coordination, communication, and respect. This concept of care coordination is best illustrated by cases similar to that of Mr Coleman. He survived his injury despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against him. In the end, he received a total of 50 L of transfusion products and was cared for not only by trauma surgery but also by anesthesiology, critical care, and vascular interven-
Expression of hepatocytic- and biliary-specific transcription factors in regenerating bile ducts during hepatocyte-to-biliary epithelial cell transdifferentiation

Under compromised biliary regeneration, transdifferentiation of hepatocytes into biliary epithelial cells (BEC) has been previously observed in rats, upon exposure to BEC-specific toxicant methylene dianiline (DAPM) followed by bile duct ligation (BDL), and in patients with chronic biliary liver disease. However, mechanisms promoting such transdifferentiation are not fully understood. In the present study, acquisition of biliary specific transcription factors by hepatocytes leading to reprogramming of BEC-specific cellular profile was investigated as a potential mechanism of transdifferentiation in two different models of compromised biliary regeneration in rats. In addition to previously examined DAPM + BDL model, an experimental model resembling chronic biliary damage was established by repeated administration of DAPM. Hepatocyte to BEC transdifferentiation was tracked using dipetidyl dipeptidase IV (DDPIV) chimeric rats that normally carry DPPIV only in hepatocytes. Following DAPM treatment, ~20% BEC population turned DPPIV-positive, indicating that they are derived from DPPIV-positive hepatocytes. New ductules emerging after DAPM + BDL and repeated DAPM exposure expressed hepatocyte-associated transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 4α and biliary specific transcription factor HNF1β. In addition, periportal hepatocytes expressed biliary marker CK19 suggesting periportal hepatocytes as a potential source of transdifferentiating cells. Although TGFβ1 was induced, there was no considerable reduction in periportal HNF6 expression, as observed during embryonic biliary development. Taken together, these findings indicate that gradual loss of HNF4α and acquisition of HNF1β by hepatocytes, as well as increase in TGFβ1 expression in periportal region, appear to be the underlying mechanisms of hepatocyte-to-BEC transdifferentiation.
Application of belief propagation to trust and reputation management

This paper introduces the first application of Belief Propagation (BP) in reputation systems. We view the reputation management as an inference problem, and hence, describe the reputation management problem as computing marginal likelihood distributions from complicated global functions of many variables. However, we observe that computing the marginal probability functions of the reputation variables is computationally prohibitive for large scale reputation systems. Therefore, we propose to utilize the BP algorithm to efficiently (i.e., in linear complexity) compute these marginal probability distributions; leading to a fully iterative probabilistic and BP-based approach (referred to as BP-ITRM). BP-ITRM describes the reputation system on a factor graph, using which we can obtain a qualitative representation of how the service providers (sellers) and consumers (buyers) are related. Further, by using such a graph representation, we compute the marginal probability distribution functions of the variables representing the global reputation values via an iterative message passing algorithm. We show that BP-ITRM significantly outperforms the well-known and commonly used reputation management schemes such as the Averaging Scheme, Bayesian Approach and Cluster Filtering in the presence of attackers. Further, its complexity is linear in the number of service providers and consumers, far exceeding the efficiency of other schemes.
Endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) handling in excitable cells in health and disease.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a morphologically and functionally diverse organelle capable of integrating multiple extracellular and internal signals and generating adaptive cellular responses. It plays fundamental roles in protein synthesis and folding and in cellular responses to metabolic and proteotoxic stress. In addition, the ER stores and releases Ca2+ in sophisticated scenarios that regulate a range of processes in excitable cells throughout the body, including muscle contraction and relaxation, endocrine regulation of metabolism, learning and memory, and cell death. One or more Ca2+ ATPases and two types of ER membrane Ca2+ channels (inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors) are the major proteins involved in ER Ca2+ uptake and release, respectively. There are also direct and indirect interactions of ER Ca2+ stores with plasma membrane and mitochondrial Ca2+-regulating systems. Pharmacological agents that selectively modify ER Ca2+ release or uptake have enabled studies that revealed many different physiological roles for ER Ca2+ signaling. Several inherited diseases are caused by mutations in ER Ca2+-regulating proteins, and perturbed ER Ca2+ homeostasis is implicated in a range of acquired disorders. Preclinical investigations suggest a therapeutic potential for use of agents that target ER Ca2+ handling systems of excitable cells in disorders ranging from cardiac arrhythmias and skeletal muscle myopathies to Alzheimer disease.
Bundle sheath suberization in grass leaves: multiple barriers to characterization

High-yielding, stress-tolerant grass crops are essential to meet future food and energy demands. Efforts are underway to engineer improved varieties of the C3 cereal crop rice by introducing NADP-malic enzyme C4 photosynthesis using maize as a model system. However, several modifications to the rice leaf vasculature are potentially necessary, including the introduction of suberin lamellae into the bundle sheath cell walls. Suberized cell walls are ubiquitous in the root endodermis of all grasses, and developmental similarities are apparent between endodermis and bundle sheath cell walls. Nonetheless, there is considerable heterogeneity in sheath cell development and suberin composition both within and between grass taxa. The effect of this variation on physiological function remains ambiguous over forty years after suberin lamellae were initially proposed to regulate solute and photoassimilate fluxes and C4 gas exchange. Interspecies variation has confounded efforts to ascribe physiological differences specifically to the presence or absence of suberin lamellae. Thus, specific perturbation of suberization within a uniform genetic background is needed, but, until recently, the genetic resources to manipulate suberin composition in the grasses were largely unavailable. The recent dissection of the suberin biosynthesis pathway in model dicots and the identification of several promising candidate genes in model grasses will facilitate the characterization of the first suberin biosynthesis genes in a monocot. Much remains to be learned about the role of bundle sheath suberization in leaf physiology, but the stage is set for significant advances in the near future.
Activation of FoxM1 revitalizes the replicative potential of aged β -cells in male mice and enhances insulin secretion

Type 2 diabetes incidence increases with age, while β-cell replication declines. The transcription factor FoxM1 is required for β-cell replication in various situations, and its expression declines with age. We hypothesized that increased FoxM1 activity in aged β-cells would rejuvenate proliferation. Induction of an activated form of FoxM1 was sufficient to increase β-cell mass and proliferation in 12-month-old male mice after just 2 weeks. Unexpectedly, at 2 months of age, induction of activated FoxM1 in male mice improved glucose homeostasis with unchanged β-cell mass. Cells expressing activated FoxM1 demonstrated enhanced glucose-stimulated Ca2+ influx, which resulted in improved glucose tolerance through enhanced β-cell function. Conversely, our laboratory has previously demonstrated that mice lacking FoxM1 in the pancreas display glucose intolerance or diabetes with only a 60% reduction in β-cell mass, suggesting that the loss of FoxM1 is detrimental to β-cell function. Ex vivo insulin secretion was therefore examined in size-matched islets from young mice lacking FoxM1 in β-cells. Foxm1-deficient islets indeed displayed reduced insulin secretion. Our studies reveal that activated FoxM1 increases β-cell replication while simultaneously enhancing insulin secretion and improving glucose homeostasis, making FoxM1 an attractive therapeutic target for diabetes.
Language of Interview, Self-Rated Health, and the Other Latino Health Puzzle

Objectives. We investigated whether the conventional Spanish translation of the self-rated health survey question helps explain why Latinos' self-rated health is worse than Whites' despite more objective health measures showing them to be as healthy as or healthier than are Whites.Methods. We analyzed the relationship between language of interview and self-rated health in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (2001–2003) and the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.Results. Being interviewed in Spanish was associated with significantly higher odds of rating health as fair or poor in both data sets. Moreover, adjusting for language of interview substantially reduced the gap between Whites and Latinos. Spanish-language interviewees were more likely to rate their health as fair (regular in Spanish) than as any other choice, and this preference was strongest when compared with categories representing better health (good, very good, and excellent).Conclusions. Our findings suggest that translatio...
The effect of pH versus base deficit on organ failure in trauma patients

Abstract Background Base deficit (BD) calculations are affected by trauma-related changes in circulating concentrations of anions after injury. In contrast, pH is a direct measurement that corresponds to hypoperfusion. We hypothesized that changes in pH would more closely correspond to organ dysfunction compared with changes in BD. Materials and methods BD and pH values were collected for the first 48 h after injury from a retrospective cohort of 74 multiply injured adult patients who were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit for a minimum of 1 wk. Mean and extreme (minimum pH and maximum BD) values of pH and BD were determined for day 1 (0–24 h) and for day 2 (24–48 h) after injury. Organ dysfunction was measured by averaging daily sequential organ failure assessment scores over the entire duration of intensive care unit admission. BD and pH values were compared with mean modified sequential organ failure assessment scores by univariate and multivariate linear regression. Results Organ dysfunction corresponded more closely with changes in pH compared with those in BD. Minimum pH and maximum BD showed better correspondence to organ dysfunction compared with mean values. Minimum pH values at 24–48 h had the highest univariate ( r 2 = 0.43) correspondence to organ dysfunction. In contrast, mean BD values at 24–48 h showed no correspondence ( r 2 = 0.07) to organ dysfunction. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that 24–48 h of minimum pH had the highest numerical effect on organ dysfunction. Conclusions Correspondence between organ dysfunction and BD deteriorated in contrast to increasing correspondence between organ dysfunction and pH measured within 48 h after injury.
Modification of Montmorillonite with PEO-b-PS Copolymers

Wyoming montmorillonite has been modified with block copolymers of poly (styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Using melt intercalation techniques, PEO-b-PS copolymers spanning a range of volume fractions and molecular weights were mixed with montmorillonite, annealed above the Tg of PS, and characterized using X-ray diffraction. Most of the block copolymers intercalated the clay, with several samples exhibiting multiple Bragg reflections from increased gallery spacing. Samples with higher PEO volume fractions were most likely to have intercalation. For a given PS block length, longer PEO blocks were more likely to produce intercalation. In general, the increased gallery spacings were close to those produced by modifying montmorillonite with PEO homopolymer.
OLiMPS. OpenFlow Link-layer MultiPath Switching

The OLiMPS project’s goal was the development of an OpenFlow controller application allowing load balancing over multiple switched paths across a complex network topology. The second goal was to integrate the controller with Dynamic Circuit Network systems such as ESnet’s OSCARS. Both goals were achieved successfully, as laid out in this report.
Controversies surrounding quality measurement in colon and rectal surgery.

Quality improvement in health care has become a major topic of discussion among health care providers, patients, insurance companies, and the government. National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP), along with a multitude of other programs, exists in an attempt to create objective data that can be used to compare hospitals and providers against a national average. Studies have shown that despite good patient care and proper surgical technique, patients who undergo procedures such as colectomy have a higher incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) and other morbidities. Therefore, hospitals with a large volume of colon and rectal surgery cases are routinely identified as “high outliers” in these quality improvement programs. Programs, such as NSQIP, may not be the best way to measure quality in specific subspecialties such as colon and rectal surgery.
Abstract 4116: Mammary adipocyte-specific metabolic alterations are associated with paracrine effects on mammary tumorigenesis

In rodent models of breast cancer, chronic social stress from isolated housing is associated with increased mammary tumor growth. Interestingly, in several diverse mouse strains, social isolation is also associated with increased expression of the key metabolic genes Acaca, Hk2 and Acly in the adipocyte fraction of the mammary gland. We hypothesized that these gene expression changes would be associated with increased mammary fat glucose metabolism, lipid synthesis, and secretion of paracrine growth promoting adipokines. We found that increased metabolic gene expression in mammary fat did indeed increase both lipid metabolism and leptin secretion from the mammary adipocytes of isolated mice. Surprisingly, visceral fat metabolism and systemic metabolic parameters were unchanged in social isolates, suggesting an effect of social stress that is specific to the mammary fat depot. When mouse mammary cancer cells were treated with culture media derived from the incubation of isolated versus group-housed mouse mammary adipose tissue, the mammary fat secretome of social isolates resulted in significantly increased cancer cell proliferation compared to mammary fat from grouped mice. Current experiments are designed to elucidate the metabolic factors promoting tumor cell proliferation in the mammary fat derived from the stressed animals. We propose a model wherein social isolation and the ensuing heightened neuroendocrine response significantly alters mammary adipocyte metabolism and associated adipokine secretion, thereby potentiating estrogen-independent mammary tumor growth. These studies have implications for understanding the environmental, endocrine, and molecular risk factors associated with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. DOD W81XWH-11-1-014901, NIH/NIDDK T32 DK087703, NIH R01CA148814 Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4116. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4116
Hypoaminoacidemia in Patients with Pneumococcal Pneumonia

SummaryObservations on the plasma amino acid nitrogen of 6 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia are presented. In each instance luring the acute phase of the disease the patient showed a plasma amino acid concentration significantly below the average normal value. During convalescence there was a gradual rise in the concentration of plasma amino acid nitrogen, with a return to a normal level on complete recovery from the disease. Present data indicate the normal average value to be 4.50 mg per 100 cc.
The Immunologic Effects, Kinetics, and Use of Clucocorticosteroids

This article describes our current understanding of the immunologic effects of glucocorticosteroids and uses this information in an attempt to place the therapeutic dosing of glucocorticosteroids on a more rational basis.
Abstract 2650: A combined bioinformatics and GWAS approach identifies a functional 3′UTR insertion/deletion inYES1associated with bladder cancer risk

Bladder cancer (BC) is diagnosed in over 70,000 individuals each year and its incidence is rising. There is a need for biomarkers to identify those at high risk, as well as for early detection. Large genome-wide association studies have identified multiple susceptibility loci; however, individually and combined, these variants only explain a small portion of the variation in BC risk. One possibility to explain the missing heritability is the effect of small insertions and deletions (INDELs). Because of the nature of these variations, they have a high likelihood for functional effects. Therefore, the purpose of study was to determine whether common INDELs are associated with BC risk. We retrieved 0.73 million INDELs and 7.72 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the 1000 Genomes Pilot Project. Tagging-SNPs were identified for 0.48 million of these INDELs with r2 > 0.80 by PLINK. We then evaluated each tagging-SNP for association with BC risk in 969 BC cases and 957 controls. Using this approach, 5,110 INDELs were shown to be associated with BC risk (P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2650. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2650
Nonlinear Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration Difference Schemes for Radiative Transfer Applications

A new three-point nonlinear difference scheme for diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA) of the radiation transport equation is described. The new scheme is compared with the standard one-point met...
YAMPA: Yet Another Matching Pursuit Algorithm for compressive sensing

State-of-the-art sparse recovery methods often rely on the restricted isometry property for their theoretical guarantees. However, they cannot explicitly incorporate metrics such as restricted isometry constants within their recovery procedures due to the computational intractability of calculating such metrics. This paper formulates an iterative algorithm, termed yet another matching pursuit algorithm (YAMPA), for recovery of sparse signals from compressive measurements. YAMPA differs from other pursuit algorithms in that: (i) it adapts to the measurement matrix using a threshold that is explicitly dependent on two computable coherence metrics of the matrix, and (ii) it does not require knowledge of the signal sparsity. Performance comparisons of YAMPA against other matching pursuit and approximate message passing algorithms are made for several types of measurement matrices. These results show that while state-of-the-art approximate message passing algorithms outperform other algorithms (including YAMPA) in the case of well-conditioned random matrices, they completely break down in the case of ill-conditioned measurement matrices. On the other hand, YAMPA and comparable pursuit algorithms not only result in reasonable performance for well-conditioned matrices, but their performance also degrades gracefully for ill-conditioned matrices. The paper also shows that YAMPA uniformly outperforms other pursuit algorithms for the case of thresholding parameters chosen in a clairvoyant fashion. Further, when combined with a simple and fast technique for selecting thresholding parameters in the case of ill-conditioned matrices, YAMPA outperforms other pursuit algorithms in the regime of low undersampling, although some of these algorithms can outperform YAMPA in the regime of high undersampling in this setting.
Comparison of four laboratory detection methods for infection of HSV_(-II) in clinical specimens

Objective To evaluate sensitivities and specificities of four laboratory detection methods in detecting HSV -Ⅱ infection,and to search for a quick and accurate method for detection of HSV -Ⅱ.Methods Direct immunofluorescencassay(DIFA),enzyme immunoassay (EIA)to detect the antigen and the antibody of HSV -Ⅱ,cell culture were used to detect HSV -Ⅱ infection.Results Sensitivities of DIFA,EIA to detect HSV -Ⅱ antigen,EIA to detect HSV -ⅡIgM antibody and cell culture were 75.8%,83.9%,17.7% and 71.8% respectively,and their specificities were 95%,97%,85% and 100% respectively.There were no statistic significances between DIFA and cell culture in sensitivities and specificities(all P0.05).The sensitivity of EIA to detect HSV -ⅡIgM antigen was significantly higher than that of cell culture(P0.05),but no statistic significance was found between their specificities( P 0.05).Sensitivity and specificity of EIA to detect HSV -Ⅱ IgM antibody were all significantly lower than those of cell culture(P0.01,P0.05).Conclusion Detecting antigen of HSV -Ⅱ by EIA is a more ideal method to detect HSV -Ⅱ because of its higher sensitivity and specificity.
Governments’ Uses and Misuses of Freedom of Information Laws in Emerging European Democracies: FOI Laws’ Impact on News Agenda-Building in Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro

This study tests the normative assumptions on the empowerment effects of freedom of information (FOI) legislation on the press–government relationship in the context of new democracies. In-depth in...
Future in Dual Energy CT

Dual energy CT has progressed rapidly over the past few years and is making inroads into routine clinical care for a spectrum of diseases. In the field of cardiovascular medicine, dual-energy CT has been applied to the evaluation of myocardial ischemia, myocardial viability and atherosclerotic plaque characterization.
Telemedicine for Trauma and Emergency Management: an Overview

Purpose of Review This review focuses on the evolution of telemedicine programs on both national and international levels as it pertains to trauma and emergency medical care.
Intravenous immunoglobulin in oncology nursing practice.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is a concentrated form of IgG, also known as gamma globulin, that is derived from the pooled serum of a large number of donors. IVIG contains many types of antibacterial and antiviral antibodies. While its use in certain clinical conditions (e.g., severe combined immunodeficiency) is well-established, other indications still are under investigation. Along with nursing implications for use in inpatient and outpatient settings, the role of IVIG in treating immune thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, treatment-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, bone marrow transplantation, and AIDS will be discussed.
ROS Signaling in Cardiovascular Dysfunction Associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) associated with recurrent apnea is one of the most commonly encountered breathing disorders in adult humans. Patients with OSA are prone to develop hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Despite its adverse clinical consequences, the mechanism(s) by which recurrent apneas lead to cardiovascular abnormalities is poorly understood. OSA causes periodic decreases in arterial blood O2 or intermittent hypoxia (IH). Available evidence suggests that exposing experimental animals to IH during sleep is sufficient to induce cardiovascular abnormalities similar to those seen in OSA patients. A majority of cross-sectional and prospective studies show that patients with severe OSA exhibit oxidative stress compared to healthy humans. Studies in experimental animals provide evidence for IH-induced ROS generation mediating cardiovascular dysfunction. IH-evoked ROS generation seems to involve activation of NADPH oxidase, inhibition of mitochondrial complex I, and downregulation of antioxidant enzymes. Recent studies have identified hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and 2 as major molecular determinants for sustained oxidative stress elicited by IH. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment, which reduces oxidative stress, appears to be effective in attenuating cardiovascular dysfunction in a subset of OSA patients.
Characterization of an EPG Waveform Library for Adult Lygus lineolaris and Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae) Feeding on Cotton Squares

Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) and Lygus hesperus Knight are among the most important pests affecting production of cotton in the United States. Lygus spp. use a cell rupture feeding strategy. However, the precise stylet-probing behaviors of adult Lygus spp. are not well understood or quantifiably related to cotton damage. The long-term goals of our research are to: 1) relate stylet probing to damage, and 2) quantitatively compare L. lineolaris feeding among resistant and susceptible host plants. The specific objectives of this study were to apply the latest technology in electropenetrography (EPG) to record adult, prereproductive Lygus spp. feeding, to identify and characterize all the waveforms, and to hypothesize their biological meanings. We used a third-generation AC–DC electropenetrograph to record nonprobing and probing waveforms of adult bugs on pinhead (<3 mm) cotton squares, and constructed a waveform library from the output. Recordings were obtained with both AC and DC applied signals and at different input impedances (106–109 Ω). Three nonprobing waveforms were identified and visually correlated: Standing still (S), walking (W), and antennation (A). Probing waveforms were classified as: cell rupturing (CR), transition (T), and ingestion (I). T waveform is the first finding of an X wave for a nonsalivary sheath feeder in Hemiptera, implying that tasting/testing/acceptance behaviors can be performed by a cell rupture feeder. While waveform I is not performed in every probe, when performed, its appearance and structure were affected by applied signal and input impedance. Overall, time spent in nonprobing behaviors was longer than time spent on probing behaviors.
Semigroup well-posedness of a voltage controlled active constrained layered (ACL) beam with magnetic effects

The layered smart composites involving a piezoelectric layer are traditionally activated by a voltage source, and the magnetic effects are totally ignored since these effects are relatively smaller in comparison to electrical and mechanical effects. However, recent results for even a single piezoelectric beam show that ignoring these effects may cause uncontrollable and unstabilizable systems. In this paper, a variational approach is used to derive a voltage-controlled Rao-Nakra type active constrained layer model. All magnetic effects due to the full set of Maxwell's equations are included. It is shown that the proposed model can be put into the semigroup formulation, i.e. ẋ = Ax + Bu; and is well-posed in the corresponding energy space. Moreover, the observed quantity due to the observation operator B* (corresponding to the control operator B with the voltage control) is totally electrical.
The Dynamics of Inter-Unit Police Coordination

Work tasks are regularly negotiated within and between organizations. The patterns of social interaction that determine negotiation outcomes were touched on in the previous chapter and deserve a more in-depth analysis here. We know from Chapter 5 that boundary actors prefer informal, interpersonal coordination over formal, systematized coordination and prefer horizontal rather than vertical coordination. We also know that common training and organizational structures facilitate coordination in the same way as divergent and idiosyncratic systems of work and organization inhibit it. In all cases, for two or more units to coordinate their work, a certain threshold must be overcome on the axes of boundary characteristics previously described. And. above all, resource availability is a minimum threshold that must be achieved before coordination or cooperation can take place, in most cases.
Annual survival of Allegheny woodrats in a nonequilibrium metapopulation

Many declining populations of the imperiled Allegheny woodrat ( Neotoma magister ) function as nonequilibrium metapopulations in which rates of subpopulation extirpation exceed recolonization. Quantifying and maximizing survival rates thus becomes critical for the conservation of these spatially structured populations. We used encounter histories of individually marked woodrats from subpopulations in Indiana, monitored annually from 2005 to 2013, to 1) estimate apparent annual survival rates while accounting for imperfect detection, 2) evaluate differences in apparent survival between unaugmented subpopulations and subpopulations reestablished or restored through translocation efforts, and 3) describe the effect of genetic diversity on survival. From Cormack–Jolly–Seber models developed in a Bayesian framework, apparent survival was greater for adults than for juveniles, greater for females than males, and there was a modest negative effect of density dependence. Although heterozygosity rates at 11 microsatellites increased among reinforced subpopulations following translocations, we observed no effect of heterozygosity on apparent survival. However, after translocations, average apparent survival was approximately 14% greater among recipient subpopulations than remnant subpopulations. This suggests that viability of recipient subpopulations was limited by low connectivity and the absence of genetic benefits conveyed by immigration or the potential for patches to be recolonized following local extinction. Under conditions of reduced connectivity, translocation among subpopulations to replicate natural gene flow may be appropriate to facilitate the long-term persistence of this and perhaps other nonequilibrium metapopulations.
New Assignments among the Genera Haplandrus Leconte, Metaclisa Jacquelin Du Val and Tharsus Leconte with Descriptions of Larvae and Pupae and a New Genus for North America (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

The five species currently placed in the North American genus Haplandrus LeConte 1862 are examined, with new information on immature stages, distribution, and life history. The type-species, H. fulvipes (Herbst 1797) as a member of Stenochiinae/ Cnodalonini is redescribed along with its larva and pupa; a closely related new species is proposed for specimens from peninsular Florida. Reassignments and new synonymies are proposed for the other species which belong in other genera and tribes of Tenebrioninae. Haplandrus ater (LeConte 1866) is transferred back to Metaclisa Jacquelin du Val 1861; H. collaris Casey 1924 and H. subangustus Casey 1924 are junior synonyms of that species. North American members of Metaclisa are reviewed, with a description of the larva and pupa of M. atra. Tharsus LeConte 1862 recognized as a new synonym of Metaclisa. With a discussion of morphology and placement of the genus, the new tribe Metaclisini is proposed. The new genus Bouchardandrus is proposed to include the boreal H. concolor LeConte 1866 which has characters that place it among genera of Tenebrionini.
“Creative maladjustment” in the West Baltimore uprising

This article looks to psychoanalytic theory to underscore how actions of collective refusal can disrupt systems of racial injustice. Specifically, I focus on the recent uprising in West Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray, a black man killed while in police custody. I elaborate on Martin Luther King Jr.’s notion of “creative maladjustment” to reject the media’s depiction of the Baltimore uprising as indicative of pathology within the community and instead theorize the event as conducive to ethical and social change. Through King’s notion of “creative maladjustment” and a Lacanian notion of ethics, I contend that Baltimore dissidents have challenged the normalcy of structural racism, initiating a transformation in America’s approach to race-based dispossession, state violence, and mass incarceration.
Effects of Sex and Event Type on Head Impact in Collegiate Soccer

Background:The effects of head impact in sports are of growing interest for clinicians, scientists, and athletes. Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, but the burden of head impact in collegiate soccer is still unknown.Purpose:To quantify head impact associated with practicing and playing collegiate soccer using wearable accelerometers.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:Mastoid patch accelerometers were used to quantify head impact in soccer, examining differences in head impact as a function of sex and event type (practice vs game). Seven female and 14 male collegiate soccer players wore mastoid patch accelerometers that measured head impacts during team events. Data were summarized for each athletic exposure, and statistical analyses evaluated the mean number of impacts, mean peak linear acceleration, mean peak rotational acceleration, and cumulative linear and rotational acceleration, each grouped by sex and event type.Results:There were no differences in the frequency or sev...
Identifying the novel endogenous near-infrared fluorophore within parathyroid and other endocrine tissues

We have discovered the presence of a novel endogenous fluorophore with a peak emission at 822 nm in the near infrared region. This study shows the distribution of this fluorophore in parathyroid and thyroid tissues. In this study we aimed to characterize the biochemical property of this fluorophore. Identifying this unique near infrared fluorophore across endocrine tissues such as parathyroid and thyroid can open the door to many future applications utilizing this endogenous source of contrast for biomedical imaging.