cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging After Sonographic Identification of Major Structural Anomalies

OBJECTIVES To characterize population-based use of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) incorporating recent American College of Radiology (ACR)-Society of Perinatal Radiologists (SPR) guidelines about fetal anomalies for which MRI may provide valuable additional information when sonography is limited. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of nonreferred singleton pregnancies that received prenatal care and had prenatal sonographic diagnosis of 1 or more major structural anomalies at our hospital between January 2010 and May 2018. Detailed sonography was performed in all anomaly cases. Fetal anomaly information was obtained from a prospectively maintained database, and medical records were reviewed to determine the rationale for why MRI was or was not performed, according to the indication. RESULTS A total of 104,597 singleton pregnancies underwent sonographic assessments of anatomy at our institution during the study period. Major structural anomalies were identified in 1650 (1.6%) of these pregnancies. Potential indications for fetal MRI per ACR-SPR guidelines were identified in 339 cases. However, fetal MRI was performed in only 253 cases, 15% of those with major anomalies and 75% with a potential indication. Magnetic resonance imaging was not performed in 41 (20%) of identified pregnancies because of an improved prognosis on serial sonography (36), because of a poor prognosis (3), or because it would not alter management (2). CONCLUSIONS Fetal MRI was used in 15% of those pregnancies with prenatal diagnosis of a major structural anomaly. This amounted to fewer than 0.3% of singleton deliveries. Judicious application of ACR-SPR guidelines in the context of serial sonography results in a relatively small number of fetal MRI examinations in a nonreferred population.
On the Diagonal Hypergraph of a Matrix

Publisher Summary This chapter describes diagonal hypergraph of a matrix. It associates, G = G(X, Y)⊆ Kn, n be a bipartite graph with bipartition X, Y where X={xl,. . . , xn} and Y ={yl,. . . , yn} with a hypergraph Hf(G) whose vertices are the edges of G and whose edges are the 1-factors of G. It is assumed that every edge of G belongs to a 1-factor and for simplicity that G is connected. A = [aij] is the n × n matrix of 0's and 1's where aij = 1 only if [xi, xj] is an edge of G. The vertices of Hf(G) correspond to the 1's of A and the edges to the positive diagonals of A. This hypergraph is the subject of investigations and has been called the “diagonal hypergraph” of A. The chapter also reports on these investigations in terms of G rather than A.
Impacts of anger on driving performance: A comparison to texting and conversation while driving

Abstract Traditionally, driver distraction has been categorized into four types: visual, biomechanical, auditory, and cognitive. However, the place of emotion in driving research is largely undefined. The present study investigates the specific influences of anger – representative emotion arisen while driving, on driving performance, compared to those of traditional distraction tasks. In total, seventy-eight participants were recruited and placed into one of four driving conditions: physical (visual-biomechanical) distraction, cognitive (cognitive-auditory) distraction, emotional (anger), and control conditions. The results demonstrated that anger degrades driving performance as much as or more than other distraction types, specifically, in a yellow traffic signal situation. The causes for these results, underlying mechanisms, and other considerations are discussed with implications for future research.
Surfactant location and internal phase volume fraction dictate emulsion electrospun fiber morphology and modulate drug release and cell response

Emulsion electrospinning is a versatile technique used to create fibrous meshes for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. In this study, the effects of surfactant and increasing internal phase volume fraction on emulsion electrospun fiber morphology were investigated. The fiber diameter, surface topography, internal architecture, mesh hydrophobicity, and fiber volume fraction were all characterized and the resulting effects on model drug release and cell response were determined. Surfactant relocation to the fiber surface resulted in alterations to fiber surface topography and internal morphology, increased rate of water adsorption into the mesh, and reduced burst effects of drug release. Increasing the internal phase volume fraction within the emulsion resulted in minimal change to fiber diameter, surface morphology, fiber volume fraction, and rate of water adsorption illustrating the ability to increase drug loading without affecting fiber properties. Lastly, all meshes promoted cell adhesion and good viability with a trend of increased MTT absorbance from cells on the surfactant and emulsion fibers possibly suggesting that an increase in surface area via smaller fiber diameter and fiber volume fraction increases metabolic activity. Overall, these studies indicate that fiber morphology and mesh hydrophobicity can be tuned by controlling surfactant location within fibers and internal phase volume fraction. Modulating fiber properties within the emulsion electrospun mesh is important to achieve controlled drug release and cell response for tissue engineering applications.
The Diversification Discount: Cash Flows Versus Returns

Diversified firms have different values from comparable portfolios of singlesegment firms. These value differences must be due to differences in either future cash f lows or future returns. Expected security returns on diversified firms vary systematically with relative value. Discount firms have significantly higher subsequent returns than premium firms. Slightly more than half of the cross-sectional variation in excess values is due to variation in expected future cash f lows, with the remainder due to variation in expected future returns and to covariation between cash f lows and returns. THE VALUE OF ANY ASSET DEPENDS mechanically on the asset’s future cash f lows and future returns. This fact is, by definition, true both for actual future cash f lows and returns and for expected future cash f lows and returns. High future cash f lows imply high value today, and high future returns imply low value today. Thus, to explain the value of an asset, one needs to examine expected future cash f lows and expected future returns. In recent years, the average diversified firm has been worth less than a portfolio of comparable single-segment firms ~Lang and Stulz ~1994!, Berger and Ofek ~1995!!. A large literature attempts to explain this fact by exploring ways that diversification might affect cash f lows. This literature hypothesizes that diversification itself causes the diversified firm to generate different cash f lows than it would if separated into single-segment firms. Potential explanations include incompetent or irrational managers, competent but selfinterested managers, wasteful spending in general, and wasteful investment in poorly performing divisions in particular. See, for example, Morck, Shleifer, and Vishny ~1990!, Comment and Jarrell ~1995!, Servaes ~1996!, Denis, Denis, and Sarin ~1997!, Lamont ~1997!, Scharfstein ~1998!, Rajan, Servaes, and Zingales ~2000!, and Scharfstein and Stein ~2000!.
The role of identity in chronic pain cognitions and pain-related disability within a clinical chronic pain population.

ObjectiveChronic pain has a significant impact on functioning and results in the disruption of one’s assumed life trajectory, potentially altering their self-perceived identity. The present researc...
The Rickettsia Surface Protein OmpB is Critical for Virulence and Evasion of Autophagy

Rickettsia are obligate intracellular bacteria that evade antimicrobial autophagy in the host cell cytosol by unknown mechanisms. Other cytosolic pathogens block different steps of autophagy targeting, including the initial step of polyubiquitin coat formation. One mechanism of evasion is to mobilize actin to the bacterial surface. Here, we show that actin mobilization is insufficient to block autophagy recognition of the pathogen Rickettsia parkeri. Instead, R. parkeri employs outer membrane protein B (OmpB) to block ubiquitylation of bacterial surface proteins, including OmpA, and subsequent recognition by autophagy receptors. Although OmpB is dispensable for bacterial growth in endothelial cells, it is essential for R. parkeri to block autophagy in macrophages and to colonize mice. Our results indicate that OmpB acts as a protective shield to obstruct autophagy recognition, revealing a distinctive bacterial mechanism to evade antimicrobial autophagy.
Effect of chamfer design on load capacity of reattached incisors.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different chamfer preparations on the load capacity of reattached fractured incisors under lingual loading. Methods Eighty #8 typodonts were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 20 each). They were sectioned to simulate crown fracture, and reattached with a self-etch adhesive and a resin composite. The preparation for each group was: (1) no chamfer; (2) buccal chamfer; (3) lingual chamfer; and (4) circumferential chamfer. Forty-eight human lower incisors were grouped and prepared similarly (n = 12 each). These teeth were tested for their load capacity under a lingual load on a universal testing machine. Finite element models were used to examine the stresses on the reattached surfaces to help interpret the experimental results. Results The buccal chamfer did not increase the load capacity when compared with the no-chamfer group. Lingual and circumferential chamfers respectively increased the fracture load by 36.9% and 32.3% in typodonts, and 78.5% and 33.3% in human incisors. The increase was statistically significant (p Significance It was the joint design, and not the size of the bond area, that affected the load capacity of reattached incisors. Among the preparations considered, only those with a lingual chamfer could increase the load capacity of reattached incisors under a lingual load.
Comprehensive Diagnosis and Surgical Management of Cushing Disease: Two-Dimensional Angiographic and Operative Video.

Cushing disease (CD), or hypercortisolemia secondary to an adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting (ACTH-secreting) pituitary adenoma, is the most common etiology of noniatrogenic Cushing syndrome. 1 The diagnostic algorithm employed in the patient with suspected CD is complex and includes consideration for inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS). 2 , 3 When workup is consistent with CD, extracapsular resection of the ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma through the endonasal corridor is the preferred operative strategy. 4 In this publication, we discuss the case of a 26-year-old woman who presented with 9 months of weight gain ( Video 1 ). Initial labs, including low- and high-dose dexamethasone suppression tests, were consistent with CD. Findings on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging were suggestive of a left 2-mm microadenoma. IPSS confirmed central origin of hypercortisolemia and was indicative of a left-sided focus. The patient was taken to the operating room for endoscopic endonasal approach for extracapsular resection of left-sided, ACTH-secreting microadenoma. Following surgery, the patient required glucocorticoid supplementation after her cortisol levels decreased to 2 ug/dL the evening of surgery. Subsequent laboratory analysis has been consistent with hormonal cure. 5 , 6 The accompanying video manuscript describes 1) preoperative diagnostic evaluation of the patient with suspected CD, 2) indications for and techniques of IPSS, 3) nuances of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgical management, and 4) relevant considerations in postoperative care. Of note, full patient consent for photography and/or recording of other forms of video/imaging was obtained in the preoperative period. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10
A small submarine robot for experiments in underwater sensor networks

Abstract This paper describes a small underwater robot designed for experiments with sensor-actuator networks. The robot is based on the mote platform, which is used extensively in the sensor networking community as an experimental testbed. The components and construction of the robot are described. Preliminary tests of depth regulation and temperature measurement are reported and analyzed.
Regulation of the immune response. II. Transfer of the 'accelerated' response.

Abstract Mice were pretreated with 10 6 SRBC or multiple injections of 10 6 SRBC to prepare them to make an “accelerated” response. Their spleen cells were transferred to irradiated recipients and challenged with 10 8 SRBC. The group pretreated with multiple 10 6 injections exhibited the “accelerated” response but the group repopulated with spleen cells from mice which received a single injection of 10 6 SRBC did not show the response. When spleen cells from prepared mice were challenged in culture, an “accelerated” response was again seen in the multiply pretreated group. The data are consistent with the notion that low dose of antigen induces proliferation without differentiation.
Information Hiding to Foil the Casual Counterfeiter

Security documents (currency, treasury bills, stocks, bonds, birth certificates, etc.) provide an interesting problem space for investigating information hiding. Recent advances in the quality of consumer printers and scanners have allowed the application of traditional information hiding techniques to printed materials. This paper explores how some of those techniques might be used to address the problem of counterfeiting as the capability of home printers to produce “exact” copies improves.
Panel regression techniques for identifying impacts of anthropogenic landscape change on hydrologic response

[1] Statistical models relating anthropogenic modifications of the watershed landscape to alterations in streamflow are often plagued by heterogeneity in background watershed conditions and coinciding trends in climate that can complicate the interpretation of clear statistical relationships. This study introduces the use of panel regression as a modeling approach that can better accommodate basin heterogeneity and identify more robust signals between anthropogenic impacts on the watershed landscape and hydrologic response. Panel regression techniques pool multidimensional data recorded across individuals (i.e., watersheds) and through time to better characterize within- and between-variability in the hydrologic data set. The separate attribution of variability to both time and space dimensions enables the method to better identify response characteristics that are generalizable across watersheds. This study introduces in detail two broad classes of panel regression models (the fixed effects and random effects models) that may be particularly useful in the context of identifying and quantifying the impact of human-induced landscape alterations on hydrologic response. The technique is presented in a case study relating watershed urbanization to changes in the annual runoff coefficient for 19 watersheds in the Northeast United States. Comparisons are made against more standard cross-sectional and time-based regression analyses. The results show that the estimated relationship between urbanization and the annual runoff coefficient in this region is highly dependent on the dimensions of data examined (space or time) and model structure selected, with the most sophisticated and appropriate model suggesting that no significant relationship can be detected.
The Development of a Transparent Cylinder Engine for Piston Engine Fluid Mechanics Research

The development of a unique flow visualization engine is discussed. The new research engine, called the Flow Diagnostics Engine (FDE), is a singlecylinder engine with a transparent cylinder made from single-crystal sapphire. In contrast to previous efforts, the FDE has an internal geometry very similar to that of production engines. A computer-controlled valveactuation system is used on the FDE. The valve actuators are fast electro-hydraulic devices which, with a minicomputer, provide complete control over the valve motion. To visualize the flows in the engine cylinder, a special Schlieren system was developed and demonstrated. In the new visualization system, a holographic optical element is used to correct system abberations. To demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of the FDE system, flows in both conventional and swirl engine geometries were visualized and recorded with high-speed cinematography. The visualization provides qualitative information about the flow and allows observation of: the development and motions of large recirculation zones during the intake event; the appearance of small-scale turbulence and the changes in scale caused by compression and expansion; the expansion of ring crevice gases into the cylinder during the beginning of the event; and the large-scale motions associated with intake swirl. The FDE system is verymore » versatile and can accommodate a wide variety of engine geometries, operating conditions, and optical diagnostics.« less
Peripheral Anti‐Inflammatory Actions of Corticotropin‐Releasing Factor

Swelling, oedema, and loss of fluids and protein from the vascular compartment are immediate responses seen in living tissues after severe injury. Peptides of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) superfamily have the unusual property of preventing the vascular leakage that occurs in tissues after damage. For example, CRF decreased protein extravasation, oedema and swelling in the anaesthetized rat's paw after exposure to heat or to extreme cold, in tracheal mucosa after exposure to formaldehyde, in skeletal muscle after a knife cut, and in brain cortex after freezing. The anti-inflammatory actions of CRF were independent of steroid release or hypotensive effects. CRF was a functional antagonist of inflammatory mediators such as histamine and substance P. It inhibited neurogenic inflammation, but interactions with unmyelinated sensory neurons did not account for the wide range of CRF's anti-inflammatory activities. Localized application of CRF prevented histamine-induced leaks in the hamster cheek pouch, and displaceable binding sites to iodinated CRF were found on blood vessels and on epithelial cells in close proximity to sites of vascular leakage. These results indicated peripheral sites of action. CRF may be the first example of a peptide hormone demonstrated to have potent anti-inflammatory agonist actions in vivo.
To the Hospital and Back Home Again: A Nurse Practitioner‐Based Transitional Care Program for Hospitalized Homebound People

Homebound older adults may receive suboptimal care during hospitalizations and transitions home or to postacute settings. This 2-year study describes a nurse practitioner (NP)-led transitional care program embedded within an existing home-based primary care (HBPC) program. The transitional care pilot program was designed to improve coordination and continuity of care, reduce readmissions, garner positive provider feedback, and demonstrate financial benefits through shorter length of stay, lower cost of inpatient stay, and better documentation of patient complexity. A detailed mixed-methods evaluation was conducted to characterize the hospitalized homebound population and investigate provider feedback and program feasibility, effectiveness, and costs. Length of stay (LOS), case-mix index, and admission-related financial costs were compared before and after the intervention using a pre-post design. Structured focus groups were conducted with inpatient and primary care providers to collect feedback on the usefulness of and satisfaction with the program. The program improved communication between home-based primary care providers and inpatient providers of all disciplines and facilitated the timely and accurate transfer of critical patient information. The intervention failed to decrease hospital LOS and readmission rate significantly for people who were hospitalized. The financial implications were reassuring, although future studies are necessary. This model of a NP-led program may be feasible for enhancing inpatient management and transitional care for older adults in HBPC programs and should be considered to augment the HBPC care model.
VeriFlow: verifying network-wide invariants in real time

Networks are complex and prone to bugs. Existing tools that check network configuration files and the data-plane state operate offline at timescales of seconds to hours, and cannot detect or prevent bugs as they arise. Is it possible to check network-wide invariants in real time, as the network state evolves? The key challenge here is to achieve extremely low latency during the checks so that network performance is not affected. In this paper, we present a design, VeriFlow, which achieves this goal. VeriFlow is a layer between a software-defined networking controller and network devices that checks for network-wide invariant violations dynamically as each forwarding rule is inserted, modified or deleted. VeriFlow supports analysis over multiple header fields, and an API for checking custom invariants. Based on a prototype implementation integrated with the NOX OpenFlow controller, and driven by a Mininet OpenFlow network and Route Views trace data, we find that VeriFlow can perform rigorous checking within hundreds of microseconds per rule insertion or deletion.
Single and Multisite Impact Response of S2-Glass/Epoxy Balsa Wood Core Sandwich Composites

Impact damage reduces the structural integrity and load bearing capacity of a composite structure. Most studies on high velocity impact damage have been limited to single-site impacts, with little consideration given to the effect of cumulative damage from multiple impacts. In this study, the impact damage response of S2-glass/epoxy balsa wood core sandwich composite is evaluated experimentally and supported by finite element modeling for single-site and multi-site impacts from 0.30 and 0.50 caliber spherical projectiles. During high velocity impact, a composite laminate undergoes progressive damage;hence a progressive failure model based on Hashin's criteria is used to predict failure. When subjected to multi-site impact loading, a sandwich composite structure exhibits synergistic and cumulative damage causing extensive fiber breakage, matrix cracking and delamination. An excellent correlation between experimental and numerical results is obtained.
Sure facts, speculations, and open questions about the evolution of transposable element copy number

Transposable elements (TEs) are sequences capable of multiplying in their host’s genome. They survive by increasing copy numbers due to transpositions, and natural selection washes them out because hosts with heavier loads of TEs have lower fitness. The available phylogenetic evidence supports the view that TEs have existed in living organisms for hundreds of millions of years. A fundamental question facing the field is how can an equilibrium be attained between transposition and selection which allows these parasitic genetic elements to persist for such a long time period? To answer this question, it is necessary to understand how the rate of TE transposition is controlled and to describe the mechanisms with which natural selection opposes TE accumulation. Perhaps the best models for such a study are copia and gypsy retrotransposons in Drosophila. Their average rate of transposition in nature is between 10−5 – 10−4 transpositions per copy per generation. Unlike nature, transposition rates vary widely, from zero to 10−2, between laboratory lines. This variability in transposition rate is controlled by host genes. It is probable that in nature TE site heterogeneity is caused by frequent transpositions in rare flies with permissive alleles, and no transpositions happen in the rest of flies. The average rate of TE transposition in nature may thus depend on the frequency of permissive alleles, which is a function of the rate of mutation from restrictive to permissive alleles, the mechanism and the strength of selection opposing TE multiplication, and population size. Thus, evolution of the frequency of permissive alleles of genes controlling transposition must be accounted for to understand evolution of TE copy numbers.
Temporal pattern dependence of neuronal peptide transmitter release: models and experiments.

In this paper we construct, on the basis of existing experimental data, a mathematical model of firing-elicited release of peptide transmitters from motor neuron B15 in the accessory radula closer neuromuscular system of Aplysia . The model consists of a slow “mobilizing” reaction and the fast release reaction itself. Experimentally, however, it was possible to measure only the mean, heavily averaged release, lacking fast kinetic information. Considered in the conventional way, the data were insufficient to completely specify the details of the model, in particular the relative properties of the slow and the unobservable fast reaction. We illustrate here, with our model and with additional experiments, how to approach such a problem by considering another dimension of release, namely its pattern dependence. The mean release is sensitive to the temporal pattern of firing, even to pattern on time scales much faster than the time scale on which the release is averaged. The mean release varies with the time scale and magnitude of the pattern, relative to the time scale and nonlinearity of the release reactions with which the pattern interacts. The type and magnitude of pattern dependence, especially when correlated systematically over a range of patterns, can therefore yield information about the properties of the release reactions. Thus, temporal pattern can be used as a probe of the release process, even of its fast, directly unobservable components. More generally, the analysis provides insights into the possible ways in which such pattern dependence, widespread especially in neuropeptide- and hormone-releasing systems, might arise from the properties of the underlying cellular reactions.
Neural crest development in fetal alcohol syndrome

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disability. Some affected individuals possess distinctive craniofacial deficits, but many more lack overt facial changes. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying these deficits would inform their diagnostic utility. Our understanding of these mechanisms is challenged because ethanol lacks a single receptor when redirecting cellular activity. This review summarizes our current understanding of how ethanol alters neural crest development. Ample evidence shows that ethanol causes the “classic” fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) face (short palpebral fissures, elongated upper lip, deficient philtrum) because it suppresses prechordal plate outgrowth, thereby reducing neuroectoderm and neural crest induction and causing holoprosencephaly. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) at premigratory stages elicits a different facial appearance, indicating FASD may represent a spectrum of facial outcomes. PAE at this premigratory period initiates a calcium transient that activates CaMKII and destabilizes transcriptionally active β-catenin, thereby initiating apoptosis within neural crest populations. Contributing to neural crest vulnerability are their low antioxidant responses. Ethanol-treated neural crest produce reactive oxygen species, and free radical scavengers attenuate their production and prevent apoptosis. Ethanol also significantly impairs neural crest migration, causing cytoskeletal rearrangements that destabilize focal adhesion formation; their directional migratory capacity is also lost. Genetic factors further modify vulnerability to ethanol-induced craniofacial dysmorphology, and include genes important for neural crest development including shh signaling, PDFGA, vangl2, and ribosomal biogenesis. Because facial and brain development are mechanistically and functionally linked, research into ethanol’s effects on neural crest also informs our understanding of ethanol’s CNS pathologies.
Student Empowerment: Revitalize Hospitality Education with the Total Quality Management Process

(1995). Student Empowerment: Revitalize Hospitality Education with the Total Quality Management Process. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 56-58.
Introducing embedded patterned layers for improved broadband performance of high density transmission line routing

The gate lengths in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) have shrunk from 10um in 1970s to 28nm in 2011, which is the result of intensive research in the field of active device physics and fabrication. Smaller transistor features have increased the transistor density in high frequency integrated circuits (ICs) allowing the semiconductor industry to follow Moore's Law. High frequency circuit designs, such as those used in T/R modules, take advantage of increased circuit transistor density to boost the number of processes and functionalities. So, the number of signal input/output (I/O) must also increase in tandem to support these functionalities and to meet the demands of higher transmission rates. However, real estate is limited on chip, package and at the system level, which requires creative solutions to route interconnects in close proximity to one another. This makes electromagnetic effects due to interconnect delay, crosstalk noise etc. performance limiting factors that must be addressed.
A monograph of the genus Rosa in North America. I. R. acicularis

(1) Rosa acicularis Lindl., the only species ofRosa indigenous to both North America and Eurasia, has the most extended distribution of any species in the genus. (2) The populations ofR. acicularis Lindl. in North America and Eurasia differ by nine morphological characters: pedicel glandulation, auricle width, number of serrations per half leaflet, kind of leaflet serration, serration glandulation, leaflet glandulation, petiole bristles, number of leaflets per leaf, and width of the sepal. (3) Morphologically intermediate as well as typical North American and Eurasian individuals occur in Alaska and eastern Siberia. (4) Approximately 1000 pollen grains measured for representatives of this species in both continents (North America, x = 38.5 μ.; Eurasia, x = 40.4 μ) illustrate a significant difference in size between the North American diploid (x = 27.9 μ) and tetraploid (x = 33.4 μ) species. (5) The percentage of abortive pollen for 24 individuals selected at random throughout the range of the species is low. Only one plant from Alaska, found to be morphologically intermediate between the two populations, had highly abortive pollen (65%). (6) Rosa acicularis Lindl. is hexaploid (2n = 42) in chromosome number in North America and octoploid (2n = 56) in Eurasia. (7) From gross morphological, phytogeographical, and cytological evidences,R. acicularis Lindl. has been separated into two subspecies,R. acicularis Lindl. subsp.acicularis in Eurasia andR. acicularis Lindl. subsp.sayi (Schw.) Lewis in North America. (8) The first heptaploid (2n = 49) chromosome number inRosa is recorded for an artificial hybrid from these subspecies. (9) About fifty binomials, trinomials, pre-Linnaean phrases, and misapplied species names are listed under the subspecies.
Strategies for Smoking Prevention and Resistance Among Young Adolescents

This article summarizes the conceptual approach taken by the Risk and Youth: Smoking Project to assess the dynamics of smoking uptake and resistance among young adolescents and to develop widely applicable educational interventions to prevent or postpone the decision to smoke. Evidence is presented for the view that to be effective, interventions should work within the context of the naturally-occuning motivations of adolescence, and provide a range of problem-solving skills for coping with larger issues of personal/social significance that reduce the likeli-hood of conflict resolution in favor of smoking.
Toxic shock syndrome: case report of a postpartum female and a literature review

Toxic shock syndrome is one of the best understood of the systemic inflammatory response syndromes. The mechanisms of disease have been extensively studied; however, no therapies have been developed that can effectively reverse the syndrome once the inflammatory response has begun. Although toxic shock syndrome classically has been associated with tampon use, multiple other etiologies exist including postpartum toxic shock, which usually affects patients in the immediate weeks following delivery. We present a case of toxic shock in a woman 10 weeks postpartum and review the literature regarding both menstrual-related and nonmenstrual-related toxic shock.
Inhalation of the nerve gas sarin impairs ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia in rats.

Sarin, a highly toxic nerve gas, is believed to cause bronchoconstriction and even death primarily through respiratory failure; however, the mechanism underlying the respiratory failure is not fully understood. The goals of this study were to ascertain whether sarin affects baseline ventilation (VE) and VE chemoreflexes as well as airway resistance and, if so, whether these changes are reversible. Four groups of F344 rats were exposed to vehicle (VEH) or sarin at 2.5, 3.5, and 4.0 mg h m−3 (SL, SM, and SH, respectively). VE and VE responses to hypercapnia (7% CO2) or hypoxia (10% O2) were measured by plethysmography at 2 h and 1, 2, and 5 days after VEH or sarin exposure. Total pulmonary resistance (RL) also was measured in anesthetized VEH- and SH-exposed animals 2 h after exposure. Our results showed that within 2 h after exposure 11% of the SM- and 52% of the SH-exposed groups died. Although the SM and SH significantly decreased hypercapnic and hypoxic VE to similar levels (64 and 69%), SH induced greater respiratory impairment, characterized by lower baseline VE (30%; P < 0.05), and total loss of the respiratory frequency response to hypercapnia and hypoxia. VE impairment recovered within 1–2 days after sarin exposure; interestingly, SH did not significantly affect baseline RL. Moreover, sarin induced body tremors that were unrelated to the changes in the VE responses. Thus, LC50 sarin causes a reversible impairment of VE that is not dependent on the sarin-induced body tremors and not associated with changes in RL.
The diagnosis of urinary incontinence and abnormal urination in dogs and cats.

Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary escape of urine during the storage phase of urination. It can be caused by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the ureters, urinary bladder, urethral sphincter mechanism, and spinal cord, or the hypogastric, pelvic, or pudendal nerves that innervate the area of the bladder and urethra. The classification of incontinence is based on the anatomic area of the lesion, whether it is acquired or congenital, and whether it is neurogenic or non-neurogenic. Abnormal increased frequency of urination is sometimes difficult to distinguish from true incontinence. The documentation of the causes of both of these types of abnormal urination is discussed in this article.
Performance analysis of synchronous production lines

In synchronous production lines, the transfer of all parts in the line takes place simultaneously. If one workstation breaks down, the whole line will be shut down for repair. The authors consider modeling the performance of such lines with random line stoppages, scrapping of parts, and a limited number of operators available for clearing workstations. An analytical model is proposed for this purpose. In the single operator case, the model is free of any distributional assumptions. For the multiple operator case, an exponential assumption is required for an exact analysis, but simple performance bounds are derived for the general case. Some numerical examples are presented. >
Therapeutic prevention of colorectal carcinogenesis.

An overwhelming amount of experimental and observational information about the basic processes underlying carcinogenesis obtained during the 1970s to 1990s, led to a series of translational and eventually definitive placebo-controlled, double blind randomized controlled trials (RCT), involving patients at increased risk for breast, prostate, non-melanoma skin, cervix, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and colon cancer. Despite clear evidence of the favorable effects on the primary endpoints, regulatory approval has been low and usage of those compounds, which have been approved, has been minimal to non-existent. How come? And what can we do to improve this situation, as we move ahead to the next generation of clinical studies? For cervical cancer and CML, respectively, we have the good news that a highly effective vaccine and a targeted therapy (Imatinib) supplanted retinoids as the intervention of choice.[1,2] However, it is probably still worth looking into the vitamin A status of patients who develop cervical cancer, who have received the vaccine, or CML patients who relapse on Imatinib. For the remaining malignancies the issues are very similar. We have recently presented a comprehensive review of this topic, including for those interested, a discussion of regulatory and business challenges.[3] In this current perspective we will focus on the issues of particular concern to the audience being served at this symposium: Scientific, translational, and clinical issues related to colorectal cancer. The major questions that need to be asked and addressed regardless of the organ site are contained in these five areas: What relevance do cellular, animal studies, and epidemiological observations have to the cancer in ‘at-risk individuals′? How can we better identify those at true risk, to develop a more favorable risk-benefit profile? How can we better assess toxicity, and thus a potential risk-benefit in our preclinical experiments? How can we better convey the risks and benefits to trial participants in prevention studies? to regulatory bodies (FDA, EMA, etc.) after a positive RCT? or to potential future patients after a drug is approved? How should we move forward?
Antagonistic effect of two forms of clofibrate on mitochondrial oxidation of succinate.

Abstract Clofibrate can both inhibit and stimulate the oxidation of succinate by mouse liver mitochondria, depending on whether the salt or the esterified form of the drug is used. Sodium clofibrate is a strong inhibitor whereas clofibrate ethyl ester is an active stimulator of succinate oxidation by mouse liver mitochondria.
Triethyl Citrate Synthesis by Reactive Distillation

A continuous reactive distillation process is proposed for the synthesis of triethyl citrate from citric acid and ethanol in the presence of macroporous Amberlyst 15 ion-exchange resin catalyst. The process design, developed using ASPEN Plus simulation software, is based on laboratory kinetic and thermodynamic studies and pilot-scale reactive distillation experiments. Pilot-scale experiments were carried out in a 5-m glass reactive distillation column; catalyst effectiveness was then determined from ASPEN Plus simulation of pilot-scale experiments using a user-written reaction kinetic module based on activity coefficients. Because citric acid esterification kinetics are slow, complete conversion could not be obtained in the pilot-scale column. Using parameters determined from simulation of a pilot-scale column experiment, design of a reactive distillation column to completely convert citric acid to triethyl citrate was carried out. Optimum column performance occurs at low reflux ratios (L/D < 0.1) to avoi...
Hydrogel Microsphere Encapsulation of a Cell-Based Gene Therapy System Increases Cell Survival of Injected Cells, Transgene Expression, and Bone Volume in a Model of Heterotopic Ossification

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are well known for their osteoinductive activity, yet harnessing this capacity remains a high-priority research focus. We present a novel technology that delivers high BMP-2 levels at targeted locations for rapid endochondral bone formation, enhancing our preexisting cell-based gene therapy system by microencapsulating adenovirus-transduced cells in nondegradable poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels before intramuscular delivery. This study evaluates the in vitro and in vivo viability, gene expression, and bone formation from transgenic fibroblasts encapsulated in PEGDA microspheres. Fluorescent viability and cytotoxicity assays demonstrated >95% viability in microencapsulated cells. ELISA and alkaline phosphatase assays established that BMP-2 secretion and specific activity from microencapsulated AdBMP2-transduced fibroblasts were not statistically different from monolayer. Longitudinal transgene expression studies of AdDsRed-transduced fibroblasts, followed through live animal optical fluorescent imaging, showed that microencapsulated cells expressed longer than unencapsulated cells. When comparable numbers of microencapsulated AdBMP2-transduced cells were intramuscularly injected into mice, microcomputed tomography evaluation demonstrated that the resultant heterotopic bone formation was approximately twice the volume of unencapsulated cells. The data suggest that microencapsulation protects cells and prolongs and spatially distributes transgene expression. Thus, incorporation of PEGDA hydrogels significantly advances current gene therapy bone repair approaches.
Fabrication of nanostructured Al2CuMg thin film by femtosecond pulsed laser ablation

Abstract A nanostructured Al 2 CuMg thin film was formed by ablating reactive arc melted targets with femtosecond (10 −15 s range) laser pulses in a high vacuum chamber (10 −6 Torr). The films were characterized by secondary electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Discussion is focused on the morphology of the film produced by this technique. It was observed that the femtosecond ablation technique could be used to form nanostructured metallic thin films.
The 1-O-galactosylceramide fatty acid esters from hog stomach

Abstract 1. 1. Three 1- O -galactosylceramide fatty acid esters (A, B, C) in which the second fatty acid moiety is attached to the 3-, 4- and 6-position of the galactose, respectively, have been isolated from hog stomach substance powder. 2. 2. The isolated cerebroside esters upon alkaline methanolysis gave methyl esters of O - acyl - linked fatty acids and cerebroside. 3. 3. Gas-liquid chromatography of the sugar moiety of permethylated cerebroside esters (A, B, C) gave 2,4,6-, 2,3,6- and 2,3,4-trimethylgalactitol, respectively. 4. 4. Treatment of the cerebroside esters with periodate resulted in destruction of the galactose in glycolipid B and C but not in A. 5. 5. Mild acid hydrolysis of the periodate-treated and reduced cerebroside ester C gave 1-monoglyceride. Threitol has been identified from the products of periodate oxidation of glycolipid B. 6. 6. Acid methanolysis of the permethylated cerebroside esters gave 3- O - methylsphingenine as the major product. 7. 7. Negligible content of the hydroxy acids indicate that the isolated glycolipids are the fatty acid esters of kerasin.
Epidermal growth factor protects the apical junctional complexes from hydrogen peroxide in bile duct epithelium

The tight junctions of bile duct epithelium form a barrier between the toxic bile and liver parenchyma. Disruption of tight junctions appears to have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. In this study, we investigated the disruptive effect of hydrogen peroxide and the protective effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the tight junctions and adherens junctions in the bile duct epithelium. Oxidative stress in NRC-1 and Mz-ChA-1 cell monolayers was induced by administration of hydrogen peroxide. Barrier function was evaluated by measuring electrical resistance and inulin permeability. Integrity of tight junctions, adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton was determined by imunofluorescence microscopy. Role of signaling molecules was determined by evaluating the effect of specific inhibitors. Hydrogen peroxide caused a rapid disruption of tight junctions and adherens junctions leading to barrier dysfunction without altering the cell viability. Hydrogen peroxide rapidly increased the levels of p-MLC (myosin light chain) and c-Src(pY418). ML-7 and PP2 (MLCK and Src kinase inhibitors) attenuated hydrogen peroxide-induced barrier dysfunction, tight junction disruption and reorganization of actin cytoskeleton. Pretreatment of cell monolayers with EGF ameliorated hydrogen peroxide-induced tight junction disruption and barrier dysfunction. The protective effect of EGF was abrogated by ET-18-OCH3 and the Ro-32-0432 (PLCγ and PKC inhibitors). Hydrogen peroxide increased tyrosine phosphorylation of ZO-1, claudin-3, E-cadherin and β-catenin, and pretreatment of cells with EGF attenuated tyrosine phosphorylation of these proteins. These results demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide disrupts tight junctions, adherens junctions and the actin cytoskeleton by an MLCK and Src kinase-dependent mechanism in the bile duct epithelium. EGF prevents hydrogen peroxide-induced tight junction disruption by a PLCγ and PKC-dependent mechanism.
The Effect of Electricity Prices, Lift, and Distance on Irrigation Development in Idaho

A model is outlined that gives a reasonable partial equilibrium simulation of the impact of critical parameters, such as crop prices and yields, electricity rates, lift height, and distance from the river upon feasibility of high lift irrigation development in southwest Idaho. Results indicate that per acre returns on irrigated tracts increase slightly with farm size. Under base conditions, all farm sizes examined could sustain nearly a 10% decline in crop price or yields. Given the base lift, 550 feet, and the base distance, 5 miles, all farm sizes considered could sustain a 100% increase in electric rates. However, with a 200% power rate increase, irrigation feasibility would be limited to the largest farms with lifts less than 550 feet and distances less than 4 miles. (JMT)
A palladium-catalyzed vinylcyclopropane (3+2) cycloaddition approach to the Melodinus alkaloids.

A palladium-catalyzed (3 + 2) cycloaddition of a vinylcyclopropane and a β-nitrostyrene is employed to rapidly assemble the cyclopentane core of the Melodinus alkaloids. The ABCD ring system of the natural product family is prepared in six steps from commercially available materials.
CFTR: An ion channel with a transporter-type energy-coupling mechanism

Once, as a medical student, I learned from a pathology textbook that CFTR is a chloride ion channel—a unique one that I should keep in mind because its failure causes the life-threatening human genetic disease cystic fibrosis. It was several years later, after I began studying CFTR, that I saw the
Thyroid and Bone: Macrophage-Derived TSH-β Splice Variant Increases Murine Osteoblastogenesis

It is now firmly established that TSH may influence the physiology and patho-physiology of bone by activating osteoblasts and inhibiting osteoclast activity resulting in relative osteoprotection. Whether this influence is directly exerted by pituitary-derived TSH in vivo is less certain, because we have previously reported that the suppression of pituitary TSH does not remove such protection. Here, we have characterized the functional relevance of a novel form of the TSH-β subunit, designated TSH-βv, known to be produced by murine bone marrow cells. We found that fresh bone marrow-derived macrophages (MOs) preferentially produced TSH-βv and, when cocultured with CHO cells engineered to overexpress the full-length TSH receptor, were able to generate the production of intracellular cAMP; a phenomenon not seen in control CHO cells, such results confirmed the bioactivity of the TSH variant. Furthermore, cocultures of MOs and osteoblasts were shown to enhance osteoblastogenesis, and this phenomenon was markedly reduced by antibody to TSH-β, suggesting direct interaction between MOs and osteoblasts as observed under the electron microscope. These data suggest a new paradigm of local modulation of bone biology by a MO-derived TSH-like molecule and raise the question of the relative contribution of local vs pituitary-derived TSH in osteoprotection.