cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandins and Cannabis—VIII. Elevation of Phospholipase A2 Activity by Cannabinoids in Whole Cells and Subcellular Preparations

: The previously reported release of arachidonic acid by THC has now been demonstrated in murine Leydig cells and WI-38 human lung fibroblasts showing the generality of the effect. The release reaction could be antagonized by phospholipase A2 inhibitors such as quinacrine and quinine, suggesting that THC can stimulate the activity of this enzyme. Further evidence for this possibility was obtained by demonstrating the release effect on a subcellular fraction which contained the phospholipase A2 activity. The stimulation of this enzyme could have profound effects on prostaglandin synthesis and/or on the integrity of various membrane structures.
Effects of glass forming conditions on the KrF-excimer-laser-induced optical damage in synthetic fused silica

Abstract The optical damage induced by exposure to KrF (248 nm) excimer laser light was examined in synthetic fused silicas made under a variety of processing conditions. The SiCl 4 -based glass exhibited increased UV absorption, increased red fluorescence and compaction after prolonged 248 nm exposure. The induced damage was most severe in glasses made with oxidizing deposition flames or in glasses with reduced levels of molecular hydrogen. The damage did not correlate with the OH level. Fused silica produced using a hydrogen/oxygen flame showed the same damage resistance as glass made with a natural gas/oxygen flame. Fused silica made with the chlorine-free precursor, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), exhibited the same general damage behavior as that seen in SiCl 4 -based glass except that the absorption damage shifted to a saturated condition without passing through the absorption transition prevalent in the SiCl 4 -based glass.
Transport of Spermatozoa to the Site of Fertilization in the Absence of Oviposition and Ovulation in the Chicken

Abstract INTRODUCTION BOBR (1962), Bobr et al. (1964b) and Van Krey (1964) reported that spermatozoa are released from the uterovaginal (UV) glands of the hen only during oviposition, ovulation, or both. Burke and Ogasawara (1969) investigated this cyclical release phenomenon using techniques different from those in the earlier studies. In a majority of the hens they found spermatozoa free in the uterovaginal fluid at all times in the ovulatory cycle at which samples were collected. They concluded that release of spermatoza from the UV storage glands is not restricted to the time of oviposition or ovulation, and suggested that the earlier workers may have observed a migration of spermatozoa from the UV region at the time of oviposition, rather than true release from storage sites. It appeared that migration of spermatozoa toward the infundibulum might be retarded by a hard-shelled egg in the uterus, and with the expulsion of the egg…
Continuous Seismic-Reflection Study of Orpheus Gravity Anomaly

Continuous seismic-reflection profiles across the Scotian shelf south of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, reveal the presence of moderately folded Cretaceous rocks within the area represented by the Orpheus negative gravity anomaly. The folded strata are confined to the anomalous area, and contrast with the gently seaward-dipping strata typical of most other parts of the shelf. Bedrock units are recognized on the continuous seismic-reflection records by unconformable relations and differences in definition, nature, and frequency of seismic events depicting layered sequences. A preliminary geologic map was constructed from these data, the adjacent land geology, and the gravity, magnetic, and seismic-reflection data obtained by other workers. Rocks in the anomaly area are thought to range in age from pre-Pennsylvanian to probable Tertiary. The fold structures evident in the Cretaceous strata are attributed to movement along an eastward extension of the Cobequid-Chedabucto Triassic fault system that extends across Nova Scotia almost continuously from the Bay of Fundy to Chedabucto Bay. This system is postulated to extend eastward along the south side of the Orpheus anomaly, thence southeastward toward the continental slope. It may be part of a larger fracture zone continuing along the southwest margin of the Grand Banks and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Analysis of pancreatoduodenectomy

Between 1956 and 1982, there were 55 pancreatoduodenectomies performed at the Medical University of South Carolina by 19 different surgeons. There were 26 resections for adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas and 16 resections for carcinoma of the ampulla of vater, carcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary ducts, and carcinoma of the duodenum. There were seven resections for chronic pancreatitis. There were two resections for trauma and three resections in the (1960s) for carcinoma of the stomach. There was one resection for cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas. In the patients with carcinoma of the pancreas, resection was only performed when there was no gross evidence of extension beyond the parenchyma of the pancreas. Analysis of the resected specimen revealed 44% of the pancreatic carcinomas subsequently had positive lymph nodes. None of these patients became long-term survivors. Failure of the pancreato-jejunostomy was the most serious complication, occurring in 7 of 55 resections. There were no fistulas where a muscosal to mucosal anastamosis was performed to join the pancreas with the jejunum. The five-year survival for all patients with carcinoma of the pancreas was 11.6%. The 3 five-year survivors were from resections performed between 1956 and 1970. During these years, the mortality rate for the procedure was 21%. From 1970 to 1982 there were no five-year survivors from carcinoma of the pancreas. However, the mortality rate was 10.6%. The history and current controversies over this surgical procedure are reviewed.
Gold nanocages as photothermal transducers for cancer treatment.

Gold nanocages represent a new class of nanomaterials with compact size and tunable optical properties for biomedical applications. They exhibit strong light absorption in the near-infrared region in which light can penetrate deeply into soft tissue. After PEGylation, the Au nanocages can be passively delivered to tumors in animals. Analysis of tissue distribution for the PEGylated Au nanocages showed that the tumor uptake was 5.7 %ID/g at 96 h post injection. The Au nanocages were found not only on the surface, but also in the core of the tumor. By exposing tumors to a near-infrared diode laser (0.7 W/cm2, CW, λ=808 nm) for 10 min, the photothermal effect of the Au nanocages could selectively destroy tumor tissue with minimum damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Data from functional [18F]fluorodexoyglucose positron emission tomography revealed a decrease in tumor metabolic activity upon the photothermal treatment. Histological examination identified extensive damage to the nuclei of tumor cells and tumor interstitium.
Introduction: Special Forum on Sociological Perspectives of Accounting

A nthony Hopwood (e.g., 1983) has long observed that we have had few field studies that have examined accounting in the contexts in which it operates. Indeed, in his 2006 plenary address as the American Accounting Association’s Presidential Scholar, Hopwood concluded that accounting research has become ‘‘increasingly detached from the practice of the craft . . . [as well as] too cautious and conservative, too rigid and traditional, and insufficiently attuned to grapple with the new, and to embrace novel insights and bodies of knowledge’’ (Hopwood 2007, 1365, 1370). In part, he urged that more innovative field research be conducted, informed by theories derived from sociology and employing qualitative, naturalistic research methods (e.g., Hopwood 2007, 1372). This special forum of Behavioral Research in Accounting is devoted to publishing original papers detailing field studies of accounting in their natural organizational and institutional contexts which have drawn on sociological perspectives and employed qualitative methods. Webster’s dictionary defines sociology as ‘‘the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships: the systematic study of the development, structure, and function of human groups conceived as processes of interaction or as organized patterns of collective behavior.’’ As such, a sociological perspective of accounting as a form of structure focuses on examining the multiple roles accounting plays in the social constitution of organizations and institutions, or on the social constitution of accounting, rather than the orthodox view that accounting faithfully represents an objective, economic reality. On this theme, for example, Fombrun (1986; see also Van de Ven and Poole 1996; Dirsmith 1998) reasoned that such forms of structure as accounting may simultaneously serve as: technological solutions to the instrumental problems of production; political exchanges among contending organizational and institutional factions; and social interpretations within the organization and by its external, institutional constituents. Thus, accounting may simultaneously be seen as: technical solutions to the problems of fostering production rationality—the more traditional, orthodox province of accounting, and as political advocacy devices for representing the positions of various constituent groups within the
ACL Tears Contributing Factors and Preventive Strategies for the Home Health Care Professional—Part 1

This article addresses the scientific literature on contributing factors and preventive strategies for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, and it offers suggestions home health care professionals may find useful in the prevention and rehabilitation of this injury. More specifically, this two-part article summarizes contemporary research on the functional anatomy of the knee, precipitating factors to ACL injuries, and current strategies in the rehabilitation of these injuries. Part 1—covered here—addresses the knee’s functional anatomy and precipitating factors to ACL injuries noted in the scientific literature. Part 2—covered in a subsequent issue of Home Health Care Management & Practice (HHCMP)—addresses contemporary trends evident in the peer-reviewed literature on the topic of the rehabilitation of ACL injuries.
An engineering and economic evaluation of quick germ–quick fiber process for dry-grind ethanol facilities: Analysis

Abstract An engineering economic model, which is mass balanced and compositionally driven, was developed to compare the conventional corn dry-grind process and the pre-fractionation process called quick germ–quick fiber (QQ). In this model, documented in a companion article, the distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) price was linked with its protein and fiber content as well as with the long-term average relationship with the corn price. The detailed economic analysis showed that the QQ plant retrofitted from conventional dry-grind ethanol plant reduces the manufacturing cost of ethanol by 13.5 ¢/gallon and has net present value of nearly $4 million greater than the conventional dry-grind plant at an interest rate of 4% in 15 years. Ethanol and feedstock price sensitivity analysis showed that the QQ plant gains more profits when ethanol price increases than conventional dry-grind ethanol plant. An optimistic analysis of the QQ process suggests that the greater value of the modified DDGS would provide greater resistance to fluctuations in corn price for QQ facilities. This model can be used to provide decision support for ethanol producers.
Surface Glycans of Candida albicans and Other Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological Roles, Clinical Uses, and Experimental Challenges

Although fungi have always been with us as commensals and pathogens, fungal infections have been increasing in frequency over the past few decades. There is a growing body of literature describing the involvement of carbohydrate groups in various aspects of fungal disease. Carbohydrates comprising the cell wall or capsule, or as a component of glycoproteins, are the fungal cell surface entities most likely to be exposed to the surrounding environment. Thus, the fungus-host interaction is likely to involve carbohydrates before DNA, RNA, or even protein. The interaction between fungal and host cells is also complex, and early studies using whole cells or crude cell fractions often produced seemingly conflicting results. What was needed, and what has been developing, is the ability to identify specific glycan structures and determine how they interact with immune system components. Carbohydrate analysis is complicated by the complexity of glycan structures and by the challenges of separating and detecting carbohydrates experimentally. Advances in carbohydrate chemistry have enabled us to move from the foundation of composition analysis to more rapid characterization of specific structures. This, in turn, will lead to a greater understanding of how fungi coexist with their hosts as commensals or exist in conflict as pathogens.
Early hyperostosis frontalis interna found incidentally by NaF18 PET/CT bone scan

The patient is an 80 year old white male who was referred for NaF18 PET/CT bone scan to evaluate for possible prostate cancer metastasis. We found no evidence of prostate cancer metastasis but there was an incidental finding of early hyperostosis frontalis interna in bilateral inner tables of frontal bone on PET/CT scan. The thickness of the inner table of frontle bones was normal on CT scan images; however, increased osteoplastic activity consistent with early active hyperostosis frontalis interna was seen on NaF18 PET/CT images. The patient had no neuropsychological symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of early hyperostosis frontalis interna found incidentally by NaF18 PET/CT.
FDTD study of surface waves in microstrip and patch structures

The Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method is employed to visualize surface wave propagation in microstrip line and patch structures. Signal distortion in microstrip lines caused by surface waves is studied in substrates with different permittivities. Electric and magnetic field components of surface waves, excited by different sources, are analyzed and different types of surface waves are identified. An efficient method to suppress surface wave propagation using low-K plugs inserted in higher-K substrates is demonstrated.
An efficient algorithm for the analysis of cyclic circuits

Compiling high-level hardware languages can produce circuits containing combinational cycles that can never be sensitized. Such circuits do have well-defined functional behavior, but wreak havoc with most logic synthesis and timing tools, which assume acyclic combinational logic. As such, some sort of cycle-removal step is usually necessary for handling these circuits. We present an algorithm able to quickly and exactly characterize all combinational behavior of a cyclic circuit. It iteratively examines the boundary between gates whose outputs are and are not defined and works backward to find additional input patterns that make the circuit behave combinationally. It produces a minimal set of sets of assignments to inputs that together cover all combinational behavior. This can be used to restructure the circuit into an acyclic equivalent, report errors, or as an optimization aid. Experiments show our algorithm runs several orders of magnitude faster than existing ones on real-life cyclic circuits, making it useful in practice.
The Voices of Battered Women in India

This study endeavors to give voice to marginalized, understudied women who were abused in India. The study included 90 women who were abused who were seeking help to address violence perpetrated against them by their husbands. A semistructured interview was used to collect data on abuse characteristics, consequences of abuse, and help-seeking behavior. Findings reveal that the vast majority of participants experienced daily abuse that was extremely severe, with 70% reporting they lived under the threat of murder. More than 85% reported needing medical care for their injuries. Respondents in this study sought help from a range of sources; the most effective help was provided by counseling centers and women's shelters. These findings have important implications for clinical practice and social policy.
Channel-aware rate-distortion optimized leaky motion prediction

Leaky motion prediction techniques have been developed as a way to trade-off between video coding efficiency and drift error resilience. In this paper, we present a statistical analysis of leaky motion prediction in the presence of channel errors. We assume the encoder has some basic knowledge of the channel such as the channel error pattern and error rate. We derive a closed-form expression of the rate distortion function and find the analytic solution for the leaky motion prediction parameter. Two examples are presented 10 demonstrate the results.
Analysis of Interference in Air-to-Ground CDMA Cellular Systems Under Idealized Assumptions

In this paper, we study the air-to-ground cellular systems with no frequency reuse. We provide an analysis of the inter-cell interference under idealized assumptions: 3D hexagonal cell planning, a line of sight channel model with no shadowing and idealized antenna patterns. Based on this model, we derive approximate bounds for the inter to intra-cell interference ratio for the air-to-ground link. In addition, we provide upper bounds on the interference and the outage probability for the ground-to-air link. Simulation results are provided to validate the accuracy of the analytical results.
The Biologistical Construction of Race: `Admixture' Technology and the New Genetic Medicine

This paper presents an ethnographic case study of the use of race in two interconnected laboratories of medical genetics. Specifically, it examines how researchers committed to reducing health disparities in Latinos with asthma advance hypotheses and structure research to show that relative frequencies of genetic markers characterize commonly understood groupings of race. They do this first by unapologetically advancing the idea that peoples whom they take to be of the 'Old World', or 'Africans', 'Europeans', 'East Asians', and 'Native Americans', can serve as putatively pure reference populations against which genetic risk for common diseases such as asthma can be calculated for those in the 'New World'. Technologically, they deploy a tool called ancestry informative markers (AIMs), which are a collection of genetic sequence variants said to differ in present-day West Africans, East Asians, Europeans, and (ideally Pre-Columbian) Native Americans. I argue that this technology, compelling as it may be to a range of actors who span the political spectrum, is, at base, designed to bring about a correspondence of familiar ideas of race and supposed socially neutral DNA. This correspondence happens, in part, as the scientists in question often bracket the environment while privileging racialized genetic variance as the primary source of health disparities for common disease, in this case between Mexicans and Puerto Ricans with asthma. With their various collaborators, these scientists represent a growing movement within medical genetics to re-consider race and 'racial admixture' as biogenetically valid points of departure. Furthermore, many actors at the center of this ethnography focus on race as a function of their personal identity politics as scientists of color. This to say, they are driven not by racist notions of human difference, but by a commitment to reduce health disparities and to include 'their' communities in what they describe as the 'genetic revolution'.
Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) Activity Patterns on a Roadway at Cape Cod National Seashore

Abstract Amphibian road mortality is a conservation concern that is receiving increased attention by the conservation community, especially given the increasing number of studies quantifying numbers of individuals that are run over by vehicles during seasonal migrations to and from breeding wetlands and during nonmigratory activity bouts on roadways. In this study we assess the activity patterns of Fowler's Toads (Anaxyrus fowleri) on an 800-m long road segment at Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, United States, over the course of an 11-wk period during the upland activity season of this species. Our results indicated that a large number of individuals were active on this road segment, even during nonrainy nights, and that some individuals spent extended periods of time on the road segment within a given night and were present on the road segment during multiple nights throughout the study duration. These findings suggest that amphibian road mortality may not be limited to seasonal migrations to ...
Towards trusted composition in software design

In this paper, we investigate the issues on software composition at the design level. A formal framework for component composition, replacement, refinement in software design is proposed. This framework can help software designers to design software systems from existing design components and to rigorously analyze these systems. Thus, wrong design decisions, errors, and inconsistencies can be detected early in the development process.
Monitoring and modeling semi-arid landscape response to climate change

The threat of global climate change has dramatically increased the attention directed towards understanding the environment and its naturally and anthropogenically-induced fluctuations. Semi-arid lands, especially those located in inner continental regions, may be some of the most sensitive to such change. By using remote sensing techniques to analyze the spectral characteristics of the landscape, and combining this with the spatial analytical capabilities of a Geographic Information System (GIS), the optimal parameters needed to detect the response of the landscape to climate change can be determined. >
AUTOMOBILE INJURY--SELECTED RISK FACTORS AND PREVENTION IN THE HEALTH CARE SETTING

Injuries of all types rank fourth among leading causes of death in the United States, after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. They are the leading cause of death from the ages 1 to 44 and the leading cause of preretirement years of life lost.1-4 Motor vehicle crashes are the most important cause of injury, producing 40,000 to 50,000 deaths and 4 to 5 million injuries annually in recent years.3-4 An incidence-based cost comparison of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and motor vehicle injuries in 1975 ranked motor vehicle injuries as second most costly, after cancer.1 The frequency of motor vehicle injuries varies substantially by age and sex. Injury and fatality rates per passenger-mile of travel are bimodally related to age, being highest in the ages 16 to 24 and over 70. From about age 10, fatality rates are higher for males than for females at all ages, and at ages 16 to 24, death rates for males are more than double those for females.3
Toe Clipping Does Not Affect the Survival of Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens)

Toe clipping is commonly used to identify individual frogs in mark–recapture studies. However, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) often have reservations about approving studies that include toe clipping as a way to mark animals. Previous studies indicate that recapture rates of terrestrial frogs and toads decrease with increasing numbers of toes clipped. It is not known whether these decreases are due to decreased survival rates, increased avoidance of recapture, or some other reason. The goal of this paper is to provide IACUCs with a quantitative analysis of the effects of toe clipping on survival so that they can make informed, data-based decisions when approving studies using this method, rather than basing decisions on anthropomorphic biases. We conducted a large (n = 100) laboratory experiment to determine the effects of toe clipping on the frog Rana pipiens. We found no evidence that the number of toes clipped affected either the survival rate of Leopard Frogs or the number of ...
A conserved CaM- and radial spoke–associated complex mediates regulation of flagellar dynein activity

For virtually all cilia and eukaryotic flagella, the second messengers calcium and cyclic adenosine monophosphate are implicated in modulating dynein- driven microtubule sliding to regulate beating. Calmodulin (CaM) localizes to the axoneme and is a key calcium sensor involved in regulating motility. Using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, we identify members of a CaM-containing complex that are involved in regulating dynein activity. This complex includes flagellar-associated protein 91 (FAP91), which shares considerable sequence similarity to AAT-1, a protein originally identified in testis as an A-kinase anchor protein (AKAP)– binding protein. FAP91 directly interacts with radial spoke protein 3 (an AKAP), which is located at the base of the spoke. In a microtubule sliding assay, the addition of antibodies generated against FAP91 to mutant axonemes with reduced dynein activity restores dynein activity to wild-type levels. These combined results indicate that the CaM- and spoke-associated complex mediates regulatory signals between the radial spokes and dynein arms.
A Transient, Multi-Cylinder Engine Model Using Modelica

This paper describes a transient, thermodynamic, crank angle-based engine model in Modelica that can be used to simulate a range of advanced engine technologies. A single cylinder model is initially presented and described, along with its validation against steady-state dynamometer test data. Issues related to this single cylinder validation are discussed, including the appropriate conservation of hot residual gases under very early intake valve opening (IVO) conditions. From there, the extension from a single cylinder to a multi-cylinder V8 engine model is explained and simulation results are presented for a transient cylinder-deactivation scenario on a V8 engine.
The proportionate two-machine no-wait job shop scheduling problem

Abstract We consider the two-machine no-wait job shop minimum makespan scheduling problem. We show that when each job has exactly two equal length operations (also called a proportionate job shop), the problem is solvable in O(nlog n) time. We also show that the proportionate problem becomes strongly NP-hard when some jobs are allowed to visit only one machine. Finally, we show that the proportionate problem with missing operations becomes solvable in O(nlog n) time when all missing operations are on the same machine.
Identity and ritual: The American consumption of true crime

This dissertation examines the consumption of crime narratives in America, from seventeenth century execution sermons to the contemporary genre of true crime. These crime narratives serve to encourage orientation of the community toward the figures involved, including criminal and victim, and adapt with changing cultural and social norms. In responding to situations that have disrupted communal order, the crime narrative functions as a restoration ritual that aids members of the community responding to and recovering from the presented threat: a crime or transgression of taboo. While early religious texts focused on the figure of the criminal, a community member that has been misplaced or given power that he should not possess, secular texts began to incorporate and establish the role of the victim within the crime narratives. These texts present us with the genesis of putting the victims’ innocence on trial along with the question of the criminal’s guilt. It relies on interpretative formats of the victims’ biographies to support the criminal’s actions and even earn them acquittals in court. Every aspect of the victim – from body to biography and including race, class, and gender – functions as clues and evidence to both identify the criminal and label the victim as complicit in his/her own demise. The ritual thus functions to reinforce preestablished notions of guilt, innocence, and justice. The contemporary true crime genre, often thought to have originated in the twentieth century, instead draws on these historical texts, their orientations toward criminal and victim, and their function as restoration ritual, creating the true crime genre as the contemporary reenactment or response to communal upheaval. The attitudes present within contemporary true crime reflect the long history of the consumption of crime narratives on American soil. Best-selling true crime books such as In Cold Blood (1966), Helter Skelter (1974), and The Stranger Beside Me (1980) support this established communal orientation toward criminals and victims. The more recent Green River, Running Red (2004) serves as an example of how embedded these beliefs and orientations have become, proving their adherence to the ritual and reinforcing its role of affirming cultural beliefs in justice, guilt, and redemption, regardless of the criminal’s or victim’s individual identity or relative situation.
To the Editor: Concerning Rajagopal MD et al.

The nosology in the paper by Rajagopal et al. [1] does not mention the condition first reported by Neu et al. [2] and by Laxova et al. [3]. The autosomal recessive Neu-Laxova syndrome comprises sev...
Microclimate in Hell's Canyon Mines Used by Maternity Colonies of Myotis yumanensis

Temperature, relative humidity, and air flow were measured May-September in three mines used by Myotis yumanensis for maternity colonies and two similar but unused mines. Ambient temperatures differed little between mines with or without maternity colonies, but relative humidity was much higher and fluctuated less in mines with maternity colonies than in mines without maternity colonies. Air flow was insignificant in all mines. Bats clustered in small ceiling domes. Large colonies of 500-750 adults in two of the mines raised temperatures at roost sites to >30°C, but roost-site temperatures of a small colony of only 50-60 individuals in the third mine rarely exceeded 25°C. Although topography of ceilings allowing capture of exogenous metabolic heat may be important for producing temperatures conducive to rapid growth of juveniles and reduced thermoregulatory costs, bats may have selected these three mines on the basis of higher humidity or lower levels of disturbance by humans than occur in mines without maternity colonies. Alternative maternity roosts seem limited in Hell's Canyon and future additional protection of these three colonies may be important for the continued presence of this species in the canyon.
Selective laparoscopic approach in suspected gallbladder malignancy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES We examined patients with clinical findings that are concerning for gallbladder malignancy to determine the incidence of pathology-confirmed malignancy and to discover factors that may be used to determine which patients may be initially treated with a laparoscopic approach. METHODS All patients referred to a surgical oncologist with preoperative findings that are concerning for gallbladder malignancy who had not undergone previous surgical resection from 2005 to 2011 were reviewed. Variables collected included demographics, imaging, operative findings, and final pathology. Patients were grouped into 3 categories based on preoperative findings: gallbladder mass, irregular wall thickening, and abnormal intraoperative findings on previous diagnostic laparoscopy. RESULTS Twenty-nine of 4474 patients evaluated for gallbladder pathology during the study period met the inclusion criteria. Preoperative imaging included computed tomography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Twelve patients had multiple imaging studies. Eight patients were initially treated with a laparoscopic approach with 3 conversions to an open procedure. Forty-eight percent of patients had pathology-confirmed malignancy. Patients without a discrete mass on imaging were more likely to have benign disease (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that >50% of patients with suspicious preoperative findings had benign pathology, suggesting that the initial laparoscopic approach in selected patients may be appropriate.
Interaction of Magnesium Ions with Pristine Single-Layer and Defected Graphene/Water Interfaces Studied by Second Harmonic Generation

This work reports thermodynamic and electrostatic parameters for fused silica/water interfaces containing cm2-sized graphene ranging from a single layer of pristine graphene to defected graphene. Second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements carried out at pH 7 indicate that the surface charge density of the fused silica/water interface containing the defected graphene (−0.009(3) to −0.010(3) C/m2) is between that of defect-free single layer graphene (−0.0049(8) C/m2) and bare fused silica (−0.013(6) C/m2). The interfacial free energy of the fused silica/water interface calculated from the Lippmann equation is reduced by a factor of 7 in the presence of single-layer pristine graphene, while defected graphene reduces it only by a factor of at most 2. Subsequent SHG adsorption isotherm studies probing the Mg2+ adsorption at the fused silica/water interface result in fully reversible metal ion interactions and observed binding constants, Kads, of 4(1) – 5(1) × 103 M–1 for pristine graphene and 3(1) – 4(1) × ...
Reproductive Performance of Three Strains of Chickens in Colony-Cage and Floor-Pen Environments,

Abstract Genetic strains, ages, and housing environments were studied for their effects on egg production, gains in weight and fertility over an eight-week interval. Rate of egg production in small floor pens was clearly superior to that in high-density, commercial-type colony cages. Fertility was influenced by all major variables and by interactions among some of them. One genetic stock was clearly superior to two others. Differences between strains were more clearly evident in the rigorous colony-cage environment than in floor pens. Fertility in colony cages was lower than in floor pens over the eight-week test, but the difference decreased with time. Young males had higher fertility than older ones.
Discussion of Modern Pipeline Leak Detection Techniques

Introduced the modern pipeline leak detection and location techniques which begin in the early of 1980s.It is based on SCADA system of pipelines,and applying the modern analysis methods and control theory,leak detection and location is realized by dealing with pipelines course data,including quality equity method,negative pressure wave detection method,and so on.With the development of computer technique and the elevation of the requirement of detection precision,transient model method will has wide application prospects.
Impact of Photovoltaic Power on IEEE 34 Bus Test Feeder with Over-Current Protection

The study,taking the IEEE 34 bus test feeder as the subject,adding the recloser and the fuse overcurrent protection devices,applying different capacities of Photovoltaic power at specific locations,and using PSCAD software to simulate the short circuit current and protective coordination,studies the impact of the Photovoltaic power on the equipment of over-current protection.For this purpose,stimulation of a variety of faults is conducted to verify whether the coordination between power grid protective devices changes after accessing the photovoltaic power.The simulation results indicate that the protection is not affected at every photovoltaic power accessing location;only at some specific ones,however,some protection selectivity is lost,causing the protection device to mal-operate or miss trip.
Genetic stability of rDNA production systems, a case report

Producing rDNA proteins to be used as human therapeutic agents requires a biological production system during both storage and growth. The genetic make-up of a biological system is usually known through the laboratory history of the host strain and the process of vector construction. All master cell banks prepared for the production of medicinal products are fully characterized at the genetic and biochemical level. Whether these characteristics can be consistently maintained, particularly when the cells are propagated through a high number of generations and the culture grown into tens of thousands of litres, will have significant effects on the quality of the final products. Considerable experience and data regarding the stability of biological production systems involving plasmid and E. coli or yeast have been accumulated during the past 10 years. These data, including size and restriction analyses of the plasmid and sequence determination of relevant portions of the plasmid DNA isolated from cells collected before culture harvest, demonstrated that plasmid alteration at the structural level do occur, and some with high frequency or concentration. Assisted by such genetic information, criteria for accepting or rejecting a fermentation run can be established.
Correlates of—and Consequences for—Bully-Victims in a Sample of Serious Adolescent Offenders

Previous research on bullying has demonstrated that youth who engage in bullying and are also victims of bullying are at increased risk for maladjustment. Somewhat less investigated are the correla...
The relation of weight suppression and BMIz to bulimic symptoms in youth with bulimia nervosa

Background Weight suppression (WS), which is the difference between a patient’s highest and current weight, has been associated with bulimic symptom severity in adults with bulimia nervosa (BN). However, the impact of WS on eating disorder psychopathology in youth with BN is unknown.
Direct fast pyrolysis bio-oil fuel cell

Abstract Bio-oil derived from the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass shows a great promise, however, needs further upgrading to potentially serve as an alternative to fossil fuels. Herein, we demonstrate that crude fast pyrolysis bio-oil can be directly used as a fuel for anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) to generate high power density electrical energy at low temperature (⩽80 °C). A simple aqueous-phase reduction method was used to prepare carbon nanotube (CNT) supported noble metal (Pt, Pd, Au, and Ag) nanoparticles with average particle sizes: 1.4 nm, 2.0 nm, 3.8 nm, and 12.9 nm for Pt/CNT, Pd/CNT, Au/CNT, and Ag/CNT, respectively. Direct fast pyrolysis bio-oil AEMFCs with the Pd/CNT anode catalyst and a commercial Fe-based cathode catalyst exhibit a remarkable peak power density of 42.7 mW cm−2 at 80 °C using 30 wt% bio-oil + 6.0 M KOH electrolyte. Levoglucosan was identified as the major sugar compound with 11.1 wt% of the bio-oil composition, along with disaccharides, pyrolytic lignin, and oligomer of lignin-derived phenolic compounds. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies investigated the electrocatalytic oxidation of high purity levoglucosan over the four noble metal catalysts in half cell, as levoglucosan is the dominant sugar component in bio-oil. Pd/CNT, compared to other catalysts, displayed the highest activity and lowest onset potential of electrocatalytic oxidation of levoglucosan. AEMFC with high purity sugars shows ∼1.2 to 3 times higher power density than that with fast pyrolysis bio-oil fuel.
mTOR: Pumping Nutrients into Tubules

Recent studies have revealed that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an important role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic cellular processes in kidney cells.[1][1] mTOR is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase that forms two distinct multiprotein kinase complexes termed mTORC1
Students' motivational attitudes in introductory STEM courses: The relationship between assessment and externalization

Work-in-Progress. Students' contextual motivation in introductory STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses has been a focus of many recent studies; this work provides a new lens to this work by investigating students' situational motivations. Grounded theory is used to analyze survey responses from ten students in an introductory STEM course at a small private technical school that features project-based learning environments. Analysis resulted in an emerging relationship between assessment and a behavior we call externalization. We observe a co-occurrence between externalization and problem-set-related assessment; the co-occurrence indicates that some students may not feel as though they have control over their progress and performance on problem sets and it is this lack of control that the students report to be frustrating and amotivating. Additionally, we observe that blame is presented either as externalization or non-externalization while credit is almost always non-externalized. The two presentations of blame suggest that students might externalize to cope with negative affective experiences. The results of this study may have implication for design of STEM courses with motivations as both means and ends in students' learning processes.
Emergency color Doppler sonography of the extremity artery: A pictorial essay

Arterial color duplex sonography (CDUS) of the extremities is routinely analyzed in the field of emergency radiology. A retrospective review of 500 consecutive arterial CDUS extremity studies was performed in our emergency department. Abnormal CDUS examinations were classified into two groups according to their primary etiology: 1) traumatic arterial injuries (accidents or post-operative complications) and 2) acute arterial ischemia (thrombosis or embolism outside of the setting of acute trauma). This article reviews common CDUS imaging findings in a busy emergency radiology division including traumatic pseudoaneurysm, secondary pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, acute ischemic arterial disease and chronic peripheral arterial disease. This essay highlights the crucial role of CDUS in the diagnosis of vascular abnormalities in the emergency setting. CDUS provides several advantages over other imaging modalities including high accuracy, rapid results, portability, lack of radiation, and low cost.
SpxA1 and SpxA2 Act Coordinately To Fine-Tune Stress Responses and Virulence in Streptococcus pyogenes.

SpxA is a unique transcriptional regulator highly conserved among members of the phylum Firmicutes that binds RNA polymerase and can act as an antiactivator. Why some Firmicutes members have two highly similar SpxA paralogs is not understood. Here, we show that the SpxA paralogs of the pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, SpxA1 and SpxA2, act coordinately to regulate virulence by fine-tuning toxin expression and stress resistance. Construction and analysis of mutants revealed that SpxA1- mutants were defective for growth under aerobic conditions, while SpxA2- mutants had severely attenuated responses to multiple stresses, including thermal and oxidative stresses. SpxA1- mutants had enhanced resistance to the cationic antimicrobial molecule polymyxin B, while SpxA2- mutants were more sensitive. In a murine model of soft tissue infection, a SpxA1- mutant was highly attenuated. In contrast, the highly stress-sensitive SpxA2- mutant was hypervirulent, exhibiting more extensive tissue damage and a greater bacterial burden than the wild-type strain. SpxA1- attenuation was associated with reduced expression of several toxins, including the SpeB cysteine protease. In contrast, SpxA2- hypervirulence correlated with toxin overexpression and could be suppressed to wild-type levels by deletion of speB These data show that SpxA1 and SpxA2 have opposing roles in virulence and stress resistance, suggesting that they act coordinately to fine-tune toxin expression in response to stress. SpxA2- hypervirulence also shows that stress resistance is not always essential for S. pyogenes pathogenesis in soft tissue.IMPORTANCE For many pathogens, it is generally assumed that stress resistance is essential for pathogenesis. For Streptococcus pyogenes, environmental stress is also used as a signal to alter toxin expression. The amount of stress likely informs the bacterium of the strength of the host's defense response, allowing it to adjust its toxin expression to produce the ideal amount of tissue damage, balancing between too little damage, which will result in its elimination, and too much damage, which will debilitate the host. Here we identify components of a genetic circuit involved in stress resistance and toxin expression that has a fine-tuning function in tissue damage. The circuit consists of two versions of the protein SpxA that regulate transcription and are highly similar but have opposing effects on the severity of soft tissue damage. These results will help us understand how virulence is fine-tuned in other pathogens that have two SpxA proteins.
Changes in disease-specific versus generic health status measures after left ventricular assist device implantation: Insights from INTERMACS.

Abstract Background Quantifying quality of life (QoL) after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) remains challenging. Heart failure-specific health status measures are ideal for assessing symptoms of heart failure; however, if patients' QoL is limited by other factors, then patients may have an improvement in heart failure-specific QoL with no concurrent improvement in generic QoL. We sought to examine and predict discrepancies between disease-specific and generic QoL measures after LVAD. Methods and Results We examined heart failure-specific and generic QoL with the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and Euroqol-5D Visual Analog Scale (VAS), respectively among 1888 patients with advanced heart failure who underwent LVAD implant from 2012-2014 as part of the INTERMACS registry. Both measures improved substantially, on average, at 6-months after LVAD, with mean changes of 32.7±25.0 and 27.6±27.4, respectively. Among the 1539 patients (81.5%) with moderate/large improvement in KCCQ, 334 (21.7%) had discordant changes in generic QoL (i.e., VAS did not substantially increase despite improvement in KCCQ). In a multivariable logistic regression model, baseline VAS score was the strongest predictor of KCCQ-VAS discordance while post-LVAD complications were not. Conclusion Most patients have large improvements in both heart failure-specific and generic QoL after LVAD implantation, and discordance in these measures after LVAD is uncommon. When it occurred, discordance was primarily observed in patients who reported good generic QoL on the VAS prior to LVAD (despite substantial impairment due to CHF). These results support the continued use of heart-failure specific health status measures to monitor QoL before and after LVAD implantation.
Racial disparities in the cost of surgical care for parathyroidectomy.

Abstract Background Parathyroidectomy is the only curative therapy for hyperparathyroidism, but its cost and variation in use among different racial and ethnic groups are largely unexamined. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between race and ethnicity and the total hospital cost of parathyroidectomy. Methods This retrospective study included 899 consecutive complete parathyroidectomies in our institution between September 2011 and July 2016. Total length of stay and cost were primary outcomes. Nonparametric and chi-square tests were used for analysis. Results The study population was 66.4% Caucasian, 31.4% African American, 0.7% Hispanic, and 0.3% Asian. Total hospital costs were greater for African-American patients ($6154.87 ± 389.18) compared to Caucasian patients ($5253.28 ± $91.74). Mean length of stay was 0.99 ± 0.18 for African-American patients and 0.44 ± 0.05 for Caucasian patients. African-American patients were more likely than Caucasian patients to be readmitted (4.6% versus 1.2%). Among African Americans, males had a more expensive hospital cost, higher incidence of cases that cost greater than $10,000, and longer length of stay compared to females. Conclusions African-American race was associated with higher hospital costs for parathyroidectomy compared to Caucasian patients, especially male patients. The increased cost could be explained in part by longer length of stay. More detailed efforts are needed to reduce racial disparity in the management of parathyroidectomy patients.