cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on synchronously dividing cultures of Euglena gracilis Klebs (strain Z). 3. Circadian components of cell division.

Euglena gracilis Klebs (Z) was grown axenically and autotrophically in four-liter serum bottles at 25°C on an aerated, continuously stirred, inorganic salt medium. Four fluorescent illumination regimes were employed: (1) continuous bright light of 3500 lux (LLb); (2) continuous dim light of 800 lux (LLd); (3) a LbD: 14, 10 (3500 lux) light-dark cycle; and (4) a LdD: 14, 10 (800 lux) light-dark cycle. Cell number was automatically monitored throughout all experiments. In LLb the generation time (G.T.) of the population was about 12 hours, whereas in LLd following LLb it was approximately five days; exponential growth occurred in either case. In LbD: 14, 10 synchronous growth occurred with a doubling of cell number every cycle of 24 hours. In LdD: 14, 10, however, although rhythmic cell division took place every 24 hours, the average increase in cell number during the division burst which occurred in each dark period was only 13.4%, so that the G.T. of the culture was about five days, as was the case for LLd. In the constant conditions of temperature and continuous dim light (LLd), following synchronous growth in LbD: 14, 10, small (17.0%) rhythmic division bursts lasting 14.5 hours continued to occur for at least ten days, with a period of 24.2 hours. The overall G.T. of the culture was about five days. These data demonstrating the circadian, endogenous nature of rhythmic cell division under certain conditions of continuous dim illumination were discussed in relation to the synchronous division observed in temperature and light-dark cycles.
Wind influences phytoplankton biomass and composition in a shallow, productive lake

Factors that regulate phytoplankton dynamics in shallow, productive lakes are poorly understood. Water-column phytoplankton chlorophyll (avg 105 µg liter−1) determined on 39 occasions over a 22-month period in shallow (mean depth, 1.7 m) Lake Apopka, Florida, correlated best with average daily windspeed compared with other environmental variables. High phytoplankton biomass reflects wind-induced resuspension of a meroplanktonic algal maximum (MAM) that exists on the aphotic lake bottom in a layer ~5 cm thick; this assemblage is dominated by microplankton-sized diatoms (>60% of total biomass) that can occur in cellular resting stages. Experiments demonstrate that the MAM can grow and photosynthesize at rates similar to surface populations when exposed to moderate irradiances. Direct inoculation of this meroplanktonic assemblage into surface waters during periods of high wind can account for a doubling in surface phytoplankton and diatom biomass as well as an increase in algal community size. A conceptual model outlines the influence that resuspension of the MAM has on ecosystem structure and function in the lake.
Interaction of Adriamycin with Single and Multibilayer Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine Vesicles: Spin-Labeling and Calorimetric Study

AbstractThe effects of adriamycin on the organization of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membranes alone or in the presence of 1 mol% cardiolipin (CL) in the form of single and multibilayer vesicles has been studied by spin-labeling, and by high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. With sonicated small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), adriamycin increased the order parameter of 5-doxylstearate spin-labeled vesicles, an effect primarily observed in the gel phase of DPPC. thermal transition profiles, obtained by high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry and by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-l-oxy (TEMPO) partitioning studies, indicated that the drug induced aggregation and fusion of SUVs, especially at high drug-lipid molar ratios, and this phenomenon was further verified by negative-staining electron microscopy. the presence of J mol% CL in the lecithin bilayer markedly enhanced the effect of adriamycin on membrain order and fusion, especially under conditions of low ionic strength. th...
Lucid dreaming: reliable analog event detection for energy-constrained applications

Existing sensor network architectures are based on the assumption that data will be polled. Therefore, they are not adequate for long-term battery-powered use in applications that must sense or react to events that occur at unpredictable times. In response, and motivated by a structural autonomous crack monitoring (ACM) application from civil engineering that requires bursts of high resolution sampling in response to aperiodic vibrations in buildings and bridges, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated lucid dreaming, a hardware-software technique to dramatically decrease sensor node power consumption in this and other event- driven sensing applications. This work makes the following main contributions: (1) we have identified the key mismatches between existing, polling-based, sensor network architectures and event-driven applications; (2) we have proposed a hardware-software technique to permit the power-efficient use of sensor networks in event-driven applications; (3) we have analytically characterized the situations in which the proposed technique is appropriate; and (4) we have designed, implemented, and tested a hardware-software solution for standard Crossbow motes that embodies the proposed technique. In the building and bridge structural integrity monitoring application, the proposed technique achieves 1/245 the power consumption of existing sensor network architectures, thereby dramatically increasing battery lifespan or permitting operation based on energy scavenging. We believe that the proposed technique will yield similar benefits in a wide range of applications. Printed circuit board specification files permitting reproduction of the current implementation are available for free use in research and education.
An Etiological Model of Anxiety in Young Gay Men: From Early Stress to Public Self-Consciousness

This study proposed a path model linking boyhood gender nonconformity and parental disapproval of self-expression to public self-consciousness, attempts to cover or downplay the visibility and relevance of one’s sexual minority identity, and anxious affect in the daily lives of young gay male college students (mean age 20.56, SD 2.13). To establish the relevance of boyhood gender nonconformity and parental disapproval of self-expression in gay men’s lives, gay participants’ (n 136) scores on these variables were first compared with the scores of a similar sample of young heterosexual men (n 56) and then linked to reports of public self-consciousness, covering, and anxious affect measured over the course of nine days. As hypothesized, gay men reported experiencing these developmental stressors to a higher degree than their heterosexual peers. The best fitting path model in the sample of gay men established the mediating role of daily public self-consciousness and sexual orientation covering in the relationship between parental disapproval of self-expression and daily anxiety. This final model connects etiological models of anxiety to the developmental stressors faced by some gay men. The results suggest routes through which gay-related stress may begin earlier in development than commonly assumed, while continuing to impact gay men’s open self-expression, and ultimately their experience of anxiety, into young adulthood. Public self-consciousness and sexual orientation covering are discussed as psychotherapeutic targets to address in order to alleviate anxious symptoms among young gay men.
Echocardiographic evaluation before bidirectional Glenn operation in functional single-ventricle heart disease: comparison to catheter angiography.

Background— Cardiac catheterization is routinely performed in patients with single ventricle before bidirectional Glenn operation (BDG). There is interest in noninvasive evaluation alone before BDG, but concern for echocardiography successfully imaging the relevant anatomy persists. We evaluated the accuracy of echocardiographic imaging of vascular anatomy. Methods and Results— Diagnostic images of 130 patients who had echocardiography and catheterization before BDG were reviewed; diameters of the pulmonary arteries (PAs) and aortic arch were measured, and stenoses were recorded. Patient and procedural factors associated with echocardiographic imaging were analyzed. Median age at echocardiography was 4 months; the most common diagnosis was hypoplastic left heart syndrome (55%). The left PA was imaged by echocardiography in 83 patients (64%), with 4 of 21 stenoses (19%) diagnosed by catheterization identified; similarly, the right PA was imaged in 81 (62%), and 3 of 17 stenoses (18%) were identified. The distal aortic arch was visualized in 104 (80%), with successful identification of 21 of 27 (78%) of coarctations diagnosed by catheterization. Complete vascular echocardiography (visualization of PAs and aortic arch) occurred in 43% and was not obtained more frequently with sedation. Conclusions— In a large cohort of patients presenting for BDG, evaluation by echocardiography frequently failed to image the PAs and missed the majority of PA stenoses. Sedation did not appear to improve the performance of echocardiography for evaluation of the PAs. Echocardiography cannot be relied on as the sole investigation before BDG.
Employment as a health determinant for working-age, dually-eligible people with disabilities.

Abstract Background Individuals with disabilities are a health disparity population with high rates of risk factors, lower overall health status, and greater health care costs. The interacting effect of employment, health and disability has not been reported in the research. Objective This study examined the relationship of employment to health and quality of life among people with disabilities. Methods Self-reported survey data and secondary claims data analyses of 810 Kansans ages 18–64 with disabilities who were dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid; 49% were employed, with 94% working less than 40 hours per week. Statistical analyses included ANOVA for differences between the employed and unemployed groups' health status, risk scores, and disease burdens; chi-square analyses for differences in prevalence of health risk behaviors and differences in quality of life by employment status; and logistic regression with health status measures to determine factors associated with higher than average physical and mental health status. Results Findings indicated participants with any level of paid employment had significantly lower rates of smoking and better quality of life; self-reported health status was significantly higher, while per person per month Medicaid expenditures were less. Employment, even at low levels, was associated with better health and health behaviors as well as lower costs. Participants reported being discouraged from working by medical professionals and federal disability policies. Conclusions Although cause–effect cannot be established from this study, findings strongly support changes to provider practices and federal disability policy to support employment at all levels for people with disabilities.
Can Theory Predict Two-State Protein Folding Rates? An Experimental Perspective

The fastest simple, kinetically two-state protein folds a million times more rapidly than the slowest. Here we review theoretical models of protein folding kinetics in terms of their ability to qualitatively rationalize, if not quantitatively predict, this most basic of experimental observations. We find that the properties known to account for variations in the folding rates of simple on- and off-lattice computational models, such as the roughness of the energy landscape, the magnitude of the energy gap, or the equilibrium collapse parameter σ, do not account for the vast range of two-state folding rates observed in the laboratory. Similarly, two-state folding rates appear to be only modestly related to the structural details of a protein’s “folding nucleus.” Instead, because the equilibrium folding of two-state proteins is highly cooperative (perhaps accounting for their smooth landscapes, large energy gaps and low σ, it appears that their million-fold range of folding rates is predominantly defined by difficulty of the large-scale diffusive search required to find the native topology.
Post Outbreak Review: Dengue Preparedness and Response in Key West, Florida.

Abstract. Dengue is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral infection. Recent outbreaks in the southern United States illustrate the risk of reemergence. The first autochthonous cases since 1934 in Key West, FL, occurred in 2009–2010. We conducted a survey in 2012 with decision makers instrumental to the control of the outbreak to 1) determine their awareness of the multiple strategies used to control the outbreak and 2) assess their perceptions of the relative effectiveness of these strategies. An online survey was delivered to a predefined list of decision makers from multiple sectors to better understand dengue preparedness and response. Thirty-six out of 45 surveys were returned for an 80% response rate. Results indicate the need to focus prevention strategies on educational campaigns designed to increase population awareness of transmission risk. Respondents remain concerned about future dengue transmission risk in Key West and lack of resources to respond.
Standardizing data exchange for clinical research protocols and case report forms

Display Omitted CDISC Operational Data Model (ODM) can represent study metadata across the entire study lifecycle.Baseline ODM schema needs to be extended with additional CDISC-standardized XML extensions.ODM revisions should consider data exchange requirements in addition to regulatory submissions. Efficient communication of a clinical study protocol and case report forms during all stages of a human clinical study is important for many stakeholders. An electronic and structured study representation format that can be used throughout the whole study life-span can improve such communication and potentially lower total study costs. The most relevant standard for representing clinical study data, applicable to unregulated as well as regulated studies, is the Operational Data Model (ODM) in development since 1999 by the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC). ODM's initial objective was exchange of case report forms data but it is increasingly utilized in other contexts. An ODM extension called Study Design Model, introduced in 2011, provides additional protocol representation elements.Using a case study approach, we evaluated ODM's ability to capture all necessary protocol elements during a complete clinical study lifecycle in the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health. ODM offers the advantage of a single format for institutions that deal with hundreds or thousands of concurrent clinical studies and maintain a data warehouse for these studies. For each study stage, we present a list of gaps in the ODM standard and identify necessary vendor or institutional extensions that can compensate for such gaps. The current version of ODM (1.3.2) has only partial support for study protocol and study registration data mainly because it is outside the original development goal. ODM provides comprehensive support for representation of case report forms (in both the design stage and with patient level data). Inclusion of requirements of observational, non-regulated or investigator-initiated studies (outside Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation) can further improve future revisions of the standard.
Breeding for Increased Protein Content in Milk

Abstract The principles of selection are reviewed as a basis for discussing selection for protein content of milk. The correlations among components of milk will cause correlated responses in all even when selection is for only one component. Selection for fractional composition of fat or protein would lead to increases in content of fat and protein, but the expected increases in total yields of fat and protein would be much less than if selection were for yield of milk, fat, or protein. Selection should be for milk, fat, and protein yield with relative economic emphasis determined by the net economic value of the components. Market prices less costs of production could be used for fat and protein yield and a negative transportation charge used for milk yield. Costs of testing for protein should be considered carefully before doing so since expected economic improvement including protein yield is nearly as great for milk and fat yield as a basis for selection as for milk, fat, and protein yield.
Evolutionary diversity and taxon-specific modifications of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain

In model eukaryotes, the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the largest subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) is composed of tandemly repeated heptads with the consensus sequence YSPTSPS. The core motif and tandem structure generally are conserved across model taxa, including animals, yeasts and higher plants. Broader investigations revealed that CTDs of many organisms deviate substantially from this canonical structure; however, limited sampling made it difficult to determine whether disordered sequences reflect the CTD’s ancestral state or degeneration from ancestral repetitive structures. Therefore, we undertook, to our knowledge, the broadest investigation to date of the evolution of the RNAP II CTD across eukaryotic diversity. Our results indicate that a tandemly repeated CTD existed in the ancestors of each major taxon, and that degeneration and reinvention of this ordered structure are common features of CTD evolution. Lineage-specific CTD modifications appear to be associated with greater developmental complexity in multicellular organisms, a pattern taken to an extreme in fungi and red algae, in which the CTD has undergone dramatic to complete alteration during the transition from unicellular to developmentally complex forms. Overall, loss and reinvention of repeats have punctuated CTD evolution, occurring independently and sometimes repeatedly in various groups.
Incident user cohort study of risk for gastrointestinal bleed and stroke in individuals with major depressive disorder treated with antidepressants

Objective To examine the association between exposure to newer antidepressants and risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and other bleeding complications among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Design This study uses an incident user cohort design to compare associations between incidence of vascular/bleeding events and the relative affinity (low, moderate or high) of the antidepressant for the serotonin transporter during an exposure risk period for each patient. Setting New England healthcare system electronic medical record database. Participants 36 389 individuals with a diagnosis of MDD and monotherapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor or other new-generation antidepressant were identified from among 3.1 million patients in a New England healthcare system. Primary and secondary outcome measures Rates of bleeding or other vascular complications, including acute liver failure, acute renal failure, asthma, breast cancer and hip fractures. Results 601 GI bleeds were observed in the 21 462 subjects in the high-affinity group versus 333 among the 14 927 subjects in the lower affinity group (adjusted RR: 1.17, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.34). Similarly, 776 strokes were observed in the high-affinity group versus 434 in the lower affinity treatment group (adjusted RR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.32). No significant association with risk for a priori negative control outcomes, including acute liver failure, acute renal failure, asthma, breast cancer and hip fractures, was identified. Conclusions Use of antidepressants with high affinity for the serotonin transporter may confer modestly elevated risk for GI and other bleeding complications. While multiple methodologic limitations must be considered, these results suggest that antidepressants with lower serotonin receptor affinity may be preferred in patients at greater risk for such complications.
Mitochondrial DNA evolution in the Anaxyrus boreas species group.

The Anaxyrus boreas species group currently comprises four species in western North America including the broadly distributed A. boreas, and three localized species, Anaxyrus nelsoni, Anaxyrus exsul and Anaxyrus canorus. Phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA 12S rDNA, cytochrome oxidase I, control region, and restriction sites data, identified three major haplotype clades. The Northwest clade (NW) includes both subspecies of A. boreas and divergent minor clades in the middle Rocky Mountains, coastal, and central regions of the west and Pacific Northwest. The Southwest (SW) clade includes A. exsul, A. nelsoni, and minor clades in southern California. Anaxyrus canorus, previously identified as paraphyletic, has populations in both the NW and SW major clades. The Eastern major clade (E) includes three divergent lineages from southern Utah, the southern Rocky Mountains, and north of the Great Basin at the border of Utah and Nevada. These results identify new genetic variation in the eastern portion of the toad’s range and are consistent with previous regional studies from the west coast. Low levels of control region sequence divergence between major clades (2.2–4.7% uncorrected pair-wise distances) are consistent with Pleistocene divergence and suggest that the phylogeographic history of the group was heavily influenced by dynamic Pleistocene glacial and climatic changes, and especially pluvial changes, in western North America. Results reported here may impact conservation plans in that the current taxonomy does not reflect the diversity in the group.
On stability enhancing control methods in power electronic converters

The widespread usage of distributed power systems (DPS) in power delivery schemes has necessitated the reorientation of converter design from a stand-alone process to a system dependent design process. System stability and subsystem interaction issues are of prime importance in distributed power systems. Control methods for power electronic converters that enhance the stability boundaries of operation and ensure safe operation of the system without subsystem interactions are surveyed in this paper. Controllers for standard feedback converters, cascaded converters, parallel converters and their limitations are presented. Compensation schemes to counteract the interactions caused by input filters used to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) are also discussed.
Response characteristics of the multiple-ratio single-particle counter

Abstract The importance of aerosols and aerosol processes has prompted considerable research into techniques for particulate characterization. As batch sampling probe techniques often introduce unacceptable perturbations into the flow and can have serious uncertainties associated with possible alterations of the aerosol in the sample line, in situ optical methods have received much interest. This paper is concerned with a laser light-scattering technique for in situ analysis of individual particles, the multiple-ratio single-particle counter (MRSPC). In particular a thorough study of the response characteristics of the MRSPC was completed, including both experimental and theoretical analyses of nonideal effects associated with particle size distribution measurements. The effects of unknown refractive index, nonspherical particle shape, size-selective sampling bias, and instrument resolution were considered. Theoretical predictions of MRSPC performance for these nonideal conditions were found to agree quite well with experiments performed here. The overall analysis indicates that the MRSPC can make in situ measurements of volume-equivalent size distributions of moderately nonspherical particles of unknown refractive index with uncertainties on the order of 50%.
O.E.C.D. Health Data: Where Does the U.S. Stack Up?

The national health debate, centered for the past several years on the efficacy and later the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, has been characterized by passionate discussions and diatribes focused on the controversy regarding the obligations of government to manage the health of its citizens even to the extent to which it intrudes on individual freedom of action. What an affluent society-one that can provide the wherewithal to improve healthcare-should be most concerned with ought to frame the content of the conversation about what kind of system do we need and what and how are we to pay for it. The means and mechanisms by which we should promote health, prevent disease, cure or at least treat illness and provide rehabilitation is by contemporary rhetoric often lost in the shuffle, at least in my view.
Degradation of a Vinylidene Fluoride-Hexafluoropropylene Copolymer in Neutral and Alkaline Aqueous Solutions

Abstract During the preparation for the launch of Skylab I, it was noted that the poly(vinylidene fluoride co hexarluoropropylene) (Viton A®, FKM), bladder in the Apollo telescope mount coolant storage tank was perforated, and coolant water, buffered to a pH of 9.2 for corrosion control, was found in the gas pressurization side of the storage tank. Careful examination of the bladder and storage tank before disassembly revealed that the position of the hole in the bladder did not coincide with any protrusion or irregularity in the tank. After disassembly of the system, the bladder was found to have several cracks in the surface exposed to the coolant water in addition to the previously mentioned hole. Samples of the failed bladder were tested on an Instron, and the tensile strength and elongation were found to have decreased to 48% and 42.5%, respectively, of the values determined by the fabricator at the time of manufacture. In order to better understand the degradation of FKM in neutral and alkaline aque...
A review of artificial intelligence based building energy prediction with a focus on ensemble prediction models

Building energy usage prediction plays an important role in building energy management and conservation. Building energy prediction contributes significantly in global energy saving as it can help us to evaluate the building energy efficiency; to conduct building commissioning; and detect and diagnose building system faults. AI based methods are popular owing to its ease of use and high level of accuracy. This paper proposes a detailed review of AI based building energy prediction methods particularly, multiple linear regression, Artificial Neural Networks, and Support Vector Regression. In addition to the previously listed methods, this paper will focus on ensemble prediction models used for building energy prediction. Ensemble models improve the prediction accuracy by integrating several prediction models. The principles, applications, advantages, and limitations of these AI based methods are elaborated in this paper. Additionally, future directions of the research on AI based building energy prediction methods are discussed.
Genetic analysis of five children with essential thrombocytosis identified mutations in cancer-associated genes with roles in transcriptional regulation

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are well-delineated diseases in adults but are rare, poorly understood conditions in children. Essential thrombocytosis (ET), one of the classical BCR-ABL-negative MPN, is overall a rare finding in the pediatric population but seems to be one of the more common MPN reported in children. It occurs less frequently and with more favorable outcomes in children than in adults. The proportions of pediatric patients with mutations in JAK2, MPL, and CALR (the genes most commonly mutated in adult patients) seem lower than in adults,1–4 raising the question of what alternative mutations may be contributing to disease in this population. Overall, the genetic landscape of pediatric ET has not been thoroughly evaluated.5 In an effort to understand the possible pathogenic lesions involved in pediatric ET better, we performed high-throughput sequencing using a comprehensive targeted gene panel on five pediatric patients with ET. We identified mutations in genes involved in transcriptional regulation and nuclear transport.
Die Blutgerinnungszeit bei Icterus neonatorum

Beim nicht ikterischen Neugeborenen und Saugling besteht, wie beim Erwachsenen, eine G.-Z. von 4 3/4 bis 5 1/2 Min.
Surgical management of spinal conditions in the elderly osteoporotic spine

Osteoporosis, the most common form of metabolic bone disease, leads to alterations in bone structure and density that have been shown to compromise the strength of spinal instrumentation. In addition, osteoporosis may contribute to high rates of fracture and instrumentation failure after long posterior spinal fusions, resulting in proximal junctional kyphosis and recurrent spinal deformity. As increasing numbers of elderly patients present for surgical intervention for degenerative and traumatic spinal pathologies, current and future generations of spine surgeons will increasingly be faced with the challenge of obtaining adequate fixation in osteoporotic bone. The purpose of this review is to familiarize the reader with the impact of osteoporosis on spinal instrumentation, the broad variety of techniques that have been developed for addressing these issues, and the biomechanical and clinical evidence in support of the use of these techniques.
Cosmetic procedures in family medicine.

Office-based cosmetic procedures are in high demand in the United States. Cosmetic procedures are one of the possible ancillary service options for family physicians who enjoy performing procedures and choose to provide aesthetic care for their patients.
Cryopreserved/thawed semen for in vitro fertilization: results from fertile donors and infertile patients

We evaluated the in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome in 54cycles using cryopreserved/thawed semen from fertile donors. Controls were other IVF patients matched by time frame, female age, stimulation protocol, number of pre-embryos transferred, and absence of a male factor using freshly ejaculated normal semen samples. In the study group and controls, respectively, post-thaw swim-up motility was 83.1% and 89.5%; fertilization rate of preovulatory oocytes (91.8%, 95.7%) and ongoing pregnancy rate (PR) per transfer (21.1%, 25.0%) were similar. The excellent fertilization rate with frozen/thawed semen was achieved through high-concentration insemination (0.5 X 10 6 motile sperm/mL). With use of frozen/thawed samples from infertile men (normal and subfertile samples), PR was similar but fertilization rate was lower. Cryopreserved semen is a valuable option for infertile couples in IVF therapy.
Small Packages, Big Returns: Uncovering the Venom Diversity of Small Invertebrate Conoidean Snails.

Venomous organisms used in research were historically chosen based on size and availability. This opportunity-driven strategy created a species bias in which snakes, scorpions, and spiders became the primary subjects of venom research. Increasing technological advancements have enabled interdisciplinary studies using genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to expand venom investigation to animals that produce small amounts of venom or lack traditional venom producing organs. One group of non-traditional venomous organisms that have benefitted from the rise of -omic technologies is the Conoideans. The Conoidean superfamily of venomous marine snails includes, the Terebridae, Turridae (s.l), and Conidae. Conoidea venom is used for both predation and defense, and therefore under strong selection pressures. The need for conoidean venom peptides to be potent and specific to their molecular targets has made them important tools for investigating cellular physiology and bioactive compounds that are beneficial to improving human health. A convincing case for the potential of Conoidean venom is made with the first commercially available conoidean venom peptide drug Ziconotide (Prialt®), an analgesic derived from Conus magus venom that is used to treat chronic pain in HIV and cancer patients. Investigation of conoidean venom using -omics technology provides significant insights into predator-driven diversification in biodiversity and identifies novel compounds for manipulating cellular communication, especially as it pertains to disease and disorders.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: [email protected]/* */ Language: en
The Revolutionary Village

The microeconomy of rural North Vietnam was formed out of complex interactions between class, gender and party policies. The village-intransition upon which the Vietnamese policy-makers were attempting social change resembled the Central Lowlands village described in Chapter 5. It was still mainly a traditional patriarchal village, but one which had suffered some of the negative and unegalitarian effects of the impact of world capitalism. Party and State policy and practice concerning land reform and collectivisation had impacts on this village-in-transition. The ideal collective structures visualised in Hanoi often looked very different at the local level and it is the purpose of this chapter to point out these differences. From village studies and interview data, a view can be reconstructed of the northern village in the 1960s and the way that collective and patriarchal family economies actually operated within it.
Is China a Challenge to the Global Aid Architecture

China’s rise is taking place within a set of rules, norms, and institutions that make up what is known as the global aid architecture. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the degree to which Chinese aid and development finance challenge the norms and rules of the aid system. The paper begins by arguing that the current norms, rules, and standards of the international aid (and development finance) architecture are contested, but can most easily be seen in five areas: (a) transparency; (b) tying/untying (c) social and environmental protections; (d) good governance conditionality including corruption, democracy and human rights; and (e) the management of debt. After comparing Chinese practice with actual regime for foreign aid and development finance as actually practiced, not only preached, by the OECD countries, the paper concludes that in several of these areas, Chinese practice is not as far from the OECD norm as portrayed in the conventional wisdom. This opens the possibility that Chinese practices will evolve, as have the practices of the OECD countries, particularly in the area of aid tying, transparency, and social and environmental protections. On the other hand, the West’s practice in the area of debt sustainability may be evolving closer to the Chinese position.
Nutritional and Bioenergetic Considerations in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Neurological Injury

The brain, due to intensive cellular processes and maintenance of electrochemical gradients, is heavily dependent on a constant supply of energy. Brain injury, and critical illness in general, induces a state of increased metabolism and catabolism, which has been proven to lead to poor outcomes. Of all the biochemical interventions undertaken in the ICU, providing nutritional support is perhaps one of the most undervalued, but potentially among the safest, and most effective interventions. Adequate provisions of calories and protein have been shown to improve patient outcomes, and guidelines for the nutritional support of the critically ill patient are reviewed. However, there are no such specific guidelines for the critically ill patient with neurological injury. Patients with primary or secondary neurological disorders are frequently undernourished, while data suggest this population would benefit from early and adequate nutritional support, although comprehensive clinical evidence is lacking. We review the joint recommendations from the Society for Critical Care Medicine and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, as they pertain to neurocritical care, and assess the recommendations for addressing nutrition in this patient population.
Acetophenone hydrogenation on Rh/Al2O3 catalyst: Flow regime effect and trickle bed reactor modeling

Flow regime effect and reactor modeling studies in a gas-liquid downward flow fixed bed reactor were conducted for acetophenone hydrogenation on 1% Rh/Al2O3 catalyst, a relatively complex reaction scheme typical of pharmaceutical applications, using a 7.1 mm ID stainless steel reactor with 0.5 mm catalyst spheres at elevated pressures. A flow regime transition map for trickle and bubbly flows was determined visually in a transparent reactor surrogate and confirmed by monitoring pressure drop fluctuations for different gas/liquid systems, tube/particle materials, and operating pressure and temperature. The flow regime at each operating condition for the opaque stainless steel reactor was identified solely using pressure drop fluctuations. The beneficial effect of bubbly flow on reaction rate was confirmed experimentally at gas and liquid superficial velocity ranges of 0.02–0.19 m/s and 2.5–12 mm/s, respectively, under 80–100 °C, 11–26 bar and 0.04–0.6 M initial substrate concentration. Gas flow rate, temperature, and pressure variations were used to study the effects on reaction performance of partial wetting of the catalyst and of liquid-solid diffusion limited reaction. A reactor model including external/internal mass transfer and flow regime effects was developed using an adjustable parameter to account for partial wetting and flow regime effects. The parameter was fitted using a subset of the experiments, and the model provided good prediction (R2 > 95%) of all remaining experiments.
Predictive Role of Flow Cytometry in Assessing Very Early Treatment Response in Childhood ALL.

Abstract Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood malignancy. In the modern treatment of acute leukaemia, advances in supportive care have allowed the intensification of therapy, and survival rates have risen accordingly. Cure rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have increased from 10% to 80% over the last four decades. Currently clinical parameters such as white blood cell count and age at diagnosis are used for treatment stratification. This stratification aims to maximise the efficacy and minimize the toxicity of treatment, with the intensity of treatment being adjusted according to the risk of relapse. Unfortunately, the clinical and biologic parameters most commonly used for risk classification fail to identify all patients who relapse, with most patients who relapse falling into the ‘low risk' group. In addition other patients who are actually at low risk of relapse may receive more intensive treatment than is necessary. Morphology is used to assess very early response at day 8/15, but lacks specificity and sensitivity. Many publications have reported marked variability in indivual reports of morphological blast %. Better techniques of assessing very early response are therefore needed. Detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) allows better estimation of the leukaemic burden and can help selection of appropriate therapeutic strategies. Flow cytometric (FC) detection of MRD is based on the identification of immunophenotypic combinations expressed on leukaemic cells but not on normal hematopoietic cells - leukaemia associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs). FC analysis is an attractive option as it is quick and more specific. We prospectively analysed bone marrow samples from 70 patients who presented with ALL to our unit between 1999–2003 and attained morphological remission. These patients were treated on a standard protocol. Multiparameter FC identification of LAIPs was performed at various time points, as dictated by the treatment protocol. We looked at the predictive value of FC at d8/15 on treatment, at different levels of MRD. Our results showed that amongst children with flow MRD 10%, (n=12). 40% of this group suffered relapses. It appears that as early as day 8/15 of treatment, we can identify patients who are at very high risk of relapse, and perhaps these children need intensification of chemotherapy early on or some other novel intervention eg stem cell transplantation. FC appears to offer the ability to identify very early in treatment those at high risk of relapse and those with a high chance of cure. Treatment may therefore be stratified according to these risks with the aim of improving cure rates. These results need to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients but these preliminary results are very promising in the risk stratification of childhood ALL.
Achievement in Administration of the Aviation Industry and the Achievement in Administration of Thailand's State Enterprise Aviation Industrial Units

The study purposes of The Achievement in Administration of the Aviation Industry and the Achievement in Administration of the Thailand’s State Enterprise Aviation Industrial Units are: 1) To study the Achievement Levels in Administration of the Aviation Industry. 2) To study the Achievement Levels in Administration of the Thailand’s State Enterprise Units. 3) To Compare the Achievement Levels in Administration of the Aviation Industry distinguish by aviation industrial business groups. 4) To Compare the Achievement Levels in Administration of the State Enterprise Units in aviation industry distinguish by aviation industrial business groups and, 5) To find the Relationships between Achievement in Administration of the Aviation industry and the Achievement in Administration of the Thailand State Enterprise Units in Aviation industry. Thus, the sampling groups are the units’ personnel that related to the aviation industry that have been randomly distinguished as samples by stratification by using the aviation industrial business groups as criteria in stratification. Initially, with the total of 384 samplings group from the Krejcie and Morgan table, tool used is Questionnaire, and the statistic used are mean, t-test, Pearson’s simple correlation moment product. The studied outcomes found that the Achievements in Administration Levels of both Aviation Industries are in the moderate levels. Also, the Achievement Comparison Levels in Administration of the Aviation Industry that distinguished by aviation industrial business groups are not different. Thus, for the Achievement Comparison Levels in Administration of the State Enterprise Units which distinguished by aviation industrial business groups are different in the statistical significant level of .01 and also found that the Achievement in Administration of the Aviation Industry has relationship with the Achievement in Administration of the State Enterprise Units in the moderate level in the statistical significant level of .01 with the correlation value of .683.
The Role of Parental Psychological Control and Warmth in College Students’ Relational Aggression and Friendship Quality:

This study investigated the role of perceived parental psychological control and warmth in college students’ friendship quality and use of relational aggression with peers. College students (N = 23...
Sweet taste liking is associated with subjective response to amphetamine in women but not men

Preference for sweet taste rewards has been linked to the propensity for drug use in both animals and humans. Here, we tested the association between sweet taste liking and sensitivity to amphetamine reward in healthy adults. We hypothesized that sweet likers would report greater euphoria and stimulation following d-amphetamine (20 mg) compared to sweet dislikers. Men (n = 36) and women (n = 34) completed a sweet taste test in which they rated their liking of various concentrations of sucrose and filtered water (0.05, 0.10, 0.21, 0.42, and 0.83 M). Participants who preferred the highest concentration were classified as “sweet likers.” All others were classified as “sweet dislikers.” They then completed four sessions in which they received d-amphetamine (20 mg) and placebo in alternating order, providing self-report measures of euphoria and stimulation on the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI) at regular intervals. We conducted linear mixed effects models to examine relationships between sweet liking and drug-induced euphoria and stimulation. Sweet likers reported significantly greater amphetamine-induced euphoria than did sweet dislikers among women. By contrast, sweet liking was not associated with amphetamine response in men. No associations with stimulation were observed. The association between sweet preference and amphetamine response in women is consistent with animal studies linking sweet taste preference and drug reward and also fits with observations that individuals who use drugs show a preference for sweet tastes. Whether the sex difference is related to circulating hormones, or other variables, remains to be determined.
Neurologic Complications of Solid Organ Transplantation.

Among patients receiving solid organ transplants, approximately one-third will develop neurologic symptoms. Most of these neurologic symptoms will occur within 30 days of their transplantation. These neurologic symptoms include neurotoxicity of immunosuppressive agents, seizures, encephalopathy, cerebrovascular events, opportunistic infections, posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder, and central pontine myelinosis. Some neurologic complications are seen more frequently in specific organ transplant recipients. For example, ischemic stroke is seen more frequently in heart and kidney transplant patients compared with other solid organ transplant recipients. This article is a review of the main neurologic complications after solid organ transplantation.
Degree of Unsaturation and Backbone Orientation of Amphiphilic Macromolecules Influence Local Lipid Properties in Large Unilamellar Vesicles.

Liposomes have become increasingly common in the delivery of bioactive agents due to their ability to encapsulate hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs with excellent biocompatibility. While commercial liposome formulations improve bioavailability of otherwise quickly eliminated or insoluble drugs, tailoring formulation properties for specific uses has become a focus of liposome research. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of two series of amphiphilic macromolecules (AMs), consisting of acylated polyol backbones conjugated to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) that can serve as the sole additives to stabilize and control hydrophilic molecule release rates from distearoyl-phosphatidylcholine- (DSPC-) based liposomes. As compared to DSPC alone, all AMs enable liposome formation and stabilize their colloidal properties at low incorporation ratios, and the AM’s degree of unsaturation and hydrophobe conformation have profound impacts on stability duration. The AM’s chemical structures, particular...