cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxidative Stress Causes Renal Dopamine D1 Receptor Dysfunction and Salt-Sensitive Hypertension in Sprague-Dawley Rats

Renal dopamine plays an important role in maintaining sodium homeostasis and blood pressure (BP) during increased sodium intake. The present study was carried out to determine whether renal dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) dysfunction contributes to increase in salt sensitivity during oxidative stress. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into various groups, received tap water (vehicle); 1% NaCl (high salt [HS]); L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an oxidant; and HS plus BSO with or without Tempol, an antioxidant, for 12 days. Compared with vehicle, HS intake increased urinary dopamine production and decreased basal renal Na/K-ATPase activity but did not affect BP. BSO-treated rats exhibited oxidative stress and a mild increase in BP. In these rats, D1R expression and G protein coupling were reduced, and SKF38393, a D1R agonist, failed to inhibit Na/K-ATPase activity and promote sodium excretion. Concomitant administration of BSO and HS caused oxidative stress, D1R dysfunction, and a marked increase in BP. Although renal dopamine production was increased, it failed to reduce the basal Na/K-ATPase activity in these animals. Treatment of BSO plus HS rats with Tempol decreased oxidative stress and restored endogenous, as well as exogenous, D1R agonist-mediated Na/K-ATPase inhibition and normalized BP. In conclusion, during HS intake, the increased dopamine production via Na/K-ATPase inhibition prevents an increase in BP. During oxidative stress, D1R function is defective, and there is mild hypertension. However, in the presence of oxidative stress, HS intake causes marked elevation in BP, which results from a defective renal D1R function leading to the failure of dopamine to inhibit Na/K-ATPase and promote sodium excretion.
Multifocal epithelial hyperplasia (Heck disease) in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Keywords: Heck disease; human papilloma virus; immunosuppression; leukemia; multifocal epithelial hyperplasia
Modeling and Control of a Dual Stage Actuator Hard Disk Drive

A data-based approach is presented for modeling and controller design of a dual-stage servo actuator in a hard disk drive. The servo actuator in this hard disk drive consists of a conventional voice coil motor and a piezo-electrically actuated suspension. A weighted Hankel matrix based realization algorithm that uses frequency domain data is applied to estimate a discrete-time model of the voice coil motor and the piezoelectric actuator. Based on the discrete-time models, different dual-stage track-following controllers were designed using classic and H∞ loop shaping techniques. The controllers were implemented in real-time in the investigated hard disk drive. A stable feed-back control and good agreement between measurements and simulations show the promising result of data based modeling and control.
Structure‐Borne Tire Noise Statistical Energy Analysis Model

Abstract The application of the Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) technique on vehicle high frequency noise has gained popularity. It is desirable to model the tire to provide the capability of vehicle system NVH prediction. An SEA model for the structure‐borne noise has been developed. The point mobility shows good agreement with measurement. The modeling methodology on tread bands, sidewalls, and their coupling are discussed. The modeling requirements and prospects are also included.
Vibration Sensitivity of MEMS Tuning Fork Gyroscopes

MEMS tuning fork gyroscopes (TFGs) are known to be relatively immune to vibrations due to their differential operation and common-mode rejection. However, even a perfectly-matched TFG cannot completely eliminate vibrations due to vibration-induced asymmetry and nonlinearity. We select two commonly used gyroscope structures and analyze their vibration characteristics. Both structures employ decoupled sense and drive masses with "Type-A" having an anchored sense mass and "Type-B" having an anchored drive mass. To understand the effects of vibration on these two structures, we performed nonlinear dynamic simulations using MATLAB and SIMULINK. The results show that Type-B structures are insensitive to vibrations (>99% reduction) when compared to Type-A structures. In addition, the simulations reveal the dominant vibration characteristics for each structure.
Fgf15 is required for proper morphogenesis of the mouse cardiac outflow tract

Evidence in animal models indicates that signaling networks functioning in the developing pharyngeal arches regulate stereotyped processes critical for proper development of the aortic arch and cardiac outflow tract. Here, we describe the phenotype of mice lacking fibroblast growth factor 15 (Fgf15), which encodes a secreted signaling molecule expressed within the developing pharyngeal arches. Homozygous Fgf15 mutants present heart defects consistent with malalignment of the aorta and pulmonary trunk. These defects correlate with early morphological defects of the outflow tract due to aberrant behavior of the cardiac neural crest. We demonstrate that Fgf15 expression within the pharyngeal arches is unaltered by a loss of Tbx1, a key regulator of pharyngeal arch development implicated in DiGeorge syndrome. In addition, Fgf15 and Tbx1 do not interact genetically, suggesting that Fgf15 operates through a pathway independent of Tbx1. These studies reveal a novel role of Fgf15 during development of the cardiac outflow tract.
Cyclosporine in the management of corticosteroid-resistant type I autoimmune chronic active hepatitis

Autoimmune chronic active hepatitis is traditionally treated with corticosteroids, or corticosteroids with azathioprine. These drug therapies require long treatment periods and are associated with many debilitating drug side effects. Five patients with type I autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, and one with a probable overlap syndrome were treated with cyclosporine. All patients had previously undergone treatment with corticosteroids or corticosteroids with azathioprine and had failed to achieve total remission. In addition, all patients had significant side effects associated with therapy. Five of six patients normalized or near normalized alanine aminotransferase levels within 10 weeks of starting cyclosporine therapy. Biochemical remission was sustained for periods of up to 1 year in all primary cyclosporine responders as long as therapeutic cyclosporine levels were maintained. All responders had symptomatic improvement. Post-treatment liver biopsy was performed in three patients and histologic improvement was demonstrated in all cases. Cyclosporine appears to be a viable alternative to corticosteroid/azathioprine therapy for autoimmune chronic active hepatitis in patients who experience an incomplete response or who cannot tolerate the side effects of standard therapy.
Experimental Study of Second-Mode Instabilities on a 7-Degree Cone at Mach 6

Experiments have been carried out in the NASA Langley Research Center 20-Inch Mach 6 Air Tunnel to measure the second-mode boundary-layer instability on a 7° half-angle cone using high-frequency pressure sensors. Data were obtained with both blunt and sharp nosetips installed on the cone. The second-mode wave amplitudes were observed to saturate and then begin to decrease in the Langley tunnels, indicating wave breakdown. Pressure fluctuation measurements and thermocouple data indicated the location of transition along the cone at the different conditions tested. Comparisons between the power density spectra obtained during the current test and previous data from the Langley 15-Inch Mach 6 High Temperature Tunnel and the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet tunnel illustrate the effect of tunnel noise on instability growth and transition.
Event Extraction as Dependency Parsing for BioNLP 2011

We describe the Stanford entry to the BioNLP 2011 shared task on biomolecular event extraction (Kim et al., 2011a). Our framework is based on the observation that event structures bear a close relation to dependency graphs. We show that if biomolecular events are cast as these pseudosyntactic structures, standard parsing tools (maximum-spanning tree parsers and parse rerankers) can be applied to perform event extraction with minimum domain-specific tuning. The vast majority of our domain-specific knowledge comes from the conversion to and from dependency graphs. Our system performed competitively, obtaining 3rd place in the Infectious Diseases track (50.6% f-score), 5th place in Epigenetics and Post-translational Modifications (31.2%), and 7th place in Genia (50.0%). Additionally, this system was part of the combined system in Riedel et al. (2011) to produce the highest scoring system in three out of the four event extraction tasks.
In search of the general tension factor: tensional patterning during auditory stimulation.

A partial replication of research by Balshan (1962) was undertaken in order to investigate the existence of a general tension factor operating during rest and during auditory stimulation. Thirty female subjects were each exposed to one 20-min session consisting of 15 min of quiet rest followed by 5 min of binaural white noise stimulation. A computer-controlled scanning electromyograph sampled integrated surface EMG activity from a total of eight muscle sites on the head, neck and limbs. Tensional profiles for all eight EMG sites were assembled every 1.84 sec, resulting in an 8×650 data array for each subject. Statistical analyses revealed overall EMG increments at stimulus onset. R-factor analyses on principal components for group data, as in Balshan (1962), revealed group general factors for both prestimulus and stimulus periods. However, P-factoring on principal components of the within-subject data arrays demonstrated that few subjects met minimal loading criteria for a general factor operating in individuals. Such within-subject EMG-site covariations as were observed were reduced considerably when startle responses at stimulus onset were excluded from the principal-component analyses. It is concluded that the group factors obtained in the present experiment and by Balshan (1962) were artifacts of two influences: the erroneous assumption of across-subject equivalence of EMG-site levels, and the summation of uncorrelated EMG activity which biased the group component solutions toward artifactual generality.
Schooling the Cognitive Monster: The Role of Motivation in the Regulation and Control of Prejudice

Motivation has been a central construct in theoretical and empirical efforts to understand the nature of prejudice and stereotyping. We briefly review core motivational underpinnings of prejudice and stereotyping, focusing on aspects of the human condition that help to explain why we are so prone to bias. The strong propensity toward stereotyping and prejudice along with the automatic manner in which intergroup biases often operate have led researchers to question the controllability of such biases (e.g., Bargh's (1999) characterization of stereotyping as a ‘cognitive monster’ that could not be ‘chained’ through efforts at control). We revisit the issue of the controllability of stereotyping and prejudice in light of recent work examining the effects of motivations to control prejudice on regulatory processes. Although a top-down approach to regulation has been emphasized in much past work (e.g., the conscious replacement of prejudiced associations with more egalitarian thoughts), there is growing evidence that more automated and less effortful bottom-up regulation is also possible (i.e., a ‘schooling’ of the ‘cognitive monster’). Altogether, the accumulated evidence points to the limitations of dual-process approaches when applied to understanding the control and regulation of prejudiced responses. The evidence argues instead for a more complex, dynamic, and multi-level conceptualization of regulation.
PHYLOGENETICS OF THE NEW WORLD RODENT FAMILY HETEROMYIDAE

The family Heteromyidae includes 6 genera of rodents traditionally placed in 3 subfamilies endemic to the Nearctic and northern Neotropical biogeographic regions. Although several of these taxa represent intensively studied members of North and Central American ecosystems (e.g., kangaroo rats and pocket mice), phylogenetic relationships within and among subfamilies, genera, and species-groups are not well understood. Here, we used maximum-likelihood, Bayesian, and maximum parsimony analyses of sequence data from 2 mitochondrial DNA genes, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 3 gene (699 base pairs [bp]) and the cytochrome-b gene (1,140 bp), to investigate phylogenetic relationships among 55 species-level taxa. We found robust support for monophyly of genera Dipodomys, Microdipodops, Chaetodipus, and Perognathus; sampling of Liomys and Heteromys was inadequate to evaluate their reciprocal status. All analyses converge on a phylogeny that robustly resolves several historically contentious issues, including monophyly of the subfamily Dipodomyinae (Microdipodops plus Dipodomys), and a monophyletic Chaetodipus that includes C. formosus, C. baileyi, C. rudinoris, and C. hispidus. However, Perognathinae (Perognathus plus Chaetodipus) is not supported, with no basal resolution among Perognathus, Chaetodipus, Dipodomyinae, and Heteromyinae. Many intrageneric clades receive strong support and are discussed herein. Although phylogenetic resolution is limited at the basal nodes of the Heteromyidae radiation, our results provide a basis for developing a provisional hypothesis regarding the historical biogeography in combination with independent information on the Neogene geological history of western North America and the fossil record of the family.
Dancing with Wolves? Social Entrepreneurship Between Promise and Challenge for the Business School and the 21st Century University

Capitalism is at a crossroads and management education under some criticism. These circumstances present business schools with an opportunity to reposition themselves. Business schools are being called upon to serve a more humanistic form of capitalism in which social innovation figures centrally. As a consequence, several schools are realigning their mission with that of the university, embracing the promise of social entrepreneurship and aspiring to serve the common good. Other schools are unsure of how to forge this path, as social innovation and social entrepreneurship demand a fundamental redesign of traditional approaches to research and teaching. Advocates of Social Entrepreneurship (SE) are excited that it has moved center stage, but are wary that its promise may fade if business schools engage with SE more in rhetoric than content or if implementation of SE related curriculum is poorly managed. In this essay, we lay out the fundamental challenges teaching SE poses to the traditional business school and suggest that University-wide collaborations including business schools and other university departments and schools may present the greatest potential to benefit SE programs. We also propose how business schools can embrace SE without compromising its promise.
On the Interpretation of the λ2175Å Feature

The interpretation of the interstellar λ2175 A feature is reviewed. Various proposed explanations for the feature are examined, and difficulties with each of the proposed interpretations are identified.
Antecedents and Consequences of Marketing Strategy Making: A Model and a Test:

There is a strong rekindling of academic and practitioner interest in the marketing strategy making (MSM) process and its effect on firm performance. However, there is a dearth of research on proce...
On the Use of Proper Names and Definite Descriptions

In this paper I wish to discuss one type of case in which there seems to be an important difference between the referring uses of proper names and definite descriptions. I shall have nothing to say about what are sometimes called " logically proper names ", and though there may be differences between logically proper names and definite descriptions similar to those between grammatically proper names and definite descriptions discussed in this paper, I shall have nothing to say about these former differences. Let us begin by supposing that A wishes to communicate some information to B about some third person c). Two sorts of cases may be distinguished here:
Research on motor efficiency evaluation methods and intelligent test system

Electricity consumption of motor accounts large for total,which also has huge power conservation potential.Field efficiency evaluation method is used by portable equipment to test motors to grasp operation conditions.Users can be helped to make right decisions in power conservation reform.According to test results,its economic operation and power conservation potential can be analyzed to guarantee the reliability and economy of power conservation reform.
Relationships of pelvic structure, body measurements, pelvic area and calving difficulty.

Data on 186 Hereford heifers from five South Dakota ranches were collected to evaluate the relationships of pelvic structure and body measurements with calving difficulty (CD) and pelvic area. Body measurements obtained prebreeding and precalving included two internal pelvic and seven external rump measurements, three pelvic angles and two slope of rump measurements. A calving difficulty score (CDS) of 1 (unassisted) to 8 (Caesarean) was assigned at birth, and calf birth weight was recorded. Data were analyzed using both regression and discriminant analyses. Stepwise regression analysis including all 49 variables showed that calf birth weight was the most important variable influencing CDS (R2 = .33), with precalving pelvic area ranking second (cumulative R2 = .45). Prediction equations that included all variables or only prebreeding variables accounted for 63% and 25% of the variation in CDS, respectively. Pelvic angles and slope of rump variables had low correlations with CDS and pelvic area. Ratios of prebreeding and precalving pelvic areas to calf birth weight significantly decreased as CDS increased. A prebreeding ratio of 4.7 cm2/kg may be beneficial in selection of replacement heifers. In discriminant analyses, the most informative variable in differentiating among levels of CD was calf birth weight. All models significantly discriminated between two CD categories (assisted and unassisted). Models using prebreeding variables only performed as well as those based on precalving variables.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Death and Metafiction: On the “Ingenious Architecture” of Point Omega

This essay proposes a method for re-reading Don DeLillo’s 2010 novel Point Omega . While criticism of the novel focuses on DeLillo’s recent metafictional gestures toward ineffability and existential despair, this essay reads the novel as a metafictional gesture toward the necessity of fiction in the twenty-first century. It does so by reviewing the tripartite structure of the novel as being the product, in its entirety, of the protagonist Jim Finley. The main narrative of the novel consists of his first-person account of a traumatic experience in the desert of California with Iraq War propagandist Richard Elster. The chapters that bookend the novel tell, in an omniscient third-person mode, of an unnamed man viewing Douglas Gordon’s film 24-Hour Psycho at the Museum of Modern Art. This essay reads these bookending sections as also authored by Finley, rather than by an invisible narrator or an implied author. To do so reads Point Omega as the story first and foremost of a character coming to terms with trauma and tragedy by turning to fiction, rather than by abandoning communication, as does Elster. Such a reading reaffirms DeLillo’s faith in the power of fiction to cope with twenty-first century ills, and with death itself.
Addressing Supply–Demand Imbalance: Designing Efficient Remanufacturing Strategies

The management of remanufacturing inventory system is often challenged by mismatched supply (i.e., returned units, called cores) and demand. Typically, the demand for remanufactured units is high and exceeds the supply early in a product's lifetime, and drops below the supply late in the lifetime. This supply-demand imbalance motivates us to study a switching strategy to facilitate the decision-making process. This strategy deploys a push mode at the early stage of a product's lifetime, which remanufactures scarce cores to stock to responsively satisfy the high demand, and switches to a pull mode as the product approaches obsolescence to accurately match the low demand with supply. In addition, the strategy further simplifies the decision-making process by ignoring the impact of leftover cores at the end of each decision period. We show that the optimal policy of the switching strategy possesses a simple, multi-dimensional base-stock structure, which aims to remanufacture units from the i best-quality categories up to the ith state-independent base-stock level. An extensive numerical study shows that the switching strategy delivers close-to-optimal and robust performance: the strategy only incurs an average profit loss of 1.21% and a maximum of 2.27%, compared with the optimal one. The numerical study also shows when a pure push or pull strategy, a special case of the switching strategy, delivers good performance. The study offers the managerial insight that firms can use simple, easy-to-implement strategies to efficiently manage the remanufacturing inventory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The Imagination: A Path to Personal and Planetary Individuation

This paper draws on Jungian psychology, neuroscience, and cosmology to explore the role of the imagination in facilitating individuation at personal and planetary levels. It proposes that the imaginative faculties are essential to overcoming not only the divisions within an individual’s psyche but also the alienating sense of disconnection that much of humanity currently experiences from the planet, a severance that paves the way for the continued destruction of the biosphere. If we can truly acknowledge that humankind was birthed by Earth, that we are in fact Earth in human form, then through us the planet acquires the capacity to imagine radically new futures for itself. In this symbiotic process, we too are gifted the possibility of living into our potential as the very heart and mind of our sacred planet.
Lung cancer screening: not all nodules are created equal.

The incidence and mortality from bronchogenic malignancies continue to be high, with an estimated 224,000 new cases and an estimated 158,000 deaths in the United States in 2016 (1). Approximately 75% of patients present with locally advanced disease or metastatic disease, usually beyond the scope of curative therapies (2). This has prompted the development of screening programs which utilize low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) imaging in asymptomatic high-risk individuals. The NELSON trial is a Dutch/Belgian screening trial randomizing high-risk patients (as determined by smoking history and age) to receive either no screening or a series of low-dose chest CT imaging studies at prespecified time-points (year 1, 2, 4, and 6). Patients with suspicious nodules found on the screening CT imaging were subsequently evaluated with repeat imaging, biopsy, or other appropriate interventions (3). Over 15,000 patients have been accrued; the investigators hypothesized that screening will decrease 10-year lung cancer mortality by at least 25% (3). While the primary outcome data continue to mature, the available information on over 7,500 patients with serial CT imaging lends itself to preliminary analysis.
A Simple Regimen to Correct Vitamin D Deficiency In Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia with High-Dose Ergocalciferol

Abstract Abstract 4261 Osteoporosis in thalassemia is extremely common and preventive approaches are required to avoid serious complications in adults. Vitamin D deficiency, which contributes to suboptimal bone mineralization, is frequently observed in thalassemia despite routine prescription for supplementation with 400–800 IU vitamin D per day. Screening for vitamin D status was conducted in 71 patients with thalassemia, of which 52 were transfusion-dependent and 19 were transfusion-independent (including 11 patients with hemoglobin H or H Constant Spring disease). Baseline assessment of plasma 25-OH vitamin D revealed 57 (80.3%) patients were either deficient ( 80 ng/mL) during the course of the study. These results show that vitamin D deficiency remains widespread despite daily low-dose supplementation. Non-transfused patients are at even greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, which may reflect less attention to nutrition in this group compared to the transfusion-dependent patients. We have found that supervised high-dose oral ergocalciferol supplementation is simple, safe, non-invasive and predictable method to improve vitamin D status in thalassemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Dopamine in the medial amygdala network mediates human bonding

Research in humans and nonhuman animals indicates that social affiliation, and particularly maternal bonding, depends on reward circuitry. Although numerous mechanistic studies in rodents demonstrated that maternal bonding depends on striatal dopamine transmission, the neurochemistry supporting maternal behavior in humans has not been described so far. In this study, we tested the role of central dopamine in human bonding. We applied a combined functional MRI-PET scanner to simultaneously probe mothers' dopamine responses to their infants and the connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), the amygdala, and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which form an intrinsic network (referred to as the "medial amygdala network") that supports social functioning. We also measured the mothers' behavioral synchrony with their infants and plasma oxytocin. The results of this study suggest that synchronous maternal behavior is associated with increased dopamine responses to the mother's infant and stronger intrinsic connectivity within the medial amygdala network. Moreover, stronger network connectivity is associated with increased dopamine responses within the network and decreased plasma oxytocin. Together, these data indicate that dopamine is involved in human bonding. Compared with other mammals, humans have an unusually complex social life. The complexity of human bonding cannot be fully captured in nonhuman animal models, particularly in pathological bonding, such as that in autistic spectrum disorder or postpartum depression. Thus, investigations of the neurochemistry of social bonding in humans, for which this study provides initial evidence, are warranted.
Vibrational band assignment of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol

The vibrational structure of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol is of great interest because of its industrial and military applications. However, detailed spectral analysis is challenging due to its flexibility. This paper reports a detailed analysis of the gas and liquid phase vibrational spectra of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman experimental data. By performing a detailed exploration of the conformational space in this work, the theoretical spectra reproduced almost all experimental details observed, and assigned internal valence coordinates to all of the experimentally observed bands in the floppy 2-ethyl-1-hexanol molecule. Relative contributions from the various internal valence coordinates to the experimental vibrational bands are directly compared between the liquid phase Raman band and the gas and liquid phase infrared band.
RASSF4: Regulator of plasma membrane PI(4,5)P2

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is a negatively charged phospholipid that plays a major role in recruiting and regulating proteins at the plasma membrane-cytosol interface. In this issue, Chen et al. (2017. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201606047) demonstrate that RAS association domain family 4 (RASSF4) positively influences PI(4,5)P2 synthesis through ARF6-dependent regulation of PIP5K.
Re-irradiation for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme

As our understanding of normal brain tissue tolerance and radiation technology have improved, central nervous system (CNS) re-irradiation has garnered more attention; whereas, in the past there had been hesitancy due to late toxicity concerns, particularly radionecrosis (RN). There is minimal prospective data evaluating repeat radiation in recurrent gliomas. In this review, the rationale for and different approaches to re-irradiation will be discussed, and the biology and clinical impact of late CNS toxicity will be reviewed.
Treating Asian Americans in Los Angeles

Past studies showed that the referral source for Asian outpatients was much more often referrals by police and others and post-hospitalization, 87%. Only 13% were self-referred. Other Americans were more often self-referred or family referred, 52%, and were referred by others in only 48% of the cases (Lam et al 1980). It has been shown that most of the patients seen do not speak English adequately (Lo et al 1981). This is not surprising since the Clinic was set up to be multilingual, multicultural to meet the needs of the patients who do not speak English. Of special interest is prior hospitalization, as many as 1/3 of our patients have been hospitalized previously.
Privacy and stability in airport ground delay programs

Adverse weather can reduce airport capacity. When the number of arriving aircraft exceeds this reduced capacity, flights can get delayed. A Ground Delay Program (GDP) is a strategy by which aircraft landing slots can be redistributed so that the flights are delayed on the ground itself and not in the air. This increases safety, reduces the fuel consumption and hence the operating costs for airlines. In this paper, we present six algorithms that perform this slot reassignment. These algorithms differ in the extent to which slots can get re-arranged in real-time and the amount of information that the airlines must reveal to the central planner during the implementation. These two features of the algorithm are called as stability and privacy respectively. The efficiency of these six algorithms, measured in terms of the expected delay cost for flights, is compared using operational data for La Guardia Airport in New York. A two-step Receding Horizon Static (2-step RHS) model is shown to be a good compromise based on present expectations of privacy and stability in the system.
Response of bean calli to filtrate from Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola and correlation with whole plant disease reaction

Callus cultures of bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars were tested for response to toxic filtrates from liquid cultures of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola . Callus reaction to the filtrates ranged From necrosis and reduced growth to no necrosis and normal growth. Plants of each cultivar were also inoculated in the greenhouse with suspensions of the pathogen. Charlevoix (red kidney) was the most susceptible in the greenhouse, and Charlevoix calli were most severely affected by the filtrate. Emerson (great northern) or Admiral (navy) were most resistant to the strains in the greenhouse, and the corresponding calli developed no necrosis on medium containing filtrate. Plant and calli reactions were correlated using Spearman's ranking correlation coefficient, and a highly significant r value (0·971 ) was obtained. Results suggest that a callus screening system can identify bean cultivars resistant to halo blight.
Congenital prostatic cyst causing ejaculatory duct obstruction: management by transrectal cyst aspiration.

AbstractCongenital prostatic cysts are relatively uncommon and rarely symptomatic. We describe a 24-year-old man who presented with a 2-month history of anejaculation accompanied with bilateral epididymal pain. Transrectal ultrasonography of the prostate revealed a large midline prostatic cyst and bilateral dilatation of the seminal vesicles. Transrectal aspiration of the cyst resulted in return of antegrade ejaculation and resolution of epididymal pain.
Pediatric Neuroblastoma: Treatment with Oral Irinotecan and Temozolomide

New strategies are needed to improve outcomes for children with high-risk neuroblastoma, as fewer than half of these patients are expected to survive with current therapies. The combination of temozolomide and irinotecan has recently been evaluated in cooperative group studies for patients with relapsed high-risk neuroblastoma. This combination is attractive given the reported single-agent activity of each drug, their non-overlapping toxicity profiles, and the preclinical evidence of synergy in mouse models of neuroblastoma. Clinical trials involving 120 patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma have shown the combination to produce responses or sustained disease stabilization in a significant subset of patients. In addition, the tolerability of the regimen may allow it to serve as a therapeutic backbone on which to add targeted agents. Finally, use of orally administered irinotecan given on shorter treatment schedules can reduce costs and improve patient convenience.
Very British Rebels?: The Culture and Politics of Ulster Loyalism. By James W. McAuley. (London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. Pp. ix, 202. $37.99.)

The subject of this work is Ulster loyalism, that is, the political and social culture of northern Irish Protestantism, something distinct from Unionism that serves to organize a political movement...
Early Oseltamivir After Hospital Admission Is Associated With Shortened Hospitalization: A 5-Year Analysis of Oseltamivir Timing and Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND Neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) are the only effective therapy for influenza, but few studies have assessed the impact of early NAI therapy on clinical outcomes or the patient-level factors that determine early NAI delivery in hospitalized patients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all adults hospitalized in a metropolitan tertiary care hospital with confirmed influenza from April 2009 to March 2014. We performed logistic regression to determine patient-level factors that were associated with early NAI therapy. We analyzed the association of early NAI therapy with hospital lengths of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality rates using linear and logistic regression, respectively. RESULTS In total, 699 patients were admitted with influenza during the 5 influenza seasons. Of those, 582 (83.4%) received NAI therapy; however, only 26.0% received the first dose within 6 hours of hospitalization (early NAI). Patients with diabetes mellitus or pregnancy were more likely to receive early NAI (P = .01, vs. P < .001 in those without these conditions), as were those reporting fever or myalgias at presentation (P = .002, vs. P = .005 without). Immunosuppressed patients were less likely to receive early NAI (P = .04). Early NAI was associated with shorter hospital LOS (P < .001). No patients died in the early NAI group, compared to 18 deaths in the 399 patients receiving NAI after 6 hours (4.5%) and 4 deaths in the 116 patients not receiving NAI (3.4%). CONCLUSIONS Over multiple influenza seasons, early NAI therapy was associated with shorter LOS in patients admitted with influenza. This suggests that efforts should focus on facilitating earlier therapy in patients with suspected influenza.
Evaluating the Performance of Non-Hair SSVEP-Based BCIs Featuring Template-Based Decoding Methods

Our previous study has demonstrated the feasibility of employing non-hair-bearing electrodes to build a Steadystate Visual Evoked Potential (SSVEP)-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system, relaxing technical barriers in preparation time and offering an ease-of-use apparatus. The signal quality of the SSVEPs and the resultant performance of the non-hair BCI, however, did not close upon those reported in the state-of-the-art BCI studies based on the electroencephalogram (EEG) measured from the occipital regions. Recently, advanced decoding algorithms such as task-related component analysis have made a breakthrough in enhancing the signal quality of the occipital SSVEPs and the performance of SSVEP-based BCIs in a well-controlled laboratory environment. However, it remains unclear if the advanced decoding algorithms can extract highfidelity SSVEPs from the non-hair EEG and enhance the practicality of non-hair BCIs in real-world environments. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate whether, and if so, to what extent the non-hair BCIs can leverage the state-of-art decoding algorithms. Eleven healthy individuals participated in a 5-target SSVEP BCI experiment. A high-density EEG cap recorded SSVEPs from both hair-covered and non-hair-bearing regions. By evaluating and demonstrating the accessibility of nonhair-bearing behind-ear signals, our assessment characterized constraints on data length, trial numbers, channels, and their relationships with the decoding algorithms, providing practical guidelines to optimize SSVEP-based BCI systems in real-life applications.
Effects of finger taping on forearm muscle activation in rock climbers.

Abstract Flexor tendon pulley injury is associated with a change in relative activation of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of taping of the fingers on relative muscle activation of the FDS and FDP muscles in uninjured rock climbers. Muscle activation in 10 healthy volunteers were recorded using intramuscular electromyography (EMG) during a static hang with subjects utilizing the crimp grip without tape, with a circumferential tape and with an H-tape in random order. EMG data were normalized to a static hang with a non-crimp grip (RVC). Average EMG activity of the FDS as a percentage of RVC was 102.4 ± 59.1 without tape, 116.9 ± 35.3 with H-tape and 99.3 ± 35.3 with circumferential tape. Average EMG activity of the FDP as a percentage of RVC was 96.6 ± 40.0 without tape, 98.9 ± 30.3 with H-tape and 90.6 ± 28.7 with circumferential tape. Taping did not have a significant effect on average relative muscle activation of the FDS or FDP muscles (p = 0.069). This study showed that finger taping may not significantly affect the activity of the FDS and FDP during static holds while rock climbing.
Genomic Mismatch at LIMS1 Locus and Kidney Allograft Rejection

Abstract Background In the context of kidney transplantation, genomic incompatibilities between donor and recipient may lead to allosensitization against new antigens. We hypothesized that recessiv...
Factor and Industry Allocation using Markov-Switching Model

We propose to separate returns and macro-indicators into regimes and use regime-specific mean returns and covariances for better portfolio construction. We fit a multivariate Gaussian mixture process to observable regime indicators along with a Hidden Markov Model for the unobservable state. We then use the fitted regimes and transition matrix to construct different portfolios based on a probability-weighted average of returns and covariances. Our backtesting uses long-short factor returns as well as industry returns. We find the evidence that regime aware optimizations perform better than the popular mean-variance optimization without assumptions of regimes and has higher out-of-sample expected return and lower skewness, kurtosis, and drawdowns.
Lived Experiences of a Community: Merging Interpretive Phenomenology and Community-Based Participatory Research:

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) and interpretive phenomenology, when merged, can provide insight into the experiences of a homogenous community. The purpose of this manuscript is 2-fo...
Zileuton use and phenotypic features in asthma.

Abstract Zileuton, a 5-lipoxygenase (5LPO) inhibitor exerts a broad influence in the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway by blocking upstream molecules that otherwise would lead to production of an array of inflammatory leukotrienes (LT) A4-E4. Hence, it has the potential to be a drug suitable to treat complicated asthmatics. Studies have shown modest response rates for zileuton in asthmatics. Objective We sought to study our hypothesis that response to zileuton varies across specific asthmatic phenotypes. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data from 129 patients with asthma that were prescribed zileuton at the University of Pittsburgh's Comprehensive Lung Clinic. A total of 75 patients from the above population had requisite lung function data and zileuton usage that would help assess a drug response effect. A zileuton responder was defined as having at least or greater than 5% annualized increase in post-bronchodilator FEV1% from baseline. Using a multivariate logistic regression analysis, we determined the association between responder status and the underlying phenotypic characteristics. Results Using generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis of 331 individual lung function test data-points as well as logistic regression analysis for predictors of 5% or more annualized increase in FEV1%, 21 of 75 patients (28%) met criteria for having a differential response to zileuton. Severe asthma was associated less often with responder status (OR 0.12; p 0.004). Obesity was less often associated with responder status, however did not reach significance (OR 0.46; p 0.15). Conclusion In this retrospective study, zileuton response varies across asthmatics, with poorer response rates being associated with those with severe asthma and possibly obesity. Although prescription trends for zileuton may predominate amongst severe asthmatics, this tendency does not seem to mirror the actual likelihood to respond. As against the trivial role for zileuton per current GINA algorithms, our study brings forward a notion that zileuton may well be considered along with LTRAs (like montelukast) for non-severe asthma.
Chitosan nanoparticles help double-stranded RNA escape from endosomes and improve RNA interference in the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda

RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising technology for the development of next-generation insect pest control products. Though RNAi is efficient and systemic in coleopteran insects, it is inefficient and variable in lepidopteron insects. In this study, we explored the possibility of improving RNAi in the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda by conjugating double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with biodegradable chitosan (Chi). dsRNA conjugated with chitosan was protected from degradation by endonucleases present in Sf9 cell-conditioned medium, hemolymph, and midgut lumen contents collected from the FAW larvae. Chi-dsRNA complexes showed reduced accumulation in the endosomes of Sf9 cells and FAW tissues. Exposing chitosan formulated dsRNA in Sf9 cells and the tissues induced a significant knockdown of endogenous genes. Chi-dsIAP fed to FAW larvae induced knockdown of iap gene, growth retardation, and mortality. Processing of dsRNA into small interfering RNA was detected with chitosan-conjugated 32 P-UTP-labeled ds green fluorescent protein in Sf9 cells and FAW larval tissues. Overall, these data suggest that dsRNA conjugated with chitosan helps dsRNA escape from the endosomes and improves RNAi efficiency in FAW cells and tissues.
COVID-19 Transmission and Children: The Child Is Not to Blame.

* Abbreviations: COVID-19 — : coronavirus disease HHC — : household contact SARS-CoV-2 — : severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) presents arguably the greatest public health crisis in living memory. One surprising aspect of this pandemic is that children appear to be infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, far less frequently than adults and, when infected, typically have mild symptoms,1–3 although emerging reports of a novel Kawasaki disease–like multisystem inflammatory syndrome necessitate continued surveillance in pediatric patients.4,5 However, a major question remains unanswered: to what extent are children responsible for SARS-CoV-2 transmission? Resolving this issue is central to making informed public health decisions, ranging from how to safely re-open schools, child care facilities, and summer camps down to the precautions needed to obtain a throat culture in an uncooperative child. To date, few published data are available to help guide these decisions. In this issue of Pediatrics , Posfay-Barbe et al6 report on the dynamics of COVID-19 within families of children with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction–confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Geneva, Switzerland. From March 10 to April 10, 2020, all children <16 … Address correspondence to William V. Raszka, Jr, Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, 89 Beaumont Ave, Given Courtyard N210, Burlington, VT 05405. E-mail: william.raszka{at}med.uvm.edu
Publication Rate and Evidence-Based Evaluation of Abstracts Presented at the Annual Veterinary Orthopedic Society Conference.

Objectives Scientific abstracts are a common method for disseminating new research. There is no information on the publication rate of orthopaedic surgery abstracts presented at the annual Veterinary Orthopedic Society (VOS) Conference. The objectives of this study were to document the publication rate, the publication timeline and the level of evidence (LoE) of abstracts presented at an annual orthopaedic meeting. Study Design All conference abstracts from the 2001 to 2014 annual VOS meeting were reviewed, and final publication was determined through a comprehensive bibliographic search. Results Over 14 conferences, 1,112 scientific abstracts were presented with an overall publication rate of 47%. The majority of abstracts had low LoE scores, and those abstracts were published less timely than ones with higher LoE scores. Once presented, most abstracts took 1 year to be submitted and 2 years to be published. Dog (45%) and ex vivo (19%) studies were the most common. Publication occurred most frequently in Veterinary Surgery (40%), Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (17%) and the American Journal of Veterinary Research (12%). Conclusion The publication rate for abstracts presented at the annual VOS meeting is lower than those from a more generalized veterinary surgery conference. Publication occurs most frequently in a select group of journals, and the subject matter is limited in scope with a focus on dog and ex vivo studies. Overall, most abstracts presented at VOS contain a lower LoE.
Molecular Composition and the Optical Properties of Brown Carbon Generated by the Ethane Flame

Atmospheric “Brown Carbon” (BrC) is a complex mixture of organic compounds with diverse composition and variability of its light-absorbing properties. BrC formed by incomplete combustion of fossil ...
Can preoperative imaging characteristics predict pT3 bladder cancer following cystectomy

Imaging characteristics in bladder cancer (BC), such as hydronephrosis, are predictive of ≥ pT3 disease at time of radical cystectomy (RC). The predictive capacity of other findings, such as perivesical stranding (PS), remains unclear. We investigated whether PS was associated with ≥ pT3 BC in patients who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We identified 433 patients with BC who underwent RC from 2003 to 2018 of which 128 did not receive NAC. Evidence of PS on pre-TURBT imaging was determined by radiologist review and a stranding grading system was created. Factors associated with PS and hydronephrosis were identified. Multivariable logistic regressions evaluated PS and hydronephrosis as predictors for ≥ pT3 BC. Of the 128 patients who did not receive NAC, 48 (38%) had pT3 and 12 (9%) had pT4 BC. 125 (98%) patients had CT and three (2%) had MRI. PS and hydronephrosis on imaging were identified in 19 (15%) and 45 (35%) patients. PS was not associated with imaging type (p = 0.38), BMI (p = 0.18), or pathologic T stage (p = 0.24). Hydronephrosis was more frequently associated with higher pathologic T stage (p = 0.034). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that PS was not predictive of ≥ pT3 BC (p = 0.457), while hydronephrosis was positively associated (p = 0.003). Stratification by grade of stranding did not improve the predictive capacity of PS (p = 0.667). While hydronephrosis is an indicator of higher stage BC, PS failed to be a reliable predictor of ≥ pT3 stage. These observations should give pause in using PS on imaging to guide decisions until further investigations can be explored.