cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Connective Tissue Disorders and the Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome

It has been theorized that immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a syndrome characterized by various defects in immune regulation, resulting in a common phenotype, decreased blood platelets, and symptoms of mucocutaneous bleeding. Most often, successful treatment of the underlying connective tissue disorder with corticosteroids or other disease-modifying agents can simultaneously improve concurrent thrombocytopenia. The best evidence to date would support the targeting of treatment to the connective tissue disorder, expecting a simultaneous improvement in the platelet count. Due to the frequent relapses associated with many of the connective tissue disorders and the frequent use of immunosuppressant agents, splenectomy should be undertaken only in highly refractory patients. Differentiating the varying immunopathic etiologies that contribute to development of connective tissue disorders may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia in a subset of these patients. The use of target therapies to treat connective tissue disorders has the potential of reducing the risk of the development of ITP or, conversely, inducing the development of immune thrombocytopenia.
Right bundle branch block during transvenous ventricular pacing

Cardiac pacing through a transvenous catheter located in the right ventricle usually produces a pattern of left bundle branch block (LBBB). When right bundle branch block (RBBB) occurs during apparent right ventricular pacing, a complication (perforation or malposition of the catheter) has usually occurred. In the patient reported here, uncomplicated right ventricular transvenous pacing produced RBBB. Recognition of this uncommon event is important because it may save the patient the risk and inconvenience of repositioning a properly functioning pacing catheter.
Pork Fat and Chicken Fat Similarly Affect Plasma Lipoprotein Metabolism in Cynomolgus Monkeys Fed Diets with Adequate Levels of Linoleic Acid

The effects on plasma lipoprotein metabolism of replacing pork fat (PF) with chicken fat (CF) (formulated as part of currently recommended prudent diets) was evaluated in 10 male cynomolgus monkeys. Monkeys were rotated through three dietary periods, (each of 10-wk duration), during which total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured (7, 8 and 9 wk) and in vivo lipoprotein metabolism evaluated (after 9 wk). Initially, all monkeys were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol reference diet [38% of energy (en) from fat, 18%en saturated fatty acids (SFA), 10%en monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 10%en polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 0.045 mg cholesterol/kJ diet]. Subsequently, monkeys were rotated through two test diets (30%en fat, SFA/MUFA/PUFA 1:1:1, 0.004-0.005 mg cholesterol/kJ diet), in which 80% of the fat was either PF or CF, with the remaining 20% derived from high-linoleic safflower oil. There was no significant difference between the two test diets for TG, TC, nonHDL-C, HDL-C or the ratio of TC/HDL-C. Lipoprotein composition, LDL apolipoprotein B pool size, fractional catabolic rate and transport rate were also not significantly different when monkeys consumed the two test diets. These data suggest that when incorporated into diets following current guidelines and containing adequate PUFA ( approximately 7-9%en), PF and CF similarly affect plasma lipids.
Everything You Have Always Wanted to Know About Academic Advising (Well, Almost)

Answering the question “What occurs in an academic advising interaction?” is not as easy as one might think. Many factors contribute to the academic advising process, and no two advising interactions are the same. This article discusses the different factors involved in an academic advising interaction, emphasizing the need for psychological counselors to become familiar with the specific aspects of the advising processes that occur at their respective institutions.
Solution dependence of the collisional activation of ubiquitin [M + 7H](7+) ions.

The solution dependence of gas-phase unfolding for ubiquitin [M + 7H]7+ ions has been studied by ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS). Different acidic water:methanol solutions are used to favor the native (N), more helical (A), or unfolded (U) solution states of ubiquitin. Unfolding of gas-phase ubiquitin ions is achieved by collisional heating and newly formed structures are examined by IMS. With an activation voltage of 100 V, a selected distribution of compact structures unfolds, forming three resolvable elongated states (E1-E3). The relative populations of these elongated structures depend strongly on the solution composition. Activation of compact ions from aqueous solutions known to favor N-state ubiquitin produces mostly the E1 type elongated state, whereas activation of compact ions from methanol containing solutions that populate A-state ubiquitin favors the E3 elongated state. Presumably, this difference arises because of differences in precursor ion structures emerging from solution. Thus, it appears that information about solution populations can be retained after ionization, selection, and activation to produce the elongated states. These data as well as others are discussed.
Poetry and Personality: Reading, Exegesis, and Hermeneutics in Traditional China

1. Introduction 2. The discovery of the text in ancient China 3. 'The Odes articulate aims' 4. The preface to Mao's Odes 5. The perfection of the text 6. The claims of tradition 7. Subjectivity and understanding 8. Zhu Xi's synthesis Notes Chinese character list Index.
The effect of space flight on monoclonal antibody synthesis in a hybridoma mouse cell line

The hybridoma cell line, 3G10G5, producing a monoclonal antibody to the major capsid protein VP1 from the avian polyomavirus budgerigar fledgling disease virus, was produced from a Balb/C mouse. This cell line was used to test the effects of microgravity on cellular processes, specifically protein synthesis. A time course study utilizing incorporation of [35S]methionine into newly synthesized monoclonal antibody was performed on STS-77. After 5.5 days, it was observed that cell counts for the samples exposed to microgravity were lower than those of ground-based samples. However, radiolabel incorporation of the synthesized monoclonal antibody was similar in both orbiter and ground control samples. Overall, microgravity does not seem to have an effect on this cell line's ability to synthesize IgG protein.
Knowledge construction as contested terrain: Adult learning through artistic expression

Traditional forms of teaching and learning based on textual forms of representation and rational thought may limit how we perceive our world. Artistic forms of expression and their implications for adult education are discussed.
Macrovascular Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Adults with diabetes mellitus frequently develop macrovascular complications. Vascular disease is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes. Diabetes and vascular diseases remain among the most common causes of death in the United States. A number of clinical trials and practice guidelines have been published addressing the management of macrovascular complications. The cornerstone of preventing or delaying the progression of macrovascular complications of diabetes is aggressive management of hypertension and cholesterol. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have proven effective in managing hypertension and avoiding other complications of diabetes. The body of evidence for angiotensin receptor blockers is growing in this area as well. Statins have been repeatedly proven to be the first-line agents in the management of dyslipidemia. Lifestyle modification strategies and antiplatelet therapy also remain essential. This review will focus on the role of newer diagnostic tec...
Effect of somatotropin and/or equine chorionic gonadotropin on serum and follicular insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in cattle.

We investigated the effect of administration of somatotropin (ST) and/or eCG on insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGFbinding proteins (IGFBP) in serum and follicular fluid (FFL) of cattle actively immunized against growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF). Cyclic beef cattle, previously immunized against GRF-( 1-29)-Gly-Gly-Cys-NH 2 conjugated to human serum albumin (synthesized and provided by Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc., Nutley, NJ; GRFi, n = 31) or to human serum albumin alone (HSAi, n = 26), received (i.m.): 1) 25 mg recombinantly derived methionyl somatotropin (rbST, n = 14; sometribove provided by Monsanto Co., St. Louis, MO); 2) 1100 IU eCG (n = 10); 3) rbST and eCG (rbST-eCG, n = 15); or 4) vehicle (VEH, n = 17) at 0 and 24 h after receiving prostaglandin F, (PGF2,,). Serum samples were collected at 0 and 40 h after PGF,,, and the ovary bearing the largest follicle (DOM) was removed 44.0 0.5 h after PGF,,; FFL was harvested from DOM and the subordinate follicle (SUB). Before treatment (0 h), GRFi cows had lower serum ST (0.6 0.2 vs. 2.2 0.2 ng/ml;p < 0.01) and IGF-I (26 4 vs. 72 4 ng/ml;p < 0.01), but greater IGFBP-2 (594 48 vs. 384 52 ng/ml; p < 0.01) than HSAi cows. Serum and FFL concentrations of IGF-I or IGFBP-2 were not different between rbST- and rbST-eCG-treated cows or between VEH- and eCG-treated cows at Hour 40 after the initial treatment injection; therefore, data were combined and designated as rbST and VEH, respectively. Serum IGF-I was increased to a greater extent (percentage increase above 0 h) by rbST treatment in GRFi (362 24) than in HSAi (176 ± 16) cows (immunization by treatment, p < 0.01). Across GRFi and HSAi, rbST lowered serum IGFBP-2 (342 ± 31 vs. 541 ± 27 ng/ml, rbST vs. VEH; p < 0.01). Diameters of DOM or SUB were not affected by immunization or treatment. Concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 (determined by ligand blot analysis) in FFL from both DOM and SUB were lower (p < 0.05) in GRFi than in HSAi cows. In contrast, IGFBP-2 in FFL was elevated in SUB, but not DOM, in GRFi compared to HSAi cows. Ligand blot analyses indicated that IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-5 were markedly higher in FFL from SUB in GRFi than in HSAi cows, but not different for DOM. Administration of rbST increased IGF-I and decreased IGFBP-2 in DOM and SUB. In conclusion, GRFi decreased serum and FFL concentrations of IGF-I, while it increased concentrations of IGFBP-2 in serum and in FFL from SUB, but not DOM. Treatment with rbST increased serum and FFL IGF-I, but decreased both serum and FFL IGFBP-2 (in both DOM and SUB). The specific roles that IGF-I and IGFBP play in folliculogenesis are yet to be determined; of particular interest is the divergent effect of GRFi on IGFBP in dominant vs. subordinate follicles.
A Utile Function Optimizer

We recast the problem of unconstrained continuous evolutionary optimization as inference in a fixed graphical model. This approach allows us to address several pervasive issues in optimization, including the traditionally difficult problem of selecting an algorithm that is most appropriate for a given task. This is accomplished by placing a prior distribution over the expected class of functions, then employing inference and intuitively defined utilities and costs to transform the evolutionary optimization problem into one of active sampling. This allows us to pose an approach to optimization that is optimal for each expressly stated function class. The resulting solution methodology can optimally navigate exploration-exploitation tradeoffs using well-motivated decision theory, while providing the process with a natural stopping criterion. Finally, the model naturally accommodates the expression of dynamic and noisy functions, setting it apart from most existing algorithms that address these issues as an afterthought. We demonstrate the characteristics and advantages of this algorithm formally and with examples.
Adrenomedullin Requires an Intact Nitric Oxide System to Function as an Endogenous Vasodilator in Rat Gestation

Objective: We hypothesize that administration of adrenomedullin (AM), an endogenous vasodilator, will ameliorate the hypertension and growth restriction associated with chronic nitric oxide inhibition induced by l‐ω nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME) infusion in pregnant rats. Methods. Osmotic minipumps were inserted on day 14 of gestation to deliver continuously either AM, l‐NAME, AM+l‐NAME, or vehicle control. Systolic blood pressure was recorded daily in pregnant rats. Pregnant rats were either sacrificed on gestational days 15, 16, 17, 18, or 22, or they were allowed to deliver at term. The placentas from all of the treated groups were fixed for 24 hr in Bouin solution, sectioned, processed, embedded in paraffin, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The placentas were graded for the quality of fetal vessel development in the labyrinth. Results. Systolic blood pressure was increased in AM+l‐NAME‐treated rats. The animals that delivered in the AM+l‐NAME group exhibited decreased pup weight (l‐NAM...
Investigation of phase difference statistics of numerically simulated high-resolution HH- and VV-polarized low grazing angle sea backscatter

This study uses direct numerical simulations of X-band low grazing sea backscatter to investigate phase difference statistics between the co-polarized (horizontal transmit-receive and vertical transmit-receive) channels. The range resolution is 0.4 m and the grazing angles are as low as 0.5 degrees. The simulations are limited to the two-dimensional space but have immediate relevance to commonly occurring observation geometries. Phase probability density functions are calculated using different methods (such as amplitude thresholding or multilook averaging) and are shown to differ substantially from analytical predictions based on the commonly used Gaussian-statistics assumptions. Adequate knowledge of such inter-channel phase probability distributions is important for ocean-oriented applications of radar polarimetry.
Divalent cation-induced interaction of phospholipid vesicle and monolayer membranes

Abstract The effects of phospholipid vesicles and divalent cations in the subphase solution on the surface tension of phospholipid monolayer membranes were studied in order to elucidate the nature of the divalent cation-induced vesicle-membrane interaction. The monolayers were formed at the air/water interface. Various concentrations of unilamellar phospholipid (phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine and their mixtures) vesicles and divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Mn2+, etc.) were introduced into the subphase solution of the monolayers. The changes of surface tension of monolayers were measured by the Wilhelmy plate (Teflon) method with respect to divalent ion concentrations and time. When a monolayer of phosphatidylserine and vesicles of phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine (1 : 1) were used, there were critical concentrations of divalent cations to produce a large reduction in surface tension of the monolayer. These concentrations were 16 mM for Mg2+, 7 mM for Sr2+, 6 mM for Ca2+, 3.5 mM for Ba2+ and 1.8 mM for Mn2+. On the other hand, for a phosphatidylcholine monolayer and phosphatidylcholine vesicles, there was no change in surface tension of the monolayer up to 25 mM of any divalent ion used. When a phosphatidylserine monolayer and phosphatidylcholine vesicles were used, the order of divalent ions to effect the large reduction of surface tension was Mn2+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ and their critical concentrations were in between the former two cases. The threshold concentrations also depended upon vesicle concentrations as well as the area/molecule of monolayers. For phosphatidylserine monolayers and phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine (1 : 1) vesicles, above the critical concentrations of Mn2+ and Ca2+, the surface tension decreased to a value close to the equilibrium pressure of the monolayers within 0.5 h. This decrease in surface tension of the monolayers is interpreted partly as the consequence of fusion of the vesicles with the monolayer membranes. The
Lung segmentation in 4D CT volumes based on robust active shape model matching

Dynamic and longitudinal lung CT imaging produce 4D lung image data sets, enabling applications like radiation treatment planning or assessment of response to treatment of lung diseases. In this paper, we present a 4D lung segmentation method that mutually utilizes all individual CT volumes to derive segmentations for each CT data set. Our approach is based on a 3D robust active shape model and extends it to fully utilize 4D lung image data sets. This yields an initial segmentation for the 4D volume, which is then refined by using a 4D optimal surface finding algorithm. The approach was evaluated on a diverse set of 152 CT scans of normal and diseased lungs, consisting of total lung capacity and functional residual capacity scan pairs. In addition, a comparison to a 3D segmentation method and a registration based 4D lung segmentation approach was performed. The proposed 4D method obtained an average Dice coefficient of 0.9773 ± 0.0254, which was statistically significantly better (ρ value ≪ 0.001) than the 3D method (0.9659 ± 0.0517). Compared to the registration based 4D method, our method obtained better or similar performance, but was 58.6% faster. Also, the method can be easily expanded to process 4D CT data sets consisting of several volumes.
Patterns and controls of lotic algal stable carbon isotope ratios

Spatial and temporal variations in stable carbon isotope ratios (i.e., d 13 C) of primary producers are common but poorly understood features of isotopic characterizations of aquatic food webs. I investigated factors that control d 13 C of algae (concentration and d 13 C of inorganic carbon, algal fractionation, and growth rates) in riffle habitats across a gradient in stream size and productivity in northern California. There was considerable seasonal and spatial variation in d 13 C of the green alga Cladophora glomerata, microalgal-influenced epilithic biofilms, and their herbivores. Algal and herbivore d 13 C were depleted in 13 C in small, unproductive tributary streams (244‰ to 230‰) compared with more productive sites downstream (231‰ to 223‰). The majority of variation in algal d 13 Co f Cladophora and epilithic biofilms was determined by dissolved CO 2 (CO2aq) via effects on d 13 Co f CO 2aq and photosynthetic fractionation. In contrast, two other taxa (the cyanobacterium Nostoc pruniforme and the red alga Lemanea sp.) showed little variation in d 13 C or fractionation in response to varied inorganic carbon availability because of their distinct modes of inorganic carbon acquisition. Although variation in algal d 13 C might complicate use of d 13 C to resolve consumer diet sources under some circumstances, better understanding of such variation should improve the use of d 13 C techniques in aquatic food web studies.
Lessons from the Past: Confronting Past Discriminatory Practices To Alleviate the Nursing Shortage through Increased Professional Diversity.

A critical shortage of nurses has focused attention on the current demographics of practicing nurses. Data from the most recent analysis of the nursing workforce reveals that only 4.9 percent of practicing nurses are African American as compared with 12.1 percent of the general population. This disparity of representation has implications as resources are established from which the future workforce might be drawn. Efforts to achieve parity require recognition of the lingering effects of past social injustice and determination of strategies to overcome current barriers in education and practice. Strategies designed to encourage an increase in ethnic participation include efforts directed to recruitment, retention, graduation, and practice.
ADSL for high-speed broadband data service

Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) service, with digital data rates of up to 8 Mbps over ordinary copper telephone lines, will enable major breakthroughs for Internet access and telecommuting. A new modulation technology, called Discrete Multitone (DMT), is the key that allows the transmission of such high speed data. This paper summarizes the concepts and applications of the several existing xDSL technologies and examines the ADSL technology, its uses and its limitations. Pertinent details are given on DMT modulation and its implementation on a microchip. The technology is further explored through the presentation of several system-level reference designs.
A note on an architecture for integrating cloud computing and enterprise systems using REA

This paper presents an architecture for integrating cloud computing and enterprise systems based on the Resource-Event-Agent (REA) model. The public/private approach used in RosettaNet provides the conceptual basis to capture information used in the cloud and by users of the cloud locally in their own systems. The architecture is then examined using information in the context of REA and the cloud-based software developed by Workday to illustrate different characteristics of the approach.
Early Twentieth Century Racial Discrimination Cases in State Supreme Courts: An Empirical Analysis

Within the realm of scholarship on American civil rights and discrimination litigation, one aspect receiving scant attention, let alone empirical investigation, is the response of state supreme courts to discrimination claims in the early Twentieth Century. Yet, the topic warrants further study, not only to set the historical record straight, but because it represents a crucial time frame - the long, fairly "settled" range of years falling between the legal tumult of Reconstruction/Redemption and the mid-century breakthroughs in minority rights. Conventional wisdom suggests this period was a dismal one for plaintiffs seeking to challenge discrimination, but there is no systematic support for this assumption. Our knowledge of the numbers and types of cases being heard, as well as the decisional record, remains anecdotal. This investigation rectifies this gap by providing this record, as well as making an initial foray into the determinants of these decisions, on the assumption that there was some variation in outcomes. A few clues to what these likely determinants might be emerge from the broad literature on U.S. Supreme Court doctrine and general social trends in these years. After gathering, cataloging, and coding 65 state supreme court cases from 1907-1934, I utilize these factors - type of case, region, year of decision - in a regression analysis that tests whether any exerted an impact on the likelihood of a pro-plaintiff (anti-discrimination) decision. None proved significant, undermining the validity of conventional (although not always consistent) assumptions that decisions were more supportive of minority claims in the northern states, in the latter years of this period, and in regard to the few categories of cases where the U.S. Supreme Court had issued relatively pro-civil rights decisions. Still, the empirical approach proves valuable in illustrating exactly what was occurring in these years - in particular, the different sorts of cases that northern and southern judges were hearing and the small but notable variation in how they reacted to these disparate claims.
An Anomalous Reactivity Meter

An Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) anomalous reactivity meter was examined to verify its feasibility as a useful device in a fast reactor system. Anomalous reactivity is calculated by comp...
Water Chemistry of Breeder Reactor Steam Generators

The water quality requirements for protection of the 2¼ Cr–1 Mo ferritic steel steam generator tubing includes the use of all-volatile treatment with specific details on offending ions–Na+, Cl−, SO...
ARIMA model of data of hepatitis C report of China from 2004 to 2012 and trend prediction

Objective To analyze, fit, and forecast the data of hepatitis C report of C hina by the autoregressive integrated moving average model( ARIM A). Methods The data of hepatitis C report of C hina from January,2004 to July, 2012 was differentiated to obtain smoothness and analysis, fitting, and forecasting were conducted by the seasonal ARIM A model. Results The incidence of Hepatitis C showed an increasing trend from January, 2004 to July, 2012 and has obvious periodic changes on a basis of one year. The smoothing test,differentiation, and model identification and diagnosis were conducted based on the data of Hepatitis C report and the obtained optimal model was seasonal series of ARIM A( 1,1,1) ×( 1,1,1)12. The residual test of this model showed a white noise sequence, fitting the data in the 95% confidence interval. Based on the cases of hepatitis C from July, 2012 to December, 2014, it could be predicted that the incidence of hepatitis C increased continuously and showed an obvious trend of periodical fluctuation. Conclusion The seasonal series ARIM A model of time series can simulate and predict the tendency of incidence of hepatitis C in C hina and can provide reference for the prevention and control of the epidemic.
The analysis of disease burdern of viral diarrhea cases in Tianjin during 2008-2009

Objective To evaluate the disease burden of viral diarrhea cases in Tianjin so as to provide the scientific basis for decision making. Methods To investigate the basic situation of the patients' families, the treatment-related cost and family burden by the face-to-face interview with the self-designed questionnaire of diseases burden scale. Stool specimens were taken from cases for laboratory test. Results Nine hundred and fifty one diarrhea cases in Tianjin during 2008-2009 were investigated and the average total cost was 178.8$. The average cost (3 640.5$) of outpatient cases under 5 year-old group was 3.23 times compared with that of cases over 5 year-old group,and the average cost (4 434.5$) of inpatient cases under 5 years was 6.24 times compared with that of cases over 5 year-old. For cases under 5 year-old group, the direct medical cost of norovirus infectious cases was higher than that of rotavirus infectious cases (P0.05), but rotavirus infectious cases had more influence to the familes' income and entertainment activities than norovirus infectious ones (P0.05). For cases over 5 year-old group, the results are opposite compared with cases under 5 year-old group. Conclusions The family with viral diarrhea cases under 5 year-old group has heavy disease burden, and the family with infectious rotavirus cases has heavier burden than the ones with infectious norovirus. Rotovirus vaccine should be put into planned immunization program.
Isolation, selection, and characterization of lactic acid bacteria for a competitive exclusion product to reduce shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were selected on the basis of characteristics indicating that they would be good candidates for a competitive exclusion product (CEP) that would inhibit Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the intestinal tract of live cattle. Fecal samples from cattle that were culture negative for E. coli O157:H7 were collected. LAB were isolated from cattle feces by repeated plating on deMan Rogosa Sharpe agar and lactobacillus selection agar. Six hundred eighty-six pure colonies were isolated, and an agar spot test was used to test each isolate for its inhibition of a four-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7. Three hundred fifty-five isolates (52%) showed significant inhibition. Seventy-five isolates showing maximum inhibition were screened for acid and bile tolerance. Most isolates were tolerant of acid at pH levels of 2, 4, 5, and 7 and at bile levels of 0.05, 0.15, and 0.3% (oxgall) and were subsequently identified with the API system. Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillu...
Toxicity and Sorbate Sensitivity of Molds Isolated from Surplus Commodity Cheeses 1.

A total of 263 mold isolates were obtained from moldy surplus cheese released from government storage for distribution in the surplus commodity food distribution program in 1984. All of the molds belonged to the genus Penicillium , and consisted of four species, P. roqueforti (176), P. cyclopium (46), P. viridicatum (32) and P. crustosum (9). About 10% of the isolates were capable of producing known mycotoxins on laboratory media. The mycotoxins detected were patulin, penicillic acid and ochratoxin. Patulin was detected most often followed by penicillic acid and ochratoxin. When tested in chicken embryos, 10.1% of the isolates were toxic (causing 50% mortality or more) when grown on cheese, and 29.7% of the isolates were toxic when grown on rice. There was no correlation between having the ability to produce known mycotoxins and toxicity to chicken embryos. None of the isolates when grown on cheese contained any mutagenic activity in the Salmonella mutagenesis (Ames) test. The percentage of isolates showing a high or medium degree of resistance to sorbate were 77, 45, 3.6 and 0 at sorbate concentrations of 0.30, 0.45, 0.60 and 0.90%, respectively. There was no apparent relationship between sorbate resistance and toxigenic properties of the molds.
Lewis and Clark’s “Corps of Discovery:” What US Public Administrators Can Learn from this American Epic

The Lewis and Clark expedition is arguably the greatest American epic – a narrative about a journey intended as a set of moral lessons or instructions. While circumstances today are different than those the Corps faced 200 years ago, contemporary US public administrators can still learn some valuable lessons from this American epic by analyzing what fundamental assumptions, values and practices underlie the Corps’ success.
Abstract WP42: CT Perfusion in Acute Stroke: Substantial Value Beyond Penumbra

Purpose: The role of CT Perfusion (CTP) in evaluation of acute stroke remains controversial, especially in determining ischemic penumbra and core infarct. Thus, our institution suspended CTP as part of the acute stroke imaging protocol, and now includes a non-contrast head CT (NCCT) and CT angiography (CTA) of the head and neck. We performed a retrospective review of cases using NCCT, CTA and CTP (CT-CTP) and cases using NCCT and CTA (CT-CTA protocol) at our institution from 2009 to 2011, to assess what, if any, substantial benefit CTP provides in the management of acute stroke. Methods: A total of 758 cases were reviewed, including 375 cases in the CT-CTP protocol and 383 cases in the CT-CTA protocol. Acute infarcts limited to the area covered by CTP were reviewed to compare the diagnostic sensitivity of the two protocols. Followup DWI or NCCT was used as the reference standard for final infarct size. Infarct volume was measured by freehand region of interest measurement. A subset group with final infarct volume > 30ml was also reviewed to explore the detection sensitivity of vascular thrombosis. Results: CTP deficits were reported in all 71 cases with a final infarct volume of 2.8 ml and above. Conversely, in the same category, 23 of 96 (24%) cases were reported as negative with CT-CTA protocol. Of the 10 cases with final infarct volume > 30ml and reported as negative in the CT- CTA protocol, 7of 10 had 2nd or 3rd order vascular thromboses, including 6 cases with infarct volume > 50ml. Only 2 of 45 thromboses were missed in the same category with CT-CTP protocol. Vascular thrombosis was missed in 1 of 10 cases with final infarct volume > 30ml in the CT-CTP protocol where NCCT was reported as negative but had positive CTP deficits. Conclusions: There is a substantially greater detection rate of 2nd and 3rd order vascular thrombosis when CTP is performed, including cases when NCCT is deemed negative. We speculate that a negative NCCT may provide false assurance, but that CTP deficits will guide attention to the area of interest, ultimately increasing detection of vascular occlusion and potentially influencing treatment options in the setting of acute stroke. Additionally, CTP significantly increases the diagnostic sensitivity of acute stroke compared to a combination of NCCT and CTA alone.
James Richard O’Connor (20 April 1930 – 12 November 2017)

My respect and loyalty for Jim is grounded in his political activism during his days in Cuba helping to stabilize the revolutionary government; his leaving relatively safe New York for the dangers ...
The Paris system for reporting urinary cytology improves correlation with surgical pathology biopsy diagnoses of the lower urinary tract

Introduction The current study seeks to compare both the original diagnoses (OD) and the updated Paris system diagnoses (PD) of urinary cytology specimens to the corresponding surgical pathology (biopsy) diagnoses (SD) to determine which diagnostic paradigm (OD vs PD) has a stronger correlation to the SD. Design 56 cases from 34 patients that had a malignant SD associated with a corresponding cytology specimen from the same location within up to 90 days of the biopsy procedure were selected. We reviewed the cytology specimens and assigned a PD to each case. We then compared each OD and each PD to the corresponding SD. Correspondence was defined as when the SD had the same result or equal weight as either cytopathologic diagnosis. Results Of the 47 cases with an available SD, the PD alone corresponded in 32%, both PD and OD corresponded in 26%, neither corresponded in 42%. The OD in isolation did not correspond to the SD in any cases, indicating superior correlation with the PD as compared to the OD (P = 0.0002). Of the 15 cases where the PD corresponded, 11/15 were from the lower tract and the remaining 4 were from the upper tract, indicating superior correlation with the PD in specimens from the lower urinary tract (P = 0.034). In the 27 cases where the PD alone and "both" the PD and the OD correlated to the SD, 9/27 were from the upper tract and 18/27 were from the lower tract, indicating further support for increased correlation between the cytopathology and biopsy diagnoses in the lower urinary tract above the upper tract (P = 0.032). Conclusion When applied, the PD has a stronger correlation to the SD, particularly when the biopsies are from the lower urinary tract. Further study with more cases is required to support this significant association.
Task and distribution sampling affect auditory category learning

There is substantial evidence that two distinct learning systems are engaged in category learning. One is principally engaged when learning requires selective attention to a single dimension (rule-based), and the other is drawn online by categories requiring integration across two or more dimensions (information-integration). This distinction has largely been drawn from studies of visual categories learned via overt category decisions and explicit feedback. Recent research has extended this model to auditory categories, the nature of which introduces new questions for research. With the present experiment, we addressed the influences of incidental versus overt training and category distribution sampling on learning information-integration and rule-based auditory categories. The results demonstrate that the training task influences category learning, with overt feedback generally outperforming incidental feedback. Additionally, distribution sampling (probabilistic or deterministic) and category type (information-integration or rule-based) both affect how well participants are able to learn. Specifically, rule-based categories are learned equivalently, regardless of distribution sampling, whereas information-integration categories are learned better with deterministic than with probabilistic sampling. The interactions of distribution sampling, category type, and kind of feedback impacted category-learning performance, but these interactions have not yet been integrated into existing category-learning models. These results suggest new dimensions for understanding category learning, inspired by the real-world properties of auditory categories.
Overview of the Immune System and Immunotoxicology

This chapter is designed to introduce the diversity and complexity of the immune system in terms of general overview that will be expanded upon in the following chapters. The immune system is briefly described with emphasis on the cells providing innate (cell lacking antigen specificity) and adaptive (cells with antigen specificity) immunity. The regulatory factors (cytokines and growth factors) that influence immune cell development, activation, proliferation, differentiation, and function are mentioned. The positive aspects of immunity, which include defenses against infections and cancers, as well as the negative aspects, including different hypersensitivities that can lead to pathophysiological conditions and autoimmune diseases, are described. Mechanisms to circumvent immune responses to self-constituents via tolerogenic processes (processes that prevent responses to antigens) are contrasted with immunogenic responses (immunity to antigens). Throughout the chapter mechanisms that can lead to health problems due to the effects of toxins or toxicants are introduced and many of these immunotoxicological disturbances are more fully explained in the following chapters.
Breast DCE-MRI: influence of postcontrast timing on automated lesion kinetics assessments and discrimination of benign and malignant lesions.

Rationale and Objectives Breast dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) scanning protocols vary widely. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of postcontrast timing on delayed-phase lesion kinetics assessment and ability to discriminate malignant from benign lesions. Materials and Methods Following institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed all lesions assessed on magnetic resonance examinations from April 2005 to June 2006. DCE-MRI was performed with 90-second temporal resolution. Delayed-phase kinetic parameters including percentages of persistent, plateau, and washout, and categorizations of predominant and worst curve type were compared between 4.5 and 7.5 minutes postcontrast. Ability to discriminate benign and malignant lesions based on delayed-phase kinetic parameters was compared between postcontrast timings by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results Two hundred eighty consecutive breast lesions (206 malignant and 74 benign) were evaluated in 228 women. Comparing kinetics assessments at 7.5 versus 4.5 minutes: volume percentage of washout increased in malignancies by a mean of 9.4% (P .05). There were no significant differences between timings in area under ROC curves for delayed-phase kinetic parameters. Conclusions The choice of delayed postcontrast timing more strongly affects the kinetics assessments for malignancies than benign breast lesions, but our results suggest that a shortened breast DCE-MRI protocol may not significantly impact diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, worst curve type classifications are least affected by postcontrast timing and may provide reliable assessment of delayed-phase kinetics across protocols.
Role of Cranial Sutures in Normal and Abnormal Skull Development

In a series of experimental studies, the effects of induced premature closure of a normal cranial suture on the normal growth pattern of the rabbit skull are reported. In general, the results indicate that the craniofacial skeleton is an integrated growing unit in which alteration in growth of one component has profound effects on growth of other components. The magnitude and type of compensatory response depend on the type of suture, i.e., cranial or facial, its location, and timing of the growth insult. It is also important to note that the timing of surgical intervention has a direct effect on the capability of the growing craniofacial skeleton to obtain a more typical growth pattern.
Crowd counting oriented to indoor scenes based on FCN with inception modules and residual networks

In public places, the number of people is an important indicator of population safety, especially for indoor closed places. In this paper, we propose a new fully convolutional neural network (FCN) to calculate the indoor pop­ulation and draw a density map which can reflect crowd distribution. We add inception modules and residual network structures to our network, which greatly enhances the accuracy rate about the prediction of the population and solves the problem of overfitting. Compared with the prior art methods, our proposed scheme achieves a faster, less space- consuming and more accurate prediction of the population density.
How Does Encryption Influence Timing in IoT

In the past few years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has taken the attention across the world. IoT has the power to change our daily lives. While we are starting to see its incredible impact, security issues may represent the greatest obstacle to growth. The IoT security is a bit more challenging than traditional network security because of the differences in standards, device capabilities, and communication protocols. Lightweight encryption algorithm is a relevant security solution for the resource-constrained devices in IoT. Thus, timing is affected by such algorithms. In this paper, the impact of the IoT encryption algorithms on timing is evaluated throughout real experimental tests. The results show that when a 128-bit key size is utilized Cipher-Block Chaining (CBC) encryption took 1.24x longer than Counter (CTR) and 2.54x longer than Electronic Codebook (ECB); CBC decryption took 5.08x longer than CTR and 3.71x longer than ECB. These numbers were very similar or higher in 192 and 256-bit key sizes.
Turbine enzyme’s structure in the crosshairs to target tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is the deadliest infectious disease worldwide, killing at least 1.5 million people yearly (1). An increasing challenge has been to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB cases (MDR-TB and XDR-TB, respectively), estimated at 0.5 million in 2017. This has required up to 2 y of treatment with drugs that can have harsh side effects. Of the estimated people infected with drug-resistant TB, 10,000-fold selectivity for inhibiting the mycobacterial enzyme vs. the mitochondrial enzyme (8). However, this exquisite selectivity made BDQ ineffective against other genera of pathogenic bacteria (3). Modified diarylquinolines can kill gram-positive bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus [the cause of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections], but reduce the selectivity to just 10-fold vs. the mitochondrial enzyme (9 … [↵][1]1Email: duncant{at}upstate.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Body composition changes after left gastric artery embolization in overweight and obese individuals

To determine the effects of left gastric artery embolization (LGAE) on computed tomography (CT) body composition change. Sixteen overweight or obese patients who had abdominal CT scans before and after LGAE for gastric bleeding were retrospectively reviewed. Body composition analysis was performed with semiautomated imaging processing algorithms (MATLAB 13.0, Math Works, MA). Adipose tissue and lean skeletal muscle were measured using threshold attenuation values. Total body fat index (BFI), subcutaneous fat index (SFI), visceral fat index (VFI), intramuscular fat index (IMFI), and skeletal muscle index (SMI) were determined ([tissue area (cm)]2/[height (m)]2). Excess body weight (EBW) was determined based on the Lorentz formula for ideal body weight. Mean follow-up was 1.5 ± 0.8 months. Following LGAE, patients experienced significantly decreased body weight (p = 0.003), BMI (p = 0.005), EBW (p = 0.003), BFI (p = 0.03), SFI (p = 0.03), and SMI (p < 0.001). Changes in VFI and IMFI did not significantly change (p = 0.13 and p = 0.83, respectively). Patients who underwent LGAE had significant unintended weight loss as a result of decreased body fat and skeletal muscle. Body composition analysis can readily assess the extent of fat loss and identify muscle wasting.
Toxic Constituents and Their Related Metabolites

Plants are not just food for animals, and animals are not just decorations on the vegetation. The world is not green. It is colored lectin, tannin, cyanide, caffeine, aflatoxin, and canavanine. And there is a lot of cellulose thrown in to make the mix even more inedible. Animals are not ambulatory bomb calorimeters. They starve, they ache, they abort, they vomit, they remember, they die, and they evolve.
Organizational networks in road safety: Case studies of U.S. Vision Zero cities.

Objective: Each year, more than 30,000 deaths occur on U.S. roads. Recognizing the magnitude and persistence of this public health problem, a number of U.S. cities have adopted a relatively new app...
Effects of heat treatments on magneto-structural phase transitions in MnNiSi-FeCoGe alloys

Abstract A first-order magneto-structural transition from a ferromagnetic orthorhombic TiNiSi-type martensite phase to a paramagnetic hexagonal Ni2In-type austenite phase was observed in (MnNiSi)0.62(FeCoGe)0.38. In this work, we demonstrate that the first-order magneto-structural transition temperature for a given composition is tunable over a wide temperature range through heat treatment and hydrostatic pressure application. The first-order transition temperature decreased by over 150 K as the annealing/quenching temperature went from 700 to 1050 ° C . The largest maximum magnetic-field-induced isothermal entropy change with μ 0 Δ H = 7 T reached −36.2 J/kg-K for the sample quenched at 700 ° C , and the largest effective refrigeration capacity reached 344.5 J/kg for the sample quenched at 800 ° C . Similar to the influence of annealing temperatures, the first-order martensitic transition temperatures decreased as the applied hydrostatic pressure increased until they were completely converted to second order. Our results suggest that the class of MnNiSi-based alloys is a promising platform for tailoring working temperature ranges and associated magnetocaloric effects through heat treatment or application of hydrostatic pressure.
A Comparison of Compound Set and Traditional Set Resistance Training in Women: Changes in Muscle Strength, Endurance, Quantity, and Architecture

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of using compound sets during a 12-week lower body resistance training program on muscle strength, endurance, hypertrophy, architecture, and soreness. Thirty-one recreationally active females were randomly assigned to one of three groups: traditional sets, compound sets, or control. The training groups performed Smith Machine squat and leg press at matched intensities, volumes, and cumulative rest per session. During compound sets, the squat was performed immediately prior to the leg press, while 1 min rest separated the exercises during traditional sets. A non-exercise control group did not perform resistance training. One-repetition maximum strength, muscle endurance, muscle thickness, cross-sectional area, pennation angle, training session time, and soreness were compared from pre- to post-training (α level 0.80), 24 (P > 0.50), or 48 (P > 0.30) h post-workout. In conclusion, compound set training, with equated rest, is a method of resistance training that elicits gains similar to traditional sets in young females.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder

Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are schizophrenia spectrum disorders that cause significant disability. Among individuals who have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common, and it contributes to worse outcomes than for those who do not have co-occurring substance use disorder. Common neurobiological mechanisms, including dysfunction in brain reward circuitry, may explain the high rates of co-occurrence of schizophrenia and AUD or other substance use disorders. Optimal treatment combines pharmacologic intervention and other therapeutic modalities to address both the psychotic disorder and AUD. Further research on the etiology of these co-occurring disorders and on treatment of affected individuals is needed.