cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycobacterial infection identified with broad-range PCR amplification and suspension array identification.

The case of a 66-year-old female who developed sudden redness and swelling of her left thumb is presented. A biopsy showed well formed granulomas, mixed inflammation with a predominance of neutrophils, and acid-fast bacilli. After negative culture results, tissue was sent for a broad-range polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by suspension array identification, which classified the pathogenic organism as Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare. The patient was started on clarithromycin, rifabutin and ethambutol leading to clinical improvement. M. avium-intracellulare is present in soil, fresh water, sea water, dairy products and some animal tissues. Primary cutaneous manifestations are uncommon in the immunocompetent host. As cultures may be negative or can take up to three weeks to show growth, the molecular approach described here offers an opportunity for more rapid and specific diagnosis.
Intermediate temperature tribological behavior of carbon nanotube reinforced plasma sprayed aluminum oxide coating

Abstract Tribological behavior of plasma sprayed carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) composite coatings was examined at room temperature, 573 K and 873 K using tungsten carbide (WC) ball-on-disk tribometer. The weight loss due to wear of Al 2 O 3 coating was found to be increasing with the temperature while Al 2 O 3 -CNT coating showed a decreasing trend in the weight loss with the temperature. Relative improvement in the wear resistance of Al 2 O 3 -CNT coating compared to Al 2 O 3 coating was found to be 12% at room temperature which gradually increased to ∼ 56% at 573 K and ∼ 82% at 873 K. Protective layer as a result of tribo-chemical reaction was observed on the wear track of both of the coatings. The improvement in the wear resistance of Al 2 O 3 -CNT coating was attributed to three phenomena viz. (i) higher hardness at the elevated temperature as compared to Al 2 O 3 coating, (ii) larger area coverage by protective film on the wear surface at the elevated temperature and (iii) CNT bridging between splats. The coefficient of friction (COF) of Al 2 O 3 coating was nearly constant at room and elevated temperature whereas COF for Al 2 O 3 -CNT coating decreased at the elevated temperature (873 K).
Major gene polymorphism for human erythrocyte (RBC) thiol methyltransferase (TMT)

Thiol S-methylation is an important pathway in the metabolism of many sulfhydryl compounds including the antihypertensive drug captopril and the antirheumatic medication D-penicillamine. Erythrocyte (RBC) thiol methyltransferase (TMT) activity was measured in blood samples from 237 individuals from 49 nuclear families. Earlier studies have demonstrated familial aggregation of RBC TMT activity, suggesting a role for genetic determinants. Our study indicates the specific mode of inheritance and gives relative contributions of a major locus and background genotype. We found evidence for a major locus, TMT. The allele frequencies for low enzyme activity, TMTL, and high activity TMTH, estimated from a power transformed scale were 0.58 and 0.42, respectively. The high activity allele, TMTH, appears to have reduced expression in heterozygous individuals (d = 0.21) and to act in concert with a strong influence from polygenic genotype (H = 0.75) to produce a highly heritable phenotype. This major gene polymorphism may now be studied using biochemical and molecular genetic techniques.
Journey to holism.

The journey to holism is the result of a grounded theory study of 18 members of the American Holistic Nurses' Association. Participants were prompted to "Tell me about holistic nursing" and replies revealed a seven-step process to becoming a holistic nurse. The process is an expansion of Van Gennep's three-stage theory of rites of passage, which involves separation, marginality/liminality, and reintegration. The expanded process begins with separation from mainstream nursing and concludes with reintegration into nursing as a holistic nurse. The marginality/liminality step shows five active steps: gathering information to quell the distress of the separation, applying that information to others, changing focus to self-care, applying the information to self, and increasing self-knowledge. This article describes the process and presents data to support the conclusion that the growth of a holistic nurse follows a recognizable course.
A characterization of diagnosability conditions for variance components analysis in assembly operations

Variance component estimation algorithms, in conjunction with automated in-process measurement technology, can be effective tools for identifying and eliminating major sources of manufacturing variation in assembly processes. Whether a particular set of variation sources are diagnosable depends critically on how the sensor system is laid out. Diagnosability tests are mathematical in nature and provide little insight into why a particular sensor layout may be nondiagnosable or how to modify the layout to ensure diagnosability. This paper translates the mathematical diagnosability conditions into a set of more conceptually meaningful conditions that provide better insight into the reasons behind the nondiagnosability. Note to Practitioners - This paper was motivated by the problem of identifying and eliminating major sources of variation in discrete-part manufacturing, which are critical steps in improving product quality. The effectiveness of statistical algorithms for estimating sources of variation depends on whether the sensor system for measuring key product and process variables is laid out properly, so that a particular set of diagnosability conditions are satisfied. This paper translates the rather abstract mathematical conditions for diagnosability into a set of more intuitive and conceptually meaningful conditions. This provides practitioners with insight into why a sensor system may be nondiagnosable and how to add or adjust sensors in order to ensure diagnosability. The diagnosability characterization can also be used to enhance performance and reduce computational expense in numerical search strategies for optimizing sensor layout.
A maize root tip system to study DNA replication programmes in somatic and endocycling nuclei during plant development

Abstract The progress of nuclear DNA replication is complex in both time and space, and may reflect several levels of chro-matin structure and 3-dimensional organization within the nucleus. To understand the relationship between DNA rep-lication and developmental programmes, it is important to examine replication and nuclear substructure in different developmental contexts including natural cell-cycle progressions in situ . Plant meristems offer an ideal opportunity to analyse such processes in the context of normal growth of an organism. Our current understanding of large-scale chromosomal DNA replication has been limited by the lack of appropriate tools to visualize DNA replication with high resolution at defined points within S phase. In this perspective, we discuss a promising new system that can be used to visualize DNA replication in isolated maize ( Zea mays L.) root tip nuclei after in planta pulse labelling with the thymi-dine analogue, 5-ethynyl-2 ′ -deoxyuridine (EdU). Mixed populations of EdU-labelled nuclei are then separated by flow cytometry into sequential stages of S phase and examined directly using 3-dimensional deconvolution microscopy to characterize spatial patterns of plant DNA replication. Combining spatiotemporal analyses with studies of replication and epigenetic inheritance at the molecular level enables an integrated experimental approach to problems of mitotic inheritance and cellular differentiation.Key words:
Power Efficient Algorithms for Computing Fast Fourier Transform over Wireless Sensor Networks

Collaborative signal processing is one of the most promising applications that are currently being investigated for sensor networks. In this paper, we use FFT computation as a vehicle to highlight the issues involved in realizing distributed computations over sensor networks that have global and local communication and synchronization characteristics. We present a power efficient algorithm for computing 1-D Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) over single and multi-hop wireless sensor networks. The proposed algorithm reduces the number of transmissions, eliminates typical redundant computations in a distributed FFT algorithm and uniformly maps complex multiplications over all the sensors nodes by introducing an extra bit-complement permutation stage after first (log2N)/2 iterations. We show that the proposed algorithm improves energy consumption by 36% on the average on multi-hop sensor networks. This saving in energy consumption significantly improves the battery life of the sensor nodes thereby increasing lifetime of the sensor network.
Challenges and Advances in Parallel Sparse Matrix-Matrix Multiplication

We identify the challenges that are special to parallel sparse matrix-matrix multiplication (PSpGEMM). We show that sparse algorithms are not as scalable as their dense counterparts, because in general, there are not enough non-trivial arithmetic operations to hide the communication costs as well as the sparsity overheads. We analyze the scalability of 1D and 2D algorithms for PSpGEMM. While the 1D algorithm is a variant of existing implementations, 2D algorithms presented are completely novel. Most of these algorithms are based on the previous research on parallel dense matrix multiplication. We also provide results from preliminary experiments with 2D algorithms.
Cross-Reactivity of Various Thrombin Products With Anti-Rabbit Antibodies to Bovine, Human, and Recombinant Thrombin

JMI-thrombin is used as topical hemostatic agent. While earlier clinically available JMI were reported to produce immunologic responses upon repeated exposure, the improved JMI, Recothrom?, and Evi...
Abrupt Shifts in Horn of Africa Hydroclimate Since the Last Glacial Maximum

The timing and abruptness of the initiation and termination of the Early Holocene African Humid Period are subjects of ongoing debate, with direct consequences for our understanding of abrupt climate change, paleoenvironments, and early human cultural development. Here, we provide proxy evidence from the Horn of Africa region that documents abrupt transitions into and out of the African Humid Period in northeast Africa. Similar and generally synchronous abrupt transitions at other East African sites suggest that rapid shifts in hydroclimate are a regionally coherent feature. Our analysis suggests that the termination of the African Humid Period in the Horn of Africa occurred within centuries, underscoring the nonlinearity of the region’s hydroclimate.
Taxation of Gambling in the United States: Comparing the Current System with Two Alternatives

ABSTRACT: Under current federal and state laws within the United States, the taxation of gambling activities is complex and largely inefficient. At the federal level, taxes on gambling providers are virtually nonexistent outside of normal corporate taxation laws. At the state level, the varying tax regimes within states lead to a complicated reporting environment, with differing calculation methods and varying tax rates for gamblers and gambling operations. For individuals, tax reporting can be cumbersome, complex, and ineffective. This paper discusses the current tax reporting environment in the United States, as well as the tax environments in other nations with large gambling industries, such as France, Macau, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Finally, we calculate an estimate of tax revenues on gambling earnings based on the current U.S. tax regimes and compare them to hypothetical tax revenues calculated by using tax regimes in foreign jurisdictions. Data Availability: All data are publically availa...
Comments on "Radiation of an aperture antenna covered by a spherical-shell chiral radome and fed by a circular waveguide"

In a recent paper, Li et al. (see ibid., vol.46, p.664-71, May 1998) used image theory to ascertain the electromagnetic response of a bounded region-a hemispherical shell-filled with an isotropic chiral medium situated above a perfect electrically conducting (PEC) ground plane. Although no details are given on the manner in which image theory was applied, the constitutive properties of the actual medium and its image medium are taken in the above paper to coincide exactly. The present author points out that the formulation and the results provided are incorrect, having emerged from an incorrect application of image theory.
Discipline Theory: Making the Most of What Works Now.

Little is new in the area of discipline theory, says this writer, who offers the suggestion that school leaders, espe cially principals, take advantage of this information lull to educate (or re- educate) their staffs with respect to classroom management information and skills.
Mode switching for printed antenna structures

Two examples of reconfigurable leaky wave antennas made of printed transmission structures with electronic devices will be reviewed from the mode switching point of view. The first example is switching between a microstrip patch antenna and a leaky wave antenna made of a higher order microstrip line mode. Another example is a leaky wave antenna made of the composite right/left hand (CRLH) metamaterial configurations. By way of bias control of varactor diodes in each unit cell of the antenna, the dispersion characteristics are varied for beam shape and gain control.
Dietary Supplements for Peri‐ and Early Postmenopausal Women: A Quantitative Proposal Based on Disparities Between Recommendations and Dietary Intakes

Dietary supplement use is increasingly more popular in the United States. Although dietary supplements are not intended to replace intakes from foods, many formulations contain multiple nutrients at levels equivalent to or greater than their corresponding dietary recommendations. Nutrient doses are often justified by expected benefits. Women in the peri- and early postmenopausal stages are becoming the most frequent users of dietary supplements, so consideration of reported dietary intakes by women in this age range (45–60 years) is important for determining appropriate levels of supplementation. Dietary intakes at the 5th percentile among women in this age group meet 20–80% of the recommended intakes for individual nutrients. Therefore, for most nutrients, the difference between recommended dietary intakes and actual intakes reported by the 5th percentile represents an adequate level of supplementation. Exceptions to this strategy exist, which relate to evidence of deficiency in the US, the bioavailability of certain nutrients, and putative health benefits not considered in existing dietary recommendations. For some nutrients, there is an overall lack of scientific evidence that supplementation is required at all.
Isolation and characterization of chicken bile matrix metalloproteinase

Avian bile is rich in matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), the enzymes that cleave extracellular matrix proteins such as collagens and proteoglycans. Changes in bile MMP expression have been correlated with hepatic and gall bladder pathologies, but the significance of their expression in normal, healthy bile is not understood. We hypothesized that the MMP in bile may aid the digestion of native collagens that are resistant to conventional gastric proteases. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterize the bile MMP and check its regulation in association with dietary factors. We used substrate zymography, azocoll protease assay, and gelatin affinity chromatography to identify and purify the MMP from chicken bile. Using zymography and SDS PAGE, 5 bands at 70, 64, 58, 50, and 42 kDa were detected. The bands corresponding to 64, 50, and 42 kDa were identified as MMP2 using trypsin in-gel digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry and peptide mass fingerprinting. Chickens fed diets containing gelatin supplements showed higher levels of MMP expression in the bile by both azocoll assay and zymography. We conclude that the bile MMP may be associated with the digestion of collagens and other extracellular matrix proteins in avian diets.
The economics of online television

Although still dominated by standard television, the online TV industry is growing rapidly. Entrants employ a range of business models, and we identify a prevalent tendency for leading providers to aggregate programming from a variety of different content owners. We focus on one form of content aggregation by multi-channel programming distributors (MPVDs) widely known as "TV Everywhere (TVE)." Following a brief taxonomy of TVE systems, we develop an economic model to show how this "free-with-authentication" (of MVPD subscribership) bundling practice can be explained as a price discrimination device intended to slow MVPD disconnections. We show that TVE bundling could also deter entry into the online TV market. We discuss the potential roles of horizontal and vertical integration of MVPDs and ISPs in online TV industry development, again focusing on TVE, and conclude with policy implications. The economics of online TV is explored through business model developments, and the phenomenon of content aggregation.We model offline/online bundling ("TV Everywhere") with offline subscriptions as price discrimination devices intended to slow MVPD disconnections.We demonstrate that in plausible circumstances, the MVPDs' price discrimination incentive could restrict entry into online TV.
Team Cognition as Interaction

Teams perform cognitive activities such as making decisions and assessing situations as a unit. The team cognition behind these activities has traditionally been linked to individual knowledge and its distribution across team members. The theory of interactive team cognition instead argues that team cognition resides in team interactions and that it is an activity that takes place in a rich context that needs to be measured at the team level. This article describes this dynamic perspective on team cognition, some research that supports it, and the implications for measuring, understanding, and improving team cognition.
Can all heritable biology really be reduced to a single dimension

A long-held presupposition in the field of bioinformatics holds that genetic, and now even epigenetic 'information' can be abstracted from the physicochemical details of the macromolecular polymers in which it resides. It is perhaps rather ironic that this basic conjecture originated upon the first observations of DNA structure itself. This static model of DNA led very quickly to the conclusion that only the nucleobase sequence itself is rich enough in molecular complexity to replicate a complex biology. This idea has been pervasive throughout genomic science, higher education and popular culture ever since; to the point that most of us would accept it unquestioningly as fact. What is more alarming is that this conjecture is driving a significant portion of the technological development in modern genomics towards methods strongly rooted in DNA sequencing, thereby reducing a dynamic multi-dimensional biology into single-dimensional forms of data. Evidence countering this central tenet of bioinformatics has been quietly mounting over many decades, prompting some to propose that the genome must be studied from the perspective of its molecular reality, rather than as a body of information to be represented symbolically. Here, we explore the epistemological boundary between bioinformatics and molecular biology, and warn against an 'overtly' bioinformatic perspective. We review a selection of new bioinformatic methods that move beyond sequence-based approaches to include consideration of databased three dimensional structures. However, we also note that these hybrid methods still ignore the most important element of gene function when attempting to improve outcomes; the fourth dimension of molecular dynamics over time.
Database assisted distribution to improve fault tolerance for multiphysics applications

Multiscale physics applications present an interesting problem from a computer science standpoint as task granularity has the potential to vary drastically which places a heavy burden upon the task scheduler and load balancer. Additionally, due to the long execution time of some of these computations, fault tolerance becomes a necessity as not being able to recover from a fault during a single long running task results in the recomputation of all data used to generate the inputs. Traditionally, this is facilitated through the use of checkpointing. However, these checkpoints must be taken sparingly due to their high cost.In this paper, we describe our use of a NoSQL database and asynchronous task based runtimes to work directly from the checkpoints themselves with minimal code modifications by domain scientists. To evaluate the performance impact of this approach, we have studied the CoHMM proxy application: a co-design proxy application designed to test modern runtimes by simulating the propagation of a shock wave through a material through the use of the heterogeneous multiscale method. We distilled this proxy application to a library that we used to implement CoHMM in a range of runtimes with and without our database assisted approach and we measured the overhead of each with respect to the CoHMM application and the cost of serializing and migrating data in the runtimes themselves.
Micron- and nano-cellulose fiber regenerated from ionic liquids

In this research, two types of ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc), were used as recyclable solvents for dissolving raw cellulose in the spinning of micron- and nano-scale regenerated cellulose fiber. The approach for preparing the cellulose solution using these ionic liquids is described. A comparative study was also conducted on cellulose solubility, the spinning method, and cellulose fiber properties produced with each solvent. The experimental fibers are characterized in terms of fiber diameter, strength, thermal property, crystallinity, and content of solvent residual, using tensile test, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mass spectrometry. The study concluded that there was a significant difference in the tensile strength, but not in the elongation and modulus of the fibers regenerated from BMIMCl and EMIMAc. For crystal size, crystal orientation, and crystallinaty ind...
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels in cat chemoreceptor cells.

Neurotransmitters are likely to play a key role for hypoxic chemotransmission in the carotid body. Among several neurotransmitters, ACh appears to be a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the cat carotid body (Fitzgerald, 2000). ACh may act directly on the afferent nerve endings and generates action potentials (Hayashida et al., 1980; Zhong & Nurse, 1997). Alternatively, ACh may work through nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) in the carotid body chemosensory cells, glomus cells, and modulate the release of neurotransmitters (Fidone et al., 1990). Our recent data have shown the presence of ¦A3, ¦A4, ¦Â2 and ¦Â4, but not ¦A7, subunits of nAChRs in the cat glomus cells (Hirasawa et al., in this book; Shirahata et al., 1998). Nicotinic AChRs belong to ligand-gated ion channels, that are composed of five receptor subunits. Their subunit compositions categorize nAChRs into three receptor types: (1) muscle type nAChRs, (2) heteromeric type neuronal nAChRs that consist of ¦A subunits (¦A2-6) and ¦Â subunits (¦Â2-4), and (3) homomeric type neuronal nAChRs that consist of only a subunits (¦A7-9). Their stoichiometry and their electrophysiological characteristics depend on the subunit compositions (McGehee & Role, 1995; Lindstrom et al., 1996). Since neuronal nAChR channels are permeable to Ca2+ and Na+ ions, their activation could significantly influence the excitability and fonction of glomus cells. In this study we examined electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics of nAChRs in glomus cells and infer their role in the excitability of glomus cells.
Exorcizing the future: Afropolitanism's spectral origins

Afropolitanism is a term that has risen over and over again in recent popular and critical discourse despite efforts by many African writers and cultural critics to lay it to rest. Its haunting eff...
POLYNOMIALLY BOUNDED OPERATORS AND BOUNDED PRODUCTS

Two commuting operators S and T are polynomially bounded if there exists a constant C such that ||p(S, T)||?C||p||_? for every polynomial p in two variables, where the sup norm is computed over the product of the spectrums of the two operators. Two operator valued measures E and F defined on the Borel sets of the plane satisfy a boundedness condition if their product has a bounded extension to the algebra generated by the measurable rectangles. In this note we point out a connection between these two properties for scalar operators Sand T and their spectral resolutions E and F, respectively.
Colorado retinopathy of prematurity model: a multi-institutional validation study

Purpose The Colorado retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) prediction model (CO-ROP), developed using a cohort of infants from Colorado, calls for ROP examination of infants meeting all of the following criteria: gestational age of ≤30 weeks, birth weight of ≤1500 g, and a net weight gain of ≤650 g between birth and 4 weeks of age. The purpose of this study was to perform an external validation to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the CO-ROP model in a larger cohort of babies screened for ROP from four academic institutions in the United States. Methods The medical records of neonates screened for ROP according current national guidelines was conducted at 4 US academic centers were retrospectively reviewed. Sensitivity, specificity, and respective 95% confidence intervals in detecting ROP using CO-ROP were calculated for type 1, type 2, and any grade of ROP. Results A total of 858 cases were included. The CO-ROP algorithm had a sensitivity of 98.1% (95% CI, 93.3%-99.8%) for type 1 ROP, 95.6% (95% CI 78.0-99.9%) for type 2 ROP, and 95.0% (95% CI, 93.1-97.4%) for all grades of ROP. The CO-ROP model would have reduced the total number of infants screened by 23.9% compared to current 2013 screening guidelines. Conclusions CO-ROP demonstrated high sensitivity in predicting ROP and would have greatly reduced the number of infants needing examination.
CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS OF Onocomelania hupensis's GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION IN HUBEI PROVINCE

Hubei is one of the most serious outbreak regions of schistosomiasis,and it is the focus of schistosomiasis's control and prevention in China.In recent years,although schistosomiasis's control and prevention in Hubei Province has made remarkable achievements,outbreaks still occur frequently.To achieve the task of blocking schistosomiasis transmission,a lot of work needs to do.As Oncomelania hupensis is the only middle vector of schistosome,elimination and control of Oncomelania hupensis have become the most important and effective way to control and prevent schistosomiasis.This paper carried out a detailed mapping and spatial analysis of Oncomelania hupensis's geographical distribution in Hubei Province.It is of clear indicative significance to position the key areas of Oncomelania hupensis's elimination and control.Firstly,Annual Schistosome Reports of Hubei Province and the data of Onocomelania hupensis survey and extermination in each counties were collected.Onocomelania hupensis's attribute data were imported into the vector layer of administrative counties of Hubei Province with software ArcGIS 9.2.Then,Hubei Onocomelania hupensis's geographic information database was set up,and the electronic map of the distributing districts that Onocomelania hupensi inhabit was established.By analyzing,the following conclusions can be drawn out:(1) Onocomelania and Onocomelania hupensis's susceptible areas distributed in both shores of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Han River,and across flooding areas of lakes connecting with this two river,forming a clearly thick belt.(2) The Onocomelania hupensis's geographical distribution areas of the three schistosomiasis endemic types,including the subtype of lakes and marshes outside embankment,the subtype of lakes and marshes inside embankment and the type of massif,display significant regional differences.(3) Bottomland of rivers and lakes,which present a narrow Y-shaped along the two rivers,is the main breeding environment of Onocomelania hupensis,and distribution of Onocomelania hupensis in areas of ditches and ports is wide and discrete.
Automatic Control Method of MDBFP and TDBFP Parallel Operation

An automatic control method of motor driven feed water pump(MDBFP) and steam turbine driven feed water pump(TDBFP) parallel operation which have different working characteristics is studied on.An automatic control method was proposed.The solution will auto rectify the flow differential between MDBFP and TDBFP which can keep the pumps operation at design output scope.Take the above solution can solve the stream capture problem during MDBFP and TDBFP parallel operation.
Dating and Mate Selection

Classic and contemporary studies of mate selection share a common goal: to describe and explain how individuals in romantic unions choose one another as partners. Upon first reading, this definition may seem to imply that mate selection is concerned only with choosing a partner for a committed relationship, but the study of mate selection is much more varied and dynamic in its focus. A full understanding of mate selection requires attention to the development and maintenance of romantic relationships, including their very beginnings and endings and the ups and downs in between. In this chapter, we review research aimed at these topics and suggest ways in which they are and are not being addressed. Because other chapters in this volume are devoted to cohabitation and to gay and lesbian relationships, we concentrate on mate selection in heterosexual relationships, and we discuss cohabitation only as it pertains to contemporary dating relationships and mate selection.
Infantile Spasms in Down Syndrome

The clinical characteristics, EEG abnormalities, response to therapy, and outcome of 14 patients with infantile spasms and Down syndrome were studied at the Hopital Saint Vincent de Paul, Paris (9 cases); Universita Degli Studi de Pisa, Italy (2 cases); and Hopital de La Timone, Marseille, France (3 cases).
The Colicin E1 TolC Box: Identification of a Domain Required for Colicin E1 Cytotoxicity and TolC Binding.

Colicins are protein toxins made by Escherichia coli to kill related bacteria that compete for scarce resources. All colicins must cross the target cell outer membrane in order to reach their intracellular targets. Normally, the first step in the intoxication process is the tight binding of the colicin to an outer membrane receptor protein via its central receptor-binding domain. It is shown here that for one colicin, E1, that step, although it greatly increases the efficiency of killing, is not absolutely necessary. For colicin E1, the second step, translocation, relies on the outer membrane/transperiplasmic protein TolC. The normal role of TolC in bacteria is as an essential component of a family of tripartite drug and toxin exporters, but for colicin E1, it is essential for its import. Colicin E1 and some N-terminal translocation domain peptides had been shown previously to bind in vitro to TolC and occlude channels made by TolC in planar lipid bilayer membranes. Here, a set of increasingly shorter colicin E1 translocation domain peptides was shown to bind to Escherichia coli in vivo and protect them from subsequent challenge by colicin E1. A segment of only 21 residues, the "TolC box," was thereby defined; that segment is essential for colicin E1 cytotoxicity and for binding of translocation domain peptides to TolC. Importance The Escherichia coli outer membrane/transperiplasmic protein TolC is normally an essential component of the bacterium's tripartite drug and toxin export machinery. The protein toxin colicin E1 instead uses TolC for its import into the cells that it kills, thereby subverting its normal role. Increasingly shorter constructs of the colicin's N-terminal translocation domain were used to define an essential 21-residue segment that is required for both colicin cytotoxicity and for binding of the colicin's translocation domain to bacteria, in order to protect them from subsequent challenge by active colicin E1. Thus, an essential TolC binding sequence of colicin E1 was identified and may ultimately lead to the development of drugs to block the bacterial drug export pathway.
Infiltrating monocytes in liver injury and repair

Noninfectious liver injury causes many acute and chronic liver diseases around the globe, and particularly in developed nations. Bone marrow-derived monocytes infiltrate the damaged liver tissue and are a critical component of the innate immune response that may drive injury resolution or host death in the short term or chronic inflammation, fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in the long term. Monocytes often play dual roles in liver injury—both perpetuating inflammation and promoting resolution of inflammation and fibrosis. Thus, we will address the role that monocytes play in different experimental forms of noninfectious liver injury; considering in particular the importance of the transition from inflammatory Ly6Chi monocytes to pro-resolution Ly6Clo monocyte-derived macrophages and the consequences of this transition for disease progression and resolution.
Subanesthetic Ketamine for Pain Management in Hospitalized Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Subanesthetic doses of ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist used as an adjuvant to opioid for the treatment of pain in adults with acute and chronic pain, have been shown, in some instances, to improve pain intensity and to decrease opioid intake. However, less is known about the role of ketamine in pain management in children, adolescents, and young adults. PURPOSE We examined the effects of subanesthetic ketamine on pain intensity and opioid intake in children, adolescents, and young adults with acute and chronic pain syndromes treated in an inpatient setting. METHODS This is a longitudinal cohort study of patients treated with subanesthetic ketamine infusions in regular patient care units in a tertiary pediatric hospital. Primary outcomes included changes in pain scores and morphine-equivalent intake. RESULTS The study cohort included 230 different patients who during 360 separate hospital admissions received subanesthetic ketamine infusions for pain management. Overall, ketamine infusions were associated with significant reductions in mean pain scores from baseline (mean pain scores 6.64 [95% CI: 6.38-6.90]) to those recorded on the day after discontinuation of ketamine (mean pain scores 4.38 [95% CI: 4.06-4.69]), p<0.001. Importantly, the effect of ketamine on pain scores varied according to clinical diagnosis (p=0.011), infusion duration (p=0.004), and pain location (p=0.004). Interestingly, greater reductions in pain scores were observed in patients with cancer pain and patients with pain associated with pancreatitis and Crohn's disease. There were no records of psychotomimetic side effects requiring therapy. CONCLUSION These data suggest that administration of subanesthetic ketamine for pain management is feasible and safe in regular inpatient care units and may benefit children, adolescents, and young adults with acute and chronic pain. This study is informative and can be helpful in determining sample and effect sizes when planning clinical trials to determine the role of subanesthetic ketamine infusions for pain management in pediatric patients.
Cysteine desulfurase is regulated by phosphorylation of Nfs1 in yeast mitochondria

The cysteine desulfurase Nfs1/Isd11 uses the amino acid cysteine as the substrate and its activity is absolutely required for contributing persulfide sulfur to the essential process of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly in mitochondria. Here we describe a novel regulatory process involving phosphorylation of Nfs1 in mitochondria. Phosphorylation enhanced cysteine desulfurase activity, while dephosphorylation decreased its activity. Nfs1 phosphopeptides were identified, and the corresponding phosphosite mutants showed impaired persulfide formation. Nfs1 pull down from mitochondria recovered an associated kinase activity, and Yck2, a kinase present in the pull down, was able to phosphorylate Nfs1 in vitro and stimulate cysteine desulfurase activity. Yck2 exhibited an eclipsed distribution in the mitochondrial matrix, although other cellular localizations have been previously described. Mitochondria lacking the Yck2 protein kinase (∆yck2) showed less phosphorylating activity for Nfs1. Compared with wild-type mitochondria, ∆yck2 mitochondria revealed slower persulfide formation on Nfs1 consistent with a role of Yck2 in regulating mitochondrial cysteine desulfurase activity. We propose that Nfs1 phosphorylation may provide a means of rapid adaptation to increased metabolic demand for sulfur and Fe-S clusters within mitochondria.
High speed effects in pneumodynamic journal bearing lubrication

The steady-state operation of gas-lubricated journal bearings is analyzed for the effect of lubricant inertia on the pressure developed in the lubricant. Numerical results are given for a 180 degree partial journal bearing. It is found that the inertia effect can be significant in the laminar regime.
Mid-Infrared plasmon canalization over black phosphorus metasurfaces

We study the conditions for plasmon canalization over ultrathin metasurfaces, including dispersion, polarization and energy transport phenomena. Our analysis reveals that plasmon canalization can be ideally implemented by significantly increasing either the imaginary or the real part of one diagonal component of the metasurface conductivity tensor, which enables lossy metamaterial resonances on these structures. We then put forward a novel infrared platform based on nanostructured black phosphorus to implement this concept, exploiting the extreme intrinsic anisotropy of this 2D material, boosting canalization beyond what isotropic materials like graphene can offer, and enabling exciting possibilities for integrated and reconfigurable nano-waveguides, communication systems, hyperlenses and imaging applications.
Unsuspected Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis in a Patient With Antisynthetase Syndrome

Clinical diagnosis of lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) often is difficult, especially in patients with multiple comorbidities. We present a 60-year-old woman with worsening fatigue, night sweats, unintentional weight loss, and dyspnea of 2 weeks' duration. Her medical history was remarkable for recent radiation therapy for recurrent breast cancer and antisynthetase syndrome complicated by interstitial lung disease and controlled with azathioprine. Computed tomography showed ground-glass opacities and nodular infiltrates in all lung lobes, raising concern for radiation pneumonitis and drug toxicity. Skin examination revealed erythematous and hemorrhagic papules, macules, and blisters on the lower leg. A diagnosis of LYG was made on a skin biopsy showing large angiocentric Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive B cells. The patient soon progressed to develop nodal large B-cell lymphoma and died 6 weeks later. This rare report of LYG in a patient with antisynthetase syndrome highlights the diagnostic difficulty and aggressive course of LYG as well as the important role of skin biopsy in establishing the diagnosis.
Wholesale Funding Instruments

This chapter explores how lower-income housing in emerging markets can be funded through wholesale sources, specifically through the capital markets and lender-to-investor channels. Access to wholesale finance can expand the supply of funds available for housing and manage the associated risks of lending. While the financial crisis of 2008–09 led to a collapse in wholesale funding worldwide, the use of this instrument will rebound as the global economy recovers.
Industry professionals’ perceptions of sustainability in meeting and event education

ABSTRACTThe size of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events/Exhibitions (MICE) industry, and its popularity as a career choice are growing, along with the number of MICE college programs. Although the industry has begun to recognize its impact on sustainability, and is increasing efforts to improve sustainability-related practices, there is a lack of research on MICE education about sustainability. This study examines MICE professionals’ perceptions about sustainability in meeting and event education in order to help MICE educators equip students with the knowledge that is pertinent to their future. In-depth interviews with 10 MICE professionals show that they think students should learn about sustainability not only as a general concept but also as a business case for meeting and events. Measuring and tracking impacts were also important. The interviewees had mixed views about the industry’s current sustainability practices. Several practical recommendations for MICE educators, and future resea...
Stroke and Craniectomy

Neurosurgical involvement in the care of major stroke complications has yielded striking results in the subtentorial region but equivocal outcomes in the supratentorial compartment. Most neurosurgeons want to see some degree of deterioration before proceeding; thus, timing will be debated. Viewpoints have changed over the years regarding surgical or medical intervention, but in many patients the procedure has not produced a definitive change in outcome other than preventing death from terminal brainstem shift. The introduction of craniectomy (and craniotomy) to treat swollen ischemic brain or intracranial hemorrhage has historical interest.
Tracheostomy in children: Epidemiology and clinical outcomes.

Background Tracheotomy is performed in children for a variety of indications, but can place them at increased risk of lower airway infection with pathogenic organisms. While prior studies have identified Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus as the most common lower airway pathogens in children with tracheostomies, little is known about the clinical implications of chronic growth of pathogens. Methods The North Carolina Children's Airway Center database was utilized to identify all pediatric patients with tracheostomy from 2007 to 2012; these data were cross-referenced to a microbiology database of all tracheostomy cultures. Data on hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, and length-of-stay were abstracted from the medical record and analyzed using multivariate methods. Results We identified 185 children with tracheostomy, of whom chronic bacterial growth status could be defined in 69. P aeruginosa was a common pathogen isolated from tracheostomy cultures, with 49% (91/185) of patients growing this organism at least once. P aeruginosa combined with other gram-negative rods were isolated in 63% (116/185) of subjects at least once. Those who chronically grew gram-negative rods had significantly more hospitalizations, longer total lengths-of-stay, and longer intensive care unit lengths-of-stay than those who did not. These differences remained significant when data were normalized to account for number of available cultures. Conclusion These data suggest that clinical outcomes may be worse in children with tracheostomies who chronically grow gram-negative rods. Our findings may help guide clinicians in managing children with tracheostomies, though further studies are needed to establish best practice guidelines in these patients.
Adolescents: Nutritional Problems of Adolescents

Adolescence is a period of profound growth and psychosocial change, which increases nutrient needs and places adolescents at risk for nutrition-related diseases. Obesity is currently the most common disease in adolescence and likely results from environmental exposures including energy-dense dietary patterns, physical inactivity, and increased television time. Given the increased macro- and micronutrient needs and struggle for independence associated with puberty, adolescents are also at increased risk for both eating disorders and micronutrient deficiencies, especially iron, folate, calcium, and zinc. Nutrition is of the utmost importance during adolescence, and primary-care providers should consider diet when evaluating an adolescents' overall health.
A Review of Knowledge-Based Systems in Printed Circuit Board Assembly

A knowledge-based system (or an expert system) embodies a domain expert’s knowledge and problemsolving strategy. Domain specific knowledge-based systems formalise the complicated set of informal procedures understood by experts alone and make the expertise available to a wide range of people. Knowledgebased systems have been developed and used in fields as diverse as medicine, mineral exploration, and chemistry. They have been used in various engineering applications and extensively in manufacturing. This paper reviews the application of knowledge-based systems in the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly domain. In keeping with the initial development of knowledgebased systems in the field of manufacturing, most of the current applications of knowledge-based systems in PCB assembly address issues related to process planning. This trend can be attributed to the diversity and short life cycles of electronic products, and shortage of human expertise. A few systems have been developed for PCB design. Developments in the field of electronics packaging and industry predictions lead us to believe that knowledge-based systems will be developed for many more applications within the field.
Clinical Neurophysiology of Neural Stimulation

Advances in biomedical engineering (equipment, recordings), and in the neurophysiological analysis of the peripheral and central nervous system, combined with the need to monitor functions of the nervous system during general anesthesia and surgical interventions on the spine and spinal cord, have led to the recent development of clinical neurophysiology for spinal cord monitoring.
Social Adversity and Cognitive, Language, and Motor Development of Very Preterm Children from 2 to 5 Years of Age.

Objective To assess the extent to which social and family factors explain variability in cognitive, language, and motor development among very preterm ( Study design As part of a longitudinal study, very preterm children recruited as neonates were assessed at 2 (n = 87) and 5 (n = 83) years of age using standardized tests of cognitive, language, and motor ability alongside demographically matched full term (FT) children (n = 63). For very preterm children, developmental change scores were calculated for each domain to assess within-individual variability to 5 years of age. Multivariate regression and mixed-effect models examined social risk index, parenting stress, family functioning, and maternal intellectual ability as predictors of developmental variation among very preterm children. Results Very preterm children demonstrated poorer cognitive, language, and motor abilities than FT children at 2 (P ≤ .001) and 5 (P Conclusions Both clinical and socioenvironmental factors are associated with cognitive, language, and motor developmental variation among very preterm children from infancy to early school age.