cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Echo- and Electrocardiography in Mice: Establishment of Methods for Assessing Cardiac Function in Mutant Strains. • 132

Clinical evaluation of cardiac function in man involves echocardiography and electrocardiography to assess morphology and electrical activity. Development of genetically altered mice provides transgenic and knockout strains which may display abnormalities in myocardial function or cardiac signal transduction. Routine techniques for clinical cardiac evaluation in mouse models have not been available. We have developed and applied echocardiography and electrocardiography in mice. We studied male C57BL/6J mice, a common background strain for developing mouse mutants. Mice were sedated with a mixture of ketamine, xylazine, and acepromazine. Echocardiography: The mice were studied at 8 to 10 weeks of age using a state-of-the-art Toshiba ultrasound system with rapid frame rate acquisition and a 7.5MHz transducer to produce high resolution M-mode sonographic images. This system permits accurate dynamic measurement of cardiac chamber size and wall thickness in mice. Using long axis M-mode images we measured: left ventricle inner diameter in systole and diastole (LVIDs and LVIDd), interventricular septum thickness in systole and diastole (IVSs and IVSd), and posterior left ventricular wall thickness in systole and diastole(LVPWs and LVPWd). RR interval was measured from simultaneous ECG tracing. Shortening fraction (SF), left ventricular ejection time corrected for heart rate (ETc), velocity of circumferential fiber shortening corrected for heart rate (VCFc) and left ventricular mass (LVM) were derived. Electrocardiography: The mice were studied at 12 to 14 weeks of age using a five lead system (three limb, one chest and one back), MacLab digitizing board and SCOPE software. RR, PR, QT and QTc intervals, QRS duration, and P, Q, R, S, and T wave voltages were measured. Scalar QRS axis was calculated. Average electro- and echocardiographic measurements were determined. In conclusion, cardiac abnormalities may exist in genetically altered mice necessitating the application of standard techniques for clinical assessment of cardiac function. We have successfully applied echocardiography and electrocardiography to the C57BL/6J mouse strain.
Dermal toxicity of ammonium perfluorooctanoate

Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (CAS Registry No. 3825-26-2) is used commercially in the aqueous polymerization of fluorinated monomers. Because the chemical exists as a fine white powder which can come in contact with skin, its dermal toxicology was studied in rabbits and rats. Dermal applications of 0.5 g for 24 hr produced mild irritation to rabbit skin. The dermal LD50 was 4300 mg/kg for rabbits, 7000 mg/kg for male rats, and greater than 7500 mg/kg for female rats. Rat skin showed less irritation than rabbit skin and the general effects were more pronounced for the male (compared to the female) rat. Subchronic dermal treatment (10 applications, 5 doses, 2 rest days, 5 doses) with either 0, 20, 200, or 2000 mg/kg resulted in no, no, mild, or marked decreases in body weights, respectively. Increases in serum enzyme activities indicating hepatic effects occurred in treated rats. Liver weights were increased and necrosis and enlargement of hepatocytes were microscopically observed. Rats in the 2000 mg/kg-dose group also had epidermal necrosis at the application site. Blood organofluorine amounts were increased in a dose-related manner. All of the treatment-related toxicity findings resolved during a 42-day recovery period although prior exposure was evident by the presence of organofluorine in the blood.
Expression and purification of the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain of the Na/HCO3 cotransporter NBCe1-A: Structural insights from a generalized approach

The cytoplasmic, N-terminal domain (Nt) of the electrogenic sodium/bicarbonate cotransporter--NBCe1--over-expresses in Escherichia coli and yields a large amount of soluble protein. A novel purification strategy, which involves a streptomycin precipitation, overcomes obstacles of instability and copurifying proteins, and leads to the first seen Nt-NBCe1 crystals. The purification procedure generally lends itself to the purification of Nts from other classes of the SLC4 family. Size-exclusion chromatography suggests that the Nt of NBCe1 as well as the Nt of other SLC4 members form dimers. A comparison of Nt-NBCe1 to SLC4 member Nt-AE1, based on purification properties and predicted secondary-structure sequence alignments, suggests a similar mechanism for dimer stabilization.
Capacitive Touch Communication: A Technique to Input Data through Devices' Touch Screen

As we are surrounded by an ever-larger variety of post-PC devices, the traditional methods for identifying and authenticating users have become cumbersome and time consuming. In this paper, we present a capacitive communication method through which a device can recognize who is interacting with it. This method exploits the capacitive touchscreens, which are now used in laptops, phones, and tablets, as a signal receiver. The signal that identifies the user can be generated by a small transmitter embedded into a ring, watch, or other artifact carried on the human body. We explore two example system designs with a low-power continuous transmitter that communicates through the skin and a signet ring that needs to be touched to the screen. Experiments with our prototype transmitter and tablet receiver show that capacitive communication through a touchscreen is possible, even without hardware or firmware modifications on a receiver. This latter approach imposes severe limits on the data rate, but the rate is sufficient for differentiating users in multiplayer tablet games or parental control applications. Controlled experiments with a signal generator also indicate that future designs may be able to achieve data rates that are useful for providing less obtrusive authentication with similar assurance as PIN codes or swipe patterns commonly used on smartphones today.
Aggregation behavior of nanoparticles in fluidized beds

Abstract The fluidization behavior of fumed silica, zirconia, and iron oxide nanopowders was studied at atmospheric and reduced pressures. Using a high-speed laser imaging system, the characteristics of fluidized aggregates of nanoparticles were studied in real time. The effect of different particle interactions such as London–van der Waals, liquid bridging and electrostatic on different fluidization parameters was studied at atmospheric pressure. The reduction of interparticle forces resulted in a reduced aggregate size and minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) and an increased bed expansion. Nanoparticles were also fluidized at reduced pressure (∼ 16 Pa) with vibration to study the effect of low pressure on the minimum fluidization velocity. Aggregate properties (size, density) instead of primary nanoparticle properties were found to govern the minimum fluidization velocity and expansion of the fluidized bed. An important consideration is the relative strength of intra-aggregate interparticle forces (forces within the aggregate holding nanoparticles together) to inter-aggregate interparticle forces (forces between aggregates). This relative strength may be inferred from the sphericity of the aggregates during fluidization.
Allele-specific activation and expression of the K-ras gene in hybrid mouse lung tumors induced by chemical carcinogens

A mouse hybrid, (C3H x A/J)F1 or C3A, was developed by crossing male A/J mice (high lung tumor susceptibility) with female C3H mice (low lung tumor susceptibility). The lung tumor responses of the C3A mice to dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) or benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) were found to be intermediate between those of the two parental strains. Mutational activation of the K-ras gene was found at a high frequency in both the B[a]P- and DMN-induced C3A lung tumors. To explore the genetic basis of the K-ras gene involvement in mouse lung tumor susceptibility, the parental origin of the K-ras oncogene in the chemically induced C3A lung tumors was determined. K-ras oncogenes were found on the allele inherited from the susceptible A/J parent in 14/16 of DMN-induced tumors and 15/17 of B[a]P-induced tumors from C3A mice. Furthermore, the K-ras mRNA transcribed from the A/J allele was 5-20 times more than C3H K-ras transcripts in 10/10 DMN-induced and 10/10 B[a]P-induced C3A lung tumors. These data suggest that an activated A/J K-ras allele could be more tumorigenic than an activated C3H allele due to the differential expression of the two alleles in lung cells.
Farmland price determinants in Iowa

Farmland comprises 85% of the assets in production agriculture. Surveys show over a 32.5% increase in values from 2010 to 2011 in Iowa. An analysis of recent farmland sales data leads to a better understanding of both why prices have been increasing, and possible changes in prices in the future. The factors examined include parcel size, land productivity, and location and type of sellers and buyers. The analysis is both over time and static; it compared characteristics from year to year, and it compared characteristics in the same year.A data set with land sales from 20 randomly selected Iowa counties for five years was analyzed using a hedonic model to decompose the values various attributes of land contribute to the total sale price per acre. This was used to determine the effects of these factors and to see if these effects change over time. Next, the sales values were compared to land value surveys conducted every year. Using NPV (Net Present Value) formulas, the sales values were examined to determine an implied interest rate, and compared to rent-to-value ratios.Analysis of descriptive statistics shows approximately 85% of parcels sold are in the lower two-thirds of productivity. The percentage of ``Sole Proprietor'' buyers and sellers has fallen by over half since 1990. A higher percentage of parcels are being sold in the fourth quarter of the year. Buyers who live in-state are buying higher quality land; sellers from out-of-state are selling higher quality land. Both out-of-state buyers and sellers are buying and selling larger parcels than those in-state.The analysis reveals that land value survey results from Iowa State University are consistently higher than sale prices by an average of 9.5%. This difference is not statistically significant. Two hedonic models capture corn suitability rating (CSR), lagged cash rent, and some locational variables as statistically significant for every year modeled. Implied interest rates are 3.2% and 6.4% higher than the rent-to-value ratio for 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Exploring Innovative Approaches and Patient-Centered Outcomes From Positive Outliers in Childhood Obesity

Abstract Objective New approaches for obesity prevention and management can be gleaned from positive outliers—that is, individuals who have succeeded in changing health behaviors and reducing their body mass index (BMI) in the context of adverse built and social environments. We explored perspectives and strategies of parents of positive outlier children living in high-risk neighborhoods. Methods We collected up to 5 years of height/weight data from the electronic health records of 22,443 Massachusetts children, ages 6 to 12 years, seen for well-child care. We identified children with any history of BMI in the 95th percentile or higher (n = 4007) and generated a BMI z -score slope for each child using a linear mixed effects model. We recruited parents for focus groups from the subsample of children with negative slopes who also lived in zip codes where >15% of children were obese. We analyzed focus group transcripts using an immersion/crystallization approach. Results We reached thematic saturation after 5 focus groups with 41 parents. Commonly cited outcomes that mattered most to parents and motivated change were child inactivity, above-average clothing sizes, exercise intolerance, and negative peer interactions; few reported BMI as a motivator. Convergent strategies among positive outlier families were family-level changes, parent modeling, consistency, household rules/limits, and creativity in overcoming resistance. Parents voiced preferences for obesity interventions that include tailored education and support that extend outside clinical settings and are delivered by both health care professionals and successful peers. Conclusions Successful strategies learned from positive outlier families can be generalized and tested to accelerate progress in reducing childhood obesity.
Comparison of global search methods for design optimization using simulation

A methodology for the application of global search methods for optimizing the results of a computer simulation is presented. Specific global optimization methods including simulated annealing, genetic algorithms, and Bayesian techniques are discussed in terms of their strengths and weaknesses as applied to this methodology. In particular, the effects of simulation time, constraints, dimensionality, and computational complexity are considered as they relate to the choice of algorithms. Simulated annealing and genetic algorithms perform similarly, yet differ in many ways from the class of Bayesian algorithms. Bayesian algorithms spend additional computation time in modeling all past values of the unknown function in an effort to minimize the number of evaluations of the function. These methods would be the algorithms of choice for determining the optimal design via simulation, provided the number of design variables is less than 10 and the time required to run a single simulation is large compared with the time it takes the algorithm to determine the next point. >
Achievement orientations as prototypes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prototypical nature of achievement orientations as conceptualized by J Veroff and other theorists. Traits relevant to achievement were rated by 108 subjects who received a description of either a process or impact orientation. Analysis indicated distinct sets of traits characterizing each orientation as well as substantial agreement on the exemplars for each orientation. Moreover, traits associated with a process orientation were more favorable than those associated with an impact orientation.
Lift-induced wing-tip vortex attenuation

It has been shown by a new static airflow visualization method that a drogue device properly positioned downstream of the wing tip causes vortex breakdown. This same result has been obtained by mounting a jet engine simulator at the wing tip and directing the high-energy jet blast downstream into the vortex. These configurations, among others, are now under intensive investigation in the new Langley Vortex Research Facility. In this facility a balance mounted vortex generating model is propelled along the 1800-foot track while a second model trailed at 160 feet (scale distance of 1 mile) measures the far-field rolling moment induced by the vortex of the generating model.
Institutional Relatedness, Resources Acquisition, and Performance Outcomes of Chinese Multinational Companies

The article discusses research on Chinese multinational companies and the resource-performance relationship. The six hypotheses examined focus on the government's role in the corporations' acquisit...
Super-quasi-orthogonal space-time trellis codes for four transmit antennas

We introduce a new family of space-time trellis codes that extends the powerful characteristics of super-orthogonal space-time trellis codes to four transmit antennas. We consider a family of quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes as building blocks in our new trellis codes. These codes combine set partitioning and a super set of quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes in a systematic way to provide full diversity and improved coding gain. The result is a powerful code that provides full rate, full diversity, and high coding gain. It is also possible to maintain a tradeoff between coding gain and rate. Simulation results demonstrate the good performance of our new super-quasi-orthogonal space-time trellis codes.
Entropy bounds for a Markov random subfield

Given a Markov random field (MRF) X defined by potentials on a graph G = (V,E), and given a subset U ⊂ V of the sites on which X is defined, we prove, under a positive correlation constraint on the MRF, that the entropy of the subfield X U is upper bounded by the entropy of an MRF defined on the subgraph induced by U with potentials taken directly from those assigned to U in G. To prove this we use exponential family representations of MRFs. We first show that the entropy of an MRF is monotone decreasing in the exponential parameters. We then use the Maximum Entropy principle and a well-known result from information geometry to show that the marginal entropy of X U is upper bounded by the MRF on the induced subgraph with moments matching the marginal distribution. We then use the convexity of the log-partition function to show that to match the marginal moments on the induced subgraph, the exponential coordinates on the induced subgraph are component-wise greater than the corresponding parameter of the original exponential characterization. Our result follows from monotonicity.
Recruitment Patterns and Habitat Use of Young-of-the-Year Bluefish along the United States East Coast: Insights from Coordinated Coastwide Sampling

Protracted spawning and pulsed juvenile production are common in coastal spawning fishes, the phenology of which determines potential environmental effects on recruitment. This article examines bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), a cosmopolitan coastal spawning species that produces multiple cohorts of juveniles utilizing both estuarine and coastal habitats as nurseries along the U.S. east coast. To determine recruitment on a coastwide basis, ocean (bottom, neuston, and surfzone) and estuarine habitats were sampled in Florida and North Carolina south of Cape Hatteras in the South Atlantic Bight, and Maryland, New Jersey, and New York in the Middle Atlantic Bight. This coordinated sampling effort across multiple habitats with multiple gears on a coastwide basis allowed the resolution of the occurrence, growth, and movement of cohorts along the coast. Production of the spring-spawned cohort occurred in both South Atlantic Bight and Middle Atlantic Bight habitats, while summer-spawned cohort production was limit...
Targeted Inhibition of the KLF6 Splice Variant, KLF6 SV1, Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth and Spread

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men. Risk prognostication, treatment stratification, and the development of rational therapeutic strategies lag because the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression from primary to metastatic disease are unknown. Multiple lines of evidence now suggest that KLF6 is a key prostate cancer tumor suppressor gene including loss and/or mutation in prostate cancer tumors and cell lines and decreased KLF6 expression levels in recurrent prostate cancer samples. Most recently, we identified a common KLF6 germ line single nucleotide polymorphism that is associated with an increased relative risk of prostate cancer and the increased production of three alternatively spliced, dominant-negative KLF6 isoforms. Here we show that although wild-type KLF6 (wtKLF6) acts as a classic tumor suppressor, the single nucleotide polymorphism-increased splice isoform, KLF6 SV1, displays a markedly opposite effect on cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. In addition, whereas wtKLF6 knockdown increases tumor growth in nude mice >2-fold, short interfering RNA-mediated KLF6 SV1 inhibition reduces growth by approximately 50% and decreases the expression of a number of growth- and angiogenesis-related proteins. Together, these findings begin to highlight a dynamic and functional antagonism between wtKLF6 and its splice variant KLF6 SV1 in tumor growth and dissemination.
Animal Care Guidelines and Future Directions

Two notions broadly accepted in developed western societies have made animal care guidelines inevitable. These are that domestic animals are sentient and that humans are responsible to ensure the proper care of domestic animals. Despite these common views, people have differing moral understandings of the human-animal relationship, and there are sharp divisions over how these views should be applied to domestic animal care. Animal care guidelines have been developed by different nations at several organizational levels to represent a compromise that is acceptable to most people. These organizational levels include individual poultry companies, national poultry associations, individual customers of the poultry industry, national associations of customer companies, national governments, and international organizations. Animal care guideline development has typically included input from producers and scientists and, depending on the sponsoring organization, animal advocates and government representatives as well. Animal advocacy groups have also sought to influence domestic animal care by campaigning against animal production practices or by offering their preferred guidelines for producers to adopt in the hope that the endorsement of the welfare group would add value to the product. Originally, animal care guidelines were only recommended, with little or no requirement for compliance. In recent years, the need for retail companies to assure certain welfare standards has led to animal welfare auditing of production facilities. Animal care guidelines primarily have sought to establish standards for handling and husbandry in existing production systems. Future guidelines may put increasing emphasis on adoption of alternative management practices or housing systems. International animal care guidelines are being developed on 2 levels (i.e., among national governments to create a common standard for trade in animal products and within international retail companies to create company-wide animal care standards). These initiatives should tend to unify farm animal care standards worldwide but perhaps at a level some nations might consider lower than preferable.
An Ethical Ecology of a Corporate Leader: Modeling the Ethical Frame of Corporate Leadership

The paper is a discussion of the ethical frame of corporate leadership. The ethical frame is a manager’s ethical ecology. An ethical ecology is about the complex weave of moral obligations, intentions, actions, and consequences of doing business. This paper is a discussion of the ethical conceptual model or frame of a corporate leader. The paper looks at the various structural components and relationships of a worldview of ethical management. The structural components are corporate policy and codes of conduct, financial affairs, environmental concerns, human resources, organizational reputation, relationships, and the corporate leader’s personal moral frame. The essay discusses these categories of ethical management as organizers of an ethical perspective within a corporate environment.
Two new fossil flowers of magnoliid affinity from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey

Two taxa of cupulate magnoliid fossil flowers, Cronquistiflora and Detrusandra, are described from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian, ;90 million years before present [MYBP]) Raritan (or lower Magothy) Formation of New Jersey. The fossil taxa are represented by flowers at various stages of development, associated fragments of cup-shaped floral receptacles with attached anthers, and isolated anthers. Both taxa have laminar stamens with adaxial thecae and valvate dehiscence. Pollen is boat-shaped and foveolate in anthers associated with Cronquistiflora and spherical with reticulate ornamentation in Detrusandra. Cup-shaped receptacles are externally bracteose in both taxa. The receptacle of Cronquistiflora is broader than the campanulate one of Detrusandra. Cronquistiflora also has more carpels ( ;50 in a spiral vs. ;5 in a whorl or tight spiral). In Detrusandra the carpels are surrounded by dorsiventrally flattened structures (pistillodes?) that are remote from the attachment of the stamens near the distal rim of the receptacular cupule. Detrusandra stigmas are rounded and bilobed, while those of Cronquistiflora, although bilateral in symmetry, are somewhat peltate. The fossil taxa share prominent characters with extant cupulate magnoliids (e.g., Eupomatia, Calycanthus), but also share characters with other magnoliids including Winteraceae. These fossils represent taxa that are character mosaics relative to currently recognized families. Inclusion of these fossils in existing data matrices and ensuing phylogenetic analyses effect changes in tree topologies consistent with their mosaicism relative to modern taxa. But such analyses do not definitively demonstrate the affinities of the fossils other than illustrating that these fossils are generalized magnoliids. Additional analysis of modern and fossil magnoliids is necessary to fully appreciate the phylogenetic significance and positions of these fossil taxa. However, the results of the phylogenetic analyses do introduce the possibility that extinct taxa of Magnoliales with cupulate floral receptacles were transitional between basal angiosperms and those with tricolpate pollen. The fossils provide insights into the timing of evolution of character complexes now associated with coleopteran pollination.
Sharing Food, Sharing Values: Mothering and Empathy in Murik Society

Abstract Interactions among mothers and children around food are prime opportunities for teaching and learning core cultural values, including their emotional and motivational components. Cognitive theories of culture identify key features and processes that capture the complexity and importance of even brief, but emotionally powerful moments surrounding food and feeding. The Murik concept of mothering is a metaphor of reciprocity and power applied to encompass people in varied and multiple mothering roles in shifting relation to each other. Based on incidents in Murik society, I show how schemas of personhood, sharing, and work are expressed and communicated intersubjectively through interactions involving mothering figures. These interactions express a dynamic among mothers: holding and empathy by a primary mothering figure as a child faces criticism and discipline by other mothers. As mothers enact these complementary roles in situated and particular circumstances, they highlight cultural models and their motivational underpinnings making these available for learning. [mothering; cultural models; food sharing; emotion]
Glucose Assay Systems: Evaluation of a Colorimetric Hexokinase Procedure

A colorimetric enzymatic assay system for glucose was evaluated. The system uses hexokinase (ATP:D-hexose 6-phospho-transferase; EC 2.7.1.1) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glucose-6-phosphate:NADP oxidoreductase; EC 1.1.1.49) coupled with a PMS-INT reaction (phenazine methosulfate; 2- p -iodophenyl-3- p -nitrophenyl-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride). The precision, range of linearity, reproducibility of standard curve, and stability of reagents after reconstitution are excellent. The method is specific for glucose in the presence of mannose, fructose, galactose, xylose, and ribose. Uric acid, urea, ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, or creatinine at abnormally high concentrations do not interfere. Good correlations (with unselected hospital sera) were obtained in parallel assays by ferricyanide (AutoAnalyzer), o -toluidine (manual), and hexokinase (manual) procedures. Results obtained by the neocuproine (SMA-12/30) method in the parallel assays were significantly different from results obtained by the other three procedures.
Rubisco of Dunaliella tertiolecta is redistributed between the pyrenoid and the stroma as a light/shade response

We used an immunofluorescence technique to investigate the effects of varying light regimes on ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) in individual cells of the chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher. These studies were carried out between September 1995 and February 1996. The population was heterogeneous with respect to Rubisco localization in the pyrenoid, i.e. in some cells Rubisco staining was highly concentrated in the pyrenoid while in others it was evenly distributed throughout the chloroplast stroma. When light intensity was varied sevenfold, the fraction of the cell population that displayed distinct Rubisco staining in the pyrenoid (PR-index) was correlated with light intensity, although the average Rubisco abundance per cell or per total cellular protein appeared fairly constant. In darkness, or when treated with 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea (DCMU), the PR-index decreased markedly during the first 4 and 3 h, respectively, and then remained at low levels, while the cell division cycle progression remained unaffected. We conclude that D. tertiolecta probably possesses an adaptive mechanism, i.e. the redistribution of Rubisco between the pyrenoid (probably the active site of Rubisco activation and CO2 fixation) and the stroma (probably a reservoir of deactivated Rubisco that is readily available for transport to the pyrenoid and activation), to respond to variations in irradiance or photosynthetic inhibition. Our results also suggest that this mechanism is insensitive to slight variations in growth irradiance and to seasonal changes in photoperiod and temperature.
GHz RF front-end bandwidth time domain measurement

This paper proposes a method and an on-chip test circuit to measure the center frequency and the bandwidth of RF front-end circuits using the peak amplitudes and the periods of the output signal in response to a realistic step input signal. The method is also suitable for implementation in external test instrumentation.
Effects of Culture Medium, Serum Type, and Various Concentrations of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone on Porcine Preantral Follicular Development and Antrum Formation In Vitro

Developing a culture system for preantral follicles has important biotechnological implications due to the potential to produce large number of oocytes for embryo production and transfer. As an initial step toward accomplishing this long-term goal, a study was conducted to determine the effects of culture medium, serum type, and different concentrations of FSH on preantral follicular development in vitro. Specific endpoints included follicular growth rate, antrum formation, recovery rate of cumulus cell-oocyte complexes (COCs) from follicles, and oocyte meiotic competence. Compared with the North Carolina State University medium 23 (NCSU23), preantral follicles cultured in TCM199 medium for 4 days grew faster (P 4 days) may be needed to produce oocytes capable of undergoing meiosis in vitro.
Chemical Prevention of Colony Foundation by Cryptotermes brevis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in Attic Modules

Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) dust, DOT aqueous solution, imidacloprid dust, and amorphous silica gel dust with synergized 1% pyrethrins were applied on wood surfaces to simulated attic modules. Modules (30 by 30 cm) with and without fiberglass insulation were exposed to dispersal flights of Cryptotermes brevis (Walker) in May and June of 1998 and 1999. Six months after flights, modules were disassembled and inspected for nuptial chamber location and contents. During both years, air and water control treatments contained 22.2 ± 9.94 (mean ± SD) nuptial chambers, 7.5 ± 5.7 live imagos, and 2.0 ± 1.4 chambers with brood. This survivorship indicated that the attic modules performed well as a colonizing platform for C. brevis. C. brevis dealates preferred constructing nuptial chambers in the crevices at the bases or tops of the modules instead of internal crevices. Modules treated in 1998 and 1999 with DOT or silica dusts contained no live termites, whereas zero of five modules treated with imidacloprid dust in 1998 and two of 20 modules treated with imidacloprid dust in 1999 contained single live incipient colonies. In 1998, 15% DOT solution, applied as a postconstruction treatment, yielded significantly fewer chambers and live termites than controls, but was not as effective as dusts in preventing successful colonization. In 1999, the DOT solution, applied as a construction-phase treatment, was equally as effective in preventing colonization as the dust treatments during that year. Results indicate that dust formulations of DOT, silica gel, and imidacloprid can be used to prevent drywood termite colonization in existing building voids and attics. Where the entire wood framing is exposed to treatment, such as during building construction, aqueous DOT solution can be equally effective as dusts in preventing colonization by C. brevis.
Ultra-high resolution millimeter-wave imaging for biomedical applications: Feasibility study

This article numerically verifies ultra-high-resolution confocal millimeter-wave imaging for biomedical applications for the first time. A system with an ultra-wide bandwidth of more than 85 GHz is proposed to provide the ultra-high resolutions required for biomedical imaging applications. The feasibility of detecting early-stage tumors in three dimensions is shown using realistic numerical phantoms. A suitable image formation algorithm is developed and applied to the data. Successful resolution of spherical tumors is achieved in the obtained images both axially and laterally.
Recurrent breast carcinoma arising in a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap

Abstract Reconstruction after mastectomy for breast carcinoma with implants or myocutaneous flaps is a widely used surgical technique. Recurrence of breast carcinoma after these procedures is uncommon. Most recurrences occur in the skin or scar site of the mastectomy and are readily detectable by physical examination. There are rare reported cases of recurrent carcinoma occurring within the flaps that are usually diagnosed with the aid of imaging and subsequent pathologic examination. In most cases, these recurrences represent invasive or in situ ductal carcinoma. We report an additional 2 cases of breast carcinoma recurring within the myocutaneous flap, both of which exhibited uncommon histologic features not previously reported.
Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction: Anatomy, Indications, Techniques, and Outcomes.

Context:Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries lead to pain and loss of performance in the thrower’s elbow. Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) is a reliable treatment option for the ...
Abstract 3940: Perihematomal Leukocytes Peak 3 Days After Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is followed by a robust inflammatory response in the brain. Therapies inhibiting leukocyte migration to the brain have been developed, but their potential application to ICH relies on detailed understanding of the invading inflammatory cells after injury. Our objective was to quantify the various leukocyte populations between 1 and 7 days after ICH using a mouse model. Methods: Using the autologous blood injection model in WT (C3H/HeOuJ) mice, we injected 15μ l of blood into the basal ganglia 2.5mm right of bregma. At 24h, 72h, and 7 days following surgery, we isolated the brain and dissociated each hemisphere into a single cell suspension using collagenase, dispase, and mechanical digestions prior to staining with CD45, CD3, CD11b, Ly6G, CD11c, Gr-1, and NK1.1 antibodies. Immune cell populations were quantified by flow cytometry (see figure for gating) and the numbers of excess ipsilateral cells were calculated. Additionally, at 72 hours after ICH or sham surgery, we isolated the ipsilateral hemisphere for quantification of chemokine production by ELISA. Results: There was a significant increase in blood-derived leukocytes (CD45hi) between 24hr and 72hr, mostly accounted for by inflammatory monocytes and dendritic cells (Figure). We then saw a significant decrease between 72 hours and 7 days in the inflammatory monocyte population as well as a trend towards a decrease in the dendritic cell population. Natural killer cells accounted for less than 0.3% of all leukocytes detected. The monocyte-recruiting chemokine CCL2 (MCP-1) was increased in the brains at 72 hours after ICH (ICH 260.8 ± 31.1 pg/g brain vs sham 148.8 ± 12.4, p Conclusion: Leukocytes peak in the brain at 72 hours after ICH and are almost completely absent by 7 days. Inflammatory monocytes and dendritic cells account for the greatest numbers of leukocytes at 72 hours. CCL2 levels are elevated when inflammatory monocyte populations peak. Therapies inhibiting the CCL2-dependent migration of inflammatory monocytes across the blood-brain barrier should be investigated to determine if these cells contribute to injury.
Real-time optical image subtraction using dynamic holographic interference in photorefractive media

We propose a new method of real-time optical image subtraction using holographic interference in photorefractive media. An experimental demonstration is performed on a barium titanate (Ba-TiO3) crystal.
The Kishon affair: science, law, and the politics of causation.

This article describes how science and law were called upon (and failed) to resolve a controversy that created a painful rift between the Israeli State and some of its elite soldiers. The controversy, which came to be known as “the Kishon affair,” erupted in 2000, when veterans of an elite and secretive unit in the Israeli navy claimed that pollution in the Kishon River where they had trained and dived during their military service had been the cause of a rash of cancers. The veterans demanded that the Ministry of Defense take responsibility for their illnesses, finance their medical treatment, and support their families if they die. The military denied the causal connection between the polluted river and the veterans’ cancers and rejected their demands. The dispute quickly escalated into a bitter public controversy, and a high-rank commission comprised of one of Israel's top jurists and two prominent scientists was called upon to study the disputed causal relation and reveal its true nature. However, after nearly three years of intense inquiry the jurist and the scientists reached opposing conclusions: the jurist found a causal connection while the scientists rejected it.
Erigeron Flowers as a Food and Attractive Odor Source for Peristenus pseudopallipes, a Braconid Parasitoid of the Tarnished Plant Bug

The olfactory responses of Peristenus pseudopallipes (Loan) to the odors of some food plants of its host, the tarnished plant bug ( Lygus lineolaris Palisot deBeauvois), were studied. The parasitoid females responded preferentially to Erigeron plant odor in a Y-tube olfactometer. The attractive odor was shown to emanate from the flowers. The responsiveness of the P. pseudopallipes females was shown to be related to the number of eggs in their ovaries. The flowers of Erigeron were also preferred for feeding, and this feeding apparently was necessary for maximum longevity.
Cross Sectional Tem Sample Preparation Using E-Beam Lithography and Reactive Ion Etching

A simple method to make cross sectional TEM samples of Si and GaAs semiconductor devices at specific device locations using electron beam (e-beam) lithography and reactive ion etching is described. The basic idea of this technique is to form pillar or line type patterns thin enough to be transparent to electron beams used in transmission electron microscopy. Since the entire process is conducted in the semiconductor fabrication facility, reliable samples were efficiently obtained within a short time without mechanical polishing or ion milling. High Resolution Electron Microscopy (HREM) images of SiGe and GaAs multilayer structures were obtained by this method. Using the alignment function of the e-beam lithography system, cross sectional TEM samples at specific locations of MOS transistors were obtained. The samples were thin enough to obtain HREM images of atomic level defects in the device.
The Solution of the Roof Dent Resistance for the Mini-vehicle of big size

By analyzing the relevant factors of the dent resistance which is the Mini-Vehicle roof's key feature,combined with certain model's roof system design and development,introduced the solution to ensure the "big micro-car" cover dent resistance.The program proved achieved the desired results,is worth promoting.
17 A CASE OF TRANSIENT LEFT VENTRICULAR APICAL BALLOONING WITHOUT CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Introduction Several case series of transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, also known as Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy, have been reported predominantly in the Japanese population. We present a white female patient with Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy in whom profoundly decreased glucose utilization was observed. Case Report A 52-year-old female with no previous cardiac history was brought to the emergency room twelve hours after the acute onset of chest pain and shortness of breath, which were triggered by an emotional argument with her husband. On arrival, her blood pressure was 77/50 mm Hg and heart rate was 88 beats/min. Jugular venous distention was appreciated in the sitting position and respiratory crackles were heard in bilateral lung fields. Electrocardiogram revealed mild ST elevation in leads II, III, aVF with diffuse T wave inversion. A chest radiograph was consistent with bilateral pulmonary parenchymal congestion. Emergent coronary angiography revealed normal coronary arteries. Left ventriculography showed distal anterior, apical and distal inferior akinesis with hyperkinesis of the remaining walls (Figures). Her serum troponin T was mildly elevated at 0.64 ng/mL. Over the next three days, she showed a marked clinical improvement with resolution of heart failure. Metabolic imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) revealed markedly reduced fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the akinetic apical wall with relatively normal perfusion. Echocardiography was repeated three months later, which showed normalization of left ventricular wall motion. Repeat PET imaging revealed marked improvement of FDG uptake in the apical wall.
Case Report: Plasmacytoma of Thyroid Cartilage Causing Airway Obstruction in a Patient with Myeloma

Abstract A patient with multiple myeloma complained of dyspnea, which was found to be caused by fixed airway obstruction by a plasmacytoma located in thyroid cartilage. The obstruction improved following radiation therapy, but he developed progressive myeloma and died from disseminated fungal infection. This case demonstrates that direct involvement of respiratory tract organs should be considered in the evaluation of myeloma patients with pulmonary symptoms.
Abstract P1-15-02: Gene expression profiling of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in peripheral blood cells of breast cancer patients

Background : Doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used anti-cancer drug for treatment of breast cancer is known for its cardiotoxicity. DOX cardiotoxicity is cumulative-dose-dependent and begins with the first dose of chemotherapy. To date, no biomarker for early presymptomatic detection of DOX cardiotoxicity has been validated. Our previous data indicated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can be used as a surrogate tissue for identification of biomarkers for DOX cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to analyze PBMC gene expression induced by a single dose of DOX-based chemotherapy in breast cancer patients and correlated the data with DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Materials and Methods . Blood samples of 33 women treated for breast cancer with DOX-based chemotherapy were collected before the start and after the first cycle of chemotherapy. Total RNA was isolated from PBMC and whole-genome gene expression was performed using Illumina HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip array. Gene expression data were log2 – transformed and gene transcripts with average log2-intensities > 7 were considered to be expressed. The group-specific means were analyzed via repeated-measures with ANOVA for expression changes after DOX. Genes with p-value 10% or Results . A single dose of DOX-based chemotherapy resulted in 235 DEG in PBMC (P Discussion . The results from this study indicated that elevated neutrophil-associated transcripts in the early stages of DOX-based chemotherapy were independent of the neutrophil count. These data suggest an association between the neutrophils activation after a single dose of DOX-based chemotherapy and later impairment of cardiac function. The early PBMC transcriptome signature can be used in the future development of biomarkers for DOX-associated cardiotoxicity. Citation Format: Todorova VK, Siegel ER, Makhoul I, Marquette M, Wei JY, Klimberg VS. Gene expression profiling of doxorubicin cardiotoxicity in peripheral blood cells of breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-15-02.
Thrombocytosis-induced suppression of small acetylcholinesterase- positive cells in bone marrow of rats

Transfusion of platelet concentrates was used to establish a thrombocytosis of approximately three times normal platelet levels in male rats. This thrombocytosis resulted in a rebound thrombocytopenia to 60% of normal counts. Examination of the small acetylcholinesterase (ACh-E) positive cells of the marrow at this time showed a reduction to 50% of normal levels without significant changes in control animals. A second group of experiments indicated that this suppression developed as early as the third day posttransfusion, persisted until day 7, and returned to baseline levels by day 9. Incorporation of 75SeM indicated that the reduction in platelet count was due to decreased platelet production. Little or no changes were observed in the hematocrit or WBC. This evidence supports the hypothesis that these cells are early cells in the megakaryocytic series. They are the earliest cells of the series seen to be affected by thrombocytosis. Feedback control by platelets or platelet extracts of this cell population may represent one level of regulation of megakaryopoiesis.
Japan and Korea

Japan and South Korea offer some of the most successful e-government programs in the world, with widespread access (including mobile ones) to a vast array of services. North Korea, in sharp contrast, is among the world's worst censors of the Internet and uses it largely to launch denial-of-service attacks against other countries.
[53-OR]: Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) increases seizure threshold via reduced neuroinflammation in a rat model of preeclampsia.

Objectives The mechanism by which MgSO4 provides seizure prophylaxis in women with preeclampsia (PE) remains unclear, and may be multifaceted. Here, we investigated the effect of MgSO4 on seizure threshold, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and neuroinflammation in a rat model of PE. Methods SD rats were pregnant (P; d20; n = 19) or with PE (induced by combined placental ischemia and high cholesterol diet; n = 14). A separate group of PE rats had MgSO4 treatment via osmotic minipump to raise serum Mg2+ to therapeutic levels for 24 h (PE + Mg; n = 17). Seizure threshold was measured by i.v. infusion of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) and simultaneous EEG, and the amount of PTZ (mg/kg) required to elicit seizure compared (n = 6/group). BBB permeability was measured in vivo by i.v. infusion of sodium fluorescein (NaFl) and fluorescent spectroscopy used to quantify passage into the brain (n = 5–7). Microglial activation, a measure of neuroinflammation, was compared between groups (n = 3–8) by immunostaining for ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 and assessed morphologically. Results Seizure threshold was lower in PE compared to P rats (p 0.05). PE rats had neuroinflammation, characterized by activated microglia that was reversed by MgSO4 (Fig. 1; p Conclusions PE was associated with lower seizure threshold, potentially due to increased BBB permeability and neuroinflammation. MgSO4 increased seizure threshold in PE rats through a quiescent effect on microglia without affecting BBB permeability. Disclosures A.C. Johnson: None. M.J. Cipolla: None.