cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of wilting and silage additives on the fermentation of autumn made grass silage ensiled in bunkers on commercial farms in South Wales 1983‐85

Silage making practices in respect of 130 samples of autumn made grass silages ensiled in bunkers on commercial farms in South Wales during 1983-1985 were analysed to discern the effect of wilting and/or silage additives on fermentation. Silages were primarily made during late September and early October in fine weather from perennial ryegrass pasture which had not been grazed for 6 weeks. On average 13.9 ha of pasture was cut for silage. Analysis of 120 samples of grass showed it contained 176 g kg−1 dry matter (DM) with (g kg−1 DM) 215 protein, 240 modified acid detergent fibre (MADF), 78 water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and 95 ash. Most farmers attempted to pre-wilt grass for 1 day prior to ensilage and one quarter of them made unwilted silage. Silage making was usually completed within 6 days of starting to cut and was generally made with a precision-chop machine. Silage additives applied were (kg t−1) formic acid (4·7), formic acid 4-formalin (5·5), sulphuric acid-+ formalin (5·0) sugars (14) and inoculants (0·65). Formic acid significantly reduced pH, and formic acid with or without formalin significantly reduced ammonia nitrogen (N) content of silages compared with other treatments. Protein contents of acid/formalin treated silages were significantly higher and MADF of acid with or without formalin treated silages were significantly lower than other treatments. Pre-wilting grass prior to ensilage did not significantly increase subsequent silage DM content and significantly increased the pH of non-additive treated silages. Unwilted silages treated with formic acid with or without formalin had a significantly lower ammonia-N content and higher residual WSC than other treatments. It is suggested that only formic acid application either alone or in conjunction with formalin to unwilted silage was successful in producing well preserved silages and that a grass WSC content of 17 g kg−1 would be necessary to achieve this.
Functional and morphological characterization of four cell lines derived from GH3 cells stably transfected with gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor complementary deoxyribonucleic acid

Four cell lines, stably transfected with rat GnRH receptor complementary DNA, have been prepared from the lactotropic GH3 cell line. All four lines (as well as the parent line and a line transfected with the vector DNA) show extensive rosettes of circular polyribosomes, characteristic of high protein synthetic activity, although secretory granules are virtually absent; the rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) cisternae were short and straight. Instances were observed in which the ER reaches to the plasma membrane, suggesting a possible nongranular secretory route. All four lines (but not the parent or a control transfected line) expressed GnRH receptors that were down-regulated (1-5 h, depending on the cell line) after exposure to 10 nM GnRH; receptors then recovered (2-7 h). This pattern is reminiscent of the GnRH receptor in the primary gonadotrope cell cultures. All cell lines released PRL (4-96 h) in response to a GnRH agonist (D-tBuSer6-des-Gly10-Pro9-ethylamide-GnRH), an event that was inhibited by all...
Secondary electrospray ionization-ion mobility spectrometry for explosive vapor detection.

The unique capability of secondary electrospray ionization (SESI) as a nonradioactive ionization source to detect analytes in both liquid and gaseous samples was evaluated using aqueous solutions of three common military explosives: cyclo-1,3,5-trimethylene-2,4,6-trinitramine (RDX), nitroglycerin (NG) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The adducts formed between the compounds and their respective dissociation product, RDX·NO2-, NG·NO3-, and PETN·NO3-, gave the most intense signal for the individual compound but were more sensitive to temperature than other species. These autoadducts were identified as RDX·NO2-, NG·NO3-, and PETN·NO3- and had maximum signal intensity at 137, 100, and 125 °C, respectively. The reduced mobility values of the three compounds were constant over the temperature range from 75 to 225 °C. The signal-to-noise ratios for RDX, NG, and PETN at 50 mg L-1 in methanol−water were 340, 270, and 170, respectively, with a nominal noise of 8 ± 2 pA. In addition to the investigation of ...
Proactive interference for maze habits in the rat

Rats were trained to make one or two discriminations in a modified Grice box and tested two weeks later for retention and relearning of the last habit learned. Proactive interference was demonstrated for both visual and spatial discriminations involving two or three alternatives.
Viscoelastic stress analysis of thermally compatible and incompatible metal–ceramic systems

Abstract Objective . The purpose of this study was to analyze transient and residual midpoint deflections and stresses in metal–opaque porcelain–body porcelain systems with matched and mismatched thermal contraction coefficients. Methods . Calculations and measurements were made for seven trimaterial strips that covered a wide range of thermal contraction mismatches among constituent materials. Midpoint deflections were measured in a beam-bending viscometer during slow cooling from an initial temperature of 700°C. Linear regression analysis with a correlation coefficient of 0.950 was used to compare measured and calculated residual midpoint deflections. Stress relaxation data were fit to a three-term exponential series by nonlinear regression analyses with correlation ratios ranging from 0.9972 to 0.9999. Results . While finite element analyses correctly predicted the general shape of the deflection behavior as a function of temperature for all combinations, the best agreement between measured mean residual midpoint deflections and calculated values (+250 μm vs. +268 μm) was obtained for strips composed of a Au–Pd alloy (α m =13.5 ppm/°C) with a medium expansion opaque porcelain (α o =13.3 ppm/°C) and a high expansion body porcelain (α B =14.4 ppm/°C). The highest calculated residual tensile stress of +26 MPa at the surface of body porcelain was associated with the 0.5-mm-thick Ni–Cr–Be alloy strip (α m =15.1 ppm/°C) with medium expansion porcelains (α o =13.5 ppm/°C and α B =13.9 ppm/°C). The smallest measured residual deflection (+10 μm) was also associated with this combination. The results of this study indicated that metal–ceramic strips are sensitive indicators of stress development caused by a thermal contraction mismatch; however, the magnitudes of the residual deflections do not necessarily correlate with the stress magnitudes in the ceramic. Significance . Currently there are no U.S. or international standards that define the maximum difference in thermal contraction coefficients that can exist between a metal and its ceramic veneer without causing transient failures of ceramic during cooling or delayed failures in ceramic because of high residual tensile stresses. The present research represents a major step in understanding the various factors that influence the development of transient and residual stresses. A knowledge of the effects of process variables on stress development is necessary for selection of potentially successful metal–ceramic systems and for optimizing the design of dental prostheses.
Serum growth factors and growth indices pre- and post-pediatric intestinal transplantation.

Abstract Background/purpose Although intestinal transplantation (ITx) has succeeded in liberating children with intestinal failure from total parenteral nutrition (TPN), positive growth has yet to be achieved in the majority of patients. This investigation aims to evaluate levels of serum growth factors as they relate to growth parameters and nutritional outcomes. Methods Serum measures of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) that had been obtained before and after transplantation were reviewed (with Institutional Review Board approval) in a subset of pediatric ITx recipients. Z-scores for weight and height were calculated at transplant and biannually thereafter for 2 years. Results Five children received a small bowel/liver transplant between August 1996 and March 2000 (median age, 1.3 years). Before transplantation, levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were low in 60% and 67% of patients, respectively. Posttransplant levels of these growth factors were within normal limits or elevated in all but 2 patients (IGFBP-3 only). A positive trend in z-scores was observed in just one of 5 patients for weight and in 2 of 5 for height/length during the follow-up period. Of the 3 patients who experienced negative linear growth velocity over time, 2 had low pretransplant levels of both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3. All patients were weaned from TPN within 3 months after transplant. Conclusions Pretransplant levels of growth mediators may be predictive factors in children who will require an intensive regimen of nutritional rehabilitation posttransplant to promote the growth process. Absorption studies may aid in determining the appropriate nutrient substrates for the post-ITx population.
The Effect of Health on Economic Growth: A Production Function Approach

Abstract We estimate a production function model of aggregate economic growth including two variables that microeconomists have identified as fundamental components of human capital: work experience and health. Our main result is that good health has a positive, sizable, and statistically significant effect on aggregate output even when we control for experience of the workforce. We argue that the life expectancy effect in growth regressions appears to be a real labor productivity effect, and is not the result of life expectancy acting as a proxy for worker experience.
A fine line/space fabrication process on flexible polyimide film using laser direct writing method by photothermal effect of silver nanoparticles

This article describes a fine line/space fabrication process on flexible polyimide film using laser direct writing method by photothermal effect of silver nanoparticles. Since the AgNPs have a strong optical absorption at 405 nm, a UV laser (405 nm, 60 mW) is used to trigger AgNPs to convert light into heat due to photothermal effect of nanoparticles. After UV laser beam irradiating on the AgNPs thin film, the AgNPs aggregate into larger conducting grains and improve the adhesion between AgNPs and the polyimide substrate at the same time. Then the desired AgNPs conductive lines (line width: 10μm, line space: 20μm) are formed after washing the unirradiated AgNPs. Copper plating is also used to increase the electrical conductivity of the laser direct patterning of AgNPs conductive lines. In this method, the conductive line patterns can be made by a low power consumption process (< 60mW) and with high energy transformation efficiency due to photothermal effect of nanoparticles.
Faculty and male student athletes: racial differences in the environmental predictors of academic achievement

Studies have examined the impact of environmental variables on academic achievement among student athletes in the revenue‐generating sports of men’s basketball and football. However, while evidence concerning the positive impact of male student athlete and faculty interaction is virtually unequivocal, we are not certain whether the benefits accruing from particular types of interaction vary across different racial/ethnic groups. This study explores the relationship between male Black and White student athletes and faculty as well as the impact of specific forms of student athlete–faculty interaction on academic achievement. Data are drawn from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s 2000 Freshman Survey and 2004 Follow‐Up Survey. The sample includes 1031 White and 739 Black football and basketball players attending predominantly White institutions. Regression results indicate that the impact of the contact or interaction is to some extent contingent upon the specific nature of the interaction for...
Sawtooth oscillations in the flux of runaway electrons to the PLT limiter

Increased fluxes of runaway electrons at the PLT limiter are observed in the few milliseconds following internal disruptions. These fluxes have an inverted (outside) sawtooth character. The time for the flux to reach a maximum after the disruption has been studied as a function of the plasma parameters for thousands of PLT discharges. One interpretation is that this delay represents the time for a perturbation to the runaway electron population to travel from the q = 1 region to the plasma boundary. These times are approx. 10/sup -1/ of the electron thermal confinement times and increase with the plasma electron density.
Acetate relaxation of isolated vascular smooth muscle

Acetate relaxation of isolated vascular smooth muscle. The vasorelaxant effects of acetate in arginine vasopressin (AVP)-contracted rat tail artery strips were examined in order to study mechanism of action. Dose–dependent relaxation by acetate was found in the clinically important range of 4 to 16 mM. Relaxation was not due to complexing of ionized calcium, persisted after mechanical removal of the endothelium, and was not altered by pretreatment with indomethacin. Although acetate also inhibited contraction by alpha-1 and alpha-2 agonists, the relaxant effect was not altered by destruction of sympathetic nerve terminals using 6-hydroxydopamine. The degree of relaxation in this model by various anions correlated with their lyotropic properties; however, the vasorelaxant effect of acetate exceeded that which would be expected on the basis of its position in the lyotropic series. The vasorelaxant effect of acetate was shared by other short–chain fatty acids that can be conjugated with coenzyme A (CoA), such as propionate and malonate. In contrast, a much lesser or absent relaxant effect was found with nonfatty–acid precursors of acetyl CoA, such as pyruvate, lactate, and alanine. The vasorelaxant effect of acetate was abolished by pretreatment with DIDS, an inhibitor of organic anion uptake, suggesting that cellular uptake of acetate is essential to its vasorelaxant action. The results suggest that the relaxant effect of acetate in vascular smooth muscle is non-specific, is not mediated by prostaglandins, does not depend upon the presence of either endothelium or the sympathetic nervous system, and may be due to metabolism of acetate to acetyl CoA with attendant conversion of ATP to AMP.
How do (and why should) I use the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

BACKGROUND: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) is celebrating its 15th year in the Veterans Affairs. The full implementation of this program in the VA was associated with a 27% reduction in mortality and a 45% reduction in morbidity in the VA over this timeframe. The objective of this article is to understand the internal and external motivations for using the NSQIP and how NSQIP data can be used to improve outcomes. We also outline several methods to identify the opportunities for improvement. DATA SOURCES: Multiple methods of using the NSQIP for practice improvement were explored by using published data and reviewing hospital practices. CONCLUSIONS: NSQIP data can be used by individuals, services, hospitals, and systems to improve outcomes. It fulfills the current and likely future requirements for Part IV of Maintenance of Certification.
Robust routing in networks with time-varying links

In this work we consider the problem of routing in networks with time-varying links. We focus on wireless and mobile ad-hoc networks where link changes occur at the timescale of seconds to minutes. Since links are changing, to maintain network connectivity paths must be periodically recomputed, incurring increased control overhead. Suppose, however, we can perform routing in such a way that paths are "robust" to link changes in the network: i.e., link changes may occur, but paths still perform well enough. Then paths can be recomputed less frequently and the control overhead decreased. In this work we specifically examine the problem of how to perform such "robust" routing.
Use of the BD Vacutainer Rapid Serum Tube Reduces False-Positive Results for Selected Beckman Coulter Unicel DxI Immunoassays

We investigated the use of serum samples from BD Vacutainer rapid serum tubes (RSTs; BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ) to reduce undetermined interferences contributing to false-positive immunoassay results in heparin plasma samples. Patients being evaluated for suspected myocardial infarction had specimens drawn into an RST in addition to the standard lithium-heparin plasma separator tube (PST). We measured 28 separate analytes in both specimens using immunoassay, electrochemical, and spectrophotometric methods. Higher results were observed in some PST specimens tested for troponin I, creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme, human chorionic gonadotropin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. These discrepancies were investigated by repeating analyses after recentrifugation of both specimens. Reanalysis gave results for the PST specimens that were lower and agreed well with initial results from RSTs, suggesting false-positive rates of 10.8% for troponin I and about 2% for each of the other 3 analytes. Overall, specimens collected in RSTs had fewer false-positive immunoassay results than specimens collected in plasma separator tubes.
Identification of genes in the RosR regulon of Rhizobium etli.

ABSTRACT RosR is a determinant of nodulation competitiveness and cell surface characteristics of Rhizobium etli and has sequence similarity to a family of transcriptional repressors. To understand how RosR affects these phenotypes, we mutagenized a rosR mutant derivative of R. etli strain CE3 with a mini-Tn5 that contains a promoterless gusA gene at one end, which acts as a transcriptional reporter. Using a mass-mating technique, we introduced rosR into each mutant in trans and screened for mutants that expressed different levels of β-glucuronidase activity in the presence and absence ofrosR. A screen of 18,000 mutants identified 52 insertions in genes negatively regulated by RosR and 1 insertion in a gene positively regulated by RosR. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the regions flanking the insertions suggests that RosR regulates genes of diverse function, including those involved in polysaccharide production and in carbohydrate metabolism and those in a region containing sequence similarity to virC1 and virD3 fromAgrobacterium tumefaciens. Two of the mutants produced colonies with altered morphology and were more competitive in nodulation than was CE3ΔrosR, the rosRparent. One mutant that contained an insertion in a gene with similarity to exsH of Sinorhizobium melilotidid not nodulate the plant host Phaseolus vulgaris withoutrosR. These results indicate that RosR directly or indirectly influences expression of diverse genes in R. etli, some of which affect the cell surface and nodulation competitiveness.
Academic writing for international graduate students

The high percentage of international students enrolled in many graduate engineering programs in North America presents an additional pedagogical challenge for faculty. Many professors find that they are spending an inordinate amount of their time doing something that is not explicitly stated in their job descriptions-correcting the writing of their international students. This paper describes how one graduate engineering program developed a discipline-specific academic writing course for international students, taught by an in-house communications specialist in collaboration with the students' advisers. The course is designed to help students report on their research by instructing them on writing a publishable journal article, conference paper, or thesis proposal, the choice of genre depending on adviser input. In addition, the course addresses many of the relevant grammatical and mechanical issues that arise in the process of learning the discourse of engineering by writers for whom English is not the first language.
Phonological Comprehension and the Compilation of Optimality Theory

This paper ties up some loose ends in finite-state Optimality Theory. First, it discusses how to perform comprehension under Optimality Theory grammars consisting of finite-state constraints. Comprehension has not been much studied in OT; we show that unlike production, it does not always yield a regular set, making finite-state methods inapplicable. However, after giving a suitably flexible presentation of OT, we show carefully how to treat comprehension under recent variants of OT in which grammars can be compiled into finite-state transducers. We then unify these variants, showing that compilation is possible if all components of the grammar are regular relations, including the harmony ordering on scored candidates. A side benefit of our construction is a far simpler implementation of directional OT (Eisner, 2000).
Association between the nucleolus and the coiled body

Abstract By means of light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry, we have localized p80-coilin, a specific protein marker for coiled bodies, in mammalian cell lines as well as in primary rat neuron cultures. p80-coilin-stained nuclear bodies, which also contained fibrillarin, could be subsequently silver stained by a method specific for the visualization of nucleolar organizer regions. In cycling cells, most coiled bodies were not associated with nucleoli, whereas in rat neurons such an association was frequent. The treatment of cycling cells with actinomycin D or 5,6-dichloro-1-β- d -ribo furanosyl-benzimidazole led to nucleolar segregation and/or disintegration, and to an association of p80-coilin staining structures with nucleoli. p80-coilin-positive structures contained fibrillarin in both untreated and treated cells. These results support the opinion that there might be a special association between coiled bodies and nucleoli, particularly in neuronal cells.
Consensus Politics and the Structure of Debate at Putney

The debates of the Army Council held at Putney church during October and November 1647 have not suffered neglect at the hands of historians and political theorists. Such an explicit examination of the fundamental tenets of government as occurred in the discussion of the franchise is a pivotal event in the history of political thought and it has been treated as such ever since Sir Charles Firth uncovered William Clarke's notes of the meetings. Emphasis upon the content of the dispute over the franchise has served to elevate the Putney debates into a symbolic event, a milestone in the struggle between privilege and liberty which dominated English history for two and a half centuries and English historiography ever since. Rainsborough's dictum that “the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he” encapsulates this theme and has passed into the common stock of historical quotations. Indisputably, succeeding generations of scholars and students will grapple with the meaning of the debate on the franchise and of its place in English political thought.The universal importance that the conflict over the franchise has assumed for political theorists and historians of the longue duree has created some difficulties for students of evenement who need to understand the precise historical situation in which the meetings occurred. When abstracted the debates may have sharp contours and poetic proportions; but when viewed more narrowly they take on different, and occasionally changing, shapes.
The role of C.T. scans in managing the orbital complications of ethmoiditis.

Thirty-three cases of ethmoidities with orbital complications were reviewed to determine the accuracy of clinical diagnosis and the benefit of CT scans in planning treatment. Patients were classified according to the Schramm et al. 1982 criteria of orbital involvement with ethmoiditis: periorbital cellulitis with chemosis (PCC)-9, and orbital cellulitis (OC)-11, subperiosteal abscess (SPA)-9, and orbital abscess (OA)-4. These patients received CT scans acutely for diagnostic purposes and demonstrated an 84% accuracy with the final clinical groupings. Of 33 patients, 9 had a shift in clinical classification based on the CT scan result interpreted by the Radiology Department or surgical findings. There were no false positives in the periorbital or orbital cellulitis patients, and no false negatives in the subperiosteal and orbital abscess patients. Thus classification changes caused no change from medical to surgical treatment in any of the cases. The conclusion is that a knowledgeable clinical exam established the correct grouping in 70% of the patients versus 82% with the CT scan. An urgent CT scan is advised for patients in clinical groups SPA, OA, or cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) to determine the imminent need for surgery, as the cases may be underestimated. Patients with PC or PCC can be managed medically with elective CT scans not routinely indicated.
Is Cp an empirical Bayes method for smoothing parameter choice

Abstract The Cp selection criterion is a popular method to choose the smoothing parameter in spline regression. Another widely used method is the generalized maximum likelihood (GML) derived from a normal-theory empirical Bayes framework. These two seemingly unrelated methods, have been shown in Efron (Ann. Statist. 29 (2001) 470) and Kou and Efron (J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 97 (2002) 766) to be actually closely connected. Because of this close relationship, the current paper studies whether Cp could also have an empirical Bayes interpretation for smoothing splines as GML does. It is shown that this is not possible. In addition, necessary conditions for a selection criterion to have an empirical Bayes interpretation are given, using which it is shown that a large class of selection criteria, including Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and Stein's unbiased risk estimate, does not possess an empirical Bayes explanation.
Using agent-based modeling to predict the diffusion of safe teenage driving behavior through an online social network

Objective: To use agent-based modeling to examine how peer influence in a social network affects behavior change among teenage drivers. Background: Teenagers are involved in more fatal driving crashes than any other age group. A solution to the problem is to utilize both feedback systems and online social networks to promote safe driving behavior. Methods: Using a combination of intention (from the Theory of Planned Behavior) and habit, agent-based modeling was used to predict the spread of safe driving behavior through an online social network after the implementation of a feedback system Results: The initial conditions of the social network (e.g., the number of agents to initially engage in safe driving behavior and the number of opinion leaders who use the feedback system), as well as the threshold used to determine intention drive safely had a significant effect on the final number of agents to engage in safe driving behavior. Conclusion: Agent-based modeling suggests that leveraging the power of feedback systems and social networks can lead to a positive change in teenage driving behavior. Application: Agent-based modeling can be a viable tool in predicting teenage driver behavior given the correct choice of parameters. Language: en
Household Archeology: Testing Models of Zonal Complementarity in the South Central Andes

Defining ethnicity in archeological settlements is a major methodological problem in the South Central Andes. In this region, pre-Hispanic political and economic organization has been understood within the theoretical framework known as zonal complementarity or verticality. Due to a process of direct colonization by independent polities in key ecological zones, these models are characterized by a striking regional ethnic heterogeneity in space and time. The use of the household as an analytical unit is proposed as the most successful means of defining ethnically distinct populations in pre-Hispanic contexts. This methodology is applied to Late Intermediate period (ca. A.D. 1000–1475) sites in the Osmore Drainage of southern Peru. Two domestic architectural types are defined that are hypothesized to correspond to ethnically distinct groups. Excavation data are analyzed to further differentiate these household types and provide a framework for addressing the dynamics of pre-Hispanic cultural process in the South Central Andes.
Operational Modes of Chromatographic Separation Processes

An overview of the three major operational modes of chromatography ― frontal, elution and displacement ― is presented with emphasis on their application to the preparative purification of biopolymers. The theoretical basis of the techniques is discussed and some of their features are illustrated with the help of computer simulated chromatograms
On the convergence of a clustering algorithm for protein-coding regions in microbial genomes

Motivation: As the number of fully sequenced prokaryotic genomes continues to grow rapidly, computational methods for reliably detecting protein-coding regions become even more important. Audic and Claverie (1998) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 95, 10026–10031, have proposed a clustering algorithm for protein-coding regions in microbial genomes. The algorithm is based on three Markov models of order k associated with subsequences extracted from a given genome. The parameters of the three Markov models are recursively updated by the algorithm which, in simulations, always appear to converge to a unique stable partition of the genome. The partition corresponds to three kinds of regions: (1) coding on the direct strand, (2) coding on the complementary strand, (3) non-coding. Results: Here we provide an explanation for the convergence of the algorithm by observing that it is essentially a form of the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm applied to the corresponding mixture model. We also provide a partial justification for the uniqueness of the partition based on identifiability. Other possible variations and improvements are briefly discussed.
Decrease in airway mucous gene expression caused by treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor α in a murine model of allergic asthma

Background Mucous hypersecretion increases asthma morbidity and mortality. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels are elevated in bronchoalveolar fluid, sputum, and monocyte membranes in some patients with asthma. Anti-TNF-α decreased asthma exacerbations and improved forced expiratory volume in 1 second in these patients. Whether anti-TNF-α reduces mucous cell metaplasia or hyperplasia has not been evaluated. Objective To investigate the role of anti-TNF-α in mucous hypersecretion. Methods BALB/c mice sensitized intraperitoneally and challenged intratracheally with ovalbumin were treated with 250 μg of anti-TNF-α before ovalbumin sensitization and challenge or before only ovalbumin challenge. Control groups were sham treated. The tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) mice (TNFR−/− and TNFR+/+) were identically sensitized and challenged. Seventy-two hours after the final challenge, the airway pressure time index (APTI), which measures airway hyperresponsiveness, was recorded. Mucous cell metaplasia was accessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for MUC-5AC (the epithelial cell mucous-inducing gene) and the percentage of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining of bronchial epithelial cells. A human airway cell line (constitutively expressing MUC-5AC ) was pretreated with a NF-κB inhibitor before TNF-α culture. Results The mean (SE) fold change of MUC-5AC expression (compared with naive controls), the percentage of PAS-positive bronchiole epithelial cells, and the APTI decreased in BALB/c mice treated with anti-TNF-α before sensitization and challenge (4.9 [1.14], P = .007; 28.9% [6.8%], P 2 O/s, P P = .03; 43.6% [10.7%], P = .009; and 896.8 [81.23] cm H 2 O/s, P = .06, respectively) compared with sham-treated mice (20.9 [3.9], 82.4% [1.8%], and 1,055 [30.6] cm H 2 O/s, respectively). MUC-5AC expression decreased in ovalbumin sensitized or challenged TNFR−/− (2.41 [0.4]) compared with ovalbumin sensitized or challenged TNFR+/+ mice (18.4 [2.5], P MUC-5AC expression in human airway culture significantly decreased with pretreatment of a NF-κB inhibitor. Conclusions Anti-TNF-α treatment reduces airway mucous cell metaplasia in a mouse model of asthma, which may in part underlie its beneficial effect as asthma therapy.
The effects of previous hysterectomy on lupus

Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in United States, and currently, one in three women in United States has had a hysterectomy by the age of 60 years. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disease and especially targets women of childbearing age at least 10 times higher than men, which reflects the major role of female sex hormones. In this retrospective study, we evaluate the potential effects of previous hysterectomy in our lupus cohort. Data collected from study subject questionnaires were obtained from the Lupus Family Registry and Repository (LFRR) at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Hysterectomy data were available from 3389 subjects. SLE patients with a positive history of hysterectomy have been selected and compared with matched lupus patients with a negative history of hysterectomy and healthy controls. Association analyses were performed, and the P values and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. SLE patients with a negative history of hysterectomy more likely had kidney nephritis or positive anti-dsDNA than age-matched SLE patients with a history of hysterectomy before disease onset. This effect was independent of ethnicity with an OR of 6.66 (95% CI = 3.09-14.38, P = 1.00 x 10(-8)) in European patients and 2.74 (95% CI = 1.43-5.25, P = 0.001) in African-Americans. SLE patients with a positive history of hysterectomy before disease onset also had a later age of disease onset (P = 0.0001) after adjustment for age and race. Our findings support the notion that the influence of female sex hormones in SLE and various clinical findings are tremendous and that surgical menopause such as this could significantly affect the outcome of disease and clinical manifestations.
Professional Preparation: A Course That Successfully Teaches Needed Skills Using Different Pedagogical Techniques

To bridge a gap we perceive to exist between the traditionally educated engineer, who is skilled primarily in high tech, and the broader trained engineer being called for by industry, we have developed a senior level course entitled Professional Preparation. This course is built around a group design project, but also includes exposure to a wide variety of needed skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, ethics, writing to learn, producing documentation and making oral and written reports. Student and employer reaction to the course is uniformly enthusiastic. Data collected from a survey of over 400 of our graduates shows a marked difference in their perception of the importance of and their educational preparation in specific skills with additional differences between those who took this course and those who did not.
Heme oxygenase-1 deletion affects stress erythropoiesis.

Background Homeostatic erythropoiesis leads to the formation of mature red blood cells under non-stress conditions, and the production of new erythrocytes occurs as the need arises. In response to environmental stimuli, such as bone marrow transplantation, myelosuppression, or anemia, erythroid progenitors proliferate rapidly in a process referred to as stress erythropoiesis. We have previously demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) deficiency leads to disrupted stress hematopoiesis. Here, we describe the specific effects of HO-1 deficiency on stress erythropoiesis. Methodology/Principal Findings We used a transplant model to induce stress conditions. In irradiated recipients that received hmox+/− or hmox+/+ bone marrow cells, we evaluated (i) the erythrocyte parameters in the peripheral blood; (ii) the staining intensity of CD71-, Ter119-, and CD49d-specific surface markers during erythroblast differentiation; (iii) the patterns of histological iron staining; and (iv) the number of Mac-1+-cells expressing TNF-α. In the spleens of mice that received hmox+/− cells, we show (i) decreases in the proerythroblast, basophilic, and polychromatophilic erythroblast populations; (ii) increases in the insoluble iron levels and decreases in the soluble iron levels; (iii) increased numbers of Mac-1+-cells expressing TNF-α; and (iv) decreased levels of CD49d expression in the basophilic and polychromatophilic erythroblast populations. Conclusions/Significance As reflected by effects on secreted and cell surface proteins, HO-1 deletion likely affects stress erythropoiesis through the retention of erythroblasts in the erythroblastic islands of the spleen. Thus, HO-1 may serve as a therapeutic target for controlling erythropoiesis, and the dysregulation of HO-1 may be a predisposing condition for hematologic diseases.
Hydronephrosis as a prognostic indicator in bladder cancer patients.

AbstractPurpose: Pathological stage is the standard measure of prognosis in patients who have undergone radical cystectomy for bladder cancer. Despite the development of new imaging techniques, clinical staging for bladder cancer continues to be inaccurate. We investigated whether the presence of unilateral or bilateral upper tract obstruction could accurately predict advanced cancer stage (extravesical extension, stage greater than p3b or N+).Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 415 patients diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who were treated with radical cystectomy between 1983 and 1993 was conducted. All patients were followed for survival. The criteria for analysis included hydronephrosis status (no obstruction, unilateral, bilateral) as well as pathological stage of the tumor.Results: Of 415 patients 72% presented with no, 22.7% unilateral and 5.3% bilateral obstruction. Our results showed a significant correlation between hydronephrosis and advanced cancer stage (p ...
Using EMR to improve compliance with clinical practice guidelines for management of stable COPD.

Abstract Background Clinical practice guidelines are underutilized in the outpatient management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesize that a structured approach using the electronic medical record (EMR) will improve compliance with clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and management of patients with stable COPD. Methods Clinical records were evaluated in a pre- and post-intervention analysis of patients with COPD seen in our pulmonary clinics at a single tertiary care academic setting. Patient charts were retrospectively screened for the diagnosis of COPD and individually assessed for a diagnosis of COPD by spirometry. We then developed and implemented a COPD Flowsheet based on clinical practice guidelines into each outpatient clinic encounter for COPD with repeat chart review of clinic patients. Improvement in the pre- to post-intervention quality metrics were compared using t-test and Chi squared as indicated. A p-value of Results A total of 200 patients were screened in the pre-intervention period and 347 in the post-intervention period. Of these, 144 (72%) and 267 (77%) met criteria for COPD based on FEV 1 /FVC Conclusions Implementation of a standardized COPD Flowsheet developed from clinical practice guidelines improves advanced assessment of patients with COPD and other quality of care measures.
Economic Conditions And The SECs Enforcement Process

This study analyzes enforcement activities of the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) in conjunction with changes in economic conditions. Neoclassical regulatory theorists argue that regulators are pro-business during periods of economic downturn. However, within the securities market and the regulated reporting environments violations tend to increase during contraction periods. Therefore, more intense enforcement activities seem appropriate during such periods. The intensity of SEC enforcement activities, subject to economic conditions, is examined based on the number of litigation releases issued by the Commission over a twenty year (1972-1991) period. The test of regulatory behavior revealed that enforcement activities are more intense during economic downturns. Thus the theory that regulators exhibit pro-business behavior during economic contraction is not supported by the results of this study.
Evolving concepts of psychopathology in inflammatory bowel disease: Implications for Treatment

The role of psychiatric factors in inflammatory bowel disease has been increasingly relegated, according to Aronowitz and Spiro, to "patient's illness, but not to disease, to therapy, but not to etiology, to symptoms, but not to pathology, and finally to the course of the disease, but not to its cause." This is not surprising in view of the fact that to attribute psychological factors to an illness is seen by the patient and physician alike as an attempt to "blame the victim." As a result, there has been a concerted effort in the past two decades in the field to replace the seemingly archaic, developmental, romantic psychoanalytic concepts of causation with more "enlightened," "scientific" paradigms of psychoneuroimmunology and psychiatric comorbidity. Despite major advances in the biomedical understanding of inflammatory bowel disease and its treatment, however, the essential questions about the complex relationship between emotional and physical symptoms remain a source of frustration both to the patient and to the treating physician in the management of the chronic diseases of the bowel. Thus, early assumptions of a psychogenic basis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease may have been imprecise, but the genuine contributions of investigators such as Alexander, Karush, and Engels ought not to be cast aside completely. Experience with the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease shows that attention to psychiatric comorbidity, quality of adaptation to illness, and the patient-physician relationship are essential components of a comprehensive, successful approach to these chronic illnesses.
Fat Content of the Larval Diet as a Factor Influencing Diapause and Growth-Rate of the Pink Bollworm

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), was reared on purified casein diets containing 0.25, 0.50, 1.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0% fat, respectively. The fat was supplied to the diets in the form of corn oil. Life history records indicated the incidence of diapause increased with the fat content of the diet. Diets containing 0.25% fat apparently did not satisfy the minimum requirements of the pink bollworm since many of the individuals produced were partially devoid of body scales, had crimped, twisted wings and were not able completely to escape the pupal case. An increase in fat content above 0.5% resulted in a concomitant increase in the duration of the immature stages and a reduction in pupal weight.
Automatic Analysis for Sugars by Liquid Chromatography

A quantitative determination by a simple detection system for carbohydrates with elution chromatography was developed. This method depends upon the detection of ultraviolet absorbing chromophere, with absorption maximum in the 260-270 mμ region, produced by heating the carbohydrates in the eluent solution without reagent. In the product from fructose, the existence of furfural and formic acid was confirmed . The heating condition and eluant buffer (conc., pH) affected the intensity of ultraviolet absorption produced. Under the condition of heating below 190°C and shorter than 20 min, the greater efficiency was obtained at higher temperature and longer period . Higher concentration and neutral pH of borate buffer were more effective . The molar absorption coefficient at 260 mp of mono- and oligosaccharides heated in a solution of 0.8 M borate buffer pH 7.0 for 9.5 min at 190°C was 500-3000 . The coefficient of variation of this method was less than 3.5%. A heating period was obtained by adjusting the diameter and length of teflon tube connected with the chromatographic column. In order to decrease the extra column effect, it was effective to decrease the diameter of tube (0.5 mm) and heating period, and increase the heating temperature . Several examples for mono- and oligosaccharides and oligodextrines were shown.
Zebrafish as a model system for the study of hemostasis and thrombosis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although the zebrafish has been established as a research tool over the past two to three decades, in hematology it has primarily been used to investigate areas distinct from coagulation. The advantages of this vertebrate model include high fecundity, rapid and external development, and conservation of virtually all clotting factors in the zebrafish genomic sequence. Here, we summarize the growing application of this technology to the study of hemostasis and thrombosis. RECENT FINDINGS Loss of function studies have demonstrated conservation of function for a number of zebrafish coagulation factors. These include positive and negative regulators of coagulation, as well as key components of the thrombus itself, such as von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, and thrombocytes. Such analyses have also been leveraged to aid in the understanding of human variation and disease, as well as to perform in-vivo structure/function experiments. SUMMARY The zebrafish is an organism that lends itself to a number of unique and powerful approaches not possible in mammals. This review demonstrates that there is a high degree of genetic and functional conservation of coagulation, portending future insights into hemostasis and thrombosis through the use of this model.
What are Social Mechanisms

During the past decade,social mechanisms have become one of the central issues in the philosophy of social science,and relevant research has witnessed significant advancements.However,the question of what exactly constitutes social mechanisms has not reached much consensus,and there is no shortage of conflicting views.Based on a survey of mechanism-based social science research,five characteristics of social mechanisms can be identified:(1) Social mechanisms are means for explanation.(2) Social mechanisms entail causality.(3) Social mechanisms are a response to,revision of,and refutation of covering laws in social sciences.(4) Social mechanisms have multiple levels.(5) Social mechanisms welcome conceptualizations and analyses of temporality.
Anlysis of enterotoxin genotype of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from food

Objective:To detect the enterotoxin genes(SEA-SEJ) in different Staphylococcus aureus isolates from the sampls of raw milk and the other food.To compare the positive rate and genotypes between that of isolates from the sampls of raw milk and the other food.Methods:The Staphylococccus aureus isolates were separated from samples.The enterotoxin genes were detected with PCR.The data of genotype were analyzed with statistics.Resules:The positive rate of the enterotoxin gene in isolates was 67.5%.The positive rate of enterotoxin gene of raw milk isolate was almost the same as that of food except raw milk.But the positive rates of new enterotoxin genotype in isolates from raw milk was higher than that in isolates from food except raw milk.Conclusion:The positive rate of the Staphylococccal enterotoxin genes in food isolates was high.The enterotoxin genotype of isolated from raw milk is different fromthat of food except raw milk.