cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tumor necrosis factor α expression and protein levels after fluid percussion injury in rats: The effect of injury severity and brain temperature

Objective Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is elevated in some models of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, it is unclear how TNFalpha messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression and protein levels are affected by injury severity and posttraumatic temperature modification. This study determined the regional and temporal profile of TNFalpha levels after moderate and severe TBI and assessed the effects of posttraumatic hypothermia or hyperthermia on this proinflammatory cytokine. Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to sham procedures (no injury), moderate fluid-percussion TBI (1.8-2.2 atm), or severe fluid-percussion TBI (2.4-2.6 atm). After 1 to 72 hours of survival, animals were killed, and brain samples, cerebrospinal fluid, and serum were harvested for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay quantification of TNFalpha levels. In a subsequent study, a 3-hour period of posttraumatic hypothermia (33 degrees C) or hyperthermia (39.5 degrees C) was applied, followed by immediate killing and cytokine assay. Another group was subjected to moderate TBI (1.8-2.2 atm), followed by killing at 15 minutes or at 1, 3, or 24 hours for TNFalpha reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results A significant increase in TNFalpha mRNA and protein levels in cellular lysates of injured cortex and ipsilateral hippocampus was noted by 1 hour after TBI; it was sustained to 3 hours, followed by a rapid decline. Increased injury severity was associated with increased protein levels at remote injury sites and in the injured cerebral cortex at 72 hours. Posttraumatic hypothermia significantly reduced TNFalpha mRNA expression in the hippocampus compared with that in normothermic rats. In contrast, no temperature effects on TNFalpha protein levels were documented. Conclusion Rapid and marked increase in TNFalpha mRNA expression and protein levels follows moderate and severe TBI. Injury severity and posttraumatic temperature play a modest but significant role on TNFalpha expression and protein levels. These findings suggest that the effects of posttraumatic temperature on histopathological and behavioral outcome primarily may involve secondary mediators that do not operate directly through their effect on TNFalpha.
Life Assessment of Hot Reheat Steam Pipe

A methodology for assessing the remaining life of hot reheat steam pipe with longitudinal flaws, such as those typically associated with the longitudinal seam welds, has been developed. The approach uses three levels of analysis. Level 1 employs handbook data, assumed flaw sizes, and design parameters. Level 2 employs handbook data, assumed flaw sizes, and actual operating parameters. Level 3 is tailored to a specific case and uses measured data, inspection results, and actual operating parameters. A computer code was developed to apply this approach to hot reheat steam pipe of 2-1/4Cr-1Mo and 1-1/4Cr-1/2Mo-Si steel. Using data from an EPRI survey (RP2596-7), the results of Level 1 analysis were found to predict the potential for creep damage and fracture and to correlate well with past experience, whereas the traditional lower-bound Larson-Miller approach was generally overly optimistic in predicting remaining service life. The approach predicts creep-crack-growth life and assesses the potential of rapid, unstable fracture occurring before a significant amount of leaking takes place. The usefulness of the methodology is illustrated by means of example analyses of a typical cases that might be expected in service. The parameters that were varied in these analyses include type of material (base metal or weld metal), pressure, temperature, pipe wall thickness, and initial flaw size. The approach provides a preliminary tool to help make inspection, operating, and replacement decisions; but additional work is required to validate it as a general tool.
Naturally Occurring Polyploidy in the Development of Some Species of Allium

SUMMARY1. The role of polyploidy in the development of seventeen species of Allium was studied. It was determined that the time of occurrence of the tetraploid divisions could be correlated with the renewal of growth of the first leaf the seedling following germination.2. In section I of the genus, leaf initiation and tetraploid divisions were found to occur when the seedlings were ten to twelve millimeters long. The tetraploid divisions, however, were never very numerous.3. All the species studied belonging to section II with the exception of A. tanguticum and A. caeruleum followed the same developmental pattern as A. cepa reported in 1946 by Berger and Witkus. In its development A. tanguticum follows the nutans pattern of section III. The development of A. caeruleum was more similar to that of A. tanguticum than to the other species belonging to section II that were studied.4. In studying the development of species belonging to section III, it was noted that the section could be divided into two subgrou...
Suppression during binocular fusion of complex targets

Forced-choice form recognition thresholds were obtained for both eyes concurrently during fusion of targets varying in contour density. For targets with many contours, decrements in recognition were found which were consistent with the assumption that suppression during fusion occurs when the targets have complex configurations. The results support a modified form of the suppression theory.
Effects of antenna element bandwidth on adaptive array performance

The effects of individual antenna element bandwidth on the performance of adaptive arrays is studied when the incident interfering signals are wide-band signals. For these signal scenarios, as expected, the antenna element response over the bandwidth of the system plays an important role. If the individual antenna elements are dispersive, then the mutual coupling between array elements leads to dissimilar and dispersive channels in an adaptive array. This in turn leads to degradation in the performance of the adaptive array in that the adaptive array has to use more degrees of freedom to null a strong wide-band interfering signal. It is shown that by using wide-band antenna elements, one can significantly improve the performance of an adaptive array.
Reduction of Trimethylamine Oxide to Trimethylamine by Mobiluncus Strains Isolated from Patients with Bacterial Vaginosis

The reduction of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) to trimethylamine (TMA) by bacteria is the main source of the unpleasant odour of rotting fish. The presence of TMA in the vaginal discharges of patients with Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) has been correlated with the unpleasant ‘fishy’ odour associated with this condition. Gardnerella spp., Mobiluncus spp., and Bacteroides spp. are found in the vaginal discharge of women with BV in much larger numbers than in asymptomatic women. Three strains of mobiluncus were isolated from clinical cases of BV and all reduced TMAO to TMA. Some also produced smaller amounts ofTMA from choline. Gardnerella spp. and Bacteroides spp. isolated from BV did not reduce TMAO to TMA. One bacteroides isolate reduced choline to TMA. None of the isolates produced TMA from betaine, histidine or arginine. Both the growth rate and yield of mobiluncus were stimulated by the addition of TMAO to the complex medium required by the organism. TMAO was converted quantitatively to TMA, which was not further metabolised. Cytochromes were detected in Mobiluncus spp., but their role in the reduction of TMAO to TMA (if any) was not determined. Keywords: Mobiluncus; Trimethylamine oxide reduction; Trimethylamine.
TUITION WAIVER PLANS FOR OLDER AMERICANS IN POSTSECONDARY PUBLIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

This article reports the results of a national survey of tuition waiver plans for older Americans in American postsecondary public education institutions designed to answer four questions. Those questions are: (1) Which states have made legal provisions for either free or reduced tuitions for older adults? (2) In which states have state higher education systems adopted tuition waiver policies for older adults? (3) In which states have individual public postsecondary education institutions adopted tuition waiver policies? (4) What are the basic provisions of the laws and policies adopted concerning tuition waiver policies? The data generated by the survey reveal that some kind of tuition waiver provision has been made in public higher education institutions in at least 43 states and the District of Columbia. The exact provisions of the tuition waiver programs vary among the several states. In most states the reduced or waived tuition option is available only on a space available basis. In most states where...
Directed assembly and reactivity of olefins within a one-dimensional ladder-like coordination polymer based on a dinuclear Zn(II) platform

A ladder-like coordination polymer involving a dinuclear Zn Schiff-base complex possesses organic linkers that undergo [2 + 2] photodimerisation in the solid state.
The Coriell personalized medicine collaborative pharmacogenomics appraisal, evidence scoring and interpretation system

Implementation of pharmacogenomics (PGx) in clinical care can lead to improved drug efficacy and reduced adverse drug reactions. However, there has been a lag in adoption of PGx tests in clinical practice. This is due in part to a paucity of rigorous systems for translating published clinical and scientific data into standardized diagnostic tests with clear therapeutic recommendations. Here we describe the Pharmacogenomics Appraisal, Evidence Scoring and Interpretation System (PhAESIS), developed as part of the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative research study, and its application to seven commonly prescribed drugs.
Impact of a Three-year Worksite Wellness Program on Employee Blood Lipid Levels

Worksite wellness programs can be used to implement interventions aimed at addressing current rates of obesity and related chronic disease and their associated health care costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a worksite wellness program on blood lipid levels among employees at a rural manufacturing plant in Northern California. Pre to post changes were analyzed using paired sample ttests. Demographic data collected as part of a subsequent nutrition education component of the program indicated that the employees were mostly male (88%) and Caucasian (71%), with a mean age of 47 ± 9 years. Forty-seven percent of the subjects were overweight and 38% obese. Following the three-year worksite wellness program, subjects’ total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels decreased, while their HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly. These results suggest that long-term worksite wellness programs can improve employee health outcomes.
Conditional Deletion of PTEN in Peripheral T Cells Augments TCR-Mediated Activation but Does Not Abrogate CD28 Dependency or Prevent Anergy Induction

PTEN is thought to play a critical role in T cell activation by negatively regulating the PI3K signaling pathway important for cellular activation, growth, and proliferation. To directly eliminate PTEN in postthymic T cells for studies of functional effects, we used CAR transgenic × PTEN(flox/flox) mice, which enabled gene deletion using a Cre adenovirus in vitro. These mice were also immunized to generate stable Th1 clones that could have PTEN deleted when desired. PTEN-deleted T cells exhibited enhanced IL-2 production, proliferation, and Akt phosphorylation upon TCR/CD28 engagement, whereas T cell survival was not potentiated. Gene expression profiling revealed a small subset of induced genes that were augmented upon PTEN deletion. However, PTEN-deficient T cells still required CD28 costimulation for IL-2 production and remained susceptible to anti-CD3-induced anergy. The absence of PTEN within the CD8 T cell compartment led to markedly increased cytolytic activity following an allogeneic MLR in vitro, without increasing autologous MLR activity. Our results indicate that deletion of PTEN can augment the activation of postthymic T cells but does not mediate CD28 independence or anergy resistance. Nonetheless, PTEN inhibition may be a viable target for immune potentiation owing to increased cytokine production by activated CD4(+) cells and increased cytotoxicity by CD8(+) T cells.
A new genus and species of Baissidae in Late Cretaceous amber from New Jersey (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea)

The extinct Mesozoic wasp family Baissidae is described from Late Cretaceous amber for the first time. Electrobaissa omega Engel, new genus and species, is described from an isolated male preserved in Turonian amber from New Jersey, and represents the latest occurrence of the family in the Mesozoic.
Genome sequences of four Acinetobacter baumannii- A. calcoaceticus complex isolates from combat-related infections sustained in the Middle East

Acinetobacter baumannii is among the most prevalent bacterial causes of combat-related infections on the battlefield. Antibiotic resistance and a poor understanding of the protective host immune responses make treatment difficult. Here, we report the genome sequences of four clinical Acinetobacter baumannii-A. calcoaceticus complex isolates exhibiting significant differences in virulence in a mouse sepsis model.
Short-term memory processes following closed head injury

Survivors of severe closed head injury (CHI) were compared with neurologically normal matched controls on measures of short-term memory processes. The results indicate that patients with CHI took longer to scan their short-term memory than controls, and this increased disproportionately as the memory load increased. The number of errors made in scanning short-term memory increased for patients with CHI, suggesting inefficient as well as slow scanning. These differences were present despite equivalent memory span between groups. The results of this study have implications for day to day memory processes that require manipulation of information in short-term memory.
The effects of mobility coalescence on the evolution of surface atomic clusters

A numerical study of the effects of cluster mobility on the clustering kinetics during deposition of atoms on a substrate surface is presented. The pertinent rate equations are solved by a two-group approach of using discrete equations for small clusters and moment equations for large ones. The study is restricted to systems where the critical nucleus is a monomer (e.g. Ag/NaCl at low temperatures). It is shown that if small clusters are fairly mobile their population will quickly be depleted, resulting in an overall reduction of the total cluster density. Cluster mobility coalescence reduces the concentration and increases the growth of surface atomic clusters. The effects of cluster mobility coalescence are analyzed in terms of two mobility models: (1) where only small clusters, here up to dimers, are mobile, and (2) where all clusters are mobile with a diffusion coefficient given by size power law. Results of the analysis are presented for the total density of surface atomic clusters and their size distributions.
A Stabilizing, High-Performance Controller for Input Series-Output Parallel Converters

A form of sensorless current mode (SCM) control stabilizes sharing in multiphase input-series-output-parallel (ISOP) dc-dc converter topologies. Previously, ISOP converters have been proposed to reduce the voltage and current ratings of switching devices. Since the inputs are all connected in series, each phase need only be rated for a fraction of the total input voltage. Voltage and current sharing are key - if there is any phase-to-phase imbalance, the system benefits are substantially reduced. In the present work, a simple SCM controller is shown to guarantee stable sharing. Each phase acts independently on the same output reference and desired input voltage. The algorithm and the physics of the circuit lead to balanced input voltages and output currents, even during transients. The ISOP topology is a special case of an interleaved multiphase system. A reduced-order small-signal model is presented. The model is composed of two factors, a single-phase equivalent and a multidelay comb filter. The model fits a measured transfer function well and can be used in feedback design. Experimental results for a five-phase converter demonstrate fast response to a load step, line disturbance rejection, accurate static and dynamic sharing, and high efficiency.
The effect of sodium fluoride, edeine, and cycloheximide on peptide synthesis with reticulocyte ribosomes.

Our purpose in studying antibiotics and other inhibitors of protein synthesis has been to use these compounds to elucidate and characterize reaction mechanisms. The followng discussion is limited to three compounds, sodium fluoride, edeine, and cycloheximide, that have related but dissimilar effects on peptide initiation. Portions of the material presented were published previously (1, 2, 5).
Effects of Phospholipids on the Conformation of Chicken High Density Lipoprotein

Abstract Apolipoprotein A-I (apo-A-I), the major protein component of chicken high density lipoprotein (HDL), was isolated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography from the lipoprotein fraction of plasma. The apo-A-I was identified from its amino acid composition and molecular weight (by electrophoresis). The isolated protein contained 15% lipid, in the form of neutral lipids and free fatty acids, as compared with 50% lipid, including phospholipid, in intact HDL. The conformation of the isolated protein, as determined from the circular dichroism spectrum, was essentially that of the protein in intact chicken HDL, and similar to that of human HDL. The addition of phospholipid had little effect on the spectrum of this protein. Total delipidation of the protein by extraction with ethanol-diethyl ether mixtures removed the residual lipid, thereby producing an apoprotein with decreased helical structure. The secondary structure of this apoprotein could be restored by the addition of phospholipid.
CT angiography predicts use of tertiary interventional services in acute ischemic stroke patients

Patients with acute stroke are often transferred to tertiary care centers for advanced interventional services. We hypothesized that the presence of a proximal cerebral artery occlusion on CT angiography (CTA) is an independent predictor of the use of these services. We performed a historical cohort study of consecutive ischemic stroke patients presenting within 24 h of symptom onset to an academic emergency department who underwent emergent CTA. Use of tertiary care interventions including intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis, mechanical clot retrieval, and neurosurgery were captured. During the study period, 207/290 (71%) of patients with acute ischemic stroke underwent emergent CTA. Of the patients, 74/207 (36%) showed evidence of a proximal cerebral artery occlusion, and 22/207 (11%) underwent an interventional procedure. Those with proximal occlusions were more likely to receive a neurointervention (26% vs. 2%, p < 0.001). They were more likely to undergo IA thrombolysis (9% vs. 0%, p = 0.001) or a mechanical intervention (19% vs. 0%, p < 0.0001), but not more likely to undergo neurosurgery (5% vs. 2%, p = 0.2). After controlling for the initial NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) score, proximal occlusion remained an independent predictor of the use of neurointerventional services (OR 8.5, 95% CI 2.2-33). Evidence of proximal occlusion on CTA predicted use of neurointervention with sensitivity of 82% (95% CI 59-94%), specificity of 71% (95% CI 64%-77%), positive predictive value (PPV) of 25% (95% CI 16%-37%), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 97% (95% CI 92%-99%). Proximal cerebral artery occlusion on CTA predicts the need for advanced neurointerventional services.
Time-critical rendering of irregular grids

Many papers have presented rendering techniques and simplification ideas with the objective of speeding up image generation for irregular grid data sets. For large data sets, however, even the current fastest algorithms are known to require seconds to generate each image, making real time analysis of such data sets very difficult, or even impossible, unless one has access to powerful and expensive computer hardware. In order to synthesize a system for handling very large data set analysis, we have assembled algorithms for rendering, simplification and triangulation, and added to them some optimizations. We have made some improvements on one of the best current algorithms for rendering irregular grids, and added to it some simple approximation methods in both image and object space, resulting in a system that achieves high frame rates, even on slow computers without any specific graphic hardware. The algorithm adapts itself to the time budget it has available for each image generation, using hierarchical representations of the mesh for faster delivery of images when transformations are imposed to the data. When given additional time, the algorithm generates finer images, obtaining the precise final image if given sufficient time. We were able to obtain frame rates of the order of 5 Hz for medium-sized data sets, which is about 20 times faster than previous rendering algorithms. With a trade-off between image accuracy and speed, similar frame rates can be achieved on different computers.
STUDIES ON THE LACTASE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI.

A "lactase solution" was prepared from Escherichia coli. The mechanism of its action has been studied and changes in the rate of hydrolysis under various conditions investigated. The hydrolysis of lactose by the enzyme approximates the course of reaction of the integrated Michaelis-Menten equation. One molecule of enzyme combines with one molecule of substrate. E. coli lactase is readily inactivated at pH 5.0, and its optimal activity at 36°C. is reached between pH 7.0 and pH 7.5. The optimal temperature for its action was found to be 46°C. when determinations were carried out after an incubation period of 30 minutes. Its inactivation by heat follows the course of a first order reaction, and the critical thermal increment between the temperatures of 45°C. and 53°C. was calculated to be 56,400 calories per mol. The enzyme is activated by potassium cyanide, sodium sulfide, and cysteine, and irreversibly inactivated by mercuric chloride, silver nitrate, and iodine. After inactivation with copper sulfate partial reactivation is possible, while the slight inhibition brought about by hydrogen peroxide is completely reversible. The possible structure of the active groups of E. coli lactase as compared with other enzymes has been discussed.
Helping your students learn "engineering-ese": Using the results of conceptual change research to inform your instruction

The purpose of this proposed mini-workshop is to connect our research in conceptual change [Collaborative research: Getting Engineers to Talk Across Disciplines, EEC 1129447] to instructional practice. Our research suggests that one potential indicator of students' conceptual understanding across several engineering disciplines is their use (or misuse) of language. During this mini-workshop participants will be able to read excerpts from interviews we conducted, discuss how to draw inferences about student learning from these interviews, and then brainstorm how they can be more explicit about the use of language in their classrooms.
Submission bias and the rise of open access journals.

Substantial growth continues to occur in open access publishing.1 This developing trend in medical literature comes with the potential to accelerate the spread of knowledge worldwide, create a more informed public and ultimately improve health care through the dissemination of knowledge. However, it also brings inherent challenges that must be considered to ensure established standards of research are upheld. In particular, standalone open access journals must gain credibility as reliable outlets of quality research. Standalone open access journals often times lack the foundation and resources of hybrid journals, which are linked to traditional subscriber based publications. Plastic surgeons should be aware of the nuances accompanying open access publishing in order to successfully shepherd this relatively …
Increasing brain angiotensin converting enzyme 2 activity decreases anxiety-like behavior in male mice by activating central Mas receptors

Over-activation of the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been implicated in the etiology of anxiety disorders. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibits RAS activity by converting angiotensin-II, the effector peptide of RAS, to angiotensin-(1-7), which activates the Mas receptor (MasR). Whether increasing brain ACE2 activity reduces anxiety by stimulating central MasR is unknown. To test the hypothesis that increasing brain ACE2 activity reduces anxiety-like behavior via central MasR stimulation, we generated male mice overexpressing ACE2 (ACE2 KI mice) and wild type littermate controls (WT). ACE2 KI mice explored the open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM) significantly more than WT, suggesting increasing ACE2 activity is anxiolytic. Central delivery of diminazene aceturate, an ACE2 activator, to C57BL/6 mice also reduced anxiety-like behavior in the EPM, but centrally administering ACE2 KI mice A-779, a MasR antagonist, abolished their anxiolytic phenotype, suggesting that ACE2 reduces anxiety-like behavior by activating central MasR. To identify the brain circuits mediating these effects, we measured Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, subsequent to EPM exposure and found that ACE2 KI mice had decreased Fos in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis but had increased Fos in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Within the BLA, we determined that ∼62% of GABAergic neurons contained MasR mRNA and expression of MasR mRNA was upregulated by ACE2 overexpression, suggesting that ACE2 may influence GABA neurotransmission within the BLA via MasR activation. Indeed, ACE2 overexpression was associated with increased frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (indicative of presynaptic release of GABA) onto BLA pyramidal neurons and central infusion of A-779 eliminated this effect. Collectively, these results suggest that ACE2 may reduce anxiety-like behavior by activating central MasR that facilitate GABA release onto pyramidal neurons within the BLA.
Web-Based Performance Benchmarking Data Collection and Preliminary Analysis for Drinking Water Utility

High-quality drinking water systems are essential to public health, business, and quality of life in the United States. Even though the current performance of these systems is moderate, the concern is about the future performance. Planning can be done for improvement once the current performance of utilities is evaluated, and areas with a scope of improvement are identified. Benchmarking and performance evaluation are key components in the process of continuous improvement of utility’s performance. There are many initiatives on performance benchmarking of utilities but a few of them focuses on one or few area of performance. There are a few initiatives which use subjective indicators. Additionally, consultants visit the utilities for performance evaluation. This paper documents the methodology, indicators and preliminary results of quantitative, comprehensive, and web-based performance benchmarking of ten drinking water utilities in seven key areas. The major contribution of this research is the creation of a database, and a web-based data collection and result display platform which is a part of WATERiD project. 55 Pipelines 2013 © ASCE 2013
Abstract 267: Histomorphometric Evaluation of Estrogen Effects on Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis: Inhibition of Plaque Formation, Reduction in Plaque Size and Promotion of Positive Remodeling Independent of Plaque Complications

Introduction: Whether and to what extent postmenopausal estrogen therapy has beneficial effects on progression of coronary artery atherosclerosis is controversial. In previous studies with monkey models we have shown that the stage of plaque progression modulates estrogen benefits and have led to the “timing hypothesis”. In this study, we used a histomorphometric approach to understand better the effects of estrogen therapy on critical components of atherosclerosis pathogenesis. Our hypothesis was that estrogen therapy would inhibit the initial development of atherosclerotic plaques, result in smaller but not less complicated plaques and among subjects that developed plaques, it would promote positive arterial remodeling. Methods: Forty-eight surgically postmenopausal monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were fed a moderately atherogenic diet and randomly assigned to receive no treatment (CTL) or a women’s equivalent dose of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) (0.45 mg/day). The experimental period lasted for 20 months (equivalent to 5 years in humans). At the end of the experiment, prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques was determined. From those monkeys with affected arteries, plaque extent, severity and prevalence of stenosis were determined. Results: Prevalence: The CEE treated group had significantly fewer monkeys with coronary artery atherosclerosis compared to the CTL group (CTL: 57 % vs. CEE: 33 % p=0.005). Extent: Among affected monkeys, the mean plaque size was significantly smaller in the CEE treated group compared to the CTL group (CTL: 0.30 ± 0.048 mm2 vs. CEE: 0.153 ± 0.028 mm2 p=0.015). Remodeling: The proportion of stenotic plaques was lower in the CEE group compared to the CTL group (CTL: 11.14 % vs. CEE: 1.34 % p= 0.008). Severity: CEE treatment did not have a beneficial effect on coronary artery severity (% of complicated [AHA grade≥ III] plaques- CTL: 52.34 % vs. 49.61 %, p=0.397). Conclusions: These histomorphometric findings support previous evidence that beginning of estrogen therapy in the perimenopausal transition prevents plaque initiation. Among affected cases, estrogen treated monkeys had smaller plaques but were equally complicated. Notably, estrogen also promoted positive arterial remodeling among affected arteries.
Electrophilic Sulfuric Acid Ester Metabolites of Hydroxy-Methyl Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Precursors of Hepatic Benzylic DNA Adducts in Vivo

In recent years work in our laboratory has identified the principal ultimate electrophilic and carcinogenic metabolites formed in vivo in mouse liver from several classes of chemical carcinogens, especially in relation to DNA adduct and hepatoma formation. These carcinogens comprised several naturally occuring alkenylbenzenes and their proximate carcinogenic l’-hydroxy metabolites (Boberg et al., 1983; Wiseman et al., 1987), the synthetic alkyne, l’-hydroxy-2’,3-’dehydroestragole (Fennell et al., 1985); 4-aminoazobenzene and its proximate carcinogenic metabolite, N-hydroxy-4aminoazobenzene (Delclos et al., 1986), and 2-acetylamino-fluorene (Lai et al., 1985, 1987, 1988). In each of these cases, the ultimate reactive carcinogen leading to DNA adduct formation and hepatoma formation appears to be an electrophilic sulfuric acid ester generated by one or more 3’-phospho-adenosine-5’-phosphosulfate (PAPS)-dependent sulfotransferase activities in the liver cytosol. It appears possible from the work of others that the carcinogenic activity of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (Kedderis et al., 1984; Chism and Rickert, 1989), certain nitrosamine derivatives (Sterzel and Eisenbrand, 1986; Kokkinakis et al., 1986; Kroeger-Koepke et al., 1989), and certain drugs with 13-aminoalcohol moiety such as pronethalol (Bicker and Fischer, 1974) may also involve sulfuric acid ester metabolites. The oncogenic purine derivative, 3-hydroxyxanthine has also been thought to be activated by sulfotransferase activity (Stohrer et al., 1972; Anderson et al., 1978).
The Great Recession and the Use of Fund Balances in North Carolina Counties

This chapter examines the determinants of local fund balances and the effects of the fund balances on stabilizing local spending and maintaining the continued provision of public services across business cycles. The empirical results show that fund balances appear to have played a countercyclical role in North Carolina counties during the Great Recession, but not during previous recessions. Over the years, these local governments may have improved their fiscal capacity in using fund balances for dealing with economic downturns.
Sentinel surveillance of AIDS among floating population in Shaoxing,Zhejiang,2012

Objective To understand the awareness of AIDS knowledge and related factors,prevalence of risk behaviors and infection status of HIV,syphilis and HCV among floating population in Shaoxing,Zhejiang province,and provide evidence for the development of local AIDS prevention and control strategies.Methods According to the national AIDS sentinel surveillance protocol(2012 edition),the questionnaire survey and serological detection were conducted among floating population in Yuecheng,Zhuji and Shangyu.Results Totally 1200 people were surveyed and blood samples were collected from them in 2012.The HIV,syphilis and HCV positive rates were 0.08%,0.17% and 0.83%,respectively;the awareness rate of AIDS was 88.92%,but the awareness rate of "whether mosquito can transmit HIV or not "was only 68.58%,the proportion of those having sex with regular partners,commercial sex and sex with temporary partners during the past year was 10.60%,25.35% and 31.58% respectively.The awareness rate of AIDS knowledge was low among those who were older,had short residence time in Shaoxing and had less condom use.Conclusion The awareness rate of the non-transmission route of AIDS and the prevalence of protected sex were low among the floating population in Shaoxing.Age and residence time were the key factors which influenced the awareness of AIDS knowledge among the floating population in Shaoxing.
Uptake of 3 H-thymidine during artificial feeding of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks infected with Theileria parva.

Summary Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks infected with Theileria parva were fed on rabbits for 2 days, followed by 2 days on capillary tubes of precolostral calf serum (PCS) labelled with 3H-thymidine. The ticks’ mouth parts were washed with PCS and they were then allowed to feed on clean PCS for 3 hr. The feed pools from groups of 10 ticks were passed through 0·45 μm. Millipore filters, which were then washed, dried and counted in a liquid scintillation counter. Filters prepared from the feed pools of infected ticks gave significantly higher counts than filters prepared from the feed pools of uninfected ticks. It is suggested that these higher counts may indicate the presence of labelled infective particles of the parasite.
Can nutrition be packaged and sold? The contradictions of a development policy debate

Abstract Within the global nutrition policy community, there is an intense debate regarding the role of the private sector. Private sector advocates argue that market-based approaches and public–private partnerships can deliver nutrition in ways that are scalable, measurable, and sustainable. To support their position, advocates draw on two logics: ‘medicalization’, a focus on discrete food treatments and their scientific evaluation; and ‘marketization’, an assertion that businesses provide sustainable solutions and that poor people should purchase nutrition through markets. Opponents have countered that medicalization and marketization largely serve private interests and distract from the underlying social and political causes of undernutrition. Yet, rather than providing a coherent policy project, medicalization and marketization lead to contradictions when they are put into practice. Two examples of market-based distribution of nutrition products highlight how these projects can fail to achieve their goal of reducing undernutrition while creating commercially-viable business models. Recognizing the contradictions within and between medicalization and marketization allows for a better understanding of the policy process in global nutrition, and draws attention to the strategies through which actors seek to stabilize policy agendas. Researchers and practitioners can use these contradictions to highlight alternative approaches that address the social causes of undernutrition.
Creativity Research and Koestler

This section provides an overview of research on creativity in mathematics education: Koestler’s understanding of creativity, the role of creativity with mathematics students, especially those who do not view themselves as gifted and a discussion on the how to support a creative learning environment within the mathematics classroom.
Recording, Automated Detection, and Quantification of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Patterns During Human REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) patterns during sleep stage 1-REM have attracted the attention of the scientific and clinical community ever since the re-discovery of REM sleep by Aserinsky and Kleitman in 1953. Besides being the sign for the REM sleep stage, REM patterns have been associated with the imagery of dreams (Dement and Kleitman 1957; Roffwarg et al. 1962) as well as with the general psychophysiological state of the human organism. The arrangement of REMs into bursts, and the gradual, on the average, increase in the number of REMs and in the number of REM bursts during the successive REM sleep periods through the night are considered signs of normalcy, while poorly defined REM bursts and lack of REM profusion may be indicative of a pathological process (Barros-Ferreira and Bedoret 1972; Salzarulo et al. 1973; Benoit et al. 1974). Sleep REM density measures (number of REMs/unit of time) have been utilized for diagnosis and prognosis purposes. For example, they have been used to distinguish normals from schizophrenics (McPartland et al. 1974), as well as medical-depressive syndromes from primary affective disorders (Foster et al. 1976), to quantify effects of psychotropic drugs on the central nervous system (Okuma et al. 1975), to indicate recovery of cerebral function (Feinberg 1969), and to assess developmental changes (Petre-Quadens and De Lee 1974).
Prenatal Cocaine-Induced Alterations in Dendritic Spine Density and Glutamate Neurotransmission

Abstract Prenatal cocaine exposure has profound consequences on neurobehavioral parameters, which persist into adulthood. The underlying mechanisms for cocaine’s immediate and long-term effects, although not completely understood, appear to involve plasticity of specific neural circuits. Both dendritic spine turnover and glutamatergic neurotransmission are key to synaptic plasticity. In this chapter we review these parameters in the rat hippocampus and cortex following in utero exposure to cocaine. Prenatal cocaine increases dendritic spine density and induces alterations in glutamate receptor-mediated signaling via inotropic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors through their respective scaffolding proteins. Exposure to prenatal cocaine also results in translocation of protein kinase C to the synaptic membrane. Given that glutamate receptors are concentrated on dendritic spines, we propose that a possible mechanism underlying the neurobehavioral effects of prenatal cocaine may involve alterations in glutamate receptor signaling and protein kinase C translocation, which provide the basis for dendritic spine plasticity.
Improving peer review: What reviewers can do

As an author, there is no better feeling than to receive correspondence from a journal editor that your paper has been accepted for publication. However, that sense of elation can quickly turn to dread if the author has to respond to dozens, even hundreds, of comments from peer reviewers. We have
Evaluating the Effect of Margin Consensus Guideline Publication on Operative Patterns and Financial Impact of Breast Cancer Operation.

Background This study sought to evaluate re-excision rates, patient satisfaction with their breasts, and healthcare costs before and after publication of 2014 Society of Surgical Oncology/American Society of Radiation Oncology consensus guideline on margins for breast conserving operation with whole-breast irradiation for stage I and II breast cancer at an academic institution. Study Design Patients with stage I and II invasive carcinomas who underwent partial mastectomy were divided into 2 groups based on whether they were treated before (PRE) or after (POST) guideline publication in March 2014. Groups were compared with respect to re-excision rates, conversion to mastectomy, specimen volumes, mean cost per patient of surgical care, and prospectively collected patient post-procedure quality of life. Results A total of 237 patients who underwent partial mastectomy were examined (n = 126 in the PRE group and n = 111 in the POST group). Patients in the POST group were less likely to require re-excision (9% POST vs 37% PRE; p Conclusions Widespread implementation of the consensus guideline on margins for breast conserving operation will likely lead to the intended improvements in operative and financial outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction with breast conserving operation.
Geometric Etudes in Combinatorial Mathematics. By Vladimir Boltyanski and Alexander Soifer

(1992). Geometric Etudes in Combinatorial Mathematics. By Vladimir Boltyanski and Alexander Soifer. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 99, No. 5, pp. 486-489.
Prevalence and factors associated with use of hookah tobacco among young adults in the U.S.

Abstract Introduction Among young adults, use of hookah tobacco (HT) is an emerging health-risk behavior. The goals were to demonstrate that (1) the prevalence of ever-use and current use of HT increased among U.S. young adults (18–30 years old) in the period from 2010 to 2015 and (2) the patterns of HT use differed across diverse demographic subpopulations of young adults. Methods We merged and analyzed data from the 2010–2011 and 2014–2015 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. The sample (n = 55,352) was representative of the young adult population in the U.S. Two binary measures were the ever and current use of HT. The significance level was 5%. Results The rate of current use of HT increased from 1% in 2010–11 to 2% in 2014–15 (CI = 0.6%:1.1%). The rate of ever-use increased from 7% to 12% (CI = 4.2%:5.6%). The over-time increase was not uniform: the increase was most rapid among 26–30 year-old adults, non-Hispanic Black and African American adults, and in Northeastern and Midwestern U.S. regions. HT ever-use, overall, was associated (all p's Discussion/conclusion HT use is becoming increasingly more popular among young adults in the U.S. Methods should target not only cessation of cigarette smoking but use of all tobacco products.
Structuralism in Anthropology

Structuralism holds that meaning in sociocultural life rests in the positional configuration of signs relative to each other in a system. The structuralist paradigm, forwarded by Levi-Strauss, prompted anthropologists to be more thorough in noticing patterns of interconnection across heterogeneous cultural data. Notwithstanding this methodological impact, structuralism is widely rejected for reifying structures as transcendental entities, on the model of Saussurean langue. Other anthropological paradigms conceive structural order as being intrinsically involved with time, history, pragmatics of sign use, consciousness of sign users, and coexistence of multiple structural orders.
Alcohol and Hispanics in the Northeast

This chapter summarizes the results of an ethnographic study comparing alcohol use in three Hispanic groups in a city in the northeastern United States (see Gordon, 1978, 1979, 1981).
Of Needles and Haystacks: Building an Accurate Statewide Dropout Early Warning System in Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin has one of the highest four year graduation rates in the nation, but deep disparities among student subgroups remain. To address this the state has created the Wisconsin Dropout Early Warning System (DEWS), a predictive model of student dropout risk for students in grades six through nine. The Wisconsin DEWS is in use statewide and currently provides predictions on the likelihood of graduation for over 225,000 students. DEWS represents a novel statistical learning based approach to the challenge of assessing the risk of non-graduation for students and provides highly accurate predictions for students in the middle grades without expanding beyond mandated administrative data collections. Similar dropout early warning systems are in place in many jurisdictions across the country. Prior research has shown that in many cases the indicators used by such systems do a poor job of balancing the trade off between correct classification of likely dropouts and false-alarm (Bowers et al., 2013). Building on this work, DEWS uses the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) metric to identify the best possible set of statistical models for making predictions about individual students. This paper describes the DEWS approach and the software behind it, which leverages the open source statistical language R (R Core Team, 2013). As a result DEWS is a flexible series of software modules that can adapt to new data, new algorithms, and new outcome variables to not only predict dropout, but also impute key predictors as well. The design and implementation of each of these modules is described in detail as well as the open-source R package, EWStools, that serves as the core of DEWS (Knowles, 2014).
Redefining Spanish teaching and learning in the United States

This article describes a pedagogical initiative that identifies opportunities for increased efficiency and functionality in the teaching and learning of Spanish in the context of the United States. At the core of this initiative is the reformulation of curricular and programmatic approaches in terms of current social, cultural, and linguistic practices. More specifically, it combines and builds on insights from current theoretical and practical developments so as to do the following: (1) reconcile the currently conflicting educational goals of Spanish heritage language and foreign language teaching in the United States; (2) create a more sophisticated and efficient educational substructure than what is currently available to language learners of all profiles and levels; and (3) guide the allocation of resources to not only address and support heritage language maintenance and revitalization, but to also encourage a fortified stance on bilingualism and foster cultural richness/diversity among emergent bilinguals in foreign/second language programs. A rationale is offered, and the organization and processes involved in the implementation of this initiative are described, along with the possible beneficial academic, social, and community effects such a reformulation may yield.
A Panel Discussion of James K. A. Smith’s Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology*: Introduction: An Augustine for Our Time:

James K. A. Smith’s book Awaiting the King interrogates the religious nature of contemporary politics and the political nature of Christian practice, and in doing so draws Augustine out of the ivor...
Same-day discounting’s effect on consumers’ evaluations of a hotel

The purpose of this study is to explore whether the same-day discounting strategy affects customers’ evaluations of a hotel, especially in the case of hotels differing in brand and class. In particular, the current study aims to identify external cues that might influence customers’ perceptions of the relationship between hotels’ discounted rates and evaluation of the product. Using mobile exclusive data collected from one of the same-day booking applications, the current study found the interaction effects of hotel brand and class on the relationship between discounting and customers’ evaluations of a hotel. The findings of this study could provide hoteliers with valuable insights into effective implementation of same-day booking strategies on mobile platforms.