cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physician-patient communication about over-the-counter medications.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe physician–patient communication about over-the-counter medications using a data set comprised of audio-tapes and transcripts of 414 primary care medical visits. The data set was collected during 1995 at the family practice and general medicine clinics at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Twenty-seven resident physicians and 414 of their adult patients participated. Fifty-seven percent of patients reported using one or more OTC medications during the past month. Analgesics, cold or allergy products, and antacids were the most commonly used OTC medications. White patients were significantly more likely to have reported using an analgesic in the past month than non-white patients. Female, white, and younger patients were more likely to have reported using a cold or allergy product in the past month than male, non-white, and older patients. Approximately 58% of patients discussed OTC medications with their physicians. Older patients and female patients as well as patients who reported using an antacid in the past month were significantly more likely to have discussed OTC medications with their physicians. Physicians asked questions about OTC medications during only 37% of encounters. Patients asked questions about OTC medications during 11% of encounters. Patient ethnicity did not influence physician or patient question-asking and information-giving about OTC medications. Male physicians were more likely to state information and ask questions about OTC medications than female physicians. Patients were more likely to ask male physicians questions about OTC medications. Physicians were more likely to state OTC information to and ask OTC questions of female and older patients. Physicians were more likely to ask less educated patients questions about OTC medications. Less educated patients were more likely to ask physicians questions about OTC medications. Despite the fact that more than half of all patients reported using OTC medications, physicians asked questions about OTC use during only approximately one-third of encounters. Of patients who reported using an OTC medication in the past month, 58% did not tell their physicians, yet only 14% of patients believed that it was not important for the physician to know about their OTC use. Physician–patient communication about OTC medications should be encouraged so that the patient becomes a collaborative partner in medication management.
Orbicular Rocks of the Lonesome Mountain Area, Beartooth Mountains, Montana and Wyoming

The Lonesome Mountain area in the Beartooth Mountains, Montana and Wyoming, includes large outcrops of orbicular gneiss in a terrain of amphibolites, migmatites, and granitic gneisses. The orbicules have cores of chiefly plagioclase, biotite, or hornblende-biotite, surrounded by alternating plagioclase-rich and biotite- or hornblende-rich shells. Radially oriented biotite and plagioclase are common in the cores. Tangentially oriented biotite forms the biotite-rich shells. Field and laboratory evidence suggests that orbicules formed as abnormal by-products of granitization of amphibolites. Orbicule formation involves feldspathization without complementary quartz enrichment. Metamorphic orbicules and Liesegang phenomena are compared. Both result from diffusion processes that produce discontinuous, periodic precipitation or crystallization. Dimensional analyses of shell spacings aid in determining the mechanism of orbicule formation. Rhythmically banded phenomena fall into two groups according to spacing of their bands: (1) spacing in exponential progression—metamorphic orbicules, spherulites, Liesegang rings, some agates; (2) spacing in arithmetic progression—igneous orbicules, concretions, oolites, oscillatory-zoned plagioclase, stalactites, varved argillites. Objects of group 1 form by internally controlled rhythmic processes, which are always disequilibrium phenomena. Those of group 2 form by externally controlled rhythmic processes and may be equilibrium or disequilibrium phenomena. Orbicules of the Lonesome Mountain area have shells exponentially spaced and result from rhythmic diffusion processes. Laboratory evidence suggests that orbicule formation involved migration of Ca +2 ions outwards from the cores of orbicules and simultaneous migration of Na +1 and Si +4 ions inwards toward the centers of orbicules.
Interactions of liposomes with the reticuloendothelial system: II. Nonspecific and receptor-mediated uptake of liposomes by mouse peritoneal macrophages

Liposomes are taken up as intact vesicles by mouse peritoneal macrophages in a process which is temperature sensitive and is affected by inhibitors of glycolytic metabolism and of microfilament activity. Macrophages take up negatively charged vesicles more readily than positively charged vesicles (2-fold) or neutral vesicles (4-fold). Macrophages take up similar amounts of multilamellar liposomes, reversed phase liposomes and small unilamellar liposomes in terms of lipid, however this corresponds to vastly different numbers of particles and amounts of trapped volume. Coating the liposomes with macromolecular ligands capable of interacting with macrophage surface receptors can markedly promote liposome uptake. Thus, formation of an IgG-antigen complex on the liposome surface results in a 102-fold enhancement of liposome uptake, while coating the vesicles with fibronectin results in a 10-fold augmentation of uptake. Uptake via IgG-mediated and fibronectin-mediated processes seem to be independent since excess unlabelled, IgG-coated liposomes will inhibit the uptake of radioactively-labelled IgG-coated liposomes much more effectively than the uptake of radioactively-labelled fibronectin-coated liposomes. Cell-bound liposomes can readily be visualized on and inside of the macrophages using fluorescence microscopy techniques.
Eddy current heating in micro-SMES bus-bars

Results from numerical models and theoretical analyses are presented that describe the development of eddy current heating in copper bus bars, both with and without superconducting elements, in response to the rapid decay of current in a nearby superconducting magnet such as in micro-SMES systems. The analysis differs from those available in the open literature in that the change of magnetic field is neither instantaneous, nor sinusoidal. We especially investigate eddy current heating in the regime where the field decay time is on the order of the current diffusion time constant. It is found that the self-inductance of the copper bus bar contributes significantly to the time dependent heat generation. Analytical results are compared to experimental data in the form of subsequent temperature excursions of a liquid helium cooled copper bus, in response to field ramp rates on the order of 1.5 tesla/second.
Narrow band UVB (311 nm) phototherapy and PUVA photochemotherapy : A combination

Abstract Background: Psoralen-UVA (PUVA) photochemotherapy is widely used for the treatment of psoriasis despite concerns of skin carcinogenesis from high cumulative UVA doses and number of treatments. Objective: We attempted to determine whether combined bath-PUVA with narrow-band (311 nm) phototherapy improves efficacy and reduces long-term toxicity. Methods: Twelve psoriatic patients underwent phototesting with 311 nm lamps and, after topical bath-water psoralen sensitization, with 311 nm, UVA, or both radiations. Patients were treated with bath-PUVA on one side of the body and with bath-PUVA plus 311 nm exposures (bath-PUVA–311 nm) on the other side. On both sides, four weekly treatments were delivered and UVA doses were increased once weekly whereas 311 nm doses were adjusted at each exposure. Results: Psoralen sensitization did not modify the erythematous threshold to 311 nm radiation. However, 311 nm exposures enhanced the phototoxic activity of bath-PUVA. Bath-PUVA–311 nm cleared psoriasis with fewer exposures and lower cumulative UVA doses under the same minimally erythemogenic conditions. Conclusion: Combination with 311 nm exposures enhanced the phototoxic and therapeutic activities of bath-PUVA. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:687-90.)
LIGER: implementing efficient hybrid security mechanisms for heterogeneous sensor networks

The majority of security schemes available for sensor networks assume deployment in areas without access to a wired infrastructure. More specifically, nodes in these networks are unable to leverage key distribution centers (KDCs) to assist them with key management. In networks with a heterogeneous mix of nodes, however, it is not unrealistic to assume that some more powerful nodes have at least intermittent contact with a backbone network. For instance, an air-deployed battlefield network may have to operate securely for some time until uplinked friendly forces move through the area. We therefore propose LIGER, a hybrid key management scheme for heterogeneous sensor networks that allows systems to operate in both the presence and absence of a KDC. Specifically, when no KDC is available, nodes communicate securely with each other based upon a probabilistic unbalanced method of key management. The ability to access a KDC allows nodes to probabilistically authenticate neighboring devices with which they are communicating. We also demonstrate that this scheme is robust to the compromise of both low and high capability nodes and that the same keys can be used for both modes of operation. Detailed experiments and simulations are used to show that LIGER is a highly practical solution for the current generation of sensors and the unbalanced approach can significantly reduce network initialization time.
Bootstrapping the order selection test

We consider bootstrap versions of the order selection test of Eubank and Hart and Kuchibhatla and Hart for testing lack-of-fit of regression models. For homoscedastic data, conditions are established under which the bootstrap level error is smaller (asymptotically) than that of the large sample test A new statistic is proposed to deal with the case of heteroscedastic data. The limiting distribution of this test statistic is derived and shown to depend on the unknown error variance function. This dependency makes using the large sample test a formidable task in practice. An alternative approximation is to apply bootstrap procedures. We propose various bootstrap tests, including ones based on the wild bootstrap. Simulation studies indicate that the wild bootstrap generally has good level and power properties, although sometimes power can be increased by appropriate smoothing of squared residuals. A real-data example is also considered to further illustrate the methodology.
Analytical solutions for the design and evaluation of absorber-coupled waveguide bolometer detectors

Bolometer detectors utilizing superconducting transition-edge sensor thermometers represent the current state-of-the-art for millimeter-wave astrophysical applications. These devices are generally designed using computationally-intensive simulation to predict and optimize electromagnetic performance. The design process therefore requires access to expensive software and does not directly offer physical insight regarding why the detector operates as it does. This paper describes a fast, simple, and insightful analytical technique which applies to the design of absorber-coupled waveguide bolometer detectors operating in the micro- and millimeter-wavelength regimes. We provide simple analytical expressions for the detector input impedance, as well as the resistance and width of the dipole-like absorber, and describe a quick iterative method to determine the appropriate absorber length. The analysis is based upon the EMF Method, which provides a strong theoretical basis for understanding detector operation. We also describe experimental results for an absorber-coupled bolometer detector in circular waveguide.
Purification and Characterization of the PcrA Helicase of Bacillus anthracis

PcrA is an essential helicase in gram-positive bacteria, and a gene encoding this helicase has been identified in all such organisms whose genomes have been sequenced so far. The precise role of PcrA that makes it essential for cell growth is not known; however, PcrA does not appear to be necessary for chromosome replication. The pcrA gene was identified in the genome of Bacillus anthracis on the basis of its sequence homology to the corresponding genes of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, with which it shares 76 and 72% similarity, respectively. The pcrA gene of B. anthracis was isolated by PCR amplification and cloning into Escherichia coli. The PcrA protein was overexpressed with a His6 fusion at its amino-terminal end. The purified His-PcrA protein showed ATPase activity that was stimulated in the presence of single-stranded (ss) DNA (ssDNA). Interestingly, PcrA showed robust 3′→5′ as well as 5′→3′ helicase activities, with substrates containing a duplex region and a 3′ or 5′ ss poly(dT) tail. PcrA also efficiently unwound oligonucleotides containing a duplex region and a 5′ or 3′ ss tail with the potential to form a secondary structure. DNA binding experiments showed that PcrA bound much more efficiently to oligonucleotides containing a duplex region and a 5′ or 3′ ss tail with a potential to form a secondary structure than to those with ssDNAs or duplex DNAs with ss poly(dT) tails. Our results suggest that specialized DNA structures and/or sequences represent natural substrates of PcrA in biochemical processes that are essential for the growth and survival of gram-positive organisms, including B. anthracis.
An approach to articulating expert system rule bases

A rule-base generation procedure is developed for expert systems used to diagnose anomalies in the performance of mechanical plants and similar engineering systems. The method is based on construction of a failure-mode information-propagation model (FIPM). Details of the FIPM procedure are discussed and illustrated with diagrams; reference is made to a sample application involving the turbopump of the high-pressure oxidizer for the Space Shuttle main engine.
Analyzing Human Centric Data for Sharing Mobile Internet with Social Buddies

We propose a middleware called BuddyShare to automatically form an overlay group of nearby friends' mobile phones to collaboratively download data by sharing mobile internet. This system is hypothetical in nature and only work on certain assumptions such as: 1) frequent availability of friends' phone nearby, 2) Sufficient social trust among physically close users to share internet and 3) sufficient social networking information available in phones. In order to validate these hypotheses, we collected human centric dataset of cellular phone users of university environment to study the user behavior. In this paper, we present certain social and proximity behaviors of these users that validate these hypotheses and show the practical feasibility of a BuddyShare system. We also study the usefulness of BuddyShare by virtually leveraging it on this user network, which concludes around three times scaling in download rate on average.
Tool for performance tuning and regression analyses of HPC systems and applications

Increasing sophistication in High Performance Computing (HPC) system architectures, software, and user environments has substantially increased its complexity. For example, tuning an application on a given platform to maximize performance requires playing with multitude of different optimization flags and environment variables. This is typically a highly repetitive and an ad hoc process of trying out different combinations of variable settings and manually comparing the results to find the optimal. Similar is the case for performance regression analyses of systems and applications, where one is interested in detecting performance regressions in the software version under test and analyzing the causes to fix issues. In both of these scenarios, the process involves creating a patchwork of scripts to deploy jobs, extract meaningful data from raw outputs, arrange this data in some reportable format to be able to analyze, and perform tweaks to enable subsequent iterations. When repeated over time, the ad-hoc process results in users re-writing similar set of scripts again and again for different applications, or architectures, or even new software builds on the same architecture resulting in significant wastage of productive man-hours. This paper presents JACE (Job Auto-creator and Executor), a tool that enables automation of creation and execution of complex functional and performance regression tests. JACE aims to address many pain points in performance engineering such as tedious scripting, parameter tuning, careful book-keeping, frequent debugging, assessing reliability of results, and comparative evaluation. The paper introduces the tool and describes its architecture and workflow. It also presents a sample walk-through of performance regression analyses using JACE.
Scientific World Building on the Edge of Chaos: High School Students' Beliefs about Mathematics and Science.

This study investigated high school students' beliefs about mathematics and science during a four week summer residential mathematics and science program. Beliefs about mathematical and scientific truths, the value and importance of mathematics and science inquiry, gender equity and ability with respect to pursuit of mathematics and science careers, the relationship between mathematics and technology, and the role of science in society were examined. Habermasian ways of knowing were used to categorize student beliefs and determine student world views. Implications of this study include suggested changes in the organizational dynamics of schooling to better prepare our students for surviving in the complexity of the 21st century and reducing dissonance between the “classical” educational viewpoints and the “chaotic” world.
The Electric Blanket Syndrome A Metaphor for Family Dysfunction

One pattern of dysfunctional family interaction is described as a syndrome. Four case histories are presented in which different family members take polar positions on various continua. In one instance the continuum is oral communication, with garrulousness on one side and silence on the other. Another continuum is family responsibility, where one member of the family takes total responsibility and another takes almost none. The symbolic continuum is an electric blanket with hot at one extreme and cold at the other. In all cases, family therapy was performed by a pediatrician. Guidelines are discussed for treatment and for appropriate consultation with mental-health professionals.
Ribavirin dose modification based on renal function is necessary to reduce hemolysis in liver transplant patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is currently the most common etiology for liver transplantation (LTx) in the United States. A significant number of patients develop recurrent HCV after LTx. Although there is no completely satisfactory treatment for recurrent HCV, a combination of interferon-α (INF) and ribavirin remains the most widely used. Ribavirin is eliminated through the kidneys and tends to accumulate in the presence of renal dysfunction. The primary side effect of ribavirin is hemolysis. The goal of the present study was to correlate the incidence of hemolysis with renal function in LTx patients with recurrent HCV who were being treated with ribavirin. The incidence of hemolysis and the renal function were examined in 72 liver transplant patients (58 male and 14 female patients) with recurrent HCV receiving INF (3 million units, three times per week) and ribavirin (initial dose of 400 mg twice daily). Patients were grouped according to the decrease in the percentage of hematocrit after the introduction of ribavirin, with their baseline serum creatinine and creatinine clearance calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. The decrease in the percentage of hematocrit after ribavirin treatment was also examined with respect to creatinine clearance as a continuous variable. In addition, for purposes of presentation, patients were analyzed in three groups: creatinine clearance of ≥ 70 mL/min (group A), creatinine clearance
Radiation effects in high purity synthetic quartz

Abstract Radiation effects in synthetic and high purity synthetic quartz are examined in a research programme at the GEC Hirst Research Centre concerned with the growth of high purity synthetic quartz and the development of radiation hardened quartz devices. Very high purity synthetic quartz with a low dislocation density has been successfully grown at the Hirst Research Centre. Substitutional aluminium impurity concentrations of 0.05 ppm and dislocation densities of <10 cm−2 have been obtained. Electron spin resonance and infrared absorption studies have confirmed the low impurity levels and overall material quality. Acoustic loss measurements on resonators fabricated from high purity quartz show that the usual Al-Na+ loss peak at 54 K is absent and radiation studies confirm the low substitutional aluminium content with radiation induced frequency offsets of less than 10−13 Hz/rad.
Impact of livestock grazing on abundance of Miridae and Reduviidae (Hemiptera) in crested wheatgrass pastures.

Abstract Miridae of the genera Labops and Irbisia, collectively referred to as “black grass bugs,” can cause significant damage to wheatgrasses (Poaceae) of several genera on western North American rangeland. Another mirid in the same area, Capsus cinctus (Kolenati), causes damage to bluegrass (Poa spp.). Previous studies suggest that grazing management may reduce mirid populations on rangeland by eliminating preferred oviposition sites and reducing accumulations of litter that provide diurnal refuges for nymphs. We tested the hypothesis that grazing reduces mirid populations, along with those of Reduviidae, during a controlled grazing experiment. Densities of mirids and reduviids declined with increasing intensity of grazing, even though grazing occurred after the peak of mirid abundance each year. This suggests that declines in hemipteran densities resulted from grazing that occurred during previous years, perhaps because the most heavily grazed plots had the least plant litter. The results further conf...
Application of Nanoparticles of Ceramics, Peptides, Silicon, Carbon, and Diamonds in Tissue Engineering

This review purports to fill the gap in knowledge that exists about the role of nanoparticles in Tissue Engineering. In this review, the use of the term nanoparticles will be exclusively confined to those materials or composites with grain sizes ranging from 100-500 nm. First, a brief description of the field will be provided. Next, research findings on the use of cells on ceramics, peptides, carbon, silicon, and diamond, will be scrutinized. Then, future applications and directions will be outlined. Finally, a succinct account will summarize some of the developments in the field of Tissue Engineering involving nanoparticles.
South Asian Immigrants before 1950: The Formation of Ethnic, Symbolic, and Group Identity

This essay explores South Asian American ethnic and group identity and community formation in the U.S. among pre-1950 immigrants and their descendants, who are considered the first wave immigrants. What were some of the hardships faced by the first wave immigrants? How did religious, education, gender, and class differences among South Asian groups affect the development of their cultural and national identities? How did the children and grandchildren of these interracial parents construct their identity as South Asians, or "Hindus" as they were mistakenly called? How did the various subgroups from South Asia relate to each other despite religious and national differences? How should we think about what South Asian American communities meant at the beginning of the twentieth century when they were subjected to the same discriminatory Alien Land Laws of 1913 and 1920, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the Asian Exclusion Acts of 1917-1924, which affected other Asians in America?
Metallization of Fluid Hydrogen at 140 GPA (1.4 Mbar)

The properties of hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures are important for the interiors of giant planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, and for Inertial Confinement Fusion. Electrical conductivity measurements indicate that hydrogen becomes a metallic fluid at 140 GPa, ninefold initial liquid-H2 density, and 2600 K. Metallization density is defined to be that at which the electronic bandgap Eg is reduced by pressure to Eg — kBT, at which point Eg is filled in by fluid disorder to produce a metallic density of states with a Fermi surface and the minimum conductivity of a metal. High pressures and temperatures were obtained with a two-stage gun, which accelerates an impactor up to 7 km/s. A strong shock wave is generated on impact with a holder containing liquid hydrogen at 20 K. The impact shock is split into a shock wave reverberating in hydrogen between stiff Al2O3 anvils. This dynamic compression heats hydrogen quasi-isentropically to about twice its melting temperature at 100 Gpa pressures and lasts ~100 ns, sufficiently long to achieve equilibrium and sufficiently short to preclude loss of hydrogen by mass diffusion and chemical reactions.
Computational Examination of Orientation-Dependent Morphological Evolution during the Electrodeposition and Electrodissolution of Magnesium

Here a new model of electrodeposition and electrodissolution is developed and applied to the evolution of Mg deposits during anode cycling. The model captures Butler-Volmer kinetics, facet evolution, the spatially varying potential in the electrolyte, and the time-dependent electrolyte concentration. The model utilizes a diffuse interface approach, employing the phase field and smoothed boundary methods. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of magnesium deposited on a gold substrate show the formation of faceted deposits, often in the form of hexagonal prisms. Orientation-dependent reaction rate coefficients were parameterized using the experimental SEM images. Three-dimensional simulations of the growth of magnesium deposits yield deposit morphologies consistent with the experimental results. The simulations predict that the deposits become narrower and taller as the current density increases due to the depletion of the electrolyte concentration near the sides of the deposits. Increasing the distance between the deposits leads to increased depletion of the electrolyte surrounding the deposit. Two models relating the orientation-dependence of the deposition and dissolution reactions are presented. Finally, the morphology of the Mg deposit after one deposition-dissolution cycle is significantly different between the two orientation-dependence models, providing testable predictions that suggest the underlying physical mechanisms governing morphology evolution during deposition and dissolution.
Monodromy Properties of Conformal Field Theories and Quantum Groups

Recently a growing interest in extracting new results from 2D conformai field theories (CFT) going away from criticality [21,22] has motivated the study of the connection between solvable conformai invariant models and the condition of integrability in 2D, the Yang-Baxter equation.
On-chip three-dimensional tissue histology for microbiopsies

We report a novel approach that generates a high resolution, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescent staining atlas of tissue microbiopsies in a microfluidic device without destroying the tissue. We demonstrate that this method preserves tissue architecture for multiple murine organs by comparing traditional 2D slices to an optically sectioned 3D H&E-mimic. The H&E-mimic slices show a close qualitative match to traditional H&E. The 3D spatial and molecular information obtainable from this method significantly increases the amount of data available for evaluating both tissue morphology and specific biomarkers in a wide range of both research and clinically driven applications and is amenable to automation.
Temporal Reflection Symmetry of Human Actions: A Riemannian Analysis

While spatial symmetry of objects is studied frequently, the problem of measuring temporal symmetry has rarely been explored. In this paper we present a mathematical framework that utilizes a recently developed differential geometric approach to quantify temporal reflection symmetry in movements from video data, in which human movements are modeled as trajectories on Riemannian manifolds. Using the recently proposed transport square-root velocity functions (TSRVF) representation, the amounts of temporal asymmetry in movements are decomposed into a spatial component and a temporal one, each of which is quantified by an asymmetry score.
Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill Initiation in a Patient With Major Depressive Disorder, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, and Histrionic Personality Disorder.

Background: Comorbid psychiatric conditions present an added layer of challenge in managing patients, as each condition and associated set of symptoms exacerbate the complexity of the overall presentation. Premenopausal women may be at particular risk for inadequate care, as their comorbid conditions may present overlapping symptoms and mask independent premenstrual symptoms. The prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and associated conditions can be as high as 8% in women of reproductive age. Recognizing and assessing premenstrual symptoms that are comorbid with other psychiatric conditions can help contribute to a comprehensive treatment strategy and potentially improve the treatment response for the comorbid conditions. Combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs) have been approved for premenstrual conditions and should be considered by the psychiatrist as an available treatment option. Case Report: A 34-year-old Caucasian female patient with comorbid major depressive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder, and histrionic personality disorder, with persistent suicidal ideation and distress intolerance, was treated with norgestimate-ethinyl estradiol with improvement in mood, anxiety, and menstrual cramping and with associated diminished suicidal ideation and improved distress tolerance. Conclusion: In this case, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores, as well as self- and peer-reported functionality, all suggested improvement in symptoms following the introduction of COCPs. The neurohormonal contribution to psychiatric conditions continues to be studied and is becoming increasingly important. An understanding of the presence and etiology of premenstrual symptoms should be part of a comprehensive psychiatric assessment of female patients, and consideration of COCPs in the treatment plan adds a potentially potent option for symptom mitigation and remission.
Food intake regulation in pigs. III. Voluntary food selection between protein-free and protein-rich diets.

SUMMARY Six Duroc gilts weighing 45 kg were housed individually in a temperature controlled room. They were offered two isocaloric semipurified diets; one protein-free diet (PF) was constantly available throughout the seven-week experimental period. In successive weeks the gilts were provided with alternative diets of increasing levels of casein fortified with 0.2 per cent DL-methionine (CM) at the percentage levels of 20 (CM20), 30 (CM30), 40 (CM40), 50 (CM50), 60 (CM60), 70 (CM70), 80 (CM80). The voluntary consumption for each diet expressed as a percentage of the average total intake for the respective diets was Week 1, PF 16: CM20 84; Week 2, PF 28: CM30 72; Week 3, PF 29: CM40 71; Week 4, PF 37: CM50 63; Week 5, PF 33: CM60 67; Week 6, PF71: GM70 29; Week 7, PF 77: CM80 23. The mean protein concentration reached 70 per cent before the diet with protein would be rejected for one devoid of protein, although individual variation between pigs was considerable.
Flow Cytometric and Cytokine ELISpot Approaches To Characterize the Cell-Mediated Immune Response in Ferrets following Influenza Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Influenza virus infections represent a significant socioeconomic and public health burden worldwide. Although ferrets are considered by many to be ideal for modeling human responses to influenza infection and vaccination, efforts to understand the cellular immune response have been severely hampered by a paucity of standardized procedures and reagents. In this study, we developed flow cytometric and T cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) approaches to characterize the leukocyte composition and antigen-specific T cell response within key lymphoid tissues following influenza virus infection in ferrets. Through a newly designed and implemented set of serological reagents, we used multiparameter flow cytometry to directly quantify the frequency of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, Ig + B cells, CD11b + myeloid-derived cells, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-positive antigen-presenting cells (APCs) both prior to and after intranasal infection with A/California/04/09 (H1N1). We found that the leukocyte composition was altered at 10 days postinfection, with notable gains in the frequency of T cells and myeloid cells within the draining lymph node. Furthermore, these studies revealed that the antigen specificity of influenza virus-reactive CD4 and CD8 T cells was very broad, with recognition of the viral HA, NA, M1, NS1, and NP proteins, and that total reactivity to influenza virus postinfection represented approximately 0.1% of the circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Finally, we observed distinct patterns of reactivity between individual animals, suggesting heterogeneity at the MHC locus in ferrets within commercial populations, a finding of considerable interest in efforts to move the ferret model forward for influenza vaccine and challenge studies. IMPORTANCE Ferrets are an ideal animal model to study transmission, diseases, and vaccine efficacies of respiratory viruses because of their close anatomical and physiological resemblances to humans. However, a lack of reagents has limited our understanding of the cell-mediated immune response following infection and vaccination. In this study, we used cross-reactive and ferret-specific antibodies to study the leukocyte composition and antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses following influenza A/California/04/09 (H1N1) virus infection. These studies revealed strikingly distinct patterns of reactivity between CD4 and CD8 T cells, which were overlaid with differences in protein-specific responses between individual animals. Our results provide a first, in-depth look at the T cell repertoire in response to influenza infection and suggest that there is considerable heterogeneity at the MHC locus, which is akin to that in humans and an area of intense research interest.
Abstract 1927: Myc-induced suppression of the RNA-binding protein ZAR2 in breast cancer cells

Our objective is to verify the hypothesis that c-Myc-regulated oncomiR miR-130a-5p suppresses the level of the RNA-binding tumor suppressor protein ZAR2 in the cMyc-high aggressive breast cancer cells. We experimentally validated the binding of miR130a-5p miRISC to ZAR2 mRNA in vivo and inhibition of the translation of this mRNA by this binding. We used three commercially available c-Myc-high ZAR2-low breast cancer cell lines BT549, MDA-MB-453 and MDA-MB-231 and two c-Myc-low ZAR2-high breast cancer cells MCF7 and HCC38 for our studies. We cloned the full length 3′-UTR (179 bp) of human ZAR2 mRNA immediately downstream of the firefly luciferase open reading frame sequence contained in the reporter plasmid. We also have created different mutants of the 3’-UTR, each having mutation in each of the putative miR130a-5p binding sites. We transiently transfected the recombinant plasmid and miR130a-5p miRNA mimic into breast cancer cells and assessed luciferase activity or fluorescence 24-48 hours after transfection. We also have transfected just the reporter construct into breast cancer cells which express the endogenous miR130a-5p miRNAs, along with vectors which express mutant versions of the miRNA binding sites. In this experimental system the wild-type reporters had less activity than their respective mutants. To evaluate the functional importance of miR130a-5p miRNA/ZAR2 mRNA pair, we transiently over-expressed a miR130a-5p miRNA mimic in the cMyc-low breast cancer breast cancer cells and subsequently analyzed the level of ZAR2 protein levels. Our data showed that ZAR2 protein levels are decreased by the mimic increasing the in vitro invasiveness of these cells. Our results thus reveal a novel mechanism for the induction of aggressiveness by cMyc in the breast cancer cells. This research is supported in part by DOD-CDMRP IDEA Expansion Grant# BC103645 and NIH/NCI grant 1R21CA181920-01 to GC and NIH grant 1U54RR026140 TO SM Citation Format: Smita Misra, Gautam Chaudhuri. Myc-induced suppression of the RNA-binding protein ZAR2 in breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1927.
Estimating National Trends in Inpatient Antibiotic Use Among US Hospitals From 2006 to 2012

Importance The rising threat of antibiotic resistance and other adverse consequences resulting from the misuse of antibiotics requires a better understanding of antibiotic use in hospitals in the United States. Objective To use proprietary administrative data to estimate patterns of US inpatient antibiotic use in recent years. Design, Setting, and Participants For this retrospective analysis, adult and pediatric in-patient antibiotic use data was obtained from the Truven Health MarketScan Hospital Drug Database (HDD) from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2012. Data from adult and pediatric patients admitted to 1 of approximately 300 participating acute care hospitals provided antibiotic use data for over 34 million discharges representing 166 million patient-days. Main Outcomes and Measures We retrospectively estimated the days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days and the proportion of hospital discharges in which a patient received at least 1 dose of an antibiotic during the hospital stay. We calculated measures of antibiotic usage stratified by antibiotic class, year, and other patient and facility characteristics. We used data submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Healthcare Cost Report Information System to generate estimated weights to apply to the HDD data to create national estimates of antibiotic usage. A multivariate general estimating equation model to account for interhospital covariance was used to assess potential trends in antibiotic DOT over time. Results During the years 2006 to 2012, 300 to 383 hospitals per year contributed antibiotic data to the HDD. Across all years, 55.1% of patients received at least 1 dose of antibiotics during their hospital visit. The overall national DOT was 755 per 1000 patient-days. Overall antibiotic use did not change significantly over time. The multivariable trend analysis of data from participating hospitals did not show a statistically significant change in overall use (total DOT increase, 5.6; 95% CI, −18.9 to 30.1; P = .65). However, the mean change (95% CI) for the following antibiotic classes increased significantly: third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, 10.3 (3.1-17.5); macrolides, 4.8 (2.0-7.6); glycopeptides, 22.4 (17.5-27.3); β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, 18.0 (13.3-22.6); carbapenems, 7.4 (4.6-10.2); and tetracyclines, 3.3 (2.0-4.7). Conclusions and Relevance Overall DOT of all antibiotics among hospitalized patients in US hospitals has not changed significantly in recent years. Use of some antibiotics, especially broad spectrum agents, however, has increased significantly. This trend is worrisome in light of the rising challenge of antibiotic resistance. Our findings can help inform national efforts to improve antibiotic use by suggesting key targets for improvement interventions.
STIM- Dependent calcium signaling mediate smooth muscle and cardiac cell growth

Salvatore Mancarella, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. As a graduate student and postdoc he has devoted his career investigating how calcium fluctuations control cardiac contraction. Recently he is focusing on understanding how calcium signaling at the sub-membrane space is deciphered into the nucleus to control cell growth and proliferation. STIMDependent calcium signaling mediate smooth muscle and cardiac cell growth
Discrete longitudinal variation in freshwater mussel assemblages within two rivers of central Michigan, USA

A primary focus in the study of lotic ecosystems involves understanding the relationship between changes in the physical environment and changes in biota along a longitudinal gradient. Previous studies examining riverine organisms, primarily fish and aquatic insects, have noted two commonly occurring upstream-to-downstream patterns: either the restriction of species to distinct zones (i.e., discrete variation), or the gradual accumulation of species with increasing distance from the headwaters (i.e., continuous variation). Like other riverine organisms, freshwater mussels exhibit longitudinal patterns in distribution and abundance; however, few studies have quantified these patterns and the environmental variables that influence them. This study examined longitudinal patterns in the assemblage structure of mussels in the Chippewa and Pine rivers, Michigan, United States. A stratified random sampling design was used to sample mussels at 54 sites and timed searches allowed for the characterization of mussel assemblages. Multivariate regression tree models revealed differences in mussel assemblage structure that are consistent with upstream-to-downstream changes in surficial geology and wetland habitat. Certain species were restricted to specific geologies suggesting discrete variation with k-means partitioning and non-metric multidimensional scaling supporting these results. Because the results were consistent between rivers, we expect these patterns to prevail in similarly glaciated regions.
Asthma–COPD overlap syndrome in the US: a prospective population-based analysis of patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization

BACKGROUND Prior work suggests that asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) has a greater health burden than asthma alone or COPD alone. In the current study, we have further evaluated the health burden of ACOS in a nationally representative sample of the US population, focusing on patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization and on comparisons with asthma alone and COPD alone. Patient-reported outcomes are especially meaningful, as these include functional activities that are highly valued by patients and are the basis for patient-centered care. METHODS Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we evaluated patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization among participants who were aged 40-85 years and had self-reported, physician-diagnosed asthma or COPD. MEPS administered five rounds of interviews, at baseline and approximately every 6 months over 2.5 years. Patient-reported outcomes included activities of daily living (ADLs), mobility, social/recreational activities, disability days in bed, and health status (Short Form 12, Version 2). Health care utilization included outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalization. RESULTS Of 3,486 participants with asthma or COPD, 1,585 (45.4%) had asthma alone, 1,294 (37.1%) had COPD alone, and 607 (17.4%) had ACOS. Relative to asthma alone, ACOS was significantly associated with higher odds of prevalent disability in ADLs and limitations in mobility and social/recreational activities (adjusted odds ratios [adjORs]: 1.91-3.98), as well as with higher odds of incident limitations in mobility and social/recreational activities, disability days in bed, and respiratory-based outpatient and ED visits, and hospitalization (adjORs: 1.86-2.35). In addition, ACOS had significantly worse physical and mental health scores than asthma alone (P-values <0.0001). Relative to COPD alone, ACOS was significantly associated with higher odds of prevalent limitations in mobility and social/recreational activities (adjORs: 1.68-2.06), as well as with higher odds of incident disability days in bed and respiratory-based outpatient and ED visits (adjORs: 1.48-1.74). In addition, ACOS had a significantly worse physical health score, but similar mental health score, as compared with COPD alone (P-values 0.0025 and 0.1578, respectively). CONCLUSION In the US, ACOS is associated with a greater health burden, including patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization, relative to asthma alone and COPD alone.
Darwinizm a problem zła

Author argues against the view that accepting the Darwinian idea of evolution precludes the possibility to be a faithful Christian. Author cites the objections of leading evolutionists to the Christian religion (argument from the existence of evil in the world) and presents traditional answers formulated in the light of the philosophy of Saint Augustine and Leibniz. Most important, author emphasizes that answers to the objections of evolutionists can be seen in Darwinism itself which explains the origin and causes of moral and physical evil.
A SOLAR OPTICAL TELESCOPE CONTROLLER DESIGN BY COMPONENT COST ANALYSIS

Abstract A Solar Optical Telescope is used to illustrate the design of suboptimal controllers by Component Cost Analysis. It is shown that by incorporating Component Cost Analysis and Rate Feed Back a trade-off between the two competing factors of performance and stability can be accomplished.
Associations among relational values, support, health, and well-being across the adult lifespan

Is the link between close relationships and health and well-being static across the lifespan, or are the benefits most evident in older adulthood, when concerns about physical health are greater? In Study 1, a cross-sectional survey of 271,053 adults, valuing friendships was related to better functioning, particularly among older adults, whereas valuing familial relationships exerted a static influence on health and well-being across the lifespan. In Study 2, a longitudinal study of 7,481 older adults, only strain from friendships predicted more chronic illnesses over a 6-year period; support from spouses, children, and friends predicted higher subjective well-being over an 8-year period.