cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interrelationship between dietarytrans fatty acids and the 6- and 9-desaturases in the rat

Studies are reported on the effects of dietarytrans fatty acids on the 6- and 9-acyl desaturase activities in the liver microsomes of rats fed essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient and non-FFA-deficient diets. In experiment I, weanling male rats were fed a semisynthetic diet with either 10% safflower oil (SAF) or 10% hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO). At the age of one year, half of the dietary fat was replaced by a supplement containing elaidate, linolelaidate andcis,trans-trans,cis-18∶2 (TRANS) for 12 weeks. In experiment II, male rats which were kept from weaning on a 10% SAF diet for one year received one of the following fat supplements for a 12-week period: 10% HCO, 9% HCO+1% TRANS, or 5% HCO+5% TRANS. Feeding TRANS depressed the 6-desaturase activity in the liver microsomes, especially in the EFA-deficient rats (HCO+TRANS group of experiment I). Unlike the 6-deaturase activity, the 9-desaturase activity was not inhibited by the dietarytrans fatty acids and was significantly stimulated in the non-EFA-deficient rats (SAF+TRANS group of experiment I and HCO+TRANS groups of experiment II). This was evidenced by incubation reactions and by comparisons of fatty acid consumptions and microsomal fatty acid levels, showing extra biosynthesis of 16∶1 and 18∶1 when TRANS was fed. The biosynthesis of essential (n−6) fatty acids was depressed by the TRANS supplement in EFA-deficient as well as in non-EFA-deficient animals.
NMR studies of phosphate metabolism in the isolated perfused kidney of developing rats.

During growth, the capacity for renal phosphate (Pi) reabsorption varies as a function of Pi demand. These changes occur in the absence of changes in extracellular concentration of Pi and are also observed in renal cells cultured in defined media. These findings suggest a direct regulatory effect of intracellular Pi on its transport systems. We postulate that a low intracellular Pi concentration ([Pi]i) occurs in the developing kidney as a consequence of differences in Pi metabolism between growing and mature cells and that a low [Pi]i, in turn, leads to adaptive changes in renal Pi transport. In order to assess this hypothesis, we used31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to measure the intracellular concentrations of NMR-visible Pi and phospho-metabolites and the rates of Pi turnover due to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, in isolated perfused kidneys of 3- to 4-week-old and 12- to 13-week-old rats. The [Pi]i was lower (1.7±0.1 vs 2.7±0.1 mM,P 0.3), despite the smaller intracellular Pi pool present in the younger than in the older animals. The low [Pi]i may stimulate the synthesis of 1,25 hydroxivitamin D3 and the expression of Pi transport related proteins. The high phosphorilation potential drives the ATP flux necessary for growth related transport and biosynthetic processes.
Binge eating and psychological distress: Is the degree of obesity a factor?

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether individuals with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) demonstrate comparable levels of eating pathology and psychological distress independent of weight status. Male and female participants with BED (N=96) completed the Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns-Revised; Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Checklist (SCL)-90-Revised, and Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2). Participants were divided into categories of normal/overweight, obese, and severely obese based on their body mass index (BMI). Analysis of variance was performed using scores on the psychological measures with subjects grouped according to weight status. Participants with BED did not differ on any of the measures of psychological or eating symptoms regardless of weight status. These results replicate and extend previous findings, suggesting that binge eating pathology independent of weight status, accounts for psychological distress among binge eaters.
Automated Hexahedral Mesh Generation by Generalized Multiple Source to Multiple Target Sweeping

This paper presents an enhanced sweeping mesh generation algorithm. Traditional sweeping techniques create all hexahedral element meshes by projecting an existing single-surface mesh along a specified trajectory to a specified single target surface. The work reported here enhances the traditional method by creating all hexahedral element meshes between multiple source surfaces and multiple target surfaces. The new algorithm is based on an innovated application of Boolean operations. The core of this process is the rebuilding of the boundary representations of source surfaces by Boolean operations between the boundary loops of both target and source to incorporate a virtual geometry decomposition. Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing the Structure of Communication on the World Wide Web

This paper examines closely the nature of the hypertext link as a communication tool for Web designers and authors. The strategic nature of the link raises important questions for the representation and interpretation of Web structure. Network analysis is suggested as a methodology that can be used by researchers investigating the World Wide Web from a communication perspective.
Regulation of serpin gene-1 in Manduca sexta

Hemolymph of Manduca sexta contains proteins from the serpin superfamily, which are inhibitors of serine proteinases. We have used probes specific for M. sexta serpin gene-1 mRNA and protein to study the expression and hormonal regulation of this gene. Serpin gene-1 is expressed at a high level in larval fat body and at a lower abundance in hemocytes, where serpin protein is localized in the granules of granular cells. Serpin gene-1 mRNA is abundant in the fat body of feeding fourth and fifth instar larvae, but disappears abruptly at molts and at the wandering stage. The concentration of serpin proteins in hemolymph during development is correlated with the abundance of serpin mRNA in fat body. Results of in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate that 20-hydroxyecdysone has a role in negative regulation of serpin gene-1.
Involvement of glutathione in the enhanced renal excretion of methyl mercury in CFW Swiss mice

The present studies attempted to identify the mechanism for the elevated urinary excretion rate for methyl mercury (MM) previously reported in CFW Swiss mice. Strain comparisons of factors which could conceivably influence renal excretion of MM were made. The biotransformation of MM to the inorganic form did not appear to play a significant role. No significant strain differences were observed in the distribution of MM between plasma and red cells under in vivo or in vitro conditions. The percentage of total plasma MM present in the low-molecular-weight fraction did not differ statistically between the CFW and CBA/J strains. Strain comparisons of total reduced nonprotein thiol concentrations in liver, kidneys, whole blood, and plasma revealed no significant strain differences. A significant strain difference in plasma oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations was observed. However, plasma concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH), the form of glutathione (GS) which interacts with MM, did not significantly vary between the strains. The rate of total glutathione (TGS) excretion in urine was approximately 2-fold higher in CFW mice than in CBA/J mice. The significantly higher urinary GS excretion in CFW mice was accompanied by a 1.6-fold lower urinary gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GTP) activity in this strain.
Evidence for lightning on Venus

Lightning in the clouds on Venus should most nearly resemble intra-cloud discharges on earth. Intra-cloud discharges are weaker, shorter and more frequent than cloud-to-ground discharges and cause more slowly varying luminosity. Terrestrial lightning also has both geographic and local time orderings. At Venus, there is much evidence for lightning similar to terrestrial lightning. The Venera landers saw electromagnetic radiation much like sferics from terrestrial lightning. Pioneer Venus also saw such signals leaking out into the night ionosphere. These signals have a strong local time dependence not unlike terrestrial lightning. The local time distribution helps explain the mixed results of optical surveys. The successful observation was on the evening side where there is much apparently lightning-generated electromagnetic radiation; the unsuccessful observations were on the morning side where such plasma waves, and hence lightning discharges, appear to be rare.
Clinical tool for enhancement of portal images

Demonstrably effective enhancement of portal films is now available to practicing radiation therapists. The combination of a straightforward user interface and an algorithm that runs in a clinically-reasonable time improves our previously-reported technique and makes it accessible to clinicians. Radiation portal images remain the most important mechanism for assuring geometric accuracy of radiation therapy delivery. The high-energy x-ray beams, however, produce films that are intrinsically of low contrast and so they can vary widely in quality, making consistent interpretation difficult. Our current work improves image quality further by adding the option for a median-filtering operation at the output of SHAHE. This step removes much of the local noise that is sometimes introduced despite the contrast- limiting step. Using a new graphical-user-interface-builder, we have built a portal image enhancement system designed to be used by the non-expert. Four levels of enhancement are available: high and low contrast, with and without the median filter. Adjustment of all seven SHAHE parameters is possible for the expert user, but is discouraged for routine use because many of the regions of 'enhancement space': have not been explored for accuracy. The user of the system is presented with a display that allows the selection of an input image and the level of enhancement. Typical computation times (for a 2048 x 2048 image) on a Sun Sparc 400 computer average approximately 10 minutes. Clinical portal imaging -- especially as digital capture is introduced -- should be able to benefit measurably from the use of the methods described here.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Detection of primary user emulation attacks in Cognitive Radio networks

As the proliferation of wireless handheld devices such as smart phones and tablets grow exponentially, new technologies have to be adopted to efficiently use the radio frequency spectrum. Cognitive Radio(CR) network offers a promising solution to improve spectrum utilization and efficiency by harnessing the available spectrum resources in real-time. However, participants in the CR network can comprise of malicious adversaries who adopt dishonest and non-cooperative strategies to attack the network. In our research, we focus on a critical attack on the CR network: Primary User Emulation (PUE). In a PUE attack, the malicious adversary violates spectrum sharing etiquette by impersonating the primary user at the expense of other unselfish secondary users. To thwart such an attack, we present a strategy to authenticate the primary user, which involves collaborative learning among CR users.
MCAK facilitates chromosome movement by promoting kinetochore microtubule turnover

Mitotic centromere-associated kinesin (MCAK)/Kif2C is the most potent microtubule (MT)-destabilizing enzyme identified thus far. However, MCAK's function at the centromere has remained mechanistically elusive because of interference from cytoplasmic MCAK's global regulation of MT dynamics. In this study, we present MCAK chimeras and mutants designed to target centromere-associated MCAK for mechanistic analysis. Live imaging reveals that depletion of centromere-associated MCAK considerably decreases the directional coordination between sister kinetochores. Sister centromere directional antagonism results in decreased movement speed and increased tension. Sister centromeres appear unable to detach from kinetochore MTs efficiently in response to directional switching cues during oscillatory movement. These effects are reversed by anchoring ectopic MCAK to the centromere. We propose that MCAK increases the turnover of kinetochore MTs at all centromeres to coordinate directional switching between sister centromeres and facilitate smooth translocation. This may contribute to error correction during chromosome segregation either directly via slow MT turnover or indirectly by mechanical release of MTs during facilitated movement.
Associative Memory Synthesis, Performance, Storage Capacity And Updating: New Heteroassociative Memory Results

The storage capacity, noise performance, and synthesis of associative memories for image analysis are considered. Associative memory synthesis is shown to be very similar to that of linear discriminant functions used in pattern recognition. These lead to new associative memories and new associative memory synthesis and recollection vector encodings. Heteroassociative memories are emphasized in this paper, rather than autoassociative memories, since heteroassociative memories provide scene analysis decisions, rather than merely enhanced output images. The analysis of heteroassociative memories has been given little attention. Heteroassociative memory performance and storage capacity are shown to be quite different from those of autoassociative memories, with much more dependence on the recollection vectors used and less dependence on M/N. This allows several different and preferable synthesis techniques to be considered for associative memories. These new associative memory synthesis techniques and new techniques to update associative memories are included. We also introduce a new SNR performance measure that is preferable to conventional noise standard deviation ratios.
Five drifters in a Mediterranean salt lens

Abstract Five neutrally buoyant drifters were set in the center of a Mediterranean salt lens to test the idea that they could “tag” and relocate it at a later time. All drifters remained trapped in the lens for their entire periods of submergence, two for 3 months and three for 6 months. The evidence that they did so is clear: they surfaced in groups, and their average temperatures were 3°C higher than is typical for their depth of operation. Detailed analysis of the pressure/temperature records indicate that one can observe the rotation of the lens due to its inclination in the large-scale baroclinic shear. The drifters were also an effective monitor of internal tide activity. A fortnightly modulation was evident. On one occassion the peak-to-peak internal displacement reached 80 m a few days after new moon.
Hearing screening outcomes in infants of pregestational diabetic mothers.

Purpose: Hearing screening results for newborns of diabetic mothers were compared with those of nondiabetic controls. Method: This study was a retrospective chart review of mothers with pregestatio...
Acid-Gas Storage in a Deep Saline Aquifer: Numerical Sensitivity Study to Evaluate Parameter and Model Uncertainty

A modeling study is conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of acid gas evolution in a deep saline aquifer to expected variations of multiple geologic and engineering variables. Relative permeability hysteresis, aquifer heterogeneity variance, formation water salinity, permeability of caprock and leakage wells, injection rate, regional hydraulic gradient, and formation depth are evaluated as uncertain input parameters to a three-dimensional synthetic aquifer model with fully heterogeneous permeability. To understand the effect of conceptual model uncertainty on predicting gas flow and storage, permeability of the heterogeneous model is upscaled to equivalent permeability for three increasingly homogenized stratigraphic models: an eight-unit facies model, a three-unit depositional model, and a one-unit formation model. Two upscaling methods are used: a flow-based numerical method and an analytical averaging method. Over 120 years (20 years of injection and 100 years of monitoring), multiphase compositional s...
Characterization of type II insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptors in sheep liver plasma membranes☆

Interactions of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) from recombinant human and natural ovine sources with sheep liver plasma membranes have been studied. Total specific binding of 125I-hIGF-II (40%) to liver plasma membranes greatly exceeded that of 125I-hIGF-I (1.5%) after incubation at 20 C for 90 min. Binding of 125I-hIGF-II to the plasma membranes was dependent upon time, temperature and membrane concentration of the incubation. Binding of 125I-hIGF-II was only partially reversed by addition of 100 nM IGF-II (18%) or by dilution with excess buffer (36%). Competitive inhibition studies of 125I-hIGF-II binding demonstrated that IGF-II from ovine or recombinant human sources was more effective at inhibiting binding than ovine or human IGF-I. Insulin did not affect binding of 125I-hIGF-II. Plasma membranes were affinity cross-linked to 125I-IGF-II followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of the reducing agent dithiothreitol. Following autoradiography, radioactive bands were localized at 274,000 Mr and 210,000-215,000 Mr in the presence and absence of reducing agent, respectively. This pattern was unaffected by 100 nM human or ovine IGF-I or 1,000 nM insulin, but coincubation with 100 nM human or ovine IGF-II eliminated the radioactive band. These data indicate that an IGF-II specific receptor is present in sheep liver plasma membranes which has characteristics similar to those of nonruminant Type II receptors.
Stability of predictors and the forecasting of foreign exchange rates

The forecasting of foreign exchange rates is like reading tea leaves to some and a sophisticated form of economic analysis to others. Several firms currently earn substantial profits selling exchange-rate forecasts based on various models and with different track records. This study critically reviews the pitfalls and the merits of existing approaches to forecasting foreign exchange rates and introduces a new element in the forecasting model: the stability of predictors. The findings are that stability variables do improve the forecasting ability of an econometrically based model. The results of the suggested model are superior to those derived using the forward rate and the current spot rate as forecasting tools for future spot rates. The forecasting model developed here is shown to be transferable from one currency to another. The utilization of complex statistical techniques in the forecasting of foreign exchange rates depends on whether or not the foreign exchange markets are efficient. The foreign exchange market that is efficient in any sense (weak, semistrong, and strong) is signaling foreign exchange managers that regardless of the forecasting technique employed-sophisticated econometric models, simple forecasting tools, or chart reading-the market cannot be beaten. A simple, costless forecasting tool continuously observable in the marketplace, such as the forward rate, should prove to be a sufficient predictor of the future spot rate if markets are functioning efficiently. Empirical tests on the efficiency of the foreign exchange markets suffer the following drawbacks: 1.
The effect of dietary protein on nitrogen and sulfur metabolism in portacaval-shunted rats.

The effect of varying the amount of protein in the diet on postopera tive recovery, plasma ammonia, urinary orotic acid and metabolism of sulfur-contain ing amino acids was examined in rats with portacaval shunts (PCS). Food intake and weight gain were lower in both PCS and control rats fed a low (6 %) casein diet unsupplemented with methionine compared with rats fed an adequate (18%) casein diet. PCS rats fed 60% casein ate slightly less and took longer to recover their preoperative body weight compared to 60 % controls. Shunted rats were consistently hyperammonemic and orotic aciduric compared to controls. Increasing protein in the diet elevated plasma ammonia and urinary orotic acid in all rats to levels above those of the rats fed 18% casein, but the effect was greater in rats with PCS. After i.p. injection of L-(35S)methionineor L-(35S)cysteine,urinary MSand (35S)sulfateexcretion increased and f35S)taurineand total taurine excretion decreased in all rats fed 60 % casein. These changes are consistent with our observation that hepatic activities of cysteine dioxygenase and cysteine sulfinate:a-ketoglutarate aminotransferase increased and that of cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase decreased in rats fed the high protein diet. The effect of dietary treatment on both urinary taurine excretion and decarboxylase activity was greater in PCS rats than in controls. Although PCS rats fed a high protein diet may have a decreased taurine-synthesizing capability compared to controls, their ability to oxidize a methionine or cysteine load to sulfate is not compromised by feeding either an 18 or 60% casein diet. J. Nutr. 116: 59-69, 1986.
Performance of a fume-exhaust gun system in CO2 arc welding.

Although the incidence of pneumoconiosis has been decreasing in Japan, welders’ health hazards due to welding fume inhalation are still serious, because effective engineering methods for controlling fumes are technically difficult to implement in many welding shops. In the 6th notification of general prevention of dust hazards issued by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (2003–2007), a fume-exhaust gun system was recommended as an effective ventilation device for welding fume control. An ordinary fume-exhaust gun system consists of a welding torch with a suction hood which exhausts the air around the welding arc, a fume collector, and a flexible duct which connects the hood to the collector (Fig. 1). The ventilation is supposed to be performed effectively by means of the suction hood distributed around the periphery of the torch. The air contaminated with welding fumes is carried from the hood through the flexible duct to the fume collector where it is cleaned and then recirculated to the welding shop. Since a fume-exhaust gun requires much lower air removal than other local ventilation systems or a general ventilation system, it should be beneficial to the running cost of the ventilation. In addition, a fume-exhaust gun is superior to the other local ventilation systems in applicability. Unlike the fixed hood of a usual local exhaust ventilation system, a fumeexhaust gun has a hood which does not limit the size of the work piece and welder’s mobility because its hood is always close to the arc point and does not require laborious repositioning or adjustment. However, the gun performance will be affected by the geometry of the weld joint and the shielding gas flow rate. When the hood suction is distorted due to some welding position or excess in shielding gas, the fume plume may tend to rise away from the hood of the gun. In this study the author investigated the effects of welding position, elevation angle of weld line and flow rate of shielding gas on fume-exhaust gun performance.
Simultaneous quantification of aquatic ecosystem metabolism and reaeration using a Bayesian statistical model of oxygen dynamics

We present a Bayesian statistical model of diel oxygen dynamics in aquatic ecosystems to simultaneously estimate gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and oxygen exchange with the atmosphere (and their uncertainties) on the basis of changes in dissolved oxygen concentration, water temperature, irradiance, and, if desired, the 18 Ot o16O ratio (d18O–O2). We test this model using simulated data with realistic measurement errors to demonstrate that it accurately estimates the model parameters and that parameter uncertainties correctly scale with error in the observations and number of data points. Application of the model to field data from two productive stream ecosystems with substantial daily dissolved oxygen variation quantified the underlying physical and biological factors that control oxygen dynamics in these ecosystems and provided empirical support for a light saturation model of the photosynthesis–irradiance relationships at the ecosystem scale. Although inclusion of d18O–O2 provides a second oxygen budget, analysis of field data shows that metabolic and reaeration parameters can be accurately estimated by modeling the transient dynamics of dissolved oxygen concentration alone in relation to daily changes in water temperature and light regime. This model is particularly suited to low– gas exchange, high-productivity systems, which have thus far proved challenging to measure ecosystem metabolism accurately. The modeling framework is applicable to single-station, open-system experimental designs and provides a rigorous and generalizable framework for estimating ecosystem metabolism in aquatic ecosystems.
STUDIES ON PNEUMONIA VIRUS OF MICE (PVM) : II. IMMUNOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF LATENT INFECTION WITH THE VIRUS IN NUMEROUS MAMMALIAN SPECIES

The results of neutralization tests with PVM and serum obtained from numerous animal species indicate that antibodies agaiust this virus were present in the blood of all mammalian species tested, as not in that of fowls, and that their incidence in various species was widely different. They indicate, also, that in certain species, particularly the cotton rat, there were marked seasonal variations in the incidence of such antibodies; in the late winter and spring the incidence was much higher than during the summer and fall seasons. Cotton rats and hamsters which did not possess neutralizing antibodies against PVM were susceptible to manifest pulmonary infection with this virus, irrespective of the effects of previous experiments upon them, whereas those which possessed such antibodies were immune. It is suggested that circulating antibodies against PVM were present as a result of preceding infection with a latent virus; either PVM or an agent closely related to it in antigenic composition. Appropriate non-specific stimuli, e.g. the intranasal injection of suspensions of normal chick embryos, induced the development of neutralizing antibodies against PVM with significantly greater frequency in each of three species than occurred in control animals. Materials derived from patients with primary atypical pneumonia yielded results almost identical to those obtained with normal chick embryo suspensions. It is suggested that such materials, like the other non-specific stimuli employed, were effective in evoking a specific antibody response, because they unbalanced an equilibrium which previously existed between animal host and latent pneumotropic virus.
Third NASA Langley Formal Methods Workshop

On May 10-12, 1995, the formal methods team at the NASA Langley Research Center sponsored their third workshop on the application of formal methods to the design and verification of life-critical systems. This workshop brought together formal methods researchers, industry engineers, and academicians to discuss the potential of NASA-sponsored formal methods and to investigate new opportunities for applying these methods to industry problems. This publication constitutes the proceedings of the workshop. It contains copies of the material presented at the workshop, summaries of many of the presentations, a complete list of attendees, and a detailed summary of the Langley formal methods program. Much of the material contained herein is available electronically through the World-Wide Web via the following URL: http://atb-www.larc.nasa.gov/WS95/proceedings.html.
Distinction of dicarboxylic aciduria due to medium-chain triglyceride feeding from that due to abnormal fatty acid oxidation and fasting in children

Increased amounts of dicarboxylic acids are excreted in human urine under conditions of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) feeding, abnormal fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and fasting. Criteria to distinguish dicarboxylic aciduria originating from MCT feeding and other conditions are needed in urinary organic acid profiling for detecting inborn errors of metabolism. Patterns of dicarboxylic aciduria in children under various conditions were compared. The relative amounts of medium-chain saturated dicarboxylic acids in urine are not reliable for identifying MCT-induced dicarboxylic aciduria. On the other hand, low ratios of unsaturated to saturated dicarboxylic acids (<0.1) and 3-hydroxydecenedioic to 3-hydroxydecanedioic acids were found to be useful in identifying dicarboxylic aciduria due to MCT ingestion. Additional unique features of dicarboxylic aciduria from MCT are low ratios of 3-hydroxydodecanedioic to 3-hydroxydecanedioic acid (<0.14) and 3-hydroxyadipic to adipic acid (<0.02).
Insights into the molecular nature of magnesium homeostasis

Magnesium is an important cofactor for many biological processes, such as protein synthesis, nucleic acid stability, or neuromuscular excitability. Extracellular magnesium concentration is tightly ...
Serum interleukin-6 in bacterial and nonbacterial acute otitis media.

Background Increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious clinical problem that calls for reduction of unnecessary use of antibiotics. Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common reason for antibiotic therapy in the United States. Approximately 30% of AOM cases do not have a bacterial etiology. Rapid identification of these cases could help withhold unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Objective To determine the usefulness of serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an acute phase cytokine shown to be a reliable marker of neonatal bacterial infection, in differentiation between bacterial and nonbacterial AOM in children. Study design IL-6 was measured in stored serum samples from 184 children (mean age, 22 months) with AOM who were enrolled in antibiotic efficacy trials at our department. The samples were obtained at enrollment and at 9 to 12 days after initiation of antibiotic therapy. Sera from 21 uninfected children (mean age, 23 months) were used as controls. The etiology of AOM was determined by bacterial and viral cultures as well as respiratory syncytial virus antigen detection in the middle ear fluids obtained by tympanocentesis. Results Bacterial etiology of AOM was confirmed in 125 children (68%), whereas in 59 children (32%) no bacterial pathogen could be detected in the middle ear fluid. Children with bacterial AOM had significantly higher IL-6 levels than those with nonbacterial AOM (median, 11.5 vs 3.7 pg/mL). However, this difference was almost entirely attributable to pneumococcal AOM specifically. IL-6 levels in children with AOM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae were significantly higher (median, 40.1 pg/mL) than in AOM caused by Haemophilus influenzae (7.3 pg/mL) or Moraxella catarrhalis (6.8 pg/mL). At the cutoff value of 30 pg/mL, the specificity of IL-6 for detection of pneumococcal AOM was 91% with a sensitivity of 61%, but its sensitivity for detection of bacterial AOM in general was only 27%. Conclusions Low levels of IL-6 do not rule out bacterial etiology of AOM in general; therefore, IL-6 is not sensitive enough as a marker of bacterial AOM. Surprisingly, serum IL-6 levels in pneumococcal AOM were significantly higher than the levels associated with other bacterial AOM, and serum IL-6 levels of >30 pg/mL were highly specific for pneumococcal AOM. These findings suggest a distinctive role for S pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of AOM.
Deconvolution of magnetic force images by Fourier analysis

A novel technique which allows the true magnetic charge distribution of a sample to be obtained from a raw MFM image by deconvolution is presented. The formation of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images can be considered as a convolution of the tip response function and the divergence of the sample magnetization. The key element in this method is the tip response function, which contains the information about the magnetic and geometric properties of the tip. This tip response function is obtained by imaging the flux emanating from the end of an ultranarrow single-domain nickel strip which approximates a point magnetic charge. An MFM image of recorded bits obtained with the same tip is deconvolved utilizing Fourier transformation methods. By this approach, the deconvolved image becomes tip independent and it is possible to achieve spatial resolutions as small as the width of the Ni strip, which can be 10 nm wide. >
Standardizing Variant Interpretation in Genomic Sequencing: Implications for Genetic Counseling Practice

The dramatic increase in genetic testing technologies has led to discussion about the roles of genetic counselors and other healthcare providers in variant interpretation. The ability to detect DNA variants greatly surpasses the ability to interpret their clinical impact, limiting the benefit of these technologies. Healthcare providers assisting patients in understanding uncertain genetic test results should be aware of ClinGen and ClinVAR. Challenges include understanding the level of certainty or uncertainty behind the determination of pathogenicity, the variable types of variant assessment performed by clinical laboratories, conveying this to patients, helping patients evaluate potential medical decisions in light of such uncertainty, and of course the vast number of “variants of uncertain clinical significance” which arise from next-generation sequencing tests. This paper discusses the current, and rapidly changing, state of variant interpretation resources and the ways that clinical geneticists, specialist physicians, and genetic counselors can assist in improving variant interpretation resources.
Migraine as a systemic vasculopathy

Epidemiological studies suggests that migraine is associated with disorders of the cerebral, coronary, retinal, dermal and peripheral vasculature. There is evidence that migraine is associated with endothelial dysfunction, both as a cause and a consequence. Endothelial dysfunction, a vascular risk factor, is characterized by endothelial activation and impaired vascular reactivity. Plasma and genetic biomarkers for these conditions have been identified. The clinical significance lies in the potential for the rapid identification of migraineurs at increased risk of ischaemic stroke and vascular disease through ascertainment of endothelial dysfunction biomarkers. It is uncertain whether stroke, myocardial infarction and other vasculopathies can be prevented by migraine prophylaxis, endothelial repair, platelet inhibition or a combination of these strategies.
Microstructural characterization of the transition region between scar and normal tissues in a healing medial collateral ligament

The purpose of this study was to investigate the microstructure and collagen organization in the transition region between scar and normal tissues of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in a rat model using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transition region microscopy consistently demonstrated continuity of collagen fibers and fibrils from the residual portions of the transected ligament through the scar region. Bifurcations/fusions, but no anastomosis, in fibers and fibrils were observed in both normal and scar tissues. In the scar region larger diameter fibers of the normal tissue bifurcated into smaller diameter fibrils in the scar region. This connection between larger diameter and smaller diameter tissues indicates that bifurcations/fusion are likely to be the dominant way in which force is transmitted in the healing ligament.
The Collaborative Network Orientation: Achieving Business Success through Collaborative Relationships:

This study presents a theoretical concept called the collaborative network orientation (CNO) and tests it using a sample of male and female small business owners. The CNO is based on (1) research that indicates female managers prefer to organize in cooperative network relationships and (2) conflict theory that indicates collaboration is preferred for both building relationships and achieving goals. Empirical tests revealed that female owners had a stronger preference for a CNO. A CNO was associated with business success for all owners, but it was significantly more positively associated with success for male business owners.
The Rasch Measurement Model: An Introduction

The Rasch scaling model has been used to advance the development and application of tests in various fields including education, medicine, and psychology. The Rasch model has the potential for overcoming several problems which currently plague developmental measures in early intervention. This manuscript introduces the Rasch model, discusses applications of the model to early childhood assessment, and summarizes preliminary research evidence.
Childhood Forced Sex and Cervical Dysplasia Among Women Prison Inmates

This cross-sectional study is one of the first to investigate an association between childhood forced sex and cervical dysplasia. Cervical dysplasia can be identified through Pap smear screening and indicates precancerous cervical lesions, which if not treated, could become cervical cancer. Of 123 women confined under medium security in a women's correctional facility and surveyed for this study, 31.7% (n = 39) reported forced sex when less than 17 years old. Almost 6% (7 of 123) had an abnormal Pap smear indicating cervical dysplasia on entering prison. Those reporting forced sex before age 17 were six times more likely to have cervical dysplasia on entry into prison. Earlier age at first being forced to have sex was significantly associated with cervical dysplasia prevalence. This study provides data to suggest that early sexual trauma may be associated with precancerous cervical dysplasia. Further research is needed to clarify this association.
Statistical approach to ML decoding of linear block codes on symmetric channels

Maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding of linear block codes on a symmetric channel is studied. Exact ML decoding is known to be computationally difficult. We propose an algorithm that finds the exact solution to the ML decoding problem by performing a depth-first search on a tree. The tree is designed from the code generator matrix and pruned based on the statistics of the channel noise. The complexity of the algorithm is a random variable. We characterize the complexity by means of its first moment, which for binary symmetric channels we find in closed-form. The obtained results indicate that the expected complexity of the algorithm is low over a wide range of system parameters.
Brian Hebblethwaite's arguments against multiple incarnations

In this article I present two arguments from Brian Hebblethwaite for the conclusion that multiple incarnations are impossible, as well as the analyses of those arguments provided by three other thinkers: Oliver Crisp, Peter Kevern, and Robin Le Poidevin. I argue that both of Hebblethwaite's arguments are unsound.
Vocal Coordination of Troop Movement in Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri oerstedi and S. sciureus) and White-Faced Capuchins (Cebus capucinus)

Troops of New World monkeys in the wild are often first detected by field workers from the tumult of routine intra-group vocal communication. Prodigious numbers of calls can be produced by an individual, and especially a troop, within a brief time period. This vocal barrage usually represents a few types of vocalizations emitted at high rates (Smith et al.,1982; Boinski et al.,1994). Although a species’ vocal repertoire usually comprises a limited set of distinct vocalizations, each type of vocalization may encompass much individual and population within-call variation in acoustic structure (Newman 1985; Snowdon 1982, 1989). Yet many vocalizations produced by wild New World monkeys are not associated with any overt social interaction, foraging activity, or predation threat. This prompts inquiry into why individual monkeys indulge in such varied, apparently non-essential vocal communication. The cumulative costs of these intra-group vocalizations are likely significant in terms of energy expenditure and enhanced exposure to predators, even if the cost of each individual vocalization is trivial (Krebs & Dawkins 1984; Jurgens & Schriever 1991).
Six Senses of Strict Liability: A Plea for Formalism

The term strict liability has been used to refer to a range of ways in which crimes lack some element of moral content. This article contends that the formalistic meaning of strict liability (namely, that an offense contains at least one material element for which there is no corresponding mens rea element) should be preferred over various substantive senses of the term, such as that an offense bars the use of one or more mens-rea-negating defense, requires a defendant's intent to be presumed from other facts, or requires a less serious form of mens rea, harmfulness, or wrongfulness than has traditionally been required by the criminal law. It argues that use of the term strict liability in one or more of its substantive senses is inconsistent with an important parallel trend in the criminal law away from the broad, blameworthiness sense of mens rea and towards its narrow, elemental sense; and is likely to lead to various forms of conceptual confusion, including by creating a mistaken impression of equivalence between such different forms of moral deficiency. The article suggests that the omission of mens rea from criminal statutes is a uniquely important form of moral deficiency in criminal law and that it deserves a discrete terminological identifier.
Effects of Light, Temperature, and Feeding Status on Flight Initiation in Postdiapause Colorado Potato Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Flight initiation in postdiapause Colorado potato beetles, Lepttnotarsa decemlineata (Say), occurred at temperatures as low as 15°C in field trials, and the percentage of initiation increased gradually to 100% at 20°c. Flight initiation and behavior were different between starved and fed beetles; starved beetles initiated more flights to greater heights and over longer distances. In wind tunnel studies, flight initiation increased with increasing light intensity.
Elevation of Plasma LH in Response to Systemic Injection of β-Endorphin Antiserum in Adult Male Rats

AbstractA single injection of β-endorphin antiserum into mature male rats produced approximately a 3-fold rise in plasma LH levels by 10 to 50 min, and declined by 90 min, but remained significantly elevated above pre-injection values. Control rats injected with normal rabbit serum showed no elevation in plasma LH values. These results indicate that β-endorphin is one of the endogenous opiates that tonically depresses basal release of LH in mature male rats.
Public health safety and transplant with increased-risk organs: Striking the balance

There is significant variability amongst transplant centers, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO), members of public, and patients about organs from Public Health Service increased risk donors. This has therefore required regulatory bodies like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to formulate policies for transplant centers and OPOs to minimize risk of infectious transmission to recipients of solid-organ transplants from such donors.
Urogenital Rhabdomyosarcoma in Childhood

Recent advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy have improved the prognosis of urogenital rhabdomyosarcoma. Preliminary reports suggest that a mutilative operation may no longer be essential to cure this disease.
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

Since the initial identification of patients with monoclonal elevation of gamma globulin and associated clinical symptoms in 1944 by Jan Waldenstrom, several new insights have been gained using a range of approaches. For example, IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and smoldering Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia are defined clinical precursor states to symptomatic Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. Epidemiologic studies have established the prevalence of these conditions and the estimated risk of progression to symptomatic disease. Recent molecular studies have identified mutations in the MYD88 and CXCR4 genes as early events in the pathogenesis of IgM MGUS and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. In this review we summarize the epidemiologic and molecular features of Waldenstrom precursor states, the risk stratification and clinical evaluation of these conditions and possible management options. With the advent of more effective and safer treatments for Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, we highlight the possibility of clinical treatment trials targeting patients with smoldering Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.
Social media and the doping of sport surveillance

Reviewing literatures from sociology of sport, surveillance, and internet studies, we consider the processes by which social media regulate the behavior of athletes. Nowhere is this more evident than in the current regulation of anti-doping in elite sport where athletes' social media postings have been highly critical of fellow competitors. As social media becomes increasingly blended into everyday routines, this form of surveillance extends the gaze of those who watch and increases the pressure for online disclosure while making traditional distinctions between formal and informal social control less meaningful. Contemporary social media acts as a form of social control that has become more preemptive and grassroots. When athletes internalize surveillance and disclosure as consistent with their professional norms, the power relationships that surround sport performance become increasingly difficult to discern. This article helps to illuminate the ways in which surveillance through social media have become a part of everyday routines, extends and amplifies the power of more traditional agents of surveillance, and calls for continued research into the role of contemporary social media as a surveillance practice.
Tax Evasion in Emerging Economies

Although all countries have somewhat of a problem collecting ail the taxes they think are due to them, this problem is especially acute in emerging economies. There are a number of reasons for this problem. Although the specific situation is different in each country, each country that may be labeled as an emerging economy or a transition economy has certain common characteristics that make tax evasion easier to do and easier to get away with. The focus of this chapter is on Armenia because I happened to live there for more than a year and I was able to observe what went on around me and how the economy worked. However, similar stories could probably be told of any country where the people view their government negatively and where the mechanism for collecting taxes is not in place.
Maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with infertility.

Objective: To investigate perinatal outcomes in a cohort of fertile and infertile nulliparous women. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Academic medical center. Patients: All nulliparous women delivering singletons ≥24-week gestation at our center from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 were included. Women were classified into two groups - fertile and infertile - based on a chart review at the time of delivery. Outcome measure: Perinatal outcomes of interest included mode of delivery, gestational age at delivery, and birth weight. Results: A total of 3293 mother/infant dyads fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 277 women (8.4%) were classified as infertile. Infertile women were significantly older than fertile women. In bivariate analyses, infertile women were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (51.8 versus 36.1%, p < .001) and deliver at an earlier gestational age (38.9 ± 2.3 versus 39.4 ± 1.7 weeks, p < .0001). Infertility was no longer significantly associated with cesarean delivery after adjusting for maternal age. Infertility remained associated with an earlier gestational age at delivery after adjusting for maternal age and maternal race (β coefficient -0.42, 95%CI -0.64, -0.2). There was no difference in infant birth weight. Late preterm deliveries (34-36 completed gestational weeks) accounted for 8.3% of deliveries for infertile women compared to 4.3% for fertile women (p = .032). Conclusions: We conclude that the increased risk of cesarean section associated with infertility is driven by maternal age. Late preterm infants represent a key cohort for further evaluation in the perinatal outcomes of infertile women.