cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetic analysis of blood-brain barrier transport of amino acids

The Michaelis-Menten kinetics of blood-brain barrier transport of fourteen amino acids was investigated with a tissue-sampling, single-injection technique in the anesthetized rat. Tracer quantities of 14C-labelled amino acids and 3H2O, used as a freely diffusible internal reference, were mixed in 0.2 ml of buffered Ringer's solution and injected rapidly into a common carotid artery. Circulation was terminated by decapitation at 15 s following injection. A brain uptake index (Ib) was determined from the ratio of 14C dpm in the brain tissue and the injection mixture divided by the same ratio for the 3H2O reference. Brain clearance of tracer concentration of amino acid was saturable when various concentrations of unlabeled amino acid were added to the injection solution. Double reciprocal plots of the saturation data yielded Km (mM) values that ranged from a low of 0.09 mM for arginine to a high of 0.75 mM for cycloleucine. Transport V values were determined from the relationship P = VKm where P is the blood-brain barrier permeability constant (ml/g per min): P was calculated from the Ib for each amino acid based on a cerebral blood flow of 0.56 ml/g per min and a fractional extraction of 0.75 for the 3H2O reference 15 s following carotid injection. The V values ranged from a low of 6.2 nmol/g per min for lysine to a high of 64 nmol/g per min for l-DOPA. Efflux of the tracer amino acid during the 15-s period after injection was assumed to be slow, since the rate constant of cycloleucine from brain to blood was low, 0.11 min−1.
The Friends and Family Plan: Contact with Gays and Support for Gay Rights

According to both the contact hypothesis and gay rights advocates, coming out to straight friends and family members should increase acceptance of homosexuality and support for gay rights. If lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGBs) come out primarily to people they expect to be accepting, however, the repeated finding that people who know LGBs are more likely to support gay rights could be overstating the impact of coming out. Using individual-level data from 27 national surveys, I find that similar variables predict both knowing LGBs and supporting gay rights, but in different ways. Even after controlling for those demographic, religious, and political variables—and sometimes also for beliefs about whether some people are born gay and whether homosexuality is immoral—people who know LGBs are much more likely to support gay rights. The effect holds for every issue, in every year, for every type of relationship, and for every demographic, religious, and political subgroup.
Network thermodynamics revisited.

Modeling provides a bridge between the natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, and the like) and the axiomatic sciences (mathematics and statistics). Inductively-derived descriptive models map observations of physical processes into mathematical descriptions that can be treated as axioms (e.g., the various laws of physics). A synthetic model combines descriptive models of several physical processes with a structural model (representing the interactions of those processes) for the purpose of deducing or predicting the consequences of interactions. When applied together with elementary thermodynamic principles, circuit theory provides an excellent framework for synthetic modeling.
Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) as a paleothermometer: otolith oxygen isotope reconstruction

Stable isotope studies are increasingly important for understanding past environmental and cultural developments along the North Pacific Rim. In this paper, we present methods for using Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) otoliths as a paleothermometer using a case study from Kodiak Island, Alaska. The results of this study indicate that Pacific cod otoliths record variable paleoenvironmental conditions during the Little Ice Age. The broad distribution of Pacific cod and success in using the otoliths as a paleothermometer makes this method widely applicable to researchers working throughout the northern Pacific Rim.
The rise of the ‘new agenda’ and the decline of partisanship

Has the rise of so‐called new social movements contributed to an undermining of parties in Western nations? This study reviews the arguments alleging this to be the case, and then summarises the results of 229 public opinion surveys from 17 nations. The surveys indicate that those who hold ‘post‐materialist’ values are stronger partisans than those with ‘materialist’ values. The analysis concludes that much of the literature has overstated the contrasts between movements and parties, that the mass public does not differentiate itself into ‘party’ and ‘movement’ categories, and that parties have been resourceful in protecting themselves against the depradations that movements might cause.
Assessment of Electroosmotic Perfusion in Capillary Chromatographic Columns Using Electrical Conductivity

The electrical conductivity of capillary electrochromatography (CEC) columns packed with macroporous particles has been investigated. Columns were prepared with commercially available octadecylsilane-coated 7 Im diameter particles (Nucleosil) having nominal pore diameters of 100, 300, 500, 1000, and 4000 A, and operated under typical CEC conditions. The conductivity of the 100 A column was in agreement with that predicted from theory for nonporous spheres, indicating that intraparticle current was negligible. Columns packed with the wide-pore media (1000 A and 4000 A), in contrast, yielded conductivity values over 2-fold greater than the 100 A. The electroosmotic contribution to current flow in these columns was deemed insignificant on the basis of theoretical modeling and the experimental data. It was therefore concluded that the increased column conductivity of the wide-pore packed columns was the result of intraparticle current transport. These results further suggest that wide-pore packings are more permeable to fluid flow and thus can provide maximum gains in efficiency due to electroosmotic perfusion when electrical double layer thickness is small relative to the median pore diameter of the packing.
A new era of Human Computer Interaction

For most researchers outside of the field, Human Computer Interaction (or HCI) is the study and evaluation of interactive systems and techniques. While this is an important part of our discipline, nowadays HCI is as much about “building” the underlying technologies and systems as it is studying their use. In this talk I will demonstrate why it is an exciting time to be a computer science researcher in this discipline. You can play with the newest technologies, such as exotic cameras, displays and sensing hardware; readily embrace approaches outside of your discipline (e.g. within computer vision, machine learning, signal processing, or computer graphics); and even invent technologies and algorithms along the way. However, ultimately, you'll build working systems that are grounded by real-world problems that have direct impact on users.
Financing Problems Faced By The Lebanese SMEs: An Empirical Study

During the last two decades, there was unanimity around the importance of the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the development of economies, of job creation and social stability. This issue concerns industrialized countries as well as developed countries. The purpose of this paper is to study the methods and the financing problems faced by Lebanese SMEs, as well as the behavior of banks in terms of credit allocation. An illustration is presented through a survey covering 56 SMEs: 16 SMEs belonging to the area of Kartaba and 40 SMEs belonging to Beirut suburbs. Moreover, and based on data collected from 30 credit files and on interviews held with important bankers, this paper try to identify the components of the credit assessment process, the risk acceptance criteria, and the categories of loans available for SMEs.
Managerial Incentives And Changes In Corporate Focus

We examine how Chief Executive Officer (CEO) equity ownership, CEO tenure, and the percentage of options in CEO annual compensation are related to decisions regarding changes in corporate focus. We document that the CEOs whose companies change their level of corporate focus have significant differences from CEOs whose firms do not change focus. However, we find no differences in the characteristics of CEOs who increase their firm’s level of diversification and the CEOs who decrease their firm’s level of diversification. Firm characteristics, such as size or whether the firm sells at a premium or discount to its peers, are better predictors of changes in corporate focus than CEO characteristics. Overall, we find no evidence that changes in diversification are related to self-serving managers attempting to maximize their own wealth.
Winning with the Facts

An effective statement of facts inclines judges to rule in your favor even before considering the matters in dispute. An advocate can comply with court rules prohibiting "argument or comment" while still emphasizing favorable facts and deemphasizing or explaining unfavorable ones. A statement of facts includes background facts, legally significant facts, and emotional facts, organized in a manner that is clear and at the same time supports the advocate's position.
Automatically Discovering Fatigue Patterns from Sparsely Labelled Temporal Data

In many problems, we would like to find relation between data and description. However, this description, or label information, may not always be explicitly associated with the data. In this paper, we deal with the data with incomplete label information. In other words, the label only represents a general concept of a bag of data vectors instead of a specific information of one data vector. Our approach assumed that the feature vectors generated from the bag of data can be partitioned into baglabel relevant and irrelevant parts. Under this assumption, we give an algorithm that allows for efficiently extracting meaningful features from a large pool of features, and learning a multipleinstance based predictor. We applied our algorithm to the monkey fixation data to predict the monkeys' quit behavior. Our algorithm outperforms other standard classification methods such as binary classifier and one-class classifier. In addition, the microsaccade is interpreted from a large set of features using our method. We find that it is the most effective element to predict the quit behavior.
A Matter of Detail: The Architecture of Philippe Barthélémy and Sylvia Griño

Contemporary architecture in France, at least visually, remains deeply indebted to the representational tendencies of modernism. Perhaps the tradition endures because France was the site of so many of the major developments in architecture during the early part of the least century. Or could it be that the recognisable look of the country’s architecture has more to do with the insularity of its architectural profession, which has prevented a more systematic contamination of the discipline by other styles and approaches?
Real-world recurrence rate of cancer-associated-VTE treated with Low Molecular Weight Heparin Therapy: The Mayo Clinic Experience.

e17687 Background: Patients with cancer associated VTE have a 4-fold higher risk of mortality compared to cancer patients with no VTE. If anticoagulants are discontinued, patients with cancer assoc...
Regime Stability in Anocracies: The Role of Special Economic Zones

In the two decades since Fukuyama’s famous claim of an ‘end of history,’ the number of democratic regimes increased and the number of autocratic regimes decreased, but the number of anocracies – mixed or institutionally inconsistent regimes – remains the same or slightly higher. This article presents a theory of institutionally inconsistent regime stability. Stability in all regimes is due to reinforcing and consistent institutional structures that create self-enforcing equilibria, which in turn induces elites to work together towards regime stability. The use of special economic zones (SEZs) in institutionally inconsistent anocracies allow the existing elite to prescreen and preselect new members in the winning coalition, thus creating a more consistent institutional environment in which elites are more likely to work together. Elites are chosen based upon 1) potential economic contribution and 2) potential to challenge the existing political order. This study empirically examines the role of special eco...
Weak Theories and Parameter Instability: Using Flexible Least Squares to Take Time Varying Relationships Seriously

A common assumption by time-series analysts is that the estimated coefficients remain fixed through time. Yet this strong assumption often has little grounds in substantive theory or empirical tests. If the true coefficients change over time, but are estimated with fixed-coefficient methods such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) or its many offshoots, then this can lead to significant information loss, as well as errors of inference. This article demonstrates a method, Flexible Least Squares (FLS), for exploring the relative stability of time-series coefficients. FLS is superior to other such methods in that it enables the analyst to diagnose the magnitude of coefficient variation and detect which particular coefficients are changing. FLS also provides an estimated vector of time-varying coefficients for exploratory or descriptive purposes. FLS properties are demonstrated through simulation analysis and an evaluation of the time-varying characteristics of explanations of presidential approval from 1978 to 1997. s with many statistical methods used by political scientists, regression analysis was borrowed from the physical sciences where relationships are often invariant across both experimental observations and through time.1 For example, if we drop an object from an altitude of 100 feet, we can easily calculate the velocity with which the object will hit the ground, and with great accuracy. Using regression analysis and multiple experiments, we can also discover the effect of wind speed, friction, and other factors on this velocity. We know with some degree of certainty that controlling for these other factors, the velocity will be the same across all similar experiments, next year, in ten years, or in a hundred years. Many such invariant relationships exist in the physical sciences (e.g., the rate of decay of a radioactive isotope, the relationship between pressure and temperature in contained gases, the rate of growth of biological populations, the change in crop yields as a function of fertilizer, etc.). However, one is hard pressed to find such invariant relationships in the science of politics. Political science theories are weak in that they identify few such steadfast relationships, yet political scientists who use regression analysis and its many offshoots commonly assume parameter invariance when they restrict the coefficients to a single K x 1 vector. Political scientists rarely give the parameter invariance assumption any serious consideration either through substantive theory or their choice of estimation methods. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that this is a mistake and to illustrate a relatively new method for evaluating the parameter-invariance assumption. In particular we shall be concerned with the parameter-invariance assumption with respect to time.
Genetic Isolation and Identification of Hantavirus

Objective To isolat hantavirus and identify them by molecular biological methods Method Tissue cell culture and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)were used Result A strain of hantavirus was isolated from Apodemis agrarius, technique were need using strain 76-118 and strain L99 as controls, its gene was amplified with the specific primers of serotype HTN and serotype SEO The isolated strain showed a bright band after amplification with the primer of serotype HTN, and its result is identical to that of strain 76-118 Conclusion The isolated strain is identified as hantavirus through gene identification
Study on obesity prevalence,the risk factors and their chronic diseases of residents in Haizhu District

Objective To explore the obesity prevalence and the risk factors and the relationship with chronic disease of residents in Haizhu for disease control and prevention.Methods By using systematic sampling method,4 474 residents aged 40-88 were investigated by questionnaire,physical examination,and laboratory tests.Results The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 33.06% and 9.37%.And overweight rate of male was similar to female.Obesity rate of female was higher than that of male.Education level,smoking and drinking were main risk factors of obesity.The more BMI,the more prevalence for diabetes,hypertension and blood fat abnormality.Conclusion The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity have reached higher level in residents in Haizhu,and the target measures should be carried out for the prevention of obesity and the chronic diseases.
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Associated With Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Infection in Older Adults: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been widely known as a common cause of acute renal failure in children. There are only a few reports of sporadic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-hemolytic uremic syndrome in adults in the USA. Analyses from the 2011 outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with Escherichia coli O104:H4 reported that mortality rates are highest in those patients with age >60-years old. Therefore, recognizing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-hemolytic uremic syndrome in older people can help early introduction of the appropriate therapy. We describe an 86-year-old Caucasian woman, initially treated as suspected thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, with worsening neurological and renal functions despite plasmapheresis (plasma exchange). A subsequent normal ADAMTS13 activity level and positive stool sample for Escherichia coli O157:H7 confirmed the diagnosis of Shiga toxin-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome. We shifted our management towards aggressive supportive care. Despite conventional treatment, hemolytic uremic syndrome unfortunately led to her death. Our case demonstrates the importance of recognizing Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-hemolytic uremic syndrome as an etiology of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in older people. According to the current literature, supportive care is the best approach for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-hemolytic uremic syndrome. Therapies such as plasma exchange and eculizumab (a complement inhibitor) are not shown to be effective in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli-hemolytic uremic syndrome. There is a dire need to continue research to find better treatment options in this disease entity with a high mortality, particularly in older people.
Daily vancomycin dose requirements as a continuous infusion in obese versus non-obese SICU patients

Limited data are available assessing vancomycin concentrations in obese critically ill patients. Currently, there are no studies evaluating dosing requirements in this population who receive vancomycin administered as a continuous infusion (CI). The aim of this study was to assess whether there was a difference in the weight-based maintenance dose required to reach a therapeutic vancomycin concentration at 24 hours when given as a CI in obese versus non-obese critically ill patients. A retrospective cohort study of adult obese patients admitted to the SICU between 2013 and 2015 receiving a vancomycin CI (CIV), and with 24-hour serum measurements were included. Obese patients (body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2) were matched with non-obese patients (BMI <30 kg/m2) based on renal function, age and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE)-II score at admission. All patients in this study received a loading dose of 25 mg/kg then a maintenance dose based on renal function according to the protocol. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The primary outcome was the weight-based total daily maintenance dose required to achieve a vancomycin level of 20 mg/L. The secondary endpoints included the achievement of a therapeutic level at 24 hours. Twenty-six matched pairs of patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 17 pairs had preserved renal function and 9 pairs required continuous venovenous hemofiltration. Mean BMI was 40.9 kg/m2 in obese and 24.8 kg/m2 in non-obese patients. To achieve a vancomycin concentration of 20 mg/L, the weight-based daily maintenance dose in obese patients was 25.6 mg/kg versus 43.8 mg/kg in non-obese patients (p <0.01). Therapeutic 24-hour levels were achieved in 24/26 obese versus 23/26 no-obese patients (p = 0.63). Mean 24-hour vancomycin level was 20.3 ± 3.81 mcg/ml in obese compared to 20.03 ± 3.79 mcg/ml in non-obese patients (p = 0.77). Mean daily maintenance doses required to achieve a level of 20 mcg/ml were 2961 ± 1670 mg in obese compared to 3189 ± 1600.69 mg in non-obese (p = 0.61). The results of our study suggest that critically ill obese patients treated with CIV required a significantly lower maintenance dose per unit of body weight than non-obese patients to achieve the same target level.
Faculty Motivation to Mentor Students Through Undergraduate Research Programs: A Study of Enabling and Constraining Factors

Undergraduate research experiences are a “high impact” educational practice that confer benefits to students. However, little attention has been paid to understanding faculty motivation to mentor undergraduate students through research training programs, even as the number of programs has grown, requiring increasing numbers of faculty mentors. To address this, we introduce a conceptual model for understanding faculty motivation to mentor and test it by using empirical data to identify factors that enable and constrain faculty engagement in an undergraduate research program. Using cross-sectional survey data collected in 2013, we employed generalized linear modeling to analyze data from 536 faculty across 13 research institutions to examine how expected costs/benefits, dispositional factors, situational factors, previous experience, and demographic factors predicted faculty motivation to mentor. Results show that faculty who placed greater value on the opportunity to increase diversity in the academy through mentorship of underrepresented minorities were more likely to be interested in serving as mentors. Faculty who agreed more strongly that mentoring undergraduate students was time consuming and their institution’s reward structures were at odds with mentoring, or who had more constrained access to undergraduate students were less likely to be interested in serving as mentors. Mid-career faculty were more likely than late-career faculty to be interested in serving as mentors. Findings have implications for improving undergraduate research experiences, since the success of training programs hinges on engaging highly motivated faculty members as mentors.
Auto-tuning tub-level control of blender in hydraulic fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is one of the key technologies for producing shale oil and gas. During hydraulic fracturing, a blender is used to mix sand with water and chemicals to obtain a fluidic mixture that will be pumped down a well to frack rocks. In order to achieve high-quality fracturing during a job, the blender needs to maintain its tub level as well as the density of the fluidic mixture. In this paper, an auto-tuning proportional-integral (PI) control is developed for the blender automation system to maintain the tub level of its fluidic mixture. The control system adopts a single-loop PI with gains that can be auto-tuned during a job. A relay feedback test is conducted for auto-tuning the PI gains online. The auto-tuning PI control has been successfully tested in a blender simulator. Experimental results have shown that the control performance was improved after auto-tuning and that the control system was adaptive to variation in system parameters.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
The Impact of Monetary Policy on Investor Sentiment

This paper examines the relationship between monetary policy and investor sentiment across conventional and unconventional monetary policy regimes. During conventional times, we find that a surprise increase in the fed funds rate leads to a large drop in investor sentiment that reverses after several months. Similarly, when the fed funds rate is at its zero lower bound, research results indicate that contractionary unconventional monetary policy shocks also have a large and adverse impact on investor mood. Together, our findings highlight the importance of both conventional and unconventional monetary policy in the determination of investor sentiment.
Strongly outer group actions on UHF algebras

We show that for any countable discrete maximally almost periodic group G and any UHF algebra A, there exists a strongly outer product type action α of G on A. When G is also elementary amenable, Matui–Sato have shown that such actions have their tracial Rokhlin property. Consequently, the class of crossed products A ⋊αG satisfy Elliott’s classification conjecture. We also show the existence of the “Rokhlin” property for countable discrete almost abelian group actions on the universal UHF algebra.
Regulating Nonbanks: A Plan for SIFI Lite

This Article examines a relatively recent addition to the institutional architecture of financial regulation in the United States: the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC). In particular, it draws attention to a flaw in the design of the Council’s power to designate nonbank financial companies as “systemically important financial institutions,” commonly known as “SIFIs.” Specifically, the Article argues that the binary nature of the designation power has underappreciated costs, which make the SIFI designation system less effective and efficient than it otherwise could be. The Article makes both positive and normative claims. First, it draws attention to the ways in which a binary designation power incentivizes certain financial institution behavior, such as litigation and restructuring. A binary designation power can also influence regulatory behavior by creating an opportunity for politicized decision making. The Article highlights the social and economic costs of these behaviors, which include the potential for underinclusive supervisory scope, increased information asymmetries, and distorted business decisions. Such costs can undermine the SIFI stability agenda as well as financial institution efficiency. Second, in teasing out the normative implications of that cost analysis, the Article argues for a more marginal — nuanced — apparatus for regulating nonbank financial institutions. In doing so, the Article also probes the broader question of whether the entity-based paradigm is the most effective regulatory strategy for appraising and addressing systemic risk in the nonbank arena. Ultimately, by exploring how SIFI policy should be revised to reflect these normative insights, the Article develops a broader theory about post-crisis regulatory design — that regulators have undervalued supervision, and the information it produces, as a tool for systemic risk management outside the traditional banking system.
Integrating Intuitive Driver Models in Autonomous Planning for Interactive Maneuvers

Given the current capabilities of autonomous vehicles, one can easily imagine autonomous vehicles being released on the road in the near future. However, it can be assumed that this transition will not be instantaneous, suggesting that autonomous vehicles will have to be capable of driving in a mixed environment, with both humans and autonomous vehicles. To guarantee smooth integration and maintain the nuanced social interactions on the road, a shared mental model must be developed. This means that the behaviors of human-driven vehicles and their typical interactions in collaborative maneuvers must be modeled and understood in an accurate and precise manner. Then, by integrating such models into autonomous planning, we can develop control frameworks that mimic this shared understanding. We present a driver modeling framework that estimates an empirical reachable set to capture typical lane changing behaviors. This method can predict driver behaviors with up to 90% accuracy and cumulative errors less than 1 m. Leveraging this driver model in an optimization-based trajectory planning framework, we can generate trajectories that are similar to those performed by humans. By using this modeling and planning framework, we can improve understanding and integration of nuanced interactions to improve collaboration between humans and autonomy.
Catalytic Enantioselective Carbonyl Allylation and Propargylation via Alcohol-Mediated Hydrogen Transfer: Merging the Chemistry of Grignard and Sabatier

ConspectusMerging the characteristics of transfer hydrogenation and carbonyl addition, we have developed a new class of catalytic enantioselective C–C bond formations. In these processes, hydrogen transfer between alcohols and π-unsaturated reactants generates carbonyl–organometal pairs that combine to deliver products of addition. On the basis of this mechanistic paradigm, lower alcohols are converted directly to higher alcohols in the absence of premetalated reagents or discrete alcohol-to-carbonyl redox reactions. In certain cases, due to a pronounced kinetic preference for primary versus secondary alcohol dehydrogenation, diols and higher polyols are found to engage in catalytic stereo- and site-selective C–C bond formation—a capability that further enhances efficiency by enabling skeletal construction events without extraneous manipulations devoted to the installation and removal of protecting groups. While this Account focuses on redox-neutral couplings of alcohols, corresponding aldehyde reductive ...
Agency in Action: Exploring User Responses and Rhetorical Choices in Interactive Data Displays

In 2014, Rawlins and Wilson proposed a typology of agential interactions between users and designers of interactive data displays. This article tests that typology by studying 20 users working with...
Constructing Splitting Fields of Polynomials over Local Fields

We present an algorithm that finds the splitting field of a polynomial over a local field. Our algorithm is an OM algorithm modified for this task.
Is That the Same Person? Case Studies in Neurosurgery

Do neurosurgical procedures ever result in the patient prior to the procedure not being identical with the individual who wakes up postsurgery in the hospital bed? We address this question by offering an analysis of the persistence of persons that emphasizes narrative, rather than numerical, identity. We argue that a narrative analysis carries the advantage of highlighting what matters to patients in their ordinary lives, explaining the varying degrees of persistence of personal identity, and enhancing our understanding of patients' experiences. We illustrate these points in cases involving temporal lobectomy for treatment of refractory epilepsy and deep brain stimulation for refractory Parkinson's disease.
A single center retrospective cohort study comparing low-molecular-weight heparins to direct oral anticoagulants for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer - A real world experience.

IntroductionLow-molecular-weight heparins are the standard treatment for cancer-associated thrombosis. Recently, direct oral anticoagulants are a new option for thrombosis treatment; however, data ...
Phenotypic and genotypic diversity of Lactobacillus buchneri strains isolated from spoiled, fermented cucumber.

Lactobacillus buchneri is a Gram-positive, obligate heterofermentative, facultative anaerobe commonly affiliated with spoilage of food products. Notably, L. buchneri is able to metabolize lactic acid into acetic acid and 1,2-propanediol. Although beneficial to the silage industry, this metabolic capability is detrimental to preservation of cucumbers by fermentation. The objective of this study was to characterize isolates of L. buchneri purified from both industrial and experimental fermented cucumber after the onset of secondary fermentation. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization included 16S rRNA sequencing, DiversiLab® rep-PCR, colony morphology, API 50 CH carbohydrate analysis, and ability to degrade lactic acid in modified MRS and fermented cucumber media. Distinct groups of isolates were identified with differing colony morphologies that varied in color (translucent white to opaque yellow), diameter (1 mm–11 mm), and shape (umbonate, flat, circular or irregular). Growth rates in MRS revealed strain differences, and a wide spectrum of carbon source utilization was observed. Some strains were able to ferment as many as 21 of 49 tested carbon sources, including inulin, fucose, gentiobiose, lactose, mannitol, potassium ketogluconate, saccharose, raffinose, galactose, and xylose, while others metabolized as few as eight carbohydrates as the sole source of carbon. All isolates degraded lactic acid in both fermented cucumber medium and modified MRS, but exhibited differences in the rate and extent of lactate degradation. Isolates clustered into eight distinct groups based on rep-PCR fingerprints with 20 of 36 of the isolates exhibiting >97% similarity. Although isolated from similar environmental niches, significant phenotypic and genotypic diversity was found among the L. buchneri cultures. A collection of unique L. buchneri strains was identified and characterized, providing the basis for further analysis of metabolic and genomic capabilities of this species to enable control of lactic acid degradation in fermented plant materials.
Regulation of Adenovirus E2 Transcription Unit

The ability of viruses to take over the synthetic machinery of the host cells they invade for their own survival affords an ideal setting to look at the intricacies of ongoing regulation of macromolecular events and enables one to address specific questions concerning gene regulation. Genetic studies with animal viruses have provided detailed insights into the structure and function of the viral genome and the gene products it encodes. Viral mutants provide a means of probing the genetic and biochemical phenomena occurring in infected cells. Adenoviruses are members of DNA tumor virus family and are widespread in nature. Although about 40 different serotypes of human adenoviruses have been identified, adenovirus (Ad2) and Ad5 are the most well studied. The relatively small size (36 kilo bases) of its genome and the ease with which it can be grown to high titers in cultured cells have made the adenoviruses particularly attractive for experimentation. Early promoters of human adenoviruses provide excellent model systems to study transcriptional regulation. In adenovirus-infected human cells, six early viral promoters are coordinately regulated, and their efficient transcription is dependant on the large E1A protein which consists of 289 amino acids (Flint and Shenk 1989). The upstream DNA sequence elements that are required for basal E1A-independent transcription of these promoters have been identified. A number of cellular transcription factors that interact with these elements in a sequence-dependent fashion have been identified and cloned.
Assessing Children and Adolescents

When assessing the social skills of children and adolescents, researchers and practitioners tend to pursue several goals. Typically, the first goal is to identify those who are in need of intervention due to particular social skill deficits or behavioral excesses. The second goal of assessment is to determine the specific social skills, as well as the particular problematic social situations, that should be targeted for intervention. Following the implementation of social skills training, the third goal of assessment is to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention (Bierman, 2004; Inderbitzen, 1994).
We learn from each other: exploring interpersonal communications in online communities

This study investigates the extent to which a participant's prior engagement with other participants predicts the likelihood of this participant's responsiveness to another participant in a later discussion. Further, this study explores the extent to which the content of this participant's reply to another participant demonstrates progress towards advanced learning. This study investigates replies in a diabetes online community using data from ten threads with 431 replies and 209 unique visitors. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods are used. Results show that a participant, who has more prior engagement with other participants, is more likely to respond to another participant in a later discussion. A participant's reply to another participant contains more content indicating advanced learning. These findings imply that enhancing online community members' interpersonal communications can help transform these members into active social learners, who in turn, benefit the whole community by posting knowledge-based messages.
His bundle pacing.

His bundle pacing (HBP) has recently emerged as a technique to avoid the negative effects of long-term right ventricular apical pacing. In addition to providing physiologic ventricular activation, HBP has been shown to correct underlying conduction abnormalities in certain patients. Although large prospective, randomized clinical trials have not yet been completed, the available observational clinical data support the safety and efficacy of this technique. Here, we review the physiology of the his bundle (HB) as it relates to HBP, describe the current clinical experience, and discuss future directions of this emerging therapy.
Development by popular protection and Tunisia: the case of Tataouine

ABSTRACTRecently a debate re-emerged between Adel Samara and Samir Amin on the state role in delinking – subjecting a social formation’s relationships to the world-system to a domestic, popular law...
Kv3.3 Potassium Channels Activate the TBK1 Signaling Pathway

Mutations in KCNC3, which encodes the Kv3.3 potassium channel, are linked to degeneration of the cerebellum (SCA13, spinocerebellar ataxia type 13). We found that Kv3.3 channels bind and stimulate Tank Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1), an enzyme that controls trafficking of membrane proteins into multivesicular bodies. TBK1 activity regulates binding of the channel with Hax-1, an anti-apoptotic protein required for survival of cerebellar neurons, and that embeds Kv3.3 in a stable actin cytoskeleton at the plasma membrane. TBK1 activity is elevated several-fold in the cerebellum of animals expressing a SCA13 mutant channel. Cells that express the mutant channel have increased internalization of Hax-1 and accumulate multivesicular bodies containing this cell survival protein, coupled to depolarization-induced loss of the channels themselves. Our studies indicate that the activation of Kv3.3 channels is linked directly to TBK1 activity and channel mutations enhance internalization of the cell survival protein Hax-1 to which they are bound.
Effectiveness of a Universally Offered Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening Intervention in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract Purpose Adolescents represent more than half of the newly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. annually. Emergency departments (EDs) may serve as an effective, nontraditional setting to screen for chlamydia/gonorrhea (CT/GC). The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a universally offered CT/GC screening program in two pediatric ED settings. Methods This was a prospective, delayed start pragmatic study conducted over 18 months in two EDs within the same academic institution among ED adolescents aged 14–21 years with any chief complaint. Using a tablet device, adolescents were confidentially informed of CT/GC screening recommendations and were offered screening. If patients agreed to CT/GC testing, a clinical decision support tool was triggered to inform the provider and order testing. The main and key secondary outcomes were the proportion of CT/GC testing and positive CT/GC test results in each respective ED. Results Both EDs experienced modest but statistically significant increases in CT/GC testing post- versus pre-intervention (main: 11.5% vs. 7.9%; confidence interval [CI]: 2.9–4.2; p Conclusions A universally offered screening intervention increased the proportion of adolescents who were tested at both EDs and the detection rates for CT/GC at the main ED, but patient acceptance of screening was low.
Independent Period-2 Motions to Chaos in a van der Pol–Duffing Oscillator

In this paper, an independent bifurcation tree of period-2 motions to chaos coexisting with period-1 motions in a periodically driven van der Pol–Duffing oscillator is presented semi-analytically. ...
'Finding' a Way to Complete the Ring of Capital Jury Sentencing

In the modern death penalty era in America, two findings have emerged as generally required before a murderer can be sentenced to death. First, the decisionmaker must find that the murder was especially egregious, due to specific, statutorily-defined characteristics of the murder or the murderer—typically referred to as “aggravating circumstances.” Second, the decisionmaker must find that any aggravating circumstances in the case “outweigh” any “mitigating circumstances,” i.e., anything that makes the crime or the defendant seem less deserving of death. Remarkably, regarding the second finding (the weighing finding) it remains unclear who “the decisionmaker” must be and how convinced the decisionmaker must be—even though the Supreme Court held back in 2002, in Ring v. Arizona, that the Sixth Amendment mandates that the decisionmaker for the aggravating circumstance finding must be a jury and that the jury must be convinced “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This Article asserts that Ring’s use of the word “fact” to describe the kind of determination that must be made by a jury has completely undermined the functional and elements-based approach of Ring. This approach, properly understood, mandates that the Sixth Amendment jury requirement applies to any finding (not just “fact”) that is required for a death sentence. This Article traces the Court’s use of the term “finding” in this context—from the beginning of the modern death penalty era in 1976, through Apprendi v. New Jersey in 2000, Ring in 2002, and Hurst v. Florida in 2016—and asserts that the Apprendi Court’s use of the broader term “finding” in this arena is more faithful to the Sixth Amendment and to substantive state law. This Article catalogs how state supreme courts and federal circuit courts overwhelmingly concluded (post-Ring) that the capital weighing finding is not subject to the Sixth Amendment, because it is not a “fact” under Ring—aided by the Court’s Eighth Amendment “death eligibility” doctrine, which misleadingly suggests that defendants become “eligible” for a death sentence based solely on the finding of an aggravating circumstance. The Court’s broader approach in Hurst does provide some hope in this realm and has led to momentous changes in Delaware, Florida, and Alabama. And all but two states now insist that a jury make all the findings that are required for a death sentence under state law. Nevertheless, while nearly 75% of the current thirty-one death penalty states require a weighing-type finding for a valid death sentence, almost 75% of these states still fail to require that this finding be made beyond a reasonable doubt, as the Sixth Amendment mandates. There is still much work to be done.
Utility estimation for neurogenic bowel dysfunction in the general population.

Summary Background Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) affects over 80% of individuals with spina bifida causing bowel incontinence and/or constipation. NBD is also associated with decreased quality of life, depression, anxiety, and decreased employment/educational attainment. Because NBD is a life-altering condition without a cure, understanding the utility of different health states related to NBD would aid clinicians as they try to counsel families regarding management options and to better understand the quality of life associated with disease management. Objective To elicit utility scores for NBD using an online community sample. Study design A cross-sectional anonymous survey was completed by 1534 voluntary participants via an online platform (Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk, http://www.mturk.com/ )), representing an 87% response rate. The survey presented hypothetical scenarios that asked respondents to imagine themselves as an individual living with NBD or as the caretaker of a child with NBD. The time trade-off (TTO) method was used to estimate a utility score, and outcomes for each scenario were calculated using median and IQR. Univariate comparisons of distributions of TTO for demographic data were made using Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results The median utility score for NBD was 0.84 [0.70–0.92]. Participants reported that they would give up a median of 5 years of their own life, to prevent NBD in themselves of their child. Utility values for child scenarios were significantly different when stratified by age, gender, race, parental status, marital status, and income. Stratification by current health status did not yield significantly different utility values. Discussion Study findings are comparable with other TTO-determined utility values of moderately severe disease states, including severe persistent asthma (0.83), moderate seizure disorder (0.84) and mild mental retardation (0.84). The significant variations in utility values based on age, gender, race, parent status, partner/marital status and income variables existed in our study, which is similar to findings in other health fields. Study limitations include lack of unanimous agreement about TTO's validity in measuring utility values, and MTurk participant reports can be generalized to greater population. Conclusion NBD is perceived by the community as having a substantial impact on the lives of children with spina bifida, representing a 16% reduction from perfect health. In general, health state utilities have been increasingly used in healthcare systems to understand how burdensome a population perceives a disease is and to evaluate whether interventions improve quality of life years. Download : Download high-res image (405KB) Download : Download full-size image Summary Figure 1 . Average utility score for children with neurogenic bowel dysfunction by demographic factors of respondant.
Prognostic Impact of Peri-Operative Thrombocytopenia on Outcomes of Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Purpose This study evaluated the impact of peri-operative thrombocytopenia on outcomes following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Methods Adults undergoing contemporary LVAD implantation (HeartMate 3 or HeartWare HVAD) between 2009 to 2018 at a single institution were included. Pre-, intra-, and post-op (within 72 hours) platelet nadirs were analyzed, and thrombocytopenia (TC) was defined as a nadir Results A total of 195 patients were included in the study. 48.7% experienced no TC at any phase (Group 1), 16.9% had only post-op TC (Group 2), 7.7% had only intra-op TC (Group 3), 18.0% had intra- and post-op TC (Group 4), 6.7% had TC at all phases (Group 5), and 2.1% had pre- and intra-op TC but no post-op TC (Group 6). In multivariable analysis, the presence of intra- (HR 2.50, 95% CI 1.15-5.45, p=0.02) and post-op (HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.07-5.06, p=0.03) TC were independent predictors of 1-year mortality following LVAD implantation although pre-op TC was not (HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.42-3.10, p=0.80). In assessing stratified groups, the 3 cohorts with post-op TC (Group 2, 4, 5) were the only patients with an increased risk-adjusted likelihood of 1-year mortality (Table). The post-op TC group also experienced higher rates of post-implant adverse events, including renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, bleeding, infection, and readmission (all, p Conclusion Pre-operative thrombocytopenia is not associated with 1-year mortality after LVAD implantation and therefore should not serve as an absolute contraindication to surgery. However, particular attention should be paid to appropriate platelet transfusion practice and patient management to avoid intra- and early post-operative thrombocytopenia as both are strong predictors of adverse outcomes.