cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Update on house dust mite immunotherapy: are more studies needed?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although systematic reviews have confirmed the effectiveness of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma, a review of studies employing extracts of house dust mites (HDMs) for immunotherapy found no consensus on basic treatment parameters. RECENT FINDINGS Over the last 2 years nine additional reports on immunotherapy with HDM extract preparations have been published. Six studies were with SLIT, five for allergic rhinitis and one for allergic asthma. The other three studies were all with SCIT in children with allergic asthma. SUMMARY The publication of these nine studies supports the efficacy of HDM-SLIT for allergic rhinitis and asthma and for HDM-SCIT for asthma in children. The reported safety data are also reassuring, especially for SLIT.HDM-SLIT tablets under development will have optimal doses established in large, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. The HDM-SCIT trial in children with allergic asthma confirms the efficacy of a commercialized HDM preparation for injection immunotherapy. However, the information that is presented on dosing in the articles on SLIT-liquid is unsatisfactory, as doses are not presented in a form that the clinician can use to guide their practice.
Incompressible Flow Simulation at High Reynolds Numbers using Galerkin Finite Element with Spatial/Temporal Adaptation

A new adaptive technique for simulation of unsteady incompressible ows at high Reynolds number is presented. The initial mesh is generated based on a Cartesian grid with spatial-decomposition and a simple optimization step to dene the boundaries of the domain. This technique is fast and produces a quad-dominant mesh while preserving the quality of the elements. Adaptive mesh renement is performed based on the gradient of the vorticity from the previous time step. The time step is controlled and hence adapted using error estimation of the ow variables with respect to time. Galerkin nite element discretization is used to generate the non-linear system corresponding to the Navier Stokes equations. Turbulence is modeled using the standard Wilcox k ! equations. The solution of the linearized system is carried out using a GMRES method with the least-squares commutator as a preconditioner. Various test cases are shown to demonstrate the strength of this new approach.
Length-Dependent Conductance of Oligothiophenes

We have measured the single-molecule conductance of a family of oligothiophenes comprising 1–6 thiophene moieties terminated with methyl-sulfide linkers using the scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique. We find an anomalous behavior: the peak of the conductance histogram distribution does not follow a clear exponential decay with increasing number of thiophene units in the chain. The electronic properties of the materials were characterized by optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry to gain an understanding of the factors affecting the conductance of these molecules. We postulate that different conformers in the junction are a contributing factor to the anomalous trend in the observed conductance as a function of molecule length.
The Aaland Islands Question

Among the problems recurrently agitating European chancelleries and military strategists is that of the status of the Aaland Islands. Located between Sweden and Finland athwart the entrances to the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, these islands long have played a role of importance in North European affairs which bids fair to increase in significance in the immediate future. The islands have a direct bearing upon the military and naval strategy of all countries bordering upon the Baltic Sea, and their status must be of concern to all nations having shipping interests in this region. The so-called Aaland Islands Question is now a complex of questions regarding sovereignty and title to the islands, as well as their neutralization and militarization.
Comparison between the New and Old Diagnostic Criteria of Neonatal Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome in Neonatal Septic Shock

Objective To discuss the guiding significance of new and old neonatal systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS) diagnostic criteria for neonatal critical illnesses in clinic and the differences between them.Methods A total of 117 septic shock neonates including 90 male and 27 female were under clinical analysis based on neonatal shock score,new and old neonatal SIRS diagnostic criteria and neonatal organic function failure diagnostic criteria.The number of gentle shock,mezzo shock and severe shock were 20,83 and 14 cases.SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results Most cases in 117 septic shock neonates suffered in the first 3 days after birth,most of which were died in the first 3 days of hospitalization.The primary affection mostly was septicemia.In 117 cases,there were 53 cases according to the old SIRS diagnostic criteria,the conforming rate was 45.3%,and there were 49 cases according to the new SIRS diagnostic criteria,the conforming rate was 41.9%.In the cases according to SIRS diagnostic criteria,there was no significant difference between the new and old criteria in terms of the number of cases according to 2-4 items of diagnostic criteria,the conforming rates and mortalities(P0.05).For the new and old SIRS diagnostic criteria,the most common conforming item was the change of body temperature,while the change of heart rate was rare.Most of the 117 cases had combined with 2,3 organic function failures;Respiratory failure was the most common one.There was no signifi-cant difference between the new and old SIRS diagnostic criteria in terms of the mortalities with the same number of failed organs(P0.05).Conclusions Neither the new nor old SIRS diagnostic criteria had a high conforning rate with neonatal critical illnesses;There was no significant difference between them in each clinical item.It shows that the new SIRS diagnostic criteria is not superior to the old one,therefore we should improve the neonatal SIRS diagnostic criteria in the future.
Finite belief fusion model for hidden source behavior change detection

A person’s beliefs and attitudes may change multiple times as they gain additional information/perceptions from various external sources, which in turn, may affect their subsequent behavior. Such influential sources, however, are often invisible to the public due to a variety of reasons – private communications, what one randomly reads or hears, and implicit social hierarchies, to name a few. Many efforts have focused on detecting distribution variations. However, the underlying reason for the variation has yet to be fully studied. In this paper, we present a novel approach and algorithm to detect such hidden sources, as well as capture and characterize the patterns of their impact with regards to the belief-changing trend. We formalize this problem as a finite belief fusion model and solve it via an optimization method. Finally, we compare our work with general mixture models, e.g. Gaussian Mixture Model. We present promising preliminary results obtained from proof-of-concept experiments conducted on both synthetic data and a real-world scenario.
Ruptured Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm: A Complication of Power Injector Assisted Ventricular Angiography

Introduction: Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm; also referred to as contained left ventricular wall rupture, is a rare complication that is reported in about 0.2 to 0.3 percent of all myocardial infarction patients. Since it has a high risk of fatal rupture, early surgical repair is recommended once pseudoaneurysm is diagnosed. Case Presentation: In this case report, we are describing a case of a left ventricular inferior wall pseudoaneurysm which was diag- nosed by angiography, and was complicated by rupture and cardiac tamponade shortly after the patient received a powered assisted left ventricular angiogram. Conclusions: This case exemplifies that pseudoaneurysm represents a part of the ongoing process of ventricular rupture, that begins with a small tear in the endocardium and then extends to the myocardium and the pericardial cavity, causing hemoperi- cardium and cardiac tamponade. Therefore, earlier recognition and urgent surgical repair can be lifesaving.
Cultured Construction: Global Evidence of the Impact of National Values on Piped-to-Premises Water Infrastructure Development

In 2016, the global community undertook the Sustainable Development Goals. One of these goals seeks to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all people by the year 2030. In support of this undertaking, this paper seeks to discover the cultural work done by piped water infrastructure across 33 nations with developed and developing economies that have experienced change in the percentage of population served by piped-to-premises water infrastructure at the national level of analysis. To do so, I regressed the 1990–2012 change in piped-to-premises water infrastructure coverage against Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, controlling for per capita GDP, the 1990 baseline level of coverage, percent urban population, overall 1990–2012 change in improved sanitation (all technologies), and per capita freshwater resources. Separate analyses were carried out for the urban, rural, and aggregate national contexts. Hofstede’s dimensions provide a measure of cross-cultural differen...
Neutral Geometry (NEUT)

This chapter deals with neutral geometry, which is central to the entire book. It begins with definitions of mirror mappings and reflections over lines. Every line is an axis for some reflection. A line of symmetry for a set is a line whose reflection maps that set onto itself. Every angle has a line of symmetry, its angle bisector. Compositions of reflections are isometries, and isometric sets are congruent. These concepts provide access to the standard congruence theorems. Reflections are used to define perpendicularity, the perpendicular bisector and midpoint of a segment, and to prove the existence of a line (not necessarily unique) through a given point parallel to a given line. Ordering of angles is defined, leading to the notions of acute angle, obtuse angle, and maximal angle of a triangle.
Aortic Valve Damage for the Study of Left-Sided, Native Valve Infective Endocarditis in Rabbits

Infective endocarditis affects approximately 100,000 individuals in the USA. Medical advances have contributed to the rise of the disease, and no new therapies have emerged in the last 50 years to control the surge of this life-threatening infection. The rabbit vascular physiology and immune response mechanisms are similar to humans. Hence, the rabbit model of infective endocarditis is an excellent research tool with which to address many questions regarding development of endocarditis, for the testing of new therapies, and for the study of the molecular mechanisms used by infectious agents to cause disease. This chapter describes the surgical procedure required to study infective endocarditis in damaged native valves, therefore closely mimicking human disease.
The use of bone morphogenic protein in spinal deformity surgery

Abstract The use of BMP in spinal deformity surgery is becoming common. Deformity spine surgeries have a high non-union rate due to the need to fuse many levels combined with a limited amount of autograft iliac crest bone and often the need for fusion at the lumbosacral junction. This situation has created a strong desire for a bone graft substitute/enhancer such as BMPs. However, there are no set guidelines with regards to dosage or method of utilization. This article will review the limited number of relevant studies, and make recommendations regarding BMP use in spinal deformity surgery. Bone morphogenic protein (BMP) as an adjunct to standard grafting techniques has become more and more common in spinal deformity surgery. There are several issues specific to deformity surgery that make these cases suitable for the use of BMP: the relatively high non-union rate due to the multiple fusion levels, the limited amount of iliac crest available for harvest, and the need for 360° fusions at the lumbosacral junction. However, there are concerns about using BMP for these surgeries, particularly as there are no set guidelines with regards to dosage as well as the method of utilization. In addition, the use of BMP posteriorly is technically off-label with regards to FDA approval, leaving compensation for its use in this scenario somewhat up in the air.
Use of Black Light in Training Retarded, Multiply Handicapped, Deaf-Blind Children.

One group of severely or profoundly retarded, multiply handicapped, deaf-blind children were given a training program using a black light environment which allowed for the removal of all distractin...
Abstract WMP107: Neuroimaging Characteristics of Intracranial Hemorrhages and Microhemorrhages in Infective Endocarditis

Introduction: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is common in infective endocarditis (IE). We explored the imaging characteristics, predictors, and clinical implications of ICHs including intraparenchym...
Observer estimation of OMNI scale RPE during a fire fighter skills test using video-graphic analysis

Fifty-four male and female college aged students (28 men, 26 women) were asked to estimate the level of exertion (RPE) of twenty certified firefighters during a firefighter skills test using direct kinematic video-graphic analysis. Observers estimated RPE at six different epochs: immediately before exercise (IBE), top of stairs (TOS), bottom of stairs (BOS), immediately after hose drag (IAHD), immediately after exercise (IAE), and session (S). RPE was self-reported by firefighters IBE and IAE. The validity and reliability of the video-graphic observational technique was explored. Observer RPE estimates were significantly lower than the self-reported ratings ( p <.001; mean difference: 0.54 ± 0.84). Observer ratings did not differ between trials and showed strong correlations ranging from 0.69 to 0.79 ( p <.001). These findings indicate that the observational technique employed presently could possibly be used to provide estimates of exertional perceptions in firefighters, however more research is warranted to further validate kinematic observation in firefighters
Tunable system for production of mirror and cusp configurations using chassis of permanent magnets

Abstract Compact arrays of permanent magnets have shown promise as replacements for electromagnets in applications requiring magnetic cusps and mirrors. An adjustable system capable of suspending and translating a pair of light, nonmagnetic chassis carrying such sources of magnetic field has been designed and constructed. Using this device to align two cylindrical chassis, strong solenoid-like domains of field, as well as classic biconic cusp and magnetic mirror topologies, are generated. Employing a pair of ring-shaped chassis instead, the superposition of their naturally-emitted cusps is demonstrated to produce sextupolar and octupolar magnetic fields.
University—Industry Research Relationships

(1984). University—Industry Research Relationships. Research Management: Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 35-41.
Specific Inhibition of PCR by Non-Extendable Oligonucleotides Using a 5′ to 3′ Exonuclease-Deficient DNA Polymerase

The Stoffel fragment of Taq DNA polymerase lacks the 5' to 3' exonuclease activity that hydrolyzes potentially blocking DNA strands during primer extension. We there-fore asked whether by using this fragment in the PCR, non-extendable, base-paired oligonucleotides could inhibit amplification in a sequence-dependent manner. Model targets were chosen from the partially conserved ribosomal 16S rDNA of three bacterial species: E. coli, Bacillus subtilis and Neisseria gonorrhoea. A single pair of primers was capable of amplifying a homologous 240-bp region from all three. Two non-extendable "blocking" oligonucleotides were synthesized with sequences complementary to the inter-primer regions of E. coli and B. subtilis, respectively. Both blockers were shown specifically to prevent amplification of their complementary targets, but not of the reciprocal control targets or of the reciprocal control targets or of the non-complementary N. gonorrhea. Specificity was further confirmed by an internal positive control. Similar inhibition was seen with mixtures of targets in a single reaction. With intact Taq DNA polymerase, no blocking was observed. Primers and blockers targeting specific regions of N. gonorrhoea rDNA were used to confirm the requirement that blockers be directed to the inter-primer region. Sequence-dependent amplification inhibition, such as that demonstrated here, would be applicable to PCR-related strategies using primers capable of using multiple targets, where such selective inhibition could be useful.
Bayesian Hierarchical Forecasts for Dynamic Systems: Case Study on Backcasting School District Income Tax Revenues

Time series forecasting for relatedunits is common practice. Examples include sales of a chain of fast-food restaurants in a metropolitan area, precipitation in neighboring sections of farm land, and, as explored in this chapter, tax revenues for the school districts of a county. Our premise is that there is information in the cross- sectional data to be exploited for forecasting. The geographic scale of our research is much smaller and therefore our data are more dynamic than those of related studies. Garcia-Ferrer et al. (1987) and Zellner and Hong (1989) used Bayesian shrinkage methods for pooling time series forecasts — similar to the one we develop in this chapter — to forecast growth in the economies of several countries. Lesage and Magura (1990) applied the same and additional methods to multi-regional data, seven metropolitan areas in Ohio. Our interest is in small local government economies at the subregional level. We forecast (and backcast) income tax revenues for forty school districts in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Similarity vs. the “In-and-Out Complementary Principle”: A Cultural Faux Pas

SummaryModern investigators of early Chinese mathematical classics have often attributed a recognition and application of the principles of geometric similarity to the authors and commentators of these works. In problem situations involving the use of sighting poles and the determination of a remote distance, Chinese mathematicians frequently employed proportionality relations involving the sides of relevant pairs of right triangles. In such situations the modern western observer sees similarity; however, the Chinese employed a concept now called “the In-and-Out-Complementary-Principle,” IOCP. They did not use geometric similarity. This article identifies the issues of confusion and examines the concept and application of IOCP.
Science Shapes the Beautiful: Shaping Moment-to-Moment Aesthetic Behavior

Mechner’s advocacy of interrelating beauty, music, and behavior reunites themes from the earliest stages of the development of behavior analysis. This reunification occurs after a long hiatus during which molar behaviorism emphasized averaging over moment-to-moment behaving and deemphasized moment-to-moment behaving itself. Molar behaviorism cannot meaningfully address many of the musical themes Mechner analyses. Interpretations of musical behaving and other complex behaviors like volition in terms of average behavior encourages focusing on steady-state behavior and discourages focusing on shaping. The resulting problem is clear if we remember that we do not hear molar (average) musical behavior, so to examine the aesthetic qualities of molar musical behavior is conceptually impossible. The solution is to develop more powerful and more general shaping methods for moment-to-moment musical performance.
Proceedings of the 2017 Workshop on MobiSys 2017 Ph.D. Forum

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the ACM MobiSys 2017 PhD Forum workshop in Niagara Falls. For the past several years, the PhD Forum has been a regular event of the ACM MobiSys conference. The forum provides a highly interactive, supportive, and friendly environment for PhD students to present and discuss their research with other students and experienced researchers from both academia and industry. In addition to providing feedback and advice, this forum also provides an excellent opportunity for students to build their professional network. This forum is best suited to students who are far enough along in their PhD such that constructive and effective discussions on their thesis can be had. Participants will receive feedback regarding key challenges to solve, research approaches and strategies, as well as the suitability of their research methodologies. This year, the workshop program will consist of three technical sessions with two keynote speakers. The opening keynote will be given by Professor He Wang from Purdue University, followed by our first technical session on Mobile Sensing. Another keynote speech will be given by Dr. Aruna Balasubramanian from Stony Brook University, followed by our last two sessions on Mobile Systems and Wireless Communication and Security.
To Lump or To Split: Does Strain Lineage for Clostridioides difficile Matter?

ABSTRACT Since 2001, numerous descriptive ecological studies of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) have identified a single lineage (BI/NAP1/027) associated with the epidemics of CDI, increased severity of CDI, and increased likelihood of incident CDI to become recurrent. Establishing causality between the clinical severity and outcomes for CDI and the lineages of the infecting strains, however, has proved elusive, with many conflicting results in previous observational studies. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, J. R. Garneau, C. N. Abou Chakra, L.-C. Fortier, A.-C. Labbe, et al. (J Clin Microbiol 57:e01724-18, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01724-18) performed multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) on 450 isolates from epidemic strain CDI arising in 10 Canadian centers during a previously well-described epidemic to assess the hypothesis that subpopulations of this lineage are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The authors’ key finding, however, was that MLVA genotyping grouped infections closely with associated hospital centers; CDI severity was not associated with any particular sublineage by MLVA. While the study does not support any causal inferences about strain-specific virulence of CDI, it does highlight the power of MLVA, a genotyping tool that remains valuable in tracking the geospatial transmission dynamics of CDI.
Sleep monitoring using an infrared thermal array sensor

Recently, sleep evaluation has attracted lots of attention as sleep disorders have become a public health problem that causes cumulative effect on physical and mental health. Poor sleep qualities can lead to adverse effects on performance of basic activities in normal life such as memorization, concertation and learning especially among elderlies. Sleep posture is one of the keys factors that evaluates sleep qualities to prevent medical conditions such as pressure ulcer formation. In this paper, a sleep monitoring system is developed based on an infrared array sensor to detect different sleep postures. Motion and presence detections are performed and achieved an accuracy over 90%. And eleven different postures can be successfully identified with an accuracy above 95% in controlled lab environment. As the infrared array sensor has the unique property of non-contact, non-privacy invasion and passive sensing, it provides an unobtrusive, low cost and convenient method of long-term sleep monitoring.
The Importance of Deliberate Team Building: A Project-Focused Competence-Based Approach

Strong teams do not happen by chance. Putting together a group of highly skilled individuals will not necessarily result in a top performing team. Team building can have lasting, positive, and measurable effects on team performance. However, it is important that you keep the activities project-focused and avoid situations that feel awkward or artificial. This paper describes how to build motivated and cohesive technical teams using a “deliberate team building” approach, which is a different way for technical managers to think about team building and describe techniques successfully employed that differ from the classic, sometimes less successful, team bonding exercises used with technical professionals.
The arts’ legitimacy problem

Policy can present any number of wicked problems for arts educators and advocates. The complexity of policy accompanied by a general lack of policy dexterity fuels the legitimacy gap between advoca...
Environmental Sustainability of Livestock Production

The environmental impact of livestock production has become an important and controversial global issue, pri- marily due to reported impacts on global warming. This concern applies to all meat animals, but especially beef cattle due to their emission of enteric methane. Livestock production contributes to global warming, but the importance of its contri- bution may be overstated. Its effect on climate is primarily through methane production, which does not have a long-term effect on the atmosphere. Global livestock numbers and emissions from their manure are increasing, so there is a short-term effect through increased rate of emission. Other effects of meat production may be of more concern for long-term sustain- ability. Through a full life cycle of meat, the dominant impact is loss and waste, which adversely effects all measures of sustainability. An important environmental concern is reactive nitrogen losses, among which ammonia emission from manure is of most concern. Global estimates suggest that 63% of all ammonia emissions come from agriculture, with 44% of the total from livestock manure. Ammonia emissions have adverse effects related to acidification of ecosystems, eutrophication of surface waters, and human toxicity through formation of small particulate matter in the air we breathe. Water consumption is another important concern. Global estimates suggest that agriculture uses about 70% of freshwater withdrawals, with 20% used for livestock feed production. Although livestock production is not a large energy consumer, fossil fuels are a limited resource, and conservation is important. Many technologies and strategies exist for mitigating environmental impacts of livestock production, but finding economical solutions is challenging. Mitigation must start with the reduction of consumer waste. Other livestock impacts are best reduced using intensive practices to produce animals in less time and with fewer resources. Diets that accurately meet animal nutrient needs are an important mitigation option for efficient and sustainable meat production.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Lung Cancer Screening Program and Subsequent Lung Cancer.

Background Low-dose CT (LDCT) screening reduces lung cancer mortality by at least 20%. The COVID-19 pandemic required an unprecedented shutdown in our institutional LDCT program. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on lung cancer screening and subsequent cancer diagnosis. Study Design We analyzed our prospective institutional LDCT screening database, which began in 2012. In all, 2,153 patients have participated. Monthly mean number of LDCTs were compared between baseline (January 2017 to February 2020) and COVID-19 periods (March 2020 to July 2020). Results LDCT was suspended on March 13, 2020 and 818 screening visits were cancelled. Phased reopening began on May 5, 2020 and full opening on June 1, 2020. Total monthly mean ± SD LDCTs (146 ± 31 vs 39 ± 40; p Conclusions COVID-19 caused significant disruption in lung cancer screening, leading to a decrease in new patients screened and an increased proportion of nodules suspicious for malignancy once screening resumed. Using lung cancer and the LDCT screening program as a model, this early analysis showed the unrecognized consequences related to the pandemic for screening programs and cancer care.
High School Graduates’ Perceptions of Factors that Will Impact Academic Success in College

The present study used mixed-methods, retrospective causal-comparison research design to analyze the perceptions of 1,400 high school graduates who had been admitted to college, exploring the factors that students believed would impact their academic success in college. A qualitative analysis of narrative survey responses revealed six themes of perceived factors: academic interests, access to resources, learner identity, non-academic activities, personal factors, and social transition. Student perceptions differed significantly by demographic variables: first-generation status, gender, and second-year college retention. Suggestions for implementation of results into high school and first-year college programming are offered.
Probing the Binding Site of a Heptahelical Peptide Pheromone Receptor Using Photoaffinity Labelling, Site-Directed Mutagenesis and Spectroscopic Approaches

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are multifunctional proteins involved in cell-cell communication and represent the largest gene family in eukaryotes. Signal molecules recognized by these receptors include odorants, biogenic amines, peptides and proteins, and are involved in regulation of a plethora of biological processes including pain sensation, growth, blood pressure regulation and intermediary metabolism. Despite the importance of GPCRs, few details are available on the molecular aspects of ligand recognition or signal transduction. Ongoing studies in our laboratory use mating in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a paradigm to understand various aspects of GPCR function. One specific goal of our work is to understand the nature of the interaction of the pheromone α-factor (WHWLQLKPGQPMY) with its GPCR (Ste2p). In this report, we discuss a multi-pronged approach utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy, site-directed mutagenesis, and photoaffinity labeling to define the interaction of this peptide pheromone with Ste2p.
Paraoxonase 1 status as a risk factor for disease or exposure.

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has broad substrate specificity and has been shown to protect against exposure to some organophosphorus (OP) insecticides due to its ability to hydrolyze toxic metabolites of some organophosphorothioate insecticides. PON1 status has been shown to be important in protecting against vascular disease, presumably due to the not-as-yet fully characterized role of the three PON proteins in modulating oxidative stress. More recently, all three PONs (1, 2, and 3) have been shown to inactivate the quorum sensing factor N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3OC12-HSL) of Pseudomonas. Expression of human PON1 in Drosophila demonstrated the importance of PON1 in resistance to Pseudomonas infection. Many studies have examined only DNA single nucleotide polymorphisms as possible risk factors for disease or exposures. For all of the known functions of PON1, the level of PON1 enzyme is important and, in some cases, also the Q192R polymorphism. A simple high throughput two-substrate assay/analysis, plotting rates of diazoxon hydrolysis vs. paraoxon hydrolysis, provided both PON1 levels and functional Q192R phenotype/genotype. We have developed a new two-substrate assay/analysis protocol that provides PON1 status without use of toxic OP substrates. Factors were determined for inter-converting rates of hydrolysis of different substrates.
Leflunomide-induced interstitial lung disease (a systematic review)

Background: Leflunomide, a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug in use since 1998, causes interstitial lung disease (ILD) and other pulmonary complications. Methods: We undertook a systematic review of literature of PubMed (March 2013) to identify the published literature pertaining to pulmonary toxicity associated with leflunomide. Results: We identified 41 relevant articles detailing four population studies and case reports/series on an additional 42 patients. Available data were reviewed and summarized. Conclusions: Leflunomide can cause ILD. Most of these patients present within three months of starting leflunomide with acute symptoms for a week or less. Bilateral ground glass opacities and diffuse alveolar damage are the most common radiologic and histopathologic findings, respectively. Patients with pre-existing ILD are particularly at risk for this complication, and leflunomide should be avoided in this population. Activated charcoal and cholestyramine significantly decrease the half-life of the drug because of its enterohepatic circulation and should be considered in cases with acute toxicity.
Automatic Identification of Critical Data Items in a Database to Mitigate the Effects of Malicious Insiders

A major concern for computer system security is the threat from malicious insiders who target and abuse critical data items in the system. In this paper, we propose a solution to enable automatic identification of critical data items in a database by way of data dependency relationships. This identification of critical data items is necessary because insider threats often target mission critical data in order to accomplish malicious tasks. Unfortunately, currently available systems fail to address this problem in a comprehensive manner. It is more difficult for non-experts to identify these critical data items because of their lack of familiarity and due to the fact that data systems are constantly changing. By identifying the critical data items automatically, security engineers will be better prepared to protect what is critical to the mission of the organization and also have the ability to focus their security efforts on these critical data items. We have developed an algorithm that scans the database logs and forms a directed graph showing which items influence a large number of other items and at what frequency this influence occurs. This graph is traversed to reveal the data items which have a large influence throughout the database system by using a novel metric based formula. These items are critical to the system because if they are maliciously altered or stolen, the malicious alterations will spread throughout the system, delaying recovery and causing a much more malignant effect. As these items have significant influence, they are deemed to be critical and worthy of extra security measures. Our proposal is not intended to replace existing intrusion detection systems, but rather is intended to complement current and future technologies. Our proposal has never been performed before, and our experimental results have shown that it is very effective in revealing critical data items automatically.
Controversial technology: the Chunnel and the laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND).

• Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (L-RPLND) was first introduced in 1992, initially as a staging procedure. • With advances in instrumentation and laparoscopic techniques, as well as improved understanding of laparoscopic anatomy, L-RPLND has developed to duplicate open RPLND. • Unlike the relatively rapid adoption of laparoscopy for other applications including nephrectomy and prostatectomy, L-RPLND has been slow to be universally accepted. • The limited numbers of patients requiring RPLND and technical challenges in performing the dissection have undoubtedly contributed to its delayed reception. • This review will present available data on this technique and discuss issues potentially inhibiting acceptance by traditional surgeons.
Evaluation of screening methods and fruit composition in relation to anthracnose fruit rot resistance in blueberries

Anthracnose fruit rot is an important disease of blueberries, and losses are common in humid growing regions. Most commercial cultivars are susceptible and the disease is usually managed with fungicides. However, a few cultivars are considered resistant. The objectives of this study were to: (i) compare different inoculation techniques for anthracnose fruit rot resistance screening, (ii) screen ripe fruit from a range of blueberry cultivars using selected techniques, and (iii) investigate the role of fruit characteristics in anthracnose fruit rot resistance. The following inoculation methods were evaluated on ripe fruit of a susceptible and resistant cultivar using a conidial suspension: spray, droplet, and injection inoculation of whole fruit; and droplet inoculation of the open surface of cut fruit. All whole-fruit inoculations yielded similar results. Despite the removal of the epidermis, resistance was also expressed in cut fruit but relatively fewer conidia were produced. The cut-fruit assay required substantially less time and half the amount of fruit to accomplish than whole-fruit assays. Detached ripe fruit from 24 cultivars in 2008 and 26 cultivars in 2009 were screened for resistance. Results from the cut-fruit assay correlated best with published resistance ratings. To determine the possible role of fruit characteristics in resistance, fruit pH, titratable acidity, sugar content and firmness were regressed against various fruit rot resistance measures. Fruit rot resistance was positively correlated with sugar content. On defined media, mycelial growth was restricted as sugar concentration increased and pH decreased, suggesting that fruit composition may play a role in the resistance phenotype.
Bidirectional ventricular tachycardia due to digitalis poisoning; response to potassium therapy and evaluation of arrhythmia mechanism.

Abstract 1. 1. A case of digitalis intoxication with rhythmic alternation in the direction of the ventricular complexes is reported along with electrocardiographic and clinical evidence of improvement following potassium therapy. 2. 2. Clinical and electrocardiographic evidence is presented in this patient which suggests the mechanism was due to the action of two separate foci, one in the atrioventricular nodal tissues above the bifurcation of the bundle of His and the other in the ventricular muscle.
Reassessing the Aesthetic: Cinema, Deleuze, and the Art of Thinking

Barbara M. Kennedy _Deleuze and Cinema: The Aesthetics of Sensation_ Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000 ISBN 0-7486-1134-7 224 pp.
Dysautonomia in Parkinson Disease

Dysautonomias are conditions in which altered function of one or more components of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) adversely affects health. This review updates knowledge about dysautonomia in Parkinson disease (PD). Most PD patients have symptoms or signs of dysautonomia; occasionally, the abnormalities dominate the clinical picture. Components of the ANS include the sympathetic noradrenergic system (SNS), the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the sympathetic cholinergic system (SCS), the sympathetic adrenomedullary system (SAS), and the enteric nervous system (ENS). Dysfunction of each component system produces characteristic manifestations. In PD, it is cardiovascular dysautonomia that is best understood scientifically, mainly because of the variety of clinical laboratory tools available to assess functions of catecholamine systems. Most of this review focuses on this aspect of autonomic involvement in PD. PD features cardiac sympathetic denervation, which can precede the movement disorder. Loss of cardiac SNS innervation occurs independently of the loss of striatal dopaminergic innervation underlying the motor signs of PD and is associated with other nonmotor manifestations, including anosmia, REM behavior disorder, orthostatic hypotension (OH), and dementia. Autonomic dysfunction in PD is important not only in clinical management and in providing potential biomarkers but also for understanding disease mechanisms (e.g., autotoxicity exerted by catecholamine metabolites). Since Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites containing alpha-synuclein constitute neuropathologic hallmarks of the disease, and catecholamine depletion in the striatum and heart are characteristic neurochemical features, a key goal of future research is to understand better the link between alpha-synucleinopathy and loss of catecholamine neurons in PD.
Requirements for Eomesodermin and Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger in the Development of Innate-Like CD8+ T Cells

Conventional and nonconventional T cell development occur in the thymus. Nonconventional thymocytes that bear characteristics typically associated with innate immune cells are termed innate-like lymphocytes (ILLs). Mice harboring a tyrosine to phenylalanine mutation in the adaptor protein Src homology 2 domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa at residue 145 (Y145F mice) develop an expanded population of CD8(+)CD122(+)CD44(+) ILLs, typified by expression of the T-box transcription factor eomesodermin. Y145F mice also have an expanded population of γδ T cells that produce copious amounts of IL-4 via a mechanism that is dependent on the BTB-ZF transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger. Using mice with T cell-specific deletion of Eomes, we demonstrate that this transcription factor is required for CD8(+) ILL development in Y145F as well as wild-type mice. Moreover, we show that promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger and IL-4 are also required for the generation of this ILL population. Taken together, these data shed light on the cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors that drive CD8(+) ILL differentiation.
Preparation of Low‐Halide Methyllithium

Preparation of Low-Halide Methyllithium reactant: methyl chloride product: methyllithium unknown: 1.0 mL of freshly distilled 1,2-dibromoethane Keywords: Grignard and related reactions; metalation reactions, lithium; assay methods, for chloride ion in methyllithium; assay methods, for methyllithium with 2-butanol, 1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2′-bipydridyl or 2,2′-biquinoline indicator; assay methods, for methyllithium with 2-butanol, by double titration; diethyl ether; methyl chloride generator, transferring and metering; lithium, dispersion; methyl chloride; apparatus, for measuring volume of liquid methyl chloride; apparatus, for solution transfer in inert atmosphere; glass wool filter
HotGrid: graduated access to grid-based science gateways

We describe the idea of a Science Gateway, an application-specific task wrapped as a web service, and some examples of these that are being implemented on the US TeraGrid cyberinfrastructure. We also describe HotGrid, a means of providing simple, immediate access to the Grid through one of these gateways, which we hope will broaden the use of the Grid, drawing in a wide community of users. The secondary purpose of HotGrid is to acclimate a science community to the concepts of certificate use. Our system provides these weakly authenticated users with immediate power to use the Grid resources for science, but without the dangerous power of running arbitrary code. We describe the implementation of these Science Gateways with the Clarens secure web server.
Review of current knowledge of plastic intravenous fluid containers

A review of the features of plastic intravenous fluid containers is presented. The following topics are discussed: (1) handling and storage; (2) environmental and human contamination; (3) particulate matter; (4) water vapor transmission; (5) drug additives; (6) leaching and adsorption; (7) possible toxicity; and (8) cost. It is concluded that various justifications can be presented for both glass and plastic containers.
The Nature of the Statins

To the Editor: In his editorial,1 Furberg cites CURVES2 as demonstrating that atorvastatin “unfavorably influences” HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations. In fact, atorvastatin 10 to 40 mg/d increased HDL-C 4.8% to 5.5%, typical for a statin. In a much smaller group, atorvastatin 80 mg/d did not affect HDL-C levels.2 The sample size (10 patients) raises questions, because HDL-C response with statins as a class can vary; larger trials of atorvastatin 80 mg/d demonstrated significant increases (7% to 26%).3 4 Furberg also states that with proper dose titration, the “natural statins” achieve LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) reductions similar to those of atorvastatin. In CURVES, atorvastatin 10 mg once daily was better at LDL-C lowering than any single daily dose of fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, or simvastatin except simvastatin 40 mg. Atorvastatin 20 mg once daily was better than all single …
Intra-guild predation among early benthic phase red and blue king crabs: Evidence for a habitat-mediated competitive advantage

Abstract The apparent shift in predominance of commercial crab species from blue king crab ( Paralithodes platypus ) to red king crab ( Paralithodes camtschaticus ) around the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, USA, may be driven by ecosystem-level processes such as competitive displacement or predation during early life stages. Specifically, intra-guild predation among species during the early benthic phase might be a source of mortality limiting blue king crab population recovery. In a laboratory experiment, we evaluated how varying ratios of prey species (year-0 blue and red king crabs) and habitat type (shell and cobble) affect prey preference of year-1 red king crabs. Year-0 red king crabs were preferentially consumed over blue king crabs in shell habitat, but not cobble, likely because the smaller interstitial spaces in shell reduced predator foraging efficiency and predator–prey encounter rates. Blue king crabs had high levels of crypsis regardless of habitat type or predator presence/absence, while red king crabs were less cryptic overall compared to blue king crabs, but crypsis increased when predators were present. Preference for red king crabs in shell may reflect divergent adaptations between species for minimizing predation. Blue king crab's light, mottled coloration and relatively smooth, flat carapace is well adapted for visual and physical crypsis in shell habitat, while the monochromatic, dark coloration and pronounced spination of red king crabs may make them more conspicuous. Our results show that habitat can mediate intra-guild predation between Paralithodes species and suggest that shell material may provide blue king crabs a competitive advantage over red king crabs. The extent of shell habitat may be an important factor regulating blue king crab distribution or the recovery of depleted populations around the Pribilof Islands.
Biomicroscopic evidence of keratoconus with an apex power of 45.5 diopters by videokeratoscopy.

Purpose/Methods We studied a mild case of keratoconus, which had biomicroscopic evidence of keratoconus. With videokeratoscopy, we examined a 55-year-old man with a family history of keratoconus who showed biomicroscopic evidence of bilateral keratoconus. Results/Conclusions Videokeratoscopy of the least affected eye showed a map pattern consistent with an inferiorly displaced cone, but surprisingly the apex power measured only 45.5 diopters. Patients with apex power as low as 45.5 diopters can show biomicroscopic evidence of keratoconus. If a central database existed for such unusual cases, eye-care specialists could contribute to it and provide valuable material to researchers trying to improve automated methods to differentiate between normal and keratoconic corneas.
Stability of the Interstellar Gas and Field Including Rotation

Stability of interstellar gas to perturbations in gas pressure, magnetic field and cosmic ray pressure from hydromagnetic viewpoint taking rotation into account