cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative anidulafungin combined with triazole prophylaxis for the prevention of early invasive candidiasis in lung transplant recipients.

Background Invasive candidiasis (IC) is a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality among lung transplant recipients (LTRs). Post-operative factors, including prolonged hospital stay, central lines, delayed chest closure, and dehiscence increase IC risk. Correspondingly, current guidelines propose targeted IC coverage early posttransplant with fluconazole or an echinocandin. Methods This retrospective analysis was performed on LTRs from January 2016 to January 2020 and evaluated effectiveness of a recent protocol utilizing perioperative anidulafungin for early IC prevention in addition to long-term triazole antifungal prophylaxis. Prior to this protocol, patients were primarily established on itraconazole prophylaxis alone. The primary endpoint was proven or probable IC within 90 days after transplant. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess risk factors for invasive fungal infection (IFI). Results Among 144 LTRs, there was a numerically lower incidence of IC in the protocol group, although not statistically significant (6% vs 13%, p = 0.16). Incidence of proven or probable IFI was 7.5% in the protocol cohort and 19.5% in the pre-protocol cohort (p = 0.038). In multivariable analysis, when controlling for lung allocation score (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08), donor perioperative culture with fungal growth (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.02-8.92) and dehiscence (OR 3.54, 95% CI 1.14-10.85), protocol cohort was not significantly associated with IFI (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.12-1.23). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating combination triazole/echinocandin use in the early post lung transplant period. These findings demonstrate that in-hospital anidulafungin offers unclear benefit for early IC prevention when used in combination with triazole prophylaxis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Diabetes Insipidus Complicating Management in a Child with COVID-19 and Multiorgan System Failure: A Novel Use for Furosemide

Judicious balance of fluids is needed for optimal management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Achieving optimal fluid balance is difficult in patients with disorders of fluid homeostasis such as diabetes insipidus (DI). There is little data on the use of Furosemide to aid in balancing fluid and electrolytes in patients with DI. Here, we present a critically ill 11-year-old female with developmental delay, septo-optic dysplasia, central DI, and respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19 ARDS. She required careful titration of a Vasopressin infusion in addition to IV Furosemide for successful management of fluid and electrolyte derangements. On admission, she demonstrated high-volume urine output with mild hypernatremia (serum sodium 156 mmol/L). Despite her maximum Vasopressin infusion rate of 8 mU/kg/hr, by day two of admission, she voided a total of 4 L resulting in severe hypernatremia (serum sodium 171 mmol/L). With continually high Vasopressin infusion rates, her overall fluid balance became increasingly net positive, although her hypernatremia persisted. Her ARDS continued to worsen. After 48 hours of the addition of intermittent Furosemide, successful diuresis along with resolution of hypernatremia was achieved. The combination of IV Furosemide with Vasopressin infusion resulted in tailored diuresis and more controlled titration of serum sodium levels than adjustment in Vasopressin and fluids alone. These results are in contradistinction to the published literature, which focuses on the use of thiazide diuretics in managing DI. This experience highlights the potential for loop diuretics to aid in establishing a desired fluid and electrolyte status in managing patients with both DI and ARDS.
Co-existing inflammatory bowel disease and Barrett's esophagus is associated with esophageal dysplasia: a propensity score-matched cohort.

Background and study aims Barrettʼs esophagus (BE) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) predispose to the development of dysplasia and cancer. It is unclear if the inflammatory cascade seen in IBD affects disease progression in BE. We aimed to determine if patients with BE who have co-existing IBD had a higher risk of dysplasia, nodular disease, or longer segments than BE patients without IBD. Patients and methods This was a multicenter, retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study. We compared rates of dysplasia, nodular disease, and segment length in patients with BE and IBD (cases) to patients with BE who did not have IBD (controls). Controls were 1:1 propensity score matched with controls for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and hiatal hernia. Results A total of 132 patients were included in the IBD + BE group and 132 patients in the BE group. Patients with IBD + BE had higher rates of esophageal dysplasia compared to controls (15.9 % vs. 6.1 % [adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.9, 95 % CI: 1.2–6.9]) and more nodules (9.8 % vs. 3.0 % [adjusted OR: 3.5, 95 % CI: 1.1–11.0]). IBD + BE group was also associated with longer BE segments (43.9 % vs. 12.1 % [OR: 5.7, 95 % CI: 3.0–10.6]). Conclusions Co-existing IBD may increase the risk of dysplasia and esophageal nodules in patients with BE. Our findings may have implications for BE surveillance intervals in IBD patients. Prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Production and characterization of bio-oil and biochar from the pyrolysis of residual bacterial biomass from a polyhydroxyalkanoate production process.

Abstract Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production generates a significant amount of residual bacterial biomass (RBB) after PHA extraction. The RBB as a zero-value waste contains proteins, carbohydrates, phenolics, and ash, which can be managed and converted to bio-oil and biochar products by pyrolysis. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the thermodegradation kinetics of RBB and pyrolysis–GCMS studies were employed to determine potential chemical products. Pyrolysis was conducted on a laboratory-scale auger reactor at 500 °C. The bio-oil and biochar yield were 28 and 46%, respectively. The pyrolysis bio-oil was characterized by the combination of GCMS, high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS). The bio-oil was dominated by nitrogen-containing, hydrocarbons, and aromatic compounds. The biochar was studied for its specific surface area and pore size, chemical functionality by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, and butane absorption activity. Biochar was comprised of a large part of polycondensed phenolic and majorly disordered amorphous carbon.
Theoretical Background and Structure of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition

Publisher Summary The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition is an individually administered instrument that assesses developmental functioning of children between 1 month and 42 months of age. The Bayley-III contains many features that make it a useful assessment tool for clinicians working with infants and toddlers. It complies with the latest federal, state, and professional guidelines for the assessment of children in schools, and covers a broad age range. Few other measures are available for use with children as young as 1 month to 42 months. The Bayley-III is normed on recent census data, and includes a significant number of children from diverse ethnic groups and parent education levels. It includes a number of children with a varied range of clinical conditions, including fetal alcohol exposure and pervasive developmental delay, thus helping guide professionals who work in early intervention. A number of different scores are available to help the examiner understand the child's information-processing capacity and weaknesses. Scaled scores, composite scores, growth scores, percentiles, and age-equivalents can all be derived.
Citation Help in Databases: Helpful or Harmful?

A review of the help files in several major databases revealed that database vendors have begun including information on citing sources, which has the potential to be very useful to students. Surprisingly, 94% of the citation examples in the databases reviewed had errors. The average number of errors per example was 4.3. The citation help appears to have been put together quickly, with little thought and no proofreading. Librarians must insist that vendors correct or remove this information.
Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Carole G. Silver Year: 1999 Pages: xv + 272 Publisher: Oxford University Press
The Effective Constituency in (Re)Distributive Politics: Alternative Bases of Democratic Representation, Geographic Versus Partisan

Theorists have long argued that democratic policymakers respond to political pressures from their constituents. Although empirical work generally supports that broad contention, heterogeneity prevails both in theoretical work and empirically across country-times over exactly what comprises the constituency to which policymakers respond. We propose conceiving the potential bases of democratic representation as a continuum from the interests of the policymaker's geographic constituency, her electoral district, d, to those of her party's supporters, her partisan constituency, p. The effective constituency, c, to which democratic policymakers respond would then be some convex combination of these partisan and geographic extremes, with the partisan weight summarized by the degree to which parties are able to act as strategic units and receive their electoral support as units, i.e., of party unity, u. That is, heuristically, we conceptualize c=u*p+(1-u)*d. Re-examination of the familiar Weingast-Shepsle-Johnsen (WSJ) model of distributive politics and pork-barrel spending (the law of 1/n) motivates the analysis and undergirds empirical evaluation of our conception of the effective constituency. Postwar histories of public spending and distributive politics in developed democracies seem not to support a pure-electoral- district WSJ model, but postwar public spending in the United States, where data best-suited to evaluate the argument exist, does support a WSJ model as modified to reflect our conception of the effective constituency. We conclude with some ideas for extending the basic effective constituency notion beyond partisan and geographic bases of representation and for incorporating more explicitly and directly into empirical specification of public-policy models certain theoretical propositions that purport to explain aspects of the political-economic institutional, structural, and strategic context, such as the degree of party unity, that shape how policymakers allocate their efforts across public-good, redistributive, distributive, and rent-seeking activities. We consider several such arguments relating political-economic institutional, structural, and strategic contexts to the degree of party unity and of geographic versus partisan representation, and thereby to policymakers' weight on each type of policy activity, and show how to embed and test such arguments within estimable empirical models of public spending using the effective constituency concept.
Patterns of virtual collaboration.

Virtual collaboration—the act of working together across boundaries of space, time, and organization, aided by technology—has become increasingly commonplace in recent years. Doing so, however, presents a number of challenges to those involved. One of these is that because of a lack of experience in collaborating through computer-based collaboration systems, there is little knowledge on how to carry out collaboration virtually. Another is that it is not easy for those not directly involved in the collaboration to know what is, and has been, “going on” during virtual collaboration. This thesis suggests that both of these challenges can be addressed with the same approach, namely by referring to observations of virtual collaboration. The problem then is how such observations of virtual collaboration can be obtained without requiring those involved in it to document their own actions. To address this problem is the objective of this thesis. The approach proposed here involves three elements: firstly, the collection of data about virtual collaboration; secondly, the modeling of this data; and thirdly, the derivation of increasingly abstract, larger-scale representations of virtual collaboration from this data. These representations are termed patterns of virtual collaboration, which are abstract descriptions of activities of virtual collaboration. A multi-layered conceptual model of information, the Information Pyramid of Virtual Collaboration, is proposed, providing different views of information related to virtual collaboration, at different levels of abstraction. The thesis then suggests how from a given body of data, patterns of virtual collaboration at a corresponding level of the Information Pyramid can be extracted, and how from collections of such patterns more abstract patterns of larger-scale activity can be derived, providing the observations of virtual collaboration sought. In considering how the extraction of patterns of virtual collaboration fits into the larger context of the conception, design, and use of collaboration systems, a Framework for Pattern Extraction and Feedback is proposed. This framework introduces the notion of collaboration memory, a type of organizational memory that contains records of collaborative activity. Moreover, the framework suggests how extracted patterns of virtual collaboration feed back into both ongoing development and use of collaboration systems.
The labor-managed firm under imperfect monitoring: Employment and work effort responses

Abstract This paper examines worker incentives in the labor managed firm (LMF) and derives implications for the response of employment and work effort to changes in output price. The proposed model assumes that worker effort is monitored imperfectly and that workers individually choose how much effort to supply on the job. However, the LMF collectively chooses the employment level and dismissal rule. It is shown that the optimal employment level for the LMF increases with relative output price, which is a reversal of the finding in conventional theory. Our model also implies that work effort varies inversely with output price.
Toxicologic enhancement by a combination of drugs which deplete hepatic glutathione: acetaminophen and doxorubicin (adriamycin).

Abstract A number of chemicals are metabolized to reactive and toxic intermediates. Some reactive metabolites are detoxified by conjugation with glutathione (GSH). When endogenous GSH levels are low, or when excessive quantities of reactive metabolites are produced, the metabolite can bind to essential cellular macromolecules causing toxicity. Since both acetaminophen and doxorubicin (Adriamycin) deplete hepatic GSH, it was hypothesized that under certain conditions, doxorubicin might potentiate the hepatic centralobular necrosis characteristically induced by high doses or chronic administration of acetaminophen. Such an interaction could have clinical significance since acetaminophen is used in high doses as an analgesic for cancer patients being treated with doxorubicin. In male Swiss ICR mice, doxorubicin 20 mg/kg ip enhanced the toxicity of acetaminophen in doses of 250 to 500 mg/kg. Compared with acetaminophen alone, combination treatment produced a 15-fold increase in lethality, a dose-dependent, 90-fold increase in SGPT concentration, and an increase in the incidence and severity of hepatic centralobular necrosis. Dororubicin pretreatment caused both a 66% increase in the covalent binding of acetaminophen to hepatic protein at 4 hr, and a further depletion of hepatic GSH, 18% below that induced by acetaminophen alone. The timing of treatments to allow congruence of peak hepatic GSH depletion was necessary for toxicologic enhancement, suggesting a crucial protective role for GSH, although contributions from other toxicologic mechanisms cannot be excluded. Under certain clinical circumstances, this interaction could occur in cancer patients being treated with doxorubicin and acetaminophen.
Modulation of matrix elasticity with PEG hydrogels to study melanoma drug responsiveness

Metastatic melanoma is highly resistant to drug treatment, and the underlying mechanisms of this resistance remain unclear. Increased tissue stiffness is correlated with tumor progression, but whether increased tissue stiffness contributes to treatment resistance in melanoma is not known. To investigate the effect of substrate stiffness on melanoma cell treatment responsiveness, PEG hydrogels were utilized as a cell culture system to precisely vary matrix elasticity and investigate melanoma cell responses to a commercially available pharmacological inhibitor (PLX4032). The tensile moduli were varied between 0.6 and 13.1 kPa (E) and the effects of PLX4032 on metabolic activity, apoptosis, and proliferation were evaluated on human cell lines derived from radial growth phase (WM35) and metastatic melanoma (A375). The A375 cells were found to be stiffness-independent; matrix elasticity did not alter cell morphology or apoptosis with PLX4032 treatment. The WM35 cells, however, were more dependent on substrate modulus, displaying increased apoptosis and smaller focal adhesions on compliant substrates. Culturing melanoma cells on PEG hydrogels revealed stage-dependent responses to PLX4032 that would have otherwise been masked if cultured strictly on TCPS. These findings demonstrate the utility of PEG hydrogels as a versatile in vitro culture platform with which to investigate the molecular mechanisms of melanoma biology and treatment responsiveness.
Peroxisomal disorders: Complementation analysis using beta-oxidation of very long chain fatty acids

Complementation studies, using fused cell lines from patients with peroxisomal disorders, have shown correction of defective plasmalogen synthesis and phytanic acid oxidation as wll as an increase in the number of peroxisomes. At least six complementation groups have been reported. We demostrate here that complementing cell lines also acquire the ability to oxidize very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), and that complementation groups defined with this technique are identical to those reported previously when plasmalogen synthesis was used as the criterion for complementation. This VLCFA complementation technique is of particular value in the study of patients in whom defective VLCFA is the only or major enzymatic defect, and we show complementation between cell lines from two patients each with an isolated defect in one of the peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes.
Near-wake structure of a single gas bubble in a two-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed: solids holdup

Abstract Experiments were conducted to study the solids holdup in the near wake behind a single bubble in a two-dimensional liquid-solid fluidized bed. An optical fiber probe system was developed for the measurement of local solids holdup. Based on the local solids holdup distribution in the bubble wake, the primary-wake region was defined and its internal structure characterized. The studies indicate that, over a wide range of experimental conditions (particle diameter: 0.46–1.0 mm; particle density: 1.25–2.5 g/cm 3 ; bubble breadth: 1.55–4.79 cm; and superficial liquid velocity: 1.2–2.9 cm/s), the average solids holdup in the primary-wake region is virtually constant and independent of the bubble Reynolds number.
A combined experimental and numerical scheme for the determination of contact loads between cemented particles

Abstract A hybrid experimental/numerical scheme has been developed to compute the complete stress field within cemented particles subject to normal loads. The method combines a theoretical solution of the problem with the experimental technique of photoelasticity. The resulting over-determined set of equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson method and non-linear least squares techniques. In the analysis, the stress distribution between the center and the edge of the cement bond is approximated with a power law equation. Excellent agreement, within 10%, between the experimental and computed contact loads has been shown. In addition to the contact load, the entire stress field in the particle can also be reproduced with reasonable accuracy.
Compactons and solitary patterns solutions to fifth-order KdV-like equations

Abstract New ansatze that involve hyperbolic functions are introduced to handle modified fifth-order KdV equations. A set of entirely new compactons, solitary patterns and periodic solutions is constructed. The study introduces new approaches and presents useful guidance for other related problems.
Radiographic assessment of longitudinal growth of the rabbit femoral physes

Using surgically implanted metal markers, serial radiographs of 17 immature femurs were evaluated for growth of the entire femur and of the distal femoral physis in rabbits 20 to 100 days of age. From these data the rate of longitudinal growth was plotted. The most rapid growth during the study period was from 20 to 40 days. Growth rates reached a plateau at 100 days of age. The increases in length for unit of time were compared for the entire femur and the distal physis. The distal physis was responsible for approximately 65-70% of the femoral growth for the study period. As an internal control of reproducibility of measurement, two means of determining distal femoral growth rates were compared. Their best fit curves proved to be almost identical. The model of evaluation of femoral growth is reproducible and can serve as a control against which variables in growth can be compared.
Psychological resiliency in the public sector: "Hardiness" and pressure for change.

Abstract This study examined the effects of pressures for change in the public sector and the potential mechanisms by which employee Hardiness impacts feelings of and reaction to stress. Data provided by 325 senior-level employees of different state government agencies were used to test a hypothesized model via covariance structure analysis. Results strongly supported the model, linking pressure for change with feelings of stress, subsequent dissatisfaction, and intentions to withdraw. Psychological Hardiness was found to have a direct negative impact on stress as well as a direct positive impact on satisfaction. The proposed role of coping strategies as a mediator of the hardiness-stress relationship was not supported. The results suggest the effects of Hardiness may serve as a significant counterforce to the effects of pressures for change on employees′ intentions to withdraw from the public sector workforce. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed with regard to areas for future research.
Left thoracoscopic sympathectomy used as primary therapy for a young child with intractable long QT syndrome.

A 3-year-old boy with familial long QT syndrome type 2 presented with recurrent syncope despite adequate beta-blocker therapy. Two family members had experienced sudden cardiac arrest, and one other relative had experienced sudden cardiac death. Given the high risk for ventricular arrhythmia/syncope, the decision was made to perform primary cardiac denervation therapy through a minimally invasive approach without concomitant automatic cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. Using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, the left-sided sympathetic ganglia from T2–T5 were identified, and dissection along the sympathetic chain with transection of the corresponding rami along T2–T5 in addition to the lower half of the stellate ganglion was performed. The chest tube was removed on day 1 after surgery, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 4. During 14 months of follow-up evaluation, no intervening episodes of ventricular arrhythmia or syncope and no symptoms of Horner’s syndrome were noted.
Human placental alkaline phosphatase: Effects on conformation by ligands which alter catalytic activity

Abstract The conformation of human placental alkaline phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.1) has been studied using the spectroscopic structural probes of pH difference spectroscopy, solvent perturbation difference spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. Of the 37 ± 1 tyrosine residues in placental alkaline phosphatase (PAP), 5 ± 1 residues are observed by pH difference spectroscopy to be “free” and presumed to be located on the surface of the enzyme molecule. The ionization of these 5 “free” tyrosyl groups is not time dependent and is reversible with a p K app of 10.29. The remaining 32 ± 1 tyrosines are considered “buried” and ionization is observed to be both time dependent and irreversible. Treatment of the enzyme with 4 m guanidine-hydrochloride normalizes all 37 ± 1 tyrosine residues (p K app = 10.08). The difference pH titration studies thus provide spectrophotometric evidence for a change in molecular conformation of PAP in the pH region of 10.5. Using solvent perturbation difference spectroscopy and circular dichroism, the local environments of tyrosine and tryptophan residues were elucidated for the native enzyme and the enzyme in the presence of ligands that influence catalytic function: inorganic phosphate (competitive inhibitor), l -phenylalanine (uncompetitive inhibitor), d -phenylalanine (noninhibitor). and Mg 2+ ion (activator). The spectral observations from these studies led to the following interpretations: (i) the binding of inorganic phosphate, a competitive inhibitor, induces a conformational change in the enzyme that may alter the active site and thereby decrease enzyme catalytic function; (ii) perturbation with l -phenylalanine gives spectral results indicating a conformational change consistent with the postulate that this uncompetitive inhibitor prevents the dissociation of the phosphoryl enzyme intermediate; and (iii) Mg 2+ ion causes a slight separation of the enzyme subunits, which could increase accessibility to the active site and, thus, enzyme activity.
Light distribution from rectangular sources

Abstract The rectangular light source is more frequently encountered in engineering practice than any other form. Thus, both for artificial lighting and natural lighting, it is desirable to have convenient methods of obtaining the light distributions produced by rectangular sources. We have attempted to supply this need by calculating pharosage from sources of uniform helios and also for the non-uniform sources representing average overcast skies. Figures 5 to io are found to be particularly convenient in the visualization of light distributions. The results of these graphs are readily extended to any point and to surfaces tilted at any angle, provided that the plane of the illuminated surface does not cut the source. In conclusion, we wish to express our appreciation of the careful work of the computers: Messrs. L. S. Castlemann M. S. Cettei, J. C. Gibbs, A. L. Keller, G. J. Laurent, V. Lippitt, J. M. Margolskee, L. Mautner, J. Topalian.
Gulf Stream density structure and transport during the past millennium

The Gulf Stream transports approximately 31 Sv (1 Sv = 10^6 m^3 s^(-1)) of water and 1.3 10^(15) W of heat into the North Atlantic ocean. The possibility of abrupt changes in Gulf Stream heat transport is one of the key uncertainties in predictions of climate change for the coming centuries. Given the limited length of the instrumental record, our knowledge of Gulf Stream behaviour on long timescales must rely heavily on information from geologic archives. Here we use foraminifera from a suite of high-resolution sediment cores in the Florida Straits to show that the cross-current density gradient and vertical current shear of the Gulf Stream were systematically lower during the Little Ice Age (AD ~1200 to 1850). We also estimate that Little Ice Age volume transport was ten per cent weaker than today's. The timing of reduced flow is consistent with temperature minima in several palaeoclimate records, implying that diminished oceanic heat transport may have contributed to Little Ice Age cooling in the North Atlantic. The interval of low flow also coincides with anomalously high Gulf Stream surface salinity, suggesting a tight linkage between the Atlantic Ocean circulation and hydrologic cycle during the past millennium.
Optimal intertemporal consumption decisions under the threat of starvation

Abstract This paper studies consumption and saving decisions over time in a life cycle model in which survival from one period to the next is endogenous. Survival probabilities depend on health, which is a capital stock subject to depreciation and which can be augmented by consumption (nutrition). Borrowing is ruled out in our model and we investigate optimal consumption decisions when income fluctuates at seasonal frequencies and when income follows a stochastic process. Among other results, we show that understanding the pattern of income is necessary for understanding consumption decisions when survival is probabilistic and endogenous.
Cultivar and Frozen Storage Effects on Muskmelon ( Cucumis melo) Colour, Texture and Cell Wall Polysaccharide Composition

Changes in composition, drip loss and colour of Cantaloupe and Honey Dew melons were determined in fresh and frozen melons stored for 5 and 10 months at -23°C. Relationships between drip loss, CWP fractions and total CWP sugar composition were determined. During frozen storage, there were significant decreases (P < 0.05) in total CWP sugars in relation to increased storage time. The decrease in total sugars was more dramatic during the 0-5 month period than during the 5-10 month period of frozen storage. Drip loss was negatively correlated with total neutral sugar content as storage time increased. The CDTA fraction yield increased and all neutral sugars decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as storage time increased. Only the CDTA fraction yield was positively correlated with drip loss.
Nitrogen effect on carbon-water coupling in forests, grasslands, and shrublands in the arid western United States

[1] As greenhouse gases, including CO2, accumulate in the atmosphere, the western United States is predicted to undergo large-scale climate warming and reduced summer precipitation in the coming decades. In this study we explore the role of these climate changes with elevated CO2 to determine the plant physiological response on primary productivity and associated feedbacks on evapotranspiration (ET) and runoff using a biogeochemistry model, TEM-Hydro, with downscaled climate data for the western United States from the NCAR CCSM3 A2 scenario. Net primary productivity increases by 32% in forests due to feedbacks between warmer temperatures and enhanced nitrogen mineralization but decreases in shrublands by 24% due to excessive drying and reduced nitrogen mineralization. Warming directly increases nitrogen mineralization rates but indirectly decreases them by reducing soil moisture, so the net effect is highly dependent on climatic conditions within each biome. Increased soil moisture resulting from larger water use efficiency from the elevated CO2 leads to more net nitrogen mineralization in forests, which reduces N-limiting conditions. The effect of CO2 on stomatal conductance is therefore enhanced because of its effect on reducing nitrogen limiting conditions. Runoff decreases over the 21st century by 22% in forests, 58% in grasslands, and 67% in shrublands due to the reduced precipitation in each region but is modulated by the plant-induced changes in ET. The role of moisture limitation is therefore a crucial regulator of nitrogen limitation, which determines the future productivity and water availability in the West.
Inhibitory effects of polyphenol punicalagin on type-II collagen degradation in vitro and inflammation in vivo

Cartilage destruction is a crucial process in arthritis and is characterized by the degradation of cartilage proteins, proteoglycans, and type II collagen (CII), which are embedded within the extracellular matrix. While proteoglycan loss can be reversed, the degradation of CII is irreversible and has been correlated with an over-expression and over-activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Among the various MMPs, the collagenase MMP-13 possesses the greatest catalytic activity for CII degradation. Here we show that the pomegranate-derived polyphenols, punicalagin (PA) and ellagic acid (EA), inhibit MMP-13-mediated degradation of CII in vitro. Surface plasmon resonance studies and molecular docking simulations suggested multiple binding interactions of PA and EA with CII. The effects of PA on bovine cartilage degradation (stimulated with IL-1β) were investigated by assaying proteoglycan and CII release into cartilage culture media. PA inhibited the degradation of both proteins in a concentration-dependent manner. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effects of PA (daily IP delivery at 10 and 50mg/kg for 14days) were tested in an adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model. Disease development was assessed by daily measurements of body weight and paw volume (using the water displacement method). PA had no effect on disease development at the lower dose but inhibited paw volume (P<0.05) at the higher dose.
The Response of Ozone to Solar Activity Variations: A Review

Observational evidence and theoretical predictions of the response of ozone to solar variations are reviewed. Short-term solar proton effects, possible effects of galactic cosmic rays modulated by the Sun, and the effects of 27-day solar rotation and 11-year solar cycle variations are discussed. Solar proton effects on HO x chemistry in the mesosphere and NO x chemistry in the stratosphere with resulting catalytic destruction of O3 help validate present day photochemical models. If there is an 11-year solar cycle variation in global ozone, the large dynamical effects at individual locations and the lack of good global coverage of ground based and in situ measurements can disguise it. Recently, with the global coverage of satellites, it has become possible to accurately determine global mean ozone. It has been found that variations in global mean ozone filtered for seasonal variations are highly correlated with variations of the 10.7 cm solar activity index and that global mean ozone responds rapidly to solar activity index variations. Photochemical models indicate that the observed 3% variations in global mean ozone over the solar cycle can be accounted for by solar UV variations which are not inconsistent with recent solar measurements.
Ulcerative colitis and anaphylactoid purpura.

The first case of well-documented ulcerative colitis occurring during exacerbations of anaphylactoid purpura has been presented. The patient experienced renal and pulmonary complications. Gastrointestinal manifestations of anaphylactoid purpura were reviewed. It has been advised that other patients with anaphylactoid purpura be carefully observed for evidence of ulcerative colitis.
Population structure and genetic diversity in the endangered bluemask darter (Etheostoma akatulo)

Bluemask darters (Etheostoma akatulo) were sampled from the four drainages where extant populations of this narrowly endemic freshwater fish are known to exist. Population genetic diversity and structure were assessed at 10 microsatellite loci. All populations exhibited low levels of genetic variation, with expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.2 to 0.35. Significant population subdivision was found among most tributaries, and genetic divergence was strongly correlated with geographic distance. Bayesian population assignment and pairwise population differentiation measures both identified a lack of differentiation between E. akatulo populations inhabiting Cane Creek and the Caney Fork. This observation reduced the number of distinct breeding populations of this species to three. We also used approximate Bayesian computation to compare three models of demographic history in this species. A constant population size model was favored over models that included historic or recent population reductions. Our results suggest that impoundment of the Caney Fork and its tributaries, by completion of Great Falls Dam in 1916, was not responsible for the reduced genetic diversity in the sampled populations. Given the low levels of genetic diversity within populations and the limited geographic distribution, future conservation efforts should seek to maximize available habitat while simultaneously limiting the influences of anthropogenic stressors in the system.
Hemispheric specialization for processing Chinese characters: some evidence from lexical decision vocal reaction times.

Lexical decision vocal reaction times (RT) were obtained for a group of Chinese subjects to unilateral tachistoscopically presented pictorial, single, and combination Chinese characters. The RT showed a significant right visual-field advantage, with significant correlations of performance between the visual fields for each type of character. Error analysis gave a significant interaction between visual fields and error type—significantly more false positive errors occurred following left visual-field inputs. These results suggest that the left hemisphere was responsible for processing each type of character, possibly reflecting superior postaccess lexical-decision processes.
Organochlorine and Heavy Metal Residues in Standard Fillets of Coho and Chinook Salmon of the Great Lakes - 1980

Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon were collected from seven Michigan tributaries to the Great Lakes and analyzed for chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and metals. Analyses of standard skin-on fillets of these salmon revealed the presence of PCBs, DDT, dieldrin, zinc (found in one chinook), and mercury, but no detectable residues of aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, toxaphene, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, or lead. Chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants were present at significantly lower levels than were found in salmon samples collected in 1971. No sample of either species exceeded FDA action levels for DDT, dieldrin, or mercury; however, 6 of 63 coho and 29 of 50 chinook salmon exceeded the FDA action level for PCBs. In general, chinook salmon had higher contaminant levels than did coho salmon collected at the same time and location. Salmon collected from the southernmost Lake Michigan tributary had highest contaminant levels (especially PCBs) while salmon from the Lake Erie tributaries had lowest contaminant levels. Samples analyzed as skinless fillets showed dramatically reduced levels of PCBs and DDT analogs compared to standard, skin-fillets from the same fish. A strong linear correlation was observed between residues of DDT and PCBs in samples analyzed
Multi-focal learning and its application to customer service support

In this study, we formalize a multi-focal learning problem, where training data are partitioned into several different focal groups and the prediction model will be learned within each focal group. The multi-focal learning problem is motivated by numerous real-world learning applications. For instance, for the same type of problems encountered in a customer service center, the problem descriptions from different customers can be quite different. The experienced customers usually give more precise and focused descriptions about the problem. In contrast, the inexperienced customers usually provide more diverse descriptions. In this case, the examples from the same class in the training data can be naturally in different focal groups. As a result, it is necessary to identify those natural focal groups and exploit them for learning at different focuses. The key developmental challenge is how to identify those focal groups in the training data. As a case study, we exploit multi-focal learning for profiling problems in customer service centers. The results show that multifocal learning can significantly boost the learning accuracies of existing learning algorithms, such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs), for classifying customer problems.
The role of the cell-apex in elongation of Acetabularia

Exposure of only the apical portion of anAcetabularia cell to light causes the cell to elongate as much as cells which are totally illuminated. No elongation takes place if only the apical portion of the cell is kept in the dark. In totally illuminated cells, preferential exposure to DCMU of the apical region only also inhibits cell elongation. Local-photosynthesis in the apical region might be essential for elongation. The participation of other photomorphogenetic reactions in the apical region are not excluded.
Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of uterine torsion.

Background : Uterine torsion is defined as the rotation of more than 45° around the long axis of the uterus. An uncommon but potentially fatal event, uterine torsion is rarely diagnosed until the time of surgery. With magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, an accurate diagnosis of uterine torsion may now be made preoperatively. Case : We describe a patient with uterine torsion in whom the correct diagnosis was made prenatally with the use of MRI, by the demonstration of an X-shaped configuration of the upper vagina. Conclusion : Distinctive features suggestive of uterine torsion were demonstrated by MRI and enabled an accurate preoperative diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of uterine torsion diagnosed on MRI.
A mathematical model of drawbead forces in sheet metal forming

This paper presents a mathematical model of the drawbead forces together with a numerical procedure for calculating the force required to draw sheet metal past a bead of constant cross section. The model is formulated on the basis of several simplifying geometric, kinematic, and material’s assumptions. In geometry, the profile of the sheet in its deformed position is assumed to consist of straight and curved (circular arc) segments with the latter being conformed to the bead (or shoulder profile) radius. The convected sheet normals are assumed to remain normal, resulting in a simple representation for the tangential velocity distribution across the sheet thickness. In each curved segment, the deformation is divided into three distinctive processes, a bending at the profile radius followed by a sliding over the radius and an unbending away from it. During the bending and unbending processes, we assume that elastic strains are negligibly small in comparison with plastic strains. To relate the plastic strains to stresses in the sheet, we make use of Hill’s yield theory which takes into account anisotropic properties of sheet materials. For the sliding process, we assume that no additional plastic strain takes place, and that the effect of contact friction on the stresses can be accounted for by an approximately derived expression. The numerical procedure which implements the model was applied to calculating the drawing forces for two existing experiments. In one of these, a sheet strip is drawn over a semi-circular pin. In the other, sheet steels and aluminum alloys are pulled through a drawbead simulator. The calculated results compare reasonably well with measured data. Possible improvements are also discussed.
Multiple Family Therapy: A New Direction in the Treatment of Drug Abusers

Multiple family therapy is presented as an important treatment augmentation for drug abusers in a variety of settings. The total family is viewed as patient with the drug abuser a symptom bearer. Common family dynamics are described as well as the techniques necessary to create structural changes in families.
Origen on Balaam: The Dilemma of the Unworthy Prophet

L'exegese patristique a du mal a harmoniser les deux images bibliques opposees du Balaam prophete du Christ et seducteur. Origene depasse la contradiction: Balaam devient digne de redemption a cause de son election comme prophete menant les nations au vrai culte et a cause des merites de ses descendants. Cette interpretation a influence l'exegese posterieure a des degres divers.
Abstract A62: TGF-β regulates CXCL1 expression in mammary carcinoma associated fibroblasts through novel Smad2/3- and HGF/c-Met-dependent mechanisms.

CXCL1 is a chemokine secreted by macrophages, neutrophils, epithelial cells and fibroblasts, and plays a role in inflammation and wound healing. Enhanced expression of CXCL1 in tumor epithelium is associated with cell invasion, angiogenesis in melanoma, bladder, ovarian and breast cancer. However, little is known about CXCL1 expression in tumor stroma. Through analysis of gene expression data, our studies reveal that high RNA levels of CXCL1 in breast tumor stroma is associated with increased rate of recurrence and shorter relapse-free survival. We noticed decreased secretion levels of TGF-β and increased secretion of CXCL1 in tumor derived fibroblasts. Increased CXCL1 expression was also observed in mammary fibroblasts in which the TGF-β type II receptor was knocked out. By immunohistochemistry analysis we found that expression of CXCL1 inversely correlated with expression of TGF-β, phosphorylated-Smad2 and phosphorylated-Smad3 in breast tumor stroma. We hypothesized that TGF-β suppresses CXCL1 expression in breast fibroblasts. Our goal for this project was to determine the molecular mechanisms through which TGF-β suppresses CXCL1 expression using mammary fibroblasts derived from MMTV-PyVmT mammary tumor model. Treatment of fibroblasts with recombinant TGF-β decreased CXCL1 transcription and secretion by up to 85% over time, as determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. SiRNA silencing of TGF-β signaling transducers, Smad2 and Smad3, increased CXCL1 transcription and secretion in mammary fibroblasts. In addition, TGF-β suppressed expression of HGF, a factor that enhanced CXCL1 expression in mammary fibroblasts. Knockdown of HGF or treatment of fibroblasts with c-Met inhibitors reduced CXCL1 expression. These data indicate TGF-β suppresses CXCL1 expression through Smad2/3-dependent mechanisms. As a secondary mechanism, TGF-β suppresses CXCL1 expression through down-regulation of HGF/c-Met signaling. This is the first report to characterize the mechanisms of CXCL1 expression in mammary fibroblasts and demonstrate a clinical relevance for CXCL1 expression in breast cancer stroma. Citation Format: An Zou, Diana Lambert, Henry Yeh, Wei Bin Fang, Nikki Cheng. TGF-β regulates CXCL1 expression in mammary carcinoma associated fibroblasts through novel Smad2/3- and HGF/c-Met-dependent mechanisms.. [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Conference on Cellular Heterogeneity in the Tumor Microenvironment; 2014 Feb 26-Mar 1; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A62. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.CHTME14-A62
Photocatalytic properties of porous titania grown by oblique angle deposition

High surface area nanorods of titanium dioxide were grown by oblique angle deposition on a transparent substrate to investigate their effectiveness as photocatalytic agents for the destruction of organic contaminants in air and water. Optical transmission measurements were made that allowed for an estimation of the porosity of the film (75%-78%). Comparing transmission measurements with those from a dense anatase film showed that the penetration depth for the light into the nanorod film was 2.5 times that in a dense, anatase film. The photocatalytic degradation of indigo carmine dye on the porous films was shown to depend on film thickness and annealing conditions. The effectiveness of the film was assessed by observing the change in absorbance of the dye at 610 nm over time and quantifying the film performance using a pseudo-first-order reaction rate model. Reaction rates increased as the film thickness increased from 600 nm to 1000 nm, but leveled out or decreased at thicknesses beyond 1500 nm. A transp...