cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overdrive Pacing for Supraventricular Tachycardia: A Review of Theoretical Implications and Therapeutic Techniques*

Rapid atrial pacing for treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias has been demonstrated to be safe and effective. Virtually any supraventricular tachycardia with the exception of atrial fibrillation, Type II atrial flutter, and probably sinus tachycardia can be treated successfully with pacing techniques. The recognition of the advantages of cardiac pacing over drug therapy or DC cardioversion has resulted in its widespread use, especially after open-heart surgery. Although the response to overdrive pacing may not reliably identify the underlying mechanism of supraventricular tachycardia, the response of the arrhythmia to pacing (i.e., whether it is interruptable or noninterruptable), is most useful in the approach to management of the individual patient.
Bone Mineral Density of the Tarsals and Metatarsals With Reloading

Background and Purpose: Bone mineral density (BMD) decreases rapidly with prolonged non–weight bearing. Maximizing the BMD response to reloading activities after NWB is critical to minimizing fracture risk. Methods for measuring individual tarsal and metatarsal BMD have not been available. This case report describes tarsal and metatarsal BMD with a reloading program, as revealed by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Case Description: A 24-year-old woman was non–weight bearing for 6 weeks after right talocrural arthroscopy. Tarsal and metatarsal BMD were measured with QCT 9 weeks (before reloading) and 32 weeks (after reloading) after surgery. A 26-week progressive reloading program was completed. Change scores were calculated for BMD before reloading and BMD after reloading for the total foot (average of all tarsals and metatarsals), tarsals, metatarsals, bones of the medial column (calcaneus, navicular, cuneiforms 1 and 2, and metatarsal 1), and bones of the lateral column (calcaneus, cuboid, cuneiform 3, and metatarsals 2–5). The percent differences in BMD between the involved side and the uninvolved side were calculated. Outcomes: Before reloading, BMD of the involved total foot was 9% lower than that on the uninvolved side. After reloading, BMD increased 22% and 21% for the total foot, 16% and 14% for the tarsals, 29% and 30% for the metatarsals, 14% and 15% for the medial column bones, and 28% and 26% for the lateral column bones on the involved and uninvolved sides, respectively. After reloading, BMD of the involved total foot remained 8% lower than that on the uninvolved side. Discussion: The increase in BMD with reloading was not uniform across all pedal bones; the metatarsals showed a greater increase than the tarsals, and the lateral column bones showed a greater increase than the medial column bones.
Literacy Assessment and the Future

In our increasingly multicultural and multilingual societies, where boundaries between print and nonprint media are disappearing, the nature of literacy is changing. In order to guide children in their literate learning, the author advocates assessment practices that “help produce learners who are resilient and view literacy learning, rather than performance or ability, as their priority. They should produce literacy learners with the disposition to articulate their learning processes and perspectives, including their struggles, in ways that sustain strategic flexibility and mutual engagement.”
Intermolecular potential studies of hydrogen‐molecule interactions with rare‐gas atoms

Hartree--Fock methods are used to calculate the interaction energy of Ar and H/sub 2/ in the region of the attractive (van der Waals) minimum. As expected this leads to poor agreement with experiment. When a semiempirical correction term representing the induced dipole--induced dipole dispersion energy is added to the Hartree--Fock potential, the resulting potential agrees quite well with experimental results. This scheme is then used for investigation of two similar systems: Ne--H/sub 2/ and Na/sup +/--H/sub 2/. The procedure is found to describe qualitatively quite well the potentials of the two systems.
Push-pull power amplifier integrated with quasi-Yagi antenna for power combining and harmonic tuning

In this paper, a C-band active integrated antenna push-pull power amplifier is presented. The circuit utilizes a uniplanar quasi-Yagi antenna with corrugated ground plane for both out-of-phase power combining and second harmonic tuning. This novel structure results in a compact and high-efficiency power amplifier design with automatic second harmonic suppression. At an operating frequency of 4.15 GHz, a maximum measured PAE of 60.9% at an output power of 28.2 dBm has been achieved.
Genetic Changes at the Glycoprotein Editing Site Associated With Serial Passage of Sudan Virus

Sudan virus (SUDV), like the closely related Ebola virus (EBOV), is a filovirus that causes severe hemorrhagic disease. They both contain an RNA editing site in the glycoprotein gene that controls expression of soluble and full-length protein. We tested the consequences of cell culture passage on the genome sequence at the SUDV editing site locus and determined whether this affected virulence. Passage resulted in expansion of the SUDV editing site, similar to that observed with EBOV. We compared viruses possessing either the wild-type or expanded editing site, using a nonhuman primate model of disease. Despite differences in virus serum titer at one time point, there were no significant differences in time to death or any other measured parameter. These data imply that changes at this locus were not important for SUDV lethality.
Towards practical software traceability

The importance of software traceability to software development is recognized by researchers and practitioners; yet, current approaches fall short of providing effective traceability in practice. An analysis of reported difficulties with traceability reveals that interacting factors from the economic, technical, and social perspectives hinder traceability. Motivated by the multi-faceted traceability problem, we combine architecture-centric stakeholder-driven traceability with open hypermedia, and we use insights from e-Science to guide our approach. We highlight expected contributions and discuss evaluation plans. Finally, we distinguish our approach from related research and technologies.
Cost-effectiveness of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for malignant hepatic neoplasms.

PURPOSE Percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a promising technique for the treatment of hepatic malignancies. However, its cost-effectiveness has not been established. The purpose of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of RF ablation compared to palliative care in the treatment of hepatocellular cancer and colorectal liver metastases. This study also seeks to evaluate the effects of transition from traditional to newly implemented prospective outpatient reimbursement mechanisms on RF ablation cost-effectiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS The marginal direct costs of a percutaneous RF ablation treatment strategy were compared to palliative care over a range of survival benefits with use of a cost-effectiveness model built from the perspective of the payer. Variables used in the model, including complication rates and procedure efficacy, were obtained from the literature and the authors' experience with 46 consecutive patients. RESULTS The cost-effectiveness of a standardized percutaneous RF ablation treatment strategy compared to palliative care was $20,424, $11,407, $5,034, and $3,492, respectively, per life-year (LY) gained when marginal median survival conferred by RF ablation is 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. The RF ablation treatment strategy would be required to generate 6.14, 2.26, and 1.10 months of marginal median survival benefit to achieve strict ($20,000/LY gained), moderate ($50,000/LY gained), and generous ($100,000/LY gained) cost-effectiveness thresholds. Cost-effectiveness was sensitive to the number of lifetime treatments, hours of observation time, frequency of follow-up evaluations, cost of abdominal computed tomography, and decision to perform RF ablation as an inpatient or outpatient. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous RF ablation is a cost-effective treatment strategy compared to palliative care and has likely already achieved the survival benefit required to meet even a strict cost-effectiveness criterion. Dependence on reimbursement mechanism highlights the importance of concordance between policy and RF ablation technology. The results of this study allow flexible application of cost-effectiveness data despite current uncertainties in treatment and survival data and heterogeneity in treatment populations.
Protonmotive force regulates the membrane conductance of Streptococcus bovis in a non-ohmic fashion.

Because the DCCD (dicyclohexylcarbodiimide)-sensitive, F-ATPase-mediated, futile ATP hydrolysis of non-growing Streptococcus bovis JB1 cells was not affected by sodium or potassium, ATP hydrolysis appeared to be dependent only upon the rate of proton flux across the cell membrane. However, available estimates of bacterial proton conductance were too low to account for the rate of ATP turnover observed in S. bovis. When de-energized cells were subjected to large pH gradients (2·75 units, or −170 mV), internal pH declined at a rate of 0·15 pH units s−1. Based on an estimated cellular buffering capacity of 200 nmol H+ (mg protein)−1 per pH unit, H+ flux across the cell membrane (at −170 mV) was 108 mmol (g protein)−1 h−1. When potassium-loaded cells were treated with valinomycin in low-potassium buffers, initial K+ efflux generated membrane potentials in close agreement with values predicted by the Nernst equation. These artificial membrane potentials drove H+ uptake, and H+ influx was counterbalanced by a further loss of cellular K+. Flame photometry indicated that the rate of K+ loss was 215 (±26) mmol K+ (g protein)−1 h−1 at −170 mV, but the potassium-sensitive fluorescent compound CD222 indicated that this rate was only 110 (±44) mmol K+ (g protein)−1 h−1. As pH gradients or membrane potentials were reduced, the rate of H+ flux declined in a non-ohmic fashion, and all rates were <25 mmol (g protein)−1 h−1 at a driving force of −80 mV. Previous estimates of bacterial proton flux were based on low and unphysiological protonmotive forces, and the assumption that H+ influx rate would be ohmic. Rates of H+ influx into S. bovis cells [as high as 9×10−11 mol H+ (cm membrane)−2 s−1] were similar to rates reported for respiring mitochondria, but were at least 20-fold greater than any rate previously reported in lactic acid bacteria.
Comparing measures of patient safety for inpatient care provided to veterans within and outside the VA system in New York

Context: Previous studies have compared measures of patient safety for veterans using the VA system to the general population. Discrepancies in the results of those studies suggest that the choice of an appropriate comparison group is critical for accurate interpretation of results and for determining whether to take actions to address findings. We explored another method of providing consumer information by comparing the experiences of VA enrolled patients who received care in the VA to those who received care outside the VA system. Objective: For male veterans living in New York State and enrolled in the VA healthcare system, to determine (a) whether those who obtain care outside the VA system experience different measures of patient safety than those treated within the VA system, and (b) whether cross-system comparisons of measures of patient safety among older veterans reflect those of the full age spectrum. Design: Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting: All VA and non-VA hospitals in New York State. Patients: 353 570 male New York State residents who were enrolled in the VA system in 1998, 1999 or 2000. Main outcome measures: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) from hospital discharge data. To standardise these indicators across settings, AHRQ has provided software for risk-adjustment purposes so that the indicators can be compared across settings of care. We used the PSI software to calculate risk-adjusted PSI rates with 95% confidence intervals to compare veterans’ inpatient care provided within and outside the VA system. Results: Risk-adjusted rates for nine of 15 PSIs did not differ between care provided within and outside the VA system. However, compared with care provided outside the VA system, risk-adjusted rates of decubitus ulcer, postoperative sepsis, infection due to medical care, postoperative respiratory failure and postoperative metabolic derangement occurred at lower rates within the VA system, while death in low mortality DRGs occurred at a higher rate in the VA system. Findings for patients aged 65 and older were similar to those of the entire age spectrum. Conclusions: Using AHRQ’s PSI software, male veterans in New York who obtain their inpatient care within the VA received care that was comparable with or somewhat better than those who obtained their inpatient care outside the VA. The experiences of older patients reflected those of younger patients. Given that our findings are much more similar to reported comparisons between the VA and Medicare than to comparisons between the VA and the general population, we conclude that, should system comparisons be made, choice of comparison groups will be critical to accurate interpretation of findings; however, prior to such interpretation, the validity of the PSIs must be determined within VA.
Kinetics of enzymatic lysis and disruption of yeast cells: I. Evaluation of two lytic systems with different properties

Many microorganisms produce enzymes which lyse the walls of yeasts, fungi, and bacteria. The proportions of different enzyme activities present in the lytic system, their action patterns, synergism, and dependence on inhibitors, constitute the activity profile of the lytic system. Taken together, the activity profile and process conditions for lysis determine the reaction rate and the distribution of products from lysis of any given type of cells. Kinetics of glucan hydrolysis, proteolysis, and lysis of brewer's yeast were compared for two extracellular yeast-lytic enzyme systems with different properties. The enzyme sources used were filtered culture broths from Cytophaga sp. NCIB 9497 grown in batch culture and from Oerskovia xanthineolytica LL-G109, grown under carbon limitation in continuous culture. Rate and extent of cell hydrolysis, and the accumulation of soluble proteins, peptides, and carbohydrates from the lysed yeast cells, are discussed in terms of the activity profiles and potential applications of the two enzyme systems.
Follicular dendritic cells help establish follicle identity and promote B cell retention in germinal centers

Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) retain and display opsonized antigens in primary follicles and germinal centers (GCs). However, their roles beyond antigen presentation have been incompletely defined. In this study, we tested the impact of selective FDC ablation on short-term follicle and GC function. Within 2 d of FDC ablation, primary follicles lost their homogeneity and became disorganized bands of cells around T zones. These B cell areas retained CXCL13-expressing stromal cells but often exhibited inappropriate ER-TR7 and CCL21 expression. Ablation of GC FDCs led to the disappearance of GCs. When B cell death was prevented using a Bcl2 transgene, FDC ablation led to splenic GC B cell dispersal. Mesenteric lymph node GCs were more resistant but became dispersed when sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-2 was also removed. These experiments indicate that FDCs help maintain primary follicles as a B cell exclusive niche and define a critical role for FDCs in cell retention within GCs.
A Review of: “A Noble Fight: African American Freemasonry and The Struggle for Democracy in America by Corey D.B. Walker”

Corey D.B. Walker's A Noble Fight provides a look into one of the ways in which African Americans have historically rationalized American democracy. He provides a critical mapping and (re)reading o...
The aqueous phase yield of alkyl nitrates from ROO + NO: Implications for photochemical production in seawater

Alkyl nitrates have been observed in remote oceanic regions of the troposphere and in the surface ocean. The mechanism for their production in the oceans is not known. A likely source is the reaction of ROO + NO (where R is an alkyl group). Steady-state laboratory experiments show that alkyl nitrates are produced in the aqueous phase via this reaction, with branching ratios of 0.23 ± 0.04, 0.67 ± 0.03, and 0.71 ± 0.04 for methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrate respectively. The branching ratios in aqueous solution are significantly higher than in the gas phase. Irradiation of surface seawaters yield rates of alkyl nitrate production on the order of 10-18 mol cm-3 s-1, suggesting that the reaction of ROO and NO is an important source of alkyl nitrates in seawater.
Upper Sediment Column of Gulf of Mexico Presented in New Type of Map: ABSTRACT

Many types of investigations actually require information on the lithologic characteristics of the upper sediment column as well as the surface sediment characteristics. Selected cores from the Gulf of Mexico are presented as lithologic models. A chart symbol is used to indicate gross lithology. A numerical code has been developed which expresses lithologic percentages and indicates by positional notation vertical succession or intercalation of facies. For one area several cores were compared to demonstrate the validity of the developed technique and to show ratio changes. This new type of sediment-distribution map is of value in studies of sediment transport and deposition, basin filling, geotechnical properties, sea-laboratory preparation, salvaging of sunken objects, acoustical measurements, interpretation of shallow continuous reflection seismic profiling, etc. The sediment thickness represented on this new map is limited to the depth of penetration of the coring devices. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2033------------
Voting for an ethnic identity: procedural and institutional responses to ethnic conflict in Ethiopia

The literature on democratisation in diverse and divided societies suggests that procedural and institutional innovations can help create the conditions for democracy by adjudicating among groups with competing claims for recognition and inclusion. Some of the most critical assumptions about the relationship between ethnic identity and formal political institutions have been tested in Ethiopia since the early 199os. Ethnic federalism is a unique and controversial attempt to account for the contested nature of ethnic identities in contemporary Ethiopian politics through a variety of mechanisms, including the use of a referendum to determine ethnic identity. In 2oo0 the Siltie people voted to separate from the Gurage ethnic group. With this political manoeuvre, the Siltie accessed greater levels of political power and greater resources, but also recognition under the constitutional arrangement as a distinct ethnic group. The Siltie case suggests that formal political institutions have a limited, though important, role in resolving contested citizenship claims. At the same time, it raises vital questions about the challenges of procedural solutions in the context of contested citizenship and democratic transition in sub-Saharan Africa.
Attention speeds processing across eccentricity: Feature and conjunction searches

We investigated whether the effect of covert attention on information accrual varies with eccentricity (4° vs 9°) and the complexity of the visual search task (feature vs conjunction). We used speed–accuracy tradeoff procedures to derive conjoint measures of the speed of information processing and accuracy in each search task. Information processing was slower with more complex conjunction searches than with simpler feature searches, and overall it was faster at peripheral (9°) than parafoveal (4°) locations in both search types. Covert attention increased discriminability and accelerated information accrual at both eccentricities, and the magnitude of this attentional effect was the same for both feature (simple) and conjunction (complex) searches. Interestingly, in contrast to the compensatory effect of covert attention on information processing at iso-eccentric locations (temporal performance fields), covert attention did not eliminate speed differences across eccentricity.
Speech discrimination skills in deaf infants before and after cochlear implantation

The benefit of early cochlear implantation (CI) to later speech perception outcomes in prelingually deaf (PLD) children is well established and implantation of infants has become more prevalent. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not deaf infants could discriminate audiovisual non-words shortly after CI and whether their attention to speech and non-speech audiovisual stimuli was similar to infants with normal hearing (NH). Three groups of participants were tested: PLD infants tested prior to CI (pre-CI), PLD infants tested post-implantation (post-CI), and a group of age-matched NH infants. A novel version of the visual habituation (VH) procedure was used. Infants were presented repetitions of an audiovisual non-word until their looking-time decreased to a predetermined criterion. They were then presented two types of test trials: repetitions of the old word (non-alternating (NA) trials) and repetitions of a novel non-word alternating with the old word (alternating (A) trials). Longer lookin...
Implications of Health-Care Reform Proposals for Black Americans

A recent increase in the number of black Americans who lack public or private health insurance means that current proposals to reform the U.S. health-care system have particular relevance for the black community. This paper reviews the major reform proposals offered by President Clinton and Congressional leaders with an eye toward estimating the possible impact on black Americans. The proposals offer concepts ranging from managed competition and "play or pay" to caps on health-insurance premiums, incentives for primary-care providers, "sin" taxes, and outcomes analysis. Though some of these concepts offer opportunities for improving black Americans' access to quality care, most have potential shortcomings that could worsen health status in the black community.
The Nest Architecture of the Ant Odontomachus brunneus

The architecture of the subterranean nests of the ant Odontomachus brunneus (Patton) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was studied by means of casts with dental plaster or molten metal. The entombed ants were later recovered by dissolution of plaster casts in hot running water. O. brunneus excavates simple nests, each consisting of a single, vertical shaft connecting more or less horizontal, simple chambers. Nests contained between 11 and 177 workers, from 2 to 17 chambers, and 28 to 340 cm2 of chamber floor space and reached a maximum depth of 18 to 184 cm. All components of nest size increased simultaneously during nest enlargement, number of chambers, mean chamber size, and nest depth, making the nest shape (proportions) relatively size-independent. Regardless of nest size, all nests had approximately 2 cm2 of chamber floor space per worker. Chambers were closer together near the top and the bottom of the nest than in the middle, and total chamber area was greater near the bottom. Colonies occasionally incorporated cavities made by other animals into their nests.
Race and Partisanship in Criminal Disfranchisement Laws: Antecedents of the 2000 Election Controversy in Florida

This essay considers court challenges to laws disfranchising for criminal conviction initiated by three African American men in the early twentieth century. Cornelius "Canary" Curtis was disfranchised in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a 1907 larceny conviction. In 1914 Curtis petitioned for the restoration of his rights of citizenship and was denied twice by the local courts. He brought his case to the Tennessee Court of Civil Appeals, which ruled in his favor. The second incident in this essay involves the 1916 presidential election in St. Louis, Missouri. Democratic party operatives in the city coordinated efforts to target African American voters that year – many of whom had recently migrated to Missouri from southern states – with stepped-up and arguably fraudulent enforcement of laws disfranchising for crime. After the election, two voters, Henry Lucas and John Sullivan, who were among those wrongfully disfranchised by false accusations of prior criminal convictions, initiated civil suits against Democratic party leaders. These cases represent some of the first court challenges by African Americans – or indeed any individuals disfranchised for crime – to the enforcement of laws disfranchising for crime. The efforts of these three men were connected to and inform our understanding of the Black Freedom Movement and the struggle for African American civil rights.
Fabrication of Polycrystalline Si1−xGex Films on Oxide for Thin-Film Transistors

Polycrystalline-Si1−xGex films have been formed by various methods on oxide-coated Si substrates at temperatures ≤600°C. Compared to thermal growth, plasma deposition of poly-Si1−xGex promotes smoother films with smaller grains having a 200-dominated texture. Poly-Si1−xGex Alms formed by plasma deposition of amorphous-Si1-xGex followed by a crystallization anneal have an even smoother surface with grain sizes enhanced by an order of magnitude and a weak 111 grain texture. Hydrogen incorporated in amorphous-Si1−xGex evolves completely during crystallization without disrupting the smooth surface morphology. The largest grain sizes (∶1.3μm) are achieved in poly-Si1−xGex films formed by Si+ ion implantation for amorphization with a subsequent recrystallization anneal.
Corneal wound healing, a newly identified function of CAP37, is mediated by protein kinase C delta (PKCδ).

Purpose The neutrophil-derived granular protein, CAP37, an innate immune system molecule, has antibiotic and immunomodulatory effects on host cells, including corneal epithelial cells. We previously showed that CAP37 modulates corneal epithelial cell migration, adhesion, and proliferation, and that protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) mediates CAP37-induced chemotaxis of these cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that CAP37 facilitates corneal wound healing through the PKC signaling pathway. Methods The standard "scratch" assay performed on monolayers of corneal epithelial cells was used to measure the in vitro effect of CAP37 on wound closure. In vivo wound healing in response to CAP37 was measured using a mouse corneal epithelium abrasion model. In vitro and in vivo wound closure were monitored over 48 hours. The PKCδ was visualized during wound closure in cell monolayers and corneal epithelium by immunohistochemistry. The importance of PKCδ in CAP37-induced corneal wound healing was assessed by siRNA. Results We found that CAP37 accelerated wound closure in vitro and in vivo. Maximal closure occurred with concentrations of CAP37 between 250 and 500 ng/mL. Topical applications on mouse cornea led to re-epithelialization of the cornea by 24 hours. Immunohistochemistry of in vitro and in vivo wounds revealed a local increase of PKCδ along the wound edge in CAP37-treated cell monolayers and corneas, compared to untreated controls. CAP37-induced corneal wound healing was significantly reduced in vivo upon treatment with PKCδ siRNA. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesis that CAP37 facilitates corneal wound healing through the activation of PKCδ.
Dynamic Reoptimization of a Missile Autopilot Controller in Presence of Unmodeled Uncertainties

Online trained neural networks have become popular in recent years in designing robust and adaptive controllers for dynamic systems with uncertainties in their system equations because of their universal function approximation property. This paper discusses a technique that dynamically reoptimizes a Single Network Adaptive Critic (SNAC) based optimal controller in the presence of unmodeled uncertainties. The controller design is carried out in two steps: (i) synthesis of a set of online neural networks that capture the uncertainties in the plant equations on-line (ii) re-optimization of the existing optimal controller to drive the states of the plant to a desired reference by minimizing a predefined cost function. The neural network weight update rule for the online networks has been derived using Lyapunov theory that guarantees both the stability of the error dynamics as well as the boundedness of network weights. This approach has been applied in the online re-optimization of a missile longitudinal autopilot controller and numerical results from simulation studies are presented here.
Results of monitoring of food-borne bacteria in Taizhou city from 2009 to 2012

Objective To understand the contamination status of foods with food--borne pathogenic bacteria in Taizhou city. Method Based on the standard operation procedures in the handbook of National Surveillance on Food- borne Pathogenic Bacteria, 647 food samples in 7 categories of foods were collected from Taizhou District from 2009 to 2012 and detected for the presence of Salmonella, Eschetrichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphyococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Shigellae, Enterobacter sakazakii. Results The positive rate of pathogenic bacteria in food samples accounts for 11.75%. The positive rate of food-borne pathogenic bacteria in meat, aquatic products, rice products, fruit and vegetable and its products, non-fermented soybean products, milk, ice cream were 12.56%, 18.83%, 7.84%, 6.93%, 6.38%、0 and 40.0%, respectively. Shigellae and Enterobacter sakazakii were not isolated from food; the positive rate of V. parahaemolyticus(18.83%) was the highest, followed by S.aureus(6.76%), L. monocytogenes(1.84%) and Salmonella(1.55%). Conclusion Meat products were seriously contaminated, and V.parahaemolyticus was the principal contaminated bacteria in samples. Surveillance of food-borne bacteria should be strengthened.
Determination of formaldehyde in aquatic products and soaked foods by pre-column derivation high-performance liquid chromatography

Objective To develope method for the determination of formaldehyde in aquatic products and soaked foods by pre-column derivation high-performance liquid chromatography. Methods Samples were rextracted with extraction liwuid at 60℃ for 20 min by ultrasonic extraction, and then with cyclohexane. The extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Results The linear ranges of determination for formaldehyde was 0~20 μg / ml(r=0.9998). The relative standard derivations for formaldehyde was 0.9%~4.5%. The recovery of sample for formaldehyde was 93.00%~99.16%.There is no significant difference between the test results and the national standard method(P0.05). Conclusion The method is simple, repeatable and sensitive, and can be used for analysis of formaldehyde in aquatic products.
Implementation of engineering machine remote diagnosis and maintenance system based on internet

To solve the difficulty in diagnosing and maintaining the engineering machine in working spots and enhance the rush repair and maintenance abilities,the architecture of the engineering machine remote diagnosis and maintenance system(EMRDMS) was built using lineate and wireless transmitting protocol of network technique together with virtual instrument technology and so on.Based on this architecture,the EMRDMS was developed whose function module consisted of data acquisition and maintenance terminal,a team of maintenance engineering vehicle,maintenance factory,manufacturing factory and so on.The realization of the EMRDMS comprised four modules: remote fault diagnosis module,visible module,info-query module and data maintenance module.The results show that the EMRDMS can remotely detect the working condition of engineering machines,and provide maintenance measures for the service team such as fault diagnosis,technique query and video maintenance,and that it can effectively enhance the rush repair and maintenance abilities of the engineering machine in working spots.
Synaptic organization of eighth nerve afferents to cat dorsal cochlear nucleus

The synaptic organization of eighth nerve afferents to the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of cats was studied using extracellular field potential analyses. The eighth nerve was electrically stimulated and potentials produced in the DCN characterized using single shocks, paired shocks, repetitive stimulation, and one-dimensional current source-density (CSD) analysis. Field potentials and CSD profiles were correlated with the laminated cytoarchitecture of the DCN. At least four major temporally discrete components can be identified in field potentials evoked by a single shock to the eighth nerve. The amplitude and polarity of these events depends on the layers in which they are recorded. A brief positive-negative deflection (the P1-N1) is present in all layers but is maximal in the deeper layers 3 and 4. The N1 has a peak latency of approximately 0.8 ms in these layers. The N1 in the deep layers is followed by a large negative potential, termed the N2, with a peak latency of about 1.6 ms. In the superficial layers (1 and 2), the N1 is followed by a small positive potential (the P2) occurring nearly simultaneously with the N2, Immediately following the N2 is another negative potential that is most clearly observed in layer 2. The layer 2 negative wave is termed N3 and is also identifiable on the repolarizing phase of the N2 in layers 3 and 4. The N3 in layer 2 can be followed by a positive potential, the P4. Simultaneous with the P4 is a small negative wave ion layer 1, termed the N4. The P4-N4 complex is observed in about half the recordings. Frequency-following tests indicate that both the N1 and N2 waves can follow shock trains up to 333 Hz. The N1 remains nearly constant in amplitude up to about 300 Hz and decreases as the stimulus frequency is raised to 500 Hz. The N2 decrements more rapidly than the N1 at frequencies above about 250 Hz and is considerably reduced at 500 Hz. The N2 sometimes shows an increased amplitude (by about 20-40%) between 100 and 250 Hz. A paired-shock paradigm was used to characterize further potentials. The N1 was little affected by prior stimulation for intervals greater than 5 ms. The N2 and N3 generally showed a small facilitation for shock intervals from about 7 to 30 ms, with a return to base line at longer intervals. The N4 and P4 (when present) were profoundly depressed for intervals from 7 to about 30 ms, with recovery to control values by 50 ms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Produced by Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey, and Ian Bryce. Paramount Pictures, 2016, DVD 112 minutes. Reviewed September 2016

Critics of the “American Empire” or “American imperialism,” including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, and Chalmers Johnson, have long denounced US foreign policy and military intervention. While courage...
State of dose prescription and compliance to international standard (ICRU-83) in intensity modulated radiation therapy among academic institutions

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate dose prescription and recording compliance to international standard (International Commission on Radiation Units & Measurements [ICRU]-83) in patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) among academic institutions. Methods and materials Ten institutions participated in this study to collect IMRT data to evaluate compliance to ICRU-83. Under institutional review board clearance, data from 5094 patients—including treatment site, technique, planner, physician, prescribed dose, target volume, monitor units, planning system, and dose calculation algorithm—were collected anonymously. The dose-volume histogram of each patient, as well as dose points, doses delivered to 100% (D100), 98% (D98), 95% (D95), 50% (D50), and 2% (D2), of sites was collected and sent to a central location for analysis. Homogeneity index (HI) as a measure of the steepness of target and is a measure of the shape of the dose-volume histogram was calculated for every patient and analyzed. Results In general, ICRU recommendations for naming the target, reporting dose prescription, and achieving desired levels of dose to target were relatively poor. The nomenclature for the target in the dose prescription had large variations, having every permutation of name and number contrary to ICRU recommendations. There was statistically significant variability in D95, D50, and HI among institutions, tumor site, and technique with P values Conclusions Nearly 95% of patient treatments deviated from the ICRU-83 recommended D50 prescription dose delivery. This variability is significant (P
Microhistories of Composition, Bruce McComiskey: Logan: Utah State University Press, 2016. 336 pages. $34.95 paperback

While numerous histories have been published over the past quarter of a century that have challenged and enriched our understanding of the emergence and development of rhetoric and composition stud...
On strong ground motion estimates based on models of the radiated spectrum

Abstract Estimates for peak ground acceleration and velocity were obtained by use of the approach of Hanks and McGuire (1981) and Boore (1983) for a model of the radiated spectrum corresponding to Brune9s ω −2 source model modified by an exponentially decreasing function of frequency. This modification was suggested by the work of Anderson and Hough (1984) on spectral amplitudes. For this spectral model, it was found that it is not possible to determine a value for the stress drop parameter such that agreement with data is obtained for both peak accelerations and velocities. This finding contrasts with that of Boore (1983) who found good agreement with data by introducing an artificial cut-off frequency of 15 Hz.
A homogenization approach for modeling a propagating hydraulic fracture in a layered material

ABSTRACTShales are known to have a finely layered structure, which greatly influences the overall material’s response. Incorporating the effect of all these layers explicitly in a hydraulic fracture simulator would require a prohibitively fine mesh. To avoid such a scenario, a suitable homogenization, which would represent the effect of multiple layers in an average sense, should be performed. We consider a sample variation of elastic properties and minimum horizontal stress versus depth that has more than a hundred layers. We evaluate methodologies to homogenize the stress and the elastic properties. The elastic response of a layered material is found to be equivalent to that of a transversely isotropic material, and the explicit relations for the effective parameters are obtained. To illustrate the relevance of the homogenization procedure for hydraulic fracturing, the propagation of a plane strain hydraulic fracture in a finely layered shale is studied. To reduce the complexity of the numerical model, ...
Tissue Specificity: SOCE: Implications for Ca 2+ Handling in Endothelial Cells

Many cellular functions of the vascular endothelium are regulated by fine-tuned global and local, microdomain-confined changes of cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). Vasoactive agonist-induced stimulation of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) typically induces Ca2+ release through IP3 receptor Ca2+ release channels embedded in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store, followed by Ca2+ entry from the extracellular space elicited by Ca2+ store depletion and referred to as capacitative or store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). In vascular endothelial cells, SOCE is graded with the degree of store depletion and controlled locally in the subcellular microdomain where depletion occurs. SOCE provides distinct Ca2+ signals that selectively control specific endothelial functions: in calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells, the SOCE Ca2+ signal drives nitric oxide (an endothelium-derived relaxing factor of the vascular smooth muscle) production and controls activation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFAT. Both cellular events are not affected by Ca2+ signals of comparable magnitude arising directly from Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, clearly indicating that SOCE regulates specific Ca2+-dependent cellular tasks by a unique and exclusive mechanism. This review discusses the mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ regulation in vascular endothelial cells and the role of store-operated Ca2+ entry for endothelium-dependent smooth muscle relaxation and nitric oxide signaling, endothelial oxidative stress response, and excitation-transcription coupling in the vascular endothelium.
Controllability of the Semilinear Heat Equation with a Sublinear Term and a Degenerate Actuator

In this chapter we study controllability properties of the 1-D semilinear heat equation with a sublinear reaction term in the case when it is controlled by a static degenerate spatially averaged actuator of type ( 1.29). We will show that, if the actuator at hand ensures the approximate controllability of the truncated linear equation in L 2(0, 1), then the original semilinear equation is exactly controllable in any finite-dimensional subspace spanned by the eigenfunctions of the associated linear spectral problem. We will also suggest a topology in which this semilinear heat equation is globally approximately controllable at any positive time. Extensions to the case of several spatial dimensions are also discussed.
The Journal of Risk and Insurance: Authors of Influence

The purpose of our study is to identify the most influential authors who published in the Journal of Risk and Insurance (JRI) between 1989 and 2010 using citations as our primary indicator of author influence. Extant citation studies concerning the JRI are at the journal level rather than the author level or they examine citations appearing in JRI articles rather than citations to JRI articles. Our study examines articles published in the JRI from 1989 to 2010 and the citations to these articles from 1989 to 2014 reported in Thomson Reuters Web of Science (WOS). This approach is consistent with the method used by WOS to calculate journal impact factors. Our study presents a variety of author productivity measures based on JRI publication activity and citations to JRI articles. The top 50 authors are ranked and identified for each metric.
Epigenetic Age Acceleration: A Biological Doomsday Clock for Cardiovascular Disease?

See Article by Roetker et al Epigenetic age seems like a concept pulled from a futuristic science-fiction movie where a drop of blood is fed into a machine, in which an algorithm churns through an accumulation of chemical groups coating a strand of DNA and spits out an individual’s true age reflecting a lifetime of experiences and exposures. Remarkably, this fiction moved closer to reality with astute observations that DNA methylation patterns predictably change over time and are highly correlated with age.1 These observations and the proliferation of high-density methylation microarrays on large sample sizes led to the application of machine-learning approaches to sift through the high-dimensional methylomic data to identify a parsimonious set of informative markers to reconstruct an individual’s age; 2 popular sets were proposed by Horvath2 and Hannum et al3 in 2013, although various subsequent adaptations have been developed. These DNA methylation-predicted ages turn out to perform remarkably well; demonstrating very strong correlations with chronological age. Although the novelty of using an overly complicated and costly Rube Goldberg machine approach to determine something that only requires a simple question to obtain holds a peculiar appeal, real-world use cases are evident; such as in a forensics scenario where accurately predicting the age of an individual from an unidentified blood or tissue sample clearly has utility.4 The possibility of cardiovascular health applications arose when the divergence between DNA methylation-predicated age and chronological age, commonly referred to as epigenetic age acceleration, was found to be linked to clinical traits. A positive or accelerated epigenetic age occurs when an individual’s DNA methylation-predicted age is older than their chronological age. In this issue of Circulation: Genomics and Precision Medicine , Roetker et al5 report the association of epigenetic age acceleration with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). …
Measuring integrated HIV DNA ex vivo and in vitro provides insights about how reservoirs are formed and maintained

The identification of the most appropriate marker to measure reservoir size has been a great challenge for the HIV field. Quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA), the reference standard to quantify the amount of replication-competent virus, has several limitations, as it is laborious, expensive, and unable to robustly reactivate every single integrated provirus. PCR-based assays have been developed as an easier, cheaper and less error-prone alternative to QVOA, but also have limitations. Historically, measuring integrated HIV DNA has provided insights about how reservoirs are formed and maintained. In the 1990s, measuring integrated HIV DNA was instrumental in understanding that a subset of resting CD4 T cells containing integrated HIV DNA were the major source of replication-competent virus. Follow-up studies have further characterized the phenotype of these cells containing integrated HIV DNA, as well as shown the correlation between the integration levels and clinical parameters, such as duration of infection, CD4 count and viral load. Integrated HIV DNA correlates with total HIV measures and with QVOA. The integration assay has several limitations. First, it largely overestimates the reservoir size, as both defective and replication-competent proviruses are detected. Since defective proviruses are the majority in patients on ART, it follows that the number of proviruses capable of reactivating and releasing new virions is significantly smaller than the number of integrated proviruses. Second, in patients on ART clonal expansion could theoretically lead to the preferential amplification of proviruses close to an Alu sequence though longitudinal studies have not captured this effect. Proviral sequencing combined with integration measures is probably the best estimate of reservoir size, but it is expensive, time-consuming and requires considerable bioinformatics expertise. All these reasons limit its use on a large scale. Herein, we review the utility of measuring HIV integration and suggest combining it with sequencing and total HIV measurements can provide insights that underlie reservoir maintenance.
Crisis Consultation: Preventive Implications:

The close relationship between crisis intervention and prevention is examined in the context of social work consultation with preschool and senior citizen centers. The location of service in commun...
Dasyclad Algae Within Permian (Leonard) Cyclic Shelf Carbonates (“Abo”), Northern Midland Basin, West Texas

Over the past two decades, a series of papers have appeared relating to the subsurface Permian “Abo” sequence of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. These include works by Grills (1981), Jeary (1978), LeMay (1960a,b, 1972), McCaslin (1961), Nottingham (1966), Pitts (1977), and Runyan (1965). Most of these papers suggest a number of common features for this rock sequence: (1) that the “Abo” interval comprises basinal, fore-reef, reef, and back-reef sediments, (2) that this sequence rims the Delaware basin and a good portion of the northern Midland basin, and (3) that this represents a continuous barrier-reef complex of similar age, suggesting rather identical paleodepositional settings along this so-called barrier-reef.