cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Depressing of the indoor mosquito's density with repellent deposition door screen

Objective To study on the affection of the repellent deposition door screen on decreasing indoor mosquito density.Methods Different treatment door screen were hanged in rooms with same indoor conditions,opening the light in the rooms with the door open.After the night peak of local mosquito community,closing the doors,and counting the numbers of the invading mosquitoes,the non-door screen rooms were selected as control objects. Results Deposition door screen in Beiwan could prevent the invading of the mosquitoes,significant difference affection among the non-deposition screen,repellent deposition screen,and nonscreen on preventing invasion of mosquitoes.Conclusion Hanging the repellent deposition screen with the size of 0.5 cm×0.5 cm could prevent mosquitoes effectively.
The experience of depression, anxiety, and mania among perinatal women

We assessed differential item functioning (DIF) based on computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to examine how perinatal mood disorders differ from adult psychiatric disorders. The CAT-Mental Health (CAT-MH) was administered to 1614 adult psychiatric outpatients and 419 perinatal women with IRB approval. We examined individual item-level differences using logistic regression and overall score differences by scoring the perinatal data using the original bifactor model calibration based on the psychiatric sample data and a new bifactor model calibration based on the perinatal data and computing their correlation. To examine convergent validity, we computed correlations of the CAT-MH with contemporaneously administered Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scales (EPDS). The rate of major depression in the perinatal sample was 13 %. Rates of anxiety, mania, and suicide risk were 5, 6, and 0.4 %, respectively. One of 66 depression items, one of 69 anxiety items, and 15 of 53 mania items exhibited DIF (i.e., failure to discriminate between high and low levels of the disorder) in the perinatal sample based on the psychiatric sample calibration. Removal of these items resulted in correlations of the original and perinatal calibrations of r = 0.983 for depression, r = 0.986 for anxiety, and r = 0.932 for mania. The 91.3 % of cases were concordantly categorized as either "at-risk" or "low-risk" between the EPDS and the perinatal calibration of the CAT-MH. There was little evidence of DIF for depression and anxiety symptoms in perinatal women. This was not true for mania. Now calibrated for perinatal women, the CAT-MH can be evaluated for longitudinal symptom monitoring.
O-038 treatment of complex ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysms since the barrow ruptured aneurysm trial (brat)

Introduction Approximately 17% of ruptured anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms were deemed unsuitable for coil embolization during the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial (BRAT), most commonly due to unfavorable dome-to-neck ratio or diminutive size of the lesion. Only one ACoA aneurysm underwent adjunctive balloon remodeling during BRAT. Advances in endovascular techniques and technology since the trial have allowed for effective treatment of these complex lesions. Methods All cases of ruptured ACoA aneurysms treated by endovascular modalities from closure of the BRAT in 2007 to 2012 were reviewed for patient and aneurysm characteristics, treatment type, and radiographic outcomes. Results Ninety-three patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 59.5 + 12.9 years and mean aneurysm size of 6.1 + 2.5 mm. Patients were treated by primary coil embolization (n = 58), balloon-assisted coiling (n = 29), and stent-assisted coiling (n = 6). Thirty (32%) aneurysms were small in largest diameter ( Conclusions Since BRAT, the majority of ruptured ACoA aneurysms treated with coil embolization at our institution have been small lesions or wide-necked. Adjunctive techniques, especially balloon remodeling, are now much more commonly utilized. The majority of these complex aneurysms can achieve good angiographic outcomes with acceptable retreatment rates. Disclosures K. Moon: None. M. Levitt: None. M. Park: None. F. Albuquerque: None. C. McDougall: None.
Hybrid Full-Field Stress Analysis of Loaded Perforated Asymmetrical Plate

This chapter demonstrates the ability to determine experimentally the complete state of stress throughout a compressively-loaded rectangular aluminum plate containing an irregularly-shaped asymmetrically orientated hole. This is achieved by processing the recorded associated stress-induced temperature information with a stress function and discretely imposing the boundary conditions. The challenges include handling the total lack of symmetry and satisfying the traction-free conditions on the edge of the irregularly-shaped inclined hole.
Effect of supplemental potassium in the receiving diet and form of antibiotic on feeder pig performance.

In five separate trials 901 feeder pigs (769 purchased and 132 university-raised) were used to determine the effect of level of dietary K (.64 vs 1.00 vs 1.40%), form of neoterramycin (feed-grade vs water-soluble) and a long-lasting oxytetracycline injection on subsequent performance. Purchased pigs fed a 28-d receiving diet with 1.00% K gained faster (P less than .05) than the control pigs fed a .64% K diet (.64 vs .60 kg) during a 1980 summer trial. Feed efficiency was not affected by level of dietary K. Three additional trials conducted during January, July and October of 1981 failed to substantiate this beneficial effect on rate of gain. Feeder pig performance was not different (P greater than .05) when either feed-grade or water-soluble neoterramycin was used as a 14-d receiving treatment at preventative levels. However, in one trial nearly twice as many pigs on the medicated feed diet required additional treatment for sickness compared with pigs receiving water medication (14.5 vs 7.9%; P less than .1). Giving pigs an injection of a long-lasting oxytetracycline (LA-200) either at the market or upon arrival at the finishing facility had no effect on performance; however, the pigs were home-raised rather than purchased; consequently, their health was excellent.
Encountering Grief in Patient Care

Grief is essentially unavoidable and is a normal reaction to loss. Grief may be experienced by patients and their loved ones as well as by physicians and members of the health care team in response to the consequences of illness or death. Grief is typified by certain indicators that may significantly effect one's emotional and physical well-being. Although these indicators tend to follow a general pattern, there is variability among individuals. Complicated grief may require psychiatric intervention. Caring for the seriously ill or dying patient may be particularly challenging from an emotional level and may increase the risk of burnout. Recognition of these emotions is a critical aspect of providing compassionate care on a sustainable level. Various strategies may be beneficial in coping with grief, and the exploration of grief may provide greater insight into the humanistic basis of medicine.
Torched Earth: Dimensions of extraterritorial nationalism in the Chinese and Russian Olympic torch relays

Abstract Spanning tens of thousands of kilometers around the world, the torch relays for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were the two longest in history and arguably some of the most provocative. As spectacles designed by committees with close affiliations to the state in both China and Russia, the relays also constituted state-orchestrated extraterritorial displays of nationalism. This paper uses these events as case studies to theorize the role of spaces beyond a country’s borders in state performances and mobilization of nationalism. I first sketch out the evolving relationships between the state, space, and nationalism in Russia and China while paying close attention to how longstanding narratives of universal and civilizational nationalism in each country are unfolding in a globalizing, deterritorializing world. Then, I examine how the international legs of the Olympic torch relays provided opportunities for the Chinese and Russian states to expand the national geo-body significantly outside state borders in a variety of dimensions. The Beijing relay passed through cities important for the Chinese diaspora and trade routes while the Sochi relay traveled to the global commons of the North Pole and outer space. Both of these state displays of nationalism supported the extraterritorial expansion of a nation’s geo-body and socio-spatial consciousness, suggesting the creation of a more spatially unbounded national identity not necessarily linked to the contained territory over which the state exercises sovereignty.
Lipids, oxidized lipids, oxidation-specific epitopes, and Age-related Macular Degeneration

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in western societies. While antioxidant micronutrient treatment is available for intermediate non-neovascular disease, and effective anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment is available for neovascular disease, treatment for early AMD is lacking due to an incomplete understanding of the early molecular events. The role of lipids, which accumulate in the macula, and their oxidation, has emerged as an important factor in disease development. These oxidized lipids can either directly contribute to tissue injury or react with amine on proteins to form oxidation-specific epitopes, which can induce an innate immune response. If inadequately neutralized, the inflammatory response from these epitopes can incite tissue injury during disease development. This review explores how the accumulation of lipids, their oxidation, and the ensuing inflammatory response might contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipid modification and lipid peroxidation products in innate immunity and inflammation edited by Christoph J. Binder .
Internal mail transport at processing & distribution centers

ABSTRACTThis article addresses a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) within mail processing and distribution centers. Throughout the day, large volumes of partially processed mail must be transferred between workstations in accordance with narrow time windows and a host of operational constraints. To facilitate management supervision, it is first necessary to cluster the pickup and delivery points into zones. Given these zones, the first objective is to solve a VRP to minimize the number of vehicles required to satisfy all demand requests and, second, to minimize the total distance traveled. A solution consists of an invariant assignment of vehicles to zones and a routing plan for each 8-hour shift of the day. The clustering is performed with a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure, and two heuristics are developed to find solutions to the VRP, which proved intractable for realistic instances. The heuristics are optimization based within a rolling horizon framework. The first uses a fixed time increment a...
Responses of a Federally Endangered Songbird to Understory Thinning in Oak-Juniper Woodlands

Wildlife conservation and management on military lands must be accomplished in the context of military readiness, which often includes ground-based training that is perceived to conflict with wildlife needs and environmental regulations. From 2008‒2012, we examined territory density, pairing success, and fledging success of the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter warbler) in relation to removal of small-diameter trees from the understory of mature oak-juniper (Quercus-Juniperus) woodland at the 87,890 ha Fort Hood Military Reservation in central Texas. Understory thinning created troop maneuver lanes, but left canopy vegetation intact. Warbler density, pairing success, and fledging success were similar across thinned and control sites. We found that warbler pairing and fledging success were best predicted by Ecological site (hereafter Ecosite), an indicator of hardwood tree species composition. Warbler pairing and fledging success were about 1.5 and 1.6 times higher, respectively, for territories dominated by the Low Stony Hill Ecosite than territories dominated by the Redlands Ecosite. Our results indicate that understory thinning for military training purposes did not have a negative effect on warblers at Fort Hood in the manner tested, and suggest that removal of smaller trees from the understory in a way that replicates historic conditions may elicit neutral responses from this forest-dependent songbird. Quantifying wildlife responses to military activities provides the Department of Defense and US Fish and Wildlife Service with data to guide conservation of threatened and endangered species on Department of Defense facilities while maintaining the military mission, and supports wildlife management efforts on other public and private lands.
Observation System Experiments with the Hourly Updating Rapid Refresh Model Using GSI Hybrid Ensemble–Variational Data Assimilation

AbstractA set of observation system experiments (OSEs) over three seasons using the hourly updated Rapid Refresh (RAP) numerical weather prediction (NWP) assimilation–forecast system identifies the importance of the various components of the North American observing system for 3–12-h RAP forecasts. Aircraft observations emerge as the strongest-impact observation type for wind, relative humidity (RH), and temperature forecasts, permitting a 15%–30% reduction in 6-h forecast error in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. Major positive impacts are also seen from rawinsondes, GOES satellite cloud observations, and surface observations, with lesser but still significant impacts from GPS precipitable water (PW) observations, satellite atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs), and radar reflectivity observations. A separate experiment revealed that the aircraft-related RH forecast improvement was augmented by 50% due specifically to the addition of aircraft moisture observations. Additionally, observations from en r...
High-speed, high-accuracy large range 3D measurement

This paper presents such a high-speed, high-accuracy structured light technique that could achieve large range 3D shape measurement. The enabling method is our recently proposed system calibration that splits the calibration process into two stages. Specifically, we calibrate the intrinsic parameters at a near position with a regular size yet precisely fabricated calibration target, and then calibrate the extrinsic parameters with the assistance of an additional large range yet low accuracy low cost 3D scanner (i.e., Kinect). We developed a system that achieved 500 Hz with a resolution 2304 × 1400. The field of view (FOV) of our structured light system is 0.9 m(W) × 1.4 m(H) × 0.8 m(D). Our experimental data demonstrated that such a large range structured light system can achieve an mean error of 0.13 mm with a standard deviation of 1.18 mm by measuring a 304.8 mm diameter sphere. We further experimentally demonstrated that proposed method can simultaneously measure multiple objects or large dynamically changing objects.
Impaired Generalization of Acquired Memory Pairings in Preclinical Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD) Mutation Carriers (P07.139)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if generalization of memory pairings is affected in preclinical FAD. BACKGROUND: Generalization of arbitrary memory pairings is impaired in persons with medial temporal lobe damage. We hypothesized that this skill would be impaired early in the course of FAD due to fully-penetrant mutations. DESIGN/METHODS: 31 persons at-risk for inheriting FAD mutations underwent comprehensive evaluations including a lap-top based acquired equivalence task. During a training phase, subjects were implicitly trained on pairings between types of persons (e.g. male vs. female, child vs. adult) and fish of a specific color. Subjects learned the ways in which persons were associated with fish (e.g. females with blue fish, males with green fish) and were then trained on an examplar of a new pairing (a female child with a red fish as opposed to a purple fish). This was followed by a testing phase in which subjects were shown novel combinations (e.g. a female adult and red and purple fish) and were asked to choose the correct pairing (e.g. adult female and red fish). The number of errors was recorded and compared between mutation carriers (MCs) and non-carriers (NCs) using mixed ANOVAs. RESULTS: 22 subjects were FAD MCs and 9 were NCs. They did not differ with regard to age, gender, or MMSE score (mean score of MCs 29.2, range 25-30). 9 MCs had CDR scores of 0.5, suggesting mild impairment, and the rest were asymptomatic. MCs made significantly more errors on generalization trials during the testing phase than NCs (F(1,29) = 9.3, p = 0.005) though the interaction between group and type of trial was only marginally significant (F(1,29)= 2.9, p = 0.099). CONCLUSIONS: Generalization of arbitrary memory pairings tested using this acquired equivalence paradigm is impaired in medial temporal lobe damage, including in preclinical FAD mutation carriers. Supported by: Easton Consortium for Alzheimer9s Disease Drug Discovery and Biomarker Development, NIA K08 AG-22228, the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN, U01 AG032438), the UCLA Alzheimer9s Disease Research Center Grant (P50 AG16570), and the UCLA Clinical Translational Research Institute 1UL1-RR033176. Disclosure: Dr. Myers has nothing to disclose. Dr. Simon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wharton has nothing to disclose. Dr. Medina has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alvarez-Retuerto has nothing to disclose. Dr. Coppola has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gluck has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ringman has received personal compensation for activities with Takeda Pharmaceuticals and StemCells, Inc. as an advisory board member. Dr. Ringman has received research support from Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Accera, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Inc., and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
Use of Starch and Modified Starches in Infant Feeding: A Historical Perspective

There is a long history of the use of starch in infant feeding. Proprietary infant foods (1867-1920) contained added starch from either cereal grains or malted carbohydrates. When evaporated milk became available in the 1920s, the use of proprietary foods fell out of favor. Evaporated milk formulas were a mixture of milk, water, and modified starch or milk sugar (lactose). By the late 1920s, however, corn syrup became the most common modified starch added to evaporated milk formulas as it was widely available, inexpensive, and readily accepted. The ongoing development of the modern calorie-based infant formula, made from non-fat cow's milk, lactose, oleo and vegetable oils, largely replaced the evaporated milk formulas in the 1960s. On the other hand, after 1940, added starch and modified starch became increasingly important in the production of pureed fruits and vegetables. Not surprisingly, this included their use in the modern "industrialized" food for use in infants, including their use in a proliferation of grain based fortified infant cereals. This coincided with the increasing production largely due to the earlier introduction of complementary foods, commonly before 3 months of age by 1958. After 1969, the increasing public awareness and media scrutiny of infant foods lead to a growing criticism of the use of modified starches. Even though the National Research Council and the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that modified starches were safe for use, continued public pressure led to their removal from most infant foods in the 1990s. This paralleled the natural food and organic food movements in the United States. Though modified starches are still used in infant dinners of mixed foods today, their use has been minimized and this issue is not currently of significant concern to the public.
Microfluidics for Synthetic Biology: From Design to Execution

With the expanding interest in cellular responses to dynamic environments, microfluidic devices have become important experimental platforms for biological research. Microfluidic "microchemostat" devices enable precise environmental control while capturing high quality, single-cell gene expression data. For studies of population heterogeneity and gene expression noise, these abilities are crucial. Here, we describe the necessary steps for experimental microfluidics using devices created in our lab as examples. First, we discuss the rational design of microchemostats and the tools available to predict their performance. We carefully analyze the critical parts of an example device, focusing on the most important part of any microchemostat: the cell trap. Next, we present a method for generating on-chip dynamic environments using an integrated fluidic junction coupled to linear actuators. Our system relies on the simple modulation of hydrostatic pressure to alter the mixing ratio between two source reservoirs and we detail the software and hardware behind it. To expand the throughput of microchemostat experiments, we describe how to build larger, parallel versions of simpler devices. To analyze the large amounts of data, we discuss methods for automated cell tracking, focusing on the special problems presented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The manufacturing of microchemostats is described in complete detail: from the photolithographic processing of the wafer to the final bonding of the PDMS chip to glass coverslip. Finally, the procedures for conducting Escherichia coli and S. cerevisiae microchemostat experiments are addressed.
Kinetics and Mechanistic Implications of CO2 Hydration Activity of Human Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrases

The reversible hydration of carbon dioxide is recognized as one of the simplest physiological reactions requiring biochemical catalysis. The mechanism of its catalysis by carbonic anhydrase has, nevertheless, been the subject of unabated discussion and controversy during the last decade. This account attempts to review the major features of the catalyzed reaction and their mechanistic implications. More detailed discussions of specific aspects are discussed elsewhere in these proceedings (cf. this vol. S. Lindskog, D.N. Silverman, and others). The present review is limited largely to data on the major human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrases whose crystal structure is now known to high resolution. These are the low specific activity isozyme HCAB (or CA I) and the high specific activity isozyme HCAC (or CA II). In addition, chemically modified derivatives of both of these isozymes have been studied and are of importance to understanding the mechanism of the enzyme. It is hoped that future work will soon provide the kinetic parameters of the newly discovered muscle isozyme (cf. Tashian this vol.) and will increase the comparative kinetic data base.
Employment and Life Satisfaction Among Middle- and Old-Aged Adults in China:

The population in China has been aging rapidly over the past two decades, raising concerns about how to meet the health and long-term care needs of the growing older adult population. The productive aging framework has been applied to promote the active roles that older adults can play in society and to improve physical and psychological well-being. Employment, as an essential form of productive aging, is central to personal control, self-identify, economic resources, and social connectedness. However, there is no clear role or accommodation for older workers in China due to the mandatory retirement policy and traditional culture of gender roles. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE) Wave 1 data, we examined the relationship between employment and life satisfaction in middle- and old-aged Chinese. Multiple regression analyses indicated that employment and certain work characteristics were positively related to life satisfaction in both the total and male samples. Overall, rural residents had higher levels of satisfaction than urban residents after equalizing socioeconomic resources and health. Policy and practice implications are discussed on how to improve life satisfaction through employment and how to address gender and residency gaps.
Atomic Junction: Nuclear Power in Africa after Independence

After Atomic Junction, along the Haatso-Atomic Road there lies the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, home to Africa's first nuclear programme after independence. Travelling along this road, Abena Dove Osseo-Asare gathers together stories of conflict and compromise on an African nuclear frontier. She speaks with a generation of African scientists who became captivated with 'the atom' and studied in the Soviet Union to make nuclear physics their own. On Pluton Lane and Gamma Avenue, these scientists displaced quiet farming villages in their bid to establish a scientific metropolis, creating an epicentre for Ghana's nuclear physics community. By placing interviews with town leaders, physicists and local entrepreneurs alongside archival records, Osseo-Asare explores the impact of scientific pursuit on areas surrounding the reactor, focusing on how residents came to interpret activities on these 'Atomic Lands'. This combination of historical research, personal and ethnographic observations shows how Ghanaians now stand at a crossroad, where some push to install more reactors, whilst others merely seek pipe-borne water.
New Product Advantage Infused by Marketing and Technical Resources: Does Modularity Design Matter? An Abstract

Building on the resource-based view, this research aims to examine how marketing and technical resources impact new product advantage when product design (i.e., product modularity) and process design (i.e., process modularity) capabilities vary. Compared to firm-level resources, project and program level resources are more detailed and less obvious to firms’ competitive advantage. As a result, there have been limited insights on how such resources influence NPD projects in different contexts. Yet, selecting and allocating resources for NPD projects are complicated, challenging, and critical for managers to advance the projects.
Fracture toughness of zirconia with a nanometer size notch fabricated using focused ion beam milling.

OBJECTIVES Zirconia with 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZP) has been used for dental crowns and bridges due to its excellent mechanical behavior. Performing fracture toughness testing on this nanograin material, however, can be a challenge. For reliable results, fracture toughness testing requires an extremely sharp notch in the test specimen that closely approximates a very sharp crack. This study was to investigate an alternative method to produce nanometer-sized notches, which are less than the average grain size of 3Y-TZP, during the preparation of single-edge V-notched beam specimens and report the resulting fracture toughness value. METHODS We present a method using focused ion beam (FIB) milling to fabricate nanometer-sized notches in 3Y-TZP. The notch tip is <100 nm wide, which is smaller than the grain size, and is consistent throughout the thickness of the specimen. RESULTS The FIB-notched specimens show a much reduced average fracture toughness of 5.64 ± 1.14 MPa√m compared to 8.90 ± 0.23 MPa√m for the specimens without FIB-notches. The FIB-milling did not appear to create any monoclinic phase prior to fracture toughness testing. Fractures originated at the FIB-notches, and the notch size can be readily identified post-mortem using a microscope. A considerable amount of tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation was observed throughout the fracture surfaces. SIGNIFICANCE FIB milling provides an alternative method to fabricate nanometer-sized notches that are smaller than the grain size of tetragonal zirconia polycrystal. The fracture toughness determined using FIB-notches was ~5.64 MPa√m, smaller than the specimens with V-notches fabricated using saw blades.
Reconstruction of angle-resolved backscattering through a multimode fiber for cell nuclei and particle size determination

We demonstrate the reconstruction of angle-resolved optical backscattering after transmission through a multimode fiber. Angle-resolved backscattering is an important tool for particle sizing, and has been developed as a diagnostic modality for detecting epithelial pre-cancer. In this work, we fully characterized the transfer function of a multimode fiber using a plane-wave illumination basis across two dimensions. Once characterized, angle-resolved scattering information, which has been scrambled by multimodal propagation can be easily and accurately reconstructed. Our technique was validated using a Mie theory-based inverse light scattering analysis algorithm on polystyrene microsphere phantoms of known sizes. To demonstrate the clinical potential of this approach, nuclear morphology was determined from the reconstructed angular backscattering from MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cell samples and validated against quantitative image analysis of fluorescence microscopy images.
Patellar Malalignment Is Associated With Patellofemoral Lesions and Cartilage Relaxation Times After Hamstring Autograft Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background:There is growing evidence suggesting a link between patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)–reconstructed knees and altered joint alignment.Purpose:...
Synergistic Interactions between Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in the Induction of Inos in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is thought to play an important role in atherosclerosis. However, the precise role of LPS and individual cytokines in the induction of iNOS in humans remains undetermined. We have used human aortic vascular or internal mammary artery segments to assay the efficacy of LPS (1 g/ml), IFN-γ (400 units/ml), TNF-α (1000 units/ml) and IL-16 (100 units/ml), either alone or in combination to induce the expression of iNOS and subsequent accumulation of NO2 detected by chemiluminescence. Combination of all 3 cytokines induced a significant increase in NO2 accumulation after 36 (210%) and 48 (893%) hours incubation, which could be inhibited by L-NMMA (10−4M) and cycloheximide (10−6M). Medial smooth muscle of sections of vessel segments stained positive with an antibody raised against human iNOS. Incubation of IFN-γ and IL-16 alone both caused a small but significant increase in the level of NO2 above control over a 48 hour period, by 50% and 75% respectively (p<0.05). TNF-α was unable to induce a significant rise in NO2 over the same time period. Experiments with different combinations of the cytokines revealed a synergistic interaction between IFN-γ and IL-16, with the increase in NO2 levels of 869%. A combination of IFN-γ and TNF-α, or IL-16 and TNF-α yielded no enhanced accumulation of NO2 compared to the action of each cytokine alone. Incubation of LPS alone was unable to cause an increase in NO2 accumulation after 48 hours. Combination of LPS with IFN-γ or IFN-γ and IL-16, gave no significant enhancement of NO2 accumulation. However, LPS was capable of increasing the level of NO2 accumulation in response to a combination of IFN-γ and TNF-α from 158% to 295%. These results highlight a central role for IFN-γ in the induction of iNOS and reveal a complex series of interactions between IFN-γ and other mediators.
Predicting high rate granular transition and fragment statistics at the onset of granular flow for brittle ceramics

Brittle materials under impact loading exhibit a transition from a cracked solid to a granular medium. Appropriate representation of this transition to granular mechanics and the resulting initial fragment size and shape distribution in computational models is not well understood. The current work provides a numerical model to analyze competitive crack coalescence in the transition regime and provides insight into the onset of comminution and the initial conditions for subsequent granular flow. Crack statistics obtained from initial flaws using a wing crack growth based damage model have been used to discretely model elliptical cracks in three dimensions, with and without a minimal intersection constraint. These cracks are then allowed to coalesce with nearby cracks along favourable directions and the output fragment statistics have been predicted. The evolving fragmentation offers insight into the onset of comminution as well as the final transition to granular mechanics and the resulting initial fragment statistics. A simple phenomenological model has been proposed that suggests a transition criterion resembling the one obtained from the numerical model.
SLAP Tears in the Throwing Shoulder: A Review of the Current Concepts in Management and Outcomes

A symptomatic tear involving the superior labrum (SLAP) has long been considered one of the most devastating injuries to the career of an overhead throwing athlete. Historically, return to play and previous level of performance outcomes have been unsatisfactory in this challenging population. As a result, there is a significant interest in studying this topic in terms of management and associated outcomes. This review aims to critically evaluate the existing literature and give an overview of the current concepts. The authors found that despite significant advancements in treatment, outcomes after sustaining a SLAP Tear in overhead throwers remain poor. The overall return to play (RTP) rate for baseball players is greater than 60% with the subset of throwers managed surgically experiencing a 50%-60% RTP rate. Arthroscopic repair with suture anchors is the gold standard for operative repair but recently, biceps tenodesis has emerged as an excellent option for surgical management in active patients and athletes. However, the results remain inadequate in baseball pitchers. The current recommendations for managing SLAP tears suggest that arthroscopic repair should be the primary operative management following failure of conservative treatment. Biceps tenodesis is an excellent primary surgical option in older patients and athletes with biceps tendon pathology, but should be reserved for revision procedures in overhead throwers.
All Value Chains Begin Upstream

Repeated rounds of regeneration and replenishment that sustain legacy production and open new frontiers characterize the global oil and gas upstream businesses. The U.S. domestic industry, in particular, moved aggressively along the oil and gas technology pathway to the next iteration in the shale era. The pursuit of light tight oil and shale gas plays resulted in production gains that reversed patterns previously taken as the long-term paradigm—lower and even declining U.S. supply, with the United States as a large, swing importer with broad geopolitical implications. The U.S. domestic upstream is distinguished by a number of attributes including privately owned lands and minerals, a diverse industry organization and funding sources, a large oil field service support industry and an independent midstream industry that helps to accomplish field-to-market linkages. The dominance of shale plays and focus on oilier acreage for value has linked natural gas supply strongly with the price of oil. This relationship will hold as the industry works through the best oil and liquids rich locations, yielding large increments of low-cost, associated gas byproduct. U.S. companies are monetizing abundant, cheap supply through power generation, petrochemicals and LNG exports, with the latter contributing to a new paradigm of the United States as a significant supplier to world markets. Future prospects, for the U.S. and global energy interests, hinge on the ability of U.S. producers to define business models that can support sustained profitability in the face of technical challenges and large volumes that can overwhelm midstream and downstream markets and their realized prices.
P56 Home Food Access and Children's Heart Healthy Dietary Intake at Home and Child Care

Background One-fifth of children and adolescents have an abnormal serum cholesterol measure. Diets higher in plant-based foods and lower in sodium, sugar, cholesterol, and saturated fat reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Objective The purpose of this study is to determine if greater home access to fruits, vegetables, and snacks is associated with cardiac dietary heath at home and Early Care and Education (ECE) centers in preschool-age children and also to determine if there is a difference in children's cardiac dietary health between home and ECE. Study Design, Settings, Participants This cross-sectional study involved children (3-5 years old, n = 88) and their primary caregivers from 15 licensed ECEs across Oklahoma. Parents reported home food access using the Healthy Home Survey and child's home dinner intake using the 3-Dinner Dietary Recall. Child ECE lunch consumption was recorded using the Dietary Observation for Child Care. The cardiac dietary score was composed of 6 variables, each with a single point to be summed: consumption of fish, fruits, vegetables, fiber, and limited sodium and sugary drinks. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Outcome variables were analyzed by using means, standard deviations, median, and frequencies. Adjusted linear regression analyses examined the relationship between home food access and cardiac dietary scores at home and ECE. Results At home, total fruit and vegetable (16.2 ± 6.3) outnumbered snacks (5.5 ± 3.0) with mean ratio of total home fruits and vegetables to snacks at 3.8 ± 2.7. There was no difference in cardiac dietary score between ECE (1.50 ± 0.8) and home (1.27 ± 0.9, P = 0.0851). Children within both environments did not meet intake recommendations for most variables (vegetables [18.2-23.9%], fruit [5.7-10.2%], fish [4.5-10.2%], fiber [1.1%], sodium [21.6-38.6%]). There was no relationship between home food access variables and cardiac dietary scores at home or ECE. Conclusion The cardiac dietary health of children at home and ECE does not meet recommendations. Interventions might consider the ECE setting to promote healthy eating among children and educate families on healthy eating at home.
Neurosurgery Concepts: Key perspectives on C2 nerve root transection following C1 lateral mass screw fixation, choroid plexus cauterization in infants with hydrocephalus, quality of life following treatment of vestibular schwannoma, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging for glioblastoma pseudoprogression, cost-utility analysis of lumbar spinal stenosis treatment

Departments of Neurosurgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C, 1Department of Neurosurgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 2Department of Neurosurgery, University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 3Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
Affinity Labeling Studies of the ATP Binding Site of Canine Kidney Na,K-ATPase

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the affinity labeling studies of the ATP binding site of canine kidney Na, K-ATPase. 5’-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA) is established as an ATP­binding site affinity probe for the canine kidney Na, K­ATPase. The enzyme was purified by a modification of the method of Jorgensen. Reaction of FSBA with Na, K-ATPase can be carried out at 37°C by addition of the compound dissolved in small amounts of methanol or dimethyl sulfoxide to enzyme suspensions buffered at pH 8 with barbital or pH 8.5 with bicine. Reaction of FSBA with the enzyme and solvolysis of the reagent occur simultaneously, so that the depletion of FSBA in the reaction mixture after a single addition limits the extent of reaction with the enzyme. Repeated additions of FSBA can produce essentially complete inhibition of enzyme activity. Inhibition of the enzyme by FSBA is irreversible. Study of the kinetics of reaction is complicated by solvolysis of the reagent. To establish that FSBA reacts covalently at the ATP­binding site, the ability of [3H]ADP to bind to that site after the treatment of the enzyme with FSBA was determined. A loss of ADP-binding capacity in direct proportion to loss of Na, K-ATPase activity was obtained. This finding indicates that the occupation of the ATP-binding site by FSBA irreversibly prevents subsequent [3H]ADP binding.
Characterization of photoreceivers used in lightwave instrumentation

"Photoreceiver" is a general term describing a photodiode and associated control and processing electronics, used for optical-to-electrical conversion. Photoreceivers take the form of power meters, optical spectrum analyzers, telecommunication receiving systems, and many other instruments. Numerous specialized tests exist for photoreceivers, but this paper discusses five fundamental tests with broad applicability. These tests are spectral responsivity, dynamic accuracy, packaging structure, frequency responsivity, and polarization sensitivity. Emphasis is on procedures likely to be used for fiberoptic telecommunication test instruments, using standards obtained from NIST. >
Social networks within sales organizations: Their development and importance for salesperson performance

Although the study of salesperson performance traditionally has focused on salespeople’s activities and relationships with customers, scholars recently have proposed that salespeople’s intraorganizational relationships and activities also play a vital role in driving sales performance. Using data from 286 salespeople in a unique social network analysis, the authors explore the effects of salespeople’s intraorganizational relationships on objective salesperson performance as well as the role of political skill in developing intraorganizational relationships. The results indicate that two types of social network characteristics (i.e., relational centrality and positional centrality) contribute substantially to salesperson performance. Moreover, salespeople’s political skill is shown to be an antecedent to relational centrality but, surprisingly, not positional centrality. This finding demonstrates that researchers should not assume that all centralities represent similar underlying network characteristics. ...
Differential in vitro activity of anidulafungin, caspofungin and micafungin against Candida parapsilosis isolates recovered from a burn unit

Recent studies suggest that differences in antifungal activity among echinocandins may exist. In this study, the activities of three echinocandins (anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin) against Candida parapsilosis isolates from burn unit patients, healthcare workers and the hospital environment were determined. Additionally, the effect of these echinocandins on the cell morphology of caspofungin-susceptible and caspofungin-non-susceptible isolates was assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The C. parapsilosis isolates obtained from patients were susceptible to anidulafungin, but were less so to caspofungin and micafungin. Isolates obtained from healthcare workers or environmental sources were susceptible to all antifungals. SEM data demonstrated that although anidulafungin and caspofungin were equally active against a caspofungin-susceptible C. parapsilosis strain, they differed in their ability to damage a caspofungin-non-susceptible strain, for which lower concentrations of anidulafungin (1 mg/L) than of caspofungin (16 mg/L) were needed to induce cellular damage and distortion of the cellular morphology. To determine whether the difference in the antifungal susceptibility of C. parapsilosis isolates to anidulafungin as compared to the other two echinocandins could be due to different mutations in the FKS1 gene, the sequences of the 493-bp region of this gene associated with echinocandin resistance were compared. No differences in the corresponding amino acid sequences were observed, indicating that differences in activity between anidulafungin and the other echinocandins are not related to mutations in this region. The results of this study provide evidence that differences exist between the activities of anidulafungin and the other echinocandins.
President Obama and the Changing Cyber Paradigm

Among the most important issues for American National Security is the national response to the growing threat from cyber activities. This threat is both ubiquitous and potentially catastrophic as recently demonstrated by both the recent decision by the UK to prioritize cyber capabilities over putting in service an air-capable aircraft carrier and the targeted effectiveness of the STUXNET worm. The evolving cyber paradigm will force the United States to reevaluate the way in which it thinks of both national security and the concept of armed conflict. To combat this threat, President Obama must refocus America’s attention, by both reallocating the primary governmental responsibility for cyber security and overhauling the public-private partnership that he has made a key component of his cyber strategy.
Location of the 5-Methylcytosine Group on the Bacteriophage φX174 Genome

Bacteriophage φX174 DNA was labeled in vivo with [methyl-^(3)H]methionine. The methyl-labeled progeny DNA was extracted from purified bacteriophage φX174 particles and was used as template for in vitro synthesis of the complementary strand in the presence of the nucleoside triphosphates and Escherichia coli polymerase I. The resultant replicative form DNA was then cleaved, in separate experiments, with restriction endonucleases from Haemophilus influenzae and H. aegyptius. The DNA fragments were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It is concluded that the single methylcytosine in the viral DNA is located in a specific region of the φX174 genome, very likely in gene H.
Performance of the New WCOS Technique for the TITAN SPECT Formulation

The TITAN code is a parallel hybrid deterministic transport code that includes novel algorithms for simulation of a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) device. Monte Carlo methods are generally used for SPECT simulation, but can be time consuming and are subject to statistical uncertainties. Representation of the collimator in SPECT is difficult in a deterministic code and a new method is presented to improve the accuracy of the existing hybrid formulation, a combination of SN with fictitious quadrature and ray-tracing. In the new technique, weighted circular ordinate splitting (WCOS), the angular fluxes along the fictitious directions are weighted by the detector surface area projected along each direction to the front of the collimator. For a simple water phantom with a Tc-99m source, the behavior of the WCOS technique for varying parameters is examined for a low energy, general purpose collimator and a low energy, high sensitivity collimator. The TITAN detector flux distribution is benchmarked against the MCNP5 solution and shown to require significantly less computation time. Finally, the parallel computation time of the TITAN SPECT simulation is analyzed.
ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC STUDIES IN CLINICAL TRIALS FOR MOTOR NEURON DISEASE

Summary:Motor neuron disease (MND) is a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by death of upper motor neurons (UMN) and lower motor neurons(LMN). Clinical study of UMN loss is limited, but electrodiagnostic studies can be used readily to assess the functional state of LMN. Electrodiagno
Six blind men explore an elephant: aspects of fuel metabolism and the control of tricarboxylic acid cycle activity in heart muscle

Many aspects of the interactions of energy providing substrates and the operational control of the tricarboxylic acid cycle are still unclear. This statement is well supported by the sometimes conflicting observations in heart muscle. The paper discusses some of the knowns and unknowns of tricarboxylic acid cycle regulation and discusses mechanisms of metabolite accumulation in this tissue. It is concluded that the data available at this time are insufficient to propose a unifying concept.
Lysine and other diamines dramatically stabilize poliovirus against thermoinactivation.

We found that several salts were nearly as good as, but none was clearly better than, MgCl 2 which is currently used by the pharmaceutical industry to stabilize the Sabin vaccine. In the present work, we show that lysine and other diamines dramatically stabilize poliovirus against heat inactivation, with some of them being more potent stabilizers than MgCl 2