cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pneumonia: bugs, drugs, and laboratory duds.

Pneagmania: Bags9Drugs, and Laboratory Duds Andrew Accardl, MD Division o Emergemy Medche f UC Davis _MedicalCenter mTRODUCTION Jn 198'7 the Joint C o m ~ i t t e e Accreditation of on Kealth~,sare Organizagons (JCABO) initiated core measures to evaluate the quality s f care for specific t acquired pness- y disease entities,l such as cs rnoBLaia (CAP). is broadly de5ned by the Infec- CAP I;iwasDisease Society ofAmerica (DSA) as m acute infection sfthe pulmonav parenchyma, accompa- nied by the presence of an acute infiltrate on chest ra&ogxph or auscsalWy fmdngs mica1ofpnemo- ria. The IDS$%, states that patients residing i an also n acute or c h o ~ care facility are excluded Gom the c diagnosis of CAP * The core measures set out by the JCAHO for CAP are oxygen assessment, pnemo- coccal vaccination screeing, blood culhxes, advice on smohqg cessation, m m~biotic d a less than 8 hows~ review wrill discuss the eiiol- 0g-y of pneumonia, emergency depament (ED) evabd- ation, disposition, treatment options, and vaccHa aa isn. By reviewing the literatwe as it perbihs to pnewmo- nia, clinieims may decide for themselves whether to x!spt the core measures oxtEned by the JCAHO. who have developed id- pnemofia are at h@er risk to develop saphylococcal p n e ~ m o i a 9h&ave- nous drug users C~II develop septic emboli i the lungs n from t~ 700 m 3~~1 predictive of legionosis. as being pJpj>gJLQCTBJ Kie most common rni~roorgar~sm produce kfec- to o- pnermoria is Streptococcuspmzw~o~iae G,US - @mu- Other pncum~nie pathogens identified by ih neHDSA rnoco~cus).~,TThs is mi,uchmore cornon in and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) agent include: b- seremi@ aC, pafkents accotmting fw T . T thirds sf the Tv~~oraxelBa caianha%is, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and septic cases, Haernopki1.u~ n f i ~ e i ~ ~ a e , Staphy- P~eudom~onas i a^sd species. Ia/iloraxellacatamhalis is fre- lococcus ar:ireu+s a e other pathogens in cAP.6 quently seer, in patients ?with GOPD. 1 . is also fre- r N ~ ~ $ f i s%&m , ~ f e E j a e p d ~ p kfl.ueo,zaeare g2e quently see3 as a! co-infection with haerflophilus r~~ la~s second most c o y - - o n urg&fi~iajI~ntjfied G m mLd ~ n f l t ~ e ~ 0 ' e .k za 1 s&eptoc~cc ,~s p~eumoniae. Fortu- a,rs ~.,or~jaog kfl x~Jk/i.Ih &za4c & ~ & a c ~ ~121- m t e i y &/I. ve catwihalls generally resg~nds s the same i ~d.:sess: ~ ~ 3 ~ i~ djabergi~s, ~ j ~ ) , and pAa4- ~nithiljtlcs i s co-Eectors, Uebsiella p n e m ~ o ~ a e as nourished pac.3:igs. 7 S$qlyj$ococceS pne~*lmonias, c ~ - ~ ca~s:?4&s ~ ~ o n i a b~unommpetent a ~ l y ne p LI the host? -i~&i%e cla&fiedas ffi$cah, 6 ~ $e necr0Pkh-g ~ 2 u ~ k g bul can ca-~~sc severe pneumonia ~ n patients with s Iwge pnumLwe?les ~ ef$a@ows, Elderly persons COPD, alcoholism, mpd~abetes. a ~ d is rising resis- +Tr
Association of early specialist-delivered palliative care with less aggressive chemotherapy in patients with advanced lung cancr.

e20621Background:Advanced stage lung cancer has a poor prognosis with high symptom burden. Early specialist-delivered palliative care (ESDPC) has been shown to improve quality of life (QOL) and may...
Reporting of Cosmesis in Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveTo identify the method and rate at which cosmesis is reported after reconstruction from head and neck surgery among adults.Data SourcesA medical librarian implemented search strategies in ...
RISK STRATIFICATION OF CHEST PAIN IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: INCORPORATING A HIGH-SENSITIVITY TROPONIN ASSAY INTO EXISTING RISK TOOLS

Risk scores such as Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI), History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) and Simplified Emergency Department Assessment of Chest Pain Score (sEDACS) have been used to evaluate patients with possible acute myocardial infarct (AMI). We studied the
Phosphorus alleviation of salinity stress: effects of saltwater intrusion on an Everglades freshwater peat marsh.

Saltwater intrusion and salinization of coastal wetlands around the world are becoming a pressing issue due to sea level rise. Here, we assessed how a freshwater coastal wetland ecosystem responds to saltwater intrusion. In wetland mesocosms, we continuously exposed Cladium jamaicense Crantz (sawgrass) plants and their peat soil collected from a freshwater marsh to two factors associated with saltwater intrusion in karstic ecosystems: elevated loading of salinity and phosphorus (P) inputs. We took repeated measures using a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design (n = 6) with treatments composed of elevated salinity (~9 ppt), P loading (14.66 μmol P/d), or a combination of both. We measured changes in water physicochemistry, ecosystem productivity, and plant biomass change over two years to assess monthly and two-year responses to saltwater intrusion. In the short-term, plants exhibited positive growth responses with simulated saltwater intrusion (salinity + P), driven by increased P availability. Despite relatively high salinity levels for a freshwater marsh (~9 ppt), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), net ecosystem productivity (NEP), and aboveground biomass were significantly higher in the elevated salinity + P treated monoliths compared to the freshwater controls. Salinity stress became evident after extended exposure. Although still higher than freshwater controls, GEP and NEP were significantly lower in the elevated salinity + P treatment than the +P treatment after two years. However, elevated salinity decreased live root biomass regardless of whether P was added. Our results suggest that saltwater intrusion into karstic freshwater wetlands may initially act as a subsidy by stimulating aboveground primary productivity of marsh plants. However, chronic exposure to elevated salinity results in plant stress, negatively impacting belowground peat soil structure and stability through a reduction in plant roots.
Development and Evaluation of MOVit: An Exercise-Enabling Interface for Driving a Powered Wheelchair

Powered wheelchair users can experience negative health effects from reduced physical activity. If a user could exercise by driving the chair, it might improve fitness. This paper presents the development of MOVit, an exercise-enabling, wheelchair driving interface. The design goal of MOVit was that users cyclically move their arms to drive the chair, thereby providing a light level of exercise while driving. MOVit supports this arm movement with custom mobile arm supports that also serve as the sensors that provide controller inputs. Here, we first quantified how increasing the frequency and amplitude of arm movement increase oxygen consumption and heart rate. Then, we evaluated two novel control methods for driving by moving the arm supports. Participants without impairment ( ${N}= {24}$ ) were randomized to one of the two methods, or conventional joystick control, and performed driving tests over two days on a simulator and test course. Our results indicate that driving speed and accuracy were significantly lowered with the exercise-enabling methods compared to joystick control (ANOVA, ${p} ), but the decreases were small (speed was ~0.1 m/s less and course tracking error ~1 cm greater). These results show, for the first time, the feasibility of exercising while driving a powered wheelchair.
Community Instruction: A Natural Cues and Corrections Decision Model

Community environments offer a rich variety of stimuli to which severely handicapped students must learn to respond. Teaching procedures are needed that will draw a student's attention to the relevant cues and corrections as they naturally occur in the community. A decision model is presented which should allow teachers to intervene more systematically when students fail to respond to relevant cues and corrections.
GridInSight: Monitoring Electricity Using Visible Lights

We demonstrate GridInSight, a suite of techniques that leverage low-cost, non-intrusive, and commodity smartphone and machine vision cameras to measure electricity grids. Specifically, we develop techniques to measure electricity grid frequency, phase (indoors), and phase (outdoors) across a mix of cameras with errors of 1-2%, 2-5%, and 3-10%, respectively. Further, we develop a novel technique and show an error of 8-15% for measuring voltage on a lightbulb that our system had not seen previously. The ability to cheaply and pervasively measure power quality with non-intrusive, off-the-shelf hardware can enable a wide range of applications for monitoring electricity grids, particularly in emerging economies.
A Primer on Aeronautical Charts and Maps

The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with a primer on aeronautical charts and maps. This is especially important for sUAS pilots and spotters as they evaluate the suitability of sites for field operations. Although space limitations will prevent us from detailing all the nuances of the visual flight rules (VFR) charts from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we provide readers with enough background to better understand the geographic constraints with sUAS operations. This includes information on airspace classifications and sUAS restrictions, control areas, special airspace and/or restricted airspace, local terrestrial obstacles, in-air hazards, military training routes, terminal charts, and terrain.
Use of a Dual-Filter Cerebral Embolic Protection Device in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.

Background The risk of periprocedural stroke after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) ranges from 3% to 8%. Although cerebral embolic protection devices (CEPD) are widely utilized in transcatheter aortic valve replacement, there are currently no Food and Drug Administration approved CEPDs for use in TEVAR. We report our initial experience with the off-label use of a dual-filter CEPD in patients undergoing TEVAR. Methods Two patients at high risk for embolic stroke underwent TEVAR for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (DTAAs) at a single institution. A dual-filter CEPD (Sentinel; Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA) was used in an off-label fashion in both cases. Patient 1 was a 62-year-old woman with a 6.2-cm DTAA, extending from the left subclavian artery (LSCA) to the diaphragm (Zones 3–5) and associated with extensive atherosclerotic disease of the aortic arch. Patient 2 was a 78-year-old woman with a 6.3-cm DTAA, extending from the LSCA (Zone 2) to the sixth intercostal space (Zone 4) with associated mural thrombus. Given the proximity of the aneurysm to the LSCA, a left carotid–subclavian bypass was performed for planned LSCA coverage. Results Through a percutaneous right radial artery approach using a 6F sheath, the Sentinel dual-filter CEPD was delivered over a 0.014″ guidewire into the thoracic aorta. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the 2 filters were sequentially deployed in the innominate and left common carotid arteries, respectively. Appropriately sized devices were successfully delivered and deployed in the proximal and distal landing zones, respectively. Two devices were used for each patient. Completion angiograms showed successful exclusion of the DTAAs in both cases, without evidence of endoleak. The CEPD filters were retrieved in standard fashion without difficulty. Pathology demonstrated successful capture of embolic debris and fibrin clot in both patients. Neither patient exhibited neurological deficits or device-related complications. Both patients remained neurologically intact at 1- and 2-month follow-up, respectively. Surveillance angiograms revealed successful exclusion of the aneurysm without any evidence of endoleak. Conclusions We report the novel off-label use of a dual-filter CEPD in 2 patients undergoing TEVAR. Pathological confirmation of embolic debris in the filters makes this a potential tool for stroke prevention during TEVAR in high-risk patients.
Direct Analysis of Glycosidic Aroma Precursors Containing Multiple Aglycone Classes in Vitis vinifera Berries.

Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) accurate mass tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a powerful tool for identifying and profiling plant metabolites. Here, we describe an approach ...
Chapter 8 – Leafy Vegetables

Publisher Summary Foodborne outbreaks from the consumption of contaminated leafy greens are on the rise throughout the world. Leafy green products include romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, baby leaf lettuce, escarole, endive, spring mix, spinach, cabbage, kale, arugula, and chard. However, the majority of produce related outbreaks are associated with lettuce. The handling of lettuce during and immediately postharvest can have a dramatic effect on microbial safety of the product. The improper handling of product immediately after harvest can compromise the safety of leafy greens. Also, the present methods used to wash and sanitize leafy greens inevitably result in cross-contamination should a few leaves be contaminated initially. Furthermore, a multitude of measures must be employed to ensure the microbial safety of leafy greens. The action of harvesting and processing of leafy greens can also result in the release of plant exudates along cut edges. The use of novel packaging materials, packaging design, and package inserts may provide an added dimension to strategies for the control of microbes associated with leafy vegetables. Greater effort must be made to understand plant microbe interactions and the interaction between enteric pathogens and epiphytic microbes (yeast, molds, bacteria). Greater emphasis should be given to the utilization of existing technologies and the development of new technologies for tracking product from the field to retail establishments. This would facilitate rapid and precise recalls, reducing the number of human illnesses and limiting monetary loss to an entire industry.
Fostering Motivation for Chemical Engineering Students’ Academic Success: An Example from a Sophomore Materials and Energy Balances Course

An introductory sophomore-level chemical engineering course was redesigned, and this redesign included cyber-assisted learning through online videos, team formation, and team evaluation software. We compared the traditional 2018 course (n = 48) with the redesigned 2019 course (n = 67) on student persistence (DFW rates), motivation, and course performance (final GPA). We found descriptively lower DFW rates (–10.4%) and higher performance predicted by students’ positive changes in their competence beliefs after the cyber-assisted redesign.
No Evidence of Periodic Variability in the Light Curve of Active Galaxy J0045+41

Dorn-Wallenstein, Levesque, & Ruan recently presented the identification of a z = 0.215 active galaxy located behind M31 and claimed the detection of multiple periodic variations in the object's light curve with as many as nine different periods. They interpreted these results as evidence of the presence of a binary supermassive black hole with an orbital separation of just a few hundred au, and estimated the gravitational-wave signal implied by such a system. We demonstrate that the claimed periodicities are based on a misinterpretation of the null hypothesis test simulations and an error in the method used to calculate the false alarm probabilities. There is no evidence of periodicity in the data.
Epigenomic features revealed by ATAC-seq impact transgene expression in CHO cells.

Different regions of a mammalian genome have different accessibilities to transcriptional machinery. The integration site of a transgene affects how actively it is transcribed. Highly accessible genomic regions called super-enhancers have been recently described as strong regulatory elements that shape cell identity. Super-enhancers have been identified in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using the Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin Sequencing (ATAC-seq). Genes near super-enhancer regions had high transcript levels and were enriched for oncogenic signaling and proliferation functions, consistent with an immortalized phenotype. Inaccessible regions in the genome with low ATAC signal also had low transcriptional activity. Genes in inaccessible regions were enriched for remote tissue functions such as taste, smell, and neuronal activation. A lentiviral reporter integration assay showed integration into super-enhancer regions conferred higher reporter expression than insertion into inaccessible regions. Targeted integration of an IgG vector into the Plec super-enhancer region yielded clones that expressed the immunoglobulin light chain gene mostly in the top 20% of all transcripts with the majority in the top 5%. The results suggest the epigenomic landscape of CHO cells can guide the selection of integration sites in the development of cell lines for therapeutic protein production.
How alcohol affects motor control: not your usual suspects.

It is self-evident that consuming alcohol affects brain function and behaviour. What is not clear, however, is how alcohol does so. A new study shows that impairments in balance and motor coordination evoked by low-dose alcohol are mediated not by ethanol itself but by one of its metabolites, which is produced locally by astrocytes in the brain rather than in the liver.
Dielectric function of polyacetylene

The optical dielectric function for polyacetylene has been calculated in the random-phase approximation. Local-field corrections are included. The optical-absorption coefficient obtained is in good agreement with experimental data. The contributions of interchain coupling and exchange interaction are discussed.
Synthetic Data for Model Selection

Recent improvements in synthetic data generation make it possible to produce images that are highly photorealistic and indistinguishable from real ones. Furthermore, synthetic generation pipelines have the potential to generate an unlimited number of images. The combination of high photorealism and scale turn the synthetic data into a promising candidate for potentially improving various machine learning (ML) pipelines. Thus far, a large body of research in this field has focused on using synthetic images for training, by augmenting and enlarging training data. In contrast to using synthetic data for training, in this work we explore whether synthetic data can be beneficial for model selection. Considering the task of image classification, we demonstrate that when data is scarce, synthetic data can be used to replace the held out validation set, thus allowing to train on a larger dataset.
Pulmonary Artery Intimal Sarcoma Diagnosed as Pulmonary Embolism

Background: Pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma (PAIS) is a rare malignancy of vasculature that carries a very poor prognosis that is often misdiagnosed as a pulmonary embolism due to overlapping clinical and radiological features. It is a very aggressive malignancy with surgery the mainstay of initial management. Chemotherapy is normally given postoperatively, although it is not clear if chemo and radiotherapy bring any improvement, some data report an increase in survival in patients who received multimodality therapy vs single therapy. Case: A 48 year-old female was initially diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism based on clinical presentation and imaging. She was treated vigorously but continued to show no improvement after two weeks. She underwent an open thrombectomy and a large concurrent pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma (PAIS) was found. The mass was adherent to the intima and extended into the left and right pulmonary arteries. The tumor was not fully resected and tissue results showed poorly differentiated sarcoma. A treatment plan was then initiated to include systemic chemotherapy. She developed metastatic disease despite receiving multimodal therapy and died with within 2 years from the initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Persistent symptoms in patients diagnosed and treated adequately for pulmonary artery thrombosis should indicate a possible comorbid condition including sarcoma. This is particularly the case in the older age group with imaging that suggests central embolism despite treatment.
Associations of perinatal exposure to PM2.5 with gestational weight gain and offspring birth weight.

Abstract Background PM2.5 have been associated with weight change in animal models and non-pregnant populations. Evidence of associations between PM2.5 and gestational weight gain (GWG), an important determinant of course and outcomes of pregnancy, and subsequent birth outcomes is limited. Methods The study was conducted among a subset of participants from the Omega Study, a prospective pregnancy cohort. Exposure to PM2.5 (μg/m3) was ascertained for participants (N = 855) based on their residential address using a validated national spatiotemporal model. Adjusted multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate associations of trimester-specific and pregnancy-month PM2.5 exposures with early ( Results Average monthly PM2.5 exposure during the first, second, and third trimesters were 7.3 μg/m3, 7.9 μg/m3, and 7.7 μg/m3, respectively. Higher third trimester PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher late (0.40 kg per 5 μg/m (McDowell et al., 2018); 95%CI: 0.12, 0.67) and total (0.35 kg; 95%CI: 0.01, 0.70) GWG among participants with normal ppBMI. Higher second month PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower early (−0.70 kg; 95%CI: 1.22, −0.18), late (−0.84 kg; 95% CI: 1.54, −0.14), and total (−1.70 kg; 95%CI: 2.57, −0.82) GWG among participants with overweight/obese ppBMI. Product terms between PM2.5 and ppBMI were significant for second month PM2.5 exposure and early (p-value = 0.01) and total GWG (p-value Conclusions Associations of PM2.5 with GWG vary by exposure window and ppBMI, while associations of PM2.5 with birth weight potentially vary by exposure window, ppBMI and infant sex. Further exploration of associations between PM2.5 and maternal/child health outcomes are needed.
Intranasal Desmopressin-Induced Hyponatremia

Desmopressin is a commonly used, well-tolerated agent for the treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis and central diabetes insipidus. Intranasal desmopressin provides symptomatic relief with few serious complications. A 29-year-old woman with a long history of primary nocturnal enuresis began treatment with intranasal desmopressin. Although the enuresis ceased, she developed throbbing headaches, nausea, vomiting, paresthesia, lethargy, fatigue, and altered mental status over the next 7 days. When she came to the emergency room her sodium concentration was 127 mmol/L. The history of desmopressin use was not obtained at that time. She was treated with intravenous fluids and discharged. The symptoms returned and worsened over the next 4 days, and she returned to the emergency room stuporous. A repeat sodium was 124 mmol/L, and she was admitted. The history of desmopressin use was still not available. Medical evaluations included computerized tomography, lumbar puncture, complete blood counts, serum chemistries, and serologies. The next morning the woman was improved and informed clinicians of her desmopressin use. Without other causes for the hyponatremia, she was diagnosed with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, presumably caused by desmopressin. Within 24 hours of fluid restriction and cessation of desmopressin, her symptoms and hyponatremia resolved. A review of the literature found 11 children and 2 adults in whom intranasal desmopressin was associated with hyponatremia, all of whom experienced seizures or altered mental status. Our patient illustrates the importance of early recognition and treatment of hyponatremia before the onset of seizures. When vague symptoms develop during desmopressin therapy, hyponatremia must be considered as part of the differential diagnosis. It may also be prudent to screen for electrolyte abnormalities in patients taking this agent to prevent serious iatrogenic complications.
The Life and Legacy of Alexander Carmichael

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2008 Pages: 193 Publisher: The Islands Book Trust ISBN: 978-0955542008 (soft cover).
Rational Suicide: An Impoverished Self‐Transformation

The normal human condition is such that even with the best that life can offer suicide is understandable. Life is short, often painful, unpredictable, and lonely. In addition the lives of some individuals are in effect "suicidal careers" in that the harshness of normal life is combined for them with extra suicidal catalysts. Suicide makes sense. Minimally suicide resolves the life problem for the suicide. At the same time suicide is an impoverished self-transformation. Life, as trying and despairing as it can be, is still all we have, The suicide resolves the life problem by obliterating life itself, rather than by transforming self, history, and society. The suicide gives his or her life back inappropriately. In this sense no suicide is ever rational.
Turbulent Shear Layer Mixing with Fast Chemical Reactions

A model is proposed for calculating molecular mixing and chemical reactions in fully developed turbulent shear layers, in the limit of infinitely fast chemical kinetics and negligible heat release. The model is based on the assumption that the topology of the interface between the two entrained reactants in the layer, as well as the strain field associated with it, can be described by the similarity laws of the Kolmogorov cascade. The calculation estimates the integrated volume fraction across the layer occupied by the chemical product, as a function of the stoichiometric mixture ratio of the reactants carried by the free streams, the veloCity ratio of the shear layer, the local Reynolds number, and the Schmidt number of the flow. The results are in good agreement with measurements of the volume fraction occupied by the molecularly mixed fluid in a turbulent shear layer and the amount of chemical product, in both gas phase and liquid phase chemically reacting shear layers.
Lysosomal Hyaluronidase from Rat Liver II. PROPERTIES

Abstract The properties of purified liver hyaluronidase have been compared with those of testis hyaluronidase. The lysosomal enzyme showed a similar action pattern to the testis enzyme (1), but had a lower pH optimum at pH 3.5 and reduced affinity for hexasaccharide. The Km for hyaluronate was 8 x 10-2 mg per ml. Sodium chloride was not required for enzyme activity but served to prevent inhibition by sulfated polysaccharides, notably chondroitin sulfate B, which had a Ki of 3.8 x 10-4 mg per ml. The polycation, protamine sulfate, also prevented polyanion inhibition. Liver hyaluronidase, like the testis enzyme (12), exhibited transglycosylase activity.
Reduction in weed seedling emergence by pathogens following the incorporation of green crop residue

Mohler CL, Dykeman C, Nelson EB & Ditommaso A (2012). Reduction in weed seedling emergence by pathogens following the incorporation of green crop residue. Weed Research.52, 467–477. Summary Because tillage promotes the germination of many weed species and freshly killed plant material favours the growth of microbial pathogens, we hypothesised that the incorporation of green crop residue should temporarily reduce weed seedling emergence relative to unamended soil. Soil with field-incorporated green crop residue was compared with non-amended soil in glasshouse experiments by sowing several weed species at different times after incorporation. Species included Abutilon theophrasti, Chenopodium album, Amaranthus powellii, Setaria faberi, Echinochloa crus-galli and, in one year, lettuce and red clover. Soils with green crop residue reduced seedling emergence for 0–4 days after incorporation by an average of 30%. Comparison of emergence in non-sterilised soil with that in sterilised soil, with and without fresh crop residue, indicated that a biological agent caused the depressed emergence. In the third year of the study, the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and F. chlamydosporum were isolated from seeds exposed to soil amended with green crop residues, and their pathogenicity to seeds and seedlings was confirmed in bioassays. This study indicated that incorporation of fresh crop residue reduces the first flush of weed seedlings following tillage and that this depression in emergence is probably caused by pathogen attack on seeds and seedlings before emergence.
Abstract 16280: Early Regional Neuroinflammatory Profile After Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest Vs. Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest Model in Rats

Introduction: The post-resuscitative care for survivors of cardiac arrest (CA) is independent of the etiology of CA. However, significant differences in outcomes from asphyxial CA (ACA) vs. ventricular fibrillation CA (VFCA) exist. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that early systemic and regional neuroinflammatory cytokine response could differ between ACA vs. VFCA. Methods: Adult male rats were subjected to 10 min asphyxia or 10 min VFCA (n=8/group). Three hours after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), systemic (plasma) and regional brain cytokine profile was assessed in four selectively vulnerable brain regions: cerebellum (CEREB), cortex (CTX), hippocampus (HIP) and striatum (STRI) using 10-plex cytokine array (Luminex). Results: Asphyxia resulted in ACA with a no-flow time of ~ 6±1 min vs. 10 min in VFCA. Lactate levels were higher after VFCA vs. ACA (Table 1). There were no differences in plasma cytokines, or brain interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6 or GM-CSF. Globally, IFNg was higher in ACA vs. VFCA, while...
Distributed algorithms for solving the multiagent temporal decoupling problem

Scheduling agents can use the Multiagent Simple Temporal Problem (MaSTP) formulation to efficiently find and represent the complete set of alternative consistent joint schedules in a distributed and privacy-maintaining manner. However, continually revising this set of consistent joint schedules as new constraints arise may not be a viable option in environments where communication is uncertain, costly, or otherwise problematic. As an alternative, agents can find and represent a temporal decoupling in terms of locally independent sets of consistent schedules that, when combined, form a set of consistent joint schedules. Unlike current algorithms for calculating a temporal decoupling that require centralization of the problem representation, in this paper we present a new, provably correct, distributed algorithm for calculating a temporal decoupling. We prove that this algorithm has the same theoretical computational complexity as current state-of-the-art MaSTP solution algorithms, and empirically demonstrate that it is more efficient in practice. We also introduce and perform an empirical cost/benefit analysis of new techniques and heuristics for selecting a maximally flexible temporal decoupling.
National Security and the Management of Migrant Labor: A Case Study of the United Arab Emirates*

This article examines the main institutional developments that have accompanied the economic and political changes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the past twenty years. In particular, the different agencies of the UAE's Ministry of Interior have taken active roles in responding to the demographic changes and in developing preemptive policing strategies that include community policing, extensive surveillance networks, and increasingly individualized and standardized forms of identification. The paper assesses how that institutional growth has shaped the way the UAE has come to manage its guest worker program over time. It explains how the security apparatus is deployed by the state for managing the criminal and cultural impact of expatriates on the national body politic.
Ecological integrity of aquatic systems

Focusing on the ecological integrity of large river systems has suggested the rethinking of the entire issue from a landscape perspective. Ecological integrity is impossible without biological integrity. However, it appears improbable that highly localized measures of biological integrity can be used for effective, scientifically justifiable extrapolations to landscape- or system-level ecological integrity. It may be more reasonable to make measurements at the level of organization of interest, i.e. larger spatial and temporal scales. In addition, human society and natural systems have been coevolving since the agricultural revolution and, arguably, well before then. Two types of coevolution between human society and natural systems appear possible: (1) an ‘arms-race’ in which human society ignores changes in natural systems—essential ecosystem services are lost, resulting in unpleasant consequences for society; or (2) mutualism in which environmental literacy and a feeling of responsibility for natural systems motivate rapid societal response to ecosystem changes and the preservation of ecological integrity. The simplest measures of ecological integrity may be the actions of human society likely to minimize or markedly reduce negative impacts on natural systems. This does not mean substituting such measures for more customary ecological measures, but rather using both types of measurements simultaneously.
Does BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Confer Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Background: Evidence has indicated that BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) Val66Met genetic variant could be linked to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, clinical observations studying the BDNF polymorphism and the risk of PTSD yielded contradictory results. In this meta-analysis we evaluated the association between BDNF Val66Met and PTSD risk. Method: Systematic searches in online databases retrieved 6 relevant publications. Different inherited models were utilized to perform the pooled analysis. Subgroup analyses and sensitive analyses based on Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) test results were also carried out. Results: Our study did not found a significant overall effect of BDNF Val66Met on the susceptibility to PTSD under various genetic models. In contrast, subgroup analyses suggested that the stress status of the control group, but not ethnicity, may influence the relationship of BDNF Val66Met with PTSD risk. After the exclusion of a study that was not in HWE, our conclusions remained unchanged during the influence analyses. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggested no genetic association of BDNF Val66Met with vulnerability to PTSD. Further research studies are warranted to clarify the impact of BDNF variants on the occurrence of PTSD.
Architectures for a biomimetic hexapod robot

Abstract This paper describes a six-legged robot based on the features of an agile insect, the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. The robot is designed with insect-like leg structure and placement, and actuators that mimic muscles. A test leg is also described that shows how sensory feedback can serve as the basis of the control system for the robot in order for it to achieve the degree of adaptability of locomotion over rough terrain exhibited by insects.
Physiology of production of perithecia and microconidia in Hypomyces solani f. sp. Cucurbitae

Production of perithecial primordia or microconidia by Hypomyces solani f. sp. cucurbitae, race 1 was stimulated either by exposure of cultures to 4 °C, or by the addition of commercial tyrosinase to 10-day cultures growing in potato dextrose agar. These processes in H. solani f. sp. cucurbitae, race 2 and H. solani f. sp. pisi were not affected by either treatment. A strain of race 1, in which production of microconidia but not of perithecial primordia was increased by cold treatment was crossed with a strain with the converse response (primordia but not microconidia increased by cold). No recombinants for these character differences were found among 98 ascospores. It is concluded that a gene controlling cold stimulation exists as two alleles which determine the response. This gene showed no linkage to mating type. Active tyrosinase was produced in all race 1 strains after the cold treatment, while the race 2 strains showed no activity. H. solani f. sp. pisi had extracellular tyrosinase activity in cultures without cold treatment. These results suggest that tyrosinase can be a limiting factor in the initiation of reproductive morphogenesis.
Zeeman Effect Data for the Spectra of Lanthanum—La I and La II

Zeeman effect data are given for 152 lines of La I and 506 lines of La II in the wave-length range 2257A to 7484A. Spectrograms were made at fields of 81,230, 83,370, and 86,570 oersteds using a Bitter electromagnet, and the 24 plates obtained with three diffraction gratings operating simultaneously were measured with an automatic comparator. g values are given for almost all of the classified terms of La I and La II, and the determinations from various lines agree usually to within 0.004 g unit. This makes available an array of unusually precise data for the evaluation of perturbations in typical rich two-electron and three-electron spectra. The g-sum rule of Pauli is verified in a number of cases to within a few tenths of a percent.
Management of posterior urethral disruption injuries

Posterior urethral disruption is a traumatic injury to the male urethra, which most often results from pelvic fracture. After trauma, the distraction defect between the two ends of the urethra often scars and becomes fibrotic, blocking the urethra and bladder emptying. Increasing evidence suggests that many posterior urethral disruptions occur at the junction between the membranous urethra and the bulbar urethra, which is distal to the rhabdosphincter. In the acute setting, when a posterior urethral disruption is suspected, retrograde urethrography should be performed. Posterior urethral disruptions can be managed acutely by realignment of the urethra over a urethral catheter or by placement of a suprapubic catheter for bladder drainage only. Once fibrosis has stabilized, the patient can undergo posterior urethroplasty. In most cases, this procedure can be performed via a perineal approach in a single-stage surgery. The results of this single-stage perineal urethroplasty are excellent, and a patent urethra can be re-established in the majority of men who undergo surgery.
Engine systems analysis results of the Space Shuttle Main Engine redesigned powerhead initial engine level testing

Engineers regularly analyze SSME ground test and flight data with respect to engine systems performance. Recently, a redesigned SSME powerhead was introduced to engine-level testing in part to increase engine operational margins through optimization of the engine internal environment. This paper presents an overview of the MSFC personnel engine systems analysis results and conclusions reached from initial engine level testing of the redesigned powerhead, and further redesigns incorporated to eliminate accelerated main injector baffle and main combustion chamber hot gas wall degradation. The conclusions are drawn from instrumented engine ground test data and hardware integrity analysis reports and address initial engine test results with respect to the apparent design change effects on engine system and component operation.
The effect of surface oxide layers on the oxidative behaviour of imidazole-treated copper

Molecular structure and degradation mechanisms of undecylimidazole on copper oxide was studied using Fourier transform reflection-absorption spectroscopy. Undecylimidazole suggests the random amorphous orientation on a non-preoxidized surface, semicrystalline random orientation on copper preoxidized at 150° C for 30 min, and parallel orientation of the imidazole ring to the surface on copper preoxidized at 230° C for 30 min. The difference in morphology and orientation of undecylimidazole on oxide is due to the reactivity of the imidazole and the substrate surface, the rate of deposition of the imidazole, and the evaporation rate of solvent from the solution placed on the surface. The degradation is catalysed by two types of copper; in the film and substrate. The rate-determining step of the degradation is the reactivity of the carboxylic acid produced in the intermediate step of the degradation and the surface oxides. Molecular oxygen is necessary for the degradation which takes place initially from the outer layer of the film by the catalytic effect of the copper in the film.
Are Colloids Better Than Crystalloids for Fluid Resuscitation in Critically Ill Patients

Quotes: “Seventy trials reported mortality data, with a total of 20,407 patients. Because of the heterogeneity of colloid solutions used in these trials, outcomes were stratified by fluid type rather than type of injury. Authors scored allocation concealment, assigning “high risk of bias” to the poorest-quality and “low risk of bias” to the best-quality trials. Of these 70 trials, only 17 were considered to have adequate allocation concealment, as reflected in the number of unclear scores given for allocation concealment. No prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted.”
Turnover of basic protein of rat brain.

EXPERIMENTAL allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a demyelinating disease which is induced by challenging experimental animals with a basic protein of myelin1–6. Myelin has long been presumed metabolically inert, but recent evidence indicates that there may be a turnover of some of the lipids7,8. One study has indicated a moderate turnover of proteolipid but little turnover of basic protein9. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the basic protein is metabolically dynamic or stable.
Forecasting with preliminary data: a comparison of two methods

This study examines two alternate methods, a vector autoregression error correction model and a state space model, to forecast revised United States trade balance figures. Both these methods incorporate preliminary and revised trade data. The results obtained from these methods were compared to the benchmark forecasts generated by revised-data-only models. This Study finds that the state space model performs worse than the benchmark. The vector autoregression model performs better than the benchmark only in the one-step forecast. These results indicate that incorporating preliminary data may not be useful in forecasting the revised data.
Regulation of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Ribonucleic Acid Expression, Polypeptide Secretion, and Binding Protein Activity by Growth Hormone in Porcine Preadipocyte Cultures

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a mitogenic polypeptide postulated to mediate the effect of GH on adipose tissue development. To determine if the effect of GH could be mediated by the local production of IGF-I, we have characterized IGF-I RNA expression, polypeptide secretion, and binding protein activity in primary preadipocyte cultures derived from porcine adipose tissues. GH acutely regulated the abundance of multiple IGF-I RNA transcripts and resulted in a 2- fold increase in secreted immunoreactive IGF-I (iIGF-I) polypeptide in medium conditioned for 48 h by preadipocyte cultures relative to those not receiving GH. Immunocytochemical data indicated that IGF-I is synthesized by presumptive and mature adipocytes. The effect of GH on iIGF-I secretion was observed in cultures derived from both fetal and postnatal animals, while secreted IGF-binding protein activity was increased due to GH only in cultures from fetal animals. The increase in local IGF-I production in response to GH was associated ...
A Measurement Procedure for Queueing Network Models of Computer Systems

This tutorial paper describes a procedure for obtaining input parameter values and output performance measures for a popular class of queuemg network models. The procedure makes use of current measurement momtors as much as possible. We survey the two basic approaches to monitoring computer systems (event trace and sampling) and the three types of momtors (hardware, software, and hybrid). Also surveyed are measurement tools for the analytical modeling of several current families of computer systems. We discuss m detail examples of model validations and performance predictions to illustrate the measurement procedures and the class of models
Precursors of N-Nitrosodimethylamine in Natural Waters

Monochloramine disinfection of drinking water can result in the formation of the potent carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). To assess NDMA precursor concentrations in natural waters, samples from lakes, reservoirs, groundwaters, and isolated natural organic matter were exposed to relatively high concentrations of monochloramine. After 1 week, the concentration of NDMA ranged from approximately 0.1 to 0.8 nM. Application of a sensitive new GC/MS/MS technique and amendment of a sample with the known NDMA precursor dimethylamine (DMA) prior to chloramination indicated that only a small fraction of the NDMA produced during chloramination could be attributable to DMA. Chloramination of isolated natural organic matter and application of solid-phase extraction prior to chloramination suggested that natural organic matter accounts for a significant fraction of the precursors. However, the concentrations of NDMA precursors were higher in the epilimnion than the hypolimnion of two stratified reservoirs despit...
NIST facility for spectral calibration of detectors : Calibration of arsenic doped silicon blocked impurity band detectors

The capability of the Low Background Infrared (LBIR) facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to spectrally calibrate infrared detectors was demonstrated with the spectral calibration of arsenic doped silicon blocked impurity band (BIB) detectors. The BIB detectors were calibrated over the 2 micrometer to 30 micrometer range, using light from a monochromator with a nominal 2% bandwidth. Photon fluxes used for the calibration ranged from 1013 photons/s/cm2 to 1014 photons/s/cm2. The large area detectors (10 mm2) calibrated in this paper were very linear up to 2.5 X 1014 photons/s/cm2, where they showed a 1% drop in signal from linearity. The calibrations contained less than 6 1% standard component of random noise uncertainty, and there was about a 6 5% standard component of uncertainty arising from systemic effects that will be discussed in detail. The calibrations were performed in ultra- high vacuum in a 20 K background environment by making direct intercomparisons between the power measured by an absolute cryogenic radiometer and the response measured by a detector irradiated by the same beam. A detailed description of measurement methodology and system apparatus is given. Detector linearity and uniformity are also discussed. The LBIR facility can now provide calibrated BIB detectors as transfer standards as well as evaluate and calibrate customer's large area detectors and detector arrays provided the detectors stay within certain physical limitations.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Genetic manipulations in Rhizobium meliloti utilizing two new transposon Tn5 derivatives.

Two derivatives of the prokaryotic transposon Tn5 were constructed in vitro. In Tn5-233, the central area of Tn5, which carries resistance to kanamycin/neomycin, bleomycin and streptomycin, is replaced by a fragment carrying resistance to the aminocyclitol antibiotics gentamycin/kanamycin and streptomycin/spectinomycin. In Tn5-235, the Escherichia coli β-galactosidase gene is inserted within the streptomycin resistance gene of Tn5, and constitutively expressed from a Tn5 promoter. Both constructs transpose with about the same frequency as Tn5 in Escherichia coli and Rhizobium meliloti. When a Tn5-derivative is introduced into an R. meliloti strain which already contains a different Tn5-derivative, in situ transposon replacement is obtained at high frequency, presumably by a pair of crossovers between the IS50 sequences at the ends of the incoming and resident transposons. In this way we converted a previously isolated recA::Tn5 mutant into the corresponding recA::Tn5-233 strain, which can now be used as a genetic background in the study of complementation of other Tn5-induced mutations. We also replaced the drug markers of several Tn5-induced exo mutants, which we were then able to map relative to each other by transduction with phage ϕ M12. In a strain carrying Tn5-235 located near Tn5-233, we were able to isolate deletions of the intervening markers, presumably resulting from general recombination between the two transposons, by screening for loss of the Lac+ phenotype. Unlike Tn5 itself, resident Tn5-233 does not appear to suppress transposition of another incoming Tn5-derivative.