cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guidelines for determining and reporting food yields.

New data on food yields have recently been released by the USDA. Here, the problems encountered and still-unmet research needs are detailed.
Web goes Company — von elektronischer Post zum intelligenten Unternehmensportal

Die Globalisierung und zunehmende Dynamik der Markte… — nein, der vorliegende Beitrag wird nicht in den Kanon ublicher Standardeinleitungen einstimmen, sind es doch letztlich bekannte Leerfloskeln, die sich zwar theoretisch fundiert ausfuhren lassen, der Unternehmenspraxis aber dabei keinesfalls weiterhelfen.
The impact of breast cancer-related lymphedema on healthcare utilization: A population-based cohort study

Importance Cancer-related impairments degrade survivors’ quality of life, independence, and societal integration, yet may be ameliorated, or even reversed, with effective care. Unfortunately, few patients receive care for their impairments. The impact of this neglect remains under-researched and its impact on healthcare (HC) utilization is unknown. Objective To delineate the magnitude and patterns of HC utilization between breast cancer (BC) survivors with and without one of its most common, remediable and functionally limiting sequelae; upper extremity lymphedema. Design, setting, participants We conducted a population-based, retrospective longitudinal cohort study of Olmsted County, MN residents who were newly diagnosed with BC in the 21 year period beginning on January 1, 1990 and concluding December 31, 2010. HC utilization was characterized using the Berenson–Eggers Type of Service (BETOS) categories. Main Outcome Measure Overall HC utilization as well as its compartmentalization into the BETOS categories of: (1) evaluation and management, (2) procedures, (3) imaging, (4) tests, (5) durable medical equipment, (6) physical/occupational therapy, (7) other, and (8) exceptions/unclassified. Results The cohort included 1906 subjects of which 94% (1800) had records meeting the inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up per survivor was 8.8 years (median, 8, range 1–23 years); 1239 were living and residing in Olmsted County at the study's conclusion. Analysis revealed that: –survivors with BC-associated lymphedema used > 30% more services annually than their unaffected counterparts; their increased utilization lessened but persisted for at least 10 years after diagnosis; this finding of increased utilization is robust, extending across all BETOS categories, and is further amplified as BMI increases. Conclusions An analysis of BC-related lymphedema as an exemplar of cancer impairment-associated HC utilization revealed that this often remediable condition is associated with a significant, > 30%, increase in HC utilization that extends for a prolonged period.
Prognostication in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Use of Current Risk Prediction Models

Significant therapeutic advances in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), increased awareness and diagnosis, and changing patient demographics in the contemporary era have facilitated...
A Novel Glitch-Free Integrated Clock Gating Cell for High Reliability

A novel glitch-free integrated clock gating (ICG) cell is developed and demonstrated in 45 nm CMOS technology. The proposed cell is more reliable as it produces an uninterrupted gated clock signal in cases where glitches occur in the enable signal during clock transitions. A detailed comparison of the proposed cell with the existing integrated clock gating cells is also presented. Glitch-free operation (and therefore high reliability) is achieved at the expense of larger power and delay, as quantified for 45 nm CMOS technology. The proposed ICG cell is shown to be highly applicable to dual edge triggered flip-flops where existing ICGs fail if there are glitches in the enable signal during clock transitions.
The salience of climate change in farmer decision-making within smallholder semi-arid agroecosystems

Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa are most susceptible to the impacts of climate change, including longer duration dry-spells and more frequent drought. There is a growing literature examining the psychological determinants of various climate adaptation strategies among smallholder farmers but little attention to how psychological factors vary across adaptation decisions and the underlying motivations for these decisions. We assess climate adaptation in terms of five risk management categories outlined by Agrawal (2009). Using a sample of farming households in Kenya (N = 494), we find that while 98% of smallholders believe that various dimensions of climate change pose a significant threat to their livelihood, these beliefs do not necessarily translate into climate actions. Results show that environmental concerns are not salient motivators for or against adaptation strategies, but food insecurity and household expenses are, suggesting a disconnect between climate beliefs and actions. Future research on decision-making related to climate adaptation within semi-arid agroecosystems should consider that while perceptions of climate change are important in shaping climate adaptive actions, they are not necessarily a salient motivator. Climate change is predicted to have significant negative impacts on food security but concerns about food security are what motivate farmers to adopt practices that will prepare them for climate change.
Surprising simplicities and syntheses in limbless self-propulsion in sand.

ABSTRACT Animals moving on and in fluids and solids move their bodies in diverse ways to generate propulsion and lift forces. In fluids, animals can wiggle, stroke, paddle or slap, whereas on hard frictional terrain, animals largely engage their appendages with the substrate to avoid slip. Granular substrates, such as desert sand, can display complex responses to animal interactions. This complexity has led to locomotor strategies that make use of fluid-like or solid-like features of this substrate, or combinations of the two. Here, we use examples from our work to demonstrate the diverse array of methods used and insights gained in the study of both surface and subsurface limbless locomotion in these habitats. Counterintuitively, these seemingly complex granular environments offer certain experimental, theoretical, robotic and computational advantages for studying terrestrial movement, with the potential for providing broad insights into morphology and locomotor control in fluids and solids, including neuromechanical control templates and morphological and behavioral evolution. In particular, granular media provide an excellent testbed for a locomotion framework called geometric mechanics, which was introduced by particle physicists and control engineers in the last century, and which allows quantitative analysis of alternative locomotor patterns and morphology to test for control templates, optimality and evolutionary alternatives. Thus, we posit that insights gained from movement in granular environments can be translated into principles that have broader applications across taxa, habitats and movement patterns, including those at microscopic scales.
Targeting Epigenetic Dependencies in Solid Tumors: Evolutionary Landscape Beyond Germ Layers Origin

Extensive efforts recently witnessed the complexity of cancer biology; however, molecular medicine still lacks the ability to elucidate hidden mechanisms for the maintenance of specific subclasses of rare tumors characterized by the silent onset and a poor prognosis (e.g., ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and glioblastoma). Recent mutational fingerprints of human cancers highlighted genomic alteration occurring on epigenetic modulators. In this scenario, the epigenome dependency of cancer orchestrates a broad range of cellular processes critical for tumorigenesis and tumor progression, possibly mediating escaping mechanisms leading to drug resistance. Indeed, in this review, we discuss the pivotal role of chromatin remodeling in shaping the tumor architecture and modulating tumor fitness in a microenvironment-dependent context. We will also present recent advances in the epigenome targeting, posing a particular emphasis on how this knowledge could be translated into a feasible therapeutic approach to individualize clinical settings and improve patient outcomes.
Influence of the Headgroup on the Interaction of Poly(ethylene oxide)-Poly(propylene oxide) Block Copolymers with Lipid Bilayers

The lipid headgroup plays an important role in the association of polymers with lipid bilayer membranes. Herein, we report how a glycerol headgroup versus a choline headgroup affects the interaction of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymers with lipid bilayer vesicles. Unilamellar vesicles composed of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol at various molar ratios were used as model membranes. The interactions between the block copolymers and lipid bilayers were quantified by pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) based on the distinctly different mobilities of free and bound polymers. All the investigated polymer species showed significantly higher binding with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) sodium salt (POPG) liposomes than with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) liposomes, indicating stronger association with the glycerol headgroup compared to the choline headgroup. This effect did not become significant until the composition of mixed POPC/POPG liposomes contained more than 20 mol % POPG. A plausible explanation for the enhanced polymer binding with POPG invokes the role of hydrogen bonding between the glycerol headgroup and the ether moieties of the polymers.
Intrinsic Integration

If we wish to integrate a function $h|\Omega\subset\Re^{n}\to\Re$ along a single $T$-level surface of a function $\psi |\Omega\subset\Re^{n}\to\Re$, then a number of different methods for extracting finite elements appropriate to the dimension of the level surface may be employed to obtain an explicit representation over which the integration may be performed using standard numerical quadrature techniques along each element. However, when the goal is to compute an entire continuous family $m(T)$ of integrals over all the $T$-level surfaces of $\psi$, then this method of explicit level set extraction is no longer practical. We introduce a novel method to perform this type of numerical integration efficiently by making use of the coarea formula. We present the technique for discretization of the coarea formula and present the algorithms to compute the integrals over families of T-level surfaces. While validation of our method in the special case of a single level surface demonstrates accuracies close to more explicit isosurface integration methods, we show a sizable boost in computational efficiency in the case of multiple T-level surfaces, where our coupled integration algorithms significantly outperform sequential one-at-a-time application of explicit methods.
Towards Binary Diversified Challenges For A Hands-On Reverse Engineering Course

The balance of a practical hands-on and theoretical approach for reverse engineering coursework offers a strong approach for cybersecurity education. This balance is key to helping students build the skills necessary to contribute to the industry upon graduation. However, the remote learning demands of the current pandemic present a challenge to this approach. Inappropriate collaboration between students poses a threat to the educational benefits of practice-based learning. Specifically, inappropriate collaboration can threaten the development of critical problem skills gained during individual work. Further, relying on instructors to create unique challenges for each student fails to scale. To overcome these challenges, we have implemented a binary diversification system that produces unique reverse engineering challenges per student. In this paper, we present the technical details and lessons learned implementing this approach. We believe that sharing our approach will benefit cybersecurity education instructors looking to overcome the challenges of remote-learning cybersecurity coursework.
Teaching Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) to Visiting Iraqi Physicians Using the Train-the-Trainer Model

The development of emergency medicine is still in its early stages throughout Iraq because the concept of emergent patient care by appropriately trained physicians is not fully established. Emergency medicine education is limited, and more specifically, bedside emergency ultrasound education is nonexistent. Continued advancements in ultrasound equipment provide opportunities for point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to be a cost-effective diagnostic tool in rural and underdeveloped areas throughout the world. As a component of The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Global Health Program, faculty and residents from The University of Toledo Emergency Residency Program had the opportunity to train non-emergency medicine educated physicians from Iraq utilizing POCUS training as a tool to advance emergency medicine in this region. Two Iraqi trained surgeons were placed into POCUS training sessions as participants of a one-month educational program to advance emergency medicine in Iraq. The assessment of their ultrasound education pre-and post-training through bedside ultrasound teaching and image recognition revealed significant retention of knowledge and utilization of this modality that could be implemented in advancing emergency medicine in Iraq as part of a train-the-trainer program.
Effects of catalyst crystal structure on the oxidation of propene to acrolein

Abstract Bismuth molybdate is known to be active for the oxidation of propene to acrolein and its activity can be altered by substitution of other elements (e.g. Fe, V, W) into the scheelite phase of α-Bi2Mo3O12. This work has further revealed that the apparent activation energy for acrolein formation correlates with the band gap of the catalyst measured at reaction temperature. It is, therefore, of interest to establish to how the crystal structure of the catalyst affects the activation energy. We report here an investigation of propene oxidation conducted over Bi, Mo, V oxides having the aurivillius structure with the composition Bi4V2-xMoxO11+x/2 (x = 0−1) and compare them with oxides having the scheelite structure with the composition Bi2-x/3MoxV1-xO12 (x = 0−1). The aurivillius-phase catalysts again show a correlation between the apparent activation energy and the band gap of the oxide, and the only difference being that for a given band gap, the apparent activation energy for the aurivillius-phase catalysts is 1.5 kcal/mol higher than that for the scheelite-phase catalysts. This difference is attributed to the lower heat of propene adsorption on the aurivillius-phase catalysts. A further finding is that for catalysts with band gaps greater than ∼2.1 eV, the acrolein selectivity is ∼75% for the conditions used and independent of the propene conversion. When the band gap falls below ∼2.1 eV, the intrinsic selectivity to acrolein decreases rapidly and then decreases further with increasing propene conversion. This pattern shows that when the activity of oxygen atoms at the catalyst surface becomes very high, two processes become more rapid – the oxidation of the intermediate from which acrolein is formed and the sequential combustion of acrolein to CO2.
Hepatic neuroendocrine metastases: does intervention alter outcomes?

Abstract Background: In most instances, advanced neuroendocrine tumors follow an indolent course. Hepatic metastases are common, and although they can cause significant pain, incapacitating endocrinopathy, and even death, they are usually asymptomatic. The appropriate timing and efficacy of interventions, such as hepatic artery emobolization (HAE) and operation, remain controversial. Study Design: The records of 85 selected patients referred for treatment of hepatic neuroendocrine tumor metastases between 1992 and 1998 were reviewed from a prospective database. A multidisciplinary group of surgeons, radiologists, and oncologists managed all patients. Overall survival among this cohort is reported and prognostic variables, which may be predictive of survival, are analyzed. Results: There were 37 men and 48 women, with a median age of 52 years. There were 41 carcinoid tumors, 26 nonfunctional islet cell tumors, and 18 functional islet cell tumors. Thirty-eight patients had extrahepatic metastases, and in 84% of patients, the liver metastases were bilobar. Eighteen patients were treated with medical therapy or best supportive care, 33 patients underwent HAE, and 34 patients underwent hepatic resection. Both the HAE-related mortality and the 30-day operative mortality rates were 6%. By univariate analysis, earlier resection of the primary tumor, curative intent of treatment, and initial surgical treatment were associated with prolonged survival (p Conclusions: Hepatic metastases from neuroendocrine tumors are best managed with a multidisciplinary approach. Both HAE and surgical resection provide excellent palliation of hormonal and pain symptoms. In select patients, surgical resection of hepatic metastases may prolong survival, but is rarely curative.
Monotone separation of logspace from NC/sup 1/

It is shown that the monotone analog of logspace computation is more powerful than monotone log-depth circuits: monotone circuits for a certain function in monotone logspace require depth Omega (lg/sup 2/n). It is proved that mNC/sup 1/ not=mL. This result shows that the process of pointer jumping, i.e. following a chain of pointers to the end, cannot be simulated by a monotone NC/sup 1/ circuit. The proof is based upon the communication game method of A. Karchmer and A. Wigderson (1990). >
Parameter Tuning for Disjoint Clusters Based on Concept Lattices with Application to Location Learning

Clustering is a technique for grouping items in a dataset that are similar, while separating those items that are dissimilar. The use of concept lattices, from Formal Concept Analysis, for disjoint clustering is a recently studied problem. We develop an algorithm for disjoint clustering of transactional databases using concept lattices. Several heuristics are developed for tuning the support parameters used in this algorithm. Additionally, we discuss the application of this algorithm to Location Learning. In location learning, an object (for example an employee) to be tracked and localized carries an electronic tag, such as an RFID, capable of communicating with some access points that are in the range of the tag. Clustering can then be used to estimate the location of the tag given the signal strengths that can be heard.
Cachectin/tumor necrosis factor-alpha alters red blood cell kinetics and induces anemia in vivo.

Chronic inflammatory diseases are often associated with decreased red blood cell (RBC) mass. The cytokines cachectin/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL 1) are produced by monocytes/macrophages in response to many inflammatory stimuli and have been implicated in the anemia of chronic disease. This study was undertaken to evaluate the mechanisms by which cachectin/TNF, IL 1, or endotoxin induce anemia. Hematologic parameters and RBC kinetics were quantitated in rats given chronic sublethal quantities of either recombinant human cachectin/TNF, recombinant human IL 1 alpha, or Salmonella endotoxin for 7 days. Cachectin/TNF or endotoxin treatment resulted in a 25 or 31% decrease, respectively, in total RBC mass, whereas RBC mass was unchanged by IL 1 administration. Anemia associated with either chronic cachectin or endotoxin administration was characterized by normal mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, and reticulocyte numbers. [59Fe]RBC survival was significantl...
Minimum Wage: An Anchor in America's Economy or a Diminishing Cause?

What began as $0.25 in 1938, the federal minimum wage has progressively increased to a steady $7.25 over the past several decades. It was originally created to combat unemployment and weak prices resulting from the Great Depression; however, with the increasing presence of inflation in America, the monetary value of the minimum wage is seeing more and more neglect, as inflation erodes its worth. How can an efficient economy exist when the average minimum wage earner has not seen an increase since 2009 while inflation has increased by over 8.5%?
Structural Imaging Correlations with Memory Assessment and Concussion in Retired NFL Athletes (I12-1.005)

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the relationship of memory performance, hippocampal volume, white matter integrity and exposure to grade 3 concussions in retired NFL athletes. BACKGROUND: Former professional football players are at increased risk for memory deficits and neurodegenerative disorders. The temporal lobes and specifically the hippocampi are critical for memory performance and are vulnerable to damage from head trauma. DESIGN/METHODS: Subjects included 26 retired NFL athletes. Verbal and visual memory were measured using the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and Rey-Osterith Complex Figure test (ROCF). Subjects underwent MRI scanning including high-resolution T1 and diffusion tensor imaging. Fractional Anisotropy (FA) maps were generated and then processed using the Tract Based Spatial Statistics pipeline. The effects of age were modeled and removed at the voxel level. Mean values from regions of the resulting skeletonized data corresponding to white matter tracts of interest were then correlated with scores on the CVLT and ROCF as well as the number of grade 3 concussions. Hippocampi were traced using a semiautomated method involving FAST in FSL and manual editing. Correlations of hippocampal volume with the same variables were performed using age and total intracranial volume as covariates. RESULTS: FA for the left perforant pathway (p=0.015, r=0.48) and bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (Left p<0.001, r=0.64; Right p=0.004, r=0.56) positively correlated with delayed recall of the ROCF. Hippocampal volume positively correlated with scores on both the CVLT (Left p<0.001, r=0.71; Right p=0.004, r=0.56) and ROCF (Left p=0.021, r=0.46; Right p=0.012, r=0.50), but negatively correlated with self-reported grade 3 concussions (Left p=0.021, r=-0.46; Right p=0.002, r=-0.60). CONCLUSIONS: Hippocampal volume and surrounding white matter pathways reflect cognitive deficits. Our main finding consists of the relationship between hippocampal volume and grade 3 concussions suggesting the susceptibility of this structure to head impacts and the cognitive deficits that manifest with aging. Study Supported by: The BrainHealth Institute for Athletes at the Center for BrainHealth Disclosure: Dr. Womack has received research support from Allon Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Strain has nothing to disclose. Dr. Didehbani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Conover has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kraut has nothing to disclose. Dr. Cullum has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hart has nothing to disclose.
Alveolar Bone Grafting: Donor Site Review of 100 Consecutive Cases in Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective: Review of patients who underwent secondary alveolar bone grafting for total inpatient stay, postoperative complications, and postoperative analgesic requirements. Design: Retrospective analysis of medical records. Setting: Tertiary care center as part of a regional cleft lip and palate network. Patients: All patients who underwent secondary alveolar bone grafting from the iliac crest. Interventions: Local anesthetic was infiltrated overlying the anterior iliac crest. An incision was made to conform to the future skin crease and avoid muscle dissection. The cartilaginous cap was incised and raised, and cancellous bone was then harvested. The cavity was packed with hemostatic cellulose and closed in layers. All patients received postoperative antibiotics. All patients were prescribed regular paracetamol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen if there were no contraindications. Oral morphine was available when requested. Main Outcome Measures: Length of stay, postoperative analgesic requirements, and...
INVASIBILITY DRIVES RESTORATION OF A FLOODPLAIN PLANT COMMUNITY

An understanding of the processes that determine plant community structure is a requisite for the planning and evaluation of restoration efforts on river floodplains. Variable disturbance regimes derived from flood pulses increase the susceptibility of river floodplains to colonizations by new species and establish invasibility as a potentially important factor in plant community assembly and dynamics. The role of invasibility in the restoration of a wet prairie community on the Kissimmee River floodplain in central Florida was evaluated by quantifying temporal species turnover rates during wet and dry season sampling over a 12-year pre-restoration and post-restoration period. Turnover rates increased with reestablishment of annual inundation regimes and were significantly greater on the reflooded floodplain than on the drained, channelized floodplain. Recurrent periods of increased invasibility were associated with repeated high-amplitude flood pulses and accompanied by increased diversity of plant communities within the wet prairie landscape. Neither invasibility nor beta diversity was strongly related to the variable hydroperiods or depths provided by local topography and restoration of seasonal hydrologic regimes. Results suggest that invasibility is a functional process by which the restored flood pulse has reestablished the structure and diversity of the wet prairie. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward a cognitive view of trait mindfulness: distinct cognitive skills predict its observing and nonreactivity facets.

Dispositional variations in mindfulness and its facets have garnered considerable recent interest in the clinical and personality literatures. Theoretically, high mindful individuals have been characterized as more attuned to momentary sensations and perceptions and/or better able to execute behavior in a controlled manner, yet data of this relatively cognitive type have not been reported. In addition, perceptual attunement and executive control are distinct skills that may underlie, or at least correlate with, distinct facets of mindfulness. In 3 studies involving college students (N = 297), support for the latter idea was found. Individuals high in the observing (but not nonreactivity) facet of mindfulness demonstrated superior perceptual abilities in visual working memory (Study 1) and temporal order (Study 2) tasks. On the other hand, individuals high in the nonreactivity (but not observing) facet of mindfulness exhibited greater cognitive control flexibility (Study 3). Implications for understanding the cognitive basis of mindfulness facets are discussed.
Kainic Acid-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Striatum Is Associated with Nuclear Factor-κB Activation

The present study evaluated whether nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation contributes to the apoptotic-like death of striatal neurons induced by kainic acid (KA) receptor stimulation. Intrastriatally infused KA (1.25-5.0 nmol) produced substantial neuronal loss as indicated by an 8-73% decrease in 67-kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase (p<0.05). KA (1.25-5.0 nmol) elicited internucleosomal DNA fragmentation that was inhibited by the AMPA/KA receptor antagonist NBQX (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2,3-dibenzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide) but not by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. A decrease in IkappaB-alpha protein levels, which was accompanied by an increase in NF-kappaB binding activity, was found from 6 to 72 h after KA (2.5 nmol) infusion. NF-kappaB was composed mainly of p65 and c-Rel as revealed by supershift assay. In addition, c-Myc and p53 increased from five- to sevenfold from 24 to 72 h after KA (2.5 nmol) administration. Immunohistochemistry revealed high levels of c-Myc and p53 immunoreactivity, mainly in medium-sized striatal neurons. Pretreatment with the cell-permeable recombinant peptide NF-kappaB SN50 (5-20 microg) blocked NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, but had no effect on AP-1 binding. NF-kappaB SN50 also inhibited the KA-induced up-regulation of c-Myc and p53, as well as internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The apoptotic-like destruction of rat striatal neurons induced by KA receptor stimulation thus appears to involve biochemical mechanisms similar to those mediating the excitotoxic response to NMDA receptor stimulation. The present results provide additional support for the view that NF-kappaB activation contributes to c-Myc and p53 induction and subsequent apoptosis in an excitotoxic model of Huntington's disease.
Some Thoughts on Ego Development and Counseling

Loevinger responds to Swensen on (a) the exact number of stages in ego development (or any other stage theory) (b) the importance of considering the client's ego level and that of counseling students (c) the need for more research on the optimum level for the counselor in relation to the client, and (d) the aims of therapy and psychoanalysis.
Static and Dynamic Emission Quenching in Core/Shell Nanorod Quantum Dots with Hole Acceptors

CdSe/CdS and CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanorods have been synthesized with various shell thicknesses and characterized by TEM. The CdSe cores have an aspect ratio of 5.0 ± 0.7. The TEM results show that there are different axial and radial shell growth rates. Shell deposition maintains the rod morphology, with a final aspect ratio of 4.1. The presence of the CdS or ZnS shell greatly affects the particle nonradiative relaxation dynamics and hence the luminescence quantum yields. Both types of shells passivate the surface, reducing the extent of both static and dynamic quenching. Two types of hole acceptors, phenothiazine and hexadecane thiol, have been adsorbed onto these core/shell nanorods, and the effects on the luminescence dynamics are studied using static and time-resolved spectroscopy. ZnS- and CdS-coated particles with adsorbed hole acceptors show differing extents of static and dynamic quenching. These differences may be understood in terms of the different shell morphologies, valence band offsets, and ...
Management of Chronic Kidney Disease–Mineral Bone Disorder

Chronic kidney disease mineral-bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is a systemic disorder of abnormal serum levels of mineral-related biochemistries, abnormal bone, and extraskeletal calcification. Although we have gained understanding on how these components are interrelated, our therapeutic tools remain focused on only one aspect of CKD-MBD at a time. However, the management of these disorders is also interrelated; treatments may help one aspect of the disorder but cause or accelerate another. As such, management remains a major challenge to nephrologists and requires balancing risk and benefit of the various available therapies. Our challenge for the decade ahead is to determine which combinations of therapy can be used safely together to prevent morbidity and mortality in CKD. Furthermore, the pathophysiology that sets these events into motion begins well before the onset of ESRD. Future therapies and guidelines should, therefore, also emphasize the need for earlier detection and management of CKD, shaped by the results of valid clinical trials.
Comparison of open and blind histopathologic evaluation of hepatic lesions.

Abstract This paper explores the controversy among scientists on whether microscopic evaluation of tissue slides should be done in an open or blind fashion. Definitions are given and discussed that provide a better focus to the problem. An experiment was conducted in which hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis in rats were assessed both openly and blindly. The results indicate that ‘simple bias’ is present when the slides are read openly. Valid comparisons among treatment groups are possible in the presence of simple bias, provided appropriate control groups have been incorporated into the experimental design.
Support for the general and specific bifactor model factors of anxiety sensitivity

Abstract Anxiety sensitivity (AS), has been conceptualized as a hierarchical construct, comprising three lower-order dimensions. Recent findings suggest that AS may be better conceptualized as a general dimension and unrelated physical, cognitive, and social concerns dimensions (a bifactor model). The current study was designed to examine whether a bifactor model best represented AS in a sample of 878 college-age participants (Mage = 19.01, SD = 1.45). Further, given that specific relations between lower-order AS dimensions and emotional distress have been found (i.e., physical concerns and fear-based emotional distress, cognitive concerns and distress-based emotional distress), specificity between AS factors and negative affect (NA), worry, depression, social anxiety, and panic attacks was examined. The bifactor model fit the data best. Further, of all the AS factors, the general factor was most associated with NA. Accounting for general AS, cognitive concerns was related to worry and depression and social concerns was related to worry, depression, and social anxiety. Physical concerns was not related to emotional distress. These findings indicate that AS consists of a general facet, associated with emotional distress generally, and several facets more specifically associated with components of emotional distress.
Transplacental action of sodium nitrite on embryonic cells of Syrian golden hamster

Abstract Hamster embryos were treated with various doses of NaNO 2 in utero, by its oral administration to the mothers, and then the embryonic cells were examined for micronucleus formation, chromosomal aberrations, morphological or malignant transformation and drug-resistant mutations. For induction of resistant mutations, the cells were cultured in normal medium for 72 h, and then selected in media containing 8-azaguanine (10 or 20 μg/ml) or 1 mM ouabain. This treatment with NaNO 2 caused marked dose-dependent induction of 8-azaguanine- and ouabain-resistant mutations. Cultured embryonic fibroblasts in the resting state also showed a marked dose-dependent increase in micronucleus formation but not an increase in chromosomal aberrations. This treatment also caused morphological and neoplastic transformation of the cells. Transplacental oral treatment with DMN, as a positive control, caused changes of similar extent in biological effects of embryonic fibroblasts, and in addition it caused chromosomal aberrations in metaphase plates. On the contrary, transplacental oral application of NaNO 3 did not induce any biological change in cultured embryonic fibroblasts.
Steroid hormone-binding proteins in blood plasma

Abstract Two types of proteins form dissociable complexes with the circulating steroid hormones in blood serum: albumin, the most abundant plasma protein, and the highly specific glycoproteins that occur in low concentrations: corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG or transcortin), sex steroid-binding protein (SBP) and progesterone-binding globulin (PBG). Albumin interacts with low affinity, predominantly by hydrophobic bonding; the affinity constants of the steroid complexes with the specific globulins are higher by several orders of magnitude. CBG and SBP have molecular weights similar to that of albumin; PBG appears to be larger. A fairly general characteristic of these steroid-binding glycoproteins is their tendency to polymerize. Rat CBG forms dimers, tetramers and octamers upon removal of steroid from the complex; stoichiometric recombination with corticosterone completely reverses the polymerization. Estrogenic hormones increase the level of CBG and of SBP; androgenic hormones have the opposite effect. A CBG-depressing influence of corticosteroid hormones has been observed in the rat; adrenalectomized rats have increased CBG activity. The thyroid-stimulating hormone of the pituitary is required for the estrogen-induced rise of CBG synthesis in the rat; the effect is mediated by the thyroid gland. In accordance, thyroidectomy reduces the CBG activity whereas administration of thyroxin results in an increase. In contrast to all other species investigated, guinea pig serum contains separate proteins specific for binding of corticosteroid (CBG) and of progesterone (PBG). PBG levels increase about hundred-fold in pregnancy. PBG is a glycoprotein of χ 2 - or β -globulin mobility with an approximate molecular weight of 100,000 and an association constant for progesterone-binding higher than any of the other steroid-serum protein complexes. Association with serum proteins suppresses the biological activity of steroid hormones. Bound hormone in blood constitutes an inactive pool which protects the hormone from metabolic and chemical alterations and provides, by reversible dissociation, a buffer against sudden changes in active hormone concentrations.
Effect of 9-fluoroprednisolone acetate and transplanted pituitaries on milk synthesis.

SummaryA daily dose of 50 μg of 9-fluoroprednisolone acetate (Predef), from days 16 to 32 of lactation, retarded the normal decline in litter weight gain and maintained rat mammary gland DNA and RNA content. A delay in the onset of injections until day 24, or injections of 50 μg of Predef daily from days 16 to 23 and 100 μg of Predef daily from 24 to 32 days of lactation maintained litter weight gain and increased mammary gland nucleic acid content. Predef injections for 16 days increased the ability of in vitro liver preparations to metabolize cortisol into polar metabolites while formation of nonpolar metabolites was reduced. Chronic secretion of rat prolactin from five isotrans-planted pituitaries under the kidney capsule did not increase litter weight gain. However, marginal increases in mammary gland DNA and RNA content and RNA/DNA ratio were detected.
GM1 ganglioside restores abnormal responses to acute thermal and mechanical stimuli in aged rats.

We investigated the effect of aging on the responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli in rats. Young (3-5 months old) and aged (22-24 months old) male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested in the hot plate, high- and low-intensity radiant heat tail flick, and von Frey hair assays. Compared to young rats, aged rats displayed longer latencies in the hot plate and the high-intensity tail flick assays (hypoalgesia), but there was no difference in the low-intensity tail flick assay. In addition, aged rats had decreased thresholds to mechanical stimuli produced by von Frey hairs compared with young rats (mechanical allodynia). Administration of GM1 ganglioside, 30 mg/kg, i.p., once daily for 30 days, to aged rats partially restored the responses in the hot plate and von Frey hair assays. GM1 had no effect on the altered responses in the tail flick test in aged rats, and in general, had no effect on any sensory modality tested in young rats.
DYNAMICS OF THE ONSET OF DAMAGE IN METALS UNDER SHOCK LOADING

This paper presents results on the dynamics of damage in copper under incipient spall conditions for multicrystalline specimens. Specimens were annealed from polycrystalline material to reduce the number of grain boundaries the shock wave traverses in passing through the specimen. The specimens incorporated unique fiducials that permit accurate correlation of pre‐shot characterization of the grain orientations, grain size etc. with the location of the dynamic diagnostics and with post‐shot metallography. The dynamic diagnostics—Transient Imaging Displacement Interferometry (TIDI), point VISAR, line VISAR—were all precisely aligned on the specimen surface to view regions of interest revealed in the pre‐shot characterization. Initial analyses demonstrate the wealth of information obtained from this experimental approach. Examples include observation that regions in the surface microstructure most likely to be damaged based on pre‐shot characterization show some of the largest displacements during the shock‐...
Investigation to identify a resource-efficient case-control methodology for determining antibiotics associated with Clostridium difficile infection.

Background Antimicrobial exposure remains an important risk factor for developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Efficient method to identify antibiotics associated with CDI is important for formulating strategies to curtail their use. As a prelude to a more extensive Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded project (Evaluation & Research on Antimicrobial Stewardship's Effect on Clostridium difficile), we undertook an exploratory evaluation to determine a resource-efficient method for identifying antibiotic targets for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Methods The study compared a series of 6 focused case-control studies. Cases consisted of patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI admitted from July-October 2009. Controls were selected from patients without CDI hospitalized during the same period. Five groups of controls were matched to cases (2:1 ratio) using group-specific matching criteria, including admission date, age, type of admission, length of stay (LOS) to discharge, and/or LOS to CDI diagnosis. The final control group was selected from patients who received antibiotics during hospitalization. Data, including demographics and antibiotic usage, were compared between case and control groups. Results A total of 126 cases were matched to 6 groups of 252 controls. For control groups 1-5, the use of piperacillin and tazobactam, ceftriaxone or cefepime, ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin, intravenous vancomycin, azithromycin, and antibiotics of last resort were significantly more frequent in case than control patients. For the final control group, the associations between ceftriaxone or cefepime, and ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin use and CDI no longer persisted. This could in part be explained by differences in comorbidities between case and control patients even with stringent matching criteria. Conclusion Use of a simple matching strategy to conduct case-control studies is an efficient and feasible compromise strategy, especially in resource-limited settings, to identify high-risk antibiotics associated with CDI.
Selectivity of calcium antagonistic action in vascular smooth muscle.

Various mechanisms can account for selective inhibition by calcium influx blocking drugs of smooth muscle contractile activity. Diltiazem inhibits calcium influx activated by membrane depolarization as well as alpha adrenergic receptor stimulation. Diltiazem does not inhibit intracellular calcium release nor cause net calcium extrusion up to concentrations of 10 −5 M. As with other calcium influx blocking agents, diltiazem is a potent inhibitor for modes of activation that depend entirely on the presence of extracellular calcium. The calcium influx was found to be mediated by at least three different pathways: one activated by depolarization and highly sensitive to D-600, a second activated by norepinephrine and less sensitive to D-600, and a third “passive leak,” that is insensitive to D-600 and accounts for calcium permeability in the resting state. Molecular differences among these various calcium channels may provide the basis for specificity of action of the calcium influx blocking agents.
Experimental analysis of simulated reinforcement learning control for active and passive building thermal storage inventory: Part 2: Results and analysis

This paper is the second part of a two-part investigation of a novel approach to optimally control commercial building passive and active thermal storage inventory. The proposed building control approach is based on simulated reinforcement learning, which is a hybrid control scheme that combines features of model-based optimal control and model-free learning control. An experimental study was carried out to analyze the performance of a hybrid controller installed in a full-scale laboratory facility. The first paper introduced the theoretical foundation of this investigation including the fundamental theory of reinforcement learning control. This companion paper presents a discussion and analysis of the experiment results. The results confirm the feasibility of the proposed control approach. Operating cost savings were attained with the proposed control approach compared with conventional building control; however, the savings are lower than for the case of model-based predictive optimal control As for the case of model-based predictive control, the performance of the hybrid controller is largely affected by the quality of the training model, and extensive real-time learning is required for the learning controller to eliminate any false cues it receives during the initial training period. Nevertheless, compared with standard reinforcement learning, the proposed hybrid controller is much more readily implemented in a commercial building.
Forbidden configurations in intersection graphs of r-graphs

An r-graph or r-uniform hypergraph is a finite family of subsets of a set X in which each subset has cardinality r. The intersection graph of an r-graph H is the graph whose nodes are the sets of H with two nodes adjacent whenever the corresponding sets have a nonempty intersection. We show that a finite forbidden graph characterization of the intersection graphs of r-graphs is impossible by constructing two infinite, irreducible classes of forbidden subgraphs.
Effect of early versus delayed hypoxic environment on neonatal rabbits

We developed a low-cost, nonsurgical small animal model simulating the condition of cyanotic heart disease. Six groups of New Zealand white rabbits were studied: Group (1-C), 1-week-old control rabbits (n = 9) reared in room air; Group (1-H), 1-week-old rabbits placed in a hypoxic environment (10% O2) at birth (n = 5); Group (1-H-3), 1-week-old rabbits (n = 11) reared in room air for 3 days and then placed under hypoxic conditions identical to those for Group (1-C); Group (4-C), 4-week-old control rabbits (n = 12); Group (4-H), 4-week-old rabbits placed in hypoxia since birth (n = 11); Group (4-H-3), 4-week-old rabbits kept in room air after birth for 3 days (n = 7) before being exposed to hypoxia. Animals were anesthetized, heparinized, and instrumented for measurement of hemodynamic parameters. Right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy and hematocrit were assessed. Lung tissue was analyzed using quantitative morphometric techniques to assess arterial size, number, and muscularity. Group (1-H) and Group (4-H) developed RV hypertrophy, pulmonary hypertension, and erythrocytosis. The RV hypertrophy developed rapidly, as early as 1 week of age and became so pronounced by 4 weeks as to result in high mortality rate (35%). None of the animals in Groups (1-H-3) or (4-H-3) died while chronic changes of hypoxemia still developed. Placing rabbits after birth in room air for 3 days before exposing them to hypoxia appeared to play a protective role, moderating the development of pulmonary hypertension and severe RV hypertrophy. The effects of hypoxia appear to be at least partially dependent on the time of exposure. Utilizing our low-cost model will allow future work, including study of the effects of chronic hypoxemia on systemic ventricle exposed to an ischemic insult.