cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal clustering in urban transportation: a bus route case study in Washington D.C.

Public buses are an important part of the urban transportation mix. However, a considerable disadvantage of buses is their slow speed, which is in part due to frequent stops, but also due to the lack of segregation from other vehicles in traffic. As such, assessing bus routes and the respective sections that are prone to congestion is an important aspect of route planning, scheduling, and the creation of dedicated bus lanes. In this work we use bus tracking data from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, to discover speed patterns of specific bus routes in relation to the road network throughout the day. Specifically, we focus on using these patterns to identify free flow segments, bus stop locations, traffic light locations and road segments prone to congestion.
The Dot/Icm-translocated effector LegC4 potentiates cytokine-mediated restriction of Legionella within accidental hosts

Legionella pneumophila is ubiquitous in freshwater environments where it replicates within unicellular protozoa. However, L. pneumophila is also an accidental human pathogen that can cause Legionnaires’ Disease in immunocompromised individuals by uncontrolled replication within alveolar macrophages. To replicate within eukaryotic phagocytes, L. pneumophila utilizes a Dot/Icm type IV secretion system to translocate a large arsenal of over 300 effector proteins directly into host cells. In mammals, translocated effectors contribute to innate immune restriction of L. pneumophila . We found previously that the effector LegC4 is important for L. pneumophila replication within a natural host protist but is deleterious to replication in a mouse model of Legionnaires’ Disease. In the present study, we used cultured mouse primary macrophages to investigate how LegC4 attenuates L. pneumophila replication. We found that LegC4 enhanced restriction of L. pneumophila replication within macrophages activated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or interferon (IFN)-γ. Specifically, TNF-mediated signaling was required for LegC4-mediated attenuation of L. pneumophila replication within macrophages. In addition, expression of legC4 was sufficient to restrict L. longbeachae replication within TNF- or IFN-γ-activated macrophages. Thus, this study demonstrates that LegC4 contributes to L. pneumophila clearance from healthy hosts by potentiating cytokine-mediated host defense mechanisms.
Adherence to Nutritional Supplementation in Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of adherence to a novel dietary supplement in pediatric cystic fibrosis. Adherence to dietary supplementation in cystic fibrosis is challenging, and examination of patterns of adherence behavior over time is needed to better characterize subgroups of patients who need self-management support. Design and methods We prospectively examined adherence to Lym-X-Sorb™ (LXS), an organized lipid matrix dietary supplementation for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and pancreatic insufficiency (PI), over a 12-month period. Adherence for participants aged 5–17 years with CF and PI (N = 109) was monitored monthly via supplement packet counts. Group-based trajectory modeling was employed to examine patterns in adherence behavior over time. Results Four distinct trajectories best characterized adherence in this sample, with 18% of participants demonstrating near perfect adherence, 42% demonstrating good adherence (at or above 80%), 16% demonstrating poor adherence that declined over time, and 24% demonstrating significant non-adherence ( Conclusions Some patients with CF and PI who are prescribed nutritional supplements will require intensive, individualized behavioral intervention to enhance adherence. Identifying patients who will have difficulty adhering to dietary interventions may result in better treatment-to-patient matching and improved adherence promotion efforts. Practice Implications. Assessment of adherence to dietary supplementation over time can identify patients at risk for continued difficulty with self-management and provide opportunities for early intervention.
Relationships with Psychopaths

The behavioral characteristics of a psychopath may include factors that are not readily evident. A psychopath can excel in many ways, yet be influenced by psychopathy. Narcissism fuels adversity. Consciously or unconsciously, dishonesty leads the psychopathic person to not tell the truth.
Pyridoxine and pancreatic acinar cells: transport physiology and effect on gene expression profile

Pyridoxine (vitamin B6), an essential micronutrient for normal cell physiology, plays an important role in the function of the exocrine pancreas. Pancreatic acinar cells (PACs) obtain vitamin B6 fr...
Precise Comparison of π + and π - Lifetimes

A second and more precise experiment has been performed at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory's 184-in. cyclotron to look for any difference in the total lifetimes of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and its antiparticle, ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. Any observed difference would be direct evidence for a violation of $\mathrm{CPT}$ invariance in the weak decay of the charged pion. We find $\frac{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{+}}{{\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\ensuremath{-}}}=1.000 64\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.000 69$, and thus no evidence for a $\mathrm{CPT}$ nonconservation.
Anxious, bored, and (maybe) missing out: Evaluation of anxiety attachment, boredom proneness, and fear of missing out (FoMO)

Abstract Fear of missing out (FoMO) describes the concern of missing out on a rewarding experience. Though research demonstrates anxiety and depression severity are related to FoMO, there are gaps in the literature regarding mediating factors between these variables which may explain why not everyone is equally inclined to experience FoMO. Specifically, boredom proneness and anxiety attachment may provide further understanding of how FoMO intensity is not uniform for individuals of similar anxiety and depression severity. The aims of this study were to test if boredom proneness mediates the relations of both anxiety and depression severity with FoMO. An additional aim was to examine if anxiety attachment mediates the relationship between boredom proneness and FoMO. To this end, we recruited 450 adults from across the United States who completed multiple survey measures. By use of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) we tested multiple theoretical models. Results indicated anxiety attachment influences how boredom proneness predicts FoMO. Additionally, boredom proneness appears to regulate the activation of anxiety attachment by mediating anxiety and depression severity. Boredom proneness also mediated the relations of anxiety and depression severity with FoMO. As not everyone is equally inclined to FoMO, the current research contributes to the empirical literature by highlighting individual differences which further explain the apprehensions that one is missing out. We discuss the multi-dimensional nature of FoMO and the theoretical basis for our results. Limitations and suggestions for future research is outlined.
Lead Repositioning Guided by Both Physiology and Atlas Based Targeting in Tourette Deep Brain Stimulation

Background The centromedian (CM) region of the thalamus is a common target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment for Tourette Syndrome (TS). However, there are currently no standard microelectrode recording or macrostimulation methods to differentiate CM thalamus from other nearby structures and nuclei. Case report Here we present a case of failed conventional stereotactic targeting in TS DBS. Postoperative local field potential recordings (LFPs) showed features including beta power desynchronization during voluntary movement and thalamo-cortical phase amplitude coupling at rest. These findings suggested that the DBS lead was suboptimally placed in the ventral intermediate (VIM) nucleus of the thalamus rather than the intended CM region. Due to a lack of clinical improvement in tic severity scales three months following the initial surgery, the patient underwent lead revision surgery. Slight repositioning of the DBS leads resulted in a remarkably different clinical outcome. Afterwards, LFPs revealed less beta desynchronization and disappearance of the thalamo-cortical phase amplitude coupling. Follow-up clinical visits documented improvement of the patient's global tic scores. Discussion This case provides preliminary evidence that combining physiology with atlas based targeting may possibly enhance outcomes in some cases of Tourette DBS. A larger prospective study will be required to confirm these findings. Highlight This report demonstrates a case of failed centromedian nucleus region deep brain stimulation (DBS). We observed suboptimal tic improvement several months following DBS surgery and subsequent lead revision improved the outcome. The neurophysiology provided an important clue suggesting the possibility of suboptimally placed DBS leads. Repeat LFPs during lead revision revealed less beta desynchronization and disappearance of the thalamo-cortical phase amplitude coupling. There was improvement in tic outcome following slight repositioning during bilateral DBS lead revision. This case provides preliminary evidence supporting the use of physiology to augment the atlas based targeting of Tourette DBS cases.
The AI Bookie: Place Your Bets: Adversarial Collaboration for Scientific Advancement

The AI Bookie column documents highlights from AI Bets, an online forum for the creation of adjudicatable predictions, in the form of bets, about the future of AI. While it is easy to make broad, generalized, or off-the-cuff predictions about the future, it is more difficult to develop predictions that are carefully thought out, concrete, and measurable. This forum was created to help researchers craft predictions whose accuracy can be clearly and unambiguously judged when the bets come due. The bets will be documented both online and regularly in this column. We encourage bets that are rigorously and scientifically argued. We discourage bets that are too general to be evaluated or too specific to an individual or institution. The goal is not to continue to feed the media frenzy and outsized pundit predictions about AI, but rather to curate and promote bets whose outcomes will provide useful feedback to the scientific community. For detailed guidelines and to place bets, visit sciencebets.org.
Objectivity and orgasm: the perils of imprecise definitions

Lloyd (The case of the female orgasm: bias in the science of evolution, Harvard University Press, Harvard, 2005) analyzes every proposed evolutionary explanation of female orgasm and argues that all but one suffers from serious evidential errors. Lloyd attributes these errors to two main biases: androcentrism and adaptationism. This paper begins by arguing that the explanation Lloyd favors—the by-product account—is guilty of the androcentrism which supposedly implicates the other explanations of female orgasm with numerous evidential discrepancies. This suggests that there is another error afflicting orgasm research in addition to the biases Lloyd identities. I attempt to diagnose and characterize this additional error. In short, I think the error is using an imprecise definition of the trait in question. Further, Lloyd takes her analysis to support Longino’s (Science as social knowledge: values and objectivity in scientific inquiry, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1990) contextual empiricist model of scientific objectivity. I consider what implications this analysis has for contextual empiricism. Finally, I argue that theorizing about female orgasm should be done from a conceptual engineering approach.
Underrepresented minority representation trends in gynecologic oncology fellowships in the United States.

Abstract Objective To evaluate representation trends of historically underrepresented minority (URM) groups in gynecologic oncology fellowships in the United States using a nationwide database collected by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Methods Data on self-reported ethnicity/race of filled residency positions was collected from ACGME Database Books across three academic years from 2016 to 2019. Primary chi-square analysis compared URM representation in gynecologic oncology to obstetrics and gynecology, other surgical specialties, and other medical specialties. Secondary analysis examined representation of two URM subgroups: 1) Asian/Pacific Islander, and 2) Hispanic, Black, Native American, Other (HBNO), across specialty groups. Results A total of 528 gynecologic oncology positions, 12,559 obstetrics and gynecology positions, 52,733 other surgical positions, and 240,690 other medical positions from ACGME accredited medical specialties were included in analysis. Primary comparative analysis showed a statistically significant lower proportion (P Conclusions This study illustrates the disparities in URM representation, especially those who identify as HBNO, in gynecologic oncology fellowship training in comparison to obstetrics and gynecology as well as other medical and surgical fields. Improvements to the current recruitment and selection practices in gynecologic oncology fellowships in the United States are necessary in order to ensure a diverse and representative workforce.
Tinnitus and auditory cortex; Using adapted functional near-infrared-spectroscopy to expand brain imaging in humans.

Objectives Phantom sound perception (tinnitus) may arise from altered brain activity within auditory cortex. Auditory cortex neurons in tinnitus animal models show increased spontaneous firing rates. This may be a core characteristic of tinnitus. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has shown similar findings in human auditory cortex. Current fNIRS approaches with cap recordings are limited to ∼3 cm depth of signal penetration due to the skull thickness. To address this limitation, we present an innovative fNIRS approach via probes adapted to the external auditory canal. The adapted probes were placed deeper and closer to temporal lobe of the brain to bypass confining skull bone and improve neural recordings. Methods Twenty adults with tinnitus and 20 nontinnitus controls listened to periods of silence and broadband noise (BBN) during standard cap and adapted ear canal fNIRS neuroimaging. The evaluators were not blinded, but the protocol and postprocessing for the two groups were identical. Results Standard fNIRS measurements in participants with tinnitus revealed increased auditory cortex activity during silence that was suppressed during auditory stimulation with BBN. Conversely, controls displayed increased activation with noise but not during silence. Importantly, adapted ear canal fNIRs probes showed similar hemodynamic responses seen with cap probes in both tinnitus and controls. Conclusions In this proof of concept study, we have successfully fabricated, adapted, and utilized a novel fNIRS technology that replicates established findings from traditional cap fNIRS probes. This exciting new innovation, validated by replicating previous and current cap findings in auditory cortex, may have applications to future studies to investigate brain changes not only in tinnitus but in other pathologic states that may involve the temporal lobe and surrounding brain regions. Level of evidence NA.
Decorin-mediated suppression of tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis in inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a clinically distinct and highly aggressive form of breast cancer with rapid onset and a strong propensity to metastasize. The molecular mechanisms underlying the aggressiveness and metastatic propensity of IBC are largely unknown. Herein, we report that decorin (DCN), a small leucine-rich extracellular matrix proteoglycan, is downregulated in tumors from patients with IBC. Overexpression of DCN in IBC cells markedly decreased migration, invasion, and cancer stem cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in IBC xenograft mouse models. Mechanistically, DCN functioned as a suppressor of invasion and tumor growth in IBC by destabilizing E-cadherin and inhibiting EGFR/ERK signaling. DCN physically binds E-cadherin in IBC cells and accelerates its degradation through an autophagy-linked lysosomal pathway. We established that DCN inhibits tumorigenesis and metastasis in IBC cells by negatively regulating the E-cadherin/EGFR/ERK axis. Our findings offer a potential therapeutic strategy for IBC, and provide a novel mechanism for IBC pathobiology. Xiaoding Hu et al. find that expression of the proteoglycan decorin is decreased in patients with inflammatory breast cancer compared to normal breast tissue and some other types of breast cancer. They demonstrate that decorin acts as a tumor suppressor in cancer cells and human xenograft mouse models by destabilizing the E-cadherin-EGFR signaling axis, and their findings suggest potential therapeutic strategies for this aggressive breast cancer.
Detecting time lag between a pair of time series using visibility graph algorithm

Estimating the time lag between a pair of time series is of significance in many practical applications. In this article, we introduce a method to quantify such lags by adapting the visibility grap...
The Supportive Care Needs of Primary Caregivers of Lung Transplant Candidates.

Abstract Context Caring for people with advanced illness has an impact on caregivers’ physical, psychological, and emotional health. Patients being evaluated for lung transplantation or those on the transplant waitlist are required to have identified social support. However, little is known about the caregivers’ specific supportive care needs. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the supportive care needs of informal caregivers of patients who are being evaluated for or awaiting lung transplantation. Methods A cross sectional survey of the caregivers of lung transplant candidates using the Carers’ Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) was conducted. Results The sample (n = 78) included caregivers from a single-center academic institution in the United States. Participants were predominantly Caucasian and female, mean age 58 years (SD:13). Most were the patient's spouse or partner and over half reported needs in the following areas: what to expect in the future; who to call with healthcare concerns; financial, legal and work issues; and caregivers’ feelings and worries. When asked if they need more support in these areas, up to one-third indicated they needed “quite a bit more” or “very much more,” with substantial needs regarding what to expect in the future, who to call with healthcare concerns, and financial, legal, or work issues. Conclusion A substantial portion of lung transplant caregivers express need for more support. Future research should focus on testing strategies to promote regular assessment of these needs and examining the effectiveness of interdisciplinary interventions to address them.
Forecasting Real-Time Economic Activity Using House Prices and Credit Conditions

Using real-time data from 1985:Q1-2017:Q3 and simple VAR models, we show that there is substantial pay-off in combining credit supply indicators with house prices for forecasting real economic activity in the U.S. Consistent with the findings in the literature, we show that the forecasts from a bivariate VAR model of real activity and credit conditions dominate the forecasts from univariate model of real activity. The most interesting finding of the paper is that once real house price growth is added to the bivariate VAR model of real activity and credit conditions, the forecasting performance improves significantly. The forecasts from the model that contains credit supply indicator and real house price growth are also competitive with the forecasts of the Survey of Professional Forecasters. These results provide further evidence in support of the recent theoretical and empirical research on dynamic relationship between housing market and credit conditions and its role in explaining real economic activity fluctuations in the US.
Non-interoperability detection for routing protocol implementations

Network routing protocols help individual routers learn the network topology and select efficient routes, but the standards describing these protocols often contain ambiguous specifications. The abstract nature of the standards allows different implementations of the same routing protocol to have various interpretations of the specifications, causing them to experience non-interoperabilities when running in parallel. We present a technique for detecting such non-interoperabilities through specification mining for packet causal relationships.
Position Paper for Workshop on "Requirements for e-Science Collaboration"

This position paper specifically addresses questions #1 and #5 in the call for participation in the workshop. The proposed response to question #5 is presented first because it has a major impact on the proposed response to question #1. Question #5 - How can technological devices be integrated and deployed in ways that best support scientific practice? Question #1 - What demands does this new domain place on requirements for collaboration?
Genetic Manipulation of the Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia hermsii Permits Novel Investigation into the Role of Factor H Binding in Borrelial Virulence

GENETIC MANIPULATION OF THE RELAPSING FEVER SPIROCHETE BORRELIA HERMSII PERMITS NOVEL INVESTIGATION INTO THE ROLE OF FACTOR H BINDING IN BORRELIAL VIRULENCE By Lindy M. Fine, B.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Director: Richard T. Marconi, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Borrelia hermsii, an etiologic agent of tick-borne relapsing fever, binds negative complement regulator factor H (FH) via its FhbA protein. Direct demonstration of the role of FhbA in the disease process has been hindered by the lack of genetic manipulation systems for the relapsing fever Borrelia. Here, we demonstrate successful generation of a B. hermsii strain YOR fhbA deletion mutant (Bh YORΔfhbA) that constitutively produces green fluorescent protein (GFP). Genetic manipulation did not affect growth rate or plasmid composition. Bh YORΔfhbA lost factor H-binding and C3b-inactivation capabilities, but retained resistance to killing in human serum and infectivity in mice. Stable production of GFP was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these results suggest that B. hermsii employs an unidentified mechanism of complement evasion that is FH-independent and sufficient for persistence within the host. Additionally, this study represents a significant methodological advancement in the molecular characterization of relapsing fever spirochetes.
Agents and New Directions

In this chapter, computer simulation approaches in addition to discrete event simulation are described. The focus is primarily on agent-based modeling which is defined as the activity of simulating system-wide properties as they derive from the actions and interactions of autonomous entities. This contrasts with system dynamics and other differential equation-based modeling including finite element methods (FEM). In FEMs, e.g., there are relatively few entities and the interplay of physical or cognitive forces dominates.
Nuevas tendencias de protección laboral y social y sus posibilidades para Colombia

El desempleo y la baja cobertura de seguridad social son dos males que aquejan a los colombianos. Este articulo explora las consecuencias que ha tenido el sistema de proteccion social en Colombia, donde la mayoria de los beneficios estan atados a los empleos en el sector formal de la economia. Para ello, se hace un diagnostico de las principales caracteristicas del mercado laboral colombiano, entre las que se destacan el mal uso que se hace en el pais de los recursos laborales, las altas condiciones de seguridad que tienen los empleados formales y la estabilidad de los salarios reales. Una reforma integral, que cubra bajo el mismo proceso politico al sistema tributario, al sistema pensional y al sistema de proteccion social, es un camino promisorio para superar los inconvenientes generados por tales caracteristicas.
Zooplankton and Micronekton Distribution and Interaction with Predators at the Northwest Atlantic Shelf Break and its Canyons

Abstract : Our long-term goal is to address the interaction of physical and biological processes determining the distribution, abundance, and community composition of zooplankton and micronekton and their association with predators (including marine mammals, seabirds, and fish) at the northwest Atlantic continental shelf break and its canyons, inclusive of the role of inter-annual variability and the effects of Gulf Stream warm-core rings. In the mid- to long-term, we anticipate addressing these topics via inter-disciplinary projects integrating our work on lower trophic levels with that of colleagues with expertise in top predator ecology, physical oceanography, ocean acoustics, and bio-physical modeling.
Accent classification in speech

Apart form the word content and identity of a speaker; speech also conveys information about several soft biometric traits such as accent and gender. Accurate classification of these features can have a direct impact on present speech systems. An accent specific dictionary or word models can be used to improve accuracy of speech recognition systems. Gender and accent information can also be used to improve the performance of speaker recognition systems. In this paper, we distinguish between standard American English and Indian Accented English using the second and third formant frequencies of specific accent markers. A GMM classification is used on the feature set for each accent group. The results show that using just the formant frequencies of these accent markers is sufficient to achieve a suitable classification for these two accent groups.
Tissue freezing. A theory for injury and survival.

Summary A theory, based on alterations of intra- and extracellular water is presented to explain the mechanisms of cellular damage by freezing and the effects of cryoprotective agents. The concepts are based on recent developments in knowledge of the physical chemistry of water and on histological studies of frozen tissues. Bound water in the form of lattices seems to be essential to cell integrity, especially protein structure and function. The cellular morphological changes during freezing and the physical events of crystallization suggest that cellular membranes are preserved during slow freezing because of increased stability of the lattice structures. Death in freezing seems to occur primarily as a result of extraction of bound water from vital cellular structures. The extracted water, incorporated into growing ice crystals, leaves proteins dehydrated and denatured. During rapid freezing, intracellular ice formation consumes not only the free water but also portions of the bound water, thereby weakening the lattice structures. Rapid freezing can both physically derange the membranes and promote their denaturation with subsequent breakdown. If the lattice structures are left intact during freezing, intracellular ice formation does not result in death. Agents protecting cells during freezing probably act by inducing additional lattice or clathrate formation, either intracellularly or extracellularly. Much of the free water of the cellular environment is thus structuralized, being available for dissolved electrolytes but reducing the amount available for hexagonal ice formation.
Co-scheduling with user-settable reservations

As grid computing becomes more commonplace, so does the importance of coscheduling these geographically distributed resources. Negotiating resource management and scheduling decisions for these resources is similar to making travel arrangements: guesses are made and then remade or confirmed depending on the availability of resources. This “Travel Agent Method” serves as the basis for a production scheduler and metascheduler suitable for making travel arrangements for a grid. This strategy is more easily implemented than centralized metascheduler because arrangements can be made without requiring control over the individual schedulers for each resource: the reservations are set by users or automatically by negotiating with each local scheduler's user settable interface. The Generic Universal Remote is a working implementation of such a system and proves that a user-settable reservation facility on local schedulers in a grid is sufficient to enable automated metascheduling.
Turbo decoding of error control coded and unitary precoded OFDM

This paper addresses the design of a novel scheme that combines error control coding (EC) and unitary precoding (UP) in order to obtain high diversity gains in OFDM systems with low complexity. The overall diversity of the proposed system is shown to be the product of the individual diversities achievable by the error control coding and by the unitary precoding, while the complexity is just a linear multiple of the sum of their individual complexities. In a practical HiperLan/2 setup, the proposed system achieves a gain of 4 dB, (3.3 dB), at a bit error rate (BER) of 10/sup -3/, relative to conventional OFDM systems that only deploy convolutional (turbo) coding.
Reconstruction of three-dimensional structures from sectioned helices by deconvolution of partial data

Abstract A procedure is developed and illustrated for calculating a complete three-dimensional helix structure from projection images of sectioned helices, and an analysis is made of the errors which are produced in a reconstruction as a result of errors in the projected data. Techniques are presented for determining the location of planes of sectioning and for locating the helix axis, using one image of a sectioned helix. Strategies are discussed for using sectioned helices to provide three-dimensional information most efficiently.
Effect of Electrolyte Volume on the Acid Dissolution of Aluminum Alloy 7075

Abstract Dissolution of aluminum alloy 7075 (UNS A97075) was studied using weight-loss measurements in a series of hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions varying in concentration from 0.5 M to 2 M. The ...
The role of NADH-NADPH oxidase activity in the leukocyte function of burned patients

Irreversible sepsis, in spite of advancements in topical therapy and antimicrobial agents, remains the leading cause of death in major thermal injury. A defect in intracellular bactericidal capacity in leukocytes from severely burned patients appears to correspond with increases in bacterial wound colonization and ultimate sepsis. This leukocyte defect has been demonstrated by abnormally low nitroblue tetrazolium reduction (NBT) and oxygen consumption of white cells in patients with major thermal injury. The subcellular mechanisms responsible for decreased bactericidal capacity were therefore investigated. Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and nicotinamide-adenine phosphodinucleotide (NADPH) oxidase activity was measured in patients with major burns, controls (normals), and in patients with nonburn stress or infection. NADH and NADPH oxidase levels in leukocytes from burn patients were not significantly different from those of normal non-challenged controls but were significantly lower than the leukocyte values found in the patients with nonburn infections or stress. This NADH and NADPH defect in the subcellular leukocyte fraction suggests that it may be a significant factor in the reduced bactericidal function of the intact leukocyte in thermally injured patients.
Flexible graphene bio-nanosensor for lactate.

Abstract The development of a flexible nanosensor for detecting lactate could expand opportunities for using graphene, both in fundamental studies for a variety of device platforms and in practical applications. Graphene is a delicate single-layer, two-dimensional network of carbon atoms with ultrasensitive sensing capabilities. Lactic acid is important for clinical analysis, sports medicine, and the food industry. Recently, wearable and flexible bioelectronics on plastics have attracted great interest for healthcare, sports and defense applications due to their advantages of being light-weight, bendable, or stretchable. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the development of a flexible graphene-based bio-nanosensor to detect lactate. Our results show that flexible lactate biosensors can be fabricated on a variety of plastic substrates. The sensor can detect lactate sensitively from 0.08 μM to 20 μM with a fast steady-state measuring time of 2 s. The sensor can also detect lactate under different mechanical bending conditions, the sensor response decreased as the bending angle and number of bending repetitions increased. We anticipate that these results could open exciting opportunities for fundamental studies of flexible graphene bioelectronics by using other bioreceptors, as well as a variety of wearable, implantable, real-time, or on-site applications in fields ranging from clinical analysis to defense.
Intra- and Interindividual Variability in Sodium Intake in Normal Subjects and in Patients With Renal Insufficiency

To elucidate patterns of dietary sodium ingestion in free-living subjects, we collected 26 consecutive 24-hour urine specimens in 18 subjects who had not received instructions to limit the sodium content of their diets, and who were not aware that sodium intake would be estimated from the collections. Nine subjects with plasma creatinine values 2 mg/dl had a mean 24-hour UNaV of 108 mEq/d (P
Private troubles and public issues: providing abortion amid competing definitions.

Abstract Sixteen years after the Supreme Court liberalized abortion policy, the United States continues to debate two competing and seemingly irreconcileable definitions of abortion. The experience of those who provide abortion has received relatively little research attention despite this unique set of historical circumstances. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study of 130 abortion workers (physicians, nurses and counselors). The data suggest that, despite formal beliefs about abortion rights, the situated experience of providing legal abortion evokes a range of abortion definitions. Seven central definition themes were cited repeatedly by the respondents: abortion as a woman's right, a destructive act, part of the practitioner's work, a technical procedure, a positive act, murder and an irresponsible act. Respondents perceived each definition to fit within one of three fixed and familiar perspectives: medical, pro-choice or pro-life. Each perspective was understood to have its own exclusive meanings, vocabulary and imagery which automatically remanded the situated definitions to a broader social context. Each definition of abortion was seen to define the event itself as well as to impute specific meaning and differential value to what is aborted, the woman terminating her pregnancy, the nature of abortion work and the role of the practitioner. These definition components were perceived to be specific, codified and mutually exclusive within the different definition themes. They also were found to be linked to expected and specified feelings. The co-existence of feelings or definitions that were perceived as consistent was hardly noted by respondents. However, situated definitions perceived as inconsistent with formal beliefs did not fit the respondents' expectations. If the challenging feeling or definition could not be located within the practitioner's understanding of the configured components of a comfortable definition, the result was the uncomfortable co-existence of competing definitions. This type of ambivalence was found to be familiar and consistently disturbing to study respondents. Practitioners frequently connected their personal ambivalence to dramatic social outcomes. This perception led to a private and anguished ambivalence and drove attempts to resolve it underground. Practitioners reported its interference with quality of care and willingness to participate in abortion work. Respondents seldom saw the way in which ambivalence about abortion work may be socially caused: created and maintained by the promotion, assimilation and institutionalization of simplistic and competing definitions of abortion. Their experience points to the urgent need for fuller, more resonant frameworks within which to deliver abortion services.
Women’s sociological research and writing in the AJS in the pre-World War II era

Recent revisionist scholarship on the history of sociology suggests that women scholars in the pre-World War II era made distinctive contributions to the development of the field of sociology. Most research, however, has focused on women prominent in their era, whose works might or might not be typical of all women who published during the same periods. Furthermore, few studies have made explicit comparisons between works by women and by men writing in this same era, so it has been difficult to sort out gender effects from historical era effects. This study explores writings by women and men in the first volumes of the American Journal of Sociology, from 1895 through 1940. As the oldest continuously published sociology journal in the U.S., AJS played a central role in the development of American sociology. We find that women authors were present in AJS from the earliest days, though their share of authorships never was large, and fluctuated year by year. Women’s work was distinctively different from that of men, with more women than men writing empirical, evidence-based articles, focusing on women, children, immigrants, the poor, and other have-not groups, and advocating for social reform. Writings of rank-and-file and prominent women sociologists were similar in methods, content, and form, and their distinctive contributions to sociology paralleled many of the concerns of feminist sociologists today.
Sedimentology and paleoecology of middle and upper eocene carbonate shoreline sequences, Crystal River, Florida, U.S.A.

Abstract Petrographic analyses of six cores penetrating the Inglis and Avon Park Formations, from Crystal River, Florida, U.S.A., reveal a general regressive—transgressive cycle, aerial exposure and diagenesis. Three distinct lithofacies are represented: (I) biomicrite—poorly washed biosparite; (II) dolomitized biopelmicrite—biosparite and algal dololithite; and (III) pellet- and intraclast-bearing biosparite. These lithofacies were deposited under shallow-marine conditions, at times even above the strand line. Lithofacies I was deposited in a shallow basin partly covered by marine grasses and dasyclad algae. Lithofacies II was deposited in the supratidal and intertidal zones and closely resembles the sedimentary characteristics of Holocene mud-flat deposits. Lithofacies III is the shallow-marine counterpart of the supratidal dolostone of lithofacies II and can be compared with a Holocene bank environment. This study illustrates the importance of Holocene analogues in determining and interpreting environments and demonstrates the need to consider sedimentary processes, both physical and biological, which operate in these zones.
A 5V output voltage boost switching converter with hybrid digital and analog PWM control

This paper proposes a Boost DC-DC switching converter with a 5V output voltage. By operating in CCM mode, it combines a digital pulse width modulator (DPWM) with a conventional analog pulse width modulator to enhance the input range and reduce the inductor inrush current greatly. With the DPWM technique, the boost converter can operate at an input voltage from 1.2V to 4.2V, while generating a output voltage up to 5V in TSMC 0.25um 5.0V CMOS technology. The measured peak efficiency of the switching converter is up to 97%.
Pulsus Alternans Caused by 2:1 Left Bundle Branch Block

Pulsus alternans was caused by 2:1 left bundle branch block in a patient with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50% and normal coronary arteries. The observations documented the profound depressant hemodynamic effect of complete left bundle branch block in the setting of minimal systolic left ventricular function.
Social and Behavioral Correlates of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Objectives:To review the social and behavioral correlates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in the light of the renewed interest in the transmission dynamics of communicable diseases, the new emphasis on health care seeking and health service provision, and increased attention to contextual and p
Human Rights and Labor Solidarity: Trade Unions in the Global Economy

Susan L. Kang, Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012, 360 pp. Labor rights is a category of human rights in which we can see clearly that human rights have an individual and a co...
Observations on cataract formation in the newborn offspring of rats fed a high-galactose diet.

A high incidence of cataracts has been demonstrated in the newborn of Sprague-Dawley rats fed a 40 per cent galactose diet. Galactose present in maternal blood has rapid and extensive access to the fetal circulation. These findings if extrapolated to man offer strong evidence for in utero damage of a galactosemic fetus.
Effect of delayed placement on the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted with broiler chickens to evaluate the effect of delayed placement on reused litter and the isolation of Campylobacter jejuni. The experiment also assessed the presence of C. jejuni in the crop following feed withdrawal periods in cages vs floor environments. Trial 1 utilized 320 female broiler chicks obtained from a commercial hatchery. The chicks were randomly placed into the following experimental groups that were replicated four times with 20 chicks per pen: 1) 0-h, 2) 24-h, 3) 48-h, and 4) 72-h delayed placement. Fecal samples were collected via the cloaca at 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of age; enriched in Bolton broth; and plated onto BBL agar. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated at 1 wk of age in the 48- and 72-h experimental groups but did not differ significantly from the others. Sampling results at 14 d of age showed that 63, 68, 73, and 80% of chicks were positive for the 0-, 24-, 48-, and 72-h treatments, respectively. At 28 d of age, 100% of all chicks sampled tested positive. In Trial 2, 60 market age broilers were evaluated for the presence of C. jejuni in the crop by subjecting them to 0-, 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-h feed withdrawal times on litter or in wire cages. Crops were collected aseptically from the broilers, stomached, enriched in Bolton broth, and then plated on BBL agar. There were no significant (P < 0.05) differences between cage and floor withdrawal times for the presence of C. jejuni in the crop samples of broilers; however, there were significant differences in the length of withdrawal on the presence of C. jejuni. Collectively, these results suggested that the isolation of C. jejuni occurred earlier in broilers that were subjected to delayed placement on reused litter and that extended feed withdrawal times in cages or on litter may increase the possibility that the crop of broilers may contain a higher isolation rate of C. jejuni.
Eimeria aurati n. sp. (Protozoa:Eimeriidae) from Goldfish (Carassius auratus) in North America

SYNOPSIS. Eimeria aurati n. sp. is described from the intestine of the goldfish, Carassius auratus, from Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Oocysts were very numerous in long, whitish, opaque fecal casts. They were 16 to 24 by 14 to 17 μ (mean, 20.1 by 16.3) and were non-sporulated when passed but sporulated 2 to 5 days later.
Peptide inhibitors of pulmonary angiotensin I converting enzyme.

Abstract A number of peptides have been found to inhibit a particulate angiotensin I converting enzyme preparation from rabbit lung; bradykinin-potentiating peptide C, bradykinin, and methionyl-lysyl-bradykinin inhibit competitively. The latter two peptides are hydrolyzed by the converting enzyme preparation; bradykinin-potentiating peptide C is not. Thus, it is possible that although bradykinin and methionyl-lysyl-bradykinin do compete with angiotensin I for the active site of the converting enzyme, they may not be hydrolyzed while bound to this enzyme. The converting enzyme activity is Cl− dependent; bradykininase is independent of the presence of Cl−; therefore, there does seem to be some distinction between converting enzyme activity and bradykininase activity.
Current techniques of adenoidectomy

The presence of the adenoids remained undiscovered until the mid 1800s. Today, adenoidal pathology is recognized as a very common cause of morbidity in children. Surgical removal of the adenoids remains one of the most common procedures performed within our specialty. The location of the adenoids within the nasopharynx has led to the development of many instruments and techniques to facilitate their removal. All are premised on the adequate removal of the adenoidal tissue without damage to surrounding structures. The authors present a review of traditional and more recent approaches to adenoidectomy.
Giardia lamblia: stimulation of growth by human intestinal mucus and epithelial cells in serumfree medium.

Giardia lamblia trophozoites specifically colonize the upper human small intestine which is normally serumfree but have been grown in vitro only in medium supplemented with serum or serum fractions. Recently, we demonstrated that biliary lipids will support the growth of G. lamblia without added serum. Now, we report that human duodenal jejunal mucus stimulates growth of Giardia in medium with biliary lipids. Stimulation by mucus was enhanced by inclusion of chymotrypsin or crude pancreatic proteases. Coculture of trophozoites with human intestinal epithelial cells also promoted growth, especially in the presence of mucus and/or biliary lipids. With biliary lipids alone, the mean increase in cell number was 3.2 fold and in the presence of mucus 8 fold (P < 0.01) in 24 serial subcultures. Our demonstration that human intestinal mucus and epithelial cells promote serumfree growth of G. lamblia may help to explain specific colonization of the small intestine by G. lamblia.
Mixed effects of TGF-β on human airway epithelial-cell chemokine responses

We investigated chemokine responses of human airway epithelial cells to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta alone and in combination with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha or interferon (IFN)-gamma. TGF-beta selectively induced production of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) without significant coordinate expression of IL-8 or RANTES. TNF-alpha induced expression of both IL-8 and GM-CSF, without detectable production of RANTES. TGF-beta synergistically enhanced GM-CSF production with TNF-alpha, but suppressed production and release of IL-8. IFN-gamma induced RANTES production and release; TGF-beta synergistically enhanced RANTES release induced by IFN-gamma, but had no effect on RANTES mRNA production. Taken together, these data demonstrate that TGF-beta may play a pivotal role in the responsiveness of airway epithelial cells to chemotactic cytokines, by selectively enhancing GM-CSF and RANTES production while suppressing IL-8 production. This profile of chemokine responses promoted by TGF-beta would favor eosinophil, lymphocyte and monocyte recruitment, hallmarks of chronic and allergic inflammation, over neutrophil sequestration.