cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 489: Hydrogen Peroxide Stimulates Renin Release From Mouse Juxtaglomerular Cells by Enhancing cAMP

Renin plays an essential role in blood pressure control and the development of hypertension. Enhanced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in the kidney are associated with hypertension enhancing tubular salt transport and vascular reactivity. However, it is not known whether H2O2 can directly stimulate renin release from renal juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. Since cAMP is one of the most potent signaling messengers for renin release, we hypothesized that H2O2 stimulates renin release by enhancing cAMP production in JG cells. Primary cultures of mouse JG cells were treated for 60 min with different agonists and inhibitors and renin released to the supernatant measured by radioimmunoassay. We first tested the effect of decreasing endogenous H2O2 with catalase. Catalase (100U/ml) blunted baseline renin release by 45±9% ( n = 6; p < 0.05) indicating that endogenously produced H2O2 tonically stimulates renin release. We then tested the effect of exogenous H2O2 for 60 min on renin release. Physiological concentrations of H2O2 (0.1 and 1μM) increased renin release by 101±43% ( p = 0.08) and 166±47% ( p < 0.04), respectively. To assure that exogenous H2O2 crosses the plasma membrane to activate signaling, we monitored intracellular H2O2 with a genetically encoded sensor (Hyper). We found that addition of exogenous H2O2 enhanced intracellular H2O2 within 5 minutes ( p < 0.02; n=5). cAMP is the most potent second messenger for stimulation of renin release. Thus, we tested whether H2O2 stimulates intracellular cAMP levels. For this, JG cells were transduced with a cAMP-sensitive FRET (CFP/YFP) probe (Epac2camps) and cAMP measured by confocal microscopy in real-time. Treatment of JG cells with H2O2 increased cAMP within 30 min as indicated by a 22±3% increase in FRET ( p < 0.03, n=3) whereas forskolin/IBMX (10μM/0.5mM) caused a maximal FRET stimulation of 44±13% ( p < 0.01; n=5). Inhibition of adenylyl cyclase with SQ22536 (100 μM) completely blocked H2O2-induced increase in cAMP (N.S from baseline; n=6). We concluded that H2O2 is a potent stimuli for renin release from mouse JG cells and this effect is most likely mediated by enhanced production of cAMP. Our data suggest that enhances renal cortical reactive oxygen species may induce hypertension by enhancing renin release.
The Neddylation Inhibitor Pevonedistat (MLN4924) Suppresses and Radiosensitizes Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cells and Tumors

The cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligase 4 (CRL4) with its substrate receptor CDT2 (CRL4-CDT2) is emerging as a critical regulator of DNA replication through targeting CDT1, SET8 and p21 for ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. The aberrant increased stability of these proteins in cells with inactivated CRL4-CDT2 results in DNA rereplication, which is deleterious to cells due to the accumulation of replication intermediates and stalled replication forks. Here, we demonstrate that CDT2 is overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its depletion by siRNA inhibits the proliferation of human papilloma virus negative (HPV-ve) HNSCC cells primarily through the induction of rereplication. Treatment of HNSCC with the NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor pevonedistat (MLN4924), which inhibits all cullin-based ligases, induces significant rereplication and inhibits HNSCC cell proliferation in culture and HNSCC xenografts in mice. Pevonedistat additionally sensitizes HNSCC cells to ionizing radiation (IR) and enhances IR-induced suppression of xenografts in mice. Induction of rereplication via CDT2 depletion, or via the stabilization or activation of CDT1, also radiosensitizes HNSCC cells. Collectively, these results demonstrate that induction of rereplication represents a novel approach to treating radioresistant HNSCC tumors and suggest that pevonedistat may be considered as an adjuvant for IR-based treatments.
Implementation of a Safe Patient Handling Program in a Multihospital Health System From Inception to Sustainability: Successes Over 8 Years and Ongoing Challenges

Musculoskeletal injuries, especially back injuries, are among the most frequent injuries sustained by direct caregivers who lift, transfer, and reposition patients. These injuries can be debilitating and, for some caregivers, career ending. In the first year following implementation of the safe patient handling program in a multihospital health care system, an 82% reduction in Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recordable patient handling injuries was realized, a 94% decrease in days away from work, an 85% reduction in restricted duty days, and an 82% reduction in incurred workers' compensation costs. These reductions have been sustained for an 8-year period since the program's implementation in 2008. The primary focus of the program's first year was training and education. Compliance and retraining efforts began in the second year, followed by a gradual transition to the present emphasis on sustainability. This article describes the development and implementation of a safe patient handling program in a multihospital health system and the impact on caregiver injuries over 8 years. Also presented are key strategies that were used to achieve sustainability.
Power is not Satisfaction: A Comment on de Soysa, Oneal, and Park

In an otherwise careful and thorough replication and reevaluation of empirical findings reported by Organski and Kugler (1980) and by Houweling and Siccama (1988), de Soysa, Oneal, and Park (1997) suggest that power transition theory suffers from a problematic interconnection between its two principal explanatory variables: relative power and status quo evaluations. We argue that there is no such problematic interconnection within the theory and demonstrate empirically that there is no such interconnection in reality. The article by de Soysa, Oneal, and Park (1997) is not about this problematic interconnection, and our comment is not exactly a critique of their work. We believe their empirical conclusions are correct. Rather, we comment on their misinterpretation of an existing theory. Such commentary is important, we believe, because the theory in question offers one of the more promising explanatory tools available to international relations scholars. We hope that de Soysa, Oneal, and Park's misrepresentation of power transition theory will not discourage researchers from working within the power transition tradition. We begin by quoting de Soysa, Oneal, and Park (1997, 512) at some length:
Long-Run Trends in Antidepressant Use Among Youths After the FDA Black Box Warning

Objective:In October 2004, the Food and Drug Administration directed pharmaceutical companies to issue a black box warning about the potential link between the use of antidepressants and suicidal i...
Abstract IA31: Precision prevention: Leveraging genomics to improve cancer control

Most tumors are incurable once they reach an advanced (e.g., metastatic) stage. Even for those cancers with effective treatment options, prevention has the greatest potential to reduce the burden of cancer in the general population. Prevention has great potential to reduce the burden of cancer before it can cause illness and death. However, not all individuals respond to prevention strategies in the same way: an individual9s unique genetic makeup and unique set of biological events that lead to cancer mean that each individual may require a personalized approach to prevention. Precision prevention can be defined as the use of biological, behavioral, socioeconomic, and epidemiological data to devise and implement strategies tailored to reducing cancer incidence and mortality in a specific individual or group of individuals. In order to develop a precision prevention approach, it is critical that we understand: 1) basic biology of early carcinogenesis (e.g., genomic susceptibility, drivers of cancer, timing of carcinogenic events, reversibility of biological events); 2) heterogeneity (e.g., Inter-individual differences in susceptibility and tumor phenotype, intra-tumor differences in terms of clonality and propensity to metastasize, and response to preventive interventions); 3) unintended Effects of preventive strategies; and 4) implementation and health economics of preventive interventions. The principles of precision prevention strategies include a focus on those individuals who are at highest risk of suffering or death from cancer (e.g., genetically high-risk individuals and individuals with pre-neoplasia), focus on interventions that are motivated by fundamental biological knowledge, have a favorable cost-benefit ratio, and benefit all populations, including underserved and minority groups. In order for precision prevention to be successful, research is required to generate fundamental knowledge about cancer etiology and mechanism through scientific discovery; develop novel prevention strategies based on these fundamental discoveries; improve existing prevention strategies by incorporating biological information, biomarkers, risk profiling, and molecular subtyping to optimize prevention efficacy; and understand and implement cost-effective prevention strategies in targeted populations who are most likely to benefit. Citation Format: Timothy R. Rebbeck. Precision prevention: Leveraging genomics to improve cancer control [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference: New Frontiers in Cancer Research; 2017 Jan 18-22; Cape Town, South Africa. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(22 Suppl):Abstract nr IA31.
Mechanism of phosphoribosyl-ubiquitination mediated by a single Legionella effector

Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification that regulates many cellular processes in eukaryotes1-4. The conventional ubiquitination cascade culminates in a covalent linkage between the C terminus of ubiquitin (Ub) and a target protein, usually on a lysine side chain1,5. Recent studies of the Legionella pneumophila SidE family of effector proteins revealed a ubiquitination method in which a phosphoribosyl ubiquitin (PR-Ub) is conjugated to a serine residue on substrates via a phosphodiester bond6-8. Here we present the crystal structure of a fragment of the SidE family member SdeA that retains ubiquitination activity, and determine the mechanism of this unique post-translational modification. The structure reveals that the catalytic module contains two distinct functional units: a phosphodiesterase domain and a mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase domain. Biochemical analysis shows that the mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase domain-mediated conversion of Ub to ADP-ribosylated Ub (ADPR-Ub) and the phosphodiesterase domain-mediated ligation of PR-Ub to substrates are two independent activities of SdeA. Furthermore, we present two crystal structures of a homologous phosphodiesterase domain from the SidE family member SdeD 9 in complexes with Ub and ADPR-Ub. The structures suggest a mechanism for how SdeA processes ADPR-Ub to PR-Ub and AMP, and conjugates PR-Ub to a serine residue in substrates. Our study establishes the molecular mechanism of phosphoribosyl-linked ubiquitination and will enable future studies of this unusual type of ubiquitination in eukaryotes.
A Generalization of Auslander's Last Theorem

Before his death, Auslander announced that every finitely generated module over a local Gorenstein ring has a minimal Cohen–Macaulay approximation. Yoshimo extended Auslander's result to local Cohen–Macaulay rings admitting a dualizing module.
Evidence for the Zipper Model in Tachykinin Receptor Binding

The kinetic effects of conformational selection will depend on the mechanism by which substance P (SP) binds to its receptor. There are two contrasting models which have been proposed for SP: (1) the ‘zipper’ model1; and (2) the ‘lock-and-key’ model2. To understand the binding mechanism in more detail, conformationally constrained analoqs involving the 5–11, 6–11, 5–9, and 5–10 segments were previously designed1,3,4,5 to duplicate the proposed conformation necessary for binding and signal transduction6,7,8,9. We now have prepared several restricted analogs to allow the 5–8 segment of SP free rotation while restricting the 9–11 C-terminal segment. These analogs demonstrate increased activity in the guinea pig ileum when compared to a previous series of analogs which were restricted from the Gln5 (or Gln6) position to the Met11 position1. Also, these analogs did not demonstrate any antagonist activity on the guinea pig ileum against SP or SK at 10 μM.
Supporting Online Faculty--Revisiting the Seven Principles (A Few Years Later)

Since 2005, the landscape of online teaching and learning has changed as well as the landscape of the academy, and continues to transform before our eyes. These changes are not only a product of technological innovation, but also a result of new and reconceptualized values of higher education, and so we must reexamine what changes to faculty role, position and perspectives best support these new values. Drawing on the Seven Principles of Good Practice, this article visits the need for effective faculty support and development in online education. Online education has forever transformed higher education, and we are learning that quality requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to the changing demands of learners, the new promises of technology, and the new competitive landscape of higher education. If higher education is to remain competitive, we must refocus and redesign our paradigms, as well as design business processes that integrate with quality assurance models.
Coadsorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide on nickel and platinum

In this note thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) results for two additional close-packed crystal faces, Pt(111) and Ni(111) are reported on and the latter compared with data for Ni(100). Like the close-packed Ru(001) surface, neither Ni(111) nor Pt(111) shows any evidence for new desorption states when CO is adsorbed on a H-saturated surface. In addition, recent work on Rh(111) shows evidence for segregation. From these results it is generalized that close-packed surfaces of transition metals, which do not readily dissociate CO, tend to form segregated islands while the more open faces, at least (100) Ni and Rh, tend to form mixed and attractively interacting overlayers when CO is adsorbed on H-precovered surfaces.
Burden and risk factors of diabetes and hyperglycemia in India: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

Background Diabetes, hyperglycemia, and their complications are a growing problem in India. However, no comprehensive picture of this disease burden has yet been presented to date. Methods I used aggregate data from the Global Burden of Disease 2016 to describe the burden of diabetes and its risk factors, chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to diabetes, and diseases caused by high fasting plasma glucose from 1990 to 2016 in India. Results Deaths due to diabetes accounted for 3.1% (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 2.9-3.3) of all deaths in India in 2016, up from 0.98% (95% UI: 0.87-1.1) of all deaths in 1990. Diabetes and hyperglycemia accounted for 27.5 million disability-adjusted life years in 2016, of which diabetes accounted for 10 million. Diabetes contributes to the causation of ischemic heart disease, stroke, CKD, peripheral artery disease, specific cancers, and tuberculosis via intermediate hyperglycemia. High body mass index, dietary factors (diet low in fruits, nuts and seeds, and whole grains), and tobacco use were the most important risk factors for diabetes. Conclusion Diabetes and CKD due to hyperglycemia pose a large and increasing burden in India. Urgent programs and policies are needed to reduce the identified risk factors for diabetes and its burden.
Direct AFM visualization of the nanoscale dynamics of biomolecular complexes

High-speed AFM (HS-AFM) is an advanced technique with numerous applications in biology, particularly in molecular biophysics. Developed as a time-lapse AFM technique for direct imaging fully hydrated biological molecules, HS-AFM is currently capable of visualizing the dynamics of biological molecules and their complexes at a video-data acquisition rate. Spatial resolution at the nanometer level is another important characteristic of HS-AFM. This review focuses on examples of primarily protein-DNA complexes to illustrate the high temporal and spatial resolution capabilities of HS-AFM that have resulted in novel models and/or the functional mechanisms of these biological systems.
Microstructure and Property-Based Statistically Equivalent Representative Volume Elements for Polycrystalline Ni-Based Superalloys Containing Annealing Twins

This paper has three major objectives related to the development of computational micromechanics models of Ni-based superalloys, containing a large number of annealing twins. The first is the development of a robust methodology for generating 3D statistically equivalent virtual polycrystalline microstructures (3D-SEVPM) of Ni-based superalloys. Starting from electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) images of sections, the method develops distributions and correlation functions of various morphological and crystallographic parameters. To incorporate twins in the parent grain microstructure, the joint probability of the number of twins and parent grain size, and the conditional probability distributions of twin thickness and twin distance are determined. Subsequently, a method is devised for inserting twins following the distribution functions. The overall methodology is validated by successfully comparing various statistics of the virtual microstructures with 3D EBSD data. The second objective is to establish the microstructure-based statistically equivalent representative volume element or M-SERVE that corresponds to the minimum SERVE size at which the statistics of any morphological or crystallographic feature converge to that of the experimental data. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) test is conducted to assess the convergence of the M-SERVE size. The final objective is to estimate the property-based statistically equivalent RVE or P-SERVE, defined as the smallest SERVE, which should be analyzed to predict effective material properties. The crystal plasticity finite-element model is used to simulate SERVEs, from which the overall material response is computed. Convergence plots of material properties including the yield strength and hardening rate are used to assess the P-SERVE. A smaller P-SERVE compared to the M-SERVE indicates that the characteristic features of twins implemented in determining the M-SERVE are more stringent than those for determining material properties.
Contrast sensitivity deficits in patients with mutation-proven inherited retinal degenerations

Patients with retinal diseases frequently complain of poor visual function even when visual acuity is relatively unaffected. This clinical finding has been attributed to deficits in contrast sensitivity (CS). The purpose of our study was to evaluate the CS in patients with clinical and genetic diagnosis of inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) and relatively preserved visual acuity. Seventeen patients (30 eyes) with IRD and visual acuity of 20/40 or better, and 18 controls (18 eyes) without any ocular condition underwent slit lamp examination, visual acuity testing via standard Snellen chart testing, CS testing via the Quick Contrast Sensitivity Function (QCSF), and Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT). CS were measured at 1.0, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0, and 18.0 cycles per degree (cpd). T tests with general estimated equations were used to compare CS between groups. Wald chi square followed by pairwise comparisons was used to compare CS between multiple groups. We included 12 patients with rod-cone dystrophy (RCD), 3 patients with Stargardt disease (STGD) and 2 patients with Best disease. Patients with IRD had significantly worse CS than controls (p < 0.001) in all spatial frequencies. Patients with STGD had more marked deficits in CS than patients with Best disease (p < 0.001) and RCD (p < 0.001) despite having similar visual acuities. Patients with IRD, especially patients with STGD with relatively preserved visual acuity have marked deficits in CS when measured across a range of spatial frequencies. We recommend that clinical trials for STGD incorporate CS measured over a range of spatial frequencies as a secondary clinical endpoint for monitoring visual function. CS may provide an explanation for complaints of visual dysfunction when visual acuity is not significantly altered.
Consumption of Animal Carcasses by the Putative Leaf Shredder Phylloicus mexicanus (Trichoptera: Calamoceratidae)

Caddisflies in the genus Phylloicus are often considered to be dominant shredders, or consumers of terrestrial leaf litter, in tropical and subtropical streams. However, few studies of their diet have been conducted in the field. In this article we report observational and stable isotope data demonstrating that Phylloicus mexicanus larvae also consume animal detritus in Ramsey Canyon, a montane headwater stream in southeastern Arizona. These data support the hypothesis that Phylloicus rely on animal material to meet nutritional demands and should be considered generalist detritivores rather than obligate consumers of leaf litter. Our work also suggests that the drought-driven loss of predatory Hemipterans, which leave behind animal carcasses after feeding, could exacerbate the effects of stream drying on Phylloicus populations.
Bias Compensation for UWB Ranging for Pedestrian Geolocation Applications

We present an effective bias compensation method to process none-line-of-sight (NLoS) and long distance line-of-sight (LD-LoS) ultra wideband (UWB) range measurement signals used to aid a pedestrian inertial navigation system (INS). The common UWB bias compensation techniques use machine learning methods to identify and remove the bias in the measurements. These techniques are computationally expensive and require extensive prior data. Here, we propose to use an algorithmic compensation technique that accounts for the bias by estimating it using the Schmidt–Kalman filter (SKF). Next, we exploit the positivity of the error in the UWB range measurements to propose a novel constrained sigma point based correction filtering that can be used atop the SKF for further improvement in the positioning accuracy of the UWB-aided pedestrian inertial navigation. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.
Pediatric Nurses' Role in Health Care Transition Planning: National Survey Findings and Practice Implications.

Abstract Purpose Youth and young adults (YYA) with chronic illness and/or disability (CID) face numerous challenges in transition from pediatric to adult health care. Established evidence supports interdisciplinary team approaches to preparing youth and families for transition and transfer. The purpose of this national survey was to address a gap in current knowledge specific to pediatric nursing professionals' roles and responsibilities in health care transition planning (HCTP). Methodology A quantitative descriptive study using a survey questionnaire validated by experts in the field investigated respondents' role in HCTP, inclusion of HCTP in job description, levels of HCTP knowledge, and ratings of importance of HCTP elements. A volunteer sample of 1814 respondents was drawn from two professional organizations. Results Over 64% of respondents performed HCTP activities related to complex chronic illness management. Only 18% reported specialized training in HCTP. The highest-ranking items in regard to perceived importance were educating and supporting disease self-management and speaking with families about complex needs. Predictors of perceived importance were role, inclusion of transition planning in a job description, percentage of time in direct care, caring for those aged 14 years and older, and level of knowledge about HCTP. Conclusions The findings highlight key aspects of the pediatric nurse role in HCTP and identify specific elements that can be addressed to support future HCTP role development. Practice implications Pediatric nurses perform a vital role in HCTP for YYA with CID that may be enhanced with the inclusion of HCTP activities in job descriptions and specialized interdisciplinary HCTP training related to this emerging and growing population.
Design of a pedagogical assembly language and classroom experiences

This paper describes the design of a new assembly language for the pedagogical environment. While there are many assembly languages to choose from, presented here is a systematic process to design an educational assembly language that satisfies the stated requirements. The language is compared to other commonly used languages using a set of well accepted criteria to measure the quality of a computer language. It is shown that the language is "well designed" using these metrics. In addition, the paper also describes two instructors' experiences using the language and a simulated computer in three courses: Assembly Language (CS-Assembly), Computer Organization (CS-Organization), and Programming Languages Design (CS-ProgLang).
Guest Edited Collection: Radioisotopes and radiochemistry in health science.

Radioisotopes can be produced artificially from stable nuclei through the interaction with particles or highly energetic photons. In combination with modern detection and counting techniques, radioisotopes and radiochemical methods uniquely contribute to the health sciences. This Collection showcases salient aspects of medical radioisotope science ranging from the production, recovery and purification of radioisotopes to the methods used to attach them to biomolecules. The Collection also presents studies that highlight the importance of radiochemistry in the assessment of environmental radioactivity.
Killing with Culture: Anthropology’s Ethical Dilemma with War

This article highlights the difficulty of creating a code of ethics in anthropology, particularly one that appropriately addresses the nuanced nature of the military and the anthropologists who con...
Modeling Metacomprehension Monitoring Accuracy with Eye Gaze on Informational Content in a Multimedia Learning Environment

Multimedia learning environments support learners in developing self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies. However, capturing these strategies and cognitive processes can be difficult for researchers because cognition is often inferred, not directly measured. This study sought to model self-reported metacognitive judgments using eye-tracking from 60 undergraduate students as they learned about biological systems with MetaTutorIVH, a multimedia learning environment. We found that participants’ gaze behaviors were different between the perceived relevance of the instructional content provided regardless of the actual content relevance. Additionally, we fit a cumulative link mixed effects ordinal regression model to explain reported metacognitive judgments based on content fixations, relevance, and presentation type. Main effects were found for all variables and several interactions between both fixations and content relevance as well as content fixations and presentation type. Surprisingly, accurate metacognitive judgments did not explain performance. Implication for multimedia learning environment design are discussed.
Neuromodulation for the Trigeminal Nerve

Trigeminal nerve pathologies can often be refractory to conservative treatments. The developing technology and techniques of neuromodulation offer possible treatment. Neuromodulation techniques including deep brain stimulation, motor cortex stimulation, high cervical spinal cord stimulation, occipital nerve stimulation, sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation, gasserian ganglion stimulation, and vagal nerve stimulation have been investigated for the treatment of multiple trigeminal pain pathologies. Data collected from prospective and retrospective observational trials as well as a small number of randomized control trials indicate that neuromodulation may offer a variety of viable and safe treatments. It is likely as technology, technique, and understanding of neuromodulation develops the therapies will be refined. Currently, data to compare efficacy and safety of neuromodulation techniques between each other and with traditional treatments is lacking. Although a promising possible treatment, more studies are needed.
Optimizing Early Neonatal Nutrition and Dietary Pattern in Premature Infants

Providing adequate amounts of all essential macro- and micronutrients to preterm infants during the period of extraordinarily rapid growth from 24 to 34 weeks’ postmenstrual age to achieve growth as in utero is challenging yet important, since early growth restriction and suboptimal neonatal nutrition have been identified as risk factors for adverse long-term development. Along with now well-established early parenteral nutrition, this review emphasizes enteral nutrition, which should be started early and rapidly increased. To minimize the side effects of parenteral nutrition and improve outcomes, early full enteral nutrition based on expressed mothers’ own milk is an important goal. Although neonatal nutrition has improved in recent decades, existing knowledge about, for example, the optimal composition and duration of parenteral nutrition, practical aspects of the transition to full enteral nutrition or the need for breast milk fortification is limited and intensively discussed. Therefore, further prospective studies on various aspects of preterm infant feeding are needed, especially with regard to the effects on long-term outcomes. This narrative review will summarize currently available and still missing evidence regarding optimal preterm infant nutrition, with emphasis on enteral nutrition and early postnatal growth, and deduce a practical approach.
Are the Collective Actions in the Romanian Fruits and Vegetable Sector a Mean to Access the Retail Chains

The agricultural sector – in particular, the fruits and vegetable sector – finds itself in a relatively weak negotiation position due to the low level of concentration from which farmers approach the market. This is a weakness that can only be overcome by resorting to collective actions, i.e. the creation of producer organizations (POs) and producers groups (PGs). The concentration of supply of POs is quite different in the member countries, Romania having about 1% of production concentrated by producers groups and producers organizations. In this paper it is analyzed the production (area, yield, number and size of fruits and vegetable farms) and the supply chain of fruit and vegetable sector in Romania. In addition the paper concentrates on the historical development of the POs and the role of the POs of the fruit and vegetable sector. It is important to clarify the impact of changes of the regulatory framework and the impact of the minimum requirements of the POs (minimum number of members, minimum value of marketed production) and the performance of producers and organizations groups.
Front-End Volatility Requirements of Late Model Cars at Intermediate Ambient Temperatures

The response of 1975-1981 model year vehicles to front-end fuel volatility was measured in a consumer survey carried out in Houston in the winter of 1981-82. Two hundred ten customers, approximating the car population for these years, were given gasolines varying in front-end volatility. Responses to these changes in volatility were measured by weekly telephone interviews with each customer. Results show that existing ASTM volatility specifications (Volatility Class E ASTM D 439) provides hot engine driveability protection at 68 degrees F (20.0 degrees C) and even greater protection below 68 degrees F. Sluggish performance (smooth acceleration but at a reduced rate) was the major hot driveability problem observed with fuels of high volatility, with occasional stalling, rough idle and poor hot start being significant but lesser problems. No vehicles suffered disabling vapor lock even on the most volatile fuel tested. Thus, the ASTM volatility specifications provide a significant measure of overprotection against the serious customer inconvenience and safety concerns associated with road stoppage. Incorporation of narrower temperature ranges and more volatility classes in the specifications would maintain the demonstrated high level of protection with no loss in performance and would allow gasoline refiners greater flexibility in utilizing high octane light ends.
Models and algorithms for network reduction

Abstract We study models and algorithms for a Network Reduction (NR) problem that entails constructing a reduced network in place of an existing large network so that the shortest path lengths between specified node pairs in this network are equal to or only slightly longer than the corresponding shortest path lengths in the original network. Solving this problem can be very useful both to accelerate shortest path calculations in many practical contexts and to reduce the size of optimization models that contain embedded shortest path problems. This work was motivated by a real problem of scheduling and routing resources to perform spatially dispersed jobs, but also has other applications. We consider two variants of the NR problem—a Min-Size NR problem that minimizes the number of arcs in the reduced network while ensuring that the shortest path lengths in this network are close to the original lengths, and a Min-Length NR problem that minimizes a weighted sum of shortest path lengths over all the specified node pairs while limiting the number of arcs in the reduced network. We model both problems as integer programs with multi-commodity flows, and propose optimization-based heuristic algorithms to solve them. These methods include preprocessing, a shortest path-based procedure with local improvement, and a dual ascent algorithm. We report on the successful applications to reduce the network for practical infrastructure project planning and to condense a transportation network for distribution planning. We also compare these solutions with those obtained using algorithms for minimum length trees.
The pediatric prenatal visit: a time for change?

Why shouldn9t a pediatric prenatal visit be recommended? After all, it initiates a relationship between the pediatrician and family, and from there, establishes a foundation for health education and anticipatory counseling so central to primary care. Serwint et al are to be commended for performing a much-needed study to determine if there is value in a prenatal pediatric visit. The relatively few published studies have largely been descriptive, survey data, or of a case-control design in which the focus has been narrow, eg, effect on breastfeeding only. By reporting on their randomized, controlled trial, Serwint and colleagues advance objective evidence on the effect of the prenatal pediatric visit to its next level.
Pineapple α- and β-d-Mannopyranosidases and Their Action on Core Glycopeptides

Abstract α- and β-d-Mannopyranosidases from crude pineapple bromelain were isolated and purified. The specificities of these enzymes were tested with synthetic and natural mannosides. The β-d-mannosidase completely released the terminal d-mannose from Man → GlcNAc → GlcNAc → Asn obtained from ovalbumin and Aspergillus oryzae α-amylase. The α-d-mannosidase was inactive toward the core glycopeptides. Physical data also support the presence of β-d-mannosyl linkage in the core glycopeptides.
Power variability and its impact on design

Power is emerging as the next grand challenge in integrated circuit design. Impact of increasing power consumption can be seen from handheld device all the way to design of high end server microprocessors. Total power consumption is increasingly governed by exponentially increasing leakage power in newer process technologies. Along with increase in power consumption, the industry is also facing growing issues with inherent environmental and process variations. This growing variability has a tremendous impact on power and power variability. We review various issues with power variability and its impact on design.
English-Russian Russian-English Medical Dictionary and Phrasebook

1. English-Russian Medical Dictionary 2. Russian-English Medical Dictionary a. Healthcare: common terms b. Emergency Medical Terminology c. Symptoms and Signs d. Environmental health hazards: common terms e. Bioterrorism terms f. Medical insurance terms g. Informed consent form terms h. Medical professions i. Hospital Units/clinics j. Systems of the human body k. Common names of internal organs l. Internal dieases and symptoms Allergology Cardiology Dentistry Endocrinology Infectious diseases Gastroenterology Gynecology/Obstetrics Nephrology/Urology Neurology Mental Health Oncology Orthopedics and Rheumatology Pediatrics Pulmonology * Disability-related terms * HIV/AIDS terminology * Preventive Screening Tests * Medication * Medical equipment * Diagnostic methods * List of therapies * List of surgical procedures * Patient medical history General Information Family history Past Medical History Personal and social history Spiritual history Symptoms Pain assessment Review of systems Ears/hearing Eyes/Vision Nose Mouth /Throat Teeth/Dental Neck Skin Blood Bones/Joints Heart Lung Stomach and intestines Kidney Liver/Gallbladder Urinary Tract Endocrine System Nervous System Mental Disorders Reproductive organs/Breast Glands Vaccination Rehabilitation Discharge Appendix List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes Medical Abbreviations
Assessment of Alternative Fuel Production from Switchgrass: An Example from Arkansas

As the hunt for renewable energy sources from agriculture intensifies, many agricultural producers are contemplating what crops to grow in the foreseeable future. On the one hand, there are traditional food crops, such as soybean, corn, and wheat, which have recently enjoyed a spike in prices, primarily because of the seemingly ever-growing demands of the corn to ethanol industry. On the other hand, there are the lesser-known perennial energy crops, such as switchgrass. Although much information on various aspects of switchgrass production exists, this paper discusses the adaptation of existing production and processing information to Arkansas conditions as a potential alternative to crop production.
Elective Taxation of Risk-Based Financial Instruments: A Proposal.

The current state of taxation of financial instruments is a mess. The rules are complicated, unfair, inconsistent, and patchwork; because Congress creates rules for new instruments in reaction to perceived abuses, there is no underlying policy or vision guiding the development of the rules.This Article proposes a unified regime for taxing financial instruments, one that will not require further amendment to the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") or to the Treasury regulations every time a new instrument is introduced, minimizes inefficiencies that lead to tax planning, and is simple to understand and implement.
Intestinal cell cycle regulation

The intestinal epithelium is maintained by a balance between proliferation, differentiation and death that occurs as cells migrate up the crypt-villus axis. Cell cycle regulators such as cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and Cdk inhibitory proteins are expressed in a distinct pattern along the crypt-villus structure, suggesting their role in controlling intestinal cells. This is supported by observations that these cell cycle proteins are regulated by growth factors, nutrients and cell-cell contact in cultured intestinal epithelial cells. One of the key regulators of intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation is transforming growth factor-β, which is expressed in the gut epithelium.
ID: 215: Batf is essential for IL-4 expression in T follicular helper cells

Apart from T helper (Th)-2 cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are a major class of IL-4 producing T cells, required for regulation of type 2 humoral immunity. Although the transcriptional control of IL-4 has been an area of extensive investigation, the precise regulation mechanism of IL-4 production in Tfh cells remains mainly unknown. In the current study, we found that the transcription factor Batf, a member of the AP-1/Jun family is essential for IL-4 expression in Tfh cells rather than in canonical Th2 cells. Functionally, Batf in cooperation with interferon regulatory factor (IRF)4 along with Stat3 and Stat6 trigger IL-4 production in Tfh cells by directly binding to and activation of the CNS2 region in the IL-4 locus. Additionally, Batf-to-c-Maf signaling is an important determinant of IL-4 expression in Tfh cells. We also found that in addition to IL-6/STAT3 signaling, IL-4-Stat6 axis could contribute to triggering Batf expression in Tfh cells. Importantly, IL-4-expressing Tfh cells could trigger an allergic inflammation, since deletion of Batf in Tfh cells leads to an IL-4 defect and protects mice from induction of allergic asthma. Our results thus indicate a novel and critical role of Batf in promoting the generation of pro-allergic IL-4 producing Tfh cells; Batf may be targeted in treating allergic inflammatory diseases.
Cognitive epidemiology of ethnic health and the CHRM2 vagal vigour hypothesis

Ethnic populations representing areas throughout California were compared regarding cognitive ability, socioeconomic position, and mortality. Cognition and socioeconomic position were inversely correlated with mortality. The single nucleotide polymorphism rs8191992 in the M2 muscarinic receptor gene (CHRM2) was previously linked to IQ and modulation of vagal tone. The CHRM2 vagal vigour hypothesis posits that variation at rs8191992 alters the binding site for a brain-expressed microRNA (hsa-mir-383) thereby changing expression of brain M2 muscarinic receptors to cause pleiotropic effects on cognition and vagus nerve signalling which then affects health via the vagal cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. This may help explain ethnic health differences, including the Hispanic Health Paradox, since ethnic differences in rs8191992 allele frequencies correspond to ethnic differences in systemic inflammation and mortality. The rs8191992 A-allele may contribute to the clustering of low IQ and low vagal tone with higher substance abuse, externalizing psychopathology, depression, systemic inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease.
The variety of TICCIT systems—an overview

MITRE's TICCIT program began in 1968 with the hypothesis that coupling television displays to a time-sharing computer system would result in a computer-based instruction system low enough in cost to permit schools to provide a significant quantity of individualized instruction to a large number of students. The subsequent TICCIT effort has demonstrated this hypothesis to be correct, and has led to the development of a model for this technology (See Figure I ) that has been shown by the ten TICCIT systems in operation and under construction to have a wide range of options which match a wide range of instructional and general purpose environments.
Catalytic oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol by a series of mononuclear manganese complexes: Synthesis, structure, and kinetic investigation

The manganese compounds [Mn(bpia)(OAc)(OCH3)](PF6) (1), [Mn(bipa)(OAc)(OCH3)](PF6) (2), [Mn(bpia)(Cl)2](ClO4) (3), [Mn(bipa)(Cl)2](ClO4) (4), [Mn(Hmimppa)(Cl)2]·CH3OH (5), and [Mn(mimppa)(TCC)]·2CHCl3 (6) (bpia = bis(picolyl)(N-methylimidazole-2-yl)amine; bipa = bis(N-methylimidazole-2-yl)(picolyl)amine; Hmimppa = ((1-methylimidazole-2-yl)methyl)((2-pyridyl)methyl)(2-hydroxyphenyl)amine; TCC = tetrachlorocatechol) were synthesized and characterized by various techniques such as X-ray crystallography, mass spectrometry, IR, EPR, and UV/vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and elemental analysis. 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic space group P1 (No. 2), 4 and 6 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P21/n (No. 14), and 5 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna21. Complexes 1−4 are structurally related to the proposed active site of the manganese-dependent extradiol-cleaving catechol dioxygenase exhibiting an N4O2 donor set (1 and 2) or N4Cl2 donor set (3 and 4). Cyclic voltammetric data sho...
Further Evidence for Teacher Knowledge: Supporting Struggling Readers in Grades Three through Five.

We report the results of a study with 30 teachers designed to examine the effects of teacher knowledge on the achievement of struggling readers. We worked with teachers of grades three, four, and five during a 10-day intervention focused on literacy instruction and related linguistic knowledge, and we assessed their students’ learning across the year. Hierarchical models of student outcomes indicated that lower-performing students in intervention classrooms showed significantly higher levels of performance at year end on all literacy measures, compared with their peers in control classrooms (n = 140). In addition, teacher’s linguistic knowledge was related to improved student performance, regardless of condition. Additional analyses including all students (n = 718) indicated that benefits for the lower performing students in intervention classrooms were shared by their classmates, but to a more limited extent.
A Method for Examining Productivity of Grammatical Morphology in Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show inconsistent use of grammatical morphology. Children who are developing language typically also show a period during which they produce grammatical morphemes inconsistently. Various theories claim that both young typically developing children and children with SLI achieve correct production through memorization of some inflected forms (M. Gopnik, 1997; M. Tomasello, 2000a, 2000b). Adapting a method introduced by C. Miller and L. Leonard (1998), the authors investigated the use of present tense third singular -s by 24 typically developing preschoolers and 36 preschoolers with SLI. Each group was divided into 2 mean length of utterance (MLU) levels. Group and individual data provided little evidence that memorization could explain the correct productions of the third singular morpheme for either children with SLI or typically developing children, and there was no difference between children with higher and lower MLUs.
Deterrence of Drinking-Driving - the Effect of Changes in the Kansas Driving Under the Influence Law

Abstract On July 1, 1982 a revised law governing the procedures and punishments for Driving Under the Influence went into effect in the state of Kansas. The revisions were expected to deter people from impaired driving and, thus, lower the number of traffic accidents. The effect of the law on fatal accidents was studied using time-series analysis. The same technique was used to investigate the effect of economic conditions and vehicle miles travelled on accidents. The law change was found to produce a significant decrease in fatalities. Changes in fatalities were not correlated with economic conditions. The effect of the law change persisted throughout the 18 month follow-up period. These results support deterrence theory, which predicts that the targeted behavior will decline with the perception, enhanced in this case by extensive media coverage, of increased certainty of punishment. The longevity of the effect differs from prior experiences, in which initial declines were followed by relatively rapid returns to pre-intervention rates. The duration of the deterrence effect may be a function of changes in public attitudes, changes in drinking-driving behaviors, or continued publicity concerning drinking and driving. This work highlights the importance of the study of local interventions, which can reveal effects that might be lost when state data are pooled for nationwide analyses.