cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diurnal Patterns of Pulsatile Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: Reproducibility and Responses to Opiate Blockade and an α2-Adrenergic Agonist*

The pattern of pulsatile GnRH secretion is abnormal in some women with hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA) consequent to previous exercise or weight loss. Both diminished frequency pulsatile LH secretion, and by inference GnRH secretion, and normal LH pulsatility have been reported. We assessed whether the patterns of GnRH secretion varied with time by measuring plasma LH every 15 or 20 min for 24 h on 1–3 occasions during a 10-month period in 14 women with HA (a total of 24 studies). During the day, mean LH pulse frequency [1.0 ± 0.1 (±se) pulses/8 h] was lower than that in normal women in the early follicular phase of their cycles (5.1 ± 0.6), and the frequency in individual HA patients was lower than early follicular phase values in 16 of 17 studies. The slow daytime LH pulse frequency also was a consistent finding, in that the values in repeat studies varied by less than 2 pulses/8 h in all but 1 patient. LH pulse frequency (2.0 ± 0.4 pulses/8 h) was higher and more variable during sleep, and normal early fo...
Confidence intervals and orthonormally weighted standardized time series

We find new confidence intervals for the mean of a stationary process. The new intervals are based on orthonormally weighted standardized time series and asymptotically have smaller half-length mean and variance than their predecessors.
Characterization of the serum requirement for macrophage‐mediated killing of Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum: Relationship to the development of opsonizing antibodies

Serum pools were collected from rabbits bled at various times after intra-testicular infection with Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum. These were tested for their ability to opsonize T. pallidum and promote killing of the organisms by macrophages. Compared to normal sera, significant opsonization was first seen on day 10 of infection as measured by both ingestion (P < 0.001) and macrophage-mediated killing (P = 0.006); significant levels of functional antibodies persisted through 300 days of infection. Although opsonic activity peaked early in infection, antibodies that promoted optimal macrophage-mediated killing developed much later, suggesting that these two functions may represent activities of antibodies with differing specificities or affinities. The initial development of antibodies that augment both phagocytosis and killing corresponds with the in vivo clearance of treponemes from the primary site of infection. These observations support the hypothesis that macrophages are the major effector mechanism for elimination of T. pallidum during early syphilis infection.
DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED ROAD INSPECTION VEHICLE FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF ROAD SURFACE CONDITION

An ever-growing need exists for a fast, objective, and relatively inexpensive automated road inspection system. Unlike traditional methods of road inspection, the proposed automated road inspection system relies on video images and distance tracking systems housed within a survey vehicle. The road inspection vehicle is capable of acquiring full field road surface distress information at speeds in excess of 85 km/hr. Only two individuals are needed to drive the towing vehicle and trailer along the appropriate roadways where a surface analysis is required and to operate the acquisition equipment. This type of road inspection process eliminates the need to class a road for inspection and greatly increases safety levels when compared with the traditional road inspection methods. Acquisition of roadway surface distress information is accomplished using the shadow moire method. The shadow moire method has been proven to be a fast and accurate means of measuring out-of-plane surface deformation. This method is relatively inexpensive and requires minimal maintenance while providing accurate results. The objective of this research is to refine or improve, or both, the various subsystems that form the integrated prototype system.
Are general characteristics of community physicians associated with attendance at a medical center's CME courses?

Some characteristics of community physicians may make them more generally interested in attending an institution's CME courses. If so, promotion plans for specific CME courses and for general promotional materials (e.g., course calendars) can focus more intensively on physicians with these characteristics. This study examined whether several readily available characteristics of community physicians were associated with attendance at a medical center's CME activities. As a comparison, the association between the characteristics of physicians and their referrals to the medical center was also examined. The study focused on community physicians in Michigan who were in medical specialties that were likely to refer patients and that were the target audience of at least one CME course offered by the institution durinl: a two-year period. Both personal characteristics (e.g., age, gender, alumni status) and practice characteristics (e.g., clinical specialty, size of nearest hospital, geographic location) were examined. The characteristics accounted for only two percent of the variation in CME attendance, hut 15 percent of the variation in referrals. Some characteristics had small, hut statistically significant associations with CME attendance. However, the associations did not reach levels that were meaningful on a practical level. Based on the results, no differentiated general promotion pluns will be based on these characteristics of community physicians.
Phase-Locked Loops using State Variable Feedback for Single-Phase Converter Systems

A crucial component of a grid-connected converter system is the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) that synchronizes the control to the grid voltage. Accurate, fast responding PLLs are required to provide phase angle and frequency measurements of the grid voltage for control and protection purposes. This paper proposes novel feedback mechanisms using the estimated frequency and phase in single-phase PLLs (in the stationary and rotating reference frames) which enhances performance. The estimated frequency ripple is eliminated without using low-pass filters (LPFs), and feedback terms are shown to improve the synchronization speed, by as much as 80% in some cases. Mathematical analyses, simulation, and hardware results are presented to verify the methods.
GALAXIES IN ΛCDM WITH HALO ABUNDANCE MATCHING: LUMINOSITY-VELOCITY RELATION, BARYONIC MASS-VELOCITY RELATION, VELOCITY FUNCTION, AND CLUSTERING

It has long been regarded as difficult if not impossible for a cosmological model to account simultaneously for the galaxy luminosity, mass, and velocity distributions. We revisit this issue using a modern compilation of observational data along with the best available large-scale cosmological simulation of dark matter (DM). We find that the standard cosmological model, used in conjunction with halo abundance matching (HAM) and simple dynamical corrections, 1 fits—at least on average—all basic statistics of galaxies with circular velocities Vcirc > 80 km s − calculated at a radius of ∼10 kpc. Our primary observational constraint is the luminosity–velocity (LV) relation—which generalizes the Tully–Fisher and Faber–Jackson relations in allowing all types of galaxies to be included, and provides a fundamental benchmark to be reproduced by any theory of galaxy formation. We have compiled data for a variety of galaxies ranging from dwarf irregulars to giant ellipticals. The data present a clear monotonic LV relation from ∼50 km s −1 to ∼500 km s −1 , with a bend below ∼80 km s −1 and a systematic offset between lateand early-type galaxies. For comparison to theory, we employ our new ΛCDM “Bolshoi” simulation of DM, which has unprecedented mass and force resolution over a large cosmological volume, while using an up-to-date set of cosmological parameters. We use HAM to assign rank-ordered galaxy luminosities to the DM halos, a procedure that automatically fits the empirical luminosity function and provides a predicted LV relation that can be checked against observations. The adiabatic contraction of DM halos in response to the infall of the baryons is included as an optional model ingredient. The resulting predictions for the LV relation are in excellent agreement with the available data on both early-type and late-type galaxies for the luminosity range from Mr =− 14 to Mr =− 22. We also compare our predictions for the “cold” baryon mass (i.e., stars and cold gas) of galaxies as a function of circular velocity with the available observations, again finding a very good agreement. The predicted circular velocity function (VF) is also in agreement with the galaxy VF from 80 to 400 km s −1 ,u sing the HIPASS survey for late-type galaxies and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for early-type galaxies. However, in accord with other recent results, we find that the DM halos with Vcirc < 80 km s −1 are much more abundant than observed galaxies with the same Vcirc. Finally, we find that the two-point correlation function of bright galaxies in our model matches very well the results from the final data release of the SDSS, especially when a small amount of scatter is included in the HAM prescription.
Method of Analyzing QT Interval Can't Support Conclusions

* Abbreviations: ECG = : electrocardiogram • SIDS = : sudden infant death syndrome In a recent article that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine , Schwartz et al (1998;338:1709–1714) propose that analysis of the QT interval on electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings from infants “may permit the early identification of a substantial percentage of infants at risk for SIDS and the institution of preventive measures.” These conclusions are premature for several reasons: 1) It should be noted that none of the infants who were considered at risk had any …
Comprehending speaker intent in rebuttal analogy use: the role of irony mapping, absurdity comparison and argumentative convention.

Rebuttal analogies (e.g., "Politicians arguing over the renaming of an airport is like watering your petunias when your house is on fire") are commonly used as responses in verbal conflicts. The following study investigated the role that irony mapping, absurdity comparison, and argumentative convention play in interpreters' derivations of speaker's intentions in using rebuttal analogies. In general, these intentions are to demonstrate the unsoundness of the opposed proposition ("argument") and its advocate ("social attack"), (Whaley & Holloway, 1996). Three rebuttal analogy types were rated on argumentativeness and social attack in verbal conflict and nonverbal conflict scenarios. The results of six experiments on 120 participants found that analogies with ironic bases (e.g., "Doubling the defense budget in order to intimidate North Korea is like using a chainsaw to file your nails") were perceived as more of a social attack and as more argumentative than analogies with absurd (e.g., "... using ketchup to wax your car") and nonironic (e.g., "... using a nailfile to file your nails") bases. No difference was found between the two scenario types. Norming data confirmed equivalence of absurdity of ironic and absurd bases, and greater irony of ironic over absurd bases. The results thus implicate hearers' use of the ironic structure between bases and targets in the interpretation of rebuttal analogies rather than mere absurdity comparison or argumentative convention.
Formation and rearrangement of the Grignard reagent from 2-phenylcyclobutylmethyl bromide

Abstract Reaction of cis - or trans -2-phenylcyclobutylmethyl bromide with magnesium produces the rearranged 5-phenyl-1-penten-5-ylmagnesium compound 7 in addition to the unrearranged Grignard reagent 6 . The former appears to result from very rapid rearrangement of a radical intermediate in the process of Grignard reagent formation. Rearrangement of 6 to 7 also occurs, at a rate which is accelerated by the phenyl group.
Treating Older Persons with Severe Mental Illness in the Community: Impact of an Interdisciplinary Geriatric Mental Health Team

Little information is available concerning community-based interventions to treat the growing number older persons with severe mental illness. This study examined treatment efficacy of a specialized interdisciplinary geriatric mental health team (mental health geriatric interdisciplinary teams or MHGITs) for 69 older clients with severe mental disorders. Depression, life satisfaction, health, and psychiatric and medical hospitalization data were gathered. A decrease in depressive symptoms and in psychiatric hospitalizations, and an increase in life satisfaction at 6 months were found. No change in health nor medical hospitalizations were reported. This study provides preliminary support for the feasibility and efficacy of a MGHIT approach in treating older community-dwelling adults with severe mental illnesses. Implications for social workers are discussed.
Harmless error analysis: How do judges respond to confession errors?

In Arizona v. Fulminante (1991), the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for appellate judges to conduct a harmless error analysis of erroneously admitted, coerced confessions. In this study, 132 judges from three states read a murder case summary, evaluated the defendant’s guilt, assessed the voluntariness of his confession, and responded to implicit and explicit measures of harmless error. Results indicated that judges found a high-pressure confession to be coerced and hence improperly admitted into evidence. As in studies with mock jurors, however, the improper confession significantly increased their conviction rate in the absence of other evidence. On the harmless error measures, judges successfully overruled the confession when required to do so, indicating that they are capable of this analysis.
Impact of time-limited feeding and dietary carbohydrate content on weight loss in group-housed cats.

Twenty-four adult cats were transitioned to time-limited feeding and randomized to either a dry low carbohydrate diet (LC) or a dry reduced energy diet (HC). In Trial 1 the LC and HC groups received equal amounts of food (by weight) for 13 weeks. Both groups consumed all food offered, hence the LC group received more energy/day than the HC group. In Trial 2 all cats were fed the LC diet for 12 weeks, but each group received the energy that the opposite group had received in Trial 1. In Trial 1 only the overweight HC cats (body condition score>6/9) experienced a significant change in body weight (−0.52±0.08 kg). In Trial 2, LC/Low Calorie overweight cats lost 0.62±0.10 kg, whereas, the LC/High Calorie normal weight cats gained 0.68±0.05 kg. In conclusion, body condition and energy intake but not type of diet influenced weight in this cohort of group-housed cats.
Role of Adenosine and Nitric Oxide on the Mechanisms of Action of Dipyridamole

Background and Purpose—The combination of dipyridamole and aspirin has been shown to be more effective than aspirin alone in the secondary prevention of stroke. Dipyridamole may act by inhibiting adenosine uptake, thus potentiating its actions. Dipyridamole also inhibits cGMP-specific phosphodiesterases (PDE) and, through this mechanism, could potentiate cGMP-mediated actions of nitric oxide. Methods—To define the mechanism of action of dipyridamole, we studied the local vascular effects of adenosine, acetylcholine (NO-mediated dilation), and nitroprusside (cGMP-mediated dilation) in a double-blind study after treatment with dipyridamole/aspirin (200 mg dipyridamole/25 mg aspirin twice a day) or aspirin control for 7 days in 6 normal volunteers. Vasodilators were administered into the brachial artery in the nondominant arm in random order and forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Results—Adenosine at a dosage of 125 g/min increased FBF from 4.60.9 to 29.45.3 (539% increase) with dipyridamole/aspirin and from 3.90.8 to 122.5 mL/100 mL forearm/min (208% increase) with aspirin alone (P0.007). In contrast, dipyridamole/aspirin did not alter the response to acetylcholine or to nitroprusside. The magnitude of adenosine-induced vasodilation correlated with plasma dipyridamole concentrations (r 2 0.6); no correlation was observed with acetylcholine- or nitroprusside-induced vasodilation. Similar potentiation of adenosine, but not acetylcholine or nitroprusside, was observed in 7 additional subjects when adenosine, acetylcholine, and nitroprusside were given in random order before and 2 hours after a single dose of dipyridamole/aspirin. Conclusion—The effects of dipyridamole on resistance vessels are preferentially explained by potentiation of adenosine mechanisms rather than potentiation of nitric oxide or other cGMP-mediated actions. (Stroke. 2005;36:2170-2175.)
Regulating cellular actin assembly

Cellular actin assembly is tightly regulated. The study of pathogen motility has led to the identification of several cellular factors that are critical for controlling this process. Pathogens such as Listeria require Ena/VASP and Arp2/3 proteins to translate actin polymerization into movement. Recent work has extended these observations and uncovered some similarities and surprising differences in the way cells and pathogens utilize the actin cytoskeleton.
Generation of cellular immunity to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is independent of CD1d1 expression.

CD1 molecules are cell surface glycoproteins, structurally similar to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. The murine CD1d1 molecule has been shown to be essential for the positive selection of a unique subpopulation of T cells [the natural killer (NK) T cells], as CD1d1-deficient mice lack NK T cells. These cells have recently been suggested to play an important role in the induction of innate immunity (i.e. NK cells) and the regulation of immune homeostasis. As such, it was asked whether NK T cells were necessary for the generation of cellular immunity to an acute virus infection. In these studies, the Armstrong strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), a classic inducer of NK cells, and its pathogenic variant clone 13 were used. When NK-cell activity was assessed on day 3 post-LCMV infection, surprisingly, it was found that CD1d1-deficient mice could generate NK-cell activity at wild-type levels. Likewise, LCMV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity in CD1d1-deficient mice was indistinguishable from that generated in wild-type mice. Additionally, viral titres in the spleen (LCMV Armstrong) and blood (LCMV clone 13) of infected CD1d1-deficient mice were at comparable levels to those found in wild-type mice, as were virus infection-induced increases in cell surface H-2Kb in the spleen. Therefore, these results suggest that the LCMV-induced generation of NK-cell and virus-specific CTL activity, as well as viral clearance, are independent of CD1d1 expression.
The response of understory herbaceous plants to nitrogen fertilization in forests of different land-use history

Forests growing on former agricultural land often have reduced frequencies of many native forest herbs compared with forests that were never cleared for agriculture. A leading explanation for this pattern is that many forest herbs are dispersal limited, but environmental conditions may also hinder colonization. We examined the response of six forest herb taxa (Arisaema triphyllum, Cimicifuga racemosa, Disporum lanuginosum, Osmorhiza spp., Polygonatum spp., and Prenanthes altissima) to nitrogen (N) fertilization in forests with and without an agricultural history to investigate how N availability affects plant performance. The study was conducted in the southern Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina, USA. There was a significant interaction between land-use history and N treatment for several species. In A. triphyllum and Osmorhiza spp., N fertilization increased aboveground biomass or leaf area more in the post-agriculture site than in the reference site. However, in the reference site, N fertilization depressed aboveground biomass or leaf area in the same taxa, as well as in C. racemosa. The foliar N concentration of these three taxa was elevated in fertilized plots regardless of land-use history, and there was no indication that the light environment differed among plots. These results suggest that some plants growing in post-agricultural stands may be N limited, whereas undisturbed stands in this region appear to be approaching N saturation. Thus, environmental conditions, and particularly N availability, may be an obstacle to the restoration of forest herb communities.
The fourth strike—review of Frankie Leung's looking beyond 1997 Hong Kong

(1997). The fourth strike—review of Frankie Leung's looking beyond 1997 Hong Kong. Journal of Contemporary China: Vol. 6, No. 16, pp. 603-604.
Outcome After Preservation of Infected Abdominal Aortic Endografts

PurposeTo review the published outcomes of aortic endograft infection treated with preservation of the stent-graft.MethodsAn extensive electronic health database search was undertaken to identify a...
Comments on “Concepts of Function and Mechanism in Medicine and Medical Science” and “Organs, Organisms and Disease”

The first great work on the philosophy of medicine is Claude Bernard’s An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine 1 which was written just over one hundred years ago. Bernard was one of the first proponents of an organismic vision of life — neither crudely mechanistic nor vitalistic — that affirmed both the universal validity of physio-chemical laws in the biological domain and the existence of special non-reducible features, physiological in character, of living matter. For Bernard, the body was a “living machine”2 not exempted from the laws of physics and chemistry, and a “creative idea” which “expresses itself” through physio-chemical means. Physio-chemical means, he continues, “are common to all natural phenomena and remain mingled, pell-mell, like the letters of the alphabet in a box till a force goes to fetch them, to express the most varied thoughts and mechanisms.”3 For Bernard, then, organs were like words, and individual organisms were like sentences. Here Bernard’s — and Toulmin’s — analysis would stop. Wartofsky, however, would go one step further and say that socio-historical communities of organisms are like languages: diseases which for Bernard and Toulmin then are pathologies of “words;” and “sentences” are for Wartofsky principally pathologies of“languages.”
What Do We Know About “Peak Oil” Today?

In this chapter we will analyze data to support the claims about the basic limited nature of the global oil resources that underpin this entire book. Due to the very nature of the task, but also to the prevailing disinformation practices that permeate oil debates, the estimates presented here have a degree of uncertainty, which we acknowledge. However, we believe that current events are proving Campbell, Laherrere, and the “peakists” to be right in general. We leave the discussion about appropriate policies to others.
How Policy Cues Structure Partisan Opinions

Although citizens often arrive at the same views as their party’s leaders, they also respond to information about policy targets and effects. Accounting for political context encourages a variable view of how partisanship shapes opinions in policy debates. In three survey experiments associated with policies supported by both Democrats and Republicans, I find that both aspects of policy argumentation and the actors making the arguments can enable partisanship to affect public opinion. Yet this process is highly conditional, sometimes specific to a single polarizing politician and other times likely in the face of any policy evidence.
Magnetic excitations in superfluid 3 He

Localized magnetic excitations (solitons) in superfluid 3He are studied theoretically. In the A phase, we determine the dispersion of solitons in both the longitudinal and the transversal configurations, while in the B phase we limit ourselves to the longitudinal soliton in the Leggett configuration. In the wall pinned configuration of the B phase we show that the magnetic perturbation propagates as spin wave. The effects of the spin-diffusion term on solitons as well as spin waves are considered. The soliton velocity decreases exponentially in time owing to the spin-diffusion term with a characteristic time % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqefm0B1jxALjhiov2D% aebbfv3ySLgzGueE0jxyaibaiiYdd9qrFfea0dXdf9vqai-hEir8Ve% ea0de9qq-hbrpepeea0db9q8as0-LqLs-Jirpepeea0-as0Fb9pgea% 0lrP0xe9Fve9Fve9qapdbaqaaeGacaGaaiaabeqaamaabaabcaGcba% qedmvETj2BSbacfaGae83KdCKae8hiaaIae83waSLaeyyyIORaaiik% aiaaiodacaGGPaGaaiikaiaadogadaahaaWcbeqaamaaCaaameqaba% GaaGOmaaaaaaGcciGGVaGaamiraiabfM6axnaaCaaaleqabaWaaWba% aWqabeaacaaIYaaaaaaakiaacMcacaGGDbaaaa!4DB4!\[\Gamma [ \equiv (3)(c^{^2 } /D\Omega ^{^2 } )]\] where D is the spin-diffusion constant, Ω is the Leggett frequency, and c is the spin-wave velocity.
A bayesian framework for statistical signal processing and knowledge discovery in proteomic engineering

Proteomics has been revolutionized in the last couple of years through integration of new mass spectrometry technologies such as Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization (SELDI) mass spectrometry. As data is generated in an increasingly rapid and automated manner, novel and application-specific computational methods will be needed to deal with all of this information. This work seeks to develop a Bayesian framework in mass-based proteomics for protein identification. Using the Bayesian framework in a statistical signal processing manner, mass spectrometry data is filtered and analyzed in order to estimate protein identity. This is done by a multi-stage process which compares probabilistic networks generated from mass spectrometry-based data with a mass-based network of protein interactions. In addition, such models can provide insight on features of existing models by identifying relevant proteins. This work finds that the search space of potential proteins can be reduced such that simple antibody-based tests can be used to validate protein identity. This is done with real proteins as a proof of concept. Regarding protein interaction networks, the largest human protein interaction meta-database was created as part of this project, containing over 162,000 interactions. A further contribution is the implementation of the massome network database of mass-based interactions---which is used in the protein identification process. This network is explored in terms potential usefulness for protein identification. The framework provides an approach to a number of core issues in proteomics. Besides providing these tools, it yields a novel way to approach statistical signal processing problems in this domain in a way that can be adapted as proteomics-based technologies mature. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Emergency Department Visits for Acute Pancreatitis in Children: Results From the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample 2006–2011

Objective The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiology and trends in pediatric acute pancreatitis (AP)–associated emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Methods Estimates of AP–associated ED visits were calculated in children from birth to 19 years of age using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Results From 2006 to 2011, there were an estimated total of 78,787 ED visits associated with the diagnosis of AP. The greatest number of ED visits occurred in children 15 to 19 years of age (67.0%). A majority of patients were subsequently admitted to the hospital for further care (74.1%). Risk factors independently associated with an increased rate of hospital admission included 3 or more comorbid conditions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.29–14.56), children younger than 5 years (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.58–1.89), presentation to a teaching hospital (aOR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.62–1.74) or a hospital in the Western region of the United States (aOR, 1.48; 95% 1.42–1.54), and health coverage with Medicaid (aOR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.17–1.29). Acute pancreatitis–associated ED visits increased from 14.5 per 100,000 children in 2006 to 16.1 per 100,000 children in 2011 (11.42% increase; P Conclusion There has been an increasing incidence of AP-associated ED visits in children from 2006 to 2011.
The role of monoterpenes in soil nitrogen cycling processes in ponderosa pine Results from laboratory bioassays and field studies

The effects of select monoterpenes on nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification potentials were determined in four separate laboratory bioassays. The effect of increasing monoterpene addition was an initial reduction in NO3 −-N production (nitrification inhibition), followed by a reduction in the sum of NH4 +-N and NO3 −-N (inhibition of net N mineralization and net immobilization at high monoterpene additions. Monoterpenes could produce this pattern by inhibiting nitrification, reducing net N mineralization, enhancing immobilization of NO3 −-N relative to NH4 +-N, and/or stimulating overall net immobilization of N by carbon-rich material. Initial monoterpene concentrations in the assay soils were about 5% of the added amount and were below detection after incubation in most samples. Potential N mineralization-immobilization, nitrification, and soil monoterpene concentrations were determined by soil horizon for four collections from a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stand in New Mexico. Concentrations of monoterpenes declined exponentially with soil depth and varied greatly within a horizon. Monoterpene content of the forest floor was not correlated with forest floor biomass. Net N mineralization was inversely correlated with total monoterpene content of all sampled horizons. Nitrification was greatest in the mineral soil, intermediate in the F-H horizon, and never occurred in the L horizon. Nitrification in the mineral soil was inversely correlated with the amount of monoterpenes in the L horizon that contain terminal unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds (r 2 = 0.37, P ⩽ 0.01). This pattern in the field corresponded to the pattern shown in the laboratory assays with increasing monoterpene additions.
Effect of the lonophore, A23187, on Contraction and Relaxation of Rat Arteries and Veins

SummaryThe present study describes differences in the effect of the ionophore, A23187, on contraction and relaxation in certain rat arteries and veins. A23187 selectively inhibited maximal contraction to receptor agonists such as serotonin and norepinephrine in veins but not arteries. Furthermore, based on the role of extracellular calcium, the action of A23187 and measurement of total calcium levels, no difference in calcium handling was apparent between the rat jugular and femoral veins. Therefore, relaxation of the rat jugular vein to norepinephrine is probably unrelated to any uniqueness in calcium utilization.
Preparation of Natural Benzaldehyde from Amygdalus Ledebouriana Schlech

In order to prepare natural benzaldehyde from amygdalus ledebouriana schleche in Xinjiang, the UV absorb method is used to determine the content of benzaldehyde and inspect its efficiency of preparation by steam distillation after getting rid of the fat in amygdalus ledebouriana schlecht by ultrasonic method. The content of natural benzaldehyde in amygdalus ledebouriana schlecht is 1.264%.The average recovery of preparation is 83.99% and RSD is 3.0%. The practical average productivity of natural benzaldehyde reaches 83.60% and RSD is 1.7%. So to prepare natural benzaldehyde under the conditions is available and the recovery is steady.
Butyricimonas virosa bacteraemia and bowel disease: case report and review

Only two cases of human infection with the anaerobic Gram-negative bacillus Butyricimonas virosa have been previously reported. We describe the case of a 69-year-old man with B. virosa and diverticulitis, further supporting an association of bacteraemia with this pathogen to bowel disease. We also summarize the characteristics of the previously described cases.
Internet of Mobile Things: Mobility-Driven Challenges, Designs and Implementations

Smart environments such as smart grid, smart transportation, smart buildings are upon us because of major advances in sensor, communication, cloud and other cyber-physical system technologies. The collective name for interconnected sensors, placed on "things" within fixed cyber-physical infrastructures, is Internet of Things (IoT). IoT enables cities and rural areas to become smarter and to offer new digital services and functions to diverse groups of users. However, IoT often represents interconnection of static things, which are built-in into the physical infrastructures of users' homes, offices, roads and other physical and critical infrastructures. In this paper, we analyze things that are mobile, and explore the space of Internet of Mobile Things (IoMT). Mobility of digital devices such as phones and vehicles has been with us for some time, but as the number of sensors in mobile devices increases, the density of mobile devices increases, and users' reliance on mobile devices increases, mobile things become very much an integral fabric of our smart environment. In this paper, our goal is to discuss challenges, selective designs and implementations of IoMT. We show the impact of mobility and the care we collectively have to take when designing the next generation of smart environments with mobile things in them.
Home healthcare: it's about the patient, and the caregiver.

The following is taken from a recent blog posting by Scott Stafne, a young husband and father of two. He wrote this on the five-year anniversary of his diagnosis with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease): My arms and legs are nearly useless, although my legs can still bear weight, and my right hand can drive my wheelchair. I need help with just about everything, and can rarely be alone. Lately I have struggled to make this choice, but today I choose to celebrate and rejoice in the myriad ups and downs of this journey. I am fortunate for all of it. I briefly met Scott, a software engineer, not long after his diagnosis and check in on his blog from time to time. This post would intrigue anyone in our profession (visit http://stafnes.com/blog/archive/2009_04_01_archive. html). It addresses all of the effort and engineering it takes to make him comfortable reading in bed each night. Scott identified nearly 20 items that are necessary to help him read in bed. Items include an arched reading lamp with a pivot disk that will allow it to swing out of the way when he needs to be gotten in and out of bed; a lap desk; a book with pages firm enough for him to grasp and turn without ripping; a hospital bed; and a catheter bag. Some items were simple to assemble, like the pillows that support his arms and head. Some required effort, like the rolled piece of tape with just the right amount of stickiness stuck the wrong way out on his finger to assist with page turning, and the long straw crafted from plastic tubing that brings water from a large pitcher up to his mouth. Some items changed over time as his abilities changed, like the bed remote that now has small nonskid, stick-on rubber bumpers on the “down” button to make it easier to push. Scott concludes: We’ve engineered this one process, reading in bed, hundreds of times. We’ll continue to innovate until I can’t turn the pages, and then we’ll need to solve that riddle too... Something’s changing every day, every month—we need new solutions, new strategies, new capabilities to make this one thing doable. But it’s worth it to give me one of the most normal feelings I have all day. While most illnesses do not present the home care challenges of severe neuromuscular disease, reading an account of addressing this one basic activity for a person living with ALS helps to illuminate aspects of how home care differs from hospital. Among them is the stress on the non-professional caregiver. It can be easy to focus on the person who is sick and the technology that surrounds him or her, forgetting that others are there as well. But Home Healthcare: It’s About the Patient, and the Caregiver
Do You See What I See? The Consequences of Objectification in Work Settings for Experiencers and Third Party Predictors

Sexual objectification is a significant problem that permeates all areas of women's lives including the workplace. This research examines the impact of sexual objectification on women in work settings by integrating objectification, sexual harassment, and affective forecasting theories. We used a laboratory analogue that included undergraduate women who actually experienced objectification during a work interview (i.e., experiencers) and third-party predictors (including female and male undergraduates as well as female and male community workers) who anticipated the effects of objectification (i.e., predictors). We measured actual and anticipated emotions, performance, and sexual harassment following objectification. We found that both mild and severe objectification caused weaker positive affect, stronger negative affect, worse work performance, and higher sexual harassment judgments, but these effects were primarily driven by predictors anticipating worse outcomes following objectification compared to what experiencers actually reported. We also found that experiencers’ responses to objectification were moderated by benevolent sexism with women lower in benevolent sexism responding more similarly to predictors relative to women higher in benevolent sexism. Both experiencers and predictors evaluated interviewers who engaged in objectification equally negatively. Finally, we explored differences between predictors who were female and male undergraduate students versus community workers and found that these parties anticipated different consequences, depending on worker status and gender. Implications for sexual objectification, sexual harassment, and affective forecasting theories as well as practical implications for policy and law are discussed.
#Democracy: social media use and democratic legitimacy in Central and Eastern Europe

ABSTRACTSince 1989, many of the former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have made the dramatic change from communist regimes to democratic nations that are integrated in the European sphere. While these sweeping changes have given rise to a successful transition to democracy unlike any the world has ever seen, there remain issues with governance as well as citizen support for the regime. While other studies have shown that mass media can influence a person's attitudes and opinions in the region, none has explored what effect social media can have on orientations toward democracy in the region. In the following paper, I build several hypotheses based on previous studies of media effects and democratic survival. I then employ survey data to empirically test whether social media increases support for democracy. The study finds that not only does using social media increase support for democracy, but also simple usage rather than information seeking provides more consistent effects on a...
Metabolic syndrome and masked hypertension among African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study.

The metabolic syndrome is associated with higher ambulatory blood pressure. The authors studied the association of metabolic syndrome and masked hypertension (MHT) among African Americans with clinic-measured systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) <140/90 mm Hg in the Jackson Heart Study. MHT was defined as daytime, nighttime, or 24-hour hypertension on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Among 359 participants not taking antihypertensive medication, the metabolic syndrome was associated with MHT (prevalence ratio, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.74]). When metabolic syndrome components (clinic SBP/DBP 130-139/85-89 mm Hg, abdominal obesity, impaired glucose, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglycerides) were analyzed separately, only clinic SBP/DBP 130-139/85-89 mm Hg was associated with MHT (prevalence ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-2.32]). The metabolic syndrome was not associated with MHT among participants not taking antihypertensive medication with SBP/DBP 130-139/85-89 and <130/85 mm Hg, separately, or among participants taking antihypertensive medication (n=393). Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring screening for MHT among African Americans should be considered based on clinic BP, not metabolic syndrome.
Machine Learning in Transportation Data Analytics

Abstract The primary goal of this chapter is to provide a basic understanding of the machine learning methods for transportation-related applications. This chapter discusses how the machine learning methods can be utilized to improve performance of transportation data analytics tools. The chapter focuses on selected machine learning methods and importance of quality and quantity of available data. An example is provided along with the MATLAB code to present how the machine learning method can improve performance of data-driven transportation system by predicting a speed of the roadway section.
Critical factors affecting life cycle assessments of material choice for vehicle mass reduction.

1.1. Vehicle Mass Reduction New greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for cars and light trucks are taking effect for model year 2017, progressing towards an anticipated sales-weighted average level of 173 g/mile C02 for model year 2025, and fuel economy standards increasing each year to the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) target of 51.4 mpg fleet-wide by 2025 (for a projected vehicle sales mix). As a result, vehicle manufacturers are looking for solutions that can meet these goals without sacrificing marketable vehicle attributes (Nehuis et al., 2014; U.S. EPA, 2012a, 2014). Reducing mass enables vehicles to operate more efficiently during the use phase because energy demands (e.g., acceleration, rolling friction) on the powertrain are reduced. This reduction in mass can have major benefits on the total life-cycle impacts of vehicles because the current use phase accounts for 84–88% of the total life-cycle energy consumption and GFIG emissions for conventional light-duty vehicles. Comparatively, the manufacturing contributes approximately 4–7% of the energy consumption over the life of a light-duty vehicle (Keoleian and Sullivan, 2012; Mcauley, 2003; Sullivan and Cobas-Flores, 2001; Sullivan et al., 1998). Because of this dominant contribution of impacts from the use phase, mass reduction efforts and other use-phase efficiency measures provide an effective means to reduce the total life-cycle impacts. Flowever, the share of life-cycle impacts between the production and use phase for vehicles is likely to shift away from the use phase with increasing efficiency and with reduced light-duty vehicle GFIG emissions standards, as shown in the example comparison in Fig. 1 Open in a separate window Fig. 1. Energy consumption for material production, manufacturing, and use for a light-duty vehicle now and trends for the future. Total life-cycle energy use will decrease as the proportion of impacts for the material production and manufacturing phases are expected to increase and the use-phase impacts are expected to decrease. This is the expected trend with substitutions of more intensive but lighter materials such as aluminum alloys or carbon fiber replacing less intensive but heavier materials such as mild steel. Stronger, higher strength steels are also expected to displace mild steels by reducing total volumes required. Values for the current chart are a simplified breakdown based on Keoleian and Sullivan (2012), Sullivan and Cobas-Flores (2001), and Sullivan etal. (1998).
Genome Sequences Reveal Cryptic Speciation in the Human Pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum.

ABSTRACT Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic fungus that causes life-threatening lung infections. About 500,000 people are exposed to H. capsulatum each year in the United States, and over 60% of the U.S. population has been exposed to the fungus at some point in their life. We performed genome-wide population genetics and phylogenetic analyses with 30 Histoplasma isolates representing four recognized areas where histoplasmosis is endemic and show that the Histoplasma genus is composed of at least four species that are genetically isolated and rarely interbreed. Therefore, we propose a taxonomic rearrangement of the genus. IMPORTANCE The evolutionary processes that give rise to new pathogen lineages are critical to our understanding of how they adapt to new environments and how frequently they exchange genes with each other. The fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum provides opportunities to precisely test hypotheses about the origin of new genetic variation. We find that H. capsulatum is composed of at least four different cryptic species that differ genetically and also in virulence. These results have implications for the epidemiology of histoplasmosis because not all Histoplasma species are equivalent in their geographic range and ability to cause disease.
Pharmacist-physician collaborative care model and time to goal blood pressure in the uninsured population.

Pharmacist-physician collaborative practice models (PPCPMs) improve blood pressure (BP) control, but their effect on time to goal BP is unknown. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the impact of a PPCPM on time to goal BP compared with usual care using data from existing medical records in uninsured patients with hypertension. The primary outcome was time from the initial visit to the first follow-up visit with a BP <140/90 mm Hg. The study included 377 patients (259 = PPCPM; 118 = usual care). Median time to BP goal was 36 days vs 259 days in the PPCPM and usual care cohorts, respectively (P < .001). At 12 months, BP control was 81% and 44% in the PPCPM and usual care cohorts, respectively (P < .001) and therapeutic inertia was lower in the PPCPM cohort (27.6%) compared with usual care (43.7%) (P < .0001). Collaborative models involving pharmacists should be considered to improve BP control in high-risk populations.
Rates of change in FEV1 and DLCO as potential indicators for mTOR inhibitor therapy in premenopausal lymphangioleiomyomatosis patients.

The value of rates of change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ( D LCO ) to predict disease progression, and initiation of mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) inhibitor therapy has not been evaluated. In 84 premenopausal lymphangioleiomyomatosis patients, individual rates of change in FEV 1 and D LCO and their 95% confidence intervals were used to derive subsequent lowest values of FEV 1 and D LCO that would prompt initiation of sirolimus therapy. These treatment criteria were compared with a criterion based on FEV 1 or D LCO ≤70% predicted. In 12 patients undergoing sirolimus therapy both methods for determining the optimal point for initiation of therapy were evaluated. 27 and 35 patients who experienced greater than expected rates of change in FEV 1 and D LCO , respectively, would have been excluded from therapy based on an FEV 1 or D LCO >70% pred. 25 of the 84 patients were eventually treated, but only when FEV 1 or D LCO were ≤70% pred. Applying such treatment criteria to 12 patients undergoing sirolimus therapy would have delayed treatment for many years. Premenopausal females in whom FEV 1 or D LCO are declining at rates above the expected based on their individual rates of decline, should be considered for sirolimus therapy before the FEV 1 or D LCO falls to ≤70% pred.