cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neutrophils are involved in acute, nonspecific resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in mice.

The importance of neutrophils in killing extracellular, pyogenic bacteria has long been established. However, there is only indirect evidence for a role for neutrophils in resistance against intracellular organisms. In this study, we directly demonstrate the involvement of neutrophils in defense against Listeria monocytogenes in normal C.B-17 immunocompetent and C.B-17 SCID mice. Because of the lack of sterilizing T-cell immunity, SCID mice are unable to completely eliminate listeriae systemically and become chronically infected. Both immunocompetent and SCID mice treated with a specific neutrophil-depleting monoclonal antibody during the early stages of Listeria infection were rendered remarkably sensitive to the organism, with a high level of mortality resulting from enhanced bacterial growth. At a late stage of infection in SCID mice, however, administration of neutrophil-depleting antibody did not affect mortality. In spite of the neutrophil depletion, other parameters of nonspecific immune function were normal. Macrophage infiltration to the site of infection and macrophage expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules were unaffected. Moreover, NK cell functions were normal as measured by infiltration to an infection site and gamma interferon production. These data demonstrate an important role for neutrophils in controlling the acute phase of Listeria infection, cooperating with, and yet independent of, macrophages and NK cells.
Canine viruses and multiple sclerosis

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and control subjects were tested and compared for presence and titer of neutralizing antibody against the most common canine viruses. Canine viruses included canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1), canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), canine herpesvirus (CHV), canine coronavirus (CCV), and canine parvovirus (CPV). Neutralizing titers against measles virus (MV) and human adenovirus 8 (HA8) were also tested. Significantly elevated (p less than 0.05) antibody levels in sera from MS patients were found only against MV and CDV, but this depended upon the study population and the method of evaluation. The CDV-neutralizing component in serum could be absorbed on MV-infected cells. Results of this study failed to establish a link between canine viruses and MS.
DEMETHYLATION OF PECTIN USING ACID AND AMMONIA

The kinetics of deesterification of high-ester citrus pectin, using acid, ammonia, or a treatment with acid followed by ammonia in isopropanol was studied with respect to the changes in methyl ester groups, molecular weight, and the formation of acid amide groups. It was found that: (1) Higher concentrations of acid or ammonia at low temperature resulted in less depolymerization for a certain decrease in ester groups; (2) The conversion of methoxyl groups to acid amide groups approached unity as temperature was lowered and ammonia concentration increased. A linear relationship between the increase in amide content and the decrease in esterification was found; (3) In treatments using hydrochloric acid followed by ammonia, a long acid treatment and a short ammonia treatment resulted in a maximum retention of apparent molecular weight. However, this treatment gave a smaller number of acid amide groups in the final product. Depending on the selection of ammonia concentration and temperature, a wide range of acid amide levels was possible. It was also possible to predict the conditions needed for deesterification to give certain apparent molecular weights and ratios of amide levels to ester levels.
Improving treatment effectiveness in hypertension.

Freis retired from full time duties at Georgetown School of Medicine and the Veterans Administration Hospital in 1987, but continued research and writing for many years after. In this commentary, he noted that much hypertension was still uncontrolled, and suggested ways to improve treatment delivery and patient compliance.
THE THERMAL ENVIRONMENT OF IMMATURE CARIBBEAN FRUIT FLIES, ANASTREPHA SUSPENSA DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

Abstract Because many plants regulate their internal temperatures, there is no a priori reason to believe air temperature accurately reflects the temperatures faced by tephritid larvae inhabiting fruit interiors. Larvae also move across and burrow into soil to pupate, and immature flies at this point are also likely to encounter temperatures that might be less than or exceed air temperature. Using thermocouples and a computerized data logger we measured a range of temperatures in the 4 major hosts of Anastrepha suspensa (Loew), the Caribbean fruit fly: Surinam cherry, Eugenia uniflora L., Cattley guava, Psidium cattleianum Sabine, guava, Psidium guajava L., and loquat, Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.), and in grapefruit, Citrus paradisi Macf., an economically important secondary host. Generally, temperatures were higher in the southwestern portions of tree canopies relative to those in the northeastern interiors. Fruit on the ground was warmer than in the tree, but there was no significant pattern of maximum ...
Surface instability due to initial compressive stress

Utilizing a linearized theory of isotropic, homogeneous elasticity that includes the effects of initial stress, it is demonstrated that Rayleigh and Love surface instabilities occur when the compressive stress reaches appropriate critical values. The Rayleigh surface instability exists for a half-space, as well as for a finite slab, and the critical stress value depends only on Poisson's ratio. The Love surface instability exists for a layer and a substratum, and the critical stress value depends on two parameters: the ratio of the shear moduli and a nondimensional number related to the geometry of the layer. It is suggested that these two instabilities may offer possible, although highly idealized, mechanisms for earthquake initiation and prehistoric land-mass formations such as mountain chains.
Abstract 391: Modeling of the Angiotensin Peptide Processing Network

New insights into the intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have modified the traditional view of the system. Nonetheless, the complexity of this network of angiotensin (Ang) peptides and peptidases is not completely understood. We hypothesized that a computational systems biology approach, applied to peptidomic data, could elucidate the network of enzymatic conversions and the resulting net stimulatory signal. To that effect, we built and refined a Bayesian network model and a dynamic systems model of the Ang peptide fragmentation utilizing a database of MALDI-TOF mass spectra from experiments conducted in mouse podocytes exposed to exogenous Ang substrates, augmented by new experiments guided by findings from the archive. A model-building process suggested novel steps, three of which were confirmed in vitro. When 1 μM Ang 2-10 was added to cell media, 102 ± 17 nM Ang 2-7 was detected at 4 hours, decreasing to 30 ± 12 nM in the presence of a neprilysin (NEP) inhibitor, supporting the model-predicted cleavage of Ang 2-10 by NEP. In addition, using Ang 1-9 as substrate, we observed Ang 2-9 production (15.3 ± 3% total Ang ion current at 2 hours) that decreased to 4.6 ± 0.5% during co-treatment with an aminopeptidase A (APA) inhibitor, supporting the model-predicted cleavage of Ang 1-9 by APA. Similarly, incubation of Ang 1-7 showed evidence of Ang 2-7 (28.1 ± 2.2% total Ang ion current at 2 hours) with undetectable amounts in cell-free controls. These data concur with the well-recognized robust degrading capacity of NEP and APA localized in glomerular podocytes. The performance of our model improved after inclusion of the newly discovered steps by Deviance Information Criterion. Although the products from these novel reactions are not known to be bioactive, the cleavages shunt Ang substrates away from formation of known bioactive peptides. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that systems biology methods are effective in identifying novel steps in the Ang peptide processing network, expanding our understanding of the RAS. Besides, the study illustrates the potential for mining archives of peptidomic data. Further exploration of the Ang network using this strategy will likely improve the study of the intricacies of the RAS, with potential clinical impact.
Overview of Comnonent and Device Characterization

The electronics market is constantly pushing the state of the art in design to reduce cost, size, weight, and power consumption. New designs are emerging causing rapid changes in technology driving high design turnover. This drives the need for component and material measurements that will reduced design cycles and time to market. In the design and measurement of linear devices, error corrected S-parameters are traditionally measured with a network analyzer. the network analyzer combines magnitude with phase measurements for improved accuracy. Time domain techniques are used to get a better physical understanding of the device characteristics. Error correction procedures have been improved to provide high accuracy and ease of use. New methods to measure impedance results in high precision capacitor and inductor models necessary for both surface mount and integrated circuit applications. Note: In the following paper the relevant text follows each slide.
High-resolution absorption cross sections of formaldehyde in the 30285-32890 cm -1 (304-330 nm) spectral region

Absolute room temperature (294 ± 2 K) absorption cross sections for the A1A2–X1A1 electronic transition of formaldehyde have been measured over the spectral range 30285–32890 cm–1 (304–330 nm) usi...
Bacterial Penetration of the Eggshell and Shell Membranes of the Chicken Hatching Egg: A Review

Abstract Bacteria, including human enteropathogens, can penetrate the outer structures of the egg. There are several mechanisms employed by bacteria to gain entry to the egg. The most likely area on the egg to be penetrated is the air cell end, especially when temperature differential and moisture are favorable. The natural defenses that an egg has against such attack are generally not adequate to completely protect the egg from bacteria. The implications and consequences of bacterial penetration of the shell and membranes are serious, including potential dissemination of human pathogens to the hatchery, grow-out flock, and final product. This paper reviews the mechanisms involved in bacterial penetration, methods used to detect penetration, and the stages of modern production which lend themselves to shell penetration and the subsequent potential contamination of many chicks.
ESTERIFICATION OF CHOLESTEROL AND HYDROLYSIS OF CHOLESTEROL OLEATE BY HOMOGENATES OF BOVINE ADRENAL GLANDS AND THEIR SUBCELLULAR COMPONENTS.

SummaryThe presence of enzymes capable of both synthesizing and hydrolyzing cholesterol esters has been demonstrated in bovine adrenal gland homogenates. Most of the esterifying activity was associated with the cell sap, whereas the bulk of the hydro-lytic activity seemed to reside in Pellet I and Pellet II of the homogenate. The optimum pH for esterification of cholesterol by the cell sap was 5.0; that for hydrolysis of cholesterol oleate by the combined particulate fraction was 7.5. Dialysis of the cell sap did not significantly alter its capacity to esterify labeled cholesterol, nor did the addition of ATP, CoA and Mg++ enhance the esterifi-cation reaction in this fraction.
Goals and Objectives for the Entomological Society of America

Several commitiees have reported to ESA's membership and Governing Board about proposed long-range plans, goals, and objectives for the society. These reports have been accepted by the Governing Board and published in the Governing Board minutes. In 1987, the following goals and objectives were developed by the Executive Committee and a draft was published in the ESA Newsletter for comments and suggestions from the membership. Subsequently, the revised goals and objectives were approved by formal vote of the membership. These serve as guidelines for the society's management.
Entrepreneurial Librarians: Embracing Innovation and Motivation

Reviews of entrepreneurial research and Person-Organization conceptualization are interpreted with respect to entrepreneurship in libraries. Motivations are identified that affect the outcomes in the entrepreneurial process. Experiences of the entrepreneurs highlight the importance of compatibility between people and the organizations in which they work.
Surgical management of brainstem hemangioblastomas in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Object Despite the frequency of cerebellar hemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, their optimum contemporary management has not been defined, and is made complex because of the multiple, progressive, and protean nature of the tumors found in patients with this disorder. To examine modern management and outcomes of cerebellar hemangioblastomas in VHL disease, the authors reviewed findings in patients with this disease who underwent resection of cerebellar hemangioblastomas. Methods Consecutive patients with VHL disease who underwent surgery for cerebellar hemangioblastoma(s) at the National Institutes of Health were included. Eighty consecutive patients (44 female and 36 male patients) underwent 126 operations for removal of 164 cerebellar hemangioblastomas (age at surgery 37.8+/-10.3 years, follow-up duration 96.0+/-60.3 months). Serial clinical examinations, imaging studies, and operative records were analyzed. Results Symptoms and signs included headache (94 operations; 75%), ataxia (55%), dysmetria (29%), and hydrocephalus (28%). Although the primary objective of surgery was resection of the hemangioblastoma considered responsible for symptoms (136 of the hemangioblastomas [83%]), 28 additional hemangioblastomas (17%) were removed during the same surgeries. Tumors associated with symptoms were larger (diameter 1.8+/-1.9 cm; volume 2.8+/-3.4 cm3; p Conclusions Symptoms and signs caused by cerebellar hemangioblastomas in VHL disease are associated with edema and peritumoral cyst formation/propagation and are treated safely and effectively with resection. Cerebrospinal fluid diversion is rarely necessary after complete tumor removal in patients with preoperative hydrocephalus. Cerebellar hemangioblastomas are preferentially distributed in the posterior half of the cerebellum, as they are in the brainstem and spinal cord. Tumor recurrence is avoided by meticulous extracapsular resection.
82 TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR α-INDUCED APOPTOSIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROGRESSION OF HEART FAILURE IN MICE AND CAN BE RESCUED BY D-4F TREATMENT.

Background Cardiac-specific overexpression of TNF-α in vivo produces a dilated cardiomyopathy. Studies in our lab have demonstrated that cardiac myocyte apoptosis is increased in TNF-α overexpressing transgenic (Tg) mice; however, TNF-α treatment alone does not increase apoptotic rates in cultured cardiac myocytes. We explored the effects of TNF-α on cultured cardiac myocytes expressing an apoptotic “sensitizer” (c-Myc) elevated in failing myocardium. The role of apoptosis in heart failure (HF) progression in TNF-α Tg mice was determined by treatment by D-4F, an apolipoprotein A-1 mimetic peptide that has been shown to favorably alter the inflammatory properties of HDL. Methods Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were infected with an adenovirus overexpressing human c-Myc (AdMyc) or a virus expressing LacZ as a negative control (AdLacZ). Virus-infected cells were treated with 20 ng/μL TNF-α for 12 h and assessed for apoptosis by TUNEL staining. In vivo studies used wild-type (NTg) or Tg mice expressing human TNF-α in adult myocardium treated with D-4F or saline beginning at week 4 of life, and sacrificed at week 8. Hypertrophy was assessed by heart mass. Cardiac function was assessed by 2-D echo. Myocyte morphology was studied by H&E sectioning and apoptosis was quantified by TUNEL staining. Results c-Myc overexpressing NRVMs treated with TNF-α showed a 2-fold increase in apoptosis compared to untreated c-Myc overexpressing myocytes (p Conclusions TNF-α induces cardiac myocyte apoptosis in vitro when sensitized by c-Myc. TNF-α-induced LV remodeling and heart failure in mice is attenuated by treatment with D-4F, possibly through a reduction in cardiac myocyte apoptosis. These models will provide useful tools to explore the mechanisms of TNF-α action and beneficial effects of D-4F.
Unbalanced Space Vector Modulation with Fundamental Phase Shift Compensation for Faulty Multilevel Converters

This paper proposes a new fault-tolerant strategy for the purpose of revamping the performance of three-phase multilevel (ML) converters with faulty switches. The proposed fault-tolerant strategy is based on an adaptation of the modified space vector modulation (SVM) technique to the fundamental phase-shift compensation method. The proposed fault-tolerant strategy generates balanced line-to-line voltages with increased voltage levels in the faulty condition. In this paper, first a brief background about cascaded H-bridge (CHB) ML converters and SVM technique is provided. Then the proposed fault-tolerant strategy and the modified SVM technique are presented. Finally, several experimental results are provided to validate operation of the proposed strategy.
Cofactor symbiosis for enhanced algal growth, biofuel production, and wastewater treatment

Abstract Algae have gained attention for production of fuels and chemicals, and treatment of wastewater. The high cost of algae cultivation, however, has limited industry adoption for these applications. Developing methods to increase algal growth rates and lipid content has emerged as an important strategy toward reducing production costs, and significant research effort has been exerted in this area. We have reported previously that co-culturing the green alga, Auxenochlorella protothecoides, with Escherichia coli under mixotrophic conditions led to 2–6 fold increases in algal growth, doubling of neutral lipid content, and elevated nutrient removal rates compared to axenic growth, indicative of a symbiotic relationship. In the present work, we reveal that symbiosis stems largely from E. coli's provision of thiamine derivatives and degradation products to A. protothecoides. LCMS showed that residual cell-free medium obtained from axenic E. coli culture contained roughly 1.15 nM thiamine pyrophosphate and 4.0–9.1 nM of the thiamine precursor and degradation product, 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine (HMP). These compounds were found to promote the growth, lipid content, and glucose uptake of A. protothecoides, while dramatically improving substrate utilization efficiency. Due to widespread cofactor auxotrophy among algae, the co-culture results presented here likely extend to a large number of microbial community systems. We show that algal-algal symbiosis based on cofactor exchange is also possible, opening a new frontier in algae cultivation management. These findings highlight the potential of engineered microbial communities for improved algal biofuel production and wastewater treatment.
Automatic hydraulic fracturing design for low permeability reservoirs using artificial intelligence

The hydraulic fracturing technique is one of the major developments in petroleum engineering in the last two decades. Today, nearly all the wells completed in low permeability gas reservoirs require a hydraulic fracturing treatment in order to produce at an economical level. This study presents a new methodology, applicable to tight gas reservoirs, for designing hydraulic fractures. This study is intended to develop an automatic hydraulic fracture design tool to help users design fracture jobs without being an expert in the art and science of hydraulic fracturing. This process is composed entirely of an integration of several artificial intelligence techniques. The methodology consists of three modules: formation stress determination, optimum treatment design and net treatment pressure prediction. The first module combines the classic approach of stress calculations with a fuzzy lithology identification system to better characterize the reservoir and estimate the stress profile. The result of this module is essential for the fracture treatment design. The second module incorporates an optimization system composed of neural networks and a genetic algorithm to search for the optimum treatment design. The third, and final, module is designed to predict the net treating pressure expected during fracturing. A one-dimensional vector quantization technique samples and extracts the main characteristic of the pressure profile. The net treatment pressure neural network generates the main features of the pressure profile and then reconstructs the entire signal. The methodology was integrated in a computer program aimed to help petroleum engineers design optimum treatment schedules and predict net treatment pressure for hydraulic fracturing. This tool is designed to reduce the engineering time for designing optimum treatment schedules.
Bernanke's Dilemma

At what point in the tepid recovery from the global financial crisis should the Fed take a major step in normalizing U.S. monetary policy by greatly reducing its holdings of U.S. Treasury bonds? Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke faced this question in summer 2013, even as he was concerned that the U.S. economy was still on a weak footing. Suitable for both core and elective MBA courses in global financial markets and international finance, this case examines the risks associated with a policy some would consider monetizing the budget deficit. Students consider the factors behind past, current, and prospective levels of U.S. long-term interest rates. Excerpt UVA-GEM-0111 Rev. Jul. 29, 2013 Bernanke's dilemma “[N]o central bank anywhere on the planet…has the experience of successfully navigating a return home from the place in which we now find ourselves. No central bank—not, at least, the Federal Reserve—has ever been on this cruise before.” Ben Bernanke was entering the final year of a difficult eight-year term as chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed). Earlier in his career, as an economics professor at Princeton, he had written influential research papers advocating a policy of inflation targeting. Inflation targeting, in its simplest form, is rather mechanical. If inflation is forecasted to be above some predetermined range, tighten monetary policy; if inflation is projected to be lower than the stated range, loosen it. The Fed's dual mandate seemed to preclude a pure inflation target—the mandate dictated that it also focus on employment—but the thinking when he took over in early 2006 was that perhaps the Bernanke Fed would be a de facto inflation targeter. Alas, at this point, in July 2013, a relatively mechanical inflation targeting policy was only a dream. Bernanke would go down in history as the chairman who brought the Fed into uncharted waters (for it, at least). His initial response to the global financial crisis (GFC) was to lower the federal funds (fed funds) rate to about 0% and implement an almost unfathomable campaign of new facilities to free up frozen credit markets. In November 2008, when the economy was still very weak and financial markets were reeling, the Fed began its attempt to directly influence long-term interest rates by making massive purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds, the first of the so-called quantative easing (QE) measures. Those policies raised eyebrows but were largely seen as necessary to keep the U.S. (and world) economy from sliding into another Great Depression. . . .
Reconstructability Analysis: An Overview

The purpose of reconstructability analysis is to provide systems investigators with useful methodological tools for dealing with the various questions regarding the relationship between overall systems and their various subsystems. The term “system” is viewed in reconstructability analysis as a characterization of certain type of fuzzy measures by which the constraint among variables of interest is described.
Lateral Ankle Sprain in a Mouse Model: Lifelong Sensorimotor Dysfunction

Context: Ankle sprains are the most common orthopaedic injury that occurs during sport and physical activity. Many individuals who sprain their ankles develop chronic ankle instability (CAI), a condition characterized by recurrent injury, decreased physical activity, and decreased quality of life. These residual impairments are believed to persist for the remainder of the patient's life, in part due to the link between CAI and posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis. However, this belief remains speculative due to the lack of long-term prospective investigations. Objective: To use a mouse model of mild (MILD) and severe (SEVERE) ankle sprains to quantify balance and locomotor adaptations across the lifespan. Design: Cohort study. Setting: University research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Fifty male mice (CBA/J) were randomly placed into a control (SHAM), MILD, or SEVERE group and housed individually. Intervention(s): The MILD group underwent surgical transection of a single right hind-limb ...
Preparation of 2-(trimethylsilyl)methyl-2-propen-1-ol derivatives by cobalt catalyzed sp2-sp3 coupling

Abstract A practical, operationally simple preparation of 2-(trimethylsilyl)methyl-2-propen-1-ol derivatives is described. The cobalt catalyzed coupling of a protected vinyl halide with trimethylsilylmethylmagnesium chloride shows excellent functional group tolerance and provides these synthetically useful allyl silanes in good overall yield. By this method, the use of highly concentrated organolithium reagents, complex reaction protocols, and expensive starting materials is avoided.
Simultaneous NO and SO2 removal by aqueous persulfate activated by combined heat and Fe2+: experimental and kinetic mass transfer model studies.

This study evaluates the chemistry, kinetics, and mass transfer aspects of the removal of NO and SO2 simultaneously from flue gas induced by the combined heat and Fe2+ activation of aqueous persulfate. The work involves experimental studies and the development of a mathematical model utilizing a comprehensive reaction scheme for detailed process evaluation, and to validate the results of an experimental study at 30–70 °C, which demonstrated that both SO2 and Fe2+ improved NO removal, while the SO2 is almost completely removed. The model was used to correlate experimental data, predict reaction species and nitrogen-sulfur (N-S) product concentrations, to obtain new kinetic data, and to estimate mass transfer coefficient (KLa) for NO and SO2 at different temperatures. The model percent conversion results appear to fit the data remarkably well for both NO and SO2 in the temperature range of 30–70 °C. The conversions ranged from 43.2 to 76.5% and 98.9 to 98.1% for NO and SO2, respectively, in the 30–70 °C range. The model predictions at the higher temperature of 90 °C were 90.0 and 97.4% for NO and SO2, respectively. The model also predicted decrease in KLa for SO2 of 1.097 × 10−4 to 8.88 × 10−5 s−1 (30–90 °C) and decrease in KLa for NO of 4.79 × 10−2 to 3.67 × 10−2 s−1 (30–50 °C) but increase of 4.36 × 10−2 to 4.90 × 10−2 s−1 at higher temperatures (70–90 °C). This emerging sulfate-radical-based process could be applied to the treatment of flue gases from combustion sources.
Achieving the 30% Goal: Energy and Cost Savings Analysis of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010

This Technical Support Document presents the energy and cost savings analysis that PNNL conducted to measure the potential energy savings of 90.1-2010 relative to 90.1-2004. PNNL conducted this analysis with inputs from many other contributors and source of information. In particular, guidance and direction was provided by the Simulation Working Group under the auspices of the SSPC90.1. This report documents the approach and methodologies that PNNL developed to evaluate the energy saving achieved from use of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010. Specifically, this report provides PNNL’s Progress Indicator process and methodology, EnergyPlus simulation framework, prototype model descriptions. This report covers the combined upgrades from 90.1-2004 to 90.1-2010, resulting in a total of 153 addenda. PNNL has reviewed and considered all 153 addenda for quantitative analysis in the Progress Indicator process. 53 of those are included in the quantitative analysis. This report provides information on the categorization of all of the addenda, a summary of the content, and deeper explanation of the impact and modeling of 53 identified addenda with quantitative savings.
A rapid, cost-effective procedure for the extraction of microbial DNA from soil

Here we describe a DNA extraction method that is based on a simple, rapid polyvinylpolypyrrolidone–calcium chloride precipitation to release microorganisms from the soil combined with lysozyme–proteinase–SDS lysis of the microbial community. The extracted DNA is of high quality and allows direct detection of specific genes by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as well as cloning of indigenous microbial DNA. This method facilitates the extraction of 36 500-mg soil samples simultaneously in a 2-h period by one person. The procedure is safe, inexpensive, and does not require specialized equipment or generate hazardous wastes.
Cellular and Humoral Immunity to Reovirus Infection

Mammalian reoviruses are nonenveloped double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses of the genus Orthoreovirus, family Reoviridae. The biology of reoviruses has been recently reviewed in detail (Virgin et al. 1997; Nibert et al. 1995; Tyler and Fields 1995). This chapter focuses on studies of immunity to reovirus.
DD24: Overdemanding Underachiever (Oktober 2006)

Als ich vollig zufallig dieses Wortpaar beim Googlen fand, fiel mir so etwas wie ein Groschen (darf man das noch sagen?). Overdemand: immer fordern. Underachieve: wenig zustande bringen. Das passt gut zusammen, oder?
Pediatric Telemedicine Use in United States Emergency Departments.

Introduction The receipt of remote clinical care for children via telecommunications (pediatric telemedicine) appears to improve access to and quality of care in U.S. emergency departments (EDs), but the actual prevalence and characteristics of pediatric telemedicine receipt remain unclear. We determined the prevalence and current applications of pediatric telemedicine in U.S. EDs, focusing on EDs that received telemedicine from clinicians at other facilities. Methods We surveyed all 5,375 U.S. EDs to characterize emergency care in 2016. We then randomly surveyed 130 (39%) of the 337 EDs who reported receiving pediatric telemedicine. The second survey was administered by phone to ED directors primarily. It confirmed that the ED received pediatric telemedicine services in 2017 and asked about ED staffing and the nature, purpose, and concerns with pediatric telemedicine implementation. Results The first survey (4,507/5,375, 84% response) showed that 337 (8%) EDs reported receiving pediatric telemedicine. Among the randomly sampled EDs completing the second survey (107/130, 82% response), 96 (90%) confirmed 2016 use and 89 (83%) confirmed 2017 use. Reasons for discontinuation included technical and scheduling concerns. Almost all who confirmed their pediatric telemedicine use in 2017 also reported 24/7 availability (98%). The most widely reported use was for patient placement and transfer coordination (80%). Many EDs (39%) reported no challenges with implementing pediatric telemedicine and described its utility. However, the most frequently reported challenges were process concerns (30%), such as concerns about slowing or interrupting providers' work flow and technological concerns (14%). Conclusion Few EDs receive telemedicine for the delivery of pediatric emergency care nationally. Among EDs that do use telemedicine for pediatric care, many report process concerns. Addressing these barriers through focused education or interventions may support EDs in further developing and optimizing this technological adjunct to pediatric emergency care.
Cavity-Enhanced Optical Parametric Generation in a Modal-Phase-Matched Lithium Niobate Microring

We report cavity-enhanced second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation in a high-Q lithium niobate microring resonator with modal phase matching. The second-harmonic generation efficiency is measured to be 1,500% W−1. © 2019 The Author(s)
Sequestration of trivalent americium and lanthanide nitrates with bis-lactam-1,10-phenanthroline ligand in a hydrocarbon solvent

Efficient separation of minor actinides and lanthanides from used nuclear fuel could potentially lead to the development of sustainable nuclear fuel cycles. Herein, we report an in-depth study on selectivity and speciation in the extraction of the trivalent minor actinide Am and rare earth metal ions with a pre-organized phenanthroline-based ligand in a hydrocarbon solvent system relevant to nuclear fuel reprocessing. The 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 ligand-to-metal complexes dominate the speciation in the organic solvent over a range of ligand-to-metal concentrations, as evidenced by experimental data and supported by modeling.
Post-Keynesian institutionalism: past, present, and future

Post-Keynesian institutionalism (PKI) is a branch of institutional economics that draws on the common ground shared by many institutionalists and post-Keynesians. PKI emerged in the USA in the 1980s; attracted considerable attention during the Internet boom and crash (roughly from 1995 through 2002); and offered vital economic insight to address the global financial crisis of 2007–2009. This article presents a two-part examination of PKI: the first part surveys PKI’s origins and development; the second highlights existing contributions in the course of outlining directions for future PKI research. PKI began with a focus on understanding business cycles and seeking to prevent or contain economic downturns; over time, attention also centered on structural economic changes and the spread of worker insecurity. In the coming years, scholarship in those areas must be complemented by—indeed, carried out in tandem with—contributions that shed light on the problem of global warming and the widespread consequences of climate change.
Novel Strain of the Chronic Wasting Disease Agent Isolated From Experimentally Inoculated Elk With LL132 Prion Protein

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, progressive disease that affects cervid species, including Rocky mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). There are 2 allelic variants in the elk prion protein gene: L132 (leucine) and M132 (methionine). Following experimental oral challenge with the CWD agent incubation periods are longest in LL132 elk, intermediate in ML132 elk, and shortest in MM132 elk. In order to ascertain whether such CWD-infected elk carry distinct prion strains, groups of Tg12 mice that express M132 elk prion protein were inoculated intracranially with brain homogenate from individual CWD-infected elk of various genotypes (LL132, LM132, or MM132). Brain samples were examined for microscopic changes and assessment of the biochemical properties of disease-associated prion protein (PrPSc). On first passage, mice challenged with LL132 elk inoculum had prolonged incubation periods and greater PrPSc fibril stability compared to mice challenged with MM132 or LM132 inoculum. On second passage, relative incubation periods, western blot profiles, and neuropathology were maintained. These results suggest that the CWD prion isolated from LL132 elk is a novel CWD strain and that M132 PrPC is able to propagate some biophysical properties of the L132 PrPSc conformation.
Patient-Reported Receipt of Goal-Concordant Care Among Seriously Ill Outpatients-Prevalence and Associated Factors.

Abstract Context Goal-concordant care is an important indicator of high-quality care in serious illness. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care among seriously ill outpatients and identify factors associated with the absence of patient-reported goal concordance. Methods Analysis of enrollment surveys from a multicenter cluster-randomized trial of outpatients with serious illness. Patients reported their prioritized health care goal and the focus of their current medical care; these items were matched to define receipt of goal-concordant care. Results Of 405 patients with a prioritized health care goal, 58% reported receipt of goal-concordant care, 17% goal-discordant care, and 25% were uncertain of the focus of their care. Patient-reported receipt of goal concordance differed by patient goal. For patients who prioritized extending life, 86% reported goal-concordant care, 2% goal-discordant care, and 12% were uncertain of the focus of their care. For patients who prioritized relief of pain and discomfort, 51% reported goal-concordant care, 21% goal-discordant care, and 28% were uncertain of the focus of their care. Patients who prioritized a goal of relief of pain and discomfort were more likely to report goal-discordant care than patients who prioritized a goal of extending life (relative risk ratio 22.20; 95% CI 4.59, 107.38). Conclusion Seriously ill outpatients who prioritize a goal of relief of pain and discomfort are less likely to report receipt of goal-concordant care than patients who prioritize extending life. Future interventions designed to improve receipt of goal-concordant care should focus on identifying patients who prioritize relief of pain and discomfort and promoting care aligned with that goal.
Permutation Index: Exploiting Data Skew for Improved Query Performance

Analytic queries enable sophisticated large-scale data analysis within many commercial, scientific and medical domains today. Data skew is a ubiquitous feature of these real-world domains, but current systems do not make the most of caches for exploiting skew. In particular, a whole cache line may remain cache resident even though only a small part of the cache line corresponds to a popular data item. In this paper, we propose a novel index structure for repositioning data items to concentrate popular items into the same cache lines, resulting in better spatial locality, and better utilization of limited cache resources. We analyze cache behavior, and implement database operators that are efficient in the presence of skew. Experiments on real and synthetic data show that exploiting skew can significantly improve in-memory query performance. In some cases, our techniques can speed up queries by over an order of magnitude.
Top Management Emphasis and Silo-Spanning Communication for Marketing Knowledge Integration: An Empirical Examination: An Abstract

Marketing is a central business function, and because marketing strategy affects decisions central to generating and sustaining competitive advantage, it plays a significant role in the firm’s overall business performance. Further, marketing’s boundary-spanning nature results in marketing strategies playing a major role in the business-strategy formulation. However, in the aftermath of the 2008 recession, many firms have questioned the value of marketing as evidenced by reduced marketing budgets, less executive time allocated to marketing, marketing increasingly being perceived as a cost, and the reduction in the tenure of marketing executives on top management teams (TMTs). In recent times, from a position touted to be in great peril, marketing executives on TMTs are slowly growing into the role of being significant contributors to firm strategy. In this research, drawing on upper echelons theory and silo-spanning communications research, we investigate how integration of marketing knowledge can go a long way in facilitating strong firm performance. Specifically, we investigate how top management emphasis, silo-spanning communication through formal and informal cross-functional interface mechanisms, knowledge valuation, and knowledge-oriented culture influence marketing knowledge integration and, in turn, marketing and financial performance. The results of our research support our premise that organizations that facilitate the integration of marketing knowledge are more likely to reap the positive influence on firm performance. Specifically, by not facilitating effective marketing knowledge integration, it is firms that fail the marketing function and not the other way around. Overall, modern-day marketing strategy is inherently complex and dynamic, and the ever-changing bundles of knowledge about customers, competitors, technologies, strategies, policies and procedures, and other environmental forces demand continuous integration of marketing knowledge. This research is one of the first to empirically examine the role of the marketing function in impacting firm performance. Specifically, on the foundations of upper echelons theory, this research demonstrates the valuable role that the marketing function can play in contributing to firm performance.
Barriers, facilitators, and disparities in retention for adolescents in treatment for substance use disorders: a qualitative study with treatment providers.

Retention in substance use treatment is one of the strongest predictors of improved outcomes among adolescents, making retention an important goal of treatment. We examined treatment providers’ perspectives on barriers and facilitators to treatment retention among adolescents, and their views on contributors to racial/ethnic disparities in retention including ways to address disparities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 providers at state-licensed detoxification, residential, and outpatient facilities serving adolescents for substance use disorders in Massachusetts. Interviews were coded by at least two independent coders. Providers identified barriers and facilitators at the policy/systems, facility, family, and client levels. Some of the barriers included insurance limits on sessions/length of stay and low reimbursement (policy/systems), staff turnover (facility), low family engagement (family), and low internal motivation (client). Some facilitators mentioned were support from state’s substance use agency (policy/systems), flexibility with meeting location (facility), family participation (family), and high internal motivation and presence of external motivators (client). Barriers that contributed to racial/ethnic disparities included lower socio-economic status, language barriers, and mistrust. Having bilingual/bicultural staff and multi-lingual materials, and facilitating transportation were identified as strategies for reducing disparities in treatment retention. It is critical that adolescents who access substance use services remain and complete treatment and that there is equity in treatment retention. Provider perspectives in factors associated with retention can inform the development of comprehensive interventions and policies to help improve retention and reduce disparities.
Mixture fraction analysis of combustion products in medium-scale pool fires

Abstract A mixture fraction analysis is performed to investigate the characteristics of time-averaged gaseous species measurements made along the centerline of medium-scale pool fires steadily burning in a quiescent environment. A series of fire experiments are conducted using 30 cm diameter liquid and 37 cm diameter gas pool burners. All gaseous species measurements are extracted at various heights within the fire and analyzed using an Agilent 5977E Series Gas Chromatograph with mass selectivity and thermal conductivity detectors. Soot mass fractions are simultaneously measured during gas sampling. For all fuels, the results show that the local composition plotted as a function of mixture fraction collapses the experimental data into a few coherent lines that nearly match the idealized reactions. Differences between the theoretical and experimental data are attributed to the presence of carbon monoxide, soot, and other intermediate carbon-containing species. The ratio of carbon monoxide and soot is presented as a function of mixture fraction in which a trend is observed.
Narrow Notch Width is a Risk Factor for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in the Pediatric Population: A Multicenter Study.

Purpose The purposes of this study were to evaluate the notch width index (NWI) as a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in the pediatric and adolescent patient population via multicenter analysis and to detect any differences in the NWI among cohorts having sustained either a unilateral or bilateral ACL rupture. Methods A consecutive series of patients ≤19 years old was enrolled from January 1999 through July 2010 at 2 academic pediatric orthopaedic tertiary-care hospitals. Demographic and anatomic morphology data were collected for 3 cohorts: unilateral ACL ruptures, bilateral ACL ruptures, and a control group. A single blinded reviewer determined notch width measurements via T2 coronal magnetic resonance imaging sequences in a standardized manner, using a previously described technique. Results Of the 68 patients included for analysis, 22 sustained unilateral ACL rupture, 23 sustained bilateral ruptures, and 23 comprised the control group. There was a statistically significant difference appreciated in direct comparison of the NWI in the bilateral rupture group and the control group, as well as between the unilateral rupture group and the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the NWI in the unilateral versus the bilateral rupture group. Conclusion Given the known inconsistencies in the existing literature, our findings provide further support of a narrow NWI as a significant contributing factor to both unilateral and bilateral ACL injury risk in the pediatric and adolescent patient population. Level of Evidence III, retrospective cohort study.
ϵ -Approximate Coded Matrix Multiplication Is Nearly Twice as Efficient as Exact Multiplication

We study coded distributed matrix multiplication from an approximate recovery viewpoint. We consider a system of $P$ computation nodes where each node stores $1/m$ of each multiplicand via linear encoding. Our main result shows that the matrix product can be recovered with $\epsilon $ relative error from any $m$ of the $P$ nodes for any $\epsilon > 0$ . We obtain this result through a careful specialization of MatDot codes — a class of matrix multiplication codes previously developed in the context of exact recovery ( $\epsilon =0$ ). Since prior results showed that MatDot codes achieve the best exact recovery threshold for a class of linear coding schemes, our result shows that allowing for mild approximations leads to a system that is nearly twice as efficient as exact reconstruction. For Entangled-Poly codes — which are generalizations of MatDot codes — we show that approximation reduces the recovery threshold from $p^{2} q + q -1$ to $p^{2}q$ , when the input matrices A, B are split respectively in to a $p \times q$ and $q \times p$ grids of equal-sized submatrices.