cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and clinicopathologic characteristics of ovine GM-1 gangliosidosis

Ovine GM-1 gangliosidosis is an inherited lysosomal storage disease. Nine lambs affected with the disease were studied to characterize clinical signs and to determine if there were any pathognomonic clinicopathologic abnormalities. Evaluation included physical, ophthalmic, and neurologic examinations, complete blood counts, serum enzyme and electrolyte analyses, urinalyses, cerebrospinal fluid analyses, blood gas analyses, roentgenograms, electromyograms, and electrocardiograms. Two affected lambs had clinicopathologic tests performed before and after the onset of clinical signs. The only consistent abnormalities recognized were nonspecific signs referable to the central nervous system; predominantly ataxia, conscious proprioceptive deficit most severe in the hind limbs, blindness, and recumbency. Lambs continued to eat and drink, though at diminished levels and with loss of body condition. It was concluded that there are no pathognomonic clinicopathologic abnormalities associated with ovine GM-1 gangliosidosis, and antemortem diagnosis requires enzyme assay of leukocytes or cultured fibroblasts, or lectin histochemistry of tissues obtained by biopsy. Lysosomal storage diseases should be considered among the differential diagnoses in young animals presenting with early neonatal death or with nonspecific neurological signs, in concert with an absence of diagnostic clinicopathologic findings.
A comparison of changes in plasma thyrotropin β- and α-subunits, and mouse thyrotropic tumor thyrotropin β- and α-subunit mRNA concentrations after in vivo dexamethasone or T3 administration

Dexamethasone, like T3, inhibits the production of TSH. T3 inhibits TSH synthesis by reducing transcription of the genes encoding TSH-β and α-subunits. Little information is available concerning the effects of dexamethasone on the individual subunits, or the combined effects of dexamethasone with T3. In a preliminary study, hypothyroid mice bearing the thyrotropic tumor TtT 97 were treated with 25, 250, or 500 μg dexamethasone ip daily for ten days. Plasma levels of TSH and its subunits were unchanged after 25 μg of dexamethasone and maximally suppressed after 250 μg. Plasma TSH was reduced to 51% (P < .02), free TSH-β to 54% (P < .01), and α-subunit to 62% (P < .001) of control values. In two similar experiments hypothyroid mice bearing TtT 97 were treated with dexamethasone (250 μg), T3 (0.5 or 1 μg), or both dexamethasone with T3 for 10 days. Total α-subunit and TSH-β were calculated by adding 12TSH + free subunit concentrations. In the experiment using 1 μg of T3, total plasma α-subunit was reduced by dexamethasone to 72%, by T3 to 45% (P < .02), and by combined treatment to 23% (P < .01) of control values. In the experiment using 0.5 μg of T3, total plasma α-subunit was reduced by dexamethasone to 66% (P < .05), by T3 to 67% (P < .05), and by combined treatment to 46% (P < .02) of control values. In the studies using the 1 μg or 0.5 μg dose of T3 respectively, total plasma TSH-β was reduced by dexamethasone to 57% (P < .05) or 48%, by T3 to 11% (P < .01) or 19% (P < .05), and by combined treatment to 14% (P < .01) or 16% (P < .02) of control values. TSH-β and α-subunit mRNA were measured by blot hybridization of total RNA in thyrotropic tissue using cloned subunit specific cDNAs. There was no change in TSH-β or α-subunit mRNA after dexamethasone; α-subunit mRNA was unchanged after 0.5 μg T3, however, 1 μg T3 reduced steady-state α-subunit mRNA to 26% of controls (P < .01). After 0.5 μg T3 TSH-β mRNA was suppressed to 11% (P < .01) of controls, and 1.0 μg T3 reduced TSH-β mRNA to barely detectable levels. Although both dexamethasone and T3 reduce plasma TSH and subunits, dexamethasone does not act like T3 in reducing steady-state levels of TSHβ and α-subunit mRNAs in the mouse thyrotropic tumor. Additionally, at the doses studied, the suppressive effects of dexamethasone and T3 on plasma total α-subunit were additive.
A Novel Casein Kinase 2 α-Subunit Regulates Membrane Protein Traffic in the Human Hepatoma Cell Line HuH-7

Abstract A previously isolated endocytic trafficking mutant (TRF1) isolated from HuH-7 cells is defective in the distribution of subpopulations of cell-surface receptors for asialoorosomucoid (asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR)), transferrin, and mannose-terminating glycoproteins. The pleiotropic phenotype of TRF1 also includes an increased sensitivity to Pseudomonastoxin and deficient assembly and function of gap junctions. HuH-7×TRF1 hybrids exhibited a normal subcellular distribution of ASGR, consistent with the TRF1 mutation being recessive. A cDNA expression library derived from HuH-7 mRNA was transfected into TRF1 cells, which were subsequently selected for resistance toPseudomonas toxin. Sequence analysis of a recovered cDNA revealed a unique isoform of casein kinase 2 (CK2), CK2α". Western blot analysis of TRF1 proteins revealed a 60% reduction in total CK2α expression. Consistent with this finding, the hybrids HuH-7×HuH-7 and HuH-7×TRF1 expressed equivalent amounts of total CK2α. Immunoblots using antibodies against peptides unique to the previously described CK2 isoforms CK2α and CK2α′ and the novel CK2α" isoform showed that, although TRF1 and parental HuH-7 cells expressed comparable amounts of CK2α and CK2α′, the mutant did not express CK2α". Based on the genomic DNA sequence, RNA transcripts encoding CK2α" apparently originate from alternative splicing of a primary transcript. Protein overexpression following transfection of TRF1 cells with cDNAs encoding either CK2α or the newly cloned CK2α" restored the parental HuH-7 phenotype, includingPseudomonas toxin resistance, cell-surface ASGR binding activity, phosphorylation, and the assembly of gap junctions. This study suggests that HuH-7 cells express at least three CK2α isoforms and that the pleiotropic TRF1 phenotype is a consequence of a reduction in total CK2 expression.
Intraspecific variation in estrogen receptor alpha and the expression of male sociosexual behavior in two populations of prairie voles

Abstract Estrogen (E) regulates a variety of male sociosexual behaviors. We hypothesize that there is a relationship between the distribution of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and the degree of male social behavior. To test this hypothesis, ERα immunoreactivity (IR) was compared in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) from Illinois (IL), which are highly social, and Kansas (KN), which are less social. The expression of androgen receptors (AR) in males also was compared between populations. The expression of ERα and AR were compared in brains from KN and IL males and females using immunocytochemistry (ICC). There were significant intrapopulational differences, with males expressing less ERα-IR than females in the medial preoptic area, ventromedial nucleus, ventrolateral portion of the hypothalamus, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). IL males also displayed less ERα-IR in the medial amygdala (MeA) than IL females. While IL males expressed significantly less ERα-IR in the BST and MeA than KN males, there was no difference in AR-IR. Differences in the pattern of ERα-IR between KN and IL males were behaviorally relevant, as low levels of testosterone (T) were more effective in restoring sexual activity in castrated KN males than IL males. The lack of difference in AR combined with lower expression of ERα-IR in IL males suggests that behavioral differences in response to T are associated with aromatization of T to E and that reduced sensitivity to E may facilitate prosocial behavior in males.
Congenital Glomangioma: Case Report and Review of the World Literature

Glomangiomas, or multiple glomus tumors, occur in disseminated, localized, or congenital plaquelike forms. The first two cases of congenital plaquelike glomangioma were described in 1990. We report a 9-year-old girl with a congenital, violaceous, 75-cm2 indurated plaque of the left abdomen that showed the classic histologic findings of glomangioma. In our review of the world literature, we found 11 additional, well-documented cases of glomangioma present at birth. Ten of these patients had violaceous indurated plaques, and the other two had clusters of discrete nodules. The majority of lesions were painless and enlarged with body growth. Many patients developed satellite lesions at sites distant from the original glomangiomas later in life. Family history of glomangioma was positive in 4 of the 12 patients.
Characterization of digoxigenin-labeled B-phycoerythrin by capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence Application to homogeneous digoxin immunoassay

Abstract A laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) immunoassay technique based on capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation is demonstrated. The analysis of digoxin in serum at clinically useful concentration levels of 10 −9 to 10 −10 M is achieved using this technique. The chemistry presented here using digoxigenin-labeled B-phycoerythrin was selected as a convenient model for the exploration of CE-LIF-based immunoassays. The LIF system described here exhibits detection limits in the low 10 −11 M range for several common fluorophores. The data presented in this report are one of the first examples of nanomolar quantitative analysis in a human serum matrix by CE.
Concerning the identity of pancreatic cholesterol esterase.

Abstract Lipase and cholesterol esterase activity were measured in pancreas homogenates which were pretreated with acid, alkali, and heat. Lipase was stable when pretreated for 15 min. at temperatures from 37 to 55 °. From 55 to 65 ° there was a partial loss in activity and complete inactivation at 70 °. Cholesterol esterase was progressively inactivated above 37 ° with complete inactivation at 65 °. Lipase was more stable at acid and alkaline pH's than cholesterol esterase. Tributyrin, olive oil, methyl butyrate, and ethyl oleate were split in the absence of bile salts. No cholesterol esterase activity was obtained in the absence of bile salts.
Structure of O67745_AQUAE, a hypothetical protein from Aquifex aeolicus.

Using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion data obtained from a gold-derivatized crystal, the X-ray crystal structure of the protein 067745_AQUAE from the prokaryotic organism Aquifex aeolicus has been determined to a resolution of 2.0 A. Amino-acid residues 1–371 of the 44 kDa protein were identified by Pfam as an HD domain and a member of the metal-dependent phosphohydrolase superfamily (accession No. PF01966). Although three families from this large and diverse group of enzymatic proteins are represented in the PDB, the structure of 067745_AQUAE reveals a unique fold that is unlike the others and that is likely to represent a new subfamily, further organizing the families and characterizing the proteins. Data are presented that provide the first insights into the structural organization of the proteins within this clan and a distal alternative GDP-binding domain outside the metal-binding active site is proposed.
General-relativistic treatment of the gravitational coupling between laser beams

The present paper is an extension of the earlier work of Tolman, Ehrenfest, and Podolsky who investigated the gravitational interaction between ''thin pencils of light.'' We calculate the gravitational field produced by a laser pulse traveling with a velocity v < c, and the trajectory of a probe pulse propagating through this field. The amplitude and phase variations of the probe pulse due to the presence of the laser pulse are calculated via the Einstein-Maxwell equations.
Cost of Capital for Exempt Foreign Private Issuers: Information Risk Effect or Earnings Quality Effect? It Depends

Abstract We examine whether the information risk accompanying Foreign Private Issuers' (FPIs) exemptions from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting requirements is associated with capital market penalties (measured by a higher cost of equity capital) and, further, the extent to which this information risk is mitigated by earnings quality. Our overall results indicate that exempt FPIs exhibit a higher cost of equity capital than reporting FPIs, and this relation still persists after controlling for earnings quality. Furthermore, we partition our sample into firms from strong and weak investor protection environments. Interestingly, similar to the results in Francis et al. (2008), for FPIs from strong investor protection regimes we find no difference in the cost of capital between exempt and filing FPIs, even after controlling for earnings quality. To the contrary, for FPIs from weak investor protection regimes, we find that the exemption is associated with a higher cost of equity capital, and that earnings quality does not significantly reduce the premium paid by these issuers.
Targeted Expression of Cre Recombinase Provokes Placental-Specific DNA Recombination in Transgenic Mice

Background Inadequate placental development is associated with a high incidence of early embryonic lethality and serious pregnancy disorders in both humans and mice. However, the lack of well-defined trophoblast-specific gene regulatory elements has hampered investigations regarding the role of specific genes in placental development and fetal growth. Principal Findings By random assembly of placental enhancers from two previously characterized genes, trophoblast specific protein α (Tpbpa) and adenosine deaminase (Ada), we identified a chimeric Tpbpa/Ada enhancer that when combined with the basal Ada promoter provided the highest luciferase activity in cultured human trophoblast cells, in comparison with non-trophoblast cell lines. We used this chimeric enhancer arrangement to drive the expression of a Cre recombinase transgene in the placentas of transgenic mice. Cre transgene expression occurred throughout the placenta but not in maternal organs examined or in the fetus. Significance In conclusion, we have provided both in vitro and in vivo evidence for a novel genetic system to achieve placental transgene expression by the use of a chimeric Tpbpa/Ada enhancer driven transgene. The availability of this expression vector provides transgenic opportunities to direct the production of desired proteins to the placenta.
The Relationship Among Social Support, Victimization, and Student Adjustment in a Predominantly Latino Sample

ABSTRACT The present study is a preliminary investigation of the potential mediating role in the relationship between levels of victimization and students' adjustment for a sample of urban, predominantly Latino middle school students. A sample of 142 sixth through eighth grade students completed self-report measures including: (a) the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, (b) the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Self Report of Personality, and (c) a victim questionnaire developed for the current study. The current study found evidence that social support played a mediating role in the relationship between victimization and adjustment. Future research should continue to investigate the nature of this potential mediation and identify relevant intervention strategies to capitalize on the role of social support for children and adolescents who are victims of bullying in schools.
An evaluation of stimulation-produced analgesia in the cat

Abstract The analgesia produced by focal electrical brain stimulation of the periaqueductal central gray matter (PAG) was examined in 24 cats. The cats were chronically implanted with PAG and radial nerve bipolar stimulating electrodes. After the cats were trained to escape noxious radial nerve stimulation by crossing a low barrier in a shuttle box, the effects of focal electrical stimulation of the PAG, morphine, and chlorpromazine were evaluated on the escape threshold and latency. It was found that analgesic brain stimulation loci in the cat PAG were localized in the caudal ventrolateral PAG. The most efficacious analgesia-producing loci were observed to be at the ventrolateral edge of the PAG, suggesting a catecholaminergic involvement. Tolerance to repeated analgesia-producing electrical brain stimulation was apparent. Naloxone was not found to attenuate or antagonize the analgesia produced by focal electrical stimulation of the cat PAG.
Review of the synthesis of polyacetylene and its stabilization to ambient atmosphere

Abstract Two main topics in the field of polyacetylene are discussed. The first is the polymerization reaction, including the mechanism, the various catalytic systems with their selectivity and activity and the polymer morphology. The second is the polymer stability in ambient conditions, including the oxidation mechanism and the methods that are used or could be used for its stabilization.
Management of pediatric second branchial fistulae: is tonsillectomy necessary?

Abstract Objective To describe the surgical management of second branchial fistulae that extend to the pharynx, specifically to determine whether tonsillectomy, along with surgical excision of the tract affects the rate of recurrence. Methods Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients (age Results Seventy-four patients were identified who underwent surgical excision of 85 total second branchial anomalies – 20 cysts (23.5%), 29 sinuses (34.1%), and 36 fistulae (42.4%). The 36 fistulae were removed from 32 patients, 23 males and 9 females, with an average age of 43.3 months. There were 16 right, 11 left, and 5 bilateral lesions. In 14 (43.8%) of the fistulae cases, a tonsillectomy was performed. There was only one recurrence (2.8%), which occurred 41 months postoperatively. No statistically significant difference for recurrence (p = 1.0) was found between the group of patients that underwent tonsillectomy and those that did not. Conclusion Pediatric branchial anomalies can present as a cyst, sinus, or fistula. They are developmental failures in the involution of the branchial apparatus during the embryologic period. Management of second branchial anomalies is with surgical excision of the tract and ligation of the terminal attachment to the pharynx. Our results suggest that the recurrence rates are not affected by whether or not an ipsilateral tonsillectomy is performed.
Insights into the importance of cloud vertical structure in climate

Multi-year surface and satellite observations of cloud amounts have been combined to estimate the full three-dimensional structure of clouds for a three-layer atmosphere. This analysis provides new insight into the vertical structure of clouds and the interactions with atmospheric radiation. For instance, a simple vertical overlap parameter has been derived which is very consistent with general climatology. In addition radiative transfer model calculations show that both the mean net heating rates within the atmosphere and the perturbations of cloud radiative forcing at the top are very sensitive to variations in the overlap parameter.
Photoacoustic effect in piezoelectric ceramics

Audiofrequency signals produced by the absorption of chopped light in silvered piezoelectric ceramic discs have been measured as a function of chopping frequency, optical wavelength, optical power, transducer size, and size of illuminated area. The results show that the detected signal varies inversely as ω, is not strongly wavelength dependent in the 0.45–3.4-μm range, is linearly dependent on optical power up to at least 100 mW, is larger for smaller discs, and is approximately independent of the illuminated area for a given disc. A one-dimensional theoretical model of the photoacoustic effect in terms of the various hybrid stress, electric, and thermal material parameters is compared with the experimental results; the principal features of the data are explained by the model. The importance of the photoacoustic signal generated in the transducer to photoacoustic spectroscopy of transparent solids is discussed.
Spectroscopic Investigation of the Canopy Configurations in Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials of Various Grafting Densities during CO2 Capture

Novel liquid-like nanoparticle organic hybrid materials (NOHMs) made of polyetheramine chains tethered onto functionalized silica nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized before and after exposure to CO2 using NMR, Raman, and ATR FT-IR spectroscopies in order to investigate the effect of the grafting densities on the NOHM canopy structure. Considering the promising tunable properties for CO2 capture of NOHMs, this study was conducted to provide important structural information to better design NOHMs for CO2 capture. In order to minimize the CO2 absorption via enthalpic effect and provide a more accurate assessment of the structural effects, the NOHMs were synthesized without task-specific groups. A greater chain ordering and decreased intermolecular interactions were observed in NOHMs compared to the unbound polymer. This was attributed to the specific structural arrangement of the frustrated canopy. The distinct configuration of grafted polymer chains caused different CO2 packing and CO2-induced ...
Somatic Apprehension and Imaginative Abstraction: Cairns's Criticisms of Schutz's Criticisms of Husserl's Fifth Meditation

Dorion Cairns correctly interprets the preconstituted stratum of Edmund Husserl’s Fifth Cartesian Meditation to be the primordial ego and not the social world, as was thought by Alfred Schutz, who considered Husserl to be insufficiently attentive to the social world’s hold upon us. Following Cairns’s interpretation, which involves recovering and reconstructing strata that may never exist independently, one better understands how the transfer of sense “animate organism” involves automatic association, or somatic apprehension. This sense-transfer extends to any animate organism, not just humans, and draws on extensive unreflected-upon similarities despite the distinctive fact that the other’s body is never given to oneself as is one’s own. Following Cairns’s interpretation, one can also understand the second epoche as an imaginative, reconstructive abstraction rather than as an example of failed ascesis. Consequently, Husserl appears as less intellectualized in his approach to empathy than often thought to be and more confident in the phenomenologist’s capacity to imagine and attend selectively to experience.
Community Treatment Orders: Locating a Social Worker's Space

This article analyzes Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) utilizing examples from professional social work practice. The author also incorporates into this discussion the ethical concerns and power struggles faced by social workers treating clients under implementing CTOs, and offers strategies they can employ to strengthen their position in the mental health system in order to more effectively foster recovery and empowerment for individuals with mental illness.
Experimental Testing Techniques for Kevlar® Fiber Brush Seals

Non-metallic brush seals, and more specifically, Kevlar® (aramid) fiber brush seals, are an emerging sealing technology in low-pressure, low temperature applications. Compared to metallic brush seals, aramid fibers are an order of magnitude smaller in diameter and consequently offer much tighter sealing capability. Further, their compliant nature requires minimal pressure drops across the seal to encourage blow-down of the bristle pack onto the rotor during operation. Similarly, their compliant nature also enables the bristle pack to correct for alignment issues and to recover from radial growth transients of the rotor. Proper design of the bristle pack stiffness is critical to the successful operation of the seal. If the seal is designed to be too soft, frictional forces prohibit the recovery of the bristle pack if pressed away from the rotor. Conversely, if designed too stiffly, then the heat generation at the sliding interface of the seal accelerates the degradation of the seal. The goal of the present paper is to present the experimental techniques developed to guide the design of aramid fiber brush seals. Two experimental test methodologies will be presented: a direct stiffness measurement and a heat generation measurement. Both testing procedures have been used to successfully design seals for various GE turbomachinery products.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The Orbit and Pulsation Periods of the γ Doradus Variable HR 6844 (V2502 Ophiuchi)

We obtained spectroscopic and photometric observations of the γ Doradus variable HR 6844 (=V2502 Ophiuchi). Radial velocities show that this star is a single-lined binary with a period of 4.4852 days. The primary is an F1 V star, while the secondary is likely an M dwarf. Velocity residuals to a circular orbit have a period of 1.3071 days and an amplitude of ~3 km s-1. Three periods of light variation were detected, 1.30702, 1.4350, and 0.62286 days. The first period is essentially identical to that found in the radial velocities and has the largest amplitude, a peak-to-peak value of 0.067 mag in B. The photometric check star, 73 Oph (=HR 6795), has light variations with a period of 0.61439 in B. Although the star is a close visual binary, the light variations are ascribed to the primary, making it most likely a newly discovered γ Doradus variable.
Image registration using threefold orthogonal wavelet

An algorithm for multidimensional nonlinear registration is proposed. The deformation field between two elastic bodies is represented by a multi-resolution separable wavelet. Using a progressive approach that reduces algorithm complexity the registration parameters are recovered in a coarse to fine order. A custom wavelet that approximates threefold orthogonality is developed. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by the alignment of sections from mouse brains. The wavelet registration algorithm demonstrated on average fourfold improvement in section alignment over linear alignment.
CDMA systems with random spreading in fading channels: network capacity and power control

Due to the fast-growing demand for network capacity in wireless networks, the characterization of network capacity has become one of the most fundamental and pressing issues. While there have been considerable efforts to study CDMA systems at both the physical layer and network layer, the network capacity of power-controlled CDMA systems with linear receivers, especially in fading environments, is not well-understood. In this paper, we study a single-cell synchronous CDMA system equipped with the matched filter receiver in fading channels, and identify the network capacity for single-class systems and the network capacity region for multiple-class systems assuming known distributions of received powers of mobile users. Both the network capacity and network capacity region can be uniquely expressed in terms of the users QoS requirements and the distributions of the received powers. We also find the tightest upper bound of the network capacity over all possible distributions of received powers, and explore the concepts of effective target SIR and effective bandwidth, which play an important role in determining the admissibility and characterizing the network capacity.
Melt migration and mantle chromatography, 1: simplified theory and conditions for chemical and isotopic decoupling

Abstract Numerical modeling (1-D) of the geochemical effects of melt migration has been undertaken in order to determine the conditions necessary for disequilibrium transport of mantle-derived magmas. The numerical results demonstrate a first-order concordance between models incorporating all combinations of porous flow or channel flow with chemical exchange governed by either solid-phase diffusion or dissolution–precipitation mechanisms. The chemical changes imparted on the magma and solid mantle during melt transport are demonstrated to be functions only of the partition coefficients and the local Damkohler number, a dimensionless combination of melt velocity, effective grain size, porosity, exchange rate, and migration distance. Geochemical shifts during melt migration are not strongly dependent on the exact mechanisms of melt flow (porous versus channel) or chemical exchange (reaction versus diffusion) between the melt and mantle; the only difference among these mechanisms is the timescale of chemical exchange. A semi-analytic solution is presented which simplifies the calculation of the effects of melt migration on trace element concentrations and isotopic compositions. These simple equations can be easily incorporated into complex numerical models for the flow of mantle and melt in order to account for the effects of disequilibrium melt transport on magma and mantle chemistry. This formulation also permits a straightforward application to geochemical data sets, which allows an estimation of the local Damkohler number prevailing during melt transport. Analysis of trace element data from oceanic mantle xenoliths demonstrates the ability to resolve a `chromatographic' trace element fractionation signal. The geochemistry of incompatible elements in some late-stage alkalic basalts from Haleakala, Hawaii, are consistent with chromatographic fractionation, however this signal is weak or absent in magmas erupted during the main phase of shield building (see companion paper). Osmium isotope correlations in oceanic island basalts require transport of plume magmas in transient open channels, reaching from within hundreds of meters of the melting zone to near-surface levels. The ability to identify a chromatographic chemical signature is greatly improved by acquisition of isotopic data for elements with a wide range of solid–melt compatibilities.
January Temperatures Predict Tobacco Blue Mold Severity: Evidence for Local Source and Long-Distance Transport of Inoculum in Connecticut

ABSTRACT The tobacco blue mold pathogen, Peronospora tabacina, has been periodically reintroduced to the Connecticut River Valley cigar wrapper tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) area of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Once introduced, there is a greater likelihood of disease in following years. Blue mold occurred from 1937 to 1956, 1979 to 1981, and most recently from 1996 to 2008. Disease severity was evaluated and rated annually from 1979 to 2008, and was correlated (r = 0.84; P = 0.002) with January temperatures when the pathogen was present in moderate amounts the previous year (severity rating >1). The date of the first report of disease was negatively correlated with disease severity the previous year (r = –0.63) and February temperatures (r = –0.83). Blue mold severity was not correlated with the date of the first disease, the previous year's disease severity, or rainfall amount or frequency after introduction of the pathogen. January temperatures may be used to predict the need for early-season fungicide...
High-Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen in Adult Patients: A Narrative Review

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) is a relatively new therapeutic innovation being used in adults with severe respiratory disease. It delivers heated humidified oxygen through short nasal prongs and supplies much higher flow rates than traditional nasal cannula systems. These higher flows match patient flow demands better, reduce anatomic dead space and provide a slightly positive pressure in the upper airway. Randomized trials, nonrandomized prospective trials and case series using HFNC in adults were identified in the PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases for the period of June 1981 to December 2013. Fifteen studies meeting our inclusion criteria were analyzed; 5 were randomized controlled studies. These studies included 943 patients managed in intensive care units. Common clinical diagnoses included postoperative status, cancer and pneumonia. These studies demonstrated that HFNC provided better or comparable oxygenation when compared with conventional face masks and nasal cannulas. Side effects included epistaxis, nasal discomfort and dryness. No unexpected side effects were reported in the studies reviewed. Current studies demonstrate that HFNC can improve oxygenation adults with hypoxemic respiratory failure. In some patients, it is superior to traditional oxygen delivery systems and may obviate the need for positive pressure ventilation. More studies are needed to compare HFNC with noninvasive ventilation.
Detection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 DNA Sequence Using Plasmonics Nanoprobes

This paper describes the use of plasmonics-based nanoprobes that act as molecular sentinels for DNA diagnostics. The plasmonics nanoprobe comprises a metal nanoparticle and a stem-loop DNA molecule tagged with a Raman label. The nanoprobe utilizes the specificity and selectivity of the DNA hairpin probe sequence to detect a specific target DNA sequence of interest. In the absence of target DNA, the stem-loop configuration maintains the Raman label in proximity to the metal nanoparticle, inducing an intense surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect that produces a strong Raman signal upon laser excitation. Upon hybridization of a complementary target DNA sequence to the nanoprobe, the stem-loop configuration is disrupted, causing the Raman label to physically separate from the metal nanoparticle, thus quenching the SERS signal. The usefulness and potential application of the plasmonics nanoprobe for diagnosis is demonstrated using the gag gene sequence of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). We successfully demonstrated the specificity and selectivity of the plasmonics nanoprobes to detect PCR amplicons of the HIV gene. The potential for combining the spectral selectivity and high sensitivity of the SERS process with inherent molecular specificity of DNA hairpins to diagnose molecular target sequences in homogeneous solutions is discussed.
Seeding of arteriovenous prostheses with homologous endothelium. A preliminary report.

Abstract Endothelial cell seeding of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) arteriovenous prostheses was performed to compare seeding with homologous vs. autologous cells and to study the effect of homologous seeding with a larger vs. a smaller number of cells. Sixteen dogs were randomly assigned to four equal groups: I, control; II, light homologous seeded; III, heavy homologous seeded; and IV, autologous seeded. Bilateral femoral arteriovenous loop grafts were inserted in all. Efficiency of seeding was assessed by cell counts of instilled vs. retained cells. All grafts remained patent and were harvested approximately 8 weeks after implantation. Samples were evaluated grossly by scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. There was a direct correlation between number of cells instilled and number retained for each graft; group III received and retained the largest number (p
A decadal climate variation in the tropical Atlantic Ocean from thermodynamic air-sea interactions

Rainfall variability in northeast South America1 and the Sahel region of Africa2–4 is profoundly influenced by the sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Of particular importance are relative changes in SST between the hemispheres on decadal timescales, a phenomenon often called the Atlantic SST dipole1,5. Here we propose that the decadal variation in the tropical SST dipole may be attributed to an unstable thermodynamic ocean–atmosphere interaction between wind-induced heat fluxes and SST. Using coupled ocean–atmosphere models, we show that the coupled dipole mode has a typical oscillation period of about a decade. The notion that the Atlantic dipole-like SST variability may be related to an oscillatory coupled mode might assist attempts to predict decadal climate variability in the tropical Atlantic region.
Phase stability and the equation of state of the transition-metal alloy Mo-Re at high pressure.

The transition-metal alloy Mo--32 at. % Re was compressed in a diamond anvil cell to 193\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}8 GPa (volume fraction V/${\mathit{V}}_{0}$=0.721) and studied by x-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source. Copper was used as an internal pressure standard in the experiment. The bcc phase of this Mo-Re alloy was found to be stable to the highest pressure and the expected phase transformation to the hcp phase was not observed. The equation of state of the Mo-Re alloy is compared with its constituent metals. Mo-Re alloys show a rapid decrease in compressibility with increasing Re concentration. The rigid-band model for the alloy along with the first-principles theoretical calculations for pure Mo are not adequate to explain the experimental results.
TVB-N Correlation with Odor Evaluation and Aerobic Plate Count in Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)

ABSTRACT: Two groups of 6 mahi-mahi fillets, one untreated and the other dipped in a suspension of Morganella morganii, were refrigerated at 7°C and sampled after 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 d of storage. Results were similar for both groups of fish. Total volatile base-nitrogen (TVB-N) reached 30 mg-N/100 g on d 3, at which time aerobic plate count (APC) reached 106 colony forming units (CFU)/g and odor scores reached 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 very fresh and 1 very spoiled). Good correlation existed between TVB-N and odor intensity (r = 0.84), between TVB-N and the log10 APC (r = 0.71), and between odor and the log10 APC (r = 0.91). These results show that TVB-N can serve as a good indicator of chilled mahi-mahi quality.
Acupuncture and related techniques for postoperative pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Postoperative pain management remains a significant challenge for all healthcare providers. The objective of this systematic review was to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture and related techniques as adjunct analgesics for acute postoperative pain management. We searched the databases of Medline (1966‐2007), CINAHL, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2006), and Scopus for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using acupuncture for postoperative pain management. We extracted data about postoperative opioid consumption, postoperative pain intensity, and opioid-related side-effects. Combined data were analysed using a random effects model. Fifteen RCTs comparing acupuncture with sham control in the management of acute postoperative pain were included. Weighted mean difference for cumulative opioid analgesic consumption was 23.14 mg (95% confidence interval, CI: 25.15, 21.14), 28.33 mg (95% CI: 211.06, 25.61), and 29.14 mg (95% CI: 216.07, 22.22) at 8, 24, and 72 h, respectively. Postoperative pain intensity (visual analogue scale, 0‐100 mm) was also significantly decreased in the acupuncture group at 8 and 72 h compared with the control group. The acupuncture treatment group was associated with a lower incidence of opioid-related side-effects such as nausea (relative risk, RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.53, 0.86), dizziness (RR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.81), sedation (RR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.99), pruritus (RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.96), and urinary retention (RR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.74). Perioperative acupuncture may be a useful adjunct for acute postoperative pain management. Br J Anaesth 2008; 101: 151‐60
A National Study of Ethics in Television News

Television station assignments editors were surveyed to determine the presence and impact of both written and universal codes of ethics. Written codes were found in more than half of the surveyed stations. The source for these codes was management rather than professional organizations. Stations that had official, written codes used them to solve difficult problems and disciplinary actions resulting from ethics violations. No relationships were found between having a written code and discussions of ethical issues, nor the number of times an assignments editor objected to an ethical decision. Universal ethical codes were also investigated. Two sets of data suggested that universal codes exist. A factor analysis of universal issues produced two factors: the separation of business and news (Factor 1) and legal issues or care about ethical codes (Factor 2). Traditional universal standards such as plagiarism and checking sources were not part of the factor solution. However, editors, when asked about unwritten...
Intelligent Classification and Measurement of Drill Wear

Artificial neural networks are used for on-line classification and measurement of drill wear. The input vector of the neural network is obtained by processing the thrust and torque signals. Outputs are the wear states and flank wear measurements. The learning process can be performed by back propagation along with adaptive activation-function slope. The results of neural networks with and without adaptive activation-function slope, as well as various neural network architectures are compared. On-line classification of drill wear using neural networks has 100 percent reliability. The average flank wear estimation error using neural networks can be as low as 7.73 percent.
Production of reactive oxygen species by gastric cells in association with Helicobacter pylori.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Helicobacter pylori have been identified as pathogenic factors in several gastrointestinal disorders. Since little information is available regarding the mechanistic pathways of H. pylori-induced gastric injury, the potential role of ROS was investigated. The induction of ROS in gastric cells (GC) by H. pylori was assessed using chemiluminescence, cytochrome c reduction, nitrobluetetrazolium (NBT) reduction and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. The dose-dependent protective abilities of selected ROS scavengers on LDH leakage were determined. Following incubation of GC with three strains of H. pylori (1:1), approximately 5.7–8.0 and 3.8–4.3 fold increases were observed in cytochrome c and NBT reduction, respectively, demonstrating production of ROS. Enhanced chemiluminescence responses of 2.1– and 3.7-fold were observed following incubation of GC with H. pylori (ATCC 43504) at ratios of 1:1 and 1:10, respectively. Approximately 2.2– and 3.5-fold increases in LDH leakage...
Medicine, morality and health care social media

Social media includes many different forms of technology including online forums, blogs, microblogs (i.e. Twitter), wikipedias, video blogs, social networks and podcasting. The use of social media has grown exponentially and time spent on social media sites now represents one in five minutes spent online. Concomitant with this online growth, there has been an inverse trajectory in direct face-to-face patient-provider moments, which continue to become scarcer across the spectrum of health care. In contrast to standard forms of engagement and education, social media has advantages to include profound reach, immediate availability, an archived presence and broad accessibility. Our opportunity as health care providers to partner with our patients has never been greater, yet all too often we allow risk averse fears to limit our ability to truly leverage our good content effectively to the online community. This risk averse behavior truly limits our capacity to effectively engage our patients where they are -- online.
SSC Quadrupole Magnet Performance at LBL

LBL contracted to design, contract, and test four short (Im) models and six full-size (5m) models of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) main-ring 5 meter focusing quadrupole magnet (211 Tesla/meter). The training performance of these magnets are herein summarized.
Religious Influences on Work–Family Trade-Offs

Despite a large body of research on the influences of religion on family life and gender ideology, few studies examined how religion affects work—family strategies. One set of strategies involves making employment or family trade-offs—strategies of devoting time or attention to either work or family in a situation in which one cannot devote the preferred amount of time and attention to both, strategies that may be experienced as making sacrifices, hard choices, or accommodations. Using 1996 General Social Survey data, the authors analyze how religion affects employment and family trade-offs. They develop hypotheses about the institutional effects of religious involvement and effects of involvement in a conservative religious subculture. They find that religious involvement and religious subculture shape trade-offs in gender-specific ways, and that religion affects more of men's trade-offs. They conclude by calling for further research on the social sources of cultural frameworks that shape men's and women...
Thoracoscopic Diagnosis of Pleurolithiasis After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

We describe a patient with right pleuritic chest pain and an enlarging exudative pleural effusion four months after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Several radiographic imaging procedures and thoracenteses were nondiagnostic. Thoracoscopy, however, revealed bilious concretions in the parietal pleura. Thoracoscopic drainage, lysis of adhesions, and antibiotic treatment of a Klebsiella pneumoniae pleuritis resulted in relief of symptoms.
Synapses in the interpeduncular nucleus: electron microscopy of normal and habenula lesioned rats.

Four types of synapses have been identified in the rat interpeduncular nucleus. The S synapses were formed by the main horizontal plexus of habenulointerpeduncular axons. They contained spherical synaptic vesicles and formed asymmetrical en passant contacts with dendritic processes. The crest synapses had all of these features in common with the S synapses, but occurred in pairs with the two contact zones coextensive and largely parallel on opposite sides of markedly attenuated dendritic processes. Synaptic glomeruli found in this nucleus consisted of several crest synapses engulfed by sheet-like dendritic processes. Identical crest synapses also occurred on dendritic crests. In a limited number of cases, both S and crest synapses arose in common from single axons. Following destruction of the habenular nuclei unilaterally or bilaterally, as expected from the above observations, both S and crest synapses underwent dense degeneration. In some cases with bilateral lesions and in all cases with unilateral lesions, only one of the two axonal endings forming a crest synapse degenerated while the other remained unaffected. Axons containing flat vesicles forming symmetrical axodendritic synapses, axosomatic synapses, and subjunctional bodies associated with S or crest synapses were all minor features of this nucleus. Aspects of the unusual synaptology of this nucleus are discussed in terms of morphology, physiology and transmitter chemistry.
Interferon regulatory factors: growth control and histone gene regulation--it's not just interferon anymore

Interferon-regulatory factors (IRFs) are a related family of proteins originally identified by their ability to bind a DNA sequence found in the β-interferon gene and many interferon-stimulated genes. Two well-studied members of this family, IRF-1 and IRF-2, have antagonistic roles in interferon-β gene regulation: IRF-1 activates this gene, and IRF-2 represses the activation by IRF-1. IRF-1 and IRF-2 have more recently been linked to growth control by displaying tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities, respectively. A possible explanation for the oncogenic activity of IRF-2 is the discovery that IRF-2 can activate a histone gene that is functionally coupled to cell cycle progression. This first report of native IRF-2 playing the role of activator of a gene essential for growth may lead to the discovery of a more general involvement of interferon regulatory factors in mediating growth control.