cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Lung Transplantation in a Patient with Humoral Immune Deficiency: A Case Report with Review of the Literature

Humoral immune deficiencies have been associated with noninfectious disease complications including autoimmune cytopenias and pulmonary disease. Herein we present a patient who underwent splenectomy for autoimmune cytopenias and subsequently was diagnosed with humoral immune deficiency in the context of recurrent infections. Immunoglobulin analysis prior to initiation of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was notable for low age-matched serum levels of IgA (11 mg/dL), IgG2 (14 mg/L), and IgG4 (5 mg/L) with a preserved total level of IgG. Flow cytometry was remarkable for B cell maturation arrest at the IgM+/IgD+ stage. Selective screening for known primary immune deficiency-causing genetic defects was negative. The disease course was uniquely complicated by the development of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), ultimately requiring bilateral lung transplantation in 2012. This is a patient with humoral immune deficiency that became apparent only after splenectomy, which argues for routine immunologic evaluation prior to vaccination and splenectomy. Lung transplantation is a rare therapeutic endpoint and to our knowledge has never before been described in a patient with humoral immune deficiency for the indication of pulmonary AVMs.
Private-sector research ethics: marketing or good conflicts management? The 2005 John J. Conley Lecture on Medical Ethics.

Pharmaceutical companies are major sponsors of biomedical research. Most scholars and policymakers focus their attention on government and academic oversight activities, however. In this article, I consider the role of pharmaceutical companies’ internal ethics statements in guiding decisions about corporate research and development (R&D). I review materials from drug company websites and contributions from the business and medical ethics literature that address ethical responsibilities of businesses in general and pharmaceutical companies in particular. I discuss positive and negative uses of pharmaceutical companies’ ethics materials and describe shortcomings in the companies’ existing ethics programs. To guide employees and reassure outsiders, companies must add rigor, independence, and transparency to their R&D ethics programs.
Whole body 40K loss as a predictor of heat tolerance in cattle.

Abstract Eleven nonlactating Holstein cows were exposed for 3 days at 18.3C and 50% relative humidity followed by 3 days at 32.2C and 50% relative humidity in the climatic laboratory. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Liquid scintillation whole body counting of 40 K was performed at the end of each climatic exposure. Heat caused an increase in rectal temperature (P 40 K (P 40 K of the rumen contents decreased insignificantly with heat exposure and such a decrease was too low compared to the whole body 40 K loss; thus, it did not interfere with accuracy of the test. There was no significant correlation (P>0.05) between the final rise in rectal temperature and the percentage decrease in 40 K or in body weight caused by heat exposure. The percentage decreases in body weight and in 40 K due to heat also were not correlated (P>0.05).
Friends, classmates, and self-regulated learning: discussions with peers inside and outside the classroom

The current study sought to understand the relationship between peer discussions and self-regulated learning. Eighty-eight first year high school students answered questions from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and reported the perceived frequency of discussions with peers both inside and outside of the classroom regarding self-regulated learning. Results suggest that differences exist between the frequency of self-regulation discussions with peers from inside and outside of the classroom, especially for discussions concerning motivation. Discussions with peers outside of class were related more closely to students’ reported self-regulated learning than discussion with peers inside of class. In addition, peer groups with higher average levels of self-regulated learning discussions had individual members with high reported self-regulated learning. The study’s results also highlight the need for further research on the mechanisms by which peer discussions may relate to students’ self-regulated learning.
Compromised Aortic Vasoreactivity in Male Estrogen Receptor-α-Deficient Mice during Acute Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation

Activation of the estrogen receptor-α (ERα) mediates the vasculoprotective effects of estrogen, in part, through modulating nitric oxide (NO) production and vasodilation. Whereas inflammation is accompanied by altered vascular reactivity and underlies the pathogenesis of vascular disease, the role of the ERα in the vascular responses associated with acute systemic inflammation remains poorly characterized. Contractile and relaxation responses of isolated aortic segments were investigated 12 h after ip injection of saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/kg) in male wild-type (ERα+/+) and ERα-deficient (ERα−/−) mice. As previously observed, LPS-injected ERα+/+ mice displayed reduced contractile responses to phenylephrine and enhanced vasodilation in response to acetylcholine. In contrast, aortic tissues from LPS-injected ERα−/− mice displayed enhanced contractile responses and reduced sensitivity to acetylcholine- and sodium nitroprusside-induced vasodilation. LPS treatment in ERα+/+ and ERα−/− mice resul...
The Williams syndrome cognitive profile.

Williams syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a hemizygous deletion of approximately 1.5 megabases on chromosome 7q11.23. In this article, we outline a Williams Syndrome Cognitive Profile (WSCP) that operationalizes the cognitive characteristics of the syndrome using measures of absolute and relative performance on subtests of the Differential Abilities Scales (Elliot, 1990a). Testing confirmed excellent sensitivity and specificity scores for the WSCP. Seventy-four of 84 individuals with Williams syndrome fit the WSCP while only 4 participants in a contrast group met all of the WSCP criteria. It was also found that the WSCP does not vary greatly with chronological age or overall level of cognitive ability for individuals with Williams syndrome. Possible applications for the WSCP include psychoeducational evaluation and empirical research such as the search for genotype/phenotype relations in this genetically based syndrome.
RAPID PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(HYDROGENMETHYLSILOXANE)

ABSTRACT This paper details an efficient method to obtain Poly(hydrogenmethylsiloxane) (PHMS) free from low molecular weight impurities. High temperature, high vacuum distillation was used to remove the volatile components of commercially available PHMS to afford high molecular weight products with a PDI significantly lower than the commercial material. The native and distilled polymers were compared by characterization techniques including gas chromatography (GC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC).
Estimate of quark production in high energy nuclear interactions

Abstract A statistical model estimate is made of quark production in pp collisions. The cross section is given as a function of quark mass as well as the counting rate of production by cosmic rays, assuming that the primaries consist entirely of protons.
Ribulose diphosphate carboxylase regulates soybean photorespiration

THE inhibition of CO2 assimilation caused by oxygen in the leaves of higher plants which fix CO2 through ribulose diphosphate carboxylase has been well documented1–5; oxygen inhibits photosynthesis and stimulates photorespiration1,2. Equation (l)1,2 describes the light-saturated photosynthesis of soybeans and other photorespiratory species in the linear portion of the CO2 response curve.
Presence virtualization middleware for next-generation converged applications

This paper describes the initial design of a scalable and client-programmable presence virtualization architecture.
ON THE SIZE OF THE TOXIC PARTICLE PASSING THE INTESTINAL BARRIER IN BOTULISM

On the basis of toxicity assays using partition centrifugation cells it was established that the sedimentation coefficient of type A botulinum toxin appearing in the lymph of orally poisoned rats was 7.9 x 10–18 cm. per dyne sec. with 95 per cent confidence limits of 4.4 to 11.4 x 10–13 cm. per dyne sec. This is a significantly lower value than that obtained for crystalline toxin but is well within the range of size for proteins. Exposure of crystalline toxin for 2 hours to digestive processes in a section of the duodenum of living rats did not significantly reduce the sedimentation coefficient of the toxin. The S20 of crystalline toxin employed in the present study ranged between 12 and 21 with a mean value of 17.9. While it was observed that both botulinum toxin and albumin sedimented from lymph in glycerol gradient tubes to essentially the same level no evidence was developed to indicate association between toxin in lymph and serum albumin. The electrophoretic mobility of toxin in lymph is like that of crystalline toxin and not albumin. Dialysis of toxic lymph against serum albumin does not result in the appearance of toxin in the dialysate.
Age- and Sex-Specific Tunneling Rates of Adult Tribolium castaneunt

The mean tunneling rate (cm/day) of adult male red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), was consistently higher than that of females. Adults were inactive for 2 days after eclosion; then the average tunneling rate increased steadily for 6 days (males) or 8 days (females). Handling clearly resulted in short term (<6 h) increases in tunneling rate, but the effect of accumulation of tunnels or contact with other beetles is less clear.
MECHANISMS OF WATER LOSS OF BOVINE SEMITENDINOSUS MUSCLE DRY COOKED FROM THE FROZEN STATE

The mechanisms of water loss and their relation to muscle shortening were investigated by dry cooking in a controlled environment oven. Air was pumped vertically upward in the oven at a rate of 13.7 m3/hr. Cylindrical muscle samples were cooked at 121°C, 149°C and 177°C. The axes of these samples were in vertical, 45° and horizontal directions with respect to the oven. The muscle fibers were parallel to the axes of these samples. It is observed that total weight loss is almost independent of sample orientation, implying that the draining of fluid by gravity (a mechanism which is believed to be closely related to sample orientation) is not an important mechanism of mass transfer. The main mechanism is possibly fiber shrinkage which squeezes fluid out during cooking. Linear relationships between remaining water content and sample length were observed both before and after protein denaturation. The slopes of these two linear relations are different, suggesting that the way fluid is squeezed out is different before and after protein denaturation. Also, these slopes are almost independent of oven temperature in the 121-177°C range, suggesting that the remaining moisture content depends primarily on the shortening during cooking of a sample and only weakly on the oven temperature and initial condition (i.e., frozen or frozen-thawed) of the sample.
Recovery of a tropical rain forest after hurricane damage

More than a year after Hurricane Hugo damaged a Puerto Rican tropical rain forest, recovery of the forest was assessed by observing resprouting of damaged trees in eleven transects which were established before the hurricane in 1989. In each transect, I relocated and identified standing trees and observed if they were resprouting after injury. I found that resprouting was rapid and depended on species. There was no significant relationship between sprouting and diameter classes of trees. This study suggests that resprouting of damaged trees plays major roles in the recovery of the tropical forests which are prone to hurricanes and are in non-equilibrium state.
Handling Grief: A Doctor's Remedy for Unpreventable Loss.

Book reviewed in this article: Parenthood Lost: Healing the Pain After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death, by Michael R. Berman
LISST-100 measurements of phytoplankton size distribution: evaluation of the effects of cell shape

Information on cell size is central to studies of phytoplankton ecology, yet in situ measurements of particle size distribution remain a challenge. The LISST-100 (Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissometry; Sequoia Scientific, Inc.) is one of few commercially available instruments that provide autonomous measurements of size distributions of suspended particles in situ. Its capability to size phytoplankton needs to be evaluated, however, for two reasons. First, size is not measured directly; rather, information on size is obtained from near-forward scattering measurements that are inverted to obtain size distributions. The inversion assumes that particles are homogeneous spheres. Phytoplankton, however, display a wide range of cell shapes and their scattering behavior is likely to be different from that of spheres. Second, the LISST-100 was originally designed for sediments and its inversion assumes an index of refraction typical of inorganic particles. We compared size and volume concentration distributions obtained by the LISST-100 to those derived via microscopy for phytoplankton cultures of different cell sizes and shapes. Results demonstrate the success of the LISST-100 in measuring size and volume concentrations of cells with a cell aspect ratio that is close to 1 and illustrate its limitations when nonspherical cells are present in the sample. Uses of the LISST-100 in laboratory and field studies are discussed in light of the results from this study.
ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF THE LOW-LYING STATES OF $sub 6$C$sub 6$$sup 12$ IN THE OSCILLATING DROP MODEL

The electromagnetic properties of the first four states of $_{6}\mathrm{C}_{6}^{12}$ are discussed within the framework of the incompressible liquid-drop model. The radius of the drop is determined by the elastic electron scattering from the ground state. The surface tension and mass participating in the motion are treated as parameters and are fixed by the energy and lifetime of the first-excited state (${2}^{+}$) at 4.43 Mev. This yields an inelastic-electron scattering cross section close to the experimental result. The ${0}^{+}$ state at 7.66 Mev is then identified with the two-surfon state and the inelastic electron scattering cross section and matrix element for pair emission to the ground state are found to be in quantitative agreement with the experimental results. The state at 9.63 Mev is studied as both the ${2}^{+}$, two-surfon state and ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, one-surfon state which is also predicted at this energy, and it is shown that only the ${3}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ state has an inelastic electron-scattering cross section which is consistent with the experimental results. This total electromagnetic width of the ${0}^{+}$ state at 7.66 Mev, which is astrophysical interest, is calculated to be ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{\mathrm{el}}=1.02\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ ev. The other electromagnetic widths for the first four states are calculated and reasonable agreement is obtained with the experimental data where it exists. The other members of the ${0}^{+}$, ${2}^{+}$, ${4}^{+}$ triplet are unassigned. There are other levels in the vicinity of 10 Mev in ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$. It would be of interest to know what their spins are.
Increased Ubiquitination and Other Covariant Phenotypes Attributed to a Strain- and Temperature-Dependent Defect of Reovirus Core Protein μ2

Reovirus replication and assembly are thought to occur within cytoplasmic inclusion bodies, which we call viral factories. A strain-dependent difference in the morphology of these structures reflects more effective microtubule association by the μ2 core proteins of some viral strains, which form filamentous factories, than by those of others, which form globular factories. For this report, we identified and characterized another strain-dependent attribute of the factories, namely, the extent to which they colocalized with conjugated ubiquitin (cUb). Among 16 laboratory strains and field isolates, the extent of factory costaining for cUb paralleled factory morphology, with globular strains exhibiting higher levels by far. In reassortant viruses, factory costaining for cUb mapped primarily to the μ2-encoding M1 genome segment, although contributions by the λ3- and λ2-encoding L1 and L2 genome segments were also evident. Immunoprecipitations revealed that cells infected with globular strains contained higher levels of ubiquitinated μ2 (Ub-μ2). In M1-transfected cells, cUb commonly colocalized with aggregates formed by μ2 from globular strains but not with microtubules coated by μ2 from filamentous strains, and immunoprecipitations revealed that μ2 from globular strains displayed higher levels of Ub-μ2. Allelic changes at μ2 residue 208 determined these differences. Nocodazole treatment of cells infected with filamentous strains resulted in globular factories that still showed low levels of costaining for cUb, indicating that higher levels of costaining were not a direct result of decreased microtubule association. The factories of globular strains, or their μ2 proteins expressed in transfected cells, were furthermore shown to gain microtubule association and to lose colocalization with cUb when cells were grown at reduced temperature. From the sum of these findings, we propose that μ2 from globular strains is more prone to temperature-dependent misfolding and as a result displays increased aggregation, increased levels of Ub-μ2, and decreased association with microtubules. Because so few of the viral strains formed factories that were regularly associated with ubiquitinated proteins, we conclude that reovirus factories are generally distinct from cellular aggresomes.
Efficient social network data query processing on MapReduce

Social network data analysis becomes increasingly important for business intelligence and online social services. Lots of social network data is presented by Resource Description Framework (RDF). Accordingly, SPARQL, an RDF query language, becomes popular for social network data analysis. As the sizes of social networks expand rapidly, a SPARQL query usually involves a large quantity of data, and thus parallelizing its execution is desirable. MapReduce is a well-known and popular big data analysis tool. However, the state-of-the-art translation from SPARQL queries to MapReduce jobs is not efficient because it mainly follows a two layer rule which needs to transform the SPARQL triple pattern to the standard SQL join. In this paper, we propose two primitives to enable efficient translation from SPARQL queries to MapReduce jobs. We use multiple-join-with-filter to substitute traditional SQL multiple join when feasible, and merge different stages in the query workflow. The evaluation on social network data benchmarks shows that the translation based on these two primitives can achieve up to 2x speedup in query running time comparing to the traditional two layer scheme.
Exact theory of unsteady separation for two-dimensional flows

We use a dynamical systems approach to extend Prandtl's steady separation criterion to two-dimensional unsteady flows with no-slip boundaries. Viewing separation profiles as non-hyperbolic unstable manifolds in the Lagrangian frame, we obtain explicit Eulerian formulae for the location of flow separation and reattachment on fixed and moving boundaries. We also derive high-order approximations for the unsteady separation profile in the vicinity of the boundary. Our criteria and formulae only use the derivatives of the velocity field along the boundary, and hence are of use in monitoring and controlling separation. In particular, we predict unsteady flow separation points and separation angles from distributed pressure and skin-friction measurements along the wall. As an example, we predict and verify separation points and separation profiles in variants of a two-dimensional oscillating separation-bubble flow.
Enzymatic Activity of the Human BK Channel: A Function Beyond Electrical Signaling

BK (Slo1) channels open probability is acutely regulated by heme, which associates with their intracellular multi-ligand sensor, the gating ring. We found that the gating ring region encompassing the heme-binding site shares structural homology with Cytochrome C (CytC), the well-known hemoprotein. In addition to its role in electron shuttling, CytC exhibits various catalytic properties such as peroxidase activity, i.e. the oxidation of suitable substrates using peroxides. To probe for peroxidase activity of the CytC-like domain in a purified BK channel gating ring, we used the chromophore 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) as the oxidizable substrate. We found that the BK gating ring complexed with heme in the presence of H2O2 catalyzes the formation of ABTS+• cation radical, monitored by absorption at 415nm. The initial rate of ABTS+• formation was linearly correlated with [gating ring] between 0.05-0.3 μM. Disruption of the heme regulatory motif (C615S/H616R) significantly decreased the initial rate of ABTS+• formation. The kinetic parameters of the enzymatic reaction were determined by performing two-substrate Michaelis-Menten analysis, which yielded for gating ring: kcat/KmH2O2 ≈12 s−1mM−1 and kcat/KmABTS ≈0.5 s−1mM−1. For CytC, we estimated kcat/KmH2O2 ≈1.4 s−1mM−1 and kcat/KmABTS ≈0.035 s−1mM−1. These results suggest that, under our experimental conditions, the gating ring catalytic efficiency is ∼10 times higher than CytC. Finally, we found that HEK cells expressing BK channels (blocked with 100 nM Iberiotoxin) are significantly more resistant to oxidative insult (200 μM H2O2) than cells expressing BK channels with impared heme binding (C615S/H616R) (p<0.05) as revealed by the increased cell viability (MTT assay). Thus, the BK channel exhibits peroxidase activity and confers a protective effect against oxidative cell damage. These results redefine the role of BK channels, assigning a catalytic property, in addition to their established K+ conducting properties.
Measurements and simulations for ground-to-ground plane noise DDR RAM daughter cards and motherboards for EMI emissions

Unintentional noise between the ground planes on a daughter card and a motherboard can be a significant source of EMI emissions from multiple board systems. This noise is not predicted from traditional signal integrity tools, nor from most EMC prediction tools unless a full wave analysis is performed. This work focused on the ground-to-ground noise between a motherboard and SDRAM and DDR RAM DIMM modules. Differential voltage measurements were made to determine the amount of noise voltage between the ground-reference of the motherboard and daughter card (DIMM) module. By analysis of the intentional current on the memory bus lines, the voltage between the ground-reference planes can be estimated with good accuracy.
The enol-imine to keto-enamine tautomerization involved in the formation of 3-benzylamino-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone

The formation of 3-benzylamino-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone has been found to proceed through the initial formation of its enol-imine tautomer. The enol-imine has been isolated by a novel synthesis. It involves suspending dimedone in hexane for one hour at 67 °C with the amine in solution. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has confirmed the tautomerization by observing the changing spectra as the enol-imine tautomerizes to 3-benzylamino-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone. The change in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra is highlighted by a moving peak, which proceeds upfield with decreasing intensity as the tautomerization reaches completion. This moving peak involves chelated water formed in the initial condensation of dimedone and benzylamine. The chelated water acts as an active exchange agent which enhances the tautomerization rate. Similar results are obtained for the Schiff base derived from dimedone and aniline. This is the first isolation of the pure enol-imine tautomeric form of 3-benzylamino-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enone. Under refrigeration the enol-imine is found to be stable for over six months.
Psychiatric disturbances regulate the innate immune system in CSF of conscious mice

Environment may affect brain activity through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) only if there are regulatory molecules or cascades in CSF that are sensitive to external stimuli. This study was designed to identify regulatory activity present in CSF, better elucidating environmental regulation of brain function. By using cannulation-based sequential CSF sampling coupled with mass spectrometry-based identification and quantification of proteins, we show that the naive mouse CSF harbors, among 22 other pathways, the innate immune system as a main pathway, which was downregulated and upregulated, respectively, by acute stressor (AS) and acute cocaine (AC) administrations. Among novel processes and molecular functions, AS also regulated schizophrenia-associated proteins. Furthermore, AC upregulated exosome-related proteins with a false discovery rate of 1.0 × 10−16. These results suggest that psychiatric disturbances regulate the neuroimmune system and brain disorder-related proteins, presenting a sensitive approach to investigating extracellular mechanisms in conscious and various mouse models of psychiatric disorders.
Non-certainty Equivalent Adaptive Exciting Control of Multi-machine Power Systems

Transient stability problem for multi-machine infinite bus system with the generator excitation was addressed via the non-certainty equivalent nonlinear re-parameterization method. The system need not to be linearized. The damping coefficient uncertainty was considered. A non-certainty equivalent excitation controller and a novel parameter updating law were obtained simultaneously via adaptive backstepping and Lyapunov methods to achieve stability of the error systems. Simulation results showed that the proposed controller had good transient performance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v11i7.285 9
Resource requirements for field programmable interconnection chips

In this paper we prove an /spl Omega/(n log n) lower bound on the number of edges of an n-permutation graph G=(V, E). The lower bound is applicable to and characterizes permutations for Field Programmable Interconnection Chips and, more importantly, permutation networks in general. We also propose a family of permutation networks as a variation of the known Benes network with a wide range of diameters, a network property directly related to routing delays. Finally, the relation between the total number of programmable switches and the routing delay (maximum length of routing paths for specific I/O permutations) is explored.
Population Aggregation Analysis of Three Caviar-Producing Species of Sturgeons and Implications for the Species Identification of Black Caviar

We describe a reliable method for the identification of the species source for caviar. The assay is based on the identification of diagnostic nucleotide positions in the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from a sequence database of 20 of 25 living sturgeon species. The collection of attribute data is polymerase chain re- action (PCR)-based and can readily identify the character states of several diagnostic nucleotide positions in the cytochrome b gene for the three main commercial species of caviar-producing sturgeons ( Acipenser gueldenstaedtii , A. stellatus , Huso huso ). Over 20 individuals from each of the three species from a wide range of geographic regions were used to determine which of the potentially informative sites are diagnostic of phy- logenetic lineages through use of the population aggregation analysis method. We also report results from a survey of 95 lots of commercially available caviar in the New York City area. Overall, 23% of the designations made by caviar suppliers were mislabeled with respect to species identification. Recent declines in population size of the three commercial species, combined with an increase in the demand for caviar on the interna- tional market, could have caused the observed mislabeling. Replacement of commercial species with endan- gered and threatened species indicates possible illegal harvest and poaching; action should be initiated to en- sure the survival of all threatened Acipenseriformes. The use of our PCR assay might aid in conservation efforts in the United States and internationally.
Effects of growth hormone on the penetration of L-arabinose into adipose tissue.

The accumulation of the metabolically inert pentose, L-arabinose-l-14C, in adipose tissue water was taken as an index of sugar penetration into fat cells. Epididymal adipose tissue was obtained from 100 g hypophysectomized rats, and growth hormone was administered in vivo or in vitro. The intracellular water volume was determined by subtracting the extracellular water volume (sucrose space) from the total water as determined gravimetrically. Bovine and ovine growth hormone (1 μg /ml in vitro) significantly increased the penetration of L-arabinose into the epididymal fat cells of hypophysectomized rats and simultaneously increased the utilization of glucose in duplicate tissue segments. Pretreatment of the donor rats with 50 μg of growth hormone 30 min before sacrifice increased the basal uptake of L-arabinose in vitro. This uptake of L-arabinose was not further increased by the addition of growth hormone in vitro. Three hr after the intravenous administration of 100 μg of growth hormone, the basal uptake ...
Submucosal dissection technique for the management of malignant and premalignant lesions of the vocal folds

Abstract Most vocal pathologies can be correlated to a change in the nature of the tissue or abnormal functional use of the laryngeal tissues. When laryngeal tissues are diseased, treatment should be directed to remove diseased tissue while restoring healthy tissue to normal function. Surgical techniques designed to address endolaryngeal pathologies must function to extirpate diseased mucosa while concurrently minimizing trauma to the normal tissues. Using established principles of hydrodissection microscopic laryngoscopy, we describe a technique that facilitates precise excision while allowing healthy tissues to recover with minimal scarring.
Diamondlike Carbon, Carbon Nitride, and Titanium Nitride Coatings on Metal and Polymer Substrates

We have deposited diamondlike carbon, carbon nitride, and titanium nitride biocompatible coatings using pulsed laser deposition and magnetron sputtering on metallic (cobalt-chromium and titanium- 6% aluminum- 4% vanadium) and polymeric (high-density polyethylene) substrates commonly used in human prosthetic devices. A major advantage of the magnetron sputtering deposition technique is that it provides conformal coverage of large-area films. The coatings were characterized by electron diffraction and imaging, Raman spectroscopy, X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron- energy loss spectroscopy, and nanoindenter hardness measurements. The physical properties (especially hardness) of the diamondlike carbon films were controlled using carbide and noncarbide forming elements. By varying the doping concentration as a function of thickness, functionally gradient materials with superior tribological and mechanical properties can be created. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of biomedical applications.
Integrating group decision and negotiation support systems with work processes

A major impediment to the adoption of negotiation and group support systems is that they are often developed as stand-alone applications and do not seamlessly integrate with tools that use everyday work process. In this paper, we discuss a group and negotiation support system that is embedded with work productivity tools and tools that support synchronous and asynchronous information exchange. Using a case study, we illustrate that the overhead involved in the use of GDNSS can be considerably reduced with our approach to integrating them with work processes.
Channel Gain Estimation from Sounding Reference Signal in LTE

3G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology aims at addressing the increasing demand for mobile multimedia services in high user density areas. Channel aware scheduling across wide system bandwidth is one of the key techniques enabling this goal. The Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) in uplink comes in support of this feature as its main purpose is to allow the LTE Base Station (eNodeB) estimating the UL channel of the users across the scheduling bandwidth. Therefore, SRS channel and channel gain estimators are important functions that can drive the overall performance of the system. In this paper, we study such estimation algorithms and show that SRS noise variance estimation is necessary to deliver a non-biased channel gain estimation. We suggest to provision a cyclic shift of the SRS for this purpose and show simulation results validating the performance of the proposed scheme.
Effects of Betaine and Choline on Response to Methionine Supplementation to Broiler Diets Formulated to Industry Standards

Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the Met-sparing effects of the methyl donors, choline (CHO) and betaine (BET). Male broilers of a commercial strain were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets formulated to meet nutritional levels typical of top broiler producers. Diets were fortified with a complete vitamin premix devoid of CHO. In test diets, Met levels were as formulated, or less 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, or 0.20% Met. Within each Met level, diets received no supplemental CHO or BET or 1,000 mg of CHO/kg, 1,000 mg of BET/kg, or a combination of 500 mg each of CHO and BET/kg. This resulted in a 4 × 5 factorial arrangement with each of the 20 treatments fed to 4 pens of 60 birds for a 56-d feeding trial. Samples of birds were processed at 42, 49, and 56 d to determine parts yield and dressing percentage. Intestinal segments were evaluated for tensile strength at these same ages. The dietary Met level had no significant impact on BW at 14 or 56 d of age, but at 35, 42, and 49 d reduction of the Met content resulted in loss of BW. Feed conversion was not affected by the Met level at 14 d but was significantly affected by reducing the Met level at all other ages. Breast meat yield was reduced in a linear manner by reductions in Met supplementation. The CHO or BET supplementation had no apparent sparing effect on Met needs but did improve feed conversion at 35 and 42 d. There was a positive effect of CHO and BET on breast yield that was independent of Met levels; CHO was as effective as BET for this purpose. No effect of CHO or BET on intestinal strength was observed in the present study.
Names and Numbers in Early Christianity

Les premiers chretiens recoururent aux noms et aux nombres pour organiser leur pensee theologique. Ce faisant, ils poursuivaient une habitude ancree aussi bien dans la reflexion philosophique grecque que dans les Ecritures hebraiques. Sans developper une ontologie du langage, ils articulaient les mots et les chiffres sur la realite, laissant a Dieu la responsabilite des equivalences. Le nom de Dieu et le nom de Jesus constituaient, a leurs yeux, le noyau de leur confession de foi.
The impact of height on the risk of atrial fibrillation: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia. Increased body size has been associated with AF, but the relationship is not well understood. In this study, we examined the effect of increased height on the risk of AF and explore potential mediators and implications for clinical practice. Methods and results We examined data from 5860 individuals taking part in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a cohort study of older US adults followed for a median of 13.6 (women) and 10.3 years (men). Multivariate linear models and age-stratified Cox proportional hazards and risk models were used, with focus on the effect of height on both prevalent and incident AF. Among 684 (22.6%) and 568 (27.1%) incident cases in women and men, respectively, greater height was significantly associated with AF risk [hazard ratio (HR)women per 10 cm 1.32, confidence interval (CI) 1.16–1.50, P < 0.0001; HRmen per 10 cm 1.26, CI 1.11–1.44, P < 0.0001]. The association was such that the incremental risk from sex was completely attenuated by the inclusion of height (for men, HR 1.48, CI 1.32–1.65, without height, and HR 0.94, CI 0.85–1.20, with height included). Inclusion of height in the Framingham model for incident AF improved discrimination. In sequential models, however, we found minimal attenuation of the risk estimates for AF with adjustment for left ventricular (LV) mass and left atrial (LA) dimension. The associations of LA and LV size measurements with AF risk were weakened when indexed to height. Conclusion Independent from sex, increased height is significantly associated with the risk of AF.
Rapid Degradation of Cry1F Delta-Endotoxin in Soil

Dow AgroSciences has modified cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by inserting a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner subsp. aizawai that produces an insect-active, full-length Cry1F delta-endotoxin, and is planning to commercialize insect-resistant cotton lines expressing this protein. These cotton lines control tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), along with other lepidopteran larvae. A laboratory study was conducted to better understand the degradation of Cry1F protein in a representative soil from the midsouth cotton-growing area of the United States. Bioassay results with tobacco budworm were used to measure the relative titer of the protein in the soil after a series of incubation periods. Based on the decrease in toxicity over time, the half-life of the microbial Cry1F delta-endotoxin was estimated to be less than 1 d under laboratory conditions, indicating a rapid decay rate in soil.
BIOTIC INTERACTIONS AS DETERMINANTS OF ECOSYSTEM STRUCTURE IN PRAIRIE WETLANDS: AN EXAMPLE USING FISH

Abstract Wetlands are abundant throughout the prairie pothole region (PPR), an area comprising over 700,000 km2 in central North America. Prairie wetland communities are strongly influenced by regional physiography and climate, resulting in extreme spatial and temporal variability relative to other aquatic ecosystems. Given the strong influence of abiotic factors, PPR wetland communities have been viewed traditionally in the context of their responses to chemical and physical features of landscape and climate. Although useful, this physical-chemical paradigm may fail to account for ecosystem variability due to biotic influences, particularly those associated with presence of fish. Spatial and temporal variability in fish populations, in turn, may reflect anthropogenic activities, landscape characteristics, and climate-mediated effects on water levels, surface connectivity, and hydroperiods. We reviewed studies assessing influences of fish on prairie wetlands and examined precipitation patterns and biologi...
Does Bat Day Make Cents?: The Effect of Promotions on the Demand for Baseball

A primary objective of sport marketers in the professional sport setting is to develop strategies to increase game attendance. Historically, one of the strategies to accomplish this goal has been the utilization of special promotions. This paper studied the impact of promotions on attendance at professional sport games. Specifically, this research examines (1) the overall effect of promotions on attendance, and (2) the marginal impact on attendance of additional promotional days. Using a data set containing 1500 observations, we find that a promotion increases single game attendance by about 14%. Additionally, increasing the number of promotions has a negative effect on the marginal impact of each promotion. The loss from this watering down effect, however, is outweighed by the gain from having an extra promotion day.
A bacteriological report of influenza cases at Presbyterian Hospital

One hundred forty-five cases have been studied in one or more of the following ways: by naso-pharyngeal cultures, blood cultures, sputum for pneumococcus type or lung cultures postmortem. B. injluenzœ: was found to predominate in the nasopharyngeal cultures, Pneumococcus III. in the blood cultures and Pneumococcus IV. in sputum and lung cultures. The percentage of naso-pharyngeal cultures containing B. injluenzœ: was somewhat higher among the uncomplicated cases than among the pneumonia cases. At one period, influenza bacilli were found in 75 per cent. of the naso-pharyngeal cultures. The Pneumococcus IV. strains isolated have been found to belong to various groups.The blood of influenza convalescents has been found to contain agglutinins for strains of influenza bacilli isolated during the recent epidemic. The macroscopic method is used. Incubation at 55° C. gives more satisfactory results than at 37° C.
Sourcing for the Bop: Aid-focused & Consumer-focused Supply Chains in Subsistence Markets

Subsistence markets are recognized as full of potential due to their considerable size, estimated at over four billion people living at the base of the pyramid. Although there has been substantial work describing how products and distribution systems must be uniquely adapted for these markets, less is known about how supply chains are created and managed to support these efforts and satisfy subsistence market customers. We identify two prototypical types of supply chains (aid-based and consumer-based) by which firms outside of subsistence markets can access these markets. In contrast to traditional supply chains, we propose that subsistence market supply chains combine elements of both efficiency and responsiveness; engage with more diverse partners; and rely primarily on relational governance mechanisms. Furthermore, we suggest that aid-focused chains will emphasize responsiveness more than efficiency, will have more homogenous partners, and will use relatively more formal means of managing suppliers. By...
Causes for increased measles incidence from January to March 2013 in Fengyang County

Objective To analyze the epidemic characteristics of measles and causes for increased incidence in Fengyang County.Methods Confirmed measles cases reported from the measles surveillance report management system were analyzed.Results Incidence of measles was 9.34per 100thousand from January to March 2013.71cases were distributed in nine townships.50cases occurred in children under one year old,accounting for 70.42%.29cases occurred in children under eight months old,accounting for 40.86%.63cases occurred in scattered children,accounting for 68.73%.55cases occurred in children unvaccinated,accounting for 77.46%.Conclusions The routine immunization is still weak in Fengyang County.Accumulation of non-immunity population and increasing proportion of migrant population were the main causes leading to a higher incidence.The key to controlling measles is to raise the measles vaccination rates.
Mapping the Structure of Metalloproteins with RIDME

Distance measurements in biological macromolecules represent a very active field of application of pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The relatively recently introduced pulsed EPR method of relaxation-induced dipolar modulation enhancement (RIDME) is conceptually similar to the popular double electron-electron resonance (DEER), but is much more suitable for studying the structures of metalloproteins while using their native paramagnetic metal centers as structural reference points. In particular, RIDME can largely alleviate the sensitivity and orientational selectivity problems that limit the application of DEER to such systems. In this contribution, the theoretical principles, implementation, optimization, and available experimental examples of RIDME are described with the purpose of enhancing the familiarity with this technique and promoting its application.
Transilial Bone Biopsy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the surgical procedure for transilial bone biopsy and the laboratory methods for processing and analyzing the specimens. Prior to the actual biopsy, the patient should avoid aspirin for at least 3 days and should have nothing by mouth for 4 h. Suitable specimens can be obtained by use of a trephine with inner diameter of no less than 7.5 mm. The needle should always be very sharp and manual operation of the needle should be carried out as it results in better control. In order to obtain an intact biopsy, it is vital to use gentle pressure to advance the trephine. This is particularly the case in patients whose osteoporofic skeletons are very fragile. Pain during and after the biopsy procedure is the most feared complication. However, if generous amounts of local anesthetic are placed periosteally on both sides of the ilium, the bone biopsy procedure rarely evokes pain. The specimens should be dehydrated and defatted slowly, carefully, and completely to achieve good quality embedding and avoid creating tissue artifacts. These specimens should be passed through graded alcohols and acetone, and de-gas to prevent the formation of bubbles during embedding. The biopsy can give important clues to the pathogenesis of a metabolic bone disease, and the mechanism of a treatment intervention. Further, the information can be obtained rather quickly, at least quickly in the context of clinical bone research.
The Economic Impact of Community College Capacity Development in Developing Countries: A Longitudinal Analysis

ABSTRACTDeveloping countries have significantly expanded efforts to import more flexible short-cycle institutions based on the United States community college model. The U.S. community college model addresses human capital needs of the labor market in developing countries by increasing access to an affordable education. However, there is limited research on the effects of importing the U.S. community college model on economic growth. This study addressed this gap by examining the effects of importing the U.S. community college model on macroeconomic growth in developing countries that have engaged in partnerships via the Community College for International Development (CCID). A longitudinal analysis of macroeconomic growth of 176 countries from 1995–2014 was conducted. The results provide evidence for the positive economic impact of community college capacity development in developing countries, as well as a comparative advantage of labor for developing countries that have engaged in partnerships. Implica...
Worlds Apart: Epic and Encyclopedia in the Augustan Age

In the early eighteenth century, a new generation of encyclopedias and encyclopedists began to claim that they could put some version of complete knowledge in hand. John Harris and Ephraim Chambers both believed that some understanding of the relationships between the different branches of knowledge would prove useful not only to the reader but to the continued advancement of knowledge itself. Harris, for example, stressed in 1704 that his Lexicon technicum—England’s first self-described “Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences”—was a book “useful to be read carefully over” as well as consulted occasionally, as if by such treatment a reader might come away from it with a sense of knowledge as a totality rather than a mere collection of data.1 Chambers, editor of the subsequent and far more successful Cyclopaedia (1728), thought that the ancient divisions of knowledge into discrete parts had severely impeded progress, and he positioned his own work as both the symbol and location of a new mode of knowledge production that embraced connectivity. “I do not know whether it might not be for the more general Interest of Learning,” he wrote, “to have all the Inclosures and Partitions thrown down, and the whole laid common again, under one distinguished name.”2 The Cyclopaedia attempted to do both; it embraced an even greater number of arts and sciences than Harris’s Lexicon and attempted to demonstrate the relationships of their terms and parts with the help of a genealogical tree of knowledge as well as a detailed system of internal cross-references.