cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alone and confused: Community-residing older African Americans with dementia

Despite significant increases in the number of adults who live alone, little is known about adults with cognitive impairment who live without co-resident caregivers. In this study, we examined demographic, cognitive, and functional characteristics and service use patterns of a sample (N = 343) of older community-residing African Americans with dementia who were referred for assessment. Of this group, 52 percent (179) lived alone. Adults who lived alone were compared with those who had co-resident caregivers to determine differences in cognitive and functional status and formal service use. Comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment included diagnosis and staging of dementia, status evaluation of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and informal and formal support. Adults living alone had significantly more caregivers than those with co-resident caregivers. Neighbors and friends were more common primary care providers for live-alone adults. A significant proportion of adu...
Local structure of polyethylene melts

Polymer‐RISM (Reference‐interaction‐site‐model) theory is used to examine the local structure of a dense polyethylene melt near the freezing point. Predictions for the static structure factor are found to be in near quantitative agreement with new x‐ray diffraction data obtained at 430 K and 1 atm.
The use of block truncation coding in DPCM image coding

The results of using block truncation coding (BTC) in predictive differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) coding of images are presented. BTC is based on the use of a moment-preserving (MP) quantizer that is designed such that the quantizer preserves statistical moments of the input and output. It is shown that while it is theoretically impossible to preserve moments in the reconstructed image, as is normally done in BTC, the DPCM/BTC system works quite well at data rates of 1.18 b/pixel. The performance of the DPCM/BTC system is compared to classical minimum mean-square error quantizers. These methods are also compared in the presence of channel errors. >
Friendships of aggressive youth: Considering the influences of being disliked and of being perceived as popular

Past research provides conflicting evidence regarding whether aggressive youth have problems in the domain of friendship. The current study tested whether being disliked by peers exacerbates the negative effects of aggression on friendship and whether being perceived as popular by peers mitigates these damaging effects. Participants were 607 third-, fifth-, seventh-, and ninth-grade students. Support for the hypothesis that being disliked or being perceived as popular would moderate relations between aggression and friendship adjustment was found for the association between relational aggression and friendship conflict. Specifically, relational aggression was associated with having conflictual friendships for youth who were disliked but not for youth who were perceived as popular. In addition, similarity between friends was found in terms of how aggressive youth were as well as in terms of how disliked they were and how popular they were perceived to be. Implications for the well-being and development of aggressive youth are discussed.
Characterizing and Modeling the Noise and Complex Impedance of Feedhorn‐Coupled TES Polarimeters

We present results from modeling the electrothermal performance of feedhorn‐coupled transition edge sensor (TES) polarimeters under development for use in cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiments. Each polarimeter couples radiation from a corrugated feedhorn through a planar orthomode transducer, which transmits power from orthogonal polarization modes to two TES bolometers. We model our TES with two‐ and three‐block thermal architectures. We fit the complex impedance data at multiple points in the TES transition. From the fits, we predict the noise spectra. We present comparisons of these predictions to the data for two TESes on a prototype polarimeter.
Effects of nervous mutation on purkinje cell compartments defined by Zebrin II and 9-O-acetylated gangliosides expression

The cerebellum is organized into a series of parasagittally aligned bands which are well delineated in the adult mouse by the largely complementary immunostaining of Purkinje cell groups with the monoclonal antibodies Zebrin II (ZII; antigen: aldolase C) and P-path (antigen: 9-O-acetyl gangliosides). We examined the effect of nervous mutation on compartmental organization using these markers and an antibody to calbindin. In nervous mutant, up to 90% of Purkinje cells die in late postnatal development. The size of the cerebellum is about half that of normal, and caudal lobules appear to decrease in size more than anterior ones. Surviving Purkinje cells corresponded to P-path positive ones that were concentrated in two bilateral bands in the vermis and in medial portions of the hemispheres. Only small numbers of ZII positive cells remained, confirming the report by Wassef et al. with Zebrin I antibody. They were primarily located in caudal lobules IX, X and a portion of lobule IV, paraflocculus and flocculus, and their immunoreactivity was weak compared to that of normal. ZII positive cells are dominant in these caudal lobules, while P-path positive cells dominate in rostral lobules in normal mice, and the similar tendency remains in mutant. Thus, the nervous gene action respects not only sagittal compartments delineated by two antibodies, but also rostro-caudal gradient. The cause of the dominant survival of P-path positive cells awaits future study.
Prospects for the Study of Evolution in the Deep Biosphere

Since the days of Darwin, scientists have used the framework of the theory of evolution to explore the interconnectedness of life on Earth and adaptation of organisms to the ever-changing environment. The advent of molecular biology has advanced and accelerated the study of evolution by allowing direct examination of the genetic material that ultimately determines the phenotypes upon which selection acts. The study of evolution has been furthered through examination of microbial evolution, with large population numbers, short generation times and easily extractable DNA. Such work has spawned the study of microbial biogeography, with the realization that concepts developed in population genetics may be applicable to microbial genomes (Manhes et al. 2011, Martiny et al. 2006). Microbial biogeography and adaptation has been examined in many different environments. Here we argue that the deep biosphere is a unique environment for the study of evolution and list specific factors that can be considered and where the studies may be performed. This publication is the result of the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) theme team on Evolution (www.darkenergybiosphere.org).
A NOTE ON INCOME TAXES AND DEGREE ONE PRODUCTION HOMOGENEITY

In a recent JRS article [Martinich and Hurter (1985)] we examined the production and spatial impact on a firm operating in an uncertain environment due to the imposition of a flat rate income tax. The impacts were shown to depend on the properties of the firm's production and preference functions. In this paper we develop further results for the case where the firm has a degree one homogeneous production function. It is shown that an income tax is technologically and spatially neutral for any risk-averse firm, without regard to any other properties of the preference function. Thus, we not only extend our earlier results for the degree one homogenous production function case but we also correct an error related to this case in the earlier paper.
Nevirapine Alters the Cleavage Specificity of Ribonuclease H of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Reverse Transcriptase

The action of the dipyridodiazepinone nevirapine (BI-RG-587) on polymerization and RNase H activities of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase (RT) was examined. Substrates using heteropolymeric DNA primers hybridized to complementary RNA templates were employed. Challenged assays were performed that allowed measurement of activity of the RT resulting from a single round of binding of RT to substrate. Results demonstrated that nevirapine alters the cleavage specificity of the RNase H. Instead of a primary cleavage approximately 18 nucleotides upstream of the DNA 3′ terminus, multiple cleavages were observed ahead of and behind this site. This indicated that the compound facilitates sliding of the RT away from the DNA primer terminus allowing cleavage at more sites. The change in specificity occurred whether the primer terminus was at the end or internal on the template. Experiments with RNA primers on circular DNA demonstrated a nevirapine-induced stimulation of RNase H activity beyond the increase expected from the change in cleavage specificity. Examination of polymerization showed that the compound decreased both the number of primers that underwent synthesis and the processive elongation of those primers. The significance of these results with respect to viral replication and recombination is discussed.
Effects of haemorrhage induced hypotension on coronary blood flow in an anaesthetised two vessel canine coronary stenosis-occlusion model.

Study abjective – Previous experiments from our group have shown that left anterior descending coronary occlusion in the presence of hypotension caused by intravenous glyceryl trinitrate in an open chest canine model caused endocardial flow to fall in myocardium supplied by a stenosed circumflex coronary artery. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of hypotension in a similar open chest model but without the vasodilating effect of glyceryl trinitrate on coronary vessels. Design – Blood flow to and function of remote myocardium supplied by a stenosed circumflex coronary artery [gradient 27(SEM 3) mm Hg] was determined in anaesthetised dogs after haemorrhage induced hypotension [mean aortic pressure 70(3) mm Hg] and after left anterior descending coronary occlusion. Transmural blood flow was measured using microspheres and myocardial wall thickness with sonomicrometer crystals. Subjects – 11 healthy mongrel dogs were used, weight 25 kg (range 19-33). Measurements and main results – Haemorrhage induced hypotension in the setting of a circumflex stenosis reduced endocardial blood flow to the posterior myocardial bed from 0.84(0.14) to 0.57(0.07) ml·min−1·g−1 but did not alter percent myocardial thickening. When the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded in the presence of the circumflex stenosis and haemorrhage induced hypotension, there was no further decrease in endocardial blood flow to or thickening of the posterior myocardial bed, despite a reduction in mean coronary artery pressure from 54(3) to 43(3) mm Hg. Conclusions – These findings are in contrast to our previous findings where hypotension was induced by glyceryl trinitrate. Remote myocardial ischaemia appears to be attenuated in this two vessel stenosis-occlusion model in which hypotension is produced by haemorrhage.
Rapid loss of a novel phenylalanyl-tRNA on germination of Neurospora crassa conidia.

SEVERAL theories attempt to explain the control of protein synthesis, and thus development at the level of transfer RNA1,10. We present evidence for changes in the isoaccepting species of phenylalanyl-tRNA during germination and growth of the fungus Neurospora crassa.
Effect of the coating structure on the adherence of sputter-deposited oxide coatings☆

Abstract An evaluation of ceramic coatings with graded metal-to-ceramic transition zones and columnar ceramic structures has been completed. The ceramic materials investigated were ZrO 2 -20wt.%Y 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 -8wt.%Y 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 -40wt.% Cr 2 O 3 deposited onto NiCrAlY and CoCrAlY bond layers. Dense ceramic layers, known as close-out layers, were deposited onto the columnar ceramic to reduce the permeability of the coatings. The majority of the zirconia coatings failed as a result of massive diffusion of aluminum and oxygen in the graded metal-to-ceramic layer. Coating fracture occured very low in the graded transition zone where a band of Al 2 O 3 and voids formed. These acted as a preferred path for crack propagation. For this reason the ZrO 2 coating which had no graded transition zone performed best in thermal cycling experiments. Graded Al 2 O 3 /CoCrAlY layers were less affected by interdiffusion. However, deposition of ceramic layers of Al 2 O 3 -40Cr 2 O 3 or ZrO 2 -20Y 2 O 3 onto graded Al 2 O 3 /CoCrAlY layers displayed a poor adherence.
Glycosylation within an antigenic site on the HN glycoprotein of Newcastle disease virus interferes with its role in the promotion of membrane fusion.

Abstract The binding of monoclonal antibodies to antigenic site 3 on the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein of Newcastle disease virus neutralizes vital infectivity and prevents syncytium formation by a mechanism other than the prevention of vital attachment. The virus can escape neutralization by these antibodies by the addition of an N -glycan at a site introduced by a D287N mutation in HN. The variant has significantly reduced ability to induce fusion from within, the mode of fusion promoted by the viral glycoproteins deposited on the cell surface late in infection. Conversely, and unlike the parent virus, the variant has acquired the ability to promote fusion from without, the mode of fusion directly mediated by input virions at high multiplicity. This finding is consistent with different roles for the HN protein in virion-cell and cell-cell fusion. D287N-mutated HN with its additional N -glycan shows a markedly reduced ability, compared to wild-type HN, to complement the viral fusion protein in the promotion of fusion in a BHK cell transient expression system. This confirms that the addition of an N -glycan in HN antigenic site 3 and the deficiency in syncytium formation are causally related. Moreover, no alteration in cell surface expression, hemadsorption, or neuraminidase activity was detected in the mutated protein. This monoclonal antibody-selected mutation suggests that a fusion-related function, secondary to receptor recognition, may be defined by the globular heed of the HN spike. However, D287C or D287S-mutated HN is as effective as the wild-type protein in the promotion of fusion in the coexpression system. This suggests that the diminished fusogenicity of the D287N-mutated protein is probably due to a more global effect of glycosylation in site 3 rather than an alteration at the amino acid level.
A comparison of password feedback mechanisms and their impact on password entropy

Purpose – Text-based passwords created by users are typically weak. A common mitigation is to provide meaningful feedback to users regarding the relative strength of their newly created password. However, the effects of these feedback mechanisms on users to create stronger passwords have not been well studied. This study examined four different types of password feedback mechanisms to determine which, if any, are the most effective. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Undergraduate student volunteers created four different passwords and then entered the passwords into four different online password feedback mechanisms. Participants were then asked whether the feedback persuaded them to change their original password. Findings – In all cases, the feedback mechanisms significantly influenced users with lower password entropy to choose a more secure password. The password feedback mechanism that was most effective was the feedback of the estimated amount of time to break the...
Environmental and ecological factors that shape the gut bacterial communities of fish: a meta‐analysis

Symbiotic bacteria often help their hosts acquire nutrients from their diet, showing trends of co-evolution and independent acquisition by hosts from the same trophic levels. While these trends hint at important roles for biotic factors, the effects of the abiotic environment on symbiotic community composition remain comparably understudied. In this investigation, we examined the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the gut bacterial communities of fish from different taxa, trophic levels and habitats. Phylogenetic and statistical analyses of 25 16S rRNA libraries revealed that salinity, trophic level and possibly host phylogeny shape the composition of fish gut bacteria. When analysed alongside bacterial communities from other environments, fish gut communities typically clustered with gut communities from mammals and insects. Similar consideration of individual phylotypes (vs. communities) revealed evolutionary ties between fish gut microbes and symbionts of animals, as many of the bacteria from the guts of herbivorous fish were closely related to those from mammals. Our results indicate that fish harbour more specialized gut communities than previously recognized. They also highlight a trend of convergent acquisition of similar bacterial communities by fish and mammals, raising the possibility that fish were the first to evolve symbioses resembling those found among extant gut fermenting mammals.
RNA-binding analyses of HuC and HuD with the VEGF and c-myc 3′-untranslated regions using a novel ELISA-based assay

Human members of the ELAV family, referred to as ELAV-like proteins (ELPs), include HuC, HuD, Hel-N1 and HuR. These proteins bind to AU-rich elements in the 3′-untranslated regions (3′-UTRs) of many growth-related mRNAs, including c-myc and VEGF, and may participate in regulating the stability of these transcripts. Here, I have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which can rapidly assess the RNA–protein-binding properties of ELPs. With this assay, I demonstrate that HuC and HuD bind to the VEGF 3′-UTR regulatory segment (VRS) and to the c-myc 3′-UTR in a specific and concentration-dependent pattern, with both proteins showing a greater affinity for the VRS. Further analysis of the VRS indicated that the binding affinity was greater for the 3′-end where the majority of AU motifs reside. Binding to the VRS could be competed by both proteins as well as a poly(U) ribohomopolymer. The binding could not be competed by other ribohomopolymers or serum from patients with high titer anti-HuD antibodies. In summary, this assay provides a rapid analysis of ELP–RNA binding which can be utilized for further characterization of RNA-binding properties and for identification of competitor molecules for in vivo functional analysis of ELPs.
Downlink Radio Resource Allocation for Multi-Cell OFDMA System

This paper presents a radio resource control (RRC) scheme for OFDMA systems where dynamic resource allocation is realized at both a radio network controller (RNC) and base stations (BSs). The scheme is semi-distributed in the sense that the RRC decision is split between RNC and BSs. RNC makes decision on which channel is used by which BS at super-frame level and BSs then make decision on which user is assigned to which channel at frame-level. Two optimization problems for RNC and BSs are formulated and computationally efficient algorithms that perform the function of interference avoidance and traffic/channel adaptation are developed. Numerical analysis is performed under several cell configurations to show tradeoffs between sector interference suppression and dynamic interference avoidance. The results indicate that with reasonable signaling overhead, the protocol and the associated algorithms yield excellent performance for both real-time and non real-time services, even under fast fading
Automated spatiotemporal change detection in digital aerial imagery

Handling change within integrated geospatial environments is a challenge of dual nature. It comprises automatic change detection, and the fundamental issue of modeling/representing change. In this paper we present a novel approach for automated change detection which allows us to handle change more efficiently than commonly available approaches. More specifically, we focus on the detection of building boundary changes within a spatiotemporal GIS environment. We have developed a novel approach, as an extension of least-squares based matching. Previous spatial states of an object are compared to its current representation in a digital image, and decisions are automatically made as to whether or not change at the outline has occurred. Older object information is used to produce templates for comparison with the representation of the same object in a newer image. Semantic information extracted through an analysis of template edge geometry, and estimates of accuracy are used to enhance our model. This template matching approach allows us to integrate in a single operation object extraction from digital imagery with change detection. By decomposing a complete outline into smaller elements and applying template matching along these locations we are able to detect precisely even small changes in building outlines. In this paper we present an overview of our approach, theoretical models, certain implementation issues like template selection and weight coefficient assignment, and experimental results.
Critical challenges in doctoral education: Highlights of the biennial meeting of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing, Tokyo, Japan, 2007

A number of issues and challenges in doctoral nursing education were presented at the biennial meeting of the International Network for Doctoral Education in Nursing in June 2007. The themes addressed included: global health workforce shortages and the aging of the nursing workforce; the need for more nursing doctoral programs; strengthening of the research training in doctoral programs, and the need for increased involvement of nurse leaders in the health and social policy arena.
Institutional Ownership, Diversification, and Riskiness of Bank Holding Companies

We examine the relationship among the level and stability of institutional ownership, diversification, and riskiness of publicly traded bank holding companies. We find that large and stable institutional ownership is associated with a higher (lower) level of geographic, revenue, and nontraditional banking (asset) diversification and lower risk, suggesting that institutional investors are prudent and favor risk-reducing diversification strategies. The association between institutional ownership level and diversification is more pronounced under deregulation and during the crisis, suggesting a substitution effect between regulation and market discipline, and a greater level of monitoring and/or advising by institutional investors during the crisis, respectively.
Parameter estimation of linear frequency-modulated signals using integrated cubic phase function

In this paper, an integrated cubic phase function (ICPF) for parameter estimation of linear frequency-modulated (LFM) signals is introduced. The ICPF extends the standard cubic phase function (CPF) and provides improved estimation performances in cases involving low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and multi-component LFM signals, at the cost moderately increased complexity. The asymptotic bias and mean squared error (MSE) of an ICPF-based estimator are derived in closed-form and verified by computer simulation. A comparison with several existing approaches shows that the ICPF serves as a good candidate for LFM signal analysis.
Annual variation in recruitment of freshwater mussels and its relationship with river discharge

Vital rates such as mortality, growth, and recruitment are important tools to evaluate the status of threatened populations and identify their vulnerabilities, leading to enhanced conservation strategies. Native freshwater mussels are a guild of largely sedentary, filter-feeding bivalves currently facing worldwide declines. Lack of recruitment has been identified as a major threat to mussel populations. A mussel bed in the Upper Mississippi River was sampled for 5 years (2008–2012). A trend analysis showed a significant decline in the percentage of species with juvenile representatives. Species were grouped into equilibrium and periodic life history strategies to assess past recruitment. Residuals from catch-curve regressions quantified past year-class strength of both strategists and Amblema plicata over a 13-year period (1994–2006), and identified strong and weak year-classes. Generalized linear regression models containing July maximum discharge and April minimum discharge explained 64% of the variation in recruitment strength of A. plicata. The best model for the equilibrium strategists explained 86% of the variation in recruitment and contained the same variables as A. plicata, but also incorporated the 7-day minimum discharge. For the periodic strategists, the model containing the number of low-flow pulses and the mean duration of high-flow pulses explained 56% of the variation in recruitment strength. Understanding variation in recruitment dynamics of native mussels and its relationship to river discharge will be useful in designing effective management strategies to enhance conservation of this imperilled fauna. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Priority shaping of traffic streams sharing a policed virtual path in an ATM network

Traffic streams with differing service requirements, sharing a single contract for use of a policed virtual path in an ATM network, may be jointly shaped to make the best use of bandwidth available in the path. The shaper may use the information about the network policer to perform self-policing with a form of priority service to ensure satisfactory levels of cell loss and delay for both real-time and non-real-time traffic. Two such shapers are considered assuming a mean bit-rate contract with the network in which a leaky-bucket mechanism performs the policing function. The performance of the shapers is analysed using Markov-modulated models of bursty traffic sources and stochastic fluid methods, and the analytical results are corroborated by simulations. The choice of the shaper type and optimization of the shaper design parameters are discussed using correlated and non-correlated source models.
Haplosufficiency of the melanocortin-4 receptor gene in individuals with deletions of 18q

The melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is a seven, transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor whose ligand, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), is a post-translational derivative of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). The regulatory pathway, of which MC4R is a part, has become an area of intense interest because of its potential role in obesity. Three studies have identified individuals with dominantly inherited obesity segregating with mutations in the MC4R gene. It has been hypothesized that the mutation found in these subjects resulted in a loss of gene function resulting in obesity due to haploinsufficiency of the MC4R gene. We have been studying the molecular basis of the phenotype of individuals with large deletions of chromosome 18q. Due to its location at 18q21.3, the MC4R gene is hemizygous in approximately one-third of the individuals in our study. If hemizygosity of the MC4R gene results in haploinsufficiency-induced obesity, then individuals with deletions of 18q whose deletions include the MC4R gene should be obese in comparison with those individuals whose deletion does not include the gene. Our data indicate no difference in obesity among those deleted and not deleted for the gene. This supports the hypothesis that the MC4R gene product is haplosufficient and the involvement of MC4R in obesity may reflect a dominant negative effect.
Anamalous Hall effect measurements of domain writing and erasure in magneto-optic thin-films

The thermomagnetic writing and erasure of submicron domains has been observed in a magneto-optic thin film using the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) voltage generated within the medium itself. A TbFeCo film has been photolithographically patterned to form a cross-shaped Hall geometry a few microns across. The AHE voltage, proportional to a weighted average of the transition metal magnetization within the cross, is affected by a laser pulse in two ways. First, the laser heats the film, reducing the magnitude of the magnetization. Secondly, the sign of the AHE voltage changes as the magnetization reverses within the written domain. A time resolution if 100 ns, has been obtained, and better than 10 ns resolution should be achievable. The technique has been used to make quantitative laser-induced writing as a function of laser pulse energy and external field. >
Negative Potentials Across Biological Membranes Promote Fusion by Class II and Class III Viral Proteins

Voltage was investigated as a factor in the fusion of virions. Virions, pseudotyped with a class II, SFV E1 or VEEV E, or a class III protein, VSV G, were prepared with GFP within the core and a fluorescent lipid. This allowed both hemifusion and fusion to be monitored. Voltage clamping the target cell showed that fusion is promoted by a negative potential and hindered by a positive potential. Hemifusion occurred independent of polarity. Lipid dye movement, in the absence of content mixing, ceased before complete transfer for positive potentials, indicating that reversion of hemifused membranes into two distinct membranes is responsible for voltage dependence and inhibition of fusion. Content mixing quickly followed lipid dye transfer for a negative potential, providing a direct demonstration that hemifusion induced by class II and class III viral proteins is a functional intermediate of fusion. In the hemifused state, virions that fused exhibited slower lipid transfer than did nonfusing virions. All viruses with class II or III fusion proteins may utilize voltage to achieve infection.
Assembly of full-spectrum k-distributions from a narrow-band database; effects of mixing gases, gases and nongray absorbing particles, and mixtures with nongray scatterers in nongray enclosures

Full-spectrum k-distributions provide great accuracy combined with outstanding numerical efficiency for the evaluation of radiative transfer in absorbing-emitting molecular gases, but they do have several shortcomings: (1) It is difficult to assemble k-distributions for gas mixtures from precalculated full-spectrum k-distributions of individual gas species (i.e., without calculating the mixture k-distribution directly from the HITRAN/HITEMP database), (2) it is impossible to assemble k-distributions for a gas mixed with nongray absorbing particles (such as soot) from gas-only full-spectrum k-distributions, and (3) like all global models, full-spectrum k-distributions cannot accommodate nongray scattering behavior and/or nongray wall reflectances. In the present paper we show how these restrictions can be relaxed by (1) assembling full-spectrum k-distributions for a gas mixture from a narrow-band k-distribution database created for individual gas species, (2) by assembling gas and nongray absorbing particle mixture full-spectrum k-distributions from the same narrow-band database, and finally (3) by showing how a group of part-spectrum k-distributions can be generated from the same database to accommodate nongray scattering and nongray walls.
Effects of Differences in Areas of Growth and Plant Varieties on Endotoxin Contamination of Airborne Dusts from Carded Cottons

Endotoxins can exert profound biological effects both in vivo and in vitro (Morrison and Ulevitch, 1978; Bradley, 1979). However, the role of gram-negative bacteria or their endotoxins in the etiology or exacerbation of the acute pulmonary reaction to inhaled cotton dusts remains to beclarified. Gram-negative bacteria have been shown to be associated with the cotton fiber (Neal et al. , 1942; Helander and Lounatmaa, 1981; Millner et al. , 1982), and electron microscopic examination of cotton fiber revealed the shedding of the lipopolysaccharide-containing outer membrane of cotton-related organisms (Helander and Lounatmaa, 1981; Lounatmaa and Helander, 1982). Card-generated cotton dusts likewise contain the bacterial sources of endotoxins (Millner et al. , 1984), and endotoxins are quantified readily in the elutriated dusts (Olenchock, et al. , 1984). Comparisons between the acute pulmonary function response of human subjects who were exposed to card-generated cotton dusts and the concentration of endotoxins in those dusts were correlated highly ( Castellan et al. , 1984; Olenchock et al. , 1984; Rylander et al. , 1985). Thus, the presence of gram-negative bacterial endotoxins in cotton dusts must be examined for possible relationships to acute, and perhaps chronic, pulmonary changes in cotton dust-exposed individuals.
Cardiac response to relevant stimuli as an adjunctive tool for diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans *

The cardiac responses of 91 Vietnam combat veterans, who either met (n=57) or did not meet (n=34) the DSM-III criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were examined to a neutral stressor of mental arithmetic or to a relevant stressor of progressively louder (40 to 80 db) combat sounds. Examination of individual subject data reveals that one can accurately identify 70.2% of PTSD veterans and 88.2% of combat veterans, with only 9.7% false positives, using a single cutoff score on the highest heart rate response to combat sounds.
Engineering the ABA Plant Stress Pathway for Regulation of Induced Proximity

Chemically induced proximity (CIP) systems use small molecules and engineered proteins to control and study biological processes. However, small molecule–based systems for controlling protein abundance or activities have been limited by toxicity, instability, cost, and slow clearance of the small molecules in vivo. To address these problems, we modified proteins of the plant abscisic acid (ABA) stress response pathway to control the proximity of cellular proteins and showed that the system could be used to regulate transcription, signal transduction, and subcellular localization of proteins in response to exogenously applied ABA. We also showed that the ABA CIP system can be combined with other CIP systems to simultaneously control multiple processes. We found that, when given to mice, ABA was orally available and had a 4-hour half-life. These properties, along with its lack of toxicity and low cost, suggest that ABA may be well suited for therapeutic applications and as an experimental tool to control diverse cellular activities in vivo.
IBM HRL at INEX 06

In previous INEX years we presented an XML component ranking algorithm that was based on separation of nested XML elements to different indices. This worked fine for the IEEE collection which has a small number of potential component types that can be returned as query results. However, such an assumption doesn’t scale to this year Wikipedia collection where there is a large set of potential component types that can be returned. We show a new version of the Component ranking algorithm that does not assume any knowledge on the set of component types. We then show some preliminary work we did to exploit the connectivity of the Wikipedia collection to improve ranking.
Endoscopic management of anterior cranial fossa meningiomas

Meningiomas of the anterior skull base have been traditionally approached through transcranial or combined craniofacial routes. While these approaches offer wide exposure and working space, brain retraction, neurovascular manipulation, sinus obliteration, wound healing, and cosmesis can be significant issues. With the evolution of endoscope-assisted surgery, transnasal endoscopic approaches have developed as useful alternatives. These approaches can provide visualization comparable to or better than microscope-assisted surgery, as the endoscope provides excellent resolution of anatomic and pathologic details down these narrow corridors. Moreover, the use of angled endoscopes and instruments enables the surgeon to visualize and remove structures around the corners and avoid brain retraction. Potential disadvantages include narrow working spaces and reduced degrees of freedom with the dissecting instruments. In addition, operating through the nose carries with it the theoretical risk of intracranial infection and CSF leak, given the challenge of reconstructing the dura and skull base from below. With these issues in mind, a balanced approach to the resection of these tumors can be used to maximize tumor removal while minimizing operative time, trauma to surrounding structures, and procedure-related complications. This review will discuss the indications and limitations, technical nuances, postoperative care, and potential complications associated with endonasal endoscopic treatment of anterior cranial fossa meningiomas.
Inhomogeneity and temporal effects in AutoPulse Assisted Prehospital International Resuscitation—an exception from consent trial terminated early

Abstract Background The ASPIRE trial (AutoPulse Assisted Prehospital International Resuscitation) was multicenter exception from consent clinical trial that compared mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with a device (AutoPulse-CPR) to traditional manual CPR (manual-CPR) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Enrollment was suspended early due to safety concerns. One site (site C) made a potentially important protocol change midtrial, and enrollment at that site was noted to be independently associated with outcome. Methods The study used a post hoc reanalysis of source data and documentation using standard statistical approaches evaluating for possible secular, temporal, and trial design, factors that may have related to the trial's outcome. Results The protocol change at site C also appears to have resulted in a delay in application of AutoPulse-CPR. Before and after the protocol change survival in patients receiving AutoPulse-CPR decreased from 19.6% to 4% ( P = .024). Logistic regression analysis showed site C was significantly different ( P = .008) from the remaining sites with respect to survival. Unlike site C, the other sites actually showed an increase over time in the primary end point of 4-hour survival ( P = .008) favorable to AutoPulse-CPR. There did not appear to be significant safety ( P = .42) nor efficacy concerns ( P = .17) at these sites. Conclusions The difference in survival that caused early suspension of ASPIRE appears to have been limited to one site after its protocols change. At the time the trial was suspended, the outcomes of patients at the other sites appear to have been trending in favor of the intervention.
One-dimensional models of polymer dynamics. I. Dashpot-spring models applied to a single rotor

The proposion of Clark and Zimm that a dashpot and a spring can be used in place of a set of rotational barriers in polymer dynamics is studied. The simplest possible case is examined here, that of a single rotor. Reasons for altering the Clark–Zimm diffusion equation are presented and an alternative diffusion equation is proposed. The results of both diffusion equations for the correlation function 〈exp[−iθ(0)] exp[iθ(t)]〉 (θ is the angular position of the rotor) are compared with the correlation function for a rotor in an n-fold cosine potential. Although the two diffusion equations differ, both agree well with the n-fold cosine model for barriers above a few kBT. This agreement is obtained in the absence of adjustable parameters, and motivates the application of these two diffusion equations to polymeric systems.
Resveratrol Prevention of Oxidative Stress Damage to Lens Epithelial Cell Cultures Is Mediated by Forkhead Box O Activity

Cataract development has a strong relationship to increasing age in both humans and animals.1–4 There is considerable evidence to support the concept that oxidative stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can accelerate cataract development through damage to lens epithelial and fiber cells.5–8 Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to induce alterations in both the endogenous generation of ROS and the activation of protective mechanisms against oxidative damage.9 CR has also been shown to delay cataract formation in both mice and rats3,9 and to extend the lifespan of several species.10–12 The specific mechanisms by which CR exerts such effects on cataract progression, oxidative stress, and lifespan are not completely understood. However, there is experimental evidence suggesting that some of the effects of CR are mediated by the silent information regulator (Sirt1) and downstream activation of several members of the Forkhead box O (FoxO) gene family.13 The FoxO genes encode a family of transcription factors that modulate the expression of genes involved in the cellular response to oxidative stress, DNA repair, and apoptosis.14 Activation of FoxO transcription factors can promote stress resistance by binding to the promoters of genes such as manganese superoxide dismutase and catalase.15,16 This gene family plays a central role in oxidative stress response and is an important mediator of hematopoietic stem cell resistance to physiologic oxidative stress.17 The naturally occurring polyphenol resveratrol (RES) is an activator of SIRT1 and the FoxO transcription factors and has been shown to mimic some of the effects of CR including decreased production of ROS and increased protection against oxidative stress. RES has been shown to suppress selenite-induced oxidative stress and cataract formation in rats18 and together with proanthocyanidin extract can reduce significantly ROS production in canine lens epithelial cells.19 Furthermore, the activation Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays an important role in cell death signaling.20 RES also inhibits H2O2-induced JNK phosphorylation in HLEB-3,21 which may be one mechanism to prevent cell death. Therefore, we choose also to analyze the effects of JNK inhibition in our model system. However, RES is known to have both pro- and anti-apoptotic effects that may be cell and context dependent. In other words, like many biological processes, the effects of a specific molecule can be different depending on the cellular background or environment. Currently, it is not known what factors may influence the disparate effects of RES on apoptosis. Here we evaluate the potential protective effects of RES under chronic oxidative stress conditions and investigate the role that FoxO transcription factors play on this molecule's effects in lens epithelial cells. We used both porcine and human primary lens epithelial cell cultures for our studies because of the limited availability of human tissue.
Effects of inspiratory resistive load on respiratory control in hypercapnia and exercise.

Eight healthy young men underwent two separate steady-state incremental exercise runs within the aerobic range on a treadmill with alternating periods of breathing with no load (NL) and with an inspiratory resistive load (IRL) of approximately 12 cmH2O.1-1.s. End-tidal PCO2 was maintained constant throughout each run at the eucapnic or a constant hypercapnic level by adding 0-5% CO2 to the inspired O2. Hypercapnia caused a steepening, as well as upward shift, relative to the corresponding eucapnic ventilation-CO2 output (VE - VCO2) relationship in NL and IRL. Compared with NL, the VE - VCO2 slope was depressed by IRL, more so in hypercapnic [-19.0 +/- 3.4 (SE) %] than in eucapnic exercise (-6.0 +/- 2.0%), despite a similar increase in the slope of the occlusion pressure at 100 ms - VCO2 (P100 - VCO2) relationship under both conditions. The steady-state hypercapnic ventilatory response at rest was markedly depressed by IRL (-22.6 +/- 7.5%), with little increase in P100 response. For a given inspiratory load, breathing pattern responses to separate or combined hypercapnia and exercise were similar. During IRL, VE was achieved by a greater tidal volume (VT) and inspiratory duty cycle (TI/TT) along with a lower mean inspiratory flow (VT/TI). The increase in TI/TT was solely because of a prolongation of inspiratory time (TI) with little change in expiratory duration for any given VT. The ventilatory and breathing pattern responses to IRL during CO2 inhalation and exercise are in favor of conservation of respiratory work.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Physical and Structural Properties of Pulsed-DC Sputtered Al2O3, MgO and ZrO2 Coating for Mg Corrosion Control

Magnesium has attracted a lot of attention over the last few decades, due to its light weight and potential use as biomaterial. However, the poor corrosion resistance of magnesium restricts its practical use for application where exposure to aggressive aqueous media is unavoidable. This paper describes the growth, characterization and corrosion analyses of Al2O3, MgO and ZrO2 coatings for slowing down the degradation of Mg. Different thicknesses of Al2O3, MgO and ZrO2 were deposited on pure magnesium (99.95%) substrates using pulsed-DC magnetron sputtering process. The phase composition and microstructure analyses were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. The corrosion protection behavior of the Al2O3, MgO and ZrO2 coated samples were evaluated using electrochemical measurements as such open-circuit potential, potentiodynamics and EIS. The corrosion test were performed in 0.9 wt% saline solution. The results showed that the Al2O3-coated Mg alloy exhibit a much superior stability and lower corrosion rate. The surface analyses of the corroded samples showed that the coating improved the corrosion resistance, whereas the bare Mg suffered severe localized corrosion. Adhesion assay was performed on the Al2O3, MgO and ZrO2 coatings to determine their biocompatibility. The results showed significant cell attachment to the coating compare to the control (bare glass).Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The impact of obesity on cervical cerclage efficacy: A systematic review of the literature.

Background Cervical cerclage is a commonly applied procedure which is used as a preventive measure against preterm births among women with a short cervix ( Materials and methods We searched Medline (1966-2015), Scopus (2004-2015), Popline (1974-2015) and ClinicalTrials.gov (2008-2015) along with reference lists of electronically retrieved studies. Results Three studies were included in our review which involved 606 women. Among them 210 were obese (BMI>30 kg/m2) and 47 morbidly obese (BMI >40 kg/m2). The presence of obesity among women who had a cervical cerclage due to ultrasound or history indications did not seem to affect the gestational age at delivery or the neonatal birthweight. Furthermore, according to the findings of a single study it did not seem to reduce the gestational latency period in days (normal weight group 24.3±3.2, overweight group 21.1±5.1, obese group 21.4±4.9 p = 0.171). Conclusion According to the findings of our systematic review obesity does not influence the efficacy of cervical cerclage. However, firm results are precluded due to the small number and the methodological heterogeneity of existing studies. Further, studies are needed to corroborate our findings.
Seismic Azimuthal Impedance Anisotropy In the Barnett Shale

The Barnett Shale is one of the first and most fully developed shale gas plays in North America. In this play, the knowledge of natural and induced fracture orientation and intensity is of great importance in the choice of drilling direction and completion program. In this study, the organic-rich Barnett Shale reservoir has been extensively hydro-fractured by high pressure to simulate production prior to the acquisition of the 3D seismic survey. The objective is to recognize gasor watercharged induced damaged rock and to identify any bypassed pay.