cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on the mechanism of haloacetonitriles toxicity: quantitative whole body autoradiographic distribution of [2-14C]chloroacetonitrile in rats.

Abstract Chloroacetonitrile (CAN), a drinking water disinfectant by-product, possesses mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the biologic fate of CAN, using whole body autoradiographic (WBA) techniques. Male Sprague—Dawley rats were treated with a tracer dose of [2- 14 C]CAN (i.v., 88 μCi/kg, spec. act. 4.07 mCi/mmol). At various time intervals (0.08, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h) after treatment, rats were processed for WBA. Over 12 h after administration, the radioactivity excreted in urine, feces, and exhaled as 14 CO 2 accounted for 51%, 2.7%, and 12% of the dose, respectively. Only 0.8% of the administered dose was exhaled as unchanged CAN. At an early time interval (5 min) extensive accumulation of radioactivity was observed in liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal (G.I.) walls. In addition, high levels of 14 C were detected in the thyroid gland, lung bronchioles, adrenal cortex, salivary gland, and testes. At 1 h following administration, the olfactory bulb, olfactory receptor area of the brain and lumbar cistern showed high accumulations of radioactive CAN or its equivalents. At 3, 6, and 12 h after treatment, the radioactivity diffused homogeneously in all tissues and reconcentrated in several organs at later time periods (24 and 48 h). Our studies indicate extensive metabolic biotransformation of CAN in rats. The retention of radioactivity in the tissues of the thyroid gland, G.I., testes, brain and eye suggest that those organs are potential target sites of CAN toxicity.
Nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide toxicity in oligodendrocytes.

Oligodendrocytes (OLG) have more complex interactions with nitric oxide (NO) than initially suspected. Historically, OLG were seen only as targets of high NO levels released from other cells. Expression of nitric oxide synthase type II (NOS-2) in primary cultures of OLGs stimulated by cytokines led to controversy due to the presence of small numbers of microglia, cells also inducible for NOS-2 expression. The present review summarizes the findings that immature OLG express NOS-2, but that they do not in their most mature stage in culture as membrane sheet-bearing cells. This raises questions about the regulation of NOS-2 expression in OLG. Additionally, novel data are presented on NOS-3 expression in cultured OLG. If confirmed in vivo, this finding suggests that constitutive NOS-3 expression may play a key role in OLG injury due to its activation by calcium, in interaction with pathways mediating glutamate toxicity. The authors discuss in vivo NO levels to place in vitro findings in context, and compare O...
Inefficient TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramerization by monophosphoryl lipid A.

Synthetic forms of E. coli monophosphoryl lipid A (sMLA) weakly activate the MyD88 (myeloid differentiation primary response protein) branch of the bifurcated TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) signaling pathway, in contrast to diphosphoryl lipid A (sDLA), which is a strong activator of both branches of TLR4. sMLA’s weak MyD88 signaling activity is apparent downstream of TLR4/MyD88 signaling as we show that sMLA, unlike sDLA, is unable to efficiently recruit the TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) to the Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1). This reduced recruitment of TRAF6 explains MLA’s lower MAPK (Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase) and NF-κB activity. As further tests of sMLA’s ability to activate TLR4/Myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2), we used the antibody MTS510 as an indicator for TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramer formation. Staining patterns with this antibody indicated that sMLA does not effectively drive heterotetramerization of TLR4/MD-2 when compared to sDLA. However, a F126A mutant of MD-2, which allows lipid A binding but interferes with TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramerization, revealed that while sMLA is unable to efficiently form TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramers, it still needs heterotetramer formation for the full extent of signaling it is able to achieve. Monophosphoryl lipid A’s weak ability to form TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramers was not restricted to synthetic E. coli type because cells exposed to a biological preparation of S. minnesota monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) also showed reduced TLR4/MD-2 heterotetramer formation. The low potency with which sMLA and MPLA drive heterotetramerization of TLR4/MD-2 contributes to their weak MyD88 signaling activities.
Development of olfactory-guided behavior in the golden hamster.

Abstract Hamster pups were tested for an odor preference every day from 1–16 days of age with shavings from their home cage and with clean wood shavings. The hamster pups showed a clear preference for their home cage shavings by 8 days of age. They were then tested for preferences with other odor combinations. Tests for preference with other odor pairs indicate that this preference is due to a change in the hamsters rather than a change in the stimulus. In these tests the hamster pups did not demonstrate a preference for their home shavings over shavings in which a nonlactating female had lived. Further tests will have to be done to determine how specific the hamster pup's olfactory preferences are.
BIOLOGY OF BACTERIUM LEPISEPTICUM : I. EFFECTS OF OXYGEN TENSION AND THE PRESENCE OF RABBIT BLOOD ON GROWTH, DISSOCIATION, AND VIRULENCE.

1. Bacterium lepisepticum, Type D, inoculated in small amounts into meat extract broth, pH 7.4, under aerobic conditions failed to grow. Larger inoculations underwent a period of lag before the logarithmic growth phase began. 2. In this medium, dissociation of Microbe D to the variant G occurred readily. 3. A lowered oxygen tension in this broth resulted in growth of small numbers of Type D with no lag and great inhibition of the type dissociation process. 4. Similar optimum growth conditions were obtained by adding to extract broth, under aerobic conditions, autoclaved or unautoclaved rabbit blood in very small amounts, 0.0003 per cent, just sufficient to give a positive benzidine test.
Major groove DNA recognition by β-sheets: the ribbon-helix-helix family of gene regulatory proteins

Abstract Co-crystal structures of the MetJ and Arc repressors reveal that both proteins use a two-stranded antiparallel β-sheet for recognition of bases in the major groove of operator DNA and make conserved contacts with the DNA backbone. Important differences between the two proteins include the surfaces used for cooperative dimer-timer contacts and the symmetry and positions of base contacts made by β-sheet side chains.
Comparison of theoretically predicted and observed Solar Maximum Mission X-ray spectra for the 1980 April 13 and May 9 flares

A method for predicting the hard X-ray spectrum in the 10-100 keV range for compact flares during their initial rise is developed on the basis of a thermal model. Observations of the flares of 1980 April 13, 4:05 U.T., and 1980 May 9, 7:12 U.T. are given and their combined spectra from the Hard X-ray Burst Spectrometer and Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer on the Solar Maximum Mission are deduced. Constraints on the cross sectional area of the supposed emitting arch are obtained from data from the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer. A power-law spectrum is predicted for the rise of the flare of April 13 for initial arch densities less than 10 to the 10th per cu cm and also for the flare of May 9 for initial arch densities less than 5.4 x 10 to the 10th per cu cm. In both cases power-law spectra are observed. Limitations and implications of these results are discussed.
Performance of buffelgrass germplasm with improved winter survival

Lack of winter hardiness in buffelgrass [Cenchrus ciliaris L.; syn. Pennisetum ciliare (L.) Link] currently limits the utilization of this species in Texas and northern Mexico. This study was conducted to assess differences in field survival and yield potential of buffelgrass germplasm believed to have increased levels of winter hardiness. To document differences in field winter survival seedlings of five buffelgrass genotypes ('Common', 'Llano', 'Nueces', PI 409704, and T-7040) were established at six locations in Texas ranging from 28 to 34°N latitude. The winter-hardy species Pennisetum orientale L. cv. Cowboy was included as a check. The buffelgrass entries PI 409704 and T-7040 (a 2n + n hybrid between 409704 and an unknown male parent) had greater field survival than the cultivars Common, Llano, and Nueces, but were less winter hardy than Cowboy at the three locations (Knox City, Stephenville, and Vernon) north of College Station. All entries survived the winter at Beeville, College Station, and Uvalde. Yield at two cutting heights was evaluated over a 3-yr period at College Station. The rhizomatous cultivars Llano and Nueces had the greatest yield when harvested at 50 mm, while no significant differences existed among Llano, Nueces, PI 409704, and T-7040 when harvested at 150 mm. Defoliation height influenced winter survival of Common buffelgrass at College Station. During the winter of 1987-1988, 60 and 20% of the Common plants failed to survive at the 50-and 150-mm defoliation heights, respectively. Defoliation height did not affect crown nonstructural carbohydrate concentration (CHO). The most winter-hardy entry, Cowboy, had the highest CHO; the least winter-hardy entry, Common, had the lowest. These results suggest that winter-hardy pentaploid buffelgrass germplasm such as PI 409704 have the potential to expand the current range of buffelgrass.
The role of fatty acids in the mechanical properties of beeswax

Beeswax is a mixture of many organic compounds, including hydrocarbons, wax esters, and fatty acids. Because fatty acids in beeswax also serve as social signals, we explored the functional signif- icance of the fatty acids. The removal of the fatty acids from beeswax results in diminished yield stress, resilience, stiffness, and proportional limit stress of beeswax samples. Addition of stearic acid to beeswax enhances all of these properties except resilience. Artificial wax mixtures show a positive correlation be- tween the amount of stearic acid in the wax mixture and yield stress. Unsaturated fatty acids found in beeswax behave similarly, with respect to their effects on the mechanical properties of artificial wax mix- tures. Fatty acid concentration showed significant variation among colonies, particularly among the unsat- urated fatty acids. We interpret these findings with respect to the mechanical properties of beeswax and the role of fatty acids in communication among bees. Apis mellifera / wax / fatty acid / yield stress / stiffness
UNCTAD and E-Commerce Success

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development?s E-Commerce and Development Report 2002 provides a great deal of information on e-commerce from a variety of countries. The purpose of the report is to influence the expansion of e-commerce in small to medium sized companies in developing countries. Unfortunately, the data provided does not support many developing countries and does not address e-commerce infrastructure critical success factors.
Stroke Issue 2015

The word cardiovascular in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes was always intended to include cerebrovascular disease. To highlight the inclusion of that critically important area, we have devoted an entire issue to it, planned for release coinciding with World Stroke Day. So much forward motion has been made in the prevention and treatment of stroke, and yet the future is likely to show even more dramatic progress. The outcomes research community can play a critical role in the further reduction of the incidence and impact of stroke, from prevention to treatment and recovery. There is a need for wise choices about allocation of resources, incisive evaluation of various strategies, and effective approaches to the delivery of the highest quality and …
Direct puncture sclerotherapy of a thoracic duct cyst presenting as an enlarging left supraclavicular mass

A 58-year-old woman presented with a palpable mass at the base of the left neck which she had first noticed 12 years previously, shortly after abdominal surgery. The mass had progressively enlarged, resulting in dysphagia, dyspnea and occasional pain. Imaging showed a septated but otherwise simple cystic mass extending into the mediastinum and containing lymphocytic fluid on aspiration. A diagnosis of the rare entity of a thoracic duct cyst with supraclavicular extension was made. The patient opted for percutaneous sclerotherapy of the lesion, which was performed using glacial acetic acid. This resulted in complete resolution of the mass with one treatment. After exclusion of other causes of cystic left supraclavicular masses including cystic neoplasms and pseudoaneurysms of the carotid or subclavian arteries, direct puncture sclerotherapy can be safe and effective.
Community Members Draw the Line: Redistricting by a Ventura County Community Task Force

This study investigates whether a community-based task force’s redistricting plan in Ventura County, California, positively affected fair representation, social equity issues, community interests, and the electoral process. Examination and evaluation of the organizational strategies and collaborations involved in the task force’s redistricting process find that the Board of Supervisors districts that members of the community drew were successful in improving and maintaining fair representation. This finding is based on comparing supervisorial votes and policies with community members’ votes on state propositions and local measures, in addition to conducting interviews with task force members, politicians, and community activists. This study finds that citizen participation in governmental processes improves overall community health and political participation.
Characteristics of non-premixed oxygen-enhanced combustion: I. The presence of appreciable oxygen at the location of maximum temperature

The presence of appreciable molecular oxygen at the location of maximum temperature has been observed in non-premixed oxygen-enhanced combustion (OEC) processes, specifically in flames having a high stoichiometric mixture fraction (Zst) produced with diluted fuel and oxygen-enrichment. For conventional fuel–air flames, key features of the flame are consistent with the flame sheet approximation (FSA). In particular, the depletion of O2 at the location of maximum temperature predicted by the FSA correlates well with the near-zero O2 concentration measured at this location for conventional fuel–air flames. In contradistinction, computational analysis with detailed kinetics demonstrates that for OEC flames at high Zst: (1) there is an appreciable concentration of O2 at the location of maximum temperature and (2) the maximum temperature is not coincident with the location of global stoichiometry, O2 depletion, or maximum heat release. We investigate these phenomena computationally in three non-premixed ethylene flames at low, moderate, and high Zst, but with equivalent adiabatic flame temperatures. Results demonstrate that the location of O2 depletion occurs in the vicinity of global stoichiometry for flames of any Zst and that the presence of appreciable O2 at the location of maximum temperature for high Zst flames is caused by a shift in the location of maximum temperature relative to the location of O2 depletion. This shifting is attributed to: (1) finite-rate multi-step chemistry resulting in exothermic heat release that is displaced from the location of O2 depletion and (2) the relative location of the heat release region with respect to the fuel and oxidizer boundaries in mixture fraction space. A method of superposition involving a variation of the flame sheet approximation with two heat sources is shown to be sufficient in explaining this phenomenon.
An EM-based procedure for iterative maximum-likelihood decoding and simultaneous channel state estimation on slow-fading channels

The use of channel state information (CSI) is known to result in significant performance advantages in coded systems operating on fading channels. The relative performance advantages in using CSI are generally established through assessment of the two extreme cases of perfect and no CSI. Typically, the more severe the fading the greater the predicted relative performance advantage of perfect CSI. Little work has been done, however, in the development and characterization of explicit estimation techniques for recovering CSI on representative fading channels. We present one such scheme based upon use of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. More specifically, we pose the maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding problem as an incomplete data problem which is easily solved using the EM algorithm. The resulting EM-based procedure provides an iterative scheme for simultaneous ML decoding and channel state estimation. We demonstrate through simulation that this scheme is capable of providing performance close to that predicted on the slow-fading Rician channel when perfect CSI is available. >
Cushing's syndrome: from physiological principles to diagnosis and clinical care

The physiological control of cortisol synthesis in the adrenal cortex involves stimulation of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) by hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and then stimulation of the adrenal by ACTH. The control loop of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is closed by negative feedback of cortisol on the hypothalamus and pituitary. Understanding this system is required to master the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of endogenous hypercortisolism--Cushing's syndrome. Endogenous Cushing's syndrome is caused either by excess ACTH secretion or by autonomous cortisol release from the adrenal cortex. Diagnosis of cortisol excess exploits three physiological principles: failure to achieve the normal nadir in the cortisol diurnal rhythm, loss of sensitivity of ACTH-secreting tumours to cortisol negative feedback, and increased excretion of free cortisol in the urine. Differentiating a pituitary source of excess ACTH (Cushing's disease) from an ectopic source is accomplished by imaging the pituitary and sampling for ACTH in the venous drainage of the pituitary. With surgical removal of ACTH or cortisol-secreting tumours, secondary adrenal insufficiency ensues because of the prior suppression of the HPA axis by glucocorticoid negative feedback. Medical therapy is targeted to the anatomical location of the dysregulated component of the HPA axis. Future research will focus on new diagnostics and treatments of Cushing's syndrome. These are elegant examples of translational research: understanding basic physiology informs the development of new approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Appreciating pathophysiology generates new areas for inquiry of basic physiological and biochemical mechanisms.
Plasma Substance-P in Neuroendocrine Tumors and Idiopathic Flushing: The Value of Pentagastrin Stimulation Tests and the Effects of Somatostatin Analog*

We examined the role of the potent vasoactive kinin substance-P (SP) in flushing derived from various causes. SP was measured in plasma after acetone/ether extraction using an antiserum directed at the carboxy-terminal 5-11 amino acid region of undecapeptide SP. The antiserum had less than 1% cross-reaction with the other neurokinins, neurokinin-A and neuropeptide-K, that derive from the beta-preprotachykinin gene and share carboxy-terminal residues. Basal and pentagastrin-stimulated SP levels were measured in 22 healthy controls, 11 patients with histologically proven carcinoid tumors, 8 patients with tumors other than carcinoid, and 7 patients with idiopathic flushing (IF). Basal SP levels were less than 10 pg/mL in normal subjects. All patients with midgut carcinoid tumors had SP levels greater than 25 pg/mL, as did 7 of 8 patients with noncarcinoid tumors and 5 of 7 patients with IF. Using 50 pg/mL as the cutoff point, the sensitivity was 63% for detection of a tumor, and 100% of nontumor patients were excluded. Pentagastrin administration uniformly induced flushing and caused a rise in SP levels greater than 150 pg/mL in 5 of 10 patients with carcinoid tumors, 3 of 8 with noncarcinoid tumors, and 0 of 7 with IF, i.e. a SP rise of more than 100 pg/mL suggests a tumor. Administration of somatostatin (150 micrograms) 0.5 h before the pentagastrin abolished flushing in all carcinoid patients and reduced SP levels, but not into the normal range. Long term treatment with SMS significantly reduced flushing and lowered SP levels, but did not restore these to normal. We conclude that 90% of patients with carcinoid/noncarcinoid tumor have raised COOH-terminal SP levels. A basal level above 50 pg/mL or a pentagastrin-stimulated rise of more than 100 pg/mL distinguishes carcinoid from IF. The dissociation between SP concentrations and flushing suggests that SP may not be the only kinin involved in the flushing associated with carcinoid tumors.
Sequence-based prediction of protein interaction sites with an integrative method

Motivation: Identification of protein interaction sites has significant impact on understanding protein function, elucidating signal transduction networks and drug design studies. With the exponentially growing protein sequence data, predictive methods using sequence information only for protein interaction site prediction have drawn increasing interest. In this article, we propose a predictive model for identifying protein interaction sites. Without using any structure data, the proposed method extracts a wide range of features from protein sequences. A random forest-based integrative model is developed to effectively utilize these features and to deal with the imbalanced data classification problem commonly encountered in binding site predictions. Results: We evaluate the predictive method using 2829 interface residues and 24 616 non-interface residues extracted from 99 polypeptide chains in the Protein Data Bank. The experimental results show that the proposed method performs significantly better than two other sequence-based predictive methods and can reliably predict residues involved in protein interaction sites. Furthermore, we apply the method to predict interaction sites and to construct three protein complexes: the DnaK molecular chaperone system, 1YUW and 1DKG, which provide new insight into the sequence–function relationship. We show that the predicted interaction sites can be valuable as a first approach for guiding experimental methods investigating protein–protein interactions and localizing the specific interface residues. Availability: Datasets and software are available at http://ittc.ku.edu/~xwchen/bindingsite/prediction. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Loose Couplers as an Information Design Strategy

Net-Centric operations are predicated upon loose coupling among participants. Existing approaches to loose coupling have focused on the information and network interfaces, not on information design methodology. Cursor on Target has been described as a loose coupler that provides a strategy to exchange a minimal amount of structured, high impact information in a variety of use cases among battlefield participants. In this paper we provide an in-depth analysis of the loose coupler concept. We define a loose coupler as an information object design that optimizes data utilization (production and consumption) among a community of independent participants while globally minimizing costs (development and employment). Local efficiencies of point-to-point information design yield to the greater global efficiencies of the information environment in which a loose coupler operates. We investigate data sharing usage patterns and infospace environments within and across communities of interest and use these to identify characteristics of loose coupler design. We provide examples of loose couplers in both commercial and military environments. A loose coupler design methodology is discussed and we suggest opportunities for further research in this area.
Evaluation of Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon at Pinellas Trail Crossing in Saint Petersburg, Florida

The performance of a pedestrian safety device, the rectangular rapid flash beacon (RRFB), was evaluated at a street crossing of Florida's Pinellas Trail, a shared-use path where the majority of trail users were bicyclists. An elevated video camera beside the trail and several hundred feet from the crossing was used to collect before-and-after data for more than 1,000 bicyclists and pedestrians. The delay before trail users began to cross was reduced after the RRFB was installed. Bicyclists and pedestrians yielded considerably less, and motorists considerably more, after the installation. Yielding by motorists increased from 2% before to 35% after installation of the RRFB. When the flasher was activated, motorist yielding was 54%. In the before period, 82% of trail users were able to cross the intersection, whereas 18% were trapped in the middle. In the after period, these values were 94% and 6%, respectively. Installation of the RRFB increased the safety of trail users at the crossing. However, the device...
Towards a Domain-Specific Modeling Language for Customer Data Integration Workflow

This paper describes the workflow specification problem, how workflows are specified today, requirements for improved workflow specification, and begins to sketch a new domain-specific modeling language (DSML) approach for specifying intent that can be used to constructively generate a complete workflow meeting a collection of intent requirements. This is an interim report on work in progress.
Health characteristics of inland waterway merchant marine captains and pilots

Results There w ere 388 participants. The study population had high prevalence of obesity (61%), smoking (41%), high triglycerides (42%), low HDL cholesterol (47%), high blood pressure (42%), high fasting glucose (22%) and three or more features of the metabolic syndrome (39%). Conclusions This population exhibited a high prevalence of chronic disease risk factors and could potentially benefit from health promotion programmes aimed at improving health and fitness.
Differential pontomedullary catecholaminergic projections to hypoglossal motor nucleus and viscerosensory nucleus of the solitary tract

In individuals with a narrow or collapsible upper airway, sleep-related hypotonia of upper airway muscles leads to recurrent airway obstructions. Brainstem noradrenergic neurons reduce their activity during slow-wave sleep and become silent during rapid eye movement sleep; this may cause state-dependent changes in the motor output and reflexes. The loss of noradrenergic excitation is a major cause of sleep-related depression of activity in upper airway muscles innervated by the hypoglossal nerve. Our goal was to identify and compare the pontomedullary sources of catecholaminergic (CA) projections to the hypoglossal motor nucleus (Mo12) and the adjacent viscerosensory nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). In 10 Sprague-Dawley rats, retrograde tracers, Fluoro-Gold or B sub-unit of cholera toxin, were microinjected (5-20nl) into the Mo12, NTS, or both nuclei. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was used as a marker for CA neurons. Following tracer injections into the Mo12, retrogradely labeled and TH-positive neurons were found in the A1/C1 (18.5%), A5 (43.5%), A7 (15.0%), and sub-coeruleus (21.0%) regions, and locus coeruleus (1.7%). In contrast, following injections into the NTS, these proportions were: 48.0, 46.5, 0.2, 0.9, and 4.3%, respectively. The projections to both nuclei were bilateral, with a 3:2 ipsilateral predominance. In four animals with one tracer injected into the Mo12 and the other in NTS, TH-positive cells containing both tracers were found only in the A5 region. Thus, the pontomedullary sources of CA projections to the Mo12 and NTS differ, with only A1/C1 and A5 groups having significant projections to these two functionally distinct targets.
Medical student attitudes before and after participation in rural health fairs.

BACKGROUND : Despite an increased need, residents of rural communities have decreased access to healthcare and often present unique healthcare challenges associated with their rurality. Ensuring medical students receive adequate exposure to these issues is complicated by the urban location of most medical schools. Health fairs (fairs) conducted in rural communities can provide students exposure to rural health; however, it is unknown how participation affects attitudes regarding these issues. METHODS : During the 2010-2011 academic year, first-year medical students were surveyed before and after participating in a rural fair regarding the importance of rural health issues, the need for exposure to rural healthcare, their plans to practice in a rural community, and the educational impact of fairs. RESULTS : Of the 121participating students, 77% and 61% completed pre- and post-fair surveys, respectively. Few had lived in a rural area or planned to practice primary care. Participants strongly agreed that the delivery of healthcare in rural areas was important, and that all physicians should receive rural health training (4.8 and 3.7 out of 5, respectively) despite less than halfplanning to practice in a rural community. After participating in a rural fair, student attitudes were unchanged, although 87% of participants strongly agreed their involvement had contributed to improving patient health and 70% that the fairs provided rural medicine experience. CONCLUSIONS : A mong urban medical school students with varied interests in primary care, there was strong interest in volunteering at rural fairs and appreciation for the importance of rural health. Fairs provided interested students with rural medicine experience that reinforced student attitudes regarding rural health. Further, students felt their participation improved patient health. KEYWORDS : Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Rural Health Services, Preventive Health Services
Race/Ethnicity and Treatment Outcome in a Randomized Controlled Trial for Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder).

Objective Treatment outcome was compared among non-Hispanic White and racial/ethnic minority participants with trichotillomania (TTM), or hair-pulling disorder. Method Symptom severity, quality of life, and TTM-related disability were compared in a behavior therapy trial with a stepped care approach: web-based self-help and then individual behavior therapy. The sample comprised 72% (n = 38) non-Hispanic White participants and 28% (n = 15) minority participants. Results The ethnic groups responded differently to treatment, with fewer minority participants showing improvement during web-based self-help. Response rates were equivalent between ethnic groups during the in-person behavior therapy. These results should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size of minorities in the study and consequent inability to analyze results for each racial/ethnic group individually. Conclusions Future studies should focus on the investigation of factors that may enable or hinder racial and ethnic minority participants to benefit from online and/or self-help behavior therapy for TTM.
Automated negotiation with decommitment for dynamic resource allocation in cloud computing

We consider the problem of allocating networked resources in dynamic environment, such as cloud computing platforms, where providers strategically price resources to maximize their utility. Resource allocation in these environments, where both providers and consumers are selfish agents, presents numerous challenges since the number of consumers and their resource demand is highly dynamic. While numerous auction-based approaches have been proposed in the literature, this paper explores an alternative approach where providers and consumers automatically negotiate resource leasing contracts. Since resource demand and supply can be dynamic and uncertain, we propose a distributed negotiation mechanism where agents negotiate over both a contract price and a decommitment penalty, which allows agents to decommit from contracts at a cost. We compare our approach experimentally, using representative scenarios and workloads, to both combinatorial auctions and the fixed-price model used by Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud, and show that the negotiation model achieves a higher social welfare.
SYMPATHETIC OVERACTIVITY AND CORONARY RISK IN HYPERTENSION

Tecumseh, Michigan. Nearly one thousand subjects were enrolled into the study and anthropometric, hemodynamic and metabolic data were collected at several time points. When first examined as children those subjects who were ultimately to develop borderline hypertension had significantly faster heart rates than their future normotensive counterparts despite having comparable blood pressures as children.( 1) As they aged the difference between the pulse rate was maintained and the blood pressure in the borderline hypertensive group had become elevated. When examined as adults (1 8-42 years) the differences in pulse rate and blood pressure persisted between the groups and elevated plasma noradrenaline was demonstrated in the hyperkinetic (high cardiac output, increased heart rate) hypertensive subjects. An significant increase in cardiac risk factors was found in the hypertensive group as a whole and also in the subpopulation of "pure" hyperkinetic hypertensive subjects (2) and a strong correlation between diastolic blood pressure and these risk factors was also found (3). This data suggests that there was a relative overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system present from an early age in the subjects who were to develop borderline hypertension and that this persisted into at least early adulthood. It also raises the intriguing possibility that sympathetic excess could not only be responsible for the blood pressure elevation in these subjects but also independently result in the increase in coronary risk factors. A hypothetical schema for just such an association will be described where excess sympathetic tone is the underlying pathophysiological state that leads to an increased tendency to atherosclerosis and insulin resistance as well as a propensity to coronary thrombosis, coronary spasm and arrhythmia's. Insulin resistance has been shown to be associated with hypertension (4) and is accompanied by an increased coronary morbidity (5). Excess sympathetic tone may produce insulin resistance by promoting a-adrenergic vasoconstriction and reducing the delivery of insulin and glucose to skeletal muscle, which is thought to be the site of insulin resistance in hypertension. Jamerson 's work (6) lends support to this concept when it was demonstrated that decreased blood flow in the human forearm produced by reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in decreased glucose utilization, a condition analogous to insulin resistance. This type of sympathetically mediated insulin resistance may be compounded by the trophic effects of elevated insulin on the vascular wall (7) and by vascular rarefaction which has been documented to occur in hypertension (8). Further evidence for a role of the sympathetic nervous system in altered insulin sensitivity in
Adjudication of the Alleged Role of Vitamin D in the Antimicrobial Pathway

Dynamic interactions between microorganism and host have evolved in such a way that while microbial pathogens are the cause of many human infections, a symbiotic relationship is also known to exist. Another important anomaly is that exposure to pathogenic organisms does not necessarily result in development of clinical disease. The latter conclusion infers that susceptibility to infectious disease can be modified by host-related factors. Arguably the two most prominent factors are genetic variability and immunologic status of the exposed individual. Because of the Human Genome and the HapMap projects, developments in genotyping technology have brought the possibility of identifying associations between specific genetic alterations and common diseases closer to reality. In addition, a growing body of evidence suggests vitamin D has an important contributory role in the antimicrobial pathway.
Leveraging checkpoint/restore to optimize utilization of cloud compute resources

Cloud computing services have varying performance characteristics that the cloud provider often hides from the user. Thus, it is difficult for a user to make operational decisions about when and where to run their jobs. In this paper, we present a series of experiments on a cloud computing platform to understand these characteristics and then present a series of strategies to optimize utilization on these cloud platforms. Specifically, our experiments were performed on the lowest tier of Amazon Elastic Cloud (EC2) resources, and initial tests measured performance characteristics of these resources at different locations over time. Testing revealed that certain performance measures could be improved by location choice. For short-duration jobs, CPU performance was nearly constant, but storage performance had more variability. For long-duration jobs, CPU throttling caused a significant penalty. Using a system of checkpoint and migration between virtual machines allowed this CPU penalty to be avoided, resulting in significant savings and improved runtime.
Humoral Immunity in Bronchiectasis: Finding Good’s Syndrome

We present a case of a 37-year-old man with a past history of a surgically removed thymoma, who presented with recurrent pulmonary infections and bronchiectasis. On further testing, he was found to have low total immunoglobulin levels, a constellation of findings known as Good's syndrome. He responded well to immunoglobulin replacement, in addition to the usual treatments for bronchiectasis. We present this case to emphasize the association of bronchiectasis, low immunoglobulins, and thymomas and the role of immunoglobulin replacement as a treatment option.
Shifting the Balance Between Aortic Insufficiency and Residual Gradients After Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty

Since its introduction in the mid-1980s ([1][1]), transcatheter therapy has replaced cardiothoracic surgery as the preferred treatment modality in the majority of patients with congenital valvular aortic stenosis. In 1990, a group from Children's Hospital Boston wrote an editorial in this journal
Infectious Antibody-Reovirus Complexes

Populations of reovirus type 1 could not be completely neutralized by exposure to specific antiviral serum. Aggregation of reovirions before or after exposure to neutralizing antibody was discarded as a possible explanation for the phenomenon observed. Anti-rabbit serum and equilibrium zonal density gradient centrifugation were used to show that the residual infectious fraction consisted of infectious antibody-virion complexes. Electron microscopy and equilibrium density gradient centrifugation of stock virus preparations were used to attempt to determine whether the infectious virus-antibody complexes resulted from the combination of antibody with virus particles which differed from neutralizable virions either morphologically or with regard to buoyant density. Although electron micrographs revealed the presence of three morphologically distinct classes of virus particles, density gradient centrifugation resulted in only one infectious peak. Density gradient centrifugation of virus exposed to antibody resulted in only one infectious peak which consisted of virus-antibody complexes.
Dynamic symbol grounding: changing referents in engineering analysis and spatial environments

In this paper, we propose a challenging class of problems for Cognitive Systems reasoning in spatio-temporal environments. Consider a safe area in a military engagement. The safe area refers to a region in the environment. The size, shape, and location of this region is a function of the goals and capabilities of the other agents in the environment. Furthermore, this context will change over time and thereby changing the reference of this abstraction. We call such regions context-dependent spatial regions. Through an analogy with the qualitative abstractions used in the design and analysis of engineered systems, we explore this representational problem and some possible solutions.
Studies on Papua New Guinea Chiggers (Acari: Trombiculidae): IX. A new species of Apoloniinae from the North Solomon Islands

Vargatula pacifica is described as new from a specimen collected from the domestic pig, Sus scrofa , on Nissan Island, North Solomon
Simulation of the Diffusion of Doxorubicin (DOX) in Polymer Pores for a Multiscale Nanodiamond Based Drug Delivery System

A drug delivery system utilizing nanodiamonds has been proposed for the controlled release of the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (DOX) [1,2]. The drug delivery system consists of a patch which is envisioned to be implanted immediately after a tumor removal surgery to target residual cancerous cells such that tumor reoccurrence can be effectively prevented. Therefore, long release times are desired for the patch to prevent any new cancerous tissue from forming. The patch is to be assembled in three different layers beginning with a bottom layer comprised of nonporous parylene. A layer of DOX loaded nanodimonds is deposited onto the base layer. Then a porous layer of parylene is accumulated on top of the nanodimonds. Nanodimonds are utilized because their release rates are based on pH, which changes near cancerous cells. Due to the complexity of the drug delivery system, models are created at several different scales.© 2010 ASME
Increased postweaning gain of beef heifers enhances fertility and milk production

Four hundred fifty-two (452) weanling heifer calves (192 +/- 23 kg) were used to determine the effect of postweaning weight gain on subsequent reproductive performance and lactation. Heifers grazed stockpiled tall fescue pastures and were fed a high (H) or low (L) amount of ground corn supplement (3.68 and 2.99 kg/[animal.d], respectively) during a postweaning treatment period of 136 d. Postweaning gain of heifers receiving L and H was .43 and .62 kg/d, respectively. These treatments resulted in a range of postweaning gain from .07 to 1.17 kg/d. Heifers receiving H were 26 kg heavier (P < .01), had .15 cm more fat thickness (P < .01), 5% greater pelvic area (P < .01), and tended (P = .08) to have greater hip height than heifers receiving L at yearling. More heifers in the H group were pubertal before the start of the breeding season (70.9 vs 61.3%) (P < .05). No significant differences were found in pregnancy rate or first-service calving rate between treatment groups. Mean milk production was 10% greater for H- than for L-fed heifers (P < .01) and resulted in heavier calves at 54, 104, and 153 d of age (P < .05). Regression analysis revealed that as weaning weight and postweaning gain increased, so did the probability for reaching puberty before the breeding season. Increasing weaning weight also increased the probability of calving to the first AI service. As heifer weaning weight and postweaning gain increased, subsequent milk production also increased. Increasing postweaning weight gain of lightweight heifers from .07 to 1.17 kg/d increased both reproductive and lactation performance.
Incorporating Oxygen Uncoupling Kinetics into Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations of a Chemical Looping System

Chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) is a carbon-capture technology that utilizes a metal oxide as an oxygen carrier to separate oxygen from air and releases gaseous O2 into a reactor where fuel is fed. Earlier experimental and simulated work has been performed on systems less than 1 MW. Previous work has been limited to one-dimensional kinetic simulations. Literature kinetics were modified to work in a Barracuda-VR simulation package. A simplified spreadsheet model was used to verify the Barracuda-VR simulation adaption of the kinetics to previously published results. The simulated kinetics, literature models, and raw data matched well. The adapted kinetics were then incorporated into a 10 kW dual bubbling bed CLOU system three-dimensional simulation. The simulations predicted carbon capture efficiency similar to that reported previously for similar systems. The solid circulation rate, temperature profile, and gas concentration profiles followed the expected trends. The overall three-dimensional simulation of kinetics showed reasonable results for what has been previously reported.
The Urographic Findings in Acute Pyelonephritis: Non-Obstructive Hydronephrosis

AbstractExcretory urography was performed on 4 patients early in the course of acute pyelonephritis. These studies showed dilatation of the involved collecting system without obstruction. The dilatation resolved after therapy in 3 patients and was not present on a previous excretory urogram in the fourth. Although previous studies have shown that the excretory urogram is usually normal in cases of acute pyelonephritis these cases demonstrate that this disease can produce dilatation of the collecting system and mimic obstruction.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis: a disease revisited.

Review of the more recent literature suggests a less sanguine prognosis than that originally reported. Although some patients have prolonged favorable responses to treatment, in others the chronicity of the disorder results in cirrhosis and hepatic failure despite early palliation.
Male Urethral Stricture: American Urological Association Guideline.

Purpose: The purpose of this Guideline is to provide a clinical framework for the diagnosis and treatment of male urethral stricture.Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature using the Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases (search dates 1/1/1990 to 12/1/2015) was conducted to identify peer-reviewed publications relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of urethral stricture. The review yielded an evidence base of 250 articles after application of inclusion/exclusion criteria. These publications were used to create the Guideline statements. Evidence-based statements of Strong, Moderate, or Conditional Recommendation were developed based on benefits and risks/burdens to patients. Additional guidance is provided as Clinical Principles and Expert Opinion when insufficient evidence existed.Results: The Panel identified the most common scenarios seen in clinical practice related to the treatment of urethral strictures. Guideline statements were developed to aid the clinician in optimal evaluat...
Coherence Spectroscopy in the Condensed Phase: Insights into Molecular Structure, Environment, and Interactions.

ConspectusThe role of coherences, or coherently excited superposition states, in complex condensed-phase systems has been the topic of intense interest and debate for a number of years. In many cases, coherences have been utilized as spectators of ultrafast dynamics or for identifying couplings between electronic states. In rare cases, they have been found to drive excited state dynamics directly. Interestingly though, the utilization of coherences as a tool for high-detail vibronic spectroscopy has largely been overlooked until recently, despite their encoding of key information regarding molecular structure, electronically sensitive vibrational modes, and intermolecular interactions. Furthermore, their detection in the time domain makes for a highly comprehensive spectroscopic technique wherein the phase and dephasing times are extracted in addition to amplitude and intensity, an element not afforded in analogous frequency domain “steady-state” measurements. However, practical limitations arise in disen...