cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of the respiratory and transport effect of thyroid hormone on small intestinal mucosa.

The hypothesis that thyroid hormone thermogenesis is mediated via active Na+ transport was examined in rat small intestinal mucosa. Total oxygen consumption (QO2) and Na+ — dependent oxygen consumption [QO2(t)] were measured in intestinal segments stripped of muscularis. The activities of (Na+ + K+) — activated adenosine — triphosphatase (NaK-ATPase) and Mg++ − activated ATPase (Mg-ATPase) were measured in crude plasma membrane preparations of mucosal cell scrapings. Euthyroid and thyroidectomized rats were injected with either triodothyronine (T3), 50 μg/100 g body wt., or diluent on alternate days for a total of three doses. In the transition from hypothyroid to the euthyroid state, T3 evoked a 23% increase in QO2, a 41% increase in QO2(t), and a 72% increase in NaK-ATPase activity. The increase in QO2(t) accounted for 55% of the increase in QO2. In the transition from the euthyroid to the hyperthyroid state, QO2 activity increased 15%, QO2(t) 12% and NaK-ATPase 26%. The increase in QO2(t) accounted for 30% of the increase in QO2. Thyroid mediated increase in NaK-ATPase activity could result either from an increase in the activity of a fixed number of enzyme sites or an increase in the number of enzyme sites per cell.
Neuropeptides and peptide hormones identified in codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella, is a worldwide pest of pome fruits. Neuropeptides regulate most physiological functions in insects and represent new targets for the development of control agents. The only neuropeptides reported from the codling moth to date are the allatostatin A family peptides. To identify other neuropeptides and peptide hormones from codling moth, we analyzed head transcriptomes, identified 50 transcripts, and predicted 120 prepropeptides for the codling moth neuropeptides and peptide hormones. All transcripts were amplified, and these sequences were verified. One of the notable findings in this study is that diapause hormones (DHs) reported from Tortricid moths, including the codling moth, do not have the WFGPRL sequence in C-terminal ends in the pban genes. The C-terminal motif is critical to characterize insect DH peptides, and always conserved in pban/dh genes in Lepidoptera and many insect orders. Interestingly, the WFGPRL sequence was produced only from the capa gene in the codling moth. The allatostatin A-family encoding transcript predicted nine peptides, seven of which, as expected, are identical to those previously isolated from the moth. We also identified new codling moth orthologs of insect neuropeptides including CCHamides, allatostatin CC, RYamides, and natalisins. The information provided in this study will benefit future codling moth investigations using peptidoproteomics to determine peptide presence and functions.
Quantum-correlated photon pairs generated in a commercial 45 nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor microelectronic chip

Correlated photon pairs are a fundamental building block of quantum photonic systems. While pair sources have previously been integrated on silicon chips built using customized photonics manufacturing processes, these often take advantage of only a small fraction of the established techniques for microelectronics fabrication and have yet to be integrated in a process that also supports electronics. Here we report the first demonstration of quantum-correlated photon pair generation in a device fabricated in an unmodified advanced (sub-100-nm) complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process, alongside millions of working transistors. The microring resonator photon pair source is formed in the transistor layer structure, with the resonator core formed by the silicon layer typically used for the transistor body. With ultralow CW on-chip pump powers ranging from 4.8 to 400 μW, we demonstrate pair generation rates between 165 Hz and 332 kHz using >80% efficient WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Coincidences-to-accidentals ratios consistently exceeding 40 were measured, with a maximum of 55. In the process of characterizing this source, we also accurately predict pair generation rates from the results of classical stimulated four-wave mixing measurements. This proof-of-principle device demonstrates the potential of commercial CMOS microelectronics as an advanced quantum photonics platform with the capability of large volumes and pristine process control, where state-of-the-art high-speed digital circuits could interact with quantum photonic circuits.
Orbital meningioma arising 50 years after irradiated retinoblastoma.

A 52-year-old male with history of retinoblastoma of the right eye status post enucleation at 2 years of age and history of external beam radiation therapy to the right orbit presented after severa...
Direct and Indirect Spillovers from Content Providers’ Switching: Evidence from Online Live Streaming

Content providers in online social media platforms, particularly live streaming, often switch content categories. Despite the uniqueness and importance, there is a dearth of academic research examining the unintended effects of providers’ content switching. We study the direct and indirect spillover effects of content switching for live streamers--individuals who broadcast content through live streaming platforms. We propose a framework based on theories related to viewer flow and network effects to conceptualize the direct and indirect spillover effects of entrant streamers’ content switching on the incumbent streamers. Contrary to conventional wisdom which concerns about the negative effects on the incumbent’s viewership due to network congestion, we propose two positive spillover effects that are unique to the social media platform setting: a) the entrant streamers not just increases network congestion, but they also bring their own viewers to the new category, which benefit the incumbent streamers due to a streaming flow effect (direct spillover); and (b) the entrant streamers influences incumbent streamers’ viewer size by boosting category visibility through indirect network effects (indirect spillover). We also propose that the two spillover effects are contingent on the size of the entrant streamers’ follower base. Based on a unique observational dataset from the leading live streaming platform (Twitch.tv), particularly with viewer flows data at the streamer-session level, we first estimate that an average content switching is associated with a 1.3% net increase in direct net viewer flow from the entrant to an incumbent. And this direct spillover effect is attenuated by the size of entrant streamers’ follower base. We also estimate that an average content switching is associated with a 2.1% net increase in (indirect) net viewer flow from outside categories to an incumbent streamer. And this indirect spillover effect is reinforced by the entrant streamers’ follower base size. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the dynamics of content switching on social media platforms in the emerging context of live streaming. We discuss the managerial implications of this study for streaming strategies and platform management.
Research progresses of HMGB1 in viral infection related diseases

High mobility group protein B1(high mobility group box 1, HMGB1)is a nuclear protein that is highly conserved, constitutively expressed in various tissues and cells in the nucleus.It participates in gene transcription and replication, which is released into the nucleus mainly as a late cytokine mediated inflammatory immune response.As a result of cell stress, HMGB1 and pathogens including viruses infection are closely related.Recent studies have shown that HMGB1 is involved in the occurrence and development of many kinds of virus related diseases.This paper makes a review of the research progresses. Key words: HMGB1; Virus; Inflammation
Low visceral adipose tissue regulatory T cells are associated with higher comorbidity severity in patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Adipose tissue (AT) inflammation is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and atherosclerosis in murine models of obesity. Reduced AT regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are anti-inflammatory immune cells, play an important part in this pathogenesis, and we have shown that AT-Tregs are inversely correlated to increasing body-mass-index. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between AT-Treg abundance and comorbidity status in patients undergoing bariatric surgery (BS). Visceral (intra-abdominal) AT was harvested at that time of primary BS (n = 80) and collagenase digested. AT-Treg abundance (CD4+/CD25+/FOXP3+) was characterized using flow cytometry from the AT stromal vascular fraction. The median AT-Treg abundance (3.03%) was utilized to define high (High-Tregs, n = 39) and low AT-Treg (low-Tregs, n = 38) abundance within this cohort. These two groups were compared in terms of baseline demographic data, preoperative obesity-related comorbidities, glycemic parameters, including insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Age, excess body weight, and sex were not different between groups. Prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or T2DM preoperatively were not different between groups. Compared to High-Tregs, patients with low-Tregs were more likely to have insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes (12.5% vs 2.9%, p = 0.04). Within patients with T2DM, low-Treg patients had higher plasma insulin levels compared to high-Tregs (31.8 (28.4–56.5) vs 15.5 (10.1–23.1), p = 0.04) and trended towards higher insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (9.0 (5.3–18.3) vs 3.5 (2.2–7.7), p = 0.08). Within those diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, preoperative statin use was higher in Low-Treg patients compared to the control cohort (91% vs 50%, p = 0.056). Low-Treg patients with hypertension were more likely to need 2 + anti-hypertensive agents preoperatively compared to their counterparts (71% vs 44%, p = 0.058). Within bariatric candidates, lower visceral AT-Treg abundance was associated with increased baseline medication requirements for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. This suggests that reduced AT-Tregs may be associated with higher obesity-related comorbidity severity.
Hepatitis A Outbreaks Associated With the Opioid Epidemic in Kentucky Counties, 2017-2018.

Objectives. To describe county-level socioeconomic profiles associated with Kentucky’s 2017–2018 hepatitis A outbreak that predominately affected communities affected by the opioid epidemic.Methods...
URUNME: A generic software for integrated environmental modeling

Abstract A new software application, called URUNME, was developed in C#.NET for integrated environmental modeling. URUNME provides functionality for model coupling, data storage, analysis, visualization, scenario management, and decision support systems. A graphical user interface (GUI) based on drag-and-drop flowchart type diagrams allow modelers to set-up a model application once and then focus on running and analyzing results, without needing to further address housekeeping details. Data are stored in the embedded SQLite database. Interactive dashboards can be created using multiple screens and visual elements. The built-in scenario management feature provides the capability of running multiple scenarios of a model using different input parameters, initial, and boundary conditions. This paper presents URUNME's architecture and describes how it can be utilized for creating automated integrated modeling applications by domain experts. A demonstration of capabilities is shown in a series of case studies of increasing complexity in the water and wastewater applications.
Management of Pediatric Postendoscopy Fever: Reducing Unnecessary Health Care Utilization With a Clinical Care Guideline.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to validate rates of fever after pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy, to describe clinical outcomes of postendoscopy fever (PEF) cases, and to assess the effect of a PEF clinical care guideline (CCG) on hospital use. PATIENTS AND METHODS Episodes of PEF were reviewed from a large prospective database of all adverse events following pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy at an academic children's hospital. A CCG was implemented to standardize care of children with reported fever after endoscopy and reduce unnecessary resource use. Chi-squared analysis was performed to compare rates of hospital use for evaluation of PEF before and after implementation of the CCG. RESULTS PEF occurred in 0.55% of the 27,100 endoscopies performed during the present study period. In the 150 cases of reported fever, the rate of identified endoscopy-related infection was low (4.0%). The rate of PEF was significantly higher in patients who underwent interventional procedures (0.81%) than those who underwent diagnostic endoscopy (0.51%, P = 0.02). In patients who experienced PEF, the CCG significantly reduced hospital use, decreasing emergency department visits and hospital admissions by 52.1% (P < 0.0001) without leading to negative patient outcomes. CONCLUSION PEF in children rarely represents clinically significant infection and may be due in part to inflammation from tissue damage and/or physiologic stress. The present study shows that implementation of a PEF CCG may reduce unnecessary care while maintaining patient safety. Furthermore, multicenter studies are required to confirm the overall safety of similar clinical algorithms.
Picking Out Nonlinear Collective Couplings with Two-Dimensional Terahertz Spectroscopy

2D terahertz spectroscopy can disentangle coupling between different degrees of freedom. We discuss the complex 2D terahertz spectra of s-barium borate and model different vibrational couplings to assign spectral features that arise from such coupling.
Physical Inactivity Independently Predicts Incident Depression in a Multi-Racial/Ethnic Systemic Lupus Cohort

OBJECTIVE Physical activity is known to improve depressive symptoms, but this is the first study to examine physical inactivity as a predictor of incident depression in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Data derive from the California Lupus Epidemiology Study (CLUES), a longitudinal cohort with confirmed SLE diagnoses. Physical inactivity was assessed from a single item, "I rarely or never do any physical activities", and depressive symptoms by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). Analysis included those not depressed at baseline (PHQ-8 <10) who completed an in-person baseline assessment and at least one follow-up visit (n=225). Incident depression was defined as PHQ-8 ≥10 at follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression modeled incident depression over 2 years as a function of baseline physical inactivity, controlling for age, sex, race, income, comorbidities, disease activity, and disease damage. RESULTS At baseline, the mean age was 45±15, 88% were female, and 70% identified as non-white. Mean PHQ scores for those without depression at baseline did not differ by activity status, but those who were inactive at baseline were significantly more likely to develop depression over the next two years (HR=2.89, 95% CI=1.46, 5.71). After adjusting for covariates, the association remained strong, including a greater than 3-fold increased risk of incident depression among the sedentary group (HR=3.88; 95% CI=1.67, 9.03). CONCLUSION In this diverse SLE cohort, a simple question about physical inactivity was highly predictive of incident depression over the subsequent 2 years. Results suggest an urgent need for approaches to reduce sedentary behavior in this high-risk population.
Wage Determination in Urban Russia: Underpayment and the Gender Differential

Abstract A stochastic frontier wage equation is employed to examine labor-market efficiency and estimate workers’ potential wages in Russia after a decade of economic reforms using a nationally representative household survey. Dynamic monopsony underpayment, defined as the differences between the highest wage a worker with given characteristics could earn and the worker's actual wage, is a significant factor lowering real wages. The estimated degree of underpayment differs significantly depending on gender and substantially exceeds the estimates for Western economies. Workers’ potential wages are elastic with respect to the local cost of living. Women's mean potential wage is only 58% of men's.
Exit polling and racial bloc voting: Combining individual-level and R×C ecological data

Despite its shortcomings, cross-level or ecological inference remains a necessary part of some areas of quantitative inference, including in United States voting rights litigation. Ecological inference suffers from a lack of identification that, most agree, is best addressed by incorporating individual-level data into the model. In this paper we test the limits of such an incorporation by attempting it in the context of drawing inferences about racial voting patterns using a combination of an exit poll and precinct-level ecological data; accurate information about racial voting patterns is needed to assess triggers in voting rights laws that can determine the composition of United States legislative bodies. Specifically, we extend and study a hybrid model that addresses two-way tables of arbitrary dimension. We apply the hybrid model to an exit poll we administered in the City of Boston in 2008. Using the resulting data as well as simulation, we compare the performance of a pure ecological estimator, pure survey estimators using various sampling schemes and our hybrid. We conclude that the hybrid estimator offers substantial benefits by enabling substantive inferences about voting patterns not practicably available without its use.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Association With Pediatric Asthma Severity in the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health.

Abstract Objectives Prior studies have found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with asthma prevalence and onset, presumably related to stress and increased inflammation. We hypothesized that ACEs may be associated with asthma severity as well. We studied the 2016–2017 US National Survey of Children's Health dataset to explore the relationship between ACEs and pediatric asthma severity. Methods We analyzed children ages 0 to 17 years old who had current caregiver-reported asthma diagnosed by a healthcare provider. We reported descriptive characteristics using chi-square analysis of variance (ANOVA) and used multivariable regression analysis to assess the relationship of cumulative and individual ACEs with asthma severity. Survey sampling weights and SAS survey procedures were implemented to produce nationally representative results. Results Our analysis included 3691 children, representing a population of 5,465,926. Unadjusted analysis demonstrated that ACEs – particularly household economic hardship, parent/guardian served time in jail, witnessed household violence, or victim/witness of neighborhood violence – were each associated with higher odds of moderate/severe caregiver-reported asthma. After controlling for confounders possibly associated with both exposure (ACEs) and outcome (asthma severity), children who witnessed parent/adult violence had higher adjusted odds of caregiver-reported moderate/severe asthma. (1.67, confidence interval 1.05–2.64, P = .03) Conclusions Intrafamilial witnessed household violence is significantly associated with caregiver-reported moderate/severe asthma.
Human Trafficking Cases Presenting within Child Advocacy Centers

Although human trafficking of minors is an increasing concern within the United States, very little information is known about how trafficking cases are processed within child advocacy centers (CACs). The current study addresses this gap in the literature by providing descriptive information about victims, service referrals, and prosecutorial outcomes for human trafficking cases presenting at CACs across a Midwestern state. The data originates from a state-wide study focused on understanding the scope of human trafficking cases. Specifically, the dataset includes 210 youth presenting at CACs over a three-year period of time. In this sample, the typical human trafficking case involved sex trafficking of a self-identified white female victim, with an offender known to the victim. Most child survivors passing through CACs were referred to medical and mental health services, although these service referrals did not greatly differ across at-risk versus substantiated trafficking cases. Overall, the findings suggest that CACs are uniquely positioned to encounter human trafficking cases and provide needed services to trafficking survivors. Finally, recommendations are provided for CACs regarding the intake and identification of trafficking cases more broadly.
Incorporating Compositionality and Morphology into End-to-End Models

Many neural end-to-end systems today do not rely on syntactic parse trees, as much of the information that parse trees provide is encoded in the parameters of pretrained models. Lessons learned from parsing technologies and from taking a multilingual perspective, however, are still relevant even for end-to-end models. This talk will describe work that relies on compositionality in semantic parsing and in reading comprehension requiring numerical reasoning. We’ll then describe a new dataset that requires advances in multilingual modeling, and some approaches designed to better model morphology than off-the-shelf subword models that make some progress on these challenges.
Fake News, Personal Attacks, and Ideological Media Run Amok – It is Time for Fairness Doctrine 2.0

From 1949 to 1987, a regulation known as the “Fairness Doctrine” required radio and television stations to offer response time to those attacked by a broadcast editorial or commentary and required radio and television stations to offer differing views of issues of public concern. The Supreme Court upheld this rule against a First Amendment challenge, noting that the unique aspects of broadcasters justified this requirement. Ultimately, the rule was rescinded by the Federal Communications Commission on the ground that it was no longer needed because the growth of broadcasters rendered it outdated. The FCC determination also questioned its constitutionality. In more recent years, the expansion and influence of talk radio and cable news commentators coupled with the election of Donald Trump as president created a more toxic political environment with certain commentators employing distortions and even lies in their broadcasts and cablecasts. This paper advocates a return of the Fairness Doctrine, crafted to include cable television and streamed broadcasts deriving from cable as an effective way to allow opposing viewpoints for audiences that are effectively limited from access to those views because of the of ideological bent of the radio stations and cable services they watch. The article will demonstrate that a resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine is important for the future of the electorate and would be constitutionally valid.
Reliability and Validity of Two Surgical Prioritization Systems for Reinstating Non-Emergent Benign Gynecologic Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated cancellation of non-emergent surgeries worldwide. As local resources and infection rates allow, systems face an unprecedented backlog of patients, some of whom have incurred suffering and morbidity as a consequence of their delay. Clinically and ethically appropriate triaging is paramount to maximize patient outcomes, allocate resources, and minimize COVID-19 exposure risk. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study at a single academic tertiary care center in the US. The inter-rater reliability and validity of 2 novel surgical prioritization systems (Gyn-MeNTS and mESAS) were assessed. For benign gynecologic procedures postponed between 3/16/2020 and 4/30/2020, surgeons self-prioritized patients per institutional guidelines to minimize patient morbidity. Gyn-MeNTS scores were calculated by 3 raters and analyzed as continuous variables, with a lower score indicating more urgency/priority. The mESAS score was calculated by 2 raters and analyzed as a 3-level ordinal variable with a higher score indicating more urgency/priority. All 5 raters were blinded to reduce bias. Gyn-MeNTS inter-rater reliability was tested using Spearman r and paired t-tests were used to detect systematic differences between raters. Weighted kappa indicated mESAS reliability. Concurrent validity with mESAS and surgeon self-prioritization (SSP) was examined with Spearman r and logistic regression. Findings: 93 patients were included. Spearman r’s for all Gyn-MeNTS rater pairs were above 0·80 (0·84 for 1 vs. 2, 0·82 for 1 vs. 3, 0·82 for 2 vs. 3, all p<·0001) indicating strong agreement. The weighted kappa for the 2 mESAS raters was 0·57 (95% CI 0·40-0·73) indicating moderate agreement. When used together, both scores were significantly independently associated with SSP, with strong discrimination (AUC 0.89). Interpretation: Inter-rater reliability is acceptable for both scoring systems, and concurrent validity of each is moderate for predicting SSP, but discrimination improves to a high level when they are used together. Funding Statement: No funding was received for this study. Declaration of Interests: CQM, JSK, CZW, WAB, CMCB, and RLA have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Ethics Approval Statement: IRB exemption was obtained. (IRB#NCR202525)
Hyperprolactinaemia in Antipsychotic-Treated Patients

Elevated prolactin (PRL) levels have been considered virtually unavoidable in most patients treated with therapeutic doses of traditional antipsychotics. Clinical effects of such hyperprolactinaemia may include amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea and sexual dysfunction. For clinical symptoms, the management has involved minimising the dosage or the use of a PRL-lowering agent. A number of criteria have been advanced to define the novel or ‘atypical’ antipsychotic agents. These include a lower propensity to induce extrapyramidal adverse effects, improved efficacy against negative symptoms and treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and no sustained, or a lesser, effect on PRL levels. The new antipsychotics are less likely to produce a sustained elevation of PRL levels and therefore offer potential options in the treatment of patients with antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinaemia. This article compares data from preclinical and clinical studies of the effects of these newer agents on plasma PRL levels (PRLP). There is clear evidence that PRL release from the pituitary is regulated by dopamine, with more recent findings suggesting that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and some other neurotransmitters also affect the release of PRL. Hyperprolactinaemia (>20 μg/L) is a well known effect of traditional antipsychotic medications due to dopamine receptor antagonism. Clinical symptoms of hyperprolactinaemia may include amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea, sexual dysfunction, infertility, obesity and hirsutism. Certain of the novel antipsychotics including clozapine, quetiapine and possibly sertindole, have little or no effect on PRL secretion and do not cause hyperprolactinaemia or the associated clinical symptoms. Risperidone and possibly olanzapine and ziprasidone appear to cause some dose-related PRL elevation, especially early in the course of treatment. However, the clinical significance is unclear especially if appropriate therapeutic doses are used. Novel antipsychotics offer a distinct advantage over the traditional compounds with regard to PRL release and should be the treatment of choice for patients in whom hyperprolactinaemia is contraindicated.
Africa's Economic Resurgence: Is it Possible?

(2011). Africa's Economic Resurgence: Is it Possible? Africa Review: Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 17-31.
[9] Strategies for studying transcription regulation of neurotropic viruses in the central nervous system: Lesson from JC virus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the strategies for studying the transcription regulation of neurotropic viruses in the central nervous system (CNS). The chapter describes the utilization of the human neurotropic John Cunningham virus (JCV) as a model to present a detailed description of the methodologies that can be used to dissect viral gene regulation and identify cis-regulatory elements and the participant trans-regulatory factors for the central nervous system (CNS). Various approaches are discussed in the chapter to determine functional regulatory elements and to isolate genes encoding cellular regulatory factors that are employed in viral gene transcription. These approaches should allow for further detailed analysis and understanding of viral and cellular regulation in the CNS. The genome of JCV consists of 5130 nucleotides: double-stranded covalently circular DNA with at least six distinct open reading frames. This virus utilizes the host cell transcription machinery to transcribe the viral promoter bidirectionally during lytic cycle infection. The understanding of mechanisms that regulate gene expression in the CNS will be critical to effectively address neuropathogenic mechanisms. Gene therapy in the CNS will be challenging in that, as in the case of myelin basic protein, the myelinization occurs primarily at a specific stage of brain development.
Palmitate-induced alterations in phospholipid composition promote ER stress and cellular dysfunction in hepatic lipotoxicity (1001.2)

Lipotoxicity induced by saturated fatty acid (SFA) accumulation has been postulated as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and ty...
American Constitutional Law

Public law and politics the doctrine of judicial review threshold requirements - husbanding power and prestige judicial organization decision making - process and strategy separation of powers - domestic conflicts separation of powers - emergencies and foreign affairs federal-state relations economic liberties free speech in a democratic society freedom of the press religious freedom rights of the accused search and seizure racial discrimination the emergence of group rights rights of privacy political participation efforts to curb the court.
Influence of supplemental alfalfa quality on the intake, use, and subsequent performance of beef cattle consuming low-quality roughages.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate influences of supplemental alfalfa quality on intake and use of low-quality meadow grass roughages (MG) by beef cattle. In Exp. 1, 15 steers (250 kg) were assigned to three treatments: 1) MG (5.2% CP), no supplement; 2) MG plus high-quality alfalfa (18.8% CP); and 3) MG plus low-quality alfalfa (15.2% CP). High- and low-quality alfalfa supplements were fed at.45 and.55% BW, respectively. Total DMI was greater (P .10) on cow cyclicity, pregnancy rate, or calving interval. In Exp. 3, 90 pregnant Angus x Hereford cows (475 kg; BC score 4.59) were assigned to three treatments: 16.1%, 17.8% or 20.0% CP alfalfa supplement, with levels of.63,.55, and .50% of BW, respectively. Weight gain and BC score for the 84-d study displayed a quadratic response ( P < .10), yet represented only 7 kg BW and.2 units of BC score. In conclusion, alfalfa hay supplementation was effective in increasing DMI and digestibility. However, alfalfa hay quality did not dramatically affect BW, BC score, and(or) calf birth weight, when fed on an isonitrogenous basis.
Seismic Communication and Adventure Among African Elephants

As the heir apparent to the voluminous nature travelogues of the Victorian era, contemporary memoirs from American scientists and conservationists have supplied an increasingly popular hybrid genre of science and travel writing. Unlike Victorian accounts of wealthy explorers traversing the colonies, these contemporary works are often imbued with earnest desires to reconcile the conservation of endangered species with the needs of local people. Caitlin O’Connell’s book The Elephant’s Secret Sense: the Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa, recently released in paperback, uniquely contributes to this literature in that the author is a female scientist still in the first half of her already-accomplished career. The book’s 17 chapters begin with the author’s experiences as an environmental contractor in Namibia as she first develops the hypothesis that elephants can communicate using seismic signals. Science then takes more of a front seat in later chapters describing her dissertation research carefully documenting the elephants’ listening behavior and responses to seismic cues. However, these scientific findings are secondary to a clear-eyed narrative of the substantial struggles of conservation work in marginally stable areas. Whereas many writers might tend towards rollicking barstool tales or professional triumphalism, O’Connell expertly captures the pace of international field work as an often languid enterprise punctuated by intense moments of achievement and frustration. Highlights include riveting descriptions of face-toface encounters with dangerous wildlife, bizarre dealings with impenetrable tribal bureaucracy, and personal tragedies that the author, and reader, will not forget any time soon. Prospective volunteers and graduate students contemplating field work in Africa would particularly benefit from O’Connell’s grounding account of her experiences. The text is not without appropriate romance, however, and reading it will prompt rather than dissuade those budding researchers from heading to the field. Anyone with an interest in animal behavior will enjoy the lengthy accounts of elephants interacting with conspecifics and researchers around the waterhole, as well as the author’s surprisingly vivid experiences with elephants in captive settings. The supporting human cast, such as the gruff native African sneering at the green American’s perceived “save-the-world” naivete before coming around to be a great help, is familiar but still entertaining. One disappointment comes from the author’s accounts of her conservation work with local women who perform a poorly-understood role in dealing with J Mammal Evol (2009) 16:137–138 DOI 10.1007/s10914-009-9107-0
Increased pressure gradient across veins in human limbs induces sympathetic activation (1170.1)

We showed that venous distension induced by saline infusion into veins of an arterially occluded arm evokes reflex increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and blood pressure (BP). We ...
Providing Radical Functionality to Serve Highway Transportation: A 20-Year Vision for lVHS

Individual road users face a variety of information needs that are met only in some limited way during conventional highway travel. This paper proposes the vision of a technology whose sole purpose is to improve highway travel by introducing into the system intelligent functions which deal with the limitations existing in today's "autonomous" mode of using the highway. Covered in this paper are issues that can be comprehensively addressed by Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) such as 1.) the individual driver's need for information, 2.) the individual driver's need for active assistance, 3.) communal needs for new functionality, and 4.) the whole system effects.
Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Diagnostics

Evaluating respiratory function in children, especially infants and preschoolers, is difficult because of lack of patient cooperation with and understanding of lung function testing. Because of recent advances in diagnostic tools, investigators are now able to assess normal lung physiology, the presence or absence of airway disease, and therapeutic interventions in this young age group. Recent advances in infant lung function testing, preschool spirometry, forced oscillation methods, and the interrupter respiratory resistance technique are discussed. Exhaled nitric oxide and carbon monoxide measurements in children are also reviewed. The technical aspects, advantages, disadvantages, and clinical applications of these tools are summarized. These remarkable advances have yet to be applied in multicenter trials with young children. Adhering to standards will be critical for future multicenter trials to assess the clinical utility of these potential outcome measures.
Nutritional and engineering aspects of microbial process development.

Today we use many drugs produced by microorganisms. However, when these drugs were discovered it was found that the yields were low and a substantial effort had to be put in to develop commercially viable processes. A key part of this endeavor was the studies of the nutritional and the engineering parameters. In this chapter, the basic principles of optimizing the nutritional and engineering aspect of the production process are described with appropriate examples. It was found that two critical components of nutritional medium, carbon and nitrogen source regulated the synthesis of the compounds of interest. Rapidly utilizable carbon source such as glucose supported the growth but led to catabolite repression and alternative carbon sources or methods of addition had to be devised. Inorganic nitrogen sources led to undesirable changes in pH of the medium. Organic nitrogen sources could influence the yields positively or negatively and had to be chosen carefully. Essential nutrients like phosphates often inhibited the synthesis and its concentration had to be maintained below the inhibitory levels. On many occasions, trace nutrients like metal ions and vitamins were found to be critical for good production. Temperature and pH were important environmental variables and their optimum values had to be determined. The media were designed and optimized initially with ‘one variable at a time’ approach and later with experimental design based on statistics. The latter approach is preferred because it is economical, considers interactions between medium components and allows rapid optimization of the process. The engineering aspects like aeration, agitation, medium sterilization, heat transfer, process monitoring and control, become critical as the process is scaled-up to the production size. Aeration and agitation are probably the most important variables. In many processes dissolved oxygen concentration had to be maintained above a critical value to obtain the best yields. The rheological properties of fermentation broth significantly affect the aeration and mixing efficiency. The removal of heat from the large fermentors can be difficult under certain conditions. However, new designs of impellers, availability of sensors to monitor important physiological and process variables and advent of computers have facilitated successful scale-up of fermentation processes.
Major Histocompatibility Class II Molecules in the CNS: Increased Microglial Expression at the Onset of Narcolepsy in a Canine Model

Human narcolepsy is a neurological disorder known to be closely associated with HLA-DR2 and DQB1*0602. Because most autoimmune diseases are HLA-associated, a similar mechanism has been proposed for narcolepsy. However, neither systemic nor CNS evidence of an autoimmune abnormality has ever been reported. In this study, major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and class II expression was studied in the CNS of human and canine narcoleptics using immunohistochemistry and Northern analysis. Results indicated that canine narcolepsy is associated with a significant increase of MHC class II expression by the microglia. Moreover, the highest values were found between 3 and 8 months of age, strikingly concomitant to the development of narcolepsy in the canine model. In humans, class II expression was not found significantly different between control and narcoleptic subjects. This result could be explained by the old age of the subjects (69.86 +/- 5.31 and 68.36 +/- 4.74 years in narcoleptics and controls, respectively), because class II expression is significantly correlated with age in both humans and dogs. For the first time, this study demonstrated that the expression of MHC class II molecules in the CNS is age-dependent and that a consistent increase of their expression by the microglia might be critically involved in the development of narcolepsy.
Cells: A Self-Hosting Virtual Infrastructure Service

We describe the design and implementation of Cells, a novel multi-tenanted virtual infrastructure service. Cells has the unique property of being self-hosting: it operates its own management system within one of the tenant virtual infrastructures that it manages and therefore benefits from the same security, flexibility and scalability as other tenant services. Cells is also differentiated by its declarative interface for infrastructure configuration, and its fine-grained control of network and storage connections within and between tenant infrastructures.
Primary care physician incentives in medical group practices.

CONTEXT Although medical groups are adapting to changes in financing health care, little is known about individual physician incentives in this environment. OBJECTIVES To describe methods group practices use to compensate primary care physicians in a managed care environment and to examine the association of revenue sources for the group practice from all patients and primary care physician incentives. DESIGN We surveyed by mail group practice administrators for practices that had at least 200 members continuously enrolled in 1995. SETTING Group practices that had contractual arrangements with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS One hundred of 129 group practices returned usable surveys. RESULTS Most groups had some portion of primary care physicians' compensation at risk, although 17 groups compensated them through fully guaranteed annual salary. Seventy-one groups used productivity, 4 groups used quality of care, 1 group used utilization, and 30 used group financial performance. Factors reported to significantly influence primary care physician compensation included billings or charges, overall group practice performance, and net revenue or profit. Groups that had a higher proportion of income from various types of fee-for-service arrangements used lower proportions of base salary for primary care physician compensation and were more likely to relate physician income to measures of productivity. CONCLUSIONS Substantial variation exists in the types of primary care physician incentives implemented by medical groups. Base salary, individual productivity, and group financial performance were most frequently used to determine compensation. Physician personal financial risk was higher overall in group practices that derived more revenue from fee-for-service contracts.
The efficacy of external beam radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy for painful spinal metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Abstract Purpose Palliative radiotherapy is routinely used to treat painful spinal metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Conventionally planned external beam radiotherapy (CRT) has been standard, with high-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) becoming increasingly common given the radioresistant nature of RCC. We compared the efficacy and durability of pain relief produced by these 2 modalities. Methods and Materials Patients with painful spinal metastases from RCC treated from 2002-2010 were included. Response was defined similar to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0631 protocol: complete response (CR) being resolution of pain without increased narcotics; partial response (PR) included patients with an incomplete reduction in pain without increased narcotics. Patients who experienced a CR or PR were coded as having pain relief, while those with persistent pain or additional narcotics requirements were coded as failures. Achievement of pain relief was analyzed using competing risk analysis with death as the competing event. Time to pain relief was plotted using cumulative incidence analysis. Results A total of 110 patients (34 CRT; 76 SBRT) were included. Median follow-up was 4.3 months (range, 0.2-38). Median Karnofsky performance score was higher for patients treated with SBRT compared with CRT (80 vs 70; P = .0004). Overall pain response rates were 68% for CRT and 62% for SBRT, with respective CR and PR rates of 12% and 56% for CRT, and 33% and 29% for SBRT ( P = .01). Median time to pain relief was 0.6 weeks for CRT versus 1.2 weeks for SBRT ( P = .29). For patients who achieved pain relief (n = 79), median duration was 1.7 months for CRT versus 4.8 months for SBRT ( P = .095). On univariate analysis no factors were significantly related to pain relief. Conclusions CRT was not statistically different than SBRT for pain relief in symptomatic spine metastases from RCC and should be used as first line treatment. The appropriate use of SBRT in this population merits prospective study.
Design of a severe climate change early warning system

Abstract A skillful early detection and warning system for severe and/or abrupt climate change would benefit both adaptation and preparedness. But what would a severe climate change early warning system look like? Important characteristics of dangerous climate shifts, like rate of onset, intensity, spatial distribution, and predictability, are little known but are the subject of growing research efforts. Some ad hoc forms of climate early warnings are already emerging, and attention now to lessons, positive and negative, from existing hazard warning systems would seem prudent. The nature of warnings for hazards like hurricanes, volcanoes, and asteroids is examined for lessons relevant to a climate change early detection and warning system. An initial analysis of the relationships among lead time, warning, and response for different profiles of severe and abrupt climate change is offered.
Lung lobe segmentation by graph search with 3D shape constraints

The lung lobes are natural units for reporting image-based measurements of the respiratory system. Lobar segmentation can also be used in pulmonary image processing to guide registration and drive additional segmentation. We have developed a 3D shape-constrained lobar segmentation technique for volumetric pulmonary CT images. The method consists of a search engine and shape constraints that work together to detect lobar fissures using gray level information and anatomic shape characteristics in two steps: (1) a coarse localization step, (2) a fine tuning step. An error detecting mechanism using shape constraints is used in our method to correct erroneous search results. Our method has been tested in four subjects, and the results are compared to manually traced results. The average RMS difference between the manual results and shape-constrained segmentation results is 2.23 mm. We further validated our method by evaluating the repeatability of lobar volumes measured from repeat scans of the same subject. We compared lobar air and tissue volume variations to show that most of the lobar volume variations are due to difference in air volume scan to scan.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Toxicity of Jimson Weed Seed and Cocoa Shell Meal to Broilers

Abstract Jimson weed seed meal, which contains alkaloids toxic to animals, and cocoa shell meal, which contains theobromine, also toxic to animals, were used in two experiments with broilers to determine relative toxicity. Pure theobromine was added to diets to furnish the same levels as furnished by 1, 2, 4, and 6% dietary cocoa shell meal, which contained, by analysis, 1.3% theobromine. Approximately 1% jimson meal is the upper dietary limit that can be safely incorporated into the diet of young broilers. Dietary levels of 3 and 6% from 1 to 21 days of age drastically depressed performance. Cocoa shell meal that contained 1.3% theobromine was somewhat less toxic to chicks than jimson meal. However, performance tended to be depressed with dietary levels above 1%. Pure theobromine was a little more toxic than that furnished by cocoa shell meal.