cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal manifestations of hepatitis C infection

Abstract Hepatitis C is an important cause of renal disease, and renal complications may be the presenting manifestation of hepatitis C infection. About half of patients present with evidence of renal insufficiency, and up to one quarter present with nephrotic syndrome. Others present with proteinuria or evidence of diminished renal function. The pathogenesis of hepatitis C–associated renal disease remains incompletely defined, but most evidence suggests that glomerular injury results from deposition of circulating immune complexes in the subendothelium and mesangium. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, with or without cryoglobulinemia, is the most common renal lesion. Interferon alpha-2b is currently the treatment of choice. However, success is limited, with many patients failing to respond or suffering relapse upon discontinuation of therapy. Studies of newer treatment modalities, such as longer courses of interferon or the use of ribavirin or immunosuppressive agents, are underway. Hepatitis C–associated renal disease may progress to end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis in about 10% of patients.
Sequential quadratic programming for large-scale nonlinear optimization

The sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm has been one of the most successful general methods for solving nonlinear constrained optimization problems. We provide an introduction to the general method and show its relationship to recent developments in interior-point approaches, emphasizing large-scale aspects.
Market equilibrium of distribution network with alternative energy resources

Electricity distribution networks are rapidly becoming more complex. Distributed generation (DG) is increasing and some DG units are intermittent renewables such as solar or wind. Moreover, plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be deployed in large numbers over the next decade. These changes present opportunities as well as challenges for reliable and efficient operation of distribution networks. In this paper, we present a new stochastic model in which market clearing prices are endogenously determined. Potential suppliers include the main grid supply, a range of different DG technologies within the distribution network, and EVs operated in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode. We allow for supply uncertainties for renewable resources and also allow for uncertainties in EV availability for charging and discharging. Using stochastic optimal power flow (SOPF) based on monte-carlo simulation, we analyze the effects of operating distributed energy resources (DERs) on social welfare considering emission taxes.
Is magnetic convection important in the sun

Although magnetic convection in all probability does operate inside the Sun, the energy flux which it can carry is 5–6 orders of magnitude smaller than the total solar flux. Thus the effects of magnetic convection on the internal temperature structure of the Sun are probably small.
Total Cross Section Measurements for Fast Neutrons

The total cross sections of Zr, Ag, In, Sb, I, Ta, and Pb have been measured as a function of neutron energy in the energy range from 20 kev to 1600 kev. A spread in energy of 30 kev was used up to 200 kev, and a spread of 70 kev above this energy. Indications of structure were found in Zr and Pb. The results are compared with the predictions of the statistical theory.
The interaction of synesthetic and print color and its relation to visual imagery.

Synesthetic color induced by graphemes is well understood to be an automatic perceptual phenomenon paralleling print color in some ways, but also differing in others. We addressed this juxtaposition by asking how synesthetes are affected by synesthetic and print colors that are the same. We tested two groups of grapheme–color synesthetes using a basic color-priming method in which a grapheme prime was presented, followed by a color patch (probe), the color of which was to be named as quickly and accurately as possible. The primes induced either no color, print color only, synesthetic color only, or both forms of color (e.g., a letter “A” printed in red that also triggered synesthetic red). As expected, responses to name the probe color were faster if it was congruent with the prime color than if it was incongruent. The new finding (Exp. 1) was that a prime that induced the same print and synesthetic colors led to substantially larger priming effects than did either type of color individually, an effect that could not be attributed to semantic priming (Exp. 2). In addition, the synesthesia effects correlated with a standard measure of visual imagery. These findings are discussed as being consistent with the hypothesis that print and synesthetic color converge on similar color mechanisms.
Vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of surfaces and nanostructures

Our aim in this article is to present an overview of experimental and theoretical studies of the vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of a set of nanostructured surfaces, nanoparticles, and other surface nanostructures. These include surfaces with regularly spaced steps and kinks (chiral surfaces) of varying local geometry and terrace width, and nanoparticles with single and multigrains. Some results for the vibrational dynamics and thermodynamics of two-dimensional adatom islands on low miller index surfaces are also included for comparison and because of their relevance to the process of epitaxial growth. Two distinguishing features emerge from the results obtained for this set of systems with under coordinated atoms in diverse geometrical environments. The calculated phonons spectra show a systematic enhancement of modes at the lower end of the frequency spectrum and characteristic modes appear above the top of the bulk band. The origin of these novel features and their influence on the local vibrational entropy contributions are discussed. The unified behavior in the dynamical properties of these nanoscale materials may be rationalized in terms of the local coordination in these systems in which the constituent fcc metals display a correlation between the bond-length and bond-order.
Earlier age at menopause, work, and tobacco smoke exposure

Objective Earlier age at menopause onset has been associated with increased all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risks. Risk of earlier age at menopause associated with primary and secondary tobacco smoke exposure was assessed.
Synthetic technology-analytic governance: The 21st century challenge

Abstract There has been a growing divergence between the reality of U.S. society and the nation's conceptual model of governance and this pattern will likely continue into the 21st century. The divergence is being driven by a rapidly changing reality which has at its core the continuous innovation of complex technologies through a process of synthesis. The nation's analytic model of governance is increasingly unresponsive to the synthetic reality with one result being increased social stress. This article investigates the reasons for the divergence and future governance needs.
Adolescent archaics or adult moderns? Le Moustier 1 as a model for estimating the age at death of fragmentary supraorbital fossils in the modern human origins debate

This study documents and examines selected implications of the adolescent supraorbital anatomy of the Le Moustier 1 Neandertal. Le Moustier's supraorbital morphology conforms to that expected of an adolescent Neandertal but indicates that significant development of the adult Neandertal torus occurs late in ontogeny. As the best preserved adolescent from the Late Pleistocene, Le Moustier 1's anatomy is used to help distinguish adolescent from adult anatomy in two cases of fragmentary supraorbital fossils, the Vindija late Neandertals and KRM 16425 from Klasies River Mouth (South Africa). It has been suggested that the modern-like aspects of the Vindija and Klasies supraorbital fossils are a function of developmental age rather than evolution. Although Le Moustier 1's anatomy does indicate that two of the Vindija fossils are adolescent; these two fossils have already been excluded from studies that demonstrate transitional aspects of the Vindija adult supraorbitals. Results of an analysis of KRM 16425 in light of Le Moustier 1 are more ambiguous. KRM 16425 is clearly not a Neandertal, but its morphology suggests that it may be an adolescent form of such late archaic Africans like Florisbad or Ngaloba. Both the Vindija and Klasies River Mouth cases highlight the need to be wary of confusing adolescent anatomy with modernity.
Quantization and cost computation of MDP-based admission and routing

Quantization, a process to restrict a continuous variable to a discrete one, has been a powerful technique for many fields of engineering. We show how to use the concept of quantization to compute the cost function of a Markov decision process (MDP)-based routing and admission policy in a broadband network. In the discussion we assume a multirate circuit switching environment.
Determinants of Obesity in the Hispanic Preschool Population: An Integrative Review

Objective(s) The purpose of this integrative review was to identify factors associated with obesity in Hispanic preschool children. Design and Sample Integrative research review based on strategies described by Whittemore and Knafl. Thirty-five research reports using qualitative and/or quantitative methods and including a majority of participants (parents or preschool-aged children) of Hispanic ethnicity. Measures Data were analyzed using the Matrix Method. Results Decreased physical activity of the child and increased maternal body mass index were found as contributors to obesity in the preschool, Hispanic population. The relationship between maternal feeding practices and beliefs, food choices and childhood obesity are widely studied with little consistency in findings across studies. Conclusions Public health nurses can work with communities to promote physical activity and safe outdoor places for exercise. In addition, they can advocate for the availability of healthy food choices in neighborhood schools. Maternal feeding practices, acculturation, and the child's environment require further research.
Comparing functional and structural tests

This paper describes an experimental study to understand issues and requirements for structural-based testing using low cost testers, compared to functional-based testing using expensive testers. Several studies have been directed at the effectiveness of various test methods, but none explicitly addressed issues involved in attempting to replace functional vectors with scan vectors and none carried the experiment further by placing defective chips into systems and running system tests. This paper describes the results of such an experiment and offers insight into necessary requirements for reduction or elimination of functional tests.
A TECHNIQUE FOR CONTROLLING BEHAVIOR IN NATURAL LIFE SETTINGS1

A behavior control technique is presented, consisting primarily of having a patient give up some portion of his reinforcers (usually money) with the understanding that he must behave in therapeutically prescribed ways in his natural environment to re-earn the reinforcers. The critical features and requirements of the technique are discussed, various applications are suggested, and implications for research are drawn.
An almost sure convergence proof of the sliding-window Lempel-Ziv algorithm

An almost sure convergence proof of a finite memory version of the sliding window Lempel-Ziv algorithm (LZ77) is given. The proof is valid for those sources that in addition to being stationary and ergodic, have exponential rates for entropy.
Ethics of transmission of hepatitis B virus by health-care workers.

, most frequently during surgery or exposure-prone procedures. The term “health-care worker” usually includes all people who touch patients or items connected to the patients’ bodies; however, our use of the term refers to only those whose blood or body fluids come into contact with patients in such a way that HBV could be transmitted to a patient. In 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 5 estimated that during the past 20 years more
Excitonic Effects in Landau Transitions at the E 1 Edges of InSb and GaSb

Measurements are presented of differential reflectivity in a strong magnetic field in InSb and GaSb at the ${E}_{1}$ and ${E}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{1}$ edges. A description of the circular-polarization modulation technique used to obtain the data is given. Optical absorption at a critical point along the [111] direction in a semiconductor lacking inversion symmetry is discussed. An exciton model in a magnetic field is developed. Numerical solutions for the first four bound-state energies having azimuthal quantum number $m=0$ are tabulated for the two-dimensional Schr\"odinger equation of an attractive Coulomb potential in a magnetic field. Solutions to the three-dimensional problem are discussed using the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The exciton model is compared to experimental spectra of Landau levels at the ${E}_{1}$ edge of InSb. A value of 2.8 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.6 meV is obtained for the exciton rydberg. This agrees with the value obtained using the measured effective transverse mass $\frac{m}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{t}}=19.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.3$ and the static dielectric constant of InSb. A lower limit on the longitudinal mass of $15\ensuremath{\lesssim}|\frac{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{l}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{t}}|$ is estimated. The sign of the longitudinal mass has not been unambiguously obtained; however, the critical-point symmetry at the ${E}_{1}$ edge may be of type ${M}_{0}$ instead of ${M}_{1}$. The ${E}_{1}$ excitonic energy gap is determined to be 2.015 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.001 eV. Spectra of GaSb are compared to InSb. A line splitting of 33 meV due to the inversion asymmetry in GaSb is proposed.
Protein/Amphipathic Polyamine Complexes Enable Highly Efficient Transfection with Minimal Toxicity

Ternary complexes of plasmid DNA, histone H1 protein and amphipathic polyamines (PAPA) were able to mediate the efficient transfection of 3T3, HeLa and COS cells in culture. Using both the β-galact...
A Job Pause Service under LAM/MPI+BLCR for Transparent Fault Tolerance

Checkpoint/restart (C/R) has become a requirement for long-running jobs in large-scale clusters due to a meantime-to-failure (MTTF) in the order of hours. After a failure, C/R mechanisms generally require a complete restart of an MPI job from the last checkpoint. A complete restart, however, is unnecessary since all but one node is typically still alive. Furthermore, a restart may result in lengthy job requeuing even though the original job had not exceeded its time quantum. In this paper, we overcome these shortcomings. Instead of job restart, we have developed a transparent mechanism for job pause within LAM/MPI+BLCR. This mechanism allows live nodes to remain active and roll back to the last checkpoint while failed nodes are dynamically replaced by spares before resuming from the last checkpoint. Our methodology includes LAM/MPI enhancements in support of scalable group communication with fluctuating number of nodes, reuse of network connections, transparent coordinated checkpoint scheduling and a BLCR enhancement for job pause. Experiments in a cluster with the NAS parallel benchmark suite show that our overhead for job pause is comparable to that of a complete job restart. A minimal overhead of 5.6% is only incurred in case migration takes place while the regular checkpoint overhead remains unchanged. Yet, our approach alleviates the need to reboot the LAM run-time environment, which accounts for considerable overhead resulting in net savings of our scheme in the experiments. Our solution further provides full transparency and automation with the additional benefit of reusing existing resources. Executing continues after failures within the scheduled job, i.e., the application staging overhead is not incurred again in contrast to a restart. Our scheme offers additional potential for savings through incremental checkpointing and proactive diskless live migration, which we are currently working on.
Diagnosis of anaplasmosis in formalin-fixed tissue using the Wolbach's Giemsa stain

Bovine anaplasmosis is an economically significant disease that is widespread throughout the world and enzootic in 40 of the 50 states of the USA. 2 The causative agent, Anaplasma marginale, can be transmitted from infected blood by arthropod and mechanical vectors. Cattle of all ages can be infected, but severe clinical signs and death are common only in mature cattle. Clinical disease is due to anemia resulting from the intracellular destruction of parasitized erythrocytes by phagocytes. In fatal cases severe anemia, icterus, and splenomegaly are typical. Histologically, centrilobular hypoxic hepatic necrosis and splenic hemosiderosis related to erythrocyte destruction are commonly present. Diagnosis is established by identification of anaplasma bodies in the margins of erythrocytes using Giemsa or Wright-Giemsa stains or fluorescent antibody examination of blood smears or tissue impressions.’ Field necropsy specimens submitted to the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory occasionally include samples from cattle that have a clinical history and histologic lesions of hypoxic liver damage or splenic hemosiderosis suggestive
The HFE Gene of Browsing and Grazing Rhinoceroses: A Possible Site of Adaptation to a Low-Iron Diet☆

When rhinoceros species that are browsers in the wild are fed in captivity they become iron overloaded. Presumably, their iron-absorptive mechanisms have evolved to become highly efficient. In humans, mutations of the HFE gene cause increased iron absorption. To determine whether the HFE gene of rhinoceroses has undergone mutation as an adaptive mechanism to improve iron absorption from iron-poor diets, we have sequenced the entire coding region of the HFE genes of four species of rhinoceros. Two of these were browsing species and two were grazing species. Although the HFE gene has been well preserved across species, numerous nucleotide differences were found between rhinoceros and human or mouse, some of which changed deduced amino acids. Of these mutations, only one found in the black rhinoceros appears to be a viable candidate mutation that might adversely affect HFE function. This mutation, S88T, is in a highly conserved region that is involved in the interaction between transferrin receptor and HFE.
Surviving peripheral failures in embedded systems

Peripherals fail. Yet, modern embedded systems largely leave the burden of tolerating peripheral failures to the programmer. This paper presents Phoenix, a semi-automated peripheral recovery system for resource-constrained embedded systems. Phoenix introduces lightweight checkpointing mechanisms that transparently track both the internal program state and the external peripheral state. These mechanisms enable rollback to the precise point at which any failed peripheral access occurred using as little as 6 KB of memory, minimizing both recovery latency and memory utilization.
The Emerging Science of Mindfulness as a Treatment for Addiction

Few conditions cause as much suffering on a personal and societal level as addictions. There have been considerable advances in elucidating the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction, but these insights have not translated into treatment innovations. Mindfulness training, a method of self-observation based on ancient Buddhist psychological models of human suffering, has recently shown promise in the treatment of addictions. Remarkably, the early Buddhist models might be able to further inform our current understanding of addiction and offer novel treatments that outperform traditional options. While Buddhist meditations were not originally designed to specifically treat substance dependencies, Buddhist psychological models show considerable overlap with the current models of addiction, and Buddhist practices aim explicitly to eliminate the causes of craving. In this chapter, we will describe the overlap and similarities between early and contemporary models of the addictive process, review studies of mindfulness training for addictions and their mechanistic effects on the relationship between craving and behavior, and discuss recent neuroimaging studies that help to inform our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying mindfulness.
Defining Syntax for Learner Language Annotation

We discuss making syntactic annotation for learner language more precise, by clarifying the properties which the layers of annotation refer to. Building from previous proposals which split linguistic annotation into multiple layers to capture non-canonical properties of learner language, we lay out the questions which must be asked for grammatical annotation and provide some answers. Our investigation points to the layer of distributional syntax being based on properties of the target language (L2) and largely redundant with the other layers. We show, for example, that subcategorization seems to better be able to underspecify annotation for situations where no single correct solution can be found. While this paves the way for applying the annotation to larger corpus efforts, it also represents a significant step in elucidating syntax for non-canonical language.
Estimation of Rickettsia rickettsii copy number in the blood of patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever suggests cyclic diurnal trends in bacteraemia.

Infection with Rickettsia rickettsii, an obligate intracellular Gramnegative bacterium, causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), one of the most lethal of all known infectious diseases. Because R. rickettsii infects predominantly fixed endothelial cells of smalland medium-size blood vessels, there are few quantitative assessments of bacteraemia for RMSF, and limited data suggest that low numbers of R. rickettsii circulate in the peripheral blood of ill patients [1]. This observation was described by early investigators who recognized that R. rickettsii bacteria could scarcely be found in stained peripheral blood smears of patients, even those with severe disease [2].We used TaqMan real-time PCR to evaluate levels of rickettsial DNA in a series of clinical samples obtained from patients with RMSF. Whole blood (n = 23), serum (n = 6) and plasma (n = 1) specimens were collected from 13 U.S. patients with RMSF from 2010 to 2015 and submitted to the Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch Reference Diagnostic Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Supplementary Table 1). Individual specimens were accompanied by clinical information that varied in completeness. Each sample was positive for PanR8 Rickettsia spp. and RRi6 R. rickettsii–specific targets [3], with controls performing as expected (Supplementary Fig. 1). RMSF specimens were quantified with PanR8 in duplicate (undiluted or 1:10) using tenfold dilutions of R. rickettsii DNA from 0.1 fg to 10.0 pg (1 fg = 0.8282 copies). Samples from patients with fatal (n = 20) and nonfatal (n = 10) outcomes ranged from 1.41 × 10 ± 2.78 × 10 to 2.05 × 10 ± 1.89 × 10 copies/mL (median = 1.63 × 10), and
The Coming Insurrection: From the Banlieues to Buddhism?

The recent book The Coming Insurrection has been at the center of a terrorism trial in France, with the prosecutors arguing that the defendants sabotaged train lines to live out the book's call for anarcho-autonomist resistance to the state. But the book is much more interesting than that, because it makes a suggestion that is radical in Western political theory--that the self is a hindrance to freedom (that much is familiar) and that we would be better off simply not having a self at all (that part isn't). Indeed, this part of the book's argument links it directly (if not explicitly) to Buddhism's argument that one of the main causes of suffering is the self and the illusion that the self is separate from everything else. The proposed paper examines the Buddhist doctrine of no-self to help illuminate the possibilities of giving up a self, and it also examines The Coming Insurrection to ask whether the Buddhist approach is too individualistic and apolitical. Ultimately, my claim is that understanding some of the Buddhist ideas helps us understand The Coming Insurrection more deeply (both its promise and its flaws), and that addressing the question of no-self in a political venue also helps reveal some of the limitations of Buddhism as a social philosophy.
On the Efficiency of the Tuttle Bat Trap

The efficiency of the Tuttle bat trap was tested by analyzing the proportion of bats that were captured, passed through, avoided, and bounced off traps as they departed at dusk from nursery roosts of Myotis lucifugus . Throughout the warm season, capture success usually varied from 30 to 80 percent among three colonies studied, with the highest success occurring at roosts where bats dropped from a crevice directly into the pathway of a trap. The lowest success was achieved where bats departed through a window-size opening. We suspect that most of the differences in trap success observed among colonies reflected the relative flight momentum that bats established before encountering a trap, the angle of encounter, and the opportunities available for avoidance. Traps were biased in favor of capturing juveniles when they first began to fly outside their roost and before they were weaned. Though no bias exists for juvenile sex ratios, other possible biases include those for learning (prior experience), age, and reproductive condition.
Verbal Abuse in the Army of the Cumberland: William Rosecrans' Acid Tongue as a Major Factor in the Union Defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga:

Recent studies suggest that verbal abuse and harassment are relatively common in the workplace. These same studies show that such abuse decreases worker satisfaction, undermines relationships, and distracts workers from functioning as team members committed to common goals. This study examines a classic example of verbal abuse and harassment in the workplace—that of Union Civil War General William Rosecrans toward his subordinates during a campaign conducted in Tennessee during 1863. It can, in fact, be argued that Rosecrans' abusive language was a major factor in the Union defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga in September of 1863.
Patriotism Abroad Overseas Chinese Students’ Encounters With Criticisms of China

Prior research on international education suggests that host country students’ lack of interest in talking to international students is a major cause of international student segregation. Some Chin...
Stimulation with a low-amplitude, digitized synaptic signal to invoke robust activity within neuronal networks on multielectrode arrays.

Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) are used for analysis of neuronal activity. Here we report two variations on commonly accepted techniques that increase the precision of extracellular electrical stimul...
Dos fuentes del primer soliloquio de Segismundo

Deux sources du 1 monologue de Sigismond dans La Vida es sueno: La desordenada codicia de los bienes ajenos de Carlos Garcia, comedie d'A. Sigler de Huerta, Las doncellas de Madrid (1632).
Clinical predictors of early acute respiratory distress syndrome in trauma patients

Abstract Background The objectives of this study were to examine the incidence and severity of early acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) according to the Berlin Definition and to identify risk factors associated with the development of early post-traumatic ARDS. Methods A 2.5-year retrospective database of adult trauma patients who required mechanical ventilation for greater than 48 hours at a level 1 trauma center was analyzed for variables predictive of early ( Results Of 305 patients, 59 (19.3%) developed early ARDS: mild, 27 (45.8%); moderate, 26 (44.1%); and severe, 6 (10.1%). Performance of an emergent thoracotomy, blunt mechanism, and fresh frozen plasma administration were independently associated with the development of early ARDS. ARDS was not predictive of mortality. Conclusions Trauma patients with blunt mechanism, who receive fresh frozen plasma, or undergo thoracotomy, are at risk of developing early ARDS.
CD5-/SOX-11- mantle cell lymphoma with concomitant monotypic plasmacytic differentiation.

![Figure][1] A 91-year-old woman was found to have bilateral cervical and right supraclavicular lymphadenopathy by computed tomography scan following an accident. There was no M-paraprotein in serum and there were no lytic bone lesions. Fine needle aspiration of the right cervical lymph node
570. Efficient In Vitro Expansion and Gene Correction of Dystrophic Mouse Muscle Stem Cells

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle wasting disease caused by mutations in the DYSTROPHIN gene. Gene correction and autologous transplantation of muscle stem cells (i.e., satellite cells) presents a promising therapeutic approach for restoring DYSTROPHIN expression to muscle fibers in these patients; however the low frequency of satellite cells in adult muscle is an obstacle for isolating sufficient numbers of cells for engraftment. To address this issue, we have sought culture conditions that would support the ex-vivo expansion of satellite cells and potentially provide more cells for transplantation. We found that forskolin, an adenylyl cyclase activator, dramatically expanded mouse satellite cells in culture. Forskolin-treated cultured cells retained the immunophenotypic characteristics of engraftable satellite cells, and transplantation of compound-treated cells into dystrophic muscle yielded a significantly higher level of engraftment compared to control cells. Forskolin also dramatically expands satellite cells from mdx mouse model of DMD in culture. As a proof of concept for a combined gene and cell therapy approach for treating DMD, we targeted the mutated Dystrophin locus in ex-vivo expanded forskolin treated dystrophic satellite cells using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and enriched for the targeted cells using an endogenous fluorescent reporter system. Expansion and gene correction of muscle satellite cells in culture as described here provides the possibility of improving combined gene and cell-based therapies for neuromuscular disorders.
Validation of commercial ELISAs for quantifying anabolic growth factors and cytokines in canine ACD-A anticoagulated plasma

Platelet-rich plasma has been studied extensively in dogs, but validation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for quantifying anabolic growth factors and inflammatory cytokines in canine...
Examining teen driver crashes and the prevalence of distraction: Recent trends, 2007-2015.

Abstract Introduction Teen drivers crash at a much higher rate than adult drivers, with distractions found as a factor in nearly 6 out of 10 moderate-to-severe teen crashes. As the driving environment continues to rapidly evolve, it is important to examine the effect these changes may be having on our youngest and most vulnerable drivers. Method The purpose of this study was to identify types of vehicle crashes teens are most frequently involved in, as well as the distracting activities being engaged in leading up to these crashes, with a focus on identifying changes or trends over time. We examined 2,229 naturalistic driving videos involving drivers ages 16–19. These videos captured crashes occurring between 2007 and 2015. The data of interest for this study included crash type, behaviors drivers engaged in leading up to the collision, total duration of time the driver's eyes were off the forward roadway, and duration of the longest glance away from forward. Results Rear-end crashes increased significantly (annual % change = 3.23 [2.40–4.05]), corresponding with national data trends. Among cell phone related crashes, a significant shift occurred, from talking/listening to operating/looking (annual % change = 4.22 [1.15–7.29]). Among rear-end crashes, there was an increase in the time drivers' eyes were off the road (β = 0.1527, P = 0.0004) and durations of longest glances away (β = 0.1020, P = 0.0014). Conclusions Findings suggest that shifts in the way cell phones are being used, from talking/listening to operating/looking, may be a cause of the increasing number of rear-end crashes for teen drivers. Practical applications Understanding the role that cell phone use plays in teen driver crashes is extremely important. Knowing how and when teens are engaging in this behavior is the only way effective technologies can be developed for mitigating these crashes.
FRB 121102: A repeatedly and marginally combed neutron star by a nearby low-luminosity accreting super-massive black hole

The origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) remains mysterious. Recently, the only repeating FRB source, FRB 121102, was reported to possess an extremely large and variable rotation measure (RM). The inferred magnetic field strength in the burst environment is comparable to that in the vicinity of the super-massive black hole Sagittarius A* of our Galaxy. Here we show that all the observational properties of FRB 121102 (including the high RM and its evolution, the high linear polarization degree, an invariant polarization angle across each burst and other properties previously known) can be interpreted within the cosmic comb model invoking a regular neutron star whose magnetosphere is sporadically and marginally combed by a variable outflow from a nearby low-luminosity accreting super-massive black hole in the host galaxy. We propose three falsifiable predictions of the model and discuss other FRBs within the context of the cosmic comb model as well as the challenges encountered by other repeating FRB models in light of the new observations.
Changes in male campers' goal orientations and motivation in traditional activities and a sport education season in a summer camp.

According to the American Camp Association (2013), more than 14 million children and adults attend camp in the United States each year. Many camps include physical activity and sport sessions and programs, some of which include program components known to contribute to positive youth development. One instructional model that seeks to contribute to positive youth growth through the development of sporting competence, literacy, and enthusiasm is Sport Education (Siedentop, Hastie, & van der Mars, 2011). The Sport Education model is designed to provide an environment conducive for students of all ability levels to be successful within gameplay. Furthermore, research suggests that amotivated students exhibit greater feelings of inclusion from peers and a positive environment of gameplay within Sport Education. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the motivational responses of campers participating in a Sport Education season of flag football to those participating in a flag football unit taught using traditional methods. The current study used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent groups design in which the perceptions of students participating in a sport education season (n = 48) were compared to those who participated in a traditional instructional approach (n = 35) at a residential summer camp. The Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (Elliot & Murayama, 2008), was used to examine campers’ goal orientations, with campers’ self-regulated motivation quantified using the Sport Motivation Scale II (Pelletier, Rocchi, Vallerand, Deci, & Ryan, 2013). The findings suggest that campers participating in the Sport Education condition possessed higher mastery-approach and -avoidance orientations relative to those in the traditional condition following the intervention. While the educational context cannot explain why the campers in the Sport Education condition reported higher mastery goal orientations than those in the traditional condition at the beginning of the season, the observation that the Sport Education condition maintained significantly higher mastery-approach and-avoidance orientations throughout the season supports previous research indicating the capacity of the model to foster a task-involving motivational climate.Subscribe to JPRA
A quest for status or a desire to fit in? An examination of suburban “monster homes” as a positional good

ABSTRACTThis study examines consumer preferences for new large suburban single-family houses—monster homes—through the economic concept of positional goods. Previous empirical studies of the positi...
IR820-chitosan conjugates for imaging and hyperthermia.

1172 Objectives The design of near-infrared dye conjugates with hyperthermia and optical imaging capabilities can create new tools for minimally-invasive image-guided therapy of cancer. In this study, we developed IR820-chitosan conjugates and studied their chemical properties, in vitro applications for imaging/hyperthermia, and in vivo imaging capabilities in a rat model. Methods Chitosan was covalently linked in a two-step reaction with IR820. Conjugates were characterized by FTIR, spectrophotometry and spectrofluorometry. Fluorescent cell imaging and determination of hyperthermia-mediated cytotoxicity using an 808-nm laser were performed in Dx5, MES-SA, and SKOV-3 cancer cells. 24-hour in vivo studies in intact rats and excised organs after i.v. injection of the conjugates were performed using a 785-nm laser and a CCD camera. The resulting images were processed in Matlab to obtain background-subtracted image intensity ratios. Results IR820-chitosan conjugates (abs. 669 nm/emission 745 nm) can be used for cell imaging with enhanced cell uptake compared to free dye. IR820-chitosan conjugates have the capability to enhance hyperthermia-mediated cell growth inhibition in MES-SA and Dx5 cells compared to free IR820. In the in vivo imaging studies, the conjugates demonstrated predominant elimination through biliary excretion. Initial localization was in the liver, with subsequent path through the intestines. In the intact animal, the average signal 24 hours after injection was 14.6% of the average value 45 minutes after injection, indicating that these conjugates can be used in image collection windows of at least 24 hours. Conclusions IR820-chitosan conjugates can be used to image cancer cells and deliver localized hyperthermia with enhanced cancer growth inhibition. Their characteristic in vivo elimination pattern opens possibilities for using these conjugates as gastrointestinal contrast agents and image-guided hyperthermia probes, as well as for further customization into multifunctional gene and drug delivery vehicles targeting the digestive tract
Entry Deceleration and Mass Change of an Ablating Body

For many years ballisticians have been concerned with the motion of bodies in the Earth’s atmosphere—bodies of constant shape, size, and mass. With the advent of higher flight speeds with large rates of aerodynamic heating, the body may suffer a loss in mass due to surface ablation and a consequent change in shape and size. This effects a change in the ballistic coefficient with a consequent change in the body’s dynamics and a corresponding change in the subsequent aerodynamic heating and mass loss. This coupling between the dynamics and ablation introduces a number of complications into the solution of the equations for the dynamics and mass loss. While machine solutions are generally necessary, analytic solutions have been possible in a few cases. Notable among these is the case of a body in a free-molecule flow (the typical meteor case) which is simplified by the lack of dependence of the aerodynamic drag and heat-transfer coefficients on the size and shape of the body. The solution to the meteor problem was first obtained by Hoppe1 and Levin.2 As Bronshten3 has recently pointed out, larger meteoric bodies penetrate deeper into the atmosphere and consequently into the continuum flow regime.
African Economic Development, Edited by Emmanuel Nnadozie. Boston, MA: Academic Press, 2003. ISBN 0-12-519992-9, 662 pp.

After reading through this book, the first thing that came to my mind was – what a timely effort. The editor has put together a first rate contemporary book on African economic development. The book is quite comprehensive in its approach to the treatment of development issues facing Africa. It covers a broad range of topics at the level that academicians, public officials, and students alike can relate to. I find the style and substance of this text quite appealing. Issues and methods that serve only to confuse readers without contributing substantially to the subject are minimized. The relating of theory to practical experience will also distinguish this book from existing textbooks.
Safety of Same-Eye Subretinal Sequential Readministration of AAV2-hRPE65v2 in Non-human Primates

We have demonstrated safe and effective subretinal readministration of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype (rAAV) to the contralateral eye in large animals and humans even in the setting of preexisting neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Readministration of AAV to the same retina may be desirable in order to treat additional areas of the retina not targeted initially or to boost transgene expression levels at a later time point. To better understand the immune and structural consequences of subretinal rAAV readministration to the same eye, we administered bilateral subretinal injections of rAAV2-hRPE65v2 to three unaffected non-human primates (NHPs) and repeated the injections in those same eyes 2 months later. Ophthalmic exams and retinal imaging were performed after the first and second injections. Peripheral blood monocytes, serum, and intraocular fluids were collected at baseline and post-injection time points to characterize the cellular and humoral immune responses. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies were carried out on the treated retinas. Ipsilateral readministration of AAV2-hRPE65v2 in NHPs did not threaten the ocular or systemic health through the time span of the study. The repeat injections were immunologically and structurally well tolerated, even in the setting of preexisting serum NAbs. Localized structural abnormalities confined to the outer retina and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) after readministration of the treatment do not differ from those observed after single or contralateral administration of an AAV carrying a non-therapeutic transgene in NHPs and were not observed in a patient treated with the nearly identical, FDA-approved, AAV2-hRPE65v2 vector (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl), suggesting NHP-specific abnormalities.
Criminology Theory (Part 1 of 2): Foundational Concepts

This chapter presents the criminology concepts that apply to not only catching bad guys but for preventing food fraud from occurring in the first place. Criminology addresses the root cause which is a human adversary who identifies a crime opportunity and is motivated to act. A key point for food fraud prevention is on guardianship which includes the monitoring the physical space of crime and putting hurdles in place that makes the act riskier or less profitable. Specifically, these crime prevention theories are based on Situational Crime Prevention, routine activities theory, and rational choice theory. The expansion to apply the social sciences and criminology theories is critical since the root cause is a human adversary.
Factors associated with urinary incontinence in a community sample of young nulligravid women.

Aims The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with urinary incontinence (UI) in a community sample of young nulligravid women. Methods This was a secondary analysis from a cross-sectional survey-based study of cisgender women aged 18 to 25 years recruited through a national registry of research volunteers. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing toileting behaviors, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), and bowel symptoms. Women were excluded from analysis if currently pregnant, any prior pregnancy, cystectomy, or any neurologic disease including spinal cord injury, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. Analyses determined the prevalence of symptoms and evaluated candidate risk factors for UI. Results Final analyses included 964 women (mean age, 22.6 ± 2.0). Monthly UI was identified in 295 (30.6%) subjects, with mixed UI being the most common (56.9%; n = 168). Seventy-two women (7.4%) reported fecal incontinence (FI) and 24 (3.5%) women reported both UI and FI. After multivariable regression modeling, UI was associated with an intermittent urine stream and the delayed voiding toileting behavior subscale. Conclusions UI in this cohort of young nulliparous women was highly prevalent and warrants further study as to the cause. Therapeutic guidelines to prevent UI and LUTS may need to be adjusted by targeting populations earlier than traditionally considered.
Whose Biography Is It Anyway? Shared Biographies of Institutions, Leaders, Instruments, and Self

My life-long career preoccupation has been to better understand how large-scale science develops in its most obvious natural habitat, that is, the laboratory, in particular the U.S. national laboratories. Thus, in addition to exploring the dramas and drama queens of high-energy physics, I have also investigated more exotic nooks, kooks, and crannies of these laboratories. As a result my research has focused on nuclear physics, materials science, and engineering projects as well as a variety of laboratory actors: scientists, engineers, elite advisors, funding officials, and upon occasion, laboratory directors.
DNA Methylation Architecture of the ACE2 gene in Nasal Cells

Author(s): Cardenas, Andres; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl; Sordillo, Joanne; DeMeo, Dawn; Baccarelli, Andrea; Hivert, Marie-France; Gold, Diane; Oken, Emily | Abstract: ABSTRACT Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 enters cells via angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, highly expressed in nasal epithelium with parallel high infectivity. 1,2 The nasal epigenome is in direct contact with the environment and could explain COVID-19 disparities by reflecting social and environmental influences on ACE2 regulation. We collected nasal swabs from anterior nares of 547 children, measured DNA methylation (DNAm), and tested differences at 15 ACE2 CpGs by sex, age, race/ethnicity and epigenetic age. ACE2 CpGs were differentially methylated by sex with 12 sites having lower DNAm (mean=12.71%) and 3 sites greater DNAm (mean=1.45%) among females relative to males. We observed differential DNAm at 5 CpGs for Hispanic females (mean absolute difference=3.22%) and lower DNAm at 8 CpGs for Black males (mean absolute difference=1.33%), relative to white participants. Longer DNAm telomere length was associated with greater ACE2 DNAm at 11 and 13 CpGs among males (mean absolute difference=7.86%) and females (mean absolute difference=8.21%), respectively. Nasal ACE2 DNAm differences could contribute to our understanding COVID-19 severity and disparities reflecting upstream environmental and social influences.
Multiconductor Transmission Line Model for an Antenna With High-Impedance Ground Plane

We present a circuit model for an antenna above a 2-D high-impedance surface (HIS) ground plane with an arbitrary number of rows. Multiconductor transmission lines model coupling in the joint antenna and HIS structure. Discontinuities are modeled as circuit elements using closed-form expressions. One 2-D electromagnetic simulation is used to extract the per-unit-length capacitance parameters of the multiconductor transmission line structure. Input impedance predicted by the transmission line model agrees with full-wave simulations from low frequencies to above the second series resonance of the structure. The rms error in predicted $S_{11}$ of two example structures with respect to HFSS simulation is reduced by a factor of more than 2.5 compared to our previous work.