cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PS-058 A systematic review of trends, rates and burden of harm associated with intravenous drug preparation errors in healthcare settings

Background Intravenous (IV) admixture preparation errors (IAPEs) are a safety concern but their frequency, risk factors and associated burden of harm are not well understood. Purpose To systematically review published evidence on the occurrence and associated burden of harm from IAPEs in healthcare settings. Material and methods Searches were conducted in 4 large electronic databases (January 2005–December 2013). Publications reporting rates of IAPE and error types (wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong concentration, wrong diluent, wrong container, wrong route, contamination, and mislabelling) were reviewed. Results Of 1,267 studies, 21 met the inclusion criteria, with 8 (38%) of these from Europe. Four studies were in critical care settings; 17 in general wards. Of studies reporting on an IV preparation site, 6 reported use of centralised locations with a biological safety cabinet, 11 reported preparation on the nursing ward, and 1 had an even split between the 2. Error types and reported rates varied substantially, including: wrong diluent used in 0.3% to 49% of doses; wrong dilution volumes used in 1% to 21.3% of doses; labelling errors in 9.3% to 99% of IV preparations; and inappropriate sterile technique in 25% to 100% of observed preparations. Higher IAPE rates were reported for ward-based versus centralised IV preparation. The only reports of zero IAPEs involved either computerised dose calculations or the use of automated equipment. The lack of consistent reporting on the types of error and the scarcity of studies reporting error rates made it difficult to identify trends. Error severity and associated burden of harm were not adequately documented to evaluate the impact on patient care or consequences for healthcare facilities. Conclusion This systematic review identified few studies reporting data on the frequency or burden of harm of IAPEs. The available evidence reported fewer errors when drugs were prepared in the pharmacy than on nursing wards, and when processes were standardised and automated. References and/or acknowledgements Diane Nitzki George for assistance with data abstraction. Conflict of interest
Immune-Mediated Pore-Forming Pathways Induce Cellular Hypercitrullination and Generate Citrullinated Autoantigens in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Autoantibodies to citrullinated protein antigens are specific markers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although protein citrullination can be activated by numerous stimuli in cells, it remains unclear which of these produce the prominent citrullinated autoantigens targeted in RA. In these studies, we show that RA synovial fluid cells have an unusual pattern of citrullination with marked citrullination of proteins across the broad range of molecular weights, which we term cellular hypercitrullination. Although histone citrullination is a common event during neutrophil activation and death induced by different pathways including apoptosis, NETosis, and necroptosis/autophagy, hypercitrullination is not induced by these stimuli. However, marked hypercitrullination is induced by two immune-mediated membranolytic pathways, mediated by perforin and the membrane attack complex (MAC), which are active in the RA joint and of importance in RA pathogenesis. We further demonstrate that perforin and MAC activity on neutrophils generate the profile of citrullinated autoantigens characteristic of RA. These data suggest that activation of peptidylarginine deiminases during complement and perforin activity may be at the core of citrullinated autoantigen production in RA. These pathways may be amenable to monitoring and therapeutic modulation.
Negative Trickle-Down and the Financial Crisis of 2008

Substantial increases in income inequality contributed to the financial crisis of 2008 according to many researchers. We focus here on negative externalities from inequality that make financial well-being decline more rapidly than real income measures indicate. Housing, with its relatively inelastic supply, relationship to local public goods, role in establishing status and dependence on mortgage finance is used to illustrate the negative trickle-down effect. Increasing concentration of economic power results in political power that alters the regulatory structure. Along with contributing to financial instability and sluggish recovery this is an additional negative externality.
Error analysis of variable degree mixed methods for elliptic problems via hybridization

A new approach to error analysis of hybridized mixed methods is proposed and applied to study a new hybridized variable degree Raviart-Thomas method for second order elliptic problems. The approach gives error estimates for the Lagrange multipliers without using error estimates for the other variables. Error estimates for the primal and flux variables then follow from those for the Lagrange multipliers. In contrast, traditional error analyses obtain error estimates for the flux and primal variables first and then use it to get error estimates for the Lagrange multipliers. The new approach not only gives new error estimates for the new variable degree Raviart-Thomas method, but also new error estimates for the classical uniform degree method with less stringent regularity requirements than previously known estimates. The error analysis is achieved by using a variational characterization of the Lagrange multipliers wherein the other unknowns do not appear. This approach can be applied to other hybridized mixed methods as well.
One substrate, five products: reactions catalyzed by the dihydroneopterin aldolase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Tetrahydrofolate cofactors are required for one carbon transfer reaction involved in the synthesis of purines, amino acids, and thymidine. Inhibition of tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis is a powerful therapeutic strategy in the treatment of several diseases, and the possibility of using antifolates to inhibit enzymes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been explored. This work focuses on the study of the first enzyme in tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis that is unique to bacteria, dihydroneopterin aldolase (MtDHNA). This enzyme requires no metals or cofactors and does not form a protein-mediated Schiff base with the substrate, unlike most aldolases. Here, we were able to demonstrate that the reaction catalyzed by MtDHNA generates three different pterin products, one of which is not produced by other wild-type DHNAs. The enzyme–substrate complex partitions 51% in the first turnover to form the aldolase products, 24% to the epimerase product and 25% to the oxygenase products. The aldolase reaction is strongly pH d...
Differences in gene expression profiles from asbestos-treated SPARC-null and wild-type mouse lungs.

Abstract The role of SPARC in the in vivo lung response to crocidolite asbestos was addressed by instillation of crocidolite asbestos in a series of wild-type or SPARC-null mice. Animals were sacrificed at one week, one month, and three months post-instillation to assess the impact of SPARC on multiple stages in the development of fibrosis. RNA was harvested from 10 animals/time point, pooled, and used to probe a mouse array containing ∼ 10,000 probes. Gene expression data were analyzed for fold change, and for broader functional group alterations. As expected, the one-week time point displayed alterations in genes involved in immune recognition, energy utilization, and growth factor production. Later time points showed expression alterations for genes involved in protein degradation, Wnt receptor signaling, membrane protein activity, and transport. Molecules in the Wnt pathway have been implicated in bone growth, mediation of fibroblast activity, and have been directly linked to SPARC regulation.
Numerical implementation of the convexification algorithm for an optical diffusion tomograph

A globally convergent (the so-called convexification) algorithm was previously developed for coefficient inverse problems (CIPs) with the time/frequency-dependent data. In this publication the convexification is extended to the case of a CIP for an elliptic equation with the data generated by the source running along a straight line. The data are incomplete, since they are given only at a part of the boundary. Applications to both electrical impedance and optical tomographies are feasible, which include, in particular, imaging of land mines and underground bunkers, as well as diffuse optical imaging of targets on battlefields through smogs and flames. However, our numerical setup is intended for medical applications to small animals. Numerical experiments in the 2D case are presented.
Physical Rehabilitation of the Osteoporotic Patient

Osteoporosis is a national epidemic. This paper provides an overview of osteoporosis, then details a physical rehabilitation program which uses a team approach to help patients prevent the disease for patients at risk and enhance function, decrease pain, and reduce or eliminate disability for those with osteoporosis.
The role of iconic memory in change detection tasks

In three experiments, subjects attempted to detect the change of a single item in a visually presented array of items. Subjects' ability to detect a change was greatly reduced if a blank interstimulus interval (ISI) was inserted between the original array and an array in which one item had changed ('change blindness'). However, change detection improved when the location of the change was cued during the blank ISI. This suggests that people represent more information of a scene than change blindness might suggest. We test two possible hypotheses why, in the absence of a cue, this representation fails to produce good change detection. The first claims that the intervening events employed to create change blindness result in multiple neural transients which co-occur with the to- be-detected change. Poor detection rates occur because a serial search of all the transient locations is required to detect the change, during which time the representation of the original scene fades. The second claims that the occurrence of the second frame overwrites the representation of the first frame, unless that information is insulated against overwriting by attention. The results support the second hypothesis. We conclude that people may have a fairly rich visual representation of a scene while the scene is present, but fail to detect changes because they lack the ability to simultaneously represent two complete visual representations.
Vector models for data-parallel computing

"Vector Models for Data-Parallel Computing "describes a model of parallelism that extends and formalizes the Data-Parallel model on which the Connection Machine and other supercomputers are based. It presents many algorithms based on the model, ranging from graph algorithms to numerical algorithms, and argues that data-parallel models are not only practical and can be applied to a surprisingly wide variety of problems, they are also well suited for very-high-level languages and lead to a concise and clear description of algorithms and their complexity. Many of the author's ideas have been incorporated into the instruction set and into algorithms currently running on the Connection Machine.The book includes the definition of a parallel vector machine; an extensive description of the uses of the scan (also called parallel-prefix) operations; the introduction of segmented vector operations; parallel data structures for trees, graphs, and grids; many parallel computational-geometry, graph, numerical and sorting algorithms; techniques for compiling nested parallelism; a compiler for Paralation Lisp; and details on the implementation of the scan operations.Guy E. Blelloch is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and a Principal Investigator with the Super Compiler and Advanced Language project at Carnegie Mellon University.Contents: Introduction. Parallel Vector Models. The Scan Primitives. Computational-Geometry Algorithms. Graph Algorithms. Numerical Algorithms. Languages and Compilers. Correction-Oriented Languages. Flattening Nested Parallelism. A Compiler for Paralation Lisp. Paralation-Lisp Code. The Scan Vector Model. Data Structures. Implementing Parallel Vector Models. Implementing the Scan Operations. Conclusions. Glossary.
Promises and pitfalls in the prediction of antiepidermal growth factor receptor activity

There is a constant examination of the features that may anticipate or predict the likelihood of the clinical benefit that a patient may experience from a given therapy. This is especially true in the case of novel targeted therapies, as proof-of-principle experimental or pilot analyses are increasingly being embedded into clinical protocols. An unprecedented number of significant developments in the field of epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy have occurred in recent months. This is exemplified by the discovery of activating mutations in the catalytic domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor that increase sensitivity to antiepidermal growth factor receptor small-molecule inhibitors. This review discusses the recent advances and controversies of the different approaches to predict the efficacy of antiepidermal growth factor receptor agents and the effectiveness of the tools that we are using to evaluate and predict the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted drugs and the...
The Requirement of Membrane Lymphotoxin for the Presence of Dendritic Cells in Lymphoid Tissues

Although several cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), can promote the growth of dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro, the cytokines that naturally regulate DC development and function in vivo have not been well defined. Here, we report that membrane lymphotoxin (LT), instead of TNF, regulates the migration of DCs in the spleen. LTα−/− mice, lacking membrane LTα/β and LTα3, show markedly reduced numbers of DCs in the spleen. Unlike wild-type mice and TNF−/− mice that have densely clustered DCs in the T cell zone and around the marginal zone, splenic DCs in LTα−/− mice are randomly distributed. The reduced number of DCs in lymphoid tissues of LTα−/− mice is associated with an increased number of DCs in nonlymphoid tissues. The number of splenic DCs in LTα−/− mice is restored when additional LT-expressing cells are provided. Blocking membrane LTα/β in wild-type mice markedly diminishes the accumulation of DCs in lymphoid tissues. These data suggest that membrane LT is an essential ligand for the presence of DCs in the spleen. Mice deficient in TNF receptor, which is the receptor for both soluble LTα3 and TNF-α3 trimers, have normal numbers of DCs. However, LTβR−/− mice show reduced numbers of DCs, similar to the mice lacking membrane LT α/β. Taken together, these results support the notion that the signaling via LTβR by membrane LTα/β is required for the presence of DCs in lymphoid tissues.
The feminization of liberty, domesticated virtue, and the reconstitution of power and authority in early American political discourse

In 1980, Michael McGee suggested that power is “feminized” to produce liberty. This study rearranges the terms of McGee's equation in order to describe and analyze the shifting terrain of early American political discourse. The essay seeks to reconstruct the metaphorical and discursive processes that led from the feminization of liberty to a political culture organized by the practices of “virtuous power.”
Wireless memory: Eliminating communication redundancy in Wi-Fi networks

Studies have shown the presence of considerable amounts of redundancy in Internet traffic content. Recent works are exploring possibilities for exploiting network traffic redundancy, but these works invariably focus on fixed wireline networks. Unlike wireline networks, wireless and mobile environments exhibit unique challenges and opportunities in the context of redundancy elimination. In this work, we explore leveraging network traffic redundancy, but exclusively focus on wireless and mobile environments. We first analyze real Wi-Fi traces, and based on insights obtained from the analysis, we propose Wireless Memory (WM), a two-ended AP-client solution to effectively exploit traffic redundancy for such environments. Trace-driven evaluation results show that WM can help deliver significant throughput improvement.
Comparison of Direct and Indirect Effects of Non‐Thermal Atmospheric‐Pressure Plasma on Bacteria

Direct and indirect influence on microorganisms of non-thermal atmospheric-pressure DBD in air is compared in terms of bacterial inactivation rates. It is demonstrated that direct influence of the plasma, where charged particles contact bacteria directly, produces inactivation much faster than the indirect treatment, where plasma afterglow is delivered to the bacteria with a gas flow through the plasma region. This leads to an important conclusion that the effect of charged particles on plasma plays the essential role in interaction with living organisms, although synergy with longer living active molecules and atoms as well as UV radiation generated in plasma and at the surface of tissues may also play a role in inactivation.
Fighting fire with fire: modeling the datacenter-scale effects of targeted superlattice thermal management

Local thermal hot-spots in microprocessors lead to worst-case provisioning of global cooling resources, especially in large-scale systems where cooling power can be 50~100% of IT power. Further, the efficiency of cooling solutions degrade non-linearly with supply temperature. Recent advances in active cooling techniques have shown on-chip thermoelectric coolers (TECs) to be very efficient at selectively eliminating small hot-spots. Applying current to a superlattice TEC-film that is deposited between silicon and the heat spreader results in a Peltier effect, which spreads the heat and lowers the temperature of the hot-spot significantly and improves chip reliability. In this paper, we propose that hot-spot mitigation using thermoelectric coolers can be used as a power management mechanism to allow global coolers to be provisioned for a better worst case temperature leading to substantial savings in cooling power. In order to quantify the potential power savings from using TECs in data center servers, we present a detailed power model that integrates on-chip dynamic and leakage power sour-ces, heat diffusion through the entire chip, TEC and global cooler efficiencies, and all their mutual interactions. Our multi-scale analysis shows that, for a typical data center, TECs allow global coolers to operate at higher temperatures without degrading chip lifetime, and thus save ~27% cooling power on average while providing the same processor reliability as a data center running at 288K.
Persistence Characteristics of Wind-Tunnel Pressure Signatures from Two Similar Models

Pressure signatures generated by two sonic-boom wind-tunnel models and measured at Mach 2 are presented, analyzed, and discussed. The two wind-tunnel models differed in length and span by a factor of fourteen, but were similar in wing-body planform shape. The geometry of the larger model had been low-boom tailored to generate a flat top ground pressure signature, and the nacelles-off pressure signatures from this model became more flattop in shape as the model-probe separation distances increased from 0.94 to 4.4 span lengths. The geometry of the smaller model had not been low-boom tailored, yet its measured pressure signatures had non-N-wave shapes that persisted as model-probe separation distances increased from 26.0 to 104.2 span lengths. Since the overall planforms of the two wind-tunnel models were so similar, it was concluded that the shape-persistence trends in the pressure signatures of the smaller, non-low-boom tailored model would also be present at very large distances in the pressure signatures of the larger, low-boom-tailored model.
Depth of processing and recall of threat material in fearful and nonfearful individuals

Abstract Although many studies have examined the nature of memory distortions in anxious individuals, few have considered biases in specific memory processes, such as encoding or retrieval. To investigate whether the presentation of threat material facilitates encoding biases, spider fearful (n=63), blood fearful (n=73), and nonfearful (n=75) participants encoded spider related, blood related, and neutral words as a function of three levels of processing (i.e., structural, semantic, and self referent). Participants subsequently completed either a free recall or a recognition task. All participants demonstrated a partial depth of processing effect, such that they recalled more words encoded in the self referent condition than in the other two conditions, but groups did not differ in their recall of stimuli as a function of word type. Relative to participants in the other groups, spider fearful participants had fewer spider related intrusions in the recall condition, and they made fewer errors in responding...
Thermal resistance measurements of interconnections, for the investigation of the thermal resistance of a three-dimensional (3D) chip stack

As device-scaling challenges increase, three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) are receiving more attention for system performance enhancements, due to their higher interconnect densities and shorter interconnect lengths. However, because of the limited contact area and the higher circuit density, the cooling of 3D ICs is more challenging. In order to assess appropriate cooling solutions for 3D chip stacks in various uses, we need better understanding of the total thermal resistance of 3D chip stacks. This calls for precise thermal resistance measurements and thermal modeling for each component of a 3D chip stack. A 3D chip stack is composed of interconnections, silicon substrates, back-end-of-the-line (BEOL), front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) and in this study, the thermal resistance of interconnections is the primary focus because interconnections are regarded as one of the thermal resistance bottlenecks of a 3D chip stack. With regard to the thermal resistance measurements of interconnections, Yamaji et al. found it difficult to measure the thermal resistance of interconnections with the laser-flash method and pointed out that care was necessary for uniform temperature distribution in the sample when using the laser-flash method on heterogeneous specimens, such as stacked chips with interconnections. Considering this concern, we use a steady-state method for the thermal resistance measurements of the interconnections. The thermal resistance of 200μpitch-C4 (Pb97Sn3) joined samples is measured and the thermal conductivity of C4 is derived to be 18 – 24 W/mC. Also the thermal resistance of a silicon with various interconnection pitches and diameters is modeled and the relationship of thermal resistance to interconnection pitch and diameter is obtained. The thermal resistance reduction by underfill with various interconnection pitches and diameters is also studied.
A Unified Picture of the First Ionization Potential and Inverse First Ionization Potential Effects

We discuss models for coronal abundance anomalies observed in the coronae of the sun and other late-type stars following a scenario first introduced by Schwadron, Fisk, & Zurbuchen of the interaction of waves at loop footpoints with the partially neutral gas. Instead of considering wave heating of ions in this location, we explore the effects on the upper chromospheric plasma of the wave pondermotive forces. These can arise when upward-propagating waves from the chromosphere transmit or reflect upon reaching the chromosphere-corona boundary, and are in large part determined by the properties of the coronal loop above. Our scenario has the advantage that for realistic wave energy densities both positive and negative changes in the abundance of ionized species compared to neutrals can result, allowing both first ionization potential (FIP) and inverse FIP effects to come out of the model. We discuss how variations in model parameters can account for essentially all of the abundance anomalies observed in solar spectra. Expected variations with stellar spectral type are also qualitatively consistent with observations of the FIP effect in stellar coronae.
The Dominican Republic: A National History

This work examines the distinct political periods in the country's history, such as the Spanish, French, Haitian, and US occupations and the several periods of self-rule. It also covers a socioeconomic history by establishing links between socioeconomic conditions and political developments.
40-Gbps modem architecture for free-space optical communications

A 40-Gbps free-space optical communications (FSOC) link architecture incorporating high-sensitivity modems and a high-dynamic range optical automatic gain controller (OAGC) is presented. The architecture leverages 10-Gbps modems, each supporting 10-Gigabit Ethernet, to ease interfaces to commercial network systems. The 10-Gbps modems employ return-to-zero differential phase shift keying waveforms and a commercial Reed-Solomon forward error correction system for maximum channel sensitivity. For transmission over the FSOC link, the modem channels are wavelength multiplexed. When coupled with the OAGC, the communications system achieves a sensitivity of better than 10 photons per bit. Low-noise optical gain is provided by the OAGC with a noise figure of better than 3.1 dB and a dynamic range of greater than 60 dB. This paper discusses the development of the high-sensitivity modem architecture and high-dynamic range OAGC, addresses system level considerations with regards to operation over highly turbulent FSOC links, discusses metrics for characterizing their performance, and presents results of system tests against field-collected scintillation reproduced in the laboratory.
Locally Deliver the Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (tPA) Plasmid for Preventing Thrombosis

In this issue of the journal, Liu et al. described how they developed gelatin-coated Dacron to locally deliver the tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) plasmid for preventing thrombosis. In the traditional clinical treatment for thrombotic diseases, tPAs are widely used to induce plasmin formation, which degrades fibrin in blood clots and restores vascular flow.1-3 Vascular flow is restored in approximately 50% of patients within 90 min after intravenous injection of tPA for thrombolytic therapy, but approximately 20% of the patients exhibit serious side effects in the form of bleeding.4,5 Therefore, new drug delivery systems have been developed to reduce the side effects of fibrinolytic agents and enhance their efficiency. The goal of this study was to develop a new strategy to replace traditional anticoagulation therapy after mechanical valve replacement surgery for the heart. In this manuscript, the authors clearly established that the tPA activity in left atrial blood on the postoperative 3rd day was higher than that on the postoperative 14th day. It’s certainly a good way to prevent thrombosis using gene therapy to produce the tPA proteins, but there are many details lacking which need to considered in this manuscript. Two points make the study interesting, relevant and important: 1. The study parameters noted that plasmid DNA would be released locally and slowly to prevent thrombosis, and the authors mentioned that each Dacron slice contained approximately 800 μg DNA. I think the authors need to investigate the optimal loading amount of plasmid DNA, the stability of plasmid DNA in gelatin-coated Dacron slice, the release efficiency, and the safety. That would help the operator clearly understand how to accurately apply this new treatment system to patients in future clinical treatments. 2. This method used for gelatin-coated Dacron slice to locally deliver the plasmid DNA and then expressed the tPA protein, but the transfection efficiency of plasmid DNA and expression efficiency of tPA protein may both affect the efficacy of thrombosis prevention. I believe the authors need to make sure this gelatin-coated Dacron slice has elevated transfection and expression efficiency. In addition, I suggest the authors potentially can co-deliver tPA protein and plasmid DNA to enhance the concentration in tissues for long-term release. The preliminary data presented may suggest, but some detailed experiments and more animal study should be also considered for proving the applicability and reliability.
The human histamine H2 receptor regulates c-jun and c-fos in a differential manner

Previously, we demonstrated that activation of the human H2 receptor (hH2R) leads to an increase in c-fos transcription and cell proliferation. The purpose of these studies was to examine whether hH2R regulates c-jun expression and, if so, explore the mechanisms by which it does so. Histamine induced an increase in c-jun mRNA in human embryonic kidney cells stably transfected with the hH2R (maximal effect: 554.6 ± 86.8% of control). The protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors staurosporine (10−6 M) and GF-109203X (10−6 M) significantly inhibited histamine-stimulated c-fos mRNA while not altering c-jun expression. The protein kinase A (PKA) pathway inhibitors Rp-cAMP and protein kinase inhibitor did not affect the action of histamine on c-jun or c-fos mRNA. Histamine (10−4M) stimulated extracellularly regulated kinase 2 tyrosine phosphorylation. The specific inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway, PD-98059 (5 × 10−5 M), significantly inhibited histamine-induced c-fos and c-jun mRNA. Of i...
DNA homology between the meningopneumonitis agent and related microorganisms.

Differentiation of agents of the psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereumtrachoma group, hereafter referred to as the bedsoniae (Meyer, 1953), continues to be of major interest and concern to investigators of these microorganisms (e.g., Moulder, 1964). Specific serologic procedures and other means of differentiation have been discussed by Wenner (1958) and by Meyer and Eddie (1964). Among more recent taxonomic tools which have been re-
Population dynamics of the crayfish Procambarus spiculifer observed in different-sized streams in response to two droughts

ABSTRACT Crayfish (Procambarus spiculifer) were studied for 8 years in 3 different study sites. During this period 2 droughts occurred. Consistent changes were observed in response to both droughts and in all study sites. The changes included reductions in both mean body size and abundance and an increase in the juvenile to adult ratio. In response to the first drought, one of the subpopulations changed to a smaller mean body size that was maintained for 5 years (nearly 2 generations) until the second drought caused a second reduction in body size. It is postulated that the reduced size can be maintained by a continued loss of the largest size classes coupled to an increased recruitment of small adults. Two other subpopulations became extinct, one following the 1981 drought and the other during the 1985 drought. The population changes appear related to habitat differences between study sites, differences between reference years and drought years, and the time since the last drought.
Carbonyl Compounds Produced by the Meadow Plant Bug, Leptopterna dolabrata (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The meadow plant bug, Leptopterna dolabrata (L.), emits a characteristic odor when disturbed. The odor originates from scent glands situated in the metathorax of the adults. In the present study the odorous constituents produced by the adults were investigated.
Preliminary Analysis of an Innovative Rotary Displacer Stirling Engine

Stirling engines are an external combustion heat engine that converts thermal energy into mechanical work that a closed cycle is run by cyclic compression and expansion of a work fluid (commonly air or Helium) in which, the working fluid interacts with a heat source and a heat sink and produces network. The engine is based on the Stirling cycle which is a subset of the Carnot cycle. The Stirling cycle has recently been receiving renewed interest due to some of its key inherent advantages. In particular, the ability to operate with any form of heat source (including external combustion, flue gases, alternative (biomass, solar, geothermal) energy) provides Stirling engines a great flexibility and potential benefits since it is convinced as engines running with external heat sources. However, several aspects of traditional Stirling engine configurations (namely, the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma), specifically complexity of design, high cost, and relatively low power to size and power to volume ratios, limited their widespread applications to date. This study focuses on an innovative Stirling engine configuration that features a rotary displacer (as opposed to common reciprocating displacers), and aims to utilize analytical and numerical analysis to gain insights on its operation parameters. The results are expected to provide useful design guidelines towards optimization. The present study starts with an overview of the Stirling cycle and Stirling engines including both traditional and innovative rotary displacer configurations, and their major advantages and disadvantages. The first approach considers an ideal analytical model and implements the well-known Schmidt analysis assumptions for the rotary displacer Stirling engine to define the effects of major design and operation parameters on the performance. The analytical model resulted in identifying major variables that could affect the engine performance (such as the dead volume spaces, temperature ratios and the leading phase angle). It was shown that the dead volume could have a drastic effect over the engine performance and the optimum phase angle of the engine is 90o. The second approach considers a non-ideal analytical model and aims to identify and account the main sources of energy losses in the cycle to better represent the engine performance. The study showed that the ideal efficiency and the non-ideal efficiency could have 15% difference that could have as an enormous effect on the engine performance.
The Connotation Meaning of Advertising Language——The Application of Euphemism in English Advertising

Now,advertising has become an important and indispensable part in highly-developed economy.In order to express unlimited meaning in limited space and avoid bring negative influence to consumers,the advertisers always try all means to attract consumers eyes.In a way,using implicit words to express the meaning of advertising is very important.And euphemism is the embodiment of it.It uses mild and indirect words to express and add glamour to advertising.Now,euphemism is accepted by the public.
Amino acid and energy interrelationships in growing beef steers: I. The effect of level of feed intake on ruminal characteristics and intestinal amino acid flows.

Five cannulated Holstein steers (538 +/- 35 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment with extra observations to examine the influence of level of feed intake on postruminal flow and intestinal disappearance of N and amino acids (AA). Treatments consisted of a single diet fed at four levels of energy intake (1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 times NEm requirement). The diet was formulated on a DM basis to contain 13.25% CP using cracked corn (56.1%), soybean hulls (18%), cottonseed hulls (15%), soybean oil (4.25%), and corn gluten meal (5.6%). Increasing feed intake linearly increased (P .10) on ruminal pH, NH3 N, or peptide concentration or on particulate and fluid passage rates. However, total VFA concentration increased linearly (P .10) as a percentage of intake. Level of feed intake did not affect (P > .10) microbial efficiency, N disappearance from the small intestine, or total tract N digestibility. With the exception of tryptophan, flows of all individual AA increased linearly (P .10), leading to a linear increase (P .10) by level of feed intake. When compared with predicted requirements for a 227-kg growing beef steer, Arg, Met, His, and Lys were suggested to be the most limiting AA for growth when this diet is fed. We conclude that altering energy intake by restricting intake of a single diet has only minor effects on the profile of digestible AA or other nutrients presented to the animal.
Adenocarcinoma of colon and rectum. Role of radiation therapy.

More responsibility in the care of selected patients should be assigned to radiation therapy, particularly in (1) small and well differentiated carcinomas of the rectum and (2) selected lesions of the sigmoid and lesions of the rectum which are planned for definitive surgical attack; they should in most instances be considered for combined radiation therapy and surgery.
A universal system to select gene-modified hepatocytes in vivo

Many genetic and acquired liver disorders are amenable to gene and/or cell therapy. However, the efficiencies of cell engraftment and stable genetic modification are low and often subtherapeutic. In particular, targeted gene modifications from homologous recombination are rare events. These obstacles could be overcome if hepatocytes that have undergone genetic modification were to be selectively amplified or expanded. We describe a universally applicable system for in vivo selection and expansion of gene-modified hepatocytes in any genetic background. In this system, the therapeutic transgene is coexpressed with a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) that confers modified hepatocytes with resistance to drug-induced toxicity. An shRNA against the tyrosine catabolic enzyme 4-OH-phenylpyruvate dioxygenase protected hepatocytes from 4-[(2-carboxyethyl)-hydroxyphosphinyl]-3-oxobutyrate, a small-molecule inhibitor of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase. To select for specific gene targeting events, the protective shRNA was embedded in a microRNA and inserted into a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector designed to integrate site-specifically into the highly active albumin locus. After selection of the gene-targeted cells, transgene expression increased 10- to 1000-fold, reaching supraphysiological levels of human factor 9 protein (50,000 ng/ml) in mice. This drug resistance system can be used to achieve therapeutically relevant transgene levels in hepatocytes in any setting.
Global patterns of drought deciduous phenology in semi‐arid and savanna‐type ecosystems

Seasonal variations in vegetation have direct and indirect impacts on biogeochemical cycling, net primary productivity, and the global climate. While leaf phenology in many high latitude ecosystems can be predicted based on a four-season cycle, semi-arid and savanna-type (SAST) ecosystems are thought to be much less consistent and interannual variability can be quite large. While leaf phenology in SAST ecosystems is often attributed to soil moisture availability, different plants appear to respond to different signals, and predicting drought deciduous phenology, especially at large scales, as in land surface models (LSMs), continues to be a challenge. Here we undertook a meta-analysis of published research on leaf phenology in SAST ecosystems to assess whether any consistent patterns would be revealed across the SAST regions of the world. After reviewing 188 papers and correlating green-up and brown-down dates with a number of possible drivers, including latitude, temperature, precipitation, continent, and plant functional type (PFT), we found that latitude, then continent and PFT, were the best predictors of phenological timing. This result suggests that solar radiation may be an important driver of phenology even in the low latitudes, and that biogeographic differences among continents and PFTs may be critical to improving our predictions of SAST phenology. All global LSMs lump plant species into functional groups, and these groups typically span continents despite known physiological differences between species on different continents. Our review suggests that more research is needed into SAST phenology at both field and remotely sensed scales, but that LSM predictions could be improved by simply developing continent- and latitude-specific model parameterizations. With a large fraction of the world's human population living in and relying on services from SAST ecosystems, it is critical that we focus more attention on these understudied systems and improve their representations in global models.
Malignancy and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: Cholangiocarcinoma, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, and Gallbladder Carcinoma

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with an increased risk of malignancy. The chronic inflammation of the intra- and extrahepatic biliary tract predisposes to the development of cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma. In those who progress to cirrhosis, there is risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma complicates primary sclerosing cholangitis in 10–15 % of individuals and often presents a diagnostic challenge. Diagnosis is largely guided by high clinical suspicion with laboratory testing, imaging, and biliary tissue sampling. Definitive therapy is surgical. Liver transplantation can be considered in highly selected individuals with hilar tumors who are not surgical resection candidates. Similarly, for hepatocellular carcinoma, curative therapy is also surgical. Liver transplantation is almost always required given it develops almost exclusively in patients with cirrhosis. Gallbladder carcinoma, while a less common malignancy, is more prevalent in primary sclerosing cholangitis. Gallbladder carcinoma is diagnosed with imaging, most commonly ultrasound, and again treatment is surgical with cholecystectomy/resection.
Heat shock and herpes virus: enhanced reactivation without untargeted mutagenesis

Enhanced reactivation of Ultraviolet-irradiated virus has been reported to occur in heat-shocked host cells. Since enhanced virus reactivation is often accompanied by untargeted mutagenesis, we investigated whether such mutagenesis would occur for herpes simplex virus (HSV) in CV-1 monkey kidney cells subjected to heat shock. In addition to expressing enhanced reactivation, the treated cells were transiently more susceptible to infection by unirradiated HSV. No mutagenesis of unirradiated HSV was found whether infection occurred at the time of increased susceptibility to infection or during expression of enhanced viral reactivation.
Is Childhood Socioeconomic Status Independently Associated with Adult BMI after Accounting for Adult and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is inversely associated with adult weight in high income countries. Whether the influence of childhood SES on adult weight is best described using a critical period model or an accumulation of risk model is not yet settled. This research tests whether childhood SES is associated with adult BMI and likelihood of obesity independent of adult socioeconomic status and neighborhood characteristics. Data on individual childhood and adult characteristics come from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 13,545). Data on neighborhood characteristics come from the 2000 Decennial Census and American Community Survey (2005–2009). In the fully adjusted models, perceived financial hardship before the age of sixteen and having a father who was unemployed are associated with higher BMI among males and, among females, paternal education remains associated with adult BMI. However, childhood SES is not associated with likelihood of obesity after fully adjusting for adult SES and neighborhood characteristics, suggesting that the direct effects of early childhood SES on BMI are small relative to the other factors associated with obesity in adulthood.
A dosimetric model for the heterogeneous delivery of radioactive nanoparticles In vivo: a feasibility study.

Accurate and quantitative dosimetry for internal radiation therapy can be especially challenging, given the heterogeneity of patient anatomy, tumor anatomy, and source deposition. Internal radiotherapy sources such as nanoparticles and monoclonal antibodies require high resolution imaging to accurately model the heterogeneous distribution of these sources in the tumor. The resolution of nuclear imaging modalities is not high enough to measure the heterogeneity of intratumoral nanoparticle deposition or intratumoral regions, and mathematical models do not represent the actual heterogeneous dose or dose response. To help answer questions at the interface of tumor dosimetry and tumor biology, we have modeled the actual 3-dimensional dose distribution of heterogeneously delivered radioactive nanoparticles in a tumor after systemic injection. 24 h after systemic injection of dually fluorescent and radioactive nanoparticles into a tumor-bearing mouse, the tumor was cut into 342 adjacent sections and imaged to quantify the source distribution in each section. The images were stacked to generate a 3D model of source distribution, and a novel MATLAB code was employed to calculate the dose to cells on a middle section in the tumor using a low step size dose kernel. The average dose calculated by this novel 3D model compared closely with standard ways of calculating average dose, and showed a positive correlation with experimentally determined cytotoxicity in vivo. The high resolution images allowed us to determine that the dose required to initiate radiation-induced H2AX phosphorylation was approximately one Gray. The nanoparticle distribution was further used to model the dose distribution of two other radionuclides. The ability of this model to quantify the absorbed dose and dose response in different intratumoral regions allows one to investigate how source deposition in different tumor areas can affect dose and cytotoxicity, as well as how characteristics of the tumor microenvironment, such as hypoxia or high stromal areas, may affect the potency of a given dose.
Parallel Citizenship: Southern Californian Latino Gangs and their Concept of Citizenship

For Salvadorans who relocated to the United States, the marginalization imposed by American society, the victimization enacted by Mexican gangs, and their negative experience with El Salvador’s practice of citizenship brought them to create the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and modify 18th Street gangs in the neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Living on the fringes of society, they were kept from attaining the social, civil, and economic benefits of a liberal democratic model of citizenship. This paper claims that, in order to survive, they took it upon themselves to create a parallel model of citizenship, combining anarchism with “citizenship as agency” under the gang structure. Following Philip Oxhorn’s analysis of models of citizenship, this study examines how Salvadoran refugees came to create such alternative citizenship in the framework of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs. Analysis asserts that the structure and development of membership in the gangs is not a coincidence, but rather a response to their marginalization, negative experience of state citizenship, and their participation in public arenas modeled as an extension of social contracts. Understanding the views of these, now transnational, gangs in terms of citizenship can aid policymakers and Central American governments as they approach these groups, eliminating violence and promoting development.
All-dielectric metasurface absorbers for uncooled terahertz imaging

Imaging in the terahertz (THz) range of the electromagnetic spectrum is difficult owing to the lack of high-power sources and efficient detectors. For decades, there has been tremendous effort to fashion focal plane arrays for THz imaging owing to the great number of potential applications. Here, we propose and demonstrate an alternative approach which utilizes all-dielectric metasurface absorbers that act as universal converters of radiation. Incident THz waves are absorbed by the metasurface, converted to heat, and subsequently detected by an infrared camera. We realize a metasurface consisting of sub-wavelength cylindrical resonators that achieve diffraction-limited imaging at THz frequencies without cooling. The low thermal conductivity and diffusivity significantly limit the thermal conduction between neighboring pixels, thus improving the spatial resolution and imaging time. Similar to conventional metallic-based metamaterials, our all-dielectric metasurface absorber can be scaled to other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, offering a blueprint to achieve novel uncooled bolometric imaging.