cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of heparin on serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-8 to Children with Henoch-schonlein Purpura

Objective: To explore the effect of heparin on the serum concentrations of IL-6,IL-8 to patient with HSP.Methods: We randomly divided 215 children with HSP into heparin therapy group(110 cases) and ordinary therapy group(105 cases);53 healthy children were selected into normal control group.We collected 2m1 venous blood from all the children on empty stomach in early morning.We detected the concentration of IL-6,IL-8 in serum by using respectively radioimmunoassay.Then normal therapy group was given foundational therapy,In addition,heparin therapy group was added heparin 100～150 μ/kg·d;Injecting into 5% glucose,dripping slowly more than 2 hours,qd,for 10 days.We collected 2m1 venous blood from all the children to detected the concentration of IL-6,IL-8 in serum again.Results: ①The serum concentrations of IL-6、IL-8 were significantly higher in patients with HSP than normal control group before therapy(P0.01)②The levels of IL-6、IL-8 did not show significant difference between heparin therapy group and ordinary therapy group before treatment(P0.05),The serum concentrations IL-6、IL-8 of heparin therapy group were obviously lower than those in ordinary group after heparin therapy 10 days,it had significant deference(P0.05).Conclusion: ①the serum concentrations IL-6,IL-8 in HSP group were obviously higher than those in normal control group.②The study showed that early heparin therapy could decrease the serum levels of IL-6,IL-8 in HSP patients.
Renal Autotransplantation for Retroperitoneal Fibrosis

AbstractIdiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by a dense rubbery retroperitoneal plaque that encases 1 or both ureters, causing hydronephrosis and impairing renal function. Primary or recurrent disease may result in extensive ureteral damage, leaving the urologist with limited surgical options. We herein report the fourth case managed successfully by renal autotransplantation.
Vascular morphology differentiates prostate cancer mortality risk among men with higher Gleason grade

Higher Gleason grade is associated with prostate cancer mortality; however, there is significant heterogeneity in this association. We evaluated whether vessel morphology, a biomarker of angiogenesis, aided in distinguishing mortality risks among men with high Gleason grading. We characterized vessel morphology (area and irregularity) among 511 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer during 1986 to 2000, re-reviewed Gleason grade, and followed men through 2012. Men were grouped according to integrated vessel lumen irregularity and vessel area across Gleason grade. The more angiogenic group was identified as those with more irregular vessel lumen and smaller vessel area. Crude rates (95 % confidence intervals) and survival probability were estimated across Gleason grade and vessel morphology. During a median 14-year follow-up, 62 men developed bone metastases or died of prostate cancer. Lethality rates were uniformly low within Gleason grade categories 6 and 7(3 + 4), regardless of vessel morphology. However, among men with Gleason grades of 7(4 + 3) or 8–10, the more angiogenic group was associated with fourfold higher risk of lethal outcomes compared to those with less angiogenic potential. Ten-year survival probability ranged from 95 to 74 % according to the extent of vessel morphology (p < 0.0001, log-rank test). Vessel morphology may aid Gleason grading in predicting prostate cancer mortality risks among men diagnosed with high-grade Gleason cancers.
Using MFL Corrosion Signals to Determine Biaxial Stress in Operating Pipelines

Previous work has shown that a corrosion assessment more accurate than B31.G or RSTRENG can be made if pipeline stresses are considered. A shell analysis can be carried out if both the corrosion profile and local pipe wall stresses are known. The corrosion profile can be approximated from analysis of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) signals acquired by an inline inspection tool (smart pig), but a measure of pipe wall stress has not been available. Approximations have been made based on pipe curvature, but a more direct measurement is desirable.Recent work has produced data that show a correlation between multi-level MFL signals from metal-loss defects and the stress in the pipe wall at the defect location. This paper presents the results of MFL scans of simulated corrosion defects in pipe specimens subjected to simultaneous internal pressure and four-point bending. MFL data were acquired at two different magnetic excitations using an internal scanner. The scanner’s sensor array measured axial, radial and circumferential magnetic flux components on the inner pipe surface adjacent to the defect. Comparison of the signals at high and low magnetization yields an estimate of the difference between axial and hoop stresses. If internal pressure is known, the hoop component can be determined, leaving data proportional to axial stress.Copyright © 2000 by ASME
Does Foreign Direct Investment Promote Exports? Evidence from African Countries

This paper empirically examines the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows on exports in Africa. Using the system-generalised method of moments estimator for linear dynamic panel data on a sample of 53 African countries and five-year periods from 1970 to 2009, the paper finds that higher FDI inflows are positively and significantly linked with higher exports of goods and services. A large part of the FDI effect is driven by its spillover effects on exports. The paper also finds the lagged value of exports, a competitive currency, as well as increases in domestic investment and physical infrastructure, to be factors stimulating African exports.
Shall we blame CD4 T cells for everything

Persistent inflammatory conditions in the liver promote chronic liver damage and liver fibrosis ultimately leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Multiple cytokines have been investigated in the context of acute and chronic liver damage. Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by a subset of CD4 T cells (T helper 17 (Th17) cells). IL-17 recruits other immune cells such as monocytes and neutrophils to the site of inflammation in response to invasion by pathogens. It can promote inflammation and has been linked to various autoimmune disorders.1 In the liver, Th17 responses have been shown in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cholestatic liver diseases, liver fibrosis and antimicrobial defences.2 In this issue, Nadine Kuttkat from the Trautwein group investigated Th17 cells in a murine model of liver injury and HCC development.3 Following a previous report on the role of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling events in hepatocytes using liver parenchymal cell-specific Nemo knockout (NemoLPC-KO or NemoΔHep) mice that develop steatohepatitis followed …
Analysis of a magnetically geared lead screw

Linear magnetic gearboxes (LMG) and magnetic lead screws (MLS) have been shown to be capable of operating at significantly higher volumetric force densities than traditional electromagnetic linear actuators (ELA). However in both such devices the linear translator must be made of magnet material and therefore if the stroke length of the translator is long the cost of the MLS and LMG will become prohibitively high. In this paper a magnetically geared lead screw (MGLS) is investigated and its performance capability is compared with the LMG and MLS. The advantage of the MGLS is that the translator does not contain magnets.
Zoledronic acid improves bone histomorphometry in a murine model of Rett syndrome.

Abstract Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder predominately affecting young females, caused by deficiency of the global transcriptional protein methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2). Osteoblasts express MeCP2 and girls with RTT experience early onset osteoporosis, decreased bone mass and an increased fracture risk. There is no defined treatment for osteoporosis associated with RTT. The present study evaluated the effects of zoledronic acid (ZA), a third generation nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate with primarily anti-osteoclastic activity, in a mouse model of MeCP2 deficiency. Mice received weekly injections of 20 μg/kg ZA for six weeks. Due to the shortened lifespan of hemizygous male (Mecp2-null) mice, treatment began at 3 weeks of age for this group and corresponding wildtype (WT) male mice. Treatment for heterozygous (HET) and WT female mice began at 8 weeks of age. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and dynamic analyses of bone turnover were performed. ZA treatment led to significant increases in bone volume fraction, number, connectivity density and apparent density of trabecular bone in all genotypes of mice. In contrast, cortical bone generally was unaffected by ZA injections. Parameters of bone turnover, including mineral apposition rate, labeled bone surface and bone formation rate decreased after treatment with ZA. Mecp2-null mice had reduced labeled bone surface and bone formation rate compared to WT male mice. The results indicate that ZA treatment significantly improved trabecular bone mass in a murine model of RTT with little effect on cortical bone.
Application of a Koiter-Type Theory to Buckling of Lattice Domes:

This paper presents nonlinear elastic-plastic analyses of several versions of a lattice dome whose dimensions are chosen to represent the range of dome geometry encountered in design practice. The ...
Free Space Optical Network Architecture

Free space optical networks can serve satellites, aircraft, metropolitan and data centers without using fiber and reconfigure topology via beam-steering. We will address network architecture (at all layers) for a wide range of applications.
High-intensity and simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use among high school seniors in the United States.

ABSTRACTBackground: Simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use poses threats to health, particularly among adolescents. These risks would be exacerbated to the extent that high-intensity drinking (e.g., 10+ drinks in a row) and marijuana use (e.g., 1+ joints per day) are associated with a higher likelihood of SAM use. The current study examines the extent to which the intensity of alcohol use and of marijuana use are associated with adolescent SAM use prevalence, and whether associations remain after controlling for key covariates known to associate with both alcohol and marijuana use; it identifies alcohol and marijuana use intensity levels associated with the highest risk of adolescent SAM use. Methods: Data come from nationally representative samples of US 12th graders who participated in the Monitoring the Future study from 2005 to 2014 (N = 24,203 respondents; 48.4% boys, 51.6% girls). Results: SAM use during the past year was reported by 20% of 12th graders overall. SAM use prevalence was strongly...
The Relation of Volunteering and Subsequent Changes in Physical Disability in Older Adults.

Objectives To describe the association between initiating volunteering and changes in physical disability in older adults, and whether intensity and gender modify this relationship. Methods Employing propensity score weighted regression adjustment, we calculate changes in disability using a sample of U.S. adults (n = 7,135) in the Health and Retirement Study (1996-2012) not volunteering at baseline but later initiating volunteering (1-99 hr/year or 100+ hours per year) or remaining a nonvolunteer. Results Relative to continuous nonvolunteers, low-intensity volunteering is related to 34% lower disability in the low-intensity group (average treatment effect [ATE] = -0.12) and 63% lower in the higher-intensity group (ATE = -0.23). For men, progression was lower only in the highest intensity group (ATE = +0.02), but women experienced similarly less progression of disability (38%-39%) at either level of new engagement (ATE = -0.17 and -0.18). Discussion Initiating a new volunteer role in later life is related to decreased progression of disability, at low or high levels for women and only at higher levels for men. This study suggests that volunteer intervention programs may represent a major public health strategy to delay the progression of physical disability for older adults.
EZproxy: The Key to Remote Access

ABSTRACTThe author discusses capabilities of and requirements for working with EZproxy based on many years of experience using the product in academic libraries. The basics of how EZproxy works and essential tips and caveats regarding its management and use are imparted.
Structural and Energetic Properties of Haloacetonitrile-BCl3 Complexes: Computations and Matrix-IR Spectroscopy.

The FCH2CN–BCl3 and ClCH2CN–BCl3 complexes have been investigated by quantum-chemical computations and low-temperature, matrix-isolation-IR spectroscopy. Theory predicts two stable equilibrium structures, with distinctly different B-N distances, for both complexes. One set of structures, which correspond to the global energy minima, exhibit B-N distances of 1.610 and 1.604 A for FCH2CN–BCl3 and ClCH2CN–BCl3, respectively (via M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ). The corresponding binding energies are 5.3 and 6.3 kcal/mol. For the metastable structures, the B-N distances are 2.870 and 2.865 A for FCH2CN–BCl2 and ClCH2CN–BCl3, respectively, and the corresponding binding energies are 3.2 and 3.3 kcal/mol. Also, the barriers between these structures on the B-N distance potentials are 2.5 and 2.8 kcal/mol, respectively, relative to the secondary, long-bond minima. In addition, several IR bands of both FCH2CN–BCl3 and ClCH2CN–BCl3 were observed in nitrogen matrices, but the assigned bands are consistent with M06-2X predictions...
Onboard Processing With Hybrid and Reconfigurable Computing on Small Satellites

Due to the increasing demands of onboard sensor and autonomous processing, one of the principal needs and challenges for future spacecraft is onboard computing. Space computers must provide high performance and reliability (which are often at odds), using limited resources (power, size, weight, and cost), in an extremely harsh environment (due to radiation, temperature, vacuum, and vibration). As spacecraft shrink in size, while assuming a growing role for science and defense missions, the challenges for space computing become particularly acute. For example, processing capabilities on CubeSats (smaller class of SmallSats) have been extremely limited to date, often featuring microcontrollers with performance and reliability barely sufficient to operate the vehicle let alone support various sensor and autonomous applications. This article surveys the challenges and opportunities of onboard computers for small satellites (SmallSats) and focuses upon new concepts, methods, and technologies that are revolutionizing their capabilities, in terms of two guiding themes: hybrid computing and reconfigurable computing. These innovations are of particular need and value to CubeSats and other Smallsats. With new technologies, such as CHREC Space Processor (CSP), we demonstrate how system designers can exploit hybrid and reconfigurable computing on SmallSats to harness these advantages for a variety of purposes, and we highlight several recent missions by NASA and industry that feature these principles and technologies.
The balance of electric field and interfacial catalysis in promoting water dissociation in bipolar membranes

The lamination of a cation exchange layer (CEL) and an anion exchange layer (AEL) to form a hybrid bipolar membrane (BPM) can have several unique advantages over conventional monopolar ion exchange membranes in (photo-)electrolysis. Upon application of a reverse bias, the ordinarily slow water dissociation reaction at the AEL/CEL junction of the BPM is dramatically accelerated by the large electric field at the interface and by the presence of catalyst in the junction. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we have found a counterbalanced role of the electric field and the junction catalyst in accelerating water dissociation in a BPM. Experimental BPMs were prepared from a crosslinked AEL and a Nafion CEL, with a graphite oxide (GO) catalyst deposited at the junction using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. BPMs with an interfacial catalyst layer were found to have smaller electric fields at the interface compared to samples with no added catalyst. A comprehensive numerical simulation model showed that the damping of the electric field in BPMs with a catalyst layer is a result of a higher water dissociation product (H+/OH−) flux, which neutralizes the net charge density of the CEL and AEL. This conclusion is further substantiated by EIS studies of a high-performance 3D junction BPM that shows a low electric field due to the facile catalytic generation and transport of H+ and OH−. Numerical modeling of these effects in the BPM provides a prescription for designing membranes that function at lower overpotential. The potential drop across the synthetic BPM was lower than that of a commercial BPM by more than 200 mV at >100 mA cm−2 reverse bias current density, with the two membranes having similar long-term stability.
The Chemokine Receptor CCR8 Promotes the Migration of Dendritic Cells into the Lymph Node Parenchyma to Initiate the Allergic Immune Response.

Summary The migration of mature dendritic cells (DCs) into the draining lymph node (dLN) is thought to depend solely on the chemokine receptor CCR7. CD301b+ DCs migrate into the dLN after cutaneous allergen exposure and are required for T helper 2 (Th2) differentiation. We found that CD301b+ DCs poorly upregulated CCR7 expression after allergen exposure and required a second chemokine signal, mediated by CCR8 on CD301b+ DCs and its ligand CCL8, to exit the subcapsular sinus (SCS) and enter the lymph node (LN) parenchyma. After allergen exposure, CD169+SIGN-R1+ macrophages in interfollicular regions produced CCL8, which synergized with CCL21 in a Src-kinase-dependent manner to promote CD301b+ DC migration. In CCR8-deficient mice, CD301b+ DCs remained in the SCS and were unable to enter the LN parenchyma, resulting in defective Th2 differentiation. We have defined a CCR8-dependent stepwise mechanism of DC-subset-specific migration through which LN CD169+SIGN-R1+ macrophages control the polarization of the adaptive immune response.
Centralized Clinical Trial Imaging Data Management: Practical Guidance from a Comprehensive Cancer Center's Experience

Medical imaging is an integral part of clinical trial research and it must be managed properly to provide accurate data to the sponsor in a timely manner (Clune in Cancer Inform 4:33-56, 2007; Wang et al. in Proc SPIE Int Soc Opt Eng 7967, 2011). Standardized workflows for site qualification, protocol preparation, data storage, retrieval, de-identification, submission, and query resolution are paramount to achieve quality clinical trial data management such as reducing the number of imaging protocol deviations and avoiding delays in data transfer. Centralization of data management and implementation of relational databases and electronic workflows can help maintain consistency and accuracy of imaging data. This technical note aims at sharing the practical implementation of our centralized clinical trial imaging data management processes to avoid the fragmentation of tasks among various disease centers and research staff, and enable us to provide quality, accurate, and timely imaging data to clinical trial sponsors.
Never Black and White: Representing Black Women in Revolutionary France

My research focused on Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait d’une Femme Noire, exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1800. This remarkable picture of a free woman of African descent was painted in the decade between the first abolition of slavery in the French colonies in 1794 and Napoleon Bonaparte’s reinstatement of it in 1804. I addressed the question of what we can make of the existing visual and literary representations of black women in this period, and how these representations can be used to understand something of the kind of roles or experiences the women had in French society. In the absence of firsthand accounts of art and writing by black women, I have analyzed the conditions of their existence, ideologies that shaped their experiences, and a varying range of representations of them made by white artists and writers.
Improved Production Performance Through Manufacturing System Learning

With the advancement of computing technologies in the manufacturing domain, more information is available on factory intranets. This paper introduces a framework to optimize the performance of a production line through multiple plant comparisons and learning among identical or similar production lines by leveraging the information stored on the factory intranet. In this work, production data from multiple identical production lines are collected and analyzed. A fishbone diagram is introduced to help find differences amongst plants. By taking advantage of the abundant information from multiple plants, the “best” feasible action can be learned on critical machines which offers a new way to optimize the product line in addition to root cause analysis. To predict improvements, machine learning is used including preprocessing, model selection and validation. Consequently, a cost-benefit evaluation is provided to help decision making. A case study is performed based on an automotive industry scenario where the method is demonstrated and an increase in throughput is predicted.
Quiescent Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration After Endophthalmitis:

Purpose:This article describes eyes that achieved extended remission of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) following acute endophthalmitis.Methods:Adults who presented to the Duke...
Muscadine or amla extracts standardized to ellagic acid content ameliorate glucolipotoxicity associated β-cell dysfunction via inhibition of IL-1β and improved insulin secretion

Glucolipotocixity induces IL-1 β secretion which impairs pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion. Ellagic acid and urolithin A have strong anti-inflammatory effect on cells. Muscadine and amla are very good sources of ellagic acid. The present study examined the effect of ellagic acid, ellagic acid-rich muscadine or amla extract, or urolothin A on inflammation in β cells under glucolipotoxic conditions. Rat NIT-1 β cells were incubated in glucolipotoxic conditions (33.3 mM glucose, 250 μM palmitic acid or 33.3 mM glucose + 250 μM palmitic acid with or without ellagic acid, ellagic acid-rich muscadine or amla extracts standardized to its ellagic acid content, or urolithin A). Inflammatory status was evidenced by ELISA analysis of insulin and IL-1β secretion. Ellagic acid-rich muscadine or amla extracts dose-dependently stimulated insulin secretion and down-regulated IL-1β better than pure ellagic acid, or urolithin A. Urolithin A did not statistically stimulate insulin secretion and did not inhibit IL-1β.
Is Administrative Summary Judgment Unlawful

When the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) files an administrative enforcement action, the respondent is ordinarily entitled to present their case orally at an in-person hearing before one of the agency’s Administrative Law Judges. But, in hundreds of administrative proceedings over the past 25 years, the agency has skipped over this in-person hearing, instead resolving actions on motions for “summary disposition.” This is illegal. Most SEC administrative proceedings are governed by the Administrative Procedure Act’s (APA) provisions governing “formal” adjudications. One of those provisions – long overlooked or misinterpreted by scholars and courts – can only be reasonably interpreted as granting respondents an absolute right to an oral hearing in cases where the agency is seeking to impose “sanctions” like those the SEC imposes in administrative proceedings. The 1946 Congress that enacted the APA declined to follow the trans-substantive summary judgment rule that had been recently adopted as part of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and instead followed the alternative model of the many U.S. States that permitted summary judgment only in specifically enumerated categories of cases. The legislative history and contemporaneous interpretations confirm that the APA prohibits summary process for formal adjudications leading to “sanctions.” Administrative summary judgment is also questionable on policy grounds. Proponents argue that administrative summary judgment promotes administrative efficiency, but have overlooked how the procedure may distort agency enforcement priorities, undermine Congressional control of administrative agencies, be subject to systematic abuse by agencies, and unfairly deprive some individuals of important procedural rights. This paper provides an empirical study of SEC summary disposition from its promulgation in 1995 through 2019, examines the text and history of the APA to demonstrate the illegality of this procedure, and challenges the conventional policy justifications for the procedure.
High-Frequency Jet Ventilation Is Making Slow Inroads to the Pediatric ICU.

High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) have been used as both elective and rescue therapy for respiratory distress syndrome and other causes of respiratory failure in neonates. Both modalities are thought to enhance ventilation by bulk convection,
Working Mothers and the Postponement of Women's Rights from the Nineteenth Amendment to the Equal Rights Amendment

The Nineteenth Amendment’s ratification in 1920 spawned new initiatives to advance the status of women, including the proposal of another constitutional amendment that would guarantee women equality in all legal rights, beyond the right to vote. Both the Nineteenth Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) grew out of the long quest to enshrine women’s equal status under the law as citizens, which began in the nineteenth century. Nearly a century later, the ERA remains unfinished business with an uncertain future. Suffragists advanced different visions and strategies for women’s empowerment after they got the constitutional right to vote. They divided over the ERA. Their disagreements, this Essay argues, productively postponed the ERA, and reshaped its meaning over time to be more responsive to the challenges women faced in exercising economic and political power because they were mothers. An understanding of how and why the amendment stalled speaks directly to the current controversy in Congress and the courts about whether a congressional time limit should stop the ERA from achieving full constitutional status. Such an understanding recognizes that suffragists disagreed in the immediate aftermath of the Nineteenth Amendment’s ratification over the ERA, and that these divisions undermined the ERA’s prospects for at least a few decades. Ultimately, however, the ERA that earned congressional adoption and 38 ratifications over almost a century was stronger because of this postponement.
The Opioid Crisis: A Contextual Framework and Call for Systems Science Research

Context: The prevalence of opioid use and misuse has provoked a staggering number of deaths over the past two and a half decades. Much attention has focused on individual risks according to various characteristics and experiences. However, broader social and contextual domains are also essential contributors to the opioid crisis, as interpersonal relationships and the conditions of the community and society people live in. Despite efforts to tackle the issue, the rates of opioid misuse, non-fatal overdose, and overdose death remain high. Many call for a broad public health approach, but articulation of what such a strategy could entail has not been fully realized. Broader systems policies, especially those that emphasize prevention, could more effectively intervene in this crisis. Methods: In order to improve the awareness surrounding opioid misuse, we developed a social-ecological framework that helps conceptualize the multivariable risk factors of opioid misuse and facilitates reviewing them in individual, interpersonal, communal, and societal levels. Findings: Our framework illustrates the multi-layer complexity of the opioid crisis that more completely captures the crisis as a multidimensional issue requiring a broader and integrated approach to prevention and treatment. Conclusions: Future research can elucidate the interconnections among the risk factors as well as leverage systems science tools (e.g., simulation modeling) to uncover the complexities of the crisis, and help evaluate, analyze, and forecast the effectiveness of ongoing and new policy interventions. We explain and call for the need for more systems science approaches in opioid research.
A High-Content Screening Assay for Small Molecules That Stabilize Mutant Triose Phosphate Isomerase (TPI) as Treatments for TPI Deficiency.

Triose phosphate isomerase deficiency (TPI Df) is an untreatable, childhood-onset glycolytic enzymopathy. Patients typically present with frequent infections, anemia, and muscle weakness that quickly progresses with severe neuromusclar dysfunction requiring aided mobility and often respiratory support. Life expectancy after diagnosis is typically ~5 years. There are several described pathogenic mutations that encode functional proteins; however, these proteins, which include the protein resulting from the "common" TPIE105D mutation, are unstable due to active degradation by protein quality control (PQC) pathways. Previous work has shown that elevating mutant TPI levels by genetic or pharmacological intervention can ameliorate symptoms of TPI Df in fruit flies. To identify compounds that increase levels of mutant TPI, we have developed a human embryonic kidney (HEK) stable knock-in model expressing the common TPI Df protein fused with green fluorescent protein (HEK TPIE105D-GFP). To directly address the need for lead TPI Df therapeutics, these cells were developed into an optical drug discovery platform that was implemented for high-throughput screening (HTS) and validated in 3-day variability tests, meeting HTS standards. We initially used this assay to screen the 446-member National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Collection and validated two of the hits in dose-response, by limited structure-activity relationship studies with a small number of analogs, and in an orthogonal, non-optical assay in patient fibroblasts. The data form the basis for a large-scale phenotypic screening effort to discover compounds that stabilize TPI as treatments for this devastating childhood disease.
Antibiotic resistance genes in lemur gut and soil microbiota along a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance

the overuse of man-made antibiotics has facilitated the global propagation of antibiotic resistance genes in animals, across natural and anthropogenically disturbed environments. although antibiotic treatment is the most well-studied route by which resistance genes can develop and spread within host-associated microbiota, resistomes also can be acquired or enriched via more indirect routes, such as via transmission between hosts or via contact with antibiotic-contaminated matter within the environment. relatively little is known about the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on reservoirs of resistance genes in wildlife and their environments. we therefore tested for (a) antibiotic resistance genes in primate hosts experiencing different severities and types of anthropogenic disturbance (i.e., non-wildlife animal presence, human presence, direct human contact, and antibiotic treatment), and (b) covariation between host-associated and environmental resistomes. we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing of ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta) gut resistomes and associated soil resistomes sampled from up to 10 sites: seven in the wilderness of madagascar and three in captivity in madagascar or the u.s. we found that, compared to wild lemurs, captive lemurs harbored greater abundances of resistance genes, but not necessarily more diverse resistomes. abundances of resistance genes were positively correlated with our assessments of anthropogenic disturbance, a pattern that was robust across all ten lemur populations. the composition of lemur resistomes was site-specific and the types of resistance genes reflected antibiotic usage in the country of origin, such as vancomycin use in madagascar. we found support for multiple routes of arg enrichment (e.g., via human contact, antibiotic treatment, and environmental acquisition) that differed across lemur populations, but could result in similar degrees of enrichment. soil resistomes varied across natural habitats in madagascar and, at sites with greater anthropogenic disturbance, lemurs and soil resistomes covaried. as one of the broadest, single-species investigations of wildlife resistomes to date, we show that the transmission and enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes varies across environments, thereby adding to the mounting evidence that the resistance crisis extends outside of traditional clinical settings.
Titanium Powder Metallurgy By Decomposition Sintering of the Hydride

An approach in titanium powder metallurgy called “decomposition sintering” of the hydride is described in connection with some of its unique characteristics. Hydriding and dehydriding of titanium are a function solely of ambient temperature and hydrogen pressure. Thus, raw titanium was readily hydrided and powdered, and the powders were readily converted to massive metal in a single operation comprised of ram pressing in vacuum at elevated temperature, i.e., decomposition to metal during the sintering process. The important aspect of ductility was retained by sufficient dehydriding, and by other impurity control as needed for titanium.
The Islamic Revolution's Internal Other: The Case of Ayatollah Khomeini and the Baha'is of Iran1

This article supports the thesis that the Islamist movement in Iran that climaxed with the Islamic Revolution of 1979 defined itself primarily as a movement against Baha'is as the country's internal “Other.” Through examining the works of Ayatollah Khomeini, this study shows that similar to Friedlaender's notion of “redemptive anti-Semitism” in Nazi Germany, for Khomeini, the Muslim nation of Iran could only be saved by purging Baha'is. Khomeini's “Othering” of Baha'is is an example of Bauman's “anti-grammar” of Selfing/Othering in which the Other must be annihilated for a system of “pure” sameness to be created. “Subverting” the distinctions among Baha'is, agents of imperialism, Jews, Zionists, and Israel, Khomeini constructed a chain of equivalent identities among different elements seen as expressing a certain sameness — enmity to Islam and Iran. With the construction of this chain of equivalent identities, the struggle to eradicate Baha'is was transformed into a struggle to overthrow the Pahlavi regime.
Effects of Non-Covalent Self-Association on the Subcutaneous Absorption of a Therapeutic Peptide

Purpose. To utilize an acylated peptide as a model system to investigate the relationships among solution peptide conformation, non-covalent self-association, subcutaneous absorption and bioavailability under pharmaceutically relevant solution formulation conditions. Methods. CD spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, equilibrium sedimentation, dynamic light scattering, and size exclusion chromatography were employed to characterize the effects of octanoylation on conformation and self-association of the 31 amino acid peptide derivative des-amino-histidine(7) arginine(26) human glucagon-like peptide (7-37)-OH (IP(7)R(26)GLP-1). Hyperglycemic clamp studies were performed to compare the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of solution formulations of oct-IP(7)R(26)GLP-l administered subcutaneously to normal dogs. Results. Octanoylation of IP(7)R(26)GLP-1 was shown to confer the propensity for a major solvent-induced conformational transition with an accompanying solvent- and temperature-dependent self-association behavior. Formulations were characterized that give rise to remarkably different pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics that correlate with distinct peptide conformational and self-association states. These states correspond to: (i) a minimally associated α-helical form (apparent molecular weight = 14 kDa), (ii) a highly associated, predominantly β-sheet form (effective molecular diameter 20 nm), and (iii) an unusually large, micelle-like soluble β-sheet aggregate (effective molecular diameter 50 nm). Conclusions. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of a self-associating peptide can be influenced by aggregate size and the ease of disruption of the non-covalent intermolecular interactions at the subcutaneous site. Hydrophobic aggregation mediated by seemingly innocuous solution formulation conditions can have a dramatic effect on the subcutaneous bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of a therapeutic peptide and in the extreme, can totally preclude its absorption. A size exclusion chromatographic method is identified that distinguishes subcutaneously bioavailable aggregated oct-IP(7)R(26)GLP-1 from non-bioavailable aggregated oct-IP(7)R(26)GLP-1.
Nrc-Irc flanking sound transmission facility

Researchers from the National Research Council designed and built a flanking facility to investigate the way flanking paths affected the sound insulation performance of building systems. The facility had a number of specific features to help the researchers conduct the investigations. The research facility had 8 rooms or 8 walls, 4 floors, and 6 junctions, enabling evaluation flanking of bearing and non-bearing wall and floor junctions, along with wall paths with a single specimen. Fixed surfaces were large and isolated from one another using resilient mountings to ensure that the facility did not contribute to vibration transmission. Each room had a volume that differed by around 10% from adjacent rooms to avoid modal matching and follow the recommendations of ISO 140 standard. The entire facility was also run by a computer system that controlled noise sources, robot movements, and signal capture.
More Application Examples on the Semantic Web

The goal of this chapter is to continue showing you the How-To part on the Semantic Web. We will build two application examples, which are more complex than the ones we have created in the last two chapters. To some extent, none of these two applications here is final yet; it is up to you to make them more intelligent and powerful.
Childhood pedestrian injuries.

To the Editor.— We acknowledge the contribution of Rivara and Barber to the further definition of childhood pedestrian injuries (Pediatrics 1985;76:375-381). Their contribution is particularly noteworthy because pedestrian injuries are the leading cause of injury death in young school-aged children (5 to 9 years) in the United States.1 Their analysis of the socioeconomic factors associated with such injuries, however, lacks essential data to enable injury investigators to arrive at their conclusions: that the number of child pedestrian injuries are higher in children of low socioeconomic status and/or from ethnic minority families.
Spontaneous Hyperthermia and its Mechanism in the Intraluminal Suture Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model of Rats

Background and Purpose—The intraluminal suture middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model is increasingly used in experimental stroke studies. The purposes of this study were to determine whether (1) spontaneous hyperthermia occurs after different periods of MCAO in this model, (2) hypothalamic injury contributes to hyperthermia, and (3) hyperthermia increases infarct volume after permanent MCAO. Methods—Rats were subjected to 60, 90, and 120 minutes of transient MCAO (n=8 per group), permanent MCAO (n=8 per group, 5 groups), and permanent hypothalamic occlusion, in which an occluder was inserted 15 to 15.5 mm to block only the hypothalamic branch from the internal carotid artery (n=4) with the use of the intraluminal suture MCAO method. In one group undergoing permanent MCAO, the body temperature was maintained at 37°C throughout the experiment. In another group (n=4) undergoing 90 minutes of temporary MCAO, diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging were performed to document the in vivo ischemic chan...
The Priority and Posteriority of Right

In this article I articulate two pairs of theses about the relationship between the right and the good and I sketch an account of morality that systematically vindicates all four theses, despite a nearly universal consensus that they are not all true. In the first half I elucidate and motivate the theses and explain why leading ethical theorists maintain that at least one of them is false; in the second half I present the outlines of an account of the relationship between the right and the good satisfying all four theses.
Determination of glucose by an improved enzymatic procedure.

The glucose oxidase-peroxidase system for the enzymatic determination of glucose was investigated with respect to the instability of the enzyme reagent, the buffering capacity of the reaction milieu, and the stability and sensitivity of the final chromogen. An improved procedure was developed in which the enzyme solution is both stabilized and more adequately buffered by reconstitution in 40% aqueous glycerol containing 0.04 M phosphate buffer, p H 7.0. The sensitivity and stability of the colored product is markedly increased when a final sulfuric acid concentration of 4.9 N is used.
Quality of life of brain tumor patients

Objectives : To provide a review of the quality of life (QOL) and to delineate nursing implications to increase QOL in brain tumor patients. Data sources : Review articles and research studies pertaining to quality of life and brain tumor patients. Conclusions : In general, patients maintain a high physical functional level for a majority of time during their illness. The main problems include memory loss, fatigue, and loss of concentration. QOL is decreased with several debilitating symptoms relating to the tumor or recurrent disease, and increased when being actively treated or in remission. Implications for Nursing Practice : Nurses must be able to listen carefully to patients with brain tumors and take action when symptoms arise. By assisting the patients to decrease the symptoms and to access support services, QOL is increased.
Metabolism of carnitine and coenzyme a esters of palmitic acid intermediates in liver mitochondria

1. 1. l(−)-Carnitine esters of 1-14C-labeled, β-substituted hexadecanoic acid were oxidized by rat liver mitochondria to CO2 and acetoacetate at similar rates. In the absence of added carnitine, rates of oxidation of all fatty acylcarnitine esters exceeded those of the corresponding free fatty acids. 2. 2. Hexadecanoyl-d(+)-carnitine, a competitive inhibitor of liver mitochondrial fatty acylcarnitine acyltransferase, inhibited the mitochondrial oxidation of trans-2-hexadecenoate and dl-3-hydroxyhexadecenoate, in addition to that of hexadecanoate. 3. 3. Mitochondria exhibited comparable acyltransferase activities with the l(−)-carnitine esters of hexadecanoic, dl-3-hydroxyhexadecanoic, trans-2-hexadecenoic and 3-ketohexadecanoic acids (listed in decreasing order of activity). 4. 4. A partially purified preparation of calf liver mitochondrial acyltransferase was active with all four acylcarnitine esters, as well as with their corresponding CoA esters. Hexadecanoyl-l(−)-carnitine was the best substrate, followed by the l(−)-carnitine esters of 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic, trans-2-hexadecenoic and 3-ketohexade-canoic acids. 5. 5. 3-Ketohexadecanoic acid was rapidly and non-enzymatically decarboxylated by components present in liver mitochondria and/or bovine serum albumin; however, the corresponding l(−)-carnitine ester was quite stable under these conditions, and was oxidized only enzymatically. 6. 6. The results show that the carnitine mechanism for the transmembrane transport of hexadecanoic acid in liver mitochondria is used also by intermediates in the metabolism of this fatty acid.
Sodium monitoring in commercially processed and restaurant foods

Background: Most sodium in the US diet comes from commercially processed and restaurant foods. Sodium reduction in these foods is key to several recent public health efforts. Objective: The objective was to provide an overview of a program led by the USDA, in partnership with other government agencies, to monitor sodium contents in commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. We also present comparisons of nutrients generated under the program to older data. Design: We track w125 commercially processed and restaurant food items (“sentinel foods”) annually using information from food manufacturers and periodically by nationwide sampling and laboratory analyses. In addition, we monitor .1100 other commercially processed and restaurant food items, termed “priority-2 foods” (P2Fs) biennially using information from food manufacturers. These foods serve as indicators for assessing changes in the sodium content of commercially processed and restaurant foods in the United States. We sampled all sentinel foods nationwide and reviewed all P2Fs in 2010–2013 to determine baseline sodium concentrations. Results: We updated sodium values for 73 sentinel foods and 551 P2Fs in the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (releases 23–26). Sodium values changed by at least 10% for 43 of the sentinel foods, which, for 31 foods, including commonly consumed foods such as bread, tomato catsup, and potato chips, the newer sodium values were lower. Changes in the concentrations of related nutrients (total and saturated fat, total sugar, potassium, or dietary fiber) that were recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for reduced or increased consumption accompanied sodium reduction. The results of sodium reduction efforts, based on resampling of the sentinel foods or re-review of P2Fs, will become available beginning in 2015. Conclusion: This monitoring program tracks sodium reduction efforts, improves food composition databases, and strengthens national nutrition monitoring. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.084954.
Tail-pinch facilitates onset of maternal behavior in rats.

Abstract Previous reports indicated that non-maternal female rats display a component of maternal behavior, namely, ano-genital licking of pups during, but not after a mild tail-pinch. The present study extends these findings and demonstrates that intermittent applications of brief tail-pinches accelerate in a dose-dependent pattern, the onset of all components of pup-stimulated maternal behavior in virgins. This suggests that the behavioral effects of tail-pinch stimulation outlast the pinch period and are cumulative.
Turbulence spectra characteristics of high order schemes for direct and large eddy simulation

Abstract The comparative resolution of the high wavenumber portion of compressible turbulence energy spectrum by some high order numerical schemes is presented in this paper. Included in this are the essentially nonoscillatory (ENO) schemes, the weighted essentially nonoscillatory schemes (WENO), and the compact differencing schemes. The governing equations are the Navier–Stokes equations and the objective is to identify the numerical scheme that best represents the physics of compressible turbulence. Mach numbers M 1 values of 0.1, 0.5 and 0.7 are studied. The compact differencing schemes need filters for numerical stability. It is found in this work that a parameter in the filter scheme provides some flexibility for controlling the physical turbulence energy transfer rate at high wavenumbers, vis-a-vis the numerical dissipation at those scales. Although the ENO schemes do not require filters for numerical stability, the present study shows that the addition of filters improves the energy transfer process at high wavenumbers. Without filtering, with relatively coarse grids, numerical turbulence caused by stencil adaptation persists. This limits the useful wavenumber resolution range of the ENO schemes. The WENO schemes do not require the stabilizing filters but the results tend to be slightly more dissipative. Finally, at low Mach numbers, the current compact differencing and filter scheme formulation gives better results but as the Mach number increases the relative suitability of the ENO method increases.