cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The brain microenvironment preferentially enhances the radioresistance of CD133(+) glioblastoma stem-like cells.

Brain tumor xenografts initiated from glioblastoma (GBM) CD133+ tumor stem-like cells (TSCs) are composed of TSC and non-TSC subpopulations, simulating the phenotypic heterogeneity of GBMs in situ. Given that the discrepancies between the radiosensitivity of GBM cells in vitro and the treatment response of patients suggest a role for the microenvironment in GBM radioresistance, we compared the response of TSCs and non-TSCs irradiated under in vitro and orthotopic conditions. As a measure of radioresponse determined at the individual cell level, γH2AX and 53BP1 foci were quantified in CD133+ cells and their differentiated (CD133-) progeny. Under in vitro conditions, no difference was detected between CD133+ and CD133- cells in foci induction or dispersal after irradiation. However, irradiation of orthotopic xenografts initiated from TSCs resulted in the induction of fewer γH2AX and 53BP1 foci in CD133+ cells compared to their CD133- counterparts within the same tumor. Xenograft irradiation resulted in a tumor growth delay of approximately 7 days with a corresponding increase in the percentage of CD133+ cells at 7 days after radiation, which persisted to the onset of neurologic symptoms. These results suggest that, although the radioresponse of TSCs and non-TSCs does not differ under in vitro growth conditions, CD133+ cells are relatively radioresistant under intracerebral growth conditions. Whereas these findings are consistent with the suspected role for TSCs as a determinant of GBM radioresistance, these data also illustrate the dependence of the cellular radioresistance on the brain microenvironment.
Subcellular spatial segregation of integrin subtypes by patterned multicomponent surfaces

While it is well known that individual integrins are critical mediators of cell behavior, recent work has shown that when multiple types of integrins simultaneously engage the ECM, cell functions are enhanced. However, it is not known how integrins spatially coordinate to regulate cell adhesion because no reliable method exists to segregate integrins on the cell membrane. Here, we use a microcontact printing-based strategy to pattern multiple ECMs that bind distinct integrins in order to study how integrins might interact. In our technique, proteins are first adsorbed uniformly to a poly(dimethyl siloxane) stamp, and then selectively “de-inked.” Our strategy overcomes several inherent limitations of conventional microcontact printing, including stamp collapse and limited functionality of the surface patterns. We show that integrins spatially segregate on surfaces patterned with multiple ECMs, as expected. Interestingly, despite spatial segregation of distinct integrins, cells could form adhesions and migrate across multicomponent surfaces as well as they do on single component surfaces. Together, our data indicate that although cells can segregate individual integrins on the cell surface to mediate ECM-specific binding, integrins function cooperatively to guide cell adhesion and migration.
High Output Resistance and Wide Swing Voltage Charge Pump Circuit

This paper presents a new charge pump circuit to minimize the current mismatch. By connecting a common-gate and a common-source amplifier as the feedback voltage regulator, the highly matched charge pump currents are accomplished. Additionally, the proposed circuit has wide output voltage swing, which ensures its good performance under very low power supply.
Volume-of-Fluid Interface Reconstruction Algorithms on Next-Generation Computer Architectures

With the increasing heterogeneity and on-node parallelism of high-performance computing hardware, a major challenge to computational physicists is to work in close collaboration with computer scientists to develop portable and efficient algorithms and software. The objective of our work is to implement a portable code to perform interface reconstruction using NVIDIA’s Thrust library. Interface reconstruction is a technique commonly used in volume tracking methods for simulations of interfacial flows. For that, we have designed a two-dimensional mesh data structure that is easily mapped to the 1D vectors used by Thrust and at the same time is simple to work with using familiar data structures terminology (such as cell, vertices and edges). With this new data structure in place, we have implemented a recursive volume-of-fluid initialization algorithm and a standard piecewise interface reconstruction algorithm. Our interface reconstruction algorithm makes use of a table look-up to easily identify all intersection cases, as this design is efficient on parallel architectures such as GPUs. Finally, we report performance results which show that a single implementation of these algorithms can be compiled to multiple backends (specifically, multi-core CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, and Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors), making efficient use of the available parallelism on each.© 2014 ASME
Matrix Metalloproteinase Dependent Cleavage of Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Pathogenesis of CNS Dysfunction with HIV and Methamphetamine

Physiologically appropriate levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are likely important to varied aspects of CNS function. In particular, these enzymes may contribute to neuronal activity dependent synaptic plasticity and to cell mobility in processes including stem cell migration and immune surveillance. Levels of MMPs may, however, be substantially increased in the setting of HIV infection with methamphetamine abuse. Elevated MMP levels might in turn influence integrity of the blood brain barrier, as has been demonstrated in published work. Herein we suggest that elevated levels of MMPs can also contribute to microglial activation as well as neuronal and synaptic injury through a mechanism that involves cleavage of specific cell and synaptic adhesion molecules.
Effects of melt-pool geometry on crystal growth and microstructure development in laser surface-melted superalloy single crystals: Mathematical modeling of single-crystal growth in a melt pool (part I)

Abstract The effects of melt-pool geometrical parameters on crystal growth and microstructure development during laser surface melting of single-crystal alloys were studied by means of mathematical modeling and experiments. A mathematical model was developed for the three-dimensional (3-D) melt-pool geometry and single-crystalline melt-pool solidification in laser surface melting. The 3-D melt-pool geometry corresponding to the solidification interface is described by four geometrical parameters (w, l, h, α). The model was used to study the effects of variations in the geometrical parameters on crystal growth and microstructure development in the melt pool. Laser surface melting experiments with single-crystal nickel-base superalloys were conducted to verify the computational results of microstructure development in the melt pool. Results indicate that the melt-pool geometrical parameters have profound influences on the dendrite growth velocity and growth pattern in the melt pool. For the (0 0 1)/[1 0 0] substrate orientation, variations in l/w and α can influence both the number and the relative sizes of growth regions while the variation in h/w can only influence the relative sizes of the growth regions. Unidirectional dendrite growth along the [0 0 1] crystallographic direction can be achieved for an α value of 45° or below. The maximum ratio of dendrite-growth velocity to the beam velocity in the melt pool is related to α and l/w. Experimental microstructure observations agreed well with the computational results. These findings show that the desired dendrite growth velocity and microstructure can be obtained through proper control of the 3-D melt-pool geometry.
Balancing Life as a Nurse in Iran

The purpose of this column is to provide an introduction to what it is like for nurses in Iran to balance work and family responsibilities.
Determination of Anand constants for SAC solders using stress-strain or creep data

The Anand viscoplastic constitutive model is often used to represent the deformation behavior of solders in electronic assemblies. In the Anand model, plasticity and creep are unified and described by the same set of flow and evolution relations. The nine parameters of the Anand constitutive model are typically determined from uniaxial stress-strain tests at several strain rates and temperatures using a standard multistep model parameter determination procedure. Conversely, creep data are often measured for solders, but typically are not used to determine Anand model constants.
Are Temporary Restraining Orders More Likely to Be Issued When Applications Mention Firearms

Restraining orders, an important legal intervention for victims of domestic violence, have broad potential for injury prevention. Using data from one of the busiest restraining order clinics in the nation, the authors examined 1,354 applicants' descriptions of abuse. Most (89.2%) applicants were issued a restraining order. A total of 16.0% of applicants mentioned a firearm in their descriptions of abuse; doing so was not associated with restraining order issuance. About 1 in 20 applicants, even if issued a restraining order, would not be protected by the federal firearm purchase and possession prohibitions because they had not lived with or had a child with the defendant. However, the proportion of these individuals who report threatened or actual use of firearms against them is similar to that of other applicants. Federal and, when relevant, state law should be modified to include these persons.
Teaching in the medical setting: balancing teaching styles, learning styles and teaching methods

(2001). Teaching in the medical setting: balancing teaching styles, learning styles and teaching methods. Medical Teacher: Vol. 23, No. 6, pp. 610-612.
Postoperative normal perfusion pressure breakthrough

The increasing use of coronary artery angioplasty with deployment of stents for treatment of coronary artery disease poses several dilemmas for perioperative management. These conflicting requirements are manifested most acutely in the management of patients with neurovascular disease. This chapter presents a case study of a 51-year-old female with a past medical history of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and undifferentiated autoimmune disease with interstitial lung involvement, as an example. The presence of coronary stents in patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures warrants specific consideration prior to anesthesia. It is necessary to balance the risks of stent thrombosis, and the subsequent risk of myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, or cardiac arrest, against the risks of hemorrhage during or after a neurosurgical procedure. There is currently an irresolvable conflict between the risks of with holding and continuing antiplatelet agents in the perioperative period.
Respiratory failure in a patient with dermatomyositis

Since its original description in 1956 the association between interstitial lung disease and polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) has become well established. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) can be a significant complication in rheumatic diseases (RDs). Although most patients with RD do not develop clinically evident ILD, these systemic autoimmune disorders are estimated to be responsible for approximately 25% of all ILD deaths and 2% of deaths due to all respiratory causes. Radiologic abnormalities in DM are characterized by a high incidence of airspace consolidation. Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP) is the most common form of lung disease, with a frequency in biopsies 4-fold greater than that of Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) in PM and a slightly smaller predominance in DM. We report a case of a female patient, 57 years old, no former smoker, whose clinical history was onset in November 2008 with asthenia with muscle and osteoarticular pain especially located in the upper limbs and then also expanded to the lower limbs. The EMG was compatible with dermatomyositis in the acute phase. The patient received therapy with steroids and tacrolimus, also making several rounds of treatment with immunoglobulin. Given the recurrence of myositis in association with signs of poorly controlled interstitial lung disease, immunosuppressive therapy with Rituximab was administered. The Computed Tomography (CT) scans showed "bronchiectasis and traction bronchiolectasis, hypodense areas consistent with the phenomena of air trapping. The pattern of interstitial lung disease with fibrotic evolution seems consistent with NSIP. The arterial blood gas analysis showed a pattern of hypoxic-hypercapnic respiratory failure (pH: 7,34, PaO2: 67 mmHg; PaCO2: 55 mmHg). As a result of an episode of marked desaturation unresponsive to supplemental oxygen at high flows we proceeded to noninvasive mechanical ventilation with Helmet for 24 hours/24. This ventilatory support was maintained for a week, with resolution of the respiratory failure. In this brief case report we want to highlight various pulmonary complications as a result of dermatomyositis. The progression of respiratory complications may also lead to a situation of respiratory failure, as in our patient, and require a noninvasive ventilatory treatment.
Robust identification of shared losses using end-to-end unicast probes

Current Internet transport protocols make end-to-end measurements and maintain per-connection state to regulate the use of shared network resources. When two or more such connections share a common endpoint, there is an opportunity to correlate the end-to-end measurements made by these protocols to better diagnose and control the use of shared resources. We develop packet probing techniques to determine whether a pair of connections experience shared congestion. Correct, efficient diagnoses could enable new techniques for aggregate congestion control, QoS admission control, connection scheduling and mirror site selection. Our extensive simulation results demonstrate that the conditional (Bayesian) probing approach we employ provides superior accuracy, converges faster, and tolerates a wider range of network conditions than previously proposed memoryless (Markovian) probing approaches.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Abused and Neglected Children in Young Adulthood: The Mediating Effects of Early Aggression, Antisocial Personality, Hostility and Alcohol Problems

This study examined whether male and female abused and neglected children report higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in young adulthood than a matched control group. We also examined whether this association was mediated by early aggressive behavior, adult antisocial personality disorder, hostility, and problem drinking for men and women. The sample consisted of individuals who had official records of child abuse and/or neglect prior to age 12 and matched controls who were followed up and interviewed at approximately age 29 years. Individuals who had ever been married or lived with someone (N=961) reported on lifetime perpetration of IPV. For the total sample, abused and neglected children reported significantly higher rates of ever hitting or throwing things at a partner, ever hitting or throwing first, and ever hitting or throwing first more than once. Both male and female abused and neglected children reported significantly higher rates of ever hitting or throwing things at a partner than matched controls. Antisocial personality disorder mediated the effects of abuse/neglect on IPV for men and women and hostility and alcohol problems also mediated the effects for abused and neglected women. Early aggressive behavior was not a significant mediator for either gender. Overall the results reveal a link between early childhood victimization and later perpetration of violence against partners for both men and women. Further research on the mechanisms is necessary before firm conclusions may be drawn. Aggr. Behav. 29:332–345, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Identification of a Threshold for Skeletal Muscle Injury

This study was designed to detect the first evidence of injury to muscle induced by passive stretching. Rabbit extensor digitorum longus and tibialis anterior skeletal muscles were subjected to passive stretching at set force levels of 20% or 30% of load to failure. Both tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscles that were stretched to 30% exhibited no difference in the three tensile parameters when compared with their contralateral control specimens. Maximum contractile force was decreased after stretching. Tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum muscles that were stretched to 20% of control failure force showed no decrement in the tensile parameters or maximum contractile force. Histology of the extensor digitorum longus muscles stretched to 30% of failure force showed small focal areas of muscle fiber rupture and hemorrhage near the distal myotendinous junction. Tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus muscle-tendon units stretched to 30% of failure force suffered functional injury as their contractile ability decreased after stretching. In contrast, muscle-tendon units stretched to 20% of failure force suffered no decrement in contractile ability; therefore, a threshold for passive muscle stretch injury has been found. Furthermore, changes in contractile properties and histologic assessment appear to be more sensitive predictors of injury than measurement of structural failure properties.
Genes Contributing to Staphylococcus aureus Fitness in Abscess- and Infection-Related Ecologies

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of both community- and hospital-acquired infections that are increasingly antibiotic resistant. The emergence of S. aureus resistance to even last-line antibiotics heightens the need for the development of new drugs with novel targets. We generated a highly saturated transposon insertion mutant library in the genome of S. aureus and used Tn-seq analysis to probe the entire genome, with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity, for genes of importance in infection. We further identified genes contributing to fitness in various infected compartments (blood and ocular fluids) and compared them to genes required for growth in rich medium. This resulted in the identification of 426 genes that were important for S. aureus fitness during growth in infection models, including 71 genes that could be considered essential for survival specifically during infection. These findings highlight novel as well as previously known genes encoding virulence traits and metabolic pathways important for S. aureus proliferation at sites of infection, which may represent new therapeutic targets. IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus continues to be a leading cause of antibiotic-resistant community and nosocomial infection. With the bacterium’s acquisition of resistance to methicillin and, more recently, vancomycin, the need for the development of new drugs with novel targets is urgent. Applying a highly saturated Tn-seq mutant library to analyze fitness and growth requirements in a murine abscess and in various infection-relevant fluids, we identified S. aureus traits that enable it to survive and proliferate during infection. This identifies potential new targeting opportunities for the development of novel therapeutics.
Similar response patterns do not imply identical origins: an energetic masking account of nonspeech effects in compensation for coarticulation.

Abstract Nonspeech materials are widely used to identify basic mechanisms underlying speech perception. For instance, they have been used to examine the origin of compensation for coarticulation, the observation that listeners' categorization of phonetic segments depends on neighboring segments (Mann, 1980). Specifically, nonspeech precursors matched to critical formant frequencies of speech precursors have been shown to produce similar categorization shifts as speech contexts. This observation has been interpreted to mean that spectrally contrastive frequency relations between neighboring segments underlie the categorization shifts observed after speech, as well as nonspeech precursors (Lotto & Kluender, 1998). From the gestural perspective, however, categorization shifts in speech contexts occur because of listeners' sensitivity to acoustic information for coarticulatory gestural overlap in production; in nonspeech contexts, this occurs because of energetic masking of acoustic information for gestures. In 2 experiments, we distinguish the energetic masking and spectral contrast accounts. In Experiment 1, we investigated the effects of varying precursor tone frequency on speech categorization. Consistent only with the masking account, tonal effects were greater for frequencies close enough to those in the target syllables for masking to occur. In Experiment 2, we filtered the target stimuli to simulate effects of masking and obtained behavioral outcomes that closely resemble those with nonspeech tones. We conclude that masking provides the more plausible account of nonspeech context effects. More generally, we suggest that similar results from the use of speech and nonspeech materials do not automatically imply identical origins and that the use of nonspeech in speech studies entails careful examination of the nature of information in the nonspeech materials.
Algorithms for categorizing multiprocessor communication under invalidate and update-based coherence protocols

Presents simulation algorithms that characterize the main sources of communication generated by parallel applications under both invalidate and update-based cache coherence protocols. The algorithms provide insight into the reference and sharing patterns of parallel programs and into the amount of useless traffic entailed by each coherence protocol. Under an invalidate-based protocol, our algorithms classify the data traffic caused by the different types of cache misses. Under an update-based protocol, our algorithms not only categorize the data traffic, but also classify update transactions with respect to the sharing patterns that caused them. Although our algorithms deal with numerous hardware features, our categorization is widely applicable and can be easily simplified for use in less detailed simulators. >
Short-term low-salinity tolerance by the longhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus.

The bottom-dwelling, longhorn sculpin, Myoxocephalus octodecimspinosus ,i s traditionally viewed as a stenohaline marine fish, but fishermen have described finding this sculpin in estuaries during high tide. Little is known about the salinity tolerance of the longhorn sculpin; thus, the purposes of these experiments were to explore the effects of low environmental salinity on ion transporter expression and distribution in the longhorn sculpin gill. Longhorn sculpin were acclimated to either 100% seawater (SW, sham), 20% SW, or 10% SW for 24 or 72hr. Plasma osmolality, sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations were not different between the 20 and 100% treatments; however, they were 20-25% lower with exposure to 10% SW at 24 and 72hr. In the teleost gill, regulation of Na 1 ,K 1 -ATPase (NKA), Na 1 -K 1 -2Clcotransporter (NKCC1), and the chloride channel, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) are necessary for ion homeostasis. We immunolocalized these proteins to the mitochondrion-rich cell of the gill and determined that acclimation to low salinity does not affect their localization. Also, there was not a downregulation of gill NKA, NKCC1, and CFTR mRNA or protein during acclimation to low salinities. Collectively, these results suggest that down to 20% SW longhorn sculpin are capable of completely regulating ion levels over a 72-hr period, whereas 10% SW exposure results in a significant loss of ions and no change in ion transporter density or localization in the gill. We conclude that longhorn sculpin can tolerate low-salinity environments for days but, because they cannot regulate ion transporter density, they are unable to tolerate low salinity for longer periods or enter freshwater (FW). The genus Myoxocephalus has three FW species, making this group an excellent model to test evolutionary and physiological mechanisms that allow teleosts to invade new low salinities successfully. J. Exp. Zool. 311A:45-56, 2009. r 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dynamic and Thermodynamic Regulation of Ocean Warming

The relative roles of clouds, surface evaporation, and ocean heat transport in limiting maximum sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the western Pacific warm pool are investigated by means of simple and intermediate coupled ocean‐atmosphere models. The authors first take an analytical approach by constructing a conceptual two-box model that contains dynamic coupling among the Walker circulation, SST, and ocean thermocline and thermodynamic coupling, which includes shortwave and longwave cloud forcing and latent and sensible heat fluxes at the ocean surface. In a realistic parameter regime, the three mechanisms mentioned above are all essential in limiting the SSTs within the observed range. The lack of any one mechanism would lead to an equilibrium SST that is too high, although unstable warming due to the super greenhouse effect would not occur. The analysis of the surface heat balance from the simple box model indicates that in the western Pacific warm pool, cloud reflection has a dominant effect, followed by evaporation and ocean dynamics. The simple model results are further evaluated numerically by using an intermediate coupled ocean‐atmosphere model. With the forcing of the annual-mean solar radiation, this model is capable of simulating a realistic annual mean climate in the tropical Pacific. The authors then introduce an initial SST perturbation and examine how the perturbation evolves with time in the presence of clouds, surface evaporation, and ocean dynamic processes. Four experiments have been designed. In the first three experiments, each of the three processes is studied separately; in the last experiment, they are combined. The intermediate model results indicate that in the western Pacific warm pool, the largest negative feedback comes from the cloud shortwave radiation forcing, followed by the surface evaporation and ocean heat transport. The sensitivity of the model to various initial SST perturbation patterns is also investigated.
Adaptive Gene Expression in Bacillus subtilis Strains Deleted for tetL

The growth properties of a new panel of Bacillus subtilis tetL deletion strains and of a derivative set of strains in which tetL is restored to the chromosome support earlier indications that deletion of tetL results in a range of phenotypes that are unrelated to tetracycline resistance. These phenotypes were not reversed by restoration of a tetL gene to its native locus and were hypothesized to result from secondary mutations that arise when multifunctional tetL is deleted. Such genetic changes would temper the alkali sensitivity and Na + sensitivity that accompany loss of the monovalent cation/proton activity of TetL. Microarray comparisons of the transcriptomes of wild-type B. subtilis , a tetL deletion strain, and its tetL -restored derivative showed that 37 up-regulated genes and 13 down-regulated genes in the deletion strain did not change back to wild-type expression patterns after tetL was returned to the chromosome. Up-regulation of the citM gene, which encodes a divalent metal ion-coupled citrate transporter, was shown to account for the Co 2+ -sensitive phenotype of tetL mutants. The changes in expression of citM and genes encoding other ion-coupled solute transporters appear to be adaptive to loss of TetL functions in alkali and Na + tolerance, because they reduce Na + -coupled solute uptake and enhance solute uptake that is coupled to H + entry.
The Effects of Cryotherapy Applied through Various Barriers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in skin temperature during ice application through a dry towel and a dry elastic bandage compared to application on bare skin. Nine subjects completed a 30-min treatment session that consisted of 0.68 kg of cubed ice applied under three conditions: through a dry towel, through a dry elastic bandage, and directly on the skin (control). Following the removal of the ice, all subjects were monitored for 20-min for skin temperature (S temp). There was a significant interaction in S temp between the control (12.50 ± 4.39 °C) and dry towel (23.48 ± 2.88 °C) conditions, the control (12.50 ± 4.39 °C) and dry elastic wrap (27.47 ± 2.36 °C) conditions, and the dry towel (23.48 ± 2.88 °C) and dry elastic wrap (27.47 ± 2.36 °C) conditions. The findings indicated that using a barrier (dry towel or dry elastic bandage) limits the temperature-reducing capacity of the ice and therefore its potential physiological effects.
Corneal Changes in Children after Unilateral Cataract Surgery in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study

Purpose We report endothelial cell (EC) characteristics and central corneal thickness (CCT) from the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study (IATS) patients at the 5-year examination. Design Randomized, controlled trial of the treatment of unilateral cataract with aphakic contact lens (CL) versus primary intraocular lens (IOL) implant. Participants A total of 114 infants with unilateral cataract. Methods The EC density, coefficient of variation (CV), and percent hexagonal cells were measured by noncontact specular microscopy. The CCT was measured using contact pachymetry. Fellow eyes served as controls. Main Outcome Measures Mean differences between treated and fellow eyes of CL and IOL groups were compared with a paired t test. A 1-way analysis of variance model and the Tukey–Kramer multiple comparison procedure were used to assess the effect of a diagnosis of glaucoma or glaucoma suspect. Results A total of 105 subjects (52 with CLs, 53 with IOLs) had specular microscopy or corneal thickness data recorded. Mean EC densities were higher in aphakic eyes compared with fellow eyes (3921 vs. 3495 cells/mm 2 , P P = 0.0002) and mean percent hexagonal cells was lower (72% vs. 76%, P = 0.002) in aphakic eyes compared with fellow eyes. Mean CCT of aphakic eyes was higher than in controls (637 vs. 563 μm, P 2 , P = 0.68). Means for CV (25 vs. 24, P = 0.07) and percent hexagonal cells (74 vs. 76%, P = 0.27) were also not significantly different. Mean CCT was higher in eyes with IOLs (605 vs. 571 μm, P 2 , P = 0.03) and treated eyes with glaucoma suspect had greater mean corneal thickness (660 vs. 612 μm, P = 0.0036). Conclusions Cataract extraction during infancy with IOL implantation was not associated with a reduced EC count in treated compared with fellow eyes, although CCT was increased. Extended-wear aphakic CLs may cause corneal polymegathism with increased EC density and CCT. Glaucoma diagnosis was associated with reduced EC counts and increased CCT.
The status and future of real-time tide and current data systems for United States PORTS

An aim of American oceanographic research is to "place powerful new navigation safety tools into the hands of the harbor pilots who guide ships to port". The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTSJ) is one such navigation safety tool. PORTS improves the safety and efficiency of maritime commerce and coastal resource management through the integration of real time environmental observations, forecasts, and other geospatial information. PORTS began in 1991 in Tampa Bay as a demonstration project to prove the value of realtime tide and current information to the marine navigation community. PORTS comes in a variety of sizes and configurations, each specifically designed to meet local user requirements and to take into account very real geographic and hydrologic differences between waterways. It uses off-the-shelf system components to the extent that needs can be satisfied, resorting to custom designs only where necessary. The largest PORTS installation to date comprises approximately 30 separate instruments (San Francisco Bay). The smallest consists of a single water level gauge and associated meteorological instruments. These smaller PORTS installations are referred to as PORTS "Lite". Regardless of size, each PORTS installation provides information that allows shippers and port operators to maximize port throughput while maintaining an adequate margin of safety. PORTS measures and disseminates observations and predictions of water levels, currents, salinity, and many meteorological parameters needed by the mariner to navigate safely. PORTS collects an integrated set of environmental information and makes it available in real time to ships entering a waterway or port. PORTS is a critical component of NOAA's comprehensive navigation safety solution. The objectives of PORTS are to: Improve navigation safety; Improve the efficiency of U.S. ports and harbors, and; Ensure the protection of coastal marine resources.
Said another way. Nurses' role in cancer control.

TOPIC. Nurses’ role in cancer control. PURPOSE. Many cancers are preventable and curable, if detected early. As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses can play a significant role in the control of cancer. Therefore, the purpose of this discussion is to highlight ways nurses can contribute to the prevention and early detection of cancer. It is meant to stimulate nurses’ own ideas about the specific role they can play in cancer control, regardless of practice setting. INFORMATION SOURCES. Existing literature, professional practice. CONCLUSION. Nurses have the ability to serve as change agents in strengthening cancer control within the systems they practice, regardless of the type of setting. Nurses can engage in a number of cancer control activities such as providing patient education on cancer risk, cancer prevention, and early detection, and in the development of policy in support of cancer control activities in practice.
WATER RELATIONS OF CHELONIAN EGGS AND EMBRYOS : IS WETTER BETTER?

The exchange of water between a chelonian egg and its subterranean environment is influenced by numerous factors, the most important of which are (1) structure of the calcareous layer of the eggshell, (2) water potential and temperature in the nest, and (3) fraction of the eggshell that actually contacts soil in the nest cavity. Eggs with relatively porous shells tend to absorb large quantities of water from cool, moist environments and to lose large amounts of water to warm, dry ones. Net water-exchange by such eggs also tends to be more favorable (= positive) when soil contacts the entire eggshell than when a large fraction of the shell is exposed to air trapped inside the nest cavity. In contrast, eggs with relatively impermeable shells usually exchange only small amounts of water with their environment, regardless of the physical conditions that prevail inside the nest. The pattern of net water-exchange, together with size (and water content) of the freshly laid egg, determines the amount of water that is available to sustain the embryo. An embryo having access to a relatively large reserve of water will consume more of its yolk and grow to larger size before hatching than will an embryo having access to a smaller reserve of water. Large, well-hydrated hatchlings may survive better than small, dehydrated animals during the trek overland from nest to water. If so, a cooler, wetter nest will also be a better nest.
Allograft Reconstruction of Peroneal Tendons: Operative Technique and Clinical Outcomes

Background:Irreparable peroneal tendon tears are uncommon and require complex surgical decision making. Intercalary segment allograft reconstruction has been previously described as a treatment opt...
Sub-shot-noise microscopy: imaging of faint phase objects with squeezed light.

We propose a scheme that uses spatially multimode squeezed light, generated by means of a traveling-wave optical parametric amplifier, with which a faint phase object can be imaged with sensitivity better than the shot-noise limit.
Complications in Spine Surgery

Complications pertaining to spine fracture fixation can be divided into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative complications. The specific complications, inherent to each procedure, are outlined in the text. However, complications pertaining to spine trauma surgery, in general, will be discussed in this chapter.
Evaluating conventional and sexed semen in a commercial beef heifer development program

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of sexed semen in a commercial heifer development program. Heifers (n = 500) were fed 0.5 mg/d of melengestrol acetate per animal for 14 d and 19 d later, administered PGE2α (PGF), and Estrotect heat detection patches were placed on their tail heads. Following PGF injection, heifers were detected for standing estrus and AI approximately 18 to 24 h following detection of standing estrus. Heifers not detected in estrus by 72 h after PGF injection were time inseminated (TAI) and given a GnRH injection 77 to 78 h post-PGF injection. Heifers were AI with one of 2 sires, either conventional or sexed semen, creating 4 possibilities for AI sire. At each AI session, heifers were divided evenly to receive either sexed or conventional semen from the same sires. Pregnancy was determined via ultrasonography 55 to 58 d after AI. Heifers were identified as pregnant by AI, clean-up bull, or nonpregnant. Pregnancy rate was greater (P < 0.01) for heifers inseminated with conventional compared with sexed semen (58.4 vs. 41.0%). In addition, more (P < 0.01) heifers detected in standing estrus were pregnant (≥ 55.9%) than heifers TAI (24.0%).
The Future of Multilateralism: Governing the World in a Post-Hegemonic Era

Since the middle of the twentieth century, the governance of the global system has been organized around the United States and the advanced industrial democracies. In the shadow of the Cold War, these countries established a wide array of global and regional institutions to manage economic, political, and security relations. The Bretton Woods institutions, GATT (and later the WTO), the United Nations, and various functional institutions provided the bulwark for an open and managed postwar world economy and global order. An American-led alliance system provided a structure for regional security in Europe and East Asia. When the Cold War ended, these far-flung institutions were extended into a more fully global multilateral system of governance. The United States dominated the global order. But, more so than did leading states in previous eras, it established its dominance through institutions. It was an American-led liberal hegemonic order.
Relative Importance of Enteropathogens in Acute Endemic Diarrhea and Food-Borne Diarrheal Illness

Establishing the etiology of acute diarrhea is complex because of the many variables influencing its cause and/or detection, including age, geographic location, season, and availability of laboratory procedures necessary to fully identify the various agents. Regardless of the part of the world in which it occurs, acute infectious diarrhea cannot be attributed to any one enteropathogen. The presence of rotavirus (RV) in stool specimens of a substantial proportion of children with diarrhea is evidence of the importance of this agent in endemic illness. A correlation exists between identification of RV in stool specimens and serologic response to infection. Enterotoxigenic E. coli. (ETEC) is an important cause of diarrhea in persons from industrialized countries during travel to developing regions, but it does not account for a large number of endemic cases of diarrhea in children in the United States. Serotype-determined enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is an important cause of infantile diarrhea, yet the relative frequency of occurrence and mechanisms of pathogenesis are unknown. Intestinal infections due to Shigella and Salmonella generally occur in the summer months in children over 3 months of age and in adults. G. lamblia is a cause of acute, chronic, and recurrent diarrhea in all age groups. Other agents which require specialized laboratory techniques for identification have been shown to cause diarrhea on occasion.
S100 Proteins in the Pathogenesis of Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, self-limited vasculitis of infants and children, and its successful treatment depends on timely diagnosis. This vasculitis of unknown etiology, which is now the most common form of acquired heart disease in children in the U.S. and Japan ([1,2][1]), presents with
Effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 on a novel lung cancer spine metastasis model in rodents.

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent cancer. Spinal metastases are found in 30-90% of patients with death attributed to cancer. Due to bony destruction caused by metastases, surgical intervention is often required to restore spinal alignment and stability. While some research suggests that BMP-2 may possess tumorigenic effects, other studies show possible inhibition of cancer growth. Thirty-six athymic rats underwent intraosseous injection of lung adenocarcinoma cells into the L5 vertebral body. Cells were pre-treated with vehicle control (Group A) or rhBMP-2 (Group B) prior to implantation. At 4 weeks post-implantation, in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was performed to confirm presence of tumor and quantify signal. Plain radiographs and microComputed Tomography (microCT) were employed to establish and quantitate osteolysis. Histological analysis characterized pathologic changes in the vertebral body. At 4 weeks post-implantation, BLI showed focal signal in the L5 vertebral body in 93% of Group A animals and 89% of Group B animals. Average tumor burden by BLI radiance was 7.43 × 10(3) p/s/cm(2) /sr (Group A) and 1.11 × 10(4) p/s/cm(2) /sr (Group B). Radiographs and microCT demonstrated osteolysis in 100% of animals showing focal BLI signal. MicroCT demonstrated significant bone loss in both groups compared to age-matched controls but no difference between study groups. Histological analysis confirmed tumor invasion in the L5 vertebral body. These findings provide a reliable in vivo model to study isolated spinal metastases from lung cancer. Statement of Clinical Significance: The data support the notion that exposure to rhBMP-2 does not promote the growth of A549 lung cancer spine lesions. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1274-1281, 2016.
Pathogenesis and Transmission of Novel Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2 and H5N8 Viruses in Ferrets and Mice

ABSTRACT A novel highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N8 virus, first detected in January 2014 in poultry and wild birds in South Korea, has spread throughout Asia and Europe and caused outbreaks in Canada and the United States by the end of the year. The spread of H5N8 and the novel reassortant viruses, H5N2 and H5N1 (H5Nx), in domestic poultry across multiple states in the United States pose a potential public health risk. To evaluate the potential of cross-species infection, we determined the pathogenicity and transmissibility of two Asian-origin H5Nx viruses in mammalian animal models. The newly isolated H5N2 and H5N8 viruses were able to cause severe disease in mice only at high doses. Both viruses replicated efficiently in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of ferrets; however, the clinical symptoms were generally mild, and there was no evidence of systemic dissemination of virus to multiple organs. Moreover, these influenza H5Nx viruses lacked the ability to transmit between ferrets in a direct contact setting. We further assessed viral replication kinetics of the novel H5Nx viruses in a human bronchial epithelium cell line, Calu-3. Both H5Nx viruses replicated to a level comparable to a human seasonal H1N1 virus, but significantly lower than a virulent Asian-lineage H5N1 HPAI virus. Although the recently isolated H5N2 and H5N8 viruses displayed moderate pathogenicity in mammalian models, their ability to rapidly spread among avian species, reassort, and generate novel strains underscores the need for continued risk assessment in mammals. IMPORTANCE In 2015, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses have caused outbreaks in domestic poultry in multiple U.S. states. The economic losses incurred with H5N8 and H5N2 subtype virus infection have raised serious concerns for the poultry industry and the general public due to the potential risk of human infection. This recent outbreak underscores the need to better understand the pathogenesis and transmission of these viruses in mammals, which is an essential component of pandemic risk assessment. This study demonstrates that the newly isolated H5N2 and H5N8 viruses lacked the ability to transmit between ferrets and exhibited low to moderate virulence in mammals. In human bronchial epithelial (Calu-3) cells, both H5N8 and H5N2 viruses replicated to a level comparable to a human seasonal virus, but significantly lower than a virulent Asian-lineage H5N1 (A/Thailand/16/2004) virus. The results of this study are important for the evaluation of public health risk.
An Explorative Study on Business Processes and Information Systems in Electrical Construction Firms: A Case Study Approach

Electrical construction firms use different types of information systems to deal with various business processes. Although in theory researchers find that information systems can help improving productivity, in reality electrical construction firms still suffer from the lack of understanding to the value of information systems. Previous studies have suggested many reasons why construction firms lag in adopting information technology. Through case studies, this paper, exploring the application of information systems to electrical construction firms based on the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, suggests that the focus of existing applications is mainly on mediating internally-oriented business processes. The resulting capabilities may not necessarily help electrical construction firms translate the value of information systems into their long-term competitive advantage. Consequently, future studies are recommended to determine whether computer-mediated externallyoriented business processes should be identified, developed and integrated with the internally-oriented business processes.
Isolation of alpha- and beta-melanocyte stimulating hormones (MSH) on a preparative scale.

Summaryα- and β-MSH were isolated on preparative scale with high recovery of starting activity. The initial step in purification of both hormones is chromatography on carboxymethylcellulose. β-MSH is further purified (4-5 × 106 U/mg) by use of DEAE cellulose. α-MSH was not completely freed of vasopressin and other contaminants by zone electrophoresis on large vertical column. Countercurrent distribution of concentrate of vasopressin and α-MSH, yields α-MSH with a potency of 1.5 × 107 U/mg, free of vasopressin.
Seasonality of Catch of Pear Psylla Cacopsylla pyricola (Homoptera: Psyllidae) on Yellow Traps

Sampling of summer form and winter form pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Foerster), was undertaken during four years and in two orchards using three methods: yellow sticky traps, clear sticky traps, and beating tray (limb jar techniques). Catches on yellow and clear sticky traps were positively correlated; correlations between trap catches and beating tray numbers tended to be nonsignificant. Catch of summer forms and fall populations of winter forms was much greater on yellow traps than on clear traps. In early spring (before bud break) clear traps captured as many or more psylla than yellow traps; but yellow traps caught far more psylla as green tissue appeared on pear trees. Differences in numbers caught on the two colors were larger for traps hung at the higher of two heights; however, in percentage terms (percentage of total captures occurring on yellow), no position effects were noted. Catches of spring populations of winter forms on sticky traps were highly biased toward male psylla. Similar trends in sex ratio bias were noted for the earliest spring beating tray samples; male bias decreased on successive sampling dates.