cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diphoterine for alkali chemical splashes to the skin at alumina refineries.

Background Diphoterine is a commercially available amphoteric, hypertonic, chelating solution used to decontaminate and irrigate chemical splashes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of Diphoterine at three alumina refineries. This is the largest case series reported to date. Methods One hundred eighty cases of alkali splashes to the skin were evaluated clinically. Two groups were compared; those who had applied Diphoterine first and those who had applied water first. Results There were no signs of chemical burn in 52.9% of the group who applied Diphoterine first compared with 21.4% of the group who applied water first. Only 7.9% of the group who applied Diphoterine first had blisters or more severe signs compared with 23.8% of the group who applied water first. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). After implementation of Diphoterine the ‘‘first aid’’ injury rate for chemical burns fell 24.7% (95% CI 0.5‐43.0%). Conclusions Applying Diphoterine first was associated with significantly better outcomes following alkali skin splashes than applying water first.
The Transition Zone Chlorophyll Front updated: Advances from a decade of research

The dynamic ocean feature called the Transition Zone Chlorophyll Front (TZCF) was first described fifteen years ago based on an empirical association between the apparent habitat of loggerhead sea turtles and albacore tuna linked to a basin-wide chlorophyll front observed with remotely sensed ocean color data. Subsequent research has provided considerable evidence that the TZCF is an indicator for a dynamic ocean feature with important physical and biological characteristics. New insights into the seasonal dynamics of the TZCF suggest that in the summer it is located at the southern boundary of the subarctic gyre while its position in the winter and spring is defined by the extent of the southward transport of surface nutrients. While the TZCF is defined as the dynamic boundary between low and high surface chlorophyll, it appears to be a boundary between subtropical and subarctic phytoplankton communities. Furthermore, the TZCF is also characterized as supporting enhanced phytoplankton net community production throughout its seasonal migration. Lastly, the TZCF is important to the growth rate of neon flying squid and to the survival of monk seal pups in the northern atolls of the Hawaiian Archipelago. This paper reviews these and other findings that advance our current understanding of the physics and biology of the TZCF from research over the past decade.
Rheology of the underfill flow process in a flip chip package

Underfills that flow have traditionally shown superior reliability performance compared to no-flow underfills. This has ensured the necessity for flowable underfills in the IC market. Flow speed has been an issue, as faster flow would reduce cycle time, but should not be at the expense of package reliability. Schwiebert and Leong (1996) established the basic theory of underfill flow. Others have modified this theory, but in all these models, the effect of change in underfill viscosity during the flow process was not considered. This has rendered the theories incomplete and has in part led to errors in flow modelling. In the first half of this study, the Schwiebert and Leong model was expanded to include the underfill viscosity change at flow temperature. The resulting derivation is a more general form of the flow equation. The paper shows that the new equation can be reduced to the Schwiebert and Leong equation when underfill viscosity is considered to be constant. Experimental verification was done by first characterizing the viscosity change over time of three different underfills. The flow distances versus time, the change in rheology over flow temperatures and time, and the change in underfill contact angle to a laminate substrate and polyimide die are also measured over time and temperature. The effect of change in contact angle over time at underfill flow temperatures and other parameters that influence underfill flow are discussed. The experimental results are then compared with assumptions made in theoretical prediction of underfill flow. Finally, experimental flow results are compared with the theoretical model.
Complexing of serum pre-β- and β-lipoproteins and acid mucopolysaccharides☆

Abstract Serum pre-β- and β-lipoproteins were observed to form insoluble complexes with sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides (MPS) in presence of Cat+. Optimum conditions for the formation of the complexes were investigated with varying amounts of MPS and Ca 2+ , and the degree of complexing of various MPS was studied. Heparin, even at low concentrations, formed maximum amounts of complexes. These lipoprotein-heparin complexes were extensively analyzed by several analytical and different electrophoretic methods, including electrophoresis on agar-agarose gel. The complexes precipitated with heparin demonstrated a mixture of pre-β- and β-lipoproteins, and critical amounts of Ca 2+ were found essential for the formation of complexes. A mechanism of formation of a complex through Cat+, acting as a bridge between N-sulfate groups of heparin and phosphate groups of phospholipids of pre-β- and β-lipoproteins, was suggested.
Identifying, Recruiting, and Retaining Quality Field Supervisors and Project Managers in the Electrical Construction Industry

AbstractProductivity depends upon many factors including motivation, symmetry between assignments and skills, anticipation of technical challenges during tasks, precise instructions, availability of materials and equipment, coordination with other trades, creativity, and emphasis on safety and quality. Good field supervisors and project managers foster such productivity. Over 100 participants ranging from electricians to company owners informed a modified 360° assessment of field supervisors and project managers within the unionized electrical contracting community. Focus group discussions and interviews assessed the beneficial characteristics of field supervisors and project managers. Analysis of these characteristics yielded consistent themes, which became the 12 pillars of successful supervision. Based upon these pillars, effective recruitment and retention strategies for both field supervisors and project managers were developed.
A priori evaluation of two-stage cluster sampling for accuracy assessment of large-area land-cover maps

Two-stage cluster sampling reduces the cost of collecting accuracy assessment reference data by constraining sample elements to fall within a limited number of geographic domains (clusters). However, because classification error is typically positively spatially correlated, within-cluster correlation may reduce the precision of the accuracy estimates. The detailed population information to quantify a priori the effect of within-cluster correlation on precision is typically unavailable. Consequently, a convenient, practical approach to evaluate the likely performance of a two-stage cluster sample is needed. We describe such an a priori evaluation protocol focusing on the spatial distribution of the sample by land-cover class across different cluster sizes and costs of different sampling options, including options not imposing clustering. This protocol also assesses the two-stage design's adequacy for estimating the precision of accuracy estimates for rare land-cover classes. We illustrate the approach usin...
Asymmetric allylboration for the synthesis of β-hydroxy-δ-lactone unit of statin drug analogs

Abstract Acrylic esters of homoallylic alcohols prepared in 92–96% ee via the asymmetric allylboration of appropriate aldehydes with B-allyldiisopinocampheylborane, upon ring-closing metathesis in the presence of 10 mol% of Grubbs' catalyst provided the corresponding 6-substituted dihydropyran-2-ones. These were diastereoselectively epoxidized and regioselectively reduced to furnish optically pure analogs of statin drugs. This procedure allows for the development of a combinatorial library of analogs of these drugs.
Growth and Plasma Amino Acid Pattern of Chicks Fed Fish Meal as Sole Source Protein: Effect of Dietary Levels of Chloride, Sulfate, Glutamic Acid and Methionine

Abstract Two experiments were conducted with chicks fed fish meal as sole source protein from day 1 to day 21 to determine the effect (1) of lowered dietary chloride and sulfate content, (2) of additions of glutamic acid, and (3) of methionine on the growth response and on the plasma free amino acid pattern. These treatments produced characteristic effects on growth and the amino acid concentration in the plasma, indicating complex interactions. Decreasing the chloride and sulfate in a diet containing 12% protein supplied entirely by a fish meal produced a significant positive growth response which was apparently due to the resulting increased availability of arginine and increased concentration in the plasma. Supplementation of glutamic acid (5.05%) to the suboptimal 12% protein diet resulted in an increase in plasma glutamic acid and alanine, but increased growth occurred only when the diet also contained the higher level of chloride and sulfate. The addition of glutamic acid decreased the plasma concentration of threonine, serine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. Methionine additions failed to increase growth unless glumatic acid was also included in the diet with the lower chloride and sulfate content. The 0.2% methionine supplement with glutamic acid produced a growth response and an increase in plasma methionine, cystathionine, and α-amino butyric acid. When 0.6% methionine was added to the diet, the plasma levels of these three amino acids were higher, resulting in a growth depression. Both levels of methionine supplements in combination with the glutamic acid caused a drop in the plasma lysine, threonine, valine, and histidine.
IL-17 Contributes to Cell-Mediated Defense against Pulmonary Yersinia pestis Infection

Pneumonic plague is one of the world's most deadly infectious diseases. The causative bacterium, Yersinia pestis, has the potential to be exploited as a biological weapon, and no vaccine is available. Vaccinating B cell-deficient mice with D27-pLpxL, a live attenuated Y. pestis strain, induces cell-mediated protection against lethal pulmonary Y. pestis challenge. In this article, we demonstrate that prime/boost vaccination with D27-pLpxL confers better protection than prime-only vaccination. The improved survival does not result from enhanced bacterial clearance but is associated with increased levels of IL-17 mRNA and protein in the lungs of challenged mice. The boost also increases pulmonary numbers of IL-17-producing CD4 T cells. Interestingly, most of these cells simultaneously produce canonical type 1 and type 17 cytokines; most produce IL-17 and TNF-α, and many produce IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Neutralizing IL-17 counteracts the improved survival associated with prime/boost vaccination without significantly impacting bacterial burden. Thus, IL-17 appears to mediate the enhanced protection conferred by booster immunization. Although neutralizing IL-17 significantly reduces neutrophil recruitment to the lungs of mice challenged with Y. pestis, this impact is equally evident in mice that receive one or two immunizations with D27-pLpxL, suggesting it cannot suffice to account for the improved survival that results from booster immunization. We conclude that IL-17 plays a yet to be identified role in host defense that enhances protection against pulmonary Y. pestis challenge, and we suggest that pneumonic plague vaccines should aim to induce mixed type 1 and type 17 cellular responses.
Cognitive‐developmental differences in emotional understanding

As children's cognitive abilities develop and change over time, so must the way in which they understand their emotional worlds.
A monolithic RF-MEMS filter with continuously-tunable center-frequency and bandwidth

A novel RF-MEMS structure to achieve tunable bandwidth is presented in this paper. A movable nickel electrode is employed to realize tunable broad-side coupling. The bottom electrode is fabricated with high resistivity-SiCr to avoid performance degradation. This tunable coupling section is implemented in a planar MEMS tunable filter that consists of λ/2 coplanar waveguide (CPW) resonators and nickel RF-MEMS varactors. The center frequency is tuned from 28.55 GHz to 27.22 GHz. The tuning range of the bandwidth is up to 5%. Simultaneous and continuous tuning of both center frequency and bandwidth is experimentally demonstrated.
Deriving the Electron Density of the Solar Corona from the Inversion of Total Brightness Measurements

Usually, the electron density structure of the white-light solar corona is estimated from the inversion of polarized brightness measurements. The inversion technique was developed in the 1950s and has remained largely unchanged since. Here, for the —rst time, we expand this technique to total brightness observations to take advantage of the extensive Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraphs (LASCO) archive. We compare our technique to both theoretical coronal models and actual observations and show that it is as robust and accurate as the widely used polarized brightness inversion. The quantitative analysis of white-light coronal data critically depends on the removal of the F corona. We brie—y describe an improved F corona model we derived using the LASCO time series data. )
AN AIRFOIL THEORY OF BIFURCATING LAMINAR SEPARATION FROM THIN OBSTACLES

Global interaction of the boundary layer separating from an obstacle with resulting open/closed wakes is studied for a thin airfoil in a steady flow. Replacing the Kutta condition of the classical theory is the breakaway criterion of the laminar triple-deck interaction (Sychev 1972; Smith 1977), which, together with the assumption of a uniform wake/eddy pressure, leads to a nonlinear equation system for the breakaway location and wake shape. The solutions depend on a Reynolds number Re and an airfoil thickness ratio or incidence τ and, in the domain $Re^{\frac{1}{16}}\tau = O(1)$ considered, the separation locations are found to be far removed from the classical Brillouin–Villat point for the breakaway from a smooth shape. Bifurcations of the steady-state solution are found among examples of symmetrical and asymmetrical flows, allowing open and closed wakes, as well as symmetry breaking in an otherwise symmetrical flow. Accordingly, the influence of thickness and incidence, as well as Reynolds number is critical in the vicinity of branch points and cut-off points where steady-state solutions can/must change branches/types. The study suggests a correspondence of this bifurcation feature with the lift hysteresis and other aerodynamic anomalies observed from wind-tunnel and numerical studies in subcritical and high-subcritical Re flows.
LARP Long ${\rm Nb}_{3}{\rm Sn}$ Racetrack Coil Program

Development of high-performance Nb3Sn quadrupoles is one of the major goals of the LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP). As part of this program, long racetrack magnets are being made in order to check that the change in coil length that takes place during reaction is correctly accounted for in the quadrupole design and to check for length effects in implementing the "shell" method of coil support. To check the racetrack magnet manufacturing plan, a short racetrack magnet is being made. This magnet will be the first to use restack-rod process Nb3Sn, making it a "long sample" test vehicle for this new material. The paper reports the reaction and characterization of the Nb3Sn, and construction features and test results from the short racetrack magnet. The paper also reports on the status of the construction of the first long racetrack magnet.
Er:YAG laser debonding of porcelain veneers

The removal of porcelain veneers using Er:YAG lasers has not been previously described in the scientific literature. This study was designed to systematically investigate the efficacy of an Er:YAG laser on veneer debonding without damaging the underlying tooth structure, as well as preserving a new or misplaced veneer. Initially, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used on flat porcelain veneer samples (IPS Empress Esthetic; Ivoclar Vivadent, Amherst, NY) to assess which infrared laser wavelengths are transmitted through the veneer. Additionally, FTIR spectra from a veneer bonding cement (RelyX Veneer Cement A1; 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN) were obtained. While the veneer material showed no characteristic water absorption bands in the FTIR, the bonding cement has a broad H2O/OH absorption band coinciding with the ER:YAG laser emission wavelength. Consequently Er:YAG laser energy transmission through different veneer thicknesses was measured. The porcelain veneers transmitted 11 - 18 % of the incident Er:YAG laser energy depending on their thicknesses (Er:YAG laser: LiteTouch by Syneron; wavelength 2,940 nm, 10 Hz repetition rate, pulse duration 100 μs at 133 mJ/pulse; straight sapphire tip 1,100 μm diameter; Syneron, Yokneam, Israel). Initial signs of cement ablation occurred at approximately 1.8 - 4.0 J/cm 2 . This can be achieved by irradiating through the veneer with the fiber tip positioned at a distance of 3-6 mm from the veneer surface, and operating the Er:YAG laser with 133 mJ output energy. All eleven veneers bonded on extracted anterior incisor teeth were easily removed using the Er:YAG laser. The removal occurred without damaging underlying tooth structure as verified by light microscopic investigation (Incident Light Microscope Olympus B 50, Micropublisher RTV 3.3 MP, Image Pro software, Olympus). The debonding mainly occurred at the cement/veneer interface. When the samples were stored in saline solution for 5 days and/or an air-waterspray was used during irradiation, there was a high chance that the veneer would fractured during debonding. However if samples were not stored in water and only air spray was used, 75% of the veneers could be removed without any fracture. The use of an Er:YAG laser can be effective in not only debonding porcelain veneers and preserving tooth structure, but also in maintaining veneer integrity.
Rates of strabismus surgery in the United States: implications for manpower needs in pediatric ophthalmology.

Purpose To investigate rates of strabismus surgery and population projections in the United States and to consider whether a sufficient number of pediatric ophthalmologists are being trained to meet future needs. Methods Review of online data from Series 13 reports from the National Center for Health Statistics for the period 1965 to 1996, including reports from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery. Population data were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. Results The current rate of strabismus surgery for children under 15 years of age is 80 per 100,000 persons in the United States. This rate would generate an additional 389 strabismus cases annually, based on the predicted growth of the pediatric population. On average, today’s pediatric ophthalmologist performs about 114 strabismus procedures annually. Conclusions If the current rates and trends remain stable over the coming years, it is not likely that there will be a shortage of pediatric ophthalmologists in the United States.
Maya: multiple-dispatch syntax extension in Java

We have designed and implemented Maya, a version of Java that allows programmers to extend and reinterpret its syntax. Maya generalizes macro systems by treating grammar productions as generic functions, and semantic actions on productions as multimethods on the corresponding generic functions. Programmers can write new generic functions (i.e., grammar productions) and new multimethods (i.e., semantic actions), through which they can extend the grammar of the language and change the semantics of its syntactic constructs, respectively. Maya's multimethods are compile-time metaprograms that transform abstract syntax: they execute at program compile-time, because they are semantic actions executed by the parser. Maya's multimethods can be dispatched on the syntactic structure of the input, as well as the static, source-level types of expressions in the input. In this paper we describe what Maya can do and how it works. We describe how its novel parsing techniques work and how Maya can statically detect certain kinds of errors, such as code that generates references to free variables. Finally, to demonstrate Maya's expressiveness, we describe how Maya can be used to implement the MultiJava language, which was described by Clifton et al. at OOPSLA 2000.
Heparanase mediates renal dysfunction during early sepsis in mice

Heparanase, a heparan sulfate-specific glucuronidase, mediates the onset of pulmonary neutrophil adhesion and inflammatory lung injury during early sepsis. We hypothesized that glomerular heparanase is similarly activated during sepsis and contributes to septic acute kidney injury (AKI). We induced polymicrobial sepsis in mice using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in the presence or absence of competitive heparanase inhibitors (heparin or nonanticoagulant N-desulfated re-N-acetylated heparin [NAH]). Four hours after surgery, we collected serum and urine for measurement of renal function and systemic inflammation, invasively determined systemic hemodynamics, harvested kidneys for histology/protein/mRNA, and/or measured glomerular filtration by inulin clearance. CLP-treated mice demonstrated early activation of glomerular heparanase with coincident loss of glomerular filtration, as indicated by a >twofold increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and a >50% decrease in inulin clearance (P < 0.05) in comparison to sham mice. Administration of heparanase inhibitors 2 h prior to CLP attenuated sepsis-induced loss of glomerular filtration rate, demonstrating that heparanase activation contributes to early septic renal dysfunction. Glomerular heparanase activation was not associated with renal neutrophil influx or altered vascular permeability, in marked contrast to previously described effects of pulmonary heparanase on neutrophilic lung injury during sepsis. CLP induction of renal inflammatory gene (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) expression was attenuated by NAH pretreatment. While serum inflammatory indices (KC, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) were not impacted by NAH pretreatment, heparanase inhibition attenuated the CLP-induced increase in serum IL-10. These findings demonstrate that glomerular heparanase is active during sepsis and contributes to septic renal dysfunction via mechanisms disparate from heparanase-mediated lung injury.
Editorial Commentary: Disclosure of HIV Status to HIV-Infected Children in Areas With High HIV Prevalence.

HIV-infected children who are old enough to benefit from more knowledge of their illness. Several benefits of HIV status disclosure to infected children have been well described. Adherence to medications, CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts, and death rates have all been shown to be better among patients who know their HIV status compared with those who do not. Self-reported psychological distress has also been shown to be less among HIV-positive children who know their HIV status. While the child’s immediate reactions to disclosure can be negative (e.g., sadness, anxiety, anger), longer-term responses to early, supportive disclosures are generally neutral or positive [4]. Despite the known benefits, however, early disclosure of HIV status to infected children enrolled in care does not routinely occur. Barriers to disclosure to the child include lack of disclosure to other adults within the family, concerns about the child’s ability to cope with the information, and fears about isolation and stigmatization if disclosure to the child were to lead to others in the community being aware of the child’s/family’s status. Prior to disclosure to the child, potential risks to the family must be recognized, evaluated, and minimized. Health care professionals must be trained to support families during the disclosure process. The American Academy of Pediatr
Benign tumors of back

Abstract A list of the most common benign lesions occurring on the back have been considered briefly with their treatment. This article is not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject but rather a practical ready reference.
APL in quality business management

Companies monitor their processes so that they can identify actions that need to be taken. Measures such as monthly sales, expenses by category, inventory levels, days debt and computer service availability are recorded and reported.This paper introduces the application of quality control techniques to help you determine whether a process needs intervention. You will want to identify when a short term fluctuation becomes significant, when a longer term trend appears and most important, determine what sort of action is appropriate.There are many potential pitfalls in presentation techniques even when the correct information is being used. Some are mentioned, but are not the prime purpose of this paper. There are good examples in reference 1.
Estrogen Receptor α Deficiency Modulates TLR Ligand–Mediated PDC-TREM Expression in Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Lupus-Prone Mice

Female lupus-prone NZM2410 estrogen receptor α (ERα)-deficient mice are protected from renal disease and have prolonged survival compared with wild-type littermates; however, the mechanism of protection is unknown. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and type I IFN drive lupus pathogenesis. Estrogen acting via ERα enhances both pDC development and IFN production. The objectives for this study were to determine if ERα modulates pDC function and IFN activity in predisease NZM2410 mice as a possible protective mechanism of ERα deficiency in lupus-prone mice. We measured the effect of ERα deficiency on spleen pDC frequency, number, maturation, and activation state. ERα deficiency reduced type I IFN activity and the frequency of MHC class II(+) pDCs in the spleen without altering overall pDC frequency, number, or maturation state. Additionally, ERα-deficient NZM2410 mice had a significantly decreased frequency of pDCs expressing PDC-TREM, a modulator of TLR-mediated IFN production. After in vitro TLR9 stimulation, ERα deficiency significantly reduced the expression of PDC-TREM on pDCs from both NZM2410 and C57BL/6 mice. Thus, we have identified a significant effect of ERα deficiency on pDCs in predisease NZM2410 mice, which may represent a mechanism by which ERα deficiency protects NZM2410 mice from lupuslike disease.
Simple Majority Voting, Game Theory, and Resource Use

I propose in this paper to examine majority voting with the tools of elementary game theory. This, in itself, represents nothing new. The “majority game” has been analysed by numerous game theorists. I propose, however, to derive certain implications from the analysis for the utilization of resources in the public or collective sector of the economy. The models of collective decision-making that must be employed are necessarily abstract; so much so that the analyses may seem to appear to some observers as caricatures of actual political processes. Analysis must start somewhere, however, and even the most abstract of models, by isolating specific features of real-world institutions, may prove helpful to our over-all understanding. I shall introduce a model of pure democracy. That is to say, I shall assume that all collective decisions are to be made by a simple majority voting process in which all citizens participate. All problems of representation, leadership, parties, and coalitions shall be left out of account. Furthermore, I shall assume that the individual citizens in the model are motivated by utility-maximizing considerations; that is, each individual is assumed to vote in such a manner as to maximize his own utility. This assumption allows numerical values to be placed in the expected pay-offs that individuals receive through political processes. If the expected pay-offs can be numerically correlated with observable economic quantities or magnitudes, some provisional and tentative implications may be drawn concerning the tendency of majority voting rules to “over-extend” or to “starve” the public sector of the economy relative to the private sector.
Starting an in-hospital support group for employee victims of violence in the psychiatric hospital

Violence perpetrated on the staff in our psychiatric hospitals is increasing. We believe an in-hospital support group for employee victims of violence is an effective and economical means of helping our staff, our patients, and the hospital in general. We believe that it is crucial to provide education about and to foster sensitization to issues of violence and that our staff must work together within the facility and with outside agencies, such as those in the legal system. We are just starting our support group at the Carter Center, and this paper discusses various practical points encountered thus far and some of the theoretical issues surrounding our beginning. We believe ours is an important prototype of staff support groups, which are vitally needed. I hope to publish a follow-up report on our group and the progress it has made. Language: en
Cyclin D1 Associates with the TBP-associated factor TAF II 250 to regulate Sp1-mediated transcription

We have previously shown that Sp1-mediated transcription is stimulated by Rb and repressed by cyclin D1. The stimulation of Sp1 transcriptional activity by Rb is conferred, in part, through a direct interaction with the TBP-associated factor TAF(II)250. Here we investigated the mechanism(s) through which cyclin D1 represses Sp1. We examined the ability of cyclin D1 to regulate transcription mediated by Gal4-Sp1 fusion proteins, which contain the Gal4 DNA-binding domain and Sp1 trans-activation domain(s). The domain of Sp1 sufficient to confer repression by cyclin D1 was mapped to a region important for interaction with TAF(II)110. We further demonstrate that TAF(II)250-cyclin D1 complexes can be immunoprecipitated from mammalian and baculovirus-infected insect cells and that recombinant GST-TAF(II)250 (amino acids 1-434) associates with cyclin D1 in vitro. Moreover, the overexpression of Rb or CDK4 reduced the level of TAF(II)250-cyclin D1 complex. The amino terminus of cyclin D1 (amino acids 1-100) was sufficient for association with TAF(II)250 and for repressing Sp1-mediated transcription. Taken together, the results suggest that cyclin D1 may regulate transcription by interacting directly or indirectly with TAF(II)250.
Development of High-Throughput substrates for Generating Two-Dimensional Nanoparticles Assemblies and for Screening Protein Adsorption

We discuss methods leading to the fabrication of orthogonal substrates comprising surface-anchored polymer brushes, in which the polymer brush grafting density and molecular weight vary independently in two mutually perpendicular directions. We demonstrate that these orthogonal polymer substrates can be used as intelligent combinatorial platforms that facilitate the spatial distribution of nanoparticles and allow screening of protein adsorption on surfaces.
Hoarders: 'Good Intentions Gone Awry,' or Inexcusable Cruelty?

Animal hoarding cases are often described as isolated incidents where a person's "love" for animals gets out of control, to the point that legal intervention becomes necessary. Hoarders are thus portrayed, sometimes sympathetically, as eccentric "collectors" of animals, or as "Good Samaritans" with good intentions who just got in over their heads. Meanwhile, the horrifying abuse of the animals who suffer at the hands of hoarders goes largely ignored. In fact, animal hoarding is a serious psychological disturbance that causes almost unimaginable, large-scale suffering to animals, making hoarding one of the greatest causes of animal suffering in the U.S. Alarmingly, these houses of horror appear to be proliferating rapidly.The consensus among experts is that animal hoarding is a mental health problem and therefore cannot be prosecuted in the same manner as most animal cruelty cases. To effectively investigate, prosecute, and sentence hoarders, an understanding of the underlying pathology of the hoarding disorder is required. The following discussion highlights the key points of the hoarding pathology to assist the animal control, social work, and judicial systems in fashioning an appropriate approach to these cases. The article concludes that current institutional responses to animal hoarding require more coherent and coordinated articulation to fashion a comprehensive, durable solution to animal hoarding. Prescriptions for changing the current system are also described, including increased education to raise awareness of the problem, more effective sentencing and post-sentencing monitoring, and mandatory cross-reporting among agencies coming into contact with animal hoarders.
Molecular analysis and database establishment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus by pulsed field gel electrophoresis in Xiamen

Objective To establish pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE)database of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and to analyse the homology during the strains from different sources. Methods The DNA samples of 203 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were digested with SfiⅠ and then were analyzed by PFGE and bionumerics software. Results 203 strains were divided into 149 distinctive PFGE patterns 91.13%(185 strains) of strains owned unique PFGE pattern,and a few of strains owned more strains.79 strains from surveillance were divided into 74 PFGE patterns,which indicated that there was no relationship between the typing results and aquatic product,sampling time.124 strains from food poisoning were divided into 76 PFGE patterns.The D value was 99.81% calculated by bionumerics software. Conclusion The PFGE database of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Xiamen is established,which providing scientific basis for surveillance and emergency response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the city.
Effect of Radio Frequency Heating on Nalidixic Acid-Adapted Shiga Toxin-Producing and Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains in Buffer

This study aimed to evaluate the use of nalidixic acid-adapted strains of three major Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and non-pathogenic E. coli for the use of radio frequency (RF) heating using phosphate buffer saline (PBS). The effectiveness of RF was evaluated on cocktails of various STEC serotypes (O157:H7, O26:H11, O111) and non-pathogenic E. coli at different endpoint temperatures (55, 60, and 65 °C). All strains were successfully adapted to nalidixic acid (Nal). In general, the results indicated that Nal-adapted strains were not significantly different from Nal-sensitive strains evaluated either before treatment or at the endpoint temperatures. Nal-adapted strains were, therefore, confirmed to be effective as marker organisms in studies involving the use of RF in buffer. Results also showed that the thermal inactivation of strains was more effective as the treatment temperature increased, particularly at 65 °C, which showed a 6.0 log CFU/ml reduction. The results of the present study serve as a baseline to study RF as a potential intervention technology for non-intact beef products.
Robotic self-models inspired by human development

Traditionally, in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics, representations of the self have been conspicuously absent. Capabilities of systems are listed explicitly by developers during construction and choices between behavioral options are decided based on search, inference, and planning. In robotics, while knowledge of the external world has often been acquired through experience, knowledge about the robot itself has generally been built in by the designer. Built-in models of the robot's kinematics, physical and sensory capabilities, and other equipment have stood in the place of self-knowledge, but none of these representations offer the flexibility, robustness, and functionality that are present in people. In this work, we seek to emulate forms of self-awareness developed during human infancy in our humanoid robot, Nico. In particular, we are interested in the ability to reason about the robot's embodiment and physical capabilities, with the robot building a model of itself through its experiences.
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and methylphenidate. A review of height/weight, cardiovascular, and somatic complaint side effects.

Three classes (height/weight, cardiovascular, and somatic complaints) of treatment emergent symptoms (side effects) associated with methylphenidate (MPH) therapy for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are reviewed. The more easily quantifiable side effects (e.g., blood pressure [BP], heart rate [HR], height/weight) are mostly transient, dose-dependent, easily rectified with dosage adjustments, and considered minor from a clinical perspective considering the breadth and level of improvement in behavior and cognitive functioning observed in most children. Previously reported somatic complaints associated with psychostimulant therapy may reflect symptoms occurring prior to initiation of treatment and require additional study.
Apparent positive cooperativity in the mechanism of action of luteinizng hormone.

Dose response curves for cyclic AMP accumulation and testosterone prodduction were analyzed with respect to the apparent Km (ED50), apparent “Hill coefficient”, and basal and maximal production rates using a new computer program for a “four parameter” logistic function, employing weighted nonlinear least-squares regression. Results indicate the presence of apparent positive cooperativity for cyclic AMP production, with a Hill coefficient between 1.76 and 2.60, which is highly statistically significantly different from 1.0. For testosterone production, the calculated Hill coefficients were 1.44, 1.71 and 2.95. However, due to the large standard errors, these Hill coefficients were not significantly different from unity. These results are suggestive of the presence of positive cooperativity, or the presence of “quantal” mechanism at a level intermediate between binding and cyclic AMP production, or some other type of “threshhold” phenomenon. The methods employed should be generally useful for analysis of dose response curves from hormone-receptor binding systems.
Environmental Health Virtue Ethics.

Lisa Lee's “A Bridge Back to the Future: Public Health Ethics, Bioethics, and Environmental Ethics” (Lee 2017) argues that the ecosocial perspective of environmental ethics, when planted in the fie...
Metabolic phenotyping using kinetic measurements in young and older healthy adults.

Abstract Background The aging process is often associated with the presence of sarcopenia. Although changes in the plasma concentration of several amino acids have been observed in older adults, it remains unclear whether these changes are related to disturbances in whole body production and/or interconversions. Methods We studied 10 healthy young (~ 22.7 y) and 17 older adults (~ 64.8 y) by administering a mixture of stable amino acid tracers in a pulse and in a primed constant infusion. We calculated whole body production (WBP) and metabolite to metabolite interconversions. In addition, we measured body composition, muscle function, and provided questionnaires to assess daily dietary intake, physical activity, mood (anxiety, depression) and markers of cognitive function. Plasma enrichments and metabolite concentrations were measured by GC- and LC-MS/MS and statistics were performed by student t-test. Results Older adults had a 11% higher body mass index (p = 0.04) and 27% reduced peak leg extension force (p = 0.02) than the younger group, but comparable values for muscle mass, mood and cognitive function. Although small differences in several plasma amino acid concentrations were observed, we found older adults had about 40% higher values of WBP for glutamine (221 ± 27 vs. 305 ± 21 μmol/kg ffm/h, p = 0.03) and tau-methylhistidine (0.15 ± 0.01 vs. 0.21 ± 0.02 μmol/kg ffm/h, p = 0.04), 26% lower WBP value for arginine (59 ± 4 vs. 44 ± 4 μmol/kg ffm/h, p = 0.02) and a reduction in WBP (50%; 1.23 ± 0.15 vs. 0.69 ± 0.06 μmol/kg ffm/h, p = 0.001) and concentration (25%; 3.5 ± 0.3 μmol/l vs. 2.6 ± 0.2 μmol/l, p = 0.01) for β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate. No differences were observed in protein catabolism. Clearance of arginine was decreased (27%, p = 0.03) and clearance of glutamine (58%, p = 0.01), leucine (67%, p = 0.001) and KIC (76%, p = 0.004) were increased in older adults. Conclusions Specific differences exist between young and older adults in amino acid metabolism.
c-Fos mapping of brain regions activated by multi-modal and electric foot shock stress

Real-world stressors are complex and multimodal, involving physical, psychological, and social dimensions. However, the brain networks that mediate stress responses to these stimuli need to be further studied. We used c-Fos mapping in mice to characterize brain circuits activated by exposure to a single episode of multimodal stress (MMS), and compared these to circuits activated by electric foot shocks (EFS). We focused on characterizing c-Fos activity in stress-relevant brain regions including the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). We also assessed stress-induced activation of CRH-positive neurons in each of these structures. MMS and EFS activated an overlapping network of brain regions with a similar time course. c-Fos expression within the PVN and the BNST peaked 30-60 min after exposure to both MMS and EFS, and returned to baseline levels within 24 h. Quantification of c-Fos expression within BNST subregions revealed that while c-Fos expression peaked in all subregions 30-60 min after MMS and EFS exposure, the neuronal density of c-Fos expression was significantly higher in the dorsomedial and ventral BNST relative to the dorsolateral BNST. Our preliminary assessment indicated that a great majority of MMS or EFS-activated neurons in the PVN were CRH-positive (>87%); in contrast, about 6-35% of activated neurons in the BNST were CRH-positive. Our findings indicate that both MMS and EFS are effective at activating stress-relevant brain areas and support the use of MMS as an effective approach for studying multidimensional stress in animal models. The results also reveal that the PVN and BNST are part of a common neural circuit substrate involved in neural processing related to stress.
Genetic Manipulation of Purple Photosynthetic Bacteria

Genetic manipulation has become widely used in the study of purple photosynthetic bacteria. Some species have been extensively characterized genetically and thus are readily amenable to new applications of these techniques, while in other species genetic work is being developed and may require some adaptation of existing protocols. Genetic studies in purple bacteria include both classical genetic mapping that yields information about the genomic distribution of the genetic loci under study and molecular genetic techniques that employ recombinant DNA techniques and center on analysis at a nucleotide level. As a result of these studies, a large number of genes have been characterized, most prominently those whose products are involved in photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, but also including a variety of other processes. Techniques that have been used to identify genes range from complementation ofmutant strains to hybridization probes based on homologous genes or the amino acid sequences of proteins. The functional properties of genes have been studied by the generation of random mutations by chemical or transposon mutagenesis and by site-directed insertions, deletions and alterations of nucleotide sequences. The transcription and translation of genes have been investigated through gene fusions and in vitro and heterologous expression systems. The combination of classical genetics with the advances in molecular biological techniques provides an array of tools for dissecting the underlying basis for metabolic processes in these bacteria.
Risk and protective factors for mental health morbidity in a community sample of female-to-male trans-masculine adults.

Trans-masculine (TM) individuals, who are assigned female sex at birth and identify along the masculine gender spectrum, face mental health disparities relative to cisgender people. Limited research has sought to explore the multi-level risk and protective factors associated with mental health morbidity for TM populations. Between August 2015–September 2016, 150 TM adults were enrolled in a one-time biobehavioral health study. A survey assessed socio-demographics, past 12-month everyday discrimination, lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV), resilience (using the Brief Resilience Scale), and other factors. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between participant characteristics and four mental health statuses: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this sample (76.7% had a binary gender identity, i.e., man or transgender man; 74.7% were white, 70.0% were under age 30 years), 42.2% had PTSD based on past 30-day symptoms; 25.7% had depression based on past 7-day symptoms; 31.1% had anxiety based on past 7-day symptoms; and 31.3% had engaged in NSSI within the past 12-months. Results from multivariable models: 1) PTSD: unemployment, lifetime IPV and past 12-month discrimination were each associated with increased odds of PTSD, while having a partner was associated with the reduced odds of PTSD. 2) Depression: lower educational attainment and past 12-month discrimination were each associated with the increased odds of depression, while greater resilience was associated with the reduced odds of depression. 3) Anxiety: low annual household income and past 12-month discrimination were each associated with the increased odds of anxiety, while resilience was associated with the reduced odds of anxiety. 4) NSSI: past 12-month discrimination was associated with the increased odds of past 12-month NSSI, while higher age and greater resilience was associated with the reduced odds of NSSI (all p-values < 0.05). Unemployment, low income, limited education, everyday discrimination, and violence were risk factors for poor mental health, while being in a relationship, higher age, and personal resilience were protective against mental health morbidity. Findings highlight the need for interventions to address the individual, interpersonal, and societal factors that may be driving poor mental health in this population.
Wavefunction Statistics at the Quantum Hall Critical Point

I elaborate on the earlier suggestion that the model describing the plateau transition in the integer quantum Hall effect scales to a particular point on the line of critical points of a theory with higher symmetry.
Ductal vs . acinar? Recent insights into identifying cell lineage of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease with a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. To date, there are no early detection methods or effective treatments available. Many questions remain to be answered in regards to the pathogenesis of PDAC, among which, the controversy over the cell lineage of PDAC demands more attention. Ductal cells were originally thought to be the cell of origin for PDAC due to the ductal morphology of most cases of PDAC. However, recent studies have demonstrated that acinar cells are more sensitive to KRAS mutation and tend to develop to PanIN and PDAC effectively, very likely by undergoing acinar to ductal metaplasia into a transient state that contributes to PDAC initiation. There is also evidence that both ductal and acinar cells can potentially develop to PDAC when exposed to certain genetic settings and stimuli, suggesting that more scrutiny is required for the identification of the true cell lineage of individual cases of PDAC. In this work, we summarize recent findings in the identification of the cellular origin of PDAC, with the goal of advancing our knowledge on the initiation and progression of the disease. We also discuss various models and techniques for investigating early events of PDAC. Better understanding of these cellular events is crucial to identify new methods for the early diagnosis and treatment of PDAC.