cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tropospheric Rossby Wave Breaking and the NAO/NAM

Objective analysis of several hundred thousand anticyclonic and cyclonic breaking Rossby waves is performed for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) winters of 1958–2006. A winter climatology of both anticyclonic and cyclonic Rossby wave breaking (RWB) frequency and size (zonal extent) is presented for the 350-K isentropic surface over the NH, and the spatial distribution of RWB is shown to agree with theoretical ideas of RWB in shear flow. Composites of the two types of RWB reveal their characteristic sea level pressure anomalies, upper- and lower-tropospheric velocity fields, and forcing of the upper-tropospheric zonal flow. It is shown how these signatures project onto the centers of action and force the velocity patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM). Previous studies have presented evidence that anticyclonic (cyclonic) breaking leads to the positive (negative) polarity of the NAO, and this relationship is confirmed for RWB over the midlatitudes centered near 50°N. However, an opposite and statistically significant relationship, in which cyclonic RWB forces the positive NAO and anticyclonic RWB forces the negative NAO, is shown over regions 20° to the north and south, centered at 70° and 30°N, respectively. On a winter mean basis, the frequency of RWB over objectively defined regions covering 12% of the area of the NH accounts for 95% of the NAO index and 92% of the NAM index. A 6-hourly analysis of all the winters indicates that RWB over the objectively defined regions affects the NAO/NAM without a time lag. Details of the objective wave-breaking analysis method are provided in the appendix.
Design-level cohesion measures: derivation, comparison, and applications

Cohesion was first developed to predict properties of implementations created from a given design. Unfortunately, cohesion, as originally defined, could not be objectively assessed, while more recently developed objective cohesion measures depend on code level information. We show that association based and slice based approaches can be used to measure cohesion using only design level information. Our design level cohesion measures are formally defined, can be readily implemented, and can support software design, maintenance, and restructuring.
Region based image annotation through multiple-instance learning

In an annotated image database, keywords are usually associated with images instead of individual regions, which poses a major challenge for any region based image annotation algorithm. In this paper, we propose to learn the correspondence between image regions and keywords through Multiple-Instance Learning (MIL). After a representative image region has been learned for a given keyword, we consider image annotation as a problem of image classification, in which each keyword is treated as a distinct class label. The classification problem is then addressed using the Bayesian framework. The proposed image annotation method is evaluated on an image database with 5,000 images.
Cystic lung lesions in Sjogren syndrome: analysis of lymphocyte subsets in tissue with clinico-radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Pulmonary complications associated with Sjogren syndrome (SS) have attracted attention in recent years. Sjogren syndrome has been associated with small cyst formation in salivary glands, thymus, and lungs and has been recently brought to the forefront by radiologists due to high-resolution techniques. However, pathologists are less aware of this finding unless clinico-radiologic-pathologic correlation is sought. Formation of large bullae in SS is a rare complication with potential for confusion with other diseases. Here, we present the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings in 3 patients with SS associated with multiple pulmonary cystic lesions. All 3 patients had a variable mixed restrictive and obstructive component of the disease. There was good correlation with the pulmonary function tests (PFTs), high-resolution computed tomographic scan, and morphology with regard to the restrictive component. The small cysts appear to correlate with the extent of obstructive changes on the PFTs. However, the large bullae do not, implying noncommunication with the conducting airways. This noncorrelation between the PFTs and extent of bullous disease with predominant involvement of lower lobes in SS enables distinction from bullous emphysema. The mechanism of bulla formation in SS appears to be different from bullous emphysema. A check valve mechanism has been proposed previously in SS, which does not explain cyst formation in the thymus. Alternately, inflammation may play a role with the key suspects being CD4 T-helper cells and perhaps NK cells. This is the first report of a clinico-radiologic-pathologic correlation with analysis of lymphocyte subsets.
Rhamnose Biosynthesis Pathway Supplies Precursors for Primary and Secondary Metabolism in Saccharopolyspora spinosa

Rhamnose is an essential component of the insect control agent spinosad. However, the genes coding for the four enzymes involved in rhamnose biosynthesis in Saccharopolyspora spinosa are located in three different regions of the genome, all unlinked to the cluster of other genes that are required for spinosyn biosynthesis. Disruption of any of the rhamnose genes resulted in mutants with highly fragmented mycelia that could survive only in media supplemented with an osmotic stabilizer. It appears that this single set of genes provides rhamnose for cell wall synthesis as well as for secondary metabolite production. Duplicating the first two genes of the pathway caused a significant improvement in the yield of spinosyn fermentation products.
High Performance DC Chopper Speed and Current Control of Universal Motors Using a Microcontroller

This paper introduces a high performance DC chopper speed and current control system for universal motors. Differing from existing TRIAC and DC chopper speed control schemes, the new system adds the inner current control to improve dynamic response, and the motor starts up with closed speed and current control loops. Complete control schemes have been developed and implemented in a low cost Renesas R8C/25 16-bit microcontroller. Through a series of dynamometer tests, it has been shown that the proposed DC chopper control of the universal motor with both speed and current control has good speed regulation and fast response. It also has low acoustic noise, less current harmonics, low motor temperature, more torque and high motor efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate that the developed universal motor control has great potential and practical significance for industrial applications.
Left ventricular compliance: mechanisms and clinical implications.

Left ventricular diastolic compliance is determined by the level of operating pressure and the diastolic pressure-volume relation. This relation is curvilinear and the slope of a tangent (operative chamber stiffness) to the pressure-volume curve increases as the chamber progressively fills. Such preload-dependent changes in compliance occur during any acute alteration in ventricular volume. At a given diastolic pressure, operative chamber stiffness (or its reciprocal, operative chamber compliance) is determined by the relative values for ventricular volume and muscle mass and by the stiffness of a unit of myocardium. Thus, there may be a leftward shift of the diastolic pressure-volume curve (increase in the modulus of chamber stiffness) as a consequence of ventricular hypertrophy or an increase in the stiffness of heart muscle itself (increase in modulus of muscle stiffness). To distinguish between hypertrophy and stiff muscle, it is useful to examine the modulus of chamber stiffness, derived from pressure-volume data, together with the volume/mass ratio of the ventricle. In this fashion, changes in the modulus of chamber stiffness that are inappropriate for a given volume/mass ratio may be attributed to changes in the material properties of the heart muscle. Examples of clinical and experimental pressure-volume studies are presented to illustrate the variety of mechanisms by which acute and chronic changes in ventricular chamber compliance evolve during the course of clinical heart disease. The pathophysiology of pulmonary congestion is best understood by considering the factors responsible for producing changes in chamber stiffness of the ventricle, whereas an examination of muscle stiffness is likely to provide more insight into the extent of irreversible functional and structural defects of the myocardium.
The importance of behavioral and cognitive factors in heterosexual‐social anxiety1

Subject groups were classified on the basis of behavioral ratings for degree of anxiety exhibited and level of social skill displayed during a simulated dating interaction. Subjects were then asked to view and evaluate their own skill performance and the performance of bogus subjects during the same interaction when presented on videotapes. All subject groups were accurate in rating the performance of bogus subjects during the same interaction when presented on videotapes. All subject groups were accurate in rating the performance of the bogus subjects but the high anxious/high skill subjects underestimated (in comparison to judge's ratings) their own skill while high anxious/low skill subjects accurately assessed their poor performance. Implications of the establishment of two types of heterosexual-socially anxious subjects were drawn for both clinical practice and research.
A Study of the Effects of Negro Invasion on Real Estate Values1

THE MAJOR PURPOSE of the research discussed in this paper was an tempt to determine the effects, if any, of the invasion of Negroes on re estate values in a selected area of Kansas City, Missouri.2 There are number of variables involved in the relationship between such a maj( change in population and real estate values. As will be noted in the di cussion of methodological considerations and research design, an atteml was made to control the effect of some of the more significant variables i order to isolate this one aspect of change.
Hormonal modification of the number of total and late-arising neurons in the central part of the medial preoptic nucleus of the rat.

The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) is larger in volume in males, is responsive to steroids developmentally, and contains a subpopulation of late-arising neurons that can be specificially labeled with 3H-thymidine on embryonic day 18 (E18). The cytoarchitecture of this region has been described, and one component, the central part of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPNc), shows considerable overlap with the SDN-POA. One goal of the present study was to relate the two by determining if testosterone propionate (TP) exposure perinatally increases MPNc volume and neuronal number, and by characterizing the distribution of the late arising neurons of the SDN-POA with respect to the MPNc. A second goal was to determine if these late-arising neurons are a representative, hormone-sensitive population. Finally, TP exposure was delayed past the time of the endogeneous testosterone surge in males and after the neurons have become postmitotic, to determine if female brain structure could still be sex-reversed under these conditions. Pregnant rats were injected on E18 with 3H-thymidine. Daily injections of 2.0 mg TP were given to the mothers starting on either E16 or E20 and continued through birth. The pups were injected daily with 100 μg TP from birth through postnatal day 10. Control rats, from mothers given oil from E16 until birth, were injected with oil from birth through postnatal day 10. Rats were sacrificed at 30 days of age and their brains processed for autoradiography. Neurons and labeled cells were counted in three areas: (1) the MPNc, (2) the region surrounding the MPNc, and (3) a region anterior to the MPNc within the SDN-POA. Labeled cells composed approximately 16% of the neurons in the MPNc and only 3 to 4% in the control regions. Within the MPNc there were more neurons and labeled cells in males than in females. Testosterone treatment, regardless of the starting day, increased MPNc volume and its number of neurons and labeled cells to those of males. These data demonstrate that there is a sex difference in the number of late-arising neurons at 30 days of age, that they are sensitive to steroids during development, and that they are localized to the MPNc. In addition, TP exposure is effective beyond the time of the endogeneous surge in males. Steroid injections in one group of animals were not started until neurons in this region had become postmitotic but still resulted in a sex-reversal, suggesting that testosterone does not modify neurogenesis.
UPDATE ON PPHN: MECHANISMS AND TREATMENT

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is a syndrome of failed circulatory adaptation at birth, seen in about 2/1000 live born infants. While it is mostly seen in term and near-term infants, it can be recognized in some premature infants with respiratory distress or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Most commonly, PPHN is secondary to delayed or impaired relaxation of the pulmonary vasculature associated with diverse neonatal pulmonary pathologies, such as meconium aspiration syndrome, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and respiratory distress syndrome. Gentle ventilation strategies, lung recruitment, inhaled nitric oxide, and surfactant therapy have improved outcome and reduced the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in PPHN. Newer modalities of treatment discussed in this article include systemic and inhaled vasodilators like sildenafil, prostaglandin E1, prostacyclin, and endothelin antagonists. With prompt recognition/treatment and early referral to ECMO centers, the mortality rate for PPHN has significantly decreased. However, the risk of potential neurodevelopmental impairment warrants close follow-up after discharge for infants with PPHN.
Abstract 352: Clinician Attitudes and Self-Reported Practices Regarding End of Life Care in Heart Failure

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome with an overall poor prognosis, but the clinical trajectory is often unpredictable in individuals. There has been an impetus to promote iterative patient-provider discussions regarding preferences for end of life (EOL) care and advanced care planning. However, very little is known regarding provider preferences or their personal confidence addressing EOL care with their patients with HF. To address these gaps in knowledge, we surveyed clinicians at three practice sites in a large integrated health system. Methods: Physicians, nurse practitioners (NP), and physician assistants (PA) at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) and its surrounding health system were asked to participate in an electronic survey in October 2013. Clinicians surveyed included tertiary care HF specialists (Tertiary Care Cardiology), cardiologists and NP/PAs practicing in a community setting (Community Cardiology), and primary care clinicians (Primary Care). Results: A total of 95 clinicians completed the survey (52.5% response rate), including 50 physicians and 45 NP/PAs. Clinicians reported discussing prognosis and EOL wishes when their patient’s health status was worsening, but only 12% reported annual discussions as advocated by the American Heart Association. In total 52% of providers reported one or more reasons that they hesitate to discuss EOL care with their patients, including provider discomfort (11%), perception of patient (21%) or family (12%) unreadiness to have the discussion, fear of destroying hope (9%), or a lack of time (8%). Tertiary Care (63%) and Community Cardiology (58%) clinicians were more likely to attribute responsibility for having EOL discussions to the HF cardiologist, while 66% of Primary Care providers felt it was their responsibility. Tertiary and Community Cardiology clinicians were more likely to have referred patients to Palliative Medicine within the last year than Primary Care (89% vs. 21%, p<0.001). Overall, 30% of those surveyed reported low or very low confidence levels in initiating prognosis or EOL discussions, enrolling patients in hospice, or providing EOL care, with lower confidence among those with fewer years of clinical experience. The majority of clinicians expressed a high level of interest in further skills acquisition on these topics. Conclusion: There is tremendous variability in the way that clinicians view and approach advanced care discussions with their patients with HF; varying provider perception and lack of provider confidence may contribute. Despite this variability, most clinicians are interested in further development and skills acquisition. Addressing the learning needs of providers is an important next step toward enhancing the EOL care of patients with HF.
Retinal Hemorrhage Following Lensectomy and Anterior Vitrectomy in Children

Lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy were performed on 13 eyes of 10 consecutive children, aged 10 years or less, with congenital or acquired nontraumatic cataracts or subluxed lenses. Operative eyes were examined prospectively to determine the incidence and natural course of hemorrhagic retinopathy following lens extraction. Flame-shaped retinal hemorrhages occurred in five eyes of four patients within 24 hours of surgery. In addition, a small vitreous hemorrhage was seen in one of these patients. All hemorrhages cleared within 3 weeks postoperatively. No statistically significant correlation was found between the occurrence of hemorrhage and patient age, race, sex, or duration of surgery. We conclude that retinal hemorrhage following lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy in children may occur more commonly than previously recognized.
Changes in Differentiation-Relatedness During Psychoanalysis

This study sought to determine (a) if the Differentiation-Relatedness Scale of Self and Object Representations (D-RS), a coding model used with the Object Relations Inventory (Blatt, Wein, Chevron, & Quinlan, 1979 ) could be reliably applied to transcripts of psychoanalyses, and (b) if levels of differentiation-relatedness improve over the course of psychoanalysis. Participants were 4 creative writers who underwent psychoanalysis as part of a longitudinal research project focused on the processes and outcomes of psychoanalysis. Transcripts from the beginning and termination phases of psychoanalysis were coded by 2 independent raters for global, low, and high levels of self and other differentiation-relatedness and compared. There was good interrater agreement, suggesting that, like other forms of narrative material, psychoanalysis transcripts can be reliably rated for levels of object relations. Analysands showed an increase in global levels of differentiation-relatedness from a predominance of emergent ambivalent constancy (M = 6.2) at the beginning of analysis to consolidated, constant representations of self and other (M = 7.5) at the end of analysis. These preliminary findings contribute significantly to the empirical literature with regard to the measurement of self and object representations and change in these representations over the course of psychoanalysis.
64CuATSM pharmacokinetics in FaDu tumors and correlation to microscopic hypoxia

517 Objectives To determine (i) the 64CuATSM pharmacokinetics by dynamic PET imaging and (ii) the microdistribution by digital autoradiography in a head & neck tumor model FaDu. Methods Eight FaDu tumor xenografts of 20 ± 4 mm were grown in nude rats. PET imaging determined venous input functions, and time-activity in tissue. Influx constant (Ki) and distribution volume (Vd) were calculated for tumors and healthy muscle. 64CuATSM autoradiographs at early (1 h) and late (>18 h) times post-injection were compared to immunohistochemical markers for hypoxia (Pimonidazole) and perfusion (Hoechst 33342). Results Estimated Ki was 3.1x10-2 min-1 for tumor and 3.9x10-3 min-1 for muscle, a 12 fold difference. The tumor-to-muscle ratio of Vd was 4.6 ± 0.2 (p = 0.0002), while effective washout rates were indistinguishable (p = 0.06). Mean PET signal (PETmean) in muscle stayed constant (p >> 0.01) beyond 20 min post-injection. However, PETmean in tumors only reached pseudo steady state. At 20 min, tumor PETmean were 4.7 ± 0.2 times muscle, increasing to 5.2 ± 0.4 at 80 min, and 12.2 ± 0.8 by 18 h. Yet, the spatial distributions between PET image voxels appeared unchanged (Pearson’s r > 0.6). No significant trends emerged between 64CuATSM and Pimonidazole staining intensity. Bimodal behavior was observed at early times. Linear trends were found in late images, but varied from positive to negative correlation even among multiple cross-sections of the same tumor. 64CuATSM was co-distributed with Hoechst 33342 at 1 h. Conclusions 64CuATSM PET distributions were unchanged after 20 min, yet tumor-to-muscle ratios continually increased even at 18 h. The oxygen partial pressures at which 64CuATSM and Pimonidazole are reduced and bound in cells are theorized to be distinct and separable. However, microscopic imaging has shown random relationships between distributions of Pimonidazole and accumulation of 64CuATSM in this head & neck tumor model. 64CuATSM uptake demonstrated clear tumor targeting, but was unable to discern between different microenvironmental sub-regions. Research Support NIH grant P01 CA11567
Metabolism of sea urchin spermatozoa and induced anaerobic motility in solutions of amino acids.

Summary1. The metabolism of sea urchin spermatozoa has been examined in sea water containing amino acids which, as had been previously shown, greatly extend the functional life span of these cells. 2. The oxygen uptake of spermatozoa in sea water containing amino acid resembles that of spermatozoa in normal sea water in that a high initial rate is followed by a steady decrease. 3. In the presence of amino acid, however, the initial rate is lower than that of the controls, the degree of inhibition increasing as the concentration of the amino acid is increased. 4. The low rates of oxygen uptake attained after a period of senescence are significantly higher in the presence of amino acid than in the controls. 5. Suspensions of spermatozoa in sea water show a secondary rise in O2 uptake shortly after a period of extremely low, or non-existent, oxygen uptake following loss of motility and fertilizing capacity. 6. This secondary rise is much delayed in the presence of amino acid, corresponding to the extended pe...
Influences of Dietary Restriction on Immunity to Influenza in Aged Mice

Our previous studies of the immune response of aged mice inoculated with influenza A virus revealed age-related decreases in antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte function (CTL), T-cell proliferation, IL-2 production, antigen presentation, and antibody production. Because dietary restriction (DR) of rodents has been shown to extend maximum life span, delay the onset of tumors, and improve many immunologic parameters in aged animals, we tested the effect of such a regimen on the immune response to the influenza virus. We report that DR significantly inhibited the age-related decline in antigen presentation and T-cell proliferation. It also reduced the decline in antibody production to the virus. This is the first demonstration of improved immunity to an actual infectious agent resulting from DR. The improvement appears to be on a number of levels and to reflect more than one operative mechanism.
Moving Latino/a Students Into STEM Majors in College: The Role of Teachers and Professional Communities in Secondary Schools

We argue that Latino/a students are more likely to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in college if they were educated in high schools where they studied with satisfied teac...
The "abnormal" laboratory result. Problems in interpreting laboratory data.

As the number of screening tests done on a healthy patient increases, so does the probability that at least one value will be outside the “normal range” by chance. If only one of several tests is “abnormal,” interpretation must be guarded. Much of the difficulty in interpreting laboratory values stems from the arbitrary division of patients into two distinct groups, healthy and diseased.
Nineteenth Annual Warns Institute Symposium: Employment Arbitration after Circuit City

The United States Supreme Court's 1991 decision in Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane created the new field of alternative dispute resolution that we now know as employment arbitration. Despite its significance, Gilmer's holding was extremely limited. It answered only one question, whether an agreement to arbitrate a claim under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act ("ADEA") was enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"). It took a full decade for the Supreme Court to resolve, in Circuit City Stores, Inc. v. Adams, the most obvious and important remaining question, whether the FAA's exclusion of "contracts of employment" applied to all workers or only to those engaged in transportation of goods in commerce. Exploring Circuit City's nuances would be a useful endeavor, but it is far more important and interesting to consider the employment arbitration issues still to be resolved. This article describes the most significant of the predictable battles in our war over employment arbitration. Although predicting Supreme Court decisions is always risky, this article concludes with some estimates of the probable results of the remaining issues.
Research progress in inhalation preparation

Inhalation administration is the first choice for the treatment of respiratory diseases,such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD).In clinic,the most common used dosage forms for inhaled drug administration are pressurized metered-dose inhalation,dry powder inhalation,and atomizing inhalation.The in vitro effective evaluation index of inhalation is particle size,and the determination of particle size could be carried out with the impactors method and the optical instruments method.This review discusses the characteristic,classification,research status,and in vitro evaluation methods of inhalation preparation.
Clinicopathological analysis of severe combined immunodeficiency

Purpose To explore the clinicopathological features of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Methods Six cases of SCID were reviewed and analyzed both in clinical data and autopsy examination. Results The six cases of SCID were male with mean age of 4 months. The major presentations were fever, cough, diarrhea and convulsion. All the patients had abnormalities of blood biochemical and immune tests. The mean absolute lymphocyte count was(0.5±0.16)×10~9/L,and IgG,IgM and IgA were significantly lower than normal. Autopsy examination showed thymuses in the six cases were very small with mean weight of 1.5 g. Microscopically, there were no distinctive margin between the cortex and medulla in the thymuses with few lymphocytes and Hassall's corpuscles. There were few lymphocytes and plasma cells in the spleen, appendix and ileum. SICD with disseminated CMV infection affected nearly all organs and all the cases died of severe pneumonia. Conclusions SCID has high mortality because of severe infection. CMV infection in SCID has the features of dissemination, combining with other pathogenic infection and susceptibility of central nervous system.
Informing the Design of a Game-Based Learning Environment for Computer Science: A Pilot Study on Engagement and Collaborative Dialogue.

Game-based learning environments hold great promise for supporting computer science learning. The ENGAGE project is building a game-based learning environment for middle school computational thinking and computer science principles, situated within mathematics and science curricula. This paper reports on a pilot study of the ENGAGE curriculum and gameplay elements, in which pairs of middle school students collaborated to solve gamebased computer science problems. Their collaborative behaviors and dialogue were recorded with video cameras. The analysis reported here focuses on nonverbal indicators of disengagement during the collaborative problem solving, and explores the dialogue moves used by a more engaged learner to repair a partner’s disengagement. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for designing a game-based learning environment that supports collaboration for computer science.
Adolescent mental health and the juvenile justice system.

This article discusses a sensitive issue that is complex and provocative, and will undoubtedly stimulate a variety of opinions. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pediatric Nursing Journal or the publisher.
Neurobiology of Reproduction in the Female Rat: A Fifty-Year Perspective

With respect to the ovarian status and the estrous cycle as expressed by the vaginal cytology, it was emphasized that there is only a rough correspondence between the vaginal stages and the days of the cycle. The 4-day cycle tends to be the most frequent, with the 5-day cycle a normal variant. Spontaneous persistent vaginal estrus (SPE), an acyclic state occurring in older adult rats, reflects the presence in the ovaries of large vesicular follicles failing to luteinize and, hence, the absence of corpora lutea once the condition becomes well established. Pseudocyclic fluctuations in the vaginal smear during SPE resemble those in ovariectomized rats treated chronically with estrogen. The age of onset of SPE varies among different rat strains, appearing as early as 5 or 6 months in the DA and CD strains, but rarely before 12 months in the O-M strain. O-M/DA hybrids were intermediate. In the DA strain there was also a marked influence of length of daily illumination on the occurrence of SPE: exposure to 10 hours or less of light per day restored cycling to rats that had already shown SPE while exposed to longer days. An hereditary influence of age was also apparent in the rapidity with which continuous illumination induced persistent estrus (LLPE). Young DA females rapidly entered LLPE within 10 days, while young O-M females remained cyclic for 5 weeks. Hybrids again were intermediate. At middle age. O-M rats became as responsive as young rats of the DA strain. Like SPE in DA rats. LLPE was reversible, for estrous cycles returned after daily exposure to light was reduced. The special sensitivity of DA rats to lighting may have been a trait acquired from outcrossing with wild gray rats in years past. Normal cycling could be restored in SPE rats by daily injection of progesterone at low dosage. The same effect followed isolated treatments with progesterone upon return of proestrus/estrus after interruption of SPE. This was the first demonstration of positive feed-back of progesterone, the first sign of its biphasic action, and an indication that progesterone facilitates the action of estrogen in promoting ovulation. When progesterone treatment was delayed after proestrus/estrus there was progressively lower effectiveness during the next 10 days. Indirect support of regular ovulatory cycles resulted from treating DA SPE rats with prolactin (PRL) daily at low doses, provided that an initial set of corpora lutea was first induced by other means.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
On automatically detecting similar Android apps

Detecting similar applications is a challenging problem, since it implies that similar high-level features and their low-level implementations can be detected and matched automatically. We propose an approach for automatically detecting Closely reLated applications in ANdroid (CLANdroid) by relying on advanced Information Retrieval techniques and five semantic anchors: identifiers, Android APIs, intents, permissions, and sensors. To evaluate CLANdroid we created a benchmark consisting of 14,450 apps along with information on similar apps provided by Google Play. We also compared effectiveness of different semantic anchors for detecting similar apps as perceived by 27 users. The results show that using Android-specific semantic anchors are useful for detecting similar Android apps across different categories. We also measured the impact of third-party libraries and obfuscated code when identifying similar Android apps, and our results suggest that there is significant difference in the accuracy when third-party libraries are excluded.
Zinc Resistance within Swine-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in the United States Is Associated with Multilocus Sequence Type Lineage.

Zinc resistance in livestock-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) sequence type (ST) 398 is primarily mediated by the czrC gene co-located with the mecA gene, encoding methicillin resistance, within the type V SCC mec element. Because czrC and mecA are located within the same mobile genetic element, it has been suggested that the use of in feed zinc as an antidiarrheal agent has the potential to contribute to the emergence and spread of MRSA in swine through increased selection pressure to maintain the SCC mec element in isolates obtained from pigs. In this study we report the prevalence of the czrC gene and phenotypic zinc resistance in US swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates, MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact, and US swine associated LA-MRSA ST398 isolates. We demonstrate that the prevalence of zinc resistance in US swine associated LA-MRSA ST5 isolates was significantly lower than the prevalence of zinc resistance in MRSA ST5 isolates from humans with no swine contact, swine associated LA-MRSA ST398 isolates, and previous reports describing zinc resistance in other LA-MRSA ST398 isolates. Collectively our data suggest that selection pressure associated with zinc supplementation in feed is unlikely to have played a significant role in the emergence of LA-MRSA ST5 in the US swine population. Additionally, our data indicate that zinc resistance is associated with MLST lineage suggesting a potential link between genetic lineage and carriage of resistance determinants. Importance Our data suggest that coselection thought to be associated with the use of zinc in feed as an antimicrobial agent is not playing a role in the emergence of livestock-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) ST5 in the US swine population. Additionally, our data indicate that zinc resistance is more associated with multi locus sequence type (MLST) lineage suggesting a potential link between genetic lineage and carriage of resistance markers. This information is important to public health professionals, veterinarians, producers, and consumers.
Spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of large chlorophyll a/b ratios

A practical spectrofluorimetric calibration method at room temperature is described for determining large chlorophyll a/b ratios on direct extracts from plant material of pigments in 80% aqueous acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N′-dimethylformamide. The method is based on the work of Boardman and Thorne [Boardman NK and Thorne SW (1971) Biochim Biophys Acta 253: 222–231] who used diethyl ether as solvent. We repeated the calibration in diethyl ether and find significantly different parameters for the calibration curve. The range of standards in this work included solutions with chlorophyll a/b ratios of 10–125 in dimethyl sulfoxide, and of 10–220 in the other solvents. Fluorescence emission spectra were found to be a highly sensitive method for assessing chlorophyll purity. We determined the limits of sensitivity for each solvent from the calibration data. The empirically determined slope of the calibration curve was shown to be related to intrinsic properties of the chlorophylls in solution; this allows predictions of the performance of the method in other solvents.
Intermittent streptozotocin administration induces behavioral and pathological features relevant to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Abstract Rationale Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Few animal models exist that focus on the metabolic contributions to dementia onset and progression. Thus, there is strong scientific rationale to explore the effects of streptozotocin (STZ), a diabetogenic compound, on vascular and inflammatory changes within the brain. Objective and methods The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of staggered, low-dose administration of STZ on behavioral and cognitive deficits, neuroinflammation, tau pathology, and histopathological alterations related to dementia. Results Staggered administration (Days 1, 2, 3, 14, 15) of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg/mL) induced a diabetic-like state in mice, resulting in sustained hyperglycemia. STZ-treated animals displayed memory deficits in the novel object recognition task as well as increased tau phosphorylation and increased neuroinflammation. Additionally, STZ led to altered insulin signaling, exhibited by decreased plasma insulin and decreased levels of insulin degrading enzyme and pAKT within the hippocampus. Conclusions STZ-treated animals exhibit cognitive deficits and histopathological changes seen in dementia. This model of dementia warrants continued investigation to better understand the role that DM plays in dementia-related alterations.
Impaired TFEB-Mediated Lysosome Biogenesis and Autophagy Promote Chronic Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury and Steatosis in Mice

Background & Aims Defects in lysosome function and autophagy contribute to the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. We investigated the mechanisms by which alcohol consumption affects these processes by evaluating the functions of transcription factor EB (TFEB), which regulates lysosomal biogenesis. Methods We performed studies with GFP-LC3 mice, mice with liver-specific deletion of TFEB, mice with disruption of the transcription factor E3 gene (TFE3-knockout mice), mice with disruption of the Tefb and Tfe3 genes (TFEB and TFE3 double-knockout mice), and Tfebflox/flox albumin cre-negative mice (controls). TFEB was overexpressed from adenoviral vectors or knocked down with small interfering RNAs in mouse livers. Mice were placed on diets of regular ethanol feeding plus an acute binge to induce liver damage (ethanol diet); some mice also were given injections of torin-1, an inhibitor of the kinase activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). Liver tissues were collected and analyzed by immunohistochemistry, immunoblots, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to monitor lysosome biogenesis. We analyzed levels of TFEB in liver tissues from patients with alcoholic hepatitis and from healthy donors (controls) by immunohistochemistry. Results Liver tissues from mice on the ethanol diet had lower levels of total and nuclear TFEB compared with control mice, and hepatocytes had decreased lysosome biogenesis and autophagy. Hepatocytes from mice on the ethanol diet had increased translocation of mTOR into lysosomes, resulting in increased mTOR activation. Administration of torin-1 increased liver levels of TFEB and decreased steatosis and liver injury induced by ethanol. Mice that overexpressed TFEB in the liver developed less severe ethanol-induced liver injury and had increased lysosomal biogenesis and mitochondrial bioenergetics compared with mice carrying a control vector. Mice with knockdown of TFEB and TFEB-TFE3 double-knockout mice developed more severe liver injury in response to the ethanol diet than control mice. Liver tissues from patients with alcohol-induced hepatitis had lower nuclear levels of TFEB than control tissues. Conclusions We found that ethanol feeding plus an acute binge decreased hepatic expression of TFEB, which is required for lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy. Strategies to block mTOR activity or increase levels of TFEB might be developed to protect the liver from ethanol-induced damage.
Towards resilient spaceflight systems with virtualization

Demand for high-performance computing in spaceflight applications is accelerating the development of next-generation processors for space. These processors, including Boeing's High-Performance Spaceflight Computer (HPSC) and Xilinx's Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs, offer feature-rich and multi-core ARM Cortex-A53 processors with hardware extensions for efficient execution and isolation of virtualized systems. This capability for virtualization enables new opportunities for enhanced fault tolerance through system-level redundancy of complete flight-software systems. In this paper, we present Virtualized Space Applications (ViSA), a framework leveraging the Xen hypervisor for deploying software-based fault tolerance for flight systems. We evaluate and analyze ViSA's enhancements to reliability and availability of the system in both an experimental lab setting and under neutron radiation-beam testing at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). As a case study, we investigate software-based replication and voting on the core Flight Executive (cFE) suite of flight software from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) on the ViSA framework.
Clinical effects of reported synthetic cannabinoid exposure in patients admitted to the intensive care unit

Abstract Objective To characterize the clinical presentation and hospital course of patients with reported synthetic cannabinoid (SC) exposure requiring Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Design Retrospective case series of patients admitted to medical or cardiac ICU. Setting Urban tertiary care center. Participants Adults ≥18 years old admitted from the emergency department (ED) in 2015. Measurements Demographics, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, and clinical parameters documenting the effects and hospital course. Results 23 patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 47 years (interquartile range [IQR], 32–54); 83% male; 78% black. Patients were generally tachycardic (HR > 100), (65%) and hypertensive (SBP > 140), (65%) on admission. The initial chest X-ray and ECG were abnormal in 43% and 68% of patients, respectively. Pulmonary edema and tachycardia were the most common findings. Head CT imaging was abnormal in 5% of patients. Troponin was elevated >1.0 ng/ml in 3 of 19 patients (16%). Other exposures detected on admission were marijuana (30%), alcohol (30%), and benzodiazepines (26%). The median SOFA score was 6 on admission and decreased over the next 3 days. SOFA scores were primarily driven by altered neurologic status and respiratory failure. 91% required mechanical ventilation, 30% had seizures as a part of presentation, 18% required vasopressors, and 5% needed dialysis. Median hospital and ICU lengths of stay were 2.6 (IQR 1.4–3.5) and 1.6 (IQR 0.9–2.5) days, respectively. The median hospital charge was $37,008. All patients survived the index hospitalization. Conclusions Patients admitted to ICU after SC exposure exhibit significant organ dysfunction, particularly neurologic and respiratory. Prognosis is good with supportive care.
A quantitative textual analysis of three types of threat communication and subsequent maladaptive responses

Abstract Much research attention has been given to the behavioral outcomes of warning computer users about potential threats to their information security, primarily through the use of fear appeal messaging. This study explores not only the use of other types of external threat information (including vivid messaging and observational learning) but also the textual responses of computer users receiving the information, opening up the “black box” to their threat appraisal processes. Results indicate that maladaptive perceptions can appear throughout the appraisal process and that the type of external threat information can differently influence user attitudes.
Improving high soy feed formulations for the Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus through newer soy products and carbohydrase supplementation

Florida pompano perform well on soy‐based, low‐animal protein diets. These diets may be improved through the use of enzymes as a feed supplement or as pretreatment of the soy product prior to inclusion. Novel soy products produced through enzyme treatment or fermentation often have higher protein content and lower levels of indigestible carbohydrates. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the potential of enzyme supplements. The first trial evaluated the effects of carbohydrase supplementation to diets based on two different soybean meals (commodity or selectively bred meal). Pompano fed the selected soybean had significantly improved growth rates and feed efficiency, while enzymatic supplementation had no significant effect on fish performance. However, enzyme supplementation increased phosphorus and energy retention when added to diets based on commodity soybean meal. Carbohydrase supplementation improved dry matter digestibility in commodity soy‐based diets but had no significant effect on selected soybean‐based diets. The second growth trial consisted of an increasing inclusion of an enzymatically treated soybean meal product (NutriVance). Results indicate that NutriVance can replace the totality of commodity soybean without impacting fish performance. Digestibility of the commodity soy, NutriVance, and a fermented soybean meal (Pepsoygen) was also evaluated, with no detectable difference in digestibility values.
Abstract TP166: The Six Minute Walk Test as a Predictor for Fall Risk in Persons With Stroke

Introduction: Persons with stroke have increased risk for recurrent stroke, other chronic health conditions and falls. One option to reduce the risk of worsening health conditions is to increase ph...
Abstract P403: Role of Modifiable and Non-modifiable Risk Factors in the Association of Kidney Function With Stroke Risk in Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Introduction: Persons with chronic kidney disease have up to 8 times higher risk of stroke. A role for shared vascular risk factors, such as aging, sex, hypertension, and diabetes has been implicat...
Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella enterica Serovar Goldcoast Strains in Taiwan and International Spread of the ST358 Clone.

Salmonella enterica serovar Goldcoast infection was rare in Taiwan; it was not detected in routine surveillance from 2004 to 2013. This serovar was first identified in 2014, but the frequency of infection remained low until 2017. From 2014 to 2016, all but one isolate was pan-susceptible. S. Goldcoast infections abruptly increased in 2018, and all isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). All MDR isolates harbored an IncHI2 plasmid, and the majority carried 14 antimicrobial resistance genes, aac(3)-IId, aadA22, aph(3′)-Ia, aph(6)-Id, blaTEM-1B, blaCTX-M-55, lnu(F), floR, qnrS13, arr-2, sul2, sul3, tet(A), and dfrA14. S. Goldcoast strains recovered in Taiwan and 96 of 99 strains from Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States belonged to sequence type 358 (ST358). Whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism and core genome multilocus sequence type analyses revealed that all strains of the ST358 clone shared a high degree of genetic relatedness. The present study highlighted that a dramatic increase in S. Goldcoast infections followed the emergence of MDR strains and indicated that a genetically closely related S. Goldcoast ST358 clone may have widespread significance internationally.