cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Moderate-Intensity Weight-Bearing Exercise Program for a Person With Type 2 Diabetes and Peripheral Neuropathy

Background and Purpose. The exercise guidelines for people with diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy (DMPN) have recently changed to allow moderate-intensity weight-bearing exercise, but there are few reports in the literature describing appropriate weight-bearing exercise for those with DMPN. This case report describes a successful and safe progressive exercise program for an individual with DMPN. Case Description. The patient was a 76-year-old man with a 30-year history of DMPN. He participated in a 12-week, moderate-intensity, progressive exercise program (heart rate approximately 75% of maximum heart rate; rate of perceived exertion11–13; 3 times per week) involving walking on a treadmill, balance exercises, and strengthening exercises for the lower extremities using body weight resistance. Outcomes. Measurements were taken before and after the 12 weeks of exercise. The patient’s Six-Minute Walk Test distance increased from 1,200 to 1,470 ft. His Physical Performance Test score did not change. His Foot and Ankle Ability Measure questionnaire score improved from 89 to 98. Dorsiflexor and plantar-flexor peak torque increased (dorsiflexor peak torque: right side4.5– 4.6 Nm, left side2.8 –3.8 Nm; plantar-flexor peak torque: right side44.7– 62.4 Nm, left side40.8 –56.0 Nm), as did his average daily step count (6,176 – 8,273 steps/day). Close monitoring of the plantar surface of the feet indicated that the exercise program was well tolerated and there were no adverse events. Discussion and Conclusions. This case report describes a moderate-intensity exercise program that was successful in increasing some measures of muscle strength, physical function, and activity without causing injury in an individual with DMPN.
Rounding frequency and hospital length of stay for children with respiratory illnesses: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND Patient discharge from the hospital is linked to physician-led rounds, whereas discharge from the emergency department (ED) is more fluid. The relationship between rounding and length of stay (LOS) has not been quantitatively described. OBJECTIVES To describe the arrival and discharge patterns in the ED and inpatient settings for children with respiratory illnesses and to explore how the timing and frequency of rounding could impact LOS. DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective administrative data analyses of visits for respiratory illnesses to a tertiary care pediatric ED from May 2007 to April 2010. METHODS ED visits for common respiratory conditions were selected based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes, excluding complex comorbid conditions, severe illness, and intensive care unit admission. Discharge time was plotted against arrival time for the ED and inpatient unit. LOS was calculated. A Monte Carlo simulation model was developed to explore the influence of additional rounds on inpatient LOS. RESULTS Of the 5503 included visits, 1285 (23.4%) resulted in inpatient care. Discharges from the ED typically occurred 2 to 5 hours after arrival, whereas most inpatient discharges occurred between 11 am and 6 pm regardless of admission time. Simulating 1 additional rounding session decreased predicted inpatient LOS by approximately 5 hours. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to ED discharges that occurred around the clock, inpatient discharges for children with respiratory illnesses were concentrated during afternoon hours. Increasing rounding frequency may improve hospital efficiency but could result in unintended consequences such as fewer opportunities for patient education. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:678–683. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Brucellosis and Sacroiliitis: A Common Presentation of an Uncommon Pathogen

Musculoskeletal problems are the most common chief complaint in ambulatory medicine across all specialties, and back pain is one of the top 10 problems encountered by the general practitioner. The differential diagnosis of lower back pain is exhaustive, but a history significant for constitutional symptoms or unusual exposures should prompt a work-up for an infectious cause. We describe the case of a 25-year-old man with a Brucella abortus sacroiliitis and possible orchiitis after consumption of unpasteurized cheese imported from El Salvador. The patient was successfully treated with gentamycin, rifampin, and doxycycline. Though the presentations of brucellosis are myriad, osteoarticular involvement of the axial skeleton is the most common presentation of this zoonotic infection. In the United States brucellosis is rarely encountered and is typically limited to people who are exposed during travel to endemic areas. Here we review briefly the epidemiology and presentation of a Brucella infection and current recommendations for treatment.
Panel Method for Counter-Rotating Propfans

A time domain source-doublet surface paneling method is developed for analyzing the unsteady loads on counter rotating propellers in incompressible irrotational flow. A scheme for treating the blade-wake interaction problem is described. Sample results for single rotation propellers are given, with comparisons to alternate theories and experiment. Finally, some preliminary results for quasi-steady and fully unsteady loads on counter rotating systems are presented.
Hemithoracic radiation therapy after pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma

Purpose: To evaluate pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Methods and Materials: In a retrospective review, we included MPM patients treated with P/D and adjuvant RT at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1974 to 2003. When indicated, patients received intraoperative brachytherapy to residual tumor. Results: All 123 patients received external beam RT (median dose, 42.5 Gy; range, 7.2–67.8 Gy) to the ipsilateral hemithorax postoperatively. Fifty-four patients underwent brachytherapy (matched peripheral dose, 160 Gy). The median and 2-year overall survival for all patients was 13.5 months (range, 1–199 months) and 23%, respectively. One-year actuarial local control for all patients was 42%. Multivariate analysis for overall survival revealed radiation dose p = 0.001), nonepithelioid histology ( p = 0.002), left-sided disease ( p = 0.01), and the use of an implant ( p = 0.02) to be unfavorable. Two patients (1.6%) died from Grade 5 toxicity within 1 month of treatment. Conclusions: Pleurectomy/decortication with adjuvant radiotherapy is not an effective treatment option for patients with MPM. Our results imply that residual disease cannot be eradicated with external RT with or without brachytherapy and that a more extensive surgery followed by external RT might be required to improve local control and overall survival.
Empirical acquisition of differentiating relations from definitions

This paper describes a new automatic approach for extracting conceptual distinctions from dictionary definitions. A broad-coverage dependency parser is first used to extract the lexical relations from the definitions. Then the relations are disambiguated using associations learned from tagged corpora. This contrasts with earlier approaches using manually developed rules for disambiguation.
Modes of Interval-Based Plausible Reasoning Viewed via the Checklist Paradigm

This paper presents some further results on a theoretical semantic device called the checklist paradigm which gives the theoretical bounds on the performance of particular many-valued implication operators and other connectives. In its most general form, the checklist paradigm pairs the distinct connectives of the same logical type to provide the bounds for interval-valued approximate inference. After briefly reviewing the checklist paradigm fundamentals we present new theoretical results concerning four plausible modes of reasoning.
Integrated power electronics using a ferrite-based low-temperature co-fired ceramic materials system

This paper discusses a new approach to making hybrid power electronic circuits by combining a low-temperature (850°C to 950°C) co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate, planar LTCC ferrite transformers/inductors and integrated passive components into a multilayer monolithic package using a ferrite-based LTCC material system. A ferrite tape functions as the base material for this LTCC system. The material system includes physically and chemically compatible dielectric paste, dielectric tape and conductor materials which can be co-fired with the base ferrite LTCC tape to create sintered devices with excellent magnetic coupling, high permeability (~400), high resistivity (> 1012 Ω·cm) and good saturation (~0.3 T). The co-fired ferrite and dielectric materials can be used as a substrate for attaching or housing semiconductor components and other discrete devices that are part of the power electronics system. Furthermore, the ability to co-fire the ferrite with dielectric and conductor materials allows for the incorporation of embedded passives in the multilayer structure to create hybrid power electronic circuits. Overall this thick film material set offers a unique approach to making hybrid power electronics and could potentially allow a size reduction for many commercial dc-dc converter and other power electronic circuits.
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the N‐terminal two domain fragment of vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1)

A molecular fragment comprising the first two domains of the human vascular cell adhesion molecule-l (VCAM-l) has been crystallized by the vapor diffusion method. Two crystal forms have been examined by X-ray analysis: One crystal form belongs to the space group C2 with two molecules in the asymmetric unit and cell parameters: a = 122.1 A, b = 48.9 A, c = 73.4 A, and β = 117.4°. The other crystal form belongs to the space group P21 with one molecule in the asymmetric unit and cell parameters: a = 40.4 A, b = 45.7 A, c = 54.7 A, and β = 100.5°. Diffraction data up to 1.9 A resolution have been collected for the C2 crystal form. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Distinct 3-O-sulfated heparan sulfate modification patterns are required for kal-1-dependent neurite branching in a context-dependent manner in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is an unbranched glycosaminoglycan exhibiting substantial molecular diversity due to multiple, nonuniformly introduced modifications, including sulfations, epimerization, and acetylation. HS modifications serve specific and instructive roles in neuronal development, leading to the hypothesis of a HS code that regulates nervous system patterning. Although the in vivo roles of many of the HS modifications have been investigated, very little is known about the function of HS 3-O-sulfation in vivo. By examining patterning of the Caenorhabditis elegans nervous system in loss of function mutants of the two 3-O-sulfotransferases, hst-3.1 and hst-3.2, we found HS 3-O-sulfation to be largely dispensable for overall neural development. However, generation of stereotypical neurite branches in hermaphroditic-specific neurons required hst-3.1, hst-3.2, as well as an extracellular cell adhesion molecule encoded by kal-1, the homolog of Kallmann Syndrome associated gene 1/anosmin-1. In contrast, kal-1−dependent neurite branching in AIY neurons required catalytic activity of hst-3.2 but not hst-3.1. The context-dependent requirement for hst-3.2 and hst-3.1 indicates that both enzymes generate distinct types of HS modification patterns in different cell types, which regulate kal-1 to promote neurite branching. We conclude that HS 3-O-sulfation does not play a general role in establishing the HS code in C. elegans but rather plays a specialized role in a context-dependent manner to establish defined aspects of neuronal circuits.
Central City Dominance in Metropolitan Areas and the Availability of Affordable Housing

Fragmented suburban jurisdictions dominating a metropolitan area may limit the availability of affordable housing because of their restrictive land use regulations. When the central cities are dominant, however, their less restrictive land use regulations may result in the increased availability of affordable housing. In a study of 46 of the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, it was found that those areas where over half of the population or land was contained in central cities had fewer land use restrictions; and those areas with fewer land use restrictions had more affordable housing. Central city dominance in metropolitan areas plays an important role in determining the levels of restrictions on land use and must be considered by those concerned with the availability of affordable housing.
Scaling Location-based Services with Dynamically Composed Location Index

Performance and scalability of location-based services (LBSs) are crucial to the wide deployment of mobile enterprise systems. Location queries are a fundamental capability of LBSs. Conventional approaches to location query processing have been centered on an object-centric architecture where static and moving objects are processed under a unified framework through an object index or query index. In this paper, we identify and exploit the performance benefit of a location-centric framework by promoting a clean separation of location query processing over static objects from query processing over moving objects. We show the performance benefits of treating locations as first class citizens instead of objects. Concretely, we develop a federated location indexing scheme for processing location queries over static objects and maintain a grid-based object index for processing queries over moving objects. Our experimental results demonstrate that the location-centric framework enables highly efficient processing of different types of location queries in a mobile environment, prevails under all types of query workloads compared to the object-centric approaches, and in some scenarios it requires as low as only 6% of the IOs required by a corresponding object index for query evaluation.
Comparing Cone Beam Computed Tomography Systems from an Orthodontic Perspective

There are more than 40 cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems currently available to consumers. Differentiating between the systems and making fair comparisons can be difficult. The needs of orthodontists differ from other dental specialists and require a different perspective when evaluating CBCT systems. In CBCT systems the characteristics of the reconstructed image are affected by the type of detector used, the features available on the machine, and the software used to reconstruct the volume. Understanding how each of these affects the resulting image will empower the clinician to better compare various CBCT systems and find the right fit for their practice.
UAV Search: Maximizing Target Acquisition

In situations where a human operator is unable to perform tactical control of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it may be necessary to have the UAV make or suggest tactical decisions. The interaction of the UAV computers with those of the human decision makers requires that choices for the human decision maker be easy to interpret and intuitive to implement or approve. This paper provides closed-form solutions to maximize detection of a slow-moving ground target by a UAV. The output of these solutions is a height at which the UAV should fly in order to maximize probability of detection, which informs the operator whether a single vehicle is sufficient. We assume that the UAV can travel faster than the ground target with some bounded speed (but no certain direction). The ground target is detected when it is inside a field of view which is a function of the state of the UAV, so the controller for motion affects whether the target will be detected. We also provide avenues for future work where we consider the impact of results for multi-UAV search and alternative sensor accuracy models.
Fast estimation of fractal dimension and correlation integral on stream data

In this paper we give a very space-efficient, yet fast method for estimating the fractal dimensionality of the points in a data stream. Algorithms to estimate the fractal dimension exist, such as the straightforward quadratic algorithm and the faster O(N log N) or even O(N) box-counting algorithms. However, the sub-quadratic algorithms require Ω(N) space. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that computes the fractal dimension in a single pass, using a constant amount of memory relative to data cardinality. Experimental results on synthetic and real world data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.
Comparison of Trimethoprim‐Sulfamethoxazole, Dapsone, and Pentamidine in the Prophylaxis of Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia

Study Objective. To compare the incidence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) receiving one of three prophylactic agents. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. A university-affiliated Department of Veterans' Affairs medical center HIV clinic. Patients. All 200 HIV-infected patients enrolled in the clinic who were prescribed a PCP prophylactic drug during 18 months. Interventions. Patients were administered oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) DS, oral dapsone, or aerosolized pentamidine in a heirarchic fashion. A subset of 110 patients received only one of the prophylaxis regimens for at least 6 months; they were examined separately for the purpose of statistical analysis. Measurements and Main Results. One case of PCP was diagnosed in 1110 patient-months of oral TMP-SMX DS therapy, 6 in 418 patient-months of oral dapsone therapy, and 3 in 164 patient-months of aerosolized pentamidine therapy. In the subset population, the documented incidence of PCP was 0% among 71 TMP-SMX DS-treated patients, 16% among 25 dapsone-treated patients (p < 0.004), and 14% among 14 aerosolized pentamidine-treated patients (p < 0.03). For patients receiving primary prophylaxis, the incidence of PCP was 0% for 58 receiving TMP-SMX, 15% for 20 receiving dapsone (p = 0.015), and 17% for 6 receiving pentamidine (p = 0.094). Conclusion. We believe TMP-SMX DS was more effective than oral dapsone or aerosolized pentamidine in preventing PCP in these HIV-infected patients.
Passive inference of path correlation

Overlays have been proposed as a means to improve application performance in many areas, including multimedia streaming and content distribution. Some overlays use parallel transmission to increase aggregate throughput or use backup paths to improve reliability. For such applications, an important consideration is whether the "virtual links" at the overlay level (i.e. paths between overlay nodes) share links in the underlying network. In particular, choosing parallel or backup paths without any information about path correlation can reduce the effectiveness of the overlay.In this paper we show how to use passive measurement of TCP throughput to provide information about path correlation, for use in overlay routing decisions. Our methods have the advantage that they send no probe traffic to collect path information. We present results of experimental evaluation in both controlled testbed (Emulab) and real wide area network (Planetlab). Our results demonstrate that the methods together work well across a wide range of operating conditions.
Further Visualization of Combined Wing Tip and Starting Vortex Systems

Visualisation des systemes de tourbillons dans un ecoulement demarrant a acceleration constante
PTK7+ Mononuclear Cells Express VEGFR2 and Contribute to Vascular Stabilization by Upregulating Angiopoietin-1

Objective— In angiogenesis, circulating mononuclear cells are recruited to vascular lesions; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Approach and Results— Here, we characterize the functional role of protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7)–expressing CD11b+ mononuclear cells in vitro and in vivo using a mouse model of angiogenesis. Although the frequencies of PTK7+CD11b+ cells in the bone marrow remained similar after vascular endothelial growth factor-A–induced neovascularization, we observed an 11-fold increase in the cornea. Importantly, vascular endothelial growth factor-A–induced chemotaxis of PTK7+ cells was mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. In a coculture with endothelial cells, PTK7+CD11b+ cells stabilized the vascular network for 2 weeks by expressing high levels of angiopoietin-1. The enhanced vascular stability was abolished by knockdown of angiopoietin-1 in PTK7+CD11b+ cells and could be restored by angiopoietin-1 treatment. Conclusions— We conclude that PTK7 expression in perivascular mononuclear cells induces vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and angiopoietin-1 expression and thus contributes to vascular stabilization in angiogenesis. # Significance {#article-title-46}
Evaluating the content and reception of messages from incarcerated parents to their children.

In the current study, children’s reactions to video messages from their incarcerated parents were evaluated. Previous research has yielded mixed results when it examined the impact of contact between incarcerated parents and their children; one reason for these mixed results may be a lack of attention to the quality of contact. This is the first study to examine the actual content and quality of a remote form of contact in this population. Participants included 186 incarcerated parents (54% mothers) who participated in a filming with The Messages Project and 61 caregivers of their children. Parental mood prior to filming the message and children’s mood after viewing the message were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. After coding the content of 172 videos, the data from the 61 videos with caregiver responses were used in subsequent path analyses. Analyses indicated that when parents were in more negative moods prior to filming their message, they displayed more negative emotions in the video messages ( = .210), and their children were in more negative moods after viewing the message ( = .288). Considering that displays of negative emotion can directly affect how children respond to contact, it seems important for parents to learn to regulate these emotional displays to improve the quality of their contact with their children.
An improved semi-discrete approach for the solution of one-dimensional linear boundary-value problems

A semi-discrete method for solving inhomogeneous boundary-value problems whose differential equations possess regular singular points is presented. The method is shown to exhibit substantially improved accuracy as compared with previous similar treatments of the same class of problems. Examples illustrating the improvements are presented.
Large scale atomistic simulations of screw dislocation structure, annihilation and cross-slip in FCC Ni

Using QM-Sutton-Chen many-body potential, we have studied the 1/2a� 110 � screw dislocation in nickel (Ni) via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We have studied core energy and structure using a quadrupolar dislocation system with 3D periodic boundary conditions. The relaxed structures show dissociation into two partials on { 111 } planes. The equilibrium separation distance between the two partials is 2.5 nm, which is larger than the derived value according to experimental data, due to low stacking fault energy given by the QM-Sutton-Chen force field. From our calculations, the core energy for the 1/2a� 110 � screw dislocation is 0.5 eV/b. We also studied motion and annihilation process of opposite signed dislocations. We build the dipole system with two combinations of dissociation planes: (a) two dislocations dissociated on intersecting slip planes and (b) two on parallel planes. The process of cross-slip and associated energy barriers are also calculated from these simulations. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Preterm arterial ischemic stroke

Most studies about perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS) exclude preterm infants. In a prospectively studied hospital-based population, 42% of our 73 newborn infants with PAIS had a gestational age (GA) 33 weeks. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, fetal heart rate abnormality and hypoglycemia were independent risk factors. No maternal risk factors could be identified. Comparing neurodevelopmental outcome, infants with a main branch MCA infarct, irrespective of being preterm or full-term, were found to be most at risk of motor/cognitive impairment. Preterm infants with PAIS had more language problems at 2 years of age.
Harmonization Through Condemnation: Is New London the Key to World Patent Harmony?

Since 1790, when two U.S. patent applicants have claimed the same invention, the patent has been awarded to the first inventor. Today, the United States stands alone in the industrialized world, and many argue that the United States should, in the interest of world patent harmony, change its system so as to award a contested patent to the first applicant. Of the arguments advanced to justify the change, the only ones that withstand scrutiny are that all the other countries are doing it and the hope that some concessions in other aspects of intellectual property or trade might be obtained in exchange. There are compelling reasons to resist the change, principally that (unless other fundamental aspects of U.S. patent law are changed as well) U.S. inventors will be disadvantaged. Even if the arguments favoring the change are found to outweigh the arguments favoring the status quo, the power to grant U.S. patents derives from Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 (the Intellectual Property Clause) of the Constitution, which authorizes granting exclusive rights to authors and inventors. Other countries are not so constrained. An historical analysis of the Intellectual Property Clause and review of the types of evidence used by the Supreme Court in constitutional analysis lead to the conclusion that the Intellectual Property Clause does not permit granting patents to the first applicant in preference to the first inventor. Alternate sources of Congressional power have been suggested (principally the Commerce Clause and the Treaty Power), but the Supreme Court has never found either sufficient to overcome a specific constitutional limitation of power. The only power which seems sufficient to accomplish the objective of harmonization within constitutional limits is eminent domain.
The Challenges of Protecting Industrial Design in the Global Economy

There is starting to be an appreciation of the importance of industrial design to the global economy. A variety of scholarly articles and government reports (outside of the U.S.) note the link between economic performance and good design. It is also clear that counterfeiting is rising as the greatest threat for innovative design-intensive industries. In the U.S., in contrast to all European and the majority of other countries around the world, the legal system provides no specific protection for market-entry design. U.S. law’s lack of protection for market-entry design does not arise because Congress has never considered providing legal protection for design. There have been attempts over the years to pass a design law. Most recently fashion designers have taken up this cause. This paper discusses the growing importance of industrial design to the global economy and reviews the development of international legal protection for industrial design since the early twentieth century in order to put forward three arguments: First, the rise in counterfeiting and design piracy is detrimental to both designers and consumers and requires a legislative response from Congress. Second, a review of international design laws shows some clear areas of agreement emerging in international treaties on the legal principles that should govern the protection of industrial design. Third, a U.S. design protection law can be constructed that will fit comfortably within existing U.S. legal principles and be consistent with U.S. obligations under international design laws.
Homoclinic solutions of nonlinear second-order Hamiltonian systems

We study the existence of homoclinic solutions for a second-order nonautonomous dynamical system including both the kinetic and potential terms. We assume very little concerning the kinetic term, just enough to make the essential spectrum of the linear operator the same as that for free particles. Our theorems cover all cases and allow both sublinear and superlinear problems. We obtain ground state solutions.
Disruption of Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Oviposition by Almond By-Products

The ability of almond by-products, crude almond oil and/or a wettable powder (WP) formulation of cull almond kernals, to disrupt the host-finding ability and oviposition of navel orangeworm moths, Amyelois transitella (Walker), was investigated along with the phytotoxicity of these products. The application of 5% crude almond oil in water to large orchard plots resulted in lower egg deposition on egg traps and a lower percentage of infested mummy nuts (unharvested previous year’s nuts) when compared with untreated controls. High rates of crude almond oil (10% or greater) were severely phytotoxic to almond foliage. Lower rates showed no phytotoxicity. No phytotoxicity was observed with 9.0 kg of 60% WP of cull almond per 379 liters of water.
Studies on Chancroid. IV. The Ducrey Bacillus Growth Requirements and Inhibition by Antibiotic Agents.

SummaryIn a comparative study of several strains of Ducrey bacillus with H. influenzal and H. parainfluenzal a number of significant biologic differences have been noted. The Ducrey bacillus will not grow in a medium which supplies both the X and V factors. Unlike these other members of the genus Hemophilus, the Ducrey bacillus will grow in a medium enriched only with blood serum. It will also grow in a medium enriched only with erythrocytes. The agents in serum and in erythrocytes which support growth of the Ducrey bacillus differ in heat stability; that in serum withstands 100° C but not auto-claving, while that in erythrocytes is inactivated by heating to 65 ° C. The addition of both erythrocytes and serum to the base medium provides a more favorable medium for the growth of the Ducrey bacillus than either one alone. Ducrey colonies will not develop on the surface of a solid medium unless the humidity of the atmosphere is very high. The “satellite phenomenon” is not observed in colonies of Ducrey bacil...
Effects of leaf nutrient status on photosynthetic capacity in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings grown in elevated atmospheric CO2

We measured needle photosynthesis of loblolly pine seedlings grown in a factorial experiment with two CO(2) partial pressures (35 and 65 Pa) and three nutrient treatments (7 mM NH(4)NO(3) + 1 mM PO(4); 7 mM NH(4)NO(3) + 0.2 mM PO(4); 1 mM NH(4)NO(3) + 1 mM PO(4)). The data were used to parameterize a physiologically based photosynthetic model that included limitations imposed by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, electron transport capacity and inorganic phosphate availability. With nonlimiting nutrients, seedlings grown at 65 Pa CO(2) had significantly higher net photosynthesis and lower stomatal conductance than seedlings grown at 35 Pa CO(2). Nutrient limitations by either N or P significantly reduced photosynthetic capacity. When either N or P was limiting, there was no effect of growth CO(2) partial pressure on photosynthesis, but stomatal conductance was significantly lower for seedlings grown at 65 Pa CO(2). Modeled biochemical parameters suggest that, in all cases, photosynthesis was co-limited by carboxylation, electron transport and phosphate regeneration. Acclimation to growth in elevated CO(2) involved a reduction in leaf N content. In the low-N and low-P treatments, modeled parameters indicated that the biochemical processes of photosynthesis were down regulated to the point that there was no effect of increasing CO(2) partial pressure. The capacity to regenerate phosphate was reduced in both low nutrient treatments, but was only reduced by elevated CO(2) when seedlings were grown under low soil P conditions. Increased photosynthetic water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency in response to CO(2) enrichment occurred in all three nutrient treatments and have important implications for whole-plant water and nutrient balance. These data support the contention that soil nutrient status in forest ecosystems will be a critical influence on tree seedling response to increasing atmospheric CO(2) partial pressures.
Cross-protection between group B arboviruses: resistance in mice to Japanese B encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis viruses induced by Dengue virus immunization.

Albino Swiss mice, immunized with any of several types and strains of dengue viruses, were afforded substantial protection against peripheral Japanese B encephalitis or St. Louis encephalitis virus challenge. Dengue-2 (New Guinea “C”)-immunized mice showed, 10 and 20 weeks after immunization, undiminished resistance with concomitant cyclophosphamide treatment and virus challenge. Examination of the effects of immunization on Japanese B encephalitis virus pathogenesis, after virus challenge with concomitant cyclophosphamide treatment, indicated that protection was associated with decreased viremia and virtually no virus replication in the brain as compared with controls. These effects could be demonstrated before detection of any neutralizing antibody to the challenge virus. From the applied aspect, the data support the hypothesis, based on epidemiological evidence and experiments in hamsters, that prior exposure of man to dengue viruses can confer some degree of protection against Japanese B encephalitis or St. Louis encephalitis disease.
'An Understanding Heart to Judge Your People': The View of Successful Leadership in the Hebrew Bible

The Bible is replete with stories of leaders, some successful and some unsuccessful. This paper examines the characteristics and behaviors of successful Biblical leaders and demonstrates how leaders of today should behave if they desire to be effective. The predominant characteristics of the successful Biblical leaders are: vision, courage, compassion, a sense of justice, humility, and adaptability. Some of the guiding behaviors and activities of the successful Biblical leaders include: seeking advice and counsel; knowing how to negotiate and compromise; being ready and willing to make sacrifices for one's vision and a history of such sacrifices; engaging in activities that are daring, different, and unexpected; and choosing a successor.
Research on the On-Line Calibration Technology for Power Instrument Transformers

The transformers need to be taken out of service from the power system to carry out the calibration test according to the traditional method. It's a hard, time-consuming work, and some transformers even can't be in outage. A current transformer in substation on-line calibration system is developed. This paper describes the structure, principle and test results of the main parts of the system, including clamp-type electronic current transformer and error measurement device. A simulation test is designed to verify the measurement performance of the system in high voltage. The on-line calibration test for the current transformer in an 110kV substation using this system is carried out successfully. The results show that the system can be used to accurately evaluate the error characteristics of the current transformers in its actual working condition, avoiding the service outage of the lines.
Coronary microvascular dysfunction, microvascular angina, and treatment strategies.

Angina without coronary artery disease (CAD) has substantial morbidity and is present in 10% to 30% of patients undergoing angiography. Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is present in 50% to 65% of these patients. The optimal treatment of this cohort is undefined. We performed a systematic review to evaluate treatment strategies for objectively-defined CMD in the absence of CAD. We included studies assessing therapy in human subjects with angina and coronary flow reserve or myocardial perfusion reserve <2.5 by positron emission tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, dilution methods, or intracoronary Doppler in the absence of coronary artery stenosis ≥50% or structural heart disease. Only 8 papers met the strict inclusion criteria. The papers were heterogeneous, using different treatments, endpoints, and definitions of CMD. The small sample sizes severely limit the power of these studies, with an average of 11 patients per analysis. Studies evaluating sildenafil, quinapril, estrogen, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation application demonstrated benefits in their respective endpoints. No benefit was found with L-arginine, doxazosin, pravastatin, and diltiazem. Our systematic review highlights that there is little data to support therapies for CMD. We assess the data meeting rigorous inclusion criteria and review the related but excluded published data. We additionally describe the next steps needed to address this research gap, including a standardized definition of CMD, routine assessment of CMD in studies of chest pain without obstructive CAD, and specific therapy assessment in the population with confirmed CMD.
Maternal vitamin D depletion alters DNA methylation at imprinted loci in multiple generations

Environmental perturbation of epigenetic mechanisms is linked to a growing number of diseases. Characterizing the role environmental factors play in modifying the epigenome is important for disease etiology. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient affecting brain, bone, heart, immune and reproductive health. Vitamin D insufficiency is a global issue, and the role in maternal and child health remains under investigation. We used Collaborative Cross (CC) inbred mice to characterize the effect of maternal vitamin D depletion on offspring phenotypic and epigenetic outcomes at imprinted domains (H19/Igf2, Snrpn, Dlk1/Gtl2, and Grb10) in the soma (liver) and germline (sperm). We assessed outcomes in two generations of offspring to determine heritability. We used reciprocal crosses between lines CC001/Unc and CC011/Unc to investigate parent of origin effects. Maternal vitamin D deficiency led to altered body weight and DNA methylation in two generations of offspring. Loci assayed in adult liver and sperm were mostly hypomethylated, but changes were few and small in effect size (<7 % difference on average). There was no change in total expression of genes adjacent to methylation changes in neonatal liver. Methylation changes were cell type specific such that changes at IG-DMR were present in sperm but not in liver. Some methylation changes were distinct between generations such that methylation changes at the H19ICR in second-generation liver were not present in first-generation sperm or liver. Interestingly, some diet-dependent changes in body weight and methylation were seemingly influenced by parent of origin such that reciprocal crosses exhibited inverse effects. These findings demonstrate that maternal vitamin D status plays a role in determining DNA methylation state in the germline and soma. Detection of methylation changes in the unexposed second-generation demonstrates that maternal vitamin D depletion can have long-term effects on the epigenome of subsequent generations. Differences in vitamin D-dependent epigenetic state between cell types and generations indicate perturbation of the epigenetic landscape rather than a targeted, locus-specific effect. While the biological importance of these subtle changes remains unclear, they warrant an investigation of epigenome-wide effects of maternal vitamin D depletion.
A nilpotent algebra approach to Lagrangian mechanics and constrained motion

Lagrangian mechanics is extended to the so-called nilpotent Taylor algebra $${\mathbb {T}}$$ . It is shown that this extension yields a practical computational technique for the evaluation and analysis of the equations of motion of general constrained dynamical systems. The underlying $${\mathbb {T}}$$ -algebra utilized herein permits the analysis of constrained dynamical systems without the need for analytical or symbolic differentiations. Instead, the algebra produces the necessary exact derivatives inherently through binary operations, thus permitting the numerical analysis of constrained dynamical systems using only the defining scalar functions (the Lagrangian $${\mathcal {L}}$$ and the imposed constraints). The extension of the Lagrangian framework to the $${\mathbb {T}}$$ -algebra is demonstrated analytically for a problem of constrained motion in a central field and numerically for the calculation of Lyapunov exponents of N-pendulum systems.
X-Band Radar for the Monitoring of Sea Waves and Currents: A Comparison between Medium and Short Radar Pulses

Abstract. This letter presents the monitoring results of the sea waves and the surface currents obtained by analyzing data acquired by a X-band marine radar in two different operative conditions, namely the short and medium pulse modes. In particular, we investigated the feasibility to use a medium radar pulse for sea state monitoring by comparing the performance in both the radar modes. The comparison was carried out by means of an experimental campaign and we observed a good agreement for surface current and sea state parameters estimation.
Botulinum Toxin Treatment of Migraine and Other Headaches

Primary headaches consist of migraine, tension headaches, and trigeminal autonomic neuralgias. Randomized multicenter blinded studies have shown the efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA in chronic migraine (15 or more times/month). Long-term follow-up of patients who have participated in the multicenter studies of chronic migraine (PREEMPT studies) have shown continued efficacy and tolerability and improvement of the quality of life after repeated botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) therapy. Blinded studies of BONTs in tension headaches have produced mostly negative results but the results are confounded by selection of rigid primary outcome criteria, application of low doses, and suboptimal techniques. Anecdotal observations suggest efficacy in cluster headaches and some forms of secondary headaches (post-traumatic) but as yet no randomized clinical trials are available for this form of headaches.
Solar thermal drum drying performance of prune and tomato pomaces

Abstract Fruit and vegetable pomaces are co-products of the food processing industry; they are underutilized in part because their high water activity (a w ) renders them unstable. Drum drying is one method that can dry/stabilize pomaces, but current drum drying methods utilize conventional, high-environmental-impact heating mechanisms. In this work, a small-scale double drum dryer (20 cm length × 15 cm diameter) was interfaced with a 98.3 m 2 External Compound Parabolic Concentrator (XCPC) [solar thermal collector] array designed to produce up to approximately 40 kW of heating power. The conditions for drying prune and tomato pomaces were optimized on this system via a split-plot design. The design had 4 variables: added water, added maltodextrin carrier, dwell time, and drum surface temperature. Moisture content, a w , and color of the dried pomaces were assessed to determine the effectiveness of the drying. Both pomaces were rendered shelf-stable (a w w values than did tomato pomace. Conditions for adequate drying with minimal color change (and thus expected minimal nutrition loss) were established. This work demonstrates the potential for solar thermal energy to provide the heat for drum drying fruit and vegetable pomaces.
O confronto entre determinantes curriculares e decisões didáticas na formação de ciências e biologia: uma experiência na disciplina de prática de ensino

O confronto entre determinantes curriculares e decisoes didaticas na formacao de ciencias e biologia: uma experiencia na disciplina de pratica de ensino
Visceral Thromboses in Pancreas Adenocarcinoma: Systematic Review.

Abstract Within gastrointestinal malignancies, primary hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are frequently associated with visceral thromboses (VT). Thrombus formation in the portal (PVT), mesenteric (MVT), or splenic vein (SVT) system leads to portal hypertension and intestinal ischemia. VT in PDAC may convey a risk of increased distal thrombosis and poses therapeutic uncertainty regarding the role of anticoagulation. An increasing number of reports describe VT associated with PDAC. It is possible that early diagnosis of these events may help reduce morbidity and speculatively improve oncologic outcomes. To perform a systematic review to study PVT, MVT, and SVT associated with PDAC, and to provide a comprehensive review. Medline/PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Data Extraction and Assessment: Two blinded independent observers extracted and assessed the studies for diagnosis of PVT, MVT, and SVT in PDAC. Studies were restricted to English-language literature published between 2007 and 2016. Eleven articles were identified. Five case reports and 7 retrospective studies were found, with a total of 127 patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The mean age at diagnosis was 64 years. PVT was found in 35% (n = 46), SVT in 52% (n = 65), and MVT in 13% (n = 15). Mean follow-up time was 26 months. Only 3 of the selected articles studied the impact of anticoagulation in VT. All patients with nonvisceral thrombosis (eg, deep-vein thrombosis, pulmonary emboli) were therapeutically treated; in contrast, patients with VT only rarely received treatment. VT in PDAC is a frequent finding at diagnosis or during disease progression. Evidence to guide treatment choices is limited, and current management is based on inferred experience from nononcologic settings. Anticoagulation appears to be safe in VT, with most of the large studies recommending a careful assessment for patients at a high risk of bleeding.
Neurofilaments: Organization and Function in Neurons

Neurons conduct electrical signals to their target cells through long, wirelike processes called axons. Neurofilaments are frequently the most abundant structural component in these processes and assemble into an intracellular scaffold that provides mechanical stability to axons. Neurofilaments determine axonal caliber, which in turn is essential for the rapid speed of neuronal signal propagation. Aberrant neurofilaments are also involved in several human neurodegenerative diseases. In Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, mutations in a neurofilament gene can be a direct disease cause. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), abnormal neurofilament accumulations are a hallmark of disease, and neurofilament mutations are disease modifiers, with alterations in the neurofilament network strongly influencing ALS disease course.
Unconscious attitudes and beliefs about women and men

In the last four decades, analyses of gender have produced entirely new fields of study and created deep transformations in traditional disciplines of scholarly inquiry. Whatever their orientation, these analyses share a recognition of historically prevalent inequities that place sharp limits on women’s access to knowledge, power, and wealth. Among social scientists, examinations of such inequities have shaped the debate about gender differences and assumptions that difference (actual or assumed) implies the superiority of what is male, or at least that what is male is normative.