cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex‐Reversal of Oreochromis aureus by Immersion in Mibolerone, a Synthetic Steroid

Mibolerone (MI), a synthetic steroid, was used to sex-reverse undifferentiated Oreochromis aureus fry. Fry were exposed to 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, or 1.0 ppm MI in static-water solutions for five weeks (immersion treatments) or were fed a diet containing 1.0 ppm MI for four weeks in a flow-through system. Following hormone treatment, the fish were grown to over 60 mm total length prior to sex determination using gonadal squash examination. Fish immersed in 1.0, 0.6, or 0.3 ppm MI had average tissue MI concentrations of 14.4, 5.6, and 3.3 ppm, respectively. Immersion in either 1.0 or 0.6 ppm MI for five weeks resulted in an average of 82% males and 18% ovo-testicular fish (inter-sex fish) with no gonadal females being produced. Exposure to 0.3 ppm MI resulted in 78.7% males, 20.7% ovo-testicular fish, and 0.7% gonadal females. Feeding a diet containing 1.0 ppm MI resulted in 85% males, 11% ovo-testicular fish, and 4% gonadal females. Fry growth and survival were negatively correlated with the MI concentration of the immersion treatments. Exposing tilapia fry to static-water solutions of 0.6 ppm MI for five weeks appears to be a feasible method of eliminating the production of functional females. Immersion solutions should be changed at least weekly to maintain an effective hormone concentration.
Be careful what you wish for: The impact of advertisement choice on viewers’ expectations

Abstract Advertisement choice is an online marketing technique where viewers of videotaped content are allowed to choose the advertisement they want to watch during a commercial break. The purpose of this study was to examine how this choice influenced viewers’ expectations of the content they were about to witness. Two hundred seventy-one students participated in a between-participant quasi-experimental study. After watching a YouTube video, one group of participants chose to watch a MP3 advertisement instead of an advertisement for a digital camera. The other group of participants was not given a choice and watched the same advertisement. Participants’ expectations were measured using six 7-point Likert items. The results of the study found that participants who chose to watch the MP3 option had significantly higher expectations of the upcoming advertisement than the participants who did not get a choice. These results parallel previous findings for female but not male online viewers. As a result, female viewers may go through a different series of cognitive processes when encountering advertisement choice compared to their male counterparts. Regardless of any cognitive differences, increases in advertisement expectations could potentially influence other important online marketing outcomes such as advertisement avoidance behaviors.
Convergence studies of atomic properties from variational methods: total energy, ionization energy, specific mass shift, and hyperfine parameters for Li

Systematic variational calculations using the multi-configuration Hartree-Fock method for Li are reported. For 1s22s 2S of Li, an nl-expansion is attempted in configuration space, similar to a partial wave expansion for helium-like systems. The total energy, ionization energy, specific mass shift, and hyperfine contact term are calculated with respect to increasing size of the configuration set. A comparison is made with n-expansion in configuration space, which is found to be the more efficient method. The total energy obtained from our variational procedure is lower than that of a previously reported partial wave study on ground state of Li. Similar n-expansion studies are performed for 1s22p 2P. For the latter, the 2s-2p transition integrals are reported, showing convergence of the transition energy as well as the length and velocity form of the f-value.
Triple-phase phenomena during quenches of superconductors cooled by pressurized superfluid helium II

Abstract New fluid phase transition phenomena involving He II are reported for isobaric, quasi-steady conditions during heat supply from solids at elevated pressures below the thermodynamic critical pressure. Multi-fluid regimes include the three phases liquid He II, He I and vapour. Conclusions concerning optimum coolant states are presented for cryostatic stabilization of superconducting composites.
Enhancement of protein kinase C-dependent O2 production in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphocytes by p120Ras-GAP antisense oligonucleotide.

Abstract The mammalian Ras GTPase-activating protein (p120) interacts with activated members of the Ras superfamily of GTP-binding proteins to accelerate their deactivation by sharply increasing their rates of GTP hydrolysis. Among the Ras-family proteins interacting with p120 is Rap1A/Krev1, whose activity is not affected by p120 but which competes with Ras for p120. A second protein that interacts with p120 is p190, which activates the GTPase of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins of the Rho family (including Rac1 and Rac2). Both these p120-binding proteins are of interest in connection with the regulation of the respiratory burst oxidase, Rap1A/Krev1 because it copurifies with cytochrome b, and p190 because it inhibits the Rac2-dependent activation of the respiratory burst oxidase in a cell-free system. Using an 18-mer antisense oligonucleotide, we were able to decrease the expression of p120 in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B lymphocytes. Under conditions where p120 expression was significantly depressed by antisense oligonucleotides, we observed a 40% increase in protein kinase C-dependent but not receptor-dependent O production. In contrast, sense and scrambled oligonucleotides had no effect on either p120 expression or O production. Our results suggest a role for p120 as a negative regulator in the protein kinase C-mediated activation of the respiratory burst oxidase.
Stem cell mobilization by beta2-agonists.

Stem cells are mobilized from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood as a source of stem cells for transplantation in cancer and genetic diseases. Exactly how the mobilization-inducing drugs operate has not been clear—but the answer may lie partly with the stimulation of bone-forming cells by signals from the sympathetic nervous system.
Operations Research Methodology Life Cycle Trend Phases as Recorded in Journal Articles

This paper applies life cycle concepts to forecast and explore trends in the publication rates of operations research (OR) methodology journal articles. The confirmatory part of this study seeks to show the accuracy of life cycles to forecast a trend for a single OR methodology. The exploratory part of this study extends the use of life cycle forecasting to a broader collection of OR methodologies. This part of the study entails a collection of keywords for OR methodologies from over 8000 journal articles. The results show a life cycle can be used to forecast a trend in OR journal article methodology productivity based on keyword listings. This paper also reveals trends in methodology usage for leading OR journals in Europe and the US. The existence and use of life cycle trends in the OR methodology research have ramifications on new directions for research, research funding, and OR textbook content.
Transfer of large-area graphene films for high-performance transparent conductive electrodes

Graphene, a two-dimensional monolayer of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, has been attracting great interest due to its unique transport properties. One of the promising applications of graphene is as a transparent conductive electrode owing to its high optical transmittance and conductivity. In this paper, we report on an improved transfer process of large-area graphene grown on Cu foils by chemical vapor deposition. The transferred graphene films have high electrical conductivity and high optical transmittance that make them suitable for transparent conductive electrode applications. The improved transfer processes will also be of great value for the fabrication of electronic devices such as field effect transistor and bilayer pseudospin field effect transistor devices.
Chronic stress increases vulnerability to diet-related abdominal fat, oxidative stress, and metabolic risk

Summary Background In preclinical studies, the combination of chronic stress and a high sugar/fat diet is a more potent driver of visceral adiposity than diet alone, a process mediated by peripheral neuropeptide Y (NPY). Methods In a human model of chronic stress, we investigated whether the synergistic combination of highly palatable foods (HPF; high sugar/fat) and stress was associated with elevated metabolic risk. Using a case-control design, we compared 33 post-menopausal caregivers (the chronic stress group) to 28 age-matched low-stress control women on reported HPF consumption (modified Block Food Frequency Questionnaire), waistline circumference, truncal fat ultrasound, and insulin sensitivity using a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test. A fasting blood draw was assayed for plasma NPY and oxidative stress markers (8-hydroxyguanosine and F2-Isoprostanes). Results Among chronically stressed women only, greater HPF consumption was associated with greater abdominal adiposity, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance at baseline (all p 's ≤ .01). Furthermore, plasma NPY was significantly elevated in chronically stressed women ( p Discussion Chronic stress is associated with enhanced vulnerability to diet-related metabolic risk (abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress). Stress-induced peripheral NPY may play a mechanistic role.
Glucose sensing based on Pt-MWCNT and MWCNT

It is known that multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is an excellent materials for biosensing applications and with the introduction of Pt nanoparticles (Pt-MWCNTs) of about 3nm in diameter in MWCNTs greatly increases the current sensitivity and also the signal to noise ratio. We fabricated the CNT- based glucose sensor by immobilization the bio enzyme, glucose oxidase (GoX), on the Pt-MWCNT and electrode were prepared. The sensor has been tested effectively for both the abnormal blood glucose levels- greater than 6.9 mM and less than 3.5 mM which are the prediabetic and diabetic glucose levels, respectively. The current signal obtained from the Pt-MWCNT was much higher compared to the MWCNT based sensors.
A Simple Method for Estimation of Neutral Detergent‐Soluble Fibre

A method was developed to estimate the neutral detergent-soluble fibre (NDSF) content of feeds. Citrus pulp, sugar beet pulp, soybean hulls, separated leaves and stems from mature and immature alfalfa, red clover, reed canarygrass and timothy were analysed. Half-gram samples were stirred at room temperature for 4 h with 100 ml of 90:10 (v/v) ethanol/water to extract low molecular weight substances, crude protein (CP) and ash to produce ethanol-insoluble residues (EIR). Samples were refluxed for 1 h with neutral detergent solution and heat stable α-amylase to extract low molecular weight substances, NDSF, starch, CP and ash to produce neutral detergent residues (NDF). The EIR and NDF were analysed for organic matter (OM; EIROM; NDFOM) and CP (EIRCP; NDFCP), and EIR was analysed for starch. Values were expressed as proportions of the original sample dry matter. The NDSF was calculated as the difference in OM mass between EIR and NDF after correction for CP and starch by the equation: EIROM-NDFOM-EIRCP+NDFCP-EIR starch. Extractions with 90:10 (v/v) ethanol/water gave a higher yield of EIR and NDSF than did 80: 20 (v/v) ethanol/water. The method gave good precision and is convenient for assessing NDSF content of feeds. © 1997 SCI.
On the limit of the largest eigenvalue of the large dimensional sample covariance matrix

In this paper the authors show that the largest eigenvalue of the sample covariance matrix tends to a limit under certain conditions when both the number of variables and the sample size tend to infinity. The above result is proved under the mild restriction that the fourth moment of the elements of the sample sums of squares and cross products (SP) matrix exist.
Overview. of Nondestructive Evaluation Projects and Initiative at NSF

Infrastructure of public works In the world is deteriorating. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is essential for condition assessment for repair, retrofit, rehabilitation, and replacement (if needed) to Insure the public safety. In this paper an overview of nondestructive evaluation projects, including a new initiative on Quantitative NDE for Large Structural Systems, is presented.
Cutting Edge: MicroRNA Regulation of Macrophage Fusion into Multinucleated Giant Cells

Cellular fusion of macrophages into multinucleated giant cells is a distinguishing feature of the granulomatous response to inflammation, infection, and foreign bodies (Kawai and Akira. 2011. Immunity 34: 637-650). We observed a marked increase in fusion of macrophages genetically deficient in Dicer, an enzyme required for canonical microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. Gene expression profiling of miRNA-deficient macrophages revealed an upregulation of the IL-4-responsive fusion protein Tm7sf4, and analyses identified miR-7a-1 as a negative regulator of macrophage fusion, functioning by directly targeting Tm7sf4 mRNA. miR-7a-1 is itself an IL-4-responsive gene in macrophages, suggesting feedback control of cellular fusion. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-7a-1 functions to regulate IL-4-directed multinucleated giant cell formation.
Skippy: a new snapshot indexing method for time travel in the storage manager

The storage manager of a general-purpose database system can retain consistent disk page level snapshots and run application programs "back-in-time" against long-lived past states, virtualized to look like the current state. This opens the possibility that functions, such as on-line trend analysis and audit, formerly available in specialized temporal databases, can become available to general applications in general-purpose databases.Up to now, in-place updating database systems had no satisfactory way to run programs on-line over long-lived, disk page level, copy-on-write snapshots, because there was no efficient indexing method for such snapshots. We describe Skippy, a new indexing approach that solves this problem. Using Skippy, database application code can run against an arbitrarily old snapshot, and iterate over snapshot ranges, as efficiently it can access recent snapshots, for all update workloads. Performance evaluation of Skippy, based on theoretical analysis and experimental measurements, indicates that the new approach provides efficient access to snapshots at low cost.
Asymptotic method for evaluating matrix elements in microstrip antenna analysis

Microstrip antennas have been rigorously analyzed by the moment method. The most time-consuming part in the analysis is the two-dimensional integration for evaluation of the matrix elements. An asymptotic method of stationary phase is introduced. The computation time required for the matrix evaluation is drastically reduced over the conventional method.
Prediction intervals for survival data

This paper concerns large sample prediction intervals for the survival times of a future sample based on an initial sample of censored survival data. Simple procedures are developed for obtaining non-parametric and exponential prediction intervals for the future sample quantiles; the non-parametric interval results from inversion of an appropriate test statistic. A simulation study performed under various conditions evaluates the accuracy of the proposed intervals. An adjuvant chemotherapy study of breast cancer patients illustrates the methodology.
Oxidation product(s) in acetaldehyde reacts with NAD(P)H and interferes with assay of alcohol dehydrogenase

A decrease in absorbance at 340 nm, at rates similar to those obtained with alcohol dehydrogenases in routine assays, occurred when NADH or NADPH was mixed with acetaldehyde that had been exposed to air for various durations. NAD(P)H was apparently oxidized by interfering substance(s) present in acetaldehyde. Reagent-grade acetaldehyde from newly opened bottles as well as acetaldehyde redistilled under strictly O2-free conditions contained minimal amounts of NAD(P)H-reacting substance(s). Redistillation under poor anaerobic conditions or in air increased the amount of NAD(P)H-reacting substance(s) in redistilled acetaldehyde. NADPH reacted at a higher rate than NADH with the interfering substance(s) in Tris-Cl buffer at pH 7.5. Also, the reaction was faster in Tris buffer than in phosphate buffer at pH 7.5. The NAD(P)H-oxidizing reaction may not be apparent when the nominal concentration of acetaldehyde used was below 5 mM, but the measured ethanol dehydrogenase activity could be significantly lower with acetaldehyde containing a measurable level of interfering substance(s). This study suggests that acetaldehyde is most easily tested with NADPH for the presence of a significant level of interfering substance(s) and that redistillation, if necessary, must be performed under strictly O2-free conditions.
Hecke operators on de Rham cohomology

We introduce Hecke operators on de Rham cohomology of compact oriented manifolds. When the manifold is a quotient of a Hermitian symmetric domain, we prove that certain types of such operators are compatible with the usual Hecke operators on automorphic forms.
Evidence for minor structural variations of class II genes in wild and inbred mice

We organized 29 B10.W lines into eight antigenic groups on the basis of similarities in the antigenic phenotypes of their class II antigens. Tryptic peptide fingerprint comparisons of class II antigens in different antigenic groups detected structural variations in 30 to 60% of the tryptic peptides. In contrast, less than 10% of the tryptic peptides were distinguishable in comparisons of class II antigens within the same antigenic group. These results suggest structurally discrete allelic families of class II genes exist in wild mouse populations.
Surgical resection improves survival in pancreatic cancer patients without vascular invasion- a population based study.

Aim To investigate the effect of surgery on overall survival (measured from the time of diagnosis) in pancreatic cancer without vascular invasion (stage 1, 2A and 2B). We also sought to investigate factors that predict survival in patients who elected to undergo surgery and factors that affect the decision to undergo surgery. Methods The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database was queried for microscopically confirmed cases of stage 1,2A and 2B pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 1973-2009. Survival analysis was carried out by univariate and multivariate analysis. Logistic regression was employed to identify factors that predict decision to undergo surgery. Results 1,759 patients with microscopically confirmed pancreatic cancer with stage 1-2B at the time of diagnosis were recorded in the SEER database. 92.6% patients underwent pancreatic cancer-directed surgery. Patients undergoing surgery had a significantly lower mean age at the time of diagnosis (65.8 vs. 69.9 years, P=0.002) and a longer median survival (18 vs. 7 months) compared to those who did not undergo surgery. Surgical resection was a significant predictor of overall survival upon both univariate and multivariate analysis. Younger age at the time of diagnosis, non-white, non-black race, tumor size <40 mm and tumor located in the tail of the pancreas were factors significantly associated with a chance of pancreatic cancer-directed surgery. Conclusion Surgery improves survival in pancreatic cancer patients where the tumor has not involved the vasculature. Younger patients, those with smaller tumors located in the tail of the pancreas were most likely to undergo surgical resection. Keywords Pancreatic cancer, vascular invasion, survival
Analysis and Application of an Orthogonal Nodal Basis on Triangles for Discontinuous Spectral Element Methods

In this paper, we propose and analyze an orthogonal non-polynomial nodal basis on triangles for discontinuous spectral element methods (DSEMs) for solving Maxwell's equations. It is based on the standard tensor product of the Lagrange interpolation polynomials and a “collapsing” mapping between the standard square and the standard triangle. The basis produces diagonal mass matrices for the DSEMs and is easy to implement. Numerical results for electromagnetic scattering in heterogeneous media are provided to demonstrate the exponential convergence of the proposed basis, and its application to the simulation of optical coupling by whispering gallery modes between two microcylinders is presented as well. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A comparison of workshop training versus intensive, experiential training for improving behavior support skills in early educators

Abstract Effective behavior support is an important component of high-quality and nurturing early childhood classroom settings. At present, there are few studies that investigate the best way to train and support teachers in these strategies. The present study compared two different training approaches: (1) a workshop that included a one-day classroom-based training that introduced effective preventative and behavior support strategies followed by school year behavioral consultation support; or (2) an intensive condition that included the one-day workshop plus four days of experiential learning and practice in a preschool classroom followed by school year behavioral consultation support. Eighty-eight teachers/aides were randomly assigned to one of the two training conditions, and training occurred in August before the commencement of the school year. Results indicated that on observations of effective behavioral management and instructional learning formats, teachers in the intensive condition were improved proximally, with effects waning over time. For measures of teacher use of praise, the intensive group maintained the improved rate throughout the school year relative to the workshop group. Rates of commands and observations of classroom productivity were not different between groups. Teachers were satisfied with both approaches to training.
Residence and movement patterns of cownose rays Rhinoptera bonasus within a south‐west Florida estuary

Between July 2003 and November 2004, 21 cownose rays Rhinoptera bonasus were tagged and tracked within Pine Island Sound estuary, Florida, using passive acoustic telemetry. Residence time of individuals ranged between 1 and 102 days. No relationship was detected between ray activity and tidal stage or time of day. Minimum convex polygons (MCP) and kernel utilization distributions (KUD) were calculated over several time frames to demonstrate the extent of an animal's home range and core areas of use. Total MCPs ranged between 0·81 and 71·78 km2 (mean = 22·01 km2), with daily MCPs as large as 25·8 km2. Total 95% KUDs ranged between 0·18 and 62·44 km2 (mean = 22·63 km2), while total 50% KUDs were smaller, ranging from 0·09 to 9·68 km2 (mean = 3·33 km2). Both MCP and KUD areas exhibited a positive relationship with residence time and R. bonasus size. As mobile, pelagic swimmers capable of traversing large distances, these data show that cownose rays travel extensively throughout this estuary, yet may remain within very small areas for extended periods.
Salmonella typhimurium attached to chicken skin reduced using electrical stimulation and inorganic salts

Chicken skins inoculated with Salmonella typhimurium at 1 × 108 CFU/mL were subjected to chemical or electrical treatments (4 mA/ cm2 current, 1 kHz frequency and 50% duty cycle) for 10 min in 1% sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), or trisodium phosphate (Na3PO4 12H2O or TSP). Salmonellae on chicken skins and in treatment solutions and rinsing water were enumerated with microbiological platings. Chicken skin was also examined using scanning electron microscopy.S. typhimurium attached to skins were reduced by 90% after electrical treatments in 1% NaCl, Na2CO3, or TSP, while the reduction ranged from 34% to 76% in groups treated by the salts alone.
Relationships Among Health Knowledge, Health Locus of Control, and Health Status in Secondary Special Education Students

Relationships among health knowledge, health locus of control, and health status domains were investigated using 181 learning disabled (LD) and educable mentally retarded (EMR) high school students as subjects. A health knowledge test, the Children's Health Locus of Control (CHLC) scale, and six health status measures were administered. In general, students who had higher knowledge scores tended to be more internal (believed they had control over their health). Lower scores on the health knowledge test tended to be associated with beliefs that their health was controlled by chance or powerful others. Internal and Powerful Others scales of the CHLC were the best predictors of health knowledge for EMR students. For LD students, only the Internal scale made a significant contribution to the prediction. Health status was significantly related to the health knowledge of the EMR students, but the proportion of variance explained was relatively low. Other results were nonsignificant. The implications for health ...
Marauder's Map--Bringing People Together

Social networking applications have gained-immense popularity amongst students in the last few years. Unfortunately, all such services currently require Internet connectivity which inhibits their usefulness when a person is on the move. In this paper we describe a mobile platform, Marauder's map which enables social networking on the go, by allowing users to keep track of their friends and their activities in a peer to peer fashion using a novel human-based social network routing protocol
Dispersion of the distal compound muscle action potential in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome

Median neuropathy at the wrist can confound the electrodiagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), since both conditions can prolong median distal motor latency. Dispersion of the distal CMAP (DCMAP) has recently emerged as a potentially useful adjunct in the electrodiagnosis of CIDP, with good specificity in distinguishing CIDP from certain axon-loss disorders. However, it is uncertain whether focal compression neuropathies produce dispersion of the DCMAP in a manner similar to CIDP. In this study we compared median DCMAP duration in 27 patients with CIDP and 86 with carpal tunnel syndrome, using 39 patients with non-neuropathic musculoskeletal pain syndromes as electrophysiologic controls. We found that, in contrast to CIDP, dispersion of the median DCMAP is uncommon, even in advanced carpal tunnel syndrome, being seen in only 8 of 103 (7.8%) hands. Although the pathophysiologic reasons for a differential effect of focal compression-mediated demyelination and multifocal immune-mediated demyelination (CIDP) on DCMAP duration are uncertain, our findings suggest that the presence of dispersion of the median DCMAP may prove useful in distinguishing immune-mediated demyelination from compression neuropathy alone.
Uric Acid Induces Trophoblast IL‐1β Production Via the Inflammasome: Implications for the Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia

Problem Preeclampsia is associated with hyperuricemia, which correlates with the disease severity. Levels of circulating uric acid increase before the clinical manifestations, suggesting they may be causally related. Uric acid, or monosodium urate (MSU), activates the Nod-like receptor, Nalp3, leading to inflammasome activation and IL-1β processing. Since preeclampsia is associated with placental immune/inflammatory dysregulation, we sought to determine in the trophoblast, the presence of the Nalp3 inflammasome, and the effect of MSU on its activation.
Fibre diffraction in the analysis of filamentous virus structure

In many plant and bacterial viruses, a filamentous nucleocapsid makes up the entire virus particle. These viruses usually form fibres naturally, but they do not crystallize. Fibre diffraction has therefore been the method of choice for structural studies, aided in recent years by cryo-electron microscopy (EM) and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR). Filamentous viruses, particularly tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), have been important in developing fibre diffraction methods, and fibre diffraction allowed TMV to be among the first virus structures determined. Structures of several viruses related to TMV and several filamentous bacterial viruses have been determined at resolutions of 3 A or better, and lower resolution structures have been determined by fibre diffraction, sometimes in conjunction with other methods, for many other, unrelated, filamentous viruses.
Platelet interior imaging technologies

To the editor: Harry F. G. Heijnen and his colleagues recently reported studies of the platelet interior using electron tomography.[1][1] The methods used to freeze platelets and prepare them for cryo-electron tomography are of interest. However, most of the information presented is not new. A
Classification of anthelmintics.

THE BVA's position on the classification of anthelmintic products ( VR , February 9, 2013, vol 172, p 145; February 16, 2013, vol 172, p 171; March 2, 2013, vol 172, p 228) has been several years in the making and is the direct result of the growing concerns within the veterinary profession (and particularly among veterinary parasitologists) about the rise in anthelmintic resistance in grazing animals (Coles and others 2008, Morgan and Coles 2010). The reports of developing resistance in cattle are particularly worrying (Stafford and others 2010). Anthelmintic resistance in sheep is a serious problem that has been growing for years. The situation is so severe that we believe we must act now or face the consequences of newer classes of anthelmintics becoming ineffective. The BVA, through its Medicines Group and Veterinary Policy Group, has been looking …
Regional Hydrogeologic Research in the Palo Duro Basin for Nuclear-Waste Repository Siting

Regional hydrologic and geochemical studies indicate that ground-water flow through an evaporite confining system in the Palo Duro Basin, Texas Panhandle, and salt dissolution at the top of the evaporite confining system are important issues for siting a nuclear-waste repository in bedded salt. Data that are needed to resolve these issues include ages and sources of ground water in the salt-dissolution zone and in aquifer units overlying the evaporite confining section to determine the history of the salt-dissolution zone; permeability, hydraulic head, and water density in the upper part of the confining section to determine ground-water flow velocity; and hydro-geologic and geochemical parameters of the aquifer units and the confining system to assess the potential for migration of stored waste.
Uncertainties in nuclear fission data

We review the current status of our knowledge of nuclear fission data, and quantify uncertainties related to each fission observable whenever possible. We also discuss the roles that theory and experiment play in reducing those uncertainties, contributing to the improvement of our fundamental understanding of the nuclear fission process as well as of evaluated nuclear data libraries used in nuclear applications.
Adenosine is a mediator of ethanol-induced gastric vasodilation in dogs

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of histamine, adenosine, and prostaglandins as mediators of ethanol-induced gastric vasodilation. In an ex vivo segment of canine stomach, vasodilation occurred within the first minute of replacing luminal saline with ethanol (40% vol/vol). Ethanol caused vascular resistance to progressively decrease by approximately 53% compared with control values. In other experiments, intra-arterial infusion of histamine (300 ng/ml) or adenosine (30 micrograms/ml) to the gastric segment produced similar degrees of vasodilation as observed with ethanol. The response to these vasodilators could be markedly attenuated with specific antagonists of these substances (histamine: pyrilamine plus cimetidine; adenosine: 8-phenyltheophylline). In our final experiments, indomethacin or histamine- or adenosine-receptor antagonists were given before application of topical ethanol. Indomethacin or histamine antagonists had no significant effect on the time course or magnitude of ethan...
The 2010 Edward G. Weston Summer Research Fellowship — Summary Report: High Uniformity Long Wavelength Infrared Type II Superlattice Photodiodes on a 3″ Substrate

Type II InAs/GaSb superlattice 1 has recently gained a lot of interest and is considered as a viable alternative to the HgCdTe technology in the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) detection.2 The material system is now entering a new development phase where the mass production and cost-effectiveness have become an important consideration. One immediate requirement is to achieve the high quality material on large size substrates, which can economize the material growth, reduce the fabrication cost, and especially allow the realization of large format imagers. The 2010 Edward G. Weston Summer Research Fellowship — Summary Report
Synthesis and applications of conducting polymer nanofibers

Conducting polymers are difficult to process, since unlike conventional polymers, they generally do not dissolve in common solvents or melt. By synthesizing nanostructured forms of the conjugated polymer polyaniline, simple methods for making conducting polymer inks become possible. By using either interfacial polymerization or a rapid-mixing technique, nanostructured polyaniline has been synthesized in a readily scalable process. Polyaniline nanofibers make excellent sensors for acids and bases. When decorated with metal nanoparticles, they can be used for molecular memory devices and catalysis. Using a flash from a camera, polyaniline nanofibers can be melted and patterned to make sensors, actuators, and asymmetric membranes. Single crystals of tetraaniline can be grown that exhibit conductivities approaching that of the bulk polymer.
Effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists on environmental enrichment attenuated sucrose cue reactivity in rats

Acute or chronic environmental enrichment (EE) reduces sucrose cue reactivity in rats. This effect may be mediated by dopamine receptors. We examined whether dopamine D1 or D2 receptor agonism could reverse the EE effect. We also examined whether any reversal effects would vary with the incubation of sucrose craving. Following 10 days (2 h/day) of sucrose self-administration, rats experienced either 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence and either overnight (acute) or 29 day (chronic) EE. D1 (SKF 81297; 0, 0.3, or 1 mg/kg) or D2 (quinpirole; 0, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg) agonist was administered systemically immediately prior to a subsequent 2-h cue reactivity test the next day (n = 9–12 per group). Dose-dependent effects were limited to the day 1 test. High doses of the agonists increased day 1 acute EE cue reactivity to levels comparable to control animals. On the day 30 test, SKF 81297 increased cue reactivity in acute EE, chronic EE, and control rats. In contrast, quinpirole resulted in similar cue reactivity for control and enriched rats, more from a reduction in responding by controls vs. a recovery of responding by EE-experienced rats. Both D1 and D2 receptors may be involved in the acute EE-mediated decrease in cue reactivity observed following 1 day of forced abstinence. In contrast, at 30 days of forced abstinence, D1 receptors may be critical in cue reactivity as SKF 81297 was effective at both restoring responding of enriched animals and potentiating responding of controls.
Debugging the Black Box.

Summary: A better understanding of the mechanisms by which tumor rejection succeeds and fails is needed to improve immunotherapies. Here, Anagnostou and colleagues find that mutations predicted to be the most immunogenic are preferentially lost when cancer progresses through checkpoint blockade. Cancer Discov; 7(3); 250–1. ©2017 AACR . See related article by Anagnostou et al., p. 264 .
Effect of magnetic particle chain formation on the entropy change in superparamagnetic nanocomposite systems

Abstract A simple numerical simulation model was developed to study the effect of magnetic particle-chain formation on the entropy change of a superparamagnetic nanocomposite system comprised of magnetic and nonmagnetic particles. The random deposition of these particles results in the formation of chains that have the magnetic particles in contact. The number and length distributions of these chains depend on the relationship between the number of magnetic particles and the number of nonmagnetic particles within the composite. These chains increase the equivalent size of the particles resulting in a net decrease in the entropy change of the system. This decrease in the entropy change also depends on the dilution of the composite by nonmagnetic particles. For large particles, dilution increases the entropy change; whereas for small particles, dilution reduces the entropy change. Results from this simple model provide further insight into existing theories on how to enhance the magnetocaloric effect in superparamagnetic nanocomposite systems.
Personengesellschaften des deutschen Zivil- und Gesellschaftsrechts

Das deutsche Zivil- und Gesellschaftsrecht kennt folgende Rechtsformen, die als Personengesellschaften4 gelten: Die Offene Handelsgesellschaft (OHG)5, die Kommanditgesellschaft (KG)6, die Gesellschaft burgerlichen Rechts (GbR)7, die stille Gesellschaft (StG)8 und die Partenreederei9. Als Sondertypen der Personengesellschaft gelten die Kapitalgesellschaft & Co.10 sowie die Publikumsgesellschaft11. Diese Personengesellschaftsformen konnen — auch ausschlieslich — im Ausland ansassige naturliche und juristische Personen als Gesellschafter haben.
Nitrate Reductase Genes as Selectable Markers for Plant Cell Transformation

Plant cell transformation, when finally established, will probably differ little from other eukaryotic systems such as fungi and animal cells. Assuming the accuracy of this statement, we presumed that the major factors delaying the establishment of a reliable plant cell transformation system are the lack of suitable selectable markers and the corresponding gene(s) in appropriate vectors. In order to rectify this situation, we undertook the establishment of a plant cell transformation system using nitrate reductase as the central component.
Thermal reliability testing of digital micromirror devices (DMDs)

Digital micromirror devices (DMDs) have the potential to revolutionize near infrared spectroscopy of crowded fields in astronomy. These devices, however, are not designed to operate at cryogenic temperatures as necessary for the infrared bandpass. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the viability of DMDs for use in infrared applications by testing the devices at cryogenic temperatures. In total, eleven DMDs were tested, each being cooled in a cryo-vacuum chamber to cryogenic temperature; approximately 90 K. Each device endured three cooldown and warmup cycles on average. Units tested include six stock, unaltered, DMDs from Texas Instruments™, as well as five re-windowed devices. Results indicate that stock devices function reliably at cryogenic temperature, however window-replaced devices had a high failure rate; likely due to contamination in the window-replacement process. Based on these results, it appears that stock devices perform reliably enough at cryogenic temperatures for reliable use in an instrument, but more research is needed into the re-windowing process before re-windowed devices are used within spectrographs.
A project approach for teaching software architecture and web services in a software engineering course

Software architecture focuses on the structure of a software system, how such structure is organized into components, how components are related to each other, and what are the external visible properties of these components. In addition to satisfying the functional requirements, software architecture attempts to fulfill the non-functional requirements such as performance, efficiency, reliability, portability, scalability, and interoperability. Software architecture is an important part of software engineering and more so when developing complex software systems [2].
Holmium-YAG laser: impact of pulse energy and frequency on local fluid temperature in an in-vitro obstructed kidney calyx model.

During laser lithotripsy, energy is transmitted to both the stone and the surrounding fluid. As the energy is delivered, the temperature will rise. Temperatures ≥60 ° C can cause protein denaturation. The objective of this study is to determine the time it takes from body temperature (37°C) to 60°C at various laser power settings. A Flexiva TracTip 200 optical fiber was submerged alongside a negative temperature coefficient-type thermistor in 4 mL of saline in a glass test tube. A Lumenis VersaPulse Powersuite 100-W holmium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser was activated at 0.2- to 1.5-J pulse energies, 6- to 50-Hz frequencies, and 2- to 22.5-W average power. Temperature readings were recorded every second from 37°C until 60°C. Time and heating rate were measured. The procedure was repeated three times for each setting. Average time from 37°C to 60°C for settings (1) 0.2 J/50 Hz, (2) 0.6 J/6 Hz, (3) 1 J/10 Hz, and (4) 1.5 J/10 Hz was 60.3, 172.7, 58, and 43.3 s, respectively. Time from 37°C to 60°C decreased as frequency increased for every given pulse energy. Average heating rate increased proportionally to power from 0.06°C/s at 2 W to 0.74°C/s at 22.5 W. During laser lithotripsy, there is a rapid increase in the temperature of its surrounding fluid and temperatures ≥60 ° C may be reached. This could have local tissue effects and some caution with higher power settings should be employed especially where irrigation is limited. Further studies incorporating irrigation and live tissue models may aid to further define the risks.
Design and Field Study of Motion-based Informal Learning Games for a Children’s Museum

This paper discusses our experiences, lessons learned, and future research directions in designing and running a field study of a motion-based gaming system for visitors of a local childrens museum. The system, named Virtual STEM Buddies, uses a large-screen kiosk to present minigames with interactive 3D content, such that the level of performance exhibited by participants indicates a level of understanding about the STEM concepts. The evolution of the system is presented, alongside evidence of improved usability and engagement throughout several prototyping iterations where the system has been used by thousands of visitors. We also describe a recently integrated mid-air free-hand interaction technique that facilitates selection and manipulation while staying accessible and intuitive to child visitors. Ultimately, we aim to learn how to best enable longitudinal interactions with the system that integrate virtual learning with the physically-rich museum learning environment.
Abstract 004: Antihypertensive Treatment Stops Cognition Decline in Elderly Chinese With Hypertension

Background: Hypertension and cognition decline are common problems among mid-aged and elderly populations. We examined the impact of hypertension and its treatment on cognitive function between 201...
Early-phase trials compared to first- and second-line FDA-approved treatments in patients with advanced gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.

e13020 Background: Patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CC) and gallbladder carcinoma (GC) have few effective therapeutic options. We compared prognostic factors and clinical outcomes of CC/G...
Cell biology in neuroscience: Architects in neural circuit design: glia control neuron numbers and connectivity.

Glia serve many important functions in the mature nervous system. In addition, these diverse cells have emerged as essential participants in nearly all aspects of neural development. Improved techniques to study neurons in the absence of glia, and to visualize and manipulate glia in vivo, have greatly expanded our knowledge of glial biology and neuron–glia interactions during development. Exciting studies in the last decade have begun to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which glia exert control over neuronal circuit formation. Recent findings illustrate the importance of glial cells in shaping the nervous system by controlling the number and connectivity of neurons.
Preliminary Evidence of Pregabalin Misuse among Prescription and/or Illicit Opioid (Mis)users

Pregabalin is approved for the management of neuropathic pain, partial-onset seizures, and fibromyalgia. Although it is considered to have low potential for abuse, reports of misuse of pregabalin a...
Amyand's Hernia: Perforated Appendix in an Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia.

Amyand's hernia is an unusual condition characterized by the presence of a normal or inflamed appendix located within an inguinal hernia. We present a rare situation wherein a 56-year-old male patient presented with an incarcerated inflamed appendix in a right inguinal hernia. He was emergently taken to the operating room, with diagnostic laparoscopy changed to open, due to incarcerated cecum and terminal ileum. The incarcerated segment had to be resected with primary anastomosis. The inflamed and purulent contents were washed out, and the hernia defect was left unrepaired due to the presence of abscess in the inguinal canal.
Outbreaks of Tomato Chlorotic Spot Tospovirus in Commercial Tomato Fields and Effectiveness of Different Management Measures in South Florida

Tomato chlorotic spot tospovirus (TCSV) is an emerging tospovirus in south Florida. TCSV has caused significant damage to tomato production since its discovery in the United States in 2012. Effective measures for managing tomato chlorotic spot (TCS) disease have not been determined in commercial production fields except for planting resistant/tolerant tomato cultivars. In this study, the distribution of TCS in commercial tomato fields was investigated, and the two grower-implemented control measures, the use of resistant tomato cultivars and UV-reflective plastic mulch to repel TCSV vectors, were evaluated for any effect on the incidence of infection or disease when a severe outbreak occurred during the 2018 to 2019 season. A gradient TCS disease was found throughout the field planted with the susceptible cultivar ‘Sanibel’, suggesting a dispersal of the vectors from external sources and the influence of wind direction on disease distribution. Results from the surveys showed that the resistant/tolerant tomato cultivar ‘Red Bounty’ had significantly (P < 0.05) lower infection with TCSV compared with the susceptible cultivar Sanibel on the same type of plastic mulch in adjacent fields. UV-reflective plastic mulch significantly reduced TCS incidence in the susceptible tomato cultivar Sanibel compared with the standard white plastic mulch. This study provided first-hand support for recommendations to effectively manage TCS in tomato fields in south Florida.