cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knee injuries in motor vehicle collisions: a study of the National Accident Sampling System database for the years 1979-1995.

A detailed study of knee injuries recorded in the 1979-1995 National Accident Sampling System database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was conducted. Injuries to other body regions were also considered in order to illustrate the relative frequency of knee injuries. This study demonstrated that knee injuries constitute approximately 10% of all injuries recorded every year. However, the majority of these injuries were of low severity (i.e. contusions, abrasions, lacerations) with an abbreviated injury score (AIS) of 1. Most knee injuries occurred following a frontal collision with no intrusion. The study also indicated most knee fractures occur in crashes where the vehicle velocity differences (deltaVs) were less than 45 kmph, with some occurring at deltaVs as low as 10 kmph. Serious non-fracture knee injuries (i.e. ligament tears) rated AIS 2 accounted for 20 out of every 1000 injuries and predominantly occurred at deltaVs below 25 kmph. In this study it was noted that women were more likely to experience a knee contusion than men. This study further suggests that knee impact scenarios have remained relatively constant over the years as the knee injury rates showed little variation. The rate of lap and shoulder belt use was lower in occupants who experienced a knee injury vs. the rate in the overall database and airbags were present in only a small number of cases. As this study largely included only vehicles without airbags it provides a good baseline for analysis of the influence of the airbag on knee injury trends in the future.
Neurons in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex signal postdecisional variables in a foraging task.

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is a key hub of the brain's executive control system. Although a great deal is known about its role in outcome monitoring and behavioral adjustment, whether and how it contributes to the decision process remain unclear. Some theories suggest that dACC neurons track decision variables (e.g., option values) that feed into choice processes and is thus “predecisional.” Other theories suggest that dACC activity patterns differ qualitatively depending on the choice that is made and is thus “postdecisional.” To compare these hypotheses, we examined responses of 124 dACC neurons in a simple foraging task in which monkeys accepted or rejected offers of delayed rewards. In this task, options that vary in benefit (reward size) and cost (delay) appear for 1 s; accepting the option provides the cued reward after the cued delay. To get at dACC neurons' contributions to decisions, we focused on responses around the time of choice, several seconds before the reward and the end of the trial. We found that dACC neurons signal the foregone value of the rejected option, a postdecisional variable. Neurons also signal the profitability (that is, the relative value) of the offer, but even these signals are qualitatively different on accept and reject decisions, meaning that they are also postdecisional. These results suggest that dACC can be placed late in the decision process and also support models that give it a regulatory role in decision, rather than serving as a site of comparison.
Integrated weight longlines with paired streamer lines – Best practice to prevent seabird bycatch in demersal longline fisheries

To evaluate a new technology – integrated weight longlines (IW) – as a viable seabird mitigation technology for demersal longline fisheries, we compared three experimental mitigation treatments, IW line alone, IW with paired streamer lines (IWPS) and unweighted longlines (UW) with PS (UWPS), to a control of no deterrent (UW alone). Trials took place on two vessels targeting Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) over a five-month period in the Bering Sea, Alaska, USA. We used multiple criteria for evaluations – catch rates of all taxa, seabird abundance and attack rate, and gear sink rate and performance – making this study the largest and most comprehensive experiment of its kind. All mitigation technologies dramatically decreased seabird bycatch rates while having little to no effect on fish catch rates. Mitigation was more effective for surface foraging seabirds (Fulmarus glacialis and Larus spp.) than for diving seabirds (short-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus tenuirostris), reducing mortality rates by 91–100% and 80–97%, respectively. Based on multiple criteria, IWPS performed best, sinking gear within the protection of streamer lines eliminating surface forager catch completely and reducing shearwater catch by 97%, relative to the control. UWPS, status quo in the Alaska fishery, and IW alone performed similarly reducing surface forager catch rates by 98% and 91%, respectively, and shearwater rates by 87% and 80%, respectively. Seabird abundance and attack rate were poor proxies of seabird mortality, especially for IW gear. IW lines reduced the distance astern that birds have access to sinking baits by near half and its handling qualities proved superior to UW. We conclude that IW longlines and paired streamer lines are the core mitigation techniques and when deployed together, constitute the best management practice for seabird conservation in demersal longline fisheries using autoline systems.
On unconditionally secure multi-party sampling from scratch1

In the problem of secure multi-party sampling, n parties wish to securely sample an n-variate joint distribution, with each party receiving a sample of one of the correlated variables. The objective is to correctly produce the samples using a distributed message passing protocol, while maintaining privacy against a coalition of passively cheating parties. In the two-party case, we fully characterize the joint distributions that can be securely sampled under perfect correctness and privacy requirements as well as under weakened correctness and privacy requirements. Furthermore, we show that the distributions that can be securely sampled can be produced with a protocol that only uses one round of unidirectional communication. For the n-party case, any distribution can be securely sampled with privacy against a strict minority coalition, due to well-known results in secure multi-party computation. However, when privacy against a majority coalition is required, not all distributions can be securely sampled. We give necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for distributions that can be securely sampled. However, the exact characterization of the distributions that can be securely sampled remains open.
MAPPING OF REPLICATION INITIATION SITES IN HUMAN RIBOSOMAL DNA BY NASCENT-STRAND ABUNDANCE ANALYSIS

New techniques for mapping mammalian DNA replication origins are needed. We have modified the existing nascent-strand size analysis technique (L. Vassilev and E.M. Johnson, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:7693-7705, 1989) to provide an independent means of studying replication initiation sites. We call the new method nascent-strand abundance analysis. We confirmed the validity of this method with replicating simian virus 40 DNA as a model. We then applied nascent-strand abundance and nascent-strand size analyses to mapping of initiation sites in human (HeLa) ribosomal DNA (rDNA), a region previously examined exclusively by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis methods (R.D. Little, T.H.K. Platt, and C.L. Schildkraut, Mol. Cell. Biol. 13:6600-6613, 1993). Our results partly confirm those obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis techniques. Both studies suggest that replication initiates at relatively high frequency a few kilobase pairs upstream of the transcribed region and that many additional low-frequency initiation sites are distributed through most of the remainder of the ribosomal DNA repeat unit.
Temporal stability of pond zooplankton assemblages

SUMMARY 1. A large body of recent theory has recently developed focused on the relationship between the species diversity of competitor assemblages and the temporal stability of total competitor biomass. Many of these models predict that stability can increase with increasing diversity. 2. To explore natural relationships between zooplankton taxonomic diversity and temporal stability of total zooplankton biomass, 18 fishless, permanent ponds located in southern Michigan were surveyed over a 5 month period during a single growing season. 3. Results showed that temporal variability in total zooplankton biomass (measured as the coefficient of variation or CV) decreased with increasing mean zooplankton taxonomic richness. Thus, temporal stability increased with increasing taxonomic richness, consistent with theoretical predictions. 4. Decreases in the CV appeared to be because of portfolio effects (statistical averaging of species’ biomass fluctuations) rather than negative covariances among zooplankton taxa. 5. The CV of zooplankton biomass was also related to several environmental variables, suggesting that taxonomic richness may not be the only mediator of biomass stability. The CV decreased with increasing relative abundance of grazer-resistant algae (algae >35 lm in size) and the CV increased with increasing pond productivity.
Conventional management of maternal red cell alloimmunization compared with management by Doppler assessment of middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity.

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to compare management of red blood cell alloimmunization by Doppler measurement of middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV) to conventional management with amniocentesis. Study design A historical cohort of 28 fetuses at risk for anemia caused by red blood cell alloimmunization was followed between 1999 and 2002 at a single institution. The decision to perform percutaneous umbilical cord blood sampling (PUBS) was based on conventional management. MCA-PSV Doppler was measured before amniocentesis or PUBS but not used clinically. Results Twenty-eight fetuses were followed up: 4 had severe anemia, 1 had moderate anemia, 3 had mild anemia, and 20 were nonanemic. Conventional management had a sensitivity and positive predictive value for moderate-to-severe anemia of 80% and 44%, with a false-positive rate of 56%. In the same patients, MCA-PSV Doppler had a sensitivity and positive predictive value for moderate-to-severe anemia of 100% and 71%, with a false-positive rate of 28%. Conclusion Compared with conventional management, MCA-PSV Doppler may have a better predictive accuracy for moderate-to-severe fetal anemia in red blood cell alloimmunization. Management by MCA-PSV Doppler may eliminate the need for amniocentesis and reduce the number of PUBS performed in red blood cell–alloimmunized pregnancies.
AN XAFS STUDY OF THE CRYSTAL CHEMISTRY OF FE IN ORTHOPYROXENE

X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) spectra at the Fe K edge in Bamble enstatite (Mgo88Feo,,)Si03 were analyzed in conjunction with theoretical XAFS spectra to determine the bonding configuration of Fe in this structure. The structural analysis involved determination of the Fe distribution between the octahedral M1 and M2 sites, and Fe-O bond lengths in the M2 site, into which Fe strongly partitions. Our analysis yielded bond lengths for Fe in the M2 site of 1.97(2), 1.98(2), 2.09(2), 2.16(2), 2.43(2), and 2.65(10) A, in agreement with bond lengths determined from X-ray and neutron-diffraction analysis of the two orthopyroxene end-members. The average Fe-O bond length in the M2 site is 2.22(2) A, longer than that of the Mg end-member (2.151 A) but approximately the same as that of the Fe end-member (2.228 A) of the orthopyroxene solid-solution series. Octahedral distortion of the M2 site may be greater than that of either the Fe or Mg endmember. The presence of a minor amount of Fe3+ was inferred by our analysis of the M I site and was also suggested by our bond-valence calculations, which yielded a charge of 2.07 for Fe in the M2 site and a charge of 2.78 for Fe in the Ml site. Simple calculations using our data and those of other studies show that the average Fe-O bond length in the M2 site is constant along the Fe-Mg join in the orthopyroxene solid-solution series.
Likelihood-based and Bayesian methods for Tweedie compound Poisson linear mixed models

The Tweedie compound Poisson distribution is a subclass of the exponential dispersion family with a power variance function, in which the value of the power index lies in the interval (1,2). It is well known that the Tweedie compound Poisson density function is not analytically tractable, and numerical procedures that allow the density to be accurately and fast evaluated did not appear until fairly recently. Unsurprisingly, there has been little statistical literature devoted to full maximum likelihood inference for Tweedie compound Poisson mixed models. To date, the focus has been on estimation methods in the quasi-likelihood framework. Further, Tweedie compound Poisson mixed models involve an unknown variance function, which has a significant impact on hypothesis tests and predictive uncertainty measures. The estimation of the unknown variance function is thus of independent interest in many applications. However, quasi-likelihood-based methods are not well suited to this task. This paper presents several likelihood-based inferential methods for the Tweedie compound Poisson mixed model that enable estimation of the variance function from the data. These algorithms include the likelihood approximation method, in which both the integral over the random effects and the compound Poisson density function are evaluated numerically; and the latent variable approach, in which maximum likelihood estimation is carried out via the Monte Carlo EM algorithm, without the need for approximating the density function. In addition, we derive the corresponding Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm for a Bayesian formulation of the mixed model. We demonstrate the use of the various methods through a numerical example, and conduct an array of simulation studies to evaluate the statistical properties of the proposed estimators.
Mammalian Cysteine Metabolism: New Insights into Regulation of Cysteine Metabolism

The mammalian liver tightly regulates its free cysteine pool, and intracellular cysteine in rat liver is maintained between 20 and 100 nmol/g even when sulfur amino acid intakes are deficient or excessive. By keeping cysteine levels within a narrow range and by regulating the synthesis of glutathione, which serves as a reservoir of cysteine, the liver addresses both the need to have adequate cysteine to support normal metabolism and the need to keep cysteine levels below the threshold of toxicity. Cysteine catabolism is tightly regulated via regulation of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) levels in the liver, with the turnover of CDO protein being dramatically decreased when intracellular cysteine levels increase. This occurs in response to changes in the intracellular cysteine concentration via changes in the rate of CDO ubiquitination and degradation. Glutathione synthesis also increases when intracellular cysteine levels increase as a result of increased saturation of glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL) with cysteine, and this contributes to removal of excess cysteine. When cysteine levels drop, GCL activity increases, and the increased capacity for glutathione synthesis facilitates conservation of cysteine in the form of glutathione (although the absolute rate of glutathione synthesis still decreases because of the lack of substrate). This increase in GCL activity is dependent on up-regulation of expression of both the catalytic and modifier subunits of GCL, resulting in an increase in total catalytic subunit plus an increase in the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. An important role of cysteine utilization for coenzyme A synthesis in maintaining cellular cysteine levels in some tissues, and a possible connection between the necessity of controlling cellular cysteine levels to regulate the rate of hydrogen sulfide production, have been suggested by recent literature and are areas that deserve further study.
Increased Expression of Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptors in the Solitary–Vagal Complex Blunts Renovascular Hypertension

Angiotensin II increases and decreases arterial pressure by acting at angiotensin type 1 and type 2 receptors, respectively. Renovascular hypertensive rats exhibit a high level of activity of the peripheral and central renin-angiotensin system. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the effect of increasing the expression of angiotensin type 2 receptors in the solitary-vagal complex (nucleus of the solitary tract/dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus), a key brain stem region for cardiovascular regulation, on the development of renovascular hypertension. Holtzman normotensive rats were implanted with a silver clip around the left renal artery to induce 2-kidney 1-clip renovascular hypertension. Three weeks later, rats were microinjected in the solitary-vagal complex with either an adenoassociated virus to increase the expression of angiotensin type 2 receptors or with a control vector. We observed that increasing angiotensin type 2 receptor expression in the solitary-vagal complex attenuated the development of renovascular hypertension and also reversed the impairment of the baroreflex and the increase in the low-frequency component of systolic blood pressure observed in renovascular hypertensive rats. Furthermore, an observed decrease in mRNA levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in the solitary-vagal complex of renovascular hypertensive rats was restored to control levels after viral-mediated increases in angiotensin type 2 receptors at this site. Collectively, these data demonstrate specific and beneficial effects of angiotensin type 2 receptors via the brain of hypertensive rats and suggest that central angiotensin type 2 receptors may be a potential target for therapeutics in renovascular hypertension.
The Differential Effect of Skin Color on Attractiveness, Personality Evaluations, and Perceived Life Success of African Americans

Skin color in relation to perceived attractiveness, personality ratings, and perceived life success of African Americans was investigated in a 2 (sex of participant) 2 (skin color of stimulus person) 2 (sex of stimulus person) design. Based on prior research, Skin Color Sex of Stimulus Person and Sex of Participant Skin Color interactions were hypothesized. Lighter skinned African American women and dark-skinned African American men were expected to receive higher attractiveness, personality, and life success ratings from White participants. In addition, women were expected to rate dark-skinned individuals higher. The results obtained supported the hypotheses for perceived life success only. African American women with fair skin were rated higher than fair-skinned African American men on intelligence and parenting skills. In addition, women rated dark-skinned individuals higher than men did on intelligence. Women also rated the dark-skinned individuals higher than fair-skinned individuals on enthusiasm. F...
Transient, Inducible, Placenta-Specific Gene Expression in Mice

Molecular understanding of placental functions and pregnancy disorders is limited by the absence of methods for placenta-specific gene manipulation. Although persistent placenta-specific gene expression has been achieved by lentivirus-based gene delivery methods, developmentally and physiologically important placental genes have highly stage-specific functions, requiring controllable,transientexpressionsystemsforfunctionalanalysis.Here,wedescribeaninducible,placentaspecific gene expression system that enables high-level, transient transgene expression and monitoring of gene expression by live bioluminescence imaging in mouse placenta at different stages of pregnancy. We used the third generation tetracycline-responsive tranactivator protein Tet-On 3G,with10-to100-foldincreasedsensitivitytodoxycycline(Dox)comparedwithpreviousversions, enabling unusually sensitive on-off control of gene expression in vivo. Transgenic mice expressing Tet-On 3G were created using a new integrase-based, site-specific approach, yielding high-level transgene expression driven by a ubiquitous promoter. Blastocysts from these mice were transduced with the Tet-On 3G-response element promoter-driving firefly luciferase using lentivirusmediated placenta-specific gene delivery and transferred into wild-type pseudopregnant recipients for placenta-specific, Dox-inducible gene expression. Systemic Dox administration at various timepointsduringpregnancyledtotransient,placenta-specificfireflyluciferaseexpressionasearly asd5ofpregnancyinaDoxdose-dependentmanner.Thissystemenables,forthefirsttime,reliable pregnancystage-specificinductionofgeneexpressionintheplacentaandlivemonitoringofgene expressionduringpregnancy.Itwillbewidelyapplicabletostudiesofbothplacentaldevelopment and pregnancy, and the site-specific Tet-On G3 mouse will be valuable for studies in a broad range of tissues. (Endocrinology 153: 5637–5644, 2012)
Combined Antegrade and Retrograde Endoscopy (CARE) with Pharyngo-esophageal Puncture (PEP) for Complete Esophageal Introital Obstruction

Abstract Background Esophageal introital stenosis is common in patients who receive radiation therapy for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers. Infrequently, complete obstruction develops within the esophageal introitus. Patient and methods In this video manuscript, we present a case of complete introital obstruction in which flexible endoscopic therapy was successfully by performing combined antegrade and retrograde endoscopy (CARE) and pharyngo-esophageal puncture using guide wire (PEP-guide wire), in combination with balloon dilation. Results Esophageal lumen patency was re-established with "CARE PEP-guide wire" method without complications. Conclusions In patients with complete esophageal introital obstruction, CARE PEP based approach can potentially re-establish the esophageal introital patency.
Correction of Doppler Rada Data for Aircraft Motion Using Surface Measurements and Recursive Least-Squares Estimation

Observations of Doppler velocity of hydrometeors form airborne Doppler weather radars normally contains a component due to the aircraft motion. Accurate hydrometeor velocity measurements thus require correction by subtracting this velocity from the observed velocity.
The Corporate/Securities Attorney as a 'Moving Target' - Client Fraud Dilemmas

This Paper analyzes the enhanced responsibilities and liability concerns that corporate/securities attorneys have in the post-Enron era. State ethical rules, SEC pronouncements, and court decisions are addressed. The ramifications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to its impact on legal counsel also are explored. The Paper also provides insight focusing on the business attorney's role as counselor and gatekeeper when faced with the prospect of client fraud.
A simple phenomenological model for grain clustering in turbulence

We propose a simple model for density fluctuations of aerodynamic grains, embedded in a turbulent, gravitating gas disc. The model combines a calculation for the behaviour of a group of grains encountering a single turbulent eddy, with a hierarchical approximation of the eddy statistics. This makes analytic predictions for a range of quantities including: distributions of grain densities, power spectra and correlation functions of fluctuations, and maximum grain densities reached. We predict how these scale as a function of grain drag time t_s, spatial scale, grain-to-gas mass ratio ρ ρ~, strength of turbulence α, and detailed disc properties. We test these against numerical simulations with various turbulence-driving mechanisms. The simulations agree well with the predictions, spanning t_s Ω ∼ 10^(−4)–10, ρ ∼0−3ρ~∼0−3, α ∼ 10^(−10)–10^(−2). Results from ‘turbulent concentration’ simulations and laboratory experiments are also predicted as a special case. Vortices on a wide range of scales disperse and concentrate grains hierarchically. For small grains this is most efficient in eddies with turnover time comparable to the stopping time, but fluctuations are also damped by local gas-grain drift. For large grains, shear and gravity lead to a much broader range of eddy scales driving fluctuations, with most power on the largest scales. The grain density distribution has a log-Poisson shape, with fluctuations for large grains up to factors ≳1000. We provide simple analytic expressions for the predictions, and discuss implications for planetesimal formation, grain growth, and the structure of turbulence.
Identification of Cytokinins by Gas-Liquid Chromatography and Gas-Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of cytokinins was demonstrated by Most et al. (1968) for known compounds and by Upper et al. (1970) for isolation of cytokinins from hydrolysates of t-RNA or extracts of bacterial culture filtrates. Babcock & Morris (1970) demonstrated the feasibility of quantitative as well as qualitative measurements of cytokinin ribosides from t-RNA hydrolysates. The following is a report on our progress in improving separation of known cytokinins, in extending our measurements to include free cytokinins (particularly those from higher plants), and using coupled gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GLC-MS). These techniques may provide a simple, sensitive and accurate procedure for identifying and measuring levels of free and t-RNA cytokinins in vivo.
Code Evasion

Programs sometimes tend to lose their structure and clarity through the addition of error handling. Often, more than half of a code base ends up dedicated to various types of error detection and recovery, obscuring the nominal control flow that defines the basic structure. The challenge in writing reliable code is to find ways to remove code from an application by simplifying and generalizing, rather than continuing to add more.
Synthetic Helical Polymers and Diblock Copolymers: Building Blocks for Biocompatible/Biofunctional Helical Superstructures

Bottom-up design of materials via self-assembly with appropriate building blocks offers the possibility of developing innovative three-dimensional all synthetic materials with new functionalities. Helical optically active poly(3-methyl-4-vinylpyridine)/(R) and (S) mandelic acid and helical optically active poly(3-methyl-4-vinylpyridine) (P3M4VP)/ D- and L- amino acid complexes have been prepared. A diblock copolymer of helical poly[(3-methyl-4-vinylprydine)/mandelic acid complex]-block-poly(styrene) has been processed into smectic layer-like helical-bundle structures on silicon wafer. Additionally, optically active helical poly(2-methoxystyrene) (P2PMS) has been synthesized and the surfaces of the chiral helical P2MS have been shown to be effective as supports for mouse and human osteoblast cells. The cell attachment and growth data demonstrate that the chiral P2MS surfaces were better supports compared to achiral P2MS surfaces.
Turbulent energy redistribution in spanwise rotating channel flows

For fully developed turbulent flows of a Newtonian fluid in a nonrotating channel with a large aspect ratio (i.e., spanwise length scale ≫ transverse length scale), the longitudinal component of th...
Dedication to the Teaching Profession: Permanently Changing the Flow of Knowledge for Students

Teachers never know the true impact of their teaching or of their ability to influence the lives of others. Do our words, insights, and creative teaching methods cause a mere ripple in the pond, or do they promote such energy that the “flow of knowledge” permanently changes allowing students to forge new pathways and channels? How do we provoke and challenge students to the extent that they transform and grow? Every day a teacher walks into the classroom, s/he must believe in the profession and in their ability to make a difference.
Feeding Behavior of Adult Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) on Nectaried and Nectariless Cotton

Herbivorous and carnivorous feeding by Geocoris punctipes (Say) on nectaried and nectariless cotton with and without Heliothis virescens (F.) eggs was measured using the radionuclides of carbon (14C) and phosphorus (32P). Leaf material ingested by C. punctipes was measured as percentage of leaf sample disintegrations per min and was significantly greater for insects on nectaried cotton without eggs (12.08%) than on plants in the other treatments. Plant feeding was not significantly different on nectaried cotton with eggs (3.34%), nectariless cotton with eggs (1.97%), and nectariless cotton without eggs (0.35%). G. punctipes egg ingestion was not significantly different on the nectaried or nectariless cottons.
High Field Terahertz Generation and Nonlinear Terahertz Spectroscopy

Nonlinear THz spectroscopy is a growing subfield accessible with common tabletop laser systems. Methods for generation of intense THz pulses and recent nonlinear THz spectroscopy results from solid, liquid, and gas phase samples will be discussed.
Case Study on Impact of Auxiliary Exciting Control on Power System Stabilizer

Power fluctuation is caused by auxiliary exciting control in power system stabilizer(PSS) in Huizhou pumped-storage power plant,and the reasons are analyzed in accordance to measured frequency characteristics.The introduction of auxiliary exciting control alters non-offset characteristics of exciting system and PSS configured on the basis of phase compensation deduces damp of units instead.Hence,power fluctuation is caused.The paper points out that auxiliary exciting control can not be applied in normal operating mode and mechanism of interaction between auxiliary exciting control and PSS should be studied further.
Study on the prevalence and genotypes of Bartonella species in rodent hosts from Fujian coastal regions

Objective To investigate Bartonella infection in rodent hosts from different environments and types of climate in Fujian coastal regions. Genetypes of the Bartonella strains was also studied to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of the correlated diseases. Methods By random sampling method, we selected six study sites in Fujian southeastern coastal regions. Rodents were captured by cages to Isolate Bartonella strains. Bartonella-like isolates were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The 379 bp fragment of gltA gene was sequenced and the growth and development tree was constructed to determine Bartonella species. Distribution of Bartonella species in the different area and related hosts was also analysed. Results Bartonella species were isolated from 188 of 1161 small animals including five rodent species. The infected animals were grouped into 2 genera and 2 orders. They were Suncus murinus, Rattas norvegicus, Rnttus flavipectus, Mus masculus and Rattus rattus. The overall prevalence of Bartonella bacteremia was 16.19% in the most prevalent species of rodents in Fujian southeastern coastal regions including 21.43% in Suncus murinus, 13.54% in Rattas norvegicus and 18.27% in Rattus flavipectus. Rodents in every investigated areas were infected by Bartonella species (9.25% in Ningde, 9.52% in Fuzhou, 9.38% in Putian, 28.18% in Quanzhou, 17.42% in Xiamen and 13.33% in Zhangzhou). There were significant differences among infected rates in different annual accumulated temperature districts (χ2=12.93, P<0.001). Isolates from rodents were clustered in three genotypes (B.elizabethae, B.qeenslandensis and B.tribocorum A, B). Conclusion The local rodents in Fujian southeastern coastal regions were widely infected by Bartonella spp. Differences among the prevalent species of Bartonella in Fujian southeastern coastal region, Yunan and Beijing were noticed. Our findings suggested there was a need to study the prevalence, related vectors and the molecular organism of Bartonella spp. Key words: Bartonella; Rodent; Distribution; Genotype
Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Use Among Patients with Hepatitis C: A Systematic Review

Alcohol use is a barrier to pharmacologic treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is advantageous for medical and clinical social workers engaged in HCV care to be knowledgeable of behavioral interventions that can be used to reduce alcohol use among patients with HCV. This article identifies and describes studies that designed and implemented behavioral interventions to reduce alcohol use among patients with HCV in clinical settings. To achieve this goal, this article conducts a rigorous systematic review to identify peer-reviewed articles, describes each behavioral intervention, and reports primary outcomes of each study included in the review.
Targeting to Lysosomes in Mammalian Cells

Endogenous or ectopically expressed lysosomal proteins can be detected in their biosynthetic or endocytic pathways by Western blotting of biosynthetic forms in cells, cell fractions, or their culture medium, by pulse-chase radiolabeling accompanied by immunoprecipitation, or by electron or immunofluorescence microscopy. Western blotting and microscopy reveal the steady-state distribution of a protein, whereas pulse-chase studies are required both to identify transient forms and to define the relationship of the biosynthetic forms detected. Targeting to lysosomes can be dramatically affected by synthesis levels and carbohydrate modification, whether the synthesis is upregulated naturally, for example, by cell transformation, or whether it results from ectopic expression. This occurs because a lysosomal protein, unlike a protein expressed in the cytoplasm, must interact with receptors and be packaged into vesicles that mediate its transport though the secretory pathway. Use of microscopy to establish localization is, therefore, a key aspect of characterization of the cellular pathways utilized by lysosomal proteins.
Sovereignty, Regimes, and ‘Cooperation’

In late November and early December 1976, at the height of one of the most intense financial and political crises in the United Kingdom since World War Two, Prime Minister Jim Callaghan was under sharply conflicting pressures. On one side, he faced external demands from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that his Government commit to further deflationary economic policy measures as a condition of the $3.9 billion IMF loan it was seeking; on the other side, he found adamant resistance to deflation among the majority of ministers in his Government. In a transatlantic telephone conversation with US President Gerald Ford on 1 December, Callaghan related his predicament and attempted a bit of gallows humor. Ford a few weeks earlier had been defeated in the 1976 US Presidential election and was in his final weeks in office. Callaghan joked with Ford that ‘it’s just a question of which of us remains in office longer.’ The President, knowing that the British Cabinet would take a decision on the IMF policy demands the next day, replied drily, ‘you might be out of office first’ (Benn 1989: 672). When the British Cabinet decided on the following day to cut the size of the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement (PSBR) by £1.5 billion for the next fiscal year, Callaghan sent Ford a cable that outlined the differences that still remained between the Government’s decisions and the IMF’s demands. The Cabinet meeting had been ‘long and difficult,’ the Prime Minister confessed, ‘and I do not yet know whether I shall be able to carry all the Cabinet with me… I must tell you that I am not sanguine, and I can only hope the IMF really understand the consequences’ (Callaghan 1976b).
Calibration/validation error budgets, uncertainties, traceability and their importance to imaging spectrometry

Knowledge of uncertainties and errors are essential for comparisons of remote sensing data across time, space, and spectral domains. Vicarious radiometric calibration is used to demonstrate the need for uncertainty knowledge and to provide an example error budget. The sample error budget serves as an example of the questions and issues that need to be addressed by the calibration/validation community as accuracy requirements for imaging spectroscopy data will continue to become more stringent in the future. Error budgets will also be critical to ensure consistency between the range of imaging spectrometers expected to be launched in the next five years.
Grant-Maximizing but not Money-Making: A Simple Decision-Tree Analysis for Social Impact Bonds

ABSTRACTSocial impact bonds (SIBs) are a form of impact investing that challenge traditional investor and government rationalities in financing or funding social services. SIBs are often presented optimistically as a self-evident ‘win-win’ for public commissioners and potential non-governmental investors in public services. While the use of SIBs has grown recently, SIBs have not been used as extensively as many proponents expected, raising questions around whether investor and government interests can be adequately aligned. A decision tree is developed that explains why SIBs may not appeal to investors and governments as much as initially hoped by their proponents, specifically addressing the value of SIBs in relation to alternative investments available to governments and investors. The decision tree shows that SIB-financed initiatives that are rational choices for governments are unlikely to be attractive to investors (and vice versa). This explains the ‘SIB paradox’ and why it has proved difficult to c...
Composition and Persistence of Donor Cell Infiltrates in Host Target Organs Instigate the Development of Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Abstract Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is the most common late complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Its pathophysiology is poorly understood, a problem hampered by the scarcity of mouse models that accurately reproduce the human scenario. While acute (aGVHD) is characterized by donor T cell (doTC) infiltration damaging target tissues, cGVHD displays a wider range of alterations, often resulting in fibrosis with disrupted tissue architecture. Whether or not doTC drive this process versus (vs) other cell types has not yet been clarified. Indirect disruption of normal immunity caused by destruction of lymphoid tissues could contribute to the autoimmune-like syndrome. Here, we describe the progression of lymphocyte infiltrations of GVH targets post-HCT. Two MHC-matched, minor antigen-mismatched strain combinations were studied. Myeloablated BALB. B (H2b) and BALB/c (H2d) recipients were given FACS purified hematopoietic stem cells (HSC: c-Kit+Thy1.1loLin-Sca-1+) + 10^7 splenocytes (SP) from C57BL/6 (B6) (H2Db) or B10.D2 (H2d) donors, respectively. Mononuclear cells (MNC) from bone marrow (BM), spleen, lymph nodes (LN), thymus, peripheral blood, and liver were FACS analyzed for cell (sub-) type and chimerism 14, 28, 50 and 150 days (d) post-HCT. BALB.B recipients of B6 HSC + SP developed aGVHD with severe weight loss (>30%) and a mortality of 22%. Survivors never fully recovered baseline weight. Histologic changes shifted from defined infiltrates to disseminated disruptions of tissue structures. In contrast, BALB/c recipients showed sclerodermatous skin changes, but no mortality or other signs of systemic disease. In both strains the BM was markedly infiltrated with doTC during the acute phase: 14d post-HCT BALB.B BM consisted of ~50% mature doTC, and the majority (2/3) of these were CD8+ with an effector memory (EM) phenotype ( CD8 TC, naive TC phenotypes exceeding EM, and ~40% BC. In conclusion, doTC infiltration of host organs is not inevitably associated with impairment of organ function and clinical disease. Nonspecific invasion of doTC likely occurs throughout the organism post-allogeneic HCT, and specific stimuli, such as minor antigens or cytokines are required to activate and perpetuate pathology. These data further suggest that characterizing the composition in the infiltrate in the acute setting may permit prediction of whether or not the initial infiltrates will lead to the fibrotic and sclerotic changes, the hallmarks of cGVHD.
Laser speckle contrast imaging augmented with structured light

This paper presents a new method of blood flow imaging in vessels within and underneath the skin. The combination of Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) and Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI)/ Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) allows one to retrieve a substantial amount of flow information, which is otherwise occluded by the skin. In this article, the experiment consists of illuminating a phantom with coherent light passing through a grid pattern which is modulated at the plane of interest. The speckle pattern is then imaged and processed using a combination of structured illumination sectioning and laser speckle contrast. The whole process is realized using an inexpensive setup consisting of a laser diode (Wavelength = 758 nm), mirrors, lenses, a grid and an 8-bit camera. This advanced, yet easy to implement, technique will allow deep skin imaging to be fast, effective and inexpensive.
ANESTHETIC AGENT CHOICE INFLUENCES OUTCOME FROM EXPERIMENTAL PERIOPERATIVE STROKE

P81 It is unclear if damage during perioperative stroke is linked to the anesthetic agent employed during prior surgical procedure. We examined 2 representative agents, propofol and halothane, to test the hypothesis that anesthetic “preconditioning” improves outcome from middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced on emergence from short or prolonged anesthesia. Male Wistar rats (200–300 g) were anesthetized briefly ( 2 , PaCO 2 and blood pressure were maintained in a normal range, without differences between groups. LDP-signal between groups was silmiar during MCAO and reperfusion. At 22 h of reperfusion, brain infarction volume was determined by TTC-staining. Preconditioning with short duration of halothane resulted in smaller infarction in cortex (87.5 ± 16.6 mm 3 , 23.5 ± 4.4% of ipsilateral cortex) and caudoputamen complex (CP) (38.3 ± 13.7 mm 3 , 46.0 ± 5.2% of ipsilateral CP) than in rats preconditioned with equivalent propofol (cortex 177.5 ± 16.9 mm 3 ; 46.6 ± 4.4%; CP 47.8 ± 2.9 mm 3 , 60.8 ± 3.7%). There was no difference in rats preconditioned with Long-Hal or Long-Prop. Halothane but not propofol preconditioning of
Violence, insecurity, and the risk of polio: A systematic analysis

Background Since the introduction of polio vaccines in the 1950’s and 60’s, eradication of poliovirus from the world has been technically feasible. Progress towards this goal, however, has been uneven and influenced by social and political factors that challenge the implementation of robust immunization programs. While violence and insecurity are often cited as barriers to eradication, current global risk models are largely based on virologic and immunologic indicators measured at national levels. In this manuscript, we quantify the relevance of indicators of violence and insecurity on the risk of polio spread. Methods and findings Using logistic regression models and public data sources, we evaluate the relationship between measures of violence and instability and the location of poliomyelitis cases between 2006 and 2015 at the country-level, both individually and after controlling for more proximal determinants of disease, such as nearby circulating poliovirus and vaccination rates. We found that increases in a country’s Fragile States Index (FSI) and Global Peace Index (GPI), aggregate indicators of violence and instability, were associated with the occurrence of poliovirus cases in the subsequent year (p< 0.01), even after controlling for established risk factors. These effects of violence and insecurity must be mediated through immunity and exposure to poliovirus, coarse measures of which are included in our model. This also implies that in our study, and in risk models in general, the interpretation depends on the quality and granularity of available data. Conclusion National virologic and immunologic indicators understate the risk of poliovirus spread in areas with violence and insecurity, and the inclusion of such factors improves precision. In addition, the link between violence and incidence of disease highlights the broader challenge of implementing health interventions in conflict areas. We discuss practical implications of this work in understanding and measuring the risks to polio eradication and other global health initiatives, and the policy implications of the need to reach vulnerable populations in conflict zones.
Clustered Data Collection for Internet of Batteryless Things

Empowered by energy harvesting technology, Internet of Batteryless Things (IoBT) is considered to be a promising solution for the lifetime constraint of Internet of Things. The varying ambient energy source makes it nontrivial for multiple IoBT nodes to work collaboratively and achieve high-throughput data collection. In this paper, we propose a novel clustered data collection framework for IoBT networks, combining cluster head (CH) selection and lexicographic rate assignment. Using the remaining energy level of the energy storage device as the energy budget, the proposed framework assigns a lexicographic optimal rate vector that enables each IoBT node to fully utilize the scavenged energy and at the same time achieve high and fair data collection rate. Two CH selection schemes are developed. One is optimal CH selection by traversing all the possible CH candidates in the cluster. The other is an approximation search based on the inherent energy consumption features of the lexicographic optimal rate assignment. The real world energy harvesting profile is used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Compared with the existing strategies, the proposed framework achieves higher throughput over all range of the data aggregation ratio. The simulation results also demonstrate that the approximation-based CH selection scheme has similar data collection rate performance as that of the optimal CH selection scheme at a much lower computational cost.