cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tympanostomy Tube Placement in Children Using a Single-Pass Tool with Moderate Sedation

Insertion of tympanostomy tubes is a common elective pediatric surgical procedure and is typically performed under general anesthesia. The potential to reduce general anesthetic requirements for young children has led to increased interest in alternatives for tympanostomy tube placement. A tympanostomy tube system, developed to enable tympanostomy tube placement in a single pass on conscious patients under moderate sedation, was evaluated. A prospective study on 128 children and 253 tympanostomy tube placements conducted at 4 centers in the United States demonstrated an 88.3% success rate in performing the procedure under moderate sedation with adverse events within normal rates reported in the literature. The feasibility of completing tympanostomy tube placement under moderate sedation enables avoidance of general anesthesia and provides additional choices to physicians and parents.
Development of a Systematic Method for Defining the Stages of Weathering for Crude Oils Released into the Environment

Weathered oil is a term that is often used without communicating the degree of weathering and components that still remain. The subjective use of vague and often inaccurate weathering terms (i.e., ...
Index Bias and Current Practices

Standard versions of indices of uneven distribution take their minimum value of zero only under the condition of exact even distribution. Most segregation researchers and consumers of segregation studies are habituated to accepting this benchmark for social integration. On reflection, however, it is an unusual point of reference for assessing segregation. For one thing, exact even distribution usually is not logically possible because individuals, families, and households cannot be distributed in fractional parts as almost always is needed to achieve exact even distribution. The resulting departure from uneven distribution is likely to be negligible when segregation is being assessed for broad group comparison using relatively large spatial units such as census tracts. But it will be non-negligible when measuring segregation for small groups and/or when using small spatial units such as blocks.
Life in Boiling Water

To me, the most fascinating discovery that we made during our Yellowstone work was finding organisms that carry out their whole life histories in boiling water. I obtained the first inkling that living organisms might exist in boiling springs and geysers during our first summer of work, 1965. When we began our work in the summer of 1965, the intention was to study algal distribution along thermal gradients, but I was aware of Kempner’s paper (Kempner, 1963) stating that 73°C was the upper temperature for life, and I planned to do some experiments relating to the upper temperature limits. I thought of bacteria, and the first experiments were an attempt to get bacterial growth at high temperature by enriching spring water with organic nutrients and incubating at various temperatures from 70°C up. As incubators and source of inoculum, we selected a series of pools with temperatures of 91°C, 84°C, 76°C, and 70°C in the White Creek area of the Lower Geyser Basin, calling them Pool A, B, C, and D. But at the very beginning of the experiment, I noticed that in the outflow channel of Pool A there was pink gelatinous stringy material (see Figures 3.2 and 3.3) at temperatures in the 80–90°C range. The pink material definitely appeared to be living, and at temperatures considerably above those that Kempner had defined as the upper temperature of life.1
Genotyping-by-sequencing of Brassica oleracea vegetables reveals unique phylogenetic patterns, population structure and domestication footprints.

Brassica oleracea forms a diverse and economically significant crop group. Improvement efforts are often hindered by limited knowledge of diversity contained within available germplasm. Here, we employ genotyping-by-sequencing to investigate a diverse panel of 85 landrace and improved B. oleracea broccoli, cauliflower, and Chinese kale entries. Ultimately, 21,680 high-quality SNPs were used to reveal a complex and admixed population structure and clarify phylogenetic relationships among B. oleracea groups. Each broccoli landrace contained, on average, 8.4 times as many unique alleles as an improved broccoli and landraces collectively represented 81% of all broccoli-specific alleles. Commercial broccoli hybrids were largely represented by a single subpopulation identified within a complex population structure. Greater allelic diversity in landrace broccoli and 96.1% of SNPs differentiating improved cauliflower from landrace cauliflower were common to the larger pool of broccoli germplasm, supporting a parallel or later development of cauliflower due to introgression events from broccoli. Chinese kale was readily distinguished by principal coordinate analysis. Genotyping was accomplished with and without reliance upon a reference genome producing 141,317 and 20,815 filtered SNPs, respectively, supporting robust SNP discovery methods in neglected or unimproved crop groups that lack a reference genome. This work clarifies the population structure, phylogeny, and domestication footprints of landrace and improved B. oleracea broccoli using many genotyping-by-sequencing markers. Additionally, a large pool of genetic diversity contained in broccoli landraces is described which may enhance future breeding efforts. A comparison of gene variations in modern-day offspring of wild cabbage shows that broccoli may have preceded the appearance of cauliflower in domesticated crops. Jian Hua, Thomas Bjorkman, and colleagues from Cornell University in the US examined the DNA sequences of 85 traditional “landrace” and improved broccoli, cauliflower, and Chinese kale plants, all of which descend from the species Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage. They found 21,680 sequence variations among them all, which they used to look for patterns of relatedness between the plants. Their results support the possible domestication of cauliflower after or in parallel with broccoli. The study identifies a large pool of genetic diversity within broccoli landraces that could be used to improve future breeding efforts.
Human Papillomavirus-Related Pulmonary Neoplasia

Infection secondary to human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It has been estimated that the majority of individuals who engage in sexual activity become infected at some point in their lifetime (Baseman 2005). Considerable interest, partly related to their oncogenic potential, has resulted in major changes in the understanding of these viruses in recent years (Bravo 2010). HPVs are non-enveloped; virions are icosahedral with diameters of 50–55 nm (Fig. 19.1). The capsid contains two structural proteins: L1, the most abundant viral protein, and L2. The PV genome consists of a single molecule of circularized dsDNA (Zheng 2006). The open reading frames for all viral genes are located on only one of the DNA strands, and transcription proceeds in a single direction. There are eight early (E) open reading frames that encode for regulatory proteins that control viral metabolism and DNA synthesis. The E6 proteins of high-risk HPV types have antiapoptotic effects and interfere with p53 regulatory function in infected host cells (Howley 1990). Two late (L) reading frames encode for synthesis of the structural proteins L1 and L2.
Lattice Mode Structure of Graphite Intercalation Compounds

At first sight, a discussion of the lattice, electronic and structural properties of graphite intercalation compounds would appear to be an exceedingly difficult task in view of the large number of intercalate species which form intercalation compounds. A great simplification of the discussion of the graphite intercalation compounds results from emphasis on the strong intralayer bonding in both the graphitic and intercalate layers and the relatively weak interlayer bonding between graphite-intercalate layers and graphite-graphite layers in the intercalation compounds. Thus many of the properties of the graphite intercalation compounds can be understood by identification of the graphite and intercalate layers with their respective parent materials. For this reason, knowledge of the structural, lattice and electronic properties of the parent materials is important for understanding the properties of the corresponding intercalation compounds. To be sure, differences in these properties are found for compounds formed by the various intercalate species but the similarities are more significant. The largest differences occur between classes of intercalation compounds, such as donor and acceptor compounds. For the donors, the intercalate species tends to be ionic and the interlayer interaction is greater than for pristine graphite, while acceptor intercalates tend to be molecular and have a weaker interlayer interaction than for pristine graphite. The similarities between various classes of intercalation compounds are great, and by emphasizing these similarities, a more coherent picture of this class of materials can be presented.
A New Nonparametric Test of Symmetry

We present a new nonparametric test for symmetry about an unknown location and investigate its large sample properties. Asymptotic normality of the test statistic is established and an estimator of the asymptotic variance is also presented. Results of a simulation study and data analysis are also presented.
Calcium-activated tenderization of strip loin, top sirloin, and top round steaks in diverse genotypes of cattle.

Steers of known percentage Brahman (B) and Angus (A) breeding (100% A, n = 6; F1 B × A, n = 6; and 100% B, n = 6) were used to determine the effect of calcium chloride injection on the calpain proteinase system and meat tenderness. The steers were slaughtered in six replications (at either 9 or 14 mm of backfat, determined ultrasonically), with each breed type represented. Calpains and calpastatin activ- ities were measured on fresh, prerigor longissimus mus- cle samples. Carcass data were collected after a 24-h chill, and the short loin (IMPS #180), top sirloin (IMPS #184), and top round (IMPS #168) were removed from both sides of each carcass. The cuts from the right side were then injected at 5% (wt/wt) with CaCl2 solution (2.2%). Longissimus muscle calpain and calpastatin ac- tivities were also measured at 48 h postmortem from the injected and control sides of each carcass. Warner- Bratzler shear force was measured on steaks from the
Managing Racial Diversity: Matching Internal Strategies with Environmental Needs

Although demographic diversity has been of paramount concern to researchers and practitioners in public management, studies exploring managerial strategies to capitalize on and respond to the needs of diverse client populations are scarce. This article examines strategies for managing diversity as a way to buffer environmental challenges in service delivery and performance resulting from heterogeneous client demands. Findings suggest that administrators prioritize diversity efforts when faced with higher levels of regulatory violations (a performance measure). A higher percentage of black residents is associated with lower service quality. However, the effect of managerial strategies for diversity on performance is conditioned by the racial composition of the clients: as the percentage of black nursing home residents increases, diversity management efforts are associated with a lower number of regulatory violations. Similarly, at higher levels of racial heterogeneity, diversity management efforts are associated with fewer regulatory violations.
Senior centers: if you build will they come?

Senior Centers have served as community focal points for older adults in the US since 1943. They serve a critical role on the aging continuum of care. However, attendance rates among seniors have b...
Targeted Notch1 inhibition with a Notch1 antibody, OMP-A2G1, decreases tumor growth in two murine models of prostate cancer in association with differing patterns of DNA damage response gene expression

Notch plays a protumorigenic role in many cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). Global notch inhibition of multiple Notch family members using γ-secretase inhibitors has shown efficacy in suppressing PCa growth in murine models. However, global Notch inhibition is associated with marked toxicity due to the widespread function of many different Notch family members in normal cell physiology. Accordingly, in the current study, we explored if specific inhibition of Notch1 would effectively inhibit PCa growth in a murine model. The androgen-dependent VCaP and androgen-independent DU145 cell lines were injected subcutaneously into mice. The mice were treated with either control antibody 1B7.11, anti-Notch1 antibody (OMP-A2G1), docetaxel or the combination of OMP-A2G1 and docetaxel. Tumor growth was measured using calipers. At the end of the study, tumors were assessed for proliferative response, apoptotic response, Notch target gene expression, and DNA damage response (DDR) expression. OMP-A2G1 alone inhibited tumor growth of both PCa cell lines to a greater extent than docetaxel alone. There was no additive or synergistic effect of OMP-A2G1 and docetaxel. The primary toxicity was weight loss that was controlled with dietary supplementation. Proliferation and apoptosis were affected differentially in the two cell lines. OMP-A2G1 increased expression of the DDR gene GADD45α in VCaP cells but downregulated GADD45α in Du145 cells. Taken together, these data show that Notch1 inhibition decreases PCa xenograft growth but does so through different mechanisms in the androgen-dependent VCaP cell line vs the androgen-independent DU145 cell line. These results provide a rationale for further exploration of targeted Notch inhibition for therapy of PCa.
Evaluation of the mindfulness-augmented "Trampoline" programme - a German prevention programme for children from substance-involved families tested in a cluster-randomised trial.

Children of substance-abusing parents are at a substantial risk of developing substance-use and other mental disorders. Children involved in substance abuse – not diagnosed with substance-use problems but integrated in psychiatric treatment or youth welfare services – constitute a particular high-risk group that is in need of substance use prevention. Emerging evidence indicates that self-regulatory determinants of substance use and other mental disorders, particularly stress reactivity, are modifiable by mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction. In this ongoing cluster randomised-controlled trial, a mindfulness-augmented version of the modularised evidence-based “Trampoline” programme for children affected by parental substance use problems is evaluated in a sample of 420 children who are from substance-involved families, aged from 8 to 12 and receiving non-substance-specific care in psychiatric or youth welfare services. Larger effects on adaptive stress-coping strategies (primary outcome), internalising and externalising problem behaviours and distress due to parental substance use are expected compared to the standard “Trampoline”-programme version. Mindfulness components will be added and regularly practiced for 30 min in each validated “Trampoline” module. Moreover, the feasibility of mindfulness-based interventions in psychiatric care and youth welfare services for children suffering from emotional and behavioural problems will be investigated in this study. Despite recruitment challenges, this study provides a unique opportunity to develop and test a promising addiction-specific, mindfulness-based intervention for a target group at risk, i.e. children from substance-involved families. The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on July 16th 2018 (trial registration number (TRN): DRKS00013533 ). Any important protocol modifications are to be reported immediately. Protocol version v.2.1, 15th April 2019.
Estrogen-induced compensatory mechanisms protect IL-10-deficient mice from developing EAE

IL-10 knockout (KO) mice are protected from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) with low-dose estrogen (E2) treatment similar to wild-type (WT) mice. Previous studies have demonstrated a decrease in tumor necrosis factor in all E2-treated groups, which led to the protection of the mice. This study used IL-10 KO mice and WT mice treated either with E2 or sham pellets 7 days prior to induction of EAE. Mice were observed for 21 days post-immunization. The spleen, inguinal lymph nodes, and brain were evaluated by flow cytometry. Spinal cords were evaluated using a cytokine/chemokine array, RT-PCR, and histology. This study demonstrates that E2 treatment induced three heightened regulatory mechanisms that potentially protect IL-10 KO mice from EAE: (1) an increase in programmed death-ligands 1 and 2 on monocytes and macrophages in the periphery and within the CNS; (2) an increase in CD73 in the inflamed CNS, which can increase the production of the anti-inflammatory molecule adenosine; and (3) a decrease in CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the spleen. Together, these factors comprise an alternative compensatory mechanism that significantly downregulates key pro-inflammatory cytokine, chemokine, and chemokine receptor genes which are enhanced in the spinal cord of IL-10 KO mice. This group of E2-treated mice remained asymptomatic after EAE challenge similar to E2-treated WT mice, despite their having more T and B lymphocytes in the brain, and modestly increased demyelination in the spinal cord. These results indicate that previously unrecognized compensatory mechanisms of EAE protection are stimulated by E2 in the absence of IL-10, which can provide disease protection comparable to the IL-10-dependent effects induced by E2 in WT mice.
Understanding Distress: An Examination of the Role of Stereotype Threat in Vigilance Tasks:

Vigilance tasks are known to be stressful and highly practical tasks present in many workplace environments. Research has examined ways to alleviate this stress but has often failed to include indi...
Nitrogen mustard gel‐induced inflammation triggers lymphomatoid papulosis in patients with mycosis fungoides

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a paraneoplastic primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder (LPD) that has been associated with malignant lymphomas, most commonly mycosis fungoides (MF). We observed 10 patients with MF who developed severe inflammation after using nitrogen-mustard (NM) gel from 1 to 8 months and who developed LyP. We hypothesized that NM gel produced local inflammation, which induced CD30 expression in malignant T cells in situ leading to the appearance of LyP papules. The high frequency of induction of LyP lesions in patients with severe inflammation while on treatment with NM gel suggests an association between inflammatory stimuli and development of LyP. Our observation provides insight into the pathogenesis of CD30+ LPD.
CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE ROLE IN DIAGNOSIS OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION WITH NON-OBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERIES (MINOCA) IN A YOUNG PATIENT

The leading cause of Myocardial infarction with nonobstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) in the young population is acute myocarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has a crucial role in the detection of myocardial abnormalities. A 17 year old male presented with chest pain. ECG showed normal
REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE USE WITHIN SHIPYARDS

Ships and repair facilities have a great deal of underwater work. Often these facilities and ships do not know the extent of required work because it is underwater. They may not even know whether underwater work is required. Certain situations may also require a diver to perform security swims to assess danger. Currently, in order to have a diver visualize a potential problem, shipyards and repair activities are required to generate 2 to 4 hours of paperwork. The ship is also required to tag out at least sonar, screw, and active suctions and discharges, which can take 3 to 4 hours. Couple these delays with a delicately balanced dive schedule for overworked divers and the customer could wait 48 hours to find out if they need to work underwater. A video class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) could be employed to decrease customer wait time. These ROVs can be deployed from a pier or ship with 110 v AC and perform most of these quick look jobs. The ROV requires minimal tag out and does not require any task group instruction or work package. An added feature of the ROV is the ability to take digital footage for review by experts who can provide oversight without actually being on site.
The role of vitamin D in inflammatory bowel disease: a guide for clinical practice

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that carries significant morbidity and mortality. Given the need to identify modifiable risk facto...
Is race or ethnicity associated with under-utilization of statins among women in the United States: The study of women's health across the nation.

Background Rates of statin use among minority women are unclear. Hypothesis We hypothesized that statin use would vary by race/ethnicity with lower rates among minority women compared with Whites. Methods Data from the study of women's health across the nation, a multiethnic cohort of women collected between 2009 to 2011 were used to examine reported statin use by race/ethnicity and risk profile. Multivariable logistic modeling was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of statin treatment. Results Of the 2399 women included, 234 had a diagnosis of atherosclerotic disease (ASCVD), 254 were diabetic (without ASCVD), 163 had an LDL ≥190 mg/dL, and 151 had a 10 year ASCVD pooled risk score ≥7.5%. Statins were used by 49.6% of women with CVD; 59.8% of women with diabetes without known ASCVD; 42.3% of women with an LDL ≥190 mg/dL; and 19.9% of women with an ASCVD risk ≥7.5%. Rates of statin use were 43.8% for women with ≥ two prior ASCVD events and 69.4% for women with ≥ one prior ASCVD event plus multiple high-risk conditions. Among women eligible for statins, Black women had a significantly reduced adjusted odds of being on a statin (OR 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36-0.78) compared with White women. Conclusions In this cohort of multiethnic women, rates of statin use among women who would benefit were low, with Black women having lower odds of statin use than White women.
Tree planting has the potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity of forests in the United States.

Several initiatives have been proposed to mitigate forest loss and climate change through tree planting as well as maintaining and restoring forest ecosystems. These initiatives have both inspired and been inspired by global assessments of tree and forest attributes and their contributions to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Here we use data from more than 130,000 national forest inventory plots to describe the contribution of nearly 1.4 trillion trees on forestland in the conterminous United States to mitigate CO2 emissions and the potential to enhance carbon sequestration capacity on productive forestland. Forests and harvested wood products uptake the equivalent of more than 14% of economy-wide CO2 emissions in the United States annually, and there is potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity by ∼20% (−187.7 million metric tons [MMT] CO2 ±9.1 MMT CO2) per year by fully stocking all understocked productive forestland. However, there are challenges and opportunities to be considered with tree planting. We provide context and estimates from the United States to inform assessments of the potential contributions of forests in climate change mitigation associated with tree planting.
Online health information seeking behaviours of parents of children undergoing surgery in a pediatric hospital in Rome, Italy: a survey.

People increasingly search online for health information. Particularly, parents of patients often use the Internet as a source for health information. We conducted a survey to investigate the online searching behavior of parents of patients 43 km) were more likely to search for health information (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.34–4.00), as were families of patients undergoing a major surgery (OR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.04–4.11). Parents of children undergoing surgery often search online for information on their child’s intervention, in particular those whose child is scheduled for a major surgery and those living far from the hospital. A survey like the present one allows to understand parents’ information needs, to better guide them in online information seeking and to better tailor information provided on the care provider’s website.
Remote sensing of phytoplankton functional types in the coastal ocean from the HyspIRI Preparatory Flight Campaign

Abstract The 2013–2015 Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) Preparatory Flight Campaign, using the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER), seeks to demonstrate appropriate sensor signal, spatial and spectral resolution, and orbital pass geometry for a global mission to reveal ecological and climatic gradients expressed in the selected California, USA study area. One of the awarded projects focused on the flight transects covering the coastal ocean to demonstrate that the AVIRIS data can be used to infer phytoplankton functional types at the land–sea interface. Specifically, this project directly assesses whether HyspIRI can provide adequate signal in the complex aquatic environment of the coastal zone to address questions of algal bloom dynamics, water quality, transient responses to human disturbance, river runoff, and red tides. Phytoplankton functional type (PFT), or biodiversity, can be determined from ocean color using the Phytoplankton Detection with Optics (PHYDOTax) algorithm and this information can be used to detect and monitor for harmful algal blooms. PHYDOTax is sensitive to spectral shape and accurate retrievals of ocean color across the visible spectral range is needed. The specific goal of this paper is to address the challenges of sensor capabilities and atmospheric correction in coastal environments by assessing two atmospheric correction methods using AVIRIS data for the retrieval of ocean color for use in derived products of chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton functional type. The atmospheric correction algorithms Atmospheric Removal (ATREM) and Tafkaa were applied to AVIRIS imagery of Monterey Bay, CA collected on 10 April 2013 and 31 October 2013. Data products from the imagery were compared with shipboard measurements including chlorophyll-a from whole-water samples and phytoplankton community structure estimated from diagnostic pigment markers using CHEMical TAXonomy (CHEMTAX). Using ATREM and Tafkaa and a selected set of input parameters for the scenes, we were unable to produce accurate retrievals of ocean color for the determination of chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton diversity. A modified ATREM correction produced science-quality data in which chlorophyll-a was accurately estimated using the Ocean Color 3 (OC3) chlorophyll-a algorithm, but biodiversity using PHYDOTax was not accurately estimated. Improvements in sensor calibration, sensitivity, and atmospheric correction of the HyspIRI imagery data set is needed in order to adequately estimate biogeochemically meaningful data products for the ocean such as chlorophyll-a, inherent optical properties, or PFTs. The HyspIRI Science Team is seeking improvements so the HyspIRI Airborne Campaign data set can be used for algorithm development to understand biodiversity and ecosystem function of coastal habitats that are facing increasing threats of human impact and climate change.
Limited Clinical Utility of Follow-up Blood Cultures in Patients With Streptococcal Bacteremia: An Opportunity for Blood Culture Stewardship

Background The value of positive follow-up blood cultures (FUBCs) in streptococcal bacteremia has not been well defined. Therefore, we explored the frequency of and risk factors for positive FUBC in a retrospective cohort of patients with streptococcal bacteremia. Methods Adults ≥18 years of age, admitted with at least 1 positive blood culture for Streptococcus spp between 2013 and 2018 followed by at least 1 FUBC, were potentially eligible. Positive FUBCs were defined as cultures positive for the same streptococcal species drawn >24 hours after the index culture. We excluded patients with polymicrobial bacteremia. We compared the characteristics of patients with and without a positive FUBC. Results In our single-center cohort, we identified 590 patients with streptococcal bacteremia, and 314 patients met inclusion criteria. Ten patients had FUBC with Streptococcus spp (3.2%), 4 (1.3%) had a contaminant identified, and 3 (1.0%) had a new pathogen isolated. Endocarditis (5 of 10 [50.0%] vs 35 of 304 [11.5%]), epidural abscess (2 of 10 [20%] vs 4 of 304 [1.3%]), and discitis or vertebral osteomyelitis (3 of 10 [30.0%] vs 14 of 304 [4.6%]) were associated with positive FUBC. Patients with positive FUBC had a longer median length of stay (12.9 vs 7.1 days, P = .004) and longer duration of antibiotic treatment (14.9 vs 43.2 days, P = .03). Conclusions Follow-up blood cultures among patients with streptococcal BSI are rarely positive. Clinicians could consider limiting follow-up blood cultures in patients at low risk for deep-seated streptococcal infections, persistent bacteremia, or endovascular infection.
Eight vitamin E congeners in seafood and aquatic products in Zhejiang Province

Objective Comparison and analysis of α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherol(T) and α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocotrienol(T3) in 44 species of seafood and aquatic products is under processed to enrich the database of food composition in China and provide a scientific reference for dietary intake choice. Methods Quantitative and correlation analysis of eight vitamin E isomers were based on external calibration method with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detector, after hot saponification with alkaline and liquid-liquid extraction. Results The content of α-tocopherol equivalent(α-TE) in seafood and aquatic products varied greatly(from 0. 10 to 4. 01 mg/100 g edible), as well as the isomer forms. Aspect of vitamin E forms in aquatic fish, detection rates of α-T and α-T3 were both 100%, while the rates of γ-T and γ-T3 were 31. 58% and 68. 42%, respectively. Aspect of vitamin E forms in sea fish, detection rates α-T3, γ-T and γ-T3 were 28. 57%, 28. 57% and 35. 71%, respectively, while the rate of α-T was 100%. The form of vitamin E isomers in fish was at some extent different when they raise up in wild and farming environment, whereas there was no significant different in content of isomers. For shrimp and crabs, the content of α-TE was also various(from 0. 31 to 14. 27 mg/100 g edible), whereas α-T was the primary vitamin E form. And the content of α-T in female crabs was a little higher than that in male crabs, without statistic difference. With respect to correlation analysis, there was a strong correlation between γ-T and α-T3 in sea fish, while weak correlation of isomers in aquatic fish and certain correlations of isomers in shrimp and crab. Conclusion The level of vitamin E content in seafood and aquatic products are quite different. Thus, it will bring in different effects on total activity and intake of vitamin E isomers by consumption of different species of seafood and aquatic products.
Preliminary Risk assessment for Acrylamide and Peripheral Neuropathy.

Abstract Acrylamide (ACM) is a high-volume industrial chemical with diverse uses in manufacturing, construction and laboratory research. ACM is a well-established neurotoxic agent causing peripheral neuropathy with impairment in the arms and legs of exposed workers, most thoroughly studied in Swedish tunnel workers exposed to ACM grouting. A quantitative risk assessment was performed to assess ACM risk to workers. Using data from a published paper investigating peripheral neuropathies in Chinese chemical workers, estimates of exposure response for vibration perception threshold and nerve conduction velocities were calculated, based on hemoglobin adducts and air concentrations as exposure metrics. The benchmark dose procedure was applied in order to calculate excess risks of impairment, defined as adverse performance exceeding the 95th percentile in unexposed populations, at various concentrations of airborne ACM exposure. Under the assumptions in this risk assessment, after three years of inhalation exposure at 0.3 mg/m3, the excess attributable impairment manifest in vibration perception and nerve conduction velocity is estimated to occur in 1-2% of workers. For 10 years at 0.3 mg/m3 ACM inhalation (equivalent to 3 years at 1.0 mg/m3) the excess prevalence of impairment would be 2-14% of workers, assuming the effect continues to accrue linearly in time. Using published data, the risks of impairment from peripheral neuropathy attributable to exclusively airborne ACM exposure can be predicted for exposure periods less than 10 years. The risks associated with dermal and airborne ACM exposures can be estimated by characterizing working process environments using ACM Hb-adduct levels and possibly monitored with urinary biomarkers.
Asymmetric Information and Vertical Integration in the Commercial Mortgage-Backed Security Market

A commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) is a claim on future returns to a bundle of loans. Empirically, loans that are securitized “in-house” -- when the loan originator is vertically integrated with the issuer of the CMBS -- outperform loans securitized by unaffiliated issuers. I examine the extent to which this difference stems from ex ante selection versus the effect of vertical integration on ex post returns, such as due to moral hazard. In my model, CMBS issuers first choose a portfolio of loans, then issue securities backed by these loans that they sell to uninformed investors in a signaling game. To distinguish between ex ante selection and effects on ex post returns, I exploit exogenous variation in the set of feasible matches between issuers and loans and heterogeneity in the match values due to portfolio diversification effects. The better performance of in-house loans can be entirely explained by ex post returns -- on net, they actually have somewhat worse unobserved ex ante quality than non-in-house loans. The pricing of CMBS suggests that investors are aware of the phenomenon.
Photospheric Molecular Line Profiles in Cool Stars

Spectral lines of the ΔV=2 rotation vibration bands of CO are well suited for study of photospheric motions and the mass ejection process in cool stars. We have obtained high spectral resolution (1.8 km/sec) and high signal-to-noise (>102) line profiles for a selection of K and M giants. These profiles are being studied for evidence of gas motions in the photosphere and near circumstellar regions.
Charter schools in the USA: A strategy to increase responsiveness, service quality and stretch resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain an evolving management strategy in state and local levels of government in the USA that contributes to better productivity through greater responsiveness, governance, increased market‐like competition and leveraging government resources.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on reviews and analysis of published reports about Charter Schools.Findings – This paper asserts that public private partnership (PPP) charter schools can be very conducive for the development and implementation of a public entrepreneurial strategy (PES) and contribute to local government productivity because: charter schools stretch resources utilization, leverage its ability to license as a mean for mobilizing new resources, improve service quality without expanding cost, reduce future financial obligations (i.e. pensions), diffuse accountability issues that have to do with elementary and secondary education – what the government needs to do in such eventuality...
Seasonal Deformation of 2-Mile Straight Line

Relative motions of parts of the Stanford Linear Accelerator housing were measured and corrected repeatedly between 1966 and 1971. The vertical motion shows a steady decline with time, whereas both vertical and horizontal motions have a periodic component of one cycle per year. Displacement is upward in winter and downward in summer, and is clearly correlated with rainfall and water level in nearby wells. Consequently, the observed displacements must be associated with local soil and rock properties, and are not due to tectonic stress around San Andreas fault system.
A secure and robust approach to software tamper resistance

Software tamper-resistance mechanisms have increasingly assumed significance as a technique to prevent unintended uses of software. Closely related to anti-tampering techniques are obfuscation techniques, which make code difficult to understand or analyze and therefore, challenging to modify meaningfully. This paper describes a secure and robust approach to software tamper resistance and obfuscation using process-level virtualization. The proposed techniques involve novel uses of software checksumming guards and encryption to protect an application. In particular, a virtual machine (VM) is assembled with the application at software build time such that the application cannot run without the VM. The VM provides just-in-time decryption of the program and dynamism for the application's code. The application's code is used to protect the VM to ensure a level of circular protection. Finally, to prevent the attacker from obtaining an analyzable snapshot of the code, the VM periodically discards all decrypted code. We describe a prototype implementation of these techniques and evaluate the run-time performance of applications using our system. We also discuss how our system provides stronger protection against tampering attacks than previously described tamper-resistance approaches.
Modern Insect Extinctions, the Neglected Majority

Most extinctions estimated to have occurred in the historical past, or predicted to occur in the future, are of insects. Despite this, the study of insect extinctions has been neglected. Only 70 modern insect extinctions have been documented, although thousands are estimated to have occurred. By focusing on some of the 70 documented extinctions as case studies, I considered ways in which insect extinctions may differ from those of other taxa. These case studies suggested that two types of extinction might be common for insects but rare for other taxa: extinction of narrow habitat specialists and coextinctions of affiliates with the extinctions of their hosts. Importantly, both of these forms of extinction are often ignored by conservation programs focused on vertebrates and plants. Anecdotal evidence and recent simulations suggest that many insect extinctions may have already occurred because of loss of narrow habitat specialists from restricted habitats and the loss of hosts. If we are serious about insect conservation, we need to spend more time and money documenting such extinctions. To neglect such extinctions is to ignore the majority of species that are or were in need of conservation.
Fuel cell as a distributed generation technology

Fuel cells can convert a remarkably high proportion of the chemical energy in a fuel to electricity. With the efficiencies approaching 60%, even without cogeneration, fuel cell power plants are nearly twice as efficient as conventional power plants. Fuel cells contribute significantly to the cleaner environment; they produce dramatically fewer emissions, and their byproducts are primarily hot water and carbon dioxide in small amounts. And because of their modular nature, fuel cells can be placed at or near load centers resulting in savings of transmission network expansion. Industry has slowly begun to appreciate the commercial value of fuel cells. In addition to stationary power generation applications, there is now a strong push to develop fuel cells for automotive use. Even though fuel cells provide high performance characteristics, reliability, durability and environmental benefits, a very high investment cost still is the major barrier against large-scale deployment.
A Positive Theory of Income Redistribution

This article examines how redistribution of human capital expenditure can come about voluntarily. A model is developed in which, in the absence of redistribution, human capital expenditure is financed through tax revenue collected locally. However, circumstances are shown under which transfers of human capital expenditure across neighborhoods can take place voluntarily, even in the absence of interfamily altruism. These transfers can eliminate absolute inequality and reduce relative inequality. In addition, the effect on aggregate income of such human capital funding transfers across neighborhoods is evaluated. Empirical evidence supporting the model's implications for the impact of redistribution of human capital expenditure on the persistence of income inequality is presented
Studies of the phosphoenzyme intermediate of the yeast plasma membrane proton-translocating ATPase.

The yeast plasma membrane proton-pumping ATPase forms a phosphorylated intermediate during the hydrolysis of ATP. The fraction of enzyme phosphorylated during steady-state ATP hydrolysis was studied as a function of substrate concentration (MgATP), Mg2+ concentration, and pH. The dependence of the fraction of enzyme phosphorylated on the concentration of MgATP is sigmoidal, and the isotherms can be fit with parameters and mechanisms similar to those used to describe ATP hydrolysis. The isotherm is significantly more sigmoidal at pH 5.5 than at pH 6.0, with the limiting percentage (100.mol of phosphate/mol of enzyme) of enzyme phosphorylated being 70% and 6%, respectively, at the two pH values. The maxima in the steady-state rate of ATP hydrolysis occur at higher concentrations of Mg2+ and higher pH than the maxima in the fraction of enzyme phosphorylated. This suggests that the rate-determining step for ATP hydrolysis is different from that for enzyme phosphorylation and the hydrolysis of phosphoenzyme is enhanced by Mg2+ and high pH. The rate of phosphoenzyme formation was investigated with the quenched-flow method, but only a lower bound of 140 s-1 could be obtained for the rate constant at MgATP concentrations greater than 2.5 mM. Since the turnover number for ATP hydrolysis under similar conditions is 14 s-1, the rate-determining step in ATP hydrolysis occurs after enzyme phosphorylation.
Overweight-mortality paradox and impact of six-minute walk distance in lung transplantation

Overweight-mortality paradox and impact of six-minute walk distance (SMWD) in lung transplantation Background: The objective of this study was to examine combined prognostic influence of body mass index (BMI) and SMWD on mortality in lung transplant recipients. Methods: Consecutive isolated lung transplant recipients were identified. Preoperative BMI and SMWD data were collected. The cohort was followed for all-cause mortality. Results: The study included 324 lung transplant recipients with mean age of 57 ± 13 years and 58% were male (27% obstructive, 3% vascular, 6% cystic fibrosis, and 64% with restrictive lung diseases). In the total cohort; 37% had normal BMI, 10% were underweight, 33% were overweight, and 20% were obese. The median SMWD was 700 feet. The lower SMWDgroup was defined as the patients who had SMWD Conclusion: In lung transplant recipients under lung allocation score (LAS) era, pretransplant BMI and SMWD were independent predictors for mortality after the transplant. The lowest mortality risk was noted in a group of transplant recipients identified as overweight; whereas, being underweight or obese was associated with increased mortality.
Effects of Clonidine on Withdrawal From Long-term Dexmedetomidine in the Pediatric Patient

OBJECTIVE: To compare withdrawal symptoms among pediatric intensive care patients receiving clonidine to those not receiving clonidine while being weaned from long-term dexmedetomidine. METHODS: This retrospective analysis evaluated Withdrawal Assessment Tool-1 (WAT-1) scores and hemodynamic parameters in pediatric patients on dexmedetomidine for 5 days or longer between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012. The primary objective was to compare withdrawal symptoms based on the number of elevated WAT-1 scores among patients on clonidine to those not on clonidine, while being weaned from long-term dexmedetomidine. The secondary objective was to describe withdrawal symptoms associated with long-term dexmedetomidine use. RESULTS: Nineteen patients (median age, 1.5 years; interquartile range [IQR], 0.67–3.3) received 20 treatment courses of dexmedetomidine for at least 5 days. Clonidine was received by patients during 12 of the treatment courses. The patients in the clonidine group had an average of 0.8 (ran...
Global robustness of nonlinear systems to state measurement disturbances

We consider nonlinear control systems for which an estimate x/spl circ/ of the system state x is available for feedback. We assume x/spl circ/=x+d/sub m/, where d/sub m/(t) is an unknown locally bounded state measurement disturbance. We present conditions under which we can design a smooth feedback law u=/spl mu/(x/spl circ/) which renders the mapping from d/sub m/ to x globally input/output stable. For any initial condition, such a feedback law will guarantee that no finite escape times occur, that bounded disturbances d/sub m/ produce bounded signals, and that x/spl rarr/0 when d/sub m//spl rarr/0. We show that the class of systems for which such feedback laws exist include systems in strict feedback form. One important application is in the output feedback stabilization problem, where the disturbance d/sub m/ comes from a separately designed observer. >
ENGAGED ANTHROPOLOGY ON “THE LAST FRONTIER”

The distinction between engaged/applied anthropology and traditional anthropology has not been rigid in Alaska since the early 1970s. Why? And how has this engagement occurred for four decades at the University of Alaska Anchorage? This paper describes the socio-political realities of Alaska and how faculty and students responded in their engaged research, teaching, and service. Cultural and linguistic anthropologists engaged with a variety of Alaskan communities, primarily Alaska Native, sometimes working with federal, state, and private agencies serving northern populations, which now includes over 90 ethnic groups from around the world.
An improved lower bound for the right tail of the reliability function under a type-two censoring plan

Abstract A distribution-free simultaneous lower confidence region for an unknown reliability function using lifetime censored data is suggested. The proposed construction is based on a generalization of the usual Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance. This procedure allows construction of a meaningful confidence region in the neighborhood of the lifetime of the oldest item obtained from a “light” censoring plan. Critical values necessary for implementation are given.
Interaction of intravitreal combination drugs and the effect on the targeted site.

Background: After evaluating experimentally the diffusion processes in the retina using peroxidase as a tracer material (previously published work), we found that junctional complexes of the retinal pigment epithelium and retinal capillaries were the major impediment to free diffusion between the retina and choroidal-retinal blood vessels. These experiments indicated that to achieve high therapeutic concentrations of medications inside the eye, it was necessary to administer them by intravitreal injection. Soon after initial experimental work the necessity of combining antibiotics or antibiotics with steroids became obvious. As the use of intravitreal injection grew over the last 2 decades, so did the concept of combination therapy.Methods: This review describes potential causes of drug–drug interaction and the rationale for combination therapy when injected into the vitreous cavity, encompassing publications between 1971 and 2008.Results: We describe the conditions that can cause physical–chemical intera...