cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diode-laser photocoagulation for zone 1 threshold retinopathy of prematurity

We used the diode-laser indirect ophthalmoscope in the treatment of 17 (30 eyes) infants with zone 1 (a circle centered on the optic disk with a radius of twice the distance from the disk to the fovea) threshold retinopathy of prematurity (at least five continuous or eight cumulative 30-degree sectors [clock hours] of ridge with extraretinal fibrovascular proliferation in the presence of plus disease). Mean follow-up was 31.2 weeks. Two eyes (6.7%) required retreatment of missed areas that had persistent plus disease (enlarged posterior veins and tortuous arterioles). A favorable outcome was attained in 25 eyes (83.3%). Five eyes (16.7%) developed retinal detachments, three of which remained stable at Stage 4A (extrafoveal retinal detachment) and two of which ultimately progressed to Stage 5 (total retinal detachment). Both eyes that went on to Stage 5 had severe posterior pole hemorrhages at the time of treatment. Two eyes that developed retinal detachments (one, stage 4A and one, stage 5) had rhegmatogenous components. Among 14 infants followed up for more than three months, four developed nystagmus, and six developed strabismus. In contrast to cryoablation, diode-laser photoablation of the peripheral retina was found to be an effective treatment for threshold retinopathy of prematurity located in zone 1. Portability and ease of use of the laser system, precision of treatment, and minimal postprocedural adnexal inflammation are further advantages of this therapeutic modality.
Effect of Severe Alcoholic Liver Disease on the Disposition of Methadone in Maintenance Patients

We studied methadone disposition in 11 maintenance patients with alcoholic liver disease of such severity that liver biopsy was contraindicated. Nine methadone-maintained patients with recent alcohol abuse but minimal or no evidence of liver disease served as controls. Most kinetic indices, including the apparent oral clearance and area under the concentration-time curves, were similar in patients and controls. Although the apparent terminal half-life of methadone was longer (p = 0.04) in the patients with liver disease, the peak plasma methadone level was lower (p = 0.03). None of the patients had signs or symptoms of methadone overdosage or abstinence at the time of study. Six patients and one control had flattened plasma methadone concentration-time curves. We hypothesize that, in severe liver disease, damage to hepatic drug-metabolizing systems is offset by damage to the capacity of the liver to store and release unchanged methadone. The usual methadone maintenance dose may be continued in stable patients with severe alcoholic cirrhosis.
The Decision to Perform Staging Laparotomy in Symptomatic Hodgkin's Disease

This study defines patients with symptomatic Hodgkin's disease for whom risks of staging laparotomy (LAP) outweigh benefits conferred by accurate knowledge of stage. From a database of more than 900 pathologically-staged patients, probabilities of pathological stage are calculated for combinations of basic findings and lymphangiogram results. Decision-making thresholds are defined at which results of treatment after LAP, taking operative mortality into account, are equivalent to immediate treatment appropriate to clinical stage. These thresholds are substantially altered by varying LAP mortality estimates, by assigning a false negative rate to LAP, and by considering uncertainty in treatment results. Fifty-four combinations of findings are described for which immediate therapy with MOPP is justified; total nodal irradiation (TNI) is never indicated in B patients without prior LAP staging. Analysing 94 B patients who had LAP showed an appreciable number might have been spared this, particularly when uncertainty in treatment results is considered. With 0.03 (=3%) uncertainty in treatment, and 1% LAP mortality, LAP was not indicated in one in seven patients; nearly one third of patients should have immediate treatment with 3% LAP mortality. Threshold analysis can define those patients for whom risks of LAP outweigh benefits.
Efficient Calculation of Scattering Variation Due to Uncertain Geometrical Deviation

This paper presents an efficient approach to quantifying the variation of electromagnetic scattering due to an uncertain geometrical deviation of the scattering surface. This approach employs a stochastic collocation method to decouple the collocation nodes, which permits the direct use of a deterministic solver to compute the solution to electromagnetic scattering for each collocation point. The multidimensional integral introduced by the stochastic collocation method is then evaluated using Stroud's cubatures, which require significantly fewer samples than does the traditional Monte-Carlo method. The accuracy and efficiency of this approach are demonstrated through a few numerical examples, where the results are obtained using the Monte-Carlo method and Stroud's cubatures.
Electrostatic endothelial cell seeding technique for small diameter (<6 mm) vascular prostheses: Feasibility testing

Multiple studies have indicated the importance of surface charge in the adhesion of multiple cardiovascular cell lines including platelets and endothelial cells on the substrate materials (1,4,7–10,12–15). It is the purpose of this article to report a feasibility study conducted using an electrostatic endothelial cell seeding technique. The feasibility study was conducted using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), a static pool apparatus, a voltage source, and a parallel plate capacitor. The HUVEC concentration and seeding times were constant at 560,000 HUVEC/ml and 30 min, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy examination of the endothelial cell adhesion indicated that an induced temporary positive surface charge on e-PTFE graft material enhances the number and the maturation (flattening) of HUVECs adhered. The results indicated that the total number of endothelial cells adhered (70.9 mm2 was increased from 9198 ± 1194 HUVECs on the control (no induced surface charge) ePTFE to 22,482 ± 4814 HUVECs (2.4 × control) on the maximum induced positive surface charge. The total number of cells in the flattened phase of adhesion increased from 837 ± 275 to 6785 ± 1012 HUVECs (8.1x) under identical conditions. Thus, the results of the feasibility study support the premise that electrostatic interaction is an important factor in both the endothelial cell adhesion and spreading processes and suggest that the electrostatic seeding technique may lead to an increased patency of small diameter (<6 mm) vascular prostheses.
Stimulability as a factor in the phonological generalization of misarticulating preschool children

The relationship among six functionally misarticulating preschool children’s phoneme-specific stimulability skills, the choice of treatment targets (i.e., stimulable or nonstimulable sounds), and g...
Immune responses and immunity in hepatitis C virus infection

The hepatitis C virus is an enveloped, positive-strand RNA virus, approximately 50 nm in diameter2,3 and similar in genomic structure to Flaviand Pestiviridae. Its genome consists of approximately 9600 nucleotides and contains a single open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of approximately 3000 amino acids. Both host and viral proteases cleave this polyprotein into three structural proteins—core, E1, and E2—and six nonstructural proteins—NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A, and NS5B. The function of p7, located between structural and nonstructural proteins is currently not known (for a detailed review of the HCV genome structure, replication and proteins functions, see references 4 and 5). HCV enters a susceptible host either directly, through transfusion of contaminated blood products or injection with contaminated needles, or, less efficiently, by crossing over an epithelial barrier, as exemplified by perinatal or sexual transmission. The virus reaches the liver via the hepatic artery or the portal vein and enters hepatocytes, its preferred site of replication. Sharp serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations may occur between 10 and 16 weeks after infection, but acute hepatitis is rarely diagnosed, because the majority of patients are not icteric and do not develop any symptoms other than fatigue and mild pain in the right upper abdomen. Circulating HCV-specific T cells have been demonstrated as early as 3–4 weeks after infection, whereas HCV-specific antibody responses occur much later, between 7 and 31 weeks after infection.6
Who owns the online consumer

Powerful emerging technologies, fierce competition in the marketplace, more sophisticated consumers and the relentless drive for higher corporate earnings are at the root of online consumers’ information privacy concerns. The issue of consumer privacy could be a defining element in the battle for the ownership of online consumers. Businesses have a choice in how they respond to this matter. They can see it as a threat and simply react defensively. Or they can treat this as an opportunity and be proactive in maximizing the gains. Clearly, businesses that add value to their offerings by leveraging Internet technology in coordination with a proactive policy to preserve consumer privacy will be the success stories of the future. The goal of this research is to identify the strategic and tactical opportunities created by online consumers’ privacy concerns. Approaches to treating the privacy concerns as a source of competitive advantage are clearly discussed.
The role of plasmacytoid dendritic cell-derived IFN alpha in antiviral immunity

Viral infections represent a major source of acute and chronic human disease. The immune system plays a central role in the elimination of viruses through its ability to recognize pathogens and to induce virus-specific cellular activation, accompanied by a robust production of soluble molecules with antiviral effects. Interferons are among the most powerful natural soluble antiviral molecules. Upon viral infection, interferons are produced by a variety of cell types, with immune cells being the main contributors. The immune system works as a well-orchestrated team composed of multiple cell types. The mechanisms of intercellular cooperation that includes dendritic cells (DCs), their soluble factors, and different types of immune cells are yet to be fully understood. Further, the effects of viral infections on interimmune cooperation need to be investigated. In this review, we define the role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDC) and PDC-derived interferon alpha (IFNalpha) during viral infections. Specifically, we address the mechanisms of IFNalpha induction and the cooperation between PDC, PDC-derived IFNalpha and T cells, B cells, NK, iNKT, and myeloid dendric cells in antiviral immune responses.
Observer design for nonlinear systems with discrete-time measurements

This paper focuses on the development of asymptotic observers for nonlinear discrete-time systems. It is argued that instead of trying to imitate the linear observer theory, the problem of constructing a nonlinear observer can be more fruitfully studied in the context of solving simultaneous nonlinear equations. In particular, it is shown that the discrete Newton method, properly interpreted, yields an asymptotic observer for a large class of discrete-time systems, while the continuous Newton method may be employed to obtain a global observer. Furthermore, it is analyzed how the use of Broyden's method in the observer structure affects the observer's performance and its computational complexity. An example illustrates some aspects of the proposed methods; moreover, it serves to show that these methods apply equally well to discrete-time systems and to continuous-time systems with sampled outputs. >
The nutritional therapy of non-insulin dependent (type II) diabetes.

Confusion in the dietary manage ment of diabetes often arises from the lack of distinction between the two main types of diabetes and the dra matic difference in their dietary man agement. For obes...
On the use of lattices for the automatic generation of pronunciations

In this paper, we explore the use of lattices to generate pronunciations for speech recognition based on the observation of a few (say one or two) speech utterances of a word. Various search strategies are investigated in combination with schemes where single or multiple pronunciations are generated for each speech utterance. In our experiments, a strategy that combines merging time-overlapping links in a context-dependent subphone lattice and generating multiple pronunciations provides the best recognition accuracy. This results in average relative gains of 30% over the generation of single pronunciations using a Viterbi search.
Measurement of Airborne Influenza Virus in a Hospital Emergency Department

Size-fractionated aerosol particles were collected in a hospital emergency department to test for airborne influenza virus. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we confirmed the presence of airborne influenza virus and found that 53% of detectable influenza virus particles were within the respirable aerosol fraction. Our results provide evidence that influenza virus may spread through the airborne route.
The Instrumentality of Attitudes: Toward a Neofunctional Theory.

This paper proposes that attitudes should be viewed as strategies for meeting personal needs; they serve psychological functions. After reviewing the early functional attitude theories proposed by Katz and by Smith, and some of the problems associated with them, a new functional approach is outlined. This neofunctional approach distinguishes two principal sources for the benefit related to attitudes: the attitude's object and the attitude's expression. Within these two major categories, specific functions are described based on the author's research and that of earlier functional theorists. The personality, situational, and domain characteristics likely to influence the functional value of attitudes are also discussed. Strategies suggested by this approach for changing attitudes are briefly considered.
The Influence of Access to General Education Curriculum on Alternate Assessment Performance of Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities

The primary purpose of this investigation was to understand the influence of access to the general curriculum on the performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities, as measured by the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA)for Students with Disabilities. Special education teachers (N = 113) submitted case materials for students with significant disabilities who were assessed using the WAA. Cases included WAA rating scales, students' individualized education programs (IEPs), and a curricular access questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the influence ofcurricular access on students' WAA performance. Students' scores on the WAA Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics scales were included in the model as the indicators for the latent factor-student performance. Student grade level, teacher reports of students' curricular access, percentage of academicfocused IEP goals, and time spent in general education settings were included as predictors of students' performance. Results indicated the model accountedfor 41% of the variance in the latentfactor of student performance. Implications of these results are discussed for the validity of WAA scores and the design of professional development and teacher support materials.
CAP defines a second signalling pathway required for insulin-stimulated glucose transport

Insulin stimulates the transport of glucose into fat and muscle cells. Although the precise molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain uncertain, insulin initiates its actions by binding to its tyrosine kinase receptor, leading to the phosphorylation of intracellular substrates. One such substrate is the Cbl proto-oncogene product. Cbl is recruited to the insulin receptor by interaction with the adapter protein CAP, through one of three adjacent SH3 domains in the carboxy terminus of CAP. Upon phosphorylation of Cbl, the CAP-Cbl complex dissociates from the insulin receptor and moves to a caveolin-enriched, triton-insoluble membrane fraction. Here, to identify a molecular mechanism underlying this subcellular redistribution, we screened a yeast two-hybrid library using the amino-terminal region of CAP and identified the caveolar protein flotillin. Flotillin forms a ternary complex with CAP and Cbl, directing the localization of the CAP-Cbl complex to a lipid raft subdomain of the plasma membrane. Expression of the N-terminal domain of CAP in 3T3-L1 adipocytes blocks the stimulation of glucose transport by insulin, without affecting signalling events that depend on phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase. Thus, localization of the Cbl-CAP complex to lipid rafts generates a pathway that is crucial in the regulation of glucose uptake.
High-Dose Chemotherapy for Resistant Germ Cell Tumors: Recent Advances and Future Directions

A review of the published literature shows that treatment with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with autologous bone marrow transplantation results in durable complete responses (3-42 months, continuous at time of report) in about 10%-20% of heavily pretreated patients with cisplatin-resistant germ cell tumors and represents a curative therapy in patients who would otherwise die of their disease. In a recent follow-up study of 40 patients with refractory germ cell tumors, 15% (six) were alive and free of disease more than 24 months after treatment with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with autologous bone marrow transplantation. The several studies that incorporated an oxazaphosphorine (usually cyclophosphamide) in the regimen strongly suggest that the addition of this third drug to high doses of carboplatin and etoposide results in a higher proportion of complete responses (35%, 23% durable) than carboplatin and etoposide alone (26%, 12% durable). Early intervention with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation appears to reduce hematologic toxicity. Its role in the treatment of less heavily pretreated patients will depend on the definition of "cisplatin-resistant," which may encompass those who failed to respond to the drug or those who are judged not likely to respond. Studies to improve treatment efficacy and to lessen the burden of supportive care during hematopoietic reconstitution are ongoing and include the use of peripheral blood-derived stem cells.
Corn Phenology Influences Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Emigration and Visitation to Soybean in Laboratory Assays

We used two types of laboratory apparatus to test whether rotation-resistant and wild-type Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) responded differently to corn phenology. Beetles from Nebraska where injury to rotated corn has not been reported were defined as wild type, and beetles from Illinois where injury to rotated corn is common represented “rotation-resistant” populations. A two-chamber emigration arena assayed propensity of both populations to leave corn during and after anthesis. A side-arm olfactometer tested whether the relative attraction of beetles to soybean versus corn was influenced by corn phenology. Beetle origin did not influence departure from corn of varying phenology; both emigrated significantly less from young (shedding pollen) than old (no pollen) corn. Significantly more beetles entered olfactometer chambers with soybean than empty control chambers, but there was no difference in response between the two populations. Numbers of beetles entering chambers with soybean varied with the addition of young versus old corn. Replacing young with old corn approximately doubled the percentage of beetles not selecting corn. As corn aged, adult visitation of soybean increased significantly. We suggest this mechanism is sufficient to explain injury to rotated corn, when linked to a corn crop planted early and synchronously within a landscape limited to corn and soybean. This explanation based on preexisting behavioral plasticity should be given due consideration along with conceptual models of D. v. virgifera rotation resistance that imply genetic change.
Molecular profiling of oral microbiota in jawbone samples of bisphosphonate‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 602–612 Objective: Infection has been hypothesized as a contributing factor to bisphosphonate (BP)-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). The objective of this study was to determine the bacterial colonization of jawbone and identify the bacterial phylotypes associated with BRONJ. Materials and methods: Culture-independent 16S rRNA gene-based molecular techniques were used to determine and compare the total bacterial diversity in bone samples collected from 12 patients with cancer (six, BRONJ with history of BP; six, controls without BRONJ, no history of BP but have infection). Results: Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile and Dice coefficient displayed a statistically significant clustering of profiles, indicating different bacterial population in BRONJ subjects and control. The top three genera ranked among the BRONJ group were Streptococcus (29%), Eubacterium (9%), and Pseudoramibacter (8%), while in the control group were Parvimonas (17%), Streptococcus (15%), and Fusobacterium (15%). H&E sections of BRONJ bone revealed layers of bacteria along the surfaces and often are packed into the scalloped edges of the bone. Conclusion: This study using limited sample size indicated that the jawbone associated with BRONJ was heavily colonized by specific oral bacteria and there were apparent differences between the microbiota of BRONJ and controls.
Exogenous isoleucine and fatty acid shortening ensure the high content of anteiso-C15:0 fatty acid required for low-temperature growth of Listeria monocytogenes.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the branched-chain fatty acid anteiso-C15:0 plays a critical role in the growth of Listeria monocytogenes at low temperatures by ensuring sufficient membrane fluidity. Studies utilizing a chemically defined minimal medium revealed that the anteiso fatty acid precursor isoleucine largely determined the fatty acid profile and fatty acid response of the organism to lowered growth temperature. When isoleucine was sufficient, the fatty acid profile was very uniform, with anteiso fatty acids comprising up to 95% of total fatty acid, and the major fatty acid adjustment to low temperature was fatty acid chain shortening, which resulted in an increase of anteiso-C15:0 solely at the expense of anteiso-C17:0. When isoleucine was not supplied, the fatty acid profile became more complex and was readily modified by leucine, which resulted in a significant increase of corresponding iso fatty acids and an inability to grow at 10°C. Under this condition, the increase of anteiso-C15:0 at low temperature resulted from the combined effect of increasing the anteiso:iso ratio and chain shortening. A branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase-defective strain largely lost the ability to increase the anteiso:iso ratio. Cerulenin, an inhibitor of β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (FabF), induced a similar fatty acid chain shortening as low temperature did. We propose that the anteiso precursor preferences of enzymes in the branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis pathway ensure a high production of anteiso fatty acids, and cold-regulated chain shortening results in a further increase of anteiso-C15:0 at the expense of anteiso-C17:0.
Physical properties of matrices used for fast atom bombardment

Physical and chemical properties of common matrices are tabulated, with aims of facilitating rational matrix selection and providing input for fundamental studies of matrix-assisted ionization. The rationale for selecting tabulated properties is discussed.
Role of the solvent in the kinetics of heterogeneous electron and ion transfer reactions

Abstract Solvent effects studied in simple heterogeneous redox reactions, and for amalgam formation reactions have been reviewed. It is emphasized that on the basis of a regression analysis of the data, solvent effects relating to the pre-exponential factor of the electron transfer rate constant can be separated from those for the exponential term. Analysis of data in non-Debye solvents such as the alcohols shows that the parameters relating to the second dielectric relaxation process are more important than those for the first in determining the magnitude of the rate constant. Examination of solvent effects for amalgam formation reactions reveals that they are quite different from those observed in electron transfer processes. As a result, it is concluded that the rate determining step in the amalgam formation reaction is ion transfer, not electron transfer, and that this rate limiting step is often located in the inner part of the double layer. Data recently obtained for the electroreduction of Cu(I) in the nitrile solvents are presented and discussed with respect to solvent trends found for other systems.
Fiber-feedback continuous-wave and synchronously-pumped singly-resonant ring optical parametric oscillators using reverse-proton-exchanged periodically-poled lithium niobate waveguides

We describe guided-wave singly-resonant reverse-proton-exchanged (RPE) periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide ring optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) in which the feedback was provided via a single-mode fiber pigtailed to the waveguide. Wavelength selection was achieved by means of a fiber Bragg grating inside the feedback loop. The SRO threshold for the synchronously-pumped OPO was below 1mW of average coupled pump power.
How fast does a child learn a word

This discussion argues that for many word meanings, the child has to assemble a new category, using relatively slow information-sifting processes. This does not cause high semantic errors, because children probably hold off using a word until much such sifting has occurred, rather than producing the new word as soon as they have any information on it.
Physical models of renal malignancies using standard cross-sectional imaging and 3-dimensional printers: a pilot study.

Objective To construct high-fidelity, patient customized, physical, 3-dimensional (3D) models of renal units with enhancing renal lesions identified on cross-sectional imaging, which may aid patients, trainees, and clinicians in their comprehension, characterization, localization, and extirpation of suspicious renal masses. Methods Specialized software was used to import patient's diagnostic computerized tomography cross-sectional imaging into 3D printers and create physical 3D models of renal units with enhancing in situ lesions. Patients and trainees had the opportunity to manipulate the individualized model before surgical resection. Sterolithography additive manufacturing, a technique in which an ultraviolet laser is used to cure a photosensitive resin in sequential horizontally oriented layers, was used to build the models (Medical Modeling Inc., Golden, CO). Normal renal parenchyma was printed with a clear translucent resin, and red translucent resin delineated suspicious lesions. Renal vasculature and the proximal collecting system were printed in some models. Results We constructed 5 physical models of renal units with suspected malignancies before surgery. All patients successfully underwent partial nephrectomy (4 robotic and 1 open). Average ischemia time was 21 minutes, nephrometry score was 6.8, and all margins were negative. Anecdotally, patients, their families, and trainees consistently stated that the models enhanced their comprehension of the renal tumor in relation to surrounding normal renal parenchyma and hilar structures and improved understanding of the goals of the surgery. Conclusion Preoperative physical 3D models using available printing techniques can be constructed and may potentially influence both patients' and trainees' understanding of renal malignancies.
Physiological tremor amplitude during retinal microsurgery

Using an instrumented surgical tool, high-precision recordings of hand tremor were taken during vitreoretinal microsurgery. The data obtained using a compact, custom six-degree-of-freedom inertial sensing module were filtered and analyzed to characterize the physiological hand tremor of the surgeon. Tremor during the most delicate part of the procedure was measured at a vector magnitude of 38 /spl mu/m rms. Nontremulous, lower-frequency components of instrument movement were also characterized. The data collected provide an important baseline for design specification and performance evaluation of engineered microsurgical devices.
Oxygen-dependent expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in renal medullary cells of rats.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is a transcription factor that regulates the oxygen-dependent expression of a number of genes. This transcription factor may contribute to the abundant expressi...
Detection of bovine leukemia virus in B-lymphocytes by the syncytia induction assay

Bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL's) from 3 cows and 1 steer infected with bovine leukemia virus (BLV) were separated by fractionation through nylon wool columns into nylon-adherent and nonadherent cell populations. Nylon-adherent cells were enriched in B-lymphocytes, as determined by the presence of surface membrane immunoglobulins (slg), whereas nylon-nonadherent cells or "non-B-lymphocytes" contained few slg-bearing cells. PBL's and separated B- and non-B-lymphocyte populations were assayed for the presence of BLV by the induction of syncytia in bovine embryonic spleen cells. PBL's and B-lymphocyte populations both produced many syncytia, whereas non-B-lymphocytes yielded few or no syncytia. The specificity of syncytia formation by anti-BLV serum. PBL's from 2 control animals were negative for syncytia induction. This study presents further evidence that B-lymphocytes are the target cells for BLV infection.
The COPD pipeline XXIV.

COPD accounts for approximately 26 million prescriptions per year in the United States. According to an analysis by Novartis R&D, the U.S. market for COPD drugs was running at $11.8 billion in 2012...
Analysis of Bird Damage Accidents on Overhead Transmission Lines and Prevention Techniques

Bird damage is one of the important factors which threaten the safety and stability operation of overhead transmission line.According to the survey of bird damage accident situation on transmission line in recent years,this paper summarizes and analyzes the characteristics and the mechanism of bird damage.Besides,the prevention techniques for bird damage are also analyzed and evaluated.The prevention techniques can be divided into three types,viz.expelling type,isolating type,and guiding type.Expelling measure is to try to expel the birds from the overhead lines,such as installing anti-bird sting,windmill anti-bird device.Isolating measure is to isolate the bird activity from the key parts of the energized lines,such as installing insulated anti-bird clapboard.Guiding measure is to provide habitats for birds so that the birds can be avoided from the line facilities.It is expected to supply reference for the maintainers in the prevention work of bird damage.
BCR-ABL rearrangements in children with Philadelphia chromosome- positive chronic myelogenous leukemia

Leukemia cells from adults with Philadelphia (Ph1)-chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) have a characteristic molecular rearrangement between the BCR and ABL genes whereby major breakpoint cluster region (Mbcr) exons 2 or 3 are joined to ABL exon II. Ph1-chromosome positive CML is uncommon in children and it is unknown whether these children have similar rearrangements. We studied 17 children with Ph1-chromosome positive CML. Five were studied for Mbcr rearrangement using Southern blotting, nine for the presence of chimeric BCR-ABL mRNA using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction, and three for both. All eight children studied by Southern blotting had BCR rearrangement. Of 12 children in whom BCR-ABL mRNA was studied, 10 had Mbcr exon 2 joined to ABL exon II, one had Mbcr exon 3 joined to ABL II, and one had both Mbcr-ABL junctions. These data indicate a similarity to adult CML. However, mRNA processing in children may preferentially splice Mbcr exon 2 to ABL exon II. No child had BCR exon 1 joined to ABL exon II, the rearrangement typical of childhood Ph1-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Tobramycin population pharmacokinetics in neonates

Objective To establish a tobramycin dosing schedule for neonates of various gestational ages. Methods This was a retrospective study with prospective validation. A retrospective study in 470 neonates, with suspected speticemia in the first week of life, was performed. All patients received tobramycin according to the following scheme: neonates with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks received 3.5 mg/kg every 24 hours, neonates from 28 to 36 weeks received 2.5 mg/kg every 18 hours, neonates older than 36 weeks received 2.5 mg/kg every 12 hours. Trough and peak tobramycin serum levels were determined before drug administration and 30 minutes after the fourth dose. Tobramycin data were analyzed according to a one-compartment open model with use of NONMEM population pharmacokinetic software. Individual empirical Bayes estimates were generated on the basis of the population estimates and used to calculate predicted peak and trough levels for different doses and dosing intervals. To establish an optimal dosing regimen, target trough levels were set at below 2 mg/L and target peak levels were set above 5 to 10 mg/L. The dosing regimen was prospectively evaluated in 23 patients. Results Of the 470 patients, 19.1% of measured peak and 32.8% of measured trough tobramycin serum levels were outside the desired therapeutic range, and 48.8% of neonates with a gestational age of less than 28 weeks had an aberrant trough level. With use of population estimates, the following dosing regimen was recommended: gestational age below 32 weeks, 4 mg/kg every 48 hours; gestational age between 32 and 37 weeks, 4 mg/kg every 36 hours, gestational age above 37 weeks, 4 mg/kg every 24 hours. With this dosing schedule, predicted peak levels were higher than 5 mg/L in 95.1% of the neonates. Predicted trough levels were higher than 2 mg/L in 1.9% of the neonates and higher than 1 mg/L in 7.6%. Prospectively measured peak levels were higher than 5 mg/L in all but one infant. Measured trough levels were higher than 2 mg/L in three patients and marginally higher than 1 mg/L in four patients. Conclusions With the use of this proposed schedule, taking into account differences in gestational ages, predicted peak levels will be therapeutic, whereas predicted trough levels will minimize toxicity. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1997) 62, 392–399; doi:
Distribution Aspects of the Industry

Distribution channels for books have evolved from small bookstores, to larger superstores, to the more impersonal Internet. Larger bookstores seem to have a dominant position in these activities through mergers and cooperations, yet this does not show up as high concentration for the industry. On the average, the concentration seems to be held in check from cooperation with smaller independent firms for the purpose of reaching customers in the suburbs or as independent suppliers on the Internet. Nevertheless, sales remain responsive to concentration, which in turn is responsive to mergers and an index of market power. Some modern distribution problems are also related to inventory management.
Exceptional points of degeneracy in coupled-mode periodic structures

We investigate the modal characteristics of coupled waveguides in which the supported eigenmodes coalesce; the condition we refer to as an exceptional point of degeneracy (EPD). In particular, we study different orders of EPD that can be manifested in coupled waveguides, and demonstrate how to realize a second, third, and fourth order degeneracies in the dispersion diagram of the supported eigenmodes. In addition, we illustrate the deterioration of the EPD by incorporating losses and we also investigate the prospects of gain/loss balance and how it is related to realizing an EPD. Such scheme is often attributed to a PT-symmetry under some conditions in gain/loss balanced resonators, however here we generalize it to coupled waveguides exhibiting EPDs, and explore its properties using coupled transmission line approach accounting for loss and gain, not satisfying necessarily the parity symmetry. Our proposed framework can be utilized in various applications including traveling wave tubes, lasers, sensors, pulse compressions, switches and oscillators.
Association of 3 Different Antihypertensive Medications With Hip and Pelvic Fracture Risk in Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance On the basis of observational studies, the use of thiazide diuretics for the treatment of hypertension is associated with reduced fracture risk compared with nonuse. Data from randomized clinical trials are lacking. Objective To examine whether the use of thiazide diuretics for the treatment of hypertension is associated with reduced fracture risk compared with nonuse. Design, Setting, and Participants Using Veterans Affairs and Medicare claims data, this study examined hip and pelvic fracture hospitalizations in Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial participants randomized to first-step therapy with a thiazide-type diuretic (chlorthalidone), a calcium channel blocker (amlodipine besylate), or an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril). Recruitment was from February 1994 to January 1998; in-trial follow-up ended in March 2002. The mean follow-up was 4.9 years. Posttrial follow-up was conducted through the end of 2006, using passive surveillance via national databases. For this secondary analysis, which used an intention-to-treat approach, data were analyzed from February 1, 1994, through December 31, 2006. Main Outcomes and Measures Hip and pelvic fracture hospitalizations. Results A total of 22 180 participants (mean [SD] age, 70.4 [6.7] years; 43.0% female; and 49.9% white non-Hispanic, 31.2% African American, and 19.1% other ethnic groups) were followed for up to 8 years (mean [SD], 4.9 [1.5] years) during masked therapy. After trial completion, 16 622 participants for whom claims data were available were followed for up to 5 additional years (mean [SD] total follow-up, 7.8 [3.1] years). During the trial, 338 fractures occurred. Participants randomized to receive chlorthalidone vs amlodipine or lisinopril had a lower risk of fracture on adjusted analyses (hazards ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.98;P = .04). Risk of fracture was significantly lower in participants randomized to receive chlorthalidone vs lisinopril (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58-0.98;P = .04) but not significantly different compared with those randomized to receive amlodipine (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.63-1.08;P = .17). During the entire trial and posttrial period of follow-up, the cumulative incidence of fractures was nonsignificantly lower in participants randomized to receive chlorthalidone vs lisinopril or amlodipine (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.74-1.03;P = .10) and vs each medication separately. In sensitivity analyses, when 1 year after randomization was used as the baseline (to allow for the effects of medications on bone to take effect), similar results were obtained for in-trial and in-trial plus posttrial follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance These findings from a large randomized clinical trial provide evidence of a beneficial effect of thiazide-type diuretic therapy in reducing hip and pelvic fracture risk compared with treatment with other antihypertensive medications. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00000542
Kinase gene fusions in defined subsets of melanoma.

Summary Genomic rearrangements resulting in activating kinase fusions have been increasingly described in a number of cancers including malignant melanoma, but their frequency in specific melanoma subtypes has not been reported. We used break-apart fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) to identify genomic rearrangements in tissues from 59 patients with various types of malignant melanoma including acral lentiginous, mucosal, superficial spreading, and nodular. We identified four genomic rearrangements involving the genes BRAF, RET, and ROS1.Of these, three were confirmed by IHC or sequencing and one was found to be an ARMC10-BRAF fusion that has not been previously reported in melanoma. These fusions occurred in different subtypes of melanoma but all in tumors lacking known driver mutations. Our data suggest gene fusions are more common than previously thought and should be further explored particularly in melanomas lacking known driver mutations.
ENZYMATIC PROPERTIES OF THE PURIFIED PUTA PROTEIN FROM SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM

In the previous paper (Menzel, R., and Roth, J. (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 9755-9761) we have described the purification of a protein, the putA gene product, which has both proline oxidase and pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid dehydrogenase activities. In this paper we demonstrate that these enzyme activities are distinct with respect to a number of characteristics. The oxidase activity proceeds by a ping-pong mechanism involving the reduction of an enzyme-bound flavin. The dehydrogenase activity utilizes an ordered reaction mechanism.
Reflection of a Single Parentâ€™s Struggle to Raise Academically and Psychosocially Successful Children

The author uses research on children from single parent homes as a catalyst for personal reflection on single parenting. The postmodern approach to research is intended to deconstruct meaning in order to enlighten the audience to the challenges and obstacles faced by students and parents in single parent homes. By creating understanding through meaning, it seeks a call to action by educators to focus attention on this specific population that statistically has poor academic outcomes. Looking back on the past often leads us to the knowledge we need in order to move into the future. Parents often tell their children to improve their futures by â€˜learning from my own mistakes,â€™ but children do not do it. My children do not listen to my advice. I did not listen to my parentsâ€™ advice. At the age of 21, I believed I knew what I needed and how I would find the life I dreamed I wanted. Shortly after my twenty-second birthday, I would marry against my parentsâ€™ wills. It would last happily for three years before turning into another eight years of discontent. After eleven years and three children, my life would change. I divorced in order to find a better life for myself and my children. If I had only understood how research should guide practice, then I would have possibly made different decisions in my young adulthood. However, I did not, and it would take a drastic life change for me to understand the statistical outcomes my children and I would face in a single parent home.
Reaction and reflection in Tetris

To discover how to couple reflection with reaction we have been studying how people play the computer game Tetris. Our basic intuition is that the job of the reasoner is to monitor the environment and the agent's behavior over time to discover trends or deviations from the agent's normative policy, and tune the priorities of the attentional system accordingly.
An Approach to Understanding Dreams

The dream exists as an experience extended in time which can be captured in the dream report as an excellent approximation of the experience. Dreams can be adequately collected and reliably measured. Dream reports are both stable and variable across time. Dream reports show meaningful content differences in group and individual situations, where psychological differences are known to exist. Dreams and waking life are linked and dreams are responsive to the immediate emotional concern of the dreamer. The dream is sufficiently orderly that the search for its meaning is justified. Methods exist to establish the meaning of the dream experience working with the dreamer through associations or amplification. A method “Dream Translation” is described in which the meaning of the dream report is explored using the associations of the translator rather than the dreamers. The translation approach could be used by the clinician to assess whether the patient has improved and to establish the immediate current emotional concern of the patient at the initial contact or at points of block in the therapy. Although the dream report has the necessary characteristics to establish a meaning from it and a method exists to establish the meaning, this does not address the possible functional significance of dreaming. We have explored the dream function question in a monograph on the subject (Moffitt et al., The functions of dreaming. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993).
Efficient stimulus-secretion coupling at ribbon synapses requires RIM-binding protein tethering of L-type Ca2+ channels

Fast neurotransmitter release from ribbon synapses via Ca2+-triggered exocytosis requires tight coupling of L-type Ca2+ channels to release-ready synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone, which is localized at the base of the ribbon. Here, we used genetic, electrophysiological, and ultrastructural analyses to probe the architecture of ribbon synapses by perturbing the function of RIM-binding proteins (RBPs) as central active-zone scaffolding molecules. We found that genetic deletion of RBP1 and RBP2 did not impair synapse ultrastructure of ribbon-type synapses formed between rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and amacrine type-2 (AII) cells in the mouse retina but dramatically reduced the density of presynaptic Ca2+ channels, decreased and desynchronized evoked neurotransmitter release, and rendered evoked and spontaneous neurotransmitter release sensitive to the slow Ca2+ buffer EGTA. These findings suggest that RBPs tether L-type Ca2+ channels to the active zones of ribbon synapses, thereby synchronizing vesicle exocytosis and promoting high-fidelity information transfer in retinal circuits.
Short-Term, Faculty-Led Study Abroad and Global Citizenship Identification: Insights from a Global Engagement Program.

Short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs are increasingly featured in higher education internationalization efforts. As noted in the literature, such programs can aid in the development of varied student outcomes, including developing global citizenship. This paper presents an examination of the Global Engagement Seminar (GES) program, a short-term, faculty-led program at a private women’s liberal arts college that has expressed a firm commitment to internationalization. A quasi-experimental design was employed to examine whether participation in the GES program influenced participants’ antecedents, identification, and pro-social values of global citizenship (Reysen & Katzarska-Miller 2013a), and how the relationships compare with those of a matched comparison sample. The results of the survey indicated that GES completion moderated some but not all of the paths in the global citizenship model. Completing a GES was associated with non-significant relations among the moderated paths, a finding that emphasizes the need for a nuanced discussion of the complex relationship between short-term study abroad and global citizenship. Implications for faculty-led global engagement programs that aim to promote global citizenship among undergraduates in liberal arts contexts are discussed.
A Projection Method for Accurate Computation of Design Sensitivities

In this paper we discuss the problem of constructing accurate numerical schemes for calculating state sensitivities for application to design. We concentrate on a model problem and use this model to develop the fundamental ideas and to illustrate the mathematical difficulties. Numerical results are given for the model problem and a 2-D fluid flow example. The goal of this paper is to introduce the basic idea and to illustrate its application to a practical flow problem.