cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ectoparasitism shortens the breeding season in a colonial bird

When blood-feeding parasites increase seasonally, their deleterious effects may prevent some host species, especially those living in large groups where parasites are numerous, from reproducing later in the summer. Yet the role of parasites in regulating the length of a host's breeding season—and thus the host's opportunity for multiple brooding—has not been systematically investigated. The highly colonial cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), a temperate-latitude migratory songbird in the western Great Plains, USA, typically has a relatively short (eight to nine week) breeding season, with birds rarely nesting late in the summer. Colonies at which ectoparasitic swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius) were experimentally removed by fumigation were over 45 times more likely to have birds undertake a second round of nesting than were colonies exposed to parasites. Late nesting approximately doubled the length of the breeding season, with some birds raising two broods. Over a 27 year period the percentage of birds engaging in late nesting each year increased at a colony site where parasites were removed annually. This trend could not be explained by changes in group size, climate or nesting phenology during the study. The results suggest that ectoparasitism shortens the cliff swallow's breeding season and probably prevents many individuals from multiple brooding. When this constraint is removed, selection may rapidly favour late nesting.
Application of free selection in mixed forests of the inland northwestern United States

Forest management objectives continue to evolve as the desires and needs of society change. The practice of silviculture has risen to the challenge by supplying silvicultural methods and systems to produce desired stand and forest structures and compositions to meet these changing objectives. For the most part, the practice of silviculture offers a robust set of procedures well suited for the timely and efficient production of timber crops, but often leaving simplified forests that do not necessarily reflect historical conditions, do neither provide a full range of wildlife habitats, nor provide a sense of place for many different forest users. We propose a silvicultural system that we call ‘‘free selection’’. This multi-entry, uneven-aged system is intended for use in forests in which the remaining structure and composition is paramount. It is well suited for restoring the old-growth character of forests as well as reducing the risk of wildfire within the urban interface. Rather than using precise stand structural guidelines to define the stand treatments, we suggest that a well articulated ‘‘vision’’ of the immediate and desired future conditions is used to guide the planning and control the marking. This vision accounts for the interaction of all components of a forest from below ground to the high forest canopy. It relies on an integrated ecological view of how forests function. We have applied free selection guided by such a vision in both the moist (Thuja plicata Donn. ex D. Don, Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl., Tsuga heterophylla [Raf.] Sarg.) forests of northern Idaho to reduce the risk of wildfire damaging historical buildings and in the dry (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forests of southern Idaho to restore their old-growth character. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A Hypothesis for Bacteriophage DNA Packaging Motors

The hypothesis is presented that bacteriophage DNA packaging motors have a cycle comprised of bind/release thermal ratcheting with release-associated DNA pushing via ATP-dependent protein folding. The proposed protein folding occurs in crystallographically observed peptide segments that project into an axial channel of a protein 12-mer (connector) that serves, together with a coaxial ATPase multimer, as the entry portal. The proposed cycle begins when reverse thermal motion causes the connector’s peptide segments to signal the ATPase multimer to bind both ATP and the DNA molecule, thereby producing a dwell phase recently demonstrated by single-molecule procedures. The connector-associated peptide segments activate by transfer of energy from ATP during the dwell. The proposed function of connector/ATPase symmetry mismatches is to reduce thermal noise-induced signaling errors. After a dwell, ATP is cleaved and the DNA molecule released. The activated peptide segments push the released DNA molecule, thereby producing a burst phase recently shown to consist of four mini-bursts. The constraint of four mini-bursts is met by proposing that each mini-burst occurs via pushing by three of the 12 subunits of the connector. If all four mini-bursts occur, the cycle repeats. If the mini-bursts are not completed, a second cycle is superimposed on the first cycle. The existence of the second cycle is based on data recently obtained with bacteriophage T3. When both cycles stall, energy is diverted to expose the DNA molecule to maturation cleavage.
Photoimmunotherapy of human ovarian carcinoma cells ex vivo.

Photodynamic therapy is a relatively new and potentially selective experimental approach to the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Its inherent dual selectivity is reinforced by the use of photosensitizer-monoclonal antibody conjugates. The goal of this study was to evaluate the phototoxicity and selectivity of an immunoconjugate (IC) synthesized from a chlorin derivative chlorin e 6-monoethylenediamine monoamide (CMA) as the photosensitizer and an anti-ovarian carcinoma monoclonal antibody OC125. Binding efficiency and specificity of the IC were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and specific covalent linkage of the monoclonal antibody to the photosensitizer was demonstrated by fluorescence and electrophoresis. Phototoxicity was tested against ascites or pleural fluid cells from 15 patients with ovarian and nonovarian cancers. Tumor cells from the fluid were treated with the IC at 3 µm equivalent CMA concentration and irradiated at 654 nm (λmax CMA in IC) at 25 J/cm2 from an argon ion-pumped dye laser. Phototoxic efficacy was assayed by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Ovarian cancer cells exhibited high cytotoxicity with [3H]thymidine incorporation of 2.4 ± 2.2%, while nonovarian cancer cells under identical conditions exhibited none to reduced cytotoxicity with [3H]thymidine incorporation of 70 ± 54%. Using a Wilcoxon test, there was a statistically significant difference between these two groups ( P < 0.001). Dose-response curves revealed reciprocity in photosensitizer concentration and fluence. These results demonstrate that photoimmunoconjugates retain significant antigen binding specificity and affinity, are effective in the selective photochemical eradication of target cells, and merit further evaluation as photochemotherapeutic agents.
A METAL SWITCH FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTIVITY OF MOLECULAR MOTOR PROTEINS

Kinesins are molecular motors that require a divalent metal ion (for example, Mg(2+)) to convert the energy of ATP hydrolysis into directed force production along microtubules. Here we present the crystal structure of a recombinant kinesin motor domain bound to Mn(2+) and ADP and report on a serine-to-cysteine substitution in the switch 1 motif of kinesin that allows its ATP hydrolysis activity to be controlled by adjusting the ratio of Mn(2+) to Mg(2+). This mutant kinesin binds ATP similarly in the presence of either metal ion, but its ATP hydrolysis activity is greatly diminished in the presence of Mg(2+). In human kinesin-1 and kinesin-5 as well as Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-10 and kinesin-14, this defect is rescued by Mn(2+), providing a way to control both the enzymatic activity and force-generating ability of these nanomachines.
Eosinophilic myocarditis manifesting as myocardial infarction: early diagnosis and successful treatment.

Objective To report a case of eosinophilic myocarditis with remarkable initial clinical manifestations and outcome. Material and Methods A 67-year-old woman with hypertension and a history of asthma and drug hypersensitivity was referred to our institution with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction on the basis of severe chest pain, ST elevation on an electrocardiogram, and a slight increase in cardiac enzymes. Further diagnostic studies were performed. Results Echocardiography disclosed left ventricular dysfunction in conjunction with apical asynergy, thinning, and thrombus. The eosinophil count in the peripheral blood was increased only slightly. Coronary angiography showed normal arteries and prompted the performance of endomyocardial biopsy, which revealed active eosinophilic myocarditis. After corticosteroid therapy, global and regional left ventricular function returned to normal. Conclusion This unusual clinical picture and outcome demonstrate that eosinophilic myocarditis may simulate acute myocardial infarction and should be considered in patients with a history of allergies or acute left ventricular dysfunction, even in the absence of pronounced eosinophilia in the peripheral blood. With appropriate medical therapy, recovery for these patients can be complete.
HykGene: a hybrid approach for selecting marker genes for phenotype classification using microarray gene expression data

Motivation: Recent studies have shown that microarray gene expression data are useful for phenotype classification of many diseases. A major problem in this classification is that the number of features (genes) greatly exceeds the number of instances (tissue samples). It has been shown that selecting a small set of informative genes can lead to improved classification accuracy. Many approaches have been proposed for this gene selection problem. Most of the previous gene ranking methods typically select 50--200 top-ranked genes and these genes are often highly correlated. Our goal is to select a small set of non-redundant marker genes that are most relevant for the classification task. Results: To achieve this goal, we developed a novel hybrid approach that combines gene ranking and clustering analysis. In this approach, we first applied feature filtering algorithms to select a set of top-ranked genes, and then applied hierarchical clustering on these genes to generate a dendrogram. Finally, the dendrogram was analyzed by a sweep-line algorithm and marker genes are selected by collapsing dense clusters. Empirical study using three public datasets shows that our approach is capable of selecting relatively few marker genes while offering the same or better leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy compared with approaches that use top-ranked genes directly for classification. Availability: The HykGene software is freely available at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wyh/software.htm Contact: wyh@cs.dartmouth.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary material is available from http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wyh/hykgene/supplement/index.htm
Geodesic Reduction Via Frame Bundle Geometry

A manifold with an arbitrary affine connection is considered and the geodesic spray associated with the connection is studied in the presence of a Lie group action. In particular, results are obtained that provide insight into the structure of the reduced dy- namics associated with the given invariant affine connection. The geometry of the frame bundle of the given manifold is used to provide an intrinsic description of the geodesic spray. A fundamental relationship between the geodesic spray, the tangent lift and the vertical lift of the symmetric product is obtained, which provides a key to understanding reduction in this formulation.
Characterization of Large Conformational Changes and Autoproteolysis in the Maturation of a T=4 Virus Capsid

Nudaurelia capensis ω virus -like particles have been characterized as a 480-A procapsid and a 410-A capsid, both with T=4 quasisymmetry. Procapsids transition to capsids when pH is lowered from 7.6 to 5.0. Capsids undergo autoproteolysis at residue 570, generating the 74-residue C-terminal polypeptide that remains with the particle. Here we show that the particle size becomes smaller under conditions between pH 6.8 and 6.0 without activating cleavage and that the particle remains at an intermediate size when the pH is carefully maintained. At pH 5.8, cleavage is very slow, becoming detectable only after 9 h. The optimum pH for cleavage is 5.0 (half-life, ∼30 min), with a significant reduction in the cleavage rate at pH values below 5. We also show that lowering the pH is required only to make the virus particles compact and to presumably form the active site for autoproteolysis but not for the chemistry of cleavage. The cleavage reaction proceeds at pH 7.0 after ∼10% of the subunits cleave at pH 5.0. Employing the virion crystal structure for reference, we investigated the role of electrostatic repulsion of acidic residues in the pH-dependent large conformational changes. Three mutations of Glu to Gln that formed procapsids showed three different phenotypes on maturation. One, close to the threefold and quasithreefold symmetry axes and far from the cleavage site, did not mature at pH 5, and electron cryomicroscopy reconstruction showed that it was intermediate in size between those of the procapsid and capsid; one near the cleavage site exhibited a wild-type phenotype; and a third, far from the cleavage site, resulted in cleavage of 50% of the subunits after 4 h, suggesting quasiequivalent specificity of the mutation.
Heuristic algorithms for path determination in a semantic network

The authors present two heuristic algorithms for determining traversal paths in a semantic network which models an object-oriented database. The first algorithm is an extension of Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm, and it identifies the most likely interpretation of an incomplete specified query. The second algorithm finds all possible interpretations of the query and ranks them in order of likely interpretations. Cost assignment for different paths is based on a set of heuristic rules which allows costs to be dynamically determined during a path traversal. The algorithms have been implemented and are in use in a graphics interface developed for an object-oriented knowledge base management system. >
Data tagging architecture for system monitoring in dynamic environments

Large enterprise systems need continuous monitoring at infrastructure, application and business levels to detect and prevent problem situations. Traditionally, automated monitoring solutions are programmed once at setup based on a set of well-defined monitoring objectives and handed over to the operations team. Such solutions have underlying data models that are often complex and semantically rich but in stable environments, this complexity is generally hidden from the operations team, who only need to make minor configuration changes (e.g. setting thresholds) as and when required. However, the situation is now rapidly changing with enterprise data centers being subject to continuous transformations as new software, hardware and process components get deployed or updated. This puts an immense burden on monitoring activity because not only thousands of different parameters need to get monitored but the addition and modification of service level objectives (SLOs) may happen continuously. We describe a monitoring system architecture which simplifies the task of authoring and managing SLOs in such dynamic and heterogeneous environments. At the heart of our approach is a lightweight and extensible data model that is derived from more complex configuration models, so as to only expose data relevant for monitoring to the operations team. Simple string-tags derived from this model are then used to label SLOs and associated data streams. The approach localizes programming to the data-sensor layer and makes authoring simpler than the specification of objects in an alternate richer but complex object-oriented representation. We also describe a tag-driven real-time visualization tool that can organize data streams using their accompanying tags and ease user navigation through large volumes of monitoring data.
On the compensation of friction forces in precision motion control

Friction is a primary disturbance in motion control systems. Low velocity friction, which includes stiction, causes the motion of an axis to have a nonsmooth start and to stop near zero velocity introducing positioning and tracking errors. Friction has been studied extensively in tribology. Mathematical models exist to characterize friction mechanisms. One definite information available from the models is that friction force primarily depends on the axis velocity. Based on this information, a practical approach for friction compensation is to use a feedforward controller, the output of which depends on the command velocity. Repetitive control can be applied to synthesize such feedforward control laws by repeated trials. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by experiments on a machine tool feed drive. Also discussed are standard feedback control approaches for friction compensation and an open-loop pulse control strategy for situations where a motion axis must be moved over a minute distance. >
Queue machines: hardware compilation in hardware

In this paper we hypothesize that reconfigurable computing is not more widely used because of the logistical difficulties caused by the close coupling of applications and hardware platforms. As an alternative, we propose computing machines that use a single, serial instruction representation for the entire reconfigurable computing application. We show how it is possible to convert, at runtime, the parallel portions of the application into a spatial representation suitable for execution on a reconfigurable fabric. The conversion to spatial representation is facilitated by the use of an instruction set architecture based on an operand queue. We describe techniques to generate code for queue machines and hardware virtualization techniques necessary to allow any application to execute on any platform.
The Osmium(VIII) Oxofluoro Cations OsO2F3+ and F(cis-OsO2F3)2+: Syntheses, Characterization by 19F NMR Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Crystal Structure of F(cis-OsO2F3)2+Sb2F11-, and Density Functional Theory Calculations of OsO2F3+, ReO2F3, and F(cis-OsO2F3)2+ †

Osmium dioxide tetrafluoride, cis-OsO2F4, reacts with the strong fluoride ion acceptors AsF5 and SbF5 in anhydrous HF and SbF5 solutions to form orange salts. Raman spectra are consistent with the formation of the fluorine-bridged diosmium cation F(cis-OsO2F3)2+, as the AsF6- and Sb2F11- salts, respectively. The 19F NMR spectra of the salts in HF solution are exchange-averaged singlets occurring at higher frequency than those of the fluorine environments of cis-OsO2F4. The F(cis-OsO2F3)2+Sb2F11- salt crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Imma. At −107 °C, a = 12.838(3) A, b = 10.667(2) A, c = 11.323(2) A, V = 1550.7(8) A3, and Z = 4. Refinement converged with R = 0.0469 [Rw = 0.0500]. The crystal structure consists of discrete fluorine-bridged F(cis-OsO2F3)2+ and Sb2F11- ions in which the fluorine bridge of the F(cis-OsO2F3)2+ cation is trans to an oxygen atom (Os−O 1.676 A) of each OsO2F3 group. The angle at the bridge is 155.2(8)° with a bridging Os---Fb distance of 2.086(3) A. Two terminal fluor...
Revisualizing Composition: How First-Year Writers Use Composing Technologies

Abstract Reporting on survey data from 1,366 students from seven colleges and universities, this article examines the self-reported writing choices of students as they compose different kinds of texts using a wide range of composing technologies, both traditional (i.e., paper, pencils, pens, etc.), and digital (i.e., cell phones, wikis, blogs, etc.). This analysis and discussion is part of the larger Revisualizing Composition study, which examines the writing lives of first-year students across multiple institution types throughout the United States. We focus especially on what appear to be, at first glance, contradictory or confusing results, because these moments of ambiguity in students’ use of composing technologies point to shifts or tensions in students’ attitudes, beliefs, practices and rhetorical decision-making strategies when writing in the 21 st century. The implications of these ambiguous results suggest paths for continued collaborative research and action. They also, we argue, point to a need to foster students’ reflexive, critical, and rhetorical writing – across composing technologies – and to develop updated writing pedagogies that account for students’ flexible use of these technologies.
Spatially resolved measurements of two-dimensional turbulent structures in DIII-D plasmas

Two-dimensional observations of spatially coherent electron temperature fluctuations at drift-wave scales (k ∼ 1 cm−1) have been made using the electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak. These measurements enable the extraction of spectral properties, including poloidal dispersion relations. Temperature fluctuation levels are found to be Te/⟨Te⟩=1.2%, and the phase velocity of the fluctuations is found to be constant across frequencies, consistent with modes having real frequencies low compared to the rotation-induced Doppler shifts. Comparisons with radially global linear gyrokinetic simulations suggest that the observed modes may be trapped electron modes.
Waiving The Three-Day Rule: Admissions And Length-Of-Stay At Hospitals And Skilled Nursing Facilities Did Not Increase

The traditional Medicare program requires an enrollee to have a hospital stay of at least three consecutive calendar days to qualify for coverage of subsequent postacute care in a skilled nursing facility. This long-standing policy, implemented to discourage premature discharges from hospitals, might now be inappropriately lengthening hospital stays for patients who could be transferred sooner. To assess the implications of eliminating the three-day qualifying stay requirement, we compared hospital and postacute skilled nursing facility utilization among Medicare Advantage enrollees in matched plans that did or did not eliminate that requirement in 2006–10. Among hospitalized enrollees with a skilled nursing facility admission, the mean hospital length-of-stay declined from 6.9 days to 6.7 days for those no longer subject to the qualifying stay but increased from 6.1 to 6.6 days among those still subject to it, for a net decline of 0.7 day when the three-day stay requirement was eliminated. The eliminatio...
Against a de-politicized DIY urbanism: Food Not Bombs and the struggle over public space

Cultivated by non-professionals, do-it-yourself (DIY) interventions in urban space are gaining serious credibility in the professional design fields. But as these professionals take up the flag of small-scale and social justice-inspired action in design handbooks and art exhibits, what happens to the struggles that informed the tactics? This article presents the DIY urban tactics of Food Not Bombs as a counter case study that problematizes the recent professional attention given to DIY, tactical or spontaneous urbanism. Forged in a struggle against the structural violence of capitalism, and based in the use of public space for community meals, Food Not Bombs challenges de-politicized notions of tactical or DIY urbanism.
Entrepreneurship as Diplomacy: Nelson Rockefeller and the Development of the Brazilian Capital Market

This article analyzes the creation of the Fundo Crescinco, a mutual fund that Nelson Rockefeller started in Brazil in the 1950s as part of a larger effort to continue, using private means, the Good Neighbor policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Fundo Crescinco reflected both the liberal assumptions of many academicians of that era about the importance of the middle class to economic development and the concerns of business people about placating Latin American nationalism. The fund's history provides insight into the complex and often contradictory nature of U.S.-Latin American relations following the Second World War, and it demonstrates the limits of entrepreneurship as an extension of diplomacy.
Charge transfer and blue shifting of vibrational frequencies in a hydrogen bond acceptor.

A comprehensive Raman spectroscopic/electronic structure study of hydrogen bonding by pyrimidine with eight different polar solvents is presented. Raman spectra of binary mixtures of pyrimidine with methanol and ethylene glycol are reported, and shifts in ν1, ν3, ν6a, ν6b, ν8a, ν8b, ν9a, ν15, ν16a, and ν16b are compared to earlier results obtained for water. Large shifts to higher vibrational energy, often referred to as blue shifts, are observed for ν1, ν6b, and ν8b (by as much as 14 cm–1). While gradual blue shifts with increasing hydrogen bond donor concentration are observed for ν6b and ν8b, ν1 exhibits three distinct spectral components whose relative intensities vary with concentration. The blue shift of ν1 is further examined in binary mixtures of pyrimidine with acetic acid, thioglycol, phenylmethanol, hexylamine, and acetonitrile. Electronic structure computations for more than 100 microsolvated structures reveal a significant dependence of the magnitude of the ν1 blue shift on the local microsol...
Genetic Algorithm for the Reconstruction of Bragg Grating Sensor Strain Distribution

Optical fiber Bragg gratings are unique among embedded strain sensors due to their potential to measure strain distributions with a spatial resolution of a few nanometers over gage lengths of a few centimeters. This article presents a genetic algorithm for the interrogation of optical fiber Bragg grating strain sensors. The method calculates the period distribution along the Bragg grating which can then be directly related to the axial strain distribution. The period distribution is determined from the output intensity spectrum of the grating via a T-matrix approach. The genetic algorithm inversion method presented requires only intensity information and reconstructs non-linear and discontinuous distributions well, including regions with significant gradients. The method is demonstrated through example reconstructions of Bragg grating sensor simulated data. The development of this algorithm will permit the use of Bragg grating sensors for damage identification in regions close to localized damages where strong strain non-linearities occur.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Flight Habits of the Striped Earwig Labidura riparia

Results of studies in 1965 and 1966 showed the initial flight of striped earwigs, Labidura riparia , (Pallas) coincided with the maturation of the 1st generation. Earwigs were trapped in flight only on nights after which rainfall had occurred the day or night previous. Flight was observed between 7:30 and 10:00 PM.
Complementary Roll/Yaw Attitude Controller for Three Axis Authority Momentum Spacecraft

*This paper proposes a new attitude controller for Earth-pointing spacecraft which is equipped with three-axis momentum control device and two-axis attitude sensor such as infrared Earth sensor. The key technical challenge is to control coupled roll and yaw attitude with only roll attitude measurement. There exist the flight-proven controllers such as Terasaki controller and Whecon Gyro-compassing coupling yaw damper. However, applying the complementary filtering technique, the paper derives a new roll/yaw controller which can outperform each individual heritage controller. In particular, the complementary filtering technique is to interweave the heritage controllers in the frequency domain in a way that the heritage controllers complement each other. As a result, the proposed controller can significantly improve both transient and steady-state performance of a roll/yaw attitude controller, without additional complexity in GNC hardware/software design and extra cost in GNC systems. The proposed controller could be used as a primary cheap roll/yaw controller for Earth or planet-pointing spacecraft with infrared two-axis sensors and a backup one during three-axis Star Tracker sensor block-out or failure.
Immediate vs Delayed Retaliation in Male and Female Adults

20 male and 20 female undergraduates were provoked and provided with an opportunity to retaliate (a) immediately following provocation vs (b) after waiting in solitude. Waiting did not reliably aff...
Intercellular junctions, intramembranous particles and cytoskeletal elements of deep cells of the Fundulus gastrula

The fine structure of motile deep cells of the gastrula stage of Fundulus hetewclitus was studied with transmission electron microscopy, using both thin sectioning and freeze-cleave techniques. Gastrula deep cells form extensive non-junctional appositions with each other, in which the apposed plasma membranes are parallel and separated by a distance of 26–28 nm. They also form gap junctions. Tight junctions, desmosomes, and extensive interdigitations of apposed plasma membranes were not observed. The plasma membranes of deep cells contain numerous unclustered intramembranous particles. Cytoplasmic microtubules were found, but they appear to be small in number, sparsely distributed, and mainly randomly oriented. Microfilaments are also present and are localized largely in the cortical cytoplasm and in thin cell extensions. The significance of these findings for the contact and locomotory behavior of deep cells is discussed.
Modeling Influenza Antigenic Shift and Drift with LEGO Bricks.

The concepts of antigenic shift and drift could be found in almost every microbiology and virology syllabus, usually taught in the context of Influenza virus biology. They are central to understanding viral diversity and evolution and have direct application to anti-flu vaccine design and effectiveness. To aid student understanding of the concepts, I have developed an exercise to visualize the mechanistic aspects of antigenic shift and drift using LEGO bricks. This hands-on/minds-on exercise asks students to replicate viruses taking into account the error-prone nature of Influenza RNA polymerase and to package model virions from a host cell infected with two different Influenza strains, while keeping track of the level of diversity of newly propagated viral particles. The exercise can be executed in any type of classroom for about 10 minutes and if desired, extended to emphasize quantitative skills, molecular biology concepts, or to trigger discussion of key issues in vaccine design.
Epidemic status and control countermeasures of tuberculosis in Zhushan County

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics and factors of tuberculosis(TB) in Zhushan county,study and make the control countermeasures. [Methods]The data of TB prevention and control in Zhushan county in the first decade of the 21st century were statistically analyzed,so as to put forward the targeted control measures. [Results]From 2001 to 2010,3 392 TB cases were reported in Zhushan county with the average annual reported incidence rate of 74.01/lakh.The epidemic had been found in 17 towns,and cases were reported at all seasons.The youngest and oldest patient was 4 months old and 86 years old respectively,and most of patients were people aged 20-59 years old.The occupation was dominated by farmer,and the incidence in males was higher than that in females.At present,the main causes of TB epidemic included the low immune level in elder group,the low detection rate in floating population,inefficient prevention ability in remote areas,unsatisfactory implementation of Directly Observed Treatment Short-course(DOTS) and AIDS epidemic. [Conclusion]It is necessary to strengthen the leadership of government,confirm the fund input,establish the preferential policy and free transfer mechanism for migrant workers with tuberculosis,carry out the extensive public education,improve the prevention and control capacity at the basic level,so as to increase the beneficiary and implementation quality of DOTS.
Pain in Parkinson's disease. Common yet seldom recognized symptom is treatable.

PREVIEWAs many as half of all patients with Parkinson's disease experience pain related to their condition. Once this relationship is recognized, the pain can be managed by achieving better control of the disease. In this article, Drs Waseem and Gwinn-Hardy discuss the many causes of this type of pain, which include disease complications and primary sensory pain syndromes. They also present and evaluate the treatment options available.
Integrated rib-waveguide Si/SiGe photodetector for long wavelengths

The use of silicon-germanium heterostructures permits the realization of Si-based optoelectronic detectors in the 1-3 μm wavelength regime.1,2 in addition, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structures are useful for Si-based integrated optoelectronics because the buried oxide layer forms a low-index waveguiding region, thus permitting the engineering of integrated optoelectronic device structures.
Dynamic crystallization during non-isothermal laser treatment of Fe–Si–B metallic glass

Fe–Si–B metallic glass foils were subjected to non-isothermal laser treatment to induce crystallization, and the effect of laser fluence on crystallite size was investigated. Temperature, and corresponding heating and cooling rates generated during laser processing of metallic glass were estimated using multiphysics computational models. Estimation of the onset and arrest temperatures of crystallization was based on the results obtained using the thermal model. Crystallite size was measured with the aid of x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The fraction of crystallization was estimated with a differential scanning calorimetry. Crystallite size increased with laser fluence in the initial stages and saturated later within the laser fluence range (0.6–0.9 J mm−2) explored in the current efforts. The fraction of crystallization steadily increased with the increase in laser fluence. Unlike conventional processes, in the present situation the dynamic effects during laser processing dominated the crystallization and growth process. Rapid heating rates during laser processing led to a shift in the onset of crystallization temperature to a higher level. Faster cooling rates prematurely arrested the crystallite growth yielding much finer crystallite sizes.
Argumentative Skills Deficiency Theory

Argumentative skills deficiency theory is focused on the causes of verbally aggressive communication behavior. The theory posits that conflict interactions can be defused through the use of appropriate, constructive communication. Argumentative skills deficiency theory further proposes that individuals utilize verbal aggression during conflict interactions when they lack productive conflict management skills to manage escalating situations. In its initial conception, argumentative skills deficiency theory focused on verbally aggressive exchanges and violent disputes in marriages. Subsequently, the scope of the theory was broadened to include a variety of interpersonal relationships such as parent–child dyads, same-sex and opposite-sex friendships, and workplace associations. In addition, application of the theory considered a variety of individual aptitudes relevant to the management of conflict. Argumentative skills deficiency theory provides useful insight into conflict episodes within interpersonal relationships and promises many directions for expanding the theory. Keywords: argument; communication skills; verbal aggression
Interval-specific building load forecasting models for demand resource planning

This paper presents a method of load forecasting specifically for predicting a building's electrical load for demand resource planning. This forecasting method allows the manager of a controllable load to assess his or her risk and capabilities when participating in the energy market. Correlation studies are performed using demand data collected for the main library building at Drexel University in order to identify important factors that drive the electrical demand of the building. A general problem formulation for building-specific load forecasting is first presented. The remainder of the paper focuses on the variability of the model type for each forecast interval and its impact on the forecast. It is shown that unlike in other forecasting methods, the best-fit model varies with time of day. Using the collected demand data, the forecasting method presented here is tested and the results compared to that of a basic forecaster.
A multidisciplinary quality improvement program increases the inferior vena cava filter retrieval rate

Published reports indicate low retrieval rates for retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. We performed a historic-controlled study of a 5-year intervention (March 2007 to February 2012) to improve IVC filter retrieval rates at a university medical center serving a rural area. All adults with a retrievable filter placed were included, except those with a life expectancy <6 months. The intervention included initial verbal counseling and printed educational materials, correspondence after discharge, and a hematology consultation. The control group included patients with retrievable filters placed in the 15 months preceding study initiation. In the control group, 116 filters were placed and 27 (23%) were removed, compared to 378 filters placed and 169 (45%) removed during the intervention. Adjusting for patient characteristics, the odds ratio of retrieval during the intervention was 3.03 (95% CI 1.85-4.27) compared to the control period. An intervention including patient education and hematology follow-up appeared to significantly improve IVC filter retrieval rates.
Structured Community Activities and Moral Engagement as Deterrents to Youth Violence: a Mediation Analysis

This study assessed whether youth involvement in structured community activities (scouting, team sports, volunteer work, and church-related endeavors) and a morally engaged belief system deterred future aggressive behavior in 1170 male delinquents. It was hypothesized that moral engagement would mediate the relationship between involvement in structured community activities and aggression but involvement in structured community activities would not mediate the relationship between moral engagement and aggression. A three-wave path analysis, in which structured community activities and moral engagement were cross-lagged at Waves 0 (baseline) and 1 and correlated with aggression at Wave 2, provided support for this hypothesis. Results showed that involvement in structured community activities encouraged moral engagement, which, in turn, inhibited aggressive behavior. Consistent with previous research, a social cognitive factor (moral engagement) did a significantly better job of mediating behavior (involvement in structured community activities) than behavior did of mediating a social cognitive factor.
Large Clusters in Light Nuclei

The current status of our knowledge about cluster states in 48Cr is reviewed and a summary of several theoretical descriptions of highly deformed states in this mass region is given. The merits of transfer reactions in studies of molecular states are discussed and results from recent investigations of 12C-12C molecular states in 24Mg with transfer reactions are presented.
A pilot study assessing retinal pathology in psychosis using optical coherence tomography: Choroidal and macular thickness

Mounting evidence supports a genetic-vascular-inflammatory etiology of schizophrenia. The retina provides an indirect assessment of inflammation and degeneration in the brain. In particular, the use of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) has emerged as a powerful tool for examining single retinal nerve cell layers and the choroid, the vascular layer supplying the outer retina. In this study, choroidal and macular thicknesses were measured in six patients with psychosis with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Mean choroidal thickness was reduced in psychosis, though not significantly so. There was a statistically significant decrease in macular thickness in psychosis patients predominantly affecting the inner layers of the macula. Significant macular thinning may signal vascular, inflammatory, or degenerative processes that may also be occurring in the brain. This is one of the first studies to examine choroidal thickness in psychosis. Further studies are needed to determine whether the retinal changes in psychosis are correlated with microvascular dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration.
Medical Family Therapy in Emergency Medicine

Attention to the intersections of mental health and physical health in emergency medicine is long-standing. Patients’ and families’ emotional responses to the acute physical presentations that characterize this care context can be as diverse as the presentations themselves; common themes relate to struggling with ambiguities about what will happen to sick or injured patients, fears about one’s own or a loved one’s life and survival, and/or misplaced anger directed at each other, healthcare providers, or office staff. Behavioral health presentations per se – without clear physical components – are also commonplace here. Suicidality (and the severe depression that can fuel it), anxiety and panic, psychosis, and any variety of states defined by psychological decompensation can bring patients to the emergency department (ED). Moreover, the worries and fears maintained by the family members who bring them can echo those that we see in response to straightforward physical injuries or conditions.
Global optimization of nonconvex problems with convex-transformable intermediates

This paper addresses the global optimization of problems which contain convex-transformable functions. We present algorithms for identification of convex-transformable functions in general nonconvex problems, and introduce a new class of cutting planes based on recently developed relaxations for convex-transformable functions. These cutting planes correspond to the supporting hyperplanes of these convex relaxations. We integrate our recognition and cutting plane generation algorithms into the global solver BARON, and test our implementation by conducting numerical experiments on a large collection of nonconvex problems. Results demonstrate that the proposed implementation accelerates the convergence speed of the branch-and-bound algorithm, by significantly reducing computational time, number of nodes in the search tree, and required memory.
Artemisinin Prevents Glutamate-Induced Neuronal Cell Death Via Akt Pathway Activation

Artemisinin is an anti-malarial drug that has been in use for almost half century. Recently, novel biological effects of artemisinin on cancer, inflammation-related disorders and cardiovascular disease were reported. However, neuroprotective actions of artemisinin against glutamate-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated. In the current study, we determined the effect of artemisinin against oxidative insult in HT-22 mouse hippocampal cell line. We found that pretreatment of artemisinin declined reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, attenuated the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by glutamate and rescued HT-22 cells from glutamate-induced cell death. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that artemisinin activated Akt/Bcl-2 signaling and that neuroprotective effect of artemisinin was blocked by Akt-specific inhibitor, MK2206. Taken together, our study indicated that artemisinin prevented neuronal HT-22 cell from glutamate-induced oxidative injury by activation of Akt signaling pathway.
Nusinersen treatment for adults with Spinal Muscular Atrophy; a single center experience (S46.006)

Objective: To describe our experience in treating adult-SMA patients with nusinersen/Spinraza. Background: Following FDA approval of nusinersen for the treatment of SMA, it has become evident that the process to deliver this treatment to adult patients is complex, lengthy and confusing. Drug cost and lack of efficacy data in adults with SMA, has resulted in rigorous requirements for insurance and hospital administration approval prior to initiating treatments. The frequency of spinal fusions in this population has made intrathecal injection more difficult. Here we share our preliminary experience using nusinersen in ambulatory adults with SMA. Design/Methods: We performed an interim analysis of our ongoing natural history study of adults with SMA. Results: A total of 29 adult patients (ages18–59; 14M &15 F) were evaluated for nusinersen treatment. Six patients were not interested in the drug and four lacked adequate insurance coverage to pursue authorization to treat. Of the 19 patients who started the approval process, 14 completed the process. 12 patients received insurance approval, but 2 were denied despite appeals. Six patients have received at least one injection (5 were ambulatory SMA type 3 and 1 SMA type 2). Three patients have finished four loading doses. Patients tolerated the procedure well, but all had post injection headache that is mild except in one patient. All three patients reported subjective improvement in stamina and endurance. Post-loading assessments in two patients showed stable MVICT scores; HSFMSE score remained at 49 in first patient and went from 31 to 34 in the second. There was 25-meter increase in 6MWT distance in the first patient. Conclusions: Our experience indicates the need for a dedicated team to approve and administer treatment to adult SMA patients. We have an ongoing study to explore efficacy and identify outcome measures that will best track response to treatment. Updated information will be presented at the meeting. Disclosure: Dr. Elsheikh has nothing to disclose. Dr. Arnold has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mezache has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kissel has received research support from Novartis, Biomarin, Cytokinetics, CSL Behring, Avexis, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Quintiles, Axelacare.
Necrotizing fasciitis after a watercraft accident.

A 57-year-old man was transferred to our hospital with leg pain and confusion. His family reported that he had injured his leg while launching a motorized personal watercraft at the North Carolina seashore 2 days before. He had a history of cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C and alcohol abuse.
Stability and conductivity of cation- and anion-substituted LiBH 4 -based solid-state electrolytes

The high-temperature phase of ${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$ (HT-${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$) exhibits a promisingly high lithium ion conductivity but is unstable at room temperature. We use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the stabilization effect of halogen and alkali cation/anion substitutions on HT-${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$ as well the underlying mechanism for the high lithium ion conductivity. We find that increasing the substituent concentration enhances the stabilization of HT-${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$ (i.e., the DFT energy difference between the low- and high-temperature forms of substituted ${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$ is reduced). Cation/anion substitution also leads to a higher Li defect (vacancy, interstitial, and Frenkel) formation energy, thereby reducing the Li defect (vacancy, interstitial, and Frenkel) concentrations. Using DFT migration barriers input into kinetic Monte Carlo simulations and the Materials INTerface (MINT) framework, we calculate the room-temperature lithium ion conductivities for $\mathrm{Li}{(\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{H}}_{4})}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{I}}_{x}$ ($x=0.25$ and 0.5) and $\mathrm{L}{\mathrm{i}}_{1\ensuremath{-}y}{\mathrm{K}}_{y}\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ ($y=0.25$). Our calculations suggest that the lower I concentration leads to a higher lithium ion conductivity of $5.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ S/cm compared with that of $\mathrm{Li}{(\mathrm{B}{\mathrm{H}}_{4})}_{0.5}{\mathrm{I}}_{0.5}$ ($4.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ S/cm) because of the formation of more Li-related defects. Based on our findings, we suggest that the stabilization of HT-${\mathrm{LiBH}}_{4}$-based lithium ion conductors can be controlled by carefully tuning the cation/anion substituent concentrations to maximize the lithium ionic conductivities of the specific system.