cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathogenesis of the Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Four families of enveloped RNA viruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, arenaviruses, and bunyaviruses, cause hemorrhagic fevers. These viruses are maintained in specific natural cycles involving nonhuman primates, bats, rodents, domestic ruminants, humans, mosquitoes, and ticks. Vascular instability varies from mild to fatal shock, and hemorrhage ranges from none to life threatening. The pathogenic mechanisms are extremely diverse and include deficiency of hepatic synthesis of coagulation factors owing to hepatocellular necrosis, cytokine storm, increased permeability by vascular endothelial growth factor, complement activation, and disseminated intravascular coagulation in one or more hemorrhagic fevers. The severity of disease caused by these agents varies tremendously; there are extremely high fatality rates in Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers, and asymptomatic infection predominates in yellow fever and dengue viral infections. Although ineffective immunity and high viral loads are characteristic of several viral hemorrhagic fevers, severe plasma leakage occurs at the time of viral clearance and defervescence in dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Controlled regional hypoperfusion in Langendorff heart preparations

We describe a new approach that combines several techniques to allow abnormal electrical and calcium activity to be visualized within hypoperfused myocardial tissue. A flexible microcannula was inserted into the left anterior descending artery of Langendorff perfused rat hearts, an air-tight seal between the coronary artery and the cannula was created, and an HPLC pump was used to deliver a specified flowrate through the microcannula. High resolution optical mapping of NADH/calcium, NADH/voltage or calcium/voltage was then conducted using a dual camera system. The ECG was acquired using surface electrodes. This perfusion technique is superior to occluding a vessel by either a tie or a clamp because it allows precise control of the composition and amount of flow to a defined ischemic bed. Another advantage is that flow can be stopped and resumed remotely, without touching the heart. This allows ectopic beats, or other arrhythmogenic activity, such as alternans, to be recorded immediately after changes in flow are imposed. Altogether, the described method provides a powerful new tool to assess how coronary flow rate affects the degree of local ischemia by the ability to record abnormal patterns of electrical activity and associated intracellular calcium transients with high spatiotemporal resolution from epicardial areas as small as 100 × 100 µm.
Cricoarytenoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

A variety of systemic diseases may manifest with laryngeal symptoms. Cricoarytenoid arthritis with or without limitation of vocal fold motion is an example. It has been described in up to 25% of rheumatoid patients. Ankylosing spondylitis is classified among the seronegative spondylarthritides. Besides its systemic features, rare reports of cricoarytenoid involvement have been published. Six previous cases reported have been characterized by a long history of ankylosing spondylitis before the cricoarytenoid joint involvement occurred. We describe only the seventh case of cricoarytenoid arthritis secondary to ankylosing spondylitis and the first patient (to our knowledge) to present with bilateral vocal fold fixation as the initial presenting symptom. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1994;120:214-216)
9: The Politics of American Education:

Instructor: Paul E. Peterson, Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government Kennedy School of Government, Taubman, Room 306 617-495-8312 ▪ 617-496-4428 (fax) ppeterso@gov.harvard.edu Office hours: Wednesdays, 2:00pm – 3:00pm Kennedy School of Government Taubman, Room 306 *to make an appointment please contact Antonio Wendland at pepg_administrator@hks.harvard.edu or 617-495-7976 Class Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00am – 12:00pm Class Location: Harvard Hall 202 Sections: Sections will be created after the course begins. Times and locations of section meetings will be based on enrollment.
Using FEA Simulations to Determine Advanced Process Parameters for Tailor Welded Blank Forming

In order to realize the potential of sheet metal forming and take advantage of new process control capabilities, innovative modifications to the traditional sheet metal forming process must be developed. These modifications are particularly important with respect to Tailor Welded Blank (TWB) forming, which offers an excellent opportunity to reduce manufacturing costs, decrease part weight, and improve the quality of sheet metal stampings. However, tearing near the weld seam and wrinkling in the formed wall area and die addendum of the part often occurs when a traditional forming process is used to form a TWB. Research and industrial experience has shown that these forming concerns can be alleviated through advanced forming techniques, for example using a segmented die process or a non-uniform binder force. The difficulty then becomes determining the key process parameters associated with these forming methods. In this paper, a methodology is presented to effectively and easily determine both the location of a segmented die and a non-uniform binder force by evaluating nodal reaction forces provided from FEA simulations. Also, using FEA simulations to determine the process parameters for another advanced forming process, strain path control tooling, is discussed. The advanced forming processes presented in this paper and the use of FEA to determine key process parameters are critical components to the continued evolution of sheet metal forming processes.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
CEPM 3: lead time reduction via pre-positioning of inventory in an industrial construction supply chain

Lead time reduction is a key concern of many industrial buyers of capital facilities given current economic conditions. Supply chain initiatives in manufacturing settings have led owners to expect that dramatic reductions in lead time are possible in all phases of their business, including the delivery of capital materials. Further, narrowing product delivery windows and increasing pressure to be first-to-market create significant external pressure to reduce lead time. In this paper, a case study is presented in which an owner entered the construction supply chain to procure and position key long-lead materials. The materials were held at a position in the supply chain selected to allow some flexibility for continued customization, but dramatic reduction in the time-to-site. Simulation was used as a tool to consider time-to-site tradeoffs for multiple inventory locations so as to better match the needs of the construction effort.
Physical organization of lipids in the cell wall of Mycobacterium chelonae

Mycobacterial cell wall functions as an effective permeability barrier, making these bacteria resistant to most antibacterial agents. It has been assumed that this low permeability was due to the presence of a large amount of unusual lipids in the cell wall, but it was not known how these lipids are able to produce such an exceptional barrier. We report here the first experimental evidence on the physical arrangement of these lipids based on X-ray diffraction studies of purified Mycobacterium chelonae cell wall, a result suggesting that the hydrocarbon chains of the cell-wall lipids are arranged predominantly in a direction perpendicular to the cell wall surface, probably producing an asymmetric bilayer structure.
KSHV PAN RNA Associates with Demethylases UTX and JMJD3 to Activate Lytic Replication through a Physical Interaction with the Virus Genome

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the cause of Kaposi's sarcoma and body cavity lymphomas. KSHV lytic infection produces PAN RNA, a highly abundant noncoding polyadenylated transcript that is retained in the nucleus. We recently demonstrated that PAN RNA interacts with several viral and cellular factors and can disregulate the expression of genes that modulate immune response. In an effort to define the role of PAN RNA in the context of the virus genome we generated a recombinant BACmid that deleted the PAN RNA locus. Because of the apparent duplication of the PAN RNA locus in BAC36, we generated BAC36CR, a recombinant BACmid that removes the duplicated region. BAC36CR was used as a template to delete most of the PAN RNA locus to generate BAC36CRΔPAN. BAC36CRΔPAN failed to produce supernatant virus and displayed a general decrease in mRNA accumulation of representative immediate early, early and late genes. Most strikingly, K-Rta expression was decreased in lytically induced BAC36CRΔPAN-containing cell lines at early and late time points post induction. Expression of PAN RNA in trans in BAC36CRΔPAN containing cells resulted in an increase in K-Rta expression, however K-Rta over expression failed to rescue BAC36CRΔPAN, suggesting that PAN RNA plays a wider role in virus replication. To investigate the role of PAN RNA in the activation of K-Rta expression, we demonstrate that PAN RNA physically interacts with the ORF50 promoter. RNA chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that PAN RNA interacts with demethylases JMJD3 and UTX, and the histone methyltransferase MLL2. Consistent with the interaction with demethylases, expression of PAN RNA results in a decrease of the repressive H3K27me3 mark at the ORF50 promoter. These data support a model where PAN RNA is a multifunctional regulatory transcript that controls KSHV gene expression by mediating the modification of chromatin by targeting the KSHV repressed genome.
Caspase Activation of p21-Activated Kinase 2 Occurs During Cisplatin-Induced Apoptosis of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells and in SH-SY5Y Cell Culture Models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease

p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK-2) appears to have a dual function in the regulation of cell survival and cell death. Activation of full-length PAK-2 by the p21 G-proteins Rac or Cdc42 stimulates cell survival. However, PAK-2 is unique among the PAK family because it is also activated through proteolytic cleavage by caspase 3 or similar caspases to generate the constitutively active PAK-2p34 fragment. Caspase activation of PAK-2 correlates with the induction of apoptosis in response to many stimuli and recombinant expression of PAK-2p34 has been shown to stimulate apoptosis in several human cell lines. Here, we show that caspase activation of PAK-2 also occurs during cisplatin-induced apoptosis of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells as well as in SH-SY5Y cell culture models for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Inhibition of mitochondrial complex I or of ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated protein degradation, which both appear to be involved in Parkinson’s disease, induce apoptosis and caspase activation of PAK-2 in SH-SY5Y cells. Overexpression of the amyloid precursor protein, which results in accumulation and aggregation of β-amyloid peptide, the main component of β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, also induces apoptosis and caspase activation of PAK-2 in SH-SY5Y cells. Expression of the PAK-2 regulatory domain inhibits caspase-activated PAK-2p34 and prevents apoptosis in 293T human embryonic kidney cells, indicating that caspase activation of PAK-2 is directly involved in the apoptotic response. This is the first evidence that caspase activation of PAK-2 correlates with apoptosis in cell culture models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and that selective inhibition of caspase-activated PAK-2p34 could prevent apoptosis.
Schooling Behaviors or Prior Skills? A Cautionary Tale of Omitted Variable Bias Within Oppositional Culture Theory

Prior research on oppositional culture theory has generally focused on beliefs about the opportunity structure, or the “acting white” hypothesis, as an explanation for racial differences in school achievement. However, little attention has been given to the mechanism by which these beliefs affect achievement: schooling behaviors. The authors posit that students' prior level of skills may be an important omitted factor that biases the effect of schooling behaviors on achievement. Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, they found that whereas behaviors account for a larger proportion of Asian Americans' achievement advantage than do prior skills, prior skills explain half to nearly three-quarters of blacks' low achievement relative to that of whites and that dramatic declines in behavioral effects on achievement are observed after prior skills are controlled. Finally, the findings show that schooling behaviors are partially shaped by prior skills. They suggest that students with low s...
Cardiac and Extracardiac Expression of Csx/Nkx2.5 Homeodomain Protein

Csx/Nkx2.5 is an evolutionary conserved homeobox gene related to the Drosophila tinman gene, which is essential for the dorsal mesoderm formation. Expression of Csx/Nkx2.5 mRNA is the earliest marker for heart precursor cells in all vertebrates so far examined. Previous studies have demonstrated that Csx/Nkx2.5 mRNA is highly expressed in the heart and at lower levels in the spleen, tongue, stomach, and thyroid in the murine embryo. Since some developmental genes are regulated by posttranscriptional mechanisms, we analyzed the developmental pattern of Csx protein expression at the single-cell level using Csx-specific antibodies. Immunohistochemical analysis of murine embryos at 7.8 days post coitum revealed that Csx protein is strongly expressed in the nucleus of endodermal and mesodermal cells in the cardiogenic plate. Subsequently, in the heart, Csx protein was detected only in the nucleus of myocytes of the atrium and the ventricle through the adult stage. During the fetal period, Csx protein expression in the nucleus was also noted in the spleen, stomach, liver, tongue, and anterior larynx. Unexpectedly, confocal microscopy revealed that Csx immunoreactivity was detected only in the cytoplasm of a subset of cranial skeletal muscles. Csx protein was not detected in the thyroid glands. The expression of Csx protein in all organs was markedly downregulated after birth except in the heart. These results raise the possibility that Csx/Nkx2.5 may play a role in the early developmental process of multiple tissues in addition to its role in early heart development.
Minimum conditions for the induction of cortical spreading depression in brain slices

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) occurs during various forms of brain injury such as stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and brain trauma, but it is also thought to be the mechanism of the migraine aura. It is therefore expected to occur over a range of conditions including the awake behaving state. Yet it is unclear how such a massive depolarization could occur under relatively benign conditions. Using a microfluidic device with focal stimulation capability in a mouse brain slice model, we varied extracellular potassium concentration as well as the area exposed to increased extracellular potassium to determine the minimum conditions necessary to elicit CSD. Importantly, we focused on potassium levels that are physiologically plausible (≤145 mM; the intracellular potassium concentration). We found a strong correlation between the threshold concentration and the slice area exposed to increased extracellular potassium: minimum area of exposure was needed with the highest potassium concentration, while larger areas were needed at lower concentrations. We also found that moderate elevations of extracellular potassium were able to elicit CSD in relatively small estimated tissue volumes that might be activated under noninjury conditions. Our results thus show that CSD may be inducible under the conditions that expected in migraine aura as well as those related to brain trauma.
Influence of heat shocks on the kinetics of chilling-induced ion leakage from tomato pericarp discs

The kinetics of ion leakage from chilled tomato pericarp discs was altered by heat-shock treatments that reduced chillinginduced increases in ion leakage. Pericarp discs (5 mm × 12 mm diameter; 0.52 ± 0.04 g) were excised from mature-green tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentumMill. ‘Castelmart’) and held at 12.5 ◦ C for 18 h before treatment. After a lag of 4 days, the rate of ion leakage into an isotonic 0.2 M mannitol solution increased with increasing duration of chilling at 2.5 ◦ C, reaching a 4.2-fold increase after 14 days. The rate of chilling-induced ion leakage was reduced 64% by a 15 min, 45 ◦ C heat shock applied 1 h before 14 days of chilling. Heat shocks and chilling had no effect of the kinetics of ion leakage from the fast, apoplastic compartment. The apoplastic concentration of ions increased three-fold in non-heat-shocked tissue, while it decreased 50% in heat-shocked tissue over 31 days of chilling. The 6.2-fold increase in leakage from the slow, symplastic compartment following 31 days of chilling was reduced 63% by a 15 min heat shock applied before chilling. The heat-shock treatment protected membrane components involved in ion movement across the membrane from chilling-induced damage, such that ion leakage only increased a fraction of that in non-heat-shocked tissue. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Intake of dietary procyanidins does not contribute to the pool of circulating flavanols in humans

Background: Accumulating data show a causal role for flavanols in the mediation of cardiovascular benefits associated with the consumption of flavanol- and procyanidin-containing foods. Evidence for a direct causal role for procyanidins in this context is far less profound due to the poor absorption of procyanidins. However, it has been proposed that procyanidins may break down in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in monomeric flavanols, which contribute to the systemic flavanol pool. Verification or rejection of this supposition could significantly affect the interpretation of epidemiologic and dietary intervention data and the design of food-content databases. Objective: We assessed the respective contribution of flavanols and procyanidins to the systemic pool of flavanols and 5-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)c-valerolactone (c-VL) in humans. Design: Test drinks that contained only flavanols (D1), procyanidins with a degree of polymerization that ranged from 2 to 10 (D2‐10), or flavanols and procyanidins with a degree of polymerization that ranged from 2 to 10 (D1‐10) were consumed by humans (n =1 2) according to a randomized, double-masked, crossover design. Plasma and urine samples were collected postprandially and analyzed. Results: The ingestion of D1‐10 resulted in the systemic presence of flavanols (plasma concentration: 863 6 77 nmol/L), c-VLs (24-h urine: 93 6 18 lmol), and minute concentrations of procyanidin B2. With correction for small residual amounts of flavanols present in D2‐10, only negligible concentrations of circulating flavanols were detected after ingestion of the drink, whereas the intake of D1 resulted in circulating flavanol concentrations similar to those detected after D1‐10 consumption. Conclusions: These outcomes show that dietary procyanidins do not contribute to the systemic pool of flavanols in humans. Thus, these data reject the notion that procyanidins, through their breakdown into flavanols and subsequent absorption, causally modulate vascular function. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01483508. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.028340.
National Certificates in Chemistry: 1 — the need for improvement

A Studnet may enter the second (S.2) year of the NC course in Chemistry provided he obtains passes at GCE ‘O’ level in Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and English Language. He then pursues a two‐year, part‐time course leading to the ONC in Chemistry. In an article published recently in TECHNICAL EDUCATION it was shown that the failure rate at both the ONC and HNC levels was very high. It was suggested that present syllabuses for courses leading to ONC and HNC were, in many instances, too traditional and too long. A syllabus designed for HNC students may be very suitable when viewed in isolation, but may lead to difficulties for both student and teacher if it has been constructed without reference to the appropriate ONC syllabus; or if it was constructed to make good anomalies in and omissions from the ONC syllabus. The result is that students who are successful at the ONC stage have inadequate understanding and knowledge of fundamental chemistry to profit from the HNC course. This discussion is mainly concerned with ONC schemes and syllabuses, although some of the remarks apply equally well to HNC courses.
Validation and explanation of waterhammer-based locomotion

Search and rescue robots often use tethers to provide power and communication, but tethers get caught on debris and small robots have difficulty with the added drag of the tether. This work investigates a self-actuating tether capable of remaining free while traversing obstacles. We present a physical model of the pressure transients actuated tether. The model relates forward motion of the tether (independent of a dragging force) to the relevant design parameters of hose stiffness, flow diameter, tether length, applied pressure, and valve selection. We present an experiment to test and validate our model. The experimental results correspond within 15% to the expected values from our analysis and also validate the functional dependence of our model on the design parameters
Influence of drag on the mission performance of hypersonic aircraft.

Drag influence on mission performance of hypersonic aircraft during climb and cruise, noting payload capacity
The effect of surface heterogeneity on cloud absorption estimates

This study presents a systematic and quantitative analysis of the effect of inhomogeneous surface albedo on shortwave cloud absorption estimates. We use 3D radiative transfer modeling with gradually complex clouds over a simplified surface to calculate cloud absorption. We find that averaging surface albedo always underestimates cloud absorption, and thus accounting for surface heterogeneity always enhances cloud absorption. However, the impact on cloud absorption estimates is not enough to explain the discrepancy between measured and model calculated shortwave cloud absorptions.
Gait performance of paraplegics ambulating with the reciprocating gait orthosis powered by electrical muscle stimulation

The objectives of this study are to quantify the gait performance of six paraplegic patients fitted with the RGO (reciprocating gait orthosis) and powered by muscle stimulation for purposes of assessing the orthoses' clinical efficiency. The data obtained indicate that the muscle-stimulation-powered orthosis provides paraplegics with an efficient means of walking independently on level surfaces. The average maximum performance time for completing a 7-ft distance was 1 min 45 s at an average velocity of 52.5 ft/min and average cadence of 45 steps/min. In addition to functional performance, the following results were obtained: reduction of spasticity in the leg muscle, reduction of incidence of bladder infections, feeling of high energy levels in daily life, restful sleep, and improved general outlook on daily life. >
Where is the knowledge we have lost in managers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to theorize what relationship exists between knowledge loss and the manager type. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to determine if some types of middle managers report lower levels of information anxiety. A manager's knowledge classification was based on the seminal research of Davenport and Prusak, and Nonaka and Takeuchi.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of Canadian Public Service middle managers completed an online survey instrument over a three‐month period in the autumn of 2003. Ninety‐nine usable survey results formed the basis of analysis for the project. To increase how one may generalize the findings, the sample was compared to a recent large random sample of the same population, which determined that the two samples were statistically the same. Segmenting the managers by knowledge transformation tasks (based on Davenport and Prusak) and knowledge exchange methods (based on Nonaka and Takeuchi) permitted the development of two hypotheses based ...
Feasibility study of hernia surgery in a general practice setting

SUMMARY Background: In the early 1990s, waiting times for some surgical procedures and opinions for such routine problems as groin hernia repair were unacceptably long. General practitioners with a special interest (GPwSIs) in general surgery may improve this, but little evidence exists as to whether such service developments may improve efficiency and effectiveness of care. Aims: To reduce the waiting time by offering a surgical service from a general practice setting without compromising on quality and safety of patient care. Design of study: Feasibility study. Setting: One general practice and the patient population of northwest Norfolk. Methods: A GPwSI whose special interest was in general surgery started offering a surgical service, including open hernia repair, from a purpose-built operating theatre within general practice premises. Results: Four thousand, nine hundred and sixty-five surgical procedures, including 286 inguinal hernia repairs, were performed. Quality and safety of patient care were not compromised and the waiting time was reduced from 18 months to 4 months. Conclusion: It is feasible to perform open inguinal hernia repairs in a general practice setting.
Hybrid Molecular Dynamics Algorithms for the Numerical Simulation of Quantum Chromodynamics

We discuss two algorithms for the numerical simulation of SU(3) lattice gauge theory with dynamical quarks. Both are based on the hybrid stochastic method of Duane and Kogut. They provide a relatively rapid evolution of the gauge fields through configuration space and good control of errors. One of the algorithms allows the simulation of arbitrary numbers of quarks. Tests of the algorithms are presented as well as initial data from a study of the thermodynamics of quarks and gluons with Kogut-Susskind fermions.
Photochemical synthesis, characterization, photoinduced electron transfer, charging and discharging in copper-titania colloid

Abstract One of major goals in photocatalysis and photochemistry is to understand photoinduced charge transfer. Colloidal solutions serve as convenient model systems for mechanistic studies of charge transfer. For the first time, colloid Cu(0)-V O -TiO 2 was prepared by the “one-pot” photochemical synthesis from copper nitrate and titanium isopropoxide precursors in ethanol under UV–vis light. The Cu(0)-V O -TiO 2 colloid shows the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band of metallic copper and contains oxygen vacancy V O . Kinetics of the synthesis of Cu(0)-V O -TiO 2 colloid follows the zeroth-order kinetic rate law, while synthesis of Cu 2 O colloid under the same conditions follows the first order rate law. Under UV–vis light, Cu(0)-V O -TiO 2 colloid undergoes repeated accumulation of negative charge on metallic copper after photoexcitation of TiO 2 , and discharge of electrons from metallic copper occurs in the dark.
Trauma in pregnancy: assessment, management, and prevention

Trauma complicates one in 12 pregnancies, and is the leading nonobstetric cause of death among pregnant women. The most common traumatic injuries are motor vehicle crashes, assaults, falls, and intimate partner violence. Nine out of 10 traumatic injuries during pregnancy are classified as minor, yet 60% to 70% of fetal losses after trauma are a result of minor injuries. In minor trauma, four to 24 hours of tocodynamometric monitoring is recommended. Ultrasonography has low sensitivity, but high specificity, for placental abruption. The Kleihauer-Betke test should be performed after major trauma to determine the degree of fetomaternal hemorrhage, regardless of Rh status. To improve the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, clinicians should perform left lateral uterine displacement by tilting the whole maternal body 25 to 30 degrees. Unique aspects of advanced cardiac life support include early intubation, removal of all uterine and fetal monitors, and performance of perimortem cesarean delivery. Proper seat belt use reduces the risk of maternal and fetal injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The lap belt should be placed as low as possible under the protuberant portion of the abdomen and the shoulder belt positioned off to the side of the uterus, between the breasts and over the midportion of the clavicle. All women of childbearing age should be routinely screened for intimate partner violence.
Chronic endothelin-induced pressor and renal actions in conscious dogs do not require altered ANG II formation

Plasma endothelin levels are elevated approximately two- to threefold in a number of chronic pathophysiological conditions associated with hypertension. Results from recent studies indicate an important interaction between endothelin and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). The role of the RAS in mediating the increases in arterial pressure produced by long-term pathophysiological elevations in circulating levels of endothelin is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to chronically increase circulating levels of endothelin within the pathophysiological range and determine the long-term cardiovascular and renal actions of endothelin in control dogs (n = 6) and in dogs pretreated with a converting-enzyme inhibitor (CEI) (n = 6) or CEI + angiotensin II (ANG II) replacement (n = 6). Infusion of endothelin-1 for 8 days at a rate of 2.5 ng.kg-1.min-1 increased plasma endothelin from 7.1 +/- 0.9 to 19.8 +/- 3.3 pg/ml. In control dogs, endothelin increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) by 19% (90 +/- 2 to 107 +/- 3 mmHg) while decreasing renal blood flow (RBF) by 30% and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 15-20%. Long-term elevation of circulating endothelin produced similar elevations in MAP in dogs pretreated with CEI (+16%) or CEI + ANG II (+17%). Similar decreases in RBF and GFR also occurred in response to endothelin in all three groups. These results indicate that although long-term increases in circulating endothelin within the pathophysiological range produce significant increases in arterial pressure, this effect does not appear to be mediated by the RAS.
UV Raman Scattering Analysis of Indented and Machined 6H-SiC and β-Si 3 N 4 Surfaces

UV Raman scattering is employed as a nondestructive structure sensitive probe to investigate the vibrational properties of the wide bandgap, machined and indented surfaces of 6H-SiC and β-Si 3 N 4 . In these materials, the short absorption depth of UV light allows for accurate probing of the surface, and the transparency to visible light allows for analysis of the bulk material. The study on 6H-SiC (0001) included measurements of indentations, and of machined circular (0001) wafer edges. The indentation analysis indicates the response of the material to localized pressures. Machined 6H-SiC wafer edges and machined β-Si 3 N 4 surfaces indicate a ductile response and ductile material removal for machining at cutting depths on a nm and μm scale. Raman scattering measurements of the ductile surfaces and ductile material removed indicate residual structure changes. The residual surface structures could indicate that a high-pressure phase transformation is the origin of a ductile response on machined brittle materials.
A new study of crater concentric ridges on the Moon

Abstract Crater concentric ridges (CCRs) are topographic ridges found in the ejecta blankets of fresh few-kilometer-scale lunar craters. These ridges, which were last studied in detail in the late 1970 s (referred to as ‘lunar concentric dunes’), were hypothesized to form due to ballistic impact sedimentation and erosion. We have surveyed the Moon to find 59 craters with CCRs and have constructed mosaics of these craters where possible using high-resolution LROC NAC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera—Narrow Angle Camera) images. We then map from some of these mosaics in order to measure the CCRs and examine their morphologies. Ejecta scaling models and some of our observations of the CCRs contradict the current hypothesis for the formation of these features. We therefore propose new hypotheses to consider for the formation of CCRs, specifically interaction of ejecta with initial topography or formation via interactions of shocks in the ejecta. Additionally, for the first time we have found CCRs on Mercury, but they are rare or absent on Mars.
The effects of intermittent pneumatic compression during cesarean delivery on fibrinolysis.

Objective Pregnancy is associated with increased risk for thromboembolic events. Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices are the method of thromboprophylaxis in a nonpregnant population. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of IPC on markers of fibrinolysis during cesarean delivery. Study Design We conducted a randomized controlled trial from April 2009 to March 2010 of women undergoing scheduled elective cesarean delivery. Forty-nine women were randomized to IPCs or usual care. All participants had three blood samples obtained: (1) baseline, (2) 1 hour after randomization, and (3) 30 minutes after cesarean delivery. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) levels were analyzed in each sample using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures two-way analysis of variance with α = 0.05. Results There was a time-dependent change in tPA, uPA, and PAI-1 levels following delivery but no difference in TAT and PAI-2 levels with time. There were no differences between women randomized to IPCs or usual care. Conclusion Markers of fibrinolysis were not significantly altered by IPCs in this study of low-risk pregnant women. Further research regarding the mechanism and efficacy of IPCs in pregnant women is warranted.
Failure-Atomic Persistent Memory Updates via JUSTDO Logging

Persistent memory invites applications to manipulate persistent data via load and store instructions. Because failures during updates may destroy transient data (e.g., in CPU registers), preserving data integrity in the presence of failures requires failure-atomic bundles of updates. Prior failure atomicity approaches for persistent memory entail overheads due to logging and CPU cache flushing. Persistent caches can eliminate the need for flushing, but conventional logging remains complex and memory intensive. We present the design and implementation of JUSTDO logging, a new failure atomicity mechanism that greatly reduces the memory footprint of logs, simplifies log management, and enables fast parallel recovery following failure. Crash-injection tests confirm that JUSTDO logging preserves application data integrity and performance evaluations show that it improves throughput 3x or more compared with a state-of-the-art alternative for a spectrum of data-intensive algorithms.
Synthesis and Growth of Fresnoite (Ba2TiSi2O8) from a TiO2 Flux and Its Relation to the System BaTiO3-SiO2.

Crystals of Ba2TiSi2O8 (synthetic fresnoite) up to 5 mm in longest dimension have been grown by slow cooling of a TiO2-rich liquid of initial composition 1BaO:1TiO2:1SiO2. The synthetic crystals are essentially identical to their mineral equivalent in morphology, cleavage, optical properties and unit cell dimensions. X-ray powder diffraction data previously reported for the compound BaTiSiO5 ("barium sphene") is that of Ba2TiSi2O8. Apparently the compound BaTiSiO5 has never been synthesized and the system BaTiO3-SiO2 is not binary.
Simultaneous Determination of Cortisol and Corticosterone in Human Plasma by Quantitative Paper Chromatography.

Summary and ConclusionsA method is presented for measuring Cortisol and corticosterone simultaneously in a single specimen of plasma. The steroids are purified by paper chromatography, eluted and measured by fluorometry. Losses incurred during analytical procedure are compensated by application of an isotope dilution correction. The normal range of corticosterone in human beings is 0 to 5 μtg/100 ml, with a mean of 1.3 ± 2.5 μg/100 ml. The normal range for Cortisol is 4.0 to 17.7 μg/100 ml, with a mean of 10.2 ± 3.6 μg/100 ml.
660PEXPRESSION OF CASPASE-3 PREDICTS PROGNOSIS IN ADVANCED NONCARDIA GASTRIC CANCER

ABSTRACT Aim: Caspases are proteolytic enzymes that play an essential role in apoptosis, which may affect tumor growth. We aimed to investigate the potential relation of the expression of caspase-1, -2 and -3 with response to therapy and overall survival in patients with advanced noncardia gatric cancer. Methods: Tumor tissue samples from consecutive patiients with noncardia gastric cancer stage IV- treated in our institution- between 01/1991- 04/2011 were retrospectively analyzed for the expression of caspase-1, -2 and -3. Apoptosis was expressed as the DNA apoptotic index,(terminal deoxynucleotidyl transfrase-mediate deoxyuridin triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling method). Patient files were scrutinized and relevant data, such as the Karnofsky performance status and location of metastases, were registered. All patients were followed-up until death. Results: 359 patients were included (mean age 60.2 yr; 35% female; 53% underwent palliative surgery; mean survival time 38 wks). Caspase-1 was expressed in 57%, caspase-2 in 74% and caspase-3 in 44% of tumors. All patients but 8 received palliative chemotherapy and 24% of patients had a complete/partial response to chemotherapy while 32% had stable and 44% progressive disease. Caspase-3 expression was related to a higher DNA apoptotic index (p 0.05). Conclusions: Expression of caspase-3, but not caspase-1 or -2, is a predictor of poor response to treatment and survival in advanced gastric cancer. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the prognostic value of caspase in gastric cancer. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Initial state fluctuations in collisions between light and heavy ions

Motivated by the question whether hydrodynamics is applicable to high-multiplicity high-energy collisions between protons or between light and heavy nuclei, the authors show that sub-nucleonic density fluctuations play a crucial role for the size and shape of the initially produced matter which manifest themselves via azimuthal asymmetries of the finally emitted particles.
Challenges to HIV management among youth engaged in HIV care

Regardless of medical advancements, new HIV infections persist. Young adults are most often newly infected, thus research is needed to assess medication adherence barriers specific to young adults with HIV. The data were abstracted from medical charts to include both self-reported behavioral and psychological distress data and HIV parameters in 2013 among patients aged 18-30 years. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors related to viral suppression and sexually transmitted infection (STI) status. A total of 335 individuals presented for care during a 12-month period at a single clinic. The majority were African American and had a mean age of 25.6 years. Nearly all had current prescriptions of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Among those receiving ART, almost three-quarters were virally suppressed, as measured by 200 copies/mL. STI tests are conducted annually and by assessed need; 30% of this sample had at least 1 bacterial STI diagnosis within the last year. Psychological distress symptoms were more common among individuals who were not virally suppressed, compared to those who were virally suppressed. Women and individuals with moderate to severe symptoms of depression had higher odds of having unsuppressed viral loads. The independent factors associated with having any STIs were being African American or other minorities and having two or more sex partners. Our findings related to how young adults are managing their HIV care suggest that increased efforts aimed to prevent additional STIs and manage psychological distress will likely reduce transmission risks.
FUNCTIONS OF PRIMATE PLAY BEHAVIOR

“Play has the status of a religion. It is a system of beliefs with many sectarian views” (I. S. Bernstein, personal communication). This view was communicated to the authors at the symposium from which papers for the present volume were drawn. The authors agree with Dr. Bernstein's tongue-in-cheek assessment. As this paper will show, there are many tenets of faith for play behavior, the cornerstone being that play is functional.
Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia and Lobular Carcinoma In Situ

Atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) are lobular intraepithelial neoplasms that are often grouped under the term lobular neoplasia (LN). The pathognomonic feature of LN is discohesion secondary to absence or dysfunction of E-cadherin. LN is divided into classical and variant types and is considered to be both a risk factor and non-obligate precursor of invasive carcinoma. Classical LN is more common, shows indolent behavior, and is managed conservatively. Variant LN includes pleomorphic LCIS and florid LCIS, both of which have examples that would fall under the general category of “LCIS with necrosis.” Variant LN is uncommon and under recognized. Clinical data on variant LN is lacking, however the histology, biomarker profile, molecular alterations, and disease associations suggest a more aggressive disease than classical LN. Currently, there is no clear consensus on management of classical LN when diagnosed on core biopsy, whereas excision is recommended routinely for LN variants.
"Just Like the Other Boys": Meeting the Needs of Gender Diverse Students.

Gary Armstrong, assistant principal, is faced with a delicate situation. The elementary school recently enrolled a transgender student, and the principal, Amy Lamar, is resistant to considering the student’s unique needs. This case was developed for use in a leadership course. Instructors can use the case to encourage dialogue around legal frameworks, roles and perspectives of key characters, and theoretical perspectives informing decisions and policies. The four activities and discussion questions are designed to guide students in analyzing the scenario. The final activity involves comparing the scenario with a similar case with a different context and disparate outcomes.
Abuse during and before pregnancy: prevalence and cultural correlates.

This study examined the prevalence of abuse during pregnancy and the influence of cultural norms and acculturation on abuse in 1,004 Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban American, Central American, African American and Anglo American women. Women were recruited from consecutive delivery logs in general community hospitals in Florida and Massachusetts. The Index of Spouse Abuse and the Abuse Assessment Screen ascertained history of adult physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, abuse during pregnancy, and childhood sexual abuse. An Interview Protocol assessed cultural attitudes, acculturation, and demographic information. Hispanic American women, as a whole, did not differ significantly from Anglo American women in their prevalence of abuse during pregnancy, after controlling for sociodemographic variables. However, Cuban American and Central American partners were significantly less likely to abuse their pregnant partners than were other groups even after adjustment. Women who spoke only Spanish (less acculturated) were less likely to report physical abuse from their partners both before and during pregnancy. Cultural norms, such as a partner's belief in wife/mother role supremacy and cultural group acceptability of men hitting women, were significantly positively related to both physical and emotional abuse. Other risk factors for abuse were the abuser not being the biological father of the baby, low income and little education, and being unmarried. Language: en
Entropy of Parallel Execution and Communication

We propose a definition of parallel state, derive a phase space from this state, and calculate the entropy of states and full executions using combinatorial analysis. A main contribution of this work is the introduction of an experimentally measurable phase space, which we then use to analyze execution states, ensembles of states, and ensembles of complete executions. We show that the entropy analysis reveals both expected and unexpected features of execution, and application of principal component analysis shows capability to extract execution details at the level of individual process states, as well as reveal hardware properties such as network or memory communications.
Pediatric Residents’ Perceptions of Potential Professionalism Violations on Social Media: A US National Survey

Background: The ubiquitous use of social media by physicians poses professionalism challenges. Regulatory bodies have disseminated guidelines related to physicians’ use of social media. Objective: This study had 2 objectives: (1) to understand what pediatric residents view as appropriate social media postings, and (2) to recognize the degree to which these residents are exposed to postings that violate social media professionalism guidelines. Methods: We distributed an electronic survey to pediatric residents across the United States. The survey consisted of 5 postings from a hypothetical resident’s personal Facebook page. The vignettes highlighted common scenarios that challenge published social media professionalism guidelines. We asked 2 questions for each vignette regarding (1) the resident’s opinion of the posting’s appropriateness, and (2) their frequency of viewing similar posts. We also elicited demographic data (age, sex, postgraduate year level), frequency of Facebook use, awareness of their institutional policies, and prior social media training. Results: Of 1628 respondents, 1498 (92.01%) of the pediatric residents acknowledged having a Facebook account, of whom 888/1628 (54.55%) reported daily use and 346/1628 (21.25%) reported using Facebook a few times a week. Residents frequently viewed posts that violated professionalism standards, including use of derogatory remarks about patients (1756/3256, 53.93%) and, much less frequently, about attending physicians (114/1628, 7.00%). The majority of the residents properly identified these postings as inappropriate. Residents had frequently viewed a post similar to one showing physicians drinking alcoholic beverages while in professional attire or scrubs and were neutral on this post’s appropriateness. Residents also reported a lack of knowledge about institutional policies on social media (651/1628, or 40.00%, were unaware of a policy; 204/1628, or 12.53%, said that no policy existed). A total of 372/1628 respondents (22.85%) stated that they had never received any structured training on social media professionalism. Conclusions: Today’s residents, like others of their generation, use social media sites to converse with peers without considering the implications for the profession. The frequent use of social media by learners needs to change the emphasis educators and regulatory bodies place on social media guidelines and teaching professionalism in the digital age. [JMIR Med Educ 2017;3(1):e2]
Lifetime of the first excited state in 96 Zr

Abstract The reaction 96Zr(p, p′ e) was used to measure the lifetime of the 02+(1.59 MeV) state in 96Zr through the observation of delayed coincidences between a pulsed proton beam and the E0 internal conversion electrons. The half-life is 3.80 ± 1.5 ns. This value is compared to a simple shell model calculation.