cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Population Fluctuations of Nematodes Associated With Red Pine Seedlings Following Chemical Treatment of the Soil1)

Thirteen genera of stylet-bearing nematodes, two taxonomic groups (Dorylaimidae and Hetero deridae), Mononchus sp. and nonstylet-bearing nematodes were found associated with red pine seedlings in a West Virginia nursery. The most prevalent plant-parasitic nematodes were Paratylen. chus sp., Hoplolaimus galeatus, and a Trichodorus sp. D-D mixture, methyl bromide, Nemagon, and Vapam were evaluated for their effectiveness to control the nematodes. Only methyl bromide gave satisfactory control of the plant-parasitic nematodes; however, after the second growing season, the nematode population levels of all treated plots were less than those for the control. Bacterium-and fungus-feeding nematodes accounted for the rapid increase in the populations following methyl bromide treatment. Population levels of all the nematodes increased after all treatments and reached a peak in October of the first year. The populations declined during the winter months, and rose again the second year. A species of Eucephalobus was the most common nonstylet-bearing nematode, while a Mononchus sp. was the predominant predaceous nematode. A temporary decline in the total nematode populations during the first growing season was thought to be caused by the feeding activities of the high populations of Mononchus.
Concertational and Free‐Market Paths to Successful Territorial Economic Adjustment: Labour Unions and Adjustment in the 1990s

A growing body of recent research suggests that successful industrial adjustment at the local level today reflects the capacities of unions and management to identify problems and pursue solutions co-operatively through processes of micro-concertation which enlist the work-force substantially in the adjustment process at the firm level. The presence of such capacities to engage in micro-concertation has in turn been linked by some studies to a variety of local-level political and social realities which facilitate worker skill formation (including the ability to identify and solve problems), while encouraging communication and the development of trust between workers and management. Strong unions able to legitimize managerial decisions and to enlist the acquiescence and support of the work-force are seen as key to the success of such micro-concertational systems. This recent research on micro-concertation would seem to conflict with the liberal–conservative view that successful industrial adjustment occurs not when unions are strong, but when they are too weak to impede managerial choices. This paper examines successful processes of industrial adjustment in several textile–clothing–footwear centres of northern and central Italy. The paper observes that both strong-labour ‘micro-concertational’ and weak-labour ‘free-market’ models of successful adjustment exist, and that they prevail, respectively, in different geographical areas. The paper argues that successful micro-concertational adjustment is most likely where unions are strong, united and encompassing, and that successful free-market adjustment is most likely where unions are weak, divided and non-encompassing. This observation parallels the insights of Alvarez et al. (1991) on successful national-level macroeconomic performance, and suggests that the political-economic logic observed by Alvarez et al. at the national level obtains also at the local level. The paper observes further that the existence of both models suggests that successful adjustment may be linked to capacity of either micro-concertation or union weakness to remove impediments to labour market flexibility.
Modified LDLs induce and bind to membrane ruffles on macrophages

Macrophage foam cell formation in vitro requires uptake of modified low density lipoproteins (LDL) such as acetylated LDL (AcLDL) and moderately oxidized LDL (OxLDL), or beta-migrating very low density lipoprotein (βVLDL), a naturally occurring lipoprotein. Incubation of macrophages with AcLDL and OxLDL resulted in stimulation of membrane ruffle formation, while βVLDL primarily resulted in increased numbers of microvilli. Time-lapse Allen video enhanced contrast differential interference contrast (AVEC-DIC) light microscopy and correlative whole mount intermediate-voltage transmission electron microscopy (IVEM) was used to examine the dynamics of AcLDL stimulated membrane ruffling and membrane ruffle ultrastructure. Stereo 3D surface replicas confirmed that AcLDL bound to these AcLDL-induced membrane ruffles. Quantification of the plasma membrane surface area after incubation with AcLDL, βVLDL or LDL confirmed that AcLDL stimulated membrane ruffling, while βVLDL and LDL stimulated microvilli formation. These studies suggest that modified LDLs induce circular membrane ruffles and modified LDLs bind to these ligand-induced membrane ruffles. Anat Rec 255:44–56, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Visual and statistical modeling of facial movement in patients with cleft lip and palate.

Abstract Objective: To analyze and display facial movement data from noncleft subjects and from patients with cleft lip and palate by using a new dynamic approach. The hypothesis was that there are differences in facial movement between the patients with cleft lip and palate and the noncleft subjects. Setting: Subjects were recruited from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry Orthodontic and Craniofacial Clinics. Patients, Participants: Sixteen patients with cleft lip and palate and eight noncleft “control” subjects. Interventions: Video recordings and measurements in three dimensions of facial movement. Main Outcome Measures: Principal component (PC) scores for each of six animations or movements and dynamic modeling of mean animations. Statistics: Multivariate statistics were used to test for significant differences in the PC mean scores between the patient groups and the noncleft groups. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in PC mean scores between the patient gr...
Setting Target Product Requirements: Decision Analytic Approach

This paper focuses on the second step of a three-step design concept selection procedure: (step 1) identification and structuring of customer needs and constraints, (step 2) setting target product requirements using decision analysis, and (step 3) design concept selection using target product requirements as selection criteria. Particularly, this paper models and analyzes a decision problem of setting target product requirements by utilizing an influence diagram and a decision tree. Once the target product requirements are identified, engineers evaluate different design concepts in terms of how each concept satisfies the target product requirements. The next generation linear particle accelerator serves as an illustrative example.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Magnetic moments of low-lying states in medium weight odd nuclei

The magnetic moments of several short-lived states in103Rh,1111113Cd and1231125Te isotopes have been measured by the transient field technique. The results, together with those obtained earlier in the1071109Ag isotopes, have been compared to predictions of various models and calculations. In the Z=45, 47 isotopes, the odd proton seems to deform the vibrational core. The data are best explained within the framework of a triaxially deformed nucleus. In the odd neutron isotopes with 50<N<82, and Z=48, 52, weak coupling states coexist with single particle states in a mix of configurations.
Professional collegiality and peer monitoring among nursing staff: an ethnographic study.

Abstract Background Patient safety and professional self-regulation systems both rely on professional colleagues to hold each other accountable for quality of care. Objectives To understand how staff nurses manage variations in practices within the group, and negotiate the rules-in-use for quality of care, collegiality, and accountability. Design/methods Ethnographic case study; participant-observation, semi-structured interviews, policy analysis. Setting In-patient unit in an urban US teaching hospital. Results Explicit acknowledgment of conflicts and practice variations was perceived as risky to group cohesion. The dependence of staff on mutual assistance, and the absence of a system of group practice, led to the practice of "mutual deference", a strategy of reciprocal tolerance and non-interference that gave wide discretion to each nurse's decisions about care. Conclusions Efforts to improve professional accountability will need to address material constraints and the organization of nursing work, as well as communication and leadership skills.
Binary display using pseudo-random ensembles with selected distributions

Abstract A binary display is produced from a continuous-tone image. An ensemble of pseudo-random numbers is added to the density sample values of the image and the result thresholded. If the ensemble is generated to have the appropriate cumulative probability distribution, the image is reproduced with a desired reproduction curve.
Cuticular hydrocarbons of healthy and diseased Japanese beetle larvae

Abstract Hydrocarbons were extracted from cuticle of healthy Japanese beetle larvae and larvae infected with the milky disease organism, Bacillus popilliae. The extractable hydrocarbons were separated from other lipids by silicic acid column chromatography and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The major cuticular hydrocarbons are n- tricosane , 11-methyltricosane, and 9,13-dimethyltricosane. Only minor quantitative differences were observed in the major hydrocarbons from cuticle of healthy and diseased larvae.
Representing Clifford algebras as crossed-products

Soit d un entier positif plus grand que 2, soit F un corps de caracteristique ne divisant pas d, et soit f une forme binaire diagonale de degre d. On note par Cf l'algebre de Clifford associee a f. On considere des images homomorphes de Cf et on montre qu'elles peuvent etre vues comme des produits croises sur l'anneau des coordonnees d'une courbe plane de degre d sur F par un groupe fini cyclique d'ordre d
Growth functions of amalgams

Let G be a finitely generated group with a finite generating set S. Then S determines a length function l on G (see §1 below) which is used to define the growth series of G: $$G(z) = \sum\limits_{g \in G} {{z^{\ell (g)}}} $$ recently there has been a lot of interest in the study of these series.
Evaluation of interproximal caries using the IPad 2 and a liquid crystal display monitor.

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the detection of interproximal caries in digital intraoral images presented in a 24-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor and the IPad 2. Study Design Twenty-seven digital bitewing radiographs of 102 adult teeth were generated by a charge-coupled device sensor and presented to 4 dentists in 2 sessions. The dentists were asked to rate the presence or absence of carious lesions using a 5-point scale. Differences in sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were weighted using the Wilcoxon test, and the z test for the receiver operating characteristic curves. Results For the IPad 2 and LCD monitor, Az values were 0.87 and 0.86, respectively. For the tablet, the mean values of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 0.75, 0.86, and 0.83, respectively. For the LCD monitor, these values were 0.77, 0.82, and 0.80, respectively.
Can Cultural Competency Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities? A Review and Conceptual Model:

This article develops a conceptual model of cultural competency's potential to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, using the cultural competency and disparities literature to lay the foundation for the model and inform assessments of its validity. The authors identify nine major cultural competency techniques: interpreter services, recruitment and retention policies, training, coordinating with traditional healers, use of community health workers, culturally competent health promotion, including family/community members, immersion into another culture, and administrative and organizational accommodations. The conceptual model shows how these techniques could theoretically improve the ability of health systems and their clinicians to deliver appropriate services to diverse populations, thereby improving outcomes and reducing disparities. The authors conclude that while there is substantial research evidence to suggest that cultural competency should in fact work, health systems have little evidence about which cultural competency techniques are effective and less evidence on when and how to implement them properly.
Contour extraction of Doppler velocity profiles using neural networks

A neural network based method of Doppler velocity contour computation using the acoustic form of the echocardiographic Doppler velocity tracing has been developed. The steps involved in extracting the contour are described in detail. The method was applied to the human transmitral diastolic Doppler velocity profile. The neural network generated velocity contour is shown to have excellent agreement with the echocardiography machine generated Doppler velocity tracing. >
Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein Is Killing My β-cells!

The oxidation of glucose is required for the secretion of insulin by pancreatic β-cells. The product of this oxidation, ATP, stimulates the closure of potassium channels and calcium-dependent exocytosis of insulin. This system is beautifully regulated such that the precise amount of insulin is delivered to the bloodstream to regulate whole-body glucose metabolism. On the other hand, when insulin fails to function properly or when the demand for insulin is greater than the levels released by β-cells, blood glucose concentrations rise and diabetes ensues. In a subset of individuals with type 2 diabetes, there is a significant loss of β-cell mass. The mechanisms by which β-cells are lost under conditions in which glucose levels are elevated have yet to be fully elucidated. Proposed mechanisms to explain β-cell toxicity to elevated glucose concentrations include (but are not limited to) the generation of free radicals in β-cells during oxidative metabolism of glucose (1), the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1, which are known to be toxic to β-cells (2), and the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in β-cells (3). It has been proposed that each of these damaging pathways results in loss of β-cells due to apoptosis. In the current issue of Diabetes , Chen et al. (4) provide evidence that the loss of β-cell mass in response to elevated concentrations of glucose is the results of enhanced expression of a single protein, thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). TXNIP participates in control of the redox state of a cell by interacting and inhibiting thioredoxin (5). Thioredoxin contains conserved active-site cysteine …
Meta-analysis of intellectual and neuropsychological test performance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Cognitive measures are used frequently in the assessment and diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this meta-analytic review, the authors sought to examine the magnitude of differences between ADHD and healthy participants on several commonly used intellectual and neuropsychological measures. Effect sizes for overall intellectual ability (Full Scale IQ; FSIQ) were significantly different between ADHD and healthy participants (weighted d =.61). Effect sizes for FSIQ were significantly smaller than those for spelling and arithmetic achievement tests and marginally significantly smaller than those for continuous performance tests but were comparable to effect sizes for all other measures. These findings indicate that overall cognitive ability is significantly lower among persons with ADHD and that FSIQ may show as large a difference between ADHD and control participants as most other measures.
Success in the college preparatory mathematics pipeline: the role of policies and practices employed by three high school reform models

This paper examines the relationship of the policies and practices employed by 3 high school reform models – Early College High Schools, Redesigned High Schools, and High Schools That Work – with student success in college preparatory mathematics courses by the end of the 10th grade. Data on policies and practices collected through a survey of school principals in North Carolina are combined with administrative data on student course-taking and performance. The examined policies include course-taking requirements, rigorous instruction, academic support, personalization, and relevance. Results show that implementation of these policies varies across models and that higher levels of implementation of combinations of these policies are associated with improved outcomes.
Nutrition in Hemodialysis Patients

Malnutrition has been recognized in maintenance hemodialysis patients since the initiation of this long-term therapy. The cause of protein-caloric malnutrition in the chronic dialysis population is multifactoral, with decreased intake, increased loss, and altered metabolism as likely major categories. Despite marked improvement in the techniques and adequacy of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, protein and caloric therapy has not changed in dialysis patients. Assessment of malnutrition has not been pursued as vigorously as necessary. Moreover, failure to document the diagnosis has distorted interpretation of the reported increasing mortality in this population. More intensive assessment and documentation of malnutrition states, along with alteration in the therapeutic approach, is warranted if we hope to positively affect the mortality of maintenance dialysis patients.
New trends in solid-phase extraction

Solid-phase extraction using cartridge and disc devices is a widely used sample-preparation technique for isolation, concentration, clean-up and medium exchange. To meet the varied needs of contemporary applications, there is available an ever-increasing range of sorbent chemistries based on inorganic oxides, low-specificity (chemically bonded, porous polymer and carbon) and compound and group-selective (ion exchange, mixed mode, macrocyclic, restricted access, immunoaffinity and molecularly imprinted polymer) materials. Advanced device formats facilitate processing of problem samples combined with a high level of automation. Approaches to computer-aided method development promise to replace tedious trial-and-error procedures with fast simulations based on suitable kinetic and retention models.
Semi-Supervised Sequence Labeling with Self-Learned Features

Typical information extraction (IE) systems can be seen as tasks assigning labels to words in a natural language sequence. The performance is restricted by the availability of labeled words. To tackle this issue, we propose a semi-supervised approach to improve the sequence labeling procedure in IE through a class of algorithms with {\em self-learned features} (SLF). A supervised classifier can be trained with annotated text sequences and used to classify each word in a large set of unannotated sentences. By averaging predicted labels over all cases in the unlabeled corpus, SLF training builds class label distribution patterns for each word (or word attribute) in the dictionary and re-trains the current model iteratively adding these distributions as extra word {\em features}. Basic SLF models how likely a word could be assigned to target class types. Several extensions are proposed, such as learning words' class boundary distributions. SLF exhibits robust and scalable behaviour and is easy to tune. We applied this approach on four classical IE tasks: named entity recognition (German and English), part-of-speech tagging (English) and one gene name recognition corpus. Experimental results show effective improvements over the supervised baselines on all tasks. In addition, when compared with the closely related self-training idea, this approach shows favorable advantages.
Advances in laser sclerectomy.

LAUCOMA SURGERY has undergone a G continuous process of evolution. There has been significant impetus to search for more successful surgical techniques because of the risk of surgical failure after conventional filtration procedures. These include trephination, thermal sclerostomy, posterior lip sclerectomy, and trabeculectomy. Failure to control the intraocular pressure may occur because of preoperative characteristics, such as aphakia,lP2 young age,3 and race.4 African Americans respond less well to filtration surgery. Previous filter failures decrease chances of success following subsequent filtration attempt^.^ Perioperative factors contributing to failure include incarceration of iris, vitreous, or ciliary processes into the internal ostium.6 Blood or fibrin may also occlude the ostium. Excessive conjunctival and episcleral inflammation and hemorrhage, tissue manipulation, subconjunctival fibrosis, tight scleral sutures, and uveitis can lead to closure of the sclerectomy opening and bleb Trabeculectomy is a guarded filtration procedure distinct from the other available procedures. Postoperative complications associated with fullthickness surgery are higher, leading to trabeculectomy as the preferred procedure of most surgeon^.^ Patients who have had repeated surgical failures following conventional filtration procedures and patients with neovascular glaucoma that does not respond to routine glaucoma surgery may do better with drainage shunts and implants.lOJ1 The recognition of the importance of wound healing as a cause of surgical failure has led to the widespread use of wound modulating agents, such as 5-flU01-0uracil, and recently mitomycin-C, with improved suc~ess.~~J~
Chapters, Volumes, Editors! Oh My! Reassessing the Role of Edited Volumes in the Social Sciences

Many scholars discount the value of edited volumes and book chapters to the social science enterprise. Nevertheless, these unique formats advance scholarship, help faculty and graduate students achieve their goals, and enhance teaching and learning. This article therefore assesses the criticisms of volumes and chapters, reconsiders the contributions of these publications, and makes recommendations for improving their accessibility and status.
Defining Media Management

As Thomas, Ann, and I conclude this editorial adventure together, we thought it would be interesting to provide separate essays as a way to say “goodbye” to our loyal readers of this journal. Thoma...
The Relationship of Defective Recognition of DNA Damage to Cancer in Ataxia-Telangiectasia

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a human genetic disease that includes cancer proneness among its pathologies. Between 10 and 20% of A-T patients develop neoplastic disease, generally of the lymphoreticular system. Both the patients with A-T and their cells display hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. This is accompanied by increased frequencies of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations, which are almost certainly the cause of the increased cell killing (4). There is also an abnormally high frequency of spontaneous chromosomal aberrations, with a preferential involvement of chromosomes 7 and 14 in some patients (3).
Tree-based software quality estimation models for fault prediction

Complex high-assurance software systems depend highly on reliability of their underlying software applications. Early identification of high-risk modules can assist in directing quality enhancement efforts to modules that are likely to have a high number of faults. Regression tree models are simple and effective as software quality prediction models, and timely predictions from such models can be used to achieve high software reliability. This paper presents a case study from our comprehensive evaluation (with several large case studies) of currently available regression tree algorithms for software fault prediction. These are, CART-LS (least squares), S-PLUS, and CART-LAD (least absolute deviation). The case study presented comprises of software design metrics collected from a large network telecommunications system consisting of almost 13 million lines of code. Tree models using design metrics are built to predict the number of faults in modules. The algorithms are also compared based on the structure and complexity of their tree models. Performance metrics, average absolute and average relative errors are used to evaluate fault prediction accuracy.
The science of early adversity: is there a role for large institutions in the care of vulnerable children?

Summary It has been more than 80 years since researchers in child psychiatry first documented developmental delays among children separated from family environments and placed in orphanages or other institutions. Informed by such findings, global conventions, including the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, assert a child's right to care within a family-like environment that offers individualised support. Nevertheless, an estimated 8 million children are presently growing up in congregate care institutions. Common reasons for institutionalisation include orphaning, abandonment due to poverty, abuse in families of origin, disability, and mental illness. Although the practice remains widespread, a robust body of scientific work suggests that institutionalisation in early childhood can incur developmental damage across diverse domains. Specific deficits have been documented in areas including physical growth, cognitive function, neurodevelopment, and social-psychological health. Effects seem most pronounced when children have least access to individualised caregiving, and when deprivation coincides with early developmental sensitive periods. Offering hope, early interventions that place institutionalised children into families have afforded substantial recovery. The strength of scientific evidence imparts urgency to efforts to achieve deinstitutionalisation in global child protection sectors, and to intervene early for individual children experiencing deprivation.
First Report of the Mating Behavior of a Species of Frog-Biting Midge (Diptera: Corethrellidae)

Abstract Swarming is a common mating behavior present throughout Diptera and, in particular, in species of lower flies (Nematocerous Diptera). Mating aggregations have been observed in the wild and in laboratory colonies of mosquitoes (Culicidae) and phantom midges (Chaoboridae), but have been assumed to be absent in their sister taxon, the frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae). Corethrellidae is a monogeneric family that includes over 100 species of frog-biting midges (Corethrella Coquillett spp.). In contrast to mosquitoes, female frog-biting midges find their host by eavesdropping on the mating calls of anurans to obtain a blood meal for egg development. Here we report the previously unknown mating swarms of frog- biting midges based on a laboratory study of Corethrella appendiculata Grabham. Contrary to previous speculations, we report that frog-biting midges aggregate in mating swarms. We thoroughly characterize such formations describing size and duration of the aggregation, sex ratio of the swarm, fl...
"I Feel Nervous... Very Nervous" Addressing Test Anxiety in Inner City Schools through Play and Performance.

The intense focus on standardized tests has created a culture of anxiety in many inner-city schools. This article presents the findings of a case study of a test anxiety program that helped inner-city students and staffs deal more productively with anxiety through play, performance, and team building. According to the findings, the program created an environment where children and teachers talked about, addressed, and even played with their fears around testing. The program did this by destigmatizing anxiety, using improvisation to transform children's relationship to fear, and by creating new tools for dealing with anxiety and test-taking.
High mammographic density in women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent

Introduction: Percent mammographic density (PMD) adjusted for age and body mass index is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer and is known to be approximately 60% heritable. Here we report a finding of an association between genetic ancestry and adjusted PMD. Methods: We selected self-identified Caucasian women in the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute Cohort whose screening mammograms placed them in the top or bottom quintiles of age-adjusted and body mass index-adjusted PMD. Our final dataset included 474 women with the highest adjusted PMD and 469 with the lowest genotyped on the Illumina 1 M platform. Principal component analysis (PCA) and identity-by-descent analyses allowed us to infer the women’s genetic ancestry and correlate it with adjusted PMD. Results: Women of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, as defined by the first principal component of PCA and identity-bydescent analyses, represented approximately 15% of the sample. Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, defined by the first principal component of PCA, was associated with higher adjusted PMD (P = 0.004). Using multivariate regression to adjust for epidemiologic factors associated with PMD, including age at parity and use of postmenopausal hormone therapy, did not attenuate the association.
Intrauterine insemination as treatment for antisperm antibodies in the female

Ninety-one women with long-standing infertility in the presence of humoral antisperm antibodies (ASA) underwent 473 cycles of intrauterine insemination of washed sperm (IUI), resulting in 26 pregnancies. Nine pregnancies were achieved in 67 women who underwent 285 IUI during unstimulated cycles (13% pregnancy rate; 3% pregnancy/cycles of treatment). Twenty women underwent 86 IUI after clomiphene citrate (CC) stimulation, resulting in 6 pregnancies (30%; 7% per cycle), while 28 underwent 102 cycles of IUI after human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) stimulation, resulting in 11 pregnancies (39%; 11% per cycle). Twenty-one of the 26 pregnancies (81%) were achieved in the first 2 IUI cycles. During unstimulated and CC IUI cycles, all pregnancies occurred in the first two cycles of treatment, while with hMG stimulation pregnancies also occurred in the third, fourth, and fifth IUI cycles. Nine of these 91 women subsequently conceived spontaneously, and three others conceived through in vitro fertilization. Only 6 of the 38 pregnancies resulted in spontaneous abortion (16%). Thus, pregnancies achieved in women with ASA have no increased risk of abortion.
Can-Running in Huaco

From our study of can-runners we feel that it is possible to draw some broad conclusions about the rise of homelessness and marginal workers in the U.S. and other advanced capitalistic societies. In an article in Commonweal (111:368-371, 1984), Hope and Young have proposed that there are four major causes of homelessness. The first factor is unemployment. Even though the jobless rate was higher in 1975 (8.5 percent) than it is today (approximately 6.0 percent), it is still a factor. In 1975, 78 percent of the jobless received unemployment compensation. In March 1984 only 37 percent of unemployed received compensation. Second, social benefits are inadequate, as illustrated by the recent drop in unemployment compensation.
Amperometric determination of sulfhydryl changes in mouse epidermis and dermis during treatment with certain polycyclic hydrocarbons.

SummaryAn amperometric titration method for determining sulfhydryl groups was applied to mouse skin. The total sulfhydryl, the protein sulfhydryl and by subtraction, the soluble sulfhydryl contents were determined after painting with anthracene, DBA, DMBA, or a combination of the 2 carcinogens. The anthracene and the solvent, acetone, had no effect on the sulfhydryl levels. In general the shape of the curve of the total sulfhydryl content of the epidermis and dermis was the same, although the dermis contained approximately half that of the epidermis. For the most part, the effect on the protein sulfhydryl paralleled the corresponding total sulfhydryl curve. Most of the change in the soluble sulfhydryl level is presumed to occur in the epidermis. No cause and effect relationship to carcinogenesis or anticarcinogenesis is supported by these observations on the sulfhydryl groups of the skin.
Further Analysis of Fecundity in the Flour Beetles, Tribolium Confusum Duval and Tribolium Castaneum Herbst

During the past fifteen or so years the flour beetles Tribolium have been utilized so much in laboratory population studies (for summaries see Ford, 1937; Thomas Park, 1941) that it seems appropriate to place on record some new data on their fecundity which may be of value for future research. The present data were collected as part of a comprehensive analysis now in progress of inter-species competition in Tribolium populations.
Lessons Learned: A Primo Usability Study

The University of Houston Libraries implemented Primo as the primary search option on the library website in May 2014. In May 2015, the Libraries released a redesigned interface to improve user experience with the tool. The Libraries took a user-centered approach to redesigning the Primo interface by conducting a "think-aloud" usability test in order to gather user feedback and identify needed improvements. This article describes the methodology and findings from the usability study, the changes that were made to the Primo interface as a result, and implications for discovery system vendor relations and library instruction.
Reactive hyperemia is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in heart failure.

Introduction Impaired endothelial function, as assessed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), is an established risk factor for cardiovascular events. FMD is impaired in heart failure (HF) patients, but less is known about hyperemic brachial artery flow. We investigated the relationship between FMD and hyperemic flow with adverse clinical outcomes in HF patients. Methods Brachial artery FMD and hyperemic flow were assessed in 156 patients (70.5 % Male; 45.5% Caucasian; mean age (± SD) = 56.2 (±12.4) years) with HF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the potential explanatory association of FMD and hyperemic flow with the composite outcome of death or cardiovascular hospitalization over a median 5-year follow-up period. Results Both FMD and hyperemic flow were negatively correlated with age, but unrelated to sex, race, body mass index, LVEF or N-terminal pro-B-Type natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP). Reduced hyperemic flow, but not FMD, was associated with an increased risk of death or cardiac hospitalization after controlling for traditional risk factors. Conclusion The association of reduced hyperemic flow with increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes suggests that micro-vascular function may be an important prognostic marker in patients with HF.
Medical treatment of the subfertile male.

SUMMARY Specific and effective medical treatment is available for some subfertile males. Reproductive physiology should be reviewed with all patients and exposure to drugs and toxins known to impair testicular or accessory sex gland function should be terminated. Appropriate treatment of retrograde ejaculation, chronic infections of the genital tract, or gonadotropin deficiency is indicated. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of the impotent patient may restore potency and fertility. Pregnancies have been achieved in association with each of the empirical regimens; however, we believe that each must be viewed as experimental at this time, since results may be no better than those observed in the absence of treatment. It is our experience that patients with elevated serum levels of FSH, peritubular fibrosis, and hyalinization are unlikely to achieve fertility regardless of treatment; however, there are exceptions. As our knowledge of basic reproductive biology and clinical pathology increases, it is hoped that better guidelines and more rational and effective medical treatment for the subfertile male will evolve.
A 3-Dimensional Co-Culture Model to Investigate Adhesion-Mediated Drug Resistance in Multiple Myeloma

Abstract Abstract 1826 Background: In multiple myeloma (MM), evidence suggests that the adhesion of malignant plasma cells to bone marrow microenvironment elements is central to MM growth and drug resistance, otherwise referred to as adhesion–mediated drug resistance. As other investigators have shown, the MM-stroma interaction is in part mediated by adhesion molecules like N-cadherin. Goal: To develop a 3-dimensional MM in vitro co-culture model where MM cells interact with stromal elements mimicking the bone marrow microenvironment and use the model to investigate N-cadherin mediated drug resistance. Methods: We co-cultured U266 cells, a MM cell line, with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from Wharton's jelly (WJ) in a synthetic copolymer (polyglycolic acid/ poly L-lactic acid 90/10 copolymer) (3-dimensional culture conditions). For controls, we cultured U266 cells over a monolayer of WJMCS (2-dimensional conditions) or U266 cells in suspension. Cell proliferation was measured by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry (IHC) stain and lambda light chain expression was measure by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and IHC stains. Bortezomib in 1, 5, and 10 nM concentrations was used to treat U266 cells for 24 hours under the three culture conditions. Cytotoxicity was measured by modified Alamar Blue assay. Results: U266 cells in our 3-D model adhered to stromal cells and formed clusters close to matrix material. U266 cells proliferated as evidenced by positive Ki-67 stain, and expressed lambda light chain by IHC and ELISA. Lambda light expression measured by ELISA peaked at 1 week of co-culture in the 3-D model. Though N-cadherin was expressed in both stromal cells and U266 MM cells in 3-D, it was expressed only in stromal cells in 2-D culture conditions. Finally, pre-incubating U266 cells with N-cadherin blocking antibody resulted in less population of the 3-D model by U266 MM cells. Treatment of U266 with bortezomib resulted in less cell cytotoxicity in 3-D and 2-D co-culture conditions compared to U266 cells treated in suspension. Conclusions: Using a 3-D in vitro co-culture model, we demonstrated that only 3-D co-culture conditions resulted in N-cadherin expression in U266 MM cell line. We also demonstrated that U266 population of the 3-D model was successfully blocked using an N-cadherin blocking antibody. We propose N-cadherin mediated adhesion as a mechanism to explain reduced cytotoxicity to bortezomib in 3-D. We propose this model to be used to investigate adhesion-mediated drug resistance. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Correlation between corneal innervation and inflammation evaluated with confocal microscopy and symptomatology in patients with dry eye syndromes: a preliminary study.

To evaluate corneal innervation and inflammatory cell infiltration using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and to correlate these findings with subjective symptoms of dry eye, as measured by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) in patients with non-Sjogren’s (NSDE) and Sjogren’s syndrome dry eyes (SSDE). Central corneal images were prospectively captured from 10 age-matched healthy control eyes, 24 eyes with clinically diagnosed NSDE and 44 eyes with clinically diagnosed SSDE, using IVCM (HRT III RCM). Density, tortuosity and reflectivity of corneal nerves, presence of inflammatory dendritic cells (DCs) and OSDI scores were evaluated. Images obtained by IVCM from 78 eyes were analyzed. The density of nerve fibers was 1562 ± 996 μm/frame in the SSDE group, 2150 ± 1015 μm/frame in the NSDE group and 2725 ± 687 μm/frame in the control group (P < 0.05, ANOVA). In comparison to the control group, the density of nerve fibers was decreased in the SSDE (P < 0.001) and the NSDE groups (P = 0.06), with increased nerve tortuosity and decreased reflectivity in both groups (both P < 0.05). The density of DCs was 71.65 ± 72.54 cells/mm2 in the SSDE group, 40.33 ± 31.63 cells/mm2 in the NSDE group and 27.53 ± 5.58 cells/mm2 in the control group (P < 0.05, ANOVA). In comparison to the control group, the density of DCs was increased in the SSDE (P < 0.001) and the NSDE groups (P = 0.07). Significant correlations were found between the nerve density and DC density (r = −0.57, P < 0.001), between the nerve density and OSDI scores (r = −0.91, P < 0.001) and between the nerve reflectivity and OSDI scores (r = −0.75, P < 0.001). The corneas of eyes affected with NSDE and SSDE are characterized by alterations in corneal innervation and infiltration of inflammatory DCs. Corneal nerve density and reflectivity are correlated with severity of subjective dry eye symptoms, as measured by OSDI score.
Long-term follow-up of continuous flow left ventricular assist devices: complications and predisposing risk factors.

PurposeTo assess LVAD complications and their overall effect on mortality and determine factors associated with development of early and long-term complications.MethodsA retrospective cohort study ...
Sounds of Democracy: Performance, Protest, and Political Subjectivity

This article asks a deceptively simple question: what does democracy sound like? Democracy is commonly associated with various forms of voicing—political speeches, shouting protesters, filibusters in the halls Congress, or heated debates in teashops, salons, and newspapers around the world. Voice thus often functions as a metaphor for political participation and representation. Political metaphors of voice are usually disembodied, and are rarely invoked in reference to the other forms for political utterance, sound, or even noise that make up the many practices of participatory democracy. In such contexts, the notion of voice depends not on a single speaker but on a mass collectivity to make any message heard. The South Asian term āwāj refers explicitly to both the sonic and metaphorical meanings of voice, which this article uses to provincialize more commonly used global metaphors of voice. I consider what democracy sounds like by following the pathways of āwāj through two examples of participatory democracy on the streets of Kathmandu: a performance art piece and a political protest called Occupy Baluwatar. Āwāj and the sonic motifs I explore in these performances offer a conceptual rubric for breaking open the discourse of voice used in global human-rights organizations, humanitarian discourse, and liberal understandings of the public sphere, bringing forward a political subjectivity based on both intention and affect in a transmission of sound that is at once mass-mediated and acutely embodied.
The Lazarus Effect: El SIDA/AIDS and Belated Mourning in Puerto Rican Theatre

AIDS plays have made a comeback on Broadway with the recent opening of revivals like The Normal Heart and Falsettos. This testimonio questions the politics of nostalgia on Broadway now that the AIDS crisis is assumed to have ended. The author introduces the term ‘NostalgiAIDS’ to apply to the recycling of plays showcasing gay White men’s experiences of AIDS. In order to contrast the hegemony of the Anglo American narrative and drama of AIDS, the focus shifts to Puerto Rican theatre. He presents a close reading of Luis Negron’s musical El Jardin, which was the first Puerto Rican theatrical production, although three decades late, staging the gay master narrative of AIDS. Such a time lag brings with it the predicament of belated mourning. To approach and understand the physical corporealisation and visual embodiment of AIDS within the Puerto Rican cultural imaginary further, the author introduces ‘The Lazarus Effect’ concept. The figure of the Saint in the musical plays a major cultural trope framing people with AIDS as Saint Lazarus coming back from the dead and/or surviving precariously as the undead.
Creating a Mass Spectral Reference Library for Oligosaccharides in Human Milk.

We report the development and availability of a mass spectral reference library for oligosaccharides in human milk. This represents a new variety of spectral library that includes consensus spectra of compounds annotated through various data analysis methods, a concept that can be extended to other varieties of biological fluids. Oligosaccharides from the NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1953, composed of human milk pooled from 100 breastfeeding mothers, were identified and characterized using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-ESI-MS/MS) and the NIST 17 Tandem MS Library. Consensus reference spectra were generated, incorporated into a searchable library, and matched using the newly developed hybrid search algorithm to elucidate unknown oligosaccharides. The NIST hybrid search program facilitates the structural assignment of complex oligosaccharides especially when reference standards are not commercially available. High accuracy mas...
The Potential Utility for Massage Therapy During Pregnancy to Decrease Stress and Tobacco Use

Background: A significant number of women continue to smoke tobacco during pregnancy despite the increased risk of complications to fetal and infant development. Therefore, effective interventions are needed to assist pregnant women with the process of tobacco cessation. Traditional counseling programs have demonstrated some success; however, novel approaches that target stress as a mechanism in the maintenance of addiction would be valuable. Objective: To examine the role of stress in addiction and the utility of massage therapy to decrease stress during pregnancy. Conclusion: Preliminary evidence suggests massage therapy may be beneficial to decreasing tobacco use, and research in pregnant populations is needed.
Planning Exercises and Drills for Sudden Mass Casualty Incidents

Key components for planning exercises and drills for sudden mass casualty incidents (SMCIs): A plan for response to a SMCI needs to be written before the drill. Provide lectures to explain the plan to all individuals who may be involved in the response: For pre-hospital: all first responders For hospital: all medical, support personnel and administrators Organize tabletop exercises: Designed to bring together, into one room, all “players” that will respond to a SMCI (police, fire, EMS, hospitals, incident command, regional emergency operations center (REOC)). A large-scale incident is presented to them, and they have to resolve all challenges and pitfalls that it presents. Conduct sectorial pre-hospital exercises (Fig. 19.1): Constructed to train portions of the pre-hospital response separately. Examples: Scene deployment to a SMCI and triage of patients: could be performed at the ambulance station parking lot, using inflatable dummies or cards with description of injuries. Interaction between various ambulances and incident control: could be performed at an empty stadium parking lot, using inflatable dummies, where a few ambulances are deployed simultaneously. All paramedics perform triage, and the scene commander decides on transport priorities. Conduct sectorial hospital exercises: Constructed to train portions of the hospital response separately. Examples: Deployment of triage, patient arrival and photography Routes for emptying the emergency department Routes for influx of patients Deployment of alternate care sites Deploy a full exercise, preferably with pre-hospital and hospital training together (Fig. 19.2). There is no substitute for a well-organized, full-scale exercise testing all components of the response simultaneously.