cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a Multiplex Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Diagnostic Test Specific for Turkey Astrovirus and Coronavirus

Abstract A multiplex reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developedfor the simultaneous detection of two enteric viruses of poultry: turkey enteric coronavirus (TCV) and turkey astrovirus (TAstV). PCR primers were designed to conserved regions within the nucleocapsid gene of TCV and to the polymerase gene of TAstV-2. The primer pairs were successfully used in a multiplex RT-PCR to detect nucleic acid of TAstV-2 and TCV. The test was optimized for use with intestines/feces from naturally infected turkeys. The primers were specific and did not amplify other common RNA or DNA avian viruses. The detection limit was determined to be 10 ng of RNA used as starting template. The use of this specific test allows the rapid and early diagnosis of two financially costly viruses affecting the commercial turkey industry.
Regulation of Cardiac L-Type Calcium Channels by Protein Kinase A and Protein Kinase C

Voltage-dependent L-type Ca(2+) channels are multisubunit transmembrane proteins, which allow the influx of Ca(2+) (I:(Ca)) essential for normal excitability and excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac myocytes. A variety of different receptors and signaling pathways provide dynamic regulation of I:(Ca) in the intact heart. The present review focuses on recent evidence describing the molecular details of regulation of L-type Ca(2+) channels by protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) pathways. Multiple G protein-coupled receptors act through cAMP/PKA pathways to regulate L-type channels. ss-Adrenergic receptor stimulation results in a marked increase in I:(Ca), which is mediated by a cAMP/PKA pathway. Growing evidence points to an important role of localized signaling complexes involved in the PKA-mediated regulation of I:(Ca), including A-kinase anchor proteins and binding of phosphatase PP2a to the carboxyl terminus of the alpha(1C) (Ca(v)1.2) subunit. Both alpha(1C) and ss(2a) subunits of the channel are substrates for PKA in vivo. The regulation of L-type Ca(2+) channels by Gq-linked receptors and associated PKC activation is complex, with both stimulation and inhibition of I:(Ca) being observed. The amino terminus of the alpha(1C) subunit is critically involved in PKC regulation. Crosstalk between PKA and PKC pathways occurs in the modulation of I:(Ca). Ultimately, precise regulation of I:(Ca) is needed for normal cardiac function, and alterations in these regulatory pathways may prove important in heart disease.
Genesis of the Systolic Murmur of Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis: Phonocardiographic, Echocardiographic, and Pulsed Doppler Ultrasound Correlations

To study the genesis of the systolic murmur of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS), phonocardiograms, echocardiograms, and pulsed Doppler echocardiography were done in 11 patients with IHSS. Seven had marked systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) at rest (group 1); four had small SAM at rest but marked SAM was noted after amyl nitrite inhalation, (group 2). In all group 1 patients, marked turbulence was present during systole in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). A lesser degree of turbulence was present in systole in the left atrium in six of seven patients. The turbulence in the LVOT and left atrium was increased by amyl nitrite, and decreased by handgrip. In group 2 patients, mild turbulence was present in the LVOT at rest, but none was noted in the left atrium. Amyl nitrite increased turbulence in the LVOT, and turbulence in the left atrium was noted in two patients. We conclude that the murmur of IHSS in patients with marked SAM is due to a composite of turbulence in the LVOT and mitral regurgitation, whereas when only mild SAM is present, the murmur originates in the left ventricular outflow tract.
Mining Quality Phrases from Massive Text Corpora

Text data are ubiquitous and play an essential role in big data applications. However, text data are mostly unstructured. Transforming unstructured text into structured units (e.g., semantically meaningful phrases) will substantially reduce semantic ambiguity and enhance the power and efficiency at manipulating such data using database technology. Thus mining quality phrases is a critical research problem in the field of databases. In this paper, we propose a new framework that extracts quality phrases from text corpora integrated with phrasal segmentation. The framework requires only limited training but the quality of phrases so generated is close to human judgment. Moreover, the method is scalable: both computation time and required space grow linearly as corpus size increases. Our experiments on large text corpora demonstrate the quality and efficiency of the new method.
Determination of effective thermomechanical parameters of a mixture of two elastothermoviscoplastic constituents

We analyze plane strain deformations of a representative volume element (RVE) to evaluate effective thermophysical parameters of a particulate composite comprised of two perfectly bonded heat conducting elasto-thermo-visco-plastic constituents. It is assumed that the composite is also isotropic and its response elasto-thermo-visco-plastic. Effective values of material parameters so computed are compared with those obtained from either existing micromechanics models or the rule of mixtures or both. It is found that values computed from the rule of mixtures differ at most by 10% from those obtained by using the RVE. Effective stress versus effective strain curves obtained by analyzing simple shearing and axisymmetric deformations of the RVE and of the homogenized material, and also those obtained in plane strain deformations involving loading/unloading/reloading are found to be very close to each other. Time histories of the effective plastic strain at two neighboring points, one in each constituent, are quite different. The effective stress computed by the rule of mixtures from the average effective stress in each constituent and its volume fraction is very close to that obtained from surface tractions acting on the specimen boundaries. The average effective stress in a constituent is computed from the effective plastic strain averaged over that constituent. This also holds for a composite comprised of three constituents.
Increasing the Utility of the Copper Cylinder Expansion Test

Abstract : We report the development of a new methodology for analyzing CYLEX tests streak images. In these tests, the displacement of the wall of an explosive filled cylinder is obtained by backlighting the cylinder. The profile is imaged through a slit and streaked across a film record as the cylinder is detonated. A critical step in processing this data is the spatial calibration of the film and extraction of the profile of the cylinder from the image. Historically this has been a tedious task as it was performed by eye with the assistance of an optical comparator. Recently we developed an algorithm which automates the data calibration and extraction process of digitized streak records utilizing the Shen-Castan edge detection algorithm and the image processing capabilities found in the IGOR PRO software. The new processing methodology greatly increases the resolution of the data, removes human subjectivity, and reduces analysis time from hours to seconds. The higher resolution of the new method has enabled much greater accuracy in measuring early-time (15 ms) expansion. With the aid of CTH hydrocode calculations, new fitting functions were developed to model both the early and late-time expansion data. These functions contain physically meaningful fitting parameters and include terms which mimic the intensity and time scales of the shock and gas induced expansion of the cylinder independently. We demonstrate the methodology and hydrocode calculations on a recent CYLEX test series aimed at examining the effects of a plastic liner on high-purity oxygen-free copper cylinders filled with a high explosive.
Seasonal and diurnal variation in the co2 flux and co2—water flux ratio of alfalfa☆

Baldocchi, D.D., Verma, S.B. and Rosenberg, N.J., 1981. Seasonal and diurnal variation in the CO 2 flux and COs---water flux ratio of alfalfa. Agric. Meteorol., 23: 231--244. The seasonal and diurnal variation of CO2 flux (F c ) and COs--water flux ratio (CWFR) of alfalfa were studied using micrometeorological techniques during the summer of 1978 at a location in the east central Great Plains. Significant seasonal variation was found in both F c and CWFR. F c and CWFR were large in value during late spring. F c and CWFR decreased and reached a minimum during midsummer but recovered with the approach of fall. F c was great during late spring as a result of optimal environmental conditions and the spring growth flush. The midsummer minimum in CO 2 flux appears to have been due to a reduced [CO s ] gradient between the chloroplast and atmosphere, to oxygen inhibition of CO s uptake and thermal pre-conditioning. The diurnal course of F c was affected by irradiance and, possibly, by an accumulation of starch in the leaves. The diurnal course of CWFR was affected by net radiation and by sensible heat advection.
Active learning in a Year 2 pathology curriculum.

PURP OSE Team- based learni ng (TBL) has beensucces sfully used in non-med ical curricula, but itseffecti veness in medi cal educati on has not beenstudied extensi vely. We evaluated the imp act of TBLon the academi c performa nce of Year 2 m edicalstude nts at Wrig ht State Universit y b y comp aring thisactive learni ng strategy aga inst a traditi onal m ethodof ca se-based group di scussion (CBGD ).MET HODS A prospec tive crosso ver design assigned83 Year 2 medical stud ents to either C BGD or TBLfor 8 p athology modu les in th e syste ms-b ased cur ri-culu m. The effecti veness of both learnin g methodswas assessed b y per formance on pathol ogy-base dexami nation question s con tained in end-of-co urseexami nations . The highest and low est aca demicquart iles of studen ts were evaluated sepa rately. Stu-dentsO opin ions of both methods were surveyed .RESU LTS No signiÞ cant differen ces in wh ole gro upperforma nce on path ology-base d exam ination ques-tions were observed as a consequ ence of experie n-cing TBL versus CBGD. However , studen ts in thelowes t aca demic quart ile showed better examinationperforma nce after exp erienci ng TBL than CBGD in 4of 8 modules (P ! 0.035 ). Students percei ved th atthe contr ibution s o f peers to learni ng were morehelp ful during TBL than CBGD (P ! 0.0 03).CONCLU SION This stud y demon strates that TBLand CBGD are equally effecti ve active learni ngstrateg ies when em ployed in a system s-based pre-clini cal pathol ogy curri culum , but stud ents with low-er aca demic per formance may ben eÞt more fromTBL than CBGD.KEYWO RDS hu mans; prospec tive studies; comp arat-ive study; path ology U *education ; *curricul um; tea ch-ing U *method s; *group pro cesses; clinicalcomp etence U *stand ards; edu cation , m edical, under -gradua te U *m ethods; cro ssover studies.Medical Educat ion 2005; 39 : 1045Ð 1055
Christopher A. Sims and Vector Autoregressions

Three decades ago, Christopher A. Sims suggested that vector autoregressions (VARs) are useful statistical devices for evaluating alternative macroeconomic models. His suggestion has stood the test of time well. In the early days, VARs played an important role in the evaluation of alternative models. They continue to play that role today.
Implementation of the World Health Organization checklist and debriefing improves accuracy of surgical wound class documentation.

Abstract Background Surgical wound classification (SWC) is a component of surgical site infection risk stratification. Studies have demonstrated that SWC is often incorrectly documented. This study examines the accuracy of SWC after implementation of a multifaceted plan targeted at accurate documentation. Methods A reviewer examined operative notes of 8 pediatric operations and determined SWC for each case. This SWC was compared with nurse-documented SWC. Percent agreement pre- and postintervention was compared. Analysis was performed using chi-square and a P value less than .05 was significant. Results Preintervention concordance was 58% (112/191) and postintervention was 83% (163/199, P = .001). Appendectomy accuracy was 28% and increased to 80% ( P = .0005). Fundoplication accuracy increased from 44% to 84% ( P = .016) and gastrostomy tube from 56% to 100% ( P = .0002). The most accurate operation preintervention was pyloromyotomy and postintervention was gastrostomy tube and inguinal hernia. The least accurate pre- and postintervention was cholecystectomy. Conclusion Implementation of a multifaceted approach improved accuracy of documented SWC.
The clinical findings in the presence of Syringospora albicans and stellatoidea.

Abstract 1. Of 150 pregnant Negro patients showing the presence of pseudomycelia by wet-mount examination, 44.0 per cent harboredSyringospora albicans, 54.7 per cent hadSyringospora stellatoidea, andSyringospora tropicalis was present in 2 cases. 2. Forty-three, or 29 per cent of all patients, revealed the classical picture of a mycotic vulvovaginitis. No definite correlation between the occurrence of this picture and the incidence of the species was found. 3. Pruritus vulvae was present in 55 per cent of all infected patients. Sixty-six patients were positive forS. albicans and of these 46 complained of pruritus vulvae while only 35 of 82 patients withS. stellatoidea were likewise positive. 4. Of 67 asymptomatic patients only 20 harboredS. albicans, whereas 47 showed positive cultures forS. stellatoidea. 5. It is not possible to make a clinical diagnosis of the species of Syringospora present in mycotic vulvovaginitis, with or without pruritus vulvae. However, the pruritic symptom is related significantly to the presence ofSyringospora albicans and not toSyringospora stellatoidea.
The Mask of Publius: Alexander Hamilton and the Politics of Expediency

AbstractThe little that has been written on the relation between Madison’s and Hamilton’s private views on the Constitution and those found in The Federalist tends to support the surmise of Jefferson: that in places the authors defended positions to which they did not fully adhere. In Hamilton’s case, this is a major understatement. And yet a careful reading of his Federalist essays points to something far more complex and nuanced than a simple act of concealing his actual views or putting the best face on a plan he discountenanced. Undoubtedly, there are instances where he did both, but it is far more characteristic of him to engage in something quite different and admittedly ingenious: the creative act of construing the document in such a way as to stretch its meaning to accord more closely with the high-toned plan of government he outlined in the Federal Convention.
Networked event-triggered control of spatially distributed processes using a dual-mode communication strategy

This work focuses on model-based networked control of spatially-distributed processes modeled by uncertain nonlinear parabolic PDEs with multiple spatially-distributed actuator/sensor configurations that communicate over a resource-constrained network. Based on an approximate finite-dimensional model of the infinite-dimensional system, a set of stabilizing distributed model-based controllers are initially designed. Communication between the control configurations is realized through an event-triggered strategy which suspends and restores the sensors' transmission over the network when certain stability thresholds are met or violated. The communication strategy is dual-mode in that it switches between two complementary modes of transmission: a decentralized mode in which local communication triggers control the broadcast events of a given configuration, and a centralized mode in which the broadcast events of all configurations are coordinated by a high-level supervisor in response to a global communication trigger. It is shown that the decentralized mode reduces the network load during the transient phase, whereas the centralized mode ensures ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop trajectories under non-vanishing perturbations. The results are illustrated using a simulation example.
Perceived racial discrimination, heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol abstinence among African American and White college students

Previous research has demonstrated that White college students are more likely to drink alcohol at a greater frequency and quantity compared to their African American counterparts. Examining race-related factors that structure alcohol use among college students remains an important area of research. In this study, we specifically examine perceived discrimination and its association with both heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol abstinence among college students. Items that measured perceived racial discrimination in alcohol use contexts and demographic characteristics were used as independent and control variables. African American students were more likely to abstain from alcohol and less likely to engage in HED compared to their White counterparts. Results also suggest that students who believe their drinking will solicit race-based police bias have lower odds of engaging in HED and greater odds of alcohol abstention. We conclude that unsolicited policing, experienced by African Americans generally, and White Americans on campuses, explains effect sizes.
Quelle approche de sûreté pour les réacteurs à haute température à venir

Les enjeux associes a l'approche de surete propre aux reacteurs a haute temperature modulaires sont lies aux caracteristiques de surete intrinseques choisies par le concepteur pour maitriser le comportement du reacteur en situation accidentelle. Ces caracteristiques sont decrites ainsi que leur implication dans l'accomplissement des fonctions de surete. L'exhaustivite des situations a considerer est importante pour dimensionner le reacteur et une liste preliminaire en est proposee. L'article presente un rapide panorama des evaluations preliminaires des projets industriels en cours par les Autorites de Surete et par la description des activites de Framatome ANP dans le domaine de la surete des reacteurs a haute temperature modulaires.
Iron replacement of lactalysate and embryo extract in growth of cell cultures.

SummaryIron salts and iron-bearing materials replaced lactalysate in stimulation of growth of Walker carcinosarcoma 256 cells in serumless medium and replaced lactalysate and embryo extract in stimulation of chick embryo lung cultures in a similar medium with or without further addition of serum. Presumptive evidence is presented that a stimulatory activity of lactalysate is due to iron and iron-bearing materials. A specific function of lactalysate and embryo extract in overcoming toxicity of serum for embryo cell cultures was served equally well by iron or iron-bearing materials. The avian cells revealed in their incapacity to respond to transferrin a characteristic distinguishing them from the Walker tumor cells.We wish to acknowledge excellent technical assistance of Miss Joan L. Molowski.
Trends in Atomic Resolution Electron Microscopy

Structural information on the atomic scale is readily accessible from thin samples using the technique of high-resolution electron microscopy. Electron micrographs recorded under well-defined operating conditions can be directly interpreted in terms of atomic arrangements around defects of interest such as dislocations and interfaces. Digital image recording with slow-scan CCD cameras and quantitative comparisons with image simulations based on structural models are starting to lead to improved accuracy and reliability in structure determinations. Techniques based upon holographic methods are utilizing the superior illumination coherence of the field emission electron source to enhance resolution beyond the conventional extended Scherzer limit. Innovative methods for combining image and diffraction pattern information are also leading to improved levels of resolution for periodic objects. Care is needed to ensure that electron irradiation damage and surface cleanliness do not impose unnecessary restrictions on the details that can be extracted from recorded micrographs. It is proposed that the complex wavefunction emerging from the exit-surface of the sample should be considered as a basis for comparing the differences between experimental micrographs and image simulations.
Sparing of Cholesterol by Cholestanol in the Diet of the Boll Weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Larvae of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, required a minimum of 20 mg of cholesterol per 100 g of diet for normal development. They also developed normally when as much as half of this minimal amount was replaced with cholestanol. The larvae failed to develop in diets in which cholestanol was the only sterol present. Adults could not maintain a high rate of egg production when given a diet containing cholestanol as the only sterol. However, those eggs that were laid continued to hatch, even while egg production was declining. In contrast, eggs from weevils being fed a diet containing inadequate amounts of cholesterol, but no cholestanol, failed to hatch. Quantitative gas chromatographic analyses of sterols from eggs and adults revealed that the improved hatch resulting from the addition of cholestanol to the diet was not due to an increased carryover of cholesterol from the immature stages. The small amounts of cholesterol in eggs from cholestanol-fed parents were effectively “spared” or supplemented by the relatively large amounts of cholestanol that were present; this sparing action enabled the embryo to survive. Sparing of cholesterol in the adult was less efficient, and as a result, egg production soon declined.
Identification of associating carbohydrate sequences with labelled oligosaccharides : Localization of alginate-gelling subunits in cells walls of a brown alga.

The gelling subunit of alginate, the major cell-wall polysaccharide of brown algae, was used as a molecular marker for identification of this cell-wall carbohydrate subunit at the cellular level. Short polyguluronate chains were conjugated to fluorescein and used as a probe to identify the gelling regions of alginate in tissue sections from a brown alga. The specificity of the probe for gelling subunits was demonstrated by lack of cell-wall labelling in the absence of calcium, correlation between divalent-cation binding affinities of polyguluronate with labelling intensity, and lack of labelling by fluorescein-conjugated nongelling subunits. The probe labelling-pattern also differed from sulfated fucan distribution. Extracellular matrix and cell walls were labelled on sections of vegetative blade, stipe and reproductive frond of Fucus gardneri Silva. Probe labelling was rapid, being virtually complete within 5 min. Probe labelling in seawater differed markedly from labelling at lower ionic strength and is interpreted as reflecting alginategelling properties in natural conditions. High-and low-affinity binding sites are discussed in terms of gelling-subunit length and steric availability. Fluorescein-conjugated polygalacturonate, which also forms calcium dimers, labelled extracellular alginate by formation of mixed polygalacturonate-polyguluronate dimers. Binding by the alginate hybridization probe differs from nucleic-acid hybridization in divalent-cation bridging and the lack of both a conformational transition and polymer polarity.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of δ-Stabilized Plutonium

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance studies of Ga stabilized δ-Pu reveal detailed information about the local distortions surrounding the Ga impurities as well as provides information about the local spin fluctuations experienced by the Ga nuclei. The Ga NMR spectrum is inhomogeneously broadened by a distribution of local electric field gradients (EFGs), which indicates that the Ga experiences local distortions from cubic symmetry. The Knight shift and spin lattice relaxation rate indicate that the Ga is dominantly coupled to the Fermi surface via core polarization, and is inconsistent with magnetic order or low frequency spin correlations.
Fire safety practices in institutions, dwellings and home care in Finland in 2012

Background From 2009 to 2013 about 220 fires were recorded in social welfare and health care service units annually, making fires an important patient and client safety issue. The new rescue service legislation in Finland emphasizes self-preparedness of the owner of a building, service provider and occupants. A nation-wide survey was conducted in institutional, residential and home care for elderly, substance abusers, disabled people and those with mental …
464 VASCULAR REGULATION OF PROTEIN KINASE N IN INSULIN RESISTANCE.

Hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation, impaired fibrinolysis, and hyperglycemia all play a role in the damage done to the vasculature by type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. In health, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are quiescent and contractile and have low proliferative and migratory activities. However, in the case of diabetes and metabolic stress, vascular smooth muscle cells undergo a change in phenotype to an increased proliferative and migratory state. This is known as phenotypic modulation and in excess it is the hallmark of atherosclerosis. The transcription factor CREB (cAMP response element binding protein) has been shown to be important for maintenance of the highly differentiated proliferation-resistant phenotype of vascular SMCs by our lab. We have observed early injury-induced activation of CREB in rodent models of atherosclerosis, a presumed early cytoprotective response to injury. The mechanism of CREB activation in this setting is unknown. Recently a novel signaling mechanism mediated by protein kinase N (PKN or PRK1/PRK2) was identified and shown to increase the transcription of SMC contractile proteins in a p38 MAPK dependent fashion. We hypothesized that PKN would increase in response to early vascular injury and activate CREB via phosphorylation. To address this hypothesis we measured protein content by Western blot analysis of PKN in aortic vessel wall lysates from young (4 wk) and old (14 wk) Zucker rats as compared with age-matched control rats. In the 4-week animals, there was a high level of PKN, which was higher in the Zucker animal (OD = 1.61 total PKN) than the control animals (OD = 1.54 total PKN). Overall PKN content decreased with age but remained higher in the Zucker cohort (OD = 1.29 for Zucker vs 0.82 in control animals). Preliminary studies assessing PKN activity (phosphoPKN) indicated than activation paralleled content. These values correlated positively with values of active CREB previously found in the same animals. In summary, expression of PKN decreases with age in the vasculature and its expression is higher in a model of insulin resistance. This is the first in vivo observation of disease-related induction of PKN in response to insulin resistance. Future studies will determine whether PKN directly activates CREB. In conclusion, PKN may be a part of a cytoprotective vascular response to injury that loses effectiveness with age.
115 AN INFANT WITH CONDUCTIVE DEAFNESS, ONYCHODYSTROPHY, OSTEODYSTROPHY, DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY, AND DYSMORPHISM: IS THIS DOOR SYNDROME?

Introduction DOOR syndrome was an acronym first suggested by Cantwell in 1975 to describe a constellation of findings including deafness, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, and retardation. It is a genetically heterogeneous condition with both autosomal recessive and dominant forms. The deafness and onychodystrophy are common to both forms, but mental retardation is a feature of the recessive form. A number of patients with the recessive form have had elevated 2-oxoglutarate levels in plasma and urine and one study showed a correlation between the elevated levels and decreased activity of the 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase enzyme (E10). It has been suggested that elevation of this compound may be associated with a more severe, and even lethal, phenotype. We present a patient who possesses the cardinal features of DOOR syndrome but who has additional dysmorphic features. Case The baby was born at 36 weeks9 gestation to a 32-year-old G4 P2-3 female. Birth weight and length were both Conclusion The diagnosis of DOOR syndrome is based on clinical examination as the pathogenesis is unknown and there is no cytogenetic or molecular testing. We consider that our patient has DOOR syndrome because of onychodystrophy, delayed ossification of the phalanges, deafness, and developmental delay. In addition, there have been reports of congenital anomalies including septal heart defects. However, the dysmorphism in our patient is not typical of this condition and is unexplained. Conductive hearing loss is also less frequent than sensorineural hearing loss in DOOR syndrome. We believe that our patient may represent a less severe presentation of the autosomal recessive form of DOOR syndrome.
Linker design for the modular assembly of multifunctional and targeted platinum(ii)-containing anticancer agents.

A versatile and efficient modular synthetic platform was developed for assembling multifunctional conjugates and targeted forms of platinum–(benz)acridines, a class of highly cytotoxic DNA-targeted hybrid agents. The synthetic strategy involved amide coupling between succinyl ester-modified platinum compounds (P1, P2) and a set of 11 biologically relevant primary and secondary amines (N1–N11). To demonstrate the feasibility and versatility of the approach, a structurally and functionally diverse range of amines was introduced. These include biologically active molecules, such as rucaparib (a PARP inhibitor), E/Z-endoxifen (an estrogen receptor antagonist), and a quinazoline-based tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Micro-scale reactions in Eppendorf tubes or on 96-well plates were used to screen for optimal coupling conditions in DMF solution with carbodiimide-, uronium-, and phosphonium-based compounds, as well as other common coupling reagents. Reactions with the phosphonium-based coupling reagent PyBOP produced the highest yields and gave the cleanest conversions. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the chemistry can also be performed in aqueous media and is amenable to parallel synthesis based on multiple consecutive reactions in DMF in a “one-tube” format. In-line LC-MS was used to assess the stability of the conjugates in physiologically relevant buffers. Hydrolysis of the conjugates occurs at the ester moiety and is facilitated by the aquated metal moiety under low-chloride ion conditions. The rate of ester cleavage greatly depends on the nature of the amine component. Potential applications of the linker technology are discussed.
Retroperitoneal malignant tumors: Wilms' tumor and neuroblastoma.

Wilms’ tumor is one of the most curable of all childhood cancers, with a five-year survival of approximately 80 percent. Survival of children with neuroblastoma, on the other hand, is dismal. For both tumors the primary mode of treatment is surgical excision, which should be carried out as an integrated part of multidisciplinary treatment.
Rewards of automated testing. Identifying problems before rollout can avoid system disruption.

PROBLEM Needed order management application that performed consistently and met high demands. SOLUTION Load testing identified specific problem areas. RESULTS Precise description of problems and their occurrence helped speed resolution and ensured successful implementation. KEYS TO SUCCESS Testing of conditions that emulated expected demands at early stage of design and planning.
Neonatal Subglottic Stenosis

Subglottic stenosis is classified as congenital or acquired based on a history of prior airway instrumentation. Milder cases can often be managed with medical support and endoscopic procedures, while patients with more pronounced narrowing may require open surgical repair. The most severe form of stenosis—laryngeal atresia—requires immediate recognition and management in the delivery room. Patients with subglottic stenosis can benefit from multidisciplinary evaluation and management coincident pathology in the upper aerodigestive tract.
MULTIPLE FORMS OF α2u GLOBULIN IN THE RAT STUDIED IN VIVO AND IN PRIMARY CULTURES OF ADULT HEPATOCYTES

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes multiple forms of α2u globulin in the rat studied in vivo and in primary cultures of adult hepatocytes. The synthesis and secretion of α2u globulin, a major urinary protein of adult male rats, was examined in primary cultures of hepatocytes. Antibody specific for α2u globulin was used to immunoprecipitate α2u globulin from cell homogenates and media. A single protein species of approximately 24,000 daltons was found in homogenates prepared from cultured adult hepatocytes. The corresponding culture medium also contained this protein species as well as two or higher molecular weight (HMW) forms. Only the HMW forms were labeled isotopically with glucosamine or mannose. The appearance of the HMW forms but not the 24,000 dalton form could be completely inhibited by the incubation of cell cultures with tunicamycin, an inhibitor of the first step in the lipid-linked pathway of glycoprotein synthesis. The α2u globulin immunoprecipitated from homogenates of liver and kidney was found only in the form of a 24,000 dalton species. In contrast, serum α2u globulin was present exclusively in HMW forms.
Combined hormonal contraception and its effects on mood: a critical review

AbstractObjectives: Adverse mood changes are sometimes cited as a reason for discontinuing combined hormonal contraception (CHC). A systematic review of recent literature was undertaken to characterise the nature of these side effects and identify characteristics that might predispose women to such effects.Methods: A MEDLINE review of studies from the past 30 years that focused on CHC and mood was performed. Database search was supplemented with studies found through citations and references.Results: The research literature on this topic is limited by a lack of prospective studies, a variety of measurements of mood, and a consolidation of many disparate types of contraceptives studied together in a single cohort. Common themes that emerge from review of these papers include (1) most women using CHC demonstrate no effect or a beneficial effect on mood, with a low incidence of adverse effects; (2) contraceptives containing less androgenic progestins may have fewer adverse effects on mood; (3) continuous and...
Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Type B Dissection A Ubiquitous Treatment Option

The development of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has revolutionized the field of cardiovascular surgery. Since Parodi’s first description of an intraluminal stent graft device for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms,1 endovascular device technology has rapidly evolved to treat the multiple pathologies seen in the thoracic aorta. Although TEVAR for elective repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm has been performed worldwide with increasing frequency,2–4 it is the role of TEVAR in acute aortic syndromes, such as aortic dissections, that has gathered increasing investigation. Article see p 407 The treatment of type B aortic dissection with TEVAR has been increasingly reported in the literature during the past decade. In patients with type B aortic dissections presenting with life-threatening complications, including rupture or malperfusion syndrome, TEVAR has become the preferred therapeutic options in most specialized aortic centers.5 Multiple studies have demonstrated dramatic improvement in perioperative outcome using TEVAR when compared with conventional open repair.6 Consequently, this has resulted in a new surgical paradigm in the treatment of complicated type B aortic dissection. In contrast, the role of TEVAR in the treatment of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection has remained a controversial debate. Since first described by Wheat7 >3 decades ago, anti-impulse therapy remains the conventional treatment paradigm of uncomplicated type B aortic dissection. Although short-term results have been acceptable, suboptimal long-term results of conventional medical therapy have frankly been disappointing, with 20% of patients developing late complications requiring intervention and 30% to 40% cumulative mortality risk at 5 years.8,9 This development of late aortic complications and compromised long-term survival have prompted investigators to find a more effective therapeutic approach and evaluate the potential role of TEVAR in this patient population. In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions , Nienaber et al …
Harmony and Multicultural Education in Singapore

Multicultural education varies greatly in different countries because the social and political norms of a given community and the different historical trajectories of nations greatly affect curricular decisions, content, and values.
Modal reasoning in Dar es Salaam's power network

In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, residents, electricians, and power-utility workers tolerate some unofficial forms of modifiying the electrical network, such as unsanctioned reconnections and extensions. These practices, which can also involve theft, bribery, and other illegal activities, both undermine and sustain an increasingly expensive public infrastructure that is in disrepair and subject to routine bureaucratic neglect. But such modifications also have their tacit limits, and people judge as foolish those who have exceeded them. The limits reveal a modal reasoning at work in the relationship among technical systems, urban ethics, and informal economic arrangements. In each of these domains, people use modal reasoning to simultaneously alter and preserve an emergent future. Such reasoning illustrates how infrastructures constitute wholes that emerge from, but are not reducible to, their constituent parts. [infrastructure, electricity, modality, reasoning, urbanism, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania] Dar es salaam, Tanzania, wakazi, mafundi umeme, na wafanyakazi wanaosambaza umeme wanaendekeza kufanya aina za marekebisho ya mifumo ya umeme isiyo rasmi, kwa mfano kuongeza idadi ya watumiaji wa umeme na kuwarudishia huduma ya umeme wale waliokatiwa bila ya kuingia nao mikataba na bila ya idhini kutoka shirika la umeme. Lakini marekebisho haya pia yana ukomo wa ukimya na watu wanawaona wale ambao wamezidi kama vile hawana busara. Ukomo huu unadhihirisha aina ya fikra ya kimfumo katika mahusiano ya nyanja za kiufundi, maadili ya kazi, na mipangilio ya kiuchumi isiyo rasmi. Katika hali hizi nyanja, watu wanatumia fikra za kimfumo kwa wakati huo huo kubadili na kutunza wanachokusudia hapo mbeleni. Fikra hii inaonyesha kwamba miundombuni ni mjumuisho unaotokana na mahusiano ya vipengele mbalimbali na sio vipengele vilivyokaa kipekee. [miundombinu, umeme, mfumo, fikra, mjini, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania]
Politización, participación e innovación: socializando la investigación agrícola en Bolivia

Usando el caso de la trayectoria de la investigacion agricola en Bolivia durante el periodo neoliberal, este articulo argumenta sobre la necesidad de realzar la politica en la ciencia, pero diferenciandola entre dos niveles: la politica como modo de gobernanza o proyecto politico que moldea el proceso cientifico (macropolitica) y la politica como el eterno proceso de contestacion y antagonismos en la sociedad (micropolitica). Para apoyar este argumento, nos focalizamos en el caso de la Fundacion para la Promocion e Investigacion de Productos Andinos (Proinpa) para mostrar como el proyecto «macropolitico» del neoliberalismo descentralizo y privatizo los servicios de investigacion agricola, redefiniendo las agendas de investigacion y la relacion entre investigadores y usuarios finales de la tecnologia y como, a su vez, los investigadores respondieron a este proyecto, adaptandose y contestando el neoliberalismo en sus practicas cotidianas (micropolitica).
Mitosis and checkpoints that control progression through mitosis in vertebrate somatic cells

During mitosis in vertebrates the sister kinetochores on each replicated chromosome interact with two separating arrays of astral microtubules to form a bipolar spindle that produces and/or directs the forces for chromosome motion. In order to ensure faithful chromosome segregation cells have evolved mechanisms that delay progress into and out of mitosis until certain events are completed. At least two of these mitotic ‘checkpoint controls’ can be identified in vertebrates. The first prevents nuclear envelope breakdown, and thus spindle formation, when the integrity of some nuclear component(s) is compromised. The second prevents chromosome disjunction and exit from mitosis until all of the kinetochores are attached to the spindle.
Look beyond peer-reviewed literature and traditional validation when assessing ecosystem services modeling efforts: A response to Ochoa and Urbina-Cardona’s review

Abstract Ochoa and Urbina-Cardona’s recent review of tools for spatially modeling ecosystem services calls out lack of validation and transparency as key issues that the community needs to address. While important, we argue that some issues they identify as worrisome are a result of how the peer-reviewed literature selectively represents applied and decision-relevant modeling efforts. We identify several considerations that we believe will benefit reviewers and practitioners in seeking to understand the state of tools and practice for spatial ecosystem services modeling.
Variation in late L1 acquisition

Mayberry and Kluender review evidence that second language (L2) proficiency declines with age of acquisition (regardless of modality), but they also review evidence for variable L2 outcomes for individuals, with factors such as motivation, language aptitude, education, and L2 experience playing a role. They argue that if L2 outcomes were fully under the control of a critical period for language (CPL), these learning variables should not predict L2 outcome, and the outcome of L2 learning would not be consistently observed to be so variable. The questions raised in this commentary are whether there is variation in late L1 proficiency and whether such variation could provide insights into the CPL.
Increasing Industry Support Is Associated with Higher Research Productivity in Orthopaedic Surgery.

BACKGROUND Orthopaedic surgeons receive a disproportionately small share of funding from the National Institutes of Health, but they receive the largest amount of funding from industry sources. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between payments from industry partners and research productivity among orthopaedic research authors, as well as to identify predictors of high research productivity. METHODS United States-based physicians who published an article in 2016 in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery or The American Journal of Sports Medicine were included in this study. These authors were queried in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Open Payments database (OPD) to determine the amount of industry payments received, and on Scopus, a bibliometric web site, to assess the quantity (total publication count) and quality (Hirsch index [h-index]) of each author's research. Nonparametric testing was used to compare the h-index and the total publication count of authors by payments received and academic position. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent predictors of high research productivity. RESULTS Of the 766 included authors, 494 (64.5%) received $100,000 in total payments. The h-index increased significantly from a mean (and standard deviation) of 13.1 ± 12.9 to 20.9 ± 14.4, and to 32.3 ± 16.7, from the lowest to highest payment cohorts, as did total publication count. When authors were stratified by academic position (assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, and nonacademic), those who received more industry payments (>$100,000) had a higher h-index and total publication count at all academic levels relative to lower-earning ( $100,000 (OR, 5.87), associate professorship (OR, 6.53), full professorship (OR, 33.38), and last authorship (OR, 2.22) (p < 0.001 for all comparisons unless otherwise noted). CONCLUSIONS Although this study does not establish a causal relationship, we identified increasing industry payments as an independent predictor of research productivity among authors at all academic levels who had published peer-reviewed orthopaedic research.
Teacher talk and Spanish subject personal pronouns

ABSTRACTThis study examines whether second-language instructors of Spanish overuse subject personal pronouns (SPPs) to facilitate communication with their English-speaking students, which would be a form of teacher talk. Ten native Spanish-speaking language instructors were recorded in two speech contexts: teaching a third-semester Spanish class to native English-speaking learners and talking with another native Spanish speaker. Logistic regression analyses using GoldVarb revealed that SPP expression was strongly conditioned both by the classroom as a speech context and by the linguistic factors including morphological ambiguity of the verb and switch reference. Crucially, instructors’ language in the classroom exhibited elevated and modified use of overt SPPs. This finding contributes to research on the variable use of Spanish SPPs, and it has important pedagogical implications for the acquisition of verbal morphology in the classroom context.
Systemic RNA Interference in Planarians by Feeding of dsRNA Containing Bacteria

RNA interference (RNAi) is currently the only method available in planaria for assessing the function of particular genes. We describe here a method for performing body-wide gene knockdown, relying on dsRNA production in bacteria and subsequent delivery to planaria by feeding a liver-bacteria mixture. This method is ideal for screening many genes in parallel, in a cost-effective and reliable manner. We also describe a ligation-independent cloning strategy, which is used to rapidly transfer single genes into an RNAi vector that is also appropriate for downstream applications such as in situ hybridizations. Together, these protocols represent useful components of the current planarian molecular tool kit.
Generalized Synchronization Algorithms for FBMC-OQAM Systems

Synchronization is one of the critical issues for wireless communications. In this paper, we present low-complexity joint timing and carrier frequency offsets synchronization algorithms for filter-bank multicarrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) systems by exploiting two uncorrelated consecutive real training symbols based on the repeated conjugate-symmetry property. We also develop a new peak-detection algorithm and a ratio-based carrier-frequency-offset estimation without using a threshold or matched filter, which reduces the computational cost. The proposed detection algorithm shows better performance than the threshold-based detection. The proposed algorithm provides similar system performance over the burst transmission with existing schemes while reducing the computational complexity. Moreover, the proposed scheme does not require the identical sequences that are usually adopted at the existing synchronization schemes for FBMC-OQAM systems. We show that the proposed method can be adopted for the space–time block coding for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) FBMC systems while existing schemes are not applicable. Finally, we show that the proposed algorithms are generally applicable for not only in burst and continuous transmission mode but also MIMO systems through the simulation results.
Assessing the Drug-Involved Client:

The use of alcohol and other drugs is so widespread that most practitioners are likely to have clients with serious alcohol or other drug-abuse problems. However, practitioners who work in nonspeci...
Association of Quetiapine Overuse Letters With Prescribing by Physician Peers of Targeted Recipients: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial examines the association of antipsychotic overuse letters with changes in the prescription of quetiapine by physician peers.