cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical results of secondary glaucomas in childhood.

Objective: This study aimed to describe results of glaucoma surgeries performed at one institution over the past 20 years in children with aphakia, aniridia, anterior segment dysgenesis, and other secondary glaucomas. Design: The study design was a retrospective review. Participants: Fifty-eight eyes of 40 patients were studied. Intervention: Trabeculectomy with or without mitomycin C, Molteno implantation, goniotomy, sclerostomy, endolaser cyclophotocoagulation, and cyclocryotherapy were performed. Main Outcome Measures: Intraocular pressure (IOP) control, defined as complete success (IOP ≤ 21 without medications) or qualified success (IOP ≤ 25 without medications or IOP ≤ 21 with medications) and postoperative visual acuity stability were assessed. Results: One hundred thirty surgical procedures were performed on 58 eyes of 40 patients; follow-up averaged 7.3 years. Intraocular pressure control was achieved in 40 (70%) of 57 eyes after 1 or more procedures. Intraocular pressure control and stabilization of visual acuity and optic disc appearance were achieved in 28 (51%) of 55 eyes. Five eyes had significant postoperative complications. Trabeculectomy with mitomycin C controlled IOP on last visit in 8 of 13 eyes with aphakic glaucoma. Conclusions: Surgical intervention can control IOP and prevent visual loss in children with secondary glaucomas. In the authors' experience, a filtering procedure is the most effective treatment in aphakic glaucoma and anterior segment dysgenesis.
Bone-marrow adipocytes as negative regulators of the haematopoietic microenvironment

Osteoblasts and endothelium constitute functional niches that support haematopoietic stem cells in mammalian bone marrow. Adult bone marrow also contains adipocytes, the number of which correlates inversely with the haematopoietic activity of the marrow. Fatty infiltration of haematopoietic red marrow follows irradiation or chemotherapy and is a diagnostic feature in biopsies from patients with marrow aplasia. To explore whether adipocytes influence haematopoiesis or simply fill marrow space, we compared the haematopoietic activity of distinct regions of the mouse skeleton that differ in adiposity. Here we show, by flow cytometry, colony-forming activity and competitive repopulation assay, that haematopoietic stem cells and short-term progenitors are reduced in frequency in the adipocyte-rich vertebrae of the mouse tail relative to the adipocyte-free vertebrae of the thorax. In lipoatrophic A-ZIP/F1 'fatless' mice, which are genetically incapable of forming adipocytes, and in mice treated with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma inhibitor bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, which inhibits adipogenesis, marrow engraftment after irradiation is accelerated relative to wild-type or untreated mice. These data implicate adipocytes as predominantly negative regulators of the bone-marrow microenvironment, and indicate that antagonizing marrow adipogenesis may enhance haematopoietic recovery in clinical bone-marrow transplantation.
Timing of fluoride intake and dental fluorosis on late-erupting permanent teeth

Objective Very few studies have examined the relationship between timing of fluoride intake and development of dental fluorosis on late-erupting permanent teeth using period-specific fluoride intake information. This study examined this relationship using longitudinal fluoride intake information from the Iowa Fluoride Study. Methods Participants’ fluoride exposure and intake (birth to 10 years of age) from water, beverages, selected food products, dietary fluoride supplements, and fluoride toothpaste was collected using questionnaires sent to parents at 3- and 4- month intervals from birth to 48 months of age and every 6 months thereafter. Three trained and calibrated examiners used the Fluorosis Risk Index (FRI) categories to assess 16 late-erupting teeth among 465 study participants. A tooth was defined as having definitive fluorosis if any of the zones on that tooth had an FRI score of 2 or 3. Participants with questionable fluorosis were excluded from analyses. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the importance of fluoride intake during different time periods. Results Most dental fluorosis in the study population was mild, with only four subjects (1%) having severe fluorosis (FRI Score 3). The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis was 27.8%. Logistic regression analyses showed that fluoride intake from each of the individual years from age 2 to 8 plays an important role in determining the risk of dental fluorosis for most late-erupting permanent teeth. The strongest association for fluorosis on the late-erupting permanent teeth was with fluoride intake during the sixth year of life. Conclusion Late-erupting teeth may be susceptible to fluorosis for an extended period from about age 2 to 8. Although not as visually prominent as the maxillary central incisors, some of the late-erupting teeth are esthetically important and this should be taken into consideration when making recommendations about dosing of fluoride intake.
Neutrophil-macrophage communication in inflammation and atherosclerosis

Neutrophils and monocyte-derived macrophages are myeloid cells, with a shared hematopoietic ancestry, that pursue both common and distinct immune functions. In response to tissue damage or infection, neutrophils infiltrate first, followed by monocytes ( 1 ). Through a series of events involving the release of proinflammatory products, both cell types seek to neutralize danger, and if successful, inflammation resolves. But when stimuli persist and inflammation is not resolved, neutrophils and monocytes continue to accumulate, presumably inflicting the irreversible damage that characterizes chronic inflammation. Whether neutrophils and monocytes act together to fuel the inflammatory cascade in those circumstances is still poorly understood. On page 316 of this issue, Warnatsch et al. ( 2 ) report that neutrophils prime macrophages for inflammatory responses that aggravate atherosclerosis. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) underlie the communication between these two immune cell types.
Recent Developments in Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics

The rapid pace of genetic and genomic discoveries in cardiovascular medicine remains unabated. During the past few years, several new causal genes and susceptibility variants for several cardiovascular disease have been identified.1–7 Likewise, genomic and epigenetic discoveries, encompassing noncoding RNAs, DNA methylation, and covalent histone modifications, have shed significant light onto the mechanisms that regulate expression of the cardiovascular phenotypes.5,8–13 Although the main impact of the genetic and genomic discoveries has been in elucidation of the molecular pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, recent findings, particularly in single gene discoveries, are also clinically impactful and are becoming increasingly incorporated into the practice of cardiovascular medicine.14–24 In addition, these discoveries have paved the way for genetic-based interventions and gene therapy.25–28 The discoveries have also enabled generation and mechanistic characterization of induced pluripotent stem cell models of genetic cardiovascular diseases.29–35 This progress has been driven in part by the technological advances, most notably the massively parallel nucleic acid sequencing techniques, which have enabled sequencing of the entire human exome, if not the genome, and the whole transcriptome of an individual within a reasonable cost.36,37 The ability to decode an individual exome has also posed a daunting challenge to clinicians and researchers as well as the patients in an accurate identification of the causal or risk variants from the myriad of variants that are present in each exome and in the population.38–40 The plethora of variants in each exome and genome underscores the necessity of incorporating family information in increasing the use of the genetic data and garnering clinically robust and meaningful genetic information. Approaches to the elucidation of genetic causes of cardiovascular diseases have evolved along with the technological advances. Conventional …
Weber Ratio for Visual Discrimination of Velocity

As an approximation based on various experiments reported in the literature, the least detectable difference in speed (δ w) varies in direct proportion to the speed (w) over a range from 0.1 to 20 degrees of visual angle per second. The constancy of the Weber ratio (δw/w) aids in understanding how men react to velocity in various situations.
Attrition and Stabilization of Void Nuclei: Critical Nucleus Size

Computer experiments were performed on the effect of impurity atoms, hydrostatic pressure, uniaxial tension, and radiation attrition on void nucleus stability in alpha-iron. The critical void nucleus size was found to be a 44-vacancy octahedral (bipyramidal) void with (110) facets. Helium atoms, oversize metallic impurity atoms, and carbon-vacancy complexes served as strong centers for heterogeneous nucleation of voids. Carbon-vacancy complexes at void apexes and corners inhibited thermal dissociation. The amount and tenacity of vacancy trapping by carbon atoms increased with hydrostatic pressure up to 110 kilobars.
Transforming growth factor-beta and p27 expression in pituitary cells

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) is a member of a family of growth factors that regulates differentiation and cellular proliferation in a wide variety of tissues, including the anterior pituitary gland. TGF beta regulates the expression of various proteins, including p27Kipl (p27), a cell cycle inhibitory protein. The cell types in normal rat anterior pituitary producing TGF beta1, one of the principal isoforms of TGF beta, and p27 were examined by in situ methods. The regulation of p27 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein by TGF beta1 was also examined in cultured anterior pituitary cells. In situ hybridization, in situ reverse transcriptase PCR, and immunocytochemical staining for pituitary hormones showed that PRL, TSH, and gonadotroph cells all had a higher percentage of cells expressing TGF beta1 mRNA and p27 protein than did GH and ACTH cells. After treatment with 10(-9) M TGF beta1 in vitro for 3 days, there were significant decreases in p27 mRNA and protein levels (P < 0.05) in normal pituit...
CXCR4-targeted therapy inhibits VEGF expression and chondrosarcoma angiogenesis and metastasis

Chondrosarcoma is notable for its lack of response to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, propensity for developing lung metastases, and poor survival. Therefore, a better understanding of angiogenic and metastatic pathways is needed. Multiple pathways regulate angiogenesis and metastasis, including chemokines and their receptors. In this study, we investigated chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) signaling in chondrosarcoma and tested the hypotheses that CXCR4 inhibition suppresses tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. CXCR4 expression, analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blot, was increased in human chondrosarcoma cell line JJ compared with normal chondrocytes and was further increased in JJ by hypoxia (2% O2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA; 10 ng/mL), and in xenograft tumors in nude mice. The CXCR4 ligand CXCL12 (10 ng/mL) doubled secreted VEGFA, measured with ELISA, under hypoxic conditions and this conditioned media increased human umbilical vein endothelial cell tube formation. These effects were inhibited by CXCR4 siRNA or AMD3100 (5 μg/mL). In a xenograft mouse model, four weeks of AMD3100 treatment (1.25 mg/kg, intraperitoneally twice daily) inhibited tumor angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis. VEGFA content in tumor extracts was decreased (7.19 ± 0.52 ng/mL control vs. 3.96 ± 0.66 treatment) and bioimaging of angiogenesis was decreased by 56%. Tumor volumes averaged 4.44 ± 0.68 cm(3) in control compared with 2.48 ± 0.61 cm(3) in the treatment group. The number of lung metastatic nodules was 23 ± 9 in control compared with 10 ± 6 in the treatment group (N = 8/group). Therefore, CXCR4-targeted therapy may be a treatment strategy for chondrosarcoma.
“Born Again Is a Sexual Term”: Demons, STDs, and God's Healing Sperm

In this article I examine the intersection between sexuality and spirit-filled bodies in American Evangelicalism. I am interested in investigating two issues: the sexual body as a site of spiritual battle and the use of popular science, especially the domain of genetics, as material evidence for this spiritual warfare. Specifically, I trace the increasingly spiritualized framing of marital intercourse in evangelical literature. To follow this trajectory, I highlight the spiritualized dangers of transgressive sexuality as well as the sexualizing of spirituality in evangelical sex manuals and deliverance manuals. This article centers around one text, Holy Sex: God's Purpose and Plan for Our Sexuality, whose authors' contend that sexually transmitted diseases are, in fact, demons lodged in genetic material that can be transferred through body fluids and bloodlines. The assertions about biology and demonic affliction made throughout the book are extreme and would be rejected by most readers of mainstream evangelical sex manuals. I argue that this book, though marginal, is not an irrelevant text. It reflects deep-seated anxieties about sexual bodies, spiritual concerns, and disease. Idiosyncratic though it may seem, Holy Sex taps into wider uncertainties about the spiritual vulnerability of the physical body found in contemporary evangelical literature.
Design of a JBIG encoder with SpecC methodology

JBIG is an image compression standard. It is distortionless and uses progressive encoding. SpecC methodology is demonstrated with a real example. SpecC is capable of transforming an executable specification into an RTL implementation. Basic refinement rules are established and applied to transform SpecC models. With the availability of SpecC automated tools, productivity gains of 100/spl times/ are achievable over the manual approach.
Intrathecal opioids: hardly a panacea.

Multiple ethical issues/questions arise from this case study, including: 1. Does the patient's history indicate that she is an appropriate candidate for intrathecal pump placement? 2. What are the patient's specific risks and benefits of intrathecal therapy, and do the potential benefits outweigh the risks? 3. What are the conditions that will optimize the patient's safety and response to intrathecal pain medication? In regard to whether or not the patient is appropriate for an intrathecal pump, Dr. Loeser notes that “escalating rapid-acting opioids is ominous.” Indeed, there is the question of the ethics of implanting a device that would perpetuate administration of an apparently ineffectual medication on a more permanent basis and with increased health risks. …
Real‐space reconstructions of nonideal helical particles

We have studied the manner in which real-space reconstructions of helical particles are affected by particle distortions commonly present in electron micrographs. The effects of image distortions due to noise, nonuniform negative staining, pitch variations, particle tilt, and flattening on the reconstructed cross-section are difficult to visualize, and therefore we have developed a test system using model images in order to facilitate our investigations. In addition, we have examined the effect of incorrect estimates of the particle repeat length and location of the helical axis on the reconstructed density map. By using models that incorporate defined image distortions, we are able to compare directly reconstructions of the models with those of the idealized structure. This approach can help indicate sources of specimen distortion limiting the resolution of particle reconstructions.
Clinical Vignettes in Parkinson's Disease: A Collection of Unusual Medication-Induced Hallucinations, Delusions, and Compulsive Behaviours

Hallucinations, delusions, and compulsive behaviors are frequent iatrogenic complications of the treatment of motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). Although these have been studied, and the phenomenology described, there are few detailed descriptions of the various psychiatric problems our treated PD patients live with that allow physicians who do not have a great deal of experience with PD patients to appreciate the extent of their altered lives. This report is a compilation of vignettes describing these behavioral problems that the treating neurologist or psychiatrist attributed to the medications used for treating PD.
Apple stem-grooving virus: propagating hosts and purification.

SUMMARY Isolates C431 and DGEV of apple stem-grooving virus infected Zucchini squash (Cucurbita maxima) and pumpkin (C. pepo) systemically; these hosts were superior to Chenopodium quinoa for propagating the virus. Virus concentrations were assayed by counts of local lesions on cowpea (Vigna sinenis). Good yields of virus were concentrated from Zucchini squash sap clarified with bentonite or chloroform-bentonite and purified by densitygradient centrifugation and zone electrophoresis. Filamentous virus particles 615 nm (C431) and 640 nm (DGEV), virtually free of host constituents and only slightly aggregated, were observed in electronmicrographs.
Risk for obstructive sleep apnea in obese, nondiabetic adults varies with insulin resistance status

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly common sleep disorder, especially among obese adults. Early identification of adults at risk for OSA would be of substantial benefit; however, the magnitude of the obesity epidemic requires that screening be performed judiciously. The study’s aim was to utilize questionnaires that assess OSA risk and symptoms to test the hypothesis that the most insulin-resistant subset of obese individuals is at highest risk for OSA. Nondiabetic, overweight to obese volunteers underwent direct quantification of insulin sensitivity by measuring steady-state plasma glucose concentrations during the insulin suppression test. Insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant individuals were administered the Berlin and STOP questionnaires to determine OSA risk status, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to evaluate daytime sleepiness. Fasting insulin and lipid/lipoprotein measurements were performed. Insulin-mediated glucose disposal differed threefold (p < 0.001) between equally obese, insulin-resistant (n = 22) and insulin-sensitive (n = 14) individuals, associated with higher fasting insulin and triglyceride and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations in insulin-resistant individuals. Fourteen (64 %) insulin-resistant as compared with 2 (14 %) insulin-sensitive individuals were found to be at high risk for OSA by both questionnaires (p < 0.01). Whereas half of insulin-resistant individuals met the ESS criteria for excessive daytime sleepiness, only one insulin-sensitive individual did (p = 0.011). High risk for OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness is prevalent among the insulin-resistant subgroup of obese individuals. Surrogate estimates of insulin resistance based on fasting insulin, triglycerides, and/or HDL-C can be used to help identify those obese adults who would benefit most from OSA screening and referral for polysomnography.
The effect of time to release of an obstructing synthetic mid‐urethral sling on repeat surgery for stress urinary incontinence

Aims The primary objectives were to describe the rate of repeat surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after release of an obstructing synthetic mid-urethral sling (MUS) and to evaluate the effect of time from sling placement to sling release on repeat surgery rates. The secondary objective was to assess rates of recurrent and persistent SUI. Methods This is a retrospective review of women who underwent synthetic MUS release (incision or excision of segment of sling) from 2005–2013. SUI rates and repeat surgery were ascertained by patient report and urinary distress inventory (UDI-6) questionnaire responses. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results 107 patients were included. Median time to sling release was 22 months (IQR 5–49 months). 43.2% were transobturator slings. 15/107 patients (14%) underwent repeat surgery for SUI. On multivariable analysis, women were significantly less likely to undergo repeat surgery for SUI when sling release was performed >24 months after initial sling surgery (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.02–0.85, P = 0.03) compared to release within 3 months. 49% and 77% reported recurrent and persistent SUI after sling release, of which 83% were significantly bothered. Conclusion The repeat surgery rate for SUI was 14%. The rate of recurrent SUI was 49%. Most of these women were significantly bothered. On multivariate analysis, longer interval to sling release was associated with decreased likelihood of repeat surgery for SUI. The reason for a low repeat surgery rate for SUI despite a high rate of bothersome SUI should be explored in future studies. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reduced Sympathetic Responsiveness Resulting from a High Dietary Sodium Intake in the Rat

The effects of a high sodium diet on sympathetic nervous function were evaluated in normotensive male Wistar rats maintained on a standard (141 mEq/kg) or high (1400 mEq/kg) sodium chow for 4 weeks. No differences were observed in the blood pressures of conscious catheterized rats on the two diets; however, heart rates were significantly lower in rats on the high sodium intake. Hypotensive responses produced in these animals by one minute intravenous infusions of sodium nitroprusside were greater in rats on the high sodium diet, whereas, reflex tachycardia was similar. In pithed rats on either diet, basal blood pressures and heart rates were similar. In contrast, blood pressure responses to electrical stimulation of the spinal sympathetic outflow were significantly attenuated in the high sodium rats but the tachycardic responses were unaltered. In addition, norepinephrine induced blood pressure and heart rate increases were not different between the diets. Similarly, the sensitivity of isolated atria to isoproterenol was not affected by dietary sodium, nor were the responses of isolated aortic strips to phenylephrine altered. The results of this investigation indicate that a chronic high sodium intake may result in an attenuation of vascular sympathetic function.
Bidirectional Influence: A Longitudinal Analysis of Size of Drug Network and Depression Among Inner-City Residents in Baltimore, Maryland.

Background: The prevalence of depression among drug users is high. It has been recognized that drug use behaviors can be influenced and spread through social networks. Objectives: We investigated the directional relationship between social network factors and depressive symptoms among a sample of inner-city residents in Baltimore, MD. Methods: We performed a longitudinal study of four-wave data collected from a network-based HIV/STI prevention intervention for women and network members, consisting of both men and women. Our primary outcome and exposure were depression using CESD scale and social network characteristics, respectively. Linear-mixed model with clustering adjustment was used to account for both repeated measurement and network design. Results: Of the 746 participants, those who had high levels of depression tended to be female, less educated, homeless, smokers, and did not have a main partner. In the univariate longitudinal model, larger size of drug network was significantly associated with ...
Overview of Venous Disorders

There is growing recognition of the importance of venous pathology in our daily practice. With a better understanding of venous insufficiency distribution and its consequences, it is being proved that the main pathology of venous disease is not an obstructive process as previously thought. There are several methods to classify venous diseases, such as distribution and severity; however, the most effective way is to assess the severity based on clinical, etiological, anatomical, and pathophysiological aspects. This international classification is not only an efficient description, but is imperative in determining appropriate management. It is crucial to understand the new terminology, not only to keep up with the American Venous Forum updates, but also to serve as a common language among venous specialists. This chapter is an overview of venous disorders, both from anatomical and pathophysiological aspects, with a brief update on the new horizons in the management of venous disease.
The Illusion of Efficiency in Workers' Compensation 'Reform' - Part Two

From the late 1980s to 1990s, most states enacted major revisions to their workers' compensation systems. These law changes aim to restrict benefits for injured workers in response to perceptions that rising workers' compensation insurance costs had reached crisis levels by the late 1980s. This article analyzes the main features of these benefit reforms, and shows how these reforms reveal the problems of the predominant economic efficiency rationales underlying recent retrenchment of social welfare programs in general. Using workers' compensation as an example, I argue that a premise central to much of contemporary law and policy - the distinction between economic efficiency and redistributive goals - is illusory. Although efficiency principles commonly have been used to explain recent benefit limitations as neutral economic measures aimed at maximizing overall resources, these principles inevitably incorporate value judgments about the proper distribution of resources. Rhetoric about restoring an "efficient" balance between workers and employers masks a redistribution of resources away from workers and toward employers and insurers. I show how concepts central to economic analysis of law, such as externalities, moral hazard, and transaction costs, disguise political power as economic fact. I challenge the conventional wisdom that high workers' compensation costs are a problem of increased medical uncertainty resulting from expanded compensation of "subjective" injuries and illnesses, such as repetitive motion injuries or mental stress claims. By restricting access to benefits for these "subjective" injuries, recent reforms claim to reduce fraud, friction, and claims "external" to work. I argue instead that restrictions on such injuries will redistribute, not reduce, opportunities for fraud, friction, and externalization. I show how the costly uncertainty which plagues workers' compensation is not a problem of particular injuries or illnesses, but of the inherent subjectivity of the underlying ideal of the workers' compensation "bargain" between workers and employers which frames the debate. The predominant focus on restoring this supposedly efficient "bargain" obscures the value conflicts about the distribution of work accident costs which should be at the center of discussions of workers' compensation reform.
Conto ou crônica: a questão do gênero (Fernando Sabino e Jô Soares)

RESUMO: Este trabalho pretende discutir a cronica literaria a partir de sua recepcao, comparando-a com o conto e destacando elementos de sua estrutura e de sua estrategia narrativa. RESUME: Cet article propose une reflexion centree sur la chronique litteraire et le travail de reception de celle-ci. On emphatisera certains elements de la structure et de la strategie narrative de ce genre, en le comparant au conte.
Predictors of Interest in Participation in an Animal-Assisted Activity Program among Elderly Citizens

Animal-Assisted Activity Programs have been shown to improve physiological and mental health outcomes among program participants. The purpose of this study was to assess the significance of gender, depression, and companion animal attitudes as predictors of interest in participation in an animal-assisted activity program. The participants were 62 residents (average age 82 years) at assisted-living centers who responded to survey measures including the Pet Attitude Scale ( PAS ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale ( CES-D ), and a newly developed scale to measure interest in an animal assisted activity program. Pet attitudes and gender significantly predicted willingness to participate in the program. These results provide a contribution to the literature, which has not yet documented predictors of interest in participation in such a program among elderly citizens.
How the Wealth and Credit Channels in Monetary Transmission Affect Consumer Durables and Housing: A Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Approach

This study investigates the effects of the wealth and credit channels of monetary transmission mechanisms on consumer durables spending and housing investment. A New Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model that incorporates financial frictions is used to derive impulse response functions. The results indicate strong evidence for an amplifying effect of financial frictions on aggregate economic activity. Output, spending on consumer durable goods, housing investment, housing prices, and household wealth respond positively and significantly to a 50-basis point cut in the federal funds rate. The wealth channel is only found to have marginal effects upon household spending.
Preparation and Purification of Antibody of Klebsiella pneumoniae Capsule Glycoprotein

The antiserum of Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule g ly coprotein was prepared successfully, then the antiserum was purified with four d ifferent method (ammonium sulfate fractionated precipitation, drying-bacter ium adsorption, lysate-bacterium adsorption and germ adsorption). The effic iency of immunity serum declined from 1∶64 000 to 1 ∶32 000 after it was fractionated by ammonium sulfate.And at the same time,the adsorption of immunity serum to the nonspecific antigen decli ned evidently. Then after the immunity serum was purified through the method of adsorption, the efficiency of antibody declined to 1∶16 000, and the adsorption of anibody to the nonspecific antigen declined to nega tive level within the dilution degree 1∶1 000. The result showed that ammonium sulfate fractionated precipitation, as a single-step p urification, could remove the impurity protein and nonspecific antibody from ant iserum effectively. Combining with ammonium sulfate precipitation, the techn iques of drying-bacterium adsorption and lysate-bacterium adsorption could red uce cross-reaction and nonspecific adsorption remarkably.
Research progress of peanut allergens and its detection methods

Peanut allergy represents an important food safety issue because of the potential lethal effects. The only effective treatment is to avoid eating allergen foods. However, during the process of manufacture, machining, storing, transporting and selling, foods may be unintentionally contaminated by food allergens. Therefore, it is of great significance to quantify the amount of peanut allergens in a food for preventing the anaphylaxis. Thirteen potentially important allergens of peanut have been identified to date, assigned as Ara h 1~Ara h 13, respectively. This article summarized the structural information of peanut allergens and several popular extraction methods. At the same time, various qualitative and quantitative methods to determine the peanut allergens in foods were described in detail. At last, the trend of development in establishing a specific, sensitive and accurate method was prospected.
Advances of Lentiviral Vectors Design and Application

As an efficient gene transfer vehicle lentiviral vector has been widely used in therapy research. Comparing with other retrovirus vectors, lentiviral vectors have the unique ablility of transfecting nondividing cells and terminal differentiated cells. In addition, lentiviral vectors can accommodate two or more promoters and can carry larger foreign gene insertions. Now the new generation of lentiviral vectors encoding transcriptional control sequence provides effective means for the regulation of foreign gene expression. The development of lentiviral vectors and its application in the gene therapy field were summarized.
Bearing Witness:Chinese Urban Cinema in the Era of the "Transformation"

Since the early 1990s the landscape of film culture in Mainland China has been radically reshaped.While the state-owned studios have been faced with the dire reality of financial and ideological constraints exacerbated by the top-down institutional reforms of the mid-decade,there has emerged both within and outside of the studio walls an alternative or "minor cinema".This cinema is largely represented by what the author and other critics call the "Urban Generation" filmmakers and their supporters,followers,and fans.The actual far from "minor" significance of this urban cinema stems not so much from its recent arrival as from its singular preoccupation with the destruction and reconstruction of the social fabric and urban identities of post-1989 China.The badge of independence,with its troubled baggage,is perhaps the single most important attribute of the Urban Generation.Many younger filmmakers,however,have identified themselves at the outset as institutionally and financially independent.They have resigned from assigned jobs in state-owned studios,engaged in underground low-budget productions,and participated in international film festivals without official sanction.In this sense,the key difference between the Urban Generation and the earlier generations of filmmakers,who were trained and employed by the state is defined by their different social and professional identities as well as by their aesthetic outlooks.The advent of the "amateur cinema" as a significant ramification of the Urban Generation cannot be separated from a decade-long struggle of the new documentary movement,which has run a parallel,at times intersecting,course alongside the experimental narrative film.In terms of technology and method,instead of the bulky film camera it is the video camera and,more recently,digital video and editing software that has served as the critical catalyst for the conception and dissemination of "amateur cinema" as a democratic form of film practice.Finally,the author makes a sketch of a fast-emerging cineclub community and alternative film spectatorship around the turn of the century in part to underscore the broad empirical range as well as conceptual possibility of the Urban Generation cinema as both a descriptive and analytical category.As forces that are dispersed yet increasingly joining together through the Internet and touring programs,these localized small groups are coalescing into an informal grassroots movement.The intimate movie bars,the nomadic style of the cineclub operations,and the diversity of the chosen film forms and formats(especially the shorts and DV film) encapsulate this grassroots movement as a "minor cinema" that potentially can reshape the structure of film knowledge and practice.
Labor in the Dietary Department. Hospitals in the East North Central Region

Some of the factors which may affect labor time in the hospital dietary department include: bed capacity, type of ownership, number of meals served, peripheral services offered by the dietary department, number of modified diets served, use of selective menus, and labor turnover. A survey of 175 midwestern hospitals with respect to these factors as they relate to labor time is reported.
Breastfeeding in Public: Disgust and Discomfort in the Bodiless Public Sphere

While breastfeeding mothers generally possess an official legal right of access to public places, the lived experience of breastfeeding mothers in public is marked by inequality and lack of autonomy. The motivating question of this article is, from the perspective of a breastfeeding mother, what characterizes an ideal—that is, equal and autonomous—public sphere in a liberal society? I explore in particular the issue of people, including breastfeeding mothers, who evoke discomfort or disgust. I argue that public and private spheres must be accessible in certain ways: first, every person must be able to occupy public space while embracing all significant aspects of their personhood; second, the comfort of others cannot weigh more than an individual's own needs in public; finally, all people must be able to opt for privacy in a way that does not entail invisibility or coerced exclusion. In making this argument, I describe three main ways in which breastfeeding mothers respond to the antipathy of the public sphere: exclusion, accommodation, and affirmation. I end with an exploration of the ideal of public and private spheres defined by equality and autonomy and offer concrete steps that can improve the position of breastfeeding mothers in public.
Effects of β-blockers on left ventricular remodeling in patients with preserved ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract Background The effects of β-blockers on left ventricular (LV) remodeling have been established in patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In AMI patients with preserved EF, additional effects of β-blockers on reperfusion therapy and current medical treatment have not been elucidated. Methods Patients with preserved EF (≥40%), who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI and obtained complete coronary revascularization were enrolled retrospectively. These were divided into groups treated with or without β-blockers at discharge. Echocardiography was performed on admission and 8months after PCI to observe LVEF, LV end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), LV end systolic volume index (LVESVI), LV end diastolic diameter (LVDd), and LV end systolic diameter (LVDs). Results A total of 114 patients were enrolled; 81 were treated with β-blockers (β-blocker group) and 33 were treated without β-blockers (non-β-blocker group). All patients were prescribed antiplatelets and 96% took either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker. At follow-up, EF improved in both groups (2.6% in the β-blocker group and 4.6% in the non-β-blocker group). In the β-blocker group, neither LVEDVI nor LVESVI decreased. However, both LVEDVI (−4.3ml/m 2 ) and LVESVI (−4.1ml/m 2 ) improved in the non-β-blocker group. There were significant increases in LVDd (2.1mm) and LVDs (2.2mm) in the β-blocker group, whereas these parameters did not significantly change in the non-β-blocker group. Conclusions Effects of β-blockers on LV remodeling were uncertain in AMI patients with preserved EF, who obtained complete coronary revascularization and received optimal medical treatment.
Information Processing and Information Evaluation without Considering the Information Effected Price Changes: The Portfolio Approach

In this section, it is assumed that the asset prices at the beginning of the period are exogeneously given and are not influenced by the changes of the information level. There are no market considerations. Correspondingly, it is insignificant here whether the prices are equilibrium prices or not. In the third section, then, information dependent price changes in a market equilibrium model are examined. In order to simplify comparing the results of these two sections, a model formulation is already chosen here that starts from the prices, and not as usual from the rates of return. This one is more suitable for describing and analyzing the market equilibria at different information levels as examined in the third section. This becomes clear, if one considers that an information dependent change of the expectations of the end-of-period asset prices influences their stochastic rates of return (more precisely: the expectations of these rates of return) in twofold manner. Besides the stochastic, information dependent influence of the distribution of the end-of-period prices on the rate of return distribution, namely, a systematic change of the rate of return by the change of the equilibrium prices is still to be taken into account.
A fiber optic optoacoustic ultrasound sensor for photoacoustic endoscopy

Photoacoustic Endoscopy (PE) is a new imaging modality that can provide high-resolution vascular imaging in vivo. Optoacoustic sensing (optical detection of ultrasound) is a good candidate for PE due to its enhanced sensitivity, wide bandwidth, and miniaturizability in comparison to piezoelectric, PVDF, and capacitive transducers. In this work we present the fabrication and testing of a fiber optic optoacoustic ultrasound sensor (fiber etalon), and we propose the development of a rectilinear ultrasound array for PE based on this device. The design entails the bundling of several fiber etalons which, when combined with photoacoustic excitation, would yield a flexible and compact, forward-viewing photoacoustic endoscope. To simulate the performance of a bundled device, we have mechanically scanned a single fiber etalon to image simple photoacoustic targets. The results demonstrate the viability of using a fiber optic-based photoacoustic endoscope to image optically absorptive structures such as blood in vasculature. A potentially significant application of our device could be the monitoring of angiogenesis — an early marker of tumor formation.
Time-dependence of P residuals in Luzon

abstract During 1964 through 1970 changes of the average P residuals at Baguio show no clear anomaly that could be attributed to any of the recent large earthquakes in Luzon. The average P residuals at Manila show a strong anomaly which was evidently due to poor maintenance of this station rather than to a tectonic cause.
An Approximation Algorithm for Optimal Stopping

Abstract We propose an algorithm for solving optimal stopping problems, and we provide theoretical results concerning convergence and approximation error. This algorithm can be viewed as a "neuro-dynamic programming" method for optimal stopping problems. The applicability of the algorithm is illustrated through a computational case study involving the pricing of a path-dependent financial derivative security that gives rise to an optimal stopping problem with a one-hundred-dimensional state space.
Abstract 5174: Phosphodiesterase 10A inhibition as a novel approach to suppress β-catenin signaling in ovarian cancer cells

Canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is known to be associated with platinum resistance in ovarian cancer in which inhibitors hold promise for the treatment of refractory disease. Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) is a dual cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase isozyme recently implicated in colon cancer. PDE10A inhibition in colon cancer cells by siRNA or small molecule inhibitors increased cGMP levels and activated PKG to inhibit β-catenin signaling. A novel PDE10 inhibitor, ADT-061, was identified by screening a library of indene derivatives, and showed strong antineoplastic activity in the Apc+/min-FCCC mouse (Lee K et al., unpublished data). Cyclic GMP and phosphodiesterases participate in the ovarian follicular development, although little is known about PDE10A expression in ovaries, especially with regard to a potential role in ovarian tumorigenesis. PDE10A protein was found to be expressed in various established ovarian cancer cell lines at higher levels than immortalized or primary ovarian surface epithelial cell lines. Pf-2545920, a known PDE10A inhibitor, and ADT-061 inhibited the growth of multiple ovarian tumor cell lines with IC50s around 20µM and 0.5µM, respectively. Both compounds induced apoptosis after 24h treatment, as measured by PI/Annexin-V staining and PARP cleavage. Pf-2545920 and ADT-061 induced phosphorylation of VASP at Ser157 and Ser239 in various ovarian cancer cell lines, indicating activation of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP signaling, respectively. Treatment also decreased levels of β-catenin and downstream targets of TCF-dependent transcription, including c-MYC, survivin and cyclin-D1. Homozygous knockout PDE10A clones of OV-90 ovarian cancer cells obtained using CRISPR/Cas9 showed decreased clonogenic potential, decreased Pf-2545920-mediated VASP phosphorylation and β-catenin, c-MYC and survivin expression. Ongoing efforts are focused on the development of more potent ADT-061 analogs. These observations support further study of a role of PDE10 in ovarian tumorigenesis and the development of ADT-061 or analogs for the treatment of refractory ovarian cancer as well as the prevention of malignant recurrence. Citation Format: Luciana Madeira Da Silva, Elaine Gavin, Kevin J. Lee, Veronica Ramirez-Alcantara, Kristy L. Berry, Holly T. Taylor, Alla Musiyenko, Ileana V. Aragon, Adam B. Keeton, Jennifer Scalici, Rodney P. Rocconi, Gary A. Piazza. Phosphodiesterase 10A inhibition as a novel approach to suppress β-catenin signaling in ovarian cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5174. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5174
A Survey of Graphene-Based Field Effect Transistors for Bio-sensing

There have been numerous investigations to implement graphene’s unique electronic and physical characteristics in devices ranging from batteries to reinforced structures. This chapter surveys the significant effort that has been made to successfully integrate graphene into a practical, cheap, highly sensitive biosensor. The biologically active field effect transistor (BioFET) is a class of biosensors based on ion selective FET (ISFET) technology which operates on the detection of charged molecules; when a charged molecule is present, changes in the electrostatic field at the BioFET transducing surface result in a measurable change in current through the transistor (Schoning and Poghossian, Analyst 127:1137–1151, 2002). The chapter titled “Graphene-Based Chemical and Biosensors,” in Volume 14 of the Springer Series on Chemical Sensors and Biosensors, provided a comprehensive look at the chemical and electrochemical aspects of graphene-based chemical sensors (Wisitsoraat A and Tuantranont A, Graphene-based chemical and biosensors. In: Tuantranont A (ed) Applications of nanomaterials in sensors and diagnostics. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 103–141, 2013). In the present chapter of the same series, we supplement that excellent work with the current state of graphene-based field effect transistors (FET), and concentrate on graphene’s high sensitivity to changes in electric fields for sensing biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, and neurotransmitters.
Pressurized Water Reactor Core Maneuvering Utilizing Optimal Control Theory

The computational capability of automatically determining the optimal control strategies for pressurized water reactor core maneuvering, in terms of an operating strategy generator (OSG), has been ...
Long-term movement analysis of cervical vertebrae with normalized cross-correlation and subsample estimation

Cervical spine pathoanatomy is typically evaluated by static radiographs, CT or MRI; however, these modalities are unable to directly measure the dynamic performance of the spine that account for its functionality. We have developed an ultrasound based technique that provides a non-invasive, realtime, quantitative, textitin-vivo image of the C-spine that allows for assessment of the dynamic motion of contiguous functional spinal units. The purpose of this work was to develop a multiframe method that enables accurate tracking of the motion of vertebra from ultrasound radio-frequency data. The tracking method was validated using a vertebra phantom and 6 human cadaveric specimens subjected to cyclic displacement. Ultrasound was capable of accurately tracking vertebral motion when using the multi-frame method compared to the traditional frame-by-frame, or multi-compression methods.