cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of the cotton swab method in diagnosing Tinea capitis

Objective. To evaluate the accuracy of the cotton swab technique for identifying fungal infections of the scalp. The purpose of the study was: 1) to compare the cotton swab technique with the toothbrush method, a popular and reliable means for obtaining specimens; and 2) to ascertain if transport of a specimen, entailing variable transport duration and conditions, impairs the sensitivity and specificity of the technique. Materials and Methods. Part 1 consisted of a prospective, investigator-blinded comparison analysis. Fifty children with scalp findings suspicious for tinea capitis were cultured using both techniques: the toothbrush and cotton swab. Ninety-six culture results were obtained for analysis. The second part of the study consisted of a prospective comparison analysis of cotton swab culture results obtained from samples plated immediately after collection in the physician9s office as compared with samples transported to outside laboratories for processing. Thirty-one children with presumed tinea capitis were cultured twice with the cotton swab technique; one sample was immediately plated onto fungal medium and the other sent to an outside lab, the selection of which was dictated by the patient9s insurance plan. A total of 62 samples were obtained; 58 sample results were used for analysis. Results. In part 1 of the study, 60% of the 48 children analyzed had positive fungal cultures. Eighty percent of these wereTrichophyton species. There was 100% agreement in the results obtained; all patients with positive results using the toothbrush method were also positive when the cotton swab method was used. Similarly, there was complete concordance in laboratory results from the second part of the study. Fifty percent of the 28 children analyzed had positive cultures; 86% grew Trichophytonspecies. All patients who had positive cultures from those samples plated in-office also had positive results from the outside laboratory samples. Conclusions. The cotton swab technique is an easy, atraumatic, inexpensive, and reliable means to evaluate patients with suspected tinea capitis. The method remains sensitive and specific even when transport of these specimens is required and processing is thus delayed. This painless technique requires little technical expertise and can be rapidly performed with a standard cotton tip applicator. It should prove an invaluable aid to practitioners in evaluating patients with possible fungal infections of the scalp.
Path caching in connection-oriented networks

In a connection-oriented communication network, a computed network path can be stored in the local cache of the source node for later reuse. We propose that network path caching can provide an efficient way to eliminate, whenever possible, the expensive path computation algorithm that has to be performed in setting up a network connection. This paper is the first known work on network path caching in decentralized connection-oriented networks. We first identify and analyze the issues that arise in caching network paths. Based on our extensive study of network path caching schemes, we then propose two path caching algorithms to reduce the number of path computations in the network when a new connection is to be established. A simulation study of the two algorithms is then presented. We conclude that both algorithms perform very well and significantly reduce the number of path computations in setting up connections.
STRAIN DIFFERENCES IN SEIZURE-INDUCED CELL DEATH FOLLOWING PILOCARPINE-INDUCED STATUS EPILEPTICUS

Mouse strains differ from one another in their susceptibility to seizure-induced excitotoxic cell death. Previously, we have demonstrated that mature inbred strains of mice show remarkable genetic differences in susceptibility to the neuropathological consequences of seizures in the kainate model of status epilepticus. At present, while the cellular mechanisms underlying strain-dependent differences in susceptibility remain unclear, some of this variation is assumed to have a genetic basis. However, it remains unclear whether strain differences in susceptibility to seizure-induced cell death observed following kainate administration are observed following systemic administration of other chemoconvulsants. In rodents, the cholinomimetic convulsant pilocarpine is widely used to induce status epilepticus (SE), followed by hippocampal damage and spontaneous recurrent seizures, resembling temporal lobe epilepsy. This model has initially been described in rats, but is increasingly used in mice. We characterized neuronal pathologies after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) in eight inbred strains of mice focusing on the hippocampus. A ramping-up dose protocol for pilocarpine was used and behavior was monitored for 4-5 h. While we did not observe any significant differences in seizure latency or duration to pilocarpine among the inbred strains, we did observe a significant difference in susceptibility to the neuropathological consequences of pilocarpine-induced SE. Of the eight genetically diverse mouse strains screened for pilocarpine-induced status, BALB/cJ and BALB/cByJ were the only two strains that were resistant to the neuropathological consequences of seizure-induced cell death. Additional studies of these murine strains may be useful for investigating genetic influences on pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus.
Discourse analysis in international development studies

Dimitri della Faille argues that ‘the study of discourses about underdevelopment appears to have been neglected by discourse analysts’ (p. 1), but cites a number of discourse analysis scholars who ...
Infinite Hidden Markov Models and ISA Features for Unusual-Event Detection in Video

We address the problem of unusual-event detection in a video sequence. Invariant subspace analysis (ISA) is used to extract features from the video, and the time-evolving properties of these features are modeled via an infinite hidden Markov model (iHMM), which is trained using "normal"/"typical" video data. The iHMM automatically determines the proper number of HMM states, and it retains a full posterior density function on all model parameters. Anomalies (unusual events) are detected subsequently if a low likelihood is observed when associated sequential features are submitted to the trained iHMM. A hierarchical Dirichlet process (HDP) framework is employed in the formulation of the iHMM. The evaluation of posterior distributions for the iHMM is achieved in two ways: via MCMC and using a variational Bayes (VB) formulation.
Reducing HIV Risks Among Active Injection Drug and Crack Users: The Safety Counts Program

The efficacy of Safety Counts, a CDC-diffused intervention, was reanalyzed. In a quasi experimental, cross-over design, injection drug users (IDU) and crack users in two neighborhoods were assigned by neighborhood to receive individual Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing or Safety Counts and 78% were reassessed at 5–9 months. Drug users in the Safety Counts program reported significantly greater reductions in risky sex, crack and hard drug use, and risky drug injection. The more sessions of Safety Counts attended, the greater were the reductions in risky acts. Different analytic decisions result in very different findings for the same intervention. Safety Counts is an effective intervention for IDU and crack users. Analytic decision of intervention outcomes is highly related to evaluations of an intervention’s efficacy.
Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia/thrombosis in a transgenic mouse model requires human platelet factor 4 and platelet activation through FcγRIIA

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia/thrombosis (HIT/HITT) is a severe, life-threatening complication that occurs in 1% to 3% of patients exposed to heparin. Interactions between heparin, human platelet factor 4 (hPF4), antibodies to the hPF4/heparin complex, and the platelet Fc receptor (FcR) for immunoglobulin G, FcγRIIA, are the proposed primary determinants of the disease on the basis of in vitro studies. The goal of this study was to create a mouse model that recapitulates the disease process in humans in order to understand the factors that predispose some patients to develop thrombocytopenia and thrombosis and to investigate new therapeutic approaches. Mice that express both human platelet FcγRIIA and hPF4 were generated. The FcγRIIA/hPF4 mice and controls, transgenic for either FcγRIIA or hPF4, were injected with KKO, a mouse monoclonal antibody specific for hPF4/heparin complexes, and then received heparin (20 U/d). Nadir platelet counts for KKO/heparin–treated FcγRIIA/hPF4 mice were 80% below baseline values, significantly different ( P
FASTING AND REFEEDING: CELL KINETIC RESPONSE OF JEJUNUM, ILEUM AND COLON

Following a period of fasting, feeding a normal diet results in a burst of DNA synthesis in the crypts of the colonic epithelium. This is due largely to a prompt entry of cells, blocked in G1, into S. Peak levels of S cellularity exceed 4 times the fasting, and 2 times the normal fed, control values. Refeeding a low residue diet (soluble casein, glucose and corn oil) results in a return to control levels of proliferative activity, but no hyperplasia. However, in jejunum and ileum, refeeding is followed by a return to near control levels of proliferation with only a slight overshoot in S phase cellularity. During the fasting period, the ileal crypt proliferative compartment (Pc-zone) and total crypt cellularity decline significantly. These changes are accompanied by an increase in the total cycle time, due to an equivalent lengthening of the G1 and S phases. Following refeeding, there is a reduction in the cycle time and a gradual return to the control values for the Pc-zone size and cellularity. In the colon, fasting has no effect on the Pc-zone size or total crypt cellularity. There is an approximate doubling of the cycle time due solely to an increase in G1. Following refeeding there is an increase in the Pc-zone size and crypt cellularity and a marked shortening of the cycle time. Evidence that a G1 cycle blockade is induced in the colon by fasting is given by a lengthening of the G1 period and by stathmokinetic studies employing vincristine.
Neogene Echinoid Assemblages of Carolinas--Their Paleoecology, Morphologic Adaptations, and Stratigraphic Relations: ABSTRACT

Echinoids have considerable potential as stratigraphic and paleoecologic guides for Neogene marine deposits. Entire individuals and fragments are present in most marine units of the Atlantic coastal plain; their calcitic exoskeletons persist where leaching has removed more abundant aragonitic mollusks, and their complexity affords potential for generic and possibly specific classification of disassociated skeletal components. Exoskeletal size, shape, and thickness; modifications of skeletal plate systems; and the nature of internal structures of skeletal components are environmentally induced morphologic adaptations among individuals of the same species which are potential paleoecologic indicators. The present study indicates that where sedimentation rates are low and the substrate stable, relatively immobile forms are most common, and normally small, active species become large, heavily constructed, and inactive. Echinoid assemblages studied in detail are from the Waccamaw Formation (Aftonian?) of North and South Carolina, and the Canepatch Formation (Yarmouthian?) of Horry County, South Carolina. Studies of associated biota and sediment characteristics serve as paleoecologic control. All Waccamaw assemblages are comprised of cassiduloids, clypeasteroids, and arbacoids, whereas only the latter two groups occur in the Canepatch Formation. Populations of the clypeasteroid genera Mellita and Encope are mutually exclusive within the Canepatch Formation. End_of_Article - Last_Page 336------------
Controllability of kinematic control systems on stratified configuration spaces

This paper considers nonlinear kinematic controllability of a class of systems called stratified. Roughly speaking, such stratified systems have a configuration space which can be decomposed into sub-manifolds upon which the system has different sets of equations of motion. For such systems, considering the controllability is difficult because of the discontinuous form of the equations of motion. The main result in this paper is a controllability test, analogous to Chow's theorem, is based upon a construction involving distributions, and the extension thereof to robotic gaits.
A new heuristic method for capacitated multi-level lot sizing problem with backlogging

In this paper we consider the capacitated multilevel lot sizing problem with the consideration of backlogging. Demand for each item is deterministic in each level and in each period with a given horizon of T periods. The objective is to minimize the total cost that includes setup cost, inventory holding cost, and backlogging cost. For each period, the demand must be satisfied without exceeding capacities or else expensive backlogging will be required. In order to generate feasible high quality solutions quickly, we propose a new heuristic algorithm. The proposed approach can combine the domain knowledge from the different strategies of a relax-and-fix method effectively. Extensive computational tests show that our proposed heuristic approach provides good solution results based on benchmark problems.
Standards of Welfare in Economic Thought

Introduction, 117. — I. The classical economists, 120. — II. Marshall and Pigou, 123. — III. Veblen and Hobson, 128. — IV. Knight and Simons, 134. — V. The Keynesians, 135. — VI. Schumpeter, 136. — VII. Conclusion, 137.
Early Experience and Social Grouping in Fear Extinction of Rats

Rats, conditioned to escape shock in a straight 6-ft. runway, were tested for the effects which early rearing and presence of different numbers of social animals had on fear-conditioned escape responses. The most significant findings were that: (a) for animals reared apart, the presence of another animal or animals had little or no effect upon fear-conditioned escape behavior; (b) for animals reared together, the presence of other animals resulted in fear reduction; (c) this fear-reducing influence of other animals seemed to have developed during the early life in a social situation; and (d) the group had to consist of at least three animals before its effects in fear situations were apparent.
Locating geometric primitives by pruning the parameter space

This paper examines the extraction of geometric primitives from two- and three-dimensional image data. The geometric primitives are represented by parametric manifolds in the image space, such as circles, planes, and cylinders.
The newest mercantilism

It is a commonplace that the economic upheavals of the 1970s-of which OPEC's is only the most prominent example-have had an enormous impact on public life. What is less widely recognized is that those upheavals have reverberated inside the academy as well. Economists have lost some of their cachet; "softer" social scientists have gained a bit by arguing (shades of M. Jourdain!) that economics has all along been based on politics. It is this argument, and in particular that strand focusing on the state as a major determinant of international economic relations, that informs the three books listed above. The purpose of this essay is to examine those books, and thus that argument. First, we shall reconstruct1 and summarize the principal arguments of
Transplantation of a mixed population of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells improves regional systolic function in a rabbit model of cryoinjured myocardium

a magnetic activated cell sorting technique. b2mcells (2.5 x 10 cells in 100 l) were transplanted seven days after infarction into a transmural myocardial scar induced by cryoinjury in lewis rats (n 9). control group #1(n 10) received a 100 l injection of normal saline, and control group #2 (n 15) received no injection. the b2mcells were labeled prior to transplantation using the membrane fluorescent intercalated dye pkh26-gl. repopulation was examined at 6 and 8 weeks after transplantation. differentiation of b2mcells into cardiac myocytes was determined by the co-localization of troponin and pkh26-gl to the same cell, utilizing immunohistochemistry, uv photo-microscopy and fluorescence confocal laser microscopy on 6 m serial sections. area of engraftment within the scar was calculated by planimetry. Results: the treatment group had multiple islands of de-novo formation of myocardium within the fibrous matrix of the transmural scar (mean area, 35% 4.2% of scar area at 6 and 8 weeks). these cells co-localized cardiac specific troponin and pkh26-gl. this staining pattern was not observed in the control groups. prior to transplantation, the b2mcells were troponin negative. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that B2Mcells represent a novel sub-population of bone marrow derived stem cells capable of successful and substantial engraftment in areas of transmural myocardial scar, with de-novo formation of cardiac myocytes.
Arthur McGill: A Memoir

When on any occasion his father engaged in an argument with somebody … [Johannes Climacus] was all ears. … His father always allowed his opponent to state his whole case, and then would ask him very carefully whether he had anything more to say before he began his reply. … The father's rejoinder would follow, and lo! in a trice everything would be changed. How this happened remained a riddle to J. C. But his soul was delighted by such a drama. The opponent would speak again, and J. C. would be still more attentive, so that he should miss nothing. … [T]he father … would then perorate, and J. C. could almost hear his heart beat, so impatiently did he await what should happen.
Cloud User Roles: Establishing Standards for Describing Core Tasks of Cloud Creators, Providers, and Consumers

In order to design, build, and provide cloud based solutions that best meet customers' needs, it is essential to understand the skills, goals, primary tasks, and responsibilities of the people or organizations involved throughout the cloud service lifecycle. At IBM®, we developed a set of user roles that are used to describe the tasks of the people who interact with a cloud based Information Technology system. The three core roles of Cloud Service Creator, Cloud Service Provider, and Cloud Service Consumer create the base for reflecting the close interaction between developers, providers, and consumers in order to achieve the optimum service flow. The development of a single role as well as the entire taxonomy of roles is guided by a framework of well-defined principles.
Pregabalin : A Treatment for Fibromyalgia and Other Painful Conditions

Fibromyalgia is a painful condition that affects as many as 6 million Americans every year, most of them young or middle-age women.
Complications of regional anesthesia

Perioperative nerve injuries have long been recognized as a complication of regional anesthesia. Although severe or disabling neurologic complications are rare, recent epidemiologic series suggest the frequency of some serious complications is increasing. Risk factors contributing to neurologic deficit after regional anesthesia includes neural ischemia (hypothesized to be related to the use of vasoconstrictors or prolonged hypotension), traumatic injury to the nerves during needle or catheter placement, infection, and choice of local anesthetic solution. In addition, postoperative neurologic injury due to pressure from improper patient positioning or from tightly applied casts or surgical dressings, as well as surgical trauma are often attributed to the regional anesthetic. Patient factors such as body habitus and pre-existing neurologic dysfunction may also contribute. The safe conduct of regional anesthesia involves knowledge of the laboratory studies, large patient series as well as individual case reports of neurologic deficits following regional anesthetic techniques. Prevention of complications, along with early diagnosis and treatment are important in the management of regional anesthetic risks.
A novel memory management method for multi-core processors

Multicore processor based on SoC, configured by Tensilica Xtensaź LX2, was examined.One core used as the host to control the processor chip.Other used as slave that is an extension of digital signal processing applications.Lowest latency-to-cost ratios by a 32-bit bus interface and 4-entry data queue. This study examines a multicore processor based on a system-on-chip (SoC) and configured by a Tensilica Xtensaź LX2. The multicore processor is a heterogeneous, configurable dual-core processor. In this study, one core was used as the host to control the processor chip, and the other was used as a slave to extend digital signal processing applications. Each core not only owned its local memory, but also shared common data memory. In addition, the proposed multicore processors had a virtual memory. This additional memory supported the processor by enabling it to easily manage complex programs; it also allowed the two cores to access data from the unified data memory of different tasks. For bus management, a bus arbitration mechanism was added to handle the cores and to distribute the priority of asynchronous access requests. The benefits of the proposed structure include avoiding hardwired memory and reducing interface handshaking. To verify the proposed processor, it was simulated on the model level using a Petri net graph, and on the system level using ARM SoC designer tools. In the performance simulation, we found that the lowest latency-to-cost ratios were achieved using a 32-bit bus interface and a 4-entry data queue.
Phase-Selective Curing of Poly(p-Methylstyrene-b-Butadiene-b-p-Methylstyrene)

The preparation, properties and phase-selective crosslinking reactions of poly(p-methylstyrene-b-butadiene-b-p-methylstyrene), PMS-BD-PMS, have been examined. The PMS-BD-PMS triblock copolymer was synthesized anionically by sequential monomer addition. The ability to selectively crosslink the poly(p-methylstyrene) end-block segments was examined by curing with various polymers containing hydroperoxide end groups. Both polystyrene hydroperoxide, PSO2H, and poly(p-methylstyrene) hydroperoxide, PMSO2H, were found to significantly increase tensile stress at break and the percent elongation-at-break of the PMS-BD-PMS triblock copolymer. In addition, the modified triblock copolymer was insoluble in toluene, heptane and methyl ethyl ketone. When unfunctionalized styrene homopolymer was added the effects were quite different. These results have been compared to the unselective, non-phase-selective peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, which dramatically decreases the elastomeric properties of the triblock copolymer after curing. In addition, the specificity of this effect has been investigated by carrying out equivalent experiments with an analogous poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene), PS-BD-PS, triblock copolymer. No enhancement of tensile properties was observed on the treatment. of the PS-BD-PS triblock copolymer with PS02H, followed by curing. The phase-selective curing of PMS-BD-PMS resulted in a product with better tensile properties at 70oC than that observed for the corresponding uncured PMS-BD-PMS and PS-BD-PS triblock copolymers.
The Chemical Synthesis of α-Conotoxins and Structurally Modified Analogs with Enhanced Biological Stability

α-Conotoxins are peptide neurotoxins isolated from the venom ducts of carnivorous marine cone snails that exhibit exquisite pharmacological potency and selectivity for various nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. As such, they are important research tools and drug leads for treating various diseases of the central nervous system, including pain and tobacco addiction. Despite their therapeutic potential, the chemical synthesis of α-conotoxins for use in structure-activity relationship studies is complicated by the possibility of three disulfide bond isomers, where inefficient folding methods can lead to a poor recovery of the pharmacologically active isomer. In order to achieve higher yields of the native isomer, especially in high-throughput syntheses it is necessary to select appropriate oxidative folding conditions. Moreover, the poor biochemical stability exhibited by α-conotoxins limits their general therapeutic applicability in vivo. Numerous strategies to enhance their stability including the substitution of disulfide bond with diselenide bond and N-to-C cyclization via an oligopeptide spacer have successfully overcome these limitations. This chapter describes methods for performing both selective and nonselective disulfide bond oxidation strategies for controlling the yields and formation of α-conotoxin disulfide bond isomers, as well as methods for the production of highly stable diselenide-containing and N-to-C cyclized conotoxin analogs.
Clinical practice guidelines: A review

The development of clinical practice guidelines has spread from utilization review agencies to physician specialty societies, federal agencies, managed care organizations, and academic health centers as their usefulness in accomplishing the goals of healthcare reform become clear. The author reviews the mounting evidence that variation in the practice of medicine suggests that patients in some areas are not receiving all needed services, while others are receiving unnecessary services. He explores the implications of practice guidelines for improving the quality of care while controlling cost. Practice guidelines are defined and distinguished from medical review criteria. The author explores the challenges in governance, funding, and guideline development and communication that will have to be overcome to establish the credibility of practice guidelines. Finally, he addresses the opportunities for the osteopathic medical profession to establish its uniqueness in this setting.
Molecular Epidemiology of Shigella sonnei in Pima County, Arizona: Evidence for a Mexico-Related Plasmid

In 1984, the incidence of shigellosis was 32.4 per 100,000 population in Pima County, Arizona. To investigate sources, Shigella isolates and epidemiologic data were collected for 79 cases of infection with Shigella sonnei, the most common species. Since S. sonnei has a single serotype, plasmid isolation was attempted to refine the epidemiologic analysis. There were seven plasmid patterns containing 17, 13, 4, 22, 9, 2, and 3 isolates. Twelve of 17 isolates associated with recent travel to Mexico were in a group distinguished by a 5.1-kilobase (kb) plasmid. This plasmid was used to probe Southern blots of plasmids from strains of all groups. The Mexico-related plasmid probe hybridized to all the 5.1-kb plasmids and to 5.5- and 7.4-kb plasmids from three other groups. Of the 79 isolates, 50 contained plasmids homologous to the Mexico-related plasmid probe, suggesting association with travel to Mexico.
Bessel Composite Function of the Third Order and First Kind Solution to Damped Wave Conduction and Relaxation

The damped wave conduction and relaxation equation in three dimenions in spherical coordinates was solved for by using the relativistic transformation. Approximate analytical solutions were obtained in the creeping transfer limit in spherical infinite coordinates. The solution consist of three regimes. A inertial zero transfer regime. A second regime that is characterized by the Bessel composite function of the third order and first kind. The third regime is characterized by the modified composite function of the third order and first kind. Without the creeping transfer limit assumption the order of the Bessel composite solution can be seen to be 7/2.© 2008 ASME
Farinin: characterization of a novel wheat endosperm protein belonging to the prolamin superfamily.

Starch granule surface-associated proteins were separated by HPLC and identified by direct protein sequencing. Among the proteins identified was one that consisted of two polypeptide chains of 11 a...
Enzyme-Specific Sensors via Aggregation of Charged p-Phenylene Ethynylenes

Chemical and biological sensors are sought for their ability to detect enzymes as biomarkers for symptoms of various disorders, or the presence of chemical pollutants or poisons. p-Phenylene ethynylene oligomers with pendant charged groups have been recently shown to have ideal photophysical properties for sensing. In this study, one anionic and one cationic oligomer are combined with substrates that are susceptible to enzymatic degradation by phospholipases or acetylcholinesterases. The photophysical properties of the J-aggregated oligomers with the substrate are ideal for sensing, with fluorescence quantum yields of the sensors enhanced between 30 and 66 times compared to the oligomers without substrate. The phospholipase sensor was used to monitor the activity of phospholipase A1 and A2 and obtain kinetic information, though phospholipase C did not degrade the sensor. The acetylcholinesterase sensor was used to monitor enzyme activity and was also used to detect the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase b...
Proteasome inhibitors, including curcumin, improve pancreatic β-cell function and insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice.

Type 2 diabetes stems from obesity-associated insulin resistance, and in the genetically susceptible, concomitant pancreatic β-cell failure can occur, which further exacerbates hyperglycemia. Recent work by our group and others has shown that the natural polyphenol curcumin attenuates the development of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in mouse models of hyperinsulinemic or compensated type 2 diabetes. Although several potential downstream molecular targets of curcumin exist, it is now recognized to be a direct inhibitor of proteasome activity. We now show that curcumin also prevents β-cell failure in a mouse model of uncompensated obesity-related insulin resistance (Leprdb/db on the Kaliss background). In this instance, dietary supplementation with curcumin prevented hyperglycemia, increased insulin production and lean body mass, and prolonged lifespan. In addition, we show that short-term in vivo treatment with low dosages of two molecularly distinct proteasome inhibitors celastrol and epoxomicin reverse hyperglycemia in mice with β-cell failure by increasing insulin production and insulin sensitivity. These studies suggest that proteasome inhibitors may prove useful for patients with diabetes by improving both β-cell function and relieving insulin resistance.
Analysis of microbiological detection of health food in Hunan Province

Objective:To strengthen the supervision and management of health food products,an investigation on microorganism detection of health food was conducted in Hunan Province during 2002~2008.Methods:Using national standards and health standards,the health food has been detected and evaluated during the seven years in Hunan Province.Results:In 1352 health food products,1293 were eligible for a qualification rate of 95.64%.Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference of qualified rate among the years.However,the difference between food submitting and food sampling was significant,which the qualification rate of food submitting was significantly higher than food sampling.Moreover,there was a significant difference in different formulation of health food products;tablet was of the highest qualified rate,health tea the lowest.There was also a significant difference in the qualification rate of colony count,coliform,pathogens,fungi and yeast.Conclusion:Since the microbial contamination is different in different formulation of health food products,the Department of Health should strengthen its health-care management of health food.
Transformation of Ti-microalloyed TRIP Steel During Continuous Cooling

The transformation behavior of a Ti-bearing microalloyed steel during continuous cooling at different start cooling temperatures was investigated by means of Formastor-FII phase transformation testing instrument.The continuous cooling transformation(CCT)curves were established,and the transformation behaviors of ferrite,bainite and martensite were analyzed.The results show that the ferrite,bainite and martensite are obtained successively with the increasing of cooling rate,and the bainite and martensite can be obtained in a wide range of cooling rate,and the martensite transformation start temperature(Ms)is about 450℃.The ferrite and bainite transformation start temperature decreases with the decreasing of start cooling temperature or increasing of cooling rate,so the ferrite and bainite phase transformation is inhibited.The microstructure of the steel transforms from ferrite plus granular bainite,lath bainite plus lath martensite and then to lath martensite successively with the increasing of cooling rate;when the cooling rate is low,the ferrite is composed intragranular ferrite and grain boundary ferrite,and the intragranular ferrite nucleat on complex oxide and sulfide.
Urinary Proteomics Yield Pathological Insights for Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction

Prenatal hydronephrosis is a common condition that may spontaneously resolve after birth. However, this condition can result in renal damage and requires surgical correction in a number of cases. Preventing renal damage is paramount, but existing diagnostic technology is invasive, exposes infants to radiation, is costly, and is often indeterminate. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of renal obstruction as reflected in the urinary proteome may provide new insights into the disease that could potentially alter the clinical management of hydronephrosis. We performed a quantitative proteomics study of urine that was surgically obtained from eight clinically significant, unilaterally obstructed infants versus eight healthy controls, with the goal of identifying quantitatively varying proteins and the biological networks associated with them. Notably, urine was obtained from both the obstructed kidney and the bladder. Over 1100 proteins were identified, and a total of 76 quantitatively varying proteins were identified. Proteins involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and renal disease pathways showed the most significant abundance differences. This study gives a deeper understanding of the critical proteomic changes associated with renal obstruction and represents the deepest proteomic profile of renal obstruction to date.
Progress in “Regionalization” of Perinatal Care

Approaches to improving the delivery of perinatal care and the current status of their implementation throughout the country are elaborated.
Aortic pulse pressure homeostasis emerges from physiological adaptation of systemic arteries to local mechanical stresses

Aortic pulse pressure arises from the interaction of the heart, the systemic arterial system, and peripheral microcirculations. The complex interaction between hemodynamics and arterial remodeling precludes the ability to experimentally ascribe changes in aortic pulse pressure to particular adaptive responses. Therefore, the purpose of the present work was to use a human systemic arterial system model to test the hypothesis that pulse pressure homeostasis can emerge from physiological adaptation of systemic arteries to local mechanical stresses. First, we assumed a systemic arterial system that had a realistic topology consisting of 121 arterial segments. Then the relationships of pulsatile blood pressures and flows in arterial segments were characterized by standard pulse transmission equations. Finally, each arterial segment was assumed to remodel to local stresses following three simple rules: 1) increases in endothelial shear stress increases radius, 2) increases in wall circumferential stress increases wall thickness, and 3) increases in wall circumferential stress decreases wall stiffness. Simulation of adaptation by iteratively calculating pulsatile hemodynamics, mechanical stresses, and vascular remodeling led to a general behavior in response to mechanical perturbations: initial increases in pulse pressure led to increased arterial compliances, and decreases in pulse pressure led to decreased compliances. Consequently, vascular adaptation returned pulse pressures back toward baseline conditions. This behavior manifested when modeling physiological adaptive responses to changes in cardiac output, changes in peripheral resistances, and changes in local arterial radii. The present work, thus, revealed that pulse pressure homeostasis emerges from physiological adaptation of systemic arteries to local mechanical stresses.
Interventional pain management in the new millennium.

From the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Paducah, Kentucky. Dr. Manchikanti is the President and Executive Director of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Address correspondence: Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, 2831 Lone Oak Road, Paducah, KY 42003. Email: drm@asipp.org “....There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” -Ronald Reagan
Abstract 278: Protective Effects of Niacin in a Murine Model of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Introduction. Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are common among the aging population, yet there is no effective pharmacotherapy. Neutrophils play a key role in the pathogenesis of AAA, by triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, matrix degradation and smooth muscle cell (SMC) death. Niacin, a vitamin with beneficial cardiovascular effects, was shown previously to reduce vascular neutrophil infiltration, MPO accumulation, and HOCl-induced endothelial dysfunction in a rabbit perivascular injury model. Hypothesis We hypothesized that niacin would have beneficial effects to prevent AAA in a mouse model. Methods LDL null mice were infused with angiotensin II (1000 ng/kg/min) for 14 days to induce AAA with (n=27) or without (n=18) 0.3% supplemental niacin in the drinking water. One group (n=6) received the DP1 receptor antagonist, laropiprant, in addition to niacin. We also investigated the effects of niacin on MMP release in a human neutrophil cell line (HL-60) and on viability of a murine SMC line (MOVAS-1) challenged with 100μM H2O2. Results Niacin decreased the rate of AAA formation as compared to untreated control mice, 26% vs. 83%, respectively. In mice that survived the complete 14 day treatment period and did not die due to a ruptured AAA, the mean suprarenal aorta diameters were 1.20 mm (SEM 0.09) in niacin treated mice vs. 1.68 mm (SEM 0.12) in the control group, representing a niacin treatment effect of a 29% diameter decrease (p<0.5). Laropiprant did not have an effect on AAA formation, however did increase the blood pressure moderately. In HL-60 cells stimulated with TNF-α, niacin (10mM) decreased MMP 9 activity by 88% but had no effect on cell viability. In MOVAS-1 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide, 10mM niacin had a protective effect, reducing cell death at 12 hours (50% dead cells with niacin + H2O2 vs. 93% dead cells with hydrogen peroxide alone, p=0.02). Conclusions We conclude that niacin decreases the incidence of AAA and demonstrates pleiotropic effects on neutrophils and SMCs that may underlie its already known beneficial lipid modifying mechanisms. These novel findings suggest that niacin might be a safe, effective and inexpensive medical therapy for AAA.
Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity, by Terryl L. Givens, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014, xiii + 405 pp., ISBN 978 0 19 979492 8, US$36.95 (hardcover)

In Wrestling the Angel, Terryl L. Givens has several goals. First, he seeks to explore ‘Mormonism’s status as a Christian faith and its exact relationship to Christianity’ (p. ix). He does this pri...
The Tumor Microenvironment as a Barrier to Cancer Nanotherapy

Although extensive research effort and resources have been dedicated to the development of nanotherapeutics to treat cancer, few formulations have reached clinical application. A major reason is that the large number of parameters available to tune nanotherapy characteristics coupled with the variability in tumor tissue precludes evaluation of complex interactions through experimentation alone. In order to optimize the nanotechnology design and gain further insight into these phenomena, mathematical modeling and computational simulation have been applied to complement empirical work. In this chapter, we discuss modeling work related to nanotherapy and the tumor microenvironment. We first summarize the biology underlying the dysregulated tumor microenvironment, followed by a description of major nano-scale parameters. We then present an overview of the mathematical modeling of cancer nanotherapy, including evaluation of nanotherapy in multi-dimensional tumor tissue, coupling of nanotherapy with vascular flow, modeling of nanotherapy in combination with in vivo imaging, modeling of nanoparticle transport based on in vitro data, modeling of vasculature-bound nanoparticles, evaluation of nanotherapy using pharmacokinetic modeling, and modeling of nano-based hyperthermia. We conclude that an even tighter interdisciplinary effort between biological, material, and physical scientists is needed in order to eventually overcome the tumor microenvironment barrier to successful nanotherapy.
Influence of interfacial chemistry and molecular length on the electronic properties of metal-molecule-silicon junctions produced by flip chip lamination

The integration of organic molecules with silicon is increasingly being studied for potential uses in hybrid electronic devices. However, creating a dense and highly ordered organic monolayer on silicon with reliable metal-molecule contacts still remains a challenge. A novel technique, flip chip lamination (FCL), has been developed to create uniform, covalently bound metal-molecule-semiconductor junctions using nanotransfer printing.[1, 2] FCL is advantageous because it is a versatile technique that can be used for a variety of molecules, the molecular structure can be interrogated while in the device architecture, and it is a low cost scheme that preserves the integrity of the molecular self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) within the junction. This work reports on studies of several molecular SAMs to investigate the role of length dependence and molecular structure for metal-molecule-silicon junctions. The effects of the FCL process on the chemical and physical properties of the embedded molecular layer were examined with p-polarized backside reflectance absorption infrared spectroscopy (pb-RAIRS), spectroscopic ellipsometry, and water contact angle measurements. Electrical measurements were performed to characterize the electronic properties of the organic SAMs and to offer better insight into the mechanisms at play in the electronic transport through the metal-molecule-silicon junction.
Self-assembly of diphenylalanine peptide with controlled polarization for power generation

Peptides have attracted considerable attention due to their biocompatibility, functional molecular recognition and unique biological and electronic properties. The strong piezoelectricity in diphenylalanine peptide expands its technological potential as a smart material. However, its random and unswitchable polarization has been the roadblock to fulfilling its potential and hence the demonstration of a piezoelectric device remains lacking. Here we show the control of polarization with an electric field applied during the peptide self-assembly process. Uniform polarization is obtained in two opposite directions with an effective piezoelectric constant d33 reaching 17.9 pm V−1. We demonstrate the power generation with a peptide-based power generator that produces an open-circuit voltage of 1.4 V and a power density of 3.3 nW cm−2. Devices enabled by peptides with controlled piezoelectricity provide a renewable and biocompatible energy source for biomedical applications and open up a portal to the next generation of multi-functional electronics compatible with human tissue. Piezoelectricity in diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes (PNTs) suggests an avenue towards green piezoelectric devices. Here the authors show ‘smart’ PNTs whose polarization can be controlled with an electric field, and a resultant power generator which harvests biomechanical energy with high power density.
Comparison of Methods to Estimate Snow Water Equivalent at the Mountain Range Scale: A Case Study of the California Sierra Nevada

AbstractDespite the importance of snow in global water and energy budgets, estimates of global mountain snow water equivalent (SWE) are not well constrained. Two approaches for estimating total range-wide SWE over Sierra Nevada, California, are assessed: 1) global/hemispherical models and remote sensing and models available for continental United States (CONUS) plus southern Canada (CONUS+) available to the scientific community and 2) regional climate model simulations via the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model run at 3, 9, and 27 km. As no truth dataset provides total mountain range SWE, these two approaches are compared to a “reference” SWE consisting of three published, independent datasets that utilize/validate against in situ SWE measurements. Model outputs are compared with the reference datasets for three water years: 2005 (high snow accumulation), 2009 (average), and 2014 (low). There is a distinctive difference between the reference/WRF datasets and the global/CONUS+ daily estimates of ...
Adjunctive Attack and Displacement Preening in the Pigeon as a function of the Ratio Requirement for Reinforcement

3 Carneaux pigeons were exposed to several fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement, ranging from FR-15 to FR-200, in the presence of a restrained target bird. As the number of key-pecking responses for grain reinforcement was increased, there was a substantial increase in self-preening and attack responses toward the target bird. These data were interpreted as support for the suggestion that displacement activity and adjunctive behaviors represent a similar behavioral process.
The Final Rule: When the Rubber Meets the Road

The Common Rule originally issued in 1991 and last amended in 2005 is scheduled to be replaced on January 19, 2018 by a revised Common Rule (the final rule). The goal of the revisions is to modernize and improve applicability of the rule to a research landscape that has dramatically changed since 1991. Translating these changes into action will require comprehensive understanding of the final rule and detailed implementation planning by Human Research Protection Programs. This paper presents select changes that require substantial attention; including for example: expansion of the exempt category, changes to continuing review requirements, changes to the informed consent form and the use of single IRBs for domestic multi-site research. In addition, myriad policies, procedures and workflows will have to be developed, drastically rewritten, or just mildly tweaked.