cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the glycoprotein antigens which mediate the Schistosoma japonicum circumoval precipitin reaction.

Abstract The circumoval precipitin test is a serological test used for diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica. Soluble egg antigens of Schistosoma japonicum block the formation of the circumoval precipitin by serum from infected humans. Consequently, circumoval precipitin inhibition was used to monitor purification of the soluble egg antigens of S. japonicum. Crude egg antigens were separated into protein and glycoprotein fractions by lectin chromatography on concanavalin A Sepharose. The glycoprotein fraction produced two intense precipitin lines upon immunodiffusion analysis with human chronic infection sera. The protein fraction produced two faint precipitin lines which did not cross-react with those of the glycoprotein fraction. The glycoprotein fraction contained 90% of the circumoval precipitin inhibitory activity. Isoelectric focusing of 125I-labeled concanavalin A Sepharose fractions revealed at least four groups of potential S. japonicum antigens, termed JAG I, II, and III, and a JAG IV complex. These had isoelectric points ranging from 3.2 to 6.7. In these respects, the S. japonicum egg antigen glycoproteins are similar to those of Schistosoma mansoni. The glycoproteins were further separated by diethylaminoethyl ion-exchange chromatography. On immunodiffusion analysis it was found that one of the strong Ouchterlony precipitin lines was associated with glycoproteins that did not adsorb to diethyl-aminoethyl columns, whereas the second Ouchterlony precipitin was heterodisperse, being present in the first, second, and third of the four peaks eluted from the diethylaminoethyl column. Immunoelectrophoresis of the diethylaminoethyl fractions demonstrated that the antigen present in highest concentration in soluble egg antigen glycoproteins, JAG II, was extremely heterodisperse in its behavior on diethylaminoethyl columns. This is unlike the S. mansoni antigens which can be easily separated by diethylaminoethyl ion-exchange chromatography.
Comment: Spurious Correlation and Other Observations on Experimental Design for Engineering Dimensional Analysis.

This article discusses the paper "Experimental Design for Engineering Dimensional Analysis" by Albrecht et al. (2013, Technometrics). That paper provides and overview of engineering dimensional analysis (DA) for use in developing DA models. The paper proposes methods for generating model-robust experimental designs to supporting fitting DA models. The specific approach is to develop a design that maximizes the efficiency of a specified empirical model (EM) in the original independent variables, subject to a minimum efficiency for a DA model expressed in terms of dimensionless groups (DGs). This discussion article raises several issues and makes recommendations regarding the proposed approach. Also, the concept of spurious correlation is raised and discussed. Spurious correlation results from the response DG being calculated using several independent variables that are also used to calculate predictor DGs in the DA model.
Emergency Care for Infants and Children with Acute Cardiac Disease

Children occasionally present to the emergency department with life-threatening congenital or acquired cardiac disease. Presenting symptoms may be nonspecific, and accurate assessment and timely interventions are required to achieve optimal outcomes in this heterogeneous and complex patient population. In this article, we review 4 common scenarios: neonates presenting with ductal-dependent congenital heart disease, infants with tetralogy of Fallot who develop hypercyanotic episodes, children with decompensated congestive heart failure, and those with cardiac tamponade. In each instance, presenting signs and symptoms are discussed, and practical suggestions are offered for the initial diagnostic approach and management.
Who can you trust? Behavioral and neural differences between perceptual and memory-based influences.

Decisions about whether to trust someone can be influenced by competing sources of information, such as analysis of facial features versus remembering specific information about the person. We hypothesized that such sources can differentially influence trustworthiness judgments depending on the circumstances in which judgments are made. In our experiments, subjects first learned face-word associations. Stimuli were trustworthy and untrustworthy faces selected on the basis of consensus judgments and personality attributes that carried either the same valence (consistent with face) or the opposite valence (inconsistent with face). Subsequently, subjects rated the trustworthiness of each face. Both learned and perceptual information influenced ratings, but learned information was less influential under speeded than under non-speeded conditions. EEG data further revealed neural evidence of the processing of these two competing sources. Perceptual influences were apparent earlier than memory influences, substantiating the conclusion that time pressure can selectively disrupt memory retrieval relevant to trustworthiness attributions.
Measuring the stoichiometry and physical interactions between components elucidates the architecture of the vertebrate kinetochore.

Vertebrate kinetochores contain over 50 different proteins organized into three distinct regions: the inner plate, outer plate, and fibrous corona. The present study characterizes numerous precursors of kinetochore assembly in a system free of centromeric chromatin, Xenopus extracts. Hydrodynamic analysis suggests there are a minimum of two monomeric proteins and six preassembled complexes that accumulate on centromeres to form the kinetochore. The inner and outer kinetochore assemble from at least two distinct kinetochore complexes containing the proteins Mis12, Zwint, and Ndc80, all of which interact by immunoprecipitation. There is also a network of interactions between the fibrous corona proteins that is dissociated by microtubules. We quantify the number of molecules of specific proteins assembled into a single kinetochore. There are between 800 and 1200 molecules of the measured inner and outer kinetochore proteins, demonstrating that the components in these regions are in similar stoichiometry. In contrast, the measured fibrous corona proteins are present at 250-300 molecules per kinetochore. Zwint, but not Mis12, requires the Ndc80 complex for assembly into the kinetochore. Further, Ndc80 requires Zwint for assembly, indicating a codependency for these two proteins. Our data provide a model for the structural architecture and assembly pathway of the vertebrate kinetochore.
Death Unto Life: The Power of the Incarnation

Black families traditionally print photographs, poems, songs and sayings in funeral programs as a tribute to the deceased. These artistic expressions, which are part of the black funeral tradition, communicate a theology of death and the afterlife. Yet, the contributions of black, feminist, womanist and pastoral theologies are conventionally ignored in the development of theologies of death. This essay explores the practical implications of using elements of these theologies—black, feminist, womanist and pastoral—to effectively minister to a person with fears, doubts, and questions, and who is facing death. These theologies reveal that death is not the enemy of the dying person who taps into the power of the Incarnation—the “erotic power” housed in human flesh that overcomes and triumphs over death.
SELENIUM DIOXIDE AS A CONSTITUENT OF GLASSES1

SeO2 is added as selenious acid (H2SeO3) and as sodium selenite (Na2SeO3 to the oxides Na2O, CaO, BaO, PbO, B203, and SiO2 to form glasses and crystalline melts containing apprcciable amounts of SeO2. The chemical analysis of glasses shows the vaporization of SeOn to be high during the melting stage. Most of these glasses are unstable in air or water. A relatively stable glass contained Na2O 33.4%, CaO 12.4%, B2O3 37.6%, SiO2 5.8%, SeO2 10.8%. Melting several compositions in a closed container yielded opaque or crystalline melts, whereas the same compositions melted in air with a partial volatilization of SeO2 gave clear glasses.
Is bilateral ultrasound scanning of the legs necessary for patients with unilateral symptoms of deep vein thrombosis

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the necessity of bilateral lower-extremity venous duplex ultrasound scanning in patients with unilateral symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of 1080 bilateral venous duplex scans was performed. Patients were randomly selected from a total of 7922 studied between May 1998 and May 2000. Data on patient age, sex, comorbidity, and the reason for ultrasound scan were compiled. Forty percent (435/1080) of patients presented with unilateral symptoms of lower-extremity DVT. This group was further analyzed according to their status as inpatients or outpatients. Results: DVT was diagnosed in 26.9% (117/435) of the patients. Of the inpatients found to have DVT, the thrombus was confined to the symptomatic leg in 23.8% (38/159), thrombus was present just in the asymptomatic leg in 8/159 (5.0%), and thrombus was found in both legs in 8/159 (5.0%). In the outpatient group, thrombus was confined to the symptomatic leg in 21.0% (58/276) and found in both legs in 1.8% (5/276). None of the 276 outpatients had DVT isolated in the asymptomatic leg. Conclusion: Routine bilateral lower-extremity venous duplex studies are not necessary in outpatients presenting with unilateral symptoms. In many outpatients, a single-limb study will suffice. If a patient is found to have a DVT on the symptomatic side, then we believe that a bilateral study is indicated. We do believe that routine bilateral scanning of inpatients remains justified. This algorithm may save technician time and increase vascular laboratory efficiency. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:792-7.)
A system for coreference resolution for the clinical narrative.

Objective To research computational methods for coreference resolution in the clinical narrative and build a system implementing the best methods. Methods The Ontology Development and Information Extraction corpus annotated for coreference relations consists of 7214 coreferential markables, forming 5992 pairs and 1304 chains. We trained classifiers with semantic, syntactic, and surface features pruned by feature selection. For the three system componentsdfor the resolution of relative pronouns, personal pronouns, and noun phrasesdwe experimented with support vector machines with linear and radial basis function (RBF) kernels, decision trees, and perceptrons. Evaluation of algorithms and varied feature sets was performed using standard metrics. Results The best performing combination is support vector machines with an RBF kernel and all features (MUC score¼0.352, B 3 ¼0.690, CEAF¼0.486, BLANC¼0.596) outperforming a traditional decision tree baseline. Discussion The application showed good performance similar to performance on general English text. The main error source was sentence distances exceeding a window of 10 sentences between markables. A possible solution to this problem is hinted at by the fact that coreferent markables sometimes occurred in predictable (although distant) note sections. Another system limitation is failure to fully utilize synonymy and ontological knowledge. Future work will investigate additional ways to incorporate syntactic features into the coreference problem. Conclusion We investigated computational methods for coreference resolution in the clinical narrative. The best methods are released as modules of the open source Clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System and Ontology Development and Information Extraction platforms.
The Development of Grooming Behavior in the Domestic Chicken, (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Abstract The sequential development of grooming in male and female domestic chickens was preening the body with the beak and scratching the head with the foot followed by dustbathing and later by oiling. The relative frequency of preening movements to different parts of the plumage seems to vary with the age of the chicken and be related to the development of the wing feathers. No difference was found in grooming frequency between males and females during the first six weeks.
Agricultural slavery in the Northern colonies and in classical Athens: some comparisons

Our view of agricultural slavery tends to be dominated by the plantation model familiar from modern slavery, especially in the Caribbean and the Cotton Kingdom of the southern United States. The well-documented plantation model is in fact a useful comparative tool which, when properly used, can advance our understanding of the less well-documented Roman latifundist slavery. This plantation model is all but irrelevant, however, to the very different slave regime of Athens in the fifth and fourth centuries b.c., and one must look elsewhere for a similarly well-documented model to use for the purpose of comparative analysis of Athenian agricultural slavery. Such a model, I would suggest, can be found in the agricultural slave regime of the northern North American colonies (New England and, to a lesser degree, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) in the second half of the eighteenth century. As we shall see, this less familiar regime of slavery in these colonies displays striking similarities to the agricultural slave regime of classical Athens. We will examine some of these similarities and indicate, by illustration, some of the ways by which a knowledge of northern agricultural slavery can be of use to the student of Athenian social history.
Clinical characteristics of bacterial vaginosis among women testing positive for fastidious bacteria.

Objectives: As the aetiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is not well understood, this study sought to determine the relationships between several fastidious microbes, BV and selected clinical characteristics of BV. Methods: Endometrial and cervical specimens from 50 women with non-gonococcal, non-chlamydial endometritis were tested for Leptotrichia sanguinegens/amnionii , Atopobium vaginae , bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria 1 (BVAB1), Ureaplasma urealyticum biovar 2 (UU-2) and Ureaplasma parvum using PCR. BV was categorised using Nugent’s and Amsel’s criteria. Odds ratios (OR) adjusted for age and race were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Although elevated pH was a universal feature, other BV characteristics differed by pathogen, suggesting variable clinical presentation. Only UU-2 was strongly associated with vaginal discharge, but a positive whiff test and a 20% or greater classification of epithelial cells as clue cells were more common among women with L sanguinegens/amnionii , A vaginae and BVAB1. For each of these bacteria, there were trends towards associations with BV defined by Amsel’s criteria ( L sanguinegens/amnionii OR 2.9, 95% CI 0.5 to 15.7; A vaginae OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.6 to 11.4; BVAB1 OR 5.7, 95% CI 1.0 to 31.1) and significant associations with BV defined by Gram stain ( L sanguinegens/amnionii OR 17.7, 95% CI 2.8 to 113.0; A vaginae OR 19.2, 95% CI 3.7 to 98.7; BVAB1 OR 21.1, 95% CI 2.2 to 198.5). Conclusions: L sanguinegens/amnionii , A vaginae and BVAB1 are associated with clinical characteristics consistent with BV and BV defined by Nugent’s and Amsel’s criteria. These fastidious bacteria may cause unrecognised infection, as none was associated with abnormal vaginal discharge.
0 Espirito Santo e a revolução tecnológica

Quais sao as mudancas efetuadas em nossa sociedade diversificada devido aos processos de industrializacao e urbanizacao e quais suas consequencias para o individuo privado? O presente trabalho representa a primeira parte de uma prelecao proferida no "Urban Pastor’s Institute” do "Lutheran Theological Seminary” em Philadelphia, Pa. pelo autor, que e docente para Missao na Lutheran School of Theology em Chicago.
Loss Disallowance after Rite Aid: Deconstructing '-20'

This article has two distinct parts. Part I discusses the temporary loss disallowance regulations. These include both the rules for dispositions of a subsidiary's stock after the Tax Court's decision in Rite Aid, as well as steps that a group can take to obtain refunds for dispositions in prior years. Part II explores the effect that the Rite Aid decision could have on other consolidated return regulations. The article concludes that, contrary to the suggestions of some commentators, the decision did not alter prior law. The article analyzes specific provisions of the regulations that appear to be inconsistent with the Code. With some exceptions, most provisions of the consolidated return regulations that provide results different than the results that would be achieved if separate returns were filed, are justified by special problems that consolidated return filing creates. Legislative proposal to amend Code Sec. 1502 to strengthen the Secretary's authority to promulgate the regulations are at best unnecessary and at worst an improper delegation of legislative authority.
Nicotine Enhances High-Fat Diet-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Kidney

Introduction Life expectancy of an obese smoker is 13 years less than a normal weight smoker, which could be linked to the increased renal risk imposed by smoking. Both smoking-through nicotine (NIC)-and obesity-by free fatty acid overload-provoke oxidative stress in the kidney, which ultimately results in development of chronic kidney injury. Their combined renal risk, however, is virtually unknown. We tested the hypothesis that chronic NIC exposure worsens renal oxidative stress in mice on high-fat diet (HFD) by altering the balance between expression of pro-oxidant and antioxidant genes. Methods Nine-week-old male C57Bl/6J mice consumed normal diet (ND) or HFD and received either NIC (200 μg/ml) or vehicle (2% saccharine) in their drinking water. Body weight, plasma clinical parameters, renal lipid deposition, markers of renal oxidative stress and injury, as well as renal expression of the pro-oxidant p66shc and the antioxidant MnSOD were determined after 12 weeks. Results NIC significantly augmented levels of circulating free fatty acid, as well as lipid deposition, oxidative stress and sublethal injury in the kidneys of mice on HFD. In addition, NIC exposure suppressed HFD-mediated induction of MnSOD while increased expression of p66shc in the kidney. Conclusions Tobacco smoking or the increasingly popular E-cigarettes-via NIC exposure-could worsen obesity-associated lipotoxicity in the kidney. Hence, our findings could help to develop strategies that mitigate adverse effects of NIC on the obese kidney. Implications Life expectancy of an obese smoker is 13 years less than a normal weight smoker, which could be linked to the increased renal risk imposed by smoking. NIC-the main component of tobacco smoke, E-cigarettes and replacement therapies-links smoking to renal injury via oxidative stress, which could superimpose renal oxidative stress caused by obesity. Our results substantiate this scenario using a mouse model of diet induced obesity and NIC exposure and imply the augmented long-term renal risk in obese smokers. Also, our study may help to develop strategies that mitigate adverse effects of NIC on the obese kidney.
Thermoelectric Modeling of Si-Si1-xGex Ordered Nanowire Composites

Thermoelectrics have always been attractive for power generation and cooling because of power reliability and environmentally friendly issues. However, this concept remains non-competitive due to the limitation in the efficiency of available thermoelectric materials and device designs [1]. In the 1990s, Hicks and Dresselhaus predicted the possibility of a dramatic enhancement in thermoelectric performance based on the special behavior of low dimensional materials [2, 3]. This enhancement is in part due to the increase in quantum confinement effects, the increase in electronic density of states at specified energies, and the increase in the phonon interface scattering for low dimensional structures. Nanowires and core-shell nanowires can be considered to be model systems to illustrate representative behavior in low dimensional thermoelectric materials. It is expected that a system made out of nanowires or core-shell nanowires would have a higher thermoelectric performance than its bulk counterpart due to an increase in the number of interfaces. The interfaces that are introduced must be such that phonons are scattered more strongly than are electrons. Theoretical studies have been carried out to better understand the transport properties of Si-Si1−xGex ordered nanowire composites. The composite is modeled as having Si wires embedded in a Si1−xGex host matrix. Thus, core-shell Si/Si1−xGex nanowires can be considered as a building block of the composite. The effect of the wire diameter and the shell alloy composition on ZT is presented.
Multicolor monitoring of the proteasome's catalytic signature.

The proteasome, a validated anticancer target, participates in an array of biochemical activities, which range from the proteolysis of defective proteins to antigen presentation. We report the preparation of biochemically and photophysically distinct green, red, and far-red real-time sensors designed to simultaneously monitor the proteasome’s chymotrypsin-, trypsin-, and caspase-like activities, respectively. These sensors were employed to assess the effect of simultaneous multiple active site catalysis on the kinetic properties of the individual subunits. Furthermore, we have found that the catalytic signature of the proteasome varies depending on the source, cell type, and disease state. Trypsin-like activity is more pronounced in yeast than in mammals, whereas chymotrypsin-like activity is the only activity detectable in B-cells (unlike other mammalian cells). Furthermore, chymotrypsin-like activity is more prominent in transformed B cells relative to their counterparts from healthy donors.
Water Based Propellant for Cold Gas Thruster

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) have produced ideas and techniques for creating new devices at the micro/nano scale. Nano/pico satellites have limited orientation capability partly due to the current state of microthruster devices. Development of a self-contained micro propulsion system would enable dynamic orbital maneuvering of pico- and nano-class satellites. The act of vaporizing a fluid via nanochannels to vacuum has not been studied and the limitations are unknown, but it could provide a novel method of propulsion for small satellites. However, solution properties are transient during vaporization which affects fluid flow. Thus, experiments have been designed to measure solution properties including density, evaporation rate, and vaporization pressure. A setup has been designed monitor the solution mass and volume inside a vacuum chamber. Evaporation of the solution is affected by the vacuum pressure, capillary tubing diameter, solution temperature, and solution concentration. When maintained at the solution vapor pressure, the vaporization rate has ranged from 0.003 to 0.025 grams per minute across the varying concentrations. Preliminary results have indicated some interesting trends regarding solution composition and vaporization rate. The results obtained from preliminary experiments will be used in conjunction with future experiments to determine the viability of nanochannels to be used in the small satellite propulsion system.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Social Media Use in Child Welfare Practice

The scholarly child welfare literature offers little information about the use of social media by child welfare workers. We conducted a study of 171 child welfare workers across several states using an online survey. The resulting data offer insights from workers about current practices related to social media use in a child welfare work setting. Most respondents see social media as an acceptable tool for conducting child welfare assessments. Respondents describe strains and benefits of social media use. It is recommended that agencies provide guidance on ethical decision-making for using social media as a work-related tool. Agencies should also provide policy clearly defining social media use and misuse.
An Optimization Method for Spinning Reserve in Primary Frequency Control Considering Transient Frequency Deviation

The optimization configuration of spinning reserve that is active during primary frequency regulation is researched,and an optimization method in which the transient frequency deviation of power system is taken into accouont is proposed.Firstly by use of off-line analysis the proposed method calulates the maximum active power of each generation unit that is allowed to be undertaken during primary frequency regulation;then both spining reserve cost of primary frequency reglation and rotational inertia of each generation set are comprehensively considered to give the optimization configuration scheme of primary frequency regulation of power system.In addition,the influences of various spining reserve configuration on transient frequency deviation of power system are analyzed.Finally,taking a certain actual power system for example,the proposed method is simlated and simulation results show that the prposed algorithm is effective.
Electromagnetic Environment of 1000kV AC Single-circuit Compact Transmission Lines

Compact transmission lines can greatly enhance the natural power,and effectively reduce the corridor of power lines to increase the utilization of corridor unit.We investigated the electromagnetic environment of 1000kV AC single-circuit compact transmission lines with inverted equilateral triangle conductors arrangement.Seven kinds of conductor arrangement with its corresponding bundle spacing were decided by the consideration of electric characteristics,sub-span oscillation characteristics,and economy.Then the power frequency electric field strength,the magnetic field strength,the audible noise,and radio interference of different conductor structures were calculated,assuming that the UHV compact transmission lines and the conventional lines had the same control indexes,and the conductor structure and bundle spacing were acquired.Therefore,the conductor arrangements of 10×500 and 12×400 were determined.Moreover,the conventional lines of single-circuit and double-circuit were compared.By contrast with the single-circuit conventional lines,the natural power of compact UHV transmission lines could increase by about 26%,and the transmission capacity of unit corridor is 2.80 times,which significantly reduces the corridor.
Comparison of Transurethral Resection to Radical Therapies for Stage B Bladder Tumors

AbstractWe evaluated the survival rate and time to recurrence for 114 patients in whom an initial histological diagnosis of stage B1 or B2 bladder tumor was made between 1974 and 1983. The 5-year survival rates for stages B1 and B2 disease, respectively, were 63 and 38 per cent in 43 patients treated by transurethral resection alone, 48 and 54 per cent in 40 treated by preoperative radiation and radical cystectomy, 33 and 25 per cent in 15 treated by radical cystectomy alone, and 53 and 11 per cent in 16 treated by definitive radiation therapy alone. Similar results were found among the groups with regard to time to development of metastases. The distribution of stage, grade and number of tumors was not significantly different among the treatment groups. Patients in the transurethral resection group were older, and had smaller tumors and more medical problems. Comparing transurethral resection of muscle invasive bladder tumors to standard radical surgery with or without radiotherapy yielded comparable lon...
Treatment of lactating dairy cows with gonadotropin-releasing hormone before first insemination during summer heat stress

Abstract The objectives of the experiments were to compare ovarian responses, pregnancy per artificial insemination, and pattern of insemination of 2 estrus detection-based presynchronization protocols before first artificial insemination (AI) during heat stress. In experiment 1, primiparous lactating dairy cows (n=1,358) from 3 dairies were assigned randomly to 2 treatments at 60±3 (±SD) DIM (study d 0): (1) treatment with 100 µg of GnRH on study d 0 (Gpresynch), or (2) no treatment on study d 0 (control). In experiment 2, multiparous lactating dairy cows (n=1,971) from 3 dairies were assigned randomly to 2 treatments at 49±3 (±SD) DIM (study d 0), similar to experiment 1. In both experiments, PGF 2α injections were administered 14 d apart starting on study d 7 for all cows. Cows not inseminated after detection of estrus were submitted to a timed artificial insemination protocol at study d 35. In a subgroup of cows from 2 dairies, concentrations of progesterone were determined from blood samples collected on study d 0 and 7. Furthermore, ovaries were examined by ultrasonography on study d −14, 0, and 7 to determine cyclic status and ovulation in response to GnRH treatment. In experiment 1, progesterone concentration was not different on d 0, but progesterone was increased for Gpresynch compared with control cows on study d 7 (3.6±0.3 vs. 2.7±0.4 ng/mL), respectively. Ovulation risk from study d 0 to 7 was increased for Gpresynch compared with control (50.6 vs. 15.2%). Control cows were inseminated at a faster rate than Gpresynch cows [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR)=0.89, 95% confidence interval=0.80 to 1.00], and the interaction between treatment and dairy affected pregnancy per artificial insemination at 36 and 94 d post-artificial insemination. In experiment 2, concentrations of progesterone did not differ on study d 0 or 7, despite ovulation risk from study d 0 to 7 being greater in Gpresynch than control cows (46.9 vs. 23.8%). The interaction between treatment and dairy affected hazard of insemination with Gpresynch cows from dairy 1 (AHR=1.21; 1.05 to 1.41) being inseminated faster than control cows. Hazard of pregnancy was affected by treatment because Gpresynch cows became pregnant at a faster rate than control cows (AHR=1.25; 1.04 to 1.50). In conclusion, GnRH-based presynchronization protocols initiated before the end of the voluntary waiting period may have benefits in reproductive efficiency of estrus detection-based programs during heat stress. In addition, treatment with GnRH decreased the prevalence of anovular cows at the initiation of PGF 2α injections.
Exercise and BMI z-score in Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Aim Examine the effects of selected types of exercise (aerobic, strength training, both) on BMI z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Methods Randomized exercise intervention trials ≥ 4 weeks were included. Studies were retrieved by searching six electronic databases, cross-referencing and expert review. Dual selection and abstraction occurred. Risk of bias and confidence in cumulative evidence were assessed. Network meta-analysis was performed using multivariate random-effects meta-regression models while surface under the cumulative ranking curves were used to calculate a hierarchy of exercise treatments. The number needed to treat (NNT) and percentile improvement (U3) were also calculated. Results Thirty-four studies representing 2,239 participants were included. Median exercise occurred 3 times per week, 50 minutes per session over a 12-week period. Statistically significant reductions in BMI z-score were found for aerobic exercise and combined aerobic and strength exercise, but not strength training alone (M±SD, 95% CI: aerobic, -0.10, -0.15 to -0.05; aerobic and strength, -0.11, -0.19, -0.03; strength, 0.04, -0.07 to 0.15). Combined aerobic and strength training was ranked best, followed by aerobic exercise and strength training. The NNT was 2 for both aerobic exercise and combined aerobic exercise and strength training. Percentile improvements were 28.8% for aerobic exercise and 31.5% for combined aerobic exercise and strength training. Confidence in effect estimates was ranked as low for aerobic exercise and very low for combined aerobic and strength training as well as strength training. Conclusions Aerobic exercise and combined aerobic exercise and strength training are associated with reductions in BMI z-score. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Thermal decomposition of 2-(4-aminophenyl)- and 2-(2,4-diaminophenyl) malonic acids and derivatives

Abstract The thermal decomposition of the hydrochloride salts of 2-(4-aminophenyl)- and 2-(2,4-di-aminophenyl)malonic acids, the corresponding diethyl esters, and the respective sodium carboxylates has been examined using thermogravimetry. Thermal decomposition of the hydrochlorides of the carboxylic acids occurs by sequential loss of two moles of carbon dioxide per mole of salt followed by loss of hydrogen chloride at approximately 400°C. The corresponding diethyl esters undergo initial degradation by loss of two moles of ethylene and a mole of carbon dioxide per mole of salt. This is followed, in sequence, by loss of a second mole of carbon dioxide and then one or two moles of hydrogen chloride depending on the identity of the amine salt undergoing decomposition. The sodium salts of the neutralized amino acids do not undergo significant decomposition below 800°C.
Multiple-symbol differential detection of /spl pi//4 QPSK over land mobile satellite communications channels

Multiple symbol differential detection of /spl pi//4 QPSK in land mobile satellite communication channels (modeled as correlated Rician fading) is studied. BER performance of this scheme in land mobile satellite communication channels are evaluated using union bounds of pairwise bit error probabilities for situations of ideal channel information and no channel information. It has been found that in light or medium fading Rician channels, about a 1 dB gain in E/sub b//N/sub o/ at a BER=10/sup -4/ can be achieved by using four-symbol differential detection instead of conventional two-symbol differential detection. It is also proved that multiple-symbol differential detection is not suitable for severe fading Rician channels or Rayleigh channels. The influence of the fading rate on the BER performance is also evaluated. Part of the results are compared with those from previous literature.
Pulsed ultrasonic comb filtering effect and its applications in the measurement of sound velocity and thickness of thin plates

An analytical and experimental study of the pulsed ultrasonic comb filtering effect is presented in this work intending to provide a fundamental tool for data analysis and phenomenon understanding in pulsed ultrasonics. The basic types of comb filter, feedforward and feedback filters, are numerically simulated and demonstrated. The characteristic features of comb filters, which include the formula for determining the locations of the spectral peaks or notches and the relationship between its temporal characteristics (relative time delay between constituent pulses) and its spectral characteristics (frequency interval between peaks or notches), are theoretically derived. To demonstrate the applicability of the comb filtering effect, it is applied to measuring the sound velocities and thickness of a thin plate sample. It is proven that the comb filtering effect based method not only is capable of accurate measurements, but also has advantages over the conventional time-of-flight based method in thin plate measurements. Furthermore, the principles developed in this study have potential applications in any pulsed ultrasonic cases where the output signal shows comb filter features.
Play in the museum: Designing game-based learning environments for informal education settings.

Interest in digital games for education has grown significantly over the past decade. Much of the work on game-based learning has focused on formal education settings, such as K-12 classrooms. However, recent advances in game technologies have enabled deployments in a broader range of settings, including informal learning contexts such as museums and science centers. In this paper, we describe the design of FUTURE WORLDS, a gamebased learning environment for sustainability education in museums. FUTURE WORLDS leverages strategy game designs, interactive narratives, and surface computing to create storycentric collaborative investigations of environmental sustainability. FUTURE WORLDS’ face-to-face collaborative gameplay unfolds in rich 3D virtual environments rendered on a multi-display surface-computing-based exhibit. In this paper, we discuss design criteria and interaction patterns for game-based learning in museums. In addition, we describe the iterative development process used to create FUTURE WORLDS, including successive prototyping and museum deployments. We report lessons learned, as well as empirical findings, from a pilot study in the project’s partner museum. Results suggest that FUTURE WORLDS has positive impacts on students’ conceptualizations of sustainability and fosters key learning processes targeted in informal science education, such as sparking interest and engagement, as well as fostering scientific reasoning.
Asynchronous Data Aggregation for Training End to End Visual Control Networks

Robust training of deep neural networks requires a large amount of data. However gathering and labeling this data can be expensive and determining which distribution of features are needed for training is not a trivial problem. This is compounded when training neural networks for autonomous navigation in continuous non-deterministic environments using only visual input. Increasing the quantity of demonstrated data does not solve this problem as the demonstrated sequences of actions are not guaranteed to produce the same outcomes and slight changes in orientation generate drastically different visual representations. This results in a training set with a different distribution than what the agent will typically encounter in application. Here, we develop a method that can grow a training set from the same distribution as the agent's experiences and capture useful features not found in demonstrated behavior. Additionally, we show that our approach scales to efficiently handle complex tasks that require a large amount of data (experiences) for training. Concretely, we propose the deep asynchronous Dagger framework, which combines the Dagger algorithm with an asynchronous actor-learner architecture for parallel dataset aggregation and network policy learning. We apply our method to the task of navigating 3D mazes in Minecraft with randomly changing block types and analyze our results.
Transitioning HIV-infected adolescents to adult care at 14 clinics across the United States: using adolescent and adult providers' insights to create multi-level solutions to address transition barriers.

ABSTRACTHIV-infected adolescents have disproportionately low rates of care retention and viral suppression. Approximately half disengage from care while transitioning to adult clinics, in part due to fragmented care systems and lack of streamlined protocols. We conducted 58 qualitative interviews with social service and health care providers across 14 Adolescent Trials Network clinics (n = 28) and 20 adult clinics that receive transitioning adolescents (n = 30) from August 2015–June 2016. We used the constant comparative approach to examine processes, barriers, and facilitators of adult care transition. Transition barriers coalesced around three levels. Structural: insurance eligibility, transportation, and HIV-related stigma; Clinical: inter-clinic communication, differences in care cultures, and resource/personnel limitations; and Individual: adolescents’ transition readiness and developmental capacity. Staff-initiated solutions (e.g., grant-funded transportation) were often unsustainable and applied in...
Next-generation sequencing of thymic malignancies.

7032 Background: Thymic malignancies are rare with ~500 cases in the US per year. Apart from standard chemotherapy, treatment options are limited. Further, the challenge of histologic subtyping of ...
Impact of "Raised without Antibiotics" Beef Cattle Production Practices on Occurrences of Antimicrobial Resistance.

The specific antimicrobial resistance (AMR) decreases that can be expected from reducing antimicrobial (AM) use in U.S. beef production have not been defined. To address this data gap, feces were recovered from 36 lots of "raised without antibiotics" (RWA) and 36 lots of "conventional" (CONV) beef cattle. Samples (n = 719) were collected during harvest and distributed over a year. AMR was assessed by (i) the culture of six AM-resistant bacteria (ARB), (ii) quantitative PCR (qPCR) for 10 AMR genes (ARGs), (iii) a qPCR array of 84 ARGs, and (iv) metagenomic sequencing. Generally, AMR levels were similar, but some were higher in CONV beef cattle. The prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GCr) Escherichia coli was marginally different between production systems (CONV, 47.5%; RWA, 34.8%; P = 0.04), but the seasonal effect (summer, 92.8%; winter, 48.3%; P < 0.01) was greater. Erythromycin-resistant (ERYr) Enterococcus sp. concentrations significantly differed between production systems (CONV, 1.91 log10 CFU/g; RWA, 0.73 log10 CFU/g; P < 0.01). Levels of aadA1, ant(6)-I, blaACI, erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), erm(F), erm(Q), tet(A), tet(B), tet(M), and tet(X) ARGs were higher (P < 0.05) in the CONV system. Aggregate abundances of all 43 ARGs detected by metagenomic sequencing and the aggregate abundances of ARGs in the aminoglycoside, β-lactam, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLS), and tetracycline AM classes did not differ (log2 fold change < 1.0) between CONV and RWA systems. These results suggest that further reductions of AM use in U.S. beef cattle production may not yield significant AMR reductions beyond MLS and tetracycline resistance.IMPORTANCE The majority of antimicrobial (AM) use in the United States is for food-animal production, leading to concerns that typical AM use patterns during "conventional" (CONV) beef cattle production in the United States contribute broadly to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurrence. In the present study, levels of AMR were generally similar between CONV and "raised without antibiotics" (RWA) cattle. Only a limited number of modest AMR increases was observed in CONV cattle, primarily involving macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLS) and tetracycline resistance. Macrolides (tylosin) and tetracyclines (chlortetracycline) are administered in-feed for relatively long durations to reduce liver abscesses. To ensure judicious AM use, the animal health, economic, and AMR impacts of shorter duration in-feed administration of these AMs should be examined. However, given the modest AMR reductions observed, further reductions of AM use in U.S. beef cattle production may not yield significant AMR reductions beyond MLS and tetracycline resistance.
Antihypertensive drugs in stepped doses reduced stroke in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension

Source Citation SHEP Cooperative Research Group. Prevention of stroke by antihypertensive drug treatment in older persons with isolated systolic hypertension. Final results of the Systolic Hyperten...
Discrimination and Mental Health in a Representative Sample of African-American and Afro-Caribbean Youth.

Racism and discrimination are psychosocial stressors that affect the health of minority populations. While discrimination has been associated with poor mental health, little is known about the relationship between discrimination and mental health outcomes in youth nationally. Furthermore, mental and behavioral health consequences of discrimination may differ in different minority groups. The goal of this study is to determine (1) how common perceptions of discrimination are in a nationally representative sample of African-American (AA) and Afro-Caribbean (AC) teens, (2) the relationship between discrimination and mental health conditions, and (3) whether discrimination has different associations with mental health in AA and AC youth. Cross-sectional comparison study National Survey of American Life-Adolescent Supplement, a nationwide sample of African-American and Afro-Caribbean youth drawn from a nationally representative household survey of AA and AC population One thousand, one hundred and seventy AA and AC youth between 13 and 17 years Experiences with discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale) Lifetime and past 12-month major depression and anxiety Ninety percent of AA and 87% of AC youth experienced discrimination. Discrimination was significantly associated with lifetime and 12-month major depression and lifetime and 12-month anxiety. There were no differences in the associations between discrimination and mental health between AA and AC youth except for lifetime anxiety: as discrimination increased, the likelihood of lifetime anxiety disorder increased at a higher rate among AC youth compared to AA. Discrimination is a common psychosocial stressor in African-American and Afro-Caribbean youth. It is associated with poor mental health outcomes. There was no difference in the occurrence of discrimination between African-American and Afro-Caribbean youth or in its mental health consequences.
Graduate Real Estate Education: Integrating the Industry

In 2005, a pilot study of graduate real estate programs examined the coalescence of industry and the classroom in 14 well-recognized programs from around the world (Chambers and Worzala, 2005). This study expands the 2005 results in order to include all graduate programs listed in the tenth edition of ULI's Directory of Real Estate Development and Related Education Programs (2005) as well as graduate real estate programs certified by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)1. As in the original study, we surveyed academics within the various programs to determinehow the graduate programs are enhanced by directly incorporating real estate industryprofessionals into the curriculum as well as how the programs provide external opportunities for graduate students to interact with business professionals. The results of this study analyse existing strategies and we hope to suggest criteria for “bestpractices” to apply in graduate real estate programs around the world. Strategies examined include the use of project-based courses, mentoring and shadowing programs, speaker series, internships, networking events, executive-in-residence programs, career fairs, guest lecturers, alumni associations and field trips. In addition, some questions focus on the respondents’ perceptions of the most effective strategies in foster student/industry interaction. We also queried the academics about alternative performance measurements and assessment tools that could be used in the futureto rank real estate graduate educational programs.