cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial efficacy and toxicity of novel CAMPs against P. aeruginosa infection in a murine skin wound infection model

Treatment of P. aeruginosa wound infection is challenging due to its inherent and acquired resistance to many conventional antibiotics. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) with distinct modes of antimicrobial action have been considered as the next-generation therapeutic agents. In the present study, a murine skin surgical wound infection model was used to evaluate the in vivo toxicity and efficacy of two newly designed antimicrobial peptides (CAMP-A and CAMP-B), as chemotherapeutic agents to combat P. aeruginosa infection. In the first trial, topical application of CAMPs on the wounds at a dose equivalent to 4 × MIC for 7 consecutive days did not cause any significant changes in the physical activities, hematologic and plasma biochemical parameters, or histology of systemic organs of the treated mice. Daily treatment of infected wounds with CAMP-A and CAMP-B for 5 days at a dose equivalent to 2× MIC resulted in a significant reduction in wound bacterial burden (CAMP-A: 4.3 log10CFU/g of tissue and CAMP-B: 5.8 log10CFU/g of tissue), compared to that of the mock-treated group (8.1 log10CFU/g of tissue). Treatment with CAMPs significantly promoted wound closure and induced epidermal cell proliferation. Topical application of CAMP-A on wounds completely prevented systemic dissemination of P. aeruginosa while CAMP-B blocked systemic infection in 67% of mice and delayed the onset of systemic infection by at least 2 days in the rest of the mice (33%). In a second trial, daily application of CAMP-A at higher doses (5× MIC and 50× MIC) didn’t show any significant toxic effect on mice and the treatments with CAMP-A further reduced wound bacterial burden (5× MIC: 4.5 log10CFU/g of tissue and 50× MIC: 3.8 log10CFU/g of tissue). The data collectively indicated that CAMPs significantly reduced wound bacterial load, promoted wound healing, and prevented hepatic dissemination. CAMP-A is a promising alternative to commonly used antibiotics to treat P. aeruginosa skin infection.
The stressed brain: regional and stress‐related corticosterone and stress‐regulated gene expression in the adult zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Glucocorticoids (CORT) are well-known as important regulators of behaviour and cognition at basal levels and under stress. However, the precise mechanisms governing CORT action and functional outcomes of this action in the brain remain unclear, particularly in model systems other than rodents. In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of CORT regulation in the zebra finch, an important model system for vocal learning, neuroplasticity and cognition. We tested the hypothesis that CORT is locally regulated in the zebra finch brain by quantifying regional and stress-related variation in total CORT across brain regions. In addition, we used an ex vivo slice culture system to test whether CORT regulates target gene expression uniquely in discrete regions of the brain. We documented a robust increase in brain CORT across regions after 30 minutes of restraint stress but, interestingly, baseline and stress-induced CORT levels varied between regions. In addition, CORT treatment of brain slice cultures differentially affected expression of three CORT target genes: it up-regulated expression of FKBP5 in most regions and SGK1 in the hypothalamus only, whereas GILZ was unaffected by CORT treatment across all brain regions investigated. The specific mechanisms producing regional variation in CORT and CORT-dependent downstream gene expression remain unknown, although these data provide additional support for the hypothesis that the songbird brain employs regulatory mechanisms that result in precise control over the influence of CORT on glucocorticoid-sensitive neural circuits.
Postpartum environmental challenges alter maternal responsiveness and offspring development.

Abstract Because many threats exist in an animal's natural habitat, it is important to understand the impact of environmental challenges on maternal-offspring interactions and outcomes. In the current study, a rodent model incorporating the presence of restricted resources and an environmental threat (e.g. predator-related odors and sounds) was investigated. Specifically, pregnant females were assigned to one of four treatments: standard resources, without threat (SR; n = 7); standard resources plus threat (SR-T; n = 8); restricted resources, without threat (RR; n = 7); and restricted resources plus threat (RR-T; n = 6). Maternal rats were moved into the assigned conditions on postnatal day 2 and remained until pups were weaned. Following a standard pup retrieval task on postnatal days 2 and 6, maternal rats were exposed to a retrieval challenge task on postnatal day 8 in which each rat had to traverse a novel barrier to retrieve pups. For neurobiological measures of stress/resilience responsiveness, fecal samples were collected for detection of corticosterone and DHEA metabolites; additionally, immunohistochemistry was conducted on the maternal brains to indicate the presence of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) immunoreactivity in the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus. Pup development measures, including body weight and tail length, were also collected. Results suggest that maternal rats with restricted resources exhibited diminished maternal responsiveness that resulted in altered pup development measures; further, restricted resource rats exhibited endocrine markers of compromised emotional resilience (lower DHEA) and decreased neural markers of neuroplasticity (BDNF) and emotional resilience (NPY). Interestingly, predator threat affected various aspects of maternal-pup interactions but had no effect on neurobiological variables, suggesting that restricted resources had a more negative impact on maternal-related outcomes than the presence of predator threat.
Elastic Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolytes: Toward a Versatile Approach for Intrinsically Stretchable Functional Polymers

Fabrication of stretchable functional polymeric materials usually relies on the physical adhesion between functional components and elastic polymers, while the interfacial resistance is a potential...
Computed Tomography in Bone Imaging

Conventional radiography has imaged bone quite well for over 80 years. Until recently it seemed that computed tomography (CT), although quite valuable in imaging soft tissue, could contribute little to bone radiography. Recent developments, however, indicate that CT has unique value in at least three cases: analysis of bone mineral composition, imaging of minute bony structures, and surgical planning.
Black Magic: Conjure, Syncretism, and Satire in Ishmael Reed

Lam offers a reevaluation of the relationship between magical realism and postmodernism, revealing the stakes of these categories for African American literature. Focusing on the novels of Ishmael Reed, this chapter demonstrates how postmodern frameworks tend to elide the political and decolonial ramifications of Reed’s fiction. Lam analyzes how Reed uses tropes such as black magic, hoodoo, Voodoo, and conjure in order to develop a syncretic and satirical aesthetic that exposes the metaphysical, ontological, and structural violence that has plagued the West’s ‘others.’ The chapter focuses on Reed’s novels Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down and Mumbo Jumbo and also considers Reed’s editorial work, which encompasses the Black Arts Movement and black avant-garde poetry and poetics. The chapter closes with a consideration of Reed’s contemporary fiction and drama, including Conjugating Hindi and his criticisms of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical, in order to assess Reed’s political potential in the twenty-first century.
Using open web-based crime data for research: a word of caution – Research note

In the digital age, where every click, purchase, or activity is systematically recorded, it is surprising to discover how difficult it still is to assemble crime data. This paper describes availabl...
Cycling-Net: A Deep Learning Approach to Predicting Cyclist Behaviors from Geo-Referenced Egocentric Video Data

Cycling, as a green transportation mode, provides an environmentally friendly transportation choice for short-distance traveling. However, cyclists are also getting involved in fatal accidents more frequently in recent years. Thus, understanding and modeling their road behaviors is crucial in helping improving road safety laws and infrastructures. Traditionally, people understand road user behavior using either purely spatial trajectory data, or videos from fixed surveillance camera through tracking or predicting their paths. However, these data only cover limited areas and do not provide information from the cyclist's field of view. In this paper, we take advantage of geo-referenced egocentric video data collected from the handlebar cameras of cyclists to learn how to predict their behaviors. This approach is technically more challenging, because both the observer and objects in the scene might be moving, and there are strong temporal dependencies in both the behaviors of cyclists and the video scenes. We propose Cycling-Net, a novel deep learning model that tracks different types of objects in consecutive scenes and learns the relationship between the movement of these objects and the behavior of the cyclist. Experiment results on a naturalistic trip dataset show the Cycling-Net is effective in behavior prediction and outperforms a baseline model.
Energy Storage Investment and Operation in Efficient Electric Power Systems

We consider welfare-optimal investment in and operation of electric power systems with constant returns to scale in multiple available generation and storage technologies under perfect foresight. We extend a number of classic results on generation, derive conditions for investment and operations of storage technologies described by seven cost/performance parameters, and develop insights on power systems with multiple storage technologies. Simulation of a deeply decarbonized “Texas-like” power system with two available storage technologies shows both the non-existence of simple “merit-order” rules for storage operation and the value of frequency domain analysis to describe efficient operation. Our analysis points to the critical role of the capital cost of energy storage capacity in influencing efficient storage operation.
Differentiated Government Control: Political Connections and Revenues to NGOs in China

This dissertation hypothesized a theory of differentiated government control that posits the strength of NGOs’ political connections is positively associated with their major revenues in authoritarian China. This dissertation quantitatively tested this theory using a sample of 2,021 foundations in China. The main findings are as follows. First, organizational legitimacy, i.e., nonprofit evaluation, tax exemption qualification, and pretax deduction qualification are positively associated with foundations’ donation income; higher degrees of political connections count only partially the more charitable donations; political connections potentially leverage the association between pretax deduction qualification and charitable donations in favor of politically connected foundations. Second, foundations’ political connections are partially positively associated with their income from government grants; issue area (meaning what foundation work on) is not significantly associated with government grants; among organizational legitimacy measures only nonprofit evaluation shows a positive relationship with government grants; however, nonprofit evaluation matters only for foundations with strong political connections. Third, different levels of political connections show different levels of association with both charitable donations and government grants that foundations received. Specifically, individual political connections are associated with neither source of revenues; organizational political connections remain associated with charitable donations and government grants as discussed above; the two levels of political connections do not interact; the insignificance of individual political connections may indicate the government’s retreat from despotic intervention of foundation operations. The findings in this dissertation suggest that the Chinese government has adapted its strategies to control the nonprofit sector through the use of more sophisticated measures than are generally acknowledged. To some extent, differentiated government control consolidates the recent research on the multidimensions of government-nonprofit relations in China.
Exploring the Synergy of Radiative Coupling and Substrate Undercut in Arrayed Gold Nanodisks for Economical, Ultra-Sensitive Label-Free Biosensing

We report radiatively coupled arrayed gold nanodisks on invisible substrate (AGNIS) as a cost-effective, high-performance platform for nanoplasmonic biosensing. By substrate undercut, the electric field distribution around the nanodisks has been restored to as if the nanodisks were surrounded by a single medium, thereby provides analyte accessibility to otherwise buried enhanced electric field. The AGNIS substrate has been fabricated by wafer-scale nanosphere lithography without the need for costly lithography. The LSPR blue-shifting behavior synergistically contributed by radiative coupling and substrate undercut have been investigated for the first time, which culminates in a remarkable refractive index sensitivity increase from 207 nm/RIU to 578 nm/RIU. The synergy also improves surface sensitivity to monolayer neutravidin-biotin binding from 7.4 nm to 20.3 nm with the limit of detection (LOD) of neutravidin at 50 fM, which is among the best label-free results reported to date on this specific surface binding reaction. As a potential cancer diagnostic application, extracellular vesicles such as exosomes excreted by cancer and normal cells were measured with a LOD within 112–600 (exosomes/ $\mu \text{L}$ ), which would be sufficient in many clinical applications. Using CD9, CD63, and CD81 antibodies, label-free profiling has shown increased expression of all three surface antigens in cancer-derived exosomes. This work demonstrates, for the first time, strong synergy of arrayed radiative coupling and substrate undercut can enable economical, ultrasensitive biosensing in the visible light spectrum where high-quality, low-cost silicon detectors are readily available for point-of-care applications.
AMI-FML: A Privacy-Preserving Federated Machine Learning Framework for AMI.

Machine learning (ML) based smart meter data analytics is very promising for energy management and demand-response applications in the advanced metering infrastructure(AMI). A key challenge in developing distributed ML applications for AMI is to preserve user privacy while allowing active end-users participation. This paper addresses this challenge and proposes a privacy-preserving federated learning framework for ML applications in the AMI. We consider each smart meter as a federated edge device hosting an ML application that exchanges information with a central aggregator or a data concentrator, periodically. Instead of transferring the raw data sensed by the smart meters, the ML model weights are transferred to the aggregator to preserve privacy. The aggregator processes these parameters to devise a robust ML model that can be substituted at each edge device. We also discuss strategies to enhance privacy and improve communication efficiency while sharing the ML model parameters, suited for relatively slow network connections in the AMI. We demonstrate the proposed framework on a use case federated ML (FML) application that improves short-term load forecasting (STLF). We use a long short-term memory(LSTM) recurrent neural network (RNN) model for STLF. In our architecture, we assume that there is an aggregator connected to a group of smart meters. The aggregator uses the learned model gradients received from the federated smart meters to generate an aggregate, robust RNN model which improves the forecasting accuracy for individual and aggregated STLF. Our results indicate that with FML, forecasting accuracy is increased while preserving the data privacy of the end-users.
Real-Life Issues in Job Accommodation

Over 2, 000 recent cases from the files of the Job Accommodation Network were examined to expose the relationships among the issues discussed, the type of lob involved, and the career progression of individuals with disabilities for calls by employees with disabilities and calls by their employers. Six types of issues (understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], impact of the accommodation, cortjlict between employer and employee, cost, government agency problems, and other) were identified. Both employers and employees cited understanding the ADA as their most critical concern. As implementation of the ADA proceeds, it is expected that issues of concern will shift from definitions of ADA terminology to more practical implementation strategies.
Analysis of discrete adjoints for upwind numerical schemes

This paper discusses several aspects related to the consistency and stability of the discrete adjoints of upwind numerical schemes. First and third order upwind discretizations of the one-dimensional advection equation are considered in both the finite difference and finite volume formulations. We show that the discrete adjoints may lose consistency and stability near the points where upwinding is changed, and near inflow boundaries where the numerical scheme is changed. The impact of adjoint inconsistency and instability on data assimilation is analyzed.
Increase in androgen:estrogen ratio specifically during low-dose follicle-stimulating hormone therapy for polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives To compare changes in serum androgens in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) during ovulation induction with low-dose versus conventional urofollitropin. Design Prospective case-control study. Setting Tertiary-care reproductive medicine center. Subjects Thirty-three women with PCOS who failed to conceive with clomiphene citrate therapy. Interventions Urofollitropin (low-dose, 75IU; conventional dose, 150IU) was administered IM daily. Therapy was monitored by serum E 2 and vaginal sonography. Hormone determinations were performed by immunoassay. Main Outcome Measures Serum E 2 , androstenedione (A), T, and LH levels. Results On the day of hCG administration, patients treated with low-dose therapy exhibited significantly higher ratios of A to E 2 (3.5±0.5 versus 2.2±0.3 [mean±SEM]) and T to E 2 (1.5±0.3 versus 1.0±0.1) compared with conventional urofollitropin therapy. The number of follicles≥16mm in diameter was significantly lower with low-dose therapy (2.7±0.6 versus 5.4±0.4). Conclusions Although low-dose therapy was associated with a reduction in the number of recruited follicles, the increase in androgen to E 2 associated with this therapy may adversely affect oocyte quality and may explain the relatively high miscarriage rate reported in PCOS patients with this therapy.
Big Data, the crowd and me

Like many of you, I’ve been swept up by the romance of Big Data. But instead of stepping back and taking the long view, in this account I plan to get enmired in the details and tell you a story about my own Big Data dalliance. Furthermore, in an effort to explore some fresh territory, I’m not going to take a curatorial perspective (see, for example, Borgman, Wallis, and Mayernik, 2010, or Tibbo et al., 2009), nor address the challenges of data storage and processing (e.g. Yu et al., 2008) or data sharing (e.g. Reichman, Jones, and Schildhauer, 2011). Instead, I’m going to look outside of the pool of light, in among the digital dust bunnies, to see if I can tell a slightly different, more personal story about what someone like me (a qualitative researcher) might need to know to be part of a Big Data effort (bearing in mind boyd and Crawford’s (2011) thoughtful scholarly reflections on the implications of manipulating and analyzing Big Data)
Scrap Prices, Waste, and Recycling Policy

This study examines the effect of waste and recycling policy on scrap prices and the importance of scrap price feedbacks as a determinant of policy costs. Price effects and direct and indirect channels of waste reduction are decomposed for deposit/refund, advance disposal fee, and recycling subsidies. Scrap price feedbacks decrease the cost of advance disposal fees, increase the cost of recycling subsidies, and have an ambiguous effect on the cost of deposit/refund. Simulation analysis finds that scrap price feedbacks substantially affect the costs of the policies and alter the ranking of instruments. ( JEL Q53, Q58 )
Effect of 9.6‐GHz pulsed microwaves on the orb web spinning ability of the cross spider (Araneus diadematus)

Eight cross spiders (Araneus diadematus) were exposed overnight (16 h) during web-building activity to pulsed 9.6-GHz microwaves at average power densities of 10, 1, and 0.1 mW/cm2 (estimated SARs 40, 4, and 0.4 mW/g). Under these conditions, 9.6-GHz pulsed microwaves did not affect the web-spinning ability of the cross spider.
Unionism and voter turnout

Conventional wisdom suggests that union members and their families are more politically active, and more likely to vote, than nonmembers. This study presents, to our knowledge, the first systematic empirical examination of that conventional wisdom. Results suggest that union members are more likely than nonmembers to vote in a general election, and that union campaign efforts increase voter turnout generally. There is no evidence, however, that union family members are more likely to vote than nonmembers, or that union status affects an individual’s likelihood of voting in a primary election.
Analysis of mixed-mode cracks in a rubbery particulate composite

The mixed-mode loading of a rubbery particulate composite is studied experimentally. Linear fracture mechanics concepts are used to determine the initiation of growth, the initial growth direction, and the subsequent growth rate for a range of mode mixities. The fracture toughness locus is determined to be elliptical, with the Mode II toughness being lower than its Mode I counterpart. The initial growth directions correlate with maximum strain energy density theories. The crack growth rates can be modeled effectively using an equivalent Mode I crack.
Problem Structure and First-Grade Children's Initial Solution Processes for Simple Addition and Subtraction Problems

The focus of this study is on children's informal concepts of addition and subtraction as reflected in their ability to solve certain verbal problems. The working hypothesis is that prior to formal instruction many children can solve a variety of problems involving addition and subtraction. By identifying the processes that children use, the study attempts to gain a clearer picture of children's initial concepts of addition and subtraction as well as to provide some insights into their problem-solving abilities.
Magnetron sputter deposition of boron and boron carbide

Abstract The fabrication of X-ray optical coatings with greater reflectivity required the development of sputter deposition processes for boron and boron carbide. The use of high density boron and boron carbide (B4C) and a vacuum-brazed target design was required to achieve the required sputter process stability and resistance to the thermal stress created by high rate sputtering. Our results include a description of the target fabrication procedures and sputter process parameters necessary to fabricate B4C and boron modulated thin film structures.
A decision support system to improve individual cattle management. 1. A mechanistic, dynamic model for animal growth

Abstract A deterministic and mechanistic growth model was developed to dynamically predict growth rate, accumulated weight, days required to reach target body composition, carcass weight (CW) and composition of individual beef cattle for use in individual cattle management systems. The model can predict either average daily gain (ADG) when dry matter intake (DMI) is known or dry matter required (DMR) when ADG is known. For both scenarios, the following parameters are required: metabolizable energy of the diet and length of feeding period, animal characteristics [age, gender, breed, initial body weight (BW), body condition score, and adjusted final BW at 28% empty body fat (EBF)] and environmental information (temperature, humidity, hours of sunlight, wind speed, mud, hair depth, and hair coat). Two iterative methods based on gain composition were derived to compute the efficiency of metabolizable energy to net energy for growth (NE g ). This growth model was evaluated with data from 362 individually fed steers with measured body composition and feed energy values predicted with the NRC (2000). The iterative method that used a decay equation to adjust NE g based on the proportion of retained energy as protein showed the best prediction of ADG and final BW. When dry matter intake was known, the model accounted for 89% of the variation with bias of −2.6% in predicting individual animal ADG and explained 83% of the variation with bias of −1% in estimating the observed BW at the actual total days on feed. When ADG was known, the growth model predicted the dry matter required for that ADG with only 2% of bias and r 2 of 74%. A sub-model was developed to predict accumulated body fat (FAT) for use in predicting carcass quality and yield grades (YG) during growth. With the unadjusted NE g method, this sub-model explained 84% of the variation and had −14.3% of bias in actual body fat when animal ADG was known. Additionally, an equation developed with 407 animals to predict YG from EBF (%) had an r 2 of 0.49. Equations developed to predict CW from empty BW that adjust for stage of growth accounted for 89% of the variation with a 3 kg of bias. In conclusion, this dynamic growth model can predict animal performance and body composition within an acceptable degree of accuracy.
Online matrix removal platform for coupling gel-based separations to whole protein electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A fractionation method called gel-eluted liquid fraction entrapment electrophoresis (GELFrEE) has been used to dramatically increase the number of proteins identified in top-down proteomic workflows; however, the technique involves the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a surfactant that interferes with electrospray ionization. Therefore, an efficient removal of SDS is absolutely required prior to mass analysis. Traditionally, methanol/chloroform precipitation and spin columns have been used, but they lack reproducibility and are difficult to automate. Therefore, we developed an in-line matrix removal platform to enable the direct analysis of samples containing SDS and salts. Only small molecules like SDS permeate a porous membrane and are removed in a manner similar to cross-flow filtration. With this device, near-complete removal of SDS is accomplished within 5 min and proteins are subsequently mobilized into a mass spectrometer. The new platform was optimized for the analysis of GELFrEE fractions enr...
Effects of Holocene climatic change on some tropical geomorphic processes

Man's interference with the landscape process places him in the role of a “paraglacial” agent: He tends to duplicate ice-age stresses such as deforestation, accelerated erosion, and climate alteration. Against a background climatic control dictated by the Milankovich mechanisms, the 10,000-year history of the Holocene has seen very large secondary modulations that must be better understood so that they may be distinguished from anthropogenic effects. If they are exogenetically controlled, as it seems, then they are probably predictable from astronomic data. Four geomorphic type areas are selected for demonstrating Holocene changes in tropical regions, because they have been somewhat neglected within the framework of Quaternary science and because they include some of the most fragile and easily disrupted environments: lakes, semiarid desert margins, coastlines, and coral reefs. In a nutshell, the tropical Holocene has seen three major changes: (a) the evolution from the hyperaridity of the last pleniglacial stage to the “postglacial pluvial”; (b) the “climatic optimum,” which was highly diachronous and strongly retarded as it shifted from low latitudes to high; (c) the postoptimum “deterioration” that has involved desiccation of lakes, readvances of the deserts, fall of sea level, and truncation of coral reefs. While this deterioration is predictable in terms of an interglacial-glacial climatic transition, strong natural climatic oscillations, not yet well understood, together with man's activities, make the future a cause for concern.
Defenses in Interpersonal Interaction: Using a Theory-Building Case Study to Develop and Validate the Theory of Interpersonal Defense

I investigated interpersonal defense theory, an interpersonal reconceptualization of defense processes, using the theory-building case study approach. Close examination of patient-therapist interaction during a psychotherapy session provided support for tenets of the theory. The analyses of the clinical material also elucidate some of the key concepts of interpersonal defense theory. Those concepts include a new way of conceptualizing the nature of problematic interpersonal behavior, which offers a novel approach to understanding patients’ contributions to the alliance and transference phenomena. The analyses also clarify ideas from the theory about how defensive behavior on the part of one individual affects how the other person in a relationship behaves. These ideas lead to a new approach to countertransference, point away from common formulations of the self-fulfilling prophecy concept, and offer a novel response to the question of why dysfunctional processes persist. In addition to considering these substantive matters related to interpersonal defense theory, I also consider methodological issues related to the theory-building case study approach. The analyses presented illustrate the process of simultaneously examining whether multiple tenets from a theory are supported by observations on a single case, a crucial part of the theory-building case study approach that can make unique contributions to validating theories. I also discuss the role played by case formulations in the process of determining whether observations conform to theoretical tenets, which is an aspect of the logic of theory validation that has not been considered previously in the literature on the theory-building case study approach.
Doc, there's a worm in my stool : Munchausen parasitosis in a returning traveler

Although delusional parasitosis is frequently diagnosed by travel medicine and infectious disease specialists, factitious illness/Munchausen syndrome is extremely rare.
Risk management strategy under the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

The Federal government has at its disposal a variety of statutes which address themselves to the management of risks attendant on the use of chemical substances in our technologically complex society. Key among these are the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and the several statutes under the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The present discussion is concerned with risk management strategies under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The legal restrictions on risk management options vary considerably over the various statutes listed above. If one examines the listed statutes in a chronological series, there is a suggestion of an evolution in legislative thinking as science and society have become more sophisticated. There is certainly a world of difference between the zero risk simplicity of the Delaney clause in FDCA [21 USC 348(c) (A)] and the risk-benefit balancing mandated by TSCA [ 15 USC 260 1 et seq.] and FIFRA [7 USC 136 et seq.}. Before proceeding with the discussion of risk management concepts under TSCA and FIFRA, it is worthwhile to place some perspective on the question of risk-benefit balancing as practiced by EPA. Many persons believe that risk-benefit balancing is the balancing of economic costs vs human health risks. This is simply not feasible since it requires placing a dollar value on human health. By saying “not feasible” it is not to imply that people do not associate dollar values with their health-anyone who purchases health or life
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and the Central Nervous System

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to infect large numbers of people, including children, worldwide. The virus produces much of its clinical impact by infecting cellular components of the immune system. However, HIV also has the propensity to infect the brain, where it can induce substantial pathology and impair brain function. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has reduced the severity and prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Nevertheless, substantial morbidity and mortality continue to stem from HIV infection of the nervous system. This article reviews the pathogenesis of HIV-induced central nervous system disease, the pathological and clinical effects of HIV infection within the brain, and the controversies and challenges of the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy for prevention and treatment of HIV-induced central nervous system dysfunction.
Rifabutin-Induced Thrombocytopenia from Concurrent Use of High-Dose Fluconazole

Objective:To report a case of—and review the literature supporting—rifabutin-induced thrombocytopenia from concurrent use of high-dose fluconazole.Case Summary:A 34-year-old man with AIDS, on a stable regimen that included rifabutin and fluconazole for the previous 3 months, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of oropharyngeal candidiasis. He was treated with increased doses of fluconazole 200 mg to 800 mg daily over a 9-day hospital admission. During this time, his platelet count decreased from 441,000 cells/mm3 to 24,000 cells/mm3, with no signs of bleeding. He was discharged on day 9 and instructed to omit 1 dose of rifabutin and continue fluconazole 200 mg daily. On day 12, his platelet count was 118,000 cells/mm3. About 1 month after discharge, his platelet count was 151,000 cells/mm3.Discussion:Rifabutin is known to cause thrombocytopenia. Results from initial studies evaluating various doses of rifabutin were not conclusive as to whether rifabutin-induced thrombocytopenia is a dose-dependent...
Enhanced backscattering from a volume-scattering medium behind a phase screen

The enhanced-backscattering (EBS) phenomenon is investigated for the case in which a phase screen is placed close to a multiple-scattering medium. This situation results in a narrowing of the EBS peak that depends on the strength and the position of the phase screen. The resulting enhancement peak is essentially the sum of two contributions: the EBS produced by the multiple-scattering medium in the absence of the phase screen and the enhancement obtained when the multiple-scattering medium is replaced by a plane mirror.
Androgen action through estrogen receptor in a human breast cancer cell line.

Androgens stimulate the growth of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Very high doses are required, however, and therefore, we inquired whether they might exert this effect through some mechanism other than the androgen receptor. Evidence is presented here that it is actually the estrogen receptor, activated by weak but specific binding of androgens, which mediates this effect. Physiological 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) at 10-8 M translocates androgen receptor to cell nuclei without affecting other steroid receptors or stimulating cell growth. High DHT (10-6 M) translocates estrogen as well as androgen receptor and stimulates cell growth. Receptors for progestins and glucocorticoids are not affected. Testosterone, 3β-androstanediol, and the antiandrogen, R2956, at 10-6 M also translocate the estrogen receptor, while progesterone, hydrocortisone, and the inactive isomer, 5β-DHT, have little or no effect. 5α-DHT at 10-6 M competes with estradiol for binding to cytosol estrogen receptor, while 10-8 M DH...
Bacillus thuringiensis CryIA Protein Levels in Raw and Processed Seed of Transgenic Cotton: Determination Using Insect Bioassay and ELISA

The levels of the Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner variety kurstaki CryIA(b) and CryIA(c) insecticidal proteins in unprocessed (raw) and processed seed of transgenic cotton were evaluated using insect bioassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) procedures. Larvae of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), were exposed to sublethal concentrations of ground cottonseed or purified CryIA proteins incorporated into artificial insect diet. The dose-response function of treatments was fit using nonlinear regression analysis to calculate EC50 (dose reducing larval growth by 50%) values and 95% CIs. The bioassay detection limit for both CryIA(b) and CryIA(c) proteins was 0.5 ng/ml insect diet. At 0.5 ng/ml, H. virescens larval weight was consistently reduced by ≥9% compared with the associated control weight. ELISA analyses of CryIA(b) and CryIA(c) protein in cotton seed provided data similar to bioassay results. Cotton line 81 [CrylA(b)] contained 11.28 µg/g (bioassay) and 14.00 µg/g (ELISA) active protein in raw seed. Line 531 [CryIA(c)] contained 2.89 µg/g (bioassay) and 2.22 µg/g(ELISA) active protein in raw seed. Processing eliminated ≥97% of the active CrylA(b) and CryIA(c) proteins in the transgenic cottonseed.
A rapid HC1-toluidine blue squash technic for plant chromosomes.

Fresh or pretreated root tips are simultaneously fixed and hydrolysed in 5 N HC1 for 15 min at room temperature. After washing they are macerated on a slide in a drop of 0.05% toluidine blue made up in McIlvaine citric acid-Na2HPO, buffer at pH 4.0. Pressure on the cover slip completes the squash preparation. It is made permanent by removing the cover slip on dry ice, air drying and mounting in Euparal.
All the better to see you with: a review of odonate color vision with transcriptomic insight into the odonate eye

Although dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) represent some of the most advanced visual systems among insects, odonate visual systems are not as well understood as those of model or more economically important insects. Yet, with their large and complex eyes, aquatic and terrestrial life stages, entirely carnivorous lifestyle, exceptional mating behaviors, diversity in coloration, occupancy of diverse light environments, and adult success that is completely dependent on vision, it would seem studying the visual system of Odonata at the molecular level would yield highly rewarding scientific findings related to predator/prey interactions, the physiological and molecular shifts associated with ecological shifts in light environments, and the role of vision on behavioral ecology. Here, we provide a review of odonate color vision. The first odonate opsin sequences are published using a degenerate PCR approach for both dragonfly and damselfly lineages as well as a transcriptome approach for a single species of damselfly. These genetic data are combined with electrophysiology data from odonates to examine genotype/phenotype relationships in this visual system. Using these data, we present the first insights into the evolution and distribution of the visual pigments (opsins) among odonates. The integration of molecular and behavioral studies of odonate vision will help answer long-standing questions about how sensory systems and coloration may coevolve.
Expression of steroid receptors and steroidogenic enzymes in the baboon (Papio anubis) corpus luteum during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.

As estrogen and progesterone are proposed regulators of luteal function, this study was undertaken to correlate the presence of receptors for these steroids with luteal function during early pregnancy. Corpora lutea (CL) were obtained from nonpregnant baboons during the midluteal [ML; days 7–8 postovulation (PO)] and late luteal (LL; days 11–12 PO) phases of the menstrual cycle or from pregnant baboons on days 18, 25, 29, or 31–33 PO. Estrogen and progestin receptors (ER and PR, respectively) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD) were detected by immunocytochemistry using specific monoclonal (H222 for ER; JZB39 for PR) or polyclonal (S683 for 3βHSD) antibodies. In addition, ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from CL, processed for Northern blot analysis, and probed with complementary DNAs to human PR, human 3βHSD, and rat aromatase. Levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) for 3βHSD were quantified by laser densitometric scanning, and the data were normalized to the expression of a housekeeping gene (glycer...
Early childhood presentation of Czech dysplasia.

Czech dysplasia, metatarsal type is an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder that is characterized by early-onset, progressive arthritis, brachydactyly of the 3rd and 4th toes, and characteristic radiographic findings in patients of normal stature. Patients with Czech dysplasia typically present in late childhood or later. In the present report, whole exome sequencing identified a mutation in COL2A1 (c.823C>T, p.R275C) known to be associated with Czech dysplasia in a 3.5 year old female who had a family history of early-onset arthritis and who was asymptomatic except for prominent knees. The use of whole exome sequencing facilitated diagnosis of this rare disease (less than 15 families in the literature) in the presymptomatic period and thus enabled us to provide early anticipatory guidance and genetic counseling for the family.
Activity of retinoids against benzo(a)pyrene-induced hyperplasia in mouse prostate organ cultures☆

Abstract The antihyperplastic activity of several retinoids (with ring, side chain or polar group modifications) against benzo(a)pyrene (BP)-induced hyperplasia in mouse prostate cultures was examined. Prostate explants were made hyperplastic by treatment with BP for 8 days , followed by simultaneous treatment with BP and different concentrations of a retinoid. The anti-mitotic activity of retinoids was compared with β-retinoic acid (RA). Different retinoids produced various degrees of mitotic inhibition in the hyperplastic prostate epithelium. Five retinoids: 13-cis -retinoic acid, the methylketo cyclopentenyl analog of retinoic acid, the 1 -methoxyethyl cyclopentenyl analog of retinoic acid, N -retinoylglycine, and the 14 -fluoro derivative of the trimethylmethoxyphenyl analog of retinoic acid ethyl ester, showed greater activity than RA. Seven other retinoids were as active as RA. Two retinoids were less active than RA, and one retinoid produced no mitotic inhibitory effect.
TGF‐β promotes cell death and suppresses lactation during the second stage of mammary involution

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) ligands are known to regulate virgin mammary development and contribute to initiation of post-lactation involution. However, the role for TGF-beta during the second phase of mammary involution has not been addressed. Previously, we have used an MMTV-Cre transgene to delete exon 2 from the Tgfbr2 gene in mammary epithelium, however we observed a gradual loss of T beta RII deficient epithelial cells that precluded an accurate study of the role for TGF-beta signaling during involution timepoints. Therefore, in order to determine the role for TGF-beta during the second phase of mammary involution we have now targeted T beta RII ablation within mammary epithelium using the WAP-Cre transgene [T beta RII(WKO)Rosa26R]. Our results demonstrated that TGF-beta regulates commitment to cell death during the second phase of mammary involution. Importantly, at day 3 of mammary involution the Na-Pi type IIb co-transporter (Npt2b), a selective marker for active lactation in luminal lobular alveolar epithelium, was completely silenced in the WAP-Cre control and T beta RII(WKO)Rosa26R tissues. However, by day 7 of involution the T beta RII(WKO)Rosa26R tissues had distended lobular alveoli and regained a robust Npt2b signal that was detected at the apical luminal surface. The Npt2b abundance and localization positively correlated with elevated WAP mRNA expression, suggesting that the distended alveoli were the result of an active lactation program rather than residual milk protein and lipid accumulation. In summary, the results suggest that an epithelial cell response to TGF-beta signaling regulates commitment to cell death and suppression of lactation during the second phase of mammary involution.
Histopathologic features of transplant glomerulopathy associated with response to therapy with intravenous immune globulin and rituximab

Transplant glomerulopathy (TG) is associated with poor long-term allograft survival and is often accompanied by microcirculation inflammation. Histopathologic scoring may inform prognosis and help guide therapy. We retrospectively assessed 33 patients with biopsy-proven TG. All biopsies were given a glomerulitis (g) and peritubular capillaritis (ptc) score. We determined allograft survival and serum creatinine stability in three different score groups: g < 2 and ≥ 2, ptc < 2 and ≥ 2, and (g + ptc) < 4 and ≥ 4. We assessed the impact of treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and rituximab on outcomes. Graft survival and serum creatinine stability did not differ in each of the histopathologic score groups. Higher-score groups were associated with the presence of concomitant antibody-mediated rejection and were more likely to receive IVIG and rituximab. Treatment with IVIG and rituximab resulted in stability of serum creatinine within the higher-score groups, but not in the lower-score groups. Stabilization of serum creatinine was associated with an improvement in donor-specific antibody. Histopathologic scoring in kidney allograft biopsies with TG may help guide treatment. The combination of IVIG and rituximab appears to be beneficial in patients whose biopsies have moderate or severe microvascular injury.
Measurement of fluid rotation, dilation, and displacement in particle image velocimetry using a Fourier–Mellin cross-correlation

Traditional particle image velocimetry (PIV) uses discrete Cartesian cross correlations (CCs) to estimate the displacements of groups of tracer particles within small subregions of sequentially captured images. However, these CCs fail in regions with large velocity gradients or high rates of rotation. In this paper, we propose a new PIV correlation method based on the Fourier?Mellin transformation (FMT) that enables direct measurement of the rotation and dilation of particle image patterns. In previously unresolvable regions of large rotation, our algorithm significantly improves the velocity estimates compared to traditional correlations by aligning the rotated and stretched particle patterns prior to performing Cartesian correlations to estimate their displacements. Our algorithm, which we term Fourier?Mellin correlation (FMC), reliably measures particle pattern displacement between pairs of interrogation regions with up to??180? of angular misalignment, compared to 6?8? for traditional correlations, and dilation/compression factors of 0.5?2.0, compared to 0.9?1.1 for a single iteration of traditional correlations.We apply our FMC algorithm to synthetic computer-generated PIV images with known velocity and vorticity fields, and to an experimentally measured flow field. Our results show that combining FMC with discrete window offset (DWO) or iterative image deformation (IID) algorithms decreases the mean and variance of displacement and vorticity errors compared to traditional correlations, and that FMC accelerates the convergence of IID.