cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toll-Like Receptor 3 Agonist Protection against Experimental Francisella tularensis Respiratory Tract Infection

We investigated whether Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) stimulation would protect the host from inhaled Francisella tularensis. TLR3 is expressed by respiratory epithelial cells and macrophages and can be activated by a synthetic double-stranded RNA ligand called polyinosine-polycytosine [poly(I:C)]. Thus, we evaluated poly(I:C) as a novel treatment against inhaled F. tularensis. In vivo, BALB/c mice intranasally (i.n.) treated with poly(I:C) (100 microg/mouse) 1 h before or after Schu 4 or LVS (100 CFU) i.n. challenge showed that poly(I:C) treatment significantly reduced bacterial load in the lungs (P < 0.05). Bronchoalveolar lavage from poly(I:C)-treated mice alone or combined with F. tularensis infection significantly increased cytokine secretion and enhanced neutrophil influx to lung tissues. Poly(I:C) responses were transient but significantly prolonged the survival of treated mice after i.n. F. tularensis challenge relative to mock treated animals. This prolonged survival providing a longer window for initiation of levofloxacin (LEVO) treatment (40 mg/kg). Animals treated with poly(I:C), challenged with F. tularensis, and then treated with LEVO 5 days later had 100% survival relative to 0% survival in animals receiving LEVO alone. Mechanistically, poly(I:C) given to human monocyte-derived macrophages before or after Schu 4 or LVS challenge (multiplicity of infection, 20:1) had significantly reduced intracellular bacterial replication (P < 0.05). These data suggest that poly(I:C) may represent a potential therapeutic agent against inhaled F. tularensis that prolongs survival and the opportunity to initiate standard antibiotic therapy (i.e., LEVO).
An efficient pressure‐velocity procedure for gas‐droplet two‐phase flow calculations

This paper presents a noniterative numerical technique for computing time-dependent gas-droplet flows. The method is a fully interacting combination of Eulerian fluid and Lagrangian particle calculations. The interaction calculations between the two phases are formulated on a pressure-velocity-coupling procedure based on the operator-splitting technique. This procedure eliminates the global iterations required in the conventional particle-source-in-cell procedure. Turbulent dispersion calculations are treated by a stochastic procedure. Numerical calculations and comparisons with available experimental data as well as efficiency assessments are given for some sprays typical of spray combustion applications.
Intellectual property rights and institutions: A pluralist account

Debates over intellectual property’s justifications tend to treat natural rights and utilitarian accounts as competitors, but they should be seen as complements instead. Lockean and Kantian theories of intellectual property highlight the strong interests that intellectual property creators have in profiting from and exercising some degree of control over their work, but neither theory gives sufficient justification for the full assortment of rights that intellectual property owners have under current law. Utilitarian accounts provide an essential supplement to these natural rights theories by focusing on society’s interests in the production of useful information and creative expression, but that does not mean intellectual property law should single-mindedly strive only to maximize social welfare. Developing both natural rights – based and utilitarian justifications, this dissertation advances a pluralist account of intellectual property that understands different features of copyright, patent, and trademark law to be serving different normative interests.
Dotyophycus pacificum gen. et sp. nov., with a discussion of some families of Nemaliales (Rhodophyta)

Abstract A new genus and species, Dotyophycus pacificum (Rhodophyta, Nemaliales), is described. Although vegetatively resembling some species of Liagora, the female reproductive structures differ in that the carpogonial branch is not borne as a lateral on a vegetative system in the same way as in Liagora, but is homologous with an entire vegetative cluster. It is one of the better examples of the vegetative origin of a carpogonial branch in the red algae. Post-fertilization events, especially the manner of initiation of gonimoblast initials and the subsequent fusion of these cells at the base of the gonimoblast, are also different. A review of species now included in the Nemaliaceae and Helminthocladiaceae, together with an evaluation of the new genus with relation to described species, suggests elevation of the subfamily Dermonemeae to the rank of family.
Abnormal medial prefrontal cortex activity in heavy cannabis users during conscious emotional evaluation.

Long-term heavy cannabis users (cannabis users) who are not acutely intoxicated have diminished subconscious neural responsiveness to affective stimuli. This study sought to determine if abnormal processing extends to the conscious evaluation of emotional stimuli. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine brain activity as cannabis users (N = 16) and non-cannabis-using controls (N = 17) evaluated and categorized standardized International Affective Picture System (IAPS) stimuli. Individual judgments were used to isolate activity during the evaluation of emotional (i.e., emotional evaluation) or neutral (i.e., neutral evaluation) stimuli. Within- and between-group analyses were performed. Both groups judged the same stimuli as emotional and had activations in visual, midbrain, and middle cingulate cortices during emotional evaluation, relative to neutral. Within-group analyses also revealed amygdalar and inferior frontal gyrus activations in controls, but not cannabis users, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) deactivations in cannabis users, but not controls, during emotional evaluation, relative to neutral. Between-group comparisons found that mPFC activity during positive and negative evaluation was significantly hypoactive in cannabis users, relative to controls. Abnormal neural processing of affective content extends to the level of consciousness in cannabis users. The hypoactive mPFC responses observed resembles the attenuated mPFC responses found during increased non-affective cognitive load in prior research. These findings suggest that abnormal mPFC singling in cannabis users during emotional evaluation might be associated with increased non-affective cognitive load.
Diminishing Returns to Income, Companionship – and Happiness

From philosophical and intuitive sources, I find three goods that should serve as ultimate ends in assessing a high quality of life: subjective well-being, human development, and justice. With acknowledged plural ends (we use them whether we acknowledge them or not), each takes its value from its scarcity relative to the other two – a version of diminishing marginal utility. Contrary to economists' belief that income (together with leisure) is the source of all “utility”, evidence shows that companionship, which does not pass through the market, has higher “utility” and contributes more to well-being than does income. But if money income has diminishing marginal utility, so does this competing good, companionship. With arguments drawn from the meaning of happiness, I show that happiness, too, may have diminishing marginal utility and that often it must rely for its hedonic and social value on such other goods as human development and justice.
A Keith Phase Burial on the High Plains of Kansas

A flexed adult male burial was excavated from the cut bank of a dry tributary of Museum Creek, Sheridan County, Kansas. Associated artifacts include a well-worn grinding stone and a bone tool of indeterminate function. Analysis of sediment from the grinding stone led to the identification of diagnostic opal phytoliths from hackberry fruits. The geographic location of the burial and a radiocarbon age determination of 1370 ± 70 RCYBP are sufficient to place the burial site in the Keith phase taxon. A summary of Keith phase burials shows a great degree of variation in burial practices. The location of the solitary 14SD351 burial suggests that it is far from a settlement.
Gender Differences in Rough and Tumble Play Behaviors

I conducted 10 one-hour observations in a Kindergarten classroom to determine if there were gender differences in the types of Rough and Tumble play (RTP) that children engaged in. Previous research reported that (a) boys were more likely than girls to engage in RTP, (b) boys were more likely than girls to engage in solitary forms of RTP, (c) girls were more likely than boys to engage in collaborative forms of RTP, and (d) boys were more likely than girls to engage in aggressive forms of RTP. My findings were similar to those of previous research. I found that boys participated in RTP more than girls and the forms of RTP engaged in by boys were more aggressive. I also found that boys engaged in more solitary RTP than girls, although both boys and girls engaged in more solitary than collaborative RTP. Unlike previous research findings, boys and girls in my study engaged in similar rates of collaborative RTP. I also found that the presence of one particular girl influenced the occurrence of collaborative mixed-gender RTP, which I refer to as the "Amber Effect." The influence of one player on the likelihood of RTP occurring has not been reported in previous research. Pseudonyms are used throughout this article to maintain the confidentiality of the site and participants in this study. Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Julia Wilkins
Premature labor after three miscarriages.

(1982). Premature Labor After Three Miscarriages. Hospital Practice: Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 247-254.
Newborn surgical emergencies of the gastrointestinal tract

Intestinal obstruction and necrotizing enterocolitis are two of the most common surgical emergencies of the gastrointestinal tract. This article reviews the signs and symptoms of these conditions and presents guidelines for their management.
Is groundwater recharge always serving us well? Water supply provisioning, crop production, and flood attenuation in conflict in Wisconsin, USA

Abstract Ecosystem service mapping can provide an avenue for making effective land management decisions in a holistic way. However, mapped quantities do not always appropriately represent the ecosystem services that are used by humans. We highlight this issue with a case study of groundwater recharge, water supply, flooding, and agricultural production in an urbanizing agricultural watershed in southern Wisconsin, USA. Groundwater recharge is typically treated as a beneficial ecosystem service or service indicator whose value to humans monotonically increases with the amount of recharge. While appropriate from a water supply perspective, this relationship breaks down when excess groundwater recharge leads to flooding and crop damage. We suggest moving beyond groundwater recharge as a stand-alone ecosystem service, and instead propose that observations and biophysical models should be used to quantify the final service humans receive from groundwater (e.g. reliability of water supply from a municipal well). Integration of such derived, point-based metrics with other ecosystem services that are more easily represented at the landscape scale remains a challenge for regional ecosystem service inventories and analyses.
How much does ownership matter? Deliberative discourse in local media coverage of the Terri Schiavo case

This article contributes to a more systematic understanding of the role of newspaper ownership in deliberative processes by analyzing how inclusive local newspapers are of diverse perspectives on the Terri Schiavo case. Drawing on a content analysis of 1182 stories, we use multinomial logistic regression to analyze how ownership affects what ideas are included in the discussion as well as the tone with which they are discussed. We find that ownership indeed matters. Independently owned newspapers cover controversial ideas more often – even on the opinion pages. We also find that geography matters. Newspapers closest to the event epicenter include more stories and a broader range of perspectives regarding the Schiavo case. We discuss the implications of this research for understanding the role of economics in deliberative processes.
Non-premixed Flames (Diffusion Flames)

In many combustion processes, the fuel and oxidizer are separated before entering the reaction zone where they mix and burn. The combustion reactions in such cases are called “non-premixed flames,” or traditionally, “diffusion flames” because the transport of fuel and oxidizer into the reaction zone occurs primarily by diffusion. Many combustors operate in the non-premixed burning mode, often for safety reasons. Since the fuel and oxidizer are not premixed, the risk of sudden combustion (explosion) is eliminated. Chemical reactions between fuel and oxidizer occur only at the molecular level, so “mixing” between fuel and oxidizer must take place before combustion. In non-premixed combustion the fuel and oxidizer are transported independently to the reaction zone, by convection and diffusion, where mixing of the fuel and oxidizer occurs prior to their reaction. Often the chemical reactions are fast, hence the burning rate is limited by the transport and mixing process rather than by the chemical kinetics. Consequently, greater flame stability can be maintained. This stable characteristic makes diffusion flames attractive for many applications, notably aircraft gas-turbine engines. Topics covered in this chapter include: (1) a detailed description of a candle flame, (2) the structure of non-premixed laminar jet flames, (3) theoretical and empirical expressions for laminar jet flame height, (4) Burke-Schumann jet diffusion flames, (5) turbulent jet flames including liftoff height and blowout limit, and (6) a short discussion of condensed fuel fires.
Review: Heterogeneous studies show a reduction in stroke after anticoagulation but not after thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Source Citation Vaitkus PT, Berlin JA, Schwartz JS, Barnathan ES. Stroke complicating acute myocardial infarction. A meta-analysis of risk modification by anticoagulation and thrombolytic therapy. ...
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

It is astonishing that in recent years heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has emerged as the most common form of heart failure, when it was barely mentioned 20 years ago. HFpEF was evident 20 years ago, but it was referred to as “diastolic heart failure” and was somewhat understudied and was clinically not very well characterized. HFpEF’s prevalence now is at least equivalent to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and probably somewhat greater. This epidemic of HFpEF continues to grow. Of the six million Americans suffering with heart failure, about half have HFpEF and the other half have HFrEF. Substantial overlap exists, with some patients having a combination of HFrEF and HFpEF and nearly all patients with HFrEF having some element of diastolic dysfunction. The prevalence of HFpEF is rapidly increasing commensurate with the increase in people living to an advanced age. Undoubtedly, many patients, to some extent, manifest both phenotypes—HFpEF and HFrEF. This chapter primarily focuses on patients with HFpEF.
Load–settlement response of shallow foundations resting on granular soil

Proper estimation of settlement of shallow foundations resting on granular soil deposits has a significant role in the design and construction of buildings and other related structures. While several procedures are available in the literature, discrepancies still exist between the predicted and observed responses. Furthermore, there is a decoupling between bearing capacity and settlement assessment for the same foundation and soil type. This paper presents a new model which was developed to assess load–settlement response up to ultimate soil failure. The model utilizes Mohr–Coulomb criteria coupled with a stress–strain relationship that captures the behavior of granular soil up to large strains. The model has been verified using documented results reported in the literature. Furthermore, two full-scale plate load experiments were recently performed at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), utilizing a large soil box 10 ft. (3.048 m) × 10 ft. (3.048 m) × 7 ft. (2.134 m). The experiments modeled single-layer and multi-layer soil structure. The load-settlement responses up to bearing capacity failure are reported for both experiments.
Modeling and Control of a Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process for III-V Compound Semiconductor Epitaxy

Abstract Real-time control of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) processes has been shown to improve the composition and thickness precision in the growth of compound semiconductor films. A system model of the MOCVD process is developed to improve the application of control. The model is used to simulate growth of GaInAs. Estimates of the GaAs fraction, from simulated growths, are compared to measured composition results. The model estimates and post-growth data are in good agreement.
The use of PROMIS CAT Physical Function Pre-surgical Scores to Predict Recovery and Establish Pre-surgical Cut-off Values

Objectives:There is a lack of standardized outcome measures or methods to study the effects of treatment and to effectively monitor and document patient outcomes. We have used Patient Reported Outc...
The Influence of Topography, Season and Circulation on Spatial Patterns of Daily Precipitation

Estimates of future precipitation regimes on small watersheds and daily time scales are frequently required in hydrologic analyses. Such estimates must be based on projections from coarse resolution global climate models combined with analyses of current observational data. Possible combination methods are reviewed. One approach is to link historical precipitation records to observed and modelled atmospheric circulation patterns. This requires knowledge of the spatial scale of daily precipitation. A method of establishing this scale as a function of location, season, and topography is developed and linked to circulation patterns. The method relates the conditional probabilities of precipitation occurrence at station pairs to their inter-station distance. It was tested for mid-latitude continental interior and coastal conditions, Colorado and North Carolina, USA respectively. Separate analyses were undertaken for summer and winter and for mountainous and flat regions. A logarithmic relationship between inter-station correlation and distance was established. Storms in Colorado were less frequent and smaller than in North Carolina, while for the latter state winter storms were significantly larger than summer ones. Mountainous regions tended to have more widespread storms than did flat areas. The spatial scale varied little with circulation in Colorado but meridional flow over North Carolina led to more frequent and localized storms than did zonal flow, especially in winter. Thus this simple method allows specification of the impact of circulation changes on the scale of precipitation, and hence some indications of possible consequences of climate change.
Binding of volatile aroma compounds to can linings with different polymeric characteristics.

Flavor compounds have been shown to interact with packaging materials either by scalping, the movement of flavorings from the food product to the package, or by flavor release, movement of flavorings from the package to the food. Work has elucidated the parameters important for the scalping of flavor compounds to polyolefin packaging materials, but very little work has been conducted examining the scalping of flavor compounds by can lining materials. Can linings composed of three different polymers, polyolefin, acrylic, epoxy, were studied for binding of volatile flavor compounds (octanal, nonanal, decanal, eugenol, d-limonene) at room temperature over a 2-week period. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used with gas chromatography mass spectrometry to identify and quantify volatile compounds. Flavor compounds were studied at concentrations around 4-1,000 ppb. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to verify can lining polymer chemistry. Almost complete binding of all five of the volatile compounds studied was observed over 9-14 days at room temperature for each of the can lining chemistries. The number of time data points limited our ability to determine the order and rate constants of binding. This model system appears to be a valuable for investigating flavor binding of polymeric can lining materials.
Loss of He+ ions in the upper atmosphere

Abstract Charge transfer between He + ions and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen has been investigated in a crossed beam experiment within the energy range 3–600 eV. Interpolation between these data and the 300°K results of afterglow measurements is made to provide cross sections for these processes at collision energies pertinent to the Earth's upper atmosphere. The results so obtained are in marked disagreement with those inferred from atmospheric data.
Query-Based Model Checking of Ad Hoc Network Protocols

A prominent source of complexity in the verification of ad hoc network (AHN) protocols is the fact that the number of network topologies grows exponentially with the square of the number of nodes. To combat this instance explosion problem, we present a query-based verification framework for AHN protocols that utilizes symbolic reachability analysis. Specifically we consider AHN nodes of the form P :I , where P is a process and I is an interface: a set of groups, where each group represents a multicast port. Two processes can communicate if their interfaces share a common group. To achieve a symbolic representation of network topologies, we treat process interfaces as variables and introduce a constraint language for representing topologies. Terms of the language are simply conjunctions of connection and disconnection constraints of the form $conn({\mathcal{J}}_i,{\mathcal{J}}_j)$ and $dconn({\mathcal{J}}_i, {\mathcal{J}}_j)$, where ${\mathcal{J}}_i$ and ${\mathcal{J}}_j$ are interface variables. Our symbolic reachability algorithm explores the symbolic state space of an AHN in breadth-first order, accumulating topology constraints as multicast-transmit and multicast-receive transitions are encountered. We demonstrate the practical utility of our framework by applying it to the problem of detecting unresolved collisions in the LMAC protocol for sensor networks.
Abstract WP111: Post-stroke Remote Limb Conditioning Shifts Monocyte to a Pro-inflammatory Subset and Improves Functional Recovery in Chronic Stroke

Objective: Post-stroke remote limb conditioning (PSLC) has been shown protective effect in preclinical and clinical studies. However, underlying protective mechanisms are multiple but not clearly d...
Elucidation of the growth mechanism of MoS2 during the CVD process

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) using molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) and sulfur (S) powder often results in intermediate molybdenum oxy-sulfide (MoOS2) species along with MoS2 due to a lack of control over the vapor pressure required for the clean growth. Much effort has been devoted in understanding and controlling of these intermediate MoOS2 specifies. Here, we show that with a second step sulfurization at moderate temperatures, these MoOS2 crystals can be transformed to monolayer MoS2 crystals. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy characterization carried out before and after re-sulfurization confirm the monolayer MoS2 growth via this route. This study shows that MoOS2 formed at the intermediate state can be successfully recycled to MoS2.
SHORT-TERM UNEXPECTED HEALTHCARE COSTS AFTER SENTINEL ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE TYPE AND SUCCESS: RESULTS FROM A MULTISITE-HOSPITAL SYSTEM BETWEEN 2015-2017

The number of catheter ablation (CA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) has increased greatly in the last 5 years. There are models that describe long-term cost-effectiveness of CA for AF. However, none have examined variables associated with the cost of unexpected post-procedural healthcare visits to the
China’s Military Modernization

This chapter assesses China’s military modernization programs. Of particular importance are the catalysts that have led to such a rapid modernization, such as the Gulf War, the Taiwan Straits Crisis and the American response to that crisis, and finally, the ongoing United States–Japan alliance. Current military doctrines are assessed and evaluated, especially the concept of Anti-Access Area Denial (A2/AD) and its corresponding weapons programs, both foreign acquisitions and domestic production. Finally, the chapter tackles China’s South China Sea policy and concludes that military modernization has paved the way for increased Chinese assertiveness in the territorial disputes.
Putative Periodontal Pathogens, Filifactor alocis and Peptoanaerobacter stomatis, Induce Differential Cytokine and Chemokine Production by Human Neutrophils

Periodontitis is a highly prevalent infectious disease that affects ~ 50% of the adults in the USA alone. Two Gram-positive anaerobic oral bacteria, Filifactor alocis and Peptoanaerobacter stomatis, have emerged as important periodontal pathogens. Neutrophils are a major component of the innate host response in the gingival tissue, and the contribution of neutrophil-derived cytokines and chemokines plays a central role in disease progression. The pattern of cytokines and chemokines released by human neutrophils upon stimulation with newly appreciated periodontal bacteria compared to the keystone oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis was investigated. Our results showed that both F. alocis and P. stomatis triggered TLR2/6 activation. F. alocis induced significant changes in gene expression of cytokines and chemokines in human neutrophils compared to unstimulated cells. However, except for IL-1ra, neutrophils released lower levels of cytokines and chemokines in response to F. alocis compared to P. stomatis. Furthermore, bacteria-free conditioned supernatant collected from neutrophils challenged with P. stomatis, but not from P. gingivalis or F. alocis, was chemotactic towards both neutrophils and monocytes. Elucidating stimuli-specific modulation of human neutrophil effector functions in the context of dysbiotic microbial community constituents provides valuable information for understanding the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases.
Satellite Articulation Tracking Using Computer Vision

Autonomous on-orbit satellite servicing benefits from an inspector satellite that can gain as much information as possible about the primary satellite. This includes performance of articulated obje...
DESIGNING A PORTABLE HUMIDITY MEASURING STATION USING PIC 16F877A

With every passing day we are battling a serious and dangerous challenge, Pollution. It is increasing at an alarmingly rate. There's an urgent need to exercise counter measures to curb it. To come up with an effective counter measure, we need to have accurate and useful data of weather parameters that will show the rise in levels of pollution. The weather parameters give us a comparative data as to which parameter hits the most due to rise in pollution and in what pattern. I have chosen my city Ahmedabad as test city to deploy my design to capture these data and use it in aiding authority to curb pollution issue. Drawback of the current pollution stations is that they were located in laboratories and at very distant places from each other. Moreover, being bulky in size they couldn't be installed at junction places where there was a dire need of monitoring the air. Hence, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation took up the responsibility to install 10 Poll drones as a pilot project across the city todetermine the pollution at key junction points. They began setting up digital sensors around the entire city area for measuring various weather parameters. My job is to design a small, portable device for collecting weather report of various parameters. Out of a set of many parameters I have chosen humidity to begin with. I will be designing a device that just on plug-in into a laptop or PC would start collecting data off the environment around and generate reports in Excel format for further analysis and decision making.
Perceptions, Barriers, and Experiences With Successful Aging Before and After Kidney Transplantation: A Focus Group Study.

BACKGROUND End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients are living longer, often into older age, and commonly pursue kidney transplantation. Successful aging, a multidimensional construct of physical and social wellbeing, has been expanded and adapted for patients with chronic disease. However, perceptions of, barriers to, and experiences with successful aging among adults with ESKD are unclear and likely differ based on whether they have received a kidney transplant. METHODS Ten focus groups were held with 39 total ESKD patients aged ≥50 years (19 transplant candidates, 20 transplant recipients). Transcriptions were analyzed thematically by 2 independent coders using an inductive, constant comparative approach. RESULTS The mean age was 64.8 (SD = 7.5); 51% were African American and 64% were males. Six themes were identified: familiarity with successful aging, perceptions of successful aging after ESKD diagnosis, barriers to successful aging, experiences with successful aging among transplant candidates, experiences with successful aging among transplant recipients, and suggested interventions. While all participants sought to achieve successful aging while living with ESKD, experiences with successful aging differed between candidates and recipients. Candidates struggled with the limitations of dialysis; some viewed transplantation as an opportunity to age successfully, while others were resigned to the drawbacks of dialysis. In contrast, transplant recipients were optimistic about their ability to age successfully, believing their transplant facilitated successful aging. Participants believed support groups for adults with ESKD and more thoughtful health care for aging adults would promote successful aging. CONCLUSIONS Adults with ESKD may benefit from discussions with their clinicians and caregivers about goals, barriers, and strategies regarding successful aging.
The association of dietary phosphorus with blood pressure: results from a secondary analysis of the PREMIER trial

Inconsistent findings exist for the association between dietary phosphorus intake and blood pressure (BP). We examined the longitudinal association between urinary excretion and dietary intake of phosphorus (total, plant, animal, and added) with BP. This is a secondary analysis of PREMIER, a randomized behavioral intervention study in adults (25–79 years) with BP, measured at 6 months, as the primary outcome. We classified total phosphorus intake from dietary recalls into plant, animal, and added phosphorus. We modeled 6-month change of phosphorus intake (from 24 h dietary recalls, N = 622) and excretion (from 24 h urine collection, N = 564) on BP, using linear regression crude and adjusted for intervention, age, race, sex, income, education, study site, and change in energy intake (kcal/day), sodium intake (mg/day), fitness (heart rate, bpm), and DASH diet index. Baseline phosphorus intake was 1154 mg/day (95% CI 1126, 1182) with 38%, 53%, and 10% from plant, animal, and added phosphorus, respectively. Total phosphorus intake was not associated with significant changes in BP. Increased urinary phosphorus excretion was associated with a significant increase in DBP [0.14 mmHg/100 mg (0.01, 0.28), adjusted]. In several analyses, phosphorus type (plant, animal, or added) significantly modified the association between phosphorus intake and BP. For example, added phosphorus (but not plant or animal) was associated with increases in SBP and DBP, 1.24 mmHg/100 mg (0.36, 2.12) and 0.83 mmHg/100 mg (0.22, 1.44), respectively, crude. These findings suggest that the type of phosphorus may modify the association between phosphorus intake and BP. Trial registration NCT00000616 ( clinicaltrials.gov ).
Cryopreserved Alginate-Encapsulated Islets Can Restore Euglycemia in a Diabetic Animal Model Better than Cryopreserved Non-encapsulated Islets:

Islet transplantation has been shown to restore normoglycemia clinically. One of the current limitations to the widespread clinical use of islet transplantation is culturing and preserving more than 1 million islet equivalents in preparation for transplant. One possible solution is to bank frozen islets and use them when needed. Although promising, the standard islet freezing protocol introduces stress and cell death, resulting in high variability of islet quality post thawing. This study aimed to develop an improved cryopreservation protocol using alginate-encapsulated islets to improve islet survival and function for future transplants. Our data showed that encapsulation improved islet survival and function after thawing the frozen islets. Frozen encapsulated islets have an islet yield recovery of 84% when compared to non-encapsulated islets at 72% after thawing. Post-thaw viability was 78% for non-encapsulated islets compared to 88% for encapsulated islets. The stimulation index values after a static glucose test following thawing were 1.9 ± 0.5, 2.9 ± 0.1, and 3.3 ± 0.3 for the non-encapsulated, 1.75% alginate, and 2.5% alginate groups, respectively. In a transplant study, the mice that received 1.75% alginate-encapsulated cryopreserved islets achieved normoglycemia on average 5 days after transplant. In comparison, control mice that received fresh islets took 4 days, while those receiving unencapsulated cryopreserved islets took 18 days. In conclusion, encapsulating islets in 1.75% alginate prior to freezing was shown to improve islet survival, function post thawing, and graft response significantly when compared to islets frozen without encapsulation.
First luteal tissue in ewe lambs: influence on subsequent ovarian activity and response to hysterectomy.

Two experiments were conducted in peripuberal ewe lambs to determine (a) the influence of the first luteal structure [most frequently a transient (i.e., 1 to 4 d) structure] on subsequent ovarian activity and (b) a role for the uterus in its demise. In Exp. 1, 21 lambs were assigned randomly on the day of the first rise in progesterone in the plasma to (1) sham-operation, (2) removal of the nonluteal ovary, (3) removal of the luteal ovary and (4) removal of the luteal ovary plus progesterone replacement (5 mg given three times 12 h apart, initiated at surgery). No effect of treatment on subsequent ovarian activity was observed. In Exp. 2, four of 14 lambs were assigned randomly to be hysterectomized before their first rise in progesterone. The remaining 10 lambs, (five each) were sham-operated or hysterectomized on the day of the first rise in progesterone. All hysterectomized lambs (N = 9) exhibited a rise in progesterone and maintained elevated concentrations of progesterone, whereas sham-operated lambs initiated estrous cycles. Oviducts and uteri collected from lambs hysterectomized on the day of the first rise in progesterone in Exp. 2 were flushed for presence of oocytes and none were found. Similarly, no retained oocytes were found in histological preparations of first luteal structures obtained from eight lambs ovariectomized in Exp. 1. Concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin were determined in daily samples collected from 19 lambs in Exp. 1. Luteinizing hormone increased and became more variable as lambs matured, whereas prolactin decreased with no detectable change in variability. It is concluded that the transient luteal structure is not required for sexual maturation and that its lifespan is uterine dependent.
‘Il cadavere dell’ammiraglio Caracciolo’: Controriforma, Risorgimento e sindacalismo nazionale nel Malaparte fascista

ABSTRACTL’articolo analizza la produzione culturale e politica del giovane Curzio Malaparte nel quadro dello sviluppo del primo fascismo. Si spiega come Malaparte abbia cercato, in un proposito fin...
Impedance-Based Characterization of Power System Frequency Response

This paper presents an impedance-based noninvasive method for the characterization of power system frequency response in real time in the absence of a transient event. The proposed method measures transfer function from the injected active power to the frequency at the point of interconnection for the estimation of system inertia, primary frequency response, and the speed of the primary frequency control of the system. The socalled frequency response transfer function FR(s) is measured by injecting perturbations in the active power output of a battery energy storage system. The measured response of FR(s) can also predict the frequency nadir and ROCOF following a transient event. The relationship between FR(s) and the system impedance response as seen from the point of interconnection is also derived in this paper; it can be used for the control design of frequency support services by inverter-coupled generation and storage. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on a modified IEEE 9-bus system with 25% penetration of wind and PV generation.
Nuclear Waste Management: Building a Foundation to Enhance Trust

The primary challenges to the DOE, NRC, EPA, and contractors responsible for managing the defense and commercial nuclear waste legacies are technology and high cost. Yet given the long period that the waste must be stewarded, the responsible parties must invest in short-term and long-run programs to build mutually beneficial stable relationships that are able to withstand the stresses of technical mishaps and human disagreements and endure for many generations. This chapter suggests five key steps in light of the Fukushima events: 1. Do not shoot the messenger. Fear needs to be acknowledged, not dismissed as irrational. 2. If the audience wants to understand what happened in Japan, or in other incidents involving nuclear facilities, then engage in a discussion if you feel competent to do so, or try to find someone who can. 3. People want the responsible parties to demonstrate ability to protect them, and prove through these actions that safety is the highest priority now and in the future. 4. The public wants promises about definitive steps to improve safety, efficiency, and other metrics of competence; they want to know what communications will keep them or their representatives in the loop; and they want to be sure that the safety is not going to be sacrificed. 5. Follow-through with promised actions. Trying to change public opinion with words not matched by deeds will erode, perhaps even poison, what could be a productive ongoing organizational relationship.
Prdm3 and Prdm16 cooperatively maintain hematopoiesis and clonogenic potential.

Mds1-Evi1 (also known as Prdm3) and Prdm16 are two highly related zinc finger transcription factors that, within the hematopoietic system, are both expressed primarily in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Our laboratory previously found that constitutive Mds1-Evi1 knockout mice are viable, but their HSCs are unable to withstand myeloablative chemotherapy or effectively transplant irradiated recipient mice. A similar phenotype has been observed for Prdm16, except that the Prdm16 constitutive knockout is lethal. Here, we created a novel double-knockout model of Mds1-Evi1 and Prdm16 in the bone marrow, in which double knockout occurs only in cells that endogenously express Mds1-Evi1 and only upon induction with tamoxifen. We show that combined Mds1-Evi1/Prdm16 deficiency causes bone marrow failure within 15 days, with rapid loss in all progenitor compartments, while the peripheral blood exhibits progressive reductions in peripheral monocytes and granulocytes. We found that surviving hematopoietic stem cells and granulocytic progenitors had elevated apoptosis and cell division, and were unable to form colonies in vitro; adding back wild-type Mds1-Evi1 or Prdm16 to double-knockout bone marrow restores colony formation, and for MDS1-EVI1, this activity depends on a functional PR domain. All of these phenotypic effects were exhibited at milder levels in Mds1-Evi1 and Prdm16 single-knockout controls. Overall, these results illustrate that Mds1-Evi1 and Prdm16 play additive roles in maintaining normal hematopoietic stem cell survival.
O14.1 Optimizing screening for chlamydia: is there a role for screening heterosexual men?

Background US guidelines recommend annual chlamydia screening of sexually active women under age 25y. The benefits of screening heterosexual men remain unclear. We analyzed the potential impact of increasing chlamydia screening from current levels, comparing strategies targeting women and/or men. Methods We examined expanded screening scenarios using a calibrated deterministic pair formation chlamydia transmission model of the US heterosexual population ages 15–54y, stratified by sex, age, risk and partnership status (not sexually active, unpaired, paired). We modeled three scenarios targeting 15–24y, using a fixed number of additional tests (1.2 million) across scenarios and maximum impact achievable: additional screening for women (S1), men (S2), or equally divided between women and men (S3). We report estimates and 95% credible intervals of yearly infections averted, prevalence reduction, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) cases averted among 15–24y. Results In the calibrated baseline scenario, estimated chlamydia screening coverage in the 15–24y population translated into 7.5 times as many yearly tests among women as among men. In S1 (15% increase in screening among women), median 4,900 (2,500–10,700) PID cases were averted yearly, compared to S2 (a doubling of screening among men) with 4,100 (2,200–8,700) cases averted, and S3 (8% increase among women and 53% increase among men) with 5,100 (2,800–10,400) cases averted. Estimated chlamydial infections averted for men and women were 30,400 (18,400–64,500) in S1, 59,600 (36,400–112,900) in S2, and 52,900 (34,300–93,900) in S3. For S1 and S2, the sex targeted with additional tests had a greater reduction in chlamydia prevalence, but fewer infections averted compared to the opposite sex. Conclusion Depending on specific program objectives, differing screening recommendations may apply. To avert PID, increasing screening in women or both sexes may be most beneficial. To maximize infections averted, targeting men with increased screening may be needed. Program costs and cost-effectiveness, not considered here, may impact the interpretation of results. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Increased prevalence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in adults with repaired coarctation of aorta.

Abstract Background Left ventricular (LV) pressure overload and coronary artery disease are common in patients with coarctation of aorta (COA), and they are risk factors for LV diastolic dysfunction. Patients with COA may have aortic vasculopathy that can result in LV pressure overload even in the absence of hemodynamically significant COA. We therefore hypothesized that patients with mild COA (without hemodynamically significant COA) will have more LV diastolic dysfunction compared to controls. Methods Adult patients with mild COA (Doppler peak velocity 2 standard deviations above age-specific normative values) between adults with repaired COA and controls. Results Of 204 COA and 204 control patients (age 35 ± 12 years), patients with COA had higher septal and lateral E/e′ ratio (12 ± 4 vs 9 ± 4, p = 0.009) and (10 ± 3 vs 7 ± 3, p 60 years (82% vs 56%, p = 0.076). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was the strongest determinant of E/e′ (β = 2.71 per 10 g/m2, standard error = 1.25, p Conclusion LV diastolic dysfunction was common in patients with COA, and the association with LVMI suggests that patients with COA may have ongoing LV pressure overload in the absence of hemodynamically significant re-coarctation.
Carbon Nanopore-Tailored Reverse Osmotic Water Desalination

Water desalination is receiving an increasing amount of attention because of the global concern of sustainability. Emerging nanoporous materials are investigated to selectively separate ions for pr...
Quantum Accurate Prediction of Plutonium–Plutonium Dihydride Phase Equilibrium Using a Lattice Gas Model

Plutonium-based materials are vital for use as nuclear fuels and as portable power sources for space vehicles. However, elucidating their sensitivity to hydriding corrosion represents an extreme ch...
Case report: Buddy wire technique to facilitate atrial septal crossing during transcatheter transseptal mitral valve implantation.

Background Transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve implantation (MVIV) has emerged as a viable treatment option in patients at high risk for surgery. Occasionally, despite appropriate puncture location and adequate dilation, difficulty is encountered in advancing the transcatheter heart valve across interatrial septum. Case summary We describe a case of a 79-year-old woman with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prior surgical bioprosthetic aortic and mitral valve replacement implanted in 2007, atrial fibrillation, and Group II pulmonary hypertension who presented with progressively worsening heart failure symptoms secondary to severe bioprosthetic mitral valve stenosis and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation. Her symptoms had worsened over several months, with multiple admissions at other institutions with treatment for both COPD exacerbation and heart failure. Transoesophageal echocardiogram demonstrated preserved ejection fraction, normal functioning aortic valve, and dysfunctional mitral prosthesis with severe stenosis (mean gradient 13 mmHg) and moderate-severe regurgitation. After a multi-disciplinary heart team discussion, the patient underwent a transcatheter MVIV implantation. During the case, inability in advancing the transcatheter heart valve (THV) across interatrial septum despite adequate septal balloon pre-dilation was successfully managed with the support of a stiff 'buddy wire' anchored in the left upper pulmonary vein using the same septal puncture. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was discharged home. Discussion Operators should be aware of potential strategies to advance the THV when difficulty is encountered in crossing the atrial septum despite adequate septal preparation. One such strategy is the use of stiff 'buddy wire' for support which avoids the need for more aggressive septal dilatation.