cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stem Cells and Calcium Phosphate Cement Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration

Calcium phosphate cements (CPCs) have excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity for dental, craniofacial, and orthopedic applications. This article reviews recent developments in stem cell delivery via CPC for bone regeneration. This includes: (1) biofunctionalization of the CPC scaffold, (2) co-culturing of osteoblasts/endothelial cells and prevascularization of CPC, (3) seeding of CPC with different stem cell species, (4) human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUCMSC) and bone marrow MSC (hBMSC) seeding on CPC for bone regeneration, and (5) human embryonic stem cell (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) seeding with CPC for bone regeneration. Cells exhibited good attachment/proliferation in CPC scaffolds. Stem-cell-CPC constructs generated more new bone and blood vessels in vivo than did the CPC control without cells. hUCMSCs, hESC-MSCs, and hiPSC-MSCs in CPC generated new bone and blood vessels similar to those of hBMSCs; hence, they were viable cell sources for bone engineering. CPC with hESC-MSCs and hiPSC-MSCs generated new bone two- to three-fold that of the CPC control. Therefore, this article demonstrates that: (1) CPC scaffolds are suitable for delivering cells; (2) hUCMSCs, hESCs, and hiPSCs are promising alternatives to hBMSCs, which require invasive procedures to harvest with limited cell quantity; and (3) stem-cell-CPC constructs are highly promising for bone regeneration in dental, craniofacial, and orthopedic applications.
A Study of the Impact of Individual Differences on Online Shopping

Previous studies explored the effects of individual cognitive and affective reactions on online shopping and those of individual differences on usage of information systems. However, few studies evaluated how individual differences affect online shopping. This paper draws on the theory of reasoned action TRA and the technology acceptance model TAM as it attempts to gain understanding of individual difference impacts on online shopping attitudes. The model was tested using data collected from a Web survey, and 171 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Results show that online shopping experience, level of Internet usage, cognitive absorption, personal innovativeness, and computer self-efficacy positively influence online shopping attitudes, and that perceived usefulness is a significant mediator, but only between online shopping attitudes and two individual differences variables: the level of Internet usage and cognitive absorption.
Resident satisfaction with sustainable tourism: The case of Frankenwald Nature Park, Germany

Abstract This article examined the relative influence of four sustainability dimensions (i.e., environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and institutional) in predicting resident satisfaction with sustainable tourism development. Data were collected from residents near Frankenwald Nature Park (FNP) in Germany ( n = 306). The dimensions were based on three to eight survey items. Perceived satisfaction was a five-item measure of resident satisfaction. Structural equation modeling supported the hypothesis that all four dimensions were significant predictors of satisfaction. The economic dimension was the strongest predictor, followed by the institutional, social, and environmental dimensions. Findings indicate that all four dimensions should be included for a holistic approach to planning and monitoring sustainable tourism development. Future research opportunities include improving the measurement of sustainability indicators and developing standards associated with each indicator.
Platelet aggregation by a phospholipase C from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The effects and mechanism of action of a phospholipase C (PLC) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa on human platelet rich plasma were examined to better understand the interaction of PLC with human platelets. PLC caused platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. Enzymatic activity of PLC was necessary for aggregation since heat-denatured PLC had no effect on platelets. P-nitrophenolphosphorylcholine, a substrate for PLC, was unable to cause platelet aggregation and inhibited PLC-induced aggregation if added to platelets prior to the addition of PLC. In addition, phosphorylcholine, a product of PLC action on phospholipid substrates, was unable to aggregate platelets. When PLC was tested on the aggregation response to known aggregating agents such as ADP, epinephrine, collagen or ristocetin, no inhibitory effect was seen. Studies with aspirin or nordihydroguairetic acid (NDGA) indicated that the action of PLC was independent of the prostaglandin and lipooxygenase pathways, respectively. The studies described herein point to a novel pathway of platelet aggregation by P. aeruginosa PLC.
Speckle imaging for planetary research

The present study of speckle imaging technique effectiveness encompasses image reconstruction by means of a division algorithm for Fourier amplitudes, and the Knox-Thompson (1974) algorithm for Fourier phases. Results which have been obtained for Io, Titan, Pallas, Jupiter and Uranus indicate that spatial resolutions lower than the seeing limit by a factor of four are obtainable for objects brighter than Uranus. The resolutions obtained are well above the diffraction limit, due to inadequacies of the video camera employed. A photon-counting camera has been developed to overcome these difficulties, making possible the diffraction-limited resolution of objects as faint as Charon.
Oxygen radicals and signaling

Recent evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, function as intracellular second messengers. This review will discuss the progress in understanding the intracellular pathways leading from ligand stimulation to the generation of oxidants, as well as some of the increasing number of cellular processes that appear to be subject to redox regulation.
Pion double-charge-exchange operator.

We investigate the behavior of the operator responsible for sequential pion double charge exchange in nuclei in the plane wave limit with a view to studying its extension in space, especially the short-range part.
UV photochemistry of trivinylantimony adsorbed on quartz

Abstract The surface photochemistry of trivinylantimony adsorbed on a cold quartz surface was investigated using pulsed 193 nm excimer-laser radiation. The major desorption products observed were C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 3 , C 2 H 4 , C 4 H 6 , Sb, Sb(C 2 H 3 ), Sb(C 2 H 3 ) 2 , Sb(C 2 H 3 ) 3 and Sb 2 . Photoproduct distributions and their Maxwell-Boltzmann characteristic temperatures were determined using time-of-flight mass spectrometry, incorporating both electron impact and, for Sb detection, resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. Photoproduct yields and Maxwell-Boltzmann temperatures were dependent on photon fluence, sample dosage and surface temperature. The Maxwell-Boltzmann temperatures of the C x H y , products were substantially lower than those of the metallic and organometallic species, indicating that the desorption of the Sb-containing products probably occurs via electronically excited states. A mechanism is given for the photochemistry of adsorbed trivinylantimony.
A spatiotemporal quantile regression model for emergency department expenditures

Motivated by a recent study of geographic and temporal trends in emergency department care, we develop a spatiotemporal quantile regression model for the analysis of emergency department-related medical expenditures. The model yields distinct spatial patterns across time for each quantile of the response distribution, which is important in the spatial analysis of expenditures, as there is often little spatiotemporal variation in mean expenditures but more pronounced variation in the extremes. The model has a hierarchical structure incorporating patient-level and region-level predictors as well as spatiotemporal random effects. We model the random effects via intrinsic conditionally autoregressive priors, improving small-area estimation through maximum spatiotemporal smoothing. We adopt a Bayesian modeling approach based on an asymmetric Laplace distribution and develop an efficient posterior sampling scheme that relies solely on conjugate full conditionals. We apply our model to data from the Duke support repository, a large georeferenced database containing health and financial data for Duke Health System patients residing in Durham County, North Carolina. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidants and Radiation Therapy

The American Cancer Society estimates 1,368,050 new cancer cases in 2004 and 536,700 deaths from the disease. Although cancer rates for different sites vary widely, the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined is estimated at 63%. Among the many possible causes of cancer, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the onset and development of the disease. Experimental studies support this notion in part by showing that antioxidants that prevent ROS damage can act as cancer preventive agents. Once cancer has occurred, however, radiation therapy and some forms of chemotherapy rely on ROS toxicity to eradicate tumor cells, which raises the question of whether antioxidants help or hinder the overall outcome of cancer treatment.
Time-dependent effects in elastoviscoplastic models of loaded lithosphere

Summary We conducted a plane strain finite element analysis of topographic loading on a 40-km-thick, compositionally homogeneous, wet olivine oceanic lithosphere. The rheological model was elastoviscoplastic (EVP) and accommodated elastic deformation, steady-state dislocation creep, as well as frictional slip via a Drucker–Prager yield surface. From the model results, we analyse the development of thrust and normal faulting zones that evolve with the growth of a 150 MPa spatially uniform topographic load, as well as the interaction between frictional slip and creep in the normal faulting zone that exists at about 20 km depth beneath the load. The spatial extent of this zone is shown to be a function of the load growth rate, and during loading, the lowest 3 km of this region demonstrates simultaneous pressure-sensitive frictional slip and pressure-insensitive, temperature- and strain rate-dependent creep. This dual-mechanism deformation is similar to descriptions of semi-brittle deformation because of the combined cataclastic and crystal-plastic nature that characterizes semi-brittle flow. The models also show a feature that we refer to as palaeoslip. Within the two normal faulting regions in the lithosphere (and after the load has reached its maximum), part of each region maintains active faulting while nearby the faulting has long since ceased. The active faulting is enabled by the migration of stress due to post-loading creep in high temperature regions of the plate. These three phenomena cannot be realized in elastic-plastic or viscoelastic rheologies.
The substitution of polychlorotrifluoroethylene with sulfur, selenium, and phosphorus nucleophiles

The substitution of polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) with sulfur, selenium, and phosphorus nucleophiles is reported. The primary reaction, which extends throughout the bulk of the polymer, is the incorporation of the nucleophile with concommitant loss of chloride. The substituted PCTFE's are studied by 1H-, 13C-, 19F-, and 31P-NMR, as well as IR, and elemental analysis.
On intermittent-contact mode sensing using electrostatically-actuated micro-cantilevers with integrated thermal sensors

Ultrahigh data storage densities on the order of 1 Tb/in2 or higher can be achieved by using scanning-probe microscopy techniques to write, read back and erase data on very thin polymer films. The written information is usually read back in contact mode because it is simple to implement and analyze. However, the physical contact between the probe-tip and the media leads to wear of the tip due to abrasive and adhesive forces. Tip wear has adverse effects on the read and write performance at ultrahigh data storage densities. In this paper, an intermittent-contact mode read operation is presented that has been developed to improve the durability of probe-based devices by significantly reducing tip wear. The electrostatic pull-in force between the cantilever and the silicon substrate underneath the polymer medium is used as the actuating force for intermittent-contact operation. The cantilever response is highly nonlinear because of the large adhesion between the tip and the soft polymer medium, which forces the cantilever to remain in contact with the medium for significant fraction of its periodic orbit. For fast and noninvasive reading a feedback controller is designed to ensure reliable small-amplitude operation. Significant improvements in both of the read-lifetime and the rate of signal amplitude-loss were achieved using the intermittent-contact read method compared with the contact read method because of substantial reduction in tip wear rate.
School-Age Children’s Self-Assessment of Oral Narrative Production

This study examined aspects of self-assessment, a metacognitive ability, and oral narrative production in 401 children between 5 and 12 years of age. Oral narrative production was evaluated through the administration of the Test of Narrative Language (TNL). Self-assessment of narrative performance was determined by asking children to self-evaluate their ability to “tell a good story” by pointing to one of five pictures from a “very happy face” (rating of 5) to a “very sad face” (rating of 1). Analysis of the data demonstrated that (a) older children (≥ 10 years of age) were more accurate than younger children in their ability to self-evaluate narrative performance; (b) there was a significant difference in narrative production skills between children who rated themselves as poor performers (self-rating of 1 or 2) and children who were high self-raters (≥ 3); (c) narrative self-evaluation varied in relation to gender, with males tending to more frequently overestimate their narrative ability; and (d) child...
A method for accelerating the design of optimal linear-phase FIR digital filters

A simple method is presented for reducing the execution time of the McClellan-Parks-Rabiner (1973) FIR (finite impulse response) digital filter design program on computers with a floating-point processor. It is found that 80% to 90% of the execution time of this program involves only four lines of the program code. By efficiently implementing these four lines of code in assembly language it is possible to significantly reduce the execution time. Examples of this method are given for personal computers based on both 8086-family and 68000-family microprocessors with a corresponding math coprocessor. It is found that for these computers the method reduces execution time by a factor of 1.6 to 1.9. >
Mythmaking in Annual Reports

Annual reports produced today increasingly include elaborate photographs and graphics in the narrative section. Financial analysts and many scholars have judged these reports on their clarity, accu...
Using a shot clock to design an efficient parallel distributed simulation

Parallel discrete event simulation represents an important area of research because large simulations are prohibitively expensive to execute on a sequential machine. Though simulation programs seem to have substantial amounts of parallelism, workable techniques to efficiently parallelize these programs have been elusive. In this paper, we show that by increasing the granularity of computation that each processor performs, the degradation in performance due to expensive communication can be mitigated. We simulate a network traffic flow problem using PVM to construct our parallel system. To further reduce the cost of communication, we use a novel windowing technique called a shot clock. The initial value of a shot clock is a lookahead value and expiration of a shot dock triggers actions which dictate the granularity of the messages passed in the system. The finest grained message is a single car and the coarsest grained message is a queue of cars. We achieve a speed up of 6 using PVM on a network of 16 workstations. Our experiments show that we can achieve better speed up using a system with faster communication.
Tensile and creep properties of the experimental oxide dispersion strengthened iron-base sheet alloy MA-956E at 1365 K

A study of the 1365 K tensile properties, creep characteristics and residual room temperature properties after creep testing of the experimental oxide dispersion strengthened iron-base alloy MA-956E (Fe-20Cr-4.5Al-0.5Ti-0.5Y2O3) was conducted. The 1365 K tensile properties, particularly ductility, are strongly dependent on strain rate. It appears that MA-956E does not easily undergo slow plastic deformation. Rather than deform under creep loading conditions, the alloy apparently fails by a crack nucleation and growth mechanism. Fortunately, there appears to be a threshold stress below which crack nucleation and/or growth does not occur.
The Production of Transforming Growth Factor-β Porcine Ovary and its Secretion in Vitro*

Porcine granulosa cells isolated from small (1–3 mm in diameter) follicles proliferate rapidly in culture in response to 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (10 ng/ml). Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) inhibits FBS/EGF-stimulated proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. We have used this proliferation inhibitory property of TGFβ to assay qualitatively, the presence of this growth factor in conditioned medium from cultured follicle cells as well as in partially purified preparations from porcine ovarian compartments. In addition, the concentration of TGFβ in the theca cell conditioned medium was quantitatively estimated by generating a TGFβ-dose-response curve (inhibition of FBS/EGF-stimulated proliferation of granulosa cells in monolayer culture) using authentic human TGFβ-1. Ovarian thecal cells isolated from small and large size follicles in the pig ovary secrete TGFβ-like activity in vitro. Medium conditioned by thecal cells in primary monolayer culture contains a latent ...
How to Clear a Block: Plan Formation in Situational Logic

Problems in robot planning are approached by proving theorems in a new formulation of situational logic. A machine-oriented deductive-tableau inference system is adapted to this logic, with special attention being paid to the derivation of conditional and recursive plans. Equations and equivalences of the situational logic have been built into a unification algorithm for the system. Inductive proofs of theorems for even the simplest planning problems have been found to require challenging generalizations.
High-Performance Software Protection Using Reconfigurable Architectures

One of the key problems facing the computer industry today is ensuring the integrity of end-user applications and data. Researchers in the relatively new field of software protection investigate the development and evaluation of controls that prevent the unauthorized modification or use of system software. While many previously developed protection schemes have provided a strong level of security, their overall effectiveness has been hindered by a lack of transparency to the user in terms of performance overhead. Other approaches take to the opposite extreme and sacrifice security for the sake of this transparency. In this work we present an architecture for software protection that provides for a high level of both security and user transparency by utilizing field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology as the main protection mechanism. We demonstrate that by relying on FPGA technology, this approach can accelerate the execution of programs in a cryptographic environment, while maintaining the flexibility through reprogramming to carry out any compiler-driven protections that may be application-specific.
Qualitative fuzzy sets: homotopy and perception

What should be the correct perception of a fuzzy set? We believe a fuzzy set should be able to tolerate "small amounts" of "physical" perturbations. There are three approaches: roughly, type II fuzzifies the grades, Lin fuzzifies the membership functions, and Thiele captures Kripke style semantics. However, it is not immediate these approaches could tolerate "physical" perturbation. In this paper, we propose a homotopy approach that clearly relates the notion of qualitative fuzzy set with "physical" deformation.
Results from six generations of selection for intramuscular fat in Duroc swine using real-time ultrasound. II. Genetic parameters and trends.

Design of breeding programs requires knowledge of variance components that exist for traits included in specific breeding goals and the genetic re- lationships that exist among traits of economic impor- tance. A study was conducted to evaluate direct and correlated genetic responses to selection for intramus- cular fat (IMF) and to estimate genetic parameters for economically important traits in Duroc swine. Forty gilts were purchased from US breeders and randomly mated for 2 generations to boars available in regional boar studs to develop a base population of 56 litters. Littermate pairs of gilts from this population were randomly assigned to a select line (SL) or control line (CL) and mated to the same boar to establish genetic ties between lines. In the SL, the top 10 boars and 75 gilts were selected based on IMF EBV obtained from a bivariate animal model that included IMF evaluated on the carcass and IMF predicted via ultrasound. One boar from each sire family and 50 to 60 gilts represent- ing all sire families were randomly selected to maintain the CL. Carcass and ultrasound IMF were both moder- ately heritable (0.31 and 0.38, respectively). Moderate to high genetic relationships were estimated among car- cass backfat and meat quality measures of IMF, Instron tenderness, and objective loin muscle color. Based on estimates obtained in this study, more desirable genetic merit for pH is associated with greater genetic value for loin color, tenderness, and sensory characteristics. Intramuscular fat measures obtained on the carcass and predicted using ultrasound technology were highly cor- related (r g = 0.86 from a 12-trait analysis; rg = 0.90 from a 5-trait analysis). Estimated genetic relation- ships among IMF measures and other traits evaluated were generally consistent. Intramuscular fat measures were also genetically associated with Instron tenderness and flavor score in a desirable direction. Direct genetic response in IMF measures observed in the SL corre- sponded to a significant decrease in EBV for carcass loin muscle area (−0.90 cm 2 per generation) and an increase in carcass backfat EBV (0.98 mm per genera- tion). Selection for IMF has led to more desirable EBV for objective tenderness and has had an adverse effect on additive genetic merit for objective loin color.
17β-Estradiol Increases Rat Cerebrovascular Prostacyclin Synthesis by Elevating Cyclooxygenase-1 and Prostacyclin Synthase

Background and Purpose — It has been reported that estrogens modulate peripheral vascular synthesis of vasodilatory hormones, including prostacyclin. If this occurs in the cerebral circulation, it could have important consequences in the modulation of cerebral hemodynamic function and improvement of stroke outcome. We investigated the hypothesis that in vivo 17β-estradiol treatment of ovariectomized rats increases cerebrovascular prostacyclin production via elevation of the enzymes responsible for prostacyclin synthesis. Methods — Cerebral blood vessels from 17β-estradiol–treated and nontreated ovariectomized rats were isolated and examined for prostacyclin synthesis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or for protein levels of cyclooxygenase-1, prostacyclin-synthase, and cytosolic phospholipase A2 by immunoblot analysis. Results — We report that chronic in vivo 17β-estradiol treatment significantly enhanced basal prostacyclin synthesis in rat cerebral blood vessels by 2.6-fold over control. 17β-Estradiol treatment also resulted in a 5.1-fold increase of cyclooxygenase-1 protein and a 6.7-fold increase of prostacyclin-synthase protein in the cerebral vasculature. There was no effect of estrogen on levels of cytosolic phospholipase A2. Conclusions — Our findings suggest that estrogen influences the biosynthesis of prostacyclin, which may be important in the regulation of cerebral blood flow and thrombosis. This finding may shed light on the mechanisms that govern sex-based differences in cerebrovascular disease.
Microsatellite analysis of female mating behaviour in lek-breeding sage grouse.

We used microsatellite DNA markers to genotype chicks in 10 broods of lek-breeding sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus , whose mothers’ behaviour was studied by radiotracking and observing leks. Previous behavioural studies suggested that almost all matings are performed by territorial males on leks and that multiple mating is rare. Two broods (20%) were sired by more than one male. Genetic analyses of the broods of eight females that visited an intensively studied lek were consistent with behavioural observations. Four females observed mating produced singly sired broods and males other than the individual observed copulating were excluded as sires for most or all of their chicks. Territorial males at the study lek were excluded as sires of broods of four other females that visited the lek but were not observed mating there. Radio-tracking suggested that two of these females mated at other leks. Our results confirm the reliability of mating observations at leks, but do not rule out a possible unseen component of the mating system.
A Person‐Relative‐to‐Event (PrE) Approach to Negative Threat Appeals and Earthquake Preparedness: A Field Study1

The person-relative-to-event (PrE) model of fear-arousing or negative threat appeals predicts that increasing levels of threat when resources are appraised as sufficient relative to the magnitude of the threat will increase problem-focused coping. Conversely, increasing levels of threat when resources are appraised as insufficient relative to threat magnitude will decrease problem-focused coping. These hypotheses were tested in the context of a field study in which homeowners living in a local city were the participants. Results generally supported the PrE model in that preparedness increased over a I-month period as level of appraised threat increased, but only for those who also appraised resources as sufficient relative to threat. The possibility that perceived difficulty of preparation for a threatening event should be added to the PrE model as an essential component is discussed.
A remarkable kalligrammatid lacewing from the Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan (Neuroptera: Kalligrammatidae)

Abstract A new species of kalligrammatid lacewing is described and figured as Meioneurites spectabilis Engel n. sp. from the Jurassic of Karatau, Kazakhstan. The species is distinguished from all other Meioneurites species on the basis of wing venation and is the most completely preserved specimen of its genus and perhaps for the family. Owing to the dramatically expanded costal space and forked costal veinlets the species is placed in a separate subgenus, Parameioneurites Engel, n. subgen.
MICROHABITAT USE AND POPULATION DECLINE IN BANNER-TAILED KANGAROO RATS

Numbers of banner-tailed kangaroo rats, Dipodomys spectabilis, have declined sharply in some but not all populations monitored in southeastern Arizona over the past 20 years. We describe concurrent changes in vegetation and report the results of microhabitat manipulation experiments in which we removed broom snakeweed, Gutierrezia sarothrae, from 1.00-ha (pilot) or 0.56-ha (replicate follow-up) plots. D. spectabilis became extinct on control plots, but populations remained stable on plots where snakeweed was removed. On a larger scale, declines in numbers of kangaroo rats coincided with increases in density of woody plants. The data substantiate the preferences of this species for structurally open microhabitats and document that survival rates are higher in areas that are more open. Large kangaroo rat species like D. spectabilis are often regarded as keystone species, and our results indicate that they are vulnerable to grassland degradation.
More forensic romances: De Clérambault's syndrome in men.

De Clerambault's syndrome (erotomania) has invariably been regarded as a female disorder (with male victims); however, a number of recent reports describe male patients with the disorder, especially in violence-prone male offender populations. Seven cases are presented of violence-prone men suffering from the disorder, including Hinckley and Poddar. The syndrome is discussed from a nosological point of view and in terms of its impact on competency to stand trial. Psychiatrists should be aware that the syndrome is not a rarity among men, as previously thought, and that proper diagnosis and management are essential in view of the clinical course of the disorder and the potential for violence when the patient's “love” is persistently unrequited by the delusional love object.
Dynamic MEMS

Dynamic MEMS devices offer a variety of potential solutions for management of DWDM networks. This paper examines such issues as degrees of freedom of motion, speed, and sensitivity to shock and vibration, with examples.
New era in automotive electronics, a co-development by Georgia tech and its automotive partners

The new trends in automotive electronics such as autonomous driving, in-car infotainment, and all-electric cars, require an entirely different electronic vision and technologies than are pursued today for automotive industry. Georgia Tech proposes system scaling as a new frontier to address the upcoming era of automotive challenges. It also proposes an innovative 3D system package architecture taking into account electrical, mechanical and thermal designs as well as new digital, RF, sensors, radar millimeter-wave and power technologies. It proposes highly innovative large panel-based, ultra-thin glass packaging with many innovations in electrical, thermal, mechanical designs, materials, processes, wiring lithography, fine-pitch and high-throughput assembly and highly-conductive through-Cu vias for signal, power and heat transfer. Such an approach is proposed to lead to highly-functional sub-systems for integration of disparate set of technologies at lowest cost, in smallest ultra-miniaturized size with shortest interconnections with lowest power consumption.
First Confirmed Report of Tobacco ringspot virus in Cucurbits Crops in Oklahoma

Cucurbits are major cash crops of vegetable growers in Oklahoma, particularly watermelon, which is the official state vegetable. In 2010, during a survey for cucurbit viruses (1), symptomatic leaf samples of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), cantaloupe (Cucumis melo), pumpkin, (Cucurbita pepo), squash (Cucumis maxima), and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) showing mild to severe mosaic, mottling, and chlorotic spots were collected in Atoka, Blaine, Jefferson, and Tulsa counties. A total of 161 samples were tested by dot-immunobinding assay (DIBA) (2) using Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV; genus Nepovirus, family Comoviridae) specific antiserum. Fourteen samples of cantaloupe, pumpkin, and watermelon from Blaine, Jefferson, and Tulsa counties were positive serologically to TRSV. At least one to two samples from each representative cucurbit collected in the field above were used as a source for mechanical inoculation. Sap was extracted from symptomatic leaves using 0.1 M K2HPO4 buffer (pH 7.2) and rub-inoculated to two squash (cv Elite) seedlings at cotyledonary stage pre-dusted with Carborundum. Seven to 10 days post-inoculation, all inoculated plants produced typical TRSV symptoms including chlorotic spots, systemic ringspot, severe leaf deformation, mottling, and stunting. Sap and total RNA was extracted from 10 mechanically inoculated squash seedlings and tested by DIBA and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using specific TRSV primers (F: 5'-TACAGTGAGGATGCATG-3' and R: 5'-AGTAGCTGCGACAAGCCA-3'). All of the tested samples were positive by DIBA except the negative control. Similarly, all samples from mechanically inoculated plants were also positive by PCR showing the expected 1,039-bp PCR product when analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Total RNA obtained from mock-inoculated squash seedlings used as a control was negative by PCR. Amplified PCR product (1,039 bp) was directly sequenced from three infected squash seedlings. Sequence analysis confirmed that the virus shared 90 to 92% nucleotide and 94% amino acid identities with RNA2 of TRSV isolate from the U.S. (Accession No AY363727) available in the GenBank database. Total RNA extracted from original tissues of 14 DIBA positive samples collected from field were also positive by RT-PCR. The presence of TRSV could pose a serious threat to many vegetable crops, particularly cucurbits and other agricultural crops, due to its wide host range (3). This report confirms the suspected occurrence of TRSV in 1956 from watermelon in Oklahoma (4). References: (1) Ali et al. Plant Dis. 96:243, 2012 (2) A. Ali and J. W. Randles. Plant Dis. 81:343, 1997 (3) M. J. Adams and J. F. Antoniw. Outlooks Pest Manage. 16:268, 2005 (4) R. J. Shephered and F. B. Struble. Phytopathology 46:358, 1956.
Scenario Graph: Discovering New Business Opportunities and Failure Modes

Companies struggle to identify new business opportunities based on their core competence be it products or services. When a company focuses on improving current offerings or is too involved in them, it has difficulty discovering new applications for them. Scenario Graph is an original design method for products or services that aids design teams to envision four types of information while in the market definition phase: potential user locations, activities associated with the location, user circumstances, and the corresponding user state. By using Scenario Graph, design teams are better able to capture new values, scenarios, and behaviors of potential customers. This knowledge captured in the fuzzy front end stage can then be translated into inputs to other Design for X (dfX) tools to improve the definition of the product or service. Another benefit of the tool is that it directs the design team to discover unidentified failure modes of the current offerings by identifying unintended user scenarios. In this paper, a detailed guide, along with case studies demonstrates the usefulness of the tool when applied in the early phase of product or service development. Scenario Graph will assist design teams and managers in discovering new product or service opportunities.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Feasibility of a Recasting and Auditory Bombardment Treatment With Young Cochlear Implant Users.

Purpose There is little to guide clinicians in terms of evidence-based interventions for children with cochlear implants who demonstrate morpheme errors. This feasibility study tested the utility o...
Pathologies of paradise: Caribbean detours

Supriya Nair’s new book ends by gesturing towards a future that, while uncertain, promises ‘a new script’ with a ‘fresh cast of actors, heroes, and villains’, but that is also certain to be guided ...
Epidemiological features of metabolic syndrome among adults in Fenghua

Objective To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome(MS) in adults in Fenghua city.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Fenghua with a total of 600 adult residents aged over 15 years,who were randomly selected using stratified cluster sampling.The prevalence of MS was assessed individually according to 4 different diagnostic criteria including International Diabetes Federation(IDF),the US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel(NCEP-ATPⅡI),China Diabetes Society(CDS) and Uniform Criteria of MS.Results According to the 4 diagnostic criteria of IDF,NCEP-ATPⅡI,CDS and Uniform criteria,the crude prevalences of MS were 29.83%,29.67%,23.50% and 46.33% respectively.After adjusting age factor,these numbers were down to 17.46%(male 17.56%,female 23.69%,P=0.000),18.22%(male 16.23%,female 20.75%,P=0.022),12.86%(male 10.38%,female 15.42%,P=0.008)and 28.99%(male 27.21%,female 30.73%,P=0.222)respectively.The prevalence of the MS increased along with age based on the four diagnostic criteria of MS(χ2=27.423,P=0.000;χ2=31.752,P=0.000;χ2=27.414,P=0.000;χ2=35.208,P=0.000).Conclusion The uniform criterion of MS seems to be better than the other three in the diagnosis of MS.Since metabolic syndrome has become a noteworthy public health problem,it is suggested that community-based comprehensive screening for MS patients is fundamental for the control.
The Origins and Development of the Kazak Intelligentsia, 1800–1914

In the nineteenth century as Russia’s presence in the steppe increased so did its desire for a better educated indigenous population to serve the needs and interests of the state. The Kazak intelligentsia emerged as the social and economic relationship intensified between the Russian state and its non-Russian population. The relationship between colonization and the Kazak intelligentsia’s ideological development during the nineteenth century is crucial to understanding the dynamic forces that shaped the intelligentsia’s socio-political agenda in the last decade of the tsarist empire. While it is difficult, and indeed precarious, to characterize the nature of a group bound more by its national identification than shared ideology, certain particulars do surface which permit some meaningful analysis of this specific social group.
Catheter Drainage of Pleural Effusion

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for catheter drainage of pleural Effusion procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications and contraindications and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
Cells Respond to Distinct Nanoparticle Properties with Multiple Strategies As Revealed by Single-Cell RNA-Seq

The impact of distinct nanoparticle (NP) properties on cellular response and ultimately human health is unclear. This gap is partially due to experimental difficulties in achieving uniform NP loads in the studied cells, creating heterogeneous populations with some cells “overloaded” while other cells are loaded with few or no NPs. Yet gene expression studies have been conducted in the population as a whole, identifying generic responses, while missing unique responses due to signal averaging across many cells, each carrying different loads. Here, we applied single-cell RNA-Seq to alveolar epithelial cells carrying defined loads of aminated or carboxylated quantum dots (QDs), showing higher or lower toxicity, respectively. Interestingly, cells carrying lower loads responded with multiple strategies, mostly with up-regulated processes, which were nonetheless coherent and unique to each QD type. In contrast, cells carrying higher loads responded more uniformly, with mostly down-regulated processes that were ...
Stage 1: Building Core Employment Services

In a very practical manner, this chapter lays out how countries can establish the fundamentals of employment services in developing countries, getting the core functions of job search assistance, counseling and placement working right. It provides examples of countries that have started from zero to advance such services as well as other countries that have re-established better functioning core employment services that had languished through distinct strategies, including private sector strategies and institutional restructuring.
Age-Related Reversals in Neural Recruitment across Memory Retrieval Phases.

Over the last several decades, neuroimaging research has identified age-related neural changes that occur during cognitive tasks. These changes are used to help researchers identify functional changes that contribute to age-related impairments in cognitive performance. One commonly reported example of such a change is an age-related decrease in recruitment of posterior sensory regions coupled with an increased recruitment of prefrontal regions across multiple cognitive tasks. This shift is often described as a compensatory recruitment of prefrontal regions due to age-related sensory processing deficits in posterior regions. However, age is not only associated with spatial shifts in recruitment, but also with temporal shifts, where young and older adults recruit the same neural region at different points in a task trial. The current study examines the possible contribution of temporal modifications in the often-reported posterior-anterior shift. Participants, ages 19-85, took part in a memory retrieval task with a protracted retrieval trial consisting of an initial memory search phase and a subsequent detail elaboration phase. Age-related neural patterns during search replicated prior reports of age-related decreases in posterior recruitment and increases in prefrontal recruitment. However, during the later elaboration phase, the same posterior regions were associated with age-related increases in activation. Further, region of interest and functional connectivity results suggest that these posterior regions function similarly during search and elaboration. These results suggest that the often-reported posterior-anterior shift may not reflect the inability of older adults to engage in sensory processing, but rather a change in when they recruit this processing. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The current study provides evidence that the often-reported posterior-anterior shift in aging may not reflect a global sensory processing deficit, as has often been reported, but rather a temporal modification in this processing, where older adults engage the same neural regions during a detail elaboration phase that young adults engage during memory search. In other words, older adults may ultimately be able to engage the same processes as young adults during some cognitive tasks when given the time to do so. Future research should examine the generalizability of this effect as well as the importance of encouraging older adults to engage in these processes through task instruction or questions.
Factors associated with naloxone administration in an opioid dependent sample

Abstract Introduction Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote for reversing opioid overdose. Layperson administration of naloxone is increasingly common, yet little is known about demographic and clinical factors associated with opioid users' likelihood of having administered naloxone to another opioid user who had overdosed. We examined predictors of reported naloxone administration in the past year. Methods Four hundred and sixty-eight patients were interviewed upon admission to brief, inpatient opioid detoxification between May and December of 2015. Between group differences were tested using t-tests for differences in means and χ2-tests for differences in counts. Results Participants averaged 32 years of age, 28.9% were female, and 86.8% were White. Most (86.8%) reported detoxifying from heroin, 69.0% had injected drugs in the last 30 days. One sixth (n = 68) of those detoxifying from heroin, but none of those detoxifying from other opioids (n = 62) had administered naloxone in the past year. Among the small number of Black/African American participants (n = 20), none had administered naloxone, although 90% were heroin users. Respondents were more likely to have administered naloxone if they reported recent injection drug use (IDU), had a history of overdose, or witnessed an overdose in the past year (ps Conclusions Higher opioid-related mortality risk (heroin use, IDU, past overdose) was associated with greater likelihood of reported naloxone administration in the past year. The non-use of naloxone among certain groups—prescription pill users and Blacks—was unexpected.
Probability of lek collapse is lower inside sage-grouse Core Areas: Effectiveness of conservation policy for a landscape species

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) occupy sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats in 11 western states and 2 Canadian provinces. In September 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the listing status for sage-grouse had changed from warranted but precluded to not warranted. The primary reason cited for this change of status was that the enactment of new regulatory mechanisms was sufficient to protect sage-grouse populations. One such plan is the 2008, Wyoming Sage Grouse Executive Order (SGEO), enacted by Governor Freudenthal. The SGEO identifies "Core Areas" that are to be protected by keeping them relatively free from further energy development and limiting other forms of anthropogenic disturbances near active sage-grouse leks. Using the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's sage-grouse lek count database and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission database of oil and gas well locations, we investigated the effectiveness of Wyoming's Core Areas, specifically: 1) how well Core Areas encompass the distribution of sage-grouse in Wyoming, 2) whether Core Area leks have a reduced probability of lek collapse, and 3) what, if any, edge effects intensification of oil and gas development adjacent to Core Areas may be having on Core Area populations. Core Areas contained 77% of male sage-grouse attending leks and 64% of active leks. Using Bayesian binomial probability analysis, we found an average 10.9% probability of lek collapse in Core Areas and an average 20.4% probability of lek collapse outside Core Areas. Using linear regression, we found development density outside Core Areas was related to the probability of lek collapse inside Core Areas. Specifically, probability of collapse among leks >4.83 km from inside Core Area boundaries was significantly related to well density within 1.61 km (1-mi) and 4.83 km (3-mi) outside of Core Area boundaries. Collectively, these data suggest that the Wyoming Core Area Strategy has benefited sage-grouse and sage-grouse habitat conservation; however, additional guidelines limiting development densities adjacent to Core Areas may be necessary to effectively protect Core Area populations.
Introduction—Why Me?

I come by my interest in Healthcare honestly—since, as a child, I spent a lot of my time in the hospital.