cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Demographics and Utilization of Health Care Services for Molluscum Contagiosum

Our objective was to describe the demographics of molluscum contagiosum patients and physician utilization patterns in the United States. We obtained weighted data for office visits throughout the United States for molluscum contagiosum and common warts from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) from 1990 to 1999. Outpatient visit data for patients diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum were analyzed using statistical software and compared to those for patients diagnosed with common warts. The main outcome measures studied were physician office visits by patients with molluscum contagiosum and patient demographic parameters including age, gender, and race. We found that health care utilization for molluscum contagiosum was the greatest for patients <or=9 years of age (51%). Ninety-three percent of patients diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum were white. The number of visits for molluscum contagiosum was evenly divided between males and females. Visits to dermatologists comprised the majority of health care utilization units for molluscum contagiosum (71%). In conclusion, visits for molluscum contagiosum are frequent and are most often handled by dermatologists. When compared to those for common warts, molluscum contagiosum visits are less common and have an age distribution more limited to children.
Postmenopausal hyperthecosis: functional dysregulation of androgenesis in climacteric ovary☆

Abstract BACKGROUND: Hyperandrogenism of ovarian origin is rare in postmenopausal women. However, there is evidence that the ovaries of postmenopausal women are active endocrine glands, secreting mainly androgens. CASE: A postmenopausal woman sought treatment for progressive hirsutism. Endocrine evaluation revealed androgen excess. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed enlarged ovaries. Hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy were recommended. However, surgery had to be withheld for 6 months while the patient recovered from an acute myocardial infarction. In the interim, the patient’s hyperandrogenemia was successfully treated with monthly injections of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH), leuprolide acetate. CONCLUSION: This report illustrates the potential for postmenopausal ovaries to become active androgen-secreting endocrine organs. It also demonstrates the efficacy of pharmacologic intervention for postmenopausal ovarian hyperthecosis when the patient is a poor surgical candidate.
Towards designing a trusted routing solution in mobile ad hoc networks

Designing a trusted and secure routing solution in an untrustworthy scenario is always a challenging problem. Lack of physical security and low trust levels among nodes in an ad hoc network demands a secure end-to-end route free of any malicious entity. This is particularly challenging when malicious nodes collude with one another to disrupt the network operation. In this paper we have designed a secure routing solution to find an end-to-end route free of malicious nodes with collaborative effort from the neighbors. We have also extended the solution to secure the network against colluding malicious nodes, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first such solution proposed. We have also proposed a framework for computing and distributing trusts that can be used with out trusted routing protocol. Our proposed framework is unique and different from the other schemes in that it tries to analyze the psychology of the attacker and quantifies the behavior in the computational model. Extensive simulation has been carried out to evaluate the design of our protocol.
Unemployment and workers' compensation programmes: rationale, design, labour supply and income support .

I examine the unemployment insurance (UI) and workers' compensation (WC) insurance programmes, concentrating on labour supply, insurance and income redistribution. UI and WC increase the time employees spend out of work. Elasticities of lost work time that incorporate both the incidence and duration of claims are centred at 1.0 for UI and between 0.5 and 1.0 for WC. These elasticities are larger than elasticities typically found in studies of wage effects on hours worked by men, probably because UI and WC lead to short-run variation in wages with mostly a substitution effect and the programmes alter the participation margin. Some good evidence suggests that UI smooths the consumption of the unemployed and more clearly indicates that UI progressively redistributes resources. There is substantial evidence that injured workers suffer material hardships even with WC programmes, but research has not provided an overall picture of the insurance and redistributive aspects of WC.
The Effect of Methanol on Lipid Bilayers: An Atomistic Investigation

The interactions of methanol with lipid bilayers were studied by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our MD simulations focus on the effect of approximately 11.3 mol% methanol on two fully hydrated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayers both in the fluid phase and under equilibrium conditions at 323 and 298 K, respectively. The effects of methanol on bilayers structural characteristics were investigated. In both systems the simulations show that the presence of relatively high concentration of methanol leads to a significant increase in the area per lipid. The increase in the area per lipid is accompanied by a corresponding decrease of the bilayer thickness such that the volume occupied per lipid does not change significantly in the presence of methanol. Other properties such as ordering of phospholipid tails and lateral diffusion of the lipids are also affected significantly by the presence of methanol. Consistent with other previously reported MD simulation studies of bilayers in the presence of methanol (albeit at a significantly smaller concentration of 1 mol%) our study shows very few hydrogen bonding formation between lipids and methanol.
Asymmetry of the renal nephrograms on CT : significance of the unilateral prolonged cortical nephrogram

The finding of asymmetry in the renal nephrograms as manifested by a unilateral prolonged cortical nephrogram on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT examinations signifies the presence of an abnormality of renal parenchymal perfusion and/or tubular transit. The differential diagnostic possibilities include stenosis or long-standing occlusion of the renal artery, renal vein thrombosis, and urinary tract obstruction.
The Intracellular Location of NADH:Cytochromeb5 Reductase Modulates the Cytotoxicity of the Mitomycins to Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

NADH cytochrome b5reductase activates the mitomycins to alkylating intermediates in vitro. To investigate the intracellular role of this enzyme in mitomycin bioactivation, Chinese hamster ovary cell transfectants overexpressing rat NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase were generated. An NADH:cytochrome b5reductase-transfected clone expressed 9-fold more enzyme than did parental cells; the levels of other mitomycin-activating oxidoreductases were unchanged. Although this enzyme activates the mitomycins in vitro, its overexpression in living cells caused decreases in sensitivity to mitomycin C in air and decreases in sensitivity to porfiromycin under both air and hypoxia. Mitomycin C cytotoxicity under hypoxia was similar to parental cells. Because NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase resides predominantly in the mitochondria of these cells, this enzyme may sequester these drugs in this compartment, thereby decreasing nuclear DNA alkylations and reducing cytotoxicity. A cytosolic form of NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase was generated. Transfectants expressing the cytosolic enzyme were restored to parental line sensitivity to both mitomycin C and porfiromycin in air with marked increases in drug sensitivity under hypoxia. The results implicate NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase in the differential bioactivation of the mitomycins and indicate that the subcellular site of drug activation can have complex effects on drug cytotoxicity.
Monte Carlo Simulation Approach to Support Alliance Team Selection

The alliance concept is similar to the design build project delivery system. However, it is denoted by a special form of partnership between the owner and the design-build team, where the owner is very involved in the project. This type of delivery systems is gaining popularity as many infrastructure projects require the owner to order materials ahead of time, before engaging the design-build team in the project. As in design-build, the selection of the engineer-procure-construct team depends not only on the price but also on qualitative factors. This paper lays out the framework that facilitates selecting the best alliance team for a project by quantifying the evaluation factors and combining them into a single score. Using a Monte Carlo simulation and varying all the factors relevant to the decision problem can reveal biases present in the evaluation to assist in making the best possible decision. A case study dealing with a large utility project illustrates this methodology.
Immunity to Cross-Reactive Serotypes Induced by Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines in Infants

Infants were immunized with 1 of the 3 experimental pneumococcal conjugate vaccines that contain 6B and 19F but not 6A or 19A serotypes. Their sera were studied for the capacity to opsonize Streptococcus pneumoniae 6A, 6B, 19A, and 19F serotypes and the level of IgG antibody to the 4 serotypes. Significant increases were observed in the number of infants with detectable opsonophagocytic titers with 3 conjugate vaccines for 6B (vaccine) serotype but with only 2 vaccines for 6A (cross-reactive) serotype. Significant increases were observed with 2 conjugate vaccines for 19F serotype but with only 1 vaccine for 19A serotype. Thus, some conjugate vaccines may elicit cross-protection better than others. In addition, correlations between opsonophagocytic titers and IgG antibody levels by ELISA were high for 6B and 19F serotypes but low for 6A and 19A serotypes. Thus, ELISA may be an inadequate surrogate assay of vaccine response for cross-reactive serotypes.
Mechanisms of protein export across the bacterial outer membrane.

Gram-negative bacteria secrete a wide range of proteins whose functions include biogenesis of organelles, such as pili and flagella; nutrient acquisition; virulence; and efflux of drugs and other toxins. Export of these proteins to the bacterial surface involves transport across the inner membrane (IM), periplasm, and outer membrane (OM) of the cell envelope. Several pathways have evolved to fulfill the task of secretion (Table ​(Table1).1). These pathways can be divided into two main groups: (i) Sec dependent and (ii) Sec independent (Fig. ​(Fig.1)1) (64). FIG. 1. Schematic presentation of Sec-dependent and Sec-independent secretion pathways in gram-negative bacteria. The type I pathway is exemplified by the hemolysin A (HlyA) secretion in pathogenic E. coli, the type II pathway by YopE secretion in Yersinia pestis ... TABLE 1. Representative members of the eight secretion systems Proteins secreted via the Sec-dependent pathways utilize a common machinery, the Sec translocase, for transport across the IM and are mainly differentiated based on their mechanisms of secretion across the OM (64). Sec-dependent pathways include the type II secretion (T2S); the autotransporter (AT), or type V secretion; the two-partner secretion (TPS); and the chaperone/usher (CU) secretion systems (34, 46, 58, 70, 73). The type IV secretion (T4S), or adapted-conjugation, pathway can be Sec dependent but is mostly considered Sec independent (21). Sec-independent pathways tend to allow direct export from the cytoplasm to the extracellular environment in one step and do not involve periplasmic intermediates. These pathways also include the type I secretion (T1S), or ABC (ATP-binding cassette), exporters (5) and the type III secretion (T3S) systems (31). An alternative Sec-independent pathway known as twin-arginine translocation (Tat) is employed for transport of already-folded proteins across the IM. Generally, Tat substrates are targeted to the periplasm of the cell (4) but can also be transported across the OM via the type II pathway, such as the phospholipases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (77). The Sec and Tat machineries for transport across the IM will not be discussed further. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of OM protein secretion in terms of the structure of the exporters and the mechanism of secretion and examine similarities and differences among the different export pathways (Table ​(Table2).2). Since many virulence factors are secreted proteins, a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying bacterial protein secretion is crucial to the development of new vaccines and treatments for a wide range of human pathogens. TABLE 2. Structural features of the OM components of protein secretion systems
Autonomous cyber agents: rules for collaboration and concurrency

Any program, machine or person engaged in computer-enabled work is a cyber agent. Can such agents be made collaborate effectively? Both empirical evidence and theory suggest that there are simple rules for designing certain problem-solving organizations, called asynchronous teams, in which collaboration is automatic and scale-effective (adding cyber agents tends to improve solution-quality, and adding computers tends to improve solution-speed). The paper develops some of these rules.
Isolated Dynamic Clusters for Web Hosting

In a web farm, a collection of hardware and software resources is used to host a number of distinct sites. In general, resources are permanently assigned to a single customer site. Because peak loads are an order of magnitude greater than average loads [8], site availability is guaranteed by allocating excess resources, that are largely unused, to each site. OcEano [1] proposes a new hosting model in which availability is guaranteed by rapid dynamic allocation of hardware resources based on observed request streams. Resources are quickly assigned when load increases and may be reassigned when load decreases. This paper describes how OcEano uses the underlying network infrastructure to dynamically reassign nodes between customer site and how it provides site isolation.
Primary Efficacy Endpoint in Clinical Trials of Antiepileptic Drugs: Change or Percentage Change:

In randomized clinical trials of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the seizure frequency per x days during baseline and treatment phase periods are recorded to evaluate efficacy of a drug. The seizure frequency data are often nonnormal, and hence an appropriate mathematical transformation is necessary for a statistical analysis. The most commonly used transformations in AED development research are (a) log-transformation of the seizure frequency data, and (b) calculation of percentage change (PC) from baseline in seizure frequency. The log-transformed postbaseline seizure frequency data are analyzed using a parametric ANCOVA model including the log-transformed baseline data as a covariate and treatment group as a factor in the model. The PC data are analyzed using either a Wilcoxon rank-sum test on the PCs, or ANOVA/ANCOVA analysis on the ranks of PCs including treatment groups as a factor and any covariate of interest in the model. A limited number of research works is available in the literature regarding a choice of log-transformed or PC of seizure frequency data in the statistical analyses. In this research, an attempt is made to evaluate the impacts of choosing either of the two transformations on seizure frequency data of AED trials.
Stercoral Colitis in Two Young Psychiatric Patients Presenting with Abdominal Pain

Abstract Background Fewer than 150 cases of stercoral colitis have been reported in the literature. Stercoral colitis develops when feces impacts in the colon, resulting in increased luminal pressure, colon wall ulceration, and an inflammatory colitis. Patients are typically over the age of 60 years and have history of constipation. Mortality from colon perforation secondary to stercoral colitis is as high as 60%. Case Report We present two male patients, ages 26 and 35 years old, with history of psychiatric illness who presented with constipation and abdominal pain, who were found to have stercoral colitis on computed tomography. One patient developed stercoral perforation of the colon requiring emergent laparotomy. Why Should Emergency Physicians Be Aware of This? Stercoral colitis is a rare but potentially fatal etiology of abdominal pain that should be considered in young patients with history of constipation.
Bias in methods for deriving standardized morbidity ratio and attributable fraction estimates

This paper examines several methods for deriving standardized morbidity ratios (SMR) and attributable fraction (attributable risk percentage) estimates. We show that some of the proposed methods will, in general, produce biased estimators, although the low variance of certain estimators sometimes compensates for their bias. A few methods are based on statistical fallacies and should be avoided, especially the method of deriving the expected number of cases from a regression equation that does not include the exposure under study.
“THE FLY ON THE WALL” REFLECTING TEAM SUPERVISION†1

The reflecting team concept, a practical application of constructivist ideas, is adapted for use in group supervision. The evolving model includes a focus on the unique “fly on the wall” perspective of the reflecting team. In addition to case supervision, the benefits of the model include: (a) the supervisee's ability to be at the meta-level of his or her own process; (b) the presentation of feedback in a less threatening manner; and (c) dramatic insight regarding the process, which enhances work with clients. Not only are trainees introduced to a multiverse of new ideas and perspectives, it is done in a refreshing context which integrates some of the most challenging ideas in the field.
Anesthesia in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Electrophysiology Laboratory

Procedures and interventions in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) and electrophysiology laboratory (EPL) are more complex and involve acutely ill patients. Safely caring for this growing patient population in the CCL and EPL is now a concern for all anesthesiologists and cardiologists. Anesthesiologists are uniquely trained to care for this complex patient population, allowing the cardiologist to focus on completing the interventional procedure successfully.
Changes in Tuberization and Assimilate Partitioning in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) During the First 18 Days of Photoperiod Treatment

L'effet de la photoperiode sur la repartition des assimilats dans les feuilles de la pomme de terre ainsi que sur leurs caracteristiques morphologiques est decrit. L'influence de la photoperiode est mesuree sur les feuilles, les tiges ou les tubercules durant les 4 a 18 jours du traitement photoperiodique. La croissance de la feuille n'est pas retardee par les jours courts jusqu'a la formation d'un puits: le tubercule
Concentrations in Serum and Urinary Excretion of Guanidine, 1-Methylguanidine, and 1,1-Dimethylguanidine in Chronic Renal Failure

Guanidine (G), 1-methylguanidine (MG), and 1,1-dimethylguanidine (DMG) have long been implicated as uremic "toxins." A method has been developed for determining G, MG, and DMG in serum and urine. Specimens were chromatographed on carboxylate resin, with use of 1 molar NaOH, and quantitated colorimetrically with a modification of the Voges— Proskauer reaction. The mean values for G and MG in the serum of uremic patients were 0.3 and 0.4 mg per liter, respectively. DMG was not detected. Although the urinary excretion of MG is significantly increased in renal failure, the concentrations of G, MG, and DMG in serum are not markedly increased, and it is therefore unlikely that G, MG, or DMG contribute to the toxic manifestations of the uremic syndrome.
Cournot equilibria in two-settlement electricity markets with system contingencies

We study Nash equilibrium in two-settlement competitive electricity markets with horizontal market power, flow congestion, demand uncertainties and probabilistic system contingencies. The equilibrium is formulated as a stochastic Equilibrium Problem with Equilibrium Constraints (EPEC) in which each firm solves a stochastic Mathematical Programme with Equilibrium Constraints (MPEC). We assume a no-arbitrage relationship between the forward prices and the spot prices. We find that, with two settlements, the generation firms have incentives to commit forward contracts, which increase social surplus and decrease spot energy prices. Furthermore, these effects are amplified when the markets become less concentrated.
A broadband electron spectrometer and electron detectors for laser accelerator experiments

We describe the apparatus used to measure the spectrum of accelerated electrons from a laser-plasma acceleration experiment carried out a Rutherford Appleton Laboratories (RAL). The source of the broadband, energetic electrons was the forward Raman scattering instability of a high intensity (5/spl times/10/sup 18/ W/cm/sup 2/) laser. Here the laser beam photons decay into scattered photons and a relativistic electron plasma wave. The plasma wave subsequently accelerates plasma electrons to relativistic energies. The spectrometer and detectors were designed to give a quantitative (in energy and flux) single-shot electron spectrum over as wide a range of energies as possible. In this paper we present some calibration measurements taken prior to the RAL run which agree very well with TRACE3D runs used to model the beam transport. The silicon surface barrier detector (SBD) arrangement and fluorescer-filmpack arrangement are also described. Finally, some preliminary results are obtained which show excellent agreement between the spectra obtained with the SBDs and the film.
An Accelerometer Configuration for Reference-Frame-Independent Linear-State Estimation

This paper presents a novel three single-axis accelerometer configuration for measuring relative acceleration in a moving reference frame without knowledge of motion or orientation of the moving frame itself. Also presented is an extended Kalman filter (EKF) that combines this relative acceleration measurement with a linear-position measurement for state estimation. The motivation for this approach is the need for high-quality linear-state estimation in pneumatic cylinder control, but potential applications of this approach are much broader, including mobile robots and general relative linear-state sensing. When applied to a pneumatic cylinder, this method eliminates the need for kinematic knowledge of the cylinder base and allows state estimation to be implemented at the cylinder level without regard to the external motion of the robot. Experimental tests were performed to compare the presented reference-frame-independent EKF method to a standard kinematically dependent end-effector EKF. When kinematic knowledge of the end effector is known, both standard and presented methods perform well as expected. However, removing kinematic knowledge of the local reference frame adversely affects the performance of a standard kinematically dependent EKF, but does not affect the performance of the presented method as it does not depend on such global kinematic knowledge. Experimental results also show that the addition of a direct relative velocity measurement does not significantly improve performance over the presented method.
Points and Lines

“Social convention,” the application of standard terminology to phenomena, is highly influential in science, including archeology. I examine the application of the term “point” to stone and bone objects recovered from archeological sites. I show how “established social convention” has overridden other foundations for signification. Conventional terminology hid the presence of functional classes of artifacts and the activities they evidence. Expectations derived from strong ethnographic analogies have been systematically excluded from examination by these conventions.
Implementing efficient and scalable flow control schemes in MPI over InfiniBand

Summary form only given. We present a detailed study of how to design efficient and scalable flow control mechanisms in MPI over the InfiniBand architecture. Two of the central issues inflow control are performance and scalability in terms of buffer usage. We propose three different flow control schemes (hardware-based, user-level static and user-level dynamic) and describe their respective design issues. We have implemented all three schemes in our MPI implementation over InfiniBand and conducted performance evaluation using both microbenchmarks and the NAS parallel benchmarks. Our performance analysis shows that in our testbed, most NAS applications only require a very small number of preposted buffers for every connection to achieve good performance. We also show that the user-level dynamic scheme can achieve both performance and buffer efficiency by adapting itself according to the application communication pattern. These results have significant impact in designing large-scale clusters (in the order of 1,000 to 10,000 nodes) with InfiniBand.
Schistosoma mansoni Egg Antigen-Mediated Modulation of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR)-Induced Activation Occurs Independently of TLR2, TLR4, and MyD88

Unlike most pathogens, helminth parasites and their products induce strong Th2 responses, and dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages exposed to helminth antigens generally fail to produce interleukin-12. Rather, it has been shown that helminth products such as soluble egg antigens (SEA; a soluble extract from Schistosoma mansoni eggs) inhibit the activation of DCs in response to classical Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands such as lipopolysaccharide or CpG. Nevertheless, recent work has suggested that TLR4 and/or TLR2 plays an important role in the recognition of helminth products by DCs and macrophages and in the development of Th2 responses. Using DCs derived from TLR4−/−, TLR2−/−, or MyD88−/− mice, we have demonstrated that the ability of SEA to modulate DC activation is MyD88 independent and requires neither TLR4 nor TLR2. Moreover, TLR2 and TLR4 are not required for SEA-pulsed DCs to induce Th2 responses in naive mice.
Exploring Pandora's Box; The Impact of Diversity and Conflict on Work Group Performance

ABSTRACT: This paper describes a model that explores the critical roles of three group composition factors (social category diversity, value diversity, and informational diversity) and two moderating variables (task type and task interdependence) on work group performance and morale. The three types of diversity are proposed to exhibit both main effects and interaction effects (interacting both with each other and with task type and task interdependence) on work group performance and morale. Relationship and task conflict are proposed to mediate many of these effects. Empirical evidence for these relationships and their implications for those wishing to manage a diverse workforce are discussed.
Biliary lipid secretion before and after cholecystectomy in American Indians with cholesterol gallstones.

The effects of cholecystectomy on the hepatic secretion rates of biliary lipids and the relative lipid composition of hepatic bile were examined in 8 American Indian patients with cholesterol gallstones. Using a marker dilution technique, the hepatic secretion rates of cholesterol, bile acids, and phospholipids were measured during continuous duodenal infusion of formula before and several months after cholecystectomy. Before surgery, the Indian patients with gallstones secreted hepatic bile that was more lithogenic than that in a group of white women without stones. When bile was sampled under identical conditions after cholecystectomy, there was no change in biliary lipid composition or in hepatic secretion rates. Thus, cholecystectomy apparently does not correct the defect leading to lithogenic bile in these patients.
Should We Teach Civics or Active Citizenship? A New Approach to Teaching

In this paper, we discuss the promise and pitfalls of a new approach to teaching introductory-level, general education courses in political science. The overall theme emphasizes citizenship education rather than the factual learning of “textbook” political science. Students choose local issues for which they passionately wish to see change, and then they master the skills to effect that change. Final grades rest the success or failure of the project, along with the lessons students learned while pursuing it. Students are strongly encouraged to work in groups toward the success of their projects. This approach is particularly useful in smaller-sized classrooms such as those at smaller liberal arts colleges, regional state universities, community colleges, and “lab” or “discussion” sections of high-enrollment courses at larger universities. We conclude with a plea that such instruction take particular note of students studying to be K-12 teachers. This general education approach aims to inspire future teachers, thus influencing their own teaching after their graduation and career placement.
Abstract P623: Nutrient Stress Response of Cardiovascular Cells to β-Blockers, ARB and AT2R Agonists

To determine how cardioprotective drugs modulate cell response to nutrient starvation, we investigated the effects of β-blockers (Nebivolol \[Neb], Carvedilol [Car], Metoprolol [Met] and Atenolol [Aten\] (3μM each), Angiotensin II (Ang II) (300nM), AT1R blocker (ARB-Losartan (1μM)) and AT2R agonists (CGP42112A [CGP] and a novel peptide agonist NP-6A4 (300nM each)) on serum-starved HL-1 cardiomyocytes. The Xcelligence Real-Time Cell Analyzer (RTCA), which measures area covered by cells in microtiter plates and displays it as a unitless quantity called Cell Index (CI), was used to assess cellular changes in response to drug treatment. To find whether changes in CI are due to altered proliferation or cell size, we utilized the MTS Proliferation Assay, a colorimetric assay that measures formazan dye produced by viable cells, and fluorophore-conjugated Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) labeling to measure cell size respectively. Difference in CI units is reported as % of CI units of cells treated with vehicle. CI units were suppressed by β-blockers (Aten≤15%; Met≤15%; Neb≤17%; Car≤8%), increased by Ang II (≥9.6%), CGP (≥14%) and NP-6A4 (≥25%), but not by losartan (n≥4 and p≤0.05 for all treatments). MTS assay revealed that only NP-6A4 increased (19%) formazan dye as measured at 490nm (n=3, p<0.05). Differences in cell size of WGA stained cells was calculated as % of size of cells treated with vehicle. Neb and Car decreased cell size (Neb≤14%, Car≤10%, p<0.05 and p<0.1 respectively), suggesting their mechanism for decrease in CI. Other treatments showed no significant change. Next, we determined changes in Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1) levels, an essential protein for cardiomyocyte survival, in response to drug treatments by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. β-Blockers suppressed MCL-1 expression in HL-1 cardiomyocytes (Neb≤26%, Car≤24%, Met≤24%, Aten≤16%) while AT2R agonists increased (CGP≥17%, NP-6A4≥28%, n=3; p<0.05 for all). Treatment of Female Human Coronary Artery Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by these drugs also showed a similar expression pattern of expression for MCL-1 (CGP≥23%, NP-6A4≥43%). Therefore, AT2R agonist NP-6A4 is more effective in protecting serum starved cardiovascular cells.
Computer-aided indexing in the arts: the case for a thesaurus of art terms

Describes how subject indexing activities in art are being aided by the use of computers. The article notes the current state of disarray among art subject indexing systems and suggests that the availability of a standardised vocabulary for art will provide an important adjunct to computerised indexing.
Benign hepatocellular tumors.

Rare cases of benign hepatocellular (liver) tumors usually occur among women of childbearing age. Since 1973 102 cases of this tumor had been observed among women on oral contraceptives (90% had positive steroid intake history). to investigate the possible association between oral contraceptives (OCs) and benign liver tumor the University of Minnesota Hospitals analyzed 40 cases of benign hepatocellular from 1950 to 1976. Clinical and pathological records of patients with the tumor (with the exception of hemangiomas) were reviewed and reclassified according to Edmonsons nomenclature. Of the 40 cases 18 were reclassified as focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH_ 10 as hepatocellular adenomas (HCS) 11 as bile duct adenomas (BDA) and one as mesenchmal hamartoma. These data as well as information on steroid intake were detailed on Tables 2 3 and 4. For FNH the female:male ratio was 8:1 mean age was 43 years + or - (SD) and 8 patients had history of OCs or other steroid intake. For HCA the female:male ratio was 4:1 with mean age of 33 years + or - 15 (SD); 3 patients had a positive history of OC intake. For BDA the female:male ratio was 7:4 mean age was 57 years + or - 15 (SD). No definite conclusive association was established between oral contraceptives and other steroids and incidence of these tumors. The tumors occurred in men prepubertal children and women on contraceptives or not; they also occured even before the introduction of OCs in the United States in 1961. However the conclusion does not rule out the possible contributing influence of OCs and other steroids on the development of these tumors.
In Remembrance of Emmett Till: Regional Stories and Media Responses to the Black Freedom Struggle

As one the most decisive and pivotal events of the American Civil Rights movement, the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till became a catalyst for social change in modern America. This point is argu...
Accurate Ionization Potentials and Electron Affinities of Acceptor Molecules IV: Electron-Propagator Methods.

Comparison of ab initio electron-propagator predictions of vertical ionization potentials and electron affinities of organic, acceptor molecules with benchmark calculations based on the basis set-extrapolated, coupled cluster single, double, and perturbative triple substitution method has enabled identification of self-energy approximations with mean, unsigned errors between 0.1 and 0.2 eV. Among the self-energy approximations that neglect off-diagonal elements in the canonical, Hartree–Fock orbital basis, the P3 method for electron affinities, and the P3+ method for ionization potentials provide the best combination of accuracy and computational efficiency. For approximations that consider the full self-energy matrix, the NR2 methods offer the best performance. The P3+ and NR2 methods successfully identify the correct symmetry label of the lowest cationic state in two cases, naphthalenedione and benzoquinone, where some other methods fail.
An analytical model for the propagation of bending waves on a plant stem due to vibration of an attached insect

Abstract A mathematical model is presented to examine the propagation of bending waves on a plant stem that are induced by vibratory excitation from an attached insect. This idealized model represents the insect body as a mass and the legs as a linear spring along with a general time-varying force that is assumed to act in parallel with the spring. The spring connects the mass to a stem modeled as a beam having uniform geometric and material properties. The linearly elastic beam is assumed to undergo pure vibratory bending and to be infinitely long in each direction. The equations that govern the insect-induced, coupled motions of both the beam and the mass are solved for arbitrary time varying forces produced by the insect's legs. Solutions for the frequency response indicate that the response is dominated by frequency components near the natural resonant frequency of the attached insect while at higher frequencies the amplitude of the response is strongly influenced only by the properties of the stem.
Comparison of BIM Cloud Computing Frameworks

Cloud computing is a hot research topic and is quickly gaining recognition and application in combination with Building Information Modeling (BIM). However, since there is still lack of an authoritative definition of cloud computing, different parties in Architectural / Engineering / Construction (AEC) industry may have very different understanding on what is qualified as BIM cloud computing. This paper proposes a system under which some of the currently available cloud computing frameworks are classified and the adoption of cloud computing in a specific context can be assessed, and reviews and compares several currently available BIM cloud computing frameworks under this system. The BIM cloud computing frameworks compared include dedicated cloud services for AEC industry such as Revit Server, Revit Cloud and STRATUS, and general purpose cloud services such as Advance2000 and Amazon. The proposed system can be used by IT implementers in the AEC industry when making decisions on adopting cloud computing for BIM applications.
Age-associated changes in antibody-forming cells (B cells).

ConclusionDespite considerable experimental effort, it is not possible to state unequivocally that with aging there occur some intrinsic changes in B cells. We have some indication that the number of pre-B cells may be affected in the bone marrow of the aged. If these changes extend to a decrease of the actual number of pluripotent stem cells, then this would indeed contribute to a lack of self-renewing capacity and affect the total peripheral B cell population. In those instances when actual precursor cell frequencies have been enumerated, even though for the majority of antigen systems studied B cell precursor frequency decreases in the aged, the responding B cells showed no individual functional decline (i.e., amount of antibody synthesized). Evidence has been obtained that changes in regulatory mechanisms are responsible, in part, for the decline in the immune response of the aged. This is particularly obvious when VH gene usage in antibody is compared between the total available repertoire (i.e., fol...
Morphological abnormalities of fungi induced by volatile microbial metabolites.

SUMMARYFive test fungi were grown individually on slides supported above separate cultures of nine bacteria and an actinomycete, all of which emitted volatile metabolites. The volatiles caused abno...
Survey of Modern RF and Microwave Test Instruments

This survey paper introduces the basics of RF and microwave device (or component) testing. It establishes a foundation of concepts and terminology.
Shifts in Long-Distance Travel Mode Due to Automated Vehicles: Statewide Mode-Shift Simulation Experiment and Travel Survey Analysis

Although vehicle automation technology has experienced rapid gains in recent years, little research has been conducted on the potential impacts of self-driving vehicles on long-distance personal travel, a major area of travel growth in the United States. Automated vehicles (AVs) offer flexible trip time and origin–destination pairings at travel time costs perceived to be lower; thus, AVs have the potential to dramatically change how travelers pursue long-distance tours. This study analyzed travel surveys and then developed a statewide simulation experiment of long-distance travel to anticipate the impact of AVs on long-distance travel choices. The research explored the Michigan State 2009 Long-Distance Travel Survey and estimated a long-distance trip generation model and a modal-agnostic long-distance mode-choice model. These models were applied in a statewide simulation experiment in which AVs were introduced as a new mode with lower perceived travel time costs (via lowered values of travel time en route...
Whale shark genetics: Where are we now and where should we be going?

Background Classic ecological approaches can reveal only glimpses of the behavioral spectrum of a longlived migratory species. Genetic analysis has the potential to inform the migratory behavior and reproductive habits of animals that are difficult or impossible to observe in the wild. Although studied primarily as juveniles at seasonal feeding aggregations, whale sharks are believed to be capable of extensive migrations. The frequency and magnitude of these movements is unknown, as is the degree to which they mediate gene flow between populations. Recent studies have asked whether the sharks observed at different aggregation sites show evidence of genetic structure, or whether they constitute a single breeding population. We published a preliminary study in 2009, based on microsatellite analysis of animals from numerous globally distributed aggregation sites, with a finding of minimal genetic differentiation. Approach Our genetic study is ongoing, and now encompasses hundreds of whale sharks representing all major aggregations worldwide. Other groups have also performed genetic analyses of whale shark population structure, focusing on both regional and global scales. Particularly for studies using microsatellite markers, direct comparisons across laboratories and platforms are not possible. Synthesizing the overall conclusions from aggregate genetic studies, however, provides additional power to understand species behaviors. Results Initial analysis of broadly distributed whale sharks found only low levels of genetic differentiation across geographically distinct populations. While sharks from the Western Atlantic Ocean showed slightly greater differentiation from Pacific/Indian Ocean animals than these populations did from each other, this result was not statistically significant. An expanded data set has now provided stronger analytical resolution between populations, revealing subtle yet statistically significant levels of genetic differentiation of Atlantic sharks. Conclusions Our previous analysis suggested gene flow between whale shark populations at a level sufficient to normalize genetic differentiation. Combined with satellite tracking and other data, these results confirmed that whale sharks can and do migrate between oceans. An expanded study, however, along with data published by other groups, now indicates reduced mixing between Western Atlantic and Indian/Pacific sharks. A significant body of evidence therefore indicates that whale sharks do not have strong population structure, nor do they represent a single panmictic population. Rather they occupy a more biologically realistic intermediate, with varying degrees of isolation by distance and by ecological features. Future genetic characterization should focus on the addition of yet unstudied whale shark populations, on building a robust mitochondrial haplotype dataset with broad applicability, and on technical standardization that could allow comparisons between microsatellite data sets across laboratories and platforms.
Spontaneous Rupture of Renal Cysts into the Pyelocaliceal System

Patients with spontaneous rupture of renal cortical cysts into the pyelocalciceal system present with gross hematuria, usually associated with flank or abdominal pain. Diagnosis is established by retrograde filling of the cyst cavity with contrast material through a wide pyelocaliceal communication visualized during IVP with nephrotomography. Percutaneous renal puncture with histochemical analysis of the aspirate is indicated in certain patients for diagnostic confirmation. Renal angiography and/or an operation should be performed when the differential diagnosis remains unclear. Antibiotics in the patients with urinary tract infections along with conservative medical management is sufficient treatment, since rapid closure of the cyst-pyelocaliceal communication with cessation of hemorrhage occurs rapidly in most patients.
Effects of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist on hormonal levels in the pregnant baboon and on fetal outcome *

In order to study the function of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in pregnancy, a GnRH antagonist was administered to pregnant baboons (35 to 45 days' gestation) over 7 days. A marked suppression of progesterone, estrone, and estradiol was observed during treatment. In two animals, estrogens were still suppressed later in pregnancy (days 95 to 116), and delivery resulted in stillbirths. In one of these animals the placenta was recovered, and it was half normal size. In the third animal, the circulating steroids, including the estrogens, returned to normal levels following antagonist administration, and a small live-born fetus was delivered. These data indicate that interference with GnRH activity during early pregnancy can result in stillbirths, possibly due to induction of placental insufficiency. Thus, these studies support the hypothesis that chorionic GnRH has a physiologic function during pregnancy in the control of placental hormonogenesis and normal fetal outcome.
Polyarteritis as a cause of intestinal hemorrhage.

A case of polyarteritis manifesting acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage is presented. Several years previously the patient had two episodes of spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage. Arteriography demonstrated multiple aneurysms in the small and medium size visceral arteries which is considered virtually pathognomonic of the disease. Extravasation of contrast medium in the vicinity of the gastroduodenal artery was seen and presumed to be the site of bleeding. Histological sections of the perivagal area, gallbladder, and pancreas disclosed changes considered typical of polyarteritis.
Korean American Spirituality and Gender

This chapter first examines Korean American spirituality in light of American evangelicalism and Korean shamanism. Second, it looks at how its ties to traditional evangelicalism reinforce conservative notions of gender. While scholars contend that second-generation Korean American Christianity is not monolithic and varies from first-generation Korean American Christianity, Hearn offers that an analysis of gender in Korean American spirituality contests this view. Though individuals who hold to more progressive understandings of gender roles exist, there remains, on the whole, a conservatism within second-generation Korean American spirituality around issues of spiritual headship and gender. Hearn combines data from the interviews of second-generation Korean American men with ethnography at Christ Church to make his case.
Anticipated impacts of climate change on 21st century Maumee River discharge and nutrient loads

Abstract Climate change holds great potential to affect the Lake Erie ecosystem by altering the timing and magnitude of precipitation driven river discharge and nutrient runoff in its highly agricultural watershed. Using the SWAT hydrologic model and an ensemble of global climate models, we predicted Maumee River (Ohio) discharge during the 21st century under two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gas emissions scenarios: RCP4.5 (mid-range, moderate reductions) and RCP8.5 (high, “business as usual”). Annual discharge was projected to increase under both scenarios, both in the near-century (RCP4.5 = 6.5%; RCP8.5 = 2.0%) and late-century (RCP4.5 = 9.2%; RCP8.5 = 15.9%), owing to increased precipitation and reduced plant stomatal conductance. Holding fertilizer application rates at baseline levels, we found that reduced winter surface runoff and increased plant phosphorus (P) uptake led to a respective decrease in annual total P (TP) runoff in the near-century (RCP4.5 = − 4.3%; RCP8.5 = − 6.6%) and by the late-century (RCP4.5 = − 14.6%; RCP8.5 = − 7.8%). Likewise, soluble reactive P (SRP) runoff was predicted to decrease under both scenarios in the near-century (RCP4.5 = − 0.5%; RCP8.5 = − 3.5%) and by the late-century (RCP4.5 = − 11.8%; RCP8.5 = − 8.6%). By contrast, when fertilizer application was modeled to increase at the same rate as plant P uptake, TP loading increased 4.0% (0.9%) in the near-century and 9.9% (24.6%) by the late-century and SRP loading increased 10.5% (6.1%) in the near-century and 26.7% (42.0%) by the late-century under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5). Our findings suggest that changes in agricultural practices (e.g., fertilization rates) will be key determinants of Maumee River discharge during the 21st century.