cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influenza vaccine effectiveness among patients with high-risk medical conditions in the United States, 2012-2016.

BACKGROUND Annual influenza vaccination has been recommended for persons with high-risk conditions since the 1960s. However, few estimates of influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) for persons with high-risk conditions are available. METHODS Data from the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network from 2012 to 2016 were analyzed to compare VE of standard-dose inactivated vaccines against medically-attended influenza among patients aged ≥6 months with and without high-risk medical conditions. Patients with acute respiratory illness were tested for influenza by RT-PCR. Presence of high-risk conditions and vaccination status were obtained from medical records. VE by influenza virus type/subtype and age group was calculated for patients with and without high-risk conditions using the test-negative design. Interaction terms were used to test for differences in VE by high-risk conditions. RESULTS Overall, 9643 (38%) of 25,369 patients enrolled during four influenza seasons had high-risk conditions; 2213 (23%) tested positive for influenza infection. For all ages, VE against any influenza was lower among patients with high-risk conditions (41%, 95% CI: 35-47%) than those without (48%, 95% CI: 43-52%; P-for-interaction = 0.02). For children aged <18 years, VE against any influenza was 51% (95% CI: 39-61%) and 52% (95% CI: 39-61%) among those with and without high-risk conditions, respectively (P-for-interaction = 0.54). For adults aged ≥18 years, VE against any influenza was 38% (95% CI: 30-45%) and 44% (95% CI: 38-50%) among those with and without high-risk conditions, respectively (P-for-interaction = 0.21). For both children aged <18 and adults aged ≥18 years, VEs against illness related to influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09, and influenza B virus infection were similar among those with and without high-risk conditions. CONCLUSIONS Influenza vaccination provided protection against medically-attended influenza among patients with high-risk conditions, at levels approaching those observed among patients without high-risk conditions. Results from our analysis support recommendations of annual vaccination for patients with high-risk conditions.
Constructing programs for direct-care staff should rely on foundational theories to support adults with intellectual disabilities1

Q The authors addressed three primary questions:(1) Are there training/professional development programs that have been successful in supporting direct-care staff to provide communication intervent...
Fatigue Life Study on Welded Aluminum Shoe-Base Details with Handholes

AbstractLight poles have been used alongside streets and roadways for illuminating travel and to increase pedestrian and driver safety during the evening and early morning hours. Classified as slen...
Role of pre-emptive Huff's manoeuvre and acupressure in reducing the incidence of fentanyl induced cough; a risk factor for postoperative nausea vomiting in female patients: A prospective randomised controlled study

Background and Aims: Fentanyl-induced cough is found to occur more often in females and it has been observed to be a risk factor for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We studied the effect of pre-emptive Huff's manoeuvre and acupressure in reducing incidence of PONV in patients who had fentanyl-induced cough (FIC). Methods: This prospective, experimental and randomised study was conducted on 336 patients who were randomly divided into three groups. Group A (n = 112): acupressure was applied, Group B (n = 112): Huff's manoeuvre was performed and Group C (n = 112) was the control group. Thereafter the patients were given a rapid bolus of injection fentanyl at a dose of 2 μ/kg before induction of anaesthesia. Any episode of cough within 60 seconds of fentanyl administration was classified as FIC, and the severity was graded based on the number of coughs (mild 1 – 2, moderate 3 – 4, and severe 5 or more). The occurrence of PONV was recorded. Statistical analysis done using ANOVA test, Kruskal Wallis. Results: Incidence of FIC was 8%, 7.1%, and 25.9% in Acupressure, Huff's and control group respectively. The incidence of PONV was found to be higher in patients who had FIC rather than the patients who did not have FIC. Conclusion: We conclude that use of Acupressure and Huff's manoeuvre have been demonstrated to be efficacious in reducing FIC and also have an impact in reducing PONV.
Spinach Growers Value Host Resistance and Synthetic Fungicides in the Fight against Downy Mildew

California spinach growers struggle to manage spinach downy mildew disease. The disease is especially difficult in the organic crop, which currently relies on resistant varieties to maintain disease-free crop. Alternative control measures are available, but it is not clear how growers perceive the efficacy of these methods. It is also not clear who growers contact to find out information on spinach downy mildew disease management. In this study, we conducted an online survey of people involved in spinach production, asking about their beliefs in the efficacy of different control methods and who they contact frequently to discuss spinach downy mildew control. We found that respondents were most positive about the efficacy of resistant varieties and synthetic pesticides, with much lower perceived efficacy for the practices of disking diseased fields, roguing diseased plants, and organic pesticides. Growers most frequently contacted pest control advisors (PCAs) about management strategies for spinach downy mildew. These results suggest that respondents are most confident about the efficacy of resistant varieties and synthetic pesticides and may be hesitant to adopt new control strategies like organic pesticides. The results also suggest that future extension efforts can be focused on PCAs to reach the most stakeholders with up to date research on downy mildew control.
The SHIR Model: Realistic Fits to COVID-19 Case Numbers

We consider a global (location independent) model of pandemic growth which generalizes the SIR model to accommodate important features of the COVID-19 pandemic, notably the implementation of pandemic reduction measures. This "SHIR" model is applied to COVID-19 data, and shows promise as a simple, tractable formalism with few parameters that can be used to model pandemic case numbers. As an example we show that the average time dependence of new COVID-19 cases per day from 15 Central and Western European countries is in good agreement with the analytic, parameter-free prediction of the model
Solution Examples on Ellipsoidal Methods: Computation in High Dimensions

In this chapter we describe solution examples for controlled systems that illustrate the contents of Chaps. 1– 3. These include the multiple integrator, planar Newtonian motions and calming down a chain of springs. Special sections are devoted to relevant computational formulas and high-dimensional systems. Also discussed are possible degeneracy effects in computation and the means of their avoidance.
Actin-binding compounds that affect the kinetics of the interaction of cardiac myosin with actin

Abstract We measured the effects of ten actin-binding compounds on the interaction of cardiac myosin subfragment 1 (S1) with pyrene labeled F-actin (PFA). These compounds, previously identified from a small-molecule high-throughput screen (HTS), perturb the microsecond structural dynamics of actin and the steady-state activity of actin-activated myosin ATPase. In the present study, we have further characterized their mechanisms of action by measuring their effects on PFA fluorescence, which is decreased specifically by the strong binding of myosin to actin, and is restored upon release of S1 by MgATP. We measured the effects of compounds under equilibrium and steady-state conditions, as affected by S1 and ATP, and also under transient conditions, in stopped-flow experiments following rapid addition of ATP to S1-bound PFA. We observe that these compounds affect the early steps of the myosin ATPase cycle to different extents (mild, moderate, and severe). The compounds decrease the equilibrium constant for the formation of the collision complex and the rate constant for subsequent isomerization to the ternary complex, indicating increased ATP affinity and trapping of ATP in the myosin active site. These compound effects on actin structure inhibit the kinetics of the actin-myosin interaction in ways that may be desirable for possible treatment of hypercontractile forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This work helps to elucidate the mechanisms of action of these compounds, several of which are currently used therapeutically, and it sets the stage for future HTS campaigns on a larger scale, to discover new drugs for treatment of heart failure.
Reliability Improvement of Wind Integrated Power Systems using Energy Storage & Aggregation

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy resources in recent times. However, the variable nature of wind power negatively affects power system reliability. Reduction in wind power variability and hence improvement in power system reliability can be achieved through a number of means including aggregating geographically diverse wind, deploying energy storage systems (ESS), and using flexible loads. This paper proposes a new approach for mitigation of wind power variability by utilizing both aggregation and ESS. Although aggregation of geographically diverse wind power leads to reduced variability, the benefits are limited due to several factors, as discussed in this paper. ESS projects, on the other hand, can be significantly expensive. In this context, the proposed approach helps in overcoming the limitations of the individual methods and provides a more cost-effective solution. Composite system reliability assessment is performed using Monte Carlo simulation on the IEEE 14-bus system to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method. Results show that the application of the proposed approach helps in reducing the ESS size while improving the system reliability.
Evaluation Of An Established School Safety Curriculum’s Impact On Safety Knowledge And Anxiety

Background: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost 95% of students attending public schools participate in school safety drills (or lockdown drills). Despite how prevalent school safety drills have become, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of their training or their effect on students’ psychosocial health. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the impact on recall and anxiety of a school safety curriculum in children enrolled in grades 3-12. We hypothesize that after participating in the …
Racial disparities in provider-patient communication of incidental medical findings.

Abstract Health disparities research often focuses on the social patterning of health outcomes. Increasingly, there has been an emphasis on understanding the mechanisms perpetuating disparities, even after issues of patient access to health services are addressed. The following study utilizes a novel dataset of electronic medical records (EMR), radiology records, and U.S. Census data to investigate the racial/ethnic patterning of provider-patient communication among patients diagnosed with incidental medical findings requiring follow-up. My results indicate that racial/ethnic disparities in follow-up adherence stem from initial disparities in provider-patient communication. These communication disparities persist even after accounting for multiple socioeconomic, health, and provider characteristics, indicating a bias in medicine, whereby providers are less likely to communicate information about incidental medical findings to patients of color relative to White patients. This paper has important clinical implications, as it sheds new light on why we might see low adherence to medical advice among patients of color. Findings also have social, political, and policy relevance, as they suggest an important mechanism through which health inequalities persist. To finally eliminate racial/ethnic health inequalities in the United States, racial bias and discrimination within medical and public health infrastructures must be eliminated.
Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Gene Delivery: Dissecting Molecular Interactions upon Cell Entry

Human gene therapy has advanced from twentieth-century conception to twenty-first-century reality. The recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus (rAAV) is a major gene therapy vector. Research continues to improve rAAV safety and efficacy using a variety of AAV capsid modification strategies. Significant factors influencing rAAV transduction efficiency include neutralizing antibodies, attachment factor interactions and receptor binding. Advances in understanding the molecular interactions during rAAV cell entry combined with improved capsid modulation strategies will help guide the design and engineering of safer and more efficient rAAV gene therapy vectors.
Jameson, Dorothea 1920–1998

Dorothea Jameson was born November 16, 1920, in Newton, M.A. Her father was educated in electrical engineering as well as law. Her mother taught her to believe she could achieve whatever she wanted to do. Her early education was in small private schools for girls. She then attended Wellesley College and also attended by her older sister. She began concentrating on psychology but soon became interested in brain mechanisms behind psychological processes.
Implementation of ultrasound after central venous catheter insertion: A qualitative study in early adopters.

Background The adoption rate of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for the confirmation of central venous catheter (CVC) positioning and exclusion of post procedure pneumothorax is low despite advantages in workflow compared to traditional chest X-ray (CXR). To explore why, we convened focus groups to address barriers and facilitators of implementation for POCUS guided CVC confirmation and de-implementation of post-procedure CXR. Methods We conducted focus groups with emergency medicine and critical care providers to discuss current practices in POCUS for CVC confirmation. The semi-structured focus group interview guide was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We performed qualitative content analysis of the resulting transcripts using a consensual qualitative research approach (NVivo software), aiming to identify priority categories that describe the barriers and facilitators of POCUS guided CVC confirmation. Results The coding dictionary of barriers and facilitators consisted of 21 codes from the focus group discussions. Our qualitative analysis revealed that 12 codes emerged spontaneously (inductively) within the focus group discussions and aligned directly to CFIR constructs. Common barriers included provider influences (e.g. knowledge and beliefs about POCUS for CVC confirmation), external network (e.g. societal guidelines, ancillary staff, and consultants), and inertia (habit or reflexive processes). Common facilitators included ultrasound protocol advantage and champions. Time and provider outcomes (cognitive offload, ownership, and independence) emerged as early barriers but late facilitators. Conclusion Our qualitative analysis demonstrates real and perceived barriers against implementation of POCUS for CVC position confirmation and pneumothorax exclusion. Our findings discovered organizational and personal constructs that will inform development of multifaceted strategies toward implementation of POCUS after CVC insertion.
A new fossil species from the genus Falsomordellistena Ermisch, 1941 [Coleoptera, Mordellidae] with description of a new subgenus

Falsomordellistena eocenica sp. nov. from the Baltic amber is described and placed in the new subgenus Palaeostena subgen. nov.
Postmenopausal mammographic breast density and subsequent breast cancer risk according to selected tissue markers

This study aimed to determine if associations of pre-diagnostic percent breast density, absolute dense area, and non-dense area with subsequent breast cancer risk differ by the tumour’s molecular marker status. We included 1010 postmenopausal women with breast cancer and 2077 matched controls from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II) cohorts. Breast density was estimated from digitised film mammograms using computer-assisted thresholding techniques. Information on breast cancer risk factors was obtained prospectively from biennial questionnaires. Polychotomous logistic regression was used to assess associations of breast density measures with tumour subtypes by the status of selected tissue markers. All tests of statistical significance were two sided. The association of percent density with breast cancer risk appeared to be stronger in ER− as compared with ER+ tumours, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (density ⩾50% vs <10% odds ratio (OR)=3.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.17–4.32 for ER+; OR=4.61, 95% CI 2.36–9.03 for ER−, Pheterogeneity=0.08). Stronger positive associations were found for absolute dense area and CK5/6− and EGFR− as compared with respective marker-positive tumours (Pheterogeneity=0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Stronger inverse associations of non-dense area with breast cancer risk were found for ER− as compared with ER+ tumours (Pheterogeneity=0.0001) and for AR+, CK5/6+, and EGFR+ as compared with respective marker-negative tumours (Pheterogeneity=0.03, 0.005, and 0.009, respectively). The associations of density measures with breast cancer did not differ by progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status. Breast density influences the risk of breast cancer subtypes by potentially different mechanisms.
Teaching the Arizona V. United States Immigration Case

Arizona v. U.S. was one of the most anticipated decisions of the Supreme Court's October 2011 term. The case pits the state of Arizona and its immigration policy of "attrition through enforcement" against a much less aggressive federal immigration policy under President Obama. These slides help tell the story and can be used to teach the case as well as important constitutional law issues such as: (1) enumerated powers, (2) preemption, (3) federalism, (4) state sovereignty and more.
On characterizations of linear groups. III

In his address at the International Congress of Mathematicians at Amsterdam [1] Professor R. Brauer proposed a problem of characterizing various groups of even order by the properties of the involutions contained in these groups and he gave characterizations of the general projective linear groups of low dimensions along these lines. The detail of the one-dimensional case has been published in [5], but the two-dimensional case has not appeared yet in detail. His work was followed by Suzuki [7], Feit [6] and Walter [11]. The present paper is a continuation of [73 and discusses a characterization of the two-dimensional projective unitary group over a finite field of characteristic 2. The precise conditions which characterize the group in question will be stated in the first section. The method employed here is similar to the one used in [7]. An application of group characters provides a formula for the order. However a difficulty comes in when one attempts to identify the group. In order to overcome this difficulty we will use a method primarily designed to study a class of doubly transitive permutation groups (cf. [9]). We need also a group theoretical characterization of a class of doubly transitive groups called ( ZT )-groups. This is a generalization of a result in [8], and may be of in dependent interest.
Contribution of cysteines to clathrin trimerization domain stability and mapping of light chain binding.

The three-legged or triskelion shape of clathrin is critical for the formation of polyhedral lattices around clathrin-coated vesicles. Filamentous legs radiate from a common vertex, with amino acids 1550–1615 contributed by each leg to define the trimerization domain (Liu S-H, Wong ML, Craik CS, Brodsky FM. Cell 1995; 83: 257–267). Within this amino acid stretch there are 3 cysteines at positions 1565, 1569 and 1573 which are completely conserved in higher mammals from humans to C. elegans. The cysteine-to-serine mutation at position 1573 was observed to have the largest impact on clathrin structure and self-assembly. We have also found that Cysteine 1528 located near the boundary between the proximal region and trimerization domain mediated the formation of nonproductive clathrin aggregates when bound light chain subunits were removed. However, when light chains were added back, the ability of this cysteine to form disulfide bridges between individual clathrin molecules was blocked, suggesting bound light chain interacted with Cysteine 1528 to prevent aggregation. This new information serves to map the orientation of the light chain subunit in the vicinity of the trimerization domain and supports previous models that indicate involvement of the trimerization domain in LC binding (Chen C-Y, Reese ML, Hwang PK, Ota N, Agard D, Brodsky FM. EMBO J 2002; 21: 6072–6082; Pishvaee B, Munn A, Payne GS. EMBO J 1997; 16: 2227–2239).
A new proof of the transformation law of Jacobi’s theta function ₃(,)

. We present a new proof, using Residue Calculus, of the transformation law of the Jacobi theta function θ 3 (ω,τ) defined in the upper half plane. Our proof is inspired by Siegel's proof of the transformation law of the Dedekind eta function.
Failed Constitutional Metaphors: The Wall of Separation and the Penumbra

Metaphors do more than explain the meaning of statutes and constitutional provisions. They also create their meaning. Metaphors, however, have their drawbacks. They do not yield precise legal tests. In the words of Justice Cardozo, “A metaphor, however, is, to say the least, a shifting test whereby to measure degrees of guilt that mean the difference between life and death.” As he further observed, “Metaphors in law are to be narrowly watched, for though starting as devices to liberate thought, they end often by enslaving it.”Because metaphors have inherent limitations, they can fail. This Article is about two metaphors that have failed: the wall that allegedly separates church and state and the penumbra that justifies the constitutional right of privacy. The first metaphor defines the Establishment Clause in a debatable way that does not always comport with judicial decisions. The second justifies a doctrine with questionable imagery that weakens its force and restrains its reach. The Article employs a historical lens to examine these metaphors and to ask why they have enjoyed such staying power.
Modulation-doped gate-normal tunnel FET for improved turn-on abruptness

The tunnel field-effect-transistor (TFET), which is expected to achieve a subthreshold swing (SS) of less than 60mV/dec, is one of the most promising device concepts for enabling supply power scaling to below 0.5 V. Encouraging experimental heterojunction-TFETs results with MOSFET-like ON-currents have been reported recently [1]–[2]. However, the SS increased in both high and low drain current regimes, resulting in a U-shaped relationship where a good SS was preserved only at a moderate drain current [1]–[2]. A characteristic behavior for TFETs is a SS increase with drain current, where the lowest achievable SS ideally should occur when tunneling begins. Possible explanations for the non-abrupt turn-on at low drain current regime include band edge abruptness, trap states that trigger trap-assisted tunneling, non-uniformity of the device system, and non-optimal electrostatic control of the device structure [3]. In this work, we focus on improving electrostatic control for gate-normal-TFETs to achieve better turn-on abruptness.
Synthesis and low‐temperature transport properties of polycrystalline NiSe2

Polycrystalline NiSe2 was synthesized via a direct solution reaction method, followed by densification by spark plasma sintering. Structural and low-temperature transport properties measurements were employed for characterization. The low temperature thermal conductivity is reported for the first time and is dominated by heat conduction by charge carriers. The polycrystalline NiSe2 has a low electrical resistivity, lower than that reported for single crystal NiSe2, suggesting a very high crystallinity for our polycrystalline specimen. These results are discussed in light of the potential applications for this material.
On the irreducibility, self-duality an non-homogeneity of completely positive cones

Abstract. For a closed cone Cin R n , the completely positive cone of Cis the convex cone K C in S n generated by fuu T : u2Cg. Such a cone arises, for example, in the conic LP reformula-tion of a nonconvex quadratic minimization problem over an arbitrary set with linear and binaryconstraints. Motivated by the useful and desirable properties of the nonnegative orthant and thepositive semide nite cone (and more generally of symmetric cones in Euclidean Jordan algebras),this paper investigates when (or whether) K C can be irreducible, self-dual, or homogeneous.Key words. Copositive cones, Completely positive cones, Self-dual, Irreducible cone, Homoge-neous cone.AMS subject classi cations. 15B48, 90C20. 1. Introduction. Given a closed cone Cin R n that is not necessarily convex,we consider two related cones in the space S n of all n nreal symmetric matrices:The completely positive cone of Cde ned byK C :=nXuu T : u2Co(1.1) ;where the sum denotes a nite sum, and the copositive cone of Cgiven by(1.2) E
Starbursts, dark matter, and the evolution of dwarf galaxies

Optical and HI imaging of gas rich dwarfs, both dwarf irregulars (dI) and blue compact dwarfs (BCD), reveals important clues on how dwarf galaxies evolve and their star formation is regulated. Both types usually show evidence for stellar and gaseous disks. However, their total mass is dominated by dark matter. Gas rich dwarfs form with a range of disk structural properties. These have been arbitrarily separated them into two classes on the basis of central surface brightness. Dwarfs with \mu_{0}(B) <~ 22 mag arcsec^{-2} are usually classified as BCDs, while those faintwards of this limit are usually classified as dIs. Both classes experience bursts of star formation, but with an absolute intensity correlated with the disk surface brightness. Even in BCDs the bursts typically represent only a modest <~ 1 mag enhancement to the B luminosity of the disk. While starbursts are observed to power significant galactic winds, the fractional ISM loss remains modest. Dark matter halos play an important role in determining dwarf galaxy morphology by setting the equilibrium surface brightness of the disk.
Automotive powertrain control: emission regulation to advanced onboard control systems

The current task in powertrain control development is to reduce calibration and improve performance of individual powertrain subsystems by the application of modern control techniques. In order to satisfy customer expectations and meet future emission requirements, an integrated approach to powertrain control is essential: an integration of control design and strategy implementation to manage software complexity and achieve benefits promised by modern system theoretic methods.
The Origins of Peasant Servitude in Medieval Catalonia: Conclusion: origins of Catalan servitude

I hope that the foregoing has demonstrated that the laws attaching certain peasants to their holdings and subjecting them to their lords were real and effective. Examining routine transactions reveals a set of practices that increasingly limited the economic and personal freedom of peasants in Old Catalonia. Lords were able to forbid departure from their lands and to bind tenants by hereditarily transmissible obligations. Peasants often had to pay substantial sums during the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries to purchase the right for family members to move off the land. This redemption payment was the symbolic center of subordinate status in Old Catalonia, and from it the term “remenca” arose in the fourteenth century. Other exactions affecting only certain peasants constituted, along with redemption, indices of servile condition. The so-called mals usos varied in number, sometimes including fines for destruction of property by fire ( arsina ), or in order to obtain a lord's consent for a daughter's marriage ( firma de spoli forcada ), but always comprising levies on intestate death, death without heirs, or a wife's adultery. These peculiar incidents, deriving from Visigothic law, took on a boundary-setting function, marking off a substantial portion of rural tenants as in some sense unfree. The bad customs, however, were not merely symbolic, as they were interpreted by lords in such a way as to make tenants liable for large confiscations and thus represented a significant source of seigneurial revenue. Symbolic function and manifest, physical effect were not incompatible.
Network topology optimization for data aggregation with splitting

In this paper, we develop algorithms for the data aggregation problem which arises in the context of big-data applications that employ the MapReduce operation. For the case when source racks can send their data to the aggregator using multiple paths, we show that an aggregation tree topology that minimizes aggregation time can be constructed in polynomial time. We consider also the problem of constructing aggregation trees that minimize total network traffic subject to the primary constraint that aggregation time is minimized. Heuristics for this problem are presented. Experiments show that allowing multiple paths reduces aggregation time by up to 99% relative to the aggregation trees constructed using the LPT rule [3]. This reduction in aggregation time, however, comes with up to 35% increase in total network traffic when racks have more than 2 optical links.
Recent Trends in Food Applications of Antioxidants

In this paper, I shall discuss the important trends of the past seven years in applications of antioxidants in foods. The nature and course of lipid autoxidation and antioxidant action have been treated in a previous paper of this Symposium (Symposium, 1979), as has the effect of water activity. Other papers will deal with the biological effects of antioxidant use, including antimicrobial action. Natural antioxidants will also be treated elsewhere. Therefore, I shall discuss primarily the use of the commonly added synthetic antioxidants (Fig. 1) and four naturally occurring ones — α-tocopherol and ascorbic (Fig. 2), citric and phosphoric acids, which common usage seems to segregate from the “natural” antioxidants. In addition, I shall handle many secondary antioxygenic compounds and treatments, such as oxygen exclusion or scavenging, browning antioxidants, and products produced by fermentation, smoking, nitrite curing, and hydrolysis of vegetable protein.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): Is it really a serious condition?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and all cause and cause specific mortality in a representative sample of the US general population.
α and Luteinizing Hormoneβ Messenger Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) of Male and Female Rats after Castration: Quantitation Using an Optimized RNA Dot Blot Hybridization Assay

In this study we examined the changes in a and LHβ mRNAs in anterior pituitaries of male and female rats after castration. mRNA concentrations were measured by an optimized RNA dot blot hybridization assay. Rat a and LHβ cDNAs were nick-translated to specific activities of 2–5 × 108 cpm/μg and were used as hybridization probes. The total RNA per assay, RNA per dot, and saturating amounts of probe were optimized. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 5% and 28%, respectively. Both α and LHβ mRNA concentrations increased after castration, but marked differences were observed in the kinetics of responses in male and female rats. In males, a and LHβ mRNAs were increased by 24 h postcastration (by 25% and 38%, respectively), and 4- to 5-fold increases over intact controls were evident by 18 days, α mRNA rose rapidly and had doubled by 2 days, whereas LHβ mRNA concentrations showed a similar increase by 6–7 days postcastration. The slower rise in LHβ mRNA was associated with a transient decli...
An empirical study of the effectiveness of electronic stability control system in reducing loss of vehicle control.

A significant percentage of fatal vehicle crashes involve loss of control (LOC). Electronic stability control (ESC) is an active safety system that detects impending LOC and activates counter-measures that help the driver maintain or re-gain control. To assess the effectiveness of ESC in preventing LOC, an empirical study was conducted on a high-fidelity driving simulator. The ESC systems for two vehicles were incorporated into the simulator's dynamics code which was calibrated to ensure engineering validation. The study utilized three scenarios designed to recreate typical LOC situations, and was designed to assess the effects of ESC presence, vehicle type, scenario, age and gender. A total of 120 research participants completed the study. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in LOC with ESC compared to without ESC (F = 52.72, p < 0.0001). The study findings of 5% LOC with ESC and 30% without ESC match several epidemiological studies that have analyzed ESC effectiveness on real-world crashes, providing strong support to the use of driving simulation for studying driver behavior. Study conclusions suggest that wide-spread utilization of ESC is likely to reduce traffic fatalities.
Platelet‐derived growth factor and inflammatory cytokines have differential effects on the expression of integrins α1β1 and α5β1 by human dermal fibroblasts in vitro

Dermal fibroblasts are essential for the repair of cutaneous wounds. Fibroblasts presumably use cell surface receptors of the integrin family during migration into a wound from the adjacent uninjured tissue and for the subsequent matrix repairs. We have investigated the possible roles of platelet-derived growth factor and inflammatory cytokines in the regulation of integrin expression on wound fibroblasts using a porcine cutaneous wound model and cultured human cells. Tissue specimens collected from 4-day pig wounds were stained with antibodies specific for the alpha 1 and alpha 5 integrin subunits. Staining for alpha 1 was markedly decreased on fibroblasts adjacent to the wound and in the granulation tissue, while staining for alpha 5 was clearly enhanced in both locations. Normal adult human dermal fibroblasts in culture express the integrins alpha 1 beta 1, a collagen receptor, and alpha 5 beta 1 a fibronectin receptor. Quantitative flow cytometry was used to measure cell surface integrin expression after treatment with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, PDGF-AB, or PDGF BB. Each isoform of PDGF produced a significant decrease in the level of alpha 1 present on the cell surface and an increase in the level of alpha 5. Furthermore, PDGF-BB produced a corresponding decrease in alpha 1 mRNA and an increase in alpha 5 mRNA. In contrast, treatment with three inflammatory cytokines, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma, produced clear increases in the levels of alpha 1 and alpha 5 present on the cell surface. Our observations suggest that the differential effects of PDGF and inflammatory cytokines may be part of the mechanism regulating the expression of alpha 1 and alpha 5 integrins by dermal fibroblasts during wound repair.
1-δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Neurochemical and Behavioral Effects in the Mouse

Administration of pure 1-delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol to mice had the following dose-dependent nzeurochemical and behavioral effects: a slight but significant increase in concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine in whole brain; a decrease in concentration of norepinephrine in brain after administration of low doses and an increase after high doses; diminished spontaneous activity, mloderate hypothermnia, hypersetisitivity to tactile and auditory stimiuli, and ataxia after low doses; and sedation, pronounced hypothermia, and markedly diminished spon taneous activity and reactivity after high doses. The duration of the effects on body temperature and spontaneous activity correlated generally with the changes in brain amines. The characteristic changes in brain amines do not correspond exactly to those observed with other psychotropic drugs.
Testing the blank slate hypothesis: why honey bee colonies accept young bees

Special features facilitate the admission of new members, such as neonates, to otherwise closed animal societies. In eusocial insects, such as honeybees and paper wasps, young adults acquire a colony recognition phenotype from other colony members or nesting materials. Older adults must exempt them from expulsion during the acquisition period. Newly emerged adult honeybees gain tolerance in their colony before their acquisition of the colony recognition phenotype by presenting a blank slate, absent recognition cues. This makes them generically acceptable in honey bee colonies. This strategy is analogous to the easily recognizable phenotypes associated with juvenility in birds and mammals.
Constituent syllable effects in a nonsense-word repetition task.

Multisyllabic nonsense-word repetition tasks have been used to provide evidence on the phonological processing operations of children with language impairment, independent of their lexical knowledg...
Adjusting the economy to the new energy realities of the second half of the age of oil

Abstract Our research indicates that, due to the depletion of conventional, and hence cheap, crude oil supplies (i.e. peak oil), increasing the supply of oil in the future would require exploiting lower quality resources (i.e. expensive), and thus will most likely occur only at high prices. This situation creates a system of feedbacks where economic growth, which requires more oil, would require high oil prices that will undermine that economic growth. We conclude that the economic growth of the past 40 years is unlikely to continue unless there is some remarkable change in how we manage our economy.
CHOP Transcription Factor Phosphorylation by Casein Kinase 2 Inhibits Transcriptional Activation

The CAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous transcription factor CHOP, also known as GADD153, is involved in DNA damage, growth arrest, and the induction of apoptosis after endoplasmic reticulum stress and nutrient deprivation. CHOP dimerizes with and inhibits the binding of C/EBP-related transcription factors to their consensus DNA target sequences and also forms novel complexes with other transcriptional proteins (e.g. c-Jun, c-Fos). The transcriptional activation of these complexes is modified by their phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of CHOP at serine 79 and serine 81 by p38-MAP kinase enhances its transcriptional activity. Here we show that an interactive association between CHOP and casein kinase II (CK2) results in the phosphorylation of its amino-terminal transactivation domain. Mapping of the functional domains of CHOP indicates that the region in CHOP required for association with CK2 differs from that required for its phosphorylation. Th binding of CK2 to CHOP requires only the carboxylterminal bZip domain of CHOP, whereas phosphorylation involves residues located in the amino-terminal domain. The presence of the bZip domain, however, facilitates the phosphorylation of CHOP. Analyses of the effect of point mutations of CHOP on its transcriptional activity and the effect of specific inhibitors of CK2 lead us to conclude that CK2-mediated phosphorylation of CHOP inhibits its transcriptional activity. Our findings suggest that inhibition of the proapoptotic functions of CHOP by CK2 may be a mechanism by which CK2 prevents apoptosis and promotes cellular proliferation.
The survival impact of the choice of surgical procedure after ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence

Abstract Background Many women with breast cancer recurrence previously treated with breast-conservation therapy desire repeat lumpectomies. We hypothesized that women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer recurrence would show superior survival. Methods Patients who previously received breast-conservation therapy diagnosed with an ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence between 1988 and 2004 were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Univariate survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used for multivariate analysis. Results Criteria for analysis were met in 747 patients. Of those, 24% underwent lumpectomy. On univariate analysis, patients undergoing lumpectomy had worse overall survival (P = .03). Five-year survival was 67% versus 78% for the lumpectomy and mastectomy groups, respectively. On multivariate analysis, mastectomy remained significantly associated with better survival with a hazard ratio of .5 (P = .003). Conclusions The use of lumpectomy for ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence previously treated with breast-conservation therapy should generally be discouraged.
Oral Administration of IFN-α is Superior to Subcutaneous Administration of IFN-α in the Suppression of Chronic Relapsing Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

We have previously demonstrated that type I IFNs administered orally (p.o.) suppress clinical relapse in murine chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR-EAE), inhibit clinical attacks at doses equivalent to ineffective parenteral (s.c.) doses in acute rat EAE, and decrease the adoptive transfer of EAE. We therefore examined the optimal clinical p.o. dose of murine species-specific IFN-α for suppression of relapse attacks and compared it to s.c. administered IFN-α in a dose-response experiment in the chronic EAE model. The optimal clinically effective dose for suppression of EAE of p.o. administered murine species-specific IFN-α was 10 units and for s.c. administered was 100 units, although the optimal p.o. dose was much more clinically effective than the optimal s.c. dose. Con A- and MT-induced spleen cell proliferation was inhibited by p.o. IFN-α, as was Con A-induced IL-2 secretion, but s.c. IFN-α did not inhibit the Con A-induced proliferation in spleen cells. Oral IFN-α inhibited the mitogen-induced production of IL-2 and IFN-γ, but s.c. IFN-α increased MT-induced IFN-γ and IL-6 secretion in spleen cells and Con A-induced IL-6 and MT-induced IL-2 and IL-6 in lymph node cells. The oral route is a convenient drug delivery system that may allow the use of lower doses of cytokines and provide enhanced efficacy via unique and potent immunoregulatory circuits without generating additional inflammatory cytokines that may counteract the beneficial effects of s.c. administered type I IFNs.
Seasonality in deep-sea food webs—A tribute to the early works of Paul Tyler

Abstract A numerical simulation has been constructed that illustrates the vertical biological pathways of carbon fluxes from the surface down through the entire water column to the Sigsbee Abyssal Plain at a depth of 3.7 km in the central Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Seasonal production of particulate organic carbon (POC) in a six month long pulse is delivered with lag times that reflect sinking rates of the POC and time-dependent incorporation of the POC into biomass by the pelagic and the benthic biota. The model illustrates that the seasonal variations in carbon and energy are transmitted down the water column and, in the model, are reflected in subdued but distinct variations in pelagic and benthic respiration and biomass; the amount reaching the bottom is adequate to support the variable growth patterns of numerous shell-bearing invertebrates on the deep-sea floor described by Paul Tyler and John Gage. A notable realization is the profound lack of information on the biomass and bioenergetics of the deep abyssopelagic biota in the GoM.
Fibrous dysplasia of bone associated with primary hyperparathyroidism.

ABSTRACT Objective Fibrous dysplasia of bone and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) may occur in patients with McCune-Albright Syndrome. A small number of cases with both diagnoses that are not associated with the above-mentioned genetic disorder have been published in the literature. It is uncertain if these disorders are linked in some way. In the present study, we aimed to further explore a potential relationship between PHPT and fibrous dysplasia of bone. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of all cases seen at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, between 1976 and 2011 that were diagnosed with both PHPT and fibrous dysplasia of bone. Results We identified 10 patients who were diagnosed with both PHPT and fibrous dysplasia of bone. Fibrous dysplasia was polyostotic in 7 (70%) cases. It affected the lower extremities in 6 (60%) patients, the skull or facial bones in 4 (40%), and was localized to one rib in 1 patient (10%). In 4 patients, fibrous dysplasia was diagnosed first, between 9 to 50 years before being diagnosed with PHPT. Two cases of fibrous dysplasia were recognized between 2 and 5 years after the diagnosis of PHPT. The remaining 4 patients were diagnosed with both conditions at approximately the same time. Conclusions It remains unclear if the association between fibrous dysplasia of bone and PHPT is more than coincidental, although the possibility of a rare familial genetic syndrome is not completely excluded.
Regulation of the induction of ornithine decarboxylase in short-term rat colon organ culture by dexamethasone and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE)

The activity of rat colon mucosal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was found to dramatically increase within three hours after placement of mucosal explants under organ culture conditions. Increases of 224-fold above the initial levels were observed 24 hours after establishment of cultures. During the next 72 hours, activity gradually declined although it never reached in vivo levels. Inclusion of either dexamethasone (DEX) or 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) in the media suppressed the early induction of ODC activity but did not abolish the increases. The effect of these compounds was reversible. Within 24 hours after removal of either dexamethasone or 13-HODE the ODC activity increased to the level found in untreated control cultures. These data suggest that glucocorticoids and 13-HODE may play a role in the regulation of colonic cellular proliferative activities in intact animals. The findings with 13-HODE add to the growing list of examples of regulation of biological activity by oxidized derivatives of linoleic acid.
Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: pusilla group and piranha group systematics and notes on their ways of life (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina)

Revisions of two new species groups of the genus Agra Fabricius are presented with the following species described as new: pusilla group - Agra cruciaria sp. n. (Brazil), Agra grace sp. n. (Ecuador, Peru), Agra max sp. n. (Brazil), Agra minasianus sp. n. (Brazil), Agra notpusilla sp. n. (Brazil), Agra pseudopusilla sp. n. (Brazil); piranha group - Agra ce sp. n. (Peru), Agra risseri sp. n. (Bolivia, Brazil), Agra maia sp. n. (Bolivia), Agra piranha sp. n. (Ecuador); Agra tiputini sp. n. (Ecuador). Species of these two groups have adults that are the smallest in the entire genus, although this does not indicate they are closely related based on other attributes. All species are Amazonian in distribution.