cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anterior cruciate ligament injury in the skeletally immature

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has become one of the most publicized musculoskeletal injuries because of media coverage of its occurrence in elite and professional athletes. Treatment outcomes have vastly improved from advances in diagnostic methods, operative techniques, stronger graft fixation, and accelerated rehabilitation. The lay public has grown to consider this injury as only a ‘‘minor’’ setback to the elite athlete because these stars frequently return to their preinjury level of performance post-ACL reconstruction. Expectations regarding outcome in the general population, as well as the skeletally immature patient, have also magnified. Recent evidence suggests that mid-substance ACL injuries in skeletally immature patients are more common than originally reported and the natural history of these injuries, if the patient returns to a high level of activity, is similar to that of mature patients [1–6]. Reconstructive techniques are complicated in children because of the potential for physeal arrest. Childrenface additional pressures from parents, coaches, and peers as their athletic participation intensifies and their performance improves. An ACL injury in a skeletally immature athlete presents a unique challenge for the treating orthopedic surgeon.
Sensitivity of extreme events to climate change: The case of autocorrelated time series

The relative sensitivity of an extreme event is defined as the partial derivative of its probability with respect to the location or scale parameter of the distribution of the variable involved. Of particular interest in climate applications are extreme events of the form, the maximum of a sequence of observations of the variable exceeding a threshold. In this case, the relative sensitivities are directly related to the hazard rate for the distribution of the maximum. By means of simulations, this hazard rate is determined for the maximum of a finite sequence of autocorrelated random variables. For large values, the hazard rate rises more steeply than the asymptotic theory based on the type I extreme value distribution would predict. Unless the degree of autocorrelation is quite high, the hazard rate does not differ much for large values from that for independent time series. The hazard rate for the so-called “penultimate approximation”, based on the type III extreme value distribution, is also compared to the exact hazard rate under dependence. These results imply that the relative sensitivity of extreme events to overall climate change is even greater than the asymptotic theory would predict. Time series of daily maximum temperature, data that possess substantial autocorrelation, are utilized for illustrative purposes.
Molecular liaisons between erythropoiesis and iron metabolism

Although most circulating iron in blood plasma is destined for erythropoiesis, the mechanisms by which erythropoietic demand modulates the iron supply (“erythroid regulators”) remain largely unknown. Iron absorption, plasma iron concentrations, and tissue iron distribution are tightly controlled by the liver-produced hormone hepcidin. During the last decade, much progress has been made in elucidating hepcidin regulation by iron and inflammation. This review discusses the less understood mechanisms and mediators of hepcidin suppression in physiologically and pathologically stimulated erythropoiesis.
Renormalization-group study of the Ashkin-Teller-Potts model in two dimensions

The critical behavior of the $s$-state Ashkin-Teller-Potts model on a square lattice is studied for $s=3, 4, \mathrm{and} 5$, using a variational renormalization-group transformation of the type introduced by Kadanoff. For the $s=3$ and $s=4$ models, the transformation correctly predicts a continuous phase transition. The calculated values of the critical exponents and the transition temperature are consistent with the results obtained from other approaches. For $s=5$, however, the transformation fails to detect the first-order transition that is known to occur.
Experiments on Elastic Polyether Polyurethane Foams Under Multiaxial Loading: Mechanical Response and Strain Fields

We study experimentally the mechanical response of elastic polyether polyurethane (EPP) foams up to large strains over the range of commercially available densities and for a variety of loading conditions. To this end, we subject the foams in a set of EPP foams to five different tests, namely compression along the rise direction, compression along a transverse direction, tension along the rise direction, simple shear combined with compression along the rise direction, and hydrostatic pressure combined with compression along the rise direction. The set of EPP foams consists of foams of five apparent densities ranging from 50.3 kg/m 3 to 221 kg/m 3 . For each test and foam density, we report the mechanical response in the form of a stress-strain curve or a force-displacement curve. For some tests and foam densities, we use a digital image correlation method to measure the strain field on the surface of the foam. In a discussion of our experimental results, we put emphasis on the relation between the stress-strain or force-displacement curve recorded in a test and the attendant strain fields.
Soil science: Fungal friends against drought

Fungal-based food webs of undisturbed grasslands resist and adapt to the effects of drought more than bacterial-based food webs of agricultural soils, indicating how soil biota might be able to withstand long-term climate change.
Challenges with resolving mining conflicts in Latin America

Abstract Despite violent protests across Latin America, policies to make mining more environmentally sound and socially acceptable remain elusive. This essay explores the factors that hinder progress in resolving mining conflicts. It describes the fiscal incentives that drive governments to promote mining, the environmental risks inherent in open pit mining, and the divisive property rights that contribute to conflict. While no mining is environmentally benign, more can be done to protect the health and livelihoods of local communities. Progress requires not only improving the technical capacity of institutions tasked with environmental monitoring but also resolving the deeply rooted social divisions in the region. Affirming the rights of local communities – nonindigenous as well as indigenous – to control zoning, water supplies and the financial benefits of mining would both better link governance to those most affected and, in many cases, reduce poverty.
Do You Know Your Relative Driving Speed

Drivers on a busy highway or freeway typically select a driving speed based not only on the posted speed limit, but also on the velocities of nearby vehicles. Many drivers attempt to stay at or near the "flow of traffic," while others prefer to go a bit faster or slower. Traffic safety engineers have stated that the safest speed to travel on a busy freeway is at the 85th percentile of traffic speeds. A natural question arises: How can individuals gauge their speed percentiles from observing traffic in the vicinity? In this note, I utilize a simple idealized model for traffic flow: Assume that each vehicle travels at a constant speed and that the locations of vehicles and their speeds are described by what is called a marked Poisson process. This means that vehicles are randomly spaced along the highway, and that their speeds are independent of their locations and of all other vehicles' speeds and locations. Assume also that the distri bution of traffic speeds (the "marks") has density function f(x), defined for speeds x > 0, continuous and positive on its support and not changing over time. That is, the number of vehicles per mile of road traveling between speeds x and x + Ax is ap proximately proportional to f(x) Ax, when Ax is small. For example, if f(x) is the uniform density on some interval [a, b], then we expect an equal number of vehicles traveling at each speed between a and b. The na?ve estimate of one's percentile rank in the distribution of speeds on the high way is simply the observed proportion of vehicles passed out of the total number that one passes or is passed by. In particular, if the number of vehicles passing is equal to the number of vehicles being passed, then a driver might conclude that (s)he is driving at the median speed. Clevenson, Schilling, Watkins, and Watkins [1] recently showed that this is not the case. In actuality, when the number of vehicles passing equals the number being passed, the driver is, surprisingly, traveling at the mean speed rather than the median. More generally, the driver's speed percentile cannot be obtained merely by counting the vehicles passing and being passed. This article explores the relationship between the na?ve estimate, based on counting vehicles passing or being passed, and the actual speed percentile rank of a driver under the assumed model. We show that a driver traveling at a relatively slow or relatively fast speed will, (perhaps subconsciously) using the na?ve estimate, judge his or her speed to be in a more extreme percentile than is actually the case. For instance, a person driving at the 85th percentile may perceive that (s)he is driving in an even higher speed percentile. To begin, suppose that a particular vehicle V is traveling at speed s. Then the ac tual speed percentile of this vehicle's speed under the assumed model is p = F(s) = fo /( *) dx, while the driver's observed speed percentile is equal to the proportion of passed vehicles out of all other vehicles seen (either passing V or passed by V). Since vehicles at speed x will be encountered at a rate proportional to both the number of
The effect of malethamer on the excretion and plasma levels of sodium, potassium, and chloride.

SummaryThe effect of malethamer on the excretion of electrolytes was studied in the rat. A single dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. had no effect on urine output of Na, K, and Cl. A diet containing 5% malethamer increased fecal but decreased urinary excretion of Na and K. The plasma Na and K levels of dogs on diets containing 25-200 mg/kg/day remained within normal ranges over a period of 16 months after which only some slight drops took place. The plasma Cl level was not affected by malethamer.
FLORAL PIGMENTATION STUDIES IN THE GENUS GOSSYPIUM. I. SPECIES SPECIFIC PIGMENTATION PATTERNS

A B S T R A C T Previous work on cotton flower pigments is outlined. The major flavonoids are glycosides of gossypetin, quercetin, and kampferol. Twelve flavonol glycosides have been tentatively isolated and identified, while a number of minor components remain unidentified. The gossypetin glycosides are gossypin, gossypitrin and a C7-linked glycoside of unknown sugar residue. The quercetin glycosides include isoquercitrin, rutin, a third C3-linked glycoside with unknown sugar residue, quercimeritrin and a second C7-linked glycoside with sugar residue unknown. The kampferol glycosides include trifolin, kampferol rutinoside and 2 other C3-linked glycosides with unknown sugar residues. The major anthocyanin throughout the genus is cyanidin. Mutants which affect visible flower color were studied in 3 species (G. arboreum, G. hirsutum, and G. barbadense). The majority of these mutants act to decrease or prevent the synthesis of gossypetin glycosides. The only exceptions to this are the mutants at the Ya locus in G. arboreum, which affect all of the C7linked glycosides in one case, and in the other reduce over-all flavonol production. In all instances, the species could be positively identified by the residual array of pigments not affected by the mutant alleles concerned; i.e., visual similarity of phenotypes did not obscure the basic pattern of pigmentation characteristic of the different species. WITHIN any one species, striking differences in flower pigment constitution are often attributable to the effects of genetically simple mutants. It is quite likely that the same or similar mutants could occur in parallel in several species. Therefore, in comparing species which have flowers of different colors, the possible effects of superficial mutational differences have to be compensated for, if a valid taxonomic comparison is to be made. On the other hand, those components of a pigment array that can be shown to be independent of simple mutational differences can be used with confidence in interspecific comparisons. The purpose of this paper is to compare pigment components of mutant phenotypes to those of the usual pigment phenotype to determine if the mutants alter the flavonoid nmakeup to such a degree that the species under consideration can no longer be distinguished by its array of petal flavonoids. The Gossypium species which carry
CC chemokine receptor 5-mediated signaling and HIV-1 co-receptor activity share common structural determinants. Critical residues in the third extracellular loop support HIV-1 fusion

There is a close correspondence between the ability of RANTES and macrophage inflammatory proteins 1α and 1β to activate CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and the ability to inhibit CCR5-dependent membrane fusion mediated by the envelope glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), type 1. This finding suggests that some of the structural determinants for CC chemokine/CCR5 interactions and CCR5 HIV-1 fusion co-receptor activity may be shared. Recent studies using human CCR5/CCR2B chimeras have suggested that the determinants of CCR5 co-receptor activity are complex and may involve multiple extracellular receptor domains and that viral co-receptor activity is dissociable from ligand-dependent signaling responses. However, conclusive evidence demonstrating an important role for the second and third extracellular regions of human CCR5 is lacking. Furthermore, to determine whether the determinants for CCR5 co-receptor activity overlap with those required for agonist activity, studies that compare the chemokine specificity for inhibition of envelope-mediated cell fusion and the agonist profile of chimeric receptors are necessary. In the present report, using a series of CCR5/CCR2B chimeras we ascribe an important role for the second and third extracellular loop of CCR5 in supporting the co-receptor activity of CCR5. We also provide evidence that the intracytoplasmic tail of CCR5 does not play an important role in supporting HIV-1 entry. The hypothesis that the structural determinants for CC chemokine/CCR5 interactions and CCR5 HIV-1 fusion co-receptor activity may be shared was confirmed by two novel observations: first, the fusion activity supported by two hybrid receptors could be inhibited by both RANTES and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, chemokines specific to CCR5 and CCR2B, respectively; and second, the chemokine specificity for inhibition of envelope-mediated cell fusion matched the agonist profile of these hybrid receptors. These data shed new light on the structural determinants involved in these distinct activities of CCR5 and may have important implications for the development of CCR5-targeted anti-viral compounds.
Interest Groups in Electoral Politics: 2012 in Context

The paper uses data from the Wesleyan Media Project and the Wisconsin Advertising Project to compare the levels of ad spending from outside groups and traditional party organizations across seven federal election cycles. The data show clearly that outside groups advertised at historic levels in 2012. Such intense efforts send two important signals to students of American campaign finance. First, the system of limited donations to candidates and party committees faces a crisis moving forward, its efficacy and purpose challenged by huge investments from outside interests. The second lesson refers to the long debate in political science about whether parties or candidates should be the center of our electoral process. The debate is old, but it now risks irrelevancy as a collection of well-funded outside groups has asserted its role as the primary pivot point in many competitive election campaigns. The paper concludes with a consideration of possible reforms that might help restore parties and candidates to the center of issue debates in competitive federal elections.
Activation of DNA-dependent protein kinase by single-stranded DNA ends.

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is involved in joining DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation or V(D)J recombination. The kinase is activated by DNA ends and composed of a DNA binding subunit, Ku, and a catalytic subunit, DNA-PKCS. To define the DNA structure required for kinase activation, we synthesized a series of DNA molecules and tested their interactions with purified DNA-PKCS. The addition of unpaired single strands to blunt DNA ends increased binding and activation of the kinase. When single-stranded loops were added to the DNA ends, binding was preserved, but kinase activation was severely reduced. Obstruction of DNA ends by streptavidin reduced both binding and activation of the kinase. Significantly, short single-stranded oligonucleotides of 3–10 bases were capable of activating DNA-PKCS. Taken together, these data indicate that kinase activation involves a specific interaction with free single-stranded DNA ends. The structure of DNA-PKCS contains an open channel large enough for double-stranded DNA and an adjacent enclosed cavity with the dimensions of single-stranded DNA. The data presented here support a model in which duplex DNA binds to the open channel, and a single-stranded DNA end is inserted into the enclosed cavity to activate the kinase.
Exercise Behavior and Strategies for Intervention

(1995). Exercise Behavior and Strategies for Intervention. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 66, Proceedings of the International Scientific Consensus Conference “Physical Activity and Well Being”, Quebec City, May 1995, pp. 319-323.
Applying New Diagnostic Criteria for Acute Kidney Injury To Facilitate Early Identification of Nephrotoxicity in Vancomycin-Treated Patients

Acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with high-dose vancomycin (VAN) therapy is a clinical concern, but no uniform diagnostic criteria exist. The AKI Network (AKIN) proposed new criteria to diagnose AKI based on abrupt changes in serum creatinine or urine output. We conducted a prospective observational study to determine the incidence and severity of AKI and associated outcomes using the AKIN criteria versus traditional definitions. Eligible patients (n = 227) were elderly (median, 70 years) and received VAN therapy for 8 days (median). AKI occurred in 43 patients (19%) using AKIN criteria at an onset of 6 days. AKI incidence was similar for patients with a trough level of ≥15 (24%; 17/72) versus <15 (17%; 26/155) μg/ml. Compared to non-AKI patients, more AKI patients resided in the intensive care unit (ICU) (47% [20/43] versus 27% [50/184]; P = 0.017), had a prior AKI episode (19% [8/43] versus 7% [5/184]; P = 0.001), and received vasopressor (28% [12/43] versus 14% [25/184]; P = 0.04) and/or nephrotoxins (84% [36/43] versus 67% [123/184]; P = 0.04). Seventeen of the AKI patients met traditional criteria, of whom more patients had stage 2 and 3 AKI (76% versus 8%; P = 0.0001), dosage adjustment (41% versus 15%) and renal consultation (35% versus 12%), prolonged length of stay after AKI (11 versus 7.5 days) and died (29% versus 12%) than those diagnosed by AKIN criteria (P value not significant). Use of AKIN criteria for AKI has the potential to improve care of VAN-treated patients by facilitating early detection of AKI and warrants confirmation in large prospective trials.
Social Aspects of Modern Language Teaching1

Author's summary.— Language teachers stand on much firmer ground when they argue the value of the subject they teach because of its social aspects rather than for its cultural values. In a changing world, with distances shrinking, the need for an ability to talk with and understand our neighbors looms large.
A prospective study of the association between isolated fetal pyelectasis and chromosomal abnormality

Objective : To determine the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities among fetuses with isolated pyelectasis. Methods : Between March 1991 and March 1994, 121 cases of isolated fetal pyelectasis were identified at our institution. Pyelectasis was defined as a renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter of at least 4 mm before 33 weeks' gestation, and at least 7 mm at 33 weeks or thereafter. Once identified, women were offered antenatal genetic testing; if they declined, consent was sought for umbilical cord blood studies at delivery. Results : Chromosomal evaluation was available in 99 women. Two chromosomal abnormalities were identified: one trisomy 21 and one mosaic 46,XY/47,XYY. The ages of the women were 32 and 28 years, respectively. Calculation of adjusted risks for Down syndrome and all chromosomal abnormalities indicated a 3.9-fold increase in Down syndrome risk and a 3.3-fold increase in risk for all chromosomal abnormalities in the presence of isolated fetal pyelectasis. Conclusion : Isolated fetal pyelectasis is associated with increased risk, over that related to age, for both Down syndrome and all chromosomal abnormalities. These factors may be valuable in counseling individual patients regarding the appropriateness of amniocentesis.
Effect of excited states on light-current characteristic of a quantum dot laser

Excited-state-mediated capture of carriers from the waveguide into the lasing ground-state in quantum dots (QDs) is studied. Such a two-step capture places a fundamental limitation on ground-state lasing - the output power saturates at high injection currents. The saturation power is controlled by the transition time between the excited- and ground-state in a QD. The longest, cut-off transition time exists, beyond which no ground-state lasing is possible.
Effects of weight cycling induced by diet cycling in rats differing in susceptibility to dietary obesity.

LAUER, JOAN B., GEORGE W. REED, AND JAMES O. HILL. Effects of weight cycling induced by diet cycling in rats differing in susceptibility to dietary obesity. Obes Res. Objective Although the majority of evidence in rodents does not support the view that weight cycling (consisting of bouts of food restriction and refeeding) promotes obesity, the effects of weight cycling on body weight regulation remain controversial. We have previously demonstrated that some rats within a strain are more susceptible to develop obesity than others when given free access to a high-fat diet. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that rats most susceptible to weight gain on a high-fat diet would also be most susceptible to weight gain as a consequence of weight cycling. Research Methods and Procedures Rats were provided a low-fat diet (12% corn oil) for 2 weeks, then given a high-fat diet (45% corn oil) for 2 weeks to identify those most (obesity prone) and least (obesity resistant) susceptible to weight gain. Half of each group was then subjected to three 30-day cycles of food restriction (10 days) and refeeding (20 days) [weight cycler (WC) rats]. The other half were allowed free access to the high-fat diet [control (CO) rats]. All rats were then followed for an additional 10 weeks, with free access to the high-fat diet. Results When considering the entire 160 days of the study, we found no evidence that WC rats relative to CO rats had increased body weight, increased body fat content, or elevated energy efficiency. We found no evidence that rats most prone to dietary obesity were also prone to weight gain after weight cycling. During the weight cycling phase (days 1 to 90), weight cycled groups consumed less energy and gained less weight than controls. During the follow-up phase, WC and CO rats did not differ significantly in weight gain or energy intake. Discussion In this study, weight cycling did not exacerbate the obesity produced by high-fat diet feeding.
Determining the Probability That an Employee Will Stay or Leave the Organization: A Mathematical and Theoretical Model for Organizations:

This article offers a simple mathematical and theoretical model for understanding voluntary turnover, as an interdisciplinary (social, psychological, and economic contexts) and multidimensional (employee, organization, and social affiliate) construct. The model provides a mathematical formula, received from assumptions, intended for use in determining the “probability that employees will stay or leave” an organization versus the traditional approach of determining the “intentions of staying” and/or the “intentions of leaving” the organization. Differences between existing concepts (intentions of quitting) and this model are discussed. The model hypothesizes that the “probability of staying or leaving” the organization (E(P.i)) or (1(P.i)) should be positively related to the employee’s “intentions of quitting” the organization. The model does not focus on the numerous individual determinants of employee turnover, as is the case with existing voluntary turnover models, but focuses on these determinants as internal (Employer [E]) and external (Social Affiliate [i]) factors relative to the Employee (P), who either stays with or leaves the organization. The article also suggests that leaving and staying behaviors are concepts on the same platform. They are not different thoughts or necessarily opposites.
Response of maple sapwood to injury and infection

In sapwood challenge experiments in Acer rubrum, columns of discolouration initiated by wounding and inoculation with pioneer fungi (Cephalosporium sp., Phialophora sp.) were similar in size to untreated wounds. Inoculation with decay fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor) produced larger columns of wound-initiated discolouration. The removal of bark around a bore wound caused a significantly larger column to form compared to the sum of the columns initiated by separate wounds. Stage-I discoloured wood, not associated with obviously rotted wood, had concentrations of mobile cations and soluble phenols similar to sapwood. Stage-II discoloured wood, spatially associated with rotted wood, was frequently bounded by a chemically distinct boundary layer and the discoloured wood contained significantly greater concentrations of mobile cations and soluble phenols than stage-I discououred wood.
Licensed Vaccines for Rotavirus Prevention in the US: A Review

Objective:To review the pharmacology, efficacy, safety, and tolerability of RotaTeq and RotaRix, 2 rotavirus vaccines.Data Sources:English-language articles were obtained via MEDLINE (1966-August 2009) and EMBASE (1980-August 2009) searches using the key words rotavirus vaccine, epidemiology, diarrhea, intussusception, RotaShield, RotaTeq, and RotaRix. Bibliographies of selected articles were used to identify additional sources.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Available published articles reporting the results of human studies of rotavirus vaccines were reviewed for inclusion in this article. Additional information regarding clinical trials and adverse events was obtained from the manufacturer's prescribing information for each vaccine.Data Synthesis:RotaTeq is a live, attenuated human-bovine pentavalent vaccine, and RotaRix is a live, attenuated human vaccine. Both vaccines are approved for the prevention of rotavirus infection and recommended for routine immunization in healthy infants aged 14 weeks ...
The maternal mRNA Vg1 is correctly localized following injection into Xenopus oocytes

The animal and vegetal ends of Xenopus oocytes have distinctly different developmental fates. At the molecular level, several maternal mRNAs have been isolated that are localized to either the animal or vegetal hemisphere1. One of these mRNAs, Vg1, is distributed homogeneously throughout the cytoplasm of early-stage oocytes and gets localized during oogenesis to a tight shell at the vegetal cortex of middle and late-stage oocytes2. We have used an in vitro culture system to demonstrate that exogeneous Vgl mRNA injected into middle-stage, but not late-stage, oocytes gets localized in a similar fashion to the endogenous message. Furthermore, translation of Vgl mRNA is not required for the localization of the message itself. These results show that the information necessary to interpret the animal–vegetal polarity in oocytes is present in the naked mRNA transcript.
THE USE OF INTRAPERITONEAL FLUID AS A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING SONOGRAPHIC VISUALIZATION OF THE CANINE PANCREAS

Sonographic evaluation of the pancreas was performed in ten healthy research dogs following intraperitoneal fluid administration. Physiological saline solution was aseptically introduced into the peritoneal cavity of each dog to create an acoustic window that would facilitate sonographic delineation of normal pancreatic tissues. Abdominal ultrasound examinations were performed in all dogs before and after the production of the diagnostic hydroperitoneum. Sonograms of the pancreas and other abdominal organs were scored on the basis of image clarity by experienced and novice ultrasonographers. Statistical analysis was then used to compare the effectiveness of each preparation method. A significant difference (P < 0.05) was established between the scores from the diagnostic hydroperitoneum sonograms and the baseline scans performed without intraperitoneal fluid placement. Sonographic visualization scores for the pancreas and other abdominal organs were increased following production of the diagnostic hydroperitoneum. These results indicate that the technique of diagnostic hydroperitoneum will significantly improve ultrasonographic visualization of the pancreas, and may prove useful in the diagnosis of canine pancreatic disease.
Hybrid approximations via second-order crossed dynamic derivatives with the ♢α derivative

Abstract Second-order crossed dynamic derivatives with the ♢ α dynamic derivative on time scales will be used for approximating the conventional second derivative in the study. We will discuss the conditions under which the crossed dynamic derivatives provide consistent approximations of the conventional derivative; the chances in which the dynamic derivatives approximate the derivative only via proper modifications of their formulae; and the situations in which the dynamic derivatives can never fulfill any consistent approximations even with structure modifications. Valuable error estimates will be developed via asymptotic expansions for potential computational and modeling applications.
In vitro dermal absorption of pyrethroid pesticides in human and rat skin

Dermal exposure to pyrethroid pesticides can occur during manufacture and application. This study examined the in vitro dermal absorption of pyrethroids using rat and human skin. Dermatomed skin from adult male Long Evans rats or human cadavers was mounted in flow-through diffusion cells, and radiolabeled bifenthrin, deltamethrin or cis-permethrin was applied in acetone to the skin. Fractions of receptor fluid were collected every 4h. At 24h, the skins were washed with soap and water to remove unabsorbed chemical. The skin was then solubilized. Two additional experiments were performed after washing the skin; the first was tape-stripping the skin and the second was the collection of receptor fluid for an additional 24 h. Receptor fluid, skin washes, tape strips and skin were analyzed for radioactivity. For rat skin, the wash removed 53-71% of the dose and 26-43% remained in the skin. The cumulative percentage of the dose at 24 h in the receptor fluid ranged from 1 to 5%. For human skin, the wash removed 71-83% of the dose and 14-25% remained in the skin. The cumulative percentage of the dose at 24 h in the receptor fluid was 1-2%. Tape-stripping removed 50-56% and 79-95% of the dose in rat and human skin, respectively, after the wash. From 24-48 h, 1-3% and about 1% of the dose diffused into the receptor fluid of rat and human skin, respectively. The pyrethroids bifenthrin, deltamethrin and cis-permethrin penetrated rat and human skin following dermal application in vitro. However, a skin wash removed 50% or more of the dose from rat and human skin. Rat skin was more permeable to the pyrethroids than human skin. Of the dose in skin, 50% or more was removed by tape-stripping, suggesting that permeation of pyrethroids into viable tissue could be impeded. The percentage of the dose absorbed into the receptor fluid was considerably less than the dose in rat and human skin. Therefore, consideration of the skin type used and fractions analyzed are important when using in vitro dermal absorption data for risk assessment.
Total electron scattering cross sections of CF4 and C2F6 in the energy range 100–1500 eV

Abstract The total electron scattering cross sections of CF 4 and C 2 F 6 have been obtained for 100–1500 eV energy electrons by measuring the attenuation of the electron beam through a gas cell. These cross sections are compared to existing experimental and theoretical cross sections of these molecules. A comparison of the cross section ratio C 2 F 6 /CF 4 with the cross section ratio C 2 H 6 /CH 4 indicates a strong correlation between the cross sections and the number of electrons in these molecules.
The Chinese lodging industry: problems and solutions

Based on the operation results of Chinese hotels from 1991‐2000, this paper analyzes problems facing the Chinese lodging industry and proposes solutions. Chinese hotels’ performance, in terms of both revenue and profit, has been deteriorating since the early 1990s. While overcapacity has undoubtedly contributed to the poor performance, declining operation scale and low efficiency on the part of domestically‐owned hotels have aggravated the situation. To improve its operation results, the Chinese lodging industry should grow prudently, tap into the domestic tourist market, close the efficiency gap between domestic‐ownership and foreign‐ownership hotels and pursue economies of scale.
Imaging the delivery of brain-penetrating PLGA nanoparticles in the brain using magnetic resonance

Current therapy for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is largely ineffective, with nearly universal tumor recurrence. The failure of current therapy is primarily due to the lack of approaches for the efficient delivery of therapeutics to diffuse tumors in the brain. In our prior study, we developed brain-penetrating nanoparticles that are capable of penetrating brain tissue and distribute over clinically relevant volumes when administered via convection-enhanced delivery (CED). We demonstrated that these particles are capable of efficient delivery of chemotherapeutics to diffuse tumors in the brain, indicating that they may serve as a groundbreaking approach for the treatment of GBM. In the original study, nanoparticles in the brain were imaged using positron emission tomography (PET). However, clinical translation of this delivery platform can be enabled by engineering a non-invasive detection modality using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For this purpose, we developed chemistry to incorporate superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) into the brain-penetrating nanoparticles. We demonstrated that SPIO-loaded nanoparticles, which retain the same morphology as nanoparticles without SPIO, have an excellent transverse (T2) relaxivity. After CED, the distribution of nanoparticles in the brain (i.e., in the vicinity of injection site) can be detected using MRI and the long-lasting signal attenuation of SPIO-loaded brain-penetrating nanoparticles lasted over a one-month timecourse. Development of these nanoparticles is significant as, in future clinical applications, co-administration of SPIO-loaded nanoparticles will allow for intraoperative monitoring of particle distribution in the brain to ensure drug-loaded nanoparticles reach tumors as well as for monitoring the therapeutic benefit with time and to evaluate tumor relapse patterns.
Endoscopic stent management of leaks and anastomotic strictures after foregut surgery

Abstract Background Anastomotic complications after upper gastrointestinal surgery present an arduous therapeutic challenge. Avoiding revisional surgery is desirable and might be possible with the advent of endoscopically placed stents. We reviewed our experience with endoscopic stent management of anastomotic complications after esophagogastric surgery. Methods A prospectively maintained database at our surgical endoscopy unit was reviewed to identify patients who had undergone endoscopic stent placement after various foregut procedures. Data were obtained on patient demographics, primary surgical and endoscopic procedures, and outcome. Results From January 2007 to August 2010, 18 patients (12 women, mean age 51 ± 15 yr) underwent endoscopic stent placement for anastomotic complications; 14 were bariatric patients. A total of 31 stents (21 covered metal, 5 salivary, and 5 silicone-coated polyester) were used to treat anastomotic leaks (n = 13), strictures (n = 3), and fistulas (n = 2). Symptomatic improvement occurred in all but 2 patients (89%), and early oral intake was initiated in 11 (61%). Stent treatment was successful in definitively managing the anastomotic complication in 13 (72%) of the 18 patients. Five patients required additional surgical or endoscopic intervention. Stent migration occurred in 4 cases and was amenable to endoscopic management. Two patients died, with both deaths unrelated to stent placement. Conclusion Endoscopic stent management of anastomotic complications after foregut surgery is effective in resolving symptoms, expediting enteral nutrition, and particularly successful for treating anastomotic leaks. In the absence of stents specifically designed for surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy, some factors that might reduce the risk of stent migration include appropriate stent selection, anchoring the stent proximally, and regular surveillance after placement.
Experimental Base Pressure Histories with Nonsteady Discrete Bleed Rates

Summary The results of our ground tests indicate a new failure mode in the negative voltage range. Our experiments showed local arcing at solar cell edges, and, hence, they differ substantially from other experiments, where arcing was observed near the interconnectors.1'8 In our experiments, only three arcing events were identified close to the interconnectors. Since these locations also involved a part of the solar cell edge, the influence of the corresponding interconnectors on the arcing is uncertain. The characteristics of arcing, as observed in our experi
Law of mass action in the Arctic lower stratospheric polar vortex January–March 2000: ClO scaling and the calculation of ozone loss rates in a turbulent fractal medium

[1] We consider the effects of power law scaling in the 1999–2000 Arctic lower stratospheric vortex from the point of view of the law of mass action and its application to the chemical kinetics of ozone loss embedded in a turbulent, macroscopic, fractal medium. The ER-2 observations of ClO obey power law scaling; the exponent varies with time in a manner shown to be consistent with the scaling of NOy and O3, via the influences of polar stratospheric clouds and actinic solar radiation. While the microscopic rate coefficient for ClO three-body recombination to the dimer applies as measured to three-dimensional volumes in which the sole transport mechanism is molecular diffusion, this cannot be true in the 2.56-dimensional space in which macroscopically fluctuating ClO reacts in the lower stratosphere. We show that the rate of loss of ozone via the ClO dimer mechanism is proportional to [ClO]2.20 in late January/early February and to [ClO]2.55 in March. Chemical ozone loss had already occurred by the date of the first flight, 20000120.
Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of the Literature on Social Skills Deficits

Social interactions between children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and their teachers, peers, and parents are discussed. The extent to which these interactions may be termed problematic may depend on the social skills deficits displayed by this population. Although the general trend in the liternature has been to examine and describe children with deficient social skills, changing the focus to children with AD/HD who are not experiencing these difficulties may prove beneficial. A review of the previous literature is discussed, as well as suggestions for practice and future research needs.
A learning based cognitive radio receiver

In this paper, we introduce a learning based cognitive radio receiver to automatically demodulate several types of modulated signals without sophisticated digital signal pre-processing. Our embedded learning engine can automatically learn the signal features and then achieve signal demodulation through feature-based classification. The proposed demodulator consists of a neural network (NN) structure with one sub-NN for each possible demodulation bit pattern. To capture the temporal behaviors of different modulation types, the sampling features in two consecutive time slots are collected for each decision. The final classification result is jointly decided by ensemble learning. To validate our proposed method, three classical modulation signal (i.e. BPSK, QPSK and GMSK) are investigated with SNR varying from 0 dB to 9 dB. The simulation results indicate that the performance of our proposed method is highly competitive and the system provide much more flexibilities than the traditional demodulation method.
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of renal artery stenosis in a child with hypertensive heart disease.

A 1.5-year-old girl developed congestive heart failure 9 months after she presented with hypertension. The hypertension was caused by a renal artery stenosis. A short-segment stenosis at the ostium of the left renal artery was confirmed by arteriogram. After balloon angioplasty, the blood pressure and heart function returned to normal. Angioplasty had an excellent result of relieving hypertension and heart failure in this patient. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 48:374–377, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Glomerular basement membrane composition and the filtration barrier

The glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is an especially thick basement membrane that contributes importantly to the kidney’s filtration barrier. The GBM derives from the fusion of separate podocyte and endothelial cell basement membranes during glomerulogenesis and consists primarily of laminin-521 (α5β2γ1), collagen α3α4α5(IV), nidogens-1 and -2, and agrin. Of these nine proteins, mutations in the genes encoding four of them (LAMB2, COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5) cause glomerular disease in humans as well as in mice. Furthermore, mutation of a fifth (Lama5) gene in podocytes in mice causes proteinuria, nephrotic syndrome, and progression to renal failure. These results highlight the importance of the GBM for establishing and maintaining a properly functioning glomerular filtration barrier.
New experimental evidence that the proton develops asymptotically into a black disk

Recently, the Auger group has extracted the proton-air cross section from observations of air showers produced by cosmic ray protons (and nuclei) interacting in the atmosphere, and converted it into measurements of the total and inelastic $pp$ cross sections ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}$ at the super-LHC energy of 57 TeV. Their results reinforce our earlier conclusions that the proton becomes a black disk at asymptotic energies, a prediction reached on the basis of sub-LHC $\overline{p}p$ and $pp$ measurements of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$ and $\ensuremath{\rho}$, the ratio of the real to the imaginary part of the forward scattering amplitude [M. M. Block and F. Halzen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 212002 (2011)]. The same black disk description of the proton anticipated the values of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}$ measured by the TOTEM experiment at the LHC c.m. (center of mass) energy of $\sqrt{s}=7\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$, as well as those of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}$ measured by ALICE, ATLAS and CMS, as well as the ALICE measurement at 2.76 TeV. All data are consistent with a proton that is asymptotically a black disk of gluons: (i) both ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}$ behave as ${ln﻿}^{2}s$, saturating the Froissart bound; (ii) the forward scattering amplitude becomes pure imaginary; (iii) the ratio ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{inel}}/{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{tot}}=0.509\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.021$, compatible with the black disk value of $\frac{1}{2}$; and (iv) proton interactions become flavor blind.
GRASP: analysis of genotype-phenotype results from 1390 genome-wide association studies and corresponding open access database.

Summary: We created a deeply extracted and annotated database of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) results. GRASP v1.0 contains >6.2 million SNP-phenotype association from among 1390 GWAS studies. We re-annotated GWAS results with 16 annotation sources including some rarely compared to GWAS results (e.g. RNAediting sites, lincRNAs, PTMs). Motivation: To create a high-quality resource to facilitate further use and interpretation of human GWAS results in order to address important scientific questions. Results: GWAS have grown exponentially, with increases in sample sizes and markers tested, and continuing bias toward European ancestry samples. GRASP contains >100 000 phenotypes, roughly: eQTLs (71.5%), metabolite QTLs (21.2%), methylation QTLs (4.4%) and diseases, biomarkers and other traits (2.8%). cis-eQTLs, meQTLs, mQTLs and MHC region SNPs are highly enriched among significant results. After removing these categories, GRASP still contains a greater proportion of studies and results than comparable GWAS catalogs. Cardiovascular disease and related risk factors pre-dominate remaining GWAS results, followed by immunological, neurological and cancer traits. Significant results in GWAS display a highly gene-centric tendency. Sex chromosome X (OR = 0.18[0.16-0.20]) and Y (OR = 0.003[0.001-0.01]) genes are depleted for GWAS results. Gene length is correlated with GWAS results at nominal significance (P ≤ 0.05) levels. We show this gene-length correlation decays at increasingly more stringent P-value thresholds. Potential pleotropic genes and SNPs enriched for multi-phenotype association in GWAS are identified. However, we note possible population stratification at some of these loci. Finally, via re-annotation we identify compelling functional hypotheses at GWAS loci, in some cases unrealized in studies to date. Conclusion: Pooling summary-level GWAS results and re-annotating with bioinformatics predictions and molecular features provides a good platform for new insights. Availability: The GRASP database is available at http://apps.nhlbi.nih.gov/grasp. Contact: vog.hin.iblhn@2danosnhoj
Near-Threshold CNTFET SRAM Cell Design With Word-Line Boosting and Removed Metallic CNT Tolerance

In this study, we report an in-depth study of power supply reduction toward near threshold for an eight-transistor carbon nanotube (CNT) field-effect transistors SRAM cell. Near-threshold voltage has an impact on delays, energy, energy-delay product, leakage current, and static noise margin. In addition, we have incorporated a removed metallic CNT approach to deal with nonsemiconductor CNTs. Monte Carlo simulations at Vdd (power supply voltage) of 0.4 V have shown that 97.24% of the cells are functional after removing the metallic CNTs. The power saving is over 5× and the average delay is increased by 3.5× as compared to a typical Vdd of 0.9 V. To further improve yield and performance, a word-line boosting technique is explored. Read and write word lines are boosted with additional 100 mV; this in turn effectively eliminates all the write failures at the 0.4 V level and reduces read and write delays. Comparing boosted and nonboosted cells with Vdd = 0.4 V, the boosted cell has write and read delays that are faster by 3.8× and 1.7×, respectively. This cell's energy increases by less than 4% per-access in the worst case. The cell with Vdd of 0.4 V with boosted word-lines achieves the lowest energy-delay product of all the cases considered in this study, which is 52.3% and 56.9% lower than that of a boosted and nonboosted cell with Vdd of 0.9 V, respectively.