cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simplifying fault-tolerance: providing the abstraction of crash failures

The difficulty of designing fault-tolerant distributed algorithms incr eases with the severity of failures that an algorithm must tolerate, especially for systems with synchronous message passing. This paper considers methods that automatically translate algorithms tolerant of simple crash failures into ones tolerant of more severe failures. These translations simplify the design task by allowing algorithm designers to assume that processors fail only by stopping. Such translations can be quantified by two measures: fault-tolerance, which is a measure of how many processors must remain correct for the translation to be correct, and round-complexity, which is a measure of how the translation increases the running time of an algorithm. Understanding these translations and their limitations with respect to these measures can provide insight into the relative impact of different models of faculty behavior on the ability to provide fault-tolerant applications for systems with synchronous message passing.This paper considers translations fr om crash failures to each of the following types of more severe failures: omission to send messages; omission to send and receive messages; and totally arbitrary behavior. It shows that previously developed translaions to send-omission failures are optimal with respect to both fault-tolerance and round-complexity. It exhibits a hierarchy of translations to general (send/receive) omission failures that improves upon the fault-tolerance of previously developed translations. These translations are optimal in that they cannot be improved with respect to one measure without negatively affecting the other; that is, the hierarchy of translations is matched by corresponding hierarchy of impossibility results. The paper also gives a hierarchy of translations to arbitrary failures that improves upon the round-complexity of previously developed translations. These translations are near-optimal;
Surgical Management of Congenital Pulmonary Malformations After the First Decade of Life

Background Most congenital pulmonary malformations are discovered early in life, but some are diagnosed in adulthood. We evaluated patients treated surgically after the first decade of life. Methods All patients who underwent surgical treatment for a congenital pulmonary malformation diagnosed after 10 years of age at a single institution from 1997 to 2012 were evaluated for presenting symptoms, surgical management, perioperative outcomes, and symptom resolution. Results Twenty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. The most common malformations were pulmonary sequestration (n = 12, 55%), congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (n = 2, 9%), and bronchial agenesis (n = 2, 9%). The median age at diagnosis was 36 years (range, 10–66 years). The most common presenting symptoms were dyspnea (n = 6, 27%) and hemoptysis (n = 4; 18%); 4 (18%) asymptomatic patients received diagnoses. The median duration of symptoms before operation was 14 months. An emergency room visit or hospitalization occurred in 11 patients (50%) before their referral for surgical evaluation. The surgical approach was thoracotomy for 7 patients (32%) and thoracoscopy for 15 patients (68%). All vascular anomalies requiring a pneumonectomy (n = 3, 14%) were done by a thoracotomy, and 83% (10/12) of pulmonary sequestrations were treated thoracoscopically. The median hospital stay was 3 days. There were no perioperative deaths, and minor morbidity occurred in 4 patients (18%). Complete resolution of symptoms after operation occurred in 94% (16/17) of patients, with a median follow-up time of 3 weeks. Conclusions Early surgical management of congenital pulmonary malformations found after the first decade of life is recommended to control symptoms and avoid hospitalizations. Most adult pulmonary sequestrations can be treated with minimally invasive techniques.
Determination of angle of attack from rotational body rates.

New formulations are presented for the ordinary differential equations of the total angle of attack and the angle of relative roll of a flying object, based on the knowledge of its angular rate histories. These formulations are inherently more accurate and economical than other sets of differential equations that have been widely employed in the past. They also readily permit certain analytical deductions and approximations that could not readily be obtained previously. The employment of the new formulations has been found to be capable of producing the total angle of attack to a satisfactory degree of accuracy even in those cases where the angular rate data as obtained from flight tests are utilized in a form that requires a minimum of preparatory data processing operations.
High-isolation CPW MEMS shunt switches. 2. Design

For pt.1 see ibid., vol.48, no.6, p.1045-1052 (2000). In this paper, the second of two parts, the equivalent RLC model of the shunt switch is used in the design of tuned two- and four-bridge "cross" switches from 10 to 40 GHz. The cross switch attained an insertion loss of less than 0.3-0.6 dB, a return loss below -20 dB from 22 to 38 GHz in the up state, and a down-state isolation of 45-50 dB with only 1.5 pF of down-state capacitance (C/sub d/). Also, an X-band microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch with an insertion loss of less than 0.2 dB and an isolation of 35 dB is presented. This is done by inductively tuning the LC series resonance of the shunt switch. The MEMS bridge height is 1.5-2.5 /spl mu/m, resulting in a pull-down voltage of 15-25 V. Application areas are in low-loss high-isolation communication and radar.
Molecular simulation of adsorption: Gibbs dividing surface and comparison with experiment

At low temperature near the normal boiling point, computer simulations of adsorption of gases can be compared directly with experiment. However, for adsorptive gas separations in which the gas is adsorbed near or above its critical temperature, absolute simulation variables must be converted to excess variables for comparison with experiment. The conversion of absolute to excess variables requires the helium pore volume of the adsorbent. Lennard-Jones potential parameters for helium gas molecules interacting with the oxygen atoms of silicalite are ϵ/k = 28.0 K and σ = 2.952 A. The helium pore volume of silicalite is 0.175 cm3/g. Lennard-Jones potential parameters derived for Ar-O interactions in silicalite are ϵ/k = 93.0 K and σ = 3.335 A. Density profiles for adsorption of argon in silicalite at 300 K show that the local density is highest in the middle of the channels where the gas-solid potentials overlap.
Reliability Analysis of a Communication Network with Multimode Components

This paper presents a model to calculate the reliability of communication networks with multimode components. Previous research on network reliability has focused on models in which each component may be in one of two modes, namely, operative or failed. In reality, a component may undergo degradations in performance before a complete outage, and will therefore operate in more than two modes. Traditional network reliability measures, such as the probability that a pair of nodes is connected, are not meaningful in a multimode model. Therefore, the mean message delay of the network is defined as the performance measure. An exact calculation of this reliability measure is not feasible due to the large number of network states, corresponding to network components being in different modes. We have developed an approximation method to calculate this reliability measure. This method requires us to work with the states of the network in order of decreasing probability. An algorithm ORDER- M is developed to generate these states in the proper order.
Safety of live-virus vaccines for children with immune deficiency.

Purpose: Conduct an integrative literature review to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of live-virus vaccines, namely, the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccines, in children who are immune compromised by exogenous medication either posttransplant or while undergoing maintenance chemotherapy for leukemia. Data sources: Medline, MedlinePlus, EBSCO, PubMed, MD Consult, CINAHL, Clinical Pharmacology, ERIC, Biomedical Reference Collection-Basic, Health Source-Consumer Edition, Health Source-Nursing/Academic Edition, Ovid, CANCERLIT, and the Cochrane Library Online. Conclusions: Because measles infection has a low incidence rate in the United States, it may be advisable not to vaccinate children who are immunocompromised and risk side effects of the vaccine. In contrast to measles infection, varicella has a higher incidence rate and poses a more imminent threat to those who are immunocompromised. Children who are immunosuppressed can receive the varicella vaccination; however, they should have regular titers drawn to confirm adequate protection against the disease and should receive boosters as deemed appropriate. Implications for practice: The number of solid organ transplant recipients is steadily increasing with more than 600,000 solid organ transplantations worldwide since the first renal transplant in 1954. The steadily increasing numbers of pediatric patients surviving transplantation, coupled with increased life expectancy, accelerate the need for nurse practitioners to understand the management of these delicate patients following release from the transplant unit.
Anoxia and reoxygenation of human endothelial cells decreases ceramide glucosyltransferase expression and activates caspases

Endothelial oxidative stress induces cellular activation and sometimes death. Endothelial death can occur via necrosis or apoptosis. Understanding the mechanisms involved in cellular activation and death may lead to therapeutics designed to increase death or preserve cellular function. In the present study, brief periods of anoxia (3 h) followed by varying lengths of reoxygenation (0–5 h) lead to a time-dependent increase in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) caspase activity. Furthermore, ROCK-1 cleavage, which is dependent on caspase-3 activity, was also increased in cells undergoing oxidative stress compared with normoxic cells. Microarray data demonstrated that glucosylceramide synthase (GCS; glucosylceramide transferase), but not acid sphingomyelinase, was modulated by anoxia and reoxygenation. We confirmed that GCS mRNA and protein expression were significantly decreased in a timedependent fashion following oxidative stress by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Treatment of normoxic cells with the GCS-specific inhibitor, D,Lthreo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PDMP), increased caspase activity to the same degree as cells undergoing oxidative stress. Fumonisin B1, the N-acyl-sphinganine dehydrogenase (e.g., ceramide synthase) inhibitor significantly attenuated caspase activity in HUVECs undergoing oxidative stress. These data suggest that alterations in GCS expression following brief periods of oxidative stress in human endothelial cells lead to increased caspase activity.
PLATE TECTONICS WITH FIXED CONTINENTS: A TESTABLE HYPOTHESIS ‐ II

This paper proposes that plate-tectonic processes do not necessarily cause continental drift, and that sialic blocks the size of Australia or larger are fixed relative to each other. Continental drift has not yet been geodetically demonstrated and the geologic evidence for it has been repeatedly challenged or refuted. New lines of evidence presented here against drift include: absence of the low-velocity zone under Shields; deep continental lithospheric roots; absence of continental hot-spot trails; absence of significant offset between Greenland and Ellesmere Island; internal contradictions in paleomagnetic data, and between paleomagnetic and paleogeographic data; Cenozoic tectonism and horizontal compression at supposed passive margins; and absence of an adequate plate-driving force for plates with continental (non-subductable) leading edges. The hypothesis of plate tectonics with fixed continents predicts that high-precision geodetic measurements now in progress will find no separation of Eurasia and North America no matter how long they are continued. It implies some form of slow subduction at supposed passive margins such as the east coast of North America.
A Silica Gel Based Method for Extracting Insect Surface Hydrocarbons

Here, we describe a novel method for the extraction of insect cuticular hydrocarbons using silica gel, herein referred to as "silica-rubbing". This method permits the selective sampling of external hydrocarbons from insect cuticle surfaces for subsequent analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The cuticular hydrocarbons are first adsorbed to silica gel particles by rubbing the cuticle of insect specimens with the materials, and then are subsequently eluted using organic solvents. We compared the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles that resulted from extractions using silica-rubbing and solvent-soaking methods in four ant and one bee species: Linepithema humile, Azteca instabilis, Camponotus floridanus, Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and Euglossa dilemma (Hymenoptera: Apidae). We also compared the hydrocarbon profiles of Euglossa dilemma obtained via silica-rubbing and solid phase microextraction (SPME). Comparison of hydrocarbon profiles obtained by different extraction methods indicates that silica rubbing selectively extracts the hydrocarbons that are present on the surface of the cuticular wax layer, without extracting hydrocarbons from internal glands and tissues. Due to its surface specificity, efficiency, and low cost, this new method may be useful for studying the biology of insect cuticular hydrocarbons.
Strengthening the scientific foundations of professional psychology: Time for the next steps.

The field of professional psychology has been tremendously successful, although it has also been characterized by many competing preparadigmatic theoretical orientations, which have led to a great deal of contention as well as conflicting views regarding psychological development, functioning, and behavior change. There is now widespread agreement regarding scientific explanations of many psychological processes, however, and, consequently, it is time to update the basic conceptual frameworks used for professional psychology education and practice. Replacing the traditional reliance on an array of theoretical orientations with a sciencebased biopsychosocial framework would resolve many of the contradictions and conflicts that characterized the preparadigmatic era and would also provide a common perspective for unifying psychologists around a shared approach to practice, research, and training. Few would disagree that both the science and the practice of psychology have enjoyed phenomenal growth and success since their emergence just over a century ago and that the growth of professional psychology during the latter half of that period has been particularly impressive. As early as 1961, E. L. Kelly, the past president of American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12, noted that the growth of clinical psychology was “well nigh phenomenal. Before World War II, clinical psychologists were few in number, poorly paid, and had but little status.... Ours is a success story without counterpart in the history of professions” (p. 9). Since World War II, the number of licensed psychologists in the United States has grown from zero in 1945, when the first psychology licensure law was enacted, to close to 88,500 today (Duffy et al., 2002). Much of the dramatic growth in membership in the APA, which went from 4,173 to over 90,000 during that same period, is also attributable to the large increase in the number of professional psychologists, from a minuscule number before World War II to approximately two thirds of the membership today (APA, 2005b). Given the youth, reach, and dramatic growth of psychology as a field, it was inevitable that the evolving discipline would experience significant tension and discord and that the science and practice areas in particular would come into conflict, given their differing needs and orientations. At times, the disagreement has been so strong that it is easy to forget that much of the success of professional psychology is directly dependent on the scientific credibility of
Analysis of AlGaN/GaN HEMT modulated by photosystem I reaction centers

This paper presents for the first time a practical substitute to the laboratory (KFM) techniques for electrical characterization of PS I reaction centers which is necessary precondition to eventual commercial realization of molecular photovoltaic devices. The experimental study and an analytical model have been presented to investigate the charge effects of PS I reaction centers on the characteristics of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT).
Osteoprotegerin Ligand Modulates Murine Osteoclast Survival in Vitro and in Vivo

Osteoprotegerin ligand (OPGL) targets osteoclast precursors and osteoclasts to enhance differentiation and activation, however, little is known about OPGL effects on osteoclast survival. In vitro, the combination of OPGL + colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) is required for optimal osteoclast survival. Ultrastructurally, apoptotic changes were observed in detached cells and culture lysates exhibited elevated caspase 3 activity, particularly in cultures lacking CSF-1. DEVD-FMK (caspase 3 inhibitor) partially protected cells when combined with OPGL, but not when used alone or in combination with CSF-1. CSF-1 maintained NF-κB activation and increased the expression of bcl-2 and bcl-XL mRNA, but had no effect on JNK activation. In contrast, OPGL enhanced both NF-κB and JNK kinase activation and increased the expression of c-src, but not bcl-2 and bcl-XL mRNA. These data suggest that aspects of both OPGL’s and CSF-1’s signaling/survival pathways are required for optimal osteoclast survival. In mice, a single dose of OPG, the OPGL decoy receptor, led to a >90% loss of osteoclasts because of apoptosis within 48 hours of exposure without impacting osteoclast precursor cells. Therefore, OPGL is essential, but not sufficient, for osteoclast survival and endogenous CSF-1 levels are insufficient to maintain osteoclast viability in the absence of OPGL.
Trace-element evidence for the origin of desert varnish by direct aqueous atmospheric deposition

Abstract Smooth rock surfaces in arid environments are often covered with a thin coating of Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides known as desert varnish. It is debated whether such varnish is formed (a) by slow diagenesis of dust particles deposited on rock surfaces, (b) by leaching from the underlying rock substrate, or (c) by direct deposition of dissolved constituents in the atmosphere. Varnishes collected from smooth rock surfaces in the Mojave Desert and Death Valley, California are shown here to have highly enriched and fractionated trace-element abundances relative to upper continental crust (UCC). They are highly enriched in Co, Ni, Pb and the rare-earth elements (REEs). In particular, they have anomalously high Ce/La and low Y/Ho ratios. These features can only be explained by preferential scavenging of Co, Ni, Pb and the REEs by Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides in an aqueous environment. High field strength elements (HFSEs: Zr, Hf, Ta, Nb, Th), however, show only small enrichments despite the fact that these elements should also be strongly scavenged by Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides. This suggests that their lack of enrichment is a feature inherited from a solution initially poor in HFSEs. The first two scenarios for varnish formation can be ruled out as follows. The high enrichment factors of Fe, Mn and many trace elements cannot be generated by mass loss associated with post-depositional diagenesis of dust particles because such a process predicts only a small increase in concentration. In addition, the highly fractionated abundance patterns of particle reactive element pairs (e.g., Ce/La and Y/Ho) rules out leaching of the rock substrate. This is because if leaching were to occur, varnishes would grow from the inside to the outside, and thus any particle-reactive trace element leached from the substrate would be quantitatively sequestered in the Fe–Mn oxyhydroxide layers, prohibiting any significant elemental fractionations. One remaining possibility is that the Fe, Mn and trace metals in varnish are derived from leaching of dust particles entrained in rain or fog droplets either in the atmosphere or during wet atmospheric deposition. The high trace metal enrichment factors require that most of the dust was physically removed before or during varnish formation. The remaining aqueous counterpart would be depleted in HFSEs and Th relative to the REEs, Co, Ni and Pb because the former are more insoluble and hence largely retained in the removed dust fraction. The high Ce/La ratios suggest that precipitation of trace metals may have been governed by equilibrium partitioning in an excess of wet atmospheric deposition. If varnishes are indeed derived from wet atmospheric deposition, they may provide a record of the aqueous component of atmospheric dust inputs to various environments.
An efficient distributed knot detection algorithm

A distributed knot detection algorithm for general graphs is presented. The knot detection algorithm uses at most O(n log n+m) messages and O(m+n log n) bits of memory to detect all knots' nodes in the network (where n is the number of nodes and m is the number of links). This is compared to O(n/sup 2/) messages needed in the best algorithm previously published. The knot detection algorithm makes use of efficient cycle detection and clustering techniques. Various applications for the knot detection algorithms are presented. In particular, its importance to deadlock detection in store and forward communication networks and in transaction systems is demonstrated. >
Glycemic Control in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: Family Predictors and Mediators

Objective This study examined predictive and mediated relationships among youth perception of critical parenting, Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing Subscale (CBCL) externalizing problem scores, adherence, and (hemoglobin A1c HbA1c), in youth with type 1 diabetes from low socioeconomic status families. Methods Caregiver/youth dyads (n ¼120) completed diabetes specific measures of family functioning regarding diabetes management and structured adherence interviews. Parents completed the CBCL, while assays of youth HbA1c were performed. Analyses were conducted using hierarchical linear regression. Results Combined measures predicted 44% of the variance in HbA1c. Adherence partially mediated critical parenting and HbA1c, while critical parenting and adherence mediated CBCL externalizing problem scores and HbA1c. CBCL externalizing problem scores did not mediate critical parenting and HbA1c. Conclusions The presence of youth perceptions of critical parenting and youth externalizing behavior problems may interfere with adherence, leading to increases in HbA1c.
Having a BLAST: analyzing gene sequence data with BlastQuest

An essential problem for biologists is the processing and evaluation of BLAST results. We advocate the deployment of database technology and describe a user-driven tool, called BlastQuest. BlastQuest provides interactive, Web-enabled query, analysis, and visualization facilities beyond what is possible by current BLAST interfaces. Specifically, the BLAST results are extracted, structured, and stored persistently in a relational database to support a series of build-in analysis operations that can be used to select, filter, and order data from multiple BLAST results efficiently and without referring to the original results. Users have the option to interact with the BlastQuest through a forms-based interface.
Generic fixture design algorithms for minimal modular fixture toolkits

Fixturing, i.e. the process of immobilizing a workpiece for manufacturing or assembly operations, is a fundamental task in manufacturing. Fixtures can either be fabricated from scratch or assembled from a toolkit of modular components; the latter approach is termed modular fixturing. Recently, many researchers have proposed generate and test fixture design algorithms for minimal modular fixture toolkits where minimal fixture toolkits incorporate a single degree of freedom and constrain fixture elements to a finite number of locations. Generate and test strategies have succeeded because minimal fixture toolkits can only fixture generic workpieces in a finite number of ways. In this paper, we present alternative minimal toolkits and two generic fixture design algorithms: a complete enumeration algorithm based upon the generate and test paradigm, and an efficacious heuristic hill climbing algorithm. Our generate and test design algorithm is based upon a duality we observed between fixture design and object recognition from sparse probe data. In particular, we reduce the task of completely enumerating fixtures to the task of constructing complete indexing tables.
The Compressibilities, Free Volumes and Equation of State for Molten Electrolytes: Some Alkali Halides and Nitrates

An apparatus has been devised to measure the velocity of ultrasonic vibrations through liquids at temperatures up to 1000 degrees C by a phase-interference method. Velocities of sound through molten salts have been measured up to a maximum temperature of 1000 degrees C for LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, CdCl$\_{2}$, LiBr, KBr, CsBr, NaI, KI, LiNO$\_{3}$, NaNO$\_{3}$ and KNO$\_{3}$. Traces of water do not affect the velocities, which increases linearly with T$^{\frac{1}{2}}$. The isothermal compressibility ($\beta \_{T}$) increases approximately linearly with the square of the mean radius of the ions of the salts. $\beta \_{T}$ increases with increase of temperature. Increase of the ratio of the specific heats, C$\_{P}$/C$\_{V}$, and decrease of C$\_{V}$ occur upon increase of the size of X for a given M in a series MX and vice versa. The free volumes (V$\_{f}$) increase with the increasing particle size and increase of temperature. From $\beta \_{T}$ the internal pressures are calculated and these enable a satisfactory equation of state to be evaluated. Approximate values of the repulsive exponents in the equation for the energy of the liquid lattice vary from 9$\cdot $9 (LiBr) to 12$\cdot $5 (KBr). Comparison of the free volumes with the changes in volume on melting, $\Delta $V, indicate the major role played by holes in the structure of these liquids. This is confirmed by the decrease of the co-ordination number observed on melting. A detailed model for the ionic liquid is proposed and gives excellent agreement with experiment in respect of calculations of compressibility and expansivity. A modification of the sound-velocity method for the calculation of free volumes is suggested, and the values of V$\_{f}$ so calculated are compared with those calculated from a method involving the equation of state and the internal pressure values. A relation between the hole volume and free volume is adduced and lends support to the model for molten salts developed. Consideration of the temperature coefficient of free volume gives conclusive evidence concerning the rate-determining step in viscous flow. The cell properties of the model are utilized together with the free volumes to calculate partition functions and evaluations using these of heat capacities and entropy changes are in agreement with experiment.
Facial experience during the first year

Parents of 2-, 5-, 8-, and 11-month-olds used two scales we developed to provide information about their infants' facial experience with familiar and unfamiliar individuals during one week. Results showed large discrepancies in the race, sex, and age of faces that infants experience during their first year with the majority of their facial experience being with their primary caregiver, females, and other individuals of the same-race and age as their primary caregiver. The infant's age and an unfamiliar individual's sex were predictive of their time spent interacting with one another. Moreover, an unfamiliar individual's sex was predictive of the attention infants allocated during social interactions. Differences in frequency and length of interactions with certain types of faces, as well as in infant attention toward certain individuals, all likely contribute to the development of expertise in processing commonly experienced face types and deficiencies in processing less commonly experienced face types.
Gastric Emptying of Nondigestible Solids in the Fasted Dog

Gastric emptying of nondigestible solid particles was studied in the fasted dog. Particles of varying sizes (0.5-6.4 mm), density (0.5-2.9 gm/cm3), and surface characteristics were coadministered orally with 50 mL of saline and collected from a permanent duodenal cannula implanted approximately 15 cm from the gastroduodenal junction. The phase of the motility pattern was ascertained by the appearance of bile, which occurs during phase II, as well as by mucus discharge, which stops at the onset of phase I. A lag phase, due to the 'quiet' phase I, was observed in the gastric emptying of coadministered saline. This is in contrast with gastric processing of large volumes (i.e., greater than 200 mL) which can usually be approximated by first-order discharge. Most coadministered saline was discharged before the solid particles. The pH of the duodenal effluent was elevated approximately 1 pH unit during mucus discharge and its pH can be as high as 8.3. In the fasted dog, gastric emptying of nondigestible particles closely followed the gastric motility patterns. The onset of discharge of the particles correlated with the late phase II and the phase III activity. Except for a few cases, which took two migrating motor complexes (MMC), greater than 90% of administered particles was discharged from the stomach after one MMC. The discharged particles were entrapped within mucous plugs. In the fasted state, gastric emptying of nondigestible particles appeared to be independent of size, density, and surface characteristics. Mucus seems to play a significant role in the distribution and discharge of the administered particles.
Inducing Photonic Transitions between Discrete Modes in a Microcavity

We demonstrate that transitions between discrete cavity modes in optical microcavities can be induced when the resonance of cavity is tuned on a time scale shorter than the inverse of the frequency difference between modes.
Assessment of trace mineral status of ruminants: A review

An assessment of the trace mineral status of ruminants begins with clear objectives. These may be to determine whether a nutrient deficiency exists, to assess the prevalence of a deficiency, or to estimate the endogenous reserves of trace minerals. The sampling size needed for assessment is a function of the herd size, expected prevalence of deficiency or toxicity, desired confidence of the assessment tool, and the estimated standard deviation of the assessment criteria. The trace mineral status of animals is best described by concentrations in liver. Correlation coefficients between concentrations of trace minerals in blood and liver are highest in deficient animals because endogenous reserves are depleted. Concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Se in plasma also are affected by infection, stress, pregnancy, and erythrocyte hemolysis. Because erythrocytes in cattle have a 160-d life span, concentrations of trace minerals in whole blood change more slowly than those in plasma in response to changes in intakes of trace minerals. Improvements in sensitivity of blood measures to assess trace mineral status await determination of the most critical metalloenzyme activity. At present, metalloenzyme activities are seldom more useful than concentrations of minerals in plasma and often are impractical because of loss of activity in shipment to the laboratory. Perhaps the ultimate assessment tool is the response of animals to supplementation.
Darkening of Red Beets, Beta Vulgaris

SUMMARY Color changes in disrupted tissue of red beets were studied under various conditions with a Hunter color and color-difference meter. Results showed that both autoxidation and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of brown-pigment precursors were responsible for the darkening of beet tissue. Histochemical studies on the localization of phenolase in red, beets showed that the vascular tissue was the major site of enzyme activity. Apparently, the cell walls contained a small amount of phenolase. High phenolase activity was observed in both a beet extract and washed pulp of beets. Data are presented on the optimum pH and substrate specificity of beet phenolase. A solution containing 2% sodium carbonate and 5% sodium chloride was found to be a good solvent for extraction of the phenolase from washed beet pulp. At least four phenolic compounds were separated by paper chromatography.
Are study strategies related to medical licensing exam performance

Objectives: To examine the relationship between study strategies and performance on a high stakes medical licensing exam entitled the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1. Methods: The action research project included seventy nine student participants at the Texas AM Model 2 - β = .254) was the only study strategy correlated with Step 1 performance. The other statistically significant predictors were Customized National Board of Medical Examiners Average (β = .315) and Year 2 Average (β = .280) in Model 1 and Comprehensive Basic Science Self-Assessment Average (β = .338) in Model 2. Conclusions: There does appear to be a relationship between the study strategy concentration and Step 1 licensing exam performance. Teaching students to practice and utilize certain techniques to improve concentration skills when preparing for and taking exams may help improve licensing exam scores.
Free fatty acid-induced insulin resistance in the obese is not prevented by rosiglitazone treatment.

Objective: Elevation of free fatty acids (FFAs) by the infusion of triglyceride-heparin emulsion infusion (TG-Hep) causes insulin resistance (IR). We examined the effect of insulin sensitizer (rosiglitazone) on FFA-induced IR. Design: Nine obese subjects underwent a 6-h infusion of TG-Hep before and after 6 wk of rosiglitazone (8 mg/d) treatment. Hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps were performed during 0–2 and 4–6 h of TG-Hep. Results: After rosiglitazone for 6 wk, fasting FFA concentration fell, but not significantly (489 ± 63 at 0 wk; 397 ± 58 μmol/liter at 6 wk; P = 0.16), whereas C-reactive protein (4.26 ± 0.95 at 0 wk; 2.03 ± 0.45 μg/ml at 6 wk) and serum amyloid A (17.36 ± 4.63 at 0 wk; 8.77 ± 1.63 μg/ml at 6 wk) decreased significantly. At 0 wk, TG-Hep infusion caused a decrease in glucose infusion rate (GIR) from 4.49 ± 0.95 mg/kg·min to 3.02 ± 0.59 mg/kg·min (P = 0.018). Rosiglitazone treatment resulted in an increase in baseline GIR to 6.29 ± 0.81 mg/kg·min (P = 0.03 vs. 0 wk), which decreased t...
Pulmonary Insufficiency Leads to Right Ventricular Enlargement, which Leads to Tricuspid Regurgitation, which Leads to more Right Ventricular Enlargement, which Leads to more Tricuspid Regurgitation: a Vicious Cycle?

Operations for tricuspid valve regurgitation, for the most part, are done as secondary procedures when the primary indication for operation is something else. 1 Whether tricuspid valve repair is necessary when it is secondary to another process that affects the right ventricle is somewhat controversial, as a recent “heated” discussion between Tirone David and David Adams at the 2015 AATS meeting demonstrated. The issue facing congenital heart surgeons is tricuspid regurgitation (TR) present with a dilated right ventricle and pulmonary valve insufficiency (PI) usually in the setting of prior repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The underlying mechanism for which the tricuspid valve loses competence is believed to be dilatation of the annulus of the tricuspid valve because of overall right ventricular enlargement (RVE) due to the volume overload produced by PI. The TR causes further RVE and thus worsens the TR, a potential vicious cycle indeed. Kurkluoglu and coauthors 2 describe their evaluation of the tricuspid valve size in patients with long-standing pulmonary valve regurgitation following repair of TOF. Although magnetic resonance imaging data are available for some of the patients, the bulk of the data was derived from echocardiographic measurements. They confirm the prevailing theory regarding the relationship of RVE with TV annular dilatation and the resultant TR. More to the point of whether the tricuspid valve should be repaired is the reduction in the TV annulus dimension after creation of a competent pulmonary valve. They conclude appropriately that repair of the TV is an unnecessary adjunct to pulmonary valve replacement in the setting of RV dilatation and PI following repair of TOF. One could argue that not all late TR following repair of TOF is due to RV dilatation. Distortion of the TV annulus due to the ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure can occur. The cords of the septal leaflet are at risk of injury at the time of VSD closure or may be distorted because of scar formation around the patch. However, that would seem to be an unusual occurrence. In a review of more than 200 patients undergoing isolated VSD repair, no patients developed anything more than mild TR during a mean
Renin release with carotid occlusion in the conscious dog: role of renal arterial pressure.

Page H108 : A. P. Rocchini and A. C. Barger. “Renin release with carotid occlusion in the conscious dog: role of renal arterial pressure.” Page H110: the second line of the addendum should read carotid sinus hypotension.
Closing the Brief Case: Kingella kingae Septic Arthritis in a 14-Month-Old Child

1. In what age range are patients most likely to acquire septic arthritis due to Kingella kingae? Answer: b. K. kingae is part of the normal flora of the human oropharynx. The organism colonizes up to 12% of children 6 to 36 months of age. Asymptomatic colonization precedes translocation
Femoral neck fractures in the geriatric population: the influence of perioperative health upon the selection of surgical treatment

The use of a primary prosthetic replacement such as an Austin-Moore hemi-arthroplasty in patients sustaining fractures of the femoral neck has been associated with increased post-operative medical morbidity and mortality. A retrospective review was performed using the medical records of patients greater than 59 years of age who sustained femoral neck fractures and were treated with either internal fixation or primary hemi-arthroplastic replacement at Loyola University Medical Center between 1969 and 1979. Peri-operative data were reviewed and evaluated using computer-aided statistical analysis. Comparing the two forms of surgical treatment, statistically significant factors associated with primary hemi-arthroplastic replacement included: pre-injury nursing home residence, pre-injury ambulation requiring assistance, age greater than 79 years, slight elevation in serum creatinine values, abnormal electrocardiograms in patients over 77 years of age, time from injury to surgery of four or more days, and the use of spinal anesthesia (P < 0.05). Factors associated with internal fixation were: patient age of 79 years or less, independent ambulation, non-nursing home residence, normal lab values, normal EKGs, less than four days from injury to surgery, and the use of general anesthesia. Within the limits imposed by a retrospective review in this specific patient population, there appears to be a tendency for older, less healthy patients to have been treated with primary hemi-arthroplasty. Possibly the previously reported increased post-operative medical morbidity and mortality associated with this procedure, as compared with internal fixation, may be a result of biased patient selection, and not a fault of the procedure. J Am Geriatr Soc 33:104, 1985
Lactate-induced panic in primary affective disorder

Intravenous sodium lactate was given to seven patients with primary depression and secondary panic attacks and 26 patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks. The two groups had similar rates of panic response. These results challenge the diagnostic specificity of lactate-induced panic.
Gender and parenting: Effects of parenting failures on evaluations of mothers and fathers

Stereotypes may function as standards, such that individuals are judged relative to within-category expectations. Subjective judgments may mask stereotyping effects, whereas objective judgments may...
Young investigator challenge: Validation and optimization of immunohistochemistry protocols for use on cellient cell block specimens

BACKGROUND The objective of the current study was to establish a process for validating immunohistochemistry (IHC) protocols for use on the Cellient cell block (CCB) system. METHODS Thirty antibodies were initially tested on CCBs using IHC protocols previously validated on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE). Cytology samples were split to generate thrombin cell blocks (TCB) and CCBs. IHC was performed in parallel. Antibody immunoreactivity was scored, and concordance or discordance in immunoreactivity between the TCBs and CCBs for each sample was determined. Criteria for validation of an antibody were defined as concordant staining in expected positive and negative cells, in at least 5 samples each, and concordance in at least 90% of the samples total. Antibodies that failed initial validation were retested after alterations in IHC conditions. RESULTS Thirteen of the 30 antibodies (43%) did not meet initial validation criteria. Of those, 8 antibodies (calretinin, clusters of differentiation [CD] 3, CD20, CDX2, cytokeratin 20, estrogen receptor, MOC-31, and p16) were optimized for CCBs and subsequently validated. Despite several alterations in conditions, 3 antibodies (Ber-EP4, D2-40, and paired box gene 8 [PAX8]) were not successfully validated. CONCLUSIONS Nearly one-half of the antibodies tested in the current study failed initial validation using IHC conditions that were established in the study laboratory for FFPE material. Although some antibodies subsequently met validation criteria after optimization of conditions, a few continued to demonstrate inadequate immunoreactivity. These findings emphasize the importance of validating IHC protocols for methanol-fixed tissue before clinical use and suggest that optimization for alcohol fixation may be needed to obtain adequate immunoreactivity on CCBs. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2016;124:89-99. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Immunomodulation Within a Single Tumor Site to Induce Systemic Antitumor Immunity: In Situ Vaccination for Cancer

Prophylactic vaccinations have been one of the greatest advances in modern medicine, both eradicating disease and reducing mortality. The translation of this advance into cancer therapy has been challenging and dates back to the turn of the twentieth century (Currie, Br J Cancer 26: 141–153, 1972). Cancer cells, derived from an aberrant clone, bear predominantly self-antigens and thus avoid alerting the immune system. In addition, the tumor microenvironment can be severely immunosuppressive; adding an extra layer of protection against the host immune response. Tumor cells can actively suppress immune responses through the downregulation of antigen presentation and the production of membrane-bound and secreted immuneregulatory molecules (Upadhyay et al, Cancers (Basel), 7: 736-62, 2015). To overcome such obstacles, a successful cancer vaccine must be able to induce a powerful immune response against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) while avoiding normal host cells. This strategy has proven difficult because TAAs are highly variable in their immunogenicity and undergo immune editing to escape recognition. In addition, they can differ between tumor types and more importantly between individuals (Escors, New J Sci, 2014: 25, 2014). The presence of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is generally low in the tumor microenvironment. Some efficacy in the treatment of cancer has been demonstrated by the use of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with tumor cell lysates containing a whole array of antigens as well as single TAAs (Reichardt et al, Blood Rev: 18, 235-43, 2004). DC can be differentiated and expanded from peripheral blood ex vivo, and a resected tumor mass can be used to subsequently load the DC with TAAs. These strategies, while successful in developing a patient-specific vaccine, are labor and time intensive limiting the ability to experiment with numerous iterations to optimize the approach.
National policy and state dynamics: A state-level analysis of the factors influencing the prevalence of farm to school programs in the United States

Skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have fueled rising concern about the health of school-aged children around the world. Efforts to reduce childhood obesity have increasingly targeted improvements to school meal programs. In particular, in the United States, the landmark 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) marked the first substantial changes to federal school food policy in recent years to enhance the quality of school meals. Despite these federal policy changes including mandated nutritional improvements and increased federal funding for farm to school programs that can help schools meet the new nutritional standards, there is still significant variation in the prevalence of farm to school programs across the United States. Theories of the policy process suggest that federal policies can vary by state in their implementation and impact, with state-level factors influencing this variation. This paper quantitatively explores the effect of both federal legislation through vertical diffusion and state-level internal determinants on farm to school rates across the country. My findings reveal that state affluence and the average farm to school rate of a state’s regional peers emerge as the most significant, positive predictors of state-level farm to school rates. This research sheds light on the current nature of school food programs in the United States that provide critical nutrition to millions of school children each day, and suggests a need for additional research exploring the linkages between federal policy, state-level factors, and local implementation of school food programs.
Metal decorated graphyne and its boron nitride analog as versatile materials for energy storage: Providing reference for the Lithium-ion battery of wireless sensor nodes

Abstract Based on density functional theory calculations, we investigate the boron substituted graphyne in terms of Li storage as well as metal-decorated graphyne and graphyne-like boron nitride layer (BN-yne) for hydrogen storage. Compared with pristine graphyne, the electric storage capacity and lithiation potentials of B-doped graphyne are improved significantly. The result can provide helpful information for the design and fabrication of anode materials of Lithium-ion battery, which is of crucial for the lifetime of wireless sensor nodes. Through the analyses of structural and electronic properties of graphyne and its boron nitride analog, we find that the most preferable adsorptive site of M (Ni, Cr, Pd) atom is the hollow site of 12-atom hexagonal ring. For hydrogen adsorption on M (Ni, Cr, Pd)-decorated graphyne and BN-yne, the hydrogen are not dissociated and all stored in molecular form. Due to the steric hindrance of the H 2 molecules, each M (Ni, Cr, Pd) atom can adsorb up to three H 2 molecules. The analyses of electronic properties show that the interactions between M (Ni, Cr, Pd) atom and H 2 molecule are the hybridization between them and the polarization induced by electrostatic field of M (Ni, Cr, Pd) atoms. Our work demonstrates that metal decorated graphyne and its boron nitride analog are promising for energy storage.