cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endemic situation and tendency of Paragonimus, Sichuan Province

Objective To analysis the endemic situation and tendency of Paragonimus in Sichuan Province for the purpose of control and prevention. Methods 10 counties of Sichuan Province were selected as investigation sites for active surveillance. The human endemic situation, knowledge and behavior of paragonimus prevention and control, and intermediary host were investigated in 10 the counties. Paragominus cases in 18 cities(states) of Sichuan Province with paragonimus endemic were collected and analyzed.Results A total of 2949 residents were investigated by active surveillance, the positive rate of serology test was 1.32%. The returned qualified questionnaire were 2918. 20.49% of them knew the knowledge of paragominus. 34.51% of them had the behavior of eating raw or half-done fresh-water crab. 61.99% of them had behavior of playing fresh-water crab. 84.27% of them had behavior of drinking un-boiled stream water. 2154 fresh-water crabs were captured, and the average weight of the fresh-water crab was 25.5g.The paragominus infection rate was 13.83%. The infection degree was 4.54. The reported paragominus cases were mainly located in Dazhou, Luzhou and Yibin. The age of cases was mainlty in the 6-15 years age. The common clinlcal symptom was pulmonary external. Conclusion The reported paragominus cases in Sichuan Province increase year after year. The transmission cycle of paragominus were existence in nature environment of endemic area. Most population in endemic area had unhealthy diet habit. If we do not take any steps, the prevalence or outbreak will appear.
Thermal emission at the optical topological transition

We develop a theoretical description of far-field thermal radiation near optical topological transitions. Our results show a strong asymmetric pattern of reduced emission near the transition from type-I hyperbolic to dielectric responses and are applicable in both naturally available and composite media.
The Law and Ethics of Trade Secrets: A Case Study

Almost every business owns proprietary information that adds value and provides a competitive advantage because the information is not known to the business's competitors. Trade secret law protects such information from theft or unauthorized disclosure. Because one of the principal policies underlying trade secret law is the maintenance of standards of commercial ethics, trade secrets are a rich source of material for exploring questions of business ethics alongside the law. This pedagogical case study offers a means to examine the legal and ethical issues involving the protection and misappropriation of trade secrets within the business environment.
Transformer-based language modeling and decoding for conversational speech recognition

We propose a way to use a transformer-based language model in conversational speech recognition. Specifically, we focus on decoding efficiently in a weighted finite-state transducer framework. We showcase an approach to lattice re-scoring that allows for longer range history captured by a transfomer-based language model and takes advantage of a transformer's ability to avoid computing sequentially.
Determinants and Measurement of Neonatal Vitamin D: Overestimation of 25(OH)D in Cord Blood Using CLIA Assay Technology.

Context Vitamin D (VD) deficiency in pregnancy and the neonatal period has impacts on childhood outcomes. Maternal VD sufficiency is crucial for sufficiency in the neonate, though the effect of early versus late pregnancy 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels on neonatal levels is unknown. Furthermore, chemiluminescence immunoassays (CLIAs) are widely used, though their validity in measuring 25(OH)D specifically in cord blood specimens has not been established. Objective To assess the validity of a CLIA in the measurement of cord blood 25(OH)D and to evaluate maternal determinants of neonatal 25(OH)D, including early versus late pregnancy 25(OH)D levels. Design This is an ancillary analysis from the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Participants and intervention A total of 881 pregnant women at high risk of having offspring asthma were randomized to receive VD supplementation or placebo. Serum samples were collected from mothers in early and late pregnancy and from offspring cord blood at birth. 25(OH)D levels were assayed by CLIA in all maternal and offspring samples and by LC-MS/MS in all offspring samples and a subset of 200 maternal third trimester samples. Results Cord blood 25(OH)D levels were higher as measured by CLIA (mean 37.13 ng/mL [SD 18.30]) than by LC-MS/MS (mean 23.54 ng/mL [SD 11.99]), with a mean positive bias of 13.54 ng/mL (SD 12.92) by Bland-Altman analysis. This positive bias in measurement by CLIA was not observed in maternal samples. Third trimester 25(OH)D was a positive determinant of neonatal 25(OH)D levels. Conclusion Chemiluminescence immunoassays overestimate 25(OH)D levels in human cord blood samples, an effect not observed in maternal blood samples. The quantification of 25(OH)D by CLIA should therefore not be considered valid when assayed in cord blood samples. Third trimester, but not first trimester, maternal 25(OH)D is one of several determinants of neonatal 25(OH)D status.
The Evolution and Value of Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas: Latinas’ Health Education in the Midst of Socio-Political Change

Comprising 18% of the total population in the United States, Latinos are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the country and an important demographic group for our public health efforts. In the current socioeconomic and political climate, the development of resources and health education materials tailored to specific cultural groups is urgently needed. To be effective, these materials must acknowledge the role of history, social and physical environment, cultural and economic conditions, migration history, and politics as key determinants of health and well-being. This article describes the development of Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas, the Spanish-language translation and cultural adaptation of the classic women’s health book Our Bodies, Ourselves, and the companion Spanish-language training guide for community health workers (Guia de Capacitacion para Promotoras de Salud). Further, it examines the relevance of these health education materials to our current sociopolitical and historical moment. The Spanish-language and cultural adaptation process of Our Bodies, Ourselves is predicated on the social determinants and the cultural models of health. Both represent strong approaches that promote health and well-being in the midst of the current dramatic social change that adversely and disproportionately impacts the health of US minority groups.
Ghost in the Machine: The Peripodial Epithelium

A fundamental feature of early animal development is that fate specification and the morphogenesis of one tissue is often induced by signals emanating from a neighboring population of cells. H. Spemann and H. Mangold introduced this concept when they showed that a transplanted blastopore lip of an early gastrulating newt could induce the formation of a full axis after it was transplanted into a second newt species. C.H. Waddington later demonstrated that the process of induction is not restricted to amphibians but rather is a general mechanism that applies broadly to many different organisms including mammals. Extirpation and transplantation studies of the vertebrate eye and lens indicate that these two tissues influence aspects of each other’s development. Likewise, several studies have shown that the development of the developing eye field in Drosophila is influenced by an overlying tissue called the peripodial epithelium. While the vertebrate lens and the peripodial epithelium of the Drosophila eye-antennal disc are non-homologous structures, these two tissues use common elements such as the Pax6 transcription factor and the TGFβ/BMP4 signaling pathway to influence the growth, specification, and patterning of the adjacent retinas. In this chapter, we will describe what is known about the role that the peripodial epithelium plays in the development of the eye-antennal disc of Drosophila.
Hypothalamic Cavernomas: Pediatric Case Report with 8.5-Year Follow-up and Review of the Literature

Background Cavernous malformations (cavernomas) are angiographically occult vascular lesions that can present symptomatically or be discovered incidentally. Rarely, they present in the hypothalamus or in children. Case Description We describe the case of a 14-year-old male patient who presented with headaches and fever and was found to have a hypothalamic cavernoma that hemorrhaged. It was managed expectantly, with 1 rehemorrhage 21 months later, and the patient remains asymptomatic to this day aside from headaches. Conclusions This is to our knowledge the youngest case of a hypothalamic cavernoma to be reported and includes 8.5 years of follow-up and imaging. In addition, a literature review is performed that summarizes the 11 previously reported cases of hypothalamic cavernomas, including associated symptoms, management options, and outcomes.
Control Strategies Overview for LLC Resonant Converter with Fixed Frequency Operation

For the LLC resonant converter, pulse frequency modulation (PFM) is the most frequently used control strategy. However, for wide input or output operation range, a wide switching frequency range is required, which causes efficiency loss. Therefore, some fixed frequency control strategies are proposed for the LLC resonant converter, including phase shift modulation (PSM), pulse width modulation (PWN), and resonant frequency modulation (RFM). In this paper, a comprehensive comparisons of different control strategies are implemented. The operational principles and system control diagram for each control strategy are discussed. Then, comparisons among different fixed switching frequency control strategies are presented. Finally, the VIC LLC is selected as an example to demonstrate its operation and effectiveness.
Reallocating crop rotation patterns improves water quality and maintains crop yield

Abstract Meeting the growing food production needs of a society, while simultaneously maintaining or improving water quality, is a challenge facing many watersheds around the world. Across many nations, the agricultural norm is for farmers to dictate what, when and where to plant based on market demand and the most economically efficient use of land resources for the individual farm enterprise. As an alternative, the European Union (EU) has explored the potential of a soil-based, land use framework to achieve economic and environmental targets in agriculturally dominated watersheds; however, this framework has not been explored in the United States (US). We investigated the potential for an EU style soil-based, land use framework to improve water quality, while maintaining crop yields, in a sub-watershed of the Chesapeake Bay. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was utilized to model crop growth, and losses of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and sediment for an 8-year period (2010 - 2017). Based on SWAT model results, an algorithm was developed to spatially reallocate crop rotations within existing agricultural land to reduce TN, TP, and sediment losses based on soil properties while maintaining a similar production area of each rotation. Hay was reallocated onto landscapes most vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss, whereas corn-soybean rotations were reallocated onto less vulnerable areas. In the reallocated scenario, 28% of agricultural lands retained the same crop rotation as the baseline scenario while 72% were reassigned. In a SWAT simulation of the reallocated scenario, TN, TP and sediment losses were reduced by 15%, 14% and 39%, respectively at an average annual scale. These results suggest that simply redistributing crop rotations within an impaired watershed can make significant water quality improvements even without additional structural best management practices. Although watershed-scale benefits were evaluated here, future research is needed to understand how this approach affects farm-level factors, as implementation may require some farmers to change the type of crops they grow.
Perioperative outcomes of pulmonary resection after neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives Pembrolizumab is a programmed death receptor-1 masking antibody approved for metastatic non–small cell lung cancer. This Phase 2 study (NCT02818920) of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in non–small cell lung cancer had a primary end point of safety and secondary end points of efficacy and correlative science. Methods Patients with untreated clinical stage IB to IIIA non–small cell lung cancer were enrolled. Two cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg) were administered before surgery. Standard adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation were encouraged but not required. Four cycles of adjuvant pembrolizumab were provided. Results Of 35 patients enrolled, 30 received neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and 25 underwent lung resection. Only 1 patient had a delay before surgery attributed to pembrolizumab; this was due to thyroiditis. All patients underwent anatomic resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection; the majority (18/25%, 72%) of patients underwent lobectomy. Of the 25 patients, 23 had an initial minimally invasive approach (92%); 5 of these were converted to thoracotomy (21.7%). R0 resection was achieved in 22 patients (88%), and major pathologic response was observed in 7 of 25 patients (28%). The most common postoperative adverse event was atrial fibrillation, affecting 6 of 25 patients (24%). Median chest tube duration and length of stay were 3 and 4 days, respectively. One patient required readmission to the hospital within 30 days. There was no mortality within 90 days of surgery. Conclusions In this study, pembrolizumab was safe and well tolerated in the neoadjuvant setting, and its use was not associated with excess surgical morbidity or mortality. Minimally invasive approaches are feasible in this patient population, but may be more challenging than in cases without neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Pathologic response was higher than typically observed with standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Wegweiser: Einige Grundprinzipien des Menschen

Hier werden die Grundargumente des ganzen Buches vorgestellt, in einer einfachen Version, damit Sie auf relativ kurzem Raum schon einmal das Ganze sehen konnen. Dieses Kapitel beweist oder begrundet noch nichts, es ist zunachst nur zum Anschauen geschrieben.
Selective model inversion and adaptive disturbance observer for rejection of time-varying vibrations on an active suspension

This paper presents an adaptive control scheme for identifying and rejecting unknown and/or time-varying narrow-band vibrations. We discuss an idea of selective model inversion (SMI) for a (possibly nonminimum phase) plant dynamics at multiple narrow frequency regions, so that vibrations can be estimated and canceled by feedback. By taking advantage of the structure of the disturbance model, we can reduce the adaptation to identify the minimum amount of parameters, achieve accurate parameter estimation under noisy environments, and flexibly reject the narrow-band disturbances with clear tuning intuitions. Evaluation of the proposed algorithm is performed via simulation and experiments on a benchmark system for active vibration control.
Cardiovascular reactions to pitocin.

Abstract A case of coronary constriction during a cesarean section under spinal anesthesia has been reported. It is believed that this complication was due to the injection of Pitocin into the uterus.
Structure and heterogeneity of the one- and two-disulfide folding intermediates of tick anticoagulant peptide.

Tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP) is a factor Xa-specific inhibitor and is structurally homologous to bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). The fully reduced TAP refolds spontaneously to form the native structure under a wide variation of redox buffers. The folding intermediates of TAP consist of at least 22 fractions of one-disulfide, two-disulfide, and three-disulfide scrambled isomers. Three species of well-populated one- and two-disulfide intermediates were isolated and structurally characterized. The predominant one-disulfide species contains TAP-(Cys33—Cys55). Two major two-disulfide isomers were TAP-(Cys33—Cys55, Cys15—Cys39) and TAP-(Cys33—Cys55, Cys5—Cys39). Both Cys33—Cys55 and Cys15—Cys39 are native disulfides of TAP. These three species are structural counterparts of BPTI-(Cys30—Cys51), BPTI-(Cys30—Cys51, Cys14—Cys38), and BPTI-(Cys30—Cys51,Cys5—Cys38), which have been shown to be the major intermediates of BPTI folding. In addition, time-course-trapped folding intermediates of TAP, consisting of about 47% one-disulfide species and 30% two-disulfide species, were collectively digested with thermolysin, and fragmented peptides were analyzed by Edman sequencing and mass spectrometry in order to characterize the disulfide-containing peptides. Among the 15 possible single-disulfide pairings of TAP, 10 (2 native and 8 nonnative) were found as structural components of its one- and two-disulfide folding intermediates. The results demonstrate that the major folding intermediates of TAP bear structural homology to those of BPTI. However, the folding pathway of TAP differs from that of BPTI by (a) a higher degree of heterogeneity of one- and two-disulfide intermediates and (b) the presence of three-disulfide scrambled isomers as folding intermediates. Mechanism(s) that may account for these diversities are proposed and discussed.
Artificial Ecological Pyramid Model and Its Application in Autonomous Robot Strategy System

The artificial ecological pyramid model is proposed to solve complex problems, which is a layered evolutionary multi-agent system model. The model has three layers. The lowest layer is composed of "stimulation-response" agents called base agents. The second layer is composed of combined agents that are combinations of base agents. The top layer is composed of advanced agents that have reasoning capabilities. Agents in all layers must be up against the test of environment. Agents on the lowest layer can only improve their fitness evaluations by evolutional methods, and agents on upper layers can also improve their fitness evaluations by "eating" agents on lower layers. We also construct a strategy system based on artificial ecological pyramid model to solve the problem of rivalry between autonomous robots. The simulation results of the test on soccer robot system prove the model effect
Scheme Liability: Why Should Plaintiffs Be Able to Sue Under Subsection (b) of Rule 10b-5, But Not Subsection (a)?

The Supreme Court is presently considering the Stoneridge case which raises the question of whether private investors who are victimized by schemes to defraud that violate subsection (a) of Rule 10b-5 may sue? It is undisputed that plaintiffs may sue under subsection (b) of Rule 10b-5 if they are defrauded by misrepresentations and omissions in connection with the purchase or sale of securities. Why can they not sue under subsection (a) of the same rule? In this paper, I continue a debate with scheme liability opponent Joseph Grundfest. Professor Grundfest constructs an "arc of history" argument which claims that the implied right to sue under §10(b) was frozen in time in 1975 when Cort v. Ash heightened the standard for judicial implication of private rights to sue. Therefore, he claims, plaintiffs claiming under subsection (b) of Rule 10b-5 enjoy a "squatter's right" to sue, but to recognize scheme liability would be to improperly extend this implied right of action. Professor Grundfest's argument rests on two false premises, either of which is fatal to his position. First, he assumes that the right to sue for fraudulent schemes in violation of 10b-5(a) did not exist in 1975 when, in fact, it was very well established in numerous cases. Second, he assumes that the §10(b) implied right to sue is frozen in time as of 1975 when, in fact, the Supreme Court has at least twice expressly stated that it is not so frozen, and the conditions specified for extending the private right to sue are precisely met in the case of scheme liability. In response to Professor Grundfest, I also argue that the right to sue under §10(b), while not originally intended by Congress, now carries such a stamp of Congressional approval that it makes no sense to continue to treat it as if it were purely a judicial invention. I also show that the common law of fraud that informed Congress's enactment of §10(b) broadly recognized scheme liability in 1934 and indisputably would have imposed liability upon parties who acted as did the defendants in Stoneridge. This is critically relevant, for the Supreme Court has held that where the language of §10(b) does not answer a question regarding interpretation of the private right to sue, the proper way to proceed is to determine what a 1934 Congress would have intended had §10(b) included an express private right to sue.
Testing generic predictions of dark energy

Constraints on the expansion history of the universe from measurements of cosmological distances make predictions for large-scale structure growth. Since these predictions depend on assumptions about dark energy evolution and spatial curvature, they can be used to test general classes of dark energy models by comparing predictions for those models with direct measurements of the growth history. I present predictions from current distance measurements for the growth history of dark energy models including a cosmological constant and quintessence. Although a time-dependent dark energy equation of state significantly weakens predictions for growth from measured distances, for quintessence there is a generic limit on the growth evolution that could be used to falsify the whole class of quintessence models. Understanding the allowed range of growth for dark energy models in the context of general relativity is a crucial step for efforts to distinguish dark energy from modified gravity.
Parents' perceptions of child-to-parent socialization in organized youth sport.

The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding of how parents are socialized by their children’s organized youth sport participation. Five semistructured focus groups were conducted with youth sport parents (N = 26) and analyzed using qualitative methods based on Strauss and Corbin (1998). Sixty-three underlying themes reflected parents’ perceived socialization experiences resulting from their children’s organized youth sport participation. Each theme represented 1 of 11 subcategories of parental change, which were subsumed within four broad categories of parent sport socialization (behavior, cognition, affect, relationships). Each category of parental change was interconnected with the other three categories. Moreover, six potential moderators of parent sport socialization were documented, namely, child age, parent past sport experience, parent and child gender, child temperament, community sport context, and type of sport setting (individual or team). Together, these findings enhance understanding of parent sport socialization processes and outcomes, thus opening avenues for future research on parents in the youth sport setting.
How a Lumbar Diskectomy Influenced Medical Malpractice and the Landscape of Health Care

Background Jeff Chandler was one of Hollywood's top leading men in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, at the peak of his career, Chandler died of complications following an aortic-iliac injury during a routine lumbar diskectomy. The subsequent public outcry and malpractice suit resulted in an unprecedented settlement award. Case Chandler's lawsuit marked a pivotal time in the evolution of medical malpractice and monetary awards. Before 1960, malpractice legal claims were rare, with little impact on the practice of medicine. Chandler's award, however, dwarfed the average malpractice verdict for its time and would influence the relationship between medicine and the legal world. This case helped issue a radical increase in total expenditure on medical liability insurance, frequency of successful claims, average numbers of neurosurgical malpractice suits, and financial award sizes. The trend ensuing from this time has continued to the contemporary era. To link Chandler's case to the current malpractice climate, we highlight the relationship of the case with 3 factors comprising the legal argument for the perpetuation of medical malpractice: 1) contingency fees, 2) citizen juries, and 3) the nature of tort law. Conclusion This case illustrates an inflection point in American medical malpractice expenditure increases beginning in the 1960s to a current estimated $55.6 billion. As we investigate ways to provide value in health care, it is important to consider the historical factors that have influenced the status quo when seeking strategies to reform the malpractice system on both sides of the value equation: quality and cost.
An improved 60 GHz open resonator system for accurate measurement of dielectric permittivity

There has been considerable interest in Fabry-Perot open resonator methods for the measurements of ultra low-loss dielectric materials in the millimeter wave ranges. This paper is devoted to this improvement of our existing 60 GHz open resonator system. This results in more accurate measurements in comparison with some previously published data for selected dielectric materials. We have developed an improved Fabry-Perot open resonator system operating at 60 GHz using a new cavity-length variation technique. We made systematic progress in both hardware and software, thus this system is now able to provide a 10 nm resolution in the cavity length movement. Compared to a 20 nm resolution we constructed previously, this improvement guarantees a better and more accurate system to measure the permittivity and loss tangent of dielectric materials.
Security concerns for distributed systems

One of the stated purposes of the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) is "to provide a standard to manufacturers as to what security features to build into their new and planned commercial products in order to provide widely available systems that satisfy trust requirements (with particular emphasis on preventing the disclosure of data) for sensitive applications". The trend in today's technology is towards networked distributed systems. One of the major criticisms of the TCSEC, more commonly known as the Orange Book, and the draft Federal Criteria (FC), now the U.S. input to the international Common Criteria (CC) draft, concerns their inability to encompass distributed systems in their rating schemes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the various aspects of security required for distributed systems and to describe the security requirements needed in criteria from which manufacturers could build secure distributed systems. >
Investigation of Chemical Modification in the Simultaneous Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Detection of Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Selenium

Abstract The use of a combined palladium nitrate-magnesium nitrate chemical modifier allows a compromise higher pyrolysis temperature to be used for the simultaneous detection of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. For arsenic and selenium 900 °C, for arsenic, selenium, and lead 600 °C, and for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and selenium 350 °C are recommended.
Whiteheadian approach to quantum theory and the generalized Bell's theorem

The model of the world proposed by Whitehead provides a natural theoretical framework in which to imbed quantum theory. This model accords with the ontological ideas of Heisenberg, and also with Einstein's view that physical theories should refer nominally to the objective physical situation, rather than our knowledge of that system. Whitehead imposed on his model the relativistic requirement that what happens in any given spacetime region be determined only by what has happened in its absolute past, i.e., in the backward light-cone drawn from that region. This requirement must be modified, for it is inconsistent with the implications of quantum theory expressed by a generalized version of Bell's theorem. Revamping the causal spacetime structure of the Whitehead-Heisenberg ontology to bring it into accord with the generalized Bell's theorem creates the possibility of a nonlocal causal covariant theory that accords with the statistical prediction of quantum theory.
Perfectly competitive models of endogenous business fluctuations

The endogenous hypothesis is not new. At a pre-analytic level it is based on the simple intuition that market mechanisms are inherently dynamically unstable, at least around their stationary positions. In this note, I want to stress the theoretical point that there is nothing in the working of a perfectly competitive market system that prevents it from displaying persistent and endogenous fluctuations and that, moreover, such fluctuations may have their origins in market fundamentals such as factor intensities, factor substitutability, degree of impatience, and so forth. Nevertheless, macroeconomic models of endogenous fluctuations still have to prove that, apart from being very beautiful, they can also be useful to understand the so-called heal world’: hit sunt leones. This article is not intended to be a survey of all that has been written in this area in the last decade. I have no title whatsoever to talk about empirical studies: Chera Sayers’ contribution in this same volume addresses that guestion. Scheinkman (1990) is a readily available survey of nonlinear statistical methods that are relevant to this debate. As for the theory, incompetence recommends that I avoid touching on sunspot equilibria OLG models and, more generally, expectations driven cycles: They are instead discussed in Jean Michel Grandmont’s article. Finally, marketing awareness implies recommending Boldrin and Woodford (1990) as a reasonably complete survey of what the endogenous cycle research program has recently produced at a theoretical level.
Assessment of Disinfectant Performance in Chicken Cages Using Coliphages

To control the spread of avian flu (influenza) and other viruses of concern among commercial flocks, it is essential that proper disinfection procedures be developed along with methods for assessing their performance. Such methods must be rapid and inexpensive. Coliphages were used as indicators to demonstrate the efficacy of quaternary ammonium compounds and chlorine bleach for the inactivation of viruses in chicken cages. The concentration of indigenous coliphages in chicken litter was found to be 104–107 per gram and from 0 to 8,500 per 100 cm2 of floor surface. To assess the effectiveness of the disinfectants, floor samples were collected pre and post disinfection. These results indicated that chlorine bleach was more effective than quaternary ammonium compounds in reducing the amount of indigenous coliphages. To obtain better quantitative data, MS-2 coliphage was sprayed onto cage floors, left overnight to dry, and then the surfaces disinfected. Similar results were obtained with both indigenous coliphages and MS-2. There appears to be no significant difference in coliphage reduction by increasing the contact time from 10 to 30 min. To ensure at least a 99.9% reduction of virus at least 236 ml of household bleach per 3.78 l should be used.
Acclimation of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) leaf photosynthesis to elevated growth CO2 and temperature

Abstract Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. Florunner) was grown from seed sowing to plant maturity under two daytime CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) of 360 μmol mol−1 (ambient) and 720 μmol mol−1 (elevated) and at two temperatures of 1.5 and 6.0 °C above ambient temperature. The objectives were to characterize peanut leaf photosynthesis responses to long-term elevated growth [CO2] and temperature, and to assess whether elevated [CO2] regulated peanut leaf photosynthetic capacity, in terms of activity and protein content of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco), Rubisco photosynthetic efficiency, and carbohydrate metabolism. At both growth temperatures, leaves of plants grown under elevated [CO2] had higher midday photosynthetic CO2 exchange rate (CER), lower transpiration and stomatal conductance and higher water-use efficiency, compared to those of plants grown at ambient [CO2]. Both activity and protein content of Rubisco, expressed on a leaf area basis, were reduced at elevated growth [CO2]. Declines in Rubisco under elevated growth [CO2] were 27–30% for initial activity, 5–12% for total activity, and 9–20% for protein content. Although Rubisco protein content and activity were down-regulated by elevated [CO2], Rubisco photosynthetic efficiency, the ratio of midday light-saturated CER to Rubisco initial or total activity, of the elevated-[CO2] plants was 1.3- to 1.9-fold greater than that of the ambient-[CO2] plants at both growth temperatures. Leaf soluble sugars and starch of plants grown at elevated [CO2] were 1.3- and 2-fold higher, respectively, than those of plants grown at ambient [CO2]. Under elevated [CO2], leaf soluble sugars and starch, however, were not affected by high growth temperature. In contrast, high temperature reduced leaf soluble sugars and starch of the ambient-[CO2] plants. Activity of sucrose-P synthase, but not adenosine 5′-diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase, was up-regulated under elevated growth [CO2]. Thus, in the absence of other environmental stresses, peanut leaf photosynthesis would perform well under rising atmospheric [CO2] and temperature as predicted for this century.
Multi-specialty family planning training: collaborating to meet the needs of women.

Multi-specialty family planning training: collaborating to meet the needs of women Jody Steinauer⁎, Christine Dehlendorf , Kevin Grumbach, Uta Landy, Philip Darney Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Stability of helical textures in 3HeA in the presence of superflow

Abstract We analyze the stability of a variety of uniform textures in superfluid 3HeA in the presence of superflow p. We find below Tins a class of stable helical l textures, where l is no longer aligned with p but winds around it with a constant pitch .
Spinal arthrodesis with instrumentation for thoracolumbar kyphosis in pediatric achondroplasia.

Study Design. Retrospective radiograph and chart review. Objectives. To assess the safety, efficacy, and complications after posterior spinal arthrodesis with instrumentation for thoracolumbar kyphosis in the pediatric achondroplast. Summary of Background Data. The conventional approach of anterior and posterior arthrodesis has achieved minimal correction, avoided instrumentation, and had a high risk of neurologic deterioration. To the current authors’ knowledge, there are only two reports of successful instrumentation with pedicle screw fixation for kyphosis in pediatric achondroplasts; the outcome of such procedures remains largely unknown. Methods. The current authors evaluated the results of posterior spinal arthrodeses with instrumentation performed between 1998 and 2001 on 12 consecutive patients (mean age, 12 years). Indications for arthrodesis were concomitant laminectomy for neurologic symptoms or progressive deformity. Arthrodesis methods included anterior and posterior arthrodesis (5 patients) and posterior arthrodesis only (7 patients). Intraoperative somatosensory-evoked potentials, pedicle screw stimulation, and/or a wake-up test were used to confirm neurologic status in all patients. Results. Successful fusion was obtained in all patients. No intraoperative or postoperative neurologic deterioration was encountered. Mean improvement in kyphotic deformity was 50%. Complications included three instrumentation fractures (2 patients) and one dural leak. Parents rated outcome as excellent (4), good (6), and fair (2). No patients have subsequently experienced deformity progression. Conclusions. Spinal arthrodesis with vertebral body and/or pedicle screw instrumentation was a reliable technique for treating thoracolumbar kyphosis in achondroplasia and did not precipitate any of the neuromonitoring difficulties or neurologic deficits that have been reported in previous studies.
SDF-1-enhanced cardiogenesis requires CXCR4 induction in pluripotent stem cells.

Transformation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiac tissue is the hallmark of cardiogenesis, yet pro-cardiogenic signals remain partially understood. Preceding cardiogenic induction, a surge in CXCR4 chemokine receptor expression in the early stages of stem cell lineage specification coincides with the acquisition of pre-cardiac profiles. Accordingly, CXCR4 selection, in conjunction with mesoderm-specific VEGF type II receptor FLK-1 co-expression, segregates cardiogenic populations. To assess the functionality of the CXCR4 biomarker, targeted activation and disruption were here exploited in the context of embryonic stem cell-derived cardiogenesis. Implicated as a cardiogenic hub through unbiased bioinformatics analysis, induction of the CXCR4/SDF-1 receptor–ligand axis triggered enhanced beating activity in stem cell progeny. Gene expression knockdown of CXCR4 disrupted spontaneous embryoid body differentiation and blunted the expression of cardiogenic markers MEF2C, Nkx2.5, MLC2a, MLC2v, and cardiac-MHC. Exogenous SDF-1 treatment failed to rescue cardiogenic-deficient phenotype, demonstrating a requirement for CXCR4 expression in mediating SDF-1 effects. Thus, a pro-cardiogenic signaling role for the CXCR4/SDF1 axis is herein revealed within pluripotent stem cell progenitors, exposing a functional target to promote lineage-specific differentiation.
Patterns of ethanol and saccharin intake in P rats under limited-access conditions.

Patterns of drinking and responding for ethanol (EtOH) and saccharin (SACC) were examined in the alcohol-preferring P rat using various limited-access paradigms. Adult female P rats (n = 10–20) were given 2-h access to EtOH (10–13% v/v) and SACC (0.0125% g/v) concurrently each day, or each solution individually on alternate days. Total 2-h SACC intake was significantly greater than EtOH under both concurrent (12 ± 2 vs. 7 ± 0.8 ml, p < 0.05) and alternate-day access (18 ± 1.6 vs. 10 ± 0.5 ml) conditions. Under both conditions, however, EtOH intake (over 55% of the total) in the first 15 min was significantly greater than that of SACC (<25% of total). In an operant paradigm, total responding for EtOH (124 ± 29) and SACC (114 ± 7) under 2-h alternate-day conditions did not differ, but 65% of total EtOH responding occurred during the first 20 min versus less than 45% for SACC (p < 0.05). Increasing response requirements (FR-1 to FR-5) did not significantly alter the total number of EtOH reinforcements, but decreased the total number of SACC reinforcements by approximately 50% (p < 0.05). Increasing the EtOH concentration from 15% to 35% decreased the number of reinforcements approximately 50% but did not decrease the estimated g/kg EtOH intake. Increasing the SACC concentration from 0.0125% to 0.05%, however, nearly doubled the number of reinforcements. The greater preference for EtOH versus SACC during the initial part of the access period, together with the maintenance of EtOH intake in g/kg when the response requirements and the EtOH concentration were increased, suggests that EtOH intake is motivated by pharmacological consequences. Therefore, different motivational factors appear to underlie EtOH and SACC intake of the P rat. Furthermore, the pattern of EtOH intake and responding displayed by the P rat may be the result of a “bout-” or “binge-” like loss of control under restricted EtOH access conditions.
Chromosomal instability at common fragile sites in Seckel syndrome.

Seckel syndrome (SCKL) is a rare, genetically heterogeneous disorder, with dysmorphic facial appearance, growth retardation, microcephaly, mental retardation, variable chromosomal instability, and hematological disorders. To date, three loci have been linked to this syndrome, and recently, the gene encoding ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR) was identified as the gene mutated at the SCKL1 locus. The ATR mutation affects splicing efficiency, resulting in low levels of ATR in affected individuals. Elsewhere, we reported increased instability at common chromosomal fragile sites in cells lacking the replication checkpoint gene ATR. Here, we tested whether cells from patients carrying the SCKL1 mutation would show increased chromosome breakage following replication stress. We found that, compared with controls, there is greater chromosomal instability, particularly at fragile sites, in SCKL1-affected patient cells after treatment with aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerase α and other polymerases. The difference in chromosomal instability between control and patient cells increases at higher levels of aphidicolin treatment, suggesting that the low level of ATR present in these patients is not sufficient to respond appropriately to replication stress. This is the first human genetic syndrome associated with increased chromosome instability at fragile sites following replication stress, and these findings may be related to the phenotypic findings in patients with SCKL1.
Modeling the response of nonlinear viscoelastic biodegradable polymeric stents

Abstract We analyze the response of nonlinear viscoelastic biodegradable polymers when subject to mechanical loading coupled with the diffusion of a fluid (water) through the polymers and the degradation that occurs over a period of time. We consider the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) model introduced by Fung (1981) that has been found to be reasonably good in modeling tissues undergoing moderate deformations for modeling the nonlinear viscoelastic response of the biodegradable polymer that is being studied, i.e., poly-lactic acid (PLLA). We modify the QLV model to incorporate changes in the material parameters that are a consequence of the degradation that the polymers undergo. We assume that the rate of degradation increases with an increase in the magnitude of strains and concentration of water. We also assume that the degradation softens the polymers and that the rate of stress relaxation (or the rate of creep) of the polymer increases with degradation. Our primary intention is to examine the effect of viscoelasticity on the degradation in virtue of the time-dependent response of such bodies, and also due to the effect of the diffusion of water that leads to degradation. The problem leads to three different time histories associated with the strong coupling between the mechanical loading, diffusion of a fluid (water), and the degradation. As the biodegradable stent is placed inside a nonlinear viscoelastic arterial wall, we further examine the effect of the coupling between the response of the polymeric stent and arterial wall on the degradation of the biodegradable polymeric stent.
The logic of the coordinated management of meaning: A rules‐based approach to the first course in interpersonal communication

This article presents a new approach to the basic course in interpersonal communication. The approach is based on the need to teach principles that both cut beneath cultural diversity and function ...
Experimental therapies for yellow fever

A number of viruses in the family Flaviviridae are the focus of efforts to develop effective antiviral therapies. Success has been achieved with inhibitors for the treatment of hepatitis C, and there is interest in clinical trials of drugs against dengue fever. Antiviral therapies have also been evaluated in patients with Japanese encephalitis and West Nile encephalitis. However, no treatment has been developed against the prototype flavivirus, yellow fever virus (YFV). Despite the availability of the live, attenuated 17D vaccine, thousands of cases of YF continue to occur each year in Africa and South America, with a significant mortality rate. In addition, a small number of vaccinees develop severe systemic infections with the 17D virus. This paper reviews current efforts to develop antiviral therapies, either directly targeting the virus or blocking detrimental host responses to infection.
Femoral vein valve incompetence: treatment with a xenograft monocusp patch. Preliminary report.

Abstract A 36-year-old woman with chronic venous insufficiency of the lower extremities underwent successful venous valve reconstruction with prosthetic bovine monocusp patches in the superficial femoral and great saphenous veins. Postoperative valvular competence is evident in Doppler studies, photoplethysmography, phlebography, and clinical improvement after a 15-month follow-up. (J VASC SURG 1986;3:932-5.)
Economic Interdependence and the Balance of Power

To account for variance in great powers' responses to threats and the implications for the peacefulness of the international system since the late nineteenth century, this article elucidates a theory which refines and synthesizes economic liberal perspectives and realist balance of power theory. I argue that different patterns and levels of economic interdependence in the great power system generate societal-based economic constraints on, or incentives for, state leaders of status quo powers hoping to mobilize economic resources and political support to oppose perceived threats. This mobilization process influences strongly the preferences of status quo powers, other states beliefs about those preferences, and the interpretation of signals in balance of power politics. In this way, economic ties influence the strategies great powers pursue. Firm balancing policies conducive to peace in the international system are most likely, I then hypothesize, when there are extensive economic ties among status quo powers and few or no such links between them and perceived threatening powers. When economic interdependence is not significant between status quo powers or if status quo powers have strong economic links with threatening powers, weaker balancing postures and conciliatory policies by status quo powers, and aggression by aspiring revisionist powers, are more likely. I then illustrate how these hypotheses explain the development of the Franco-Russian alliance of the 1890s and its effectiveness as a deterrent of Germany up to 1905, British ambivalence toward Germany from 1906 to the First World War, the weakness of British, French, Soviet, and American behavior toward Germany in the 1930s and World War II, and the American and European responses to the Soviet threat, including the NATO alliance, and the "long peace" of the post-1945 era.
Research Integrity and Conflicts of Interest: The Case of Unethical Research-Misconduct Charges Filed by Edward Calabrese

Special-interest polluters often file research-misconduct (RM) charges against scientists whose research suggests needed pollutant regulation. This article argues that U.S. RM regulations are flawed in requiring RM assessors/experts/accused, but not accusers, to reveal possible conflicts of interest (COI) that could affect RM allegations. It (1) summarizes U.S. RM regulatory history; (2) uses a case study about 2011 RM allegations, filed by chemical-industry-funded toxicologist Edward Calabrese, to illustrate problems with RM regulations; and (3) offers 4 arguments in favor of revising RM regulations so as to require RM-accuser revelation of possible COI and who funded preparation of the RM allegations.