cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-term and long-term in vivo exposure to an ephedra- and caffeine-containing metabolic nutrition system does not induce cardiotoxicity in B6C3F1 mice

Although conventional biomedical research has largely focused on mechanisms of weight loss and genetic aspects of obesity, most medical solutions are plagued by side-effects and fraught with complex questions. As a consequence, consumers are seriously considering herbal products, nutraceuticals and functional foods as alternatives to conventional medications. This is evidently driven by a growing consumer understanding of diet/disease links, aging-related consequences, rising health care costs, and advances in food technology and nutrition. This study investigated the effects of up to 12 months exposure to a multinutrient and botanical extract supplement (Metabolic Nutrition System Orange (MNSO) - sold by AdvoCare, Carrollton, TX, USA) at five dietary concentrations on serum biochemistry and target organ histopathology of the hearts of B6C3F1 mice. The MNSO is a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and herbal extracts designed to provide a strong foundation of nutritional support, and to enhance thermogenesis and perception of energy. The MNSO contain extracts of citrus, ephedra, guarana, gingko, green tea and Ocimum. In this study, female B6C3F1 mice were fed control (-MNSO) or MNSO (one time to ten times, one time = daily human dose) diets. Animals were sacrificed after 4, 8 and 12 months', at which time blood was collected for serum chemistry analysis, and hearts were prepared for histopathology and tissue biochemistry. Food consumption and body weight changes were also monitored throughout the study. The MNSO exposure did not significantly affect any of the cardiosensitive enzymes [including creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] and normal histopathological architecture of the heart was observed. Although animals given the MNSO diet consumed more food, they were relatively leaner and more active compared to controls. The results indicate that ingestion of ephedra and caffeine for one year in the doses used as part of a comprehensive metabolic nutrition system does not significantly alter normal serum chemistry or induce any irreversible histological changes in the mouse heart, since this study employed up to ten times the normal human consumption dose of ephedra and the metabolic nutrition system.
InGaAs MESFET's for millimeter-wave low-noise applications

It is reported that excellent device performance and uniformity can be achieved with 0.25- mu m gate InGaAs MESFET fabricated by the mixed manufacturing technology of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and ion implantation. An average unity gain cutoff frequency of 102 GHz with a standard deviation of 12 GHz is derived from the S-parameter measurements of 139 devices uniformly distributed on a 3-in-diameter GaAs wafer. Two-stage low-noise amplifiers fabricated by using these InGaAs MESFETs demonstrate a typical noise figure of 3.6 dB with an associated gain of 14.4 dB at 44 GHz. >
Introduction of Multiple Hydrogen Bonding for Enhanced Mechanical Performance of Polymer-Carbon Nanotube Composites

Due to their outstanding mechanical properties and high aspect ratios, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are envisioned as attractive nanofillers in polymer composites. However, due to strong van der Waals interactions, deleterious aggregation of CNTs is typically observed in polymer nanocomposites. Moreover, due to low stress transfer between the matrix polymer and the nanotube filler, only limited reinforcement is obtained. We report here a novel functionalization strategy to obtain CNTs with pendant self-complementary hydrogen bonding groups in order to address these limitations. Multi-walled CNTs were functionalized with ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) groups, which display multiple hydrogen bonding. The functionalized CNTs were blended with acrylic copolymers containing pendant UPy moieties and significant enhancement in tensile performance of the nanocomposites was observed.
Suborganellar localization of plastidic type I signal peptidase 1 depends on chloroplast development

Plastidic type I signal peptidase 1 (Plsp1) is necessary for proper chloroplast development although its mode of action is not completely understood. Here, we demonstrate by immunoblotting and electron microscopy immunolocalization that Plsp1 is evenly distributed in the envelope and thylakoids of developing chloroplasts in meristems, whereas it is mainly located in thylakoids of developed chloroplasts in leaf mesophyll. This localization pattern corresponded to accumulation of transcripts for Plsp1 substrates in the envelope and thylakoids, translocon at the outer-envelope-membrane of chloroplasts 75 (Toc75) and oxygen-evolving complex subunit 33 (OE33), respectively. Furthermore, developing chloroplasts processed Toc75 more efficiently than did developed chloroplasts. These findings help establish the rationale for multiple localizations of Plsp1.
Effective antioxidant therapy for the management of arrhythmia.

“Reactive oxygen species-mediated reduction in the total sodium current reduces conduction velocity and facilitates re-entry, and other ionic effects of reactive oxygen species cause an increase in the inward current and intracellular calcium level, facilitating early afterdepolarization and delayed afterdepolarization.” Heart failure is the most important clinical condition that is associated with the increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) [1] and with an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the heart [2,3]. Numerous clinical risk factors for atrial fibrillation including hyperten sion, pulmonary diseases, surgery and aging, are all associated with oxidative stress [4]. The increased level of ROS associated with all major clinical risk factors for arrhythmia is indirect evidence that oxidative stress may be important in the genesis of both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Nevertheless, despite considerable evidence supporting the important role of oxidative stress in arrhythmia, clinical trials have failed to demonstrate the cardiovascular benefit of often-prescribed general antioxidants [5,6]. A greater understanding of the biology of ROS production and mechanisms, by which ROS facilitate arrhythmia, is essential to designing an effective antioxidant therapy for the treatment of arrhythmias. Cardiac sources of ROS Reactive oxygen species such as superoxide (O 2 •- ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), hydroxyl radical ( • OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO – )
Functional Consequences of Sequence Variation in Bundlin, the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Type IV Pilin Protein

The bundle-forming pilus (BFP) of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is an important virulence factor. We examined the role of divergent alleles of bfpA encoding bundlin, the BFP pilin protein, in pilus biogenesis, pilus interactions, and immune responses. We found that the BFP biogenesis machine from an EPEC strain that expresses one bundlin type is capable of assembling all other bundlin types. Furthermore, we found that EPEC strains expressing divergent bundlin types are capable of forming mixed autoaggregates, suggesting that different pilin types can intertwine. However, we found that there was a marked difference between alleles in immunogenicity in both rabbits and mice of a peptide derived from a region of bundlin undergoing apparent diversifying selection. In addition, despite a high degree of cross-reactivity between divergent bundlin proteins, in both mice and rabbits responses appeared to be stronger against the homologous pilin protein than against the heterologous protein. This result was verified using sera from a volunteer study, which demonstrated that the human antibody responses after an initial challenge with live EPEC were stronger against the homologous bundlin protein than against a divergent bundlin protein. However, a repeat challenge induced equivalent responses. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that human immune responses against bundlin exert selective pressure on bfpA sequence divergence.
Self-healing femtosecond light filaments

A recent experiment [Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 213 (2003)] indicated that filaments created in femtosecond high-power pulses propagating in air are surprisingly robust when interacting with microscopic water droplets. We present numerical modeling of the dynamics of the filament-droplet interaction. Our simulation results provide further insight into the interplay between the filament's core and the wide transverse pedestal of the pulse. It is shown that the robustness of the filament comes from the transverse low-intensity pedestal that controls the formation of the central hot spot. Implications for penetration of wide, high-power beams through obscurants are discussed.
Effect of heparin on arterial blood gases

To evaluate changes in arterial blood gas samples caused by the addition of liquid heparin, 50 patients had three simultaneous blood samples drawn, each with one of three amounts of heparin. The liquid heparin decreased statistically the PCO2, PO2, HCO3, and base excess, while the pH remained unchanged. By using a 2-cc blood sample with a 5-cc glass syringe and a 11/2-inch, 18-gauge needle to draw the heparin solution up to the 2-cc mark, and then completely evacuating it, we found that 0.025 cc of solution remained to coat the syringe. Although this remaining solution would cause a 1.25% error in the blood gas results, the error would be acceptable because it is generally less than the standard deviation of the laboratory results. Excess liquid heparin statistically exaggerated or produced false results consistent with a metabolic acidosis with respiratory compensation. We recommend that the complete evacuation of liquid heparin from the sampling syringe be included when performing an arterial blood gas analysis.
Inactivation of Poxviruses by Upper-Room UVC Light in a Simulated Hospital Room Environment

In the event of a smallpox outbreak due to bioterrorism, delays in vaccination programs may lead to significant secondary transmission. In the early phases of such an outbreak, transmission of smallpox will take place especially in locations where infected persons may congregate, such as hospital emergency rooms. Air disinfection using upper-room 254 nm (UVC) light can lower the airborne concentrations of infective viruses in the lower part of the room, and thereby control the spread of airborne infections among room occupants without exposing occupants to a significant amount of UVC. Using vaccinia virus aerosols as a surrogate for smallpox we report on the effectiveness of air disinfection, via upper-room UVC light, under simulated real world conditions including the effects of convection, mechanical mixing, temperature and relative humidity. In decay experiments, upper-room UVC fixtures used with mixing by a conventional ceiling fan produced decreases in airborne virus concentrations that would require additional ventilation of more than 87 air changes per hour. Under steady state conditions the effective air changes per hour associated with upper-room UVC ranged from 18 to 1000. The surprisingly high end of the observed range resulted from the extreme susceptibility of vaccinia virus to UVC at low relative humidity and use of 4 UVC fixtures in a small room with efficient air mixing. Increasing the number of UVC fixtures or mechanical ventilation rates resulted in greater fractional reduction in virus aerosol and UVC effectiveness was higher in winter compared to summer for each scenario tested. These data demonstrate that upper-room UVC has the potential to greatly reduce exposure to susceptible viral aerosols. The greater survival at baseline and greater UVC susceptibility of vaccinia under winter conditions suggest that while risk from an aerosol attack with smallpox would be greatest in winter, protective measures using UVC may also be most efficient at this time. These data may also be relevant to influenza, which also has improved aerosol survival at low RH and somewhat similar sensitivity to UVC.
Casein Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens Growth and Exoprotease Production

Growth of C. perfringens strain 3624 on a defined medium containing ANRC Reference Casein as the nitrogen source was investigated. Gas production, monitored manometrically as an index of growth, indicated a depressed growth response of the organism in the casein-containing medium. Increased growth response resulting from pepsin treatment of the casein was largely due to the enzyme serving as a nitrogen source. Chelation of iron by casein was not responsible for the growth inhibition. Casein suspended in complete medium was not inhibitory to the organism. Growth studies indicated that native casein was not available as a nitrogen source to the organism. Acid hydrolyzed casein and commercial casein hydrolysate served as suitable nitrogen sources for growth of the organism, however exoprotease production was repressed in both media as well as in medium containing native casein as the sole nitrogen source. C. perfringens strain 3624 produced exoprotease in the completely defined medium containing synthetic amino acids, indicating the possible presence of an amino acid or a metabolite, not produced in the casein-containing medium which functioned to derepress the enzyme synthesizing mechanism.
Yale Image Finder (YIF)

Summary: Yale Image Finder (YIF) is a publicly accessible search engine featuring a new way of retrieving biomedical images and associated papers based on the text carried inside the images. Image queries can also be issued against the image caption, as well as words in the associated paper abstract and title. A typical search scenario using YIF is as follows: a user provides few search keywords and the most relevant images are returned and presented in the form of thumbnails. Users can click on the image of interest to retrieve the high resolution image. In addition, the search engine will provide two types of related images: those that appear in the same paper, and those from other papers with similar image content. Retrieved images link back to their source papers, allowing users to find related papers starting with an image of interest. Currently, YIF has indexed over 140 000 images from over 34 000 open access biomedical journal papers. Availability: http://krauthammerlab.med.yale.edu/imagefinder/ Contact: michael.krauthammer@yale.edu
Variogram models reveal habitat gradients predicting patterns of territory occupancy and nest survival among vesper sparrows

Characterizing landscapes as gradients may help illuminate animal—habitat relationships that are either 1) masked by or 2) impractical to investigate using a purely patch-based perspective. Among other methods, variogram models may reveal these gradients in the environment by quantifying spatial dependence among point samples, yet few analyses of animal habitat relationships employing variograms have been undertaken. Using vegetation volume measurements from 4-m2 plots within breeding vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus territories, we calculated four territory-scale gradients: 1) mean volume, 2) standard deviation of volume, 3) nugget (a measure of fine-scale variation), and 4) range (an index of patch size). The first two gradients are more commonly employed in animal ecology while the second two were derived using variogram models and are infrequently employed. We next used these gradients in generalized linear models predicting territory occupancy and daily nest survival. We found overwhelming support ...
The expansion factor of error-control codes

We investigate the expansion factor of a linear block code. The expansion factor /spl Delta/(C) of an (n,k;d) code with codebook C is the maximum over all generator matrices G whose row space is C, of the minimum of w(xG) - w(x) over all nonzero inputs x. One can view /spl Delta/(C) as a measure of the "continuity" of the code. It indicates how well the code preserves and expands the distance relations of the input. We show that the expansion factor is bounded as d - k/spl les//spl Delta/(C) /spl les/ d - 1. We also relate it to the weight distribution of the code, and the output length n. Finally we find the expansion factor for a number of codes, including Hamming, Equidistant, Golay, and BCH codes.
Reading and Listening to Expository Text

Poor reading comprehension may result from a general comprehension problem, a decoding problem, or a combination of these problems. Using a counterbalanced design, 38 good and poor sixth-grade readers read aloud and listened to easy and hard texts. Immediately after reading and listening, students orally retold what they had read or heard. Their recalls were scored for number of idea units produced. Results indicated no difference in listening comprehension between good and poor readers for either easy or hard texts, but a significant difference in oral reading comprehension in favor of good readers on both easy and hard texts. The finding of no difference in listening suggests that the poor readers in this sample did not have a general comprehension problem, while their poor oral reading performance indicates that they did have a decoding problem. These findings support a more complex comprehension process model of listening and reading than has typically been described in the literature. Although a number of recent studies compare good and poor readers' comprehension of expository texts, these studies largely ignore the role of listening comprehension. Without information on listening comprehension, it
Matching Preparatory Intervention to Coping Style: The Effects on Children's Distress in the Dental Setting

Objective: Investigate the effects of matching preparatory interventions to patients' coping styles. Methods: Participants were 61 children, with a restricted age range of 6 through 9 years old (mean age was 7.9 years), who underwent dental restoration. Participants were randomly assigned to an information intervention, a relaxation intervention, or a control condition. Play and parent-report of sensitization/repression were indices of coping style. The first hypothesis, that play would relate to sensitization/repression, was tested using Pearson correlations. The second hypothesis, that interventions that were congruent with patients' coping styles would be more effective than incongruent interventions, was tested using MANCOVAs. Results: No relation was found between play and coping style. The "congruency hypothesis" was supported for self-reported distress immediately following the intervention. On behavioral distress variables, the interaction between sensitization/ repression and condition was contrary to the congruency hypothesis. Conclusions: Implications for future research and clinical intervention with pediatric populations were discussed.
Truncation length for Viterbi decoding

A bound is derived and analyzed for the bit error rate (BER) of a Viterbi decoder with survivor truncation. Estimates of the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) loss on the AWGN (additive white Gaussian noise) channel due to truncation are obtained for convolutional codes. Larger truncation lengths are required than the smallest value that does not effectively decrease the code's free distance, especially at low E/sub b//N/sub 0/. >
Schedulability related issues in end-to-end systems

With the proliferation of scheduling algorithms there is a growing need to test these schedulers for their validity not just at design time but also as the system evolves. This implies that the schedulability analysis has to be robust. In this study, we identify a few often posed questions that address the robustness of schedulability analyses. First these questions are dealt in the context of uniprocessor systems and then we handle some of their extensions in a more general context of end-to-end systems. We show that these questions are closely related to a more general problem. We present a solution to this problem. An intuitive proof of correctness and optimality of the solution technique are presented.
SIMULATING FOOD SHOPPERS' ECONOMIC LOSSES AS A RESULT OF SUPERMARKET UNAVAILABILITY*

This study illustrates a methodology as a first step toward the development of a benefit/cost model for the evaluation of the Federal Trade Commission regulation of the unavailability of advertised specials in food stores. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate economic losses to shoppers from unavailable advertised specials. Product unavailability in the model occurred as a result of alternative managerial decisions about purchase-order quantities for advertised specials and shelf-stocking policies combined with probabilistic purchase decisions by customers. The model generated probabilistic individual customer and management behavioral responses to unavailability during a one-year time period. As a result, the derived economic losses to customers from unavailability were based on alternative assumptions about managerial behavior in conjunction with empirically derived shopper responses to advertised specials. This study thus provides some idea of the amount of damages being caused by the excessive unavailability of advertised specials. Aggregate customer losses were found to vary primarily with respect to management's purchase-order quantity of advertised specials.
Customers-at-Risk Management

Fur viele Topmanager gehort es zu den besonders schwierigen Aufgaben, das fur die Erreichung der Gewinnziele notwendige Wachstum zu generieren. Dies gilt v. a. fur diejenigen, die in gesattigten Markten agieren, so dass Wachstum uber Kundengewinne fast nur durch die teure Abwerbung von der Konkurrenz erreicht werden kann. Vielfach wird die Losung in der Forcierung der Neukundengewinnung durch teure Werbekampagnen und Preissenkungen gesehen. Dies wird allerdings oft mit Ertragseinbusen und Qualitatseinschrankungen erkauft. Mussen gleichzeitig Kundenabwanderungen hingenommen werden, wird zukunftiges Wachstum zusatzlich erschwert, da die realisierten Neukundengewinne auch dazu dienen, die Kundenverluste zu kompensieren. Selbst wenn die Politik der Neukundengewinnung auf hoherem Niveau fortgesetzt wird, bleibt das Verlustrisiko unvermindert und die Wachstumsaussichten sind wenig viel versprechend.
COMMENTARY: INTERDISCIPLINARY LONGITUDINAL STUDIES OF AGEING

If one is interested in exploring the antecedent variables that differentiate groups of individuals with different demographic characteristics such as age, gender, or region of residence, one needs to look for data sets that have followed such groups over time. Hence, multi-disciplinary studies are increasingly common and two prime examples the ILSE and KAROLA studies are described in this volume (Rothenbacher, Rott, Jopp, & Brenner; Schmitt, Oswald, Jopp, Wahl, & Brenner). Before commenting on these studies, I will raise some issues common to interdisciplinary studies in general, and show a conceptual framework from my own Seattle Longitudinal study to illustrate how any major longitudinal study investigating aging processes is likely to become interdisciplinary whether it started in that manner or not. I then comment on some design issues relevant to both ILSE and KAROLA. Finally, I comment briefly on the power of interdisciplinary longitudinal studies of aging.
Ultra-low dose FDG PET imaging for nutrition and metabolism studies

418 Objectives In vivo visualization and objective quantification of specific tissues such as brown adipose tissue (BAT) is highly desirable for nutrition and metabolism studies. However, current clinical FDG doses (avg. 13 mCi) lead to undesirable radiation exposure levels for such uses. We therefore embarked upon a methodology development to perform ultra-low dose FDG PET imaging for such applications. Methods As part of a clinical study, we performed low dose (avg. 2.5 mCi) FDG PET/CT studies on 18 subjects using a Gemini 64 time of flight PET/CT system (Philips, Cleveland). In order to activate BAT, the subjects were exposed to cold temperatures for 2 hours. All acquisitions were performed with 360 s per bed / volume position 60 to 70 min p.i. and in list mode which enables the subsampling to simulate lower count densities or dosing levels. Data sets were additionally reconstructed using only 240s, 120s, 90s, 60s and 15s list mode events representing dose reductions by 33%, 66%, 75%, 83% and 96%. The images were visually and quantitatively analyzed by ROI by three blinded, independent readers. A receiver operator curve (ROC) was determined for each case, reader and cumulative. Results The blinded assessment resulted that a 66% dose reduction from the avg. 2.5 mCi could be implemented without impact on visual or quantitative assessment facilitating an effective dose requirement of only 0.8 mCi FDG on current generation systems. Based on other work using the upcoming solid state detector PET system, we were able to further simulate that a dose of 0.4 mCi appears achievable for ultra-low dose PET. Conclusions Ultra-low dose FDG PET imaging to assess metabolism of tissue such as brown adipose tissue has been demonstrated to be possible at 0.8 mCi FDG on current generation systems and are predicted to be possible at 0.4 mCi on new solid state digital detector system such facilitating the innovative and safe use of FDG PET for nutrition and metabolism evaluations. Research Support This research was supported by the Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging Pilot project program.
Poor outcome in children with refractory/relapsed leukemia undergoing bone marrow transplantation with mismatched family member donors

The utility of bone marrow transplantation for childhood leukemia in patients unable to achieve a remission prior to transplant is controversial. To address this issue, we analyzed a subset of patients with advanced leukemia entered on prospective transplant trials at our hospital. Fifty-eight patients with ALL or AML (age 1-19) were identified. They had failed standard chemotherapy and were in relapse (22 in 1st, 27 in 2nd, three in 3rd, and three in 4th) or had never achieved an initial remission (three) at the time of transplant. Fifty-two patients received marrow from mismatched family members (haplo or DR-identical), while six received marrow from matched siblings. Most patients received myeloablative therapy consisting of total body irradiation, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and cytosine arabinoside. Marrow from mismatched donors was T cell depleted. Only one of 52 patients transplanted with a mismatched donor survived long-term while three of six patients transplanted in relapse with a fully matched sibling donor are alive 6-10 years post BMT. The major causes of death were infection (39%) and relapse (28%). Acute GVHD grade III-IV was noted in 7% of patients. A comparable group of patients with leukemia transplanted at our center in remission using similarly mismatched family member donors (haplo or DR-identical) had an event-free survival of 28%. In conclusion, our data suggest that BMT utilizing mismatched family member donors is a poor option for patients in relapse at the time of transplant. New treatment strategies need to be developed to effectively manage these patients.
Preliminary Studies of the Hydracarina of Michigan: the Subfamily Foreliinae Viets (Acarina: Pionidae)

This paper2 is the first of a series dealing with the subfamilies of the Pionidae of Michigan. The present work, although treating primarily the Michigan fauna, includes all the known North American species. The subfamily Foreliinae is small, with only two described genera, both of which are present in Michigan.- Members of the genus Forelia are mostly holarctic in distribution, but have also been reported from Africa. The genus Pseudofeltria , formerly known only from Europe, is now reported from North America for the first time.
Analysis on the Constituent Elements of Basketball Player's Consciousness Process

This article clarifies the concept of consciousness process by summarizing the constituent elements of basketball players' consciousness process, and then it gives a clear theoretical gist for basketball consciousness training.
MANGROVES: A REVIEW1

“The beaches on that coast I had come to visit are treacherous and sandy and the tides are always shifting things about among the mangrove roots…A world like that is not really natural…Parts of it are neither land nor sea and so everything is moving from one element to another, wearing uneasily the queer transitional bodies that life adopts in such places. Fish, some of them, come out and breathe air and sit about watching you. Plants take to eating insects, mammals go back to the water and grow elongate like fish, crabs climb trees. Nothing stays put where it began because everything is constantly climbing in, or climbing out, of its unstable environment.”
Operations for Zenker’s Diverticulum

Zenker’s diverticulum is a false diverticulum or pseudodiverticulum of the esophageal mucosa and submucosa occurring at Killian’s dehiscence, which lies at the junction between the oblique fibers of the cricopharyngeus muscle and the transverse fibers of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor (Fig. 11.1). The Zenker’s diverticulum is a pulsion diverticulum thought to occur as a result of inadequate coordination between these muscle fibers, with a resultant increased pharyngoesophageal intraluminal pressure. The advent of endoscopic techniques has transformed the surgical treatment of Zenker’s diverticula. Although the treatment paradigm has shifted to minimally invasive approaches with repair assisted by endoscopic stapling or lasers, traditional transcervical procedures can still play a role in selected cases. This chapter illustrates our tailored approach to patients with Zenker’s diverticulum and demonstrates the open surgical and endoscopic techniques.
Making the Transition from Student to Resident: A Method to Individualize a PGY1 Program

A Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) resident's concerns, limitations, and strengths may be self-identified early in the residency year but are reliant on self-awareness and insight. Program directors commonly find difficulty in identifying a resident's specific knowledge deficits at the beginning of the program. A standardized resident examination can identify limitations early in training and these results can be incorporated into a tailored resident development plan. A total of sixty-two PGY1 residents completed the examination pre- and post-training over a five-year timespan. Scores increased in most core disciplines in each of the five years, indicating an overall improvement in resident knowledge throughout their PGY1 year. The approach of utilizing the scores for the resident's individualized plan allows for customization to ensure that the resident addresses knowledge gaps where necessary.
Use of a Homology Model of the PIM-1 Kinase To Identify Variant Flavonoids Having Selective Inhibitory Activity Against PIM-1.

Abstract The pim family of kinases are small cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases implicated in the development of leukemias, lymphomas, and prostate cancer. Expression of pim-1 and pim-2 is induced by several oncogenes and growth factors. These kinases confer a survival phenotype through modulation of the expression or activity of various bcl-2 family members. To identify prototype small molecule inhibitors of pim-1 we have undertaken a series of experimental and computational studies. Central to our efforts has been the development of a homology model of the PIM-1 protein, using death-associated kinase as a template. After a series of computational refinements using the CFF forcefield, we then further modified our model through experimental approaches. The members of the pim family appear to have a unique, conserved structure to the hinge region, based on its length and the presence of two invariant prolines. This observation suggested that ATP-pocket binding compounds could be identified that would have selectivity for pim-1. We used a liquid phase, ELISA-based in vitro kinase assay to measure IC50 values for a set of 14 flavonoids, a family of known kinase inhibitors. Calculated binding energies for the test flavonoids were then compared with measured IC50 values, and the model giving the highest correlations was then used for further studies. A set of 25 additional flavonoids was then examined for binding energy to the homology model. Our studies predicted that the flavonoids quercetagetin and gossypetin could be potential pim-1 inhibitors. This hypothesis was then tested by in vitro kinase assay. Indeed these two flavonoids were found to be active pim-1 inhibitors with high-nanomolar potency. Quercetagetin was found to be competitive with ATP in the kinase assay. Furthermore the two flavonoids were seen to have a degree of selectivity for pim-1 kinase, compared with related serine-threonine kinases and a tyrosine kinase. IC50 (micromolar) of flavonoids against PIM-1 and other kinases Inhibitor PIM-1 PIM-2 cAMP-dep. kinase c-ABL quercetagetin 0.33 4.0 21 >200 gossypetin 0.430 7.1 250 >200 quercetin 2.0 ND ND 5.7 In contrast the potency and pim-1-selectivity of the related flavonoid quercetin (a promiscuous inhibitor of kinases) was much inferior. SAR analysis of the flavonoid set showed that pim-1 selectivity depended on the presence of three hydrogen bond donors on the flavonoid A ring. Quercetagetin has been tested for biologic effects on factor-dependent FDCP1 cells transfected with a cDNA for human pim-1. These test cells show prolonged, pim-1-dependent survival after removal of IL-3 from the growth medium. This phenotype was completely abolished by treatment with quercetagetin (IC50 = 3-5micromolar final concentration). Flavonoids such as quercetagetin and gossypetin may serve as guides for the development of small molecule inhibitors specific for pim family kinases. Such reagents will be useful for determining the role of constitutive pim-1 expression in the development of leukemias and lymphomas.
Just War Theory & the Conduct of Asymmetric Warfare

A central element of the dominant view of just war theory is the moral equality of soldiers: combatants have equal rights to wage war against one another and are entitled to certain protections if captured, without regard to which side's cause of war is just. But whether and how this principle should apply in asymmetric armed conflicts between states and nonstate groups is profoundly unsettled. I argue that we should confer war rights on fighters for nonstate groups when they are engaged in violence that has risen to the level of armed conflict, and when the state against which the war is being waged is not entitled to assert its monopoly on the legitimate exercise of force, either because 1) the nonstate group has established sufficient control over territory to assert its own governing authority; or 2) because the group is located abroad. Conferring war rights on nonstate fighters does not, however, permit them to engage in acts that violate the laws of war. Fighters who commit such violations are indiv...
5:1 Bandwidth Dielectric Rod Antenna Using a Novel Feed Structure

We present an ultrawideband dielectric rod antenna using a novel V-shaped twin-wire tapered transverse electromagnetic waveguide as the feed structure. The new feed taper allows for much wider bandwidth and resolves the pattern degradation in higher frequencies, which is typically encountered in endfire mode dielectric rod antennas. The three sections of the antenna geometry, namely, the feed taper, the rod body, and the radiation taper, are concurrently designed to achieve a 5:1 frequency bandwidth covering 6–30 GHz, 17-dB maximum gain and sidelobe levels below −20 dB over the entire band. The design is fabricated using Rexolit_1422 (epsilon_ $r = 2.53$ ) and measured performance is compared with simulation results, illustrating the effectiveness of the new feed structure in providing 5:1 bandwidth with stable radiation patterns within the entire band.
Community Primary Care Provider Preferences for Emergency Department Follow-up Recommendations: A Regional Study.

Background Children who present to emergency departments (EDs) for care are frequently advised to follow up with their primary care providers (PCPs) after discharge; little is known about whether PCPs agree that follow-up advised by EDs is appropriate for their patients. Objectives The aims of this study were to determine PCP preferences for follow-up recommendations given to their pediatric patients at the time of ED visits and to compare these preferences to reported emergency medicine provider (EMP) practice. Methods This was an online survey of PCPs and EMPs in a regional health system assessing preferred timing for ED follow-up recommendations for 15 common pediatric conditions and whether the follow-up should be definite or contingent. Results Ninety PCPs and 36 EMPs responded to the survey. In patients with community-acquired pneumonia, probability of recommending follow-up after 5 or more days was 33% in PCPs and 8% in EMPs (P = 0.001). In all conditions with significant differences, PCPs favored longer follow-up. In upper respiratory tract infection and acute otitis media, PCPs had a higher probability than EMPs of selecting as-needed versus definite follow-up (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.01, respectively). In asthma, concussion, and pneumonia, PCPs had a significantly lower probability of selecting as-needed follow-up than EMPs. Conclusions In this regional survey, PCPs preferred longer times between ED visit and follow-up than EMPs for a number of conditions. Differences were also found in preference for as-needed or definite follow-up, varying by condition. These discrepancies could result in overuse or underuse of clinic resources, suggesting a possible quality improvement target for emergency medicine practice.
Notes from a Day on the Forums: Recommendations for Maintaining a Good Reputation as an Amazon Mechanical Turk Requester

Social scientists are increasingly collecting data online, and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) service has become a ubiquitous platform for recruiting online subjects. While a growing number of academic journal articles investigate the merits of this methodology, its increasing popularity and the rapidly changing nature of the online community demand frequent monitoring of workers’ feedback to ensure best practices. Thus, we decided to spend “a day at the forums” to learn more about workers' thoughts and feedback, and try to establish some best practices. We found that (i) Turkers consistently preferred short studies with only a handful of questions per page, (ii) Accepting HITs (and paying bonuses) on time is as important as the amount paid, (iii) it is important to keep a close eye on what turkers post on websites such as redditt and turkopticon, (iv) accessing the HIT should be as seamless as possible, (v) and that having transparent procedures for payment and disqualification is important. We also provide a set of links to useful MTurk resources.
Optimal blending of differently refined fish proteins based on their functional properties

Two different mixtures (Alaska pollock surimi with grass carp fish protein isolate (FPI) and grass carp surimi with grass carp FPI) were investigated for their compatibility and functionalities. As the proportion of FPI increased, it was observed surface hydrophobicity and surface reactive sulfhydryl (SRSH) content increased significantly, indicating the degree of fish protein unfolding prior to gelation was much higher than surimi alone. Comparable results were shown as measured by storage modulus (G′) in oscillatory dynamic rheology, demonstrating the gelling temperature was reduced when the proportion of FPI increased. Effects of mixing surimi and FPI on gel functionality (hardness, cohesiveness, and whiteness) exhibited a linear pattern when the proportion of surimi was larger than or equal to that of FPI. However, there were no linear relationships when the proportion of FPI exceeded that of surimi. Practical applications Commercial surimi has been successfully used in the Western world over 30 years. Unlike surimi which is a refined fish myofibrillar protein composite, fish protein isolate (FPI) is a refined composite of myofibrillar protein and sarcoplasmic protein. The former is made by avoiding any chemical/physical denaturation, while the latter can be made by inducing chemical denaturation and renaturation with pH shift. Even though FPI is not currently available in a commercial scale, it has a great potential to replace all or a part of surimi for the manufacture of fish protein gel products. This study reveals how to optimally mixed these two differently refined fish proteins based on their functional properties. The results suggested that blending surimi and FPI may be feasible only when the proportion of FPI does not exceed 50%.
Sexual Dimorphism in Cardiovascular Disease

The United States has experienced an overall decline in mortality from cardiovascular disease during the past twenty years, but this rate of decline has been slower in women than men. Although there has been an increasing awareness of cardiovascular disease in women over the past decade, this has not resulted in a decline in their rate of cardiovascular death. On the contrary, as the population ages, the percentage of women increases along with the absolute number of cardiovascular deaths in women (Figure 1).
Impacts of Deicing Salt and Nitrogen Addition on Soil Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling in a Roadside Ecosystem

Roads and highways play an important function in the human-dominated Earth landscape and strongly affect the environment. Roadside ecosystems receive a number of pollutants, including deicing salt and inorganic nitrogen (N) from automobiles. We investigated how soil carbon (C) and N cycling were impacted by the application of salt (NaCl) and nitrate (NO3−) to experimental plots in a field that is adjacent to Interstate 81, in Binghamton, NY. Experimental plots were constructed on two parallel transects; one was adjacent to the highway (0-m) and the other 50 m away from the highway (50-m). We hypothesized that the 0-m transect was exposed to roadway-derived pollutants over a long-term period of time, while the 50-m transect was exposed to fewer pollutants due to its distance from the road. Soils were collected in July and November 2011 and June and October 2012. Salt significantly decreased the rates of soil C mineralization and in situ soil respiration in both 0- and 50-m transects (p < 0.001), though it did not discernibly affect the rates of N mineralization or nitrification. Applications of NO3− had no significant impact on soil C or N mineralization. The effects of roadway pollutants were reflected in higher soil conductivities and pH at the 0-m transect. Under experimental salt treatment, C mineralization was reduced by 75% in the 50-m transect, compared to 20% reduction in the 0-m transect. We conclude that microbial communities near roads might have evolved to better withstand the impacts of roadway pollutants. Nevertheless, roads and vehicle traffic have strong impacts on the environment, and the application of road salt has important environmental consequences.
Experimental observations of complex dynamics in a chemical reaction

In experiments on a stirred flow chemical reactor we have observed a sequence of periodic and chaotic regimes that alternate as a function of the flow rate. The periodic regimes are characterized by power spectra consisting of a single fundamental frequency component and harmonics and by limit cycle attractors, while the chaotic regimes are characterized by broadband power spectra and strange attractors. One of the chaotic regimes has been studied in detail and has been found to correspond to a smooth one-dimensional map that has a single maximum and a positive Lyapunov exponent.
Chromatin Modifications Distinguish Genomic Features and Physical Organization of the Nucleus

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the fact that chromatin modifications distinguish genomic features and physical organization of the nucleus. The spatial organization of genomic DNA in the nucleus thus represents the next frontier in functional genomics and epigenomics. The specific DNA sequences associated with a particular protein complex are then isolated by immuno-affinity purification using a specific antibody against the protein. The purified DNA fragments are assayed by a variety of molecular techniques, such as Southern blot or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to determine association of particular DNA sequences with the protein of interest. This genome-wide approach to investigating protein–DNA interactions was extended by the adaptation of the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) technique to analysis of ChIP DNA. The extension of 3C analysis to the entire human genome, coupled with advances in imaging and FISH techniques, promises to provide us with a global understanding of how the entire genome is packaged into the nucleus and how the resulting three-dimensional topology of the genome influences its activity. Combined with detailed genome-wide maps of heterochromatin and euchromatin, an unprecedented molecular view of gene activity, epigenetic structure, and 3D organization of the genome will be possible.
Durable antimicrobial textiles: types, finishes and applications

Abstract: Because natural fibers are part of the evolved natural world, they all have organisms that will attack them and break them down. Although synthetic fibers have less natural microbial enemies, they too can be subject to attack by microorganisms. Ideal antimicrobial agents should be effective against a broad spectrum of agents, be durable, have low toxicity, be compatible with other finishes, and be easy to apply. Among the finishes that are used to impart durable antimicrobial properties to fibers and fabrics are metals and metal ions, quaternary ammonium compounds, chitosan, and regenerable halamines. Although durable antimicrobials are increasingly popular for the consumer market, questions regarding their use will continue to rise regarding their effect on the evolution of resistant microbes.
Ion Beam Studies of Metal-Metal and Metal-Semiconductor Reactions

Backscattering techniques allow determination of elemental composition as a function of depth with typical values of depth resolution of 100 to 300A. The technique is ideally suited to measurements in thin film systems of thicknesses of several thousand Angstroms and has provided a basis for examination of thin film interactions. This presentation is intended as an introduction to the papers presented in this session of the conference. These papers represent examples of the type of studies carried out in this field: interdiffusion and mixing between thin metal films, and reaction kinetics and silicide formation in systems composed of metal films deposited on Si or SiO2. These studies involve solid-solid diffusion and reactions since the process temperatures are below the eutectic. Although backscattering techniques provide depth-microscopy, supplemental measurements are often required to establish lateral uniformity and the relative importance of grain boundary and bulk diffusion.
Gastrointestinal System, Pancreatobiliary Tract and Liver

Esophageal adenocarcinomas are believed to follow the intestinal metaplasia–dysplasia–carcinoma pathway. The metaplastic glandular epithelium is lined by a layer of periglandular myofibroblastic cells which regulate many aspects of the epithelial cells like in the intestine (refer to the intestine section for more detailed discussion) [4]. Due to the presence of the periglandular myofibroblastic sheath, benign intestinal epithelial proliferations have a characteristic serrated appearance. Except for the rare serrated adenocarcinomas in the colon which possess other easily discernible characteristic features, genuine serration is rarely seen in gastrointestinal epithelial malignancies. This important feature can be very useful in the diagnosis of well-differentiated carcinomas where invasion is insidious and desmoplasia is not evident.
Abstract 197: Root Cause Analysis of 30-day Heart Failure Readmission Elucidates Acute Kidney Injury as a Common Offender

Background: Hospitalization for heart failure (HF) and heart transplant is associated with a high likelihood of readmission within 30 days of discharge. Our study objective was to identify risk fac...