cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction of sodium iodide into the calcified dental tissues.

This report deals with one aspect of tooth permeability, namely, the introduction of a foreign substance into the calcified dental tissues. Primarily its purpose is the development of a new method for studying this phenomenon, utilizing sodium iodide as the foreign substance. Investigation in tooth permeability, especially with regard to enamel, has considered two aspects of the problem-penetration from the pulp outward to the external surface, and from without, inward. The methods employed in these studies included: Various staining solutions applied to the whole tooth in vitro (1), (2). Complex dyes inserted into the pulp and applied to the enamel surface in vivo (3), (4). Introduction of radioactive salts in vitro and in vivo (6, 7, 8, 9, 10). These procedures have provided considerable data on the subject, but are nevertheless open to criticisms. Results published on the basis of experimentation with extracted teeth can be considered only an indication of the true picture because loss of vitality has been shown to influence permeability (3). Investigators using dyes in direct contact with the teeth, for the most part, have employed complex molecular dyes. Since permeability depends largely on the size and charge of the molecule, results obtained from the use of these dyes cannot be applied to calcium, phosphorous, fluorine, and other small inorganic ions which bathe the teeth in vivo. Neither the use of extracted teeth nor dyes contacting the teeth can be correlated with normal physiological conditions. The use of radioactive isotopes, while an excellent method of investigation, requires extensive equipment, is a difficult procedure, and does not clearly demonstrate the distribution of the introduced substance. It has nevertheless contributed much information concerning the degree of tooth permeability in vivo. Wasserman and Blayney (5, 6), Volker and Sognnaes (7, 10), and Barnum and Armstrong (9) have demonstrated that radioactive phosphorous injected intraperitoneally or intravenously finds its way into the dentin and enamel of the teeth. The dentin, as might be expected, takes up considerably more phosphorous than the enamel. All investigators agree that the phosphorous which finds its way into the dentin does so through the blood. As far as the enamel is
An exonic splicing silencer represses spliceosome assembly after ATP-dependent exon recognition

Precursor messenger RNA splicing is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a macromolecular complex that assembles in a stepwise process. The spliceosome's dynamic nature suggests the potential for regulation at numerous points along the assembly pathway; however, thus far, naturally occurring regulation of splicing has only been found to influence a small subset of spliceosomal intermediates. Here we report that the exonic splicing silencer (ESS1) that represses splicing of PTPRC (encoding CD45) exon 4 does not function by the typical mechanism of inhibiting binding of U1 or U2 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) to the splice sites. Instead, a U1-, U2- and ATP-dependent complex forms across exon 4 that is required for inhibiting progression to the U4–U6–U5 tri-snRNP–containing B complex. Such inhibition represents a new mechanism for splicing regulation and suggests that regulation can probably occur at many of the transitions along the spliceosome assembly pathway.
Ortho-ordent initialization of feedforward artificial neural networks (FFANNs) to improve their generalization ability

There are several models for neurons and their interconnections. Among them, feedforward artificial neural networks (FFANNs) are very popular for being quite simple. However, to make them truly reliable and smart information processing systems, such characteristics as learning speed, local minima, and generalization ability need more understanding. Difficulties such as long learning-time and local minima, may not affect them as much as the question of generalization ability, because in many applications a network needs only one training, and then it may be used for a long time. However, the question of generalization ability of ANNs is of great interest for both theoretical understanding and practical use, because generalization ability is a measure of a learning system that indicates how closely its actual output approximates to the desired output for an input that it has never seen. We investigate novel techniques for systematic initializations (as opposed to purely random initializations) of FFANN architectures for possible improvement of their generalization ability. Our preliminary work has successfully employed row-vectors of Hadamard matrices to generate initializations; this initialization method has produced networks with better generalization ability. © (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Unraveling the genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus

The capacity to locate polymorphisms on a virtually complete map of the human genome coupled with the ability to accurately evaluate large numbers (by historical standards) of genetic markers has led to gene identification in complex diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus). While this is a phenotype with enormous clinical variation, the twin studies and the observed familial aggregation, along with the genetic effects now known, suggest a strong genetic component. Unlike type 1 diabetes, lupus genetics is not dominated by the powerful effect of a single locus. Instead, there are at least six known genetic association effects in lupus of smaller magnitude (odds ratio 10) are expected to be identified to contribute to lupus or in its many subsets defined by clinical and laboratory features.
cis-dichloro-bis(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2-bipyridine)osmium(II)-modified optically transparent electrodes: application as cathodes in stacked dye-sensitized solar cells.

An optically transparent cathode was developed for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. Fluorine-doped tin oxide conducting glass modified with a monolayer of cis-dichloro-bis(4,4‘-dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine)osmium(II) efficiently reduces the oxidized form of the redox mediator. This transparent cathode transmits light that is not absorbed by the dyed TiO2; consequently, more than one cell can operate in optical tandem (i.e., stacked). Two types of stacked cells are considered: one where both photoanodes are dyed with the same dye and one where the photoanodes are dyed with different, spectrally complementary dyes. Overall behavior of these tandem cells is compared with single-cell analogs.
Concerning preservation of chainability upon taking a preimage under z↦z2

Abstract If X is an arc in the complex plane C with 0 as an endpoint, then the preimage of X under f ( z ) = z 2 is also an arc, and the endpoints of f − 1 ( X ) are the points in the preimage of the nonzero endpoint of X. In this paper, the author explores necessary and sufficient conditions under which a chainable continuum in C has chainable preimage under f. The paper contains an example of a chainable continuum X (the simple three-fold Knaster continuum) embedded in the complex plane in such a way that 0 is an endpoint of X and the preimage of X under the square map is not chainable.
On testing structure of mean vector of compound symmetric gaussian model

In this paper the moments of the likelihood ratio statistic for testing the structure of mean vector of a compound symmetric Gaussian model, have been derived by using the orthogonal transformation of variables. Then the distribution of the test statistic is studied.
5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine induced growth inhibition of leukemia cells through modulating endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis

5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), a nucleoside analog that can inhibit DNA cytosine methylation, possesses potent antitumorigenic activities for myeloid disorders. Although 5-Aza-CdR is known to be incorporated into DNA and inhibit DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferases, the precise mechanisms underlying the drug's antineoplastic activity remain unclear. Here we utilized a mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomic method to analyze the 5-Aza-CdR-induced perturbation of protein expression in Jurkat-T cells at the global proteome scale. Among the ≈ 2780 quantified proteins, 188 exhibited significant alteration in expression levels upon a 24-hr treatment with 5 μm 5-Aza-CdR. In particular, we found that drug treatment led to substantially reduced expression of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDPS) and farnesyl diphosphate farnesyltransferase (FDFT1), two important enzymes involved in de novo cholesterol synthesis. Consistent with this finding, 5-Aza-CdR treatment of leukemia (Jurkat-T, K562 and HL60) and melanoma (WM-266-4) cells led to a marked decrease in cellular cholesterol content and pronounced growth inhibition, which could be rescued by externally added cholesterol. Exposure of these cells to 5-Aza-CdR also led to epigenetic reactivation of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) gene. Additionally, suppression of DPP4 expression with siRNA induced elevated protein levels of FDPS and FDFT1, and increased cholesterol biosynthesis in WM-266-4 cells. Together, the results from the present study revealed, for the first time, that 5-Aza-CdR exerts its cytotoxic effects in leukemia and melanoma cells through epigenetic reactivation of DPP4 gene and the resultant inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis in these cells.
P92 Présentation clinique et pronostic du diabète de type 1 auto-immun révélé par un diabète gestationnel (DG)

Introduction Le DG est un trouble de la tolerance au glucose diagnostique pour la premiere fois pendant la grossesse, sans prejuger de son etiologie. La revelation d'un diabete de type 1 auto-immun (DT1) pendant la grossesse est une situation rare, dont la presentation et le pronostic sont peu decrits. Nous rapportons 21 observations de ce type. Patients et Methodes Etude descriptive de cas de diabete revele pendant une grossesse (« grossesse index ») et ayant evolue vers un diabete permanent, dont l'origine auto-immune a ete confirmee par la presence d'anticorps anti-GAD et/ou anti-IA-2. Les resultats sont exprimes en mediane. Resultats Parmi les 21 patientes 12 etaient multipares (15 grossesses) et 5 avaient deja eu un DG. Sept de ces grossesses (47 %) avaient eu une issue anormale (1 mort fœtale, 6 macrosomies). Au moment de la grossesse index, les 21 patientes etaient âgees de 31 ans, avaient un IMC de 19,8 kg/m 2 et 16 avaient au moins un facteur de risque de DG. Le diabete a ete diagnostique au terme de 26 SA, par un depistage systematique chez 16 femmes, a l'occasion d'une macrosomie chez 2 et d'une decompensation metabolique chez 3. La glycemie a jeun etait a 7,2 mM (5,2-13,5, decompensations exclues). Toutes les patientes ont ete traitees par insuline, dans 10 cas au moment du diagnostic de DG et apres 4 semaines de regime chez les autres. Le terme de l'accouchement a ete de 38 SA. Dans 67 % des cas, la grossesse index a eu une issue anormale (10 macrosomies, 4 prematures, 2 morts fœtales). Apres l'accouchement, l'insulinotherapie a ete arretee chez 18 patientes, pour une duree de 6 mois (2-32). Le diagnostic de DT1 a ete porte pendant la grossesse index chez 8 patientes et au moment de la rechute du diabete chez les autres. Discussion Le DT1 auto-immun peut se reveler comme un DG chez des patientes, ayant ou non des facteurs de risque de DG. Chez ces patientes, le defaut d'insulinosecretion de la phase preclinique du DT1 peut etre demasque par l'insulinoresistance physiologique de la grossesse. Conclusion Le pronostic des grossesses revelant un DT1 sous la forme d'un DG est reserve, en partie du fait d'un retard diagnostique.
Intelligent Estimation of Gateways Count for Reduced Data Latency in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have recently gained increased attention due to their potential use in numerous civil and military applications. In many of these applications, resource-constrained sensors are deployed to probe their surroundings and report their findings to one or multiple gateway nodes. In large networks, many sensors get involved in data relaying making the data latency unacceptably high. Since the number of deployed gateways and their locations impact the operation of the network, one of the option for reducing the data collection delay is to employ many gateways and appropriately place them in close proximity to data sources. However, increasing the gateway count imposes high cost for the additional hardware resources and their deployment means, thus a tradeoff would be unavoidable. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for estimating the least number of gateways required for meeting some upper bound on data latency. In addition, we present a heuristic for finding best locations for these gateways. Validation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Factors Affecting Initial Intimate Partner Violence–Specific Health Care Seeking in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Japan

This study examined the factors affecting a women’s initial intimate partner violence (IPV)-specific health care seeking event which refers to the first health care seeking as a result of IPV in a lifetime. Data were collected using the Life History Calendar method in the Tokyo metropolitan area from 101 women who had experienced IPV. Discrete-time survival analysis was used to assess the time to initial IPV-specific health care seeking. IPV-related injury was the most significant factor associated with increased likelihood of seeking IPV-specific health care seeking for the first time. In the presence of a strong effect of formal help seeking, physical and sexual IPV were no longer significantly related to initial IPV-specific health care seeking. The results suggest some victims of IPV may not seek health care unless they get injured. The timing of receiving health care would be important to ensure the health and safety of victims.
Directionality of the Association Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Longitudinal Investigation

This study examined the nature of the association between social support and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology among 2,249 male veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Using structural equation modeling, a cross-lagged panel analysis indicated a strong negative relationship between PTSD at Time 1 and social support at Time 2, while social support at Time 1 did not predict PTSD at Time 2. Findings suggest that, over time, interpersonal problems associated with PTSD may have a detrimental influence on the quality and quantity of available social support resources. It is recommended that greater focus be placed on the interpersonal skills of those suffering from PTSD.
The Role of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Patients With Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Background— The prognosis for patients experiencing ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) while on continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support has not been well elucidated. Accordingly, the role of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in this patient population remains undefined. Methods and Results— Records of 106 consecutive patients undergoing implantation of the HeartMate II LVAD at a single center were reviewed. For patients surviving >30 days postimplant (98 patients), the impact of VAs and ICDs on survival was analyzed. Mean age was 56.6±11.4 years, 82.1% were male, 42.5% had an ischemic cardiomyopathy, 87.7% were bridge to transplantation, and median length of support was 217 days. Twenty-one (19.8%) patients died, 60 (56.6%) survived to transplantation, and 25 patients (23.6%) reached the end of study, had the LVAD explanted, or were lost to follow-up. Post-LVAD VAs occurred in 37 patients (34.9%) but were not associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 0.58 [0.18–1.90]). Sixty-two (63.3%) patients had an active ICD, and 36 (36.7%) patients had no ICD or an inactivated ICD post-LVAD. Patients with an ICD were more likely to be INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) level 3 or 4 at the time of implant (54.8% versus 33.3%; P =0.04). An appropriate shock was delivered in 27.3% of patients, but the presence of an active ICD was not associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 1.12 [0.37–3.35]). Conclusions— VAs are common in patients with continuous flow LVADs. Although some episodes may be clinically significant, VAs are not associated with a worse prognosis, and concomitant ICDs in these patients may not reduce mortality.
Determining the Prevalence and Assessing the Severity of Injuries in Mixed Martial Arts Athletes

Background Mixed martial arts (MMA) is currently the fastest growing sport in the United States and has recently surpassed boxing as the most popular full contact sport. Due to the physical nature of the sport, MMA is associated with various types of injuries.
Procedures for managing extendible array files

Varieties of files are reviewed and the notion of a file space is discussed. A number of properties which characterize file spaces are listed. This modest theoretical framework has a clarifying influence on the subject of files. Certain file-system primitives are introduced which are similar to those in most commonly-known operating systems, and then these primitives are used in constructing a collection of routines for reading and writing extedible arrays. Extendible arrays are based on fixed page size randomly-accessible files and they are a useful universal input/output (I/O) structure for many different storage and retrieval schemes. The routines for managing such files are similar to the mechanisms used in handling a paged address space in a virtual memory system. The contribution of this paper lies in the detailed implementation which is presented; these routines are well understood in principle, but tricky to construct in practice. Finally, these routines are used in a practical example which provides for managing a variable blocksize free space list within a extendible array.
Isolated versus integrated case studies: A comparison in the context of teaching complex and domain-specific IT applications

Previous research on IT fluency in connection with non-IT majors points at the increasing need for more ''realistic'' courses teaching the use of complex and domain-specific IT applications. That research also suggests certain desirable course design characteristics, of which one of the most important is the close integration of realistic case study-based material into one single course (as opposed to the less costly alternative of inserting single case study-based material into other courses). This paper describes a study in which the use of case study-based learning modules in an integrated way (i.e., as part of one main course) is compared against the use of those modules in isolation (i.e., inserted into other courses). The modules have been designed to teach complex and domain-specific IT applications in three main domains - anthropology, sociology, and chemistry. The study, which involved 76 undergraduate students, suggests that the integration of modules into one single course, when compared with the option of using the modules in isolation, significantly increased the level of perceptions of IT's potential for solving complex problems, perceived learning about specialized IT applications, and perceived learning about IT issues in general. The key conclusion of the study is that integration may be a desirable option regardless of the potential extra costs involved.
A continuum approach to predicting electrophoretic mobility reversals

We present a continuum approach to predicting the electrophoretic mobility of a charged dielectric colloidal particle in a concentrated multivalent electrolyte. Our model takes into account steric (excluded volume) hindrance between ions via Bikerman’s approach (Philos. Mag., vol. 33, 1942, p. 384) and ion–ion electrostatic (Coulombic) correlations via the work of Bazant et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 106, 2011, 046102). The latter can result in the prediction of an electrophoretic mobility reversal, that is, the migration velocity of a particle switches direction with increasing ion concentration. Our model predictions compare favourably with experiments that observe mobility reversals in multivalent electrolytes.
Evidence that spontaneous reactivation of herpes virus does not occur in mice.

Background Some species, including humans and rabbits, exhibit periodic viral reactivation and shed infectious virus at the infected end organ. Mice may be an exception, because spontaneous shedding of infectious virus rarely, if ever, occurs. However, spontaneous molecular reactivation, i.e., the expression of a few viral genes and the synthesis of the viral glycoproteins coded for by these genes, has been reported. This finding has prompted the assumption that molecular reactivation is an indicator of reactivation and the production of infectious virus. The goal of this study was to differentiate between viral gene expression during latency and the episodic production of infectious virus in mice.
Characterization of siloxane adsorbates covalently attached to TiO2

Siloxanes with the general formula R-(CH2)n-Si-(OR')3 form durable bonds with inorganic materials upon hydrolysis of labile -OR' groups, and serve as robust coupling agents between organic and inorganic materials. In the field of dye- sensitized solar cells, functionalization of TiO2 thin-films with siloxane adsorbates has been shown to be useful as a surface-passivation technique that hinders recombination processes and improves the overall efficiency of light-to- electricity conversion. However, the attachment of siloxane adsorbates on TiO2 surfaces still remains poorly understood at the molecular level. In this paper, we report the characterization of 3-(triethoxysilyl) propionitrile (TPS) adsorbates, covalently attached onto TiO2 surfaces. We combine synthetic methods based on chemical vapor deposition, Fourier transform (FT) infrared (IR) spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We predict that trifunctional siloxanes form only 2 covalent bonds, in a 'bridge' mode with adjacent Ti 4+
Histochemistry of Plasmalogen

Unfixed frozen sections of kidney, heart and brain from Wistar rats were used for the following tests: 1. relative reactivity of plasmalogen in different tissues to fuchsin-sulfurous acid (FSA); 2. effect of various mercury compounds in producing the plasmal reaction, and use of dithizone to verify the attachment of mercury to tissue plasmalogen; 3. effect of pH as shown by graded concentrations of HCl and by phosphate and acetate buffers; 4. effect of various cations; 5. solubility of plasmalogen in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, t-butanol, n-pentanol and ethylene glycol; 6. effect of blocking reactions: acetal formation, bromination and iodination. The results showed that the amount of plasmalogen in brain is very much greater than that in heart muscle or in kidney and that the brain plasmalogen appears to be more reactive. All the highly ionized mercury compounds, HgCl2, Hg(NO3)2, Hg(CH3COO)2, and HgNO3 gave identical, immediate reactions. The moderately ionized K2HgI4 gave a less rapid rea...
Circulant Embedding of Approximate Covariances for Inference From Gaussian Data on Large Lattices

AbstractRecently proposed computationally efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Monte Carlo Expectation-Maximization (EM) methods for estimating covariance parameters from lattice data rely on successive imputations of values on an embedding lattice that is at least two times larger in each dimension. These methods can be considered exact in some sense, but we demonstrate that using such a large number of imputed values leads to slowly converging Markov chains and EM algorithms. We propose instead the use of a discrete spectral approximation to allow for the implementation of these methods on smaller embedding lattices. While our methods are approximate, our examples indicate that the error introduced by this approximation is small compared to the Monte Carlo errors present in long Markov chains or many iterations of Monte Carlo EM algorithms. Our results are demonstrated in simulation studies, as well as in numerical studies that explore both increasing domain and fixed domain asymptotics. We com...
CHARACTERISTICS AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH ACUTE RHEUMATIC FEVER IN THE UNITED STATES FROM 2001-2011

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease are the leading cause of cardiovascular death in the first five decades of life and are estimated to affect nearly 20 million people worldwide. Although the overall incidence of ARF has been decreasing in the United States (US), prior evidence
Oviposition of the Brown Dog Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Laboratory

Females of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) that were disturbed daily during the oviposition period were significantly less efficient ( P = >0.01) in converting the bloodmeal into eggs than those not manipulated or handled in any way. Undisturbed engorged females were able to convert about 74% of their body weight into eggs. Engorged females were much heavier (average, 0.235 g; range, 0.115–0.412 g) and laid more eggs (average, 3,875.5; range, 1,436–7,273) than female R. sanguineus reported in previously published studies. Other aspects of oviposition biology of R. sanguineus are quantified and compared with published accounts of this species.
Synthesis and Optical Properties of Two-Photon Absorbing GFP-type Probes

Two-photon active green fluorescent protein -type chromophores were successfully synthesized following investigations directed toward a modified version of zFP538 chromophore, a structural analogue to the GFP-chromophore. A generalized approach for the chromophore synthesis via a well-studied cycloaddition reaction combining an iminoglycine methyl ester and a substituted benzaldehyde was developed allowing for flexibility in the incorporation of functional groups such as donor−acceptor substituents and for additional groups to provide extended conjugation. Steady-state spectroscopy, fluorescence quantum yields, and time-resolved fluorescence lifetimes for synthesized chromophores were extensively investigated for the functionalized chromophores. Time-resolved fluorescence lifetimes were found to be biexponential generally with subpicosecond and picosecond components. The individual effects of substitution position of functional groups and relative bulk size were evaluated and found to be rather significan...
Analysis of the cut locus via heat kernel

We study the Hessian of the logarithm of the heat kernel to see what it says about the cut locus of a point. In particular, we show that the cut locus is the set of points at which this Hessian diverges faster than t−1 as t ↘ 0. In addition, we relate the rate of divergence to the conjugacy and other structural properties.
Synthesis of Iron-Phosphine Complexes Containing Sulfur Linking Groups for Coordination to PbS Nanoparticles

The synthesis of a bidentate phosphine, 1,2-bis(bis(4-methylthio)phenyl)phosphino)ethane (DpPSMePE), for coordination to both iron (through the phosphines) and subsequent outer-sphere coordination to PdS nanoparticles (through distal –SMe moieties) is presented. Coordination to iron yielded two distinct coordination complexes: trans-FeCl2(DpPSMePE)2 and (μ-DpPSMePE-κP:κP′)2(FeCl2)2. The trans-FeCl2(DpPSMePE)2 complex is high-spin, (μeff = 4.55 BM) with four unpaired electrons. The attempted formation of a hydride complex and its coordination to PbS nanoparticles are discussed.
Betaine supplementation reduces congenital defects after prenatal alcohol exposure(Conference Presentation)

Over 500,000 women per year in the United States drink during pregnancy, and 1 in 5 of this population also binge drink. As high as 20-50% of live-born children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) present with congenital heart defects including outflow and valvuloseptal anomalies that can be life-threatening. Previously we established a model of PAE (modeling a single binge drinking episode) in the avian embryo and used optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to assay early-stage cardiac function/structure and late-stage cardiac defects. At early stages, alcohol/ethanol-exposed embryos had smaller cardiac cushions and increased retrograde flow. At late stages, they presented with gross morphological defects in the head and chest wall, and also exhibited smaller or abnormal atrio-ventricular (AV) valves, thinner interventricular septae (IVS), and smaller vessel diameters for the aortic trunk branches. In other animal models, the methyl donor betaine (found naturally in many foods such as wheat bran, quinoa, beets and spinach) ameliorates neurobehavioral deficits associated with PAE but the effects on heart structure are unknown. In our model of PAE, betaine supplementation led to a reduction in gross structural defects and appeared to protect against certain types of cardiac defects such as ventricular septal defects and abnormal AV valvular morphology. Furthermore, vessel diameters, IVS thicknesses and mural AV leaflet volumes were normalized while the septal AV leaflet volume was increased. These findings highlight the importance of betaine and potentially methylation levels in the prevention of PAE-related birth defects which could have significant implications for public health.
Mitochondrial degeneration in Texas cytoplasmic male-sterile corn anthers

N CORN lines with T (Texas) cytoplasm and appropriate genotype, pollen aborts in the anthers, making the plants male sterile. Female structures are not affected. This abnormality is governed by determinants in the cytoplasm, is maternally inherited, and has been termed "cytoplasmic male sterility" to distinguish it from "genetic male sterility," which is inherited in normal Mendelian fashion. Fertility may be restored by introduction of nuclear genes, termed "restorers," through the pollen. Duvick 4 and Edwardson 7 have published comprehensive reviews of cytoplasmic male sterility, to which the reader is referred for additional information. Although the exact mechanism is not understood, plastids and mitochondria are thought to be the most likely bearers of cytoplasmic sterility, because these organelles are known to have their own limited nucleic acid systems. Evidence for the involvement of plastids in male sterility has been presented for Epilobinm ' and for Nicotiana.2 Similar evidence of a relationship between mitochondria and cytoplasmic male sterility has been reported for corn.' 3 . 6 '>' 9 The present investigation was undertaken to determine if cytoplasmic differences could be observed in fertile and T cytoplasmic male-sterile corn (Tcms), using the best current light and electron microscope procedures. Anthers were chosen for the study because it is in this organ the basic differences develop that result in formation of viable or aborted pollen.
SURVEY ON NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION MANAGEMENT OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS IN HARBIN

Objective To understand the status of nosocomial infection management in Harbin medical institutions in order to provide the basis for improving the management of nosocomial infections. Methods Field survey and retrospective study were carried out to investigate medical institutions at all levels in Harbin. Results There was a big gap in the qualified rate of various infection control indicators between the maternal and child health care organization,general medical institutions and secondary and tertiary hospitals. The qualified rates of such items as self-examination,building layout,equipment for disinfection facilities,disinfection consciousness,asepsis concept of nosocomial infection management in various levels of medical institutions were low. Conclusion The management of nosocomial infection control must be included in quality management and assessment of medical institutions to improve the medical treatment quality and to ensure the safety of patient.
Shear Stress-Induced Release of PGE2 and PGI2 by Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract This study addresses the direct effect of fluid flow shear stress on production of the vascular mediators, PGE 2 and PGI 2 by vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). Results indicate that shear stress increases PGE 2 and PGI 2 release in SMC. The production patterns, however, differ between PGE 2 and PGI 2 . For PGE 2 , the rate of production is moderate for the first three hours after the onset of shear stress, then dramatically increases between the fourth and fifth hours, returning to basal levels in the sixth hour. On the other hand, the rate for PGI 2 production is maximal right after the onset of shear and remains elevated for the first three hours. The rate then plateaus and remains at a moderate level during the next three hours. The results also indicate that SMC production of PGI 2 is more sensitive to shear stress than PGE 2 production since a level of 0.5 dynes/cm 2 produces a maximal PGI 2 release whereas 1 dyne/cm 2 produces only 1/4 the response seen at 20 dynes/cm 2 for PGE 2 . The physiological implications of fluid shear stress regulation of SMC are discussed.
Psychiatric Nursing: The Nurse’s Role in Preventing Chronicity

Psychiatric Nurses who hold a master’s or doctoral degree are developing direct clinical practices. Such clinical work will be effective tive in preventing mental illness and inopromoting mental health in persons who are psychiatrically disturbed. Like the other three major professional disciplines in the mental health field, psychiatry, clinical psychology, and social work, psychiatric nursing is in its infancy in evolving viable, effective clinical practice. This paper suggests one focus in the work of psychiatric nurses, namely, the prevention of chronicity in psychiatric patients.
Thrombectomy for Management of Acute Limb Ischemia

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for thrombectomy for management of acute limb ischemia procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications, and contraindications and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
News Media Organizations

This entry provides a broad overview of research examining media organizations. The research in this area has a long tradition. Current research has focused on areas as diverse as media credibility, economics, and socialization of newsroom culture. Research dealing with media organizations is especially relevant today, given the dramatic changes taking place within the news media. These changes are due to economic pressures as well as the impact of technology and social media. Keywords: journalism studies; mass media; media economics and management; media systems
American, Hispanic, Spanish-Speaking? Hispanic Immigrants and the Question of Identity

ABSTRACTThis article explores Hispanics’ concepts of cultural and linguistic identity. It is based on the findings of a recent study conducted by the author in Iglesia hispana de Cristo,1 a Hispanic church community in Western New York. Data come from ethnographic interviews conducted with 48 participants aged 13 to 80 years and with church leaders and from participant observation. Findings indicate that conceptions of identity vary according to age and generation of immigration. Older, first-generation immigrants view language and culture as inextricably linked, and believe that passing on the Spanish language to their children is an essential parenting responsibility. Younger, U.S.-born Hispanics and those who immigrated at a young age, on the other hand, tend to prioritize Hispanic culture over the Spanish language.
Adaptive 4-8 Texture Hierarchies

We address the texture level-of-detail problem for extremely large surfaces such as terrain during realtime, view-dependent rendering. A novel texture hierarchy is introduced based on 4-8 refinement of raster tiles, in which the texture grids in effect rotate 45 degrees for each level of refinement. This hierarchy provides twice as many levels of detail as conventional quadtree-style refinement schemes such as mipmaps, and thus provides per-pixel view-dependent filtering that is twice as close to the ideal cutoff frequency for an average pixel. Because of this more gradual change in low-pass filtering, and due to the more precise emulation of the ideal cutoff frequency, we find in practice that the transitions between texture levels of detail are not perceptible. This allows rendering systems to avoid the complexity and performance costs of per-pixel blending between texture levels of detail. The 4-8 texturing scheme is integrated into a variant of the Real-time Optimally Adapting Meshes (ROAM) algorithm for viewdependent multiresolution mesh generation. Improvements to ROAM included here are: the diamond data structure as a stream-lined replacement for the triangle bintree elements, the use of low-pass- filtered geometry patches in place of individual triangles, integration of 4-8 textures, and a simple out-of-core data access mechanism for texture and geometry tiles.
Searching for the Black Box: Misconceptions of Linearity

You have lost contact with an unmanned surveillance plane as it is flying over a large stretch of uninhabited desert. You send high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft to take pictures of a potential ...
Anion sensing with a Lewis acidic BODIPY-antimony(V) derivative

We describe the synthesis of a BODIPY dye substituted with a Lewis acidic antimony(v) moiety. This compound, which has been fully characterized, shows a high affinity for small anions including fluoride and cyanide, the complexation of which elicits a fluorescence turn-on response.
Phase relations in a forced turbulent boundary layer: implications for modelling of high Reynolds number wall turbulence

Phase relations between specific scales in a turbulent boundary layer are studied here by highlighting the associated nonlinear scale interactions in the flow. This is achieved through an experimental technique that allows for targeted forcing of the flow through the use of a dynamic wall perturbation. Two distinct large-scale modes with well-defined spatial and temporal wavenumbers were simultaneously forced in the boundary layer, and the resulting nonlinear response from their direct interactions was isolated from the turbulence signal for the study. This approach advances the traditional studies of large- and small-scale interactions in wall turbulence by focusing on the direct interactions between scales with triadic wavenumber consistency. The results are discussed in the context of modelling high Reynolds number wall turbulence.
Impacts of irrigation scheduling on pore water nitrate and phosphate in coastal plain region of the United States

Abstract Agriculture is one of the largest sources of nutrient contamination, mainly inorganic nitrogen (N) fertilization of intensive crops, such as maize (Zea mays L). Proper irrigation management can reduce nutrient leaching while maintaining crop yield, which is critical in enhancing the sustainability of agricultural crops on soils with low water and nutrient holding capacities. A three-year (2012–2014) field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three irrigation scheduling methods (ISM): Irrigator Pro (IPRO); Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI); and Soil Water Potentials (SWP) and two rates of N applications (NM) on pore water nitrate and phosphate in four soil types (ST) with maize production in Coastal Plain Region, USA. Soil pore water nitrate varied significantly with ISM and NM, but not with ST. The IPRO method had the lowest soil water pore nitrate followed by SWP and NDVI. The low N application rate resulted in lower nitrate concentration (13.4 mg L−1) than the high N rate (17.0 mg L−1). Soil water pore phosphate was not affected by ISM, NM and ST. The use of IPRO reduced the concentration of pore water nitrate by about 39% and 33% when compared with NDVI and SWP, respectively. Using IPRO method resulted in lower soil water pore nitrate and phosphate concentrations, results indicate scheduling method may be a way to reduce nutrient losses. Results of our study suggest that irrigation management decision may affect nitrogen and phosphorus availability for achieving optimum yield of maize while potentially minimizing nutrient losses via leaching.
Classical Symmetric Laplace Distribution

In the course of our study of the Laplace distribution and its generalizations we have noticed that quite often in the statistical literature this distribution is used not on its own merits but as a source for counterexamples for other (mainly normal) distributions. It would seem that it has been created solely to provide examples of curiosity, nonregularity, and pathological behavior. In studies with probabilistic content, the distribution serves as a tool for limiting theorems and representations with the emphasis on analyzing its differences from the classical theory based on the “sound” foundations of normality. One gets the impression that the “sharp needle” at the origin of the Laplace distribution where the bulk of the density is concentrated generates a ripple effect that affects the behavior over its whole support including the tails.7. These observations prompted us to initiate a detailed study of the Laplace distribution on its own merits without constant intruding comparisons and analogues.
Effect of resistant wheat starch on subjective appetite and food intake in healthy adults

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of replacing standard wheat flour (SWF) with resistant wheat starch (RWS) on markers of appetite and food intake in healthy adults. Methods A randomized, single-blind, crossover study was conducted with 27 healthy adults (ages 23 ± 2 y with a body mass index of 23.0 ± 3.0 kg/m2). After an overnight fast, muffins that contained only SWF or muffins in which 40% of the SWF was replaced with RWS were consumed as part of the breakfast meal. Appetite questionnaires and plasma samples were collected before the test meal and at 10 time points after meal consumption. An ad libitum meal was provided 240 min after breakfast, and the amount eaten was recorded. Food intake was recorded over the remainder of the day using a diet diary, and appetite was measured hourly using appetite questionnaires. Plasma was assayed to measure biomarkers of satiety and glycemia. Results Replacing SWF with RWS had no effect on subjective appetite or energy intake at the lunch meal (P > 0.05). Total daily energy intake (including the breakfast meal) was reduced by 179 kcal when participants consumed the RWS muffins (P = 0.05). Replacing SWF with RWS reduced plasma insulin (P 0.05). Conclusions These results indicate that replacing SWF with RWS decreases plasma insulin concentration and reduces energy intake over a 24-h period.
Environmental profile of Sardinian sheep milk cheese supply chain: A comparison between two contrasting dairy systems

Abstract Despite the significant role of small ruminant sector in the global trends of livestock productions, little research has been conducted on the environmental implications of dairy sheep production systems. Dairy sheep systems are relevant for the economy of many areas of the Mediterranean Basin and the environmental and economic optimization of their productive factors is considered an effective strategy for promoting the innovation and increasing the competitiveness of Mediterranean dairy sheep systems. Therefore, scientific studies are needed in order to propose specific greening strategies and to improve the environmental performances of dairy sheep systems. The main objective of this study was to define a preliminary characterization of the environmental profile of sheep milk (“Pecorino”) cheese chain in Sardinia (Italy), using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, with the following specific goals: i) comparing the environmental impacts caused by both the artisanal and the industrial manufacturing processes of "Pecorino” cheese and ii) identifying the hotspots to reduce the environmental impacts of the Sardinian dairy sheep sector. The analysis was based on the functional unit of 1 kg of artisanal “Pecorino di Osilo” cheese, and 1 kg of the industrial manufacturing cheese “Pecorino Romano PDO” cheese. The LCA highlighted that the GHG emissions of the two cheeses were similar, with an average value equal to 17 kg CO2-eq, largely due to enteric fermentation. The main differences between the two environmental profiles were found for human toxicity, ecotoxicity and eutrophication potential impact categories. Enteric methane emissions, feed supply chain, electricity, equipment and wastewater management seemed to be the hotspots where the environmental performances can be improved.
Clinical characteristics of 3090 cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and risk factor analysis

Objective In this paper we analyzed the major risk factors of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) as well as its clinical manifestation,so as to provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and effective control of HFRS in Xi'an.Methods The method of retrospective study was used to collect clinical data of hospitalized patients with HFRS between 2005 and 2010 in the Hospitals for Infectious Diseases in Xi'an city,Zhouzhi and Huxian counties and then clinical manifestations of the patients with HFRS were analyzed and classified according to the national standards for clinical symptoms and test indicators of HFRS.HFRS patients matched by the ratio of 1 ∶ 2 healthy human controls were retrospectively investigated in order to obtain risk factors relevant to HFRS incidence using casecontrol study.Odds ratio(OR) method was used for single factor study.While for the multifactor study,we took the conditional Logistic regression approach.We also built models for both studies.Factor with OR ＞ 1 and P ＜ 0.05 was judged to be a risk factor.Results A total of 3090 cases information of patients with HFRS and 6018 healthy controls were collected.Of the 3090 cases of HFRS patients,sixty vaccinated patients showed atypical clinical manifestations and they were mild or moderate cases and no deaths.A total of 3030 nonvaccinated patients had obvious clinical symptoms.Severe or critical cases accounted for 39.07％(1184/3030)and 60 patients died and the fatality rate was 1.98％ (60/3030).The results of single factor Logistic regression analysis showed that of the 16 factors analyzed,the difference of 11 risk factors between the case group and the control group was statistically significant.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that of the 11 factors,the difference of six factors between the case group and the control group was statistically significant.The main risk factors of suffering HFRS in the order were:exposure to rat pollutants,living in the affected areas,sitting or lying on grass fields in the affected areas,working in the affected areas,house rat infestation,and domesticated cats or dogs(OR =6.826,5.764,4.882,4.857,3.126 and 2.875; P ＜ 0.01 or P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Vaccines are very useful in the sense that vaccinated HFRS patients tend to have mild symptoms and good prognosis.Health education in this area should be focused on the six risk factors in order to prevent the spreading of HFRS. Key words: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Vaccination; Risk factors; Analysis