cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histopathologic survey of ovaries of plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L., from Aber Wrac'h and Aber Benoit, Brittany, France: long‐term effects of the Amoco Cadiz crude oil spill

. Ovarian samples were collected from plaice, Pleuronectes platessa, captured in the highly oiled Aber Wrac'h and Aber Benoit estuaries at four intervals during 1979–1980, following the Amoco Cadiz crude oil spill. Reference plaice were obtained along the western and southern coasts of Brittany. Tissue samples were fixed, processed and stained by routine histologic procedures. Ovaries were examined for histopathologic changes and for four different types of follicles. The concentrations and percentages of four types of ovarian follicles (primordial, primary, growing and mature) were determined for plaice ovaries within each sampling site at each sampling interval. Reference site ovaries, which were considered representative of the ovarian cyclic events for plaice along the Brittany coast, had primordial and primary follicles in high concentration in the summer season and in low concentration in the winter season. Concentrations of mature ovarian follicles in reference site plaice ovaries were low in the summer and high in the winter seasons. Growing follicles were observed infrequently in the reference site plaice ovaries. The seasonal pattern exhibited by follicles in ovaries from Aber Benoit plaice was similar to that observed in the reference site ovaries, but both the concentrations and percentages of follicle types were lower. The seasonal pattern of follicle types in Aber Wrac'h plaice ovaries was the reverse of that seen in the reference site plaice ovaries. In the Aber Wrac'h samples, concentrations of primordial and primary follicles were high in the winter months and low in the summer season, and no mature follicles were observed at any season. Growing follicles were seen more frequently in Aber Wrac'h and Aber Benoit plaice ovaries than in reference site plaice ovaries at all sampling intervals. Other than atretic follicles with an associated leucocytosis, no histopathologic conditions were observed in any ovary.
Polycystins, focal adhesions and extracellular matrix interactions☆

Polycystic kidney disease is the most common heritable disease in humans. In addition to epithelial cysts in the kidney, liver and pancreas, patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) also suffer from abdominal hernia, intracranial aneurysm, gastrointestinal cysts, and cardiac valvular defects, conditions often associated with altered extracellular matrix production or integrity. Despite more than a decade of work on the principal ADPKD genes, PKD1 and PKD2, questions remain about the basis of cystic disease and the role of extracellular matrix in ADPKD pathology. This review explores the links between polycystins, focal adhesions, and extracellular matrix gene expression. These relationships suggest roles for polycystins in cell-matrix mechanosensory signaling that control matrix production and morphogenesis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Polycystic Kidney Disease.
Microwave projection imaging for refractive objects: a new method

The distorted-wave Born and geometrical-optics approximations are used to establish a connection between coherent swept-frequency microwave scattering data and the projections of refractive objects. A reconstruction algorithm based on a generalized backprojection operator is then derived. The algorithm is numerically efficient, robust, and applicable to a wider class of scatterers than are traditional inversion techniques. Results obtained by using both simulated and experimental data sets suggest that the new inversion technique provides improved images over those obtained by using traditional algorithms for the refractive structures tested to date. The method complements the weighted generalized backprojection operator proposed by Beylkin [ Commun. Pure Appl. Math.37, 579 ( 1984); J. Math. Phys.26, 99 ( 1985)].
Pharmacogenetics of the β2-Adrenergic Receptor Gene

Asthma is a complex genetic disease with multiple genetic and environmental determinants contributing to the observed variability in response to common antiasthma therapies. One focus of asthma pharmacogenetic research has been the β2-adrenergic receptor gene ( ADRβ2 ) and its effect on individual responses to beta agonist therapy. Knowledge about the effects of ADRβ2 variation on therapeutic responses is evolving and should not alter current Asthma Guideline approaches, which consist of the use of short-acting beta agonists (SABAs) for as-needed symptom-based therapy and the use of a regular long-acting beta agonist (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroid therapy for those asthmatics whose symptoms are not controlled by inhaled corticosteroid alone. These approaches are based upon studies showing a consistent pharmacogenetic response to regular use of SABAs and less consistent findings in studies evaluating LABAs. The emerging pharmacogenetic studies are provocative and should lead to functional studies. Meanwhile, the conflicting data concerning LABAs may be caused by such factors as small sample sizes of study populations and differences in experimental design.
Multiple word/bit line redundancy for semiconductor memories

Multiple word/bit line redundancy techniques at the chip level are shown to be powerful enough to obtain good yields for chips with much higher rates of faults/chip than without redundancy. This is possible because, in many instances, chips which are rejected as being bad still have a high percentage of usable bits on them. The redundancy techniques described consist of putting spare decoders and spare word and bit lines on a chip in order to be able to replace defective lines of the chip with good lines while still maintaining the same address. Based on a first-pass design of a 16K chip, a significant improvement in the number of usable bits per wafer appears possible. The leverage for improvement is shown to be strongly dependent upon the type of cell, the layout, and the technology used.
A comparison of rotation-based methods for iterative reconstruction algorithms

Rotation-based approaches to iterative reconstruction algorithms offer unique trade-offs between accuracy, computational complexity, and smoothing. We analyzed six different rotation methods for generating projections and reconstructions of simulated and clinical data. Nearest neighbor, upsampled nearest neighbor, bilinear interpolation, and bicubic interpolation were all used to determine the values at rotated grid points. A decomposition of the rotation transformation matrix into three components was also investigated. Linear and cubic interpolation were used in the three pass method. For all of the methods, mean normalized square errors were computed as was a measure of smoothness. Our results demonstrate the trade-offs associated with the different methods and suggest that the method of shears with cubic interpolation offers a computationally efficient approach with accuracy between that of bilinear and bicubic interpolation.
An analysis of uplink multiple access protocols in meshed VSAT satellite networks

The authors give a brief description of the meshed very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite network under investigation by the NASA Lewis Research Center and a detailed performance model of the uplink protocol access techniques. The satellite has eight uplink beams with one or two dedicated 64 Kb/s access request channels per beam. The request channel is a multiple access packet transmission channel and adopts the slotted ALOHA protocol. The performance analysis reveals the effects of various request channel implementations on data channel throughput and channel connection delay. System parameters considered include the number of request channels, the offered load of request channels, request buffering strategies, and channel allocation/deallocation strategies. The result is a part of the performance analysis of the meshed VSAT satellite network. >
The Modern Demographic Transition: An Analysis of Subsistence Choices and Reproductive Consequences

This paper argues that fertility transition in contemporary societies occurs when changes in the labor market and the opportunity structure produce a situation in which personal material well-being is determined more by formal education and skill training than personal relationships. These changes have the effect of sharply limiting or eliminating the expected intergenerational income flows from or through children leading to limitations on family size. This modification and extension of Caldwells wealth flows model facilitates an analysis of historical regional and social class-specific differences in the onset and pace of the demographic transition and points to new macro-level socioeconomic indicators. Claims of a modified wealth flow theory are supported by data from the Caribbean where there have been significant changes in the moral economy of childbearing and family relationships. The authors modifications to wealth flow theory incorporate several new macro-level indicators: change in opportunity structure between time t-n and time t (defined as the percent of the labor force engaged in agriculture around 1980) the ability to use formal schooling to create and/or maintain acceptable material standards of living (defined as the product of the percentage change of proportion of the labor force in agriculture in 1960-80 and secondary school enrollment as a percent of age group) and a culturally relevant starting point (defined as the product of the crude birth rate in 1960 and the natural logarithm of the 1960 infant mortality rate). Future research needs to specify more rigorously the model using measures of real wage rates and agricultural mechanization as well as nonagricultural employment. Also needed specification is a model for fertility at the micro-level that includes an explicit linkage with macro-level variables. Such analyses may resolve puzzling discrepancies between fertility trends and trends in education infant mortality and family planning encountered by studies focused on aggregated data.
Effects of egg aging on in vitro fertilization and first cleavage division in the hamster

The postovulatory fertile life of mammalian eggs is remarkably short (approximately 6-36h). Anomalies of embryogenesis may result from fertilization of aged, defective eggs. Attempts to study this problem using whole-animal models are complicated by chances in the natural milieu of the gametes. In the present study, postovulatory hamster eggs were allowed to agein vivo then fertilized in vitro. Cumulus-intact eggs recovered from superovulated hamsters either 2 or 9 h after the estiated time of ovulation (12 h postHCG) were incubated for 4 h with preincubated sperm suspentions in a modified Tyrode's solution devised for in vitro fertilization. Eggs were either fixed or cultured for another 20h in fresh medium to allow cleavage to occur, then examined by light microscopy (phase and interference-contrast). No significant difference was found in the ablities of fresh and aged eggs to be penetrated by spermatozoa (94% vs 90%, respectively; 8 replicated experiments), but only 59% of penetrated aged eggs were found to undergo morphologically normally fertilization (2 polar bodies, 2 prounclei) compared with 75% of fresh eggs (difference significant, P< 0.01). About 13% of eggs were polyspermic in both categories. The most common anomaly in aged fertilied egges was failure to extrude the second polor body (23% off eggs vs 8% of fresh eggs, P < 0.01). Only 21% of aged eggs underwent first cleavaage, and only 74% of these appeared morphologically normal, compared with value of 68% and 98%, respectively, for fresh eggs. These data show that in the hamster, abnormal fertilization and cleavage failure can, in part, be directly attributed to postovulatory deterioration of eggs. We also infer that the apparently very short penetrable life of hamster eggs in vivo shown by previous investigators is an indirect effect of postovulatory changes in the female reproductive tract that are unfavorable for sperm-egg interactions.
PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY AND EPIGENETIC MARKING: AN ASSESSMENT OF EVIDENCE FOR GENETIC ACCOMMODATION

The relationship between genotype (which is inherited) and phenotype (the target of selection) is mediated by environmental inputs on gene expression, trait development, and phenotypic integration. Phenotypic plasticity or epigenetic modification might influence evolution in two general ways: (1) by stimulating evolutionary responses to environmental change via population persistence or by revealing cryptic genetic variation to selection, and (2) through the process of genetic accommodation, whereby natural selection acts to improve the form, regulation, and phenotypic integration of novel phenotypic variants. We provide an overview of models and mechanisms for how such evolutionary influences may be manifested both for plasticity and epigenetic marking. We point to promising avenues of research, identifying systems that can best be used to address the role of plasticity in evolution, as well as the need to apply our expanding knowledge of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms to our understanding of how genetic accommodation occurs in nature. Our review of a wide variety of studies finds widespread evidence for evolution by genetic accommodation.
Modeling of computer networks for performance evaluation and control under nonstationary conditions

Three distinct approaches for modeling computer networks under nonstationary conditions are presented. The first approach uses a queuing-theoretic formulation to develop numerical techniques for determining the nonstationary queue dynamics and for estimating the settling time for the queue. In the second approach, discrete-event simulation techniques are used for the evaluation of network performance during nonstationary periods. The third approach develops a nonlinear state model for representing the dynamics of the packet queues at the various transmission links of the network and establishes a framework for formulating optimal control problems for designing routing and flow control strategies that ensure optimal network performance under both transient and steady-state conditions. >
Some Schemes for on-Line Correction of the Closed Orbit, Dispersion and Beta Functions in PEP

PEP has been operated successfully under computer control. It is necessary for colliding beam operation that the errors in closed orbits, dispersion and beta functions be corrected. The schemes in the PEP control program for on-line correction of these errors are described in this paper. The orbit control tasks in the PEP control system perform the functions of data gathering, data presentation (color display, printing), calculation and setting of corrector magnets. The tasks are generally small and modular, taking information from the database, processing it, then returning the results to the database. The PEP operator communicates with the tasks through touch panels monitored by the Director program. The display task, which displays orbit and corrector information on a TV color display, provides the main information required by the operator.
Do Incentives Exert Undue Influence on Survey Participation? Experimental Evidence:

Monetary incentives are increasingly used to help motivate survey participation. Research Ethics Committees have begun to ask whether, and under what conditions, the use of monetary incentives to induce participation might be coercive. The article reports research from an online vignette-based study bearing on this question, concluding that at present the evidence suggests that larger incentives do not induce research participants to accept higher risks than they would be unwilling to accept with smaller ones.
Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor by 10-Cl-BBQ Prevents Insulitis and Effector T Cell Development Independently of Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells in Nonobese Diabetic Mice

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation by high-affinity ligands mediates immunosuppression in association with increased regulatory T cells (Tregs), making this transcription factor an attractive therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases. We recently discovered 10-chloro-7H-benzimidazo[2,1-a]benzo[de]iso-quinolin-7-one (10-Cl-BBQ), a nanomolar affinity AhR ligand with immunosuppressive activity and favorable pharmacologic properties. In this study, we tested the consequences of AhR activation in the NOD model. Oral 10-Cl-BBQ treatment prevented islet infiltration without clinical toxicity, whereas AhR-deficient NOD mice were not protected. Suppression of insulitis was associated with an increased frequency, but not total number, of Foxp3 + Tregs in the pancreas and pancreatic lymph nodes. The requirement for Foxp3 + cells in AhR-induced suppression of insulitis was tested using NOD.Foxp3 DTR mice, which show extensive islet infiltration upon treatment with diphtheria toxin. AhR activation prevented the development of insulitis caused by the depletion of Foxp3 + cells, demonstrating that Foxp3 + cells are not required for AhR-mediated suppression and furthermore that the AhR pathway is able to compensate for the absence of Foxp3 + Tregs, countering current dogma. Concurrently, the development of disease-associated CD4 + Nrp1 + Foxp3 − RORγt + cells was inhibited by AhR activation. Taken together, 10-Cl-BBQ is an effective, nontoxic AhR ligand for the intervention of immune-mediated diseases that functions independently of Foxp3 + Tregs to suppress pathogenic T cell development.
Should Military Care Providers Force-Feed Detainees?

INTRODUCTION Forced feeding has been a controversial ethical issue at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, which recently resurfaced when a military nurse decided that he was not willing to participate in forced feeding on the ground that this violated his moral conscience. The question whether the U.S. captors should force-feed prisoners who seek to starve themselves to death is one with strong arguments on both sides. On one side is the argument of individual autonomy. While prisoners may have lost their freedom, based on respect still owed them as human beings they ethically should have some right to make some decisions themselves. Thus, some international health organizations have asserted that prisoners have a right to stop eating, even if the result is starvation. They hold that under the principle of autonomy, prisoners have a right to die as a protest. Similar rulings have been enunciated and legally upheld in other previous contexts. On the other hand, even if this position is the highest moral road, then, it still may be open to question whether autonomy should also apply in this particular case. Why might it not, here? The consequences of allowing detainees at Guantanamo to starve themselves to death may be exponentially greater than for prisoners in other circumstances. Their death, for example, could be seen as a strategic “suicide weapon,” which may trigger violent repercussions throughout the world resulting in inordinate numbers of people’s deaths. All arguments regarding this topic, as all difficult ethical issues, must be carefully scrutinized within their particular contexts. Thus, we shall consider here other major arguments for and against forced feeding, with the goal of discerning what if any arguments may still be sufficient to make the moral case that detainees at this facility should be force-fed. DETAINEES ARE TOO DEPRESSED TO BE DEEMED COMPETENT TO CHOOSE TO STARVE TO DEATH A first argument is that detainees become depressed as a predictable result of their imprisonment and, thus, like severely depressed patients who are acutely suicidal, are not competent to choose to die by fasting. Competence legally refers to having the cognitive capacity to make a rational decision, and the criteria depend on the kind of decision being made. Thus, the criteria for being competent to make a medical decision for one’s self differ from the criteria required to write a will. In this case, these criteria may not matter, unless it can be shown that these detainees are severely depressed. For example, civilians in the United States can refuse even lifesaving care even if moderately depressed. So, unless a different standard is applied to detainees, it would be ethically inconsistent to deny them their autonomy to choose not to eat. Allowing mildly depressed civilians to refuse food and water, but not detainees, would be inconsistent, ethically arbitrary, and, thus unsound.
Free Radicals and Oxidative Stress: Basic Concepts and Misconceptions

Free radicals have been shown to be involved in various ENT pathology conditions. While it is widely recognized that excessive amounts free radicals, including reactive oxygen species (ROSs) and reactive nitrogen species (RNSs), can be harmful and damage cell structures, in strong contrast, at low concentrations they can act as cellular and intracellular signaling molecules that facilitate normal biological processes. Current understanding of the involvement of free radicals in pathology suggests that antioxidant therapy through attenuating free radicals may be important to optimize treatment. Some studies in animal models and human subjects, however, have been less conclusive. This raises the concern that the complexities of free-radical biology and antioxidant treatments as well as practical variations of human participants may make it impossible to study single effects of antioxidant compounds. Physical exercise and a healthy diet that includes a high intake of natural complex antioxidant mixtures, for example, may influence the effects of antioxidant supplementation. Moreover, antioxidants are vulnerable to rapid changes in oxygenation (ischemia/reperfusion), light, temperature, and, most importantly, redox-active transition metals, which could act as prooxidants under certain conditions, both in vitro and in vivo.
Inhibition of Primate Spinothalamic Tract Neurons by Spinal Glycine and GABA Is Modulated by Guanosine 3′,5′-Cyclic Monophosphate

Inhibition of primate spinothalamic tract neurons by spinal glycine and GABA is modulated by guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate. Our recent work has suggested that the nitric oxide/guanosine 3′,5...
Effects of Ultrasound on “Solid” Mammalian Tissues and Tumors In Vivo

Over the last decade, the main thrust of research on bio-effects of ultrasound has been directed towards prevention of the occurrence of any effects that may potentially be injurious to the fetus or the genetic material during diagnostic ultrasonic examination of the pregnancy. Several investigators in their studies on the mechanisms of ultrasound-tissue interactions have utilized various innovative approaches to maximize the occurrence of one or the other phenomenon to determine “the threshold” for biological effect. For example, introduction of stabilized resonant bubbles in the insonation system to maximize acoustic streaming1, or induction of cavitation by inoculation of the medium with micron-sized metal particles, or by the use of Drosophila larvae containing resonant size air cavities2 have dramatically illustrated the potential for biological injury through these phenomena at very low ultrasonic intensities. It is well known, however, that the nature and magnitude of the ultrasonically induced phenomena are dependent on the physical characteristics of the medium. It is also possible that the thresholds for biological damage may be different for different tissues and different species. Thus, the data on thresholds for biological damage obtained in these experiments are of little relevance to the problem of ultrasonic safety or hazard in clinical medicine3.
Compatibilization of Biomass Fibers with Hydrophobic Materials

Composites of biomass fibers with hydrophobic polymers like polypropylene (PP) represent material systems with poor or no interfacial adhesion because of the inherent incompatibility between the respective components. Block and graft copolymers can function as compatibilizers to improve interfacial adhesion and provide composites with an improved and unique balance of properties. Various approaches to improving interfacial adhesion with an emphasis on our work on the compatibilization of biofibers (lignocellulosics) with polypropylene is presented. The biofiber-reinforced polypropylene composite was prepared by reactive extrusion. The compatibilizer which is the graft copolymer produced by reaction of maleated polypropylene with the cellulosic component of the biofiber, was generated insitu during reactive extrusion processing. Maleated polypropylene (MAPP) was produced by the peroxide catalyzed grafting of maleic anhydride (MA) on polypropylene (PP) in the extruder. It was subsequently alloyed with the biofiber by use of a catalyst to form covalent bonds between the components. Alternatively, all the processing steps i.e. maleation, graft formation and the alloying were done in a single extruder run. The chemistry occurring during the two reactive extrusion processing modes and its effect on the properties of the resultant materials is discussed.
N+3 and N+4 Generation Aeropropulsion Engine Combustors: Part 4: Specific Fuel Burn and Co2 Emissions

The certified ICAO engine emissions database can be used for conducting comparative assessment on the fuel burn advances made by the major OEM’s during the last forty years. Comprehensive comparison of the modern engines relative to the 1 generation propulsion engines of the 1970’s era, we can claim 10-25% reduction in FB for the large rich dome engines. For the medium size rich-dome engines, the corresponding reductions are 15-50%. The lowest LTO specific fuel burn FB empirical expression (viz. GEnx-1B) for large engines is given by: FFGGGG = 3.0245e−4.1037×10 −4F The corresponding LTO FB expressions for the medium size engines (FFMMMMMM ) and a broader thrust range of 60150kN ( FFS−M) of engines are: FFMMMMMM = 3.854e−0.00101F FFS−M = 4.3216e−0.00141F The following generalized fuel burn expression (FFG) is proposed for all large engines:
Talcs for pleural poudrage: Physical and chemical factors in therapeutic effect

Summary and conclusions Analysis was made of crystalline form and size distribution of powdered minerals related to talc. The stability of a talc-iodine mixture was investigated by solubility studies. Biologic effects of minerals in the pleural and peritoneal cavities of rats and dogs were studied. 1. The crystalline structure of talcose minerals is heterogeneous. 2. A specimen of talc supplied for poudrage contained only 12 per cent mineral. 3. The talc-iodine combination is almost immediately disrupted on incubation in vitro. 4. Production of pleural adhesions in these animals was inconstant. 5. Substances for poudrage should be analyzed so that standard mixtures can be used and compared. 6. Disruption of the visceral pleura is probably essential to any consistent therapeutic effect. 7. End results of talc poudrage should be reported in terms of results in a treatment group compared with matched controls. 8. Powdered silica is a pure mineral that may be capable of eliciting a standard and intense chemical inflammatory response. Mr. Joseph A. Houghton, Director of the Industrial Chemical Service, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Boston, kindly performed the dispersion-staining and microscopic identification of the elutriated talc.
Challenges in Transgender Healthcare: The Pathology Perspective

Background: The transgender community is one of the most marginalized sections of our society. The literature is scarce regarding the pathology and laboratory medicine challenges associated with caring for transgender patients. Objective: To summarize the available gender-transitioning options and to discuss healthcare challenges, from a pathology/laboratory medicine perspective, in the care of transgender patients. Method: We reviewed the current terminology and epidemiology relevant to the transgender population in preparing our analysis. Conclusions: The main transgender healthcare challenges in pathology/laboratory medicine practice include the inflexibility of electronic medical records in documenting affirmed gender, unfamiliarity among medical and laboratory professional with the needs of and terminology related to the transgender population, lack of reference ranges for laboratory tests, unclear guidelines regarding gender classification for blood donation eligibility criteria, and paucity of experience in handling and interpreting surgical and cytologic specimens from gender-transitioning individuals. Directed efforts to overcome these shortcomings, coupled with a more welcoming posture, are essential to achieving the highest standards of care for the transgender population. * Abbreviations : DSM : Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ICD : International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision HIV : human immunodeficiency virus EMRs : electronic medical records LISs : laboratory information systems WPATH : World Professional Association for Transgender Health ACA : Affordable Care Act Pap : Papanicolaou ACOG : American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists FDA : Food and Drug Administration AABB : American Association of Blood Banks PSA : prostate-specific antigen LGBT : lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender BMD : bone-mineral density
Clinical Experience With Pharmacological Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in the Underweight and Critically Ill.

Background: The optimal regimen for pharmacological prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in underweight, critically ill patients is unknown. Objective: To describe prescribing patterns for VTE prophylaxis in underweight (≤50 kg or body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m2), critically ill patients and identify the prevalence of VTE and bleeding. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients who received standard- or reduced-dose VTE prophylaxis for ≥48 hours. Results: A total of 295 individuals were included in the study. The majority of underweight patients in this study (79.7%) received unfractionated heparin, 5000 units 3 times daily. No statistically significant difference in the prevalence of clinically relevant VTEs between the reduced- and standard-dose groups was observed (4.4% vs 5.6%, P = 1.00), but a higher proportion of bleeding events was identified within the standard-dose group (6.7% vs 11.2%, P = 0.4). Conclusions: Empirical dose reductions of VTE prophylaxis are infrequen...
Interactive effects of multiple climate change variables on food web dynamics: Modeling the effects of changing temperature, CO2, and water availability on a tri-trophic food web

Predicting food web responses to climate change can be difficult because of the potentially complex interplay between co-occurring climate variables and multiple interacting species across trophic levels. The large majority of research in this field has focused on understanding the effects of single climate variables on species at one or two trophic levels, implicitly assuming that simultaneous shifts across multiple climate variables will have additive effects on food web dynamics. We constructed a tri-trophic food web model and varied temperature, CO2, and water availability both alone and in concert to test this assumption. We found that population biomass does indeed respond additively across trophic levels when temperature, CO2, and water availability all increase simultaneously to moderate levels; however, if water availability decreases, like in a drought scenario, all three trophic levels respond antagonistically. We also found that interaction effect magnitude is highly dependent on temperature and water availability. Decreases in water availability led to 54–74% declines in population biomass across trophic levels when temperatures were within normal organismal operating ranges, but dry conditions coupled with high temperatures led to the extinction of the highest trophic level. Our results suggest that studying simplified versions of climate change and food webs will not be sufficient to predict the responses of real ecological systems. Therefore climate change ecology experiments and models must incorporate more complexity into their structure.
MICROBIOLOGY OF RAW AND PROCESSED WILD RICE1

Raw wild rice was tested for its microbiological condition and was found to contain, per gram, up to 21 × 108 total aerobic count, 63 × 106 coliforms, 98 × 107 psychrotrophs, 16 × 106 streptococci, 26 × 104 yeasts, and 83 × 105 molds. Although the product was free of coagulase-positive staphylococci, Salmonella infantis and Escherichia coli were found in some samples. Rice was parched at 51.7 C (125 F) for 8 hr, 65.6 C (150 F) for 180 min, 79,4 C (175 F) for 180 min, and 121.1 C (250 F) for 105 min. Parching reduced the number of viable organisms and greatest changes appeared when the higher temperatures were used. Unhulled rice parched at 79.4 C contained, per gram, 40 × 106 total aerobic count, 33 × 103 psychrotrophs, 46 × 102 coliforms, 100 × 103 streptococci, <10 yeasts, and 62 × 104 molds. Most organisms present in parched rice were associated with the hulls rather than the kernels after rice was hulled. Boiling of parched wild rice, as might be done when it is prepared for consumption, reduced the t...
Abstract LB-291: microRNA regulation of Nrf2: A link between autophagy and oxidative stress

Understanding the relationship between autophagy and excessive oxidative stress is crucial for determining the fate of cancer cells exposed to redox-active chemotherapeutic agents. Previous studies have shown that Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a redox active, mitochondrialy targeted ubiquinone derivative, can induce autophagy through the generation of excess reactive oxygen species and stimulate the antioxidant response involving nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) in breast cancer cells. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that is up-regulated during oxidative stress and activates the antioxidant response element, which in turn regulates antioxidant expression. The aim of this study was to evaluate microRNA (miRNA) as a link between oxidative stress and autophagy through modulation of Nrf2 activity. miRNA are endogenous 18-22 bp double stranded RNA that become active when bound to the 3′ UTR of target messenger RNA (mRNA). The primary goal was to suppress Nrf2 activity with miRNA so that oxidative stress, in the absence of antioxidants, can result in apoptosis rather than autophagy. miRNA expression was evaluated using Illumina RNA sequencing analyses in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells after treatment with DMSO or MitoQ (5 μM), in the presence and absence of Nrf2 silencing RNA (siRNA). Preliminary results show that Nrf2 is the most active at or before 18hrs of treatment (tested up to 72hrs) accompanied by a significant increase in nuclear Nrf2 levels. We are currently evaluating the transcriptome to identify key miRNAs that were up-regulated during Nrf2 suppression and down-regulated during Nrf2 activation. Nrf2 activity was also assessed using a stably transfected GFP modified MDA-MB-231 cell line containing the 3′ UTR region of Nrf2. Prior to obtaining the transcriptome, preliminary Nrf2-miRNA tests were performed with miR-93 as this miRNA has been shown to regulate Nrf2 expression in other studies on human breast cancer cell lines. We are currently assessing the effect of miR-93 on Nrf2 regulation, autophagy and apoptosis to decipher how miR-93 and other microRNA regulate Nrf2 signaling following excessive oxidative stress. Citation Format: Kaytee L. Pokrzywinski, V. Ashutosh Rao. microRNA regulation of Nrf2: A link between autophagy and oxidative stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-291. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-291
The Hedgehog, the Fox, and Kozolchyk: The Practical and Philosophical Foundations of Best Practices in Legal Harmonization for Economic Development

This essay explicates Professor Boris Kozolchyk’s magnum opus, Comparative Commercial Contracts, as a vehicle for exploring the practical and philosophical foundations for effective efforts to promote international legal harmonization in private law. Its central thesis is that good practices are founded on the philosophical premises embedded in Kozolchyk’s work, which in turn are drawn from Kozolchyk’s practical experience. This experience yields a vision of practices reflecting those of the archetypal merchant, a bonus vir (a good man or person), and the conception of commercial justice as fairness and reasonableness made possible by practical guidance rooted in requirements of the bonus vir. The essay locates this insight in longstanding debate about the morality of market society, one that has been given new salience as protectionist forces now enjoy resurgence in response to dislocations brought about by the most recent wave of globalization. The essay author’s own experience as a former member of the Juridical Committee of the Organization of American States is brought to bear to supplement a study of the practical experience that gave rise to Kozolchyk’s central insights from a career of engaged practical scholarship, in part as Director of The National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade (NLCIFT), affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Law, in which he has played a central role in developing practical instruments for legal harmonization in the Western Hemisphere, especially between the U.S. and the Caribbean Basin countries. Finally, this essay, drawing in part of suggestions in CCC but more significantly on literature concerning the creation and erosion of the social norms supporting trust in economic life, identifies challenges China’s integration in the world economy may pose for commercial law reasoning and practices based on Kozolchyk’s understanding of the bonus vir.
Technology Forecasting: Case of Electric Vehicle Technology

Electric vehicles are seen by the public as a solution to the growing societal concern of green house effect created by the transport sector. Moreover there is a strong consensus that in the future it will be cheaper to own and drive electric vehicles. Since the advent of electric vehicles in 1899 not much progress has been made to make electric vehicles available at reasonable cost to the public. In the last few years vehicle manufacturers started to manufacture electric vehicles but still the adaption rate is less than 1%. The available data on electric vehicles is therefore limited to shed light on the future adaption rate. Our literature review has shown that the most important factors for EV diffusion are oil price and technological advancement of EV. Therefore, these two factors have been used as the two axes in the scenario planning. The literature review also helped us identify the current policies, and what policies will remain in effect in the future, and until what year EV will be needing policy support before it becomes technologically and economically a viable option. This paper suggests policy implications depending on different scenarios until 2025. Characteristics and implication of these scenarios will also be discussed.
Interstitial Lung Diseases via Deep Convolutional Neural Networks: Segmentation Label Propagation, Unordered Pooling and Cross-Dataset Learning

Holistically detecting interstitial lung disease (ILD) patterns from CT images is challenging yet clinically important. Unfortunately, most existing solutions rely on manually provided regions of interest, limiting their clinical usefulness. We focus on two challenges currently existing in two publicly available datasets. First of all, missed labeling of regions of interest is a common issue in existing medical image datasets due to the labor-intensive nature of the annotation task which requires high levels of clinical proficiency. Second, no work has yet focused on predicting more than one ILD from the same CT slice, despite the frequency of such occurrences. To address these limitations, we propose three algorithms based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The differences between the two main publicly available datasets are discussed as well.
Endocrine functions of the human placenta.

Publisher Summary The human placenta produces huge amounts of chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), estrogen, and progesterone. HCG arises exclusively from the placenta, and it is highly probable that virtually all the estrogen and progesterone elaborated by the pregnant human female is secreted by the placenta. It also seems likely, though not yet proved, that the placenta may produce corticosteroids, although in amounts far smaller than those of other steroids produced by this organ. Androgens may be intermediates in the biosynthetic pathways utilized in the placenta for the production of certain steroids, but there is as yet no evidence suggesting secretion of androgens by the placenta. It is, in any event, clear that the placenta is not the principal site of production of corticosteroids and androgens in a normal pregnant woman. A number of other hormones or hormonal activities have been reported to be present in extracts of placental tissue. These include adrenocorticotropic hormone, melanocyte-stimulating hormone, relaxin, oxytocin, growth hormone, vasopressin, prolactin, juvenile hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and serotonin. Although there is evidence to indicate that some of these hormones are produced in increased amounts during pregnancy, there is no satisfactory evidence to suggest that they are produced by the placenta.
Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Thrombin Injection of Iatrogenic Pseudoaneurysms Based on Neck Dimension

Background Ultrasound-guided thrombin injection (UGTI) of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms after endovascular procedures is an effective therapy. There is controversy in the literature regarding injecting pseudoaneurysms with short and/or wide necks. This article reports our experience in UGTI of pseudoaneurysms in 1 hospital regarding the efficacy of this treatment in all pseudoaneurysms regardless of the size of the necks. Methods A retrospective review of 46 patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2016 with groin pseudoaneurysms using established duplex ultrasound criteria. Mean age was 68 years (range 27–87). Ten pseudoaneurysms thrombosed spontaneously, 5 were thrombosed by ultrasound-guided compression, and 2 were treated surgically due to disqualifying criteria. In this retrospective review, we analyzed the remaining 29 pseudoaneurysms regarding the dimensions of their neck lengths and outcomes after attempting thrombin injection. Results The mean aneurysm neck length and width were 1.03 ± 0.9 cm and 0.30 ± 0.1 cm, respectively. All 29 patients were evaluated with respect to pseudoaneurysm size, neck length, neck width, and complexity. Successful treatment of 29 pseudoaneurysms (2 external iliac, 20 common femoral, 2 deep femoral, and 5 superficial femoral) with UGTI was achieved without complications in 100% of the cases, regardless of pseudoaneurysm size, neck dimensions, or complexity. Anticoagulation status did not affect the efficacy of the procedure. Nine of the 29 pseudoaneurysms (31.0%) had neck length less than 0.5 cm. Conclusions This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of UGTI in treating iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm in 29 of 29 patients, even in patients with pseudoaneurysm with short neck lengths. Our experiences support injecting all pseudoaneurysms irrespective of dimension.
Changes in Brain Edema Movement Following Experimental Brain Insults and Acute Therapy

Elevation of intracranial pressure in the clinical and experimental setting can be induced by a variety of brain insults. Cerebrovascular engorgement (swelling), may occur as a loss of autoregulation which would elevate intracranial pressure because of an increased blood volume. An increase of ICP may also result from disturbances at the capillary level by extravasation of serum fluid into the interstitium. Formation of vasogenic brain edema may continue as long as the propelling forces of the arterial pressure maintains an effective transmural pressure gradient (13,14). The area of increased permeability (13,14) and the duration of the opening of the blood-brain barrier (4,14) are additional variables. The increased interstitial fluid could lead to an increased brain volume and, hence, a further rise in intracranial pressure. Brain insults can affect glial and neuronal metabolism so that the cellular function is significantly altered. Examples comprise the processes that occur with ischemia and hypoxia. Blockade of cellular energy metabolism may lead to membrane permeability changes and alterations of the sodium pump. Cellular (cytotoxic) edema and swelling may follow (13). An increased water content in the intracellular compartment of the brain may also lead to an overall increase in brain volume and, hence, of the intracranial pressure.
Reproductive steroids and ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle

Although Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder shows (ADHD) male predominance, females are significantly impaired and exhibit additional comorbid disorders during adolescence. However, no empirical work has examined the influence of cyclical fluctuating steroids on ADHD symptoms in women. The present study examined estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and testosterone (T) associations with ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle in regularly-cycling young women (N=32), examining trait impulsivity as a moderator. Women completed a baseline measure of trait impulsivity, provided saliva samples each morning, and completed an ADHD symptom checklist every evening for 35days. Results indicated decreased levels of E2 in the context of increased levels of either P4 or T was associated with higher ADHD symptoms on the following day, particularly for those with high trait impulsivity. Phase analyses suggested both an early follicular and early luteal, or post-ovulatory, increase in ADHD symptoms. Therefore, ADHD symptoms may change across the menstrual cycle in response to endogenous steroid changes.
Immunomodulatory and Antibacterial Properties of the Chumash Medicinal Plant Trichostema lanatum

Background: The woody shrub Trichostema lanatum Benth. (Lamiaceae) is native to Southern California and was reportedly used by the Chumash people as a disinfectant and for the treatment of rheumatism. Based on its traditional uses, this study investigated the antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties of extracts from T. lanatum. Methods: A methanolic extract of the leaves and stems of T. lanatum was tested for immunomodulatory activity by measuring the proliferation of murine macrophage cell cultures and the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α by the cells after treatment with T. lanatum. Antibacterial activity of the extract against a panel of six Gram-positive bacteria and two Gram-negative bacteria was evaluated using a disc-diffusion assay. Results: The T. lanatum extract inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, but not Gram-negative bacteria. Treatment of activated macrophage cell cultures with T. lanatum extract resulted in decreased proliferation of the activated macrophages and a decrease in the production of TNF-α. Conclusions: These results provide the first pharmacological support for the traditional use of T. lanatum by the Chumash people of Southern California as a disinfectant and treatment for rheumatism.
Focused Microwave-assisted Synthesis of 2,5-Dihydrofuran Derivatives as Electron Acceptors for Highly Efficient Nonlinear Optical Chromophores

A diversified family of 2,5-dihydrofuran derivatives has been synthesized as a new class of highly efficient and tunable electron acceptors using the single-mode focused microwave irradiation. High poling efficiency and very large electro-optic coefficients (r33 values of 128 and 116 pm/V at 1.3 μm) have been demonstrated using 2-dicyanomethylen-3-cyano-4,5,-dimethyl-5-trifluoromethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (CF3-TCF)-based chromophores as dopant in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and a high glass-transition temperature polyquinoline (PQ-100) respectively. Excellent dipole alignment stability has also been demonstrated in the guest/host composite at 85°C. Multi-functionalized NLO chromophores based on hydroxy containing 2,5-dihydrofuran acceptors were also synthesized through microwave methodology for further characterizations.