cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of midazolam administered concurrently with ketamine after intravenous bolus or infusion in dogs

Brown, S.A., Jacobson, J.D., Hartsfield, S.M. Pharmacokinetics of midazolam administered concurrently with ketamine after intravenous bolus or infusion in dogs. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 16, 419–425. Midazolam, a water-soluble benzodiazepine tranquilizer, has been considered by some veterinary anaesthesiologists to be suitable as a combination anaesthetic agent when administered concurrently with ketamine because of its water solubility and miscibility with ketamine. However, the pharmacokinetics of midazolam have not been extensively described in the dog. Twelve clinically healthy mixed breed dogs (22.2–33.4 kg) were divided into two groups at random and were administered ketamine (10 mg/kg) and midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) either as an intravenous bolus over 30 s (group 1) or as an i.v. infusion in 0.9% NaCl (2 ml/kg) over 15 min. Blood samples were obtained immediately before the drugs were injected and periodically for 6 h afterwards. Serum concentrations were determined using gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Serum concentrations were best described using a two-compartment open model and indicated a t½α of 1.8 min and t½β.p of 27.8 min after i.v. bolus, and t½α f 1–35 min and t½β of 31.6 min after i.v. infusion. The calculated pharmacokinetic coefficient B was significantly smaller after i.v. infusion (429 ± 244 ng/ml) than after i.v. bolus (888 ± 130 ng/ml, P = 0.004). Furthermore, AUC was significantly smaller after i.v. infusion (29 800 ±6120 ng/h/ml) than after i.v. bolus (42 500 ± 8460 ng/h/ml, P < 0.05), resulting in a larger ClB after i.v. infusion (17.4 ± 4.00 ml/min/kg than after i.v. bolus (12.1 ± 2.24 ml/min/kg, P < 0.05). No other pharmacokinetic value was significantly affected by rate of intravenous administration.
Tree model simplification for fast interactive rendering

Although billboards are often used in representing trees and grass of natural scenes, they are only suitable for distant objects, which are far away from the camera viewpoint. Human visual perception can point out billboards under close examination of such objects. In addition, a moving camera viewpoint around the objects further takes out the realism as some billboards are often programmed to rotate along the camera's viewing direction. In this on-going research, we consider rendering techniques built upon a 3D tree model and focus on geometrical simplification algorithms, which are used to save the rendering effort while keeping the visual quality close to that of a full tree model. Some recent research efforts [Lee et al. 2007] have tried to address this problem under the context of viewdependent rendering. Here, we generalize the framework so that a simplified tree model can be observed from different angles through user interaction.
Sexual and Asexual Processes in Protoperidinium steidingerae Balech (Dinophyceae), with Observations on Life-History Stages of Protoperidinium depressum (Bailey) Balech (Dinophyceae)

A suite of morphological, histological, and molecular techniques was used to reveal for the first time division, sexuality, mandatory dormancy period of hypnozygotes, and identity of life-history stages of any Protoperidinium spp. In both Protoperidinium steidingerae and Protoperidinium depressum, asexual division occurred by eleutheroschisis within a temporary cyst, yielding two daughter cells. Daughter cells were initially round and one-half to two-thirds the size of parent cells then rapidly increased in size, forming horns before separating. Gamete production and fusion was constitutive in clonal and non-clonal cultures, indicating that both species may be homothallic. Gametes were isogamous, approximately half the size and lacking the pink pigmentation of the vegetative cells, and were never observed to feed. Gamete fusion resulted in a planozygote with two longitudinal flagella. Planozygotes of P. steidingerae formed hypnozygotes. The fate of planozygotes of P. depressum is unknown. Hypnozygotes of P. steidingerae had a mandatory dormancy period of ca. 70 days. Germination resulted in planomeiocytes with two longitudinal flagella. Nuclear cyclosis occurred in the planozygotes of P. depressum, but in the planomeiocytes of P. steidingerae. The plate tabulation and gross morphology of gametes of P. steidingerae and P. depressum differed markedly from those of vegetative cells. Thus, misidentification of morphologically distinct life-history stages and incomplete examination of thecal plate morphology in field specimens has likely led to taxonomic confusion of Protoperidinium spp. in previous studies.
Human Escherichia coli O157:H7 Genetic Marker in Isolates of Bovine Origin

Escherichia coli O157 is recognized worldwide as an important cause of diarrheal disease, which in some patients is followed by hemolytic uremic syndrome and death (1). A primary virulence factor of this pathogen is the prophage-encoded Shiga toxin (2). Greater Shiga toxin production per bacterium is associated with increasing severity of human disease (3,4). Because of its location in the phage genome, the stx-gene variant dubbed stx2 is under similar regulatory control as other phage late-genes, as it is governed by the interaction of the transcription antiterminator Q with the late promoter PR´ (5). Although cattle and other ruminants appear to be the natural reservoir for E. coli O157 and other Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC), only a small fraction of STEC serotypes routinely present in cattle are frequently isolated from human patients. Mounting evidence suggests that considerable genetic, phenotypic, and pathogenic diversity exists among these pathogens (6–8). Furthermore, genetic subtypes or lineages of E. coli O157 do not appear to be equally distributed among isolates of bovine and human origin (7). The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution of specific sequences upstream of the stx2 gene among E. coli O157:H7 of human and bovine origin, along with corresponding magnitudes of Shiga toxin production.
A Structural Basis for How Motile Cilia Beat

The motile cilium is a mechanical wonder, a cellular nanomachine that produces a high-speed beat based on a cycle of bends that move along an axoneme made of 9+2 microtubules. The molecular motors, dyneins, power the ciliary beat. The dyneins are compacted into inner and outer dynein arms, whose activity is highly regulated to produce microtubule sliding and axonemal bending. The switch point hypothesis was developed long ago to account for how sliding in the presence of axonemal radial spoke-central pair interactions causes the ciliary beat. Since then, a new genetic, biochemical, and structural complexity has been discovered, in part, with Chlamydomonas mutants, with high-speed, high-resolution analysis of movement and with cryoelectron tomography. We stand poised on the brink of new discoveries relating to the molecular control of motility that extend and refine our understanding of the basic events underlying the switching of arm activity and of bend formation and propagation.
Bipolar flows, molecular gas disks, and the collapse and accretion of rotating interstellar clouds

Rigorous numerical models of the collapse and accretion of rotating, axisymmetric, isothermal interstellar clouds are studied. The results show that molecular gas disks and evacuated bipolar cavities both appear to be natural consequences of the collapse of rotating interstellar clouds. Dynamically significant magnetic fields may not be necessary for explaining either phenomenon. The models strongly support theoretical models of the type where an isotropic wind from a pre-main sequence star is extrinsically collimated by a rotationally derived molecular gas cloud. The models imply that collimation should be strongest on small scales where rotational effects are most important, i.e., in the dense region of the molecular gas disk.
Reasoning training in the ACTIVE study: how much is needed and who benefits?

Objective: To characterize change through 5-year follow-up, associated with training, booster, adherence, and other characteristics. Methods: Sample included all individuals randomly assigned to reasoning training (N = 699). Piecewise latent growth modeling was used to examine trajectory of performance on outcome measures. Results: Training resulted in improved reasoning performance through Year 5. A significant third annual booster effect was one-half the size of the training effect. Training adherence resulted in greater training effects. Higher education, Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), better health, and younger age related to higher baseline performance. Higher MMSE was related to larger training effects, larger linear slopes, and smaller booster effects. Significant functional outcomes included a training effect for complex reaction time (CRT), and first annual booster effects for the CRT and observed tasks of daily living. Discussion: Initial training gain was comparable with magnitude of age-related cognitive decline over 5 years with no training. Neither age nor gender predicted training or booster effects, indicating the generality of training effects across age (65-90 years).
Predictive state representations with options

Recent work on predictive state representation (PSR) models has focused on using predictions of the outcomes of open-loop action sequences as state. These predictions answer questions of the form "What is the probability of seeing observation sequence o1, o2, ..., oN if the agent takes action sequence a1, a2, ..., aN from some given history?" We would like to ask more expressive questions in our representation of state, such as "If I behave according to some policy until I terminate, what will be my last observation?" We extend the linear PSR framework to answer questions like these about options -- temporally extended, closed-loop courses of action -- bounding the size of the linear PSR needed to model questions about a certain class of options. We introduce a hierarchical PSR (HPSR) that can make predictions about both options and primitive action sequences and show empirical results from learning HPSRs in simple domains.
A 13C‐NMR investigation of plasma polymerized ethane, ethylene, and acetylene

Solid-state 13C-NMR spectra were obtained by cross-polarization and magic angle spinning of polymers prepared by injecting ethane, ethylene, and acetylene into a radiofrequency plasma. By use of the delayed decoupling technique to suppress protonated carbon peaks and difference spectroscopy five resolved spectral bands can be distinguished. These bands are assigned to (I) unsaturated nonprotonated, (II) unsaturated CH and CH2, (III) quaternary, (IV) methine and methylene, and (V) methyl carbons by comparison with standard 13C shifts compiled for organic materials. The relative amounts of these structural features in the polymers were determined quantitatively and the possible sources of errors considered.
PO-0785 Relationship Between Heart Rate And Blood Pressure In Paediatric Patients Referred For Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (abpm)

Objective To establish the relationship between heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure DBP, pulse pressure (PP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in paediatric patients from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) records. Design and methods 100 ABPM studies from 75 children; mean age 12.1 years who underwent 24 h BP monitoring in our paediatric nephrology clinic were analysed. We acquired demographic data and readings of HR, SBP and DBP, PP and MAP from the ABPM records. The relationship between these variables was examined using regression statistical analysis. None of the children were on drugs known to affect heart rate or blood pressure. Results Highly significant correlation coefficients were found between increasing HR and SBP, DBP and MAP: 0.40 (95% confidence intervals 0.38–0.43), 0.39 (0.36–0.41)and 0.37(0.35–0.39), all p Conclusions In this pilot study, we found that as HR increases above basal, Blood Pressure increases in a predictable fashion. There are differences in the response of BP to increasing HR during asleep and awake periods. This pilot study confirms that we may be able to ‘adjust’ BP readings for tachycardia to improve our interpretation of ABPM.
Evolution of a New Retail Institution Type: Case Study in South Korea and China

Kim and Kincade (2006) proposed the Combined Retail Evolution Model (CREM) by examining retailing in a non-Western country (South Korea) and subsequently identified the Private-Branded Hive type store (PBH) as a new retail institution type.The purposes of this new study are (a) to examine the evolution of the PBH and (b) to examine the Supply Chain City (SCC) in China, using a case study research method with content analysis and researcher observation.The results indicate that the evolution of the PBH has begun, and it is changing into a new retail type. For the SCC, environmental influences identified in China were similar to those found in the Dong Dae Moon district (DDM) of South Korea.Although the retail component of the PBH retail institution type has not appeared in the Chinese SCC, the high possibility of acceptance of PBH-style retail stores by Chinese consumers can be seen in Beijing’s Commodity Trading Stores.
Sensorless Detection and Isolation of Faults in Motor-Pump Systems

Induction motors are the workhorses of industry and a lot of effort has been invested in detecting and diagnosing induction motor faults through the analysis of the motor electrical signals. However, in many industrial applications, electric motors are used to drive dynamic loads such as pumps, fans, blowers etc. Failure of either the motors or the driven loads is associated with operational disruption. Consequently it would be beneficial if the entire motor-pump system is monitored and diagnosed. The large costs associated with production losses can be avoided if system degradation can be detected at early stages prior to failure. Moreover, downtime can be further reduced if the faulty component within the drive power system can be isolated thereby aiding plant personnel to be better prepared with spares and repair kits. Hence there is not only a strong need for cost-effective detection schemes to assess the condition of the drive power system as a whole, but also a strong need for efficient isolation schemes to identify the component within the system that is faulty. This paper describes a sensorless approach to detect and isolate induction motor and/or centrifugal pump faults. Motor and pump bearing degradation is considered to validate the performance effectiveness of the proposed scheme. No add-on sensors, on either the motor or the pump, are used in the development of the proposed method to avoid any reduction in overall system reliability and prevent increased costs. In fact, motor and/or pump bearing degradation is detected and isolated using only the motor line voltages and phase currents. The proposed technique is insensitive to electric power supply fluctuations and mechanical load variations and it does not require prior knowledge of either the motor or the pump design parameters. Hence this approach can be easily ported to motor-pump systems of varying manufacturers and sizes. The developed algorithm has been tested on accelerated fault data collected from a centrifugal pump fluid loop driven by a 3-φ, 3 hp induction motor. Results from these experiments indicate that the proposed fault detection and isolation scheme successfully detects and classifies bearing degradation in the motor and/or the pump without false positives or misclassification.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Renal medullary 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in Dahl salt-sensitive hypertension

The Dahl salt-sensitive rat is a widely used model of human salt-sensitive forms of hypertension. The kidney plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Dahl salt-sensitive hypertension, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain a subject of intensive investigation. Gene expression profiling studies suggested that 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 might be dysregulated in the renal medulla of Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Additional analysis confirmed that renal medullary expression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 was downregulated by a high-salt diet in SS-13BN rats, a consomic rat strain with reduced blood pressure salt sensitivity, but not in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 is known to convert inactive 11-dehydrocorticosterone to active corticosterone. The urinary corticosterone/11-dehydrocorticosterone ratio as well as urinary excretion of corticosterone was higher in Dahl salt-sensitive rats than in SS-13BN rats. Knockdown of renal medullary 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 with small-interfering RNA attenuated the early phase of salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats and reduced urinary excretion of corticosterone. Knockdown of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 did not affect blood pressure in SS-13BN rats. Long-term attenuation of salt-induced hypertension was achieved with small hairpin RNA targeting renal medullary 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1. In summary, we have demonstrated that suppression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 expression in the renal medulla attenuates salt-induced hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
Use of engineered Escherichia coli cells to detect estrogenicity in everyday consumer products

BACKGROUND: Estrogenic activity has been observed in several industrial and household products, and some evidence suggests that this activity may be linked to increased pathologies in humans and animals. Here, an engineered strain of Escherichia coli is evaluated for its ability to detect estrogenic activity in complex mixtures, including natural dietary supplements, hand and body washes, essential oils, and perfumes. The engineered E. coli biosensor strain expresses the ligand-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor β (ERβ) as part of a larger allosteric reporter enzyme. The result is a simple bacterial growth assay, where estrogenic activity of a test compound is reflected by increased cell growth on a simple defined medium. RESULTS: While most consumer products did not yield a strong estrogenic response in the assay, a consistent estrogenic effect was observed with several perfumes. This effect is probably due to the presence of the known estrogen, benzophenone-2, which exhibited an EC50 concentration of 0.44 µmol L−1 for the sensor strains used. CONCLUSIONS: This simple, bacterial biosensor is capable of rapidly and inexpensively detecting estrogenic activity in complex consumer products, and may eventually yield rough estimates of the equivalent estrogen doses associated with their use. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Ustekinumab : Targeting the IL-17 Pathway to Improve Outcomes in Psoriatic Arthritis

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a clinically diverse inflammatory arthritis that can affect peripheral joints and the axial skeleton. About 25% of psoriasis patients develop PsA and many suffer from reduced function and quality of life. Anti-TNF agents have emerged as a pivotal treatment for many patients but the lack of alternative biologics for those who become unresponsive and or tolerate these medications remain a major unmet need. Recently, ustekinumab (UST) an agent that targets the 12 – 23/Th17 pathway was approved by the FDA for the treatment of active PsA. Areas covered: Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the pharmacology and clinical efficacy and safety of UST in the treatment of PsA. In addition, the position of UST in the treatment of PsA is discussed. Expert opinion: The lack of alternative therapies for patients who cannot tolerate or fail anti-TNF agents remains a major challenge for clinicians who treat PsA. UST, an agent that has proven efficacy in psoriasis, has re...
Ink-jet printed nanoparticle microelectromechanical systems

Reports a method to additively build three-dimensional (3-D) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and electrical circuitry by ink-jet printing nanoparticle metal colloids. Fabricating metallic structures from nanoparticles avoids the extreme processing conditions required for standard lithographic fabrication and molten-metal-droplet deposition. Nanoparticles typically measure 1 to 100 nm in diameter and can be sintered at plastic-compatible temperatures as low as 300/spl deg/C to form material nearly indistinguishable from the bulk material. Multiple ink-jet print heads mounted to a computer-controlled 3-axis gantry deposit the 10% by weight metal colloid ink layer-by-layer onto a heated substrate to make two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D structures. We report a high-Q resonant inductive coil, linear and rotary electrostatic-drive motors, and in-plane and vertical electrothermal actuators. The devices, printed in minutes with a 100 /spl mu/m feature size, were made out of silver and gold material with high conductivity,and feature as many as 400 layers, insulators, 10:1 vertical aspect ratios, and etch-released mechanical structure. These results suggest a route to a desktop or large-area MEMS fabrication system characterized by many layers, low cost, and data-driven fabrication for rapid turn-around time, and represent the first use of ink-jet printing to build active MEMS.
Sex ratios in California following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

BACKGROUND: Natural and man-made disasters as well as declining economies appear to coincide with reduced odds of male live births among humans (i.e. lower secondary sex ratio). This association has been attributed to excess death of males in gestation and to reduced conception of males. We attempt to empirically discriminate between these two attributions by testing the hypotheses that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were followed in California first by higher fetal death sex ratios and later by lower sex ratios among very low weight births and total live births. METHODS: We apply interrupted time-series methods to the fetal death, very low birth weight, and secondary sex ratios. The methods control for trends, seasonal cycles, and other forms of autocorrelation that could induce spurious associations. RESULTS: Findings support the excess death explanation in that the fetal death sex ratio reached its highest level in the 6 year test period in October and November of 2001, while the very low weight birth sex ratio dropped to its lowest level in 14 years in December of 2001. The secondary sex ratio exhibited its second lowest value in 14 years in December of 2001. No support was found for the reduced conception explanation in that the sex ratio did not differ from expected values 9, 10 or 11 months after the attacks. CONCLUSIONS: We infer support for the excess death explanation at the expense of the reduced conception explanation. We also describe the implications of our findings for public health planning.
Estimating mooring motion when the pressure sensors fail: A method employing inverted echo sounders

Abstract In the presence of a strong current, such as the Gulf Stream or the North Atlantic Current, current meter moorings are known to “blow over” due to drag from the moving water. This dipping of the current meters, which has been documented to exceed 500 m in some cases, can significantly affect estimates of fluxes on level surfaces. Pressure measurements made by sensors collocated along the mooring near each current meter are commonly used to correct for this mooring motion. Data from a current meter mooring near 42°N, 45°W are used to demonstrate that, in cases where there is a failure of the pressure sensors, measurements from an inverted echo sounder near the current meter mooring can be combined with the mooring temperature records and historical hydrography to produce “synthetic” pressure records for current meters within the main thermocline depth range. Pressures at other current meters on the mooring can then be determined using mooring design parameters. This technique allows corrections fo...
Problems of Scientific Realism

(1) Scientific realism maintains that natural science provides descriptive, accurate information about physical reality — that the objects of science exist as science claims them to be. (2) This position presupposes the essential correctness of natural science as we have it. But when science is seen in historical perspective, it becomes clear that there is no adequate justification for thinking that natural science as we now have it is actually correct. (3) Nor does it seem warranted to suppose that a future juncture will be reached when the science of the day correctly characterizes physical reality.
Mapping the chemical potential dependence of current-induced spin polarization in a topological insulator

We report electrical measurements of the current-induced spin polarization of the surface current in topological insulator devices where contributions from bulk and surface conduction can be disentangled by electrical gating. The devices use a ferromagnetic tunnel junction (permalloy/$\mathrm{Al}{}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$) as a spin detector on a back-gated ${(\mathrm{Bi},\mathrm{Sb})}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ channel. We observe hysteretic voltage signals as the magnetization of the detector ferromagnet is switched parallel or antiparallel to the spin polarization of the surface current. The amplitude of the detected voltage change is linearly proportional to the applied dc bias current in the ${(\mathrm{Bi},\mathrm{Sb})}_{2}{\mathrm{Te}}_{3}$ channel. As the chemical potential is tuned from the bulk bands into the surface state band, we observe an enhancement of the spin-dependent voltages up to 300% within the range of the electrostatic gating. Using a simple model, we extract the spin polarization near charge neutrality (i.e., the Dirac point).
Cruel and Unusual: Sentencing 13- and 14-Year-Old Children to Die in Prison

In the United States, 13- and 14-year-old children, prosecuted as adults, have been and continue to be sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. While the United States Supreme Court recently declared in Roper v Simmons that death by execution is unconstitutional for juveniles, young children continue to be sentenced to imprisonment until they die with minimal scrutiny or review. A study by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has documented 73 cases in which children 13 and 14 years of age have been condemned to die in prison (Equal Justice Initiative 2008). The majority lack legal representation and in many cases the propriety and constitutionality of their extreme sentences have never been reviewed. Most sentences imposed on these children were mandatory: the court could not give any consideration to the child's age or life history. Some children were charged with crimes that did not involve homicide or even injury; many were convicted for offences where older teenagers or adults were involved and primarily responsible for the crime. Nearly two-thirds are children of colour.
Structure of murine enterokinase (enteropeptidase) and expression in small intestine during development

Enterokinase (enteropeptidase) is expressed only in proximal small intestine, where it initiates digestive enzyme activation by converting trypsinogen into trypsin. To investigate this restricted e...
A neuro-fuzzy approach for robot system safety

Robot safety is a critical and largely unsolved problem involving the interaction of man and machine. The paper presents a new approach to robot safety which uses an integrated sensing architecture for monitoring the robot workspace, and a new detection and decision logic for regulating the safe operation of the robot. Sensory information is fused through a trained neural network to produce a map of the hazards. Using this combined map, and information about the robot's current position and velocity, a set of fuzzy logic rules has been implemented to regulate robot activity. Simulation results presented in the paper indicate that this method is both effective in detection of potentially hazardous situations and computationally feasible.
GENETIC DIVERGENCE AND MORPHOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE IN THE PRAIRIE DOGS, CYNOMYS GUNNISONI AND CYNOMYS LEUCURUS I. MORPHOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL ANALYSES.

Systematic and evolutionary biology is intriguing to me because its problematic nature makes it much like a game. Evolution can be compared to a horse race in which the handicapper (evolutionary biologist) tries to predict the set of events which will lead to the results at the finish line. In evolution, as in the horse race, an infinite number of events can occur before a horse reaches the finish. Some events are less likely than others and a good handicapper will use every bit of information available to him to improve his chances of predicting events and the outcome of a race. So too with the evolutionary biologist. In evolution, the most intriguing races are the ones where the long shot finishes first, that is, the unusual or anomalous result. Such a situation seemed possible when Robert Lechleitner (1969) reported that two species of prairie dogs, C. gunnisoni and C. leucurus, were hybridizing along a zone of contact approximately 50 miles in length in western Colorado. C. gunnisoni is a small, dark colored prairie dog which lives in colonies of rather low density between altitudes of six and twelve thousand feet (Lechleitner, 1969). Its behavioral organization is relatively simple and colonial cohesion is primarily based on the single syllable alarm bark to warn of predators (Fitzgerald and Lech-
WAVE INTERFERENCE IN THE GENERATION OF REFLECTION- AND DISTORTION-SOURCE EMISSIONS

Although mammalian otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) have generally been regarded as originating through nonlinear electromechanical distortion, measurements of OAE phase made using frequency-scaled stimuli (e.g., a pure tone or a pair of tones with fixed frequency ratio f2/f1) are now understood as providing clear evidence for two fundamentally different types of emission [11,6]: distortion-source (or “wave-fixed”) emissions, which arise by nonlinear distortion induced by the traveling wave, and reflection-source (or “place-fixed”) emissions, which arise via linear reflection off micromechanical impedance perturbations such as variations in the number, geometry, or mechanical characteristics of outer hair cells [14,20]. Although distortionand reflection-source emissions are often idealized as originating from isolated, point-like sources, both types of OAEs arise from a spatially distributed region. In this paper, we discuss how the distributed nature of the emission sources—specifically, interference among the many wavelets originating from within the source region—contributes essentially to the characteristics of reflectionand distortion-source emissions.
Clinicopathological Anlalysis of Isolated Hematuria in 23 Children

Objective To study the kidney histological categories of isolated hematuria in children.Methods Twenty-three children with isolated hematuria were performed renal biopsy under real time ultrasound guidance utilizing menghini style negative pressure biopsy device after local anesthesia or general anesthesia.The renopuncture tissue was directly sent by the mail-boxes to the remote pathologic service.All of the biopsies were examined by light microscopy,electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry.Results Biopsies were classified as measangial proliferative glomerulonephritis(MsPGN)(8 cases),minimal change nephropathy(MCN)(5 cases),IgA nephropathy(IgAN)(4 cases),thin basement membrane nephropathy(TMN)(3 cases),Alport′s syndrome(AS)(1 case),focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(FSGS)(1 case)and IgM nephropathy(IgMN)(1 case).Conclusions In this series,MsPGN,MGA,IgAN are the most common biopsy diagnosis.TMN and Alport′s are account for some proportion.A few IgMN and FSGS may also present as isolated hematuria.
Expression of RSV F protein fragment and its application

AIM:To establish rapid,sensitive,specific,cheap serological detection methods of human respiratory syncytial virus. METHODS:The viruses were isolated from nasopharyngeal secretions which collected from patient in BeiJing Children's hospital. One fragment of F gene (F1-1,AA 137-363) was amplified by RT-PCR,since this region contains the major neutralization sites. The PCR product was cloned into pMD18-T vector and was identified by PCR,then the target gene was subcloned into pET-32a expression vector and was identified by restriction analysis and sequencing. F1-1 was efficiently expressed in E.coli BL21 and purified by nickel HiTrap chelating metal affinity column.The serum levels of IgG antibodies to F antigen were measured in 91 serum samples of suspected RSV from BeiJing Children's hospital using indirect ELISA against F1-1 proteins of HRSV. RESULTS:The size of the RT-PCR product was 678 bp. The sequence of insert was correct after examined by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing. Western Blotting indicated that the RSV F1-1 protein had specific antigenicity. No significant difference was found when compared our method with commercial detection kits. CONCLUSION:The recombinant RSV F protein fragment offers an efficient way for serological diagnosis.
Social networks and relational capital in library service assessment

Purpose – Researchers and administrators have struggled to fully understand the value of library human resources for decades. There are many approaches to counting the activities of library staffs, but less is understood about the value of developing and maintaining relationships. Given the growing importance of engagement-focussed, expertise-based service models in research libraries, the failure of library assessment models to account for the relational value of librarian activities is problematic in justifying and incentivizing new strategic activities and understanding the importance of libraries’ relationships with users and other stakeholders. The social network perspectives now commonplace in organizational studies to provide relational and contextual understandings of organizational behavior could be applied to library performance measurement and evaluation, providing a fuller picture of library impact. The purpose of this paper is to address this conceptual gap in the evaluation of library servic...
Determination of solubility parameters from density measurements for non-polar hydrocarbons at temperatures from (298–433) K and pressures up to 137 MPa

Abstract The Hildebrand's solubility parameter, δ, gives a quantitative representation of the well-known “like dissolves like” aphorism for non-polar hydrocarbon liquids. This is of great commercial importance for certain polymers and hydrocarbon mixtures. However, the solubility parameters are usually available only at ambient conditions for a limited number of substances. Extrapolation of these parameters to high pressure and high temperature conditions is not attained by common empirical correlations or cubic equations of state. In this work a set of equations are derived from fundamental thermodynamic property relations to account for the pressure and temperature dependence of this cohesive energy parameter. The equations, which require a reference value for the solubility parameter –usually at ambient conditions– and volumetric data, are then applied to calculate the solubility parameters of four pure non-polar hydrocarbons, namely n-heptane, n-dodecane, benzene and toluene, at temperatures from (298–433) K and pressures up to 137 MPa. A comparison against literature data and predictions from the Perturbed Chain version of the Statistical Association Fluid Theory (PC-SAFT) and Peng-Robinson equations of state is also provided. The proposed method provides a novel approach for a quick, simple and accurate determination of the solubility parameters at elevated temperatures and pressures for non-polar hydrocarbons using density measurements.
Patient-Centered Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds in the Medical ICU.

Objectives:We examined the effects of introducing patient-centered structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds in the medical ICU with respect to rounding efficiency, provider satisfaction, and patient/family satisfaction.Design:A prospective, nonblinded, nonrandomized, parallel group study from Jun
Ang-1 and Ang-2 expression in angiomyolipoma and PEComa family tumors.

Abstract Objective Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa) are an uncommon family of soft tissue tumors. Previously, we described that the presence of pericyte antigens among PEComa family tumors differs extensively by histologic appearance. Methods Here, we extend our findings using the pericyte antigens Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), using immunohistochemical detection in human tumor samples. Results While Ang-1 showed no expression across any PEComa family tumor, Ang-2 showed expression that like other pericyte markers was largely determined by cytologic appearance. Conclusion/implications Pericytic marker expression in PEComa may represent a true pericytic cell of origin, or alternatively aberrant pericyte marker adoption.
Voice-only communication enhances empathic accuracy

This research tests the prediction that voice-only communication increases empathic accuracy over communication across senses. We theorized that people often intentionally communicate their feelings and internal states through the voice, and as such, voice-only communication allows perceivers to focus their attention on the channel of communication most active and accurate in conveying emotions to others. We used 5 experiments to test this hypothesis (N = 1,772), finding that voice-only communication elicits higher rates of empathic accuracy relative to vision-only and multisense communication both while engaging in interactions and perceiving emotions in recorded interactions of strangers. Experiments 4 and 5 reveal that voice-only communication is particularly likely to enhance empathic accuracy through increasing focused attention on the linguistic and paralinguistic vocal cues that accompany speech. Overall, the studies question the primary role of the face in communication of emotion, and offer new insights for improving emotion recognition accuracy in social interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record
Agreement between manual relaxometry and semi-automated scanner-based multi-echo Dixon technique for measuring liver T2* in a pediatric and young adult population

Commercially available 3D multi-echo Dixon (mDixon) sequences provide parametric maps of liver T2*, obviating manual curve fitting that is often required with conventional gradient recalled echo (GRE)-based multi-echo relaxometry, potentially simplifying clinical work flow. The purpose of our study was to compare T2* values generated by a 3D mDixon sequence to values generated by GRE-based T2* relaxometry with manual curve fitting in a pediatric and young adult population. We reviewed clinical MRI exams performed at 1.5T for liver iron content estimation between February 2015 and June 2016 that included both mDixon and multi-echo GRE pulse sequences. We obtained mean T2* measurements based on each sequence by drawing regions of interest on each of four axial slices through the mid-liver. We compared mDixon-based and GRE-based T2* measurements using paired t-tests and assessed agreement using single-measure intra-class correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman difference plots. One hundred nine patients met inclusion criteria (site 1=82; site 2=27). Mean age was 12.4±5.8 years, and 42 subjects (39%) were female. There was no statistically significant difference in mean T2* values for the two sequences (pooled means: 11.7±11.0 [GRE] vs. 11.7±10.9 ms [mDixon]; P=0.93). There was excellent absolute agreement between sequences (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]=0.98 for patients at both sites, confidence interval [CI]: 0.97–0.98 with mean bias of 0.0 ms [−4.2 ms to +4.2 ms]). 3D mDixon is accurate for measuring liver T2* and can likely replace 2D GRE-based relaxometry.
Human neutrophil extracellular trap formation is modulated upon stimulation with Toll-like-receptor ligands

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils are considered to be the first line of defense against infections. One of the many strategies that neutrophils use for removal of foreign material is via the deployment of neutrophilic extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are chromatin fibers decorated with antimicrobial proteins. It is presumed that all NETs produced by neutrophils (mainly through stimulation with PMA) are similar in function and structure. Here, we demonstrate that when neutrophils are stimulated with different Toll-like-receptor (TLR) ligands, they produce NETs which are unique in structure and function with respect to its TLR stimulation. Not only does this demonstrate at the physiological level that NET formation is selective to its TLR Ligand, but it also represents a new layer of neutrophil NETosis modulation. Further elucidation of this layer of modulation of NET formation by endogenous and exogenous TLR ligands in disease states may have important implications for the pathogenesis and intervention in human diseases.
Anaerobic disinfestation induced changes to the soil microbiome, disease incidence and strawberry fruit yields in California field trials

Abstract Soil-borne disease management in California strawberry production systems has historically relied upon pre-plant soil fumigation. Restricted efficacy of currently available fumigant chemistries towards certain pathogens and regulatory action requiring increased buffer zones has stimulated interest in development of alternative disease control strategies. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) demonstrates activity toward an array of soil-borne pathogens, however, there exist limited field-scale trials examining efficacy in strawberry systems. Multiple mechanisms, including the activity of an altered soil microbiome, are reported to function in ASD-induced disease suppression but consistency of the microbial response across soils has not been examined. The present research reports ASD-induced changes in composition of the soil microbiome which occurred in a carbon input-dependent manner and were consistent in two of the three field trials conducted. At all three field sites, ASD treatments that transformed the microbiome were consistently associated with enhanced strawberry yields, but specific compositional attributes of the microbiome in effective treatments were not uniform among all sites. Enhanced yields were associated with control of specific soil-borne pathogens at a given site, however disease control was not uniformly attained across all pathogens resident to a given soil system. Findings demonstrate that informed selection of substrate to be used in ASD and knowledge of the targeted pathogen profile resident to the strawberry field soil will be essential to successful use of ASD in commercial agricultural production settings.
Targeted Supplemental Data Collection - Addressing the Quality-Measurement Conundrum.

Addressing the Quality-Measurement Conundrum Whereas quality improvement and directing patients to the best providers for their care may require detailed data on many measures, targeted supplementa...
Is Visuospatial Reasoning Related to Early Mathematical Development? A Critical Review

Abstract The relation between visuospatial reasoning and mathematics has long-interested theorists and educators. The potential relation between these domains has been crucial for refining theories about their specificity and development. Their potential relation has also been crucial for informing educational practices in which visuospatial reasoning may be leveraged for math instruction. It is thus increasingly important to ask whether visuospatial reasoning such as the ability to mentally rotate objects or mentally represent numbers in spatial format (i.e., the mental number line) affords any advantages in the acquisition of quantitative concepts and arithmetic calculation. In this chapter, we examine longitudinal studies that have tested the extent to which visuospatial reasoning earlier in development predicts subsequent math competence. We also evaluate intervention studies that test whether visuospatial training improves performance on mathematical measures. Although several studies point to longitudinal correlations between visuospatial reasoning and math competence, the data are more mixed and difficult to interpret when examining whether visuospatial reasoning is causally implicated in math development. A gap in the literature is that we know little about the mechanisms underlying the relations between spatial and mathematical domains. We provide a preliminary discussion of candidate mechanisms to help enrich theoretical accounts of the cognitive and neural relations between spatial and mathematical domains and to constrain future research aimed at addressing questions about causality.
Decomposition of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x during annealing in CO 2 /O 2 mixtures

The stability of YBa2Cu3O7−x superconductors toward reactions with CO2 in CO2/O2 gas mixtures has been studied during annealing at temperatures ranging from 600°C to 950°C. The results show that there are three different types of the reactions. The reaction products of these reactions all include BaCO3 and CuO, while the third product is dependent on the annealing temperature. At 600°C, YBa-carbonates were formed while Y2Cu2O5 and Y2BaCuO5 were formed at 815°C and 950°C, respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy images show that the reactions started at grain boundaries with the formation of island-type precipitates.
Malignancy and Immunologic Deficiency States in Man

A high incidence of malignancy involving the lymphoid apparatus or other tissues has been reported in congenital agammaglobulinemia [83, 120, 134]. In most cases of acquired agammaglobulinemia and malignancy, the immunologic deficiency is secondary to the malignancy. However, in a few cases [53, 69, 78] the immunologic deficit clearly preceded the development of malignancy by a number of years and therefore appears to be of etiologic importance.
Commentaires and Notes to the Analysis of Chaadaev’s Ideas

The tendency to characterize Chaadaev’s thought through the use of old sociopolitical terminology has led to two “legends.” One group of writers had held that Chaadaev was a revolutionary thinker and the other that he was a reactionary thinker. It was Chaadaev’s contemporary Alexander Herzen who placed Chaadaev in the revolutionary camp. See Alexander Ivanovich Herzen, “Du developpement des idees revolutionnaires en Russie,” Polnoe sobranie sochinenii i pisem. Lemke edition (Petrograd, 1919 ff.), Vol. VI, p. 317. This same line of thought was taken up by Georgii Plekhanov in “Pessimizm kak otrazhenie ekonomicheskoi deistvitelnosti,” Sochineniia, Vol. X, 2nd edition (Moscow-Leningrad, 1925), pp. 133–162. The Herzen appraisal has been carried to extremes by Soviet writers. Nikolai Alekseev proclaimed that the First Philosophical Letter contained in embryo the entire Russian Revolution, the whole of communism, and the International“; see Russkoe zapadnichestvo (Moscow, 1929). The standard Soviet line is to treat Chaadaev as an advocate of bourgeois freedom. By ”advocate of bourgeois freedom“ the Soviets mean that Chaadaev was against -serfdom and tsarist absolutism. In his article ”Chaadaev i ego filosoficheskie pisma,“ Pod znamenem marksizma, Vol. I (January, 1938) p. 38, V. Soloviev took this line and also emphasized the ”social“ aspects of Chaadaev’s religious thought. See also M. K. Afanasev, ”Obshchestvennopoliticheskie vzglyady P. Ia. Chaadaeva,“ Trudy voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta, Vol. XIV (1947), pp. 141-156; F. P. Berelevich, ”P. Ia. Chaadaev i Dekabristy,“ Uchenye zapiski tiumenskogo pedagogicheskogo instituta, Vol V (Tiumen, 1958), pp. 157-178; and M. M. Grigorian, ”Chaadaev i ego filosoficheskaya sistema,“ Sbornik. Iz istorii filosofi (Moscow, 1958), pp. 126-183. An outdated Soviet effort is a monograph by P. S. Shkurinov, P. Ia. Chaadaev. Zhizn, deiatelnost i mirovozzrenie (Moscow, 1960); it is mainly a polemic against Western historians’ work on Chaadaev; the major virtue of the work consists in specific references to unpublished source materials on Chaadaev - there Chaadaev is depicted as a ”progressive, aristocratic revolutionary.“