cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification, potency, and efficacy of the botulinum neurotoxin type A binding domain from Pichia pastoris as a recombinant vaccine candidate.

Recombinant botulinum neurotoxin serotype A binding domain [BoNT/A(Hc)], expressed in Pichia pastoris, was developed as a vaccine candidate for preventing botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) intoxication. After fermentation and cell disruption, BoNT/A(Hc) was purified by using a three-step chromatographic process consisting of expanded-bed chromatography, Mono S cation-exchange chromatography, and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Two pools of immunogenic product were separated on the Mono S column and processed individually. Both products were more than 95% pure and indistinguishable by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Each protein was assayed for potency in mice at immunogen doses ranging from 2.4 ng to 10 μg, followed by challenge with 1,000 mouse intraperitoneal 50% lethal doses (i.p. LD50) of BoNT/A. The calculated 50% effective dose for both peaks was approximately 0.1 μg/mouse. Peak 1 was evaluated further in a mouse efficacy assay. Mice were injected either once, twice, or three times at five different doses and subsequently challenged with 100,000 mouse i.p. LD50 of BoNT/A. In general, multiple injections protected better than one, with complete or nearly complete protection realized at doses of ≥0.5 μg/mouse. Serum neutralization and ELISA titers were also determined. Tellingly, 82 of 83 mice with antibody titers of ≥1,600, as measured by ELISA, survived, but only 6 of 42 mice with titers of ≤100 survived. This work shows that the purified BoNT/A(Hc) produced was a highly effective immunogen, able to protect against a high challenge dose of neurotoxin.
The Green and the Gray: The Irish in the Confederate States of America. By David T. Gleeson. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2013. Pp. 328. $35.00.)

Studies of ethnicity in the North, where the majority of nineteenth‐century immigrants were able to find work and were making a living, have dwarfed those examining ethnic Confederates during the C...
A VLSI architecture of SVC encoder for mobile system

In this paper, we present a VLSI model of scalable video coding system (SVC) encoder for mobile system. Key idea is a multi-layer SVC system using single group of common H.264 kernels that is shared across modulations for the whole SVC system.
Efficacy Beliefs of Special Educators: The Relationships Among Collective Efficacy, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Job Satisfaction:

In order to examine the relationship between reported levels of teacher self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and job satisfaction in special educators, teachers in one school district completed three surveys measuring these constructs. The results indicated that teacher self-efficacy had a direct effect on job satisfaction. It was further found that collective efficacy directly affected teacher self-efficacy but that it did not have a direct effect on job satisfaction. No significant differences were found in reported levels of these areas across subgroups of teachers categorized by teaching level (elementary, middle, and high), teaching setting (self-contained, resource, or inclusion), and certification type (highly qualified, not highly qualified, or emergency).
The Role of Convectively Coupled Atmospheric Kelvin Waves on African Easterly Wave Activity

AbstractThe role of convectively coupled atmospheric Kelvin waves (CCKWs) on African easterly wave (AEW) activity is explored over tropical Africa during boreal summer. Examination of the pre-Alberto AEW in 2000 highlights the observation that the convective trigger for the initiation of the AEW was generated by a strong CCKW and that the subsequent intensification of the AEW at the West African coast was associated with a second CCKW. Composite analysis shows that, generally, AEW activity increases during and after the passage of the convectively active phase of strong CCKWs. The increase in AEW activity is consistent with convective triggering at the leading edge of the convective phase of the CCKW. This convective triggering occurs in a region where the background low-level easterly vertical wind shear is increased by the CCKW. As the AEW propagates westward through the convectively active phase of the CCKW, it can develop in an environment favorable for convection. It is also shown that this phase of ...
Collaborative Service Delivery What Every Local Government Manager Should Know

Local government managers continue to face an array of challenges that have created the opportunity for new and innovative ways to achieve high quality and less expensive service delivery in their communities. Many such innovative efforts have emerged as part of some form of collaboration by the local governmental jurisdiction with private, nonprofit, or other public entities. This article provides a perspective to highlight important factors local officials should bear in mind in deciding which services might benefit from such collaborations, as well as which form of collaboration might be most likely to help a community achieve its goals.
Gaseous ammonia pretreatment lowers the required energy input for fine milling-enhanced enzymatic saccharification of switchgrass

Fine milling of dry lignocellulosic biomass, without prior chemical pretreatment, can produce a high percent theoretical yield of sugars during subsequent enzymatic saccharification. However, the high sugar yields, necessary for a commercial biofuels process, are costly, with the milling energy input, necessary to achieve such yields even exceeding the energy content of the biomass. In this study, we show that low moisture gaseous ammonia pretreatment of switchgrass, in advance of the milling step, significantly reduces the milling energy required to give high sugar titers. We have found that the increase in monomeric sugar yields upon enzymatic saccharification of ball-milled, but not chemically treated switchgrass, is more closely tied to the formation of crystallites of cellulose with a negative linear dependence on the coherent domain size than to a decrease in particle size or to an increase in surface area of the biomass. The milling energy required to reach ~80 % of theoretical yield of glucose under these conditions is intolerably high, however, approximating two times the energy content of the biomass. Two different low moisture content ammonia pretreatments, prior to milling, significantly reduce the required milling energy (four to eightfold, depending on the pretreatment). These involve either heating the biomass at 150–160 °C for 1 h at 10 wt% gaseous ammonia or incubating at room temperature for 9 days at 20 wt% gaseous ammonia, the latter mimicking potential treatment during biomass storage. We have tested this combination of pretreatment and milling on switchgrass using a variety of milling methods, but mostly using ball and attritor milling. In the case of the high-temperature gaseous ammonia treatment followed by attritor milling, the increase in the monomeric sugar yield upon saccharification shows a negative linear dependence on the second or third power of the cellulose crystalline coherent domain size, implying that the surfaces as well as the ends of the cellulose fibrils are accessible to cellulolytic enzymes. The combination of knife milling, low moisture gaseous ammonia pretreatment followed by attritor milling that costs only ~5 % of the energy content of the biomass for a total energy input of ~11 % of the biomass energy content, is capable of delivering high sugar titers upon enzymatic saccharification. These results show, therefore, how to better integrate a mechanochemical step into the pretreatment of switchgrass in a commercial biomass to biofuels conversion process.
Miniaturized LTCC elliptic-function lowpass filters with wide stopbands

A compact, high-selectivity, and wide stopband lowpass filter is highly demanded in wireless communication systems to suppress adjacent harmonics and unwanted signals. In this letter, a new miniaturized lowpass filter with elliptic-function frequency response is introduced. The filter is fabricated in multilayer low temperature cofired ceramics. The size of the miniaturized filter is 5.5 × 3.9 × 1.72 mm3. The measured insertion loss of the filter is better than 0.37 dB from DC to 1.28 GHz and the measured stopband of the filter is great than 22 dB from 2.3 to 7.5 GHz. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1956–1957, 2015
An update on the recent literature on sickle cell bone disease.

Purpose of reviewTo summarize the findings of the recent publications on sickle cell bone disease (SBD).Recent findingsIndividuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are living longer and develop progressive organ damage including SBD with age. Recent studies suggest alternative radiological diagnostics
Intersensory Perception of Faces and Voices in Infants

This chapter describes and provides behavioral and neurophysiological evidence articulating how the intersensory redundancy hypothesis addresses the question of how infants integrate faces and voices in perceiving other people. Infants’ learning of the arbitrary relationship between faces and voices occurs in two tightly coupled steps. First, between 3 and 5 months of age infants attend to various amodal properties such as a common tempo, rhythm, and affective expressions that unite a particular face and voice. Second, around 6 months of age, when infants’ attention is more flexible and they perceive amodal and modality-specific properties, infants perceive and remember various arbitrary features (i.e., the sound of particular voice and the visual appearance of a particular face) associated with a particular face–voice pairing.
Soy isoflavones modulate immune function in healthy postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND The immune system may be compromised after menopause because of the effects of aging and diminishing concentrations of estrogen, an immune-modulating hormone. Isoflavones, plant-derived compounds with estrogenic and antioxidant properties, may offer immunologic benefits to women during this stage of life. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soy isoflavones, both in soymilk and in supplement form, on markers of immunity and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women. DESIGN Postmenopausal women aged 50-65 y (n = 52) enrolled in this 16-wk double-blind, placebo-controlled trial were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental groups: 1) control, 706 mL cow milk/d plus a placebo supplement; 2) soymilk, 71.6 mg isoflavones derived from 706 mL soymilk/d plus a placebo supplement; and 3) supplement, 70 mg isoflavones in a supplement plus 706 mL cow milk/d. Plasma and 24-h urine samples were obtained at baseline and at 16 wk. Immune variables included lymphocyte subsets, cytokine production, and markers of inflammation and oxidative damage. RESULTS Isoflavone intervention in postmenopausal women resulted in higher (P < 0.05) B cell populations and lower (P < 0.05) plasma concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine, an oxidative marker of DNA damage. Isoflavone treatment did not significantly influence concentrations of interferon gamma, interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, or C-reactive protein in plasma or of 8-isoprostane in urine. CONCLUSIONS Soymilk and supplemental isoflavones modulate B cell populations and appear to be protective against DNA damage in postmenopausal women.
Movement of endogenous calcium in the elongating zone of graviresponding roots of Zea mays

Endogenous calcium (Ca) accumulates along the lower side of the elongating zone of horizontally oriented roots of Zea mays cv. Yellow Dent. This accumulation of Ca correlates positively with the onset of gravicurvature, and occurs in the cytoplasm, cell walls and mucilage of epidermal cells. Corresponding changes in endogenous Ca do not occur in cortical cells of the elongating zone of intact roots. These results indicate that the calcium asymmetries associated with root gravicurvature occur in the outermost layers of the root.
Building democracy from below: a case from rural Tanzania

Focusing on events in a rural village in Tanzania during 2001-02, this paper examines the changing nature of state/society relations in Tanzania. Drawing on experience from previous years of fieldwork in the early I99os, it becomes apparent that villagers are beginning to change the way they engage with the state. These new approaches are framed in part by the discourse of democracy, with which Tanzanians have become familiar since the economic and political liberalisation policies of the 1990s. These events reveal a new sense of the right to participate in decision-making on how to use key development resources. They also illustrate how local elites can threaten to capture benefits for their own gain. As Tanzanians begin to demand more rights to participate in the public sphere, their achievements enlarge our understanding of what might constitute civil
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover Don't Judge Stenosis Severity Solely by Intravascular Ultrasound

In this issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions , Kang et al1 compare intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) parameters against a gold standard of fractional flow reserve (FFR) for evaluating intermediate stenoses. Their work adds another piece of evidence to a debate whose outcome is fundamentally changing interventional cardiology. As encapsulated by the title of the “FFR versus Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation” (FAME) trial,2 the debate can be summarized simply: physiology versus anatomy. Its urgency and importance cannot be more clear, given recent skepticism toward the value of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI): its ranking as 1 of the 10 most overused procedures in a consumer report3; litigation against an interventional cardiologist for allegedly implanting inappropriate stents4; and an editorial in a prominent medical journal calling to end ad hoc PCI.5 Therefore, the work by Kang et al1 is both timely and relevant. Article see p 65 The motivation to use anatomy when evaluating coronary lesions can be traced back to animal models developed more than 35 years ago. In chronically instrumented dogs with an external occluder, the coronary flow reserve fell as the lumen became progressively reduced.6 Experiments like this suggested that stenosis dimensions should be the criterion for PCI. However, a number of trials comparing outcomes in chronic angina found no survival benefit to anatomically driven PCI.7,8 Although selection bias in such studies remains a limiting factor for their generalization and may predispose the outcome toward the null hypothesis,9 it has led guidelines to recommend corroborating evidence from a functional study before PCI. …
Characterization of Unsaturated Zone Hydrogeologic Units using Matrix Properties and Depositional History in a Complex Volcanic Environment

Characterization of the physical and unsaturated hydrologic properties of subsurface materials is necessary to calculate flow and transport for land use practices and to evaluate subsurface processes such as perched water or lateral diversion of water, which are influenced by features such as faults, fractures, and abrupt changes in lithology. Input for numerical flow models typically includes parameters that describe hydrologic properties and the initial and boundary conditions for all materials in the unsaturated zone, such as bulk density, porosity, and particle density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, moisture-retention characteristics, and field water content. We describe an approach for systematically evaluating the site features that contribute to water flow, using physical and hydraulic data collected at the laboratory scale, to provide a representative set of physical and hydraulic parameters for numerically calculating flowof water through the materials at a site. An example case study from analyses done for the heterogeneous, layered, volcanic rocks at Yucca Mountain is presented, but the general approach for parameterization could be applied at any site where depositional processes follow deterministic patterns. Hydrogeologic units at this site were defined using (i) a database developed from 5320 rock samples collected from the coring of 23 shallow (,100 m) and 10 deep (500–1000 m) boreholes, (ii) lithostratigraphic boundaries and corresponding relations to porosity, (iii) transition zones with pronounced changes in properties over short vertical distances, (iv) characterization of the influence of mineral alteration on hydrologic properties such as permeability and moisture-retention characteristics, and (v) a statistical analysis to evaluate where boundaries should be adjusted to minimize the variance within layers. Model parameters developed in this study, and the relation of flow properties to porosity, can be used to produce detailed and accurate representations of the core-scale hydrologic processes ongoing at Yucca Mountain.
Changes in cortical bone response to high-fat diet from adolescence to adulthood in mice.

Summary Diabetic obesity is associated with increased fracture risk in adults and adolescents. We find in both adolescent and adult mice dramatically inferior mechanical properties and structural quality of cortical bone, in agreement with the human fracture data, although some aspects of the response to obesity appear to differ by age.
Prevalence of Multidrug Resistance Related to Activation of the mdr1 Gene in Human Sarcoma Mutants Derived by Single-Step Doxorubicin Selection

Fluctuation analysis experiments were performed in the human sarcoma cell line MES-SA to assess whether selection or induction mechanisms determine resistance to doxorubicin (DOX), mutation rates, and the nature of the surviving clones. Thirteen flasks were seeded with 2000 cells/flask and grown to confluent populations of approximately 3.3 x 10(6) cells. After reseeding in 96-well plates, each population was treated with 40 nM DOX for 2 weeks. Surviving colonies were scored and harvested. Clones were propagated and analyzed for drug resistance phenotype. Expression of the mdr1, mrp, and topoisomerase II alpha and II beta genes was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Accumulation of the P-glycoprotein substrate rhodamine-123 was measured by flow cytometry, with and without the cyclosporin D analogue SDZ PSC 833. Cellular glutathione levels were measured by flow cytometry, and M(r) 110,000 vesicular protein (p110) expression was detected by immunohistochemistry. Analysis of variance supported the hypothesis of spontaneous mutations rather than induction conferring DOX resistance. At this stringent level (5-6 log cell killing) of drug exposure, the mutation rate was estimated at 1.8 x 10(-6) per cell generation. All 30 propagated clones demonstrated cross-resistance to vinblastine, etoposide, and paclitaxel (Taxol), but not to cisplatin or bleomycin. Increased mRNA levels of mdr1 were observed in all 27 clones tested, including at least 1 from each of the 13 populations. No alterations were found in expression or level of topoisomerase II alpha or II beta, mrp, glutathione, and p110. Expression of P-glycoprotein was confirmed by flow cytometry using the monoclonal antibody UIC2. In almost all tested clones, decreased intracellular rhodamine-123 accumulation was modulated by 2 microM SDZ PSC 833, and the vinblastine resistance in all examined clones was completely reversed by SDZ PSC 833 and verapamil. Our study demonstrates that survival of cells exposed to DOX in a single step occurs as a result of a stochastic process consistent with mutational events. Activation of the mdr1 gene is the predominant mechanism selected by DOX in these resistant clones.
Survival of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale in Sterilized Poultry Litter

SUMMARY. Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale (ORT) has been associated with respiratory disease, increased mortality, retarded growth, and decreased egg production in chickens and turkeys. Surveillance of exposure to ORT infection in the field has shown that prevalence of the infection is higher during winter months. The ability of ORT to remain viable in the poultry litter was studied at different temperatures over time. Presterilized poultry litter was inoculated with 1011 colony-forming units of ORT and kept at −12 C, 4 C, 22 C, 37 C, and 42 C. Reisolation and titration of ORT from litter was attempted at intervals. Results indicate that ORT survived for 1 day at 37 C, 6 days at 22 C, 40 days at 4 C, and at least 150 days at −12 C. ORT did not survive 24 hr at 42 C. The survival of ORT at lower temperatures may be associated with the higher incidence of ORT infection in poultry during winter months.
Electroencephalographic Monitoring of Brain Wave Activity During Laparoscopic Surgical Simulation to Measure Surgeon Concentration and Stress: Can the Student Become the Master?

Abstract Purpose: To measure gamma and alpha brain wave activity as a measurement of concentration and stress levels during surgical simulator performance of laparoscopic tasks to determine if expert surgeons have different brain activity patterns compared with intermediate and novice surgeons. Materials and Methods: After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, 1st and 2nd year medical students, urology residents (PGY2-PGY5), and attending urologists from one institution were recruited. Participants were stratified by level of experience and performed laparoscopic tasks on the EDGE laparoscopic simulator. Subjects were evaluated for concentration and stress levels using the electroencephalography (EEG) data extracted from the MUSE™ headband. The MUSE software developer kit (SDK) allowed quantification of gamma and alpha waves during each task. An analysis of variance was used to compare concentration and stress levels between groups. Results: A total of 19 participants were recruited for the study...
An Educational Program to Prepare Acute Care Nurses for a Transition to Home Health Care Nursing

This article describes a continuing education program that prepares nurses with experience in acute care nursing for the transition to home health care nursing. The program is a 12-credit hour, two semester college program consisting of 8 hours of theory and 4 hours of clinical practicum. A coalition of hospitals, home health agencies and an educational institution designed the program to maintain the economic welfare of nurses in an era of hospital layoffs, promote professional development and enhance the transition of nurses to home health nursing.
Contingent Claim Valuation in a Complete Market

A derivative security (also called contingent claim; cf. Definition 2.1 and discussion following it) is a financial contract whose value is derived from the value of another underlying, more basic, security, such as a stock or a bond. Common derivative securities are put options, call options, forward contracts, futures contracts, and swaps. These securities can be used for both speculation and hedging, but their creation and marketing are based much more on the latter use than the former. Some derivative securities are traded on exchanges, while others are arranged as private contracts between financial institutions and their clients. The world-wide market in derivative securities is in the trillions of dollars.
The Moral Minimum of Arming Rebels

The debate about whether to arm the Syrian rebels is centered around the question which groups are "good" rebels (those who favor democratic regimes and the United States) or "bad" rebels (various kinds of jihadists). The Obama administration is widely reported to be reluctant to aid Syrian rebels due to the difficulty of identifying "leaders who are committed to a unified, democratic Syria that respects minority rights" as opposed to "militants who might turn them against Western interests." In Dissent, Michael Walzer finds that his readers "would be happy to see the victory of Syrians who have been studying John Stuart Mill or who take their cue from Swedish social democracy," which he warns is not going to happen.
Use of recoveryVO2 to predict running economy

The purpose of this study was to determine whether running economy. (RE) could be predicted accurately using recoveryVO2 values. Twelve runners (VO2max=61.9, SD 4.9 ml·kg−1·min−1) completed three treadmill RE sessions over a 2-week period. During each session, subjects performed three 6-min runs at 69%, 78%, and 87%VO2max. RE was calculated from a single 2-min gas collection during the last 2 min of running. Immediately following each run, recoveryVO2 data obtained during randomly assigned 15-s, 20-s, or 25-s gas collections were used to predict exerciseVO2. Correlations and mean absolute percentage variation (%VAR) between actual and predictedVO2 at each relative intensity and recovery period are reported. Although the relationship between actual and predictedVO2 was significant and more pronounced at higher exercise intensities, the overall magnitude of the association was low to moderate (r range= 0.50–0.81). The range of % VAR between actual and predicted aerobic demands also obscured marked underprediction (−6.5% to −12.5%) and overprediction (+ 10.1% to + 17.4%) of actualVO2 in some subjects. These data suggest that 15-, 20-, and 25-s recoveryVO2 values do not correlate strongly with steady-stateVO2, nor do they adequately account for variation in individual economy profiles.
Label-Free Particle Sensing by Fiber Taper-Based Raman Spectroscopy

A fiber taper-based method for label-free Raman sensing is presented, which exploits the interaction between adsorbed specimen and the exposed evanescence tail of guided pump light. Chemical specificity and detection of microsphere specimens with diameters as small as 1 mu m are shown. To improve the sensitivity, we further propose resonator-enhanced Raman spectroscopy by taking advantage of the power build-up of a resonant mode in a cavity. Proof of concept is demonstrated by incorporating a fiber taper within a fiber ring resonator and locking a tunable laser to a circulating resonant mode. This demonstration shows a modest 40% enhancement of the Raman signal.
Fate of Patients Started on Clean Intermittent Self-Catheterization Therapy 10 Years Ago

We evaluated 60 patients placed on a clean intermittent catheterization program more than 10 years ago to determine their outcome. To date 27 patients still are performing self-catheterization, 18 have discontinued the procedure and 15 have been lost to followup. No patient has had deterioration in renal function. Prior incontinence was alleviated completely in 10 of the 27 patients still on the program and 10 of the 18 patients no longer on catheterization have returned to normal voiding. Clean intermittent catheterization is an effective treatment modality in properly selected patients, with few complications and excellent long-term results.
The ECG and the VCG: understanding cardiac electrical events in space with Grant's spatial vector approach

• The electrocardiogram (ECG) and the vector cardiogram (VCG) are different techniques for recording the same information generated by the myocardium.
Evaluating Security and Privacy in Cloud Services

Moving data and applications to the cloud implies shifting their control from cloud consumers to the cloud service provider (CSP) indefinitely. Hence, the security and privacy (Saamp;P) of the consumers' assets becomes an important issue. Assessing and comparing potential cloud computing (CC) services, poses an issue for CC adopters to choose Saamp;P options that are sufficient and robust at the same time. In this paper, we describe CC adopters' Saamp;P concerns. We identify a set of attributes that reflect various aspects of cloud Saamp;P in an attempt to alleviate those concerns. We classify the attributes based on their tangibility and their relevance to Saamp;P threats. Every attribute in our list is represented by a set of considerations (i.e. polar questions) to assess its quality. We present a tool that embodies our set of attributes. We aim to enable consumers to assess and compare CC services, in terms of Saamp;P, so that they can make well-educated choices. CSPs can also make use of these attributes to offer better cloud Saamp;P.
A construção de um leitor democrático de massas. Borges no jornal Crítica de Buenos Aires e na Historia Universal de la Infamia

The article analyzes the “Historia Universal de la Infamia” (HUI), particularly one of the most prominent stories of the series “El provedor de iniquidades Monk Eastman”, within the context defined by the modes of production of a tabloid newspaper such as Critica, from Buenos Aires. In order to achieve this goal, we have attempted to become ourselves “dark swans” – to use Borges’ image of the perfect reader in the prologue of the 1935 edition of HUI. The main objective is to reveal some of the mechanisms that have not yet been exploited in former analysis of such texts, mechanisms that help us to understand Borges’ approach towards the Argentine daily press of the 1930s.
Association Between Electronic Cigarette Marketing Near Schools and E-cigarette Use Among Youth

Abstract Purpose Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are now the most popular tobacco product among youth. Little is known about the relationship between exposure to e-cigarette marketing at the point-of-sale and youth e-cigarette use. Methods Research staff collected data on e-cigarette availability and promotion in tobacco retailers within a half-mile of 41 schools participating in the 2014 New Jersey Youth Tobacco Survey. These data were linked with participant responses from the New Jersey Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 3,909) and log-Poisson regression models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios for ever and past-month e-cigarette use. Results Nearly a quarter of high school students in New Jersey have tried e-cigarettes (24.1%) and 12.1% were past-month users. Prevalence was highest among males, non-Hispanic whites, and students who have used other tobacco products. After controlling for covariates and the clustered nature of the data, e-cigarette retailer density around schools was positively associated with ever and past-month use of e-cigarettes ( p p = .031). Conclusions This study suggests that the point-of-sale environment around schools may contribute to e-cigarette use among youth. Policy efforts to restrict tobacco promotion at the point-of-sale may play a role in reducing the use of e-cigarettes.
RNAi Targeting MBD2 Increases γ-Globin Expression in a CID-Dependent Human β-YAC Murine Fetal Bone Marrow Cell Line.

Increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) can alleviate the symptoms and increase the life span of patients with sickle cell disease. The development of new methods to increase HbF in patients has been hampered by the lack of cell line models. Recently a new murine fetal bone marrow (FBM) cell line containing the human β-globin gene locus in the context of a yeast artificial chromosome (βYAC) whose growth is dependent on the chemical inducer of dimerization (CID) AP20187 (Ariad Pharmaceuticals) was described (Blau et al, J Biol Chem280: 36642, 2005). The DNA methyltransferase (DNMTase) inhibitor 5-azacytidine increased γ-globin gene expression in this cell line suggesting that it is a good model system for studying the mechanism of DNA methylation in γ-globin gene silencing. To investigate the role of methylated DNA binding proteins in γ-globin silencing, we transduced this cell line with retrovirus vectors expressing shRNA targeting the methylated DNA binding proteins MBD2 and MBD3. Transduced pools were selected for puromycin resistance and the effect on expression of the target gene and γ-globin determined by real time PCR using the ΔΔCT method. Single cell clones were isolated by limited dilution platings for further analysis. No difference in γ-globin expression was observed between clones derived from the parental cell line and cells transduced with a nonsilencing control vector. MBD3 expression was decreased 70–85% but γ-globin expression was not affected in the selected pool or in 12 clones following transduction wth a vector targeting MBD3. In 2 selected pools transduced with an shRNA vector targeting MBD2, MBD2 expression was decreased 60 and 82% and γ-globin expression increased 3.7 fold and 4.76 fold. Mean expression of γ-globin was 3.83 fold higher in 14 clones that showed >90% decrease in MBD2 mRNA compared to 11 clonal isolates derived from cells transduced with the non-silencing control vector (p 90% decrease in MBD2 mRNA but no induction of γ-globin expression were compared by Western blot analysis. MBD2 was decreased >90% in all clones compared to the parental line. Decreased MBD2 levels were therefore not associated with increased γ-globin expression in all clones. We then compared shRNA-mediated MBD2 knockdown with the DNMTase inhibitor decitabine for effects on e- and γ-globin expression. Expression of e-globin was increased 76.0±6.1 fold, γ-globin 131±10.2 fold, and β-globin 3.6±0.38 fold following treatment with decitabine (1 × 10 −6 M; 48 hours; n=3). We conclude that decreased expression of MBD2 following transduction of the CID-dependent mouse FBM βYAC cell line with an shRNA vector targeting MBD2 is associated with increased γ-globin expression, confirming previous results of analysis of βYAC-MBD2 knockout mice (Rupon et al, PNAS103: 6617, 2006). However, the increase in γ-globin expression was approximately 10 fold greater following decitabine treatment than was achieved with shRNA-mediated MBD2 knockdown.
One-day postoperative intraocular pressure spikes after phacoemulsification cataract surgery in patients taking tamsulosin.

Purpose To evaluate the relationship between 1-day postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) after phacoemulsification cataract surgery and tamsulosin use. Setting University of Colorado Health Eye Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Registry data from men who had cataract surgery were used. Patients taking tamsulosin at the time of surgery were included as cases, while patients with no history of tamsulosin use were used as controls. The primary outcome was a 1-day postoperative IOP spike defined as an IOP increase greater than 10 mm Hg compared with baseline or a 1-day postoperative IOP of 30 mm Hg or higher. General estimating equations were used for analysis. Results The study comprised 584 men (864 eyes). An IOP increase greater than 10 mm Hg or IOP 30 mm Hg or higher after cataract surgery occurred in 12.4% and 9.3%, respectively, of eyes in the tamsulosin group versus 4.4% and 2.1%, respectively, in the control group (all P = .001). After adjusting for significant covariates, patients on tamsulosin were 2.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-5.7; P = .01] and 3.8 (95% CI, 1.3-10.9; P = .01) more likely to have a 1-day postoperative IOP increase greater than 10 mm Hg or a 1-day postoperative IOP of 30 mm Hg or higher. Conclusion Patients on tamsulosin had an increased risk of a 1-day postoperative IOP spike after cataract surgery, showing the importance of identifying patients on tamsulosin preoperatively to better manage and potentially mitigate IOP spikes. Financial Disclosure None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
IGF-1 Receptor Modulates FoxO1-Mediated Tamoxifen Response in Breast Cancer Cells

Tamoxifen is a common adjuvant treatment for estrogen receptor (ER)α-positive patients with breast cancer; however, acquired resistance abrogates the efficacy of this therapeutic approach. We recently demonstrated that G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) mediates tamoxifen action in breast cancer cells by inducing insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) to inhibit IGF-1-dependent signaling. To determine whether dysregulation of IGFBP-1 induction is associated with tamoxifen resistance, IGFBP-1 transcription was measured in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells (TamR) after tamoxifen (Tam) treatment. IGFBP-1 transcription was not stimulated in tamoxifen-treated TamR cells whereas decreased expression of FoxO1, a known modulator of IGFBP-1, was observed. Exogenous expression of FoxO1 rescued the ability of tamoxifen to induce IGFBP-1 transcription in TamR cells. As decreased IGF-1R expression is observed in tamoxifen-resistant cells, the requirement for IGF-1R expression on tamoxifen-stimulated IGFBP-1 transcription was investigated. In TamR and SK-BR-3 cells, both characterized by low IGF-1R levels, exogenous IGF-1R expression increased FoxO1 levels and IGFBP-1 expression, whereas IGF-1R knockdown in MCF-7 cells decreased tamoxifen-stimulated IGFBP-1 transcription. Interestingly, both 17β-estradiol (E2)-stimulated ERα phosphorylation and progesterone receptor (PR) expression were altered in TamR. PR is a transcription factor known to modulate FoxO1 transcription. In addition, IGF-1R knockdown decreased FoxO1 protein levels in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, IGF-1R or FoxO1 knockdown inhibited the ability of tamoxifen to induce IGFBP-1 transcription and tamoxifen sensitivity in MCF-7 cells. These data provide a molecular mechanistic connection between IGF-1R expression and the FoxO1-mediated mechanism of tamoxifen action in breast cancer cells.Implications: Loss of IGF-1R expression is associated with decreased tamoxifen efficacy in patients with breast cancer and the development of tamoxifen resistance. This contribution identifies potential molecular mechanisms of altered tamoxifen sensitivity in breast cancer cells resulting from decreased IGF-1R expression. Mol Cancer Res; 15(4); 489-97. ©2017 AACR.
Scleral Buckle with Vitrectomy

The combination of pars plana vitrectomy and scleral buckling surgery has been successfully used to repair rhegmatogenous retinal detachments. While employing both techniques, the ophthalmologist is afforded the ability to treat and drain subretinal fluid via a pars plana approach, perform endolaser, peel fibrous membranes, relieve retinal traction, and close retinal breaks. Scleral buckling provides an external approach to produce functional closure of retinal breaks responsible for retinal detachment and to reduce changes of recurrent detachment. Various options as far as segmental elements, encircling elements, and buckles made of different materials are available. Essential to all successful retinal detachment repair surgeries, all retinal breaks must be identified, and their extent delineated.
Clinical Diagnosis of Bordetella Pertussis Infection: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Bordetella pertussis (BP) is a common cause of prolonged cough. Our objective was to perform an updated systematic review of the clinical diagnosis of BP without restriction by patient age. METHODS We identified prospective cohort studies of patients with cough or suspected pertussis and assessed study quality using QUADAS-2. We performed bivariate meta-analysis to calculate summary estimates of accuracy and created summary receiver operating characteristic curves to explore heterogeneity by vaccination status and age. RESULTS Of 381 studies initially identified, 22 met our inclusion criteria, of which 14 had a low risk of bias. The overall clinical impression was the most accurate predictor of BP (positive likelihood ratio [LR+], 3.3; negative likelihood ratio [LR-], 0.63). The presence of whooping cough (LR+, 2.1) and posttussive vomiting (LR+, 1.7) somewhat increased the likelihood of BP, whereas the absence of paroxysmal cough (LR-, 0.58) and the absence of sputum (LR-, 0.63) decreased it. Whooping cough and posttussive vomiting have lower sensitivity in adults. Clinical criteria defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were sensitive (0.90) but nonspecific. Typical signs and symptoms of BP may be more sensitive but less specific in vaccinated patients. CONCLUSIONS The clinician's overall impression was the most accurate way to determine the likelihood of BP infection when a patient initially presented. Clinical decision rules that combine signs, symptoms, and point-of-care tests have not yet been developed or validated.
Mulk Raj Anand: The Text in Response to Colonialism

(1991). Mulk Raj Anand: The Text in Response to Colonialism. South Asian Review: Vol. 15, No. 12, pp. 57-65.
Ultra-Compressed Three-Error-Correcting BCH Decoder

3-Error-correcting BCH codes enable high-speed optical transport networks and low-latency next-generation memodes. The error locator polynomial root computation is the most hardware-demanding step in BCll decoding. For degree-3 polynomials, the roots can be found using a look-up table (LVT), which takes large area to implement when the code is not short. In this paper, a new method is proposed to further compress the LVT by more than an order of magnitude compared to the best prior design through utilizing the fact that only a limited number of degree-3 polynomials are valid error locators. A novel low-complexity approach is also developed to find the cube roots, which were not addressed in previous work, and the decoder architecture is further optimized. Compared to prior efforts, the proposed decoder achieves higher throughput and reduces the area requirement by 19% for a (1023, 993) BCH code over GF(210).
Organizadores gráficos: un intento de valoración como estrategia de comprensión en estudiantes universitarios

Entiendo que la educacion intercultural es el modelo mas adecuado de atencion a la diversidad para conseguir una educacion de calidad; este modelo parte de la premisa de que la diversidad cultural es natural en el hombre y deseable en si misma, y tiende a ser un enfoque humanista mas que sociocritico, priorizando a las personas concretas y su proceso de educacion. Aun asi, en la educacion intercultural hay ciertos aspectos que considero mal planteados porque suponen una contradiccion con sus principios y con los objetivos que persigue; este mal planteamiento puede hacer peligrar los propositos de dicho modelo y afecta a factores como: la reduccion de la educacion intercultural a escolarizacion, la formacion de competencias culturales, el conocimiento del otro, la igualdad y la equidad, el dialogo entre culturas y la exaltacion de la cultura.
Online Word of Mouth and its Implications for Trademark Law

This Chapter discusses the emergence of online word of mouth, the process by which consumers disseminate their views about marketplace goods and services. Due to online word of mouth, consumers have an unprecedented ability to influence the brand perceptions of other consumers. Unfortunately, these effects have put doctrinal pressure on trademark law, leading to judicial interpretations that inhibit the flow of online word of mouth and may damage the efficacy of marketplace mechanisms. This Chapter will explore how trademark law should be interpreted to preserve the flow of socially beneficial online word of mouth.
The Pulmonary Hilum

Each lung is connected to the mediastinum by a bronchovascular pedicle enclosed in a connective tissue envelope. Although there has been some discussion in the literature [20, 39] over the most appropriate term for this pedicle, standard medical dictionaries prefer “hilus” as being semantically proper. In everyday parlance, “hilum” is much more commonly used; this designation will be maintained in the following discussion.
Hardware and software tradeoffs for task synchronization on manycore architectures

Manycore architectures - hundreds to thousands of cores per processor - are seen by many as a natural evolution of multicore processors. To take advantage of this massive parallelism in practice requires a productive parallel programming model, and an efficient runtime for the scheduling and coordination of concurrent tasks. A critical prerequisite for an efficient runtime is a scalable synchronization mechanism to support task coordination at different levels of granularity. This paper describes the implementation of a high-level synchronization construct called phasers on the IBM Cyclops64 manycore processor, and compares phasers to lower-level synchronization primitives currently available to Cyclops64 programmers. Phasers support synchronization of dynamic tasks by allowing tasks to register and deregister with a phaser object. It provides a general unification of point-to-point and collective synchronizations with easy-to-use interfaces, thereby offering productivity advantages over hardware primitives when used on manycores. We have experimented with several approaches to phaser implementation using software, hardware and a combination of both to explore their portability and performance. The results show that a highly-optimized phaser implementation delivered comparable performance to that obtained with lower-level synchronization primitives. We also demonstrate the success of the hardware optimizations proposed for phasers.
Variability in cholescintigraphy (HIDA) protocols in hospitals across the state of Alabama

597 Objectives To assess the variability in HIDA protocols across the state of Alabama. Cholescintigraphy interpretation can be affected by various factors including patient preparation and protocols utilized. Published SNM guidelines do not provide clear cut normal values for ejection fractions and offer choices for CCK infusion parameters. Results of many trials suggest longer infusion methods may be more accurate than slow hand injections. There is a need for updated standardized recommendations and translation of optimized techniques needs to be seen more widely in mainstream use. Methods 51 Nuclear Medicine departments in hospitals across the state of Alabama were surveyed by phone about various aspects of HIDA scan. Survey questions included, duration of fasting status and opiate withhold, requirements for Cholecystokinin (CCK) pretreatment, stimulation methods to assess gall bladder ejection fraction, duration and technique of CCK administration, normal values of gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) and procedures utilized if gallbladder non visualized. Results There is wide variability in patient preparation and HIDA scan protocols across hospitals in the state of Alabama, most notably with, CCK pretreatment, its duration of administration and the normal GBEF values. Only 5 of the 51 hospitals pretreated with CCK if the patient was fasting for > 24 hours whereas 10 hospitals hand injected CCK in less than 3 minutes. The others used hand injection or CCK infusion over variable time periods. The normal GBEF values varied between 30 and 50% respectively. Conclusions A wide variability in the HIDA protocol was noted across the state of Alabama which likely reflects patterns elsewhere. This may affect the diagnostic accuracy of cholescintigraphy
Experimental and numerical investigation of effects of premixing on soot processes in iso-octane co-flow flames

Abstract The goal of the current work is to understand the effects of premixing on soot processes in an iso-octane, axisymmetric, co-flow, laminar flame at atmospheric pressure. The flames investigated are non-premixed and partially-premixed (jet equivalence ratios of 24, 15, 12, 9 and 6). The total carbon flow rate is kept constant to facilitate comparison among the six flames. Laser-induced incandescence and laser extinction are applied to obtain two-dimensional soot volume fraction. The experimental results show that the spatial distribution of soot changes with premixing; the peak soot volume fraction location is in the annular region in the non-premixed flame and transitions to the centerline as the jet equivalence ratio is reduced. Numerical simulations are performed using a detailed iso-octane fuel chemistry and bi-variate soot model. The numerical model captures the changes in the spatial distribution of soot due to premixing, as in the experiment. Similar to the change in the soot distribution, the soot production processes, including nucleation, surface growth, and PAH condensation, show the transition behavior with premixing. The simulation shows that the location of peak PAH dimer concentration shifts from the annular region towards the centerline with premixing. As a result, the location where soot nucleation and PAH condensation rates peak show similar transition as observed in the PAH dimer concentration. Furthermore, PAH dimer concentration decreases due to premixing, leading to a decrease in the soot nucleation and soot growth due to PAH condensation. Additionally, soot growth due to surface reactions decrease with premixing due to the reduction in number of active sites on the soot surface.