cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased acid responsiveness in vagal sensory neurons in a guinea pig model of eosinophilic esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is characterized with eosinophils and mast cells predominated allergic inflammation in the esophagus and present with esophageal dysfunctions such as dysphagia, food impaction, and heartburn. However, the underlying mechanism of esophageal dysfunctions is unclear. This study aims to determine whether neurons in the vagal sensory ganglia are modulated in a guinea pig model of EoE. Animals were actively sensitized by ovalbumin (OVA) and then challenged with aerosol OVA inhalation for 2 wk. This results in a mild esophagitis with increases in mast cells and eosinophils in the esophageal wall. Vagal nodose and jugular neurons were disassociated, and their responses to acid, capsaicin, and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) antagonist AMG-9810 were studied by calcium imaging and whole cell patch-clamp recording. Compared with naive animals, antigen challenge significantly increased acid responsiveness in both nodose and jugular neurons. Their responses to capsaicin were also increased after antigen challenge. AMG-9810, at a concentration that blocked capsaicin-evoked calcium influx, abolished the increase in acid-induced activation in both nodose and jugular neurons. Vagotomy strongly attenuated those increased responses of nodose and jugular neurons to both acid and capsaicin induced by antigen challenge. These data for the first time demonstrated that prolonged antigen challenge significantly increases acid responsiveness in vagal nodose and jugular ganglia neurons. This sensitization effect is mediated largely through TRPV1 and initiated at sensory nerve endings in the peripheral tissues. Allergen-induced enhancement of responsiveness to noxious stimulation by acid in sensory nerve may contribute to the development of esophageal dysfunctions such as heartburn in EoE.
Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in cattle raised at agricultural research facilities across the USA and the influence of pentachlorophenol-treated wood

Adipose tissue samples from 158 cattle raised locally at experiment stations across the USA were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F). While 80% of the samples had PCDD/F concentrations that fell within the range of a previous US survey of beef animals (not detected -4.1 ppt toxic equivalency), several animals had exceptionally high concentrations (8-54 ppt toxic equivalency). The investigations of three facilities where highly contaminated animals were raised found pentachlorophenol-treated wood at each site. The congener pattern in the animals' tissues and the lack of elevated PCDD/F levels in other environmental samples, i.e. hay and soil, indicated that the treated wood was the source of contamination. A congener pattern similar to that of pentachlorophenol-exposed animals was seen for the means and medians of the entire data, i.e. OCDD, HpCDD and 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD dominated, the PCDD concentrations equalled or exceeded the furan concentrations, and the concentration of 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD was six times that of the other HxCDD isomers. This suggested that pentachlorophenol-treated wood contributed measurably to many of the animals in this survey. The largest contributors to the median toxic equivalencies were 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD (40%) and 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD (16%). No clear geographical trends emerged from the data.
Pulse onset detection using neighbor pulse-based signal enhancement

Detecting onsets of cardiovascular pulse wave signals is an important prerequisite for successfully conducting various analysis tasks involving the concept of pulse wave velocity. However, pulse onsets are frequently influenced by inherent noise and artifacts in signals continuously acquired in a clinical environment. The present work proposed and validated a neighbor pulse-based signal enhancement algorithm for reducing error in the detected pulse onset locations from noise-contaminated pulsatile signals. Pulse onset was proposed to be detected using the first principal component extracted from three adjacent pulses. This algorithm was evaluated using test signals constructed by mixing arterial blood pressure, cerebral blood flow velocity and intracranial pressure pulses recorded from neurosurgical patients with white noise of various levels. The results showed that the proposed pulse enhancement algorithm improved (p < 0.05) pulse onset detection according to all three different onset definitions and for all three types of pulsatile signals as compared to results without using the pulse enhancement. These results suggested that the proposed algorithm could help achieve robustness in pulse onset detection and facilitate pulse wave analysis using clinical recordings.
The Electrophysiological Effects of Calcium Channel Blockade During Standard Hyperkalemic Hypothermic Cardioplegic Arrest

The addition of calcium channel-blocking agents to a standard hyperkalemic hypothermic cardioplegic solution has been examined both experimentally and clinically. None of these studies, however, have investigated the effect of calcium blockade during cardioplegic arrest on the specialized cardiac conduction tissues and on the subsequent development of arrhythmias after arrest. The present study examined the effect of adding nifedipine to standard cardioplegic solution administered in a canine experimental preparation modeled on routine clinical techniques. The time to and duration of electrical arrest following the administration of cardioplegia and the functional electrophysiological variables before and after arrest were measured using a 32-channel data acquisition system. The addition of nifedipine shortened the time to electrical arrest and prolonged the duration of arrest compared with standard potassium cardioplegic solution alone, without a deleterious effect on conduction function immediately after arrest. The occurrence of low-amplitude electrical activity (LEA) in both atria and ventricles during arrest was significantly reduced by the addition of nifedipine, thereby suggesting a possible correlation between LEA and calcium-mediated conduction occurring under conditions of standard cardioplegic arrest.
Light Scattering in Alkali Halide Single Crystals

Light scattering by crystals of potassium chloride obtained from several commercial suppliers was measured. All of the experimental observations can be explained by postulating that the scattering comes from dislocations which are surrounded by scattering centers having an anisotropic polarizability ellipsoid. The effective length of the scattering units is calculated from theory and experiment to be about 3 x 10/sup -4/ cm, and the effective radius is less than 2.5 x 10/sup -6/cm. No correlation between the scattering power of a crystal and the growth rates of either the F band or M band under ionizing radiation was found. This suggests that the bad regions associated with the light scattering do not affect the coloration properties of a crystal. (auth)
Electrohydraulic Shock-wave Lithotripsy in Experimental Canine Struvite Bladder Stone Disease

Electrohydraulic shock-wave lithotripsy (EHL), the fragmentation of urinary stones with hydraulic shock waves, was performed through a cystoscope in two female dogs with surgically implanted struvite bladder stones. Stone fragmentation was achieved after about an hour, but complete removal of fragments by irrigation through the cystoscope sheath was not successful. After the procedure, small stone fragments and pieces of the shock-wave electrode remained in the bladders of both dogs. All stone fragments and electrode pieces were spontaneously voided by one dog; further cystoscopy was required in the other dog to remove three larger stone fragments with a stone basket, and pieces of the electode with grasping forceps. Bladder-stone removal in the female dog by EHL, irrigation, and using a stone basket is technically feasible, but requires expensive equipment.
Smooth free-form surfaces over irregular meshes generalizing quadratic splines

Abstract An algorithm for refining a combinatorily unrestricted mesh of points into a bivariate C 1 surface is given. The algorithm generalizes the construction of quadratic splines from a mesh of control points. An explicit parametrization of the surface with quadratic and cubic pieces is given. When the mesh is regular then a quadratic spline surface is generated. Irregular input meshes with nonquadrilateral mesh cells and more or fewer than four cells meeting at a point are allowed and generate spline spaces that generalize the space of quadratic splines. Consequently, the algorithm can model bivariate open or closed surfaces of general topological structure.
The role of cell adhesion molecule L1 in axonal extension, growth cone motility, and signal transduction

Axonal pathfinding is a complex process dependent on cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. L1 is a cell adhesion molecule that is abundant in the nervous system and that is concentrated on axons. As a culture substrate, L1 is a potent promoter of neurite outgrowth and elicits specific growth cone behavior. It interacts with the actin cytoskeleton via an ankyrin linkage and promotes specific distribution of F-actin within the growth cone. In addition, L1 has been implicated in signal transduction. For example, L1 is associated with kinases, L1-L1 binding regulates second messenger systems, and mutations in the L1 gene in humans result in abnormalities in the development of the corticospinal tract and corpus callosum. In this short review, recent advances in understanding the way in which L1 regulates growth cone behavior will be discussed.
Phylogenetic relationships within the Madagascan boophids and mantellids as elucidated by mitochondrial ribosomal genes

Abstract Previous work has demonstrated that mitochondrial ribosomal gene sequences are useful for elucidating amphibian phylogenetic relationships at the levels of order, family and genus. Here, we use sequences from these genes somewhat longer than those used in previous studies to elucidate relationships among species in two amphibian groups (mantellids and boophids) whose members are so morphologically similar that conventional morphological characters have not been sufficient to discern relationships within the group. A 1762 nucleotide sequence from mitochondrial 12S, 16S and tRNA genes has very successfully sorted out relationships within the endemic Malagasy boophid and mantellid groups. These data demonstrate clearly that the mantellids are part of a monophyletic Malagasy clade that is the sister group to an Asian-African rhacophorid clade.
The scientific basis of caloric restriction leading to longer life.

Purpose of the reviewThe present review discusses the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of calorie restriction in modulating metabolism and aging.Recent findingsThere are currently no interventions or gene manipulations that can prevent, stop or reverse the aging process. However, the
Anomalous sex-related inheritance of oviposition rate in Callosobruchus maculatus fab. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae).

As a result of different feeding regimens, two laboratory populations of the beetleCallosobruchus maculatus Fab. developed different rates of oviposition. The behavior of the F1 hybrids cannot be explained with an additive model of inheritance. The unusual pattern of inheritance suggests a sex-related factor(s) and a two-factor interaction.
Tumor cell growth arrest caused by subchromosomal transferable DNA fragments from chromosome 11

A fundamental problem in the identification and isolation of tumor suppressor and other growth-inhibiting genes is the loss of power of genetic complementation at the subchromosomal level. A direct genetic strategy was developed to isolate subchromosomal transferable fragments (STFs) from any chromosome, each containing a selectable marker within the human DNA, that could be transferred to any mammalian cell. As a test of the method, several overlapping STFs from 11p15 were shown to cause in vitro growth arrest of rhabdomyosarcoma cells. This activity mapped between the beta-globin and insulin genes.
Resonance Raman, Optical Spectroscopic, and EPR Characterization of the Higher Oxidation States of the Water Oxidation Catalyst, cis,cis-[(bpy)2Ru(OH2)]2O4+

Resonance Raman (RR) and optical spectroelectrochemical titrations of the cis,cis-[(bpy)2Ru(OH2)]2O4+ ion (denoted [3,3] to indicate the formal oxidation state of the Ru−O−Ru unit) were made over the range 0.8−2.0 V vs Ag/AgCl in 0.5 M trifluoromethanesulfonic acid; the results revealed sequential accumulation of three higher oxidation states. Two of these states were identified by redox titration with Os(bpy)32+ as one-electron ([3,4]) and four-electron oxidized species ([5,5]); spectroscopic analysis of reaction products formed upon mixing the [3,3] and [5,5] ions indicated that the third oxidation state is a two-electron oxidized species ([4,4]). The [5,5] ion underwent first-order decay to the [4,4] ion with a rate constant, k ≃ 9.5 × 10-3 s-1, that was nearly identical with the catalytic turnover rate for O2 evolution, kcat ≃ 1.3 × 10-2 s-1 measured under comparable conditions. The [4,4] ion underwent degradation more slowly to the [3,4] ion, which was stable on these time scales. An analogue bearing...
Distribution of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in dissolved and particulate solids from two streams in Tennessee

Abstract In order to study metal distribution in streams, four water samples were taken from two streams in northeast Tennessee. One drains an area of exposed minor zinc mineralization. Three classes of solids were extracted from the water: coarse particulates ( > 1500 A ), colloidal particulates ( A , > 100 A ) and dissolved solids. Each particulate fraction was extracted by continuous flow ultracentrifugation. The dissolved solids in the remaining effluent were recovered by evaporation. Of the total solid, the dissolved fraction accounts for over 95%; collids make up less than 1%. The three solid fractions were totally dissolved and analyzed for Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. The dissolved solids always contain the lowest concentrations of metal (ppm metal in solid); the colloids have the highest, typically more than 10 times that of the dissolved material. The coarse particulates occupy an intermediate position. Despite its low concentration, generally over 90% of each metal occurs in the dissolved state. Less than 10% occurs with the coarse particulates, less than 1% as colloids.
Suscept range of the potato ring rot bacterium

Twenty-five new suscepts of the potato ring rot organism,Corynebacterium sepedonicum. (Spieckermann and Kotthoff) Skapt. and Burkh., are given. An additional 45 species are listed as showing no reaction to the disease. The differences in susceptibility betweenSolanum demissum andS. demissum atypicum are emphasized.
Agricultural Fitness of Smooth Bromegrass Populations Selected for Divergent Particle-Size Reduction Index

Voluntary intake potential of a forage crop is generally considered to be the most important feed characteristic regulating animal performance. Efforts to develop forage crops with reduced neutral detergent fi ber (NDF) concentration are associated with reduced plant fi tness, prompting the development of alternative approaches to improve intake, such as particle-size reduction index (PSRI). The objective of this research was to characterize correlated selection responses of four fi tness traits following divergent selection for PSRI. Twelve smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) populations (four base populations and their Cycle-1 high-PSRI and Cycle-1 low-PSRI progeny) were evaluated for forage yield, ground cover, seed yield, and lodging. Divergent selection for PSRI resulted in a negative change in forage yield, ranging from −0.097 to −0.379 Mg ha –1 cycle –1 across the four base populations. Pleiotropy or very tight linkage between loci controlling forage yield and PSRI accounted for only about half of the variation due to selection. The greater inconsistency of forage yield selection responses across the four populations, the lesser proportion of forage yield sum of squares attributable to divergence (pleiotropy or tight linkage), and the reduced magnitude of linear selection responses for PSRI compared to NDF suggest that PSRI may be a more effective selection criterion for improving intake potential of smooth bromegrass.
Hue discrimination related to linguistic habits

Reasoning from recent psycholinguistic research, it was predicted that discrimination between two monochromatic stimuli would be poorer when they belong to the same color category, better when they belong to different color categories in the language of the observer. Accordingly, it was predicted that hue discrimination functions vary systematically from one language community to the next to the extent that the different languages categorize the spectrum differently. Both predictions were supported by color labeling and discrimination measures obtained from speakers of English and of Tzotzil.
A Discrepancy Model of Psychological Contract Violations

Abstract While previous research suggests that employees rarely believe organizations keep all of the commitments made to them, only in some cases do employees perceive these unfulfilled commitments as psychological contract violations and make active attempts to “get even” with their employers for the betrayal. This article presents a discrepancy model for understanding when employees will perceive unfulfilled commitments as psychological contract violations and for understanding when employees will respond in a hostile manner to those violations. Among other factors, the sources of employees' expectations, the specific contract elements on which discrepancies occur, and the magnitude and timing of the unfulfilled commitments are all posited as important contributors to perceptions of psychological contract violations. Then, individual differences, organizational practices, and labor market factors are examined as important moderators of how strongly employees respond to perceived psychological contract violations. The article concludes with directions for future theoretical and empirical research on psychological contract violations and employees' reactions to them.
Acute Effect of Cigarette Smoke and Nicotine on Airway Blood Flow and Airflow in Healthy Smokers

Cigarette smoke contains irritants and vasoactive substances. We wanted to determine the effect of smoking a cigarette and of nasally or orally inhaled nicotine on airway blood flow (Qaw) and airflow in smokers. In ten healthy current smokers, Qaw, FEV1, and FEF25–75 were measured before and at 5, 30, and 180 min after smoking a cigarette. The effects of systemic nicotine using a nicotine nasal spray and local nicotine using a nicotine inhaler were also studied. Mean (± SE) Qaw increased by 81% ± 16% (p = 0.03) 5 min after smoking a cigarette and was no longer different from baseline at 30 and 180 min. Nicotine nasal spray and nicotine oral inhaler had no effect on Qaw. FEV1 and FEF25-75 remained unchanged after smoking a cigarette and after local or systemic nicotine administration. Smoking a cigarette is followed by a transient increase in airway blood flow but no changes in airflow. Nicotine, at the rate and dose provided by the nasal spray (systemic action) and oral inhaler (local and systemic action), does not appear to be involved in the Qaw change, suggesting a pharmacologic or nonspecific irritant effect of other cigarette smoke constituents.
Charging, Coagulation, and Heating Model of Nanoparticles in a Low-Pressure Plasma Accounting for Ion–Neutral Collisions

Low-pressure silane-argon plasmas allow the production of silicon particles of different sizes and morphologies. A better understanding of the correlations between dusty-plasma properties and particle morphology is very important for understanding and optimizing the particle synthesis. An analytical model predicting the nanoparticle charging, coagulation, and heating in a low-pressure plasma is here presented. The model includes the effect of collisions between ions and neutrals in proximity of the particles. In agreement with experimental evidence for pressures of a few torr, a charge distribution that is less negative than the prediction from the collisionless orbital-motion limited theory is obtained. The reduced charging causes an enhanced ion current to the particle while still preventing coagulation and conserving a monodisperse particle size distribution. Ion-electron recombination at the particle surface, together with other particle heating and cooling mechanisms typical of silane-argon plasmas, are studied in a particle-heating model which predicts the nanoparticle temperature. The effect of plasma parameters on the nanoparticle temperature is discussed, and the predictive power of the model is demonstrated from the appearance of photoluminescent properties in silicon nanoparticles, a property present only in crystalline particles. A correlation between plasma power, ion density, particle temperature, and particle crystallinity is finally developed.
Transfer of the plJ101 plasmid in Streptomyces lividans requires a cis‐acting function dispensable for chromosomal gene transfer

The tra gene of Streptomyces lividans plasmid plJ101 is required for both plasmid DNA transfer and plJ101-induced mobilization of chromosomal genes during mating. We show that a chromosomally inserted copy of tra mediates transfer of chromosomal DNA at high frequency but promotes efficient transfer of plasmids only when they contain a previously unknown locus, here named clt. Insertional mutation or deletion of clt from plJ101 reduced plasmid transfer mediated by either plasmid-borne or chromosomally located tra by at least three orders of magnitude, abolished the transfer-associated pocking phenomenon, and interfered with the ability of tra+ plasmids to promote transfer of chromosomal DNA. Our results indicate that plasmid transfer in S. lividans involves a cis-acting function dispensable for chromosomal gene transfer and imply that either the S. lividans chromosome encodes its own clt-like function or, alternatively, that transfer of plasmid and chromosomal DNA occurs by different mechanisms.
Substance P expression correlates with severity of diarrhea in cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidium parvum, is self-limited in immunocompetent hosts but may cause chronic diarrhea in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Substance P (SP), a neuropeptide belonging to the tachykinin family, is expressed in gastrointestinal tract and can cause electrogenic chloride anion secretion. Therefore, we studied SP mRNA and protein expression in jejunal tissue samples of patients with AIDS with naturally occurring chronic cryptosporidiosis and healthy volunteers with mild cryptosporidiosis or asymptomatic infection after experimental C. parvum challenge. SP mRNA was associated with symptoms in cryptosporidiosis. SP protein levels were greater in symptomatic than asymptomatic volunteers. Similarly, greater expression of SP mRNA and protein were noted in patients with AIDS with chronic cryptosporidiosis versus immunocompetent volunteers with self-limited infection. This study demonstrates a direct correlation between SP levels and disease severity and may imply that SP plays a role in diarrhea mediation.
Metabolic syndrome and ectopic fat deposition: what can CT and MR provide?

Objectives Metabolic syndrome affects 20-30% of adults and is increasing in prevalence, making it a leading public health issue. Radiologists often encounter images of obese patients during routine studies and are in a unique position to address the importance of excess fat and need to be aware of the spectrum of pathologic consequences in different organ systems. In this review, the role of CT and MR imaging in assessment of patients with metabolic syndrome will be reviewed and the constellation of structural and functional changes in the major affected organ systems due to ectopic fatty deposition will be discussed. Methods We specifically discuss the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome, visceral versus subcutaneous obesity, cardiac lipomatosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease, and fat deposition in other organs. Conclusion Many of the multisystem manifestations of metabolic syndrome can be visualized on routine CT and MR images and radiologists can provide clinicians with important data regarding anatomic and pathologic distribution of fat in different organs. Perhaps the visualization of the fatty changes will provide tangible evidence to motivate patients to begin lifestyle modification.
Designing a fast and adaptive error correction scheme for increasing the lifetime of phase change memories

This paper proposes an adaptive multi-bit error correcting code for phase change memories that provides a manifold increase in the lifetime of phase change memories thereby making them a more viable alternative for DRAM main memory. A novel aspect of the proposed approach is that the error correction code (ECC) is adapted over time as the number of failed cells in the phase change memory accumulates. The operating system (OS) monitors the number of errors corrected on a memory line, and when the number of errors on a line begins to exceed the strength of the ECC present, the ECC strength is adaptively increased. As this happens, the performance of the memory system gracefully degrades because more storage is taken up by check bits rather than data bits thereby reducing the effective size of a cache line since less data can be brought to the cache on each read operation to the PCM main memory. Experimental results show that the lifetime of a phase change memory can be significantly extended while keeping the fraction of data to check bits as high as possible at each stage in the lifetime of the phase change memory.
Transforming Growth Factor-β: Biology and Clinical Relevance

Transforming growth factor-beta is a pleiotropic growth factor that has enthralled many investigators for approximately two decades. In addition to many reports that have clarified the basic mechanism of transforming growth factor-beta signal transduction, numerous laboratories have published on the clinical implication/application of transforming growth factor-beta . To name a few, dysregulation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling plays a role in carcinogenesis, autoimmunity, angiogenesis, and wound healing. In this report, we will review these clinical implications of transforming growth factor-beta .
Scared and less noisy: glucocorticoids are associated with alarm call entropy

The nonlinearity and arousal hypothesis predicts that highly aroused mammals will produce nonlinear, noisy vocalizations. We tested this prediction by measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) in adult yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris), and asking if variation in GCMs was positively correlated with Wiener entropy—a measure of noise. Contrary to our prediction, we found a significant negative relationship: marmots with more faecal GCMs produced calls with less noise than those with lower levels of GCMs. A previous study suggested that glucocorticoids modulate the probability that a marmot will emit a call. This study suggests that, like some other species, calls emitted from highly aroused individuals are less noisy. Glucocorticoids thus play an important, yet underappreciated role, in alarm call production.
A Review and Critique of Social Skills Training With Schizophrenic Patients

The literature dealing with social skills training of schizophrenic patients indicates that topographical features and self-reports of anxiety and discomfort can be changed for the better by social skills training. Unfortunately, these changes do not occur for every patient and, when they do occur, often do not generalize to new situations. Research must be directed to determining the interaction between patient characteristics and training procedures as they affect outcome. The scope of the procedures must also be expanded if meaningful changes in patients' quality of life are to be effected.
Energy Efficient Collision Aware Multipath Routing for Wireless Sensor Networks

Multipath routing can reduce the need for route updates, balance the traffic load and increase the data transfer rate in a wireless sensor network, improving the utilization of the limited energy of sensor nodes. However, previous multiple path routing methods use flooding for route discovery and transmit data with maximum power regardless of need, which results in waste of energy. Moreover, often a serious problem of collisions among multiple paths arises. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient and collision aware (EECA) node-disjoint multipath routing algorithm for wireless sensor networks. With the aid of node position information, the EECA algorithm attempts to find two collision-free routes using constrained and power adjusted flooding and then transmits the data with minimum power needed through power control component of the protocol. Our preliminary simulation results show that ECCA algorithm results in good overall performance, saving energy and transferring data efficiently.
Operating system performance in support of real-time middleware

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software is being evaluated and/or used in an increasing range of mission-critical distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems. Due to substantial R&D investment over the past decade, COTS middleware has matured to the point where it is no longer the dominant factor in the overhead, non-determinism, and priority inversion incurred by DRE systems. As a result, the focus has shifted to the COTS operating systems and networks, which are once again responsible for the majority of end-to-end latency and jitter. We compare and evaluate the suitability of popular COTS operating systems for real-time COTS middleware, such as Real-time CORBA. We examine real-time operating systems (VxWorks and QNX), general-purpose operating systems with real-time thread scheduling classes (Windows NT Windows 2K, and Linux), and a hybrid real-time/general-purpose operating system (Linux/RT). While holding the hardware and ORB constant, we vary these operating systems systematically to measure platform-specific variations in context switch overhead, throughput of the ORB in terms of two-way operations per-second and memory-footprint of the ORB libraries. We also measure how the latency and jitter of high-priority operations are affected as the number of low-priority operations increase.
Comparison of Two Commercially Available Dengue Virus (DENV) NS1 Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays Using a Single Clinical Sample for Diagnosis of Acute DENV Infection

Dengue virus (DENV) nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) has shown promise as a novel diagnostic marker of acute DENV infection. Current techniques used to diagnose acute DENV infection, including virus isolation and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), are costly and difficult to perform, while traditional serological assays have low sensitivities during the acute stage of infection. Two commercially available NS1 antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), the Platelia dengue NS1Ag test (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Marnes La Coquette, France) and the Pan-E dengue early ELISA test (Panbio Diagnostics, Brisbane, Australia), were evaluated against a well-characterized panel of 208 real-time RT-PCR- and virus isolation-positive sera, as well as 45 real-time RT-PCR- and serologically negative sera from patients with other acute febrile illnesses. The overall sensitivities were 64.9% (95% confidence interval [CI(95)], 58.2 to 71.1%) for the Panbio test and 83.2% (CI(95), 77.5 to 87.7%) for the Bio-Rad test, with interserotype variation, especially for DENV serotype 4. Predictive models were constructed to identify factors that had a significant influence on a test's outcome with respect to this panel of samples in order to identify the conditions in which the test will be most effective as a diagnostic tool. The immunoglobulin G titer was found to be the only covariate that significantly influenced results in the Bio-Rad test, while serotype and the day postonset were found to significantly influence results in the Panbio test. We concluded that the NS1 capture ELISA is a useful tool that can improve testing algorithms to diagnose DENV infection in single samples from acute and early convalescent cases.
Brick by brick: iterating interventions to bridge the achievement gap with virtual peers

We lay out one strand of a continuing investigation into the development of a virtual peer to help children learn to use "school English" and "school-ratified science talk". In this paper we describe a detailed analysis of a corpus of child-child language use, and report our findings on the ways children shift dialects and ways of discussing science depending on the social context and task. We discuss the implications of these results for the redesign of a virtual peer that can evoke language behaviors associated with student achievement. Furthermore, our results allow us to describe the ways in which this virtual agent can tailor its level of interaction based on a child's current aptitude in this area.
AGRIBUSINESS SIMULATORS FOR MANAGEMENT TRAINING

This paper describes four agribusiness simulators which can be processed on a microcomputer for use in undergraduate and extension teaching. The simulators model the environment in which supermarket chains, farm supply centers, and cooperative and proprietary grain elevators compete for business. Instruction manuals, user's manuals, and a diskette are distributed for each simulator. Each diskette contains programs to enter and edit team decisions, to process decisions and print reports, and to create graphs of team performance. The simulators can be used to teach financial management concepts and techniques, as well as economic principles.
Virulence of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Aerosol Models

Genetic analyses have determined that Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis are so closely related that they are a single species. Transitional strains of Y. pestis (also known as “Pestoides” strains) are ancient strains that lie very close to Y. pseudotuberculosis in the Y. pestis lineage. We previously demonstrated that the ability to infect mice by aerosol is exhibited by the Pestoides group and that the aerosol LD50 of these strains is comparable to that of “typical” isolates. In this study, we examined several Y. pseudotuberculosis strains of different serotypes in the mouse aerosol model and evaluated a subset of these in the guinea pig and rat. All of the strains of Y. pseudotuberculosis caused a fatal pneumonia in the aerosol mouse model. However, the range of virulence that we observed among natural isolates of Y. pseudotuberculosis was quite remarkable when compared to natural isolates of Y. pestis (including the Pestoides group), which have relatively uniform LD50 values in this model. For one strain of Y. pseudotuberculosis, the toxin cytotoxic necrotizing factor (CNF) was required for aerosol virulence. However, it appears that this is strain-specific as other naturally occurring strains carrying a deletion in CNF retained virulence. In general, isolates with the high pathogenicity island were more virulent than those lacking it. In our limited testing in guinea pigs, we found a similar variability in the virulence of Y. pseudotuberculosis strains, while rats were highly resistant to aerosols of the single Y. pseudotuberculosis strain evaluated to date. Although we have observed considerable variation in the virulence of Y. pestis natural isolates by parenteral routes of infection, LD50 values by aerosol do not vary like those of Y. pseudotuberculosis. This likely reflects the much greater genetic diversity of Y. pseudotuberculosis. A recent study indicates that gene acquisition from other species is a major factor that has influenced Y. pseudotuberculosis genome evolution. This surely played (and continues to play) a role in producing the constellation of virulence determinants observed in this organism and makes it likely that there are multiple independent mechanisms that contribute to pathogenicity by the aerosol route.
Xylem cavitation caused by drought and freezing stress in four co-occurring Juniperus species

Previous studies indicate that conifers are vulnerable to cavitation induced by drought but in many cases, not by freezing. Rarely have vulnerability to drought and freezing stress been studied together, even though both influence plant physiology and the abundance and distribution of plants in many regions of the world. We studied vulnerability to drought- and freezinginduced cavitation, along with wood density, conduit reinforcement, tracheid diameter, and hydraulic conductivity, in four Juniperus species that typically occupy different habitats, but uniquely co-occur at the same site in Arizona, AZ. We combined drought with a freeze-thaw cycle to create freezing-induced vulnerability curves. All four species demonstrated greater vulnerability to drought þ freezing- than to drought-induced cavitation alone (P < 0.0001). Mean tracheid diameter was correlated with vulnerability to drought þ freezing-induced cavitation (r 5 0.512, P 5 0.01). The vulnerability to cavitation of each species followed expected rankings based on relative moisture within each species’ natural distribution. Species with naturally drier distributions showed greater resistance to both drought- and drought þ freezing-induced cavitation. Even conifer species with relatively small tracheid diameters can experience xylem embolism after a single freeze-thaw cycle when under drought stress.
Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental changes in East Africa: a review of multiproxy evidence from palynology, lake sediments, and associated records

This paper presents an overview of paleoenvironmental changes in East Africa during the late Quaternary based on evidence from pollen, diatoms, microscopic charcoal, and lake level records and associated proxies. The paleoenvironmental records derived from different proxies complement each other to provide a more accurate and complete assessment of the paleoenvironmental changes in East Africa. The records show that the period prior to c. 42,000 14C yr BP was characterized by warm climatic conditions similar to the present. This was followed by a change to cold dry conditions from 42,000 to 30,000 14C yr BP, and cold and moist conditions from 30,000 to 21,000 14C yr BP. Temperatures during the latter period leading to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were probably 2 to 4.1°C lower than the present. Between c. 21,000 and 12,500 14C yr BP East Africa's environment was generally cool, punctuated by two significant episodes of prolonged desiccation. Warm and moist conditions punctuated by rapid climatic changes prevailed in the region during the deglacial and middle Holocene period. Ice core records document two significant and abrupt drought events in the region, one at ~8300 14C yr BP and the other at 5200 14C yr BP. The onset of a longer and more extensive desiccation period commencing ~4000 14C yr BP was registered in nearly all sites. The climate of East Africa was generally drier than present during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) while fairly wet conditions prevailed during the Little Ice Age (LIA) interrupted by three episodes of aridity, more severe than those of more recent times. Whereas this review advances our understanding of climate and vegetational changes in East Africa beyond the Last Glacial Maximum, it also highlights limitations of the paradigms that explain the forcing mechanisms behind the changes. However, unequivocal interpretation of the multiproxy data from East Africa with respect to paleoenvironmental changes becomes extremely complex and challenging especially when the anthropogenic input is considered.
Weekend-weekday differences in diet among U.S. adults, 2003-2012.

Abstract Purpose Dietary patterns differ by day of the week. This study examined weekend-weekday differences in diet among U.S. adults. Methods Nationally representative data of 11,646 adults 18 years of age and above from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2012 waves were analyzed. Individual fixed-effect regressions were performed using data from two nonconsecutive 24-hour dietary recalls. Results Weekend diet was less healthful than weekday, with diet on Saturday the worst. Compared with weekday consumption, consumption on Saturday was associated with an increase in daily intakes of total energy by 181.04 kcal, energy from sugar-sweetened beverages 18.34 kcal, energy from alcohol 46.65 kcal, energy from discretionary foods 48.77 kcal, total fat 8.16 g, saturated fat 2.88 g, sugar 5.37 g, sodium 205.59 mg, and cholesterol 43.17 mg, a decrease in intakes of fruit by 13.90 g, vegetable 16.76 g, and fiber 0.67 g, a decrease in the Healthy Eating Index-2010 score by 2.32, and an increase in the prevalence of fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption by 10.21% and 17.79%, respectively. Weekend-weekday differences in diet varied by sex, age, race and/or ethnicity, education, income, and body weight status. Conclusions Americans' weekend consumption was associated with increased calorie intake and poorer diet quality.
Games Pythagoreans Play

This paper critically evaluates the theoretical basis of a variety of welfare change measures. It does this in a unified fashion by examining the basic mathematical framework underlying the consumer's surplus analysis. In particular, the place of Harberger's welfare measure within this basic framework is discussed.
Phase-dependent deterministic switching of magnetoelectric spin wave detector in the presence of thermal noise via compensation of demagnetization

The possibility of achieving phase-dependent deterministic switching of the magnetoelectric spin wave detector in the presence of thermal noise has been discussed. The proposed idea relies on the modification of the energy landscape by partially canceling the out-of-plane demagnetizing field and the resultant change in the intrinsic magnetization dynamics to drive the nanomagnet towards a preferential final magnetization state. The remarkable increase in the probability of successful switching can be accounted for by the shift in the location of the saddle point in the energy landscape and a resultant change in the nature of the relaxation dynamics of the magnetization from a highly precessional to a fairly damped one and an increased dependence on the initial magnetization values, a crucial requirement for phase-dependent spin wave detection.
Future Perspectives for Cancer Metastasis: Unanswered Questions and Unquestioned Answers

In this sentinel lymph node (SLN) era, two new paradigms of cancer metastasis have emerged. First, in general, cancer spreads in a progressive fashion from the primary site to the SLNs and beyond to distant sites. Second, cancer heterogeneity may have a genetic basis. Gene profiling of cancer could identify subgroups of cancer patients for tailored, personalized therapy. With this knowledge and new insights, ever more unanswered questions and unquestioned answers on cancer metastasis have arisen. These will be the focus of the upcoming 3rd International Symposium on Cancer Metastasis and the Lymphovascular System: Basis for Rational Therapy, May 7–9, 2009, in San Francisco.
Effect of the Metal-Substrate Interaction Strength on the Growth of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes are usually synthesized by catalytic growth driven by reaction of a precursor gas over metallic nanoparticles supported on a substrate. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations (MD) with the purpose of determining how the catalyst−substrate strength of adhesion influences the structure of the carbon networks synthesized on the catalyst surface. It is found that the strength of the catalyst/substrate interaction energies defines the shape of the catalyst particle. When these energies are attractive, the nanocatalyst height decreases due to enhanced wetting and in turn favors the lifting up of carbon nanotube caps during the synthesis process. In addition, the presence of an appropriate substrate may avoid catalyst poisoning. This effect may result from repulsion forces from the substrate toward catalyzed carbon atoms, which cause carbon atoms to diffuse to upper layers, thus keeping the catalyst−substrate interface exposed to continuous catalytic activity. However, too stro...
A taxonomic study of the genus Cremnops Foerster in America north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Braconidae)

The 14 species of Cremnops now known from the United States and Canada are redefined and a key is provided for their identification. The males of several species are described for the first time, and the previously known males are redescribed. C. shenefelti , from Nevada and California, is a new species; C. niyrostcninm (Morr.) [(= C. szepligetii Morr.)] and C. californicus (Morr.) [(= C aionos (Shenefelt)], new synonymy. Also included is a key to the 8 North American genera of the subfamily Agathidinae.
Chiroptical study of chiral discrimination by amino acid based ionic liquids.

The chiral discrimination ability of amino acid based chiral ionic liquids is studied using chiroptical luminescence techniques. A racemic mixture of dissymmetric europium tris(2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate) complexes are dissolved in five chiral ionic liquids, including l- and d-alanine methyl ester bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide), l-leucine methyl ester bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide), l-proline methyl ester bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide), and tetrabutylammonium l-alanate. Circularly polarized luminescence spectra are measured for the samples over the 283–323 K temperature range. Analysis of the spectroscopic results shows that the amino acid methyl ester chiral ionic liquids show discrimination with a preference (handedness) that corresponds to the stereoisomer (l- vs d-). Most of the chiral ionic liquids show enthalpically dominated discrimination, but l-leucine methyl ester bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) shows entropically dominated chiral discrimination.
Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine safety observation

Objective To understand the safety of domestic Hib conjugate vaccine,and to provide the basis for promoting the use of it.Methods A total 1 800 infants were divided into 2 groups,one group with 900 infants ages ranged from 6 to 12 months,the other group with 900 infants ages ranged from 1 to 5 years.The ratio was 2:1 for receiving Hib vaccine immunization program and control vaccine with randomly,blinded and parallel phase III clinical trial method for similar products.After vaccination,the incidence of adverse reactions(AEFI) was compared between the two kinds of vaccines.Results After being vaccinated with hib conjugate vaccine,AEFI rate was 18.44%.The local and systemic reactions were relative lower,and weak reactions were dominated;moreover,there was no significant difference between the two groups with AEFI incidence(P0.05).Conclusion The two kinds of Hib conjugate vaccine have good security after vaccination.
Acute and chronic effects of clozapine on cholinergic transmission in cultured mouse superior cervical ganglion neurons

AbstractCholinergic dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The atypical antipsychotic clozapine improves cognition in patients with schizophrenia, possibly through modulation of the cholinergic system. However, little is known about specific underlying mechanisms. We investigated the acute and chronic effects of clozapine on cholinergic synaptic transmission in cultured superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons. Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) were detected and were reversibly inhibited by the nicotinic receptor antagonist d-tubocurarine, confirming that the synaptic responses were primarily mediated by nicotinic receptors. Bath application of clozapine at therapeutic concentrations rapidly and reversely inhibited both the amplitude and frequency of sEPSCs in a concentration-dependent manner, without changing either rise or decay time, suggesting that clozapine effects have both presynaptic and postsynaptic origins. The acute effects of clozapine on sEPSCs wer...