cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multifunctioning pH‐responsive nanoparticles from hierarchical self‐assembly of polymer brush for cancer drug delivery

Polymer nanoparticles are extensively explored as drug carriers but they generally have issues of premature burst drug release, slow cellular uptake, and retention in acidic intracellular compartments. Herein, we report multifunctioning three-layered nanoparticles (3LNPs) that can overcome these problems. The 3LNPs have a poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) core, a pH-responsive poly[2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate](PDEA) middle layer and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) outer layer. The pH-responsive PDEA layer is insoluble at pH above 7 but becomes positively charged and soluble via protonation at pH lower than 6.5. Thus, this layer has three functions: it covers on the PCL core inhibiting the premature burst drug release at the physiological pH, becomes positively charged and thus promotes endocytosis for fast cellular internalization in the acidic interstitium of solid tumors, and is highly positively charged in lysosomes to disrupt the lysosomal membrane and release the nanoparticle into the cytosol. The multifunctioning nanoparticles are an efficient carrier for cancer cytosolic drug delivery. © 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
On the optimal use of DC and RF excitation in He-Ne lasers

Experimental results show that superposed dc excitation can improve the power output of RF excited He-Ne lasers over the total useful life of the units. The results show that the variable dc excitation results in about twenty percent increase in laser power out.
Slack: maximizing performance under technological constraints

Many emerging processor microarchitectures seek to manage technological constraints (e.g., wire delay, power, and circuit complexity) by resorting to non-uniform designs that provide resources at multiple quality levels (e.g., fast/slow, bypass paths, multi-speed functional units, and grid architectures). In such designs, the constraint problem becomes a control problem, and the challenge becomes designing a control policy that mitigates the performance penalty of the non-uniformity. Given the increasing importance of non-uniform control policies, we believe it is appropriate to examine them in their own right.To this end, we develop slack for use in creating control policies that match program execution behavior, to machine design. Intuitively, the slack of a dynamic instruction i is the number of cycles i can be delayed with no effect on execution time. This property makes slack a natural candidate for hiding non-uniform latencies.We make three contributions in our exploration of slack. First, we formally define slack, distinguish three variants (local, global and apportioned), and perform a limit study to show that slack is prevalent in our SPEC2000 workload. Second, we show how to predict slack in hardware. Third, we illustrate how to create a control policy based on slack for steering instructions among fast (high power) and slow (lower power) pipelines.
The acceptability of lies: A comparison of Ecuadorians and Euro-Americans

Abstract This study examined differences between Ecuadorian and Euro-American college students in the perceived acceptability of lies. Six different lie domains were examined: flattery, impression management, conflict avoidance, enhancement of others’ self-esteem, self-aggrandizement, and instrumental lies. Overall, Euro-Americans rated lies as more acceptable than Ecuadorians. In both cultures, lies motivated by a desire to benefit others were considered to be more acceptable than lies that primarily benefited the self. Additionally, lying to the outgroup was perceived as being more acceptable than lying to the ingroup. These results were interpreted in light of the findings that Ecuadorians scored higher on measures of uncertainty avoidance and power distance, whereas Euro-Americans scored higher on levels of independence. The implications of these findings for intercultural relations and future directions for research are discussed.
Auto-CPAP (APAP) for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This treatment works by providing a pneumatic splint that prevents upper airway collapse during sleep. AutoCPAP (APAP) can provide a solution to some traditional problems. The devices monitor some or all of the following variables: flow (apnea or hypopnea), snoring (airway vibration), airflow profile flattening (airflow limitation), or airway impedance (forced oscillation technique). Each APAP device has proprietary algorithms to slowly increase pressure in response to the detected respiratory events. Once all events are eliminated, pressure is slowly reduced until events are again detected. In this manner the lowest effective pressure is provided (auto-adjusting). In some patients the average nightly pressure may be up to 6 cm H/sub 2/O less than the maximum pressure required. AutoCPAP devices have been shown to be useful for auto-titration and chronic treatment. In the auto-titrating mode they can be used to select a fixed level of CPAP for conventional treatment in the majority of cases. The use of unattended titration protocols requires more study. Proper patient selection and education are probably needed for success. As a chronic treatment there is conflicting evidence for and against the premise that APAP will increase acceptance and adherence to positive pressure treatment. However, there may be segments of the OSA population that will find APAP treatment much more acceptable.
History and Discipline in Political Science

Once sparce and sporadic, histories of political science have proliferated in recent years. We contend that such histories are a necessary feature of the discourse of political science, because there are essential connections between the history, identity, and actual practices of any rationally progressive discipline. In light of the fact that the objects political scientists study are historically and contextually contingent, there has been—and should be—a plurality of histories to match the diversity of approaches in politicalscience. Unfortunately, most histories of political science prove either “Whiggish” and condescending toward the past, or “skeptical” and negative. The consequence has been an inadequate understanding of the relationship between plurality, rationality, and progress in the discipline. Taking into account both the deficiencies and achievements of Whiggish and skeptical accounts, we argue that context-sensitive histories would better serve the rationality and progress of political science.
Calculating Evolutionary Dynamics in Structured Populations

Evolution is shaping the world around us. At the core of every evolutionary process is a population of reproducing individuals. The outcome of an evolutionary process depends on population structure. Here we provide a general formula for calculating evolutionary dynamics in a wide class of structured populations. This class includes the recently introduced ‘‘games in phenotype space’’ and ‘‘evolutionary set theory.’’ There can be local interactions for determining the relative fitness of individuals, but we require global updating, which means all individuals compete uniformly for reproduction. We study the competition of two strategies in the context of an evolutionary game and determine which strategy is favored in the limit of weak selection. We derive an intuitive formula for the structure coefficient, s, and provide a method for efficient numerical calculation.
Phenomena in Physical and Surface Chemistry

Complex phenomena in pharmaceutical chemistry may have a ­significant impact on the performance of the dosage form. Traditionally, the concern has been with bulk product performance and stability with a focus on chemical degradation, and while this remains a serious issue over the last few decades, the focus on reproducible product performance has shifted toward considerations of physical stability.
Evaluation of time to aneurysm treatment following subarachnoid hemorrhage: comparison of patients treated with clipping versus coiling.

Introduction Prior studies of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have shown that treatment at teaching institutions and decreased time to surgery are factors that correlate with improved patient outcome. We aimed to individually evaluate the effect of teaching institution treatment on rates of surgical clipping or endovascular coiling. Methods Patients with SAH treated by either aneurysm clipping or coiling between 2002 and 2010 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample were analyzed. Time to aneurysm treatment was dichotomized to >3 days or ≤3 days and evaluated by multivariable logistic regression modeling, controlling for patient and hospital covariates. Identified predictors for prolonged time to procedure were compared between the clipping and coiling populations. Results Between 2002 and 2010 there were 90 684 SAH admissions with subsequent clipping and coiling procedures. Treatment at teaching hospitals was associated with faster time to clipping (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.80, p=0.001) but not coiling procedures (p=0.66). Likewise, older age (≥80 years) was associated with delays to clipping (p 0.05). Patients with delayed time to treatment were associated with increased rates of moderate to severe neurological disability. Conclusions Older patients with SAH and those treated at non-teaching hospitals were more likely to have delays to aneurysm clipping procedures. These associations were unique to open surgery as age and hospital teaching status did not affect time to coiling procedures.
The design of a portable and deployable solar energy system for deployed military applications

Global Positioning Systems, thermal imaging scopes, satellite phones, and other electronic devices are critical to the warfighter in Forward Operating Environments. Many are battery operated and require charging. We used a Systems Engineering approach to compare existing portable energy systems and to specifically design a portable solar energy system for use tailored for a deployed military/combat unit. We considered ease of setup/teardown, power delivered, weight, and many other factors that contribute to the level portability required. As deployed units are often in areas with little or no permanent sources of electricity, powering and/or charging electronic devices can be a challenge and diesel generators are the typical solution. Generators require fuel (approximately 1 gallon/hour for 10KVA) which is extremely costly in both money and safety of soldiers tasked with transporting fuel. Understanding the factors that affect portability and knowing which ones are the most important is key to determining whether a particular energy generation system is an asset or liability. Currently, there is no simple rubric to characterize what portability is and how to compare two systems. We therefore created a rubric to aid our analysis of portability. With such a set of measurements and procedures, designs can be meaningfully compared and once designed, we used the new metrics to improve our overall design. Several conceptual designs were drafted and compared, using the metric, to current diesel generators used by the U.S. military in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We identified areas where diesel generators are superior and areas where the solar energy systems are superior. The remainder of this paper outlines our process and results.
Band crossing and the prealignment B(E2) anomaly in 126Ba

Abstract A theoretical interpretation of the reduction in E2 strengths in 126Ba prior to backbending is presented. A shell model basis is built from normal parity orbilals organized into multiplets of a pseudo SU(3) symmetry coupled to h 11 2 configurations restricted to states of seniority zero and two. Within the framework of the model the scattering of a pair of protons from normal parity to the h 11 2 orbital produces band crossing and a corresponding reduction in E2 transition strengths prior to pair alignment which is the principal mechanism of the backbending.
Web 2.0 Injection Infection Vulnerability Class

Web 2.0 defines a changing trend in the use of World Wide Web application development and web design technology. Web 2.0 design concepts have led to the evolution of a web culture that has allowed ...
Immortalizing oncogenes subvert the establishment of granule cell identity in developing cerebellum

After implantation into the external germinal layer of early postnatal cerebellum, primary external germinal layer progenitor cells gave rise exclusively to granule neurons. In contrast, all major classes of cerebellar cells were observed following implantation of embryonic day 13 cerebellar precursor cells into the external germinal layer. These results suggest that granule cells arise from precursors with a restricted potential. In contrast to results with the primary external germinal layer population, cell lines established from external germinal layer cells, by infection with a retrovirus containing the SV40 large T-antigen oncogene, gave rise to several cerebellar cell types upon implantation. These included granule neurons, one subclass of stellate interneurons, Golgi cells, Bergmann glia and astrocytes. From these results, we conclude that early postnatal external germinal layer progenitors are normally fated to a granule cell identity and that expression of the SV40 large T-antigen oncogene subverts mechanisms that control granule neuron fate.
Evidence of Oxidative Stress in Human Corneal Diseases

This study localized malondialdehyde (MDA, a toxic byproduct of lipid peroxidation), nitrotyrosine [NT, a cytotoxic byproduct of nitric oxide (NO)], and nitric oxide synthase isomers (NOS) in normal and diseased human corneas. Normal corneas (n=11) and those with clinical and histopathological diagnoses of keratoconus (n=26), bullous keratopathy (n=17), and Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy (n=12) were examined with antibodies specific for MDA, NT, eNOS (constitutive NOS), and iNOS (inducible NOS). Normal corneas showed little or no staining for MDA, NT, or iNOS, whereas eNOS was detected in the epithelium and endothelium. MDA was present in all disease groups, with each group displaying a distinct pattern of staining. NT was detected in all keratoconus and approximately one half of Fuchs' dystrophy corneas. iNOS and eNOS were evident in all the diseased corneas. Keratoconus corneas showed evidence of oxidative damage from cytotoxic byproducts generated by lipid peroxidation and the NO pathway. Bullous keratopathy corneas displayed byproducts of lipid peroxidation but not peroxynitrite (MDA but not NT). Conversely, Fuchs' dystrophy corneas displayed byproducts of peroxynitrite with little lipid peroxidation (NT >> MDA). These data suggest that oxidative damage occurs within each group of diseased corneas. However, each disease exhibits a distinctive profile, with only keratoconus showing prominent staining for both nitrotyrosine and MDA. These results suggest that keratoconus corneas do not process reactive oxygen species in a normal manner, which may play a major role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
The dynamics of coherent structures in the wall region of a turbulent boundary layer.

We have modelled the wall region of a turbulent boundary layer by expanding the instantaneous field in so-called empirical eigenfunctions, as permitted by the proper orthogonal decomposition theorem (Lumley 1967, 1981). We truncate the representation to obtain low-dimensional sets of ordinary differential equations, from the Navier–Stokes equations, via Galerkin projection. The experimentally determined eigenfunctions of Herzog (1986) are used; these are in the form of streamwise rolls. Our model equations represent the dynamical behaviour of these rolls. We show that these equations exhibit intermittency, which we analyse using the methods of dynamical systems theory, as well as a chaotic regime. We argue that this behaviour captures major aspects of the ejection and bursting events associated with streamwise vortex pairs which have been observed in experimental work (Kline et al. 1967). We show that although this bursting behaviour is produced autonomously in the wall region, and the structure and duration of the bursts is determined there, the pressure signal from the outer part of the boundary layer triggers the bursts, and determines their average frequency. The analysis and conclusions drawn in this paper appear to be among the first to provide a reasonably coherent link between low-dimensional chaotic dynamics and a realistic turbulent open flow system.
MyPyramid Tracker assesses food consumption, physical activity, and energy balance status interactively.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide science-based advice to promote health and reduce risks for major chronic diseases through specific recommendations for physical activity and healthful eating. Translating the Guidelines into practical and actionable advice requires an educational approach with personalized guidance. The Internet is a valuable resource for promoting regular physical activity and healthful eating, offering an efficient access to a large number of people. With increased Internet usage in the past decade, consumers are beginning to benefit from software programs and Web-based communication tools to guide their decisions about health. The Internet also offers nutrition educators the opportunity to provide targeted educational information on healthy lifestyles directed to Internet users in a nonthreatening way. DESCRIPTION
A Generalized Goal Decomposition Model

A decomposition model is developed which can be interpreted as a representation of decision-making in a three-level hierarchical organization. The central unit coordinates decision activity by generating goals for a subordinate level of management units. These latter are responsible for generating the economic indicators that 1 allow the central unit to evaluate its goal generating policies, and 2 guide the alternative generation activities of third level operating units. Because of the absence of a global objective function for the organization the decision activity is shown to be dependent on the structure of the organization i.e., the solutions of the model are affected by the structure and degree of decomposition. Thus, unlike existing decomposition models, the model treats organization structure as a variable in the decision-making process. This feature of the model is shown to have implications for organizational design.
The Chrysalis Effect How Ugly Initial Results Metamorphosize Into Beautiful Articles

The issue of a published literature not representative of the population of research is most often discussed in terms of entire studies being suppressed. However, alternative sources of publication bias are questionable research practices (QRPs) that entail post hoc alterations of hypotheses to support data or post hoc alterations of data to support hypotheses. Using general strain theory as an explanatory framework, we outline the means, motives, and opportunities for researchers to better their chances of publication independent of rigor and relevance. We then assess the frequency of QRPs in management research by tracking differences between dissertations and their resulting journal publications. Our primary finding is that from dissertation to journal article, the ratio of supported to unsupported hypotheses more than doubled (0.82 to 1.00 versus 1.94 to 1.00). The rise in predictive accuracy resulted from the dropping of statistically nonsignificant hypotheses, the addition of statistically significa...
Spider Fossils Never Looked so Good

Fossil arachnids—especially those dating from the Carboniferous period, 360–299 million years ago—are often found in mines or quarries within concretions of siderite (FeCO 3 ). Most of the methods to study these fossils are either destructive or damaging to the specimens and are limited in their resolution, thereby limiting the information that can be derived from the fossil. In an elegant study, Russell Garwood, Jason Dunlop, and Mark Sutton have demonstrated that X-ray micro-tomography (XMT) can reveal hitherto unseen details in such fossils without damaging the specimens.
Agricultural drainage effects on water quality in southeastern U.S

A review of literature and summary of research results are presented on the effects of drainage on water quality in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Principal findings from the predominate coarse-textured soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain include increased nitrate-nitrogen losses associated with improved subsurface drainage. Benefits of drainage include potential reductions in organic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses from these mineral soils. Results of drainage investigations on organic soils in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Florida indicate that phosphorus is the primary limiting factor for eutrophication problems in Lake Okeechobee. P losses can be potentially reduced by using slow versus fast drainage, retaining drainage water from vegetable and sugarcane fields (on sugarcane or fallow areas), and minimizing water-table fluctuations. Some of these potential practices and their resultant effects need additional verification for application to other areas and conditions.
Compaction-defective embryonal carcinoma cell variants

Compaction of the morula is a prerequisite for subsequent differentiation of the mouse embryo. Analogous differentiation follows compaction in aggregates of several embryonal carcinoma cell lines. This report describes the isolation of two compaction-defective variants from the H6 embryonal carcinoma cell line. These were isolated directly as clonal compaction-defective aggregates in medium containing 1.3% methylcellulose. They were obtained following chemical mutagenesis, since spontaneous variants were not seen. Compaction-defective variants of the F9 ECC line or the ES-D3 embryonic stem cell line could not be obtained. One of the H6 compaction-defective variants appeared to be dominant when hybridized to its parental line, while the other appeared to be recessive.
Invariance in Pattern Recognition

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the problem of invariance in pattern recognition. It describes the computational techniques for recognizing patterns, invariant to the distortions they might have been subject to. The visual recognition problem stems from the fact that the interpretation of a three-dimensional (3-D) scene from a single two-dimensional (2-D) image is confounded by several dimensions of variability. Such dimensions include uncertain perspective, position, orientation, and size (pure geometric variability) along with sensor noise, object occlusion, and nonuniform illumination. There are several major ways for handling the issue of image variability. The approaches can be distinguished according to the type of (memory) prototype patterns that are matched with the computed image representations at the interface with visual memory. One of the ways of performing invariant pattern recognition is to look for some internal structure. To capture such (internal) relationships among object components tools, such as Markov chains and the minimum spanning tree (MST) or formal languages (grammars) can be used.
Knowledge of and interest in opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution among US veterans on chronic opioids for addiction or pain

AbstractAims: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is implementing opioid overdose (OOD) education and naloxone distribution to reduce rising rates of OOD deaths. This study assessed knowledge and interest in OOD prevention with naloxone at a VHA hospital where naloxone kits were not yet available. Methods: Veterans receiving opioids for ≥3 months, including 52 from the Opioid Substitution Clinic (OSC) and 38 from the Pain Management Clinic (PMC), were interviewed about their attitudes and experience with OOD and naloxone. Findings: 52% of OSC and 21% of PMC veterans reported having ever experienced an OOD. Less than half had heard of naloxone and none owned a naloxone kit. After a brief explanation, 73% of OSC and 55% of PMC veterans reported wanting a kit. Veterans who reported wanting a kit were more likely to have witnessed (p < 0.001) and/or experienced (p < 0.001) an OOD and were more likely to have used intravenous drugs in their lifetimes (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Participants were not well inf...
Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers of NAFLD

Conventional imaging modalities, including ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR), play an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by allowing noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. However, conventional imaging modalities are limited as biomarkers of NAFLD for various reasons. Multi-parametric quantitative MRI techniques overcome many of the shortcomings of conventional imaging and allow comprehensive and objective evaluation of NAFLD. MRI can provide unconfounded biomarkers of hepatic fat, iron, and fibrosis in a single examination—a virtual biopsy has become a clinical reality. In this article, we will review the utility and limitation of conventional US, CT, and MR imaging for the diagnosis NAFLD. Recent advances in imaging biomarkers of NAFLD are also discussed with an emphasis in multi-parametric quantitative MRI.
Aminoglycoside Pharmacokinetics: Volume of Distribution in Specific Adult Patient Subgroups

OBJECTIVE:To review the published clinical studies reporting volume of distribution for aminoglycosides in patient population subgroups. Controversies in methods used are discussed.DATA SOURCES:National Library of Medicine Medlars, searched using MEDLINE.STUDY SELECTION:Published articles primarily relating to pharmacokinetic properties of aminoglycosides in specific adult patient subgroups published within the past 20 years were included. Pediatric studies were excluded.DATA EXTRACTION:The methodology, assay technique, and results from clinical studies reporting aminoglycoside volume of distribution were evaluated.DATA SYNTHESIS:Clinical studies reporting aminoglycoside volume of distribution subgroups, including the methods by which their results were derived, are tabulated.CONCLUSIONS:The expected aminoglycoside volume of distribution can vary, depending on a patient's clinical presentation. Data presented will allow a more refined initial estimation of volumes of distribution, which may facilitate the...
Abstract 12972: Reduction of Unnecessary Radiation Exposure for Cardiovascular Patients by Adoption of a Stress-First Protocol for Nuclear-Based Cardiac Stress Testing

Background: In 2010, the FDA issued the Initiative to Reduce Unnecessary Radiation Exposure from Medical Imaging. The purpose of this study was to determine the total radiation exposure for cardiovascular patients and the relative contribution of nuclear-based cardiac stress testing. Method: The electronic medical record was reviewed to identify all patients who underwent cardiac stress testing in 1 institution over a 10-year period. The type and number of all radiation-based diagnostic tests were identified, and a hospital-determined or published radiation dose was used to calculate each patient’s gender-specific total annualized radiation exposure expressed in mSv. Therapeutic radiation-based procedures were excluded. Results: Between 2003 and 2012, a total of 50,737 patients underwent 88,108 stress tests, 501,239 diagnostic radiology exams, and 17,194 diagnostic coronary angiograms, with 177,957 patient years of follow-up. Mean age at first stress test was 60±14 years, 56% of the patients were men, and...
Inflammatory responses and their impact on β-galactosidase transgene expression following adenovirus vector delivery to the primate caudate nucleus

An E1, E3 deleted adenovirus vector, serotype 5, carrying the marker gene LacZ was bilaterally microinfused into the caudate nuclei of 10 St Kitts green monkeys. The location and number of cells expressing transgene and host immunologic response were evaluated at 1 week (n = 2) and 1 month (n = 8) following vector infusion. A large number of cells expressed β-galactosidase in some monkeys, exceeding 600000 in one monkey, but no expression was seen in three of 10. All monkeys had positive adenoviral antibody titers before vector infusion, indicating the possibility of previous exposure to some adenovirus, but only one showed a significant increase in titer afterwards. Inflammatory cell markers revealed an inverse correlation between transgene expression and the extent of inflammatory response. Dexamethasone administered immediately before and for 8 days following vector delivery, however, had no effect on transgene expression. The demonstration of significant inflammatory responses in the brain of some individual primates, including demyelination, indicates the need for new generations of adenovirus vectors, or the successful suppression of inflammatory responses, before this vector is suitable for non-cytotoxic clinical applications in the CNS.
Biomineralization of atrazine and analysis of 16S rRNA and catabolic genes of atrazine degraders in a former pesticide mixing site and a machinery washing area

The purpose of this study was to determine the first-order rate constants and half-lives of aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of atrazine in soil samples from an agricultural farm site that had been previously used for mixing pesticide formulations and washing application equipment. Atrazine catabolic genes and atrazine-degrading bacteria in the soil samples were analyzed by molecular methods. Biomineralization of atrazine was measured in soil samples with a [U-ring-14C]-atrazine biometer technique in soil samples. Enrichment cultures growing with atrazine were derived from soil samples and they were analyzed for bacterial diversity by constructing 16S rDNA clone libraries and sequencing. Bacterial isolates were also obtained and they were screened for atrazine catabolic genes. The soils contained active atrazine-metabolizing microbial communities and both aerobic and anaerobic biomineralization of [U-ring-14C]-atrazine to 14CO2 was demonstrated. In contrast to aerobic incubations, anaerobic biometers displayed considerable differences in the kinetics of atrazine mineralization between duplicates. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA clone libraries constructed from the enrichment cultures revealed a preponderance of Variovorax spp. (51 %) and Schlesneria (16 %). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from pure cultures (n = 12) isolated from enrichment cultures yielded almost exclusively Arthrobacter spp. (83 %; 10/12 isolates). PCR screening of pure culture isolates for atrazine catabolic genes detected atzB, atzC, trzD, trzN, and possibly atzA. The presence of a complete metabolic pathway was not demonstrated by the amplification of catabolic genes among these isolates. The soils contained active atrazine-metabolizing microbial communities. The anaerobic biometer data showed variable response of atrazine biomineralization to external electron acceptor conditions. Partial pathways are inevitable in soil microbial communities, with metabolites linking into other catabolic and assimilative pathways of carbon and nitrogen. There was no evidence for the complete set of functional genes of the known pathways of atrazine biomineralization among the isolates.
Selective accumulation of Cd115 by cortex of rat kidney.

SummaryUsing radioisotopes another element, cadmium, has been found to selectively accumulate in one tissue, the kidney cortex of the rat, in concentrations sufficient to warrant its use as a resea...
Comparison of 30-day mortality and myocardial scar indices for patients treated with prehospital reduced dose fibrinolytic followed by percutaneous coronary intervention versus percutaneous coronary intervention alone for treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Objectives We investigated whether prehospital, reduced dose fibrinolysis coupled with urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (FAST-PCI) reduces mortality and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) measures of infarct size, compared with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI), in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Background Current standard therapy for STEMI is PPCI. However, FAST-PCI may shorten ischemic time (IT) and improve outcomes. Methods Eligible STEMI patients received prehospital, reduced dose fibrinolysis along with standard therapy, and were transported for urgent percutaneous coronary intervention, or else they received usual treatment without prehospital fibrinolysis. Patients were divided retrospectively into four groups based on IT (<120, 120–179, 180–239 min, ≥240) for a mortality analysis cohort, and into three groups (<120, 120–179, ≥180 min) for a CMR analysis cohort. Within each IT group, patients were compared by FAST-PCI vs. PPCI strategy. Results: Between 1/2007 and 2/2014, 1,112 STEMI patients were treated. FAST-PCI was employed in 551 and PPCI in 561. Of these, 357 (32.1%) underwent CMR. The treatment groups were well matched. In STEMI patients with short IT (<120 and 120–179 min groups), those treated by FAST-PCI had lower 30-day mortality and myocardial scar sizes compared with PPCI treatment. For IT ≥180 min, the mortalities and myocardial scar sizes were equivalent for both groups. Conclusions In STEMI patients with IT <180 min, FAST-PCI may reduce 30-day mortality and myocardial scar size compared with PPCI. This suggests that infarct interventions must be instituted within 3 hr of symptom onset in order to detect an optimal beneficial effect both clinically and by CMR measurement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A New Species of Oobius Trjapitzin (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) From the Russian Far East That Parasitizes Eggs of Emerald Ash Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

We describe a new species of egg parasitoid, Oobius primorskyensis Yao & Duan n. sp., collected from the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) near Vladivostok, Russia. Morphological and molecular analyses indicate that this taxon is sufficiently distinct from Oobius agrili Zhang & Huang 2005 to merit species status. Furthermore, DNA sequence divergence between O. primorskyensis and specimens in culture of Chinese origin suggest that O. primorskyensis is molecularly distinct from Oobius previously imported into the United Stated and released as biological control agents of emerald ash borer. Laboratory observations showed that O. primorskyensis also differs from O. agrili in diapause pattern. When reared with A. planipennis eggs at 25 ± 1.5°C, 65 ± 10% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h, nearly 100% of O. primorskyensis diapaused at the second and third generations after their parents had diapaused, whereas a majority (60–96%) of O. agrili did not diapauses for 11 sequential generations. Diagnosis of the species with respect to O. agrili is provided. The new species is a natural enemy of A. planipennis in its native range and may be considered for introduction against A. planipennis in North America.
A evaluation on loop mediated isothermal amplification method for detecting diagnosed first patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy and explore the value of loop mediated isothermal amplification method(lamp) for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum from first diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods: Sputum specimens from 249 cases who were firstly diagnosed as suspected pulmonary tuberculosis were selected for detection by loop mediated isothermal amplification method,direct smear acid-fast staining and Lowenstein-Jensen medium at the same time.Results: Of 739 sputum samples that do not include 1 samples identified no tuberculosis mycobacterium and 7 samples culture fail,70 samples were smear-positive(9.47%),118 samples were culture positive(15.97%),99 samples were lamp positive(13.40%).Comparing with culture method,the sensitivity of smear was 57.63%,specificity of smear was 99.68%,and coincidence rate was 94.30%;the sensitivity of lamp was 77.12%,the specificity of lamp was 98.71%,and coincidence rate was 96.61%.Conclusion: LAMP,with the better sensitivity and specificity for detecting fist diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis,was suitable for diagnosis of tuberculosis at county level.
Influence of Machine Oil and Lubricating Oil on the Health of 109 Automobile Maintainers

[Objective] To explore the influence of machine oil and lubricating oil on the heath of automobile maintainers.[Methods] Field investigation was carried out in 32 garage workshops;physical examination was conducted among 109 automobile maintainers(the contact group) and 51 common workers(the control group).[Results] The positive results included neurasthenia syndrome,dermal injuries,hypertension,blood routine abnormity,urine routine abnormity,heightening of ALT activity,electrocardiogram abnormity and fatty liver;no significant difference was found between the contact group and control group(P0.05);the detection rate of neurasthenia syndrome among the workers with less then 5 years' work length was 0.9%;the detection rates of neurasthenia syndrome and the dermal injuries were 2.1% and 1.6% respectively among the workers with over 5 years' work length.[Conclusion] The exposure to machine oil and lubricating oil does only slight harm to the occupational health of the automobile maintainers,but the harm increases with the work length,thus preventive measures should be enhanced.
MicrobeWorld Podcast Hits 1 Million Downloads

Episodes of ASM's MicrobeWorld Radio podcast have been listened to more than 1 million times, according to statistics from Feedburner.com, the world's largest RSS feed management provider. The podcast originated on 1 August 2005.
Hemangioma of the Kidney

AbstractAn unusual case of a large renal hemangioma in an infant is reported. These tumors are usually benign and are the cause of obscure origin of hematuria.
A 6-m OOK VLC Link Using CMOS-Compatible p-n Photodiode and Red LED

This letter presents an on – off -keying visible-light-communication (VLC) link realized over 6-m distance. The transmitter is implemented with a commercially available red LED source at 650 nm. While most of the reported high-performance VLC links are using p-insulator-n photodetectors, this receiver employs a simple CMOS-compatible p-n photo-detector. A 150-Mb/s optical wireless transmission is measured with a bit-error rate of $1.3\times 10^{{\mathbf {-6}}}$ , which falls below the forward error correction limit of $3.8\times 10^{{\mathbf {-3}}}$ . The second-order L-C-R equalization is used in both the transmitter and the receiver circuits to achieve maximum bandwidth extension. The VLC link is realized with a low illuminance of 250 lux. This power is below the common indoor illumination levels which enables advanced lighting-compatible VLC applications. The receiver and the source circuits consume around 240 and 105 mW, respectively, which represents to our knowledge a record energy-per-bit level of 2.3 nJ/b.
Organizational constitution, organizational identification, and executive pay Executive controls in the USA and Japan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insights from the upper echelon, agency, and organizational identification literatures to help explain cross-cultural differences in top management team pay. Design/methodology/approach This is a theoretical paper building upon the executive compensation literature examining US and Japanese pay schemes. Findings The paper presents three propositions relating to the influence of organizational constitution and organizational identification on the level of pay, as well as the allocation of pay in top management team compensation schemes. Originality/value There is relatively little research focusing on why there are cross-cultural pay differences. This paper uses US and Japanese studies to highlight mechanisms that can foster principal-agent goal alignment in different contexts.
A 0.3–15 GHz SiGe LNA With >1 THz Gain-Bandwidth Product

A wideband LNA with a frequency range of 0.3–15 GHz is introduced for space-based applications. The LNA achieves less than 2.2 dB noise figure (NF) at room temperature, with minimum measured NF of 1.8 dB and peak gain of 37.3 dB. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the lowest NF at this bandwidth, with the highest gain-bandwidth product (1.1 THz) reported to date. Moreover, the performance of the LNA was studied across temperature, down to 78 K. The NF improves considerably and achieves a record average value of 1 dB over the whole bandwidth at 78 K, with a minimum NF of 0.74 dB at 1 GHz. Additionally, the bandwidth and gain were enhanced at 78 K without degrading input or output matching. To compensate for small gain variations across temperature, a gain control technique is proposed, which yields more than 15 dB of gain control without breaking the feedback loop and without sacrificing power matching.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A=193

Abstract Evaluated spectroscopic data and level schemes from radioactive decay and nuclear reaction studies are presented for 193Ta, 193W, 193Re, 193Os, 193Ir, 193Pt, 193Au, 193Hg, 193Tl, 193Pb, 193Bi, 193Po, 193At, and 193Rn. This evaluation for A=193 supersedes the earlier one by E. Achterberg, et. al. (2006Ac01). Highlights of this evaluation are the following: Based on γγ-coincidence measurements by 2005Za15, excited levels 848.93 and 849.083 in 193Ir have been merged. Proposed new spin-parity assignments for 2213.8 + x ( J π = 23 / 2 + ) , 2426.7 + x ( J π = 25 / 2 + ) , and 2584.8 + x ( J π = 27 / 2 + ) by 2011Ba02 (28Si,5nγ) indicate 1ħ lower spin assignments for many of the excited levels in the 193Pb Adopted Levels including the Magnetic dipole band 1 based on 2584.8+x level. 2015He27 identified many new structures in 193Bi close to the yrast line. Many new states have been added, significantly extending the previously known level scheme of 193Bi, including several new rotational bands.
Anti-Gal and Autoimmunity

Autoimmune disorders usually occur when antibodies reactive with self-antigens, or autoreactive T cells, aberrantly appear. In view of the ubiquitous abundance of the natural anti-Gal antibody in humans, it is suggested that autoimmunity in some disorders may be associated with the de novo appearance of α-gal or α-gal-like epitopes on tissues that are affected by the autoimmune process. Binding of anti-Gal to these epitopes may mediate destruction of the target tissue, analogous to the anti-Gal destruction observed in xenotransplantation ( <a class="cLink" queryStr="?_fmt=high&_origin=article&_docanchor=defaultINDEX_LINK_ANCHOR&_xRefDocId=c0006m however, there are various observations that suggest possible contribution of this antibody to autoimmunity. One autoimmune disorder in which anti-Gal may contribute to the pathogenesis is Graves' disease (GD). Many of the patients with GD display elevated titers of anti-Gal. Incubation of cultured GD thyrocytes with the natural anti-Gal antibody purified from normal AB sera, results in binding of anti-Gal to these cells, activation of the cells for cAMP synthesis, iodine incorporation, and cell proliferation, similar to the stimulatory effects of TSH (thyrotropin) on normal thyrocytes. Normal human cultured thyrocytes, however, do not bind anti-Gal and are not stimulated by this antibody. Incubation of GD thyrocytes with autologous serum that was specifically depleted of anti-Gal resulted in 30%–95% decrease in the stimulatory activity of the antibodies in the serum of the GD patients.
Mechanistic Basis for Efficient, Site-Selective, Aerobic Catalytic Turnover in Pd-Catalyzed C-H Imidoylation of Heterocycle-Containing Molecules.

A recently reported Pd-catalyzed method for oxidative imidoylation of C–H bonds exhibits unique features that have important implications for Pd-catalyzed aerobic oxidation catalysis: (1) The reaction tolerates heterocycles that commonly poison Pd catalysts. (2) The site selectivity of C–H activation is controlled by an N-methoxyamide group rather than a suitably positioned heterocycle. (3) A Pd0 source, Pd2(dba)3 (dba = dibenzylideneacetone), is superior to Pd(OAc)2 as a precatalyst, and other PdII sources are ineffective. (4) The reaction performs better with air, rather than pure O2. The present study elucidates the origin of these features. Kinetic, mechanistic, and in situ spectroscopic studies establish that PdII-mediated C–H activation is the turnover-limiting step. The tBuNC substrate is shown to coordinate more strongly to PdII than pyridine, thereby contributing to the lack of heterocycle catalyst poisoning. A well-defined PdII–peroxo complex is a competent intermediate that promotes substrate c...
Spinor and Oscillator Representations of Quantum Groups

The theory of quantum groups originates in completely integrable models of statistical mechanics and quantum field theory (see [FRT], [J4]). It becomes a truly mathematical theory with the independent discovery by Drinfeld [Dl] and Jimbo [J1] of a q-deformation of the universal enveloping algebra of an arbitrary Kac-Moody algebra. This remarkable result immediately raised numerous questions about q-deformations of various structures associated to Kac-Moody algebras. A major step in this direction was done by Lusztig [L], who obtained a q-deformation of the category of highest weight representations of Kac-Moody algebras for generic or formal parameter q.
Impact of Preoperative Opioid Use After Emergency General Surgery

Preoperative exposure to narcotics has recently been associated with poor outcomes after elective major surgery, but little is known as to how preoperative opioid use impacts outcomes after common, emergency general surgical procedures (EGS). A high-volume, single-center analysis was performed on patients who underwent EGS from 2012 to 2013. EGS was defined as the seven emergent operations that account for 80% of the national burden. Preoperative opioid use was defined as having an active opioid prescription within 7 days prior to surgery. Chronic opioid use was defined as having an opioid prescription concurrent with 90 days after discharge. A total of 377 patients underwent EGS during the study period. Preoperative opioid use was present in 84 patients (22.3%). Preoperative opioid users had longer hospital LOS (10.5 vs 6 days), higher costs of care ($25,331 vs $11,454), and higher 30-day readmission rates (22.6 vs 8.2%) compared with opioid-naive patients (p < 0.001 each). After covariate adjustment, preoperative opioid use was predictive of LOS (RR 1.19 [1.01–1.41]) and 30-day hospital readmission (OR 2.69 [1.25–5.75]) (p < 0.05 each). Total direct cost was not different after modeling. Preoperative opioid users required more narcotic refills compared with opioid-naive patients (5 vs 0 refills, p < 0.001). After discharge, 15.4% of opioid-naive patients met criteria for chronic opioid use, vs 77.4% in preoperative opioid users (p < 0.001). Preoperative opioid use is associated with greater resource utilization after emergency general surgery, as well as vastly different postoperative opioid prescription patterns. These findings may help to inform the impact of preoperative opioid use on patient care, and its implications on hospital and societal cost.