cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell-Penetrating Peptides Enhance Systemic Delivery of Antisense Morpholino Oligomers

Exon-skipping efficacy of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (Morpholinos) has been demonstrated in a proof-of-concept clinical trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Systemic delivery of Morpholinos can be significantly enhanced by conjugating them to cell-penetrating peptides. The improved efficacy has been demonstrated in DMD animal models, including mdx mice and utrophin-dystrophin double-knockout mice. Compared to unconjugated Morpholinos, far lower doses of the -peptide-Morpholino conjugates can restore dystrophin sufficiently to reduce disease pathology, increase skeletal and cardiac muscle functions and prolong survival of animals. In addition, the conjugates enter cardiomyocytes in useful quantities and improve heart functions. Here, an experimental protocol for making Tat peptide-Morpholino conjugate is described.
The surgery of renal transplantation.

Description of those operations now generally considered to be procedures of choice in dealing with donor and recipient, and alternative measures of dealing with unusual or complicated situations.
State of the art of diagnosis of rickettsial diseases: the use of blood specimens for diagnosis of scrub typhus, spotted fever group rickettsiosis, and murine typhus.

Purpose of reviewWith improved malaria control, acute undifferentiated febrile illness studies in tropical regions reveal a startling proportion of rickettsial illnesses, especially scrub typhus, murine typhus, and spotted fever group rickettsioses. Laboratory diagnosis of these infections evolved l
Spotlight on… Janet K. Jansson.

Janet Jansson is Chief Scientist for Biology in the Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and President of the International Society for Microbiology (ISME). She obtained her Ph.D. in 1988 at Michigan State University and then established a successful research career in Sweden. From 2000–2006, she was Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Vice Dean of the Natural Sciences Faculty. From 2007–2013, she was a senior staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and from 2012–2014 an Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley and the University of Copenhagen. > Q: What is your current research addressing and what impact may this research have on the wider field? > > My current research aims to gain a predictive understanding of the roles that microorganisms play in many areas of importance for human health and ecosystem sustainability. For example, we are using a variety of molecular ‘omics’ approaches to understand how microorganisms in the gut (the gut microbiome) influence human health. Similarly for the environment, we are using omics to understand the impact of climate change on soil microorganisms that play a key role in cycling of carbon and other nutrients. > Q: What made you decide on a career in Microbiology? > > When I went to college I started in chemical engineering, but all of my …
Resistance is not futile: Surviving Eg5 inhibition

The clinical success of microtubule (MT) poisons as anti-cancer agents validated the mitotic spindle as a chemotherapeutic target. However, their toxic side effects, which stem from the importance ...
The Transatlantic Celebrity of Mr. O: Oratory and the Networks of Reputation in Early Nineteenth-Century Britain and America

AbstractThis essay examines the career of James Ogilvie, an innovative orator of the early nineteenth century—one of the first performers to attain celebrity in the United States—who subsequently sought to transfer his fame to Britain. Whereas most scholars scrutinise the phenomenon of celebrity by focusing on its reliance on print and consumer culture, this essay argues for the importance of social networks of friends, patrons and the cultivation of word-of-mouth reputation as a foundation for the creation of celebrity. This research demonstrates that even a socially inconsequential man might play an active role in engaging those networks to build his own fame. Ogilvie’s case also demonstrates the obstacles faced by performers who sought to translate celebrity from one social, national and media setting to another. By placing individual agency and social networks at the centre, this essay ultimately seeks to understand the phenomenon of celebrity in its early years.
Second and Higher-Order Theories for the Flow of a Viscoelastic Fluid in a Non-Circular Pipe

The flow of a viscoelastic fluid along a straight, non-circular pipe is discussed according to the first, second, third and fourth-order theories. It is shown that rectilinear flow is possible according to the first, second and third-order theories, but not according to the fourth-order theory.
A Comparison of Academic Output Amongst Nations

Although global biomedical research output is steadily increasing over time, individual nations vary in their rates and directions of research growth. The purpose of this article is to review the existing bibliometric literature within radiology to characterize differences in national research output. The United States has historically and continues to publish the largest absolute number of radiologic research articles amongst all nations. However, many European and Asian nations produce more research per capita, per radiologist, and per share of GDP spent on research. While the United States leads in number of research articles, many European and Asian nations demonstrate greater research efficiency than the United States. An area identified for further study is characterization of differences in impact of the research produced by these nations.
Light Control of Protein Solubility Through Isoelectric Point Modulation

We previously described the photoactivated depot or PAD approach that allows for the light control of therapeutic protein release. This approach relies on the ability to use light to change a protein’s solubility. Traditionally this was accomplished by linking the protein to an insoluble but injectable polymer via a light cleaved linker. This allows the injected material to remain at the site of injection, until transcutaneous irradiation breaks the link between polymer and protein, permitting the protein to be absorbed. However, there are multiple problems associated with polymer based approaches: The polymer makes up a majority of the material, making it inefficient. In addition, after protein release, the polymer has to be cleared from the body, a significant design challenge. In this work, we create materials that form photoactivated depots of insulin without the need for polymers, by linking photolysis to an isoelectric point shift, which itself is linked to a solubility shift. Specifically, we linke...
Ambulance redeployment and dispatching under uncertainty with personnel workload limitations

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) managers are concerned with responding to emergency calls in a timely manner. Redeployment and dispatching strategies can be used to improve coverage that pertains ...
Risk Factors for Elbow and Shoulder Injuries in Adolescent Baseball Players: A Systematic Review.

Background:The incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries among adolescent baseball players is on the rise. These injuries may lead to surgery or retirement at a young age.Purpose:To identify indepen...
Impact of metaplastic histology (MpBC) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients (pts) receiving neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST).

593Background: MpBCs are aggressive cancers, often TNBC, and considered chemo-resistant, such that some providers avoid NAST. Using data from an IRB approved prospective trial, we compared characte...
Modulation of Myeloid Cell Function Using Conditional and Inducible Transgenic Approaches

Transgenic mice have emerged as a central tool in the study of lung myeloid cells during homeostasis and disease. The use of Cre/Lox site-specific recombination allows for conditional deletion of a gene of interest in a spatially controlled manner. The basic Cre/Lox system can be further refined to include an inducible trigger, enabling conditional deletion of a gene of interest in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. Here we provide an overview of commercially available conditional and inducible conditional mouse strains that target lung myeloid cells and describe the appropriate breeding schemes and controls for transgenic animal systems that can be used to modulate myeloid cell function.
Painter, Theophilus Schickel

Theophilus Schickel Painter was a pioneer in animal cytogenetics. In the 1930s, he was involved in attempts to determine the number of human chromosomes, and discovered the Drosophila giant salivary chromosome as a tool of genetic analysis. Because the giant salivary chromosome revealed the details of banding structure that was not visible in other Drosophila tissues, it could be used as a means of correlating genetic with chromosome maps. Working most of his career at the University of Texas (Austin), Painter served as acting and then president of the University (1944–52), before returning to full-time teaching and research. While president, he was involved in one of the earliest civil rights suits (1946) to force integration of the law and graduate schools at the University of Texas.
Taking a Shine to Copper: The Physical-Based S&P GSCI Cash Copper Index

By virtue of its intrinsic properties, copper is used extensively in many manufacturing industries, from the production of power cables to consumer electronics. Statistics from the World Bureau of Metal Statistics (2012) reveal that global refined copper consumption reached over 19.5 million metric tonnes in 2011, with China accounting for 40% of the total. Between 2000 and 2011, Chinese demand grew by 13.5% each year, five times faster than the world average. Much of this growth was derived from the power generation sector, which now makes up 46% of total end-use demand in China, followed by household appliances and transportation. Over the last decade, this industrial metal’s cash price has risen from USD 1,800 per metric tonne to the current USD 8,000, attracting the attention of both institutional and retail investors. Until recently, the main vehicles for investing in the copper market have been equities and futures contracts. However, investors can now gain direct exposure to copper by choosing products that are linked to the newly-launched SP An introduction to the SP The practical applications of the index; How copper returns are related to economic activity; The inflation properties of the index; Whether an allocation to the S&P GSCI Cash Copper index has historically offered any diversification benefits.
A History of Egypt: From the Arab Conquest to the Present

Egypt occupies a central position in the Arab world. Its borders between sand and sea have existed for millennia and yet, until 1952, the country was ruled by foreigners. Afaf al-Sayyid Marsot explores the paradoxes of Egypt's history in an updated edition of her successful A Short History of Modern Egypt. Charting the years from the Arab conquest, through the age of the Mamluks, Egypt's incorporation into the Ottoman Empire, the liberal experiment in constitutional government in the early twentieth century, followed by the Nasser and Sadat years, the new edition takes the story up to the present day. During the Mubarak era, Egyptians have seen major changes with the rise of globalization and its effects on their economy, the advent of new political parties, the entrenchment of Islamic fundamentalism and the consequent changing attitudes to women. This short history is ideal for students and travelers.
Characterization of Endocannabinoid-Metabolizing Enzymes in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells under Inflammatory Conditions.

Endocannabinoid-metabolizing enzymes are downregulated in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in mice, which may serve as a negative feedback mechanism to increase endocannabinoid levels and reduce inflammation. Increased plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and decreased fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity in peripheral lymphocytes from individuals diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) suggests that a similar negative feedback system between inflammation and the endocannabinoid system operates in humans. We investigated whether CpG- (unmethylated bacterial DNA) and LPS-induced IL-6 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from non-HD and HD individuals modulated the activities of endocannabinoid hydrolases monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and carboxylesterase (CES). Baseline plasma IL-6 levels and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) hydrolytic activity in PBMC lysates were not different in HD and non-HD individuals. Inhibition of MAGL and CES1 activity in PBMCs using the inhibitors JZL184 and WWL113, respectively, demonstrated that MAGL was the dominant 2-AG hydrolytic enzyme in PBMCs, regardless of disease state. Correlative analyses of 2-AG hydrolytic activity versus enzyme abundance confirmed this conclusion. Flow cytometric analysis of PBMCs showed that MAGL and CES1 were primarily expressed in monocytes and to a lesser extent in lymphocytes. In conclusion, these data suggest that IL-6 did not influence 2-AG hydrolytic activity in human PBMCs; however, monocytic MAGL was shown to be the predominant 2-AG hydrolytic enzyme.
Identifying Geriatric Patients at Risk for Malnutrition: A Quality Improvement Project.

AbstractMalnourishment leads to poor outcomes in the geriatric surgical population and national guidelines recommend preoperative nutrition screening. However, care practices do not reflect current...
Fragile X syndrome.

The physical, psychological, and cytogenetic characteristics of individuals with the Fragile X syndrome were reviewed. Prospects for therapy with folic acid, prenatal diagnosis, phenotype of heterozygotes for the marker X, and unresolved issues about the syndrome were discussed.
Sequence analysis of the gamma-globin gene locus from a patient with the deletion form of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin.

The gamma-globin genes from a patient homozygous for a deletion form of hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH-1) have been cloned and sequenced. The DNA sequence of the patient's gamma-globin genes corresponds to a previously identified sequence framework (chromosome A) with the exception of 10 base changes. Seven of these base changes can be attributed to normal allelic variation generated by small gene conversion events. The remaining three base changes are present in a 0.76 kb HindIII fragment containing a putative enhancer located 3′ to the A gamma-globin gene. The same three base changes have also been described in the Seattle variant of nondeletion HPFH. We have analyzed 16 alleles from non-HPFH individuals and five alleles from individuals with nondeletion or deletion HPFH for the presence of these base changes by polymerase chain reaction amplification of cloned or chromosomal DNA and hybridization to allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. Although these base changes were found in an individual with HPFH-2, they were not found in the DNA from two patients with nondeletion HPFH. More importantly, all three base changes were detected in DNA from five non-HPFH individuals and appear to be common in blacks. We conclude that these base changes do not correlate with an HPFH phenotype and that the significant mutation in HPFH-1 is the deletion of over 100 kb of genomic DNA.
Clinical Implications of PET-Negative Residual Disease At the Completion of Chemotherapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Abstract 2695 Purpose: To evaluate potential differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) according to PET and CT disease status at completion of chemotherapy for patients with Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma. Patients and Methods: Subjects were 303 patients with histologically confirmed DLBCL treated between January 2001 and December 2007; no patient received radiation therapy. We evaluated: age, sex, Ann Arbor stage, bulky disease, International Prognostic Index score, Ki-67 expression, PET standardized uptake values (SUVs), disease status after chemotherapy and at last follow-up. Results: Median age was 61 years; 149 men; 81 (27%) had stage I-II, 242 (73%) stage III-IV. A total of 248 patients (82%) completed 6–8 cycles of doxorubicin-based therapy. On multivariate analysis, both OS and PFS were significantly influenced by: the presence of PET negative residual mass on CT at completion of therapy ( P P P P P = 0.001 for OS and P Conclusion: Presence of a residual mass on CT at the completion of chemotherapy has both prognostic and predictive value in patients with DLBCL. These patients should be considered for biopsy and further consolidative therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
The effect of lexical accessibility on Spanish-English intra-sentential codeswitching.

Bilingual speakers sometimes codeswitch, or alternate between languages, in a single utterance. We investigated the effect of lexical accessibility of words, defined as the ease with which a speaker retrieves and produces a word, on codeswitching in Spanish-English bilinguals. We first developed a novel sentence-production paradigm to elicit naturalistic codeswitches in the lab. We then predicted items on which speakers were more or less likely to codeswitch as a consequence of the relative lexical accessibility of those items’ labels across a speaker’s two languages. In a Spanish sentence-production task, greater lexical accessibility in English was associated with an increased rate of codeswitching and longer speaking durations on trials on which speakers codeswitched, as well as on trials on which speakers did not codeswitch. Codeswitches were more frequent on trials where speakers likely experienced more competition from the other-language label, suggesting that codeswitching may be a tool that bilingual speakers use to alleviate difficulty associated with cross-language lexical competition. Given findings that comprehenders are able to learn lexical distributions and subtle acoustic cues to predict upcoming codeswitches, the present work suggests that demands on speakers during language production may play a role in explaining how those patterns come to exist in the language environment.
Use of metagratings to enhance performance of organic thin-film light emitting devices

The external quantum efficiency of organic light emitting devices is affected by losses within the devices. We show that the seamless incorporation of 2-dimensional reflecting metagratings within the structure of organic light emitting devices can result in substantial changes and improvements in light emission characteristics. Quasiperiodic as well as periodic metagratings have been included. With periodic square lattice metagratings, enhancements in surface-normal emission intensity (of up to 4.8x) have been observed relative to a control device without a metagrating. The enhanced intensities in the normal direction is due to increased out-coupling of ordinarily waveguided light that is typically lost within the device. Electromagnetic simulations and measurements show that our metagratings greatly enhance the electromagnetic field intensity in the light emission layer, leading to increased emission normal to the plane of the layers.
Normative formaldehyde-hemoglobin adduct levels among the US Population: Analysis of the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Abstract Introduction Formaldehyde (FA) is currently classified as a known carcinogen. In addition to being a ubiquitous compound with many common exogenous exposure sources, it is also part of multiple metabolic pathways and present in every living cell. The objectives of this study were to determine normative levels of FA as measured by FA-Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts in the United States (US) and to determine if FA-Hb levels differ based on a variety of demographic factors. Methods Data collected between 2013 and 2016 by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were assessed from 4521 participants representing approximately 244 million individuals living in the US. General linear models were used to examine associations between FA-Hb adducts and sample characteristics. FA-Hb levels were summarized using geometric mean concentrations (GMC) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results The overall GMC was 131.10 nmol/g Hb (95% CI 129.39–132.83). Analyses revealed no evidence to support associations between FA-Hb levels and age, gender, income, or nicotine use. Among adults, non-Hispanic Black race was associated with lower FA-Hb levels compared to all other race/ethnicity groups, P Conclusion The study provides the first normative values for FA in adults and children. These data could be a tool to assess the body’s response to acute and chronic exposure.
A Quality Brief of an Oncological Multisite Massage and Acupuncture Therapy Program to Improve Cancer-Related Outcomes

Objectives: Cancer treatment can present its own physical and mental challenges resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, stress, pain, nausea, and vomiting. Aurora Health Care is a large health syste...
Recovery of Theta Frequency Oscillations in Rats Following Lateral Fluid Percussion Corresponds With a Mild Cognitive Phenotype

Whether from a fall, sports concussion, or even combat injury, there is a critical need to identify when an individual is able to return to play or work following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Currently, there are no objective, non-invasive, rapid, and cost-effective prognostic tools that demonstrate recovery of function. Electroencephalogram (EEG) and local field potentials (LFP) represent potential tools to monitor circuit-level abnormalities related to learning and memory: specifically, theta oscillations can be readily observed and play a critical role in cognition. Following moderate traumatic brain injury in the rat, lasting changes in theta oscillations coincide with deficits in spatial learning. We hypothesized, therefore, that we could use theta oscillations as a biomarker of recovery. In the current study, LFP were recorded from dorsal hippocampus and anterior cingulate in awake, behaving adult Sprague Dawley rats in both a novel environment on post-injury days 3 and 7, and Barnes maze spatial navigation on post-injury days 8-11. Theta oscillations, as measured by power, theta-delta ratio, peak theta frequency, and phase coherence, were significantly altered on day 3, but had largely recovered by day 7 post-injury. Injured rats were not different from shams on the Barnes maze as measured by escape latency, although they did use suboptimal search strategies. Combined with our previous findings, these data suggest that neural oscillations, and particularly theta oscillations, have potential as a biomarker to monitor recovery of brain function following TBI. Specifically, we now demonstrate that oscillations are depressed following injury, but as oscillations recover, so does behavior. Therefore, oscillatory activity represents a potential rapid, cost-effective and objective prognostic biomarker for return to activity decisions.
The BioCyc Metabolic Network Explorer.

The Metabolic Network Explorer is a new addition to the BioCyc.org website and the Pathway Tools software suite that supports the interactive exploration of metabolic networks. Any metabolic network visualization tool must by necessity show only a subset of all possible metabolite connections, or the results will be visually overwhelming. Existing tools, even those that purport to show an organism’s full metabolic network, limit the set of displayed connections based on predefined pathways or other preselected criteria. We sought instead to provide a tool that would give the user dynamic control over which connections to follow. The Metabolic Network Explorer is an easy-to-use, web-based software tool that allows the user to specify a starting metabolite of interest and interactively explore its immediate metabolic neighborhood in either or both directions to any desired depth, letting the user select from the full set of connected reactions. Although, as for other tools, only a small portion of the metabolic network is visible at a time, that portion is selected by the user, based on the full reaction complement, and it is easy to switch among alternate paths of interest. The display is intuitive, customizable, and provides copious links to more detailed information pages. The Metabolic Network Explorer fills a gap in the set of metabolic network visualization tools and complements other modes of exploration. Its primary strengths are its ease of use, diagrams that are intuitive to biologists, and its integration with the broader corpus of data provided by a BioCyc Pathway/Genome Database.
Adenoma and Serrated Lesion Detection by Colonoscopy Indication: The ADR-ESS (ADR Extended to all Screening/Surveillance) Score.

Background The adenoma detection rate at screening (ADR) predicts interval colorectal cancer. Monitoring other lesion detection rates and colonoscopy indications has been proposed. We developed a comprehensive, automated colonoscopy audit program based on standardized clinical documentation, explored detection rates across indications, and developed the Adenoma Detection Rate – Extended to all Screening / Surveillance (ADR-ESS) score. Methods In a prospective cohort study, we calculated overall and advanced adenoma and sessile serrated lesion (SSL) detection rates among 15,253 colonoscopies by 35 endoscopists from 4 endoscopy units across all colonoscopy indications. We explored correlations between detection rates, and the precision and stability of ADR-ESS versus ADR. Results The overall “screening, first” ADR was 36.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.5%–38.1%). The adenoma detection rate was lower for “screening, not first” (relative rate [RR], 0.80; 95% CI, 0.74–0.87) and “family history” (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74–0.96), and higher for “surveillance” (RR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.15–1.31) and “follow-up, FIT” (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.07–1.37). For “screening, first,” the detection rates for advanced adenoma, SSL, and advanced SSL were 6.7% (95% CI, 5.7%–7.7%), 7.2% (95% CI, 6.2%–8.2%), and 2.6% (95% CI, 2.0%–3.2%), respectively. Adenoma and SSL detection were correlated (r = 0.44; P = .008). ADR-ESS had substantially narrower confidence intervals and less period-to-period variability than ADR, and was not improved by weighting for indication volume and correction for detection by indication. Conclusions Comprehensive, automated colonoscopy audit based on standardized clinical documentation is feasible. Adenoma detection is a fair but imperfect proxy for SSL detection. ADR-ESS increases the precision of adenoma detection assessments and emphasizes quality across colonoscopy indications.
Comprehensive Analysis of EEG Datasets for Epileptic Seizure Prediction

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the available EEG datasets that are used for epilepsy prediction systems, including Melbourne, CHB-MIT, American Epilepsy Society, Bonn, and European Epilepsy datasets. These datasets are compared in terms of the sampling rate, number of patients, recording time, number of channels, artifacts, and types of EEG signals. We also provide details on the challenges of using one dataset over the others in predicting epilepsy. Subsequently, we compare the performance of various machine learning models that use these datasets for epileptic seizure prediction. This is the first work that provides a comprehensive analysis of various EEG datasets and should be of great importance for researchers in EEG-based systems for epileptic seizure prediction.
Role of interfaces on the trapping of He in 2D and 3D Cu–Nb nanocomposites

Abstract The role of interface structure on the trapping of He in Cu–Nb nanocomposites was investigated by comparing He bubble formation in nano-multilayers grown by PVD, nanolaminates fabricated by accumulative roll bonding (ARB), and 3D nanocomposites obtained by high pressure torsion (HPT). All samples were implanted with 1 MeV He ions at room temperature and characterized by cross section transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The critical He concentration leading to bubble formation was determined by correlating the He bubble depth distribution detected by TEM with the implanted He depth profile obtained by SRIM. The critical He dose per unit interfacial area for bubble formation was largest for the PVD multilayers, lower by a factor of ∼1.4 in the HPT nanocomposites annealed at 500 °C, and lower by a factor of ∼4.6 in the ARB nanolaminates relative to the PVD multilayers. The results indicate that the (111)FCC||(110)BCC Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) interfaces predominant in PVD and annealed HPT samples provide more effective traps than the (112)KS interfaces predominant in ARB nanolaminates; however, the good trapping efficiency and high interface area of 3D HPT structures make them most attractive for applications.
II, 10. The rat model of rotavirus infection

Publisher Summary Rotaviruses (RVs) are ubiquitous and virtually 100% of the adult population has antibody to RV. Understanding RV infection and immunity in humans is important, but studies in humans are difficult because of the inability to control for many experimental variables, such as prior exposure to the virus. As an alternative, animal model systems of RV infection have been developed and have provided key insights in the understanding of the infection, pathogenesis, and immunity of both human and animal RVs. Seven models in four large (cow, pig, horse, and sheep) and three small laboratory (rabbit, mouse, and rat) animal species have been used to define parameters of RV infection, pathology, disease, immune response or test vaccine efficacy. This chapter describes the rat model of RV infection. The rat model of RV infection was only fully developed recently in spite of the ideal size of the rat intestine for physiological studies including Ussing chamber analysis, the well-established physiology of the gastrointestinal tract of rats, and the cost effectiveness of the use of rats to perform RV experiments. The developed rat model of RV infection is unique among the small animal models because it allows human RV infections to be analyzed.
USING ANALYSTS' CHARACTERISTICS IN GAUGING RECOMMENDATION OPTIMISM AND THE IMPLICATION FOR RECOMMENDATION PROFITABILITY

Prior research suggests that sell-side analysts are, on average, biased toward issuing overly optimistic "Buy" recommendations that do reflect their true beliefs about equity values. Given this claim, I construct a measure of analyst optimism based on both the favorableness and valuation relevance of a stock recommendation. Relying on this measure, I examine whether the characteristics of individual analysts are linked to the underlying bias and value in stock recommendations. I find that analysts who embody superior research attributes are less likely to provide biased recommendations. I also show that the link between analysts' characteristics and optimism can predict recommendation profitability. Trading strategies conditional on both analysts' optimism and characteristics significantly outperform those relying solely on optimism. Finally, evidence suggests that new research analyst rules have enhanced the role of analyst characteristics in mitigating recommendation bias and the ability of investors to recognize the differences in the bias across analysts.
Sympathetic responses to cardiopulmonary vagal afferent stimulation during development.

Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated impairment of cardiopulmonary reflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) during the newborn period. The present study was designed to...
Thermal energy harvesting near-infrared radiation and accessing low temperatures with plasmonic sensors

Near-infrared (NIR) thermal energy harvesting has been demonstrated for gold nanorods (AuNRs), allowing concentration dependent, ppm-level, gas detection of H2, CO, and NO2 at 500 °C without using a white light source. Part-per-million detection capabilities of the gold nanorods are demonstrated with a factor of 11 reduction in collection times in the NIR as compared to measurements made in the visible light region. Decreased collection times are enabled by an increase in S : N ratio, which allowed a demonstration of selectivity through the use of both full spectral and a reduced spectral-based principal component analysis. Furthermore, low temperature thermal imaging spectra have been obtained at sample temperatures ranging from 275-500 °C, showing the possibility of energy harvested gas sensing at lower temperatures. These findings are promising in the area of miniaturizing plasmonic gas sensing technology and integration in areas such as gas turbines.
TLR4 activation enhances the PD-L1-mediated tolerogenic capacity of colonic CD90+stromal cells

Signaling via programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2 is crucial for maintaining peripheral tolerance. CD90(+) myofibroblasts/fibroblasts (CMFs) are major programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) ligand-expressing cells in normal human colonic mucosa. CMFs suppress activated CD4(+) T cell proliferation via PD-1 ligands. It is not known whether signaling through TLRs contribute to the regulation PD-1 ligands on CMFs upon colonic mucosal tolerance. In this study, we demonstrated that stimulation of TLR4 on human CMFs upregulates PD-L1, but not PD-L2, and reinforces CMF-mediated suppression of CD4(+) T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. TLR4-mediated upregulation of PD-L1 on CMFs involved NF-κB pathways and was JAK2 and MyD88 dependent. MyD88-dependent stimulation of TLR1/2 and TLR5 also upregulated PD-L1 expression on CMFs in culture. PD-L1 expression was drastically decreased in vivo in the colonic mucosa of mice devoid of MyD88. Induction of MyD88 deficiency in CMFs in fibroblast-specific MyD88 conditional knockout mice resulted in a strong increase in a mucosal IFN-γ expression concomitantly with the abrogation of PD-L1 expression in CMFs under homeostasis and epithelial injury induced by dextran sodium sulfate. Together, these data suggest that MyD88-dependent TLR stimulation of CMFs in the normal colonic mucosa may reinforce these cells' anti-inflammatory capacity and thus contribute to the maintenance of mucosal tolerance.
Clustering Superpeers in P2P Networks by Growing Neural Gas

A challenging problem in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks is the management of super peers. We understand by this how to dynamically adapt the network topology (the number and the locations of super peers) in accordance to the network changes. The super peers are cluster centers which dynamically adapt their number and location. We introduce a self-organizing super peer overlay that suits the communication requirements of a P2P system. Our approach is based on the Growing Neural Gas clustering algorithm. The proposed framework may be suitable for disseminating network services in dynamic and large-scale networks where a large number of data and services need to be replicated, moved, and deleted in a decentralized manner. In our experiments, performed on the Protopeer simulator, the proposed algorithm adapts well to variable network load and churn.
High-Pressure NMR of Polymers Dissolved in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

High-pressure, high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been utilized to study the solution behavior of poly(1,1-dihydroperfluorooctyl acrylate) (PFOA) and poly(1,1-dihydr...
Fixed Roles and Situated Actions

Two visions have shaped research and theory on gender for at least 60 years. The older vision treats the genders as distinct roles that are strongly socialized and make women and men inherently different in all circumstances. The newer one treats gender as reflecting effects of different social structural relations, and it sees women and men as capable of displaying wide-ranging and overlapping responses. We clarify the two visions by stating five tenets of each. The visions affect a scholar’s choice of research topics, what one sees when women and men interact, the meanings attached to different behaviors and attitudes, how one interprets evidence, and how to know when a research question has received a satisfactory answer.
Nutrition and wound healing

Nutrition is an important component of wound healing. Several studies have indicated that nutrient deficiencies are more prevalent and cause delayed healing in patients with wounds. The exact role for nutrition and nutritional supplementation in the management of wounds remains uncertain, however. This contribution reviews available data regarding possible roles for nutrition in wound healing.
Charpy impact energy, fracture toughness and ductile–brittle transition temperature of dual-phase 590 Steel

Abstract Advanced high strength steels (AHSS) have been introduced and gradually adopted in vehicle structures as lightweight materials in the past years. Engineering performance of AHSS in many areas have shown that they are superior to the conventional steels. In this paper, we present the results from Charpy V-Notch impact tests on dual phase 590 (DP590) steel, which belongs to the family of AHSS. Tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from −120 °C (−184 °F) to 90 °C (194 °F). Specimens oriented in both L–T and T–L directions were tested. Due to its reduced thickness relative to the ASTM testing standards, specimens from a medium low carbon steel AISI-1018, having both standard and reduced thickness, were tested as well to justify the correction method for the DP590 data. The results show that the ductile–brittle transition temperature (DBTT) based on 20.4 J (15 ft-lb) absorbed energy is about −95 °C (−139 °F) for DP590 which is far below the 5 °C (41 °F) of the AISI-1018 steel. In addition, fracture toughness values of DP590 steel were obtained from correlation with the Charpy impact energy. It is shown that that the fracture toughness of DP590 is in the range of 160–200 MPa m 1/2 (146–182 ksi in. 1/2 ) in the upper shelf region, which includes the room temperature.
Divergence measures for time-frequency distributions

Distance measures between statistical models or between a model and observations are widely used concepts in signal processing. They are commonly used in solving problems such as detection, automatic segmentation, classification, pattern recognition and coding. In recent years, there has been an interest in extending these distance measures to the time-frequency plane. It has been suggested that these measures can be used for discriminating between nonstationary signals based on their time-frequency representations. In this paper, several well-known distance measures from information theory will be adapted to the time-frequency plane. The application of these measures for signal detection will be presented. The performance of these measures will be illustrated through an example.
Environmental Turbulence A Reappraisal of Emery and Trist

It is a generally accepted proposition in the literature on organizations that there is a monotonic relationship among increasing environmental complexity, organizational interdependence, and incre...
Artificial Damping Techniques for Scalar Waves in the Frequency Domain

Abstract An artificial damping algorithm for solving the Helmholtz problem is considered. When the imaginary part of the wave number is small, the problem is known to be difficult to solve. In this paper, we propose an efficient artificial damping algorithm which can be viewed as a rational iteration. Each damped problem is solved incompletely by a nonoverlapping domain decomposition method. Convergence arguments are presented. Numerical results run on an nCUBE2 are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Tibial Shaft Stress Fractures Resulting from Placement of Navigation Tracker Pins

The use of navigation during joint arthroplasty is believed to allow better placement of components. Gross fracture or stress fracture through navigation tracker pin placement is a complication reported in the literature. This case series presents details of stress fracture of tibial shaft through navigation pin track in 3 patients of 220 cases who underwent total knee arthroplasty at our institution. All the fractures eventually healed after a course of protected weight bearing. As a result, we use smaller-diameter self-tapping and self-drilling pins routinely and avoid placement of pins in the diaphysis and ensure that pins are inserted in different plains during insertion into metaphysis.
Estrogen rapidly attenuates cannabinoid-induced changes in energy homeostasis

Abstract We examined whether estrogen negatively modulates cannabinoid-induced regulation of food intake, core body temperature and neurotransmission at proopiomelanocortin (POMC) synapses. Food intake was evaluated in ovariectomized female guinea pigs abdominally implanted with thermal DataLoggers and treated s.c. with the cannabinoid CB 1 /CB 2 receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2, the CB 1 receptor antagonist AM251 or their cremephor/ethanol/0.9% saline vehicle, and with estradiol benzoate (EB) or its sesame oil vehicle. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings were performed in slices through the arcuate nucleus. WIN 55,212-2 produced dose- and time-dependent increases in food intake. EB decreased food intake 8–24 h after administration, but rapidly and completely blocked the increase in consumption caused by WIN 55,212-2. EB also attenuated the WIN 55,212-2-induced decrease in core body temperature. The AM251-induced decrease in food intake was unaffected. The diminution of the WIN 55,212-2-induced increase in food intake caused by EB correlated with a marked attenuation of cannabinoid receptor-mediated decreases in glutamatergic miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequency occurring within 10–15 min of steroid application. Furthermore, EB completely blocked the depolarizing shift in the inactivation curve for the A-type K + current caused by WIN 55,212-2. The EB-mediated, physiologic antagonism of these presynaptic and postsynaptic actions elicited upon cannabinoid receptor activation was observed in arcuate neurons immunopositive for phenotypic markers of POMC neurons. These data reveal that estrogens negatively modulate cannabinoid-induced changes in appetite, body temperature and POMC neuronal activity. They also impart insight into the neuroanatomical substrates and effector systems upon which these counter-regulatory factors converge in the control of energy homeostasis.
Bioenergetic Assessment of Temporal Food Supply and Consumption Demand by Salmonids in the Strawberry Reservoir Food Web

Abstract This study quantified temporal, spatial, and ontogenetic trophic interactions in Strawberry Reservoir to determine whether salmonid sport fish production was limited by food supply or predation. We combined field data on growth, diet composition, distribution, abundance, survival, and thermal experience with species-specific bioenergetics models for salmonids in Strawberry Reservoir to quantify monthly consumption of all prey fish, Daphnia, and macroinvertebrates. Fish prey represented a minor fraction of the annual diet of large cutthroat Oncorhynchus clarki and rainbow trout O. mykiss, but acute episodic piscivory associated with stocking of juvenile cutthroat trout in autumn could account for the low (1%) initial survival of these hatchery cohorts in recent years. Daphnia and other macroinvertebrates were important to all species and size-classes of salmonids. Model simulations suggested that salmonid consumption represented 5–30% of the Daphnia biomass during the June–October growing season i...
The State of Cost-Utility Analyses in Asia: A Systematic Review

Objective: To review and evaluate published cost-utility analyses (CUAs) targeting populations in Asia. Methods: We examined data from the Tufts Medical Center Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry, which contains detailed information on more than 3700 English-language CUAs in peer-reviewed journals through 2012. We focused on CUAs pertaining to Asian countries (Asian CUAs), summarized study features and methodological practices, and compared them with CUAs focusing on non-Asian countries (non-Asian CUAs) from 2000 to 2012. Results: We identified 175 published CUAs pertaining to Asian populations (representing 5.1% of all CUAs) from 2000 to 2012. The number has increased from 19 CUAs in the period 2000 to 2004 to 107 CUAs in the period 2009 to 2012. Roughly one-third focused on Japan (33.1%), followed by Taiwan (15.4%), China (14.9%), and Thailand (8.0%). The diseases targeted in Asian CUAs were cancer (24.6%), infectious diseases (13.7%), cardiovascular diseases (8.6%), and musculoskeletal and rheumatological diseases (5.7%). More Asian CUAs evaluated primary prevention interventions (e.g., vaccinations and screenings) compared with non-Asian CUAs (21.7% vs. 16.5%, P ¼ 0.069). Compared with nonAsian CUAs, significantly more studies in Asia suggest that the health interventions examined provide reasonable value for money. Asian and non-Asian CUAs did not differ in adherence to good methodological practices, including clearly stating the perspective, discounting costs and quality-adjusted life-years, stating a time horizon, and correctly conducting incremental cost-effectiveness analysis. Asian CUAs, however, lagged in reporting sensitivity analyses, disclosing funding status, and currency year. Conclusions: The number of CUAs in Asia has grown steadily, with more than half focused on pharmaceuticals. The literature reveals that CUAs generally follow good methodological practices though areas for
Acoustic Microscropy As A Diagnostic Tool For CVD Diamond Films

ABSTRACT Using acoustic microscopy, we have examined polycrystalline diamond films grown by theCVD process on silicon substrates. This technique enables nondestructive characterization ofthese films with regard to their grain size, stress patterns and boundary anomalies between thefilm and the substrate.We have used a scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) to characterize several diamond filmsgrown on silicon substrates at Crystallume and at ASTEX Co. The film thicknesses ranged from1 um to 100 pm with nominal grain sizes from 0.3 to 8 pm. Results will be presented showingvarious microstructural features in the films. 1. INTRODUCTION Scanning acoustic microscopy can produce images of the elastic properties of diamond films with a resolution of the order of micrometers. Acoustic microscopy offers the capability of examining the subsurface properties of optically opaque materials, making precise measurements of surface acoustic wave velocities, and providing image contrast corresponding to changes in the elastic properties of microstructures. In layered structures, the acoustic
Transient wave propagation in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric half space

This work presents a systematic analysis on the transient responses of a piezoelectric half space to mixed anti-plane mechanical/in-plane electrical line sources, which is in fact the Lamb's problem for a transversely isotropic piezoelectric half space.¶A key assumption of the classical piezoelectricity theory is the so-called “quasi-static” approximation, and it reduces the Maxwell equations to the charge equation of the electrostatics — an elliptic partial differential equation. Consequently, the dynamic piezoelectricity equations are no longer a hyperbolic system, which then poses serious difficulties in studying the transient behaviors of piezoelectric materials, a problem that has profound engineering significance.¶To circumvent this difficulty, a so-called “quasi-hyperbolic” approximation is introduced in this paper. Under this assumption, the simplified Maxwell-Christoffel equations remain as a hyperbolic system of partial differential equations. Based on the proposed equations, two types of mixed boundary value problems have been solved: (1) anti-plane mechanical line source with boundary surface covered by a conductive film; (2) anti-plane mechanical / in-plane electric line sources with boundary surface abutted to another vacuum half space. In addition to the responses of shear-horizontal (SH) acoustic wave and transverse electric (TE) wave, the closed form solutions obtained here reveal that there exit other transient responses due to the electroacoustic surface wave — the celebrated Bleustein-Gulyaev wave, electroacoustic head wave, as well as a purely electric head wave.