cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The pattern of NADPH-diaphorase staining, a marker of nitric oxide synthase activity, is altered in the perforant pathway terminal zone in Alzheimer's disease

NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons are relatively spared in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We show here, however, that the pattern of NADPH-diaphorase staining in the neuropil of the hippocampus changes dramatically in the brains of patients with AD. Control individuals displayed a striking band of NADPH-diaphorase staining in the middle of the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus; this band was absent in AD. Staining in the molecular layer was reduced 18–31% in AD (P < 0.001) with the greatest loss in the most severely affected cases. NADPH diaphorase is thought to reflect the presence of nitric oxide synthase. Because nitric oxide has been implicated in long-term potentiation, changes in its expression could reflect loss of synapses important for memory formation.
Thermal denaturation of mononucleosomes in the presence of spermine, spermidine, N1-acetylspermidine, N8-acetylspermidine or putrescine: implications for chromosome structure.

Putrescine (a diamine) raises the thermal denaturation temperature of mononucleosomes but produces only minor changes in the overall shape of the thermal denaturation curve. This is similar to the effect of sodium ions and is consistent with nonspecific binding to the DNA of the nucleosome. At very low levels of spermidine or spermine the same simple rise in thermal denaturation temperature is seen but at higher levels (above 1 μM for total spermidine concentration) the thermal denaturation curve becomes substantially sharper and the premelt region of the curve diminishes in area. The acetylspermidines display intermediate effects. The change in shape of the thermal denaturation curve was resolved into components (R1 and R2) due to mononucleosomes in their original conformation plus a component (T) induced by the presence of spermidine or spermine. The proportion of component T was substantially reduced with acetylspermidine, compared to equivalent concentrations of spermidine. Hence, we suggest that spermidine acetylationin vivo has the potential to partially destabilise the nucleosome structure, possibly in coordination with histone acetylation.
A lower dose of thalidomide is better than a high dose in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE To conduct a dose-finding trial using a single low dose and dose escalation of a higher dose of thalidomide in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and to evaluate the antineoplastic effectiveness of thalidomide as an anti-angiogenic agent on RCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS The 14 patients enrolled in the study had progressive measurable metastatic RCC and consented to participate. Patients were randomized to either a fixed low dose of 200 mg of thalidomide or to a high dose of 800 mg that was increased to a maximum dose of 1200 mg daily. Patients were evaluated for response after 8 weeks of therapy. RESULTS Stable disease was achieved in six patients and was seen in both the low-dose and high-dose thalidomide groups. The median overall survival was 9 months. The low-dose thalidomide regimen was better tolerated and patients survived longer than those on the high-dose regimen (16 vs 6 months, P = 0.04) CONCLUSION The use of low-dose thalidomide in patients with metastatic RCC was well tolerated and they survived for longer than those on the high-dose regimen.
Slip in a stress gradient: Kink band formation in an alpha brass single crystal oriented for easy glide

Role des gradients de contrainte sur la formation de bandes avec des «tortillons» sur une eprouvette soumise a des contraintes de compression
Morphology and distribution of cytoplasmic inclusions in adrenoleukodystrophy

We report some additional observations on the pathognomonic cytoplasmic inclusions in a typical case of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Study of the linear inclusions by means of tilt-stage electron microscopy indicated that they represent trilaminar sheet-like structures distinct from materials seen in various other storage disorders. This study emphasizes that the inclusions in the adrenal and testicular parenchymal cells morphologically differ from those in the brain macrophages. In the latter they occur as membrane-bound discrete structures while in the parenchymal cells they are always seen lying free in the cytoplasm and associated with cleft-like spaces. This morphologic variation of the inclusions is noteworthy and probably reflects a biochemical difference in the storage materials in these two most severely affected organs. In addition, this study demonstrates the presence of linear inclusions within macrophages in otherwise normal-appearing liver, spleen, thymus and also in the renal tubular cells. These findings suggest that the abnormal materials containing very long chain fatty acids enter the blood stream and become sequestered in the reticuloendothelial system and possibly are also excreted in the urine. Detection of these abnormal fatty acids in blood and urine may simplify diagnosis of ALD.
In vitro culture of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata to supply the antitumor compounds ecteinascidins

Abstract In vitro culture of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata is one possible method for supplying ecteinascidins, compounds that have strong antitumor properties. However, appropriate feeding regimes that maximize both zooid growth and biosynthesis of ecteinascidins need to be determined. In one experiment lasting 51 days, E. turbinata colonies were fed mono- and multispecific diets of three microalgae species, Chaetoceros gracilis , Isochrysis galbana , and Nannochloropsis sp., at an initial concentration of 80,000 cells ml −1 . Growth (zooid number per colony and mean zooid length) was greatest overall for colonies fed a monospecific diet of I. galbana or a mixed diet of C. gracilis and I. galbana , probably because these two diets best met the nutritional requirements of E. turbinata . In a separate experiment lasting 31 days, E. turbinata colonies were fed the two best diets at three cell concentrations: 80,000; 160,000; and 320,000 cells ml −1 . Final zooid number per colony was greatest for E. turbinata fed the two highest food concentrations, while final zooid length was greatest on the mixed diet of C. gracilis and I. galbana . The production of ecteinascidins per colony (μg) was also significantly affected by the feeding regime, being greatest for ascidians fed microalgae at 160,000 and 320,000 cells ml −1 . Ecteinascidin production for ascidians fed at the two highest cell concentrations showed a tenfold increase over 31 days, thus indicating that in vitro culture is one possible method of supplying the antitumor compound. Overall, this study suggests that a mixed diet of C. gracilis and I. galbana at a concentration of 160,000 cells ml −1 is a good feeding regime for the in vitro culture of E. turbinata to supply ecteinascidins.
Differential effect of changing central and peripheral catecholamine levels in cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer in the rat.

Abstract In rats, a single dose of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine caused a time-dependent depletion of brain noradrenaline and dopamine levels which were found to accelerate the development and aggravate the intensity of duodenal ulcers caused by cysteamine. On the other hand, modulation of peripheral catecholamines by adrenal medullectomy resulted in significant prevention of the experimental duodenal ulcers. Intracerebroventricular injection of dopamine unlike that of noradrenaline also inhibited the development of duodenal ulcers. Parehteral administration of the two catecholamines also resulted in mild but significant reduction of intensity of duodenal ulcers. Thus, both central and peripheral catecholamines (especially dopamine) modulate the development of experimental duodenal ulcers.
New reactive oxidizing species causes formation of carbon-centered radical adducts in organic extracts of blood following liver transplantation

Abstract α-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-t-butylnitrone (4-POBN) radical adducts from Folch (chloroform:methanol) extraction of blood of transplanted livers exhibited a large 6-line electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum. Slow EPR sample preparation involving freezing and thawing prior to extraction over 15 min yielded a spectrum assigned as a lipid-derived free radical species, whereas rapid (
Best Practices for Integrating Technology and Service Learning in a Youth Development Program

Abstract The Long Beach YMCA Youth Institute is an innovative program that uses technology and service learning as a mechanism for promoting positive youth development while enhancing the academic and career readiness of low-income, culturally-diverse, urban high school students. This article describes the Youth Institute and identifies best practice principles for the use of technology and service learning in youth development programs. The best practice principles, based on focus group data with 170 youths, are reaching underserved and culturally-diverse youths, utilizing project-based learning for teaching technology, preparing for the workplace or higher education, involving youths in service learning, and encouraging personal growth and development.
The effect of vapor pressure deficit on maize transpiration response to a drying soil

A decline in plant transpiration has been widely observed to occur within a fairly stable range of threshold values of fraction transpirable soil water (FTSW), usually 0.3–0.4. However, the stability of this function has not been compared at various levels of atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Soil hydraulic conductivity is likely to be involved in determining the threshold where water supply is limiting. Thus, it was hypothesized that at a high VPD resulting in increased transpiration rates, the FTSW threshold for the decline of transpiration rates as a result of drying soil would be increased. This study was undertaken in controlled environment chambers with two maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids (Pioneer Brand Hybrids `3165' and `3737') so as to subject plants to four VPD levels (1.1, 2.0, 2.9 and 3.6 kPa) during a soil drying experiment. In contrast to the original hypothesis, there was little (≤ 0.05 FTSW) change in the threshold FTSW in response to increased VPD for either hybrid. In fact, over the narrow 0.31–0.38 FTSW range observed, the two hybrids showed opposite trends in FTSW threshold as VPD increased. These results supported the view that the FTSW threshold for the decline in transpiration with drying soil is stable, showing little sensitivity to changes in VPD.
Sensitivity Analysis of Transit Signal Priority Impacts on Operation of a Signalized Intersection

The study consists of a systematic simulation evaluation of transit signal priority (TSP) impacts on the operations of a single signalized intersection within a coordinated arterial system. The study demonstrates first that in general TSP provides benefits to transit vehicles that receive priority. Second, TSP has a marginal systemwide impact for low traffic demand, although as the demand increases, so do the systemwide disbenefits of TSP. Third, the systemwide impact of TSP is directly proportional to the frequency of transit vehicles. Fourth, TSP impacts are sensitive to the demand distribution at a signalized intersection. Specifically, transit vehicle arrivals on heavily congested approaches may result in systemwide benefits if the conflicting approaches are not congested. Alternatively, transit vehicle arrivals on lightly congested approaches may produce significant systemwide disbenefits if the conflicting approaches are heavily congested. Fifth, the systemwide benefits of TSP are dependent on the phase at which the transit vehicles arrive, especially if the cycle length is maintained within the priority logic. Sixth, the systemwide benefits of TSP are highly dependent on the optimality of the base signal timings. Finally, transit vehicle dwell times at nearside bus stops can have significant systemwide impacts on the potential benefits of TSP.
Content-addressable holographic databases

Holographic data storage allows the simultaneous search of an entire database by performing multiple optical correlations between stored data pages and a search argument. We have recently developed fuzzy encoding techniques for this fast parallel search and demonstrated a holographic data storage system that searches digital data records with high fidelity. This content-addressable retrieval is based on the ability to take the two-dimensional inner product between the search page and each stored data page. We show that this ability is lost when the correlator is defocussed to avoid material oversaturation, but can be regained by the combination of a random phase mask and beam confinement through total internal reflection. Finally, we propose an architecture in which spatially multiplexed holograms are distributed along the path of the search beam, allowing parallel search of large databases.
Copy number and gene expression differences between African American and Caucasian American prostate cancer

The goal of our study was to investigate the molecular underpinnings associated with the relatively aggressive clinical behavior of prostate cancer (PCa) in African American (AA) compared to Caucasian American (CA) patients using a genome-wide approach. AA and CA patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) were frequency matched for age at RP, Gleason grade, and tumor stage. Array-CGH (BAC SpectralChip2600) was used to identify genomic regions with significantly different DNA copy number between the groups. Gene expression profiling of the same set of tumors was also evaluated using Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 arrays. Concordance between copy number alteration and gene expression was examined. A second aCGH analysis was performed in a larger validation cohort using an oligo-based platform (Agilent 244K). BAC-based array identified 27 chromosomal regions with significantly different copy number changes between the AA and CA tumors in the first cohort (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.05). Copy number alterations in these 27 regions were also significantly associated with gene expression changes. aCGH performed in a larger, independent cohort of AA and CA tumors validated 4 of the 27 (15%) most significantly altered regions from the initial analysis (3q26, 5p15-p14, 14q32, and 16p11). Functional annotation of overlapping genes within the 4 validated regions of AA/CA DNA copy number changes revealed significant enrichment of genes related to immune response. Our data reveal molecular alterations at the level of gene expression and DNA copy number that are specific to African American and Caucasian prostate cancer and may be related to underlying differences in immune response.
Trust and Mistrust in International Relations

Trust and Mistrust in International Relations. By Andrew H. Kydd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005. 284p. $39.50.That cooperation is at best difficult and at worst impossible in the anarchic international system is an established idea. Analyses usually assume that state preferences put them in a prisoner's dilemma where defection is the strictly dominant strategy. Explaining cooperation means showing why actors forgo the short-term benefits of exploiting others. Mechanisms involve conditional play, institutional arrangements, and hegemonic leadership, which help overcome coordination, monitoring, enforcement, and free-rider problems.
Strong and Weak Students' Preferences for Error Feedback Options and Responses

This study investigated whether level of achievement and difficulty of task influenced 21 low- (LA) and high-achievement (HA) college students' preferences for feedback options when doing computeTIzed grammar exercises. The feedback options were (a) "TIght" or "wrong" message (RW), (b) error location (SE), (c) grammatical descTIption of correct response (F), and (c) correct answer (A). An analysis of vaTIance of tallied choices showed that achievement and difficulty of task had no significant impact. All subjects preferred the RW option over SE, F, and A. An analysis of conditional probability of feedback choices revealed that the HA students chose the RW option more often as a follow-up selection to RW, SE, F, and A than the LA students. The study argues that deficiencies in the LA learners' language skills may contTIbute to loweTIng their engagement in cognitive and motivational processing.
Identification of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen.

Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of venereal syphilis, was detected in a 200-year-old skeletal specimen from Easter Island. An initial diagnosis of treponemal infection was confirmed by extensive purification of immunoglobulin that reacted strongly with T. pallidum antigen. Extracted DNA exhibited a single-base polymorphism that distinguished T.p. subsp. pallidum from 4 other human and nonhuman treponemes. Extensive precautions against contamination of the subject matter with modern treponemal DNA were employed, including analysis of archaeological and modern specimens in 2 geographically separate laboratories. Molecular determination of historical disease states by using skeletal material can significantly enhance our understanding of the pathology and spread of infectious diseases.
Information technology competency in SMEs: an examination in the context of firm performance

The ability to use information technology for business process improvement, in the facilitation of information gathering for better decision-making, and otherwise enhancement of firm performance has long been the realm of large firms. However, with declining costs, enhanced computing power, and faster internet connectivity small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may be able to create and develop an effective information technology competency. In this study, we examine the notion of information technology competency to determine its usefulness with respect to SMEs. Specifically, Tippins and Sohi's (2003) information technology competency construct is replicated and applied in a SME environment. This application allows us to test whether there is a relationship between a SME's information technology competency and firm performance. Data from a sample of SMEs indicate that information technology competency is applicable to the SME context and has a positive relationship with firm performance. The results offer support for the idea that the measures and effects of information technology competency are relevant to the study of small and medium enterprises.
The genetics of divergence and reproductive isolation between ecotypes of Panicum hallii

The process of plant speciation often involves the evolution of divergent ecotypes in response to differences in soil water availability between habitats. While the same set of traits is frequently associated with xeric/mesic ecotype divergence, it is unknown whether those traits evolve independently or if they evolve in tandem as a result of genetic colocalization either by pleiotropy or genetic linkage. The self-fertilizing C4 grass species Panicum hallii includes two major ecotypes found in xeric (var. hallii) or mesic (var. filipes) habitats. We constructed the first linkage map for P. hallii by genotyping a reduced representation genomic library of an F2 population derived from an intercross of var. hallii and filipes. We then evaluated the genetic architecture of divergence between these ecotypes through quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Overall, we mapped QTLs for nine morphological traits that are involved in the divergence between the ecotypes. QTLs for five key ecotype-differentiating traits all colocalized to the same region of linkage group five. Leaf physiological traits were less divergent between ecotypes, but we still mapped five physiological QTLs. We also discovered a two-locus Dobzhansky-Muller hybrid incompatibility. Our study suggests that ecotype-differentiating traits may evolve in tandem as a result of genetic colocalization.
Analysis and Exploitation of Multipath Ghosts in Radar Target Image Classification

An analysis of the relationship between multipath ghosts and the direct target image for radar imaging is presented. A multipath point spread function (PSF) is defined that allows for specular reflections in the local environment and can allow the ghost images to be localized. Analysis of the multipath PSF shows that certain ghosts can only be focused for the far field synthetic aperture radar case and not the full array case. Importantly, the ghosts are shown to be equivalent to direct target images taken from different observation angles. This equivalence suggests that exploiting the ghosts would improve target classification performance, and this improvement is demonstrated using experimental data and a naive Bayesian classifer. The maximum performance gain achieved is 32%.
Self-assembled organic monolayers on epitaxial graphene with enhanced structural and thermal stability

Scanning tunnelling microscopy and X-ray reflectivity are used to characterize adlayers of perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) deposited on epitaxial graphene (EG) on SiC(0001). PTCDI adopts a herringbone structural phase on EG/SiC that can accommodate sub-5 nm voids with molecularly defined boundaries and isolated molecular vacancies at room temperature. The PTCDI monolayer remains intact up to substrate temperatures of ∼260 °C, thus demonstrating enhanced thermal stability compared to previously studied perylene derivatives on EG/SiC.
Understanding Consumer Support: Extending the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to Examine Individual Differences among Women’s Professional Sport Consumers

The present study used the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to further our understanding of how motivation can be characterised as individual difference factors among sport consumers. The SII was augmented through qualitative feedback involving four focus groups, a pilot test (n = 80) and later validated on a sample of season ticket holders and single-game attendees (n = 623) of a Women's National Basketball Association franchise in the United States. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and discriminant validity tests provided support for increasing the SII from 14 to 18 unique constructs. Evidence for the application of the SII to a variety of sporting events was observed in that 14 of the 18 factors have already been confirmed and used to examine spectators of men's competitive teams. The application of the SII to women's sport in general was supported in that 18 unique factors have now been confirmed in women's professional soccer and basketball. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to demonstrate one application of the SII and revealed that 10 motivational factors explained 48% of the variance in level of consumer support for the professional sport team. Implications for the use of the SII by sport managers and directions for future research are discussed.
GENERATION OF ROBUST ERROR RECOVERY LOGIC IN ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS USING MULTI-LEVEL OPTIMIZATION AND GENETIC PROGRAMMING

Automated assembly lines are subject to unexpected failures, which can cause costly shutdowns. Generally, these errors are handled by human experts or logic controllers. However, these controller codes are based on anticipated error scenarios and are deficient in dealing with unforeseen situations. In our previous work (Baydar and Saitou, 2000a), an approach for the automated generation of error recovery logic was discussed. The method is based on three-dimensional geometric modeling of the assembly line to generate error recovery logic in an "off-line" manner using Genetic Programming. The scope of our previous work was focused on finding an error recovery algorithm from a predefined error case. However due to the geometrical features of the assembly lines, there may be cases which can be detected as the same type of error by the sensors. Therefore robustness must be assured in the sense of having a common recovery algorithm for similar cases during the recovery sequence. In this paper, an extension of our previous study is presented to overcome this problem. An assembly line is modeled and from the given error cases optimum way of error recovery is investigated using multi-level optimization. The obtained results showed that the infrastructure is capable of finding robust error recovery algorithms and multi-level optimization procedure improved the process. It is expected that the results of this study will be combined with the automatic error generation, resulting in efficient ways to automated error recovery logic synthesis.
Attributable healthcare utilization and cost of pneumonia due to drug-resistant streptococcus pneumonia: A cost analysis

Background: The burden of disease due to S. pneumoniae (pneumococcus), particularly pneumonia, remains high despite the widespread use of vaccines. Drug resistant strains complicate clinical treatment and may increase costs. We estimated the annual burden and incremental costs attributable to antibiotic resistance in pneumococcal pneumonia. Methods: We derived estimates of healthcare utilization and cost (in 2012 dollars) attributable to penicillin, erythromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance by taking the estimate of disease burden from a previously described decision tree model of pneumococcal pneumonia in the U.S. We analyzed model outputs assuming only the existence of susceptible strains and calculating the resulting differences in cost and utilization. We modeled the cost of resistance from delayed resolution of illness and the resulting additional health services. Results: Our model estimated that non-susceptibility to penicillin, erythromycin and fluoroquinolones directly caused 32,398 additional outpatient visits and 19,336 hospitalizations for pneumococcal pneumonia. The incremental cost of antibiotic resistance was estimated to account for 4% ($91 million) of direct medical costs and 5% ($233 million) of total costs including work and productivity loss. Most of the incremental medical cost ($82 million) was related to hospitalizations resulting from erythromycin non-susceptibility. Among patients under age 18 years, erythromycin non-susceptibility was estimated to cause 17% of hospitalizations for pneumonia and $38 million in costs, or 39% of pneumococcal pneumonia costs attributable to resistance. Conclusions: We estimate that antibiotic resistance in pneumococcal pneumonia leads to substantial healthcare utilization and cost, with more than one-third driven by macrolide resistance in children. With 5% of total pneumococcal costs directly attributable to resistance, strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance or improve antibiotic selection could lead to substantial savings.
Determining discriminative anatomical point pairings using adaboost for 3D face recognition

In this paper, we present a novel method for 3D face recognition using adaboosted geodesic distance features. Firstly, a generic model is finely conformed to each face model contained within a 3D face dataset. Secondly, the geodesic distance between anatomical point pairs are computed across each conformed generic model. Adaboost then generates a strong-classifier based on a collection of geodesic distances that are most discriminative for face recognition. Experiments conducted on the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) database D collection indicate that the system can achieve over a 95% rank-one recognition rate.
Belief Propagation in a 3D Spatio-temporal MRF for Moving Object Detection

Previous pixel-level change detection methods either contain a background updating step that is costly for moving cameras (background subtraction) or can not locate object position and shape accurately (frame differencing). In this paper we present a belief propagation approach for moving object detection using a 3D Markov random field (MRF) model. Each hidden state in the 3D MRF model represents a pixel's motion likelihood and is estimated using message passing in a 6-connected spatio-temporal neighborhood. This approach deals effectively with difficult moving object detection problems like objects camouflaged by similar appearance to the background, or objects with uniform color that frame difference methods can only partially detect. Three examples are presented where moving objects are detected and tracked successfully while handling appearance change, shape change, varied moving speed/direction, scale change and occlusion/clutter.
ELEMENTARY BODIES OF VACCINIA FROM INFECTED CHORIO-ALLANTOIC MEMBRANES OF DEVELOPING CHICK EMBRYOS

By a method of differential centrifugation and tryptic digestion suspensions of elementary bodies have been prepared from chorioallantoic membranes of chick embryos infected with vaccine virus. The infective titer of the final suspension of elementary bodies was usually the same as that of the original tissue emulsion. Elementary bodies from infected chick membranes were agglutinated as well by antivaccinal serum obtained from different mammalian species as were bodies prepared from inoculated rabbit skin. Seitz filtrates of infected chick material contained soluble precipitable substances of vaccinia; these filtrates and filtrates from infected rabbit skin, respectively, reacted equally well with rabbit serum which contained either L or S antibodies.
The relation of deviant symptoms and behaviour in a normal population to subsequent delinquency and maladjustment.

A survey of more than 6000 school children in 1961 established norms for symptomatology and behaviour at ages 5–15. A follow-up to 1968 identified all children from the survey attending a child guidance clinic or appearing in court within that time. Those thus identified contained a significantly high proportion of boys who were reported as having more than 3 deviant items (i.e. occurring in approximately 10% of subjects in 1961). Specific health and behavioural items were found to have been reported in 1961 in proportions which were significantly different for children later appearing in child guidance clinic from those appearing in court. The amount of concern expressed by their parents over psychological and behavioural items distinguished court from clinic boys, while the concern shown by parents over items of physical health showed little difference in these 2 groups.
Inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing and nonpathogenic Escherichia coli in non-intact steaks cooked in a radio frequency oven

Abstract This study evaluated the thermal inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (O157:H7, O26:H11 and O111) (STEC) and non-pathogenic E. coli in non-intact beefsteaks (NIBS) cooked by radio frequency (RF). Blade tenderized steaks were inoculated with nalidixic (Nal) acid resistant E. coli strains, vacuum packaged in thermal pouches and cooked using pre-determined cooking times to 60 °C (rare) or 65 °C (medium-rare) inside a RF oven. Log reduction ranged from 0.99, 3.08, 2.85 and 5.0 for O157:H7, O26:H11, O111 and non-pathogenic E. coli respectively at 60 °C and a 5.0 log reduction at 65 °C for all strains. Non-pathogenic E. coli strains selected for the present study did not behave similar to the pathogenic strains being significantly more sensitive; therefore, they were not considered for testing at 63 °C. A second part of the study focused on the extent of thermal inactivation of STEC when NIBS were cooked to 63 °C (minimum safe cooking temperature recommended by USDA-FSIS). There was a 5.0 log reduction for E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O111; but not for E. coli O26:H11. The results indicated that cooking steaks to 65 °C with a holding time at room temperature of 5 min before refrigeration would be enough to reduce numbers of E. coli O157:H7, O26:H11 and O111 using RF. The cooking protocol developed on the present study, has a practical relevance for the industry since the experiments were carried on a pilot-scale RF oven and also pathogens were tested under realistic processing conditions.
Annual Attendance Demand in Minor League Baseball: A Review and Critique

Considerable time has been spent on identifying the demand determinants in major league sports. Much less attention has focused on minor league baseball despite its unique business structure: with free inputs provided by strategic alliance partners, minor league teams rely more heavily on their home stadiums, promotions, local brand, and partnerships with Major League clubs to generate demand. This conceptual research first defines the characteristics of minor league baseball that make it unique from demand in Major League Baseball. Next, it discusses theoretical demand determinants and provides a review of empirical results. It concludes by identifying the problems in current MiLB demand modelling and offers suggestions for improvements and future research.
Pancreatic Islet Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Signaling in Growth Restricted Fetuses.

Placental insufficiency leads to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and a lifelong risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Impaired islet development in the growth restricted fetus, including decreased β-cell replication, mass, and insulin secretion, is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of later life type 2 diabetes. Currently, standard medical management of a woman with a pregnancy complicated by placental insufficiency and fetal IUGR is increased fetal surveillance and indicated preterm delivery. This leads to the dual complications of IUGR and preterm birth – both of which may increase the lifelong risk for type 2 diabetes. In order to develop therapeutic interventions in IUGR pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency and decrease the risk of later development of type 2 diabetes in the offspring, the mechanisms responsible for impaired islet development in these cases must be determined. This review focuses on current investigations testing the hypothesis that decreased nutrient supply to the IUGR fetus inhibits an intra-islet hepatocyte growth factor – vascular endothelial growth factor A (HGF – VEGFA) feed forward signaling pathway and that this is responsible for developmental islet defects.
Potentiated cortisol response to paired hemorrhage: role of angiotensin and vasopressin

Potentiated adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol responses occur after the second of two small hemorrhages (hems) spaced 24 h apart in the dog. To test whether increased responses of other hormones might be associated with this effect, we examined plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II (ANG II), and vasopressin after paired 10% hem (H1 and H2) spaced 5 h apart in chronically prepared conscious dogs. Cortisol secretion increased after each hem, and the response to H2 was larger (P less than 0.05; H1 peak at 6.8 +/- 1.3 micrograms/min vs. H2 peak at 18.3 +/- 5.3 micrograms/min). ACTH did not change after H1 but increased after H2, and the H2 response was larger (P less than 0.01). Vasopressin increased after each hem, and the H2 response was larger (P less than 0.01). The time courses of ACTH and vasopressin responses were similar after H2 (significant increases by 8 min). PRA and ANG II increased by 4 min after each hem, and although the difference was small the early PRA and ANG II responses were greater after H2. Blood volume and hem volume did not differ between hems. Hemodynamic responses to the hems were not different. We conclude that, although the PRA and ANG II respond rapidly enough after hem to influence pituitary responses, the slightly greater responses of these factors to H2 are not responsible for greatly increased pituitary-adrenal responses to H2. On the other hand, the markedly potentiated vasopressin response to H2, which parallels that of ACTH, suggests that vasopressin may mediate the increased ACTH responses to H2.
Contributions of self-report and performance-based individual differences measures of social cognitive ability to large-scale neural network functioning

Adaptive social behavior appears to require flexible interaction between multiple large-scale brain networks, including the executive control network (ECN), the default mode network (DMN), and the salience network (SN), as well as interactions with the perceptual processing systems these networks function to modulate. Highly connected cortical "hub" regions are also thought to facilitate interactions between these networks, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and anterior insula (AI). However, less is presently known about the relationship between these network functions and individual differences in social-cognitive abilities. In the present study, 23 healthy adults (12 female) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing a visually based social judgment task (requiring the evaluation of social dominance in faces). Participants also completed both self-report and performance-based measures of emotional intelligence (EI), as well as measures of personality and facial perception ability. During scanning, social judgment, relative to a control condition involving simple perceptual judgment of facial features in the same stimuli, activated hub regions associated with each of the networks mentioned above (observed clusters included: bilateral DLPFC, DMPFC/ACC, AI, and ventral visual cortex). Interestingly, self-reported and performance-based measures of social-cognitive ability showed opposing associations with these patterns of activation. Specifically, lower self-reported EI and lower openness in personality both independently predicted greater activation within hub regions of the SN, DMN, and ECN (i.e., the DLPFC, DMPFC/ACC, and AI clusters); in contrast, in the same analyses greater scores on performance-based EI measures and on facial perception tasks independently predicted greater activation within hub regions of the SN and ECN (the DLPFC and AI clusters), and also in the ventral visual cortex. These findings suggest that lower confidence in one's own social-cognitive abilities may promote the allocation of greater cognitive resources to, and improve the performance of, social-cognitive functions.
Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) survival and fecundity on barley yellow dwarf virus-infected wheat resistant and susceptible to the aphid

The aphid-resistant wheat lines PI137739 and PI262660, along with the susceptible wheat varieties ‘Bliss’ and ‘Stephens’, and the resistant oat variety ‘Border’, were infected with five barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) isolates (MAV, PAV, RMV, RPV, SGV) to test the influence of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) infection on the performance (survival and fecundity) of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko). Antibiosis in lines PIl37739 and PI262660 could not be detected statistically when the uninfected plants were analyzed separately. When data from only BYDV-infected plants were analyzed, Russian wheat aphid performance was significantly less on both PI137739 and PI262660 than on the susceptible varieties, indicating that plant stress influences expression of Russian wheat aphid antibiosis. Relative to uninfected controls, BYDV infection did not affect Russian wheat aphid performance on either susceptible wheat variety or the resistant line PI137739. In the resistant line PI262660, PAV, RPV, and SGV infection significantly reduced Russian wheat aphid performance. By contrast, PAV infection significantly increased aphid performance on ‘Border’ oats, but it was still far below performance on any other plant-virus combination. These results suggest that BYDV infection does influence Russian wheat aphid survival or fecundity, or both, on certain hosts even though the aphid is not a vector of the virus isolates used in this study.
Pirimiphos-methyl as a Protectant for Farmers Stock Peanuts

Peanuts treated with 20.9. 36.4 or 52.2 ppm pirimiphos-methyl to assess effectiveness of the insecticide were held in open-top, 141.6-liter, cylindrical bins for 12 mo in a warehouse infested with 10 species of stored-product insects Peanuts treated at 52.2 ppm malathion were the standard. Pirimiphos-methyl was as effective or more effective than the standard in reducing the number of insects. Also, peanuts treated with pirimiphos-methyl had fewer insect-damaged kernels than those treated with malathion. Red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and almond moths, Cadra cautella (Walker), were the pre-dominant species found. Residues of pirimiphos-methyl decreased gradually at a rate ca. 33% less than malathion during the 12-mo period.
Invisible innovators: how low-income, first-generation students use their funds of knowledge to belong in engineering

ABSTRACTThough engineering is often perceived as a pathway of upward mobility in the United States, very little is known about the experiences of undergraduate engineering students who come from low-income backgrounds or are the first in their families to attend college. The little research that does exist on low-income, first-generation (LIFG) engineering students is grounded in a deficiency perspective that emphasizes the barriers these students face: greater feelings of financial pressure and curriculum overload, along with lower family support, confidence in technical skill sets, satisfaction with instructors and satisfaction with the overall college experience. Our ethnographic research with LIFG students at a public engineering university and community college reveals that these barriers can create a sense of belonging uncertainty for them as engineering students. Yet our students were also able to draw on the funds of knowledge they acquired growing up in poor families and, when these funds of know...
Comparison of 2‐ and 3‐Dimensional Sonography for Estimation of Birth Weight and Neonatal Adiposity in the Setting of Suspected Fetal Macrosomia

OBJECTIVES To compare the accuracy of 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) fetal measurements for prediction of birth weight Z score and neonatal adiposity (percent body fat) in the setting of suspected fetal macrosomia. METHODS We conducted a prospective observational study of term singleton pregnancies with suspected macrosomia. Patients were enrolled on admission to labor and delivery and underwent sonographic examinations. Within 48 hours of delivery, neonatal anthropometric measurements were obtained. RESULTS Thirty-four neonates were included in the analysis. Mothers were very obese (mean body mass index ± SD, 39.1 ± 7.8 kg/m(2)); 56.5% were white; and 39.1% had diabetes. Neonates were 38% female and had a mean birth weight of 3940.0 ± 496.8 g, percent body fat of 18.5% ± 4.0%, and Ponderal index of 2.8 ± 0.3 g/cm(3). Mean 2D estimated fetal weight was 3973 ± 443 g; mean 3D estimated fetal weight was 3803 ± 528 g; and mean thigh volume was 102.5 ± 19.6 cm(3). Both 2D and 3D measurements accounted for about half the variance in predicted birth weight (R(2) for 2D = 0.53, 71% within 10% of birth weight; R(2) for 3D = 0.47, 65% within 10% of birth weight). Thigh volume Z score was the prenatal parameter most highly correlated with both birth weight Z score (R(2) = 0.52; r = 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.54-0.84; P < .001) and percent body fat (R(2) = 0.22; r = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.69; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS In our population of fetuses with suspected macrosomia, fractional thigh volume was the best sonographic estimate of neonatal percent body fat and birth weight Z score. Future research on prediction of neonatal weight and adiposity in macrosomic fetuses should include an estimate of fetal soft tissue given the generalized increase in body fat of these fetuses.
Electrified Automotive Powertrain Architecture Using Composite DC–DC Converters

In a hybrid or electric vehicle powertrain, a boost dc–dc converter enables reduction of the size of the electric machine and optimization of the battery system. Design of the powertrain boost converter is challenging because the converter must be rated at high peak power, while efficiency at medium-to-light load is critical for the vehicle system performance. By addressing only some of the loss mechanisms, previously proposed efficiency improvement approaches offer limited improvements in size, cost, and efficiency tradeoffs. This paper shows how all dominant loss mechanisms in automotive powertrain applications can be mitigated using a new boost composite converter approach. In the composite dc–dc architecture, the loss mechanisms associated with indirect power conversion are addressed explicitly, resulting in fundamental efficiency improvements over wide ranges of operating conditions. Several composite converter topologies are presented and compared to state-of-the-art boost converter technologies. It is found that the selected boost composite converter results in a decrease in the total loss by a factor of 2–4 for typical drive cycles. Furthermore, the total system capacitor power rating and energy rating are substantially reduced, which implies potentials for significant reductions in system size and cost.
Cardiac Physiology and Pharmacology

Under normal circumstances, the heart’s rate and force of contraction is tightly regulated to meet the circulatory demands of the body. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are primary regulators of cardiac output but a number of integrated systems of the body including the renal system, adrenal glands, vascular endothelium, immune system, and cardiac tissue itself play important roles in regulating circulation and hydroelectrolytic homeostasis. This chapter describes the cellular and molecular basis of myocardial excitation–contraction coupling, explains how the autonomic nervous system regulates excitation–contraction coupling, and examines emerging information on the mechanisms of arrhythmias and the new pharmacologic approaches being taken to treat arrhythmias and chronic heart failure. Much of the organizational structure and some informational content of the first edition of this chapter, written by Sheu and Colecraft (1997), has been retained; however, significant revisions and additions have been made to include dramatic advancements in understanding the molecular biology of ion channels, the autonomic receptor signaling pathways, and the genetic basis of some forms of arrhythmias.
Abstract 1620: Elucidating metastatic signaling networks in TNBC by investigating RKIP-regulated kinome

Abstracts: AACR Special Conference on Tumor Metastasis; November 30-December 3, 2015; Austin, TX Metastatic progression of tumors is the major cause of death in patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. However, since metastasis is a multi-step process, unraveling its complexity is a major challenge. One effective way of tackling this question is to study natural blockers of the metastatic process, metastasis suppressors, and identify the mechanisms by which they regulate metastasis. Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP), a protein that regulates kinase activity, is a suppressor of TNBC metastasis. Although RKIP inhibits the activity of key kinases such as Raf-1, GRK2, NIK/IKK in cultured cells, the kinase targets of RKIP in tumors are not known. To address this question, we used a mass spectrometry approach involving inhibitor-conjugated beads to identify kinases that are down-regulated by RKIP in human TNBC xenograft tumors. Our results identified novel targets of RKIP whose kinase activity is either down-regulated or up-regulated by RKIP. We used bioinformatics analysis to build RKIP-regulated signaling networks based upon RKIP-induced changes in kinase activity and related gene expression. Elucidating RKIP function at a systems level reveals the interplay between key metastatic signaling cascades, particularly in relation to cell migration and invasion, and can potentially identify novel anti-metastatic target combinations in TNBCs. Citation Format: Ali E. Yesilkanal, Casey Frankenberger, Daniel C. Rabe, Gary L. Johnson, Marsha R. Rosner. Elucidating metastatic signaling networks in TNBC by investigating RKIP-regulated kinome. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Metastasis; 2015 Nov 30-Dec 3; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B23.