Stability of Solutions to Classes of Traveling Salesman Problems.

By performing stability analysis on an optimal tour for problems belonging to classes of the traveling salesman problem (TSP), this paper derives margins of optimality for a solution with respect to disturbances in the problem data. Specifically, we consider the asymmetric sequence-dependent TSP, where the sequence dependence is driven by the dynamics of a stack. This is a generalization of the symmetric non sequence-dependent version of the TSP.

Acceptability and utility of an innovative feeding toolkit to improve maternal and child dietary practices in Bihar, India.

Background: Dietary practices in India often fail to provide adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life.

Objective: To explore the acceptability and utility of a low-cost and simple-to-use feeding toolkit consisting of a bowl with marks to indicate meal volume and frequency, a slotted spoon, and an illustrated counseling card to cue optimal dietary practices during the first 1,000 days.

Methods: In Samastipur District, Bihar, India, we conducted 16 focus group discussions and 8 key informant interviews to determine community acceptability and obtain feedback on design and delivery of the feeding toolkit.

Global gene expression in granulosa cells of growing, plateau and atretic dominant follicles in cattle.

Background: The physiological state of the dominant follicle is important as it may be linked to the competence of the oocyte within. The objective of this study was to analyze, by transcriptomic analysis, the changes occurring in granulosa cells from dominant follicles at different phases of follicular growth.

Methods: Granulosa cells were collected from slaughterhouse dairy cattle follicles with a diameter greater than 9 mm, and were classified at different phases of follicle growth based on flow cytometry profiles of DNA content after staining with propidium iodide.

Gene-environment correlation linking aggression and peer victimization: do classroom behavioral norms matter?

Using a genetically informed design based on 197 Monozygotic and Dizygotic twin pairs assessed in grade 4, this study examined 1) whether, in line with a gene-environment correlation (rGE), a genetic disposition for physical aggression or relational aggression puts children at risk of being victimized by their classmates, and 2) whether this rGE is moderated by classroom injunctive norm salience in regard to physical or relational aggression. Physical aggression and relational aggression, as well as injunctive classroom norm salience in regard to these behaviors, were measured via peer nominations. Peer victimization was measured via self-reports.

Friendship Experiences and Anxiety Among Children: A Genetically Informed Study.

This study examined (a) whether, in line with a gene-environment correlation (rGE), a genetic disposition for anxiety puts children at risk of having anxious friends or having no reciprocal friends; (b) to what extent these friendship experiences are related to anxiety symptoms, when controlling for sex and genetic disposition for this trait; and (c) the additive and interactive predictive links of the reciprocal best friend's anxiety symptoms and of friendship quality with children's anxiety symptoms. Using a genetically informed design based on 521 monozygotic and ic twins (264 girls; 87% of European descent) assessed in Grade 4 (M age = 10.04 years, SD = .

Cooperative surveillance and pursuit using unmanned aerial vehicles and unattended ground sensors.

This paper considers the problem of path planning for a team of unmanned aerial vehicles performing surveillance near a friendly base. The unmanned aerial vehicles do not possess sensors with automated target recognition capability and, thus, rely on communicating with unattended ground sensors placed on roads to detect and image potential intruders. The problem is motivated by persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and base defense missions.

In vitro antibacterial activity of the ceftazidime-avibactam combination against enterobacteriaceae, including strains with well-characterized β-lactamases.

The novel β-lactamase inhibitor avibactam is a potent inhibitor of class A, class C, and some class D enzymes. The in vitro antibacterial activity of the ceftazidime-avibactam combination was determined for a collection of Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates; this collection was enriched for resistant strains, including strains with characterized serine β-lactamases. The inhibitor was added either at fixed weight ratios to ceftazidime or at fixed concentrations, with the latter type of combination consistently resulting in greater potentiation of antibacterial activity.

Interaction of Sorghum Tannins with Wheat Proteins and Effect on in Vitro Starch and Protein Digestibility in a Baked Product Matrix.

Carbohydrates contribute the most dietary calories, which makes starchy foods a logical target for modifying calorie intake. This study investigated the interaction of sorghum bran proanthocyanidins (PA) with proteins during wheat flour tortilla processing and impact on in vitro starch digestibility. Brans from wheat, white (low in phenols), brown (high PA), and black (high monomeric flavonoids) sorghum were used.

A novel DYRK1A (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A) inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: effect on Tau and amyloid pathologies in vitro.

The dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) gene is located within the Down Syndrome (DS) critical region on chromosome 21 and is implicated in the generation of Tau and amyloid pathologies that are associated with the early onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD) observed in DS. DYRK1A is also found associated with neurofibrillary tangles in sporadic AD and phosphorylates key AD players (Tau, amyloid precursor, protein, etc). Thus, DYRK1A may be an important therapeutic target to modify the course of Tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) pathologies.

Zernike ultrasonic tomography for fluid velocity imaging based on pipeline intrusive time-of-flight measurements.

In this paper, we propose a novel ultrasonic tomography method for pipeline flow field imaging, based on the Zernike polynomial series. Having intrusive multipath time-offlight ultrasonic measurements (difference in flight time and speed of ultrasound) at the input, we provide at the output tomograms of the fluid velocity components (axial, radial, and orthoradial velocity). Principally, by representing these velocities as Zernike polynomial series, we reduce the tomography problem to an ill-posed problem of finding the coefficients of the series, relying on the acquired ultrasonic measurements.

Superfluid high REynolds von Kármán experiment.

The Superfluid High REynolds von Kármán experiment facility exploits the capacities of a high cooling power refrigerator (400 W at 1.8 K) for a large dimension von Kármán flow (inner diameter 0.78 m), which can work with gaseous or subcooled liquid (He-I or He-II) from room temperature down to 1.

Design and synthesis of thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolines as DYRK1A inhibitors, part II.

The convenient synthesis of a focused library (forty molecules) of novel 6,6,5-tricyclic thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolines was realized mainly under microwave irradiation. A novel 6-aminobenzo[d]thiazole-2,7-dicarbonitrile (1) was used as a versatile molecular platform for the synthesis of various derivatives. Kinase inhibition, of the obtained final compounds, was evaluated on a panel of two kinases (DYRK1A/1B) together with some known reference DYRK1A and DYRK1B inhibitors (harmine, TG003, NCGC-00189310 and leucettine L41).

The formation of imidazolium salt intimate (contact) ion pairs in solution.

1-n-Butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium (BMMI) ionic liquids (ILs) associated with different anions undergo H/D exchange preferentially at 2-Me group of the imidazolium in deuterated solvents. This process is mainly related to the existence of ion pairs rather than the anion basicity. The H/D exchange occurs in solvents (CDCl3 and MeCN for instance) in which intimate contact ion pairs are present and the anion possesses a labile H in its structure, such as hydrogen carbonate and prolinate.

Efficacy of a Ceftazidime-Avibactam combination in a murine model of Septicemia caused by Enterobacteriaceae species producing ampc or extended-spectrum β-lactamases.

Avibactam is a novel non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor that has been shown in vitro to inhibit class A, class C, and some class D β-lactamases. It is currently in phase 3 of clinical development in combination with ceftazidime. In this study, the efficacy of ceftazidime-avibactam was evaluated in a murine septicemia model against five ceftazidime-susceptible (MICs of 0.

The first 500 days of life: policies to support maternal nutrition.

Background: From conception to 6 months of age, an infant is entirely dependent for its nutrition on the mother: via the placenta and then ideally via exclusive breastfeeding. This period of 15 months--about 500 days--is the most important and vulnerable in a child's life: it must be protected through policies supporting maternal nutrition and health. Those addressing nutritional status are discussed here.

[Hydroxyurea-induced pneumonia].

Introduction: Hydroxyurea is an antimetabolite drug used in the treatment of myeloproliferative disorders. Common adverse effects include haematological, gastrointestinal cutaneous manifestations, and fever. Hydroxyurea-induced pneumonitis is unusual.

Optimal classification by mixed-initiative nested thresholding.

We propose a novel architecture for a team of machine and human classifiers (i.e., a mixed-initiative team).

Activities of ceftazidime and avibactam against β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a hollow-fiber pharmacodynamic model.

Avibactam is a novel non-β-lactam β-lactamase inhibitor that is currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials in combination with ceftazidime. Ceftazidime is hydrolyzed by a broad range of β-lactamases, but avibactam is able to inhibit the majority of these enzymes. The studies described here attempt to provide insight into the amount of avibactam required to suppress bacterial growth in an environment where the concentrations of both agents are varying as they would when administered to humans.

The dark side of friends: a genetically informed study of victimization within early adolescents' friendships.

Using a genetically informed twin design, this study examined (a) whether, in line with gene-environment correlation (rGE), a genetic disposition for anxiety puts children at risk of being victimized by a close friend or by other peers, and (b) whether, in line with gene-environment interaction (GxE), victimization by a close friend or by other peers moderates the expression of a genetic disposition for anxiety. Participants were 268 monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs (MZ males = 71, MZ females = 80, DZ males = 56, DZ females = 61; 87% of European descent) assessed via questionnaires in Grade 8 (M age = 14.06 years, SD = 3.

Affective and inflammatory responses among orchestra musicians in performance situation.

A number of studies have shown that mental challenge under controlled experimental conditions is associated with elevations in inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). However, relatively little work has been done on the effects of 'naturalistic' stressors on acute changes in inflammatory markers. The present study examined whether perceived arousal, valence and dominance in musicians are associated with pro-inflammatory and oxidative responses to a concert situation.

A longitudinal twin study of physical aggression during early childhood: evidence for a developmentally dynamic genome.

Background: Physical aggression (PA) tends to have its onset in infancy and to increase rapidly in frequency. Very little is known about the genetic and environmental etiology of PA development during early childhood. We investigated the temporal pattern of genetic and environmental etiology of PA during this crucial developmental period.

Flagellin in fusion with human rotavirus structural proteins exerts an adjuvant effect when delivered with replicating but non-disseminating adenovectors through the intrarectal route.

Human rotavirus (HRV) is the worldwide leading cause of gastroenteritis in young children. Two live attenuated HRV vaccines have been approved since 2006. However, these live vaccines still have potential risks including reversion of virulence.

International test results for objective lens quality, resolution, spectral accuracy and spectral separation for confocal laser scanning microscopes.

As part of an ongoing effort to increase image reproducibility and fidelity in addition to improving cross-instrument consistency, we have proposed using four separate instrument quality tests to augment the ones we have previously reported. These four tests assessed the following areas: (1) objective lens quality, (2) resolution, (3) accuracy of the wavelength information from spectral detectors, and (4) the accuracy and quality of spectral separation algorithms. Data were received from 55 laboratories located in 18 countries.

Gene-environment processes linking peer victimization and physical health problems: a longitudinal twin study.

Objective: This study examined whether (a) a genetic disposition for physical health problems increases the risk of peer victimization and (b) peer victimization interacts with genetic vulnerability in explaining physical health problems.

Methods: Participants were 167 monozygotic and 119 dizyogtic twin pairs. Physical symptoms were assessed in early childhood and early adolescence.

Maternal anxiety and breastfeeding: findings from the MAVAN (Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment) Study.

Background: Maternal anxiety and depression may impair maternal intention, motivation, and self-efficacy in multiple domains associated with child health including breastfeeding.

Objective: We tested the hypothesis that mothers who experience substantial anxiety during pregnancy or the postpartum period are at increased risk for reduced initiation, exclusivity, and continuation of breastfeeding.

Methods: We obtained data on 255 Canadian pregnant women from the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN) study recruited between June 2004 and February 2009.