cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Colorectal cancer screening among Mexican Americans at a community clinic

Background Mexican Americans tend to under-utilize colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. Yet little is known about sociocultural factors associated with CRC screening. This study assessed predictors of three primary CRC tests among low-income Mexican Americans. Methods From May to December 2003, an availability sample of 287 patients, aged 50 to 89 years, who presented for routine care at a community health center near the U.S.–Mexico border completed surveys on CRC knowledge, awareness, attitudes toward screening, logistic barriers, perceptions of health, locus of control, acculturation, whether their doctor discussed CRC screening, and sociodemographics. Participants also reported whether they had ever had a fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy. Logistic regression identified predictors of having had these tests. Results Overall, 41% reported having ever had any of the three tests; 34.1% had a fecal occult blood test; 6.6%, flexible sigmoidoscopy; and 11.8%, colonoscopy. Few respondents reported any clear knowledge about CRC, and only 41% said their doctor had ever discussed screening with them. Yet "doctor discussed screening" was the only consistent screening predictor across tests. CRC knowledge ( p =0.006) and insurance coverage ( p =0.009) predicted having had a flexible sigmoidoscopy. Perceptions of general poor health also predicted having had a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy ( p =0.04). Being employed marginally predicted whether patient had ever had any of the three tests ( p =0.05). Conclusions Results show that even those in contact with community medical services exhibit low CRC screening rates. They further suggest that interventions focused on clinical settings are an important first step toward CRC prevention in this community.
Feature visibility limits in the nonlinear enhancement of turbid images

The advancement of non-linear processing methods for generic automatic clarification of turbid imagery has led us from extensions of entirely passive multiscale Retinex processing to a new framework of active measurement and control of the enhancement process called the Visual Servo. In the process of testing this new non-linear computational scheme, we have identified that feature visibility limits in the post-enhancement image now simplify to a single signal-to-noise figure of merit: a feature is visible if the feature-background signal difference is greater than the RMS noise level. In other words, a signal-to-noise limit of approximately unity constitutes a lower limit on feature visibility.
Corrosion of thin silver films in an aqueous environment

Abstract A laboratory test which produces results similar to those observed in field-corroded heliostats has been developed. Pinhole formation was observed in thin silver films treated in normal distilled water, which contains dissolved oxygen, but not in similar, deoxygenated water. These pinholes were not filled with agglomerated silver, as is frequently observed in field-corroded samples. The absence of agglomerated silver may result from the large volumes of water used or from the isothermal nature of the test, and may account for the lack of surface plasmon absorption and surface enhanced Raman effect found for the laboratory treated samples. Results of this study are consistent with a simple silver dissolution mechanism for pinhole formation.
Divergent Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Hepatic Stellate Cells after Liver Injury : Functional Effects on ECE-1 Regulation

In liver wound healing, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays a critical role in stellate cell activation as well as signaling cascades in the fibrogenic response to injury. We postulate that the TGF-β-dependent downstream signaling pathway may vary according to the mechanism of stellate cell activation; this study was undertaken to ascertain whether the downstream signaling pathways mediated by TGF-β vary in different liver injury models. We measured Smad3 and MAP kinase activation after isolating stellate cells from rat livers injured by either bile duct ligation (BDL) or repeated carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) administration. Phospho-Smad3 was dramatically up-regulated in stellate cells after CCl 4 injury, but not after BDL-induced injury. TGF-β signaling in stellate cells activated after BDL was mediated prominently through ERK activation, whereas activation induced by CCl 4 injury or culture led to a cross-signaling mechanism involving both Smad3 and p38. The divergent Smad signaling pathways observed appeared to be attributable to the differential regulation of the early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1), an apparent negative transcriptional factor for Smad3 in our system. In addition, inhibition of ERK activation in stellate cells from BDL-injured liver led to a decrease in expression of endothelin-converting enzyme-1, a critical regulator of endothelin-1. We speculate that TGF-β signaling proceeds through differential signaling pathways depending on the mechanism of liver injury that leads to stellate cell activation.
What counts as a Newtonian system? The view from Norton’s dome

If the force on a particle fails to satisfy a Lipschitz condition at a point, it relaxes one of the conditions necessary for a locally unique solution to the particle’s equation of motion. I examine the most discussed example of this failure of determinism in classical mechanics—that of Norton’s dome—and the range of current objections against it. Finding there are many different conceptions of classical mechanics appropriate and useful for different purposes, I argue that no single conception is preferred. Instead of arguing for or against determinism, I stress the wide variety of pragmatic considerations that, in a specific context, may lead one usefully and legitimately to adopt one conception over another in which determinism may or may not hold.
Classification of a Haemophilus influenzae ABC Transporter HI1470/71 through Its Cognate Molybdate Periplasmic Binding Protein, MolA.

molA (HI1472) from H. influenzae encodes a periplasmic binding protein (PBP) that delivers substrate to the ABC transporter MolB_2C_2 (formerly HI1470/71). The structures of MolA with molybdate and tungstate in the binding pocket were solved to 1.6 and 1.7 A resolution, respectively. The MolA-binding protein binds molybdate and tungstate, but not other oxyanions such as sulfate and phosphate, making it the first class III molybdate-binding protein structurally solved. The ~100 μM binding affinity for tungstate and molybdate is significantly lower than observed for the class II ModA molybdate-binding proteins that have nanomolar to low micromolar affinity for molybdate. The presence of two molybdate loci in H. influenzae suggests multiple transport systems for one substrate, with molABC constituting a low-affinity molybdate locus.
Woody Guthrie, Warts-and-All: The Biopic in the New American Cinema of the 1970s

(2011). Woody Guthrie, Warts-and-All: The Biopic in the New American Cinema of the 1970s. a/b: Auto/Biography Studies: Vol. 26, Biopics and American National Identity, pp. 68-90.
High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Contemporary Practice

Background—High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been identified as a predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Whether hsCRP is a useful biomarker for risk stratification in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention remains unknown. Methods and Results—We conducted a prospective study among 513 patients undergoing non-emergency percutaneous coronary intervention and examined the relationship between pre- and postprocedural hsCRP levels and outcomes. The patients were divided according to the median preprocedural hsCRP level (0.3 mg/dL). Patients with high hsCRP had significantly more adverse clinical characteristics. Preprocedural hsCRP level was an independent predictor of periprocedural myocardial infarction (odds ratio per doubling of hsCRP 1.15 [95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.31]; P=0.038). Unadjusted mortality (29.7% versus 9.9%; P<0.001) and the combined end point of death or myocardial infarction (36.5% versus 16.0%, P<0.001) during a follow-up of 5 years were markedly greater...
Nucleation and growth of crystallites in high polymers. Formation of spherulites

Essential features of the crystallization of unoriented high polymers from the molten and supercooled liquid conditions are outlined to provide a background for a proposed structure and mechanism of growth of spherulites. Homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms of crystallite growth are discussed. Spherulites are recognized as crudely oriented spheroidal aggregates of crystallites and their attached amorphous regions. It is proposed that a spherulite originates from a single nucleus and that growth proceeds thence in a statistically radical fashion until all crystallizable domains are utilized or until growth is arrested due to increasing viscosity of the medium. It is assumed that crystallite growth occurs by lateral accretion of suitable oriented molecular segments and that nucleation proceeds from one crystallite to another by means of fine streamers of crystalline order (protofibrils) which may grow either by longitudinal extension along fringes or by lateral aggregation of very short segments. The predominant shapes of the crystallites are believed to determine the structure and optical properties of the spherulite. A roughly conical arrangement of crystallites around a spherulite radius is preferred to a helical one.
ESTRADIOL IN FEMALES MAY NEGATE SKELETAL MUSCLE MYOSTATIN MRNA EXPRESSION AND SERUM MYOSTATIN PROPEPTIDE LEVELS AFTER ECCENTRIC MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS

Eccentric contractions produce a significant degree of inflammation and muscle injury that may increase the expression of myostatin. Due to its anti- oxidant and anti-flammatory effects, circulating 17-β estradiol (E2) may attenuate myostatin expression. Eight males and eight females performed 7 sets of 10 reps of eccentric contractions of the knee extensors at 150% 1-RM. Each female performed the eccentric exercise bout on a day that fell within her mid-luteal phase (d 21-23 of her 28-d cycle). Blood and muscle samples were obtained before and 6 and 24 h after exercise, while additional blood samples were obtained at 48 and 72 h after exercise. Serum E2 and myostatin LAP/propeptide (LAP/pro) levels were determined with ELISA, and myostatin mRNA expression determined using RT-PCR. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and bivariate correlations (p 0.05). Compared to pre-exercise, males had significant increases (p < 0.05) in LAP/propetide and mRNA of 78% and 28%, respectively, at 24 h post-exercise, whereas females underwent respective decreases of 10% and 21%. E2 and LAP/propeptide were correlated at 6 h (r = -0.804, p = 0.016) and 24 h post- exercise (r = -0.841, p = 0.009) in males, whereas in females E2 levels were correlated to myostatin mRNA at 6 h (r =0.739, p = 0.036) and 24 h (r = 0.813, p = 0.014) post-exercise and LAP/propeptide at 6 h (r = 0.713, p = 0.047) and 24 h (r = 0.735, p = 0.038). In females, myostatin mRNA expression and serum LAP/propeptide levels do not appear to be significantly up-regulated following eccentric exercise, and may be due to higher levels of circulating E2. Key PointsThe pre-exercise levels of myostatin mRNA and propeptide were not significantly different between genders, and even though the total body mass and fat-free mass of males were significantly greater than females, neither was correlated to myostatin mRNA or LAP/propeptide.Myostatin mRNA expression in females is less than in males 24 h after a single bout of eccentric exercise.Myostatin LAP/propeptide levels in females are lower in females than in males 24 h after a single bout of eccentric exercise, thereby suggesting a gender-specific mechanism in which females may be less responsive to eccentric exercise than males.Myostatin mRNA expression in females is attenuated, possibly due to inhibition in myostatin signaling, and appears to be more related to the presence of a higher level of circulating E2 rather than body composition.Due to their higher level of E2, females seem to be less susceptible to the mechanism by which eccentric exercise apparently up-regulates myostatin mRNA expression in males.
Digital media triage with bulk data analysis and bulk_extractor

Bulk data analysis eschews file extraction and analysis, common in forensic practice today, and instead processes data in "bulk," recognizing and extracting salient details ("features") of use in the typical digital forensics investigation. This article presents the requirements, design and implementation of the bulk_extractor, a high-performance carving and feature extraction tool that uses bulk data analysis to allow the triage and rapid exploitation of digital media. Bulk data analysis and the bulk_extractor are designed to complement traditional forensic approaches, not replace them. The approach and implementation offer several important advances over today's forensic tools, including optimistic decompression of compressed data, context-based stop-lists, and the use of a "forensic path" to document both the physical location and forensic transformations necessary to reconstruct extracted evidence. The bulk_extractor is a stream-based forensic tool, meaning that it scans the entire media from beginning to end without seeking the disk head, and is fully parallelized, allowing it to work at the maximum I/O capabilities of the underlying hardware (provided that the system has sufficient CPU resources). Although bulk_extractor was developed as a research prototype, it has proved useful in actual police investigations, two of which this article recounts.
Glucose intolerance induced by blockade of central FGF receptors is linked to an acute stress response.

Objective: Central administration of ligands for fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) such as fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF19) and FGF21 exert glucose-lowering effects in rodent models of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Conversely, intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of the non-selective FGFR inhibitor (FGFRi) PD173074 causes glucose intolerance, implying a physiological role for neuronal FGFR signaling in glucose homeostasis. The current studies were undertaken to identify neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the glucose intolerance induced by pharmacological blockade of central FGFRs. Methods: Overnight fasted, lean, male, Long-Evans rats received icv injections of either PD173074 or vehicle (Veh) followed 30 min later by performance of a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). Minimal model analysis of glucose and insulin data from the FSIGT was performed to estimate insulin-dependent and insulin-independent components of glucose disposal. Plasma levels of lactate, glucagon, corticosterone, non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA) and catecholamines were measured before and after intravenous (iv) glucose injection. Results: Within 20 min of icv PD173074 injection (prior to the FSIGT), plasma levels of lactate, norepinephrine and epinephrine increased markedly, and each returned to baseline rapidly (within 8 min) following the iv glucose bolus. In contrast, plasma glucagon levels were not altered by icv FGFRi at either time point. Consistent with a previous report, glucose tolerance was impaired following icv PD173074 compared to Veh injection and, based on minimal model analysis of FSIGT data, this effect was attributable to reductions of both insulin secretion and the basal insulin effect (BIE), consistent with the inhibitory effect of catecholamines on pancreatic b-cell secretion. By comparison, there were no changes in glucose effectiveness at zero insulin (GEZI) or the insulin sensitivity index (SI). To determine if iv glucose (given during the FSIGT) contributed to the rapid resolution of the sympathoadrenal response induced by icv FGFRi, we performed an additional study comparing groups that received iv saline or iv glucose 30 min after icv FGFRi. Our finding that elevated plasma catecholamine levels returned rapidly to baseline irrespective of whether rats subsequently received an iv bolus of saline or glucose indicates that the rapid reversal of sympathoadrenal activation following icv FGFRi was unrelated to the subsequent glucose bolus. Conclusions: The effect of acute inhibition of central FGFR signaling to impair glucose tolerance likely involves a stress response associated with pronounced, but transient, sympathoadrenal activation and an associated reduction of insulin secretion. Whether this effect is a true consequence of FGFR blockade or involves an off-target effect of the FGFR inhibitor requires additional study.
Development of a biodegradable bone cement for craniofacial applications

This study investigated the formulation of a two-component biodegradable bone cement comprising the unsaturated linear polyester macromer poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) and crosslinked PPF microparticles for use in craniofacial bone repair applications. A full factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of formulation parameters such as particle weight percentage, particle size, and accelerator concentration on the setting and mechanical properties of crosslinked composites. It was found that the addition of crosslinked microparticles to PPF macromer significantly reduced the temperature rise upon crosslinking from 100.3°C ± 21.6°C to 102.7°C ± 49.3°C for formulations without microparticles to 28.0°C ± 2.0°C to 65.3°C ± 17.5°C for formulations with microparticles. The main effects of increasing the particle weight percentage from 25 to 50% were to significantly increase the compressive modulus by 37.7 ± 16.3 MPa, increase the compressive strength by 2.2 ± 0.5 MPa, decrease the maximum temperature by 9.5°C ± 3.7°C, and increase the setting time by 0.7 ± 0.3 min. Additionally, the main effects of increasing the particle size range from 0-150 μm to 150-300 μm were to significantly increase the compressive modulus by 31.2 ± 16.3 MPa and the compressive strength by 1.3 ± 0.5 MPa. However, the particle size range did not have a significant effect on the maximum temperature and setting time. Overall, the composites tested in this study were found to have properties suitable for further consideration in craniofacial bone repair applications.
Thermal sensitivity in demyelinating neuropathy

An 8-year-old girl with demyelinating peripheral neuropathy was observed to get markedly weak coincident with a febrile illness. With return of body temperature to normal over 24 hours, her strength improved back to baseline. Subsequently, we studied the effect of temperature on CMAP amplitude of two motor nerves in the patient and two control subjects. Both temperature, measured orally, was raised by immersing the subjects in hot water and lowered by passive cooling. With increase in temperature to 39.5 degrees C, the CMAP amplitudes were reduced by 80% in the patient's nerves compared to only 48% in the control nerves. These changes recovered with cooling to 36.9 degrees C. We conclude that demyelinated peripheral nerves are more susceptible to temperature-induced impulse blocking than healthy nerves and provide the first published evidence of the clinical consequences of this phenomenon in a demyelinating disease other than multiple sclerosis.
Evaluating the effectiveness of reasoning training in military and civilian chronic traumatic brain injury patients: Study protocol

Individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) often continue to experience significant impairment of cognitive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex well into chronic stages of recovery. Traditional brain training programs that focus on improving specific skills fall short of addressing integrative functions that draw upon multiple higher-order processes critical for social and vocational integration. In the current study, we compare the effects of two short-term, intensive, group-based cognitive rehabilitation programs for individuals with chronic TBI. One program emphasizes learning about brain functions and influences on cognition, while the other program adopts a top-down approach to improve abstract reasoning abilities that are largely reliant on the prefrontal cortex. These treatment programs are evaluated in civilian and military veteran TBI populations. One hundred individuals are being enrolled in this double-blinded clinical trial (all measures and data analyses will be conducted by blinded raters and analysts). Each individual is randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions, with each condition run in groups of five to seven individuals. The primary anticipated outcomes are improvement in abstract reasoning and everyday life functioning, measured through behavioral tasks and questionnaires, and attention modulation, as measured by functional neuroimaging. Secondary expected outcomes include improvements in the cognitive processes of working memory, attention, and inhibitory control. Results of this trial will determine whether cognitive rehabilitation aimed at teaching TBI-relevant information about the brain and cognition versus training in TBI-affected thinking abilities (e.g., memory, attention, and executive functioning) can improve outcomes in chronic military and civilian TBI patient populations. It should shed light on the nature of improvements and the characteristics of patients most likely to benefit. This trial will also provide information about the sustainability of treatment-related improvements 3 months post-training. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01552473
A simple metric for ad hoc network adaptation

This paper examines flexibility in ad hoc networks and suggests that, even with cross-layer design as a mechanism to improve adaptation, a fundamental limitation exists in the ability of a single optimization function, defined a priori, to adapt the network to meet all quality-of-service requirements. Thus, code implementing multiple algorithms will have to be positioned within the network. Active networking and programmable networking enable unprecedented autonomy and flexibility for ad hoc communication networks. However, in order to best leverage the results of active and programmable networking, metrics that indicate the nature and location of required flexibility need to be developed. The primary contribution of this paper is to propose a metric that couples network topological rate of change with the ability of a generic service to move itself to an optimal location in concert with the changing network. This metric points to a fundamental tradeoff among adaptation (changing service location), performance (sophistication or estimated minimum code size of the service), and the network's ability to tune itself to a changing ad hoc network topology.
Regulation of ligninolytic activity by nutrient nitrogen in white-rot basidiomycetes

Lignin-degrading basidiomycetes are of prime importance in the decay of wood and other lignocellulosic materials. The ligninolytic system of Phanerochaete chrysosporiurn Burds. is induced in the absence of exogenous lignin and is dependent on the cessation of vegetative growth and the onset of secondary metabolism [1,2]. Depletion of nutrients [2], including a utilizable nitrogen source [1], triggers development of the ligninolytic system. When added to nitrogen-starved cultures, many amino acids including L-glutamic acid stimulate vegetative growth while suppressing ligninolytic activity [3,4]. Preliminary experiments with Coriolus versicolor (L. ex Fr.) Qu61. indicated that its ligninolytic system was also stimulated by a decreased concentration of nutrient nitrogen [5]. However, little is known about the regulation of ligninolytic activity in other fungi. The purpose of this study was to determine whether nutrient nitrogen limitation stimulates the ligninolytic .activity of other commonly studied white-rot basidiomycetes. P. chrysosporium and C. versicolor were included for comparison.
Operator Performance and Intelligent Aiding in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Scheduling

Unmanned vehicles (UVs) are quickly becoming ubiquitous in almost every aspect of hostile-environment operations. A key challenge in designing futuristic one-controlling-many systems will be minimizing periods of excessive operator workload that can arise when critical tasks for several UVs occur simultaneously. To a certain degree, you can predict and mitigate such periods in advance. However, actions that mitigate a particular period of high workload in the short term might create long-term episodes of high workload that were previously nonexistent. So, we need decision support that helps an operator evaluate alternative actions for managing a mission schedule in real time. To this end, we present an iterative design cycle that tries to leverage intelligent, predictive aiding together with human judgment and pattern recognition to maximize both system and human performance in the supervision of four UAVs. Automated decision support tools that provide more local, as opposed to global, visual recommendations can produce better performance in multiple UAV scheduling
Team Collaborative Practices Between Teachers and Occupational Therapists

Objective A descriptive, correlational study using a survey instrument and record review was designed to describe collaboration practices between teachers and occupational therapists in public schools and to explore relationships of these practices to individual education plan (IEP) objectives and teachers' perceptions of occupational therapy contributions to student skill development. Method Forty teachers of students who receive occupational therapy comprised the sample. Descriptive statistics and Spearman rank order correlations were used to describe the practices and to determine associations among the variables. Results and conclusions The findings indicated that teachers and occupational therapists were using collaborative team practices, such as jointly developing goals and objectives, collaboration within the classrooms, jointly monitoring interventions, and jointly reviewing student progress. However, scheduling team meetings was difficult. The majority of respondents stated that occupational therapy contributed to student skill development, and as collaboration practices increased, the teachers' perceptions of occupational therapy contribution to student skill development increased. A significant negative correlation was found between the percentage of IEP objectives met variable and three collaborative variables--team meetings, reviewing progress, and develop goals and objectives. This finding indicated that as the frequency of these team processes increased, fewer objectives were met.
Cyclophilin A-Deficient Mice Are Resistant to Immunosuppression by Cyclosporine

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressive drug that is widely used to prevent organ transplant rejection. Known intracellular ligands for cyclosporine include the cyclophilins, a large family of phylogenetically conserved proteins that potentially regulate protein folding in cells. Immunosuppression by cyclosporine is thought to result from the formation of a drug-cyclophilin complex that binds to and inhibits calcineurin, a serine/threonine phosphatase that is activated by TCR engagement. Amino acids within the cyclophilins that are critical for binding to cyclosporine have been identified. Most of these residues are highly conserved within the 15 mammalian cyclophilins, suggesting that many are potential targets for the drug. We examined the effects of cyclosporine on immune cells and mice lacking Ppia, the gene encoding the prototypical cyclophilin protein cyclophilin A. TCR-induced proliferation and signal transduction by Ppia(-/-) CD4(+) T cells were resistant to cyclosporine, an effect that was attributable to diminished calcineurin inhibition. Immunosuppressive doses of cyclosporine failed to block the responses of Ppia(-/-) mice to allogeneic challenge. Rag2(-/-) mice reconstituted with Ppia(-/-) splenocytes were also cyclosporine resistant, indicating that this property is intrinsic to Ppia(-/-) immune cells. Thus, among multiple potential ligands, CypA is the primary mediator of immunosuppression by cyclosporine.
Transfusion of polymerised human haemoglobin in a patient with severe sickle-cell anaemia

Summary Many patients with sickle-cell anaemia have red-cell alloantibodies. We could not obtain compatible blood for a 40-year-old woman with a sickle-cell crisis after a hip operation. We transfused a polymerised human haemoglobin solution, after which the patient's pain was alleviated. This treatment, in combination with erythropoietin, resulted in a rise in our patient's haemoglobin concentration, and her eventual recovery. Increased oxygen delivery to the microcirculation might have contributed to the rapid resolution of pain after the transfusion.
High-Throughput Screening Assay for Modulators of Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase

A posttranslational modification that is unique for the protein tubulin is tyrosination/detyrosination of the C-terminus of α-tubulin. Detyrosination of the genetically encoded C-terminal tyrosine by an unidentified carboxypeptidase is followed by retyrosination catalyzed by the enzyme tubulin tyrosine ligase (TTL). Proper functioning of tyrosination/detyrosination cycle is required for cell vitality. In particular, TTL downregulation and increase of detyrosinated tubulin correlate with increased tumorigenesis and tumor invasiveness. Exogenous modulators of TTL may restore tyrosinated tubulin and impair tumor progression. The only method currently available for studying such modulators requires use of radioactive ligands. Here, we present an assay suitable for high- throughput screening of TTL effectors, in which the readout is fluorescence- or immunochemistry- based. In this assay, detyrosinated tubulin and TTL are allowed to react with a potential modulator in the presence of 3-formyltyrosine (3fY), a known substrate for TTL. The ligand's ability to compete with 3fY is quantified by the fluorescence signal generated when the protein bound aldehyde group covalently reacts with a suitably derivatized fluorophore. In addition, we have established an immunochemical detection method in which biotin hydrazide is used instead of a fluorophore. The extent of biotinylation is then detected using Streptavidin-HRP conjugate. Both these detection methods generate comparable results. Thus, we have developed a versatile, sensitive, non-radioactive high- throughput screening assay that can be employed to examine TTL modulators.
Temperature correction to chemoresistive sensors in an e-NOSE-ANN system

The influence of the temperature coefficient of resistance in the chemoresistive response of inherently conductive polymer (ICP) sensors in the performance of an artificial neural network (ANN) e-natural olfactory sensor emulator (e-NOSE) system is evaluated. Temperature was found to strongly influence the response of the chemoresistors, even over modest ranges (ca. 2/spl deg/C). An e-NOSE array of eight ICP sensor elements, a relative humidity (RH/spl plusmn/0.1%) sensor, and a resistance temperature device (RTD/spl plusmn/0.1/spl deg/C) was tested at five different RH levels while the temperature was allowed to vary with the ambient. A temperature correction algorithm based on the temperature coefficient of resistance /spl beta/ for each material was independently and empirically determined then applied to the raw sensor data prior to input to the ANN. Conversely, uncorrected data was also passed to the ANN. The performance of the ANN was evaluated by determining the error found between the actual humidity versus the calculated humidity. The error obtained using raw input sensor data was found to be 10.5% and using temperature corrected data, 9.3%. This negligible difference demonstrates that the ANN was capable of adequately addressing the temperature dependence of the chemoresistive sensors once temperature was inclusively passed to the ANN.
Evaluative Procedures to Detect, Characterize, and Assess the Severity of Diabetic Neuropathy

Minimal criteria for diabetic neuropathy need to be defined and universally applied. Standardized evaluative procedures need to be agreed and normal ranges determined from healthy volunteers. Types and stages of neuropathy should be established and assessments performed on representative populations of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients. Potential minimal criteria include absent ankle reflexes and vibratory sensation, and abnormalities of nerve conduction. However, the preferred criterion is the identification of more than two statistically defined abnormalities among symptoms and deficits, nerve conduction, quantitative sensory examination or quantitative autonomic examination. Various evaluative procedures are available. Symptoms should be assessed and scores can be assigned to neurological deficits. However, assessments of nerve conduction provide the most specific, objective, sensitive, and repeatable procedures, although these may be the least meaningful. Many techniques are available for quantitative sensory examination, but are poorly standardized and normal values are not available. For quantitative autonomic examination, tests are available for the adequacy of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular reflexes and increasingly for other autonomic functions. In any assessment of nerve function the conditions should be optimized and standardized, and stimuli defined. Specific instructions should be given and normal ranges established in healthy volunteers.
Technical note: a proposal to simplify data flow diagrams

This technical note presents an adaptation of the data flow diagram (DFD) technique whereby each data store symbol represents a database rather than a single table. It is conjectured that this modification makes DFDs easier to create, understand, and maintain. It also reduces an overlap with the entity-relationship diagram technique by curtailing graphical manifestations of the data model in the DFD.
Creation and evolution

Despite the bad reputation of the legal profession, law remains king in America. A highly diverse society relies on the laws (and especially the Constitution) to maintain a working sense of the dignity and inviability of each individual. And a persistent element in contemporary debates is the fear that naturalistic theories of the human person will erode our belief that we have a dignity greater than that of other natural objects. Thus the endurance of the creation vs. evolution debate is due less to the arguments of creationists, or to the continued influence of the book of Genesis, than to the reading of the evidence provided by Phillip E. Johnson of the University of California, Berkeley, Law School.
Dynamic compressive response of wrought and additive manufactured 304L stainless steels

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has been developed to fabricate metal components that include complex prototype fabrication, small lot production, precision repair or feature addition, and tooling. However, the mechanical response of the AM materials is a concern to meet requirements for specific applications. Differences between AM materials as compared to wrought materials might be expected, due to possible differences in porosity (voids), grain size, and residual stress levels. When the AM materials are designed for impact applications, the dynamic mechanical properties in both compression and tension need to be fully characterized and understood for reliable designs. In this study, a 304L stainless steel was manufactured with AM technology. For comparison purposes, both the AM and wrought 304L stainless steels were dynamically characterized in compression Kolsky bar techniques. They dynamic compressive stress-strain curves were obtained and the strain rate effects were determined for both the AM and wrought 304L stainless steels. A comprehensive comparison of dynamic compressive response between the AM and wrought 304L stainless steels was performed. SAND2015-0993 C.
Telemedicine and the pediatric tertiary care center: presented as the 2002 melinda j. Pouncey memorial lecture.

Telemedicine is broadly defined as the use of electronic communication and information technologies to provide or support clinical care at a distance. As such, telemedicine is not new to the practice of medicine, especially from the perspective of a tertiary care referral center. One can readily appreciate that the use of the telephone and fax machine in the support of clinical care meets this definition with familiar tools the medical community has accepted and incorporated for some time.
Effect of Vocal-Pitch Difference on Automatic Attention to Voice Changes in Audio Messages

Listeners exhibit orienting responses to voice changes in audio messages. However, the impact of pitch similarity between voices on the nature of the OR has not been explored. We conducted a 3 (Vocal Pitch) × 2 (Location of Change in Message) × 2 (Repetition) within-subjects experiment to address this question. Four non-professional announcers were selected based on differences in vocal pitch. Twelve radio commercials were produced using these announcers to include a single voice change—with either Low-, Medium-, or High-Pitch Differences. The voice changes occurred either within the first or last 20 seconds of the commercial. Heart rate and recognition memory data were collected from 41 subjects. Results show that vocal-pitch difference between speakers impacts automatic attention allocation via the orienting response, and recognition memory for the message is thereby affected. Furthermore, results suggest that having voice changes occur early in an audio message produces the best attentional result.
Calculus and Its Origins: The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

Evidence mounted in the late 1600s that efforts to understand quadrature and attempts to quantify instantaneous velocity could be unified in a single theory. This link was confirmed by Isaac Newton of England and Gottfried Leibniz of Germany. For this achievement, we honor them as the discoverers of calculus. Newton links quadrature to rate of change We may view an object's velocity as the rate of change of its distance. Not all curves describe distance, but many curves allow for tangent lines. Thus, we speak of the rate of change of a curve from this point forward, unless the situation specifically describes motion. We finally meet Isaac Newton (England, born 1642), a thinker whose broad interests could have allowed any of several earlier introductions. He approximated π, identified undiscovered series, pioneered work in interpolation, and determined the mathematics that underlies gravity. In exercise (6.5) we will see how he overcame the difficulty of expanding expressions like ( a + e ) 1/2 using infinite sums. For that discovery alone, Newton would have earned a place in this story. His insights about quadrature and rate of change, however, promote him to central character, as reflected in the title given to his discovery: the fundamental theorem of calculus . Here is one side of this story: in Figure 6.1, curve ABC increases as we move left to right. Corresponding to motion along this curve is motion along the horizontal from A to D to E and so on.
Kinetic and electrochemical study of nitrile adducts of tetrachloro-bis (1,2-bis(diphenylphosphine)methane)dirhenium(II)

The addition of two nitrile ligands to the complex Re2Cl4-(dppm)2 (dppm= 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphine)methane)in CH2Cl2 solution has been investigated electrochemically. Upon addition of one equivalent of nitrile NCR (R = aromatic or aliphatic group) to the CH2Cl2/0.1mtetra-N-butylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBAH) solution, Re2Cl4(dppm)2(NCR) is formed immediately, without dissociation of chloride; electrochemical investigation indicates this nitrile addition is reversible upon oxidation of the dirhenium complex. On addition of two or more equivalents of nitrile, a slow ligand substitution takes place with addition of a second nitrile and concomitant loss of a chloride ion to form [Re2Cl3-(dppm)2(NCR)2]+. The rate of addition of nitrile to Re2Cl4(dppm)2(NCR) appears to depend on the electrondonating or electron-withdrawing abilities of the ligand. The change from monoadduct to diadduct was followed with differential pulse voltammetry for various concentrations of added nitrile. The addition was found to be first order in nitrile.
What I Did on My Summer Vacation: How to Manage 18 Adolescents for 10 Days in Cuba

Taking students to foreign locales for summer study abroad is hardly unique. Taking students to Cuba for summer study abroad almost qualifies for the unique category. This paper describes the experience of organizing, and executing just such a journey in the summer of 2012 relying on the good offices of a "specific license" holder, Witness for Peace, its in-country liaison, the Martin Luther King Center in the Marianao district of Havana, Cuba, the intelligent and observant behaviors of 18 college students, and a remarkably supportive set of university programs that provided guidance, structure, and financial support for all parties involved.
Influence of TP53 and CDH1 genes in hepatocellular cancer spheroid formation and culture: a model system to understand cancer cell growth mechanics

Spheroid based culture methods are gaining prominence to elucidate the role of the microenvironment in liver carcinogenesis. Additionally, the phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition also plays an important role in determining the metastatic potential of liver cancer. Tumor spheroids are thus important models to understand the basic biology of liver cancer. We cultured, characterized and examined the formation of compact 3-D micro-tumor spheroids in five hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, each with differing TP53 mutational status (wt vs mutant vs null). Spheroid viability and death was systematically measured over a course of a 10 day growth period using various assays. We also examined the TP53 and E-cadherin (CDH1) mRNA and protein expression status in each cell line of the 2-D and 3-D cell models. A novel finding of our study was the identification of variable 3-D spheroid morphology in individual cell lines, ranging from large and compact, to small and unstable spheroid morphologies. The observed morphological differences between the spheroids were robust and consistent over the duration of spheroid culture growth of 10 days in a repeatable manner. Highly variable CDH1 expression was identified depending on the TP53 mutational status of the individual HCC cell line, which may explain the variable spheroid morphology. We observed consistent patterns of TP53 and CDH1 expression in both 2-D and 3-D culture models. In conclusion, we show that 3-D spheroids are a useful model to determine the morphological growth characteristics of cell lines which are not immediately apparent in routine 2-D culture methods. 3-D culture methods may provide a better alternative to study the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) which is important in the process of liver cancer metastasis.
Theory of vector phase conjugation by two-photon-resonant degenerate four-wave mixing

We develop a semiclassical theory of phase conjugation by two-photon-resonant degenerate four-wave mixing. Our theory treats both the tensor nature of the interaction and the effects of saturation of the atomic system. Previous theories that include saturation effects have treated only the scalar case,1 while theories that include polarization properties have treated the problem only in lowest-order perturbation theory.2 We consider an S → S two-photon transition. This interaction is of Interest because it has been predicted theoretically2 and shown experimentally3 that in the limit of nonsaturating pump waves this interaction leads to the simultaneous conjugation of the wavefront and polarization of the incident probe wave (vector phase conjugation).
Physiological and Pathophysiological Regulation of Cytochrome P450

This article is a report on a symposium sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and held at the April 1998 Experimental Biology '98 meeting in San Francisco. The presentations focused on the mechanisms of regulation of cytochrome P450 gene expression by developmental factors and by hormones and cytokines, as well as on the interplay between physiological and chemical regulation. Approaches and systems used to address these questions included conditional gene knockouts in mice, primary hepatocyte cultures, immunofluorescence imaging of cells, and cell lines stably expressing reporter gene constructs.
Do individuals higher in impulsivity drink more impulsively? A pilot study within a high risk sample of young adults.

Abstract Extant literature has established a strong relation between individual differences in “impulsivity” and alcohol consumption. However, the relation between “impulsivity,” intentions-to-drink, and alcohol consumption has remained understudied. As a part of a larger study, 77 participants (60.5% female, 76.3% White, M age = 20.8) completed 10 days of daily diary reports regarding their intention to use alcohol and alcohol consumption. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to estimate within-person relations between intentions-to-drink and subsequent alcohol use. All models were adjusted for participant age, biological sex, and day of the week. Results showed a strong positive association between daily intention to consume alcohol and self-reported alcohol use ( β = 0.50, p
Environmental signatures and effects of an oil and gas wastewater spill in the Williston Basin, North Dakota.

Abstract Wastewaters from oil and gas development pose largely unknown risks to environmental resources. In January 2015, 11.4 M L (million liters) of wastewater (300 g/L TDS) from oil production in the Williston Basin was reported to have leaked from a pipeline, spilling into Blacktail Creek, North Dakota. Geochemical and biological samples were collected in February and June 2015 to identify geochemical signatures of spilled wastewaters as well as biological responses along a 44-km river reach. February water samples had elevated chloride (1030 mg/L) and bromide (7.8 mg/L) downstream from the spill, compared to upstream levels (11 mg/L and
A Stroke Mimic: Methotrexate-induced Neurotoxicity in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of childhood leukemia. The treatment of ALL involves multimodality therapy, and methotrexate (MTX) remains a mainstay of treatment. A complication of MTX therapy includes acute, subacute, and chronic neurotoxocity. Signs and symptoms may range from headaches, dizziness, and mood disorders to seizures and stroke-like symptoms. Case Report An 18-year-old woman with a history of ALL presented to the emergency department with acute onset of right-sided facial paralysis, right upper extremity flaccid paralysis, and right lower extremity weakness after receiving MTX therapy 3 days earlier. Diagnostic studies were unremarkable and the patient was treated with oral dextromethorphan for presumed MTX-induced neurotoxicity. The patient's symptoms began to improve within hours and she was discharged home within 48 hours with no neurologic deficits. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Emergency physicians should be aware of this complication of MTX therapy given the sensitivity in regards to time with respect to cerebral vascular accidents. An awareness of this complication in the setting of the appropriate history and physical examination can lead to an accurate diagnosis and intervention and the avoidance of administering thrombolytics.