cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of endolysosomes and pH in the pathogenesis and treatment of glioblastoma.

Background Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a Grade IV astrocytoma with an aggressive disease course and a uniformly poor prognosis. Pathologically, GBM is characterized by rapid development of primary tumors, diffuse infiltration into the brain parenchyma, and robust angiogenesis. The treatment options that are limited and largely ineffective include a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide. Recent findings Similar to many other forms of cancer, the extracellular environment near GBM tumors is acidified. Extracellular acidosis is particularly relevant to tumorgenesis and the concept of tumor cell dormancy because of findings that decreased pH reduces proliferation, increases resistance to apoptosis and autophagy, promotes tumor cell invasion, increases angiogenesis, obscures immune surveillance, and promotes resistance to drug and radio-treatment. Factors known to participate in the acidification process are nutrient starvation, oxidative stress, hypoxia and high levels of anaerobic glycolysis that lead to increases in lactate. Also involved are endosomes and lysosomes (hereafter termed endolysosomes), acidic organelles with highly regulated stores of hydrogen (H+) ions. Endolysosomes contain more than 60 hydrolases as well as about 50 proteins that are known to affect the number, sizes and distribution patterns of these organelles within cells. Recently, vacuolar ATPase (v-ATPase), the main proton pump that is responsible for maintaining the acidic environment in endolysosomes, was identified as a novel therapeutic target for glioblastoma. Conclusions Thus, a greater understanding of the role of endolysosomes in regulating cellular and extracellular acidity could result in a better elucidation of GBM pathogenesis and new therapeutic strategies.
Descriptive sensory analysis of heat-resistant milk chocolates

Sensory attributes of six heat-resistant chocolates were compared with the standard chocolate using a trained sensory panel who were trained using the Sensory Spectrum method. The panel evaluated the chocolates using three tactile and ten oral attributes at 24, 29, and 38°C. The panel demonstrated consistent rating of the various samples. ANOVA showed that all of the 13 sensory attributes (Firmness to touch, Stickiness to fingers, Snap, Abrasiveness, Hardness with incisors, Fracturability, Cohesiveness of mass, Time to melt, Firmness with tongue, Adhesiveness to teeth, Number of particles, Oily mouthcoating, and Chocolate messiness) were significantly different across the samples. A higher degree of heat resistance was identified by the panelists for the low-fat gelatin and polyol samples at 38°C. Principal component analysis revealed two principal components; the first pricipal component described the variability due to temperature, and the second principal component described the variability brought about by the various technologies.
The impact of incentives on treatment adherence and attrition: A randomized controlled trial of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with a primarily Latinx, low-income population

Abstract Advancements in the implementation of evidence-based family therapies have yielded successful reductions in child disruptive behavior. Unfortunately, effective interventions such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) are plagued with high rates of attrition and low rates of homework completion in community clinics. Objective To evaluate the use of low-cost incentives on attendance and homework adherence in PCIT in a community mental health center. Method Families referred for PCIT (N = 84; 63.1% Latinx) were randomly assigned to receive PCIT as usual or PCIT plus incentives. Families were able to earn incentives for attendance, homework completion, and therapeutic skill mastery. Results Attrition rates (59.5%) were reflective of other community-based intervention studies, with a significant reduction in no-show rates for families receiving incentives. No significant changes were found between groups on attainment of therapeutic skill mastery or number of sessions prior to termination. Families completed homework at low rates with no differences between groups. Conclusions Low-cost incentives largely did not impact meaningful outcomes for attendance in parent training, although no-shows were less likely. These findings suggest that adherence is a complex phenomenon requiring multi-faceted solutions.
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) as a Meta Model to Integrate Common Data Models: Development of a Tool and Quantitative Validation Study

Background: In a multisite clinical research collaboration, institutions may or may not use the same common data model (CDM) to store clinical data. To overcome this challenge, we proposed to use Health Level 7’s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) as a meta-CDM—a single standard to represent clinical data. Objective: In this study, we aimed to create an open-source application termed the Clinical Asset Mapping Program for FHIR (CAMP FHIR) to efficiently transform clinical data to FHIR for supporting source-agnostic CDM-to-FHIR mapping. Methods: Mapping with CAMP FHIR involves (1) mapping each source variable to its corresponding FHIR element and (2) mapping each item in the source data’s value sets to the corresponding FHIR value set item for variables with strict value sets. To date, CAMP FHIR has been used to transform 108 variables from the Informatics for Integrating Biology & the Bedside (i2b2) and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network data models to fields across 7 FHIR resources. It is designed to allow input from any source data model and will support additional FHIR resources in the future. Results: We have used CAMP FHIR to transform data on approximately 23,000 patients with asthma from our institution’s i2b2 database. Data quality and integrity were validated against the origin point of the data, our enterprise clinical data warehouse. Conclusions: We believe that CAMP FHIR can serve as an alternative to implementing new CDMs on a project-by-project basis. Moreover, the use of FHIR as a CDM could support rare data sharing opportunities, such as collaborations between academic medical centers and community hospitals. We anticipate adoption and use of CAMP FHIR to foster sharing of clinical data across institutions for downstream applications in translational research.
Quantitative Analysis of Infrared Spectra of Binary Alcohol + Cyclohexane Solutions with Quantum Chemical Calculations.

Hydrogen bonding has profound effects on the behavior of molecules. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy is the technique most commonly used to qualitatively identify hydrogen-bonding moieties p...
Kidney Histopathology and Prediction of Kidney Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective The use of kidney histopathology for predicting kidney failure is not established. We hypothesized that the use of histopathologic features of kidney biopsy specimens would improve prediction of clinical outcomes made using demographic and clinical variables alone. Study Design Retrospective cohort study and development of a clinical prediction model. Setting & Participants All 2,720 individuals from the Biopsy Biobank Cohort of Indiana who underwent kidney biopsy between 2002 and 2015 and had at least 2 years of follow-up. New Predictors & Established Predictors Demographic variables, comorbid conditions, baseline clinical characteristics, and histopathologic features. Outcomes Time to kidney failure, defined as sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤ 10 mL/min/1.73 m2. Analytical Approach Multivariable Cox regression model with internal validation by bootstrapping. Models including clinical and demographic variables were fit with the addition of histopathologic features. To assess the impact of adding a histopathology variable, the amount of variance explained (r2) and the C index were calculated. The impact on prediction was assessed by calculating the net reclassification index for each histopathologic variable and for all combined. Results Median follow-up was 3.1 years. Within 5 years of biopsy, 411 (15.1%) patients developed kidney failure. Multivariable analyses including demographic and clinical variables revealed that severe glomerular obsolescence (adjusted HR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.51-2.03), severe interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (adjusted HR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.52-2.59), and severe arteriolar hyalinosis (adjusted HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.14-2.05) were independently associated with the primary outcome. The addition of all histopathologic variables to the clinical model yielded a net reclassification index for kidney failure of 5.1% (P Limitations Selection bias from the use of clinically indicated biopsies and exclusion of patients with less than 2 years of follow-up, as well as reliance on surrogate indicators of kidney failure onset. Conclusions A model incorporating histopathologic features from kidney biopsy specimens improved prediction of kidney failure and may be valuable clinically. Future studies will be needed to understand whether even more detailed characterization of kidney tissue may further improve prognostication about the future trajectory of estimated glomerular filtration rate.
Time to Clinical Response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study.

Objectives: We investigated the time course of clinical response in the Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study (TEOSS). Methods: TEOSS randomized 119 predominantly outpatient youth ages 8-19 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to 8 weeks of treatment with molindone, risperidone, or olanzapine. We used proportional hazards regression to determine whether these three antipsychotics differed in the time until clinical response, defined as the time from treatment initiation to the point of achieving a Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) scale score of 1 ("very much improved") or 2 ("much improved") that was maintained until week 8. Results: Of the 116 youth who initiated treatment, 56 (48%) achieved clinical response. Among clinical responders, the median (±interquartile range) time until clinical response was 4.0 (±4.0) weeks for olanzapine, 4.5 (±4.0) weeks for risperidone, and 6.0 (±4.0) weeks for molindone. There were no significant differences in time course for clinical response between medications (p = 0.84). Youth without symptom improvement (CGI-I ≥ 4) after 3 weeks were more likely to be clinical nonresponders at week 8 (relative risk ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.29-3.05), compared with youth with at-least-minimal symptom improvement after 3 weeks when looking at all antipsychotics combined. Conclusion: To our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate medication differences in treatment response timing in early onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical response times for molindone, risperidone, and olanzapine were not significantly different. Furthermore, while lack of early improvement predicted clinical nonresponse, whether or not to continue antipsychotic treatment after 3 or more weeks without symptom improvement should be based on clinical judgment after weighing potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00053703.
Regulating the mechanical behavior of metamaterial microlattices by tactical structure modification

Abstract Microlattice structures possess properties imparted by the architected microstructure of their constituents (unit cells) and micro/nanofeatures rather than their bulk material properties. Post-processing techniques have revealed intriguing length scale effects, encompassing enhanced behavior or shape morphing of various structures. Although monolithic structures consisting of single unit cells have been successfully fabricated by advanced additive manufacturing techniques, such as multiphoton lithography, innovations towards the tactical architecture of localized failure and design-inherent controllable collapse have been fairly limited. Using as a point of reference the octet truss structure, we designed substitutional unit cells and slip-plane defect-like features inspired by crystalline materials. Through finite element analysis, we investigated how the directional effective stiffness of a material can be augmented and altered in predetermined orientations. Fabricating these structures by multiphoton laser lithography and testing them by in situ scanning electron microscopy-nanoindentation we discovered a remarkable enhancement of the structural integrity, stiffness, and strain energy density, emulating the corollaries of hardening bulk materials. In addition, we observed that these structures demonstrate localized plastic deformation and collapse, distinguishing their mechanical behavior from the conventional layer-by-layer collapse reported in previous studies. The nanofeatures detected in fractographies obtained by helium ion microscopy provided further insight into the collapse mechanisms of the structures. The present design methodology of strategically placed structural features yields architected microstructures with microlattice geometries that can be used to enhance and control the mechanical performance of metamaterial structures.
Testing the generality of an internal power theory of interpersonal violence across sex and race/ethnicity:

Recently, Wagers articulated a theory of internal power to explain intimate partner violence (IPV). Internal power is conceptualized as comprising five domains: self-concept clarity, self-esteem, s...
Simplified, standardized methods to assess the accuracy of clinical cancer staging.

Abstract Background Hospitals lack intuitive methods to monitor their accuracy of clinical cancer staging, which is critical to treatment planning, prognosis, refinements, and registering quality data. Methods We introduce a tabulation framework to compare clinical staging with the reference-standard pathological staging, and quantify systematic errors. As an example, we analyzed 9,644 2016 U.S. National Cancer Institute SEER surgically-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases, and computed concordance with different denominators to compare with incompatible past results. Results The concordance for clinical versus pathological lymph node N-stage is very good, 83.4 ± 1.0%, but the tumor length-location T-stage is only 58.1 ± 0.9%. There are intuitive insights to the causes of discordance. Approximately 29% of the cases are pathological T-stage greater than clinical T-stage, and 12% lower than the clinical T-stage, which is due partly to the fact that surgically-treated NSCLC are typically lower-stage cancer cases, which results in a bounded higher probability for pathological upstaging. Individual T-stage categories Tis, T1a, T1b, T2a, T2b, T3, T4 invariant percent-concordances are 85.2 ± 9.7 + 10.3%; 72.7 ± 1.6 + 11.3%; 46.6 ± 1.8 + 10.9%; 54.6 ± 1.6 – 20.5%; 41.6 ± 3.3 – 0.1%; 54.7 ± 2.8 – 24.1%; 55.2 ± 4.7 + 2.6%, respectively. Each percent-concordance is referenced to an averaged number of pathological and clinical cases. The first error number quantifies statistical fluctuations; the second quantifies clinical and pathological staging biases. Lastly, comparison of over and under staging versus clinical characteristics provides further insights. Conclusions Clinical NSCLC staging accuracy and concordance with pathological values can improve. As a first step, the framework enables standardizing comparing staging results and detecting possible problem areas. Cancer hospitals and registries can implement the efficient framework to monitor staging accuracy.
Hypopharyngeal toothpick-induced granuloma mimicking a pyriform sinus malignancy

Abstract Adult foreign body ingestion is a common event. Here we present a case of toothpick ingestion resulting in a granulomatous reaction mimicking a piriform sinus malignancy. A 55-year-old male nonsmoker presented with a 3-month history of left sided neck pain, odynophagia and dysphagia. CT revealed a heterogeneous enhancement in the left piriform sinus. Direct laryngoscopy was performed, and biopsy of the mass revealed acute/chronic inflammation and granulation tissue with presence of a plant-based substance consistent with a toothpick. No evidence of malignancy was appreciated. Follow up CT scan at 5 months showed complete resolution of the mass.
Book Sharing With AAC Over Telepractice: A Tutorial:

Telepractice offers speech-language pathologists (SLPs) increased flexibility to support language development, including emergent literacy in clients with complex communication needs. However, clin...
Continuous digit recognition using coarse phonetic segmentation

This paper describes a robust speaker dependent continuous digit recognition system which runs in real time on a 16-bit micro-processor. An important design goal was the efficient use of available processing resources. The decision-making steps are ordered according to the degree of difficulty and the amount of processing required. The system uses dynamic time alignment only selectively and locally, relying on lexical constraints imposed in the form of coarse phonetic transcription and a preclassification step which does not require costly time warping in pattern matching. The system achieved 96.5% string accuracy and 99.1% digit accuracy on 540 digit strings (average length of 4 digits) collected from six speakers (4 male, 2 female).
A Survey on the Communication Protocols and Security in Cognitive Radio Networks

A cognitive radio (CR) is a radio that can change its transmission parameters based on the perceived availability of the spectrum bands in its operating environment. CRs support dynamic spectrum access and can facilitate a secondary unlicensed user to efficiently utilize the available underutilized spectrum allocated to the primary licensed users. A cognitive radio network (CRN) is composed of both the secondary users with CR-enabled radios and the primary users whose radios need not be CR-enabled. Most of the active research conducted in the area of CRNs has been so far focused on spectrum sensing, allocation and sharing. There is no comprehensive review paper available on the strategies for medium access control (MAC), routing and transport layer protocols, and the appropriate representative solutions for CRNs. In this paper, we provide an exhaustive analysis of the various techniques/mechanisms that have been proposed in the literature for communication protocols (at the MAC, routing and transport layers), in the context of a CRN, as well as discuss in detail several security attacks that could be launched on CRNs and the countermeasure solutions that have been proposed to avoid or mitigate them. This paper would serve as a good comprehensive review and analysis of the strategies for MAC, routing and transport protocols and security issues for CRNs as well as would lay a strong foundation for someone to further delve onto any particular aspect in greater depth.
Quantum lattice-gas model for the Burgers equation

A quantum algorithm is presented for modeling the time evolution of a continuous field governed by the nonlinear Burgers equation in one spatial dimension. It is a microscopic-scale algorithm for a type-II quantum computer, a large lattice of small quantum computers interconnected in nearest neighbor fashion by classical communication channels. A formula for quantum state preparation is presented. The unitary evolution is governed by a conservative quantum gate applied to each node of the lattice independently. Following each quantum gate operation, ensemble measurements over independent microscopic realizations are made resulting in a finite-difference Boltzmann equation at the mesoscopic scale. The measured values are then used to re-prepare the quantum state and one time step is completed. The procedure of state preparation, quantum gate application, and ensemble measurement is continued ad infinitum. The Burgers equation is derived as an effective field theory governing the behavior of the quantum computer at its macroscopic scale where both the lattice cell size and the time step interval become infinitesimal. A numerical simulation of shock formation is carried out and agrees with the exact analytical solution.
The acid hydrolysis of glycosides : IX. Hydrolysis of two aldotriouronic acids derived from a (4-O-methylglucurono)xylan

Abstract Kinetic data have been determined for the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the xylosidic bond in 2- O -(4- O -methyl-α- D -glucopyranosyluronic acid)xylobiose, 2′- O -(4- O -methyl-α- D -glucopyranosyluronic acid)xylobiose, and 2′ O -(4- O -methyl-α- D -glucopyranosyl)xylobiose. Xylobiose is hydrolyzed 1.2, 7.0, and 3.4 times as fast as the above compounds, respectively, indicating the stabilizing effect of the 4- O -methyl- D -glucuronic acid residue. The lower rate of hydrolysis of the xylosidic bond in the trisaccharides is attributed to conformational and steric effects. There is no evidence for the existence of any “activating inductive effect”, postulated by earlier investigators.
Designating Health Care Decision-Makers for Patients Without Advance Directives: A Psychological Critique

States' default surrogate statutes allow family or friends to make health care decisions for incapacitated patients who lack advance directives. Although such statutes are commonly justified on the grounds that they honor the wishes of incapacitated persons, our review of empirical research on surrogate decision-making challenges this justification. We find that default surrogate statutes do a reasonable job of capturing majority preferences for health care decision-making processes, but do not ensure that patients receive the treatment they would have selected for themselves if able. Rather, surrogates appointed under default surrogate statutes can be expected to frequently make treatment choices that are inconsistent with patient preferences. Nevertheless, in the absence of better alternatives, default surrogate statutes play an important role in the American health care system. We therefore urge states to consider certain statutory changes that would improve the ability of such statutes to effectuate patient wishes. We also identify several avenues for further empirical research that could help to improve the accuracy of surrogate decision-making.
Synthesis of poly(tin ethers) employing alkoxides

The synthesis of some poly(tin ethers) according to the following route is described The number average polymerization degrees range from 78 to 1400. Die Synthese einiger Poly-(zinnather) wird beschrieben, und zwar durch die in der Summary wiedergegebene Reaktion. Die mittleren Polymerisationsgrade liegen im Bereich von 78 bis 1400.
Lexical Functional Grammar

Background and Theoretical Assumptions Functional Structure Constituent Structure Syntactic Correspondences Describing Syntactic Structures Syntactic Relations and Syntactic Constraints Beyond Syntax: Nonsyntactic Structures Argument Structure and Mapping Theory Meaning and Semantic Composition Modification Anaphora Functional and Anaphoric Control Coordination Long-Distance Dependencies Related Research Threads and New Directions Appendix: Proof Rules for Linear Logic Bibliography Author Index Language Index Subject Index
A Unified Theory of Party Competition: Factors Influencing the Link between Party Strategy and the Variables Affecting Voter Choice: Theoretical Results

Introduction In this chapter, we formalize the intuitions developed in the illustrative examples presented in Chapter 3 by analyzing how changes in both policy and nonpolicy variables affect vote-seeking candidates' incentives to present centrist versus extreme policy positions in multicandidate elections. A technique that can calculate Nash equilibria for our fully specified unified model, as well as the proof of a uniqueness theorem for Nash equilibria, are presented in Appendix 4.1. This algorithm is used to calculate Nash equilibria throughout this volume. Theorem proofs for other results described in this chapter and simulation results are found in Appendices 4.2–4.4. The relatively technical material in this chapter may be skipped by readers who wish to focus on the empirical analyses in Chapters 5–9 and beyond. Following Cox (1990), we define centripetal incentives as those that motivate candidates and parties to present centrist policies, and centrifugal incentives as those that reward more extreme positions (we will later define the terms “centrist” and “extreme” more precisely). We restrict ourselves here to a model in which voters are influenced only by policies and party identification, and we first present a theorem on the configurations of candidates' vote-maximizing positions in situations where policies have low salience to the electorate. We then develop, for scenarios in which policies are more salient to voters, a combined theoretical and simulation analysis that expresses each candidate's Nash equilibrium position as a function of the election parameters. Although our analyses can be extended to multidimensional spatial models – and/or to models incorporating abstention – we present ourwork in the context of a single (Left–Right) dimension in order to focus on the basic effects of election parameters on candidates' centrifugal) incentives.
Autologous Tumor Lysate-pulsed Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy for Pediatric Patients with Newly Diagnosed or Recurrent High-grade Gliomas

Immunotherapy has the potential to improve clinical outcomes with little toxicity for pediatric patients with brain tumors. We conducted a pilot feasibility study of tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cell (DC) vaccination in pediatric patients (1 to 18 years old) with newly diagnosed or recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG). A total of nine DC vaccine doses, each containing 1 × 10(6) cells per dose were administered to three out of the seven originally enrolled patients. Toxicities were limited to mild side-effects, except in one case of elevated alkaline phosphatase, which resolved without clinical consequences. Two patients with primary lesions amongst the three vaccinated were alive at the time of writing, both without evidence of disease. Pre- and post-vaccination tumor samples from a patient with an anaplastic oligoastrocytoma that recurred failed to demonstrate immune cell infiltration by immunohistochemistry. Peripheral cytokine levels were evaluated in one patient following DC vaccination and demonstrated some changes in relation to vaccination. DC vaccine is tolerable and feasible with some limitations for pediatric patients with HGG. Dendritic cell based immunotherapy may provide some clinical benefit in pediatric patients with glioma, especially for patients with minimal residual disease, but further investigation of this modality is required.
Amazonian Kichwa Proper: Ethnolinguistic Domain in Pan‐Indian Ecuador

Pan-Indian organizing and language standardization are key strategies for indigenous activists advancing cultural legitimacy in the contemporary Latin American sociopolitical order. Planned ethnolinguistic unification by Kichwa activists in Ecuador is paradoxically fueling ethnogenesis among Amazonian Kichwas who see language standardization as a threat to a uniquely indigenous identity that is manifest in local Kichwa dialect. This essay examines the accomplishment of this ongoing ethnogenesis through discourses of linguistic differentiation, suggesting (1) reconsideration of reactionary ethnolinguistic boundary-drawing under the new Latin American indigenous order, and (2) renewed linguistic anthropological focus on dialects as political resources for objectifying and protecting vernacular identities. [ethnic identity, Kichwa language, dialect, Amazonia, Ecuador]
Breaking Good and Bad News: Face-Implicating Concerns as Mediating the Relationship Between News Valence and Hesitation to Share the News

Explanations for the hesitation to share bad news (i.e., the MUM effect) have emerged largely absent of an organizing theoretical framework. The current article aims to recast these explanations in terms of the face-related concerns senders anticipate when sharing bad news. Specifically, we questioned whether face-related concerns mediate the link between the valence of the news and the psychological reluctance and behavioral hesitation that are subsequently triggered in senders. Two samples (Ns = 138, 229) using different experimental methodologies revealed data consistent with mediation for two different concerns (fear of distressing the target, desire to avoid a negative mood). Implications for MUM effect research and limitations are discussed.
Pneumonia Caused by Gram-Negative Bacilli: An Overview

Colonization of the oropharynx by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and enteric gram-negative bacilli in acutely ill or debilitated patients, alcoholics, diabetics, and persons with chronic bronchitis may lead to pneumonia. Although gram staining of sputum may provide immediate etiologic clues, the diagnosis is proven only by isolation of the pathogen from blood or pleural fluid or by various invasive techniques since expectorated specimens from highly susceptible patients are often contaminated with aerobic gram-negative bacilli colonizing the oropharynx. However, restricting the definition of cases to those involving empyema or bacteremia results in an underestimation of incidence. Combination therapy with a beta-lactam antibiotic plus an aminoglycoside is commonly recommended for gram-negative bacillary pneumonia because (1) the patients involved are usually debilitated and immunocompromised; (2) mortality is high; and (3) the spectrum of antibacterial activity is increased, emergence of resistance may be retarded, and synergistic activity may result. For example, a third-generation cephem antibiotic plus an aminoglycoside can be used for initial treatment of community-acquired gram-negative bacillary pneumonia, and piperacillin or azlocillin plus amikacin can be used for initial treatment of nosocomial infection in which P. aeruginosa or some other antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacillus is more likely to be involved.
Evidence That in Uncontrolled Diabetes, Hyperglucagonemia Is Required for Ketosis but Not for Increased Hepatic Glucose Production or Hyperglycemia

Several lines of evidence implicate excess glucagon secretion in the elevated rates of hepatic glucose production (HGP), hyperglycemia, and ketosis characteristic of uncontrolled insulin-deficient diabetes (uDM), but whether hyperglucagonemia is required for hyperglycemia in this setting is unknown. To address this question, adult male Wistar rats received either streptozotocin (STZ) to induce uDM (STZ-DM) or vehicle and remained nondiabetic. Four days later, animals received daily subcutaneous injections of either the synthetic GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide in a dose-escalating regimen to reverse hyperglucagonemia or its vehicle for 10 days. As expected, plasma glucagon levels were elevated in STZ-DM rats, and although liraglutide treatment lowered glucagon levels to those of nondiabetic controls, it failed to attenuate diabetic hyperglycemia, elevated rates of glucose appearance (Ra), or increased hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression. In contrast, it markedly reduced levels of both plasma ketone bodies and hepatic expression of the rate-limiting enzyme involved in ketone body production. To independently confirm this finding, in a separate study, treatment of STZ-DM rats with a glucagon-neutralizing antibody was sufficient to potently lower plasma ketone bodies but failed to normalize elevated levels of either blood glucose or Ra. These data suggest that in rats with uDM, hyperglucagonemia is required for ketosis but not for increased HGP or hyperglycemia.
Measurement of the chemical diffusion coefficient of oxygen in mixed conductors by a solid state electrochemical method

Abstract The chemical diffusion coefficient of oxygen in two technologically important mixed conducting perovskite bronzes was measured by the potentiostatic step method in a solid state electrochemical cell arrangement. This technique involved the use of a stabilized-zirconia solid electrolyte to act both as a pump and a sensor for oxygen. The diffusion coefficient of oxygen in (La0.79Sr0.20) MnO3−y was found to be of the order of 10−7 cm2/s at 700°C and 10−6 cm2/s 860°C in the oxygen partial pressure range 0.21 atm to 10−8 atm. Preliminary measurements on YBa2Cu3O7−x and (La0.50Sr0.50)MnO3−y yielded values of 5×10−8 cm2/s at 800°C and 2×10−8 cm2/s at 840°C, respectively.
Ca2+-Permeable Channels in the Plasma Membrane of Arabidopsis Pollen Are Regulated by Actin Microfilaments

Cytosolic free Ca2+ and actin microfilaments play crucial roles in regulation of pollen germination and tube growth. The focus of this study is to test the hypothesis that Ca2+ channels, as well as channel-mediated Ca2+ influxes across the plasma membrane (PM) of pollen and pollen tubes, are regulated by actin microfilaments and that cytoplasmic Ca2+ in pollen and pollen tubes is consequently regulated. In vitro Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) pollen germination and tube growth were significantly inhibited by Ca2+ channel blockers La3+ or Gd3+ and F-actin depolymerization regents. The inhibitory effect of cytochalasin D (CD) or cytochalasin B (CB) on pollen germination and tube growth was enhanced by increasing external Ca2+. Ca2+ fluorescence imaging showed that addition of actin depolymerization reagents significantly increased cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels in pollen protoplasts and pollen tubes, and that cytoplasmic Ca2+ increase induced by CD or CB was abolished by addition of Ca2+ channel blockers. By using patch-clamp techniques, we identified the hyperpolarization-activated inward Ca2+ currents across the PM of Arabidopsis pollen protoplasts. The activity of Ca2+-permeable channels was stimulated by CB or CD, but not by phalloidin. However, preincubation of the pollen protoplasts with phalloidin abolished the effects of CD or CB on the channel activity. The presented results demonstrate that the Ca2+-permeable channels exist in Arabidopsis pollen and pollen tube PMs, and that dynamic actin microfilaments regulate Ca2+ channel activity and may consequently regulate cytoplasmic Ca2+.
Building Next Generation Video Game Collections in Academic Libraries.

Most academic libraries do not yet have gaming collections, let alone gaming services and facilities that support the unique and growing teaching and research needs of campus environments. Academic libraries in particular need to start thinking about developing the next generation of gaming collections and services. This article examines the experiences in developing an academic library gaming initiative at a large research university, and works towards identifying the questions academic libraries need to be asking and the issues that need investigating in order to map out a path for developing next generation gaming collections that will meet the needs of academic instructors and researchers in the coming decade, and take advantage of the unique opportunities gaming and gaming technology provide.
Sorting through photos

Teaching computers to understand pictures could lead to search engines capable of identifying and organizing large datasets of visual information.
Exposure to excessive parenteral Zn and/or cisplatin affects trace element metabolism and enzyme activities in reproductive tissues and kidney of male rats

Abstract Cisplatin (CDDP) is a platinum coordination compound with antineoplastic properties. Cisplatin chemotherapy is known to cause serious damage to the kidney tubules and to the germinal epithelium of the testis. Results of recent investigations suggest that pretreatment with parenteral Zn will prevent some of the damage in these tissues. The present study determined the effects of pretreatment with large doses of parenteral Zn on trace element metabolism and enzyme activity in CDDP-treated rats. Treating young male rats (200 g) with intraperitoneal injections of 90 mg Zn/kg body weight prior to CDDP treatment (3 mg/kg body weight for 3 days) did not inhibit kidney damage; confirmed by elevated area and creatinine concentrations in serum of CDDP-treated rats. Serum and testicular testosterone concentrations were significantly lower in CDDP-treated rats than controls, which suggests Leydig cell damage. Zn treatment did not, however, alleviate this effect. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme activity was significantly elevated in the kidney by Zn treatment, activities in the testis and epididymis were not affected. Contrary to the suggestions that high parenteral Zn treatment protects kidneys and testes from damage, this study shows no such positive effects. However, the study demonstrated that treating rats with high concentrations of Zn and/or CDDP caused numerous changes in tissue concentrations of zinc, copper, and iron and in the activities of Zn-dependent as well as non-Zn-dependent membrane-bound enzymes.
Characterizing the shape of anatomical structures with Poisson's equation

Poisson's equation, a fundamental partial differential equation in classical physics, has a number of properties that are interesting for shape analysis. In particular, the equipotential sets of the solution graph become smoother as the potential increases. We use the displacement map, the length of the streamlines formed by the gradient field of the solution, to measure the "complexity" (or smoothness) of the equipotential sets, and study its behavior as the potential increases. We believe that this function complexity=f(potential), which we call the shape characteristic, is a very natural way to express shape. Robust algorithms are presented to compute the solution to Poisson's equation, the displacement map, and the shape characteristic. We first illustrate our technique on two-dimensional synthetic examples and natural silhouettes. We then perform two shape analysis studies on three-dimensional neuroanatomical data extracted from magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain. In the first study, we investigate changes in the caudate nucleus in Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) and confirm previously published results on this structure . In the second study, we present a data set of caudate nuclei of premature infants with asymmetric white matter injury. Our method shows structural shape differences that volumetric measurements were unable to detect
Specific gravity and cultivar effects on potato tuber impact sensitivity

This work investigated the influence of specific gravity on the impact sensitivity of individual potato tubers from three cultivars (Russet Burbank, Snowden and Atlantic). Specific gravity and impact sensitivity are both important quality measures in the potato industry. The two impact sensitivity measures used were: constant-height multiple-impacting (CHMI) of whole tubers to determine bruise volume, bruise energy, and bruise resistance; dynamic axial compression (DAC) of tuber tissue samples to determine failure stress, failure strain, shockwave speed, and predicted bruise threshold using a static prediction equation. The experiment was repeated the following year using only Russet Burbank tubers, with similar but less definitive results. That specific gravity variation in these experiments was natural and not achieved through dehydration. The results show that higher specific gravity tubers were more sensitive to impacts in the Russet Burbank and Atlantic cultivars, which showed lower bruise resistance and lower bruise thresholds with increasing specific gravity. Snowden showed higher bruise threshold, but lower bruise resistance with increasing specific gravity. A recently developed mathematical model was used to predict bruise threshold from tissue failure properties, tuber size, and tuber radius of curvature at the impact point.
Model rocket engine burn injuries: The need for stricter regulation

During the 18-year period from 1975 to 1992, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database received reports of 18 burn injuries caused by model rocketry sets and their engines. Children in the age range of 11 to 15 years, who frequently use the products inappropriately, are the pediatric population most at risk. Unfortunately, current regulations do not impose age restrictions on the purchase or use of these products; consequently, the industry sets its own age limits. The current regulations appear to be inadequate and need to be altered to cover the population at risk. Specific recommendations include imposing an adequate age limit and improving the labelling of these products. Two case reports are presented that exemplify the typical burn injuries sustained from model rocket engine accidents.
The impact of duration on management's discount rate choice

Abstract Previous research finds that firms increase their assumed discount rates to minimize their reported pension benefit obligation. This paper demonstrates that firms whose pension plans have short durations lower their discount rates (rather than increase them), since a lower discount rate decreases their pension expense. These results are especially relevant in the present climate of low interest rates and more firms freezing their defined benefit pension plans, thereby shortening the duration of their obligations. Given its importance in shaping management motivation we believe that firms should be required to disclose the duration of their future obligations.
“So What's Up?”: Using the Discourse Marker So to Launch Conversational Business

In this article, I use conversation analytic methods to analyze interactional junctures in which transitions to the first conversational topic are accomplished. I examine several ways in which parties in ordinary (and especially telephone) conversations coordinate the launching of first “talkables,” focusing specifically on environments in which such moves are delayed. I observed that many such moves are prefaced with the discourse marker so suggesting that it plays an important role at this interactional juncture. In the article, I demonstrate that the underlying meaning of so as a marker of “emergence from incipiency” serves to characterize the upcoming action as introducing the conversation's first intended topic—something that was projected by the very act of initiating the contact and oriented to by participants as having been pending or incipient. In addition to mundane telephone conversations, I briefly examine several institutional encounters to explore how so gets deployed for introducing institu...
Deperturbation and assignment of the vibronically tangled spectrum of pyrene in a biphenyl matrix

Abstract We apply the technique of the Green's function to the vibronically tangled spectrum of pyrene in a biphenyl matrix. We can deperturb the spectrum mathematically and readily assign the resulting weighted density of states. The analysis is reasonably successful and agrees with ground-state data and estimates of the excited-state frequencies previously made by others.
New Metabolizable Immunologic Adjuvant for Human Use. 4. Development of Highly Purified Influenza Virus Vaccine in Adjuvant 65

SummaryThe development and animal testing of a bivalent influenza virus vaccine in immunologic adjuvant 65 employing a new highly purified viral antigen is described. The enhancement of serologic response to the highly purified viral antigen in adjuvant was as great as achieved heretofore with ordinary Sharpies or protamine-concentrated vaccines used with the adjuvant. Influenza vaccines in adjuvant 65 which were stored at 4°C for periods from 9 to 41 months retained their full antigenic potency and did not acquire toxicity as measured in the guinea pig dermal and mouse peritoneal toxicity assays. The new purified vaccine offers an advantage in reducing the amount of extraneous egg al-lantoic protein in the vaccine thereby affording less chance for allergic sensitization.
Structural analysis of proteins by capillary HPLC electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Capillary high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with on-line ultraviolet detection was coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. Protein tryptic digests were analyzed at sample levels as low as 800 fmol. Collision-activated dissociation was used to obtain amino acid sequence information on peptides at the 5 pmol level. Protein spotted on to nitrocellulose membrance was digested with trypsin and the resultant peptide mixture was analyzed by capillary HPLC—MS. A deoxynucleotide binding protein isolated by affinity chromatography and sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was digested in situ and analyzed using this system. The methodology presented in this paper offers a high sensitivity, high throughput strategy for analyzing the primary structure of proteins.
Influence of an external electric field on the microstructure of superplastically deformed 7475 Al

An externally applied electric field retarded strain-enhanced grain growth and promoted dynamic recrystallization during superplastic deformation of 7475 Al. Also, a more extensive dispersoid-free zone was observed in specimens deformed in the electric field, suggesting that the electric field increased the contribution of diffusion creep to superplastic deformation. The electric field promoted the coarsening of dispersoids, especially in the vicinity of the grain boundaries. Possible mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed.
Significance of Transcranial Doppler CO2 Reactivity Measurements for the Diagnosis of Hemodynamically Relevant Carotid Obstructions

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography can be used to determine CO2 reactivity in the large basal cerebral arteries. CO2 reactivity is expressed as percentage increase of mean flow velocity above one volume percent of CO2, using a reference value of 40 mmHg pCO2 normalized autoregulatory reserve. A normalized autoregulatory value of 15 as the lower limit of the normal range clearly separates patients with internal carotid artery obstructions greater than or equal to 70% from the control group. Stenoses of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery of greater than or equal to 70% result in a significant decrease of normalized autoregulatory reserve in the middle cerebral artery, which can be normalized by removal of the upstream flow obstacle using a carotid thromboendarterectomy. The scatter of normalized autoregulatory values in severe internal carotid obstructions indicates the variability of collateral circulation A retrospective comparison of normalized autoregulatory reserve and ipsilateral ischemic symptoms in the supply area of the internal carotid artery reveals a significant correlation between clinical symptoms and reduced normalized autoregulatory reserve.
The Fem1c genes: conserved members of the Fem1 gene family in vertebrates

The fem-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans functions in a signaling pathway that controls sex determination. Homologs of fem-1 in mammals have been characterized, consisting of two family members, Fem1a and Fem1b. We report here on Fem1c, a third member of the Fem1 gene family, in three vertebrate species: human, mouse, and zebrafish. The proteins encoded by these Fem1c genes share >99% amino acid identity between human and mouse, 79% amino acid identity between mouse and zebrafish, and end with a C-terminal Arginine residue, which distinguishes them from other FEM-1 proteins reported thus far. The human and mouse Fem1c coding regions show conservation of intron-exon structure and expression pattern in adult tissues. Human FEM1C maps to 5q22, mouse Fem1c maps to chromosome 18, and zebrafish fem1c maps to Linkage Group 8. The Fem1c genes in vertebrates may play a conserved role in the development and/or physiologic function of these organisms.