cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast sonography to guide cyst aspiration and wire localization of occult solid lesions

Sonography is unable to replace x-ray mammography in the detection of early-stage clinically occult breast cancer. Despite its inability to differentiate solid benign from malignant masses sufficiently well to avoid biopsy, an important adjunctive role has been defined. Sonography can be used to guide the aspiration of cysts that could not be drained clinically and in so doing obviate surgery to remove these lesions. In addition, in selected patients it can guide the placement of wire guides for the surgical removal of clinically occult lesions. The results of 43 sonographically guided interventional procedures in the breast are discussed. In 35 of 38 sonographically guided cyst aspirations, fluid was obtained, including 11 patients in whom there had been unsuccessful clinical attempts. In five additional patients with indeterminate solid lesions and negative aspirations, sonography was successfully used for preoperative wire placement.
A scalable optoelectronic neural system using free-space optical interconnects

The design of a scalable, fully connected 3-D optoelectronic neural system that uses free-space optical interconnects with silicon-VLSI-based hybrid optoelectronic circuits is proposed. The system design uses a hardware-efficient combination of pulsewidth-modulating optoelectronic neurons and pulse-amplitude-modulating electronic synapses. Low-area, high-linear-dynamic-range analog synapse and neuron circuits are proposed. SPICE circuit simulations and an experimental demonstration of the free-space optical interconnection system are included. >
Spatially resolved tunable diode-laser absorption measurements of CO using optical Stark shifting.

A tunable diode laser has been applied in optical Stark-modulated absorption spectroscopy to provide spatially resolved concentration measurements of CO. A cw IR probe beam from the diode laser was crossed with a nonresonant high-intensity beam from a Nd:YAG laser to generate a Stark-induced change in absorption in the crossing volume. The optical Stark-modulated absorption spectra were calculated showing the influence of experimental parameters including partial pressure of CO, total absorption path length, and intensity of the perturbing beam. The technique was demonstrated in a premixed atmospheric CH4–air flame and in a room temperature absorption cell, and good agreement was found between experiment and theoretical calculations. Thus far a spatial resolution of 0.5 cm has been achieved for time-averaged measurements of CO flame mole fractions of a few percent. Further improvements in the system should enable measurements of CO levels approaching 0.1% in flames with spatial resolution in the mm range and temporal resolution of 10 nsec.
A Comparison of Two Cotton Cultivars Differing in Maturity for Within-Canopy Fiber Property Variation

ABSTRACTImproving uniformity in cotton ( Gossypium hirsu-tum L.) fi ber properties increases fi ber process-ing performance. Our objective was to compare two cultivars differing in relative maturity for within-canopy variability of fi ber physical prop-erties and fi ber surface chemical constituents. The cultivars (DPL 555 BG/RR [mid-full maturity] and PM 1218 BG/RR [early maturity]) were grown in plots on a Goldsboro loamy sand in 2004 and 2005. Fiber physical properties and extractable glucose and salts were determined on fi rst (FP1) and second (FP2) reproductive branch posi-tion bolls. Whole-crop yield and fi ber properties were determined after machine harvest. The two cultivars did not differ for whole-crop yield (2-yr mean of 1040 kg ha –1 ) in either year. Averaged over all mainstem node positions, DPL 555 had fi bers that were longer and fi ner than fi ber of PM 1218 in both years. PM 1218 had higher fi ber glucose and fi ber extract conductivity than DPL 555 among FP1 bolls both years. First-branch-position bolls that developed early during a prolonged rain-free period in 2005 had shorter fi bers that were coarser than bolls that began developing near the end of the rain-free period. The data suggest water-defi cit stress conditions during boll development affects fi ber length of these two cultivars similarly, but water-defi cit stress effect on fi ber secondary wall character-istics is genotype dependent.P.J. Bauer, USDA-ARS Coastal Plains Soil, Water, and Plant Research Center, 2611 W. Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501-1242; J.A. Foulk and G.R. Gamble, USDA-ARS Cotton Quality Research Station, Clem-son, SC 29631; E.J. Sadler, USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, Columbia, MO 65211. Mention of a trade name, proprietary product, or specifi c equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USDA and does not imply approval of a product to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. Received 20 June 2008. *Corresponding author (phil.bauer@ars.usda.gov).
Neuro-fuzzy control using self-organizing neural nets

This paper discusses a new approach to design a fuzzy logic control system, based on the self-organizing map (SOM) neural network. SOM is used to generate multivariate fuzzy state space from system's input-output data through unsupervised training. The trained SOM is then used as a part of an inference mechanism for a fuzzy logic controller. The proposed method is compared with other fuzzy neural network approaches. Sample data from a chemical plant is used to demonstrate the technique. >
Dioxygen Activation at Non-Heme Diiron Centers: Oxidation of a Proximal Residue in the I100w Variant of Toluene/O-Xylene Monooxygenase Hydroxylase

At its carboxylate-bridged diiron active site, the hydroxylase component of toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase activates dioxygen for subsequent arene hydroxylation. In an I100W variant of this enzyme, we characterized the formation and decay of two species formed by addition of dioxygen to the reduced, diiron(II) state by rapid-freeze quench (RFQ) EPR, Mossbauer, and ENDOR spectroscopy. The dependence of the formation and decay rates of this mixed-valent transient on pH and the presence of phenol, propylene, or acetylene was investigated by double-mixing stopped-flow optical spectroscopy. Modification of the α-subunit of the hydroxylase after reaction of the reduced protein with dioxygen-saturated buffer was investigated by tryptic digestion coupled mass spectrometry. From these investigations, we conclude that (i) a diiron(III,IV)−W• transient, kinetically linked to a preceding diiron(III) intermediate, arises from the one-electron oxidation of W100, (ii) the tryptophan radical is deprotonated, (iii) rapid ...
Smoking, Alcohol, and Neuromuscular and Physical Function of Older Women

Objective. —To determine the associations of current and lifetime smoking and alcohol use with physical function in an older population. Design. —Survey. Setting. —Four clinic centers in the United States. Participants. —A total of 9704 community-dwelling, ambulatory white women 65 years or older recruited from four areas of the United States. Main Outcome Measures. —Twelve performance tests of muscle strength, agility and coordination, gait and balance, and self-reported functional status. Results. —Compared with women who never smoked, current smokers had significantly poorer function on all of the performance measures except grip strength after adjusting for age, history of stroke, body mass index, clinic site, physical activity, and alcohol use ( P P Conclusions. —In this population, women who currently smoke are weaker and have poorer balance and poorer performance on measures of integrated physical function than nonsmokers. Smoking is associated with a decline in physical function. Current moderate drinkers have better physical function compared with nondrinkers, but associations of function with heavy drinkers could not be assessed. ( JAMA . 1994;272:1825-1831)
Fringe visibility performance evaluation for long baseline stellar interferometers with adaptive optics

Long baseline stellar interferometers have been considered an essential tool in studying astrophysics; however, fringe visibilities for stellar interferometers with large apertures are often corrupted by atmospheric turbulence. To reduce the atmospheric turbulence effect, adaptive optics may be used to enhance fringe visibility for stellar interferometers with aperture sizes larger than the atmospheric coherence length. Fringe visibility performance evaluation for long baseline stellar interferometers with and without adaptive optics is presented in this paper. The methodologies used in this paper are described as follows: the optical transfer function for stellar interferometers with large apertures is derived first; then, performance metrics, coherence loss factor and Strehl ratio, are defined. Finally, fringe visibility performance with and without adaptive optics for different turbulent strengths is evaluated using computer simulation results. We show that Noll's mean square residual phase error can be used to compare the coherence loss factor of an interferometer with the Strehl ratio of a single telescope.
Transgenic overexpression of GLUT1 in mouse glomeruli produces renal disease resembling diabetic glomerulosclerosis

Previous work identified an important role for hyperglycemia in diabetic nephropathy (The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group. N Engl J Med 329: 977–986, 1993; UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group. Lancet 352: 837–853, 1998), and increased glomerular GLUT1 has been implicated. However, the roles of GLUT1 and intracellular glucose have not been determined. Here, we developed transgenic GLUT1-overexpressing mice (GT1S) to characterize the roles of GLUT1 and intracellular glucose in the development of glomerular disease without diabetes. GLUT1 was overexpressed in glomerular mesangial cells (MC) of C57BL6 mice, a line relatively resistant to diabetic nephropathy. Blood pressure, blood glucose, glomerular morphometry, matrix proteins, cell signaling, transcription factors, and selected growth factors were examined. Kidneys of GT1S mice overexpressed GLUT1 in glomerular MCs and small vessels, rather than renal tubules. GT1S mice were neither diabetic nor hypertensive. Glomerular GLUT1, glucose uptake, mean capillary diameter, and mean glomerular volume were all increased in the GT1S mice. Moderately severe glomerulosclerosis (GS) was established by 26 wk of age in GT1S mice, with increased glomerular type IV collagen and fibronectin. Modest increases in glomerular basement membrane thickness and albuminuria were detected with podocyte foot processes largely preserved, in the absence of podocyte GLUT1 overexpression. Activation of glomerular PKC, along with increased transforming growth factor-β1, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGF were all detected in glomeruli of GT1S mice, likely contributing to GS. The transcription factor NF-κB was also activated. Overexpression of glomerular GLUT1, mimicking the diabetic GLUT1 response, produced numerous features typical of diabetic glomerular disease, without diabetes or hypertension. This suggested GLUT1 may play an important role in the development of diabetic GS.
Vitellogenin induction and reduced serum testosterone concentrations in feral male carp (Cyprinus carpio) captured near a major metropolitan sewage treatment plant.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals can potentially alter the reproductive physiology of fishes. To test this hypothesis, serum was collected from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) at five riverine location...
Localization Using Low-Resolution Optical Sensors

In wireless sensor networks, the data collected from numerous low end sensors can be equivalent or superior to a few high fidelity sensors. In this paper, we evaluate the validity of this concept with low-resolution optical sensors. We implemented passive localization using visual object identification techniques on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) sensor platform. The complexity, memory utilization, and accuracy of our algorithms were analyzed for performance on a resource constrained environment. We show that low-resolution optical sensors can accurately localize objects on a global two dimensional plane. We also present a model that quantifies fidelity versus scale for optical sensors. Using our model and application, we demonstrate that low-fidelity optical sensors are an effective tool in sensor networks and at a certain scale can provide superior coverage of an area over a high-resolution camera. This analysis lays the groundwork for future advances in optical sensors.
Assaying DNA methylation based on high-throughput melting curve approaches

Here we describe two high-throughput methods to assay DNA methylation, melting curve methylation specific PCR (McMSP) and melting curve combined bisulfite restriction analysis (McCOBRA), which adapt standard MSP and COBRA methods to a melting curve analysis based platform. We show that McMSP and McCOBRA can accurately determine methylation status in a high-throughput and gel-free manner. Moreover, McCOBRA can be used to quantitatively estimate the percent of methylated DNA at a specific CpG site within a heterogeneous sample. The accuracy of McMSP and McCOBRA was initially tested using the 5'-CpG site of the tumor-suppressor gene CDKN2A as a model system in homogeneous and heterogeneous controls, and cancer cell line samples. Furthermore, the robustness of McMSP and McCOBRA was validated in four additional loci. We demonstrate that McCOBRA and McMSP provide several advantages over existing methods, as they are simple, accurate, and high-throughput, which makes them widely applicable to large-scale methylation studies.
Customized systems for engineering applications

An APL™-based high-productivity software-development environment is shown to enable small teams of two or three persons to build complex engineering software systems. The productivity and flexibility of such small teams, equipped with this environment, enables them to build customized engineering application systems economically. These customized systems are far more useful for the particular applications they address than are the generic systems that are commonly produced by large software-development groups. A customized engineering application system is described, illustrating the productivity of the two APL2-based computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools used for its implementation and long-term software maintenance. The system is presented in some detail, to demonstrate its sophistication and thus provide a measure of the productivity of the software-development environment. The two CASE tools that comprise this software-development environment are used to build interactive graphical application systems, and to build systems for applications that require or can benefit from distributed cooperative processing. A list of some customized application systems built using the described environment is provided, along with estimates of the implementation efforts. The features of APL2 that play a key role in the effectiveness of these tools are also discussed.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Vinylation of Organic Halides

The palladium-catalyzed vinylation of organic halides provides a very convenient method for forming carboncarbon bonds at unsubstituted vinylic positions. Generally the reaction does not require anhydrous or anaerobic conditions although it is advisable to limit access of oxygen when arylphosphines are used as a component of the catalyst. The transformation is valuable because it cannot be carried out in a single step by any other known method (except in certain Meerwein reactions). The organic halide employed is limited to aryl, heterocyclic, benzyl, or vinyl types, with bromides and iodides seen most often. Halides with an easily eliminated beta-hydrogen atom (i.e., alkyl derivatives) cannot be used since they form only olefins by elimination under the normal reaction conditions. The base needed may be a secondary or tertiary amine, sodium or potassium acetate, carbonate, or bicarbonate. When nucleophilic secondary amines are used as coreactants with most vinylic halides, a variation occurs that often produces tertiary allylic amines as major products. The catalyst is commonly palladium acetate, although palladium chloride or preformed triarylphosphine palladium complexes, as well as palladium on charcoal, have been used. A reactant, product, or solvent may serve as the ligand in reactions involving organic iodides, but generally a triarylphosphine or a secondary amine is required when organic bromides are used. The reaction, which occurs between ca. 50° and 160° proceeds homogeneously. Solvents such as acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, hexamethylphosphoramide, N-methylpyrrolidinone, and methanol have been used, but are often not necessary. The procedure is applicable to a very wide range of reactants and yields are generally good to excellent. Several variations of the reaction are known in which the organic halide is replaced by other reagents such as organometallics, diazonium salts, or aromatic hydrocarbons. These reactions are not discussed in detail, but are only briefly compared with the halide reaction. Other related reactions such as the palladium-catalyzed replacement of allylic substituents with carbanionic reagents, the palladium-promoted nucleophilic substitutions at olefinic carbons, and the numerous palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of halides and organometallics are also beyond the scope of this review. The palladium-catalyzed vinylic substitution reaction has not yet received much attention from organic chemists, but its broad scope and simplicity demonstrate that it is a useful method for the synthesis of a variety of olefinic compounds. Keywords: palladium catalyst; vinylation; organic halides; scope; limitations; experimental procedures; vinylic substitution; ethylene; acrylic acid; butenol; methyl acrylate; styrene; pentadiene; acrolein dimethyl acetal; olefins
Biopolítica colonial, gestión de la población y modernización borbónica en Santo Domingo. El proyecto de Pedro Catani (1788)

Este articulo analiza el “Informe del oidor Pedro Catani (1788)” sobre la economia de Santo Domingo, el mejoramiento de su agricultura y el dominio y gobierno de sectores de la poblacion fuera del sistema de extraccion colonial del trabajo. Dicho texto, representativo del fallido proceso de modernizacion borbonica de la economia dominicana de finales del siglo xviii, despliega una racionalidad biopolitica de explotacion y gobierno economico. Asimismo, propone la gestion colonial de la poblacion; esto es, la transformacion de las formas de vida insubordinada de la numerosa poblacion rural de mulatos y negros libertos, para hacer de sus vidas-inutiles, vidas-productivas
The World Health Organization Model of Health: What Evidence Is Needed?

Within this chapter, and consistent with the fundamental questions addressed throughout this text, we will explore how the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) conceptual framework of health as presented in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; WHO, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: ICF. Author, Geneva, Switzerland, 2001) can help target types of evidences in healthcare interventions. This chapter will discuss the various models that were considered in the development of the biopsychosocial framework of the ICF. In that discussion, we will examine how research on the ICF has developed since its publication and the contributions of qualitative research methods to the ICF. It will be argued that qualitative research will be necessary for the ICF to reach its highest aspirations of viewing functional health status holistically, including input from the persons with disabilities and their families. We will begin our discussion with historical models of healthcare provision, as they relate to the development of the WHO’s model of health as described by the ICF’s conceptual framework.
Nearly tight oblivious subspace embeddings by trace inequalities

We present a new analysis of sparse oblivious subspace embeddings, based on the "matrix Chernoff" technique. These are probability distributions over (relatively) sparse matrices such that for any d-dimensional subspace of Rn, the norms of all vectors in the subspace are simultaneously approximately preserved by the embedding with high probability--typically with parameters depending on d but not on n. The families of embedding matrices considered here are essentially the same as those in [NN13], but with better parameters (sparsity and embedding dimension). Because of this, this analysis essentially serves as a "drop-in replacement" for Nelson-Nguyen's, improving bounds on its many applications to problems such as as least squares regression and low-rank approximation.This new method is based on elementary tail bounds combined with matrix trace inequalities (Golden-Thompson or Lieb's theorem), and does not require combinatorics, unlike the Nelson-Nguyen approach. There are also variants of this method that are even simpler, at the cost of worse parameters. Furthermore, the bounds obtained are much tighter than previous ones, matching known lower bounds up to a single log(d) factor in embedding dimension (previous results had more log factors and also had suboptimal tradeoffs with sparsity).
How Microlending Affects Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Ethiopia

This study examines the effect of group lending and an incremental loan structure on the innovativeness of borrowers’ business activities. A person-situation interaction model is proposed where gro...
Teaching Japanese Popular Culture

Japanese popular culture has arrived on American college campuses as never before. Student interest in Japanese manga (comic books), anime (animated films and television shows), and video games drives much of the enrollment in Japanese courses and Japanese majors and minors. In response to student interest, as well as the establishment of popular culture as a topic of serious academic scholarship, the demand for courses on Japanese popular culture has never been higher. Yet the number of scholars specializing in the study of popular culture is still relatively small. This can potentially create problems, as faculty teach outside their expertise, and perhaps face an uncomfortable situation in which the students know more about the topic than the professor. In this article, I will offer some suggestions and advice for faculty creating a popular culture course for the first time, based on my experiences teaching undergraduates at the University of Notre Dame. The course I developed reflects my background in Japanese literature and film, and is but one example of many possible approaches to the topic. The sample syllabus and list of resources at the end of this article provide citations for all text and media sources mentioned.
Onset of deformation in polonium nuclei

The systematics of the positive-parity states in 194–208Po are studied within the framework of the Particle-Core Model. The wavefunctions of the 221 states have been extracted using the Quasiparticle Random Phase Approximation. The increase in the collective motion comes from the increased proton-neutron interaction when both particles occupy high-j orbitals
Automatic recognition of multi-fracture in complicated geological condition

The main problems of automatic recognition of multi-fracture from borehole images are discussed in this paper.Configuration filtering algorithm and window scan technique based on the difference between fracture configuration and other geologic phenomena in the image are first put forward.Therefore,multi-fracture image segmentation in complicated geological conditions could be settled by using this technique.Ideal results have been obtained by applying Hough transform algorithm to the identification and process of image data obtained in situ.
Prophylactic clipping and post-polypectomy bleeding: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background Bleeding after polypectomy is a common issue associated with colonoscopy. To help prevent post-polypectomy bleeding, many endoscopists place clips at the site. However, this practice remains controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of the efficacy of clip placement in the prevention of post-polypectomy bleeding. Methods Multiple databases, including Embase, Scopus, MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane databases, and recent abstracts from major American meetings were searched in April 2016. Using the DerSimonian and Laird (random effects) model with odds ratio (OR), a meta-analysis was performed of post-polypectomy bleeding with prophylactic clip versus no prophylactic clip. Results Five hundred and thirty potential articles and abstracts were discovered. Thirty-five articles were reviewed, with 12 studies satisfying the inclusion criteria. No statistically significant difference in prophylactic clipping versus no prophylactic clipping for post-polypectomy bleeding in all polyps was found when all studies (OR 1.49; 95% CI: 0.56–4.00; P=0.42), only peer-reviewed studies where abstracts were excluded (OR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.42–1.69; P=0.63), and only randomized controlled trials (OR 1.24; 95% CI: 0.69–2.24; P=0.47) were analyzed. Conclusions The use of prophylactic clipping for all polypectomies does not seem to prevent post-polypectomy bleeding and should not be a routine practice. However, for large polyps (>2 cm), prophylactic clipping may or may not be beneficial in preventing post-polypectomy bleeding. Further studies are required to fully evaluate this subgroup. Keywords Prophylactic, clip, polypectomy, bleeding Ann Gastroenterol 2016; 29 (4): 502-508
The Positive Broadening Power of a Focus on Well-Being in the Language Classroom

One of the problems with our historical approach to emotions in language teaching and learning was that we tended to concentrate our efforts on eradicating negative emotions like language anxiety without considering how the whole array of positive emotions might be strategically used. Consequently, the purpose of this chapter is three-fold: (1) to demonstrate the influence of emotion by tapping into them through powerful true life accounts; (2) to provide evidence of the power of PP interventions (specifically gratitude, altruism, music, pets, exercise and laughter) through detailing previous investigations into their efficacy; and (3) to explore the potential of positive psychology interventions in language learning through sharing original quantitative and narrative data of participants in a recent study.
No-God: Reflections on Masao Abe's symbol of god as self-emptying

Buddhist thinking centers not on a transcendent God, but on the nothingness and emptiness of Sunyata . Nevertheless, Masao Abe's reflections on the symbol of God as self-emptying can enhance our understanding of what God means. Abe interprets the self-humbling and self-sacrificing act of Jesus as a manifestation that God has vacated the transcendence of otherness in becoming world. These reflections allow us to consider a religious perspective that centers not on God, but on world and the continuum of living-dying-relatedness that represents the reciprocal and mutual interrelatedness that is world. In being returned to world, we are invited to participate in the original and originating activity of God as giving of self in compassion to one another. God is to be experienced not as a transcendent center, but as the fundamental meaning of world and its context of interrelatedness.
Dynamic electric and magnetic fields in laser-produced high-energy-density plasmas

Observations of gigavolt-per-meter electric and megagauss magnetic fields associated with laser-foil interactions, ICF implosions, and laser-irradiated hohlraums have been made with monoenergetic proton radiography. The physics and implications are discussed.
Resolution advances in cryo-EM enable application to drug discovery

The prospect that the structures of protein assemblies, small and large, can be determined using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is beginning to transform the landscape of structural biology and cell biology. Great progress is being made in determining 3D structures of biological assemblies ranging from icosahedral viruses and helical arrays to small membrane proteins and protein complexes. Here, we review recent advances in this field, focusing especially on the emerging use of cryo-EM in mapping the binding of drugs and inhibitors to protein targets, an application that requires structure determination at the highest possible resolutions. We discuss methods used to evaluate the information contained in cryo-EM density maps and consider strengths and weaknesses of approaches currently used to measure map resolution.
Extreme Insulin Resistance From Insulin Antibodies (Not Insulin Receptor Antibodies) Successfully Treated With Combination Immunosuppressive Therapy.

A relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and insulin antibodies (IAs) was first described in the 1950s and was thought to be due to the use of nonhuman insulins (1). Since the introduction of human insulin, the presence of IAs and consequent IR was felt to be clinically insignificant (2). The presence of high levels of IAs, associated with random hypoglycemia in insulin-naive patients, is termed insulin autoimmune syndrome or Hirata disease (3,4). In some cases, postprandial hyperglycemia (insulin bound to antibody) and fasting hypoglycemia (disassociation of bound insulin from antibodies) are both described as mechanisms of disease (5). These IAs are thought to be of low affinity and never lead to IR. We present the case of a 65-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and extreme IR who was found to have IAs. The patient was never exposed to nonhuman …
Finding Shelf Space in an Academic Library: A Multifaceted Approach

ABSTRACTFinding shelf space in an Association of Research Libraries library is an endeavor fraught with tensions. It presents an irreconcilable problem. On one hand, space is finite. On the other hand, we will continue to buy print books. Our tools for addressing this problem are limited and there are many competing interests. This article will analyze various options and present projects undertaken at the University of New Mexico Libraries that aim to address the space crisis in the stacks. They include a large scale inventory, weeding, reformatting, and the transfer of materials out of the library.
Computational Investigation of the Missense Mutations in DHCR7 Gene Associated with Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a cholesterol synthesis disorder characterized by physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms. It is caused by mutations in 7-dehydroxycholesterolreductase gene (DHCR7) encoding DHCR7 protein, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. Here we demonstrate that pathogenic mutations in DHCR7 protein are located either within the transmembrane region or are near the ligand-binding site, and are highly conserved among species. In contrast, non-pathogenic mutations observed in the general population are located outside the transmembrane region and have different effects on the conformational dynamics of DHCR7. All together, these observations suggest that the non-classified mutation R228Q is pathogenic. Our analyses indicate that pathogenic effects may affect protein stability and dynamics and alter the binding affinity and flexibility of the binding site.
Abstract 15479: Clinical and Laboratory Outcomes of Impella Microaxillary Pumps When Used in Patients With Severe Cardiogenic Shock as a Bridge to Durable Devices or Cardiac Transplantation

Introduction: Outcomes with Impella devices used to salvage severe shock for pts otherwise eligible for durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) or transplant (OHT) are not well established. Hy...
Sexual habits of men with ED who take phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors: a survey conducted in 7 countries.

Introduction Western cultural perceptions that favour spontaneous sex may create unrealistic expectations for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Little is known about how users of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) plan sexual activity and timing of their preactivity PDE5I ingestion. Because various PDE5Is vary in their duration of action and dosage regimen, this may be an important consideration in selecting the optimal agent for the ED patient. Aim To better understand the sexual habits of PDE5I users. Methods Men from 7 countries (Brazil, China, Italy, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey) were screened online for age, self-reported comorbidities and ED medication use in the prior 3 months. After screening, eligible participants were asked to complete a 7-question, self-administered online survey containing questions regarding sexual habits and behaviours. Main outcome measures Survey questions focused primarily on advanced planning of sexual intercourse and timing of PDE5I ingestion but also addressed the frequency of sexual intercourse and ED medication use. Results Of the 1458 respondents (response rate: 48%; median age: 48 years [interquartile range (IQR), 44-55]), 83% always/sometimes planned a specific time for intercourse in advance; 72% planned a specific time for sexual intercourse up to several hours in advance. Of respondents who planned in advance, more than half planned specific days of the week (55%) and times of the day (60%) for sexual intercourse. The time to sexual intercourse after dosing was ≤1 hour for 70% and ≤4 hours for 96% of men. The median frequency of sexual intercourse was 6 times/month (IQR, 4-10), with ED medication taken a median of 5 times/month (IQR, 3-8). Conclusions Sexual activity is usually planned by ED medication users several hours in advance, and the vast majority are attempting activity within a short time after ingestion of the agent. These data should aid clinicians in the selection of the optimal PDE5I.
Canine mammary tumors as a model for human disease (Review)

Animal models for examining human breast cancer (HBC) carcinogenesis have been extensively studied and proposed. With the recent advent of immunotherapy, significant attention has been focused on the dog as a model for human cancer. Dogs develop mammary tumors and other cancer types spontaneously with an intact immune system, which exhibit a number of clinical and molecular similarities to HBC. In addition to the spontaneous tumor presentation, the clinical similarities between human and canine mammary tumors (CMT) include the age at onset, hormonal etiology and course of the diseases. Furthermore, factors that affect the disease outcome, including tumor size, stage and lymph node invasion, are similar in HBC and CMT. Similarly, the molecular characteristics of steroid receptor, epidermal growth factor, proliferation marker, metalloproteinase and cyclooxygenase expression, and the mutation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in CMT, mimic HBC. Furthermore, ductal carcinomas in situ in human and canine mammary glands are particularly similar in their pathological, molecular and visual characteristics. These CMT characteristics and their similarities to HBC indicate that the dog could be an excellent model for the study of human disease. These similarities are discussed in detail in the present review, and are compared with the in vitro and other in vivo animal models available.
Increasing Career Confidence through a Course in Public Service Careers.

Universities, colleges, and their academic programs are under increasing pressure to demonstrate positive job outcomes for graduates. A degree in political science confers on students a host of tra...
Partition cortical surfaces into supervertices: method and application

Many problems in computer vision and biomedical image analysis benefit from representing an image as a set of superpixels or supervoxels. Inspired by this, we propose to partition a cortical surface into a collection of small patches, namely supervertices, with quasi-uniform size and coverage, compactness, and also smooth boundaries that align sulcal fundi or gyral crest curves on cortical surfaces. The ultimate goal of supervertices partition of the cortical surfaces is to use supervertices as primitives for cortical surface analysis, such as the extraction of sulcal fundi or gyral crest curves by linking boundaries of supervertices, and also the parcellation of cortical surfaces by labeling supervertices instead of vertices. We formulate the supervertices partition as an energy minimization problem and optimize it with graph cuts. Specifically, our energy function encourages the supervertices with compact shapes and smooth boundaries at flat cortical regions and also the supervertices with boundaries aligned with the sulcal fundi or gyral crest curves at highly bended cortical regions. The method has been successfully applied to cortical surfaces of brain MR images in NAMIC and MSC datasets. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation results demonstrate its validity. We also show an application, i.e., extraction of gyral crest curves on cortical surfaces by linking boundaries of supervertices.
Motor Systems II: Basal Ganglia and Movement Disorders

The term “basal ganglia” originally included the deep telencephalic nuclei: the caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, the claustrum, and nucleus accumbens. The globus pallidus and putamen are lens shaped and are called lenticular nuclei. Collectively the putamen and caudate are called the corpus striatum. Additional structures now included within this group are the substantia nigra, the subthalamic nuclei, the ventral tegmental area and the ventral pallidum. The caudate and putamen have the same structure and are continuous anteriorly. The globus pallidus has two sectors: a medial or inner and a lateral or outer. The substantia nigra has two components: a ventral pars reticularis which is identical in structure and function to the medial sector of the globus pallidus and a dorsal darkly staining component the pars compacta which contains large dopamine and melanin containing neurons.
Urine inositol pentakisphosphate 2-kinase and changes in kidney structure in early diabetic kidney disease in type 1 diabetes.

We examined the association of urine inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 2-kinase (IPP2K) with the presence and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) lesions. Urine IPP2K was measured at ba...
Modeling Cutaneous Radiation Injury from Fallout.

OBJECTIVE Beta radiation from nuclear weapons fallout could pose a risk of cutaneous radiation injury (CRI) to evacuating populations but has been investigated only cursorily. This work examines 2 components of CRI necessary for estimating the potential public health consequences of exposure to fallout: dose protraction and depth of dose. METHODS Dose protraction for dry and moist desquamation was examined by adapting the biological effective dose (BED) calculation to a hazard function calculation similar to those recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements for other acute radiation injuries. Depth of burn was examined using Monte Carlo neutral Particle version 5 to model the penetration of beta radiation from fallout to different skin tissues. RESULTS Nonlinear least squares analysis of the BED calculation estimated the hazard function parameter θ1 (dose rate effectiveness factors) as 25.5 and 74.5 (Gy-eq)2 h-1 for dry and moist desquamation, respectively. Depth of dose models revealed that beta radiation is primarily absorbed in the dead skin layers and basal layer and that dose to underlying tissues is small (<5% of dose to basal layer). CONCLUSIONS The low relative dose to tissues below the basal layer suggests that radiation-induced necrosis or deep skin burns are unlikely from direct skin contamination with fallout. These results enable future modeling studies to better examine CRI risk and facilitate effectively managing and treating populations with specialized injuries from a nuclear detonation. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:463-469).
When do performance assessments influence policy behavior? Micro-evidence from the 2014 Reform Efforts Survey

Sovereign governments, multilateral institutions, and non-governmental organizations have created a wide array of tools to assess the policy performance of developing countries, including conditional aid and debt relief programs, blacklists, watch lists, performance-based organizational accession procedures, cross-country benchmarking exercises, and country-specific diagnostics. Scholars and policymakers generally agree that these types of performance assessments can influence the policy priorities and actions of public sector decision-makers in low-income and middle-income countries. However, there is little systematic evidence about the specific conditions under which performance assessments instigate changes in policy behavior. There is also a lack of understanding about the causal mechanisms through which different types of performance assessments facilitate policy changes. We seek to close this evidence gap by leveraging a survey of 1784 government officials that provides comparative data on the agenda-setting influence and reform design influence of more than 100 performance assessments in 123 low-income and middle-income countries. Using a multilevel linear model that accounts for the hierarchical structure of the survey data, we find robust evidence that performance assessments yield greater policy influence when they make an explicit comparison of government performance across countries and allow assessed governments to participate in the assessment process. This pattern is consistent with the theoretical argument that policymakers carefully weigh the credibility signaling benefits and policy autonomy costs of addressing performance assessment requirements.
The Interface Between Healthy Aging, Longevity, Disease, and Disability

Life expectancy in the USA has increased substantially in the last century, as a function of improved living conditions and the prevention and treatment of disease. The impact on health span – the duration that people live with good health – vs. life span is complex and depends on the ability to delay the onset of disease, to minimize its impact on health once established, and the relative impacts of medical and other advances on the outcomes of health and longevity.
Grand challenges in public administration: Implications for public service education, training, and research

For the past few decades, the United States has been in a state of near constant change. As new challenges have arisen and demands on government have increased, however, the public sector has often...
Foreign Direct Investment Dependence and the Neglected Greenhouse Gas: A Cross-National Analysis of Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Developing Countries, 1990–2014:

Scholars have long inquired the anthropogenic causes of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of empirical work focuses on carbon dioxide and methane emissions, but limited attention is paid to ni...
Amphibalanus amphitrite begins exoskeleton mineralization within 48 hours of metamorphosis

Barnacles are ancient arthropods that, as adults, are surrounded by a hard, mineralized, outer shell that the organism produces for protection. While extensive research has been conducted on the glue-like cement that barnacles use to adhere to surfaces, less is known about the barnacle exoskeleton, especially the process by which the barnacle exoskeleton is formed. Here, we present data exploring the changes that occur as the barnacle cyprid undergoes metamorphosis to become a sessile juvenile with a mineralized exoskeleton. Scanning electron microscope data show dramatic morphological changes in the barnacle exoskeleton following metamorphosis. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicates a small amount of calcium (8%) 1 h post-metamorphosis that steadily increases to 28% by 2 days following metamorphosis. Raman spectroscopy indicates calcite in the exoskeleton of a barnacle 2 days following metamorphosis and no detectable calcium carbonate in exoskeletons up to 3 h post-metamorphosis. Confocal microscopy indicates during this 2 day period, barnacle base plate area and height increases rapidly (0.001 mm2 h-1 and 0.30 µm h-1, respectively). These results provide critical information into the early life stages of the barnacle, which will be important for developing an understanding of how ocean acidification might impact the calcification process of the barnacle exoskeleton.
A qualitative exploration of mentoring relationship development for girls experiencing maternal relationship difficulties

Abstract Results of a prior study of 205 middle school girls in the Young Women Leaders Program, a mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with college women, revealed that better quality maternal communication/trust as well as higher levels of maternal alienation were associated with stronger mentoring relationship quality for early adolescent girls. These results suggest that for early adolescent girls there is a distinction between foundational maternal relationship challenges and relationship challenges that are developmentally situated. Based on these results, the current study examines post-program interviews for a sub-sample of the five mentees with the highest and lowest scores for maternal communication/trust and maternal alienation as well as their mentors to gain an understanding of how relationship issues impact mentoring relationship development. Results indicate that for girls experiencing maternal communication and trust issues, first impressions and trust are very important to relationship development. Additionally, mentors of girls with communication and trust issues tended to have difficulty developing a relationship with their mentees’ families. For girls experiencing maternal alienation, mentors commonly served as a bridge between mentees and their mothers and helped mentees navigate difficult conversations with their mothers. Additionally, mentors in this group developed strong relationships with their mentees’ families. Findings contribute to the literature on mentoring relationship development and help to inform programs regarding training for mentors.
Hybrid Energy-Harvesting Systems Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerators

Summary Energy harvesting plays an important role in developing power-independent electronics such as wearables, implantable devices, monitoring networks, and robotics. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), a novel promising energy-harvesting technology, has attracted increasing attention across a broad range of applications from self-powered sensing to implantable medical devices to blue energy. However, a comprehensive review associated with the TENG-based hybrid energy system is lacking. Here, we systematically summarize the recent advances in the TENG-based hybrid energy-harvesting system with a focus on the concept designs and significant applications of the hybrid devices in various fields. The major hybridization designs through unique combinations of electromagnetic nanogenerators (NGs), piezoelectric NGs, solar cells, and thermo-/pyroelectric NGs with TENGs are discussed in detail for self-charging power units, self-powered biomedical systems, wearable electronics, environment-monitoring systems, and blue energy-harvesting facilities. We finally discuss the major challenges and perspectives for the future development of hybrid energy-harvesting systems.
Selection of geophysical methods based on matter-element analysis with analytic hierarchy process

The selection of the most appropriate method(s) for a specific engineering geophysical site characterisation can be challenging due to the complexity and potential ambiguity of the factors influenc...