cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inexpensive high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance tube cleaning apparatus.

Large-scale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tube cleaning is currently a bottleneck in high-throughput NMR ligand affinity screens. Expensive alternatives include discarding the NMR tubes after a single use (∼US $2–$8/tube), using commercial NMR tube cleaners (∼$15,000), and abandoning NMR tubes for flow probe technology (∼$75,000). Instead, we describe a relatively inexpensive (∼$400) and easily constructed apparatus that can clean 180 NMR tubes per hour while using a modest amount of solvent. The application of this apparatus significantly shortens the time to recycle NMR tubes while avoiding cross-contamination and tube damage.
CEO Power, Equity Incentives, and Bank Risk Taking

This study examines whether bank risk is a factor influenced by chief executive officer (CEO) power and equity incentives and the interaction between these factors during 2005 through 2009 which marks the unraveling of the financial crisis. CEO power is measured with an index comprised of five underlying variables – CEO duality, a staggered board of directors, the proportion of insiders that sit on the board, the proportion of affiliated board members, and whether the CEO is the founder. We find that firm specific risk is decreasing with CEO power and equity incentives in the form of CEO equity compensation (stock options and restricted stock) and future firm wealth (the value of both exercisable and unexercisable stock options). These findings suggest that when a CEO has more power, they can influence the board’s decision-making to their benefit in reducing risk. Further, when their personal wealth is more tied to firm value, they are less likely to take on high risk projects as these projects could detriment their levels of personal wealth. We also find that CEOs with more power take on higher levels of firm risk when they have greater levels of future firm wealth in the form of unexercisable options. This suggests that powerful CEOs are more likely to take on risk when their personal wealth is tied to long-term firm value as opposed to short-term firm value.
Pharmacist provider status legislation: Projections and prospects.

Abstract Objective To compare legislation at the federal level that would recognize pharmacists as health care providers under Medicare Part B with similar state-level efforts in an attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these options and forecast outcomes. Summary The current primary care provider shortage poses a significant threat to public health in the United States. The effort to achieve federal provider status for pharmacists, currently in the form of identical bills introduced in January 2015 into the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate as the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592 and S. 314), would amend the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as health care providers in sections of Medicare Part B that specify coverage and reimbursement. This action has budgetary implications owing to the compensation that would accrue to pharmacists caring for Medicare beneficiaries. Passage of these bills into law could improve public health by sustainably increasing access to pharmacists’ patient care services in medically underserved areas. In this article, the legislation's strengths and weaknesses are analyzed. The resulting information may be used to forecast the bills’ fate as well as plan strategies to help support their success. Comparison of the bills with existing, state-level efforts is used as a framework for such policy analysis. Conclusion While the current political climate benefits the bills in the U.S. Congress, established legislative precedents suggest that parts of H.R. 592/S. 314, specifically those regarding compensation mechanisms, may require negotiated amendment to improve their chances of success.
Polynomial growth in branching processes with diverging reproductive number.

We study the spreading dynamics on graphs with a power law degree distribution pkk � � , with 2 < �< 3, as an example of a branching process with a diverging reproductive number. We provide evidence that the divergence of the second moment of the degree distribution carries as a consequence a qualitative change in the growth pattern, deviating from the standard exponential growth. First, the population growth is extensive, meaning that the average number of vertices reached by the spreading process becomes of the order of the graph size in a time scale that vanishes in the large graph size limit. Second, the temporal evolution is governed by a polynomial growth, with a degree determined by the characteristic distance between vertices in the graph. These results open a path to further investigation on the dynamics on networks. unexpected based on previous mathematical studies. We also show that both the characteristic time separating the exponential and polynomial regimes and the polynomial degree depend on the characteristic distance between ver- tices. More important, in the limit of infinite graph sizes, the exponential regime is virtually absent, indicating that the polynomial regime is a novel and characteristic feature of the spreading dynamics on graphs with degree exponent 2 <�< 3 and, more generally, of branching processes with an unbounded average reproductive number. Consider a spreading process on a graph with a treelike structure. At t � 0, a vertex selected at random is infected by a ''virus,'' which can then propagate to other vertices through the graph edges. The causal tree representing the spreading process can be modeled as a branching process. Each vertex in the causal tree represents an infected vertex in the original graph, and each arc in the causal tree represents the generation of a secondary infected vertex from a primary infected vertex. The out-degree of a vertex in the causal tree gives the number of other vertices it infects, i.e., its reproductive number. In turn, the length of an arc A ! B in the causal tree gives the generation time, the time elapsed from the infection of the primary case A to the infection of the secondary case B. Finally, the vertex generation coincides with the topological distance from the first infected vertex, the root, in the original graph. We assume that the reproductive numbers are indepen- dent random variables with the probability distribution qd� k
Induction of matrix metalloproteinase expression in human macrophages by orthopaedic particulate debris in vitro

We exposed human macrophages isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy donors to metal and bone-cement particles from 0.2 to 10 μm in size. Zymography showed that macrophages exposed to titanium alloy and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) particles released a 92- and 72-kDa gelatinase in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Western immunoblotting confirmed that the 92- and 72-kDa gelatinolytic activities corresponded to matrix metalloproteinase-9 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-9, MMP-2), respectively. Western immunoblotting also indicated that titanium alloy and PMMA particles increased the release of MMP-1. Northern blotting showed elevated mRNA signal levels for MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-9 after exposure to both types of particle. Collagenolytic activity also increased in the macrophage culture medium in response to both types of particle. Our findings support the hypothesis that macrophages release MMPs in proportion to the amount of particulate debris within periprosthetic tissues.
Zinc proteomics and the annotation of the human zinc proteome

Sequence databases can be searched for homologies of zinc coordination motifs with characteristic ligand signatures. Ensuing predictions that 3-10 % of the human genes encodes zinc proteins are most remarkable. But they seem conservative when considering that database mining cannot discover new signatures or coordination environments that em- ploy nonsequential binding of ligands and sulfur-ligand bridges. Predictions also fall short for zinc/protein interactions at protein interfaces and for inhibitory zinc sites. Zinc ions tran- siently target proteins that are not known to be zinc proteins, adding a hitherto unrecognized dimension to the human zinc proteome. Predicted zinc sites need to be verified experimen- tally. The metal can be absent or sites may bind metal ions other than zinc because protein coordination environments do not have absolute specificity for zinc. The metaphor of the "galvanization of biology" continues to gain prominence in terms of the sheer number of ap- proximately 3000 human zinc proteins and their annotation with new functions. Clearly, de- scription of zinc proteomes cannot be pursued solely in silico and requires zinc proteomics, an integrated scientific approach. Progress hinges on a combination of bioinformatics, biol- ogy, and significantly, analytical and structural chemistry.
Medical confidentiality and the protection of Jehovah's Witnesses' autonomous refusal of blood

Mr Ridley of the Watch Tower Society (WTS), the controlling religious organisation of Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs), mischaracterises the issue of freedom and confidentiality in JWs' refusal of blood by confusing inconsistent organisational policies with actual Biblical proscriptions. Besides exaggeration and distortion of my writings, Ridley failed to present substantive evidence to support his assertion that no pressure exists to conform to organisational policy nor systematic monitoring which compromises medical confidentiality. In this refutation, I present proof from the WTS's literature, supported by personal testimonies of JWs, that the WTS enforces its policy of blood refusal by coercive pressure to conform and through systematic violation of medical confidentiality. Ridley's lack of candour in dealing with the plea of dissident JWs for freedom to make personal and conscientious decisions regarding blood indicates that a serious breach of ethics in the medical care of JWs continues. The medical community should be seriously concerned.
The Role of Ability Judgments in Self-Handicapping

This research investigated whether self-handicapping preserves specific conceptions of ability in a particular domain despite poor performance. Reports of preparatory behaviors and stress among introductory psychology students were measured prior to an exam and subsequent performance, attributions for the performance, and measures of global self-esteem and specific self-conceptions were measured after the exam. Results indicated that high self-handicappers reported reduced effort and more stress prior to the exam, performed worse on the exam, and made different attributions following the exam than did low self-handicappers. Although reported self-handicapping was detrimental to performance, male HSH individuals maintained positive conceptions of specific ability in psychology in spite of poorer performance. Moreover, the results of path analyses indicated that it was these changes in specific ability beliefs that mediated changes in global self-esteem. These findings suggest that the primary motivation un...
Enhanced fluorescence yields through cavity quantum-electrodynamic effects in microdroplets

Measurements of the integrated fluorescence yield per molecule of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) in 4–16-μm-diameter levitated microdroplets show a size dependence that is attributed to a net increase in the fluorescence decay rate for the smaller (4–5-μm) droplets. The average fluorescence yield in 4-μm droplets (for which we have previously observed emission-rate enhancement) is approximately a factor of 2 larger than the yield measured for larger droplets for which emission-rate enhancement does not occur. These results suggest that there is little emission-rate inhibition in this system, even though the fluorescence emission spectrum overlaps several cavity resonances. A mechanism based on spectral diffusion is postulated for the apparent absence of cavity-inhibited emission and is illustrated by Monte Carlo calculations using time-dependent line-shape functions.
Effect of Methanol/Water Mixtures on the Lower Critical Solution Temperature of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a thermo-sensitive polymer that exhibits a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 305 K. Below the LCST, PNIPAM is soluble in water and above this temperature polymer chains collapse prior to aggregation. In the presence of methanol, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy suggests that, LCST of PNIPAM is depressed up to certain mole fraction of methanol (0.35 mole fraction) and it is speculated that addition of methanol affects the PNIPAM-water interactions. Above 0.35 mole fraction of methanol, LCST gets elevated to temperatures above ∼305 K (32°C) and cannot be detected up to 373 K (100 °C). The atomistic origin of this co-solvency effect on the LCST behavior is not completely understood. In the present study, we have used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the effect of methanol-water mixtures on conformational transitions and the LCST of PNIPAM. We employ two different force fields i.e. polymer consistent force-field (PCFF) and CHARMM to study solvation dynamics and the PNIPAM LCST phase transition in various methanol-water mixture compositions (0.018, 0.09, 0.27, 0.5, and 0.98 mole fractions). Simulations are conducted at fully atomistic level for three different temperatures (260, 278, and 310 K) and radius of gyration (Rg) of PNIPAM chains was computed for determination of LCST behavior of PNIPAM.
Extraconal Orbital Soft Tissue Metastasis Secondary to Prostate Cancer: An Unusual Presentation

Prostate cancer is mostly known to metastasize to the bony skeleton. Soft tissue metastasis involving visceral organs such as the liver, lung and brain are unusual and rare manifestations of this cancer. However, with better treatment modalities and increased survival, the incidence of these unusual presentations, seems to have risen in the last few years. Prostate cancer is rarely known to metastasize to the orbit. Although cases of bony metastasis involving the orbit have been reported, soft tissue metastasis involving the orbit is a very rare presentation. Most soft tissue metastasis to the orbit involves the uveal tract, with prostate cancer being the most common primary cancer to metastasize to the iris (uveal tract). Our paper highlights a case of extraconal orbital soft tissue metastasis secondary to prostate cancer, an extremely rare presentation. Patient was started on combined androgen blockade therapy. Three-month repeat MRI orbit showed that the extraconal orbital mass had decreased in size significantly. His clinical symptoms have resolved at the time of this report. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of its kind.
Using the Systematic Review Methodology To Evaluate Factors That Influence the Persistence of Influenza Virus in Environmental Matrices

Understanding factors that influence persistence of influenza virus in an environment without host animals is critical to appropriate decision-making for issues such as quarantine downtimes, setback distances, and eradication programs in livestock production systems. This systematic review identifies literature describing persistence of influenza virus in environmental samples, i.e., air, water, soil, feces, and fomites. An electronic search of PubMed, CAB, AGRICOLA, Biosis, and Compendex was performed, and citation relevance was determined according to the aim of the review. Quality assessment of relevant studies was performed using criteria from experts in virology, disease ecology, and environmental science. A total of 9,760 abstracts were evaluated, and 40 appeared to report the persistence of influenza virus in environmental samples. Evaluation of full texts revealed that 19 of the 40 studies were suitable for review, as they described virus concentration measured at multiple sampling times, with viruses detectable at least twice. Seven studies reported persistence in air (six published before 1970), seven in water (five published after 1990), two in feces, and three on surfaces. All three fomite and five air studies addressed human influenza virus, and all water and feces studies pertained to avian influenza virus. Outcome measurements were transformed to half-lives, and resultant multivariate mixed linear regression models identified influenza virus surviving longer in water than in air. Temperature was a significant predictor of persistence over all matrices. Salinity and pH were significant predictors of persistence in water conditions. An assessment of the methodological quality review of the included studies revealed significant gaps in reporting critical aspects of study design.
The restricted promoter activity of the liver transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 beta involves a cell-specific factor and positive autoactivation.

Abstract The transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3) is involved in the coordinate expression of several liver genes. HNF-3 DNA binding activity is composed of three different liver proteins which recognize the same DNA site. The HNF-3 proteins (designated alpha, beta, and gamma) possess homology in the DNA binding domain and in several additional regions. To understand the cell-type-specific expression of HNF-3 beta, we have defined the regulatory sequences that elicit hepatoma-specific expression. Promoter activity requires -134 bp of HNF-3 beta proximal sequences and binds four nuclear proteins, including two ubiquitous factors. One of these promoter sites interacts with a novel cell-specific factor, LF-H3 beta, whose binding activity correlates with the HNF-3 beta tissue expression pattern. Furthermore, there is a binding site for the HNF-3 protein within its own promoter, suggesting that an autoactivation mechanism is involved in the establishment of HNF-3 beta expression. We propose that both the LF-H3 beta and HNF-3 sites play an important role in the cell-type-specific expression of the HNF-3 beta transcription factor.
MetaNet: Deep semantic automatic metaphor analysis

This paper describes a system that makes use of a repository of formalized frames and metaphors to automatically detect, categorize, and analyze expressions of metaphor in corpora. The output of this system can be used as a basis for making further refinements to the system, as well as supporting deep semantic analysis of metaphor expressions in corpora. This in turn provides a way to ground and test empirical conceptual metaphor theory, as well as serving as a means to gain insights into the ways conceptual metaphors are expressed in language.
Surface-plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence of quantum dots based on open-ring nanostructure array

Enhanced photoluminescence (PL) of quantum dots (QD) in visible range using plasmonic nanostructures has potential to advance several photonic applications. The enhancement effect is, however, limited by the light coupling efficiency to the nanostructures. Here we demonstrate experimentally a new open-ring nanostructure (ORN) array 100 nm engraved into a 200 nm thick silver thin film to maximize light absorption and, hence, PL enhancement at a broadband spectral range. The structure is different from the traditional isolated or through-hole split-ring structures. Theoretical calculations based on FDTD method show that the absorption peak wavelength can be adjusted by their period and dimension. A broadband absorption of about 60% was measured at the peak wavelength of 550 nm. The emission spectrum of CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots was chosen to match the absorption band of the ORN array to enhance its PL. The engraved silver ORN array was fabricated on a silver thin film deposited on a silicon substrate using focus ion beam (FIB) patterning. The device was characterized by using a thin layer of QD water dispersion formed between the ORN substrate and a cover glass. The experimental results show the enhanced PL for the QD with emission spectrum overlapping the absorption band of ORN substrate and quantum efficiency increases from 50% to 70%. The ORN silver substrate with high absorption over a broadband spectrum enables the PL enhancement and will benefit applications in biosensing, wavelength tunable filters, and imaging.
Assessing the Protonation State and Dynamics of His37 in the Influenza M2 Proton Channel using Raman Spectroscopy

The influenza M2 protein is known to shuttle protons into the virion, facilitating replication and maturation. Histidine 37 is thought to provide “shuttling” activity to those protons, but the protonation states of the four His37 residues in the tetrameric channel has not been definitively established. We use Raman spectroscopy to collect the frequency of a C2-D probe group on His-37 in an isotopically labeled version of the M2 transmembrane peptide. The C2-D frequency reports directly on the protonation state of selected His residues in a way that other experiments cannot. The data are used to identify His37 protonation states in various pH conditions and to report directly on the activity and dynamics of His37 with protons and water in its local environment.
Hypothalamic Hamartoma and Generalized Epilepsy

The evolution of symptomatic generalized epilepsy was studied in 12 of 20 children with hypothalamic hamartoma who were treated surgically by transcallosal microsurgical resection at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia.
Qualitative study of VOCs from chemical raw materials by GC-MS

Objective To establish a method for qualitative analysis of 30 VOCs in chemical raw materials by headspace-GC/MS.Methods Using static headspace principle,when VOCs from chemical raw materials reached two-phase equilibrium of gas-liquid or gas-solid at certain temperature,a certain amount of top gas sample was taken for injection,then qualitatively analyzed by GC/MS in full scan mode with HP-5MS capillary column as the separation column.Results The components can be separated completely,the mass spectrometry information of molecular ion,fragment ion and the retention time were used to establish GC/MS fingerprint for parameters identification.Qualitative analysis of VOCs in test samples was finished according to the retention time and the characteristic ions.Conclusion The method is accurate and easy to operate.It can quickly identify the VOCs in chemical raw material and play an importance role in rapid identification of occupational chemical poisoning as well as daily monitoring of workplace.
Coping as a Mediator Between Losing Face and Depressive and Social Anxiety Symptoms Among Asian Americans

Applying the proximal–distal framework, we were interested in whether the relationship between loss of face (LOF) concerns to depression and social anxiety were mediated by coping among 154 Asian Americans (AA). Utilizing a convenience sample from an online survey of AA, we ran ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to examine whether direct and indirect coping explained the relationship between LOF concerns, depression, and social anxiety. LOF was positively associated with both direct and indirect coping. LOF also was positively associated with depression and social anxiety. The relationship between LOF and depression was significantly mediated by indirect coping but not direct coping. Higher levels of indirect coping explained the relationship between LOF and depression. In addition, the relationship between LOF and social anxiety was significantly mediated by indirect coping and direct coping. The relationship between LOF and social anxiety was partially explained by lower levels of direct coping an...
Keeping and Bearing Arms: Norms of Status and Gender

Early modern statutes required householders to keep weapons, and cultural rules defined when and how they should come into play. These two aspects of early modern martial culture were not unrelated. Nor did they affect all members of the community in the same way. This chapter and the next explore the links between keeping and bearing arms and expressions of social identity. Gender, wealth, social status, ethnicity, age, personal taste, and even physical stature all could affect what kinds of weapons householders kept in their homes and how they used them in response to a threat or an insult.
Variation in the Intensity of Care for Patients with Uncomplicated Renal Colic Presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments

Abstract Background Renal colic results in > 1 million ED visits per year, yet there exists a gap in understanding how the majority of these visits, namely uncomplicated cases, are managed. Objective We assessed patient- and hospital-level variation for emergency department (ED) management of uncomplicated kidney stones. Methods We identified ED visits from non-elderly adults (aged 19−79 years) with a primary diagnosis indicating renal stone or colic from the 2011 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Patients with additional diagnostic codes indicating infection, sepsis, and abdominal aortic aneurysm were excluded. We used sample-weighted logistic regression to determine the association between hospital admission and having a urologic procedure with patient and hospital characteristics. Results Of the 1,061,462 ED visits for uncomplicated kidney stones in 2011, 8.0% of visits resulted in admission and 6.3% resulted in an inpatient urologic procedure. Uninsured patients compared to Medicaid insured patients were less likely to be admitted or have an inpatient urologic procedure (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65−0.81 and OR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.72−0.87, respectively). Private- and Medicare-insured patients compared to Medicaid-insured patients were more likely to have an inpatient urologic procedure (OR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.11−1.30 and OR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.04−1.25, respectively). Conclusions For patients with uncomplicated renal colic, there is variation in the management associated with nonclinical factors, namely insurance. No consensus guidelines exist yet to address when to admit or utilize inpatient urologic procedures.
Comparative evaluation of two analytical methods for Helical Cone-Beam Tomography

We present some extensions to the recently published "DBP-0" method which are important for making the algorithm more suitable for clinical routine. These extensions are (i) an incorporation of the slice thickness into the reconstruction process, (ii) a way of reconstructing a region of interest smaller than the FOV, (iii) the possibility to reconstruct from flying focal spot data and (iv) a frequency apodization scheme for influencing the resolution vs. noise level during reconstruction. We furthermore present an evaluation of the DBP-0 method against the approximate Weighted FBP (WFBP) algorithm in terms of resolution, noise and subjective appearance of reconstructed images.
Comparative seed germination and seedling development of the ghost orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii (Orchidaceae), and molecular identification of its mycorrhizal fungus from South Florida.

Background and Aims The endangered leafless ghost orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii, one of the most renowned orchids in the world, is difficult to grow under artificial conditions. Published information on asymbiotic and symbiotic (co-culture with a mycobiont) seed germination, seedling anatomy and developmental morphology of this leafless orchid is completely lacking. This information is critical for the development of efficient procedures for ghost orchid production for successful reintroduction. Methods Ghost orchid seedling early development stages were morphologically and anatomically defined to compare germination, embryo and protocorm maturation and seedling development during asymbiotic and symbiotic culture with one of two mycorrhizal strains (Dlin-379 and Dlin-394) isolated from ghost orchid roots in situ. Key Results Seeds symbiotically germinated at higher rates when cultured with fungal strain Dlin-394 than with strain Dlin-379 or asymbiotically on P723 medium during a 10-week culture period. Fungal pelotons were observed in protocorm cells co-cultured with strain Dlin-394 but not Dlin-379. Some 2-year-old seedlings produced multinode inflorescences in vitro. Production of keikis from inflorescence nodes indicated the capacity for clonal production in the ghost orchid. Conclusions Ghost orchid embryo and seedling development were characterized into seven stages. Fungal strain Dlin-394 was confirmed as a possible ghost orchid germination mycobiont, which significantly promoted seed germination and seedling development. Internal transcribed spacer sequencing data confirmed that Dlin-394 belongs within the genus Ceratobasidium. These results offer the opportunity to examine the benefits of using a mycobiont to enhance in vitro germination and possibly ex vitro acclimatization and sustainability following outplanting.
Alternate Strategies for Advancing a Company's Technology

(1975). Alternate Strategies for Advancing a Company's Technology. Research Management: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 24-29.
Hybrid state machine model for fast model predictive control: application to path tracking

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are composed of computing devices interacting with physical systems. Model-based design is a powerful methodology in CPS design in the implementation of control systems. For instance, Model Predictive Control (MPC) is typically implemented in CPS applications, e.g., in path tracking of autonomous vehicles. MPC deploys a model to estimate the behavior of the physical system at future time instants for a specific time horizon. Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) are the most commonly used models to emulate the behavior of continuous-time (non-)linear dynamical systems. A complex physical model may comprise thousands of ODEs which pose scalability, performance and power consumption challenges. One approach to address these model complexity challenges are frameworks that automate the development of model-to-model transformation. In this paper, we introduce a model generation framework to transform ODE models of a physical system to Hybrid Harmonic Equivalent State (HES) Machine model equivalents. Moreover, tuning parameters are introduced to reconfigure the model and adjust its accuracy from coarse-grained time critical situations to fine-grained scenarios in which safety is paramount. Machine learning techniques are applied to adopt the model to run-time applications. We conduct experiments on a closed-loop MPC for path tracking using the vehicle dynamics model. We analyze the performance of the MPC when applying our Hybrid HES Machine model. The performance of our proposed model is compared with state-of-the-art ODE-based models, in terms of execution time and model accuracy. Our experimental results show a 32% reduction in MPC return time for 0.8% loss in model accuracy.
Senescent Alterations in the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Evidence for Mechanisms Based on Nutritional Studies

Age-related diseases of the retina are among the most prevalent causes of serious visual impairment in developed countries. Those retinal diseases affecting the macular region have the most pronounced effects on visual capacity. Data from an epidemiological study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the United States is approximately 85 per 1,000 of the population 65 to 74 years of age (11). In the Framingham Eye Study, the incidence of AMD was found to be 110 per 1,000 of population in the same age group, and rose to 280 per 1,000 in those 75 to 85 years of age (34). At present, our understanding of the etiology of AMD is extremely limited, but it is likely that age-related diseases of the macula develop as the result of underlying senescent alterations in the retina and associated tissues. If we are to retard or prevent the development of AMD, therefore, it will be necessary to identify primary senescent changes that may lead to the development of macular degeneration.
Hemocompatible tissue-engineered vascular grafts using adult mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract Vascular tissue engineering can now produce compliant and durable vascular grafts to address limited supply of autologous vessel grafts for patients with coronary artery disease. Due to the demand for an anti-thrombogenic luminal surface, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been investigated for their potential to differentiate into an endothelial phenotype. This can be done through several types of chemical and biomechanical stimulation. Adipose-derived MSCs are of particular interest because they present an autologous source of sufficient MSCs to seed a monolayer onto the lumen of a typical coronary bypass graft. This review provides an overview of recent developments in endothelial differentiation methods of MSCs and main findings, as well as perspectives on future research.
Characterization of alteplase therapy for presumed or confirmed pulmonary embolism during cardiac arrest.

Purpose The dosing and administration of alteplase in cardiac arrest due to suspected or confirmed pulmonary embolism (PE) are characterized. Methods This multicenter, retrospective, cohort study evaluated adult patients who received alteplase during PE-induced cardiac arrest at 16 medical centers. Outcomes analyzed included alteplase dosing characteristics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation survival, time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), documented occurrence of major or minor bleeding, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and survival to discharge. Results A total of 35 patients were included in the analysis. Forty-six percent of patients received alteplase by a bolus-only dosing strategy. The most common bolus-only alteplase dose was 50 mg. Patients in the bolus-only group had a significantly shorter mean time from cardiac arrest onset to alteplase administration (15.1 minutes) compared with both the infusion-only group (46.4 minutes) and the bolus-with-infusion group (48.0 minutes) ( p = 0.006). The mean cumulative alteplase dose was significantly higher in patients who had ROSC than those who did not (90.6 and 69.4 mg, respectively; p = 0.03). Although there was a significant difference in the cardiac arrest survival between groups, there was no difference between dosing strategies and the attainment of ROSC, and survival to hospital discharge. Conclusion Among patients receiving alteplase for presumed or confirmed PE during cardiac arrest, the most common treatment was administration of a single 50-mg bolus of the thrombolytic agent. This treatment was received by all survivors of cardiac arrest.
Putting the Entrepreneur Back into Development and Foreign Policy

Over the last 60 years, developing countries have generally used two strategies in their pursuits of development - import substitution and export promotion with limited results except for East Asia. Both approaches relied on strong state intervention and persistent market distortions to sustain their viability, and thus, have often crowded out or thwarted altogether the traditional role of the entrepreneur – the driving force of creative change and innovation in an economy. The author finds that developing countries face greater institutional barriers to entrepreneurial activity and that these institutional barriers negatively impact economic performance. The analysis suggests that countries which seek to improve their economic performance should improve their business environments, and recommends the promotion of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial institutions through targeted development assistance aimed at business environment restructuring become a key foreign policy objective for the United States.
The Carotid Bruit

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and approximately 795,000 occur annually. Disease at the carotid bifurcation is responsible for 20–30 % of strokes. National Stroke Association guidelines from the mid-1990s recommended basic blood pressure and pulse exams and auscultation for carotid bruit as screening tools for stroke prevention. Relying on the presence of a bruit, however, can be misleading. Only 25 % of asymptomatic patients with carotid bruits will have stenosis of 75 % or greater when they undergo additional evaluation. Also, patients who have high-grade stenosis or occlusion will not present with a bruit, making auscultation a screening tool with poor sensitivity and specificity. Those at increased risk for stroke include older patients with a history of other vascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and a history of smoking. While general ultrasound screening does not have proven cost effectiveness, ongoing studies are evaluating the potential benefit of focused ultrasound screening in high-risk populations.
SUBCLINICAL ACROMEGALY DUE TO A PITUITARY CYSTIC SOMATOTROPH ADENOMA

ABSTRACT Objective: Excess growth hormone (GH) secretion from a cystic sellar lesion is rare. Indeed, there have been few cases of hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas with a cystic component. Meth...
Abstract 127: Arterial Inflammation and Neointimal Hyperplasia Development in a Germ-free Mouse Model of Carotid Ligation

Backgound: The microbiome plays a functional role in a number of inflammatory processes and disease states. While neointimal hyperplasia has been linked to inflammation, there has not been direct d...
Prioritizing river basins for intensive monitoring and assessment by the US Geological Survey

The US Geological Survey (USGS) is currently (2020) integrating its water science programs to better address the nation's greatest water resource challenges now and into the future. This integration will rely, in part, on data from 10 or more intensively monitored river basins from across the USA. A team of USGS scientists was convened to develop a systematic, quantitative approach to prioritize candidate basins for this monitoring investment to ensure that, as a group, the 10 basins will support the assessment and forecasting objectives of the major USGS water science programs. Candidate basins were the level-4 hydrologic units (HUC04) with some of the smaller HUC04s being combined; median candidate-basin area is 46,600 km2. Candidate basins for the contiguous United States (CONUS) were grouped into 18 hydrologic regions. Ten geospatial variables representing land use, climate change, water use, water-balance components, streamflow alteration, fire risk, and ecosystem sensitivity were selected to rank candidate basins within each of the 18 hydrologic regions. The two highest ranking candidate basins in each of the 18 regions were identified as finalists for selection as "Integrated Water Science Basins"; final selection will consider input from a variety of stakeholders. The regional framework, with only one basin selected per region, ensures that as a group, the basins represent the range in major drivers of the hydrologic cycle. Ranking within each region, primarily based on anthropogenic stressors of water resources, ensures that settings representing important water-resource challenges for the nation will be studied.
Exploring the Feasibility of Mobility as a Service in Small Urban and Rural Communities: Lessons from a Case Study

Abstract Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a concept that provides individualized choices for multimodal shared trips and has been extended with growing applications in large cities and metropolitan ...
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) from the urological point of view: Assessment of the urinary function in 38 patients

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) includes genetic heterogeneous diseases characterized by muscle weakness and atrophy. There are at least two risk factors for SMA patients to develop urinary dysfunct...
Treatment with Vitamin D3 in Vitamin D Deficient Adolescents: A Pilot Study.

Multiple epidemiological studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent amongst adolescents in the USA. However, recommendations regarding the treatment of vitamin D deficiency in...
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rising cause of mortality and morbidity, and although surgical resection is the preferred curative local therapy, < 30% of patients are candidates at diagnosis. This review discusses SBRT as an option in a variety of clinical scenarios. Multiple retrospective and prospective studies demonstrate that stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an effective bridge for transplant candidates and local therapy for patients with inoperable early-, intermediate-, or advanced-stage disease. SBRT is associated with excellent local control, and it is well-tolerated despite study cohorts enriched with patients who failed prior therapies and had poor baseline liver function. Additional randomized control trials are needed to determine the ideal treatment regimen and patient selection for SBRT.
Issues in Human Mutagenesis and Teratogenesis

There is perhaps no issue more critical for the survival and well-being of our species than the protection of mankind against those physical and chemical agents that damage the genetic material of our somatic and germ cells. In terms of the somatic cell effects of such agents, our concern here is with (1) their teratogenicity, i.e., their effects on the developing embryo or fetus; and (2) their carcinogenicity, i.e., their induction of neoplastic disease. Fully 250,000 children with birth defects are born each year in this country alone, and it is estimated that 25% of our population will develop cancer.1,2. Approximately 80–90% of these cancers are thought to be induced by environmental agents, while 35% of birth defects are caused by known genetic or environmental factors.3 In terms of the germ cell effects of physical and chemical agents, documentation or proof of these in humans has been much more elusive, even when we are studying the effects of a known, potent mutagen to which a sizable human population has been exposed, at high doses. Nonetheless, concern for our species in terms of induced, heritable, deleterious mutations is the reasonable concern of our government and citizenry, since negligence in this area will doubtless lead, in our species as it does in experimental animals, to clinically significant genetic disease in generations to come.
Legal Reform in Korea

Notes on Usage About the Contributors List of Figures 1. Introduction 2. The Korean Constitutional Court, Judicial Activism and Social Change 3. The Paralysis of Legal Education in Korea 4. The Prosecution of Corruption in South Korea: Achievements, Problems and Prospects 5. Korean Criminal Law and Democratization 6. The Emergence of Formalized Intermediate Norms in Korea: The Case of Sexual Harassment 7. A Look at Chaebol Codes of Conduct 8. Epistemological Conflicts and Institutional Impediments: The Rocky Road to Corporate Bankruptcy Reforms in Korea 9. Korean Labour Law Reform: Evaluation and Future Prospects 10. Controlling Foreign Migrant Workers in Korea 11. The Unfulfilled Promise of Korean Telecommunications Reform 12. Negotiating Values and Law: Environmental Dispute Resolution in Korea Index
Five-year survival (with no evidence of disease) in patients with biopsy-confirmed aortic node metastasis from cervical carcinoma.

Abstract Thirty-one women with biopsy-confirmed aortic node metastases from carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated with pelvic and para-aortic irradiation. The intestinal complication rate in those patients who received 6,000 rads of split-course irradiation in 8 weeks was 61.9% and only 10.0% in the patients who received primarily 4,400 to 5,000 rads in 4½ to 5 weeks. The 5 year survival rate with no evidence of disease (NED) was only 9.6%, with death rates of 16.1% from complications NED and 74.1% from cancer. Of the nine women with microscopic evidence of aortic node metastasis in clinically negative aortic nodes, two are surviving NED after 5 years and seven have died. Six women had a single, clinically positive aortic node metastasis, and one patient is alive after 5 years NED and five are dead. All 16 women with multiple aortic node metastases died of cervical cancer, including six patients who had 100% resection of the multiple para-aortic node metastases. A plan of management for surgical staging and para-aortic irradiation is outlined.
From Central to Rudimentary to Primary: The History of an Underappreciated Organelle Whose Time Has Come.The Primary Cilium

For the first time, the history of the central flagellum/primary cilium has been explored systematically and in depth. It is a long and informative story about the course of scientific discovery, memory loss and rediscovery. The progress of our story is saltatory, pushed onward by innovations in technology and retarded by socio-scientific issues of linguistic and temporal chauvinism. Over one hundred and fifty years passed between the discovery of this organelle and full appreciation of its important functions. The main character in our story is an organelle that was relegated to a very minor role in the cellular opera for a very long time, until its rather sudden promotion to a central role in orchestrating many of the sensory and signaling events of the cell. Although early investigators speculated on just such a role for the primary cilium as early as 1898, it was over one hundred years before proof for this hypothesis was forthcoming.
Narrowband filter and annular slot antenna for PCS applications

A new narrowband filter has been developed for PCS applications. This filter has a 0.2 dB passband ripple bandwidth of 0.568% and is 60% smaller than the normal parallel coupled design. The filter can be integrated with the microstrip feedline of a novel annular slot antenna (ASA). The ASA has a 4.5% bandwidth and a planar structure. This antenna can be conveniently located on the chassis of a mobile PCS unit.
Wave Scattering by a Rigid Thin Barrier

The boundary integral equation method (BIEM) is applied to examine the effectiveness of both the vertical and the inclined thin breakwater. The BIEM has been used widely for free surface flow problems in both ground-water flows and water waves. For the present problems, modifications of the method are made to treat the velocity singularity at the tip of the breakwater and the zero thickness of the breakwater. The computational domain is truncated by introducing two auxiliary boundaries at some distance away from the break-water. Analytical solutions, which satisfy the governing equations and the radiation boundary condition, with unknown coefficients are used along the auxiliary boundaries. The accuracy of the numerical technique is demonstrated by comparing numerical results with analytical solutions for a vertical breakwater in a deep water. Numerical results in terms of both reflection coefficient and transmission coefficient are presented for both vertical and inclined thin breakwater.
Quality Earnings: Insights from Comparing GAAP to NIPA Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis produces a measure of aggregate corporate profits (NIPA earnings), which is an integral component of the accounting for GDP. The key advantage of NIPA earnings is rigorous determination with no earnings management and no political meddling; other advantages include double-checks from independent sources and consistent rules over time. Thus, NIPA earnings provide a useful counterpoint to GAAP measures of corporate profits. Using a sample of aggregate GAAP and NIPA earnings over 1950-2010, the main findings are as follows. GAAP and NIPA earnings are in remarkable sync in the early years, with similar means and standard deviations, and with earnings changes correlating at 0.89 during 1950-1980. This close relation greatly deteriorates, however, during the second half of the sample, 1981-2010. While the behavior of NIPA earnings remains roughly the same over these two periods, the volatility of GAAP earnings increases ten-fold, and the correlation between GAAP and NIPA earnings changes falls to 0.35. Additional tests reveal that the increase in the volatility of GAAP earnings is mostly due to rapid earnings reversals, and especially the effect of large transient items during economic downturns. Overall, the evidence points to little change in economic fundamentals over time, while there is substantially increased noise in the GAAP measurement of corporate profitability.