cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consumer Prices for Surgical Management of End-Stage Hallux Rigidus:

Background. Hallux rigidus is the most prevalent arthritic condition of the foot. Treatment of end-stage disease traditionally consists of a first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) arthrodesis; howe...
Exploring the Relationships Among the Inflammatory Potential of the Diet, Bone Mineral Density, and Injury Incidence in Collegiate Athletes (P23-006-19)

The relationship between the inflammatory potential of the diet, estimated by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) score, and bone health has been studied in older populations and suggests that the diet can influence bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk. These relationships have yet to be explored in other potentially vulnerable populations, such as athletes, where risk of injuries may be more common due to high physical stresses and over-use. The aims of this study were 1) to examine the correlation between DII scores, and BMD in collegiate athletes, and 2) to assess the relationship between DII score and self-reported prior injury incidence. Healthy collegiate athletes (n = 43) were recruited for this study: football, n = 12; men's soccer, n = 2; women's soccer, n = 13; women's swimming, n = 12; and women's basketball, n = 4. For each athlete, three 24-hour dietary intakes were collected using a standardized multiple-pass interview methodology (Nutrition Data System for Research) and this data was used to calculate individual DII scores. Body composition, including whole-body sub-total BMD, was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A modified overuse injury questionnaire (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre) was used to assess incidence of injuries in the prior 12 months. The participants (n = 14 male, n = 29 female) had a mean age of 19.4 ± 1.1 yrs and BMI of 25.8 ± 4.1 kg/m². Mean DII score was −0.43 ± 0.17 points (range: −3.94 to 4.34). Mean BMD was 1.251 ± 0.169 g/cm². Overall, DII score and BMD was not correlated (P = 0.47). Furthermore, DII scores of athletes that reported no prior injury did not differ from those who reported 1 or more injuries. Unlike research in postmenopausal women, it appears that bone health of young healthy athletes is less vulnerable to the influence of diets with higher inflammatory potential. Moreover, the lack of difference in DII score among athletes reporting various levels of prior injury suggests that the inflammatory potential of the diet is a poor predictor of injury risk in collegiate athletes. N/A.
CATHODIC GENERATION AND OXIDATION OF LEAD ZINTL ION PB94- IN POTASSIUM IODIDE SOLUTIONS IN LIQUID AMMONIA

The electrochemical reduction of lead and oxidation reaction of the resulting Pb94- Zintl ions have been studied in 0.1 and 1.0 M KI solutions in liquid ammonia at −70 °C. The reduction process is ...
KnowBias: Detecting Political Polarity in Long Text Content

We introduce a classification scheme for detecting political bias in long text content such as newspaper opinion articles. Obtaining long text data and annotations at sufficient scale for training is difficult, but it is relatively easy to extract political polarity from tweets through their authorship; as such, we train on tweets and perform inference on articles. Universal sentence encoders and other existing methods that aim to address this domain-adaptation scenario deliver inaccurate and inconsistent predictions on articles, which we show is due to a difference in opinion concentration between tweets and articles. We propose a two-step classification scheme that utilizes a neutral detector trained on tweets to remove neutral sentences from articles in order to align opinion concentration and therefore improve accuracy on that domain. Our implementation is available for public use at this https URL.
Organophosphazenes. 23. The Reactions of (4-(α-Methylethenyl)phenyl, 2-Phenylethynyl)tetrafluorocyclotriphosphazene–Styrene Copolymers with Dicobalt Octacarbonyl

The geminal and nongeminal isomers of N3P3F4(≡ CC6H5)C6H4C(CH3)=2 undergo radical addition polymerization with styrene to produce copolymers having pendant cyclophosphazenes containing a phenylethynl substituent. Reactions of the copolymer derived from the non-geminal phosphazene derivative with dicobalt octacarbonyl leads to formation of an organometallic cluster, -C ≡CC6H5·Co2(CO)6, as a phosphazene substituent. The redox active nature of the copolymer with the organometallic substituent was confirmed by observation of a one electron reversible reduction using cyclic voltametry. TGA studies suggest that the free alkyne substituent contributes to cross-linking in thermal degradation processes.
Institutional Architecture to Support Improved Highway Operational Performance

Highway agencies are confronting a difficult challenge in maintaining and improving mobility. Congestion, delay, and unreliability are increasing on urban highways. But mitigating these problems through increasing capacity is no longer viable in many cases, owing to resource and environmental constraints. If the mission of improving mobility and systems performance is to be taken seriously, managing the existing system to its fullest effectiveness becomes the central strategy.
Post-Procedure Protocols Following Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review

Objective Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been increasingly studied as a treatment for tendinopathy. Many factors may influence outcomes after PRP, including different protocols following administration. It was hypothesized that there would be heterogeneity in post-PRP protocols. Literature survey A systematized review of the literature on post-PRP protocols for tendinopathy was conducted using an electronic search of MEDLINE and Embase databases through September 2018. Methodology After duplicates were removed, English language articles involving adult patients who received PRP for tendinopathy were reviewed. Exclusion criteria included studies with fewer than 10 patients, PRP used to treat pathology other than tendinopathy, multiple protocols in one study, and surgical settings. Protocol specifics were extracted including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) restrictions before and after injection, postinjection restrictions on movement and weight bearing, use of orthoses, activity modifications, and postinjection rehabilitation protocols. Given limitations in the data, a meta-analysis was not performed. Synthesis Eighty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Following PRP injection, weight-bearing restrictions were mentioned rarely (12% of protocols). Orthosis use was uncommon overall (18%) but more common in Achilles tendinopathy protocols (53%). The majority of protocols instituted a period of stretching (51%) and strengthening (54%). Stretching programs generally began 2-7 days following injection, and strengthening programs began within 2-3 weeks. Preinjection NSAID restriction was reported rarely (20%), whereas postinjection NSAID restriction was more common (56%), with a typical restriction of greater than 2 weeks (38%). Return to play or full activity was reported in 42% of protocols, most commonly at 4-6 weeks following injection. Conclusion Although the clinical effectiveness of PRP remains controversial, even less is known about the effect of post-PRP protocols, which may affect the outcomes attributed to PRP itself. No studies directly compare post-PRP protocols, and the protocols studied demonstrate substantial heterogeneity. Some consensus regarding post-PRP protocols exists, although the rationale for these recommendations is limited.
Prototype 3D-Printed Traps Capture Bactericera cockerelli (Šulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) Directly into Preservative for Improved Detection of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum”

Potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), is a key pest of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and other solanaceous crops (Solanales: Solanaceae) as a vector of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Lso), the pathogen associated with zebra chip disease of potato. Potato psyllid populations typically are monitored using sticky card traps, and psyllids collected from sticky traps often are subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to monitor the incidence of Lso within psyllid populations. Psyllids collected from sticky traps are often mangled, desiccated, and coated with sticky residue, which may interfere with detection of Lso by PCR. A recently developed prototype 3-dimensional-printed trap that captures insects directly into a preservative (70% ethanol) was previously tested for monitoring psyllid populations. The capture of psyllids directly into a preservative may reduce degradation of DNA or protect specimens from PCR-inhibiting contaminants, thus improving the detection of Lso by PCR. Our goal was to compare the detectability of Lso in psyllids captured into preservative (prototype trap) to that in psyllids removed from sticky card traps. Overall, detection rates were higher in psyllids from the prototype trap than from sticky card traps. This improvement in Lso detection appeared to be partly due to the specimens yielding more DNA of higher quality. Results of this study demonstrate that compared with sticky card traps, a trap that captures psyllids directly into a preservative provides higher quality specimens for collection of molecular data, including pathogen diagnosis, population genetics, and molecular gut content analysis.
12 – Looking to the Future

Publisher Summary No one can predict the future of genetically modified (GM) foods and the broader biotech revolution. But three different futures seem possible at this moment. First, the objections to GM foods could evaporate as consumers in Europe and other countries decide that their fears on the health effects were groundless, as consumer-friendly traits begin to appear in foods, and as the price of genetically modified organisms (GMO) free foods rises to reflect the cost of segregation. A second possibility is that the industry could decide that the world is not ready for the biotech revolution and that there is no point in investing further in a process that faces real or imagined obstacles. Investment could dry up and farmers could shift back to using more traditional seeds. Consumer and environmental groups would celebrate their victory and move on to other issues and regulators would return to dealing with less controversial issues. A third possible outcome is more credible, though less easy to specify. This scenario includes a period of perhaps five to ten years of disorganization as firms and pressure groups continue their play for the ear of public opinion and the pen of the regulator. Governments take different views, depending on the importance of the industry to their economies and on the strength of public opinion. Then the situation will settle down, with a number of successful GM food products competing with their traditional and organic counterparts. Certain types of GM crops will be restricted to certain parts of a country or regions of the world.
Prevalence and clinical characterization of MMR-D/MSI extra-colonic cancers among germline PMS2 mutation carriers.

1527Background: PMS2-associated Lynch syndrome (LS) may have a more modest phenotype than that associated with other mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, EPCAM). Recent studies suggest li...
The usual policy levers are not engaging consumers in the transition to electric vehicles: a case of Sacramento, California

Author(s): Hardman, Scott; Kurani, Kenneth; Chakraborty, Debapriya | Abstract: We investigate whether the population of all vehicle owning households has already considered purchasing a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle (BEV). First, we explore purchase engagement and find that even in the city where Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) policy originates (Sacramento, California) few consumers are engaged with PEVs, few have considered purchasing one, many cannot name a single BEV or PHEV presently for sale, and many are not aware of incentives to buy or advertising of them. Next we model purchase consideration using ordinal logistic models to understand correlations of purchase consideration with: awareness of incentives, advertising, or ride and drives; whether respondents know how PHEVs and BEVs are fueled or the name of one for sale, have sought information on PHEVs and BEVs or have spoken to an owner; the density of chargers and PHEVs and BEVs in respondents' home location; and respondent socio-demographics. We do not find any relationship between common engagement strategies (e.g. advertising, incentives, and ride and drives) and whether consumers have already considered buying a PHEV or BEV. Those who have considered purchasing a BEV or PHEV have done so due to prior interest.
An ability-based theory of responsibility for collective omissions

Many important harms result in large part from our collective omissions, such as harms from our omissions to stop climate change and famines. Accounting for responsibility for collective omissions turns out to be particularly challenging. It is hard to see how an individual contributes anything to a collective omission to prevent harm if she couldn’t have made a difference to that harm on her own. Some groups are able to prevent such harms, but it is highly contentious whether groups can be loci of responsibility. This paper takes an existing and plausible framework of moral responsibility—one based on abilities—and scales it up to accommodate responsibility for collective omissions. This centrally involves identifying what the relevant collective abilities are and how they work. One significant benefit of this approach is that we can do this while remaining neutral on the debates about collective agency and collective responsibility by showing how individualist and collectivist versions of the theory work. Finally, I explore several further upshots of the scaled-up ability-based account, including that degrees of responsibility can be cashed out in terms of strengths of the relevant abilities, which has both theoretical and applied implications.
Barriers Down: How American Power and Free-Flow Policies Shaped Global Media

After 1945 the United States had a preponderance of economic, military and political power on the world stage, but its influence over the world's communication and media systems had not caught up y...
Bleeding During Pregnancy

Obstetric hemorrhage continues to be one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States. The etiology of hemorrhage can vary significantly depending on the trimester in which bleeding occurs. The majority of cases of hemorrhage continue to occur in the postpartum period even in those women without identifiable risk factors. This chapter will serve as a review of high yield clinical situations throughout the course of a woman’s pregnancy where life-threatening bleeding may be encountered. The goal is not to be an exhaustive reference but instead serve as a reference with practical clinical pearls to manage the conditions highlighted. Many of the principles presented can be applied to other clinical scenarios involving hemorrhage. The chapter will also include practical hemodynamic assessment and monitoring and support for the unstable patient. The authors will close with easy to understand and readily accessible references to help guide providers caring for obstetric patients in blood component replacement.
Adeno-Associated Virus Expression of α-Synuclein as a Tool to Model Parkinson’s Disease: Current Understanding and Knowledge Gaps

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the aging population and is characterized by a constellation of motor and non-motor symptoms. The abnormal aggregation and spread of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is thought to underlie the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to the development of PD. It is in this context that the use of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to express a-syn in the rodent midbrain has become a popular tool to model SNc DA neuron loss during PD. In this review, we summarize results from two decades of experiments using AAV-mediated a-syn expression in rodents to model PD. Specifically, we outline aspects of AAV vectors that are particularly relevant to modeling a-syn dysfunction in rodent models of PD such as changes in striatal neurochemistry, a-syn biochemistry, and PD-related behaviors resulting from AAV-mediated a-syn expression in the midbrain. Finally, we discuss the emerging role of astrocytes in propagating a-syn pathology, and point to future directions for employing AAVs as a tool to better understand how astrocytes contribute to a-syn pathology during the development of PD. We envision that lessons learned from two decades of utilizing AAVs to express a-syn in the rodent brain will enable us to develop an optimized set of parameters for gaining a better understanding of how a-syn leads to the development of PD.
Interlibrary loan and licensing : Tools for proactive contract management

Abstract Licensing agreements can profoundly affect the operation of interlibrary loan departments. How do academic libraries cope with the variety of ILL clauses included in database licenses? This article examines the avoidance approach (lend nothing from electronic sources) and the reactive approach (maintain files on which databases permit which types of loans), but recommends a proactive approach in which licensing negations include local interlibrary loan requirements from the start. Included are recommended resources for developing negotiating skills.
Molecular Cloning of the Fujinami Sarcoma Virus Genome and Its Comparison with Sequences of Other Related Transforming Viruses

Abstract Full-length proviral DNA of Fujinami sarcoma virus (FSV) of chickens was molecularly cloned and characterized. An analysis of FSV DNA integrated in mammalian cells showed that restriction endonuclease SacI has a single cleavage site on FSV DNA. Unintegrated closed circular FSV DNA obtained from newly infected cells was linearized by digestion with SacI and cloned into λgtWES·λB. The following three different molecules were isolated: FSV-1 (4.4 kilobases [kb]) and FSV-2 (4.7 kb), which appeared to be full-length FSV DNA molecules containing either one or two copies of the long terminal repeat structure, and FSV-3 (6 kb), which consisted of part FSV DNA and part DNA of unknown origin. An analysis of the structure of cloned FSV-1 and FSV-2 DNA molecules by restriction endonuclease mapping and hybridization with appropriate probes showed that about 2.6 kb of the FSV-unique sequence called FSV-fps is located in the middle of the FSV genome and is flanked by helper virus-derived sequences of about 1.3 kb at the 5′ end and 0.5 kb at the 3′ end. The long terminal repeats of FSV were found to have no cleavage site for either EcoRI or PvuI. Upon transfection, both FSV-1 DNA and FSV-2 DNA were able to transform mammalian fibroblasts. Four 32P-labeled DNA fragments derived from different portions of the FSV-fps sequence were used for hybridization to viral RNAs. We found that sequences within the 3′ half of the FSV-fps gene are homologous to RNAs of PRCII avian sarcoma virus and the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus, both of which were previously shown to contain transforming genes related to FSV-fps. These results suggest that the 3′ portion of the FSV-fps sequence may be crucial for the transforming activity of fps-related oncogenic sequences.
Extracellular calcium sensing and signalling.

Ca2+ is well established as an intracellular second messenger. However, the molecular identification of a detector for extracellular Ca2+ — the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor — has opened up the possibility that Ca2+ might also function as a messenger outside cells. Information about the local extracellular Ca2+ concentration is conveyed to the interior of many cell types through this unique G-protein-coupled receptor. Here, we describe new emerging concepts concerning the signalling function of extracellular Ca2+, with particular emphasis on the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor.
Acetylated Hemoglobins in Feline Blood

Abstract The β chain amino terminus of one or more hemoglobins in the blood of members of the Felidae family is substituted with an acetyl group. Such acetylated hemoglobins occur together with nonacetylated components in variable proportions in blood of different members of the family. In the lion, tiger, and snow leopard, the acetylated component comprises about 90% of the total hemoglobin; in the several and caracal it comprises about 70%; in the cheetah, puma, fishing cat, and jungle cat it comprises about 50%; and, among domestic cats it comprises 10 to 50%. The occurrence of such β chain-substituted hemoglobins as major components in animal blood is unusual. Except for the minor fetal human component hemoglobin Fi and the minor adult human component hemoglobin Aic, no animal hemoglobin thus far examined has been found to contain amino-blocked β (non α) chains. Domestic cat hemoglobins with N-acetylated β chain amino termini are insensitive to the modifying influence of organic phosphates on oxygen affinity, whereas cat hemoglobins with unsubstituted β chain amino termini are sensitive (Taketa, F., Mauk, A. G., and Lessard, J. L., J. Biol. Chem., 246, 4471 (1971)).
Application of Bayesian inversion for scatterer shape from EMI data

Bayesian inversion approaches may be useful for inferring metallic scatterer shapes, and thereby assist in discriminating buried unexploded ordnance (UXO). The fundamental feature of Bayesian inversion is its attempt at rational incorporation of prior information in the inference algorithm. In UXO detection and classification, the model is a set of parameters corresponding to a particular object in a particular disposition. Prior information about the target sought and the randomness of noise and clutter from different sources warrant the application of a Bayesian approach. Broadband electromagnetic induction (EMI) responses at different locations, in terms of scattered magnetic field components in-phase and out-of-phase with the transmitted primary field, form the data vector. Here a fast forward model, in which we successfully represent a steel cylinder by a spheroid, is exploited for inversion computations. The validated model produces synthetic data, for which Bayesian inversion is compared to simple least squares (SLS), i.e. without weighting or damping. The Bayesian approach can provide more accurate results, if we can provide reasonable prior information.
Carbon deposited on Ni/CeZrO isooctane autothermal reforming catalysts

Abstract On-board reforming of liquid fuels is attractive for fuel-cell-powered auxiliary power unit (APU) applications in heavy-duty vehicles. However, a technology barrier is catalyst deactivation due to carbon deposition. In this work, we studied carbon identification and the effect of nickel loading on carbon growth during isooctane autothermal reforming (iC 8 -ATR) over Ni-supported Ce Zr O (Ni/CZO) catalysts. The crystallographic phase, type, deposition amount, and morphologies of deposited carbon were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two types of carbon, coating and filamentous, were identified by SEM, with binding energies of 281.6 and 284.5 eV in C1s XPS spectra and oxidation temperatures of 392 and 572 °C in TGA curves, respectively. Both coating and filamentous carbon were X-ray amorphous for nickel loadings ⩽5%, even though deposited carbon reached up to 60.2%. Over the entire nickel loading range of 1–15%, with corresponding nickel crystal sizes of 30–103 nm, the coating carbon formation rates were low (0.04 g/m 2 Ni h) and independent of nickel particle size. The growth rates of filamentous carbon increased with increasing nickel particle size. Filamentous carbon growth may require not only a critical nickel particle size, but also a certain minimum number of nickel particles per unit support area. The results suggest a strategy for inhibiting the growth of filamentous carbon on Ni/CZO catalysts during autothermal reforming of liquid fuels.
Biomechanical and biochemical changes in lumbar vertebrae of rapidly growing rats

Although growth-related biochemical, morphological, and biomechanical properties of rat cortical bone have been investigated, similar properties of immature rat vertebral bone have not been well characterized. Information about these properties is necessary, however, for comparative analyses of rat vertebral bone adaptation. Thus a method was developed to characterize growth-related differences in immature rat vertebral bone. The centra of sixth lumbar vertebrae (L6) of 44-day-old and 54-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were compressed to 50% of their initial height at a 50%/s strain rate while immersed in a potassium phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4, 37 degrees C). Structural and material properties for the 54-day-old group that were significantly greater than those for the 44-day-old group included load, stress, and energy at the proportional limit; initial maximum load and stress; and load and energy at 50% strain. The structural stiffness of L6, as well as its elastic modulus, was significantly greater in the older animals. The calcium concentrations and calcium-to-collagen ratios in 54-day-old vertebrae were significantly greater than in younger animals. These results indicated that the specimen preparation and testing protocol developed for rat vertebrae produced reliable biomechanical results, even with the relatively small size of rat vertebrae bodies, and that the quantity and quality of the matrix of immature rat vertebral bone changed significantly during this period of rapid growth. Our test protocol will be useful for investigating the responses of rat vertebral bone to exercise, disease, and spaceflight.
Probability density estimation for the interpretation of neural population codes

1. Electrophysiological recording data from multiple cells in motor cortex and elsewhere often are interpreted using the population vector method pioneered by Georgopoulos and coworkers. This paper proposes an alternative method for interpreting coding across populations of cells that may succeed under circumstances in which the population vector fails. 2. Population codes are analyzed using probability theory to find the complete conditional probability density of a movement parameter given the firing pattern of a set of cells. 3. The conditional probability density when a single cell fires is proportional to the shape of the cell's tuning curve of firing rate in response to different movement parameters. 4. The conditional density when multiple cells fire is proportional to the product of their tuning curves. 5. Movement parameters can be estimated from the conditional density using statistical maximum likelihood or minimum mean-squared error methods. 6. Simulations show that density estimation correctly finds movement directions for nonuniform distributions of preferred directions and noncosine cell tuning curves, whereas the population vector method fails for these cases. 7. Probability methods thus provide a statistically based alternative to the population vector for interpreting electrophysiological recording data from multiple cells.
Parent and Metabolite Opioid Drug Concentrations in Unintentional Deaths Involving Opioid and Benzodiazepine Combinations.

Effects of benzodiazepines on postmortem opioid parent and parent/metabolite blood concentration ratios were determined for fentanyl-, hydrocodone-, methadone-, or oxycodone-related accidental deaths. These opioids are partially metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme system, which is also affected by diazepam and alprazolam. Opioid/metabolite combinations examined were as follows: fentanyl/norfentanyl, hydrocodone/dihydrocodeine, methadone/EDDP, and oxycodone/oxymorphone. Parent opioid concentrations were analyzed for 877 deaths. Parent/metabolite concentration ratios were analyzed for 349 deaths, excluding cases with co-intoxicants present known to interfere with opioid elimination. Alprazolam in combination with diazepam significantly decreased median hydrocodone concentrations by 48% (p = 0.01) compared to hydrocodone alone. The methadone parent/metabolite concentration ratio was reduced by 35% in the presence of diazepam compared to methadone alone (p = 0.03). Benzodiazepines did not statistically significantly affect fentanyl or oxycodone concentrations. Possible factors affecting opioid concentrations and possible toxicity development, including any differential effects on specific opioids, should continue to be explored.
Pore pressure within dipping reservoirs in overpressured basins

Abstract To predict reservoir pore pressure, we present a one-dimensional flow model that captures complicated two- and three-dimensional flow present in a dipping permeable reservoir encased in overpressured mudrock. The model incorporates the variation of mudrock permeability with effective stress and includes the effect of reservoir geometry. We find that reservoir pressure is lower when stress-dependent mudrock permeability is assumed relative to the case of constant mudrock permeability. Increased structural relief further reduces the reservoir pressure relative to the far-field pressure and increased effective stress (pore pressure is lower relative to the overburden) results in increased reservoir pressure relative to the far-field pressure. If a large fraction of the reservoir area is in deeper areas where the mudrocks are more overpressured, then the relative pressure is higher than cases where the reservoir area remains constant with depth. The model results compare favorably both to pressures predicted by a more complex numerical model that simulates basin evolution and to field observations in the Bullwinkle Basin (Green Canyon 65, Gulf of Mexico). Our model provides a quick workflow to predict excess pressures in dipping reservoirs encased in mudrock within mechanically-compacted basins. It can be used to analyze trap integrity, understand hydrocarbon migration, and improve drilling safety.
Association between sugar-sweetened beverages and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis.

Aims/Introduction Many studies have been carried out to examine the association between sugar-sweetened beverages and the incident of type 2 diabetes, but results are mixed. The aim of the present study was to estimate the association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods PubMed, Springer Link and Elsevier databases were searched up to July 2014. Prospective studies published on the association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes were included. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for highest versus lowest category of sugar-sweetened beverages were estimated using a random-effects model. Results The pooled effect estimate of sugar-sweetened beverage intake was 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21–1.39) for type 2 diabetes; stratified by geographic region of the studies, the pooled effect estimates were 1.34 (95% CI 0.74–2.43), 1.30 (95% CI 1.20–1.40), 1.29 (95% CI 1.09–1.53) in Asia, the USA and Europe,respectively; the pooled effect estimates were 1.26 (95% CI 1.16–1.36) with adjusting body mass index and 1.38 (95% CI 1.23–1.56) without adjusting body mass index. Conclusions Our findings suggested that sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and the association was attenuated by adjustment for body mass index. Specifically, the associations were also found to be significantly positive in the USA and Europe.
Ontogeny of insulin and glucagon receptors and the adenylate cyclase system in guinea pig liver.

Summary To gain insight into the mechanisms responsible for the impaired glycogenolytic response to glucagon and the diminished ketogenic capacity of newborn guinea pig, we studied the ontogeny of insulin and glucagon receptors, and the responsiveness of the adenylate cyclase complex to glucagon, PGE,, NaF, and cholera toxin in liver plasma membrane from fetal (58 d, late gestation, and 65 d, term) and adult guinea pigs. The number of insulin receptors (~10-I" MIL) was least in 58-d fetus (3.0 f 0.4; mean + SEM) and increased 3-fold in 65 d fetus (8.8 k 0.6; P < 0.01). In adult guinea pig, both insulin receptor number (6.0 + 0.7) and average affinity constant (1.20 f 0.08 x lo8 M-I) were significantly lower (P < 0.01) compared with 65-d fetus. The number of glucagon receptors remained unchanged between 58-d and 65-d fetuses, but both average and high affinity association constants were significantly higher at d 65. In contrast to the lower capacity and affinity of insulin receptors in the adult compared with term fetus, the total glucagon receptor number (~10-"' MIL) in adults (7.2 + 0.8) was twice that of the 58 d (3.2 2 0.2) and 65 d (3.2 f 1.0) fetuses. The average affinity constant (xlOX M-I) in adult (3.8 f 0.2) was, however, significantly lower than the two fetal groups (58 d, 5.0 2 0.3; P < 0.05 and 65 d, 8.1 f 1.0; P < 0.05). Although the total glucagon receptor number at d 58 was approximately 50% of that present in the adult, glucagon did not stimulate cAMP production above basal; all other stimuli evoked significant increases. By 65 d, the fetal membranes responded to glucagon as well as to all other agents with appropriate cAMP production. In the presence of 0.5 mM guanosine-5'-triphosphate, the cAMP response to prostaglandin El was similar in all three groups. These results
Social buying: the effects of group size and communication on countering seller market power

This article examines the impact of group size and communication level on market performance in group buying auction sites. Drawing on theory from economics and information systems we posit that larger buyer groups should be able to obtain better prices from sellers and that more communication support should help buyers with coordinating their actions. Using an economic experiment, we found, interestingly, that offering a private communication channel for buyers does not increase the efficiency of group coordination, and also lower buyer profits. Group size did not have significant effects on buyer profits, but slows down group coordination. We discuss the implications of these results.
Adenosine triphosphate is released during injurious mechanical ventilation and contributes to lung edema.

Background: Extracellular nucleotides mediate many cellular functions and are released in response to mechanical stress in vitro. It is unknown whether adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released in vivo during mechanical ventilation (MV). We hypothesized that stress from high-pressure MV would increase airway ATP, contributing to MV-associated lung edema. Methods: Rats were randomized to nonventilated control (n = 6) or 30 minutes of MV with low (15 cm H 2 0, n = 7) or high (40 cm H 2 0, n = 6) pressure. Additional groups received intratracheal ATP (n = 7) or saline (n = 7) before low-pressure MV. Results: Low-pressure MV did not affect lung edema or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) ATP levels. In contrast, high-pressure MV significantly increased BAL ATP and produced alveolar edema; lactate dehydrogenase was unchanged. Intratracheal ATP administration significantly increased lung water during low-pressure MV. Conclusion: High-pressure MV increases BAL ATP concentration without altering lactate dehydrogenase, suggesting that release is not from cell lysis. Intratracheal ATP increases lung water, implicating nucleotides in MV-associated lung edema.
Putting U.S. health care on the right track.

Dr. Denis Cortese and Jeffrey Korsmo write that we must hold physicians and other providers accountable for providing high-value health care, defined in terms of both quality and cost. They propose that we create a value score for each medical institution and make it publicly available.
Text segmentation in color images using tensor voting

In natural scene, text elements are corrupted by many types of noise, such as streaks, highlights, or cracks. These effects make the clean and automatic segmentation very difficult and can reduce the accuracy of further analysis such as optical character recognition. We propose a method to drastically improve segmentation using tensor voting as the main filtering step. We first decompose an image into chromatic and achromatic regions. We then identify text layers using tensor voting, and remove noise using adaptive median filter iteratively. Finally, density estimation for center modes detection and K-means clustering algorithm is performed later for segmentation of values according to hue or intensity component in the improved image. Excellent results are achieved in experiments on real images.
Role of self-expandable metal stents in the palliation of malignant duodenal obstruction.

Background: Palliative surgical intervention for malignant duodenal obstruction is often associated with a significant morbidity. Endoscopic enteral stenting offers a suitable alternative, that is safe, effective, and less invasive. This study reports our experience with the use of self-expanding metal stents in the palliation of malignant gastric duodenal obstruction. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients who underwent duodenal stenting from November 1998 to February 2001 was performed. All the patients had symptomatic gastric outlet and duodenal obstruction with nausea, vomiting, and decreased oral intake. All of them underwent enteral stenting with self-expandable metal Wallstents 20 or 22 mm in diameter and 6 or 9 cm long. Results: For this study, 33 patients (19 men and 14 women) with a mean age of 62 years (range, 37–81 years) were identified, 32 of whom had successful duodenal stent placement (6 were performed as outpatient surgery). The malignancies were pancreatic 18 (54%), gastric 4 (12%), duodenal 3 (9%), metastatic 6 (18%), and cholangiocarcinoma 2 (6%) disorders. The site of obstruction was pyloric (n = 5; 15%), pyloroduodenal (n = 3; 9%), duodenal bulb (n = 11; 33%), second portion of duodenum (n = 9; 27%), second and third portion of duodenum (n = 3; 9%), C-loop (n = 1; 3%), and anastomotic (n = 1; 3%). A total of 29 patients (91%) had good clinical outcomes, with relief of obstructive symptoms, Two of three patients with no symptomatic relief underwent gastrojejunostomy. One patient refused further treatment. No immediate stent-related complications were noted. During the follow-up period, 20 patients died (none as a result stent-related causes) due to progression of cancer. Median survival was 102 days. Four patients had recurrent obstruction (2 tumor ingrowths, 1 overgrowth, and 1 distally migrated stent) at a mean interval of 82 days. All four had successful restenting without complications. Conclusion: Self-expandable metal stents placed endoscopically provide a safe, less invasive palliative treatment option with good clinical outcome in the management of malignant gastric outlet–duodenal obstruction.
Object database support for a software project management environment

The recent development of object-oriented database models, which combine the power of object programming and the efficient management of data, provides a feasible solution for the construction of a computer-aided software engineering environment or CASE. However, an object oriented database provides only a kernel set of capabilities. This paper identifies the data management requirements related to software project management and shows how they are represented in the model called Design-Net. Then it is shown how the concepts of the work breakdown structure, project history, event monitoring, and re-initiation of tasks are realized in a specific object-oriented system. Limitations of existing object oriented database systems are identified, with respect to implementing these concepts. Based upon an actual prototype, recommendations are made for enhancing future object-oriented systems.
Arsenate and arsenite removal by zerovalent iron: kinetics, redox transformation, and implications for in situ groundwater remediation.

Batch tests were performed utilizing four zerovalent iron (Fe0) filings (Fisher, Peerless, Master Builders, and Aldrich) to remove As(V) and As(III) from water. One gram of metal was reacted headspace-free at 23 °C for up to 5 days in the dark with 41.5 mL of 2 mg L-1 As(V), or As(III) or As(V) + As(III) (1:1) in 0.01 M NaCl. Arsenic removal on a mass basis followed the order: Fisher > Peerless ≈ Master Builders > Aldrich; whereas, on a surface area basis the order became: Fisher > Aldrich > Peerless ≈ Master Builders. Arsenic concentration decreased exponentially with time, and was below 0.01 mg L-1 in 4 days with the exception of Aldrich Fe0. More As(III) was sorbed than As(V) by Peerless Fe0 in the initial As concentration range between 2 and 100 mg L-1. No As(III) was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on Peerless Fe0 at 5 days when As(V) was the initial arsenic species in the solution. As(III) was detected by XPS at 30 and 60 days present on Peerless Fe0, when As(V) was the initial ...
New C13N14 search regions in the solar spectrum

Solar rotational line positions due to red band in IR continuum region to resolve blue-violet ambiguity
Asparagine metabolism in mouse sarcoma cells I. Transport, metabolism and pools of dicarboxylic amino acids and their amides

Abstract In order to grow in vitro, mouse Sarcoma-180 (S-180) cells require glutamine (2 mM) or glutamate (10 mM). A subline (S-180/ASN) was developed that can also grow in the absence of glutamine and glutamate if supplied either with asparagine (2 mM), aspartate (30 mM) or oxaloacetate (10 mM). The purpose of this study was to elucidate the cellular and metabolic differences between S-180 and S-180/ASN cells. In both cells the transport velocity of amino acids decreased in the order: glutamine≈asparagine ⪢ glutamate≈aspartate. With the exception of aspartate, the transport proceses were saturable and led to intracellular accumulation of the free amino acids. The energy of activation for the transport of asparagine by S-180 cells, which did not metabolize it, was 9.6 kcals/mole, that for aspartate 2.6 kcals/mole. The parent cells accumulated large amounts of unaltered asparagine but incorporated very little into acid-insoluble material. In the subline the conversion of asparagine to aspartate and glutamate was rapid and was directly responsible for the ability of these cells to grow on asparagine (in the absence of glutamine). The subline also differed from S-180 cells by transporting glutamate slower but metabolizing it more rapidly. The intracellular pools of amides never exceeded 3.2 mM while the corresponding acids reached up to 26 mM in cell water.
Acute gastric dilatation in duchenne muscular dystrophy: A case report and review of the literature

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common neuromuscular disorder of childhood. Its clinical characteristics that derive from skeletal muscle involvement have been well described. Less well known is that visceral smooth muscle is affected in DMD. We report a case of a 19-year-old man with DMD who presented with severe nonradiating epigastric pain. He was initially sent home from the emergency department with a diagnosis of costochondritis. Acute gastric dilation was not considered in the differential diagnosis despite supportive history, physical examination findings, and radiographs. The case illustrates the lack of familiarity by clinicians of the gastrointestinal manifestations of DMD, including gastric dilatation and intestinal pseudoobstruction. Following a case discussion, the literature relevant to acute gastric atony is reviewed.
convert: A user‐friendly program to reformat diploid genotypic data for commonly used population genetic software packages

convert is a user-friendly, 32-bit Windows program that facilitates ready transfer of codominant, diploid genotypic data amongst commonly used population genetic software packages. convert reads input files in its own ‘standard’ data format, easily produced from an excel file of diploid, codominant marker data, and can convert these to the input formats of the following programs: gda, genepop, arlequin, popgene, microsat, phylip, and structure. convert can also read input files in genepop format. In addition, convert can produce a summary table of allele frequencies in which private alleles and the sample sizes at each locus are indicated.
Purine biosynthesis and excretion in Otala (=helex) lactea: An evaluation of the nitrogen excretory potential

Abstract 1. 1. The accumulation of uric acid, xanthine and guanine in estivating ] Otala lactea kidneys was used to estimate the rate of biosynthesis and deposition of the kidney purines in vivi . This estimated rate was 0.18 μmole purine per g total wt. per day. 2. 2. The rate of synthesis and deposition of the kidney purines in active snails was estimated by measuring the rate of incorporation in vivo of [1-C 14 ]glycine into the kidney purines. The highest observed rate was 0.68 μmole purine per g total wt. per day. 3. These estimated rates would account for the potential of excreting 9.7 mg N (693 μatom N)/kg total wt. per day as purine-N in estivating snails and 39.1 mg N (2793 μatom N)/kg total wt. per day in active snails. The term “recretion” is used here to apply to the depostion of the purines in the kidneys and not necessarily to their elimination from the body. 4. 4. Purines are the major nitrogenous excretory product of O. lactea since purine-N makes up roughly 90 per cent of the total N present in whole kidneys of both active and estivating snails. The only other major form of N eliminated by O. lactea is NH 3 gas. This was shown previously to arise from the action in vivo of tissue urease. From the estimated rates of purine-N excretion, the NH 3 -N eliminated would account for no more than about 30 per cent of the total N excreted by estivating snails and no more than about 5 per cent of the total N excreted by active snails.
p85α SH2 Domain Phosphorylation by IKK Promotes Feedback Inhibition of PI3K and Akt in Response to Cellular Starvation

The IκB kinase (IKK) pathway is an essential mediator of inflammatory, oncogenic, and cell stress pathways. Recently IKK was shown to be essential for autophagy induction in mammalian cells independent of its ability to regulate NF-κB, but the mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. Here we demonstrate that the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K is an IKK substrate, phosphorylated at S690 in vitro and in vivo in response to cellular starvation. Cells expressing p85 S690A or inhibited for IKK activity exhibit increased Akt activity following cell starvation, demonstrating that p85 phosphorylation is required for starvation-induced PI3K feedback inhibition. S690 is in a conserved region of the p85 cSH2 domain, and IKK-mediated phosphorylation of this site results in decreased affinity for tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins and decreased PI3K membrane localization. Finally, leucine deprivation is shown to be necessary and sufficient for starvation-induced, IKK-mediated p85 phosphorylation and PI3K feedback inhibition.
Cranial reconstruction for treatment of intracranial hypertension from sclerosteosis: case-based update.

Background Sclerosteosis (OMIM 269500 ) is a progressive, autosomal recessive, sclerosing bone disorder with a well defined phenotype. This phenotype is correlated with a deficiency in the protein product sclerostin, leading to bony overgrowth from the loss of inhibition of osteocyte function. Calvarial overgrowth can lead to cranial nerve palsies, visual impairment, and compression of the medulla at the foramen magnum. There is a presumption that calvarial thickening may lead to elevated intracranial pressure in these patients, although pressure measurements have not been published. Case Description The authors report the case of a 28-year-old Saudi Arabian man with sclerostosis, progressive headaches, and a cervical spinal cord syrinx. A cranial reconstruction was performed by aggressively thinning the thickened cortical bone, thereby expanding the intracranial space. The measured intracranial pressure was 25–40 mm HG under anesthesia. Conclusions After surgery, the patient had resolution of the headaches and radiographic near-resolution of the syrinx. The authors review their experience and the relevant literature with this rare case.