cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alkaline phosphatase isozymes in the duodenum of the mouse: Attainment of pattern of spatial distribution in normal development and under the influence of cortisone or actinomycin D

Abstract In the 11-day-old mouse, alkaline phosphatase activity is uniform along the length of the duodenal villi and does not differ in the relative rates at which it hydrolyzes PhP and bGP ( PhP bGP ratio) from villi tips to bases. This finding is in accord with the fact that the low activity at 11 days is represented by one molecular form having a PhP bGP ratio of about 0.7. Late in the second postnatal week activity begins to rise and new isozymes of higher ratios appear. Concomitant with these changes is the development of a phosphatase gradient, the distal parts of the villi manifesting higher activity and higher PhP bGP ratios than the basal parts. The gradient is slight at 14 days, but progressively becomes steeper. The maximal difference between villus tip and base (or crypt) is not achieved until the animals become adults. The fact that gradients become established as soon as new molecular forms of phosphatase appear is shown to be consistent with the hypothesis that in mice of 2 weeks or older duodenal phosphatase is converted from one molecular form to another as the epithelial cells glide up the villi. There is no stage at which activity or ratio is normally higher at the villi bases than at their tips. If 9-day-old mice are treated with actinomycin D, which causes a precocious increase of phosphatase activity, the proximal levels of the villi are most strongly affected, so that inverted gradients of both activity and ratio result. Adrenocortical hormone, the agent normally responsible for the increase and differentiation of duodenal phosphatase, tends to bring about a more uniform enhancement of activity and ratio along the length of the villus. In adults actinomycin also affects the entire villus, and PhP bGP ratios rise to levels much higher than those ever encountered in normal development. These results are discussed in terms of the light they shed on a controlling system that is thought to regulate the rate at which phosphatase differentiates during the passage of the epithelial cells from the crypts where they originate to the villi tips where they are extruded.
Critical-Rhetorical Ethnography: Rethinking the Place and Process of Rhetoric

Rhetorical scholarship has relied upon textual criticism as a method of examining discourse. However, in the critical turn, rhetorical theory and praxis have been reconsidered, especially in regard to the types and locations worthy of rhetorical examination. Looking toward vernacular rhetorical discourses, rhetorical scholars examine locally situated discourses as they articulate against oppressive macrocontexts. In this essay, I offer critical-rhetorical ethnography as a method for exploring such discourses in the field of argumentation, using the concepts of invention, kairos, and phronesis. The method offers rhetorical scholars a set of theoretical and methodological guidelines for observing and participating within vernacular advocacy. Finally, I use my time with the health advocacy group, DanceSafe, as an exemplar of the method, illustrating its ability to gauge rhetorical effects, advocacy, and learned wisdom.
Maladaptive social information processing in childhood predicts young men's atypical amygdala reactivity to threat

Background Maladaptive social information processing, such as hostile attributional bias and aggressive response generation, is associated with childhood maladjustment. Although social information processing problems are correlated with heightened physiological responses to social threat, few studies have examined their associations with neural threat circuitry, specifically amygdala activation to social threat.
Does Earmarked Revenue Provide Property Tax Relief? Long‐Term Budgetary Effects of Georgia's Local Option Sales Tax*

This study examines the long-term effects of the 1% General-purpose Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) on the level of property tax in Georgia counties with a pooled interrupted time-series analysis. The LOST has been earmarked for property tax relief in Georgia counties since 1976, but debates remain on whether the proceeds have been used as additional revenues. We find that the adoption of LOST brought short-term property tax relief but not long-term property tax reduction. The result suggests that long-term property tax relief would not be realized by earmarked revenue without careful policy design to safeguard fungibility.
Multiple Comparisons with a Control in Balanced Incomplete Block Designs

This paper shows that Dunnett's procedure for making multiple comparisons of several treatments against a single control can be used on the adjusted treatment means from balanced incomplete block designs.
Enalapril treatment and hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Abstract Background Experimental and clinical evidence suggests a preventive role for agiotensin-coverting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors on the development of atrial fibrillation. However, the effect of ACE inhibition on hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is not known. We sought to determine whether enalapril treatment reduced hospitalizations with atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with LV dysfunction. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) trial. Hospitalizations with atrial tachyarrhythmias were noted. Results A total of 192 hospitalizations with atrial tachyarrhythmias occurred in 158 patients during a follow-up period of 34 months. The time to first hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias or death was significantly lower in the enalapril group (P = .005). In a multivariate analysis adjusting for the presence of atrial fibrillation at study entry, enalapril treatment was associated with a reduction in the rate of hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias or death (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79–0.96; P = .007). The incidence of hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias was 7.9 hospitalizations per 1000 patient-years of follow-up in the enalapril group, compared with 12.4 per 1000 patient-years in the placebo group (RR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48–0.85; P = .002). Conclusion Enalapril is associated with a decreased incidence of hospitalization with atrial tachyarrhythmias in patients with LV dysfunction.
Application of habitat thresholds in conservation: Considerations, limitations, and future directions

Abstract Habitat thresholds are often interpreted as the minimum required area of habitat, and subsequently promoted as conservation targets in natural resource policies and planning. Unfortunately, several recent reviews and messages of caution on the application of habitat thresholds in conservation have largely fallen on deaf ears, leading to a dangerous oversimplification and generalization of the concept. We highlight the prevalence of oversimplification/over-generalization of results from habitat threshold studies in policy documentation, the consequences of such over-generalization, and directions for habitat threshold studies that have conservation applications without risking overgeneralization. We argue that in order to steer away from misapplication of habitat thresholds in conservation, we should not focus on generalized nominal habitat values (i.e., amounts or percentages of habitat), but on the use of habitat threshold modeling for comparative exercises of area-sensitivity or the identification of environmental dangers. In addition, we should remain focused on understanding the processes and mechanisms underlying species responses to habitat change. Finally, studies could that focus on deriving nominal value threshold amounts should do so only if the thresholds are detailed, species-specific, and translated to conservation targets particular to the study area only.
How Important is the Stock Market Effect on Consumption

Many argue that the astonishing growth in Americans' stock portfolios in the 1990s has been a major force behind the growth of consumer spending. This article reviews the relationship between stock market movements and consumption. Using various econometric techniques and specifications, the authors find that the propensity to consume out of aggregate household wealth has exhibited instability over the postwar period. They also show that the dynamic response of consumption growth to an unexpected change in wealth is extremely short-lived, implying that forecasts of consumption growth one or more quarters ahead are not typically improved by accounting for changes in existing wealth. Finally, the impact effect of a wealth shock on consumption growth, while statistically positive, is found to be uncertain. Although recent market gains have provided support for consumer spending, the authors' findings are too limited to encourage reliance on estimates of the stock market effect in macroeconomic forecasts.
Employment change for bars and restaurants following a statewide clean indoor air policy

Background Clean indoor air policies have been adopted to protect employees in all workplaces from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Despite numerous studies where no significant economic effects were associated with clean indoor air policies, concerns persist that such policies will have a severe, negative effect on alcohol-licensed businesses. Purpose This study examines the effect of a comprehensive, statewide clean indoor air law on bar and restaurant employment in Minnesota as a whole, as well as by region in the state. Methods Interrupted time-series analyses were conducted separately on bar and restaurant employment between 2004 and 2008 using data reported by businesses to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The statewide clean indoor air policy was implemented October 2007; analyses were conducted in 2009. Results After accounting for changes in employment in all other sectors for the state as a whole, there were no significant changes in statewide bar or restaurant employment associated with the state-level clean indoor air policy. Additionally, no significant changes were observed in regional bar or restaurant employment following enactment of the clean indoor air policy. Conclusions Enactment of a comprehensive clean indoor air policy in Minnesota did not result in significant changes in bar or restaurant employment in rural or urban regions of the state or the state as a whole. In Minnesota, neither bars nor restaurants were associated with significant changes in employment following the enactment of a comprehensive, statewide clean indoor air policy.
Ashicaulis woolfei n. sp.: additional evidence for the antiquity of osmundaceous ferns from the Triassic of Antarctica

Numerous small fern trunks and dispersed osmundaceous frond fragments occur within a Middle Triassic silicified peat near Fremouw Peak in the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. These specimens form the basis of a new species of osmundaceous ferns that further helps to characterize the early Mesozoic vegetation of high latitude Gondwana. Ashicaulis woolfei n. sp. consists of small, upright trunks with a persistent armor of frond bases, adventitious roots, and vegetative frond parts. In cross section the trunks are ∼2.5 cm in diameter and include up to 45 frond bases. Stems range from 5 to 8 mm in diameter with a xylem cylinder of 8-9 xylem segments separated by leaf gaps. Phyllotaxy is variable, approaching 2/5 or 3/8, with 10-12 frond traces in the cortex. Stipes have parenchymatous, stipular wings that are usually devoid of sclerenchyma; fronds are pinnate with alternate-subopposite pinnatifid pinnules. Although the absence of fertile pinnules and sporangia precludes assigning the fossils to a living genus, this species demonstrates that ferns with stelar architecture and histology similar to Osmunda subgenus Osmundastrum (Osmundaceae) were present in the Southern Hemisphere by the mid-Triassic.
An end user evaluation of query formulation and results review tools in three medical meta-search engines.

Abstract Purpose Retrieving sufficient relevant information online is difficult for many people because they use too few keywords to search and search engines do not provide many support tools. To further complicate the search, users often ignore support tools when available. Our goal is to evaluate in a realistic setting when users use support tools and how they perceive these tools. Methods We compared three medical search engines with support tools that require more or less effort from users to form a query and evaluate results. We carried out an end user study with 23 users who were asked to find information, i.e., subtopics and supporting abstracts, for a given theme. We used a balanced within-subjects design and report on the effectiveness, efficiency and usability of the support tools from the end user perspective. Conclusions We found significant differences in efficiency but did not find significant differences in effectiveness between the three search engines. Dynamic user support tools requiring less effort led to higher efficiency. Fewer searches were needed and more documents were found per search when both query reformulation and result review tools dynamically adjust to the user query. The query reformulation tool that provided a long list of keywords, dynamically adjusted to the user query, was used most often and led to more subtopics. As hypothesized, the dynamic result review tools were used more often and led to more subtopics than static ones. These results were corroborated by the usability questionnaires, which showed that support tools that dynamically optimize output were preferred.
Effects of live weight and processing on the sensory traits, androstenedione concentration and 5-alpha-androst-16-en-3-one (androstenone) concentration in boar meat

Abstract Twenty-nine crossbred boars were used to evaluate the effects of live weight and processing on the sensory attributes and concentrations of androstenedione and androstenone (boar taint) in boar meat. Boars were stratified by litter across six weight group endpoints (90.9, 95.5, 100.0, 104.5, 109.1, and 113.6 kg). Back fat and longissimus muscle from the lumbar region were used for androstenone determination, proximate analysis and sensory evaluation. Hams were cured for sensory analysis and were used to determine androstenone concentrations. Androstenone as an off-flavor did not differ ( P > 0.05) among treatments for longissimus lean or cured hams and was found to be in the “threshold” to “none detected” range. Back fat androstenone concentration was positively correlated ( P P > 0.05). No relationship was found ( P > 0.05) between androstenone concentration and days on feed, average daily gain or androstenedione concentration. Additionally, further processing decreased androstenone concentration by approximately 29%.
Crystal Size Distributions Derived from 3D Datasets: Sample Size Versus Uncertainties

Crystal size distributions (CSD) are the most commonly studied character in quantitative textural investigations of igneous rocks. The quality of CSD depends fundamentally on the sample size (i.e. total number of crystals). Here we use 3D X-ray tomographic datasets of two early erupted Bishop Tuff pumice clasts (comprising 849 and 446 quartz crystals) to investigate the effect of sample size on the quality of the quartz size distributions. Because CSD are obtained using a counting procedure, uncertainties related to counting statistics can be used as minimum estimates of error. Given that most natural samples are characterized by a decreasing number of crystals with increasing crystal size, uncertainties tend to increase markedly with crystal size, and the number of small crystals to be counted grows very quickly with increasing sample size. Accordingly, with as few as 100 crystals in total, it is possible to properly estimate the population densities for small size bins (20–80mm). However, to obtain meaningful estimates across four bin sizes (20–320mm), at least � 250 crystals, but preferably >400 crystals are needed. To minimize the total number of crystals counted, and keep the uncertainties on the larger size ranges within reasonable values, it becomes necessary to study multiple volumes at variable spatial resolution.
ENDOSCOPIC PLASTIC SURGERY

This article discusses three of the most popular endoscopic procedures in plastic surgery. Brow lift, transaxillary breast augmentation, and abdominoplasty are all cosmetic procedures with a high demand on inconspicuous scars; however, many investigators are working on reconstructive endoscopically assisted procedures. The treatment of many facial fractures involving the upper third of the facial skeleton usually requires long bicoronal incisions similar to the incisions used in the traditional brow lift. Attempts are under way to use endoscopically assisted minimal-access techniques to reduce and fixate these fractures. Many flaps used in plastic surgery require long scars for harvest, as in the case of the latissimus dorsi muscle flap. A relatively long incision on the back is needed to gain access to the muscle so that it can be elevated from structures superficial and deep to it. Although it is unpopular, investigators have reported harvesting latissimus dorsi muscle flaps through fairly small incisions with the assistance of balloon dissectors and endoscopes. In the field of hand surgery, carpal tunnel release surgery has had more than one method proposed to transect the carpal ligament using endoscopes and special instrumentation. Although some reported series claim excellent results, many hand surgeons are reluctant to use endoscopes because of associated complications and a high recurrence rate of carpal tunnel syndrome. Plastic surgery has special demands that emphasize aesthetics in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. Although the lack of natural optical cavities has slowed the incorporation of endoscopic surgery in the specialty, surgically created cavities are used to allow for minimal access incisions. The future of plastic surgery will include an ever-increasing number of endoscopically assisted procedures. Cosmetic and reconstructive procedures will benefit from this new technology.
Development of Hydromagnetic Shocks from Large-Amplitude Alfven Waves

It is shown that plane-polarized Alfven waves of large amplitude develop rapidly into hydromagnetic shocks. It is not clear what process ultimately limits the thickness of the shock; an eventual charge separation seems more likely than the dissipation of energy by viscosity of ordinary acoustical shocks. (W.D.M.)
Representación de las clases propietarias en la literatura chilena del siglo XX: Tres momentos

This essay studies the representation of the propertied classes in three moments in Chilean literature: the early 20th century, during the Parliamentary Republic, in the novel Casa grande by Luis Orrego Luco; at the beginning of the dictatorship, in Jose Donoso’s Casa de campo; and during the return to democracy, in the early 1990s, in Alberto Fuguet’s Mala onda. The modifi cation in the ways in which these classes are represented allows us to think of an “aesthetics of richness” which goes hand in hand with the withering of class consciousness.
Amino acids augment muscle protein synthesis in neonatal pigs during acute endotoxemia by stimulating mTOR-dependent translation initiation

In skeletal muscle of adults, sepsis reduces protein synthesis by depressing translation initiation and induces resistance to branched-chain amino acid stimulation. Normal neonates maintain a high ...
Governance in Houston: Growth Theories and Urban Pressures

ABSTRACT:The article explores the political and social forces that have shaped local governance in Houston. This research will present a historical review of the role of local government and then examine two theoretical interpretations, the public choice and political economy perspectives, in explaining Houston’s governance and public policy directions. The work will also show that recent events in Houston that might initially appear to contradict the city’s historical development practices, such as greater ethnic sensitivity and increasing concern for the environment, have in no way challenged the city’s pro-growth agenda. The new directions in Houston’s policy are simply a reflection of a different growth strategy reflecting changing demographics in the city and the new reality of Houston’s diversifying economy.
Sociopolitical Discontinuity in the Near East C. 2200 B.C.E.: Scenarios from Palestine and Egypt

Between about 2300 and 2000 B.C.E. there was widespread sociopolitical devolution in the Near East. Tell Leilan, the particular case in point, was abandoned after deposition of volcanic tephra. Analogs from the Mt. St. Helen’s eruption of 1980 suggest that a volcanic dust mantle would have serious biological repercussions, but that recovery would take only years, at most decades. There is no case for a global event, let alone for a “volcanic winter.” The local evidence for an incisive and protracted “dry” anomaly is inconclusive, and examination of a wide range of paleoclimatic proxy records fails to support an abrupt climatic shift to greater aridity affecting the Near East and Aegean world between 2400 and 1900 B.C.E. Settlement records to the east, west, and northwest of Leilan are inconsistent; in two cases the settlement network expanded rapidly after the Leilan collapse, in another, sites were abandoned at about the same time. This is incompatible with a major climatic shift and demands exploration of more complex, alternative hypotheses to explain sociopolitical devolution.
A new gliding tetrapod (Diapsida: ?archosauromorpha) from the upper triassic (Carnian) of Virginia

A new tetrapod taxon from the Upper Triassic Cow Branch Formation of Virginia is described solely on the basis of computed tomography (CT) scans of 2 individuals. The new form is characterized by the presence of extremely elongate thoracolumbar ribs that presumably supported a gliding membrane in life. It differs from all other known gliding tetrapods in possessing a very pronounced elongate neck. The grasping hindfoot is consistent with an arboreal habit. A gliding habit has been reported in a handful of fossil reptiles, with the oldest occurrence in Coelurosauravus (Carroll, 1978; Evans, 1982: Evans and Haubold, 1987) from the Permian of Europe and Africa. Elongate ribs were originally described in this form and these were thought to have supported a gliding membrane in life, but it has since been shown that the membrane-supporting structures are not true ribs, but separate bundles of rodlike neomorph ossifications (Frey et al., 1997). However, 3 closely related forms (Icarosaurus, Kuehneosaurus and Kuehneosuchus) from the Upper Triassic of Europe and North America do have exceptionally elongate thoracolumbar ribs, and all have been referred to a single family, the Kuehneosauridae (Robinson, 1962; Colbert, 1970). They are further characterized by the ribs forming hinge joints with the markedly elongate transverse processes on the dorsal vertebrae. This contrasts with the living gliding agamid Draco (Colbert, 1970), in which the elongate thoracolumbar ribs are flexible and lack the hinge-joint with the vertebral transverse processes. A fourth Triassic tetrapod, Sharovipteryx from the Triassic of Kirghizia, also possessed a gliding membrane (Gans et al., 1987) but in this form it is stretched between the hind limbs. Here we describe a new Triassic tetrapod with elongate ribs that is comparable in size to the contemporaneous Icarosaurus, but differs significantly from kuehneosaurs in having a long neck, a character that is potentially very unstable in a gliding animal. The 2 specimens of the new tetrapod were recovered from
The Effect of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, Exposure Time, and Chemical Mixtures on Methanogenic Community Structure and Function

A plethora of organic micropollutant mixtures are found in untreated municipal wastewater. Anaerobic digesters receive large loadings of hydrophobic micropollutants that sorb to wastewater biosolids. Despite micropollutants being pervasive as mixtures, little research is available to explain the impact that mixtures of compounds, as well as exposure time, have on microbial communities in anaerobic digesters. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was added to anaerobic enrichment cultures in both short-term (14 days) and long-term (140 days) studies to determine the impact of exposure time. Additionally, triclosan was added during the experiments to investigate the impact of mixtures on community structure and function. PFOS did not alter methane production in short-term studies, but in long-term studies, methane production increased, consistent with our hypothesis that PFOS may act as a metabolic uncoupler. The impact of triclosan on methane production was exacerbated when PFOS was already present in the anaerobic enrichment cultures. Triclosan also had greater impacts on microbial community structures in the bottles that had been exposed to PFOS long-term. These results demonstrate that both chemical mixtures and exposure time are important parameters to address when trying to define the impacts of micropollutants on anaerobic microbial communities.
Evaluación metodológica de la relación entre presión arterial sanguinea y pliegue cutáneo: un enfoque epidemiológico

Se presentan las conclusiones de la revision de varios trabajos que estudian la relacion entre ciertas caracteristicas antropometricas (pliegue del triceps, adiposidad y circunferencia del brazo) y la presion arterial sanguinea. Despues de analizar criticamente la calidad de diversos estudios basandonos en el diseno del estudio, la calidad de las mediciones y el tipo de analisis estadisticos, se encontro que en los trabajos elegidos la asociacion entre el pliegue cutaneo del triceps y la presion arterial se relaciona con tres caracteristicas demograficas. Sin embargo, la pregunta sobre la independencia de esta asociacion aun permanece sin respuesta. Se discute el efecto del paniculo adiposo del brazo sobre la medicion de la presion arterial. Se hacen una serie de recommendaciones para la medicion estandarizada de la presion arterial con el fin de uniformizar el procedimiento de medida clinica y de investigacion epidemiologica en esta area.
Housing Tenure and Mobility with an Acquisition-Based Property Tax: The Case of Florida

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect on ownership tenure for residential housing under an acquisition-based property tax system. The state of Florida has an acquisition-ba...
Virtual Thermistor

The present paper unveils a methodology to recover the breathing signal from the subject's nostrils through thermal imaging. The resulting functionality is equivalent to that of a thermistor, but it is materialized in a contact-free manner. First, the nostril region is segmented and it is tracked over time through coalitional tracking. The mean thermal signal of the nostril region carries the breathing information. This information is extracted through wavelets analysis. The method has been tested on 20 healthy individuals. The frequencies of the breathing signals determined via the imaging computation were compared with those of the corresponding signals acquired with thermistors. The high degree of agreement between the two measurement methods confirms the validity of the proposed approach and opens the way for clinical applications.
Ergonomic Considerations in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Lessons Learned from Laparoscopic Surgeons:

BackgroundEndoscopic sinus procedures are increasingly common, and more technically difficult procedures are being undertaken to provide patients with minimally invasive alternatives to traditional...
A Crystal Ball for Meditators

A popular brand of consumer EEG headbands claims to be able to detect meditation from the user’s brainwave pattern, and send a signal to your cell phone with the score from 1–100. The invention described in this paper links together the headband with a wireless light bulb. The invention should show a meaningful pattern of flashes of light. Instead only random noise is detected. The author explores possible reasons why.
Desferrioxamine passes the sniff test

The iron chelator desferrioxamine (DFO) has received attention recently as a potential therapeutic for diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, in which iron accumulation in the brain is thought to be pathogenic. As DFO may cause widespread iron depletion when administered systemically, intranasal application is an attractive route for focused delivery of DFO to the brain via the olfactory neurons. New evidence from Guo et al. supports intranasal DFO delivery as an effective approach to block neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Intranasal treatment with DFO every other day for a period of 4 weeks attenuated the disease-related loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of mice induced by a chemical called MPTP and characterized by accumulation of iron in nigral and striatal neurons. Such iron accumulation may be due to up-regulation of a metal transporter and the transferrin receptor. DFO alleviated iron uptake into neurons in these regions and also limited metal transporter and transferrin receptor expression following induction of neurodegeneration with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Mechanistically, DFO may promote neuronal recovery from MPTP-related toxicity through the stabilization and activation of hypoxia-inducible factor–1α (HIF-1α) and, in turn, up-regulation of HIF-1α–responsive genes. Decreased stress-responsive JNK activation and a decreased ratio of proapoptotic Bax to antiapoptotic Bcl2 were also observed following DFO treatment, which might contribute to its neuroprotective effects. DFO also ameliorated locomotor deficits caused by MPTP and associated with dopamine neuron degeneration. As the MPTP animal model recapitulates the elevated iron concentrations seen in the substantia nigra of PD patients, it is a useful preclinical model for assessing intranasal delivery of iron chelators such as DFO. The study suggests that restoring iron homeostasis in the brain can prevent neurodegeneration in these mice. Yet, more work is needed to determine whether iron accumulation plays a primary role in the loss of dopamine neurons in PD patients, since this will ultimately determine the therapeutic potential of DFO, regardless of how it is administered. C. Guo et al ., Deferoxamine-mediated up-regulation of HIF-1α prevents dopaminergic neuronal death via the activation of MAPK family proteins in MPTP-treated mice. Exp. Neurol. 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.03.016 (2016). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014488616300590
Cone-Rod Dystrophies

Cone-rod dystrophy (CRD) is a progressive degenerative disorder predominantly of retinal cones with varying patterns of inheritance.
Sex Conflict and Impressions of Managers’ Aggressive Humor

Business students evaluated aggressive humor used by a hypothetical manager in an organizational case. In general, males judged the humor funnier and more appropriate in the context than did females. Some evidence supporting the intergroup-conflict theory of humor was obtained because funniness ratings were higher when victim sex and manager sex were opposite. Males rated the humor more appropriate when subordinate (audience) and victim sexes were opposite, while females did not. Males thus seemed to believe others held views consistent with sex-conflict theory. Males rated humor with a male aggressor more appropriate, suggesting males have a more traditional, sex-stereotyped view of aggressive humor than do females. Males and females agreed in rating the male manager and female subordinate as the manager sex-subordinate sex combination for which the humor was least appropriate. These findings may reflect the subjects’ tendencies to use humor when they assume managerial positions.
High-Throughput Electrochemical Microfluidic Immunoarray for Multiplexed Detection of Cancer Biomarker Proteins.

Microchip-based microfluidic electrochemical arrays hold great promise for fast, high-throughput multiplexed detection of cancer biomarker proteins at low cost per assay using relatively simple instrumentation. Here we describe an inexpensive high-throughput electrochemical array featuring 32 individually addressable microelectrodes that is further multiplexed with an 8-port manifold to provide 256 sensors. The gold electrode arrays were fabricated by wet-etching commercial gold compact discs (CD-R) followed by patterned insulation. A print-and-peel method was used to create sub-microliter hydrophobic wells surrounding each sensor to eliminate cross contamination during immobilization of capture antibodies. High-throughput analyses were realized using eight 32-sensor immunoarrays connected to the miniaturized 8-port manifold, allowing 256 measurements in <1 h. This system was used to determine prostate cancer biomarker proteins prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), in...
Important terms and units for analytical atomic spectrometry

Patience Clever was disappointed. She looked at the result of the round robin test and admitted that the value they had reported was far from the mean value and outside of the confidence range. They had failed the test although they had done their method development and analysis very carefully. She looked through the protocols once more and recapitulated: we standardized with an acidified Se4+ solution in the range of 5–25 μ/L (0.15 ng-0.75 ng). Our calculated detection limit was about 1 μ/L in the solution for measurement and 3 μ/L based on undiluted serum. We stabilized Se with a Cu modifier which had already worked perfectly for many determinations in water samples. We even tried a mixture of Cu and Fe for comparison. The serum was diluted 1 + 2, 15 μL of the measurement solution were introduced into the tube and 10 μL of the modifier were added. The sample was pyrolyzed carefully at 1000 °C. Se was atomized at 2100 °C, giving a good symmetric peak which returned to the baseline after 2 s. The diluted serum measurement gave an average reading of 20 μ/L (0.3 ng) with a precision of 3–5%. Standards with concentrations of 3.3, 6.6 and 16.6 μ/L were added to the serum and yielded a line with exactly the same slope as that for the aqueous calibration (the calibration graphs are displayed in Fig. 2.1). The extrapolated value was again 20 μ/L (0.3 ng). Nevertheless, the true concentration of Se in the serum was 90 μ/L rather than 60 μ/L. Patience sighed What did we do wrong? After all this effort in calibration and checking an error is impossible! Why did the other labs get the right result? “One should invent a technique where you do the measurement on a sample and calculate the concentration in the sample just from physical constants; a kind of absolute analysis” and with a frown she grabbed the telephone to call the support desk of the instrument manufacturer.
Nonfatal PML in a patient with multiple sclerosis treated with dimethyl fumarate.

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an oral medication for multiple sclerosis (MS) that is prescribed in part for its favorable safety profile. There have been 5 reported cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) with the use of fumaric acid esters in patients with psoriasis.1 Some have been on concomitant or prior immunosuppression and most had absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) below 500. To date, 4 cases of PML (one published) have been reported in patients with MS on DMF (personal communication, Biogen, 2016).2 Herein, we report the details of one of these 4 cases: nonfatal PML in a patient with MS on DMF.
How African American Mothers from Urban, Low-Income Backgrounds Support Their Children’s Kindergarten Transition: Qualitative Findings

The transition to kindergarten is a critical milestone in children’s lives, with implications for academic and future life success. The demographic family/parental variables of residence, social class, and race have been associated with children’s adjustment to kindergarten. In particular, children growing up in families from urban, low-income African American backgrounds are at heighted risk for negative academic, cognitive, and socio-emotional outcomes as they transition to kindergarten. Relatively little inductive research exists on the kindergarten transition of this population and how families from urban, low-income African backgrounds positively support their children’s kindergarten adjustment. However, researchers using qualitative methods are increasingly examining the first-hand experiences of families from urban, low-income African American backgrounds to better understand family beliefs and practices that promote children’s successful kindergarten transition. Contributing to this gap in the literature, we utilized qualitative interviews informed by resilience theory to explore how 20 mothers from urban, low-income African American backgrounds facilitated their Head Start preschoolers’ transition to kindergarten. We found that, despite possessing parental/family risk factors associated with ineffective kindergarten transitions, mothers monitored and assessed their children’s academic and socio-emotional school readiness abilities, promoting readiness competencies while addressing readiness weaknesses. One of the ways that mothers supported children’s transition readiness was through one-on-one conversations with preschoolers. Our findings provide recommendations for effective home–school collaborations that support children’s successful kindergarten transition. Collaborating with engaged and motivated parents, Head Start can assist families and children prior to kindergarten and continue to serve as a link between families and children and elementary schools.
Self-assembly of M7L2 metal-organic nanocapsules using mixed macrocycles.

The solvothermal synthesis of two M7L2 metal–organic nanocapsules from C-alkyl pyrogallol[3]resorcin[1]arene is reported. Using mixed macrocycles as building blocks shows great potential in the discovery of new metal–organic nanocapsules with novel properties.
Pediatric Sialendoscopy and Its Role in Pediatric Salivary Gland Disease

The aim of this review is to discuss the evaluation, workup, indications, and outcomes of sialendoscopy in children. Many factors contribute to salivary gland disease in children including autoimmune disease, genetic defects, viral or bacterial infections, and congenital ductal abnormalities. Sialadenitis is acute swelling of the major salivary glands. In children, parotid sialadenitis is more common than submandibular sialadenitis and sialolithiasis (saliva gland stone) is rare. Before widespread use of the MMR vaccine, mumps, a paromyxovirus, was the most common cause of parotitis in children. In the current era, the most common cause of parotitis in children is juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP). JRP is a nonspecific sialadenitis associated with recurrent inflammation of the parotid glands. The first episode of JRP generally occurs between the age of 3 and 6 years of age. The interval between acute episodes is variable, with an average from 15 days to 2 months. The treatment of acute sialadenitis includes analgesics, antibiotics, and other conservative measures such as sialogogues, warm compresses, hydration, and massage. Historically, for JRP patients who failed conservative measures, parotidectomy was offered but was associated with significant potential morbidity. Sialendoscopy has emerged as a safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic option for recurrent sialadenitis with and without stones. Sialendoscopy is safe and effective for removal of small, distal salivary stones in the pediatric population. It can also lead to less frequent and severe episodes of acute sialadenitis in patients with JRP. Sialendoscopy is a safe and effective procedure for recurrent sialadenitis in the carefully selected pediatric patient.
Harvey Cushing Treated the First Known Patient With Carney Complex.

Context Carney complex (CNC) is a syndrome characterized by hyperplasia of endocrine organs and may present with clinical features of Cushing syndrome and acromegaly due to functional adrenal and pituitary gland tumors. CNC has been linked to mutations in the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A type I-alpha (PRKAR1A) gene. Design Tissue samples were taken from the hypothalamus or thalamus or tumors of patients with pituitary adenomas seen and operated on by neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing between 1913 and 1932. Following DNA extraction, sequencing for genes of interest was attempted, including PRKAR1A, AIP, USP8, GNAS1, and GPR101, to explore the possibility that these mutations associated with acromegaly, CNC, and Cushing syndrome have been conserved over time. Results We report a patient described by Dr. Cushing in 1914 with a clinical presentation and postmortem findings suggestive of CNC. Genetic sequencing of the hypothalamus and pituitary adenoma revealed a germline heterozygous p.Arg74His mutation in the PRKAR1A gene, a codon previously described as mutated in CNC, but with a novel amino acid change. Conclusions This patient is, to our knowledge, the first molecularly confirmed individual with CNC. This case demonstrates the power of modern genetics in studying archived tissues and the importance of recording detailed clinical notes in the diagnosis of disease.
BMI Z-Score Trajectories in Youth with T1D—An International Comparison

Obesity in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has emerged as a challenge in care. Data from the Australasian Diabetes Data Network (ADDN), Diabetes Prospective Follow-up (DPV) in Austria and Germany, and T1D Exchange (T1DX) registry in the U.S. were compared to assess international differences in BMI z-score trajectories in youth with T1D. Longitudinal data from 11,513 participants between ages 8-17 years with T1D duration ≥1 year. and ≥5 aggregated body mass index (BMI) values (ADDN: N=1073, 46% female, mean HbA1c 8.3%; DPV: N=8722, 46% female, mean HbA1c 7.8%; T1DX: N=1718, 45% female, mean HbA1c 8.6%) were analyzed. Participants diagnosed with celiac and/or thyroid disease were excluded. Latent class growth modeling by Nagin was used to identify subgroups following similar BMI z-score trajectories. Five distinct trajectories were identified in ADDN and T1DX participants, and six in DPV (Figure). In all registries most participants in ADDN and T1DX maintained weight status over time. However, obese (BMI z-score ≥2) participants from ADDN achieved weight loss over time, compared to obese participants in T1DX, whose BMI SD increased during the teen years. In DPV, there were trajectories indicating dramatic weight gain/loss during puberty. Further analysis by sex and minority status will help to understand the within-registry and between-registry variation and may help target clinical interventions to achieve healthy weight in youth with T1D. Disclosure M. Wu: None. H. Phelan: None. A. Schwandt: None. N.C. Foster: None. J. Couper: None. C. Steigleder-Schweiger: None. S.M. Willi: Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Other Relationship; Self; Caladrius Biosciences, Inc.. Consultant; Self; GlaxoSmithKline plc., JAEB Center For Health Research. T. Jones: None. P. Kroschwald: None. D.M. Maahs: Advisory Panel; Self; Insulet Corporation. Consultant; Self; Abbott. Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Bigfoot Biomedical, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions. N. Prinz: None. M.E. Craig: None.
The educational insights and opportunities afforded by the nuances of Prim's and Kruskal's MST algorithms

The computation of a minimum spanning tree (MST) is a fundamental topic in any algorithms course. In this paper, we outline a series of projects based on a thorough exploration of the performances of two well-known MST algorithms: Prim’s and Kruskal’s. For a graph of n nodes and e edges, both run in O(e lgn) time but these results are based on picking the right data structures. Prim’s relies on a priority queue that supports priority modification in O(lgn) time while Kruskal’s relies on a disjoint-set that supports find/union operations in O(lgn) time. The performance ramifications of using simpler data structures allow students to thoroughly understand the operations of these two algorithms, get a deeper comprehension of asymptotic complexity analysis, negotiate empirical results with analytical predictions, and illustrate the value of “programming to the interface”. Our study also includes the performance consequences of the qualities of the graphs on which MSTs are computed: structure (random vs scale-free), density (sparse vs dense), and edge cost distribution. Finally, as an additional inquiry to engage students in a somewhat unexplored direction, we focus on the average pairwise-distance of the MSTs produced by Prim’s vs Kruskal’s.
The Role of Translanguaging in Computational Literacies: Documenting Middle School Bilinguals' Practices in Computer Science Integrated Units

Bilingual education has described a process called translanguaging by which students use linguistic resources across and beyond multiple named languages to learn. Here, we examine how bilingual learners translanguage while learning computer science. These middle schoolers participated in a curricular intervention which infused computational thinking into their Spanish-English bilingual language arts class. Through a descriptive qualitative methodology, we document classroom moments supporting four claims: 1) students' translanguaging blurs linguistic, disciplinary, and modal boundaries, 2) computational literacies are intertwined with students' other literacies, 3) students' attitudes about language and the contexts around them play a role in their translanguaging, and 4) students translanguage to engage in specific CT practices.
Interdisciplinary Pain and Disability Programs for Older Adults

Rehabilitation for musculoskeletal injury and associated acute and chronic pain is a very important therapeutic intervention for older adults because of the high incidence and prevalence of disability in this population. There is a vital need to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation and pain management in older adults because of the links between musculoskeletal pain, falling, pain medicine prescription, and rising medical costs. Acute and chronic pain syndromes in older adults need to be addressed using the biopsychosocial model which allows for a more complete determination of the causes and consequences of pain and disability. To accurately assess and treat using the biopsychosocial model, it is necessary to use an interdisciplinary program that promotes coordinated care and timely communication between several different types of healthcare practitioners and the patients receiving the treatment. Interdisciplinary care depends on communication between the various healthcare providers and between these healthcare providers and the patients including their family. Using an interdisciplinary approach to treat people with pain syndromes has resulted in clinically meaningful changes in both objective and subjective categories. Physical and mental function, ambulation, nutritional conditions, and the mood of patients have all been demonstrated to improve with interdisciplinary care programs for older adults. Therefore, our current healthcare providers and our generations to come must be formally educated and encouraged to participate in interprofessional education and interprofessional practice in an effort to allow for the development of rich and evidence-based programs designed to provide interdisciplinary care using a biopsychosocial model.