cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery of Corneal Sensitivity and Increase in Nerve Density and Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice After PEDF Plus DHA Treatment.

Diabetic keratopathy decreases corneal sensation and tear secretion and delays wound healing after injury. In the current study, we tested the effect of treatment with pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on corneal nerve regeneration in a mouse model of diabetes with or without corneal injury. The study was performed in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice (C57BL/6). Ten weeks after streptozotocin injection, diabetic mice showed significant decreases of corneal sensitivity, tear production, and epithelial subbasal nerve density when compared with age-matched normal mice. After diabetic mice were wounded in the right eye and treated in both eyes with PEDF+DHA for 2 weeks, there was a significant increase in corneal epithelial nerve regeneration and substance P–positive nerve density in both wounded and unwounded eyes compared with vehicle-treated corneas. There also was elevated corneal sensitivity and tear production in the treated corneas compared with vehicle. In addition, PEDF+DHA accelerated corneal wound healing, selectively recruited type 2 macrophages, and prevented neutrophil infiltration in diabetic wounded corneas. These results suggest that topical treatment with PEDF+DHA promotes corneal nerve regeneration and wound healing in diabetic mice and could potentially be exploited as a therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetic keratopathy.
A Systems Medicine Approach to the Role of Vitamins in Protecting the Gastrointestinal Tract From Oxidative Stress

This chapter focuses on the role of antioxidant vitamins in protecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from oxidative stress. A systems medicine approach is used since it alone is sufficiently comprehensive to capture the broad range of relevant complexities and interrelationships relevant to GI protection. Systems medicine utilizes and integrates the vast amount of information gained from genomics and metagenomics, as well as environmental factors, and applies this information to better patient care. A major goal of system medicine is to develop paradigms to treat or slow the progression of chronic diseases, that is, disease prevention. GI disorders are quintessential examples of chronic inflammation with its attendant oxidative stress. Genomics and metagenomics have provided great insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms for GI disorders and will eventually help define individualized diets to minimize chronic inflammation. While the role of antioxidant nutrients and micronutrients is promising, there is a need for large-scale well-designed clinical trials supported by studies using animal models.
AGGREGATED CAUSAL MAPS: AN APPROACH TO ELICIT AND AGGREGATE THE KNOWLEDGE OF MULTIPLE EXPERTS

This paper presents a systematic procedure to elicit and aggregate the knowledge of multiple individual experts and represent it in the form of an Aggregated Causal Map (ACM). This procedure differs from existing methods in two ways. First, unlike other methods, this method does not rely on group interaction in eliciting knowledge of multiple experts, and, therefore, is not fraught with biases associated with group dynamics. Second, this method uses both the idiographic and nomothetic approaches while existing methods focus on nomothetic approaches to knowledge elicitation. We draw on the strengths of both approaches by using the idiographic approach to elicit and aggregate the knowledge of multiple experts and the nomothetic approach to validate the knowledge elicited. We illustrate the procedure by constructing the ACM of eight key decision makers about an enterprise system adoption decision.
System performance optimization via design and configuration space exploration

The runtime performance of a software system often depends on a large number of static parameters, which usually interact in complex ways to carry out system functionality and influence system performance. It's hard to understand such configuration spaces and find good combinations of parameter values to gain available levels of performance. Engineers in practice often just accept the default settings, leading such systems to significantly underperform relative to their potential. This problem, in turn, has impacts on cost, revenue, customer satisfaction, business reputation, and mission effectiveness. To improve the overall performance of the end-to-end systems, we propose to systematically explore (i) how to design new systems towards good performance through design space synthesis and evaluation, and (ii) how to auto-configure an existing system to obtain better performance through heuristic configuration space search. In addition, this research further studies execution traces of a system to predict runtime performance under new configurations.
Structural Basis for G Protein-Coupled Receptor Activation

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are critical regulators of human physiology and make up the largest single class of therapeutic drug targets. Although GPCRs regulate highly diverse physiology, they share a common signaling mechanism whereby extracellular stimuli induce conformational changes in the receptor that enable activation of heterotrimeric G proteins and other intracellular effectors. Advances in GPCR structural biology have made it possible to examine ligand-induced GPCR activation at an unprecedented level of detail. Here, we review the structural basis for family A GPCR activation, with a focus on GPCRs for which structures are available in both active or active-like states and inactive states. Crystallographic and other biophysical data show how chemically diverse ligands stabilize highly conserved conformational changes on the intracellular side of the receptors, allowing many different extracellular stimuli to utilize shared downstream signaling molecules. Finally, we discuss the remaini...
Issues in multi-agent search: False positives and Bayesian map updates

This paper explores the incorporation of false positives and Bayesian updates into the framework of optimal search. Optimal search is an open-loop optimal control framework developed by the US Navy to optimize search and rescue path planning for rapid sweep sensors such as sonar. Although useful as a pre-planning tool, this framework lacks features necessary for online planning, such as quantification of the role of detection events and subsequent probability map updates. This paper discusses these limitations and provides tools for implementing these features.
Alphanumerical Visual Display Made of DNA Logic Gates for Drug Susceptibility Testing of Pathogens

Molecular diagnostics of drug-resistant pathogens require the analysis of point mutations in bacterial or viral genomes, which is usually performed by trained professionals and/or by sophisticated computer algorithms. We have developed a DNA-based logic system that autonomously analyzes mutations found in the genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) bacteria and communicates the output to a human user as alphanumeric characters read by the naked eye. The five-gate system displays "O" ("no infection") for the absence of MTC infection and "P" or "F" for passing or failing a drug-susceptibility test, respectively.
The mobile shopping revolution: Redefining the consumer decision process

Abstract The use of mobile devices by consumers and the accompanying response by retailers is rapidly revolutionizing the retail environment. In the past, retailers have focused primarily on the outcome (to purchase or not to purchase) of the consumer decision process, but now mobile technologies give retailers the opportunity to more actively influence the entire consumer decision-making processes. The increasing use of mobile devices by consumers makes shopping a continuous rather than discrete activity that requires retailers to engage with their customers at critical touch points of the decision process in order to provide a more customer-centric experience. This change in focus from the decision outcome to the decision process signifies an important paradigm shift for the retailing industry. After an extensive review of the literature, we identify four pillars that form the foundation for the mobile shopping revolution and represent the essential ways and means through which retailers can engage with consumers during the decision process. We also discuss the different areas in which the pillars can enable retailers to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the mobile shopping era.
Violence or Voluntary (Male Circumcision): The Colonial Ideology and Contemporary Irony of Hiv/Aids Prevention in Botswana

In Botswana, the conflict over circumcision is an important aspect in the examination of health, fertility and the subsequent and potential success of HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Historically, ritual male circumcision, or bogwera, was a traditional practice used to mark the transition from boyhood to manhood and conferred gendered identity and a sense of personhood upon male initiates. The practice was largely abandoned during the 19th and 20th centuries with the advent and influence of Western medical missionaries throughout the region. Citing unhygienic conditions that likely belied a more deep seated fear of the political consequences of organized, Tswana motivated groups of men, missionaries eventually banned the practice of male circumcision altogether. While circumcision is not routinely offered for male children born in district hospitals in Botswana at present, in an ironic reconsideration of health , voluntary adult male circumcision is the latest weapon in the country s arsenal against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Highly touted as a magic bullet  in the fight against the disease, circumcision (both actual and symbolic cutting) now takes center stage in discourse on the ethics of protecting oneself and others while at the same time combatting culturally entrenched beliefs about the meaning of manhood. For anthropologists, who have long documented the transformations of tradition and the meaning of ritual, this new public health concern raises interesting questions about the role of ethnographers engaged in regions of practical and ideological conflicts in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the irony of Western medical approaches to health  in historical perspective.
Seeding Entrepreneurial Methods Through Mock Customer Challenges

We will (a) explain the methodology and approach, (b) provide a mock customer discovery challenge for faculty participants, and (c) conclude with a brief explanation of how this could be used across disciplines. Participants will be able to describe how to weave more entrepreneurial methods or activities into their instruction. ______________________________________________________________ FULL ABSTRACT: Mason's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation has been working with select Mason faculty in the STEM domains to seed entrepreneurial methods into the student learning experience. We work one-on-one with faculty members and take a flexible and customized approach to each course, but the general idea is for an entrepreneurial mentor/coach to visit the classroom 2-3 times during the semester to share with students the importance of âcustomer discoveryâ as a component of a research and/or product development project. We have found this approach to work especially well with senior capstone courses in STEM-related fields. The objective is to encourage students to take early proactive steps to understand the needs of the âcustomerâ before building a solution. We have piloted this approach in bioengineering, and are actively looking to collaborate with faculty in other fields, both STEM and non-STEM. In our presentation, we will (a) explain the methodology and approach, (b) provide a mock customer discovery challenge for faculty participants, and (c) conclude with a brief Q&A.
Biallelic variants in VARS in a family with two siblings with intellectual disability and microcephaly: case report and review of the literature

Two male siblings ages 15 and 10 yr old had similar features of intellectual disability, developmental delay, severe speech impairment, microcephaly, prematurity, and transient elevation of liver enzymes in infancy. Exome sequencing revealed one novel (c.65C>A; p.Ala22Asp) and one ultra-rare (c.3214T>C; p.Phe1072Leu) predicted damaging missense variant in trans in the gene encoding cytoplasmic valyl-tRNA synthetase (VARS). Biallelic variants in VARS have previously been associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by microcephaly, seizures, and cortical atrophy (NDMSCA; MIM #617802). Although our patients have no history of seizures or cortical atrophy, we suggest that the biallelic variants in VARS p.Ala22Asp and p.Phe1072Leu in this family are likely pathogenic and associated with NDMSCA, expanding the clinical phenotype of the condition.
Is Donald Trump’s Influence on World Affairs Really Worse than Earlier American Policies?

Leading American political commentators are appalled by President Donald J. Trump’s actions signifying that he is withdrawing the U.S. from acting as “the leader of the free world”. The U.S. showed statesmanship as a victor in World War II, worked with many nations to create NATO, and led in opposing the spread of communism. However, a list of arbitrary U.S. interventions in foreign affairs and other developments from the early 1950s leads to painful but realistic reservations about the quality of U.S. international leadership since that time.
Reduced Theta Power During Memory Retrieval in Depressed Adults

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with poor recollection, but the neural mechanisms responsible for this deficit are unclear. Recollection is supported by interactions between the hippocampus and cortex that appear to be mediated by oscillatory activity in the theta band (4-7 Hz) and that are elicited during source memory retrieval. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that evoked theta power during source memory retrieval would be reduced in MDD, as this would provide a physiological basis for deficient recollection in adults with depression. Methods Morlet wavelets were applied to event-related potentials collected from 24 unmedicated adults with MDD and 24 healthy control adults during the retrieval of source and semantic memories. Whole-scalp analyses focused on group differences in evoked theta power. Results There were no group differences in behavior. Nevertheless, from 400 to 799 ms, theta power was broadly reduced in adults with depression versus healthy adults. This reduction was observed during source and semantic retrieval. Parietal midline electrodes showed significantly reduced theta power during source—but not semantic—retrieval in adults with depression versus healthy adults in this interval. Furthermore, theta power over parietal midline sites from 400 to 799 ms was more strongly related to source memory accuracy in healthy adults versus adults with depression. Conclusions Relative to healthy control adults, adults with depression showed reduced theta power during memory retrieval and a weaker relationship between parietal midline theta power and source memory accuracy. These findings indicate that abnormal theta signals may contribute to memory deficits in adults with MDD.
Heat flow into periodic array of interface cracks

Abstract A bonded bimaterial consisting of two homogeneous, dissimilar materials is considered. A periodic array of imperfections in the bond along the interface disturb uniform heat flux in the far field, and result in residual thermal stresses. Stresses, stress intensity factors, and crack opening displacements are determined for two different cases of relative distortivity of the constituent materials.
The pharmacokinetics of 3-fluoroamphetamine following delivery using clinically relevant routes of administration

3-Fluoroamphetamine (also called PAL-353) is a synthetic amphetamine analog that has been investigated for cocaine use disorder (CUD), yet no studies have characterized its pharmacokinetics (PK). In the present study, we determined the PK of PAL-353 in male Sprague Dawley rats following intravenous bolus injection (5 mg/kg). Plasma samples were analyzed using a novel bioanalytical method that coupled liquid-liquid extraction and LC-MS/MS. The primary PK parameters determined by WinNonlin were a C0 (ng/mL) of 1412.09 ± 196.12 and a plasma half-life of 2.27 ± 0.67 h. As transdermal delivery may be an optimal approach to delivering PAL-353 for CUD, we assessed its PK profile following application of 50 mg of transdermal gel (10% w/w drug over 5 cm2). The 10% w/w gel resulted in a short lag time, sustained delivery, and a rapid clearance in plasma immediately after removal. The rodent PK data were verified by examining in vitro permeation through human epidermis mounted on Franz diffusion cells. An in vitro-in vivo correlation (IVIVC) analysis was performed using the Phoenix IVIVC toolkit to assess the predictive relationship between rodent and human skin absorption/permeation. The in vitro permeation study revealed a dose-proportional cumulative and steady-state flux with ~ 70% of drug permeated. The fraction absorbed in vivo and fraction permeated in vitro showed a linear relationship. In conclusion, we have characterized the PK profile of PAL-353, demonstrated that it has favorable PK properties for transdermal administration for CUD, and provided preliminary evidence of the capacity of rodent data to predict human skin flux.
CD47 Blocking Antibody Accelerates Hematoma Clearance After Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Aged Rats.

Both experimental studies and surgical clinical trials suggest that hematoma clearance is a therapeutic target in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We have investigated effects of CD47, a “don’t eat me” signal expressed on erythrocytes, on hematoma resolution after ICH in young mice. This study expands those findings by examining the effects on a CD47 blocking antibody in aged rats. First, male Fischer 344 rats (18 months old) received an intracaudate injection of 50 μL autologous whole blood or saline. Hematoma features of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurological deficits were evaluated within 3 days. Second, rats had an intracaudate co-injection of 50 μL autologous blood with either CD47 blocking antibody or IgG. MRI was used to quantify hematoma/iron volume, hemolysis, brain swelling, and atrophy at different time points, behavioral tests to assess neurological deficits, and immunohistochemistry to assess brain injury and neuroinflammation. The CD47 blocking antibody significantly promoted hematoma clearance, attenuated brain swelling, hemolysis, and neuronal loss and increased the number of phagocytic macrophages in and around hematoma 3 days after ICH. Moreover, CD47 blockade reduced neuronal loss, brain atrophy, and neurobehavioral deficits at day 28. These results indicate that a CD47 blocking antibody can accelerate hematoma clearance and alleviate short- and long-term brain injury after ICH in aged rats and that it might be a therapeutic strategy for ICH.
Excision of 5-Carboxylcytosine by Thymine DNA Glycosylase

5-Methylcytosine (mC) is an epigenetic mark that is written by methyltransferases, erased through passive and active mechanisms, and impacts transcription, development, diseases including cancer, and aging. Active DNA demethylation involves TET-mediated stepwise oxidation of mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine (fC), or 5-carboxylcytosine (caC), excision of fC or caC by thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG), and subsequent base excision repair. Many elements of this essential process are poorly defined, including TDG excision of caC. To address this problem, we solved high-resolution structures of human TDG bound to DNA with cadC (5-carboxyl-2'-deoxycytidine) flipped into its active site. The structures unveil detailed enzyme-substrate interactions that mediate recognition and removal of caC, many involving water molecules. Importantly, two water molecules contact a carboxylate oxygen of caC and are poised to facilitate acid-catalyzed caC excision. Moreover, a substrate-dependent conformational change in TDG modulates the hydrogen bond interactions for one of these waters, enabling productive interaction with caC. An Asn residue (N191) that is critical for caC excision is found to contact N3 and N4 of caC, suggesting a mechanism for acid-catalyzed base excision that features an N3-protonated form of caC but would be ineffective for C, mC, or hmC. We also investigated another Asn residue (N140) that is catalytically essential and strictly conserved in the TDG-MUG enzyme family. A structure of N140A-TDG bound to cadC DNA provides the first high-resolution insight into how enzyme-substrate interactions, including water molecules, are impacted by depleting the conserved Asn, informing its role in binding and addition of the nucleophilic water molecule.
Unpacking Firm External Dependence: How Government Contract Dependence Affects Firm Investments and Market Performance

We advance resource dependence theory (RDT) by answering calls for theorizing on both how being dependent on external entities for resources affects firms and the heterogeneous nature of such depen...
Data Compatibility Issues: How to Prevent Miscoding and Dropped Observations When Using U.S. Office of Personnel Management Data Sets:

A critical comparison of the agency identifier codes in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and FedScope data sets reveals three distinct types of issues will occur when researchers attemp...
P730 The demography of congenital syphilis elimination in the united states

Background The absence of reported congenital syphilis cases in 16 states and territories across the United States of America in 2017 may be attributable to changes in prenatal care utilization within these states from 2013–2017. In order to determine whether there is a relationship between rates of reported congenital syphilis cases and prenatal care utilization in the United States, we assessed changes in 16 states and territories with a congenital syphilis rate of 0.0 per 100,000 per live births in 2017. We determined the association between rates of congenital syphilis and utilization from 2013 to 2017, and explored the association between utilization and changes to state, territorial, and local mandates on congenital syphilis. Methods We retrieved vital statistic data on congenital syphilis infections; prenatal care; and patient demographics. We retrieved public reports of mandate changes from state, territorial, and local public health agencies. Vital statistic data were collected by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Vital Statistic System from 2013 to 2017. Cases included births of Non-Hispanic and Hispanic postpartum patients, who received congenital syphilis testing after live births in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. We analyzed the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of congenital syphilis cases and prenatal care utilization. We then analyzed mandates to assess whether any changes to congenital syphilis screening could explain suppression or elimination of syphilis. Results Increases in prenatal care utilization led to a decrease in congenital syphilis rates, and associations were stronger within states with an overrepresentation of Non-Hispanic white patients. Conclusion While mandates may explain suppression or elimination of congenital syphilis, additional research is needed to determine whether the reduction is predicted by patient demographics, rather than mandated screening. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Mixed slip-trip perturbation training for improving reactive responses in people with chronic stroke

This study determined the effect of mixed (slip- and trip-like stance perturbation) training on reactive responses in people with chronic stroke (PwCS) and examined modulation of their reactive responses on higher intensity perturbations posttraining (scaling). Twelve PwCS were exposed to consecutive blocks of treadmill-based slip-like and trip-like perturbations and mixed-stance perturbations. A higher intensity trial was provided postblock and postmixed training. Postural stability [center-of-mass position (CoMP) and velocity (CoMV)], compensatory step length, step count, and trunk angle were examined. PwCS demonstrated an anterior positioning of the CoM, increased step length, and reduced compensatory step count with slip-like block training (P 0.05). With mixed training, there was a decrease rather than an increase in step length for slip-like perturbations but a continued decrease in step length and trunk angle was seen on trip-like perturbations (P < 0.05); however, CoMP and step count remained unchanged for both. For both perturbations, the higher intensity trials demonstrated no change from the last block trial. Postmixed block, the higher intensity trial demonstrated an increase only in step count on trip-like perturbation. Between postblock and postmixed higher intensity trials, an increase in step count and decrease in step length was noted only for slip-like perturbations. Block training with slip- and trip-like stance perturbations can enhance reactive responses among PwCS. Although mixed perturbation training continued to improve trip-induced adaptation, prior slip-induced adaptive changes were not maintained and further slip-adaptation was not seen. PwCS demonstrated partial scaling of reactive responses postblock and postmixed training.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Block perturbation training led to development of favorable reactive responses to counteract treadmill-based, slip-like and trip-like stance perturbations among people with chronic stroke. During mixed block, previously acquired adaptive changes in reactive responses from slip-block training were not maintained, probably due to interference offered by trip block. Instead, on trip-like perturbations, trip block-induced adaptation was maintained and continued to show further improvement. Our findings might provide future direction for designing effective mixed perturbation training paradigms to counteract both opposing perturbation types.
Multilevel Risk Factors for Hospital Readmission Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder in Selected US States: Role of Socioeconomic Characteristics of Patients and Their Community:

Research Objective:Using a multilevel framework, the study examines the association of socioeconomic characteristics of the individual and the community with all-cause 30-day readmission risks for ...
Inhibition of Escherichia coli ATP synthase by dietary ginger phenolics

For centuries, dietary ginger has been known for its antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. In the current study, we examined the link between antibacterial properties of 7 dietary ginger phenolics (DGPs)-gingerenone A, 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol, paradol, 6-shogaol, and zingerone-and inhibition of bacterial ATP synthase. DGPs caused complete (100%) inhibition of wild-type Escherichia coli membrane-bound F1Fo ATP synthase, but partial and variable (0%-87%) inhibition of phytochemical binding site mutant enzymes αR283D, αE284R, βV265Q, and γT273A. The mutant enzyme ATPase activity was 16-fold to 100-fold lower than that of the wild-type enzyme. The growth of wild-type, null, and mutant strains in the presence of the 7 DGPs were abrogated to variable degrees on limiting glucose and succinate media. DGPs-caused variable inhibitory profiles of wild-type and mutant ATP synthase confirm that residues of α-, β-, and γ-subunits are involved in the formation of phytochemical binding site. The variable degree of growth in the presence of DGPs also indicates the possibility of molecular targets other than ATP synthase. Our results establish that antibacterial properties of DGPs can be linked to the binding and inhibition of bacterial ATP synthase. Therefore, bacterial ATP synthase is a valuable molecular target for DGPs.
“When Bain Town Woman Catch A Fire, Even the Devil Run.”: The Bahamian Suffrage Movement as National and Cultural Development

Social movements provide a vital lens for assessing visions of the public good. Social movement (SM) theory explains the motives and structures of movement activity. Emerging in the 1960s, theories that remain relevant to this day include resource mobilization theory, framing, and political opportunity. Despite the prominence of these theories, several critiques of SM theory have emerged. Newer theories such as cognitive liberation and collective identity extend the scope of SM analysis and also focus on internal aspects of movement activity. Latin America, as one of the new sites of analysis, has received much attention from a wide range of SM theories. Yet, the Caribbean, in particular, the Anglophone Caribbean has received little attention. This paper will place both original and newer theories within the context of the Anglophone Caribbean. Specifically, SM theory will be applied to the Bahamian women’s suffrage movement of 1948–1967. The paper will also explain the historical roots of Bahamian culture as a way to explain movement activity and development.
When are two Markov chains similar

Abstract We present sufficient conditions for two Markov chains to be similar, thus confirming a conjecture of Pollett (2001). Our proof technique also shows one of the sufficient conditions given in Theorem 2 of Lenin et al. (2000) for two birth–death processes to be similar is unnecessary.
Phosphoglycerides of Trichophyton terrestre and One Phenotype Selected from the Apollo 16 Microbial Ecology Evaluation Device

Total lipid extracted from wild-type Trichophyton terrestre CDC-X285 was found to be 2.0 percent of the dry cell weight. The total lipid contained the following phospholipid components identified by silicic acid-impregnated thin-layer and paper chromatography: phosphatidyl inositol, phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl serine, and phosphatidic acid. The total lipid extracted from the phenotype T. terrestre 7048-1 isolated from the Apollo 16 Microbial Ecology Evaluation Device (MEED) was found to vary according to the time at which the phospholipids were extracted. The Trichophyton phenotype was selected from a cuvette housed in the MEED exposed to specific space parameters including ultraviolet light of known wavelengths and energy levels in deep space. The phospholipid components, identified in the phenotype were phosphatidyl ethanolamine and cardiolipin. The major lipid fraction was composed of digalactosyl diglyceride and monogalactosyl diglyceride. An unusual lipid was detected in the phenotype, which appeared to be sterol glycoside.
Ovarian serous neoplasms in the Rhesus monkey: Electron microscopical observations

Abstract The ultrastructural characteristics of a surface papilloma and of a serous cystadenofibroma in a Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) ovary, are described. The papilloma has many ciliated cells, similar in fine structure to ciliated cells of the monkey oviductal epithelium. The non-ciliated cells bear a close resemblance to the coelomic covering of the monkey ovary. The epithelial lining of the serous cystadenofibroma is ultrastructurally indistinguishable from the epithelial lining of the monkey oviduct and contains secretory, ciliated and “peg-cells”. As in the human, these observations support the concept of the multipotential metaplastic capacity of the ovarian coelomic epithelium to differentiate into a Mullerian (tubal) type of epithelium.
T4-Induced Activity Required for Specific Cleavage of a Bacteriophage Protein In Vitro

We have examined the acid-soluble products formed during incubation of labeled substrate protein from T4-infected cells with unlabeled phage-infected cell extracts. If the substrate protein is prepared from cells infected with a T4 mutant blocked in cleavage of phage head precursor proteins, the products formed in vitro include a peptide indistinguishable by several criteria from one of the T4 internal peptides. Denatured as well as undenatured protein can serve as the substrate for the formation of this peptide. As expected, this peptide is not formed if protein from either uninfected cells or cells infected with wild-type T4 is used as substrate. The formation of this peptide in vitro is dependent on a factor present in extracts of phage-infected cells but absent from extracts of uninfected cells.
Seismic heterogeneity and small‐scale convection in the southern California upper mantle

We invert traveltime residuals of teleseismic P and S phases for 3-D perturbations in VP, VS, and VP/VS structures in the southern California upper mantle. The tomographic inversion uses frequency-dependent 3-D sensitivity kernels to interpret traveltime residuals measured in multiple frequency bands and recent advances in regional crustal thickness and velocity models to better isolate the mantle component of traveltime residuals. In addition to separate VP and VS tomography, we jointly invert the P and S data sets for VP/VS perturbations by imposing a smoothness constraint on the δlnVS/δlnVP field. The regional upper mantle is very heterogeneous with the greatest amplitude of velocity and VP/VS perturbations in the upper 200 km and mantle structures that correlate spatially with the major physiographic provinces of southern California. Our imaging improves the resolution of the geometry and amplitude of these features. In addition to the major structures imaged and discussed in previous papers, we find a large high-velocity anomaly at depths between ∼340 and 500 km beneath the Borderland, Transverse Ranges, and northern Peninsular Ranges. This anomaly is separate from the well-known uppermost mantle Transverse Ranges anomaly, which extends no deeper than ∼175–200 km. The strongest low-velocity, high VP/VS anomaly is found beneath and west of the Salton Trough and is attributed to relatively high partial melt in the asthenosphere as a result of lithospheric thinning. The magnitudes of VP, VS, and VP/VS perturbations and knowledge of regional 1-D velocity and attenuation lead us to conclude that the asthenosphere contains up to ∼1% partial melt extending to depths as great as 150–200 km.
ABDOMINAL EPILEPSY IN CHILDHOOD

A complete family history as to the past seizures experienced by the patient or by members of his family may be revealing and helpful in establishing a diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy. In our study 19 of the 46 children revealed a past history of seizure state and 25 had experienced febrile seizures in infancy. Detailed consideration of the type of pain, its site, and allied symptoms should be evaluated carefully. Disorientation during an episode of pain followed by exhaustion and sleep is suggestive of abdominal epilepsy. Electroencephalography is usually helpful in supporting the clinical diagnosis of abdominal epilepsy. Discussion with the child and his parents, when practical and possible, in regard to the diagnosis and therapy, is recommended. Clarification and definition of the regimen and of the condition are essential, as the term "epilepsy" still carries a stigma to the lay person. Consideration of the patient and parental feelings and attitudes leads to understanding, co-operation, and ultimate success in the control of symptoms.
Serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes as markers of liver disease

A perspective on serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in liver disease is provided with a brief discussion of the location of the enzyme in liver and its presumed function. Mechanisms of entry of alkaline phosphatase into serum in liver disease are discussed. Characterization of high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase in obstructive jaundice is reviewed. The relationship between blood group O and the appearance of the intestinal enzyme in sera of such subjects with cirrhosis of liver is discussed. Properties of hepatoma alkaline phosphatase and the genesis of liver alkaline phosphatase in diseases not related to the liver are explored. Methods for detection of serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in liver disease are discussed from the standpoint of the limitations of electrophoretic procedures, and the promise of procedures such as isoelectric focusing and high performance liquid chromatography that are currently non-routine.
Hydraulic Performance of a Steep Single Layer Riprap Drainage Channel

Highway drainage channels often approach slopes of 0.5 (50%). Single layer riprap-lined channels at this slope have been constructed for highway drainage and appear to perform satisfactorily, but no quantitative information is available to guide their hydraulic design. A 1/6 scale laboratory hydraulic model, using a single layer of sized crushed limestone, was constructed to determine the relationship between depth of flow and discharge. The flow range investigated took place at depths near or below the top of the riprap, since riprap instability occurred at greater depths. Standing waves and localized hydraulic jumps dominated the surface of the flow, which held streamwise-averaged Froude numbers in a narrow range near the critical condition for those flow depths for which the channel is designed. This resulted in a simple relationship between unit discharge and depth of flow that applies to the model and prototype channels.
Pharmacotherapy of dementia with Lewy bodies

The syndrome of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is characterised by the clinical triad of fluctuating cognitive impairment, recurrent visual hallucinations and spontaneous motor features of Parkins...
Analysis of life table response experiments II. Alternative parameterizations for size- and stage-structured models

Abstract Life table response experiments (LTREs) are studies that quantify the population-level effects of environmental factors by measuring a set of vital rates (a life table) under two or more conditions (treatments). The vital rates are incorporated into a demographic model and the population growth rate λ is calculated to summarize the treatment effects at the population level. A previous paper introduced a way to measure the contribution of each vital rate to the overall treatment effect on λ. Here, I generalize this method from age-classified models to models based on size or stage. I present methods for three parameterizations (in terms of the matrix entries, in terms of lower-level vital rates, and in terms of the life cycle graph, including age at maturity) of size- or stage-classified models. In each case, the contributions are calculated from the treatment effects on the vital rates and the sensitivity of λ to changes in the vital rates. Examples are presented of the effects of fire on a tropical grass, of geographical location on killer whales (orcas), and of pollutants on a marine polychaete. In analyzing LTREs, it is not safe to assume that the most obvious treatment effects on the vital rates are the most important.
Expansion of the Southern California Edison system

FROM ITS BEGINNING in 1893, the Southern California Edison Company has grown to a 1,750,000-kw capacity system. This expansion is the direct result of population growth in southern California. Population approximately doubled during each decade except during that from 1930 to 1940. This rapid growth of population is due to immigration and was but temporarily retarded by the depression of the 1930's. Energy use and demand in the service area of the company are growing at an even faster rate due to increasing use of electric power per capita.
Enhancement of Alpha Particle Tracks in Cellulose Nitrate Using Electric Fields

We have observed that the application of an electric field across samples of cellulose nitrate during irradiation by alpha particles enhances the formation of etchable tracks. The track formation efficiency has been studied as a function of the strength of the electric field for alpha particles energies from 2.75 to 5.0 MeV. Both the number of etchable tracks and the amount of damage along individual tracks have been found to be enhanced by the application of an electric field. Approximately the same enhancement is observed either if the field is applied during irradiation by alpha particles or if the field is applied, then turned off before the irradiation is initiated. It is hypothesized that phenomena, associated with corona discharge in the air near the surface of the dielectric sample, is responsible for the observed enhancement. The present results are dominated by chemical effects which eclipse any indication of enhancement due directly to the application of an electric field.
Measuring ranked list robustness for query performance prediction

We introduce the notion of ranking robustness, which refers to a property of a ranked list of documents that indicates how stable the ranking is in the presence of uncertainty in the ranked documents. We propose a statistical measure called the robustness score to quantify this notion. Our initial motivation for measuring ranking robustness is to predict topic difficulty for content-based queries in the ad-hoc retrieval task. Our results demonstrate that the robustness score is positively and consistently correlation with average precision of content-based queries across a variety of TREC test collections. Though our focus is on prediction under the ad-hoc retrieval task, we observe an interesting negative correlation with query performance when our technique is applied to named-page finding queries, which are a fundamentally different kind of queries. A side effect of this different behavior of the robustness score between the two types of queries is that the robustness score is also found to be a good feature for query classification.
Effects of methyl donor diets on incisional pain in mice.

BACKGROUND Dietary supplementation with methyl donors can influence the programming of epigenetic patterns resulting in persistent alterations in disease susceptibility and behavior. However, the dietary effects of methyl donors on pain have not been explored. In this study, we evaluated the effects of dietary methyl donor content on pain responses in mice. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6J mice were treated with high or low methyl donor diets either in the perinatal period or after weaning. Mechanical and thermal nociceptive sensitivity were measured before and after incision. RESULTS Mice fed high or low methyl donor diets displayed equal weight gain over the course of the experiments. When exposed to these dietary manipulations in the perinatal period, only male offspring of dams fed a high methyl donor diet displayed increased mechanical allodynia. Hindpaw incision in these animals caused enhanced nociceptive sensitization, but dietary history did not affect the duration of sensitization. For mice exposed to high or low methyl donor diets after weaning, no significant differences were observed in mechanical or thermal nociceptive sensitivity either at baseline or in response to hindpaw incision. CONCLUSIONS Perinatal dietary factors such as methyl donor content may impact pain experiences in later life. These effects, however, may be specific to sex and pain modality.
Cognition, competence, and coping in child and adolescent depression: Research findings, developmental concerns, therapeutic implications

Findings of the few psychotherapy outcome studies with depressed children and adolescents raise questions about whether or not treatments are sufficiently sensitive to developmental factors. Here we review the outcome data, then survey potentially relevant research on the cognitions, competencies, and coping behavior of depressed youngsters. Much of the work in each domain is both procedurally and theoretically adevelopmental, and the psychotherapy research does not appear to be well informed by research in the other domains. To help remedy this situation, for each domain we suggest key developmental questions that need to be answered, and we discuss implications for psychotherapy. We also propose a three-way partnership involving basic developmental research linked with research on relations between depression and various cognitive and behavioral processes, with both lines of inquiry informing the development and refinement of interventions.
On the decomposition of CrO2 in air

Abstract Literature values for the decomposition temperature of CrO 2 (metastable at 1 atm) to Cr 2 O 3 in air range from 250° to 500°C. Experiments on both single crystals and powders made from the decomposition of CrO 3 show that no measurable decomposition of CrO 2 occurred at temperatures up to 400°C for at least 48 hours unless the Cr 2 O 3 phase is first nucleated by a rapid heating to about 475°C. Once nucleated, Cr 2 O 3 will grow at observable rates at 400°C as seen on single-crystal films. It is concluded that property measurements on CrO 2 can be made safely to 400°C for a few hours, provided nucleation of Cr 2 O 3 is avoided.
Radiative decay rates in Hg+ from observations of quantum jumps in a single ion.

Radiative decay rates connecting the lowest four energy levels of $^{198}\mathrm{Hg}^{+}$ have been derived solely from an analysis of the fluctuations (quantum jumps) of the laser-induced fluorescence of the 194-nm first resonance transition of a single ion confined in a Paul trap. The natural linewidth of the 194-nm first resonance transition was also measured. The measured decay rates and branching ratios are in satisfactory agreement with theory.
Support of installed applications

Abstract A continuing problem with today's data processing organization is how to evolve a management structure that matches the technological advances of the system for which it is responsible. To synthesize the emerging role of a data processing organization within its corporate environment, attention is focused on three dimensions of the required organization — the user view divided by functional area; the technical view divided by area of expertise; and the organizational view divided by planning horizon. The conclusion is drawn that a single group should have responsibility for integrating and enhancement of all installed applications.
Partition Coefficients for Fatty Acid Esters in Supercritical Fluid CO2 with and Without Ethanol

The complex nature of fish oils was exploited to study the dependence of structural factors upon fatty acid ester solubility in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SCF-CO2). Partition coefficients were determined for a number of components present in two mixtures of fatty cid ethyl esters derived from menhaden oil in SCF-CO2 at 60°C and 125 bar. Analogous data also were obtained for SCF-CO2 with 5% (w/w) ethanol added. The addition of ethanol was found to increase partition coefficients for all species, but resulted in a decrease of fluid selectivity. Aside from the chain length of a component, both the degree and position of unsaturation were found to be structural factors that affect the value of the partition coefficient.
Cytologic results of fine‐needle aspiration biopsies of the central nervous system

The cytologic results of 34 fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies of the central nervous system (CNS) are reported. There were 31 intraoperative biopsies performed at the time of craniotomy. All the cases were diagnosed using direct smear preparations stained with Papanicolaou and Diff-Quik (Harleco, NJ) stains. The sensitivity of the procedure was 90.7%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, and efficiency of the test of 91%. There were no false-positive diagnoses and three false-negative diagnoses. This study attests to the diagnostic accuracy of FNA cytologic examination of the central nervous system. Statistical analysis of the few previous FNA biopsy series of the CNS are presented. Review of the indications, advantages and complications of CNS needle biopsy are discussed. This report supports the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the evaluation of CNS lesions. With recent developments in radiologic imaging, especially ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) using stereotactic guidance, specimens can be obtained for cytologic diagnosis using thinner needles. Excellent diagnostic accuracy can be obtained, as pathologists gain greater familiarity with interpreting FNA biopsy material. Other advantages of FNA biopsy of the central nervous system include the low morbidity and mortality of the procedure and the ability to perform the biopsy through a burr hole under local anesthesia and thereby decrease hospitalization time and cost.