cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Involvement of apoptosis in 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide-induced ovotoxicity in rats.

Previous studies have determined that 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) causes specific destruction of oocytes contained in small pre-antral (primordial and primary) ovarian follicles of Fischer 344 rats following 30 days of daily dosing with VCD. The purposes of this study were to identify the type of VCD-induced cell death occurring in small pre-antral follicles and to determine the earliest time following the onset of dosing when evidence of follicular destruction could first be detected. A significant decrease in the number of oocytes contained in small pre-antral follicles in ovaries of rats after 15 days of daily dosing (ip) with VCD (80 mg/kg) had been observed in preliminary experiments. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the time of the onset of this follicular destruction by examination of follicular DNA integrity. Female Fischer 344 rats were dosed daily (80 mg/kg, ip) for 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 days, and ovaries were removed 1, 4, or 24 hr after the final dose. Small pre-antral follicles (25–100 μm) were isolated by gentle dissociation of ovaries with collagenase, and follicles were sorted with micropipets. Genomic DNA was isolated from follicles and radiolabeled with [32P]dideoxy ATP, and the degree of fragmentation quantified by agarose gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Degradation of DNA was evaluated by32P content in low-molecular-weight fragments (<4 kilobase pairs). Degradation of DNA was not observed in follicles collected 24 hr after the final dose on any day. However, a random pattern of DNA degradation was observed, and was significantly greater (p< 0.05) compared with controls, when follicles were collected 4 hr following VCD administration on Days 10 and 12, but not on Days 6 or 8, of dosing. Although not significant, there was also evidence of DNA degradation in dosed animals on Day 14. Histological evaluation of small pre-antral follicles in ovarian sections during the early stages of VCD-induced DNA degradation (Day 10; 4 hr) demonstrated margination of chromatin along the nuclear membrane in oocytes and disruptions in focal contact between granulosa cells and oocytes, both features indicative of apoptosis. Furthermore, there was no sign of ruptured membranes in granulosa cells or oocytes or of an inflammatory response, characteristics of necrosis (pathological cell death). Whereas biochemical and morphological evidence of follicular destruction was seen 4 hr after dosing on Day 10, numbers of oocyte-containing primordial and primary follicles in VCD-treated animals were not different from controls at that time. These results demonstrate that the initial evidence of impending destruction of small pre-antral follicles is first consistently visualized following 10 days of daily dosing with VCD, although a measurable reduction in oocyte numbers has not yet occurred. Despite the fact that internucleosomal cleavage of genomic DNA was not observed, morphological evaluations support that granulosa cells and oocytes in primordial and primary follicles are destroyed via the induction of apoptosis.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of the Ehrlichia chaffeensis Variable-Length PCR Target: an Antigen-Expressing Gene That Exhibits Interstrain Variation

A clone expressing an immunoreactive protein with an apparent molecular mass of 44 kDa was selected from an Ehrlichia chaffeensis Arkansas genomic library by probing with anti-E. chaffeensis hyperimmune mouse ascitic fluid. Nucleotide sequencing revealed an open reading frame (ORF) capable of encoding a 198-amino-acid polypeptide. The ORF contained four imperfect, direct, tandem 90-bp repeats. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences did not show close homologies to entries in the molecular databases. PCR with primers whose sequences matched the sequences flanking the ORF was performed with DNA samples extracted from cell cultures infected with nine different isolates of E. chaffeensis, blood samples from seven patients with monocytic ehrlichiosis, and Amblyomma americanum ticks collected in four different states. The resulting amplicons varied in length, containing three to six repeat units. This gene, designated the variable-length PCR target, is useful for PCR detection of E. chaffeensis and differentiation of isolates.
Social Control in Older Adults’ Diabetes Self Management and Well-Being

The “dual effects” hypothesis argues that social control can be effective in promoting positive health-related behavior change, but it can also jeopardize the targeted individual's well-being. This hypothesis is tested using hemoglobin A1C as an objective indicator of behavioral compliance with diabetes self-management behavior and depressive symptoms. Differences in the effects of social control on A1C and depressive symptoms by sex and ethnicity are tested. Cross-sectional data were obtained from a multi-ethnic sample of older adults with diabetes (N = 593). Greater social control was associated with poorer rather than better odds of achieving glucose control, and with greater depressive symptoms. There was no evidence that social control has differential effects on either glucose control or depressive symptoms by sex or ethnicity. Active use of social control attempts by family members and friends, especially if they are coercive or punitive in nature, are likely counterproductive for maintaining the p...
The Kähler–Ricci flow with positive bisectional curvature

We show that the Kahler–Ricci flow on a manifold with positive first Chern class converges to a Kahler–Einstein metric assuming positive bisectional curvature and certain stability conditions.
A novel approach to oral apoA-I mimetic therapy

Transgenic tomato plants were constructed with an empty vector (EV) or a vector expressing an apoA-I mimetic peptide, 6F. EV or 6F tomatoes were harvested, lyophilized, ground into powder, added to Western diet (WD) at 2.2% by weight, and fed to LDL receptor-null (LDLR−/−) mice at 45 mg/kg/day 6F. After 13 weeks, the percent of the aorta with lesions was 4.1 ± 4%, 3.3 ± 2.4%, and 1.9 ± 1.4% for WD, WD + EV, and WD + 6F, respectively (WD + 6F vs. WD, P = 0.0134; WD + 6F vs. WD + EV, P = 0.0386; WD + EV vs. WD, not significant). While body weight did not differ, plasma serum amyloid A (SAA), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) levels were less in WD + 6F mice; P
Variable resistance factors of fungicides acting as sterol demethylation inhibitors

The ED50 values and resistance factors of 20 fungicides that all act as inhibitors of the C-14 demethylation of 24-methylenedihydrolanosterol were determined for one wild-type and four resistant strains of Ustilago avenae. All fungicides were cross-resistant to each other; however, the resistance factors varied considerably, ranging from 50 (triadimenol) to 2·2 (miconazole). A tentative structural requirement for low resistant factors was the presence of two phenyl rings separated from each other by at least three atoms. Labeling of lipids with [14C]acetate in the absence and presence of the inhibitors and subsequent sterol analysis revealed that the variable resistance factors were not related to the presence of a second target site. In spite of reported second modes of action of fenarimol, tebuconazole or miconazole, accumulation of C-14 sterol precursors in both sensitive and resistant isolates was necessary to accomplish growth inhibition.
Constraints on the geometry of the VHE emission in LS 5039 from photon photon deabsorption

Abstract Evidence for orbital modulation of the very high energy (VHE) γ-ray emission from the high-mass X-ray binary and microquasar LS 5039 has recently been reported by the HESS collaboration. The observed flux modulation was found to go in tandem with a change in the GeV–TeV spectral shape, which may partially be a result of γγ absorption in the intense radiation field of the massive companion star. However, it was suggested that γγ absorption effects alone cannot be the only cause of the observed spectral variability since the flux at ∼200 GeV, which is near the minimum of the expected γγ absorption trough, remained essentially unchanged between superior and inferior conjunction of the binary system. In this paper, a detailed parameter study of the γγ absorption effects in this system is presented. For a range of plausible locations of the VHE γ-ray emission region and the allowable range of viewing angles, the deabsorbed, intrinsic VHE γ-ray spectra and total VHE photon fluxes and luminosities are calculated and compared to luminosity constraints based on Bondi-Hoyle limited wind accretion onto the compact object in LS 5039. Based on these arguments, it is found that (1) it is impossible to choose the viewing angle and location of the VHE emission region in a way that the intrinsic (deabsorbed) fluxes and spectra in superior and inferior conjunction are identical; consequently, the intrinsic VHE luminosities and spectral shapes must be fundamentally different in different orbital phases, (2) if the VHE luminosity is limited by wind accretion from the companion star and the system is viewed at an inclination angle of i ≳ 40°, the emission is most likely beamed by a larger Doppler factor than inferred from the dynamics of the large-scale radio outflows, (3) the still poorly constrained viewing angle between the line of sight and the jet axis is most likely substantially smaller than the maximum of ∼64° inferred from the lack of eclipses. (4) Consequently, the compact object is more likely to be a black hole rather than a neutron star. (5) There is a limited range of allowed configurations for which the expected VHE neutrino flux would actually anti-correlate with the observed VHE γ-ray emission. If hadronic models for the γ-ray production in LS 5039 apply, a solid detection of the expected VHE neutrino flux and its orbital modulation with km3 scale water-Cherenkov neutrino detectors might require the accumulation of data over more than 3 years.
An attempt to extend Spence's hypothesis of the restricting effects of awareness.

It has been hypothesized that a preconscious (unverbalized) word has greater influence on recall than a conscious (verbalized) word. This was tested using a chained word association procedure in wh...
Evolution is essential for software tool development

Examines the problems encountered in evolving software development tools, in particular, configuration management tools, drawing on our experience in producing the DaSC configuration management toolset. Building good software development tools is a time-consuming, iterative process where the tool designers must take into account the evolving nature of the software development process embodied in the tools, the evolving nature of the environment in which the tools exist, and the evolving understanding that the tool designers have of the users of the tools. We believe that our experience with the tools that we have developed is applicable to other kinds of tools used in industrial settings. >
Diversity considerations in HIV-1 vaccine selection.

Globally, human immunodeficiency virus–type 1 (HIV-1) is extraordinarily variable, and this diversity poses a major obstacle to AIDS vaccine development. Currently, candidate vaccines are derived from isolates, with the hope that they will be sufficiently cross-reactive to protect against circulating viruses. This may be overly optimistic, however, given that HIV-1 envelope proteins can differ in more than 30% of their amino acids. To contend with the diversity, country-specific vaccines are being considered, but evolutionary relationships may be more useful than regional considerations. Consensus or ancestor sequences could be used in vaccine design to minimize the genetic differences between vaccine strains and contemporary isolates, effectively reducing the extent of diversity by half.
An HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous detection of alkylated base excision repair products

DNA glycosylases excise a broad spectrum of alkylated, oxidized, and deaminated nucleobases from DNA as the initial step in base excision repair. Substrate specificity and base excision activity are typically characterized by monitoring the release of modified nucleobases either from a genomic DNA substrate that has been treated with a modifying agent or from a synthetic oligonucleotide containing a defined lesion of interest. Detection of nucleobases from genomic DNA has traditionally involved HPLC separation and scintillation detection of radiolabeled nucleobases, which in the case of alkylation adducts can be laborious and costly. Here, we describe a mass spectrometry method to simultaneously detect and quantify multiple alkylpurine adducts released from genomic DNA that has been treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). We illustrate the utility of this method by monitoring the excision of N3-methyladenine (3mA) and N7-methylguanine (7mG) by a panel of previously characterized prokaryotic and eukaryotic alkylpurine DNA glycosylases, enabling a comparison of substrate specificity and enzyme activity by various methods. Detailed protocols for these methods, along with preparation of genomic and oligonucleotide alkyl-DNA substrates, are also described.
Polymer film characterization using quartz resonators

The dynamic behavior and the electrical response of a thickness-shear mode resonator with a polymer film of a few microns thickness coating one face are considered. With glassy polymers, this film moves synchronously with the oscillating resonator surface; with rubbery polymers, the upper portions of the film lag behind the driven resonator-film interface, causing shear deformation of the film. Interesting dynamic film behavior results, notably a film resonance when the acoustic phase shift across the film is an odd multiple of pi /2. This dynamic behavior influences the electrical response of the resonator due to the coupling between shear displacement and the electric field in the piezoelectric quartz. An equivalent circuit model is derived that relates the near-resonant electrical characteristics of a polymer-coated resonator to the film properties. Measurements made on a polyisobutylene-coated resonator were interpreted with the model to obtain the film's sheer storage and loss moduli, giving good agreement with previously reported values. In addition, changes in resonant frequency and damping observed at film resonance agree with model predictions. >
Drive only at speed functional testing; one of the techniques Intel is using to control test costs

"Drive only" at speed functional testing is defined to be where the ATE drives input stimulus at native data rates and the results are accumulated or checked on die and the test result is accessed and checked by the automatic test equipment, ATE, at a slow data rate. This paper summarizes the various "drive only" methods and associated DFT circuits that Intel has developed, some High Volume Manufacturing, HVM, results demonstrating our success and a discussion of how this has and will continue to lead to significant cost reductions, as compared to traditional Drive & Compare functional testing
Family and Cultural Correlates of Mexican-origin Youths’ Sexual Intentions

Understanding how culture and familial relationships are related to Mexican-origin youths’ normative sexual development is important. Using cultural-ecological, sexual scripting, and risk and resilience perspectives, the associations between parent-adolescent relationship characteristics, adolescents’ cultural orientations and familism values, and sexual intentions among 246 Mexican-origin adolescents (50% female) were investigated. Regression analyses were conducted to examine the connections between youths’ cultural orientations and familism values and their intentions to engage in sexual intercourse and to test the moderating role of parent-adolescent relationship characteristics and adolescent sex. For boys, under conditions of high maternal acceptance, higher Anglo orientations and higher Mexican orientations were related to greater sexual intentions. For girls, familism values played a protective role and were related to fewer sexual intentions when girls spent less time with their parents. The findings highlight the complex nature of relationships between culture, family relationships, and youths’ sexual intentions and different patterns for girls versus boys.
The perennial Western tourism representations of India that refuse to die.

Western media represents Th ird World destinations and communities as stagnant and primitive. Scholars have argued that these representations are fundamentally related to the practices of colonization. Except for a few valuable exceptions research on tourism representations of the Th ird World is scarce. In tourism research, previous investigations have been mainly limited to analyses of visual images and texts of tourist brochures, newspaper articles, postcards and travel magazines. However, researchers have paid little attention to conduct a historical study of Western tourism representations of the Th ird World taking a larger sample of data. Th us, this study explored if there is any diff erence between the way India and Indians are represented in the nineteenth century Western travel writing, and contemporary Western travel writing. Th e results revealed that much like in the nineteenth century, contemporary Western travel writing also emphasizes the romantic image of India and Indians – timeless, poverty-stricken, exotic women and eff eminate men. Th erefore, it can be argued that colonialism is still pervasive in contemporary Western tourism representations.
SCMFS: a file system for storage class memory

This paper considers the problem of how to implement a file system on Storage Class Memory (SCM), that is directly connected to the memory bus, byte addressable and is also non-volatile. In this paper, we propose a new file system, called SCMFS, which is implemented on the virtual address space. In SCMFS, we utilize the existing memory management module in the operating system to do the block management and keep the space always contiguous for each file. The simplicity of SCMFS not only makes it easy to implement, but also improves the performance. We have implemented a prototype in Linux and evaluated its performance through multiple benchmarks.
Feature selection in conditional random fields for activity recognition

Temporal classification, such as activity recognition, is a key component for creating intelligent robot systems. In the case of robots, classification algorithms must robustly incorporate complex, non-independent features extracted from streams of sensor data. Conditional random fields are discriminatively trained temporal models that can easily incorporate such features. However, robots have few computational resources to spare for computing a large number of features from high bandwidth sensor data, which creates opportunities for feature selection. Creating models that contain only the most relevant features reduces the computational burden of temporal classification. In this paper, we show that lscr1 regularization is an effective technique for feature selection in conditional random fields. We present results from a multi-robot tag domain with data from both real and simulated robots that compare the classification accuracy of models trained with lscr1 regularization, which simultaneously smoothes the model and selects features; lscr2 regularization, which smoothes to avoid over-fitting, but performs no feature selection; and models trained with no smoothing.
Residential Area and Neighborhood

The previous chapter focused on verbalized concepts and evaluations of, and preferences for the residential environment. Although verbal methods of expression lend themselves to many aspects of description and evaluation, they are less effective in describing the relationships of objects in space. Yet, such relationships are the core of any environmental design construct. To tap these aspects of the residential environment, we focus in this chapter on the physical-spatial characteristics of the residential settings by examining people’s image of their residential area, as portrayed on the maps that we asked them to draw.
How to Improve Strategic Planning of Municipal Organizations in Czech Republic

Abstract The paper discusses strategic planning of different municipalities and common plans of the association of municipalities within the micro-regions of South Bohemia in Czech Republic, which were posted on their websites. Based on a content analysis of these documents and their comparison recommendations were suggested to improve the strategic plan, identify gaps and to use strategic tools, e.g. Balanced Scorecard, benchmarking, project and process management. Absolute majority of the analysed strategic plan does not meet the criteria of complexity and thus cannot use this important tool of strategic management to effectively contribute to the future development of the municipalities or micro-regions.
How to overcome imaging problems associated with carbonate minerals on sem-based cathodoluminescence systems

On SEM-based cathodoluminescence systems (scanned CL), methods are needed to overcome image-quality problems caused by persistent luminescence of carbonate minerals. An effective solution to the persistence problem is to acquire images using only the shorter wavelengths, most easily done by using a broadband, short-wavelength (UV-blue range) filter. The filter used provides 80% to 90% transmissivity in the range of 385 to 495 nm and some transmissivity as low as 350 nm. The filter allows transmission of the relatively nonpersistent UV-violet luminescence present in most carbonates in the range of 350 to 425 nm, but blocks the common orange-red wavelength luminescence found in carbonates. The lack of imaging problems in subsequent images shows that persistent luminescence in carbonates is primarily in the orange-red wavelengths. Cathodoluminescence images produced using a short-wavelength filter are comparable in detail to those obtained from conventional light-microscope-based cathodoluminescence systems. In almost all examples, features visible in the orange-red wavelengths show corresponding variations in luminescence in the shorter wavelengths.
Precision spheres for the Gravity Probe B experiment

Spherical gyroscope rotors for a fundamental experiment to test two predictions of General Relativity Theory, geodetic precession and frame dragging, were manufactured out of fused quartz and single-crystal silicon. These rotors required a mass unbalance and asphericity of less than 25 nm (1 μin), a fractional difference in the moments of inertia of less than 10−5, and a diameter within 0.5 μm (20 μin) of a standard sphere with a diameter of 37.996 mm (1.4959 in). We describe the manufacturing process and the associated metrology.
Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and other microbes in water and wastewater by electrochemically generated mixed oxidants

Alternative disinfectants of water and wastewater are needed because conventional chlorination is ineffective against C. parvum oocysts. Reliable indicators of disinfection efficacy against C. parvum also are needed. Mixedoxidants (MO) electrochemically generated from brine were evaluated in batch disinfection experiments for inactivation of C. parvum oocysts and Cl. perfringensspores in both oxidant demand-free (ODF) water and treated wastewater. Coliphage MS2 and Escherichia coli B were also tested under some conditions. C. parvum oocyst infectivity was quantified by cell culture assay, and the dyes DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and propidium iodide (PI) were used to assess oocyst viability in wastewater experiments. In treated wastewater dosed with 10–13 mg/L MO, inactivation after 90 minutes was about 3 log10 for C. parvum and about 2.5 log10 for Cl. perfringens spores; MS2 and E. coli were rapidly inactivated by > 5 log10. In ODF water, a 4 mg/L dose of MO inactivated ∼3 log10 of C. parvum oocysts and ∼1.5 log10 of Cl. perfringens spores. Inactivation of C. parvum oocysts and Cl. perfringensspores was less extensive at a lower MO dose of 2 mg/L. The use of DAPI and PI to determine viability of oocysts treated with MO did not correlate with, and greatly overestimated, cell culture infectivity. At practical doses and contact times, MO disinfection of water and wastewater achieves appreciable inactivation of both C. parvum oocysts and Cl. perfringens spores. Cl. perfringens spores reliably indicated oocyst inactivation by MO, but E. coli and coliphage MS2 were inactivated much too rapidly to indicate C. parvum inactivation.
Softwood Lignin-Based Methacrylate Polymers with Tunable Thermal and Viscoelastic Properties

Softwood (guaiacylic) lignin-based methacrylate polymers (LBMPs) that exhibit excellent glass transition temperatures (Tg’s), desirable thermal stabilities (greater than 100 °C above Tg), and intermediate shear-flow resistances, in comparison to polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate), are reported herein. Different R-groups (p-position hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, and formyl groups) in otherwise homologous LBMPs impart distinct characteristics to the flow behavior and thermal properties of these bio-based polymers, which permit the investigation of unique structure–property relationships. More specifically, the zero-shear viscosities (η0’s) for the LBMPs span nearly 2 orders of magnitude as the R-group is varied, while the characteristic degradation temperatures differ more modestly (by ≈50 °C over the same series of polymers), and the Tg’s exhibit minimal, yet application relevant, variations between ≈110 and ≈130 °C. These property differences were probed independent of tacticity, molecular weight, and d...
The New “Journal of the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine” (J. WAEDM)

This new Journal, starting with volume 1, number 1, Spring 1985, is an official publication of the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine (WAEDM), formerly called the Club of Mainz. The Journal is cosponsored by the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (LRCS). The Journal is owned and published by the WAEDM. There will be 4 Journal numbers per year.
The Management of Infection in THA: A Historical Perspective

Except for death and major vascular or neural injury, infection is the most feared complication associated with total hip replacement. Today, infection is uncommon but it is nonetheless of major concern because of the high monetary and personal cost required to resolve the complication.
Analysis of Existing Technological Forecasts Concerning the Computer-Integrated Automatic Factory

Summary The 1971 CIRP technology forecast of the future of production engineering, as well as more recent ones by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, forecast a great many events which are very revealing as to the evolution and eventual nature of the computer-integrated automatic factory (CIAF) of the future. In this paper these events have been extracted and compiled into chronological listings, by median date, for each of six subject categories. Five of these represent the five main elements of the computer-integrated manufacturing system which is the basis for the CIAF, while the sixth is the general category of the overall factory system. Study of the listings themselves provides a very good feel for the consensus of experts concerning the evolution and eventual nature of the CIAF. However, some general conclusions can also be drawn concerning the overall implications of these forecast events for the main future thrusts in each of the categories and this is done.
AB0967 The effect of body mass on the number of osteoarthritis (OA) flares with continuous vs intermittent celecoxib treatment

Background Continuous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment is significantly more efficacious than intermittent dosing 1 in preventing flares in patients with OA of the knee or hip who have successfully treated their flare, over a 22-week period. Objectives To characterize the effect of body mass on efficacy, as measured by the number of flares, of continuous daily celecoxib treatment compared to intermittent celecoxib treatment. Methods An exploratory analysis of a multinational, randomized clinical trial 1 was conducted to determine if the number of OA flares during the blinded postrandomization period was different, for patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m 2 or 2 . 858 patients aged 18-80 years with knee or hip OA, determined by American College of Rheumatology criteria, were randomized to receive celecoxib 200 mg qd either as “continuous” (daily) or “intermittent” (celecoxib 200 mg qd when needed to treat OA flare meeting predefined criteria). Analyses were performed on the intent-to-treat (ITT population (≥1 dose of study medication postrandomization) and flare-modified ITT population (all patients meeting criteria for ITT population plus having flare durations ≤14 + 2 days), using a 2-sided type I error rate of 0.05. Results Mean age was 58.5 years in the continuous treatment group and 58.7 years in the intermittent treatment group; duration of OA was 6.3 years and 6.8 years, respectively. At baseline, BMI was 2 in 48.5% (209/431) of patients in the continuous treatment group and 48.0% (205/427) of patients in the intermittent group. BMI was ≥30 kg/m 2 in 51.5% (222/431) of patients in the continuous treatment group and 52.0% (222/427) of patients in the intermittent group. In patients with a BMI 2 , 0.55 flares/month (standard deviation 0.78) were observed in patients receiving continuous treatment, while 0.88 flares/month (0.86) were observed in patients receiving intermittent treatment ( P 2 , the continuous treatment group had 0.54 flares/month (0.69) compared with 0.97 flares/month (1.13) in the intermittent group ( P 1 There were more flares in patients with a BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 than in patients with a BMI 2 in the intermittent treatment group, while the number of flares were similar in patients with a BMI 2 and ≥30 kg/m 2 in the continuous treatment group. Conclusions Daily celecoxib treatment was significantly more efficacious, as assessed by the number of flares/month, than intermittent use and more so in those patients with a BMI 2 compared with obese patients (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ). These data suggest weight loss will help reduce the burden of illness experienced by obese arthritis patients. References Strand V, et al. J Rheumatol 2011;38:2625-2634. Disclosure of Interest G. Sands Employee of: Pfizer Inc, P. Bhadra Employee of: Pfizer Inc, M. Noyes Essex Employee of: Pfizer Inc
Stone-Wales rearrangements in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a computational study.

Mechanisms for Stone–Wales rearrangements (SWRs) in polycyclic unsaturated hydrocarbons containing a pentafulvalene core have been studied using density functional, coupled cluster, and multiconfigurational methods. At the BD(T)/cc-pVDZ//(U)M06-2X/cc-pVDZ level of theory, free energies of activation (at 1000 °C) range from ca. 70 kcal/mol for the model system pentafulvalene → naphthalene (1 → 2) to >110 kcal/mol for the degenerate SWR of pyracyclene (3). Systems studied that do not contain a pyracyclene subunit are predicted to have ΔG⧧ less than about 90 kcal/mol and to proceed by a carbene-type mechanism. Substrates containing a pyracyclene subunit should proceed via a cyclobutyl mechanism, and appropriate benzannelation of 3 lowers the activation free energy considerably. Computed ΔG⧧ values are consistent with experimental observations reported for known systems. SWRs of two untested substrates, cyclopent[fg]aceanthrylene (18) and dicyclopenta[fg,op]tetracene (21), are predicted to have ΔG⧧ < 95 kcal/...
The moderating effects of problem characteristics on experts' and novices' judgments

A growing body of literature suggests that experts are little if at all better than novices in terms of the quality of decision outputs. To explain this counter-intuitive finding, the authors propo...
Client Evaluation of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in COMBINE

Practitioners and researchers across disciplines have been interested in identifying variables that act as indicators of treatment success or failure and one straightforward approach to measuring treatment success is to assess client satisfaction with treatment. Existing measures of treatment satisfaction do not address the specific aspects relevant to alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. Researchers in the COMBINE Study developed a new measure of treatment satisfaction to assess satisfaction in AUD treatment: The Evaluation of Treatment (EOT) measure. The aims of the present study were to examine the factor structure of items from the EOT measure and to examine the association between the EOT measure and other measures of client engagement, as well as AUD treatment outcomes. We also extended the model to test for possible mediation effects of treatment evaluation on the relationship between client treatment engagement components and AUD treatment outcomes. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated a 6-factor model with a higher order treatment satisfaction factor provided an excellent fit to the data (χ2 (246)=499.44, p<0.001, CFI=0.99, TLI=0.98, RMSEA =0.040 (90% CI: 0.035, 0.045). Overall, the latent factor of treatment satisfaction was significantly associated with client engagement predictors and treatment evaluation significantly mediated the associations between both working alliance and treatment expectations in the prediction of alcohol-related problems and global severity. Findings suggest that client evaluations of treatment play a substantial role in predicting AUD treatment outcomes and should be considered in future treatment and research.
Software Rejuvenation Model Based on Reconfiguration and Periodical Rejuvenation

To counteract the phenomenon of software aging and system failures,a software rejuvenation model based on reconfiguration is proposed.The continuous time Markov chain is adopted to describe the rejuvenation model for software systems with two degradation states.The formal definition and analysis of the system availability and of the expected total cost per unit time are given.The optimal rejuvenation interval is obtained by either maximizing the availability or minimizing the expected cost.A reconfiguration threshold is derived by comparing the rejuvenation method based on reconfiguration with the periodical rejuvenation method.Simulation results show that the system availability increases and the downtime cost decreases as the success probability of the reconfiguration increases.A comparison with the periodical rejuvenation method shows that when the success probability of the reconfiguration is 1,the system downtime cost is reduced by 48.9%.
A Method for Evaluating the Hemostatic Effect of Various Agents in Thrombocytopenic Rats and Mice

A simple method for measuring the control of blood loss in thrombocytopenic rats and mice is described. The administration of lyophilized platelets, brain phospholipid extract and soya bean extract failed to correct the blood loss in the thrombocytopenic animal. The results obtained with this method have failed to support the effectiveness of "platelet substitutes" in in vivo systems and reaffirm the requisites of viability and recirculation for platelet transfusions.
Learning Sequential Composition Plans Using Reduced-Dimensionality Examples.

Programming by demonstration is an attractive model for allowing both experts and non-experts to command robots’ actions. In this work, we contribute an approach for learning precise reaching trajectories for robotic manipulators. We use dimensionality reduction to smooth the example trajectories and transform their representation to a space more amenable to planning. Next, regions with simple control policies are formed in the embedded space. Sequential composition of these simple policies is sufficient to plan a path to the goal from any known area of the configuration space. This algorithm is capable of creating efficient, collision-free plans even under typical real-world training conditions such as incomplete sensor coverage and lack of an environment model, without imposing additional requirements upon the user such as constraining the types of example trajectories provided. Preliminary results are presented to validate this approach.
The Utility of Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 in Diagnosing Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is an oncogene that plays an important role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its usefulness in diagnosing HCC in fine needle aspiration (FNA) cell blocks (CB) is not well documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of AEG-1 in …
Women’s Health and Sleep Disorders

This chapter reviews the development of knowledge related to women’s sleep and highlights key milestones associated with reproductive phases during the lifespan. These phases include menstruation, pregnancy, and menopausal transition. Historical perspectives on women’s sleep during these three phases are presented. Selected sleep disorders associated with the menstrual cycle and pregnancy are discussed from a historical perspective. The chapter concludes with a discussion of developments in knowledge about sleep during menopausal transition. Sleep studies of menopausal women who experience vasomotor symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats are described, and how hormone replacement therapy affected sleep is discussed. Early studies of women’s sleep were typically descriptive designs with small samples of healthy women, and excluded women with any unhealthy lifestyle characteristics such as smoking, alcohol, and caffeine intake, or being overweight. Findings were difficult to generalize to the population of women regardless of age or reproductive status. Sleep research today can be less invasive, and larger samples of women can be recruited from the general population to study risk factors for sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, that were rarely seen in the healthy samples studied in earlier research.
Quantitative Studies on the Sensitivity to Complement Lysis of Red Cells Treated With Thiol-reactive Reagents

The effect of reduced glutathione on the complement sensitivity of normal and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) red cells was determined quantitatively. The susceptibility to complement lysis was increased in normal and complement-sensitive and complement-insensitive PNH cells; the percentage increase in susceptibility was inversely related to the initial complement-sensitivity. P-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS) likewise increased the sensitivity of normal cells to lysis by complement; the effect with both compounds appeared to be due to reaction with membrane thiol groups. GSH-treated normal cells were similar to PNH cells in that the susceptibility to immune lysis occurred without concomitant increase in fixation of antibody or first component of complement. GSH-treated normal cells differed from PNH cells in that the membrane acetylcholinesterase activity was normal and the cells were not stable during preparation and short-term storage.
Dasatinib-Induced Colitis after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract The tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib is often used after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation to treat minimal residual disease in Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Colitis, sometimes hemorrhagic, has occasionally been described with the use of dasatinib for both chronic myeloid leukemia and Ph+ ALL. The pathogenesis of dasatinib-induced colitis is unclear but may be related to effects of dasatinib on immune function. We describe a series of 5 patients who had 7 episodes of colitis during dasatinib use. No patient had obvious large granular lymphocytosis in peripheral blood. The histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of these cases were indistinguishable from control cases of gut graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In all patients symptoms resolved upon discontinuation of dasatinib in addition to therapy with local or low-dose systemic steroids. An additional 3 patients who developed cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis while on dasatinib therapy were identified and studied. Dasatinib colitis may have an immune-mediated mechanism similar to GVHD, and dasatinib use may be associated with CMV colitis. Awareness of this association is important for avoiding unnecessary intensification of immunosuppression for suspected gut GVHD.
An MAPK-dependent pathway induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Twist activation in human breast cancer cell lines

Background Twist is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor that instigates cell invasion. Our research has shown that osteopontin (OPN) regulates the EMT factor Twist. The underlying signaling pathway is unknown. We hypothesized that OPN activates Twist to induce EMT in human breast cancer. Methods Potential kinases for Twist were identified using NetPhosK. Inhibitors of MEK1/2, JNK, p38 MAPK, and PI3K were applied to human breast cancer cells MDA-MB231 (OPN high). After 24 h, Twist was immunoprecipitated and incubated with phosphoserine. Expression of the Twist target protein, Bmi-1, was determined following 24-h osteopontin aptamer (APT) treatment; mutant aptamer (MuAPT) was used as the control. Scratch-wound assay was imaged 12, 24, and 48 h after APT and MuAPT treatment. Results MEK1/2 inhibition caused ∼twofold decrease in Twist serine phosphorylation ( P P P Conclusion We demonstrate that OPN extracellular binding to MB231 activates an autocrine MAPK intracellular signaling pathway resulting in Twist activation and promoting Bmi1 expression to further EMT initiation and cellular migration. Our results elucidate a previously undescribed role for OPN as a prime regulator of EMT in human breast cancer cells.
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) MR Analysis of Tissue Oxygenation in Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis

While atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis (ARAS) is a common cause of secondary hypertension and poses a threat to kidney viability, the degree to which reduced blood flow to cortical or medullary segments leads to a reduction in tissue oxygenation and/or increased overall oxygen consumption is not well understood. These studies have been limited due to the lack of an adequate method to assess tissue oxygenation in humans. BOLD (blood oxygen-level-dependent) magnetic resonance imaging detects local levels of tissue deoxyhemoglobin without requiring contrast. The normal kidney circulation consistently develops tissue oxygen gradients, leaving some areas within the deep sections of medulla relatively hypoxic, reflected by corresponding differences in cortical and medullary R2* values. Moderate reductions in renal blood flow that occur with ARAS do not invariably lead to renal hypoxia, likely due to both a surplus of oxygenated blood and a parallel decrease in GFR and tubular reabsorption of sodium that leads to decrease in Oxygen consumption. However, at some point, vascular occlusion threatens the viability of the kidney and can lead to loss of kidney function. In this chapter we will review the implementation of BOLD MRI in the diagnosis and management of renovascular disease.
Remote sensing and remote measurement technology of transmission lines

The development of remote sensing and remote measurement technology has received increasing attention owing to its wide area monitoring ability. Infrared detection technology can detect the heating defects of various items of equipment on transmission lines. Infrared detecting instruments, basic methods for infrared-thermal detection and diagnosis and the application of infrared detecting systems are introduced in this chapter. UV detecting is another noncontact detection technology for detecting the external insulation status of high voltage lines. The UV detection system and the key associated technology are also introduced. As well as this, some examples of UV detection for transmission lines are described. With the use of a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image, transmission lines can be monitored widely 24 h a day and in all weather conditions. It can substantially improve power grid disaster prevention and increase the mitigation capability, and satisfy the security needs of a strong smart power grid. In this chapter, a project studying the extraction and analysis method of identifying the precise structure of transmission towers and conductors and the monitoring and assessment method of addressing transmission line damage is presented, while some wide area monitoring prospects for transmission lines, based on satellite remote sensing technology, are also discussed.
Electromyography of levator scapulae: new findings allow tests of a head stabilization model.

Objective Understanding the recruitment patterns of shoulder girdle prime-mover muscles will allow meaningful exploration of non-prime-mover neck muscle activity during arm and shoulder efforts. This study identifies exercises that isolate recruitment of levator scapulae from recruitment of upper trapezius. The exercises will be used for electromyographic experiments in which the head stabilizing roles of other neck muscles will be explored. Design Right levator scapulae and upper trapezius were electromyographically monitored with indwelling, fine-wire, bipolar electrodes. Subjects performed isometric arm exercises and movements of the upper limb, shoulder and head. Setting Electromyography facilities of the department of Anatomical Sciences of the State University of New York at Stony Brook were used. Participants Six adult subjects participated; one had reduced shoulder girdle mobility and a history of multiple shoulder separations. Main outcome measures Raw electromyographic data were scored visually on a scale from 0 to 4, with 4 being the signal observed in a maximal voluntary contraction. Results All subjects recruited levator scapulae alone during arm extension. Only the subject with reduced shoulder mobility recruited levator scapulae during scapular plane arm elevation and arm abduction. Conclusions The levator scapulae torque to be counteracted in arm extension produces ipsilateral rotation, lateral flexion and extension of the neck; trapezius rotates the head contralaterally during scapular plane arm elevation. These distinct and relatively simple cases (one shoulder girdle prime-mover affecting head posture at a time) are appropriate exercises for experimental exploration of the recruitment patterns of potential head stabilizers during arm/shoulder efforts.