cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis access in children and adolescents using the proximal radial artery inflow site.

Abstract Introduction Hemodialysis (HD) for children and adolescents with renal failure is increasingly common in the United States. Consensus opinion views an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as the best long-term access option, although catheter-based HD remains the most common vascular access in children and has greater risks of complications and higher mortality rates than AVF access. This report reviews our experience with children and adolescents undergoing vascular access operations. Methods We reviewed 721 consecutive vascular access patients who had vascular access surgery by a single surgeon during the previous 5 years. Ten patients 20 years or younger were included in this study. In addition to physical examination, each patient had preoperative vascular ultrasound mapping by the operating surgeon. A radiocephalic AVF (RC-AVF) at the wrist was the first choice for dialysis access when feasible; however, the patients in this report were generally seen after years of intravenous access and venipunctures that necessitated more proximal AVF constructions. A proximal radial artery AVF (PRA-AVF) was our most common choice for vascular access when an RC-AVF was not suitable. Results Patient ages were 9 to 20 years (mean, 16). Seven were male. Renal failure was caused by glomerulnephitis in 4 patients, 3 had a history of obstuctive uropathy, 2 were diabetic and one had congenital nephrotic syndrome. Eight patients had PRA-AVFs created, 1 had an RC-AVF, and 1 patient required a transposition AVF. Follow-up was 4 to 56 months (mean, 32 months). Primary, primary-assisted, and cumulative patencies were 77.8%, 100%, and 100% at 24 months. No prosthetic grafts were used in any vascular access patient during the study period. Conclusion We found HD access in children and adolescents was reliably established through use of a PRA-AVF when an RC-AVF was not feasible. Access sites were often possible through the upper arm cephalic veins and/or with retrograde flow into the forearm. Cumulative (secondary) patency was 100% at 24 months.
A Study of Chickens During Water Deprivation

Abstract Niggli and Wuhrmann (1960) described the features of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in man during dehydration. The PR interval, QRS interval and duration of the P wave did not change significantly, but there was a decrease in amplitude of the QRS and T wave. Bierer et al. (1964) observed a lowering of body temperature and increase in PCV in birds after depriving them of water or food or both. Ende (1962) and Consolazio et al. (1967) observed a rise in total serum cholesterol during starvation in human beings. This study was undertaken to evaluate ECG changes during the first six days of water deprivation and changes in body weight, temperature, appetite, and posture during the entire period of dehydration. Blood hematocrit values and plasma cholesterol levels before and after 12 days of water deprivation were also determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five female Leghorn chickens six months of age were randomly selected…
Two Rapidly Growing Mycobacterial Species Isolated from a Brain Abscess: First Whole-Genome Sequences of Mycobacterium immunogenum and Mycobacterium llatzerense

ABSTRACT Rapidly growing mycobacteria are rarely found in central nervous system infections. We describe a case of polymicrobial infection in a brain abscess including two rapidly growing Mycobacterium species, M. immunogenum and M. llatzerense. The Mycobacterium isolates were distinguishable by molecular methods, and whole-genome sequencing showed
Depression in older adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: prevalence and associated factors.

Rationale Although depression is common in older adults with schizophrenia, it has not been well studied. The authors examine those factors that are related to depression in a multiracial urban sample of older persons with schizophrenia. Methods The schizophrenia group consisted of 198 persons aged 55 or older who lived in the community and developed schizophrenia before age 45. Persons with substantial cognitive impairment were excluded from the study. A community comparison group (N = 113) was recruited using randomly selected census tract data. The authors adapted George's Social Antecedent Model of Depression, which consists of six categories comprising 16 independent variables, and used a dichotomous dependent variable based on a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale cutoff score of ≥16. Results The schizophrenia group had significantly more persons with clinical depression than the community comparison group (32% versus 11%, respectively; χ 2 = 28.23, df = 1, p=0.001). Bivariate analysis revealed that eight of the 16 variables were significantly related to clinical depression in the schizophrenia group. In logistic regression, six variables retained significance: physical illness (odds ratio [OR] = 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–2.18), quality of life (OR = 0.84, 95% CI, 0.76–0.93), presence of positive symptoms (OR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.02–1.21), proportion of confidants (OR = 0.03, 95% CI, 0.01–0.39), copes by using medications (OR = 2.12, 95% CI, 1.08–4.13), and copes with conflicts by keeping calm (OR = 1.34, 95% CI, 1.03–1.74). Conclusion Consistent with earlier studies of schizophrenia in older persons, the authors found physical health, positive symptoms, and several nonclinical variables to be associated with depression. Potential points for intervention include strengthening social supports, improving physical well-being, more aggressive treatment of positive symptoms, and increasing the recognition and treatment of depression.
A variable-length genetic algorithm for clustering and classification

Pattern clustering and classification can be viewed as a search for, and labeling of a set of inherent clusters in any given data set. This approach can be divided broadly into two types namely supervised and unsupervised clustering. Motivated by human perception and Kohonen's method, we present a novel method of supervised clustering and classification using genetic algorithms. Clusters in the pattern space can be approximated by ellipses or sets of ellipses in two dimensions and ellipsoids in general, and the search for clusters can be approximated as the search for ellipsoids or sets of ellipsoids. By assigning fuzzy membership values to points in the pattern space a fuzzy ellipsoid is obtained. The process of thresholding which follows can be thought of as warping the contour of the ellipse to include and exclude certain points in pattern space and in effect producing an arbitrarily shaped cluster. Here we examine the use of genetic algorithms in generating fuzzy ellipsoids for learning the separation of the classes. Our evaluation function drives the genetic search towards the smallest ellipsoid or set of ellipsoids, which maximizes the number of correctly classified examples, and minimizes the number of misclassified examples.
Optical physics: Antimatter creation in an X-ray bath

Laser systems designed for fusion research are able to produce a high density of X-ray photons in a metal cavity. Scientists have now proposed that this environment could be used to create matter from light and test a fundamental prediction of quantum electrodynamics.
Chloride channel (Clc)-5 is necessary for exocytic trafficking of Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3).

ClC-5, a chloride/proton exchanger, is predominantly expressed and localized in subapical endosomes of the renal proximal tubule. Mutations of the CLCN5 gene cause Dent disease. The symptoms of Dent disease are replicated in Clcn5 knock-out mice. Absence of ClC-5 in mice is associated with reduced surface expression of NHE3 in proximal tubules. The molecular basis for this change is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which ClC-5 regulates trafficking of NHE3. Whether ClC-5-dependent endocytosis, exocytosis, or both contributed to the altered distribution of NHE3 was examined. First, NHE3 activity in proximal tubules of wild type (WT) and Clcn5 KO mice was determined by two-photon microscopy. Basal and dexamethasone-stimulated NHE3 activity of Clcn5 KO mice was decreased compared with that seen in WT mice, whereas the degree of inhibition of NHE3 activity by increasing cellular concentration of cAMP (forskolin) or Ca2+ (A23187) was not different in WT and Clcn5 KO mice. Second, NHE3-dependent absorption of HCO3−, measured by single tubule perfusion, was reduced in proximal tubules of Clcn5 KO mice. Third, by cell surface biotinylation, trafficking of NHE3 was examined in short hairpin RNA (shRNA) plasmid-transfected opossum kidney cells. Surface NHE3 was reduced in opossum kidney cells with reduced expression of ClC-5, whereas the total protein level of NHE3 did not change. Parathyroid hormone decreased NHE3 surface expression, but the extent of decrease and the rate of endocytosis observed in both scrambled and ClC-5 knockdown cells were not significantly different. However, the rates of basal and dexamethasone-stimulated exocytosis of NHE3 were attenuated in ClC-5 knockdown cells. These results show that ClC-5 plays an essential role in exocytosis of NHE3.
Male dominance status, female choice and mating success in the brown lemming, Lemmus trimucronatus

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether female brown lemmings would selectively mate with dominant conspecific males. In dyadic encounters, oestrous females paired with dominant males engaged in more frequent lordosis and contact social behaviours than those paired with subordinate males. However, the mount and thrust scores of dominant and subordinate males did not differ significantly. When females had simultaneous access to tethered dominant and subordinate males, they spent more time in close proximity to dominant males and avoided contact with subordinate males. Copulation scores were higher with dominant males. In triadic encounters with free-moving dominant and subordinate males, oestrous females spent more time near, and engaged in more sexual behaviour with, dominant males. Intermale agonistic interactions resulted in ‘privileged access’ to females by dominant males. Sexual behaviour scores were lower and there was a 10-fold increase in intermale aggression in triadic encounters between females and unfamiliar dominant and subordinate males. Both intermale agonistic interactions and female ‘choice’ behaviour accounted for the differential copulatory success of dominant males.
HLA and testicular cancer

HLA IS involved not only in transplantation, but is also associated with many disease states. This first became evident when the major histocompatibility complex of the mouse (H–2) was shown to play a major part in determining resistance to Gross leukaemia virus1. Subsequent studies in both animals and man have shown that many disease states are associated with, and perhaps regulated by, the major histocompatibility complex2,3. We now present the tissue typing results from a group of patients with testicular cancer. The results show an abnormally high antigen frequency for HLA-Dw7 in patients with testicular teratocarcinoma.
Chemical Vapor Deposition Of Samarium Chalcogenides: Progress On Fabricating Thin Film Phase Transition Materials

Substances that undergo dramatic changes in optical properties when subjected to changes in temperature, pressure, or magnetic field are the subject of growing interest to both basic and applied scientists. Possible applications of such optical switching materials range from dense optical information storage to switchable filters to components of integrated optical circuitry. Some switching materials are found among rare-earth compounds; they are denoted as mixed-valence, mixed-configuration, or fluctuating-valence compounds. More than fifty mixed-valence compounds were known as of 1980, and many more, including a large number of alloys, have been discovered since (Varma, 1976; Kaldis, 1983).
Preschoolers Use Social Allegiances to Predict Behavior.

Developing mechanisms for predicting human action is a critical task of early conceptual development. Three studies examined whether 4-year-old children (N = 149) use social allegiances to predict behavior, by testing whether they expect the experiences of social partners to influence individual action. After being exposed to a conflict between two individuals from different novel social categories, children reliably predicted that another member of one category would withhold friendship from the contrasting category (Studies 1 and 2) and direct harmful actions toward the contrasting category (Study 3). Children did so even when the initial conflict had no direct implications for the other category members, and even when they knew that the two social categories had a positive relationship in the past. These data show that young children view social categories as marking people who are obligated to one another, and thus use the experiences of allegiance partners to predict how individuals will behave. [Sup...
Electrochemical versus Anionic Oxygenation of Azathymine Derivatives

Pymetrozine (1) was converted to hemiaminal 2 in low to moderate yield by trapping its dianion with oxygen followed by reduction with ferrous salts. Pymetrozines 18 and 19 failed to undergo this ty...
CHANGES IN BLOOD CHEMISTRY ASSOCIATED WITH CIRCULATORY FAILURE IN THE ADRENALECTOMIZED DOG

THE HEALTHY ADRENALECTOMIZED dog will develop a fatal circulatory collapse within 5 to 12 hours after being subjected to any of a wide variety of types of stress. This peripheral vascular failure can be prevented by the administration of liberal amounts of cortical extract. When cortical extract was replaced by crystalline adrenal steroids, it became apparent that the action of these steroids was qualitatively dissimilar. Desoxycorticosterone acetate proved effective in preventing the circulatory failure following hemorrhage, the vascular dehydration accompanying intraperitoneal glucose injections and muscle trauma. It was ineffective after intestinal stripping and bilateral adrenalectomy at a single stage operation (1, 2). Compound E of the Kendall series (17-hydroxy-11-dehydrocorticosterone) was an excellent prophylactic against the circulatory failure following the latter two procedures (3), and also after muscle trauma and hemorrhage. The experiments do indicate, however, that desoxycorticosterone ace...
Material Orientations and Geometric Effects in Piezoelectric Actuators

Piezoelectric materials are active materials that deform in response to both electrical and mechanical loadings. Traditional piezoelectric actuators are designed to exploit this deformation by aligning the material poling axes with the loading axes. However for complex loading or complex geometry this alignment may not maximize the desired actuation due to the anisotropic piezoelectric and elastic properties. A computational study of material and loading axes misalignment was completed to examine the performance of piezoelectric components. The study used finite element analysis to model difference geometries; a simple cylinder, an ASTM E8 tensile specimen, and a customized ASTM E8 tensile specimen. This study looked at electrical only and mechanical only loading. The material axes for each component is rotated from being aligned with the loading axes to various angles. The effect of rotating the material axes is discussed. Variations in stress, electric fields and deformations are noted.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Ultraviolet Radiation and Skin Cancer: Epidemiological Data from the United States and Canada

The three major forms of skin cancer (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma) are all epidemic in the Caucasian population of North America, and each has therefore been the subject of numerous investigations. This chapter reviews the descriptive and analytic epidemiology of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer. The data reviewed are based primarily on populations in the United States and Canada; the (largely parallel) results that characterize the Scandinavian and Australasian literature are reviewed in Chapters 9 and 10.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF ABUSED WOMEN FOR LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

Researchers agree that high recruitment and retention rates are essential for longitudinal studies and can be a daunting task. This paper examines retention rates for longitudinal studies of abused women and presents strategies to maximize recruitment and retention. The techniques presented resulted in subject retention rates of 89% to 100% in longitudinal prevalence, quasi-experimental, and randomized clinical trials that followed participants for up to 24 months. The findings point to the importance of establishing and sustaining collaborative partnerships with agencies, multiple contacts sources with study participants, incremental monetary incentives, and a detailed field tracking protocol that includes safety practices.
Protein kinase C iota as a therapeutic target in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer exhibiting skeletal muscle differentiation. New therapeutic targets are required to improve the dismal prognosis for invasive or metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Protein kinase C iota (PKCι) has been shown to play an important role in tumorigenesis of many cancers but little is known about its role in rhabdomyosarcoma. Our gene expression studies in human tumor samples revealed overexpression of PRKCI. We confirmed overexpression of PKCι at the mRNA and protein level using our conditional mouse model that authentically recapitulates the progression of rhabdomyosarcoma in humans. Inhibition of Prkci by RNA interference resulted in a dramatic decrease in anchorage-independent colony formation. Interestingly, treatment of primary cell cultures using aurothiomalate (ATM), which is a gold-containing classical anti-rheumatic agent and a PKCι-specific inhibitor, resulted in decreased interaction between PKCι and Par6, decreased Rac1 activity and reduced cell viability at clinically relevant concentrations. Moreover, co-treatment with ATM and vincristine, a microtubule inhibitor currently used in rhabdomyosarcoma treatment regimens, resulted in a combination index (C. I.) of 0.470–0.793 through cooperative accumulation of non-proliferative multinuclear cells in the G2/M phase, indicating that these two drugs synergize. For in vivo tumor growth inhibition studies, ATM demonstrated a trend towards enhanced vincristine sensitivity. Overall, these results suggest that PKCι is functionally important in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma anchorage-independent growth and tumor cell proliferation and that combination therapy with ATM and microtubule inhibitors holds promise for the treatment of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.
The Analytic Network Process

Analysis to break down a problem into its constituent components to study their behavior has been the major tool of scientific inquiry to test hypotheses and solve problems. It has proven to be extremely successful in dealing with the world of matter and energy. It has enabled man to land on the moon, to harness the energy of the atom, to master global communication, to invent the computer and to produce tens of thousands of useful and not so useful things. But it has not been so effective in the world of man.
Proscenium: a framework for spatio-temporal video editing

We present an approach to video editing where movie sequences are treated as spatio-temporal volumes that can be sheered and warped under user control. This simple capability enables new video editing operations that support complex postproduction modifications, such as object removal and/or changes in camera motion. Our methods do not rely on complicated and error-prone image analysis or computer vision methods. Moreover, they facilitate an editing approach to video that is similar to standard image-editing tasks. Central to our system is a movie representation framework called Proscenium that supports efficient queries and operations on spatio-temporal volumes while maintaining the original source content. We have adopted a graph-based lazy-evaluation model in order to support interactive visualizations, complex data modifications, and efficient processing of large spatio-temporal volumes.
The Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum as the Hybrid Zero Dynamics of an Asymmetric Hopper

A hybrid controller that induces provably stable running gaits on an asymmetric spring loaded inverted pendulum (ASLIP) is developed. The controller acts on two levels. On the first level, continuous within-stride control asymptotically imposes a (virtual) holonomic constraint corresponding to a desired torso posture, and creates an invariant surface on which the two-degree-of-freedom restriction dynamics of the closed-loop system (i.e., the hybrid zero dynamics) is diffeomorphic to the center-of-mass dynamics of a spring loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP). On the second level, event-based control stabilizes the closed-loop hybrid system along a periodic orbit of the SLIP dynamics. The controller's performance is discussed through comparison with a second control law that creates a one-degree-of-freedom non-compliant hybrid zero dynamics. Both controllers induce identical steady-state behaviors (i.e., periodic solutions). Under transient conditions, however, the controller inducing a compliant hybrid zero dynamics based on the SLIP accommodates significantly larger disturbances, with less actuator effort, and without violation of the unilateral ground force constraints.
General Characteristics of the Cyanobacteria

Apart from sharing the basic cellular features of other Bacteria, the cyanobacteria possess unique and diagnostic characteristics that will be briefly described here, but less extensively than in the 1989 edition of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. The cell wall in cyanobacteria is of a Gram-negative type. Cell division in most unicellular and colonial cyanobacteria and some filamentous forms is by binary fission. Regarding cell exterior and motility, fimbriae (or pili) occur abundantly with diverse patterns in many cyanobacteria. Although not all thylakoids in cyanobacteria appear to be invaginations of the cytoplasmic membrane, there are orderly “attachment points” or “thylakoid centers” associated with the periphery of the cytoplasm or the cytoplasmic membrane. In the cytoplasm of cyanobacteria there are many other components and “inclusions”, most of which can be visualized readily using various preparative techniques for transmission electron microscopy. They include glycogen granules, cyanophycin granules, carboxysomes (polyhedral bodies), polyphosphate (volutin) granules, and gas vacuoles. Heterocysts, akinetes, and hormogonia are some of the specialized cells and differentiation in Cyanobacteria. The chief physiological/biochemical characteristic of cyanobacteria, distinguishing them from all other procaryotes, is the dual photosystem that allows the use of H2O as photoreductant with the consequent liberation of O2. Two courses for the delimitation of genera have been followed by cyanobacterial specialists: (a) to retain “small” genera or (b) to gather many species into fewer genera. Cyanobacteria / General Characteristics of the Cyanobacteria Keywords: Cyanobacteria; Scytonema; Cyanobacteria
The Stability of One-Dimensional Motions in a Rocket Motor

The problem of linearized one-dimensional motions in a non-uniform flow field is re-examined. Earlier work is clarified, and some assumptions previously used are relaxed. The formalism accommodates all processes occurring in combustion chambers, including sources of mass, momentum, and energy at the lateral boundary. The work is intended partly to provide some results required for subsequent analyses of linear and nonlinear three-dimensional unsteady motions.
The Membrane-Proximal Region (MPR) of Herpes Simplex Virus gB Regulates Association of the Fusion Loops with Lipid Membranes

ABSTRACT Glycoprotein B (gB), gD, and gH/gL constitute the fusion machinery of herpes simplex virus (HSV). Prior studies indicated that fusion occurs in a stepwise fashion whereby the gD/receptor complex activates the entire process, while gH/gL regulates the fusion reaction carried out by gB. Trimeric gB is a class III fusion protein. Its ectodomain of 773 amino acids contains a membrane-proximal region (MPR) (residues 731 to 773) and two fusion loops (FLs) per protomer. We hypothesized that the highly hydrophobic MPR interacts with the FLs, thereby masking them on virions until fusion begins. To test this hypothesis, we made a series of deletion, truncation, and point mutants of the gB MPR. Although the full-length deletion mutants were expressed in transfected cells, they were not transported to the cell surface, suggesting that removal of even small stretches of the MPR was highly detrimental to gB folding. To circumvent this limitation, we used a baculovirus expression system to generate four soluble proteins, each lacking the transmembrane region and cytoplasmic tail. All retained the FLs and decreasing portions of the MPR [gB(773t) (gB truncated at amino acid 773), gB(759t), gB(749t), and gB(739t)]. Despite the presence of the FLs, all were compromised in their ability to bind liposomes compared to the control, gB(730t), which lacks the MPR. We conclude that residues 731 to 739 are sufficient to mask the FLs, thereby preventing liposome association. Importantly, mutation of two aromatic residues (F732 and F738) to alanine restored the ability of gB(739t) to bind liposomes. Our data suggest that the MPR is important for modulating the association of gB FLs with target membranes. IMPORTANCE To successfully cause disease, a virus must infect host cells. Viral infection is a highly regulated, multistep process. For herpesviruses, genetic material transfers from the virus to the target cell through fusion of the viral and host cell lipid membranes. Here, we provide evidence that the ability of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein B (gB) fusion protein to interact with the host membrane is regulated by its membrane-proximal region (MPR), which serves to cover or shield its lipid-associating moieties (fusion loops). This in turn prevents the premature binding of gB with host cells and provides a level of regulation to the fusion process. These findings provide important insight into the complex regulatory steps required for successful herpesvirus infection.
A Cellular Assay Distinguishes Normal and Mutant TIGR/Myocilin Protein

Glaucoma is a blinding eye disease that affects approximately 70 000 000 people world-wide. Mutations in the gene TIGR / MYOC have been shown to cause the most common form of the disease, primary open angle glaucoma, in selected families. Amino acid sequence variants of the gene have been found in 2-4% of sporadic primary open angle glaucoma cases. Most variants are rare and it is often difficult to definitively distinguish between a deleterious mutation and a benign variant solely on the basis of relative frequencies in patient and control groups. The function of the TIGR/myocilin protein is unknown and an assay to functionally classify variants is lacking. We sought to develop a biochemical assay to distinguish different forms of TIGR/myocilin. We investigated the Triton X-100 detergent solubility characteristics of mutant and normal forms of the protein, expressed by transfection in cultured cells. We observed a clear difference in the behavior of the two types of TIGR/myocilin; all confirmed mutant proteins tested were substantially Triton insoluble, while normal protein and controls were completely soluble. We also tested seven ambiguous variant proteins and classified them as mutant or normal on the basis of their Triton solubility. The results in some cases validated, and in other cases contradicted, earlier classifications of these variants. To our knowledge, Triton solubility is the first example of a general difference in the properties of mutant and normal forms of TIGR/myocilin. The assay we have developed will be useful for discerning protein functional information from the location of mutations, will aid genetic counseling of individuals with TIGR/myocilin variants and may provide a clue to understanding a mechanism by which mutations in TIGR / MYOC cause glaucoma.
Anisotropic Nonlinear Kinematic Hardening Rule Parameters From Reversed Proportional Axial-Torsional Cycling

A procedure for determining parameters for anisotropic forms of nonlinear kinematic hardening rules for cyclic plasticity or viscoplasticity models is described. An earlier reported methodology for determining parameters for isotropic forms of uncoupled, superposed Armstrong-Frederick type kinematic hardening rules is extended. For this exercise, the anisotropy of the kinematic hardening rules is restricted to transverse isotropy or orthotropy. A limited number of parameters for such kinematic hardening rules can be determined using reversed proportional tension-torsion cycling of thin-walled tubular specimens. This is demonstrated using tests on type 304 stainless-steel specimens and results are compared to results based on the assumption of isotropic forms of the kinematic hardening, rules.
A New Large, Hypercarnivorous Oxyaenid (Mammalia, Creodonta) from the Middle Eocene of the Wind River Formation, Natrona County, Wyoming

Abstract Malfelis badwaterensis, gen.et sp. nov., represented by a nearly complete juvenile skull, isolated I1–2, P1, DP2, and a fragment of the dentary from the same individual (CM 62590), is described from the early middle Eocene (Gardnerbuttean, early Bridgerian) of the Wind River Formation, Wyoming in North America. M. badwaterensis preserves a unique combination of characters that set it apart from all other creodonts including the presence of a P1 and reduced M2, a carnassial complex from DP3–4–M1 with reduced protocones, simplified trenchant P2–3, and M1 with conjoined metacone and paracone, and metastylar blade. M. badwaterensis is referred to the Oxyaenidae based on the well-developed metastylar blade of M1, a reduced M2, and loss of M3. This new creodont was perhaps the largest of all animals from the type locality, which has yielded nearly 80 species of mammals.
Constitutive equations of crack layer growth

Many engineering polymers such as polyethylene undergo cold drawing. Consequently, a slowly growing crack in polyethylene is preceeded by a process zone consisting of drawn material. The crack and the process zone are considered to be a single entity called the Crack Layer (CL). The equilibrium size and shape of the process zone can be determined by minimizing the Gibbs potential of the material. The result is a system of integro-differential equations which does not have analytic solutions. To simplify the problem, the analysis is limited to the “thin” process zones which have been observed frequently in many polymers. Using thermodynamics, the driving forces for the crack and process zone growths are expressed in terms of the partial derivatives of the Gibbs potential with respect to corresponding variables (the crack length and the process zone size). Kinetic equations for the CL growth are proposed. These equations take the form of Onsager-type linear relations between the rates of crack and process zone growth and the driving forces. The equations are good descriptions of the experimentally observed nonmonotonic CL growth in polyethylene. CL stability analysis is used to obtain estimates of lifetimes.
Complementary non-radioactive assays for investigation of human flap endonuclease 1 activity

FEN1, a key participant in DNA replication and repair, is the major human flap endonuclease that recognizes and cleaves flap DNA structures. Deficiencies in FEN1 function or deletion of the fen1 gene have profound biological effects, including the suppression of repair of DNA damage incurred from the action of various genotoxic agents. Given the importance of FEN1 in resolving abnormal DNA structures, inhibitors of the enzyme carry a potential as enhancers of DNA-interactive anticancer drugs. To facilitate the studies of FEN1 activity and the search for novel inhibitors, we developed a pair of complementaryreadout homogeneous assays utilizing fluorogenic donor/quencher and AlphaScreen chemiluminescence strategies. A previously reported FEN1 inhibitor 3-hydroxy-5-methyl-1-phenylthieno[2,3-d] pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione displayed equal potency in the new assays, in agreement with its published IC50. The assays were optimized to a low 4 ml volume and used to investigate a set of small molecules, leading to the identification of previously-unreported FEN1 inhibitors, among which aurintricarboxylic acid and NSC-13755 (an arylstibonic derivative) displayed submicromolar potency (average IC50 of 0.59 and 0.93 mM, respectively). The availability of these simple complementary assays obviates the need for undesirable radiotracer-based assays and should facilitate efforts to develop novel inhibitors for this key biological target.
Dual Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α/γ Agonists

The metabolic syndrome consists of a combination of cardiovascular risk factors that include hyperglycemia with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus, visceral obesity, elevated blood pressure, and atherogenic dyslipidemia. These interrelated disorders and their associated lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory state predispose to a constellation of cardiovascular conditions leading to high risk of heart attack, stroke, renal failure, blindness, and lower extremity amputation. Visceral obesity, a prime risk factor for type 2 diabetes and a major component of the metabolic syndrome, potentiates atherogenesis, atherosclerosis, organ lipotoxicity, and oxidative tissue damage.Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are relatively recently discovered nuclear transcription factors that are modulated by dietary fatty acids, including the essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid and its metabolites, and are essential to the control of energy metabolism. Of the three PPAR isoforms (alpha, gamma, and delta), synthetic pharmaceutical ligands that activate PPARalpha (the antidyslipidemic fibric acid derivatives ['fibrates']) and PPARgamma (the antidiabetic thiazolidinediones) have been studied extensively. Recently developed dual PPARalpha/gamma agonists may combine the therapeutic effects of these drugs, creating the expectation of greater efficacy, and perhaps other advantages in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. However, thiazolidinediones are hampered by adverse effects related to increased weight gain and fluid overload. It remains to be seen whether the dual PPARalpha/gamma agonists currently under development have similar limitations. Nevertheless, existing clinical data imply that the combined effects of thiazolidinediones and fibrates are likely to be emulated by dual PPARalpha/gamma agonists, providing superior efficacy to these classes for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, and their cardiovascular and other end-organ complications.
Cognitive Assessment in Deaf Preschoolers

The question of whether cognitive development precedes language acquisition in infants is a continuing theoretical discussion. Clearly, cognitive development is a complex interrelationship of mental processes and strategies that relate the development of internal mechanisms to external stimuli. This interrelationship then permits new knowledge to build on old knowledge, which, in turn, creates changes in mental structures and permits their development. Because of the profound role of language in human development, the exact influence of language on cognitive abilities has yet to be determined. Language itself consists of a set of mental structures that interface with cognitive structure (Menyuk, 1975).
Characteristics of Several Religiosity Measures

Incorporating religiosity variables into macro- and micro-marketing studies can add to the insights produced. This research used data from a national survey of 725 adults, fielded in January 2015, to illustrate how religiosity measures differ. Responses to 34 survey questions were used to construct six factor-based religiosity measures. Six linear regressions tried to predict the religiosity factors with demographics, a social desirability bias measure, and a political preference indicator as independent variables. While some independent variables were significant, the six religiosity and spirituality factors (Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic-Social, Extrinsic-Personal, Tentativeness Quest, Complexity Quest, and Doubt Quest) contained considerable information that was not explained by the regressions.
Atypical forms of inflammatory bowel disease

Atypical forms of IBD include the microscopic colitides, collagenous and lymphocytic colitis, and two macroscopic colitides, SRUS and diversion colitis. Clinical presentations include chronic, watery diarrhea and intermittant rectal bleeding. Constitutional symptoms are typically absent; laboratory data are often nonspecific. Colonoscopic evaluation and mucosal biopsy are essential in establishing these diagnoses and excluding more classic forms of IBD (i.e., Crohn's disease or idiopathic ulcerative colitis). Prognosis and response to treatment are variable; potential therapeutic options include dietary manipulations, topical or systemic anti-inflammatory agents, and, in refractory cases, surgical intervention.
Irreversible anionic polymerization kinetics revisited

Irreversible anionic polymerization is revisited with an emphasis on determining the dependence of the MW distribution on initial conditions. It is shown that only two parameters govern the distribution: the ratio of initiation to propagation rate constants and the ratio of initial monomer to initiator concentrations. New and simple criteria are developed that predict the breadth of the MW distribution based on these parameters. Even when initiation is slower than propagation, it is still possible under certain conditions to obtain a narrow, Poisson-like MW distribution. Since it impacts self-assembly of block copolymers into microphases, the compositional variation of block copolymers produced by living polymerization techniques is also analyzed. A somewhat unexpected result is the composition variability in block copolymers can be significant (10-15% ) even when the blocks have dispersity indices less than 1.01.
"'Leitmotif': On the Application of a Word to Film Music"

The idea that the film scoring procedures of classic Hollywood composers descends from the leitmotif technique of Wagner (and other composers such as Richard Strauss) is so firmly embedded in narrative histories of film music that it hardly needs to be rearticulated. It stretches back beyond Max Steiner’s frequently-quoted comments about his own indebtedness to Wagner into the very earliest years of sound film. The first section of this paper offers a critique of this interpretative tradition, by placing it in the context of Wagner's own discussion of the term "leitmotif" (in his essay "On the Application of Music to Drama") and its use in subsequent analytical works. Classical Hollywood film music scoring, I will maintain, fits very uncomfortably with this analytical tradition. In many ways, the invocation of the leitmotif in film music discourse during the 1930s and 40s was driven by a desire to establish the cultural legitimacy of sound film: to establish (we might say) Hollywood as the logical successor to Bayreuth. In the second part of this essay, I use Miklos Rozsa's score to Ben-Hur as a kind of limiting case for the application of the leitmotif principle to film music. The highly transformative network of motives that Rozsa uses in this score is similar—in terms of its structure if not its specific melodic/harmonic content—to those through which Wagner organized his music dramas. The drafts and revisions to the "Aftermath" cue, however, suggest that Rozsa's early intentions in this regard were far more thoroughgoing than the final cut of the film would suggest. In this final cut, Rozsa's original concepts were simplified: the network of motives through which the scene was organized was—so to speak—partially unraveled. In this sense, the evolution of Rozsa's "Aftermath" cue illustrates the tension between cultural pretensions and cinematic practice: between film music as "high art" and film music as functional entertainment.
Church Energy Audits in the United States

According to the Hartford Institute there are about 350,000 churches in the United States (US). Churches generally operate fewer hours per week than commercial or industrial facilities. Congregations are generally small with a median size of 75 with annual budgets of $90,000. About 90% of all American congregations are 350 or less, but 50% of all church participants attend churches larger than 350 attendees. In light of recent increases in energy costs many churches in the US consume significant portions of their operating budgets for lighting, heating and cooling. Graduate students in the Master of Construction Management program at Western Carolina University in North Carolina performed energy audits of churches during the spring semester of 2013. Eighteen churches were audited. Average energy bills amounted to nearly $20,000 per year per church. Recurring energy wasting issues were noted and categorized. A list of common, low cost energy conserving strategies was formulated based upon the recurring themes of the audits performed. Inefficient incandescent lighting was still used in twelve of the churches surveyed. Weather stripping and caulking issues were noted in nine churches. Motion sensors for lighting control were recommended for nine churches. Programmable thermostats were recommended for ten churches.
Progesterone modulates SERCA2a expression and function in rabbit cardiomyocytes.

We recently showed that progesterone treatment abolished arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in a transgenic rabbit model of long QT syndrome type 2 (LQT2). Moreover, levels of cardiac sarco(endo)...
A Self-Perception Interpretation of the Effect of Monetary and Nonmonetary Incentives on Mail Survey Respondent Behavior:

Self-perception theory is applied to explain mail survey respondent behavior when incentives to respond are used. The results support the hypothesis that when external cues are present (i.e., incen...
Influence of body mass index on movement efficiency among firefighter recruits

BACKGROUND: Previous research has demonstrated links between musculoskeletal injury risk and measures of obesity and movement efficiency among the firefighter population. However, the influence of obesity on movement efficiency among firefighter recruits remains uninvestigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of obesity on movement efficiency measures among firefighter recruits. METHODS: Measures of obesity were collected among 73 male firefighter recruits. Participants were grouped into standard body mass index (BMI) categories (normal, overweight, obese). Differences in Total Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores and Y-Balance Test (YBT) composite scores were examined between BMI categories. In addition, the relationships between measures of obesity and movement efficiency were also examined. RESULTS: No significant differences in movement efficiency measures were identified between BMI categories (p > 0.05). However, significant bivariate correlations were identified between BMI (kg/m2) and Total FMS score (r = -0.235, p = 0.045), as well as between fat-free mass (FFM) and Total FMS score (r = -0.231, p = 0.049), when examined among all participants. CONCLUSIONS: BMI may influence measures of movement efficiency among firefighter recruits to a lesser extent than among other previously examined populations. Future research should examine the influence of other unexamined physiological variables on movement efficiency. Language: en
Lie Groups: ODEs

This chapter discusses Lie groups applicable to linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Technically, a Lie group is a topological group (that is, a group that is also a topological space), which is also an analytic manifold on which the group operations are analytic. The tangent space to that manifold is Lie algebra, which is a linear vector space. Lie groups yield invariants and symmetries of a differential equation. Often, these can be used to solve a differential equation. By determining the transformation group under which a given differential equation is invariant, the information can be obtained about the invariants and symmetries of a differential equation. Sometimes these can be used to solve a given differential equation. Using Lie groups to find symmetries of differential equations can be computationally intensive. Algorithms have been developed for computerized handling of the calculations.
Abstract 1293: JQ1 sensitivity of patient-derived xenograft models of cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal malignancy arising from cholangiocytes in any part of the biliary tree. The incidence of CCA has been on the rise worldwide, and the prognosis and clinical outcome have remained essentially unchanged for 30 years. The majority of patients are diagnosed at late stage, and surgery continues to be the only cure. Patients receive systemic chemotherapy with the first-line combination therapy comprising gemcitabine and cisplatin. Median survival for these patients is To determine gene products whose upregulation or downregulation is responsible for the differences in sensitivity to JQ1 among our CCA models, we generated expression profiles of tumors from vehicle control and JQ1 treated mice using NanoString technology (nCounter PanCancer Pathways panel). Our data demonstrate that JQ1 inhibited the expression of c-Myc to a greater extent in the sensitive models than in the insensitive model. Expression array data showed further that gene products involved in cell cycle and DNA repair pathways were also decreased by JQ1. Of particular interest were two transcriptional targets of c-Myc, Chk1 and BRCA2, each of which is involved in DNA damage response. Immunohistochemistry staining confirmed expression profile analyses. We conclude that the inhibition of cell cycle and DNA repair genes may contribute to the mechanism of action of JQ1 in CCA tumors. Citation Format: Aubrey L. Miller, Patrick L. Garcia, Tracy L. Gamblin, Leona N. Council, Xiangqin Cui, James E. Bradner, Eddy S. Yang, Karina J. Yoon. JQ1 sensitivity of patient-derived xenograft models of cholangiocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1293.
Prevalence and Persistence of Misconceptions in Tree Thinking.

Darwin described evolution as “descent with modification.” Descent, however, is not an explicit focus of most evolution instruction and often leaves deeply held misconceptions to dominate student understanding of common ancestry and species relatedness. Evolutionary trees are ways of visually depicting descent by illustrating the relationships between species and groups of species. The ability to properly interpret and use evolutionary trees has become known as “tree thinking.” We used a 20-question assessment to measure misconceptions in tree thinking and compare the proportion of students who hold these misconceptions in an introductory biology course with students in two higher-level courses including a senior level biology course. We found that misconceptions related to reading the graphic (reading the tips and node counting) were variably influenced across time with reading the tips decreasing and node counting increasing in prevalence. On the other hand, misconceptions related to the fundamental underpinnings of evolutionary theory (ladder thinking and similarity equals relatedness) proved resistant to change during a typical undergraduate study of biology. A possible new misconception relating to the length of the branches in an evolutionary tree is described. Understanding the prevalence and persistence of misconceptions informs educators as to which misconceptions should be targeted in their courses.