cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
0064 Levels of ideal, intermediate and poor cardiovascular health by employment characteristics in 2005–06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives Employed persons are considered healthier than the general population. Yet, between 5–18% of all coronary heart disease deaths can be attributed to occupational exposures, ranging from noise to job stress. Cardiovascular health (CVH) is based on seven modifiable characteristics (i.e. cigarette smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, blood pressure, and levels of total cholesterol and fasting glucose) used to categorise individuals as having poor, intermediate and ideal CVH. In this study, we compared levels of CVH among employed and unemployed participants in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Method The study population included 935 cardiovascular disease-free participants age 20 and older (731 employed, 204 unemployed). Employment status and work characteristics were derived from self-report questionnaires. Poor, intermediate and ideal levels of CVH and its components were defined using American Heart Association criteria. Weighted means and percentages were calculated using SUDAAN 10.0; models were adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity. Results Mean number of ideal CVH components was significantly higher for employed compared to unemployed participants; 17.7% of those employed had ideal CVH compared to 12.2% of those unemployed. Ideal CVH was significantly lower for those in construction, manufacturing and transportation industries (8.6%) and in precision, product and transportation occupations (4.4%). Ideal CVH was significantly higher for afternoon shift (26.7%) compared to night/rotating (10.9%) and day (18.2%) shift workers. Conclusions Understanding unique stressors and exposures for persons working in manufacturing, transportation and construction industries would be an important next step in designing interventions to improve their CVH.
Some Example Studies: Their Assessments

The leaders of the EBM movement are anything but profligate in illustrations of their guidelines for the evaluation of evidence, using contemporary – or whatever older – literature on clinical research. However, examination of the nature of the now-prevailing culture in the production of scientific evidence for clinical medicine is quite instructive. The students in this course had a major role in the selection of the example studies that were considered. Time and again their judgement was that the study, even if the result be taken at face value, is not truly relevant to their practices – on account of inadequate form of the result (reflecting inadequate design of the object of study).
Intraspinal microstimulation and diaphragm activation after cervical spinal cord injury.

We examined the feasibility of using intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) of the cervical spinal cord to evoke diaphragm activity ipsilateral to acute and subacute hemisection of the upper cervical ...
Biologic Therapy for Crohn’s Disease: Infliximab

In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration approved infliximab for the treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD). Initially, approval was limited to a single infusion for the control of luminal CD and as a three dose induction regimen (at weeks 0, 2, and 6) for the treatment of fistulizing CD. Indications for the use of infliximab have expanded since its initial introduction. It is now frequently prescribed for the induction of remission maintenance of remission and for the treatment of extraintestinal manifestations of CD. Also, infliximab has been used successfully in pregnant patients with CD and for the prophylaxis of postoperative recurrence of intestinal inflammation. In the treatment of CD with infliximab, additional consideration should be given to the findings that significantly higher response rates were observed in patients who had a C-reactive protein greater 5 mg/L. Lower response rates have been observed in patients with serum albumin concentrations 30 kg/M2. Finally, providers who treat patients with infliximab should be familiar with the broad spectrum of potential side effects and be prepared to deal with those.
Infertility and Antiphospholipid Antibodies

Whether antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) play a pathogenic role in infertility is highly controversial. aPL have been suggested to represent one potential etiology of infertility, specifically in patients with unexplained implantation failure following in vitro fertilization (IVF). The rationale is appealing, as it represents a logical extension of the demonstrated pathogenicity of aPL in contributing to recurrent spontaneous abortion, where mechanisms other than placental thrombosis and infarction seem to be at play. aPL in this setting are postulated to bind to phospholipids on trophoblast tissue, impairing trophoblast development and preventing normal placentation. Unexplained infertility in patients found to have aPL may represent the earliest form of aPL-mediated obstetric pathology: a disturbance of implantation, leading to failure to achieve biochemical or clinical pregnancy. What evidence supports this? More importantly, is there convincing evidence that makes this clinically relevant, that is, data to support use of current aPL pregnancy therapy to treat patients with failed IVF cycles? The field of reproductive medicine, like the study of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), has experienced explosive growth over the last 20 years. Infertility is a common problem, affecting 15% to 20% of couples. By definition, infertility represents the inability of a couple practicing frequent intercourse and not using contraception to conceive a child within 1 year. Causes of infertility are fairly evenly distributed between males and females, and usually fall into one of three major groups: male factor, ovulatory dysfunction, and tubal–peritoneal disease. For this reason, initial work-up includes evaluation of both the male and the female partner. For women, this means hormone tests and direct visualization of the reproductive tract. Routine tests include day-three follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin, thyroid function tests, cervical cultures, and evaluation of ovulatory function (basal body temperature, urinary lutenizing hormone, transvaginal ultrasound, and/or endometrial biopsy). Tubal patency and uterine morphology are evaluated with a hysterosalpingogram; hysteroscopy and laparoscopy may be required. Low serum progesterone 1 week post-ovulation suggests a luteal phase defect. A postcoital test is sometimes performed to assess cervical mucous and presence of antisperm antibodies [1]. Tests for male factors include semen analysis, specific tests for spermatozoal function such as the hamster egg penetration assay, and hormone levels [2]. A probable etiology for infertility is often uncovered. In general, ovulatory dysfunction accounts for 15% cases, pelvic factors (including endometriosis and adhesions) for 35%, male factors (oligospermia, decreased sperm motility, or abnormal sperm function) for 35%, and abnormal sperm–cervical mucus penetration or
Context and Pedagogy: A Quarter-Century of Change in an Introductory Management Course

Twenty-five years after John A. Miller described his seminal experiential Introduction to Organization and Management course in JME, MGMT 101 (formerly MG 101) continues to be the foundation of man...
In Vitro Study of Retention of Paired Press-Stud Overdenture Component Attachments

Statement of problem Loss of retention of implant overdenture stud attachment assemblies presents maintenance problems to both the patient and dentist Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate effects of repeated separation and reunion cycles on retention of paired overdenture stud attachment assemblies set in acrylic resin Material and methods Ten pairsof stud attachments were set vertically and parallel to each other Group Ten other pairs of stud attachments were set with one vertical and the other at a vertical angle of deg so that it converged on the first implant Group Baseline measurements of separation force were made for each of the ten paired attachment assemblies in the two groups Each assembly was first subjected to a cycle of separations and reunions followed by measurement of separation force Then additional cycles were carried out for a total of separations and reunions with measurement of separation force and retightening after each cycle Repeated values ANOVA was employed to compare the two groups at the different time intervals with p lt representing statistical significance Results While significant p lt decay in the resistance to separation was observed forboth the parallel and converging groups of paired stud attachment assemblies these decreases were judged to have little clinical importance Conclusion There was no clinically meaningful difference in retention between the first group of two parallel stud attachments and the second group with one attachment converging at an angle of deg Group showed greater retention than Group after the retightening adjustments
Foundations of Library and Information Science

The fourth edition of Foundations of Library and Information Science, Richard E. Rubin's classic text, has been updated with new information related to the major facets of library and information s...
Renal recovery following orthotopic liver transplant after prolonged kidney injury: Perspectives on diagnosing hepatorenal syndrome and determining which patients should undergo simultaneous liver kidney transplantation

We present a case of an individual with cirrhosis and renal failure. This case is notable because the patient was found to have hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) superimposed on Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. After 8 months of dialysis, the patient had significant renal recovery following orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). Cases such as this are not likely to be rare, as case series have shown that IgA deposits are a common occurrence in patients with cirrhosis, including those who have HRS. While current diagnostic criteria for HRS emphasize the importance of excluding glomerular lesions, we argue that this approach should be reconsidered. More specifically, we feel that the diagnostic approach to HRS should be more inclusive of cases in which patients have simultaneous HRS and glomerular injury. In addition, our case highlights the challenges in determining which patients will benefit most from simultaneous liver–kidney transplants over OLTs alone.
Real-Time Visual Tracking of Dynamic Surgical Suture Threads

In order to realize many of the potential benefits associated with robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery, the robot must be more than a remote controlled device. Currently, using a surgical robot can be challenging, fatiguing, and time-consuming. Teaching the robot to actively assist surgical tasks, such as suturing, has the potential to vastly improve both the patient’s outlook and the surgeon’s efficiency. One obstacle to completing surgical sutures autonomously is the difficulty in tracking surgical suture threads. This paper presents novel stereo image processing algorithms for the detection, initialization, and tracking of a surgical suture thread. A nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve is used to model a thin, deformable, and dynamic length thread. The NURBS model is initialized and grown from a single selected point located on the thread. The NURBS curve is optimized by minimizing the image matching energy between the projected stereo NURBS image and the segmented thread image. The algorithms are evaluated using suture threads, a calibrated test pattern, and a simulated thread image. In addition, the accuracies of the algorithms presented are validated as they track a suture thread undergoing translation, deformation, and apparent length changes. All of the tracking is in real time. Note to Practitioners —The problem of tracking a surgical suture thread was addressed in this paper. Since the suture thread is highly deformable, any tracking algorithm must be robust to intersections, occlusions, knot tying, and length changes. The detection algorithm introduced in this paper is capable of distinguishing different threads when they intersect. The tracking algorithm presented here demonstrates that it is possible, using polynomial curves, to track a suture thread as it deforms, becomes occluded, changes length, and even ties a knot in real time. The detection algorithm can enhance directional thin features, while the polynomial curve modeling can track any string-like structure. Further integration of the polynomial curve with a feed-forward thread model could improve the stability and robustness of the thread tracking.
ClaimBuster: the first-ever end-to-end fact-checking system

Our society is struggling with an unprecedented amount of falsehoods, hyperboles, and half-truths. Politicians and organizations repeatedly make the same false claims. Fake news floods the cyberspace and even allegedly influenced the 2016 election. In fighting false information, the number of active fact-checking organizations has grown from 44 in 2014 to 114 in early 2017. 1 Fact-checkers vet claims by investigating relevant data and documents and publish their verdicts. For instance, PolitiFact.com, one of the earliest and most popular fact-checking projects, gives factual claims truthfulness ratings such as True, Mostly True, Half true, Mostly False, False, and even "Pants on Fire". In the U.S., the election year made fact-checking a part of household terminology. For example, during the first presidential debate on September 26, 2016, NPR.org's live fact-checking website drew 7.4 million page views and delivered its biggest traffic day ever.
Effect of Embedding Platinum Clusters in Alumina on Sintering, Coking, and Activity

First-principles theoretical studies of Ptn (n = 1–7) clusters supported on pristine α-Al2O3 (0001) and embedded in vacancies in the alumina surface have been carried out to investigate the effect of embedding and overcoating on coking, sintering, and catalytic activity. The hydrogen adsorption energy and the ethylene adsorption energy are used as proxies for estimating the cluster’s relative activity for C–H bond activation and coking. The embedded clusters are found to exhibit enhanced stability, indicating that they are less prone to sintering. The hydrogen and ethylene adsorption energy of platinum clusters supported on pristine α-Al2O3 are found to be correlated, suggesting that an increase in activity will also cause an increase in coking. Embedded clusters offer a pathway to maintain the catalytic activity while reducing the coking. Embedding the clusters makes the platinum more negatively charged, which repels ethylene, minimizing a critical pathway that leads to coking. The studies provide micros...
Essential Training, Resources, and Skills of First-Year and Junior Pharmacy Practice Faculty Needed in the Development of an Individual Research Program:

Objective:To describe types of current training/support received and elicit opinions on the level of importance of specific skills and resources needed to build confidence in conducting research fo...
Zelotes wunderlichi , a replacement name for the preoccupied ground spider Zelotes turcicus Wunderlich, 2011 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae).

In the World Spider Catalog (WSC 2017) the formerly overlooked species Zelotes turcicus Seyyar, Demir & Aktas, 2010 was recently added. Thus Zelotes turcicus Wunderlich, 2011 is a primary homonym and requires a new name. The author informed Jorg Wunderlich who approved the present author to carry out this formal renaming (without suggesting a new name): for Zelotes turcicus Wunderlich, 2011 the replacement name Zelotes wunderlichi nomen novum is herewith proposed.
Severity scoring of lung oedema on the chest radiograph is associated with clinical outcomes in ARDS.

Background There is no accurate, non-invasive measurement to estimate the degree of pulmonary oedema in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We developed the Radiographic Assessment of Lung Oedema (RALE) score to evaluate the extent and density of alveolar opacities on chest radiographs. After first comparing the RALE score to gravimetric assessment of pulmonary oedema in organ donors, we then evaluated the RALE score in patients with ARDS for its relationship to oxygenation and clinical outcomes. Methods We compared radiographs with excised lung weights from 72 organ donors (derivation cohort) and radiographs with clinical data from 174 patients with ARDS in the ARDSNet Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial (validation cohort). To calculate RALE, each radiographic quadrant was scored for extent of consolidation (0–4) and density of opacification (1–3). The product of the consolidation and density scores for each of the four quadrants was summed (maximum score=48). Results Agreement between two independent reviewers for RALE score was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.93, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.95). In donors, pre-procurement RALE score correlated with height-adjusted total lung weight (ρ=0.59, p 2 /fractional inspired oxygen and worse survival. Conservative fluid management significantly decreased RALE score over 3 days compared with liberal fluid management. Conclusions The RALE score can be used to assess both the extent of pulmonary oedema and the severity of ARDS, by utilising information that is already obtained routinely, safely and inexpensively in every patient with ARDS. This novel non-invasive measure should be useful for assessing ARDS severity and monitoring response to therapy.
Afterword: Theory and Meta-Theory

The sort of model of self-regulation that we have presented in this book represents a substantial departure in certain respects from other widely accepted paradigms in human psychology. In particular, the emphasis placed by the learning paradigm upon drives and reinforcement as explanatory principles (e.g., Hull, C.L., 1952; Rotter, 1954; Skinner, 1953; Spence, 1956) has been absent here. We have instead assumed that goal-setting and discrepancy reduction are normal consequences of the way in which the human being is organized as a self-regulating system. This departure may seem radical to some readers. But we suggest that many theorists who have nominally stayed within the framework of the learning paradigm have already begun to approximate exactly this type of model.
Antitrust, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Small Business

The purpose of this article is to discuss a few aspects of antitrust enforcement that are directly related to small businesses. The first point concerns how the antitrust laws work as an economic "charter of freedom" by protecting our economy from the misuse of market power by dominant firms, or from anticompetitive collusion by groups of firms, or from anticompetitive mergers, all of which can blunt the mainspring of our economic success – competitive markets. Second is an expansion on the first theme which focuses on how antitrust enforcement helps preserve two freedoms that I think small businesses care about very much: the freedom to engage in entrepreneurship, and the freedom to innovate. A final discussion involves a few recent cases recently seen at the Antitrust Division that illustrate the many ways in which antitrust enforcement has helped the small business marketplace.
Confusion over Cholesterol Testing.

Physicians must stay up-to-date on changes in clinical treatment guidelines. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Absorbing Boundary Conditions for Dispersive Waves

The goal of an absorbing boundary condition is to simulate the outward radiation of energy at an artificial computational boundary. To that end, the boundary condition should make a valid statement about outgoing waves, at least in an approximate sense, but this statement should not require apriori knowledge of the pointwise values of the wave field. Typically, such a boundary condition involves a wave velocity. However, in the case of dispersive waves there are two kinds of velocity, phase velocity and group velocity, and each of the velocities varies with wavenumber and frequency. This variation of velocity is a central issue in the construction of absorbing boundary conditions for dispersive waves. The present abstract summarizes a technique developed by [Higdon, 1994].
Stored Lipids: More Than Mere Fuel.

Stored lipids fuel early development, but with adulthood comes changing metabolic needs. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Storelli et al. (2018) show that the Drosophila HNF4 nuclear receptor drives adults to convert lipids to very long chain fatty acids and hydrocarbons for an anti-dehydration function likely conserved in mice.
Entrepreneurship in Chinese Cities in the Post-reform Era

This chapter reviews and summarizes the driving forces of urban entrepreneurship in China in the post-reform era. The objective is to answer questions pertaining to the current status and future trends of entrepreneurship, including What are the milestones in institutional restructuring and their significance? What are the political, economic, and social forces that have either positive or negative effects on urban entrepreneurship? And, how are these forces reflected in the current status of entrepreneurship? The chapter, however, raises concerns about tariff fights between two major exporting economies (US and China). It also suggests in-depth investigation of impacts of mutual tariff barriers on export-oriented entrepreneurs.
Demand for saltwater recreational fishing: A generalized demand approach

Abstract Saltwater recreational fishing in the North and Mid-Atlantic has steadily increased over the last two decades. A generalized demand model is applied in this study to examine the demand structure for recreational fishing in the Northeastern United States across three fishing modes: for-hire, private, and shore. Welfare variations are measured as changes in price scenarios. The overall demand for angler trips is found to be inelastic. Angler trips with private mode and for-hire mode fishing are sensitive to price changes, especially in New York and New Jersey; while, angler trips in Connecticut and Rhode Island are only responsive to the changes in private mode fishing. The model provides local policymakers with useful information on fishing regulations design.
Capturing Tool Availability in the Capacity Model based on Actual Utilization

For a semiconductor wafer fabrication factory, availability of equipment is a key fab performance metric for the periodic assessment of fab capacity. The current capacity model assumes an average of weekly actual availability for the equipment groups to evaluate the throughput of the equipment group for a given timeframe. This does not capture the cases of equipment groups that will have degradation in availability as they see more Work in Progress (WIP) coming through. This study proposes a new mathematical model to determine the availability of the equipment groups to be used in the capacity model based on the actual in-line utilization of the equipment group.
Storming the Wall: Climate Change, Migration, and Homeland Security: by Todd Miller, San Francisco, City Lights, 2017, 270 pp., $12, Paperback ISBN 978-087286-715-4

We live in an age of extremes. Global wealth inequality is at historic levels; the planet is heating at an unprecedented scale; 100-year weather events, once rare, now occur regularly, hitting the ...
Harvesting thermal energy with ferroelectric materials

Abstract Thermal energy is considered the ubiquitous form of energy as all other forms of energy ultimately degrade to thermal energy. Thermal to electrical energy conversion is currently an important method for electricity generation. The traditional power cycles, however, become technically and economically unviable when heat source temperature reduces below 100 °C. Thermal energy harvesting has been proposed as a viable alternative for low-grade thermal to electrical energy conversion. Thermal energy harvesting is a method of generating electricity using temperature-induced variations in material properties. It is particularly useful when the heat sources are available free-of-cost, either in the form of natural heat or waste heat. While there are several thermal energy harvesting techniques, pyroelectricity is the most promising as it can be used in situations where spatial thermal gradients are difficult to establish or the temperature of the heat source is changing. Despite the fact that the pyroelectric effect in ferroelectric materials has been known for past several decades, thermal energy harvesting using ferroelectric materials has not been much explored in the literature. In this chapter, we would explore various aspects of thermal energy harvesting using ferroelectric materials. We have first established the physics behind ferroelectricity, then provided a detailed description on ferroelectric thermal energy harvesting, discussed various ferroelectric thermodynamic cycles and devices proposed in the literature, and finally described various other emerging applications of ferroelectricity.
Label-free cell viability assay using phase imaging with computational specificity (PICS)

We demonstrate that live-dead cell assay can be conducted in a label-free manner using quantitative phase imaging and deep learning. We apply the concept of our newly-developed phase imaging with computational specificity (PICS) to digitally stain for the live/dead markers. HeLa cultured mixed with viability fluorescent reagents (ReadyProbes, ThermoFisher) were imaged for 24 hours by spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) and fluorescent microscopy. Based on the ratio of the two fluorescence signals, semantic segmentation maps were generated to label the state of the cell as either live, injured, or dead. We trained an EfficientNet to infer cell viability from SLIM images with semantic maps as ground truth. Validated on the testing dataset, the trained network reported an F1 score of 73.4%, 97.0%, and 94.3% in identifying live, injured, and dead cells, respectively.
Developing an Online Music Teaching and Practicing Platform via Machine Learning: A Review Paper

This article aims to lay a foundation for learning and practicing music online. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are growing as we are moving to online classes. Current music courses through MOOCs mostly focus on peer evaluation for assessing the students’ performance. However, this technique may not be practical when it is applied to larger class sizes. Therefore, in this research, the main goal is to reduce the instructor’s load and provide online real-time performance feedback. As a contribution to music education, we propose a new technological framework to automate music lessons for learning how to play any favorite songs via existing machine learning (ML) techniques for adaptability to various learning styles.
Solutions of the Maxwell–Bloch equations in (1,1)-d in the presence of a pulsed pump

Abstract Using the basis formed by the eigenfunctions of the Lienard–Wiechert Green function, we develop and test an algorithm for solving exactly the Maxwell–Bloch equations in (1-space, 1-time). We use this algorithm to search for patterns in the solutions of a pulse pumped slab of two-level systems when the slab’s thickness L = p + 1 / 4 λ , λ being the wavelength of the resonant radiation and p being an integer. Both non-linearity and saturation effects are manifest as the strength of the pump is increased. For thicknesses on this lattice, the behavior of the slab is dominated by a single mode in the spectrum of the Green’s function. The resulting patterns do not appear at other thicknesses, because of the interference between competing modes
Variance of Tumor Grade at Radical Prostatectomy With Assessment of Each Tumor Nodule Versus Global Grading

Context.— Multifocal prostate cancer at radical prostatectomy (RP) may be graded with assessment of each individual tumor nodule (TN) or global grading of all TNs in aggregate. Objective.— To assess case-level grade variability between these 2 grading approaches. Design.— We reviewed 776 RPs with multifocal prostate cancer with 2 or more separate TNs of different Grade Groups (GGs). Two separate grades were assigned to each RP: one based on the TN with the highest grade and a global grade based on the Gleason pattern volumes for all TNs. We then compared the results of these 2 methods. Results.— The case-level grade changed by 1 or more GGs between the 2 grading methods in 35% (132 of 374) of GG3 through GG5 cases. Twelve percent (37 of 309) of GG2 cases with Gleason pattern 4 more than 5% based on individual TN grading decreased their Gleason pattern 4 to less than 5% based on the global approach. Minor tertiary pattern 5 (Gleason pattern 5 Conclusions.— The global grading approach resulted in a lower grade in 35% of GG3 through GG5 cases compared with grading based on the highest-grade TN. Two significant risk factors for this discrepancy with a global grading approach occur when the highest-grade TN has a relatively small tumor volume and with the higher number of TNs per RP. The observed grade variability between the 2 grading schemes most likely limits the interchangeability of post-RP multi-institutional databases if those institutions use different grading approaches.
Drug Testing in Urine

Testing for drugs in the workplace has become commonplace as federal and private industry programs are developed. Effective use of laboratory results derived from testing urine specimens is a function of many factors including choice of specimen, testing modalities, specimen handling, and reporting. Since significant consequences can occur from positive test results, full understanding of the factors and the process is required.
Chapter 32 Agrin

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews studies on agrin, which is likely to be similar to the extracellular synaptic organizing molecules (ESOMs) that cause acetylcholine receptors (AChR) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) aggregation at the regenerating neuromuscular junction. Monoclonal antibodies against agrin recognize molecules highly concentrated in the neuromuscular junction's synaptic cleft. Agrin causes a 3- to 20-fold increase in the number of AChR aggregates on cultured chick myotubes without influencing myotube size. There is no discernible increase in total AChR number on the myotube surface, nor is there a change in the AChR degradation rate. The AChR aggregating effect is dose-dependent and is because, at least in part, of lateral migration of AChRs present in the muscle cell plasma membrane at the time agrin is applied. Extracts containing agrin cause the formation of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) aggregates on cultured chick myotubes. Monoclonal antibodies against at least five different agrin epitopes recognize molecules at the Torpedo neuromuscular junction. Three antibodies against agrin stain the neuromuscular junction in the muscles of other species.
Toward a Profession of Teaching

(1978). Toward a Profession of Teaching. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 4-4.
Structure and expression of c-rel, the cellular homolog to the oncogene of reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T.

Abstract The cellular homolog of the onc sequences in the avian retrovirus reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (v-rel) was studied by molecular cloning and nucleic acid hybridization. In contrast to v-rel sequences, which are 1.4 kilobase pairs long, the cellular homolog, c-rel, from line 15B chickens is at least 25 kilobase pairs long, with multiple apparent introns. A 4.0-kilobase polyadenylic acid-containing RNA transcript is the primary species of c-rel RNA present in uninfected chicken cells. Sequences at the 3' end of this c-rel RNA are not present in v-rel.
The roles of redox enzymes in Parkinson’s disease: Focus on glutaredoxin

Parkinson’s disease (PD) results from the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra portion of the midbrain, and represents the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. Although the etiology of PD is currently unclear, oxidative stress and redox dysfunction are generally understood to play key roles in PD pathogenesis and progression. Aging and environmental factors predispose cells to adverse effects of redox changes. In addition to these factors, genetic mutations linked to PD have been observed to disrupt the redox balance. Mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are associated with autosomal dominant PD, and several of these mutations have also been shown to increase the levels of reactive oxygen species in cells. Anti-oxidant proteins are necessary to restore the redox balance and maintain cell viability. Over the past decade studies have started to demonstrate the critical importance for redox proteins mediating neuronal protection in models of PD. This commentary briefly describes some of the factors hypothesized to contribute to PD, specifically regarding the redox changes that occur in PD. Dysregulation of redox proteins in PD is highlighted by some of the work detailing the roles of peroxiredoxin-3 and thioredoxin-1 in models of PD. In an attempt to generate novel therapies for PD, several potent inhibitors of LRRK2 have been developed. The use of these compounds, both as tools to understand the biology of LRRK2 and as potential therapeutic strategies is also discussed. This mini-review then provides a historical prospective on the discovery and characterization of glutaredoxin (Grx1), and briefly describes current understanding of the role of Grx1 in PD. The review concludes by highlighting our recent publication describing the novel role for Grx1 in mediating dopaminergic neuronal protection both in vitro and in vivo.
Automatic Meshing of Curved Three—Dimensional Domains: Curving Finite Elements and Curvature-Based Mesh Control

Specific issues associated with the automatic generation of finite element meshes for curved geometric domains are considered. A review of the definition of when a triangulation is a valid mesh, a geometric triangulation, for curved geometric domains is given. Consideration is then given to the additional operations necessary to maintain the validity of a mesh when curved finite elements are employed. A procedure to control the mesh gradations based on the curvature of the geometric model faces is also given.
Update on diagnostic practice: tumors of the nervous system.

Abstract Context.—Changes in the practice of diagnosing brain tumors are formally reflected in the evolution of the World Health Organization classification. Beyond this classification, the practice of diagnostic pathology is also changing with the availability of new tests and the introduction of new treatment options. Objective.—Glioblastomas, oligodendrogliomas, glioneuronal tumors, and primitive pediatric tumors are discussed in an exemplary way to illustrate these changes. Data Sources.—Review of relevant publications through Medline database searches. Conclusions.—The example of glioblastomas shows how new predictive markers may help identify subgroups of tumors that respond to certain therapy regimens. The development of new treatment strategies also leads to different questions in the assessment of brain tumors, as seen in the example of pseudoprogression or the changes in tumor growth pattern in patients taking bevacizumab. Oligodendrogliomas illustrate how the identification of 1p/19q loss as a ...
GPU acceleration of robust point matching

Robust Point Matching (RPM) is a common image registration algorithm, yet its large computational complexity prohibits registering large point sets in a timely manner. With recent advances in General Purpose Graphical Processing Units (GPGPUs), commodity hardware is capable of greatly reducing the execution time of RPM when non-rigidly aligning thousands of data points. In this paper, we identify areas where parallelism can be exploited in the RPM algorithm, and investigate a GPU-based approach to accelerate the implementation. Other common RPM implementations are compared with our solution. Experiments on synthetic and real data sets show that our approach achieves close to linear speed-up with respect to total computational power over the widely used Matlab implementation. Our tests indicate that utilizing our implementation on current state of the art GPU technology would enable the use of vastly greater point set sizes.
A field study (Massachusetts, USA) of the factors controlling the depth of groundwater flow systems in crystalline fractured-rock terrain

Groundwater movement and availability in crystalline and metamorphosed rocks is dominated by the secondary porosity generated through fracturing. The distributions of fractures and fracture zones determine permeable pathways and the productivity of these rocks. Controls on how these distributions vary with depth in the shallow subsurface (<300 m) and their resulting influence on groundwater flow is not well understood. The results of a subsurface study in the Nashoba and Avalon terranes of eastern Massachusetts (USA), which is a region experiencing expanded use of the fractured bedrock as a potable-supply aquifer, are presented. The study logged the distribution of fractures in 17 boreholes, identified flowing fractures, and hydraulically characterized the rock mass intersecting the boreholes. Of all fractures encountered, 2.5% are hydraulically active. Boreholes show decreasing fracture frequency up to 300 m depth, with hydraulically active fractures showing a similar trend; this restricts topographically driven flow. Borehole temperature profiles corroborate this, with minimal hydrologically altered flow observed in the profiles below 100 m. Results from this study suggest that active flow systems in these geologic settings are shallow and that fracture permeability outside of the influence of large-scale structures will follow a decreasing trend with depth.
ε‐Aminocaproic Acid

e-Aminocaproic acid product: e-aminocaproic acid Keywords: hydrolysis, amides; lon-exchange resin, treatment of; lon-exchange column
THE ROLE OF THE IGF AXIS IN THE REGULATION OF HUMAN FETAL LUNG FIBROBLAST CELL GROWTH. † 504

THE ROLE OF THE IGF AXIS IN THE REGULATION OF HUMAN FETAL LUNG FIBROBLAST CELL GROWTH. † 504
HPV vaccination in female children with special health care needs.

Abstract Study Objective Potential barriers between parents of children with special health needs (CSHCN) and their health care providers in regards to the patient receiving a full course of the human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization are explored in this study. Study Design Parents of female CSHCN between ages of 9-26 years completed a questionnaire asking about personal receptivity of vaccines and potential barriers to vaccinating their child against HPV. A separate survey was completed by members of the Wisconsin and Illinois chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics about HPV vaccination practices provided to patients with special health care needs. Setting Outpatient urban health clinic and the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Adolescent Medicine and Neurology clinics from January 2009-2010. Results Seventeen parents completed the survey. Forty-seven percent of parents answered that their child’s pediatrician had offered the HPV vaccine; 17% reported that their child was vaccinated against HPV. Most parents knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, causes genital warts, and can cause abnormal pap smears. For the provider survey, 77 out of 130 respondents offer HPV vaccine as part of their practice and see CSHCN. Ninety percent have vaccinated CSHCN against HPV. Conclusions This study suggests that acceptability of the HPV vaccine is high for health care providers, but acceptability in parents of CSHCN is lower than in the general population. This study raises awareness that health care providers need to be aware of the possibility that parents of CSHCN may not perceive their child as needing or being offered the HPV vaccine.
Self-Pumping Membraneless Miniature Fuel Cell With an Air-Breathing Cathode

We introduce a simple and compact fuel-cell architecture consisting of only solid channels and demonstrate its validity by developing a miniature direct formic acid fuel cell (DFAFC). The proposed architecture generates electric power while pumping the fuel and removing byproduct CO2 without any discrete pump, gas separator, or membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The fuel pump and gas separator are embedded in the channel, as reported before, by directionally growing and venting CO2 byproduct bubbles formed inside the reaction microchannels using "virtual check valve" and microporous hydrophobic venting membrane. The new architecture further eliminates the MEA, along with the issues associated with it, by flowing one stream of fuel and electrolyte mixture in a single channel consisting of both an anode and an air-breathing cathode. The reported system obtains a supply of oxygen directly from quiescent air through a gas-diffusion cathode rather than using an oxygen tank. By eliminating all the ancillary parts, the so-called "packaging penalty," which has been hindering the miniaturization of fuel cells below the order of a centimeter, is avoided. This simple and self-standing fuel-cell unit produces 16.7 mW/cm2, a performance comparable to the existing bulkier DFAFCs that use external pumps, pressurized oxygen or MEA.
A prototype of Virtual Traffic Lights on Android-based smartphones

Virtual Traffic Lights (VTL) is a recently proposed self-organizing traffic control scheme that has the potential to mitigate traffic congestion in urban areas. This paper reports a prototype design effort on Virtual Traffic Lights using Android-based smartphones. The experiments performed show the feasibility of implementing VTL using smartphones' WiFi devices.
An examination of environmental and genetic contributions to the determinants of suicidal behavior among male twins

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative association of genetic and environmental factors with individual differences in each of the proximal, jointly necessary, and sufficient causes for suicidal behavior, according to the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005). We examined data on derived scales measuring acquired capability, belongingness, and burdensomeness (the determinants of suicidal behavior, according to theory) from 348 adolescent male twins. Univariate biometrical models were used to estimate the magnitude of additive genetic (A), non-additive genetic (D), shared environmental (C), and non-shared environmental (E) effects associated with the variance in acquired capability, belongingness, and burdensomeness. The best fitting model for the acquired capability allowed for additive genetic and environmental effects, whereas the best fitting model for burdensomeness and belongingness allowed for shared and non-shared environmental effects. The present research extends prior work by specifying the environmental and genetic contributions to the components of the IPTS, and our findings suggest that belongingness and burdensomeness may be more appropriate targets for clinical intervention than acquired capability as these factors may be more malleable or amenable to change.
Regional changes in myocyte size during the reversal of thyroid-inducedcardiac hypertrophy

Regional changes in cardiac myocyte size resulting from thyroid treatment, and the subsequent reversal of hypertrophy following removal of the thyrotoxic stimulus, were examined. Isolated myocytes were prepared from weight-matched controls and rats treated with desiccated thyroid hormone for 10 weeks. Cells were collected from the right and left ventricles. Cell volume was determined with a Coulter Channelyzer system. Cell length was measured directly using a phase microscope. Myocyte cross-sectional area was calculated from cell volume/length. After 10 weeks thyroid treatment, cell volume was increased in all regions, especially the right ventricle and the epimyocardium of the left ventricle ( P n.s. ), most of the myocyte hypertrophy was due to an increase in cross-sectional area, especially in the right ventricle ( P n.s. ). By 2 weeks post-treatment, a substantial regression of myocyte hypertrophy had occurred. However, heart weight was still significantly larger than control ( P
The stroh formalism for anisotropic materials that possess an almost extraordinary degenerate matrix N

Abstract It has been discovered recently that the 6 x 6 elasticity matrix N for an anisotropic elastic material under a two-dimensional deformation can be extraordinary degenerate , i.e., N can have three identical pairs of complex conjugate eigenvalues but has only one pair of complex conjugate eigenvector. The Stroh formalism and the modified formalism for a simple degenerate N available in the literature need to be revised. What is more likely to happen in applications is that the matrix N is almost extraordinary degenerate. In that case the orthonormalized eigenvectors can be very large, causing certain numerical problems. We therefore present in this paper a modified formalism that is applicable to the case when N can be extraordinary degenerate or almost extraordinary degenerate.
Using a group support system to implement Evolutionary Systems Design

Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD) is a modeling framework for such task-oriented group processes as group decision making, planning, policy making, and negotiation. To support these processes, a meeting script based on ESD is developed for MeetingWorkds™, a general purpose group support system (GSS).
A comparison of sperm antibody assays

Cytotoxicity and Immunobead-binding immunogiobulin G assays agreed in 81 % of sera from infertile men (n = 173), 74% of sera from their wives, 75% of seminal plasma, and 82% of cervical mucous samples (p<0.001; X2 analysis of positive and negative results) when tested against sperm from the same donors. Cytotoxic and immunofluorescent IgG antibody results agreed in 79% of sera from men and women, 76% of seminal plasma, and 76% of cervical mucus (p<0.001; x2 analysis of positive and negative results). Titers or percent binding of sperm by cytotoxicity, hemagglutination, and IgG Immunobead-binding or immunofluorescence assays in serum and secretions of husbands and wives correlated (p<0.001). A significantly increased number of positive results was observed in cytotoxic and Immunobead-binding IgG assays when the husbands' and donors' sperm were used rather than donors' sperm alone. On the basis of this study we conclude: (1) that cytotoxicity, Immunobead-binding IgG, and immunofluorescent IgG sperm antibody assays correlate when sperm from the same source are used, (2) that women's isoimmunity to husbands' sperm is associated with their husbands' autoimmunity to sperm irrespective of the assay, and (3) that it is desirable to use sperm from the husbands and nonautoimmune fertile men in these assays. (AM .l OBSTET GYNECOL 1990;163:1622-9.)
Thrower's Fracture of the Humerus

Thrower's fractures are spiral fractures of the humerus caused by forceful throwing of a ball. Although these fractures have been cited in the literature, little research exists regarding the significance of stress fractures and fatigue injuries that may precede these injuries. This article presents 3 cases of middle-aged recreational baseball pitchers who sustained mid to distal third spiral humerus fractures, reviews the biomechanics of a thrower's fracture, and provides a detailed review of the literature to help better understand this condition and guide treatment.