cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes in rectal cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic or robotic low anterior resection compared to open: a propensity-matched analysis of the NCDB (2010-2015).

Minimally invasive resection of rectal cancer is controversial due to concerns of the oncologic efficacy and the difficulties of a laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME). Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), for the period 2010–2015, perioperative outcomes and overall survival (OS) in patients with rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic or robotic low anterior resection (LLAR or RLAR) were compared to open LAR (OLAR) after propensity score matching. 26,047 patients underwent LAR: 4062 (16%) RLAR, 9236 (35%) LLAR, and 12,749 (49%) OLAR. Patient and clinical tumor characteristics were similar between groups after matching. The conversion rates among patients undergoing LLAR and RLAR were 15% and 8%, respectively. In matched OLAR and LLAR patients, longitudinal and circumferential resection margins (CRM) were positive in 5.4% and 3.2% (p < 0.001) and 5.5% and 4.1% (p < 0.001); length of stay was 6 and 5 days, (p < 0.001); readmission was required in 6.5% and 7.0% (p = 0.112); OS at 1, 3, and 5 years were 95.5%, 83.7%, and 72.0% and 95.9%, 86.3%, and 76.4%, respectively (p < 0.001). In matched OLAR and RLAR patients, longitudinal and CRM were positive in 5.4% and 3.2% (p < 0.001) and 5.5% and 3.9% (p < 0.001); length of stay was 6 and 5 days (p < 0.001); readmission was required in 6.1% and 7.9%, (p = 0.010); and OS at 1, 3, and 5 years were 96.2%, 86.5%, and 77.1% and 97.5%, 89.4%, and 79.7%, respectively (p = 0.001). In this national sample of propensity matched patients with rectal cancer who underwent open, laparoscopic, or robotic sphincter-saving rectal resection, only small differences in terms of resection margin status, length of stay, readmission, and overall survival were revealed. With acknowledgement of the limitations introduced by selection bias, our data indicate that each of the evaluated operative techniques results in acceptable outcomes for patients with rectal cancer.
Safety and Efficacy of High-Dose Unfractionated Heparin Versus High-Dose Enoxaparin for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in Morbidly Obese Hospitalized Patients.

ABSTRACT Background Venous thromboembolism is a cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients, and morbid obesity increases this risk. Various prophylaxis dosing strategies have been investigated. However, it is unclear if high-fixed dose enoxaparin or high-fixed dose unfractionated heparin thromboprophylaxis is optimal for minimizing the incidence of major bleeding and reducing hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism. Methods A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted in hospitalized patients who were morbidly obese (body mass index ≥40 kg/m2) and who received either high-fixed dose enoxaparin (40 mg every 12 hours) or unfractionated heparin (7500 units every 8 hours) for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Co-primary outcomes included incidence of major bleeding and venous thromboembolism diagnosed during hospitalization. Predictors of major bleeding were evaluated by multivariable regression. Results In the 305 patients included (n = 190 unfractionated heparin, n = 115 enoxaparin), the incidence of major bleeding was significantly higher in the unfractionated heparin group (odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-3.13; P = 0.025), with no significant difference in the incidence of venous thromboembolism diagnosed during hospitalization. The only independent predictors of major bleeding were intensive care acuity (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.91-5.78; P Conclusion High-fixed dose unfractionated heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis may lead to a higher risk of major bleeding events compared with high-fixed dose enoxaparin in patients who are morbidly obese.
Electron Backscatter Diffraction for Investigating Lithium-Ion Electrode Particle Architectures

Summary The performance and degradation of layered cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries depend on their morphological, surface, and crystallographic properties. A comprehensive tool to spatially characterize grain geometry and orientation in electrode particles is needed in order to understand solid-state lithium transport and the efficacy of particles to avoid lithiation heterogeneities and strain-induced degradation. Here we apply electron backscatter diffraction on LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 particle cross-sections to spatially describe intra-particle grain architectures. A method for segmenting, labeling, and quantifying morphological properties of distinct grains is developed and applied. Crystallographic orientations are measured for each grain, and the spatial distribution of grain orientations is quantified with a specific focus on describing lithium transport and accounting for inter-grain lithiation barriers. The necessary extension from two-dimensional to three-dimensional descriptions of grain morphologies and orientations to predict lithiation inefficiencies is discussed, as well as a method to quantify the ideality of grain architectures for high-rate and efficient operation.
Optimal Codes for the q-ary Deletion Channel

The problem of constructing optimal multiple deletion correcting codes has long been open until recent break-through for binary cases. Yet comparatively less progress was made in the non-binary counterpart, with the only rate one non-binary deletion codes being Tenengolts’ construction that corrects single deletion. In this paper, we present several q-ary t-deletion correcting codes of length n that achieve optimal redundancy up to a factor of a constant, based on the value of the alphabet size q. For small q, our constructions have O(n2tqt) encoding/decoding complexity. For large q, we take a different approach and the construction has polynomial time complexity.
A spatiotemporal framework reveals contrasting factors shape biocrust microbial and microfaunal communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

Abstract Biocrusts are soil-surface communities composed of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbiota that affect nutrient cycling, plant performance, soil hydrology and stability within drylands. Biocrust community composition is mostly thought to be driven by abiotic factors, but the structure of the bacteria, fungi, protist, and microfauna taxa are rarely documented simultaneously or over time. In this study, we examined the composition, abundance, and diversity of microbes (bacteria and fungi) and microfauna (protists and microscopic microfauna) in three types of biocrusts among two different vegetative habitats in the northern Chihuahuan Desert during three successive seasons. Microbial groups were identified by phospholipid fatty acid analyses (PLFA) and included actinobacteria, gram-positive bacteria, rhizobia, gram-negative bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and saprophytic fungi. Microfauna were enumerated via microscopy and included nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers, amoebae, ciliates, and flagellates. We found that microbial communities were most affected by biocrust type, whereas microfaunal communities were more influenced by sampling season. Season was also associated with different indicator taxa. Additionally, microbial communities were related to biocrust chemical properties, which changed with season and surrounding vegetation while microfaunal communities were not. In cyanolichen-dominated crusts, but not others, the structure of microbial and microfaunal communities were strongly correlated. Our study highlights possible food web interactions and provides evidence that the co-occurring microbial and microfaunal taxa associated with biocrusts are temporally dynamic and structured by different drivers.
Assessing Credit Risk on Municipal Short-Term Debt

Since 1979, yields on new issues of long-term municipal debt have risen sharply both absolutely and in relation to yields on long-term corporate and U.S. Treasury debt. In contrast, yields on short-term municipal debt have risen only moderately and offer a relative bargain. Consequently, there has been a shift in the traditional role of municipal short-term debt and a dramatic increase in its relative importance. There is reason to believe that the rapid growth of short-term debt since 1980 is not a mere passing phenomenon and that such debt is an increasing part of the permanent gov­ernmental debt structure. This paper examines the relationship between accounting information and municipal short-term credit ratings. It appears that short-term ratings are distinct from bond ratings, and that it would be inappropriate to use bond ratings as a proxy for the credit evaluation of short-term notes. Also, the empirical results suggest that accounting information can be used to provide greater quality separation among issuers of short­ term notes.
Transnational Care of the Elderly

Transnational caregiving refers to the exchange of care and support across national boundaries. There are many important issues faced by transnational caregivers of the elderly, a topic of increasing interest in an ethnically changing world. In today's global economy, a great deal of communication, support, exchange, and care takes place bi-directionally between adults and their parents who reside in different nations. Although illness or disability can occur at any time throughout the life cycle, transnational care primarily focuses on caregiving by migrant adult children for their elderly parents who remained in their homeland. Here we examine the importance and growth of transnational care and selected variables (e.g., gender, culture, family histories, and migrants’ socioeconomic status) that impact upward care provided by adult children to elderly parents. Keywords: aging and development psychology; lifespan and development psychology; health management
Thermal Assessment of Swift BAT Instrument Thermal Control System in Flight

THE BAT is the primary instrument on the Swift spacecraft. The Swift mission is part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Medium-Size Explorer (MIDEX) Program, and is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is designed to detect gamma ray burst over a broad region of the sky in a low Earth orbit of 600-km altitude and quickly align the telescopes on the spacecraft to the gamma ray source. It was successfully launched into orbit on November 20, 2004. The Swift mission is a first of its kind of multi-wavelength transient observatory for gamma ray burst astronomy. Its mission life is 2 years. The inclination is 22 deg maximum. The spacecraft bus voltage to the instruments is in the 24 V to 35 V range. The instruments will be turned off when the voltage is below 27 V. The BAT is mounted to the optical bench through five titanium flexures. The BAT has been developed at GSFC. Its telescope assembly consists of 256 Detector Modules (DMs) in the Detector Array. There are 16 Detector Array Blocks. Each Block holds 16 DMs, 3 Block Voltage Regulator (BVR) units and 3 Block Command & Data Handling (BCDH) units. The power dissipation of each Block has been measured to be 13 W. Therefore the total power dissipation of the 16 Blocks is 208 W. The DAP is 1.3 m (4.3 ft) x 1 m (3.3 ft), accommodates all the 16 Blocks. It also provides the mounting surface and the positional stability for the Blocks. The DMs are located at the top (+X side) of the DAP and is enclosed by graded-Z shields on the sides and a coded mask at the top. The BVRs and BCDHs are located at the bottom (-X side) of the DAP. Eight Blocks are located at the front (-Z side or radiator side) of the DAP, and eight are located at the rear (+Z side) of the DAP. The DMs and top of DAP are insulated with a 7-layer multi-layer insulation (MLI). There is a 5.08 cm (2 in) x 5.08 cm (2 in) MLI cutout over each Block heater controller so that heat radiates from the heater controller to the mask. The exterior of the mask, graded-Z shields and bottom of DAP is insulated with a 15-layer MLI.
MRSA colonisation (eradicating colonisation in people without active/invasive infection)

Introduction Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has a gene that makes it resistant to methicillin as well as to other beta-lactam antibiotics, including flucloxacillin, beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. MRSA can be part of the normal body flora (colonisation), especially in the nose, but it can cause infection. Until recently, MRSA has primarily been a problem associated with exposure to the healthcare system, especially in people with prolonged hospital admissions, with underlying disease, or after antibiotic use. In many countries worldwide, a preponderance of S aureus bloodstream isolates are resistant to methicillin.
Loosely-coupled processes (preliminary version)

A system of processes in which the interactions are solely through messages is often called loosely-coupled. Such systems are attractive from a programming viewpoint. They are designed by decomposing a specification into its separable concerns, each of which could then be implemented by a process; the operation of the system can be understood by asserting properties of the message sequences transmitted among the component processes. A key attribute of loosely-coupled systems is a guarantee that a message that has been sent cannot be unsent. As a consequence, a process can commence its computation upon receiving a message, with the guarantee that no future message it receives will require it to undo its previous computations.
A master's degree in fashion merchandising: A valuable investment?

The rising cost of college in the last decade has had a profound impact on the number of students requiring financial assistance for their college expenses, particularly through student loans. This is a serious issue for college programs as they try to recruit students and maintain high retention rates, but also for graduates of fashion degrees that face a challenging job market in today’s complex and competitive fashion industry. To incur further expenses with a graduate degree, this study intended to estimate the value of a master’s degree in fashion merchandising (MFM) from both a financial and career development perspective. An online survey was distributed to MFM graduates who completed their degree from 2010 to 2014 through a convenience sampling technique. The questionnaire measured the costs and benefits from a financial perspective, as well as the inputs and outcomes from a career development perspective. These perspectives examined the various costs associated with investing in a MFM, the job market and career development opportunities facing MFM graduates, and areas of improvement for MFM programs to increase the value of the degree. A descriptive analysis was performed, two ANOVA tests were conducted measuring stress levels for paying back student loans, and a Pearson’s Chi-square test was conducted to measure whether current employment status in the fashion industry was related to fashion experience. Only the Pearson’s Chi-square test showed a significant result. Findings of this study showed that participants spent at least two years in pursuit of the MFM. This sample of MFM graduates primarily relied on student loans, or spent additional time seeking other financial assistance. For those who borrowed student loans, some developed stress levels for repayment of loans; however, debt levels were much lower than the average graduate student loan debt. The majority of participants secured full-time positions; however, less than half of these held positions in the fashion industry. Salary earnings were also much lower than the average master’s degree holder. Many of these graduates agreed that their MFM will lead to a higher-level position but indicated that networking opportunities in MFM programs could be improved. The relevancy of MFM skills varied between those working in the fashion industry and those who were not; but fashion merchandising knowledge and soft skills were the most useful for jobs in the fashion industry. Most MFM graduates in this study were happy with their decision to pursue the degree and saw it as a valuable investment.
Central TRH receptor 1 antisense blocks cold-induced gastric emptying but not brain c-Fos induction

Abstract We studied whether TRH receptor 1 (TRH-R1) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides injected intracisternally, impaired acute cold-induced c-Fos expression in the brain and vagally mediated stimulation of gastric emptying in conscious rats. Cold exposure (4–6°C, 90 min) increased gastric emptying and the number of c-Fos positive cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, supraoptic nucleus, raphe pallidus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, nucleus of the solitary tract and area postrema compared with rats at room temperature. TRH-R1 antisense abolished cold-induced stimulation of gastric transit but not c-Fos expression in the brain. TRH-R1 mismatch did not alter the gastric response to cold. These data indicate that central activation of TRH-R1 mediates cold-induced stimulation of gastric emptying but does not influence the induction of c-Fos expression in the brain.
Two-sensor noise robust ASR with missing frames for Aurora2 task

In a recently proposed system, we have used the missing frames idea for noise robust automatic speech recognition (ASR). The key point behind the missing frames idea is that frames with energies below a certain threshold are considered unreliable frames. We set these frames to a silence floor and treat them as silence frames even if they contain speech signal. Although this causes loss of valuable information such as transitional cues for consonants, we showed that for a small vocabulary task the system substantially decreases the Word Error Rate (WER) at low SNRs. We have also observed that the algorithm decreases the overall computational complexity as opposed to other proposed noise robust systems that typically require considerable computational power. The main drawback of the missing frames system is the difficulty in detecting high energy portions accurately at high noise environments. In this work we propose using a glottal sensor to detect the high energy portions of the acoustic signal. We show that the glottal sensor can detect the high energy speech portions very accurately without adding significant computational complexity. The second contribution of this paper is that we concatenate a speech enhancement algorithm to the front end of the speech recognizer. We show that the enhancement algorithm does not improve the performance of the baseline system much while it decreases the WER substantially for our proposed system.
Developing innovative online educational materials for undergraduate curriculum in information technology

While the growth in employment of all occupations in the US Information Technology (IT) industry between 1996-2006 is projected at 88.25%, the growth of college/university IT and Computer Science (CS) faculty is only projected at 18.3%. These findings motivated faculty of several US educational institutions to propose the National Science Foundation (NSF) CCLI-EMD project that is aimed at design and development of several IT and Computer Science (CS) online degree programs (on both, Associate of Applied Science Degree and Bachelor of Science Degree levels) in US colleges and universities. This NSF grant is hosted by the InterLabs Research Institute at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Bradley University. Project team consists of faculty from Bradley University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Midstate College, Illinois Central College.
Hepatic Adenomatosis in Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia: Report of a Case With Unusual Histology

Hepatic adenomatosis is a well-known complication of glycogen storage disease type Ia (von Gierke disease). Although most of these tumors have an appearance similar to sporadic hepatocellular adenomas, unusual histologic features have been reported, including Mallory hyaline, varying degrees of fibrosis, and aggregates of neutrophils. We report the fourth case of Mallory hyaline in the adenomas of glycogen storage disease type Ia in a 28-year-old woman undergoing segmental hepatectomy for enlarging liver nodules. Other prominent findings included steatohepatitis and nonspecific granulomatous inflammation--2 findings that are commonly seen in sporadic adenomas but not, to our knowledge, previously reported in glycogen storage disease type Ia.
Resolvin D2 prevents secondary thrombosis and necrosis in a mouse burn wound model.

Deep partial thickness burns are subject to delayed necrosis of initially viable tissues surrounding the primary zone of thermally induced coagulation, which results in an expansion of the burn wound, both in area and depth, within 48 hours postburn. Neutrophil sequestration and activation leading to microvascular damage is thought to mediate this secondary tissue damage. Resolvins, a class of endogenous mediators derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, have been shown to regulate the resolution of inflammation. We hypothesized that exogenous resolvins could mitigate the deleterious impact of the inflammatory response in burn wounds. Using two different mouse burn injury models involving significant partial thickness injuries, we found that a systemically administered single dose of resolvin D2 (RvD2) as low as 25 pg/g bw given within an interval of up to 4 hours postburn effectively prevented thrombosis of the deep dermal vascular network and subsequent dermal necrosis. By preserving the microvascular network, RvD2 enhanced neutrophil access to the dermis, but prevented neutrophil-mediated damage through other anti-inflammatory actions, including inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and neutrophil platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1. In a clinical context, RvD2 may be therapeutically useful by reducing the need for surgical debridement and the area requiring skin grafting.
XX/“XO” sex determination system in a population of Peruvian owl monkey, Aotus

The chromosome complement of a group of owl monkeys with typical pelagic features characteristic of Aotus inhabiting the upper Amazonian region in South America was analyzed by various band techniques. A diploid chromosome number of 2n = 52 is reconfirmed in the females. A Y-autosome translocation resulting in a complement of 2n = 51 in the males constitutes a unique XX/"XO" sex chromosome system in this population. Karotypic comparison of this Peruvian Aotus (2n - 52 female/51 male) with the Bolivian Aotus (2n = 50 female/49 male) shows the existence of a large degree of analogy of chromosome banding. However, complicated inter- and intra-karyotypic differences between the two chromosome races can be depicted, and substantiates our postulation that the owl monkey is an evolutionary actively diverging species.
Monocular Diplopia Accompanying Ordinary Refractive Errors

Monocular diplopia is commonly encountered in ophthalmic practice. We discovered that it could be induced in nine (82%) of 11 normal eyes with ordinary spherical or astigmatic defocus of the retinal image. Possible mechanisms responsible for this effect include retinal processing, diffraction effects, and spherical aberration. By employing geometric blur circle theory and using a simple optical model to photograph the effect, we concluded that monocular diplopia in the setting of ordinary refractive error is secondary to relatively minor optical irregularity such as spherical aberration. Contour enhancement properties of the retina probably accentuate this effect. Ordinary refractive error should therefore not be overlooked or discounted in patients with monocular diplopia.
Production of pyrrhotites by pyrite reduction

Abstract Research in coal conversion, aimed at gaining an understanding of the catalytic and magnetic properties of iron sulphides found in coal, could benefit from studying well-defined materials. A method is given for the production of pyrrhotites of known stoichiometry by the reduction of pyrite. Theoretical calculations are provided for this reduction by H 2 and CO. Experimental results, confirmed by X-ray analysis, are given for the H 2 reduction of pyrite to form three different pyrrhotites in the temperature range 400–500 °C.
THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF A NEW VOTING GAP MARITAL DIFFERENCES IN AMERICAN VOTING

There is now a marriage gap in presidential voting in the United States, with married people voting about 10%-15% more Republican than unmarried people. This voting difference developed in the 1972 election, and it is also evident in party identification. The proportion of unmarried people has doubled since 1964, so this cleavage is important. The gap can be explained statistically in terms of race and income, but still may give politicians the opportunity to gain votes by appealing to voters on the basis of family issues. Survey researchers have long probed social group differences in voting. They have come to expect certain demographic variables to be related to the vote while others are seen as so irrelevant that they are never examined. Yet familiar voting cleavages can diminish in importance, while new differences can emerge. We generally think of social group differences in the vote as resulting from divergent issue appeals or from mobilization of groups into parties by group leaders, and such appeals and mobilization would be noticed enough for us to look specifically for their effects. However, group voting differences can also emerge more subtly because of the changing demographics of the population. As a result, it is important for us to examine periodically the full range of social group differences in voting. When one so examines voting in the 1984 American presidential election, one finds the largest voting differences on the basis of race and income, followed in order by differences based on marital status, religion, gender, and region. These differences are familiar ones, exHERBERT F. WEISBERG iS Professor of Political Science at the Ohio State University. This research was partially based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. SES-8218873. The National Election Studies data were supplied by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the ICPSR. The author would like to express appreciation to Terri Royed for assistance in the data
Expression of the Neurospora crassa metallothionein gene in Escherichia coli and its effect on heavy-metal uptake.

The gene coding for the Neurospora crassa metallothionein protein was chemically synthesized and cloned into the fusion expression vectors pMal-c and pMal-p. Cell-fractionation experiments demonstrated the proper localization of the pMal-c- and pMal-p- expressed proteins to the cytosol and periplasm of the bacteria respectively. Control bacteria as well as the recombinant bacteria producing the metallothionein protein were incubated with solutions of 109Cd at concentrations of 0.2 μM, 1 μM, and 10 μM. The recombinant bacteria were able to accumulate significantly more 109Cd than control bacteria at all concentrations tested. Cadmium accumulation was rapid and highly selective. Maximum uptake was achieved at a pH of 7.0, with lower accumulation at lower or higher pH values. The pH-dependent uptake of cadmium by the recombinant bacteria was exploited to strip off the bound cadmium from the recombinant bacteria and to regenerate most of the cadmium-binding sites. These observations suggest the potential for using a metallothionein-based biosorbent for certain heavy-metal removal applications.
Natural History of the Spittlebug Prosapia nr. bicincta (Homoptera: Cercopidae) in Association with Dairy Pastures of Costa Rica

The natural history of Prosapia nr. bicincta was examined in upland dairy pastures of Costa Rica where it feeds on Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst (East African star grass) and Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. (kikuyu grass). Aspects of the biology and behavior are described, including identification and characterization of instars, feeding habits, and reproductive biology. In this habitat, P. nr. bicincta demonstrated an extended nymphal stage and preoviposition period compared with other Prosapia and grassland cercopids. Nymphs required 34 -98 d (mean 62.7) to complete 5 instars under greenhouse conditions. The 1st instars specialized on surface roots whereas older instars expanded their range of feeding sites to include mature stems. In the greenhouse, adults lived up to 7 wk, initiated mating as soon as 18 h after emergence, had a 15-22-d preoviposition period, and were capable of producing up to 16 eggs in 1 day. Oviposition sites were almost exclusively in the soil. In a preference experiment females laid more eggs in bare versus litter-covered soil, but in a no-choice experiment presence of litter enhanced oviposition. Life stage-specific data on P. nr. bicincta will guide improvements in pest management. New information from this species also expands our understanding of variation in cercopid natural history and highlights the need to delineate differences, in addition to commonalties, among the species in this pest complex.
Low Initial Tau Phosphorylation in Human Brain Biopsy Samples

A rapid reversible tau phosphorylation at Ser 396/404 was observed in adult human cortical biopsy tissue and rat primary cortical cell cultures. Tau phosphorylation increased usually during the first 20-30 min in phosphate-buffered saline, followed by a decrease. The time course of tau phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in biopsy tissue could be lengthened by culturing in defined, oxygenated medium, instead of in phosphate-buffered saline. Phosphorylation of total protein in biopsy tissue occurred in two phases, with peaks at 30 and 90 min. The first peak of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the peak of tau phosphorylation, although both the first and second peaks of total protein phosphorylation coincided with the first and second peaks of neurofilament-H phosphorylation.
Akt-interacting proteins: attractive opposites. focus on "Carboxy-terminal modulator protein induces Akt phosphorylation and activation, thereby enhancing antiapoptotic, glycogen synthetic, and glucose uptake pathways"

the akt serine/threonine kinase (also called protein kinase B or PKB) has emerged as a critical signaling molecule within eukaryotic cells. In addition to work clarifying its regulation by upstream kinases and phosphatases, significant efforts have been applied to the identification of potential
Acceleration of fibrin gel formation by unrelated proteins.

Abstract Addition of γ-globulin, serum albumin, hemoglobin, or ovalbumin in concentrations of 1–10 g/dl to solutions of purified fibrinogen results in a substantial (up to six-fold) decrease in the lag time preceding appearance of a firm fibrin gel following addition of thrombin at 24°C. The effect does not appear to be due to a protein-induced enhancement in the enzymatic activity of thrombin, nor does it appear to be due to the co-condensation of the added protein with fibrin/fibrinogen. It is suggested that the observed effect is primarily due to nonspecific volume exclusion arising from increased fractional occupancy of solution volume by macromolecules.
Smoothing surfaces by an ac field: an application of the Ratchet effect

We demonstrate that for surfaces that have a nonzero Schwoebel barrier, the application of an ac field parallel to the surface will induce a net electromigration current. Most important, the direction of the net current will be always downhill; i.e. it will point in the step-down direction. The magnitude of this equilibrium current is calculated analytically, and compared with Monte Carlo simulations. A downhill current is known to smooth the surface, thus we suggest that the application of ac fields during annealing might aid the smoothing process and during growth it has the potential to slow or eliminate the Schwoebel barrier induced mound formation
Divided Fates: Immigrant Children in a Restructured U.S. Economy:

This essay is based on survey and ethnographic research among second-generation immigrants. The purpose is to investigate the meaning of segmented assimilation by comparing five groups of immigrant...
Molecular association between β-catenin degradation complex and Rac guanine exchange factor DOCK4 is essential for Wnt/β-catenin signaling

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a highly conserved signaling cascade that is involved in development and stem cell renewal. The deregulation of this pathway is often associated with increased cell growth and neoplasia. The small GTPase Rac has been shown to influence canonical Wnt signaling by regulating β-catenin stability through an unknown mechanism. We report that DOCK4, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rac and a member of the CDM family of unconventional GEFs, mediates Wnt-induced Rac activation in the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway. DOCK4 expression regulates cellular β-catenin levels in response to the Wnt signal, in vitro. Biochemical studies demonstrate that DOCK4 interacts with the β-catenin degradation complex, consisting of the proteins adenomatosis polyposis coli, Axin and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). This molecular interaction enhances β-catenin stability and Axin degradation. Furthermore, we observe that DOCK4 is phosphorylated by GSK3β, which enhances Wnt-induced Rac activation. Using a T-cell factor reporter zebrafish we confirm that DOCK4 is required for Wnt/β-catenin activity, in vivo. These results elucidate a novel intracellular signaling mechanism in which a Rac GEF, DOCK4 acts as a scaffold protein in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Overlooked and Overshadowed: The Case of Burundi

In east-central Africa, nestled between Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda is Burundi. From the onset of independence in 1961, Burundi has had a history of internal armed conflicts, ethnic tensions and civil unrest in the form of crimes against humanity, massive and systematic rape, and other gross human rights violations that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths. Nonetheless, there has been relatively little attention paid to these types of crimes by criminologists. Political discourse and subsequent media reports suggest that the cause of the violence in Burundi is rooted in reappearing ethnic tensions between two ethnic groups. Yet, the origins and continued enactment of the conflict is far more complex. In this paper, the authors draw upon the extant state crime literature to both conceptually frame, and theoretically illuminate, the crimes against humanity and other gross human rights violations that have occurred.
Patterns and determinants of antipsychotic prescribing in children and adolescents, 2003-2004

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study examined patterns and determin­ants of antipsychotic prescribing in children and adolescents receiving outpatient care in the United States.Methods: Antipsychotic prescribing practices for patients younger than 20 years were examined using the 2003–2004 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the outpatient department portion of the 2003–2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The analysis focused on outpatient visits involving 11 typical and six atypical antipsychotic agents. National visit estimates were used to characterize the nature and extent of antipsychotic prescribing for patients younger than 20 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to visits involving children and adolescents to examine the need, predisposing, and enabling factors associated with antipsychotic prescribing.Results: Antipsychotic medications were prescribed in two million outpatient visits annually involving children and adolescents, representing 1% of overall v...
Depletion of rat liver glucocorticoid receptor hormone-binding and its mRNA in sepsis

Abstract Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) hormone-binding activity, its physical characteristics, and GR mRNA levels were studied in the liver, brain and muscle of normal (saline-injected) and hypermetabolic septic rats 24 h after the subcutaneous injections of E. coli . The GR levels (hormone-binding activity) declined by about 40%, 56%, and 40% in septic liver, brain, and muscle cytosol, respectively. The mechanism of the decrease in the GR levels in sepsis was studied in liver. The GR levels remained low (45% of control hormone-binding) even after 48 h of E. coli administration. The decrease in the liver GR occurred in the 9S untransformed GR. The 9S GR from septic liver transformed to the 4S form in proportions comparable to the control liver GR. In addition, the 4S GR from control and septic liver was capable of binding to DNA-cellulose to a similar extent. The GR mRNA level in septic liver declined by about 30%. Thus, a decrease in GR hormone-binding activity in sepsis appears to be due to a decline in the steady-state GR mRNA level and not from a change in the qualitative properties of the GR protein.
Optimism: A Determinant of Health Behavior

Nurses intuitively recognize an optimistic outlook as a personality component that has a positive impact on clients' health-related behavior. Optimism, however, has not been studied from the perspective of nursing. The author did a concept analysis of optimism (the first step in grounding the study of optimism in nursing practice); identified attributes, antecedents, and consequences; and developed a definition of optimism. A case study contrasts examples of a model, borderline, and contrary positions and illustrates their differences.
Assessing the Instantaneous Risk of Direct Laser Impingement

Several methods are presented for assessing the instantaneous risk of &&laser impingement given uncertainties in object and emitter positions. These methods are constrocted to identify the occurrenoes when the probability of laser impingement exceeds a user-defined threshold. These formulations enhance computational efficiency through use of analytically determined scale factors.
Individual differences in arm strength, speed, reaction time, and three serial reaction time-movement time "programs".

The motor performance of 32 college men was measured on the following tests: arm strength, arm reaction and movement times, arm-and-leg serial reaction and movement times. Specificity of variance of individual differences was found for single, simple, and discrete limb movements and for three programmed series of large RT-MT movements which involved 240 responses.
The comorbidity of bipolar and anxiety disorders: prevalence, psychobiology, and treatment issues.

Background: Although symptoms of anxiety as well as anxiety disorders commonly occur in patients with bipolar disorder, the pathophysiologic, theoretical, and clinical significance of their co-occurrence has not been well studied. Methods: The epidemiological and clinical studies that have assessed the overlap of bipolar and anxiety disorders are reviewed, with focus on panic disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and to a lesser extent, social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Potential neural mechanism and treatment response data are also reviewed. Results: A growing number of epidemiological studies have found that bipolar disorder significantly co-occurs with anxiety disorders at rates that are higher than those in the general population. Clinical studies have also demonstrated high comorbidity between bipolar disorder and panic disorder, OCD, social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychobiological mechanisms that may account for these high comorbidity rates likely involve a complicated interplay among various neurotransmitter systems, particularly norepinephrine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and serotonin. The second-messenger system constituent, inositol, may also be involved. Little controlled data are available regarding the treatment of bipolar disorder complicated by an anxiety disorder. However, adequate mood stabilization should be achieved before antidepressants are used to treat residual anxiety symptoms so as to minimize antidepressant-induced mania or cycling. Moreover, preliminary data suggesting that certain antimanic agents may have anxiolytic properties (e.g. valproate and possibly antipsychotics), and that some anxiolytics may not induce mania (e.g. gabapentin and benzodiazepines other than alprazolam) indicate that these agents may be particularly useful for anxious bipolar patients. Conclusions: Comorbid anxiety symptoms and disorders must be considered when diagnosing and treating patients with bipolar disorder. Conversely, patients presenting with anxiety disorders must be assessed for comorbid mood disorders, including bipolar disorder. Pathophysiological, theoretical, and clinical implications of the overlap of bipolar and anxiety disorders are discussed.
Chemiluminescence from excited C2−-alkali cation complexes formed in alkali atom-halocarbon flames

Abstract Vapor phase reactions between alkali atoms and several halocarbon molecules containing C-C bonds have been observed to produce chemiluminescence which appears to originate from C 2 − - (alkali) + complexes.
“You Might Lose Him Through the Cracks”: Clinicians’ Views on Discharge from Assertive Community Treatment

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams are increasingly interested in improving access to ACT through discharge of improved clients to less intensive mental health care services. We report results from a process evaluation of three teams in the VA's ACT program, Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM), that began to implement discharge. MHICM clinicians (n=15) describe significant barriers to discharge. Clinicians support the concept of discharge but raise concerns about clients' future stability, clients' feelings about discharge, and other aspects of the discharge process. We propose strategies that can be used to support clinicians and clients in discharge decision-making.
Jewish values and sociopsychological perspectives on aging

The Jewish approach to aging and the aged is constructive. If one no longer works, guilt is inappropriate. Old age may be a “sabbath” of human life. In our culture, older people are led to low self-esteem less by their age than by occupational and economic status. Hence fundamental social change is needed if there is to be dignity and quality in life for older people. Old age can become, as it should, the high point of the human career.
Directed postgraduate study result in quantitative improvement in American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam scores

Abstract Background The collective study habits of 1 group of residents involved in educationally distinct periods of time in a community-based general surgery residency program were evaluated. Methods American Board of Surgery In-Training Exam (ABSITE) score results of 31 residents were calculated during 3 distinctive educational time periods: resident independent, self-directed study; resident-directed study with weekly systematic textbook reviews; and faculty-directed study with additional formal basic science and clinical lectures. Results Aggregate higher scores were observed when ABSITE results for the directed study period were compared with those observed during the independent study period in mid-level resident years (postgraduate year [PGY] 2 to 4). Conclusions With limited faculty resources, community-based surgery residency programs have more challenges in opportunities for resident acquisition of cognitive knowledge and subsequent quantitative improvement in ABSITE scores. This study demonstrated a successful methodology particularly in the face of mandated limitation of weekly resident work hours and diminishing allocated education resources.
Soluble CD40 ligand induces endothelial dysfunction in human and porcine coronary artery endothelial cells

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects and mechanisms of sCD40L on endothelial dysfunction in both human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) and porcine coronary artery rings. HCAECs treated with sCD40L showed significant reductions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA and protein levels, eNOS mRNA stability, eNOS enzyme activity, and cellular NO levels, whereas superoxide anion (O2−) production was significantly increased. sCD40L enhanced eNOS mRNA 3′UTR binding to cytoplasmic molecules and induced a unique expression pattern of 95 microRNAs. sCD40L significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and catalase and SOD activities, whereas it increased NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity. sCD40L increased phosphorylation of MAPKs p38 and ERK1/2 as well as IκBα and enhanced NF-κB nuclear translocation. In porcine coronary arteries, sCD40L significantly decreased endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and eNOS mRNA levels, whereas it increased O2− levels. Antioxidant seleno-l-methionine; chemical inhibitors of p38, ERK1/2, and mitochondrial complex II; as well as dominant negative mutant forms of IκBα and NOX4 effectively blocked sCD40L-induced eNOS down-regulation in HCAECs. Thus, sCD40L reduces eNOS levels, whereas it increases oxidative stress through the unique molecular mechanisms involving eNOS mRNA stability, 3′UTR-binding molecules, microRNAs, mitochondrial function, ROS-related enzymes, p38, ERK1/2, and NF-κB signal pathways in endothelial cells.
Reversible random sequential adsorption of dimers on a triangular lattice

We report on simulations of reversible random sequential adsorption of dimers on three different lattices: a one-dimensional lattice, a two-dimensional triangular lattice, and a two-dimensional triangular lattice with the nearest neighbors excluded. In addition to the adsorption of particles at a rate ${K}^{+},$ we allow particles to leave the surface at a rate ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}.$ The results from the one-dimensional lattice model agree with previous results for the continuous parking lot model. In particular, the long-time behavior is dominated by collective events involving two particles. We were able to directly confirm the importance of two-particle events in the simple two-dimensional triangular lattice. For the two-dimensional triangular lattice with the nearest neighbors excluded, the observed dynamics are consistent with this picture. The two-dimensional simulations were motivated by measurements of ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{2+}$ binding to Langmuir monolayers. The two cases were chosen to model the effects of changing pH in the experimental system.
Analyzing fault aware collective performance in a process fault tolerant MPI

Application developers are investigating Algorithm Based Fault Tolerance (ABFT) techniques to improve the efficiency of application recovery beyond what traditional techniques alone can provide. Applications will depend on libraries to sustain failure-free performance across process failure to continue to use High Performance Computing (HPC) systems efficiently even in the presence of process failure. Optimized Message Passing Interface (MPI) collective operations are a critical component of many scalable HPC applications. However, most of the collective algorithms are not able to handle process failure. Next generation MPI implementations must provide fault aware versions of such algorithms that can sustain performance across process failure. This paper discusses the design and implementation of fault aware collective algorithms for tree structured communication patterns. The three design approaches of rerouting, lookup avoiding and rebalancing are described, and analyzed for their performance impact relative to similar fault unaware barrier and broadcast collective algorithms. The analysis shows that the rerouting approach causes a significant performance degradation while the rebalancing approach can bring the performance within 1% of the fault unaware performance. This paper also presents the impact of the run-through stabilization prototype on point-to-point communication, and analyzes the time to rebalance the tree while accounting for process failures.
A novel marker for traumatic brain injury: CSF αII-spectrin breakdown product levels

Currently, there is no definitive diagnostic test for traumatic brain injury (TBI) to help physicians determine the seriousness of injury or the extent of cellular pathology. Calpain cleaves αII-sp...