cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk interval analysis of emergency room visits following colonoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background and aims Prior studies suggest that colonoscopy may exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms. Thus, our study aimed to determine risk of emergency room (ER) visits associated with colonoscopy among IBD patients and evaluate potential modifiers of this risk. Methods The study population included IBD patients in the Multi-Payer Claims Database who were >20 years old and had a colonoscopy from 2007–2010. We used a self-controlled risk interval design and mixed-effects Poisson regression models to calculate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing the incidence of ER visits in the 1–4 weeks following colonoscopy (risk interval) to the incidence of ER visits in the 7–10 weeks after colonoscopy (control interval). We also conducted stratified analyses by patient characteristics, bowel preparation type, and medication. Results There were 212,205 IBD patients with at least 1 colonoscopy from 2007–2010, and 3,699 had an ER visit during the risk and/or control interval. The risk of an ER visit was higher in the 4-week risk interval following colonoscopy compared to the control interval (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.17–1.32). The effect was strongest in those <41 years old (RR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.21–2.11), in women (RR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.21–1.44), and in those with sodium phosphate bowel preparation (RR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.02–4.29). Patients using immunomodulators had no increased risk of ER visits (RR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.35–1.59). Conclusions Our results suggest that there is an increased risk of ER visits following colonoscopy among IBD patients, but that immunomodulators and mild bowel preparation agents may mitigate this risk.
The Musée de la Grande Guerre du Pays de Meaux – a simulacrum of the 1914–1918 war?

ABSTRACTOn 11 November 2011, 93 years after the armistice that ended World War I, President Nicolas Sarkozy officially helped open the Musee de la Grande Guerre in Meaux, near the bloody Marne River battle sites of 1914 and 1918, as well as near Disneyland Paris. The new museum included a reconstituted battlefield with a ‘no man's land’ plus three-dimensional projections to ‘revive the hell of a trench.’ Speaking at its groundbreaking in 2010, Frederic Mitterrand, then Minister of Culture and Communications, stated that the museum's architecture of the trenches would produce an intimate memory, conveying real flesh and blood. He added that it would also ‘reinforce the cultural and tourist appeal’ of the Marne region. A crowning recognition of Jean-Pierre Verney's amassing of some 50,000 documents and objects relating to the war, which forms the basis of its collection, the museum has welcomed more than 460,000 visitors since it opened. Philippe Dagen suggested in Le Monde in 2011 that the high quality of ...
The Working Lives of New Writing Center Directors

In The Working Lives of New Writing Center Directors, Nicole Caswell, Jackie Grutsch McKinney, and Rebecca Jackson explore the implications of writing center directors’ hybrid day-to-day labor and ...
Lunar Ice Cube: ongoing development of first generation deep space CubeSat mission with compact broadband IR spectrometer

Lunar Ice Cube (LIC) is one of 13 6U cubesats that will be deployed by EM1 in cislunar space. LIC along with Lunar Flashlight and LunaH-Map, all focused on the search for volatiles but with very different payloads, will be the first deep space cubesats designed to address goals for both demonstrating new technologies and collecting scientific data. Effectively, as their developments are occurring in parallel, they are acting as prototypes for future deep space cubesats missions. One useful outcome of this ‘experiment’ is to evolve a working paradigm for the development and operation of compact, cost-capped, standardized (supporting subsystems) spacecraft to serve the needs of diverse user communities. The lunar ice cube mission was developed as the test case in a GSFC R and D study to determine whether the cubesat paradigm could be applied to deep space, science requirements driven missions, and BIRCHES was its payload. Here, we present the design and describe the ongoing development, and testing, in the context of the challenges of using the cubesat paradigm to fly a broadband IR spectrometer in a 6U platform, including a very harsh environment, minimal funding and extensive need for leveraging existing assets and relationships on development, and minimum command and telemetry bandwidth translating into simplified or canned operation and the collection of only essential data.
Atomic scale investigation of chemical heterogeneity in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films using atom probe tomography

We investigated atomic scale chemical heterogeneity in β-(AlxGa1−x)2O3 thin films with different aluminum (Al) concentrations using atom probe tomography. Two film samples with an Al molar concentration of x = 0.2 and x = 0.5, grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy, were analyzed and compared. The measured overall compositions were found to be in agreement with the target compositions in both cases. The film with the higher Al content showed a significant chemical heterogeneity, which could be attributed to the low growth temperature.
Back-End-of-Line Compatible Transistors for Monolithic 3-D Integration

The manufacturers of high-performance logic have been ardent champions of Moore's Law, which has resulted in exponential increase in aerial transistor density to 100 million transistors per square millimeter of silicon real estate. However, it is the memory chip makers who have taken the first step toward escaping the confines of scaling within the horizontal plane and have embraced the vertical or the third dimension. The dynamic random access memory manufacturers have adopted stacked capacitors that tower above the silicon plane that hosts the access and peripheral transistors, whereas the nand flash memory technologists can stack 128 layers of charge trap flash cells on top of each other in a monolithic fashion. To enable monolithic three-dimensional (M3D) integration of high-performance logic, one needs to solve the fundamental challenge of low temperature (<400 °C) in situ synthesis of high mobility n-type and p-type semiconductor thin films that can be utilized for fabrication of back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible complementary MOS transistors under the constraint of limited thermal budget. This article discusses recent progress in the selection and optimization of semiconductor materials for BEOL compatible transistors to enable sequential M3D integration for a range of applications.
On the relation between corporate social responsibility and financial performance

Research Summary This study reexamines the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance by benchmarking firms against industry peers in a given year to identify best‐in‐class and worst‐in‐class firms. We also address distributional issues when using CSR ratings (clustering of CSR scores around the median and material differences across industries and time) and financial performance ratios (the possible influence of extreme values). We find that the best‐in‐class firms outperform their industry peers in terms of operating performance and have higher relative market valuations (Tobin's Q). When we control for endogeneity, we find that the significant relation between operating performance and CSR categories disappears, calling into question whether this relation is causal. However, we continue to find that best‐in‐class firms receive higher relative market valuations than industry peers. Managerial Summary The conflicting evidence on the relation between CSR and firm performance may influence a manager's decision to invest in CSR activities and an investor's decision to invest in a firm. Our research provides managers and investors with important implications regarding the value of relative benchmarking. Managers should understand that expectations of CSR performance evolve over time and that investors place higher valuations on the best‐in‐class CSR firms within an industry.
Great Lakes coastal wetlands as suitable habitat for invasive mute swans in Michigan

Abstract Great Lakes coastal wetlands provide critical habitat and food resources for more species than any other Great Lakes ecosystem. Due to past and current anthropogenic disturbances, coastal wetland area has been reduced by >50% while remaining habitat is frequently degraded. Invasive mute swans have contributed to the degradation of coastal wetlands by removing submergent vegetation and competitively excluding native species from breeding areas and food resources. Despite current control practices, mute swan population estimates in Michigan are ~8000, comparable to population estimates in the entire Atlantic Flyway of North America. We collected local abiotic data and adjacent land cover data at 3 scales from 51 sites during 2010 and 2011 and conducted 2 mute swan detection surveys each year during the summer and fall. We developed a single-species, single-season occupancy-based habitat suitability model to determine current and potential mute swan habitat among Great Lakes coastal wetlands. We found mute swans occupied heterotrophic coastal wetlands adjacent to urban areas, which were high in ammonium and oxidation-reduction potential and low in nitrates, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Our model provides managers with a valuable tool for rapidly identifying mute swan habitat areas for control efforts, particularly the need for targeting mute swan populations in or near urbanized areas. Our model will also aid managers in monitoring areas that mute swans may invade and prioritizing coastal wetland areas for restoration efforts.
Cadmium activates AMPA and NMDA receptors with M3 helix cysteine substitutions

AMPA and NMDA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that depolarize postsynaptic neurons when activated by the neurotransmitter L-glutamate. Changes in the distribution and activity of these receptors underlie learning and memory, but excessive change is associated with an array of neurological disorders, including cognitive impairment, developmental delay, and epilepsy. All of the ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) exhibit similar tetrameric architecture, transmembrane topology, and basic framework for activation; conformational changes induced by extracellular agonist binding deform and splay open the inner helix bundle crossing that occludes ion flux through the channel. NMDA receptors require agonist binding to all four subunits, whereas AMPA and closely related kainate receptors can open with less than complete occupancy. In addition to conventional activation by agonist binding, we recently identified two locations along the inner helix of the GluK2 kainate receptor subunit where cysteine (Cys) substitution yields channels that are opened by exposure to cadmium ions, independent of agonist site occupancy. Here, we generate AMPA and NMDA receptor subunits with homologous Cys substitutions and demonstrate similar activation of the mutant receptors by Cd. Coexpression of the auxiliary subunit stargazin enhanced Cd potency for activation of Cys-substituted GluA1 and altered occlusion upon treatment with sulfhydryl-reactive MTS reagents. Mutant NMDA receptors displayed voltage-dependent Mg block of currents activated by agonist and/or Cd as well as asymmetry between Cd effects on Cys-substituted GluN1 versus GluN2 subunits. In addition, Cd activation of each Cys-substituted iGluR was inhibited by protons. These results, together with our earlier work on GluK2, reveal a novel mechanism shared among the three different iGluR subtypes for prying open the gate that controls ion entry into the pore.
[Schistosomiasis endemic situation of national surveillance sites in Mianyang City, 2015].

OBJECTIVE To master the dynamics of schistosomiasis endemic situation and influencing factors in Mianyang City, so as to provide the evidence for making the control and prevention measures. METHODS Six villages of six schistosomiasis heavy endemic counties were selected as survey sites according to the national surveillance protocol (Revision in 2014) in Mianyang City. The surveys of the incidences of schistosomiasis in population and livestock as well as the prevalence of Oncomelania hupensis snails were conducted in the 6 national surveillance sites. RESULTS The serum positive rates of local residents and migrant people were 2.12% and 1.71%, respectively. The infection rate of cattle was 0. The area with snails was 9.344 8 hm2. The mean density of living snails was 0.25/0.1 m2. The occurrence rate of frames with snails was 7.07%, and no infected snails were found. CONCLUSIONS The infection rates of schistosome in human and livestock are low and the prevalence of O. hupensis snails is stable in the national surveillance sites in Mianyang City. However, the schistosomiasis transmission risk still exists, therefore, we should strengthen the control measures to prevent the rebound of the endemic.
Assessment of scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy-induced alopecia using standard infusion room documentation and patient surveys.

e24106Background: Chemotherapy induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the most distressing reported side-effects of cancer treatment, with patients (pts) reporting negative impacts on self-image and qual...
Scientific Concepts for Understanding the Health of the Chesapeake Bay and Its People

This chapter provides an introduction to the basic science needed for the reader to understand the ensuing chapters that explore the relationship between the health of the Chesapeake Bay, its food system, and the wellbeing of its people. For many readers, high school or college science courses may sit dim in their memories. This chapter will refresh some of those old facts and concepts, as well as introduce some important new ones. It focuses on the most important aspects of physics, chemistry, biology, and ecology needed to understand the subsequent material. Whenever possible the chapters apply the same scientific principles to explain phenomena that are common to human health and that of the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem.
Basics of genetic variation and the use of genomic technologies in cattle

Genetic variation is an important factor in determining phenotypic variation in cattle. This variation arises in large part from differences in the genetic composition among animals. Genomic technologies can help to describe this variation and expected phenotypic impacts in part associated with differences in coding regions of the genome affecting protein structure and function, and by characterizing similarities among animals at the molecular level that can help inform prediction of genetic merit among genomically similar animals. When applied in this manner, genomic technologies help to provide more accurate estimation of genetic merit for more traits than can often be effectively measured phenotypically much earlier in life. This improves and accelerates decision making, thus optimizing production efficiency.
Asymptomatic Females Are at Higher Risk for Perioperative TIA/Stroke and Males Are at Higher Risk for Long-Term Mortality after Carotid Artery Stenting: A Vascular Quality Initiative Analysis

The study aims to review the sex differences with respect to transient ischemic attack (TIA)/stroke and death in the perioperative period and on long-term follow-up among asymptomatic patients treated with carotid stenting (CAS) in the vascular quality initiative (VQI). All cases reported to VQI of asymptomatic CAS (ACAS) patients were reviewed. The primary end point was risk of TIA/stroke and death in the in-hospital perioperative period and in the long-term follow-up. The secondary end point was to evaluate predictors of in-hospital perioperative TIA/stroke and mortality on long-term follow-up after CAS. There were 22,079 CAS procedures captured from January 2005 to April 2019. There were 5,785 (62.7%) patients in the ACAS group. The rate of in-hospital TIA/stroke was higher in female patients (2.7 vs. 1.87%, p = 0.005) and the rate of death was not significant (0.03 vs. 0.07%, p = 0.66). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, prior/current smoking history (odds ratio = 0.58 [95% confidence interval or CI = 0.39–0.87]; p = 0.008) is a predictor of in-hospital TIA/stroke in females. The long-term all-cause mortality is significantly higher in male patients (26.9 vs. 15.7%, p
HST-COS Observations of AGNs. I. Ultraviolet Composite Spectra of the Ionizing Continuum and Emission Lines

The ionizing fluxes from quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are critical for interpreting the emission-line spectra of AGNs and for photoionization and heating of the intergalactic medium. Using ultraviolet spectra from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have directly measured the rest-frame ionizing continua and emission lines for 22 AGNs. Over the redshift range 0.026 < z < 1.44, COS samples the Lyman continuum and many far-UV emission lines (Ly? ?1216, C IV ?1549, Si IV/O IV] ?1400, N V ?1240, O VI ?1035). Strong EUV emission lines with 14-22 eV excitation energies (Ne VIII ??770, 780, Ne V ?569, O II ?834, O III ?833, ?702, O IV ?788, 608, 554, O V ?630, N III ?685) suggest the presence of hot gas in the broad emission-line region. The rest-frame continuum, , shows a break at wavelengths ? < 1000 ?, with spectral index ?? = ?0.68 ? 0.14 in the FUV (1200-2000 ?) steepening to ?? = ?1.41 ? 0.21 in the EUV (500-1000 ?). The COS EUV index is similar to that of radio-quiet AGNs in the 2002 HST/FOS survey (?? = ?1.57 ? 0.17). We see no Lyman edge (?H I < 0.03) or He I ?584 emission in the AGN composite. Our 22 AGNs exhibit a substantial range of FUV/EUV spectral indices and a correlation with AGN luminosity and redshift, likely due to observing below the 1000 ? spectral break.
Histopathologic Spectrum of Intraoral Irritant and Contact Hypersensitivity Reactions: A Series of 12 cases

Irritant contact stomatitis (ICS) and contact hypersensitivity stomatitis (CHS) are often caused by alcohol, flavoring agents and additives in dentifrices and foods, and contactants with high or low pH. A well-recognized contactant for ICS is Listerine™ mouthwash, while that for CHS is cinnamic aldehyde. However, many other flavoring agents and even smokeless tobacco are contactants that cause mucosal lesions that are entirely reversible. The objective of this study is to 1) present cases of ICS and CHS with a clear history of a contactant at the site and the histopathologic features of the resulting lesion and 2) define the histopathologic features that characterize such lesions. 12 cases of ICS and CHS with known contactants that exhibited distinct histopathologic patterns were identified. ICS are characterized by three patterns in increasing order of severity namely: 1) superficial desquamation, 2) superficial keratinocyte edema, and 3) keratinocyte coagulative necrosis with/out spongiosis and microabscesses. CHS is characterized by two patterns namely plasma cell stomatitis with an intense plasma cell infiltrate and a lymphohistiocytic infiltrate with or without non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. Three patterns of the latter are recognized: (1) lymphohistiocytic infiltrate at the interface with well-formed or loosely aggregated non-necrotizing granulomas; (2) lymphohistiocytic infiltrate at the interface with peri- and para-vascular lymphohistiocytic nodules; and (3) lymphohistiocytic infiltrate at the interface with peri- and para-vascular lymphohistiocytic nodules containing non-necrotizing granulomas. The same contactant may elicit ICS and CHS, while one histopathologic pattern may be brought on by various contactants. ICS and CHS have distinct histologic patterns. Recognizing that these patterns are caused by contactants would help clinicians manage such mucosal lesions.
microRNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications in cancer medicine

It has been almost two decades since the first link between microRNAs and cancer was established. In the ensuing years, this abundant class of short noncoding regulatory RNAs has been studied in virtually all cancer types. This tremendously large body of research has generated innovative technological advances for detection of microRNAs in tissue and bodily fluids, identified the diagnostic, prognostic, and/or predictive value of individual microRNAs or microRNA signatures as potential biomarkers for patient management, shed light on regulatory mechanisms of RNA-RNA interactions that modulate gene expression, uncovered cell-autonomous and cell-to-cell communication roles of specific microRNAs, and developed a battery of viral and nonviral delivery approaches for therapeutic intervention. Despite these intense and prolific research efforts in preclinical and clinical settings, there are a limited number of microRNA-based applications that have been incorporated into clinical practice. We review recent literature and ongoing clinical trials that highlight most promising approaches and standing challenges to translate these findings into viable microRNA-based clinical tools for cancer medicine. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
Formalizing Chapter 9's Experts

Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code has many shortcomings. One of the most persistent, yet understudied, problems judges face in chapter 9 is also a problem that exists in other areas of bankruptcy law: the sheer difficulty of applying generalized plan confirmation standards to wildly different, highly specialized entities. In practice, judges have turned to experts—individuals well-versed in municipal finance, mediation, and the particular debtor community—to help them overcome this problem in chapter 9. These experts often perform critical roles in a municipal bankruptcy case, including conducting mediations, investigating the municipality’s finances, and even helping to craft the municipality’s plan of debt adjustment. Despite the important roles experts play in bankruptcy, in chapter 9, their appointment and selection process is given little attention, and the scope of their role is often ill-defined. This Article highlights the concerns that arise due to the lack of procedures surrounding experts in municipal bankruptcy. After exploring the benefits and pitfalls associated with using experts in chapter 9 and elsewhere, this Article provides detailed guidance for designing formal procedures for selecting, appointing, and using experts in chapter 9.
Chapter 7 – New Insights into Microbial Strategies for Biomass Conversion

Biomass represents a vast source of carbon for cellulosic biofuels production. Understanding and developing better strategies for the conversion of cellulosic biomass is essential for the success of this industry. Over the years, we have used the diversity found in nature to guide the development of more efficient enzyme preparations tailored for biomass degradation. Microbes have evolved to degrade and use plant-derived cellulosic substrates in their environments. However, bacteria and fungi use drastically different but complementary approaches to overcome the inherent recalcitrance of biomass substrates. Here, we present the most common biomass degradation mechanisms found in nature. Additionally, we highlight the importance of understanding their strategies and complementarity to develop better enzyme preparations and microbes to achieve sustainable biofuels production.
Thyroid storm induced by strangulation

Thyroid storm most often occurs in patients with known thyrotoxicosis. This report discusses a severe case of thyroid storm developing as a direct result of strangulation in a patient without a preexisting history of thyroid disease. Classification and treatment of this entity are discussed.
(ω–2) Hydroxylation of Fatty Acids by a Soluble System from Bacillus megaterium

Abstract A cell-free hydroxylating system which acts on long chain fatty acids has been isolated from Bacillus megaterium. When palmitic acid is used as a substrate, the major product is 14-hydroxypalmitate (about 50% of the total) while 15-hydroxypalmitate (30%) and 13-hydroxypalmitate (20%) are also produced. No 16-hydroxypalmitate is formed in this system. The effect of substrate chain length on hydroxylation activity was tested with various saturated fatty acids. The relative activity of the hydroxylase with the substrates tested was as follows: C15 (1.00), C16 (0.89), C14 (0.72), C17 (0.34), C18 (0.17), and C12 (0.08). When the distributions of isomeric hydroxy acids formed from C18 and C14 were determined, it was found that the major product from C18 was the (ω - 2) derivative with the (ω - 1) and (ω - 3) components being present in about the same ratio as for palmitate. Myristic acid, however, gave approximately equal amounts of the three isomers, with the (ω - 1) derivative being slightly favored. In neither case was the ω-hydroxy acid detected among the products. Several monounsaturated fatty acids were also tested and were found to be more active as substrates than their saturated analogs of the same chain length. The hydroxylation system is soluble and, in crude form, appears to be quite stable and active. All of the hydroxylase activity remains in the supernatant when a cell-free preparation from B. megaterium is centrifuged at 100,000 x g for 2 hours. Free palmitic acid is a much better substrate than the CoA derivative. Both NADPH and O2 are required for hydroxylase activity but no other non-protein cofactor seems to be involved. The hydroxylation activity is stable to dialysis but decreases to about 20 to 25% of the original level when the 100,000 x g supernatant is passed through Sephadex G-25, presumably due to the loss of a small protein component. The activity can be restored completely by the addition of bacterial ferredoxin to the gel-filtered preparation, but the preparation is no longer stable to freezing and thawing or further chromatographic procedures. The endogenous component for which ferredoxin substitutes is not removed by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation of the 100,000 x g supernatant protein followed by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, and a 10- to 11-fold purification of the hydroxylase was achieved in this manner. However, the hydroxylating activity of this preparation was not stimulated by added ferredoxin and further chromatographic procedures designed to remove the endogenous ferredoxin-like component always resulted in irreversible loss of activity.
Association between magnesium intake and risk of colorectal cancer among postmenopausal women

Data relating to magnesium intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in postmenopausal women are incomplete. We investigated the association between total magnesium intake and the risk of CRC in an ethnically diverse cohort of postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative. Self-reported dietary and supplemental magnesium were combined to form total magnesium intake. Invasive incident CRC was the primary outcome. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). During an average follow-up of 13 years (1,832,319 person-years), of the 140,601 women included for analysis, 2,381 women were diagnosed with CRC (1,982 colon cancer and 438 rectal cancer). After adjustment for potential confounding variables, an inverse association was observed in the highest quintile of total magnesium intake compared to the lowest quintile for risk of CRC (HR 0.79, 95 % CI 0.67, 0.94, p trend < 0.0001) and colon cancer (HR 0.80, 95 % CI 0.66, 0.97, p trend < 0.0001). A borderline significant inverse association was detected in the highest versus the lowest quintile of total magnesium intake for rectal cancer (HR 0.76, 95 % CI 0.51, 1.13, p trend < 0.001). Findings from this study support the hypothesis that magnesium intake around 400 mg/day from both dietary and supplemental sources is associated with a lower incidence of CRC in postmenopausal women.
Biliary secretion and hepatic metabolism of taurine-conjugated 7 alpha-hydroxy and 7 beta-hydroxy bile acids in the dog. Defective hepatic transport and bile hyposecretion.

Abstract Experiments were carried out using chronic bile fistula dogs to define the physiologic properties and metabolism of two unnatural epimeric monohydroxy conjugated bile acids, 7α-hydroxy cholanoyltaurine and 7β-hydroxy cholanoyltaurine. The compounds, labeled with 14 C, were infused intravenously at a rate of 1 μmol/kg · min; effects on bile flow and biliary lipid secretion as well as hepatic biotransformation were defined. The 7-monohydroxy bile acids were secreted quite slowly in bile: recovery during the 90-min infusion interval averaged 16% for the 7α compound and 23% for the 7β compound and after 6 h was only about 60% for the 7α compound and 80% for the 7β compound. Uptake by tissues, presumably the liver, appeared to be efficient, as the level of radioactivity in peripheral blood remained quite low. Both bile acids failed to induce the anticipated increase in bile flow; canalicular bile flow, which was assessed using erythritol clearance, was about half the value observed when cholyltaurine was infused at a similar rate. The "hyposecretion" of bile, which was thought likely to be caused by impaired canalicular transport of the monohydroxy conjugates, was fully reversible, as a subsequent cholyltaurine infusion at a rate of 1 μmol/min · kg immediately restored bile flow and the infused cholyltaurine was secreted normally Each compound was partly 3-hydroxylated during hepatic passage: the 7α compound, about 36% (to form chenodeoxycholyltaurine); the 7β compound, about 23% (to form ursodeoxycholyltaurine). No other biotransformation occurred. Each compound induced phospholipid and cholesterol secretion, but compared to the effects of cholyltaurine, the amount of phospholipid secretion induced (per micromole of secreted bile acid) was less, and that of cholesterol, greater. Thus, the two 7-monohydroxy taurine-conjugated bile acids caused a striking dissociation of induced phospholipid and cholesterol secretion. The results indicate that taurine-conjugated 7-monohydroxy bile acids are poorly secreted by the liver and that their impaired transport is associated with bile hyposecretion, possibly reflecting decreased bile acid-dependent flow; the configuration of their 7-hydroxy group influences their rate of secretion into bile. The results also establish a novel type of bile acid biotransformation (3-hydroxylation) in the dog.
Experimental Evidence for the Fermi Interaction in the β Decay of O 14 and C 10

The $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectra of ${\mathrm{O}}^{14}$ and ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ have been investigated with a NaI scintillation spectrometer. A value of 2.30\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03 Mev was found for the ${\mathrm{O}}^{14}$ nuclear $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray. ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ has two $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays with energies 723\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}15 and 1033\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}30 kev; the number of quanta per disintegration are 0.99\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08 and 1.65\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, respectively. The 1033-kev $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray is associated with a weak positron transition to the 1.74-Mev level in ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}$. There are less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ transitions per disintegration to the 2.15-Mev level of ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}$. By combining our results with those of heavy particle reactions and using the predictions of the charge multiplet theory on the energies of the analog states, we conclude that the ${\mathrm{O}}^{14}$ decay and the weak ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ branch to the 1.74-Mev level of ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}$ are allowed favored 0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 (no) transitions. From the ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ data we find that the ratio of the Fermi to the Gamow-Teller interactions constants ($\frac{{{G}_{F}}^{2}}{{{G}_{\mathrm{GT}}}^{2}}$) is ${0.79}_{\ensuremath{-}0.13}^{+0.27}$, if one assumes $L\ensuremath{-}S$ coupling, and ${0.44}_{\ensuremath{-}0.07}^{+0.15}$ for $j\ensuremath{-}j$ coupling.
Plasma membrane protein composition and synthesis in soybean hypocotyl segments undergoing auxin-induced elongation

The types and amount of plasma membrane proteins synthesized during cell elongation in response to auxin (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) treatment were investigated. Auxin-treated and control soybean (Glycine max L.) hypocotyl segments were incubated with [35S]methionine for various times, ranging from 0.5 to 18 h, prior to isolation of plasma membrane by aqueous two-phase partitioning. Protein accumulated in the plasma membrane after auxin treatment. Despite this accumulation, the protein incorporation rate, estimated by the amount of label in the plasma membrane following a 0.5 h [35S]methionine pulse, was unaffected by auxin treatment at both 0.5 and 18 h of treatment. Protein apparently accumulated by a mechanism distinct from enhanced incorporation. The plasma membrane proteins synthesized by elongating segments differed from controls at 18 h, as evidenced by the pattern of fluorographs following a 0.5 h radiolabelling. However, auxin treatment did not alter the 2-D gel pattern of the polypeptides detectable by silver stain.
Police Involvement in Child Protective Services Investigations: Literature Review and Secondary Data Analysis:

This article examines the relationship of police and child protective services (CPS) coinvolvement to the outcomes of child maltreatment investigations. It reviews practice and empirical literature and conducts a secondary analysis of a national CPS data set. Most sources argue that coordination of the two agencies improves investigations and benefits children and families. Yet, sources also report friction between these agencies, interference with each other's job, and concerns that police involvement increases child removal. In the CPS case data, allegations were more likely to be judged credible when police also investigated and families were also more likely to receive various services. For neglect cases, multi-disciplinary decision making, but not police involvement per se, was linked to child removal. Across studies, police do not appear to hinder CPS effectiveness and may actually promote it. Their investigations should be coordinated in every community.
Seeing things: from microcinematography to live cell imaging

From histology to microcinematography, from cytochemistry to live cell imaging, the history of visualization technology in the life sciences may be understood as a series of cycles of action and reaction between static and dynamic modes of representing life.
A chemiluminescence technique for studying dynamic behavior of trace element species in environmental systems

Abstract The technique of chemiluminescence (CL) has been used to study the kinetics of association of aqueous chromium(III) with iron oxide for Cr(III) concentrations in the ppb range. The results have been compared with atomic absorption experiments for Cr(III) concentrations in the ppm range. Further, the CL technique has been used to study the kinetics of reaction of Cr(III) with citrate ion. The results in the latter case are in reasonable accord with literature results obtained by conventional means. This suggests the potential for application of CL to environmental dynamic studies.
User Study: Influence of Number of Design Errors on Ability to Predict Performance With and Without Controls

Design reviews are typically used for three types of design activities: 1) identifying errors, 2) assessing the impact of the errors, and 3) suggesting solutions for the errors. This experimental study focuses on understanding the second issue as it relates to the number of errors considered, the existence of controls, and the level of domain familiarity of the assessor. A set of design failures and associated controls developed for a completed industry sponsored project is used as the experimental design problem. Non-domain individuals (students from an undergraduate psychology class), domain generalists (first year engineering students), and domain-specialists (graduate mechanical engineering students) are provided a set of failure modes and asked to estimate the likelihood that the system would still successfully achieve the stated objectives. Primary results from the study include the following: the confidence level for all domain population decreased significantly as the number of design errors increased (largest p-value = 0.0793) and this decrease in confidence is more significant as the design errors increase. The impact on confidence is less when solutions (controls) are provided to prevent the errors (largest p-value = 0.0334), the confidence decreased faster for domain general engineers as compared to domain specialists (p = <0.0001). The domain specialists showed higher confidence in making decisions than domain generals and non-domain generalists as the design errors increase.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of osteoclast precursor fusion

Bone marrow macrophages fuse on the bone surface to form multinucleated osteoclasts that then organize to efficiently resorb bone. Many, if not all, of the stages of macrophage fusion involve cytoskeletal components that reorganize the cells. Recruitment may involve chemotactic responses to bone matrix protein and calcium ion gradients and/or chemokine production by bone forming osteoblasts. The roles of integrins vary, depending on the particular subunits with some interfering with fusion and others having a participatory role. RANKL is essential for fusion and many identified modulators of fusion influence RANKL signaling pathways. Tetraspanins have been implicated in fusion of macrophages and myoblasts, but differences in impacts exist between these two cell types. Macrophage recruitment to apoptotic cells prior to their engulfment is driven by the exposed phospholipids on the external surface of the apoptotic cells and there is evidence that this same identification mechanism is employed in macrophage fusion. Because loss of cadherin or ADAM family members suppresses macrophage fusion, a crucial role for these membrane glycoproteins is evident. The Ig membrane glycoprotein superfamily members CD200 and MFR/SIRPalpha are involved in macrophage fusion, although their influences are unresolved. Differential screenings have identified the structurally related membrane proteins DC-STAMP and OC-STAMP as required components for fusion and the contributions to fusion remain active areas of investigation. While many of the key components involved in these processes have been identified, a great deal of work remains in resolving the precise processes involved and the interactions between key contributors to multinucleated osteoclast formation.
Effect of Postural Changes and Isometric Exercise on Doppler-Derived Measurements of Diastolic Function in Normal Subjects

To determine if simple maneuvers that occur in daily life, such as changes in body position and isometric handgrip exercise, affect Doppler-derived measurements of diastolic function, we studied 22 normal male subjects in the supine position at rest and during several postural manipulations and during handgrip exercise. Comparison of values obtained in the 80° upright tilt position with those obtained in the standard supine position revealed significant decreases in early diastolic flow velocity (peak E) (−25 ± 3 percent; p (Chest 1991; 100:357-63)
New AxNb6Se8 (A = Na,K,Rb,Cu,Ag,Zn,Cd,Pb) phases with the Nb3Te4 structure

Abstract A number of ternary niobium selenides, AxNb6Se8 (A = Na,K,Rb,Cu,Ag,Zn,Cd,Pb) have been prepared by means of molten salt ion exchange and ternary element insertion. The A ions enter topotactically into the empty channels of the three-dimensional network structure of Nb3Se4. The size of the ternary ion has little effect on the volume of the Nb3Se4 lattice.
An efficient algorithm for calculation of the Luenberger canonical form

A new algorithm is presented to obtain the Luenberger canonical form for multivariable systems. A distinct feature of the method is that the canonical form is obtained directly and, if necessary, the similarity transformation can be computed. There is a substantial reduction in the amount of computation compared to Luenberger's method. The reduced computations along with Gaussian techniques lend greater inherent accuracy and the ability to refine the solution with additional computations. An example is presented to illustrate the technique.
Random convergence of olfactory inputs in the Drosophila mushroom body

The mushroom body in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster is an associative brain centre that translates odour representations into learned behavioural responses. Kenyon cells, the intrinsic neurons of the mushroom body, integrate input from olfactory glomeruli to encode odours as sparse distributed patterns of neural activity. We have developed anatomic tracing techniques to identify the glomerular origin of the inputs that converge onto 200 individual Kenyon cells. Here we show that each Kenyon cell integrates input from a different and apparently random combination of glomeruli. The glomerular inputs to individual Kenyon cells show no discernible organization with respect to their odour tuning, anatomic features or developmental origins. Moreover, different classes of Kenyon cells do not seem to preferentially integrate inputs from specific combinations of glomeruli. This organization of glomerular connections to the mushroom body could allow the fly to contextualize novel sensory experiences, a feature consistent with the role of this brain centre in mediating learned olfactory associations and behaviours.
Synthesis, characterization, and C–H activation reactions of novel organometallic O-donor ligated Rh(III) complexes

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of the O-donor ligated, air and water stable organometallic complexes trans- (2), and cis-(hfac-O,O)2Rh(CH3)(py) (3), trans-(hfac-O,O)2Rh(C6H5)(py) (4), cis-(hfac-O,O)2Rh(C6H5)(py) (5), and cis-(hfac-O,O)2Rh(Mes)(py) (6) (where hfac-O,O = κ2-O,O-1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonato) are reported. These compounds are analogues to the O-donor iridium complexes that are active catalysts for the hydroarylation and C–H activation reactions as well as the bis-acetylacetonato rhodium complexes, which we recently reported. The trans-complex 2 undergoes a quantitative trans to cis isomerization in cyclohexane to form 3, which activates C–H bonds in both benzene and mesitylene to form compounds 5 and 6, respectively. All of these compounds are air and water stable and do not lead to decomposition products. Complex 5 promotes hydroarylation of styrene by benzene to generate dihydrostilbene.
Health literacy and diabetic foot ulcer healing.

The adherence by patients to diabetic foot ulcer therapy is often difficult. The goal of this study was to begin to understand how a patient's health literacy affects their foot ulcer management decisions. Initially using a cross-sectional study design, we evaluated diabetics with foot ulcers within 4 weeks of being asked to participate in a longitudinal study. We assessed health literacy using measures of general health literacy, diabetes health literacy, diabetes self-efficacy, and diabetes numeracy. Individuals enrolled in the study had higher health literacy based on the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults [33.8 (SD 2.3) versus 27.3 (SD 9.6); p = 0.009] as compared to individuals who previously declined an invitation to enroll in the study. Furthermore, patients with lower Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults scores had larger (p = 0.04) and older (p = 0.125) wounds (markers for poorer prognosis). Other measures of literacy showed similar results. In conclusion, those with diminished health literacy were less likely to enroll in an investigational study and had wounds that were less likely to heal.
A closed-from approach for multi-item inventory grouping

The problem of optimally coordinating the replenishments of the many items in stock with one another is dealt with in this article. Specifically, it considers this coordination based on classifying the items into a few groups with common order cycles for all the items in a particular group. Assuming that the cumulative distribution by value of the inventory can be characterized by a Pareto function of the type f(n) = n/(an + b), (a, b > 0), it establishes that the optimal boundaries of the groups can be obtained as closed-form expressions by solving a system of simultaneous equations. The composition of the successive groups thus obtained is found to equipartition the total cost and to follow geometric sequences in relation to the number of items, the value of items, and the lengths of the order cycles. Graphs have been proposed to aid the implementation of the grouping scheme. Simple iterative schemes are outlined within the framework of the Pareto function to handle other relevant costs.
Wind-driven barotropic gyre I : circulation control by eddy vorticity fluxes to an enhanced removal region

It is well known that the barotropic, wind-driven, single-gyre ocean model reaches an inertiallydominated equilibrium with unrealistic circulation strength when the explicit viscosity is reduced to realistically low values. It is shown here that the overall circulation strength can be controlled nonlocally by retaining thin regions of enhanced viscosity parameterizing the effects of increased mixing and topographic interaction near the boundaries. The control is possible even when the inertial boundary layer width is larger than the enhanced viscosity region, as eddy e uxes of vorticity from the interior transport vorticity across the mean streamlines of the inertial boundary current to the frictional region. In relatively inviscid calculations the eddies are the major means of e ux across interior mean streamlines.
Regulation of Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS-1)/AKT Kinase-mediated Insulin Signaling by O-Linked β-N-Acetylglucosamine in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Increased O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is associated with insulin resistance in muscle and adipocytes. Upon insulin treatment of insulin-responsive adipocytes, O-GlcNAcylation of several proteins is increased. Key insulin signaling proteins, including IRS-1, IRS-2, and PDK1, are substrates for OGT, suggesting potential O-GlcNAc control points within the pathway. To elucidate the roles of O-GlcNAc in dampening insulin signaling (Vosseller, K., Wells, L., Lane, M. D., and Hart, G. W. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 5313–5318), we focused on the pathway upstream of AKT. Increasing O-GlcNAc in 3T3-L1 adipocytes decreases phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) interactions with both IRS-1 and IRS-2. Elevated O-GlcNAc also reduces phosphorylation of the PI3K p85 binding motifs (YXXM) of IRS-1 and results in a concomitant reduction in tyrosine phosphorylation of Y608XXM in IRS-1, one of the two main PI3K p85 binding motifs. Additionally, insulin signaling stimulates the interaction of OGT with PDK1. We conclude that one of the steps at which O-GlcNAc contributes to insulin resistance is by inhibiting phosphorylation at the Y608XXM PI3K p85 binding motif in IRS-1 and possibly at PDK1 as well.