cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Empirical Study on Correlation of Urbanization and Development of Tertiary Industry

The paper sets out to analyze correlation between urbanization and the tertiary industry based on analysis of statistical data from 2000 to 2009.Modern measurement methods are used.It is found that the present stage of urbanization in Anhui province and the development of tertiary industry are positively correlated,and their correlation is higher than that and the development of the second industry.The highly relevant tertiary businesses are transportation,warehousing,postal industries,real estate,wholesale,retail,hotel and restaurant.On the basis of these analyses,suggestions are put forward,which will promote the coordinated development of tertiary industry and the urbanization of Anhui Province.
Expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 in serum from patients with lung cancer

Aim: To study the expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 in serum from patients with lung cancer. Methods: ELISA was used to measure the expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 in the serum from 136 lung cancer patients,140 cases of lung benign diseases and 145 healthy people( control group),and the relationship between the expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b,HDAC1 and clinical characteristics of lung cancer was analyzed. Results: The expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 in patients with lung cancer were higher than those in lung benign diseases group and control group( F = 3. 281,62. 510,37. 273,57. 721,P 0. 05). The result of logistic regression showed that the overexpressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 might increase the risk of lung cancer( P 0. 001). There were no correlations among the expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b or HDAC1 between different histological types( P 0. 05),while there were statistical significances in the expressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 between different stages( t = 0. 843,0. 244,0. 222,0. 878,P 0. 05). Conclusion: The overex pressions of DNMT1,DNMT3a,DNMT3b and HDAC1 could contribute to the occurrence and development of lung cancer.
Abstract A52: Overcoming mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-mediated resistance to targeted therapies in melanoma

Abstracts: AACR Special Conference: Metabolism and Cancer; June 7-10, 2015; Bellevue, WA There is a critical need to understand and overcome resistance to targeted therapy in cancer. While FDA-approved BRAF and MEK inhibitors achieve clinical responses in the majority of metastatic melanoma patients with a BRAFV600 mutation, a significant proportion of patients have minimal responses, and virtually all patients develop acquired resistance in a short period of time. We and others have shown that increased oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos), which is critically dependent on the transcriptional co-activator PGC1α, can mediate de novo resistance to MAPK pathway inhibitors in melanomas with BRAFV600 mutations. We have also demonstrated that elevated OxPhos (a) mediates de novo resistance to MEK inhibitors in melanoma cell lines without BRAFV600 mutations; (b) characterizes 30-50% of BRAFV600-mutant cell lines and patients with acquired resistance to BRAF +/- MEK inhibitors; and (c) predicts sensitivity to dual inhibition of mTORC1/2 in vitro and in vivo . Inhibition of mTORC1/2 downregulates both PGC1α and OxPhos through a novel mechanism involving the subcellular localization of the transcription factor MITF. To further exploit the therapeutic potential of targeting OxPhos, we have evaluated the molecular and anti-melanoma activities of a novel OxPhos inhibitor, IACS-10759, developed at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. IACS-10759 potently inhibits the electron transport chain Complex I of mitochondrial OxPhos at low nanomolar concentrations. Additionally, this molecule has favorable safety and pharmacokinetic profile in animal models. Normal melanocytes, skin fibroblasts and most melanoma cell lines were not sensitive to micromolar doses of IACS-10759. However, a subset of de novo and acquired resistant melanomas with high OxPhos were sensitive to low nanomolar concentrations of IACS-10759 and underwent apoptotic cell death with treatment. An additional subset of melanomas were sensitive to the combination of IACS-10759 with MEK or BRAF inhibitors. Early functional studies revealed AMPK-activation associated effects as mediators of sensitivity, in addition to the inability of the cells to use alternate metabolic pathways for energy generation. Our findings demonstrate that a high OxPhos metabolic phenotype is associated with de novo and acquired resistance to MAPK pathway targeted therapies in melanoma, and support that targeting mTORC1/2 and the OxPhos complex 1 are promising strategies for counteracting this resistance. Citation Format: Vashisht Gopal Yennu-Nanda, Zeping Hu, Victoria M. Thiele, Tim Heffernan, Maria DiFrancesco, Joe Marszalek, Ralph Deberadinis, Michael A. Davies. Overcoming mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-mediated resistance to targeted therapies in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Metabolism and Cancer; Jun 7-10, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(1_Suppl):Abstract nr A52.
A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF CAUSES OF SKIN LESIONS IN WILD TURKEYS (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO) IN THE EASTERN USA, 1975–2013

Abstract Skin lesions of Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are a common cause of concern to wildlife biologists and the general public and are a frequent reason for submission to diagnostic laboratories. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the causes, occurrence, and epidemiologic patterns of skin lesions in Wild Turkeys in the eastern US. Skin lesions were diagnosed in 30% (n=199) of the 660 Wild Turkey samples submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study diagnostic service from 1975 to 2013. Avian pox was the most frequent cause of skin lesions (66%, n=131), followed by bacterial dermatitis (22%, n=44), ectoparasitism-related dermatitis (3%, n=6), fungal dermatitis (2.5%, n=5), and neoplasia (2.0%, n=4). Although the gross appearance of skin lesions is often insufficient to determine the etiology, the anatomic distribution of lesions and temporal occurrence of certain diseases may offer insights into likely causes. Cases with lesions involving or restricted to the...
Aryl and Benzyl C–H Activation of N-Substituted PNP Ligands

The synthesis of the N-aryl-substituted PNP pro-ligands H(PNnaphP) (N-di(2-diisopropylphosphine-4-methylphenyl)naphthylamine) and H(PNtolP) (N-di(2-diisopropylphosphine-4-methylphenyl)-o-tolylamine) is reported. The corresponding iridium(III) complexes, [(PNnaphP)Ir(H)Cl], [(o-methyl-PNtolP)Ir(H)Cl], [(o-aryl-PNtolP)Ir(H)Cl], [(PNnaphP)Ir(H)2], [(o-methyl-PNtolP)Ir(H)2], and [(o-aryl-PNtolP)Ir(H)2], were also synthesized and structurally characterized, along with reaction intermediates, demonstrating various ligand coordination modes.
Strategies for Reaching the Welfare-to-Work Population

This article proposes strategies for reaching the welfare-to-work population that has not taken advantage of provisions in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996. Attorneys and other concerned citizens must first locate welfare-to-work candidates. Strategies for locating candidates include working with community and civic groups, churches and religious organizations, volunteering at legal aid clinics, and organizing "street law" approaches. Another strategy hinges on understanding that many of the people who have not taken advantage of the welfare-to-work benefits are suspicious not only of anyone new but also of any measure that purports to benefit the poor.
A literature review of the biology and ecology of coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in China

Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki is a serious pest to homes and structures in the south of China. It has been widely studied by Chinese researchers during the past 35 years. However, most studies are not known outside of China due to limited circulation and the language barrier. This paper summarizes the study on biology and ecology of C. formosanus in China. Included are infestations in China, colony dispersal flight, development of incipient colonies, mature colony age, colony size and life expectancy, production of supplementary reproductives, production of soldiers, nest structure, activity pattern, relationship between environment and C. formosanus distribution and activities, and nest development. Comparisons were made with studies conducted in the U.S. The production of supplementary reproductives is suggested for further investigation.
Motivations for Leaving Gangs in the USA: A Qualitative Comparison of Leaving Processes Across Gang Definitions

Prior research has documented that youth self-identified as gang members comprise a different group than those identified by the Eurogang definition. These two groups of gang-identified youth, however, share similar risk factors and are also more violent than their non-gang counterparts. Other work, which has examined youth that both self-nominate and meet the Eurogang definition, finds that these multi-definitional gang youth score significantly higher on risk factors and offending than those youth who meet only one definition. The first aim of the current study is to expand on these definitional comparisons, as well as further research on gang desistance, by comparing the motivations for leaving the gang across self-nominated gang youth, Eurogang youth, and youth meeting both conceptual definitions. The self-nominated gang desistance literature suggests that, when leaving the gang, youth typically become disillusioned with gang life and begin to drift away from their gang friends. Of particular note is that motivations associated with violence are relatively infrequent. Given the more violent nature of multi-definitional gang youth, however, we may expect that these youth experience motivations related to violent victimization and violence fatigue. This study relies on both prospective quantitative surveys and retrospective qualitative interviews to compare motivations for gang desistance in a multisite sample of self-nominated gang and Eurogang-defined youth. This mixed-methods approach also allows for a comparison in the consistency of prospective and retrospective motivations for leaving the gang, which is the second aim of this chapter.
Thermal Conductivity of Solid H 2 O and D 2 O at Low Temperatures

The Solid State Science Division of the Argonne National Laboratory and the Reactor Group of the National Bureau of Standards are currently planning a low-energy neutron beam Installation for use in the study of thermal neutron Inelastic scattering from solids and liquids. Such a beam can be generated by placing a low-temperature moderator in the proximity of a nuclear reactor core and allowing thermal neutrons to inelastically scatter In the cold moderating medium. The resultant cold neutrons diffuse from the moderator and are used to form the low-energy neutron beam.
Enhancing learning outcomes through self-regulated learning support with an Open Learner Model

Open Learner Models (OLMs) have great potential to support students' Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). Yet few classroom experiments have been conducted to empirically evaluate whether and how an OLM can enhance students' domain level learning outcomes through the scaffolding of SRL processes in an ITS. In two classroom experiments with a total of 302 7th- and 8th-grade students, we investigated the effect of (a) an OLM that supports students' self-assessment of their equation-solving skills and (b) shared control over problem selection, on students' equation-solving abilities, enjoyment of learning with the tutor, self-assessment accuracy, and problem selection decisions. In the first, smaller experiment, the hypothesized main effect of the OLM on students' learning outcomes was confirmed; we found no main effect of shared control of problem selection, nor an interaction. In the second, larger experiment, the hypothesized main effects were not confirmed, but we found an interaction such that the students who had access to the OLM learned significantly better equation-solving skills than their counterparts when shared control over problem selection was offered in the system. Thus, the two experiments support the notion that an OLM can enhance students' domain-level learning outcomes through scaffolding of SRL processes, and are among the first in-vivo classroom experiments to do so. They suggest that an OLM is especially effective if it is designed to support multiple SRL processes.
Research Article: Physiological profiles of free-living birds with antibodies to West Nile virus

Abstract Studies of West Nile virus (WNV) are prevalent in avian, equine, and human health literature over the past 15 years. What remain poorly understood are immune and physiological mechanisms that promote survival of WNV infection in natural populations. We captured downy woodpeckers, house finches, and northern cardinals before, during, and after a local WNV outbreak to determine seroprevalence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies to WNV in the local bird population. Variation in physiological traits associated with a history of WNV infection was assessed in these free-living avian hosts. The presence of WNV antibodies differed among the three species. The findings also reveal phenotypic qualities of birds that survived the virus, and potential costs associated with carrying the virus. Body condition, innate immune function, and antioxidant capacity differed significantly among birds with and without antibodies to WNV. Northern cardinals with WNV IgM were in significantly better body condition. Indiv...
Large Compressive Pseudomeningocele Causing Early Major Neurologic Deficit After Spinal Surgery.

Study Design:Retrospective review.Objectives:Large compressive pseudomeningocele causing a major neurologic deficit is a very rare complication that is not well described in the existing literature...
Jejuno-jejunal intussusception in a guinea pig ( Cavia porcellus ).

An approximately four-year-old male castrated guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was presented for painful defecation with a 24-hour history of hyporexia and intermittent episodes of rolling behavior. Upon presentation the patient was quiet, alert, and responsive, and mildly hypothermic. Abdominal palpation revealed an approximately 2-cm long oblong mass within the caudal abdomen. Abdominal radiographs revealed gastric dilation without volvulus and a peritoneal mass effect. The patient was euthanized following gastric reflux of brown malodorous fluid from his nares and oral cavity. A necropsy was performed and revealed a jejuno-jejunal intussusception causing mechanical gastrointestinal ileus, and gastric dilatation without volvulus. While non-obstructive gastrointestinal stasis is common and obstructive ileus is uncommon in guinea pigs, this report shows that intestinal intussusception is a differential in guinea pigs with ileus and gastric dilatation.
Leiomyosarcoma of the head and neck: A 17‐year single institution experience and review of the National Cancer Data Base

BACKGROUND Leiomyosarcoma is a rare neoplasm of the head and neck. The purpose of this study was to present our single-institution case series of head and neck leiomyosarcoma and a review of cases in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). METHODS Patients with head and neck leiomyosarcoma at the University of Pennsylvania and in the NCDB were identified. Demographic characteristics, tumor factors, treatment paradigms, and outcomes were evaluated for prognostic significance. RESULTS Nine patients with head and neck leiomyosarcoma from the institution were identified; a majority had high-grade disease and cutaneous leiomyosarcoma, with a 5-year survival rate of 50%. Two hundred fifty-nine patients with leiomyosarcoma were found in the NCDB; macroscopic positive margins and high-grade disease were associated with poor prognosis (P < .01), and positive surgical margins were related to adjuvant radiation (P < .001). CONCLUSION Head and neck leiomyosarcoma presents at a high grade and is preferentially treated with surgery. Several demographic and tumor-specific factors are associated with outcomes and prognosis.
Precedent, Three-Judge District Courts, and the Law of Democracy

As recent partisan gerrymandering cases have shown, three-judge district courts play a unique and important role in how the federal judiciary considers significant election law disputes. Yet two somewhat quirky procedural questions involving these courts remain unresolved: first, is a Supreme Court ruling to summarily affirm a three-judge district court’s decision precedential on all future courts? That is, why should a one-line order from the Supreme Court, without explanation, formally bind all future courts on the issue, especially when it is unclear what aspect of the lower court’s decision was correct? Second, must a three-judge district court follow, as mandatory authority, circuit precedent in the circuit in which it sits, even though an appeal from the ruling of a three-judge district court will skip the court of appeals and go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court? This Article tackles these problems and provides clear-cut answers, which will ultimately improve judicial decision making for some of the most important cases that the federal judiciary hears given their effect on democracy. On the first question, we find that summary decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court are entitled to zero or very little precedential value, and therefore that the Justices need not feel obliged to hear these cases in full if they want the issue to percolate in the lower courts first. Yet there should be a presumption in favor of the Court providing legal guidance on the issue, meaning that most of the time it should set the case for oral argument and provide a full written opinion. On the second question, we conclude that circuit precedent is not formally binding on three-judge district courts, although of course in many cases it will be highly persuasive. Procedural questions stemming from three-judge district courts impact their substantive rulings, which mostly involve redistricting and campaign finance. Resolving these two questions on the procedures involving three-judge district courts will help to ensure that these special courts operate as Congress intended, ultimately improving our electoral system.
Middleton, Michael, Aaron Hess, Danielle Endres, and Samantha Senda-Cook. Participatory Critical Rhetoric: Theoretical and Methodological Foundations for Studying Rhetoric in Situ.: Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2015. xxix + 210 pp. $85.00 (hardback). ISBN-13: 978-1-4985-1380-7.

Should rhetorical critics study events in their natural context? Should they adopt methods drawn from qualitative research? The authors offer a resounding “yes” and advocate for “a set of research ...
MRI-Guided Prostate Interventions

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study is to discuss the use of MRI-guided and MRI-directed prostate biopsy techniques, describe how interventional MRI focal therapies are used for the treatment of prostate cancer, and predict future directions in prostate interventional MRI. The prospect of establishing a center for prostate imaging, diagnosis, and treatment is also discussed. CONCLUSION. Low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer can be safely treated with MRI-compatible devices and techniques such as biopsy, cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound, or focal laser ablation performed from a transrectal or transperineal approach. Although the long-term effectiveness of focal therapy for prostate cancer is unknown, the effect on urinary or sexual function is extremely low. These procedures are attracting an increasing number of men who view focal therapies as a better alternative to the uncertainty of no therapy and the more radical whole-gland surgical and radiation therapies with their higher comp...
Experimental Investigation of Corners in the Yield Surface

Thin-walled tubular specimens of 1100 aluminum and OFHC copper were subjected to biaxial zig-zag loading paths through the application of simultaneous axial tension and internal pressure. The definite correlation between the change in direction of the applied stress increment and the resulting plastic strain increment indicated the existence of a corner or pointed vertex at the loading point. Direct yield surface determinations both before and after the zig-zag loading tests indicated smooth yield curves. The apparent disagreement was a result of effects associated with the unloading process prior to the yield surface determination. It is postulated that the loading surface (boundary between elastic and plastic deformation during loading) contains a corner at the loading point, and the yield surface (elastic-plastic boundary in the unloaded state) remains smooth. Hence, both the zig-zag loading results, which depend upon the shape of the loading surface, and the yield surface studies, which depend upon the shape of the yield surface, are explained.
“Diversity Is Important to Me”: White Parents and Exposure-to-Diversity Parenting Practices:

Drawing upon interviews with 40 parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, the author explores how “exposure to diversity,” an implicit racial socialization practice, has become a defining feature of how some mi...
Is Length of Stay Influenced by the Weekday On Which Lumbar Surgery is Performed

BACKGROUND Reducing length of stay (LOS) in a safe manner has the potential to save significant costs for the care of patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery. Due to the relative absence on weekends of staff required for discharging patients to rehabilitation or nursing facilities, we hypothesize that patients undergoing lumbar surgery later in the week have a longer LOS than their counterparts. OBJECTIVE To analyze the effect of day of the week for lumbar surgery on LOS. METHODS Patients undergoing surgery for lumbar degenerative disease were prospectively enrolled in the multicenter quality and outcomes database registry. A multivariable proportional odds regression model was built with LOS as the outcome of interest and patient and surgical variables as covariates. RESULTS A total of 11 897 patients were analyzed. Among those discharged home, the regression analysis demonstrated significantly higher odds of longer LOS for patients undergoing surgery on Friday as compared to Monday (P < .001). Among those discharged to a facility, there were significantly higher odds of longer LOS for patients undergoing surgery on Wednesday (P < .001), Thursday (P < .001), and Friday (P = .002) as compared to Monday. CONCLUSION The findings of this study suggest that lumbar patients undergoing fusions and those discharged to a facility have longer LOS when surgery is later in the week. Scheduling these patients for surgery earlier in the week and ensuring adequate resources for patient disposition on weekends may lead to LOS reduction and cost savings for hospitals, payers, and patients alike.
The Genealogy of (Im)Morals

This section endeavors to frame the Atlantic World’s plantation generally and Jefferson’s Monticello specifically as factories of particular types of Exalted and Abject beings. Sally Hemings, the property (enslaved woman) and mistress (mother of his children) of Thomas Jefferson, is examined as a particular type of revolutionary actor that captures agency through the self-alienation of her own freedom in order to secure that of her progeny. This is in counter-point to other modes of agency employed by enslaved women that included infanticide as presented in Morrison’s Beloved as a method of recapturing lost agency and shattering the essential genealogical logic of the enslaved condition.
Experimental Evaluation of Shear Strength of Kaolin Clay under Cyclic and Noncyclic Thermal Loading

The soil response to daily temperature variation imposed by an energy pile is critical for estimating the energy pile’s capacity and serviceability. It is, therefore, necessary to determine the temperature-induced effects on mechanical properties of soils. This article presents the results of an experimental study on the effects of thermal loading on shear strength of reconstituted kaolin clay. The study was performed using a triaxial testing apparatus capable of applying thermal loading. Different cyclic and noncyclic thermal loadings, with temperatures ranging between 24°C and 34°C, were applied. In addition, two theoretical mechanisms defining force distribution at the interparticle level were used to analyze the shearing behavior of clay under thermal loading. Both experimental and theoretical results indicate that the influence of temperature variation on the shear strength of clay is primarily controlled by stress state and stress history.
An experiment on the vote-buy gap with application to cage-free eggs

Abstract Why would people vote to ban a product they regularly consume? This question is at the crux of the controversies over a variety of ballot initiatives restricting certain agricultural production practices. This research moves the question to a controlled laboratory setting with real food and real money to explore the underlying causes of the so-called vote-buy gap. Respondents first made a shopping choice between snack options, some of which included eggs from caged hens as an ingredient. After selecting a snack, participants then voted on a proposition to ban snack options that utilized eggs from caged hens. We show that the vote-buy gap can be replicated in the lab: in the control condition, approximately 80% of the individuals who chose snacks with caged eggs when shopping subsequently voted to ban snacks with caged eggs. The finding rules out the suggestion that the vote-buy gap is an illusion or statistical artifact, as it can be re-created in an experimental lab setting at an individual level. A number of experimental treatments were conducted to test hypotheses related to the underlying causes of the vote-buy gap. We found qualified support for the hypothesis that the vote-buy gap is a result of information asymmetries, but little evidence that it results from public good or expressive voting phenomena.
The Glycoprotein Ib-IX-V Complex

Abstract The glycoprotein (GP)Ib-IX-V complex is abundantly expressed on the surface of platelets and megakaryocytes, and serves as a mechanoreceptor for a number of ligands and counter-receptors in the circulation such as thrombin, von Willebrand factor, and integrin αMβ2. Missing functional GPIb-IX-V in the platelet results in Bernard-Soulier syndrome, characterized by macrothrombocytopenia and a severe bleeding disorder. During hemostasis, GPIb-IX-V critically mediates initial adhesion of circulating platelets to the injured site under shear flow, and induces platelet activation and thrombus formation. Recent studies have also revealed the key involvement of GPIb-IX-V in thrombosis, inflammation, platelet clearance, thrombopoiesis, and other physiological and pathological processes. This chapter describes recent findings on the structure of GPIbα, GPIbβ, GPIX, and GPV subunits, their assembly into a highly integrated receptor complex, their association with extracellular ligands, membrane co-receptors, and intracellular proteins, and the mechanisms of shear-induced signal transduction.
Top-Down Fabrication of Spatially Controlled Mineral-Gradient Scaffolds for Interfacial Tissue Engineering

Materials engineering can generally be divided into “bottom-up” and “top-down” approaches, where current state-of-the-art methodologies are bottom-up, relying on the advent of atomic-scale technologies. Applying bottom-up approaches to biological tissues is challenging due to the inherent complexity of these systems. Top-down methodologies provide many advantages over bottom-up approaches for biological tissues, given that some of the complexity is already built into the system. Here, we generate interfacial scaffolds by the spatially controlled removal of mineral content from trabecular bone using a chelating solution. We controlled the degree and location of the mineral interface, producing scaffolds that support cell growth, while maintaining the hierarchical structure of these tissues. We characterized the structural and compositional gradients across the scaffold using X-ray diffraction, microcomputed tomography (μCT), and Raman microscopy, revealing the presence of mineral gradients on the scale of ...
Focused cardiac ultrasound and point-of-care NT-proBNP assay in the emergency room for differentiation of cardiac and noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) and point‐of‐care N‐terminal proBNP assay in the emergency setting for differentiation of cardiac from noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats. DESIGN: Prospective diagnostic accuracy study between 2014 and 2016. SETTING: Emergency room at an urban university teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Forty‐one client‐owned cats presenting for evaluation of respiratory distress. INTERVENTIONS: Emergency clinicians made an initial diagnosis of noncardiac or cardiac cause of respiratory distress based on physical examination (PE) findings and history. The diagnoses were updated after performing FOCUS and point‐of‐care N‐terminal B‐type natriuretic peptide (POC‐BNP). Reference standard diagnosis was determined by agreement of a board‐certified cardiologist and critical care specialist with access to subsequent radiographs and echocardiograms. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Forty‐one cats were enrolled. Three cats with incomplete data and 1 cat with an uncertain reference standard diagnosis were excluded. The remaining 37 cats were used for analysis: 21 cardiac and 16 noncardiac cases. The ratio of left atrial to aortic root diameter (LA:Ao) measured by FOCUS was significantly correlated with LA:Ao measured by echocardiography (R = 0.646, P < 0.0001). Emergency clinicians correctly diagnosed 27 of 37 (73.0%), yielding a PE positive percent agreement = 76.2% (95% CI, 52.8–91.8%) and negative percent agreement = 68.8% (95% CI, 41.3–89.0%). Five noncardiac and 5 cardiac cats were misdiagnosed. Post FOCUS, overall percent agreement improved to 34 of 37 (91.9%), with positive percent agreement = 95.2% (95% CI, 76.2–99.9%) and negative percent agreement = 87.5% (95% CI, 61.7–98.5%). The POC‐BNP yielded an overall percent agreement = 32/34 (94.1%), positive percent agreement = 100% (95% CI, 82.4–100.0%), and negative percent agreement = 86.7% (95% CI, 59.5–98.3%) in differentiating cardiac versus noncardiac cases. CONCLUSIONS: FOCUS evaluation of basic cardiac structure and LA:Ao by trained emergency clinicians improved accuracy of diagnosis compared to PE in cats with respiratory distress. FOCUS and POC‐BNP are useful diagnostics in the emergent setting.
Datasets from an impact evaluation of a targeted prekindergarten program

Given general trends in extant research on the impact of prekindergarten and that the structure and implementation of prekindergarten programs vary by state, researchers, educators, and policymakers are raising questions about what works, for whom, under what conditions, and the cost-benefit of such endeavors. Yet not all states have formally examined program impacts and few datasets have been expressly collected to evaluate effects. The current data article represents empirical examinations in the state of Connecticut on the comparability of treatment and control groups, tests of the robustness of impact estimates, and the psychometric properties of outcome measures. Stata code for replication purposes is included.
Scission, a critical step in autophagosome formation

A key feature of macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is the formation of the phagophore, a double-membrane compartment sequestering cargos and finally maturing into a vesicle termed an autophagosome; however, where these membranes originate from is not clear. In a previous study, researchers from the Rubinsztein lab proposed a model in which the autophagosome can evolve from the RAB11A-positive recycling endosome. In their recent paper, they determine that DNM2 (dynamin 2) functions in scission of the recycling endosome, and the release of the autophagosome precursor. These findings explain how the centronuclear myopathy (CNM) mutation in DNM2 results in the accumulation of immature autophagic structures.
Long-Range Ferromagnetic Exchange Interactions Mediated by Mn-CeIV-Mn Superexchange Involving Empty 4f Orbitals.

Reactions involving reductive aggregation of MnO4- in methanol in the presence of CeIV and an excess of carboxylic acid have led to the synthesis of structurally related Ce/Mn clusters, [Ce3Mn5O8(OMe)(O2CBut)13(MeOH)] (1) and [Ce2Mn3O5(O2CPh)9(MeOH)3] (2), containing at least one {Mn2Ce2O4} cubane unit. The cores of both clusters contain Mnx units separated by three (1) or two (2) CeIV ions. Fits of variable-temperature, solid-state dc and ac magnetic susceptibility data reveal dominant ferromagnetic interactions within 1 and 2, resulting in the maximum S = 17/2 and S = 5 ground state spins, respectively, and thus suggesting significant ferromagnetic (F) interactions between the Mnx units that are ≥6 A apart and separated by four intervening bonds through diamagnetic CeIV. Fits of magnetic susceptibility data also revealed unusual long-range F interactions, and this finding was further supported by high-field EPR measurements and simulations. Density functional theory calculations and a Wannier function analysis confirm long-range interactions and indicate a Mn-Ce-Mn superexchange pathway via Mn-d/Ce-f orbital overlap/hybridization.
Morphology and development of the primary vascular system of the stem

Perspective The primary vascular system extends throughout the root system, the stem and its lateral branches, and appendages of the stem such as leaves, flowers, and fruits. The basic pattern of the primary vascular system is established initially by the arrangement of provascular tissue in the embryo. As development of the young plant proceeds, the provascular tissue becomes restricted to the shoot apex and to the root tip proximal to the root cap. Differentiation in the provascular tissue leads to the development of mature, functional primary xylem and primary phloem (Fig. 6.1). In primitive plants with central columns of primary vascular tissue ( protosteles ) (many pteridophytes as well as the roots of most plants), phloem surrounds the xylem (Fig. 6.1a). In those with tubular vascular systems ( siphonosteles ) this is usually also true, but in some taxa phloem may bound the xylem on the interior as well as on the exterior (Fig. 6.1b). In seed plants in which the primary vascular systems consist of discrete, or relatively discrete, vascular bundles ( eusteles ) (Fig. 6.1c, d), the spatial relationship of primary xylem and primary phloem varies according to the bundle type, i.e., whether collateral, bicollateral, amphicribral, or amphivasal. In collateral bundles , the primary xylem comprises the part of the bundle toward the inside of the stem and the primary phloem comprises the outer part (Figs. 6.1, 6.2, 6.4) whereas in bicollateral bundles phloem occurs both to the inside and to the outside of the primary xylem.
The association between neurohormonal therapy and mortality in older adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Neurohormonal therapy, which includes beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEi/ARBs), is the cornerstone of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) treatment. While neurohormonal therapies have demonstrated efficacy in randomized clinical trials, older patients, which now comprise the majority of HFrEF patients, were underrepresented in those original trials. This study aimed to determine the association between short- (30 day) and long-term (1 year) mortality and the use of neurohormonal therapy in HFrEF patients, across the age spectrum. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS This is a population-based, retrospective, cohort study between January 2008 and December 2015. We used 100% Medicare Parts A and B and a random 40% sample of Part D to create a cohort of 295,494 fee-for-service beneficiaries with at least one hospitalization for HFrEF between 2008 and 2015. All analyses were performed between May 2019 and July 2020. EXPOSURE We used Part D data to determine exposure to beta-blocker and ACEi and ARB therapy. RESULTS We found that in 295,494 patients admitted for HFrEF between 2008 and 2015, the average age was 80 years, 54% were female and 17% were non-white. The baseline mortality rate was higher among those aged ≥85, but the mortality benefits of neurohormonal therapy were preserved across the age spectrum. Among those ≥85 years old, the hazard ratio for death within 30 days was 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.56-0.62; p < 0.001) for beta-blockers and 0.47 (95% CI 0.44-0.49; p < 0.001) for ACEi/ARBs. The hazard ratio for death within 1 year was 0.37-0.56 (95% CI 0.35-0.58; p < 0.001) for beta-blockers and 0.38-0.53 (95% CI 0.37-0.55; p < 0.001) for ACEi/ARB. CONCLUSION At a population level, neurohormonal therapy was associated with lower short- and long-term mortality across the age spectrum.
Electronic Structure Theory for Zeolites

Zeolites have many industrial applications, and there appear to be potential new uses for them, such as templates for semiconductor supralattices, which take advantage of the electronic properties of the semiconductor and framework. The large size and complexity of these systems have made them a challenge to solid state theorists. In this article we have tried to demonstrate that electronic structure based methods, although computationally demanding, are now able to address some of the important issues to obtain an understanding on a microscopic scale of the properties of these materials. Solid state methods provide a unified framework for studying both reactivity and structure of zeolites. The field is wide open and enormously exciting. The tremendous advances in electronic structure theory and computing power now finally make these systems accessible.
Attractors and Democratic Dynamics

Cellular transcription networks are conceptualized as distributed control systems that regulate gene expression.
Production of coyol wine from Acrocomia mexicana (Arecaceae) in Honduras

Production of “vino de coyol” (palm sap wine) fromAcrocomia mexicana (Arecaceae) was observed in Honduras. Trees are selected, felled, and tapped by cutting a small trough into one section of the crownshaft. The sap is collected, bottled, allowed to ferment for 24 h, and sold. The resulting beverage contains 12.86% alcohol but has little nutritional value. This is an example of a small-scale industry based on the harvest of wild palms
Initiation of epileptiform activity in a rat model of periventricular nodular heterotopia

Purpose Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) are, in humans, often associated with difficult-to-control epilepsy. However, there is considerable controversy about the role of the PNH in seizure generation and spread. To study this issue, we have used a rat model in which injection of methylazoxymethanol (MAM) into pregnant rat dams produces offspring with nodular heterotopia-like brain abnormalities.
A compact digital channel vocoder using commercial devices

A very small, high-quality, full-duplex 2.4 kbps channel vocoder based on the JSRU Belgard design has been implemented with commercially available integrated circuits. This fully digital realization is based on a distributed signal processing architecture employing six (6) Nippon Electric Company (N.E.C.) µPD7720 Signal Processing Interface (SPI) single chip microcomputers. Three of the µPD7720s implement a Belgard-type analysis filter bank by dividing the 19 channels into groups of 6, 6, and 7 channels. Similarly, a Belgard synthesizer including excitation generation is realized by two SPI's which process and combine the 10- and 9-channel subbands comprising the output speech. A one-chip implementation of the Gold pitch and voicing decision algorithm is achieved with the sixth µPD7720. An intel 8085-based 8-bit microcomputer is used for data transfer, control and multiplexing functions, and communications with the host terminal. Finally, the design features a compact analog subsystem based on a telecommunications industry LSI CODEC-with-filters chip. A total of 26 integrated circuits is required with a power dissipation of 11.5 watts and occupying about 70% of a 7" × 7" wirewrap board (excluding power supply). A very compact, full-duplex 2.4 kbps LPC vocoder has also been designed based on the same architecture as the channel vocoder but requires only three µPD7720s. A total of 16 integrated circuits are used in the LPC vocoder with a power dissipation of 8.6 watts, occupying one-half of a 7" × 7" wirewrap board.
Hardware/software tradeoffs in a variable word width, variable queue length buffer memory

This paper describes a buffer memory design which is integratable on a single 40 pin package. The memory consists of four variable word width, variable length queues, address logic, and logic for configuring the data widths and queue lengths. Simple program commands input on the data lines reconfigure the memories when the circuit is in program mode. In data mode, WRITE and READ requests to a particular buffer enable the memory to load and access itself, update its pointers, and check for full, empty, and bottom of queue conditions. This design is compared to software methods for queue maintenance. Speed of operation, in terms of memory cycles and register transfers is compared for the two methods, and the hardware complexity of both methods is discussed. A short discussion of hard and software tradeoffs is followed by conclusions.
Evoked potentials from the dentate gyrus during auditory stimulus generalization in the rat

Abstract Averaged evoked potentials were recorded from the outer molecular layer of the denate gyrus in freely moving rats undergoing tests of stimulus generalization during performance of an auditory discrimination task. Results indicated that the two major negative components (N 1 and N 2 ) were reciprocally related to the degree of stimulus generalization as indicated by the behavioral response gradient. The N 1 component was larger when stimuli were least similar in frequency to the originally trained stimulus, whereas the N 2 component was smaller under those same conditions. Destruction of either the entorhinal cortex or the medial and lateral septal nuclei resulted in differential alterations in both stimulus generalization behavior and components of the averaged potentials from the outer molecular layer. The results suggest differential functional roles for the septal and entorhinal projections to the dentate gyrus of the rodent hippocampal formation.
Inflammatory Markers Are Associated With Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Chemopreventive Response to Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

Background & Aims Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) lower the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated whether plasma inflammatory markers were associated with risk of CRC and if use of anti-inflammatory drugs was differentially associated with risk of CRC according to levels of inflammatory markers. Methods We measured levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and the soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNFR-2) in blood samples from 32,826 women, collected from 1989 to 1990. Through 2004, we documented 280 cases of incident CRC; each case was matched for age to 2 randomly selected participants without cancer (controls). Information on anti-inflammatory drug (aspirin and NSAIDs) use was collected biennially. Results Compared with women in the lowest quartile of plasma levels of sTNFR-2, women in the highest quartile had an increased risk of CRC (multivariate relative risk [RR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–2.68; P for trend=.03). Among women with high baseline levels of sTNFR-2, those who initiated aspirin/NSAID use after blood collection had significant reductions in subsequent risk of CRC (multivariate RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18–0.86). In contrast, among women with low baseline levels of sTNFR-2, initiation of aspirin/NSAID use was not associated with significant risk reduction (multivariate RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.41–1.79). Plasma levels of CRP and IL-6 were not significantly associated with CRC risk. Conclusions Plasma levels of sTNFR-2, but not CRP or IL-6, are associated with an increased risk of CRC. Anti-inflammatory drugs appear to reduce risk of CRC among women with high, but not low, baseline levels of sTNFR-2. Certain subsets of the population, defined by inflammatory markers, may obtain different benefits from anti-inflammatory drugs.
Substructure of membranes in cultivated chick embryo fibroblasts.

Electron microscope examination of the plasma membrane of chick embryo fibroblasts cultured in vitro revealed the presence of a single osmiophilic layer about 90 A thick and a substructure composed of ovoid sub-units associated with an amorphous component. These ovoid sub-units measured approximately 112 A along the major axis and 75 A along the minor axis and were composed of a central core, approximately 30 A by 60 A, surrounded by a peripheral component.
L-Dihydroxyphenylalanine modulates the steady-state expression of mouse striatal tyrosine hydroxylase, aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, dopamine and its metabolites in an MPTP mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Aims l -3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) is the most effective symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), but PD patients usually experience a successful response to L-DOPA therapy followed by a progressive loss of response. L-DOPA efficacy relies on its decarboxylation by aromatic l -amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD) to form dopamine (DA). So exogenous L-DOPA drives the reaction and AAAD becomes the rate limiting enzyme in the supply of DA. In turn, exogenous L-DOPA regulates the expression and activity of AAAD as well as the synthesis of DA and its metabolites, changes that may be linked to the efficacy and side-effects of L-DOPA. Main methods One-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mouse PD model was utilized to study the effects of L-DOPA on the steady-state level and activity of AAAD, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), DA and the metabolites of DA. The MPTP and control mice were treated twice daily with PBS or with 100 mg/kg of L-DOPA for 14 days and the expression and activity of AAAD, the expression of TH and the levels of DA and its metabolites were determined 24 h after L-DOPA or PBS treatment, when exogenous L-DOPA is eliminated. Key findings In the MPTP model, L-DOPA reduced the steady-state expression and the activity of striatal AAAD by 52% and 50%, respectively, DA and metabolites were also significantly decreased. Significance The outcome shows that while L-DOPA replenishes striatal DA it also down-regulates AAAD and the steady-state synthesis and metabolic capability of the dopaminergic system. These findings are important in the precipitation of L-DOPA induced side effects and the management of L-DOPA therapy.