cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ceramide Is Metabolized to Acylceramide and Stored in Lipid Droplets

In an approach aimed at defining interacting partners of ceramide synthases (CerSs), we found that fatty acyl-CoA synthase ACSL5 interacts with all CerSs. We demonstrate that ACSL5-generated FA-CoA was utilized with de novo ceramide for the generation of acylceramides, poorly studied ceramide metabolites. Functionally, inhibition of ceramide channeling to acylceramide enhanced accumulation of de novo ceramide and resulted in augmentation of ceramide-mediated apoptosis. Mechanistically, we show that acylceramide generation is catalyzed by diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) on lipid droplets. In summary, this study identifies a metabolic pathway of acylceramide generation and its sequestration in LDs in cells and in livers of mice on a high-fat diet. The study also implicates this pathway in ceramide-mediated apoptosis, and has implications in co-regulation of triglyceride and sphingolipid metabolisms.
Underdogs, upsets, and overachievers

AbstractThis paper explores three phenomena in sport that are connected to narratives of hope: underdogs, upsets, and overachievers. Each of these phenomena is complex. I seek not only to understand the intrinsic nature of these phenomena, but also to explain why they captivate the imagination. After exploring some partial explanations of their enduring appeal, I focus on how the drama associated with underdogs, upsets, and overachievers in sport illuminates the human condition and awakens our sense of possibility when the odds are against us.
Application of the refraction microtremor (ReMi) process for predicting change in rock characterisation and possible correlations with the rock mass rating (RMR)

In an attempt to provide a more efficient means of determining changes in rock characterisation, a study was conducted using the refraction microtremor (ReMi) process in an underground mine. ReMi involves acquiring noise data along a linear array of geophones. The data for our study was analysed using the SeisOpt® ReMi™. Various geophone orientations were investigated in order to determine which produced the most discernible dispersion curve. In order to determine whether the changes seen actually exist, shear wave velocities were measured in location of known rock characterisation. These shear wave velocities were then compared with the rock mass rating (RMR) and previously published correlations between RMR and shear wave velocity. In addition, the use of ReMi as a tool to determine the extent of voids underground was investigated.
A Wideband Circularly Polarized Omnidirectional Antenna Based on Excitation of Two Orthogonal Circular TE 21 Modes

A novel wideband circularly polarized (CP) omnidirectional antenna operating at L-band is presented. The antenna operates based on excitation of a field distribution similar to circular waveguide TE21 mode over a wide bandwidth. It is shown that the circular TE21 mode generates a linearly polarized far-field electric field over the horizontal plane with its polarization tilt angle varying as a function of azimuth angle. It is also shown that the tilt angle varies by 90° for an azimuthal angle increase of 45°. To obtain circular polarization, two circular TE21 modes are excited such that one mode is spatially rotated by 45° with respect to the other mode. The phase difference between two modes is 90°. The modes are excited by an array of 16 monopole sectorial loop antennas to achieve a wide axial-ratio (AR) bandwidth. A right-handed CP antenna based on the proposed structure is fabricated and tested against simulation results. A feed network including Wilkinson power dividers and low-pass/high-pass phase shifters is also designed and fabricated to feed the antenna elements. The measurement results show 58% of 3-dB AR and 10-dB impedance bandwidth with the center frequency at 1.565 GHz. The total height of the antenna is 47 mm.
Value and Fairness

Value allocation is a cooperative solution concept designed to predict which Pareto optimal outcomes will be selected by an explicit bargaining process among the agents in an economy. The concept of value allocation may be either in the context of cardinal utility due to Shapley (1969) or in an ordinal formulation due to Aumann (1975). The controversial features of value allocations have been recently examined by a number of authors, notably, Shafer (1980), Roth (1980, 1983), Harsanyi (1980), Yannelis (1983), Thomson (1983), Aumann (1983) and Scafuri-Yannelis (1984). This research has also pointed out several peculiarities of value allocations.
THE POTENTIALITIES OF THE METHOD OF SCATTERED LIGHT

Summary The theory of scattered light is developed and methods are described for determining the isoclinic parameters at a point and the related birefringence. The possible accuracy is demonstrated, and rotational effects discussed. The applications of scattered light to general three-dimensional problems is treated. Numerical values of principal stresses for a general line in a diametrally compressed sphere determined by scattered light in combination with the shear-difference method are given and compared with theoretical and experimental results. The general significance of the scattered light method, which is non-destructive in character requiring neither freezing nor slicing, is appraised.
The Development of Human Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia with Age

AbstractIn this study we report the prevalence and growth rate of human benign prostatic hyperplasia with age by combining and analyzing data from 10 independent studies containing more than 1,000 prostates. The normal prostate reaches 20 plus or minus 6 gm. in men between 21 and 30 years old, and this weight remains essentially constant with increasing age unless benign prostatic hyperplasia develops. The prevalence of pathological benign prostatic hyperplasia is only 8 per cent at the fourth decade; however, 50 per cent of the male population has pathological benign prostatic hyperplasia when they are 51 to 60 years old. The average weight of a prostate that is recognized at autopsy to contain benign prostatic hyperplasia is 33 plus or minus 16 gm. Only 4 per cent of the prostates in men more than 70 years old reach sizes greater than 100 gm.An analysis of a logistic growth curve of benign prostatic hyperplasia lesions removed at prostatectomy indicates that the growth of benign prostatic hyperplasia is...
Risk Factors and Outcomes of Revision Arthroscopic Posterior Shoulder Capsulolabral Repair

Background:Risk factors and outcomes of revision arthroscopic posterior capsulolabral repair of the shoulder are currently not well defined.Hypothesis:Athletes who require revision arthroscopic pos...
Methodology of an application of the steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamic framework to physical phenomena in materials science

Abstract Steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics, or SEAQT, is a unified approach of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics that avoids many of the inconsistencies that can arise between the two theories. Given a set of energy eigenlevels, i.e., energy eigenstructure, accessible to a given physical system, SEAQT predicts the unique kinetic path from any initial non-equilibrium state to stable equilibrium by solving a master equation that directs the system along the path of steepest entropy ascent. There are no intrinsic limitations on the length and time scales the method can treat so it is well-suited for calculations where the dynamics over multiple spacial scales need to be taken into account within a single framework. In this paper, the theoretical framework and its advantages are described, and several applications are presented to illustrate the use of the SEAQT equation of motion and the construction of a simplified, reduced-order, energy eigenstructure.
Charge transport model to predict dielectric breakdown as a function of voltage, temperature, and thickness

Abstract As the minimum pitch in interconnects continues to shrink, dielectric breakdown is becoming increasingly more difficult to qualify for each new technology node. Standard voltage-acceleration models provide quick, but general, assessments of the dielectric quality. Instead, a one-dimensional charge transport model has been developed as a tool to investigate the process of the dielectric breakdown and why it occurs. The model couples Poisson's equation with constitutive equations for mobile electrons, trapped electrons, and defects in the dielectric. Bonds in the dielectric matrix are weakened by the electric field, and broken by energetic electrons, creating defects. Failure occurs when a critical defect density is reached, causing trap-to-trap tunneling and an abrupt increase in the current. The model successfully replicates electrical data for leakage current and dielectric failure as a function of voltage, temperature, and thickness. The activation energy for dielectric failure is shown to increase as the electric field decreases, resulting in much higher activation energies at operating conditions compared to testing conditions. The dielectric strength also increases for decreasing thickness based on a previous theory for planar dielectrics, and is shown to cause the failure vs. field slope to increase for thinner dielectrics.
Research on Engineering Problems in PLC Control System

With the development of Chinese economy and technology, PLC control system has been widely applied to engineering project, which will make it carried out smoothly to a certain extent. However, the system is not perfect. Its defects may hinder the engineering control, which have a negative influence on the engineering quality and exactness. The paper will study on some engineering problems in PLC control system.
Trends and outcomes in laparoscopic versus open surgery for rectal cancer from 2005 to 2016 using the ACS-NSQIP database, a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background There is controversy regarding the use of laparoscopy for rectal cancer, especially after the ACOSOG Z6051 Randomized Clinical Trial determined that laparoscopy failed to meet non-inferiority compared with open surgery. With these new recommendations, the current practices for the treatment of rectal cancer across the country are unknown. Methods Using the ACS-NSQIP database from 2005 to 2016, resections for rectal cancer were studied. The proportion of laparoscopic versus open surgeries performed was determined by year, and 16 30-day outcomes were studied in each group. Multiple logistic regression was utilized to determine the association between laparoscopic and open technique as well as odds of outcome over time. Results A total of 31,795 resections were performed, 12,371 (38.9%) laparoscopically. Laparoscopy increased yearly from 9.8% in 2005 to 52.8% in 2016. All 30-day outcomes tended to favor laparoscopy with the exception of operating room time. Conclusions These data suggest that laparoscopic surgery has been widely adopted for treating patients with rectal cancer, and the trend continues despite the ACOSOG Z6051 recommendations suggesting that laparoscopic resection may not be best technique for resection. Stronger recommendations are needed to change current trends if laparoscopic surgery is not the appropriate treatment method for rectal cancer.
From Market Making to Matchmaking: Does Bank Regulation Harm Market Liquidity?

Post-crisis bank regulations raised market-making costs for bank-affiliated dealers. We show that this can, somewhat surprisingly, improve overall investor welfare and reduce average transaction costs despite the increased cost of immediacy. Bank dealers in OTC markets optimize between two parallel trading mechanisms: market making and matchmaking. Bank regulations that increase market-making costs change the market structure by intensifying competitive pressure from non-bank dealers and incentivizing bank dealers to shift their business toward matchmaking. Thus, post-crisis bank regulations have the (unintended) benefit of replacing costly bank balance sheets with a more efficient form of financial intermediation.
Linearly bounded liars, adaptive covering codes, and deterministic random walks

We analyze a deterministic form of the random walk on the integer line called the liar machine, similar to the rotor-router model, finding asymptotically tight pointwise and interval discrepancy bounds versus random walk. This provides an improvement in the best-known winning strategies in the binary symmetric pathological liar game with a linear fraction of responses allowed to be lies. Equivalently, this proves the existence of adaptive binary block covering codes with block length n, covering radius ≤ fn for f ∈ (0, 1/2), and cardinality O( √ log log n/(1−2f)) times the sphere bound 2/ ( n ≤bfnc ) .
Retrospective Analysis of Patients With Acute Invasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis in a Single Tertiary Academic Medical Center: A 10-Year Experience.

BackgroundAcute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) is an aggressive, potentially fatal disease that can spread rapidly to the orbit and intracranial structures causing significant mortality and...
Database of adverse events associated with drugs and drug combinations.

Due to the aging world population and increasing trend in clinical practice to treat patients with multiple drugs, adverse events (AEs) are becoming a major challenge in drug discovery and public health. In particular, identifying AEs caused by drug combinations remains a challenging task. Clinical trials typically focus on individual drugs rather than drug combinations and animal models are unreliable. An added difficulty is the combinatorial explosion in the number of possible combinations that can be made using the increasingly large set of FDA approved chemicals. We present a statistical and computational technique for identifying AEs caused by two-drug combinations. Taking advantage of the large and increasing data deposited in FDA’s postmarketing reports, we demonstrate that the task of predicting AEs for 2-drug combinations is amenable to the Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT). Our pAERS database constructed with LRT contains almost 77 thousand associations between pairs of drugs and corresponding AEs caused solely by drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The DDIs stored in pAERS complement the existing data sets. Due to our stringent statistical test, we expect many of the associations in pAERS to be unrecorded or poorly documented in the literature.
Accessorizing (with) “Gypsyness” in the Twenty-first Century

Prefaced with a brief discussion of representation and cultural appropriation, this article examines how the fashion industry recycles and revamps hackneyed tropes that cast Roma into narratives of wanderlust, mystique, and transgression. Such tropes perpetuate epistemic injustice, compromise understandings ofRoma and their culture(s) within non-member groups, and curtail Roma designers’ rhetorical agency. I flesh out the discussion with the case of Mexican American designer Rio Uribe and his line Gypsy Sport and argue that, despite Uribe’s investment in social justice and much touted effort toward inclusiveness, he fails to acknowledge the unethical and harmful dimensions of his work. I turn to the fashion studio Romani Design (founded by Hungarian Roma designers Erika and Helena Varga) as an example of Roma initiatives that counter appropriative practices through reclaiming the heritage for self-representation and empowerment, then envision ways of intervening in the fashion industry’s co-option and misuse of Roma’s cultural heritage.
Improved Host Cell Protein Analysis in Monoclonal Antibody Products through Molecular Weight Cutoff Enrichment

Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities that are generated by the host organism and are typically present at low levels in recombinant biopharmaceutical products, such as therapeutic antibodies. While overall HCP levels are usually monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is emerging as a powerful tool that can provide both qualitative and quantitative information about HCP levels during purification process development. However, a major challenge for LC-MS-based methods is that there can be a more than 5 orders of magnitude difference in the concentration between HCPs and therapeutic antibody in solution, which precludes the effective identification of low abundance HCPs in antibody product. This work reports a simple and powerful strategy to identify HCPs in antibody drug substance by applying molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) filtration step followed by shotgun proteomic analysis. After dissociating the interaction between HCPs and antibody with an anionic detergent, the depletion of antibody from HCPs can be easily achieved with the MWCO filtration step. Using this method, we observed that the dynamic range across proteins in the HCP samples was significantly decreased up to 1000-fold. In addition, by spiking in known amounts of HCPs to purified antibody drug substance with low levels of HCPs, we demonstrated that our method could detect HCP with low molecular weight (11 kDa and 17 kDa) at a concentration as low as 1 ppm. When applying this methodology to the study of HCPs in NIST monoclonal antibody (NISTmAb), more than 150 HCPs were confidently identified, which doubles the number of identified HCPs that have been previously reported. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) results confirmed that the novel HCPs found using this method were present in very low abundance (0.01-8 ppm), highlighting that our method reduces the dynamic range by removing antibody interference and improving the sensitivity of HCP identification and quantification.
Extrapulmonary complications of severe influenza virus infection

Nowadays severe influenza is still the main disease threatening the health of children.Influenza virus infection is mainly involved in the human respiratory system, the clinical manifestations are mainly respiratory symptoms, but the influenza virus can also cause systemic disease, especially in patients with severe influenza is often asso-ciated with multi system involvement.This paper will introduce influenza associated hemophagocytic syndrome, influenza associated encephalopathy, influenza associated viral myocarditis, influenza associated renal complications, influenza associated complications of digestive system, influenza associated rhabdomyolysis. Key words: Severe influenza; Influenza virus; Extrapulmonary complications
Marketing Jobs and Management Controls: Toward a Framework:

The authors consider the relationships among two characteristics associated with senior marketing positions (procedural knowledge and performance documentation), four types of management controls, ...
WebRTC - Realtime Communication for the Open Web Platform: What was once a way to bring audio and video to the web has expanded into more use cases we could ever imagine.

In this time of pandemic, the world has turned to Internet-based, RTC (realtime communication) as never before. The number of RTC products has, over the past decade, exploded in large part because of cheaper high-speed network access and more powerful devices, but also because of an open, royalty-free platform called WebRTC. WebRTC is growing from enabling useful experiences to being essential in allowing billions to continue their work and education, and keep vital human contact during a pandemic. The opportunities and impact that lie ahead for WebRTC are intriguing indeed.
Parenting, loneliness, and stress in Chinese international students: do parents still matter from thousands of miles away?

To advance understanding of Chinese international student (CIS)’ psychological adjustment, we examined the role of parents in CIS’s loneliness and stress. 167 college students (Mage = 21.2 years) f...
Antimicrobial-Loaded Polymeric Micelles Inhibit Enteric Bacterial Pathogens on Spinach Leaf Surfaces During Multiple Simulated Pathogen Contamination Events

Protecting fresh-packed produce microbiological safety against pre- and post-harvest microbial pathogen contamination requires innovative antimicrobial strategies. Although largely ignored in the scientific literature, there exists the potential for gross failure in food safety protection of fresh fruits and vegetables leading to opportunity for multiple produce contamination events to occur during production and post-harvest handling of food crops. The primary objective of this research was to determine the efficacy of plant-derived antimicrobial-loaded nanoparticles to reduce Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on spinach leaf surfaces whilst simulating multiple pathogen contamination events (pre-harvest and post-harvest). Spinach samples were inoculated with a blend of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, each diluted to approximately 8.0 log10 CFU/mL. The inoculated samples were then submerged in solutions containing nanoparticles loaded with geraniol (GPN; 0.5 wt.% geraniol), unencapsulated geraniol (UG; 0.5 wt.%), or 200 ppm chlorine (HOCl; pH 7.0), with untreated samples serving for controls. Following antimicrobial treatment application, samples were collected for surviving pathogen enumeration or were placed under refrigeration (5°C) for up to 10 days, with periodic enumeration of pathogen loads. After 3 days of refrigerated storage, all samples were removed, aseptically opened and subjected to a second inoculation with both pathogens. Treatment of spinach surfaces with encapsulated geraniol reduced both pathogens to non-detectable numbers within 7 days of refrigerated storage, even with a second contamination event occurring 3 days after experiment initiation. Similar results were observed with the UG treatment, except that upon recontamination at day 3, a higher pathogen load was detected on UG-treated spinach versus GPN-treated spinach. These data fill a research gap by providing a novel tool to reduce enteric bacterial pathogens on spinach surfaces despite multiple contamination events, a potential food safety risk for minimally processed edible produce.
Is Residual Nodal Disease at Axillary Dissection Associated with Tumor Subtype in Patients with Low Volume Sentinel Node Metastasis After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

In patients with a positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), the likelihood of residual nodal disease at axillary dissection (ALND) is high. Whether non-SLN metastasis frequency varies based on tumor subtype and SLN metastasis size is uncertain. We examined the association between tumor subtype and frequency of non-SLN metastases in patients with SLN micro- vs macrometastases after NAC. Patients with invasive breast cancer and a positive SLN biopsy after NAC between July 2008 and July 2019 were identified. Associations between tumor subtype, SLN disease volume, and frequency of non-SLN metastases were examined. Among 273 patients with ≥ 1 positive SLN and a completion ALND, mean age was 51 years, 87% of tumors were ductal, 80% were clinically node-positive at presentation, and 85% were cT2-3. The frequency of non-SLN metastases was non-significantly higher in HR+/HER2- (61%) vs. HER2+ (52%) and triple negative tumors (45%) (p = 0.09). Frequency of SLN micrometastasis was 9% for triple negative tumors compared with 17% for HR+/HER2- and 34% for HER2+ tumors (p = 0.015). Size of SLN metastasis (micro- vs. macrometastases) was not associated with non-SLN metastasis frequency or number within any subtype. In patients with a positive SLN after NAC, the likelihood of non-SLN metastasis at ALND was high across all tumor subtypes and did not vary significantly for SLN micro- versus macrometastases. ALND is recommended for SLN micro- and macrometastases after NAC, irrespective of tumor subtype.
Esomeprazole attenuates inflammatory and fibrotic response in lung cells through the MAPK/Nrf2/HO1 pathway

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an orphan disease characterized by progressive loss of lung function resulting in shortness of breath and often death within 3–4 years of diagnosis. Repetitive lung injury in susceptible individuals is believed to promote chronic oxidative stress, inflammation, and uncontrolled collagen deposition. Several preclinical and retrospective clinical studies in IPF have reported beneficial outcomes associated with the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as esomeprazole. Accordingly, we sought to investigate molecular mechanism(s) by which PPIs favorably regulate the disease process. We stimulated oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory and profibrotic phenotypes in primary human lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts upon treatment with bleomycin or transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and assessed the effect of a prototype PPI, esomeprazole, in regulating these processes. Our study shows that esomeprazole controls pro-inflammatory and profibrotic molecules through nuclear translocation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2) and induction of the cytoprotective molecule heme oxygenase 1 (HO1). Genetic deletion of Nrf2 or pharmacological inhibition of HO1 impaired esomeprazole-mediated regulation of proinflammatory and profibrotic molecules. Additional studies indicate that activation of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway is involved in the process. Our experimental data was corroborated by bioinformatics studies of an NIH chemical library which hosts gene expression profiles of IPF lung fibroblasts treated with over 20,000 compounds including esomeprazole. Intriguingly, we found 45 genes that are upregulated in IPF but downregulated by esomeprazole. Pathway analysis showed that these genes are enriched for profibrotic processes. Unbiased high throughput RNA-seq study supported antifibrotic effect of esomeprazole and revealed several novel targets. Taken together, PPIs may play antifibrotic role in IPF through direct regulation of the MAPK/Nrf2/HO1 pathway to favorably influence the disease process in IPF.
Perceptions about switchgrass and land allocation decisions: Evidence from a farmer survey in Missouri

Abstract Switchgrass has been identified as a high potential bioenergy feedstock, and was expected to play an important role in achieving the production targets for cellulosic biofuels laid out under the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2007. However, the development of cellulosic biofuels at commercially viable levels has been slower than anticipated and supply side challenges, due to limited feedstock availability, continue to be a major bottleneck. Understanding the role of the farming community, their perceptions, and their willingness to cultivate dedicated bioenergy feedstocks is an important part of overcoming these challenges. To this end, a survey was administered in March-April 2017 and the results of our analysis are both insightful and timely. We studied the role of farmer perceptions around the suitability of switchgrass for their operations. We evaluated the impact of their perceptions and existing land uses on their willingness to cultivate switchgrass and their land allocation decisions using a 2-step Heckman model. Factors such as potential for diversification of crop-mix, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as ownership of woodland or forestland played an important role in influencing farmer willingness to cultivate switchgrass. We also found that land allocated for switchgrass cultivation was more likely to come from lands under non-crop uses, such as hay or other land use, and was unlikely to cause displacement of lands used for cultivating row crops, which obviates conflicts that could arise from competing land use vis-a-vis food-crops.
The central vein sign in multiple sclerosis lesions: Susceptibility relaxation optimization from a routine MRI multiecho gradient echo sequence.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The white matter lesion central vein sign (CVS) is an emerging biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS) differential diagnosis. Currently, CVS is detected on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) with suboptimal contrast. We developed an imaging method called susceptibility relaxation optimization (SRO) to improve CVS visualization. METHODS This was a retrospective study of MS patients who had MRI in June 2018 with routine 3D multiecho gradient echo (GRE) and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences. SRO and SWI images were reconstructed from GRE data. MS lesions were identified on FLAIR image. The CVS detection rate, the image quality score of CVS conspicuity (range 0-3), and central vein-to-lesion contrast were compared between SRO and SWI images. RESULTS In 20 MS patients (mean age 45 ± 9 years; 15 women), SRO significantly increased CVS detection rate compared to SWI (53.3%, 274/514 vs. 32.9%, 169/514; p<.001, McNemar's test). The median image quality score for SRO was 2 compared to 1 for SWI (p<.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The median overall image quality score for SRO was 7 compared to 6 for SWI (p = .003; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Central vein-to-lesion contrast was 0.12 ± 0.12 in SRO compared to 0.031 ± 0.075 in SWI (p<.001, t-test). CONCLUSIONS SRO yields better central vein contrast and increases CVS detection rate compared to SWI.
Working Memory and Dynamic Testing in Children with Learning Disabilities

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews working memory (WM), learning disabilities (LD), and dynamic testing. LD are not the result of inadequate opportunity to learn, general intelligence, or physical or emotional disorders; they result from basic disorders in specific psychological processes, and these specific processing deficits are a reflection of neurological, constitutional, or biological factors. Dynamic assessment (DA) includes two critical features that are designed to do the following: determine the learner's potential for change when given assistance and provide a prospective measure of performance change independent of assistance. Research using DA measures shows that children with LD may have difficulties maintaining and holding information. This may manifest itself in a number of practical tasks. All these tasks have the quality of interference and monitoring. Dynamic testing does improve the WM performance of children with LD. However, such improvement does not allow them to catch up to average achievers matched on chronological age and intelligence. Further research in this area may allow helping such children to cope with the complex demands of their everyday lives.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease: review of presenting symptoms, evaluation, management, and outcome in infants.

We conducted a retrospective review of 342 infants presenting with symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to assess their evaluation, management, and outcome. All infants underwent extended pH monitoring (EPM) for one or more of the following symptoms: regurgitation, choking, irritability, failure to thrive, apparent life-threatening event, or wheezing. EPM was considered abnormal if distal reflux index was ≥5% and/or if the Euler and Byrne score was ≥50 and these patients were labeled as having GERD. Those with normal EPM parameters were controls. All infants were <1 year of age (198 boys, 144 girls). Most received conservative treatment with formula changes and/or thickening and positional management before EPM. Of 342 infants studied, EPM was normal in 169 patients, ie, controls, and GERD was present in 173 children. GERD was more prevalent in Caucasians compared to African Americans (P < 1 0.045). Although a prokinetic or acid suppression medication or both were given more commonly in infants with GERD, almost half of infants in the control group also needed pharmacotherapy because of persistent symptoms. Mean time to resolution of symptoms in the control group infants with normal EPM was 3.5 months, and in infants with GERD it was 5.4 months (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the Majority of infants with symptoms suggestive of GERD resolve their symptoms within 3–6 months of initiating treatment. Day-to-day variability of the spectrum of GERD may contribute towards normal results of EPM in some infants who need pharmacotherapy.
A distributed slack bus model and its impact on distribution system application techniques

Distribution system operating environments are changing rapidly. For example, with the steady and significant increase in dispersed generation expected, planning and operating application techniques must also change. The paper re-evaluates the single slack bus assumption typically employed in steady-state distribution power flow solvers. Specifically, a distributed slack bus model, based on the concept of generator domains, is discussed and integrated into a power flow solver. Improved representation and allocation of distribution system losses to multiple generators is expected to impact other application techniques, such as capacitor placement, service restoration, etc. In addition, economic impacts of dispersed generation are significant and simulation results are presented to highlight this impact.
LMP1-Induced Sumoylation Influences the Maintenance of Epstein-Barr Virus Latency through KAP1

As a herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) establishes a latent infection that can periodically undergo reactivation, resulting in lytic replication and the production of new infectious virus. Latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1), the principal viral oncoprotein, is a latency-associated protein implicated in regulating viral reactivation and the maintenance of latency. We recently found that LMP1 hijacks the SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 via its C-terminal activating region-3 (CTAR3) and induces the sumoylation of cellular proteins. Because protein sumoylation can promote transcriptional repression, we hypothesized that LMP1-induced protein sumoylation induces the repression of EBV lytic promoters and helps maintain the viral genome in its latent state. We now show that with inhibition of LMP1-induced protein sumoylation, the latent state becomes less stable or leakier in EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines. The cells are also more sensitive to viral reactivation induced by irradiation, which results in the increased production and release of infectious virus, as well as increased susceptibility to ganciclovir treatment. We have identified a target of LMP1-mediated sumoylation that contributes to the maintenance of latency in this context: KRAB-associated protein-1 (KAP1). LMP1 CTAR3-mediated sumoylation regulates the function of KAP1. KAP1 also binds to EBV OriLyt and immediate early promoters in a CTAR3-dependent manner, and inhibition of sumoylation processes abrogates the binding of KAP1 to these promoters. These data provide an additional line of evidence that supports our findings that CTAR3 is a distinct functioning regulatory region of LMP1 and confirm that LMP1-induced sumoylation may help stabilize the maintenance of EBV latency. IMPORTANCE Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) plays an important role in the maintenance of viral latency. Previously, we documented that LMP1 targets cellular proteins to be modified by a ubiquitin-like protein (SUMO). We have now identified a function for this LMP1-induced modification of cellular proteins in the maintenance of EBV latency. Because latently infected cells have to undergo viral reactivation in order to be vulnerable to antiviral drugs, these findings identify a new way to increase the rate of EBV reactivation, which increases cell susceptibility to antiviral therapies.
HER-2/neu gene amplification characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization: poor prognosis in node-negative breast carcinomas.

PURPOSEThe HER-2/neu gene codes for a membrane receptor protein that is homologous, but distinct from the epidermal growth factor receptor. This investigation was performed to validate fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as a sensitive and specific method for assessing HER-2/neu gene amplification in archival tissue and to test whether this alteration is associated with poor prognosis.MATERIALS AND METHODSHER-2/neu gene amplification was determined by FISH in 140 archival breast cancers, previously characterized for gene amplification by Southern hybridization or dot-blot hybridization, and for gene expression by Northern hybridization, Western immunoblot, or immunohistochemistry. A separate cohort of 324 node-negative breast cancers was assessed for amplification by FISH to determine the utility of HER-2/neu gene amplification.RESULTSRelative to solid-matrix blotting procedures, FISH analysis of HER-2/neu gene amplification showed a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100% in 140 breast cancers...
Statistical validity of the Haseman-Elston sib-pair test in small samples

Simulation experiments were used to determine the empiric type I error rate of the Haseman-Elston sib-pair test for linkage between a quantitative trait and a marker locus in samples with 60 or fewer sib pairs. The effect of different levels of marker-locus heterozygosity on statistical validity was also considered. The test was performed on the trait and each of five unlinked markers, and evaluated using two different degrees of freedom for the t-distribution. The number of degrees of freedom in the first evaluation was based on the number of sib pairs in each sibship, Σs i (s i -1)/2-2. In the second evaluation, the number of degrees of freedom was based on the number of sibs minus 1 in each sibship, Σ(s i -1)-2
Exposure to Suicide Movies and Suicide Attempts: A Research Note

Research on the impact of exposure to suicide movies on suicidality has been marked by three limitations. It is largely based on (1) aggregate data subject to the ecological fallacy, (2) exposure to a single movie, and (3) relative lack of controls for psychological states and social factors linked to suicide. The present study addresses these gaps. It follows a modified Beach method and assesses the impact of cumulative, voluntary exposure to suicide movies on suicide attempts. The subjects are 260 undergraduates at a midwestern university. The dependent variable is a previous suicide attempt. Cumulative exposure to suicide movies is based on self-reports. Controls include religiosity, depression, burdensomeness, and demographics. A multivariate logistic regression analysis determined that, controlling for other predictors, for each additional movie exposure the risk of attempted suicide increased by 47.6 percent. This is the first investigation to demonstrate a link between cumulative, voluntary exposur...
Therapy of intestinal protozoa

Abstract Protozoa that parasitize the human intestine and cause disease include Entamoeba histolytica , Giardia lamblia , Cryptosporidium parvum , Cyclospora cayetanensis , Isospora belli , and the microsporidia (which are now classified as fungi). The new and broad-spectrum agent nitazoxanide now has an Food and Drug Administration indication for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in children, making C. parvum for the first time a treatable infection. Metronidazole is the standard, and in most cases effective, therapy for invasive infection due to E. histolytica and for G. lamblia infection. Cyclosporiasis and isosporiasis are treated with trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, whereas some isolates of Encephalitozoon intestinalis are sensitive to albendazole. Eradication of E. histolytica infection after completion of metronidazole therapy normally requires additional therapy with paromomycin, whereas cases of giardiasis refractory to metronidazole have been treated with nitazoxanide, higher doses of metronidazole, or with combination therapy with quinacrine and metronidazole.
Pachytene spermatocyte protein(s) stimulate Sertoli cells grown in bicameral chambers: dose-dependent secretion of ceruloplasmin, sulfated glycoprotein-1, sulfated glycoprotein-2, and transferrin.

Interactions between pachytene spermatocytes and Sertoli cells were investigated using the bicameral culture chamber system. Pachytene spermatocytes were isolated from adult rats with a purity in excess of 90% by centrifugal elutriation. The pachytene spermatocytes were cultured in a defined media and pachytene spermatocyte protein prepared from the conditioned media by dialysis and lyophilization. This pachytene spermatocyte protein was reconstituted at various concentrations and incubated with confluent epithelial sheets of immature Sertoli cells cultured in bicameral chambers. Pachytene spermatocyte protein stimulated secretion of total [35S]methionine-labeled protein from Sertoli cells in a dose-dependent manner predominantly in an apical direction. This stimulatory effect of pachytene spermatocyte protein was domain specific from the apical surface of Sertoli cells, and seemed specific for secretion because total intracellular protein did not increase under the influence of pachytene spermatocyte protein. Pachytene spermatocyte protein and follicle-stimulating hormone additively stimulated Sertoli cell secretion. The physicochemical characteristics of the stimulatory pachytene spermatocyte protein are indicative of heat stability, whereas the stimulatory pachytene spermatocyte protein exhibit acid, dithiothreitol and trypsin sensitivity, and partial urea sensitivity. Furthermore, Sertoli cell secretion of ceruloplasmin, sulfated glycoprotein-1, sulfated glycoprotein-2, and transferrin in response to various concentrations of pachytene spermatocyte protein were determined by immunoprecipitate of these [35S]methionine-labeled proteins with polyclonal antibodies. Maximal stimulation of ceruloplasmin and sulfated glycoprotein-1 secretion from Sertoli cells was observed at a dose of 50 µg/ml pachytene spermatocyte protein, whereas maximal stimulation of sulfated glycoprotein-2 and transferrin secretion from Sertoli cells was observed at a dose of 100 µg/ml of pachytene spermatocyte protein. These results suggest that pachytene spermatocytes modulate Sertoli cell secretory function of at least four proteins in the regulation of spermatogenesis.
Middlemen behaviour and generic advertising rents in competitive interrelated industries

This article focuses on the role of middlemen in determining the returns to generic advertising in a competitive industry where supply is uncontrolled, the price of marketing inputs is endogenous, and retail markets are interrelated through consumer preferences. Theoretical analysis suggests farm-gate returns (quasi-rents) are overstated when input substitution at middlemen level is ignored, a result confirmed in the empirical application. As for mark-up behaviour, represented by the farm-retail price transmission elasticity, a general result is that farm-gate returns to generic advertising always increase as the transmission elasticity decreases, provided retail demand is more elastic than input substitution. Endogenising the price of marketing inputs has little effect on advertising rents.
Athens Variant of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase

A variant of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), characterized by slower than normal electrophoretic migration and associated with mild deficiency of G6PD in the red cells, was detected in two unrelated Greek males. Electrophoretic, chromatographic, and enzymologic study indicated that the new mutant is structurally different from normal G6PD (B+) and from the Mediterranean variant associated with red-cell enzyme deficiency (B-). Convincing electrophoretic separation of the new variant from the normal B+ and the Mediterranean B- enzymes was achieved only by detailed electrophoretic study in different buffer systems and conditions.
The Symbolic Power of Color: Constructions of Race, Skin-Color, and Identity in Brazil

Some current cultural anthropologists define race as a social construct, yet explorations of the socio-historical constructions that give form and structure to racial identities perpetuating notions of “race” are rarely discussed. This study explores the theory of racial formations proposed by Michael Omi and Howard Winant as it applies to Brazil's racial project, arguing that Brazil's rhetoric on race and national identity during the late 19th to early 20th century culminated in a racial project ultimately known as democracia racial. As a result, I propose that Brazilian racial consciousness is symbolically pluralistic, encompassing race, social class, and social position, generating a particularly virulent, yet silent form of racism. I expand upon racial formation theory through analysis of my fieldwork carried out in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerias, in 2004. This analysis illustrates how contemporary Brazilian social structure and daily cultural discourses on race, skin-color, racial identity, and social ...
TRANSLATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

A peculiar concomitant of war is to stimulate highly focused, collaborative scientific research endeavors that lead to extraordinary accomplishments. The developments of radar and of nuclear weapons (The Manhattan Project), are particularly well-known examples. Likewise, groups of biomedical
Novel strategies for clinical drug analysis with new column technology in liquid chromatography.

Abstract Clinical drug analysis has been the focus of much attention and controversy because of the increase in substance abuse testing of addicts, patients, employees and others, in addition to the rapidly growing fields of therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical toxicology. This review focuses on the latest methodological and technological advances in liquid chromatography (LC) as it is applied to clinical drug analysis. Based on the author's experience, key chromatographic parameters such as carbon load, functionalities and temperature are proposed for the separation of structurally similar metabolites and for resolving chromatographic interferences by other drugs and metabolites. Novel sample preparation for cyclosporine and gradient elution of its metabolites are reviewed, followed by an update on monitoring of 3′-azido-3′-deoxythymidine with emphasis on automated sample preparation. Various approaches of direct sample analysis are advocated for increased efficiency as a result of minimal sample preparation and potential advantages such as decreased exposure of personnel to infectious samples. An update of microbore LC indicates that 2-mm columns may be readily used for clinical paediatric and neonatal analysis without dedicated chromatographs. Potential applications of multidimensional—multimodal chromatography include analyses of a cocaine impurity, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and five ingredients of a common cold medication.
Rate reduction strategies used by stutterers and nonstutterers during high- and low-pitched speech

Abstract Groups of child and adult normal speakers and stutterers were tested in an habitual condition and in conditions where they were instructed to read aloud at pitches both higher than and lower than normal. Objective measures were made of subjects' fluent reading rate, and vowel and pause durations across conditions. Disfluencies were also counted. Findings revealed that all four subject groups reduced their frequency of disfluency from the habitual to both experimental conditions. These decrements in disfluency were attended by significant reductions in fluent reading rate. Spectrographic analyses revealed that most subjects, regardless of age and speaker characteristic, affected their rate reduction by extending both vowel and pause durations. These results are compatible with those obtained in recent studies and are discussed.